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LIBRARY 


OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

COLLEGE 

No._  5:ia.5:4--____  DATE.?>-_I  _?  S_7_ 

souRCE.J_-_-ii_!^__iLTiin<i\ 


J6£65 


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COUNTRY     GENTLEMAN'S     COMPANION. 


CONDUCTED  BY  GEORGE  W.  JOHNSON,  ESQ. 

EDITOK     OF     THE     "  OAHDENElt's     AI.MASACK,"     ETC. 


THE  FRUIT  AND  FORCING-GARDEN,  by  Mr.  R.  Erring- 
ton,  Gardener  to  Sir  P.  Egerton,  Bart.,  OuUon  Parli. 

THE  KITCHEN-GARDEN,  by  Mr.  .7.  Robson,  Gardener  to 
the  late  Earl  Cornwallis  ;  and  Mr.  T.  Weaver,  Gardener  to 
the  Warden  of  Winehester  College. 

THE  FLOWER-GARDEN,  by  Mr.  D.  Beaton,  late  Gar- 
dener to  Sir  W.  Widdleton,  Bart.,  Shrubland  Park. 

FLORISTS'  FLOWERS,  by  Mr.  T.  Appleby,  Victoria 
Nursery,  Uxbridge. 

THE  GREENHOUSE  AND  WINDOW-GARDEN,  by 
Mr.  n.  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-Yaid,  by 

Mr.  J.Blundcll. 
MANAGEMENT  OF  BEES,  by  J.  H.  Payne,  Esq. 
POULTRY-KEEPING,    by   the    Rev.    W.  W.  Wingficid, 

Secretary  to  the  Cornwall  Society  for  Poultry  Improvement. 
DISEASES  OF  POULTRY,  by  W.  B.  Tegetmeier,  Esq. 
ALLOTMENT     GARDENING,    by    Mr.    Errington    .ind 

others. 


1853—4. 


LONDON : 

PUBLISHED    BY    WM.    S.    Ollll    AND    CO.,    AMEN    CORNER. 


18  54. 


TO     OUR    READERS, 


At  the  close  of  our  last  Volume  we  expressed  a  hope  for  a  blessing  on  our  next  six 
months'  exertions,  and  that  hope  has  been  realized.  AVe  promised  to  report  the 
result,  and  we  now  fullil  that  promise. 

Our  pages  throughout  the  present  Volume  are  evidences  of  the  unwearied  and 
successful  exertions  of  our  contributors,  and  our  list  of  readers  gives  the  most  unmis- 
takeable  of  testimony  that  those  exertions  meet  the  requirements  of  the  gardening 
community.  Another  section  of  that  community  is  now  annually  largely  increased — 
the  proprietors  of  small  plots  obtained  by  the  agency  of  Allotment  and  Freehold 
Land  Societies.  To  the  information  needed  by  the  tenants  of  these  plots  we  shall 
specially  direct  a  portion  of  our  attention ;  for  although  all  the  contents  of  our 
columns  are  directly,  or  indirectly,  useful  to  all  garden  cultivators,  yet  these  tenants 
often  need  more  elementary  information,  and  it  will  be  our  endeavour  to  impart  it. 
We  may  ofteji  fail  to  state  such  particulars  as  they  need,  but  when  we  do  so  fad,  it 
will  be  received  as  a  favour  if  fresh  questions  are  asked,  and  our  short-comings  are  • 
pointed  out  to  us. 

This  leads  us  to  observe  that  apologies  often  accompany  the  inquiries  sent  to 
us.  Such  apologies  are  quite  misplaced,  for  we  covet  such  inquiries  as  the  best  of 
guides  to  the  information  required  from  us.  It  is  easy  to  teach  when  we  know  what 
is  desired  to  be  learned. 

Our  endeavour  to  encourage  such  inquiries  has  been  so  successful,  that  the 
replies  to  them  have  become  a  prominent  and  highly  useful  portion  of  our  labours. 
So  numerous  and  so  various  have  inquiries  become,  that  we  shall  endea-vour  in  future 
to   give  the  answers  to  them  more  prominently,  and,  in  some  degree,  classified. 

In  conclusion,  we  tender  our  hearty  thanks  to  all  our  friends  and  allies,  who,  we 
rejoice  to  find,  we  have  in  all  the  countries  of  Europe  except  Russia,  and  by  then- 
continued  aid  we  feel  pretty  sure  of  making  an  impression  even  there.  We  are  not 
superstitious,  but  when  we  observe  that  whilst  our  Great  Northern  Carnation  is  dead, 
our  Queeit,  Victoria  Carnation  is  more  than  usually  vigorous,  we  cannot  but  receive  it 
as  a  good  omen,  not  only  in  our  own  little  warfare  against  ignorance,  but  in  the  iar 
mightier  one  that  is  now  impending. 


INDEX. 


Abies  br.icteata,  2/3 

Abncy  House,  10 

Abronia  mnbellata,  sowing,  499 

Acacia  Drummondi,  478 

Acanthus  mollis,  230 

Achillea  eupatorium,  111;  toraen- 
tosa  culture,  127;  rosea,  170; 
ptarmica,  double,  186 

Aconitum  versicolor  culture,  249; 
variegatum  culture,  2C8  ;  pani- 
culatum  culture,  291;  cammamm 
culture,  325  ;  japonicum,  and  its 
culture,  348;  anthora  culture, 
371 ;  ochrolcucum,  and  its  cul- 
ture, 408 

Acrostichum,  vernum,  25 

Adiantums,  list  of,  25,  45 

.Achillea  fulgons  culture,  330 

Agave  Americana  culture,  380 

Age  of  Common  Sense,  2/4 

Agricultural  and  Horticultural 
Society   of    India,  469 

Air  as  a  non-conduc'.;or  of  heat,  1 08 ; 
giving,  141  ;  admitting,  172; 
admitting  in  winter,  300 

Alamanda  culture,  330 

Alerce-tree,  430 

Aloes  of  Scripture,  473 

AlIoBorous  flexuoBus,  493 

Allotment  culture,  I66 

Allotment  Farming  —  November, 
66;  December,  146;  January, 
245  ;  February,  324 ;  March,  406 ; 
April,  505 

Almond,  as  mentioned  in  the 
Bible,  334 

Almug  Tree,  234 

Alonsoa  acutifolia,  73 

Alpine  plants,  44 

Alsophilas,  45 

American  Aloe  keeping,  112; 
Notes,  4/0;  Groundsel,  509 

Ammonia  a  most  important  part 
of  manures,  415 

Anemone  culture,  44 ;  storing, 
forcing,  and  propagating,  62 

Anetium  citrifolium,  46 

Androsace  lanuginosa,  451 

Angrsecum  eburneum,  493 

Annual  flower-seed,  sowing,  498 

Ancectochilus  culture,  345 

Antirrhinum,  its  properties,  402  ; 
raising  from  seed,  424  ;  propa- 
gating by  cuttings,  442;  400; 
culture  in  pots,  461 ;  manage- 
ment in  the  border,  483 ;  sowing 
in  open  ground,  499 

Antrophyum  lanceolatum,  46 

Ants,  to  destroy,  128 

Aphelandra  culture,  76 

Aphelexia  culture,  1/9 

Apple  trees  planted  shallow,  16 ; 
list  of,  32 

Apples  for  Yorkshire,  312 

Apples  and  Pears  newly  planted, 
232 

Apricot,  its  decay,   124 

Arabis  thaliana,  113;  stricta, 
173  ;  hispida,  233 ;  ciliata,  253  ; 
hirsuta,  293  ;  turrita,  353 

Araucaria  turned  brown,  409 

Arctic  Regions,   their  plants,  394 

Ashburton'a,  Lord,  proposal  for 
school. masters,  2/4 

Asparagus  seedlings,  91 

Aspidiums,  46 

Aspleniums,  46,  62 

Atoms  for  the  times.  269 


Australia,  value  of  land  there,  472 
Australian     Emigrant's    progress, 

270  ;    Horticultural  Society,  4Sg 
Azalea  crispiflora,  133;ovata  and 

ameena,  400 
Azalea  ramentacea,  479 
Azaleas,    list  of,    132;  squamata 

andobtuaa,  439 

Babiana  culture,  330 

Badorgan,  320 

Bahialatifolia,  133 

Bamborough  Castle,  1 1 

Bank  of  Faith,  l65 

Barharea  vulgaris  and  priecox,],  17 

Barkeria  spectabilis  culture,  338  ; 
elegans,  438 

Bean  (Kidney)  forcing,  132 

Bedding  plants,  6,  39 

Bedding-out  plantain  frames,  112 

Beekeeping  for  Cottagers — swarms, 
casts,  colts,  and  preventing 
swarming,  15;  chloroform  for 
stupifying,  31  ;  queen  dead,  32  ; 
food  for,  32;  leaving  hive,  52; 
robbers  and  queen  producingonly 
drones,  52;  November  Calendar, 
66  ;  preserving,  feeding,  and 
uniting,  67;  Calendars  for  March 
and  April,  446,506;  for  May  and 
June,  490  ;  for  July,  August,  and 
September,  509 ;  unitingswarms, 
&c.,  509 

Beer,  its  spirit  and  acidity,  450 

Bees  eaten  by  toads,  74  ;  December 
Calendar,  147;  food  and  venti- 
lation, 147  ;  uniting  and  feeding, 
170  ;  hives  of  gutta  percha,  172; 
loss  of  queen,  191  ;  feeding,  191  ; 
feeding,  231  ;  Calendar  for  Jan- 
uary ;  Floor-boards,  food,  tkc, 
245  ;  position  of  hives,  stocking 
a  bee-garden,  age  of  hives,  de- 
priving, cleanliness,  enemies, 
stings,  248 ;  hives,  top  hives, 
glasses,  floor-hoards  and  pedes- 
tals, 271 ;  Chinesemode  of  taking 
honey,  294;  coverings,  adapting- 
boards,  water-pans,  weighing, 
and  feeders,  311;  floor-boards, 
feeding,  hives  of  comb,  325 ; 
feeding,  330;  condensers,  furai- 
gators,  bee-dress,  knives,  &c., 
388;  feeding,  391  ;  March  Calen- 
dar, pollen  gathering,  forsaking 
hives,  wasps,  407  ;  rejecting 
food,  410;  mortality  among,  471 

Beet-root  cooking,  352 

Begonia  biserrata,  3/3 

Berberis  Asiatica,  431 

Berberris  concinna,  313 

Berberies,  list  of  evergreen,  357 

Billbergia  thyrsoidea,  413 

Blechnums,  03;  list  of,  81 

Boiler,  heating  two  structures  from 
one,  250 

Bonnemaisonia,  species  of,  287 

Border  plants,  hardy,  186,  230,249, 
268,  291,  325,  348,  371,  403,  445, 
489 

Bottom-heat  from  flues,  91  ;  232 

Bouquets,  118 

Bos  leaves,  192 

Bravoa  geminiflora,  373,  491 

Bread,  recipes  for,  331,  470 

Bread  ~  punishment  for  short- 
weighted,  353  ;  to  make  cheaply, 
351;  39G;  409;  profit  of  stale,354 


Brewing,  Cottage,  86,  107,  189 
Brillantaisia  Owariensis,  33 
Brocoli-cultnre,  to   secure  a  suc- 
cession, 137  ;  growing  to  keep  up 
a  succession,   II6;    its  varieties, 
117;  protecting,  37(1;  (Autumn) 
sowing,    451  ;  Snow's,  469 
Broom  corn,  471 
Brugmansias,  their  culture,  121 
Brussels  Sprouts,  sowing,  500 
Buddlea  Lindleyana  culture,  90 
Bulb,   a  new,    443  ;   planting  be- 
tween, 510  ;    growing,    16,    97) 
139,  157;  pit  for,  263 
Bulls,  rules  tor  judging,  1/5 

Cabbage,  its  culture  and  history, 
93;  for  winter,  147;  transplant- 
ing, 331 

Cabbage  Oil  Plant,  469 

Calceolarias,  arrangementin  abed, 
10;  raising  varieties,  31  ;  hys- 
sopifolia,  77  ;  for  late  blooming, 
145  ;  shrubby  in  pots,  161  ;  cut- 
tings of  shrubby,  iGl;  amplexi- 
caulis,  441  ;  list  of,  472 

Calendar  for  November,  71  ;  De- 
cember, 151  ;  January,  251  ; 
February,  331  ;  April,  510 

Caiendrinia  speciosa,  sowing,  352 

Callipteris,  list  of,  81 

Callitris  quadrivalvis,  480 

Camellia  grafting,  90 ;  diseased 
leaves,  151  ;  course  of  culture, 
436;  some  good  ones,  437  ;  from 
cuttings,  492 ; 

Campanula  Vidalii,  373 

Campteria  biaurita,  81 

Canaries' nests,  431 

Caper  plant  culture,  320 

Capsicum  culture,  319 

Cardamine  impatiens,  453  ;  bclli- 
difolia,  433  ;  hirsuta,  4/3 

Carnation  (Tree)  cuttings,  391 

Carrot  storing,  52,  l64;  growing 
early,  324,331  ;  (Horij)  sowing, 
406 

Carrots  and  their  culture,  462; 
sowing,  505 

Cassibeera,  list  of,  81;  pedata,  122 

Castor  oil  plant  culture,  320 

Cauliflowers,  their  winter  manage- 
ment, 296 ;  culture,  500 

Cedar  pruning,  298;  at  Stanford 
Court,  429 

Cedrus  Deodara  and  Lebani,  482 

Celery,  preserving  in  winter,  38  ; 
best  varieties,  119;  manure  for, 
331 

Cenia  formosa  and  turbinata,  78 

Centaurea  cyanea,  sowing,  499 

Ceratopteris,  list  of  species,  123 

Ceropegia  Thwaitesii,  413 

Ceatrum  aurantiacum  half-hardy  ? 
77;  culture,  120 

Chatsworth,  423 

Cheilanthes,  list  of  species,  123 

Cherries,  list  of,  32 

Cherrv  Orchard,  management  in 
Kent,  350 

Chicory  culture  in  Guernsey,  168 

China  Asters,  sowing,  499 

Cholera,  precautions  to  avoid,  2; 
Board  of  Health's  Notification, 
3;  the  influence  of  water,  18; 
not  infectious,  56  ;  and  insects, 
73 ;  as  influenced  by  cold  and 
damp,   74 ;    in  connection   with 


bad  air,  155;  influence  of  decay- 
ing vegetables,  196  ;  influenced 
by  temperance,  256,  315;  Irish 
College  of  Physicians  on,  354  ; 
its  preventives,  434  ;  as  influ- 
enced by  water,  474  ;  poison,  495 
Chondrus,  its  species,  448 
Chrysanthemum  flies,  73 ;   list  of 

Pompone,  120;  listof,  292 
Chrysymenia,  species  of,  288 
Chylocladia,  species  of,  23S 
Cibotiums.  list  of,  144 
Cineraria  management,  132 
Circular  surface  u  its  base,  451 
Cirropetalum  cornutum,  413 
Cleanliness  as   a   protection  from 

disease,  114 
Clethra  arborea  culture,  312 
Climbers    for    conservator}',    132, 

232;  arches,  491 
Clotted  cream,  making,  352 
Cocoa-nut,  its  construction,  292 
Cold,  its  recent  intensity,  2/6 
Coleseed  culture,  103 
Coleus  Blumei,  413 
Coleworts,  culture  of,    276;    pro- 
tecting, 376 
Collodion  for  cuttings,  410 
Conifers,  six  graceful,  132 
Conoclinium   ianthemum   and  its 

culture,  479 
Conservatory    vinery,    31  ;    plants 

for,  52,  132 
Contrast  (The),  464 
Corallina,  species  of,  310 
Coreopsis  coronaria,  73 
Cottage  garden  produce,  63 
Cotoneaster     microphylla     as     a 

standard,  459 
Covent  Garden,  118 
Coverings  for  pits,  &:c.,  43 
Cow  milking  herself,  32;  produce 

of  Jersey,  371 
Cress  (Winter)  1  ;  in  winter,  39 
Crocus,   culture   of   small,   hybri- 
dizing and  forcing,  9;  Sir  Walter 
Scott,  439 
Crowcasaligna  culture,  24 
Cucumber  and  Melon  house,  heat- 
ing, 390 
Cucumbers  not  ripening,  391 ;  to 
keep    after    cutting,    423;     pit 
heated  by  flues,  501 
Cuphea  cuttings,    iG ;    strigillosa 

for  late  blooming,  145 
Currant    (Black)     culture,     199 ; 

culture  in  Kent,  308 
Cuttings,    striking,    90 ;    how    to 
make  and  manage,  377  ;  taken  in 
spring,  their  management,  418; 
theory   and   practice  of    propa- 
gating   by,  421  ;    treated    with 
collodion,  449 
Cyatheas,  list  of,  144 
Cyclamens   just    imported,    132 ; 
planting,     250;     summer    and 
winter  culture,  382;  its  propa- 
gation   and    culture,    340;     soil 
and    potting,    36l ;    new,    and 
their  culture,  438 
Cyrtogoniuras,  list  of,  144 
Cyrtophlebiums,  l62 
Cytisus  ramosus  culture,  4/9 

Dahlias,  to  arrange  in  mass, 7; 
keeping,  propagating,  and  bed- 
ding, 4li0.  491 

Dairy,  locality  for,  I9I 


INDEX. 


Daisies  on  lawns,  1 12 

Damp  soil,  trees  for,  430 

Dane-wort,  \6 

Daphne  Fortuni,  3f)9 

Dark,  keeping  growing  plants  in, 

239 
Dasya,  species  of,  287 
Delesseria,  species  of,  349 
Delphinium    sinense     as     a    Idue 

bcdcler,  -11  ;  sinense  culture,  lOl ; 

sowing:,  500 
Dendrobium  cymbidioitles,  413 
Deodar  Cedar  in  towns,  187;  pro- 
bably the  Ahnug,  234 ;  as  timber, 

439, 
Deutzia  culture,  1 12 
Diamond-bed  for  flowers,  40 
Dibble,  Newington's,  3,52 
Dichorisandra      thyrsifolia,       77 ; 

picta,  493 
Dictyoglossum,  162 
Didymocarpus  Humboldliana,  313 
Dielvtra  speetabilis  mauagcment, 

172 
Diplaziunm,  list  of,  162,  205 
Disappointments,  238 
Doodias,  list  of,  205 
Domeetic  economy,  469 
DoryopteriK,  Hat  of,  205 
Draining  allotments,  66 
Draining,  t)I 
Dropmorc  Gardens,    101 
Drymoglossuma,  list  of,  205 
Prvaarias,  list  of,  206,  382 

Edging  Tiles  (rfogj'^1-29;  410 
Edgworthia  chrysanlha,  399 
Education  should  be   more   prac- 
tical, 274 
Egg  Plant  culture,  319 
Elaphaglossums,  list  oi',  383,  403 
Elder  Wine  recipe,  I6 
Elms,  destroyed  by   insects,  214; 

holes  in,  232 
Emigrants,    plants  for,  and  Lark, 

53 ;  packing  plants  for,  55 
Emigrant,  letter  from  an,  270 
Emigration,  410 

Endive,  preserving  in  winter,  39 
Entomological  Society's  Meeting, 

73,  13(),  214,  293,  416,  476 
Envillc  Park,  263 
Epaciises,   pruning  and   potting, 

441 
Epidendrura  Stamfordianum,  493 
Episcia  mellittifolia,  53 
Erica  carnea  culture.  445 
Erythrochiton  Brasilicnse,  313 
Eucaridium  and  Saponaria,  430 
Evergreens,  how  late  can  they  be 

planted?    172;    the   season  for 

planting,  373 
Ewes,  management  of,  183,  206  ; 

management   of   forward,    221  ; 

management    of     Down,     243, 

265,      283  ;      breeding,      302 ; 

management    of    long-wooUed, 

322,  343 

Fadyema  prolifera,  403 
Family  Friend,  291 
Farm-yard  economy,  125;  436;  484 
Feathers,  how  to  picparc,  352 
Fences,  Garden,  404 
I'crnery,  rock-work  for,  292 
Fern  Islands,  11 

Ferns,  list  of  stove,  2.i,  45,  62,  122, 
144,    162,    205,    38:!,    403,    442; 
number  of  British,  352 
Fig-house  management,  212 
Figs  dropping,  250 
Filbert  culture  in  Kent,  27 
Fish,  analysis  of,  414 
Flower-garden  Plans,  39s,  153,  '2\3 
Flower-pots  as  protectors,  498 
Flowers  for  late  l>lotiniing  in  gar- 
dens, 145 
Food,  chemistry  of,  468 
Forest  culture,  181 
Fowl's  Dung,  iG 
Frame,  Child's  Night  Lights  for, 

192 
Prancisccas,   list  of  and  culture, 

217 
Freezing  between    glass   laps,    to 

prevent,  31 
Front  garden  planting,  312 
Frost,  easy  mode  of  excluding,  2;s7 
Krlgi  domo  as  a  covering,  250 
Fruit  blossoms,  retarding,  455 
Fruit  culture,  principles  of,  258 
Fruit  not  jn'oniotive  of  Cholera,  2 


Fruit-trees  fur  Derbyshire,  90; 
Durham,  90;  fruits'  for  North 
Clieshire,  90  ;  cutting  down  old, 
112 

Fruit-growing,  Errington's  mode 
of,  180 

Fruit,  importance  of  stock,  356; 
obtainable   in  February,  360 

Fruits  for  exhibition,  32  ;  the  de- 
cay of  old,  123 

Fuchsia  cuttings,  16  ;  crossing,  77 ; 
Dominiana,  77  ;  suckers,  90  ;  list 
of  new,  91  ;  serratifoHa  culture, 
121;  cordata  culture,  17I;  ser- 
ratifolia,  232  ;  its  history,  254     " 

Fuchsias,  Pillar,  132  ;  white, 
stained,  491 

Fungi,  culture  of,  71 

Fuorcroya  culture,  381 

Gauii:,  cover  for,  409 

Gardens,  renovating  old,  156,  2/0, 

316 
Gardenia  Stanlcyana  shedding  its 

buds,  32 
Gas  stove  in  greenhouse,  7I 
Gelidiuni,  its  species,  447 
Geraniums,  for  bedding,  6;  Pelar- 
goniums,   and    Erocliums,     10 ; 
wintering,  31,  90;    as  standards, 
41;  Pillar,  132;  wintering  Scar- 
let, 160;  cuttings  of  Scarlet,  in 
August,   462;    bedding  -  out  in 
pois,  510 

Gesnerworts  with  diseased  leaves, 
292 

Gesnera  zebrina  culture,  337 

\i:«'artina,  its  species,  447 

Gladioli,  aiid  soil  for,  Id 

Gladiolus  culture,  80 ;  in  uolS; 
102;  propagating  by  seed,  122; 
propagation  by  offsets,  143;  its 
disease,  143;  insignis  culture, 
166;    seedlings,  171 

Glass,  Hartley's  rough,  112;  not 
lapped,  372 

Glass-walls  as  managed  by  I\Ir. 
Ewings  himself,  320 

Glazing,  double,  its  importance, 262 

Goats,  their  utility,  430 

Goldfussia  glomerata,  493 

Gold  Fish,  51,  90 

Goldfussia  isophylla,  193 

Goniophlehiums,  403 ;  sepultum, 
442 

Goniopteris  frasinifolia  and  pen- 
nigera,  443 

Gooseberries,  312 

Gooseberry  buds,  to  protect  from 
birds,  456 

Gourd  shedding  its  fruit,  451 

Graeillaria,  its  species,  447 

Grapes  — Black  Barbarossa,  52  ; 
mildewed  to  cure,  52  ;  preserving 
late,  58,  71  ;  for  three  vineries, 
112;  new  white,  216  ;  the  Rich- 
mond Villa,  312 

Grasses,  ornamental,  509 

Gratelou])ia,  its  species,  447 

Greenhouse,  converting  into  a  con- 
servatory-vinery, 31  ;  and  pit, 
lieating  with  flues,  &.C.,  42 ; 
heat  tor  grapes  in,  90;  height 
of  front,  i  12 ;  vinery  without 
rafters,  112;  winter  blooming 
plants,  120;  temperature,  232; 
and  I\Iclon-pit  heated  by  one 
fire,  330;  much  shaded,  3/2; 
small  ones  attached  to  houses, 
459;  rules  for  managing,  4C0 ; 
cheap  gaieties  for,  608 

Guano,  quantity  per  acre,  31 1  ;  its 
nianuliicturc  from  Fish,  analysis 
of  Petit's,  &c.,  414 

Guernsey  Lily  culture,  86 

Gymnadcnia  conopsea,  51 

Gymnogi-aDimas,  list  of,  443 

Haueotuamnus  clegans  culture, 

121, 330 
Hiemanthus  insignia,  313 
Hand-glasses,  suggestion  for  their 

improvement,  4y(i 
ILalUs,  list  of,  132 
Heaton  Park,  461 
H  erbaccous  plants,  hardy,  1 1 1 , 1 27, 

170 
llcrmininm  monorchiH,  51 
Ilildcnbrandtia,  species  of,  310 
Hollies,  list  of,  398 
Holly,  restoring  an  old,  I77,  237  i 

moving  old,  172 


Hollyhocks,  propagating,  I6 

Hoole  House,  44  I 

Horticultural    Society's    Rleeling,  I 

76,  117,  215,  336,  437,  478 

Hotbeds,  use  of  temporary,  341  1 

Hot-water  pipes,   rubble    to   sur-  ; 

round,  171 ;  tank  lining,  472  \ 
Humca  elegans,  442 

Hydrangeas  not  blooming,  31,  509  ' 

Ice,  on  keeping,  264  ;  water,  272; 

preserving  and  serving,  277  ! 

Hliciums,  list  of  hardy,  367 
Impatiens  Jerdouia?,  77;  iatifolia    i 
culture,  78  ;  Iatifolia  alba,  79  j 

Indigo,  Chinese  liquid,  469  ' 

Indian  Rubber  Plant  culture,  991 
Iris  ^culture,  220;  pavonica  and 
pcrsica  culture,  241;  susiana 
culture,  262 ;  xiphium  and 
xiphioides  culture,  281 ;  Peacock, 
409  ;  pavonia,  491  j 

Ixia  planting,  63;  achillioides,  250    I 

Jania,  specicH  of,  310 

Kenmkl  Park,  10 
Kew  Gardens,  253 
Kitchen-garden  cropping,  376 

I 

Labels,  52 

Lambs,  rearing   early,    133 ;    ma- 
nagement   of    early,    206,    221  ; 
management  of  Down,  243,  283  ;    . 
their  diseases,  265  ;  management    | 
of  long-wooUed,  322,  343 

Land's-End,  and  its  agriculture. 
130 

Lautana  crocca  culture,  132 

Larch-cuiture  for  hop-poles,  363 

Latana  Sellowii  seed,  509 

Laurel  leaves  gangrened,  1 6 

Laurencia,  species  of,  287 

Lawn,  evergreen  trees  for,  112 

Lease,  covenants  in,  71  [ 

Leaves  injured  by  watering,  52; 
withered  of  evergreens,  141 ; 
drying  up,  440 

Leek,  its  culture,  236 

Lettuces,  preserving  in  winter  39  ;  , 
protecting,  376 

Leptosiphon  ciliatum,  93;  lutea,  ' 
192  I 

Lign  Aloes  of  Scripture,  473  j 

Lilium  roseum,  93  I 

Linuni  tigrinum  culture,  336  ' 

Lisyanthus  Russcllianus  culture, 
339 

Littica  geminiflora  culture,  381         ; 

Jjittonia  modesta,  73 

Lobelia  decumbens  for  late  bloom-  [ 
ing,  146;  crinus,  to  bloom  late,  ' 
508  ' 

Longevity  influenced  by  tempe- 
rance, 256 

Look  at  the  kernel,  84 

Lopezia  maerophylla,  93  i 

Lucerne  sowing,  250 

Luculia  gratissinia,  336 

Lycoris,  list  of,  97 

Magnolias,  list  of  hardy,  357 
Mam  Chance  (The)  267,  323 
Mangold   wurtzcl,   its   value,    66; 

storing,  124;  sowing,  605 
IVIanures,  artiticial,  312 
March,   its  vegetables   and  fruits, 

468 
Martynia  fragrans,  600 
Marvel  of  Peru  culture,  16 
Master's  Master  (Another;,  125 
McGlashcn'K  transplanter,  338 
Mclobesia,  species  of,  31 0 
Melon,    its    culture,    J I  ;    house, 

l)lant    for    back-wall,    161 ;    pit 

heated  by  flues,  501 
Metternichia  piincipis,  273 
Mice,  to  thwart,  492 
Mimuluses,  list  of,  472 
Moment  (A),  what  it   may  bring 

forth,  42(1 
l\Iorcton  Bay,  emigrants  at,  351 
Aloth  in  wardrobe,  331 
Mulberry    leaves    changing    their 

shiiiie,   112 
Mulching  slcms  and  branches,  5 
Mushrooms,     making     bed,     46; 

spawning,  82 ;    in  beds  out-of- 
doors,  J  02 
Myiica  Califoniicft,  399 


I   Narcissus,   its  merits   and  hy- 

'       bridizing,  l63;  propagation,  181  ; 

forcing,  204  ;  summer  treatment, 

:     219 

Nasturtium  leaves  pickled,  430 
Nectarines,  unnailing,  250 
Nectarineculturc  out-of-doors,  20 
Ncpeta  tcucriuidcs  as  a  bedder,  -il 
Net  for  fruit-trccs,  yu 
New  Brunswick,  letter  from,  490 
Nitophyllum,  species  of,  3i9 
Nottingham  lace-net  as  a  protect- 
ing material,  493 

Oak  (Adam's)  272  ;  list  of,  399  ; 

slabs  for  paling,  410 
Omidialodcs  verna,  489 
Oncidium  Hartwegi,  93 
Onion,  notes  on  the,  443 
Ophrys  apifera,  51 
Orange   grafting,   90;    tree,   432; 

mildewed,  477 
Orchard-house,  dressing  for  trees 

in,  i09 
Orchards  in    Kent,  27,    308,  350  ; 

planting,  352 
Orchises,    culture  of  British,    51  ; 

maculata,  ustulata,  hercina,  and 

pyramidalis,  61 
Orchids   blooming  in    November, 

76,   119;  in  common  stove,  91  ; 

shedding     their     bloom,     1 92  ; 

winter  -  blooming,     2l6  ;     438  ; 

blooming  in  January, 423;  46l 
Ornithogalums,  97 
Oxalis,    speetabilis    tBrazilicnsis) 

culture,  31 ;  Boweii  culture,  171, 

232,  312  ; 

Pampas  Grass  from  suckers  not 

good,  120 
Pandamus  pygnucus,  194 
Pansies,    treatment    of     seedling, 
372 

Park  scenery,  trees  for,  3S^ 

Parsnip,  its  history  and  culture, 
194,    331 

Passiliora  Mcdusoea,  413 

Peachcry,  fruit  for,  232 

Peach  culture  out-of-doors,  20 ; 
by  amateurs,  88 

Peach  trees  gumming,  16 ;  un- 
nailing, 250;  dressing  for,  456; 
peculiar  mode  of  training,  402 

Pears,  list  of,  32;  in  1853,  68; 
stocks  for  and  culture,  69  ; 
splitting,  71 ;  on  Quince  stocks, 
133,  2S5,  417  ;  winter,  215; 
list  of  for,  236;  for  Yorkshire, 
312;  espaliers,  46l ;  weight  of 
fruit,  444  ;  trellises  for,  177 

Peas,  sowing  and  preserving,  282  ; 
its  varieties,  313,  333,  375  ; 
mongraph  of,  395,  i:t.i;  tlcscrip- 
tive  list  of,  455  ;  ami  their  cul- 
ture, 465;  list  of  dwarf,  472  ;  for 
first  and  second  crop,  483 

Pelargonium  seed,  sowing,  359  ; 
leaves  diseased,  372  ;  estimate  of 
hardiness,  3gi  ;  leaves  spotted, 
410;  cuttings,  the  management, 
419;  large,  dying,  441  ;  list  of, 
472  ;  Gauntlet,  486 

Pcnrhyn  Castle,  46l 

Penstcmons  for  late  blooming,  145  ; 
sowing,  491 

Pcntas  carnea  culture,  79 

Pcntlandia  miniata,  97 

Pcrilla  j.i|)onica,  78 

Petunia  cuttings,  378;  list  of  and 
culture,  151,  472 

Peyrousias,  98 

Phacclia  ranmsissima,  93 

Phicdranassas,  98 

Phalocallis  plumhea,  99 

Pheasants,  feeding  imprisoned, 
409  ;  hatching  Golden,  410 

Philesia  buxifolia,  193 

Phosphate  of  Lime  (Super)  for 
Uoscp,  &c.,  409 

Phycellaa,  list  of,  139 

pigcous  breaking  their  eggs,  Ifl; 
their  history,  35  ;  Eaton's 
Treatise  on,  36  ;  the  point*  to 
be  aimed  at  in,  37  ;  dis- 
eased, 130  ;  the  CnrrnT,  131, 
lyo,  230;  throat  canker,  lyi  ; 
characteristics  oi  Jacobins 
and  Bald,  192;  the  Tumbler, 
249;  tlie  Pouter,  286;  going 
light,  2H8  ;  Andalusian  Laugh. 


INDEX. 


in(?,  372;  Jacobins  not  mating, 
372;  canker  in,  488  ;  Arabian 
Laug;]iing;,  429 

Pig  fatting,  451 

Pips  and  poultry,  growing  food 
for,  3:il 

Pinc-applc,  use  of  its  crown,  kc, 
112,  338;  the  Smooth  -  leaved 
Cayenne,  438 

Pines  not  fruiting,  232 

Pinus  lavicio  and  its  timber,  480 

Pit  heating  and  using,  1 12  ;  venti- 
lating cold,  25(1 

Pits  and  aniall  houses  versus  large 
ones,  7,  41  ;  made  of  turf,  7  i 
heating  and  ventilating,  8 

Plantations,  thinning,  280 

Plantia  flava,  98 

Planting  forest  trees,  300,  341,  362 

Planting,  the  right  and  wrong 
way,  351 

Pleroma  clegans  culture,  192 

Plocamium  eoccineum,  350 

Plumieria  Jamesoni,  373 

Plums,  list  of,  32 

Plunging  in  bog  turf,  391 

Podolepis  chrysantha,  193 

Pceonies,  pruning  Tree,  172 

Polianthes,  99 

Polraaise  heating,  186,  371,  429, 
490 

Polysiphonia,  list  of  species,  14 

Pomological  Society,  477 

Pony,  The  Cottage  Gardener's,  13, 
187 

Potatoes,  autumn  -  planting,  52  ; 
not  manured,  66;  early,  112; 
murrain,  l/l ;  manuring  with 
guano,  and  in  frames,  176  ; 
mode  of  culture,  246 ;  rota- 
tion, 247;  their  winter  manage- 
ment, 297 ;  without  manure, 
312  ;  culture,  397  ;  artificial 
manures  for,  431 

Pots,  greenness  on,  to  cure,  491 

Poultry — Bedfordshire  Prize  List, 
4  ;  Fairlie's  sale,  5  ;  Grey  Shan- 
ghaes,  12;  combining  Shanghaes 
and  Dorkings,  16 ;  Does  the 
nurse  influence  the  nursling's 
disposition?  16;  colour  of  Shan- 
ghae's  legs,  16  ;  pullets  not 
hastened  in  laying  by  the  male, 
16;  feeding,  16;  getting  up  a 
Show,  16  ;  weakness  in  legs, 
16  ;  objects  of  Societies,  18  ; 
Newton  Abbot  and  Winchester 
Exhibitions,  19;  Fox's  sale,  20  ; 
Blalvern  Show,  28  ;  Grey  Shang- 
haes, 30  ;  Dealers  Prize  at  Surrey 
Zoological,  32  ;  Turkeys  becom- 
ing bbnd,  32;  Spanish  cockerel 
with  white  feathers,  32 ;  beak 
of  Aylesbury  duck,  32 ;  Mor- 
ton's CyclopBedia  on,  49 ;  yard- 
report,  50  ;  pens,  51  ;  Fair- 
lie's  and  George's  sales,  51  ; 
early  productiveness  of  Shang- 
haes, 52;  diseased  Dorking,  62; 
Spanish  hen  not  laying,  52  ; 
chickens  and  old  fowls  not  to 
be  classed  together,  57 ;  Bed- 
fordshire Show,  57  ;  duration 
of  exhibitions,  57 ;  cottagers 
keeping,  67 ;  Grey  Shanghaes, 
weight  of,  &c.,  68  ;  is  roup  con- 
tagious ?  69 ;  what  is  the  gapes  ? 
70;  White  Spanish,  70;  Black 
Shanghaes,  7" ;  weight  of 
geese  and  ducks,  71  ;  diseased 
Dorking,  71  ;  Game  fowls  with 
Bantams,  71 ;  weight  of  Shanghae 
chickens,  72 ;  smaller  numbers  in 
each  pen,  75  ;  separation  of  scxea 
at  Shows,  76;  Norwich  and  Ho- 
niton  Shows,  85 ;  Dorsetshire 
Show,  88  ;  Ceylon  Jungle  fowl, 
90 ;  Guinea  fowls  constant  to 
their  nest,  90  ;  plans  for  houses, 
gi ;  wheezing,  91  ;  Black  Shang- 
haes, 91 ;  what  kind  to  keep,  9J  ; 
Grey  Shanghaes,  106 ;  Gapes, 
what  is  the?  109;  Reigatc 
Show,  110;  Should  they  be  ex- 
hibited in  pairs  ?  Ill;  diseased 
crop,  111  ;  Black  Shanghaes, 
111;  beak  of  Silver-spangled 
Hambui'ghs,  1 12  ;  fatting  Shang- 
haes, 112  ;  weight  of  Geese, 
112 ;  Noise  in  the  hatching- 
egg,  115;  Stevens's  sale-room, 
118;    treatment  at  exhibitions. 


126;  Roup,  127;  crowing-hen, 
postmortem  examination,  128; 
Dorkings  at  the  Reigate  Show, 
130;  colour  of  Shanghae's  Ic^s, 
132;  fountains  for,  132;  white 
comb  cure,  132  ;  Essex  Prize-list, 
135  ;  Hitchin  Prize-list,  136  ;  din- 
cerning  the  sex  in  the  egg,  147  ; 
Winchester  Show,  148;  South 
Devon,  150;  weight  of  goslings, 
151  ;  profitable,  151  ;  mixing  to- 
gether, 151  ,  comb  of  White 
Dorking,  151;  Birmingham  Show, 
154;  Grey  Slianghaes,  1C7; 
Derbyshire  Show,  I68;  White 
Game  Fowl  characteristics,  172; 
Guinea  Fowl  characteristics, 
172;  pullets  eggs,  172;  Rules 
for  judging,  174  ;  Hamburghs, 
rules  for  judging,  1/5;  Shrews- 
bury Show,  175 ;  South 
Hants  Show,  184;  Gapes  and 
its  worm,  186  ;  Yard  Report, 
183;  Bearded  Golden  Polands, 
191  ;  Shanghae  hen  diseased, 
192;  eggs  diseased,  192;  vulture- 
hocked,  192;  fountains,  192; 
comb  of  Spanish  cock,  192; 
query  as  to  right  to  exhibit  a 
lent  bird,  192;  aids  to  moult- 
ing, 192  ;  Birmingham  Show, 
192;  Brahma  Pootras  are  Grey 
Shanghaes,  197;  Liverpool, Ken- 
dal, and  Manchester  Shows,  198; 
Ptarmigans,  207;  Great  Northern 
Show,  207 ;  Eastern  Counties, 
210  ;  Bedfordshire,  210  ;  Spanish 
fowls,  the  feathers  between  face 
and  comb,  212;  Geese,  weight 
of,  212;  Gapes,  212;  Gapes  and 
Roup,  224;  Leeds  and  Surrey 
Zoological  Shows,  225;  Birming- 
ham, 226  ;  contagion  of  Roup, 
231 ;  maggots  for,  231  ;  sulphur 
for  lice,  231  ;  combs  of  Dorkings, 
231  ;  judges  of,  232 ;  Roup,  232  ; 
South  Devon,  Devon  and  Corn- 
wall,Truro, and  Salisbury  Shows, 
235 ;  WTiite  Comb,  cure  for, 
245 ;  Yard  Report,  food  and 
cost,  246^;  colour  of  Shanghaes 
legs,  246 ;  out-door  perches, 
249;  black  feathers  over  Spanish 
cock's  eye,  250  ;  points  of  ex- 
cellence, 250 ;  extensive  keeping, 
250  ;  comb  of  Spanish  cock, 
250  ;  pullet  not  laying,  251  ; 
price  of  Shanghaes,  25 1 ;  soft  eggs, 
251;  Metropolitan  Show,  257; 
Hereford  Show,  258;  Poisonous 
secretions  and  Roup,  267  ;  Ken- 
dal Show,  268  ;  BirmiBgham 
Show,  its  return  in  money,  272  ; 
Roup  contagious,  272 ;  Golden 
Hamburghs,  which  hardiest, 
272 ;  gapes,  and  diseases  con- 
founded with  it,  284  ;  Spangled- 
Hamburghs,  288 ;  combs  of 
Maiite  Dorkings,  288;  chick- 
ens from  pullets  and  cockerels, 
288  ;  roup,  283  ;  Cornwall, 
Honiton,  and  Salisbury  shows, 
290 ;  hen  dead  in  nest,  292; 
cock  with  diseased  tail,  292 ; 
Shanghaes,  their  superior  qua- 
lities, 294  ;  Snell  y.  Chan- 
ning,  295  ;  Sales  of  Sturgeon's, 
Herbert's,  and  Punchard's 
stocks,  295 ;  Cornwall,  Truro, 
and  Metropolitan  Shows,  304; 
Shanghaes  vulture-hocked,  309  ; 
bumble  feet  in  Dorkings,  310  ; 
hen  laying  when  roosting,  312  ; 
feeding  newly-hatched  chickens, 
312  ;  Shropshire  and  Torquay 
Shows,  326 ;  Pentalogue  re- 
viewed, 338  ;  gapes,  and  inflam- 
mation of  windpipe,  329;  Me- 
tropolitan Show,  330  ;  food  for 
ducks, 330;  Shanghaes  with  white 
earlobe,  &c.,331;  Brahma  Poo- 
tras, 331;  Malvern  prize  list, 
334;  Bantams  as  recently  shown, 
344  ;  370  ;  White,  370,  372  ; 
Liverpool,  and  Devon  and 
Cornwall  shows,  346;  cock-hen, 
post-mortem  examination  of, 
348  ;  Baker-street  Show,  352  ; 
clear-haekled  Bufl'  Shanghaes, 
352 ;  Shanghaes  the  earliest 
layers,  37I ;  not  laying,  391  ; 
Spanish  cockerel,  with  spasmed 


Ieg8r352  ;  red  on  Spanish  cock's 
face,  409;  Rouen  ducks,  352; 
Golden-  pencilled  Hamburghs, 
352 ;  characteristics  of  Silver- 
spangled  Hamburgh,  389  ;  hen- 
feathered  Silver-pencilled  Ham- 
burgh cock,  391  ;  Snell's  fowls 
at  Torquay,  352;  Mancliester 
Exhibition,  366 ;  Minoreas, 
what  they  are,  372  ;  age  of  eggs 
for  sitting, 372;  broken  beak, 372; 
fowls  eating  each  other's  feathers, 
372 ;  vertigo  and  apoplexy  in 
laying  hens,  390  ;  eggs  from  late 
pullets,  391  ;  Dorkings  as  re- 
cently exhibited,  407  ;  lime-ash 
for  floors,  409 ;  Game  will  not 
bear  confinement,  4U9 ;  soft 
eggs,  409;  turpentine  for 
gapes,  410;  Ducks  not  laying, 
410;  pullet  dying  on  her  nest, 
410;  Polands  as  recently  ex- 
hibited, 427;  Golden-pencilled 
Hamburghs,  discrepant  judg- 
ments, 429 ;  Polands  eating 
each  other's  crests,  431  ;  breed- 
ing Buff  Shanghaes,  431  ;  judges 
do  not  assign  their  reasons,  431  ; 
cramp  in  chickens,  431  ;  gapes 
and  turpentine  tumes,  431 ; 
Brahma  Pootras,  431 ;  New- 
castle Show,  435 ;  Spanish, 
Sale  of  Mrs.  Stow's,  444 ; 
Mancliester  Show,  445 ;  dif- 
ferent produce  of  diflferent 
strains  of  Shanghaes,  446 ; 
Spanish  v.  Shanghaes,  448 ; 
Brahma  Pootras  imported,  449; 
cost  of  keeping  Shanghaes,  451  ; 
pip  in,  451  ;  Indian  Game,  451  ; 
shell-less  eggs,  preventing,  451 ; 
white  comb,  451  ;  swollen  face, 
451  ;  Birmingham  Prize  -  list, 
453;  Spanish,  as  recently  ex- 
hibited, 466  ;  Dorkings,  as 
recently  exhibited,  468 ;  me- 
rits of  the  Shanghae,  471 ;  in- 
fluence of  male,  its  duration, 
472 ;  Bath  Society's  Show, 
475 ;  Hamburghs,  as  recently 
exhibited,  485 ;  Polands,  their 
merits,  487 ;  Spangled  Ham- 
burghs, 489  ;  mistakes  at  Shows, 
492;  Snell's  Shanghaes,  492; 
Black  Malays,  492 ;  shell-less 
and  imperfect  eggs,  492  ;  blood- 
stained egg,  492  ;  eggs  sent  to  a 
distance,  492  ;  Brahma  Pootras, 
492;  time  best  for  sitting,  493  ; 
Shanghaes  with  Bantams,  492  ; 
Game  fowls,  as  recently  ex- 
hibited, 506 ;  pulmonary  dis- 
ease, 507;  white  feathers  in  Buff 
Shanghaes  and  Black  Polands, 
510  ;  Blai'ch  as  a  hatching  time, 
510;  mother  for  Silver-spangled 
Hamburghs,  510;  feathers  fall- 
ing off,  510  ;  Silver  Hamburghs, 
510;  broody  hen,  how  to  treat, 
510;  eggs  joined  together,  510; 
lameness  in  Shanghae,  510 

Propagating-house,  171 

Protecting  material.  171,  I9I ; 
vegetables,  376  ;  fruit  blossom, 
493  ;  flower  seedlings,  498 

Protection  for  pits,  &c.,  59 

Pruning,  its  principles,  200,  259 ; 
practical,  297 

Pudding  for  invalids,  470 

Puttying  glass  laps,  240 

Pyrolirion,  140 

Quince  stocks  for  Pears  of  limited 
use,  133,  216 

Rabbit  with  diseased  ear,  292, 
330,352;  barking  trees,  372 

Radishes  in  winter,  39;  in  frames, 
331 

Rain  near  Beverley  in  1853,  310 

Rape  culture,  103 

Reaping  machine,  470 

Red-bar  Moth's  eggs,  456 

Registry,    United  Gardener's,  50 

Regularity  required  in  flower- 
gardens,  393 

Retarding  better  than  protection, 
U3 

Rhododendrons,  15  ;  Dalhousiie, 
and  its  propagation,  33  ;  glau- 
cum,  53  ;  list  of,  132;  pruning, 
457,  472 


Rhodymenias,  list  of,  386 

Rhubarb  culture,  220  ;  forcing, 
242 

Rice,  as  a  food  for  pigs,  450 ;  for    j 
poultry,  451  ! 

Rice  bread,  189  ■ 

Rich,  yet  Poor,  366 

Rigidcllas,  99 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  seeds  from,  I6 

Rockwork,  I9I 

Rood  of  ground,  culture — Novem- 
ber, 67;  December,  188 

Rooks,  to  induce  them  to  build,  492 

Root-crops  on  heavy  soil,  472 

Ruots,  storing,  66,  124,  124,  164 

Rose,  White  Moss,  192;  cuttings, 
their  management,  420  ;  pruning 
458;  cuttings  in  the  open  air, 
458;  budding,  472;  in  Australia, 
490 ;  shoots,  webs  on,  510 

Rose  Garden  (Paul's),  387 

Roses,  to  train  as  pillars,  22;  list 
of  for  pillars,  /*>  ;  soil  can 
scarcely  be  too  rich,  132;  bud- 
ded but  not  started,  172;  on 
poles,  172;  manuring,  251  ;  for 
umbrella  trellises,  352;  for 
house-side,  372;  estimate  of  new, 
387 ;  awning  for,  and  growing 
under  trees,  391 

Rotation  cropping,  377 

Roup,  examples  of  its  being  con- 
tagious, 387 

Rufford  Hall,  462 

Salads,  preserving  in  winter,  38  ; 

recipes  for,  291 
Salvia  fulgens  for  late  blooming, 

145 ;  in  early  spring,  508 
Salpiglossis  coccinea,  sowing,  499 
Sambucus  racemosa,  10,  91 
Scale  (White),  to  destroy,  192  j  on 

fruit-trees,  391 
Scheeria  Mexicana,  313 
Sehizanthus  violaceua,  133 
Scillas,  list  of,  140 
Scolytus  destructor,  214 
Sea-kale  forcing,  301 
Season,  little  matters  of  the,  141 
Sea  Weeds,  14,  2S7,  309 ;  gather- 
ing, 309,  349,  386,  447 ;  works  on, 

510 
Selago  distans,  337 
Semeiandra  grandiflora,  133 
Sheep  fatting,  343,  364,  384,    405 
Shrubs,  descriptive  list  of  hardy, 

357 
Shrubland  Park,  5 
Shutters,  wooden,  their  cost,  250, 

312 
Silk  culture,  389 
Sinner,  History  of  a,  48 
Skimmia  Japonica,  33 
Slugs,  to  remove,  232 
Smyrna  seeds,  232,  250 
Snow  Efs  a  protector,  279 
Soap  Boiler's  waste,  I72 
Soot  as  a  manure,  331 
Sphcerococcus  coronopifolius,   337 
Spiraeas,  list  of,  400 
Spirits,  their  strength  and  acidity,  - 

450 
Sprekelias,  list  of,  157 
Sprckelia    formosissima    requires 

rest  in  winter,  509 
Statice,  list  of  species,  202 ;  culture, 

204 

Statistic  returns  desirable,  154 
Stejjhanotis  floribunda  seed,  6O9 
Stenogramma  interrupta,  386 
Stenomessous,  list  of,  140 
Stove  Ferns,  81 
Stove  for  plants,  site  for,  171 
Strawberry   culture,   95 ;    forcing, 

132  ;  the  Black  Prince,  469 
Strumarias,  158 
Suggestions  from  the  Garden  and 

the  Field,  467,487,507 
Sustainers  of  lite,  487 
Symplocos  japonica,  399 
Syringing  in  winter,  300 

Tacsonia  manieata,  41 ;  culture, 

105;  molUssima  culture,  312 
Tagetes  signata,  sowing,  499 
Tank  system  of  heating,  50" 
Thorns,  budding  them,  192 
Thunbergia  alata,  sowing,  499 
Thyrsacanthus  rutilans,  337 
Tobacco,  its  sorts  and  culture,  400  ; 

seed  sowing,  49 1 
Tomato  culture,  335 


INDEX. 


Tortrix  Bergmanniana  on  Kosos, 
510 

Trees,  moving  large,  .1 ;  restoring 
old,  and  their  duration,  173, 
1/7;  to  renovate  old,  2:17;  cul- 
ture for  local  purposes,  363 ; 
and  Shrubs,  list  of,  393;  ever- 
greens under,  430 

Trellis,  evergreens  for,  330;  for 
fruit-trees,  424 

Trenching  in  autumn,  1S2 

Tritelcjas,  isg 

TropcEolum  Shuurmanianura,  78  ; 
Lobbianum  (.Triomphe  de 
Gande),  80 

Tuberose,  98  ;  culture,  301 

Turnips,  storing  Swedish,  l65, 
505  ;  seed  growing,  250  ;  tops 
blanched,  468 

Turritis  glabra,  17 

Upright  Servant,  223 
Urate,  a  valuable  manure,  415 
UrceoUna  pendula,  159 

Vagaria  parviflora,  l6o 


Valotta  miniata,  448 

Van  Diemen's  Land  Royal  Society, 
390 

Vegetable  Rlarrow  culture,  472 

Vegetables  obtainable  in  February, 
36o 

Velthcimia  viridifolia,  438 

Verbenas,  arranging  in  beds,  7; 
cuttings,  16,  378  ;  trailing  kinds, 
292;  for  cut-flowers,  4/2;  sow- 
ing, 491  ;  near  a^vall,  5U9 

Victoria  Regia  an  annual,  423 

Viburnum  plicatum  and  macro- 
cephalum,  399 

Viesscuxia  glaucopsis,  409 

Village  Institutes,  274 

Vine  borders,  90,  112;  bleeding, 
to  stop,  102  ;  grafting  to  change 
sort  yet  save  the  crop,  251 ;  for 
late  house,  432 ;  shoots  bleed- 
ing, 492;  in  a  greenhouse,  472 

Vinery  -  conservatory,  71 ;  and 
Pcachery  Greenhouse,  99 ;  ma- 
nagement,212  ;  grapes  for,  409  ; 
with  double  glass,  461 

Vineyard  in  Jersey,  369 


Walks,  concrete,  151,  224 
Wall  fruits,  causes  of  failure,  It 
Walls,  covering  with  glass,  71*  '  29 ; 

of   wood — of  slate,  404 ;  trees, 

retarding,  113 
Wardian  case,  plants  for  roof,  71 
Wasps,  excluding,  1 29  ;  destroying 

212;  nests,  deutroying,  50d 
Watering  greenhouse  plants,    142 
Watsonia  iulgida  culture,  70 
Watsonias,    list    of    and   culture, 

109 
Weeds,     shuttle-cock    seeded,    a 

nuisance,  33 
Weigela  culture,  112 
Wellingtonia    gigantea,   2/3,  338, 

439 
Wheat  culture  on  heavy  soil,  26, 

47  ;     on     loamy    land,    48,    65  ; 

spring-sowing  autumn,  52  ;  light 

and  chalky  soils,  83  ;  and  its  pre- 
parations,   469 ;    crop   in   Ohio, 

470 
Wild  Flowers  (British)  1,  17,  113, 

173,  233,  253,  293,  353,  433,  453, 

473 


WOODCUTS. 


Barbarea  vulgaris 

.      1 

Flower  Garden  Plan  (No.  Id) 

153 

Polysiphonia  urceolata 

-     14 

Arabis  stricta 

173 

Turritis  glabra 

-     17 

Worm  in  Gapes    -            -    - 

187 

Barbarea  prwcox    - 

"  " 

Philesia  bnxifolia 

193 

Hogg's  Edging  Tile    - 

-     30 

Flower  Garden  Finn  (No.  U) 

213 

Skimmia  japonica 

-     -     33 

Arabis  liispida 

233 

Episcia  mellitifolia 

-     53 

ciliata        -           -    - 

253 

Littonia  modesta    - 

-     -     73 

iMcttcrnichia  principis 

273 

Lopezia  macrophylla  - 

-     93 

Bonnemaisonia  asparagoidcs 

287 

Arabis  thaliana 

-  n3 

Arabis  hirsuta 

293 

Semeiandra  grandiflora 

-  133 

Didymocarpus  HumbokUiana 

313 

Peas — Sangster's  No.  1  and 

Warner's  Emperor 
Peas— Beck's  Gem  -     - 

Delesseria  sanguinea 
Arabis  turrita        -  -     - 

Bravoa  geminiflora    - 
Peas  —  Double    Blossomed 

Frame  ... 
Rhodymenia  laciniata  -  - 
Flower    Garden    Plan    (No. 

12J  ,  .  . 


315 
333 

349 

353 
373 

376 


393 


Window  gardening  disappoint- 
ments, 261  ;  saHhcK,  use  of  old, 
232;  plants  in  winter,  299 

Wines,  their  spirit  and  acidity, 
450 

Wistaria  culture,  91 

Winter,  its  probable  effects,  296; 
watering,  299  ;  effects  of  the  last, 
500 

Wood  craft,  mistakes  in,  180 

Woods,  importance  of  draining, 
219 ;  planting  and  thinning, 
240 

Woods  and  Forests,  280,  300,  341, 
362 

Worms  in  dogs,  372 

XANTnoRKCEA  hastilc,  73 

Yeast,  German,  372 
Yew-trees,  some  remarkable,  de- 
scribed, 327 
Yuccas,  381 

ZEPnYRANTIIES,  list  of,  159 

Zinc  labels,  writing  on,  510 


Peas— Fairbcard'a  Nonpareil 

and  Ringwood  Rlarrow      -  395 

Ccropegia  Thwaiteaii       -    -  413 

Cardamine  Bellidifolia           -  433 

Pea— Paradise       -            -     -  435 

Cardamine  inipatiens             -  463 
Peas  —  Fairbeard's    Surprise 

and  Cliampion  of  England  455 

Cardamine  hirsuta    -            -  473 

Goldfussia  glomcrata        -    -  493 

Pit?,  dung-hcBted  and  by  flues  502 


OOTODKR  (i. 


THE  COTTAGK  GARDENEU. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR, 


M 
D 

1) 

W 

OCTOBER  6—12,  1863. 

Marvel  dujour;  wood  sides. 

Red  Green  Carpet;  trees. 

Common  Plume  ;  gardens. 

20  Sunday  after  Trinity. 

Autumnal  Dagger ;  trees. 

Death's  Head ;  gardens. 

Grey  Slioulder-ltnot ;  shaded  pales. 

Weather  wear  London  in 

1852. 

Rain  in 
Inches. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun        Moon 
Sets.      R.  «i  S. 

Moon's 

Age. 

Clock 
af.  Sun. 

Day  of 
Year. 

Barometer.      ThermoJwind. 

6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 

Th 
P 

s 

Sum 

M 

To 

W 

29.741—29.547 
2g. 924— 29,812 

29.902—29.872 
29.969—29.961 
29.982—29.919 

30.226—30.052 
.30.365—30.331 

52-39  iN.W. 

53—37     w. 

47-28        N. 
49-31     N.E. 
55—38     N.W. 
i)7— 38       N. 
56—32     N.E. 

OS 

05 



11  a.6 
12 
14 

16 

17 
19 
21 

26  a.  5  ,     7     18 
23           7     55 
21       ,     8     45 
19          9    47 

17         11       0 
15         morn. 
12          0     10 

4 
5 
6 

) 

8 
9 
10 

11  54 

12  11 
12    27 

12  44 

13  0 
13     15 
13     30 

279 
230 
281 
282 
233 
284 
285 

Meteorology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiswick,  from  observations  durinj:  the  last  twenty-six  years,  the  averag;e  highest  and  lowesttem- 
peratures  of  these  days  are  61 .3°  and  44°  respectively.    The  greatest  heat,  79°,  occurred  on  the  6th  in  1834  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  2;°,  on  the 
6th  in  IS.'iO.    During  the  period  88  days  were  fine,  and  on   93  rain  fell. 

BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS. 

{Goiiliiuied  from  Vol.  X.,   ^M.'/e  490.) 

BAEBAEEA. — ^\T;NTER   CEESS. 

Gekeeic  Ci-iaeactep.s. — Calyx  nearlj'  equal  at  the  base, 
erect ;  leaves  oblong,  concave,  somewhat  coloured,  decitluous. 
Petals  reversed  egg-shaped,  blunt,  undivided,  flat;  claws 
nearly  the  length  of  the  calyx.  Filaments  awl-shaped, 
simple,  distinct,  erect,  with  a  ffland  at  each  side  between  the 
two  shorter  ones  and  the  pistil.  Gcrmeii  oblong,  quadran- 
gular. Style  short,  cylindrical.  Sti(/ma  blunt,  simple.  Pod 
linear,  with  four  angles,  sliglitly  compressed;  valves  con- 
cave, keeled,  even  and  straight;  partition  membranous, 
thick-edged.  Seeds  ranged  alternately,  in  a  single  row,  egg- 
shaped,  flattish,  not  bordered;  cotyledons  flat,   aocumbent. 

Baebaeea  vulgaeis  :  Belleisle  Cress ;  Bitter  Winter 
Cress  ;  YeUow  Rocket ;  Winter  Hedge  JIustard. 


Description. — It  is  a  perennial.  Boot  tapering,  somewhat 
■woody.  Stem  about  two  feet  high,  simple  or  branched, 
leafy,  stout,  angular  and  furrowed.  Radical  and  lower  stem- 
leaves  lyrate ;  upper  ones  becoming  gradually  less  divided, 
clasping  the  stem;  the  uppermost  of  all  reversed  egg- 
shaped,  and  much  diminished;  all  are  variously  toothed, 
strongly  ribbed,  of   a  firm  texture,  quite  smooth.     Petals 


blight  yellow.  Flowers  in  round-headed,  corymbose  cluster?. 
Sejials  of  the  calyx  before  expansion  green,  two  larger,  with 
a  helmet-like  hollow  at  the  top.  Pod  not  very  acutely  quad- 
rangular, about  an  inch  long,  crowned  by  the  thick,  rather 
elongated,  style. 

Time  uf  Jlowcrinij. — May  to  -August. 

Places  where  found. — Common  about  moist  hedges  and 
marshy  meadows. 

Mistory.— Thin  is  sometimes  called  Herb  St.  Barbara, 
and  is  generally  known  by  that  name  upon  the  continent. 
Why  it  should  be  named  after  that  martyr  we  cannot 
trace,  for  it  does  not  bloom  about  the  time  of  her  anni- 
versary, nor  is  it  found  upon  prison  walls,  or  on  hills,  of 
which^  she  is  believed  by  Eoraan  Catholics  to  be  the 
guardian  saint.  Old  Gerarde,  after  noticing  its  antiscor- 
butic properties,  says ;— "  In  winter,  when  Salad  herbs  be 
scarce,  this  herb  is  thought  to  be  equal  with  Cresses  of  the 
garden,  or  Kocket."  We  tliinlc  it  could  be  only  when  other 
sa,lading  was  scarce  that  it  could  be  eaten  as  their  sub- 
stitute, for  the  flavour,  though  pungent,  is  bitter  and  nau- 
seous. We  are  also  let  a  little  into  the  etymology  of  the 
name  of  one  of  the  well-known  streets  in  London,  by  the 
following  statement  by  Parkinson,  though  we  may  look  in 
vain  now,  for  "Herb  St.  Barbai-a,"  in  that  locality.  He 
says — "  It  groweth  of  its  own  accord  in  the  next  pasture  to 
the  Conduit  head  behind  Gray's  Inn,  that  bringeth  water 
to  Mr.  Lamb's  Conduit  in  Holborn." 

A  double-tlowered  variety  of  this  plant  is  cultivated  in  cm- 
gardens  under  the  name  of  Yellmo  Boeket,  which  Parkinson 
says  "  was  found  in  the  province  of  Berne,  among  the 
Switzers."  Cows  eat  it ;  horses  and  swine  will  not  partake 
of  it,  and  neither  goats  nor  sheep  are  fond  of  it. 

Baebaeea  pu.i:cox  :  Early  Winter  Cress. 

Description. — It  is  a  biennial.  Stems  one  or  more,  erect, 
one-aud-a-half  or  two  feet  high,  leafy,  angular,  smooth,  a 
little  branched,  tinged  at  the  bottom  with  a  violet  hue. 
Badical  leaves  the  first  year  numerous,  spreading  on  the 
ground,  lyrate,  with  a  rounded  toothed  terminal  lobe,  being 
much  like  the  first  species,  but  of  a  more  neat  and  regular 
figure ;  the  stem-leaves  are  often  partly  lyrate  also,  but  the 
upper  ones  are  deeply  and  regularly  pinnatifid,  -ndth  parallel, 
hnear-oblong,  bluutish,  entire  segments.  Flowers  fewer, 
smaller,  and  paler  than  those  of  B.  vulgaris.  Pods  thrice 
as  long  as  in  that  species,  exactly  square,  smooth.  Style 
short,  with  a  blunt,  but  not  large,  stigma. 

Time  of  flou-ering. — April  to  October. 

Places  where  found.— a&nks  of  ditches  and  other  grassy 
watery  places.     It  is  rare. 

History. — This  was  considered  by  Linna;us  to  be  only  a 
variety  of  the  preceding  species,  from  which,  however,  it  is 
very  distinct.  The  leaves  which  spring  directly  from  the 
root  closely  resemble  the  leaves  of  the  common  Water 
Cress,  and  it  equally  resembles  that  plant  in  flavour.  It  is, 
indeed,  an  excellent  substitute  for  it  as  a  Salad  herb.  Those 
who  take  so  much  pains  to  cultivate  the  Water  Cress  in  a 
garden-border  would  have  as  palatable  a  produce,  and  with 
much  less  trouble,  from  this  plant. 

The  flowers  of  both  species  are  liable  to  be  pierced  by  a 
species  of  Tipula,  or  Daddy-long-legs,  causing  a  malform- 
ation in  them  resembling  the  Hop  blossom.  {Smith. 
Martyn.     Withering.     Gerarde.     Parkinson.) 


Ko.  CGLXII.,  Vol.  XL 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


October  0. 


At  this  time,  when  Cholera  is  again  menacing  ouv 
population,  and  feeling  that  a  consideration  of  the 
measures  for  preventing  its  visitation  is  strictly  within 
our  limits,  we  were  about  to  seek  for  competent  aid, 
timely  and  trustwortliily  to  warn  our  readers,  when  the 
the  following,  by  a  Physician,  reached  us,  and,  with  the 
subsequent  contributions  promised  from  the  same  pen, 
will  supply  all  that  we  desii'e. 

"  Whatever  thine  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy  might." 

It  is  in  the  power  of  every  one  of  us  to  contribute 
something  towards  the  public  safety,  in  the  present 
emergency,  by  each  exerting  himself  in  his  right  voca- 
tion, and  by  countenancing  and  supporting  others  in 
theirs.  Everything  depends  upon  each  individual 
taking  thorouglily  to  the  part  which  is  appropriate  to 
himself  Nothing  can  be  more  confusing  than  bad 
arrangements,  and  to  see  medical  men  busied  with 
speculations  and  theories  of  drainage  and  hydraulics; 
surveyors,  lawyers,  and  engineers,  inditing  prescrip- 
tions; clergymen  and  philantbropists  indicting  nuis- 
ances ;  while  to  constables,  policemen,  parish  officers, 
and  strange,  raw,  medical  students,  perhaps,  is  left  the 
most  delicate  office  of  all — that  of  making  domiciliary 
visits  among  the  labouring  classes,  in  order  personally 
to  reassure  the  panic-stricken  ;  to  inculcate  great  re- 
gularity in  living;  and,  perhaps,  to  administer  medicine, 
or  other  relief,  to  a  class  a  step  above  actual  pauperism. 
To  the  readers  of  The  Cottage  Gakdeneb,  as  a  class, 
the  following  exhortation  is  earnestly  addressed: — 

"The  General  Board  of  Health  would  remind  the 
affluent  that  the  opportune  supply  to  their  poorer 
neighbours  and  dependants  of  wholesome  food,  warm 
clothing  and  bedding,  and  even  such  remedies  (to  be 
always  in  readiness)  us  their  medical  attendant  may  re- 
commend [mark  this]  for  looseness  of  the  bowels,  is 
charity  in  the  truest  sense,  and  may  be  the  means  of 
saving  many  lives.  The  higher  classes  should  co-operate 
with  the  clergy  who  have  done  so  much  to  promote  the 
object  of  the  -legislature  in  the  Public  Health  Act,  in 
making  fi-equent  visits  among  the  poor,  and  impressing 
upon  them  the  importance  of  following  the  instructions 
here  laid  down,  with  reference  to  which  there  is  a  per- 
fect accordance  between  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
the  Board  of  Health." — Notijication  from  the  Oenerul 
Board  of  Health,  Whitehall,  Sept.  20,  1853. 

Tlie  Notification  from  which  the  above  is  extracted, 
appeared  in  all  the  daily  papers  of  Wednesday,  Sep- 
tember 21st.  It  is  drawn  up  with  consummate  skill, 
breathing  strongly  of  science,  humanity,  and  common 
sense.  The  "instructions  tliereiu  laid  down"  should 
be  constantly  kept  in  mind  by  our  readers;  and,  rightly 
read,  they  should  render  all  other  "  instructions"  need- 
less. Some  portion  or  other  of  the  document  will  convey 
a  liint  to  every  one  of  us,  and  it  behoves  us  all  to  be 
learning  oiu'  several  lessons  therefrom. 

The  quiet,  amiable  patrons  of  Thk  Cottaoe  Gar- 
dener, living  apart  from  large,  dirty,  seaport  towns, 
revelling  in  pure,  fresh  air,  may  haply  beg  to  lie  excused 
entering  into  many  details  of  tliis  subject.     Yet,  one 


question  arises  during  oin-  garden  occupations,  or  when 
chatting  over  our  dessert — Are  we  to  eat  no  fruit'.' 
The  cottage  garden  is  a  perilous  place,  indeed,  if  this  be 
really  the  case  ;  though  I  do  not  recollect  that  the  mor- 
tality among  cottage  gardeners  was  ever  noted  as  greatly 
above  the  average. 

Positively  "  the  Board"  and  the  "College"  have  not 
a  word  to  say  against  garden  produce.  In  "  the  instruc- 
tions therein  laid  down,"  there  is  no  interdict  against 
fruit.  Only,  we  are  to  cat  and  drink  moderately ;  at 
moderate  intervals;  avoiding  long  fasts. 

There  is  a  large  class  of  articles  of  food  which  seem 
to  say,  "Come  and  eat  us;  we  cannot  wait;  pray  eat 
us  up."  And  very  nice  eating  things  they  are  all  of 
them,  and  easily  digested.  Fruits,  vegetables,  lamb, 
veal,  and  the  like;  all  prime  favourites  with  the  cot- 
tage gardener,  who  has  them  at  first  hand,  and  in 
perfection.  Let  him  eat  in  peace,  only  being  cautious 
as  to  quantity,  and  very  nice  as  to  quality. 

It  was  at  one  time  feared  that  the  labouring  poor 
who  have  not  got,  all  of  them,  gardens  of  their  own, 
and  who  too  often  onl}'  get  the  refuse  of  the  market, 
might,  at  seasons  like  the  present,  glut  tliemselves  with 
half-decayed  vegetables  and  faded  fruit  (to  say  nothing 
of  bad  veal,  tainted  lamb,  kc).  Tliis  may  have  been 
the  origin  of  former  prohibitions,  which  led  to  an  in- 
teresting discussion  between  the  Board  of  Health  and 
the  College  of  Physicians,  the  upshot  of  which  we  now 
see  in  the  removal  of  the  interdict  against  fruit,  and 
consequent  sanction  of  the  College  to  all  tlie  regulations 
of  the  Board  as  now  issued,  and  to  which  too  much 
importance  can  scarcely  be  attached.  Any  personal 
advice,  or  printed  placard  or  hand-bill,  which  it  may  be 
deemed  requisite  to  circulate  among  the  poor,  must  be 
formed  upon  this  important  "  Nolification." 

One  other  reference  to  the  Notification,  and  I  will 
conclude  for  this  week.  Very  much  devolves  vqiou  niagis- 
triUes  in  the  present  crisis.  It  is  clearly  their  mission 
to  see  that  the  wise  laws  made  and  provided  for  this 
emergency  should  be  actually  put  in  force;  and  to  in- 
struct and  urge  their  officers  accordingly. 

As  guardians  of  the  poor,  their  attendance  at  the 
boardroom  is  now  particularly  needed.  The  utmost 
liberality  which  the  law  allows  should  jirovide  the  relief 
now  meted  out.  Tlie  medical  officer  ot  the  board  must 
be  countenanced  and  supported  ;  for  on  him  rests  a 
great  responsibility,  i'roni  the  lists  of  unhealthy  places 
which  the  law  now  requires  to  be  made  out,  and  from 
personal  inspection,  and  from  his  own  knowledge,  it 
will  be  for  him  to  certify  whether  any  or  all  do  not 
require  measnres  of  daili/  cleansing:  wlietlicr  certain 
nuisances  do  not  nccA  prompt  renuival  ;  and  tlic  manner 
in  wbicli  that  removal  shall  bo  carried  out.  Armed 
with  the  doctor's  certilicate,  the  police  will  have  to  see 
that  each  and  all  of  these  matters  are  attended  to.  In 
their  daily  roiuuls,  all  cases  of  neglect  and  nccumidiUing 
filtli  nuist  bo  sharplj'  looked  nl'ler.  There  are  many 
excellent  standing  provisions  of  the  Highway  Act 
habitually  neglected  in  many  places.  Tiiese  shoidd  be 
strictly  enforced  by  means  of  the  police  and  committees 


October  6. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


of  guardians.  These  are  all  onerous  duties.  I  mention 
these  things  because  acts  of  pure  benevolence,  such  as 
those  referred  to  at  the  commencement  of  my  remarlis, 
should  not  be  clogged  with  the  necessity  of  making-up 
for  the  shortcomings  of  the  policeman  ;  or  the  surveyors 
of  highways  ;  or  the  poor-law  officials.  J.  J. 

[The  "Notification"  from  the  Board  of  Health,  dated 
September  -iOthjis  so  excellent,  that  we  publish  it  entire.] 

"  It  is  tlie  painful  duty  of  the  General  Board  of  Health  to 
notify  a  thirtl  visitation  of  epidemic  cholera.  This  disease 
again,  first  breaking  out  in  Persia,  has  extended,  within  the 
present  year,  over  a  large  portion  of  Russia,  stretching  as 
far  northwards  as  Archangel,  on  the  shores  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean ;  it  has  ravaged  Denmark,  Norway,  and  Sweden  ; 
and  then  developing  itself  in  the  North  of  tlermany,  it  has 
attacked  Stettin,  BerUn,  Eotterdani,  and  Hamburgh;  and, 
subsequently,  it  has  appeared  in  England,  again  breaking 
out  on  its  north-east  coast,  in  the  near  neighbom-hood  of 
the  town  in  which  it  made  its  first  appearance  in  this 
country  in  1801.  In  this  wide-spread  course  it  has  every- 
where overleaped  the  bai'riers  which  quarantine  has  erected 
to  stay  its  progress;  and  where  this  means  of  protection  has 
been  most  rigidly  enforced,  it  has  not  only  disappointed  the 
expectation  of  those  who  have  relied  upon  it  as  a  safeguard, 
often  to  the  neglect  and  exclusion  of  the  most  important 
precautions,  but  has  aggravated  the  evils  of  the  pestilence, 
and  added  disasti'ous  consequences  of  its  own.  The  ex- 
perience already  obtained  of  this  pestilence  at  Newcastle, 
Gateshead,  and  Hexham,  is  decisive,  that  where  the  con- 
ditions are  favourable  to  its  locahsation  and  development, 
as  is  the  case  in  these  towns,  the  disease  has  lost  nothing  of 
its  former  virulence.  In  the  two  former,  indeed,  the  severity 
of  the  disease,  as  far  as  it  has  yet  extended,  has  greatly 
exceeded  that  of  any  former  visitation  ;  and  it  has  attacked, 
in  aU  those  places,  as  it  has  abroad,  a  much  larger  propor- 
tion of  the  middle  and  higher  classes.  It  is  deeply  to  be 
lamented  that  the  inters'al  between  the  last  visitation  of 
this  pestilence  and  the  present  has  not  been  generally 
employed  in  efiecting  a  larger  amount  of  improvement  in 
our  cities  and  towns.  From  such  inspections  as  the  General 
Boai'd  have  recently  been  enabled  to  make  of  the  state  of 
populous  districts,  the  former  seats  of  the  disease,  in  appre- 
hension of  its  re-appearance,  they  are  compelled  to  state, 
that  there  are  extensive  districts,  and  even  entme  towns, 
in  which  no  perceptible  improvement  of  any  kind  has  been 
effected.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  instances  in  which, 
even  where  no  general  permanent  works  of  improvement 
have  been  effected,  better  supplies  of  water,  extensive 
flagging  and  jDaving,  more  frequent  scavenging,  and  a  more 
active  removal  of  nuisances  in  epidemic  localities  have 
been  accomplished.  Combined  and  permanent  works,  in- 
volving elaborate  engineering  measures,  capable  of  remedy- 
ing the  neglect  of  years,  cannot  be  effected  in  a  few  weeks ; 
but  the  consciousness  of  past  neglect  should  stimulate  to 
immediate  and  resolute  exertion,  that  all  which  the  time 
requu-es,  and  which  can  be  done,  may  be  done.  The  results, 
in  some  instances,  even  of  limited  and  pai'tial  improve- 
ments, are  highly  encouraging.  During  the  present  epi- 
demic in  Hamburgh,  which  has  now  been  prevailing  upwards 
of  six  weeks,  only  six  cases  of  cholera  have  occm-red  in  the 
improved  parts  of  the  town ;  and  during  the  whole  of  the 
epidemic  in  the  metropohs,  in  1849,  not  a  single  case  of 
cholera  occurred  in  any  one  of  the  model  dwellings  for 
the  poor,  occupied  by  similar  classes  of  the  population, 
though  the  pestilence  raged  in  the  districts  in  which 
those  buildings  are  situated ;  and  there  were  instances  of 
two,  and  even  four  deaths,  in  single  houses,  close  to  their 
walls.  Even  in  towns  in  which  the  greatest  amount 
of  improvement  has  been  effected,  and  in  which  works 
under  the  Pubho  Health  Act  are  most  advanced,  much  re- 
mains to  be  done,  and  may  be  done.  Local  boards  of  health 
ai'e  invested,  under  the  Public  Health  Act,  with  ample 
powers  for  cleansing,  for  the  removal  of  nuisances,  for  pre- 
venting the  carrying  on  of  unwholesome  or  noxious  trades 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  injure  health,  for  preventing  the 
occupation  of  cellars  as  dwelling-houses  under  certain  con- 
ditions, for  preventing  the  occupation  of  any  dwelling-house 
which,  on  the  certificate  of  an  officer  of  health,  shall  appear 


to  be  in  such  a  filtliy  and  unwholesome  state  as  to  endanger 
the  health  of  any  person,  until  such  house  have  been  pro- 
perly and  eftectively  whitewashed,  cleansed,  and  purified, 
and  for  administering  the  Common  Lodging  House  Act,  the 
provisions  of  which  are  most  important.  All  these  powers 
should  be  exercised  at  the  present  junctm-e  with  extraordi- 
nary activity,  vigilance,  an<l  stringency.  But  though  it  may 
be  needful  to  prosecute  the  work  of  cleansing  more  vigo- 
rously than  in  ordinary  periods,  yet  it  should  be  done  under 
supervision  and  with  extraordinary  care.  In  removing  accu- 
mulations of  filth,  precautions  should  be  taken  for  disinfec- 
tion, and  for  preventing  the  increase  of  noxious  evaporation. 
The  contents  of  fold  drains,  sewers,  and  ditches  should  in 
no  case  be  spread  upon  the  sm'face,  and  no  large  accumula- 
tion of  filth  should  be  removed,  except  under  the  direction 
of  a  medical  officer.  The  escape  of  noxious  etlhivia  is  far 
more  dangerous  in  an  epidemic  than  in  an  ordinary  season. 
The  evil  of  overcrowding,  so  general,  not  only  in  common 
lodging-houses,  but  in  tenements  of  all  descriptions  occupied 
by  the  poorer  classes,  especially  by  the  Irish — an  evil  pre- 
ventible,  and  to  a  considerable  extent  removable,  should  be 
at  once  and  by  all  practicable  means  reduced.  Wherever 
local  boards  of  health  exist,  they  should  in  all  cases  co- 
operate with  the  boards  of  guardians,  and  it  is  behoved  that 
the  boards  of  guardians  will,  on  their  part,  co-operate  witli 
local  boards.  The  existing  means  for  the  extraordinai-y 
service  now  required  are  divided  among  independent  local 
jurisdictions ;  medical  officers  in  England  and  Wales  being 
under  boards  of  guardians  ;  works  of  sewage  and  cleansing 
in  towns,  not  under  the  Public  Health  Act,  being  under 
town  commissioners  acting  under  local  acts  ;  and  the  en- 
forcement of  orders  required  for  the  pubhc  service  being 
j  ivith  the  magistrates,  or  municipal  authorities.  It  is  confi- 
dently expected  that  a  common  feeling  will  give  precedence 
to  the  branch  of  service  specially  needed  on  this  occasion, 
and  insure  that  unity  of  action  which  it  is  the  main  object  of 
the  rules  and  regidations  issued  herewith  to  authorise  and 
promote  for  the  common  object.  Experience  has  shown 
that  in  tlie  case  of  the  actual  outbreak  of  tlie  epidemic,  the 
chief  measiu-es  to  be  relied  on  for  checking  its  spread  are 
those  which  prevent  overcrowding,  remove  persons  from 
affected  houses,  and  bring  the  infected  population  imder 
prompt  and  proper  treatment  during  the  premonitory  stage 
of  the  disease.  Dming  the  epidemic  of  1849  an  organisation 
for  effecting  these  objects  was  brought  into  operation,  the 
main  parts  of  which  were  the  estabhshment  of  a  system  of 
house-to-house  visitation,  the  opening  of  dispensaries  and 
houses  of  refuge  in  affected  districts  for  the  gratuitous  supply 
of  medicines,  the  establishment  of  houses  of  refuge  for  the 
reception  of  such  indigent  persons  as  appear  to  be  in 
imminent  danger,  resident  in  the  most  filthy  and  overcrowded 
hoHses,  the  provision  of  temporary  hospitals  for  the  recep- 
tion of  those  who  could  not  be  properly  treated  at  their  own 
homes,  and  in  some  instances  the  supply  of  tents  for  the 
removal  of  the  most  susceptible  and  destitute  classes  to  a 
distance  from  infected  locaUties.  The  resvdt  of  this  system 
was,  that  out  of  130,000  premonitory  cases  brought  imder 
its  operation,  no  fewer  than  CJOOO  of  which  were  on  the  point 
of  passing  into  the  developed  stage,  only  2.50  went  into 
the  collapsed  stage  of  cholera,  or  1  in  .')!>0.  But  of  the 
43,737  cases  under  visitation  in  the  metropolis,  including 
078  cases  on  the  point  of  passing  into  the  collapsed 
stage  of  cholera,  only  53  actually  did  so — not  1  in  800; 
so  that,  taking  together  the  general  result  of  this  ex- 
tended experience,  it  appeai-s  that  the  proportion  of  cases 
under  early  treatment  which  passed  from  the  premonitory 
into  the  developed  stage  varied  from  1  in  000  to  1 
in  800.  No  doubt  is  now  entertained  of  the  efficacy  of 
this  system,  or  of  the  duty  of  local  authorities  to  carry 
it  into  effect  on  the  very  fii'st  appearance  of  this  disease 
in  an  epidemic  form ;  and,  as  none  can  tell  where  or 
how  suddenly  the  pestilence  may  alight,  it  is  the  duty  of 
local  authorities  to  be  prepared  for  the  emergency  before 
its  arrival.  Preparation  will  be  attended  with  little  cost : 
the  power  to  act  with  promptitude  and  efficiency,  when  the 
necessity  for  action  arises,  will  be  attended  with  a  great 
economy  of  money  as  well  as  of  life.  With  reference  to 
those  precautions  against  the  disease  which  each  individual 
may  take  for  himself,  or  the  heads  of  families  or  establish- 
ments for  those  under  their  charge,  the  first  in  importance 


THK  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OcTOlilP.  C. 


are  personal  and  household  cleanliness,  and  the  freest 
ventilation  of  li™ig  and  sleeping  rooms  with  pure  air ;  the 
pui'ity  of  the  air  we  breatlie  being  even  more  essential  tlian 
the  wholesonieness  of  food  and  drink.  When  the  disease 
has  actually  brolcen  out  and  become  epidemic  in  any  dis- 
trict or  locality,  then  the  one  essential  precaution  is  not  to 
neglect,  for  a  single  houi',  any  degree  of  looseness  of 
bowels.  This  symptom  being  commonly  without  pain, 
and  so  slight,  that  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  that  it  can  be  of 
the  smallest  consequence,  naturally  leads  to  neglect;  and 
this  neglect  has  cost  the  lives  of  thousands.  ^\'ere  any 
additional  proof  of  this  required,  it  would  be  found  in 
tlie  events  that  are  now  occurring  at  Newcastle  and  Gates- 
head :  all  the  medical  men  there  bear  testimony  that  pre- 
monitory diarrhiia  is  all  but  universal,  and  that  life  depends 
on  instant  attention  to  this  symptom.  Thus,  one  physician 
says, '  He  has  never  seen  a  case  without  premonitory  symp- 
toms ; '  another  states, '  He  has  found,  in  a  great  number  of 
instances,  where  the  men  said  they  had  been  first  seized 
with  collapse,  there  had  been  neglected  diarrhaa  for  twenty- 
foui'  horn's,  or  even  forty-eight  hours,  or  longer;'  another 
declares,  '  In  all  cases  of  collapse  investigated,  it  is  found 
there  had  been  neglected  diarrhoea.'  Even  in  the  cases  in 
which  death  takes  place  witli  tlie  greatest  rapidity,  the  surl- 
denness  is  appai'ent  only,  not  real;  for  tlie  fatal  collapse  is 
the  final  but  gradual  result  of  diaiThci'a  neglected  i'or  several 
hom-s,  and  sometimes  entire  days.  It  must  then  be  re- 
peated, that  in  any  district  in  which  cholera  is  epidemic, 
life  may  depend  on  obtaining  prumpt  and  proper  relief  for 
painless  and  apparently  trifling  looseness  of  the  bov.cls. 
The  measure  of  precaution  next  in  importance  relates  to  the 
proper  regulation  of  the  diet.  Great  moderation,  both  of 
food  and  drink,  is  absolutely  essential  to  safety  during  the 
whole  duration  of  the  epidemic  period ;  an  act  of  indiscretion 
has  been  often  followed  by  a  severe  attack;  intemperance  at 
such  a  time  is  fraught  with  the  most  extreme  danger. 
During  the  epidemic  of  1H4!),  sudden  and  fatal  attacks  of 
the  disease  followed  immediately  on  the  indulgence  of 
habits  of  drinking  after  the  receipt  of  weekly  wages.  The 
intervals  betn-een  the  meals  should  not  be  long,  cholera 
being  unifurmly  found  to  prevail  with  extraordinary  intensity 
among  the  classes  that  observe  the  protracted  fasls  common 
in  Eastern  and  some  European  countries.  The  utmost 
practicable  care  should  be  t.aken  against  fatigue,  which  is 
a  very  powerful  predisposing  cause  of  the  disease.  Em- 
ployers, and  persons  engaged  in  laborious  occupations,  should 
endeavour,  as  far  as  possible,  so  to  arrange  the  amount  and 
time  of  work  as  to  avoid  physical  exhaustion.  "Warm  cloth- 
ing is  of  great  importance.  During  the  present  epidemic  in 
Hamburgh,  it  has  been  found  that  incautious  exposure  to 
cold  and  damp  has  brought  on  an  attack  as  rapidly  as 
improper  food  or  excess.  This  precaution  against  damp  is 
rendered  doubly  important  by  the  peculiarity  of  the  present 
season.  Long  continued  and  excessive  rains  have,  in  many 
places,  surcharged  the  ground  with  moisture,  especially 
undrained  and  low- lying  districts,  placing,  in  many  instances, 
the  land  contiguous  to  towns,  and  beyond  the  usual  range  of 
town  drainage,  almost  in  the  condition  of  marshes.  The 
exhalations  arising  from  a  surface  thus  saturated  often  with 
water,  holding  decomposed  matter  in  solution,  spread  to  the 
towns  and  affect  the  inhabitants,  however  well  drained  the 
immediate  sites  of  tlie  towns  may  be.  The  General  Board 
were  so  apprehensive  that  disease  would  be  extensively  pro- 
duced by  this  unusual  and  dangerous  state  of  a  large  por- 
tion of  tiie  country  (an  apprehension  which  was  subseijuently 
reahsed  by  the  breaking  out  of  disease,  allied  in  character  to 
cholera,  in  (SO  towns),  that  in  their  Notificalion,  issued  in 
December,^  1852,  they  represented  to  locid  authorities  that 
this  calamity  afforded  a  special  occasion  for  administering 
e.xtraordinary  assistance  to  the  poor,  to  enable  them  to  keep 
large  fires  in  their  rooms,  to  protect  themselves  from  cold 
and  damp  liy  warm  clothing,  to  sustain  their  streiigtli  by  a 
solid  and  nutritive  diet,  and  to  counteract  the  preiUsposition 
to  disease  induced  under  these  peculiar  circumstances  by 
suitable  tonics  and  other  remedies,  uniler  medical  diiection. 
This  representation  was  made  when  there  was  a  threatening 
of  the  return  of  cholera;  it  is  now  among  us,  and  the 
General  Board  would  remind  the  atHuent  that  the  oppor- 
tune supply  to  their  poorer  neighbours  and  dependents  of 
wholesome  food,  wai-m  clothing,  and  bedding,  and  even  such 


remedies  (to  be  always  in  readiness)  as  their  medical  atten- 
dant may  recommend  for  looseness  of  bowels,  is  charity  in 
the  truest  sense,  and  may  be  the  means  of  saving  many 
lives.  It  is  also  much  to  be  desned,  and  the  General  Board 
would  strongly  recommend,  that  the  higher  classes  should 
co-operate  with  the  clergy,  who  have  done  so  much  to  pro- 
mote the  object  of  the  Legislature  under  the  I'ublic  Health 
Act,  in  making  frequent  visits  among  tlie  poor,  and  im- 
pressing upon  them  tlie  importance  of  following  the  instruc- 
tions here  laid  down,  with  reference  to  which  there  is  a 
perfect  accordance  between  the  College  ot  I'hysicians  and 
the  General  Board  of  Health.  In  conclusion,  after  Uie  lai-ge 
experience  of  this  disease  which  has  been  obtained  since  the 
General  Board  of  Health  issued  theirtirst  Notification  (184n), 
they  can  now  repeat  with  greater  confidence  what  they  then 
urged — that,  formidable  as  this  malady  is  in  its  intense  foi-m 
and  developed  stage,  there  is  no  disease  against  which  it  is 
in  our  power  to  take  such  effectual  precaution,  both  as 
collective  communities  and  private  individuals,  by  attention 
to  it  in  its  first  or  premonitory  stage,  and  by  the  removal  of 
those  agencies  which  are  known  to  jn'opagate  the  spread  of 
all  epidemic  diseases,  or,  where  that  may  be  impracticable, 
by  removal  from  them.  Though,  therefore,  the  issues  of 
events  are  not  in  our  hands,  there  is  ground  for  hope,  and 
even  coutideuce.  in  the  sustained  and  resolute  employment 
of  the  means  of  protection  which  experience  and  science 
have  now  placed  within  om-  reach." 


Tiij';  I'rize  List  of  the  "  Beilfonhhire  Annual  Exhibi- 
tion of  Poult nj"  announces  that  AYednesday  the  30tb  of 
November  next,  and  tlie  two  following  daj's,  hav-e  been 
appointed  for  that  meeting. 

The  limitation  of  cliickens  to  their  own  classes,  for- 
bidding their  competition  with  the  older  birds,  has  been 
wisely  adopted  ;  but  wc  should  have  preferred  seeing  the 
prize  for  a  "cockerel  and  three  pullets"  wherever  a 
"cock  and  two  hens"  are  shown  in  tlie  senior  class. 
Under  any  circumstances,  it  is  desirable  that  words 
should  be  always  used  in  their  proper  meaning  and 
acceptation,  and  few  will  i|uestion  that,  by  the  term 
"  cockerel,"  a  bird  of  less  than  one  year's  growth  is 
denoted.  "Three"  pullets  also  serve  as  a  distinguishing 
mark  between  the  old  and  the  young  pens,  which,  not- 
withstanding the  care  of  Secretaries  in  numbering  the 
classes,  are  too  often  confounded.  It  may  often  bo  a 
matter  of  difficulty  to  match  three  old  birds,  but  where 
pullets  arc  concerned  the  task  is  far  easier. 

Black  Shanijlmes  are  omitted,  and  wisely  too,  as  we 
thinlc ;  for  considering  that  "  permanent  varieties"  only 
should  be  honoured  by  distinct  classes,  these  have  no 
just  claim  for  admission,  permanency  of  colour  being 
the  last  property  that  could  possibly  be  predicated  to 
thorn. 

Oame  i'owls  are  reduced  to  three  classes,  "  White  and 
Piles,"  "  Black-breasted  and  other  Beds,"  and  "  other 
Varieties;"  this  latter  class,  including  Blacks,  Brassy- 
winged,  Greys,  Blues,  Duckwings,  and  the  rest.  The 
two  last  classes  of  tlie  four,  in  the  Birmingham  list,  have 
been  often  confused,  and  the  present  arrangement, 
strongly  as  we  have  always  argued  tor  separate  classes 
for  distinct  varieties,  is  probably  the  best,  if  no  greater 
number  of  classes  can  be  allowed. 

But  when  we  come  to  "  Polumls"  a  grave  reiuon- 
stranco  must  be  uttered.  Why,  we  must  ask-,  select  the 
"  Golden,"   and   consign   the    "  Wliite-crestod    Black," 


October  fi. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


"  the  Silver,"  and  the  other  numerous,  but  distinct, 
varieties  to  so  confused  a  medley?  We  certainly  should 
be  most  unwilling  to  eucounter  the  task  of  arbitration 
in  this  instance,  feeling  that  we  must  necessai'ily  ho  at 
a  loss  for  points  on  which  a  just  comparison  might  be 
founded.  This  family  of  fowls  should,  in  our  opinion, 
be  thus  arranged,  "  O olden"  "Silver,"  •' Black ,  iritk 
White  Crests"  and  "  other  varieties." 

Then  come  "  Mixed  Breeds."  Now,  if  tlie  object  of 
such  a  class  be  simply  to  test  the  merits  of  tlie  iirst 
class,  well  and  good;  many,  like  ourselves,  have  been 
convinced,  by  repeated  experiments,  that  the  pure  breeds 
should  be  preferred,  even  where  mere  profit,  independent 
of  appearance,  is  alone  regarded,  although  this  first 
cross  may,  undoubtedly,  prove  good  birds  for  table  pur- 
poses. But  it  is  just  to  the  public,  who  look  to  Poultry 
Exhibitions  as  a  guide  to  poultry  economy,  to  warn 
them  to  go  no  further,  for,  as  with  Geese  and  Ducks,  so 
with  Fowls,  the  second  generation  will  inevitably  in- 
dicate deterioration,  both  in  size  and  tlie  other  points, 
for  which  the  parents  may  have  been  originally  selected, 
and  the  further  we  continue  such  crossing,  the  more 
unfavourable  the  result.  A  prize  for  " Mixed  Breeds" 
therefore,  without  the  specification  of  this  restriction, 
should  have  no  place  on  the  list. 

Qeese  should  have  had  premiums  for  both  old  and 
young  birds  separately ;  every  encouragement,  indeed, 
should  be  given  to  farmers  to  compete  in  this  class,  as 
also  in  those  for  Ducks  and  Turkeijs.  We  regret,  too,  to 
observe  the  omission  of  the  Rouen  duck,  the  most 
profit-producing  bird,  as  we  think,  of  its  race.  The 
admission  of  the  Aylesbury  should  have  opened  the 
door  to  these  also,  apart  from  those  of  "  any  other 
variety."  Turkeys,  again,  should  not  only  have  had 
first  prices  for  the  old  and  young  specimens,  but  at 
least  second  prizes  in  addition. 

In  the  regulations,  wo  notice  the  adoption,  in  the 
fourth  paragraph,  of  the  old  Birmingham  rule — "High 
condition,  lOc,  will  be  preferred  to  mere  weight."  For  this 
we  recommend  the  substitution,  in  all  cases,  of  that  now 
put  forth  ill  the  list  for  18i33.  "  High  condition,  quality, 
beauty  of  plumage,  purity  of  race,  and  uniformity  in 
the  markings,  combs,  and  other  characteristics,  will,  in 
all  the  classes  for  fowls,  be  taken  into  consideration  by 
the  judges  in  a  greater  degree  than  mere  weight  without 
these  distinctions,  if  the  more  perfect  specimens  are  at 
the  same  time  of  a  fair  average  size."  W. 


Those  intending  to  commence  poultry-keeping,  or  wlio 
wish  to  introduce  fresh  blood  into  their  present  stock, 
will  do  well  to  attend  the  sale  by  Mr.  Stevens  of  Mr. 
Fairlie's  birds,  on  the  11th  instant.  They  will  have  the 
opportunity  of  purchasing  prize-birds,  or  their  near 
relatives,  in  Shanghaes,  Dorkings,  Bantams,  Bakies, 
Polands,  Turkies,  Geese,  Ducks,  and  several  other 
varieties.  Mr.  Fairlie  has  taken  more  prizes  than 
almost  any  other  exhibitor ;  and  the  birds  offered  for 
sale  will  be  such  an  assemblage  as  rarely  comes  to 
public  auction. 


SHRUBLAND  PARK. 

Balcony  G.\eden. — This  is  the  name  of  the  new  terrace- 
garden  on  the  west  front  of  tlie  mansion,  where  the  old 
Italian  garden  stood,  on  the  slope  of  the  hill.  The  old 
garden  oousisted  chiefly  of  nine  large  beds,  four  on  each 
side,  and  one  in  the  centre;  in  each  of  the  eiglit  side 
beds  an  italian  Cypress  (Cupressus  sempercirens)  was 
planted  in  the  middle.  The  height  of  these  Cypresses, 
at  the  time  of  altering  that  arrangement,  miglit  be 
about  fifteen  feet.  There  were  other  large  trees  and 
shrubs  at  either  end,  and  round  this  garden,  all  of 
which  had  to  be  removed  and  replanted  in  different 
parts  of  the  grounds;  but  tliose  of  them,  like  the 
Cypresses,  which,  by  their  style  of  growth,  were  fit 
accompaniments  to  architecture,  had  to  be  removed  to 
a  reserve  ground  for  a  season,  until  the  ground-work 
was  got  ready  on  each  side  of  the  grand  staircase  down 
the  hill,  and  then  removed  back  to  where  they  now 
form  a  very  striking  feature  to  that  part  of  the  ground. 

All  who  have  had  to  do  with  planting  large  trees,  &c., 
on  a  great  scale,  are  well  aware  that  this  second  plant- 
ing is  one  of  the  most  difficult  trials  that  their  credit, 
and  the  trial  of  their  trees,  can  be  exposed  to.  When 
a  large  tree  is  moved,  if  it  is  allowed  two  years,  there  is 
no  great  difficulty  in  moving  it  a  second  time,  but  to  be 
obliged  to  remove  it  again  at  the  end  of  the  first  season, 
as  Mr,  Davidson  had  to  do  in  some  scores  of  instances, 
is,  indeed,  next  thing  to  failure;  yet  it  has  not  been  so 
with  him ;  and  one  of  the  moves  he  adopted  to  over- 
come the  difficulty  is  worth  whole  pages  of  speculative 
suggestion.  The  ground  over  the  roots  was  not  alone 
mulched,  the  whole  plant  was  mulched,  stems,  branches, 
and  all,  as  far  as  it  could  be  done,  without  covering  the 
leaves.  A  thick  case  of  moss  envelopes  the  whole  of 
the  large  trees  and  shrubs,  from  top  to  bottom,  to  this 
day.  Thus  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  the  dry,  parching 
winds,  so  prejudicial  to  newly-planted  trees,  and  four 
times  more  trying  to  those  newly-twice-planted  ones, 
were  so  far  guarded  against  as  it  can  be  ever  done. 
Then,  with  a  garden-engine,  streams  of  soft  pond  water 
are  dashed  against  the  moss-clad  tree  with  telling  effect, 
and  this  effect  remains  long  afterwards ;  for  although  the 
outside  of  the  moss  appears  dry,  the  inside  next  the 
bark  may  be  as  damp  and  comfortable  as  possible.  We, 
who  take  in  our  food  by  one  opening  near  the  top  of  the 
system,  cannot  endure  damp  covering  next  the  skin, 
but  a  tree  takes  in  nourishment,  more  or  less,  over  every 
part  of  the  surface,  by  invisible  pores,  provided  the 
skin  or  bark  is  soft,  fresh,  and  healthy;  but  if  the  bark 
is  allowed  to  get  too  dry,  these  pores  will  not  act ;  the 
rind  gets  hide-bound,  as  we  say,  and  then  the  best  roots 
can  hardly  fores  up  sufficient  nourishment  for  the 
system.  Altogether,  I  was  much  struck,  and  very  much 
pleased,  with  this  application  of  a  well-known  principle, 
and  I  would  highly  recommend  it  to  amateurs  and 
others  who  move  trees  and  large  shrubs  about  their 
grounds.  It  is  only  from  knowing  the  soil,  the  situa- 
tion, and  the  climate  so  well,  together  with  the  unusual 
circumstances  under  which  this  part  of  the  planting  was 
done  at  Shrubland  Park,  that  I  can  appreciate  the 
jaehet  mulching,  as  tliey  call  it,  so  much  better  than 
hundreds  who  now  flock  in  to  see  the  great  and  striking 
improvements  ;  for  I  found  the  old  system  of  admission 
in  full  force,  notwithstanding  the  house  being  full  of 
company.  No  one  is  refused  to  see  the  gardens  once 
a-week,  on  Fridays,  if  he  applies  for  admission,  in 
writing,  to  Sir  William  Middleton. 

The  Balcony  Garden  is  now,  as  it  were,  part  of  the 
house;  being  joined  to  it  and  the  inner  terraces,  at 
either  end,  by  a  rich  system  of  balustrated  stonework,  in 
Sir  Charles  Barry's  most  florid  style.  The  eight  great 
beds  on  either  side  of  the  centre  walk  occupy  much 
about  the  same  positions,  and  have  nearly  the  same 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OCTOUER  6. 


outline  as  the  old  ones  with  the  Cypresses  in  their 
centre,  but  they  are  made  30  much  more  dignified  by 
having  rich  edgings  of  dressed  stonework.  This  edging 
is  one  step,  or  five  inches  high,  above  the  gravel,  and 
eight  or  nine  inches  wide  on  the  top ;  the  bed  inside 
this  is  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  stone.  The  first 
eighteen  inches  ol'  the  bed  is  covered  with  the  finest  turf 
all  round,  so  that  although  the  whole  is  on  a  gravelled 
terrace,  these  flower-beds  may  be  said  to  be  on  grass. 
After  the  grass  comes  a  band  of  silver-sand,  found  in 
the  park,  six  inches  wide  ;  a  little  walk,  in  fact,  bounded 
by  grass-edging  on  the  outer  side,  and  a  box-edging 
next  the  soil  and  plants.  Now,  without  looking  at  the 
flowers  at  all,  what  with  the  good  colour  of  the  gravel, 
the  glare  of  the  Caen  stone  balustrades  all  round,  the 
rich  facings  to  a  succession  of  terraces,  and  the  whole 
west-front  of  the  house,  with  the  Albert  Tower  in  the 
south-west  corner,  white  and  all  white,  with  many  other 
flower-beds  besides  the  eight  principals,  and  a  row  of 
standard  myrtles  on  each  side  of  the  centre  walk  iu 
i-ichly-worked  stone-hoxes,  as  it  were ;  the  whole  struck 
me  as  tlie  richest  and  most  benutifid  thing  I  ever  read 
of;  for  to  see  such  another,  no  one  that  has  never  been 
out  of  England  could  do,  for  there  is  nothing  at  all  in 
tliis  country  to  compare  it  to,  much  less  to  put  into 
comparison  with  it. 

This  Balcony  Garden  being  now  ten  feet  lower  from 
the  principal  drawing-rooms  than  the  old  one,  and  on 
gravel  instead  of  grass,  and  also  surrounded  by  so  much 
stonework,  the  planting  of  it  is  very  different  from  the 
way  I  used  to  plant  it.  There  is  not  now  the  same 
necessity  for  a  glare  of  strong  colours,  such  as  large 
masses  of  Punch,  bordered  by  a  white  edging,  could 
give.  At  first,  the  style  of  planting  did  not  strike  me 
as  judicious,  and  for  some  time  I  could  not  understand 
the  principle  of  it.  I  told  this  to  Lady  jMiddletou, 
with  whom  I  had  so  often  discussed  such  subjects,  and 
her  ladyship  was  so  kind  as  to  tell  me  the  whole  meaning, 
from  first  to  last :  also  what  alterations  she  thought 
would  improve  the  design ;  but  as  I  did  not  hint  to  her 
ladyship  that  T  would  say  anything  about  the  gardens 
in  nriut,  and  also,  that  it  is  not  lawful  or  gentlemanly  to 
criticise  any  garden  while  it  is  undergoing  alterations,  I 
shall  not  describe  the  exact  manner  the  beds  are  planted, 
but  confine  myself  to  a  critical  and  historical  account  of 
the  plants  in  use  all  over  the  garden,  beginning  with 

Beduin'g  Plants. — The  last  plant  that  was  named 
there  in  my  time,  singularly  enough,  was  the  very  first 
that  caught  my  eya  on  entering  the  conservatory  terrace 
by  the  gilded  gates,  at  the  east  end,  and  it  was  the  Ladi/ 
Muhlleton  Geranium,  in  the  centre  beds  of  a  chain 
pattern,  along  the  bottom  of  the  terrace.  Tliis  pattern 
is  divided  into  two  parts  by  a  fountain,  between  two 
flights  of  steps,  in  the  centre  of  the  terrace ;  the  corres- 
ponding half  of  the  pattern,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
fountain,  is  planted  with  tlie  Cerise  Umqiie  Geranium, 
having  nearly  the  same  tint  as  Lady  Middletoii,  but 
with  a  sickly  horse-shoe  mark  in  tlie  leaf,  white  footstalk 
and  peduncle,  and  a  striped  back  :  a  very  good  bedder, 
but  requires  the  centre  of  the  truss  to  be  often  relieved 
of  dead  flowers  during  wet  seasons  like  this,  while  Lady 
Muhlleton  stands  all  weathers.  The  chain,  or  ribbon, 
which  winds  round  tliis  pattern,  are  of  three  plants  this 
season ;  in  my  time  there  were  only  two — a  good  blue 
dwarf  variety  of  Lohelia  and  tlie  (Ennlhera  proslrala. 
Now,  Lnlielia  rumosoides,  the  very  best  of  this  race,  is 
one,  and  the  MiisU  miriiiiliis,  and  a  yellow  Pansey,  called 
Malccnt,  are  in  the  ]ilace  of  the  UCnotlieni.  There 
cannot  be  less  than  four  thousand  plants  of  this  new 
Lobelia  here  this  season — a  proof  of  the  correctness  of 
what  The  1-'ott.\oi;  Li.\ui)KNKR  alw.ays  said  of  it.  The 
plant  is  ke)it  liy  cuttings,  like  a  \'erbona;  it  has  an 
upright,  rigid  style  of  growth  ;  and  when  a  mass  of  it  is 
together,  a  very  dark  blue   tint  is  produced.     In  this 


pattern  there  are  several  small  circular  beds  only  one 
foot  iu  diauifiter,  only  fitted  for  one  specimen  plant,  and 
no  flowers  are  wanted  on  it,  the  blaze  all  round,  and  the 
white  sand  on  which  the  pattern  is  worked-out,  together 
with  the  light-coloured  stonework  bounding  the  terrace, 
want  so  many  green  plants  to  relieve  the  sight  as  gi-eeu 
beds  in  a  close-bedded  flower-garden.  At  first,  these 
little  beds  were  filled  with  three's  and  four's  of  the  small 
close-growing  Geranium,  called  Q rossuhirifolia ,  or  Goose- 
berry-leaf, a  plant  that  can  be  made  the  most  archi- 
tectural, or  symmetrical,  of  the  genus.  By  growing 
these  plants  in  warmth,  the  first  winter  after  I  left,  Mr. 
Davidson  got  each  one  large  enough  to  fill  one  of  these 
beds.  I  never  saw  anything  more  cleverly  done,  or  better 
suited  for  the  purpose;  and  the  same  plants  will  last  a 
dozen  years,  at  least. 

There  is  another  Geranium  near  this  pattern,  called 
Liliptitiiin.  It  looks  like  I'om  Thumh,  but  by  using 
spring-struck  cuttings  of  it,  the  very  smallest  bed,  in  a 
close,  intricate  pattern,  may  be  made  with  it.  as  then  it 
will  only  rise  a  few  inches  high.  A  delicate,  purplish- 
pink,  seedling  Geranium  of  mine  matches  Liliputian 
to  a  hair,  the  name  of  it  is  Caroline  ;  but  1  fear  it  is  not 
in  the  trade  yet,  although  seven  or  eight  years  old.  It 
was  called  after  Lady  Caroline  Courtucy,  who  admired 
it  above  all  the  seedlings  in  the  place.  Queen  of  May 
Geranium  is  to  be  discarded  here,  except  as  a  green 
plant  for  neutral  beds.  There  is  an  excellent  new 
variety  bore,  of  the  old  variegated  Scarlet  CI  cranium , 
with  crimson  flowers,  and  a  softer  leaf  than  the  old  one. 
Whether  it  will  answer  for  the  shot-sill;  bed  has  not  yet 
been  proved ;  but  at  a  venture,  I  would  suggest,  equal 
quantities  of  it  and  the  old  one  as  better  than  either, 
with  the  VerJiena  renosa,  for  that  style  of  mixture.  There 
is  also  a  very  strong-growing  Geranium,  of  the  Noseyay 
breed,  with  crimson  or  dark  scarlet  flowers,  called  Mrs. 
Vernon,  a  lady  who  is  famed  for  her  taste  in  flowers  and 
flower-beds.  This  will  match  with  the  Salmon  Geranium 
in  size  and  growth.  This  makes  the  fourth  Nosegay. 
Another  good  bedder  of  the  fancy  class,  after  the  ,hliu 
breed,  hut  very  dwarf,  is  called  Sir  William  ?.Iiddlelon. 
I  never  said  much  about  this  seedling  as  a  bedder,  which 
is  one  of  my  raising,  as  I  only  flowered  it  one  season. 
^Ir.  Fleming  told  me  it  was  the  best  of  that  class  at 
Trentham  ;  and  I  saw  beds  of  it  here,  at  Shrubland  Park, 
doing  remarkably  well  for  a  fancy,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
favourites.  All  the  bedders  of  this  class  which  I  used 
to  write  about  from  this  place  are  still  kept  up,  and  a 
few  more  added  to  them.  Diadematmn  ruhescens,  and 
reaiiim,  with  Lady  Mary  Fox,  are  the  best  of  them. 
One  called  Tyncscens,  in  the  way  of  QuereiJ'oliiim,  is  the 
best  of  file  strangers  to  rae.  A  lilac  l^nhjue  did  not 
strike  me  as  particularly  good,  but  I  saw  a  trailing 
variety  of  oak-leaf,  and  of  the  Cajiilata  section,  with 
deep  lilac  flowers,  and  a  large  dark  blotch  in  the  middle 
of  the  leaf,  which  is  the  best  rock-plant  among  all  the 
Geraniums,  and,  if  it  would  seed,  a  regular  treasure,  to 
work  out  more  varieties  iu  the  style  of  Cniqiie.  Why 
should  we  not  have  a  true  Cniijiie  or  Copilala  in  every 
tint  peculiar  to  the  family'.'  'I'he  best  white-flowered 
freraninm,  of  the  scarlet  breed,  is  Ileudersonii,  a  horse- 
shoe leaf,  and  strong  habit.  iMy  Shruhland  Cream 
and  'Tricolor,  with  Buul  de  Nici/e,  they  grow  in  pots  for 
the  conservatory  only.  'I'hey  also  keep  pots  of  Cherry 
Chceli,  Salmon,  Compacliim,  Nosegay.  Punch,  Tom 
'Thumb,  Shruhland  Queen — one  of  the  best  jiot  ones — 
Cerise,  i'nique,  and  a  k\y  others,  for  coming  into  the 
conservatory  late  in  the  autumn.  All  these,  on  Harry 
Moore's  plan  of  never  shaking  ofl'  the  old  soil,  answer 
the  purpose  with  little  trouble,  and  come  in  very  ustliil 
when  flowers  are  scarce.  'J'hcy  pro]iagate  all  the  bedding 
Geraniums  in  the  open  soil,  in  temiiorary  cold-pits,  from 
which  they  are  potted  before  the  frost  comes,  and  they 
find    autumn-sti'uck   cuttings   of    CEnothera  ]>roslrata, 


OclOBEB  G. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Cineraria  amelloides,  aud  Salvia  ckammdrioides,  to  flower 
bettor  than  from  spring  cuttings,  wliile  Petunias  and 
Verbenas  flower  best  from  early  spring  cuttings. 

Auotlier  lesson  wliicli  tbe  great  alterations  taught 
them  is  that  it  is  not  good  to  malic  new  beds  all  of  new 
or  fresh  soil.  A  very  common  practice  wliicb  defeats 
the  best  gardeners.  Plants  of  all  sorts  get  too  leafy, 
and  shy  of  bloom,  when  the  soil  is  all  fresh.  It  can 
never  be  atErmod  too  often,  that  the  first  four  iuolics  of 
a  flower-bed  cannot  be  made  too  rich,  so  that  the  plants 
take  to  it  at  once,  aud  start  away,  as  if  they  were  forced 
with  bottom-heat,  but  no  sooner  than  they  cover  the 
bed,  than  the  roots  ought  to  strike  down  into  poor  soil, 
ov  old  e.\haustcd  soil,  so  as  to  give  a  sudden  check  to 
rampant,  leafy  growth,  and  throw  the  whole  into  floVifer 
at  once ;  the  lower  aud  more  damp  the  situation,  the 
more  is  this  check  needed,  but  even  on  the  highest  aud 
more  dry  situations  it  is  not  safe  to  make  the  beds  of 
the  same  richness  throughout. 

Our  Irish  correspondent,  who  sent  nie  a  bushel  of  the 
tubers  of  Troposoluni  tuberosum,  may  be  glad  to  hear 
that  they  have  been  of  great  use  at  Shrubland  Park  for 
the  last  two  years,  for  clothing  new  ground,  and  for 
training  up  against  places  where  more  permanent 
climbers  would  not  cover  so  soon.  A  great  number  of 
them  flowered  from  last  October  down  to  Christmas — a 
very  unusual  thing  in  England.  The  (Enothera  speciosa 
is  also  a  common  plant  here  now,  and  of  the  two 
Zelinda  Dahlias  they  have  an  immense  quantity.  Tlie 
dark  one,  about  two  feet  high,  comes  in  admirably  as 
specimen  plants,  at  regular  distances,  in  front  of  white 
terrace-walls,  and  the  scarlet  one,  an  extremely  free 
bloomer,  and  about  three  feet  high,  is  used  in  the  centre 
of  several  of  the  best  beds.  There  is  a  row  of  each 
also  in  front  of  a  long  Dahlia  border,  where  sis  or 
seven  rows  of  the  more  showy  kinds  are  grown  together 
on  a  sloping  baiflv,  where  they  always  make  a  great 
show ;  the  dark  Zelinda  being  the  dwarfost,  makes  the 
first  row,  and  the  scarlet  comes  in  the  second  row.  The 
efl'ect  of  this  arrangement  is  so  good,  that  it  is  deter- 
mined for  the  future  to  have  each  row  of  one  kind  of 
Dahlia  throughout  the  whole  border.  For  flower  gardens, 
I  am  convinced  this  is  the  most  telling  way  in  which 
Dahlias  can  be  grown;  the  usual  way  of  mixing  Dahlias 
in  beds  or  long  borders,  is  no  better  than  the  okl  way  of 
planting  herbaceous  plants,  as  compared  with  the 
bedding  system,  if  the  colours  are  well  contrasted  or 
shaded  ofl',  and  the  heights  of  tbe  plants  are  so  arranged  \ 
as  that  each  row  is  a  little  higher  tlian  the  one  in  I'ront  i 
of  it.  I  am  quite  sure  there  is  no  other  way  by  which  ' 
Dahlias  can  he  shown  to  more  advantage.  A  border,  i 
one  hundred  yards  long,  with  a  little  rise  at  the  back, 
aud  wide  enough  to  take  seven  rows,  would  be  of  all  j 
other  ways  the  best;  but  any  kind  of  bed  will  do  if  the  ! 
centre  is  kept  high  enough  to  assist  the  gradations  of 
height.  On  level  ground  the  thing  cannot  be  done  so 
well,  for  when  the  height  of  the  plants  reach  to  four 
feet,  it  is  not  easy  to  find  suitable  colours  to  make  up 
the  remaining  heights.  If  the  stock  is  short,  three  or 
four  whites,  yellows,  &c.  might  be  used  in  one  row,  pro- 
vided the  heights  are  exactly  the  same. 

Verbenas. — Hamlet  is  now  planted  with  Heliotrope, 
instead  of  the  Duchess   d'Aunumle.     I  uever  saw  this 
mixture  more  perfect  than  on  this  occasion;  sixteen  beds 
of  it,  as  neutrals,  in  one  close  arrangement,  look  as  gay  I 
and  rich  as  can  be,  without  interferiug  in  the  least  with 
the  colours   and   shades    all    round.      This    is   in  the  i 
"  Fountain  Garden,"  the  best  ]ilanted  arrangement  of 
the  heights,  colours,  and  neutrals,  in  Europe,  perhaps,  i 
All  the  principal  colours  in  bedding  plants  have  three 
kind  of  plants,  in  three  degrees   of  height,  to  represent  j 
them  in  this  arrangement,  aud  except  the  scarlets  and  ' 
yellows,  all  the  rest  are  planted  in  shades.     Verbena  I 
Montonii,  a  large,  cupped,  dark  crimson  flower,  is  used,  I 


or  is  to  be  used,  for  mixing  with  Scarlet  Geraniums. 
General  Brea  is  the  best  dark  crimson  for  beds,  doing 
away  with  Louis  Pldllippe,  Barlierii ,  and  all  that  strain, 
in  this  garden,  at  least.  Llaneeroft  Beauty,  a  light  sal- 
mon, with  large  yellowish  eye,  is  one  of  the  best  of  that 
shade  ;  and  for  a  real  good  habit,  in  pink,  they  have  gone 
back  to  Miller  s  Favourite  again,  and  for  closeness  and 
bed-habit  they  find  it  the  best.  The  next  shade  in  purple, 
after  Emma,  is  got  in  one  called  Andre.     D.  Beaton. 


PITS  AND   SMALL  HOUSES   VERSUS  LARGE 
ONES. 

Many  enquiries,  and  statements,  written  and  verbal' 
almost  as  opposite  as  tho  poles,  have  induced  me  to  say 
a  few  words  on  this  subject  now,  when  many  are  thinking 
how  they  can  manage  to  secure  their  tender  favourites 
over  the  winter.  The  lovers  and  patrons  of  gardening, 
if  we  judge  from  language  and  action,  may  be  divided 
into  three  classes.  The  first  are  those  who  ought  to  go 
from  home,  were  it  for  nothing  but  taking  a  notch  out 
of  that  seU'csteem  that  led  them  to  imagine  that  they 
were  unapproachable.  The  second  are  those,  who,  if 
they  wished  to  be  contented  and  happy,  would  never  go 
from  home,  as  they  never  can  see  anything  else  more 
beautiful,  more  magnificent,  aud  more  extensive,  without 
a  strange  mingling  of  admiration  aud  envy,  on  the  one 
hand,  and  an  undue  depreciation  of  the  beauties  they 
really  jiossess,  on  tho  other.  Woe  to  the  blue  aproners 
in  such  establishments!  Do  what  they  will,  there  are 
])oints  to  be  aimed  at,  which,  with  the  means  at  their 
disposal,  it  is  possible  they  can  reach.  Add  to  the 
numbers  of  such  patrons,  and  give  a  goodly  increase  to 
our  Chatsworths,  our  Trenthams,  and  Crystal  palaces 
and  pleasure  grounds,  as  at  Sydenham,  and  it  needs  no 
pro))lieoy  to  tell,  that  ere  long,  the  bright,  sunny  spots 
of  mere  ornamental  gardening,  clustering  around  cottage 
and  hall,  entwined  with  the  purest  aspirations  of  the 
yoimg  and  the  old,  would  be  devoted  to  purposes  of 
stern  utility,  or  left  to  become  wildernesses  of  neglect. 
A  third  class,  aud  let  us  hope  so  numerous,  that,  in 
comparison  with  it,  the  others  will  weigh  merely  as  the 
dust  in  the  balance,  is  superior  to  envy  in  all  its  shapes; 
thoroughly  appreciates  floral  beauty  and  good  gardening, 
wherever  it  presents  itself;  is  anxious  to  find  something 
to  admire,  and  something  to  learn  from,  whether  visiting 
the  garden  of  the  tradesman,  or  the  demesne  of  the 
nobleman,  and  goes  home  not  dissatisfied  with  its  own 
little  (laradiso,  but  with  the  resolution  to  render  it,  if 
possihle,  still  more  useful  and  beautiful.  If  such  a  class 
have  many  little  doubts  and  uncertainties  how  they  had 
better  act  tmder  their  circumstances,  what  a  pleasure  to 
have  the  privilege  of  men  trying  to  resolve  them 

Directions  have  previously  been  given  for  forming 
ttirf  or  earth-walled  pits,  ns  being  the  most  economical 
aud  useful  for  window  gardeners,  and  saving  bedding 
plants  over  the  winter,  as,  when  provided  with  a  wall- 
plate  and  sashes,  the  earth  wall  is  a  better  non-con- 
ductor than  a  brick  wall ;  and  this  is  especially  the 
case  when  the  outside  of  the  wall,  at  least,  is  of  a 
sloping  form,  and  rendered  waterproof  with  a  coating 
of  concrete,  or  a  thin  layer  of  tar,  covered  with  sand  or 
gravel,  linless  in  an  emergency,  however,  I  would  not 
recommend  forming  such  a  pit  now,  as  it  is  best  done 
in  spring,  so  as  to  consolidate  during  summer,  and  then 
have  the  walls  rendered  waterproof  when  dry.  Not 
that  this  waterproofing  is  essential,  but  it  is  a  great 
preventive  of  damping,  and  keeps  many  kinds  of  vermin 
at  a  distance.  Such  a  pit  would  he  useful  in  winter,  for 
preserving  vegetables,  as  well  as  tbe  hardier  ornamental 
plants,  as  Scarlet  Geraniums,  Pensteraous,  &c.,  if  fur- 
nished with  waterproof  covers  instead  of  glass,  these 
covers  being  tilted  or  removed  in  fine  weather.     I  will 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OcTOIlKI!  (i. 


eiideavoiu'  to  meet  as  many  wants  as  iiossibic,  by  an- 
swers to  the  following  questions. 

1st.  "  How  am  I  to  pi'oceed  ?     T  want  a  small  brick 
pit  to   keep    cuttings,    bedding  plants,   &c.,    over    the 
winter.     I  can  have  no  artificial   lieat.     I  am  told  by 
one,  that  the   deeper  I  go,  the  warmer  my  pit  will  be; 
by  anotlier,  that  the  less  I   sink,  the  more  secure  the 
plants  will  be.     Is  there  not  lomething  contradictory  in 
all  this?"     Not  at  all.     Mere  irarmth  and  security,  as 
respects  vegetable  life,  are  not  identical.     The  same  may 
be  said  of  animal   existence.     A  man  may  be  frozen  to  i 
death  in  a  cold  night ;  he  may,  also,  be  smothered  in  a  i 
close  room,  or  wrapped  in  warm   blankets.     A   house  ; 
underground,  in  winter,  would  be  warmer  than  one  above  ! 
it,  just  because   the  radiating  heat   surface   would  be 
lessened,  and  because,  at  that  time,  there  is  more  radia- 
tion than  absorption.     A  pit,  or  plant  house,  partially 
sunk  nnderground,  is  warmer  than  one   of  the  same 
depth  wholly  above  it,  because  less  of  the  walls  are 
exposed  to  the  atmosphere.      Of  course,  the  radiation 
from  the  glass  will  be  the  same  in  both   cases.     Such 
a  pit,   on  the  other  hand,  will  be  cooler  in  summer. 
But,  even  the  warmth  in  winter  will  not  be  in  jiropor-  ' 
tion  to  the  depth  of  wall  sunk,  unless  means  are  taken 
to  keep  the  ground  outside  the  pit  dry  and  free  from 
frost ;  the  first,   by  concreting  or  tarring ;  the  second, 
by  loose  litter  in  cold  weather.     With  such  remedies, 
and  the  ground  sloping  from  the  wall  all  round,  warmth 
and    security   may   be    obtained    after   the    walls   are 
thoroughly  dried.   The  danger  in  all  such  pits  in  winter, 
is  from  the  close,  mnggy  atmosphei'e  that  accumulates 
at  their  bottom  ;  the  fertile  source  of  all  fungus  broods, 
termed  damping;    and  the  very  sinking   beneath   the 
surface  makes  it  diflScult  to  dislodge  this  stagnant  air 
by   one  more  rarifled  and  pure.     The  higher  forms  of 
life,   whether  vegetable  or  animal,  unless   when  in  a 
torpid  state,  must  have   access   to   light,    and  a  pure 
atmosphere.     Now,  by  sacrificing  a  little  of  this  muggy 
warmth,  these  necessary  conditions  to  health  will  be 
best  secured  by  a  pit  above  ground,  the  surface  of  the 
bed   within  being  a  little  higher  than  the  surrounding 
ground,  and  that  made  to  slope  from  the  walls,  so  as  to 
throw  off  all  wet.     If  there  are  ventilators  in  front,  on 
a  level  with  tlie  bottom  of  the  pit,  they  will  be  more 
efiectual  in  dislodging  damps  than  any  mere  opening 
of  the  sashes.     With   such    ventilators  open,   and   the 
sashes  tilted  behind,  a  draught  of  air  is  secured  to  the 
bottom  even  of  the  cutting-pots.     Such  a  pit,  for  small 
plants  and  cutting-pots,  nuiy  be  from  five  to  five-and-a- 
half  feet  wide,  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  high  in  front, 
and  thirty  to  thirty-six  behind.     If  the  ground  outside 
is  banked  up  within  a  few  inches  of  the  front  wall-plate, 
and  then  well  tarred  and  gravelled,  no  spouting  will  be 
necessary,  and  no  wet  will  penetrate.     In  winter,  great 
care  should  be  taken  in  using  any  fermenting  material 
round  the  walls.     I   greatly   prefer,   for  the  ends  and 
back  of  such  a  pit,  a  thickness  of  two  or  three  inches  of 
dry  straw,  firmly  secured  by  cords.     In  such   a  shallow 
pit,  great  care,  however,  must  be  taken  to  guard  against 
sudden  frosts,  and  against  uncovering  too  rapidly  when 
fine  weather  comes. 

In  a  frosty  morning,  after  a  mild  night,  I  have  had 
young  plants,  stifi' as  pokers,  at  twelve  inches  from  the 
glass,  while  those  at  eighteen  inches  distant  were  not  at 
all  affected.  Covering  u|)  until  completely  thawed  was 
the  remedy  in  all  such  cases.  Old  readers  will  bo  well 
aware  that  the  plants  usually  kept  in  such  pits  will 
receive  no  harm,  though  covered  up  in  bad  weather  for 
some  time,  day  and  night,  provided  the  internal  atmo- 
sphere is  rather  dry,  and  frost  has  been  excluded  ;  but 
yet,  the  temperature  so  nearly  approaching  the  freezing 
point,  that  vegetation,  so  far  us  extension  was  concerned, 
was  at  a  stand  still.  The  modes  and  principles  of  pro- 
tection have  already  been  fully  discussed. 


Und.  "  I  contemplate  building  a  brick  pit,  in  preference 
to  having  wooden  boxes.  I  cannot  heat  it  artificially 
with  fire  heat.  I  want  it  for  many  purposes,  as  I  can 
only  have  one  ;  such  as  keeping  cuttings  and  small 
plants  of  half-hardy  plants  over  the  winter  ;  propagating 
by  means  of  duug-and-leaves-heat  in  spring;  starting 
and  growing  fair-sized  I''uohsias  in  March  and  April; 
and  using  it  for  Melons  and  Cucumbers  in  summer,  &c. 
I  propose  to  have  it  six  feet  wide,  front  wall  three-and- 
a-half  feet  in  height,  back  wall  six  feet,  and  fully  hall' 
of  these  heights  under  the  surface.  Can  I,  by  any  simple 
process,  make  one  pit,  say  eight  or  nine  lights  in 
length,  answer  all  these  purposes,  either  at  the  same 
time,  or  in  rotation?"  By  exercising  a  little  judgment, 
there  will  be  no  diflioulty  in  the  matter.  By  means  of 
moveable  wooden  partitions,  made  of  light  half-inch 
wood,  to  fix  imder  the  rafters,  I  have  had,  in  such  a 
sized  pit,  four  or  five  divisions,  differing  in  temperature 
and  the  amount  of  atmospheric  moisture.  Wiien  one 
end  has  been  used  as  a  hotbed,  the  other  end  has  been 
as  cool  as  possible  by  the  free  admission  of  air.  Such 
halfhardy  plants  as  you  speak  of,  however,  especially 
when  in  a  young  state,  nnist  be  tolerably  near  the  glass 
in  winter.  This  you  can  easily  provide  for  when  building 
your  pit.  For  instance,  at  the  height  of  two  feet  from 
the  set  off  above  the  foundation,  in  building  your  nine- 
inch  wall  leave  a  row  of  bricks  all  round,  back  and 
front,  jutting  out  beyond  the  perpendicular  inside,  from 
three-quarters  to  a  full  inch,  and  do  the  same  again 
when  the  fi'uit  wall  is  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  from 
its  proposed  height.  These  ledges  will  hold  securely 
any  strong  boards,  half-an-inoh  shorter  than  the  width 
of  the  pit,  so  as  to  make  a  platform  nearer  the  glass. 
By  this  means,  being  able  to  make  a  higher  or  lower 
platform  at  pleasure,  you  will  be  able  to  accommodate 
three  different  sizes  of  plants  at  will,  just  by  putting  on, 
or  taking  out  these  boards.  Besides,  we  find  that 
many  of  our  friends,  wlien  once  they  get  a  pit  of  this 
kind,  must  needs  have  a  small  stage  near  the  house,  in 
which  to  place  some  of  their  favourite  plants  in  summer. 
Now,  supposing  that  this  stage  was  to  be  formed,  bow 
easy  to  make  it  a  little  less  in  width  than  the  width  of 
the  pit,  and  with  the  hypothenuse  line  of  the  shelves, 
proportioned  to  the  slope  of  the  rafter.  If  the  stage  was 
very  low,  it  could  be  raised  on  blocks  to  the  suitable 
height.  Standing  on  these  transverse  boards,  or  on  the 
shelves  of  this  stage,  small  plants  and  rooted  cuttings 
would  be  safer  from  damp,  and  from  sudden  alterations 
in  the  weather,  than  when  standing  upon  the  bottom  of 
a  shallow  pit. 

Such  a  stage,  however  long,  should  be  made  in  lengths 
of  one,  two,  or  more  lights,  so  as  to  be  easily  moved. 
A  friend,  who  had  such  a  stage  made  in  a  rough,  but 
useful  manner,  which  he  used  for  various  piu'poses  in 
summer,  instead  of  using  it  for  his  cuttings  in  a  some- 
what similar  pit  last  winter,  preferred  placing  them 
'  pretty  near  the  glass,  on  the  top  of  soil  in  which  cucum- 
bers had  been  growing,  there  being  a  fair  portion  of 
rotten  decomposing  manure  beneath.  What  with  damps 
and  sudden  frosts,  the  spring  saw  little  but  a  perfect 
j  wreck.  The  initiated  keep  myriads  of  plants  in  such 
!  circumstances,  but  they  know  the  care  that  is  requisite. 
;  What  with  the  watering,  however  carefully  given,  that 
finds  its  way  into  the  soil  (unless  every  plant  is  lilted 
out,  when  watered,  and  allowed  to  drain  before  it  is 
replaced — a  capital  plan  where  there  is  no  firc-hcat  in 
winter),  and  the  vapours  intensely  rising  from  the  de- 
composing manure,  the  plants  lU'e  pretty  well  as  liable 
to  damps  as  tbey  would  be  on  the  bottom  of  a  sunk  pit, 
while  their  raised  position,  under  these  circumstances, 
confers  all  the  disadvantages  of  sudden  changes,  which 
a  sliallow  pit,  built  wholly  above  ground  would  yield, 
without  the  compensation  of  secured  dryness.  On  such 
an  open  platform  of  boards,  or  a  still  opener  stage,  with 


OcTOBEI!  6. 


THE  COTTAGFJ  GABDENEK. 


9 


shelves  iVom  back  to  front,  damping  could  only  he  tlie  i 
result  of  careless  watering,  or  other  mismanngement, 
unless  tho  atniosplicre  was  long  in  a  foggj',  watery  con- 
dition ;  and  a  sudden  frost  would   be  so  far  guarded 
agaiust,  that  the  plants  could   sutter   little,   until   the 
whole  enclosed  body  of  air  had  been   brought   down 
to  the  freezing  point.     A  deep  pit,  tlierefore,   besides 
the   many   purposes   to   which   it  may   be   applied,   if 
not  filled   up   with    a   solid    substance,   is  Just   lil;e   a 
large  house,  less   liable   to   sudden    alternations   than 
a  shallow  one.     In  such  a  pit,  open  at  one  end,  and 
filled  up  to  within  two  feet  of  the  surface  at  the  other, 
with  earth,  &c.,  we  have  seen,  in  a  sudden  frost  in  spring 
and  autumn,  the  glass  quite  clear  in  the  former  case, 
and  encrusted  with  ice  and  hoar-frost  in  the  latter.     Of 
course,  the  means  of  careful  protection  must  be  attended 
to.     I  never  see  such  a  pit,  and  am  told,  "  that  is  all  the 
glass  at  command,"  without  a  vision  of  a  small  boiler, 
and  two  three-inch  water  pipes,  rising  before  me.     If 
that  was  too  expensive,  and  a  flue  elsewhere  would  be 
in  the  way,  why  not  have  a  small  furnace,  connected 
with  a  four-inch  flue,  in  the  end  and  front  walls.     Two 
bricks  placed  on  edge,  on  a  nine-inch  wall,  would  leave 
a  sufficient  cavity.     Nothing  more  would  be  necessary 
than  care  in  forming  the  joints,  placing  a  thin  slate 
above  for  a  covering,  on  that  a  layer  of  mortar,  tlien  a 
row  of  bricks,  lengthwise  across,  and  tlien  build  in  the 
usual  manner.     You  could  then  easily  dry  your  atmos- 
phere  in   the   dullest   weather.     Of    course,    if    above 
ground,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  heat  of  such  a  flue 
would  be  dissipated  in  the  open  air.     If  in   the  wall 
below  ground,  the  earth  would  absorb  a  portion  ;  but  if 
below  ground,  and  a  cavity  of  a  couple  of  inches  secured, 
opposite  the  flue-brick,  very  little  heat  would  be  absorbed 
or  lost.     I  have  tried,  and  found  that  these  narrow  flues, 
if  there  is  a  good  rise  from  the  furnace  bars,  draw  with 
such  rapidity,  that,  unless  in  cases  of  gross  carelessness, 
there  is  no  chance  of  smoke  or  soot  finding  its  way  into 
the  interior.     The  expense  of  a  flue,  in  such  a  position, 
would  cost  little  or  nothing ;  and  the  expense  of  a  stock- 
hole,  furnace  bars,  and  doors,  would  soon  be  repaid,  in 
the  saving  of  covering  and  its  consequent  labour. 

K.  Fish. 
(To  6e  continued.) 


THE   CROCUS. 


(  Continued  from   J'ol.  x.,  jiaf/e  46:S. ) 

Having,  in  my  last,  described  the  culture  of  bulbs 
that  are  large  enough  to  flower,  it  only  remains  to  give 
some  instructions  what  to  do  with  the  offsets  and  small 
bulbs,  and  a  few  remarks  on  raising  new  varieties  from 
seed :  and  lastly,  a  few  lines  on  forcing  them. 

Small  Bulbs  and  Ovfseis. — At  the  time  of  taking 
up  the  bulbs,  these  should  be  separated  at  once  from 
the  flowering  bulbs,  keeping  the  different  colours  and 
varieties  distinctly  separate ;  and  it  would  be  desirable, 
also,  to  divide  them  again  in  two  sizes,  because  the 
large  size  will  sooner  Bower  than  the  very  smallest. 
Prepare  a  bed  for  them  in  an  open  part  of  the  garden  ; 
manure  it;  well  with  well-decomposed  dung,  and,  if  the 
soil  be  naturally  heavy,  add  a  liberal  allowance  of  sand ; 
dig  deep,  and  thoroughly  incorporate  the  manure  and 
sand  with  the  soil,  then  draw  a  drill,  two  inches  deep, 
across  the  bed,  and  six  inches  apart;  plant  the  larger 
size  first ;  place  these  singly,  at  about  an  inch  apart  in 
the  row.  The  small  fry  and  yearling  offsets  may  be 
sown  in  the  same  way  and  thickness  as  you  would  sow 
Marrowfat  Peas.  Place  distinct  labels  to  each  variety, 
so  that  there  may  be  no  mistake  at  the  time  they  are 
taken  up.  Cover  bulbs  so  planted  and  sown  with  some 
roughly-sifted  soil  of  the  same  quality  as  that  of  the 


bed  ;  then  level  tlie  whole  bed  gently  with  a  short- 
toothed  ralvc.  This  planting  should  be  done,  at  the 
latest,  by  the  middle  of  October,  or  even  earlier. 

In  the  spring,  when  the  leaves  appear,  stir  the  soil 
between  the  rows,  to  allow  the  warm  showers  to  enter 
freely,  a,nd  to  prevent  the  soil  from  cracking.  Keep  the 
bed  clear  of  weeds  and  slugs,  which  will  be  all  the 
care  they  require  till  the  leaves  decay.  Should  any 
flowers  appear,  nip  them  off  to  strengthen  the  bulbs, 
the  great  object  being  to  increase  their  size.  Take  great 
cai-e  the  leaves  are  not  injured,  for  they  are  quite  as 
necessary  as  the  roots  to  ensure  the  increase  of  size  in 
the  roots.  One  grand  cause  of  the  deterioration  of  the 
Crocus  is  the  cutting  off'  the  leaves  as  soon  as  the 
flowers  decay  ;  a  practice  too  often  followed,  because,  for- 
sooth, they  are  unsightly,  or,  perhaps,  in  the  way  when 
other  plants  are  required  to  be  planted  near  them.  I 
have  seen  even  gaideners  that  ought  to  have  known 
better,  for  the  sake  of  what  they  called  neatness, 
tie  up  in  knots  the  leaves  of  the  Crocus  in  their 
flower-borders.  It  seemed  as  if  such  men  had  an 
indistinct  idea  that  the  leaves  were  of  some  use; 
but  how  they  could  exercise  their  functions  when 
tied  up  so  was  a  paradox  above  my  comprehension. 
In  this  nursery-bed  the  leaves  will  not  be  unsightly, 
because  the  bed  will  not  be  in  the  dressed  flower-garden, 
and,  therefore,  they  may  remain  till  they  quite  decay ; 
then  dress  them  oif,  and  leave  the  bulbs  in  the  bed, 
for  they  require  two  years  to  bring  them  up  to  the  lull 
size,  especially  the  smaller  size.  In  the  autumn,  give 
the  bed  a  thin  dressing  of  short  dung,  to  supply  fresh 
nutriment  to  the  soil.  In  the  following  spring,  as  soon 
as  the  leaves  are  fairly  above  ground,  stir  up  the  soil 
between  the  rows,  mixing  the  dung  with  it:  and  as 
soon  as  the  leaves  decay,  take  up  the  roots,  which  will 
be  found  to  be  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  large  as  the  im- 
ported ones  from  Holland.  Sort  them  over,  and  follow 
the  same  process  with  the  small  bulbs,  either  in  the 
same  bed,  renewed  with  fresh  earth,  dung,  and  sand, 
or,  which  would  be  preferable,  plant  tliem  in  a  fresh 
place  entirely. 

Mice  are  very  partial  to  the  Crocus  roots,  and  where 
they  abound  make  sad  havoc  with  them.  Traps  must 
be  set  for  them,  or  a  good  cat  or  two  kept  on  the  pre- 
mises to  destroy  these  little  mischievous  pests. 

Raising  Varieties. — There  are  now  a  considerable 
number  of  very  superior  varieties  of  these  roots,  larger 
in  size  of  flower,  better  shaped,  and  finer  colours.  This 
improvement  has  taken  place  chiefly  among  the  two- 
coloured  varieties,  both  in  stripes  and  coloured  edges. 
The  older  divisions  of  white,  blue,  yellow,  and  striped, 
are  now  much  extended,  and,  no  doubt,  may  be  still 
more  improved  by  judicious  hybridizing.  Whoever 
desires  to  improve  the  race  of  any  flower  must  not 
leave  that  improvement  to  chance.  He  must  first  study 
the  object  he  wishes  to  effect,  whether  increase  in  size, 
brighter  colour,  or  more  perfect  form,  and  impregnate 
his  flowers  accordingly.  Size  and  form  should  be  sought 
for  in  the  male  parent,  and  brighter  and  more  distinct 
colour  in  the  female.  To  make  assurance  doubly  sure, 
the  pollen  cases  of  the  flower  to  be  operated  upon 
should  be  cut  off,  and  the  stigma  dusted  with  the  pollen 
from  a  flower  with  the  desired  properties ;  then  cover 
such  impregnated  flowers  with  some  fine  gauze  caps, 
to  prevent  insects  coming  in  contact  with  them.  The 
seed  ripens  quickly,  and  the  seed-vessels  soon  burst  if 
not  gathered  in  time.  As  soon  as  the  cases,  or  seed- 
vessels,  turn  yellow,  gath.er  them,  and  lay  them  on  a 
sheet  of  paper,  in  a  dry  but  shady  place,  so  as  to  harden 
the  seed  gradually.  When  dry,  clean  ihe  seed,  and  sow 
it  in  pans  or  boxes  rather  thickly,  giving  neither  heat 
nor  much  water.  The  seeds  will  germinate  and  come 
up  in  the  spring,  and  they  must  remain  in  their  box 
or  pan  till  the  following  autumn.     Then  sift  the  soil 


]0 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OCTOBEE  6. 


through  a  fine  sieve,  and  carefully  pick  out  the  small 
bulbs,  for  small  tiiey  will  be.  Plant  Iheni  in  a  nursery- 
bed,  like  the  one  described  above,  and  allow  them  to 
flower  there.  JIark  all  tliat  are  decidedly  improved,  and 
cultivate  such  witli  great  care  till  a  stock  is  obtained. 

i'onciNG. — Perhaps  tliere  is  no  bulbous-rooted  plant 
that  forces  so  easily  as  the  Crocus.  Pot  them  in  ricli 
soil,  in  5-inch  jjots,  placing  five  or  six  bidbs,  according 
to  their  size,  in  each  pot.  Do  this  early  in  October, 
and  place  the  pots  under  a  bed  of  coal-ashes  till  they 
fornr  roots;  tiion  remove  them  into  a  g(;ntle  heat  in 
hatches,  and  the  bloom  may  be  extended  so  till  they 
flower  in  the  open  air.  Tliere  are  fanciful  pots,  in  the 
.shape  of  hedgehogs,  globes,  &o.,  with  boles  made  at  the 
top  and  sides.  Where  these  are  used,  the  inside  should 
be  filled  with  rich  eartli,  and  a  bulb  inserted  opposite  to 
every  hole.  Place  them  in  a  frame,  or  on  a  shelf  in  a 
greenhouse,  and  the  plants  will  force  their  leaves  and 
flowers  through  each  bole.  All  bulbs  so  treated  and 
forced  are  injured  thereby,  and  will  require  a  year  or  two 
in  the  nursery-bed  to  renew  their  size  and  strength. 

T.  Api'leby. 


JOTTINGS  BY   THE    WAY. 
(Continued  from  Vol.  x.,  jJoge  48.3.) 

Abney  House,  Cheadlo,  near  Manchester,  the  resi- 
dence of  R.  Watts,  Esq. — I  visited  this  )>Iace  last  year, 
and  mentioned,  in  my  "Jottings,"  that  JMr.  Watts  luid 
]uu'chased,  at  lilvastou  Castle,  some  large  Araucarins, 
fifteen  feet  high,  removed  them  that  distance,  and  with 
success,  not  having  lost  one.  I  found  them  this  year 
making  good  growths,  thus  proving  that  the  practice  of 
nurserymen  keeping  these  fine  conifers  in  pots,  or  tubs, 
is  decidedly  iinneccssary,  and  positively  injurious,  ior 
the  simple  reason,  that  their  roots  are  interlaced,  and 
wound  round  the  inside  of  the  pots  or  tubs,  that  thoy 
can  never  spread  out  and  take  firm  hold  of  the  soil  to 
support  the  trees  when  tbey  attain  any  magnitude. 
This  year,  Mr.  Watts  has  added  several  more  to  bis 
stock,  and  they  appear  to  be  doing  equally  well.  Some 
Deodars  have  not  done  quite  so  well,  especially  large 
ones.  The  intelligent  gardener,  Mr.  Sturdy,  said  it  was 
owing  to  the  unfavourable  weather  in  early  spring, 
accompanied  with  strong  winds,  and  besides  being  so 
exposed,  for  the  place  being  entirely  a  new  one,  tlie  trees 
for  shelter  are,  as  yet,  too  small  to  alt'ord  any.  Some 
Piiiiis  Aasiriaoa,  large  plants,  on  the  other  band,  have 
done  quite  as  well  as  the  Armicnria,  and  also  some 
Pinus  Ccmhra.  This  dift'erence  of  bearing  removal  such 
a  great  distance  is  of  some  importance  to  planters  of 
new  places.  'The  C'edrus  Dcodura  should  never  be  moved 
at  more  than  seven  or  eight  feet  high,  unless  the  situation 
is  well  sheltered  from  higli  winds.  Wlien  I  called  this 
year,  about  the  end  of  August.  Mr.  Sturdy  had  Just 
removed  some  large  Yews  and  Hollies,  wliic'h  appeared 
quite  fresh,  aud  lijiely  to  grow.  He  always  waters  all 
fresh-planted  trees  liberally. 

IVENJfEL  P.uuv,  St.  Asaph,  North  Wales,  the  residence 
of  R.  Hughes,  Esq. — Mr.  Mountford,  an  old  friend  of 
mine,  is  now  gardener  here.  Under  his  management, 
the  place,  in  gardening  matters,  is  greatly  improving. 
I  alluded,  very  lately,  to  the  Peach-walls  here  being 
covered  with  glass.  1  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  a  fine 
crop  of  fruit  just  ripening,  in  consequence  of  that 
covering,  confirniing  very  strongly  my  opinion  of  its 
great  utility.  Since  1  was  there,  I  have  been  called 
upon  to  give  my  advice  on  the  matter.  One  place  I 
found  a  good  border  m.ade.  Peaches  jdanted,  but  no 
success;  in  another,  the  Peaches  were  old,  in  a  gravelly 
soil,  near  a  river.  In  both  eases,  the  Poaebes  were 
miserable,  and  I  believe  it  is  intended  to  cover  the  walls 
with  glass.   A  correspondent  writes  for  inibrmatiou ;  also 


including  what  covering  a  wall  will  cost.  This  I  shall 
ascertain  shortly,  and  then  will  answer  the  query.  Oiu' 
seasons  are  now,  and  have  been  for  some  years,  very  uu- 
favourablo  for  tlie  Peach.  The  winters  liave  been  mild, 
aud  the  summers  cold;  hence,  the  blooms  started  early,  and 
were  injured,  and  the  cold  summers  prevented  the  wood 
from  ripening-  J  ust  glaiice  at  America ;  there  the  winters 
are  much  more  severe  than  here,  but  then  the  summers 
are  much,  very  much  hotter.  The  consequence  is,  the 
Peach  being  hardy  enough  to  bear  severe  frost,  has  a 
hot  sun  to  ripen  the  wood,  and  thus  enable  it  to  bring 
forth  good  fruit.  I  trust  these  observations  will  be 
taken  in  good  part.  I  know  many  gardens  that  do  pro- 
duce good  Peaches;  but  what  I  contend  for  is  the  im- 
certaiuty  of  the  crop  without  a  great  amount  of  care  in 
protecting  the  blossoms;  whereas,  covered  with  glass, 
success  is  certain  every  year.  Kenmel  Park  is  situated 
close  to  the  sea,  but  considerably  elevated.  I  noted,  in 
the  pleasure-ground,  several  fine  specimens  of  Ccdrus 
Deodara,  one  measured  nearly  thirty  feet  high,  well 
clothed  with  branches,  which  covered  a  space  thirty- 
six  feet  in  circumference,  without  a  single  shoot  in- 
jured by  the  sea  breezes.  Of  Irish  Yews,  there  were 
several  specimens  twenty  feet  high. 

The  flower-garden  was  rather  unique,  and  well  fur- 
nished with  flowers  on  the  grouping  system.     A  bed  of 
Cnlceolarias  was  vei'y  im))Osing;   (.'.  viscosissima  in  the 
centre  ;  Kentish  Hero,  in  good  breadth,  around  it;  and 
next,  a  thick  mass  of  the  yellow  Kai/ii,  edged  with  the 
dark  Sidlnn.      Then  another   bod   of  the   best  Phlox 
Dniminondi,  edged   with  Ouplwas,  had   a   good   cll'oct. 
Entire  large  beds  of  Ageratum,  Salvins,  Tall  Lobelias, 
;  Scarlet  (Jeranimm,  &c.,  rendered  the  scene  a  gay  one  for 
i  flowers.     The  flower-garden  is  very  pro])crly  placed  in 
i  fi'ont  of  a  long  range  of  plant  houses,  several  of  which 
have  Vines  up   the  ralters.     The  plants  were  well   in 
\  bloom,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  gay  i'aney  Geraniums, 
Petunias,  Salpiglossis,  a  tribe  undeservedly  neglected; 
i''iichsias,  Tbunbcrgias,  and  many  large  pots  of  the  pretty 
I  Eliodantlie  Manf/lesii. 

'      The  Grapes  were  good,  especially  the  Black  Ham- 
liro',    which   were   really   black,  and  several  rafters  of 
I  the  delicate  Gra])es,  the  Frontiijnans,  wei-e  well  cropped, 
and  of  good  quality.     I  saw  some  very  long  bunches  of 
an  excellent  black  Orajie,  not  half  so  nmch  grown  as  it 
'  deserves,  I  mean  the  Black  Prince.     This  always  comes 
i  black.     I\Ir.  Mountford  has  just  luul  a  liouse  put  up  on 
I  luu'poso  for  the  Alexandrian  Muscat.     1  to  planted  them 
i  last  May,  and  they  luive  nearly  reached  the   top  of  the 
house.     This  fine  Grape  should  always  have  a  liouse  to 
itself,  it  requires  a  higher  temperature,  aud  a  drier  one 
when  ripening  than  auy  other  Grape.     The  hardy  fruit- 
garden  here  is  very  jiroductive.     The  quantity  of  the 
better  kind  of  Pears  is  astonishing.     I  never  saw  trees 
so  loaded  with  fruit.     Apples  were  also  in  abimdance, 
though  Plums  were  not  so  plentiful.  T.  ArPLEUY. 

(7o  be  coiitinacii.) 


THE    SUCCESS    AND    FAILURE    OE    TENDER 
WALL-ERUITS. 

NoTwiiHSTANUTNo  tlio  advantages  wliieb  climate  and 
situation  undoubtedly  allbrd  to  nnuiy  of  our  more  tender 
productions,  yet  it  must  not  be  understood  that  a  posi- 
tion in  "the  south"  is  all  that  is  required  to  ensure 
successful  culture  ;  on  the  other  band,  nnuiy  of  our  most 
useful  garden  products  are  obtained  in  greater  perfec- 
tion, aud  embrace  a  longer  season  of  utility,  in  the 
northern  parts  of  the  kugdom  than  they  do  in  tbe  south 
of  it,  except  when  placed  under  pecubar  circumstances 
in  the  latter  district.  This  may  appear  strange  to  tliosc 
who  imagine  that  a  journey  soutbward  ensures  a  pro- 


October  6. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


11 


gressive  improvement  iu  everything  which  the  earth 
brings  forward ;  for  certainly  many  tilings  do  improve 
as  tlioy  are  removed  to  a  warmer  climate,  but  tliis  is  not 
always  the  case.  Certain  fruits,  as  well  as  vegetables, 
prefer  a  cool  atmosphere,  or,  it  may  he,  a  cool  soil 
to  grow  iu  ;  and  this  is  accomplished  hy  the  dilferonoe 
which  a  few  degrees  north  will  give,  other  circumstances 
being  the  same,  Now,  in  mapping  out  a  country  in 
regard  to  its  productions,  there  are  other  considera- 
tions also  to  be  borue  in  mind,  as  well  as  the  origin 
or  native  place  of  the  plants  we  wish  to  cultivate  ; 
for  the  latter  do  not  always  prosper  in  the  greatest 
perfection  hy  being  grown  in  the  same  latitude  as  where 
found  wild  ;  on  the  contrary,  other  circumstances  seem 
to  govern  them  as  well. 

The  common  garden  Carnation  is  said  to  be  only  an 
improvement  on  a  wild  plant  indigenous  with  us,  yet  it 
has,  by  cultivation,  become  so  delicate  as  to  be  scarcely 
able  to  endure  our  winters.  Other  instances  of  the 
same  kind  might  be  adduced;  but  we  have,  on  the 
other  hand,  evidences  wherein  cultivation  has  hard- 
ened the  constitution  of  plants,  so  as  to  enable  them 
to  fulfil  a  certain  pui-pose  with  us,  which  they  at 
one  time  seemed  incapable  of  doing.  The  tender 
fruits  of  Asia,  by  undei'going  successive  hybridizing, 
or,  more  properly,  production  and  reproduction  from 
seed,  have  been  brought  to  accommodate  themselves 
so  far  to  oiu'  climate  as  to  ripen  their  fruit  in  a 
degree  more  or  less  approaching  perfection  as  the 
circumstances  in  which  they  were  placed  allowed 
them  to  do.  Now,  it  cannot  for  a  moment  be  supposed 
that  the  varieties  of  Peaches  from  their  native  country, 
could,  if  introduced  here,  compete  at  once  with  our 
Royal  George,  Noblesse,  and  other  established  varieties, 
which,  having  become  naturalised  with  us,  pierfect  their 
ii'uit,  in  most  seasons,  when  placed  under  the  circum- 
stances that  the  Peach  is  justly  entitled  to.  But  there 
are  certain  apparent  anomalies  in  connection  with  this 
fruit  which  may,  at  first  sight,  appear  sti'ange,  hut 
which,  when  the  matter  is  fully  explained,  appear  less 
extraordinary. 

In  addition  to  the  fact  of  there  being  no  improvement 
in  the  culture  of  the  Peach  during  the  whole  of  the 
present  century,  we  may  also  add  that  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  best  fruit  is  produced  in  the  north  of 
the  kingdom ;  and,  testing  the  aggregate  of  seasons,  the 
quantity  and  quality  of  those  grown  there  are  fully 
equal,  if  not  superior,  to  those  grown  under  the  more 
genial  climate  which  the  southern  counties  enjoy. 
This  is  sufficiently  strange,  considering  the  tree  itself  is 
from  a  district  where  there  are  sharp  winters,  to  be  sure, 
yet,  where  the  summers  bear  no  comparison  to  ours,  for 
the  heat  which  they  furnish,  and  from  whence  so  many 
plants  are  introduced,  incapable  of  standing  our  winters, 
as  to  lead  us  to  enquire  if  there  be  not  some  other  cause 
as  well.  This  will  be  found  to  arise,  in  a  great  measure, 
from  the  extra  care  taken  of  the  tree,  for  in  the  far 
north  it  is  regarded  in  the  light  of  an  exotic  ;  while,  in 
more  favoured  latitudes,  it  is  left  almost  as  much  to  its 
own  resources  as  if  it  were  indigenous.  It  is  this  state 
of  things  which  makes  the  difference.  The  cold,  short 
summer  of  the  north  is  met  hy  greater  facilities  being 
given  to  the  tree  to  mature  not  its  fruit  only,  but  its 
wood  also,  and  corresponding  care  being  taken  of  its 
blossoms,  when  out,  and  greater  care  in  extirpating  the 
various  vermin  with  which  it  is  at  times  attacked,  are 
all  points  in  its  cultiu'e  which  so  often  more  than 
counterbalance  the  advantages  which  a  southern  lati- 
tude give,  when  not  assisted,  iu  other  respects,  by  any 
of  the  means  pointed  out. 

As  there  are  many  points,  all  bearing  on  the  welfare 
of  the  Peach,  let  us  examine  them  individually,  and  see 
iu  which  way  each  one  conduces  to  the  general  well- 
being  of  the  tree.     In  the  first  place,  we  will  slightly 


advert  to  the  situation  it  is  likely  to  be  occupying  in  the 
respective  places  that  may  be  south  of  the  'i'hames,  or 
north  of  the  Tweed ;  and,  in  the  former  of  these,  we 
often  see  the  tree  struggHng  under  difficulties  which 
leave  no  hopes  of  success ;  while,  in  other  cases,  it  is 
denied  that  assistance  without  which  it  is  vain  to  look 
for  its  well-being ;  in  fact,  it  is  to  be  found  in  all  aspects, 
luiless,  perha]is,  due  north;  and  very  often  its  position 
is  quite  as  had  as  being  against  a  north  wall,  by  some 
high  intervening  crop,  as  I'eas,  &c.,  depriving  it  of  all 
sunshine.  At  otlier  times,  it  maybe  seen  planted  against 
a  cottage,  or  other  building,  where  the  drip  from  tho 
eaves  has  the  full  privilege  of  cooling  down  whatever 
warmth  it  might  in  other  respects  have  derived  from 
its  position;  an  equal  fault  to  all  these,  is  the  severe 
cropping  to  which  tho  grouud  on  which  it  is  planted  is 
also  subjected,  and  the  corresponding  denial  of  a  suitable 
return  of  food ;  all  these  reasons,  and  many  others 
which  it  is  needless  here  to  mention,  tend  to  check 
that  advantage  which  it  would  otherwise  possess  over 
its  more  northern  competitor ;  consequently,  we  see  at 
some  of  our  Metropolitan  shows,  and  other  places,  fruit 
I'rom  the  north  at  least  equal  to  what  is  often  produced 
nearer  home.  That  some  better  care  is  required  in 
perfecting  that  which  is  so  far  fetched  we  will  not  here 
deny  ;  but,  that  when  once  worked  into  a  system,  is  less 
expensive  than  might  be  expected,  and  the  results  will, 
in  most  instances,  justify  its  being  carried  out.  However, 
the  manner  of  doing  that,  as  well  as  further  remarks  on 
the  growth  of  our  tender  wall-fruits,  must  be  left  for 
another  opportunity.  J.  Robson. 


ON  THE  CULTURE  OF  THE  MELON. 

Thf.p.k  arc  few  plants  which  come  under  the  gai'dener's 
care  that  require  more  attention  than  the  Melon  to  pro- 
duce a  good-flavoured  fruit ;  and  more  particularly  so  when 
grown  in  the  common  frame  by  the  aid  of  dung  alone. 
Yet  it  may  he  done,  though  certainly  not  with  so  little 
trouble  as  when  grown  in  a  house  heated  with  hot-water, 
and  the  plant  trained  under  the  roof.  Neither  do  we  think 
they  possess  the  same  flavour  from  the  dung-beJ  as  from 
tlie  house  referred  to,  and  it  is  evident  very  early  or  late 
fruit  do  not.  However,  there  are  only  few  who  have  tlie 
advantage  of  such  a  house  ;  therefore  they  must  make  the 
best  of  wliat  means  they  have.  And  we  will  here  endeavom- 
to  i)oint  out  a  few  of  the  principles  connected  with  its 
culture,  as  we  have  grown  them  in  the  dunghed,  and  also 
in  what  are  termed  JIThail's  brick  pits,  or  those  built  on 
the  pigeon-hole  fashion,  and  heated  by  linings  of  hot  duug, 
and  iu  these  both  Melons  and  Cucumbers  did  well;  but 
the  labour  attending  them  was  immense. 

Wo  next  had  tho  privilege,  at  another  place,  to  grow 
them  in  one  of  the  old-fashioned,  high-roofed  houses,  heated 
by  a  flue  in  the  outside  wall.  In  this  house  were  two  beds, 
four  feet  deep,  which  were  filled  every  spring  with  tan,  and 
the  soil  placed  thereon,  and  when  warm,  the  Melons  j)lanted. 
The  plants  in  the  back  bed  were  trained  up  under  the  glass 
to  the  ridge,  and  those  on  the  front  bed  were  trained  on  the 
surface  of  the  soil.  And  although  the  front  bed  contained 
double  tho  quantity  of  tan,  and  the  plant  occupied  doulde 
the  sjjace  of  surface  in  the  house,  the  plants  trained  up  the 
back  lights  produced  better  fruit,  and  in  greater  abundance. 

Now,  this  was  an  instance  which  proved  very  cleai'ly  the 
advantage  of  the  trellis  system,  and,  altogether,  was  much 
less  trouble  than  the  bricked  pits.  Wo  next  had  the  pri- 
vilege of  trjing  the  merits  of  a  liouse  that  was  built  ex- 
pressly for  the  piu'pose,  and  heated  hy  hot-water,  which 
produced  bottom-heat  as  well  as  top,  and  in  this  they  did 
extremely  well,  as  the  house  was  a  span-roofed  one,  and 
the  plants  all  trained  up  beneath;  which  plan  we  would  re- 
commend all  to  follow  wherever  it  is  practicable.  However, 
we  will  leave  this  to  your  option,  and  proceed  with  its  cultm'e. 
l^eginning,  first,  with  the  common  frame  and  dung -bed, 
though  we  by  no  means  recommend  it ;  but  we  fear  the 
majority  of  om'  readers  have  no  other  means  ;  that  iu  order 


12 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OcTOIiKR  0. 


to  meet  each  ones  case  it  becomes  necessaiy  to  introduce  it 
here.  And  as  the  cuhiu-e  in  the  frame  embraces  almost 
every  point  to  be  regarded  when  grown  in  the  house,  tlie 
same  will  answer  for  one  and  all. 

We  will,  then,  suppose  that  a  sufficient  ijuantity  of  heating 
materials  are  at  hand,  and  that  it  is  fresh  from  the  stable, 
which,  if  so,  will  require  to  be  turned  over  several  times,  to 
sweeten,  or  force  off  that  foul  steam  so  injurious  to  vege- 
tation; and  if  a  good  quantity  of  oak  leaves  can  be  got  to 
rai.-c  with  it,  or  when  it  is  finally  made  up  into  the  bed,  they 
will  help  materially  to  effect  the  purpose,  as  well  as  to  pro- 
duce a  more  gentle,  uniform,  lasting  heat,  whicli  is  a  very 
important  point  in  the  culture  of  this  plant,  and  one,  which, 
if  disregarded,  will  most  probably  cause  a  failure.  This 
point  considered,  the  bed  may  be  made  up.  five  feet  high 
at  tlie  back,  and  four  at  the  front,  mixing  well  the  material 
as  yim  proceed,  and  when  finished,  place  the  frames  thereon, 
and  let  them  remain  till  the  bent  arises,  when  it  will  soon 
be  known  if  any  foulness  still  remain,  which,  if  there  be, 
push  down  the  light  a  few  inches  till  it  has  passed  away, 
and  tlien  cover  the  bed  a  few  inches  thick  with  soil,  and 
two  or  three  green  turf  turned  upside  down,  under  the 
centre  of  each  light,  and  upon  which  plfice  a  barrowful,  or  a 
little  more,  of  good  turfy  loam  tliat  has  been  laid  up  for 
twelvemonths,  and  of  rather  a  stiffish  nature  than  otherwise, 
as  this  kind  of  soil  retains  moisture  much  longer  than  one 
of  an  opposite  nature,  and,  thereby,  requires  somewliat  less 
attention  in  watering ;  otherwise,  we  have  grown  as  good 
Melons  in  light  loam  as  in  a  heavy  one.  But  there  is  one 
thing  we  particidarly  object  to,  which  is  a  hue-sifted  soil ;  for 
such,  when  it  becomes  dry  at  the  top,  will  not  readily  take 
in  water,  excepting  at  certain  places  where  there  is  a 
direct  passage  that  it  pours  through,  and  leaves  the  interior 
of  tlie  surrounding  soil  quite  dry,  which,  of  course,  is  very 
injurious.  Therefore,  we  will  suppose  this  to  be  regarded, 
and  that  a  stock  of  young  plants  were  in  preparation  in  a 
single-light  frame  made  up  three  weeks  previously  to  the 
fruitiug-bed.  That  the  seed  ^\■as  sown  in  pots,  and  eitlier 
plunged  or  not,  according  to  the  heat  of  the  bod ;  and  when 
the  seed-lea\es  were  pretty  well  expanded,  they  were  potted 
off  into  five  or  six-inch  pots,  placing  two  jjlants  on  opposite 
sides  into  each  pot,  using  the  same  kind  of  soil  as  directed 
for  the  fruiting-bed,  or  it  may  be  a  little  more  porous,  but 
taking  care  to  warm  it  to,  or  a  little  above,  the  temperature 
of  the  frames,  previously  to  use.  Give  a  very  little  water 
after  potting  to  settle  the  soil,  and  plunge  the  pots  in  the 
bed,  and  keep  the  hot  sun  from  them  for  a  few  days,  till 
they  have  restmied  their  growth  when  a  little  air  may  be 
admitteil  in  accordance  to  their  gr(jwth  and  the  state  of  the 
external  air,  avoiding,  at  all  times,  cold  draughts,  as  fewer 
plants  are  sooner  cut  off  liy  that  means  than  tlie  Melon. 
They  are  also  very  impatient  of  too  much  water,  and  too 
much  confined  steam,  whicli  dung-beds  are  subject  to,  yet 
they  like  a  moist  atmosphere,  providing  it  is  not  stagnated. 
If  they  have  done  well  from  the  time  of  potting-off,  they 
will,  in  about  three  weeks,  be  strong  plants,  and  ready  to 
transfer  to  their  fruiting  bed.  And  in  doing  this,  be  careful 
not  to  let  any  cold  winds  blow  upon  them.  Turn  the  plants 
carefully  out  of  the  pots,  and  insert  one  into  each  hill, 
covering  and  iiressing  the  soil  slightly  round  each  ball  of 
earth,  and  give  a  gentle  watering  to  settle  the  soil,  and 
shade  from  bright  sun  till  they  begin  to  grow,  and  after,  if 
they  seem  to  require  it.  Air  must  be  admitted  as  they 
begin  to  grow  by  propping  up  the  lights  at  the  back,  and  if 
the  air  be  at  all  cold,  a  mat  or  piece  of  canvass  should  be 
hung  over  each  opening,  to  prevent  it  entering  so  freely  in 
a  body;  iiiid  however  many  lights  there  be,  we  prefer  ad- 
mitting a  little  air  to  each,  in  preference  to  admitting  the 
same  amount  at  one  or  two. 

As  the  pdants  progress,  they  will  require  watering,  eiu'tli- 
ing-up,  stopping,  and  settiug  the  fruit.  Stopping,  we 
think,  is  often  done  too  soon,  that  the  plants  are  thrown 
into  fruiting  before  they  have  power  to  nourish  one.  And 
anotlter  reason  why  we  object  to  early  stopping  is,  that 
it  catxses  a  host  of  stems  to  spring  from  the  ci.dhir  of  the 
plant,  and  is  so  thick  that  neither  sun  hglit,  or  air  can 
enter;  that  water  gets  collected,  and  the  consequence  is, 
the  collar  of  the  plants  begins  to  rot,  and,  perhaps,  causes 
death  before  the  fruit  is  half  matured. 

We  stop  them  when  about  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  long, 


according  to  the  strength  of  the  plant,  and  allow  two  main 
shoots  only  to  each  plant,  training  one  towards  eacli  corner 
of  the  frame,  and  when  they  have  grown  a  considerable 
length  we  stop  them  again.  This  causes  them  to  .sliow 
abundance  of  fruit,  which  we  take  care  to  impregnate  as 
the  blossoms  exjinnd,  and  at  tlie  same  time,  or  previously, 
we  stop  the  lateral  one  or  two  joints  above  the  fruit,  and  as 
soon  as  it  can  be  seen  which  fruit  are  swellingoff,  we  select 
one  of  the  best-shaped  to  each  main  shoot,  and  cut  off  all 
the  others.  Tlius  allomng  two  fruits  to  each  plant,  and 
four  to  each  light. 

They  vrill  require  rather  liberal  watering  during  their 
swelling  period,  but  which  should  be  regulated  in  accord- 
ance to  the  weather,  and  the  situation  in  which  they  are 
grown.  As  a  general  rule,  water  in  the  morning,  and  not 
within  six  inches  of  the  collar  of  tlie  plants.  Warm  it  to 
the  temperature  of  tlie  frame,  and  give  no  more  at  one 
time  than  will  just  moisten  the  soil  through ;  and  as  the  fruit 
is  becoming  ripe  withhold  it  altogether. 

Kndeavour  to  keep  a  moist  atmosphere  at  all  times,  ex- 
cepting when  the  plants  are  in  Hower,  and  the  fruit  is  be- 
coming ripe,  and  particularly  mind  to  keep  a  uniform,  gentle 
(  heat  and  moisture  at  the  root,  and  take  care  to  give  a  little 
air  eai-ly,  when  tlie  sun  is  powerful,  otherwise,  while  the 
underside  of  the  leaves  are  wet,  they  are  liable  to  get 
scorched.  The  red-spider  is  sometimes  very  troublesome; 
but  its  appearance  is  generally  owing  to  an  undue  amount 
of  moisture  both  at  the  roots  and  in  the  atmosphere; 
therefore,  particular  attention  should  he  paid  to  these 
points;  for  if  tliey  once  get  a-liead,  they  are  difficult  to 
destroy  without  injuring  the  j^lants.  Sulphur  will  effect  it, 
but  it  requires  a  careful  hand  to  use  it,  that  we  would,  in 
jireference,  recommend  syringing  with  clean  water,  and 
keeping  the  plants  shaded  for  a  whUe. 

A\'e  cannot  recommend  any  particular  sort  to  be  grown,  as 

we  believe  the  best  is  not  known.     IJut  we  have  grown  the 

I  following  kinds,  and  know  them  to  be  good  : — Tlie  Bromliam 

\  Hall,   Terry's    Green -ihshcd,    Beec/i -ironrl,    Snow's    Green- 

\jiesheil.    Netted   anil  Etiypt'ntn    Green-Jleshed.      And    of    the 

Persian  varieties,  we   have  grown  the  Gezee,  Ispahan,  Green 

!  and   Striped  Ilomainee,  and  Dampslia.     The  last  is  an  ex- 

:  cellent  sort  for  keepmg,  as  well  as  good  in  flavour,  though 

'  we  consider  the  Ispulum  the  best  of  this  class,   and   not 

inferior  to  any  other.     But  the  Persian  varieties  are  better 

adapted  for  liouses  w  liere  they  can  be  trained  upon  a  trellis, 

than  the  common  frame,  as  we  have  found  some  difficulty 

in   getting  them  to  set  in  frames,  and  particulai-ly  if  dull 

weather  occurs  at  the  setting  time ;  while  in  houses  they  may 

,  be  much  assisted  by  fire-lieat ;    and  we  would  give  them 

the  Jireference  for  this  structure,  though  some  assert  they 

^  are  much  more  diflicult  to  manage  ;    but  in  a  house   we 

i  never  found  them  so. — J.  Thokougood. 


GREY  SHAKGHAES. 

We  have  received  many  letters  relative  to  these  birds,  for 
which  we  most  heartily  wish  that  tliey  may  prove  as  merit- 
orious as  some  of  their  possessors  wish  us  to  believe.  All 
that  we  can  do  at  present  is  to  endeavour  to  tell  our  readers 
what  we  consider  proved,  and  then  leave  them  to  judge  for 
themselves.  A\'e  have  done  some  service  in  exploding  the 
statement  that  they  lay  eggs  as  large  as  those  of  the  turkey  ; 
and  still  more  in  securing  the  assent  of  their  honest  owners 
to  our  opinion,  that,  at  most,  they  are  only  a  sub-variety  of 
the  Slianghae.  That  they  prove  a  very  superior  sub-vai-iety 
we  shall  be  as  glad  to  havi.'  proved  as  any  one  of  our  readers, 
but  this  has  not  been  proved  yet.  At  all  events,  tliey  are 
not  a  distinct  vai-iely,  and,  therefore,  not  entitled  to  such  a 
misleading  name  as  Brahma  Poutra.  AVe  wish  every  one 
of  their  partisans  would  imbibe  the  spirit  of  J>r.  C'ust 
Gwynue,  whose  letter  we  subjoin. 

"  I  return  herewith  ^h:  Woodford's  note  and  featlicrs, 
with  many  tlianks  for  the  sight  of  them,  as  also  for  the  I;iiul 
note  from  yourself  which  accompanied  tiiem.  Some  fort- 
niglit  ago,  Mr.  Woodford,  in  reply  to  some  (|uestiiins  from 
myself  respecting  them,  gave  me  a  minute  description  of 
these  birds,  which  then,  and  without  seeing  any  feathers, 
quite   satisfied   me   that   they   were   not   what    are    called 


OcTOBKll  0. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAUDENER. 


13 


Brahmas  oi-  Grey  Shangliaes.  His  birds  art"  what  are 
denominated  by  some  Ciwlmo  Shanghnes,  and  are  not  un- 
common ;  at  least,  I  have  seen  a  good  many  such.  Mr. 
Higgs,  of  Southampton,  had  some  very  similar  last  year ; 
and  two  years  ago,  I  had  a  young  imported  cock  of,  I  thinl;, 
precisely  similar  plumage,  sent  me  by  a  gentleman  in  town, 
along  with  an  inferior,  but  true  Grey  Slianghne  cock,  also  im- 
ported from  China,  but  which,  approving  of  neither,  I  returned. 
Mr.  Simpson,  of  this  place,  some  two  years  ago,  bred  some 
very  handsome  birds  of  the  same  variegated  cuckoo  and 
gold  plumage,  from  a  large  yellow  Shangbae  cock  and  a 
Malay  hen,  the  oft'spring  partaking  so  little  of  the  Malay  as 
not  to  be  distinguishable  in  shape  from  good  Shanghaes: 
some  of  these  were  sent  to  a  Mr.  Walker,  of  Gosport.  The 
Brahma  Poutra  strain  of  Grey  Shangbae  have  none  of  this 
party-coloured  feathering;  they  are  simply  black  and  white; 
tlie  black  in  the  best  specimens  being  principally  confined 
to  the  neck  hackles  ;  the  tail  (which,  in  the  cock,  is  often 
beautifully  shot-green),  and  the  tips,  or  pen  feathers,  of  the 
wings,  and  the  chief  Ijeauty  of  the  birds,  to  my  mind,  con- 
sists in  the  striking  simplicity  of  contrast  between  the  dark 
marking  on  the  parts  mentioned,  and  the  pure  white,  or 
sometimes  rich  cream-colour,  of  the  rest  of  the  body.  Some 
of  the  Brahmas  which  were  sent  me  from  America  were 
much  darker  than  would  answer  to  this  description ;  but 
these,  or  part  of  them,  were  certainly  not  genuine  Sliaughae, 
but  I  believe  the  jiroducc  of  a  cross  with  the  original 
Brahmas,  or  somo  of  their  offspring,,  and  either  Malay, 
Chittagong,  or  perhaps  some  other  breed.  Two  or  three  of 
the  Queen's  birds,  however,  are  considerably  darker  than  the 
rest,  although  there  is,  I  believe,  no  (juestion  of  their 
genuineness  ;  that  is,  of  their  being  from  the  uumixed  strain 
from  which  it  is  acknowledged  by  all  U.S.  fanciers  tho  best 
specimens  of  Greys  are  derived.  I  enclose  feathers  from 
the  neck  of  tho  cock  and  hen  of  ray  birds.  With  regard  to 
what  you  say  of  the  efforts  making  to  give  these  birds  a 
fictitious  value,  I  shall  be  as  ready  as  yourself  to  pi'otest, 
as  far  as  my  indiridual  opinion  and  e.-cperience  go,  against 
enhancing  their  worth  by  representing  them  as  a  distinct 
breed,  possessing  liualities  other  than  those  common  to  the 
best  strains  of  Shanghae  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  I  would 
not  withhold  from  them  that  extrinsic  or  "fancy  "  value  to 
which,  as  a  new  variety  of  one  of  our  most  esteemed  breeds 
of  poultry,  they  are,  in  all  fairness,  entitled,  particulai'ly  if  it 
shall  be  proved,  as  I  confess  I  think  it  will,  that  they  are 
excelled  by  no  other  variety  of  the  same  breed  either  in  size, 
or,  in  the  general  estimation  of  poultry  breeders,  beauty. 
If  when  my  own  birds  have  been  fairly  exhibited,  as  I  trust 
they  will  be  in  the  course  of  our  winter  shows,  they  fail  to 
come  up  to  this  standard,  I  shall  be  content  to  forfeit  what 
little  claiin  I  may  be  supposed  to  have  as  an  authority  in 
such  matters. — Wm.  Gust  Gwynne." 

This  letter  from  Dr.  Gwynne  will  serve  as  an  answer  to 
some  of  the  statements  in  tlie  following  : — 

"It  would  puzzle  '  C.  H.  B. '  to  find  a  '  Grey  Shanghae  ' 
in  this  country,  equal  in  beauty,  form,  cnlour,  &c.,  to  the 
splendid  birds  in  the  possession  of  JJr.  Gwynne,  myself,  and 
a  few  others.  Whether  they  are  really  entitled  to  the  name 
of  Brahma  Poutra,  or  not,  I  maintain  that  the  birds  called 
by  that  name  are  far  superior  to  the  Cochin  or  Slianghaes, 
in  many  points;  they  certainly  do  carry  more  llesh  forward, 
and  do  not  present  that  flat,  nipped-in  appearance  in  the 
chest,  as  is  so  frequently  seen  in  the  Cochins  or  Shanghaes; 
they  have  a  beautiful,  round,  and  full  appearance  from  the 
neck  to  the  legs,  and  are  altogether  noble  and  magnificent 
birds  ;  as  layers,  and  for  gentleness,  they  are  not  to  be  sur- 
passed. In  short,  I  believe  they  are  the  most  to  be  admired 
of  any  variety  of  fowls  that  have  ever  been  introduced  into 
this  couutry.  The  first  time  tliey  made  their  appearance 
before  the  public,  after  then-  arrival  in  England,  was  at  the 
Baker-street  Show,  in  .January  last ;  there  they  were  scarcely 
noticed,  as  Cochins,  or  Shanghaes,  at  that  time  held  a 
position  above  every  other  fowl.  This  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  as  no  one  had  ever  tried  the  new  variety  called 
Brahma  Poutra,  and,  therefore,  had  no  practical  knowledge 
of  their  value  ;  but  now  that  some  few  amateurs  have  given 
their  attention  to  the  birds,  I  think  their  opinions  ought  to 
have  more  weight  than  the  opinion  of  those  who  write 
against  the  birds,  without  ever  troubling  themselves  to  test 
their  superiority  over  other  varieties. 


"  I  know  it  to  be  a  fact,  that  many  write  against  the 
Brahmas  through  prejudice,  and  first  sight ;  but  notwith- 
standing all  this,  I  am  quite  certain  of  these  birds  taking  a 
high  position  in  the  poultry-yards  next  season. 

"The  numerous  enquiries  after  tliem  shew  that  the 
amateurs  are  not  to  be  gulled  and  governed  in  their  clioice 
of  fowls  by  the  poultry  dealers,  who  attempt  to  write  down 
the  birds  whicli  they  know  to  be  difiicnlt  to  come  at,  and, 
consequently,  do  not  offer  an  opportunity  for  them  to  make 
large  profits  by  them.  And  as  to  your  correspondent's 
remarks  relative  to  the  cross-bred  birds  between  a  '  Game 
hen  and  Cochin-China  cock  producing  chickens  scarcely  to 
be  distinguished  from  Brahmas,'  I  do  not  believe  this  to 
be  true.  I  have  taken  the  trouble  to  try  various  experi- 
ments, by  crossing  the  Brahmas  with  other  birds,  and  not 
in  one  instance  did  I  obtain  a  bird  anything  lil;e  the  real 
Brahmas.  I  have  crossed  and  recrossed  Cochins  with 
various  other  birds,  but  never  obtained  anything  approach- 
ing a  Brahma.  This  has  strengthened  my  opinion  in  favour 
of  the  latter  being  a  distinct  breed.  Then,  as  to  their 
colour  being  bad,  the  person  who  would  make  such  a  state- 
ment must  have  surprising  bad  taste,  for  I  am  sure  the 
colour  of  their  plumage  is  \ery  beautiful.  This  is  not  only 
my  own  opinion,  but  the  opinion  of  a  large  number  of 
amateurs  who  have  visited  my  poultry-yard. 

"  Before  a  person  presumes  to  write  against  any  variety 
of  fowl,  I  think  that  person  would  do  well  to  enquire  closely 
into  the  merits  and  demerits  of  those  he  condemns,  and 
then  there  would  not  be  half  the  erroneous  statements  cir- 
culated as  there  has  been  in  the  case  of  the  ill-used 
Brahmas. — A  Nokfolk  Amateuk." 

The  last  letter  which  we  shall  quote,  until  next  week, 
upon  this  subject,  is  from  "  C.  H.  B.,"  alluded  to  in  the 
preceding.     Hesaj's:  — 

"In  explanation  of  my  remark,  that  the  Grey  Shanghaes 
were  deficient  in  many  of  the  beauties  noticed  in  good  Butfs, 
I  have  to  ofl'er  you  the  following : — 

"With  all  the  Greys  I  have  seen  (no  few),  I  have  in- 
variably noticed  not  only  a  coarseness  generally,  but  that  it 
was  more  apparent  in  the  head  and  comb,  and  that  there 
was,  generally,  a  forbidding  expression  about  the  eyes ;  quite 
opposed  to  the  small,  neat  head,  and  thin  neck  and  comb, 
with  the  gentle,  amiable  sort  of  a  look  the  Buff  hen  has. 
The  Greys  are  never  so  short  in  the  leg  and  thigh,  so  full 
in  tlie  thigh,  nor  so  well  breeched  and  broad  in  the  rear. 
The  wing,  also,  is  not  so  short,  and  closely  tucked  in,  and 
there  is  a  total  absence  of  what  is  now  considered  so  ne- 
cessary with  a  first-class  bird,  viz. — the  falcon  hock,  itc, 
which  is  so  striking  an  ornament  with  a  few  of  Mr.  Stainton's 
Buffbii'ds.  I  admit,  the  Greys  are  large,  which  produced 
the  word  splendid,  in  reference  to  Mr.  Stainton's  Greys,  but 
they  are  long  in  the  leg,  and,  to  my  eye,  not  to  compare  in 
form  mtli  the  before-mentioned. 

"  As  better  Buffs  were  abeady  in  this  country  than 
America  had  it  in  her  power  to  send,  I  can  only  suppose  Her 
Blajesty  was  presented  with  the  Greys  as  the  greatest  novelty 
she  could  accept;  and  seeing  that  the  Windsor  Cochin- 
Chinas,  in  iHi.'J,  lent  such  a  powerful  influence  towards  the 
futm'e  fortune  of  the  lireed,  and  from  the  subsequent 
demand  from  Mr.  Burnham,  by  private  individuals,  for  the 
same  kind  of  birds,  it  would  not  require  any  very  great 
stretch  of  perception  to  notice  another  very  good  reason  for 
the  present  than  that  mentioned. — C.  H.  B." 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER'S  PONY. 

{Continued  from  Vol.  x.,  piKje  471.) 

Captain  G ,  Southampton,  complains  that  London  job 

masters,  dealers.  Sec,  will  not  let  a  gentleman  have  a  little 
horse  under  fifty  guineas.  Just  so  ;  and  it  is  as  bad  as  paying 
six  shillings  for  a  little  bottle  of  middling  wine,  or  seven- 
pence  for  three  glasses  of  bottled  beer. 

One  of  my  earlier  papers  contains  a  pen-and-ink  sketch 
of  the  cottage  gardener's  pony,  and  I  mention  the  north  of 
England;  and  Ireland  as  his  habitat.  Ballinasloe  fair, 
Brough-hill  fair,  or,  possibly,  Ormskirk  fair,  near  Liverpool, 
are  the  places  where  these  nags  are  to  be  bought.  A  good 
judge,  on  a  commission  of  five  per  cent.,  will  select  just  the 


u 


THE   COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


October  0. 


thing,  on  the  last  day  oE  any  country  fair,  out  of  the  ruck 
of  those  passed  over  by  dealers,  as  deficient  in  size,  fashion, 
coiulition,  or  even  colour.  Some  time  back,  Louis  Phihppe 
bought  up,  at  about  .£17  a-head,  a  large  number  of  under- 
sized horses  for  his  liglit  cavalry.  I  saw  them  going  off. 
Twenty  little  nags,  personal  fnends  of  mine,  mostly  idovi' 
14i  hands  high,  liave  been  picked  up  at  prices  not  far  off 
jt-/u.     All  having  distinguished  themselves  in  their  day. 

Dealers  who  buy  for  the  army,  counuy  postmasters,  and 
om'  Iriend  "  cabby,"  buy  up  rather  a  taller,  stronger, 
faster  style  of  horse;  but  their  price  is  not  far  off  my  limit. 
I  always  ask  the  price  given  for  a  fast  horse  whose  perform- 
ances jilease  me. 

If  you  have  no  market  nearer  than  London,  and  can  meet 
with  an  honest  agent,  and  know  a  litlle  about  a  horse,  try 
this  plan  :— Pick  up  a  slightly-battered,  cheap,  London  cob, 
not  too  far  gone,  at  the  end  of  the  season.  All  the  best 
horses  go  to  Loudon,  where  they  are  mostly  ruined,  and  get 
prematurely  old.  Country  air,  slow,  constant  work,  a 
paddoclc,  a  loose  box,  shoes  nailed  on  one  side,  plenty  of 
oats,  little  enough  hay,  some  bran,  some  carrots, cleanliness, 
"  dry  shoes  and  stockings,"  my  system,  \rill  restore  our 
debilitated  courser;  at  least,  you  cannot  lose  by  him, -if 
judiciously  selected  at  fii-st;  he  will  last  till  you  get  some- 
thing better.  One  of  my  friends  buys  an  old  poster  every 
spring  to  plough  with  his  own  horse,  and  sells  him  in 
summer. 

I  have  spolcen  of  the  cottage  gardener's  pony  as  a 
'■Maid  of  all  work,"  and  like  the  Arabs,  I  prefer  a  mare: 
such  will  be  easier  to  buy,  and  better  to  sell.  She  is  not 
vicious,  naturally ;  and  with  a  certain  amount  of  liberty, 
regular  work,  natural  diet,  and  no  stable  tricks,  will  never 
become  so.  Homer's  chariot  I'aee  is  won  by  a  pair  of  mares. 
"  Ehadum  palmas  Epirus  equ,vrum,"  says  Virgil.  I  only 
speak  of  my  pony  as  a  horse  to  avoid  singularity,  and 
because  I  do  not  like  to  appear-  to  degrade  the  sex  by  con- 
necting anything  female  with  drudgery.  Thus  we  say— my 
cook,  my  nurse,  my  servant ;  not  cook-maid,  nurse-maid, 
servant-maid. 

.A.  horse  is  always  he,  in  English,  as  a  ship  is  always  she. 
Only  think  how  it  would  read,  to  talk  of  travelling  witli  foiu' 
post-mares.  In  Homer,  or  Virgil,  or  in  Arabic,  it  might 
sound  better. 

My  calctUation  was  "  forty,"  not  "fifty"  guineas,  for 
keeping  up  a  pony-chaise  in  the  country.  A  sum  not  often 
greater  than  the  difference  in  rent  and  taxes  between  a 
country  house  and  a  town  house.  I  am  often  misprinted, 
but  a  "consciousness  that  the  printer's  mistakes  are  much 
more  venial  than  ray  own,  always  deters 'me  from  correcting 
verbal  errors. — ^"iegyoe,  Rainbow  Caslh',  in  Ihe  county  of 
Aur. 

SEA  WEEDS-.— No.  10. 

{Continued  from  Vol.  X.,  pnr/e  409.) 
BEroKE  proceeding  with  the  description  of  the  other 
kinds  of  Polysiphonia,  I  feel  disposed  to  turn  aside  a  little, 
and  direct  the  altention  of  my  readers  to  the  line  coast  of 
Lamborough,  in  Northumberland,  just  opposite  to  the  Fern 
Islands,  whose  rocks  are  so  fatal  to  mariners.  How  the 
mighty  ocean  comes  rolling-in  upon  that  beautiful  beach  of 
white  sand  !  brimful,  as  if  no  barrier  could  stop  its  progress  ! 
but  there  is  (Jiie  w'lio  has  said,  "  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come, 
and  no  fm-tber."  "  The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  upon  tlu^ 
waters ;  the  voice  of  the  Lord  is  powerful ;  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  is  full  of  majesty,  and  maketh  the  storm  a  calm." 
Bamborough  Castle  is  seated  upon  a  solitary  rock,  which 
seems  to  have  been  made  for  it,  towering  up  above  all  tlie 
other  parts  of  the  village,  and  standing  as  if  on  guai-d 
between  it  and  the  sea.  And  what  a  view  of  the  ocean  it 
comnmnds  !  With  the  Fern  Islands  scattered  at  its  feet,  or 
seeming  almost  so,  though  at  some  distance ;  Holy  Island 
on  the  left,  with  the  remains  of  its  ancient  cliurch,  whoso 
"  low  columns  and  circuliu-  arches,  with  zig-zag  mouldings 
in  the  Norman  style,  resemble  those  in  the  earlier  parts  of 
the  Cathedral  of  Durham  ;"  and  at  a  short  distance  from 
Lindisfarn,  is  the  rock  called  St.  Cuthberfs  Isle,  where, 
according  to  tradition, 

"  St  Cutlibert  sits,  and  toils  to  frame 
The  aca-born  beads  that  bear  his  name." 


Once  I  ascended  the  rock  on  wbicli  the  Castle  stands  just  as 
the  sun  had  sunk  beneath  tlie  horizon.  How  shall  I  describe 
the  glory  of  the  scene,  bathed  as  it  was  in  radiance  ;  for  all 
ai-ound,  upon  the  ocean,  the  sky,  the  earth,  was  slied  that  rich, 
soft  tint  of  pink,  which  is  seen  upon  some  sliell  found  in  a 
warmer  chme  than  ours.  It  was  almost  too  lovely  for  a 
mortal's  eye. 

"If  thus  Thy  glory  decks  the  span 
Of  mined  earth  and  fallen  man, 
How  glorious  must  the  mansions  be 
Where  Thy  reedem'd  shall  dwell  with  Thee." 

Heuer. 

Unwillingly  I  descended  as  the  glowing  tints  gradually  faded 
away.  "The  manor  and  castle  of  I'.araborough  were  pm-- 
chased  by  Lord  Crewe,  Bisliop  of  Durham,  who  died  in 
1T'.20,  and  left  the  property,  as  well  as  other  estates,  for 
charitable  purposes ;  for  the  succour  of  shipwrecked  seamen, 
the  education  of  children  ;  blocks,  tackle,  cables,  ttc,  are 
kept  for  the  uso  of  stranded  vessels ;  apartments  are  ready 
for  shipwrecked  seamen  ;  and,  in  stormy  weather,  two  men 
patrol  the  coast,  for  eight  miles,  day  and  night,  to  look  out 
for  vessels  in  distress  ;  tliere  is  also  a  library  at  the  castle, 
at  which  any  one  residing  within  ten  miles  nniy  have  books 
for  life  on  payment  of  half-a-crown." 

But  let  me  say  a  few  words  about  the  Fern  Islands.  The 
great  Fern  has  two  lighthouses  upon  it;  and  who  can  read 
of  these  islands,  and  the  lighthouses,  without  remembering 
the  heroic  Grace  Darling'?  Who  can  visit  the  fine  old 
church,  and  wander  about  its  burial-ground,  without  pausing 
to  look  at  the  tomb  erected  to  her  memory.  There  she  lies, 
as  one  weary  witli  toU,  and  sleeping  sweetly.  And  far  below, 
the  mighty  ocean — so  many  of  whose  prey  ai'e  buried  in  the 
same  churchyard — with  its  bright,  dancing  waves  looking  so 
joyous  and  fnll  of  life ;  such  a  striking  conti'ast  to  the 
stillness  of  tlie  place,  where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling, 
and  the  weary  are  at  rest  I  When  the  trumpet  sounds  they 
shall  all  awake  !  and  the  sea  shall  give  up  her  dead — some 
shall  rise  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame  and  ever- 
lasting contempt.  Oh.  reader!  with  which  shall  ijou  he 
found '.' 

These  rocky  islands  are  often  the  cause  of  shipwrecks 
in  stormy  weather.  The  channel  between  the  mauiland 
and  the  principal  island  is  by  no  means  safe.  It  is  at 
one  of  the  islands  called  the  Long-stone,  that  the  lighthouse 
is  situated  which  Grace  Dariing  has  rendered  so  memorable. 
On  another,  called  the  Staples,  ai-e  rocks  forty  feet  high, 
frequented  by  birds ;  and  on  these  rocky  islands  grow  many 
beautiful  .Vlgre,  and  to  them  I  must  hasten  to  return  after 
tills  long  digression. 


ror.vsiruoNiA  ntcEotATA. 

SUB-GENUS  'J.- POLYSiniONU. 

"  Primai-j'  tubes  six  or  more." 

l.''!.  Polysiphonia  Bnomi-;i.— Named   after  Mr.  Brodie; 

from  six  to  fourteen  inches  long,  with  a  robust  stem  and 

numerous  alternate  branches  ;  colour  a  dark  brown-purple ; 

substance   gelatinous,    soon    decomposing    in  fresh-water, 


October  G. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


15 


and  smelling  very  disagreeable ;  it  is  pretty  generally  dis- 
tributed, and  found  in  summer. 

10.  r.  VAELEGATA. — Brownish-purple ;  rigid, but  becoming 
of  a  hair-like  fineness  upwards.  "  On  mud-covered  roclis  ; 
verj'  local ;  al.so  on  Zosteni.  Hitherto  only  found  in  Britain, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  I'lymonth,  but  there  abundant.  A 
distinct  and  beautiful  species,  and  widely  dispersed ;  abun- 
dant on  the  shores  of  Finance  and  Spain,  &c." — Harvctj. 

17.  P.  OBseuEA. — In  small  tufts,  matted  together,  spreading 
over  rocks  in  large  patches  ;  colour  dark  red  or  brown. 

18.  P.  siauLANS. — Found  on  rocks ;  rare,  and  of  a  red 
coloui'.     Orkney,  .lersey,  and  Torquay. 

19.  P.  NiGKESCENS. — Oommon  on  rocks;  the  fronds  ai'e 
from  six  to  eight  inches  high  ;  stems  rigid ;  upper  branches 
rather  soft  and  much  divided ;  of  a  dull  brown,  and  changing 
to  a  darker  shade  when  dry. 

30.  P.  AFi TNis. — Four  to  eight  inches  high,  on  rocks  ; 
found  at  Casheudall  by  Mr.  Moore. 

21.  P.  suBULiFERA. — "In  deep  water,  very  local;  four  or 
five  inches  long ;  substance  tender  and  flaccid ;  Torquay. 
Mrs.  Griffiths,  Weymoutli. 

3a.  P.  ATno-EnisEscENS. — Branched ;  rather  rigid,  and  of  a 
red-bi"own  colour;  from  two  to  six  inches  high  ;  stems  thickly 
tufted,  and  not  adiiering  well  to  paper. 

33.  P.  rrmcELLATA. — Floating  in  the  sea  at  Sidmouth  ; 
Mrs.  Grifiiths  and  Miss  Cutler ;  filaments  slender,  five  or 
six  inches  long ;  much  entangled  and  excessively  branched ; 
colour,  when  recent,  a  bright  brick-red.  A  most  distinct  and 
beautiful  species." — Hitrvcij. 

34.  P.  EASTIGL4TA.  —  "  Tuftcd  ;  very  much  branched, 
branches  dichotomous,  fastigiate,  the  ultimate  ones  very  short ; 
articulations  shorter  tlian  their  diameter,  with  a  dark  spot 
in  tlie  centre  ;  capsules  sub-terminal,  ovate,  sessile." — 
Oreville. 

This  very  common,  but  very  pretty  little  plant,  is  para- 
sitical on  more  than  one  kind  of  Fucus.  It  makes  very 
pretty  specimens  for  the  herbarium,  and  when  not  too  old 
adheres  well  to  paper.  It  grows  in  such  thick,  round, 
bushy  tufts,  that  it  can  scarcely  be  mistaken  for  any  other 
weed. 

25.  P.  PARASITICA.  —  A  very  be.iutiful,  delicate-looking 
plant,  growing  on  the  larger  Alga;.  Nowhere  very  plentiful, 
but  found  in  many  places.  I  have  specimens  from  Arrau. 
It  is  from  half-auinch  to  an  inch-anda-half  high  ;  of  a 
rose-red  colour  when  recent,  but  becoming  brown  in  drying. 
A  lovely  little  thing. 

20.  P.  EYSsoiDEs. — "  On  rocks,  and  in  the  sea ;  abundant 
on  the  eastward  and  southern  shores  of  England ;  rare  in 
Scotland."  The  finest  specimens  I  have  ever  seen  are  from 
Miss  Heslop,  found  near  Douglas,  Isle  of  Man.  The  fi'onds 
are  from  four  to  twelve  inches  long ;  stem  undivided ;  the 
lower  branches  the  longest,  gradually  diminishing  upwards; 
the  lesser  divisions  more  or  less  densely  clothed  with 
slender,  single-tubed,  once  or  twice  I'orked,  spreading 
byssoid  fibres,  or  ramuli,  which  give  the  frond  a  beautifully 
feathery  appearance.  Colour  o  fine  clear  red,  which 
quickly  becomes  brown  on  exposure  to  tlie  air,  or  iu  drying." 
— Harvey.  S.  B. 

{To  Ic  continiieil.) 


BEE-KEEPING  FOR  COTTAGERS. 

{Cuniiiiucd  from  Vol.  X.  jiage  500.) 

First  Su'iirmx. — Swarming  generally  takes  place  in  the 
latter  end  of  May,  or  the  beginning  of  .June.  About  this 
time,  a  great  number  of  working  bees  and  drones  have  been 
hatched,  whilst  several  young  queens  are  ready  to  leave 
their  cells.  The  hive  is  too  small  for  its  numbers — its 
inside  heat  is  very  great;  and,  to  remedy  this,  the  old 
queen,  at  the  head  of  a  number  of  her  subjects,  leaves  the 
hive  for  some  other  home,  which  has  already  been  pitched 
upon.  Before  starting  for  their  new  home,  she,  in  most 
eases,  settles  on  some  tree  or  bush  near  the  old  hive,  in 
order  that  the  bees  may  join  her;  and  here  she  will  stay  for 
some  minutes,  frequently  for  some  hours :  then  must  the 
bee-master  be  ready  with  a  clean,  dry  hive  (for  washing  the 
inside  with  sugared  beer,  or  rubbing  it  with  pounded  leaves, 
is  worse  than  useless),  into  which  he  must  shake  or  sweep 
the  swarm,  according  as  it  may  have  settled.     As  there  can 


bo  but  one  way  of  hiving  swarms,  it  will  always  be  best  for 
beginners  to  get  some  experienced  neighbour  to  assist  them 
in  this  work.  Whilst  tlie  bees  are  swarming,  let  tliere  be 
no  rattling  of  pots  and  pans;  but  let  them  he  watched 
patiently  and  quietly.  All  noise  will  be  more  likely  t(j  alarm 
and  drive  away  the  bees  than  make  them  settle.  As  soon 
as  they  are  quietly  in  the  liive,  let  the  hive  be  set  up;  that 
is,  placed  on  the  stand  that  has  been  prepared  for  it.  Be 
careful  not  to  fix  any  sticks  inside  the  hive,  as  they  are 
greatly  in  the  way  in  harvesting  the  honey :  the  bees  will  fix 
the  combs  fii-mly  enough  without  artificial  aid.  There  is 
not  much  to  fear  from  bees  at  swarming-time,  they  being 
less  apt  to  sting  than  at  any  other  time.  It  is  difficult  to 
know  when  a  first  swarm  is  about  to  come  otf :  on  all  fine 
calm  days,  from  the  first  week  in  May  to  the  end  of  June, 
the  hives  should,  therefore,  be  watched  from  ten  to  four 
o'clock. 

Second  Sivuniis  or  Casts. — About  nine  or  ten  days  after 
a  first  swarm  has  gone  off,  a  second  swarm  or  cast  generally 
follows.  By  this  time,  a  great  quantity  of  the  brood  left  in 
the  combs  by  the  old  queen  has  been  hatched.  The  young 
queens  are  allowed  to  leave  their  cells.  Their  first  feeling 
is  to  seek  the  open  air.  Their  subjects  follow  tliem ;  they 
alight  and  cluster,  and  are  hived,  as  in  the  case  of  a  first 
swarm;  but,  instead  of  being  set  up,  should  (unless  it 
liappens  to  be  a  very  early — say  not  later  than  the  begin- 
ning of  June — large  cast,  when  it  may  be  treated  as  a  first 
swarm)  be  left  near  the  place  where  tliey  alight,  till  night, 
and  then  be  returned  to  the  old  liive,  in  the  manner  to  be 
described  by-and-by.  Two  or  three  young  queens  often  go 
otf  with  second  and  third  swarms,  but  all  but  one  will  be 
killed  by  the  next  morning. 

Third  Sumrms  or  Colls  sometimes  leave  the  hive  at  a  later 
time  ;  but  these  should  he  returned  to  the  old  hive  at  once, 
as  fi-om  smallness  of  numbers,  and  lateness  of  season,  they 
have  no  chance  of  doing  any  good.  The  time  at  which 
second  and  third  swanns  wiU  leave  the  hive  may  be  learnt 
by  listening  at  the  entrance  of  the  hive  at  night ;  if  a  shrill 
piping  sound  be  then  heai'd  (the  sound  cannot  be  mistaken, 
and  is  only  uttered  by  the  young  queens  at  this  period)  the 
swarms  may  certainly  he  looked  for  the  next  day. 

Prevention  of  SirarnfuHi. — Swarming  may  generally  be 
prevented  by  giving  greater  space  to  the  bees,  as  their 
numbers  increase.  This  space  may  be  given  by  placing, 
from  time  to  time,  small  hives  on  the  top  of  the  stock-hive, 
when  the  bees,  finding  tliey  have  enough  room  for  carrying 
on  their  labours,  waste  no  time  iu  thinking  about  swarming. 
This  way  of  managing  is  good  for  many  reasons.  The  bees, 
where  swarming  is  allowed,  often  hang  idly  about  the  hive 
for  m.any  days,  waiting  for  the  queeu's  departure.  These 
days  of  idleness  are  saved  by  giving  more  room.  The  honey, 
again,  that  is  stored  up  in  small  top  hives  is  purer  than  that 
in  the  stock-hive.  If  the  latter  he  of  a  proper  size,  there 
will  be  no  reason  for  the  queen  to  rise  and  lay  eggs  in  the 
top  hive,  neither  will  pollen  be  stored  away  there  by  the  bees. 
The  honey  stored  in  top  hives  also  can  be  taken  much  more 
easily  than  from  the  old  hives,  and  some  part  of  the  store 
will  be  ready  to  take  quite  early  in  the  season — a  great  con- 
sideration where  profit  is  the  chief  reason  for  bee-keeping. 
Honey,  again,  in  small  top  hives,  is  not  only  more  easily 
carried  to  market  than  when  cut  up  and  laid  upon  dishes,  or 
run  into  pots,  but  will  also  fetch  a  far  better  price.  A  sti-png 
hive,  worked  properly  on  this  plan,  will  yield  more  profit 
than  it  and  its  swarm  would  do  on  the  old  plan.  AVhen  more 
hives  are  wanted,  eitlier  to  replace  old  hives  or  to  increase 
the  Apiary  (as  a  Bee-garden  is  called),  then  swarming  must, 
of  course,  be  allowed  to  take  place.  Should  hives  swarm  in 
spite  of  all  efibrts  to  prevent  it,  tlie  swarms  must 'he  treated 
in  the  manner  already  explahied.  E. 

{To  be  continued.) 


TO   CORRESPONDENTS. 

Rhododendrons  (L.  BJ.  L.).— Queen  Victoria,  a  bright  purple,  5s., 
is  one  of  the  beat  of  that  tint;  the  next  best,  and  blush  purple,  is  Catuw- 
hiense  robustum,  28.  6d.  Nivaluntm  is  a  good  white,  and  cheap,  2s.  6d. ; 
and  Perspicuum  is  much  about  tlie  same,  at  the  same  price  ;  and  Itoseum 
elegiins,  2s.  6d.,  the  one  so  commonly  seen  as  standards ;  are  all  as  good 
as  can  be  had  for  the  money  ;  but  newer  and  much  better  kinds  of  all 
the  shades  are  on  sale,  from  7s.  Gd.  to  3is.  6d.  each. 

Gladiolus  (Margaret). — Brenchleyenais  and  splendens  are  two  kinds 
you  may  safely  add  to  your  list  of  Gladioli.     The  London  trade  has  Rex 


10 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OCTuDEr.  (J. 


riibrorum,  and  all  the  others  we  name  ;  uut  we  know  of  still  finer  ones, 
which  are  so  scarce  yet,  and  so  dear  in  consequence,  that  we  do  not  even 
name  them.  One  peck  of  soft  yellow  loam,  lialf-a-peck  of  such  peat  as 
they  use  for  Heaths,  half-a-peck  of  very  rotten  dung,  dried  and  sifted 
through  a  coarse  sieve,  and  a  ((uarter-of-a-peck  of  clean  pit  or  river 
sand,  or  the  same  proportions  of  other  measures,  will  grow  these  Gladio- 
luses so  fine  that  you  will  be  sure  to  win  the  tirst  prize  in  Duhlin,  or  all 
Ireland,  with  them,  if  you  happen  to  get  good  bulbs,  and  you  grow  them 
slowly  all  the  way  through, 

Bulbs  {Ibid).— We.  are  ([uite  certain,  from  your  "  determination," 
added  to  an  Irish  spirit,  you  can  get  into  the  \\'ay  of  growing  Amaryllises 
of  all  sorts  better  than  nine-tenths  of  our  best  English  and  Scotch  gar- 
deners. If  you  simply  keep  in  mind  that  gardeners  kill  their  bulbs  of  all 
sorts  by  giving  them  too  much  heat  before  the  leaves  are  full  grown,  we 
do  not  see  how  you  can  err  with  them.  Even  as  it  is,  we  would  back 
you  now  to  grow  theni  better  than  the  gardeners  who  take  the  show  : 
l)rizes  in  London  !  Your  Deutzia  scabra  is  all  right  if  it  is  making  j 
suckers;  cut  away  the  dead  parts,  and  you  might  put  a  little  fresh  soil 
over  the  roots,  but  no  digging  near  the  roots  just  yet. 

Sambucos    racemosa.— fl".  M.   says,— "  In  a  notice  of  one  of  the 
meetings  at  the  Horticultural  Society,  in  Regent  Street,  on  the  26th  of 
July  this  year,  you  mention  the  exhibition  of  a  branch  of  the  Sambiicits 
racemosa,  and  speak  highly  of  the  beauty  of  its  red  berries.     Can  you,  ', 
or  any  of  your   correspondents,  say  if,  and  where,  this  shrub  is  to  he  ' 
obtained  in  England?    A  few  years  since,  I  was  greatly  struck  with  the 
the  effect  of  it  in  a  garden  at  Ems,  where,  in  every  clump  of  shrubs  which  i 
adorned  the  garden,  one  or  more  of  these  trees,  full  of  berries,  formed 
a  very  striking  ornament.     Returning  to  Ems,   the  following  year,   at  , 
the   same   season,   I  was,    however,    sorry    to    find    no  berries    on   the 
trees,    and    was    informed    by    the    gardener    that    they    did    not,    as  ' 
a  matter  of  course,   bear  fruit   every  year,   which  is.  no  doubt,  rather 
a  drawback  to  their  cultivation.     In  the   same  garden,  I  saw  splendid 
speciniens  of  a  veiy  old    plant,    the    Marvel  of  Peru,   upwards  of  four 
feet  high,  and  a  yard  nearly  in   diameter;  and  on   inquiry  as  to  soil, 
and  treatment,  to  bring  them  to  this  size,  was  informed,  it  was  merely  ; 
owing  to  the  age  of  the  roots,  which,  in  this  case,  were  eight  years  old. 
I  saw  many  smaller  plants,  which.  I  was  told,  were  only  two  or  three 
years  old."     It  is  no  drawback  to  this  kind  of  Elder  that  the  fruit  does 
not  ripen  every  season.     All  our  fruit  trees,  nnd  most  of  our  ornamental 
fruited  shrubs  and  trees,  fail  at  times.     We  do  not  know  where  the  plant 
is  nn  sale.     We  have  always   advised  that  the  fleshy  roots  of  the  il/«ri.'e; 
of  Peru  should  be  treated  like  those  of  the  Dahlia.     So  treated,  we  have 
seen  plants  much  larger  than  those  named  by  our  correspondent,  and  we 
have  recently  beard  that  the  varieties  of  it  will  sport  much  if  the  different 
species  are  crossed  in  the  i  sual  way. 

Seeds  fkom  Rio  pe  Janeiro  (M.  M.  U.,  Liverpool).— The  twelve 
kinds  of  seeds  gathered  by  a  gentleman  who  lived  several  years  at  Rio, 
and  who  calls  them  good,  and  he  not  a  botanist,  nor  even  a  "plants  man," 
are  very  likely  to  be  of  very  ornamental  plants.     The  seeds  appear  to  be  in 
very  good  condition  ;  but  the  names  arc  merely  the  local  names  in  use 
among  the  population  at  Rio,  and  sueh  are  not  to  be  found  in  books. 
You  had  better  keep  them  till  the  beginning  of  February,  and  then  sow 
them,  and  put  the  pots  into  a  cucumber  bed  ;  we  shallsow  ours  at  the  , 
same  time ;  keep  your  names,  and  if  we  recognise  the  plants,  you  shall 
hear  the  names.     There  is  nothing  new  in  the  heating  aparatus  you  heard  j 
of  in  Surrey.     We  happen  to  know  something  of  the  ironmonger  ;  a  very 
respectable  man,  and,  like  all  other  respectable  tradesmen,  he  does  his 
work  well,  and  it  answers  well.     For  your  propagating  house,  twenty- 
two  feet  long,  nine  feet  wide,  and  eight  feet  high,  four-inch  pipes  will  be  ; 
required  to  do  the  heating  well.     We  do  not  know  enough  of  Liverpool  to  ! 
say  if  there  is,  or  where  there  is,  a  wood-cutting  machine  in,  or  near  it.      \ 

Ereatdm.— At  page  478,  for  "  Cobiea  and  Pentstemon,  for  instance"  [ 
read,  "  Pentstemon  Cobcea  for  instance,"  and  airain./or  "  few  gardeners 
can  manage  Pentstemon  and  Cobffia,"  rend,  a  "few  gardeners  can  manage  ; 
Pentstemon  Cabala. 

Combining  Suanghaes  and  Dorkings  (An  Amatcia-].~\VheTe 
the  supply  of  poultry  and  eggs  to  the  house  is  mainly  regarded,  we 
believe  that  Shanghae  and  Dorking  Hens,  with  the  male  birds  of  the  , 
latter  breed,  would  be  best  calculated  to  produce  a  continuous  supply 
throughout  the  year.  This  subject  received  full  attention  in  a  recent 
article  of  The  Cottage  Gardener,  No.  257,  page  415.  But  any 
attempts  to  breed  again  from  such  cross-bred  birds  will  not  succeed. 
We  regard  the  "  Rouen"  Duck  as  the  one  most  likely  to  be  generally 
kept  with  profit. — W. 

Does  the  Nurse  influence  the  Nursling's  disposition  (A. 
i'/.)-—Vour  premises  are  so  uncertain,  that  we  should  be  unwilling  to 
draw  any  positive  conclusion  from  them  ;  in  the  first  place,  the  chickens 
hatched  are  "  thought  "  to  be  Shanghaes  ;  and  secondly,  the  hen  under 
which  they  were  hatched,  "  is  Game,  or,  at  least,  three  parts  Game." 
But  even  with  these  imjierfect  facts  before  us,  we  should  find  no  difficulty 
in  expressing  our  opinion,  that  the  difference  in  character  of  the  chickens 
could  only  proceed  from  their  partial  acquisition  of  their  mother's  habits 
and  disposition.  As  to  "  inoculation  during  hatching  "  producing  this 
effect,  we  must  at  once  reject  any  such  notion,  for  we  have  nothing  on 
which  to  base  the  slightest  probability  that  such  could  have  been  the  case. 
The  necessity  for  exactness  in  statements  of  this  kind  is  still  more 
apparent,  when  so  many  instances  may  be  quoted  in  opposition  to  the 
theory  built  upon  them.  Of  many  hundred  Shanghaes,  for  example,  bred 
by  us  this  year,  many  clutches  were  hatched  under  Game  hens,  without 
the  slightest  variation  in  their  temper  and  character  from  those  that  had 
been  reared  under  mothers  of  their  own  race.— W. 

Flower-Garden  Plan  (O/ncg'/i).— How  could  you  have  the  folly  and 
impertinence  to  send  us  a  copy  of  a  plan  which  appeared  in  the  Magazine 
of  Botany,  three  years  ago,  vol.  i.  p.  199  ?  If  we  knew  you,  we  would 
tell  you  privately  and  briefly  what  we  think  of  one  capable  of  such  con- 
temptible attempts  at  misleading. 

Geraniums  and  Pelargoniums  iA.  B.  C.).— Geraniums  ^vill  not 
cross  at  all  with  Pelargoniums  or  Erodiums  either.  If  you  turn  to  Vol. 
li.  you  will  see  what  you  ask  for  at  page  243.  All  letters  should  be 
addressed  to  the  Editor  at  the  office  in  London. 

Pigeons  breaking  tueir  Eggs  (G.  i/.).— Wc  sent  your  note  of 
mqutry  to  Mr.  Eaton,  whose  very  useful  and  trustworthy  volume,  '*A 
Treatise  on  Pigeons,"  we  shall  notice  nest  week.     He  says,  in  reply— 


"  I  have  no  doubt  the  fault  is  all  your  own.  Although  rats  and  mice 
cannot  get  at  them,  query,  are  they  run  over  with  vermin,  and  their  nest 
swarming?  This  will  cause  birds  to  forsake  their  nests  within  a  few 
days  of  hatching  more  than  anything  else  I  know  of.  A  careless  fancier 
aids  them  by  not  making  the  pipeons  a  proper  nest,  as  they  seldom  make 
themselves  a  pood  one.  Nevertheless,  old  cock  birds  are  seldom  fonder 
of  sitting  than  old  gentlemen  are  fond  of  nursing.  I  gave  ^'7  for  a 
celebrated  old  Almond  cock;  matched  it  up  to  a  celebrated  hen;  the 
eggs  always  addled,  deternuned  to  observe  the  birds  ;  when  the  cock 
relieved  guard  to  sit,  he  had  not  been  there  long,  before  he  would  come 
and  sit  on  the  perch  at  front  of  entrance  to  his  pen  for  an  hour,  and  then 
go  back  to  his  eggs  after  they  were  addled.  It  is  dangerous  to  trust  old 
corks  to  sit,  if  they  are  valuable  birds,  otherwise  it  is  not  of  any  consequence. 
The  time  lias  arrived  to  give  up  all  idea  of  breeding  this  season,  and 
more  next.  With  regard  to  the  price  oi  Almond  Tumblers,  a  pair  may 
be  dear  at  ^1,  and  another  pair  cheap  at  ^'10. — T.  M.  E." 

Jersey  [A.  Z.). — We  cannot  give  any  opinion  on  your  poor  soil  in 
Jersey.  In  England,  it  would  do  for  larch,  birch,  and  "most  of  the  coni- 
fers and  common  shrubs  ;  also  for.saintfoin,  and  ultimately,  barley,  oats, 
potatoes;  and,  last  of  all,  turnips. 

Apple  Trrrs  {A  Constant  Reader).— These  are  planted  shallow,  with 
the  place  of  union  of  the  graft  and  stock  above  the  ground.  Never  mind. 
By  no  means  raise  the  trees,  and  plant  them  deeper ;  but  you  may  please 
your  "  blue  aproner,"  and  do  neither  good  nor  harm,  by  raising  a  small 
mound  or  cone  of  earth  around  the  grafted  part,  provided  that  the  base 
of  this  cone  does  not  exceed  six  or  eight  inches  in  diameter. 

Peacii-Tree  Gumming  (Ibid).  —This,  and  some  branches  dying, 
make  us  suspect  the  wood  was  too  vigorous  lust  season  to  be  ripened. 
Re-planting  may  do  good. 

Cdphea,  Fuchsia,  and  Verbena  Cuttings  (C^ymro). —Keep  them 
in  cutting-pots,  or  pot  singly  now,  just  according  to  your  conveniences. 
If  you  can  nearly  fill  a  pot  with  roots  before  November,  pot  now.  If 
there  is  little  chance  of  that,  refrain,  and  pot  in  the  spring.  If  you  have 
only  three  in  a  pot  now  they  will  stand  weW.— Lignum  vitct,  and  other 
evergreen  shrubs,  you  may  move  as  soon  as  you  like,  and  the  sooner  the 
better.  To  kill  wood/ice,  place  a  little  dry  hay  in  their  haunt ;  turn  it  up 
on  a  morning,  and  wield  a  can  of  boiling  water  over  them.  Place  pieces 
of  turnip,  carrot,  or  potato  in  small  pots,  or  bell  glasses,  and  a  little 
dry  hay  or  moss  over  them.  Examine  in  the  morning,  and  empty  all  the 
captives  into  boiling  m  ater.  For  anything  very  particular,  draw  a  cordon 
line  of  tar  round  it,  and  that  is  a  Danube  they  dare  not  cross. 

Man\  Questions  (A  Young  Gardener).— It  would  take  a  whole 
number  of  The  Cottage  Gardener  to  answer  your  many  and  mixed 
queries.  How  many  trees  of  keeping  Apples  do  you  require?  How 
to  keep  apples  was  recently  detailed  in  our  pages.  Buy  The  Cottage 
Gardeners*  Dictionary  and  LiiudonK'i  Encyclopcedia  of  Gardening.  No 
work  is  published  on  Or^-Aid  culture;  but  there  was  a  very  full  and  excellent 
series  of  papers  upon  the  subject,  by  Mr.  Appleby,  in  our  fifth  and  sixth 
volumes. 

Poultry  Queries  (T,  P.  ;>/.).— We  fear  that  the  distention  of  the 
throat  in  breathing  indicates  diseased  lungs.  Pink  legs,  if  entirely  pink, 
are  objectionable  in  Shanghaes.  .They  should  be  yellow  ;  but  pink  where 
the  scales  are  thin  is  not  amiss.  Pullets  \\  ill  lay  in  due  course,  without 
a  male  companion,  as  soon,  or  nearly  so,  as  they  would  if  mated.  Feed- 
ing twice  a  day,  with  the  unrestricted  run  of  a  large  meadow,  will  be 
enough  for  your  fowls  in  the  mild  climate  of  Guernsey.  The  colder  a 
locality,  the  more  food  is  required.  Buckwheat  is  goodfood,  but  we  like 
Barley,  Indian  Corn  Meal,  and  Wheat  better.  There  is  no  mode  of  pre- 
serving eggs,  for  sitting  purposes,  beyond  three  weeks,  \vitU  a  certainty 
of  success. 

Fowls  Dung  [Incubator).— Thft  fresher  it  is  applied  the  more  power- 
ful are  its  effects.  We  should  spread  it  on  the  surface,  and  point  it  in 
over  the  roots  of  the  Roses,  but  not  until  the  spring. 

Getting  up  a  Poultry  Show  (H.  ir.).— There  is  no  magical  mode. 
Form  a  committee;  draw  up  a  schedule  of  prizes  and  rules;  let  the 
prizes  be  liberal;  fix  two  days  for  the  Show;  advertise  in  your  local 
papers,  and  in  The  Cottage  Gardener;  and  have  an  active  iSecretary  ; 
and  then  the  pen  money  and  the  entrance  fees  will  pay  the  expenses.  If 
you  take  care  to  have  the  birds  returned  immediately  the  Show  is  over, 
you  will  meet  with  still  better  success  the  next  year. 

Laurels  diseased  {Hij.  B.). — The  holes  in  the  leaves  seem  caused 
by  gangrene,  and  we  should  think  the  trees  arc  old  and  the  soil  ex- 
hausted.    Try  the  effect  of  a  good  dressing  of  manure. 

Sale  of  Shanghaes  (Bootham).— Consult  Mr.  Stevens,  King- 
street,  Covent  Garden. 

Weakness  in  Shanghae's  Legs  (A  Subscriber,  Guernsey).— Wc 
fear,  from  such  syoiptoms,  as  well  as  "the  long  feathers  of  the  wings 
growing  raised  and  partly  spread  out,  instead  of  close  and  compact," 
that  there  is  organic  disease.  We  should  give  citrate  of  iron,  as  re- 
commended by  Mr.  Tegetmeier  the  other  day,  and,  in  addition,  add  cod- 
liver  oil. 

Dane-wort  (B.  C.).— This  is  the  Sanibucus  chulus  or  Dwarf  Elder. 
The  green  leaves  of  this,  and  of  the  common  Elder  also,  are  said  to  drive 
away  mice  and  moles  if  put  into  their  haunts. 

Hollyhocks  (Goddess). — These  may  be  propagated  from  buds.  Slips 
from  the  bottom  of  the  old  roots  may  now  be  planted.  In  our  l6th 
number,  page  1/3,  you  will  find  the  whole  mode  of  j)ropagating  by  buds. 

Elder  Wine  (A  Constant  Reader).— Vonr  three  gallons  of  cold  water 
over  one  peck  of  berries  ;  let  them  stand  for  twenty-four  hours  ;  then 
boil  the  whole  for  twenty  minutes,  adding  I  oz.  bruised  ginger,  ij  oz.  of 
cloves,  and  h  oz.  cinnamon,  tied  in  a  muslin  bag;  strain  off  the  liquor, 
and  add  3  lbs.  of  moist  sugar  to  the  gallon,  andlioil  again  with  the  same 
spice  for  quarter-uf-an-hour  ;  when  cold,  put  it  into  a  cack,  and  if  re- 
quired for  long  keeping  add  half  pint  of  brandy.  Brown  Beurre  Pears 
arc  prcBcrved  as  all  others  are. 


London:  Printed  by  Haebt  Wooldridgb,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar;  and  Publiohed  by  William 
SoMERViLLE  Orb,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Esses,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— October  6tU,  1868. 


OcTojiKu  l;i. 


THK  COTTAQR  GARDENER. 


17 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR, 

M        I) 
U       W 

OCTOBER  13—19,   1853. 

Scarce  Uinber ;  trees, 
ntottled  Uniher ;  trees. 
Mallow  Moth ;  mallows. 
21  Sunday  aftee  Teinitv. 

St.  Luke. 

Virginian  Creeper  leaves  fall. 

WEATiisn  nbae  London  in  1852. 

Barometer,      Thermo.  Wind,  ^"i" '" 

1  Inches. 

1 

1 
Sun     '     Sun        flloon  '  Moon's 
Rises,  t    Sets.      R.  id  S.      Age. 

Clock   '  Day  of 
af.  Sun.     Year. 

13  Ta 

14  1  F 

15  S 

1  16  1  Sdn 

17  1  M 

18  ,  To 

19  W 

30,360—30.303 
30.291-30.251 
30.258—30.135 
30.234—30.212 
30.195-30.124 
30.345—30.175 
30.451—30.305 

54-41    ,     E. 
48—46     N.E. 
64—44   ,      B. 
52-29         E. 
54—36     N.E. 
56-31      N.E. 
55—30        N. 

- 

23  a.  C 
24 
26 
28 
29 
Si 
33 

10  a.  S  .      1     38  !        11 
8       j     2     55  1        12 
6       14     10  1        13 
4       j     5     23  !        14 
1           rises.    1      @ 
IV      1     5a53  :       16 
57          6    12         17 

13     44  j       286 

13  68  I       287 

14  11    :       283 
14     24  1       289 
14    36  1       290 
14     48          291 
14     59          292 

HfETEOEOLOGT  OF  THE  Wf.ek.-AI  Chiswick.  froin  observations  (lurinK  the  last  twenty.ei.t  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowesttem- 
peraturesot  these  days  are  58.8°  and  42.2'' respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  76°,  occurred  on  the  14th  in  1845  j  and  the  lowest  cold,  24°.  on  the 
18th  in  1843.  During  the  period  103  days  were  line,  and  on  79  rain  fell.                                                                                          ,  >"■  "■= 

BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS. 
{Continued  from  paije  1.) 

HTlIIIIIS. — TOWEE    lIUSTAr.D. 

Genehtc  Chaeacter. — Calyx  erect;  leaves  oblong,  con- 
verging, deciduous;  two  opposite  ones  very  sliglitly  pro- 
tuberant at  tlie  base.  Petah  reversed-oblong-egg-shaped, 
undivided,  erect,  not  twice  the  length  of  the  calyx.  ]?ilum«nls 
thread-shaped,  simple,  erect,  unconnected.  Jnlliers  oblong, 
incumbent.  Gcrmen  line-like,  tlie  length  of  the  petals. 
Hlijle  very  short.  Slhjma  blunt,  simple.  Pod  line-like, 
compressed,  very  long  and  slendei',  crowned  mth  the  per- 
manent stigma;  valves  sU'aight,  flat,  each  witli  a  prominent 
keel,  and  quite  as  long  as  the  linear  membranous  partition. 
Seeds  very  numerous,  di.sposed  in  a  double  row  in  each 
cell,  crowded,  obli(iuely  pendulous,  egg  sliaped,  compressed, 
sliglitly  bordered;  cotyledons  flat,  accumbent. 

dDuEHiTis  onLiiA  :  Smooth  Tower  Mustard ;  Towerwort. 


arrow-shaped,  entire,  miUcy-green,  quite  smooth,  clasping  the 
stem,  but  not  perfoliate  as  some  writers  have  denominated 
them.  Flowers  numerous,  closely  clustered.  Peluh  pale 
sulphur-coloured.  Pods  very  long  and  slender,  smooth  and 
even,  erect,  close  to  the  stem,  on  short  stalks,  cylindrical 
when  full  grown.  Seeds  reddish-brown,  about  sixty  in  each 
cell,  very  small. 

Places  where  found. — Not  common  in  England,  and  rare 
in  Scotland.     On  the  dry  gravelly  soil  of  road-side  banks. 

Time  offtoweriny. — May  to  June. 

History. — Until  Mr.  Brown  pointed  to  the  double  row  of 
seeds  in  TurrUis,  botanists  had  been  at  a  loss  for  a  generic 
distinction  between  it  and  Arahis.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
explain  why  it  sliould  have  been  called  a  Mvstard,  for  the 
pungency  of  its  flavour  entitles  it  to  be  so  distinguished,  but 
why  the  term  Tnrritis,  or  Tower,  should  be  applied  to  it  is 
less  apparent.  It  may  have  been  that  Clusius,  who  bestowed 
the  name,  discovered  tlie  original  species  on  the  old  ruins 
of  some  tower;  or  it  maybe,  that  its  pyramidal  form  of 
growth  suggested  tlie  name.  Euellius  says— "that  the 
juice  of  the  herb  healetli  ulcers  of  the  mouth,  and  that  the 
poor  peasant  (on  tlie  continent)  doth  use  the  oil  (of  the 
seeds)  in  banquets,  and  the  rich  in  their  lamps."  (Smilli. 
IFitliering.     JMiirtyn.     Gerurde.) 

EAEEAEEA   TESCOX. — EAELY   WINTER   CEESS. 


Description. — It  is  an  annual  Root  carrot-shaped.  Stem 
two  or  three  feet  high,  cylindrical,  erect,  wand-like,  simple, 
smooth,  except  at  the  bottom,  leafy.  Budical-leaves  numerous, 
spreading,  toothed,  or  sinuated,  so  as  to  be  almost  lyre- 
shaped,  rough  on  both  sides  with  rigid,  forked,  or  simple, 
hairs;    stem-leaves  numerous,    alternate,  upright,  oblong- 


This  was   accidentally  omitted  at  page   1   of   our  last 
number. 


1 


No.  CCLXIII.,  Vol.  XL 


18 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OcTOPER   I'-S. 


Resuming  ow  notes  relative  to  the  Cliolei'a,  we  will 
observe,  tlmt  tlio  Registrar-General's  rcturus  do  not 
establish  any  ilirect  connexion  between  cholera  and 
indiftcrent  Water;  at  least,  unless  the  latter  be  noto- 
riously bad,  offensive  to  tlie  sight,  the  smell,  and  the 
taste,  it  can  hardly  be  set  down  as  a  direct  cause  of  this 
disease.  ITere,  with  all  due  respect,  we  may  take  our 
leave,  for  tlie  present,  of  microscopic  and  chemical 
analysis — a  standard  of  four  and-a-half  degrees  of  hard- 
ness, and  prospectuses  of  new  water-works.  The  purer 
the  water  is,  the  better;  but  to  have  it  perfectly  pure,  is 
hardly  to  bo  looked  for  in  this  corrupted  old  world  of 
ours ;  neither  is  it  essential  to  health  and  long  life.  The 
human  (like  the  English)  constitution  is  a  very  into- 
lerant one  though  gross ;  palpable,  wanton  aggression, 
it  is  certain  to  resist.  To  those  who  make  themselves 
miserable  because  they  can  get  no  water  in  their  neigh- 
bourhood of  very  great  purity,  we  would  say — a  common, 
cheap  filter,  and  a  quire  of  blotting-paper,  are  not  very 
difficult  things  to  obtain 

Anytliing  likely  to  be  swallowed  in  the  beverages  we 
drink  is  far  less  dangerous  than  damp,  and  exhalations 
from  filthy,  stagnant  water,  as  these  afford  the  means 
of  diffusing  pestilent  miasms,  unaccompanied  with  the 
unlimited  power  of  washing  or  driving  them  quite 
away. 

We  ai-e  right  in  attributing  restorative  influences  to 
the  sea,  and  to  running  streams  ;  they  a]ipear  to  give 
off,  fresh  and  fresh,  coaitinuous  supplies  of  balmy, 
health-renewing  particles;  and  it  is  found  tliat  tlicse 
particles  consist  of  loosely-combined  oxygen,  or  of 
oxgen  and  its  allies,  chlorine,  bromine,  &c.,  in  some- 
what larger  proportion  than  in  common  air. 

Where  a  sluggish  river  all  but  comes  to  a  stand  still 
in  a  vast  swampy  plain,  the  moist  air  still  acts  upon 
and  changes  every  thing  within  its  reach;  but  here  we 
have  no  rapid  current  to  remove  the  results  of  the 
changes  thus  effected,  and  to  supply  perfectly  fresh 
jiartieles  every  instant.  The  stream  itself  grows  muddy, 
and  the  air  is  no  longer  emiucntly  pure  and  invigor- 
ating, but  depressing  and  damp. 

The  well-dammed  banks  of  a  great  commercial  river 
admit  but  a  small  portion  (comparatively  speaking)  of 
sea-water  twice  a-day,  whilst  into  it  unmeasured  quan- 
tities of  corrupt  animal  and  vegetable  remains  are 
hourly  poured,  all  to  be  oxidized,  chloridizod,  or  purified 
and  reduced,  a  thing  physicially  impo.ssible,  for  when 
the  salt  in  tlie  tide  "  hath  lost  its  savour,"  the  river 
begins  to  approach  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  hold 
of  a  waterlogged  ship  (and  putrid  holds  and  over- 
crowded berths  foster  cliolera  and  yellow  fever,  even  out 
at  sea). 

No  wonder  that  one-half  of  the  cholera  in  all  fingland 
occurred  at  eight  gi-eat  sea-ports,  and  had  its  chief  seat, 
in  each  case,  witliin  the  influences  of  the  polluted  tidal 
atmospbei-e. 

During  its  recent  progress  in  Asia,  this  pest  posted 
iVom  place  to  ]jlaco  on  relays  of  vapours  stationed  by 
swamjiy  rivers  and  low  maritime  ]ilaces.  Generally 
this  is  the  case,  the  excej)tions  only  proving  the  rule;  as 


when  a  fog  rising  from  a  niai-sh  settles  itself  again  on 
high  ground. 

After  our  heavy  floods,  last  year,  fevers  of  all  kinds 
spread  rapidly  along  the  reeking  surface  of  the  earth. 
A  bottleful  of  ink  thrown  into  a  running  brook  will 
only  stain  its  course  a  very  little  way  for  a  few  moments; 
but  one  drop  of  ink  will  diffuse  itself  at  once  through  a 
decanter  full  of  water,  staining  the  whole.  Thus  it  may 
be,  that  stagnant  moisture  spreads  infection,  as  the 
word  itself  implies. 

Caution  is  required  in  the  free  use  of  water  for  carry- 
ing off  all  offending  matters  from  about  our  ])remises. 
An  immense  quantity  of  lir|nid  sullage  thus  produced 
may  become  a  great  nuisance,  unless  extraordinary  care 
is  taken  to  have  it  carried  rajiidly  away,  far  from  human 
abodes ;  a  thing  impossible  in  many  places  near  the 
level  of  the  sea.  This  impossibility  is  in  no  ways 
diminished  by  washing  into  sewers,  not  only  fluids  but 
solid  refuse,  suspended  in  water,  with  street  and  court 
sweepings,  and  valuable  maniu'ing  matters  capable  ol' 
being  carted  ofl'. 

Unswept  gutters,  foul  ditches,  and  pools  of  water  ; 
marshes,  undraincd  fields,  with  a  heavy  top-dressing  of 
manure;  irrigated  meadows;  are  much  worse  things 
than  unsightly  manure-heaps,  which  last  should  be 
roofed  over  witli  a  few  boards,  or  have  a  few  shovelfuls 
of  earth  thrown  over  them,  and  they  sliould  be  removed 
frequently,  and  with  care. 

Surface-drains,  as  of  farm  buildings,  or  of  outhouses 
and  yards,  are  easily  repaired,  and  with  the  pavement 
and  flags  should  be  put  into  order.  I  confess  to  a 
pristine  faith  in  the  venerable  institution  of  tlie  cow- 
rake,  besom,  and  wheelbarrow,  for  lustration,  night  and 
morning.  After_one  diligent  scraping  and  sweeping  up, 
some  absorbent  substance,  as  sawdust,  chati',  straw, 
charred  clay,  sand,  or  ashes,  may  be  scattered  over  tlie 
surface,  and  the  besom  applied  a  second  time,  or 
gypsum,  lime,  chloride  of  lime,  or  dried  salt  may  be 
used,  or  there  is  peat  mull,  and  peat  charcoal.  These 
dry  hints  are  good,  not  only  against  cholera,  hut  also 
against  the  small  pox,  scarlatina,  and  even  the  jdeuro- 
peripneumony,  or  disease  amongst  cattle.  J.  J. 

{To  ho  conliiiiinl.) 


In  the  formation  of  a  Poultry  Society,  the  first  steps  to 
be  taken  by  the  promoters  should  be  with  reference  to 
the  probable  amount  of  subscriptions  and  other  funds, 
according  to  which  their  prize-list  must  bo  constructed. 
It  is  manifestly  unwise  to  select  curtain  members  of  the 
Poultry  Yard,  and  honour  these  by  tlio  offer  of  pre- 
miums, while  others  equally  distinct,  and  generally 
regaulcd  as  equally  meritorious,  aro  cither  passed  by 
unnoticed,  or  jumbled  together  in  some  strange  medley. 
Far  belter,  indeed,  to  give  smaller  prizes,  and  let  all 
have  their  chance  for  them,  than  to  create  dissatis- 
faction by  the  partial  arrangement  against  which  our 
remembrance  on  more  tlian  one  occasion  has  been 
dircclcd. 
One  main  object  of  these  institutions  being  to  all'oid 


October  13. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


19 


the  public  the  fairest  opportunity  of  ascertaining  tbe 
relative  economical  value,  as  well  as  tbe  other  points  of 
excellence  of  the  various  breeds,  the  c.relusion  or  con- 
fusion  of  any  of  these  is  evidently  at  variance  with 
this  design.  Thus  Dorkings,  both  coloured  and  white, 
should  stand  apart ;  White  Shanghaes  should  have  ad- 
mission ;  the  Golden  and  Silver  Polish  should  not  be 
brought  into  collision ;  nor  the  white,  black,  yellow- 
spangled  varieties  of  this  race  banished ;  although,  from 
their  present  rarity,  a  class  for  "  oi/iec  varieties"  might 
as  yet  suffice.  That  the  highest  prizes  throughout  the 
whole  list  should  be  offered  to  "  Barn-door  Fowls,"  we 
should  regard  as  a  serious  mistake,  for  reasons  that 
have  often  been  adverted  to;  and,  again,  that  the 
chickens  of  all,  from  Shanghaes  to  Bantams,  are  to 
compete  together,  presents  a  fatal  obstacle  to  the  value 
of  any  inference  to  be  drawn  from  awards  resulting 
from  such  classification.  These  last  remarks  have  been 
suggested  by  our  perusal  of  the  prize  list,  for  "  Poultry 
and  Pigeons"  to  be  awarded  at  tbe  meeting  of  the 
Neioton  Abbot  Agricultural  Society,  on  the  8th  and 
9th  of  November  next. 

If  we  are  not  mistaken,  this  will  be  their  first  exhi- 
bition ;  our  opinion,  therefore,  which  rests  on  the  gene- 
ral observations  drawn  from  tbe  management  and 
success  of  many  similar  Associations,  may  possibly  be 
thought  worthy  of  consideration  by  those  who  have 
interested  themselves  in  this  and  other  Societies,  on 
whose  arrangements  our  comments  have  taken  the  same 
line,  before  their  schemes  for  another  year  may  be 
determined  on. 

It  is  our  task  to  chronicle  the  progress  of  poultry- 
keeping  in  all  its  details;  and  since  Exhibitions  of  this 
kind  afiix  the  stamp  of  comparative  success  or  failure 
on  the  efforts  of  those  who  compete  on  these  occasions, 
every  single  step  by  which  arbitration  may  be  influenced 
calls  for  our  special  notice.  Let  it  not  be  thought  that 
in  such  cases  where  we  find  ourselves  at  variance  with 
tlie  regulations  authoritatively  put  forth,  that  any  dis- 
couragement is  designed,  for  nothing,  in  truth,  can  be 
further  from  our  intention,  which  is  directed  to  the 
general  interest  of  the  poultry-keeping  public,  and  espe- 
cially to  the  ultimate  well-doing  of  the  individual  bodies 
to  whose  system  we  find  ourselves  imable  to  give  un- 
qualified assent. 

This  leads  us  to  another  suggestion,  which  would 
refer  to  the  districts  in  which  the  formation  of  Poultry 
Exhibitions  ai-e  desirable.  Not  for  the  first  time  do  we 
now  pronounce  a  very  decided  opinion  that  "  Counties  " 
would  prove  the  wisest  limitation ;  some  of  the  larger,  it 
is  true,  might  require  division,  such  as  already  exists 
for  electoral  purposes,  and  Yorkshire  should,  doubtless, 
have  one  for  each  of  its  Ridings,  but  we  gravely  question 
the  policy  of  multiplying  them  to  the  extent  that  is  now 
taking  place.  Surely  Newton  Abbot  and  Torquay  might 
be  satisfied  with  a  common  field  for  competition,  for 
they  are  barely  six  miles  apart,  with,  moreover,  railway 
communication.  Now,  tbe  evils  of  such  antagonism, 
for  it  usually  amounts  to  this,  are  manifest ;  a  s])irit  of 
opposition,  more  or  less,  invariably  arises — the  poultry 


of  the  district  are  not  brought  together  to  one  and  the 
same  place— a  i-educod  prize-list  fails  to  collect,  from 
other  parts  of  England,  tbe  better  specimens  that  would 
serve  as  models  for  a  higher  standard  ;  and  last,  not 
least,  dissatisfaction  and  discontent  is  apt  to  arise  from 
birds  successful  at  these  minor  shows  faihng  to  stand  at 
the  head  of  their  classes  when  brought  into  more  general 
competition.  We  are  far  from  having  attained  any  such 
point  of  excellence  as  may  warrant  us  in  resting  on  our 
oars  in  respect  of  any  of  our  breeds  of  poultry ;  and  the 
managers  of  every  exhibition  will  do  well  to  consider, 
as  an  object  of  primary  importance,  the  means  by  which 
the  best  specimens  from  all  parts  of  England  may  be 
placed  before  the  inhabitants  of  their  several  districts. 

What  has  been  so  often  complained  of  in  the  smaller 
Agricultural  Societies  is  equally  true  here;  the  radius 
of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  too  generally  includes  the 
owners  of  all  the  stock  brought  together:  A's  boar,  bull, 
cows,  or  sheep,  as  the  case  may  be,  adds  another  local 
laurel  to  its  wreath ;  and  B.  constantly  goes  home  under 
the  conviction  that  A's  animal  comprizes  all  the  points 
of  excellence  which  he  need  trouble  himself  about ;  and 
further  improvement  seems  altogether  a  work  of  super, 
erogation.  We  are  speaking,  be  it  remembered,  of 
those  minor  meetings  to  which  nearly  every  market- 
town  now  seems  to  be  so  attached.  Parity  of  reason- 
ing will  extend  to  Poultry  Societies,  crowded  unneces- 
sarily one  on  another,  a  precisely  similar  list  of  evils. 

On  the  10th  and  17th  of  November,  the  Winchester 
and  Soutliern  Counties  Society  for  the  improvement  of 
Domestic  Poultry  hold  their  meeting,  at  Winchester. 
This  Association  has  the  advantage  of  a  wide  ai'ca  for 
their  exhibitors ;  and  the  experience  of  last  year  has 
enabled  them  to  put  forth  a  very  liberal  list  of  pre- 
miums. Some  of  their  rules,  it  may  be  observed,  are 
likely  to  jn'ove  most  efficacious  in  preventing  dis- 
cussions which  have  at  times  proved  difiieult  of  ar- 
rangement on  such  occasions.  Rule  XI.,  for  instance, 
assigns  to  the  discretion  of  the  honorary  secretaries  the 
admission  of  "  cottagers  "  as  exhibitors.  Now,  where- 
ever  a  certain  sum  has  been  mentioned  for  rental, 
beyond  which  the  condition  of  a  cottager  has  not  been 
recognized,  the  extreme  difficulty  of  discriminating 
between  the  various  circumstances  of  life  that  would 
entitle  the  occupier  to  this  privilege  has  been  a  fruitful 
source  of  depression  and  inconvenience,  which  the 
power  here  given  to  the  secretaries,  ai-bitrary  as  it  may 
perhaps  appear  at  first  sight,  is  well  calculated  to  allay- 
An  alteration  in  the  rule  enforcing  sale  has  been 
made,  and,  on  many  accounts,  we  think  the  change 
beneficial  for  all  concerned. 

In  Rule  XXI.,  the  insertion  of  the  exception  of  the 
Game  Fowl's  comb,  where  the  penalties  for  trimming 
are  alluded  to,  would  have  rendered  the  passage  more 
explicit;  and  though,  doubtless,  the  framers  of  this  regu- 
lation never  contemplated  exclusion  on  that  account, 
still  exhibitors  are  often  prone  to  mistakes,  and  the 
specification  of  the  exception  might,  therefore,  have 
been  advisable.  With  the  exception  of  a  wish  that 
another  year  may  produce  such  increased  prosperity  on 


ao 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OcToiiF.n  1:1. 


the  part  of  tbis  Society  as  may  lead  to  tlio  enlargement 
of  the  Geese  and  Turkey  classes,  both  of  which  should 
include  old  and  young  birds  separately,  the  task  of 
criticism  is  now  complete. 


Me.  Fox's  young  Shanghaes  and  Spanish  Eowls  at  tbis 
sale,  on  the  5tb  instant,  by  Mr.  Stafford,  at  the  Baker- 
street  Bazaar,  were  not  of  that  high  character  generally 
that  we  expected  from  our  previous  knowledge  of  bis 
stock  birds.  There  were  124  lots  of  Shanghaes,  and  36 
of  Spanish ;  but  only  79  lots  of  the  former  were  sold, 
and  o2  lots  of  the  Spanish. 

The  best  Shangbae  cock  (Lot  17)  was  bought  in. 
One  of  his  sons  (Lot  11)  sold  for  £b  5s.  A  buif  pullet 
(Lot  12),  commended  at  Yarmouth  and  Bury  St.  Ed- 
mund's, i'J:  15s.  A  buff  hen  (Stainton's  breed — Lot 
20),  .£&  10s.  Buff  ben  (Lot  31),  bred  by  Mr.  Andrews, 
i;a  10s.  Silver  cinnamon  hen,  sister  to  Mrs.  George's 
"Annie"  (Lot  34),  ^66  15s.  Black  ben,  first  prize  at 
Bury  St.  Edmund's  (Lot  39),  £6. 

Of  the  Si)anish  (Lot  125),  a  prize  cock,  i:4 ;  (Lot 
126),  prize  hen,  ^£3  15s;  (Lot  130),  prize  cock,  £o  5s. 

Altogether,  the  79  lots  of  Shanghaes  fetched  about 
<£J.22 ;  and  the  32  lots  of  Spanish  about  i'^w. 


PEACHES  AND  NECTARINES    OUT-OE-DOORS. 

If  we  may  judge  by  the  complaints  so  frequently 
recurring  about  failures  in  tliese  fruits,  we  may  at  once 
infer  that  their  culture  is  very  imperfectly  understood 
or  much  neglected.  That  much  ill-success  attends  their 
culture,  not  only  north  but  south,  is  sutBciently  attested 
by  the  fact,  that  the  question  of  the  necessity  for  pro- 
viding glazed  structures  and  heated  walls  is  a  growing 
question. 

Now,  it  really  does  seem  to  me  extraordinary  to  find 
men  eminent  in  other  branches  of  their  profession,  yet 
incapable  of  carrying  out  good  Peach-culture.  When 
first!  set  foot  in  the  gardens  here,  I  was  gravely  told 
by  the  steward,  that  "  it  was  little  use  trying  to  grow 
Peaches,  for  they  never  lasted  above  three  or  four  years; 
they  decayed  prematurely,  and  nobody  could  tell  why." 
This  seemed  to  me  very  odd  ;  but  I  by  no  means  placed 
implicit  reliance  in  the  inference,  although  an  opinion 
not  held  by  the  steward  alone,  but  by  most  of  those  who 
had  known  the  gardens  for  a  long  period.  I  found  most 
of  the  walls  hollow  within,  full  of  flues,  which  had 
not  received  fire  beat  for  some  years — probably  given 
up  in  despair.  These  flues  exist  to  this  day,  and  form 
admirable  runs  for  the  rats  ;  ferrets  have  no  chance  up 
their  almost  interminable  avenues. 

On  destroying  or  removing  some  of  these  trees,  I 
found  that  borders  of  six  or  eiglit  feet  had  been  formed 
for  them,  and  immense  quantities  of  slate,  marl,  and 
manure  lie  buried  beneath  them  ;  soil,  in  fact,  too  gross 
for  Cabbages  or  Celery.  On  borders  thus  constituted, 
I  found,  indeed,  that  the  old  steward  was  nearly  right ; 
the  trees  used  to  canker  and  blotch,  and  die  at  the 
points,  as  though  they  were,  poisoned.  Those  which 
bad  attained  a  little  age  were  crowned  at  some  of  the 
extremities  with  a  tuft  of  leaves  and  some  poor  fruit, 
whilst  the  main  stems  were  bare  as  walking-sticks.  Up 
to  tbis  period,  my  ideas  of  Peach-culture  were  much  like 
those  of  everybody  else,  excepting  tliat  1  had  long  been 
possessed  with  tlie  notion  that  there  was  something 
radically  wrong  in  the  culture  of  most  of  our  fruits. 


especially  those  iVom  hotter  climates.  About  this  period, 
appeared  some  very  seai'cbing  and  substantial  papers  in 
"  Loudon's  Magazine."  drawing  pointed  attention  to  the 
subject,  and  showing  forth  glaring  errors.  Amongst 
these,  a  Mr.  Robert  Hivers  stood  pre-eminent;  be  broke 
through  all  trammels,  and  went  immediately  to  the  root 
of  the  question.  ^Yho  tliis  man  of  sound  and  fresh 
views  was  I  never  could  learn ;  but  I  remember  regi-et- 
ting  much  that  he  never  took  pen  in  hand  again.  How- 
ever, this  paper  led  to  a  fresh  train  of  ideas ;  it  broke 
the  manacles  which  had  so  long  bound  us  to  deep  and 
rich  borders,  to  close  spurring,  and  other  matters,  which, 
instead  of  assisting  nature,  attempt  to  thwart  her;  and, 
I  have  no  doubt,  that  scores  besides  myself,  if  they  will 
be  candid,  will  confess  that  they  took  their  cue  from 
that  bold  and  simple  paper.  Henceforward,  with  me, 
a  deep  and  rich  border  was  an  abomination ;  and 
although,  in  my  first  attempts  to  apply  opposite  prin- 
ciples, I  very  naturally  went  to  an  extreme,  in  a  few 
cases,  yet  these  served  further  still  to  illusti'ate  the 
principles  on  which  fruit-bearing  habits  depended,  as 
opposed  in  some  degree  to  gi-ossness  and  luxuriance. 

It  was  found,  however,  in  the  Peach  and  Nectarine, 
that  in  order  to  command  a  sound  and  enduring  ti'ce,  it 
was  necessary  to  bav(!  a  certain  depth  of  sound  loamy 
I  soil,  from  eighteen  to  about  twenty-four  inches ;  but 
i  there  immediately  arose  the  question  of  what  relation 
I  should  this  bear  to  the  gi-ound  level  ?  Although  pre- 
viously a  neglected  stibject,  I  was  persuaded  that  much 
importance  attached  to  this  point.  It  appeared  plain  to 
me,  that  a  degree  of  di-ougbt,  or,  rather,  a  somewhat 
dry  and  mellow  condition  of  root  was  necessary  at 
certain  periods  during  the  summer ;  but  that  even  if 
this  should  not  prove  tenable  ground,  an  immunity 
from  stagnation  must  at  least  be  secured,  and  that  this, 
in  certain  localities,  could  scarcely  be  eft'ected  by  placing 
the  volume  of  prepared  compost  on  a  common  level 
with  tlie  adjacent  soil. 

In  following  out  such  practices,  I  soon  found  that  a 
much  more  moderate  amount  of  soil  would  suffice  than 
our  old  wholesale  border-maker  had  been  accustomed 
to  ;  and  that,  by  consequence,  the  production  of  Peaches 
and  Nectarines  had  been  long  rendered  a  much  more 
costly  afi'air  than  was  by  any  means  convenient;  and 
not  only  costly,  but  precarious.  This  led  to  the  idea  of 
preparing  "  siations"  for  them ;  that  is  to  say,  a  defi- 
■  nite  and  given  plot  of  gi-ound,  which  they  could  call 
i  their  own;  and  which,  from  their  defiuiteness  and  duly 
apportioned  extent  as  to  the  need  of  tlie  tree,  would  at 
all  times  throw  open  the  siuTounding  portion  of  tlie 
border  for  any  cultural  operations  necessary ;  and  not 
only  this,  hut  as  a  guide  and  limit  to  the  operations  of 
the  root-pruner,  should  his  services  become  requisite. 
Here  then,  as  far  as  I  could  discovei-,  lay  every  re- 
!  quisite  for  successful  root-culture,  witli  the  exception  of 
I  surface-dressing,  which  may  be  considered  an  extra- 
neous aft'air.  And  surely,  when  oiu-  friends  consider 
tbis  question  fairly,  they  will  very  naturally  conclude, 
that  if  such  common  crops  as  Cabbages  and  Cauli- 
j  flowers  require  some  degree  of  root-culture,  it  is  not 
\  fair  to  deny  it  to  a  Peach  or  a  Nectarine.  As  for  the 
mode  in  which  such  arrangements  act  on  the  well-being 
of  the  tree,  it  would  take  too  much  space  to  tell  the 
tale  ;  as  by  a  very  long  article  in  the  Horticultural  So- 
ciety's Journal,  by  Monsieur  Alexis  Ixpcre,  which  article 
has  occupied  many  pages  in  two  or  lln-eo  Nos.  This 
Erench  method,  to  me,  appears  overwrought  in  every 
respect :  not  one  gardener  in  a  hundred,  take  England 
through,  can  fathom  out  sucli  tedious  processes  in  con- 
nection with  tlie  demand  on  labour  which  at  present 
exists ;  and,  indeed,  neither  is  there  occasion  for  such 
niceties.  The  article  alluded  to,  liowever,  handles,  in 
tlie  most  elaborate  way,  the  modes  of  pruning,  stopping, 
thinning,  &c.  ;  including,  of  course,  all  branch-manage- 


OCTORER  13. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 


21 


merit ;  and  I  should  not  have  alluded  to  it  hero,  but  for 
the  purpose  of  pointing  to  the  much  greater  simplicity 
of  niy  courao  of  practice.  I  shall,  however,  refer  to  the 
matter  in  a  future  paper,  and  recapitulate,  for  the  benefit 
of  fresh  readers,  the  chief  maxims  in  leaf  and  branch- 
management. 

1  may  now,  perhaps,  be  permitted  to  state  the  con- 
dition of  the  Peaolies  and  Nectarines  here  treated  for 
miiuy  years  as  above  described;  and  if  I  must  praise 
them,  I  hope  it  will  not  be  considered  egotistic,  as  my 
object  is  to  recommend,  more  strongly  still,  the  course  of 
culture  pursued  for  several  years  past.  I  find,  by  my 
book,  that  I  have  already  gathered  about  917  Peaches 
and  Nectarines  of  good  quality,  from  a  length  of  wall, 
150  feet  long  by  'J  feet  high ;  and  there  are  some  '200  or 
300  remaining.  The  crop,  indeed,  has  been  so  excellent 
as  to  leave  nothing  to  desire.  But  I  cannot  remember 
the  time  when  we  had  a  bad  crop  ;  and  during  the  last 
four  or  five  years  they  have  been  so  very  plentiful  that 
it  is  scarcely  worth  while  to  point  to  any  one  season. 
The  trees,  in  general,  are  now  about  twenty  years  old, 
and  they  are  clothed,  and  bear  to  the  very  collar,  not 
one  brioic  on  the  wall  they  cover  being  wholly  visible. 
Another  point ;  the  shoots,  on  all  portions  of  the  trees, 
are  so  equal,  that  gardeners  are  sometimes  puzzled  to 
find  neither  luxuriant  nor  weak  shoots.  Those  who 
have  not  seen  them,  would  be  apt  to  fancy  the  picture 
overcharged,  but  it  is  not  so ;  and  I  merely  depicture 
their  chai'acter,  to  show  that  the  clamour  that  exists 
about  the  necessitij  for  hot  walls  and  glazed  structures  is 
most  extravagant. 

That  Peaches  and  Nectarines  may  be  grown  earlier  in 
glazed  structures,  or  artificial  heat,  is  undeniable  ;  that 
the  blossoms  may  he  easier  secured,  I  admit;  but  to  in- 
fer from  this  that  they  cannot  be  generally  depended 
on  from  the  open  wall,  I  as  stoutly  deny ;  indeed,  the 
full  crops  here  for  years  at  once  gives  it  the  denial.  But 
somehow,  in  chatting  with  persons  who  have  had  great 
failures,  and  I  have  talked  with  many  during  the  last 
year  or  two,  they  nearly  all  insist  that  this  is  a  peculiarly 
damp  or  cold  locality ;  how  is  this  when  they  are  from 
the  four  points  of  the  compass?  One  complains  loudly 
that  his  garden  is  so  high  that  every  wind  reaches  him ; 
another,  that  his  locality  is  so  low  that  the  air  is  always 
damp  !  By  this  it  would  appear  that  those  only  who 
live  half-way  down  any  given  incline  are  in  a  fortunate 
position.  Surely  this  kind  of  evidence  would  not  fit  in 
a  court  of  justice. 

The  fact  that  we.  in  this  (quarter,  had  22  degrees  of 
frost  on  the  night  of  the  20th  or  27th  of  March,  when 
our  Peaches  were  nearly  in  full  bloom,  imder  canvass 
covering,  and  that  a  crop  set  and  swelled  as  thick  as 
I  ever  knew,  surely  is  strong  evidence  that  something 
may  be  done  out-of-doors  ;  and  as  for  favoured  localities, 
why  ours  neither  is,  nor  can  be,  of  so  peculiarly  a  coax- 
ing character.  As  far  north  as  Manchester,  and  as  near 
to  the  Irish  Channel  that  our  window  sills  have  before 
now  had  a  saline  deposit  on  them  from  the  sea ;  these 
are  surely  not  indicative  of  a  Devon  or  Cornish  climate ! 

But  it  is  useless  to  tamper  with  a  question  which, 
after  all,  lies  in  a  narrower  compass  than  many  will 
admit.  After  all,  the  difference  in  localities,  whatever 
stress  is  sought  to  be  laid  on  this  point,  is  not,  by  any 
means,  so  great  as  has  been  represented :  that  is  to  say, 
admitting  that  for  the  locality  in  question,  the  cultivator 
is  prepared  with  such  appliances  as  canvass  covering,  &c. , 
Nevertheless,  I  should  like  to  know  whether  canvass  can 
be  expected  to  ensure  a  crop  of  fruit  on  a  tree  with  badly- 
ripened  wood ;  or,  if  you  will,  crippled  flower-buds  ? 
What  would  a  great  market-gardener  in  the  suburban 
districts  of  the  great  Metropolis  say  to  an  investment,  in 
the  shape  of  half-a-dozen  acres  of  Onions,  from  seed 
which  he  had  seen  growing  in  a  counti-y  far  north,  and 
half-ripened  in  September?    Would  he  expect  to  pay 


rents  and  taxes  from  such  prospects?  I  fancy  not. 
Now,  although  by  close  consideration,  something  more 
highly  illustrative  might  be  found,  yet  this,  to  really 
experienced  men,  will  throw  light  on  the  nllkir ;  or, 
indeed,  the  same  may  be  said  of  any  crop  which  naturally 
ripens  late,  and,  under  awkward  ciicumstanoes,  imper- 
fectly. And  what  may  be  expected  of  Peach  or 
Nectarine  trees,  which  are  rambling  away,  and  producing 
breast-wood  in  October?  This  will  always  be  the  case 
with  deep  and  overpowerful  soil. 

Now,  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  a  tree  growing 
in  nearly  a  yard  in  depth  of  rich  soil,  without  top-dressing, 
and  one  in  eighteen  inches  deep  of  a  free  loam,  u'ith 
annual  top-dressing ;  wliatever  the  results  may  be,  the 
most  uninformed  will  readily  perceive  that  the  two 
cases  differ  widely,  and  that  different  results  must,  of 
necessity,  take  place.  And  what  results  ?  AVhy,  in  the 
first  case,  the  tree  with  deep  roots  can  never  receive 
the  slightest  check  from  drought ;  if  the  solar  rays 
are  any  benefit  to  soils,  its  roots  are  not  in  a  posi- 
tion equal  to  the  second  case  to  receive  benefits  from 
them.  In  the  second  case,  the  whole  volume  of  roots 
are,  of  course,  more  within  the  solar  influence  in  a 
higher  degree ;  and,  moreover,  it  will  be  found,  that  by  an 
annual  surface-dressing  of  roots,  a  complete  layer  of  new 
fibres,  or  net-work,  is  formed  annually;  and  this  net- 
work is  much  more  susceptible  than  the  ordinary  roots 
of  either,  as  to  extra  sustenance,  in  the  hour  of  need,  in 
the  shape  of  liquid-manure,  or  a  temporary  check,  when 
requisite,  through  drought.  Here  lies  the  gist  of  the 
whole  affair;  and,  strange  to  say,  though  I  have  talked 
to  scores  of  persons,  in  this  way,  for  the  last  half  dozen 
years,  I  am  not  assured  that  half-a-dozen  of  them  fully 
understood  or  appreciated — what  I  must  consider— the 
importance  of  the  matter  ;  they  generally  go  av/ay  with 
a  sort  of  half  recognition  of  these  principles  :  few  differ 
from  them,  and  as  few  get  fairly  warmed  with  the 
subject. 

Now  objections  cannot  be  on  the  score  of  trouble. 
Had  I  space,  I  could  soon  show  that  my  practice  causes 
much  less  trouble  ;  not  that  I  would  judge  every  assumed 
improvement  in  horticulture  on  the  score  of  trouble 
alone ;  although  what  is  termed  extra  trouble  generally 
means  extra  labour,  and  this  assuredly  is  not  the  chief 
requisite  in  modern  improvements;  such  are  scarcely 
recognised  in  these  days  unless  marked  by  a  high 
degree  of  simplification,  and,  by  consequence,  economy. 
Let  it  7Wt,  however,  be  understood  that  I  repudiate 
the  propriety  of  erecting  glazed  structures  for  a 
higher  degree  of  cultivation  in  our  superior  fruits.  I 
am  quite  aware  that  some  persons  may  conclude  that 
such  is  the  case  ;  but  it  is  not  so.  I  verily  believe  that 
much  may  be  done  this  way  in  these  days  of  cheap 
glass,  bricks,  &c.  But  I  do  hold  it  a  duty  incumbent 
on  those  who  pi-etend  to  assist  in  furnishing  ideas  to  a 
public — too  busy  in  the  main  to  attend  to  the  minutiae 
of  practical  professionals — to  nicely  distinguish  such 
matters,  and  so  to  separate  the  parts  of  any  given 
question,  as,  in  the  language  of  oiu-  bluff  sailors, 
to  "  lot  every  tub  stand  on  its  own  bottom."  So, 
that  whilst  I  attempt  to  prove  that  Peaches  and  Nec- 
tai'ines  may  be  grown  with  certainty  on  our  open 
walls,  in  at  least  three-parts  of  this  kingdom,  I  also 
think,  that  all  those  who  can  afford  it  will  do  well  to 
possess  themselves  of  an  orchai'd-house,  covered  walls, 
or,  it  may  be,  such  structures  as  Ewing's  glass  walls ; 
although  about  the  latter  I  have  no  experience ;  they 
require  a  little  farther  trial  before  a  safe  judgment  can 
be  pronounced.  The  trial  now  going  on  in  the  Horti- 
cultural Gardens,  and  some  other  places,  will  tend 
speedily  to  decide  the  question. 

I  intend,  during  the  rest  season,  to  look  into  the 
question  of  glazed  structures,  and  the  character  and 
needs  of  those  fruits  which  are  likely  to  become  candi- 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


October  13. 


dates  for  them,  together  witli  bearing  on  other  portions 
of  a  garden  establishment,  for  it  is  a  question  not  to  be 
settled  iu  the  abstract  alone.  So  many  demands  exist 
for  an  increase  of  glass  in  most  gardens,  that  whoever 
builds  structures  for  I'ruits  will  speedily  find  other  can- 
didates at  his  elbow  seeking  admission,  although  only 
as  temporary  residents.  R.  EnKixcTON. 


PILLAR  ROSES. 

Ever  since  I  described  the  extraordinary  specimens 
of  Pillar  Roses  at  llank  Grove,  near  Kingston,  and 
learned  myself,  from  the  living  facts  beibro  me,  liow 
Pillar  Roses  ought  to  be  begun,  carried  on,  and  iinished 
in  perfection,  1  felt  both  the  necessity  of  spreading  a 
knowledge  of  tlie  wliole  process  among  amateurs,  and 
that  I  should  be  called  on  to  do  so  wlien  the  time  of 
planting  and  pruning  came  round  ;  so  that  I  have  been 
repeating  or  reliearsing  to  myself,  for  tlie  last  two  or 
three  months,  tlje  substance  of  this  communication,  but 
without  anticipating  the  rise  of  the  curtain  so  early  in 
the  season  ;  and  if  I  am  too  early,  the  first  glance  from 
behind  the  curtain  must  be  my  only  apology  and  excuse, 
and  that  glance  revealed  a  stag's  head  with  "  branching 
horns,"  and  tliis  motto  all  round,  Lahar  omnia  vincit, 
which,  in  tlie  instance  before  us,  means  that  diligence 
will  overcome  all  difficulties  about  Pillar  Roses  and 
other  things.  Under  this  motto  are  three  initial  letters, 
and  the  person  they  represent  begins  by  saying,  "  I  have 
a  Pillar  Rose,  Blairii,  No.  2.  It  is  eight  feet  liigh. 
Last  year  it  was  covered  with  bloom.  This  year  it 
bloomed  only  at  the  top.  This  Rose  is  now  (Sept.  28) 
almost  leaUess ;  the  long  branches  are  thin  and  scraggy ; 
there  is  not  a  leaf  as  high  as  I  can  reacli,  but  at  the  top 
it  is  green  enough.  It  had  no  summer-pruning,  nor  any 
manure  tliat  I  know  of  since  it  was  planted.  Can  you 
tell  me  what  is  the  matter  with  it,  and  what  I  ought  to 
do  with  it?"  Thero  is  no  question  at  all  as  to  what  is 
the  matter  with  it,  neither  is  there  much  difficulty  about 
a  decision  as  to  what  ought  to  be  done  with  it. 
Whether  the  late  Sir  John  Broughton,  or  his  gardener, 
was  the  first  person  who  thought  of  gi'owing  Pillar 
Pvoses,  or  whetlier  the  Roses  formed  by  them  into  pillars 
are  the  oldest  Pillar  Roses  in  the  world,  or  not,  I  cannot 
make  out,  but  I  am  almost  sure  there  are  now  more 
Pillar  Roses  at  Bank  Grove,  in  the  highest  degree  of 
perfection,  than  can  be  ibund  in  any  other  garden  of 
equal  extent  in  any  part  of  the  globe. 

Now,  when  we  take  into  consideration  that  no  treatise, 
nor  even  the  most  commonplace  directions,  were  in 
print  for  many  years  after  these  Roses  were  being 
formed  into  pillars,  it  is  not  to  ho  wondered  at  to  find 
one  or  two  (only  so  many)  failures  in  the  then  unex- 
ampled experiment,  and  the  most  conspicuous  of  the 
two  failures  is  No.  2,  Blairii,  a  magnificent  tree,  rather 
than  a  pillar,  fidl  sixteen  feet  high ;  but  now  the  first 
ten  feet  from  the  bottom  are  rather  scanty  of  wood. 

I  recollect,  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday,  going  over  to 
the  Clapton  Nurseiy,  to  sec  Mr  J^ow,  on  the  evening  of 
the  passing  of  the  Catholic  Relief  Bill  in  tlie  House  of 
Lords,  and  there  met  JNIr.  Blair,  who  was  then  gardener 
in  that  neighbourhood,  and  who  told  us  of  his  success 
in  raising  a  much  belter  Rose  than  the  one  called  alter 
him.  This  is  our  Blairii,  No.  2,  and  I  should  suppose 
that  Sir  John  Broughton  would  have  planted  it  either 
in  the  autumn  of  IS:!  I,  or  in  the  spring  of  18:12.  From 
these  dates,  it  is  open  to  any  one  to  correct  my  state- 
ments, if  I  am  wrong  about  the  want  of  a  guide  lor 
making  I'iUar  Roses  ijefore  the  passing  of  the  Reform 
Bill. 

There  must  be  something  peculiar  in  the  habit  of 
Blairii  No.  2,  when  it  so  far  deceived  the  gardeners  at 


Bank  Grove  as  to  become  leggy,  after  they  managed  to 
get  up  the  common  Moxs  Hose  to  eleven  feet  high  on 
its  own  roots,  and  clothed  to  the  very  grass  with  abun- 
dance of  flowering  shoots  in  the  utmost  health,  and 
that,  too,  in  a  garden  with  the  natiu'al  soil  as  )ioor  and 
sandy  as  any  in  this  kingdom.  When  a  really  good 
Rose  "  comes  out,"  more  especially  in  those  days,  they 
could  not  aflbrd  to  make  cuttings  of  it;  every  bud  must 
tell  for  a  plant;  and  so  it  was  that  this  plant  was  worked 
on  the  Dog  Rose,  and  that  alone  accounts  ibr  the  naked- 
ness complained  of  This  Rose  is  naturally  more  vigo- 
rous than  the  Dog  Rose  ;  but,  for  the  first  seven  years 
after  planting,  the  stock  and  tlie  head  progi'cssed  more 
on  an  equality  than  they  have  done  since.  The  roots 
of  the  Dog  Rose,  by  this  time,  reached  the  outside  of 
the  bed,  and  stuck  into  a  moist,  sandy  bottom,  and  the 
head  drew  more,  or  would  have  di'avm  more,  sap,  if  it 
could,  than  roots  in  such  unfavourable  circumstances 
could  gather  and  send  up.  The  head  soon  told  the  tale 
about  the  poor  soil  below  ;  the  gardener  took  the  hint, 
root-pruned,  and  enlarged  the  bed  for  a  fresh  start ;  by 
this  time  the  equality  or  equilibrium  between  the  roots 
and  the  head  was  gone,  and,  like  all  trained  trees, — 
whether  they  bo  Rose-trees,  or  Pear-trees,  or  any  other 
trees, — the  topmost  shoots  came  the  strongest,  and  the 
more  strong  they,  the  weaker  those  at  the  bottom  be 
came,  till  at  last  thero  is  hardly  such  a  thing  as  a 
healthy  shoot  as  high  as  one  can  reach.  The  Peach- 
tree,  trained  against  a  wall,  is  the  next  best  exemplifi- 
cation of  this  condition  of  things. 

When  we  want  a  fine  specimen  of  a  Portugal  Laurel, 
or  Laurustinus,  or  of  a  pyramidal  iruit-tree,  as  a  Pear  or 
Apple,  we  must  begin,  and  always  continue,  to  allow 
the  bottom  tier  of  brandies  to  be  the  longest,  and  every 
successive  tier  above  that  must  be  a  little  shorter  than 
the  one  below  it ;  as  long  as  this  goes  on,  it  matters 
not  if  the  top  is  so  high  that  a  swallow  could  not  ily 
over  it,  it  will  never  get  top-heavy,  and  tlie  top  shoots 
can  never  starve  the  bottom  ones  by  over  suction.  It 
is  not  exactly  on  this  very  plan  that  Pillar  .Roses  are 
brought  up  in  perfection,  but  the  princi])le  is  just  the 
same:  the  strongest  part  of  the  Pillar  Rose,  or  of  the 
specimen  plant  or  tree,  must  always  be  the  bottom  part. 
Roses,  in  general,  and  particularly  those  of  them  that 
are  naturally  best  fitted  for  being  made  into  pillars,  have 
that  kind  of  habit  which  is  easiest  to  manage  and  mould 
into  the  form  of  a  pillar  than  into  any  other  form  what- 
ever, that  is,  their  habit  of  throwing  up  strong  suckers 
from  the  collar  of  the  plant,  so  that  we  should  always 
have  more  wood  at  the  bottom  than  we  needed,  instead 
of  bare  wood,  were  it  not  that  such  Roses  are  budded 
and  made  to  grow  on  other  roots  than  their  own.  thus 
depriving  them,  in  a  groat  measure,  of  their  natural 
propensity  of  throwing  up  suckers.  Accoriling  to  our 
jtresent  mode,  the  suckers  must  come  from  the  Dog  Rose 
collar,  and  these  wo  must  battle  against;  instead  of  their 
coming  in  so  liandy  as  they  would  do,  wore  they  natural 
suckers  to  that  particular  Pillar  Rose,  we  are  compelled 
to  witness  the  nakedness  at  the  bottom  become  more 
naked,  year  after  year,  and  still  are  obliged  to  rub  oil' 
suckers  as  fast  as  they  rise ;  surely,  then,  wo  are  not  yet 
on  the  best  road  to  easy  success  with  Blairii.  No.  2,  and 
many  more  such  Roses.  Lot  us,  therefore,  turn  to  a 
new  loaf,  and  from  this  season  never  plant  another  Rose 
which  is  intended  for  a  pillar,  except  it  be  on  its  own 
roots,  and  not  budded  on  any  other  stock  whatever. 
Ten  feet  is  a  good  height  for  most  of  the  strong  Pillar 
Roses ;  and  when  we  have  the  proof  of  the  practice 
before  our  eyes,  in  that  several  varieties  of  the  Jl/o.w 
/I'o.s'C  are  higher  than  ten  feet  on  their  own  roots,  and 
also  that  Jloss  Roses  require  the  very  best  soil,  we  need 
not  doubt  for  one  moment  that  all  and  every  one  of  the 
llijhrid  Chinas  and  Jhjhrid  pcrjicliial.i,  above  the  me- 
dium-sized kinds,  as  Ihicliess  of  SiiLherhniil,  will  do  Ibr 


October  V3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEH. 


2;j 


Pillar  Roses  much  easier,  and  in  a  worse  soil,  thau  any 
of  the  Mosses,  if  they  are  on  their  own  roots. 

It  is  more  from  prejudice,  and  for  the  mere  cou- 
veuience  of  tlio  dealers  in  Hoses,  that  Roses  are  budded 
at  all ;  at  any  rate,  it  is  not  from  any  good  budding 
caupossihly  be  to  the  Rose  itself,  unless,  perhaps,  to  the 
very  weakest ;  aud  what  is  more  strange  than  all,  the 
weakest  Roses,  and  those  of  most  tender  constitutions, 
as  some  Chinas,  and  Tea  Roses,  are  left  to  shift  on  their 
own  roots  entirely.  If  I  was  young  again,  and  with  my 
present  experience,  I  would  make  up  my  mind  never  again 
to  plant  any  Rose  whatever,  except  standard  Hoses,  but 
on  its  own  roots.  I  would  then  get  rid  of  all  the  bother 
and  disappointment  caused  by  unsuitable  stocks,  and 
want,  or  supposed  want,  of  Ilosc  soils.  All  our  best 
Pillar  Roses  ought  certainly  to  be  propagated  from 
cuttings  and  layers,  instead  of  from  buds,  but  they 
never  will,  in  a  regular  way  of  business,  imtil  the  public 
have  sufficient  time  to  prove  that  many  Roses  can 
hardly  be  made  into  decent  pillars,  after  the  first  few 
years,  and  that,  under  all  circumstances,  it  is  far  more 
difficult  to  manage  a  worked  Rose  pOlar,  than  one  on  its 
own  root. 

This  settled,  let  us  now  suppose  a  case  in  which  a 
gentleman  has  bought  or  built  a  new  house,  the  garden, 
aud  all  the  rest  of  tlie  land  being  also  new  to  planting, 
and  that  he  read  of  the  splendid  Pillar  Roses  at  Rank 
1  Grove,  in  The  Cottage  Gardener;  if  he  has  any  taste 
at  all  for  gardening,  aud  if  he  has  not,  let  us  hope  he  is 
not  married,  lie  would  surely  wish  to  have  one  Pillar 
Rose,  if  only  one,  but  having  heard  that  Blairii  No.  2, 
one  of  the  finest  for  pillars,  is  so  apt  to  got  bare  below, 
and  turn  shabby,  after  a  few  years,  he  would  wisli  for  it, 
but  still  fears  the  trouble,  and  much  more  the  dis- 
appointment, and  makes  up  his  mind  for  Coupe  d'Hehe, 
or  Madame  Laff'ay,  or  some  such  easy-to-manago  kind. 
Here  The  Cottage  Gardener  steps  in,  and  thinks,  if 
he  can  make  it  out,  as  plain  as  can  be,  that  Blairii  No.  2 
can  be  so  managed,  that  nothing  but  sheer  inattention 
to  the  simplest  rule  can  cause  any  one  to  fail  with  it, 
all  other  Pillar  Roses  may  be  taken  in  hand  with  a 
certainty.  It  is  more  than  likely,  that  any  of  the  large 
growers  can  supply  plants  of  this  Hose  from  cuttings,  as 
it  comes  from  cuttings  in  tlie  spring  as  easily  as  a 
Verbena,  that  is,  if  tlie  old  plant  is  forced,  and  cuttings 
made  of  the  young  shoots ;  at  all  events,  we  must  have 
a  good,  healthy,  young  jilant  of  it,  on  its  own  roots,  to 
begin  the  pillar,  and  good  fresh  loam,  with  a  spadeful  or 
two  of  solid  rotten  dung  to  plant  it  in,  and  then  we 
must  prune  it  on  the  close  system,  down  to  three  or 
four  eyes,  and  water  it  occasionally  through  the  first 
summer. 

It  is  at  the  next  pruning,  this  time  next  year,  that 
one  is  apt  to  make  the  first  mistake  with  it.  I  am  per- 
suaded that  Pillar  Roses  ought  certainly  to  be  pruned 
for  the  first  six  or  seven  years,  by  the  end  of  October, 
unless  the  season  is  very  mild  indeed,  such  as  we  had 
this  time  last  year.  In  that  case,  the  end  of  November, 
or  any  time  before  the  new  year,  would  be  early  enough 
for  the  jiruning.  We  shall  take  it  for  granted,  that  our 
young  Pillar  Rose  made  three  shoots  the  first  season, 
one  of  them  being  stronger  than  the  other  two  put 
together,  and  considering  that  the  form  is  to  be  that  of 
a  pillar,  nothing  seems  more  natural  than  that  the 
strongest  shoot  should  be  cut  down  to  one-half  its 
length — say  to  three  feet,  as  a  foundation  to  the  pillar, 
and  that  the  other  two  were  cut  to  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  bottom,  to  make  sure  of  a  succession  of  wood, 
and  that  plan  woidd  do  very  well  with  a  great  number 
of  Roses,  but  not  with  Blairii,  aud  a  lew  others  that  are 
equally  strong ;  so  sure  as  you  are  alive,  if  that  Rose 
was  cut  so  at  that  age,  or  at  any  time  during  the  first 
ten  years,  so  sure  the  attempt  to  make  a  fine  balanced 
pillar  of  it  would  fail,  the  strong  shoot  would  keep  the 


lead,  and  get  stronger  and  stronger  every  year,  and  the 
young  idea  might  be  thinking,  all  the  time,  that  nothing 
could  be  more  promising,  hut  by-and-by,  the  bottom 
begins  to  got  bare  of  shoots  and  loaves,  and  the  tale  ends 
like  that  of  our  correspondent's. 

There  is  not  an  amateur  out  of  a  score  who  could 
explain  the  first  mistake  of  cutting  the  strongest  shoot 
to  three  feet  only,  which  was  the  sole  and  entire  cause 
of  the  present  failure.  An  experienced  Rose  grower  can 
see  it  at  once.  If  this  Rose  gets  away  in  the  head  while 
the  plant  is  young,  it  is  not  disposed  to  make  suckers  in 
after  years,  therefore  it  must  be  a  very  great  mistake  to 
allow  it,  while  it  is  young,  to  make  one  shoot  stromjer 
than  another;  but  the  first  year  that  could  not  be  helped; 
at  the  second  pruning,  instead  of  leaving  tlie  strongest 
shoot  three  feet  long,  it  ought  to  have  been  cut  down  to 
six  inches,  and  the  two  weaker  ones,  instead  of  being 
cut  into  a  few  buds,  ought  to  have  been  left  at  half  their 
length;  just  the  very  opposite  of  wliat  we  supposed 
would  be  the  case,  and  that  which  is  done  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten.  Trees  and  buslies,  however,  which  are  trained 
for  particular  purposes,  and  into  particular  forms,  must 
be  managed  and  set  off  at  first  ratlier  by  jiarticular 
modes  of  pruning  than  by  any  fanciful  training ;  and 
here  is  an  example — the  weaker  shoots  of  this  Rose  are 
left  longer  than  the  stronger  one,  in  order  to  get  three, 
four,  or  five  shoots  direct  from  the  bottom,  and  each  of 
them  of  as  near  the  same  strength  as  possible. 

Thus,  in  one  small  sentence,  we  have  the  whole  art 
and  mystery   of    keeping  Pillar  Roses  in  health  and 
beauty  for  an  indefinite  period  explained  ;  got  a  certain 
number  of  shoots  from  the  very  bottom,  not  less  than 
three,  and  it  is  only  bad  management,  or  very  bad  soil 
and  late  spring  frosts,  that  can  ever  do  them  much  harm 
afterwards.     15ut,  with  the  best  management,  and  under 
favourable  circumstances,  some  of  tbese  strong  Roses 
have  already  failed  under  the  more  ordinary  practice  of 
the  gardener,  therefore  it  is  not  now  necessary  to  repeat 
the  experiment  to  prove  the  fact.     Very  many  of  the 
best  Pillar  Roses  throw  up  such  a  quantity  of  suckers, 
if  they  are  grown  on  their  own  roots,  that  the  difficulty 
is  to  know  how  to  dispose  of  them  for  the  first  few  years; 
yet,  to  such  as  do  not  thoroughly  understand  the  rules 
for  pruning  different  Roses,  I  would  advise  the  plan  of 
not  allowing  any  Rose  intended  for  a  pillar  to  grow  up 
with  one  strong  stem  in  the  middle,  but  always  with  five 
shoots,  if  possible,  of  the  same  strength  ;  and  after  that, 
whenever  a  shoot  much  stronger  than  the  rest  appears, 
instead  of  encouraging  it  on,  and  making  use  of  it  as  a 
centre,  it  ought  to  be  stopped  before  it  gets  more  than  a 
foot  or  eighteen  inches  long.    I  would  insist  on  this  rule, 
particularly  after  reaching  the  height  of  seven  feet.     It 
is  just  as  treacherous  to  allow  robbers  above  that  height 
in  a  Pillar  Rose,  as  it'would  be  at  the  top  of  a  full-spread- 
ing Peach ;  and  we  all  recollect  the  earnestness  with 
which  Mr.   Errington   bids  us  to  be  careful  of  them 
whenever  or  wheresoever  they  may  appear  in  fruit  trees. 
To  sum  up  in  a  few  words — Use  strong,  young  plants 
on  their  own  roots  for  Pillar  Roses ;  prune  them  the 
first  two  years,  so  as  to  encourage  a  few  healthy  and 
equally  strong  shoots  from  the  very  bottom ;  continue 
at  least  three  shoots  of  equal  length  for  a  centre,  the 
other  shoots  to  be  cut  to  diflerent  lengths,  to  keep  up  a 
succession  of  young  wood,  and  form  the  outline  of  the 
pillar ;  never  allow  one  shoot  to  get  much  stronger  than 
the  average  strength  of  the  principals  or  centre  shoots ; 
never  attempt  to  get  up  a  PiUar  Rose  with  only  one 
shoot  for  a  centre,  until  you  have  mastered  the  mysteries 
of  the  art  of  pruning  ;  and  never  lose  sight  of  the  fact, 
that  all  the  pruning  in  the  world  will  not  save  a  few 
Roses  from  ultimate  failure,  if  they  are  first  brought  up 
with  only  one  strong  shoot  in  the  centre,  and  Blairii 
No.  2  is  one  of  them,     ilijhrid  Chinas,  aud  all  other 
summer  Roses,  ought  to  have  the  principal  pruning  for 


Ui 


TIJK  COTTAGE  GARUKNER. 


OcToiiri;  M. 


tlic  year  wheu  the  flowering  is  over  ;  ami  all  tlie  winter 
pruning  tliey  need,  is  to  tliin  out  slioots  where  they  are 
too  crowded,  to  cut  out  very  weak  cues  altogether,  iind 
to  cut  ofl'  the  points  of  the  rest  so  as  to  l;ee]i  tlie  sym- 
metry of  the  pillar.  Summer-pruning  is  the  grand 
secret:  winter-pruning  the  bane  of  this  class.  But  for 
Hijlirid  Pcrpetuals,  it  is  in  tlie  winter-pruning  alone 
that  we  must  look  for  beauty  and  success  in  tlie  follow- 
ing season. 

And  now,  as  to  how  to  deal  with  the  bare  Pillar  Rose, 
Bhiirii  No.  i.  There  are  only  two  ways  to  deal  etf'ec- 
tually  with  such  an  extreme  case.  I  have  seen  ])alliatives 
enough  tried  and  fail  with  such  instances.  It  is  of  no 
use  to  beat  about  the  bush  in  such  cases:  the  first  of  the 
two   remedies   is  the   most   effective,  but  goes  liardest 


autumn,  a  key-note  is  furnished  as  to  the  mode  of  its 
successful  treatment:  and  to  a  few  points  in  that  mode  I 
will  shortly  refer. 

I.  PropiHjation. — There  is  little  difficulty  in  this,  pro- 
vided nice  young  shoots,  from  two  to  three  inches  in 
length,  be  obtained  from  April  to  June,  just  taken  otl' 
with  a  heel,  that  is,  slipped  oti'  close  to  the  older  shoot 
whence  they  proceed,  or  so  old  as  to  be  getting  firmish 
at  the  bud,  against  the  base  of  which  you  make  a 
horizontal  clear  cut.  Insert  these  in  sand,  over  sandy 
peat,  in  pots  three-parts  lilled  with  drainage :  fix  them 
firmly  by  watering,  and  when  tlie  tops  are  dry,  place  a 
bell-glass  firmly  over  them,  and  place  them  so  that  they 
may  have  a  bottom-heat  of  7ii'',  and  a  top  temperature 
ranging  from  ■<'}°  to  (i.')".     Pot  ofi'  as  soon  as  stinick ; 


against  the  grain — it  is  to  cut  down  the  whole  pillar  to  |  keep  close  until  growth  is  freely  proceeding,  and  then 
within  one  foot  of  the  ground,  to  renew  the  bed,  and  to  [  give  air  gradually  at  lirst,  and  then  plentifully.  J  have 
water  frequently  with  strong  manure-water  for  the  next  !  alluded  so  often  to  the  rationale  involved  in  this — 
half-dozen  years,  when  this  very  pillar  would  be  ten  feet  |  shading,  kc,  that  it  would  bo  no  compliment  to  the 
high,  and  in  the  highest  possible  healtli,  providing  the  j  readers  of  tins  work  now  to  repeat  them  at  length. 
roots  are  good.  The  second  plan  is,  to  bend  down  the  ,  i.  Choosing  Plants  in  a  Niirserij. — Much  that  was 
pillar  very  carefully,  as  low  as  possible,  next  February;  said  about  the  ErioslemiDi  will  be  perfectly  applicable 
to  keep  it  down  in  that  position,  tied  to  stakes,  i'or  a  [  here, 
season,  and  perhaps  two   seasons,  imtil   suckers   were 


forced  from  the  bottom,  then  to  cover  tlie  naked  parts 
with  them,  and  ultimately,  the  old  rose  to  be  only  a 
mere  centre  piece  to  tlie  renewed  pillar. 

D.  Be.vton. 


CROWE  A  SALIGNA. 

This  genus  is  commemorative  of  a  I'ritish  Botanist. 
There  are  several  species  or  varieties,  such  as  elUptka 
(oval-leaved),  stricta  (upright-growing),  lat'ifoUa  (broad- 
leaved),  and  salignd  (Willow-leaved) ;  but  the  mode  of 
growth,  and  the  form  of  the  leaves,  are  the  chief  dis- 
tinguishing characteristics,  as  the  pretty  flowers  are 
mostly  pink  and  purple,  the  one  shading  into  the  other 
considerably,  according  to  the  degree  of  shade  and 
briglit  sunshine  to  which  the  plants  are  subjected. 
Judging  from  the  prevailing  tastes,  we  cannot  be  wrong 
in  taking  Crowea  saligna  as  a  good  type  of  the  genus, 
and  the  treatment  that  it  re(iuires  as  applicable  to  most, 
if  not  all,  of  the  others.  It  is  a  near  door  neighbour  of 
the  Boronids  and  Eriostemons. 

It  is  seldom  to  be  met  with  in  a  first-rate  condition, 
unless  on  the  exhibition  tables  of  some  great  Societies. 
This,  I  think,  is  owing  to  two  causes ;  the  first  is,  that 
the  purchaser,  seeing  the   plant  when  in  bloom,  and 
receiving  no  particular  attention  then,  is  apt  to  imagine 
that  it  requires  none  ;  and  the  second  is,  that  so  much 
has  been  said  of  the  hardiness  of  New  Holland  plants, 
and  the  amount  of  cold  they  will  bear  in  their  native 
localities  uninjured,  that  wo  are  too  apt  to  indulge  them 
with  a  New  Holland  winter,  leaving  them  to  shift  as 
they  best  can  for  the  natural  summers  of  these  latitudes ; 
a  course  of  management,  which,  if  it  keeps  the  Croicea 
in  existence,  will  assuredly  prevent  it  exhibiting  first- 
rate  marks  of  excellence.     The  great  thing  with  such 
plants  is  to  combine,  in  one  summer,  a  growing,  a 
lalooming,  and  a  maturing  period,  and  then  the  winter 
may  be  looked  upon  purely  as  a  period  of  resting,  just 
keeping  the  plant  almost  the  same  as  the  autumn  left  it, 
with  but  little  growth.     But  all  this  cannot  be  done, 
year  after  year,  if  the  plant  is  always  confined  to  the 
treatment  generally  given  to   the   denizens  of  a  cool 
greenhouse.     If  kept  cool,  and  with  plouty  of  air  in 
spring,  it  will  rarely  bloom  until  late  in  summer  and 
autumn,  and  unless  the  latter  season  is  very  bright  and 
warm,  and  the  plant  enjoys  it  all,  the  wood  will  not  be 
sufKciently  matured  to  produce  flowering  shoots  next 
season.     Keeping  in  view  that  tlie  bloom,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  Vine,  is  produced  on  the  current  year's  shoots, 
proceeding  from  the  well-ripened  shoots  of  the  previous 


A  nice  young  plant,  furnished  to  the  base  with 
young  shoots,  or  capable  of  being  so  furnished,  by 
stopping  and  pruning  those  aheady  there,  combined 
with  freedom  from  crampedness  of  the  roots  for  pot- 
room,  are  essential  conditions  for  forming  a  nice 
specimen. 

;!.  Tniimng. — From  the  first  this  must  be  kept 
steadily  in  view.  All  modes  have  their  peculiar  ad- 
vantages. For  this,  I  would  decidedly  prefer  the  conical, 
as  not  only  looking  well,  but  involving  least  trouble,  as 
when  once  the  plant  is  formed,  and  supported  with  one 
neat  stake  in  the  centre,  little  more  than  an  annual 
pruning,  and  a  little  annual  arranging,  and  hasping  of 
the  young  shoots  will  be  necessary.  The  lower  shoots 
must,  for  this  mode,  therefore,  be  early  hooked  down, 
or  hasped  down  in  a  nearly  horizontal  position,  by  con- 
necting them  with  a  thread  to  another  string  or  wire 
fastened  round  the  rim  of  the  pot. 

4.  Potting. — Unless  great  care  is  taken  in  the  water- 
ing, this  plant  is  impatient  of  large  shifts.  Wlien  the 
plant  is  small,  half-an-inch  from  the  ball  to  the  side  of 
the  pot  will  be  sufficient.  As  tlie  plants  get  larger,  one 
inch  will  be  ample,  unless  the  operator  studies  and  prac- 
tises what  has  already  been  said  on  the  one-shift  system. 
Be  the  plant  young  or  old,  as  it  will  be  both  economical 
and  of  advantage  to  the  plant  to  keep  it  cool  (resting ) 
in  winter,  the  roots  should  be  fastening  round  the  sides 
of  the  pot  before  the  dark  days  come,  and,  therefore, 
with  plants  several  years  of  age  it  will  not  be  advisable 
to  repot  after  the  middle  of  .1  uly.  Young  ones  intended 
to  be  grown  and  not  bloomed  may  be  potted  later. 

T).  Soil. — This  should  consist  chiefly  of  fibry  peat, 
kept  open  with  a  fourth  part  of  broken  pots,  sand-stone, 
chai'coal,  and  silver  sand.  As  the  plants  got  largo  a 
little  libry  sandy  loam  may  be  added.  Drainage  must 
be  duly  attended  to,  and  the  new  soil  pressed  firm 
round  the  ball,  and  left  slightly  higher  than  the  old  to 
make  up  for  sinking.  This  not  only  secures  the  old 
soil  being  thoroughly  watered,  but  prevents  the  new 
soil  from  being  unduly  soaked  before  there  al'e  roots  in 
it  to  suck  up  the  moisture. 

fi.  Position,  Temperature,  General  Management  — I 
will  take,  as  the  basis  in  this  division  of  my  remarks, 
a  nice  young  plant  that  it  is  desirable  to  grow  on,  or  a 
I  plant  that  has  bloomed  early,  and  that  is  desired  to 
flower  well  again.  I  may  just  remark,  that  when  the 
blooming  and  growing  has  been  going  on  cotemporano- 
ously,  there  will  be  the  less  occasion  to  encourage  the 
principle  of  growth  slowly,  and,  therefore,  the  plants,  in 
summer,  may  he  kept  more  airy  than  1  licvr  advise,  lu 
general  cases,  however,  tlio  following  tiratmont  will 
auswcr.     In  June  and  July,  and  part  of  August,  keep 


OcToiinu  l;>. 


■IHR  Corj'AGE  UAKDHNRR. 


tlie  plants  in  a  close,  moist  nimosphevo,  at  one  eml  of  a 
gveeulionse ;  or,  wliatis  better  still,  in  a  cold  pit,  where,  by 
watering  the  iloor,  syringing  over  bead  niglitand  morn-  I 
ing,  and  keeping  ratlicr  close,  a  moist  atmosphere  may 
be  obtained  without  more  shading  than  can  be  done 
without,  and  a  temperature  of  from  O.")"  to  (15°  at  night, 
and  from  7')"  to  M:")°  during  the  day.  In  the  middle 
of  very  liot  days  a  slight  shading  will  be  necessary. 
The  moist  atmosphere,  and  the  syringing,  will  help 
to  keep  its  greatest  enemy,  the  red  spider,  at  a  distance. 
From  the  middle  of  August,  on  to  the  middle  of  October, 
more  air  should  be  given  ;  the  syringe  be  discontinued 
by  degrees;  the  sashes  left  off  night  and  morning  at 
first,  and  altogether  during  the  day  in  fine  weather,  in 
September;  everything  being  done  to  harden  the  wood, 
and  to  efi'ect  this,  giving  no  more  water  even  at  the  root 
than  is  necessary.  By  the  middle  of  October,  the  plants 
should  have  an  open  airy  place  in  the  greenhouse ;  and 
during  the  winter,  an  average  temperature  of  from  40' 
to  45°  at  night  will  answer.  When  it  is  desired  to  bloom 
a  plant  early  in  summer,  the  points  of  the  shoots  should 
be  nipped  in  tlie  middle  of  September,  and  this  will 
swell  the  buds  at  their  base.  By  the  end  of  March,  these 
shoots  should  be  well  pruned  back,  if  the  plants  shortly 
afterwards  can  obtain  a  moist  atmosphere,  and  a  tempera- 
ture of  from  r);"!"  to  (iO"  at  night,  and  a  proportionate  rise 
of  from  10°  to  10°  during  the  day,  from  sunshine. 
Sprinkling  the  plant  over  head  should  also  be  frequently 
resorted  to,  to  cause  the  buds  to  break  freely.  Weak 
shoots  should  then .  be  thinned  out,  and  a  suitable 
number  of  those  somewhat  equal  in  strength  selected. 
When  these  are  from  three  to  six  inches  in  length,  more 
air  gradually  should  bo  giveu  them ;  and  when  they 
show  bloom,  they  should  be  moved  to  a  drier  atmosphere 
in  the  greenhouse.  Even  when  there,  however,  they 
like  a  closer  place,  and  freer  from  cold  draughts,  than 
would  suit  many  other  Lard-wooded  plants.  A  distance 
from  the  ventilator,  a  coolisli  temperature,  a  moistish 
atmosphere,  such  as  that  obtained  by  placing  damp 
moss  in  the  vicinity  of  the  pot,  and  an  almost  unshaded 
exposure  to  light,  are  the  circumstances  for  continuing 
the  bloom,  and  having  it  bright.  In  watering,  pure  soft 
water  will  in  general  be  best ;,  but  weak  manure- 
waterings  may  be  given  once  or  twice  a  week  from  the 
time  the  young  shoots,  after  pruning  back,  are  from  three 
to  six  inches  in  length,  until  the  blooming  is  nearly  over. 
During  flowering,  the  syringing  should  be  changed  in 
an  evening  into  what  was  explained  under  the  term 
dusting,  and  that  will  keep  the  red  spider  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance. If  not  it  must  be  steamed,  with  fumes  from  a 
hot-water  plate,  or  syringed  with  the  sulphur  in  water ; 
the  latter,  however,  at  the  risk  of  spoiling  the  look  of 
the  plant  for  some  time. 

I  have  not  grown  this  beautiful  plant  for  some  time, 
but  years  ago,  I  found  tliese  minutias  necessary  to 
success,  and  that  the  neglect  of  any  of  them  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  corresponding  disappointment.  I  have  tried 
resting  the  plant  a  little  after  blooming,  and  then 
pruning  it  in  the  beginning  of  autumn,  keeping  it  at 
one  time  in  a  cool  greenhouse,  and  in  another  in  a 
medium  house  temperature  during  the  winter ;  but  in 
neither  case  did  the  plant  do  so  well  as  when  grown  in 
summer,  ripened  in  autumn,  rested  in  a  cool  temperature 
in  winter,  and  pruned  and  then  started  with  extra  heat 
in  spring.  R.  Fish, 


STOVE  I'ERNS. 

In  giving  a  list  of  Stove  Eerns,  I  shall  confine  myself 
to  such  as  can  be  readily  procured,  easily  cultivated, 
and  are  of  considerable  beauty — three  points  of  great  im- 
portance to  cultivators  generally.  The  task  is  rather  a 
heavy  one,  because  there  have  been  lately  great  altera- 


tions made  in  the  names  of  Ferns,  by  Mr.  Smith,  the 
talented  and  learned  sub-curator  of  the  Royal  Gardens 
at  Kew.  As,  however,  these  names  have  now  the 
sanction  of  Sir  William  Hooker,  I  think  they  ought  to 
be  followed  by  every  grower  of  these  charming  plants. 
I  shiil!  airange  them  alphabetically,  as  being  more  easy 
of  reference,  adding  occasional  hints  oi'  such  peculiar 
cultivation  as  each  species  may  require. 

ALMiosTicrn'M  AUKKUM. — A  tree  Fern  of  considerable 
size,  growing  from  eight  to  ten  feet  high,  consequently 
requiring  a  largo  stove  to  grow  it  in.  The  leaves 
bearing  seed  are  erect,  with  pinnate,  or  leaflet  side  leaves. 
Two  or  three  of  the  lower  side  leaves  are  often  barren. 
The  barren  leaves,  or  fronds,  are  six  feet  long,  bending 
downwards,  with  thin,  light  green,  side  leaflets,  or 
pinna;.  The  leaves  stand  upon  the  top  of  an  erect 
stem.  To  grow  it  well,  pot  it  in  turfy  loam  and  sand, 
kept  very  moist,  and  give  a  heat  in  summer  of  80°.  If 
is  a  noble  species. 

Adunio:*!. — The  Adiautums  are  a  large  family  of  the 
most  ornamental  and  best  known,  perhaps,  of  any 
geniis  of  Ferns.  We  shall  find  them  growing  in  the 
stove,  the  greenhouse,  and  the  open  air.  though  they 
will  all  bear  the  stove,  and  flourish  well  in  it,  providing 
the  more  hardy  ones  liave  a  short  season  of  rest.  They 
may  generally  be  known  by  their  black  stems  and 
delicate  foliage,  though  some  of  the  species  of  Pteris 
have  similar  stems. 

ADiAXTu>r  Beasii.iensts  (Brazilian).  —  A  beautiful 
Fern,  growing  a  foot  or  njore  high.  The  fronds  are 
twice  pinnated,  that  is,  the  main  stem  sends  out  side 
leaves,  and  these  again  send  out  lesser  sideleaves, 
hence  they  are  termed  bipinnate,  {his  twice,  and  pinna 
winged).  The  stems  are  slightly  hairy.  Require  the 
stove  heat,  and  soil  of  an  open  texture.     It  is  evergreen. 

A.  CAUDATU.M  (Tailed). — A  ver-y  neat  Indian  Fern, 
with  a  long  process  at  the  end  of  the  leaf,  which  forms 
a  kind  of  bulb,  and  roots  readily  when  it  touches  the 
soil.  It  is  a  pinnated  Fern,  each  irond  growing  a  foot 
or  more  long.  Is  very  ornamental  when  grown  in  a 
small  ornamental  basket. 

A.  ORisTATtTJi  (Crested). — A  native  of  Jamaica.  Bi- 
pinnate ;  each  frond  growing  nearly  a  foot  long,  and 
hanging  downward,  rendering  it  suitable  for  basket 
culture. 

A.  ouRVATU5t  (Curved-leaved). — From  Brazil.  The 
fronds  are  pedate,  that  is,  have  the  appearance  of  a 
bird's  foot,  each  pinnated  leaf  spreading  out  in  that 
form  from  a  common  centre.  A  very  elegant,  well- 
known  Fern,  growing  sometimes  two  feet  high ;  requires 
plenty  of  pot-room,  and  a  free  open  compost  to  grow  in. 
It  is  evergreen. 

A.  cuKE.wujr  (Wedge-shaped). — Native  of  Brazil. 
May  be  readily  known  by  its  wedge-shaped  leaves. 
Very  beautiful  and  plentiful,  and  easily  increased  by 
division.  This  F"ern  is  much  used  in  Covent  Garden 
for  bouquets,  to  mix  with  and  set  oft',  by  its  lively  green 
leaves  and  delicate  black-polished  stems,  the  bright- 
coloured  flowers. 

A.  coNciNNUM  (Neat). — From  the  West  Indies.  This 
affords  an  example  of  a  twice-pinnated  leaf  They 
bend  gracefully  downwards,  and  grow,  when  well  culti- 
vated, two  feet  long.  I  have  grown  this  Fern  in  a  pot 
ten  inches  in  diameter,  in  light  compost,  two  feet  through, 
and  nearly  three  feet  high.  It  is  very  elegant,  and 
easily  increased  by  division. 

A.  FoviAKUM  (Mr.  Foy's). — Native  of  the  West  Indies. 
Sometimes  called  A.  intermedium.  It  may  be  known 
by  the  fertile  or  seed-bearing  fronds  growing  erect,  and 
the  barren  ones  drooping  or  bending  downwards.  When 
young,  the  leaves  have  a  reddish-brown  appearance. 
The  leaves  are  bipinnate,  growing,  with  good  culture, 
two  feet  high.  The  stems  are  hairy.  It  is  known  in 
gardens  as  A.  Khomhoidium. 


26 


THE   COTTAGE   GAKDENER. 


October  13. 


A.  FORMosujr  (Tlie  Handsome). — From  New  Holhiiid. 
Though  tliis  very  Iiaudsome  l''ern  will  exist  in  a  green- 
house, yet  it  grows  so  much  liner  in  a  moderately- 
heated  stove,  that  I  liavc  introduced  it  licrc  as  a  stove 
Fern.  It  has  the  very  pecidiar  form  of  being  lour  times 
lunuatcd.  It  is  a  sjilondid  Fern.  I  have  had  it  three 
feet  high,  and  several  of  the  fronds  two  feet  across. 
The  stems  are  black,  and  rather  woolly  at  the  base  or 
root-stem. 

A.  LUNULATUM  (Cresceut-leaved).' — -An  East  Indian 
deciduous  Fern ;  that  is,  it  dies  down  to  the  root  in 
winter.  The  fertile  fronds  grow  upright,  and  the  barren 
ones  droop  downwards,  rooting  at  the  end  in  the  same 
way  as  A.  caudalum.  F'roui  these  end-rooting  leaves  it 
may  be  propagated.  Each  rooted  end  sliould  be  cut  off, 
potted,  and  kept  in  a  close  heat  till  iVcsb  leaves  are 
formed,  it  will  then  be  a  separate  good  plant.  The 
leaves  are  cresceut-sliaped,  and  thinly  jjlaced  on  the 
leaf  stem.  It  is  a  truly  elegant  F'ern,  suitable  for  basket- 
culture,  on  account  of  its  pendulous  habit.  Very  apt  to 
perish  whilst  in  a  dormant  state  in  winter,  if  kept  too 
wet  or  too  dry. 

A.  MACKOPHYLLDM  (Broad-loaved).  —  This  Jamaica 
Fern  is  the  broadest  leaved  of  all  the  Ad'ianlums,  and, 
when  well-grown,  truly  handsome.  It  requires,  how- 
ever, the  warmest  part  of  tlio  stove  to  bring  it  to  per- 
fection. It  is  of  an  erect  habit,  and  the  young  leaves 
are  of  a  reddish  colour.  The  fronds  are  pinnate,  and 
grow  from  a  foot  to  a  foot-aud-a-half.  An  open,  light 
compost  suits  it  best. 

A.  PENTADACTYLON  (Five-Bngored).— A  Brazil  species, 
allied  to  A.  curvatmn,  of  which  it  is,  ])robabIy,  only  a 
variety.  It  is  a  handsome  Fern,  lately  introduced  from 
tlie  continental  nurseries.  Messrs.  A.  Henderson  and 
Co.  had  it  from  i\lr.  Van  Houtte,  of  the  Ghent  nursery. 
I  had  fronds  of  it  eighteen  inches  high,  and  a  foot  in 
diameter.  The  dillcrence  between  it  and  curvalmn 
appears  to  consist  in  the  more  regular  length  of  each 
pinnated  leaf,  and  their  disposition  into  five  leaves  in 
the  pedate  form.     It  requires  a  warm  stove. 

A.  RENiroujiii  (Kidney-shapo-leaved). — An  elegant, 
dwarf,  evergreen  F'ern,  from  Madeira,  with  simple  leaves 
growing  on  stems  from  three  to  si.\  inches  long.  It  will 
exist  in  a  good  greenhouse,  but  I  have  always  found  it 
difficult  to  l;ccp  alive  and  in  health  there.  The  leaves 
are  uncommonly  beautiful,  of  a  bright,  shining  green. 
The  seed-vessels  are  placed  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
reuiform  leaves,  and  nearly  touch  cacli  other.  Every 
collection  ought  to  have  a  specimen  of  this  charming 
little  Fern. 

A,  SETULOSUM  (Bristly).— A  Now  Zealand  Fern.  It  is 
the  A.  nffiiic  of  Wildonow.  Frond  bipinnatc  or  twice- 
winged.  It  may  be  known  at  once  by  the  black, 
brislle-lik-e  hairs  of  llie  upper  surface  of  tlie  leaves.  A 
free-growing  species,  easily  increased  by  division. 

T.  ArPLEBV. 
{To  be  coitllimcd.) 


CULTIVATION   OF  WHEAT  ON  HEAVY  CLAY 
LAND. 

(Coiiliiuicdjrom  Vol.  x.,  paijc  502.) 
Havino  concluded  my  first  paper  with  a  description 
of  the  mode  of  making  the  long  fallow  to  the  point  of 
ridging-up  the  land  in  readiness  for  the  seed,  I  woidd 
observe,  that  the  ridging  sliould  be  completed  a  fortnight 
or  three  weeks  before  the  time  of  sowing,  which  should 
take  place  about  the  20th  of  October,  if  the  weather  is 
favourable.  Should  it  bo  otbcrwise,  a  week  or  two  later, 
in  ordinary  seasons,  would  bo  preferable  to  sowing  at  an 


earlier  period,  for  when  the  land  is  in  good  condition, 
and  the  Wheat  put  in  during  the  early  part  of  October^ 
if  a  mild  winter  succeeds  the  ])lant  is  sure  to  get  too 
gay  and  forward  (commonly  called  winter  proud).  In 
this  case  (particularly  if  a  cold,  backward  spring  follows), 
it  will  receive  a  severe  check,  from  the  cifect  of  which, 
upon  this  land,  it  seldom  recovers,  but  becomes  yellow 
and  sickly  in  appearance,  and  stunted  in  its  growth, 
producing  a  small  car,  and  at  the  harvest  yielding  a 
moderate,  if  not  a  very  small,  quantity  of  gi-ain. 

The  quantity  of  seed  required  will  be  from  six  to 
eight  pecks  per  acre,  although  I  am  aware  that  a  much 
less  quantity  is  advocated  by  some  pai'tics ;  yet  it  must 
bo  remembered,  that  cold  clay  land,  seeded  at  the  time 
above-mentioned,  requires  more  seed  than  warm  soils 
sown  under  other  circumstances.  The  best  mode  of 
seeding  this  kind  of  land  is  by  the  drill,  at  nine  inches 
space  between  the  rows,  in  order  that  hoeing  the  crop 
may  bo  effected  with  facility.  It  is  the  more  necessary 
that  the  seed  should  be  drilled  at  wide  intervals,  for,  in 
some  seasons,  unless  the  crop  is  hoed,  it  must  be  very 
deficient,  as  the  Gold-weed,  Black  Bent,  and  other  weeds 
peculiar  to  most  clay  soils,  are  sure  to  compete  strongly 
with  the  Wheat  plant,  and,  in  certain  seasons,  will  gain 
the  ascendency  over  it,  unless  hoed  at  the  proper  time, 
and  under  favourable  circumstances. 

After  having  described  the  long  fallow  process,  often 
rendered  necessary  on  account  of  the  foul  and  ill- 
conditioned  state  of  the  land,  I  will  now  refer  to  the 
method  of  management  required  to  prepare  the  land  for 
Wlieat  out  of  Clover  lea,  which  is  the  fourth  crop 
named  in  the  rotation  before  alluded  to,  as  the  improved 
rotation,  and  advocated  by  myself  as  best  suited  to  heavy 
clay  soils. 

When  this  laud  is  sown  to  Wheat,  out  of  Clover  lea, 
it  is  all-important  that  it  should  be  cai'ly  filled ;  I,  lliere- 
i'ore,  recommend,  that  the  portion  of  lea  ground  which 
is  usually  fed  by  sheep,  after  the  removal  of  the  Hay 
crop,  should  be  selected  for  the  earliest  preparation,  and 
afterwards,  in  succession,  other  portions  which  may 
have  borne  a  second  crop  of  Hay  or  Clover  seed.  It 
being  customary  to  apply  yard  or  town  manure,  let  it 
be  carted  on  the  land  about  the  first  week  in  August,  or 
as  soon  after  as  the  usual  harvest  operations  will  permit; 
do  not  allow  it  to  I'emain  long  in  heap  at  this  time  of  the 
year,  but  spread  and  plough  in  as  quickly  as  possible, 
to  prevent  loss  by  evaporation.  Tho  laud  should  be 
ploughed  a  good  depth,  not  less  than  lour  or  live  inches, 
using  tlie  skim  coulter,  which  will  bury  the  manure,  and 
turn  the  sward  well  under  the  I'urrow.  Let  the  wheel 
pressor  foUow,  which  will  consolidate  the  land,  and 
efl'ectually  prevent  any  turf  appearing  upon  the  surface, 
after  working  with  harrows. 

The  above  -  named  operations  of  carting  manure, 
ploughing,  &c.,  should  be  continued  as  fast  as  the  land 
can  bo  cleared  or  got  ready,  for  it  uuist  be  borne  in 
mind,  when  Wheat  is  sown  upon  tliis  strong  land  im- 
mediately after  ploughing,  that  the  crop  will  be  liable  to 
become  root-false  in  the  Ibllowing  sumnrer,  on  account 
of  tho  shrinking  and  contraction  of  tho  laud  ;  the  young 


October  13. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


plant  will  also  be  more  likely  to  sufler  from  the  slug 
after  late  ploughing.  It  should,  therefore,  be  taken  as 
a  rule,  that  tbo  earlier  this  land  is  ploughed  out  of  the 
lea,  the  more  certain  the  crop.  If  tho  laud  is  in  a  kind, 
workable  state,  the  sooner  it  is  harrowed  after  plougliing 
the  better,  for  it  efl'cotually  keeps  down  any  turf  or 
weeds  between  the  furrows,  and  gives  tirao  for  the  sur- 
face to  become  stale  and  mellow  for  the  reception  of 
the  seed.  The  only  thing  to  be  feared  in  this  case,  is 
the  settling  of  the  laud  too  hai-d  after  a  heavj'  rain ;  it 
may,  however,  be  scarified  or  dragged,  which  will  give 
suifioieut  mouli,l,  and  enable  the  drill  to  bury  the  seed. 

This  land  is  often  sown  broadcast  after  the  presser ; 
but  I  prefer  drilling,  because  I  think  the  Wheat  upon 
this  soil  should  always  be  hoed  if  the  weeds  get  up,  for 
although  the  crop  is  not  usually  infested  with  weeds,  in 
the  same  degree,  when  sown  out  of  lea,  as  it  is  when 
sown  after  a  fallow,  yet,  in  most  seasons,  the  weeds 
peculiar  to  the  soil  are  sure  to  make  their  appearance  to 
some  e.\tent.  The  best  time  for  sowing  lea  ground  is 
the  same  as  before-named,  from  the  20th  to  the  25th  of 
October.  Rather  more  seed  should  bo  sown  upon  lea 
ground  than  upon  fallow  ;  eight  or  nine  pecks  will, 
however,  prove  an  ample  quantity. 

After  drilling,  whether  upon  lea  or  fallow  ground,  let 
the  ground  receive  haiTowing  sufficient  to  bury  the  seed  ; 
a  single  turn  with  the  harrows  will  often  prove  enough 
upon  fallowed  land. 

It  should  also  be  remembei'ed,  as  a  matter  of  the 
greatest  importance,  that  a  sufficiency  of  water  fuii'ows 
must  be  drawn  across  the  ridges,  taking  care  to  run 
them  with  the  fall  of  the  laud.  It  is,  however,  some- 
times vei-y  difficult  upon  heavy,  flat,  table -lands,  to 
obtain  a  good  outfall ;  it  is,  therefore,  in  suoli  case,  de- 
sirable that  the  spade  should  deepen  the  furrows  at  the 
outlet. 

It  also  a  good  plan,  and  often  necessary  after  heavy 
rains,  to  examine  the  water-furrows,  and  deepen  and 
regulate  the  course  where  water  has  collected. 

Joseph  Bldndell. 
(To  lie  coniiinicd.) 


ORCHARDS  IN  KENT.— No  2. 

riLBEBTS. 

In  following  up  the  remarks  I  promised  you  on 
Kentish  Orchards,  I  now  come  to  the  duty  of  describing 
particular  kinds,  as  the  treatment  that  is  given  to  each 
differs  widely  from  each  other ;  but  before  doing  so,  a 
few  more  words,  in  a  general  way,  will  help  to  make  my 
meaning  more  clear. 

In  the  flrst  place,  I  may  mention,  that  it  is  invariably 
found  that  the  best  fruit-growing  districts  are  those 
naturally  dry  hill-sides  with  which  the  county  of  Kent 
abounds ;  for  though  Blao]c  Currants  and  Raspben'ies 
like  a  moister  soil,  and,  when  planted  alone,  which  the 
last-named  usually  is,  a  cool  moist  bottomed  soil  is 
generally  preferred,  still,  the  majority  of  fruits  prefer  a 
light  dry  soil.  Now,  as  this  is  always  better  where 
nature  performs  her  own  drainage  than  where  art  has 
to  accomplish  that  object,  it  is  needless  to  say,  that  the 
best  specimens  of  Orchards  are  those  where  draining  has 
never  been  required.     It  would  be  difficult  for  a  non- 


professional writer  to  describe  the  chemical  properties  of 
such  a  soil;  suffice  it,  however,  to  say,  that  it  is  neither  a 
sandy,  nor  a  gravelly  one,  in  the  sense  tliese  terms  are 
used  elsewhere,  for  tho  soil  contains  less  sand  than  some 
which  arc  regarded  "still',"  while  the  term  "gravelly"  is 
usually  imderstood  to  mean  such  soils  as  abonnd  in 
small  rounded  stones  of  more  or  loss  liardness,  from  the 
size  of  peas  and  beans  upvi^ards ;  now,  the  greatest  pro- 
portion of  Kentish  Orchards  are  on  soils  differing  from 
this  last;  for  though  they  abound  in  stones,  these  are 
more  generally  in  fragments,  as  if  recently  broken,  an- 
gular, and  pointed,  and  generally  of  a  long  shape,  but 
of  all  sizes.  These  are  found  in  such  abundance,  in 
some  places,  as  materially  to  impede  the  working  of  the 
soil ;  while  in  the  latter  part  of  summer,  when  the 
ground  has  lain  some  time  unmoved,  the  stones  may 
often  be  shovelled  off  tho  top,  as  from  a  newly-made 
road.  However,  all  orchard  ground  is  not  like  this;  but, 
usually,  stone  is  found  cither  in  the  soil,  or  imme- 
diately underneath  it ;  and  when  the  latter,  it  is  not 
always  of  one  kind,  for  lime-stone,  or  Kentish  Rag,  and 
"  Hassock,"  or  that  description  of  soft  stone  which 
receives  other  names  in  other  places,  is  also  found  in 
addition  to  Kentish  Rag,  while  very  good  orchard  ground 
exists  over  the  sandstone  strata,  and  some  equal  to  any 
is  found  at  the  base  of  hills  formed  of  the  above  mate- 
rials ;  and  as  these  often  contain  the  deepest  staple  of 
soil,  they  are  the  most  productive  of  any  of  the  smaller 
fruits  and  other  crops,  while  the  larger  trees  grow  tliere 
very  luxuriantly  also,  but  are,  perhaps,  not  so  long-lived. 

Although  from  the  above  it  will  appear  that  a  stony 
soil  is  preferable  for  fruit-growing,  yet  it  is  not  absolutely 
necessary;  as  I  have  seen  some  Orchards  in  which  the 
nan'ow-toothed  rake  of  the  flower-gardener  might  go 
over  a  considerable  breadth  of  ground  without  raking- 
up  a  shovelful  of  stones ;  in  fact,  some  of  it  seems  all 
that  your  correspondents  on  floral  matters  could  desire 
for  dressed  grounds  ;  hut  the  generality  is  stony,  and,  as 
I  have  said,  much  of  it  being  on  sides  of  hills,  and  other 
uneven  places,  it  follows  that  water  cannot  long  remain 
on  ground  so  porous ;  and  though  springs  are  not  un 
common,  they  do  not  e.xist  in  such  numbers  as  to 
dampen  the  soil  to  an  undue  extent,  and  are,  on  the 
whole,  useful,  rather  than  otherwise. 

With,  regard  to  the  aspect  which  the  different  inclina- 
tions present,  there  is  much  less  diflerence  than  might 
be  e.-vpected;  and  what  diflerence  there  is,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  country  people,  is  diametrically  opposed  to  that 
of  tho  generality  of  cultivators  elsewhere  ;  for,  while  we 
find  a  fruit  grower  of  our  northern  coimties  insisting 
that  his  grounds  should  slope  to  the  south,  or  south-east, 
with  adequate  shelter  at  the  opposite  sides,  the  Kentish 
Orchard  is  often  facing  the  north  and  west,  without  any 
protection  whatever  from  these  quarters,  and  the  result 
is  often  better  from  thence  than  from  more  sunny 
aspects ;  but,  as  I  will  make  this  the  subject  of  an 
especial  notice,  I  will  pass  it  over  now,  and  simply 
observe,  that  the  extents  of  Orchards  are  such,  that  the 
choice  of  ground  is  less  important  in  districts,  where, 
perhaps,  one-tenth,  or  more,  of  the  whole  space  consists 
of  fruit,  or  hop-gardens,  or  both  united — for  their  cul- 
ture, or  rather  the  soil,  &c.,  adapted  to  each  is  somewhat 
similar — that  I  need  say  no  more  than  that  Orchards,  in 
more  or  less  vigour,  are  to  be  found  in  all  positions; 
that  mere  aspect  is  really  of  less  consequence  than  any 
other  circumstance. 

Having  said  enough  on  that  subject,  I  will  turn  to 
other  matters  ;  and,  beginning  with  the  management  of 
fruits  individually,  will  commence  with  one,  which, 
being  of  much  importance  in  lient,  has  generally 
bestowed  upon  it  an  amount  of  care  and  attention  to 
which  it  is  a  stranger  elsewhere — I  mean  the  Filbert, 
which  is  extensively  cultivated  here  ;  and,  in  a  profit- 
able point  of  view,  is  looked  upon  with  much  concern 


28 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENETi. 


OcTOnEK  l.'l. 


liy  tlie  caterer  for  tl)e  London  marlcet,  and  is,  therefore, 
treated  with  corresponding  respect  by  the  grower,  whose 
method  of  o])eration  differs  widely  from  the  coininon- 
place  rule  of  letting-tlie-tree-grow-as-it-will,  that  is  found 
to  prevail  where  but  a  few  plants  are  grown,  and  as 
success  has  established  the  system,  we  may  be  assured 
that  any  system  diametrically  opposite  must  be  bad. 

This  fruit,  though  not  necessarily  grown  alone,  is  yet 
often  found  so,  and,  undoubtedly,  is  better  where  not  en- 
cumbered by  high  trees  overtopping  it.  If  planted 
alone,  it  is  usually  allowed  a  space  of  twelve  feet  square, 
which  is  not  too  mucli,  although  ten  is  at  times  made  to 
do;  the  plants  are  usually  put  in  what  is  called  the 
square  plant  and  not  quincunx,  and,  at  planting  time. 
Gooseberries  or  Currants  are  usually  put  iu  between,  to 
occupy,  for  a  few  years,  the  vacant  ground;  these  latter, 
forming  three  for  one  of  the  I'ilberts,  but  are  cut  away 
and  removed  as  the  permanent  trees  advance ;  they, 
however,  act  the  part  of  profitable  nurses,  and  their 
pruning,  &c.,  is  the  same  as  when  they  form  a  plantation 
by  themselves.  Hops  are  sometimes  introduced  for  the 
same  purpose,  but  these  are  not  available  to  any  other 
class  but  the  hop-grower,  wlio,  most  lil;ely,  has  a  quantity 
elsewhere,  but  small  fruits  are  legitimate  everywhere. 

In  planting,  plants  are  selected  which  show  indica- 
tions of  forming  nice  spreading  beads,  at  less  than  a 
foot  from  the  ground;  and  neglected  plants,  that  have 
assumed  an  upright  tree-like  habit,  seldom  make  good 
specimens,  for,  though  they  grow  away  apace  after  being 
cut  down,  yet  it  is  only  in  gross,  useless  wood,  whence 
the  object  of  the  I'ilbcrt-grower  to  have  bis  slioots  of 
uniform  strength,  and  all  grossness  is  curbed  as  much  as 
possible  ;  this  is  done  at  pruning  time,  by  shortening  such 
shoots  as  show  an  undue  robustness,  with  a  small  hand- 
saw instead  of  the  knife,  and  the  ragged  face  left  by 
that  instrument,  with,  probably,  a  few  splinters,  &o.,  will 
certainly  retard  a  similar  growth  from  taking  place  there 
another  season,  while  weakly  shoots  are  shortened  with 
the  sharp  knife  in  the  usual  way.  I  confess  being  not 
a  little  surprised  to  find  this  well-known  axiom  carried 
out  into  such  extreme  practice  as  has  been  done  here ; 
but  where  anything  is  extensively  grown,  it  is  only  rea- 
sonable to  look  for  the  improved  modes  of  culture  ;  but 
many  of  our  gardening  friends  would  do  well  to  copy  the 
kuife-and-saw-practice  of  the  l\entish  Filbort-pruner,  for  I 
am  convinced  that  the  unequal  growth  we  often  see  in 
some  trees  might  be  much  regulated  by  a  judicious  use 
of  these  two  implements  iu  their  proper  places;  for 
observe,  it  is  not  in  the  early  stages  of  i'ilbert  culture 
that  these  are  used,  but  at  all  times  they  are  called  into 
requisition;  and  I  know  of  no  fruit-tree  in  which  prun- 
ing is  carried  to  such  a  pitch  as  in  the  k'ilbcrt,  unless  it 
be  the  Vine,  and  that  certainly  does  not  exceed  it,  Ibr  at 
the  first  commencement  the  centre  of  the  ]ilant  is  cut 
out,  aud  branches  are  trained  out  vertically,  so  as  in 
some  respects  to  resemble  the  ribs  of  an  umbrella  in- 
verted. 

This  shape  is  continued,  from  year  to  year,  until  the 
trees  occupy  the  full  space  allotted  them,  and  grow  into 
each  other  ;  even  then,  the  centre  of  the  plant  is  open, 
and  the  branches  by  no  means  thick,  for  the  young 
shoots  which  rise  in  the  centre  and  other  parts  of  the 
tree  are  all  carefully  I'emoved,  only  those  of  moderate 
growth  being  shortened,  spur  fashion,  that  each  season 
the  trees  present  a  naked  ajjpearance  after  pruning  time, 
so  much  so,  that  I  verily  believe,  that  if  all  the  young 
wood  left  on  an  adult  tree  was  united  it  would  not 
amount  to  a  yard  in  length.  Uniformity  iu  appearance 
is  also  aimed  at,  and  accom])lishod,  too,  so  that  by  the 
time  the  plantation  has  arrived  at  its  full  growth,  the 
trees  present  a  uniform  height  of  about  five  feet  at  their 
tips,  and  the  centre,  as  1  have  said,  open  so  that  the 
sun  may  shine  into  the  middle  of  it.  In  pruning,  many 
of  the  more  robust  shoots  from  the  old  wood  are  jmlled 


out  by  liaiid  ;  these  are  often  four  and  five  feet  long, 
and  a  coarse  kind  of  market  basket  is  somelinjcs  made 
of  them,  but  they  are  inferior  to  willow.  The  trees,  as 
will  bo  seen,  give  rise  to  a  great  deal  of  employment, 
for  besides  the  pruning,  which  is  done  in  winter,  they 
are  also  subjected  to  a  process  of  uncovering  at  the 
collar,  whereby  the  roots,  for  about  a  yard  all  round,  are 
laid  bare  in  autumn,  in  order  to  check,  or  rather  fi-us- 
trate,  the  production  of  suckers,  which  it  certainly  docs, 
and  I  am  not  aware  of  the  process  injuring  the  tree  in 
any  way.  The  earth  is  returned  again  in  spring,  and 
manure  is  often  added,  for  the  Filbert  delights  iu,  and 
deserves,  a  liberal  allowance  of  good  food,  and  few  fruits 
are  more  remunerative;  and  where  this  one  forms  a 
portion  of  a  mixed  plantation,  it  generally  yields  more 
than  might  appear  its  share  of  the  revenue  for  such 
place;  but  at  the  same  time  it  must  be  confessed,  that  its 
cultivation,  with  the  heavy  aud  expensive  prunings,  make 
it  rather  a  hazardous  croji,  and  when  not  successful, 
the  losses  attending  it  are  heavy.  A  retm-n  of  less  than 
.£40  per  acre  will  not  pay,  while  it  has  been  sometimes 
known  to  yield  four  times  that  sum.  There  are  several 
kinds  in  cultivation,  but  the  Thin-shelled  Red  Filbert  is 
the  most  esteemed,  while  the  Spanish  or  Coh  Kiit  have 
their  favourites  as  well ;  but  for  private  use  the  latter 
are  the  most  showy,  while  the  foi'mer  are,  doubtless,  the 
sweeter  nut,  but  they  are  so  well  known  as  to  require 
no  further  comment  here.  H.  B. 


MALVERN  POULTRY  SHOW. 

This  was  excellently  managed,  and  does  not  require  the 
excuse  of  being  "  the  first,"  to  extenuate  any  mistakes. 
Another  year  we  hope  the  funds  will  justify  second  prizes  in 
all  the  classes,  and  that  (iold  and  Silver  Hamburghs  will  he 
separated.  No  judge,  with  satisfaction  to  any  party,  can 
compare  the  two.  Tlie  same  observation  applies  to  Bantams. 
Tlie  birds  were  excellently  attended  to,  and  every  bird  that 
had  to  travel  by  rail  was  away  from  the  show  ground  within 
three  hours  after  the  exhiljition  closed.  The  show  proved 
profitable,  which,  as  our  rejiorter  justly  obserxes,  is  some- 
thing unusual  for  a  first  attempt. 

T.  .J.  Cottle,  Ksq.,  I'ulteney  Villa,  Cheltenhani,  and  Mr. 
J.  Piaily,  Slount-strect,  Urosvenor  Square,  London,  were  the 
judges. 

Class  1.— DORKING.     Chickens  of  1653. 

23.  First  pri/.e,  Mr.  \\'iUiam  Beach,  Hanley  Castle.  7.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  Joseph  Smith,  Henley-in-Arden. 

Class  2. — DOUKING.     Slorc  than  one  year  old. 

28.  First  prize,  BIr.  .John  Dain,  Henlcy-in-Arden.  2/.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thamcs. 

Class  3.— SPANISH.    Chickens  of  1853. 
45.  Prize,  Mrs.  Stow,  Brcdon. 

Class  4. — SPANISH.     More  than  one  year  old, 
48.  Prize,  iMr.  Nelson,  The  Lozells,  Birmingham. 
Class  5.— COCHIN-CHINA.    Cinnamon  and  Bufl'.     Chickens  of  1853. 
101.  Prize,  Mr.  I'Mward  Farmer,  Sparkbrook.  64.  Highly  commended. 
Mr.  Amphlett,  Walsall.    (The  best  fouls  in  the  Class,  but  disqualified 
for  taking  the  prize  on  account  of  colour.) 

Class  6. — COCHIN-CHINA.  Cinnamon  or  Buff,  more  than  one  year  old. 
107.  Prize,  Mrs.  Stow,  Itrcdon. 

Class  /.—COCHIN-CHINA.    Orouse,   Partridge,  or  Dark.     Chickens  . 
of   1S53. 
120.  Prize,  Mr.  .1.  R.  Rodbard,  near  Bristol. 

Class  8.— COCHIN-CHINA.     Grouse,  Partridge,  or  Dark.     More  than 
one-year-old. 
129.  Prize,  Rlr.  Mapplebeck,  Birmingham. 

Class9.— COCHIN-CIIINA.     White.     Chickens  of  1853. 
J  42.  Prize,  Mr.  Ilodgkinson,  Vardley. 

Class  10.— COCHIN-CHINA.      White.      More  than  one  year   old. 
No  competition.  The  judges  strongly  reprehend  the  practice  of  sending 
fowls  fur  competition  with  visible  umrks. 

Class  11 — (;.\ME.     Black-breasted  Red.    Any  age. 
151.  Prize,  Mr.  B.Williams,  Handsworth. 

("lass  13. — GAME.     l>uck\vings  and  others. 
15;.  Prize,  Rlr.  N.  Uyer,  Bredon. 


OoTonEn  !•'!. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


29 


Class  U.— HAMBURGH.    Gold  or  Silver.pencillfd.    Any  age. 
160.  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  Whittinjton,  jun.,  Henlcy-in-Arden.    I/Q. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  Whittington,  jun.,  Hcnlcjr-in-Arden. 

Class  15.— HAMBURGH.     Gold  or  Silver-spnnglcd.    Any  age. 
200.  First  prize,  Mr.  .Joseph  .Jordan,  Birniinghm.     195.   Second  prize, 
l\lr.  Joseph  Jordan,  Birmingham. 

Class  16.— POLANDS,  with  White  Crests.    Any  age. 

204.  Prize,  Mr.  John  Westwood,  Walsall. 

Class  I?.— POLAND.    Golden-spangled.    Any  age. 

205.  Prize,  Mr.  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thames. 

Class  18. — POLAND.    Silver-spangled.    Any  age. 
209.  Prize,  Mr.  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thames. 

(The  whole  Class  highly  meritorious.) 
Class  20.— ANY  OTHEIt  VARIETV. 

219.  Prize,  Mr.  John  Dain,  Henley-in-Arden.  (Black  Bantams.) 
220.  Prize,  Mr.  Henry  Herbert,  Powick.  (Cuckoo  Fowls.)  321.  Prize, 
Mr.  C.  Thorold,  Twyning  Park,  Tewkesbury.  (White  Bantams  or  Dwarf 
Po  lands!) 

Class  21.— GEESE.    Hatched  in  1853. 

250.  Prize,  Mrs.  H.  Hill,  Stretton  Grandison.    (Irish  and  Toulouse.) 

Class  22.— DUCKS  (Aylesbury).     Hatched  in  1853. 
264.  Prize,  Mr.  W.  G.  Breavington,  Hounslow. 

Class  24.— ANY  USEFUL  FOWL.    Hatched  in  1853. 
(Confined  to  Worcestershire  Farmers.) 
224.  First  prize,  Mr.  James  Bennett,  Cowley  Park.   230.  Second  prize, 
Miss  Racstcr,  Mathon  Park. 

Class  25.— ANY  USEFUL  FOWL.    More  than  one  year  old. 
(Worcestershire  Farmers.) 
235.  First  prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Jones,  Cockshoot   Farm.     237.  Second 
prize,  Mrs.  Need,  Barnard's  Green. 

COTTAGERS  CLASSES. 

Class  1.— CHICKENS  OF  1853. 

271.  First  prize,  William  Brewer,  The  Link.  270.  Second  prize, 
Abigail  Pitt,  Mathon.     288.  Third  prize,  Henry  Pitt,  West  Malvern. 

Class  2.— MORE  THAN  ONE  YEAR  OLD. 
273.  First  prize,  Mary  Cross,  Valley  Cottage,  Malvern.    275.  Second 
prize,  William  Brewer,  The  Link.    276.  Third  prize,  Charles  Thomas, 
Mason's  Farm. 

Class  3.— GEESE. 

282.  First  prize,  Susan  Burrows,  Newland.  280.  Second  prize,  Henry 
Griffiths,  Malvern  Common.  281.  Third  prize,  Eliza  Tudge,  Malvern 
Link. 

Class  4.— DUCKS. 

290.  First  prize.  George  Robinson,  The  Link.  291.  Second  prize, 
William  Brewer,  The  Link.  289.  Third  prize,  Thomas  Burrows,  Pool 
Brook. 


HOGG'S  EDGING  TILES. 

When  a  man  or  woman  goes  from  home  on  a  sight-seeing 
journey,  neither  of  them  ought  to  close  their  eyes,  as  some 
people  do,  who  do  not  care  to  see  the  value  of  a  straw  on 
either  side  of  the  way,  unless  that  straw  happens  to  belong, 
in  some  way  or  other,  to  their  own  peculiar  hobbies;  no 
matter  how  eccentric  or  useless  such  hobbies  may  appear 
to  the  rest  of  the  world,  or  to  their  own  fellow-travellers ; 
and  if  that  be  true  about  trifles,  how  much  more  wide-awake 
ought  every  one  to  be  in  the  midst  of  facts  and  circum- 
stances pertaining  to  his  own  calUng  or  craft. 

When  I  went  down  into  Suffolk,  the  other  day,  to  see  the 
improvements  at  Shrubland  Park,  the  ruling  passion  broke 
out  all  over  me,  the  moment  I  got  clear  of  the  London 
smoke,  on  seeing  the  plague  and  pestilence  to  which  the 
Essex  farmers  are  exposed  by  the  carelessness,  or  indifl'er- 
ence,  of  the  Managers  of  the  Eastern  Counties  llailway — 
"  Colchester  line  " — in  allowing  the  common  Kagwort  to  grow 
and  seed  along  the  banks  of  their  Colchester  line  down  to 
oppositeMr.  Mechi'sfai-m,  when  Mr.  Mechi,aud  all  othergood 
farmers,  know,  or  ought  to  know,  that  this  is  the  most  trou- 
blesome and  exhausting  weed  tlieir  lands  can  be  infested 
with ;  and  that  the  seeds  from  one  ordinary-sized  plant  of 
this  ragged  weed  are  sufficient  to  infect  fifty  acres  of  land. 
"  Thinks  I  to  myself,"  if  it  is  too  costly  to  root  out  this  pest 
from  the  banlss,  surely  they  might  get  boys,  or  some  aged 
grandmammas,  to  cut  off  the  flowering  heads  with  old  hooks, 
and  burn  them,  for  nothing  short  of  burning  will  prevent 
the  ripening  of  the  seeds,  when  once  the  flowers  open  on 
the  plant.  After  these  weeds,  whole  fields  of  turnips,  sown 
broadcast  on  the  level,  increased  my  uneasiness,  and  my 
reflections  on  special  remedies  for  such  irastries,  as  they  say 
in  Scotland.     And  thus  I  went  on  all  through  the  journey. 


like  a  man  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  who  met,  at  every  turn, 
with  things  as  they  ought  not  to  be,  and  resolving,  in  his 
own  mind,  how  they  ought,  and  should  be,  and  woiilil  be,  if 
he  had  the  ordering  about  their  management.  As  soon, 
however,  as  I  saw  the  effect  produced,  by  Sir  Charles  Barry, 
with  his  massive  stone  curbs  or  edgings  to  the  flower-beds 
in  the  balcony  garden,  at  Shrublantl  I'ark,  I  altered  my  tune, 
and  "  Says  I  to  myself,"  our  Box  edgings  are  not  the  real 
thing  after  all;  the  cUnging  to  tliem  is  an  inborn  prejudice 
among  us  gardeners  ;  no  edgings  are,  or  can  hardly  be,  more 
expensive  than  those  of  Box  ;  and  without  great  care  they 
soon  get  ragged,  and  out  of  joint,  and  look  anything  but 
creditable  to  a  garden. 

The  next  thought  was,  where  is  the  money  to  come  from 
for  buying  stone  .edgings,  if  I  made  up  my  mind  to  recom- 
mend none  other  in  ihe  Cottage  Gardenek  ?  for,  I  must 
confess,  that  very  little  persuasion  would  induce  me,  then 
and  there,  to  proclaim  war  and  warfare  against  Box  edgings 
all  over  the  face  of  the  country ;  or  if  they  could  be  tole- 
rated in  dressed  grounds,  they  must  needs  be  no  less  than 
four  inches  high  above  the  gravel,  sijuare  on  the  top,  and 
not  narrower  than  six  inches,  and  for  every  two  inches  more 
in  breadth,  the  rise  ought  to  be  one  quarter-of-an-inch,  and 
no  more.  So,  that  in  the  long  run,  stone  edgings  would  be 
cheaper  even  than  Box  ones  on  this  plan ;  and  even  dearer 
in  the  vicinity  of  lai'ge  towns,  where  Box  is  always  of  more 
value  than  it  is  far  away  in  the  country.  It  is  also  more 
liable  to  go  off  near  towns,  and  consequently  is  more  trou- 
blesome to  keep  in  proper  repair  in  suburban  gardens; 
hence  the  tm'n  to  slate  edgings  of  late  years  round  London, 
and  other  large  towns ;  but  ordinary  slate  edgings  are  ob- 
jected to  on  two  grounds  :  the  want  of  cheering  colour,  and 
the  want  of  anything  like  raassiveuess  in  the  lines  formed 
by  it ;  not  that  one  garden  in  five  hundred  would  need  such 
massive  arlific'iul  edgings  as  are  so  much  in  character  at 
Shrublaud  Park.  What  we  really  want  is  a  good,  cheap 
article,  in  imitation  of  stone,  for  garden  edgings,  in  this 
country  where  atone  itself  is  so  dear;  just  as  we  have  bricks 
for  building  our  houses,  and  stucco  to  cover  them  in  imita- 
tion of  stone ;  while  in  Scotland  they  build  all  their  best 
houses  with  the  very  best  kind  of  stone,  as  being  cheaper 
than  bricks ;  indeed,  I  never  saw  a  brick-built  house  till  I 
lauded  in  London  ;  and  when  I  saw  them  plastering  cement 
over  the  bricks  to  make  believe  they  were  stones,  I  thought 
the  Englishers  got  to  the  end  of  their  telher  in  cheating  the 
senses  ;  but  that  was  only  prejudice  in  favour  of  stone,  like 
our  old  prejudice  in  favour  of  Box  edgings,  and  both  must 
give  way  to  a  better  and  more  economical  state  of  things. 

Among  the  subjects  that  were  recommended  to  gardeners 
to  try  their  luck  with  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  in  1851,  was, 
"  another  material  that  would  prove  highly  useful,  would  be 
a  cheap  earthernware  edging  to  flower-beds  andwallcs  ;  what 
we  now  have  is  too  dear  and  too  ill  made,"  so  that  the  new 
edgings,  or  the  desire  for  improved  edgings,  did  not  originate 
with  me  ;  I  was  only  smitten  with  the  desivc  when  I  saw  the 
effect  produced  by  Sir  Charles  Barry  at  Shrubland  Park, 
and  from  that  moment  I  set  my  wits  to  work  to  find  out  tlie 
best  substitute  for  stone  edgings.  I  recollected,  the  Horti- 
cultural Society  had  given  a  representation  of  a  new  edging 
tile  by  Mr.  Hogg,  in  their  "  Journal  "  of  last  year ;  that  they 
said  it  was  the  best  that  ever  was  seen ;  and,  moreover,  that 
their  Vice-Secretary  added  to  the  bargain,  that  this  "  kind  of 
edging  appears  to  possess  much  merit.  It  is  hai-d,  good- 
looking,  a  good  colour,  cheap,  and  enables  tlio  walks  to  be 
relieved  of  water."  I  say,  notwithstanding  all  this,  I  have 
known  this  society,  and  other  societies  as  well  as  they,  put 
forth  statements  to  which  country  gardeners  could  not 
altogether  assent  to  without  more  enquiry,  and  being  still 
on  my  rounds,  I  called  at  Holland  House,  and  Bedford 
Lodge,  near  Kensington,  where  I  saw,  for  the  first  time, 
two  of  the  most  beautiful  flower-gardens,  in  two  different 
styles,  tliat  can  be  seen  within  many  miles  of  London ;  and 
then  I  learned  that  Mr.  Hogg's  place,  at  Brompton,  was  not 
far  out  of  my  way,  and  nothing  would  do  but  I  must  go  over 
and  see  his  edging  tiles  as  managed  by  himself. 

Now,  after  seeing  them  laid  down  in  his  own  garden,  and 
judging  for  myself,  I  must  certainly  say  that  the  Hor- 
ticultural Society's  estimate  of  their  merits  is  rather  below 
than  above  the  mark.  They  are  of  a  warm  stone-colour, 
and  of  a  shape  that  any  labourer  can  lay  down  so  as  to  be 


30 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


October  13. 


as  finn  and  durable  as  if  they  were  cut  out.  of  the  very  best 
stone.  The  side  next  the  soil  is  pei-pendicular,  so  that  the 
bed  or  border  can  be  dug  by  any  one  without  the  least  fear 
of  disturbing  or  misplacing  thera,  while  on  the  side  next  the 
gravel  there  is  a  heel  on  wliich  they  rest,  and  over  which 
the  gravel  can  lie  packed,  or  concreted  so  tirraly  as  to  keep 
them  safe  in  their  place  against  the  pressure  of  the  roller, 
or  any  other  disturbing  cause  ;  and  they  are  so  hard  that  the 
weight  of  an  ordinary  garden  roller  has  no  effect  on  tlicni ; 
a  barrow  full  of  dung,  or  soil,  can  also  be  wheeled  over 
them,  and  across  the  border  with  no  danger  whatever ;  and  if 
water  accumulates  by  the  side  of  the  walk,  it  is  safely  con- 
veyed away  through  the  hollows  in  these  tiles  into  the  soil 
on  the  other  side  as  effectually  as  if  the  whi.>le  side  of  tlie 
walk  were  drained  with  open  pipes.  Another  famous  con- 
trivance is  for  malcing  cui'ves,  and  for  turning  at  sharp 
corners ;  this  is  eftected  by  very  short  pieces  cast  on  pur- 
pose. The  clay  of  wliioh  they  are  made  is  akin  to  that  of 
which  they  mal;e  the  white  bricks  at  Woolpit,  and  otlier 
parts  of  Suffolk — at  Shrubland  I'nrk  to  wit.  These  white 
bricks  are  the  most  durable  of  all  clay  bricks,  yet  I  have 
known  a  hard  winter  split  some  of  the  best  of  them,  and 
possibly  it  may  be  so  with  some  of  these  tiles,  here  and 
there,  but  to  raise  a  question  on  that  head  of  the  subject 
would  argue  as  much  sense  and  forethought  as  to  say  that 
we  sliould  not  build  garden  walls,  or  even  houses  of  clay- 
made  bricks,  because  it  was  ascertained  that  a  brick,  here  or 
there,  was  not  hard  enough  to  resist  the  alternate  actions  of 
rain  and  frost.  Altogether,  I  anr  gratified  to  be  able  to  add 
my  testimony  to  Mr.  Hogg's  edging  tiles,  as  being  the  best 
substitute  for  stone  that  has  yet  been  brought  under  our 
notice. — D.  Beaton. 

[After  seeing  the  gi-ossly  unfair  treatment  Mr.  Hogg  has 
recently  sustained  in  the  columns  of  a  contemporary,  we 
have  great  pleasure  in  inserting  the  above,  and  in  adding 
the  following  woodcut  and  directions,  which  we  have  ob- 
tained by  application  to  Mr.  Hogg. — Ed.  C.  G.J 


GREY  SHANGHAKS. 


Directions  fnr  jjhicinci  the  illcs. — After  malcing  the  margins 
of  the  walks  perfectly  level,  as  is  done  for  Box  edging,  let  a 
line  be  laid,  and  a  trench  taken  out  two  or  three  inches 
wider  than  the  solo  of  the  tile.  The  bed  of  this  trench 
must  be  made  perfectly  solid  by  treading  or  ramming  it 
so  as  to  prevent  the  tiles  bom.  sin];ing.  The  tiles  are  then 
to  bo  placed  in  the  trench  witli  the  foot  towards  the  walk, 
and  at  such  a  depth  as  just  to  leave  the  top  of  the  plinth 
(as  at  A  in  the  figure,)  level  with  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
If  the  tiles  do  not  tit  exactly  to  each  other,  they  may  be  cut 
or  chipped  with  a  trowel,  or  old  hatchet,  as  builders  do 
bricks.  They  may  also  bo  mitred,  or  reduced  to  any  length 
by  cutting  tln-ough  the  moulding  with  an  old  saw,  and  then 
chipping  oft'  witli  a  chisel  and  mallet.  For  placing  the  short 
lengtlis  to  form  curves,  the  best  way  is  to  string  the  re- 
quisite number  on  a  piece  of  iron  or  wooden  lioop,  and  then 
to  bend  them  round  the  curve,  filling  up  tlio  interstices 
between  them  with  Roman,  I'ortland,  or  any  other  cement 
that  will  stand  the  weather.  After  they  aro  well  settled, 
any  irregularities  may  be  removed  with  a  rasp. 


I  n.wE  seen,  in  several  recent  numbers  of  The  Cottage 
Gakdeneu,  frequent  communications  and  letters  relative  to 
the  Brahma  Poulra  Controversy,  and  my  name  being  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  it,  I  think  it  due  to  myself  to  state 
to  you  the  facts  of  tlie  case,  in  as  few  words  as  possible. 

In  the  summer  of  1802,  I  was  induced  to  apply  to  Dr. 
Bennett,  of  Boston,  U.S.,  for  some  Brahma  I'outra  Towls, 
havbig  read  a  glowing  description  of  them  in  an  .\merican 
jjaper.  In  September,  18,02, 1  received  from  Dr.  Bennett  a 
pair  of  these  fowls  (the  first,  I  believe,  that  were  ever  im- 
ported into  tliis  country).  I  was  much  pleased  with  them, 
and  having  communicated  my  approval  to  Dr.  Bennett,  he 
tliouglit  proper,  unsolicited  by  me,  to  send  to  l^iverpool  four 
more  pairs  of  Brahma  I'outi'as,  recpiesting  me  to  dispose  of 
them  for  him  to  the  best  advantage. 

Being  naturally  somewhat  emban-assed  by  this  consign- 
ment, Dr.  t!  Wynne  kindly  offered  liis  assistance  in  disposing 
of  these  birds,  and  I  never  saw  them,  as  he  took  them  from 
Liverpool  to  his  own  residence  at  Sandback. 

I  exhibited  my  pair  of  Brahmas,  at  Binningham,  in 
December,  ll-ij2.  They  received  no  prize,  and  were  not  in 
any  way  noticed.  I  believe  those  shown  by  Dr.  Gwynne 
shai-ed  a  similar  fate.  They  were  the  same  week  put  np  to 
auction  at  Birmingham,  and,  I  believe,  were  bought  in  at  a 
low  price.  In  Januai-y,  1853,  my  pair  of  Brahmas  were 
purchased  of  me  by  Mr.  Bowman,  of  Penzance,  and,  I  believe, 
he  has  recently  parted  with  them  to  Mr.  Sheehan.  Now, 
with  reference  to  the  Grey  Shanghaes,  then'  history  is  briefly 
this : — In  the  summer  of  l8ol,  I  pm-chased,  from  BIr.  Turner, 
three  Pullets  and  a  Cockerel,  and  I  exhibited  them,  at  Bir- 
mingham, in  December  of  the  same  year;  they  had  a  first 
prize  awarded  them,  and  were  immediately  bought  by  Mr. 
Bond,  of  Leeds,  who,  I  believe,  retained  them  for  some  time 
in  his  possession.  I  do  not  know  if  he  still  has  them.  From 
the  above  statement,  you  will,  I  think,  be  convinced  that  the 
Brahma  Poutras  and  Grey  Shanghaes  belonging  to  mo  were 
perfectly  distinct  and  dift'erent  breeds. 

Eiituii  Masctttt.  S.  H.  HosrEn  WniiAMS. 

[We  are  convinced  that  they  came  to  Mrs.  Hosier  'Wil- 
liaras  from  dift'erent  sources,  but  not  that  they  are  distinct 
breeds.— Ed.  C.  C] 

I  Tp.usT  yourself  and  readers  are  not  tired  of  the  Brahma 
Potilru  controversy,  and  being,  in  common  with  many  other 
persons,  a  great  admirer  of  this  beautiful  variety  of  Poultry, 
cannot  refrain  from  again  addressing  you  in  their  behalf, 
and  in  reply  to  your  con'espondent,  who  has  now  favoiu'ed 
us  with  some  initials ;  perhaps,  in  his  next  oommunication,  he 
will  give  us  his  name ;  and  I  trust  he  will  not  be  offended  by 
my  stating  my  opinion,  that  it  would  be  more  straightforward 
to  do  so. 

In  the  first  place,  he  contradicts  my  statement  as  to  tlie 
fact  of  the  Grey  chickens  being  positively  sold.  I  confidently 
state  they  were  sold  ;  in  proof  of  which  assertion,  beg  to  say, 
I  bought  the  best  pair  among  them  myself;  and,  \{  one  lot 
was  bought  in,  it  was  as  much  as  there  was,  but  I  doubt  even 
that.  The  pair  I  bought  turned  out  very  nice  birds,  and 
were  greatly  admired  this  spring,  and  I  could  have  sold  all 
tlie  eggs  this  season  .at  :)lls.  per  dozen.  They  will  not, 
however,  bear  any  comparison  with  the  birds  I  have  from 
Her  Majesty's  and  Dr.  Gwynne's  stocks;  and,  moreover, 
their  chickens  have  been  Silver  Cinnamons,  veiy  good,  and  F 
have  sold  them  at  .£'2  to  -£2  Ids.  each.  Now,  in  opposition  to 
this,  all  the  chickens  bred  by  Dr.  Gwynne,  BIr.  Sheehan,  and 
others,  have  been  Grey,  and  so  also  are  some  chickens  from 
Mr.  Gilbert's  birds,  which  I  have  seen,  and  remarkably  lino 
birds  too,  larger  consider.ably  than  some  Butf  birds  hatched 
at  the  same  time;  being  only  three  or  four  weeks  old,  it  is 
impossible  to  tell  what  they  will  be,  but  at  present  ai-e  very 
promismg.  Yom"  coiTCspondent  very  felicitously  calls  atten 
tion  to  those  low-priced  Greys ;  but  how  ominously  silent  he  . 
is  with  reference  to  the  other  sale  quoted  by  me,  wlicn  they 
fetched ;ioHn(/.<  instead  of  shillings.  Wliat  does  ho  sny  to  tliis  ■' 
Can  he  accountforit?  Wasit  because  nobodyliked them,  that 
tliey  gave  good  prices  for  tliem'.'  Ho  states,  also,  in  his  last 
communication,  that  birds  as  pure  in  colour  as  the  true 
strain  could  be  produced  from  Grey  and  Bulfparents.  ( 1  ranted, 
they  may  do  so ;  but  one  parent  iniisl  be  of  tlie  right  cidour, 
or,  I  feel  convinced,  it  would  be  indeed  a  hopeless  task  to 


October  1.". 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


attempt  it;  and  having  pvotlnoeil  some  birils  of  tlio  rerxuireil 
colour,  will  he  voiitui-o  to  say  that  it  coulil  be  perpetuated 
from  tliera  ?  Will  the  offspring  of  Irirds  thus  crossed  como  as 
true  to  feather  as  those  from  the  pure  branches?  I  can 
only  say,  that  my  experience  (as  instanced  in  the  case  of  my 
first  pair  of  Greys)  has  proved  the  contrary ;  and  I  should 
third;,  from  the  "  many  years  experience  in  all  poultry 
matters  "  wliich  he  professes  (and  which  I  do  not),  that  he 
must  be  quite  awar-e  of  tliis  fact  as  applied  to  all  cross-bred 
birds.  This  brings  to  my  mind,  that  in  my  former  letter  there 
occurred  a  misju-int — the  word  point  there  printed  should  be 
parent — you  will  then  see  that  he  is  answered  on  this  point 
in  anticipation.  If  your  correspondent  doidjts  the  fact  of 
these  birds  being  imported  from  America,  he  can  have  ample 
evidence  of  the  truth  of  it,  if  lie  will  take  the  trouble  to 
enquire ;  and  I  believe  I  anr  not  wrong,  or  committing  a 
breach  of  confidence,  in  stating,  tliat  there  are,  atthis  moment, 
on  the  passage  from  New  York,  some  of  the  finest  birds  that 
could  be  procured  in  America,  consigned  to  a  gentleman  of 
high  standing  in  tlie  poultry  w'orld. 

I  think,  your  correspondent  "  Verax "  is  scarcely 
justified  in  putting  down  as  linmbvij  the  opinions  of  men 
perhaps  as  well  qualified  as  himself  to  form  one ;  the  only 
grounds  he  gives  for  doing  so,  is  having  been  imposed  on 
himself ;  but  if  some  unprincipled  person  has  foisted  cross 
for  pure  bred  birds  on  him,  that  is  no  reason  he  should  con- 
demn the  whole ;  in  fact,  his  admission  of  the  half-bred  birds 
being  sold  to  him  as  pure,  is,  in  ray  opinion,  a  tacit  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  existence  of  pure  birds  somewliere,  but  he 
has  not  been  fortunate  enough  to  prociu'e  tliem,  if  he  had, 
we  should,  perhaps,  have  heard  from  him  in  a  different  spirit. 
And  now,  sir,  perhaps  you  will  permit  me  to  say  a  few  words 
on  your  remarks,  and  will  endeavour  to  do  so  in  all  fairness 
of  spirit.  In  your  paper  of  the  'i'-lnA,  you  say,  in  reference  to 
the  admirers  of  Brahma  Poutras,  "  that  they  mil  soon  expose 
tlieir  own  foUies,"  alluding  to  the  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
the  Pea  or  Single  Comb  being  most  desirable.  SVhy  should 
you  condemn,  as  a  folly,  the  mere  fact  of  another  person 
admiring  tliat  which  you  do  not  ?  and  if  there  be  a  difference 
of  opinion  on  the  subject  of  the  comb,  does  not  the  same 
remai'k  apply  to  the  Dorking  family  ?  And  I  have  never  known 
you  to  denounce  the  man  who  preferred  a  single  to  a  Eose- 
combed  Dorldng,  or  rice  versa.  You  also  warn  your  readers 
against  another  folly,  viz.,  giving  high  prices  for  these  birds. 
Why  should  you  do  so  ?  You  have  never  found  fault  with 
the  prices  given  for  Buffs  ;  on  the  contrary,  when  any  birds 
have  realised  extraordinary  prices,  you  have  alw.ays,  rather 
triumphantly,  called  attention  to  tlie  fact ;  and  it  is  not  very 
long  since  you  also  mentioned  having  sold  some  eaidy 
chickens  of  your  own  at  rather  high  prices;  and,  I  am  sure, 
no  one  envied  or  found  fault  with  you  for  having  done  so. 
It  is,  no  doubt,  a  laudable  thing  for  a  journalist  to  protect 
his  readers,  and  warn  them  against  imposition  ;  but,  in  this 
case,  I  trust  you  will  pardon  nie  for  saying  that  your  zeal  for 
the  public  good  may,  in  ray  opinion,  have  carried  you  a  little 
too  far.  I  believe  the  Greys  will  become  great  favourites 
with  the  public,  but  tliey  should  be  left  to  take  their  chance 
with  others,  and  not  be  vvritteii  down  through  prejudice 
(such  I  believe  your  correspondent's  feelings  to  be).  For 
myself,  I  can  only  say,  I  should  never  have  dreamed  of 
troubling  you  with  any  remarks  of  mine,  but  for  his  letter, 
and  am  quite  content  to  let  the  subject  drop,  and  allow  the 
birds  to  stand  on  their  merits,  of  which  they  possess  not  a 
few,  and  which  the  numerous  poultry  shows  aflord  such 
opportunities  of  being  brought  before  the  public. 

P.  Jones,  Jun. 

[We  have  nothing  to  object  to  in  the  tone  of  this  letter, 
and  have  only  omitted  one  sentence,  attributing  motives  to 
a  third  party,  which  motives  no  one  need  endeavom"  to  dis- 
cover— what  we  have  to  deal  with  are  facts.  Mr.  Jones,  Mr. 
Sheehan,IJr.  Gwynne,  and  some  others,  think  higldy  of  the 
Grey  Shanghaes  ;  others,  more  in  number,  and  high  autho- 
rities among  poultry  fanciers,  think  quite  the  reverse  of  their 
merits.  Time  will  show  who  is  correct.  If  they  do  prove 
such  highly  jueritorious  birds  as  their  possessors  would  have 
others  join  them  in  believing,  then  not  one  word  will  be 
published  by  us  against  prices  commensurate  being  paid  for 
them.  What  we  have  warned  our  readers  against,  and  we 
repeat  the  warning,  is  giving  high  pi-ices  for  birds  or  eggs 
until  their  high  merit  is  established. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


TO    CORRESPOWDEWTS. 

***  \Vc  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  tlie  departmental  writers  of 
TiiR  CoTTAGB  Gardener.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
expense.  AU  communicationa  should  be  addressed  '*  To  the  Editor  of 
tite  Cottage  Gardener,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Row^  London.*' 

Prkventing  Freezing  between  Gt,ass-i,M'Pings.— The  following 
suggestion  of  "^4  Worcestin-shire  Man^*  is  certainly  worthy  of  atrial— 
"  Too  much  depth  lap  over  in  the  panes  of  glass,  in  greenhouses,  is  very  apt 
to  oausc  the  wet  to  get  lictwcen  the  laps,  and  to  freeze,  and  crack  tlie 
panes,  M'^ould  not  a  little  salt  brine  poured  on,  so  as  to  soak  between 
the  laps,  prevent  the  freezing?" 

Tr:iii'Orary  Residence  for  Governesses  (C/enVi/.O.— This  is 
quite  out  of  our  track,  but  happening  tn  know  something  of  its  manage- 
ment, and  of  the  lady,  Rliss  Welch,  who  superintends  its  affairs,  wc  can 
recommend  it  for  your  support  without  any  reservation.  You  had  Ijctter 
write  to  her  at  19  "a,  Osnaburgh  Square. 

Caterpillar  {Olga). — The  caterpillar  that  comes  nearest  to  your 
description,  we  think,  is  that  of  the  Goat  Bloth  {Consiis-  ligniperda). 
Had  it  not  a  goat-like  smell  ? 

Tan  as  a  preventive  of  Cateepillars.— F.  B.  Jl.  will  be  obliged 
by  E,  C.  informing  him  at  what  season  he  applies  the  tan  to  the 
trees,  in  what  quantities,  and  whether  under  each  tree  separately,  or  all 
over  the  surface  of  the  bed  ? 

Chloroform  for  stupifying  Bees  fJ/urfg-fie).— Try  one  drachm; 
if  that  is  not  enough,  it  is  easy  to  use  a  little  more.  Do  not  sprinkle  the 
bees  with  either  syrup  or  anything  else  ;  put  the  hive  over  ab  before  as 
soon  as  the  bees  begin  to  revive. 

Oxalis  spectabilis  {A  Nciv  Suhscriher). — We  suspect  your  species 
is  identical  with  the  Braziliemis  of  TuE  Cottage  Gardener's  Dic- 
tionary, a  small,  rose-coloured  species  from  lira/.il.  It  would  do  well 
in  a  cold  frame,  or  even  in  a  border  secured  from  frost ;  but,  unlpss  you 
bad  much  of  it,  we  would  advise  keeping  it  under  shelter.  You  may 
plant  when  you  like,  but  forbear  giving  water  until  vegetation  in  the 
builds  commences.  By  merely  attending  to  this,  the  whole  genus  may 
be  brought  into  bloom  at  almost  any  time,  by  altering,  by  little  and 
!  little,  their  resting  period. 

Wintering  Geraniums  il/ml). — You  may  keep  such  as  AJa.r,  Pluto, 
&c.,  in  a  frame  ;  but  you  will  have  considerable  trouble  in  keeping  them 
I  dry  enough.     You  must  not  attempt  to  grow  them  much,  until  the  day 
1  changes  in  spring.     Hee  remarks  on  pits,  ike,  last  week. 

I  Hydrangeas  not  blooming  (0.  P.). — The  wood  had  not  been  suffi- 
!  ciently  matured  last  season.  If  you  had  stopped  their  growth  some  lime 
j  before  pruning  them,  and  had  shortened  or  removed  a  few  of  the  upper 
I  leaves,  kept  the  plants  rather  dry,  and  the  stems  fully  exposed  to  the  sun, 
i  it  is  likely  that  every  bud  you  left  after  pruning  would  have  given  you  a 
i  shoot  surmounted  by  a  head  of  bloom.  Keep  this  ripening  of  wood 
I  process  in  view  now,  or  you  may  have  the  same  complaint  next  year,  as 
j  your  plants  are  growing  well.  In  fact,  the  wood  ought  to  be  firm  at  the 
'  base  of  the  shoots  before  now.     We  have  some  out-of-doors,  but  the 

cold,  damp  autumn  last  year  left  the  wood   so   spongy  that   we  have 

vigorous  growth,  and  but  little  or  no  bloom. 

Camellias  and  Orange-trees  (Jifrf).— We  have  so  often  alluded  to 
these,  in  almost  every  imaginal)le  circumstance,  that  \vc  hardly  know  of 
one  additional  wrinkle  we  could  give  you.  We  will  think  the  matter 
over,  however,  and  try ;  but  we  should  know  better  how  to  suit  you,  if 
we  knew  the  points  on  which  you  chiefly  wanted  information. 

Raising  fine  sorts  of  Calceolaria  (Ibid). — You  must  first  of 
all  buy  the  best  to  be  got,  and  then  carefully  hybridize  the  flowers; 
allow  only  a  few  seeds  to  ripen  on  the  best  plants;  sow  these  carefully, 
soon  after  being  gathered  ;  keep  with  great  care  over  the  winter  ;  bloom 
in  small  pots ;  and  keep  those  only  that  are  decidedly  superior.  This  is 
the  mode  for  fine  florist's  varieties.  If  jou  want  them  for  the  border,  a 
shrubby  habit,  flowers  rather  small,  and  with  little  or  no  opening  in  the 
slipper,  must  form  criteria  of  excellence.  For  them,  the  mother  plant, 
at  least,  should  be  of  a  shrubby  habit. 

Converting  a  Greenhouse  Vinery  into  a  Conservatory  Vinery 
{A  Frie7id).~By  the  sketch  given,  we  are  informed  the  house  is  nine  feet 
wide,  and  seventeen  feet  long.  We  presume  there  is  a  brick  wall,  front 
and  ends,  some  two-and-a-half  feet  in  height ;  front  sashes  three-and-a- 
half  feet  high,  making  a  height  of  six  feet  altogether,  and  that  the  back  wall 
is  fiome  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  high.  We  also  presume  that  the  Vines 
are  brought  in  at  the  front  wall,  the  roots  being  in  a  border  outside.  The 
door  is  in  the  end,  some  two-and-a-half  feet  wide,  and  placed  a  foot  or 
fifteen  inches  from  the  front  of  the  house,  and  thus  leaving  room  for  a 
narrow  shelf  there  for  small  plants,  if  deemed  advisable.  If  in  anything 
we  have  surmised  wrong,  or  a  more  detailed  account  of  your  other  glass 
conveniences  might  alter  our  opinion,  we  would  be  glad  to  hearfrom  you, 
as  we  would  wish  to  give  all  the  help  possible  in  the  circumstances. 
Now,  in  answer  to  your  questions — First.  It  is  perfectly  practicable  retain- 
ing the  Vine  on  the  rafters,  "  to  convert  the  greenhouse  into  a  con- 
servatory, by  removing  the  stand,  and  substituting  a  border  sis  feet  wide, 
and  the  length  of  the  house."  But,  second.  The  proposed  mode  of  planting 
it  with  "  Fuchsias,  Camellias,  Orange-trees,  Deutzias,  Azaleas,  ike,  and 
covering  the  back  wall  behind  with  Camellias,  Jasmines,  ^c,"  is  open 
to  some  exception.  The  beauty  of  such  a  house  would  consist  in  having 
plants  that  would  suit  the  treatment  given  to  the  Vine,  premising  that 
but  little  in  the  way  of  forcing  was  given  to  that  fruit.  Now,  a  Fur/isiti, 
in  such  circumstances,  would  grow  freely,  and,  for  the  first  months  in 
spring,  it  would  blow  freely,  but  afterwards,  from  tlie  shade  of  the  Vine, 
the  blooms  would  lose  in  richness  of  colour,  and  luxuriance  of  foliage  would 
so  increase,  until  all  the  space  would  soon  be  occupied  with  a  few  plants. 


oi 


THE  COTTAGK  GARDENKR. 


OcTuuru  lo. 


The  same  of  the  Deiifzla,  when  done  flowering,  and  a  free  growth  made, 
it  would  rcc|uire  more  air  and  sun-light  than  it  would  be  prudent  to  pive 
when  the  Vines  were  swelling  and  ripening  their   fruit,     On  the  other 
hand,  Ctuntllitis,  Orangex,  Aznltna,   and  things  of  that  nature,  would 
answer  admirablv.    They  would  bloom  in   i' inter  and  spring,  and  the 
earlv  months  of  "summer.  By  allowing  the  Vine  to  start  almost  naturally, 
you'  would  begin  to  keep  the  house  closer  and  warmer,  just  when  you 
wanted  your  plants  also  to  make  fresh  growth.     \\'hen  that  was  getting 
on  nicelr,  a  withdrawing  of  water  would  cause  them  to  set  their  buds; 
and  as  the  Grapes  reached  maturity,  the  thinning  away  of  laterals,  the 
freer  admission  of  air,  would  thus  let  in  more  light  to  consolidate  the 
wood,  and  ripen  the  buds,  and  bv  the  time  the  Vine-leaves  were  getting 
yellow,  your  Camell'ms  would  be  coming  into  bloom,   being  followed  by 
the  Aza'lms  and  Oranges,  there  being  no  danger  of  exciting  the  Vines, 
if  the  night  temperature  was  seldom,  by  artificial  means,  above  45'^.  And, 
third.  The  mode  of  makingthe  border,  namely,  building  a  four-inch  wall 
in  front  two  feet  high,  from  which  the  border  is  to  slope  back  to  the 
north  wall,  is  all  well  enough,  provided  the  slope  is  upivards,  and  not 
downwards;  the  part  at  the'back  wall  being  six  inches  or  so  higher  than 
the  soil  at  the  two-feet  wall  in  Iront.      The  earth  platform  would  thus 
answer  the  purpose  of  the  wooden  stage.    But  in  planting  such  a  border, 
a  good  drain  should  have  been  previously  secured  beneath  it.      A\'ith  this 
drainage  secured,  a  kerl)  of  six,  nine,  or  twelve  inches  in  height,  would 
just  answer  as  well  as  the  two-feet  wall,  and  would  enable  yuu  to  have 
larger  plants  in  the  bed  without  unduly  shading  the  back  wall.      Fourth. 
"The  leaving  a  hollow  formed  by  cement  on  the  top  of  the  four-inch 
wall,  to  receive  mould  for  planting  Li/copodhims,"  is  a  good  idea  for 
securing  a  beautiful,  evergreen,   topped  kerb,  but    we  lather  fear   the 
means  used  will  be  somewliat  rickety,  and  be  very  apt  to  be  cracked,  and 
displaced  in  the  process  of  watering,  while  the  space  secured  must  be 
very  narrow  indeed.  We  would  prefer  to  have  small,  square,  earthenware 
vessels,  with  the  sides  made  thin,  the  width  of  the  lour-inch  bricks,  with 
holes  pierced  in  them  for  drainage,  on  the  border  side,  and  failini;  that, 
we  would  dispense,  even  then,  with  the  cement  trough,  and  plant  the 
Lycopodiums  close  to  the  wall,   and  they  would  soon  cover,  and  hang 
down  over  its  tops.     But,  fifthly.  Before  you   prepared   compost,    and 
commenced  planting-out,  we  would  advise  you  to  think  over  how  very 
few  plants  of  a  largish  size,   wliieh,  after  allowing  two  feet  for  the  hack 
wall,  you  could  give  room  to  in  a  space  seventeen  feet  by  four  feet,  and 
then  "enquire  whether,   for  a   twelvemonth,    or  even  several  years,  you 
could  be  content  to  look  upon  the  same  plants  in  identically  the  same 
position,  in  bloom  and  out  of  bloom,  without  the  power  of  easily  moving 
or  replacing  them.    And,  now,  lastly,  allow  us  to  say  what  we  should  be 
inclined  todo,  in  such  a  case,  where  the  natural  ease  and  gracefulness  of 
tlie  conservatory  plantitig-out  mode  was  an  indispensable.      Against  the 
back  wall,  and  twenty  inches  from  it,  wc  would  build  a  four-inch  brick 
wallsohiahas  tobeaninch  or  two  below  the  soil  of  the  border.     \Ve  would 
then  divide  this  little  pit.  twenty  inches  wide,  into  four  or  five  divisions, 
by  brick,  on  bed  or  on  edge,  to  give  a  distinct  place  to  each  plant  against 
the  back  wall,  so  tliat  a  plant  might  he  destroyed,  and  fresh  soil  given  to 
another,  without  disturbing  the  roots  of  the  rest.    The  bottom  of  each 
of  these  compartments  would  have  access  to  the  drain.    These  plants 
against  the  north  wall  would  be  all  we  would  plant  out.     This  would 
leave  a  border  four  feet  in  width.     We  would  have  a  kerb  in  front  for  it, 
high  or  low,  according  to   taste,  not  forgetting  arrangements   for  the 
'pretty  Li/copnds;  but  this  border  we  would  fill  with   tine  sandy  soil,  or 
rather  rough  sand,  to  the  requisite  depth,  and  in  that,  instead  of  planting- 
out,   would  plunge  favourite  plants,  covering  the  pots  ;   and   then,   by 
having  it  in  our  power  to  change  them  out  and  in  at  will,  we  could  give 
an  interest,  a  beauty,  and  variety,  to  a  small  house,  which  no  planting- 
out,   stereotype  fashion,  could  ever  yield  ;  while   the  plants  themselves, 
when  in  a  peculiar  condition,  could  receive  the  peculiar  treatment  they 
required ;  and  when  such  a  thing  as  insects  came,  the  cleansing  remedies 
might  be  referred  to  without  subjecting  the  clean  and  healthy   inmates 
to  sanitary  quarantine. 

Fruits  for  Exhibition  (/.  Hayiviiyd).  — The  best  sorts  of  the 
following  fruits,  to  grow  as  espaliers  for  exhibition,  would  be  Apples  for 
dessert:  — Red  and  White  lugestree,  Boston  Russet,  Cockle  Pippin, 
Braddiek's  Nonpariel,  Court  of  Wick,  and  Sturmer  Pippin  ;  for  kitchen 
use,  Alfriston,  Reinette  Blanche  d'F:spagne.  Beauty  of  Kent.  Waltham 
Abbey  Seedling,  Cellini,  Striped  Beefing,  and  Wormsley  Pippin.  Pears 
—Van  flions.  Leon  le  Clerc,  Eyewood,  Beurre  Diel,  Forelle,  Uuchesse 
d'Angouh^'mc,  Beurre  de  Ranee,  and  Easter  Beurre.  Plums— Reine 
Claude  Violcttc.letferson.Washington.Halings'a  Superb,  Pond's  Seedling, 
Nectarine,  and  Roval  Hfitivc.  Cherries- Black  Tartarian,  Bigarreau 
Napoleon,  Black  Eaglp,  Elton,  Reinc  Hortcnse,  and  Early  Purple 
fiuigne.  Fici— Brown  Turkey,  Peaches.  Nectarines,  and  Apricots,  will 
not  do  as  espaliers,  but  all  the  others  will  do  well  in  your  garden.  The 
best  time  for  planting,  if  the  situation  is  dry,  will  be  in  November  ;  but 
if  wet,  in  February  or  aiarch. 


Dealers  Peizp  at  teif  Surrey  ZooLor.iCAL  CARnESS.— Wc  are 
informed  by  Rlr.  Charles  Bainbridgc,  of  Birmingham,  that  the  .ludgca  at 
the  Poultry  Show  at  tlie  above-named  Gardens,  eventually  gave  him  the 
Prize  '*  for  the  largest  number  of  good  specimens  exhibited  by  any 
dealer." 

Change  of  Poultry  Stock  (A  Country  Rrrtor).~Get  rid  at  once  of 
your  present  birds  and  buy  some  Shanghac  Pullets  hatched  in  April, 
and  put  to  them  a  Dorking  Cock.     They  will  lay  all  the  winter. 

Heating  a  Greenhouse  [F.  H.  L.).—A  Gas  Stove  will  not  an'^wer 
your  purpose.  The  most  cheap,  at  first,  will  be  the  old  furnace  and  tlue; 
the  most  effectual,  a  boiler  and  iron  pipes  for  hot-water. 

Kidney  Beans  (A  Cnnstant  Reader) . —They  are  the  largest  we  ever 
saw  (some  being  ten  inches  in  length).  It  comes  nearest  to  the  SuOre. 
If  you  will  send  us  half-a-dozen  ripe  seeds  we  shall  be  able  to  he  more 
certain.    See  what  Mr.  Errington  says  about  Wall  Trees. 

Queen-Bee  Dead.— T.  A^.  says.— "A  few  days  ago  (Sept.  lOth),  I 
observed  an  unusual  commotion  with  one  of  my  stocks  of  Bees  ;  and 
in  going  to  ascertain  the  cause,  I  observed  the  t^ueen  on  the  ground,  in 
front  of  the  hive,  dead.  Now  will  the  Bees  be  able  to  provide  another;  and 
if  so.  will  she  be  fertile  /"  It  is  very  doubtful  if  your  Bees  will  be  able 
to  make  another  Queen  at  this  advanced  period  of  the  season,  and  it  is 
still  more  doubtful  if  she  will  be  fertile  ;  therefore,  if  the  stock  is  one  you 
wish  to  preserve,  unite  with  it  the  Bees  from  any  weak  stock  you  may 
happen  to  have  ;  those  from  a  cast  of  the  present  year  would  be  best,  for 
you  will  then  injure  a  young  Queen. 

Food  for  Bees  (AfieUle).— One  pound  of  loaf  sugar,  one  quarter  jdnt 
of  water,  one  quarter  pound  of  honey;  simmer  all  together  for  tiiree 
minutes  over  a  slow  fire,  or  till  the  sugar  is  melted. 

A  Cow  milking  herself  (.-I  Constant  Suhscriber). — When  a  cow 
sucks  her  own  milk,  the  best  plan  is  to  get  rid  of  her,  except  in  case  it  is 
desirable  to  keep  her  for  fancy  sake ;  then  I  should  recommend  a  leather 
halter  to  be  worn  about  the  head,  attached  to  which  should  be  a  thong- 
strap  across  the  nose,  with  sharp  pointed  nails  inserted,  and  projecting 
similar  to  calf-muzzles,  which  are  used  to  prevent  calves  from  sucking 
after  being  weaned.— J.  B. 


Turkeys  becoming  Blind  (J.  J.).— It  is  quite  impossible  to  state 
anything  regarding  the  blindness  of  these  binis,  unless  some  details  are 
given.  Blindness  may  occur  from  several  d' 
than  useless  to  prescribe  at  hazard 


ases,  and  it  would  he  worse 
W.  B.  T. 


Gardenia  Stanleyana  (Qitcrist'j.^lf  you  had  a  late  vinery,  where 
Grapes  are  kcjit  to  the  entl  of  February,  and  where  a  dry  heat  of  from  45"^ 
to  5. "i^  is  kept  up  all  through  the  winter,  your  plant  oi  Gardenia  Stan- 
leyana  might  be  kept  there,  and  tlic  flower-buds  would  not  swell  much 
more  than  they  are  at  present.  After  that,  with  a  dry  sunny  March,  your 
plant  would  be  in  bloom  through  next  April  and  fliay.  An  intermediate 
house,  where  I\Icxican  Orchids  stand  at  rest  through  the  winter,  is  the 
next  best  place  for  it  ;  but  in  a  regular  moist  stove  the  tlowcr-huds  will 
all  drop  before  the  end  of  January.  What  your  plant  really  wants  is  to 
be  closely  pruned  by  the  end  of  February,  and  to  receive  strong  forcing 
for  three  months  after,  and  if  it  shewed  bloom-buds  before  the  end  of 
Slav,  to  be  kept  in  heat  till  they  began  to  open;  if  no  tlower-buds  ap- 
peared before  Midsummer,  the  plant  should  be  checked  by  turning  it 
into  a  cooler,  drier,  and  more  airy  house,  where  it  would  begin  to  show 
signs  of  tlower-buds  late  in  August.  From  that  time,  to  the  turn  of  tlic 
new  year,  the  plant  ought  to  be  considered  at  rest,  so  aa  to  keep  back  the 
flowers  till  the  spring. 

Concrete  Walks  (L.I.— The  communication  you  inquire  about  is  in 
No.  239,  V-  S3. 


Spanish  Cockerel  with  White  Feathers  (T.  F.). — Little  en- 
couragement can  he  held  out  that  the  white  feathers  on  the  breast  of 
your  Spanish  Cockerel  will  disappear  with  his  moult.  The  Spanish 
fowl,  indeed,  frequently  undergoes  extensive  changes  of  colour  during 
that  process,  but  "white"  is  more  generally  the  colour  assumed,  not 
that  which  is  laid  aside.  Curvature  of  the  epine  may  either  have  been 
produced  by  a  blow,  or  be  the  result  of  hereditary  deformity,  that  would 
not  necessarily  be  developed  at  the  earliest  stages  of  growth,  or  if 
developed,  often  unnoticed  till  the  bird  gains  si/.e. — W. 

Beak  of  the  Aylesbury  Duck  (fi^.  T. //.).— The  bill  of  the  Aylei- 
bury  Duck  is  frequently  disfigured  by  dark  spots  ;  usually,  however,  the 
older  birds  arc  those  most  seriously  aff^ected.  The  dirt  in  the  cow-house 
is  not  by  any  means  likely  to  have  caused  the  evil,  and  we  regard  it  as 
hereditary,  though  there  arc  certain  conditions,  such  as  access  to  peat  or 
moss-water,  under  which  we  should  first  expect  lo  see  it.  Some  of  the 
best  birds  in  England  have  suffered  from  this  cause,  for  which,  wc  fear, 
no  remedy  will  be  found  effectual.  Wc  should  at  once  chantrc  our 
stock  where  birds  were  intended  for  exhibition.  Seethe  article  "  Ducks" 
in  the  forthcoming  number  of  the  "  Poultry  Booli."~'\V. 

Arrangement  of  Land  (G.  T.).— It  is  quite  impossible  to  advise 
you  generally.     We  shall  willingly  be  consulted  on  ar.y  specific  point. 

Names  of  Plants  (A  Surrey  Snbscrif/er).-~'So,  I.  The  Grey  Poplar, 
Popiili/s  ciniesceiis.  No.  2.  Turkey  Oak,  Qucrcus  cerris.  {R.  U.  J. 
Wif,'tn>i).—\.  Lotus  coniivufntua.  2.  Hydrucofyle  vulgaris.  3.  Tor- 
vicntilla  repiam.  4.  Potcniilla  anscrinn.  (E.  A.  Lxverpoal).~Thc 
white  flower  is  Francon  ramosa,  and  the  other  Tropwoliim  pentaphyltum. 
Your  Crinnin  will  require  water  whilst  growing.  Pot  your  Passion 
Flower  in  the  spring.  It  need  not  he  stopped  now.  (^1'.  S.I.— The  form 
of  your  Dahlia  is  good,  size  small,  and  colour  very  common.  The 
name  of  the  flower  with  it  is  Asclepias  rurasavicus.  (A  Constant 
Header,  IJanrwst).  —  No.  I.  Shepherdia  argentea.  2.  Aristolochia 
nia-'in  variegatu.  3.  I'ncertain.  4.  Escalunia  rubra.  5.  A  triplex 
halmus.  fi.  Staphylea  pinnata.  7-  Uncertain.  8.  Celtis  australis.  (). 
Ccrcis  canadensis.  (J.  P.).— Vour  evergreens  arc  as  follows: — 1.  Pinus 
niger.  2.  Cuprossus  thyoides.  ;i.  Thuja  occidcutalis.  4.  T.  orientalis. 
5,  Cuprcssus  sempervi'rens  var.  horizuntalis.  6.  Pinus  cxcclsn.  7. 
P.  longifolia.  H.  .luniperus  Phnnicia.  9.  J.Sabina.  10.  .f.  Sabinananii. 
U.  Cedrus  Lcbana.  12.  Pinna  insignis.  VA,  Junipcrus  tamariscifolitu 
14.  Pinus  sp.,  uncertain.     15.  Pinus  sp.,  uncertain. 


London:  Printed  by  Haret  WooLDaiDGE,  Winchester  High-Btreet, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalcndar;  and  Publiohed  by  William 
SoMERViLLE  Ore,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Esses,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Paiiih  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— October  13th,  1883. 


OcTontn  :10. 


TPIE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


33 


M 

D 

D 

W 

ao 

Th 

21 

F 

f2 

S 

23 

Son 

24 

M 

25 

To 

26 

W 

OCTOBER.20— 21),   1853. 


Hen  Chafiinches  flock. 
Sun's  declination,  10°  47'  s. 
Coddy-raotldy  Gull  inland. 
22  Sunday  after  Trinity. 
Short-eared  Owl  conies. 

Whitethorn  leaves  falL 


Wbathbr  near  London  in  1852. 

Rain  in 
Inches. 


Barometer. 


30,357—30.151 
30.008—29.867 
29.762—29.642 
29.686-29.852 
29.629—29.590 
29.446—29.285 

29.377—28.877 


Thermo.  Wind, 


59—33  S. 
59-49  s. 
00—51  I     s. 

58—40  ,  S.W. 

57-37    S.W. 

60—31  W, 
49—30  I     S. 


14 
18 
65 
55 
33 


Sun 
Rises, 


35  a.  6 
36 
38 
40 
42 
4S 
45 


Sun 

Sets, 


Moon 
R,  &S, 


55  a,  4 

63 
61 
49 
47 
45 

43 


6  37 

7  7 
7  45 
3  35 
9  36 


Moon'i 
Age, 


16  9 

15  19 

15  23 

15  36 

15  44 

15  51 

II      .50  i       24       I    15  57 


IS 
19 
20 
21 
22 


Clock   1  Day  of 
af.  Sun,  <   Year, 


293 

294 
296 

296 
297 
298 
299 


Metborology  of  toe  Week, — At  Chiswick,  from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-six  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
peratures of  these  days  are  57°  and  40.8°  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  73°.  occurredon  the  21st  in  1830;  and  the  lowest  cold,  20°,  on  the 
2l8tin  1842,    During  the  period  95  days  were  flue,  and  on  87  rain  fell. 


NEW  PLANTS. 

Brillantaisia  OwAitiENSis  (Owariaii  Brillantama). — This 
native  of  Africa  is  a  Lamium-like  stove  plant,  belonging  to 
the  natural  order  of  AcanlJiads  and  to  Dlandrki  Monoijynia 
of  Linnseus.  It  was  discovered  and  named  by  11.  Nees  von 
Esenbeck,  but  some  later  botanists  to  whom  specimens  were 
submitted,  overlooking  its  previous  discovery,  have  severally 
named  it  Bclanthcria  lumlinn,  ami  Lt-uciajraphis  himium.  It 
has  bloomed  in  the  Chelsea  Gaji-den,  where  it  was  received 
from  Sierra  Leone.  The  dark  jjurple  flowers  are  like  those 
of  Sage,  and  are  fully  expanded  in  JMaroli.  It  is  an  under- 
shrub,  about  three  feet  high.  —  {Bulaiiical  Maijazlnc, 
t.  4717.) 

Ehododendkon  D.u,riousi,E  {Ladtj  Dalkomk's  Ehoilo- 
clendroii). — Tills  is  one  of  the  most  striking  of  the  Sikkim 
Ehododendrons,  whether  regard  be  had  to  its  large  White- 
Lily-like  ilowers,  or  its  native  mode  of  epiphytal  growth  in 
moss,  upon  the  branches  of  trees  in  the  damp  forests  of 
East  Nepal,  Sikkim,  and  Bhotan.  It  is  there  found  at  an 
elevation  of  from  0,000  to  !J,OIJO  feet.  It  is  a  straggling 
shrub,  from  six  to  eight  feet  high,  bearing  leaves  and  flowers 
only  at  the  extremity  of  the  branches.  Seeds  of  it  arrived 
in  England  during  the  spring  of  18.50,  and  in  the  Marcli  of 
18")0  it  was  for  the  first  time  bloomed  here  by  Mr.  Laing, 
gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Rosslyn,  at  Dysart  House,  Kirkaldy. 
His  detail  of  the  culture  he  adopted  is  as  follows  : — 

"  In  January,  18,52, 1  selected  from  our  wood  a  vigorous 
plant  of  Rhododendron  Pnnlicum,  with  a  clean  straight  stem, 
about  six  feet  high,  removing  all  the  lateral  branches,  and 
potting  in  an  eight-inch  pot.  About  the  end  of  Januaiy  it 
was  placed  in  the  stove,  where  it  was  soon  after  inarched 
with  li.  DalhoHsue.  As  the  young  shoot  of  the  latter  began 
to  harden,  it  was  gradually  cut  through  till  separated,  and 
the  plant  was  removed  to  a  cool  greenhouse  to  rest.  It  very 
soon  showed  symptoms  of  making  another  growth,  when  it 
was  transferred  to  the  stove,  to  ripen  its  wood  preparatory  to 
its  being  again  put  into  a  cool  house  as  the  shoot  ripened. 
Here  it  did  not  remain  long  before  it  made  further  progress, 
and  again  required  the  heat  of  the  stove  to  ripen  its  third 
growth.  About  the  end  of  October  a  flower-bud  was  formed, 
when  water  was  gradually  withheld  until  it  was  moderately 
dry  at  the  roots,  and  the  plant  was  removed  to  a  cool  green- 
house for  the  entire  winter.  About  the  third  week  in  Feb- 
ruary, 185.!,  it  was  placed  in  the  stove,  and  began  to  show 
colour  on  the  10th  of  this  month.  When  the  flowers  first 
appeared  they  were  of  a  greenish  colour,  which  gradually 
changed  into  a  yellow,  which  also  has  died  away,  until  it  is 
of  the  colour  of  the  flower  sent,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but 
ere  the  flower  drop  it  will  be  nearly  white  (as  represented  in 
our  plate).  I  may  also  state,  that  the  iflant  has  never  been 
exposed  out-of-doors :  had  it  been  so,  the  rusty  colour  on 
the  upper  surface  of  the  leaf  would  very  likely  have  been 
removed.  The  bark  on  the  first  shoot  or  growth  is  of  a 
brown  colour ;  but  the  other  two  growths  are  yet  green." — 
{Botanical  Muijazinc,  t.  4718.) 


Skimmu  J.iPOOTOA  {Japanese  S/dm)nia).— This  is  one  of 


''■^ 


the  many  instances  of  the  absurd  practice  among  botanists 
of  naming  plants  by  appending  a  Latin  termination  to  the 
name  by  which  they  are  known  in  the  coimtries  of  which 
they  are  natives.  The  plant  before  us  is  called  by  the 
Japanese  Mijami-Skimmi,  and  Thunberg  has  rendered  it 
classical,  but  without  condescending  to  enhghten  us  as  to  its 
meaning.  Botanists  dififer  as  to  the  Natural  Order  in  which 
it  should  be  included,  but  they  cannot  be  far  from  the 
truth  who  refer  it  to  Anranllaccti!,  for  it  partly  resembles 
both  the  Lemon  and  Daphne.  It  is  in  the  Tetrandria 
Monoijynia  of  the  Linna'an  system.  Sprengel  calls  it  Ilex 
Hkhnmia.  It  is  an  evergreen  shrul),  about  three  or  four  feet 
high,  and  a  native  of  the  mountains  near  Nangasaki,  in 
Japan.  It  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Fortune,  and  has  endured, 
uninjured,  two  winters  in  the  open  ground  of  Messrs. 
Standish  and  Noble's  nursery,  but  they  bloomed  it  in  a  cool 
greenhouse.  Every  part  of  it  is  aromatic.  Its  white  flowers, 
which  open  in  early  spring,  resemble  in  fragrance  the /JnjJme 
udora.  "The  evergreen  shining  leaves,  the  clusters  of 
numerous  graceful  flowers,  which  all  the  summits  of  the 
branches  produce,  their  perfume,  and  its  scailet  berries  at 
the  close  of  autumn,  justify  its  position  as  a  decorative 
plant."  {Siebold.) — {Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4710.) 


Nothing  in  gardening,  more  forcibly  than  "  the  shuttle- 
cock-seeded weeds,"  reminds  us  of  the  sterling  wisdom 
contained  in  the  old  proverb,  "  a  stitch  in  time  saves 
nine."   Every  slovenly  gardener  and  agriculturist  knows 


this  to  their  cost.  The  Dandelion,  the  Groundsel,  and 
the  Thistle,  may  easily  he  picked  up,  cut  down,  or 
destroyed  when  in  a  young  state.  But  just  let  them 
alone  until  their  downy  seeds  are  perfected,  and  hours, 


No.  COLXIV.,  Vol,  XI, 


34 


THE   COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


October  20. 


and  even  yeai-s,  may  not  be  sufficient  to  get  rid  of  their 
niimerous  progeny. 

A  few  days  ago,  the  writer  of  this  was  walking  in  com- 
pany witli  a  youth  from  cockney-land,  when  his  com- 
panion directed  attention  to  what,  to  him,  was  a  most 
wonderful  phenomenon.  A  few  yards  overhead  there  was 
nothing  remarkable;  but  above  that  height,  to  as  gi'eat 
an  elevation  as  it  was  possible  for  the  eye  to  discern 
small  objects,  the  atmosphere  was  thickly  studded  with 
moving  white  flossy  matter;  which,  he  said,  "could  not 
be  snow,  as  the  sun  was  too  hot  to  allow  it  to  remain  in 
such  a  peculiar  stratum  so  long !"  On  gaining  a  higher 
ground  all  doubt  was  removed.  The  sun  was  shining 
very  briglit ;  and  at  a  little  height  above  the  surface  of 
the  ground  a  brisk  breeze  was  playing,  and  careering  in 
it  were  myriads  of  Thistle  seeds,  accompanied  with  their 
wings  of  shuttlecock  down  carrying  them  hither  and 
thither,  until  they  found  a  suitable  resting  place  in 
which  to  vegetate  and  gi'ow;  leading  the  eidtivator,  in 
future  years,  to  surmise  if  some  enemy  had  not  purposely 
taken  the  darkness  of  night  to  crop  his  land  with  tliistles. 

The  Londoner's  notions  of  seed  dispersion  and  sowing 
had  been  confined  to  the  Mignonette  pot,  and  the  tiny 
border  of  Virginian  Stock;  and  it  was  a  wonderous  tale 
to  him,  when  told  how  certain  plants  had  the  power  of 
dispersing  their  seeds,  when  ripe,  by  a  sudden  jerk  of 
the  seed-vessel;  such  plants  being  the  Balsam,  the 
Violet,  the  Broom,  and  the  Pine:  how  the  seed  of  the 
Feather  Grass  is  furnished  with  a  plume  like  an  arrow, 
that  helps  to  screw  it  into  the  earth,  which  plume  then 
becomes  the  sport  of  the  winds:  how  the  wind,  that  in  the 
present  case  brought  so  many  unwelcome  guests  to  tlie 
cultivator,  in  the  shape  of  Thistles,  Groundsels,  and 
Dandelions,  was  also  instrumental  in  carrying  to  great 
distances  the  next-to-viewless  seeds  of  lichens.  Mosses, 
&c.,  and  through  their  decay  and  reproduction,  the 
wafting  of  large  seeds,  and  the  carrying  of  larger  by 
birds,  where  there  was  a  little  earth  in  which  to  deposit 
them,  rocks,  once  bare  and  rugged,  had  been  clothed 
with  verdure  and  vegetable  loveliness ;  the  winds  just 
being  one  of  those  simple  means  which  the  Great 
Architect  employs  for  carrying  out  His  great  and  bene- 
volent designs. 

"  I  see  clearly,  now,  why  you  sent  a  boy  to  pick  up 
every  bit  of  Groundsel  before  it  was  in  bloom.  I  see 
the  reason  why  another  man  on  the  carriage-road  was 
picking  up  the  roots  of  Dandelion ;  though  in  one  case 
I  thought  what  a  destruction  you  were  making  among 
the^  food  of  the  beautiful  birds ;  and  in  the  other,  I 
could  not  help  thinking  about  salads  in  winter,  and 
substitutes  for  chicory  in  times  of  scarcity;"  was  the 
Londoner's  reply.  "  But,"  he  added,  "  there  is  one 
tiling  I  cannot  understand.  I  have  been  looking  at 
hedge  -  sides  by  the  highway,  and  at  the  divisions  of 
fields,  as  I  never  did  before ;  in  I'act,  I  have  looked  out 
for  Thistles  as  well  as  brambleherries,  and  sorry  am  I 
to  say,  the  former,  witli  lieads  ready  to  fly,  are  more 
nimierous  than  the  latter.  Surely,  farmers  and  garden- 
ers cannot  believe  that  the  Thistles  will  so  increase,  or 
each  and  every  one  of  them  would  prevent  a  head  of 


Thistle  down  being  seen  on  their  premises,  and  take 
legal  means  for  preventing  either  neighbours  or  road 
surveyors  and  managers,  causing  injin-y  by  their  supine- 
ness  and  neglect." 

Brothers  of  the  spade  and  the  plough,  what  say  you 
to  this  finding?  It  is  a  poser,  which,  ere  long,  must  be 
met,  as  any  other  great  social  or  physical  nuisance  is 
met,  in  which  the  "right  to  do  what  I  will  with  my 
own,"  must  be  determined  by  the  general  yood. 

Without  speaking  of  fields,  we,  every  day,  by  the  side 
of  hedges,  and  on  the  sides  of  our  private  parish  and 
public  roads,  see  these  winged-secdcd-wceds  holding  un- 
challenged sway ;  ever  ready  to  scatter  their  produce  far- 
and  near.  Our  Creator,  who  saw  that  labour  was 
necessary  to  our  happiness  in  our  present  condition, 
has  furnished  us  with  these  and  many  other  weeds  and 
drawbacks  as  incentives  to  action:  for  though  ever  the 
attendants  of  neglect  and  sloth,  they  as  invariably  dis- 
appear beneath  the  tread  and  grasp  of  industrious, 
right-directed  labour.  As,  therefore,  the  presence  of 
such  weeds  by  the  hedge  and  wayside  will  tell  upon  the 
fields  adjacent,  and  then  upon  those  however  distant, 
we  are  forced  not  only  to  see  the  mutual  dependance,  in 
tliis  respect,  of  cultivators  upon  the  right-heartedness. 
and  integrity,  and  industry  of  each  other,  but  are  also 
reminded  of  a  great  moral  and  political  truth,  that  if  one 
class  of  the  community,  pluming  itself  on  its  wealth,  its 
intellect,  or  its  purity,  neglect  the  poor,  the  ignorant, 
and  the  vicious,  as  weeds  by  the  hedge-side,  they  will 
utimately  have  to  pay  clear  for  their  indiffereuoe, — a 
penalty  which  has  been  more  than  shadowed  hitherto 
in  pauperism,  crime,  disease,  pestilence,  the  eflects  of 
which,  just  as  in  the  case  of  the  Thistle,  cannot  be  con- 
fined to  the  spots  where  they  originate. 

The  doctrine  of  mutual  dependence — in  other  words, 
the  principle  evolved  in  the  sacred  words,  "  No  man 
liveth  to  himself,"  or  for  himself,  giving  to  the  vicious 
their  power  for  evil,  and  imparting  to  the  virtuous  their 
influence  for  good,  is  perhaps  more  acted  ujion  now, 
especially  as  respects  sanitary  measures,  than  in  years 
goue  by — chiefly,  we  fear,  because  society  will  be  driven 
to  do  that  from  dread,  which  it  lias  long  refused  to  do 
from  the  admonitious  of  dtitij.  We  know  of  gross  evils 
now  beginning  to  be  rectified,  the  danger  and  existence 
of  whicli  were  pointed  out  more  than  ten  years  ago. 
The  young  Londoner  could  tell  of  many  a  clearing  out 
from  lane  and  kennel.  How?  By  the  willing  hands 
of  the  proprietors  and  residents  ?  No  !  Tlieij  were 
quite  contented;  //«■)/ stood  doggedly  on  the  right  "to 
do  as  tlioy  liked  with  their  own  ; "  they  grumbled,  and 
frowned,  and  fretted;  but  legal  autliority  steps  in  and 
says — we  will  prevent  you  poisoning  yourself  if  we  can; 
we  must  keep  you  from  sending  your  poisonous  ex- 
halations among  your  more  cleanly  disposed  and  respect- 
able nciglihours. 

Well  might  the  young  Londoner  wonder  that  there  is 
no  law  to  compel  road  ti'ustees  to  clear  the  waysides 
from  all  such  winged  seeds — to  force  the  I'armer  to 
secure  the  whole  of  them  being  pulled  up,  or  cut  down, 
before  the  seed  approached  maturity ;  or  to  prevent  him 


October  20, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


85 


having  a  Held  tLickly  studded  with  heads  of  thistle- 
down, if  so  were  his  determination. 

There  is  no  accounting  for  tastes.  A  Scotchman 
is  reported  to  have  tal^en  several  heads  of  thistles 
to  the  antipodes,  as  mementos  of  father -land!  and 
already  the  rich  vu-gin  maiden  loam,  lit  for  heavy 
corn  crops,  is  becoming  actually  covered  witli  this 
plague  of  a  thistle  !  Some  time  ago  we  passed  through 
the  centre  of  a  large  field  where  the  crop  had  failed, 
and  saw  a  full  quarter  of  an  acre  together  of 
Groundsel  in  full  seed,  wanting  only  a  shght  hreeze 
to  scatter  it  far  and  near ;  though  it  seldom  mounts 
so  well  as  the  Thistle.  More  lately,  on  a  farm  boasted 
about  for  its  high  agriculture,  some  of  the  hedges  were 
bristling  with  Thistle-down,  as  if  the  cultivator,  like  our 
Scotch,  countryman,  really  loved  the  Thistle ;  and  never 
Gould  see  or  have  too  much  of  it !  Public  opinion — 
the  laughing,  the  bantering,  or  the  scowling  such  a 
system  down  might  do  much.  But  this  opinion  will  be 
inoperative  in  some  cases.  There  are  minds  so  consti- 
tuted as  never  to  feel  so  pleased  as  when  riding  a  hobby 
that  they  find  their  neighbours  opposed  to.  Some  other 
remedy  must  be  held  in  reserve;  and  in  these  days, 
when  the  bubble  of  protection  is  fairly  burst;  and  when, 
to  secure  abundance  of  food  to  the  community,  and  in- 
dependence and  comfort  to  the  cultivator,  the  earth 
must  produce,  in  armfuUs,  something  better  than  weeds ; 
our  legislature  might  soon  do  a  more  foolish  thing  than 
in  passing  a  small  penalty  for  every  ripe  head  of  Thistle- 
seed  found  in  field,  hedge,  or  wayside.  R.  F. 


Time  was,  and  not  many  years  since,  when  "  a  Pigeon 
Fancier  "  was  associated  in  all  men's  minds  with  Coster- 
mongers,  Pugilists,  Rat-catchers,  and  Dog  stealers,  and 
for  no  other  reason  that  we  can  discern  than  that  the 
majority  of  Pigeon  Fanciers  were  artisans — men  who 
lived  in  the  courts,  alleys,  and  other  by-places  of  the 
metropolis.  Such  men,  in  those  days,  drew  towards 
them  no  sympathy — they  were  the  profane  vulgar — the 
pariahs  of  Society- — and  their  pursuits  were  deemed 
scarcely  fit  to  be  mentioned  within  audience  of  "  ears 
polite."  The  Auricula  and  the  Polyanthus  became 
"  vulgar  flowers,"  for  they  were  pets  of  the  Manchester 
and  Spitalfields  weavers  ;  and  the  remnant  of  this  bad 
spirit  lingers  with  those  who  talk  of  abandoning  Pine- 
culture,  now  that  this  fruit  is  become  familiar  to  "com- 
mon people."  Such  pride  and  exolusiveness  would  have 
a  heaven  for  gentility,  with  a  wide  gulph  between  that 
and  the  heaven  of  the  poor. 

Gladdened  are  we  by  the  knowledge  that  these  sen- 
timents are  gradually  lessening  both  in  intensity  and  in 
the  number  of  their  disciples,  and  respect  for  the  man, 
rather  than  a  belief  in  the  degradation  of  his  pursuit,  is 
now  felt  for  him  who  shows  a  taste  for  the  purer  occu- 
pations of  life. 

The  cultivator  of  a  Pansey  in  a  court-yard  of  White- 
chapel,  and  the  breeder  of  Pigeons  in  Drury  Lane,  is 
now  more  often  thought  of  as  one  who  exliibits  a  praise- 
worthy frame  of  mind — and  that  the   love   of  nature 


implanted  in  our  first  parents  in  their  state  of  innocence 
being  yet  uneftaced,  he  is  raised  in  the  scale  of  worthi- 
ness. It  is  justly  felt  that  he  clings  to  all  he  can  of  the 
country — that  though  he  cannot  have  a  flower-border, 
ho  finds  the  best  substitute  within  his  reach  in  a  flower- 
pot upon  his  window-sill — though  he  cannot  have  a 
poultry-yard,  he  has  all  he  can  of  its  tenants,  over  which 
to  be  solicitous  in  the  pigeon-hutches  of  his  attic,  The 
man  in  whom  such  tastes  remain  and  triumpli  over  all 
opposing  difliculties,  so  far  from  being  altogether  bad, 
is  one  in  whom  much  that  is  estimable  prevails.  We 
have  too  long  watched  and  made  notes  among  Cottage 
Gardeners  not  to  have  had  this  fidly  proved,  and  to 
rejoice  in  the  knowledge  that  it  may  be  admitted  as  a 
rule,  that  he  who  loves  the  country  loves  virtue  too. 

How  strong  the  prejudice  must  have  been  against  the 
pursuits  of  the  masses  was  never  so  strongly  demon- 
strated as  in  the  prejudice  against  the  breeding  of  Fancy 
Pigeons.  The  Dove,  or  Pigeon,  is  associated  with  all 
that  is  holy  in  Christianity,  and  with  much  that  was 
held  sacred  in  Mythology.  Its  very  name  iu  Hebrew, 
Jona,  is  derived  from  a  word  signifying  gentleness,  and 
from  the  day  it  brought  the  olive-leaf  to  the  ark,  both 
the  plant  and  its  winged  bearer  have  been  esteemed 
emblematical  of  peace.  Even  the  Brahmins  tell  of  their 
deities  assuming  the  form  of  the  Dove ;  Mohamed  had 
an  attendant  spirit  in  the  same  form ;  and  in  the  same 
similitude  has  appeared  the  Divine  Spirit.  Yet,  not- 
withstanding this  sacred  association,  notwithstanding 
the  gentleness  and  beauty  of  the  bird,  its  rearing  and 
cultivation,  until  very  recently,  has  been  anathematized 
as  "  a  low  pursuit." 

Common  sense  is  prevailing,  and,  consequently,  pre- 
j'udice  is  giving  way  even  here,  and  we  are  well  pleased 
with  the  prospect  of  seeing  the  breeding  of  Pigeons 
improve  by  the  side  of  poultry-keeping.  Nor  is  this 
taste  for  Pigeons  without  the  support  of  any  one  plea 
that  can  be  urged  in  favour  of  rearing  poultry.  Beauty, 
gentleness,  profit,  are  common  to  both,  and  in  antiquity, 
the  Dove-cote  might  claim  pi'ecedence  of  the  Fowl-house. 

We  might,  without  much  difiiculty,  trace  the  rearing 
of  Pigeons  back  to  the  remotest  ages,  and  evidence  is 
abundant,  we  thin];,  to  show  that  so  far  from  our  various 
breeds  of  Pigeons  all  owing  their  original  parentage  to 
the  Stock  Dove,  that  every  region  had  its  particular 
variety.  On  the  present  occasion,  let  us  rest  contented 
with  the  pigeon-keeping  of  the  Romans. 

If  we  turn  to  the  pages  of  the  agricultural  writers  of 
that  great  nation,  we  find  that  their  knowledge  on  this 
subject  was  ample  and  accurate.  The  directions  given 
for  the  erection  of  the  Dove-houses,  for  feeding,  for 
cleanliness,  and  other  minute  particulars,  are  such  as 
might  be  repeated  in  the  pages  of  a  modern  author,  and 
accepted  as  sound  instruction.  There  is  one  fact  to 
which  we  will  bear  testimony,  and  which  we  do  not  re- 
member to  have  found  noticed  in  any  modern  author. 
"  The  whole  Dove-cote,  says  Columella,  ought  to  be 
polished  with  w/tite  plaister,  for  these  birds  are  especially 
pleased  with  that  colour." 

These  conquerors  of  the  world  were  acquainted  with 


3G 


THE   COTTAGE   GAKDENER. 


OCTOBKR  20. 


several  varieties.  We  find  noticed  "  tlie  Roman,"  and  [ 
Columella  says,  "  let  not  such  as  are  of  different  liinds 
he  joined  together,  as  tlio  Alexandrian  and  the  Cam- 
paniati."  Tliat  they  bad  the  Carrier  variety,  we  have 
this  testimony  of  Pliny.  "  Pigeons  have  been  em- 
ployed as  inter-messengers  upon  affairs  of  great  urgency. 
Letters  were  sent  annexed  to  their  feet,  to  the  camp  of 
the  Consul,  by  Decimns  Brutus,  whilst  beseiged  in 
Modena.  Of  what  avail  were  the  trench  and  watchful 
sentinels  of  Antonius,  when  tlie  messenger  traversed 
the  sky !  "  "  IMany  men,  adds  Pliny,  have  such  a  love 
for  these  birds,  tliat  they  build  towers  for  them  upon 
the  roofs  of  their  houses,  and  have  pedigrees  showing 
the  purity  and  descent  of  each.  Even  the  ancients,  as 
exemplified  in  Lucius  Axius,  alloman  of  the  Equestrian 
Order,  before  the  Porapeian  civil  war,  sold  every  pair  of 
his  pigeons  {denariis  quadringentis)  for  £l'i  19s.,  as 
Marcus  Varro  has  I'ocorded.  It  is  certain  that  some 
countries  are  very  celebrated  for  the  excellence  of  their 
breed,  thus  in  Campania,  are  considered  the  largest 
to  be  produced."  Nor  did  the  mania  decrease,  for 
Columella  says — "  I  am  ashamed  of  my  own  age,  if  we 
believe  tliat  some  purchasers  are  to  be  found  who  have 
paid  four  thousand  nummi  (i:32)  for  a  pair  of  birds." 
What  would  the  old  llomau  liave  written,  if  he  had  : 
been  at  Stevens's  auction,  and  seen  £-\\)  given  for  one  ! 
It  is  true  that  this  one  was  a  Shanghae  coolc,  but  for 
a  century  much  larger  prices,  if  we  estimate  the  com-  ; 
parative  weights,  have  been  given  for  Fancy  Pigeons  in 
this  country.  Thus  we  have  before  us  the  account  of  a 
sale  of  nineteen  pairs  of  "  Powter  Pigeons,"  on  the  30th 
of  December,  17(11,  in  Beach  Lane,  London.  They  ! 
fetched  M'-Vi  Os.  Od.,  and  one  pair  was  kuoclied  down 
for  sixteen  guineas.  Two  pairs  were  afterwards  re-sold 
for  thirty-six  guineas.  An  accoimt  of  the  sale  is  in 
Mr.  Eaton's  work,  which  we  shall  notice  presently.  I 

It  was  in  the  first  half  of  the  last  century,  that  the 
cultivation  of  the  Pigeon  was  most  general  in  England, 
and  during  that  period  appeared  the  first  works  upon  i 
the  subject  that  are  to  be  found  in  o\n-  literature.    The 
earliest  of  these   publications  was  The   Colmnharium, 
by  John  Moore.     This  appeared  in  1735,  being  followed, 
in  1705,  by  an  aunoymous  Treatise  on  Domestic  Pigeons,  I 
and  in    ISOii,    by    Daniel    Girtin's    Complete    Pigeon  \ 
Fancier.     There  appeared,  in  1804,  A  Treatise  on  the  | 
Almond  Tumbler,  by  an  un-namod  author,  but  who  was 
a  Mr.  Windus,  a  London  attorney,  and  now  we  have 
before  us  the  wliole  combined  in  one  volume,  with  a 
large  amount  of  original  notes,  by  Jolui  Matthetvs  Eaton. 
His  Treatise  on  the  Art  of  breeding  and  managing  the 
Almond  Tumbler  was  published   in    IH.'il,  and  again, 
with  the  annotated  work,  in  the  present  year,  under  the 
title  of  A  Treatise  on  Pigeons. 

It  is  the  best  and  fullest  work  whicli  has  yet  appeared 
upon  the  subject,  and  with  it  are  given  a  portfolio  of 
portraits,  beautifully  drawn  and  coloured,  the  size  of 
life,  of  the  Almond  'rumblei-,  Bald  Head,  Beard,  Black 
Mottle,  Carrier,  and  Pouter. 

We  consider  it  tlie  best  work  tliat  has  liillierto  ap- 
peared relative  to  Pigeons,  because  it  is  the  accumulated 


experience  of  practical  men  arranged  by  one  enthusi- 
astically fond  of  tlie  birds  concerning  which  he  writes. 
This  enthusiasm  carries  him  beyond  the  bounds  of  sober 
judgment  occasionally,  but  no  reader  will  consider  this 
unpardonable,  even  although  he  goes  the  length  of  ad- 
miring an  "  Almond  Tumbler,"  as  the  most  beautiful 
of  God's  creatures,  with  the  exception  of  woman  ! 

Mr.  Eaton  is  not  a  practiced j  writer,  and,  therefore, 
there  is  a  freshness  and  raciness  about  his  rambling 
that  disarms  criticism,  and  commands  forgiveness, 
though  he  mingles  Nelson,  Peel,  and  Wellington,  with 
Pouters,  Croppers,  and  Tumblers,  and  hesitates  not  a 
moment  to  wander  from  tho  Dovecote  to  Wellington's 
Puneral,  the  Crystal  Palace,  and  even  his  father's  day 
of  nativity  !  He  is,  in  truth,  tlie  most  vagrant  of  scribes 
— but  there  is  a  carelessness  of  rules,  and  an  earnest- 
ness of  purpose,  that  defies  and  disarms  censure.  It  is 
rendered  a  very  readable  book  by  its  imperfections,  and 
we  should  be  sorry  to  have  it  pruned  into  regularity. 

The  general  detail  of  management,  and  more  es- 
pecially, perhaps,  the  mysteries  of  "  cross-matching," 
and  the  selection  of  breeding-stock,  with  a  view  to  the 
result  desired  in  the  progeny,  are  ably  explained,  with  a 
liberality  that  is  not  always  manifested  by  those  in- 
dividuals to  whom  the  designation  of  ''fancier"  more 
properly  belongs.  Tlie  author,  indeed,  expresses  ap- 
prehension that  his  endeavours  to  aid  the  novice  in 
pigeon-breeding  may  be  considered  as  an  infringement 
of  the  brotherhood,  but  the  higher,  on  this  very  ground, 
should  be  the  award  of  merit  and  approbation.  The 
feeling  referred  to  existed  among  those  to  whom  other 
birds,  besides  Pigeons,  were  an  object  of  interest ;  and 
thus,  had  a  Bantam  fancier,  some  thirty  years  since,  pro- 
duced such  a  volume  explanatory  of  his  favourite's 
pedigree  and  management,  less  uncertainty  would  now 
prevail,  though  the  author's  subsequent  position  among 
"  the  gentlemen  of  the  fancy"  would  probably  have 
been  far  from  enviable. 

One  great  merit  for  which  ilr.  Eaton's  book  deserves 
a  position  on  tho  shelves  of  every  pigeonljoeper  arises 
from  its  value  as  a  record  for  upwards  of  IdO  years  of 
the  various  standards  and  jioints  of  excellence  in  the 
different  varieties.  It  is  so  far  from  being  the  ex  parte 
statement  of  the  views  and  prejudices  of  an  individual, 
that  authorities,  past  and  present,  ^iro  and  con,  are  fairly 
placed  in  review  before  the  reader,  to  whom  Mr.  Eaton 
then  explains  the  reasons  on  which  his  own  judgment 
would  bo  grounded. 

If  we  express  a  wish  for  any  curtailment  of  tlie  length 
to  which  the  treatise  has  been  prolonged,  it  proceeds 
from  our  belief  that  the  more  material  portions  of  his 
work  would  thus  have  been  more  readily  reached,  and 
presented  iu  a  clearer  form  to  tlio  eye.  Grammatical 
acciu'acy  would  have  avoided  many  confused  passages, 
and  there  are  some  few  allusions  to  saered  names  and 
subjects  that  are  not  introduced  with  tho  respect  and 
reverence  we  should  liavo  desired. 

Should  another  edition  be  called  for,  such  alterations 
and  corrections  would  render  the  book  still  more 
generally  populai'.      Essentially  a   practical    work,   it 


OOTOBEB  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


canuot  fail,  if  jw'operly  employed,  of  answering  the  ex- 
pectations of  those  who  may  pui'ohase  it,  either  with  a 
view  to  mere  rudimentary  knowledge,  or  the  acquisition 
of  some  of  tliose  dearly-cherished  and  scrupulously- 
guarded  secrets  of  the  "fancy"  that  ai'e  here  boldly 
revealed  for  public  information. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  shew  our  estimate  of  the 
value  of  Mr.  Eaton's  production,  so  let  us  now  pass  a 
stop  onwards,  and  regard  the  pigeon-fancier  generally, 
with  respect  to  the  present  system  of  exhibiting  their 
birds  at  our  Poultry  Shows. 

Horror  and  dismay,  we  imagine,  would  be  manifestly 
pourtrayed  on  the  countenances  of  many  a  member  of 
the  Columbarian,  or  similar  Societies,  were  it  proposed 
to  place  their  cherished  Carriers,  Pouters,  or  Tumblers, 
under  the  same  rules  and  principles  of  comjietition  as 
the  Birmingham,  Metropolitan,  and  other  leading 
Associations  of  the  same  description  would  require. 
Our  remarks,  hitherto  tolerated,  may  here,  perchance,  be 
so  uttei'ly  repugnant  to  long-cherished  opinions  that 
brook  no  contradiction,  that  the  columns  of  our  brother 
contributors  may  share  the  flames  to  which  our  own 
rashness  may  have  exposed  this  present  production. 
But  we  have  a  firm  conviction  that  much  was  erroneous 
in  the  arbitrary  standard  of  the  pigeon-fancier  of  the 
present  and  former  days,  that  may  be  rectified  by  the 
better  principle  of  recent  arrangements. 

Let  us  take  the  case  of  the  Carrier,  for  instance ;  in 
this,  as  in  every  other  bird,  or  quadruped,  of  which  we 
propose  to  ourselves  the  production  in  the  most  perfect 
form,  we  consider  how  far  figure,  and  the  other  con- 
ditions of  its  existence,  may  be  best  adapted  to  the 
special  object  that  we  have  in  view.  With  the  Carrier, 
the  power  of  traversing  great  distances  in  the  shortest 
space  of  time  would,  unquestionably,  be  the  point  we 
should  all  aim  at ;  and  the  person,  therefore,  who  is 
selected  to  arbitrate  on  the  merits  of  competing  birds, 
should  scan  their  capabilities  with  particular  reference 
to  this  one  point;  "/gather"  might  turn  the  scale,  if 
equality  existed  in  the  more  material  features.  Now  let 
us  turn  to  Mr.  Eaton  as  a  faithful  exponent  of  the 
standard,  according  to  which  judgment  would  now  be 
pronounced  by  a  member  of  a  Society  specially  con- 
stituted for  the  Pigeon  fancy.  At  page  40,  we  find,  that 
according  to  Mr.  Moore,  "  a  Carrier  is  generally  reckoned 
to  have  twelve  properties,  namely : — Three  in  the  beak ; 
three  in  the  wattle ;  three  in  the  head  ;  three  in  the  eye. 
Here  it  is  evident  that  the  points  of  merit  are  wholly 
limited  to  a  very  small  portion  only  of  the  bird,  the 
head ;  a,nd  we  are,  consequently,  prepared  to  learn  that 
more  recent  authorities  have  extended  the  area  over 
which  judgment  should  be  given,  while  they  limit  the 
points,  or  properties,  to  five,  namely,  the  beak,  the  wattle, 
the  head,  the  eye,  and  lastly,  the  length  and  thinness  of 
neck,  and  the  length  of  body.  But  even  here  "  feather" 
is  excluded  from  the  formal  enumeration  of  what  will 
be  considered  as  points  of  merit,  contrary,  as  we  think, 
to  the  principle  on  which  a  bird  of  any  kind,  designed 
for  other  purposes  than  those  of  the  table,  should  be 
judged.     If  it  be  said  that  this  matters  not  with  the 


Carrier,  because  its  capabilities  of  accomplishing  ex- 
tended flight  are  the  main  object  we  have  in  view,  and, 
therefore,  that,  like  a  good  horse,  a  good  Carrier  Pigeon 
cannot  be  of  a  bad  colour,  we  are  perfectly  ready  to 
assent  to  the  assertion.  But  other  features,  be  it  re- 
membered, beyond  those  that  would  conduce  to  great 
powers  of  flight,  are  arbitrarily  brought  into  the  calcu- 
lation, some,  indeed,  that  might  well  be  thought  likely 
to  defeat  that  very  object;  why,  therefore,  should  we 
not  gratify  our  eye  by  having  a  bird  of  handsome 
plumage,  as  well  as  one  with  the  wattle,  or  the  orbit,  of 
unnatural  size.  With  respect  to  the  wattle,  indeed,  we 
might  say,  so  far  as  it  is  truly  a  characteristic  of  the 
Carrier,  let  us  see  to  its  due  preservation  ;  but  why 
breed  for  such  a  bloated  amplification  of  this  feature,  as 
must  tend  to  obstruct  the  very  object  for  which  the  bird 
itself  is  valued.  We  might  just  as  well  design  the  lines 
for  a  vessel  with  a  view  to  extreme  speed,  and  then 
suspend  over  her  finely-drawn  bows  a  couple  of  hogs- 
heads to  deaden  her  way  through  the  water.  The 
extended  beak,  the  long,  narrow,  and  flat  head,  the  thin 
neck,  the  muscular  formation  of  the  chest,  and  the  well- 
developed  wing,  are  all  in  character  ;  but  all,  at  the 
same  time,  directly  append  to  the  disproportionate  size 
of  the  bloated  excrescense  of  the  wattle,  now  so  greatly 
coveted. 

With  the  "  Tumbler,"  again,  extraordinary  agihty  in 
the  air,  the  facility  with  which  what  in  the  circus  is 
termed  the  "  back  spring,"  is  performed  by  them,  is  the 
property  that  would  have  first  brought  the  birds  possess- 
ing it  into  favour,  and  which  should  ever  since  have 
been  borne  in  view  by  their  subsequent  admirers.  But 
we  learn  from  IMr.  Eaton  (page  i'i,  Almond  Tumbler), 
it  is  not  desirable  to  allow  them  their  liberty,  "since 
they  are  extremely  weak  and  timid,  and  the  least  blast 
of  wind  would  blow  them  down  the  chimneys,  or  one 
bird  playing  against  another  would  have  the  same 
effect."  Nor  are  we  more  likely  to  cultivate  the  variety 
from  being  told  that  the  property  of  "shortness  of  face" 
including  the  most  diminutive  form  to  which  the  bill 
can  possibly  be  reduced,  is  carried  to  that  extent  that 
the  young  bird  frequently  dies  in  the  shell  from  the 
stunted  proportions  of  this  member  being  unable  to 
chip  through  its  case ;  and,  even  supposing  it  succeeds 
in  this,  that  the  same  unnatural  reduction  of  the 
parent's  will  prevents  their  feeding  their  young,  who 
must,  therefore,  be  either  transferred  to  other  Pigeons 
who  have  not  thus  suffered  from  the  freaks  of  fancy,  or 
else  starve. 

One  more  instance,  and  we  have  done.  The  epitome 
of  excellence  in  a  "Pouter"  is  made  to  consist  of  a 
huge  globular  swelling  of  the  throat,  slenderness  of  girt, 
and  length  of  legs.  We  are  certainly  at  a  loss  to  con- 
ceive how  any  combination  of  those  "  properties  "  can 
be  made  subservient  to  the  gi-aceful  appearance  of  any 
variety  of  birds  that,  like  the  Pigeon,  possesses  such 
natural  elegance  of  form,  and  is,  in  every  respect,  so 
calculated  for  its  habits  of  existence. 

If  we  are  here  met  with  a  declaration  that  the 
"  gentlemen  of  the  Fancy  "  have  a  right  to  select  such 


3S 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


OCIOBER  90. 


standartls  of  excellence  as  custom  has  bequeathed  to 
them,  and  liave,  too,  endowed  with  special  beauty  in 
theii-  own  eyes,  all  we  have  to  reply  amounts  to  this, 
that  they  have  a  perfect  right  to  gratify  their  "fancy" 
only  we  are  unwilling  to  recognise  that  word  as  synony- 
mous with  beauty  of  appearance,  or  harmony  with  the 
unvarying  combination  of  beauty  and  aptitude  for  then- 
several  conditions  which  distinguishes  every  work  of 
nature. 

Such  abnormal  productions  as  we  have  here  alluded 
to  may  have  many  parallel  instances  in  other  animals : 
among  them  the  unfortunate  "  Creepers  and  Jumpers," 
among  the  Bantams  of  former  days ;  and  the  toy  terrier 
of  our  own,  but  in  the  latter  instance,  we  may  still  retain 
symmetry,  although  utility  is  lost.  In  the  vegetable 
world,  the  labour  of  a  hfe  is  thought  by  the  Chinaman  to 
be  well  recompensed  by  the  stunted  proportions  of  an 
oran"e-tree,  or  myrtle,  or  the  diminutive  club  feet  of  his 
wife  and  daughters. 

Fashion  will  probably  long  continue  to  exert  its 
influence  in  encouraging  similar  eccentric  results ; 
but  if  there  are  still  found  those  who  reject  the  just 
proportions  of  the  natural  form  in  favour  of  such 
deformities,  let  them  be  satisfied  with  their  success  in 
having  so  far  distorted  the  usual  laws  by  which  both  the 
animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms  are  governed,  without 
desiring  the  acquiescence  of  others  to  their  own  theory 
of  beauty,  based  on  eccenti-ioity,  and  contradiction  to  the 
requirements,  as  well  as  the  natural  condition,  of  the 
subject  they  choose  to  operate  on. 

In  just  comparison  to  what  we  have  now  complained 
of  may  be  mentioned  the  treatment  of  the  beautiful 
"  Archangel"  Pigeon,  recently  introduced  into  this 
country.  Ihe  "  Pigeo7i-faticii"  look  with  disfavour  on 
this  bird  ;  and  the  question  is  asked,  what  are  we  to  do 
with  it?  Is  there  any  hope  of  breeding  it  up  to  the 
beak  and  wattle  of  the  Carrier,  or  down  to  the  beak  and 
bullet-head  of  the  Tumbler?  To  neither,  if  our  en- 
treaties may  be  lieard ;  for  rarely  have  colours  been  so 
well  spotted,  or  figure  aud  proportions  so  happily 
adapted,  as  in  this  singularly  striking  addition  to  our 
list  of  Pigeons.  "  Lei  ■ivell  alone,"  is  a  good  old  motto  ; 
aud  we  shall  be  well  content  to  see  Pouters  overbalancing 
tliemselves  on  the  house-tops ;  Can'iers  too  precious  to 
leave  their  owner's  loft ;  and  Tumblers  without  the 
power  of  using  their  wings  ;  if  the  Areliangel  and  others 
of  the  genus  be  left  to  us  iu  the  state  in  which  we  arc 
now  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  them,  and  towards  which 
perfection  the  breeder's  art  has,  we  imagine,  done  but 
little.  To  those  whose  patience  has  carried  them 
through  these  remarks  our  meaning  will  be  plain  ;  it 
may,  indeed,  be  thus  briefly  summed  up,  that  the  prin- 
ciple on  which  Pigeons  are  now  being  shown  at  our 
general  Poultry  Exhibitions  is  more  likely  to  lead  to 
their  production  in  abetter  form,  both  as  regards  beauty 
of  appearance,  and  agreement  with  the  pro]ierties  aud 
characteristics  of  the  different  varieties,  than  wliere,  as 
now  and  in  former  days,  regard  was  exclusively  given  to 
certain  exaggerated  forms  of  tlieir  particular  parts  and 
members. 


Nothing,  however,  is  further  from  our  intention  or 
wish  than  any  depreciation  of  the  merits  of  !Mr. 
Eaton's  work :  he  is  a  faithful  exponent  of  the  views 
of  those  whom  he  designates  as  "  the  fancy,"  and  the 
guarantee  of  long  experience  will  render  his  treatise 
valuable  to  many  who,  like  oui-selves,  are  fond  of  his 
favourite  birds,  without  being  biassed  by  a  standard 
which  we  conceive  to  be  rather  at  variance  with  tlie 
power  and  properties  on  which  excellence  should  be 
established. 


THE  PRESERVATION  OF  SALADS  IN  WINTER. 

This  constitutes  no  mean  portion  of  the  gardener's 
art,  and  requires  a  very  just  appreciation  of  those  princi- 
ples whicli  have  a  tendency  to  arrest  or  ward  oil'  decay 
in  the  vegetable  world.  To  say  that  a  good  salad  bowl 
is  a  welcome  addition  to  the  dinner  table,  at  whatever 
season,  is  no  new  tale ;  so  much  is  it  esteemed,  that  even 
the  most  unfortunate  dyspeptic  must  frequently  sigli 
when  he  sees  this  delightful  accessary  and  may  not  par- 
take of  it.  The  principal  salads  that  we  have  to  con- 
sider are  as  follows: — Celery,  Lettuce,  Endive, Radishes, 
Cresses,  &c. :  a  few  others  there  be,  but  they  claim  little 
consideration.  I  will  endeavour  consecutively  to  offer 
advice  to  the  uninformed. 

Celehy. — The  larger  and  grosser  Celery  is  at  the 
approach  of  winter,  the  more  dillicult  it  is  to  preserve, 
and  tlie  more  liable  to  "  run,"  or  to  "  bolt,"  as  practical 
men  term  it.  Here,  then,  is  an  argument  iu  favour  of 
at  least  one  portion  of  the  Celery  being  lato  sown,  and 
grown  quickly,  as  advised  in  my  former  paper.  I  have 
known  the  remainder  of  plants  left  in  a  seed  bed — not 
having  been  required  at  the  "  pricking-out"  time — stand 
hard  winters  unharmed;  whilst  that  in  the  bed,  or  rows, 
was  nearly  desti'oyed  during  a  hard  winter ;  albeit,  the 
latter  was  duly  protected. 

By  whatever  plan,  or  at  whatever  season.  Celery  is 
gi'own,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  it  be  kept  dry  at 
the  root  in  winter ;  and,  I  may  add,  in  the  foliage  too, 
if  possible;  the  latter,  however,  is  not  easily  accomplished 
without  too  much  expense,  or  ill-spared  labour.  Those 
who  suspect  wet  at  the  root,  therefore,  had  better,  as  a 
beginning,  take  instant  means  to  carry  oil'  this  water. 
Draining,  of  course,  will  at  once  occur  to  the  mind;  but 
in  many  cases  it  is  not  necessary  to  have  recoiu'se  to  it ; 
and,  as  it  is  quite  necessary,  some  time  in  November,  to 
soil  or  earth  all  Celery  as  deep  as  possible,  in  order  to 
keep  out  frost ;  aud  such  being  practised,  it  will  be  found, 
generally,  that  the  excavation  of  soil  rendered  necessai-y, 
will,  of  itself,  give  relief  as  to  the  superfluous  moisture. 
In  earthing-up  i'or  the  last  time,  our  practice  is  to  press 
the  soil  as  close  to  the  plants  as  possible,  as  this  not  only 
keeps  out  frost  in  a  degree,  but  prevents  slugs,  or  other 
depredators,  from  entering  readily ;  it  also,  of  course, 
facilitates  blanching  to  a  higher  level. 

FIverybody  knows  that  Celery  is  liable  to  be  defaced 
by  the  slug,  which,  as  1  take  it,  is  tlio  greatest  pest  of 
Celery.  We  have  been  in  the  habit  of  applying  slacked 
lime  for  many  years  in  order  to  destroy  these  rogues,  or 
set  them  at  nouglit,  and,  with  imvarying  success;  for  it 
is  seldom  we  have  sull'ered  from  their  ravages,  althougli 
our  quarter  is  famed  for  them.  The  lime  is  applied  wlieu 
the  Celery  is  about  half  grown,  and  is  dusted  liberally  in 
each  plant.  Uut  about  winter  matters.  Celery,  as  to 
protection,  requires  very  similar  care  to  the  rest  of 
our  halfhardy  things,  for  so  I  must  call  it.  I\Iy 
practice  is  to  cover  with  long,  loose,  and  dry  litter,  on 
the  first  severe  frost ;  say  one  iu  whicli  the  thermoiuetcr 
went  down  to  2-1°.  The  ground  is,  of  course,  frozen  liard, 
and  this  is  necessary ;  for  if  covered  up  with  the  design 


October  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


30 


of  entirely  keeping  out  iVost,  it  would  soon  become,  if 
the  frost  was  of  a  protracted  cliaracter,  doubly  tender. 
Covered  up  in  a  J'rozou  state,  we  endeavour  to  keep  it 
from  the  thictuations  of  any  temporary  thaw,  for  doubt- 
less these  do  more  to  harm  than  anything  else.  Indeed, 
these  maxims  will  be  found  to  ajiply  to  almost  any 
description  of  plant,  whicli,  although  somewhat  tendei-, 
is  required  to  stand  out-of-doors  altogether;  oven  to  our 
half-hardy  shrubs.  We  have  had  Celery  beds  thus 
covered  for  several  weeks  without  any  harm  that  we 
could  perceive.  It  sometimes  happens  that  snow  falls 
before  we  can  get  our  cover  on  ;  this  we  heed  not,  but 
regard  the  snow  as  part  covering. 

Lettuces. — These  are  by  far  moro  diiBcult  to  protect 
than  Celery ;  they  are  moro  tender  in  a  blanched  state, 
being,  of  course,  unprotected  with  soil.  Pits,  or 
frames,  are  the  best  proservators,  but  few  can  spare 
tbem.  In  the  open  ground  it  is  a  good  plan  to  have 
plenty  of  highly-grown  Brown  or  Bath  Cos  of  full  size 
by  the  end  of  October,  and  tlien  to  take  them  up  with 
good  balls  of  soil,  and  jilaco  them  in  a  close  row  mider 
the  garden  walls,  touching  the  latter.  Here  they  may 
be  covered  readily  with  plenty  of  dry  littei-,  and  in  very 
severe  weather  a  board  may  be  placed  before  the  litter, 
sloping  from  the  wall,  to  throw  oil'  rains  and  snow. 
Another  plan  is  to  knock  up  an  enclosure,  surrounded 
by  slabs,  and  so  constructed  as  to  receive  old  spare 
lights,  shutters,  doors,  or  anything  of  wood  that  will 
exclude  wet ;  here  the  Lettuces  may  be  inserted  thickly 
together,  with  their  balls  entii'e,  and  covered  at  night 
and  in  severe  weatlier.  Those  who  resort  to  such  plans 
should  tie  the  Lettuces  slightly  before  removing  them, 
as  they  move  safer,  and  pack  more  closely  together.  As 
soon,  however,  as  they  have  been  taught  to  avoid 
elbowing  each  other,  the  bands  of  those  wanted  to  keep 
some  time  may  be  out;  for  if  blanched,  they  will,  of 
course,  not  keep  so  long.  Where  liuge  Bath  Cos  Lettuce 
are  to  be  met  with  in  the  middle  of  October,  they  may 
be  both  preserved  and  blanched  by  inverting  a  garden 
pot  over  them.  When  it  is  desirable  to  attempt  to 
preserve  Lettuces  in  open  situations,  under  ordinary 
culture,  it  is  no  bad  plan  to  place  pea  stakes  amongst 
them,  to  sustain  mats,  which  may  be  thrown  over  them 
nightly  after  the  third  week  in  October,  or  sooner,  if  the 
necessities  of  the  season  require  it.  In  addition,  they 
may,  when  slightly  frozen,  as  the  winter  advances,  have 
litter  strewn  over  the  mats,  and  be  kept  in  a  frozen 
state  as  long  as  possible.  They  will  thus  endure  some 
eight  or  ten  degrees  of  frost  tolerably  well,  especially  if 
kept  dry. 

And  here  another,  and,  indeed,  complemental,  procedure 
becomes  imperatively  necessary ;  and  the  question  of  thaw- 
ing comes  in  view.  Every  cook,  from  Soyer  down  wards — 
and  there  are  many  grades — knows  full  well  that  judi- 
cious thawing  is  not  an  oft'-hand  proceeding.  All  other 
things  being  equal,  I  should  say  that  he  was  the  best 
gardener  who  thaws  his  long  pent-up  and  frozen  vege- 
tables the  slowest.  It  must  never  be  forgotten  that  it  is 
a  question  of  light  as  well  as  of  temperature.  Living 
vegetables,  although  in  a  somewhat  torpid  state,  some- 
how acquire  a  slight  degree  of  etiolation  (or  blanching, 
as  the  gardeners  term  it),  by  being  covered  up  some 
time ;  aud  the  plant  becomes  impatient  of  sun-light. 
Every  gardener  knows  that  in  summer  time  it  is  not 
judicious  to  expose  to  sunshine  choice  plants  which 
have  been  a  week  on  a  journey,  closely  packed ;  and 
just  so  with  vegetables.  On  the  arrival  of  a  thaw, 
therefore,  after  days — it  may  be  weeks — of  confinement, 
much  caution  must  be  observed :  such  things  should 
not  be  uncovered  until  fairly  thawed,  and  this  will 
commonly  be  the  ease  a  couple  of  days  after  every  thing 
around  them  has  been  fairly  influenced  by  the  altered 
condition  of  the  air ;  and,  when  uncovered,  it  must  be 
by  slight  instalments,  admitting  light  cautiously ;  this 


weaning  process  will,  of  necessity,   occupy  some  three 
days. 

Endive. — Here  wo  have  a  dainty  subject  to  manage 
in  the  depth  of  winter;  moro  so  even  than  the  Lettuce, 
for  Endive  is  so  liable  to  a  gangrenous  rot;  is,  indeed, 
more  susceptible  of  damp,  especially  i  f  in  confined  foul  aii- ; 
hence  it  has  been  a  practice  with  many  good  gardeners 
to  bury  their  Endive  in  dry  soil,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
vicissitudes  of  the  atmosphere.  There  are  so  many 
ways  of  preserving  Endive,  that  I  need  not  enlarge  on 
the  subject  here,  any  more  than  to  observe,  that  those 
who  have  not  pits  or  frames  to  plant  a  winter's  stock  in, 
should  provide  a  lot  of  well-grown,  full-hearted  plants 
by  the  middle  of  October,  taking  care  to  protect  tbem 
from  the  early  autumn  i'rosts;  these  may  be  tied  to 
blanch  in  succession,  bearing  in  mind  that  a  continued  | 
protection  is  necessary.  I  have  known  such  placed  in  a 
drill,  close  to  the  foot  of  a  wall,  after  the  manner  of 
Lettuce,  with  very  good  success,  and  protected  in  like 
manner.  Of  course,  those  who  can  place  (piantities  in 
pits  or  frames,  and  give  them  all  the  minutiffl  of  free 
ventilation,  with  proper  protection  when  necessary,  may 
have  Endive  all  through  the  winter.  There  are,  how- 
ever, some  secrets  in  Endive-growing  with  our  market- 
gardeners,  with  which  I  must  confess  myself  not  well 
acquainted;  for  I  always  find  Endive  quoted  in  our 
Covent  Garden  reports  in  the  month  of  March  and 
April ;  and  this  is  what  not  one  gardener  in  a  score  can 
boast  of:  and  what  is  it  tliat  this  celebrated  market  can- 
not boast  during  the  London  season  f  But  then,  the 
attention  of  such  men  is  of  a  highly  concentrated  clia- 
racter; they  have  little  of  the  daily  fiddle-faddle  of  the 
general  gardener  to  distract  tlieir  minds,  the  latter  being, 
like  Gulliver  amongst  the  Lilliputians,  tied  down  by 
every  hair  of  his  head, 

Radishes. — Those  sown  in  the  end  of  September  will 
be  in  use  all  the  winter,  if  protected ;  and  little  of  this 
they  need.  Nothing  more  is  necessary  than  a  straw 
covering  alluded  to  as  in  spring  crops.  These  things 
may  be  drawn  youug  all  the  winter,  but  few  care  to  eat 
them  after  November,  for,  although  delicate  looking, 
they  eat  tough.  Those  who  have  a  moderate  temperature 
in  a  frame  or  greenhouse  near  the  light,  miglit  sow  a  few 
iu  boxes,  and  introduce  them  in  the  beginning  of 
November ;  they  would,  doubtless,  be  much  more  tender. 

Cresses.' — Of  these,  the  old  American,  or  broad  Cress, 
is  the  most  common,  and  is  perl'ectly  hardy.  The  Curled 
is  the  finer  flavoured  by  far,  as  I  think  ;  and,  indeed,  the 
best  Cress  in  the  country,  but  it  is  slightly  tender;  sown 
on  an  elevated  bed,  in  a  warm  situation,  iu  the  end  of 
August,  fine  leaves  may  be  picked  through  the  whole 
winter.  This  must  be  protected,  and  being  impatient  of 
pressure,  the  covering  should  not  be  on  it.  A  little 
frame-work  may  be  placed  over  the  bed,  and  mats 
stretched  over  it.  In  addition  to  the  mats,  a  covering 
of  litter  should  be  added  in  severe  weather. 

I  may  now  add,  that  many  other  modes  of  secur- 
ing winter  salads  may  be  found  among  gardeners,  and 
many  of  them  excellent,  so  that  I  by  no  means  would 
have  our  readers  confine  themselves  to  the  modes  herein 
laid  down,  for  I  do  not  pretend  to  a  monopoly  of  ideas 
on  this  subject;  my  desire  is  rather  to  direct  attention 
to  principles.  R-  Erhingion. 

BEDDING-PLANTS. 

Whoever  owns  a  Flower-garden  ought  to  have  the 
following  notice,  from  The  Cottage  Gardener,  put  up  in 
some  conspicuous  place  near  tho  garden,  and  in  the  pot- 
ting-shed,  as  a  warning  to  grey  heads  not  to  trust  to  old 
experience  on  taking  the  duties  of  a  new  situation,  and 
to  youngsters  not  to  burn  their  fingers  in  trying  ex- 
periments before  the  landmarks  of  experience  itself  are 
on  their  foreheads  : — 


to 


THE  COTTAGE  GAllDKNEK. 


OiTouKn  .•-'11. 


"  It  can  never  be  affirmed  too  often,  tli.it  tlic  first  four 
inches  of  a  iiowev-bcd  cannot  be  made  too  ricb,  so  that 
the  plants  may  take  to  it  at  once,  and  start  away  as  it 
they  were  ibrced  by  bottom-lieat ;  but  no  sooner  than 
they  cover  the  bed  than  tlic  roots  onglit  to  strike  down 
into  a  poor  soil,  so  as  to  give  a  sudden  check  to  rampant, 
leafy  growth,  and  throw  the  whole  into  flower  at  once  ; 
the  lower  and  more  damp  the  situation,  the  more  is  this 
check  needed  ;  but  even  ou  the  highest  and  more  dry 
situations  it  is  not  safe  to  make  the  beds  of  the  same 
richness  throughout." 

I  have  had  a  good  spell  at  visiting  Flower  gardens  this 
autumn,  the  result  of  which  suggested  this  notice,  which 
I  would  earnestly  recommend  young  amateurs  and 
gardeners  to  copy  into  their  memorandum-books,  or  at 
the  head  of  their  lists  of  bedding-plants  in  the  garden 
book,  for  I  shall  take  it  for  granted  that  no  one,  now-a- 
days,  who  keeps,  or  cultivates,  a  garden,  however  small, 
is  without  some  garden  memorandum-book,  in  which 
the  names  of  every  ])lant  in  tlie  garden  is  inserted,  with 
blank  pages  for  entering  observations  on  the  said  plants. 
AVhen  one  of  these  books  is  filled,  or  at  the  end  of  every 
year,  the  book  for  that  year  ought  to  be  laid  by  as 
carefully  as  if  it  contained  the  only  record  of  the  property 
of  the  family.  Then,  when  the  plans  for  another  year 
are  being  considered,  and  any  doubt  is  entertained  of 
the  value,  or  suitableness,  of  this  or  tliat  plant,  or  mofle 
of  (jmng  to  work ,  &  reference  to  the  old  books  is  more 
to  be  depended  on  than  the  best  suggestions  of  the 
oldest  and  longest  heads.  I  have  proved  all  that  myself 
down  to  the  last  chapter  in  my  own  experience  in 
service.  As  soon  as  the  time  for  sli])ping  the  collar  was 
determined  on,  and  long  before  my  successor  was  thought 
of,  Lady  Middleton  and  I  took  out  the  garden  books  of 
the  previous  ten  years,  at  least — from  them,  and  from 
our  extended  experience  in  the  meantime,  "  a  consulting 
book  "  was  made,  which  has  proved  to  be  of  some  use  to 
her  ladyship,  and  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  to  me. 
Therefore,  I  can  appeal  to  ])ast  experience  with  the 
greater  confidence,  in  urging  the  adoption  of  garden 
memorandum-books  on  all  and  every  one  interested  in 
the  progress  of  our  craft  and  calling. 

One  thing  I  regret  omitting  when  I  was  at  Sln-ubland 
Park  the  other  day,  which  is,  that  1  did  not  ask  per- 
mission to  have  a  plan  of  the  "  Fountain  Garden " 
there,  taken,  to  have  it  engrsived  for  The  Cottage  Gaii- 
DENER,  for  two  reasons — first,  as  an  example  of  ex- 
ception to  the  general  rule,  which  I  insist  on  in  laying- 
out  a  regular  figure  or  flower-garden,  when  I  say,  that 
you  should  not  so  dispose  the  walks  and  beds  as  that 
company  can  walk  up  straight  to  the  centre,  like  so 
many  soldiers  abreast,  or  "  following  the  rest  like 
sheep."  This  Fountain  Garden  is  so  planted,  that  the 
design  of  the  jdanter  cannot  he  understood  luitil  you 
reach  the  centre  of  it,  then  the  sooner  and  more  easily 
you  reach  the  centre  of  this  garden  the  sooner  you  are 
in  the  position  whence  you  can  best  study  the  most 
unique  and  perfect  arrangement  of  flower-garden  plants 
in  Europe  ;  and,  secondly,  to  diffuse  a  knowledge  of  the 
system  of  planting,  according  to  the  heiglits  and  shades 
of  the  principal  bedding-plants  now  in  use  in  this 
countiy. 

There  was  a  bed  by  itself,  near  the  "  Fountain 
Garden,"  about  which  I  need  not,  however,  be  so  par- 
ticular, as  it  is  done  away  with,  and  a  more  cliaracteristio 
bed,  for  that  situation,  now  occupies  the  place  of  it. 
This  was  the  "  Diamond-bed,"  a  medium-sized  bed  that 
would  make  a  good  bed  by  itself  in  any  garden  where 
it  did  not  interfere  with  any  arrangement  near  it.  A 
diamond-bod  may  bo  made  a  tent-bed,  as  the  one  in 
iiuestion  was  in  my  time,  and  a  comfortable  bed  it  was 
too  ;  and  this  is  the  way  to  make  one  like  it.  Take  the 
ace  of  diamonds  for  a  pattern,  and  make  each  side  of 
the   ace  twelve   or  fifteen   I'eet  long,   hut  not  just  so 


straiglit  as  in  the  ace  of  diamonds;  let  each  side 
curve  inwards  a  lew  inches  in  the  middle,  and  that 
is  a  diamond-bed,  which  you  uuiy  plant  witli  Tom 
Thumha,  or  any  other  hcddiug-plant  whatever,  it  may, 
also,  have  a  border  all  round  of  souk;  edging-plant,  and 
the  thing  is  complete.  To  make  this  into  a  lont-hed, 
get  a  straight  pole  as  thick  at  the  bottom  as  a  giant's 
wrist,  let  it  taper  away  to  the  to]),  so  as  to  be  no  tliickcr 
there  than  a  stout  walking-stick  :  the  length  of  the  pole 
should  be  the  same  as  tlie  distance  across  from  one 
point  of  the  diamond  to  another,  besides  the  length  tluil 
goes  in  the  ground.  If  this  pole  is  painted  of  a  dark 
green  it  will  last  the  longer,  and  look  all  the  belter. 
Now,  fix  it  very  firmly  in  tlie  very  centre  of  the  diamond- 
bed,  and  fix  a  smaller  and  a  shorter  one  in  each  corner  ; 
if  the  centre  pole  is  just  fifteen  feet  high  out  of  the 
gi'ound,  or  not  less  than  twelve  feet,  tlie  corner  posts 
should  be  five  feet  long  out  of  the  ground  ;  ]iass  a  small 
cord  from  the  toji  of  each  of  the  four  corner  posts  to  the 
top  of  the  jiole,  and  let  the  cords  be  so  slack,  that  they 
will  form  a  slight  festoon  in  the  middle,  that  is,  nearly 
the  shape  of  a  military  tent,  but  to  give  it  a  bed  character, 
run  a  cord  from  ]iost  to  post  round  tlie  lour  corners,  and 
let  it  idso  festoon  a  little  in  the  centres  between  the 
posts;  let  cords,  posts,  and  pole,  be  clotlied  with  the 
most  beautiful  climbers  you  can  think  of,  and  then, 
when  the  bed  is  in  full  bloom,  with  an  appropriate 
fringe  next  the  grass  or  gravel,  take  my  word  for  it, 
there  was  not  a  better  bed  at  Olmutz  for  the  Jimperors 
to  rest  within. 

A  gardener  makes  more  beds  than  all  the  housemaids 
of  all  the  emperors  in  the  world,  but  never  a  bed  more 
like  the  bed  of  an  emperor  than  this  one,  and  yet  it  is 
not  finished.  In  the  centre  of  each  of  the  four  festoons 
between  the  corner  posts,  drive  down  a  small  stake,  so 
that  there  be  just  lengtli  enough  to  tie  the  middle  of  the 
festoon  to  it  and  no  more.  Mauramhjas  are  as  good 
as  any  to  plant  against  these  between  stakes — they  soon 
get  up  to  the  bottom  of  the  festoon  cord,  and  then  run 
along  right  and  left.  If  one  had  two  old  Colmas  and 
two  old  plants  of  Eccremocarpus  to  plant  against  the 
four  corner  posts,  with  branches  enough  to  cover  the  side 
festoons,  and  the  festoons  to  the  top  of  the  centre  pole  at 
once,  how  lucky  it  would  be.  It  is  desirable  to  fasten 
down  the  side  festoons  by  the  stakes  with  the  Mauran- 
dyas,  else  the  wind  might  dash  them  against  the  plants 
in  the  bed,  if  these  were  high  enough,  and  that  would 
be  as  bad  as  disturbing  a  man  in  a  real  tent-bed;  while 
the  festoons  over  the  bed  might  play  as  the  wind  listed, 
without  doing  harm  to  themselves  or  to  any  other  part 
of  the  furniture.  Two  Clenmtis  montana,  and  two  sweet- 
scented  Clematis  (O.flmnida)  are  among  the  best  hardy 
climbers  to  plant  against  the  four  corner  posts.  When 
once  they  were  big  enough  to  cover  all  the  cords,  they 
could  be  taken  up  at  the  end  of  every  autumn,  and 
planted  in  their  places  the  same  day ;  and  this  annual 
transplanting  would  just  keep  them  in  the  right  degree 
of  strength  that  they  would  not  look  too  heavy,  and  the 
bed  be  overdone  with  furniture. 

The  C.  montana  would  give  a  snow-white  covering 
from  May  till  the  sweet-scented  Clematis  was  ready  to 
put  on  its  eqmilly  white  but  less  large  flowers ;  and 
when  all  was  over,  the  white  beards  on  the  seed-pods  of 
the  latter  would  still  be  in  the  desired  tint,  and  look 
airy  and  feathery  besides.  On  the  approach  of  winter, 
poles,  posts,  stakes,  and  cords,  might  bo  taken  down, 
and  put  by  in  a  dry  place,  and  temporary  stakes  from 
the  Dahlias  be  put  up  all  round  the  diamond,  to  tie  the 
climbers  to  till  next  March  or  April,  or  at  whatever 
time  they  began  to  grow  freely.  After  a  hard,  close 
pruning,  to  Jiaiiuila  only,  for  the  montana  must  not  be 
pruned  much  iu  winter,  as  it  flowers,  in  May,  on  the 
long  shoots  of  last  sununor  (but  it  should  bo  pruned  as 
soon  as  it  was  out  of  flower),  those  long  shoots  would 


OfTOUF.Il  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GABDENER. 


41 


need  to  be  cut  viglit  close,  to  malce  room  for  anotliev  lot 
for  iloweriiig  tlio  foUowinf^  year.  Now,  with  tlie  ex- 
ception of  tlie  montaiin,  and  witlioiit  mentioning  one- 
liiUf  of  tlie  bed  plants  and  climbers,  that  was  exactly 
the  way  the  "  Diamond  bed,"  at  Sln'ubland  Park-,  was 
managed  for  nine  or  ten  years  in  snccession  ;  and  every 
one  wlio  saw  it  admired  it. 

No  doubt,  before  all  the  improvements  are  brongbt 
to  a  close  there,  there  will  be  an  improved  diamond-bed 
in  some  corner  or  another.  It  is  a  sort  of  bed  that 
must  have  a  place  for  itself,  as  it  does  not  suit  or  har- 
monise with  every-day  beds.  At  all  events,  I  trust  tliis 
account  of  it  will  l;eop  it  from  going  out  of  fashion,  or 
rather  bring  tent-beds  and  diamond-beds  into  repute. 
If  a  good-sized  tent-bed  was  made  on  grass,  planted 
with  Funiih.  or  very  old  large  plants  of  Tom  Thumb, 
with  an  edging  of  the  Fronted  Sih'cr-plant  all  round, 
and  the  climbers  with  white  flowers,  such  as  white 
Maiirifnili/(tx,  or  wbite  Cnnrnlnulus.  and  the  wliite  Ch- 
matis,  or  Virgin's  Bower, — what  virgin,  or  lOmpress, 
could  desh'e  a  more  comfortable  bed,  in  troublesome 
times  like  these,  when  nothing  else  goes  up  or  down 
but  tales  and  rumours  of  v.-ar. 

I  saw  a  large  patch  of  a  kind  of  Cat-mint  {Xcpeta 
teucriobles)  m  the  new  dell  groiuid  at  Shrubland  I'ark, 
with  which  I  was  particularly  pleased  as  a  rock  ]ilant, 
a  mass  plant  in  wilderness  grounds,  or  as  a  neutral  bed 
in  a  first-rate  flower-garden,  as  I  have  since  seen  it 
used  with  good  effect,  and  as  a  bed  in  whicli  to  plant 
standards  of  gayer  plants,  after  the  manner  lately 
descrihed  by  ilr.  Fish  ;  for  all  such  uses,  this  plant, 
though  neither  new  or  gay  in  itself,  is  very  well  suited  ; 
indeed,  it  is  a  native  of  dry  places  in  the  south  of 
Europe,  and  as  hardy  as  common  Thyme,  and  not 
unlike  some  variegated  Thyme  at  a  distance.  It  is, 
also,  a  bee-flower  of  the  first  order,  reminding  one  of 
sohool-boy  days,  when  we  all  ran  after  the  first  bee  of 
the  season,  in  full  chorus  of  "  I  C  U,  0  U  B  C  B  " 
(I  see  you,  0  you  busy  bee).  I  have  seen  some  excel- 
lent examples  of  the  kinds  of  beds  planted  with 
standards  and  specimen  plants  to  rise  above  the  general 
height  of  some  other  plants  with  which  the  bed  was 
made  up,  and  I  think  the  efl'ect  was  heightened  when 
the  low  plants  were  of  a  neutral  character;  but  that 
may  be  a  prejudice — I  never  studied  the  subject  much. 

Tlie  Cassia  corymbosa,  mentioned  by  Mr.  Eish,  was  the 
last  plant  I  tried  against  the  conservatory  wall,  at  Shrub-  I 
land  Park,  where  I  found  it,  the  other  day,  in  full  bloom,  j 
By-the-by,  Tacsonia  manicata,  whicli  I  grafted,  or  rather  i 
iuarched,  ou  molissima,  against  this  wall,  flowered  last 
season.  This  is  the  very  finest  flower  of  all  the  half- 
hardy  climbers ;  it  only  requires  just  the  frost  to  be  kept 
from  it  to  get  enormous  head-room  to  spend  itself  in 
growth  ;  then  a  sudden  check  by  root-pruning,  about  the 
middle  of  May;  and  in  the  autumn  it  would  be  in  full 
bloom,  with  dark  crimson  flowers,  whicli  no  one,  except 
a  botanist,  could  tell  from  a  real  Passion  flower,  there 
being  scarcely  a  semblance  of  a  tube,  as  in  some  other 
species  of  this  doubtful  genus.  This  plant  was  ouly  six 
inches  high  in  May  1850,  when  it  was  inarched  into  an 
old  plant  of  molissima,  and  in  the  following  November, 
there  were  several  flower  buds  on  it,  but  it  was  too  late 
for  them  then  to  open;  and  there  were  no  signs  of  any 
blossoms  this  autumn,  the  old  plant  being  obliged  to  be 
confined  to  a  smaller  space  than  it  ought  to  be  allowed. 
Tacsonia  pinnatistiimla  is  also  inarehed  on  the  same 
plant,  and  not  nearly  so  full  in  bloom  as  molissima  itself, 
which  proves  it  to  be  the  first  flowering  of  the  genus  out- 
of-doors;  for  it  is  only  in  the  winter  that  this  wall  is 
covered  with  glass.  The  Cloth  of  Gold  Kose  and  the 
Sofrano  do  not  appear  to  flower  well  on  this  wall ;  while 
here,  about  Kingston,  both  of  them  do  very  well  indeed 
in  most  places.  The  best  specimen-plant  for  a  mixed 
bed,  that  I  saw  on  the  border  of  this  wall,  was  Pentste- 


mon  cofdifiilius  in  full  bloom.  There  is  a  fine  new  scarlet 
Pentstemon,  called  baocaridifolia,  in  Mr.  -lackson's 
nursery  liere,  which,  I  believe,  was  introduced  by  the 
Horticultural  Society,  and  they  told  me  it  was  a  fine 
thing. 

I  saw  several  patches  of  the  best  of  all  blue  fiowers 
for  a  moderate  bed,  the  Chinese  Jinrksimv—lJeljiIiiniKm 
sincnse.  Half  the  world  believe  this  to  be  a  biennial, 
or  little  better  than  an  annual ;  but  it  is  as  much  of  a 
perennial  as  Salvia  jiatens ;  as  good  a  blue,  and  lasts  as 
long  in  flower,  the  jilant  seldom  rising  more  than 
eighteen  inches  high  ;  just  the  right  thing  lor  a  nice  blue 
bed,  as  we  have  no  other  blue  of  any  account  of  that 
size.  Salvia  chamadrinides  is  too  straggling,  and  the 
bloom  not  striking;  while  Cineraria  amelloides,  looks 
too  old-fashioned,  or  common,  for  a  first-rate  blue  bedder ; 
in  short,  we  have  nothing  that  way  half  so  good  as  this 
Deljiliinium.  One  could  buy  a  good  large  packet  of  seeds 
of  it  in  London  for  sixpence,  aud  out  of  that  several 
first-rate  plants  could  be  picked  out  the  first  season ; 
theu,  by  saving  the  roots  of  these  just  as  we  do  those  of 
the  Salcia  patens,  and  getting  them  to  seed  the  following 
summer,  three  I'oinths  of  the  seedlings  would  be  as 
prime  as  the  parents  ;  otherwise,  this  Larkspur  runs 
away  into  as  many  varieties  as  the  common  branching 
Larkspur,  and  shop  seeds  seldom  produce  more  than 
fiom  five  to  ten  per  cent,  of  really  good  blue  flowers. 
There  is  no  flower  we  arc  more  often  asked  about  than 
a  good  blue  flower  for  a  bed,  and  here  is  the  very  fellow. 
I  had  much  more  to  say  about  Verbenas  in  my  last 
article  on  Shrubland  Park,  but  I  have  seen  more  of  them 
since,  aud  now  I  am  gathering  a  long  story  about  them 
for  a  particular  friend,  and  I  shall  tell  the  story  in  my 
own  way  shortly. 

I  could  go  on  with  this  kind  of  gossip  for  ever  so  long, 
but  too  much  gossip  is  as  bad  as  too  much  of  a  good 
thing,  and  I  shall  cut  it  after  a  word  or  two  about 
Standard  Qeraniimis,  or  rather  pillar  Geraniums.  Those 
who  recollect  that  I  said  that  Queen  Victoria  fancy 
Geraniums  could  be  grown  to  five  feet  high  in  about 
eighteen  months,  and  shook  their  heads  at  the  assertion, 
may  now,  without  shaking  their  faith,  believe  me,  when 
I  state  that  pillars,  or  standards,  which  were  made  in 
1847,  1848,  and  18-10,  are  now  as  healthy,  and  produce 
as  many  fiowers,  as  any  of  the  "  squat"  plants,  as  Mr. 
iMarnook  once  called  the  florists'  mode  of  training  them. 
Besides  the  comfort  of  such  a  proof,  this  is  just  the  right 
time  to  begin  to  make  a  pillar  Geranium  of  any  kind,  to 
be  from  three  to  five  feet  high  next  June,  according  to 
kind  ;  or  a  Fuchsia  pillar,  to  be  from  five  to  fifteen  feet 
high,  next  July,  according  to  sort ;  and  a  bush  of  the 
beautiful  Indiqofera  decora,  to  be  a  loot  or  a  yard 
through  next  May,  according  to  present  si;:e.  All  that 
is  required  for  any  of  these  things  is  a  resolution  to 
begin  the  job.  When  an  Euglishniau  begins  anything, 
he  is  sure  to  succeed  with  it  in  the  long  run.  An  Irish- 
man would  run  the  shoes  off'  his  feet  ere  he  would  give 
up  a  race  ;  and  a  Scot  would  try  again  and  again  until 
he  did  do  it.  Place  young,  promising  Geraniums,  with 
only  one  leader  a-piooe,  in  a  stove,  and  treat  them  just 
as  stove-plants  till  they  show  Ibr  bloom ;  80°  of  steady 
bottom-heat  would  gi'eatly  assist  them. 

L).  Beaton. 


PITS  AND  SMALL  HOUSES,    VERSUS   LARGE 

ONES. 

{Continued  from  pat/c  0.) 

SEVER.iL  remarks  have  reached  me,  in  reference  to 
the  last  article,  that  may  as  well  be  alluded  to  before 
going  further. 

1st.  "  If  it  be  of  importance,  in  the  case  of  pits 
and  houses,  to   admit  air   near  the  base  line,  how  is 


42 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


October  20. 


it,  that  you,  and  other  gardeners,  do  not  act  more 
upon  the  principle;  as  you  seldom  seem  to  have  any 
such  ventilators  as  you  mention  ?  "  Few  gardeners  that 
have  seen  or  travelled  much  will  think  these  low  ven 
tilators  of  no  importance.  ,1  should  not  be  acting 
right,  did  I  recommend  one  system  I  made  to  answer, 
when  I  had  proved  that  another  mode  would  answer 
with  less  trouble  and  risk.  Amateurs  should  bear  in 
mind,  that  there  are  but  few  gentlemen's  gardeners  that 
can  chop  and  change  as  to  them  seems  fit.  There  are 
no  drawbacks  as  to  what  is  expected  from  a  garden, 
quite  the  reverse  ;  but  taken  as  a  rule,  there  are  but  few 
extras  allowed  in  the  way  of  changes  and  imjirovements. 
In  building,  therefore,  as  well  as  many  otlier  tliiugs, 
amateurs  would  act  wisely  in  taking  tlie  advice  of  a 
good  gardener  in  the  neighbourhood,  instead  of  im- 
plicitly building  and  working  as  he  had  done.  If  you 
would  prefer  imitating,  instead  of  advising,  as  a  general 
rule,  you  will  act  more  safely  in  going  to  a  prosperous 
commercial  establishment,  rather  than  a  private  one. 
The  latter,  as  a  rule,  must  make  the  most  of  circum- 
stances ;  the  former  will  make  all  circumstances  give 
way  to  ultimate  advantage  and  profit. 

2ud.  •'  My  bricklayer  says,  that  a  Hue  built  in  a  nine- 
inch  wall,  of  the  size  proposed,  wdl  neither  stand  nor 
draw,  and  will  get  choke  full  directly. "  Get  tlje  furnace- 
bars  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  below  the  level  of  the 
bottom  of  tlie  flue,  and  it  will  draw  fast  enough.  With 
common  fuel,  the  very  quickness  of  the  draught  will 
prevent  choking,  though,  of  course,  it  will  require 
cleaning  at  times.  I  have  previously  described  such  a 
small  Hue  running  beneath  the  paved  floor  of  a  small 
house  that  answers  admirably.  If  you  had  any  doubts, 
however,  put  two  bricks  on  edge,  instead  of  one,  ^and 
then  you  would  have  a  flue,  four  inches  by  nine,  amply 
sufficient  for  anything.  The  weight  above  will  keep 
the  wall  strong  enough,  if  you  do  not  strike  it  violently 
opposite  the  flue.  I  mentioned  this  flue  in  the  wall, 
not  as  the  best  position,  but  as  involving  the  greatest 
economy  of  space  and  materials  in  the  circumstances. 
I  have  worked  such  many  years  ago. 

:(rd.  "  I  should  like  such  a  flue  amazingly,  but  if  I  go 
deeper  than  three  feet  for  a  stock-hole,  I  shall  come  to 
water,  and  even  then  a  place  that  would  hold  a  store  of 
coals,  arched,  &c.,  would  cost  nearly  as  much  as  the 
bricks  of  the  pit."  liaise  your  pit  more  above  ground, 
and  then  there  will  be  no  necessity  for  a  deep  stock- 
hole,  and  thus  you  would  escape,  alike  the  presence  of 
water,  and  the  necessity  of  sinking  a  well  or  drain  to 
take  it  away.  But  what  necessity  is  there  for  having 
a  place  lilce  a  huge  coal-cellar  for  such  a  pit  ?  A  busliel 
or  half  a-bushel  of  fuel  would  be  enough  at  a  tiuie  ;  and 
a  small  place,  some  four  feet  by  three,  would  bo  quite 
large  enough.  A  flap-door  over  it  would  keep  it  dry. 
A  little  concreting  or  tarring  of  the  ground  would  render 
it  more  so.  .Large  or  arched  stock-holes  for  such  work, 
is  as  useless  as  throwing  money  in  the  Thames. 

4th.  "  I  cannot  see  how  surrounding  the  flued  part  of 
such  a  wall  with  earth,  with  the  exception  of  a  cavity  all 
round,  is  to  prevent  the  flue  heating  the  cavity  and  tlien 
the  earth,  instead  of  being  directed  principally  to  tlio 
interior ;  and,  therefore,  I  propose  following  out  your 
suggestions  as  to  the  cavity  ;  but  having  several  holes 
to  be  opened  or  shut  at  pleasure,  communicating  with 
the  open  air,  and  then  have  several  jiipcs,  taken  fi'om 
this  cavity,  through  the  wall,  above  the  flue  into  Hie 
pit,  so  that  when  I  open  tlic  outside  holes  tlicro  will 
not  only  be  fresh  air  admitted,  but  it  will  be  dried  and 
heated  before  it  gets  into  the  pit,  and  thus  I  shall  gain 
the  advantage  of  the  heat  of  the  outside  part  of  tlio  flue." 
J  have  no  objection  whatever  to  the  plan.  Of  coui'se, 
on  the  plan  proposed,  whenever  you  allow  the  external 
air  into  the  cavity,  you  do  away  with  its  noii-amducliinj 
heat  property.    But  you  will  gain  a  great  advantage  in 


dull,  cold  weather,  in  thus  being  able  to  send  a  portion 
of  fresh  air  into  the  pit ;  and  a  very  small  lifting  of  the 
sashes  behind  will  be  sufficient  to  put  the  air  in  motion. 
In  fact,  if  your  sashes  are  not  glazed  at  the  laps,  there 
will  bo  little  necessity,  in  muggy  weather,  to  lift  the 
sashes  at  all.  You  have  thorougldy  got  the  right  end 
of  the  admission -of- air  theory  in  all  cases  of  forcing, 
&c.  ;  and  when,  even  in  cold  pits,  there  is  a  great 
difl'ereuce  between  the  internal  and  external  atmosphere. 
In  very  particular  cases,  gardeners  are  now  anxious  to 
have  the  means  of  heating  cold  air  before  it  is  admitted 
among  delicate  plants  in  a  hothouse,  by  bringing  that 
air  previously  in  contact  Avith  a  heating  medium. 
Wanting  these  means,  air,  at  such  periods,  is  given,  with 
great  care,  only  at  the  highest  part  of  the  house,  and 
then  ehietiy  after  the  rellection  of  the  sun  on  the  glass 
has  rarifled  the  air  contiguous  to  it. 

Though  I  thus  approve  of  your  plan,  it  is  no  less  true, 
that  an  air-tight  cavity  will  very  greatly  retard  the  con- 
duction of  heat.     Confined  air,  in  fact,  is  considered  one 
of  the  best  non-conductors.     Hence,  a  hollow  wall,  air- 
tight on  both  sides,  will  be  less  influenced  by  tempe- 
rature than  a  solid  wall  of  the  same  thickness.     In  such 
a  ease,  when  the  inside  wall  is  heated  by  the  sun.  or 
artificial  means,  it  is  not  cooled  by  transmitting  its  heat 
easily  to  the  outside  wall.     And  on  the  contrary,  when 
that  outside  wall  is  cooled  down  by  frost,  it  would  be 
long  before  the  inside  wall  was  ati'ected  through  that 
medium.     Many  years  ago,  I  made  some  lough  experi- 
ments to  satisfy  myself  on  this  subject.     In  the  ease  of 
walls,  hollow,  but  air-tight,  and  in  that  of  others,  hollow, 
but  the  holes  filled  with  non-conducting  material,  as 
sawdust  and  charcoal,  I  could   perceive   little    or    no 
difference  ;  but  both  were  different  as  respects  heat  and 
cold  wlien  covered,  when  contrasted  with  a  solid  wall. 
I  may  mention  another  trifling  experiment,  as  showing 
my  young  friends,  as  well  as  a  large  one,  the  non-con- 
ducting properties  of  confined  air.     Two  small  tin  jugs 
wore  taken  possession  of     An  old  one,  a  size  larger, 
was  cut,  so  that  the  bottom  of   one  stood  inside  the 
bottom  of  this  old  one,  leaving   a   space    of    half-an- 
ineh  between  them.     The  cut  part  of  the  old  jug  that 
joined  the  side  of  the  whole  one  was  securely  luted  or 
soldei'cd,  to  prevent  any  access  of  air :    both  vessels, 
filled   with    water,   were   sot    on   red    embers   without 
flame.      Supposing,  that    in    these  railing    days,   yovi 
were     one    of    these     unfortunates    that    could    not 
clean  yourself  in   a  morning  without   hot -water,  and 
had  to   wait   contentedly   vmtil   this   double  -  bottomed 
vessel  contained  liquid  hot  enough ;  would  you  not  bo 
worthy  of   being  enshrined  along  with  Pntinii-e  on  a 
monument?     Even  with  the  conduction  of  heat  rising 
by  the  sides  of  tho  vessel,  which  could  not  be  jircvented, 
the  single-bottomed  vessel,  in  these  circumstances,  could 
be  boiled  several  times  before  tho  other  was  well  heated, 
and  tho  balance  between  them  only  get  restored  when, 
after  several  trials,   the   lower   bottom   of   the  double- 
!  bottomed  one  got  a  hole  burned  in  it.     I   think  1  men- 
tioned, some  time  ago,  another  simple  evidence  of  the 
same  fact,  but  will  re]icat  it  here,  as  these  little  matters 
often  become  of  considerable  importance.    I  was  getting 
some  zinc  ]ians,  for  evaporation,  placed  on  some  roiind 
four-inch  pipes,   the   bottom   of  tho  jians  being  semi- 
circular to  clasp  the  pipe.      The  mechanic  who  made 
thom  was  fixing  them  by  placing  a  thin  layer  of  red 
lead  along  the  inner  edges  of  the  sides  and  ends  of  tho 
pans,  and  then  pressing  them  finnly  down  on  the  pipes, 
it  struck  me  that  thus  there  would  be  a  cavity  between 
the  pipe  and  the  pan,  in  proportion  to  the  thickness  of 
the  red  lead  used  in  fixing  them.     The  workman  was 
well  aware  of  the  properties  of  enclosed  air,   but  lie 
could  not  think  it  could  toll  in  such  a  minute  alhiir  as 
this.     There  is  nothing,  however,  like  practical  proof 
Other  pans  had  a  slight  coating  of  red  load  all  over  tho 


October  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


43 


bottom,  and  were  then  pressed  down  firm  on  the  pipes. 
When  the  pipes  were  lieated,  the  putting  your  hand 
inside  the  pans  wouki  enable  you  to  toll  which  was 
solid  and  which  was  hollow.  When  the  pans  were 
filled  with  water,  the  solid  -  bedded  ones  evaporated 
themselves  to  dryness  three  and  four  times  lor  the 
hollow  ones  doing  it  once.  I,  and  many  more,  place 
such  pans  and  earthenware  vessels  on  pipes  and  flues 
merely  in  a  moveable  state ;  but  we  are  well  aware  that 
evaporation  does  not  proceed  in  an  equal  ratio  it  would 
do  when  joined  without  cavity  to  tlie  heating  medium. 
Confined  air,  therefore,  is  a  first-rate  non-conductor  of 
heat — a  fact,  which,  neither  in  gardening  nor  social 
economics,  has  taken  that  place  which  its  importance 
demands  as  a  security  against  extremes  either  of  heat 
or  of  cold.     Now  to  proceed. 

3rd.  "I  have  two  pieces  of  ground,  about  twenty  feet 
wide,  some  forty  feet  long  ;  one  lying  east  and  west,  the 
other  north  and  south.  I  wish  to  devote  that  space  to  a 
pit  or  pits,  to  keep  plants,  propagate  plants,  and  force 
them  a  little  in  spring,  with  little  or  no  fire-beat,  with 
such  assistance  as  the  refuse  of  the  garden,  tlie  drop- 
pings of  a  cow,  and  the  famous  "  gardener's  pony  "  can 
aftbrd,  with  the  addition  of  some  trusses  of  bad  hay  to 
the  usual  covering  in  bad  weather,  as  fuel  has  to  be 
bi'ought  a  great  distance.  Now,  whether  I  have  a  pit  or 
pits,  I  must  have  room  out  of  this  space  for  a  dry,  com- 
fortable path  all  round  them,  for  walking  on,  examining 
the  interior,  taking  off  sashes,  &c.  Bricks  are  far  to 
drive ;  I  wish  to  cover  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  width 
with  flags,  and  I  wish  to  do  it  as  economically  as  possi- 
ble. As  respects  future  covering,  &c.,  I  had  thought  of 
a  double-roofed  pit,  what  you  call  span-roofed,  but  then 
I  see  that  you,  and  Mr.  B.,  and  Mr.  C,  and  Mr.  1'.,  and 
Mr.  S.,  have  nothing  of  the  kind,  only  five  or  six  feet 
wide  pits,  each,  of  course,  with  its  high  brick  wall  at 
back.  Now  do  solve  my  difficulty  ?"  The  above  is  the 
purport  of  several  communications.  The  first  reply  is, 
not  to  be  guided  by  what  we  may  have  done.  Where 
utility,  and  first  expense  in  covering  a  certain  space  are 
the  objects,  the  span-roof,  even  in  pits,  will  take  the 
place  of  the  one-sided  sloping-roof,  because,  supposing 
a  wide  span-roofed  pit  to  hold  the  same  amount  of  ma- 
terial as  the  narrow  pits,  the  expense  of  the  two  high 
back  walls  is  nearly  dispensed  with;  you  having  merely, 
instead,  a  few  supports  from  the  centre,  and  a  ridge 
board,  &c.,  for  the  rafters  and  sashes  to  work  against. 
Bear  in  mind,  however,  that  no  one  system  of  build- 
ing or  enclosing  with  glass  will  present  you  with 
every  advantage.  For  instance,  lately,  double  glass 
walls,  enclosing  but  a  narrow  space,  were  to  be 
the  panacea  for  most  of  the  evils  attendant  upon 
half-hardy  plants  and  fruits;  were  to  finish  the  lean- 
to-shed-like-houses,  and  do  away  with  the  necessity  for 
covering,  &o.  Now,  without  any  practical  working  of 
the  buildings  in  question,  yet  reasoning  from  analogy, 
and  leaving  out  of  view  the  expense  of  such  houses — 
itself  a  very  great  consideration  for  the  space  they 
occupy — we  could  not  but  conclude  that  the  chief  defence 
they  exerted  against  cold  was  owing  solely  to  the  dryness 
and  stillness  of  the  air  within  ;  and  that  instead  of  being 
independent  of  heating,  or  covering,  in  severe  weather, 
they  were  much  more  dependent  upon  one,  or  both  means, 
than  a  common  lean-to  narrow  house ;  inasmuch  as  they 
contained  but  little  amovmt  of  air,  and  nothing  of  an 
opaque  body  for  obtaining  and  then  giving  out  heat,  as 
the  back  of  a  house,  or  pit,  exposed  to  the  sun  during 
the  day,  would  continue  to  do  until  the  wall  became  as 
cold  as  the  air  surrounding  it.  Hence,  when  we  build 
a  span-roofed-house  for  plants,  we  do  so,  first,  that  our 
plants  may  have  light  all  round  them,  and  not  be  drawn 
to  one  side  merely  ;  and  then,  again,  because,  if  we  ob- 
tained the  same  amount  of  light  from  the  same  quantity 
of  glass  on  the  lean-to  system,  we  should  be  obliged  to 


build  a  high  wall  for  its  back,  instead  of  a  short  one  all 
round  for  a  span-roof;  but  we  never  think  of  managing 
such  a  span-roofed-house  without  more  of  a  heating  or 
protecting  power  than  would  be  necessary  for  the  same 
quantity  of  glass  stretched  out  along  the  side  of  a  wall, 
merely  because  the  wall  is  both  an  absorber  and  a 
radiator  of  heat.  Hence  it  is  that  established  gardeners, 
who  are  getting  the  chance,  as  at  Wobiu'n  and  else- 
where, whether  for  fruit  or  conservative  walls,  are  adopt- 
ing the  model  of  the  narrow  upright  bouses  at  Trentham. 

Keeping  all  this  in  view,  not  forgetting  what  was 
said-at  page  8,  about  shallow  pits,  and  deep  pits,  and 
well  aware  that  deep  or  shallow,  more  care  must  be  ex- 
orcised against  sudden  extremes  in  a  wide  span-roofed 
pit  than  in  the  same  amount  of  glass,  with  its  upper 
end  against  a  wall ;  still,  in  the  circumstances  and 
premises  alluded  to,  as  to  gi'ound,  bricks,  space,  ex- 
penses, &c.,  I  would  decide  upon  a  span-roofed  pit,  and 
on  the  groimd  running  north  and  south,  tliat  is,  with 
the  two  sides  facing  east  and  west,  or  neai'ly  so,  and 
the  two  ends  north  and  south  ;  the  latter  being  of  glass, 
and  the  former  either  of  glass  or  an  opaque  substance. 
Supposing  your  pit  to  be  thirteen  feet,  outside  measure, 
you  will  then  have  a  path  of  three-and-a-half  feet  all 
round  it,  which,  in  general,  will  be  quite  sufficient. 
The  sashes  may  slide  up  and  down  in  the  usual  way. 
In  extreme  cases,  a  sash  would  require  to  be  taken  off 
when  anything  particular  was  doing.  For  all  common 
purposes,  such  as  watering,  &c.,  each  sash  as  come  to, 
could  be  held  upright,  by  tilting  it  with  a  moveable 
triangle,  formed  of  two  pieces  of  wood  long  enough, 
joined  at  an  acute  angle,  and  an  iron  point  inserted 
there  to  suit  a  hole  in  the  lower  part  of  the  sash  so  as 
to  keep  it  steady.  A  cross-bar  would  keep  the  base  of 
the  two  pieces  from  spreading.  In  the  case  of  such  a 
pit,  where  covering  is  to  be  the  chief  means  employed 
for  counteracting  cold,  the  ridge  should  not  be  more  than 
from  two-and-a-half  feet  to  three-and-a-half  feet  above, 
though  if  shutters  are  adopted  for  covering,  at  night 
rise  six  inches  more,  if  particularly  desired.  Supposing 
that  the  side  walls  are  from  nine  to  twelve  inches  above 
the  ground  level,  from  two-and-a-half  to  two-and-three- 
quarter  feet  high  at  the  ridge  would  be  sufficient  for 
keei)iug  half-hardy  plants,  and  three  feet  would  be  a 
security  from  tender  things  being  injured  by  the  damp 
clinging  to  the  glass.  Four  feet,  in  such  a  case,  would 
only  be  required  when  growing  plants  or  fruits  that 
needed  a  good  amount  of  sunlight  in  spring  and  autumn. 
Provided  there  was  nothing  to  obstruct  the  rays,  sink- 
ing the  wall  in  front  six  inches  would  just  have  the 
same  effect  as  raising  it  behind  as  much.  1  have  fre- 
quently covered  long  sashes  when  their  upper  end  was 
more  than  six  feet  from  the  ground,  but  such  a  mode 
can  be  adopted  in  a  span-roofed  pit  only  when  you  had 
a  good  boating  apparatus  to  fall  back  upon. 

"Then  what  shall  I  cover  such  a  pit  with -r  mats? 
I  see  you  use  them."  No  !  for  one  twelvemonth  I 
question  if  they  are  not  the  most  expensive ;  if  you 
take  any  half  dozen  of  years  they  will  beat  anytliing 
and  everything  for  dearness.  Those,  however,  who 
must  give  an  annual  sum,  and  nothing  more,  will  be 
forced  to  continue  to  give  commerce  to  the  Russians. 
In  such  a  case  as  your's  you  could  do  nothing  with 
them  except  fastened  to  a  frame,  the  size  of  a  light,  and 
with  laths  or  rods  on  the  light,  for  the  protecting  frame 
to  slide  up  and  down  upon.  Asphaltfolt,  F'rigidomo, 
strong  waterproof,  or  tarred  calico,  woidd  all  beat  mats, 
because  waterproof;  and  dryness  on  the  glass  aa-e  great 
things.  Some,  for  such  places,  have  strong  cloth  on 
rollers,  or  a  canvass  covering,  as  if  for  a  light  waggon ; 
but  the  evil  of  all  these  latter  is,  that  in  bad  weather 
they  will  freeze  when  off,  be  torn  in  pulling  them  out, 
or  with  a  hard  piece  give  the  glass  a  whip,  to  see  which 
was  hardest.   Everything  considered,  had  I  such  a  place 


■it 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OcToiiEn  20. 


of  my  owu,  anil  could  I  stand  the  fiist  cost,  wliicli 
would  III!  between  tis.  and  7s.  for  a  sliuttcr  some  six- 
and-a-half  feet  by  fovir,  I  would  have  as  many  sluitters 
of  the  best  deal,  three -quarter -inoli  thick,  and  well 
painted,  as  would  cover  the  whole  of  tlie  pjlass  ;  and  at 
the  end  of  a  dozen  years,  with  good  care,  they  would  be 
serviceable  still.  Unless  in  extra  severe  weather  you 
would  want  nothing  else;  and  even  when  King  i'rost 
came  in  all  his  powers,  a  little  litter  at  the  ends  and 
joins  of  the  frames,  and  round  the  walls,  would  be 
sufficient,  though,  if  there  was  no  artificial  heat  what- 
ever at  that  cold  season,  a  little  of  the  rough,  hay  thrown 
all  over  would  make  the  inmates  more  safe.  Every 
lover  of  neatness  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  any 
protection  for  glass,  unless  what  was  iixed  to  a  roller, 
and  flexible  ;  or,  if  opaque  and  heavy,  was  not  only 
waterproof,  but  fixed  to  a  frame.  It  will  have  been  seen, 
that  in  proportion  to  its  depth,  such  a  pit  may  be  used 
for  different  pnr])oses  in  summer.  A  set  of  queries  how 
best  to  keep  plants,  and,  also  force  various  plants  in  such 
a  structure,  with  the  help  of  a  hot-water  pipe,  must  be 
answered  at  a  future  opportunity.  R.  I'isn. 


JOTTINGS   BY   THE    WAY. 

{Continued  from  2>ftge  10.) 
HooLE  House,  Chester,  the  residence  of  Lady 
Rroughton. — Mr.  Major,  the  landscape-gardener,  whose 
work  on  the  art  of  laying-out  and  designing  gardens 
was  lately  reviewed  in  The  Cuttagk  Gakdener.  has 
called  my  attention  to  the  comparative  neglect  to  which 
herbaceous  plants  have  been  subjected  of  late  years 
Had  my  good  old  friend  been  with"  me  when  I  visited 
Hoole  House,  he  would  have  seen  Lady  Bvoughton  is 
one  of  the  few  who  still  adhere  to  the  old  system  of 
mixed  Hower-beds.  On  the  garden  lawn,  in  front  of  the 
house,  there  are  a  considerable  number  of  circular  beds 
planted  with  the  best  herbaceous  plants  that  can  be 
procured,  subject  to  a  rule  of  not  exceeding  from  six 
inches  to  eighteen  inches  high.  They  are  kept  thus 
low  for  the  purpose,  that  they  may  not  conceal  the  grand, 
Alpine  rock  scenery  beyond  them.  Lady  Broughton 
resides  constantly  at  Hoole  House,  and,  therefore,  re- 
quires a  constant  succession  of  bloom  in  her  flower- 
beds, and  so  contrives,  by  judicious  management  of  the 
mixed  flowers,  that  some  of  them  are  in  bloom  for  at 
least  nine  months  in  the  year.  Tlie  bedding-out  system 
would  not  answer  this  purpose  so  well,  for  there  must 
be  a  season  of  growth,  as  well  as  of  bloom;  and  whilst 
they  arc  growing,  of  course  there  would  be  no  flowers. 
Where  families  only  reside  at  their  country  seats  dui'ing 
the  summer  and  autumn  months,  the  massing  system, 
so  ably  advocated  by  my  friend,  Mr.  Beaton,  is  the  most 
effective,  and  quite  proper  to  be  adopted,  but  even  in 
such  oases,  a  border  or  bed  or  two  might  be  devoted 
with  the  best  effect  to  the  mixed  system.  Mr.  Erringtoil 
has  very  lately  taken  up  the  cudgels  in  their  favour, 
and  I  think  with  good  efl'ect.  On  some  future  occasion 
I  will  do  my  best  to  second  his  efforts,  and  try  to  rescue 
a  few  more  of  these  beautiful  plants  from  the  oblivion 
to  which  the  bcdding-out  system  seems  to  have  partially 
consigned  them. 

The  Alpinory  is  the  grand  characteristic  of  this  place. 
Perhaps  there  is  not  in  Great  Britain  a  finer  example  of 
a  successful  imitation  of  Alpine  scenery.  1  have  never 
seen  the  Swiss  Mountains,  but  ]  am  assured,  a  consider- 
able jiortion  of  the  rockwork  here,  is,  though  of  course  on 
a  dinnnutive  scale,  an  exact  imitation  of  Mount  Blanc, 
and  the  surrounding  scenery.  The  imitation  is  carried 
out  by  means  of  white  stones  so  placed  as  to  look  like 
glaciers.  In  the  crevice  of  the  rocks  there  arc  planted 
spiry-formed  shrubs  or  trees,  such  as  the  Irish  and  com- 
mon Yew,  Spruce  Virs,  upright  Junipers,  Deodars,  &c., 


all  trained  to  form  pyramidal  spires.  This  arrangement 
has  a  peculiar  and  efl'ective  appearance.  I'are  Alpine 
plants  are  quite  domiciliated  in  the  crevices  of  the  rocks, 
where  many  of  them  scatter  their  seeds,  and  come  up 
abundantly.  When  I  called,  I  noticed  tlie  loUowing  in 
flower : — 

Amlivsncea  hiniKjinosn,  and  A.  villosa  ;  Kpbncdium 
fjrandijlorum  ;  jh'thioucuia  mcinhranaeeuia  ;  Gypsnfihiln 
prostnita ;  and  another  species  collected  by  Lady 
Broughton,  on  the  Alps,  apparently  a  new  species  ; 
Campiinida  pumila,  and  its  white  variety,  spreading  over 
a  largo  space  ;  Erinas  alpiiius,  several  varieties  in 
colour  :  Sedum  Eu-ersli,  and  <S'.  Sieholdii ;  Krpi'ilon 
renijhruie:  Mi/osolis  Azorica,  in  shady  places.  Many 
species  of  dwarf  Zoftc/Zr/s,  l^a.vifr(irjcs,&c.. 

This  rockwork  occupies  an  irregular  space  some  fifty 
or  sixty  yards  long,  forming  a  kind  ot  semi-circle,  en- 
closing nearly  the  space  of  the  lawn  occupied  with  the 
circular  flower-beds.  I  think  the  highest  point  cannot 
be  much  less  tluiu  thirty  feet.  It  is  well  worthy  of  in- 
spection. A  botanist  would  be  delighted  with  the 
uunibcr  of  rare,  interesting  plants  to  be  seen  hero  on 
the  Alpinery. 

There  are  three  gi-cenbouses.  One  devoted  to  the 
Camellia ;  another  to  the  finest  and  choicest  Oeraniums  ; 
and  the  other,  a  kind  of  entrance  hall,  to  a  mixture  of 
various  plants  constantly  in  flower,  supplied  from  the 
houses  in  the  kitchen-garden.  In  this  house  i  noticed 
the  White  Horse-shoe-leaved  Geranium,  Boule  de  Niege; 
also,  Eimhj  Field,  a  blush  Geranium,  with  very  distinct 
foliage,  deeply  fringed  at  the  edge  ;  and  a  piul;  variety, 
called  the  Kingshiiry  Pet.  These  are  all  somewhat  new, 
but  very  desirable,  both  as  pot-plants,  and  for  bedding- 
out  in  masses. 

This  was  the  last  place  I  called  at  on  my  journey. 
On  my  way  home  by  the  North  Western  Railway,  I 
could  not  help  noticing  the  barren  banks  on  each  side 
wherever  there  was  a  deep  cutting,  and  thought  what  a 
pity  these  banks  are  not  clothed  with  some  of  the  more 
common  Alpine  plants.  Ferns,  &c.  In  some  few  places 
the  wild  Clematis  had  found  a  footing,  its  light  seeds,  no 
doubt,  carried  thither  by  the  wind.  Where  clay  formed 
the  bank,  I  noted  the  wild  Coltsfoot  flourished  best.  In 
lime-stone  rocks,  hero  and  there,  the  great  yellow  Snap- 
dragon was  in  bloom  ;  also  the  wild  Scabious,  wild 
Thyme,  and  tlie  rock  Rose,  Heliantkemum.  In  better 
soils,  the  wild  common  Broom  was  blossoming  freely ; 
also  the  Furze,  "  unprolitably  gay."  Still  there  were 
many  a  large  space  of  barren  spots  that  looked  any- 
thing but  agreeable.  How  I  longed  to  have  the  jnivilege 
of  scattering  a  few  seeds  of  Wedl-Jiowers,  some  Dian- 
thuses,  and  other  common  tilings,  that  would  take  away 
the  disagreeable  nakedness  of  those  unsightly  banks. 
The  various  railway  companies  throughout  Great  Britain, 
might,  for  a  few  pounds,  thus  render  their  railways  much 
more  attractive,  and  with  a  useful  cflect  too.  Tlieso 
plants  would  help  to  prevent  the  banks  from  shattering 
downwards  ;  a  circimistance  that  is  I'rcquontly  happen- 
ing, and  subjecting  them  to  the  expense  of  constant 
repair.  In  some  few  places  these  banks  are  very  neatly 
planted  in  beds  with  choice  shrubs.  Such  may  be 
seen  on  both  sides  of  the  slopes  at  the  AVatford  aud 
Tring  Stations,  on  the  lino  of  rail  above-mentioned. 

T.    Ari'LEDY. 


THE  ANEMONE. 
Ie  splendid  colours,  long  season  of  blooming,  and 
easy  culture,  are  qualities  desirable  in  a  plant,  the 
Anemone,  with  its  varied,  rich-coloured  blossoms,  cer- 
tainly deserves  a  place  in  every  garden,  from  that  of  the 
cottage  to  that  of  the  royal  palace.  It  blooms  early  in 
summer,  aud  with  judicious  management,  late  in  the 


Octoheh  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


1.') 


autumn.  As  now  is  the  time  to  plant  tliis  flower,  I 
think  a  fcvf  remarks  on  its  cnllure  will  he  opportmio, 
and,   I   trnst,   useful   to   many  of  the  readeis  of  The 

COTTAGK    GaUDUNER. 

The  Anemone  that  is  generally  cultivated,  is  the  one 
that  botanists  designate  by  the  seieutiflc  name  of 
Anemone  cnronaria,  tlie  crown  or  poppy  Anemone.  It 
is  tliis  species  that  produces  the  greatest  varieties  of 
colours,  both  in  a  single  and  double  state.  There  is, 
however,  another  species  that  florists  hold  in  great 
estimation,  and  it  is  named  the  Anemone  hortensis,  the 
Garden  or  Star  Anemone,  the  flowers  of  which  are 
exceedingly  beautiful,  but  they  do  not  bloom  for  so  long 
a  season,  and  scarcely  ever  in  the  later  months  of  the 
year.  Of  this  species,  I  believe,  there  is  only  one  variety 
that  produces  double  flowers,  and  it  is  the  double- red. 

Properties  of  a  fine  Double  Anemone. — The  blossom 
should  be  from  two-and-a  half  to  three  inches  diameter, 
consisting  of  an  outside  row  of  stout,  large,  well-rounded 
petals,  wliich  florists  call  the  guard  leaves.  These 
should  spread  out  horizontally  to  the  edges,  which  latter 
should  turn  upwards  slightly,  so  as  to  form  a  saucer-like 
appearance.  Within  these  guard-leaves,  and  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  edges,  there  should  be  such  a  nmnber 
of  long,  small  petals,  longest  at  the  bottom,  and  gradually 
shortening  to  the  centre,  so  as  to  form  a  half  ball-like 
appearance.  This  form  is  so  well-known,  that  when  a 
similar  one  takes  place  in  any  other  flower,  it  is  de- 
scribed by  the  name  Aneinone-flora,  and  is  found  in 
the  Camellia  and  Poeony.  Self-coloured  flowers  should 
have  the  colour  clear,  bright,  and  distinct,  whether  it  be 
blue,  crimson,  or  scarlet.  If  variegated,  that  is,  the 
interior  and  e.\terior  petals  striped,  the  colours  should 
be  very  distinct,  for  even  cloudiness,  or  irregular  broken 
stripes,  are  objectionable.  liastly,  the  stem  should  be 
elastic,  yet  stout  enough  to  bear  the  flower  erect,  and 
should  be,  at  least,  from  eight  to  nine  inches  high. 

Soil  and  Situation. — The  Anemone  requires  a  pure 
loamy  soil,  well-mixed  with  sand.  Such  a  soil  I  have 
sometimes  found  on  the  sides  of  rivers  naturally  mixed 
with  the  sand.  No  doubt  such  soil  is  formed  by  the 
deposit  from  the  water,  when  at  some  former  time  it 
overflowed  its  banks.  In  this  sandy  loam  the  roots 
should  be  planted,  but  when  extra  fine  blooms  for  ex- 
hibition are  wanted,  a  little  more  pains  must  be  bestowed 
in  forming  the  bed.  First  choose  a  situation  that  is 
open,  but  sheltered  from  violent  winds,  or  strong 
twisting  currents  of  air,  which  often  prevail  near 
buildings  of  different  angles.  Having  fixed  upon  the 
site  of  the  bed,  then  dig  out  the  soil  a  foot  or  nioi'e, 
according  to  the  situation  being  high  or  low.  If  high, 
it  may  be  dug  out  three  or  four  inches  deeper;  but  if 
low  and  wet,  a  foot  will  be  sufficient.  Mix  the  soil  with 
sand  if  it  requires  it,  and  fill  in  the  bed  again  to  within 
six  inches  of  the  level  of  the  surface  ;  then  level  it,  and 
lay  ou  it  a  thin  covering  of  thoroughly  decomposed  hot- 
bed, or  cow's  dung;  the  latter  is  to  be  preferred.  Mix 
tliis  well  with  the  soil  below.  Upon  this  mixed, 
enriched  soil,  place  as  much  of  the  pure  sandy  loam  as 
will  raise  the  bed  an  inch  or  two  above  the  walk.  No 
dung  must  be  among  this  top  stratum  of  soil,  because 
dung  causes  the  peculiar  disease  called  mould  to  attack 
the  bulbs  that  come  in  contact  with  it.  The  real  roots, 
or  feeders,  will  soon  find  the  rich  soil  below.  The  bed 
is  then  ready  for 

Planting. — One  very  commendable  quality  in  the 
Anemone  is  that  it  is  hardier  than  the  Ranunculus,  and, 
consequently,  can  be  planted  in  the  autumu,  to  bloom 
early  in  the  spring.  The  best  season  is  about  the  middle 
of  October  to  the  first  week  in  November,  because  then 
the  bulbs  form  roots  before  the  severe  frost  sets  in. 
This  is  of  importance,  for  if  i-oots  are  not  made  before 
that  takes  place,  the  tubers  are  liable  to  be  destroyed  by 
the  frost.     Shovdd  the  planting  be  unavoidably  delayed. 


through  continued  wet  weather,  or  any  other  cause,  the 
bed  musttlien  he  covered  with  fern  or  straw,  to  prevent 
their  being  injured.  Choose,  if  possible,  a  time  when 
the  soil  is  moderately  dry,  and  the  day  line.  Draw 
drills  two  inches  deep  across  the  bed,  five  or  six  inclies 
apart,  and  plant  the  tubers  five  inches  apart  in  the 
rows.  I''or  clioice  varieties,  a  thin  layer  of  sand 
scattered  under  and  around  each  tuber  will  be  useful. 
As  soon  as  the  bed  is  planted,  cover  the  tubers  with 
sandy  loam  from  a  basket  or  wheelbarrow.  This  is 
much  preferable  to  levelling  the  drills  in  with  a  rake, 
because  then  the  tubers  will  be  regularly  covered  a 
riglit  depth.  Take  care,  however,  that  the  tubers  are 
placed  the  right  side  up.  This  may  be  easily  done  by 
observing  the  side  that  has  the  old  small  fibres  on  it. 
That  side  should  be  placed  next  to  the  bottom  of  tlie 
drill.  When  all  are  planted  and  covered  up  the  right 
depth  (two  inches)  then  level  the  surface  witli  a  garden 
rake,  and  if  there  are  no  permanent  edgings,  trim  off 
the  edges  of  the  bed  with  the  spade,  and  rake  the  walks. 
After-management. — Should  it  be  necessary  to  protect 
the  plants  with  any  kind  of  covering,  and  the  weather 
sliould  prove  mild,  the  covering  should  be  removed,  and 
replaced  on  the  appearance,  or  likelihood,  of  a  return  of 
frost,  and  wlieu  the  fine  weather  of  spring  sets  in  re- 
move the  shelter  entirely.  Should  the  weather  prove 
droughty  in  spring,  a  thorough  watornig,  now  and  then, 
will  encourage  a  free  growth  and  fine  bloom.  And 
the  bloom  would  be  greatly  prolonged  if  an  awning  of 
canvass,  or  even  garden  mats,  be  stretched  over  the  bed, 
upon  a  frame  of  hoops,  to  shelter  the  flowers  from  the 
sun.  This  covering  would  also  be  useful  as  a  protection 
from  high  winds,  or  heavy  splashing  rains.  As  a  matter 
of  course,  all  weeds  must  be  plucked  up  as  they  appear, 
and  a  dfligent  watch  kept  to  prevent  snails  and  slugs 
preying  upon  the  plants.  T.  Api'leby. 

(To  be  continued.) 


STOVE  PERNS. 


{Cnntimtcd  fiom  page  20.) 

Adianiuji  tenekum  (Tender).  —  From  the  West 
Indies.  Is  a  very  beautiful  Fern,  easily  propagated  by 
dividing  the  creeping  rhizoma  or  root-stock.  It  is  ever- 
green, growing  two  feet  high,  with  leaf-stems  four  times 
pinnated  or  branched ;  each  leaf  is  rhomboidal,  and  of 
beautiful  bright  green. 

A.  THAPEZiFORjiE  (Trapezium-leavsd). — A  native  of 
the  West  Indies.  When  this  Fern  is  well-grown,  I 
know  of  none  more  ornamental.  To  eflect  this,  it 
should  be  fi'equently  potted,  and  if  some  small  charcoal 
is  mixed  with  the  compost  it  will  thrive  much  better. 
It  may  be  increased  by  division,  as  well  as  by  seeds. 
Its  leaves  are  large,  and  the  seed-vessels  are  beau- 
tifully arranged  on  the  edges  of  the  leaves  ;  stems  black 
and  shining.  It  ought  to  be  in  every  collection  how- 
ever small. 

Alsophila. — A  genus  of  large  Ferns  almost  approach- 
ing to  arborescense  or  tree-like.  Where  there  is  plenty 
of  room,  they  are  well  worthy  of  cultivation,  but  in 
small  collections  their  culture  should  not  be  attempted. 
They  may  be  distinguished  by  their  sori  or  seed-cases 
being  round,  and  placed  regularly  about  half-way 
between  the  edge  of  the  leaf  and  the  mid-rib,  generally, 
but  not  always,  at  the  end  of  the  veins  which  branch 
out  at  regular  intervals  from  the  mid-rib.  In  cultivation 
they  require  plenty  of  pot  room. 

A.  AETicuLATA  (Jointed). — A  noble  Fern  from  Jamaica, 
growing  five  feet  high,  with  fronds  six  or  eight  feet  long. 
They  are  hipinnate,  jointed,  or  articulated,  with  rachis 
or  stem,  which  is  covered  with  spines  and  scales. 

A.  FEROx  (Rough  or  Prickly). — A  West  Indian  Fern. 


46 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OCTOUER  20. 


This  may  be  known  at  once  by  the  tliorny  prickles  on 
the  main  stem,  the  branchinf;-stems,  and  the  leaf-stems. 
It  is  a  laige-growing  species;  the  leaves  are  terminal  on 
a  stout  stem,  sometimes  branched,  and  five  feet  high  in 
this  country,  though  it,  of  course,  grows  much  higher  in 
its  shady,  native  localities. 

A.  rRDiNAXA  (Frosted-leaved). — From  Brazil.  This  is 
a  singular-looking  species;  the  leaves  and  stems  are 
covered  with  soft,  woolly-looking  hairs,  giving  the  plant 
an  appearance  like  hoar  frost,  hence  its  specific  name. 
It  is  thrice,  and  sometimes  four  times  pinnated,  with  the 
fronds  from  four  to  six  feet  long. 

A.  viLLosA  (Shaggy). — A  South  American  Fern.  Dis- 
tinguished from  the  preceding  species  by  the  stems  and 
fronds  being  covered  all  over  with  long,  shaggy  hair- 
like processes.  The  fronds  also  are  somewhat  longer, 
being  often  seven  feet  in  length,  though  the  main  stem 
that  supports  the  fronds  is  low. 

Anehum  ciTEiFoLiuM  (Citroii-leaved). — A  genus  of 
West  Indian  Ferns  approaching  Acrostichuin,  from  which 
it  may  be  distinguished  at  once  by  the  seed-cases  being 
irregularly  scattered  all  over  the  under  sui'face  of  the 
lea\ies.  There  is  only  one  species  in  cultivation.  Its 
fronds  are  simple,  that  is,  not  pinnated,  and  the  root- 
stem  creeping.  By  this  it  may  be  increased.  Divide  the 
root-stock  in  two  or  three  lengths,  pot  them,  and  place 
them  in  peat  under  a  hand-light,  and  each  division  will 
send  forth  a  new  leaf,  oi'iginated  from  incipient  buds. 

Antrophydm  lanceolatdm  (Spear-head  leaved). — 
A  West  Indian,  dwarf,  simple-leaved  fern  ;  ciu'ious  from 
the  fact  that  the  seed  vessels  are  within  the  skin  or  outer 
covering  of  the  froud.  It  is  allied  to  Hemionilis,  but 
from  this  circumstance  is  separate  from  it.  1'he  leaves 
grow  a  foot  long,  and  are  of  a  narrow  lance-shape,  and 
thicldy  set  on  a  short  root-stock,  or  rhizoma.  It  is  a 
very  curious,  interesting,  dwarf  fern,  and  worthy  of 
general  cultivation. 

AspiDiuBi.  —  From  aspidion,  a  little  shield,  the  seed 
cases  being  covered  with  a  sliield  or  protecting  skin. 
The  genus  Asjtiditim  was  formerly  a  very  large  one,  but 
modem  botanists  have  reduced  the  number  of  species  to 
two  ;  the  rest  are  divided  into  at  least  ten  genera.  | 

A.    TRii-oLiAioM   (Three -leaved).  —  A  broad-leaved, 
somewhat  dwarf,  West  Indian  species.      The  seed-cases  [ 
are  regularly  distributed  over  the  middle  ]iart  of  the 
fertile  fronds,  and  are  exceedingly  beautiful.  Not  always  , 
trifoliate,  for  there  are  generally  two  pairs  of  pinna;, 
besides  the  terminal  one,  on  account  of  its  being  dwarf, 
with  fine,  large   leaves,  and  elegant  veining,  with  its 
beautiful  shield-like  sori  or  seed-cases.     This  species  is  | 
very  desirable.  ' 

A.   MACRoPHYLLUJi  (Broad-leaved). — A  West  Indian,  | 
noble,  strong-growing  I'ern,  with  pinnated  fronds  neaily 
three  feet  long.     Seed-cases  kidney-shaped,  and  very  re-  i 
gularly  distributed  on  each  side  of  the  mid-rib  of  tbo  j 
leaf.     The  foliage  is  large,  and  of  a  pale  green.  ; 

AsPLENiuii. — A  large  assemblage  of  beautiful  Ferns  : 
are  arranged  under  this  name.     They  may  bo  known  by 
examining  the  arrangement  of  the  seed-cases.     These 
ai'e  placed  on  the  upper  side  of  the  veins  running  in  \ 
lines  from  the  mid-rib  of  each   leaf.     The  fronds  are  i 
various,  from  a  simple  form  to  ])innate,  bipinnato,  and  ' 
tripinnate.buttho  seed-cases  are  uniformly  long,  narrow, 
and  simple.  ' 

A.  ADBiTUM  (Eared). — A  West  Indian,  pinnated  Fern, 
with  the  pinna;  twice  parted  or  bipartite.  The  fronds 
are  produced  at  the  end  of  the  rhizoma. 

A.  Braziliensts  (Brazilian). — The  fronds  of  this 
South  American  Asplcnium,  are  simple,  a  rare  occiu'- 
rence  in  this  genus.  It  is  sometimes  called  "  the  Bird's- 
uestFern,"  from  its  fronds  being  set  circularly  round 
the  root-stock.  They  are  frecpiently,  in  cultivation, 
seen  from  throe  to  four  feet  long. 

A.  BRACHYOPiERUJi   (Channel- wiuged).  —  This  is   a 


beautiful,  low-growing,  rare  I'ern,  from  Sierra  Leone. 
The  fronds  spread  horizontally,  much  in  the  same  way 
as  an  Adiantum,  growing  only  eight  or  nine  inches 
high. 

A.  coMPTUNi  (Rooting).  —  A  very  beautiful,  dark- 
green,  Jamaica  Fern,  rather  rare,  but  may  be  increased 
readily  by  the  rooting  knobs  at  the  end  of  each  full- 
grown  frond.  They  are  pinnate,  growing  a  foot-and-a- 
half  high,  terminal,  that  is,  growing  in  clusters  on  the 
top  of  the  rhizoma. 

A.  DivERsiFOLiUM  (Various  leaved).  —  Tliough  this 
singular  Fern  will  exist  in  a  gi'eenbouse,  yet  it  thrives 
much  better  in  a  moderately-heated  stove.  1'he  fronds 
vary  much ;  some  are  narrow-leaved  and  fertile  ;  others 
are  broader-leaved  and  barren,  whilst  others  arc  partially 
fertile  and  partly  barren.  I  once  bad  a  plant  with  a 
rather  long  rhizoma,  and  at  each  of  the  joints  of  the 
root-stock  there  s|n'ung  up  a  plant  evidently  a  sucker.  I 
allowed  them  to  grow  till  they  produced  roots,  and  then 
carefully  detached  them  from  the  parent  plant,  potted 
them  in  small  pots,  and  placed  them  under  a  handliglit 
where  they  soon  made  fresh  roots  and  growth,  thus 
giving  me  a  good  stock  of  this  rather  rare  elegantly- 
curious  Fern.  T.  Appleby. 
( To  he  continued.) 


A  FEW  WORDS  ON  MUSHROOMS. 

NoTwiTHSTANDiNo  the  many  treatises  we  have  had  on 
the  culture  of  this  singular  production,  it  is  evident  that 
its  success  is  still  in  some  degree  enveloped  in  mystery ; 
for  it  not  unfrequently  happens  that  the  best  arranged 
plans,  and  good  materials,  carefully  put  together  in  the 
most  approved  way,  are  failures;  while  a  rough  made- 
up  bed,  or  some  other  obscure  corner,  sends  up  Mush- 
rooms in  abundance,  almost  without  care,  attention,  or 
protection  of  any  kind.  Now,  though  these  are  extreme 
eases,  yet  it  sometimes  happens  that  such  is  the  result. 
A  cryptogamous  plant,  like  the  Mushroom,  deriving  its 
existence  from  other  sources  than  the  usual  mode  of 
propagation  by  seed,  or  cuttings,  by  which  otiier  culti- 
vated plants  are  increased,  we  need  not  wonder  if  our 
efibrts  should  occasionally  be  unsuccessful,  when  we  are 
really  so  little  acquainted  with  the  liature  and  pro- 
perties of  the  production  we  are  attempting  to  cultivate  ; 
yet  much  may  be  done,  and  much  is  done,  to  secure  a 
crop,  by  aiding  our  endeavours  with  all  the  agents  that 
are  likely  to  assist  in  that  way. 

As  Mushrooms,  in  January,  are  more  of  a  luxury  tliau 
the  same  in  September,  it  behoves  the  cultivator  to  lose 
no  time  to  get  ready  the  materials  necessary  for  a  bed; 
good  stable  dimg  is  best,  added  to  which  may  be  some 
good  dried  cow-dung  from  a  pasture  field,  and  that  of 
sheep,  when  it  can  be  swept  up,  is  also  of  much  value. 
These  ingredients,  by  being  mixed  and  thrown  in  a 
heap,  speedily  heat,  and  when  so,  nuist  be  often  turned 
to  prevent  that  overheating  which  is  all  hut  fatal  to  the 
IMushroom  thriving  afterwards.  As  tliis  is  one  of  the 
most  important  points  to  be  observed,  I  beg  particularly 
to  call  attention  to  it,  in  order  that  the  inexperienced 
may  avoid  the  disappointment  which  tlie  use  of  dung 
that  has  lain  some  time  in  a  heap,  and  got  heated  until 
it  is  as  white  as  chalk,  is  sure  to  give  ;  and  dung  speedily 
does  become  as  I  have  described,  very  often  being  so 
before  it  is  removed  from  the  stable  dung-liill,  when  the 
latter  is  capacious  enough  to  hold  a  quantity  that  will 
heat,  and  thus  lie  for  a  fortnight  or  so.  The  dung  lor 
INIushroom-culturo  ouglit  to  be  taken  from  the  heap  every 
day,  as  it  is  made,  and  laid  in  a  shed  or  some  other  dry 
place,  not  too  thick,  yet  not  in  such  a  way  as  to  get 
jierfectly  dry,  for  such  would  be  robbing  the  dung  of  the 
Juices  most  necessary  to  its  fermentirig,  and  jicrliaps 
fertilizing,  properties.    A  heap,  or  rather  a  layer  of  such 


October  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


47 


a  kind,  as  to  heat  gently,  and  that  turned  occasionally, 
would  do  best,  adding  the  other  two  kinds  of  dung  named 
above  as  early  as  convenient ;  and  when  the  whole  is 
blended,  it  is  bettor  not  to  add  any  more  fresh  dung,  for 
that  would  keep  in  agitation  the  heating  proiierties 
until  tlie  whole  was  exhausted,  without  being  productive 
of  good. 

Now,  though  we  haye  said  the  dung,  as  it  is  made, 
ought  to  be  laid  in  a  shed,  yet  we  by  no  means  recom- 
mend that  shed  to  be  a  close  one,  otherwise  the  dung 
would  bo  likely  to  heat  too  much,  and  become  insupport- 
able ;  any  open-sided  shed  will  do ;  or,  in  fine  weather, 
the  whole  may  bo  done  out-of-doors ;  a  large  tree  is 
not  a  bad  thing  to  form  a  canopy  over  tlie  operation,  the 
great  point  being  to  get  the  dung  sweetened  and  pro- 
pai'ed  without  its  being  exhausted  by  the  overheating 
which  neglect  so  often  occasions,  on  the  one  hand  ;  or 
that  long  preparation  which  it  is  sometimes  subjected 
to  when  new  made  dung  is  added  daily  to  the  stock  from 
the  stable ;  the  latter  mode  keeping  the  mass  too  long 
in  the  process  of  preparation.  We  may,  however, 
observe,  that  a  little  straw,  or  other  litter,  is  not 
objectionable,  and  certainly  need  not  all  be  taken  out 
when  the  mass  is  in  making;  or  if  so,  some  may  bo 
added  for  use  Do  not  think  that  it  is  useless  ;  on  the 
contrary,  we  think  it  will  tend  to  lighten  and  check 
that  consolidation  which  a  mass  of  dung  only  is  sure  to 
fall  into ;  and  that  it  is  not  without  its  uses,  is  evinced 
by  the  crops  of  Mushrooms  which  are  occasionally  to  be 
met  with  when  only  tree-leaves,  a  little  spent  dung,  or 
litter,  has  been  mixed  together  to  make  up  a  hotbed. 
Here,  it  is  evident  that  the  roots  of  the  Mushroom  had 
found  a  congenial  spot  for  their  ramification,  and  their 
success  was  to  be  according  ;  however,  as  it  seldom 
happens  that  any  one  agent  performs  the  whole  part  of 
a  fertiliser,  or  the  reverse,  we  will  admit,  that  when  a 
little  spawn  had  been  put  on  a  newly-made-up  Melon 
bed,  or  rather  the  heating  material  which  formed  it,  and 
a  good  crop  ensued,  the  result  was  owing  to  various 
causes,  rather  than  to  one ;  for  the  wisest  of  us  are 
liable  to  err,  and  we  are  but  too  prone  to  give  the  credit, 
or  blame,  in  accordance  with  our  prejudices,  or,  what  is 
equally  the  same  thing,  in  accordance  with  oiu-  waut  of 
judgment  on  the  subject. 

Much  may  be  done  to  render  the  success  of  Mush- 
rooms more  certain  ;  good  dung,  carefully  prepared,  and 
put  away  in  a  cai-eful  manner,  and  beds  made  up  when 
it  was  ready,  and  not  till  then,  and  spawn  of  a  fi-esh 
and  good  kind  put  in  a  few  days  after,  and  the  whole 
kept  by  covering,  or  otherwise,  in  that  uniform  state  of 
genial  warmth  of  about  00°  or  05°,  the  likelihood  is  that 
Mushrooms  will  be  produced  with  as  much  certainty  of 
success  as  that  Peas,  Caulifiowers,  &c.,  will  follow  the 
usual  sowing,  or  planting  of  these  things.  Now,  to 
obtain  this  end  with  but  humble  means,  let  us  see  liow 
it  is  to  be  attained. 

In  the  first  place,  I  may  say  here,  that  a  house  heated 
by  fire,  or  other  artificial  means,  is  not  absolutely 
necessary  to  success,  though  such  an  auxiliary  contri- 
butes much  to  it.  An  old  shed,  open  at  aside,  or  some 
portion  of  the  tool  shed,  or  other  enclosed  place,  will  do 
very  well ;  or  it  may  be,  some  corner  near  the  fire-place, 
or  "  stock  hole,"  which  supplies  heat  to  the  "  forcing 
house,  &c."  might  be  appropriated  to  this  purpose  ;  in 
this  respect,  it  is  not  necessary  that  the  bed  should  be 
made  over  any  part  of  the  heated  sm-face,  which  would, 
in  fact,  be  injurious  rather  than  otherwise ;  but  in  such 
a  place  the  atmosphere  is  generally  warmed  a  little, 
quite  sufficient  to  serve  the  purpose  of  jiroduciug  Mush- 
rooms, for  I  have  seen  them  do  very  well  in  a  bed  out- 
of-doors,  with  no  shelter  whatever,  except  the  covering 
of  straw  and  litter  which  was  thrown  over  them,  and  yet 
Mushrooms  in  abundance  were  gathered  about  February, 
and  after,  from  a  bed  made  in  November ;  in  fact,  the 


conditions  necessary  to  the  well-being  of  Mushrooms 
diU'er  so  much  from  that  of  many  things  else,  that  we 
hardly  know  how  far  to  class  them  in  the  same  con- 
ditions; for  while  most  vegetation  wliich  contributes  to 
the  necessities  or  luxuries  of  the  human  race  seems  to 
delight  in  an  atmosphere  healthy  and  unpolluted,  the 
fungus  tribe,  to  which  this  belongs,  prefer  amore  vitiated 
air;  and  though  the  Mushroom  is  seldom  found  growing 
spontaneously  in  damp  and  unwholesome  cellars,  yet, 
when  the  necessary  food  for  it  is  placed  there,  it  thrives 
quite  as  well,  and  perhaps  better  than  in  well-ventilated 
apartments  ;  a  dry  air  is  the  most  baneful  to  it,  while 
excess  of  moistiu'e  is  also  fatal  to  those  fine  fibrous 
substances  we  call  spawn,  which  intersects  the  dung,  or 
compost,  from  which  it  withdraws  its  support. 

•J.  ROBSON. 
(To  be  continued.) 


CULTIVATION  OF  WHEAT  UPON  HEAVY 

LAND. 

(  Coiitiiived  from  To},   x.,  page  002.  ) 

I  Asi  aware  that  some  farmers  object  to  the  mode  of 
sowing  Wheat  out  of  Clover  lea  upon  clay  soils ;  and 
I  have  often  observed  that  it  has  not  succeeded  well ; 
but  I  am  satisfied  that  any  cases  of  failure  may  be 
traced  to  a  want  of  proper  management  of  the  land ; 
and  if  the  foregoing  system  of  management  be  rigidly 
adhered  to,  that  more  grain  will  be  produced,  upon  an 
average  of  seasons,  upon  this  soil,  when  sown  out  of 
lea,  than  when  sown  after  a  fallow,  or  green  crop. 

In  support  of  this  opinion,  I  must  observe,  that  I 
have  invariably  found  lea  Wheat  much  less  liable  to 
be  lodged,  or  blighted,  and  particularly  in  the  case  of 
high  farming,  when  the  land  is  brought  into  a  state  of 
great  fertility ;  that  it  is  the  only  plan  by  which  full 
crops  can  be  produced ;  for  although  much  larger  crops 
of  them  may  be  grown  after  a  fallow  or  green  crop 
preparation,  yet  the  superabundance  of  straw  gi'eatly 
endangers  the  crop,  and  renders  the  profitable  yield  of 
grain  much  more  precarious. 

The  next  mode  of  preparation  to  which  I  must  allude, 
is  that  required  after  a  crop  of  winter  Beans,  which  is 
one  of  the  crops  preceding  Wheat,  standing  sixth  and 
last  iu  the  rotation  before  referred  to. 

As  soon  as  the  winter  Beans  are  cut  (when  the 
weather  is  fine),  the  tillage  of  the  land  may  be  com- 
menced and  proceeded  with  advantageously  some  con- 
siderable time  before  the  Beans  are  fit  to  carry  to  the 
stack. 

Let  the  Beans  be  placed  in  hoiles  or  shocks,  in  straight 
lines,  at  a  good  distance  apart,  by  setting  up  the  produce 
of  four  or  five  ridges  upon  one  ;  this  will  give  space  for 
working  four-fifths  of  the  land;  and,  indeed,  the  whole  of 
the  land  may  be  partly  cleaned  before  the  crop  is  re- 
moved, if  the  shocks  are  shifted  on  to  the  part  which 
has  been  previously  worked. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done,  as  soon  as  the  Beans  are 
out,  is  to  use  the  scarifier  at  a  moderate  depth,  just 
sufficient  to  cut  up  the  weeds  or  grass  which  may  be 
left  amongst  the  crop,  and,  except  in  very  unfavourable 
seasons,  no  gi-eat  quantity  of  grass  or  weeds  will  be 


4S 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 


OcioiiEn  20. 


foimd  if  the  interculture  and  iioeing  of  the  crop  has 
been  attended  to  at  the  proper  period. 

The  harrows  should  thea  be  freely  used,  in  order  to 
collect  the  weeds  and  rubbish,  which  should  be  carted 
away,  as  it  is  seldom,  at  this  time  of  the  year,  the  weeds 
can  be  got  dry  enough  to  burn  freely  without  delaying 
the  time  which  may  bo  better  employed  in  continuing 
the  tillage  of  the  land.  I  will  suppose,  after  the  land  has 
been  twice  scarified,  and  the  weeds  collected  and  re- 
moved, that  the  surface  is  comparatively  clean,  in  which 
case  no  ploughing  will  bo  required  until  the  ridging-up 
the  land  for  sowing  takes  place,  and  the  sooner  the 
manure  is  laid  out  and  spread,  and  ploughed  in,  the 
better,  which  should  be  done  according  to  the  method 
previously  recommended  in  the  management  for  this 
crop  after  the  long  fallow ;  the  land  will  then  have  time 
to  remain,  and  become  stale  and  mellow,  and  in  a  fit 
state  to  receive  the  seed  in  duo  season. 

I  must  now  proceed  to  consider  the  second  division  of 
our  subject,  n  araely,  th  e  preparation  of  land  for  the  Wheat 
crop  upon  good  loamy  land. 

In  the  management  of  this  soil  different  rotations  are 
in  use,  all  of  wliioh,  more  or  less,  influence  the  mode  of 
preparing  the  land  for  Wheat.  In  some  parts  of  the  king- 
dom, Wheat  and  ]5eans  continue  to  be  sown  alternately, 
and  no  doubt  with  great  advantage,  when  the  prepara- 
tion for  the  crops  are  well  carried  out,  for  the  returns 
are  large,  and  the  attendant  expenses  of  culture  moderate. 
It  is  usual,  in  this  rotation,  to  manure  for  the  Beans  and 
not  for  the  Wheat ;  therefore,  after  the  Beans  have  been 
removed,  if  the  system  of  culture  alluded  to  in  tlie 
management  of  heavy  clay  land  has  been  efficiently 
executed,  the  labour  for  preparing  for  Wheat  will  be 
trivial — the  clearing  the  surface  of  weeds,  and  ridging 
tlie  land  to  receive  the  seed,  is  all  that  will  be  required. 
Upon  tliis  soil,  the  seed  time  may  be  delayed  with 
advantage,  not  requiring  to  bo  sown  so  early  by  a  fort- 
night as  heavy  land,  and  a  diminished  quantity  of  seed 
may  be  used.  Seven  pecks  will  generally  prove  sufficient ; 
indeed,  when  sown  early,  the  quantity  may  bo  still 
further  reduced  with  beneficial  results. 

The  seed  should  always  be  drilled  at  not  less  tlian 
nine  inches  space  between  the  rows ;  for  in  this  rotation, 
the  Wheat  being  always  sown  after  the  fallow  crop,  it  is 
sure  to  be  more  or  less  infested  with  summer  weeds,  and 
should  therefore  be  hood  in  the  spring. 

Upon  this  soil  Wheat  is  often  sown  alternately  with 
Potatoes,  when  conveniently  situated  for  the  sale  of  the 
produce,  near  large  and  populous  towns ;  and  in  many 
parts  of  the  counti'y  Potatoi's  make  one  crop  in  the 
rotation,  and  is  commonly  followed  by  a  Wheat  crop, 
much  more  so  than  formerly;  for  it  is  found,  since  the 
earlv  sorts  only  are  planted,  consequent  upon  the  disease 
to  which  the  crop  is  liable,  that  tliey  do  not  remain  long 
enough  in  the  land,  nor  produce  sufficient  haulm  to  im- 
poverish the  land,  o.\cept  to  a  limited  extent.  A  good 
portion  of  the  manure  applied  for  the  Potatoes  is,  there- 
fore, available  for  the  Wheat  crop. 

After  the  Potatoes  liave  been  dug  and  removed,  sup- 
posing no  green  crop  is  taken  between,  the  land  should 


be  treated  precisely  in  the  same  manner  as  before  de- 
scribed as  necessary  after  the  Bean  crop,  using  the  same 
quantity  of  seed  at  the  same  time,  and  applied  by  the 
drill.  Having  omitted  to  name  the  size  of  the  ridges 
proper  for  this  land,  I  must  here  observe  that  the  four- 
teen turns  (about  24  feet)  are  the  best  size,  wherever  the 
subsoil  is  porous  enough  to  admit  water  fi'cely  ;  for  the 
more  level  laud  can  be  laid,  and  with  the  fewer  furrows, 
the  more  regular  tlie  produce  wUl  prove ;  for  I  have 
often  noticed,  in  good  soils,  that  the  crop  of  Wheat  has 
been  laid  and  damaged  on  the  top  of  small  ridges,  whilst 
the  furrows  have  been  comparatively  bare. 

Joseph  Blundell. 
{'To  he  coiilinucfl,) 


THE    HISTORY   OF   A   SINNER. 
By  the  Authoress  of  "My  Flou'ers"  &c. 

We  always  feel  particular  interest  in  what  concerns  oiu'- 
selves,  or  those  who  are  in  the  same  business  or  profession. 
We  naturally  feel  more  warmly  to  what  belongs  to  oiu'- 
selves;  we  draw  more  closely  to  people  and  things  of  our 
own  kind  and  calling ;  and  however  we  may  love,  and  take 
interest  iu  the  doings  and  concerns  of  all  our  neighbours, 
yet  tliere  is  bomethiog  doubly  attractive  in  those  of  our  own 
body ;  and  so  I  am  going  to  vnite  about  a  yardener.  Let 
my  readers  mark  and  inwardly  digest  the  words  of  Job, 
"How  oft  is  the  caudle  of  the  wicked  put  out!  and  liow  oft 
Cometh  their  destruction  upon  thera !  God  distiibutetli  sor- 
row in  his  anger!"  Oh!  that  we  laid  this  to  lieart;  then, 
whether  we  tilled  the  soil,  or  eat  of  its  fatoess,  we  should 
always  rejoice  before  the  Lord. 

"  Kdward  Jloore  was  apprenticed  to  a  nobleman's  gardener 
in  Staffordshire,  wliere  he  bad  every  opportmiity  of  tho- 
roughly leai'ning  his  business,  for  his  master  was  celebrated 

in  his  day,  for  liaving  brought  the  gardens  of Hall  to 

a  state  of  perfection,  wliicli  induced  the  lovers  of  horticulture 
to  travel  many  miles  to  pay  them  a  passing  visit.  Nor  did 
Moore  neglect  Ids  opportunities;  for  at  the  expiration  of  bis 
apprenticesliip  he  left  his  employment  a  tliorough  proficient 
in  his  craft,  and  fully  competent  himself  to  take  the  manage- 
ment of  extensive  grounds.  A  situation  soon  oft'ered  itself, 
and  he  was  engaged  on  liberal  terms ;  and  there,  probably, 
he  might  have  remained  until  this  day,  had  his  conduct 
been  sucli  as  to  merit  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his 
employer.  But  alas !  I  fear,  like  too  many  of  the  same  class, 
he  liad  not  the  fear  of  God  l^efore  his  eyes ;  and  ho  hesitated 
not  to  attempt  to  advance  his  own  interest  at  the  expense  of 
all  that  was  right  in  the  eyes  of  God  and  man.  It  is  now 
some  years  since  ho  was  first  brouglit  to  my  notice  by  ap- 
plying to  me  for  employment,  as  a  daily  gardener,  in  the 
neiglibourhood  of  a  provincial  town,  wliere  I  ascertained  he 
had  been  carrying  on  a  land  of  nursery,  on  a  small  scale, 
but  being  without  capital  his  project  liad  faded,  and  lie  was 
compelled  to  seel;  employment  as  a  daily  gardener.  I  found, 
from  conversation,  tliat  be  was  theoretically,  at  least,  ac- 
quainted with  his  business,  and  being  then  in  want  of  just 
such  a  person,  I  gavo  Jiim  occasional  oniploymont.  His 
manners  wore  civil  and  polite,  and  Ids  learning  above  tlie 
generality  of  liis  station ;  but  there  was  a  want  of  candour  in 
his  expression,  and  it  was  rarely  that,  you  could  get  a  fair 
honest  gaze  into  yonr  face.  Ho  would  converse  witli  a 
civility  almost  amounting  to  servility,  but  would  always 
uvoiil  tlic  eye.  His  appearance  was  untidy,  which  showed 
that  his  helpmate  at  home  was  untidy  too.  On  one  occasion 
I  was  led  to  call  at  his  cottage,  and  I  found  what  1  sus- 
pected— that  bis  wife  was  a  poor,  wretched  ciealure,  bis 
liouse  was  filthy,  and  his  cbiklren  miserably  dirty  and 
neglected.  Huw,  then,  was  this?  Here  was  a  man  wlio 
had  possessed  advauliiges  seldom  enjoyed  by  others;  he  liad 
rec^eived  an  excellent  and  thorough  knowledge  of  his  busi- 
ness from  one  of  the  best  gardeners  of  Iho  day,  and  upon 
tlie  strength  of  it  liad  obtained  what  might  have  been  a 
pemianent   situation  on  liberal   terms;    and  yet  we  find 


October  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


him  seeking  emiDloyment  in  e-^iclent  poverty,  and  possessing 
a  wretched  home,  r  At  length  the  secret  came  out. 

"I  was  called  upon  one  day  by  the  overseer  of  a  neigh- 
bouring parish,  whom  I  had  slightly  known  for  some  time. 
He  asked  me,  if  I  did  not  occasionally  employ,  as  gardener, 
a  man  of  tlie  name  of  Moore.  I  told  him,  without  hesi- 
tation, that  I  did.  Could  I,  then,  tell  him  where  he  was  to  be 
found,  for  he  was  charged  with  a  summons  for  him  to  ap- 
pear before  a  bench  of  magistrates,  to  show  cause  why  he 
neglected  to  fuUil  his  payments  to  support  his  wife,  who  was 
chargeable  to  the  parisli.  I  asked  what  he  meant,  for  his 
wife  lived  with  him  ■'  "Ah!  no,  sii-;"  he  said  "  she  is  not  his 
wife,  but  the  wife  of  another  man ;  his  real  wife  lives  in  cm- 
parish,  and  she  who  now  lives  with  him  is  the  wife  of  a 
feUow-servant,  for  whom  ho  has  deserted  lier  to  whom  he 
was  really  married. "  And  the  truth  turned  out  to  be,  that  he 
had  mai-ried  a  woman  much  older  than  himself,  for  the  sake 
of  a  little  property,  whicli  he  quickly  dissipated,  and  then 
attached  himself  to  a  woman  as  depraved  as  himself,  and 
the  wife  of  another  man.  After  this  he  was  thrown  into 
prison,  and  the  last  time  I  saw  him  he  was  the  pictm-e  of 
wretcliedness  and  poverty,  with  limbs  crippled  by  rheuma- 
tism. If  he  is  not  already  the  inmate  of  a  union  workhouse, 
with  liis  pretended  wife  and  her  unhappy  progeny,  he 
certainly  soon  will  be;  or  probably  death,  e'er  this,  may  have 
summoned  him  into  the  presence  of  Him  to  whom  he  will 
have  to  render  up  a  fearful  accouut. 

"Cottage  Gardeners!  think  well  and  solemnly  of  this! 
iMoore  was  not  a  drunkard,  as  too  many  of  his  class  un- 
happily are:  but  he  lived  in  open  and  undisguised  and 
deadly  soul-destroying  sin,  which  is  sure,  even  here  on  earth, 
to  bring  its  own  reward  ;  for  truly  does  the  Scripture  say, 
"  there  is  no  peace,  saith  my  God,  for  the  wicked." 

"  Readers !  this  is  a  true  tale, — the  history  of  a  sinner.  It 
shows  us  the  blighting,  withering  nature  of  indulged  sin. 
It  shows  us  how  "equal"  are  the  Lord's  ways,  how  "un- 
equal "  are  the  ways  of  man.  It  shows  us  how  surely  the 
cankerworm  feeds  upon  the  root  of  worldly  prosperity  when 
iniquity  is  bound  up  in  the  heart.  It  shows  us  that  neither 
planting,  nor  watering,  can  avail  anything,  if  the  blessing  of 
God  is  withheld,  which  alone  giveth  the  increase." 

This  deepy  insti-uctive  narrative  has  been  furnished  by 
the  same  kind  heart  that  has  already  given  several  for  the 
benefit  of  our  readers.  His  own  eyes  witnessed  the  circum- 
stances, and  they  are  all  simply  and  strictly  true.  What  can 
I  add  to  the  lesson  conveyed  by  this  striking  instance  of 
God's  faithfulness  and  truth  ?  Let  us  all  lay  it  to  our  hearts, 
and  if  we  listen  diligently  to  the  "still,  small  voice"  within, 
we  shall  need  no  man's  teaching. 

We  are  connected  with,  or  interested  in,  agricultural  or 
horticultural  matters.  We  shall,  therefore,  all  feel  the 
power  of  the  Lord's  beautiful  history  of  His  own  gardening 
experience,  and  of  the  treatment  His  plants  receive  from 
His  righteous  hand.  "My  beloved  hatha  vineyard  in  a 
very  fruitful  hill:  and  he  fenced  it,  and  gathered  out  the 
stones  thereof,  and  planted  it  with  the  choicest  vines,  and 
built  a  tower  in  the  midst  of  it,  and  made  a  wine-press 
therein :  and  he  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes, 
and  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes. "  "  What  could  have  been 
done  more  to  my  vineyard  tlian  I  have  done  to  it  ? 
Wherefore,  when  I  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes, 
brought  it  forth  wild  grapes.  And  now  go  to.  I  will  tell 
you  what  I  will  do  to  my  vineyard:  I  will  take  away  the 
hedge  thereof,  and  it  shall  be  eaten  up ;  and  break  down  the 
wall  thereof,  and  it  shall  be  trodden  down ;  and  I  will  lay  it 
waste;  it  shall  not  be  pruned,  nor  digged;  but  there  shall 
come  up  briars  and  thorns:  I  will  also  command  the  clouds 
that  they  rain  no  rain  upon  it." 

Readers  !  this  was  God's  dealing  with  the  house  of  Israel, 
His  vineyard:  and  with  "the  men  of.Iudah,  His  pleasant 
plant."  It  is  His  dealing  with  all  His  people  everywhere; 
and  will  be  our  portion  if  we  deal  wickedly :  it  was  the  por- 
tion of  Edward  Moore !  Yet  what  does  the  Lord  say  further 
to  us  ?  "  Repent,  and  turn  yourselves  from  all  your  trans- 
gressions; so  iniquity  shall  not  be  your  ruin."  "  For  I  have 
no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that  dieth,  saith  the  Lord 
God:  wherefore  turn  yourselves,  and  live  ye."  Readers ! 
this  word  is  for  you. 


40 
OF 


rOULTKY  IN   MORTON'S    CYCLOPiEDIA 
FARMING. 
{From  a  Correspondent), 

The  2-1rd  part  of  "  Morton's  Cycloprodia  of  Farming,"  re- 
cently published,  contains  an  article  on  "  I'oultry,"  of  which 
the  perusal  of  the  first  few  lines  would  have  afforded  an 
easy  clue  to  the  author,  even  supposing  his  initials  had  not 
been  appended. 

It  is,  unquestionably,  a  very  able  abstract  of  the  volume 
on  "  Ornamental  and  Domestic  Poultry,"  but  the  rapid  pro- 
gress of  improvement  in  the  poultry-yard  that  has  now  been 
going  on  for  the  last  two  years,  has  not,  wetliink-,  been  duly 
recorded.  A  reference  to  the  illustrations  confii-ms  us  in 
this  view.  The  Cocliiu-t'liinus,  for  instance,  although  they 
might  possibly  have  passed  muster  in  the  early  days  of 
their  race  in  this  country,  are  such  as  would  now  be  at  once 
discarded.  A  foot-note,  indeed,  announces,  in  apologetic 
strain,  tliat  "  botli  birds  have  too  much  tail,"  but  we  should 
equally  dissent  to  their  figure  also.  There  are  other  points 
connected  with  this  breed  to  which  we  should  have  expected 
the  attention  of  the  writer  would  have  been  especially 
directed;  among  these  might  be  enumerated  the  singular 
origin  of  the  great  majority  of  the  black  birds,  and  the 
I  equally  curious  fact  of  some  of  the  best  specimens  of  the 
white  birds,  having  been  bred  duiing  the  present  year  from 
parents  of  which  one  was  black.  The  alleged  descent,  too, 
of  the  white  strain  that  has  most  distinguished  itself  in  this 
countiy,  from  buff  ancestors,  would  have  been  a  topic  highly 
interesting  to  the  poultry-keeping  public,  and  on  which, 
therefore,  some  little  space  would  have  been  well  bestowed. 
These  ai'e  matters  that  have  only  recently  attracted  notice, 
and  which  are,  in  a  great  measure,  subsequent  to  other  pub- 
lications of  this  description. 

Assm-edly  the  writer  has  not  been  fortunate  in  his  artist, 
for  the  illustration  of  the  Gume  Cock  conveys  the  idea  of  a 
well-conditioned  Dorkiiuj,  rather  than  the  nervous  and 
muscular,  but  yet  agile  form  of  the  former  bird.  The  Ham- 
hurijlis  are  better,  but  the  crest  of  the  white  top-knotted 
Block  Polixh  Hen  is  such  as  wovild  at  once  condemn  her. 

It  is  no  fault  of  the  author,  whose  descriptions,  indeed,  in 
freciuent  instances,  would  correct  the  errors  of  the  draughts- 
man, but  the  portraits  are  on  too  small  a  scale,  and  lack, 
moreover,  the  effect  of  colour.  Without  this  latter  adjunct, 
indeed,  such  representations  are  of  little  utility.  The 
arrangement  of  the  light  and  dark  portions  of  a  bird's 
plumage  is  all  that  plain  black  and  wdiite  is  capable  of,  and 
when  we  remember,  that  in  many  of  the  ornamental 
varieties,  different  shades  of  the  same,  or  allied  colours,  are 
the  source  of  important  distinctions,  the  value  of  coloitred 
portraits  becomes  apparent. 

We  find,  at  jiage  71.0,  the  repetitioir  of  the  opinion  put 
forth  in  "  Ornamental  and  Domestic  Poultry,"  as  to  the 
varieties  of  the  Domestic  Goose  being  merely  nominal. 
Enough,  however,  has  elsewhere  been  shown  on  their 
points  of  distinction  to  earn  the  position  of  "  permanent 
varieties"  for  the  Emden  and  Toulouse  families.  But  where 
a  "  permanent  varicti/"  ends,  and  "  specific  difference  "  com- 
mences, we  should  be  unwilling  to  decide.  The  subject  is 
one  that  requires  more  careful  investigation,  wdiich,  indeed, 
may  be  materially  assisted  by  the  singular  points  of  re- 
semblance between  the  Toulouse  and  tlie  Grey-lag  Goose, 
"  Anas  ferns"  or  "  Palnstris." 

The  dnections  for  poultry-management  are  concise  and 
practical,  but  a  sentence  at  the  conclusion,  we  should  fear, 
was  more  likely  to  bring  the  disease  of  "  gapes  "  to  a  fatal 
conclusion  than  to  effect  a  cure.  "  Another  successful 
remedy  is  to  take  a  pinion  featlier,  and  strip  it,  excepting 
one-and-a-half-inch  at  the  end,  thrusting  it  gently  down  the 
bird's  throat,  turning  it  round,  and  drawing  it  out  till  all  the 
worms  are  exti'acted."  The  extreme  delicacy  of  the  mem- 
branes connected  with  the  throat  must  always  render  such 
treatment  extremely  hazardous,  and  cases  of  recovery,  we 
imagine,  bear  a  very  small  proportion  to  those  on  which 
this  operation  has  been  attempted.  "Whether  the  "  Epsom 
Salts,"  or  the  other  saUne  preparation  more  freiiuently  heard 
of  in  connection  with  pigeons  than  other  birds,  is  efficacious 
or  otherwise,  we  can  neither  affirm  nor  deny  ;  but  it  is  our 
strong  opinion,  that  if  nature  fails  to  carry  the  chickeii 
patient  through  this  disease,  oiu'   assistance  confers  but  a 


r)0 


THE  COTTAGE  QARDENEK. 


OCTOBEB  no. 


limited  and  most  uncertain  degree  of  benefit.  Previous 
attention  before  iiand,  by  seeing  tlmt  jiroper  housing,  and  a 
regular  provision  of  nuti-itious  food  ai-e  punctually  cared  for, 
will  always  prove  the  best  economy.  On  the  diseases  of 
poultry,  indeed,  we  have  much  to  learn,  and  when  we  find, 
by  experiment,  that  ten,  and  even  twenty  grains  of  calomel, 
may  be  given  to  a  chicken  of  four  months  old,  and  as  much 
as  forty-eight  grains  of  julap  in  twenty-fom'  houi's  to  one  of 
less  than  one  month,  a  poultry  phai-macopoiia  will  hardly 
prove  a  matter  of  easy  accomplishment. 

It  was  with  considerable  interest  that  we  tm'ned  to  this 
article,  as  likely,  from  its  necessaiy  limitations  to  the  detail 
of  economical  poultij-koeping,  to  place  the  subject  in  such 
a  point  of  view  as  might  induce  the  more  active  co-operation 
of  English  farmers  and  cottagers  with  those  Societies  that 
have  been  established  for  the  improvement  of  oiu'  poultry 
generally.  AVith  respect  to  fowls,  we  have  only  a  repetition 
of  what  has  already  been  given  to  the  public,  though  clearly 
written,  aud  well-aixanged,  .and  judiciously  condensed.  But 
with  Tiir/.-ii/s  aud  Giihwu  Foirls,  the  prospect  of  increased 
gain  is  held  out,  from  the  nocessai-y  condition  of  this 
country,  which  must,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  become, 
year  by  year,  less  favourable  to  the  production  of  game, 
for  the  absence  of  which  these  birds  are  pointed  out  as 
the  best  substitute.  If  Pheasants  and  Partridges  must  dis- 
appear from  our  boai-d,  (^though  we  confess  that  the  time 
seems  far  distant  when  presence  in  moderate  numbers  will 
be  pronounced  intolerable),  admirable  substitutes  are, 
doubtless,  at  hand  in  Turkeys  and  Guinea  Fowls.  But 
these,  unfortunately,  are  the  birds  which  the  farmer  finds 
most  ditiicult  to  provide,  and  since  cost  will  limit  consump- 
tion, we  ai'e  much  ineUned  to  doubt  whether  a  far  better 
return  may  not  be  looked  for  from  Fowds,  Geese,  and  even 
Ducks,  rather  than  the  two  first-named  excellent,  but  stUl 
expensive  birds. 

All  recommendations  as  to  the  description  of  Poultry  to 
be  kept  should  be  strictly  ruled  by  the  conditions  of  the 
locality  proposed  for  them.  Now,  supposing  that  the  culti- 
vated land  of  the  country  might  be  divided  into  two  equal 
portions,  one  light,  the  other  heavy ;  that  only  which  is 
called  "  light,"  will  be  found  suitable  for  the  profitable 
rearing  of  Turkeys  and  Guinea  Fowls.  Even  if  our  division 
be  incorrect,  and,  as  some  say,  a  light  soil  iM'exionderates, 
still,  when  unfavourable  circumstances  in  respect  of  climate, 
and  exposure  to  cold  winds  are  taken  into  consideration,  we 
shall  not  be  far  wrong  in  saying  that  not  more  than  one-half 
of  England,  generally,  is  adapted  for  profitable  Turkey- 
rearing.  If  this  be  true  of  these  bu'ds,  still  more  correct 
does  it  become  when  Guinea  Fowls  are  concerned,  theyouug 
of  these,  indeed,  being  even  stiU  more  deUcate  in  their 
early  days. 

We  are,  therefore,  of  opinion,  that  the  advice  given  to 
farmers  in  this  essay  must  be  received  with  caution,  and 
that  many  conditions,  not  always  forthcoming,  are  essential 
to  render  Turkeys  or  Guinea  Fowls  profitable  stock.  When 
these,  however,  are  found,  and  a  careful  system  of  manage- 
ment prevails,  the  retm-ns  are,  doubtless,  satisfactory  ;  but 
the  retail  profits  of  the  poulterer  exceed,  if  we  are  not  mis- 
taken, the  wdiolesale  gain  of  the  breeder.  At  the  present 
moment,  indeed,  when  the  price  of  grain  has  such  an 
upward  tendency,  accurate  calculations  would  be  required 
to  prove  the  profit  of  the  Tui'key-keeper. 

With  a  renewed  expression  of  our  regret  that  such  an 
article,  so  ably  written,  shoijd  not  have  brought  down  the 
state  of  economical  poultry-keeping  to  the  ]uost  recent 
periods,  we  now  conclude  our  remarks.  Even  the  last  few 
months  have  suggested  inquiries  which  would  have  far 
more  appropriately  occupied  the  space  that  has  been 
given  to  such  topics  as  "Malay  Cock-fighting,"  and  the. 
"  Correspondence  of  Mesdames  de  Coislin  and  Luai'd." 
Amusingly  told  as  these  anecdotes  most  unquestionably 
are,  we  stiU  hold  to  om-  opinion  that  they  have  no  title  to 
insertion  in  a  "  Farmer's  Enclycoptedia," 


UNITED   GARDENERS'  REGISTRY. 

PERfiErviNo  your  notice  of  the  United  Gardeners'  Registry, 
in  the  number  of  The  Cotuge  G.iedener  for  September 
.Sth.,    and    in    which    a   few    questions   are   proposed,   wo 


consider  it  om'  duty  to  answer.  1st.  "  ^\^lere  has  the 
Society  met?"  It  has  met,  and  still  meets,  in  rooms  at  2'.l, 
Great  Charlotte  Street,  Livei-pool.  'Jnd.  "  Who  constituted 
the  committee'?"  A  body  of  practical  g.oi'deners.  :trd. 
"  Who  are  the  Committee  ?"  Twenty-four  gardeners  chosen 
fi'om  the  body  of  supporters,  who,  at  this  time,  amount  to 
upwards  of 'JOO;  the  names  aud  adcU'esses  of  which  can  be 
fm'uisbed  on  apphcation  by  letter,  to  my  residence,  'J.'), 
IVliles  Street,  Toxteth  Pai'k,  Liverjiool,  which  address,  time, 
and  place  of  meeting  is  written  on  each  book  of  rules  that 
are  given  out.  ith.  What  is  the  use  of  the  word  "  united '?" 
It  was  used  for  a  specific  pm-pose,  a  detail  of  which  can  be 
furnished  if  necessary.  5th.  "  How  has  the  visiting  to  be 
conducted ;  on  the  water  system,  or  the  free  and  easy  mode '?" 
That  mil  be  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  visitors  themselves ; 
but  I  am  liappy  I  can  add  that  many  of  our  members  prefer 
the  former  to  the  latter. 

To  other  queries  proposed,  we  will  let  time  fm-nish  answei-s ; 
but  if  any  of  our  proceedings  "  smack  "  of  unfair  dealing, 
assume  inquisitor's  jiower,  or  play  the  libeler's  part,  we  are 
in  the  hands  of  those  we  wish  to  impose  uiJon,  and  I  hope 
they  will  exercise  then-  prerogative. 

If  you,  su-,  or  any  others,  would  wish  to  know  our  pro- 
ceedings in  detail,  I  shall  be  happy  to  furnish  them. 

G".  Thomson,  Gankner, 


POULTRY-YARD    REPORTS. 

I  ALWAYS  read,  with  great  interest,  yom'  articles  on  Poultry ; 
and  thinking  the  account  of  my  yard  may  be  useful  to  some 
of  your  readers,  I  send  it,  with  permission  to  make  uso  of 
it,  or  any  portion  of  it. 

1  have  tried  many  sorts,  but  have  given  up  all  but  the 
Cochins.  I  do  not  find  them  cnonnous  eaters,  as  mil  be 
seen  by  my  expenses.  I  now  have  l:!li  fowls  of  that  breed, 
of  course,  most  of  them  chickens  of  this  year,  but  at  that 
age  when  they  require  the  greatest  quantity,  and  the  best 
quality  of  food,  I  find  them  cost  me  14S  pence  (lis.  4d.) 
a  weeli,  /'.  c,  id.  «  week  each,  and  Is.  over.  They  ai'e  kept 
in  five  separate  lots,  no  farm-yard,  and  no  extras,  but 
cabbage  leaves ;  are  fed  four  times  a  day,  alternately  on  com 
and  meal,  and  have  as  much  as  they  can  eat,  though  no 
waste.  I  do  everijlhinii  myself,  and,  therefore,  well  know 
their  wants  and  appetites.  At  first  I  was  too  eai'eful  of  my 
food,  and  found  the  birds  always  hungi-y,  and  never  satisfied, 
aud  ready  to  eat  double  the  quantity.  I  fed  very  (jeiierovslii 
for  a  few  days,  and  then  found,  that  they  only  cat  half; 
when  once  in  condition,  a  little  keeps  them  so.  I  must 
mention,  however,  that  out  of  this  lot,  one  dozen  of  hens 
and  cocks  are  kept  for  one  halfpenny  each  per  week ;  in  the 
evening  they  have  a  small  feed  of  oulx,  and  having  a  nice 
orchai-d  to  run  in  are  busy  and  happy  all  the  rest  of  the 
day,  and  at  night,  crops  quite  full. 

I  can  recommend  this  plan  to  those  who  would  obtain 
eggs  economically ;  in  the  winter  and  early  spring,  I  shall 
add  to  these  a  hot  meal  supper,  as  they  will  then  not  get 
much  for  themselves.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think  Cochins  wiU 
not  hunt  about  for  their  own  food,  they  only  get  lazy  when 
high  fed.  I  must  mention,  these  hens  lay  well,  even  at  their 
worst  season,  and  are  very  healthy.  You  will  see  I  pay  verij 
tli/ar  for  their  food,  buying  in  smaU  quantities,  and  all  things 
being  now  \ery  dear.  The  food,  too,  you  wdl  allow  to  be  the 
very  best.  Perhaps  none  but  masters,  who  feed  their  own 
birds,  would  be  so  ciu'eful. 

I  am  sorry  to  trouble  you  with  so  long  a  letter  on  my 
favourite  topic,  and  did  not  intend  writing  half  so  much, 
but  you  may  omit  any  parts  which  will  not  bo  useful  to 
poultry-keepers. — H.  G. 

COST   PEE   WEEK   OF    I'M'i    COCHINS. 

s.  n. 

1   bushel  of  Barley 4  (i 

J  a  stone  of  Oats 0  li 

tJ  a  stone  of  Shellings I  0 

i  a  stone  of  Scotch  Oatmeal X  '-i 

i  stone  of  Bai'leymeal,  at  Is.  Id.,  or  fine  Sharps,)    .  ,, 

at  Is.  ^!d.,  alternate  weeks,  averages j 

.)  a  stone  of  Bran    0  1 

.}  of  a  stone  of  Rice 0  4 

BJ(i  fowls.   )  

lis  pence.  J  1'^  4 


OOIOBEB  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


tjl 


CULTURE   OF  BRITISH  ORCHISES. 

(Oimlimtrd  from  Vol.  x.  pmje  487.) 
In  my  last  letter,  I  gave  a  short  account  of  seven  different 
kiuils   of    Orchises,   wliich    generally   hloom    helween   tlie 
second  week  in  May  and  the  beginning  of  .Tune;  tlie  otlier 
seven  llower  rather  later  than  that.     Tlie  first  is 

8.  Orchis  maculata.— This  is  a  well-known  Orchis,  and 
may  he  found  in  almost  any  soil.  It  is,  perhaps,  most 
frequently  found  in  chalk,  but  it  is  never  so  line  there  as  it 
is  in  swampy  meadows,  growing  with  O.  htlifoiiii.  It  may 
he  taken  up  and  cultivated  in  a  garden  without  any  dilficulty, 
and  will  multiply  fast,  especially  if  it  is  planted  in  bog-ea,rth. 

9.  Gymnadenia  conopsea. — One  of  the  most  beautiful, 
and  most  sweetly-scented  of  the  whole  class.  It  appears  to 
be  nearly  as  easily  cultivated  as  0.  maciilalu,  though  it 
would  prefer  a  chalk  bank  in  the  sun,  with  a  little  thin 
herbage  growing  on  it.  A  rose-coloured  vai'iety  of  this  may 
be  found  occasionally. 

10.  OpHRYS  APiFERA. — The  "  Bee  Orcliis,"  amost  singular 
flower,  liaving  a  brown  body,  with  pink  wings,  very  lil;e  a 
real  bee,  especially  when  it  blooms  pale.  i\s  to  position, 
tliis  recjiiiiTs  what  O.  conopscit  prefers ;  and  I  should  tliiuk 
that  with  a  little  trouble  it  might  be  easily  grown.  There 
are  three  varieties  of  it,  "  Ophrijx  armiifera,"  "  Ophnjs 
arachnUfs,"  and  "  Ophrijs  fiicifera,"  which  have  green  wings 
instead  of  pink,  besides  other  small  differences. 

11.  Heejiinium  monoechis. — The  Green  Musk  Orchis,  a 
small,  uninteresting,  green  flower,  which  grows  on  a  chalk 
slope,  and  flowers  in  July. 

12.  Orchis  ustulata. — A  pale,  pretty-looking  dwarf 
Orchis,  growing  on  chalky  downs,  and  said  to  be  tolerably 
abundant.  Singulai-ly  enough,  it  is  not  to  be  found  in  tliis 
neighbourhood,  so  that  I  do  not  know  much  about  it. 

13.  Orchis  heecina. — The  "  Lizard  Orchis,"  which  is 
now  very  rarely  found  in  England.  It  is  the  tallest  of  the 
trilie,  "  attaining  a  height  of  three  feet,  and  producing  above 
sixty  flowers  on  a  spUce."  (Sir  J.  Smith.)  The  colour  of 
the  flower  is  a  pale  purple,  and  its  hues  are  said  to  be 
brighter  in  hot,  and  duller  in  cold  seasons.  This  is  a  chalk 
Orchis,  and  from  its  size  and  singular  appeai'ance  could 
not,  if  seen,  be  mistaken. 

14.  Okchis  PYEAiiniiAi,is. — The  flowers  of  this  are  of  a 
bright  rose-colour,  and  from  their  forming  into  the  shape  of 
a  pyramid  it  derives  its  name.  It  requires  the  same  culture 
as  O.  ripiferii,  and  blooms  in  July,  being  the  latest  of  the 
tribe. 

I  have  now  gone  through  all  the  iilants  that  can  fairly  be 
called  Orchises  of  British  growth ;  and  I  hope  that  your 
readers  will  not  be  deterred,  by  the  fear  of  failure,  from 
trying  to  grow  them  as  they  should  be  grown.  Let  them 
choose  out  a  warm,  sunny  hanlc,  and  after  having  dug  out 
the  eai-th  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  or  so,  fill  it  in  with  chalky 
soil.  If  the  Orchises  are  put  in  as  soon  as  they  are  out  of 
bloom,  many  of  them  will  appear  above  ground  by  the 
January  or  February  following ;  and  I  am  persuaded  that 
they  will  live,  bloom,  and  thrive  there,  as  well  as  in  their  own 
haunts.  If  the  top  of  the  bank  has  any  shrubs  growing  on 
it,  Orcliis  fusca  may  be  grown  amongst  them,  and  that  very 
beautiful  thing,  Epipactis  t/randijiora.  This  last,  however, 
seems  to  like  to  have  a  good  deal  of  rotten  mould  in  the 
soil,  which  should,  therefore,  be  given  it,  and  it  may  require 
a  deeper  shade  than  0.  fusca.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear,  if 
any  of  your  readers  should  try  it,  how  they  succeed ;  and  I 
wish  them  all  success  in  the  undertaking.  W.  P. 


POULTRY  PENS. 


I  AM  induced  to  offer  some  observations  to  that  class  of 
your  readers  who  take  an  interest  in  poultry  breeding  and 
e.'chibitions,  relative  to  the  best  mode  of  transit  of  choice 
fowls,  and  to  the  introduction  of  a  scheme  which  may  not 
only  serve  tlie  purpose  of  removing  them  from  place  to  place 
with  safety,  but  of  holding  them  securely,  and  displaying 
them  to  advantage  when  they  an-ive  at  their  destined  place 
of  exhibition.  To  this  end,  I  would  suggest  the  introduction 
of  a  cage,  the  sides,  back,  and  a  part  of  tlie  top  of  which 
should  be  made  of  wood,  and  the  other  portions  of  strong 
galvanized  wire.     The  lower  part  of  the  wire-woi-k,  in  front. 


should  be  made  to  lift  up,  for  the  admission  of  the  poultiy, 
cleaning  out  of  the  cage  &c,  but  which  could  be  so  fastened 
down  witli  a  running  wire,  that  none  could  gain  access  to 
the  interior  without  the  knowledge  of  the  exhibitor.  In  a 
cage  so  constructed,  the  food  could  be  placed  in  convenient 
fixed  troughs  on  either  side;  and,  where  necessary,  a  roost 
might  be  fixed,  which  could  be  easily  removed  during  the 
day. 

Considering  the  importance  which  attaches  to  anything 
connected  with  the  breeding  of  poultry,  and  having  seen 
very  fine  xilumaged  birds  seriously  injured  for  the  want  of  a 
proper  mode  of  conveyance,  I  have  thought  a  suggestion  of 
this  kind  worthy  of  mention,  if  only  as  tending  to  a  more 
practical  and  eflicient  method. 

Another  advantage  attending  tliis  plan,  would  be  the 
saving  of  expense  to  the  promoters  of  Poultry  Associations  ; 
tlie  pens  all  being  made  of  one  size — say  two  feet  six  inches 
by  two  feet,  for  Dorking,  Hamburgh,  Spanish,  and  Bantam 
fowls;  and  three  feet  by  two  feet  six, for  Cochins  and  Malays; 
by  being  placed  side  by  side,  according  to  their  respective 
numbers,  on  a  simple  stand,  they  would  of  themselves  form 
an  admirable  display  without  the  aid  of  carpenters ;  the 
poulti-y  need  not  be  liandled,  nor  removed ;  and  tliat  confusion 
and  frequently-expressed  dissatisfaction  of  exhibitors,  which 
is  well  known  to  exist  by  all  who  have  taken  an  active 
interest  in  exhibitions  of  this  kind,  would  be  entii'ely  super- 
seded. 

I  have  had  a  cage  made  upon  the  plan  suggested  (to 
which  I  invite  the  attention  of  gentlemen,  amateurs,  and 
breeders), which, in  the  opinion  of  several  competent  author- 
ities to  whom  I  have  submitted  it,  and  in  its  first  cost 
(which  is  comparatively  small),  has  proved  perfectly  satis- 
factory.— W.  Dray,  Sitan  Zaiie,  Oily. 


POULTRY  SALES. 

About  two  hundred  and  twenty  lots  of  different  varieties, 
the  property  of  J.  Fuirlie,  Esq.,  of  Cheveley  Pai-k,  were 
oflered  for  sale  by  Mr.  Stevens  on  the  11th  instant,  and 
about  two  hundred  of  tlie  lots  sold'.  Tlie  attendance  was 
[  yery  numerous,  and  many  really  buyers.  The  Cochins,  good, 
sold  pretty  well,  but  the  inferior  of  which,  though  many 
were  offered,  did  not  find  buyers.  Remarkable  features  in 
this  sale  were,  that  Lot  180,  an  Aiidalnsian  Cock,  fetched  the 
enormous  price  of  £lii  10s. ;  tliat  the  DorHiiys  fetched  such 
high  prices,  the  bidders  being  Rev.  James  Boys,  one  or  two 
strangers,  and  Mr.  Catling;  but  the  buyer  of  nearly  all  was 
the  Eev.  T.  Thursby,  of  Avington  Puectoi^,  near  Northamp- 
ton. Dorkings  are  much  sought  after.  The  highest  prices 
for  Shanghaes  were  Lot  09.  Buff  hen  (Andrews  and  Stm-- 
geon),  clear  hackle,  £!i  Os.  Lot  100,  Lemon  Cockerel,  prize 
bird  at  Sun-ey  and  Bury  Shows,  £7  10s.  Lot  lv!4,  Buft" 
Pullet,  "  Ida,"  purchased  at  Lord  iJucie's  sale,  £7  17s.  Od. 
Lot  140,  Silver  Cinnamon  Pullet,  .£7  10.  The  highest  price 
for  a  White  Shanghae  was  for  a  hen,  Lot  02,  £:i  lus. ;  and 
iov  &  Black  Shanijhae  hen.  Lot  IW),  £1  11.  In  Dorkings, 
Lot  199,  "Two  liens,  very  fine,"  £Vi.  Ban/tms,  black  and 
white,  about  13s.  each.  The  Chamois  Polunds  were  bought 
in,  not  more  than  £'2  Os.  each  being  bid  for  them;  and  the 
Dumpies  were  bought  in  at  an  average  of  £'4  10s.  each.  The 
best  Turkey,  a  cock.  Lot  904,  sold  for  BS  3s. ;  the  best  Gos- 
linq,  Lot  210,  for  ^£1  8s.;  and  the  best  Guinea  Fowls,  hot 
21C,  for  .£2  the  pair. 

On  the  following  day,  Mrs.  E.  George's  Shanghaes  were 
sold  by  Mr.  Strafford.  They  were  beautiful  birds,  and  in 
first-rate  condition.  The  highest  prices  were  for  a  puUet, 
Lot  10,  which  took  first  prize  at  West  Kent  Show,  £6;  and 
cockerel.  Lot  17,  her  companion  there,  j£0  10s.;  and  their 
sisters.  Lots  40  and  08,  sold  respectively  for  £10  and  £15  10s. 
There  were  120  lots,  and  the  gross  sum  they  fetched  was 
about  £235. 


GOLD  FISH. 


In  reply  to  "  G.  W.'s  "  enquiry  in  The  Cottage  Gar- 
dener of  the  the  20th  ultimo,  I  beg  to  inform  you,  that  the 
eggs  which  ai'e  said  to  be  given,  on  certain  occasions,  to  Gold 
Fish,  in  China,  are  those  of  a  species  of  Grasshopper,  called 
Cicada  or  Tettix,  which  insects,  according  to  Aristotle,  were 


I 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Oltobeu  20' 


considered  as  dainties  by  the  great  epicures  ot  his  day. 
They  are  brought  iu  large  quantities  to  the  market  of 
Quangae,  in  bambuo  cages,  probably  for  the  same  purpose. 
I  was  tokl  by  a  ^Mandarin,  that  the  maggots  of  tlie  Noclua 
hrnssicaj  were  quite  as  efllcacious  as  the  Cicada's  eggs. 

Can  your  experienced  correspondent,  *'T.  K.,  of  the 
Dover  Koiul/'  explain  the  process  by  whicli  tlie  Bonzes,  or 
Priests  of  Fo,  are  said  to  change,  instantaneously,  the 
colours  of  the  iish  preserved  in  tlieir  sacred  tanks?  It 
■\vouUl  seem  tliat  this  operation  is  performed  annually,  in 
the  Great  Temple,  at  Quegling,  and  esteemed  a  miracle;  so 
tl)at,  probably,  it  is  a  state  secret,  like  the  liquefaction  of  St. 
Januarius's  blood  at  Naples, 

As  r  am  collecting  notes,  for  publication,  on  this  very  in- 
teresting  branch  of  Ichthyology,  I  feel  anxious  to  put  myself 
into  du-ect  communication  witli  "  T.  Pi.,"  if  he  would  kindly 
favoiu'  me  with  his  name,  and  permit  a  private  interview  at 
his  convenience. — T.  Woutheii. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

The  Pooh  Wjdow  (Com/or/;.— The  draft  is  received  with  grateful 
thanks.  The  subject  will  be  carefully  considered,  and  a  further  com- 
munication made. 

William  Auams  C^.),— The  five  shillings  came  duly,  and  we  have  to 
apologize  for  not  noticing  the  fact.  It  would  save  a  post  to  write  direct 
to  "  G.  \V.  Johnson,  Esci-,  Canon  Street,  Winchester." 

Rape-cxilture.— An  article  will  shortly  appear,  in  which  the  culture 
of  Rape  will  be  treated  at  full  length.  The  sort  of  Whcai  best  suited  for 
your  land  would  be  the  Hoptottn  White,  or  Morton's  Ited-stntwed  Whifi:  ,- 
and  the  best  way  to  prevent  your  wheat  becomini:  root-faUc  is  to  drill 
deep,  and  make  the  land  linn,  cither  by  sheep-treading,  pressing,  or 
rolling.— J.  ]J. 

SmiNG-sowN  Wheat  {W.  Lort).  —  No  variety  of  Wheat  usually 
adapted  for  autumn  sowing  will  lie  injured  for  that  purpose  by  having 
been  once  sown  in  the  spring.  The  best  manure  for  wheat  upon  heavy 
land,  to  be  applied  in  the  spring,  is  from  two  to  three  cwt.  per  acre  of 
Peruvian  guano  harrowed  in  during  dry  weather,  not  later  than  February 
or  Ularch. — J.  H. 

IxiAS  (Zf)/').— There  is  no  reason  why  your  J.nan  and  Spuraxis  should 
not  do  just  as  well  in  that  locality,  whicii  we  happen  to  know,  as  they 
did  in  Jersey,  exactly  in  the  way  you  prop.>5e.  As  to  distance  from  bulb 
to  bulb,  two  inches  apart  will  not  be  too  thick,  and  six  inches  apart  will 
not  be  too  wide.  Ke  ruled  in  this  by  your  space,  &c.  Three  inches  of  light 
soil,  and  one  inch  of  sand  uver  them,  will  be  the  right  depth  for  you; 
and  if  the  winter  comes  very  hard,  a  mat,  or  couple  of  mats,  or  some 
efpiivalent,  must  be  thrown  over  the  beds  ;  also,  late  in  the  spring,  if  the 
wind  is  very  cutting.  Vou  nmst  fold  the  beds  as  they  fold  sheep  on 
turnips,  and  tie  a  mat  all  round  the  hurdles,  leaving  the  top  open.  Some 
contrivance  of  that  sort  nuty  be  necessary.  The  easiest  and  best  ^\ay  to 
plant  a  bed  of  Ixias,  is  first  to  dig  the  bed  and  mix  a  tjuantityof  leaf- 
mould  and  sand  with  it,  making  it  just  level  with  the  grass  or  gravel ; 
then  mark  the  places  for  the  bulbs,  put  haU'-a-liandful  of  sand  to  each 
mark,  push  the  bulbs  into  the  sand  and  gather  it  over  them,  then  have 
fine  sandy  soil,  and  nearly  dry,  and  cover  it  all  over  the  bed  full  three 
inches,  and  dust  the  surface  with  fresh  soot  to  put  mice  on  the  wrong 
scent. 

Conservatory  Plants  and  Climbers  (G.  B.  C.)  —Now  we  under- 
stand you  perfectly  ;  but  we  fear  you  will  not  be  advised  by  us.  Nothing 
will  give  you  satisfaction,  after  the  first  two  years,  on  the  back  wall, 
eleven  feet  high,  except  Camellias  as  stated  by  us,  at  Bank  Grove. 
Elcgum,  pink;  .'l/6tfr//«,-,  variegated ;  Coralina,  coral-scarlet;  Imbrianta, 
crimson  ;  and  Fimbriata,  pure  white  ;  are  among  the  best  for  a  back 
wall.  Fuchsia  serratifuHa,  is  one  of  the  best  back  greenhouse  climbers, 
and  in  two  years  would  get  up  to  the  top,  and  run  along  the  arches, 
fiowering  from  September  to  Way.  Fuchsia  comlhia  would  also  soon 
rise  from  tlie  back  wall  to  the  rafters,  or  arches.  Tacsonia.s  the  same, 
but  they  would  soon  overrun  the  whole  house.  Kor  the  end  wall,  seven- 
teen feet  high,  the  best  plants  in  the  world  are  Miuidemllca  suofcolens. 
Plumbago  Cupensia,  or  Acacia  piibencens.  For  the  pillars  along  the 
front,  there  are  none  better  than  what  flir.  Fish  recommended,  over  and 
over  again,  which  may  be  seen  on  reference  to  the  index. 

Early  prouuctivkness  ok  Siianghaes.—jI/i*.  G.  F.  lilosclt/,  of 
the  Fortune  of  War,  King's  Itoad,  Camden  Town,  says,—"  I  have  taken 
the  liberty  of  forwarding  to  you  an  extraordinary  instance  of  the  great 
fecundity  of  the  Cochin-China  fowls.  I  bad  a  brood  of  chickens  hatched 
March  1 6tli  last,  one  of  which  layed  on  the  loth  of  August,  being  just  twenty- 
one  weeks'  old.  I  had  no  idea  of  sitting  any  more  eggs  this  season,  but 
having  altered  my  mind,  I  sat  a  hen  on  seventeen  eggs,  (two  of  which 
were  layed  by  the  puliet  just  mentioned)  on  September  7th.,  that  being 
four  weeks  after  she  commenced  laying;  hatched  the  two  pullets  eggs, 
with  thirteen  others,  on  the  27th  of  Scjitcmlier,  all  of  which  are  .ilive  and 
healthy.  The  whole  of  these  events  have  not  taken  up  more  time  than 
sis  months  and  eleven  days." 

Diseased  Dorking  {J.  /'.).— The  symptoms  of  rattling  in  the  throat, 
and  panting,  indicate  an  alfection  of  the  lungs  and  windpipe,  most 
probably  infiainmatory.  The  treatment  should  consist  in  a  dry,  warm 
shelter,  particularly  at  night;  and  if  this  alone  is  not  efi'ectual,  a  tca- 
spooiiful  of  antiiuonial  wine  may  be  given,  mixed  up  with  meal. 

Spanish  Hen  not  Laving  (.1  Cotistaat  Reader).— 'VYic  cause  of  the 
hen  not  laying  for  so  many  months,  without  any  evident  illness,  is  either 
inaction  or  disease  of  the  ovary.  At  this  period  of  the  year,  especially  as 
she  is  moulting,  I  should  not  advise  stimulating  the  organ  by  any  means, 
although  a  little  extra  animal  food  and  warm  shelter  might  be  tried  in 
I    the  Hpring.     If  there  is  discauc  of  ihc  uvary  the  case  is  hopclcas,  ut»  it  iu 


ncirly  always  a  structural  change.  The  writer  speaks  of  *'  Mr.  Tcget- 
meier's  specific,  Calomel  and  Antimony."  I  must  beg  again  to  state 
that  I  never  recommended  this  as  a  specific  for  all  diseases  of  the  cpp 
organs ;  it  is  useful  in  one  disease  of  them  only,  iliat  is,  inflammation  of 
the  egg  passage,  indicated  by  the  laying  of  imperfectly  formed  eggs.  In 
the  above  case  it  would  be  of  no  service. — W.  R.  T£GETMkiee. 

Rlack  Rabbaeossa  Geape  {Do7i).— The  Ubck  Barbarossa is,  in- 
deed, worth  growing;  nolate  Vinery  is  complete  without  it.  It  is  under- 
stood to  be  a  free  bearer,  and  is  of  capital  flavour.  Wc  arc  not  assured 
that  it  requires  any  ]iarliculariy  high  temperature ;  if  you  are  going  to 
plant  it  in  the  same  house  with  late  Hambro',  you  may  put  it  at  the 
warmest  end.  If  we  were  going  to  plant  a  late  house  with  a  mixture,  we 
should  put  Muscat  at  the  hottest,  and  St.  Peter's  next,  Karbarossa  nest, 
and  Hambro'  at  the  coolest  end. 

Vine  Pruning  {A.  R.  F.). — By  all  means  cease  watering  your  resting 
Vines.  It  is  absurd  to  do  so.  It/ti/ncospenmim  jasminoides  will  do  well 
in  any  ordinary  greenhouse.  The  pruning  described  at  page  336,  will  fit 
your  case  lor  years.  The  whole  stem,  when  complete,  must  continue  to 
be  pruned  by  the  advice  in  the  second  column  of  page  366. 

Bees  leaving  Uive.— Sarah,  writing  from  Essex,  says—"  Vesterday 
(Sept.  30th},  the  bees  of  one  of  the  cottagers  in  our  village  threw  ofl'  a 
fine  swarm,  which  were  safely  hived,  and  removed  to  their  winter  quar- 
ters. Do  you  think  there  is  any  probability  of  their  prolonging  their 
existence  through  tlie  winter  without  the  assistance  of  artificial  food?" 
If  the  hive  from  which  the  bees  issued  be  examined,  it  will  most  pro- 
bably be  found  to  contain  neither  bees  nor  honey  ;  if  so,  want  was  the 
cause  of  their  leaving  it,  so  that  it  was  a  desertion,  and  not  a  swarm  ; 
without  feeding,  tho  bees  cannot  live  a  week. — J.  H.  I*. 

Robber  Bees — Queen  producing  only  Drones. — .1  writes  thus, 
— "  While  gre.it  secrets  in  nature  have  been  revealed,  as  it  were,  by  a  mere 
accident  (as  Schirack'.s  discovery,  for  instance)  it  is  not  less  true  that 
*  Anomalies  may  be  the  finger-posts  that  point  the  way  to  unsuspected 
truths  ;'  and  this  our  learned  author  will  allow  to  apply  to  the  instinct  of 
Bees,  as  well  as  to  varieties  among  fowls.  Can  any  of  the  Bee-keeping 
readers  of  The  Cottage  Gardener  kindly  assist  my  rcicarches,  by 
informing  me  if  they  have  observed  so  great  a  deviation  from  the  ordinary 
instinct  of  the  Bees,  which  teaches  them  to  preserve  their  community, 
as  the  destruction  of  llie  workers  of  a  hive  by  each  other  would  imply, 
and  under  what  peculiar  circumstances  such  evil  warfare  has  been  waged!' 
I  would  also  inquire  if  a  Queen,  wldch  has  been  fertile  in  producing  the 
eggs  of  workers,  has  been  found  afterwards  to  deposit  those  of  drones 
on!//;  and  whether  such  deterioration  of  her  powers  may  be  traced  to  some 
shock  received  by  the  system  from  extreme  fear,  or  some  similar  cause  7" 
Tliere  appears  a  mistake  in  talking  of  Bees  in  one  community  destroying 
each  other;  the  warfare  will  be  found  to  be  between  two  distinct  families, 
and  not  between  Bees  of  the  same  hive ;  poverty  in  the  larder  is  the 
primary  instigation  of  the  wrong;  no  better  reason  can  he  given  for  such 
warfare.  As  to  a  Queen,  fertile  in  laying  worker  epgs,  afterHards  produc- 
ing drones  tm/i/,  seems  to  be  a  case  requiring  proof  liy  experiment,  and 
that  of  a  difficult  nature.  The  fact  is  very  doubtful;  and,  after  all,  who 
knows  how  often  a  Queen  is  changed  ?  Where  such  an  occurrence  takes 
place,  it  must  be  attributed  to  two  diffcrcut  Queeus,  one  succeeding  the 
other.— J.  H.  P. 

Pencilled  Feature  {J.  B.  Chiiiie).— The  specimen  sent  is  very 
beautiful,  but  not  so  superior  to  that  wc  have  published  to  justify  the 
expense  of  another  wood-cut. 

AuTu:\iN-PLANTiNG  POTATOES  (.1.  iJ.l.— On  light,  wcll-draincd  soil, 
autumn-planting  is  certainly  to  be  preferred.  Plant  vuly  very  early 
ripening  kinds,  such  as  that  known  in  Hampshire  as  the  Julv.  The 
Fortiffold  is  also  an  early  ripencr. 

Mildewed  Grapes  (-'J  Subsrriber). —  Hold  a  plateful  of  flowers  of 
sulphur  under  each  bunch,  and  rub  each  berry  between  the  fingers  and 
thumb  dipped  into  the  sulphur,  so  that  each  berry  may  be  well  covered 
with  it.  We  have  ;jrouc(/ this  to  be  effectual.  iiwrHiH^  sulphur  in  the 
house  would  be  fatal  to  every  leaf  of  the  vine,  and  destroy  your  crop. 

Labels  {5th  October). — The  glass  tubes  you  have  sent  are  worthless 
from  the  brittlcness  of  the  houks.  The  I'ipe  Ctoi/  Labels  are  those 
recommended  some  time  since.  'Ainc  Labels  are  the  only  indelible  ones, 
if  polished  with  coarse  sandpaper,  and  then  written  upon  immediately 
with  tlic  ink,  for  which  the  recipe  is  given  at  p.  272  of  our  3rd  volume. 

Leaves  injured  by  Watering  {A.  Brown). — Our  answer  at  page 
411  was  necessr.rily  hypothetical,  because  wc  arc  not  certain  that  what  is 
called  "  scalding"  always  arises  from  the  same  cause.  It  is  a  much  more 
intricate  subject  than  can  be  disposed  of  in  these  necessarily  brief 
answers,  and  we  will  take  an  early  opportunity  to  write  more  fully  upon 
the  subject. 

Samoucus  racrmosa. — //.  M.  may  probably  obtain  some  information 
if  he  sends  his  dircctiun  to  the  Rev.  ^\^  D.  Fox,  Delamere  Rectory,  near 
Chester. 

Carrot-storing  (A.  B.). — We  have  often  tried  the  mode  recom- 
mended by  Mr.  Errington  at  p.  503  of  vol.  10,  and  can  bear  testimony, 
that  if  the  carrots,  after  having  the  slice  taken  oU"  their  tops,  are  buried 
in  sand  or  coal  ashes,  they  are  preserved,  and  with  all  their  flavour,  until 
long  after  those  not  beheaded  have  ceased  to  be  useful. 

LovELL  Shangiiaes  (Affriiultnri.tf). — Write  to  Mrs.  Somers  Smith, 
Little  Bentley  Rectory,  near  Colchester.  Wc  cannot  give  you  a  reference 
further  northward.  ' 

Preserving  Melons  and  Beruerries.— ,17.  M.  F.  will  be  obliged 
by  a  recipe  for  preserving  Blelons  and  Berberries  in  bunches  for  dessert. 
Your  Rose  tree  producing  flower  buda  which  never  open,  is  either  in  too 
cold  a  situation,  or  it  requires  the  sod  to  be  much  enriched.  (Jive  it  a 
powerful  manuring  now,  and  mulch  over  the  roots  early  next  spring. 

London:  Printed  by  Harrt  Wooldridgb,  Winchester  High-stroet, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMKRViLLE  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  m  the  County  of 
P'Hsex,  ut  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Pariuh  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  Loudon.— October  aoth,  186;i, 


OoiOBIiR  37. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


53 


D 

D    1 

Barometer.      Thermo.  Wind,  f^^^'^l 

Sun 

Sun        Moon 

Moon's 

Clock 

Day  of 

W 

OCT.  27— NOV.  2,   1S53. 
Tortoise  buries. 

Rises. 

Sets.      K.  &S. 

Age. 

af.  Sun. 

Year. 

27 
28 

Tb 

2!). 19.1-28.842    i   46—41 

N.W.i       06 

47  a.  6 

41  a.  4  1   morn. 

25 

16      2 

300 

P        St.  Simon  and  St.  Jude. 

29.0l4-29.318    ■  49—31 

N.W.        02 

49 

39       1     1     13 

26 

16      7 

301 

2q  j  S        [Virginian  Creeper  leafless. 

29.742— 29.403       50—40 

S.W. 

22 

50 

37       1     2     32 

27 

10    11 

302 

30    '    Son     23    SUNBAY    Al-TER  TllINITV. 

29.050—29.595 

59—48 

S.W. 

14 

52 

35       1     3     53 

31      Bf       iWoodcock  cornea. 

29.813—29.585 

61—44 

w. 

— 

54 

34       1     5     17 

29 

16    16 

304 

1     To     'All  Saints. 

29.773-29.075 

62—57 

s. 

02 

65 

32       i     sets. 

W 

lO    !8 

305 

2     W       November;  paling;. 

29.620—29.538   1  60—48 

S.W.  i      61 

S3 

30            5  a  16 

1 

16     18 

306 

Meteouology  of  the  Week.— At  Chiawicli,  from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-six  years,  the  average  highest 

and  lowest  tern- 

jieratures  of  these  days  are  53.6° and  37.3°  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  07°,  occurredon  the  30th  in  1833  j  and  the  lowestcold,  23°, 

on  the 

2gthin  1812.    During  the  period  85  days  were  fine,  and  on  97  rain  fell. 



NEW  PLANTS. 

ErisctA    MELLiTTiroLiA     {Balm  kavcil    EphcUi). 


This  genus  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of  Gesnerworts,  and 
of  Didynamia  Gymnospermia  of  the  Liuncean  system.  The 
generic  name  is  derived  from  epi,  upon,  and  sichi,  shade, 
because  the  species  it  includes  prefer  shady  places.  The 
specific  name  alludes  to  its  coarse  Balra-lilce  leaves.  It  is 
the  Besleria  mellitifoUa  of  some  botanists.  It  is  a  stove 
herbaceous  plant,  being  a  native  of  the  Carribbean  and 
West  Indian  Islands  generally.  It  was  known  as  long  ago 
as  1780,  but  flowered  at  Kew,  probably  for  the  first  time  in 
Europe,  during  the  March  and  April  of  the  present  year. 


It  is  about  one  foot  high ;  stem  purple;  leaves  dark  green, 
and  when  young,  with  pink  edges;  flowers  crimson. — 
iBotuidcul  Mayuziiw,  t.  47i0.) 

EnODODENDKON  GLATTCUM  ( GluHCOus-leaveil  Ithoilo(leiulron). 

The  lihododendrons  belong  to  the  Natural  Order  of 
Healhworts,  and  to  the  Linna;an  Decandria  Monogynia 
Class  and  Order.  It  was  raised  at  Kew  from  seeds  sent 
home  by  Dr.  Hooker,  from  tlie  Sikkim  Himalaya,  in  1850  ; 
the  plants  sliowed  flower-buds  when  about  one  foot  high,  and 
bloomed  in  April,  18."):!.  They  were  grown  in  a  cool  green 
house,  but  others,  which  h.ave  not  bloomed  yet,  are  tliriving 
well  in  the  open  border. — {Bolaniad  Magazine,  t.  4731.) 

The  following  description  is  given  by  Br.  Hooker,  in  the 
Juiirnnl  of  thu  HhriiciiUiiral  Society,  vii.  102  : — 

"IX.glnucum. — ^Distribution  and  range:  Slkldm  and 
Bliotaii,  in  moist  rocky  places.  10,000  to  13,000  feet. 
"This  constitutes  a  small  shrub  of  tlie  average  height  of 
two  feet.  Branches  scarcely  so  thick  as  a  goosequill, 
yellowish-brown,  often  glaucous-white,  the  younger  ones 
scaly.  Leaves  rather  crowded  at  the  extremities  of  the 
branches,  one  to  three  inches  long,  usually  one  to  one-and- 
a-half  inch  broad,  on  sliort  stalks,  upper  side  deep  green, 
wlien  old  naked  above,  below  remarkably  glaucous,  almost 
white,  and  (juite  dotted  with  copious  little  scales,  which  in 
tlie  young  state  cover  the  whole  leaf,  and  at  all  times  abound 
on  tlie  bracteas,  bud,  tiower-stalks,  and  especially  on  the 
sepals.  Flower-stalks  seven  to  eight,  almost  in  an  vimbel  at 
the  ends  of  the  branches,  erect,  an  uich  or  more  long, 
rather  slender.  Flowers  erect  or  inclined,  pale  pinkish- 
purple.  Corolla  rather  more  than  an  inch  long,  and  about 
as  broad  in  the  widest  part,  tube  campanulate,  limb 
moderately  spreading,  of  live  nearly  equal  rounded  notched 
lobes.  The  remarkable  glaucous  colour  of  the  underside  of 
the  leaves,  and  the  great  development  of  the  calyx,  readily 
distinguish  this  species.  In  foliage  it  closely  resembles 
Ji.  virt/atiim,  but  the  inflorescence  and  calyx  are  widely 
difi'erent.  The  whole  plant  has  a  powerfifl  resinous  smell, 
due  to  exceedingly  small  globules  of  a  pale  yellow  colour 
which  exude  from  beneath  the  httle  scales  on  the  underside 
of  the  leaves.  These  scales  are  very  curious  ;  the  majority 
are  smaller,  pale-coloured,  exhibiting  several  concentric 
circles  of  small,  nearly  uniform  cells  ;  the  larger  are  bristly 
at  the  margin,  and  consist  of  a  centre  or  disc  of  small  cells 
surrounded  by  a  limb  or  margin  of  radiating  elongated 
ones." 


As  now,  and  for  the  next  two  months,  is  the  best  of 
periods  for  sliipping  trees  and  plants  to  emigrant  friends 
in  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  we  have  made  various 
enquiries,  and  received  as  various  replies,  from  those 
who  have  been  there ;  but  they  are  all  agreed  in  the 
sentiment  embodied  in  this  one  sentence — "Never  mind 
about  novelties;  send  good  old  things — things  that 
they  can  dwell  over  and  say,  '  Dont  you  remember 
where  this  grew  in  the  old  garden  at  home  ?  '  "  God 
bless  those  that  feel  thus,  say  we ;  and  we  hope  not  a 
reader  of  The  Cottage  Gaedeneb  but  will  respond 
heartily — Amen.     Let  us   quote   a  narrative   that  de- 


monstrates how  universal  is  this  clinging  to  "  the  old 
country,"  and  that  it  is  good  to  foster  that  attachment ; 
and  then  let  us  proceed  to  the  immediate  subject  of  our 
remarks. 

"  THE    EMIOr.ANT'S    LAEK. 

"  Henry  Patterson  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  sailed  from  the 
Tower  in  the  year  18:31,  as  emigrants  on  board  a  vessel 
heavily  laden  with  passengers,  and  bound  to  Quebec. 

"Patterson  was  an  intimate  friend  of  a  noted  bird-catcher 
in  London  called  '  Charley  Nash.'  Now  Nash  had  deter- 
mined to  make  his  friend  a  present  of  a  good  skylark  to 
take  to  Canada  with  him ;  but  not  having  what  he  called 
'  a  real  good  un '  among  his  collection,  he  went  into  the 
country  on  purpose  to  trap  one.     In  this  effort  he  auc- 


No.  COLXV.,  YoL.  XL 


54 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


October  27- 


ceeded,  but  when  he  retimied  to  London  he  found  that  his 
friend  Patterson  had  embarked,  and  that  the  vessel  had 
sailed  a  few  hours  before  he  reached  the  Tower  Stairs.  He 
tlierefore  jumped  on  board  a  steamer  that  was  just  starting, 
and  overtook  the  ship  just  as  she  reached  Gravesend,  where 
he  hij'ed  a  small  boat,  and  tlien  sculling  alongside,  he  was 
soon  recognised  by  Patterson  and  his  wife,  who,  with  a 
crowd  of  other  male  and  female  emigrants,  of  all  ages,  were 
taking  a  last  fai-ewell  of  the  various  olyects  which  the  vessel 
was  slowly  passing. 

"  '  Here's  a  bird  for  you,  Hairy,'  said  Nash  to  Patterson, 
as  standing  up  in  the  skiff  he  took  the  frightened  captive 
out  of  liis  hat ;  '  and  if  it  sings  as  well  in  a  cage  as  it  did 
just  now  in  the  air,  it  will  be  the  best  you  have  ever  heard.' 
"  Patterson,  descending  a  few  steps  from  the  gangway, 
stretched  out  his  hand  and  received  the  bird,  which  he  , 
immediately  called  '  CUarleij,'  iu  remembrance  of  his  faith- 
fiU  friend  Nash. 

"  In  the  Gulf  of  St.  La«Tence  the  vessel  was  wrecked, 
almost  every  thing  was  lost  except  the  lives  of  the  crew  and 
passengers,  and  accordingly,  when  Patterson,  with  his  wife 
hanging  heavily  on  his  arm,  landed  in  Canada,  lie  was  des- 
titute of  everything  he  had  owned  on  board  exceptmg 
Charley,  whom  he  had  preserved,  and  afterwards  kept  for 
three  days  in  the  foot  of  an  old  stocking. 

"After  some  few  sorrows,  and  after  some  little  time, 
Patterson  settled  at  Toronto,  in  the  lower  part  of  a  small 
house  in  King  Street,  the  principal  thoroughfare  of  the 
town,  where  he  worked  as  a  shoemaker.  His  sliop  had  a 
southern  aspect ;  he  drove  a  nail  into  the  outside  of  his 
window,  and  regularly  every  morning,  just  before  he  sat 
upon  his  stool  to  commence  his  daily  work,  he  carefully 
hung  upon  this  nail  a  common  skylai-k's  cage,  which  had  a 
solid  back  of  dark  wood,  with  a  bow  oi*  small  wire  orcliestra 
in  front,  upon  the  bottom  of  which  there  was  to  be  seen, 
wJienever  it  could  be  procured,  a  fresh  sod  of  green  turf. 

"As  Cliarley's  wings  were  of  no  use  to  him  in  this 
prison,  the  only  wholesome  exercise  he  could  take  was  by 
hopping  on  and  ofl'  his  little  stage  ;  and  this  sometimes  he 
would  continue  to  do  most  clieerfuUy  for  hours,  stopping 
only  occasionally  to  dip  his  bill  into  a  small  sriuare  tin  box 
of  water  suspended  on  one  side,  and  then  to  raise  it  for  a 
second  or  two  towards  the  sky.  As  soon,  however,  as  (and 
only  when  liis  spirit  moved  him)  this  feathered  captive 
again  liopped  upon  his  stage,  and  there,  standing  on  a  bit 
of  Britisii  soil,  with  his  little  neck  extended,  his  small  head 
slightly  turned,  his  drooping  wings  gently  fluttering,  his 
bright  black  eyes  intently  fixed  upon  the  distant,  deep, 
dark-blue  Canada  sky,  he  commenced  his  unpremeditated 
morning  song,  his  extempore  matin  prayer! 

"  The  effect  of  his  thrilling  notes,  of  his  shrill,  joyous 
song,  of  his  pure,  unadulterated  Enghsli  voice,  upon'  tlie 
people  of  Canada,  cannot  be  described,  and,  probably,  can 
only  be  imagined  by  those  who  either  by  adversity  have 
been  prematurely  weaned  from  tlieir  mother  country,  or 
who,  from  long-continued  absence  from  it,  and  from  hope 
deferred,  have  leai-ned  in  a  foreign  land  to  appreciate  the 
inestimable  blessings  of  their  father-land,  of  their  parent 
home.  AU  sorts  of  men,  riding,  driving,  walking,  propelled 
l:jy  urgent  l)usiness,  or  sauntering  for  appetite  or  amuse- 
ment, as  if  by  word  of  command,  stopped  spell-bound  to 
listen,  for  more  or  less  time,  to  tlie  inspired  warbling,  to 
the  joyful  hallehijahs  of  a  common  homely  dressed  English 
lark  !  Tlie  loyal  listened  to  him  witli  the  ^■eneration 
with  which  they  would  have  listened  to  the  voice  of 
their  Sovereign  ;  reformers,  as  tliey  leaned  towards  him, 
heai-d  nothing  iu  his  enchanting  melody  which  even  lUcij 
could^  desire  to  improve.  I  (Sir  Francis  Head)  believe 
that  in  tlie  hearts  of  the  most  obdurate  radicals  he  re- 
animated feehngs  of  youthful  attachment  to  tlioir  motlier 
countiy ;  and  tliat  even  the  trading  Yanliee,  in  whose 
country  birds  of  the  most  gorgeous  plumage  snullle  rather 
than  sing,  must  have  acknowledged  that  Die  lieaven-born 
talent  of  this  little  bird  unaccountably  warmed  the  Anolo- 
Saxon  lilood  that  flowed  in  his  veins.  Nevertheless,  what- 
ever otliers  may  have  felt,  I  must  own  that,  althougli  I 
always  refrained  from  joining  ClutrlLij's  motley  audience, 
yet,  while  he  was  singing,  1  ne\'er  rode  Ijy  I'lini  without 
acknowlodgiug,  as  he  stood  with  his  outstretched  neclc 
looking  to  heaven,  that  he  was  (at  uU  events,  for  bis  size), 


the  most  powerful  advocate  of  Chui'cb  and  State  in  Her 
Jlajesty's  dominions ;  and  tliat  his  eloquence  was  as  strongly 
appreciated  by  others,  I'atterson  received  many  convincing 
proofs. 

"  Three  times,  as  he  sat  beneath  the  cage,  proud  as 
Lucifer,  yet  hammering  away  at  a  shoe-sole  lying  in  pur- 
gatory on  liis  lap-stone,  and  tlien,  witli  a  waxed  thread  in 
cacli  hand,  suddenly  extending  liis  elbows,  like  a  scara 
raoucli  ;  three  times  was  he  interrupted  in  liis  work  by 
people  who  each  sepai'ately  offered  iiim  one  hundn-d  dollars 
for  his  larli :  an  old  farmer  repeatedly  otiered  him  a  liundred 
acres  of  land  for  him  ;  and  a  poor  Sussex  carter,  who  liad 
imprudently  stopped  to  hear  him  sing,  was  so  completely 
overwhelmed  witli  affection  and  vuthdic  ihi  pays,  that, 
walking  into  the  shop,  he  offered  him   all  he  possessed  in 

tlie  world his  horse  and  cait;  but  Patterson  would  sell 

him  to  no  one. 

"On  the  evening  of  the  — thof  October,  1837,  the  shutters 
of  Patterson's  shop  windows  were  half  closed,  on  account  of 
liis  having  that  morning  been  accidentally  shot  dead  on  the 
island  opposite  the  city.  The  widow's  prospects  were  thus 
suddenly  ruined,  her  hopes  blasted,  her  goods  sold,  and  I 
need  liai-dly  say  that  I  made  myself  the  owner — the  lord 
and  the  master  of  poor  Patterson's  lark. 

"  It  was  my  eai-nest  desire,  if  possible,  to  better  his  con- 
dition, and  I  certainly  felt  very  proud  to  possess  him ;  but 
somehow  or  other  this  '  Chaiiey-is-my-darling"  sort  of  feel- 
ing evidently  was  not  reciprocal.  Whether  it  was  that  in 
the  conservatoiy  of  Government  House  at  Toronto  Charley 
missed  the  sky — whether  it  was  that  he  disliked  the  move- 
ment, or  rather  h-udI  of  movement,  iu  my  elbows  —  or 
whether  from  some  mysterious  feelmgs,  some  strange  fancy 
or  misgiving,  the  chamber  of  his  mind  was  hung  with 
black,  I  can  only  say  that  during  the  three  months  he  re- 
mained in  my  service  I  could  never  induce  him  to  opeu  his 
mouth,  and  that  up  to  the  last  liour  of  my  departure  he 
would  never  sing  to  me. 

"  On  leaving  Canada  I  gave  him  to  Daniel  Orris,  an 
honest,  faithful,  loyal  friend,  who  had  accompanied  me  to 
the  province.  His  station  in  life  was  about  equal  to  that 
of  poor  Patterson  ;  and  accordingly,  so  soon  as  the  bird  was 
hung  by  liim  on  the  outside  of  his  humble  dwelling,  he 
began  to  sing  again  as  exquisitely  as  ever.  He  continued 
to  do  so  all  through  Sir  George  Arthur's  adminisU'ation. 
He  sang  all  the  time  Lord  Durliam  was  at  work — he  sang 
after  the  Legislative  Council — the  Executive  Council — the 
House  of  Assembly  of  the  province  had  ceased  for  ever  to 
exist — he  sang  all  the  while  the  Imperial  Paiiiament  were 
framing  and  agreeing  to  an  Act  by  which  even  the  name  of 
Ujiper  Canada  was  to  cease  to  exist — he  sang  all  the  while 
Lords  John  Paissel  and  Sydenham  were  arranging,  effecting, 
and  perpetuating  upon  the  United  Provinces  of  Canada  the 
baneful  domination  of  what  they  called  'responsible  govern- 
ment ; '  and  tlien,  feeling  that  the  voice  ot  an  lOnghsh  lark 
could  no  longer  be  of  any  service  to  that  noble  portion  of 
Her  Majesty's  dominions — ho  died! 

"  Orris  sent  me  his  skin,  his  skull,  and  his  logs.  I  took 
them  to  the  very  best  artist  in  London — the  gentleman  who 
stutl's  for  the  British  Bluseum — who  told  me,  to  my  great 
joy,  that  these  remains  were  perfectly  uninjured.  After 
listening  with  great  professional  interest  to  the  case,  he 
promised  me  that  he  would  exert  his  utmost  talent;  and  in 
about  a  month  Charley  returned  to  me  with  unrutiled 
plumage,  standing  again  on  the  little  orchestra  of  his  cage, 
with  his  mouth  open,  looking  upwards — iu  short,  in  the 
attitude  of  singing,  just  as  1  have  described  him. 

"  I  have  had  the  whole  covered  with  a  large  glass  ease, 
and  upon  the  dark  vvooden  back  of  the  cage  there  is  pasted 
apiece  of  white  paper,  upon  which  1  liavr  written  the  fol- 
lowing words  : — 

THIS     LARK, 

TAKEN     TO     CANAllA     13V     A     TOOI!     KJnonANT, 

WAS    SHlPWliECKED    IN   THE    ST.   LAWRENCE, 

AND    AFTER     SINOING    AT    TORONTO     KOU     NINE     YEARS, 

DIED    THERE    ON   THE    IItII    OK    MARCH,    1S4.'!, 

UNIVEHSAI.T.V    m:i-.l'.ETTED. 

"  Home  !    Home  !    Sweet  Home  !'" 
To  foster  tliat  love  of  home — to  make  the  new  home 
of  the  Euiigruut  as  much  like  as  possible  to  the  old 


OOTOBEB  27. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


home  of  his  boyhood — is  with  us  a  cherished  object ; 
yet  we  never  allow  ourselves  to  be  led  away  by  our 
sympathies  so  far  as  to  forget  the  still  more  important 
object  of  furnishing  the  Emigrant  witli  what  he  will 
find  most  useful  in  liis  trans-atlantic  home.  When  we 
receive  enquiries  upon  such  subjects  we  immediately 
consult  those  wlio  we  know  to  be  most  conversant  with 
them ;  and  we  cannot  do  better  for  the  guidance  of 
all  Emigrants,  and  their  friends,  than  publish  a  letter 
from  one,  with  the  information  we  bare  gathered,  for 
his  guidance. 

"  I  am  about  to  proceed  to  New  Zealand,  and  am  desirous 
of  ascertaining  if  I  can  take  some  of  my  favoiu'ites  with  me ; 
or  if  the  time  I  start  should  not  be  desirable  for  such  a 
pui-pose,  I  am  anxious  to  know  the  best  and  cheapest  way 
of  having  them  conveyed  and  sent;  and,  if  not  a  departure 
from  your  usual  plan,  a  recommendation  to  some  first-rate 
nurseryman  accustomed  to  such  exportation. 
I  "  I  propose  to  take  Strawberries,  various  sorts — these  I 
propose  to  take  with  me,  in  small  CO's  pots ;  Raspberries ; 
Ciurrants ;  Apricots,  Nectarines,  and  Peaches,  sorts  ;  Plums, 
vaaious  kinds  ;  Bidlace  and  Damson  ;  Apples,  Peai's, 
Cherries,  Grapes,  Gooseberries,  Mulberry,  of  each  various 
sorts. 

"  I  may  have  to  trouble  you  on  some  future  occasion  in 
reference  to  "  Flowers,"  but,  as  my  time  will  be  seriously 
occupied,  I  must  defer  that  until  after  my  arrival ;  and  may, 
at  some  future  day,  from  that  distant  land,  be  enabled  to 
give  you  some  "jottings  by  the  way  "  of  gai-dening  memo- 
randa there.*  I  have  said  I  propose  taking  iri/h  me.  ]3ut 
would  it  not  be  jnore  desirable  to  liave  them  sent  at  the 
proper  time,  properly  prepared,  &c.,  so  tliat  ujion  their 
arrival  the  intended  orchard  for  their  reception  may  be 
prepared  and  ready  ? 

"  I  need  scarcely  inform  you  the  voyage  will  take  about 
four  months ;  and  that  standard  trees,  or  even  others  of  any 
size,  would  cost  a  great  deal  of  money  in  carriage.  It  seems 
to  me  desirable  that  a  similar  plan  to  that  I  propose  in 
reference  to  my  Strawberries  would  do  ;  that  is  to  say,  upon  a 
number  of  small  stocks,  have  grafted  or  budded  tlie  various 
varieties,  and  get  them  firmly  and  well-rooted  in  small  OO's, 
or  even  a  size  larger  pot,  and,  when  well-established,  to  be 
turned  out  of  the  pots,  the  plants  being  only  perhaps  eleven 
or  twelve  inches  high,  might  (be  packed  with  earth  adhering 
to  the  roots)  be  carefully  and  closely  packed  in  boxes  with 
moss,  to  take  up  but  little  room,  comparatively.  I  further 
imagine,  that  the  best  time  to  do  this  would  he  about  the 
period  of  shedding  their  leaves,  /.  c,  about  the  time  usually 
adopted  for  replanting,  say  the  end  of  November,  they 
would  reach  me  about  .Tune ;  a  very  good  time,  tliere,  I 
fancy,  for  replanting.  "With  these  suggestions,  I  leave  the 
matter  in  your  hands  for  guidance  and  advice. — A.  L.  B." 

This  suggestion  of  having  many  scions  of  different 
varieties  grafted  upon  one  stock,  for  the  convenience  of 
Emigrants,  is  a  very  valuable  suggestion  ;  and  the 
Nurseryman  who  first  adopts  it,  and  is  able  to  announce 
that  he  has  them  for  sale,  will  find  himself  amply 
recompensed. 

We  foi'warded  the  above  letter  to  ]\Ir.  Beaton,  and 
this  is  his  reply,  together  with  a  letter  he  bad  from 
Messrs.  Low  of  the  Clapton  Nursery. 

"I  will  give  you  a  narrative  of  the  proceedings  in  exe- 
cuting a  commission  for  a  lady  who  wished  to  send  a  supply 
of  the  vwst  useful  plants  to  New  Zealand ;  but  let  me  first 
observe,  that  no  time  should  be  lost  in  getting  ready,  and 
sending  otf,  all  plants  and  seeds  destined  to  Australia  and 
New  Zealand  this  season ;  but  any  time  between  this  and 
the  new  year  will  do,  they  will  then  reach  the  end  of  the 
journey  in  the  autumn  of  those  colonies,  the  very  best  time 

*  We  shall  be  very  much  obliged  by  such  communication. — Ed.  C.  G. 


after  the  long  confinement  on  the  voyage.  In  the  first 
place,  I  had  a  list  of  all  the  best  and  more  common  h:ircy 
trees  in  England  from  the  lady,  and  I  was  to  add  as  n  any 
more  of  the  best  old  English  garden  plants  as  I  could  got 
seat  for  so  much  money.  The  gentleman  to  whom  they  are 
now  sent,  as  I  imderstood,  complained  tliat  although  he 
could  get  aU  the  novelties  where  he  was,  no  one  thought  of 
seutling  him  tlie  old  English  plants  which  lie  knew  so  well 
at  liome,  and  which  would  put  liim  in  mind  of  home  and 
the  old  times  every  time  he  saw  them,  or  rode  over  bis 
estates ;  lience  the  reasons  for  the  list  below.  I  said,  last 
year,  that  I  knew  Mr.  Low  had  a  good  deal  of  foreign  trade, 
solely  on  account  of  his  superior  and  safe-packing,  and  to 
him  I  trasted  my  commission  accordingly.  I  wrote  to  him 
to  say,  that  he  must  find  the  box,  or  boxes,  for  packing ;  that 
aU  the  plants  must  be  named  in  the  old  English  style,  as 
far  as  that  could  be  done,  or  else  numbered,  and  two  copies 
of  the  list,  accordmg  to  the  numbers,  to  be  made,  one  to  go 
with  the  plants,  and  the  other  to  be  sent  to  me  for  the  lady; 
that  the  tallies  for  the  names  or  numbers  must  be  such  as 
would  not  perish,  or  take  any  harm  on  the  way,  nor  could 
be  destroyed  by  rats  ;  that  I  did  not  want  large  plants  to  be 
sent,  but  to  have  them  stiif  and  firm  about  the  collar  and 
roots,  that  young  shoots  and  tops  might  be  pruned  off  to 
make  more  room ;  that  the  j)acking  must  be  double-extra ; 
as  if  more  than  the  usual  per  centage  of  deaths  were  re- 
ported from  New  Zealand,  I  could  never  show  my  face 
again  to  the  lady.  After  packing  the  plants,  he  was  to  cart 
them  to  the  broker's  office  in  London,  who  would  see  them 
on  board;  he  "was  also  to  insure  them,  and  to  pay  for  the 
freight  to  New  Zealand,  and  the  price  of  the  plants,  packing, 
cartage,  insm'ance,  freight,  and  commission  to  broker,  were 
not  to  exceed  £12.  All  this  has  been  just  comfileted,  and 
three  plants  of  every  one  in  the  subjoined  bst  has  been 
sent.  I  also  gave  orders  to  strike  any  plant  out  of  the 
list  I  sent  which  they  thought  woidd  not  bear  the  journey ; 
and  I  see  they  dropped  three  or  fom-,  but  added  the  same 
number  of  equally  good  plants.  I  do  not  know  a  better,  or 
a  more  cheap,  way  of  going  to  work  in  such  cases.  I  asked 
to  know,  in  general  terms,  at  what  rates  Mr.  Low  sent  fruit- 
trees  to  Australia,  and  to  know  if  he  still  continued  to  ex- 
port to  distant  parts.  His  own  letter  will  tell  his  answer 
better  than  I  could  pitt  it. — D.  Beaton." 

Messrs.  Low's  letter,  dated  Clapton  Nursery,  October 
14tb,  is  as  follows  : — 

"  We  have  lost  no  time  in  executing  your  commission  for 
the  lady,  and  the  two  cases  are  sent  this  day  to  the  St. 
Catherine's  Docks,  for  shipment  in  the  '■Stately,'  which 
ship,  the  broker  teUs  us,  will  sail  to-morrow.  We  have 
selected  stipp  plants,  used  great  care  in  packing,  and,  by 
way  of  extra  precaution,  have  bored  a  number  of  holes  in 
the  sides  of  the  cases,  which,  we  h.ave  been  informed  by 
parties  who  liave  received  cases  from  us,  is  a  very  judicious 
plan,  as  it  allows  any  damp  air  to  escape.  We  enclose  a  copy 
of  the  contents  of  the  two  cases,  and  there  are  three  plants 
(if  each  HOST ;  but  we  shall  send  you  a  list  to  tally  with  the 
numbers  on  the  plants,  every  one  of  which  has  a  leaden 
nimiber  attached  to  it  by  copper  wire.  We  have  also  made 
out  a  list  of  fruit-trees,  for  which  we  have  many  orders. 
You  might,  to  illustrate  oiu'  experience  in  the  mode  of 
packing,  say,  that  we  are  in  the  habit  of  shipping  to  Val- 
pai'aiso,  Sydney,  New  Zealand  Ports,  Mauritius,  Back  Set- 
tlements of  America,  Mexico,  West  Indian  Islands,  which, 
as  the  Yankees  say,  '  is  fact.'  We  have  not  included  Peaches, 
Nectarines,  Apricots,  or  Strawberries,  as,  we  believe,  they 
have  plenty  m  Australia ;  but  you  might  introduce  a  clause  to 
the  eBt3ct  that  purchasers  could  make  alterations  if  they 
thought  tit." 


20  Pears  in  variety. 
20  Plums  in  variety. 
20  Cherries  in  variety. 
20  Apples  in  variety. 
2  Quince. 

20  Gooseben-ies  in  variety. 
20  Currants  in  variety, 


2  iVlulberries.  Black. 
12  Double  Camellias  in  variety. 
12  Roses  in  variety. 
20  Flowering  Shrubs    from    other 

countries,  and  suitable  to  New 

Zealand  climate. 


"  These  could  be  supplied,  packed,  shipped,  and  insured, 
all  charges  paid  to  the  port  of  destination,  for  j£10." 


56 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


October  27. 


"  Three  plants  of  each  of  the  foUowiag  sent ; 


Common  Oak 

Common  Ash 

Judas  Tree 

Horsechesnut 

Birch 

Beech,  Common 

Beech,  Purple 

Hornbean 

Lime 

mountain  Ash 

Scotch  Laburnum 

Common  Kim 

Black  Italian  Poplar 

Lombardy  Poplar 

Balsam  Poplar 

Sycamore 

Tulip  tree 

Alder 

Larch 

Acacia 

Wild  Cherry 

Gleditschia 

Catalpa 

Maiden  Hair  Tree 

Foxglove  Tree 

Plane  Tree 

Golden  Willow 

Hawthorns 

Walnut 

Evergreen  Oaks 

Common  Yews 

Common  Holly 

Tree  Box 

Common  Juniper 

Sweet  Bay 

magnolia  grandiflora 

Common  Laurel 

Portugal  Laurel 

Laurestinus 

Privet  ,, 

Chinese  Privet 

Irish  Ivy 

Perriwinkle 


Pyrus  japonica 

Chorchurus  japonica 

Cimonanthus  fragrans 

Mczereons 

Ribes  sanguinca 

Guelder  Rose 

Deutziascabra 

Lilac,  Purple 

Lilac,  White 

Hydrangeas 

Common  Jasmine 

Sweet  Clematis 

Common  Honeysuckle 

Bignonia  radicans 

Aristolocliia  sipho 

Ayrshire  Roses 

macarteny  Roses 

Banksian  Roses,  White 

Banksian  Roses,  Yellow 

Greville  Rose 

IMoss  Rose 

Cabbage  Rose 

Cabbage  Rose,  White 

Wistaria  sinensis 

Common  Berberis 

Southern  Wood 

Pffionics 

Lavcnilcr 

Ccanothus 

Berberis  dulcia 

Buxus  ballarica 

Deutzia  gracilis 
I  Escallonia  organensis 

Euonymus  japonica 

Forsythia  viridissima 
[  Garrya  clijitica 
I  Jasminum  ochroleucura 

Jasminum  Wallichianum 
j   Pernett5'a  phylleriefolia 

Ribes  sanguinca  pleno 
I  Spirea  Douglassii 

Rosemary 


Ix  a  familiar  ilUistration  of  the  literal  meaning  of  the 
word  "INFECTION,"  wB  have  alluded  to  a  liguro  of  speech 
which  explains,  in  the  first  place,  a  common  law  of  the 
diffusion  of  certain  diseases;  and  likewise  points  out 
the  way  to  get  rid  of  them  altogether  by  a  very  largo, 
rapid,  and  continuous  dilution.  We  have  classical 
authority  for  asserting  contagion  and  infection  to  mean 
just  one  and  tlie  same  thing.  In  the  sense  of  being 
"  tinged,"  we  find  this  very  term  contagion  applied  to 
honey,  salt,  satlron;  and  we  think  it  is  much  better  to 
try  to  make  out  that  "  contagion"  originally  meant 
nothing  more  than  "  infection,"  in  its  limited  sense, 
than  to  fall  into  the  grave  mistake  of  supposing  that 
infection  means  all  that  we  now  consider  the  word 
contagion  to  carry  along  with  it. 

Lucretius  uses  the  word  contagion  in  what  wo  take  to 
bo  its  original  sense.  "  The  contagion"  says  he,  "  seized 
men  one  after  another;"  "for  (bo  adds)  those  who 
avoided  visiting  the  sick,  through  love  of  life  and  fear  of 
death,  paid  the  penalty  of  this  neglect  in  a  bad  and 
shameful  end.  unaided  and  alone."  =:■  Here  the  sense  of 
the  passage  would  be  lost  if  we  took  contagion  to  mean 
personal  contact,  and  not  rather  a  general  contamination 
of  the  air. 

Desperate  cll'orts  have  been  made  to  get  rid  of  this 
vulgar  notion,  that  contagion  iniplios  a  danger  from 
immediate  contact  with  a  propimjuily  to  the   person, 

*  Lucretius  on  the  Nature  of  Things— Hrnilt  vi.,  lines  IIIJJ  to  1239. 
This  author  speaks  of  the  jaundiced  eye  painting  all  objects  sallow  by 
its  contagion — iv.  337  :  and  of  the  blind  discriminating,  by  touch,  things 
which  hail  not  the  contagion  of  colour — xi.  740.  He  al.Ho  promises  to 
throw  a  contagious  pleasantry  over  a  very  dry  subject,  as  tlie  physician, 
when  he  administers  wormwood  to  a  child,  besmears  his  mouth,  and  the 
edge  of  the  cup,  with  the  yellow,  sweet  cout:;;^ion  of  honey— iv.  8  to  13. 


and  not  a  mere  mediate  contamination  or  taint  in  the 
air. 

Some  gentleman  at  the  Registrar-General's  Oflioe, 
has  invented  a  wholly  new  terra,  zymotic,  to  supply  the 
place  of  the  old  ones.  The  idea  is  taken  from  the 
process  of  leavening  (zi/ma,  leaven)  whereby  we  are 
given  to  understand  that  a  certain  (or  an  uncertain,  and 
somewhat  hypothetical)  morbid  element,  when  added  to 
a  suitable  mass,  will,  under  favouring  circumstances, 
stir  up  a  ferment  therein. 

An  eminent  medical  writer  lately  put  the  literal 
accuracy  of  the  zymotic  theory  to  the  test,  by  coutondiug 
for  the  actual  existence  in  cholera  of  a  minute  parasitic 
growth  of  the  same  nature  as  many  funguses  and 
vegetable  moulds,  the  combined  results  of  confined  damp, 
warmth,  putrefaction,  &c.  The  very  partial  success  of 
this  assumption  is  sulficieut  to  show  that  the  new  term, 
now  in  general  use,  is  not  generally  understood  in  its 
literal  sense. 

The  imperfection  of  language  compels  us  every  day 
to  say  what  this  thing  or  that  is  like,  only,  while  we 
might  struggle  for  ages  in  a  vain  attempt  to  define  what 
it  really  is.  How  to  describe  the  indescribable,  is  the 
grand  dilBculty.  Metaphorical  or  symbolic  forms  of 
speech,  rightly  apprehended,  are  expressive  enough,  and 
highly  suggestive;  and  true  enough,  when  we  bear  in 
mind  that  painters'  and  poets'  truth  is  not  truth  itself, 
but  a  faithful  resemblance  only. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  iinjuire  to  what  extent 
the  resemblance  holds  good  between  contagions,  in- 
fections, zymotics,  and  the  natural  phenomena  with 
which  they  are  in  so  many  words  compaied.  Thus  we 
have  seen  how  the  notion  of  infecting  (tainting,  or 
dyeing),  teaches  us  the  rapidity  with  which  either  the 
one  kind  of  taint  or  the  other  may  be  diflused  in  a 
confined,  or  dissipated  altogether  in  an  unoonfined, 
medium. 

There  is  a  marked  analogy  between  the  views,  which 
we  do  not  quite  despair  of  imparting  to  our  readers,  and 
a  whole  host  of  useful  observations,  on  the  laws  of 
healthy  and  diseased  growth  recorded  in  our  columns. 
The  study  of  blights  and  vegetable  diseases — diseases  of 
cattle  and  poultry — and  epidemics,  or  diseases  of  com- 
munities— may  be  pursued  with  advantage  from  a  com- 
mon point,  and  to  a  certain  extent,  we  could  put  the 
whole  thing  into  the  form  of  a  treatise  on  the  cultivation 
of  the  cholera  crop,  which  would  be  so  plain  tluit  "  even 
Ladies  might  understand  it,"  to  borrow  a  glorious  anti- 
climax of  poor  Dr.  Buckland.  Such  a  recipe  we  re- 
member, for  making  ninety -five  out  of  a  hundred  healthy 
young  persons  consumptive,  by  twclveinontlis  of  judi- 
cious management.  Suoli  a  recipe  an  ex-West  Indian 
army  surgeon  has  favoured  the  martinets  with,  for 
causing  yellow  fever  among  fresh  recruits  on  foreign 
stations.  Not  very  uuliko  was  linnicus's  recipe  for 
raising  pearls  by  provoking  a  disease  among  sbcU-lish  : 
or  Kitchener's,  (but  tbo  less  said  about  that  the  better) 
for  giving  a  wretched  goose  an  enlarged  liver. 

Tlie  slight  force  of  reaction  attending  the  use  of  a 
broken  limb,  or  a  railway  accident,  or  gunshot  wound. 


October  27. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


57 


may,  in  an  over-crowded  hospital,  and  under  favouring 
cireumstaDoes  and  management,  become  virulent ;  and, 
in  one  sense,  contagious.  It  is  said,  and  we  do  not  dis- 
credit it,  tbat  if  an  old  woman  and  a  very  little  girl  con- 
stantly sleep  together,  the  child  will  become  thin, 
haggard,  prematurely  old.  Tlie  breath  and  exhalations 
from  an  unhealthy  body  must  always  be  more  deteriorat- 
ing than  from  one  in  health.  Are  the  results  of  the 
chances  of  war,  then,  or  railway  accidents,  or  that  chronie 
complaint  called  old  age,  contagious?  Coutaminatiug, 
infecting,  leaveuers  of  tlie  air,  possibly  they  may  be  made, 
with  very  appropriate  management,  and  favouring  cir- 
cumstances. Favouring  circumstances,  and  such  acces- 
sories as  a  close  damp  air,  a  certain  elevation  of  tempe- 
rature, a  slight  putrefaotiou  or  other  kind  of  fermcntatiou 
being  excited,  are  necessary  to  ensure  the  raising  of  such 
low  natural  productions  as  mushrooms,  vinegar  plants, 
&c.;  the  microscopic  parasites  which  may  constitute 
bhght,  mouldiness,  and  the  like.  Practically,  these 
accessories  are  all  important;  although  it  is  most  philo- 
sophical to  presuuie  the  existence  of  a  previous  germ, 
how  amazingly  minute  soever ;  and,  however  utterly 
abortive  and  insignificant,  and  problematical,  it  may  be 
allowed  to  be,  if  unaided,  iinfostered,  and  alone. 

There  is  a  law,  somewhere,  under  which  the  thistles  in 
a  neighbour's  field  may  be  indicted  on  account  of  the 
contagiousness  of  the  seed.  Here,  however,  common 
sense  tells  the  farmer  that  it  is  only  by  keeping  his  own 
land  clean  (and  attending  to  premonitory  symptoms) 
that  he  can  expect  an  immunitj'  from  thistles,  and  that 
thistles  will  spring  in  a  single  neglected  field. 

Pounds  and  pounds  of  white  clover  seed  would  be 
thrown  away  on  an  undrained,  unlimed  field;  only  drain 
and  lime  your  pasture  well,  and  this  beautiful  and  valu- 
able herb  will  overspread  it  at  once  with  its  contagion. 

Names,  and  terms,  and  theories,  are  just  so  many 
threads  upon  which  to  string  together  facts  and  la- 
boriously-collected series  of  observations.  Yet  we  com- 
monly despise,  and  dasli  to  the  ground,  and  utterly 
forget,  all  the  pearls  of  price,  whilst,  like  passionate 
children,  we  quarrel  over  that  dear  p)laything — a  piece  of 
string.  J.  J- 

The  columns  of  The  Cottage  Gaudeneb,  as  the  general 
record  of  Poultry  transactions,  should  always  contain 
references  to  the  conditions  on  which  amateurs  are 
invited  to  compete  at  the  different  shows. 

The  experience  of  those  by  whom  the  "Birmingham 
and  Midland  Counties  Association  "  has  been  conducted, 
has  hitherto  been  the  usual  guide  in  the  management 
of  more  recently -formed  societies.  Now,  among  the 
alterations  of  the  Birmingham  prize  list  for  the  present 
year,  was  the  rule  which  now  enforces  the  separate  exhi- 
bition of  "  chickens,"  and  "  linls  exceeding  the  age  of  one 
year."  In  every  point  of  view  wag  this  change  desir- 
able, for  not  only  were  competitors  thus  placed  on  a 
fairer  footing,  but  the  comparison  of  relative  merits,  by 
the  judges  and  the  public  at  large,  became  a  far  easier 
task.  It  is  with  regret,  therefore,  that  we  notice  the 
intention  of  the  "  Bedfordshire  Poultry  Society,"  which 


advertises  its  meeting  for  the  last  day  of  November,  and 
the  1st  and  2nd  of  December  next,  to  adhere  to  the  old 
regulation  of  permitting  "chickens  of  1853  to  be  shown 
in  the  classes  for  fowls  of  any  age,  at  the  option  of  the 
exhibitor." 

But  there  is,  also,  another  point  on  which  we  would 
address  a  serious  remonstrance  to  the  managers  of  this 
exhibition,  for  we  see  it  announced  that  "the  whole  of 
the  Poultry  must  be  in  the  place  of  exhibition  on  the 
iiHth  of  November;"  so  that,  with  the  20th  set  apart 
for  the  judges,  and  the  three  days  during  which  the 
exhibition  will  remain  open,  the  fowls  which  arrive  on 
the  Monday  will  not  be  released  till  the  Saturday,  on 
which  day  they  will  commence  their  travels  homewards. 
Now,  it  is  not  in  anticipation  of  the  evils  of  such  pro- 
tracted confinement,  but  from  their  actual  experience 
on  several  past  occasions,  that  we  again  express  our 
firm  conviction,  that  a  period  of  two  days  is  amply 
sutficient  for  the  duration  of  any  poultry  exhibition. 
With  another  day  for  the  judges,  and  one  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  birds,  even  this  necessitates  a  longer  re- 
tention of  the  fowls  than  is  at  all  desirable ;  but  this 
third  day  of  exhibition  is  a  gratuitous  hazard  which 
ought  never  to  be  incurred.  The  risks  of  exposing 
valuable  poultry  to  the  many  evils  consequent  on  over- 
crowding, the  usual  want  of  sufficient  ventilation, 
contagion  from  diseased  specimens,  and  the  chances  of 
the  journey,  are  now  tolerably  well  appreciated ;  and, 
taking  the  mere  pecuniary  view  of  the  case,  and  regard- 
ing the  probable  success  of  the  show  as  dependent  on 
the  "  quality  "  of  the  pens  exhibited,  it  will  be  found 
good  policy  to  contract  its  duration  within  the  narrowest 
limits  that  may  combine  the  safety  of  the  birds,  the 
convenience  of  spectators,  and  the  receipts  of  the 
Society.  All  this  we  believe  may  be  effected  in  two 
days  open  to  the  public,  and  any  excess,  therefore, 
beyond  this  period,  appears  to  us  to  be  a  measure  that 
must  ultimately,  if  not  immediately,  prove  as  adverse 
to  the  interests  of  the  Society  as  it  is  undoubtedly 
prejudicial  to  the  health  of  the  birds. 

The  Birmingham  authorities  tell  us,  that  in  a  financial 
point  of  view,  they  find  themselves  unable  to  reduce  the 
number  of  days  during  which  that  show  has  hitherto 
been  kept  open.  But,  without  entering  into  the  con- 
sideration of  what  may  be  practicable  in  their  case,  and 
we  must  confess  our  belief  that  their  apprehensions  on 
this  score  would  prove  groundless,  the  case  is  wholly 
different  when  we  came  to  the  minor  local  societies,  tliat 
have  more  or  less  followed  in  the  same  course.  Surely, 
the  good  people  of  Bedfordshire,  and  the  surrounding 
districts,  with  the  facilities  of  locomotion  now  at  their 
disposal,  would  find  two  days  amply  sufficient  for  the 
full  inspection  of  all  the  specimens  that  may  then  be 
brought  together ;  and  assuredly  many  of  the  best  will 
be  wanting  if  this  unwise  resolution  be  persisted 
in.  Some  of  our  first  breeders,  be  it  remembered,  have 
publicly  expressed  their  view  of  the  consequences  of  too 
extended  a  period  for  exhibition ;  and  Bedfordshire  can- 
not, we  think,  make  out  a  special  case  for  exceeding  the 
prudent  limits  of  a  second  day. 


58 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


October  27. 


LATE,  OR  WINTER  GRAPES. 

Although  I  deny  not,  for  a  moment,  that  it  requires 
mucli  real  gardening  skill  to  produce  a  house  of  first- 
rate  early  Grapes,  ripe,  shall  we  say,  in  April,  yet  I 
must  contend  for  an  equal  amount  of,  at  least,  attention 
in  preserving  late  autimin  Grapes  until  the  middle  of 
February,  or  later,  in  a  fresh  state.  1,  therefore,  think 
that  an  examination  of  the  principles  on  which  such 
practice  must  be  based  will  prove  of  interest.  I  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  praetically  illustrating  this  ques- 
tion for  many  years;  for  in  this  part  of  the  country  we 
lay  by  all  our  strength  for  winter  work  ;  our  gentry,  in 
the  main,  entertaining  much  company  during  Novem- 
ber, December,  and  January.  I  have  annually,  of  late, 
carried  Grapes  up  to  the  second  week  in  Februaiy, 
but  not  further;  and  this  solely  because  I  am  compelled, 
from  circumstances,  to  keep  pots  of  various  kinds  whicli 
require  occasional  waterings  in  the  late  vinery.  Our 
^Vest's  St.  Peter's  have  ever  been  the  last  to  decay  or  to 
shrivel;  hut  the  Barharossa,  it  would  seem,  has  to  divide 
the  honours,  hencefoi-th,  with  this  hitherto  doughty 
champion  of  winter. 

One  thing  may  here  be  premised,  and  that  is,  that 
whoever  may  attempt  to  continue  a  succession  of  au- 
tumn-ripened Grapes  all  through  the  winter,  until 
nearly  March,  may  at  once  count  on  a  loss  of  some 
thuly  per  cent.,  especially  if  pot-plants  must  be  admitted 
in  the  structure  devoted  to  the  Vine.  However,  settirig 
aside  the  pot-plants  for  a  moment,  what  are  the  condi- 
tions of  atmosphere  most  essential  to  the  preservation 
of  late  Grapes'?  This  will,  in  my  opinion,  he  found  in 
three  points,  which  1  have  named  in  the  order  of  their 
importance — First,  a  dry  air;  second,  a  comparatively 
low  temperature;  and,  lastly,  a  daily  motion  in  the  air. 

In  the  first  case,  we  require  dryness  without  heat,  in 
the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  latter.  This  is  a  nice 
point  to  handle.  Now,  if  there  be  no  plants  in  the 
house  this  is  not  a  difficult  affair ;  hut  witli  a  host  of 
pot-plants  the  utmost  caution  is  necessary.  As  to 
temperature,  it  must,  of  course,  decline  with  tlie 
season  ;  and,  moreover,  it  may  be,  that  the  Grapes  are 
not  completely  ripened;  although  it  may  at  once  be 
stated,  that  of  whatever  kind,  they  should  be  perfectly 
ripe  and  coloured  by  the  tldrd  week  in  October ;  indeed, 
it  is  probable  that  they  would  keep  none  the  worse  if 
quite  perfect  a  fortnight  sooner.  But  so  nruch  depends 
on  the  Grapes  being  what  is  termed  "  veil-fed  r"  and  this 
is  a  matter  almost  entirely  dependant  on  root-action. 
If  the  root  be  in  a  flourishing  condition,  this  will  occur 
as  a  matter  of  course,  providing  the  atmospheric  ma- 
nagement lias  been  good  ;  if  a  bad  root,  no  amount  of 
in-door's  care  can  atone  for  it.  Such  being  the  case,  I 
would  say,  that  from  the  middle  of  October  to  the  middle 
of  November,  the  thermometer  may  range,  by  day.  from 
50°  to  tiO",  the  latter  with  sunshine ;  and  at  night  from 
40°  to  4.')°. 

Now,  I  take  it  as  an  essential  point  in  the  matter, 
that  there  be  constantly  a  little  ventilation  during  the 
night;  this  is  my  practice,  and  has,  doubtless,  been 
adopted  through  the  necessity  of  having  pot-plants  in 
the  house  constantly,  more  or  less.  However,  since 
damps  will  generate  in  degree,  during  the  night,  1  do 
think,  that  imder  all  circumstances,  it  will  be  well  to 
leave  a  little  egress  at  back  ;  lor  [  contend  not  for  front 
air  at  night,  neither  do  I  jiraetico  it.  An  aperture  or 
two  of  only  a  couple  of  inches  will  allow  wliatever 
vajiours  may  collect  to  pass  away  as  generated,  and  this 
will  prevent  any  driji  Irom  condensed  air-moistw-e,  a 
thing  by  all  means  to  be  avoided.  By-tlie-by,  speaking 
of  drip  from  the  roof  from  condensation,  I  would 
strongly  i-ecommend  to  all  interested  in  winter  Grapes 
to  use  night  coverings;  it  is  astonishing  what  effect 
these  have  in  averting  drip  through  condensation,  which, 


indeed,  will  be  obvious  to  all  who  look  at  the  question 
in  a  philosophical  way. 

We  all  know  tlie  difficulty  of  handling  roof-coveriugs 
during  a  severe  frost ;  hut  there  is  tliis  dillerence  between 
ripe  Grapes  in  December  and  pot -plants:  the  former 
need  not  light;  the  latter  may  not  dispense  with  it 
The  Grape -covering,  therefore,  might  remain  on  for 
days  without  injury.  Let  our  readers  well  consider 
this,  and  throw  aside  all  prejudice.  In  the  event  of 
root-coverings  being  adopted,  a  lower  temperature,  by 
several  degrees,  may  housed;  indeed,  after  the  leaves 
are  fallen,  about  ■'I.'")''  would  sulflce  ;  any  furtlier  aug- 
mentation would  be  simply  to  disperse  damps  by 
creating  motion  in  the  air.  Wliat  these  Grapes  want, 
is  an  atmosphere  similar  to  that  of  a  dry  sitting-room, 
and  rather  too  cool  to  sit  long  in. 

We  come  now  to  consider  the  last  of  my  assumed 
points,  viz.,  "  daily  motion  in  the  air."  I  do  not  liere 
contend  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  in  well-con- 
structed late  vineries,  to  J'oree  this  motion  by  artificial 
means ;  although  I  liave  no  doubt  it  would  be  the 
reverse  of  prejudicial ;  but  iu  houses  where  pot-])hinls  are 
kept,  I  have  ever  considered  it  indispensable.  When  we 
come  to  consider  tlie  amoimt  of  gaseous  matter  which 
must  inevitably  arise  in  a  continuous  stream  from  the 
decomposition  of  maunrial  or  organic  matters,  in  the 
compost  of  plants,  stimulated,  of  course,  by  warmth 
and  the  occasional  application  of  moisture,  it  will  appear 
obvious,  that  something  beyond  the  natural  dullness 
of  a  November  and  December  atmosjihere  is  necessary 
to  disperse  such  miasma ;  and  artificiiJ  heat  is,  of 
course,  the  only  means  at  command. 

But  the  application  of  this  heat  requires  much 
caution;  it  will  not  do  to  let  your  man  go  on  banking- 
up  fires  day  and  night,  as  a  piece  of  mannerism.  These 
fires,  also,  must  be  worked  in  concert  with  a  system  of 
ventilation,  which  has  for  its  object  the  daily  dispersion 
of  moisture  ;  and  the  warming  of  the  walls  and  solid 
work  of  the  interior  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  out  as 
much  warmth  duiing  the  night  as  will  keep  out  frost ; 
for  this  is  the  only  object  after  the  leaves  are  decayed. 
A  distinction,  therefore,  both  iu  the  period  of  lighting 
the  fires,  and  their  duration,  becomes  necessary  ;  and 
this  dependent  on  the  condition  of  the  atmosphere  out- 
doors. The  judicious  cultivator,  therefore,  "  takes 
stock,"  to  use  a  trade  (ihrase,  every  morning  early,  and 
gives  orders  accordingly.  If  the  morning  be  clear,  and 
a  lively  wuid  prevail,  a  sharp  lire  for  a  couple  of  hours 
will  amply  suffice  ;  bearing  in  mind  that  the  thermo- 
meter must  not  sink  below  the  freezing-point ;  not  that  the 
grapes  will  notenduro  adegreeortwo  offrost,  but  because 
it  is  inexpedient  to  ventiu'e.  If  the  day  bo  muggy,  rainy, 
or  snowy,  the  fire  ]nust  be  kept  in  much  longer  ;  and  it 
I  is  occasionally  necessary  to  continue  it  all  night.  In 
,  the  majority  of  cases,  it  is  far  better,  liowever,  to  have  a 
;  sharp  fire  for  two  or  throe  hours,  than  to  continue  for  a 
longer  period  a  dawdling  one  ;  lor  it  will  be  obvious,  on 
a  slight  consideration,  that  as  rarefaction  of  the  air  is 
the  basis  of  the  firing  system,  or,  iu  other  words,  the 
creating  an  artificial  motion  in  the  interior  atmosphere, 
so  in  proportion  to  the  power  applied  in  the  sliajie  of 
heat  will  be  the  motion. 

Now,  it  appears  to  me,  that  motion  in  the  air  is  not 
only  necessary  to  dispel  dani)i,  but  as  a  sweetener  or 
purifier  of  the  atmosphere,  for  even  dry  air  may  bo 
tainted  with  the  efiluvia  arising  from  decaying  foliage, 
and  other  decomposing  matters,  which  the  closed  in- 
terior of  a  hothouse  must  over  produce.  When,  there- 
fore, tlie  fire  is  well  up,  a  copious  egress  at  the  back  of 
the  house — the  highest  level  available — should  be  given  ; 
and  as  to  the  front,  a  moderate  admission  of  air  at 
about  three  equidistant  points,  woidd  seem  to  be  bettor 
than  opening  every  ventilator   or  sash  a  little  ;    the 


October  27. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


50 


object  beinfT,  in  reality,  to  produce  an  artificial  wind,  if 
I  may  be  allowed  such  a  term. 

It  may  here  be  borne  in  mind,  by  those  inexperienced 
in  ventilation  matters,  that,  like  other  things,  the 
greater  the  demand,  the  greater  or  more  rapid  the 
supply ;  therefore,  if  the  object  be  to  create  a  lively 
current  of  air,  it  will  be  best  elt'ected  by  a  much  greater 
egress  than  ingress,  as  to  the  size  of  the  apparatus 
through  which  it  is  eftected,  and  vice  versa. 

As  soon  as  the  berries  are  in  full  course  of  colouring, 
every  lateral,  liovvever  small,  should  be  stripped  clear 
away ;  and  nothing  left,  in  fact,  but  the  principal  or 
first-formed  leaves.  If  any  supernumerary  shoots  had 
been  left  with  a  view  to  provide  lor  future  contingencies, 
they  should  be  pruned  to  the  proper  point  the  moment 
the  foliage  discolours;  as  although,  in  summer,  we  strenu- 
ously advise  people  to  guard  against  the  erroneous  idea 
of  stripping  leaves,  &c.,  in  order  that  the  sun  may  shine 
on  the  fruit;  yet,  now  we  advise  the  very  reverse;  get 
sunsliine  on  every  berry  if  you  honestly  can  ;  the  sun 
has  now  little  power,  and  moreover,  the  principal  foliage 
may  not  now  be  shaded  by  any  means. 

As  the  foliage  decays,  constant  attention  must  be  paid 
to  removing  those  leaves  which  have  evidently  performed 
their  office  ;  this  may  readily  be  known  by  their  general 
appearance  of  decay — the  "sere  and  yellow  leaf"  is  a 
thing  of  poetry  ;  everybody  can  understand  this.  One 
thing,  however,  may  be  urged  here  ;  it  is  frequently  neces- 
sary to  leave  the  footstalk,  merely  pinching  the  leaf  itself 
oft'.  Tills  is  done  to  avoid  any  violence  to  the  eye,  or  bud, 
at  the  base  of  the  footstalk ;  for  the  latter,  at  least,  should 
remain  until  it  falls  of  itself ;  and  the  shade  of  the 
decaying  foliage  being  removed,  the  cultivator  should 
therewith  rest  content. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known,  that  the  foliage  of  the 
true  West's  Si.  Peter's  Vine  is  of  high  importance  for 
dressing-up  dessert  dishes.  We  use  it  here  constantly 
through  the  winter  months.  Those  who  admire  what 
are  called  autumnal  tints  will  highly  appreciate  the  style 
of  its  foliage.  It  is  an  almost  indescribable  mixture  of 
bronze,  and  yellow,  and  green  ;  and  its  efteet  by  ca,ndle- 
light  is  S])lendid  indeed.  I  speak  here  of  the  foliage 
when  nearly  decayed,  and  at  the  period  when  it  requires 
occasional  removal  from  the  Vine,  in  order  to  admit  the 
solar  rays. 

To  wind  up  the  detail  of  care  requisite  in  preserving 
late  Grapes,  I  may  observe,  that  the  scissors  must  be 
plied  about  twice  a  week  until  the  last  bunch  is  eut. 
Manage  how  we  will,  a  decaying  berry,  here  and  there, 
will  occur,  and  there  is  no  safety  but  in  tljeir  speedy 
removal.  The  operator  must  take  care  to  avoid  rubbing 
the  bloom  from  the  berries,  for  rubbed  and  mauled 
berries  are  a  disgrace  to  the  cultivator.  We  never 
syringe  after  the  berries  are  finished  thinning,  and  our 
Grapes  at  this  time,  in  consequence,  possess  a  bloom 
equal  to  a  Plum,  and,  withal,  are  as  black  as  the  sloe, 
notwithstanding  the  late  untoward  season.  I  never 
knew  Grapes  colour  so  well  as  they  have  done  this 
year.  R.  Errington. 


MATERIALS   FOR  PROTECTING  PITS,   &c,, 
FROM  FROST. 

"  Please  to  let  me  know  what  would  be  the  best 
and  cheapest  covering  for  a  cold  pit,  forty  feet  by  nine 
feet.  1  want  it  to  roll  backwards  and  forwards.  Where 
obtainable,  and  price?"  "  How  you  do  abuse  the  poor 
bass  mats ;  are  you  not  ungrateful  to  good  old  servants '.' " 
"Will  you  just  tell  me  how  many  gentlemen  have 
authorised  their  gardeners  to  get  nice  \vooden-shutters 
for  their  pits,  at  the  expense  of  some  six  shillings  for  a 
moderate-sized  light  ?  How  many  have  you  got  your- 
self?"    "What  do  you  think  of  Frigi-domo,  asphalt. 


canvass,  glazed  or  waterproof  calico  ?  and  what  would 
be  the  comparative  expense,  and  the  best  mode  of  ap- 
plying any  of  them  respectively?"  "We  live  in  the 
retirement  of  the  country;  all  sorts  of  litter  are  com- 
paratively of  little  value  ;  could  we  not  use  straw  mats, 
tluitched  hurdles,  or  neat  straw  covers,  which  you  pro- 
mised long  ago  to  let  us  know  how  to  make,  but  which 
I  have  never  seen  described  ?  " 

These  are  merely  a  sample  of  the  enquiries  that  are 
made,  week  after  week,   as  the  cold  season  approaches. 
I  introduce  them  prominently  here,   that  our   manu- 
facturers may  see  wliat  is  wanted  in  this  respect,  as 
well  as  for  the  protection  of  wall-trees,  and  other  tender 
])lants  in  spring  ;   as  anything  that  can  be  made  strong, 
flexible,  and  waterproof,  and  yet  economical  in  jirice, 
will  be  sure  of  a  very  great  sale.     So  far  as  I  recollect, 
1  introduced  the  subject  of  protection  last  week,  but  a 
few  more  points  will  bear  referring  to,  premising,  how- 
ever, that  they  arc  to  be  received  more  as  hints  than 
injunctions;   and  that  it  is  no  part  of  the  aim  of  this 
work  to  recommend  any  particular  merchants  or  dealers. 
Though  the  principles  of  protection  liave   been  fully 
elucidated,  we  may  just  refer  to  one  or  two  for  the  sake 
of  fresh  readers  and  new  beginners.     It  comes  to  mucli 
the  same  thing  in  the  end,  whether  we  speak  of  keeping 
in  heat,  or  keeping  out  cold ;  and  yet,  I  think,  the  matter 
would  be  simplified  if  we  used  the  former  phraseology, 
and  spoke  of  cold  more  as  a  negative  than  a  positive 
cpiality.     For  instance,  in  a  pit,  possessing  an  enclosed 
atmosphere  so  many  degi'ees  warmer  than  tlie  external 
air,  there  will  be  a  continual  radiation  of  heat  from  the 
glass,  and  every  exposed  part  of  the  pit,  until  the  in- 
ternal and  external  heat  become   alike.     To  preserve 
this   heat,   we  protect  the   walls,   and   throw   a  cover 
over  the  glass.    It  has  been  shown,  that  in  early  forcing 
the  same  practice  is  valuable,  not  only  as  a  saving  of 
fuel,  but  preventing  tender  vegetation  being  injm'ed  by 
a   dry  fire-heat,   on  the  one  band ;  or  exposed  to  the 
entrance,  through  lap  and  cranny,  of  air  nearly  as  well 
deprived  of  its  moisture  by  frost  as   if  it  bad  passed 
over  a  blast  furnace,  on  the  other.     Tliis,  unless   pre- 
vented,  will  take  place  even  among  the  residents  of 
cold  pits,  and  all  the  more  prejudicially  when  filled  with 
w,atery  juices,  after  weeks  of  dull,  muggy  weather,  as  we 
have  lately  had,  and  are  still  threatened  with.     Hence, 
the  care  necessary  in  giving   air  when  the  air  is   dry 
from  frost,  many  plants  being  robbed  of  their  moisture, 
and,  consequently,  scorched  from  this  cause.      But  our 
business,  at  present,  is  the  keeping  in  of  the  enclosed 
heat.      It  will  be  evident  that  that  will  be  eftected  only 
and   so  long  as  the  covering  prevents  the   glass,    &c., 
from  being  cooled.     The  simplest  coverin.g,  therefore, 
will  be  better  than  none,  as  it  for  a  certam  time  will 
prevent  the  radiation  of  heat.     When  once  the  covering 
and  the  glass  together  become  of  the  same  temperature 
as  the  external  air,  the  parting  of  heat  from  the  interior 
would  go  on  with  great  rapidity.     If,  in  these  circum- 
stances, we  throw  a  quantity  ot  litter,  hay,  &c.  (if  dry, 
so  much  the  better),  overthe  first  covering,  the  radiation 
is  taken  from  the  glass  to  the  fresh  surface;  in  other 
words,  we  compel  John  Frost  to  begin  his  work  anew; 
and  we  do  so  every  time  that  by  turning  and  breaking 
the  surface  of  that  litter  we  thus  break  the  straight 
line  of  radiation. 

Hence,  the  material  used ;  the  mode  of  applying  it ;  and 
the  principles  that  regidate  the  radiation  and  conduction 
of  heat;  become  matters  of  importance.  Asa  general 
rule,  the  absorbing,  conducting,  and  radiating  of  heat- 
powers  in  bodies  are  in  proportion  to  their  density. 
Thus,  a  plate  of  iron  exposed  to  a  heating  or  cooling 
medium,  on  one  side,  or  part  of  a  side,  would  soon  be 
heated  and  cooled  all  over  and  all  through.  You  might 
wait  long  before  the  same  thing  took  place  in  a  plate  of 
wood.     A  piece  of  smooth,  hard  gi-ound,  other  things 


60 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


Ocionr.B  27. 


being  equal,  will  bo  more  licatcd  by  the  siin  in  siimraor, 
and  cooled  by  tlie  frost  in  winter,  tbfiu  gronnd  turned  np 
roiigl)  and  full  of  air.  The  more  porous  and  open  a  body, 
the  less  its  radiating  and  conducting  powers.     Thus,  a 
cover  made  of  wool,  bair,  &c.,  would  retain  more  heat 
than  one  made  of  vegetable  fibre,  packed  close  together; 
inasmuch,  as  in  the  first  case  there  would  not  only  be  i 
the  interstices  between  the  threads,  but  every  hair  would  j 
be  a  hollow  tube.     'I'lie  great  advantage  of  a  non-con-  ' 
ducting  material  impervious  to  water,  is  not  only  the 
preventing  cold  rain  getting  to  the  glass,  but  keeping  a 
porous  body  from  being  partially  changed  into  a  dense 
one.    In  a  frosty  night,  a  dry  cloth,  or  a  dry  mat,  elevated 
a  little  above  the  glass,  would  have  a  more  beneficial 
effect  than  a  wet  mat  or  cloth  clinging  to  the  glass.     In 
the  latter  ease,  cover  and  glass  soon  become  as  one  sub-  ,, 
stance,  so  far  as  preventing  radiation  of  heat  is  con-  j 
cerned.     This  takes  place  not  merely  on  account  of  their 
contiguity,  but  because  the  porousness  of  the  material  has 
been  destroyed  by  every  air  opening  being  solidified  into 
ice,  or,  at  least,  filled  with  water.     In  the  latter  case, 
when  the  air  is  not  so  very  frosty,  but  clear  and  dry,  ' 
there  is  also  the  loss  of  heat  by  evaporation,  in  addition 
to  that  from  radiation. 

Something  would  be  gained,  were   it   ever  kept  in 
mind    that    the    evaporation    of   moisture    from    any 
body  produced  cold   or  a  diminution  of  heat  in  that 
body.     A  dry  surface,    or   one   such  as  painted  wood, 
that  will  not    absorb  much  moisture,   is    therefore   of 
great  importance.     I''ailiDg  that,  bodies  open  in  their 
texture,  or  that  consist  of  hollow  tubes,  such  as  wool, 
bair,  hay,   and  straw,  are  better  than  more  close  and 
compact  bodies.      This  will  further  appear,  if  what  I 
stated  last    week  of  the  non-conducting   properties  of 
confined  air  be  taken  into  consideration.     It  is  dilhcult 
to  completely  isolate  a  body  of  air  between  the  glass  and 
the  cover;  but  the  more  it  was  done,  the  more  perfect  it 
would  be.     Even  when  not  isolated,  this  body  of  air  is 
of  great  advantage ;  as  not  only  is  there  a  radiation  of 
heat  from  the  upper  surface  of  the  covering,  but  there  is 
a  double  process  of  radiation   beneath   it;    the   glass 
radiating  to  the  cover,  the  cover  radiating  back  again  to 
the  glass.     In  fact,  the  same  process  is  going  on  that 
prevents   the  surface  of  the  ground  being  sufficiently 
cooled  to  be  dewed  in  a  cloudy  night  of  autumn.     The 
cloud  is  the  cover  that  radiates  beat  back  again.     When 
we   enclose  a  quantity  of  dry,  tubular,  porous  matter 
between  the  glass  and  the  cover,  the  same  process  goes 
on.     Hence,  I  have  seen  one  man  keep  up  heat,  with 
more  trouble,  and  using  four  or  five  thicknesses  of  mats, 
than  another  man  would  manage  without  any  trouble  at 
all,  by  merely  having  a  cloth  or  mat  on  the  glass  to  keep 
it  clean  ;  a  little  clean  litter  thrown  over  it,  and  a  mat 
or  waterproofed  covering  thrown  over  all,  to  keep  it  in 
its  place,  and  preserve  its  dryness.     As  our  friends  seem 
all  to  make  a  point  of  cheapness,  in  all  cases  of  low 
pits,  where  litter  is  plentiful,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
glass  no  object,  the  throwing  on  of  this  litter,  and  pull- 
ing it  down  in  the  morning  v/itb  the  back  of  a  rake,  is 
the  cheapest  of  all,  though  rather  littery  indeed  in  its 
working.     However,  many  would  see  no  uusightliness 
where  there  was  a  seen  and  felt  utility. 

Taking,  however,  all  these  matters  into  consideration, 
holding  the  perfect  propriety  of  recommending  what  wc 
believe  to  be  best,  though  wo  may  not  be  able  to  show 
that  very  plan  exemplified  in  our  own  practice,  not 
forgetting  neatness  as  a  calculation  about  a  garden,  and 
looking  at  expense,  not  as  spread  over  one  yeai',  but 
over  some  six  or  ten  years,  I  still  consider,  notwith- 
standing the  remonstrances  of  some  friends,  mats  to  be 
the  dearest  and  most  littery  coverings  ;  and  wooden 
coverings,  made  of  three-quarters  or  an  inch  best  deal, 
with  a  ledgo  all  round,  fully  an  inch  deep,  to  raise  them 
thus  farther  from  the  glass,  and  made  to  fit  close  to 


each  other,  as  ultimately  the  cheapest  and  best.  Thus, 
sup]iosing  that  for  a  common-sized  light  of  a  pit,  say 
four  feet  by  six  or  seven,  a  wooden  shutter  woidd  cost 
about  7s. ;  a  good  mat,  according  to  the  statement 
of  a  London  nurseryman,  the  other  day,  would  cost 
from  Is.  (id.  to  Is.  lOd.  this  season,  wdiich  seems  very 
high.  Well,  that  mat,  with  plenty  of  litter  over  it, 
would  keep  out  frost,  but  then  that  would  be  unsightly, 
and  a  doiible  one,  as  a  cover  all,  would  probably  be  re- 
quired. If  you  commenced  now,  you  might  ask,  Where 
these  mats  were  next  July?  and  echo  w-ould  tantalize 
you  with  ■'  Vlicre."  The  same  supjily  would  he  required 
the  following  year;  and  thus,  wilh  double  mats,  which  of 
themselves  would  not  be  onc-tliird  so  sufiicicnt  as  the 
wooden  shutters,  in  two  years,  if  you  counted  the  trouble 
of  tying  the  mats,  banging  them  out  to  dry,  &e.,  you 
would  have  pretty  well  paid  the  price  of  a  shutter,  and 
have  nothing  to  look  at  for  your  money ;  while  your 
shutter  is  as  good  as  ever,  and  takes  no  more  trouble 
from  you  than  ])Utting  it  on  and  taking  it  off.  You 
say  this  is  not  fair,  because  the  mat  is  lanjer  than  will 
cover  a  common  light.  AVell,  then,  take  the  case  of  oiu' 
friend  with  his  pit  -111  feet  long,  and  '.t  feet  wide,  at 
least  the  glass  is  that  width.  Now,  supposing  each 
mat  to  be  about  7A  feet  long,  and  4^^  feet  wide,  two  of 
these  placed  lengthwise  will  give  the  width  of  the  pit, 
and  twelve  mats  w'ould  cover  it  altogether,  with  some 
feet  to  spare  at  the  ends.  These,  without  counting 
carriage,  tying,  drying,  &c.,  would  cost  from  IMs.  to  :iOs. 
These  single  mats,  however,  woidd  only  be  sulficient 
in  a  sudden  slight  frost  of  a  few  degrees.  To  keep  out 
a  sharpish  frost,  you  nnist  either  use  great  quantities  of 
litter,  or  double  or  triple  mats.  These  mats  would  be 
the  best  things  to  get  in  an  emergency.  Now,  suppose 
you  paid  us  much  as  10s.  even  for  a  wooden  cover  for 
such  a  wide  pit,  and  that  ten  of  these  were  necessary, 
which  might  he  safely  calculated  upon  to  last  ten  years, 
and  longer,  if  well  used,  the  single  mat  alone  would 
cost  the  price  of  the  wooden  cover  in  five  years,  the 
double  one  in  two-and-a-half  years,  and  if  leaving  the 
litter  out  of  view,  we  reckoned  the  small  sum  of  10s. 
each  year  for  tying  and  drying  mats,  then,  as  in  the 
former  case,  the  mats  would  eat  iqi  the  price  of  the 
substantial  covering  in  two  years,  and  never  be  a  good 
protection  after  all. 

"  ISut  as  mats  are  chca)i,  could  they  not  bo  rendered 
waterproof,  and  thus  be  made  more  lasting  and  eifec- 
tual?"  Yes;  but  not  so  as  you  can  roll  them  well. 
They  must  be  fixed  upon  a  frame  of  wood.  You  could 
I  not  make  a  secure  skeleton  frame  of  wood,  on  which  to 
tack  the  mat  securely,  under  Is.  (id.  to  2s.  This,  with 
a  single  mat.  would  he  half  of  the  expense  of  a  wooden 
covering.  When  such  a  mat,  however,  is  brushed  over 
with  tar,  and  then  well  daubed  with  dry  sawdust,  it 
!  becomes  waterproof,  the  frame  raises  it  Irom  the  glass, 
and  it  will  be  a  good  ])rotection  for  several  years  ;  not 
much  inferior,  while  it  lasts,  to  Asphalt-felt,  while  the 
.  first  cost  will  be  from  one-half  to  two-thirds  of  the  felt. 
The  Asphalt-felt  being  sold  at  Id.  jiev  square  foot,  is 
consequently  Od.  per  yard.  It  cannot,  however,  bo  used 
for  the  purposes  of  piotecting  jiits  before  it  is  fixed  to 
a  substantial  frame  to  slide  up  and  down  over  the 
sashes.  That  liame  would  cost,  at  least,  from  ild.  a  yard. 
The  cover,  when  finished,  would  ho  as  nearly  as 
possible  two-thirds  the  price  of  a  wooden  cover.  I 
know  that  with  pro]ier  care,  and  giving  the  upper 
surface  a  slight  coat  of  tar  every  summer,  such  covers 
will  last  a  number  of  years,  and  be  cheaper  in  the  end 
by  far  than  mats,  though  at  first  it  be  double  ;  and  when 
fixed  to  a  frame,  nearly  four  times  the  price  of  the  same 
measurement  of  the  common  detached  single  unit. 

It  has  been  urged  against  all  these  I'ramc-ooveis,  tliat 
sliding  them  over  the  sashes  injines  tlio  ]iaint;  and  that 
more  than  one  man  is  necessary  to  take  them  oif  and  put 


OcTonKii  27. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


(il 


tlieni  on.  Tlio  first  is  partially  si'wdcil  against  by  two 
men  almost  lil'linn'  tliem  ott'  ami  on  witlioiit  sliding  ;  and 
l)errc;ctly  so  by  tacking  laths  on  tlie  sides  of  tlie  sashes 
in  the  winlcr  months,  to  bo  removed  in  summer.  The 
second  objection  applies  equally  to  mats,  iniloss  in  very. 
i|uiet  weather;  at  least,  two  persons  manage  them  best. 
I'nless  the  sashes  are  large,  one  man  can  ]iut  tlie  cover 
on,  and  take  them  oil';  but  two  can  slap  on  a  score  or 
two  with  a  rapidity  and  safety  that  would  make  the 
mat  lovers,  with  all  tlieir  securing  and  fasteniaig,  stare 
again. 

Tiiere  are,  liowever,  other  things,  tbat  without  the 
assistance  of  frames  we  would  prefer  to  units.  Friiji- 
(lomn  I  have  had  no  experience  of;  but  some  of  my 
friends,  as  well  as  some  public  societies,  speak  very 
highly  of  it.  It  is  manufactured  by  iVIr.  Archer,  45 1 , 
New  Oxford  Street,  London,  in  widths  of  about  two 
yards,  at  Is.  (id.  the  running-yard  ;  the  square-yard, 
therefore,  being  about  !)d.  ] Seing  made  of  wool  and  hair 
its  non-oonduetiug  properties  may  be  relied  on.  When 
Mr.  ISeaton  next  goes  to  what  be  calls  our  own  garden, 
be  may  tell  bow  it  acts  there,  and  the  years  it  is  likely 
to  last.  It  will  be  seen  the  price  is  the  same  as  the  felt, 
while  you  can  have  the  latter  cut  or  made  to  any  size. 
There  can  be  no  question  tbat  the  Fritji  is  far  superior 
to  the  liussian  mat. 

Then  there  is  strong,  coarse  canvass-clotb  to  be  got, 
from  tld.  to  !ld.  per  yard,  that  would  last  longer,  and 
give  you  little  of  the  litter  of  mats.  Some  years  ago,  we 
had  some  strong,  transparent,  waterproofed  sheeting, 
from  ilr.  Ptichardson,  21,  Tunbridge  Place,  New  [load, 
London,  nearly  two  yards  wide,  at  Is.  the  running  yard. 
This,  it  will  be  perceived,  is  little  more  than  one-fourth 
beyond  tlie  present  price  of  mats.  When  either  raised 
above  the  glass,  or  with  some  porous  substance  beneath 
it,  it  kept  out  muoh  cold,  because  the  glass  was  kept 
dry.  The  same  maker  has  a  thick  canvass  at  about 
double  the  price.  Altogether,  it  lasted  with  lis  several 
years,  but  it  was  liable  to  crack  from  extremes  of  tempe- 
rature. I  believe,  though  I  cannot  yet  s]ieak  experi- 
mentally, that  a  stout  calico,  or  sacking-cloth,  fi.xed  to  a 
frame  in  summer,  and  painted  then,  with  a  mixture  of 
tar  and  oil,  would  make  a  valuable  covering.  In  all 
cases  where  cloth,  canvass,  waterproofed  or  otherwise, 
was  used  as  a  covering  without  frames,  I  would  recom- 
mend, at  least,  one  end  of  tho  pieces  to  be  fixed  to  a 
roller  of  wood,  about  two-a,nd-a-half  inches  in  diameter, 
less  or  more,  according  to  the  weight  of  cloth  it  was  to 
carry,  and  rolled  on  these,  the  covers  could  be  safely 
carried  and  stowed  without  injury.  In  pits  not  over 
wide,  you  might  have  these  rollers  three  feet  wider  than 
the  glass,  leaving  eighteen  inches,  or  less,  at  each  end. 
When  you  have  fi.xed  the  eloth  at  one  end,  then,  holding 
the  rest  on  the  roller  in  your  arm,  with  its  end  resting 
on  the  wall-plate  behind,  as  you  walked  and  made  the 
roller  revolve  on  its  end,  you  would  leave  the  eloth  on 
the  glass  behind  you,  just  as  I  described  Mr.  Russell's 
mode  of  shading  some  time  ago.  A  few  loops,  or  rings, 
on  the  side,  would  enable  you  to  fasten  all  very  securely. 

I  find  the  matter  has  already  filled  my  spaee  ;  but  to 
redeem  a  forgotten  promise,  1  will  describe  the  mode  I 
adopt  in  making  neat  straw  covers,  as  it  may  suit  some, 
where  the  material  is  abundant,  and  house-labour,  in 
bad  weather,  not  over  plentiful.  I  should  prefer  good 
reeds  to  thrashed  straw,  but  I  like  wheat-straw  drawn  in 
the  barn  before  it  is  threshed,  with  the  heads  cut  oft', 
better  than  either ;  and  where  a  person  may  go  to  their 
own  barn,  you  may  as  well  have  the  best  for  this 
purpose  as  the  worst.  I  prefer  such  straw  to  reeds 
because  it  is  finer.  I  prefer  it  to  thrashed  straw,  because 
the  tubes  of  the  straw  are  not  bruised  and  split  by  the  flail, 
so  as  to  make  them  receptacles  for  moisture,  and  because, 
the  ears  being  gone,  there  is  little  inducement  for  birds 
to  go  a  picking  and  tearing  of  them.     1  have  had  drawn 


straw  that  stood  well  for  four  years ;  undrawn  seldom 
lasted  above  two  years.  Of  course,  if  the  frameworks 
were  good,  they  were  equally  serviceable  for  a  fresh 
filling  with  straw,  and  then  the  fresh  straw,  a  few  nails 
and  string,  and  tlie  labour,  was  all  the  cover  cost  the 
second  time.  Tlie  wood  used  was  small  trees  of  elm,  not 
because  1  preferred  it,  lor  it  is  about  the  worst  for  the 
purpose,  but  because  f  cnuhl  f/et  it.  Ueckouing  tlie 
value  of  siicli  timber  at  a.bout  lOd.  |ier  solid  foot,  the 
expense  of  sawing  iuto  three  quarter-inch  boards,  at  uS. 
per  100  square  feet;  the  expense  of  straw  at  Od.  per 
truss,  a  truss  making  more  than  two  covers  six  feet  by 
four;  the  value  of  nails  and  string,  and  tlio  labourers' 
time  and  making  each  cover  of  the  above  size,  would 
cost  about  .'Is.,  ]ierhaps  a  jienny  or  two  over:  but  then 
that  cover  would  be  as  serviceable  as  a  double  mat, 
stretched  on  a  frame,  and  as  good  a  safeguard  against 
frost  as  those  lying  on  the  surface  of  the  glass,  while,  in 
renewing  them,  besides  labour  in  bad  weather,  the  chief 
expense  would  be  about  iSd.  or  4d.  for  the  straw,  oven  in 
dear  seasons  like  these. 

The  following  is  the  simple  mode  adopted,  say  for 
a  cover  six  feet  by  four.  Three  pieces  are  cut  out 
the  requisite  length,  and  about  three  inches  broad. 
I  have  said  the  wood  is  tbree-quarters-of-an-inch 
thick.  Two  of  these  are  placed  at  the  necessary 
distance  from  each  other,  so  as  to  form  the  sides  of 
the  cover,  and  it  is  essential  tbat  the  outsides  of 
these  be  quite  straight,  so  tliat  one  goes  close  to  an- 
other, when  covers  are  placed  side  by  side.  The 
other  third  piece  goes  in  the  middle.  Care  being 
taken  that  these  are  jilaced  square,  and  at  equal  dis- 
tances. Seven  cross-pieces  four  i'eetin  length,  and  from 
one-and-a-quarter  to  one-and-a-half  inches  broad,  are 
nailed  on  the  three  longitudinal  ones,  one  at  each  end, 
and  the  other  live  at  equal  distances,  in  the  space 
between.  The  cover  is  then  reversed,  the  side  having 
the  cross  pieces  being  placed  downwards.  Some  good 
straw  is  then  shaken  longitudinally,  so  regularly,  th;it 
no  ends  protrude  beyond  these  cross-pieces,  and  then 
enough  is  shaken  on,  regularly,  by  mixing  tops  and 
bottoms,  until  when  squeezed  firmly  together,  the  straw 
will  be  fully  three-quartcrs-of-an-iuch  thick.  'This  done, 
I  used  to  fasten  down  the  straw  with  other  transverse 
pieces  opposite  to  the  others,  but  I  found  two  incon- 
veniences from  this.  First,  the  cover  was  made  heavier, 
and,  therefore,  exerted  more  strain  on  the  three  longi- 
tudinal pieces,  when  moving  the  cover ;  and,  secondly, 
these  transverse  pieces  on  the  upper  side  prevented  the 
rain  going  freely  off.  We  now,  therefore,  use  only  two 
transverse  pieces  on  the  iijiper  side,  one  at  top,  and  one 
at  bottom.  The  straw  is  fastened  down  opposite  the 
other  five  transverse  ]iieces  with  cord  or  rope  yarn, 
fixed  by  a  tack  to  the  side  piece,  then  to  the  middle 
piece,  and  then  to  the  third  longitudinal  piece. 
As  however  tightly  this  cord  be  drawn,  the  straw 
between  the  longitudinal  pieces  would  be  apt  to  get  loose 
and  baggy  in  the  middle,  on  each  of  these  transverse 
strings,  and  at  equal  distances  from  the  longitudinal 
pieces,  four  jiieees  of  small  cord  are  placed  over  the 
string,  taken  through  tho  straw,  and  firmly  tied  round 
j  the  transverse  pieces  of  wood  opposite.  To  prevent 
chaffing  there,  a  slight  mark  is  made  with  the  saw  on 
!  these  transverse  ]neces,  and  in  tlieso  the  cord  is  em- 
I  bedded.  The  upper  side  is  then  dressed,  and  looks  not 
I  only  nice  and  smooth,  but  by  means  of  this  system  of 
I  tying  is  held  firm  and  secure.  It  will  be  seen,  that  the 
'  cross-pieces  of  wood  below  keep  the  straw  at  a  uniform, 
[  safe,  and  beneficial  distance  from  the  glass.  When  the 
cover  is  thus  finished,  and  the  season  of  the  year  is 
such  that  there  is  hope  of  its  being  quickly  dried,  the 
upper  surface,  straw,  and  strings  especially,  are  brushed 
over  with  thin  tar,  and  over  tjiat  is  then  thrown  some 
dry  saw-dust— all  that  does  not  adhere  being  shaken  off 


fJ2 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OcToDEn  27. 


la  severe  weather,  we  go  lound  and  stick  a  little  liay 
or  litter  in  any  openings  at  back  or  front,  between  the 
cover  and  tlie  glass.  Wlien  very  severe  indeed,  we 
throw  a  little  litter  all  over  them.  I  look  upon  these  as 
far  superior  in  usefulness  and  economy  to  mats.  I  do 
not  consider  them  so  good  as  wood,  or  felt,  &c. ;  but 
when  the  whole  material  is  lying,  as  it  were,  at  your 
elbows,  the  expense  is  not  much  felt,  especially  when  a 
good  part  of  the  expense  is  for  labour  when  men  could 
not  work  out-of-doors.  R.  Fisu. 


TI-IE   ANEMONE. 


{Voulluiicd  from  pngc  -in.) 

Taking  up  and  Stoixing  the  Roots. — In  wet  summers 

it  is  difficult  to  get  the  plants  sufficiently  at  rest  to  take 

lip  and  store.     Tlie  bulbs  are  very  full  of  juices  in  such 

a  season,  and  keep  growing  on.     This,  for  the  single, 

common  varieties,  is,  perhaps,  not  of  much  consequence, 

especially  if  they   are  planted  in  patches  in   a  mixed 

border ;   but  the  fine,  double  varieties  should  be  taken 

up  annually.      To  induce  a  perfect  state  of  rest,  the  bed 

.should  be  covered,  as  soon  as  the  general  bloom  is  over, 

with  canvass  or  mats,  to  keep  off  the  rains  that  may  fall 

whilst  the  leaves  are  decaying.     As  the  foliage  decays 

the   real   roots   will   decay   also,   the   bulbs   will   then 

gradually  mature.    When  the  leaves  are  quite  shrivelled 

and  yellow,  take  up  the  bulbs  immediately,  cut  off  the 

leaves  close,  and  place  the  roots  in  a  dry,  shady,  cool 

room,  to  dry  gradually,     •lust  before  they  are  perfectly 

so,  they  should  be   looked  over,  and   any  soil,  decayed 

stems,  or  leaves,  removed.     If  this  is  delayed  till  they 

become  bard  and  brittle,  there  will  be  great  danger  of 

breaking  olf  some  parts  of  the  bulbs,  which  would  be 

injurious  to  them,  because  the  broken  part  would  be 

in  danger  of  being  attacked  with  mildew.    If  the  double 

varieties  are  named,  they  should  be  kept  in   separate 

drawei's,  or  paper-bags,   correctly  named  or  numbered. 

The  only  care  they  then  require  is  to  keep  them  in   a 

dry,  cool  room,  till  tlie  planting  season  comes  round 

again.  It  would,  however,  be  desirable  to  examine  them 

occasionally,  to  see  if  there  is  any  appearance  of  decay 

or  mildew  on  any  of  the  roots.     Should  that  be  the 

ease,  all  of  the  roots  so  diseased  must  immediately  be 

separated  from  the  stock,  cleaned,  and  fresh  dried,   and 

afterwards  put  into  separate  bags  to  prevent  infection. 

FoECiNG. — The  Anemone  may  be    forced  so   as   to 

have  it  in  bloom  in  the  hrst  month  of  the  year,  but  the 

roots  are  much  weakened   tfiereby,  and  will  require  a 

year's  growth  in  a  nursery-bed  to  recover  their  strength. 

Choose  for  this  purpose  the  largest  tubers  :   place  one  in 

a  five-inch  pot  early  in  October,  potting  them  in  a  rich, 

sandy   soil,  covering    them    about   oue-inch-andahalf 

deep ;  jilace  them  in  a  cold  frame  or  pit  for  a  month, 

then  give  a  gentle  watering,  and  bring  them  into  a  good 

greenhouse,  placing  them  near  the  glass.     There  will  be 

quite  heat  enough  for  them  in  this  house  to  bloom  well 

in  January.     They  will  not  bear  a  warmer  liouse.     Too 

much  heat  would  destroy  the  bloom.     (4ive  them  due 

supplies  of  water;  remember,  they  have  not  the  deep, 

rich  soil  of  the  border  to  bring  forth  their  blossoms, 

and,  therefore,  they  require  liberal  waterings.      As  soon 

as  the  bloom  is  over  reduce  the  water  gradually,  and 

finally  lay  the  pots  on  one  side,  in  a  place  where  the 

early  frosts  will  not  reach  them  ;  and  when  tiie  foliage  is 

quite  decayed,  take  out  the  tubers,  and   dry  and  store 

them  in  the  usual  way.     L'lant  them,  at  the  usual  time, 

in  a  prepared  bed,  in  some  retired  part  of  the  garden  ; 

prevent  them  IVom  blooming,  should  any  appear,  and 

the  year  following  they  will  be  strong  blooming  bulbs 

again.     Or  if  this  should  be  ihouglit  too  much  trouble, 

throw  them  away  as  soon  as  the  bloom  is   over,  and 

purchase  fresh  roots  for  forcing.  They  are  cheap  enough. 


PRorAOATiON  :  By  Seed. — Such  cultivators  as  desire 
to  raise  improved  double-flowers  should  be  careful  to 
save  seed  only  from  semi-double  blooms,  with  well- 
lormed  flowers,  and  bright,  distinct  colours.  As  tlio 
seed  ripens  at  ditierent  times,  and  is  downy  and  very 
light,  it  is  in  danger  of  cither  falling  to  tlie  ground,  or 
being  blown  away  with  the  wind  ;  therefore,  it  must  be 
watched,  and  carefully  gathered,  daily,  as  soon  as  it  is 
ripe;  but  as  there  may  be  some  moisture  on  the  downy 
parts,  it  is  advisable  to  spread  the  seed  on  a  sheet  of 
jiaper,  lay  it  in  a  window  facing  the  morning  sun  for  a 
few  days  until  it  is  perfectly  dry ;  then  put  in  a  bog, 
and  keep  it  dry  till  the  sowing  season  arrives. 

Tlic  common  single  Anemone  seed  may  be  sown, 
immediately  it  is  ripe,  in  a  prepared  bed  in  the  garden ; 
but  seed  saved  carefully,  as  described  above,  is  deserving 
of  a  little  more  trouble.  Have  a  one  or  a  two-light  box, 
according  to  the  (juantity  of  seed  saved ;  take  out  the 
soil,  and  prepare  the  bed  exactly  tlie  same  as  I  directed 
ibr  the  full-grown  roots ;  make  the  surface  very  smooth. 
Let  this  be  done  about  the  middle  of  December.  Place 
the  lights  on,  giving  air  every  fine  day  till  the  surface  is 
moderately  dry  ;  then  prepare  the  seed  for  sowing.  Tlie 
method  to  do  this  is  to  rub  it  with  the  hand  for  a  con- 
siderable time  amongst  some  dry  soil.  This  should  be 
done  until  the  seeds  are  divested  of  their  downy  cover- 
ing, and  separated  from  each  other.  If  this  is  not 
eifectually  done  the  seeds  will  adhere  to  each  other,  and 
the  plants  will  come  up  in  jiatclies,  and  there  will  not 
be  room  for  them  to  form  bulbs.  When  the  bed  of 
earth  is  ready  for  the  seed,  and  that  is  well  rubbed, 
separated,  and  mixed  with  the  earth  it  has  been  rubbed 
amongst,  then  choose  some  fine,  mild  day,  about  the 
middle  or  end  of  January,  and  sow  the  seeds  evenly  and 
carefully  on  the  bed  of  earth  in  the  frame ;  then  have 
a  fine  sieve  and  some  dryish  light  soil  ready  ;  sift  a 
very  thin  covering  evenly  over  the  seeds,  not  above  the 
thickness  of  a  shilling,  give  a  gentle  watering  with  a 
very  fine-rosed  gai'den  pot,  sliut  up  the  frame,  and  let  it 
be  kept  close,  excepting  during  bright  sunshine  on  mild 
days,  when  a  little  air  may  be  given.  The  surface 
sliouhl.  never  he  allowed  to  become  quite  ilnj.  but  should 
be  kept  moderately  moist.  In  hot  sunshine,  it  will  be 
.advisable  (in  addition  to  the  giving  of  air)  to  shade  this 
seed  bed  with  a  mat  until  the  plants  have  made  two  or 
three  leaves.  As  the  season  advances,  give  more  air 
and  water,  and  afterwards  expose  them  daily  to  the  full 
light  and  sun ;  but  as  long  as  there  is  any  danger  of 
frost,  shut  them  up  at  night.  Keep  them  duly  6U]iplied 
with  water  until  the  leaves  decay  ;  then  sift  two  inches 
of  the  surface  through  a  very  fine  sieve,  and  carefully 
pick  out  all  the  yoimg  small  bulbs.  Plant  them  early 
in  September,  in  the  open  bed,  and  treat  them  after- 
wards exactly  like  the  old  bulbs,  until  they  flower,  which 
will  generally  happen  the  second  or  third  year. 

By  Dividing  tue  Eoots. — Anemones  are  easily  in- 
ci'eased  by  brealcing  oH'  one,  or  more,  of  the  little  knobs 
of  the  full-grown  tubers  These  may  be  planted  and 
managed  exactly  like  the  old-established  roots,  and  will 
many  of  them  flower  the  following  season. 

T.  Appleby. 


LIST  OP  STOVE   FERNS. 

(Continued  from  pui/r  -Hi.) 

AspLENiuM  ELONGATUJi  (Lengthened). — A  pinnated, 
beautiliil,  scarce  Fern,  from  the  Phillipine  Fslnuds. 
Tlie  leaves  are  blunt,  and  rounded  at  the  apex.  The 
fronds  grow  about  a  foot-and-a-half  long.  Imjiorted 
lately,  by  Messrs.  A'citch  and  Son,  from  .lava,  and  pre- 
sented by  thcni  to  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Kew. 

A.  lALCATiiji  (Sickle-leaved).  —  An  I'hist  Incliaii, 
beautiful,  evergreen  Fern,  with  stout,  leathery  leaves. 


October  37. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


03 


deeply  cut  at  the  edges.  The  fronds  frequently,  when 
well-grown,  reach  two  feet  high.  It  seldom  ^an  he 
propagated  hy  division,  hut  grows  freely  from  socd. 

A.  L.ETUM  (Gay).  —  A  briglit  green,  erocji^rowing, 
pinnated  Fcru,  i'rom  the  West  Indies,  of  great  beauty, 
growing  two  feet  high.  The  rootstock  is  erect,  and 
sometimes  branching,  hy  which  it  may  he  increased. 
It  loves  ligiit,  open,  rich  soil,  and  liberal  pot-room. 

A.  oi.iGOPHYLi.uJi  (Few-leaved). — A  Brazilian  Kern, 
with  oblong,  lance-shaped  loaves,  pinnated  on  the  frond, 
which  attains  a  foot  in  length,  and,  therefore,  may  be 
considered  a  dwarf  Fern  fit  to  grow  in  a  small  collection. 
The  leaves  are  thinly  ]ilaced  on  the  frond  ;  hence  its 
specific  name.  The  rootstock  creeps,  and,  therefore, 
may  be  increased  by  division. 

A.  pui.giikl:.um  (Fair). — A  West  Indian,  pinnated, 
dwarf  Fern,  with  slender,  elegant  fronds,  about  nine 
inches  long.  The  leaves,  or  pinnse,  are  lance-shaped, 
rather  curved.  The  seed-vessels  are  long  and  narrow, 
and  of  a  bright  brown  colour;  very  beautiful.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  elegant  F'erns  of  the  genus  that  require 
stove  culture  ;  not  easily  increased  by  division. 

A.  puMir.uji  (Dwarf;. — Tliis  is  another  West  Indian 
little  gem,  but  is  e.\ceedingly  scarce  in  collections.  It 
seldom  grows  more  than  a  few  inches  higli,  and  has 
been  but  lately  introduced  from  the  Parisian  gardens. 
The  fronds  are  of  triangular  shape,  a  rare  form  in  this 
genus.  The  stems  are  hairy,  and  the  shield-case  is 
hairy  also.  As  soon  as  this  little  gem  is  sufficiently 
inci-eased  it  ought  to  be  in  every  collection.  The  root- 
stock  is  creeping,  and,  therefore,  it  may  readily  be  in- 
creased by  division. 

A.  PLANicAULE  (Smooth-stalkcd). — An  East  Indian, 
common  Fern,  in  our  stoves  ;  common,  because  it  is  so 
easily  increased  by  its  creeping  rhizomas.  It  is,  how- 
ever, worthy  of  cultivation,  on  account  of  its  beautiful 
lively  green  foliage.  The  stems  are  dark-coloured  ;  the 
fronds  bipinnate,  slender,  and  somewhat  triangularly 
formed,  growing  a  foot-and-a-lialf  high,  rather  erect,  and 
thickly  set  on  the  creeping  rhizoma. 

A.  KADiOANs  (Rooting). — A  Cuban  Fern  ;  grows  a 
foot-and-a-half  long.  This  may  be  distinguished  by  the 
termination  of  the  frond  being  devoid  of  pinucO,  and 
forming  a  tuft  that  produces  roots  first,  and  afterwards 
leaves,  forming  a  plant  if  it  touches  the  soil,  and  also 
by  the  black  stems. 

A.  RACHiRHizoN  (Rooting). — (The  Aspleuimn  rliozo- 
pliorum  of  Gardens).  This  is  a  beautiful,  dark  green 
species ;  is  worthy  of  general  cultivation ;  like  the  pi-e- 
oeding  species,  it  is  easily  increased  by  the  rooting 
apex  of  full-grown  fronds.  All  these  rooting  F'erns 
should  have  the  end  of  the  tuft  bearing  frond  pegged 
down  either  in  small,  separate  pots,  set  conveniently 
riear  the  parent  plant,  or  on  the  soil  of  the  pot  con- 
taining the  plant.  The  first  is  the  best  method,  because 
then  the  young  plant,  when  established,  will  not  require 
to  be  taken  up  and  potted,  but  will  have  its  roots  un- 
disturbed in  its  little  pot  till  it  needs  more  pot-room. 

A.  SEKRA  (Saw-leaved), — A  pinnated  Brazilian  F'ern  of 
great  beauty.  I  have  grown  it,  in  a  ten-inch  pot,  three 
feet  high,  and  as  much  through,  with  twenty  fronds  in 
the  pot.  The  fronds  rise  first  erect,  then  gracefully 
curve  downwards;  the  leaves  are  of  a  beautiful  light 
green,  shining,  and  very  regularly  deep  cut  at  the  edges, 
like  tlie  teeth  of  a  saw ;  the  stems  are  thickly  covered 
with  narrow  brown  scales,  and  stand  upon  a  thick,  scaly, 
creeping  rootstock.     Easily  increased  by  division. 

A.  SEERATUM  (Cut-lcaved), — The  leaves  of  this  noble 
Jamaican  Fern  are  simple.  Two  feet  long,  and  four 
inches  wide  in  the  broadest  part,  and  cut  at  the  edges. 
They  form  a  circle  on  an  erect  rootstock,  similar  to  the 
well-known  birds-nest  F'ern.  Slow  of  increase  by 
division,  but  grows  freely  from  seed. 

A.  vivipARUM  (Viviparous). — This  is  an  elegant  narrow- 


leaved,  thrice-pinnated  Fern,  from  Mauritius,  of  a  lively 
green,  growing  not  more  than  a  foot  high.  It  produces 
living  plants  at  the  end  of  each  frond,  by  which  it  may  be 
readily  increased,  in  the  same  way  as  A.  racliirldzoii, 
described  above. 

A.  uMBRosuJi  (Sliady). — This  is  from  Madeira,  and  is 
the  Allantodia  umbrosa  of  R.  Brown.  It  requires  a  mode- 
rate stove,  though  it  will  e.^-ist  in  a  warm  greenhouse. 
It  is  rather  a  large  Fern,  growing  from  three  to  four  feet 
high.  The  fronds  are  thrice  pinnated;  the  leaves  are 
lance-shaped,  and  rounded  at  the  top.  The  frond  stem 
has  a  few  dark  scales  at  the  base,  and  the  rootstock  is 
short,  thick,  and  creeps  close  to  the  soil. 

Bleounum. — The  species  belonging  to  this  genus  may 
easily  be  distinguished  by  the  seed-vessels  or  soii  being 
generally  arranged  in  lines  on  each  side  of  the  midrib, 
or  the  leaf  Our  common  Bleclmum  spicanl  is  now 
separated  from  the  genus,  and  transferred  to  Lonlaria, 
because  the  fertile  fronds  of  that  genus  are  contracted, 
which  is  not  the  case  with  the  true  Blechnums.  All  the 
genus,  as  now  constituted,  are  natives  of  the  tropical 
parts  of  the  world ;  and,  consequently,  require  a  warm, 
moist  stove.  They  are  easily  cultivated,  not  being  liable 
to  perish  through  mismanagement,  unless  neglected 
watering  for  a  long  period. 

B.  AusiRALis  (Soutlieru). — ^A  pinnated  Fern,  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  of  considerable  beauty,  easily  in- 
creased by  division.  The  fronds  are  about  a  foot  long, 
pinnated;  the  leaves  are  sessile,  that  is,  have  no  foot- 
stalk ;  slightly  sickle-sliaped,  running  out  into  a  lance- 
shape.  The  end  leaf  is  entire,  and  lengthened  out  like 
a  tail.  It  is  a  good  Fern,  worthy  of  general  cultivation, 
and  by  no  means  scarce. 

B.  Braziliensis  (Brazilian  Blechnum). — I  once  had  a 
large  crop  of  this  fine  Fern,  from  seed  sown  on  a  rough 
sand-stone,  placed  under  a  hand-light  amongst  moss ; 
it  seldom  produces  offsets  to  increase  by  division.  The 
fronds  frequently  attain  four  ieet,  or  more,  in  length  ; 
they  are  pinnate,  or  winged,  and  each  wing,  or  leaf, 
is  from  seven  to  eight  inches  long.  The  caudex,  or 
stem,  on  which  the  fronds  are  placed  circularly,  is,  when 
fully  grown,  two  feet  high.  By  this  description  it  will 
be  perceived  that  this  is  a  large,  noble  Fern,  requiring  a 
tolerably  large  stove  to  show  it  oft'  to  the  greatest 
advantage.  Give  plenty  of  pot  room,  moisture,  and 
heat,  and  a  young  ])lant  will,  in  three  years,  attain  the 
above  magnitude. 

B.  GLANDULOSUM  (Glaud-bcaring). — A  Brazilian  Fern. 
Comparatively,  this  is  a  dwarf  species,  tlie  fronds 
reaching  only  a  foot  in  length.  They  are  pinnate,  with 
very  narrow  pinnae,  sharp  at  the  end,  and  of  a  pale 
green.  The  fronds  are  set  upon  a  creeping  rhizoma,  or 
root  stocli,  by  which  it  may  be  increased,  if  divided  with 
a  portion  of  roots  to  each  division,  T,  Appleby. 

(2*0  he  continitcd.) 


COTTAGE  GARDENS  AND  THEIR 
PRODUCTIONS. 
Under  this  head  may  be  classed  the  most  useful  pro- 
ductions which  the  gardens  of  the  more  opulent  can 
furnish  ;  for  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  the  quality  of 
many  of  the  articles  furnished  by  the  industrious  cottager 
is  quite  equal  to  that  of  his  more  wealthy  neighbour, 
as  all  who  have  witnessed  the  exhibition  of  many  of  our 
provincial  shows  can  testify.  Now,  that  this  arises  from 
any  want  of  skill  ot  perseverance  on  the  part  of  the 
cultivator  whose  operations  extend  over  a  large  breadth 
of  surface,  we  are  unwilling  to  affirm  ;  hut  it  certainly  is 
a  matter  of  which  the  humble  cottager  may  be  well  proud, 
when  he  returns  home  and  finds,  by  the  remarks  of  the 
public,  that  the  Onions,  Potatoes,  Carrots,  &c.,  which  he 
sent  to  the  Horticultiu-al  Show  of  his  county  town,  were 


Oi 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OCTOEER  27. 


pronounced  to  be  .is  good  as  those  from  any  nolilomaii's  or 
gentleman's  garden  tliat  was  tlierc;  and  as  luost  ol'  our 
jirovincial  sliows  li.ive,  of  late  years,  given  a  liberal  pro- 
])ortioii  of  tlieir  funds  in  cottager's  prizes,  it  is  certain 
that  the  benelits  accruing  to  the  labouring  population, 
have  been,  in  like  manner,  encouraging  to  all  around 
tliem;  and,  having  had  some  little  experience  in  adjudg- 
ing and  distributing  ])ri/.es  to  cottagers  for  good  cultiva- 
tion or  meritorious  production,  a  few  words  on  the  subject 
may  not  be  here  out  of  place. 

In  the  first  place,  it  requires  some  discrimination  to 
define  tlie  precise  boundary  of  the  term  "  cottage  garden," 
and  the  sense  in  which  it  ought  to  be  taken  by  those 
liaving  the  management  of  country  shows;  for  it  not 
unfrequeutly  happens  that  tlie  best  prizes  are  mono- 
polized by  individuals  having  little  claim  to  that  cha- 
racter, in  the  sense  it  was  intended  to  he  understood — 
as  tradesmen  of  easy  circumstances,  witli  means  and 
opportunities  far  beyond  that  which  the  ))0or  day 
labourer  can  connnand.  Hence,  some  distinctive  line 
seems  necessary  ;  but,  sup[iosing  that  to  liave  been 
satisfactorily  eifected,  and  the  productions  of  each 
brought  to  tlie  table,  it  is  then  not  dillicult  to  distin- 
guish the  good  from  the  indiU'erent;  but  in  many  in- 
stances, a  liberal  distribution  of  "  extras  "  is  attended 
with  great  benefits;  for  the  value  of  a  prize  to  a  cot- 
tager is  not  merely  regarded  as  the  intrinsic  worth  of 
the  article  or  ]iremium  awarded,  but  tlie  honourable 
distinction  which  it  confers ;  and  supposing  a  cottager 
from  a  rural  district  receives  a  prize  for  some  vegetable, 
or  fruit,  the  fact  of  his  doing  so  s]ireads  abroad  in  the 
neighbourhood,  so  as  to  cause,  probably,  some  of  bis 
more  opulent  neighbours  to  pay  him  a  visit,  and,  con- 
sequently, to  maintain  his  own  credit,  he  takes  care  to 
liave  his  garden  in  as  good  order  as  possible  to  receive 
such  visitants;  besides  which,  his  more  humble  com- 
panions are  often  induced  to  emulate  him,  and  a  decided 
improvement  in  the  culture  and  general  management  of 
each  is  the  result.  Now,  this  comes  so  often  under  our 
notice,  that  we  have  almost  ceased  to  regard  it  as  re- 
marliable ;  and  those  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  look 
into  the  gardens  of  some  of  the  most  industrious  and 
intelligent  of  the  class,  will  see  the  nice  state  they  have 
brought  their  respective  holdings  to  ;  and  the  attentive 
observer  will  notice  the  care  they  have  bestowed  on 
many  vegetables,  so  as  to  have  the  best  and  linest 
variety  of  each  in  tlieir  possession. 

In  the  garden  of  tlie  cottager  Celerij  is  seldom'seen  in 
that  hollow  condition  which  we  call  ''  pipey  ;  "  Lettuces 
refrain  longer  from  going  to  seed,  by  that  being  grown 
only  on  the  best  plants,  and  then  selected  with  jirojjcr 
care  for  the  purpose;  and  his  C'lihhar/e  plants,  in  which 
he  takes  great  pride,  seem  to  come  into  use  sooner  than 
anything  else  in  this  way  in  other  gardens.  Now,  as 
this  is  all  done  without  any  extraordinary  aid,  it  follows 
that  the  treatment  for  out-door  plants  is,  after  all,  not 
entirely  performed  when  the  plants  are  ])Ut  into  the 
places  they  each  are  expected  to  occupy,  for  the  saving 
of  seed  forms  an  important  i'eature  in  cottage  rural 
economy,  and  it  is  rarely  indeed  that  seeds  so  raised 
fail  to  give  universal  satisfaction,  by  their  possessing  all 
the  qualities  required  of  them.  This,  therefore,  in  a 
measure,  enables  the  cottager  to  compete  with  the  larger 
grower,  who  caters  for  tlie  table  of  the  afHuent,  by  the 
warranty  which  each  article  sown  can  carry  with  it ; 
and  this  is  fully  borne  out  by  the  genuineness  of  the 
various  crops  they  grow,  equalled  only  by  that  of  the 
"  market  gardeners,"  whoso  means  being  usually  directed 
to  the  growth  of  a  very  few  articles  each,  they  necessarily 
become  proficient  in  the  respective  culture  that  each 
requires,  as  well  as  good  judges  of  their  quality. 

No  one  who  has  witnessed  the  productions  a  "  Cottager's 

class"  usually  jiresents  at  an  Horticultural  Show,  in  a 

I   district  in  any  degree  favoured,  must  feel  impressed  with 


the  belief  that  the  gardens  which  furnislied  such  must 
lie  well-managed;  and  no  doubt  but  lliey  are;  for  tlio 
close  cropping  to  which  every  inch  of  ground  is  sub- 
jected, may  well  excite  surprise  how  tilings  so  well- 
t;rown  could  be  turned  out  of  such  a  crowded  place. 
'J'he  explanation  lies  in  a  nutshell.  Induslnj  iKicom- 
jilishe.i  it  nil.  Haifa-dozen  good  Ciihbcigr.i  can,  by 
judicious  management,  bo  grown  on  the  same  space 
that  four,  under  ordinary  care,  would  find  a  dilliculty  in 
coming  to  perfection,  tliough  the  soil  be  the  same  iu 
both  cases  ;  but  the  oue  thrives,  and  derives  its  nourish- 
ment from  the  careful  hand  that  feeds  it  almost  daily  ; 
the  other  has  to  struggle  for  existence  amongst  such 
elements  as  nature,  or  cliance,  throws  iu  its  way.  The 
soil  is  never  stirred  around  the  roots  of  the  latterto  enable 
them  to  obtain  a  share  of  the  invigorating  influences  of 
fresh  air;  no  grateful  draughts  of  liquid-manure  to  clieer 
them  on  ;  even  the  very  food  that  nature  intended  them 
to  have  may  be  denied  them  by  a  crop  of  weeds  robbing 
or  cheating  them  of  what  ought  to  be  their  due.  These 
things  all  tell  in  the  main,  and  the  skilful  and  indus- 
trious cottager,  whose  children  are  often  seen  in  the 
lanes  picking  up  the  dung  dropped  liy  horses  iu  travelling 
along,  and  carefully  dejiositing  it  in  some  snug  corner 
in  tlie  garden,  will  assuredly  attain  a  degree  of  per- 
fection in  culture  which  it  would  be  vain  to  look  for  iu 
the  more  careless,  and  letthings-alone  man,  who  prefers 
to  smoke  his  pipe,  and  discuss  local  all'airs  with  his 
neighbour  at  a  beer  shop. 

The  impulse  given  to  meritorious  gardening  by  the 
various  provincial  societies  who  have  directed  their 
attention  that  way,  has  certaiidy  been  iustrumeutaf  in 
producing  a  su])eriov  class  of  vegetables  amongst  that 
important  community,  "  the  labouring  poor,"  to  which 
such  things  are  of  the  most  consequence;  and,  it  is  not 
too  much  to  say,  that  the  improvement  in  this  class  has 
been  more  marked  amongst  the  others;  and  of  late 
years,  articles  liave  been  added  to  tlie  cottager's  produc- 
tions, which,  at  one  time,  was  only  thought  as  belonging 
to  the  gardens  of  the  aristocracy.  Celeri/,  Jsparaf/us, 
and  Gucmnhci's  have  not  always  been  occujiants  of  the 
cottager's  allotments ;  to  say  nothing  of  flowers  and 
fruits  of  all  kinds,  which  this  climate  will  perfect  without 
artificial  heat. 

All  these  acquisitions  tend  to  improve  the  moral  posi- 
tion of  the  labourer,  and  when  the  cultivator  discards 
the  more  common  and  useful  vegetables  out  of  his  little 
plot,  to  make  ^^'ay  for  a  bed  or  two  of  fancy  flowers,  it  is 
assuredly  unfeeling  to  tell  him  to  keep  to  more  useful 
articles;  for,  as  the  culture  of  Flowers  tends  to  elevate 
the  mind,  it  is  impossible  for  that  hobby  to  be  ridden  too 
hard  ;  it  therefore  becomes  all  those  whose  means  admit 
it,  to  }iatrouizo  and  assist  their  poorer  neighbours,  in  the 
way  of  embelHsbiug  their  little  plots,  as  well  as  render- 
ing them  more  productive;  and  a  few  spare  [ilants,  at 
"bedding-out"  tune,  with  now  and  then  a  cutting  of 
anything  that  will  strike  freely,  is  always  duly  appreciated 
by  the  cottager,  and  it  rarely  happens  that  any  labour 
it  may  cost  is  begrudged  by  tlienr. 

Another  mode  of  encouraging  the  poor,  is  frequently 
to  visit  and  look  over  their  little  "  holdings,"  and  any 
advice,  or  instruction,  that  may  be  given  them,  is  always 
acceptable,  and  generally  acted  upon ;  besides  the  eu- 
eonragemont  which  is  given  when  their  management  is 
such  as  to  deserve  commendation.  There  arc  mauy  other 
ways  of  encouraging  successful  cultivation  of  their  home 
gardens;  while,  perhaps,  the  proper  care  and  attention 
to  what  is  termed  "  garden  allotments,"  is  scarcely  less 
rocomraendable;  only  the  latter,  being  often  confined  to 
the  more  hardy  and  robust  vegetables,  is  less  interesting 
than  tlioso  little  gardens  which  surround  the  collage 
homes  of  so  considerable  a  part  of  our  rural  ]iopulatiou; 
and  which,  by  their  divcrsily  of  produce,  jn'osont 
I  an    important    feature    in    such    places,    while    it    is 


OoTOJJEK  ;27. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


(;.") 


too  true,  that  ninny  a  sylvan  spot,  wliicli  the  traveller 
would  be  glad  to  sec  exhibit  tiio  skill  and  industry  of  its 
occupier,  presents  a  mass  of  confusion  and  dirt,  as 
offensive  to  the  eye  as  it  is  derogatory  to  the  national 
character.  That  much  may  be  done  by  the  encourage- 
ment of  the  wealthy  to  reform  such  places,  we  verily 
believe;  and  we  trust  the  time  is  fast  coming,  wlien 
these  disordeily  gardens  and  homes  of  our  rural  popu- 
lation will  disappear,  and  tlie  smiling  portals  difl'use  the 
fragrance  of  tlie  best  class  of  climbiug  plants,  as  well  as 
the  approaches  thereto  being  decorated  by  choice 
flowering  plants.  Such  a  consummation  would  in  no 
wise  impair  the  utiUty  of  the  working  man  ;  but,  by 
adding  to  his  comforts,  elevate  and  refine  him,  ,'uid 
teach  him  to  study  and  enquire  into  pursuits,  which, 
iu  his  former  unlettered  condition,  he  never  dreamed  of. 

J.    liOBSON. 


CULTIVATION  OF  AVHEAT  ON  I.OAMY  LAND. 

{Conliituctl  from  pfige  -iS.) 

As  the  cultivation  of  Wheat  upon  loamy  soils,  as 
well  as  that  of  others,  will  be  greatly  influenced  by  the 
preceding  crop,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  the  most 
usual  course  of  cropping,  and  how  far  any  departure 
from  it  may  affect  the  culture  for  Wheat,  and  also  the 
produce.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Norfolk,  or  four- 
course  system,  viz.: — 1st.  Turnips;  2nd.  Lent  Grain; 
3rd.  Clover;  and  ith.  Wheat; — is  still  the  most  prevail- 
ing practice  upon  loamy  land,  but  circumstances  have 
arisen,  and  still  exist,  which  has  justified  a  deviation 
from  it.  For  instance,  upon  well-farmed  land  in  a 
high  state  of  fertility,  induced  by  artificial  feeding  and 
manuring,  the,  substitution  of  Wheat  for  Lent  com  has 
been  found  to  answer  a  good  purpose,  which  method 
will  cause  Wheat  to  follow  Turnips,  upon  such  a  portion 
of  the  land  as  can  be  freed  from  the  latter  in  sufficient 
time,  either  by  removing  the  crop,  or  feeding  it  upon 
the  land  by  sheep. 

Now,  I  am  aware  that  this  a,Ueration  has  many 
opponents  ;  but,  from  my  own  experience  in  the  matter, 
I  must  say,  that  it  has  been  attended  with  success  when 
fairly  carried  out ;  for  the  produce  of  grain  does  not  so 
much  depend  upon  the  period  or  distance  of  time 
between  the  sowings  of  Wheat,  as  it  does  upon  the 
judicious  cultivation  for  the  crop;  in  proof  of  which,  I 
have  invariably  found,  when  the  seed  has  been  put  in 
under  favourable  circumstances,  and  the  land  rich 
enough  to  produce  a  full  crop  of  straw,  that  the  result 
in  grain  depends  upon  a  favourable  season  ;  that  is  to 
say,  a  dry,  hot  summer  gives  a  good  yield,  whilst  a  dark 
and  wet  season  proves  the  reverse.  It  must,  however, 
he  admitted,  where  this  system  has  been  continued,  that 
the  grain  has  been  lighter  in  some  seasons,  not  weighing 
so  much  by  two  pounds  per  bushel  as  when  sown  only 
once  in  four  years. 

In  prepaiiing  the  land  for  Wheat  after  a  crop  of 
Turnips,  whether  the  crop  has  been  pulled,  or  fed  upon 
the  land,  it  is  not  desirable  to  sow  early ;  any  time 
during  the  month  of  Novembei'  is  best,  if  the  weather 
proves  favourable ;  for  although  we  usually  have  heavy 
rains  during  that  month,  yet  they  are  necessary  to  make 
land  plough  close  and  heavy,  in  order  to  counteract  the 


loosening  effect  of  the  tillage  for  Turnips,  which  is  un- 
favourable to  the  culture  of  Wheat.  The  land  sliouUl 
always  be  sufficiently  manured  before  sowing  the 
Turnips,  because  the  carting  of  manure  upon  the  land 
for  Wheat,  at  this  advanced  period  of  the  season,  is 
always  injurious  (from  tlie  treadiug  the  land  receives], 
often  difficult,  and  sometimes  impossible  to  accomplish. 
It  is  not  advisable  to  plough  the  land  long  before  it  is 
intended  to  be  sown,  as  it  is  sometimes  difficult,  at  this 
late  period,  to  get  on  the  land.  I,  therefore,  recommend 
that  the  ploughing  and  seeding  of  tlie  land  should  take 
place  on  the  same  day,  and  tlnit  the  horse  labour  should 
be  apportioned  in  such  a  manner,  that  as  fast  as  every 
ridge  is  ploughed  it  should  be  seeded,  either  by  the 
drill,  or  broadcast,  and  finished  off  by  the  iron  harrows  ; 
the  season  will  then  be  secured,  for  in  case  a  line  d.ay  is 
selected,  the  land  never  works  so  well  for  Wheat  as  it 
does  directly  after  the  plough,  and  should  rain  set  in 
at  any  time  of  the  day,  by  adopting  this  method,  the 
season  may  be  completed  at  intervals,  without  danger 
or  risk. 

Upon  this  land  the  ridges  should  never  be  made 
small,  not  less  than  from  ten  to  fourteen  turns  with  the 
plough  ;  many  furrov.'s  not  being  necessary  to  draw  ofl' 
the  water,  for  whether  the  loam  rests  upon  a  subsoil  of 
stone,  brick-earth,  or  gravel,  the  water  never  lies  long 
enough  to  damage  the  Wheat;  therefore,  small  ridges, 
involving  numerous  furrows,  would  only  prove  a  draw- 
bacJc  upon  the  crop. 

The  late  period  of  sowing  the  land,  after  Turnips, 
renders  a  little  more  seed  necessary,  and  the  best 
quantity  is  about  ten  pecks  per  acre ;  drilling  is  to  be 
preferred,  in  order  that  hoeing  may  take  place  in  the 
spring ;  for  when  Wheat  is  sown  after  Turnips,  it  is 
mucli  more  infested  with  weeds  than  when  it  follows 
Clover  lea.  As  it  is  usual  to  seed  the  Wheat  with 
Clover  and  Grass  seeds,  they  may  be  hoed  in  at  the 
same  time  as  the  weeds  are  destroyed. 

On  loamy  land,  the  seed  should  be  the  produce  of 
chalky  or  gravelly  soils,  a  change  being  very  desirable. 
Wheat  of  any  sort  should  never  bo  sown  without  being 
steeped,  to  prevent  smut  and  disease  of  the  grain ;  the 
old  method  was  to  steep  in  brine,  and  dry  with  lime  ;  it 
is,  however,  found  much  more  beneficial  to  use  the 
following  steep :— Take  one  pound  of  bhie  vitriol  (sul- 
phate of  copper),  and  dissolve  it  in  four  gallons  of  water, 
which  is  sufficient  for  one  sack  of  Wheat;  the  steep 
should  be  applied  on  a  brick  or  stone-floor,  and  the 
Wheat  turned  with  a  shovel  a  few  times,  until  every 
grain  is  thoroughly  wetted.  The  AVheat  should  then 
be  thrown  up  into  a  conical  heap,  and  in  a  few  hours  it 
will  be  dry  enough  for  sowing. 

This  soil,  when  in  good  condition,  should  be  seeded 
with  the  superior  kind  of  white  Wheat,  vmless  the 
climate  or  situation  is  unfavourable.  The  soutliern  or 
eastern  counties  may  be  reckoned  most  favourable  for 
the  growth  of  all  varieties  of  white  Wheat.  The  best 
sorts  of  Wheat  for  this  land,  are  the  Morton's  Ked- 
strawed  White,  Chidbam,  Fenton,  and  Haunter's,  these 
being  all  superior  sorts  of  white  Wheat,   and  unless,  in 


6G 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


October  27 


some  districts,  where  the  sale  for  white  Wheat  is  limited, 
I  may  be  growu  with  great  advantage ;  for  although  the 
j  grain  is  superior  in  quality,  yet  they  will  likewise  pro- 
'   duce  large  crops,  the  straw  being  still'  and  strong,  and 

not  likely  to  be  lodged  easily  from  the  eflect  of  high 
I   cultivation.  Joseph  Blundell. 

I  (To  he  continued.) 


ALLOTMENT  FARMING.— Novembek. 

Aftee  one  of  the  most  extiaordinaiy  seasons  on  record, 
as  concerns  the  soil,  and  all  proceedings  connected  there- 
with, we  ai'e  at  last  approaching  tlie  confines  of  the  year, 
and  it  may  be  well  to  take  a  retrospective  glance  at  bygone 
afl'airs,  as  bearing  somewliat  on  future  proceedings.  The 
quantity  of  rain  wliicb  has  fallen  through  the  year  lias  far 
exceeded  the  usual  bounds,  and  this  not  in  one  district 
alone,  but,  I  believe,  nearly  all  over  England.  This  has,  of 
course,  had  a  constant  tendency  to  impede  all  cultural 
operations  ;  and  to  give  the  past  summer  a  name  somewhat 
in  character,  it  would  not  be  amiss  to  call  it — The  Weed 

SUMMEK. 

It  is  well  known  that  ground  constantly  covered  with 
weeds,  and  the  scum  of  mosses  and  other  minute  or  mi- 
croscopic vegetation,  cannot  undergo  the  necessary  degree 
of  airing,  or,  in  other  words,  cannot  receive,  with  a  proper 
degree  of  facility,  the  benelicial  elfects  of  the  atmosphere. 
I  Here,  then,  is  the  position  of  aH'airs  with  regard  to  future 
progress ;  our  gaidens  have  all  undergone  bad  cultivation, 
for  this  summer  has  verily  been  a  leveller ;  the  most  ardent 
cultivator,  and  the  most  intense  weed-hater,  have  been 
thrown  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  sloven. 

This  is  certainly  an  extreme  state  of  things ;  but  I  can 
vouch  for  its  being  true  to  the  very  letter  in  this  part  of  the 
north.  What,  then,  is  to  be  done  to  recover  our  lost  position  ? 
This  is  a  consideration  worthy  of  much  care,  during  tliis 
month  especially.  In  the  first  place,  let  me  repeat  what  I 
have  so  frequently  lu'ged,  that  every  plut  of  ground  from 
which  crops  have  been  removed  should  receive  spade  culture 
immechately,  ridging  the  soil  as  higli  as  possible,  and  digging 
deep.  This  is  the  only  way  to  recover  lost  ground,  and  tliis, 
of  course,  requires  extra  efforts,  without  which,  indeed, 
another  summer  may  prove  worse  than  the  past.  Dniiiihii;, 
indeed,  that  chief  foundation-stone  of  most  fai'ming  or 
gardening  improvements,  should  even  claim  a  prior  con- 
sideration to  the  former ;  and  here,  we  should  hope,  that 
those  benevolent  persons,  who,  out  of  a  pbilantbropic  and 
national  feeling,  have  generously  taken  into  consideration 
the  position  of  the  worlanan,  by  pushing  forward  the  allot- 
ment system,  and  by  granting  iund  for  the  purpose,  will 
stretch  forth  their  hand  yet  further,  and  endeavour  to  assist 
in  the  matter  of  drainage ;  for  although  every  other  process 
connected  with  these  plots  may  be  readily  accomplished  by 
the  workman  and  his  family,  by  extra  assiduity,  yet  in  the 
matter  of  drainage  it  can  scarcely  be  expected ;  both 
material  and  cartage  are  hard-to-corae-atcommodities  with 
the  ordinaiy  allotment  holder.  Hence,  we  may  find,  in 
many  cases,  these  evils  are  not  looked  fairly  in  the  face,  and 
the  importance  of  drainage  is  lost  sight  of. 

And,  now,  the  first  crop  to  which  we  may  pay  a  little 
consideration  is  the  Potato.  Keally  one  approaches  this 
question  with  a  mixture  of  doubt  and  sorrow.  I  must  here 
report  the  condition  of  the  Potato  crop,  together  with  its 
future  chances,  as  decidedly  worse  than  in  lHHi.  We  can 
by  no  means  report  a  smaller  loss  in  the  aggi-egate,  through 
this  part  of  the  country,  than  eighty  per  cent. !  This  is 
astounding  enough  to  the  most  nervous  alarmist;  and  a 
grave  consideration  it  is.  Truly,  it  is  well  that  trade  has 
been  brisk,  and  the  prices  of  other  bread  stuffs  comparatively 
low,  or  who  can  imagine  the  consecjuences  '.'  I  have  taken 
some  pains  to  ascertain  the  conditions  of  soil,  seed,  &c., 
together  with  the  previous  rotations  pursued  on  plots  no- 
torious, either  for  extreme  failures,  or  for  unusual  success, 
and  all  my  evidence  tends  to  one  point,  as  a  conclusion,  viz., 
the  less  mriiiiire,  and  even  the  less  orr/nnie  mailer  in  the  soil, 
the  greater  the  chances  of  success.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
some  of  our  readers  will  start  at  the  term  organic  matter — 


by  which  I  mean  simply  the  turfy  material  of  bogs — and 
will  be  ready  to  exclaim — Who,  then,  can  grow  a  cro|i  to 
pay  ?  This  is  a  very  natural  enquiry,  indeed,  and  is  purely 
a  trade  matter  ;  but  I  am  speaking  of  the  physical  health  of 
tin;:  Potato,  with  a  view  to  its  restoration.  I  have  lots  of 
evidence  about  me  to  show  that  this  is  the  case,  and  1  am 
of  opinion,  that  belbre  the  disease  can  be  got  riil  of,  which 
will  not  be  in  one  year,  that  the  dry  gangrene  must,  of 
necessity,  succeed  the  wet  one.  I  speali  not  here  in  a 
scientific  way,  I  merely  hint  that  there  are  two  kinds  of 
decay  in  the  foliage,  at  least,  distinguished  rather  by  their 
comparative  virulence,  than  by  any  specific  character.  Then, 
as  I  take  it,  poverty  of  soil  will  suffer  them  to  assume  the 
dry  gangrene,   and   rich   and  manured   soils   the   moist. 

I  may  here  tell  our  cottage  friends,  that  liy  this  clumsy 
term  gangrene,  I  merely  mean  the  decay  or  mortificalioii 
which  desti-oys  the  liaulm  long  before  its  natmal  period. 
Some  of  the  very  best  crops  of  Potatoes  in  this  neighbour- 
hood are  produced  tbrougli  the  agency  of  guano  alone,  on 
land  which  is  what  is  practically  termed  worn  out;  that  is 
to  say,  land  which  has  had  so  much  of  the  plough,  and  so 
little  manure,  that  there  is  little  organic  matter  left  in  it. 
Now,  this  I  know  to  be  a  fact,  and  an  extraordinary  fact,  too, 
as  bearing  on  the  Potato  disease.  I  shall  have  much  more 
to  say  about  this  on  another  occasion,  for  I  verily  believe, 
that  few  can  see  why  this  should  be  so.  To  conclude  about 
Potatoes,  I  can  only  adrise  care  in  the  seed.  Select  well 
from  the  poorest  of  soils,  dry  them  directly,  even  slightly 
green  them,  and  keep  them  dry  and  cool  as  possible,  short 
of  freezing.  This,  I  believe,  is  sound  advice  in  tlie  present 
crisis  ;  but  it  would  be  well  for  our  scientific  men,  who  have 
skill  and  leisure,  to  try  various  disinfecting  processes,  for 
this  is  not  a  bad  way  of  commencing  to  grapple  with  the 
question. 

SroEE  EooTs. — All  store  roots  intended  to  be  lifted  in 
autumn  should  be  in  their  winter  quarters  by  the  second 
week  in  November.  ]  have  before  so  often  suggested 
modes  of  keeping,  of  pitting,  Ac,  that  I  need  scarcely 
repeat  tliem  here.  Again,  I  say,  dryness  is  the  great  secret, 
but  not  the  dryness  arising  from  artificial  warmth. 

Om  readers  must  remember  that  there  are  but  two  ways 
in  which  they  may  lose  ground  in  these  things;  the  one  in 
sprouting;  the  other  by  rot;  and  dryness  is  antagonist  to 
both.  Strange  to  say,  I  have  Mniii/olil  TJ'iiiizel  now,  of  Inst 
year's  growth,  as  fresh  as  when  taken  out  of  the  soil.  This 
has  been  kept  iu-doors,  in  a  dry  shed,  lying  piled  in  a  hole 
wliere  no  damp  could  ever  reach,  and  the  base  of  which  is, 
indeed,  complete  dust.  T'his  is  truly  a  wonderful  root; 
surely  it  must  be  adapted  for  long  sea  voyages  ;  if  it  could 
be  worked  up  into  food  for  seamen,  it  would,  in  the  present 
state  of  things,  surely  be  most  desirable. 

Sweiles,  of  course,  may  remain  out  much  later,  as  they  have 
made  such  poor  growth  this  year,  especially  as  a  secondary 
crop.  Indeed,  these  will  endure  most  moderate  winters. 
Pnrsiiips,  too,  may,  as  before  observed,  lie  all  the  winter, 
merely  spreading  a  little  manure  over  their  crowns. 

Bhubare. — Those  who  want  early  Iiliiilnirb  should  cover 
the  crowns  the  moment  the  foliage  is  removed ;  indeed, 
cut  it  and  remove  it  sooner  on  purpose.  Litter,  six  inches 
thick,  will  keep  the  ground-heat  in,  and  this  is  the  point  to 
aim  at. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  advise  strict  attention  to  an  early 
clearing  of  the  soil  of  all  exhausted  crops,  in  order  that  all 
chances  of  corruption  and  stagnation  be  removed  ;  and  that 
the  soil  be  instantly  brol;en  up  as  before  ad\ised.  Whatever 
residue  be  collected,  let  it  be  limned,  or  rather  charred ; 
trimming  hedges,  gutter  sides,  and  collecting  all  possihlc 
rubbish,  in  order  to  wind  up  the  old  year  by  system,  and 
acc[uire  a  renewed  vigom'  for  a  fresh  campaign. 

It.  Ermnoton. 


APIARL^N'S    CALENDAR-No\-emi!Ei;. 

Bji  J.   H.  Patjiie,  Esq.,  Aulhiir  of  "  The  Bee- Keeper's 

Giiiilej"  ttc. 

The  Season. — Much  has  been  said  of  late  years  about 
bad  seasons  for  bees,  but  of  all  the  bad  ones  this  has  certainly 
been  the   worst ;   for   I  hear  but  one  sad  lament  from  all 


October  27. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


C7 


quarters  in  the  Bee  way,  and  this  has  become  so  serious, 
that  people  begin  to  give  them  up  in  despair;  stocks  are 
dead  and  dying  in  every  direction,  some  liave  swarmed,  and 
alighted,  in  their  usual  manner,  so  late  as  the  month  of 
October,  but  upon  inspecting  the  hives  they  left,  it  has 
proved  to  be  a  complete  desertion,  for  not  a  bee  nor  a 
particle  of  honey  was  left  in  them. 

Vreserving  Hives  of  Cojir. — Where  the  Bees  have 
deserted  their  hives  (and  it  is  swarms  of  the  iivescnt  year 
that  have  generally  done  so)  the  combs  should  be  carefully 
preserved  by  placing  the  hives  in  some  dry  spot  out  of  the 
reach  of  mice  or  insects,  for  the  purpose  of  hiving  swarms 
into  them  in  the  spring.  The  advantages  afforded  to  a 
swarm,  by  putting  it  into  a  hive  of  fresh  clean  comb,  are 
scarcely  to  be  credited  by  those  who  have  not  experienced 
it. 

Wasps. — I  find  that  Wasps  have  been  unusually  abundant 
this  year,  in  some  places,  so  as  to  render  feeding  quite 
impossible,  and  so  severe  have  their  attacks  been  upon 
weak,  and  even  upon  populous,  hives  as  to  destroy  them 
entirely. 

Ferdink. — I  think  that  after  this  sad  tale  it  will  be 
unnecessary  to  urge  upon  those  persons  who  are  so  for- 
tunate as  to  have  a  few  stocks  remaining  the  necessity  of 
feeding,  for  without  it,  I  feel  assured  that  very  few  wUl 
survive  the  winter. 

Uniting  Stocks Where  there  are  many  weak  stocks  in 

the  same  apiary,  which  I  fear  is  not  uncommon  at  this 
present  time,  to  avoid  the  U'oiible  of  feeding  them  separately, 
as  well  as  the  risk  of  carrying  them  through  the  winter,  it  will 
be  better  to  unite  them;  the  methods  are  various,  some 
persons  prefer  simply  driving,  others  fumigating  with  puti- 
ball,  bissus  &c,  and  some  even  with  chloroform,  all  of  which 
have  already  been  given  in  the  pages  of  The  Cottage 
Gaedeneh. 


THE   CULTURE   OF  A  ROOD  OF  GROUND. 

November. 

The  operations  that  I  have  noticed  for  October  are  also 
applicable  for  this  month  ;  and  if  what  was  then  recom- 
mended to  be  done  has  been  neglected,  it  should  be  attended 
to  the  earliest  opijortunity.  No  time  should  be  lost  in  secur- 
ing aU  the  root-crops  from  frost  during  the  winter;  and 
every  leisure  hom'  should  be  occupied  in  manuring  and 
digging  all  vacant  ground,  so  that  it  may  be  in  readiness  for 
early  spring  cropjiing. 

If  early  Sprint/  Caibai/es  have  been  neglected  to  be  set 
out  in  October,  no  time  should  be  lost  in  getting  them  out 
as  early  as  possible  this  month,  in  the  manner  described  in 
my  notes  for  last  month.  Where  a  rood  of  ground  is  highly 
cultivated,  and  cropped  with  a  variety  of  garden  vegetables, 
&c.,  much  more  is  necessary  to  be  attended  to  this  month 
than  I  have  attempted  to  describe;  but  this  is  a  business  I 
leave  to  more  competent  and  experienced  hands  that  have 
been  properly  trained  to  the  calling. 

PouLTKY. — In  my  notes  for  Sejjtember,  I  mentioned  the 
number  of  chickens  our  Shanghae  pullet  had  produced  us  ; 
and  also,  that  I  should,  in  a  future  iiaper,  give  some  account 
how  we  managed  our  Fowls.  I,  therefore,  shall  endeavour 
to  give  a  brief  description  of  our  system. 

I  have  previously  stated  how  we  commenced  with  our 
poultry,  by  being  presented  with  a  pair  of  chickens,  of  the 
above  breed,  by  E.  George,  Esq.,  of  Chaldon,  Surrey ;  and 
from  this  pair  alone  we  obtained  our  stock  of  one  hundred 
and  eleven  chickens.  The  plan  we  pursued  in  hatching 
them  was  by  placing  the  eggs  under  the  common  hens ; 
and,  in  order  to  prevent  any  inteiTuption  by  the  common 
fowls  which  we  had  previously  kept,  we  had  them  sit  in  a 
shed  adjoining  the  house  by  themselves  ;  the  nests  we  pre- 
pared for  them  were  some  old  cast-off  bee-hives,  which 
answered  the  purpose  exceedingly  well ;  and,  the  eggs  of 
this  variety  of  fowl  being  invaluable,  we  took  every  precau- 
tion to  prevent  their  being  broken,  or  the  hens  forsaking 
them,  or  being  off  the  nests  too  long,  fearing  the  eggs 
might  be  spoiled  from  the  severity  of  the  weather  in  the 
latter  part  of  February  and  the  beginning  of  March  ;  and  to 
prevent  a  sitting  being  spoiled  the  hens  were  regularly 
taken  off  every  morning,  and  fed  abundantly  with  a  variety 


of  food,  such  as  tail-wheat,  barley,  and  barley-meal,  mixed 
with  boiled  potatoes,  with  plenty  of  clean  water  to  drink. 
We  allowed  tliem  to  be  olV  from  ten  to  llfteen  minutes,  but 
never  longer ;  and  never  left  them  till  we  saw  that  they  went 
to  their  nests,  and  settled  properly  on  their  eggs.  If  they 
showed  any  inclination  to  be  restless,  or  wanted  to  leave 
then'  nest,  we  used  to  place  a  board  over  the  hive  to  prevent 
their  doing  so  (taking  care  to  leave  sufficient  ventilation), 
and  in  taking  this  precaution,  we  succeeded  in  hatching 
every  sitting  of  eggs  that  we  placed  under  them,  and  very 
rarely  wo  lost  a  chicken,  although  the  weather  was, 
dm'ing  the  whole  of  the  above  period,  very  severe.  From 
inquiry  that  I  had  made  in  our  neigbourhood,  I  was  in- 
formed th.at  several  persons  had  lost  their  sittings  of  eggs, 
by  not  properly  attending  to  the  hons  during  the  sharp 
weather;  and  several  instances  where  tlieyliad  left  their  nest 
too  long  the  eggs  were  frozen.  I  was  also  informed 
by  a  gentleman  well  acquainted  willi  a  noted  breeder  of 
Cochins,  that  out  of  several  hundred  eggs  that  were  sat  on 
during  the  severe  weather,  as  above  stated,  he  succeeded 
in  hatching  only  twelve  chickens. 

Management  of  Chickens. — Mr.  Trotter,  in  his  "  Prize 
Essay  "  on  Poultry,  says — "  Chickens,  for  the  first  twenty  four 
hours  of  their  existence,  do  not  require  food.  During  this 
time  they  are  supported  by  a  large  portion  of  the  yolk, 
which,  previous  to  then-  brealdng  the  shell,  had  not  entered 
into  their  system."  This  plan  we  have  adopted,  and  found 
it  to  answer  exceedingly  well — cUspensing  with  the  old 
woman's  practice  of  cramming  a  pepper«kernel  down  their 
throats  as  soon  as  hatched.  After  being  hatched  the  above  time, 
we  find  they  soon  begin  to  pick  for  themselves,  and  the  food 
we  prepare  for  them  is  soaked  bread  mixed  with  oat,  or 
barley-meal ;  and  after  a  few  days  we  give  them  a  little  tail- 
wheat  in  addition  to  the  above ;  in  this  way  we  find  they 
thrive  well,  and  we  have  found  them  to  be  more  hardy  and 
less  trouble  to  bring  up  than  the  common  fowl ;  and  with 
proper  attention  (which  is  the  great  secret  in  the  art  of 
rearing  chickens'),  they  will  grow  rapidly,  and  can  be  made 
fit  for  the  table  in  much  less  time  than  the  common  ones. 
The  best  food  we  find  to  fatten  with  is  barley -meal  moist- 
ened with  water  (or  milk,  when  it  can  be  procured)  ;  if  a 
little  fat  or  grease  is  added  it  will  hasten  the  process ;  but 
as  we  have,  up  to  the  present,  found  a  sale  for  them  for 
store  at  better  prices  than  we  can  make  of  them  for  the 
table,  we  have  not  been  selling  them  for  that  purpose. 

From  their  docile  habits,  great  weight,  and  shortness  of 
wings,  tliey  are  incapable  of  flying  ;  we,  therefore,  much 
prefer  them  to  the  common  fowl,  as  we  find  they  can  be 
kept  in  the  yard,  enclosed  with  a  fence  only  three  feet 
high.  We  have  kept  them  in  our  yard,  this  summer,  with 
only  a  common  sheep-netting  of  the  above  height. 

In  consideration  of  then-  excellence  as  layers  and  quiet 
habits,  I  am  inchned  to  think  they  are  the  best  adapted  for 
the  cottager  to  keep,  who  has  but  a  small  space  of  ground, 
and  would  wish  to  prevent  his  fowls  trespassing  in  his 
garden,  where  they  are  generally  very  unwelcome  visitors. 

Bees. — I  am  sorry  to  say  I  cannot  give  so  favourable  an 
account  of  our  Bees  as  our  Poultry.  From  inquiries  that  I 
have  made  in  this  district  (East  Suffolk),  I  find  the  general 
complaint  is,  that  the  present  has  not  been  a  honey-produc- 
ing_  season;  indeed,  persons  that  I  know  of  that  have  burnt 
their  Bees  (for  this  is  the  common  practice  adopted  here, 
although  so  much  condemned  by  all  authors),  complain  that 
they  have  taken  no  honey.  They  must  have  been  aware 
they  could  not  get  any  by  merely  feeling  the  weight  of  the 
hive,  yet  they  prefer  destroying  the  Bees  in  the  hives  that 
are  hght,  rather  than  to  talce  the  ti-ouble  to  unite  them  to  a 
stronger  stock,  or  to  be  at  the  trilling  expense  of  affording 
them  a  little  honey  for  their  support  during  the  winter,  that 
they  might  be  enabled  to  repay  them  ten-fold  the  following 
season.  In  keeping  Bees  we  are  but  yoimg  beginners ; 
therefore  I  can  say  but  little  at  present  as  to  any  practical 
knowledge  of  their  management.  I  can  only  say  of  our 
stocks,  that  they  are  very  light  (excepting  one  old  stock;  and 
will  require  feeding  to  support  them  through  the  winter, 
which  we  intend  to  do,  as  we  cannot  afford  to  be  so  extrava- 
gant and  crnel  as  to  Jims  them.  We  want  to  preserve  their 
lives,  with  the  hope  that  they  will  repay  us  with  an  abundant 
supply  of  honey  another  season,  as  a  reward  for  our  giving 
them  food  when  they  were  incapable  of  supporting  them- 


68 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


OCIOUEE  27 . 


selves.  AVe  intend  feeding  them  with  loaf-sugar  and  honey, 
as  recommended  in  The  CoTTACiE  tijViiDESER  of  October  the 
13th.  In  the  spring  we  fed  them  with  moistsugur  and  ale, 
and  by  so  doing  kept  them  alive;  while  a  great  many  in 
this  neighbourhood  who  neglected  to  do  so  lost  tlieir  stoclcs. 

John  Siixett. 


GREY   SHANGHAES. 

C.  H.  B's  remai-ks,  in  the  last  number  of  The  Cottage 
Gaudenhk,  "  in  explanation  "  of  liis  wholesale  condemna- 
tion of  Grey  Slianghaes  in  his  previous  communication,  arc, 
a?  I  conceive,  so  unfair,  and,  whether  intended  or  not,  so 
calculated  to  mislead,  tliat,  however  unwilUug  to  intrude 
this  much-vexed  question  unnecessarily  on  your  attention, 
I  must  beg  to  be  allowed  to  mulce  one  or  two  comments  on 
the  want  of  candour — as  it  appears  to  me — betrayed  in  liis 
mode  of  treating  the  subject.  In  his  Jirst  communication, 
whicli  professed  to  give  the  H'iMonj  of  Bmlnnas,  after  i)ro- 
nounciug  these  birds  to  be  "a  very  coarse  variety  of  tlie 
ugliest  of  Slianghaes,  and  very  deficient  in  the  beauties  we 
are  accustomed  to  looli  for  in  Buffs,  and  other  colours,"  lie 
attempts  to  confound  witli  them  anotlier  and  quite  distinct 
strain  of  Grey  Sbangliaes,  known  in  this  counti'y  long 
previotis  to  the  introduction  of  the  lirahmas;  and,  without 
saying  one  word  about  the  histor;/  of  Uic  latter,  proceeds  to 
give  a  partial  account  of  the  origin  of  Mr.  Stainton's  Greys 
only. 

In  his  present  letter,  written  "in  explanation"  of  tlie 
above  tirade  against  Bralimas,  he  still  persists  in  including 
"all  the  Greys  he  has  seen"  under  one  and  the  same  dis- 
paraging criticism  ;  and,  by  admitting  no  distinction  between 
one  strain  and  another,  wislios,  apparently,  to  have  it  believed 
that  all  strains  of  Grey  Slumghae,  because  similar  in  colour, 
are  therefore  of  equal  merit,  or,  as  he  would  have  it,  de- 
merit. Now,  Sir,  I  would  protest  against  this  indiscriminate 
blending  of  two  totally  distinct  strains,  of  different  origin, 
and  each  possessing  distinctive  characters.  "With  about 
equal  truth  and  justice,  might  I,  in  describing  tlie  charac- 
teristics of  an  inlerior  strain  of  Bnti's  I  once  possessed,  and 
of  wliich,  indeed,  I  was  not  a  little  proud  wlien  I  first  kept 
Cochin-t;hinas,  include  in  the  enumeration  all  tlie  most 
prominent  beauties  of  Mr.  Sturgeon's  superlative  straiji  of 
the  same  period,  between  which  and  mine,  there,  neverthe- 
less, was  aljout  the  same  relative  ditl'erence  as  between  an 
Irish  hunter  and  one  of  Barclay  and  Go.'s  incomparable 
dray  horses.  But  further,  I  protest,  as  far  as  the  Brahma 
strain  of  Greys  is  concerned,  against  tlje  untruthi'ulness  of 
the  picture  0.  H.  B.  has  licre  given  of  them,  and  believe 
your  readers  generally  will  reprobate  the  injustice  hei'e  done 
of  pitting  the  worst  features  of  very  inferior  specimens  of 
Greys  against  the  higlily-developed  qualities  of  unusually 
good  specimens  of  ButV.  Tlio  disingcnuousness  of  tliis 
metliod  of  dealing  with  tlic  question  has  left  on  my  mind 
no  other  conclusion  than  that  C.  H.  B.,  while  professing  to 
"  know  the  subject  well,"  lias  rither  never  seen  or  taken  the 
trouble  to  loolc  for,  and  examine,  even  moderately  favourable 
examples  of  the  birds  he  has,  under  pretence  of  being  a 
good  authority,  so  unliesitatingly  condemned;  or  that,  having 
really  seen  some  of  the  best  specimens  of  the  Brahma 
strain  of  Greys  that  this  country  affords,  ho  has  wittingly 
sought  to  depreciate  that  strain  in  your  columns  by  taking 
liis  estimate  of  their  qualities  from  tlie  worst  samples  of 
Greys  to  be  met  with,  and  unequally  matching  them  against 
similar  qualities  in  tlio  best  Buffs.  Let  him  clioose  which 
horn  of  tlie  dilemma  he  pleases — impaled  on  either,  I  leave 
him  to  tlie  judgment  of  those  of  your  readers  who  are  in  a 
position  to  form  a  correct  estimate  of  the  case;  or,  should 
he  think  it  necessary  to  dispute  imo  or  the  other,  then, 
without  wasting  more  words  with  one  from  whom  I  confess 
I  do  not  feel  sanguine  of  being  met  witli  fair  argument,  I 
call  on  C.  H.  B.  to  accede  to  Ihc  following  propo-sitlons,  by 
way  of  coming  to  a  fair  and  speedy  conclusion  in  the 
matter.  And  you,  Mr.  Ivlitor,  will  not  refuse  your  arbitra- 
tion in  a  dispute,  which,  by  its  settlement,  will,  at  least, 
admit  of  your  reclaiming  a  portion  of  your  valuable 
space  from  less  genial  topics,  to  occupy  it  with  others 
belter  suited  to  the  tastes  of  the  majority  of  your  sub- 
scribers.     My  first   proposal   is,  that  I   send,  to   be   sub- 


mitted to  your  inspection,  one  or  two  pair  of  my  Grey 
Shanghaes;  that  is,  the  most  forwai-d  diickcns  of  the 
variety  I  possess,  for  my  old  birds  being  in  full  moult,  I 
cannot,  or  1  would  willingly,  send  them.  If  you  ( or  along 
with  yourself  iiny  otlier  impartial  judges  of  the  breed  you 
may  think  well  to  call  to  your  aid)  are  of  opuiion  that  the 
general  tenor  of  the  criticism  on,  and  the  description  of,  the 
breed  contained  in  C.  H.  B.'s  letters,  give  in  any  degree,  a 
fail-,  or,  I  will  say,  do  not  convey  a  most  unfair,  portraiture  of 
the  variety,  as  represented  by  those  birds,  then  I  mil  most 
humbly  cry  I'ecavi,  and,  as  some  reparation  for  C.  H.  B.'s 
aspersed  candour,  will  contribute  .i'lO  to  any  charity  or 
philantln-opic  society  he  may  choose  to  name.  C.  H.  B. 
doing  the  same,  by  my  nomination  of  a  similar  society, 
should  the  decision  be  in  my  favour.  The  second  proposal 
I  have  to  make  has  reference  to  C.  H.  B.'s  assertion,  as  to 
the  perfect  identity,  in  point  of  merit,  of  the  Brahma,  mid 
Mr.  Stainton's  strain  of  Grey  Slianghae;  as  a  test  for  which, 
1  cballange  G.  H.  1!.  to  send  one  or  two  couple  of  the  latter, 
which,  in  your  opinion,  shall  be  equally  meritorious,  or  will 
stand  a  fair  comparison  with  the  Brahma  chickens,  to  be 
sent  in  accordance  with  my  first  proposition.  This  G.  H.  E. 
will,  perhaps,  say  is  hardly  fair,  as,  of  course,  he  does  not 
keep  these  "ugly  birds;"  but  having  "known  these  Grey 
Shangbae  for  years,"  he  will,  doubtless,  know  where  to  find 
the  least  objectionable  specimens.  And  to  gi\e  him  every 
facility  for  vindicating  the  truth  of  his  assertion,  he  shall  be 
at  liberty  to  search  the  kingdom  through  for  any  specimens 
he  can  beg,  borrow,  or  bring;  the  only  stipulation  I  shall 
require,  being  satisfactory  proof  that  the  birds  produced  iU'e 
not  directly  or  indirectly  of  the  Brahma,  or  the  American 
strain  known  under  that  name.  C.  H.  B.  will  scarcely  refuse 
to  avail  himself  of  these  easy  conditions,  to  vindicate  his 
credit  for  inipartiahty,  particularly,  accompanied  as  it  is, 
with  the  pleasurable  prospect  of,  in  the  event  of  success 
(tor  I  propose  to  attach  the  same  penalty  to  defeat,  in  this, 
as  in  the  iirst  case),  bestowing  i'Kl  on  some  clierishcd 
object  of  his  jihilanthropic  regards. — W.  C.  G. 

WEKiHTS     OF    BUAHMA     I'Ol'TEA     CinCKENS. 


.ItlNE 

.fiLV 

Sept. 

Oct. 

■J(i 

;i 

17 

•>i 

2!) 

C 

13 

lbs. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

No.  1  Cockerel  -■     - 

U 

;> 

3 

f! 

6i 

0* 

H 

„    2  ditto    -     -     - 

U 

O 

•>i 

■H 

C 

OA 

tii 

„    ■■',  Bullet      -    - 



3:1 

i 

4 

4* 

„    4  ditto    -     -     - 

— 



— 

oi 

4 

4 

4* 

,,    0  ditto    -     -     - 

— 



— 

H 

H 

4 

H 

The  Cockerels  were,  I  believe,  Jiatched  about  the  first 
week  in  May  ;  the  I'uUets  about  the  second  week  in  June. 
I  have  a  very  tine  Buff  Cockerel,  bred  by  Mr.  Fox,  hatched 
in  March,  which  weighs,  this  day,  71  lbs.,  and  he  /.•.•  a  very 
fine  bird.  The  Brahmas  were,  from  July  17  to  Sept.  '-id, 
running  indiscriminately  with  about  forty  other  fowls,  and 
not  at  all  highly  fed;  neither  are  they  now. — I'.  Jonks,  Jin. 


PEARS  IN  lS.-)3. 

It  may  be  worth  wliile,  now  tlic  season  is  past,  the  fruit 
gathered  and  lioused,  and  whilst  we  stand,  as  it  were, 
almost  on  the  last  foothold  of  the  waning  yeai',  to  look  into 
the  Pear  question,  and,  if  agreeable  to  our  readers,  to  com- 
pare notes.  I  thiid;  no  apology  is  needed  for  this,  as  the 
1 'ear  certainly  occupies  as  important  a  )>laco  in  the  dessert 
of  thousands  as  any  fruit  we  possess.  The  Ajqilc  may  bo 
said  to  bo  the  fruit  of  tlie  million,  not  because  e\crybody 
prefers  an  Apple  to  a  Bear,  but  because  thousands  can  get 
at  an  Apple  when  they  cannot  procure  a  mellow  Tear.  I 
have  before  observed,  in  these  columns,  that  thorn  exists  no 
possible  reason  why  the  I'ear  should  not  bo  the  i'ruit  of  the 
million  as  will  as  the  .\ppk'.  .Vnd  why  is  it  not '?  AVe  all 
remember  its  being  siud  by  somebody  ; — 

"  He  wlio  jilants  pears. 
Plants  for  hia  licira  !  "  &c. 

But  this  doctrine  is  now  entirely  sot  at  nought;  it  will  not 


OCIOBEE  27. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENEH. 


60 


do  forthese  clays  of  steam.  Tliis  distich,  doubtless,  originated 
in  the  fact,  that  a  century  or  two  ago  only  one  idea  seemed 
to  prevail  witli  regard  to  not  only  Pears,  hut  fruit-trees  in 
general.  Ground  must  be  deeply  dug  and  enriched ;  and 
as  for  root-pruning,  why  it  was  performed  with  all  possible 
pomp  -when  t)ie  young  tree  was  consigned  to  its  destined 
station,  but  nothing  of  the  Iciud  ever  after.  I  believe,  how- 
ever, that  Mous.  de  la  Quintinye  has  a  hint  or  two  at  the 
possibility  of  such  things,  but  he  speedily  shirks  the  subject. 

ISesides  all  tliis,  it  must  be  confessed,  that  the  kinds  in 
vogue  in  those  days  were  not  so  famed  for  precocity  of 
bearing  as  some  of  those  of  modern  date.  In  the  "  Com- 
plete Gardener  "  of  Mons.  de  la  Quintinye,  by  f,ondon  and 
Wise,  now  lying  before  me,  I  see  the  following  as  most 
highly  esteemed  in  those  days.  I  give  them  as  tliey  stand 
in  the  edition,  dated  1710: — "La  bon  Gliretien  d'Hyver; 
La  Hourree ;  La  Virgonlee ;  L'Epine  d'Hyver ;  La  Crasanno ; 
La  St.  Germine ;  La  Colmar;  La  Louis  bonne;  La  A'ert 
longue  ;  "  &c.  itc.  These  seem  to  be  the  chief  Tears  tliere 
recommended,  but  we  do  not  vouch  for  our  author's  style  or 
orthography.  There  is,  of  course,  a  copious  list  of  autumn 
Pears  besides,  but  these  ]  extract  as  being  of  the  class  we 
now  call  winter  I'ears.  It  is  rather  amusing  to  look  over 
our  author's  descriptive  account  of  their  merits  or  demerits, 
the  phraseology  of  those  days  being,  of  course,  more 
obsolete.  For  instance,  of  La  Crasanne,  he  says,  "  it 
perisheth  very  leism-ely."  Of  others,  lie  says,  "  they  are 
indifferent  good;"  and  the  terms  "doughy,  glewy  pulp, 
sowrish,  wildish  taste,  competent  bigness,"  &-c.  &e.,  would 
seem  to  show  tliat  wc  really  have  made  some  advance.  I 
can  fancy  how  such  a  nice  palate  as  de  la  Quintinye's  would 
have  run  riot  over  a  first-rate  Winter  Neilis,  or  a  melting 
Marie  Louise,  of  some  ten  ounces  in  weight,  as  we  have 
them  in  tliese  days. 

But  then,  as  to  bearing ;  most  of  their  keeping  Pears  were 
a  long  time  coming  into  bearing.  As  far  as  I  can  learn, 
they  had  nothing  comparable — taking  size,  early  bearing, 
Havour,  and  prolific  habit — to  such  Pears  as  Benrre  did, 
Louis  bonne  of  Jersey,  ixni  we  may  add  Benrre  d'Amunlis; 
others  might  be  quoted,  but  these  will  sufiice  for  illus- 
tration. These  tilings,  combined  witli  highly-simplihed 
modes  of  culture,  based  on  physiological  principles,  will 
warrant  us  in  anticipating,  that  before  many  years  have 
passed,  good  Pears  will  be  as  common  as  good  Apples ; 
for  were  people  to  be  better  assured  of  their  being  able 
to  produce  keeping  Pears  profitably,  many  broad  acres 
would,  no  doubt,  be  speedily  planted. 

The  only  opposing  point,  in  reality,  with  which  I  am 
acquainted,  is  to  be  foimd  in  the  fact,  that  the  i'ear  blooms 
much  earlier  than  the  Apple  ;  and  thereby  undergoes  more 
changes  of  severe  weather.  Tliis  is,  indeed,  a  fact ;  but 
how  fai-es  it  with  our  ordinary  orchard  I'ears,  standards  of 
which  may  be  found  all  over  the  Idngdom  a  century  or  two 
old,  and  which,  on  the  average,  produce  as  fair  crops  as 
many  Apples '?  But  it  will  be  said,  the  bloom  of  our  im- 
proved breeds  is  more  tender;  perhaps  it  is  so  with  some 
of  them,  not  witli  all ;  but  what,  if  it  can  be  shown  that  this 
is  owing  to  over-culture,  and  tliat  a  better  ripening  of  the 
wood  will  all  but  place  them  on  a  par  ? 

Now,  I  am  prepared  to  admit,  that  with  all  this,  it  would 
be  e.-cpedieut  to  afford  some  degree  of  protection,  and  whilst 
our  friends  around  are  so  clamorous  for  heated  walls  or 
glazed  frontages  to  their  Peach  walls,  I  do  hope  they  will 
not  deny  me  the  boon  of  a  few  spruce  or  other  boughs  to 
stick  amongst  the  Pears.  Tliis  has  been  my  kind  of  protec- 
tion for  a  few  years  past;  and  when  once  stuck  amongst  the 
Peai'S  they  are  not  removed ;  for  any  process  which  involves 
much  extra  laliour  would  not  lit  my  case.  With  this  simple 
proceodm'e  I  have  had  crops  which  have  astonished  most 
persons  who  have  seen  them.  Mr.  Paul,  of  Clieshunt 
Nurseries,  the  eminent  llose-grower,  called  here  a  few  days 
since,  and  was  fairly  taken  by  surprise,  lie  told  me  he  had 
not  seen  such  an  illustration  of  the  dwarfing  and  tying-down 
system  in  all  his  travels.  I  have  a  Marie  Lonise  dwarfed, 
and  which  occupies  a  plot  of  ground  about  eight-feet  square, 
which  had  nearly  a  bushel  of  fine  Pears  on  this  year ;  they 
liung  down  like  ropes  of  onions,  and  the  ti'ee  is  not  more 
than  four  feet  in  height.  I  merely  quote  these  things  to  show 
that  what  I  here  suggest  is  not  crude  speculation,  but  is 
backed  by  real  facts.    Certainly,  it  must  be  admitted,  that  in 


consequence  of  the  seasons  varying  so  much,  some  of  our 
Pears  are,  at  times,  by  no  means  so  satisfactory  in  point  of 
flavour  as  could  be  desired;  but  one  thing  must  here  be 
confessed,  and  that  is,  in  purveying  for  a  family,  the  demand 
of  which  varies  by  unforeseen  circumstances  at  times,  it  be- 
comes necessary  to  keep  some  kinds  beyond  their  natural 
period;  and  this  is  even  done  at  the  expense  of  tlavom'. 
Thus,  it  might  be  desirable  to  keep  some  of  the  Glont 
Morceau  until  the  middle  of  March,  for  some  special  occa- 
sion ;  a  gentleman  may  ask  his  gardener,  "  Can  you  do  it  ?" 
lie  answers,  "Yes;"  but  behold,  when  they  come  to  table, 
they  look  plump  enough,  to  be  sure,  and  loolc  like  tine  Pears, 
but  those  whose  temerity  lead  them  to  attack  one  will  be 
fearfully  disapxiointed. 

I  find,  by  experience,  that  Pears,  like  other  fruits,  when 
swelling  a  crop,  require  a  certain  amount  of  moisture.  This 
summer  has  proved  the  matter  beyond  a  doubt ;  for  although 
a  cool  summer,  some  kinds  have  swelled  larger  than  usual. 
This,  however,  is  no  new  idea  ;  for  of  old  time.  Pears  were 
said  to  crack  tlirough  copious  lains  after  drought,  they  having 
become  what  is  termed  hide-bound.  But  this  only  applies 
to  trees  of  some  age,  or  carrying  disproportionate  crops.  I 
have  a  line  of  trees,  on  a  dwarfing  system,  which  have  been 
under  training  thus  for  twenty  years;  the  stems  of  many 
being  nine  inches  in  diameter,  although  not  one  of  them  is 
more  than  four  feet  in  height.  These  have  never  received 
one  barrowful  of  manure  in  the  twenty  years,  neither  has 
the  waterpot  been  once  in  request ;  and  I  can  say,  that  the 
older  they  get  the  more  valuable  they  become.  So,  then, 
Pear- planting  will  never  alfuct  the  manure  question,  and  we 
may  thus  hope  for  the  patronage  of  the  agricultural  portion 
of  the  community. 

There  is  still  a  vast  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  use  of 
stocks ;  some  vowing  a  lasting  fidelity  to  the  <  Juince  stock. 
This  strongly  reminds  one  of  the  discussions  in  the  case  of 
Manelti  versus  Do(i  Rose;  although  we  cannot  make  a 
complete  parallel  of  the  two  cases.  I  still  thinic  that  some 
kinds,  perhaps  many,  will  be  best  dwarfed  on  the  tjuince, 
providing  the  soil  suits  that  stock;  but,  how  any  man  in  his 
senses  can  think,  that  because  an  unfortunate  Quince  has  a 
fancy  Pear  bestriding  him,  that  this  same  compound  will 
thrive  where  a  genuine  (iuince,  without  any  superaddition, 
will  not,  I  am  quite  at  a  loss  to  guess.  ^\'ould  this  apply 
to  a  Larch,  with  a  Lebanon  for  a  leader'?  If  so,  the  roots  of 
plants  are  certainly  very  good-natured  things ;  and  as  to 
/joHv.j- o/'sf/i!c/(o«,  why  this  will  almost  settle  this  long-dis- 
puted point  at  a  blow. 

In  order  to  illustrate  the  matter,  let  us  suppose  Cranben-ies 
grafted  on  some  of  our  Vacciniunis  which  are  thriving  in 
dry  upland-heath  soil.  Who  will  engage  that  we  have  a  crop 
of  Cranberries  ? 

Even  in  London  and  Wise's  days,  as  I  find  in  their  "Com- 
plete Gardener,"  before  alluded  to,  De  la  (Juintinye  talks  of 
Pears  answering  on  the  Quince,  //'  in  clat/ey  and  moist  soil. 
Perhaps,  nothing  is  so  ill-understood,  in  tlie  wliole  realm  of 
hovtlcultm-e,  as  the  question  of  stocks.  Somehow,  this  utili- 
tarian affau-  is  left  entirely  to  our  nurserymen. 

Bly  opinion  is  still,  that  if  the  free  stock  were  annually 
transplanted  for  the  first  three  or  four  years,  from  the 
seedbed,  there  would  be  little  need  of  (juince  stocks.  The 
sole  problem  rests  here,  as  I  thinic.  In  order  to  rijien  the 
wood  of  tender  Pears  they  mnsi  de2n:nd  on  surl'aco  roots  chiefly. 
The  Quince  produces  these  in  abundance,  but  it  is  a  saucy 
customer :  not  everybody  can  understand  liis  bent.  Pear 
stocks,  with  such  roots,  are  tlie  most  natural  stocks ;  but  it 
is  not  their  habit  to  produce  sucli.  The  question  then  is. 
Can  they  be  made  to  do  so  ?  I  at  once  answer,  Yes.  I  have 
said  here,  in  an  offhand  way,  "  transplanted  annually  the 
first  three  or  four  years."  Now  this  must  be  taken 
guardedly,  for  it  is  not  obliged  to  be  exactly  tlius.  Our 
practical  men  will  carry  out  this  to  their  own  taste.  I  only 
wish  that  I  could  get  some  of  our  nurserymen  to  try  this 
plan,  for  assuredly,  the  Quince  is  but  an  awkward  customer 
as  at  present  handled.  E.  Er.iuxuTON. 


POULTRY  DISEASES. 

/s//itfROUP  in  fowls  BEALLY  conlngions :' — I  am  quite  aware 
that  nine  out  often  of  your  readers  are  ready  to  exclaim, 


70 


THE   COTTAGE   GABDENER. 


October  27 


"  Yes,  of  course  it  is';  everj'body  says  so."  Whetlier,  however, 
I  loolc  at  tbe  common  causes  wliich  so  easily  produce  tlie 
disease,  sucli  as  cold,  damji,  bad  ventilation,  imcleanUness 
A'C.  ;orattbe  nature  of  the  disease  itself,  intlammatorycataiTb: 
or  at  the  few  experiments  I  myself  have  made;  or  at  the 
certainly  very  inconclusive  details  set  forth  by  others ;  I  am 
wholly  impressed  with  the  very  opposite  conclusion. 

My  purpose,  however,  is  not  to  argue  the  matter,  which 
would  certainly  not  lead  to  a  settling  of  the  question;  but  to 
request  that  some  of  your  readers,  who  are  well  acquainted 
with  the  disease  (and  I  repudiate  tbe  notion  that  there  are 
two  diseases,  it  only  being  a  difference  in  severity),  would  be 
so  kind  as  to  send  me,  say  two  fowls,  in  the  very  worst  stage 
of  the  complaint;  these  birds  I  shall  place  with  healthy 
fowls,  and  conscientiously  detail  the  experiment  in  The 
Cottage  Gakdenee,  and  repeat  it,  again  and  again,  if 
afforded  the  opportunity. 

If  it  prove  contagious,  I  shall  be  tbanMul  for  the  know- 
ledge ;  if  it  does  not,  otliers  will  feel  relieved  of  their  present 
fears. 

What  is  HEALT.Y  llif  nnliire  of  the  gapes — Though  it  is 
thought  that  great  jirogi'ess  has  been  made  in  ascertaining 
the  natm-e  and  treatment  of  poultiy  diseases;  and  smiles  of 
satisfaction  mantle  our  lips  as  often  as  we  think  of  the 
"  raai'cb  of  intellect, "  I  fear  it  will  be  found  that  we  shall 
do  well  to  march  a  little  back  again. 

It  has  been  stated,  again  and  again,  in  The  Cott/ige 
Gaedenee,  and  repeated  in  a  separate  publication,  by  Mr. 
Tegetmeier,  that  the  cause  of  Uapes  is  the  presence  of 
worms  in  the  windpipe.  This,  I  hesitate  not  to  declare,  is  an 
error.  The  disease  of  Gapes  is,  truly,  intiammation;  acute 
subacute,  or  chronic,  as  the  case  may  be,  of  the  lining 
membrane  of  the  larynx  and  of  the  windpipe,  which  pro- 
duces a  thickening,  and  a  deposition,  or  exudation,  of  a  false 
membrane,  and  this,  naiTowing  the  air  passage,  produces 
the  symptom  called  Gapes — the  fowl  gaping  to  open,  as  it 
were,  a  freer  passage  for  the  air.  Tlie  small  worms,  or 
fasciola>,  said  to  have  been  extracted  by  the  twisting  of  a 
feather  in  the  passage,  I  judge  to  be  small  shreds,  or  pieces 
of  this  false,  or  newly  formed  membrane,  broken  up  by  the 
feather. 

I  have,  with  tbe  utmost  care,  dissected  six  fowls  that  died 
of  the  Gapes — in  none  of  them  were  any  appearance  of 
worms  to  be  detected;  but  that  diseased  state  of  pai-ts  that 
I  have  just  described;  and  which  I  hesitate  not  to  pro- 
nounce is  the  true  nature  of  the  disease. 

I  would  not  deny,  however,  the  possibility  of  p.arasites 
infesting,  either  the  windpipe,  or  any  other  part  of  fowls ; 
I  would,  therefore,  entreat  any  one  of  your  readers  to  forward 
me  the  windpipe  of  a  fowl  containing  them :  or,  a  fowl 
affected  with  Gapes,  where  those  parasites  are  pronounced 
to  exist.  It  will  be  observed,  that  though  different  individuals 
are  said  to  have  extracted  the  worms  with  feathers;  or  that 
the  hen  has  coughed  them  (tbe  broken  up  membrane? )  up, 
after  the  twisting  of  the  feather ;  yet  no  one  has  described 
them  as  situated  in  llie  windjiipe,  by  dissection  after  death. 

To  deal  further  with  this  question,  by  correspondence, 
will  serve  no  purpose.  AVe  must  see  these  worms  In  situ, 
in  the  windpipe ;  and  I  again  entreat  any  one  of  your 
readers  to  furnish  me  with  an  example,  to  dissect,  as  none 
such  occur  in  my  own  experience. — R.  Hodnee,  M.  D.,  Hull. 

P.S. — Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  been  most  unex- 
pectedly gratified  with  a  note  from  Dr.  Hanking,  of  Norwich, 
well  known  as  the  learned  author  of  the  "Half-yearly 
abstract  of  Medical  Science,  See. "  wherein,  without  one  word 
on  the  subject  from  myself,  he  greatly  corroborates  my 
statements  and  opinions.  He  says,"  I  have  lost  a  fowl  or  two 
with  membranous  croup  or  diptherite;  the  sjTnptoms  were, 
in  the  first  instance,  tliose  of  Corysa,  followed  by  Gapes,  or 
laryngeal  dyspnica — the  larynx  contained  a  soft  membrane, 
A  second  case,  1  have  healed  by  antimony  and  dislodging  the 
membrane  with  a  probe.  I  fancy  the  membrane  has  been 
mistaken  for  a  worm  in  the  trachea  occasionally." 

I  hope  it  is  quite  unnecessary  to  add,  that  in  both  the 
foregoing  instances,  truthful  enquiry  and  elucidation  is 
my  sole  aim.  Yet,  feeling,  that  in  so  subtle  a  matter  as  that 
of  contagion,  I  should  myself  doubt  the  conclusions  aixived 
at  in  any  particular  case  by  one  holding  opposite  views, 
unless  I  was  fully  satisfied  with  the  genuineness  of  all  the 
preliminaries — so  do  I  now  wish  that  the  diseased  fowls  to 


be  operated  with  should  be  selected  by  others.  For  we 
know  th.at  the  judgment  may  sometimes  be  self-imposed 
upon,  either  by  a  too  scanty  sun'ey  of  those  circumstances 
whicli  are  adverse  to  pre\ious  impressions,  or  liy  over-esti- 
mating those  which  support  its  foregone  conclusions. 

Fortunately,  we  have  not  now  to  investigate  the  abstract 
doctrine  of  contagion,  but  simply  to  deal  with  realities ;  and, 
being  agi'ced  upon  the  existence  and  identity  of  Koup  in  a 
particular  fowl,  have  but  to  watch  its  effects  on  others  ;  that 
is,  whether  it  be  communicated  or  not.  I  repeat,  that  such  a 
procedure  as  that  now  suggested  is  the  only  one  that  can 
satisfy  the  public.  All  ex  jMjrtc  statements,  however  lionom'- 
able  the  individual  who  makes  them,  experience  has  taught 
me  to  doubt  in  matters  relati\e  to  contagion.  Cholera,  itself, 
was  sliown  to  be  contagious  by  eminent  physicians,  some 
years  ago,  on  ex  parte  statements — a  doctrine  now  repudiated 
by  themselves. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

*#*  Werequeat  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writers  cf 
Thk  Cottage  Gardener.     It   gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
j  expense.    All  communications  should  be  addressed  "  To  the  Editor  0/ 
the  Cottage  Garde  tier,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Ron;  London.'* 

pROiMiSEs  (Cfirrig  Calhol). — Your  request  shall  be  strictly  attended 

I  to ;  but  the  end  of  February  is  now  the  earliest  period  to  put  the  train 

in  motion.     We  shall  preserve  your  letter  till  then,  and  all  you  say  will 

I  be  represented  to  the  ijarties,  with  our  own  request,  as  earnestly  as  wo 

I  can  make  them.     The  Irish  Jvi/  succeeded  very  well  indeed. 

[  Flower-garuen  Plan  (E.  M.). — The  plan  of  your  beautiful  flower- 
i  garden  will  be  engraved  forthwith,  and  all  that  you  say  and  want  about 
!  it  will  be  introduced  into  our  own  notes  respecting  it. 

!  List  ok  Beddebs  (J.  C.  and  Ncii^hbour). — Pray  let  ua  have  the  desi- 
j  derata  and  the  lists  at  once. 

Watsonia  fdlgida  [S.). — The  very  information  you  ask  for  was 
given  this  very  autumn.  "  A  small  root  of  it"  may  not  flower  these 
three  years.  Keep  it  green  as  long  as  you  can  ;  as  it  was  late  in  potting, 
keep  the  frost  from  it.  It  does  not  require  a  second  pot ;  do  not  force  it 
to  rest,  and  niost  likely  it  \iill  keep  gvcen  till  next  autumn.  If  it  is  green 
next  May,  turn  it  out  into  a  nice  south  border. 

Iced  Things  (J.  C). — How  odd  that  you  never  think  of  getting  ice 
dishes  to  hold  the  butter  for  breakfast  till  other  folks  are  clearing  out 
the  ice-houses  for  a  fresh  supply.  We  could  not  now  write  about  such 
things  without  the  shivers.  Remind  us  again  when  the  weather  renders 
ice  a  luxury. 

Roses  (Carrii^ Cnf?iol).—'No.  1  is  Amie  Vihert,  a  Noisette;  and  No.  2 
another  Noisette,  but  the  variety  not  determinable. 

Pillar  Roses  (il/.). — Our  correspondent  has  four  pillars,  and  wishes 
to  plant  three  kinds  of  Pillar  Roses  to  each ;  she  wishes  them  to  flower 
five  or  six  months  in  the  year,  and,  if  possible,  to  have  crimson,  rose,  or 

I  pink,  and  a  white  or  yellow  to  each  pillar.  It  is  evident,  then,  that 
none  but  Perpetual  Roses  will  suit  her,  and  among  them  there  is  neither 

■  a  white  nor  a  yellow,  therefore  she  must  put  up  with  Paul's  fjiieen  Vic- 
toria, as  yet  the  best  light  Perpetual  Rose  which  opens  out-of-doors,  of 

I  a  flesh  colour,  and  turns  white  as  it  fades.     Of  yellows,  there  are  none 

I  for  a  pillar.     Madame  Lajai/  is  the  best  crimson  for  a  pillar.     Mrs. 

\  Elliot  and   William  Jesse  make  splendid  pillars,  of  a  deep  rose  colour  ; 

I  Baron  Frovost,  a  blush,  and  one  of  the  largest ;  Caroline  de  Sansnl, 

I  another  fine  blush  Rose  for  a  pillar ;  Compte  Robrinsky,  fiery-crimson; 
Standard  of  Marengo,  crimson-lake,  with  Geanl  des  Batlailles,  would 
make  the  most  brilliant  of  all,  the  latter  to  keep  the  bottom  full  and 
Jit'rr/.       Gioin;   de   Rosamene,    the   same.      Chateaubriand,   fine   pink  ; 

I  Augiiste  Mit,  light  blush;  and  Pius  the  Ni/ith,  crimson,  would  make 
another  good  match.    To  make  a  speedy  pillar  of  such,  one  for  each 

I  pillar  ought  to  be  a  strong,  tall  standard,  and  two  dwarfs.    The  treat- 

I  ment  of  such  pillars  will  be  given  shortly. 

AVuiTE  Spanish  Fowls  (ir.,  n  SwiscnAerV— A  pen  of  white  Spanish 
Fowls  was  exhibited  at  liinningham  in  December  1352.  Regarding  them 
as  similar  abnormal  productions  to  the  white  ;Albino)  chickens  from  the 
whitc-crestcd  Rlack  Polish,  we  should  certainly  expert  to  find  thein 
inferior  to  the  Rlack  Spanish  in  constitutional  strength,  and  consequently 
below  them  in  merit  as  layers.  We  have  no  accurate  data,  however,  now 
before  us,  on  which  we  might  give  an  exact  comparison  on  the  relative 
number  and  size  of  the  eggs  laid  by  them,  but  surclv  the  substitution  of 
white  plumage  for  the  glossy  black  of  the  well-bred  Spanish  is  no  gain 
to  their  personal  appearance. — W. 

Black  Siiakguae  Fowls  (Alpha'*.— The  Black  Shanghnes  of  this 
year  arc  better  birds,  in  respect  of  their  intensity  of  colour,  and  the 
absence  of  brassy  feathers,  than  those  of  preceding  seasons.     We  liave 
seen  cockerels  without  any  symptoms  of  a  feather  thus  marked,  although, 
in  a  great  majority  of  instances,  this  failing  is  still  present ;  pullets  of 
uniform  black  are  far  more  easily  obtaineti ;  but  hitherto  we  have  not 
gained,  in  this  variety,  the  deep  velvet  black  of  other  fowls  of  that  colour.    1 
The  Secretaries  of  all  Poultry  Societies,  wc  imagine,  will   receive  fowls    ' 
sent  to  them  for  exhibition  ;  labels  arc  usually  sent  to  exhibitors  when    ; 
the  forms  of  entry  are  returned,  with  the  direction  of  the  owner,  to  be    ( 
filled  up  by  him  on  the  reverse  side,  which  is  atfixed  to  tlie  basket  after 
the  show  has  closed,  and  the  birds  arc  returned. — W.  ' 


OCTOBEB  27. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


71 


Weight  of  Geese  and  Ducks  (P.).— A  young  early-hatched  Goosa 
of  the  Toulouse  or  Embden  breeds,  should  have  reached,  with  good  keep, 
Mlb.  (live  weight)  at  Michaelmas,  but  the  common  breed,  at  this  same 
age.  would  rarely  be  above  1 1  lb.  G  lb.  would  be  a  fair  average  live  weight 
for  an  Ayltisbury  Duck,  but  many  birds  exceed  this  considerably. 

Plants  for  Roof  of  Wardian  Case  (F.  C.  F.  G.).— No  Orchids 
would  live  long  in  your  Wardian  Case.  You  wish  for  forced  plants  to 
grow  from  the  roof.  Try  the  following  :—Li/copndiiim  Luuidana. 
EpiphiiUum  tnniciitinn,  Trntlescantia  discolor,  and  Asplenium  flabelli- 
foUum.  All  these  will  droop  downwards,  and  grow  in  a  small  basket,  if 
the  plants  are  chosen  small  at  the  first. 

Keeping  Hothouse  Grapes  (T.  7?.).— Hothouse  Grapes  are  best 
preserved  on  the  vine  itself,  the  house  beinp:  kept  cool  and  dry  after  the 
fruit  is  ripe.  To  keep  off  birds,  wasps,  and  dies,  the  bunch  should  be 
tied  round,  or  placed  in  a  fine  white  net  bag,  the  meshes  of  which  are  so 
fine  as  none  of  the  above  devourevs  of  grapes  could  get  to  the  berries. 
They  should  be  examined  frequently,  and  all  mouldy  berries  removed  as 
they  appear.  The  foreign  Grapes  are  kept  in  bran,  but  they  soon  lose 
their  fiavour  and  become  worthless.  The  English  hothouse  Grapes,  any 
time,  fetch  nearly  as  much  more  as  the  foreign  fruit ;  but  our  own  fruit 
cannot  be  kept  any  way  so  well  as  being  on  the  branch  that  produced  it. 

Glass-covered  Walls  (J.  Whiting).— You  wish  to  know  at  what 
distance  the  glass  on  a  glass-covered  wall  should  be  from  the  wall. 
Those  at  Trentham  are  3i  feet  to  4  feet,  quite  up  to  the  top,  the  glass  in 
front  being  upright.  The  one  Mr.  Appleby  mentions  as  beiug  seen  at 
Woodlesford  domg  so  well,  was,  as  near  as  he  can  recollect,  4  feet  from 
the  wall  at  the  base,  and  sloping-up  to  a  wooden  projection  from  the 
wall,  about  nine  inches  wide ;  but  we  have  just  heard  of  a  better  con- 
struction in  North  Wales,  and  have  written  for  the  particulars,  and  will 
communicate  the  answers.  The  cost  of  such  a  facing  of  glass,  with  a 
narrow  glass  roof,  the  wall  10  feet  high,  and  the  glass  4  feet  from  the 
wall  at  the  base,  and  2A  at  the  top,  is  about  £\  per  running-yard,  fixed 
complete,  without  reciioning  any  little  bricklayer's  work  there  may  be 
necessary. 

Diseased  Doeking  (E.  i/.).— The  hen  described  as  moping  and 
spiritless,  eating  little,  and  not  laying,  is,  most  probably,  suffering  from 
disease  of  some  important  internal  organ.  In  the  absence  of  further 
information  it  is  not  very  evident  what  organ  is  affected.  As  an  altera- 
tive, a  grain  of  calomel  may  be  tried,  followed  by  a  teaspoonful  of  castor 
oil.  Both  medicines  are  readily  given  mixed  witli  barley-meal. — W.  B.  T, 

Pbotecting  Pits  (F.  Couniham,  and  others).— See  an  article  to-day 
by  Mr.  Fish. 

House  for  many  Purposes  (T.  S.),— If  your  object  is  to  grow 
Cucumbers  and  Vines  in  pots,  in  a  house  in  which  you  wish  to  keep  other 
Vines  on  the  rafters  dormant,  then  have  the  main  A'^ines  planted  out-of- 
doors,  and  the  wall-plate  so  arranged  that  you  can  take  the  tops  out  at 
pleasure. 

CoNSEnvATORY  ViNEBV  (v4  FrfVnd).— Scc  p.  21.  You  are  quite  mis- 
taken as  to  our  wishes  ;  you  only  please  us  by  such  questions,  as  they 
show  us  we  are  not  labouring  in  vain.  We  will  think  the  matter  over; 
meantime— First.  Large  pots  will  do  as  well  as  the  small  brick  pits  for  the 
plants  on  the  back  wall.  Secondly.  Place  the  plants  in  the  bed,  the  tallest  at 
back,  and  just  so  near  that  they  do  not  touch,  giving  more  room  as  they 
want  it.  Thirdly,  One  Lt/copodiitui,  such  as  denticulatnm,  would  do 
better  for  the  edging  than  several ;  but  you  could  introduce  comparatively 
hardy  ones  in  other  places.  Fourthly.  We  like  your  dividing  the  bed  in 
two,  with  a  path  in  the  middle,  rounding  the  beds  there,  so  as  to  have  a 
rock-work  opposite  the  opening  in  fi-ont  for  Ferns  and  Mosses.  We  see, 
by  that,  that  you  do  not  mean  to  have  a  shelf.  What  would  you  say  to 
inserting  early  bulbs  in  the  rock-work  ?  They  would  look  very  pretty ;  at 
the  risk  of  narrowing  the  beds,  we  would  almost  recommend  you  to  have 
two  other  jutting-out  pieces,  one  on  each  side  of  your  contemplated  central 
piece,  but  not  so  large  as  that.  A  sweep  inwards,  the  widest  part  about 
fifteen  inches,  in  the  centre  of  each  bed,  would  give  you  a  regular  serpen- 
tine walk,  and  great  variety  in  a  small  place.  We  shall  retain  this  last 
note,  so  that  we  may  refer  to  it  in  case  more  should  be  wanted. 

Game  Fowls  with  Bantams  {W.  R.  R.). — An  immediate  mongrel 
race  would  lie  the  certain  result  of  allowing  Game  Fowls  and  Bantams  to 
run  together.  The  characteristics  of  a  pood  gold-laced  Bantam  would 
comprise  the  rose  comb,  uniform,  clear  lacing,  on  a  bright  golden  bay 
body-colour,  the  square  tail  tipped  with  black,  clean  blue  legs  and  feet, 
with  an  erect,  corpulent  carriage  ;  1/  ounces  for  the  male,  and  14  ounces 
for  the  hen,  being  the  usual  standard.  Look  to  the  article  on  *'  Ban- 
tams," in  the  "  Poultry  Book."— W. 

Covenants  in  a  Lease  (Clericus  L.). — The  only  advice  that  we 
can  give  you,  is  that  you  should  ask  the  steward  of  some  large  land-pro- 
prietor, in  your  neighbourhood,  what  covenants  he  finds  most  advisable 
to  introduce  in  a  lease.  Having  ascertained  this,  you  had  better  employ 
an  attorney  to  draw  up  the  least.  This,  in  tlie  end,  is  usually  the 
cheapest  and  most  satisfactory  mode. 

Gas  Stove  for  a  Greenhouse  (i^.  H.  L,),— We  have  no  objection 
to  a  gas  stove  for  merely  excluding  frost,  if  care  is  taken  to  have  a  suffi- 
cient tube  for  carrying  away  the  gases  produced  by  burning  the  gas,  so 
that  none  of  them  contaminate  the  air  of  the  house.  We  objected  to 
stoves,  with  patent  or  other  fuel,  that  have  no  chimneys  for  the  escape  of 
the  gases  produced. 

List  of  Poultry  Snows  (E.  Archer). — We  continue  this  whenever 
we  have  spare  space.  The  petty  feeling  which  withholds  some  advertise- 
ments of  them  from  our  columns  needs  no  comment. 

Wright  of  Shanghae  Chickens.—^  Suliscrif/er,  whose  address 
we  have,  says  :— "In  The  Cottage  Gardener  of  Sept.  8th,  in  speak- 
ing of  the  weights  of  Shanghae  chickens,  it  is  stated,  authoritively, 
'  Shanghae  cockerels  or  pullets  never  weigh  more  than  one  pound  for 
every  month,  until  they  arc  eight  months  old.'  Of  course,  you  will  be 
glad  to  receive  any  examples  of  exceptions  to  this  rule,  and  to  lay  them 
before  your  readers.     A  *  fancier,*  in  this  town,  has  a  cockerel  and  three 


pullets.  The  pullets  were  hatched  March  the  24th.  The  cockerel  within 
a  few  days  of  the  same  time.  The  pullets  arc  all  nearly  the  same^  size, 
and  I  have  just  seen  one  of  them  and  the  corkercl  weighed.  Their 
united  weight  was  eighteen  pounds  ten  ounces.  The  cockerel  being  ten 
pounds  two  ounces;  the  pullet  seven-and-a-half  pounds.  I  may  say 
that  the  pullet  does  not  weigh  to  advantage,  just  at  present,  as  she  is 
broody,  and  has  begun  to  moult.  The  pullets  have  laid  regularly  for  the 
last  two  months." 

Diseased  Fowls  {H.  C,  S.,  Spondon).— It  is  the  roup.  You  will 
find  the  mode  of  treatment  in  preceding  numbers. 

Coloured  Plates  (%/»«).— Quite  impossible  to  be  done.  It  can 
be  done  when  the  copies  required  are  a  few  hundreds,  but  not  when  they 
are  wanted  in  thousands.    Thanks  for  your  otlier  hints. 

The  Cottage  Gardener  (T.  F.).~The  two  volumes  for  i8S2— 3, 
bound  in  gilt  cloth,  you  can  have  for  seven  shillings  each.  Any  number, 
any  part,  or  any  volume,  can  now  be  had.  We  never  heard  of  a  self- 
feeder  for  poultry.  It  is  as  impossible  for  us  to  teli  you  the  value,  or 
probable  returns,  of  any  kind  of  poultry  without  seeing  them,  or  knowing 
their  pedigree,  as  it  would  be  for  you  to  answer  the  same  question  as  to 
any  animal  of  which  you  know  nothing  but  the  name.  You  shall  be 
informed  about  F»c/iS/HA- next  week. 

William  Adams  (C.). — Thanks  for  the  ten  shillings,  which  were 
gratefully  received. 

Pears  Splitting  (Leyto7iensis).~-U  your  Doyenn^  Pear  is  grafted  on 
a  Quince  stock,  that  is  sufficient  to  account  for  the  fruit  splitting.  We 
have  many  such  instances,  and  all  showing  that  the  stock  does  not  afford, 
on  some  soils,  and  to  some  varieties,  a  sufficient  supply  of  sap  to  the 
fruit.  If  your  Pear  is  not  on  a  Quince  stock,  the  deficient  supply  of  sap 
is  caused  by  the  roots  being  defective.  Rlanure  the  soil,  and  keep  it 
mulched  over  in  the  sjiring  and  summer. 

Corallines  (Dotvalns).—\Ve  would  aid  you  if  we  could,  but  we  know 
little  or  nothing  about  them. 

Cultivation  of  Fungi.— ^  Lover  of  Crijptogami  enquires — "  Can 
Fungi  be  cultivated  ?  I  mean  the  flaming  beauties  one  sees  in  damp 
places  at  this  time  of  year."  Any  of  our  readers  will  oblige  by  stating 
the  results  of  their  experiments  on  the  propagation  of  Fungi. 

Names  of  Plants  (Margaret). — It  is  no  Phlox,  but  Plumbago 
Larpenta,'.  (Clericus). — Your  low-growing  shrub  is  Cineraria  maritima. 
Mr.  Beaton  (vol.  vi.  page  Qii)  appropriately  calls  it  "the  Frosted  Silver 
Plant."  (A.  B.  6'.).— No.  10.  Aloe  verrucosa,  orWarted  Aloe.  No.  13. 
Begonia  sanguinea.  (A.  B.). — The  white-flowered  Acanthus  mollis ; 
the  yellow  Helianthus  mitUifiurus. 

Names  of  Fruits  (A  Surrey  Subscriber).— Vra.-b.^.~No.  I,  Beurre 
Capiaumont.  2.  Williams'  Bonchr^tien.  6.  Autumn  Eergamor.  7. 
Autumn  Bergamot.  8.  Maria  Louise.  9-  Swan's  Egg.  10.  Easter 
Beurre.  W.  Easter  BeurrL-.  12.  Swan's  Egg.  Apples.— Nu.  2. 
Scarlet  Nonpareil,  ti.  Blenheim  Pippin.  /.  Dutch  Codlin.  S.  York- 
shire Greening.  10.  Cockle  Pippin.  11.  Beauty  of  Kent.  12.  Graven- 
tein.  13.  Hawthornden,  14.  Northern  Greening.  15.  Monk's  Codlin. 
17.  Boston  Russet.  18.  Autumn  Pearmain.  20.  Rihston  Pippin.  22. 
Llargil.  The  others  were  either  so  far  decayed,  or  the  labels  lost,  that 
we  cannot  complete  the  list. 

Error  at  page  32,  "  Names'of  Plants."  Inanswerto  "A  Constant 
Reader,"  2  should  be  Aristotelin  maqui  var.  variegata. 


CALENDAR  FOR  NOVEMBER. 


FLOWER  GARDEN. 

Anemones,  plant  for  succession  bloom.  Auriculas  and  Polyan- 
thuses, put  under  shelter  {See  October).  Bulbous  Roots,  finish 
planting  in  dry  weather  ;  pot  for  latest  forcing,  and  for  plunging  in 
flower-beds,  &c.  Carnation  layers,  finish  planting  and  potting  ;  secure 
the  pot  at  once  from  rain.  Climbers  of  all  sorts,  plant,  prune,  and 
train.  Compost,  prepare  and  turn  in  dry  weather.  Crocus,  pot  large 
lumps  from  the  borders  for  forcing.  Chrysanthemums,  against  walls 
or  fences,  secure  from  frost.  Half-hardy  bulbs  in  borders,  secure  from 
frost  and  rain  by  a  boarded  covering.  Dahlias,  cut  down  after  frost, 
and  let  roots  remain  as  long  as  it  is  safe ;  when  taken  up,  dry  them  in 
open  sheds,  &c.,  before  storing,  where  frost  and  damp  cannot  reach  them. 
Dress  the  beds  and  borders,  and  put  mark-sticks  to  bulbs  and  other 
roots,  to  guide  you  when  digging.  Edgings,  plant.  Evergreens, 
finish  planting,  b.  FiBRous-RooTED  plants,  finish  dividing  and 
planting,  b.  Fork  over  borders,  Sec.  Gladiolus  :  all  the  old  sorts 
may  yet  he  planted ;  most  of  the  new  do  better  planted  in  spring. 
Grass,  cut  very  close  the  last  time  ;  kept  clear  of  leaves  ;  and  roll. 
Gravel,  weed  and  roll.  Hedges,  plant,  clip,  and  clear  at  bottom. 
HoE  and  rake  shrubberies,  and  bury  the  leaves,  &c.  between  the  plants. 
Hollyhocks,  finish  planting.  Layering,  perform  at  intervals,  if  fine 
weather,  till  March.  Leaves,  gather  for  compost,  &c.  Marvel  of 
Peru,  take  up  and  store  like  Dahlias.  Mulch  round  trees  and  shrubs 
lately  planted.  Plant  perennials  and  biennials  (See  October).  Plant- 
ing, deciduous  shrubs  and  trees,  perform  generally,  and  finish  asearlyas 
practicable.  Potted  Plants,  for  forcing,  plunge  in  the  earth  of  a  well- 
sheltered  border  facing  the  sun.  Prune  shrubs  and  trees  generally. 
Ranunculuses,  plant  for  earliest  bloom.  Seedlings  of  tliem,  in  boxes, 
&c.,  remove  to  a  warm  situation.  Weak  Roses,  prune  without  delay  ; 
very  strong  ones,  delay  pruning  till  March  ;  tender  ones,  secure  from 
frost  with  moss,  fern,  &c.  Shrubs  of  all  kinds,  plant,  stake,  and  mulch. 
Suckers,  from  Roses  and  other  shrubs,  separate  and  plant.  Tigridias, 
save  from  frost  as  long  as  possible ;  should  not  be  dried  till  .January  or 
February.    Tolips,  finish  planting,  b.  D.  Beaton. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


OrToinir.  ^7 


GREENHOUSE. 
AiB,  aJmit  rather  freely,  in  dry  weather.  Azaleas,  for  bloonunp: 
early,  keep  in  the  warmest  end  of  the  house,  and  they  will  not  lose  many 
of  their  leaves  ;  if  tlie  buds  arc  well  set  and  proniinont,  a  few  may  receive 
the  heat  <if  a  plant  stove,  to  hrinq;  them  in  hy  Christmas  ;  those  once 
forced  will  come  earlier  of  their  own  accord  again.  Those  for  flowering 
in  spring  and  early  summer  keep  as  cool  as  possible,  so  that  the  tempera- 
ture is  above  35°.  JJulbs,  such  as  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Narcissus,  &c.,  pot 
for  spring  flowering,  and  so  manage  them  that  roots  shall  precede  flower- 
stems.  Calceolarias,  keep  growing  slowly,  in  an  airy,  moist  atmo- 
sphere ;  seedlings,  pot  ofl^,  and  prick  into  pans  ;  cuttings  of  shrubby  ones 
may  now  be  potted,  and  cuttings  mav  even  be  put  in  in  the  beginning  of 
the  month,  in  a  cool,  moist  place.  Ca^iellias,  finish  setting  in  ;  and 
the  late  ones  may  have  their  buds  thinned,  if  necessary  ;  the  earliest  will  ' 
now  be  swelling,  and  a  little  cow-dung  water,  cleared,  and  not  too  strong, 
will  do  thcra  good;  these  sliould  be  placed  with  the  forward  Azaleas. 
CiNERAEiAS,  encourage  the  forwardest  to  grow  in  a  moist,  gentle  heat ; 
keep  those  for  spring  and  summer  just  moving.  Climbeus.  however 
beautiful,  cut  back  to  give  light  to  the  other  plants.  CiinysANTiiE-MU.MS, 
remove  incipient  roots  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  on  the  main  shoots  ; 
thin  the  buds  where  too  thick  ;  encourage  with  manure  water  ;  .and  if  not 
all  in-doors,  have  protection  ready.  Damp  stagxaivt  air,  avoid.  Fires,  ! 
light  in  frosty  and  foggy  weather,  that  air  may  be  given;  but  give  arti- 
ficial heat  during  the  day,  rather  than  at  night,  unless  the  frost  is  very  i 
severe.  Choose  a  sunny  day,  if  possible,  to  light  your  first  fire,  as  your 
flue,  &c.,  will  be  more  easily  dried ;  it  is  no  joke  to  be  fixed  in  a  stock- 
hole  behind  a  fire  that  will  not  burn.  Furnaces  and  Flues,  clean  out  | 
previously.  Heaths  and  Etacrises,  keep  in  the  airiest  part,  espc-  ; 
cially  the  former.  Genistas,  Cytisuses,  Couonillas,  <<:c.,  syringe  in 
a  sunny  day,  and  aid  with  manure  water,  to  cause  the  bloom  to  open 
strongly.  Gbramd.ms  or  Pelargoniusis,  cncouiage  the  old  plants  i 
with  a  good  position  ;  train  into  the  desired  shape.  Nip  any  luxuriant 
shoot,  so  as  to  equalise  the  strength  ;  keep  fresh  potted  ones  just  moving,  I 
GoMfuOLOKiUMS,  l^litfi/lfi/Hinti.s,  C/i(/nizem(is,  ikr..,  place  in  double  pots, 
that  they  may  be  more  uniform  in  moisture,  as  extreme  dryness  and  ex- 
treme wet  will  a)ike  be  tlicir  ruin.  Plants,  keep  clear  from  dirt  and 
insects,  by  washing  and  fumigation.  Temperature,  keep  friim  10°  to 
45°  at  night.  Water  only  when  necessary  in  dull  weather;  little  will 
be  wanted,  unless  for  plants  swelling  their  flower-buds;  for  these  use 
water  warmer  tlian  the  air  of  the  house.  A  slight  dusting  with  the 
syringe  over  the  foliage  will  be  serviceable  in  a  sunny  nuiVning.  Clean 
pots,  paths,  stages;  tic,  train,  and  fresh  label  in  bad  weather. 

11.  Fish. 


will  be  necessary  to  plant-^  on  blocka,  two  or  three  times  during  the 
montli.  Water,  apply  sparingly,  except  to  plants  growing;  to  these  a 
larger  quantity  may  be  given.  T.  Appleby. 

PLANT  STOVE. 
AiE  will  still  be  necessary  to  this  departmen*:  ;  give  it  early  in  the 
forenoon,  and  close  the  ojjening  by  two  o'clock.  To  sweeten  the  air, 
light  the  fires  early  in  the  mornhicf,  and  give  air  accordingly  ;  this  will 
allow  a  large  body  of  fresh  air  to  enter  the  house,  which  will  displace  as 
much  foul  air.  Cuttings  of  stove  plants  should  all  be  potted  olT  early 
this  month  if  rooted.  Bulbs  should  now  generally  be  at  rest;  keep 
them  dry  and  moderately  cool,  to  prevent  a  too  early  excitement.  Fobc- 
ing-tlowi-.rs  for  this  department  should  be  commenced  slouly,  early  in 
the  month,  such  as  Azaleas,  Lihirs,  Lnfmrmims,  HhoJodemlrons,  Jtoscs, 
Sec.  These  will  flower  in  December  or  January.  Winter-flowering 
Plants  will  now  he  shov\ing  their  flowers.  They  should  have  a  moderate 
supply  of  water,  and  occasionally  a  watering  with  weak  liquid-manure. 
Keep  every  part  of  the  :?tove  perfectly  sweet  and  clean  ;  remove  all  decay- 
ing leaves  as  they  occur  ;  stir  up  tlie  surface  of  the  soil  in  the  pots,  to 
prevent  moss  and  weeds  from  appearing.  In  this  month,  a  supply  of  the 
difl'ercnt  soils,  maimres,  and  vegetable  mould,  should  be  procured. 

T.    Al'PLEDY. 


FRUIT-FOnCING. 

Cherries  in  Tuns,  &c.,  protect  roots.  Capsicums,  dry  off  at  root 
to  ripen  them.  Cucuwbkrs,  afl'ord  necessary  heat,  not  below  70°,  with 
air-moisture  and  all  possible  light.  Early  forcing  prepare  for.  Figs 
for  forcing,  get  to  rest ;  protect  pots  or  boxes,  as  also  branches.  Flues, 
clean  all  and  repair.  Insects,  continue  the  warfare  against,  also  jtre- 
ventive  measures.  BIusiiroom-reus,  provide  succession  ;  spawn  wlien 
down  to  7iJ°  ;  sprinkle  beds  where  the  Uluslirooins  are  coming  through  ; 
keep  a  moist  air.  Melons,  sustain  75°  bottom-heat,  /O*^  top-heat,  with 
abundance  of  air;  fumigate  if  infected.  Nectarines  and  Pkaciies, 
prepare  for  early  Ixircing,  by  using  tlic  wash  so  often  named  in  this 
work,  pruning  them  previously.  Pines,  in  dung-pits,  improve  declining 
heats  ;  60°  to  70°,  with  liberal  ventilation.  Pines,  late  fruiters,  '.P  more  ; 
air  in  moderation.  Repairs,  carry  out  directly  in  all  bouses.  Uest 
fruits  for  forcing,  plunge  and  protect  wood.  Strawherries,  in  pots, 
plunge  and  protect.  A'entilation,  attend  well  to  during  dull  periods. 
Vines,  for  early  forcing,  as  Pearhns;  if  roots  outsidt*,  protect  border 
directly.  Vines,  in  fruit,  tire  occasionally;  ventilate  freely;  keep  very 
dry,  and  use  scissors  weekly.  R,  Eruington. 


FLORISTS'  FLOWERS. 
ANE-MONEs'may  yet  be  planted,  excepting  the  finest  double  ones. 
Auriculas  and  Polyanthuses;  no  delay  must  take  jjlace  in  jiutting 
these  into  winter  tiuarlers,  if  not  already  done.  Scatter  occasionally 
amongst  the  pots  a  layer  of  very  dry  ashes,  which  will  absorb  the  moisture. 
Carnations  and  Picotees,  finish  taking  off  ibe  layers,  and  i)0ttiiig 
them  ;  place  them  in  cold  frames,  giving  ]denty  of  air  every  dav. 
Dahlias,  cut  down  when  frost-bitten,  and  cover  the  roots  with  a  small 
hillock  of  coal-ashes,  or  take  tliem  up  at  once,  and  reverse  the  roots,  to 
allow  the  moisture  to  run  out  of  the  hollow  stem.  Numl)er  every  root, 
and  put  them  by  in  a  dry,  cool  place,  where  no  frost  can  reach  them. 
Fuchsias,  done  blooming,  prune  in,  and  give  no  water  to,  for  a  month. 
Hyacinths,  finish  planting,  both  in  pots  and  beds.  Irises,  both 
Spanish  and  English,  plant  in  a  rich  soil  and  open  situation.  Nar- 
cissus, pot  and  plant  out  in  the  beds.  Pinks,  plant  out  early;  fasten 
firmly,  to  prevent  the  frosts  from  drawing  them  out.  Ranv.nxulus- 
iiEDs  prepare.  Tni'litin  variety  plant  in  beds  and  pots,  the  tine-named 
varieties  do  not  plant  till  spring.  Tulips,  plant  on  or  about  the  lOih  of 
llie  month  ;  choose  a  dry  day  for  doing  this.  \'eruenas,  take  up  and 
pot,  dressing-off  the  straggling  branches;  their  cuttings  shelter  from 
early  frost.  All  Florists'  Flowers  in  Frasies  and  Pits  keep  mode- 
rately dry,  clear  of  weeds,  and  decaying  leaves.  Search  for  Slugs  and 
other  vermin  daily.  T.  Ari'LEiiY. 


ORCHARD. 

Borders,    autumn-dress.      Buds,    cut    bandages    of,      Chesnuts,   j 
gather.     Dress  to  Kill  Insects  as  soon  as  pruned.     Fruit,   gather 
all  remaining.     Fruit-trees  of  all  kinds  plant.     Fruit-booms,  venti-   ' 
late  freely.    Fruit-stores,  pick  over.     Insects  wage  war  against,  at  ' 
every  opportunity.      HIedlabs,    preserve.      BIulcu,   apply   to   newly- 
planted  trees.     Nuts,  remove  suckers  from.     Nailing,  proceed  with,   1 
in  order  to  expedite  spring  business.     Pruning,  perforni  in  the  following   ■ 
order:  Ist.  Bush-fruit,  then  Cherries,  Apples,  Plums,   Peaches,   Vines,   | 
&c.,   and   ordinary  Pears,   reserving   choice  ones,  Apricots,   Figs,  &c.,   - 
until  spring.     Protection  for  blossom,  lay  by  from  shrubbery  or  wood   1 
prunings.     Planting,  proceed  with,  all  but  Figs  and  Vines.     Rasp-   \ 
nERRiBS,   plant   suckers   from,    and   prune.     Root-pruning,   perform 
immediately.      Staking,   see    to.      Strawbebbies,    remove    rubbish 
between  rows,  and  manure,  but  cut  not  the  foliage.     Stations,  prepare,   i 
Training,  carry  out  betimes.     Tosiatoes,  ripen  before  the  fire.     Tor-   | 
DRESSINGS,  apply.     Walks,  turn  or  clean  for  the  winter.     Weather:    i 
provide  in-door's  work  for  a  bad  season,  such  as  labels,  stakes,  training 
pegs,  &c.,  and  grind  your  bill-hooks,  and  file  your  hand-saws. 

R,  Errincton. 

ORCHID  HOUSE, 

AiB  will  seldom  be  required  during  this  month  ;  keep  the  air  inside 
much  cooler,  because  most  of  the  plants  ought  now  to  lie  in  a  slate  of 
rest.  Baskets,  jjlants  in,  should  only  be  syringed  ;  thev  ought  to  be  so 
placed  that  the  drip  from  them  may  fall  into  the  walk.  Division  : 
such  plants  as  Stanhopens,  Gougoras,  and  Acropeia,  may  be  divided  thiii 
month,  with  a  view  to  increase  them ;  give  these  no  water  till  they  start 
into  growth  again.  Heat  :  the  thermometer  in  the  wanner  house  should 
be  allowed  to  tall  to  53°  in  the  night,  and  never  exceed  70°  by  day;  65° 
without  sun  will  be  sufficient.  Potting  will  be  required  occasionally  j 
even  at  this  untoward  season  of  the  year  some  plants  will  grow,  and, 
therefore,  must  be  potted,  because  if  delayed,  the  young  roots  will  begin 
to  push,  and  then  it  is  difficult  to  pot  without  breaking  them.  Rest: 
keep  all  the  plants  possible  at  rest  for  the  next  two  months  ;  the  means 
arc  a  cooler  and  drier  atmosphere,  and  no  more  water  at  the  root  than  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  prevent  the  pacudo-bulbs  perishing.    Syringing 


KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Artichokes,  winter  dress.  Asparagus-beds,  dress  ;  attend  to  that 
in  forcing,  and  plant  in  succession.  Brans,  ])lant  a  good  main  crop 
toward  the  end  of  the  month.  Beet  (Red),  dig  up  for  storing.  Buo- 
coLi,  lay  down  or  remove  to  other  warmer  situations  with  good  balls  of 
earth;  take  rare  not  to  injure  their  leaves.  Cabbages,  plant  or  priek 
out  into  nursery-beds.  Cardoons,  earth  up,  li.  Carrots,  dig  up  and 
store,  b. ;  leave  or  plant  out  for  seed.  Cauliflowers,  prick  out  in 
frames,  ikc.^  for  winter  protection  ;  pay  particular  attention  to  airing  in  all 
fine  weatlier,  both  hand-glass  crops  and  otherwise.  Celery,  earth-up 
in  dry  afternoons,  having  the  earth  all  forked  up  previously.  Colk- 
woRTS,  plant.  Composts,  prepare,  and  always  have  a  supply  in  the 
dry  for  immediate  use.  Cucumbers,  attend  to  in  forcing.  Draining, 
attend  to  where  required.  Dung,  prepare  for  hotbeds.  Earthing-up, 
attend  to.  Endive,  tie  up  for  blanching  or  otherwise  ;  pay  particular 
attention  to  protection.  Garlic,  plant.  Herbabv,  clean,  &c.  Hoeing, 
attend  to ;  on  a  fine  afternoon  never  lose  a  favourable  opportunity  for  tliis 
or  any  other  kind  of  work.  Horsebadish,  dig  up,  and  lay  in  the  prime 
for  use,  and  replant.  Hotbeds,  ni.ake  forsalading,  &c.  Jerusalem 
Artichokes,  dig  up  and  store.  Leaves,  continually  collect  into  some 
corner  for  future  use.  Lettuces,  plant  in  frames;  attend  to  those 
advancing.  Mint,  plant;  force  in  hotbed.  iMushboom-df.ds,  ma!ie; 
attend  to  those  in  production.  Onions,  in  store,  look  over ;  (Potato), 
plant.  Parsley,  plant  some  in  a  frame  for  use  in  snowy  weather. 
Parsnips,  dig  up  and  store,  b. ;  leave  or  plant  out  for  seed.  Peas,  of 
the  best  early  kinds,  maybe  sown  toward  the  middle  or  end  of  the  month. 
Potatoes,  attend  to  those  in  store,  or  dig  up,  should  any  remain  out. 
Rhubabb,  clear  away  decayed  leaves,  and  top  dress  ;  al;o  pot  olT  any 
number  of  plants  that  may  be  required  for  early  forcing,  to  bring  into  the 
forcing  structure  as  wanted.  Radishes,  sow,  in  hotbed,  Svlsafy, 
dig  up  and  store.  Scorzoneba,  dig  up  and  store.  Sea-kale,  pay 
particular  attention  to  the  removing  of  all  the  decayed  leaves,  &c. ;  tup- 
dressing,  covered  up  with  fermenting  materials,  or  other  modes  of 
forcing.  Seeds,  dress  and  store.  Shallots,  plant,  b.  Small  Salad- 
ing,  sow;  sow  in  hotbed.  Spinach,  thin,  earth-stir,  and  keep  clear  of 
decayed  and  fallen  leaves.  Thinning,  attend  to.  Trench,  ridge,  ^c, 
vacant  ground.  Turnips,  attend  to  thinning-out,  or  hoeing  the  late 
sown  crops,  and  should  the  weather  be  inclined  to  set  in  very  severe,  any 
number  of  turnips  that  arc  full  grown  may  be  taken  up,  and  stored  for 
winter  use.  Spading-in  is  often  better  than  the  hoe.  Always  Covrb- 
up  a  little  earlier  on  the  appearance  of  frosty  nights.  Also  look  over  your 
Brocoli  quarters  of  a  frosty-looking  evening.  See  if  any  arc  fit  to  cut, 
or  if  their  leaves  need  to  be  broken  down  over  the  heads  as  a  protection. 

T.  Weaver. 


London:  Printed  by  Habry  Wooldridce,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalcndar;  and  Published  by  William 
Somerville  Ore,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Farish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  Londoii.— October  27lh,  1853. 


NnVKJlUER 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CAl-SNDAR. 


73 


.11 
1) 

_- 

Wkathkil  near  LoNllOiV  IN 

1852. 
Itain  in 
Inches. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun    1   Moon 
Sets.    !  K.  &  S. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Clock 
af.  Sun, 

Day  of  , 
Ye.ir.    I 

W    ■ 

NOVE.MBEK  3-9,   1S53. 

J3arometcr.     , Thermo.  Wind. 

i 

s 

4 

6 

7 
8 

9 

Th 

F 

S 

Son 

SI 

To 

W 

Drab  Day  Moth  ;  woods. 
Laburnum  leafless. 
GuNi'owDER  Plot,  i005. 

24    SUND.W    AfTEK  TllINITV. 

Lombardy  Poplar  leafless. 

[i\Iayor's  day. 

Pr.  Wales     born,   1841.      Lord 

29.748— 29.658 
29.840—29.689 
29.391— 29. 300 
29.843—29.737 
29.979—29.862 
30.146—30.048 
30.164—30.045 

56-32     S.W. 
fiO— 44        S. 
ns- 40        S. 
58-52      S.W. 
Co— 54      S.W. 
62-56  1  S.W. 
59-48  '  S.W. 

16 
01 
05 
05 
15 

59  a.  6 

VII 

3 

5 

6 
8 
10 

28  a.  4  1     5    50 
26      1     6    S5 
25       !     7     34 
23       1     8     47 
21        1    10       6 
20       1   11     26 
18      i    morn. 

3 

4 
5 

>: 

16    18 
16    17 
1(1    16 
18     13 
16     10 
16      6 
16      0 

307 
303 

3og 

310 
311 
313 
313 

BIbteohology  ok  the  Week. — At  Chiswick,  from  observationa  during  the  last  twenty-si.v  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
peratures of  these  days  are  56°  and  40.1°  respectively.    The  greatest  heat,  63°,  occurred  on  the  6th  in  1834  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  20°,  on  the 
3rd  in  1845.    During  the  period  S9  days  were  tine,  and  on  93  rain  fell. 

NEW  PLANTS. 
Alonsoa  acuiifolia  [Pointed-leaved  Alonsoa). 
This  was  raised  by  tbe  Horticultural  Society  from  seed  sent 
from  Bolivia,  by  J.  B.  Pentland,  Esi;[.  Its  merit  is  founded 
on  its  bright  scarlet  flowers,  wbicli  grow  in  loose  terminal 
clusters.  It  is  a  shrubby  greenhouse  plant,  about  two  feet 
high.  To  any  one  but  a  botanist  it  would  seem  to  be 
Alonsoa  mchiefoUa,  from  which  it  differs  in  its  anthers  being 
equal  to  their  filaments  in  length.  {Horliciilturul  Socieli/'s 
Journal,  viii.  318.) 

Xanthobp.hcea  hastile  (Spear  Yelloio  Gum). 
It  is  also  iinown  as  A',  resinosa,  and  as  "  The  Yellow 
Kesin  Tree."  The  genus,  wliich  is  popularly  called  "  the 
Grass  Trees"  and  "  tbe  Gum  Trees,"  belongs  to  the  Natural 
Order  of  the  Lilyworts,  and  to  Hexandria  Monogynia  of 
Linnasus.  Though  known  as  long  since  as  ISOo,  yet  the 
specimens  of  the  species  before  us  seem  to  have  died 
without  living  long  enough  to  have  attracted  much  notice. 
"  At  length,  says  Sir  W.  J.  Hoolter,  we  received  a  healthy 
plant  from  Port  Jackson,  in  1845,  througli  Mr.  Kidd,  then 
placed  in  temporary  charge  of  the  Botanic  Garden  at 
Sidney.  This  blossomed  with  us  in  tbe  spring  of  1853, 
while  still,  we  apprehend,  comparatively  a  small  plant,  the 
whole  height,  including  the  scape  and  spike,  being  barely 
six  feet.  The  scape  alone,  in  its  native  country,  attains  a 
height  of  18  or  20  feet,  and  is  used  by  the  natives  for 
making  spears  (whence  tbe  specific  name  hastile)  and  fish- 
gigs,  being  pointed  with  the  teeth  of  fish  or  other  animals." 
It  looks  more  like  a  large  BuU-Kush  than  any  other 
familiar  plant  with  which  we  can  compare,  and  its  desig- 
nation "  Tree,"  gives  a  very  erroneous  idea  of  its  appearance, 
which  is  that  of  a  gigantic  grass. — (Botanical  Marjazine, 
t.  4722.) 

LiTTONIA  MODESTA  {Unassuniinij  LiUonia). 

This  is  a  new  genus,  named  in  memory  of  the  late  Dr. 
Samuel  Litton,  who  for  twenty-one  years  was  Professor  of 
Botany  in  the  Eoyal  Dublin  Society,  and  the  specific  name 
is  excellently  applicable,  for  "  Dr.  Litton's  unassuming  and 
retiring  disposition  prevented  his  taking  that  rank  in  general 
society  to  which  his  actjuireraents  entitled  him."  It  belongs 
to  the  Natural  Order  of  Melanths,  and  to  Hexandria  Mono- 
gynia of  Linnajus.    It  is  a  native  of  Natal,  where  it  was 


discovered  by  John  Sanderson,  Esq.,  was  sent  to  Kew  by 
J\Ir.  3IcKen,  from  the  Natal  Garden,  and  bloomed  there  in 
April  of  the  present  year. 


It  is  a  tuberous-rooted  stove  plant.  "  An  old,  fully- 
formed  tuber  is  larger  than  a  Spanish  Chesnut,  and  some- 
v/hat  of  the  same  shape,  but  having  two  projecting  lobes  or 
horns  pointing  downwards,  with  a  few  hair  -  like  fibres 
beneath.  When  planted,  a  new  white  tuber  is  formed  from 
the  apex  of  one  of  tliese."  From  tbe  broad  end  of  this 
new  tuber  the  stem  rises  and  roots  from  the  pointed  end. 
The  stem  is  chmbing,  and  about  three  feet  long.  The 
flowers  are  formed  of  six  orange-coloured  sepals.  It  climbs 
by  means  of  the  tendi'il-hke  terminations  of  the  leaves. 
(Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4723.) 


Ai  a  meeting  of  the  Entomological  Society,  on  the  3rd 
of  October,  Dr.  Lankester  exhibited  some  insects  taken 
at  Newcastle,  last  month,  during  the  prevalence  of  tbe 
cholera,  and  forwarded  to  the  Epidemiological  Society. 
He  read,  also,  a  letter  from  a  gentleman  resident  in  that 
town,  describing  their  advent  as  in  thousands.  The 
President  said  these  insects  were  Aphides'^'-,  and  remarks 
were  made  by  several  members,  to  the  effect  that,  at 
this  season  of  the  year,  the  migrations  of  the  winged 
females  occurred  often  in  great  numbers,  and  there  was 
no  reason  to  think  they  were  local  in  Newcastle,  or  had 
any  reference  to  the  cholera,  as  had  been  inferred  in  the 

*  since  determined,  by  Mr.  Walker,  to  be  of  more  than  one  species  ; 
but  chiefly  A.  rttmicis,  one  of  the  commonest  of  the  genus. 


newspapers,  but  the  hot,  moist,  stagnant  atmosphere, 
which  had  been  noticed  was  favourable  to  the  spread- 
ing of  that  disease,  would  probably  induce  their  rapid 
development,  and  would  certainly  lead  to  their  being 
more  observed  than  in  windy  weather.  Mr.  Saunders 
remarked,  that  iu  India  vast  numbers  of  Diptera  were 
seen  on  hot,  damp  mornings,  there  termed  "  cholera 
weather;"  and  Mr.  Baily  observed,  that  in  Warwick- 
shire, in  1819,  during  tbe  presence  of  cholera,  tbe 
people  had  noticed  great  swarms  of  "  flies,"  but  he 
knew  not  the  species,  and  it  was  not  to  be  supposed 
there  was  any  connection  between  them  and  the  disease. 
Mr.  Ingpen  sent  for  exhibition  leaves  of  Chrysan- 
themums  infested  with  Dipterous  mining  larvae,  to  a 


No.  CCLXVI.,  Vol.  XL 


74 


THE    COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


NoVEMnEB  3. 


much  greater  extent  than  nsnal,  and  asked  tlie  name  of 
the  species,  and  for  any  other  information  resiiecting 
it.  Tliey  appeared  to  be  the  larvK  of  I'fpliritU  Oiw- 
pordms,  and  Artemisia:,  concerning  whicli,  and  the 
injuries  to  Chrysanthemums  and  Celery,  an  article,  by 
Mr.  W6.5twood,  was  published  in  "  Loudon's  Gardener's 
Magazine,"  in  18.30. 

Mr.  Foxcroft  sent  for  exhibition  several  of  his 
captures  of  insects,  of  all  orders,  in  Perthshire. 

Mr.  Edwin  Shepherd  exhibited  a  hermaphrodite 
Alois  consortitria,  the  right  side,  contrary  to  the  rule  in 
such  cases,  being  female. 

Mr.  Smith  exhibited  several  rare  Hymenoptera,  taken 
recently  at  Southend;  also,  a  living  male  of  the  para- 
sitic AnllwplLorahia  nitida,  which  was  now  eleven  days 
old,  although  Mr.  Newport  had  given  the  duration  of 
life  in  the  sjiecies  as,  at  most,  eighteen  hours. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Saunders  exhibited  specimens  of  a  Xijla- 
copa,  from  Port  Natal,  with  the  nest,  consisting  of 
several  chambers  in  a  reed  ;  also  a  mud  nest  of  a 
Polopmts,  which,  however,  had  produced  only  parasitic 
Grypti. 

Mr.  Stevens  exhibited  a  quantity  of  insects  just  re- 
ceived from  Mr.  Bates,  at  Santareni,  including  many 
species  of  small  Golenptera. 

Mr.  Hemmings  sent  for  exhibition  Asopia  nemomlis 
(Scop.),  taken  June  Sfith,  at  Holm  Bush,  near  Henfiekb 
Sussex;  and  Simarilds  mlirana  (Hub),  taken  Sept.  Utli, 
near  Hurst,  in  Sussex — both  being  new  species  ;  also 
the  rare  Pliibulapleryx  ijcmmnta,  taken  at  Hurst,  Sep- 
tember 11th. 

Mr.  Douglas  exhibited  specimens  of  Oeleclna  hisla- 
hiteUa,  bvcd  from  ClienopoiVmm  maritimim,  growing  at 
Brighton,  in  August. 

The  President  read  a  curious  account,  communicated 
by  J.  Walter  Lea,  of  Ramsgate,  through  A.  R.  Hogan, 
Esq..  of  tiio  appearance  of  a  parasitic  moth  from  the 
pupa  of  Lasiocampa  Trifolii,  but,  unfortunately,  by  an 
accident,  the  whole  had  been  swept  away  before  there 
was  an  opportunity  of  verifying  the  observation. 

Read  a.lso  a  paper  on  Jjees  destroyed  by  toads.  In 
the  instance  observed,  several  bees  were  found  alive  in 
tlie  toad's  stomach ;  and  on  Oniscus  armadiUo ;  and 
on  2'ypJdonjbfi  Jilicum,  a  new  species,  as  injurious  to  cul- 
tivated Ferns,  especially  under  glass.  All  hy  the 
President. 

Read  it  description  of  Lithocolcctus  irrndidJa,  a  new 
species  taken  near  Renfrew,  by  John  Scott,  Esq. 

Read  also  some  cxti'aots  from  a  letter  addi'csscd  to 
the  Secretary,  by  the  Rev.  J.  Greene,  on  the  liability  of 
the  genus  Nolodnntu  to  the  attacks  of  Ichneumons  ;  and 
on  the  general  prevalence  of  moiddine.ss  among  cater- 
pillars this  year,  probably  on  account  of  the  dampness 
of  tliC  season. 


At  Hamburgh,  where  Jive-eighths  of  the  cholera  occurred 
in  the  lowest  parts  of  the  town,  but  little  above  the  level 
of  the  w.ater,  "  it  lias  been  found  that  incautious  ex- 
posure to  cold  and  damp  has  brought  on  an  attack  as 


rapidly  as  improper  food,  or  excess."  In  Italy,  in  the 
malarious  districts,  the  ground-floor  of  the  mansion  is 
rarely  tenanted  ;  all  below  the  second-floor  being  deemed 
no  better  than  a  cellar  or  dark  dungeon.  And  the 
common  peo])le  wrap  themselves  in  thick,  coai-se, 
woollen  garments,  for  safety  against  fever.  Damp  is 
more  trying  to  the  human  constitution  than  mere  cold. 
Let  the  bulb  of  a  thermometer  be  heated  to  the  tempe- 
rature of  95°  in  a  warm  hand;  or  by  placing  it  in  the 
mouth  ;  the  exact  time  it  talces  to  cool  down  to  nearly 
the  warmth  of  the  air,  in  a  very  moist,  and  in  a  very 
dry  atmosphere,  respectively,  of  equal  temperature,  will 
sliew  by  how  much  more  quickly  vital  heat  is  moment- 
arily abstracted  in  the  one  case  than  in  the  other 
Almost  every  grave  disease  begins  with  shiverings,  and 
the  importance  of  keeping-up  a  brisk,  .active  tone  in  the 
minute  extreme  vessels  of  the  skin,  as  a  safeguard 
against  pestilential  disease,  is  a  point  that  deserves  our 
careful  study. 

We  see  ruddy  faces  and  out-door  emjiloyments  go 
together.  Our  country  folks  trust  more  to  exorcise  than 
extra  clothing  to  keep  them  warm,  and  sutler  little  from 
epidemics;  their  little  children,  who  are  more  in  the 
house,  suffer  somewhat  more.  The  agricultural  la- 
bourer's cottage  may  be  as  dirty,  damp,  and  over- 
crowded, as  that  of  the  poor  man  in  the  town  ;  but  out- 
door habits  protect  him  ;  and  the  pure,  free,  outside 
air,  not  very  completely  excluded  i'rom  the  cottage,  is 
some  safeguard  to  his  family. 

The  black  race,  who  have  a  powerful  skin  (in  evei-y 
sense),  who  are  but  partially  clothed,  are  anything  but 
particular  in  their  ablutions,  preferring  mutton-grease 
to  brown  soap ;  whose  residences  are  hy  no  means 
model  cottages ;  and  who  have  too  little  care  about 
the  quality  of  the  water  they  drink,  possess  a  remarkable 
immunity  from  ejiidemios;  and  are  almost  exclusively 
taken  up  with  out-door  employments.  In-door  servants, 
the  thorougli-bred  descendants  of  negroes,  who  happen 
to  have  devoted  themselves  to  in-door  avocationsi,  lose, 
in  two  or  three  generations,  much  of  thiit  jihysiognomy 
which  baa  been  a  family  characteristic  from  the  times 
of  the  Egyptian  monuments. 

The  Moorish  ladies  in  Spain,  leading  an  in-door  life, 
and  being  mostly  veiled,  become  very  fair  and  delicate. 
Highly  civilised  men  and  women  take  a  pride  in  their 
artificial  wants.     They  delight  to  exclude  cold,  damp, 
and  even  sunshine,  from  their  houses,  and  wrap  their 
limbs  in  ample  clothing,  in  lieu  of  healthy  c.\ercise  in 
the  open  air.     But  what  is  the  case  of  the  poor  of  our 
towns,  condomnisd  to  suffer  so  many  of  the  impurities 
ol'  the  civilised  state,  with  so  few  countervailing  com- ■ 
forts  and  appliiinces'.'      Nature  has  not  a   fair  chance   i 
with  them,  and  their  pallid,  shivering  skins  nnist  ho  as   | 
warmly  protected,  just  now,  as  is  the  It.alian  peasants,   I 
in  a  warmer  climate  than  ours,  but  from  which  fever   | 
is  rarely  absent. 

The  class  of  pestilential  diseases  marked  by  an  actual 
outbreak  on  the  skin  is  mora  numerous  than  is  generally   | 
supposed.      Shopmen,  clerks,  and  other  young   towns- 
])eoplc,  .arc  liable  to  an  unsightly  eruption  on  the  face  j 


November  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


75 


and  skin,  for  which  the  name  ochlosish&s'beoa  invented, 
from  ochlos,  a  crowd.  Its  cause  being  oonfinoment  and 
bad  air. 

A  very  old  word+-  for  pestilence  signifies  an  ulcer ;  a 
loss  of  surface  of  the  skin.  One  of  the  moderns  has 
invented  the  term  dcxtien  entente,  or  inward  boil,  to 
characterise  a  whole  host  of  fevers.  A  few  words  are 
needful  to  explain  the  correlative  value  of  these  facts. 
Anatomy  proves  the  skin  to  be  reflected  over  the 
whole  surface  of  the  lungs  and  intestinal  canal,  where 
its  textiu-e  becomes  very  delicate  and  sensitive,  and 
where  it  is  styled  mucous  membrane,  which  is  nothing 
more  than  an  internal  skin,  while  the  skin  is  a  true 
mucus  membrane  worn  outside. 

London  tailors  offer  you  the  temptation  of  a  coat, 
which,  worn  one  way,  makes  an  excellent  dreadnought 
wrapper  for  all  sorts  of  rough  work ;  turn  it  inside-out, 
and  you  have,  impromptu,  a  becoming  garment  in  which 
to  pay  a  morning  visit,  or  to  appear  decently  at  church. 
Physiologists  have  maintained  the  possibility  of  turning 
inside-out  the  whole  system  of  certain  pliant  animals,  so 
that  the  stomach  and  bowels  shall  become  a  skin,  and 
the  skin  a  digestive  apparatus ;  but,  indeed,  no  such 
experiment  is  needed  to  convince  us  that  the  internal 
and  external  skin  is  one. 

The  whole  of  this  immense  surface  of  skin,  then,  feels 
for  each  part;  and  each  part  sympathises,  again,  with 
the  condition  of  the  whole.  A  few  every-day  examples 
I  must  here  beg  leave  to  adduce.  The  sort  of  food  an 
animal  eats  will  tell  on  the  sleekness  or  otherwise  of 
his  coat ;  less  food  will  suffice  if  he  be  tolerably  pro- 
tected from  cold.  A  cold  plunge  into  the  sea  excites  an 
enormous  appetite.  The  complexion  reveals  the  state 
of  the  drunkard's  stomach,  and  of  the  hings  of  the 
consumptive  man.  A  brisk  emetic,  or  a  warm  hath, 
will  indifterently  well  ward  off  an  attack  of  fever,  or  of 
influenza. 

These  important  surfaces  possess  very  different  powers 
of  resistance  to  noxious  agents  at  different  seasons, 
when  in  a  sound,  or  when  in  an  vmsound,  state.  A 
very  slight  flaw  in  the  roof  of  the  house,  and  we  are 
drop  dry  no  longer  ;  a  very  small  leak  in  the  side  of  a 
good  ship,  and  she  is  sea  worthy  no  longer.  The 
strength  of  a  fortress  is  only  the  strength  of  its  weakest 
point;  and  tlie  strength  of  a  chain  is  the  strengtli  of 
the  weakest  link.  An  anatomist  may  safely  work  at 
awfully  decomposed  subjects  as  long  as  he  is  well,  the 
skin  of  his  hands  whole,  his  lungs  sound,  and  liis  diges- 
tion all  right.  But  a  very  slight  sore  on  one  of  his 
fingers  is  enough  to  admit  into  his  system  the  deadly 
poison  amongst  which  he  had  previously  worked  with 
impunity ;  and  if  he  (of  all  men)  should  neglect  a 
cough,  or  allow  a  slight  bowel  complaint  to  go  on  from 
bad  to  worse,  then  he  is  in  danger  of  being  run  down 
by  hectic  or  diarrhoea;  whether  from  a  general  lowering 

*  In  Lee's  Hebrew  Grammar,  in  the  letter  D,  Davar,  meaning  a 
word  ;  Dever,  a  pestilence.  Uoots—Dha/iara,  he  inscribed,  and  Dafmra, 
it  was  ulcerated.  You  liave  Dhubr,  from  tlie  first,  signifying  a  writing; 
and  Dhttbir,  learned;  and  from  the  second,  Balir,  death,  of  similar 
import  with  Dever,  a  pestilence,  &c.  An  orientalist  might  saj'  a  pesti- 
lence is  a  divine  lesson,  written  on  (or  in)  our  bodies,  for  our  learning  ; 
and,  in  another  sense,  he  might  ask,  what  ulcer,  or  what  pest,  is  so  foul 
as  bad  writing  !  j.  j. 


of  tone,  or  whether  from  some  slight  sore  or  abrasion 
of  the  internal  surface  of  the  bowel  favouring  the 
access  of  the  specific  poison.  Not  less  dangerous  is  it 
"  when  the  cholera  lias  cwluaUy  hrohen  out  and  become 
epidemio  in  any  district  or  locality,"  to  neglect  slight  de- 
rangements of  the  "  mucous  membranes,"  which,  at  any 
other  time  or  place,  might  judiciously  he  left  to  get  well 
of  themselves.  During  a  bad  epidemic  state  of  the  air 
"  the  normal  powers  of  the  constitution  "  are  suspended ; 
things  can  be  left  to  themselves  no  longer,  and  stringent 
coercive  measures  are  requisite  to  repress  the  general 
tendency  to  go  on  from  bad  to  worse. 

The  cottage  gardener  will  understand  the  general 
bearing  of  these  remarks,  knowing  the  importance  of  a 
lively  hue,  and  healthy  tone  of  the  skin,  among  his  own 
favourites.  He  can  see  all  the  skin  of  his  interesting 
patients.  The  outer  skin  only  of  ours  is  visible.  Ho 
knows  the  dire  import  of  a  little  speck  or  spot  on 
the  delicate  surface,  in  an  unhealthy  season,  and  how 
much  then  depends  on  taking  things  in  time ;  and  at 
all  times  how  injurious  damp  is,  and  how  necessary  are 
proper  warmth,  ventilation,  cleanliness,  and  nutriment, 
to  keep  up  the  good  looks  of  the  inanimate  domestic 
companions  of  civilised  man,  and  ministers  to  his  enjoy- 
ments. How  much  more  should  we  not  care  for  fellow- 
creatures  similarly  confined,  but  not  always  similarly 
cared  for.     Is  not  a  man  more  than  a  plant  ?       J.  J. 


It  is  no  matter  of  surprise  to  us  to  hear  the  many 
suggestions  that  are  now  being  brought  forward  with  a 
view  to  several  alterations  in  the  present  system  of 
Poultry  Exhibitions.  The  object  of  such  shows  is  two- 
fold ;  the  exhibitor,  in  the  first  place,  being  thus  re- 
warded by  public  approbation  for  his  skill  and  judgment; 
while  intending  purchasers  have  the  advantage  of  com- 
parison to  guide  their  selections,  and  regulate  their 
standard  of  excellence.  Now,  whatever  regulations 
might  best  combine  these  two  points  would  plainly 
best  answer  the  intentions  of  such  Associations.  Among 
other  proposals,  we  find  a  wish  expressed  to  see  pens 
with  a  smaller  number  of  birds  than  are  now  usually 
required ;  while  a  separation  of  the  sexes  is  also  desired 
by  some. 

In  reference  to  the  first  suggestion,  the  larger  shows 
already  give  every  opportunity  of  showing  to  poultry- 
keepers  on  a  large,  or  on  a  small  scale.  Any  one,  for 
instance,  who  wishes  to  compete  at  Birmingham,  may 
do  so  either  in  the  class  for  "  a  code  and  three  liens,"  or 
in  that  for  "  a  code  and  one  hen!'  Smaller  provincial 
Societies,  where  funds  may  be  unequal  to  this  sub- 
division, ofier  their  premiums  for  "  a  cod;  and  two  hens' 
We  hardly  see  how  this  can  be  improved  ;  and  to  the 
proposition  of  the  judge  being  called  upon,  not  only  to 
bestow  the  prize  on  the  best  pen,  but  also  to  select  out 
of  these  pens,  for  honour,  the  best  birds,  male  and 
female,  in  the  diiferent  classes,  we  must  decidedly 
object,  as  affording  constant  occasion  for  cavilling  and 
discontent,  while  it  confines  the  principle  on  which 
the  premiums  to  pens  have  been  awarded. 


76 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NoVEMUEn 


This  brings  us  to  the  second  point — a  general  separation 
oftlie  sexes  in  tlie  Show-room.  Itwill  hardly,  we  imagine, 
he  contested, but  that  sucli  an  arrangement  would  greatly 
mar  the  effectof  the  Exhibition.  In  the  female  compart- 
ments, the  greater  brilliancy  of  the  male  bird  would  be 
sadly  missed,  and  the  space  assigned  to  the  latter  would 
again  sufier  in  eti'ect  from  the  loss  of  contrast  with  the 
subdued  tones  of  the  plumage  of  the  hens  and  pullets. 
There  would  be  one  advantage,  it  is  true,  gained  for 
any  one  who  required  a  bird  of  either  sex  without 
purchasing  either  a  whole  pen,  or  birds  of  different 
sexes  of  the  same  blood.  But  we  cannot  look  upon  this 
as  counterbalancing  the  drav.'baclis  already  alluded  to  ; 
we  would,  therefore,  provide  for  it  iu  another  manner. 
But  when  we  have  to  speak  of  the  sales  effected  on 
these  occasions,  we  would  certainly  ask  for  a  further 
consideration  of  the  rule  which  enforces  the  aiiixing  of 
a  price,  whether  prohibitory  or  otherwise.  Such  pro- 
hibitory prices  often  lead  to  misconception  on  the  part 
of  the  public;  for  a  pen  labeled  at  100  guineas,  or  more, 
induces  scornful  remarl;s  at  the  absurdity  of  fancy 
prices,  which,  to  say  the  least,  arc  far  from  benefioial 
to  the  cause  of  those  who  have  lately  encouraged 
Poultry-keeping,  under  the  persuasion  of  its  being  a 
branch  of  agricultm'al  economy  hitherto  greatly  neg- 
lected. The  owners  of  such  pens,  indeed,  arc,  generally 
speaking,  perfectly  sincere  in  this  expression  of  their 
unwillingness  to  let  favourite  specimens  pass  out  of 
their  possession  on  any  terms;  but  how  much  better 
would  it  be  to  allow  the  ticket  "  not  li>  he  sold "  to 
appear  in  such  instances.  The  special  purpose  of  the 
rule  whicli  states  that  the  object  of  prices  being  assigned 
to  each  lot  is  to  benefit  purcliasors  constantly  fails,  for 
few  really  prohibitory-priced  pens  are  then  sold,  and  the 
Society  suffers,  also,  in  some  cases,  by  such  birds  being 
subsequently  disposed  of  by  private  contract  at  a  lower 
figure,  when  the  five  per  cent,  commission  is  necessarily 
lost  to  their  receipts.  Under  this  idea,  the  alteration 
has  already  been  made  by  the  managers  of  some  exhi- 
bitions, where  "  not  to  be  sold "  is  to  replace  the  pro- 
hibitory price.  At  all  events,  Secretaries  will  do  well 
to  secure  the  correctness  of  the  sums  at  which  birds  are 
valued  iu  their  published  catalogues,  by  carefully  com- 
paring them  with  the  returns  of  their  owners  in  the 
forms  of  entry.  Many  have  been  the  mistakes  from 
inattention  to  this  part  of  their  duty  during  the  present 
year,  and,  consequently,  great  the  dissatisfaction,  with 
both  sellers  and  buyers,  when  the  error  has  become 
apparent. 

I'ri/.e-lists  for  the  present  season  are  now,  with  pro- 
bably very  few  exceptions,  completed  ;  so  that  it  is  in 
good  time  that  the  question  of  what  altei'ations  in  their 
detail  may  be  generally  advisable  for  another  yeiu'  is 
now  mooted.  We  doubt,  at  present,  whether  any  great 
changes  will  be  fonnd  desirable ;  but  the  addition  of  a 
separate  class  in  each  breed  for  the  male  birds  of  all 
ages,  to  bo  chosen  separately,  would  not  interfere  with 
the  present  system  ;  while,  for  the  purposes  of  the 
breeder,  great  advantages  would,  )irobahly,  be  thereby 
obtained.  W- 


]\IEETING  OF  THE    HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY.— October  18,  ISO:;!. 

PnoviDED  it  is  dry  overhead,  it  matters  little  wliat 
kind  of  weather  it  is  in  London,  for  in  London,  be  it 
hot  or  cold,  sunshine  or  overcast,  you  are  in  a  cloud  of 
smoke,  and  dirt,  and  filth,  and  all  sorts  of  bad  smells, 
as  long  as  you  are  there,  or  can  bear  it ;  but  when  you 
get  used  to  it,  there  is  not  such  another  jilace  as  London 
in  this  world  for  everything  you  can  think  of  or  wish 
for.  In  every  other  part  of  England,  the  isth  of  Oc- 
tober was  the  finest  day  we  had  since  the  middle  of 
August,  but  in  liOndon  you  could  not  make  out  a  soldier 
irom  a  policeman  across  the  street.  Kothing  but  smoke, 
and  noises,  and  crowds  of  peo]de,  go  where  you  would; 
yet  we  had  an  excellent  .Kxhibition  of  i'riiits  and 
I'lowers,  new  things  as  well,  both  in  fruits  and  ilowcrs. 

One  new /mil  ill  J  hnrdy  phut  was  shown  to  me  behind 
the  scenes,  and  I  tasted  the  fruit  of  it,  and  relished  it 
indeed  ;  but  I  was  not  to  say  a  word  about  it  till  next 
year.  Of  Orchids,  there  were  some  largo  specimens  of 
Dendrobiums  ;  a  line  plant  of  Vumla  oarulea,  from  the 
IMessrs.  Rolliuson,  of  Tooting.  It  was  lighter  iu  colour 
than  those  that  were  shown  last  autumn;  but  for  this 
most  of  us  were  prepared,  and  wc  beard,  in  the  lecture, 
that  many  other  flowers  coloured  badly,  and  that  out- 
door fruit  wanted  llavour,  owing  to  the  unusual  bad 
season.  A  letter  was  read  to  us  from  a  gentleman  in 
Surrey,  who  sent  wonderful  fine  Unions,  of  which  I 
shall  speak  by-and-by,  in  which  he  said  there  was  no 
summer  at  all  this  season  in  his  part  of  the  country. 
Angricvmn  hifoHmn,  with  several  i-accmes  of  starry, 
white,  waxy  blossoms  hanging  down  from  the  bottom 
of  the  pseudo-bulbs,  looking  very  pretty.  Erio2)sis 
hiloha,  a  strong  Eria-looking  plant,  with  a  spike  of  ten 
dull  brown  flowers.  Oncidium  varicosiim,  the  very  best 
of  all  the  yellow-flowering  Oncids  ;  the  fiowers  put  you 
in  mind  of  the  large-flowering  variety  of  E^ndendrum 
anqdiatiiin,  which  we  always  see  at  the  May  shows  ; 
everyone  who  grows  Orcliids  ouglit  to  possess  this 
Oncidium.  Sophroiiitis  tjriimlijlora,  another  gem  of  the 
first  water,  iu  the  shape  of  a  little  creeping  pl.ant,  with 
large  crimson  flowers  of  great  substance, — "  a  charming 
plant,"  as  the  lecturer  remarked.  Miltonia  Morelii,  a 
jilant  as  much  like  il/(7/0H/«  (/rdHrf//'"''"  as  can  be,  but 
the  flowers  are  considerably  larger,  and  of  the  same  colour 
all  over, — a  light  sliade  of  purple.  Jjiilid  Perrinii,  a 
well-known  old  plant,  J  believe,  with  beautiful  deep 
lilac  sepals  and  petals,  and  a  rich  purple  lip.  A  new 
Ciithi/it,  at  least  quite  new  to  rac,  called  PiiicVd  ;  this, 
also,  h.ad  lilnc  sepals  and  petals,  and  a  very  rich  piu'plo 
li]),  the  llowor  imder  a  niediiun  size,  but  that  might  he 
owing  to  the  age  and  smallness  of  the  plant — a  very 
]u-etty  thing.  All  the  above  Orchids  were  from  the 
Messrs.  llollinsou,  who  also  sent  other  plants,  among 
which  was  the  new  /obi-a-like  Apliehuidra,  which  was 
exhibited  the  last  two  summers  from  j\lr.  Van  Houte, 
of  Ghent,  only  a  little  morsel  last  May  twelvemonth, 
and  a  little  bigger  last  summer ;  but  this  plant  of  it 
was  from  three  to  lour  feet  high,  with  a  central  spil;o  of 
bright  yellow  flowers  at  the  top.  Uiesides  the  white 
stripes  on  the  leaves,  /obra-fashion,  this  is  a  very  good 
addition  to  the  early  winter  ]ilanls,  which  come  in  so 
useful  for  country  gaideners  to  bring  into  the  rooms  or 
warm  conservatories  which  are  kept  as  show  houses. 

The  right  way  to  grow  all  these  Aiihihmdras  is  not 
to  begin  too  curly  with  them  iu  the  spring.  Any  of 
them  that  are  now  in  llower,  or  that  will  ho  done  flow- 
ering liefore  Christmas,  should  have  a  few  inches  of  the 
tops  cut  off,  with  the  dead  ilower-sjiikes,  and  then  to 
treat  them  almost  like  an  old  C^ai^tus  till  the  middli^  of 
April, 'or  even  to  the  end  of  April,  in  somo  dry,  warm, 
out-of  tlio-way  place  ;  then  to  bo  cut  down  as  close  as 
an  old   Geranium,  started,  and  shaken  out  of  the  soil. 


JTovEunEn  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAUDENEE. 


after  growth  is  fairly  begun,  to  have  tlio  roots  well  out 
in,  to  use  very  rich  soil,  and  pots  as  small  as  the  roots 
will  go  into,  strong'  bottom-heat  in  a  frame,  three  shifts 
before  the  end  of  July,  and  to  be  kept  at  it  as  closely 
and  as  fast  as  tliey  can  go,  or  be  pushed  on  to  the  end 
of  August;  then  a  halt  on  short  commons  for  six  weeks; 
after  that,  the  very  finest  spikes  of  flowers  will  soon 
come,  which  cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  otlier  mode  of 
culture.  The  old  Jasticiii  coccinea,  under  this  treatment, 
and  not  more  than  two  years  old,  nor  allowed  much  pot 
room,  gives  the  brightest  flower  of  all  the  Acanthads  in 
the  winter  and  early  spring.  The  great  secret  with 
plants  of  the  whole  order,  which  flower  on  the  wood 
made  the  same  season,  is  to  give  them  a  very  large  rest 
after  flowering,  and  to  grow  them  very  quick  when  once 
they  are  set  in  motion. 

DicUoriiandra  thyrsijlora,  the  old  variety,  was  also 
there,  and  from  the  Society's  garden,  I  believe.  This, 
also,  is  a  very  useful  plant  to  come  into  the  warm  con- 
servatory at  this  season,  where  it  lasts  a  long  while  in 
bloom,  and  after  blooming  it  may  rest  till  May.  Many 
years  since,  we  used  to  set  all  these  kinds  of  plants  to 
grow  by  the  end  of  February,  when  they  would  grow 
long  and  lanky,  and  the  flowers  would  not  be  half  so 
good  or  so  numerous.  Tliere  is  a  far  better  variety 
than  this  thjrsijlora,  with  the  flowers  more  purplish  or 
dark  blue.  I  saw  it  in  bloom  this  time  last  year,  in  the 
laige  conservatory  at  Kew;  and  I  was  told  that  Sir  W. 
Hooker  could  not  see  any  botanical  difference  between 
it  and  the  old  one  to, justify  a  new  name;  but  it  should 
be  enquired  after  in  the  nurseries,  for  it  is  a  downright 
good  flower. 

'j'here  were  cut  branches  of  the  Oestrum  aitrantiacum, 
from  the  conservatory  of  the  Society — a  plant  that  is 
almost  always  in  flower ;  and  we  wore  told  that  some 
one  out  in  Spain,  or  somewhere  that  way,  to  \Yhom  the 
Society  gave  it  some  years  ago,  reports  that  it  is  quite 
hardy  there,  and  is  in  blossom  all  the  year  round.  I 
wish  I  had  known  that  ten  days  sooner,  and  off  it 
should  have  gone  to  New  Zealand.  As  it  is,  what  a 
nice  tree  to  shade  the  Arcadian  shepherds  in  place  of 
Virgil's  Fagi,  whether  these  were  Beeches  or  Chesnuts. 
It  comes  from  cuttings  as  freely  as  Willows,  and,  like 
them,  nine-inch  cuttings  of  three  or  four  years  old 
might  be  packed  in  an  old  boot,  and  sent  to  Melbourne 
by  the  ncvt  steamer,  and  nine  out  of  ten  of  them  would 
grow  if  tliey  were  put  si.^  inches  deep  in  the  ground, 
and  the  earth  pressed  hard  to  them. 

New  Pl.\nts. — -There  v/as  one  new  plant  here  to-day, 
that  I  am  quite  sure  will   have   as   extensive   a  sale, 
and  as  wide  circulation,  as  Rohinnon's  Defiance  T'erbeiia.  | 
Everybody  must   have   it  —  it   is   the   drollest  thing  I  i 
ever  saw,  to  begin  with.     There  is  not  another  flower  [ 
on  earth   like  it,   I   should   think ;   and  it   is   one   of 
the  very  prettiest  plants   that   a   lady  could   place  on  [ 
her  work-table   to   the   bargain.      'The   plant   was  not  ! 
more  than  six  or  eight  inches  high,  nor  much  above 
a  foot  in  diameter,  and  yet   it  had   on   one  hundred  , 
flowers ;  and  such  flowers !     Bright  red  bladders  dan- 
gling i'rom  slender  footstalks,  with  a  nipplo-liko  ending 
at  the  bottom ;  the  size  as  big  as  one  of  the  large  Gal-  j 
ceolarias,  with  a  small  yellow  hood  (the  real  flower)  on  } 
the  top,  opening  in  the  front,  where  you  could  blow  the 
bladder  till  it  burst.     There  is  not  a  botanist  on  earth 
who  could  give  a  more  natural  deliuition  of  it;   and  I 
had  to  borrow  a  flower,  which  is  now  in  my  left  hand 
while  the  pen  is  scratching  over  this  account  of  it.    The 
plant  is  from  the  high  parts  of  the  Neilghery  i-ange  in 
India,  and  will  bo  halfhardy  here      It  will  come  easily 
!   from  cuttings,  and  I  think  it  will  seed.     Last  of  all,  it 
is  one   of  the  Indian   Balsams,  and  called  hnpatiens 
Jenlonite,  after   Mrs.  Dr.   Jerdon,   by  Dr.  Wight.      It 
was  figured  lately  in  the  Botanical  Slagazine,  but  from 
a  very  bad  specimen,  as  the  figure  gives  no  idea  of  the 


beauty  of  the  flower.  The  red  of  the  flower  is  of  the 
same  tint  as  that  in  the  flower  of  Dieh/ira  spectahllit. 
'.L'he  plant  is  evidently  an  Alpine  plant  on  the  range, 
the  stems  being  old-fashioned,  woody-looking  things ; 
"  short  and  stubby,"  as  some  of  our  friends  would  say. 
'The  leaves  are  small,  healthy-looking,  and  without  any 
coarseness,  as  is  often  the  case  in  this  tribe.  Last  of 
all,  Mr.  Veitch,  of  the  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea,  was  the 
lucky  exhibitor  of  it.  I  saw  it  also  with  Mr.  Jackson  ; 
and  it  is  at  Kew;  but  we  shall  have  it  out  by-and-'oy. 

The  Fuchsia  speotahilis  was  not  more  earnestly  recom- 
mended, on  its  first  appearance,  by  any  one  "than  by 
The  Cottage  Gardener  ;  but  a  most  beautiful  cross 
from  it  by  the  pollen  of  Fuchsia  serratifolia  was  better 
explained  and  put  forth,  on  this  occasion,  in  the  lecture, 
than  I  can  pi'etend  to  do.     Nevertheless,  I  shall  have  a 
try  at  it;  for  there  is  nothing  I  like  better  than  to  have 
a  real  good  new  plant,  to  pull  out  its  character  and 
history.     This  is  a  new  cross — I  mean  new  as  betweer. 
two  distinct  natural  species — which,  after  all,  I  really 
believe  to  be  the  only  and  the  best  mode  of  getting  new 
Fuchsias  to  satisfy  our  taste  for  novelty.     After  fifteen 
years  at  crossing   varieties  of  Fuchsias   by   the   thou- 
sand, what  have  we  got?     Just  four  good  plants,  and 
hardly    that — a    white,   and    the    other    three    are    so 
many  niodifloations  of  the  old  coccinea,  or  of  gracilis, 
and  globosa.     I  say,  looking  at  all  this,  and  seeing  that 
serratifolia,   cordifolia,   and   speotahilis,  are   capable  of 
giving  us  a  new  race  of  Fuchsias  that  will  flower  all 
the  winter,  and  on  through  the  spring,   until  the  old 
ones  come  in  in  May,  1  am  now  more  confirmed  than 
ever  that  the  species  must  be  worked,  or  crossed,  toge- 
ther, in  preference  to  t!ie  varieties  of  garden  seedlings. 
Last  winter,  I  knew  a  large,  straggling  plant  of  Fuchsia 
cordifolia  that  tlov/ered  as  well  as  any  Fuchsia  I  ever 
saw  till  the  end  of  March;  from  this  time,  and  during 
the  preceding  summer,  it  was  so  neglected,  in  the  back 
regions,  that  it  was  leafless,  and  supposed  dead  for  four 
months  ;    and   it   was   only   on   observing  flower-buds 
coming  on  the  leafless  branches,  in  October,  that  the 
plant  was  watered,  and  taken  in-doors,  where  it  did  so 
well  that  I  then  suggested  a  cross  from  it  by  serratifolia, 
little   knowing   at  the    time    that   a   cross   for   winter 
flowering  from  a  better  plant,  speotahilis,  was  in  ex- 
istence ;  but  so  it  was,  and  we  had  a  plant  of  it  at  this 
meeting  nearly  four  feet  high,  and  a  yard  right  through 
it,  composed  of  so  many  shoots  from  near  the  surface  of 
the  pot,  and  every  branch  promising  to  go  on  flowering 
till  late  in  the  spring.     I  took  it  to  be  an  entire  new 
species  the  moment  I  saw  it — an  improvement  on  specia- 
hilis,  but  of  that  strain  ;  and  the  young  wood,  the  underside 
of  its  large  leaves,  are  of  deep  red  or  blood-colour,  as  in 
spectahilis.    The  upper  surface  of  the  leaves  is  of  the  mo.st 
peculiar  tint — a  greenish-purple,  or,   as  you  sometimes 
see  the  leaves  on  the  shaded  side  of  a  purple  Beech,  and 
they  are  of  the  most  healthy  looks.     The  flowers  are 
somewhat  larger  and  more  stout  than  those  of  speota- 
hilis ;  but  let  us  say  fully  as  good  as  those  of  spectahilis  ; 
and,  as  tliat  has  caused  a  great  disa.ppointment,  owing 
to  the  difiiculty  of  growing  it  healthy,  this  is  just  a 
proper  stibstituto  for  it.     It  was  sent  by  Mr.  Veitch, 
with  the  Indian  Balsam,  and  he  named  it  Dominiana, 
after  iM.r.  Dominy,  the  plant  foreman  in  his  establish- 
ment for  tlie  last  twenty  j'oars,  who  was  brought  up,  and 
"brought  out,"  in  this   very  esta,blishment;   and  who, 
after  the  hundreds  of  good  new  plants  that  must  have 
passed  under   his   hands,  allowed  this  new  one  to  be 
called  after  himself    He  must  have  had  a  great  deal  of 
confidence  in  its  merits,  from  the  very  first  seed-leaf;  and 
he  is  not  disappointed. 

Jilessrs.  Standish  and  Noble  sent  a  new  shrubby 
Oalceolaria,  called  liyssopifolia,  which  promises  to  be 
very  useful  for  bedding  and  for  crossing.  The  habit  is 
of  the  best  stamp  for  a  bed,  being  a  close  grower,  small, 


78 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


November  3. 


narrow  leaves,  and  quite  woody  at  the  bottom.  The 
flowers  are  not  unlike  those  of  Calceolaria  hicolor,  but 
smaller  ;  a  light  sulphiu'-colour.  If  this  were  to  he 
crossed  with  only  the  more  woody  kinds  which  we  now 
possess,  an  improved  race  of  bedders  would  soon  appear, 
and  be  very  useful. 

Mr.  Henderson,  of  the  Pine  Apple  Place  Nursery, 
sent  a  little  specimen  of  the  new  yellow-flowering 
Begonia  xi/anthina,  and  it  was  remarked  how  richly  this 
family  is  now  in  distinct  colours — all  the  shades  from 
white  to  pink,  rose  and  deep  red,  cinnamon  and  yellow; 
and  as  they  are  readily  crossed,  these  colours  and  shades 
can  he  blended  together,  and  other  new  shades  may 
thus  be  produced  in  great  variety. 

In  a  collection  of  more  than  two  dozens  of  cut  flowers 
of  Annuah,  from  the  garden  of  the  Society,  was  an 
excellent  new  Coreopsis  called  coronaria,  with  the 
flowers  much  in  the  way  of  those  of  C.  Dntmmondi,  but 
with  the  eye  streaked  all  round,  with  brown  marlcings 
like  some  of  the  older  ones.  If  the  habit  of  tliis  plant 
is  as  good  as  that  of  Dniminovdi  it  will  he  a  useful 
addition  to  the  family  for  bedding.  This  puts  me  in 
mind,  that  I  saw  quantities  of  a  new  variety  of  Coreopsis 
hicolor,  at  Clareniont,  this  season,  which  looks  in  leaf  and 
flower  exactly  like  the  old  one,  but  the  plant  is  only  a 
few  inches  high  ;  this  is  a  rare  good  addition  for  the 
I'lower-garden.  Mr.  Mallison  had  the  seeds  of  it  from 
Fi-a,nce,  but  it  must  soon  come  into  general  cultivation. 
There  was  a  very  enrious  potqilant  in  the  collection 
from  the  society,  called  Perilla  ji/ponica,  of  a  dingy 
purple-colour  all  over,  with  the  looks  and  smell  of  some 
soft  herb  for  seasoning  in  the  kitchen.  It  would  make 
a  nice  rock-plant  in  summer,  hut  of  its  flowers  no  good 
or  had  can  be  said,  as  they  are  hardly  to  be  seen. 

Another  plant  they  sent  to  show  how  ugly  the  flowers 
are — this  was  the  new  straw-coloured  Tropceoliim,  called 
after  some  foreigner  fShuurmanianum),  to  whom  the 
Society  must  owe  some  grudge  or  anotlier,  or  they  would 
never  have  taken  such  pains  to  insult  its  namesake.  I 
Two  new  annuals,  which  I  mentioned  at  the  time  of 
the  -Tuly  show,  were  much  praised,  and  deservedly  so,  as 
neutral  bedders  that  keep  in  bloom  from  dune  till  the 
frost  came.  They  arc  little  camomile-like  plants,  called 
Cenia  formosa  and  turhinuta ;  one  with  yellow,  and  one 
with  white  flowers ;  but  the  outside  florets  are  wanting 
in  both,  and  it  is  only  tlie  daisy-centre-liko  flowers, 
coming  as  thick  as  grass,  that  give  them  effect — first  in 
coloured  buds  not  bigger  tliau  a  pin's  head,  and  swelling 
out  to  the  size  of  a  Batchelor's  Button — they  are  also 
good  rock  plants,  and  no  doubt  the  Society  has  saved 
seeds  of  them  enough  for  all  the  members  next  year. 

They  sent  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  yellow  Pompone 
Ghri/santhemuin,  called  IJcnilersonii,  the  earliest  of  the 
race,  and  the  only  one  brought  out  on  this  occasion. 

Oypsopliijla  St.cvcni  was  also  higlily  spoken  of  in  the 
lecture — a  white  flowering  one. 

FiiuiT. — There  was  a  groat  competition  in  fruit,  par- 
ticularly Pears  and  Apples.  There  were  ten  com|iotitors 
with  Pears,  and  seven  for  gi'cen  Peas  in  pods ;  Her 
Majesty's  fruit  taking  the  tirst  prizo  by  long  odds. 
Some  of  the  Pears  wore  excellent :  but  really,  as  to  fruit,  \ 
were  it  not  for  the  look  of  the  thing,  no  out  of-door  fruit  ', 
is  worth  dishing  for  table  this  season.  Here  I  tasted  \ 
some  of  thebostOctober  Pears,  at  least,  I  tried  todoso.biit 
there  was  no  taste  that  I  could  make  out  at  all ;  but  as  it 
is  some  consolation  to  l;now  that  wo  are  not  alone  in  a 
dilemma,  I  must  mention,  that  Mr.  Solomons,  of  Uovent 
Garden,  exhibited  sjilendid  looking  Pears  I'rom  the  south 
of  France,  but  they  were  not  a  whit  belter  flavoured  than 
if  they  had  come  from  "  the  haughs  of  Cromdido."  Mr. 
1  livers,  the  great  Pose-grower,  sent  a  tray  ol'  Pears  to 
show  the  dilt'erenco  between  this,  that,  and  tho  oilier, 
when  growu  iu  diU'erent  ways;  as,  for  instance,  I\!iirie 
Louise,  from  a  wall ;  a  standard  and  a  dwarf  or  pyramidal 


tree  ;  a  good  idea  in  ordinary  seasons.  Most  fruit  sent 
to  table,  and  f-'ears  more  particularly,  in  large  families, 
having  a  written  ticket  on  the  dish,  giving  tlie  name,  and 
Mr.  Piivers'  plan,  would  be  of  additional  interest.  Suiiposo 
you  have  two  match  dishes  of  Pears,  &c.,  and  one  is 
marked  /'roHj  a  irall  of  such  and  such  aspect,  the  other 
from  a  standard  or  iiyramid,  and  so  forth  ;  it  is  wonder- 
ful how  discussions  thus  raised  save  the  wiue  after  dinner. 

There  were  some  good-looking  Pine  Apples.  The 
Biirharossii,  Orapies  were  splendid,  from  Mr.  Ilutcher,  of 
Stratford-on-Avon,  who  first  sent  it  out.  A  large  dish  of 
Bind-  Morocco  Grapes  would  make  a  good  advertisement 
in  a  fruiterer's  window — all  that  this  kind  is  good  for,  as 
we  were  told  indirectly.  Tliere  was  a  new  seedliiKj  White 
Grape  from  Mr.  Bushby,  Stockwood  Park,  with  a  letter, 
saying  that  it  was  a  cross  fi'om  the  Black  Jlamhunjli,  by 
the  pollen  of  the  Sieeet  Water,  applied  in  l^iO,  wliicli 
some  in  the  room  very  much  doubted  ;  but  that  is  nothing, 
here  or  there;  for  the  Grape  is  really  of  first-rate  quality. 
There  wore  not  enough  for  all  to  taste,  and  it  is  not  good 
for  gardenei's  to  scramble  for  fruit  anywhere,  much  less 
before  their  betters,  so  I  lost  the  chance;  but  I  have 
great  faith  in  tlie  statement  made,  that  it  is  the  best 
seedling  Grape  ever  tasted  in  that  room. 

Tliere  were  six  Onions  from  II.  Crawshay,  Esq.,  of 
Crosby  Hall,  Surrey,  as  fine  as  ever  came  from  Portugal, 
or  anywhere  else,  and  Mr.  Crawshay  wrote  to  say,  that 
the  produce,  at  tho  same  rate  as  his  bed,  would  be  just 
twenty  tons  of  Onions  to  the  acre ;  and  that  iu  a  season 
that  was  "all  winter"  in  bis  part  of  Surrey;  but  here, 
about  Kingston,  we  had  nine  fine  days  this  summer. 

D.  Beaton. 


SOFT-WOODED   PLANTS. 
IMPATIENS    (OR  BALSAMINA)    LATIFOLIA. 

A  PERSON  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  growing  the 
Garden  Balsam  well,  both  in-doors  and  out,  could  not, 
in  investigating  the  jilant  and  Hower,  believe  that  the 
above  is  a  Balsam  at  all.  If  the  flower  had  been  large 
and  double,  there  would  have  been  no  doubt  on  the 
matter,  especially  if  it  had  possessed  crackling,  twisting, 
ripe  seed-pods,  (\'hich  it  has  never  done  with  us. 
h'lorist,  however,  though  he  was,  he  resolved  to  give 
this  shigle-blooming  species  a  place  iu  his  greenhouse 
and  border.  I'ond  as  our  florist  fiicnds,  in  general,  are 
of  double  flowers,  they  arc  by  no  means  insensible  to 
the  beauty  of  single  ones.  Not  along  ago,  I  was  aslced 
anxiously  for  cuttings  of  the  Ilihiscus  Rosa  sinensis, 
but  they  were  at  once  declined  when  known  to  be 
double.  There  is  no  .analogy,  however,  between  the 
superior  beauties  of  the  single  Hibiscus  over  the  double; 
and  the  single  /mpatiens  latifolia  over  a  fine  double 
Impatiens  hortensis,  or  Garden  Balsam  ;  and  yet,  when 
its  continuous  blooming  during  tlio  summer  months  is 
talcon  into  consideration,  there  are  many  worse  things 
petted  and  cared  for. 

It  is  now  seldom  we  sec  such  interesting  kinds  as 
Impatiens  lonr/icortin.  willi  its  longdiorncd  spur,  or 
Impatiens  glanihdhjera,  with  its  strong,  slirubby  cha- 
racter, and  its  purple  flowers.  Treating  such  plants, 
eitlier  in  border  or  pots,  in  such  ricli  soil  as  we  treated 
tlie  Garden  Balsam,  tho  leaves  and  stems  wore  too  gross 
to  leave  room  enough  i'or  the  flowers  to  show  tbeiusclvos. 
The  same  remark  applies  to  latifolia,  witli  its  pinkish- 
red  flowers,  though  far  from  being  so  strong  in  luibit  as 
f/landulii/era.  Grown  iu  poor  soil,  out-of-doors,  in  a 
sheltered  place,  after  June,  or  inside,  iu  a  |iot,  it  blooms 
very  Irecly,  and  is  rather  a  pretty  object  for  the  green- 
house-shelf iu  summer. 

Preserving  and  Propagating. — Pike  tlic  whole  species 
that  coino  from  India,  ti)e  plant  will  stand  little  or  no 
frost,  and  yet,  like  many  of  its  congeners  that  enjoy  a 


November  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


70 


moist  atmosphere  and  a  iiiodovate  tomperiitare  on  ele- 
vated positions  in  Silkct  and  Nepaul,  it  delights  in  an 
ojien,  airy  greenliouso,  IVoin  the  end  of  May  to  the 
middle  of  Oetohor.  in  .1  uly  or  August,  a  few  cuttings 
should  ho  taken  off  three  or  four  inches  long,  cut  across 
at  a  joint,  two  or  three  of  the  lower  leaves  removed,  the 
base  of  the  cutting  allowed  to  dry  for  a  day,  while  the 
top  of  the  cutting  is  moistened  and  covered  with  a  green 
leaf,  to  \irev6nt  the  evaporating  of  its  juices,  and  then 
inserted  in  sandy  soil,  round  the  sides  of  a  well-drained 
pot,  and  placed  in  a  close  cold  frame,  or  one  containing 
the  least  amoinit  of  bottom-heat,  as  in  a  cucumber  or 
melon  box.  Here  they  will  soon  strike,  and  must  be 
exposed  to  air  by  degrees.  They  will  want  icaler  during 
winter,  but  it  must  be  given  with  great  caution,  only 
when  wanted,  if  the  plants  are  kept  cool  in  a  green- 
house, say  from  iii°  to  48°  ;  if  kept  warmer,  as  in  a  cool 
stove,  ranging  from  50°  to  60°,  there  need  be  less  care 
in  watering.  Old  plants  may  also  be  pruned  back,  and 
if  there  is  only  a  greenhouse,  kept  cool  all  the  winter. 
1  would  prefer  this  mode,  exposing  the  plants  to  as 
much  sun  and  air  as  possible,  before  and  after  the 
smaller  shoots  were  pruned  back,  and  then  keeping 
them  dryish  over  the  winter,  merely  preserving  the 
buds  alive,  and  then  giving  them  an  extra  heat  in 
March  or  April,  by  placing  them  in  a  slight  hotbed,  or 
any  house  or  pit,  ranging  from  5.j°  to  (iO°.  Here  they 
will  soon  grow  iroely,  and  cuttings  being  taken  otf,  they 
will  strike  in  a  few  days,  and  may  then  be  grown  rapidly 
on.     Young  plants  always  bloom  best. 

2.  Soil  and  Oeneral  Management. — lu  potting,  at  first 
I  have  used  peat,  leaf  mould,  and  sandy  loam ;  but  as 
tlie  shiftings  are  given  loam  is  almost  solely  used,  and 
this  has  a  tendency  to  make  the  plant  more  robust  and 
compact.  An  eight  or  a  twelve-inch  pot  will  grow  a 
bushy  ])lant  from  three  feet  in  height,  and  wide  in 
proportion.  In  training,  the  chief  tiling  is  to  stop  all 
the  principal  shoots  until  you  get  the  plant  well  fur- 
nished all  over  with  shoots  nearly  equal  in  strength, 
and  when  these  are  unstopped  each  will  soon  begin  to 
produce  blooms  freely  from  near  their  points,  and  con- 
tinue to  do  so  so  long  as  the  points  continue  to  elongate, 
and  you  give  them  a  sulflciency  of  light  and  beat.  In  a 
cool  stove  they  would  bloom  all  the  winter.  When  they 
have  bloomed  some  time,  a  little  top-dressing  of  cow- 
dung,  or  manure-waterings,  will  nivigorate  them.  They 
will  also  delight  in  a  dash  of  water  ovor-hoad  after  a 
sunny  day  in  summer.  If  kept  open  and  airy  an 
insect  will  seldom  trouble  them.  If  kept  close,  even 
though  in  a  moist  atmosphere,  they  will  have  the  green 
fly,  and  become  spindly.  If  kept  rather  light,  but 
warm,  as  in  a  plant  stove,  they  will  attract  the  rod 
spider  by  myriads.  With  a  cool,  airy  house  in  summer, 
and  a  dash  from  the  syringe,  allowing  a  little  water  to 
fall  on  the  stage  or  ground  around  them,  there  is  no 
danger.  Writing  for  this  department,  I  speak  of  it 
merely  as  a  summer  ornament  under  glass.  I  have 
found  it  showy  and  useful  in  a  glass-covered  veranda. 

IMPATIENS  LATIFOLIA  ALBA. 

This  is  a  still  more  beautiful  thing,  and  a  much  later 
introduction.  It  blooms  even  more  freely  than  the  red 
variety  on  the  points  of  the  young  shoots,  and  you  may, 
therefore,  blow  it  in  a  three-inch  pot  or  a  twelve  ;  it  also 
grows  very  fast.  I  obtained  a  very  small  plant  after 
Midsummer ;  rattled  it  on  with  stopping,  and  shifting, 
in  a  close  pit,  with  a  little  heat ;  and  in  August,  Sep- 
tember, and  the  first  half  of  October,  it  was  a  very 
pretty  herbaceous  bush,  in  a  twelve-inch  pot  in  the 
greenhouse.  The  flowers  are  large,  pure  white,  and  pro- 
duced in  great  abundance.  As  it  seemed  more  tender 
than  the  red,  I  gave  it  a  little  peat  in  its  later  shiftings. 
The  habit  of  the  plant  is  good,  close,  and  compact,  and 
the  foliage  neat  and  well  coloured.     It  strikes  easily  in  a 


very  few  days.  Valuing  it  chiefly  as  a  good  greenhouse 
ornament,  I  will  try  it  in  winter,  in  a  night  temperature 
of  4.j°,  and  keeping  it  rather  dry;  but  in  case  it  will  not 
stand  that,  I  will  keep  a  few  cuttings  in  a  temperature  a 
little  higher,  i  am  the  more  inclined  to  this,  as  I  forget 
all  that  has  been  said  as  to  lohen  and  where  it  came 
from.  The  habit,  in  such  a  house,  and  the  colours,  are 
both  desirable.  During  the  dull  weather,  lately,  some 
oi'  the  leaves  have  fallen;  and  the  flowers  are  neither  so 
bright,  nor  half  the  size  they  were  a  fortnight  ago. 

PENTAS   CAKNEA. 

This  is  another  beautiful  suffruticose  evergreen,  her- 
baceous plant,  from  South  Africa,  with  corymb-like 
terminal  bunches  of  small  wax-like  lilac  flowers,  but 
which  is  never  seen  to  advantage,  when  kept  as  it 
generally  is  in  a  plant-stove.  An  intermediate  bouse  in 
spring,  and  a  cool,  airy  position  after  the  flower-buds 
appear,  are  the  ciroumstauces  in  which  it  flourishes  to 
advantage.  I  feel  myself  often  bothered  with  colours, 
and  imagine  sometimes  that  my  bumpology  must  be  at 
fault  in  this  respect.  Sometime  ago  I  was  visited  by  a 
respectable  farmer,  who  told  me  he  could  not  distinguish 
colours  at  all,  and  his  friends  verified  the  fact.  The 
most  he  could  ever  do  was  to  think  he  could  discover 
some  dilference  between  a  red  coat  and  a  black  one  on 
the  backs  of  those  that  were  riding  after  the  lioiiuds. 
This  seemed  very  strange,  and  that,  too,  in  tiie  ease  of  a 
man  well  versed  in  literary  and  scientific  life.  Now,  the 
most  of  the  books,  and  some  of  my  friends,  will  style 
the  colour  of  the  flowers  of  this  plant  iiinli:,  while,  to  my 
eye,  it  has  scarcely  ever  got  beyond  a  decent  lilac.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  it  is  a  pretty  thing  when  grown  as  a 
compact  bush  in  an  open,  airy,  cool  temperature,  and 
then  the  slightest  tinge  of  pink  may  be  observable.  I 
have,  therefore,  used  it  chiefly  in  the  greenhouse  for 
summer  decoration ;  but  the  basis  of  my  operations  is 
allowing  it  to  become  a  deciduous  plant  in  the  winter 
months.  In  a  cool  greenhouse,  the  leaves  will  lose 
their  greenness  by  the  middle  of  October,  at  least 
in  such  a  season  as  this.  In  a  house  with  no  higher 
temperature  than  45°  they  will  he  quite  yellow,  or 
have  fallen  otf  by  the  end  of  November.  In  such  a 
temperature,  but  now  and  then  nearing  50°,  the  plants, 
if  kept  rather  dry,  will  remain  safe  until  Febriuu-y, 
when  those  who  intend  growing  it  well  would  rci^uire  to 
have  a  forcing  house,  a  pit,  propagating  frame,  &o., 
commanding  a  temperature  of  from  .55°  to  B5°.  Here 
the  plant,  after  slight  pruning,  should  bo  put,  boat 
applied  gradually,  and,  when  the  buds  are  advancing 
freely,  watered,  and  ere  long  shifted  in  aerated  soil.  The 
u])por  shoots,  when  three  inches  long,  may  be  slipped 
oif  close  to  the  old  stem,  cut  clean  across,  and  inserted 
in  sandy  soil  round  the  sides  of  a  well-drained  pot,  and 
then  the  pot  plunged  in  suoli  a  hotbed.  The  shoots  left 
form  the  skeleton  for  the  future  plant.  A  few  days 
after  the  extra  shoots  as  cuttings  are  removed,  the  plant 
should  be  shifted,  getting  rid  of  the  most  of  the  old 
soil,  and  using  fresh  compost,  and  pruniug-in  any  bad 
roots.  Put  in  the  above  heat  again  (ibe  bottom-heat,  if 
procurable,  being  from  5"  to  10°  higher),  and  as  soon 
as  growth  is  proceeding  freely  examine  your  shoots,  stop 
them,  and  tie  them  down,  so  as  to  get  the  necessary 
number  of  shoots  to  start  at  once  that  you  wish  the 
plants  to  have,  recollecting  that  each  of  these  will  have 
its  terminal  bunch  of  bloom.  As  a  guide,  even  here, 
it  is  necessary  to  mention,  that  when  continuous  and 
early  blooming,  rather  than  a  great  and  uniform  show 
all  over  the  plant  at  the  same  time,  are  the  objects,  then 
you  need  not  prosecute  the  stopping  too  closely ;  to 
obtain  a  great  number  of  shoots  uniform  in  size — as 
supposing  you  had  only  six  or  eight  shoots,  these  would 
yield  you  an  equal  number  of  masses  of  bloom,  and, 
before  they  were  faded,  the  upper  buds  from  the  axils  of 


so 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NoVEJIIlER  3. 


the  leaves  would  be  growing  into  shoots,  to  have  their 
blooms  in  successiou.  By  this  mccans  we  have  had 
succession  of  bloom  on  the  same  ])lant  from  June  to 
October. 

In  treating  the  plant  as  above,  in  a  moderate  hotbed, 
it  will  be  advisable  to  move  the  pot  out  of  bottom-heat 
when  the  shoots  are  above  six  inches  in  length,  giving 
the  plant  more  air,  and  gradually  using  it  to  a  colder 
and  more  airy  atmosphere.  The  young  cuttings,  potted 
oft'  when  struck,  plunged  in  a  little  bottom-heat  again, 
stopped,  and  thus  encouraged  to  grow,  will  make  nice 
shrubby  plants  for  the  greenhouse  by  the  middle  of 
July,  and  those  arc  generally  better  than  older  ones  for 
keeping,  or  for  a  following  year.  The  soil  I  have  gene- 
rally used  is  a  compost  of  heath-mould  and  loam,  with 
a  free  allowance  of  charcoal,  as  drainage,  aud  mi.\cd 
with  the  compost,  and  surface-dressings  of  cow-dung 
wheu  the  flower-buds  appeared.  Treated  as  a  stove- 
plaut,  it  is  very  subject  to  the  red  spider;  but  treated 
in  this  intermediate  way,  giving  extra  heat  only  in  the 
first  stages  of  its  growth,  it  is  seldom  that  anything 
interferes  with  it. 

TEOPCEOLUM   LOBBIANUM 
{T'ar.  TmojiPHE  iie  G.vnd). 

The  preceding  have  but  little  cheering  about  them  i 
just  now,  inasmuch,  as  those,  with  little  more  glass  than  a  ■ 
greenhouse,  will  merely  liave  to  be  thinking  where  they  j 
e,in  keep  the  objects  at  tlie  warmest  end,  and  yet  out  of 
sight,  not  to  interfere  with  objects  more  beautiful.    This 
latter  plant  is,  however,  an  exception,  being  in  its  highest  , 
beauty  during  the  winter  months.     Our  chief  reason  for  | 
noticing    it   here   is   on     account   of  two    queries   re-  I 
specting  it.      1st.  "My  plant  is  getting  very  unsightly  ; 
the  large  leaves  are  getting  yellow  and  falling;  aucl  from 
their  axils,  small,  spindly  shoots  are  coming;  what  shall  ' 
I  do?"     Pick  oft'  the  old  leaves  as  they  change  colour; 
top-dress,  or  give  manure-water  to  the  plants,  as  it  is  j 
these  young  side-shoots,  in   this  species,  that  produce  : 
bloom  so  freely.     Hence,  the  reason  why  it  is  so  well 
fitted  for  winter  blooming.     It  blooms  on  the  lateral  | 
iustead  of  the  main  shoots;  and,  as  a  general  rule,  the 
better  the  first  shoots  are  grown,  the  better  will  the  I 
]ilant  be  supplied  with  these  secondary  flowering  shoots.  | 
Hence,  I   never  did    much   good   with  the   species  in  ' 
summer.      Sndly.  "  I  saw  this  Triomphe   highly  com- 
mended for  si/.e,  &c.,  but  I  do  not  like  it  so  well  as 
the   smaller  flowered  species?"     Neither  do  I.     I  took 
the  newspapers  and  magazines  as  my  guide.  The  bloom 
is  too  large,  and   too  like  tho  common  red  variety  of 
Troprrolum  majus,  to  save  it  in  some  peoples  estnna- 
tion  Irom  being  vulgar.     It  would  require  good  spec- 
tacles, taking  the  blooms  alone,  to  detect  this  Triowphe 
among  a  bank  o(  Mtijiis;  but  then  Triomphe  will  bloom 
better  in  winter,  and  novelty  must  at  times  bo  jiaid  for. 

R.  i'lsii. 


THE  GLADIOLUS. 

The  characteristics  of  a  Floi'ist's-flower  arc  "  one  that 
has  been  im))roved  by  cross-breeding  or  hybridization," 
and  thereby  improving  its  form,  colour,  and  size.  The 
Gladiolus  has  been  so  altered ;  witness  the  great  number 
of  improved  varieties  now  in  cultivation,  and  these  are 
annually  increasing;  claiming  it,  then,  as  ono  of  the 
Uov.crs  that  1.  write  about,  I  purpose  devoting  a  few 
colunnis  to  its  culture  as  a  Florist's  flower,  and,  as  it  is 
now  the  season  for  ])lauting  the  bulbs,  i  shall  commence 
with  the  formation  of  the  bed,  the  soil,  and  jilanting. 

The  Bed. — Tin;  situation  of  the  bed  sliouhl  bo  in  an 
open  part  of  the  garden,  sheltered  at  a  distance  by  cither 
a  tall  hedge  or  a  wall.  This  shelter  isnecessary,  bccausi^ 
the  flower-stems  of  many  varieties  grow  rather  tall,  and 


the  wind,  if  they  arc  fully  exposed  to  it,  is  apt  to  twist 
them  off.  Then,  again,  tho  situation  should,  if  possililc, 
be  dry;  for  if  the  soil  is  heavy  and  wet  the  bulbs  will 
decay,  and  the  tops  perish  just  at  the  liuie  wheu  ex- 
pectation is  on  tho  eve  of  being  gratified.  To  prevent 
this  grievous  disappointment,  wherever  there  is  the 
least  tear  of  excessive  moisture  at  the  root,  vCry  efl'ective 
drainage  must  lie  enforced.  These  points  of  a  sheltered 
situation,  and  a  dry  subsoil  being  present,  thg  trouble 
of  forming  the  bed  is  considerably  reduced.  \n  that 
case,  a  slight  drainage  of  a  few  inches  will  be  sufiicient; 
but  in  case  of  tho  situation  being  low,  and  the  subsoil, 
in  consequence,  wet,  then  eft'cetive  drainage  nuist  be 
insisted  on.  To  form  the  bed,  proceed  as  follows: — 
Stretch  a  line  on  one  side  of  the  bed,  press  a  spade 
downwa.vds  with  the  foot,  rather  slanting  inward,  thou 
remove  tho  line  to  the  other  side  of  tlie  bed,  and  cut  tho 
soil  with  the  spade  on  that  side  likewise,  aud  then  cut 
both  ends;  commence  at  one  end,  and  throw  out  the 
soil  one-half  to  one  side,  and  the  other  half  to  the 
opposite  side,  lu  a  dry  situation,  froni  fifteen  to 
eighteen  iuches  will  be  sufficieut,  but  in  a  low,  wet  ono, 
throw  it  out  eighteen  inches  deep ;  then,  in  the  dry 
ground,  place  at  the  bottom  of  the  bed  abor.t  three 
inches  of  rough  gravel  or  brick-rubbish.  All  the  finer 
gravel,  or  lime,  that  may  be  auiong  the  brick-rubble, 
should  be  sifted  out,  so  that  the  drainage  shall  be 
effectual.  In  damp,  low  situations,  the  gravel  or  brick- 
rubble  should  be  at  least  six  inches  thick,  with  an 
outlet  for  the  water  into  a  regular  drain.  If  the  water 
cannot  be  drained  ofl',  then  the  bed  must  bo  raised  from 
lour  to  six  inches  above  the  general  level  of  the  garden, 
for  the  Gladiolus  is  extremely  impatient  of  moisture. 
Should  the  natural  soil  be  heavy  and  wet,  on  account  of 
its  having  a  large  proportion  of  clay  in  it,  then  it 
will  be  necessary  to  form  or  make  an  artificial  soil  for 
them. 

This  leads  me  to  describe  the  Soil  the  Gladiolus  thrives 
best  in,  and  that  is  the  sometimes-abused  term  vompost 
(as  if  every  garden  soil  was  not  a  compost).  My  practice 
has  always  been  to  form  a  compost  for  this  bulb  with  the 
following  materials,  and  iu  the  following  proportions: — 
three  barrows  of  good  sound  loam,  such  as  we  meet  with 
in  dry  pastures  ;  one  barrow  of  leaf  mould  ;  one  barrow 
of  heath  mould,  and  a  liberal  mixture  of  river  sand, 
adding  about  half-a-barrow  of  thoroughly  decomposed 
cow-dung  or  hotbed  mau\n'e.  For  a  large  bed,  tho 
operator  may  substitute  cart  loads  ibr  barrow  loads,  only 
let  him  use  the  same  proportions.  If  the  natural 
soil  is  good  loam,  then  add  tho  other  ingredients 
to  form  the  comjwst,  and  there  is  no  doubt  tho 
bed  will  then  be  filled  with  that  soil  or  compost 
which  will  suit  the  plants  admirably.  Fill  tho  bed 
with  the  compost  sufficiently  to  raise  it,  in  dry  situa- 
tions, two  or  three  inches  above  tho  walks;  but  in 
low,  wet  situations,  raise  it  hill  six  inches  above  the 
walk.  In  the  latter  case,  it  will  be  desirable  to  have 
some  kind  of  edging  to  keep  the  soil  up,  and  I  know 
none  better  than  Mr.  Hogg's  tiles,  such  as  he  advertises. 
These  are  much  better  than  any  other  kind  of  edging  I 
have  seen.  Living  edgings,  such  as  Bo.x  or  Thrift,  are 
very  objectionable  indeed ;  in  tho  first  place,  they  har- 
bour slugs,  and  other  creeping  vermin  ;  aud,  secondly, 
they  impoverish  the  soil  greatly  near  the  edge  of  the 
bed.  This  preparative,  or  forming  of  the  bed,  and  filling 
in  the  compost,  would  bo  much  better  if  dono  long 
before  this.  The  middle  of  September  would  bo  a 
proper  aud  suitable  season ;  but  if  delayed  till  this 
montli  (Oclober'l,  tho  only  thing  then  to  attend  to  will 
he  to  raise  the  bed  an  inch  or  two  higher  to  allow 
for  settling. 

PlanliiHj. — Tho  right  season  for  this  (important  for 
all  bulbs)  o|icratiuu,  is  the  latter  cud  of  October,  or  the 
first  week  iu  November,  though  the  lato-flovvoriug  species 


NovEJiBEn  ;). 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


HI 


:uk1  varieties  may  lio  suncessfiilly  jilanted  till  Cliristiiias. 
By  laLe-blooming,  I  mean  the  Olitdioho:  ji.titlH.ciiins,  and 
tlio  liybrids  ori!:;inated  tVom  tliat  species.  Draw  drills 
aoross  the  bed  three  or  I'onr  iiiohes  deep,  and  si.\  inches 
apart;  plant  the  bulbs  in  the  drills,  the  smaller  varieti(iK 
at  tour  inches  distance  I'rom  each  other,  and  the  larger- 
growing  ones,  such  as  OanJnrcnsis,  sLx.  inches.  As 
these  bulbs  are  rather  Hat  ones,  the  drills  may  be  levelled 
down  with  a  garden  rake,  the  tines  of  wliicli  should  be 
rather  distant,  so  as  to  leave  the  surface  rather  rough. 
It' it  is  made  very  line  and  smooth  the  heavy  rains  will 
cause  the  surface  to  become  cakey  and  hard,  and  then  the 
rains  will  run  oti'  into  tlie  walks.  In  the  spring,  just 
after  the  pl;ints  malce  their  appearance,  stir  the  surface 
gently  with  a  small  three-pronged  fork,  breaking  the 
cakes  on  the  top,  should  there  be  any.  The  only  after- 
managomeut  is  to  place  neat  sticks  to  each  plant,  tying 
the  flower-stems  to  them  as  they  grow,  to  prevent  the 
wind  from  twisting  them  oH',  which  they  are  very  liable 
to  do  if  left  without  sticks.  Should  the  weather  in  spring 
prove  dry,  a  liberal  watering  will  be  necessary,  and 
the  plants  should  be  freely  syringed,  also,  in  dry  weather, 
to  keep  down  the  red  spider.  T.  Appleuv. 

^To  he  cuntinurd.) 


STOVE   EERNS. 
(Coiiliiiucil  from  j)U(je  fl:3.) 

Blechnom  TNTERjiEimiM  (Intermediate). — A  pretty 
dwarf  Brazilian  Fern,  easily  cultivated,  and  suitable 
for  small  houses.  It  only  attains  six  or  eight  inches  in 
height  even  when  well-grown.  The  fronds  are  pinnate, 
but  only  have  two  pair  of  pinnte  ;  the  end  one  is  about 
four  inches  long.  The  stems  are  slightly  coloured  with 
red,  which  adds  greatly  to  their  beauty. 

B.  LANCEOL.v  (Small  Lance-headed). — This  is  also  a 
Brazilian  dwarf  Eern,  growing  only  six  inches  long. 
The  fronds  are  simple — that  is,  with  only  one  entire 
leaf  of  a  deep  dark  green.  It  has,  also,  the  jieculiarity 
of  having  all  the  fronds,  when  fully  grown,  seed-bearing, 
or  fertile.     It  is  easily  grown  and  increased  by  division. 

B.  occiDENTALE  (Western). — From  the  West  Indies 
and  Brazil.  Very  similar  to  B.  Irianijiilare,  but  may  be 
distinguished  from  that  species  by  the  terminal  leaf 
having  spines  on  the  margin,  and  the  foliage  being  of 
a  light  gresn.  It  is  pinnated,  and  the  pinnae  are 
usually  opposite,  whereas  those  of  tricmgulare  are  alter- 
nate. The  fronds  are  nearly  a  foot  long.  Easily  increased 
by  its  creeping  rhizonia. 

B.  SEKRULATUM  (Saw-leavcd). — Native  of  Mauritius. 
A  rather  tall  species  ;  the  fronds  grow  two  feet  long. 
They  are  pinnate,  with  a  fleshy  saw-like  margin  to  eacli 
leaf,  or  pinna; ;  the  rhizoma  is  peculiarly  lengthened 
out,  and  by  dividing  it  the  plant  may  be  increased 
easily.     It  is  a  very  elegant  Eern,  but  rather  scarce. 

Cali.ipteuis.  —  Derived  from  halos,  beautiful,  and 
pteris,  a  Eern.  A  small  genus,  separated  from  Dijila- 
zium — its  small  veins,  or  venules,  being  regularly  pin- 
nated, or  branched  off  from  the  large  vein  or  midrib 
like  a  herring-bone.  It  is  one  of  Mr.  J.  Smith's  new 
genera. 

C.  EscuLENTFji  (Eatable). — This  ornamental  Ceylon 
Eern  has  been  introduced  lately  (1^45),  and  is  a  strong- 
growing  species,  the  fronds  attaining  from  three  to  four 
feet  long.  They  are  twice  pinnated,  and  the  pinnas,  or 
real  leaves,  are  lanoe-shaped,  with  a  deeply-cut  margin. 
The  fi'ond  stems  are  thorny,  placed  upon  a  thick  creep- 
ing rootstook,  which  is  the  eatable  part  when  peeled 
and  stewed.  It  is  increased  by  division,  and  requires 
plenty  of  pot  room,  and  to  be  frequently  syringed  over- 
head. 

C.  Mai.abaeioa  (Malabar). — Native  of  various  parts 


of  tlie  Ea.st  Indies.  This  is  the  well-known,  amongst 
fern  cultivators,  DijiJazium  Seramporense.  It  may  bo 
readily  distinguished  from  the  preceding  species  by  the 
fronds  being  ]iubescent,  or  covered  with  a  woolly  sub- 
stance, and  by  the  stems  of  the  fronds  being  deeply 
channelled.  It  is  a  large  free-growing  Eern,  easily 
increased  by  seed  coming  up  spontaneously  on  the  soil 
of  other  plants,  as  well  as  ils  own,  in  a  moist,  hot  stove. 
Cajii'Terca  urAUP.iTA  (Twiceearedj — .\  West  Indian 
genus  and  species,  formed  by  Mr.  .J.  Smith,  from  Pteris, 
because  of  its  peculiar  form  of  seed-vessels  and  its 
solitary  veins.  'J.'iie  lionds  are  of  a  long  triangular  form, 
often  reaching  four  feet  long.  Tliey  are  pinnate,  and 
the  pinnte  are  without  footstalks,  clothing  the  midrib 
completely.  Tliey  are  deeply  cut  in  a  comb-like  manner, 
or,  as  it  is  technically  termed,  pectinate.  The  stem  of  the 
frond  is  very  long,  almost  extending  to  half  its  length. 
It  is  a  handsome  Fern,  requiring  a  rather  barge  stove  to 
show  it  to  advantage.  The  rhizoma  is  erect  and 
branched,  and  by  cuui'ig  off  a  branch,  and  placing  it 
under  a  handlight,  or  bell-glass,  roots  will  soon  be  pro- 
duced, and  a  separate  plant  made. 

Cassibeera. — A  commemorative  name  in  honour  of  a 
German  botanist,  J.  H.  Cassiheer.  A  genus  of  beautiful 
Ferns,  formed  by  H.  J.  Smith,  out  of  Pteris  and 
Che'danthes.  Its  principal  character  is  founded  upon  the 
seed-cases  being  placed  upon  the  top  of  four  veins,  and 
have  each  a  marginal  edge.  Every  species  is  very 
beautifid,  and  of  a  rather  dwarf  habit,  rendering  them 
suitable  for  small  collections. 

C.  OUNEATA  (Wedge-shaped). — A  bipinnated  Mexican 
Eern,  of  a  neat  habit;  may  be  grown  in  a  greenhouse, 
but  thrives  much  finer  in  a  moderate  stove.  The  fronds 
grow  ten  inches  high,  and  are  of  a  light,  pleasing  green. 
It  is  easily  kno^vn  by  its  barren  fronds  being  wedge- 
:  shaped,  and  its  seed-bearing,  or  fertile  fronds  being  of  a 
comb-shape,  and  narrower  towards  the  stems.  Easily 
increased  by  divisiou. 

C.  FAK[N03A  (Mealy). — Native  of  Nepaul.     This   is, 
perhaps,  the  handsomest  Eern  in  cultivation  ;  the  leaves 
are  beautifully  green  on  the  upper  surface,  and,  when 
turned  upwards,  may  be  seen  to  be  of  a  pure  white,  or 
])Owdery  appearance.   The  fronds  in  shape  are  triangular, 
i  with  black  stems.     They  are  bipinnated,  or  twice  divided, 
about  a  foot  long,  adhering  to  a  short  erect  rhizoma. 
In  the  Royal  Gardens,  at  Kew,  the  cultivator  of  Ferns  is 
very  successful  in  raising  this  truly  beautiful  Fern  from 
seed.     I  have  seen  at  one  time  there  at  least  lifty  seed- 
lings of  it.      It  does  not  increase  easily  by  division. 
i  As  it  is  a  moderate- sized  Eern  it  ought  to  be  iu  every 
I  collection 

I  C.  H.AST.vTA  (Ilalbert-leaved). — A  well-known,  almost 
I  common.  Fern,  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  so  freely 
I  does  it  propagate  by  self-sown  seed.  It  is  better  known 
as  Pteris  haslata.  Fronds  bipinnate ;  pinnie  heart- 
shaped,  and  gradually  terminating  in  a  point,  or  hastate 
I  shape.  The  edge  of  the  leaves  is  scolloped  out.  The 
seed-vessels  are  narrow,  running  along  the  edge  of  the 
leaf.  I  had  the  pleasure,  when  at  Pine-Apple  Place,  of 
raising  a  variety  of  this  beautiful  Fern,  with  much 
broader  leaves,  and  I  named  it  C.  hastata  latifolia. 
Very  lately,  I  saw  the  same  variety,  from  seed,  in  the 
garden  of  the  Warden  of  the  College  at  Winchester, 
raised  by  Mr.  Weaver,  who  frequently  edifies  the  readers 
of  The  Cottage  Gardener  by  his  truly  practical  papers. 
C.  iNERAMAKGiN.iLTs  (Qnder-margined). — A  beautiful 
Mexican  Fern,  nearly  hardy  enough  for  the  greenhouse, 
only  it  loves  a  moist  heat,  which  the  greenhouse,  when 
weU-managed,  never  aflbrds.  It  thrives  much  better  in 
a  close,  moist  heat  in  the  stove.  Easily  distinguished 
from  its  fellows  by  its  slender,  continuous,  under-mar- 
gined seed-oases,  or  spores.  It  is  a  beautiful  Fern,  but 
rather  delicate.  The  fronds  grow  a  foot  long,  and  are 
bipinnate  and  tripiniiate  towards  the  base.     The  pinnae 


82 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NOVEJIBER  3. 


are  saw-tootlied  at  the  edges.     Tlio  stems  are  slender, 
and  of  a  dark  brown  colour.  T.  Appleby. 

{To  be  conlinucd.) 


MUSHROOM-BEDS. 

{Continued  from  jtitije  47.) 

As  we  have  in  a  former  article  said  that  the  production 
of  Mushrooms  in  winter  depends  a  groat  deal  on  the 
quality  of  the  materials  used,  and  the  care  and  atten- 
tion bestowed  in  preparing  them  for  the  purpose,  it  is 
only  necessary  here  to  observe,  that  the  dung  should 
not,  on  any  account,  be  over-heated  before  it  is  removed 
to  the  ground,  or  shed,  in  which  it  undergoes  the 
preparation  of  "  sweetening."  or  tempering,  so  as  to 
modify,  in  a  certain  degree,  that  violent  heating  which 
stable-dung  is  subjected  to  when  thrown  in  a  mass 
together.  And  in  such  a  season  as  the  present  one  has 
been  this  pari",  of  the  work  must  have  been  conducted 
under  cover,  otherwise  the  lieavy,  drenching  rains  we 
have  had  must  have  injured  the  dung  very  much.  In 
preparing  it  for  the  purpose  of  a  bed,  some  little  dif- 
ference ought  be  made  between  one  intended  to  bear 
inside  a  house  on  purpose,  and  one  to  make  up  in 
some  sheltered  place  out-of-doors.  The  former  of  these 
mnst  have  the  dung  in  as  pure  a  state  as  possible,  for, 
as  such  beds  are  generally  very  thin,  it  is  necessary  to 
have  it  as  free  from  inert  or  useless  matter.  Therefore, 
for  such  beds,  be  more  careful  in  removing  the  litter 
with  whicli  dung  is  usually  mixed,  and  do  not  add  any- 
thing less  useful  than  horse-dung.  A  few  sheep  or  deer- 
droppings  may  be  advantageously  added,  more  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  richness  to  the  bed  than  assisting  in 
the  formation  of  young  Mushrooms.  It  is,  nevertheless, 
advisable  to  have  these  in  use  some  tioie  before  the 
beds  are  made  up,  say  about  three  weeks;  the  early  part 
of  the  time  the  mass  ought  to  be  turned  almost  daily, 
but  gradually  prolonging  the  time  until  a  brisk  but 
moderate  heat  succeeds  that  rank  violent  one  which  it 
presents  at  first.  Now,  in  preparing  the  dung,  it  is 
equally  wrong  to  allow  it  to  remain  so  long  in  hand  as 
to  dispel  its  heating  qualities  entirely.  This  error  we 
have  more  than  once  witnessed,  and  the  result,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  was  unsatisl'actory.  These  atten- 
tions, as  a  preparatory  measure,  are  equally  necessary  as 
those  of  an  altcr-kind,  if  not  really  more  so,  ibr  the 
condition  of  the  dung,  at  the  lime  of  making  up,  is  of 
more  consequence  than  all  tlie  after-management ;  in 
fact,  the  duties  attendant  ou  looking  to,  and  occasionally 
altering,  a  newly  made  up  bed  ai'e  trifling  compared  to 
that  of  making  it,  so  that  no  alter-care  can  rectify  an 
error  made  then. 

Supposing  tliat  a  quantity  of  well-prepared  dimg  lias 
been  lying  long  enough  to  dispel  all  its  over-heating 
properties,  and  ]u-esents  a  mass  of  steady  heating 
matter,  free  from  all  noxious  smell,  and  other  impurities, 
and  the  shelf,  or  bed,  allotted'  for  it  in  the  Mushroom- 
house  ready  to  receive  it,  no  time  must  he  lost  in 
making  np  accordingly.  The  process  is  in  accordance 
with  the  build  of  tlie  house,  &e.  ;  but,  in  a  usual  way, 
such  structures  arc  built  with  some  flue  or  other  heating 
contrivance,  so  that  the  necessary  atmospheric  warmth 
that  is  wanted  to  furnish  good  and  useful  Mushrooms 
occasionally  may  be  sujiplied. 

Such  houses  wen  usually  divided  by  a  pathway  up  the 
centre  into  two  equal  parts,  which  is  so  arranged  as  to 
present  a  series  of  beds,  one  over  the  other,  leaving  a 
space  of  at  least  two  feet  between  the  top  of  one  bed 
and  the  botl;oni  of  tlie  one  above  it ;  the  lowest  one 
being  generally  on  the  ground-Uoor  ;  and  the  second,  and 
others  in  succession  above  it,  are  like  so  many  shelves, 
with  a  depth  of  about  a  foot  for  the  dung  which  the 
bed  is  made  of    Now,  as  I  have  observed,  this  bod,  or 


shelf,  ought,  when  filled,  to  be  made  of  the  best  possible 
materials,  and  these  in  good  condition,  that  we  need  not 
further  urge  on  the  necessity  of  having  every  care  taken 
in  preparing  it,  as  it  will  be  seen,  the  quantity  not  being 
large.  In  filling  up  the  shelf,  or  bed,  it  ought  to  bo 
made  tolerably  firm ;  yet  need  not  bo  so  much  rammed 
as  if  it  were  the  fixing  of  a  gate  post;  and  it  is  best  to 
put  it  in  a  small  quantity  at  a  time,  in  order  to  beat  it 
as  it  is  thrown  in,  and  the  bed,  or  shelf,  being  filled,  is 
then  allowed  to  remain  a  few  days,  in  order  to  see  which 
way  the  heat  turns,  as  it  sometimes  becomes  incon- 
veniently hot ;  at  other  times  it  refuses  to  lieat  at  all ; 
when  the  former  is  the  cuse,  taking  out  a  quantity, 
and  so  disturbing  the  bed  in  many  places,  will  usually 
elfect  a  reduction  in  the  heat,  but  this  is  rarely  necessary 
when  due  pains  have  been  taken  to  prepare  it  as  de- 
tailed above.  It  is  more  likely  that  it  will  iail  to  heat 
when  it  has  been  allowed  to  evaporate  all  its  fermenting 
qualities  in  the  process  of  preparing.  When  this  is 
found  to  be  the  case,  make  a  good-sized  hole  or  two  in 
the  bed,  and  filling  it  with  good,  warm,  fresh  dung, 
will  usually  etl'ect  a  change,  and  the  bed  having  become 
gently  warm  it  must  then  be  spawned. 

Spawning  being  a  part  of  the  business  on  whicli 
success,  in  a  great  measure,  depends,  it  is,  perhaps, 
not  out  of  place  to  say  a  few  words  on  this  substance. 
The  singular  substance  called  Mushroom  -  spawn,  is 
usually  formed  of  some  compound  in  which  dung  is  an 
important  part;  when  it  is  made  artificially,  the  admix- 
ture of  a  little  loam,  with  two  or  three  kinds  of  dung,  is 
usually  successful  ;  but  the  manner  of  making  it  having 
been  detailed  before,  it  only  remains  to  say  that  it  is 
often  found  in  old  hotbeds,  and  other  places  where 
dung  has  been  allowed  to  lie  some  time;  or  even  in  dry 
pasture  fields  it  is  sometimes  ibund  ;  and  we  have 
picked  up  some  excellent  Mushroom-spawn  from  amongst 
the  dung  which  covered  the  rows  of  potatoes  planted  in 
a  field;  and  the  same  substance  has  also  been  picked 
up  ill  tlie  track  of  a  mill-horse,  whose  rotary  motion 
confined  his  travels  to  a  very  limited  circle,  so  that  it 
often  happens  that  good  spawn  is  found  in  sufficient 
quantities  without  the  trouble  of  making  it;  however, 
it  is  advisable  to  have  always  a  sufficient  quantity  on 
hand;  for  beyond  the  waste  it  may  occasion  in  spawn 
that  is  difficult  to  obtain,  it  is  impossible  to  give  a  bed 
too  much.     The  ]ilan  is  this; — 

When  the  bed  has  assumed  that  nice  gentle  heat 
which  indicates  steadiness,  then  let  a  quimtity  of  spawn 
bo  broken  iqi  into  pieces  not  smaller  than  an  apple; 
these  insert  in  the  ilushroora-bcd,  at  distances  of  not 
more  than  a  foot  from  each  other,  but  three  or  lour 
times  the  quantity  may  he  put  in  if  necessary  ;  holes  may 
be  made  for  it  so  as  to  be  just  buried,  and  that  is  all. 
A  covering  of  dry  soil  may  be  put  on  at  the  same  time, 
and  the  bed  being  then  smothered  and  beat  over,  it  is 
only  necessary  to  examine  it  occasionally  to  see  that  the 
heat  is  not  allowed  to  warm  too  strong;  and  it  it  sub- 
sides too  much,  it  is  better  to  throw  a  Utile  warmth  into 
the  house  by  putting  the  fire-heating  apparatus  to 
work.  It  is  also  sometimes  advisable,  when  il  is  too  dry, 
to  water  it  gently;  and  if  it  be  dry,  and  likewise  cold,  a 
quantity  of  hot-water  poured  into  it  in  places  (not  all 
over  it)  will  do  good  by  causing  a  reaction,  and  the  heat 
which  warm  water  creates  is  somewhat  improved  by  the 
latter  holding  sheep  or  deer  dung  in  solution.  This, 
however,  is  not  often  required  when  due  care  has  hcen 
taken  to  make  the  materials  up  in  the  right  way  at  first. 
Now,  as  all  these  conditions  are  necessary  to  ensure 
success,  tluit  wo  must  particularly  enlbrce  ou  the  young 
practitmner  the  pro]iricty  of  attending  to  the  well-jirc- 
pariiig  of  the  dung  as  the  primai-y  object ;  for  to  neglect 
that  would  he  to  throw  away  the  only  eliancn  we  have  to 
secure  a  crop,  for  though  it  uuiy  sometimes  hapiien  that 
a  good  crop  will  follow  a  bod  made  up  of  hopeless  look- 


November  o. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


83 


ing  matter,  yet  such  success  is  more  due  to  the  otlior 
condition  at  work;  and  the  crop  is  almost,  in  spite  of 
tlio  badly  made-up  bed,  rather  than  in  accordance  with  it. 
However,  as  all  wlio  have  an  ardent  v/ish  to  have  the 
luxury  of  a  good  plate  of  Mushrooms  at  Christmas  must 
bestir  tliemsolves,  wo  only  report  what  we  know  to  be 
true,  that  any  ordinary  amount  of  labour  which  such  an 
issuo  demands  is  always  met  cheerfully  ;  so  that  we  may 
hojie,  that  hereafter  indiilerent  crops  of  Mushrooms  may 
be  as  rare  as  bad  crops  of  other  things,  and  that  their 
culture,  being  once  under  control,  will  continue  so,  in 
order  that  this  singular  vegetable  production  may  be 
placed  within  reach  of  the  million  ;  and  that  those  who 
have  hitherto  had  to  depend  on  a  precarious  supply,  may 
now  bo  furnished  with  tbo  article  in  any  (juantity,  and 
quality  also  proportionate. 

Weak  waterings  with  liquid-manure  will  be  of  service 
after  the  beds  have  commenced  bearing ;  and  if  it  be 
necessary  to  apply  fire-heat,  and  tliat  bo  of  a  drying 
description,  the  bed  ought  to  be  covered  over  with 
litter  of  some  kind  or  other,  and  that  frequently 
damped,  so  that  the  drying  influence  of  the  beat 
applied  be  not  allowed  to  drive  the  moisture  from  that 
part  of  the  bed  which  has  none  to  spare ;  but  when 
there  is  atmospheric  moisture  supplied  as  well  as  heat, 
which  is  easily  done  by  placing  shallow  vessels  of  water 
over  the  heating  apparatus,  the  beds  need  not  be 
covered.  Observe,  that  in  bringing  in  hay,  and  similar 
litter,  that  slugs  are  sometimes  introduced,  and  these 
prove  sad  enemies  to  the  Mushrooms.  Such,  therefore, 
ought  to  be  well  attended  to,  for  the  omission  of  one 
point  sometimes  mars  the  whole  design. 

J.    lloBSON. 


CULTIVATION  OF  WHEAT. 

{^Continued  froiti  page  66.) 

We  are  now  arrived  at  the  third  division  of  our 
subject,  which  relates  to  Sandy  and  QraveUj  Soils,  on 
which  the  four-course,  or  Norfolk,  system  is  more  rigidly 
adhered  to  than  on  any  other  soils  ;  and  generally,  any 
departure  therefrom  arises  from  failure  and  accidental 
causes,  rather  than  from  any  idea  that  a  better  rotation 
can  bo  devised  whilst  the  land  is  kept  in  a  fertile  state. 

The  first  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  management  of 
the  lea  land  ;  and  althougli  this  subject  has  been  treated 
in  detail,  with  reference  to  the  cultivation  of  heavy  land, 
in  a  former  paper,  yet  the  nature  of  the  soil  now  under 
consideration  justifies  some  departure  from  the  mode  of 
management  therein  stated. 

It  has  been  considered  an  e.\cellent  practice  to  plough 
in  a  good  flag  or  aftermath  of  Clover,  and  no  doubt  a 
full  quantity  of  the  Clover  leaf,  when  decomposed,  fur- 
nishes valuable  nourishment  to  the  Wheat  crop.  Yet 
the  system  of  stocking  largely  with  sheep  upon  these 
soils,  and  the  later  period  to  which  the  ploughing  and 
sowing  may  be  advantageously  deferred,  has  induced 
the  practice  of  feeding  the  lea  land  as  bare  as  possible, 
thus  converting  a  vegetable  manure  into  a  highly- 
fertilizing  animal  manure,  and  at  the  same  time  yield- 
ing its  portions  to  the  profits  of  stock. 

These  dry  soils  do  not  require  to  be  early  ploughed, 
for,  unlike  heavy  laud,  they  are  benefited  by  the  heavy 
autumnal  rains,  peculiar  to  our  climate,  previous  to 
being  ploughed.  The  pressor  should  always  be  used ; 
and  when  the  season  favours  the  operation,  it  is  a  good 


plan  to  use  Crosskill's  clod-crusher,  or  the  ring-roller, 
across  the  ridges,  previous  to  working  with  h;irrows, 
whilst  preparing  tho  land  for  drilling.  The  time  named 
for  ploughing  heavy  land  being  tho  early  part  of  Sep- 
tember, and  tho  best  time  for  ploughing  these  light  soils 
being  the  latter  jmrt  of  October,  or  tlio  first  part  of 
November,  establishes  a  great  distinction  between  the 
management  of  the  diU'orcnt  soils,  and  enables  the  latter 
to  afibrd  six  or  eight  week's  sheep-keep  more  than  the 
former.  In  preparing  manure  for  these  light  soils,  a 
compost  of  clay-loam  may  be  always  advantageously 
mixed  with,  and  laid  out  with,  the  yard  or  town  manure- 
This  addition  of  mould  will  enable  the  land  to  carry  a 
heavier  crop  of  Wheat,  both  in  straw  and  grain.  It  is, 
also,  best  to  drill  the  Wheat  at  from  five  to  seven  inches 
apart,  in  order  that  hoeing  may  be  done  if  required, 
which  is  often  the  case,  these  soils  being  much  infested 
with  the  Poppy,  Charlock,  and  other  weeds. 

The  failure  of  the  Clover  seeds  often  necessitates  a 
cliange  in  the  rotation,  and  the  substitution  of  a  crop 
of  Peas  or  Winter  Beans,  in  which  case  it  is  the  best 
custom  to  sow  Turnips,  Rape,  or  Mustard,  after  the 
Pulse  crop  is  removed.  This  quick  succession  of  feeding 
crops  is  highly  beneficial  for  Wheat  upon  this  soil,  by 
reason  of  the  treading  effected  by  sheep  whilst  con- 
suming the  produce  ;  in  these  cases,  the  sowing  may  be 
delayed  till  the  early  part  of  December,  for  when  sown 
thus  late  the  Wheat  will  be  freer  from  weeds  in  the 
following  spring.  The  quantity  of  seed  cannot  be 
diminished  below  eight  pecks  per  acre,  owing  to  the 
late  period  of  sowing ;  indeed,  the  sowings  in  December 
should  be  made  at  ten  pecks  per  acre. 

I  would  here  observe,  that  these  soils,  when  sown  to 
Wheat  after  Turnips,  or  green  crops,  should  always  be 
ploughed  as  shallow  as  possible,  or  otherwise  let  tho 
land  be  broken  with  the  miresbare,  or  scarifier,  if  the 
weather  is  favourable ;  this  will  give  a  firm  bottom  so 
desirable  for  the  Wlieat  crop  ;  whilst  disturbing  the  soil 
to  any  considerable  depth  woidd  destroy  the  advantage 
always  derived  from  treading  by  sheeji,  and  would 
endanger  the  plant  of  Wheat,  by  rendering  it  liable  to 
be  eaten  by  the  wireworm. 

The  most  suitable  sorts  of  Wheat  for  this  light  land 
are  those  which  grow  thick,  tiller  well,  and  do  not  pro- 
duce too  long  straw,  and  itmay  be  noted,  that  there  is  no 
land  so  well  calculated  to  produce  good  crops  of  mixed 
varieties ;  some  of  the  best  mixtures  are  tho  following, 
in  the  proportion  of  two  parts  Red  Wheat  to  one  part 
White  Wheat.  Old  fashioned  Whitcstrawed  Red 
Wheat,  mixed  with  Scotch  White.  Nursery  Red  Wheat, 
mixed  with  Hopetoun  White.  In  some  instances, 
where  the  climate  is  favoiu'able,  varieties  of  tho  best 
sorts  of  White  Wheat  may  be  successfully  grown  without 
mixture :  these  varieties,  however,  will  be  chosen  with 
the  greatest  advantage  by  persons  c:^perienoed  in  the 
management  of  this  soil,  according  to  its  situation. 

The  treatment  oiDrij  Chalk  Soils  forms  the  last  division 
of  my  subject;  and  here,  again,  1  find  the  best  manage- 
ment difl'ers  materially  from  that  related  in  connection 
with  other  soils;  for  although  good  substantial  loams 


yi 


THE    COTTAGK    GAKDENER. 


NovF.MnEn  3. 


resting  iipoii  clialk,  where  the  aspect  and  climate  is  good, 
may  be  most  advantageously  managed  upon  the  system 
reoominended  in  my  former  paper  upon  tlie  treatment  of 
loamy  land,  in  almost  every  respect ;  yet,  ujiou  high  nnd 
dry  chalky  laud,  which  is  often  dehcicut  in  climatic 
advantages,  and  upon  the  culture  of  which  1  now 
liropose  to  write,  the  best  mode  of  treatment  is  some- 
wiiat  peculiar.  Formerly,  the  practice  of  these  districts 
was  not  to  sow  Wheat  ol'tener  than  once  in  six  or  seven 
J-ears,  and  even  then  producing  but  a  very  moderate 
crop  ;  but  since  tlie  introduction  of  artificial  manures,  by 
which  tliese  high  and  outlying  lands  have  been  made  to 
produce  roots  equal  to  some  of  the  best  soils,  they  have 
been  brought  into  a  fertile  stale,  whicli  lias  induced  a 
mode  of  farming  based  upon  the  four-lain  system,  similar 
to  the  rotation  named  as  best  for  tlie  management  of 
sand  and  gravel  land,  the  chief  difference  to  be  observed 
relating  to  the  details  of  culture. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  in  many  parts,  where 
the  land  is  highly-farmed,  that  these  soils  being  made  to 
produce  a  heavy  crop  of  straw,  yield  a  largo  quantity 
of  grain,  in  favourable  seasons,  with  more  certainty  than 
many  soils  naturally  of  a  fertile  character ;  and  it  is  a 
very  encouraging  fact  to  farmers  of  this  class  of  soils, 
that  their  return  of  profit  from  the  use  of  oil-cal;e  or 
corn-feeding,  combined  with  artificial  manuring,  will 
prove  twenty-five  per  cent,  greater  than  it  will  when 
expended  upon  the  best  description  of  land.  In  tlie 
treatment  of  lea-ground  intended  for  Wheat,  it  is  usual, 
upon  this  soil,  to  plough  early,  in  order  that  the  land 
may  have  time  to  settle  and  become  firm,  and  thus 
prevent  the  Wheat-plant  being  thrown  out  and  becoming 
root-false,  which  it  is  very  liable  to  in  this  land.  The  more 
effectually  to  prevent  this,  let  the  ridge-ploughing  be 
done  not  later  than  the  month  of  September  ;  and  at 
tlie  time  of  ploughing  let  it  be  pressed,  and  nitcrwards 
rolled  crossways,  and  harrowed  sufficiently  to  break  the 
furrow  down  fine;  tlion  let  it  lay  and  become  stale. 
When  it  is  intended  to  be  seeded,  let  this  be  done  by 
the  drill  during  the  month  of  October,  taking  care  to 
obtain  sufficient  mould  to  bury  the  seed,  by  using  the 
uineshare,  or  scarifier,  and  the  harrows,  just  before  the 
operation  of  drilling.  The  seed  shoidd  be  drilled  as  deep 
as  the  firm  state  of  the  land  will  admit,  and  as  soon  as 
drilled,  let  tlie  sheep-flock  be  driven  upon  it,  passing 
twice  over  the  land,  in  regular  courses,  throughout  the 
field ;  this  treading  is  peculiarly  beneficial  to  the  growth 
of  Wheat  upon  this  soil. 

The  mode  of  manuring  is  generally  by  the  folding  of 
sheep;  and  except  in  land  situated  nearest  to  the 
homestead,  where  it  is  desirable  to  lay  the  yard  manure, 
any  defloiency  of  the  fold  may  be  made  up  by  the  appli- 
cation of  bones  or  dried  flesh  manure,  or  Guano,  which 
should  be  sown  at  the  time  of  drilling,  as  the  spring- 
sowing  upon  the  surface  does  not  answer  so  well  upon 
chalky  soils. 

The  management  necessary  to  sustain  large  flocks  of 
sheep  upon  the  land  considerably  affects  the  mode  of 
preparation  for  Wheat.  It  often  happens  that  a  portion 
of  the  land  which   has  been  seeded  to  Trefoil  is  rather 


fed  by  sheep  or  cut  for  hay;  in  either  case  it  is  ploughed 
up  and  sown  to  Turnips,  Rajie,  or  JIustard,  according  to 
the  time  of  year,  or  state  of  the  land;  tlie  broad  Clovers 
being  cut  for  Hay.  In  case  of  failure  of  the  seeds.  Peas 
are  taken,  followed  by  jMustard,  or  Kapc,  these  being  all 
fallow  crops,  and  fed  oil'  by  sheep  as  they  arrive  at 
matv.rity ;  the  period  of  sowing  is  thereby  delayed,  it 
being  usual  to  sow  the  lea  ground  first,  and  give  the 
stock  the  advantage  of  a  month  or  six  weeks  more  feed- 
ing. This  often  protracts  the  period  of  sowing  to  the 
middle  or  latter  end  of  November,  but  it  should  not  be 
later  upon  such  land,  and  all  the  late  sowing  should  have 
three  bushels  of  seed  per  acre  drilled  at  five  inches 
apart.  In  all  cases,  of  either  early  or  late  sowing,  unless 
the  weather  is  unusually  wet,  tlie  land  should  be 
managed  as  before  stated,  without  ploughing,  and  be 
trodden  over  by  the  flock  as  soon  as  drilled.  The  hardy 
varieties  of  Brown  Wheat  arc  best  suited  to  this  soil, 
and  particularly  those  kinds  which  give  plenty  of  straw, 
such  as  the  Red  Lammas,  Spalding,  and  the  Golden 
Drop,  with  many  other  sorts,  the  selection  of  which  must, 
in  a  great  measure,  be  left  to  the  judgment  and  ex- 
perience of  the  cultivators  of  this  soil. 

JosEPir  Bt.undell. 


LOOK    AT   THE    KERNEL. 
Bij   the  At(fhfnrss  of^^My  Floivcrs,"  iCv. 

It  is  very  raelauclioly  to  marl;  the  quiet,  downward  course 
of  iiicu  wild  have  for  years  done  well  in  the  world ;  to  see 
tlieni  gradually  declining  into  poverty  and  nothingness, 
after  being  persons  of  consequence  in  their  ditfureut  spheres. 
It  is  very  melancholy,  very  ati'ectin.^',  and  very  instructive, 
too,  it  we  will  take  the  trouble  to  look  into  things,  and  see 
wliat  kind  of  men  tliey  were  inwardly,  as  well  as  outwanlly  ; 
for  it  is  not  the  shell,  but  the  kernel,  that  produces  the  tree. 

In  iny  last  x>a])er,  I  gave  the  sketch  of  a  cottage  gardener's 
ilecliue  and  fall;  I  am  now  going  to  give  that  of  a  gardener 
rather  high  in  his  profession;  a  man  well  known,  by  name,  to 
many  ol'  my  readers ;  the  gardener  to  a  gentleman  with  whom 
he  resided  many  years,  tieorge  'Webb,  by  which  namcl  shall 
call  him,  possessed  the  confidence  of  his  employer,  who  had 
gardens,  hothouse,  pinery,  and  all  the  usual  appurtenances 
of  horticulLure  and  fioriculture.  'Webb  was  the  "  great  pan 
of  the  dairy,"  to  rise  a  homely  phrase,  and  everything  about 
the  place  was  directed  by  him.  Ho  had  to  provide  the 
family  with  all  the  garden  produce  they  recjuircd,  and  the 
rest  was  his  own.  He  liail,  of  course,  ins  cottage,  and  a 
rising  family,  and  bo  niiglit  have  done  extremely  well,  fairly 
and  honestly,  in  tlie  sight  both  of  tied  and  man.  "Webb 
had  the  oar  of  bis  master,  and  very  much  of  his  liand  too, 
for  liis  name  and  his  influence  were  more  spoken  of  and 
felt  than  tliat  of  any  one  else.  If  ^^'ebb  chose  that  a  niim 
should  be  turned  off,  be  went;  if  he  chose  another,  he 
came;  and  so  on.  "Webb's  word  was  a  kind  of  law,  and  he 
ruled  despotically.  No  man  ever  spoke  well  of  him.  It  is 
a  fearful  thing  to  put  power  into  any  one's  hand  to  whom 
it  does  not  lawfully  belong ;  it  is  almost  certain  to  be 
abused.  You  cannot  tell  what  a  man  is  until  he  is  tried, 
and  nothing  tries  so  searchingly  as  jtoircr.  Webb  had  great 
opportunities  of  deceiving,  injuring,  and  defrauding  his 
master,  and  he  had  the  nytilnlion  of  doing  all  thrJc.  Ho 
was  very  clever  in  liis  Inisiness,  nnd  nothing  was  spared  to 
produce  fruit,  i-c,  of  the  best  quality;  lie  cUd  just  as  he 
liked,  and  of  course  bis  master  paid  the  bills. 

Many  years  passed  in  this  way.  At  length  his  master 
determined  to  sell  bis  properly,  and  when  this  was  done, 
Webb  was  obliged  to  remove  to  a  home  of  bis  own.  No 
one  coming  to  tlia  place  would  engage  biin,  with  nil  bis 
ways  of  going  on,  which  soon  liecomo  known  when  the  dny 
of  power  closes ;  and  no  one  in  the  ncighbourliood  would 


NoVKMUF.ll  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


85 


Imve  had  anytliing  to  ilo  willi  luiii,  beciiusc  lie  liad  so  long 
been  liis  master's  master.  ^Vebb,  who  was  a  widower,  took 
a  little  cottage  in  the  next  village,  to  which  lielonged  a 
large  piece  of  garden  ground,  and  there  lie  settled  himself 
and  three  or  lour  children.  The  cottage  soon  began  to  look 
pretty  under  his  skilful  hands.  All  sorts  of  shrubs  and 
Howers  flourished  and  bloomed  around  it ;  and  when  he 
was  busy  among  them,  on  a  summer's  evening,  he  seemed 
to  bo  really  in  a  very  snug,  comfortable  position. 

The  first  domestic  atlliction  that  came  upon  him  was  the 
conduct  of  one  of  his  daughters.  She  was  engaged  to  be 
the  wife  of  a  young  m;i.n  of  some  property,  but  no  principles. 
She  fell  into  sin,  ami  her  partner  in  guilt  deserted  her. 
Grief — and,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  repentance — tore  her  breast, 
and  she  died  of  a  broken  heart.  This  was  a  keen  and 
heavy  blow,  without  any  softening  circumstance,  to  the  poor 
father.  His  own  health  had  long  been  dechning,  and  he 
had  no  partner  to  share  and  soothe  his  griefs.  Possibly, 
man's  sterner  materials  ]irevent  the  degree  of  sutt'ering 
that  woman  feels  under  affliction  ;  but  there  is  something 
very  sad  in  seeing  a  man  standing  alone  in  sorrow ;  there  is 
a  coldness  and  desolation  in  man's  grief,  when  he  has  not  a 
softer  /«t//' attached  to  him,  that  e.Kcites  our  pity  exceedingly; 
and  poor  AYebb,  in  his  loneliness,  with  broken  health  and 
infirm  limbs,  must  have  been  the  picture  of  woe,  as  be 
watched  the  death-bed  of  his  child,  and  returned  from 
laying  her  in  the  grave. 

Two  or  three  years  have  passed  since  then ;  and  Weljb 
still  dwelt  in  tlie  same  house.  Sometimes  laid  up  with  gout 
and  other  complaints,  and  sometimes  going  about  with  a 
lai'ge  bunch  of  seals  to  his  watch.chain,  and  a  flower  in  his 
button-hole,  as  he  used  to  do  in  gayer  and  younger  days. 

Some  months  ago  there  was  a  rumour  of  the  sale  of  his 
furniture  and  ell'ects.  The  day  was  fixed,  and,  if  some 
friend  did  not  come  forward  to  help  him  with  a  sum  of 
money,  all  was  to  go.  Tlie  sale  did  not  take  place,  however, 
and  it  was  supposed  that  help  had  been  aftorded.  Things 
have  gone  on  quietly  for  a  time.  Webb  is  a  man  who  keeps 
his  affairs  to  himself;  hut,  when  difflculties  begin,  they  are 
not  easily  ended.  His  son,  who  had  a  good  situation  in  an 
extensive  garden,  returned  some  months  ago,  no  one  knew 
why,  and  has  been  living  at  home  ever  since.  The  last  in- 
telligence of  poor  Webb's  jnovements  was,  that  he  is  going 
away  from  the  village  ;  some  of  his  plants  and  elTects  have 
been  sold,  and  he  is,  himself,  about  to  depart  too.  The 
most  distressing  circumstance  is,  that  botli  he  and  his 
family  have  long  given  up  the  public  worship  of  Uod.  For- 
merly they  used  to  frequent  the  sanctuary,  but  now  lie  is 
rarely  seen  there ;  his  son  and  daughter  never. 

This  is  a  pitiful  end  to  a  once  flourishing  gardener  !  But 
it  is  the  end  of  all  who  do  not  walk  with  God.  It  is  seldom 
that  men  who  act  dishonestly  and  unjustly  prosper  in  their 
latter  days  ;  there  is  a  canker  at  their  root  that  causes  their 
verdure  to  fail,  perhaps  without  any  apparent  cause.  Like 
their  own  plants  and  flowers,  they  drooj)  and  dwindle ;  but 
they  do  not  treat  themselves  as  they  treat  them — they  do 
not  lay  bare  their  own  heart  as  they  lay  hare  the  roots  of 
the  diseased  plant,  and  see  how  matters  stand  there.  If 
they  did,  they  would  find  the  worm  that  destroys  their 
prosperity ;  they  would  find  the  sin  that  brings  down  God's 
wrath  upon  them,  or,  His  gracious  but  "  severe  mercy ;  " 
they  woifld  find  that  His  name  despised,  and  His  law 
abused,  and  His  Word  neglected,  was  the  cause  of  all  their 
misfortunes,  and  not  this  or  that  vilschancc  aird  uTiut  of 
luck.  Oh  !  if  we  would  but  watch  our  own  ways  closely,  we 
should  see  such  wickedness  in  our  dealings  with  our  fellow- 
men  as  would  astonish  us  !  'Trust  abused ;  opportunities 
of  gain  at  another's  expense;  liltlc  dishonesties,  as  men 
call  them  ;  advantages  caught  at  unlawfully ;  plans  recom- 
mended for  our  own  selfish  purposes :  Oh  1  such  myriads 
of  wicked,  unholy,  vile  practices,  large  and  small,  that  we 
may  well  wonder  at  the  patience  and  long  suifering  of  the 
Lord,  and  not  at  our  own  disasters.  "  Is  there  not  a  cause? " 
There  may  be  many  men  going  on,  with  a  flowing  sail,  like 
Webb  in  days  gone  by.  Let  them  dig  about  their  own  roots, 
and  search  them  closely,  lest  the  Lord  should  cut  tliem  down. 
Eeader!  wdiat  soil  are  you  growing  in  ?  Much  depends  upon 
that.  Are  you  planted  in  the  stony  places  of  the  world, 
or  in  the  green  pastm'es  of  the  Gospel?  Depend  upon  it, 
if  you  have  not  chosen  the  Lord  for  your  portion,  your  root 


will  wither,  and  you  will  dwindle  and  die.  It  is  He  alone 
that  can  keep  your  hands  from  touching  "the  unclean 
thing,"  and  your  hearts  from  going  after  your  covelous- 
ness.  AVhat  is  a  youth  of  prosperous  wickedness,  and  an 
old  age  of  poverty  or  sadness  ?  Is  it  worth  the  peril  of 
your  soul?  Let  us  approve  ourselves  to  God,  then  we  sliall 
have  peace,  even  if  we  have  not  plenty. 


NORWICH  AND  HOXITON   POULTRY   SHOWS. 

The  first  exhibition  of  a  newly-established  Toultry  So- 
ciety is  announced  to  he  held  at  Norwich,  on  'Tuesday, 
the  20th  of  December  next,  and  the  two  following  days. 
The  committee,  it  would  seem,  have  had  some  misgivings 
as  to  the  prudence  of  exceeding  the  limits  of  two  days  for 
their  show;  since,  to  quiet  the  minds  of  intending  exhi- 
bitors, the  following  rule  has  been  introduced  into  the 
usual  form  of  such  documents: — "  I'lw  Oommillce,  hnviiiy 
witnessed  tlie  injurious  co)tsctjitfttcfs  of  insufficient  cleauliuess 
ill  previous  Exhibitions,  loill  see  that  jmrtiailur  jirecautiuns 
are  Inken  to  ensure  the  comfort  and  health  of  the  exhihited 
birds.  Ventilation  will  he  especinlly  atteiuled  to,  find  roosts 
prodded  for  certain  classes  of  birds."  All  this  is  highly  praise- 
worthy; but  we  should  have  been  better  satisfied  to  have 
had  these  assurances  (which  every  exhibitor,  by  the  way, 
has  a  clear  right  to  demand  from  the  managers  of  such 
societies,  even  supposing  the  show  lasts  but  a  single  day) 
guaranteed  generally  for  the  two  days,  and  not  And  our- 
selves referring  to  them  as  a  reason  to  .justify  the  detention 
of  the  poultry  beyond  that  time. 

Two  days  is  amply  sufficient  for  all  such  local  exhi- 
bitions ;  and  any  excess  beyond  this  period  will  eventually 
damage  their  success,  from  the  unwillingness  of  the  owners 
of  valuable  birds  to  subject  them  to  the  hazards  of  pro- 
tracted confinement.  'They  (the  fowls)  have  quite  enough 
to  go  through  already ;  and  few  of  us  who  are  conversant 
with  their  condition  after  their  appearance  in  public  will  be 
willing  to  add  a  single  hour  to  their  confinement,  beyond 
what  must  be  regarded  as  strictly  necessary  for  the  purposes 
of  the  dilferent  societies. 

We  have  quoted  one  regulation  from  the  prize  list  of  the 
Eastern  Counties  Association,  and  find  ourselves,  unfor- 
tunately, on  one  point,  at  variance  with  its  managers ;  but 
these  gentlemen  have  framed  another  rule  which  well  de- 
serves admission  into  tlie  prospectus  of  every  I'oultry 
Society ; — this  states,  that  "  Exhibitors  are  eitrnesthj  requested 
not  tofortfard  specimens  in  an  iinhealthij  state,  as  they  will  be 
rejected."  Risks,  indeed,  are  already  sufficiently  numerous 
for  us  to  dread  the  evils  to  which  our  favourites  must  bo 
exposed,  without  adding  that  of  infection.  It  is  proposed, 
we  observe,  on  this  occasion,  to  renew  the  attempt  at  selling 
the  priced  pens  by  auction  at  the  close  of  the  second  day. 
At  the  Jletropolitau  this  scheme  proved  a  failure.  It  re- 
mains, therefore,  to  be  seen  whether  or  no  it  can  be  better 
managed  on  this  occasion.  'The  deduction  of  10  per  cent, 
on  all  sales  is  too  high ;  the  usual  .")  per  cent,  was  a  much 
wiser  charge. 

AVe  notice,  also,  as  a  novel  feature  in  the  prize-list, 
a  "Committee  prize"  for  "the  best  Shanghae  cock,"  and 
"the  best  Shanghae  hen  ;"  to  be  shown  separately.  This 
is,  assuredly,  a  step  in  the  right  direction ;  and  before 
another  year  will  probably  have  many  imitators ;  for  a 
distinct  class  of  male  and  female  birds,  shown  separately, 
will  be  a  boon  to  poultry-keepers  generally.  An  en-or, 
however,  has  been  made  in  giving  but  one  common  class 
to  the  Coloured  and  White  Dorkings,  birds  which  should 
certainly  stand  apart.  Turkeys,  as  might  have  been  anti- 
cipated, have  tempting  premiums  for  both  the  young  and 
the  okl  birds ;  but  why  withhold  similar  encouragement 
from  the  Geese  ? 

The  "  Cottager"  is  invited  to  compete  for  "  the  best  collec- 
tion of  useful  Poultnj,  not  less  than  six  in  number."  But  this 
is  hardly  explicit  enough;  for  'Turkeys,  Geese,  Ducks,  Fowls, 
Pigeons,  and  Guinea  Fowls,  might,  by  this  rifle,  each  con- 
tribute one  representative;  and  if  the  best  of  their  several 
classes,  then  present,  this  miscellaneous  medley  inight  claim 
the  prize;  yet  this  could  hardly  have  been  intended. 

'To  judge  from  the  list  of  patrons,  this  initiatory  step,  on 


8(j 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NOVKMUKR  '■ 


the  part  of  llie  Norfolk  I'oultry-keopers,  must  have  received 
svcat  encouragement;  and  we  shall  learn, with  jiloasure,  that 
the  nio.->t  sanguine  anticipations  of  its  promoters  have  been 
tuUy  reali^iccl.  But  we  tind  another  prize-sheet  on  our 
table,  detailing  tlje  premiums  ofl'ered  at  tlio  second  meeting 
of  the  "  Hoiiilim  and  Euxl.  Dcvuii  Association  for  the  Tmjironc- 
mcnl  of  nomeslic  Poultri/,"  to  be  held  at  Iloniton,  on  Wed- 
nesday, the  asth  day  of  December  next. 
^  AN  e  are  glad  to  notice  the  example  of  the  Winchester  and 
Cornwall  Societies,  in  allowing  the  ticket,  "  not  to  ha  mtil;' 
to  bo  affixed  to  pens  which  their  owners  have  no  desii-e  to 
part  with,  has  been  followed  in  this  instance  ;  regarding  it, 
as  we  do,  as  a  manifest  improvement  ou  the  former  custom. 
But  why  Black  Slianghaes  should  compete  with  the  Brown 
and  Partridge  birds,  we  are  at  a  loss  to  understand.  If 
their  admission  is  insisted  on,  a  separate  class  should  be 
granted ;  and,  so  far  as  their  origin  is  concerned,  they  would 
certainly  be  more  at  home  witli  the  AVhile  birds  of  that  class 
tlian  where  tliey  will  now  fmd  themselves  at  the  Iloniton 
show.  Turkeys  and  Geese  should  have  had  more  encourage- 
ment, if  only  as  the  Farmer's  stocl;,  whose  Ducks,  moreover, 
if  he  fail  to  possess  the  Aylesbury  or  Eouen  breeds,  are 
altogether  exclusive.  This  last  is  a  serious  fault;  for,  al- 
though we  have  reason  to  consider  the  two  first-named 
varieties  as  the  best  lor  general  purposes,  still,  we  cannot 
forget  that  there  are  many  sub-vai-ieties  of  the  common  Duck 
of  great  merit;  and  the  beautiful  and  useful  Black  East 
Indian,  or  Buenos  Ayrean  Duck,  should  have  admission 
to  every  Poultry  Exhibition.  In  Pigeons,  too,  we  notice  a 
niost  arbitrary  selection;  Trumpeters,  Pouters,  Barbes,  and 
Turbits,  being  most  summarily  excluded ;  but  these  would 
surely  have  as  (juite  as  good  a  claim  for  admission  as  the 
Nuns,  Archangels,  Jacobines,  and  Fantails,  that  have  found 
favoiu-  with  the  Iloniton  Society. 

Let  it  not  be  thouglit,  that,  since  we  cannot  bestow 
uucjiialified  approbation,  such  remarks  on  what  we  must 
consider  eiTors  should  not  appear.  Our  dut\-,  in  that  case, 
would  be  ill-performed,  and  our  task  but  half-fidlilled.  In 
this,  as  in  every  other  similar  instances,  we  object,  on  prin- 
ciple, to  an  arbitrary  selection  of  certain  varieties  of  birds 
for  t\\e  honours  of  the  prize-list.  Whatever  mouey  can  be 
applied  for  premiums  slioidd  be  fauly  distributed  between 
all  the  recognized  classes.  We  are  not  to  pick  here  and 
there  for  what  in:  may  like  or  think  best,  but  let  all  com- 
pete on  a  fair  field,  and  without  favour. 

Some  liberal  prizes  for  '^  dead  PoiiHn/"  are  added  to  the 
Honitou  list ;  and  we  believe  that  such  an  introduction  will 
be  found  advantageous  in  very  many  localides. 


THE   GUERNSEY  LIIA^ 

(Nerine  Sarnknsis.) 

The  history  of  the  introduction  of  the  above  plant  to  ntic 
greenhouses,  conservatories,  and  parterres,  and  its  mode  of 
cultivation  in  the  island  of  Guernsey,  are  of  such  interest  as 
to  induce  me  to  lay  before  your  readers  what  little  I  know 
respecting  this  much- cherished  favorite. 

This  interesting  plant  was  found  growing  about  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  on  the  sand  banks  in  tlie 
Vale  parish,  Guei'nsey,  supposed  to  have  been  washed  there 
with  the  debris  of  a  .Japanese  vessel  wrecked  on  the  coast. 
Some  cottagers  discovered  it  in  bloom,  and  took  it  home 
to  their  own  gardens  and  planted  it,  thereby  originating 
a  source  of  employment,  and  remimeration  for  their  in- 
dustry and  that  of  their  successors ;  tlte  grower  now  looldng 
as  much  forward  for  a  ptu'tion  of  his  revenue  from  his  crop 
of  Guernsey  Lilies  as  from  any  other  crop  ho  may  have 
growing  on  his  land.  I  cannot  doubt  the  correctness  of  this 
time  being  the  period  of  its  introduction,  as  in  walking 
through  tlie  picture  gallery  at  Hampton  Court  Palace,  in 
185],  1  discovered,  in  one  of  the  rooms,  a  drawing  of  it  with 
the  figures  11!  1)  on  it  (I  could  not  distinguish  the  third 
figure  in  the  row,)  and  do  not  doubt  the  drawing  was  made 
soon  alter  its  introdiKttion.  T  think  this  Bulficiont  evidence 
as  to  the  period,  as  I  find  it  to  correspond  with  the  date 
specified  in  Loudon's  "  Hortus  Brittanicus."  ](i,')!). 

The  persons  cultivating  the  Guernsey  Lily  with  most 
success  invariably  select  a  low,  sheltered,  spot,  where  the 
ground  is  of  a  Ught,  sandy  texture,  mixed  with  loam,  under 


the  protection  of  trees — (part  of  an  apple  orchard,  for 
instance,  sheltered  by  an  elm  hoilge,  of  a  dcscriotion  for 
which  the  island  is  famous) — wherein  lliey  are  planted  iu 
rows,  according  to  the  width  of  the  strip  allotted  for  the 
piUTiose,  as  close  together  as  they  can  be,  allowing  just 
suHicient  room  for  spreading  the  roots;  about  two  inelics 
between  the  roots,  and  ten  to  twelve  inches  between  the 
rows,  burying  the  bulbs  but  half-way  up,  leaving  the  necks 
entirely  exposed.  The  usual  season  for  planting  them  out 
is  the  middle  or  latter  end  of  September,  as  soon  as  the 
j'oots  begin  to  grow;  tins  being  an  indication  thai  Ihey 
will  not  bloom  that  season.  After  planting,  they  are  left 
without  any  sort  of  protection  but  that  afforded  by  the 
locahty;  and  they  make  theii-  growth  during  the  winter 
months,  which,  if  favourable,  and  not  very  frosty,  so  as  lo 
allow  the  fuil  development  of  the  leaves,  ensures  an  abundant 
bloom  during  the  ensuing  August  and  September.  The 
beds  are  generally  left  for  years  without  transplanting,  and 
the  visitor  is  often  astonished,  in  going  into  these  Lily 
grounds,  to  find  the  roots  growing  iu  clusters  all  along  the 
rows,  thrusting  one  another,  as  it  were,  out  of  the  groimd, 
from  the  rapid  increase  of  the  roots.  As  the  blooming 
season  comes  on,  the  elderly  ladies,  for  it  seems  their  pre- 
rogative, as  far  as  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  observing, 
go  along  the  beds  or  rows,  marking  out  with  little  sticks  the 
roots  which  show  any  indication  of  blooming  buds,  so  as  to 
be  able  the  more  readily  to  take  tbtun  up  on  the  market 
mornings,  or  when  application  is  made  i'or  them  by  the 
dealers ;  and  it  is  astonishing  the  power  of  vision  oiu'  worthy 
friends  display  in  their  peculiar  avocation,  discriminating  the 
llovv'ering  from  the  non-tlowering  roots  with  an  aptness  which 
has  made  me  and  many  younger  owners  of  a  pair  of  good 
eyes  blush  at  our  imperfection  in  their  peculiar  pursuit. 

They  are  sold  at  prices  varring  from  '-is.  to  is.  per  dozen  ; 
the  dealers  collecting  them  and  sending  them  in  quantities 
to  the  ditt'erent  nursery  seedsmen  and  pri\ate  customers 
throughout  the  United  Kingdom,  by  whom  they  are  distributed 
to  the  boudoirs  and  conservatories. 

The  theory  that  the  same  root  never  lilooms  twice  is 
incoiTect;  as  I  have,  at  this  present  moment,  one  before  me 
which  flowered  last  season,  and  have  often  had  them  to  bloom 
a  second  time. 

I  attribute  the  ficldeness  and  uncertainly  of  their  blooming 
more  to  the  unfavotu'ableness  of  the  mode  of  culture  than 
to  any  other  caitse ;  and  I  have  also  noticed,  when  the  winters 
have  liecu  long  and  severe,  there  has  not  been  such  an 
abundant  bloom  as  iu  mdder  seasons. 

Belladonna  Lilies  (Amarijllis  Brihdonna)  are  cultivated  in 
a  similar  manner;  with  the  exceptions  of  plnuling  them 
deeper,  and  they  require  a  richer  soil,  and  more  space  to 
grow  in,  the  roots  being  much  larger  and  grosser  feeders 
than  those  of  the  more  admired  favourite,  whose  pretty 
rosy-crimson  umbel  of  llowers  is  adored  by  all  who  have  the 
gratification  of  seeing  it  well  bloomed. — CuAs.  Bn.  S.vukueks, 
Casarfaii  Nnrscri/,  Jersey. 


ctrrrAGK  jniKwiNG. 

"  Tticrc  were  twelve  kind's  lived  in  the  west, 
Twelve  Itings  both  grc;it  and  hiph  ; 
And  they  have  sworn  a  dreadful  oath, 
.Tnhii  Barleycorn  shall  die. 
They  dosed  him  with  nux  vomica, 
Hcajjed  strychnine  on  his  head. 
And  tlicn  tliey  rulilied  their  hands  and  cried, 
*  John  Uarlcycoru  is  dead ! '  *' 

A  r.iio  fiii'.K  Patrick,  they  say,  was  once  thought  lo  be  dead 
also  ;  but  he,  lively  soul,  upon  an  interrogatory  question  to 
that  elVect,  answered,  "No,  he  was  not  dead,  but  spaolio- 
less!"  Alas!  honest  .lohn,  thou  art  speechless,  even  from 
the  womb  of  thy  mother  earth,  still  thou  livest  on;  ayo,  mid 
will  continue  to  live  as  long  as  British  industry  endures. 
Would  that  you  couLn  speak  in  defence  of  thy  mucli  abused 
and  dishonoured  self — a  most  alfecting  case  you  would  linvi^ 
to  plead;  snllicient,  no  doubl,  to  win  over  and  shame  the 
-tlefamers  of  thy  generous  heart,  those  wallowers  in  ex(!ess, 
who  bring  mistrust  upon  thy  good  name  by  their  own  weak" 
and  immoderate  indulgences ;  with  others,  who,  agreeably 
to  the  tune  of  the  "  twelve,"  heap  strychnine  and  Ihe  like 
abominations  upon  thy  guiltless   head,  thus   sacrificing   a 


NovEMBEn  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


sr 


generous  spirit  to  their  own  rapacious  maws  and  all  grasp- 
ing cupidity.  Pity  'tis,  but  we  know  it  is  true,  indignities 
must  be  suffered ;  lucky,  indeed,  when  at  such  limes  a 
friend  and  ad\iser  can  be  found  to  relievo  and  support  us 
under  them.  .John  Barleycorn  I — ^deny  it  who  can — yon 
are  one  of  the  surest  and  safest  props  for  your  country;  a 
long  vista  of  years  must  be  seen  through,  ere  you  cease  to 
provide  for  her  one  of  her  principal  sources  of  revenue.  I 
find  no  fault  with  persons  who  refuse  to  drink  your  mild 
Metlieghn;  hut  I  decry  those  who  misuse  and  abuse  you. 
Justly  treated  and  considered,  there  remains  not  a  home  or 
cottage  in  tlie  laud  where  you  would  not  become  thoroughly 
a])preciated,  in  coujunction  with  a  liome-baked  loaf  and  a 
Cheshire  cheese  I  It  is  in  this  light,  my  friend,  I  take  you 
by  the  hand  and  encourage  you:  also  that  other,  in  which 
tlie  young  Persian  Prince,  Cyrus,  answered  his  grandfather, 
Aslyages,  King  of  Media,  who,  when  tJio  latter  thought  to 
induce  him  to  become  intoxicated,  refused,  giving  as  a 
reason,  how,  at  an  orgie  not  long  before,  lie  had  been  pained 
at  beholding  him,  a  king,  humiliating  himself  in  tlie  eyes  of 
his  subjects,  through  being  too  drunk  to  stand  upon  his  legs. 
"  AVhy,"  replied  Astyages,  astonished,  "  ]i.^ve  you  never  seen 
the  same  thing  hapjien  to  your  father  ?"  "  No,  never,"  says 
Cyrus.  "  What,  then!  how  is  it  \nth  him  n'hen  he  drinks  ? " 
"Why,  when  he  has  drank,  his  thirst  is  quenched,  and  that 
is  all."  England  requires  steady  sons,  with  sinews  and 
strength  .and  commo)i  seuse ;  these  qualities  can  never  he 
gained  in  our  modern  pot'  houses ;  and  the  idea  of  a  man 
wasting  his  substance  and  impoverishing  his  family  at 
those  places,  merely  to  favour  and  enrich  siicli  worthies  as 
the  "twelve  kings,"  is  a  matter  most  difficult  for  me  to  un- 
derstand ;  yet,  still  it  is  so. 

I  am  not  an  old  man,  and  I  hope  to  live  to  see  the  day 
when  landlords  will  consider  a  copper  as  necessarj'  an  ap- 
pendage for  their  cottages  as  a  chimney,  an.d  to  find  in- 
dividuals, who  wish  well  for  their  country,  in  possession  of 
brewing  utensils,  to  let  out  for  moderate  Inre  to  their  poorer 
brethren  (to  insure  a  clean  and  speedy  retui'u  for  them 
fines  should  be  imposed),  thus  enabling  them  to  brew  their 
own  beer.  I  fear  no  e\il  in  broaching  this  idea.  Place  a 
man  in  a  position  to  undei'stand  himself;  assist  him  to  those 
means  which  create  a  responsibility  and  interest  for  him 
around  his  own  domestic  hearth,  and  the  natural  results 
arising  therefrom  will,  if  anything,  lead  him  to  despise  the 
drunkard's  course ;  he  becomes  aware  that  all  excess  is  sin, 
and  that  the  moderate  use  of  the  bounties  of  the  Giver  of 
all  good  is  conducive,  not  only  for  his  present,  but  of  the 
first  importance  towards  his  future,  happiness. 

"  Eveiy  man  his  own  brewer,"  would  be  a  maxim  prema- 
ture in  me  to  insist  on  ;  or  that  I  should  with  prejudice 
claim  a  precedence  for  the  plan  of  my  adoption,  would  be 
equally  egotistic ;  the  adage  about  the  roasting  of  eggs 
would  rise  up  in  judgment  against  me;  nevertheless,  for 
those  who  should  feel  inclined  to  try  the  system  I  am  about 
to  point  out  (and  I  do  think  the  process  of  brewing  is 
among  one  of  the  most  useful  occupations  in  domestic 
economy  with  which  a  man  can  make  himself  acquaintetf) , 
I  assure  them  a  glass  of  nut-brown  ale  as  a  result,  stash 
as  would  serve  to  cheer  and  not  inebriate. 

This  paper  is  intended  as  a  means  to  assist  and  point  out 
the  intention  of  a  small  brewing,  although  its  rule  would  Bc- 
found  equally  applicable  in  a  multiplied  sense  for  the  pmj- 
pose  ;  the  latter  and  larger  feature  would  necessarily  inclucSiS' 
an  assistant,  therefore,  the  moment  of  preparation  does  not 
eall,perhaps,  for  so  much  consideration  ;  but  where,  as  I  ami 
about  to  suppose,  a  man  is  his  own  factotum,  it  is  well  to. 
take  twenty-four  hours  by  the  forelock :  a  preparatory  hard 
days'  work  running  into  the  same  night  that  one  brews,, 
is  not,  so  far  as  my  experience  warrants  me  to  speak,  over- 
advisable.  But,  if  you  are  not  your  own  workman,  and,, 
unless  you  are  quite  confident  in  your  brewer,  lend  a  hand 
for  the  mashings,  give  an  eye  to  the  boilings,  and  set  the 
beer  to  work  yourself ;  these  three  points  attended  to,  the. 
rest  may  be  confided  to  the  tender  mercies  of  an  unin- 
terested person.  You  will,  probably,  from  the  latter  class, 
get  plenty  of  advice,  as  to  the  inutility  of  masliing  and 
boiling,  for  so  long  periods  as  I  recommend  ;  but  be  fore- 
armed— •"  a  slow  brewer,  and  a  quick  baker,"  is  a  proverb. 
Insist  upon  it,  that  clear,  well-flavoured  beer,  to  stand  the 
proof  of  keeping;  cannot  be  had,  unless  it  be  well-boiled  ; 


nor  can  the  virtue  be  extracted  from  the  malt  unless  it  he 
well  mashed. 

It  is  inuiiaterial  whether  we  brew  by  night  or  by  day, 
though,  as  in  my  case,  where  the  browliouse  served  as  a 
hitchen  of  all  worI<,  I  preferred  to  begin  about  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  in  order  that  by  the  time  the  real  business 
began,  tho  women  might  be  snugly  ensconced  upon  their 
pillows  ;  and,  before  they  WL're  about  in  the  morning,  the 
beer  should  be  out  of  the  way,  and  the  place  set  fair — no 
small  consideration  as  regards  a  m.au's  quietude  and  peace  ! 
If  the  women  wish  the  men  somewhere  on  a  washing  day, 
I  hope  they  will  forgive  my  saying  that  they  (the  women) 
are  happier  in  theii'  beds,  out  of  the  steam  and  other  "  mt's.s-- 
1111/ "  attendant  upon  a  brewing. 

A  sujiposed  quantity  of  beer  necessary  to  he  brewed  at 
one  time,  with  the  majority  for  whom  I  write,  would  seldom, 
I  think,  require  to  exceed  fifty  gallons.  Agreeably  to  this 
idea  the  following  list  of  utensils,  with  their  proportions, 
will  be  found  proper  to  carry  out  the  principle  ctmifortuhli/. 
I  consider  no  lirewing-plant  or  fixtures  of  any  descriptioii, 
with  thei  exception  of  the  copper;  and  whether  this  be 
composfid  of  cast  iron,  or  otherwise,  I  will  suppose  it  set 
within  a  foot  or  so  from  otf  the  level  of  the  floor.  It  should 
hold  sixty  gallons  : — 

Four  fifty-gallon  casks ;  one  six-gallon  ditto,  and  two 
brass  taps.  A  mash-tub„  measuring  eighty  gallons,  with 
screw  faucet,  and  a  strainer.  Two  oval  coolers,  eleven 
inclies  in  depth  ;  one  holding  thirty,  and  the  other  forty 
gallons.  Pour  brewing-tubs  of  thirty,  twenty,  fifteen,  and 
ten  gallons  respectively.  Two  pails,  four-and-a-half  gallons 
each;  one  tun  pail  four-and-a-half  gallons;  and  a  lading 
bucket  .measuring  one  gallon.  A  brewing  ladder  and  sieve ; 
the  latter  of  two  feet  diiuneter,  with  its  bottom  composed  of 
horsehair,  or  fine  cane-work.  Two  tin  working  tubes ; 
whisk,  scruldiing-brush,  mop,  and  birch  besom.  A  three- 
quart  tin,  with  a  cover;  a  pint  measure,  a  brewing  ther- 
mometer, and  a  flat-baeliedstep  triangle  for  tilting  pmiioses. 
AJso  a  stout  basket,  containing  a  cooper's  mallet,  and  hoop- 
driver  ;  gimlet,  bungs  of  sizes,  corks  ditto,  vent-pegs,  a  piece 
ofchalk,  some  stout  rushes,  a  piece  of  hop  bagging,  a 
chisel,  a  knife,  and  a  pair  of  shoemakers'  pinchers.  It 
would  also  be  well  to  keep  a  duplicate  of  iron  hoops  for 
yoiu'  casks  by  you. 

If  the  casks  and  brewing  utensils  are  out  of  order,  and 
you.  are  unacquainted  with  their  management,  it  would  be 
advisable  to  call  in  the  aid  of  the  cooper,  when,  by  noting 
his  operations,  you  would,  with  greater  facility,  be  enabled 
to  adopt  the  same  course  personally  another  time ;  and,  for 
a  oottage  brewer,  like  myself,  whom  we  will  charitably  sup- 
pose  to  have  no  more  spare  cash  than  he  knows  what  to  do 
with,  to  bo  competent  to  take  the  ends  out  of  his  casks,  and 
re]  dace  them,  &c.,  without  being  under  the  necessity  each 
tin  le  he  brews  for  requiring  the  assistance  of  a  cooper,  is 
decidedly  an  object  well  worthy  a  consideration. 

By  this  means  I  became  initiated,  and  I  will  work  my 
Kiethod  out  upon  paper  for  tlie  benefit  of  those  of  my 
readers  who  may  feel  an  interest  in  the  matter.  Having 
the  basket,  mth  its  contenls,  conveniently  near,  tsd^e  the 
piece  of  challc,  .and  form  a  ilistinguishable  mark  down  the 
side_  of  the  cask,  as  a  guide  for  their  positions  when  re- 
placing the  hoops  ;  then  cut  a  notch  on  the  end  of  a  stave, 
and  another  to  correspond  opposite  on  the  head;  these 
will  point  out  the  place  it  occupied  before  removed.  Pierce 
the  gimlet  slightly  into  the  centi-e  of  the  head,  it  will  serve 
as  a  handle  to  lift  out  and  replace  it  by ;  tlien  strike  off,  with 
the  mallet  and  driver,  a  sufficient  number  of  hoops  to 
relieve  the  head,  return  the  top  hoop  to  reclose  the  staves, 
and  take  the  grounds  from  the  bottom  of  the  cask  to  the 
hog-tub.  If  the  inside  of  the  barrel  appears  mouldy,  scrub 
this  off  first  with  cold  water  ;  hot  water  is  liable  to  "drive  in 
the  taint  that  accompanies  the  mould,  which  woirld  ulti- 
mately impart  an  unpleasant  flavour  to  the  beer.  After  this 
scrubbing  with  cold,  follow  up  the  operation  with  hot,  and 
finish  by  scalding  the  cask;  viz.,  enter  two  or  three  pailsful 
of  hot-water,  and  whiiiit  around  well  with  a  birch  besom;  again 
knock  off  the  hoop  or  two  which  were  temporarily  returned  to 
close  the  staves,  place  the  head  at  the  bottom  of  the  barrel,  and 
proceed  to  make  "  all  taut,"  by  retui-ning  the  lai-gest  hoop, 
then  the  next,  and  so  on  ;  the  chalked  mark  serving  as  a 
guide  for  their  readjustment.    Ere  the  hoops  are  driven 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


November  3. 


home,  lift  the  liil,  sui?pendecl  hy  the  gimblet,  and  shp  it 
into  its  groove,  with  the  notches,  previously  cut,  exactly 
opposite  to  each  other  ;  in  so  doing,  observe  if  its  edge  is 
jagged  or  damaged;  if  sn,  insinuate,  opposite  those  places, 
some  pieces  of  the  tliiek  pithy  rusli,  it  will  close  up  the 
vacancies,  and  prevent  tlie  admission  of  air  or  leal;age, 
Now  drive  the  hoops  liome  to  their  places,  and  scnib  the 
outside  of  the  cask;  then  cork  it  up  and  pour  in  at  the 
hung  hole  a  few  gallons  of  hot  water;  hung  it  tight:  fasten 
the  vent-peg;  roll  the  bai-rel backwards  and  forwards brisldy, 
at  arm's  length  ;  and,  should  there  remain  any  faulty  parts, 
sufficient  to  cause  lcal;age,  steam  will  violently  issue  from 
thence,  cautioning,  either  to  drive  the  hoops  tighter,  or 
otherwise  to  add  more  rush  at  the  junctio3i  of  the  head  and 
side. 

This  Kcrnbhing  process  holds  good  for  every  wooden 
utensil.  Under  the  supposition  that  they  are  all  scrupulously 
clean,  and,  ere  we  begin  to  arrange  them  properly  for  brewing, 
we  will  take  a  glance  at  the  copper,  which  ought,  if  answer- 
ing to  its  name,  to  be  scoured  bright  with  some  wood-ash, 
or  sand,  and  a  wet  whisp  of  straw  ;  rerthyris  (poison)  is  apt 
to  become  engendered  on  copper,  and  thus  follows  a  ne- 
cessity for  great  care  in  this  matter. 

Malt  axb  Hops. — The  surest  way  to  procure  these  of 
good  quality,  is  to  order  them  from  a  respectable  maltster. 
I  prefer  a  pale-dried  malt.  For  Ale,  my  practice  has  been 
to  employ  four  bushels  of  malt  to  mal;e  hfty  gallons;  the 
proportion  of  hops  fur  each  bushel,  one  pound,  if  the 
beer  is  required  for  keeping  over  a-year;  otherwise,  three- 
quartcrs-of-a-pound  per  bushel.  For  Table-beer,  thveebnshels 
of  malt  tn  the  fifty  gallons,  and  three  pounds  of  hops.  I 
breu'  purposely  for  small-beer  about  every  three  months; 
this  beverage  is  so  much  more  wliolesome  when  drank  quite 
fresh ;  and,  in  another  sense,  by  using  them  often,  it  acts  as 
a  conservator  for  tlie  utensils,  with  other  reasons  wdiich  I 
will  explain  in  their  turn,  A  chief  consideration,  also,  is 
the  barm,  or  yeast :  to  procure  it  fresh  and  good,  find  out 
if  the  squire,  or  some  neigliboiuing farmer,  have  lately  beerr 
brewing,  it  is  so  mucli  the  more  likely  to  come  genuine  from 
these  places  than  from  a  public-house.  The  propoi-tion  I 
use  is  one  quart  of  ale,  or  tlirce  pints  of  small-beer,  barm, 
for  working  fifty  gallons.  As  a  standing  rule — never  hght  a 
fu-e  under  the  copper  till  the  barm  is  secured. 

UrWAEDS  AND    OxW^UiDS. 
(To  he  conlhineil.) 


PEACH-CULTURE    BY  AMATEURS. 
We  have  often  thought  it  strange  that  the  culture  of  tlie 
Peach  has  not  become   more  pupulai'  in   the   gardens   of 
the  amateur,  being,  as  it  is,  one  of  the  most  delicious  of 
our  stone-fruits,  and  one  of  the  easiest  culture;  for  such  we 
must  term  them,  though  some,  perhaps,  may  difler  from  its 
in  this  respect.     However,  we  have  never  found  any  more 
difilculty  in  olitaining   a  good  crop   of  Peaches   and  Nec- 
tarines than  a  crop  of  any  other  wall-fruit,  and  particiUarly 
Plums;  for  those  we  consider" mucli  more  uncertain  than 
Peaches,  even  in  the  best  of  seasons,  and  under  the  best  of 
management;    yet,  notwithstanding  their  uncertainty  and 
inferiority   to   the   I'each    (excepting   the    Greengage   and 
Golden-drop),  they  are  often  seen  occupying  the  side  or 
end  of  a  house,  or  some  other  situation  v.'hich  the  I'each 
would  delight  in.     Old  Pear  and  Cherry-trees,  that  do  not  | 
produce  sixpeuiiyworth  of  fruit  in  as  many  years,  may  often  i 
be  seen   in   such  favoured   places.     Why   not  grub  tlieui  i 
up,   and  make    thorough    good  preparations,  and  plant  as  I 
many  Peach  and  Nectarine-trees  as  the  space  will  admit?  j 
Tiiey  would  make  doulile   the   amount  of  the   generality 
of  the  Plums,  if  taken  to  mai'ket,  evcu  if  the  crops  were 
equally  good.     We  have  seen  tolerable  good  Peaches  growu 
against  a  common  inch-thick  deal  fence,  without  any  assist- 
ance whatever  to  the  border;  though  we  will  not  recommend 
this  careless  manner  of  planting;  but  we  will  ventm-e  to  say, 
that,  as  regards  the  deal  fence,  excclli'ut  I'eaclies  may  be 
grown  against  such,  providing  the  border  be  well  prepared 
for  the  trees.     As  it  is,  here  lies  the  main  point.     It  is  not 
tlie  wall  that  will  produce  fiue  Peaches,  nor  even  our  elegaut 
glass-houses ;  for  in  sucli  are  often  seen  trees  in  as  defective 


a  state  as  in  the  open  aii',  which  is,  perhaps,  more  owing  to 
the  state  of  the  root  than  any  other  cause. 

Now,  to  such  as  ore  anxious  to  grow  this  fruit,  and  have 
not  the  advantage  of  a  south  wall,  or  means  to  erect  one  for 
the  iiurpose,  ive  will  advise  them  to  set  up  a  wooden  wall  or 
fence  of  tlie  above  description,  in  a  situation,  if  possible, 
that  is  well  backed  up  with  trees  or  shrubs,  on  the  north 
and  east  sides,  but  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  fence. 
The  height  of  the  fence  may  be  from  eight  to  ten  feet,  but 
the  bottom  of  the  fence  should  be  set  eighteen  inches  above 
the  level  of  the  ground,  in  order  to  admit  of  the  border 
being  raised  to  that  height,  or  near  about.  We  would  then 
mark  out  the  border  twelve  feet,  and  throw  out  the  soil  one 
foot  deep,  and  give  the  bottom  a  good  descent  from  the 
fence,  that  the  water  may  readily  pass  away.  A\'e  would 
next  cut  a  drain,  one  foot  deep,  in  the  bottom  of  the  border, 
twel\-e  feet  I'rom  the  frame,  and  parallel  to  it.  This  done, 
we  would  set  up  a  row  of  coarse  flags  against  the  south  side 
of  the  frame,  to  prevent  the  roots  running  to  the  north  side, 
and  also  to  prevent  the  soil  coming  iu  contact  with  the 
fence.  We  would  next  place  a  Layer,  six  inches  thick, 
of  broken  bricks,  or  stones,  all  over  the  surface  of  the 
excavation  or  border,  and  cover  tliem  with  old  flags  or 
slates  of  any  kind,  to  prevent  the  soil  from  falling  in  among 
them  ;  and  in  placing  these  flags,  begin  at  the  lower  side  of 
the  border,  and  lay  them  in  a  similar  form  to  the  tiles  upon 
the  roof  of  a  house,  as  the  roots  are  by  this  means  pre- 
vented from  getting  down  among  the  drainage.  The  soil 
should  he  next  got  in,  which  should  be  the  top  spit  from  an 
old  pasture  or  road-side,  where  the  soil  is  of  a  good,  strong, 
loamy  nature,  neither  very  heavy  nor  very  light ;  but  pai'ti- 
cul.uiy  avoid  a  binding  soil.  It  should  be  used  in  a  fresli 
state,  mtli  a  green  herbage  upon  it,  and  each  turf  cut  once 
or  twice  through  with  the  spade ;  and  if  the  excavated  soil 
from  the  bordcn'  is  good,  it  may  be  thrown  hack,  and  mixed 
with  the  fresh  turf;  but  if  not,  it  should  be  taken  away. 
The  border  should  be  raised  to  the  height  of  the  upright 
stone  flags,  or  a  few  inches  above  them ;  for,  as  the  turf 
decays,  the  liorder  will  sink  a  few  inches. 

The  surface  of  the  border  should  he  well  sloped  from  the 
fence  to  the  front,  in  order  to  carry  olf  any  superfluous 
water,  and  to  get  the  direct  influence  of  the  sun.  In  this 
state  the  trees  may  be  at  once  planted,  though  some  prefer 
November  for  the  purpose ;  but  we  have  planted  in  October, 
November,  .January,  and  February,  with  the  same  success. 

The  sorts  we  would  recommend,  if  four  trees  be  planted, 
•are,  GroHsc  ,Wii/iioiim\  Xoblcssc,  and  two  of  BcllcijnriU- ;  and 
if  a  Nectarine  be  introduced,  choose  the  Elnnjc. 

In  planting,  spread  out  the  roots,  and  scatter  a  little  fine 
soil  among  them  before  finally  covering  them  in  ;  and  do 
not  tread  the  soil  at  all,  nor  plant  them  deeper  than  ten 
inches.  Keep  the  collar  of  the  ti'ees  well  up,  and  water, 
after  planting,  to  settle  the  soil  among  the  roots;  and  in 
this  way  let  them  remain  till  the  buds  begin  to  swell ; 
when,  if  tliey  be  young  trees  from  the  nursery,  they  will 
require  heading  back  to  such  buds  as  are  best  situated  for 
issuhig  shoots  to  form  handsome  trees,  and  whicdi  shoots 
must  be  properly  ti'ained  as  they  proceed  in  growth ; 
rubliing  olf  all  foveright  shoots  and  other  ill-idaced  ones, 
at  intervals,  as  the  trees  progress  onwards  ;  and  regard 
must  be  paid  to  supply  them  with  water  iu  dry  weather,  or, 
what  will  in  a  great  measure  obviate  this,  is  a  covering  of 
shortish  dung  over  the  roots. 

This  is  all  tlic  attention  the  trees  will  require  the  first 
seasi>n,  excepting  a  good  wnsliing,  now  and  then,  with  the 
syringe,  in  dry  weather,  to  freshen  thein,  and  keep  them  free 
from  insects. — .1.  T. 


DORSETSHIRE    rOLH.TRY    J';XHH51T1()N. 

Onf.  of  the  most  rising  of  Poultry  Exhibitions  ought  to 
be  that  of  the  Dorsetsliire  Association  for  the  Improvement 
of  Domestic  Poultry.  Its  second  annual  sliow  look  place 
on  (he  llltli  and  2llth  of  October.  There  wore  4.'i7  pens  l^f 
poultry  gathered  together;  the  specimens,  for  the  most  part, 
were  good ;  and  the  attendance  was  numerous.  Kvery 
praise  is  due  to  the  Association's  indefatigable  Secre- 
tary, G.  .1.  Andrews,  Esq.,  and  we  are  glad  again  to  ho 


November  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


80 


able  to  hold  up  another  example  of  what  may  be  effected 
by  energy  and  good  management — ^^  All  the  birds  (457  pens 
be  it  remembered)  were  packed  and  dismissed  from  Iho  jilace 
of  ExhihidoH  In  tlwir  various  destinations  hefure  ten  o'clock 
on  ike  evenintj  of  the   lust  dot/." 

There  is  one  other  example  which  this  li^xhibition  aftbrds, 
which  we  strongly  urge  the  gentry  of  otlier  counties  to 
follow.  It  is  to  give  prizes — special  prizes — as  was  done 
here  by  the  Earls  of  JHgby  and  Ilchester,  Lord  Kivers,  and 
others. 

A  PIECE  OF  PLATE  value  ^'5,  given  by  the  EAUL  OF  DIGBV,  the 
Lovd  Lieutenant  of  Dorset.     To  the  Owner,  being  a  resident  in  the 
county  (jf  Dorset,  of  the  best  colloction  of  Domestic  Poultry,  of  not, 
less  than  five  varieties  of  at  least  three  specimens  each. 
12.  James   Crane,  jun.,   Tolpudtllc.      Cochins,    cock  and   two   hens, 

Spanish  ditto,  Game  ditto,  Golden  Poland  ditto,  Golden-laced  Bantams^ 

ditto,  Buenos  Ayrcs  Ducks. 

A  PIECE  OF  PLATE  value  ^5.  given  by  the  EARL  OF  ILCHESTER, 
the  Patron  of  the  Society.  To  the  Owner,  being  a  resident  in  the 
county  of  Dorset,  of  the  Ijest  Cochin-China  Cock  and  three  Puliets  of 
1S53,  and  the  best  Dorking  Cock  and  three  PuUcts  of  1853.  N.B.— 
One  at  least  of  these  lots  must  have  been  )jred  by  the  Exhibitor, 

47  and  48.  Richard  Gcnge,  Waterson.  Cochin-China  cock  and 
three  pullets.     Dorking  cock  and  three  pullets. 

A  PIECE  OF  PLATE  value  ^3,  given  by  LORD  RIVERS.     To   the 
Owner  of  the    best  Cochin-China  Cock  and   three    Hens   above   one 
year  old. 
55.  Thomas  Cockeram,  Cerne  Abbas.    Age,  above  one  year. 

A  PIECE  OF  PLATE  value   i£2,   given  by  LORD  RIVERS.     To  the 
Owner  of  the  best  Cochin-China  Cock  and  three  Pullets  of  ia53. 
6l.  Joseph  Goodenough,  Godmanstone.     Age,  six  months. 

A  PIECE  OF  PLATE  value  ,X'2,  given  by  R.  B.  SHERI]>AN,  Esq., 
M.P.     To  the  Owner  of  the  best  Spanish  Cock  and  three  Pullets  of 
1853. 
73.  James  Longman,  jun.,  Dorchester.    Age,  four  months  and  two 

weeks. 

A  PIECE  OF  PLATE  value  ^£3,  given  by  GERARD  STURT,  Esq., 
M.P.    To  the  Owner  of  the  best  Dorking  Cock  and  three  Hens  above 
one  year  old. 
75.  William  Lewis  Henning,  Froome  House.     Age,  two  years. 

A  PIECE  OF  PLATE  value  ^2,    given  by  GERARD  STURT,   Esq., 

M.P.    To  the  Owner  of  the  best  Dorking  Cock  and  three  Pullets  of 

1853. 

80.  William  Pope,  Symondsbury.  Cock  and  one  puUet'seven  months, 
two  pullets  twenty-one  weeks. 

(Class  generally  commended,  and  the  judges,  seeing  the  great  merit  of 
this  class,  recommend  that  Mr.  Sheridan's  plate  of  ^fS  for  the  liest 
Spanish  Cock  and  three  Hens,  for  which  there  was  no  competition, 
should  be  given  to  No.  80,  and  that  the  plate  of  jt'2  should  be  given 
to  No.  85. 
Class  1. — SPANISH.  Birds  exceeding  one-year-old.  Cock  and  two  Hens. 

86.  First  prize,  Wni.  Hill  Dunman,  Troytown.  Age,  two  years.  88. 
Second  prize,  Henry  Field  Fisher,  Blandford.  Age,  about  one  year  and 
seven  months. 

Class  2,— SPANISH.— Cock  and  three  Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 
Q6.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Tlie  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thamcs, 
A-pril  1853.     93.  Second  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street.    Age,  five  months. 
Qi.  Third  prize,  Henry  Field  Fisher,  Blandford.     Hatched  April. 

Class  3.— DORKING  (Coloured).     Birds  exceeding  one-year-old.    Cock 
and  two  Hens. 
98.  First  prize,  J.  Aldridge  Devenish,   Weymouth.    Age,  cock  one- 
year-and-a-half,  hens  two  years.     104.  Second  prize,  Henry  Field  Fisher, 
Blandford.     Age,  about  one  year  and  three  months. 

Class  4.— DORKING.     Cock  and  three  Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 

121.  First    prize,   William    Pope,   Symondsbury.       Age,    twenty-one 
weeks.       HI.  Second  prize,    Frederick    Bernal,   East    Hill,    Farnhani, 
Hants.     Age,  five-and-a-half  months.     113.  Third  prize,  Austin  Cooper 
Saycrs,  Clanville  House.     Hatched  the  20th  of  April, 
(Class  generally  commended.) 

Class  5, — DORKING  (Wliitc).      Birds  exceeding  one-year-old.    Cock 
and  two  Hens. 

132.  Firstprize,  Mrs.  Mills,  BJsterne,  near  Ringwood.  Age,  eighteen 
months.     128.  Second  prize,  Sirs.  Pattison,  Wrackleford.     Birds  of  1851. 

Class  6.— DORKING  (White).     Cock  and  three  Pullets  (Chickens 
of    J853.) 

133,  First  prize,  W.  J.  Beasant,  Milbnrne  St.  Andrew.  Age,  five 
months.  I37.  Second  prize,  William  Fookes,  Tarrant  Monckton.  Age, 
five  months.  135.  Third  prize,  Henry  Bone,  Avon,  near  Ringwood.  Age, 
five  months. 

Class  7.— COCHIN-CHINA   (Cinnamon   and  Buff).      Birds   exceeding 
one-year-old.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
146.  First  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,   Street.     Age,  unknown.     148.  Second 
prize,  Frederick  C.  Steggall,  Weymouth.     Age,  unknown. 

Class  8.— COCHIN-CHINA    (Cinnamon   and   Buff).      Cock   and  three 
Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 
162.  Firstprize,  Mrs.  Henry  Fookes,  Whitechurch.    Age,  about  seven 
months.     155,  Second  prize,  Joseph  Goodenough,  Godmanstone.     Age, 


six  months.    200.  Third  prize,  Cossley  D.  Saunders,  Tarrant  Hinton. 
Hatched  February,  March,  and  April. 

Class  10.— COCHIN-CHINA   (Brown  and  Partridge-feathered).    Cock 
and  three  Pullets  (Chickens  of  IBTiS;. 
226.  First  prize,  Thomas  Panton  Edwards,  Railway  Station,  Lyndhurst, 
Hants.     Age,   seven  months. 

Class  12. -COCHIN-CHINA  (Black).    Cock  and  three  Pullets  (Chickens 
of  1853). 
230.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames 
Hatched  April  18th,  1853. 

Class  14.— COCHIN-CHINA  (White),  Cock  and  three  Pullets  (Chickens 
of  1853). 
234.  First  prize,  Cyrus  Clarii,  Street.  235.  Second  prize,  Christopher 
Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  Hatched  April  3Uth,  1853. 
233,  Third  prize,  Austin  Cooper  Sayers,  Clanvi!le  House.  Hatched 
the  6th  of  April. 

Class  15. — 3IALAY.    Birds  exceeding  one-year-old.    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
2411,  First  prize,   William  ManRcld,   Dorchester.     246.  Sncond  prize, 
Willia'u  Pope,  Symondsbury.     Age,  one  year  and  two  months. 

Class  I{j.— MALAV.     Cock  and  three  Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 
21().  First  prize,  William   Manlield,   Dorchester.     251.  Second  prize, 
William  fllanticld,  Dorchester. 

Class   17.— GAME    FOWL,     Birds  exceeding  one-year-old.     Cock  and 
two  Hens, 
2fj2.  First  prize,  William  Brcwis,   Frampton.     Age,   eighteen  months. 
261.  Second  prize,  Thomas  Panton  Edwards,  Railway  Station,    Lynd- 
hurst, Hants.     Age,  two  years. 

Class  18.— GAME  FOWL.     Cock  and  three  Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 
272b.  John  Thomas  Ensor,    Dorchester.      Hatched  March  and  April. 
270.  Second   prize,    Henry   Field   Fisher,    Blandford.       Hatched   April. 
2oy.  Tiiird  prize,  James  Crane,  jun.  Tolpuddle.    Age,  seven  months. 

Class    19.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED    HAMBURGH.      Birds   exceeding 
one-year-old.    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
273.   Firstprize,    Mrs.  Henry  Fookes,  Whitechurch.    Age,  unknown. 
277.  Second  prize,  Charles  Templer,  Bridport.     Age,  two  years. 

Class  20.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HABIBURGH.     Cock  and  three 

Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 

283.  First  prize,  Charles  Templer,  Bridport.    Age,  seven  months.    384. 

Second   prize,    Charles  Templer,    Bridport.    Age,   seven  months.     278. 

Third  prize,  I\Irs.  Henry  Fookes,  Whitechurch.     Age,  five  months. 

(This  class  highly  meritorious.) 

Class  21.— SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.    Birds  exceeding  one- 
year-old.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 

286,  Firstprize,  Henry  Field  Fisher,  Blandford.  Age,  about  one  year 
and  five  months. 

Class  22.— SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  and  three 
Hens  {Chickens  of  1353). 

291.  Henry  Field  Fisher,  Blandford.  Hatched  May.  294.  Second 
prize,  Mis.  Mills,  Bistcrne,  near  Ringwood.  Age,  six  months.  293. 
Third  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bistcrne,  near  Ringwood.^  Age,  six  months. 

Class  23.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED    HAMBURGH.     Birds  exceeding 
one-year-old.      Cock   and   two    Hens. 
296.  First  prize,  Robert  Fookes,  Milton  Abbas."  Age,  eighteen  months. 

Class   24.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED    HAMBURGH.     Cock  and   three 

Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 

299.  First  prize,  Henry  Ker  Seymer,  Hanford.     Age,  six  months.    301. 

Second  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bistcrne,  near  Ringwood.     Age,  six  months. 

Class  25.— SILVER-PENCILLED     HAMBURGH.      Birds    exceeding 

one-year-old. 

302.  First  prize,  Henry  Ker  Seymer,  Hanford.    Age,  fifteen  months. 

Class  26.-SILVER-PENCILLED  HAI\IBURGH.    Cock  and  three 

Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 
308.  First  prize,  Richard  Genge,  Waterson.     A^e,  five  months.     312. 
Second  prize,  Cossley  D.  Saunders,  Tarrant  Hinton.     May.     309.    Third 
prize,  Joseph  Clark,  jun.,  Street,  Glastonbury,     Age,  five  months. 
(Class  generally  meritorious.) 

Class  27.— POLAND  FOWL  (Black  and  White  Topknots).     Birds 
exceeding  one-year-old.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 

317.  First  prize,  Thomas  Panton  Edwards,  Railway  Station,  Lynd- 
hurst, Hants.  Age,  two  years.  3ig.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisternc, 
near  Ringwood. 

Class2S.— POLAND  FOWL  (Black  and  White  Topknots).  Cock  and 
three  Pullets  (Chickens  of  1853). 
325.  Firstprize,  Thomas  Panton  Edwards,  Railwav  Station,  Lyndhurst, 
Hants.  Age,  twenty  weeks.  324.  Second  prize,  Thuinas  Panton  Edwards, 
Railway  Station,  Lyndhurst,  Hants.  Age,  twentv-onc  weeks.  326. 
Third  prize,  Thomas  Panton  Edwards,  Railway  Station,  Lyndhurst, 
Hants,     Age,  twenty-one  weeks. 

Class  29.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  POLANDS.     Birds  exceeding  one- 
year-old.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
330.  First  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street.     Age,  unknown.     331.  Second 
prize,  William  Symonds,  Weymouth.     Age,  unknown. 

Class  30.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  POLANDS.    Cock  and  three  Pullets 
(Chickens  of  J853). 
335.  Firstprize,  James  Crane,  jun.,  Tolpuddle.     Age,    seven  months. 
33f).  Second  prize,  James  Crane,  jun.,   Tolpuddle.     Age,  seven  months. 
331.  Third  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street.    Age,  four  and  five  months. 


90 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NOVEMTIER  3. 


Class  31.— SILVER-SPANGLEO    POLANDS,      Birds  exceeding  one- 
year-old.     Coek  and  two  Hens. 
342.  First  prize,  Cynis  Clark.  Street.     A;e,  unknown.     344.  Second 
prize,  Christopher  Kawson,  Tlie  Hurst,  Wnlton-on-Thauics.     Aged. 

Class  32.— SILVER-SPANGLED  POLANDS.     Cock  and  three  Pullets 
(Chickens  of  1853). 
3t6.  First  prize,  William  Symonds,  Weymouth.      April.     345.  Second 
prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street.     Age,  si>;  months. 

Class  33.— BANTAfllS  (Gold  or  Silver-laced;.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
35G.   First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  M'alton-on-Thanies. 
Aged.    354.  Second  prize,  .lames  Crane,  jun.,  Tolpuddle.    Age,  one  year. 

Class  34.— BANTAMS  (Black,  White,  or  any  other  variety;.     Cock  and 
two  Hens. 
3G8.  First  prize,  BIrs.  Mills,  Bisterne,  near  Kingwood.    Age,  one  year. 
363.  Second  prize,  William  Symonds,  Weymouth.     Age,  unknown. 

Class  35.— GEESE  (of  any  breed).     Gander  and  one  Goose. 
3S0.  First  prize,  Thomas  Panton  Edwards,  Railway  Station,  Lyndhurst, 
Hants.  Age,  unknown.  37-2,  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Hill  Dunnian,  Troytown. 
Age,  forty-two  months. 

Class  36.— DUCKS  (of  any  breed).     Drake  and  two  Ducks. 
417.  First  prize,  Thomas  Panton   Edwards,  Railway  Station,   Lynd- 
hurst, Hants.    Age,  sis  months.    412.  James  Crane,  junr.,  Tolpuddle. 
Age,  seven  months. 

Class  3/.— TURKEYS  (of  any  breed).     Cock  and  one  Hen. 
431.  First  prize,  ^^'illiam   3Ianfiold,  Dorchester.      435.  Second   prize, 
Christopher  Kawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.     Aged.  ^ 


TO    CORRESPOWDENTS. 

***  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writers  of 
The  Cottagr  Gardener.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
expense.  All  communications  should  be  addressed  "  To  the  Editor  of 
the  Cottage  Gardener ,2,  Amen  Corner,  Pnternonter  Hon;  London.*^ 

Gold  Fisu. — *'  T.  R.  will  be  most  happy  to  see  G.  ^^^,  if,  any  day 
that  is  convenient  to  him,  he  will  call  ai  Pagoda  Cottage,  near  Blulberry 
Lane,  Dover  Road  ;  and  he  will  be  glad  to  hear  G.  W's  experience  on 
the  subject  of  the  Gold  Fisli  of  China,  the  care  of  which  contributes  so 
much  to  the  amusement  of  the  Chinese  ladies,  who  call  them  to  their 
food  with  a  whistle.  He  will  also  be  happy  of  the  opportunity  of  showing 
G.  W.  his  collection  of  beetles  from  the  same  country  ;  also  a  fine 
stuffed  specimen  of  the  aquatic  bird  used  in  certain  provinces  of  that 
country,  and  trained  for  the  purpose  of  catchin.;  fish.  It  is,  he  believes,  a 
species  of  cormorant.  As  to  the  secret  method  by  which  the  Bonzes  of 
Fo  change  the  colours  of  their  fish,  he  could  obtain  no  information,  as  the 
jealousy  and  caution  with  which  the  Chinese  admit  strangers  to  be  wit- 
nesses to  their  inventions  must  be  as  well  known  to  G.  W.  as  to  himself, 
and  also  the  Bonzes  are  only  allowed  to  instruct  their  young  disciples, 
who  are  brought  up  to  succeed  them  in  their  priesthood." 

Pears  (A  Novife). — The  Benrre  (V Aremherg  \s  a.  d\&erex\t  Pear  from 
Cofmar  d^Aremherg,  and  is  preferable  to  it.  The  Bergamotte  d' Espe- 
ranee  must  be  Bergaiimltt  d'Expereii,  a  new  variety  in  use  during 
Blareh  and  April. — H. 

Apple  {H.  S.  Wetting). — It  appears  to  be  a  seedling  Apple,  and  of 
Uttle  value,  to  judge  from  the  state  in  which  it  was  received. 

Peatis  (G.  P,  H.,  Oxford). — The  Louise  Bonne  of  Jerseif  and  Foretle 
Pears  are  quite  distinct.  They  are  both  beautiful,  and  verj-  excellent 
varieties,  but  which  is  the  lietter  one  is  ditfieult  to  say.  The  former  is 
ripe  in  October,  the  latter  in  .lanuary,  and  is  by  far  the  more  beautiful 
of  the  two,— H. 

Fruit  Trees  for  a  Wall  in  the  elevated  part  of  Derby- 
shire (}V.  IK.). — On  the  ^0.9^  wall  you  will  require  twelve  trees;  and, 
as  you  intend  to  confine  them  to  Pears,  Plums,  and  Cherries,  you  cannot 
do'better  than  have  of  Pears — 2  Marie  Louise,  2  Passe  Colmar,  2  Fo- 
relle.  Plu:\is — 1  Greengage,  1  Royal  Hative,  1  Reine  Claude  Violette. 
Cherries — 1  Black  Tartarian,  1  Blaclt  Eagle,  1  Elton.  On  the  West 
wall,  twelve  trees  also  :  Pears— 2  Beurre  d'Amaulis,  2  Glout  Morceau, 
2  Hacon's  Incomparable.  Plums — I  Precoce  de  Tours,  1  Coe's  Golden 
Drop,  1  Kirke's.  Cherries— 1  Blayduke,  1  Early  Purple  Guignc, 
1  Bigarreau  Napoleon.  On  the  South  wall  of  106  feet,  you  can  have  of 
Pej^^us — 2  Nelis  d'Hivcr,  2  Beurre  de  Ranse,  1  Jean  de  Witte.  On  the 
East  wall,  S3  feet — Pears — 2  Knight's  Monarch  and  2  Thompson's. 
All  these  will  do  well  in  your  locality. — H. 

Fruit  Trees  for  a  Wall  in  Doriiaim  (Frnctus,  Saltwelt). — You 
win  require  twelve  trees,  which,  to  save  time,  you  should  procure,  ready 
dwarf  trained,  of  some  repectable  nurseryman.  Vou  do  not  say  whether 
ynu  want  Peaches,  Nectarines,  or  Apricots,  Apjdes,  Pears,  Plums,  or 
Cherries;  but,  as  your  aspect  is  due  south,  you  cannot  do  better  than 
grow,  in  the  northern  i»art  of  Durham,  the  following: — Peaches- I 
Royal  George,  I  Noblesse.  Nectarines— 1  Elrugc,  1  Violette  Hative, 
Apricots  — 1  Large  Early,  1  Royal.  Pkars — 1  Passe  Colmar,  1  Nelis 
d'Hiver.  Plums— 1  Purple  Gage,  1  Royale  Hative.  Cherries— 1 
Early  Purple  Guignc,  I  Elton.— H. 

Wintering  Geraniums  (/A(V/).— When  "drying"  these  is  men- 
tioned, it  is  intended  that  the  whole  of  the  plants  should  be  free  from 
wet ;  and  when  '*  kept  in  the  upper  room  of  the  house,"  that  they  should 
be  left  in  their  pots,  and  little  or  no  water  given  during  the  winter. 

Heat  for  a  Grrkniiouse  (Caroline). — Vou  require  to  ripen  Grapes 
j  by  August  and  September.  It  is  very  likely  your  gardener  is  i-ight,  but 
we  should  have  known  more  about  it  if  you  had  mentioned  what  von  have 
i  omitted— the  aizi:  and  length  of  your  i)iping  for  hot  water.  II  during 
I  uevere  frost  in  winter — ^say  fifteen  or  twenty  degrees  below  the  freezing 
j   point — you  could  keeji  your  greenhouse  i)l:uils  iu  a  temperature  of  45°, 


then  you  have  suflSctcnt  means  for  ripening  Grapes  in  September — taking 
out  most  of  your  plants  by  the  end  of  DIay.  At  a  rough  guess,  iu  a 
house  31  feet  by  I6,  and  we  suppose  some  front  glass,  you  would  require 
some  sixty  feet  of  four-inch  pipe  ;  and,  if  th*"  pipe  were  sma'ler,  more  of 
it  in  proportion.  If  you  wished  the  Grajies  earlier,  more  would  be 
required,  unless  you  resorted  to  covering.  It  would  not  be  of  preat  use 
putting  on  large  fires  to  ripen  wood  in  the  end  of  October  ;  that  should 
have  been  helped  in  the  end  of  August. 

Net  for  Fruit  Trees  (21.  L,  !>.). — Nottingham  Lace  i»  very  cheap, 
if  only  required  to  keep  out  flics  and  wasps.  It  is  generally  sold  in 
pieces,  and  these,  for  something  bke  25s,  will  give  you  a  great  number  of 
square  yards,  it  being  generally  three  or  four  yards  wide. 

Suckers  ox  Fuchsias  {Ilnd), — When  a  symmetrical  stem  is  the 
object  these  should  he  removed.  They  will  make  plants  neither  better 
nor  worse  than  common  cuttings,  when  subjected  to  the  same  treatment, 
though  if  you  get  a  root  with  them  you  have  a  trifling  advantage. 

Buddlea  Lindleyana  (Ibid). — Keep  this  in  the  greenhouse,  or  a 
cold  pit ;  get  some  young  plants  of  it,  and  tlicn  plant  tlie  old  one  out  in 
a  rather  sheltered  place,  in  a  compost  of  peat  and  loam,  well  drained. 

Grafting  Camellias  and  Oranges  (W.  T.). — We  prefer  the 
spring,  just  before  the  young  shoots,  used  as  scions,  begin  to  elongate  ; 
but  it  may  be  done  at  any  time,  when  these  conditions  arc  found  in 
ripened  wood  as  scions,  and  a  close  moist  heat  of  from  55'^  to  63°  can  be 
secured  for  placing  the  plants  in,  so  as  to  promote  a  quick  union. 

Striking  Cuttings  (Ilnd). — Whether  will  cuttings  of  hard-wooded 
plants  strike  quicker  and  best,  in  a  hot  or  in  a  cold  frame?  There  is  no 
royal  road  here.  It  depends  entirely  on  the  circumstances  of  the  plant 
from  which  cuttings  are  taken.  If  that  is  excited,  and  growing  freely, 
then  a  little  heat  would  be  best.  If  in  a  dormant  state,  put  them  in  a 
cold  frame.  For  instance,  here  are  Calceolaria  cuttings  taken  from 
plants  out-of-doors  ;  put  them  in  heat  now,  and  if  a  ticklish  sort,  the 
most  of  tliem  will  bid  you  good-bye.  Place  them  under  a  hand-light  in 
a  shady  border,  and  just  keep  frost  from  them,  and  every  one  will  strike, 
though  they  may  take  six  or  more  weeks  to  do  so.  Take  the  tops  of 
these  same  plants,  or  cuttings,  when  growing  freely,  next  March  or  April, 
and  place  them  as  cuttings  in  a  mild  hotbed,  and  they  wdl  strike  in  fev/er 
days  than  they  required  weeks  in  autumn.  Reason  and  think  on  this 
simple  fact,  and  a  key  will  be  given  you  to  unlock  all  the  secrets  as  to 
the  position  and  heat  certain  cuttings  should  have. 

Vine  BoRnERs  (J.  JI.).— The  best  time  for  making  them  is  dry  wea- 
ther now.  The  best  mode  is  to  have  the  most  of  it  above  the  ground 
level,  flagged,  and  a  chamber  underneath,  with  the  means  of  heating  this 
chamber  at  pleasure.  The  next  best  and  cheapest  is  to  have  the  border, 
partly,  at  least,  above  the  ground  level,  the  bottom  of  the  border  sloping 
from  Ijack  to  front,  for  a  foot  in  twelve  or  filtcen  feet  in  width,  and  there 
terminating  in  a  deep  drain.  The  bottom  should  then  be  concreted,  and 
then  have,  when  dry,  from  eight  inches  of  broken  bricks,  stone,  and 
rubble  thrown  over  it,  with  a  little  rough  gravel  as  a  finishing,  and  then 
it  would  be  ready  for  the  soil.  This  should  be  fully  two-and-a-half-feet 
deep  at  first,  as  it  will  compress  to  about  two  feet,  and  should  be  nice 
loam,  fibry,  and  mixed  with  lime  rubbish  freely,  and  a  very  fair  allow- 
ance of  broken  bones.  The  top  of  the  border  must  slope  quite  as  much 
as  the  bottom,  or  rather  more.  The  Vines  may  be  planted  in  spring,  or 
they  may  be  started  in  the  inside  of  the  house,  or  in  another  hothouse, 
and  be  turned  out  in  the  border  in  June.  In  the  latter  case,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  soil  should  be  aired  and  heated  before  planting,  that 
warm  water  be  used  at  planting,  and  means  taken  to  prevent  the  young 
plant  receiving  any  check.  By  these  means  strong  rods  may  be  procured 
the  first  season. 

Various  Fruits,  Sec,  for  North  Cheshike  (J.  R.  O. — Plums 
for  n  west  wall—onv  or  two  Greengage,  Kirkc's,  or  \'ictnria.  Plums  for 
Standards— hes'xdes  Damsons,  Early  Orleans,  Orleans,  Wasliington, 
Victoria,  Purple  Gage,  i-'or  £s/m//e?"s— Greengage,  Purple  Gage,  Wash- 
ington. Drap  d'  Or,  Drap  Rouge,  Kirke's.  Ruses  under  a  .•iotifh  wall- 
some  of  them  Yellows.  BoJtrliojts — Charles  Souchet,  l>upctit  Thouars, 
Paul  Joseph,  Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison.  Chinas — Mrs.  Bosanquet, 
Cramoisie  superieue.  Tea-scented — Devoniensis,  La  Pactole,  Nephetos, 
Queen  Victoria,  Saffrano,  A'icomptesse  de  Cazes,  Flavesccns.  Noisette — 
Aimee  X'ibert,  Eunhrosyne,  Lamarque,  Cloth  of  Gold,  Solfatcrrc. 

Errata.- 1st  column,  page  43,  line  31  from  top,  change  "  flags"  into 
"  gla.ss."     2nd  column,  line  38,  after  above,  add  "  the  ground  level." 

Ceylon  Jungle  Fowls  (W.  Johnson  Wyatt). — The  following  is  the 
answer  of  the  owner  of  the  "  Ceylon  Jungle  Fowls,"  to  your  queries  on 
an  enclosed  feather-"  1  have  examined  the  feather  you  sent  me,  and 
find  that  in  the  markings  and  colour  it  resembles  the  feathers  of  my  dark 
Ceylon  fowl  ;  but  the  brown  margin  of  yours  is  both  darker  and  browner 
than  mine;  .although  not  indentical,  yet  they  are  very  like.  I  think  the 
one  you  sent  me  is  from  a  larger  fowl  than  mine." 

Guinea  Fowls.— .4.  7>.  obliges  us  by  writing  as  follows  : — "  H.iving 
read  in  your  publication  that  Guinea  Fowls  do  not  lay  again  in  the  nest 
from  wliich  their  eggs  are  taken,  unless  replaced  by  others,  you  may  be 
interested  in  knowing,  that  three  years  ago  one  of  my  sisters  had  a  pair 
of  Guinea  Fowls,  and  that  the  hen  laid  an  egg  daily  (with  hardly  an 
exception)  for  seventy  days  or  more  ;  each  day  the  nest  was  regularly 
visited,  and  the  fresh  egg  taken  away,  only  one  egg  during  the  whole 
time  being  left  in  the  nest ;  the  same  plan  lias  been  pursued  here  last 
season  and  this,  a  change  of  nest  being  rarely  the  consequence." 

New  Fuchsias  (T.  F.). — The  following  arc  good  new  Fuchsias,  such 
as  would  suit  your  purpose  :  —  Co//fg-/r/;/  (Banks);  deep  crimson  tube; 
pur]de  corolla.  Dr.  Lindley  (Banks) ;  glossy-crimson  ;  tube  and  sepals 
dark  purple  ;  corolla  well  reflexed.  Glory  (Banks) ;  crimson  tube  ;  sepals 
dark  purple;  corolla  extra  fine  King  Charming  (Mayle);  scarh-t 
tube  and  corolla,  purple  corolla;  fine  shape.  Jl/orfc/ (Turner) ;  crimsim 
tube,  deep  purple  corolla;  well  reflexed;  a  free  bloomer.  Vremier 
(Henderson);  tube  and  sepal  rich  crimson,  plum-shade-colour;  dark 
corolla.  Heiidersoiiii ;  crimson  tube  ;  double,  dark,  almost  black  corolla; 
extra  line.  Durhess  of  Lanraster  (Hcuderson)  ;  tube  and  sepals  pure 
while  ;  <leep  rose  corolla,  «ith  violet  tinge  ;  well  reflexed  ;  a  fine  variety. 
England^s   Glory   (Harrison);    tube   and    sepals    white;    crimson-lukc 


NoVEirBER  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


01 


corolla;  stout  and  well  reflexcd-  Mrs.  Paltersoi}  (Patterson);  white, 
with  purple  corolla;  large  and  line.  If  you  have  these  you  will  possess 
some  of  tlic  finest  varieties  of  the  season. 

Orchids  in  a  co:\imon  Stovf.  {A  Son  of  Wittfss), — Yes.     You  will 

be  able  to  grow  in  a  common  stove,  Oncidhim  altiasimuin,  0.  Jlexuosnm, 

and  StdiiJtopua  msignia.    The  latter  must  be  grown  in  a  basket.     The 

others  should  be  potted  in  rough  fibrous  peat,  mixed  with  small  pieces 

of  charcoal.     Pot  them  them  high  up  in  the  pots,  and  give  water  only 

when  they  arc  growing.     The  following  may  be  added  to  your  atock  of 

i    Orchids : — Dendrnbiinn  densijioriim ,    D,   nuhih',    Epidimdnnn    mnci-o- 

rhiliun,  LaUia  tnirt'pfi,  L.  iintt/iiniiilf,  lili/lnnia  spertahUis,   HI.  cnnd'uln, 

I     Oncidiuni   pitp'/io,    0.    Cnrf)idi.-ihii,   I'/iai/is  t^nindifiora,    P.    WaUichii, 

I     Slanho/mn  ti'^rina,  S.  orulitla,  '/.ifgopi-talon  Mdflcui.     All  these  will  live 

;    in  a  moderate  stove. 

i        Spuagnuim  Moss  {Ibid). — This  is  s.white  Moss,  growing  in  wet  bogs 
[    in  most  parts  of  Britain. 

Bottom    Heat   fro:\i    Flues  {Af^ricola). — If,  as  we   imagine,   you 
purpose  carrying  a  flue  direct  from  the  furnace  under  our  bed,  and  re- 
turning it  under  the  other,  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  but  it  will  pro- 
duce a  sufficiency  of  heat,  and  ans\scr  perfectly  well.     The  ditterence 
'    between  it  and  dung-heating,  is  that  the  more  drying  effects  of  one  heated 
flue  will  cause  some  little  more  trouble  in  keeping  the  bottom  ])art  of  the 
I    soil  in  which  the  RIelons  are  planted  moist;  to  meet  whicli,  in  a  measure, 
the  fine  must  by  all  means  be  covered  with  dish-tiles,  kept  constantly 
filled  with  water.    We  also  suggest,  that  a  few  holes  he  left  in  the  walls 
forming  the  sides  of  the  passage,  to  communicate  with  the  chamber,  and 
'    eacli  to  be  fitted  witli  a  slide  or  shutter ;  as,  by  this   means,  a  thermo- 
\    meter  may  at  any  time  be  introduced  to  ascertain  the  degree  of  heat,  and 
,    allowed  to  escape,  if  necessary,  which  may  probably  often  be  the  case  if 
I    an  injudicious  hand  attends  the  fire.     You  must,  also,  bear  in  mind,  that 
'    a  flue  confined  as  you  propose  is  not  adapted  for  very  early  or  very  late 
crops,  luilesa  you  have  some  other  means  of  obtaining  top-heat.     Atmos- 
i    pheric  moisture  must  be  produced,  by  some  means  or  other,  whether  you 
j    confine  your  Hue  or  not,  otherwise  your  plants  will  soon  be  tainted  with 
I    that  little  ruinous  pest,  the  red  spider. 

Tacronias  {Cliinber). — Your  questions  being  of  general  interest,  we 
shall  devote  an  extra  column  next  week  to  the  subject.  At  prcKcnt 
there  is  no  immediate  hurry  about  them. 

Hoi.3s  {An  Old  C/;?).— No  ;  the  Horticultural  Society  must  not  be 
blamed  for  "  not  growing  a  specimen  of  every  buDi  they  introduce."  It  is 
quite  enough  that  they  introduce  them,  and  see  that  the  Fellows  of  the 
Jjoriety  have  them  witli  their  proper  names  ;  besides,  no  society  ought  to 
do  things  that  can  be  done  equally  well  by  private  individuals.  Address 
to  the  Editor  next  time. 

Blue  Wistaria  (.7.  B.). — The  right  name  is  Wistaria  sinevRis,  not 
CoTiHeqiiana.  The  latter  was  a  suggestion  by  BIr.  Loudon,  to  name  it 
after  the  man  from  whose  garden,  in  China,  it  was  first  sent  to  this  j 
country;  but  the  law  for  naming  plants  is  not  so  easily  broken.  The 
culture  is  very  simple  indeed — to  be  planted  against  a  good  south  or  uest 
wall,  in  good  soil,  such  as  would  do  for  Peaches  and  Apricots  ;  and  when 
it  grows  very  fast  while  young,  to  prune  the  young  wood,  so  as  only  to 
leave  one-tliird  of  its  length  ;  a  nine-feet  shoot  cut  back  to  three  feet, 
and  so  on.  After  a  while,  shorter  side-branches  come — they  are  to  be 
spurred  for  flowering  as  they  spur  Apricots  and  Pears  against  a  wall;  and 
when  the  plant  fills  its  place  it  is  to  be  pruned  yearly,  exactly  the  same 
way  as  a  Pear-tree  against  a  wall.  Young  plants  of  it,  if  once  stinted,  so 
as  to  become  hidv.-hou7id,  as  often  happens,  are  very  difficult  to  push 
along.  The  easiest  and  cheapest  way  to  manage  a  Wistaria  that  does 
not  start  the  second  season  after  planting,  is  to  pull  it  up  and  cast  it 
over  the  garden  wall,  and  plant  a  more  healthy  one  in  its  place.  The 
second  liest  way  is  to  train  it  along  close  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  to 
cause  a  sucker  to  come  from  the  bottom,  and  to  make  a  new  plant  of  the 
sucker;  and  thft  third  best  way  is  to  head  down  the  plant — but  this  very 
often  ends  in  death.  From  the  middle  of  March  to  the  middle  of  April 
ji  the  best  time  to  winter-prune,  or  to  cut  down,  a  plant  of  this  climber. 
Sajibuciis  uacemosa. — "There  is  a  fine  plant  of  Smnbuciis  race- 
moaa  in  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Bury  St.  Edmund's,  ami  I  shall  have 
much  pleasure  in  forwarding  cuttings  (which,  I  liave  no  doubt,  would 
root  freely)  to  your  correspondent  "  H.  M.,"  if  he  will  favour  me  with 
his  address. — N.  S.  Hodson,  Bury  St.  Edmund's. 

Diseased  Fowls  (Etoniensin). — I  hare  never  met  with  fowls  diseased 
in  the  manner  described;  and  in  the  absence  of  more  specific  det.ails  it 
is  difiicult  to  suggest  a  remedy,  as  I  am  unable  to  judge  whether  the 
lump  in  the  throat  is  external  or  internal,  or  if  it  proceeds  from  a  disease 
of  the  gullet,  windpipe,  or  the  glands  ;  nor  is  it  stated  whether  there  is 
any  ulceration  or  not.  If  our  correspondent  will  forward  me  further 
particulars,  with  a  stamped  and  directed  envelope,  I  sliall  be  moat  happy 
to  reply  immediately. — W.  B.  Tegetaieier,  Tottenham,  Middlesex. 

TuRNiPv  Milk  {Rusticus), — The  small  quantity  of  saltpetre  you  use 
to  remove  this  flavour  cannot  be  injurious. 

Lists  of  suitable  Fruits.— Parties  applying  for  them  should  state 
not  only  the  aspect,  but  the  elevation  abore  the  sea,  and  the  locality. 

Peas  {J.  C). — You  will  have  seen  what  was  stated  in  our  last  number. 
We  never  heard  of  "filtered  walks." 

Potatoes  {Agrirulturist).—"-  Prince  of  Wales"  is  in  private  hands. 
The  others  yon  can  obtain  of  any  seedsman  in  London. 

Asparagus  Seedlings  (A.  M.) — If  any  happen  to  spring  up  where 
there  is  a  blank  space  from  the  failure  of  an  old  plant,  let  them  remain 
there;  otherwise,  remove  them  all. 

Treatise  of  the  Vine  {Cora).— Look  at  page  255  of  our  last 
volume. 

Filberts  (Lewis).~'You  cannot  have  the  address.  The  Filberts  may 
be  purehased  of  any  nurseryman  who  advertises  in  our  columns. 

The  Cottage  Gardener  {T.  B.).— Send  your  address  and  statement 
of  the  irregularity  to  Messrs.  W.  S.  Orr  &  Co.,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster 
Kow,  London. 
Bantams  Dying  {Mr.  S.  D.).—\Ve  have  no  doubt  they  were  poisoned. 
Landscape  Gardener  (A  Wrekli/ Subscriber). —We  cannot  recom- 
mend any  one.  Those  willing  to  furnish  plans,  if  they  would  advertise 
in  our  columns,  would  have  plenty  of  applicati<ms. 

Plans  of  Poultry  Houses  {A.  H.M.).—\Vc  know  an  architect 
who  furnishes  drawings  and  working  plans  of  them  at  a  very  moderate 


charge.     You  must  send  the  size  of  the  ground  and  the  aspect.     iJor/.-- 
tngs  vary  m  price,  from  live  shillings  each  to  as  many  pounds. 

Crystal  Palace  {A  rouv-,^  aurdt?ter). —Write  to  Mr.  Groves,  Secre- 
tary, Crystal  Palac*;  Office,  London  Bridge. 

Tottington  Show  {Ji.  E.  A.).~Tbi:  Committee,  not  considering  it 
of  suflicient  interest  to  our  readers  to  advertise  it  in  our  columns,  cannot 
surely  ask  us  to  dilTer  from  that  opinion,  and  to  publish  their  prize-list. 

Draining  {A.  At/ciizjioii^.—As  vou  vnrv  properly  wish  to  drain  tho- 
roughly, have  your  cross-drains  twelve  feet  apart,'  and  use  pipes  two 
inches  in  diameter. 

WiiEEZiNR  IN  A  Silanguae  Cock  {S.  B.  T.).~We  fear  the  symp- 
toms are  consumptive.  Keep  him  in  a  sheltered  dry  shed  ;  give  him 
only  soft  nutritive  food  ;  and  a  desert  spoonful  of  Cod-liver  Oil  every  day. 
Mix  the  latter  with  meal  into  small  fingers,  and  push  them  down  his 
throat.  Thanks  for  your  hints;  the  index,  we  fear,  would  not  pay  for 
printing. 

Siiellings.— ^  Subscriber  wishes  to  know  what  is  meant  by  "  Shel- 
lings"  for  feeding  poultry,  and  mentioned  by  //.  G.  at  p.  50. 

Work  on  Gardening  f/J  Cler/:).—''  The  Cottage  Gardeners'  Die- 
tuinnri/"  wdl  give  you  the  exact  information  you  require. 

Muss-TCNDA  FRONDosA(;Vw>«j.~Youraccountagree3with  that  of  this 
plant.  It  is  a  stove  plant,  and  if  you  have  no  hothouse,  get  some  nursery- 
man to  keep  it  in  his  tlirough  the  winter. 

NA.MES  OF  Plants  (C.  £.).— Yours  is  MivabiUs  Jalapa,  Marvel  of 
Peru,  or  Four  o'clock  Plant.  [W.  H.  S.)  No.  I.  Munidea pedunculatn 
^o.  2.  Tagetes  lucida.  (D.  G.  C.)  ].  Browa/Ua  etaia.  2.  Chelonr 
obliqita.  .S.  Chrysocoina  Linos>/ris.  {A.  K.)  Encomis  punctata.  (IJ". 
Carter).  No.  I.  Cannot  tell  from  the  tip  of  a  shoot,  but  this  is  like  one 
from  Amifgdalns  nana.  No.  2.  Colaten  arbortscens.  {Azile)  Alyssujn 
muritivium,  or  Sweet  Alyssnm, 

Names  of  Pears  {A.  B.  C.).— No.  I.  Crasanne.  2.  fllarie  Louise. 
3.  Bergamotte  Cadette.  4.  Chaumontel.  5.  Brown  Beurre.  6.  St. 
Leziu.     7,  Chaumontel.     8.  Not  received.     ().  Marie  Louise. 


POULTRY  SHOWS. 

Birmingham.     Dec.  13,  11,  15,  and  l6. 

Bristol.     Dec.  fi,  7,  and  S. 

Cambridgeshire  (Newmarketl.     Nov.  S,  9,  and  10. 

Cornwall  (Penzance).     Dec.  27  and  28. 

Derbyshire  and  Midland  Counties.     Nov.  1/  and  IS. 

Dublin   Amateur.     Dec.  rt,  7,  and  S. 

Eastern  Counties  fNorwich).     Nov.  29,  00,  and  Dec.  1. 

Great  Northern  (Doncaster).     Nov.  ao— Dec.  1. 

HiTCHiM   AND   Home  Counties,     Nov.  18,  icj,  andiJl, 

HoNiTo.N-  AND  East  Devon.    Dec.  26  and  29-' 

Kendal.     Dec.  22,  23,  and  24. 

South    Hants  (Southampton).     Nov.  24  and  2.'i. 

Winchester  and  Southern  Counties.    Nov.  i6  and  17. 

YoRKSniUE  rLeeda).     Dec.  0,  7,  8,  and  Q. 


London:  Printed  by  Harhy  Wooldrtdge,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalcndar;  and  Published  by  Williaiv 
Somerville  Ore,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Oflice,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Pariah  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— November  .Ird,  1853. 


Hl3bn'ti^cmcnt:S. 


THE  ESSEX  ASSOCIATION  for  the  IMPROVE^ 

MENT  OF  the  breeds  of  POULTRY. 
The   FIRST    EXHIBITION    ol    this    Society   will   be   held   at    Mr. 
Griffin's   Sale   Repository,   Colchester,  on   the   24th,  25th,  and  2fith  of 
November,  1853. 

AH  entries  to  he  made  and  paid  for  before  November  8th,  after  which 
day  double  entrance  fees  will  be  charged  until  November  15th,  when  the 
list  will  finally  close. 

Certificates  of  entry  are  now  ready.  All  entries  must  be  made  on  the 
printed  certificates  issued  for  that  purpose,  and  accompanied  bv  the 
amount  of  entrance  fee.  * 

Subscribers  of  lOs  fid  will  be  entitled  to  two  cards  of  admission  to  the 
Private  View,  (Thursday,  November  24th),  and  during  the  other  days  of 
exhibition;  Subscribers  of  ^1  Is  to  four  cards  of  admission  ;  and  Donors 
or  Subscribers  to  a  larger  amount,  to  additional  cards  in  the  same  pro- 
portion. 

Copies  of  the  Prize  List  and  Regulations  will  be  forwarded,  post-free, 
on  receipt  of  four  postage  stamps,  addressed  to  the  Secretaries,  Essex 
and  Weat  Sufiolk  Gazette  Office,  Colchester. 

W.  R.  WILSON,  Sfanfoid-le-Hope,  i  „ 

Wm.  A.  WARWICK,  Gazette  otfice.  Colchester,    J"  "°°'  ^^"■ 
*v*  Post  Orders  should  be  made  payable  to  Mr.  Wm.  A.  Warwick. 


CALCEOLARIAS    AND    GERANIUMS.  -  JOHIT 

BARRETT  has  to  offer  some  fine  healthy  plants  of  the  above,  eight 
inches  over,  saved  from  first-rate  kinds.  Parties  wishing  to  compete  for 
prizes  will  do  well  to  avail  tlieinselves  of  this  opportunity— 15s.  per  doz. 
Geraniums,  fancy  and  show  ;  liest  show  kinds,  large  plants  for  specimens 
in  spring,  123.  to  iSs,  per  dozen. 

Post  Office  Order  for  amount,  or  reference.     Plants  sent  to  compensate 
for  carriage. Cotton  Lane  Nursery,  Bury  St.  Edmund's. 


TO  PIGEON  FANCIERS.-Wanted  to  Purchase, 

a  few  pails  of  Blue  or  Yellow  Fantails,  Blue  .lacobines.  Red  or  Yellow 
Nuns,  Red  or  Yellow  Barbes,  Red  Owls,  Blue  or  White  Carriers,  and 
Black  Piece  Pouters, 

Address,  stating  price  and  full  particulars,  to  HENRY  CHILD,  Jun., 
Sherbourne  Road,  Balsall,  Birmingham. 

A  few  pairs  of  first-class  FANCY  PIGEONS  for  Sale. 


•J'HE  COTTAGE  GAIIDENER— ADVEUTISEMENTS. 


BASS  AND   BEOV/E'-S  HEW  ATJTL'Mlf  CATALOGUE,  Sent  Free  for  Tnxec  Pemiy  StampE. 


Nkw  Gruaniums  of  last  season,  ITovlf's.  Foster'^.  Duhson'a,  Sic. 
The  following  IS,  aU  new  of  last  season,  fm-  6as,  nr  our  seliTi-ion  of  12  fur 
4  is.  or  separately  as  priced: — Asti-ca,  5s;  Alhira,  'is  tiil  ;  Buttcrlly, 
3s  6(1  ;  Kulla,  ;{s'(i(!  ;  Lafjoma.  .Is  ;  Lcnnora,  Ss ;  Novelty,  :i9  f'd  ;  Porlia, 
r>s  ;  Zaria,  5s  ;  Kleanor,  3s  Gd  ;  Nation;il.  :is  Gd  ;  Oplimum,  10s  (id; 
Raeliel,  5s  ;  Queen  of  May,  53  ;  Harriet,  3s  6d  ;  Jupiter,  3s  Gd  ;  Spot,  5s ; 
Vulcan,  5«. 

Ni:w  Fancy  Geuaniums  of  last  sea'son,  Ambrose's,  Henderson's,  &c. 
The  12  for  36s.  liarricr,  3s  6d  ;  Darling.  r.s  ;  Goliah,  3s  6d  ;  Macnum 
lionnm,  5s;  Princess  Alice  Maude,  3s  fid;  Criterion,  33  (3d;  Fanny, 
3s  fid;  Flora  M'lvor,  3s  Gd  ;  I.ady  Uown'^,  3s  Ud  ;  Marpinata,  3s  fid  ; 
Wiltnore's  Surprise.  2s  Gd  ;  Triumphaiit,  3s  fid.  25  superb  show  Gera- 
niums. ^Os.  25  choice  Gerrtniunis,  :»2s.  Fine  varieties  Gs  to  9s  per  dozen. 
12  choice  fancy  varieties.  12s.     12  fine  varieties.  Qs. 

New  CnR\s.\NTiiF.5itJ:MS  —  Lai-9;c  Flowerintr.  —  The  foUnwinp:  12 
sujterh,  vf\\  set  with  flower  buds,  new  varieties  of  last  season,  for  12s,  or 
IsGd  each,  except  priced  :~Amazon,  Alribiade,  Astrolobe,  Chiistopher, 
Cnlumbe.  Conspicua.  2s  fid  ;  Dclicata.  Fortune,  Leon  Faucher,  Lingot 
d'Or,  Neil  Gwynne,  I'oudrc  d'Or.  and  Rantonelle. 

Nkw  liiLLU-UTiENNE  Chrysantiiem unis. — The  following  12  superb 
new  varieties  of  last  season  for  12s.  or  Is  Gd  eiich  :— Ariadne,  Beauty  of 
Toulousainc,  Uoquet  parfaitr.  Cybele.  IJame  Blanch,  Graziella,  Grand 
Sultan,  Lais,  President  Deeaisaine,  Toison  d'Or,  llraine.  Golden  Drop. 

Go  splendid  vai'ietifis  of  Chrysanthemums,  includinc:  the  above,  for  4l)s. 
40  varieties,  ditto,  30s.  25"  varieties,  ditto,  17s  Gd.  The  best  older 
varieties,  5s,  7^  Od,  and  9s  per  dozen.   • 

Cinerarias,  12  choice  varieties . .     9s  and  l.is 

Azalea  indica,  12  ditto,  strong  bushy  plants  .,         . .  . .  . .      18s 

Kricaw.  12  choice  varieties,  for  winter  and  spring  flowering  . .      l.js 

Camellias,  12  choice  varieties     . .  . .  . .  . .  . .      30s  to  42s 

50  vars.  fine  and  select  greenhouse  plants      . .  . .  . .  . .      45s 

25  ditto,  stove  plants        ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..     35s 

'J4  vars.  fine  winter  and  early  flowering  greenhouse  i)lants  . .      40s. 

12  vars.  do.  do.  . .         . .  .  -      15s  to  2iis 

12  vars.  do.  do.         stove  plants  . .  . .     2.^s 

2j  vars.  fine  standard  Ivoscs,  2Ss  ;  12  vars.    . .'         lis 

25  vars.  dwarf  do.  1  Os  Gd,  or  1 2  for  fis 

12  vavs.  fine  Climbing  lloscs     ..  . .         . .  . .  ..        Gs.  to  9s 

Mix<:d  dwarf  Roses  3s  per  dozen,  or  per  100 . .      20s 

FilUITS,  &c.— 25  finest  prize  Gooseberries,  strong  2  and  3-vear   s.   d. 

plants        1"     fi 

Good  named  varieties,  per  do?,.,  4s  ;  mixed,  per  doz 2     G 

Stravi^berries. — Goliah,  Keens'  Seedling.  Black  Prince,  Eleanor. 
British  Queen,  Alice  Blaude,  Fertilised  Hautbois,  and  Eliza,  each. 

per  100 3     0 

fliyatt's  Surprise  and  Rivers'  Kli/.a,  per  100  . ,  .         ..5     0 

Rhubarb.  — Royal  Albertand  Linnrous,  each  Is,  or  per  doz.         ..     9     0 

Victoria  Giant",  ciich  9d,  or  jicr  dox 7    ^ 

Prioce  of  Wales,  each  ..  .-         ..  ..         -.  .-  ..     3     G 

Trained  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Apricots,  Standard  and  Dwarf  Apples, 
Pears,  Plums,  Currants,  Raspberries,  Grapes,  Cherries,  Sec,  of  the 
finest  sorts, 

HARDY  HERBACEOUS  PLANTS. 

100  distinct  and  showy  varieties,  30s;  50  varieties 17     6 

100  superior  and  new  ditto,  50s  ;  50  varieties . .    30     0 

25  fine  Rock  plants,  12s;  12  varieties 7    *> 


]2  varieties  fine  Antirrhinums,  fis;  12  superior  and  new     ..  ..    10     0 

25  VLiripties  fine  Phlox.  1  Us  fid  ;    12  viirieties .  .      0     0 

25  varieties  ^■npcrio^  and  new  ditto,  15s  ;  12  varieties  ..  ..     9    *> 

12  varieties  choice  Per.stemons   ..  ..         ..         ..         ..  ..     7     C 

Hollyhocks,  sph-ndid  cnllcftion,  per  doz,,  (js,  iSs,  and  . .         . .    25     0 

Rock  Cistcs,  24  tine  and  distir.ct  varieties 15     0 

Glauioi.i. — Our  superb  collection  consists  of  upwards  of  100  varieties 
50  splendid  early  ami  late  varieties  Gladioli  for         ..         ..  . .    50    0 

2.)  do.  do.  do.  30s.  or  6s  to  30s  per  dozen 

Splendid  mixed  early  varieties  . .  3s  per  dozen  or  20s  per  100 

Ranunculi,  IOO  varteties,  very  fine  named 35    q 

Mixed,  5s,  10s,  and  itis  per  ICO 

Turban  vars,  per  100— Scarlet,  3s  Gd  ;    Golden,  43  Gd ;  Sera- 
phique,  8s  ;  Brown,  4s  rid.     Hercules,  white,  5s  per  doz. ;  Oeil 
Noir,  best  black,  ^83  per  dozen 
Anemones,  50  vars,,  ))eautiful,  distinct,  named,  double    ..  ..    12    6 

14  vars.  fine  for  eluuipinp,  12  roots  of  each  for 32    0 

6  of  each  do.,  17s  fid;  3  of  each  9    0 

Hortensis,  fine  red,  per  dozen  .-         ..     2    fi 

superb  mixed  seedlings,  per  dozen        ..         ..         ..     2    C 

La  Brilliante   Eclatante,  single  bright  scarlet  extra,  lUsGdpcr 
100  ;  Is  Gd  per  dozen 

Choice  mixed  double,  per  100  Gs  and  10     6 

Double  scarlet  vars.,  mixed,  per  100  ..  .-  ..  ..    12 

]\Iixed  semi-double  Russian,  fine,  per  lb . .     (i 

Fine  new  single  mixed,  per  lb.  ..         ..         ..         ■•         ..4 

Tulips,  30  choice  early  vars.,  named,  for 7 

Finest  mixed  do.,  7s  Gd  per  100  ;  Due  Van  Thol,  per  1 00 
10  best  double  named,  3  of  each  for 

Finest  mixe/1  late,  per  100,  13s;  fine  border  mixed,  per  100 
Roi  Min  d'Or,  fine  bright  yellow,  per  dozen 
Nakcissus,  20  choice  vars.,  Ss  ;  7  vars.,  3  of  each  . . 

Double  white,  lOs  per  100;  Phcas-ant-eyed.  10s  per  100 
IRIS,  38  vars.,  English,  very  select  and  choice,  for 
Very  fine  niix'-d.  15s  per  100,  or  2s  per  dozen 
30  vars.,  fine  named  Spanish,  5s;  mixed,  per  100 
30  vars.,  vcrv  superb  named  German 

Do.  per  dnz.".  7.>  Gd  and  10s  Gd  ;  mixed,  ISs  per  100  or  3s  p.  doz. 
iMi'OBTED  Dutch    Hyacinths,  50  best  vars.  in  choice  assort- 
ment, 35s,  or  per  dozen  . .  . .  . .  . .  .     Gs  to 

Scparati;  or  mixed,  colours  not  named,  per  doz.    . . 
Crocus,  IOO  roots  of  each,  y  beautiful  new  varieties  . .         . .    21     0 

12  roots  of  each  of  20,  splendid  and  very  distinct,  new,  named,  do.  12     0 
Fine  in  colours,  2s  per  100;  mixed,  Is  Gd  per  100. 
Ixias,    20  splendid  vars.,  7s  Gd ;  mixed  vars.,  12s  per  100,  or  2s  per  doz. 
.ToNCiuiLS,  LiLiUM   LANCii-OLiUM,   and  Other  Lilies,  Oxalis,  Cycla- 
men. Scilla.  Tropa'olum,  and  large  collection  of  bulbs  and  dry  roots,  for 
which  see  Catalogue. 

Remittances  required  from  unknown  correspondents. 
GOODS  CARRIAGE  FPtEE,  with  orders  not  under  20s,  to  all  Sta- 
tions on  the  Colchester  Line  between  London  and  Norwich,  or  to  all  the 
London  Termini. 

BASS   AND   BROWN,   Seed  and  Horticultural  Establishment, 
Sudbury,  Sutiolk. 


10 


25     0 


9    0 


HUGH  LOW,   and  CO.  have  to 

oifer  very  fine,  strong,  bushy  plants,  full  of 
flower-bnds,  of  Chrysanthemums,  including 
the  continental  varieties  of  the  present  season. 
Price  per  dozen,  9s.  Dielytra  spectabilis, 
extra  large  roots,  suitable  for  forcing  in  winter, 
21.S.  per  dozen. 

Clapton  Nursery,  London. 

HUGH  LOW,  &  CO.  would  invite 

insppctitm  of  their  extensive  and- fine  Nursery 
Stock,  more  partirulaily  Camellias,  Indian 
Azaleas,  Ericas,  Epacri>^,  and  other  plants 
suitable  for  making  a  display  during  winter,  all 
of  which  are  well  set  with  flower-buds,  and  can 
be  had  of  dilTerent  sizes. 

H,  L.  8c  Co.  are  also  growers  of  fruit-frees, 
and  tlieir  stock  this  season,  of  both  trained  and 
maidens,  is  large  and  fine,  including  the  leading 
varieties  which  are  grown  in  quantities  for  the 
trade, 

Clapton  Nursery,  London,  October  1, 1853. 

HOLLYHOCKS,   &C.-JOHN 

CHATER  &  SON  olfer  the  following  eollcc- 
tion  of  Plants,  true  to  name,  and  fine  kinds,  fur 
2 is.,  hamper  and  pacltapc  included,  sent  carriage 
free  to  London,  Norwich,  or  Colchester.  The 
Hollyhocks  arc  strong  grovmd  roots.  Twelve 
choice  Hollyhocks,  Six  Rock  Plants,  Twelve 
Pansies,  Six  jiair  Pinks,  Six  strong  Pillar  or 
Dwarf  Roses,  Six  German  Daisies,  Six  Double 
White  Rockets. 

C.  Sc  SON'S  Seedling  Hollyhocks  of  1853 
will  be  ready  by  November  to  send  out,  viz. : 
Glory  of  Haverhill,  Admirable,  Duke  of  Rutland, 
and  Remarkable. 

For  description,  see  List,  which  may  be  had 
of  J.  CHATER  &  SON,  Nurseries,  Haverhill, 
Suflolk. 


CHOICE    l^EW    SHOW    GERANIUMS    OF    LAST    SEASON.- 

HENRY  WALTON,  Florist,  &c..  Edge  End,  Jlarsden.  near  Burnby,  Lancashire,  is  prepared  to 
send  out  strong,  healthy  plants  of  the  following,  in  4-inch  pots,  at  the  very  reduced  prices  annexed. 
Geraniums.— Fo47rr\s  Oiitimuui,  Quern  of  May,  Rachacl.  Hervinc  ;  //o^/MsV  Astrea,  Leonora, 
Zarai,  Lagoma.  Cordelia.  Kulla,  Butterfiy ;  IJobso'n'.s  Harriet,  Jupiter,  and  Purpurea;  any  12  of 
tlie  above,  with  a  plant  of  Hendi/ffion's  Extravaganza,  for  36s.  hamper,  &c.,  included. 

Geraniums.— Ariadne,  Ambassador,  Arethusa,  Beatrice.  Bride  of  Abydos.  Chloc,  Commissioner, 
Cristine,  Claudiana,  Enchantress,  E.xactum,  Elisc,  Flying  Dutchman  {Turnfr^s),  Ganymede, 
.Tullicn,  Lablache,  Lavinia,  Lord  IMayor,  Little  Nell,  Lord  Gough  (Bragg's},  Lancashire  Witch. 
Pulchra,  Painter  Improved,  Rubens,  Renown,  and  Surprise;  any  12  of  the  above  for  ISs,  or  20 
for  30s.  The  above  are  strung,  healthy,  and  wcU-rootcd,  and  such  that  cannot  fail  to  give 
satisfaction. 

Fancy  Geraniums,  including  all  the  leading  kinds,  strong  plants.  18s  per  dozen. 

Fuchsias,  new  varieties  this  season,  including  Glory  {Bavfi-^s),  England's  Glory,  Veatn, 
Collegian,  Perfection,  Dr.  LindUiy.  Lady  Montague,  SiC,  18s  and  2l3  per  dozen. 

Cinerarias.— iio.cfr's  British  Queen,  Uttoxcter  Pet,  Dagobert,  Lady  of  the  Lake,  Brilliant; 
Mang/ffi''i  Enchantress  and  Hebe;  Calebs  Tyrian  Prince,  and  Heiideisoji^s  Prima  Donna;  the 
above  9  toi'  Hs. 

Cineraria.- Alba  Magna.  Catherine  Soaton,  Gustavus,  lago,  .Tetty  TrcfTz.  Lady  Hunic 
Campbell,  Letticc  Arnold,  Hammersmith  Beauty,  Mrs.  Sidney  Herbert,  Mr.  Sidney  Herbert, 
I\rrs.  Charles  Kcan.  Marianne.  Magnum  IJonum,  Nonsuch,  Orpheus,  Rosy  Morn,  St.  Clair  of  the 
Isles,  Surprise,  The  Village  Queen,  and  Unif|ue;  any  12  of  the  above  for  15s;  older  variclies, 
Cs.  93,  and  12s  per  dozen. 

Azalea  Indica.— Strong  plants,  well  set  with  flower  buds,  18s  per  dozen. 

Camellias.— Well  set  with  flower  buds,  2s  Gd  each  ;  or,  25s,  30s,  and  42s  per  dozen.  ^ 

Pansies.— All  the  newest  Scotch  and  other  varieties,  ISs  per  dozen  ;  older  varieties,  Gs.  9s.  and 
12s.  per  dozen, 

Salter's  Fancy  Pansies.— 23  each,  a  set  of  13  for  18s. 

Salter's  New  iMrRovKo  Daisies.— Is  each,  or  12  for  fis. 

Carnations.— 50  su[)erior  named  sorts,  1  pair  of  each,  d^'2  ;  25  ditto,  ^1. 

Picotkes. — 50  superior  named  sorts,  1  pair  of  each,  ±"2  ;  25  ditto,  .i'l. 

Pinks. — 25  superii>r  named  sorts,  1  pair  of  each,  from  8s  to  12s. 

Descriptive  Lists  of  the  above  may  be  had  for  one  stamp.  Every  article  in  the  Nursery  trade 
supplied  on  the  lowest  remunerative  terms. 

It  is  respectfully  requested  that  all  Orders  be  accompanied  with  a  Post-oflice  Order,  payable 
at  Marsdcn,  Lancashire.     Early  Orders  will  ensure  the  strongest  plants. 


FIEE  ANNIHILATOR,  or  VAPOUR  FIRE  ENGINE- 

Its  practical  value  proved  incontcstablv  bv  20  remarkable  cases  of  successful  use, — Sec  BRAD- 
SHAW  of  this  month,  p,  M2.  Enginca'fur  Dwcllinghouaes,  .^3  to  v£'I.— Office  of  the  Fire 
Annihilator  Company,  No.  10&,  LtiadcnhalLntrcct,  London. 


NoVK.MilHU   10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAUDENER. 


03 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


NOVEBinEK  10— IB,  1953. 


Wbatiier  near  London  in  18,12, 

Uuin  in  | 
Inches. 


Burometer.     jThermo.  Wind. 


1  10 

i   M 

14 

IS 

:  16 


■p       IHiintinj;  mute, 

S         Wood  Pigeons  flock. 

Son    25  Sunday  after  Trinity. 

M       \ 

To     iBeecli  leafless, 

W       Teal  arrives. 


30.032—29.937 
29.706— 29.-108 
29.553—29.487 
29.496-29.412 
29.362-29.225 
29.071—28.989 
29.057— 28.84S 


50—42 

N.W. 

54-48 

S. 

40—44 

E. 

43—44 

E. 

54-46 

E. 

58-49 

S.W. 

60—49 

s.w. 

06 

1.02 

13 

23 
1,24 

34 

12 


Sun 
Rises. 


Sun 
Sets, 


Moon     Moon*8 
R,&S,,     Age. 


12  a.  7 
14 

15 
17 
19 
21 
33 


16  a.  4 
15 
13 
12 
11 

9 
3 


0  43 

1  59  ' 

3  10 

4  22 

5  33 
vises. 

4  a  39 


9 
10 
II 
12 
13 

© 
15 


Clock 
af.  Sun, 


Day  of  j 
Year. 


15  55 

15  43  j 

15  40 

15  32  I 

15  23  i 

15  13  i 

I   15  2 


314 
315 
316 
317 
318 
319 
320 


Mkteorolooy  of  the  Week. — At  Chiswick,  from  observations  durinff  the  last  twenty-six  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
pfiraturesot  these  days  are  55.8°  and  40°  respectively.  The  proatest  heat,  63°,  occurred  on  the  12th  in  1841  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  15°,  on  the 
16th  in  1341.  During  the  period  95  days  were  fine,  and  on   87  rain  fell. 


NEW  PL.\NTS. 
On'cidiu.u  Hariwegi  (Hurtwer/'s   Oncid). 

This  OrcliiJ  was  found  by  j\lr.  Hartweg,  on  rocks  near 
Loxa.  Flowers  small,  and  brownisb,  with  yellow  spots. — 
{lIurLkiiUund  Society's  Journal,  viii.  31U.) 

Phaoeli.\  eamosissijia  {Branihiesl  Pliacclla). 

Tliis  annual  is  a  native  of  Cnlifornia.  Natural  Order  of 
Hydrophyls,  and  Pentiindria  Jlonogynia  of  Liniia;us.  Its 
ilowers  of  dirty  white  are  of  no  heauty. — {Liiinieaii  Tmiis- 
adioiis,  xvii.  2S0.) 

LEPTOSirHON  ciLi.iTUii  {Huirfrinticd  Leptosiplion). 

This  C'alifornian  annual  has  small  Ilowers  liaving  a 
brown  hairy  tube,  yellow  throat,  and  a  pink  border.  Its 
specific  name  is  founded  on  the  long,  transparent,  jointed 
hairs  on  the  leaves.  —  {Ihtii'icultuml  tiacklij's  Journal, 
viii.  31!J.; 

LiMUJt  uosEUM  (liosi/  Lily). 

This  is  a  native  of  liindostan,  at  Kamaon,  Mussooree, 
and  Almora,  at  an  elevation  of  801)1)  feet.  It  dowered  in  a 
cool  frame  at  Kew  tJardens,  during  the  April  of  IKj;!.  Its 
stem,  including  the  flower,  is  not  more  tlian  eighteen  inches 
high.  The  flowers,  in  a  slightly  diffuse  cluster,  about 
eight  or  ten  in  number,  are  lilac  rather  than  rose-coloured. 
It  has  been  also  called  FrUUlaria  Thomson'mna  and  Liliiim 
Thomsoulanmn. — (Bot.  MoijHZinc,  t.  4725.) 


LOPEZIA  jEAOP.OPH'srjA  {Lcmje-Uaved  Lopczia). 

.  (VAX 


This  is  a  greenhouse  plant,  native  of  jMctico  and  Guate- 
mala, and  flowered  in  a  greenhouse  at  Kew,  in  JIarcli,  ls5o. 
It  is  a  half-shrubby  plant,  not  unlike  a  Fuchsia,  and  the 
flowers  are  briglit  red.  It  has  been  called,  also,  Lopezia 
iiriindijiora,  and  Jehlia  fuchsloidifs.  Lopezia  belongs  to  the 
Natural  Order  of  Onagrads  and  to  Monandria  Monogynia 
of  Linnseus. — {Botankal  Morjuzhu,  t.  472i.) 


It  is  no  insignifloant  testimony  to  tlie  kindness  and 
providence  of  God,  that,  go  where  you  will,  you  find 
Grass  and  Cabbages.  Wliere  they  are,  cattle  and  man 
are  sure  of  food. 

With  the  tribe  of  Grasses  we  shall  not  deal  upon  the 
present  occasion,  but  we  will  bear  testimony  that  in  no 
latitude  whore  man  can  live  does  the  Cabbage  refuse  to 
bear  him  company.  This  fact  seems  to  have  struck  the 
Pioman  poet,  for  he  sings  of 

**  That  herb,  which  o'er  the  whole  terrestrial  globe 
Doth  flourish,  and  in  great  abundance  yields 
Alike  to  plebeian  and  to  haughty  king 
In  winter.  Cabbage,  and  green  sprouts  in  spring."* 

Navigators  and  travellers,  since  ColuraoUa  wrote,  have 
found  another  quarter  of  the  world,  and  have  explored 
regions  untrodden  in  his  days  ;  yet,  go  where  they  will, 
there  is  the  Cabbage.  Wild,  as  well  as  cultivated,  there 
it  is — no  latitude  of  the  tropics  is  so  bot,  no  arctic 
region  so  cold,  no  mountain  ridge  of  the  Himalaya  so 
elevated — but,  if  the  hut  of  man  can  rest  there,  there 
will  the  Cabbage  grow  by  its  walls. 


'  toto  rjuKe  plurima  terrte 


Orbc  virens  pariter  plebi,  rcgiquc  superbo 
Frigoiibus  cauks,  et  veri  cymata  mittet." 

ColumcHii,  s,  137, 


Even  in  its  native  form  tlie  Brassica  oleracea  sylves- 
tris,  or  Wild  Cabbage,  is  spread  over  all  Europe. 
Brassica  campestris,  the  wild  Navew,  and  parent  of  the 
Swedish  Turnip,  is  found  in  regions  whose  boundaries 
are  the  Crimea  and  Lapland  ;  Brassica  Ohinensis,  or 
Chinese  Cabbage,  is  common  in  the  Celestial  Empire  ; 
Brassica  Magellanica  abounds  in  the  inhospitable  cli- 
mate of  Cape  Horn  ;  even  the  isolated  island  of  St. 
Helena  has  its  Brassica  Helleniana  ;  Africa  has  its 
Brassica  hjrata,  and  Nortli  America  has  its  Brassica 
Wasldtana.  Nor  are  these  merely  untameable  species. 
M.  de  Serra,  writing  of  that  last  named,  says—"  The 
Americans  settled  on  the  Washita  Hivev,  and  in  the 
Arkensaw  territory,  as  well  as  the  travellers  who  liave 
visited  those  countries,  speak  in  terms  of  commendation 
of  a  species  of  Wild  Cabbage,  which  grows  plentifully 
iu  those  countries,  and  produces  red  flowers.  Muhlen- 
berg, the  famous  American  botanist,  in  his  '  Catalogue 
of  North  American  Plants,'  page  61,  has  given  to  it  the 
name  oi  Brassica  Wasldlana.  I  wish  the  Horticultural 
Society  would  attempt  the  introduction  and  civilisation 
of  this  vegetable.  From  the  effects  produced  by  culti- 
vation in  other  plants  of  this  family,  wc  may  e.'speot,  in 


No.  CCLXVn ,  Vot.  XJ, 


04 


THE   COTTAGE   QAEDENER. 


November  10. 


a  short  period,  a  number  of  varieties,  and  some  of  tliem, 
inobably,  very  valuable." 

Astlie  Cabbage  is  a  native  of  tlio  whole  globe,  so  we 
may  conclude  it  has  been  known  throughout  all  time,  for 
the  earliest  writers  mention  it  with  applause.  Even  tlie 
Talmudists  dwell  upon  it  under  its  Hebrew  name,  Carnv, 
and  with  the  Greets  the  Cramhe,  or  Cabbage,  was  in 
universal  request  as  one  of  the  most  wholesome  of 
vegetables.  Their  physicians,  such  as  Chrysippus  and 
Dieuches,  wrote  volumes  upon  its  merits,  and  from 
birthday  festivals  it  was  never  absent.  Epiphippus 
thus  tells  of  some  of  the  delicacies  then  prepared  : 


"Toasted  Chcrsoncsian  cheese, 


And  Coleworts  tied  in  bundles  seeth'd  in  oil.' 

Indeed,  so  high  was  the  regard  for  this  product  of  the 
garden,  that  it  was  dedicated  to  some  of  their  deities; 
and  Atliena5US  says  the  lonians  swore  by  "the  Sacred 
Cabbage !  "  Passing  onward,  in  course  of  time  we  find 
that  the  Romans  had  the  same  high  regard  for  this 
vegetable ;  and  Cato  dates  the  decline  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  and  the  degeneracy  of  its  sons,  from  the  time 
when  they  ceased  to  have  the  Cabbage  as  a  chief  dish 
of  their  repasts,  and  displaced  it  for  foreign  luxuries. 

We  have  in  their  volumes  abundance  of  instruction 
for  its  cultivation,  but  we  will  make  only  this  one  ex- 
tract from  Columella— "The  Cabbage  should  be  trans- 
planted when  it  has  si.-c  leaves,  and  when  inserted 
should  have  its  root  daubed  over  with  liquid  dung,  and 
then  be  wrapped  round  with  three  small  bandages  of 
sea-weed.  Such  treatment  renders  the  produce  tender 
when  boiled,  and  preserves  the  green  colour  without 
the  employment  of  soda.  When  once  the  plants  are 
rooted,  the  oftener  they  are  hoed  and  manured  the 
better  tliey  thrive,  and  the  more  luxuriant  they  become." 

The  above  epitome  of  Cabbage-culture,  as  practised 
about  eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  is  that  which  may 
be  accepted  as  the  epitome  of  that  adopted  by  the  best 
kitchen  gardeners  now,  and  we  have  extracted  it  for  the 
purposes  of  adding — what  will  surprise  many  of  our 
readers — very  few  persons  know  what  a  really  good 
Cabbage  is. 

A  Cabbage  of  the  Nonpareil,  or  other  superior  variety, 
sown  about  the  10th  of  August,  planted  out  during 
moist  weather  in  October,  amply  supplied  with  liquid- 
manure  in  the  seed-bed  and  in  early  spring  ;  sown  and 
grown  upon  a  rich  liglit  soil ;  frequently  hoed,  and  well- 
manured  with  decayed  dung,  and  an  occasional  sprink- 
ling of  salt,  luiless  growing  near  the  sea-side,  or  unless 
the  surface  of  the  bed  can  be  covered  thinly  with  sea- 
weed ; — a  Cabbage  thus  grown  luxuriantly,  and  without 
a  check,  and  uncut  until  within  ten  minutes  of  being 
consigned  to  its  seething,  is  unknown  to  few.  Tt  is  as 
unlike  the  sticky,  stunted  indigestibles  usually  found  in 
a  country  garden,  or  to  the  llabby,  bruised,  semi- 
putrescent  masses  of  a  metropolitan  market,  as  "  Hy- 
perion to  a  Satyr ; "  and  we  recommend  to  all  our 
readers,  by  attending  to  what  we  have  said,  to  surprise 
themselves  with  a  hitherto-neglected  luxury.  Tt  is  no 
theoretical  matter,  for  we  know  where  such  Cabbages 


were  grown  last  spring  ;  and  their  cultivator,  in  answer 
to  the  query,  "  How  did  you  grow  this  real  Vegetable 
Marrow  ?  "  replied — "  They  never  knew  what  it  was  to 
stand  still — -muck  and  moisture  kept  them  always 
growing."  We  can  add  om-  testimony  that  "  muck  and 
moisture"  are  the  magic  ingi-edients  of  Cabbage  culture. 


"  What  kind  of  poultry  do  yon  really  advise  me  to 
keep?"  At  page  4irp  of  our  last  volume,  we  endea- 
voured to  answer  this  inquiry  witli  respect  to  "  Fowls  ;' 
we  will  now  proceed  to  tender  our  advice  in  regard  to 
the  other  denizens  of  the  poultry -yard. 

Our  readers,  however,  should  be  previously  reminded, 
that  a  certain  class  of  persons  were  taken  as  those  for 
whom  our  suggestions  were  specially  designed,  and 
these  were  the  clei'gyman  and  country  gentleman,  occu- 
pying from  fifteen  to  twenty  acres  of  land  under  the 
usual  course  of  tillage.  But  making  allowance  for 
deviations  on  either  side  of  these  conditions,  there  are, 
we  would  hope,  many  points  on  whicli  our  recom- 
mendations may  prove  useful  to  the  larger  holder,  on 
tlie  one  side,  as  well  as  to  the  cottager  on  the  other. 

I.et  us  commence,  then,  with  Gccsc.  Now,  where- 
ever  a  meadow  witli  a  small  pond  or  brook  is  at  baud, 
a  gander,  with  two  or  tln-eo  geese,  will  rarely  fail  of 
giving  us  a  good  return  for  their  cost.  Because,  the 
first  fortnight,  little  care  is  required  for  the  goslings,  and 
the  old  birds  are  not  only  singularly  free  from  maladies 
of  all  kinds,  but  provide  by  far  the  gi'catest  portion  of 
their  own  food.  A  Goose,  too,  is  a  "  piece  de  resis- 
tance" on  our  table  highly  appreciated,  and  which 
fairly  discharges  its  duty  in  the  reduction  of  our  butcher's 
bill.  By  tlie  time  the  corn  is  carried,  the  flock  may  be 
turned  into  the  stubble,  which  are  most  diligently  gleaned 
by  them,  and,  whence,  without  further  care,  many  may 
he  selected  in  fit  condition  for  the  usual  ilichaelmas 
sacrifice.  For  birds  to  be  killed  later  in  the  year,  a 
well-ventilated  out-house,  or  large  pig'sstye,  with  plenty 
of  clean  water,  oats,  and  harleymeal,  will  become  re- 
quisite ;  but  even  tliis  greater  outlay  is  well  compensated 
under  judicious  management.  The  choice  of  breeding- 
stock,  dictated  by  our  own  experience,  would  fall  on  a 
Toulouse  Gander,  and  large,  dark-coloured  Geese  of 
the  common  breed ;  from  such  parents  cross-bred  birds 
will  usually  attain  greater  weight  than  eitiicr  of  the 
breeds  by  themselves,  although  to  be  rejected  them- 
selves as  breeding  -  stock,  and  the  objection  to  the 
Toulouse  race,  on  account  of  tlieir  being  indlHorent 
sitters  and  mothers,  is  thereby  obviated.  If  white 
plumage  is  desired,  the  "Erahden"  Goose  should  be 
taken  ;  but  we  are  at  a  loss  for  any  point  of  recommen- 
dation in  the  "China"  sjiccies  that  would  place  it 
above  these  for  general  purposes. 

Ducks,  we  believe,  are  usually  kept  with  less  profit 
than  Geese,  being  much  more  dependent  on  their 
owners  for  their  food,  and  the  comparative  cost  of  pro- 
duction is,  therefore,  in  excess  of  the  latter  birds.  But 
where  steamed  food  is  daily  prepared  for  our  pigs  and 
cattle,  a  portion  of  this,  mixed  with  brau  and  barley- 


November  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


Of. 


meal,  gives  tlie  best  chance  of  seeing  tlie  outlay  on  these 
birds  returned  to  us  after  their  disposal ;  but  where 
such  facilities  are  wanting,  and  the  run  is  at  all  con- 
fined, their  voracious  appetites,  not  to  bo  satisfied  with 
grass,  like  Geese,  leave  little,  if  any,  room  for  profit  on 
their  exponces.  But  a  well-fed,  early  Buckling  is 
undeniably  deserving  of  its  great  popularity  ;  and  from 
their  rapid  growth,  and  ready  sale  early  in  the  year,  are 
worth  attention  where  good  markets  are  at  hand  to  take 
off  our  surplus  stock.  For  the  supply  of  our  own  table, 
also,  in  the  special  cases  for  which  our  advice  is  now 
tendered,  wo  may  be  content  if  the  expenoos  are  mot  by 
the  value  of  the  bird  when  slaughtered,  for  rarely  in  the 
country,  at  least,  can  we  purchase  them  as  good  as  we 
can  ourselves  feed  them.  The  Duck  is  a  bird  that 
should  never  he  stinted  in  food ;  and  from  the  time  of 
its  exit  from  its  shell  till  the  morning  that  dawns  on  its 
execution,  its  rations  should  be  both  regidar  and  liberal. 
An  exception  to  our  remarks  may  be  made  in  such 
districts  as  around  Aylesbury  and  elsewhere,  where 
Ducks  are  reared  for  the  high  prices  of  the  London  and 
other  chief  markets.  If  we  are  asked  what  breed  is 
likely  to  prove  the  most  profit-producing,  our  ojiinion 
may  be  stated  very  decidedly,  for  we  feel  satisfied  that 
the  "  Rouen  "  birds  are  not  merely  the  best  layers,  and 
equally  hardy  with  the  other  varieties,  but  are,  also,  the 
best-flavoured ;  in  point  of  size,  also,  these  need  fear  no 
comparison  with  any  other,  the  coarse  Musk,  or  Brazilian 
Duck  alone  excepted ;  but  with  respect  to  this  latter 
bird,  all  we  can  say  is,  have  nothing  to  do  witli  it,  for 
they  are  very  unproductive  while  living,  and  of  very 
indifferent  quality  when  placed  on  the  table. 

Turlieys  must  come  next.  On  light,  dry  soils  we 
may  make  them  pay,  but  where  this  condition  is 
wanting  they  will  be  found  unprofitable  stock.  They 
require,  also,  a  separate  feeding  place  from  our  other 
fowls,  and  though  Geese  and  Ducks  may  be  excluded 
on  such  occasions  without  much  difficulty,  this  is  not 
so  easily  managed  with  Turkeys,  and  far  more  than 
their  just  proportion  is  too  often  gobbled  up  by  them. 
They  are  delicate  when  young,  and,  except  in  very 
favourable  localities,  require  more  attention  than  can 
be  profitably  bestowed  on  them.  On  lar'ge  farms,  where 
a  wide  range  of  stubble  will  supply  their  food  during 
several  of  the  autumn  months,  their  case  is  open  to  far 
more  favourable  considerations ;  but  on  small  occupa- 
tions, we  are  unwilling  to  believe  that  their  profit  usually 
exceeds  their  cost.  The  "  Norfolk,"  or  the  "  Cambridge" 
breeds  would  be  those  we  should  ourselves  choose ;  the 
latter  is  a  larger,  and,  as  many  think,  a  hardier  bird. 

As  to  Guinea  Fowls,  a  few  words  may  suffice  for  our 
present  purpose,  since  narrow  limits  are  altogether 
unsuitable  for  them,  if  we  have  any  wish  to  pi-ofit  by 
their  produce,  since  hedgerows  a  quarter-of-a-mile  off 
are  quite  as  likely  to  contain  their  nests  as  any  situa- 
tion nearer  their  home.  They  are  difficult  to  rear,  and, 
though  commanding  a  good  price  in  spring,  must  be 
kept  through  summer,  autumn,  and  winter. 

Pigeons  conclude  our  task.  With  the  mere  fancy 
varieties  of  these  birds  it  is  evident  we  have  nothing  to 


do,  since,  however  beautiful,  economy  is  a  merit  that 
their  warmest  admirers  cannot  claim  for  them.  But 
will  the  common  dovecot  Pigeons,  either  Colmnha  affinis 
or  0.  livia,  or,  indeed,  any  of  the  other  varieties  that 
may  be  kept  in  a  similar  i-ough  manner,  supply  our 
kitchens  at  a  cost  not  exceeding  the  outlay  ?  Now,  this 
enquiry  is  one  that  would  receive  an  affirmative  answer, 
rather  from  our  utter  inability  to  form  a  correct  estimate 
of  the  ravages  committed  by  them  on  our  own  or  our 
neighbours'  fields,  than  from  any  trustworthy  debtor  or 
creditor  account.  Their  pilferings  are  often  serious, 
and,  consequently,  lead  to  disputes  tliat  would  have 
been  much  better  avoided ;  and  if,  to  avert  this  incon- 
venience, we  encourage  them  to  remain  at  home  by 
supplying  all  their  wants,  we  are  confident  that  the 
return  would  not  cover  the  expenditure. 

Fowls,  Geese,  Ducks,  Turkeys,  Guinea  Fowls,  and 
Pigeons,  have  now  been  gone  through,  with  reference 
to  the  one  point  of  economy.  The  opinions  that  have 
been  given  on  each  of  them  have  been  based  on  general 
grounds ;  for,  doubtless,  there  are  particular  circum- 
stances and  conditions  to  which  our  observations  would 
not  so  strictly  apply,  but  these  exceptional  eases  would 
extend  too  far  the  limits  of  the  present  paper.  It  is  a 
singular  consideration,  however,  that  modern  enterprise 
and  discovery  have  added  nothing  to  our  list,  for. 
Turkeys  alone  excepted,  the  poultry-keeper  of  times 
antecedent  to  the  Christian  era  had  as  lai-ge  a  catalogue 
as  wo  can  now  boast  of;  and,  notwithstanding  the  con- 
tinued endeavours  of  the  London  Zoological  Society, 
the  late  Earl  of  Derby,  and  other  public  bodies,  and 
private  individuals,  the  Ourassow,  the  Guan,  and  some 
few  other  birds,  of  which  hopes  were  confidently  enter- 
tained of  their  addition  to  our  list,  are  as  far  as  ever 
removed  from  the  state  of  true  domestication.         W. 


THE  STRAWBERRY. 


I  vERiLi'  thought,  some  years  since,  that  there  was 
little  to  leam  concerning  Strawberry  culture ;  but  I  have 
found  each  succeeding  year  "  add  a  wrinkle  "  in  this,  as, 
indeed,  in  most  other  gardening  aft'airs.  It  somehow 
happens,  in  most  sublunary  matters,  that  the  more  we 
know  in  reality  of  any  subject,  the  more  acutely  do  we 
feel  any  deficiency  that  exists,  or  any  desideratum  sup- 
posed to  be  attainable.  I  suppose  that  this  may  not  be 
traced  alone  to  the  progressive  character  inherent  in  all 
gardening  subjects,  but  to  an  emulous  and  insatiable 
reaching  after  perfection,  which  feeling  our  gracious 
Creator  has  indelibly  stamped  on  the  human  mind  for 
most  beneficent  purposes.  Were  it  not  for  this,  indeed, 
wo  should  soon  be  satiated  with  most  things;  and  life 
would  become  like  a  stagnant  pool,  instead  of  the  brisk 
and  sparkling  rivulet,  the  action  of  which  never  ceases. 
I  do  not  think  that  there  is  a  man  living,  worthy  the 
name  of  horticulturist,  who  would  be  content,  for  the 
next  score  years,  to  eat  the  best  Strawberries,  Pears, 
Grapes,  &c.  that  we  now  possess,  were  they  ever  so  high 
flavoui-ed  and  excellent,  upon  condition  that  improve- 
ment should  not  bo  attempted.  Now,  if  this  be  correct, 
it  at  once  points  to  the  fact,  that  the  profession  in  which 
we  are  engaged  is  one  eminently  of  a  progressive 
character  ;  not  only  iu  the  production  of  novelties,  but 
in  cultural  advances  ;  and  those  of  oiu'  friends  who  may 


00 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


NoVKMlMiR  10. 


liave  taken  a  fancy  that  the  very  acme  of  perfection  lias 
been  attained  in  gardening,  may  at  once  reconsider  their 
position,  and  still  press  forward  ;  or,  as  one  of  our  useful 
contributors  has  styled  himself  let  the  cry,  if  they  please, 
be  "  upwards  and  onwards." 

When  we  east  a  glance  over  the  many  plans  which 
have  been  liroached,  through  the  medium  of  the  gar- 
dening press,  as  to  Strawben-y-culturo,  wo  may  readily 
perceive  that  the  question  separates  into  two  broad  divi- 
sions to  begin  with — -the  one,  how  to  cultivate  the  noblest  | 
fruit  fit  for  the  exhibition-table— the  other,  how  to 
obtain  the  most  profit.  It  so  happens,  as  1  think,  that 
these  two  phases  of  the  question  are  suliiciently  distinct  1 
to  constitute,  as  it  were,  landmarks  in  the  afl'iiir ;  and  1 
with  a  just  conception  of  the  points  in  which  any  given 
question  hinges,  we  may  hope,  by  a  dispassionate 
handling,  to  arrive  at  tangible  facts.  About  the  per- 
manency of  the  Strawberry,  wider  a  course  of  culture 
adapted  to  its  continuance  in  a  profitable  shape,  as  a 
perennial,  for  a  few  years,  there  can  he  no  doubt ;  there 
is,  also,  ]  conceive,  Httle  room  to  doubt,  that  with  a 
peculiar  course  of  culture,  two,  three,  aye,  ibur  or  five- 
year-old  plants  of  certain  kinds,  on  eligible  sites,  will 
prove  more  profitable  than  those  grown  by  what  is 
termed  the  runner-system.  It  is  of  no  avail,  that  those 
who  have  sworn  by  the  runner-system  only,  try  to  poob 
down  tliis  perennial  plan;  wo  must  try  and  introduce 
a  little  liberality  of  sentiment  and  feeling  into  this,  as, 
indeed,  into  all  other  things. 

I  must  nov,r  advert  to  what  I  will  call  the  perenniah 
system,  which  is  so  seldom  done  justice  to  that  I  will 
]ioint  to  a  few  facts  in  culture  before  I  proceed  further. 
1  have  now  a  plot  or  two  of  the  Keen's  Seedliiuj,  a 
kind  not  yet  to  bo  despised,  that  have  borne  most 
excellent  crops  for  seven  years ;  and  I  liave  no  doubt 
will  continue  so  to  do  for  two,  or  three,  or  four  years 
more.  The  berries,  of  course,  are  not  quite  so  large  as 
those  grown  from  young  plants  under  very  particular 
culture,  but  of  one  thing  I  am  persuaded,  that  I  have 
heavier  crops  in  the  aggregate  ;  and  this,  where  people 
require  a  considerable  quantity  for  preserving  purposes, 
&c.,  is  an  iinportant  ailair.  But  these  have  a  kind  of 
culture  adapted  to  their  habits  and  age.  It  is  very 
common  to  hear  complaints  of  old  beds  running  all  to 
leaf,  and  no  wonder;  they  get  to  be  a  complete  bush, 
and  the  whole  of  the  interior  is  good  for  nothing:  nay, 
a  positive  evil.  Jn  the  first  place,  our  superior  Straw- 
berries have  no  business  in  what  are  termed  "  beds." 
Persons  possessing  but  a.  very  small  space  of  ground, 
and  desirous  nf  having  a  Strawberry  plot,  very  naturally 
conclude  that  they  must  plant  closer  together  than 
other  folks;  this  conclusion,  however,  is  most  fallacious, 
as  the  least  consideration  will  show.  It  is  obvious,  that 
the  practice  which  is  most  productive  and  profitable  in 
an  acre  is  so  on  a  single  pole  for  the  same  reasons ; 
indeed,  how  could  it  be  otherwise  ?  Such  parties  too 
often  manure  liberally,  thinking  they  will  have  finer 
Strawberries,  and  hence,  although  lliey  may,  the  first 
season  or  two,  have  a  i'dw  swaggering  berries,  their 
plants  speedily  booomn  choked,  and,  of  course,  un- 
fruitful, and  the  owners  wonder  what  is  the  matter. 
Now,  the  manure  they  use  might  not  ho  too  liberal  for 
the  single-row  system,  for  the  beneficial  results  of 
manurial  matters  are  almost  always  in  pro|;iortion  to  the 
amount  of  uuobstructcd  light  that  the  parts  of  a  plant 
receive. 

The  Keen's  Seedlings  1  adverted  to  were  originally 
planted  in  rows,  thirty-three  iuclics  apart,  but  with  ago 
they  have  iip]n'oached  somewhat  closer.  The  plants 
were,  at  first,  fourteen  inches  apart  in  tlio  row,  but  after 
bearing  one  good  crop,  every  other  plant  was  cut  clear 
away,  thus  leaving  the  permanent  ]daiits  twenty-eight 
inches  a)>art.  The  ground  was  deejjly  trenched,  and  a 
good    deal    ot'    ouly    half  -  decayed    mauruial    matters 


'  trenched  down,  whilst   a   dressing   more   decayed  was 

1  worked  iu  near  the  surface. 

])Ut  I  must  come,  now,  to  subsequent  practice,  which  I   I 
consider  of  much  importance.     This  consisted,  after  two 
crops,  in  an  annual  digging  and  manuring  between  the   I 
rows.     I  can  fancy,  now,  that  I  see  some  of  our  cul-   I 
tivators,  and  who  consider  themselves  jierfectly  orthodox   | 
in  Strawberry  culture,  and  who  are.  as  they  imagine, 
fortunate  in  differing  from  me,  taking  ott'  their   spec- 
tacles, and  giving  them  an  extra  wipe,  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain whether  they  have  read  me  aright.     However,  the   I 
glasses  duly  restored  to  their  rightful  sovereignty  of  the   ' 
nasal  organ,  I  will  e.xplain  why  1  adopted  this  practice,   j 
seemingly  in  defiance  of  first  principles  connected  with 
the  habits  of  the  Strawberry.     It  is  pretty  well  known, 
1  believe,  that  most  perennial  plants,  when  standing 
long  in  a  soil,  become  somewhat  exliausted,  have  a  ten- 
dency to  roam  further  iu  quest  of  that  food  which  is 
requisite  not  only  to  continue  them  in  health,  but  also 
to  sustain  the   demands  consequent  on   fruit  or   seed 
bearing.     Such  fibres  are  multiplied  annually,  not  only 
collaterally,  but  iq)wards,  at  a  higher  level.     Hence  the 
rationale,  in  ])art,  of  surface-drcbsing  to  attain  specific 
objects  ;  and  hence,  although  it  may  appear  wide  of  our 
subject,  the  dressing  of  pasture  lands  with  our  farmers, 
the   result   of  whicli  is,   another   and   higher  series  of 
fibres.     So  it   appears  that  there  are  two  ways  of  mul- 
tiplying and  feeding   trees  or  vegetables,  through  the 
medium  of   excited   fibres,   multiplied  almost  at  will : 
the  one  by  the    extremities   of  exciting   roots    coaxed 
into  a  feeding  medium;  and  the  other  by  creating,  if 
the  term  may  be  pardonable,  a  host  of  new  fibres  at 
a  higher  level  th.an  before.     I  do  hope  that  this  circimi- 
locution,  if  such  it  must  be  deemed,  will  be  pardoned, 
for  the  sake  of  the  point  to  which  it  is  meant  to  tend, 
viz.,  the  reasons  why  Strawberry  plants  fall   in  with 
these  principles. 

The  Strawberry  plants  in  rows,  before  alluded  to, 
being,  as  stated,  thirty-three  inches  apart  between  the 
rows,  each  row,  of  course,  enjoys  a  space  for  the  roots, 
sideways,  of  about  sixteen  inches;  but  with  the  annual 
root-culture,  whicli  I  am  about  to  describe,  about  one 
foot  on  each  sido  ouly  is  filled  with  the  undisturbed 
])erennial  roots,  and  the  nine  or  ten  inches  in  each 
centre  between  the  rows  is  annually  dug  and  cultivated  ; 
in  other  words,  annually  filled,  by  the  month  of  r\lay, 
with  a  uew^  series  of  white  fibres  revelling  in  fresh 
compost.  Here,  then,  is  the  pivot  on  which  the  mode 
of  culture  depends,  in  conjunction  with  a  slight  surface- 
dressing,  and  as  I  claim  not  for  it  a  prc-cmiuence  above 
other  modes,  by  any  means,  so  I,  as  certainly,  claim  for 
it  a  consideration,  having  succeeded  right  well  with  it 

'  for  several  years  ;  and  I  do  think  that  in  thus  showing 
forth  various  practices,  that  some  service  is  rendered  to 
horticulture,  inasmuch  as  to  the  rellecting  mind  it 
tends   to    throw   light    on  the   habitudes  and   adapta- 

,  bilities  of  plants  under  culture. 

But  1  lay  much  stress  on  the  period  at  which  this 
annual  digging  is  perlbrmcd.     I  consider  that  ono  great 

I  object,  iu  Strawberry  culture,  is  to   produce  as  strong 

!  and  abundant  a  bloom  as  jiossible,  with  a  subdued 
foliage.  It  is  all  very  well  to  sujipose  that  the  greater 
the  amount  of  leaf,  tbo  more  copious  the  elaborating  of 
the  sap;  but  this,  though  involving  facts  of  high 
I  iiiijiort,  may  not  settle  this  matter,  there  are  other 
j  collateral  points  which  have  a  tendency  to  alter  the 
whole  tone  ot  the  alfair,  but  these  considerations  would 
lead  mc  too  far  a  field. 

Now,  it  is  known  that  any  operation  of  this  kind 
should  not  bo  performed  whilst  the  jilant  is  in  the  full 
exorcise  of  its  functions;  and,  therefore,  the  dormant 
season  oilers  the  best  chance  for  such  a  process.  And, 
moreover,  1  consider  it  absolutely  essential  that  the 
plants  should  bo  iu  possession  of  their  now  fibres  by  tho 


NoVKMBEn  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


or 


time  their  bloom  is  rising;  and  tliis,  I  Unci,  is  ncoora- 
plislied  by  giving  thera  tbe  cultura  bere  adverted  to  in 
tlie  end  of  October.  AVe  lirst  take  a  scytbe,  in  order  to 
save  time,  for  labour  is  precious,  and  mow  tlio  top  of  all 
riiuners  between  rows :  we  then  set  a  garden  line,  and 
chop  out  tlie  digging  line,  which,  as  before  desci'ibed,  is 
down  each  centre,  "chopping  out"  on  each  side,  and 
leaving  a  centre  of  about  ten  inches  for  the  spade  opera- 
tion. The  coarser  part  of  the  detached  runners  being 
raked  oft',  manure  or  compost,  in  a  rotten  state,  is  shaken 
along  the  line  from  baskets,  and  tlie  centres  are  then 
dug  about  eight  inches  in  depth,  the  manure,  of  course, 
going  to  the  bottom  of  the  trench,  or  rather  blending 
with  the  soil  in  the  operation.  It  is  almost  needless  to 
observe,  that  all  the  extreme  ends  of  the  fibres  are  cut 
away  in  this  operation;  indeed,  such  is  the  design — a 
root-pruning,  call  it.  Now,  frequent  examinations  have 
proved  that  the  Strawberry  may  be  thus  excited 
collaterally  as  well  as  upwards,  by  surface-dressing; 
and  I  have  to  observe  that  the  latter  principle  is 
combined  with  it,  for  in  tbe  month  of  A))ril  we  apply 
a  surface-dressing  of  half-decayed  leaves,  the  I'akings  of 
tbe  shrubbery,  about  three  inches  in  thickness;  and 
tliis  induces  a  host  of  surface  hbros,  sustains  a  surface 
moisture,  and  assists  in  keeping  the  Iruit  clean.  Thus 
have  I  proceeded  annually  with  a  certain  plot,  for 
several  years,  and  I  am  not  aware  they  have  declined  in 
produce. 

The  spring  dressing  consists  in  cutting  all  foliage 
away  about  the  middle  of  March,  or  just  before  the 
young  leaf  sjirouts ;  if  they  have  commenced  growth, 
much  care  must  bo  taken  not  to  destroy  tbe  new  growth. 
At,  this  dressing,  all  poor  looking  buds  in  the  interior  of 
tbe  shoots  are  thinned  away,  and  finally,  the  soil  is  drawn 
close  to  the  crowns  with  an  iron  rake.  I  dress  nothing 
away  in  the  autumn  but  the  runners,  for,  unquestionably, 
it  is  a  serious  injury  to  take  away  that  clothing  which 
is  wisely  destined  to  protect  the  crowns  during  severe 
weather.  By  this  practice,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
foliage  receives  a  check  in  point  of  spring  exuberance, 
and  more  of  the  strength  arising  from  the  new  fibres 
is  thrown  into  tbe  blossom  truss;  we  cannot  expect 
high  flavour  if  tbe  bloom  is  smothered  with  foliage. 
Those  who  want  to  grow  large  show-berries  must  not 
resort  to  this  practice,  the  frequent  runner-system  has 
the  advantage  in  this  respect.  I  may  also  add,  that  I 
have  not  tried  this  mode  with  any  but  tbe  Keens 
Seedling ;  with  that  it  was  commenced  as  an  experiment, 
and  is  now  continued  by  choice  ;  but  I  do  not  think  it 
would  be  expedient  to  retain  them  more  than  six  or 
seven  years.  R.  Errington'. 


BULBS. 

{Co  II  tin  lied  from  T'nl.  x.,  lutije  480.) 

LYCOEIS. 

I  p.issRD  over  this  genus  in  its  proper  place,  and  wore 
it  not  th.at  custom  sanctions  the  practice  of  growing  it 
in  pots,  I  would  not  include  it  among  tbe  half-hardy 
bulbs;  but  when  I  saw  my  old  plant  of  Aurea  in  the 
collection  at  Sbrubland  Park,  last  September,  in  a  pot, 
and  looking  as  well  as  usual,  1  determined  to  give  it 
tbe  same  position  as  Ixioliiimi — the  bulbs  we  have  of 
both  these  genera  being,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge, 
quite  hardy,  but  very  scarce  indeed  in  this  country. 

LYCOEIS  x^UIIEA. 

This  is  one  of  our  oldest  bulbs,  the  Aiiiari/His  aurea 
of  all  our  books,  with  the  same  habit  as  Nerines,  to 
v,'hich  section  of  the  AmarijUlds  Lyeoris  pro])erly 
belongs.  When  aurea  is  in  leaf  it  is  easily  known 
from  all  other  bulbs  in  cultivation,  but  it  is  not  so  easy 
to  tell  how  that  is.     The  leaves  come  from  tbe  bulb 


"all  in  a  bunch;"  there  are  from  eight  to  fourteen  of 

them,  all  of  tbe  same  size,  from  six  to  nine  inches  long, 

and    scarcely  halfan-inch  wide,  linear,  as  they  say  in 

botany,  that  means  the  leaf  is  not  flat ;  if  you  lay  one 

of  tlieiji  on  its  back  on  the  table,  the  middle  or  centre 

lino  only  will  touch  it;  the  two  edges  turn  up  a  little, 

and   that   is   a   linear   leaf;  those  of  aurea   are   more 

uniformly  milky-green  than  any  of  the  same  size  known 

to  us.    It  is  a  veiy  gay  flower,  of  a  golden-yellow  colour, 

and  from  sis  to  fifteen  flowers  on  one  umbel,  according 

to  the  ago  and  size  of  the  bulbs  :  the  flowers  spread  out 

and  stand  upwards  Irom  the  scape  like  those  of  Nerine, 

'  but  without  the  segments  waving  or  rcHexing;  the  only 

j  drawback  is   that  they  come    before   the   leaves,   and 

I  generally  in  August  or  September;  the  bulb  grows  all 

i  the  winter,  and   ought  to   go   to  rest  before  the  end  of 

I  May,  but  under  the  influence  of  heat  and  moisture   it 

,  will   often  keep  green  from  year  to  year,  and  then  it 

never  flowers,     it  likes  very  sandy  soil,   but  not  peat, 

and  exactly  the  same  treatment   as  the  Bella  Donna 

I  Amaryllis,  only  that  it  is  more  pliable  in  a  pot. 

I  LYCOEIS   STE.VMINE.V. 

j  Tliis  is  quite  a  new  bulb,  very  nearly  allied  to  aiircYi, 
j  and  quite  as  handsome,  but  besides  the  straw-colour 
i  and  a  ])ink  line  along  the  midrib  of  the  segments,  thero 
are  botanical  points  of  sufficient  difference  to  separate 
the  two  as  distinct  species.  They  are  both  from  tbe 
I  extreme  oast,  China  and  Japan.  Mr.  I'ortune  seiit  over 
j  this  species  to  the  Horticultural  Society  in  1847. 

i  LYCOEIS  EADIATA. 

This,  also,  is  a  very  old  bulb  in  cidtivation,  but  if  not 

j  lost  it  must  be  very  scarce  indeed;  the  flowers  are  light 
crimson.     Thirty  years  ago,  every  flower  like  this  was 

i  called  Amariillis,  and  put  into  the  stove  as  soon  as  they 
were  introduced,  and  from  that  day  to  this,  nine  gar- 
deners and  nurserymen  out  of  ten  give  too  much  beat 
to  all  their  bulbs,  and  tlie  consequence  is,  that  they 
either  do  not  flower  them,  or  if  they  do,  they  lose  them 

j  after  a  few  years.  I  do  not  think,  however,  that  any 
beat  or  bad  treatment  would  kill  aurea  ;  for  I  have  seen 

I  it  under  all  sorts  of  names  and  bad  treatment  in  my 

!  OEXITHOG.VLUM. 

[  Tbe  common  Star  of  Bethlehem,  in  the  flower-borders 
at  Beaufort  Castle,  above  Inverness,  was  tbe  first  bulb 
that  1  learned  the  name  of,  after  the  Onion,  and  the  first 
Ornitkoijnlum,  and  the  last  of  them  that  I  cultivated, 
and  yet  1  know  less  of  Ornithogalums,  by  name,  than 
of  any  other  family  of  bulbs.  1  have  grown  some  very 
good  ones  of  them,  imported  direct  from  the  Gape,  both 
white  and  yellow  ones,  but  they  were  never  very  great 
favourites  with  me,  and  I  did  not  study  them  so  thoroughly, 
that  I  can  feel  confidence  enough  to  make  a  selection  of 
a  few  of  the  best  that  would  please  others ;  therefore, 
leaving  the  selecting  from  this  numerous  group  to  in- 
dividual taste,  I  shall  merely  observe  that  the  strong, 
large  bulb  of  them,  will  grow  in  any  good  garden  soil, 
but  those  little  white  bulbs,  so  much  like  Onions  for 
pickling,  which  wo  often  receive  from  the  Cape,  require 
very  sandy  loam,  and  weU-drained  pots,  with  a  little 
white  sand  round  the  bulb.  Peat  is  poison  to  this  tribe 
of  delicate  bulbs,  unless  they  arc  shaken  out  of  it  every 
rest  season,  to  be  preserved  in  dry  sand  while  they  are 
at  rest.  They  are  not  so  excitable  as  the  Ixias  to  start 
late  in  the  autumn,  and  it  is  more  safe  in  the  dry  sand 
till  February. 

PENTLANDIA  MINIATA. 

Thero  are  three  dark-looking  bulbs  from  Cusco,  and 
other  ports  of  Peru,  which,  from  the  looks  of  their 
flowers,  any  gardener  would  pronounce  to  be  Steno- 
messons,  but  there  is  a  little  want,  in  the  inside  of  the 


9S 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NovKMliEE  10. 


flower,  in  tlip  nidimentavy-cup,  by  whieli  Dr.  Herbert 
separates  these  from  Stciinmesson :  but  it  seems  a  pity 
tbat  a  genus  Ibunded  on  the  splitting  of  a  baiv  should 
have  been  named  alter  Mr.  Pentland,  to  wliom  we  are 
so  nnich  indebted  lor  a  knowledge  of  the  vegetation  ot 
southern  Peru.  This  genus  is  siu'e  to  lapse  into  Steno- 
messoii,  when  such  bulbs  come  more  into  cultivation, 
and  are  crossed.  Miniaia,  hicunosa,  and  fiiilivanica, 
are  but  three  forms  of  one  species.  The  flowers  are 
beautiful  orange  and  red,  and  are  produced  in  four  or 
six  on  an  umbel,  from  early  spring  to  July,  first  spread- 
ing out  a  little,  and  then  hanging  down  ;  the  bottom 
part  of  the  flower  is  much  contracted,  as  in  Steiiomesson. 
Pentlamlias  rest,  or  ought  to  rest,  all  the  winter,  and 
flower  with  the  rise  of  the  leaf  after  resting.  Light 
sandy  loam,  free  air,  and  abundance  of  water  after  the 
full  growth  of  the  leaves,  and  a  partial  shade,  seem  to 
suit  them  better  than  anything.  All  this  race  may  be 
distinguished  by  their  comparative  shortness,  and  from 
the  bottom  and  point  of  the  leaves  running  narrower 
than  the  middle. 

PEYROUSIA. 
This  is  a  genus  of  pretty  little  Ixia-like  bulbs  and 
flowers  witli  the  habit  of  Anorntithcca,  but  with  a  much 
more  tender  constitution,  all  natives  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  ;  and,  v/ere  it  not  that  they  are  little  known, 
I  would  have  included  them  in  the  Ixia  group  of  "  Cape 
Bulbs,"  and  would  recommeiid  them  to  be  grown  in 
very  sandy  loam — more  than  half  sand,  with  any  light 
loam  ;  for,  like  the  smaller  Liicheiiiiliaf:,  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  keeping  them  alive  in  peat  of  any  tcxtiue. 
Gorymhosa,  anceps,  and  oculata,  are  the  best  of  them, 
and  they  are  very  pretty  blue  flowers ;  ocidiiln  is  blue 
and  yellow.  Six  or  seven  bulbs  of  each  of  these  could 
be  grown  in  a  forty-eight  size  pot.  They  are  very 
impatient  of  much  water  after  the  leaf  is  full  grown, 
and  if  the  soil,  particularly  ]ieat,  gets  the  least  sodden 
while  the  ])lants  are  in  flower  the  bulbs  perish.  They 
ought  to  be  shaken  out,  and  to  be  kept  in  sand  when  at 
rest.  The  late  Mr.  Young,  nurseryman  at  Taunton, 
was  the  best  grower  of  them  in  England,  and  I  believe 
his  secret  was  the  loam  instead  of  peat.  The  genus  is 
spelled  Pi'i/rousin,  and  Lapeijrousia,  after  the  French 
navigator:  neither  of  which,  however,  is  the  legitimate 
one,  for  Sprengel  had  them  first  in  his  genus  Oviedci. 

PHyEDP.ANASSA. 

This  is,  comparatively,  a  new  genus,  and  the  bulbs  are 
all  but  new  to  gardeners,  but  they  have  been  long 
known  to  science.  Humboldt  found  chlonicrn  in  the 
neiglibourliood  of  Quito,  and  mistook  it  for  a  Hiniinn- 
Ihns  (H.  iliihius,  of  Humb.),  a  genus  to  which  it  has  no 
resemblance  or  aliinity.  In  ls:!7.  Dr.  Herbert  includes 
the  plant,  with  some  hesitation,  among  Plii/cclliis, 
without  seeing  it  alive.  Mr.  Hartweg  sent  it  to  the 
Horticultural  Society,  fiom  the  Plighlands  of  Quito, 
and  several  gardeners  flowered  it  in  1841,  myself 
among  the  rest.  I  mistook  it  for  a  new  Cobimjia.  per- 
haps splendens,  of  which  I  had  seen  a  figure  from  a 
dried  specimen ;  but  a  specimen  sent  to  a  meeting  of  the 
Society  passing  olf  for  a  Plii/ciUa  (April,  1814),  I  gave 
up  my  chance  of  a  now  Coliurijia.  As  soon  as  Dr. 
Herbert  saw  a  live  flower  of  chloracra,  he  saw  it  could 
not  stand  as  a  Pln/cclhi,  and,  botanically,  it  could  not 
rank  with  any  known  genus,  and  ho  named  it  Phie- 
driinnssa  (BoUniicnl  Jt'ci/isler,  1S4.'J),  from  two  Greek 
words,  meaning  a  Gay  (hiecn,  and  1  am  quite  sure  that 
if  ever  this  gay  quceu  marries  out  of  her  own  family  it 
must  be  to  one  of  the  Cohurgs,  to  which,  however,  she 
is  first  cousin  already.  There  is  not  a  drop  of  T'hycclla 
blood  in  her  veins. 

PH/EDBANASSA  CULOIIACEA. 

This  is  a  handsome  flower — a  strong,  hardy  constitu- 


tioned  bulb — throws  up  a  scape  of  from  '?0  to  SO  inches 
high,  with  an  umbel  of  from  eight  to  fourteen  or  fifteen 
flowers,  some  of  which  are  past  before  the  last  one  is 
seen  in  the  bud,  thus  holding  on  a  long  time  in  flower. 
Cnliiin/ia  inciirimtii  gives  a  very  good  idea  of  this 
plant,  only  that  the  red  in  this  iiower  is  brighter  than 
in  any  of  the  Coburgs  ;  the  tips  of  the  flower  are 
greenish,  and  also  the  bottom,  but  the  middle  part  is  a 
bright  red,  with  a  lighter  shade.  It  goes  to  rest  in 
August,  or  September,  and  flowers  in  the  spring  before 
the  rise  of  the  leaf  It  blossomed  with  me  once  in  Sep- 
tember, but  that  was  caused  by  a  bard  experiment. 
The  bulb  is  a  native  of  the  same  hills  as  some  of  the 
most  difficult  Cohiirgit(s,  and  I,  mistaking  it  for  a  Co- 
inirgici,  placed  it  on  the  sand,  on  a  slate  shelf,  where  I 
succeeded  to  flower  some  ditHcult  bulbs.  On  this  shelf 
it  had  only  one  inch  of  very  sandy  soil  in  depth,  and 
when  the  roots  obtained  a  full  size  tlie  bulb  was  nearly 
all  out  of  this  soil.  It  was  a  very  cool  damp-kept 
house,  with  the  front  ventilators  open  day  and  night, 
except  in  hard  frost,  or  very  dull  weather.  Here  the 
bulb,  leaf,  and  flower  came  out  in  perfection,  and  the 
sca])e  kept  on  flowering  for  seven  weeks.  In  the  spring, 
by  the  endof  Jidy,  the  leaves  ripened;  and  in  six  weeks 
afterwards  the  bulb  was  again  in  flower,  but  not  nearly 
so  strong  as  in  the  spring ;  in  fact,  the  stimulus  of  a 
constant  moisture  at  the  roots,  when  it  ought  to  he  at 
rest,  caused  the  flowers  that  would  come  next  March  or 
A|)ril  to  rise  in  September.  This  and  the  next  species 
are  easily  known  by  the  leaf  which  is  short,  broader  in 
the  middle,  and  very  narrow  at  bottom. 
Eor  the  right  soil  see  the  ne.xt  species. 

PH.EDEANASSA  OBTUSA. 
This  is  a  much  smaller  plant  in  all  the  parts  than 
Chlonicra—e,  smaller  bulb,  leafscape,  umbel,  and  indi- 
vidual flower,  but  the  colours  are  nearly  alike.  The 
Horticultural  Society  had  it  from  Mr.  Hartweg,  and  it 
flowered  in  their  garden  in  the  autumn  of  1844.  when  it 
passed  as  PhyceUa  ohtusa ;  but  certainly  not  the  Phijcella 
ohIusifoUa,  described,  by  Dr.  Herbert,  as  a  Chilian  va- 
riety of  Phycella  nttcntmta.  I  have  a  drawing  made  fi'om 
Bridge's  specimen  of  the  latter  now  before  me,  and  I 
had  Hartweg's  plant,  in  flower,  in  my  baud  the  other 
day,  at  Shrubland  Park,  so  I  can  tell  the  ditt'erencc  with- 
out charging  my  memory.  Pliycelhi  cldoracra  m\diohtusti 
must  be  cancelled  from  our  Dictionary;  they  are  these 
gay  queens.  A  light  sandy  loam,  such  as  would  flower 
a  Dutch  Hyacinth,  but  with  no  peat  or  leafmould,  and 
an  upright  thirty-two  pot,  will  grow  chlonicra  to  perfec- 
tion ;  and  a  pot  of  that  size  would  flower  three  bulbs  of 
ohtusa.  Like  the  Oohtiri/ias,  these  will  endure  great 
heat  for  a  season  or  two,  but  cither  of  two  things  must 
follow,  as  surely  as  night  follows  day,  and  that  is,  that 
Cohirgias  run  to  Icafspawn,  like  Shallots,  and  never 
flower  at  all ;  and  P}i<ahri)niss(t  neither  spawns,  or 
increases  the  number  or  si/.c  of  tlie  leaves,  liut  flowers 
weaker  and  weaker,  every  year,  till  the  growth  dwindles 
to  death's  door.  Obttiiid,  flowering  in  the  autumn  with- 
out the  leaves,  is  very  liable  to  injury  from  too  much 
water.  Like  the  Guernsey  Lily,  ])co])le  nil!  water  it 
long  before  it  wants  any,  because  the  flower-scape  is 
rising ;  and  if  the  plant  bajqiens  to  be  the  least  con- 
fined, the  leaves  are  thus  forced  to  rise  before  their  time, 
and  weaker  tlurn  they  ought :  and  then  we  go  on  to  say, 
one  generation  after  auotlicr,  that  such  and  such  bulbs 
cannot  bo  grown  in  our  climate. 

PLANTIA  FLAVA. 
This  is  a  pretty  little  Capo  of  Good  IFopo  bulb,  which 
has  been  lately  rescued  from  a  host  oi' xiiiiihirilifs.  which 
all  go,  at  present,  under  the  genus  Sisyriiichiiiiiix.  It  was 
named,  by  Dr.  Herbert,  in  oomjilimout  to  i\lr.  i^laut,  a 
zealous  cross-breeder  and  nurseryman,  at  Uboadalo.     I 


NoVJiMBER  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  QARDENEll. 


9!) 


liavu  not  seen  this  bulb  yet,  and  cannot  say  if  it  is 
miify  to  keep;  iew oi' the Sisyrinchiums arc ;  but  until  tlie 
whole  oriloi-  of  Iiids  is  revised  by  an  able  luiud,  who 
can  tell  which  is  a  Sisij rinchium,  and  which  is  not? 
PliMliaw'M.  grow  in  any  liyht  compost;  and,  if  it  keeps 
to  the  family  name,  it  ought  to  seed,  and  also  multiply 
by  ofi'sets  freely  enough,  uuder  good  management. 

POLIANTHES,  OK  TUBEROSE. 
The  "  Sweet  tuhcrosa"  is  as  well-known  as  the  Tulip 
itself,  and  the  ways  to  grow  it  we  know  not,  or  if  we  do, 
we  do  not  practice  it,  and  so  we  allow  the  Italians  to 
ijrow  them  for  us  ;  we  merely  y/owt-'C  them.  In  the  good 
old  times  of  "  herbaceous  jiiants,"  they  used  to  have 
patches  of  the  tuherosa  all  along  the  borders,  about  four 
feet  from  the  edging,  with  a  stick  in  the  middle  of  the 
patch  to  tie  four  or  five  of  them  to  it ;  and  ouce  [  saw  a 
large  bed  of  them  in  full  bloom  in  the  open  air;  they 
were  potted,  and  gently  forced  in  April,  just  like  Thjri- 
dias  ;  and  in  June  they  were  planted  out  in  the  ojjeii 
ground;  butnow-a-days,  wo  more  often  see  them  drawn 
up  like  ghosts,  in  too  uuich  heat  and  confinement, 
"to  scent  the  rooms."  Tlie  kind  called  (jrae'ilis  is  only 
a  botanical  plant,  of  which  they  take  good  care  in 
herbariums,  the  only  place  it  is  fit  for. 

PHALOCALLIS   PLUMBEA. 

This  is  an  extraordinary-looking,  gauky  plant,  a 
native  of  Me.\Lico,  and  requiring  the  same  treatment  as 
Tigridias.  It  only  produces  one  flower  on  the  top  of  a 
very  long  rigid  stalk ;  rather  a  large  flower  for  the 
plant ;  a  beautiful  lead  coloiu',  with  yellow  and  violet 
towards  the  bottom  ;  but  it  only  keeps  open  a  few  hours, 
and  that  early  in  the  luorning,  therefore  is  of  no  great 
use  as  a  garden  plant.  If  it  could  be  crossed  with  any 
of  the  allied  plants  to  Tujiidia,  the  peculiar  coloui-  of  the 
flowers  would  come  in  useful. 

EIGIDELLA  FLAMMEA. 

This  is  a  tall-growing  bulb  from  Mexico,  whence  it 
was  introduced  by  the  Horticultural  Society.  It  is 
ueaily  related  to  Ti.rjridia,  but  more  slender  and  much 
taller  in  growth,  and  reqiures  e.\aetly  the  same  treat- 
ment as  the  Tiyiidias.  and  flowers  from  June  to  Sep- 
tember, in  the  open  borders;  and  with  a  slight  protection 
in  winter,  it  will  stand  out-of-doors  all  the  year  round. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  fiery-crimson,  or  flame-colour  ;  they 
hang  down  ou  long  peduncles,  and  do  not  open  till 
towards  the  afternoon,  and  when  open  they  are  reflcxed  , 
the  individual  flower  soon  fades,  but  they  come  in  long 
succession.  As  soon  as  the  flower  drops,  the  long, 
drooping  footstalk,  or  pediuicle,  assumes  a  diametrically 
opposite  position,  and  stands  up  as  firm  and  stiff  as  can 
be,  holding  the  seed-vessel  to  the  full  sun.  It  is  from 
this  peculiarity  that  the  genus  was  named  Eiijidella, 
signifying,  literally,  stift'-stalk.  The  scarlet  Geraniums 
have  the  opposite  habit  of  showing  the  flower ;  they 
point  to  the  sun,  but  when  the  flower  drops,  if  the 
germen  is  fertilised,  the  peduncle  droojis  immediately, 
and  all  the  "beaks"  point  to  the  ground,  until  within 
thirty  hours  of  the  ripeuhig  of  the  seeds,  when  they 
begin  to  take  to  their  lirst  upright  position,  and  by  the 
end  of  that  time  they  are  stitt'-stalks  again,  as  much  so 
as  Rujidellas.  Strong  bulbs  of  this  species,  in  a  rich, 
light  border,  will  throw  up  flower-stems  upwards  of  four 
feet  high.  The  bulbs  are  easily  kept,  and  increase 
readily,  and  they  are  very  desirable  summer  ornaments, 
when  grown  in  masses,  on  a  south  border. 

EIGIDELLA  IMMACUL.\TA. 

This,  the  spotless-flowered  stift'stalk,  difters  very  little 
from  the  preceeding  species.  The  flowers  are  a  little 
smaller,  but  of  the  same  flame-colour,  and  the  plant  is 
somewhat  move  dwarf,  and  the  leaves  narrower  than  in 


Ibmiima.  It  has  been  sent  from  Guatemala,  by  Mi-. 
Hartweg,  to  the  Horticultural  Society.  In  a  general 
way,  it  might  be  described  thus — the  Guatemala  form 
of  tlie  plant  is  a  little  smaller,  in  all  the  parts,  than  the 
Mc.\ican  form  (Jlammea),  with  the  addition  of  a  spotless 
Mower.  The  two  would  certainly  cross,  if  that  would 
improve  thein ;  but  looking  at  the  two  together,  I  see  no 
opening  for  much  imiirovement  in  them  ;  but  there  are 
more  kinds  of  them  in  Mexico,  some  of  which  may  be 
likely  enough  to  imjirove  the  breed.  As  it  is,  this  one 
ought  to  be  ])lantcd  in  front  of  Jlammea,  on  account  of  its 
being  less  of  stature,  and,  also,  because  the  flowers  open 
early  in  the  day,  like  those  of  the  Tiijridia,  and  begin  to 
close  by  the  tiiue  those  of  Jlammea  are  ready  to  open  in 
the  afternoon.  In  a  pot,  iii-doors,  this  flowers  much 
earlier  i\\».n  Jlammea ;  but  .give  both  the  same  chance  in 
the  open  air,  and  they  will  bloom  for  nearly  three 
months  iu  the  height  of  summer.  D.  Beaton. 

(7'o  he  continued.) 


VINERY  AND  PEACHERY  GREENHOUSE. 

"  I  A.M  about  to  construct  a  Greenhouse,  heated  by  hot 
water,  for  plants,  and  a  Vine  up  every  other  rafter,  at  the 
end  of  my  parsonage,  where  there  is  already  a  Peach- 
tree  growing.  Would  you  have  this  removed,  or  allow 
i  t  to  remain  ?  "  "  Cannot  I  h  ave  Peaches  from  a  Vinery, 
the  plants  either  planted  out,  or  iu  tubs  or  large  pots?" 
"Is  it  impossible  in  one  bouse  to  keep  bedding  and 
greenhouse  plants,  and  yet  from  it  to  obtain  fair  average 
crops  of  Peaclies  and  Grapes."  "  How  long  may  I  keep 
Grapes  iu  a  house  in  which  I  am  obliged  to  keep  many 
greenhouse  plants  after  the  end  of  September ;  and  what 
is  the  best  mode  of  doing  so?" 

These  are  a  sample  of  the  inquiries  that  have  lately 
been  made  on  these  subjects.  All  of  them,  I  rather 
think,  have  received  less  or  more  attention.  I  had  pre- 
pared some  notes,  in  answer  to  the  latter  inquiry,  before 
reading  the  admirable  article  at  page  58,  to  which  I 
would  direct  the  serious  attention  of  everyone  who 
wishes  to  preserve  late  Grapes  in  the  winter  months. 

VVitli  the  presence  of  plants  that  require  much  water, 
it  is  next  to  impossible  to  maintain  that  low  tempe- 
rature, and  motion,  and  dryness  in  the  air,  ou  which  Mr. 
Errington  rightly  lays  such  great  stress.  If  only  succu- 
lents, such  as  Cactus,  or  large  plants  of  Scarlet  Gera- 
niums, in  pots  or  boxes,  were  introduced,  there  would  be 
no  great  difficulty,  as  each  of  them,  by  means  of  their 
stems,  would  absorb  nearly  as  much  moisture  from  the 
atmosphere  as  they  would  perspire.  But,  whenever 
much  moisture  is  prevalent  from  watering  many  jilants 
that  cannot  be  kept  dry,  the  atmosphere  of  the  house  be- 
comes loaded  with  moisture;  and  if  you  light  a  sharpish 
fire,  there  is  danger  either  of  hastening  the  decomposi- 
tion of  the  berry  by  heat,  shrivelling  it  by  strong 
draughts  of  air,  or  surrounding  it  with  invisible  vapours, 
next  to  saturation  point.  Hence,  those  who  wish  to 
make  the  most  of  their  oue  house  for  jilauts  and  vines, 
should  give  no  more  heat  iu  winter  and  spring  than 
would  allow  their  Vines  to  break  only  a  few  days  before 
those  iu  the  open  air;  should  remove  out-of-doors,  and 
under  partial  protection,  all  these  hardier  plants,  by  the 
middle  of  May,  or  rather  the  beginning  of  that  month; 
should  then,  by  keeping  the  house  closer,  though  never 
without  air  at  the  back,  and  the  use  of  fire-heat,  raise 
the  temperature  to  05°  at  night,  by  the  time  tlie  bunches 
were  in  bloom,  and  to  from  75"  and  S5'  at  mid-day  from 
sun-sbine;  and  then  good  Grapes  may  be  had  from  the 
end  of  August  to  the  end  of  October,  with  little  or  no 
trouble  from  damping  ;  when  the  house  may  be  prepared 
again  for  its  winter  residents.  Those  who,  by  that  time, 
must  have  all  their  flowering  plants  housed,  will  act 
wisely  in  securing  some  of  their  best  bunches  in  bladders. 


ion 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDRNEU. 


Novi;M?-i:r.  1(1. 


or  glazfd  muslin  bngs.  I  in'OviouslvMueiitinnotl  the  case 
of  an  amateur,  wlio.  in  a  house  criinimeil  with  plants,  by 
means  of  the  former  of  these  mediums,  kept  Grapes  in 
good  order  until  after  Christmas.  ]'jveu  with  these 
coveriiigs,  as  moisture  repellents,  it  would  be  advisable 
to  examiue  the  Grapes  now  and  then,  to  see  there  were 
no  rotting  or  damping  berries,  as  one  would  soon 
destroy  the  whole. 

In  relation  to  the  lirst  query,  respecting  preserving 
Peach-trees  on  the  back  wall  of  a  greenhouse-vinery, 
the  propriety  of  this  will  greatly  depend  upon  the 
objects  chietly  aimed  at,  and  the  arrangements  of  the 
interior  of  the  house.  Some  years  tigo,  advice  was 
asked,  under  similar  circumstances,  in  two  or  three 
cases;  and  in  these,  respectively,  [  have  been  informed 
what  fine  Peaches  they  have  had.  But,  in  two  eases, 
though  the  house  v.'as  a  lean-to,  facing  the  south,  the 
stage  was  low,  made  as  if  to  fit  a  hipped,  or  span  roof; 
the  tallest  being  in  the  middle,  and  tlien  the  others 
j^laced  lower  on  the  north  and  south  side.  The  prin- 
cipal walk  was  between  the  Peach-covered  north  wall 
and  the  stage ;  and  the  north  side  of  the  sta.ge  was 
thus  chiefly  kept  ior  plants  in  bloom,  or  reipiiring  a 
little  shade,  while  the  south  side  was  filled  with  those 
requiring  full  sunlight.  In  the  other  case,  the  stage 
sloped  in  the  usual  manner,  but  was  so  low  at  the  back, 
that  the  rays  of  light  struck  the  back  wall  to  within  a 
short  distance  of  its  base.  The  Vines  at  the  distance 
from  each  other  spoken  of  would  not  injuriously  inter- 
fere with  this.  AVe  have  had  good  Peaches  on  a  back- 
wall,  with  the  Vines  four  and  live  feet  apart.  Jn  the 
sprin.g  of  the  year,  where  artificial  heat  seldom  exceeded 
t.')°,  with  a  rise  of  10°  or  15°  from  sunshine,  the  Peacdies 
would  be  in  bloom,  and  set,  before  a  higher  temperature 
was  needed  for  the  Grapes  ;  and  then,  independently  of 
the  Hght  passing  between  the  Vines  at  all  times,  the 
curtailuig  of  the  laterals  of  the  vines  early  in  autumn, 
would  allow  more  light  to  pass  freely  to  consolidate  the 
Peach-wood  and  perfect  its  buds.  With  a  stage  in  the 
contemplated  house  so  high  as  to  shade  the  back  wall, 
the  first  crop  from  wood  ripened  this  autumn  will  be  all 
that  could  be  depended  on  ;  and  after  that,  the  sickly 
state  of  the  trees  from  unripened  wood  would  occasion 
more  trouble  and  drawbacks  than  all  their  advantages. 
Used  cliiefiy  as  a  preservatory  of  plants,  from  the  middle 
of  October  to  the  middle  and  end  of  April,  and  with  a 
platform  not  so  high  as  to  shade  the  wall,  and  with  a 
command  of  air  at  the  top  of  the  house,  good  I'eacbes 
may  thus  be  obtained,  and  only  inferior  to  those  in  a 
regular  Peachery,  where  air  and  sunlight  may  be  had  at 
command  when  the  sun  shines.  Where  profit  as  well 
as  pleasure  is  an  object,  I  should  be  sorry  to  root  out 
such  trees  from  the  back  wall  of  such  a  house,  as  even 
if  disliked,  or  a  change  wished  for  afterwards,  they 
would  yield  you  some  returns,  in  the  way  of  fruit,  for  a 
season  or  two,  before  the  Vines  came  into  bearing.  A 
friend,  who  thought  of  thus  enclosing  a  piece  of  wall, 
was  doubtful  of  the  Peach-tree  sending  hosts  of  lly 
among  his  (reraniuras,  &c.,  but  the  Peach  is  just  as 
easily  kept  clean  in-doors  as  a  Geranium,  as  the  tempe- 
rature that  suits  the  plants  will  just  suit  them  before 
the  fruit  is  set ;  and  afterwards,  they  will  quite  enjoy 
either  the  temperature  of  a  greenhouse  or  a  cool  vinery. 
In  the  latter  case,  if  it  be  wished  to  keep  the  liouse  as  a 
whole,  rather  close,  when  the  Grapes  are  swelling,  a 
little  air  left  on  the  top  of  the  house  constantly  will  be 
the  best  security  for  the  licalth,  and  frecdnin  from 
insects  of  the  Peaches,  and,  1  nuiy  add,  of  the  Vines 
likewise. 

The  second  i]uestion,  then,  as  to  having  a  combina- 
tion of  Vinery  and  Peachery  has  also  been  so  far 
answered.  There  can  be  no  question  of  its  jiracti- 
cability  when  it  is  desirable,  as  in  a  small  jiarsouagc 
garden,  to  obtain  much  in  a  small  space  ;   or  where 


variety  and  quantity  of  an  average  usoftd  character  arc 
deemed  greater  indisponsables  tlian  fewer  objects,  hut 
these  of  first-rate  quality.  No  one  with  various  houses 
at  command  would  ever  think  of  mingling  the  two  as  a 
system.  Independently  of  other  considerations,  the 
simple  fact  that  the  Peach,  in  nil  its  stages,  will  enjoy 
a  temperature  of  from  ."1°  to  111°  lower  than  the  Viuo 
would  rejoice  in,  should  lead  those  having  various 
houses  to  have  a  house  for  one  thing.  Pesides,  the  two 
fruits  require  difiereut  treatment  at  very  particular 
periods  of  their  well-being.  For  instance,  supposing 
that  all  has  gone  on  well  until  the  Peaches  are  approach- 
ing maturity,  abundance  of  li,ght,  and  plenty  of  fresh 
air,  are  the  essentials  for  giving  that  fruit  first-rate 
colour  and  flavour;  but  just  at  that  time  the  Grapes 
will  be  swelling  fast,  and  beginning  !o  change  colour; 
few  sorts,  indeed,  would  be  perfected;  and,  therefore, 
the  free  admission  of  more  air,  and  the  removing  of 
laterals  freely,  to  give  light  to  the  Peaches,  would  so  far 
check  the  swelling  of  the  Grapes,  that  you  would  run  the 
risk  of  having  colour  and  good  quality  at  tlie  expense  of 
size.  When,  therelbre,  the  mingling  method  is  attempted 
in  places  of  some  extent,  a  clear  preponderance  in  the 
necessary  treatment  should  be  given  to  one  over  the 
other;  for  instance,  f  have  just  cut  down  two  iluscadine 
Vines  in  an  early  Peach-house,  some  fifty  feet  long,  ten 
feet  wide,  and  the  back  wall  as  much  above  the  front 
wall  ])late,  the  roof  sloping,  therefore  at  an  angle  about 
-Ifi".  'J'rees  are  trained  against  the  back  wall,  and  on  a 
low  trellis  in  front,  the  back  of  that  trellis  being  two-and- 
a-half  feet  above  the  front  wall  plate,  and  three-and-a-half 
feet  from  the  hack  wall,  so  as  to  allow  plenty  of  room 
for  a  ])athway.  At  the  back  of  the  trellis  there  is  a 
narrow  shelf,  another  shelf  is  suspended  overhead  for 
Strawberries  ;  and,  about  the  middle  of  the  roof,  a  single 
wire  is  stretched  lengthwise,  on  which  these  Vines  were 
trained;  sometimes  pruned  on  the  spur  system,  and 
sometimes  on  the  single  rod  system;  and,  in  either 
case,  producing  heavy  crops.  Now,  any  one  with  his 
jiencil,  forming  a  right  angled  triangle,  and  supposing 
the  hypothenuse  line  as  the  glass,  through  which  the 
rays  of  light  are  to  pass,  will  at  once,  according  to  the 
sun's  altitude,  see  how  far  these  shelves,  when  stored 
with  ])ots  and  the  Vines  together,  would  obstruct  the 
light  from  the  back  wall.  It  will  be  evident,  that 
as  the  Peaches  approached  maturity,  say  in  the  end  of 
ilay,  the  whole  of  the  shelves  could  be  cleared,  and  the 
suspended  one  removed  altogether;  but,  of  course,  the 
A'ine  could  not  be  touched.  We  were  glad  to  put  up 
with  a  partial  sbadin.g  of  the  lower  part  of  the  back 
wall  at  a  time  it  required  most  light,  because,  not 
forcing  a  vinery  early,  we  could  get  a  fair  supply  of 
Grapes  by  tlie  time  the  Peaches  were  getting  thin. 
But  as  Grapes  can  noii-  be  obtained  elsewhere  as  early 
as  wanted,  1  have  pretty  well  resolved  to  grub  iip  these 
good  old  servants  of  Vines,  that  there  may  be  no  future 
hindrance  to  the  full  maturing  of  the  wood  and  fruit  to 
the  bottom  of  the  back  wall.  An  amateur,  observing 
these  Grapes  during  the  summer,  was  surprised  that  1 
did  not  have  the  Swcct-water  instead  of  the  l\hiscinUiie, 
as  it  ripened  somewhat  earlier.  My  objection  to  that 
fine  fruit,  in  such  a  position,  would  he,  that  it  requires 
fully  ;"]"  more  heat  to  set  it  freely  than  the  Miisivdine. 
Even  with  the  Miisaitliiie,  in  such  circumstances,  a 
little  scheming  was  not  thrown  away — such  as  fastening 
the  rods  very  near  the  glass  when  the  Peaches  wore 
started,  whore,  consequently,  they  were  kept  cooler; 
suspending  them  about  two  feet  from  the  glass  when 
the  young  shoots  were  two  or  three  inches  lo)ig,  and 
thus  keeping  them  in  a  more  equal  tcmpernture,  and 
then  raising  them  to  within  fifteen  inches  of  the  glass 
when  the  flowering  was  over.  In  such  a  case,  where 
the  Vines  are  a  secondai'y  object,  the  hardiest,  such  as 
White  Muscadine,  Black  Hainhiiiyh,  and  Black  Prince, 


NovEJinER  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAllDENEH. 


lOL 


shonlil  be  used.  In  all  cases  wlieve  Peachos  ave,  in 
addition  to  covevinj,'  the  back  wall,  pbmtod  out  as 
standards,  and  cultivated  in  large  pots,  oi'  tubs,  with 
Vines  on  the  raltors,  success  will  cliiefly  depend  upon 
making  tliem  so  far  the  pvincipal  thing  that  the  Vines 
shall  not  prevent  plenty  of  light  at  all  times  roacliing 
tiiem. 

The  third  enquiry,  having  rel'erenoe  to  associating 
Vines,  Peaches,  and  greenlionse  and  bedding-plants, 
may  be  said  to  be  answered  in  the  last  remark  ;  and  in 
the  statements  in  reply  to  the  first  query  aneut  the 
contemplated  house  at  the  Parsonage.  Put  here,  to 
prevent,  according  to  the  old  adage — "  slipping  down 
between  two  stools,"  it  is  necessary  to  make  one  a  prin- 
cipal object,  and  the  other  only  subsidiary.  I  once  used 
a  large  honse  for  a  similar  purpose.  Standards  ot 
Peaches  in  the  centre  of  the  house  bore  plentifully,  and 
fine,  well-Havouved  fruit ;  but,  then,  tlie  voof  of  the 
house  had  Vines  little  thicker  than  on  every  alternate 
rafter.  By  degrees,  it  was  found  out  that  the  Grapes 
were  more  valuable  than  the  Peaches,  and,  consequently, 
the  roof,  by  degrees,  got  covered  with  Vines.  This  soon 
told  on  the  Standard  Peaches.  They  first  suflered  in 
colour  and  flavour,  and  then  hegan  to  yield  imperfect 
blossoms,  from  not  obtaining  a  sufficiency  of  light. 
After  the  standards  in  the  centre  of  the  bouse  wore 
thus  crippled,  those  on  the  back  wall  continued  for  some 
time  to  produce  i'air  fruit,  just  because  there  were  more 
openings  for  the  light  to  enter  near  the  top  of  the  roof; 
and  what  light  entered  at  other  places  was  reflected 
and  refracted  from  the  back  wall,  the  plants  there 
receiving  the  benefit.  Of  course,  there  will  be  no  diffi- 
culty with  greenhouse  or  bedding-plants  if  iiro-heat  is 
used  merely  to  keeji  the  house  from  frost. 

Many,  who  now  contemplate  building,  have  ambition 
enough  to  try  many  things  in  little  siiaco.  In  the  case 
before  us,  plants,  in  winter  and  spring,  and  fruit,  in 
summer,  seem  the  chief  objects.  I  have  endeavoured  to 
hold  the  balance  even — neither  to  damp  the  anxious, 
industrious,  and  intelligent,  nor  to  make  the  zealous 
sanguine  over-much.  11.  Fisu. 


DROPMORE   GARDENS. 

The  progress  of  trees  that  are  new,  and  likely  to  be 
useful  or  ornamental  to  our  country,  is  always  ex- 
ceedingly inicresting;  and  .1  never  had  this  more  forcibly 
impressed  upon  me  than  when  1  had  occasion,  lately,  to 
visit  Dhopmouk,  the  residence  of  Lady  Grenville,  situ- 
ated about  three  miles  from  the  Maidenhead  Station, 
on  the  Great  Western  Railway. 

.It  is  well-known  as  a  place  that  contains  a  splendid 
collection  of  Coniferas ;  and  as  I  was  much  delighted 
with  the  progress  of  these  fine  trees,  I  took  the  notes 
which  I  now  briefly  transcribe  for  the  readers  of  Thk 

COTT.VGE  GaEDENEU. 

It  is  greatly  to  the  credit  of  the  noblo  owner  of  these 
fine  trees  tliat  the  gardens  may  always  be  seen  by 
respectable  parties,  on  application  to  Mr.  Erost,  the 
intelligent  gardener  there.  Any  lady  or  .gentleman 
wishing  to  ornament  their  grounds  with  these  fine  trees 
may  there  see  what  splendid  objects  they  are,  even  when 
they  attain  the  size  they  are  at  Uropmore  ;  and  Mr. 
Erost  is  no  niggard  in  imparting  information  how  to 
plant  them,  what  sort  of  soil  they  require,  and  any  other 
point  likely  to  be  useful  to  the.  planter.  That  he  is  a 
competent  guide  is  certain,  for  he  planted  them,  and 
has  liad  the  care  of  thein  up  to  this  day. 

On  entering  the  grounds  at  the  Lodge-gates,  the 
visitor  passes,  for  a  short  distance,  through  a  plantation 
of  lofty  common  forest-ti'ee.s.  The  carriage-drive  grace- 
fully winds  round,  and  the  view  opens  upon  a  wide 
lawn,  on  each  side  of  which  appears  fine  healthy  speci- 


mens of  the  commoner  Conifcrto,  such  as  the  Norway 
Sprues,  the  Weymouth  Pine,  and  the  Scotch  Eir, 
acting  as  precursors  to  the  more  rare  and  liner  speci- 
mens of  the  tribe.  This  lawn,  or  grassy  ground,  is  not 
in  what  is  called  high  keeping,  but  is  considora.bly  undu- 
lating, and,  here  and  there,  broken  with  pieces  of  rough 
ground,  on  which  the  common  Heath,  and  other  dwarf 
British  shrubs,  form  a  kind  of  foreground  to  the  tall 
CJonifers  alluded  to  above,  rendering  the  scene  exces- 
sively picturesque.  I  think  this  drive,  from  the  entrance 
gates  to  the  mansion,  must  be  nearly  a  mile  in  length. 
As  it  approaches  the  house,  the  woods  again  receive  the 
visitor,  and  finally  he  .arrives  at  the  stables.  There  the 
gardener  must  be  inquired  for,  and  through  a  door  in  the 
garden  wall  the  pleasure-ground  is  entered. 

Against  this  wall  there  are  several  plant-houses,  a 
lofty  conservatory,  and  a  beautiful  aviary.  In  front  of 
them  is  a  large  space  laid  out  in  the  ancient  style  of 
tlowergardening,  with  here  and  there  a  mixture  of  the 
more  modern  bedding-out  system.  Passing  through 
this,  the  visitor  arrives  at  a  large  space  of  dressed  lawn, 
on  which  are  groups  of  trees,  and  amongst  them,  in 
open  spaces,  are  the  fine  specimens  of  the  Coniferous 
plants,  occupying,  I  should  tliink,  at  a  rough  guess,  ten 
or  lifteen  acres.  This  pleasure-ground  is  to  the  right 
of  the  nuxnsion,  the  front  of  wliieh  is,  comparatively, 
clear  of  trees.  The  views  from  hence  are  very  fine, 
embracing  the  Ilill  of  Richmond,  Ascot  Heath,  the 
Royal  Castle  of  Windsor,  and  the  Bedfordshire  hills, 
filty  miles  off.  'These  are  the  general  features  of  this 
fine  seat.  I  shall  now  describe,  as  well  as  I  can,  tiie 
fine  specimens  of  Conifera;,  and,  first  and  foremost,  as 
being  the  most  remarkable, 

Araucaria  iinbriaita.  —  Of  this  beautiful  tree  there 
are  three  or  ibur  remarkably  handsome  specimens.  As 
is  well  known,  it  is  an  evergreen,  and  emphatically  so  ; 
for  it  is  a  fact,  that  the  leaves  on  the  trees  at  Dropmore 
are  at  least  twenty  years  old.  They  are  alive  now,  close 
to  the  stem,  down'  to  the  ground.  I  know  no  other 
evergreen  tliat  keeps  its  leaves  so  long. 

The  finest  tree  stands  on  a  knoll  exposed  to  the  west 
and  north  winds,  and  has  not  suffered  in  the  least  from 
the  exposure,  thus  proving  its  perfect  hardihood.  It  is 
thirty-eight  feet  high,  clothed  with  branches  down  to  the 
ground.  The  stem  is  four  feet  in  circumference,  and 
every  tier  of  branches  is  perfect  to  the  very  top.  It  was 
planted  when  a  small  plant,  exactly  twenty-two  years 
ago,  and  has,  consequently,  grown,  on  an  average, 
rather  more  than  eighteen  inches  every  year.  The 
subsoil  on  which  it  stands  is  gravelly,  and  the  suiface- 
soil  not  more  than  a  foot  deep  of  common,  not  over 
rich,  soil.  All  this  proves  the  Araueariic  imhrwata  to 
be  a  very  desirable  tree  to  plant  largely,  in  every  situa- 
tion not  actually  wet. 

Cednis  deodora. — One  planted  in  183")  has  attained 
thirty-five  feet  in  height :  very  magnificent  specimens; 
next  in  beauty  to  the  Araucarid,  and  quite  as  hardy. 

Pinus  hisignis. — This  dark,  rich  green  tree  is  a  very 
quick  grower.  It  was  ))lanted  in  IWjfl,  and  is  now  fifty 
feet  in  height,  with  wide-spreading  branches. 

Abies  Doiiglassii. — A  noble  tree,  seventy  feet  high, 
with  a  stem  six-and-a-half  feet  diameter,  and  branches 
that  cover  a  space  of  ground  sixty  feet  in  diameter.  It 
was  a  seedhng  in  182S,  just  twenty-five  years  ago,  and, 
consequently,  averages  an  annual  growth  of  nearly 
three  teet.  This  is,  undoubtedly,  the  finest  tree  of  the 
kind  in  Europe. 

A .  carpatica.—Vlhy  feet  high  ;  a  rare  species. 

Larix  macrocarpa. — A  deciduous  species,  with  large 
cones ;  likely  to  become  as  valuable  a  timber  tree  as  the 
common  Larch. 

Pkca  nohilis,  P.  giviuUs,  and  P.  amahUU. — These 
being  of  late  introduction,  arc,  as  yet,  but  small,  but 
they  are  growing  rapidly,  making  shoots  nearly  two  feet 


103 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NovEJinEH  10. 


loug  every  year.  They  are  nearly  nil  equal  in  height, 
namely,  teu  feet  each,  with  branches  down  to  the 
ground.  As  the  seeds  of  these  noble  Silver  l''irs  have 
been  imported  largely  last  year,  the  price  will  soon  be 
more  moderate. 

Ctijptomeria  japonica. — Is  here  jierlcctly  Ijardy,  and 
has  reached  nearly  thirty  I'eet  iu  height,  and  is  pro- 
ducing cones  jdentiliilly,  so  that  this  tisolid  tree  will 
soon  he  as  plentiful  and  cheap  as  the  common  Scotch 
Fir.  The  variety,  O.  Lobliii,  of  a  more  dense  habit,  is 
also  producing  cones.  I  might  o.xtend  tin's  list  greatly, 
but  the  above  is  sufficient  to  prove  how  rich  this  place 
is  in  Couiferse ;  and  1  must  conclude  this  brief  notice  of 
this  interesting  jdace  by  observing,  that  I  know  no 
place  so  worthy  of  a  visit,  so  full  of  interesting  objects, 
asDropmore.  T.  Ai'I'lkuy. 


THE  GLADIOLUS. 


{Continued Jruitt  luicju  HI.) 

CuLTUiiE  IN  Pots. — There  are  few  bulbs  more  worthy 
of  culture  in  pots  than  are  the  new  and  hirer  varieties 
of  the  Gladiolus.  They  are  useful  to  oriuunent  the 
greenhouse  iu  June,  July,  and  August,  when  the  usual 
inhabitants  are  enjoying  the  o))eu  air.  Tlicir  siiikedilie 
forms  diversify  the  stage,  and  tlieir  high-coloured  flow- 
ers render  the  house  gay  ibr  several  weeks  in  succession. 
The  kinds  best  adapted  ibr  ]iot  culture  are  Atigiistns, 
Blmidus,  Cardinalis,  and  its  varieties.  Brenohlei/ensin, 
Bowiensis,  Ooluellii,  and  its  varieties.  Fonnosissimiis, 
Insiynis,  Queen  Victuria,  Rcimosus,  Spectahllis,  Tii- 
maoulatus,  and  other  hybrids  of  Cape  species. 

The  soil  for  them  in  pots  should  consist  of  loam, 
sandy  peat,  and  leaf-mould,  iu  equal  parts,  with  a  suuill 
addition  of  some  thoroughly-decomposed  hotbed  manure. 
These  materials  should  have  been  well  exposed,  and 
frequently  turned  over,  some  mouths  previously,  to 
sweeten  and  pulverise  them.  They  may  be  mi.\ed  at 
the  time  of  jiotliug,  or  sometime  bcibreliand,  as  may  be 
convenient.  The  suuiUer  growing  kinds  should  be  put 
into  si.vinch  pots,  three  bulbs  iu  a  pot;  the  larger  ones 
into  eight-inch  pots.  Drain  well,  and  lill  the  pots  with 
the  compost  to  within  one  inch  and-a-half  of  the  top  ; 
then  put  in  the  bulbs,  and  hil  u))  to  the  rim,  pressing 
and  shaking  the  soil  down  ujion  them. 

The  time  for  this  operation  depends  upon  the  time  of 
flowering.     The  early  bloomers,  such  as  Bhindus   and 
Trimacidaius,  ii\\0'i\A  be  potted  in  October  ;  whilst  the 
later-blooming  varieties,  such  as  liamosus,  may  be  put 
in  as  late  as  December ;  but  this  is  a  matter  of  couve- 
nience  ;   they  may  all  be  successfully  potted  in  Novem- 
ber; and  will  answer  e(p(ally  well,  only  the  early  ones 
should  be  brought  earlier  into  the  greenhouse.     As  soon 
as  they  are  potted,  idinigc  them  overhead  in  coal-ashes, 
or  saw-dust,  and  place  some  covei'ing  over  them  to  keep 
ofl'  the  heavy  raius  and  snows  of  winter.     If  very  severe 
frost  takes  jilace,  a  shelter  of  fern  or  straw  sliould  be 
applied.     The  best  place  lor  them,  however,  would  be  a 
frame  or  cold  pit,  if  such   a  convenience  is  at  hand  for 
them.     They   could   he   (^U'eetually   protected   from   all 
j   adverse  weather,  only  the   liglits  should  be  drawn  olf 
I   every  line  day,  as  Ihey  will  not  bear,  or,  at  least,  will 
not  thrive  so  well,  if  too  nuieli,  or  any,  heat  is  generated 
I   in  Iho  frame  by  the  sun's  i-ays.     Under  these  shelters 
tliey  may  roraain  till  tlje  leaves  appear,  and  the  season 
advances,  when  they  should  have  air  night  and  day. 
The  grand  object  to  bo  aimed  at  is  to  keep  them  sluwlij 
tjfowbhj,  any  attempt  at  forcing  would,  in  nine  cases  out 
I   of  ten,   prevent   them   blooming  satisfactorily.     When 
I   they  have  made  some  growth,  the  pots  should  be  lifted 
up  out  of  tlie  eoal-aslies,   and   any  that  uuiy  be  on  the 
I  surface  of  the  soil  in  the  jiots  should  be  scraped  oil'  and 
j   the  pots  clean-washed;  then,   if  they  are  iu   a  frame. 


re-set  them  in  it,  and  carel'idly  protect  them  liora  late 
frosts  by  coverings  of  mats,  or  some  other  slieltering 
material ;  if  not  in  frames,  then  form  a  shelter  with 
fioops  over  the  bed  for  the  B«ime  ]mri)ose.  As  soon  as 
room  can  be  made  for  them,  place  them  on  the  green- 
house stage  as  near  the  glass  as  possible,  so  as  to  allow 
room  for  the  leaves  to  attain  tlieir  full  size.  As  the 
llower-stems  advance,  lower  the  jiols,  and  jdace  neat 
sticks,  jiainted  green,  to  each  llower-stem.  These  are 
to  keep  each  llower  n))right,  for  without  sticks  they  are 
liable  to  grow  sideways,  and  then  tliey  interfere  with 
other  plants,  as  well  as  being  unsightly.  L>ue  sui)plies 
of  water  must  he  administered ;  the  quantities  to  be 
increased  as  the  ibliage  and  ilower-stcms  progress.  Just 
before  the  buds  appear,  a  dose  of  weak  njanure-water 
will  be  useful,  both  to  encourage  growth  and  give  a 
higher  colour  to  the  bloom. 

in  the  greenhouse,  the  Red  Spider  is  frequently  trou- 
blesome to  these  and  similar  plants.  I  have  frequently 
seen  that  splendid  ]ilant,  the  Trilonia  aurea,  witli  its 
leaves  all  turned  yellow  loug  before  its  fiue  blossoms 
were  decayed,  thus  deteriorating  its  beauty  greatly ; 
and  this  is  an  allied  plant  to  the  Oladioli,  aud  they 
suffer  equally  from  this  pest  if  it  is  not  kept  under. 
The  best  remedy  is  a  free  use  of  the  syriuge  in  the 
early  stages  of  growth  —  thus  acting  upon  the  old 
proverb,  that  prevention  is  better  than  cure.  After  the 
bloom  is  over,  the  plants  should  bo  set  out-ofdoors, 
fully  e.xjiosed  to  the  sun,  gradually  reducing  the  supjily 
of  water;  and,  when  the  leaves  are  quite  decayed,  lay 
the  pots  on  one  side,  behind  a  low  hedge  or  wall,  to 
induce  a  complete  rest.  Then,  when  it  is  convenient, 
turn  theui  out  of  the  ])Ots,  cleanse  the  bulbs  of  the  tops 
and  old  roots,  and  place  them  in  drawers,  with  their 
names  attached,  until  the  plautiug  or  potting  season 
arrives  again. 

It  is  advisable,  where  possible,  to  use  fresh  roots  lor 
potting  every  year,  because  the  bulbs  never  attain  that 
size  in  pots  that  they  do  in  the  beds,  and  for  the  simple 
yet  certain  reason,  that  in  jiots  there  is  not  sufficient 
soil  to  give  nutriment  enough  to  the  foliage  to  cause 
the  bulbs  to  attain  their  full  size.  But  wdiere  there  are 
no  beds  to  ]ilant  them  iu  the  succeeding  year,  then 
choose  the  iiuest  bulbs,  aud  repot  them  for  flowering, 
and  pot  the  smaller  ones  to  grow  ou  the  next  year 
without  flowering,  till  they  become  of  suflieient  size  for 
that  purpose.  T.  Ai'I'leuy. 

(2'o  he  eonUnncd.) 


MUSHROOMS  ON  BEDS  OUT-OF-DOORS. 

Altiioliou  a  biiildiug  heated  by  fire  applied  by  the 
aid  of  flues  or  circulating  hot  water  connnands  a  more 
certain  crop,  yet  Mushrooms  are  often  produced  without 
the  use  of  such  an  auxilliary  ;  and  as  numy  amateurs 
and  others,  who  may  be  wishful  to  have  this  luxury,  may 
not  he  in  possession  of  such  a  building,  the  means 
whereby  they  may  be  obtained  iu  other  places,  will,  no 
doubt,  bo  interesting  to  all  who  liave  not  hitherto  tried 
the  homely  shifts  to  which  we  allude,  and  wliich  are 
within  reach  of  everyone  who  is  jiosscssed  of  a  suflieient 
([uantity  of  horse  dung,  and  a  place  to  )iile  it  ou ;  but 
before  entering  on  the  process  of  nudiiug  such  beds,  let 
us  glance  at  the  "  Mushroom,"  as  it  ]iresents  itself  in  a 
wild  state  out-ofdoors,  and  see  if  any  analogy  exists 
between  its  production  there,  and  in  the  nrtihcial  beds 
we  on  many  occasions  have  nuulo  for  it. 

On  very  line  autumns  Mushrooms  continue  to  grow 
until  a  very  late  period.  Some  few  years  ago,  many 
lirovlncial  papers  recorded  the  fact  of  Mushrooms  being 
gathered  as  late  as  Christmas  iu  their  various  locnlilies, 
even  m  the  northern  coiuities.     Now,  from  tins  we  may 


NoVEMBEB  10. 


THE  COTTAGE   GAKDENEK. 


103 


loarn,  that  atmospliorio  lioat  alone  is  not  the  solo  agent 
wanted  to  soci.iro  a  cro]i ;  a  littlo  attention  to  tho  state 
of  things  will  disclose  the  i'aot,  that  when  Miisluooms 
are  thus  produced  to  a  late  period  in  the  season,  the 
ground  will  ho  found  containing  a  greater  amount  of 
heat  than  is  ooniuion  in  other  years  ;  for  instance,  let 
us  suppose  the  moan  heat  of  the  ground  to  he  01°  for 
September  and  Oetoher,  in  the  generality  of  seasons,  and 
this  to  gradually  decline  as  tho  autumn  advances,  imtil 
it  reach  some  point,  say  -18'^,  at  which  the  Mushroom 
will  not  grow.  Then,  again,  let  us  take  a  remarkable 
line  autumn,  wherein  the  ground  tem])erature  is  main- 
tained until  a  later  period  in  the  your,  tiie  natural  im- 
pression would  be,  that  Mushrooms  would  continue  to 
be  prodnced  until  the  decline  did  fall  so  low  as  no 
longer  to  allow  them  the  necessary  warmth  to  subsist 
on.  This  occurs,  iu  ordinary  seasons,  about  the  middle 
or  end  of  October,  in  the  south  of  England;  in  the 
north  before  that  time  ;  and  in  fine  seasons  it  continues 
longer,  as  in  the  instance  above-mentioned. 

Now  all  these  facts  indicate  tliat  the  Mushroom, 
though  not  requiring  all  the  heat  of  our  summers,  yet  a 
greater  amount  is  necessary  than  our  autunms  usually 
present;  and  we  have  reason  to  believe,  that  were  our 
summer  evenings  longer,  and  accompanied  by  those 
refreshing  dews  so  congenial  to  the  Mushroom,  they 
might  be  had  in  greater  abundance  at  that  period  than 
as  they  now  are ;  but  with  a  dry,  parched-up  atmos- 
phere for  some  fourteen  or  flCtcen  hours  out  of  tho 
twenty-four,  it  is  no  wonder  that  a  production  so  little 
indebted  to  sunshine  should  refuse  to  flourish  under 
such  conditions ;  otherwise,  the  Mushroom  is  not  so 
partial  to  heat  as  many  other  productions;  in  fact,  its 
being  found  in  the  north  of  England,  in  a  wild  state, 
quite  as  plentiful  as  it  is  anywhere  in  the  south  of  it, 
indicates  the  preference  it  gives  to  a  damp  and  cool 
climate  to  a  dry  and  boated  one.  This  peculiarity  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  look  at  the  singular 
family  to  which  it  is  related,  some  of  whom  are  anni- 
hilated by  exposure  to  sunshine. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  pursue  this  subject  further.  1 
have  explained  why  out-door  beds  are  often  very  suc- 
cessful ;  and  I  will  now  observe,  for  the  information  of 
those  not  versed  in  such  matters,  that  the  best  Mush- 
rooms ought  to  be  of  a  dark  drab  or  pale  brown  colour 
outside,  and  not  too  white.  The  inside  ought  to  be  pale 
pink  and  fresh-coloured,  and  in  substance  it  ought  to 
be  "  fleshy,"  with  a  thick  substantial  stalk.  Now  then, 
these  qualities  are  not  sufficiently  exjilained  to  enable  a 
stranger  to  distinguish  the  true  from  the  improper 
Mushroom,  for  there  is  a  kind  grows  exceedingly  large, 
with  a  smooth  white  bade  and  pale  interior,  which  is 
often  gathered  and  presented  as  Mushrooms,  and  not 
luifrequently  specimens  as  large  as  a  dinner-plate  are 
found,  and  reported  in  tho  local  press  as  natural 
curiosities.  This  kind  usually  grows  under  trees  or 
behind  hedges,  but  it  is  also  found  in  the  open  field ; 
but  I  would  particularly  i-equest  all  persons  to  be  careful 
in  using  them;  for  without  affirming  them  to  be  de- 
cidedly poisonous,  they  certainly  are  not  wholesome; 
and  as  they  are  often  ]n-oduoed  in  tufts  of  somo  half- 
dozen  or  so  together,  they  are  easily  known  from  the 
genuine  sort.  However,  I  have  never  seen  anything 
like  them  amongst  the  produce  of  an  artificial  bed. 

In  the  makingjof  a  bed  out-of-doors,  it  is  necessary  to 
have  a  larger  body  of  heating  material  than  wliore  a 
bed  is  made  in  some  warm  house  or  corner.  The  dung, 
also,  ought  to  be  not  too  much  exhausted  in  the  process 
of  turning  and  pi-eparing,  for  it  ought  to  have  a  lively 
heat  in  it  at  starting,  otherwise  it  would  not  endure  the 
test  of  a  long  season  of  hard  duty.  Nevertheless,  it 
ought  to  be  so  far  tempered  as  to  prevent  its  over- 
heating ;  a  portion  of  the  straw  or  litter  may  also  be 
retained  in  it,   to  keep  the   body  from   becoming  too 


much  consolidated.  When  all  is  ready,  and  a  suitable 
site  fixed  for  the  bed — which  site,  by-the-by,  ought  to 
be  as  much  sheltered  as  possible,  if  it  he  by  nothing 
better  than  by  a  deciduous  tree,  for  oven  this  often 
imparts  a  degree  of  dryness  to  the  ground  which  it 
would  not  have  without  it — on  such  a  place  mark  out 
a  bed  of  any  leugtlr  you  choose,  and  begin  its  bottom 
four  feet  wide.  The  shortness  of  the  material  used  will 
prevent  a  bed  being  carried  up  witli  perpendicular 
sides;  this,  however,  is  iramuterial,  for  it  is  not  wanted, 
only  be  sure  in  tho  making  up  to  tread  or  beat  it  well, 
in  order  to  confine  the  heating  material  in  such  a  way  as 
to  ensure  its  continuing  so  for  a  prolonged  i)eriod ;  for,  be 
it  remembered,  that  hot  dung,  by  being  trod  very  firmly, 
rarely  ever  heats  to  excess.  In  the  course  of  making 
up  the  bed,  beat  the  sides  as  well  as  the  top ;  so  that 
when  finished  it  ought  to  have  the  appearance  of  a 
"liigli  pitched  roof."  This  done,  let  it  remain  a  few 
days  to  see  how  it  acts,  and  if  it  docs  neither  overheat, 
nor  refuse  to  heat  at  all,  then  spawn  it  at  once,  and 
coat  it  over  with  soil  of  a  rather  stifl'  kind,  which  (to 
lie  on  the  whole  surface  of  such  a  "roof-like"  bed)  ought 
to  be  rather  wet  than  dry.  Some  growers  apply  it  in 
the  shape  and  consistency  of  mortar,  but  that  is  not 
necessary  if  the  soil  can  only  bo  made  to  lie  on.  It 
is  then  only  necessary  to  cover  the  bed  with  nice  dry 
litter,  and  over  that  some  water-proof  covering  ought 
also  to  be  added  over  the  litter,  as  it  is  requisite  to  keep 
that  as  dry  as  possible  in  order  to  promote  tho  heat  of 
the  bod. 

As  most  water-proof  coverings  of  a  portable  and 
pliable  kind  are  expensive,  I  have  often  used,  as  a  make- 
shift, with  very  good  result,  burdles  thatched  with 
straw.  These,  if  carefully  done,  will  turn  oil'  much 
rain ;  and  the  under-covering  being  sufficient  to  exclude 
frosty  winds,  as  well  as  retain  the  internal  warmth  of 
the  bod,  more  costly  coverings  may  be  dispensed  with. 
An  occasional  examination  must  be  given  it  for  a  time, 
to  see  if  all  goes  on  aright,  and  in  due  time,  we  have 
no  doubt  but  Mushrooms,  in  abundance,  will  be  forth- 
coming, provided  tho  bed  has  been  made  of  good 
materials,  and  tho  spawn  used  has  been  good  and  Ixesh. 

The  spawning,  we  need  hardly  observe,  ought  to  be 
performed  by  inserting  pieces  of  prepared  spawn  (or 
that  from  an  old  bed),  of  tho  size  of  an  orange  (or  less 
will  do)  all  over  the  bed,  at  distances  of  not  more  than 
six  or  eight  inches  apart,  and  deep  enough  to  be 
covered  a  couple  of  inches  or  so.  A  good  beating 
afterwards  will  efface  all  marks  made  in  the  operation. 
Water  is  but  seldom  wanted  ibr  an  outdoor  bed  in 
winter,  but  towards  spring  it  may  be  necessary,  and 
should  then  be  given  freely  when  it  is  applied. 

It  may  be  observed,  that  when  the  shelter  of  an  out- 
house can  be  obtained  the  result  is  likely  to  be  more 
satisfactory,  as  by  that  means  the  chilling  efl'eots  of 
cold  rains  are  obviated,  and  other  difficulties  removed  ; 
and  there  are  many  such  places  vacant,  any  of  which 
will  serve  the  purpose.  When  a  structure  is  put  up  on 
purpose,  then,  by  all  means,  introduce  fire-heat,  for, 
after  all,  it  imparts  a  degree  of  certainty  to  the  crop 
which  the  greatest  care  can  hardly  ensure  out-of-doors. 

J.  EOBSON. 


CULTIVATION  OF  RAPE. 
R.\PE,  otherwise  Coleseed,  is  one  of  the  most  nu- 
tritious of  vegetable  productions  usually  appropriated 
as  food  for  sheep  stock,  and  is,  at  the  same  time,  very 
productive  wb en  judiciously  cultivated  upon  land  best 
suited  to  its  growth.  It  cannot,  however,  be  compared 
with  Swedes  or  Turnips  in  the  weight  of  produce  per 
acre,  but  upon  many  soils,  not  so  congenial  to  the  growth 


lOi 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NoYE^iiren  ]0. 


of  bulbous  roots,  a  crop  of  Rape  will  often  exceed  in 
tlie  acrcablo  amount  of  nutrition  tbat  to  be  obtained 
from  a  crop  of  the  diii'erent  varieties  of  common  Turnips. 
Tliere  are  two  varieties  of  Rape,  the  tall  or  long- 
legged,  and  tlie  dwarf;  tlic  former  is  now  nearl}'  gone 
out  of  use,  cliiefl}'  because  tlie  crop  is  now  usually  cul- 
tivated and  lioed,  similar  to  a  crop  of  Turnips,  and 
when  treated  in  this  way  tbe  tall  variety  would  become 
so  very  strong  in  the  stalk,  that  a  large  porlion  of  tlie 
crop  would  not  be  consumed  by  the  sheep,  but  would 
be  left  on  the  land,  and  prove  an  impediment  in  the 
after  -  cultivation  for  succeeding  crops ;  whereas,  the 
latter,  when  sown  upon  land  in  a  good  state,  and  well 
manured,  will,  wlieu  tlius  miiunged,  produce  a  most 
aliuudant  crop,  having  very  large  and  branchiDg  heads 
of  greens  upon  a  short  stalk,  which  the  sheep  will  eat 
nearly  close  to  the  ground,  if  consumed  at  the  proper 
period. 

The  tall  or  Jong-legged  sort,  is  best  cultivated  by 
broadcast  sowing,  when  the  greatest  amount  of  food  is 
required  to  be  produced  in  the  shortest  time,  and  which 
is  the  object  when  late  sown.  It  grows  rapidly,  and 
being  tliickly  planted  oil  the  ground  the  croji  will  push 
up  very  high,  yet  the  stalks  will  be  neither  large  nor 
strong,  and  will  be  almost  as  readily  eaten  by  sheep  as 
the  loaf  itself;  it  will  also  retain  tbe  leaf,  and  continue 
its  growth  for  a  longer  period  than  the  dwarf  variety ; 
for  it  is  well  known  tliat  the  groat  objection  to  a  broad- 
cast crop  of  the  latter  is  its  tendency  to  drop  the  leaf, 
and  die  away  very  suddenly,  either  in  very  dry  weather, 
or  from  the  effect  of  early  frosts.  The  dwarf  disposition 
of  the  plant  precluding  its  growth  upwards,  it  soon 
becomes  stunted,  and  as  soon  as  the  leaves  begin  to  fall 
the  value  of  the  crop  is  rapidly  depreciated. 

The  above  observations  represent  my  own  experience 
as  to  the  value  of  each  variety,  and  although  1  greatly 
prefer  the  tall  kind  for  late  sowing,  yet  I  often  find  it 
difficult  to  obtain  the  seed,  as  farmers,  in  general,  give 
the  preference  to  the  dwarf 

The  soil  best  adapted  for  the  production  of  Rape  is 
peat  or  moss  laud,  but  nearly  every  kind  of  soil  will 
produce  abundant  crops  if  well  cultivated  and  manured. 
It  is  not  usual,  however,  to  confine  it  (except  in  case  of 
failure  of  root  crops)  to  peat,  high  chalk,  or  strong  clay 
soils,  chiefly  on  account  of  its  peculiar  capability  for 
fitting  and  preparing  tlie  land  for  the  succeeding  Wheat 
crop. 

The  preparation  of  the  land  is  not  so  iu)portant  an 
operation  as  it  is  in  Turuip-culture  ;  for,  provided  it  be 
clean,  and  free  i'rom  couch-grass  and  root-weeds,  it  need 
not  bo  more  than  once  ploughed,  but  it  sliould  be  rolled 
and  harrowed  until  a  perfectly  line  surface  be  obtained 
previously  to  sowing  tbi!  seed.  The  manure  most  suitable 
for  the  crop  is  I'eruvian  guano,  sown  broadcast,  at  the 
rate  of  two  cwt.  per  acre,  applied  after  the  plough,  and 
harrowed  in,  and  two  cwt.  per  acre  of  super-phosphate 
of  lime  should  bo  applied  with  the  drill,  for  the  purjjose 
of  accelerating  the  growth  of  the  infant  plant,  and 
pushing  it  forward  out  of  the  reach  of  the  lly  and  other 
enemies.     In  case  the  seed  is  sown  broadcast,  the  whole 


application  should  be  made  of  guano  at  the  rate  of 
thi'ee  cwt.  per  acre.  I  consider  guano  the  best  manure 
which  can  be  used  for  tlio  growth  of  Itnpe;  for.  unlike 
the  Turnip-crop,  v/hicli  will  not  bear  the  application  of 
strong  ammoniacal  manures  witliout  producing  a  super- 
abundance of  loaf,  yet,  in  the  culture  of  this  crop,  it  is 
all-important,  an  abundance  of  luxuriant  foliage  con- 
stituting its  chief  vahie. 

The  time  for  sowing  must  depend,  in  a  great  measure, 
upon  the  period  the  crop  may  be  loriuired  for  use — any 
time  from  the  month  of  April  to  tbe  month  of  August 
may  be  selected.  The  quantity  of  seed,  when  drilled, 
sliould  be  about  three  pounds  ]ier  acre;  when  sown 
broadcast,  four  pounds  per  acre  will  be  none  too  much, 
because  its  enemies  have  more  power  over  a  broadcast 
than  a  drilled  crop.  The  distance  between  tlie  rows  in 
drilling  should  he  arranged  in  accordance  with  the 
requirements  and  state  of  the  land  ;  eighteen  inches  is, 
however,  tlie  best  distance,  unless  the  land  is  foul  and 
requires  the  constant  use  of  the  horse-hoe,  when  two 
feet  will  prove  the  best  width  between  tlie  rows. 

Hand-hoeing  the  crop  is  not  so  important  as  in  the 

:  case  of  Turnips,  as  it  does  not  require  so  niucli  nicety 

and  regularity  in  singling  out  the  plants ;  yet  sulficieut 

care  should  always  be  taken  to  cut  up  and  destroy  all 

weeds  foiuid  amongst  the  crop ;  it  should,  also,  be  borne 

in  mind  tliat  the  barrows  or  drags  ought  to  be  used 

i  across  the  drills  previous  to  tlie  liand-hoeing,  which  will 

I  not  only  destroy  weeds  and  assist  tlie  growth  of  the 

crop,  but  will  enable  the  beers  to  single  the  jilants  with 

more  dispatch  and  greater  regularity. 

It  is  often  the  case,  when  Rape  is  sown  early,  that 
after  the  sheep  have  eaten  the  crop,  a  second  foliage 
will  spring  out  of  the  remaining  stalks,  and  produce  a 
large  quantity  of  food  as  a  second  crop,  if  allowed  to 
remain  a  sufficient  time  ;  it  is,  however,  never  relished 
by  the  sheep  like  the  first  crop ;  and  I  would  sooner 
plough  shallow,  and  sow  again  as  fast  as  the  land  is 
cleared,  provided  there  is  sufficient  time  to  mature  the 
crop  previously  to  sowing  AYlicat  or  other  grain,  for  it 
will  be  found  that  the  crop  obtained  in  this  way  is 
much  more  valuable  and  more  palatable  to  the  sheep 
than  the  produce  of  sprouts  from  the  old  stalks.  Rape 
is  often  succeeded  by  j\1  ustard,  or  Rape  and  Jiustard 
mixed,  as  a  second  crop  for  feeding  ;  and  it  must  be 
admitted  tbat  Mustard  feeds  well  in  admixture,  and  is 
much  safer  food  for  ]ioor  and  lean  sheep  than  Rape 
alone.  This  crop  being  tbe  most  nutritious  and  forcing 
of  all  summer  green  crops,  renders  it  tbe  more  dan- 
gerous, and  often  proves  fatal  to  sheep,  in  considerable 
numbers,  unless  great  precaution  and  care  is  used  in 
the  mode  of  feeding  and  iblding  the  sheep.  The  animals 
ought  never  to  be  allowed  to  get  too  hungry  previously 
to  being  admitted  to  daily  allowance;  and  i  hud  tho 
safest  plan  is  to  drive  the  stock  back  a  little  distance, 
about  twenty  minutes  after  they  have  been  admitted  to 
fresh  food,  and  not  allow  them  to  return  to  it  until  tbe 
expiration  of  halfan-hour:  the  sheep  do  not  become 
blown  when  managed  in  this  way. 

JosEi'ii  Blundell. 


NovEMiiini  1(1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GABDENER. 


105 


TACSONIA    CULTURE. 

One  of  oui-  covresponclents,  wtio  sisjns  liimRclf 
"  GVimher"  planted  two  kinds  of  Tu(;soni;\s  in  a  cool  con- 
soi-vatory,  last  July  twelvemoutlis;  the  kinds  wore 
pmnatislrpuhi  and  mdJIi.isiina.  'I'lie  borders  and  tlie 
management  were  of  the  best  throughout,  from  that 
day  to  this,  and  he  reports  that  "  they  have  grown 
e.xceedingly  well,  and  have  covered  five  rafters,  np  and 
down,  and  hack  again  "  fas  they  go  through  a  country 
dance),  "  forty  or  fifty  i'eet  of  the  span-roof,  besides 
ruiniiug  along  the  wall-plates,  and  ridge-piece  of  the 
house."  The  woUisniina  flowered  since  last  May,  till 
early  in  October.  What  a  beautiful,  free,  and  cavly- 
flowering  plant  this  moUixsima  is  when  they  give  it  room 
enough !  Only  ten  months  after  planting  it  comes  into 
bloom,  and  holds  on  in  flower  for  five  months  next 
season  after  planting.  I  have  been  as  lucky  myself  at 
flowering  all  kinds  of  Passion-flowers  and  'i'acsoiiias  as 
most  people,  but  1  never  saw  or  heard  of  any  of  the 
race  doing  better  than  that.  Pimiatistipula  has  not 
flowered  yet  with  this  reader  of  Tin:  Cott.\ge  Gardener, 
and  he  has  manicaUi,  the  best  of  them,  in  a  warm,  con- 
servatory ;  in  other  conditions,  it  is  "  e.xactly  like  the 
others,"  but  no  flowers  yet. 

I  once  heard  of  a  Tacsonia  jnnnatistipula  that  grew 
like  a  hop  for  seven  long  years,  williout  showing  a 
single  flower-bud,  and  were  it  not  for  my  own  pen,  1 
verily  believe  pinna tutijnila  would  have  gone  out  of 
cultivation  some  years  since.  There  is  one  cause  which 
hinders  it  from  flowering  early  that  few  are  aware  of; 
and  there  is  another  cause  against  it  which  anybody 
can  overcome  the  first  season.  The  first  plant  of  it 
that  flowered  in  this  country,  in  Ihi'iy  or  1H:3U,  was  in  a 
very  cool,  lofty  house,  in  the  garden  of  Mrs.  Marryatte, 
at  Wimbledon.  This  plant  seeded  as  freely  as  the 
purple  Granadilla  (Passijiora  eduUs).  I  have  seen  it  so 
at  the  time,  and  there  being  such  a  demand  for  it,  the 
nurserymen  took  to  seedlings,  from  this  very  plant,  for 
some  years,  till  the  country  was  full  of  it ;  but,  of  course, 
no  body  could  flower  the  seedling  plants  till  they  came 
to  a  flowering  age  like  other  plants.  That  was  the  first 
cause  against  it,  and  the  second  grew  out  of  it  after  this 
fashion.  Nine-tenths  of  the  gardeners,  and  half  the 
botanists  believe,  or  once  did  believe,  that  the  Passion- 
flower tribe  reijulre  great  heat,  because  they  are  able  to 
icithstand  more  heat  \:'ith  less  injury  than  any  other 
plants.  So  more  heat  was  applied  to  the  seedling 
climbers  than  they  liked,  and  instead  of  flowering  in 
three  or  four  years  from  the  pod,  many  of  them  did  not 
flower  much  to  this  day. 

I  forget  whether  it  was  in  lS;i!)  or  1S3()  that  the 
figure  of  the  first  Tacsonia  was  published,  but  I  ordered 
a  plant  of  it  the  same  week  it  appeared  in  print,  and 
from  that  day,  till  I  left  Shrubland  Park,  I  never  ceased 
growing  it,  and  I  never  knew  it  to  fail  all  the  time. 
Until  the  appearance  of  mnnicata,  I  always  thought 
2nnuatistipula  the  best  half-hardy  olimbev  of  the  Passion- 
worts,  and  now  I  like  it  better  than  mollissima.  I  have 
grown  it,  also,  from  the  first  day  it  appeared;  manicala 
escaped  me  till  it  flowered,  i  believe  I  had  some  seeds 
of  it  from  Jlr.  Hartweg's  lot  to  the  Horticultural  Society, 
but  they  did  not  vegetate. 

1  have  already  said,  that  as  soon  as  I  saw  manioata, 
I  got  a  morsel  of  it,  and  in  seven  months  tliat  was 
twenty  feet  long,  and  in  flower-bud,  so  that  if  I  did  not 
know  how  to  grow  a  cabbage,  I  ought  to  know  as  much 
about  Tacsonias  as  any  one  ;  and  now  I  shall  answer  our 
friend  "  Climber"  after  stating  bis  difficulty — one  in- 
stance out  of  many. 

He  says,  "  Now  these  three  plants  (Tacsonias)  have 
quite  filledup  the  spaces  allotted  to  them,  and  hence 
arises  the  difficulty  which  I  shall  beg  you  to  solve."  On 
the  subject  of  pruning  them  he  is  doubtful,   "  as  he 


knows  some  Tacsonias  arc  impatient  of  tlie  knife."  Now 
1  confess  to  liaving  used  this  phrase,  "  impatient  of  the 
IniiJ'e,"  scores  of  limes,  but  here  1  am  in  a  fi.x  with  it, 
and  I  shall  never  use  it  again  without  explaining  the 
meaning  I  intend  it  to  convey.  When  you  put  a  rose, 
or  a  violet,  or  a  fig,  or  a  cherry,  under  glass,  and  keep 
the  ])lace  rather  close,  you  create  an  artificial  climate — 
or  if  you  give  more  veutilation,  and  get  the  extra  heat 
from  lire,  it  is  just  the  same  ;  the  rose,  violet,  &<;.,  under 
perpetual  excitement,  are  impatient  of  the  knife  ;  the 
more  you  prune  them,  the  more  they  will  not  flower  or 
fruit;' but  out  in  the  open  garden  you  may  cut  and 
prune  at  these  plants  almost  at  random,  yet  they  will 
flower  and  fruit.  It  is  exactly  the  same  with  these 
I'acsonias.  There  are  not  three  other  plants  in  ex- 
istence at  which  you  can  cut  away  so  freely,  and  which 
will  flower  more  freely  the  following  summer,  or  for  so 
long  a  period  as  them ;  but  keep  them  only  a  few  years 
in  a  teni]ieratru'e  a  few  degrees  higher  than  they 
luxuriate  in  on  the  heights  of  Peru,  and  you  disarrange 
their  functions,  as  the  doctors  say,  and  then  they  cease 
flowering,  or  their  flowers  are  not  much  worth  when 
they  do  come. 

jSIr.  Hartweg  told  me  himself  that  none  of  the 
Tacsonias  grow  in  the  same  climate  as  the  Passion- 
flowers; but  in  a  belt  of  country  much  higher  up  on 
the  side  of  the  hills,  and  that  the  summer  is  not  so  hot 
there,  nor  nearly  so  oppressive,  as  a  hot  summer  in 
England.  The  coldest  gi'cenhouse  in  England  must, 
therefore,  be  considerably  more  hot,  and  very  much  less 
airy  or  windy  than  is  natural  to  those  beautiful  plants 
in  sununer ;  and  all  they  want  in  winter,  nj'ter  they  have 
done  flowering,  is  merely  to  keep  the  irost  from  them, 
and  not  even  that,  a  frost  of  five  or  six  degrees  does 
them  no  harm  whatever  after  they  are  pruned.  I  once 
had  long  shoots  of  pinnatistipul a  in  bloom  in  the  open 
air  during  three  weeks  of  Irost,  and  one  morning  the 
night  thermometer  stood  at  ,'i2°,  when  I  came  out 
thinking  to  find  the  shoots  dead.  A  few  hours  after- 
wards, a  drizzling  rain  came  on,  which  probably  saved 
the  plant,  as,  if  a  bright  sunny  day  followed  such  a 
morning,  the  plant  must  have  stood  a  bad  chance. 
The  exact  degree  of  heat  which  suits  them  best  m.ay  not 
be  easily  found  out,  but  my  own  experience  says,  that 
to  get  them  early  into  bloom,  say  by  the  end  of  May, 
they  ought  to  he  gently  forced,  from  the  1st  of  April,  in 
a  temperature  of  from  4!)°  at  night,  to  o5°  of  artiflcial 
heat  during  the  day ;  but  more  heat  delays  the  flowering. 
If  the  doors  and  windows  of  a  forcing-house  are  open, 
and  the  sun  raises  the  heat  to  ^0"  or  1)0°,  we  never  call 
that  forcing  in  April  or  May.  As  soon  as  the  flowers 
begin  to  open  freely,  let  all  the  air  be  given  that  the 
ventilators  will  let  through  ;  and  as  soon  after  that  as 
the  "  bedding  plants "  in  the  flower-garden  are  just 
established,  and  looking  as  if  no  more  cold  would  hurt 
them,  the  whole  glass  should  be  taken  off' the  Tacsonias, 
or  else  they  should  be  taken  out  of  the  house,  by  re- 
moving some  parts  of  the  sashes,  and  trained  on  the 
outside  till  after  the  middle  of  September.  In  short,  to 
leave  the  glass  over  Tacsonias  during  the  whole  summer 
is  nearly  as  bad  as  confining  Roses  under  glass  during 
the  same  nionlhs.  1  have  acted  on  that  belief  since 
1>^:U,  and  never  missed  a  good  crop  of  flowers  from 
tliem  during  the  time. 

When  mollissima  came  out,  I  planted  one  of  it  against 
a  conservatory  wall,  at  Shrubland  Park,  and  a  fellow  to 
it  in  the  coolest  part  of  the  conservatory  the  same  day. 
The  one  against  the  wall,  in  the  open  air,  was  in  flower 
a  whole  month  before  the  one  in  the  conservatory,  and 
yet  the  latter  was  twenty  feet  longer  than  the  one  out-of- 
doors.  There  never  was  a  better  opportunity  of  testing 
an  experiment  than  this.  I^ioth  these  plants  are  still  in 
the  same  places;  but  neither  of  them  can  have  the 
proper  and  more  natural  treatment.     The  one  against 


10  (i 


THE   COTTAGE    GARDENEK. 


November  10. 


the  wall  gets  no  encouragement  at  tliu  enJ  of  the  spring, 
but  the  contrary,  and  it  is  August  ere  it  comes  into 
bloom  ;  and  in  October,  when  it  is  about  in  prime,  the 
glass  is  put  on  the  wall  lor  the  winter,  and  the  sashes 
turn  on  hinges,  to  give  open  air  to  one-hall'  of  them 
to-day  and  to  the  other  half  to-morrow,  so  that  this 
Tacsonia,  or,  at  least,  the  half  of  it,  is  ex|K)Scd  every 
day  that  it  does  not  actually  freeze,  and  the  November 
fogs  soon  settle  the  flowers  for  tlie  season. 

The  conservatory  there  is  licpt  too  hot  for  any  of  the 
Tacsonias,  yet  molUssima  was  iloworing  there,  along  with 
Ipimuca  Learii,  better  than  the  rest  of  the  climbers; 
but,  then,  see  what  a  cold,  dull,  cheerless  summer  we 
have  had ;  yet,  cold  as  it  was,  there  is  no  comparison 
between  mullissima  out  and  molissima  iu-doors  there, 
and  so  it  is  with  the  other  two. 

Now,  haviug  established  a  case,  and  after  what  I 
have  written  on  the  same  subject  for  tlic  last  fliteen 
years,  if  any  reader  of  our  work's  will  choose  to  plant 
another  Tacsonia  in  a  warm  house,  or  in  a  cool  house, 
without  a  provision  for  letting  out  the  top  for  a  few 
summer  mouths  occasionally,  to  keep  it  healthy  and  in 
a  flowering  mood,  1  say,  any  oue  who  ruus  his  head 
against  so  much  warning,  ought  never  to  see  a  ilower 
on  his  Tacsonias  as  long  as  he  lives.  Tlie  mduicata 
in  the  "warm  conservatory"  of  our  correspondent 
"  Cllmher"  will  never  do  much  good  tliere  as  long  as 
he  lives.  Better  bo  one  of  dob's  comforters,  and  tell 
the  truth  at  once,  than  reply  with  all  the  sophistries  that 
some  people  will  write  merely  to  please  for  the  passing 
moment.  If  lie  could  take  out  a  sijuare  of  glass — the  tnp 
square  of  a  front  sash — opposite  his  plant,  and  take  out 
as  much  of  the  branches  as  reacli  up  to  the  opening,  then 
train  tliem  right  and  left,  and  downwards,  between  the 
front  sashes,  1  promise  him  that  at  least  in  two  years  ho 
will  have  the  finest  and  best  flowering  jilant  of  it  in  the 
country,  providiinj  he  attends  to  the  following  rules  for 
pruning  and  for  managing  the  plant  betweenthis  and  the 
middle  of  ne.\t  May.  If  the  border  is  not  quite  dry  now, 
give  it  no  more  water  till  the  middle  of  J  anuary ;  if  it  is 
very  dry,  give  it  a  good  watering,  and  keep  the  surface 
loose  all  the  winter.  Anytime  about  the  beginning  of  De- 
cember, choose  a  day  ttuit  you  can  give  up  entirely  for  tlie 
pruning  and  arranging  of  lliis  one  climber;  meantime, 
mix  up  as  much  patience  and  foresight  as  will  last  out 
the  day,  and  begin  by  untying  the  whole  of  the  plant, 
and  bring  it  down  to  the  patli,  if  there  is  room,  spread 
it  out  the  whole  length,  and  begin  to  cut  the  lowest 
young  wood  lirst,  cutting  below  the  last  eye  of  each 
slioot;  wlieu  you  eome  to  wliere  the  plant  can  be  taken 
out  of  the  house,  leave  as  many  of  the  main,  or  longest, 
shoots  uncut  as  you  think  you  can  find  room  to  ti'ain 
on  the  outside  front  of  the  conservatory ;  two  slioots  to 
train  right  and  left,  at  tlio  top  of  tho  front  glass,  and 
three  more  to  train  down  between  the  sashes,  would  be 
a  good  beginning;  these  principals  leave  their  full 
length,  and  every  shoot  which  grows  from  them  cut  in 
quite  close ;  there  is  an  eye  where  every  such  shoot 
grows  from  that  will  make  a  fresh  shoot  ue.\t  summer, 
and  these  fresh  shoots  are  those  that  will  tlower.  When 
all  is  done,  your  ])lant  from  tho  roots  to  the  extremities 
of  the  main  leaders  ought  to  be  as  bare  as  a  fishing- 
rod.  You  need  not  sjiaro  tlie  old  leaves  on  the  parts 
yon  cut  shoots  from,  but  all  the  leaves  beyond  that 
may  be  left  on  all  the  winter,  unless  they  turn  yellow, 
then  fasten  up  the  ]ilant  again,  and  so  leave  it  to  tlie 
middle  of  next  Hay,  by  that  time  every  eye  on  the 
(ilant  ouglit  to  start,  but  if  the  place  is  too  warm,  after 
the  end  of  March  the  eyes  along  the  highest  parts  only 
will  push;  keeping  the  plant  rather  dry  at  the  roots, 
through  the  spring,  however,  will  elieek  tlieni,  and 
allow  more  time  for  the  lower  eyes  to  push  also  ;  if  they 
do  not  ])U8h,  and  you  see  those  at  the  top  growing 
freely — say,  duiing  April,   up  with  tlie  ladder  and  stop 


every  one  of  these  fresh  starts  back  to  the  last  eye  next 
to  the  main  leaders,  and  also  nip  ofT  the  extreme  points 
of  the  leaders  themselves,  still  keeping  the  plants  on 
short  commons  at  the  roots.  What  for  want  of  stimulus 
at  the  roots,  and  this  universal  stop  to  the  young 
branch,  the  rest  of  tlie  eyes  all  over  the  plant  must 
surely  eome  forth  ;  still,  if  the  top  parts  appear  to  rob 
the  lower  parts,  stop  the  robbers  a  second  lime,  before 
the  first  of  May;  and  then  by  the  middle  of  May,  as  I 
have  just  said,  every  bud  all  over  the  bare  shoots,  or,  at 
any  rate,  as  many  of  them  as  you  can  find  room  for, 
by-and-by  will  be  in  motion  ;  then,  and  not  till  then, 
you  may  water  at  the  roots  to  your  heart's  content. 

Now  we  come  to  the  grand  secret,  and  your  success 
will  depend  on  your  own  courage,  and  on  your  laitli 
in  my  tale ;  if  you  do  as  I  say,  you  will  succeed  as  sure 
as  fate — if  not,  some  oue  else  will,  and  win  the  prize 
after  all.  You  see  we  have  now  a  great  length  of  soft 
wood  charged  to  the  full  with  your  hearty  watering, 
and  every  eye  on  it  is  in  full  leaf,  or  shoot ;  and  sure 
enough,  if  all  this  is  to  go  on  and  prosper  for  the  next 
two  or  three  months,  you  will  be  in  greater  "  difficulty" 
than  you  were  last  year — a  regular  fix,  in  I'aet ;  so  1 
must  out  with  the  grand  secret,  and  say,  that  all  the 
roots  of  this  miinlcata  must  be  represented  by  the  figures 
1,  2,  and  ;! ;  now  uncover  them,  and  with  what  remains 
of  the  mixture  of  patience  and  forethought  divide  their 
hulk — not  their  number — into  three  equal  portions,  and 
cut  oir  No.  ;i  portion  very  close  to  where  they  first  grew 
from  the  collar.  The  leaves  and  young  growth  will  now 
be  so  much  cheeked,  tliat  in  a  mouth  or  five  weeks 
flower-buds  will  ajipear ;  but,  of  course,  that  depends 
on  circumstances,  such  as  a  wet  or  a  dry  time,  a  cold  or 
a  hot  period,  from  the  middle  of  May  to  ilidsummer, 
for  I  left  it  to  be  supposed  that  the  top  of  the  plant  is 
outside  the  bouse  before  the  roots  are  cut.  The  check 
by  turning  out  the  jilant,  and  the  training  differently, 
coming  at  the  same  time,  with  a  sudden  check  at  the 
roots,  will  only  be  one  powerful  oue,  and  the  next  free 
growth  brings  ou  blossoms.  If  the  plant  cannot  be  let 
out,  two-thirds  of  the  roots  ought  to  go  at  this  stage  ;  in 
either  case,  an  annual  pruning  like  this  must  be  made 
to  keep  these  plants  in  balance.  If  the  roots  were  cut 
now,  or  any  time  between  this  and  next  May.  that 
would  defeat  the  plan  entirely  ;  it  is  founded  ou  a  prin- 
ciple that  will  never  alter.  The  enormous  ijuautity 
that  is — or  rather  tliat  must  be — pruned  oil'  these  |ilanls 
every  year  of  their  life,  renders  it  necessary  that  every 
eye  should  start  next  season,  lioots  increase  like  the 
branches,  and  they,  too,  must  be  kept  back,  so  as  to 
balance  with  the  heads ;  but  if  they  are  cut  before  all 
the  eyes  for  that  season  are  in  growth,  the  one-half  of 
such  eyes  will  not  start  at  all,  and  naked  blanks,  robbers, 
and  weak  shoots,  alternately,  will  soon  tell  the  tale.  If 
ever  you  see  an  old  jilant  of  oue  of  these  Tacsouias  out 
of  bloom  in  August  or  September,  depend  upon  it  that 
is  not  their  fault,  for  of  all  plants  they  tlower  most 
freely  under  right  managomeuL  D.  BiiAXON. 


GREY  SHANGIIAES. 

W.  0.  (f.  cannot  bo  in  eiiriiest  with  the  piece  of  kiiighl 
ciT:iiitiy  he  has  iiulul^jcd  in,  as  the  )iioposilliiiis  are  Ino 
unl'iiir  to  allow  of  any  conclusion.  I  may  as  well  pick  out 
two  turnips  and  send  you  as  a  sample  of  a  whole  held  of 
them,  as  for  W.  C.  G.  to  send  you  as  many  chickens  to  prove 
the  (pialitics  of  the  whole  Grey  variety.  The  nthcr  propo- 
siliitii  is  infinitely  worse;  for,  as  1  never  kept  tluise  Greys, 
and  as  i\Ir.  Stainlon  scallcrcd  his  to  (he  four  winds  loii^ 
ago,  if  1  had  no  other  oi'cup.itiuu  for  my  liine  tliiin  In  j^o 
on  a  pilyiiuKi^'c  in  ipicst  of  liic  best  specinicn.i,  lo  seulc  u 
ipiestion  in  which  I  am  not  interested  to  tlio  vidue  of  their 
cari'iago  lo  and  from  you,  yet,  it  is  ao  iiiiprohahic  that  Iheir 
owners  would  len,d  lue  the  birds  for  such  a  mission,  wIumi  I 


NnVEMBET?   10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


107 


I'oniul  tliem,  tliat  I  ponki  not  aocept  this  cliallonge,  pnr- 
lioulavly  as  tlie  difficulty  yot  reiiiaiuetl  in  reserve,  to  prove 
the  negative,  that  tlie  original  stock  did  iin/  emanate  i'rora 
America,  which  would  he  a  heavy  responsibility ;  no  doulit, 
all  these  circumstances  were  very  judiciously  weighed  hy 
W.  C.  G.  before  he  displayed  his  valiancy,  but  it  does  not 
assist  his  cause  by  ]iroposing  anything  so  unreasonable. 

But  all  jesting  aside;  as  W.  C.  ii.  has  so  many  of  these 
Greys  (lil;e  each  correspondent,  indeed,  ivho  has  put  on 
armour  in  their  cause)  and  feels  such  an  interest  in  estali- 
lishing  their  reputation  as  to  induce  him  to  throw  down  the 
glove  as  their  champion,  I  am  disposed  to  break  a  lance  with 
lii]n  in  favour  of  the  Buffs.  AVill  W.  C,  (j.,  therefore,  kindly 
state  on  what  terms  he  will  undertake  to  show  the  best  Grey 
pullet  he  can  produce,  for  all  projierties,  except  colour,  against 
the  best  one  I  can  produce  of  some  other  shade.  This  will 
be  meeting  the  question  more  fairly  ;  and,  as  the  tendrils  of 
W.  C.  G.'s  atlections  appear  to  entwine  round  his  calum- 
niated, but  cherished  Greys,  with  a  grasp  rendered  the  firmer 
by  tlie  aspersions  ttn-own  on  them,  he,  of  course,  will  rush 
to  tlie  rescue  with  an  enthusiasm  equal  to  the  cause. 

But  I  am  not  intending  to  enter  the  lists  to  tilt  for  a  gift 
to  a  charitable  institution  ;  though,  I  trust,  this  will  not  be 
deemed  an  obstacle.  My  heart,  I  fear,  does  not  swell  with 
the  same  amount  of  benevolence  as  W.  C.  G.'s,  and  if  it  did, 
circumstances  dictate  my  charity  should  begin  at  home  ;  hut 
I  can  assure  him,  in  case  he  loses,  the  money  shall  be 
devoted  to  no  other  than  a  good  purpose. 

I  wish  to  remind  you,  that  when  I  first  entered  on  this 
disputed  matter,  1  stated  these  Brahma  Poutras  were  Grey 
Shangbaes,  and  not  of  American  origin  ;  and, instead  of  being 
just  imported,  had  been  long  known  here ;  and  that  the 
Grey  colour  was  produced  as  true  from  one  Buff,  or  other 
coloured  p.arent,  as  from  two  Greys  ;  all  of  wliich  remaining 
disproved,  swept  away  the  strongest  claims  urged  for  imposing 
a  fictitious  value  upon  them.  I  have  since  said,  they  were 
not  larger,  nor  better — in  fact,  not  so  good,  as  our  Buffs ; 
therefore,  will  W.  C.  G.  now,  or  will  any  one  else,  say 
explicitly,  in  what  their  unperiorili/  consists.  I  long  to  be 
informed  of  this,  so  that  I  might  admit  I  am  in  error,  if  I 
am  really  so  ;  and  many  of  your  readers  will  be  equally  glad 
to  know  irlit/  they  are  more  desirable.  I  remember,  some- 
one bewailed  my  depraved  taste  in  not  allowing  the  Grey's 
phnnage  to  be  the  most  beautiful ;  and,  I  contess,  while  a 
choice  remains  to  me,  T  shall  prefer  the  pure  white ;  but  what 
are  their  otlier  good  qualities  ? 

I  never  had  any  of  these  fowls  myself,  though  I  might 
have  had,  had  I  so  wished ;  and,  therefore,  I  was  not  in  the 
least  interested  about  them,  until  I  noticed  an  attempt  to 
hoodwink  your  readers  hy  erroneous  statements  of  their 
merits,  when  I  thought  it  time  to  send  you  the  result  of  my 
experience,  which  is  not  of  th.at  infantine  date  suggested  by 
W.  C.  G.,  whose  fowls,  hy  the  way,  I  have  seen,  and,  con- 
sequently, did  include  theni  in  my  criticism.  It  was  I  who 
first  directed  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams's  attention  to  Dr. 
Bennett's  work  on  American  Poultry,  the  perusal  of  which 
led  to  the  importation  of  the  first  pair  of  Greys  into  this 
country  hy  that  lady.  Before  ordering  these  birds,  she  sent 
me  the  book  for  my  opinion  on  it,  and  naming  several 
varieties  which  she  proposed  to  send  for  ;  hut,  as  the  engrav- 
ings would  have  disgraced  a  child'.s  penny  primer,  and  the 
matter  was  exceedingly  vague,  I  did  not  like  to  offer  one ; 
but  these  Greys  were  selected,  as  the  lady  felt  anxious  to 
introduce  what  she  supposed  would  be  new  to  this  country. 
They  came,  and  the  result  your  readers  have  been  made 
acquainted  mth,  and  speaks  volumes  on  tho  merits  of  the 
new  and  much-vaunted  breed.  They  were  exhibited  at 
Birmingham — escaped  notice — and  were  afterwards  bought 
in  at  an  auction  at  a  nominal  price,  while  Turner's  half-bred 
10s.  Greys  received  the  prize,  and  afterwards  were  sold  to 
that  eminent  judge  of  poultry,  Mr.  Bond,  of  Leeds.  It  is 
not  often  such  results  ooze  out  from  those  who  write  to 
defend  these  Americans ;  but  since  it  has,  how  little  has 
W.  G.  G.  to  say  upon  it. 

Your  readers  are  aware  that  many  breeds  of  fowls  have 
very  distinctive  characteristics.  The  Malay,  White-faced 
Spanish,  Polish.  Sebright  Bantam,  &e.,  are  all  well-known 
by  some  distinguisliing  feature  readily  apparent  to  the  eye 
of  any  breeder  of  ordinary  sagacity  and  experience  in  such 
matters,  even  when  these  breeds  are  blended  together.     I 


mention  this,  by  way  of  preface  to  stating,  that  those  Grey 
Shangbaes  which  have  long  unfeathered  legs,  long  tails, 
hawk  heads,  anil  knobbed  combs,  are  only  half-bred  Malays, 
and  many  of  sucli  are  called  Brahma  Poutras.  Now,  as  the 
Grey  is  only  a  variety  of  the  true  Shanghae,  any  departure, 
in  this  variety,  from  the  adopted  well-known  type  of  the 
pure  Shangliae,  should  bear  the  b.ar  sinister  in  their  escut- 
cheon as  so  many  bastards,  and  judges  of  the  Malay  breed 
will  say  as  much.  I  could  mention  one  of  the  best  autho- 
rities on  Shangbaes,  who  told  me  he  had  bred  birds  identical 
witli  many  of  tliese  so-called  Brabmas  from  a  Shanghae 
and  a  splashed  jMalay  hen  ;  and  others  have  bred  very 
similar  ones  from  a  Shanghae  cock  and  a  speckled  Dorking. 

If  your  correspondents  will  wrestle  with  actual  facts,  and 
state  in  what  the  superior  merit  of  this  breed  consists,  so 
that  your  readers  may  be  made  acquainted  with  it,  they  will 
be  serving  their  own  cause  much  more  effectually  than 
hitherto. 

If  agreeable  to  you,  you  will  please  publish  my  name,  so 
that  at  least  some  of  your  readers  may  know  whether  I  am 
capable  of  forming  an  opinion  on  the  subject,  particularly 
as  matters  have  assumed  the  iiosition  they  have  at  present. — 
C.  H.  BuoWN,  Kiiip's  CnllcKju. 


COTTAGE   BREWING. 

[Ooulhiiicd  from  page  88.) 

Proceed  to  fill  the  copper.  Some  prefer  a  hard,  others 
a  soft  water  for  brewing  with;  I  never  could  perceive  any 
difference,  although  a  preference  in  favour  of  soft  water 
appears  reasonable.  '  Allow  plenty  of  moistened  small  coal 
(slack)  to  be  near  at  hand,  use  as  much  of  this  as  possible 
for  economy's  sake ;  some  stout,  dry  wood  would  also  be 
found  convenient  to  arouse  the  fire  into  extra  activity,  as 
occasion  may  require. 

Next  in  order,  and  during  the  time  tlie  water  takes  to 
boil,  we  will  consider  about  the  mash-tub:  It  should  be 
adjusted,  raised  on  a  tr.am  about  fourteen  inches  from  the 
iloor,  and  near  to  the  copper  as  may  be,  for  the  pui-pose  of 
allowing  the  hot  water  to  be  laded  conveniently  into  it  during 
the  process  of  mashing;  arrange  tlie  I'auset  and  strainer, 
these  require  great  nicety  in  jdacing.  The  latter,  in  our 
case,  we  will  suppose  made  with  wicker  work ;  envelope  a 
thin  cloth  around  it,  and  tliis  will  ensure  a  double  certainty 
for  the  wort  running  off' fine.  It  must  be  made  to  lie  hori- 
zontally even  for  the  end  of  tho  fauset,  with  its  mouth 
pressing  close  against  tho  inside  of  the  tub,  and  retained  in 
this  position  when  in  the  act  of  driving  the  fauset  from  the 
outside,  through  the  aid  of  a  piece  of  cord,  permanently 
attached,  by  both  ends  being  entered  through  the  bottom, 
conveyed  from  thence  through  its  mouth,  and  then  united 
by  a  knot;  this  will  allow  a  stout  stick  to  pass  between,  as  a 
medium  of  pressure  outw.ards  for  tho  left  hand,  the  lower 
end  of  the  stick  meeting  with  a  resisting  force  from  the  left 
foot,  while  the  fauset  is  driven  with  a  mallet,  by  the  right 
hand,  firmly  into  the  tub.  Tho  strainer  is  thus  kept 
immoveable  by  the  fauset  pressing  the  strings  against  the 
parallel  sides  of  the  hole  ;  screw  the  spigot  in  the  fausot,  and 
place  the  malt,  and  the  mash  stick,  or  stirrer,  convenient  for 
the  mash-tub.  Thus  far  prepared,  and  the  water  boiling — 
be  quite  sure  that  the  water  does  boil  before  you  begin  to 
mash,  in  sliort,  it  must  before  you  do  so.  The  old  fashioned 
way  of  proving  the  water  for  the  mash,  is  to  cool  it  down 
till  its  surface,  unobstructed  by  steam,  resembles  a  mirror, 
wherein  another  resemblance  to  one's  own  physiognomy  can 
be  distinctively  beheld ;  or  when,  by  dashing  through  it 
one's  finger,  the  water  feels  intensely  hot  without  scalding. 
I  have  long  since  placed  these  rules  upon  the  shelf,  as  I 
never  could  bring  myself  with  confidence  to  trust  them. 
When,  hy  a  themiometer,  the  proper  heat  the  water  should 
he  turned  on  to  the  malt  can  be  proved,  to  a  degree,  for 
certainty,  do  not  jeopardise  the  brewing  by  trusting  to 
those  expedients  of  our  great  grandfathers,  whei-ein 
difl'erences  according  to  the  state  of  tho  weather  of  20°  or 
;W,  cannot  be  depended  upon.  A  thermometer  will  cost, 
say  3s.  Cd.  as  a  happy  medium ;  they  can  be  purchased  at 
any  ironmongers ;  inquire  for  a  bnwiinj  thermometer ;  drive 
a  nail  to  suspend  it  by  neai'  the  copper,  witliin  arm's  reach, 


108 


THE  COTTAaE  GARDENEll. 


November  10.  ! 


and  out  of  barm's  ^vay ;  do  not  reverse  or  jar  it  violently,  as 
iu  these  cases  the  mercury  is  liahle  to  hecome  separated. 

Tlie  hole  to  admit  tlie  fuuset  iu  tlie  mashtuh  will  prohahly 
he  hored  an  inch  or  two  from  its  hottom,  pour  so]iie  water 
from  tlie  copper  till  level  witli  it,  and  allow  tliis  to  ha 
reckoned  as  waste,  for  it  cannot  very  readily  ho  run  i'roiu 
the  tub  in  the  shape  of  ivort,  unless  a  means  of  tilting;  is 
adopted  ;  very  large  juash-tuhs  liave  their  strainers  situated 
at  the  bottom.  Agreeable  to  the  iirst  supposition,  you  are 
about  to  breu'  50  gals,  of  beer,  aud  intend  to  allow  i  bushels 
of  malt  for  the  quautity  ;  ll-i  gals,  of  water  will  be  required, 
thus:  I  consider  -X  gals,  to  ictt  each  bushel  of  inalt,  and  '21 
gals,  for  evaporation  in  boiling  as  waste ;  1)4,  less  1  ('■,  less  :^1, 
lea^'es  T  gals,  over  ;')(),  which  will  be  reqnued  to  1111  up  the 
cask  in  its  working  process.  Pour  IU  gals,  more  water  from 
the  copper  into  the  mash  tub,  on  account  of  the  malt  (ea.sily 
accomplished  and  measm'ed  by  one  of  the  pails  wiiich  hold 
■14  gals.) ;  and  quickly  damp  tlie  lire  by  shovelling  in  at  the 
furuace  door  some  moistened  slack;  then  add  a  few  gallons 
of  culd  to  the  hot  water  iu  the  copper,  plunge  the  thernio  ' 
meter  into  it  for  a  few  seconds,  talie  it  out  and  observe  the  I 
mercury,  if  this  indicates  more  than  170',  it  is  too  hot ;  add  ' 
more  cold  water,  until  lowered  to  the  desired  heat.  If  you 
are  not  particular  in  this  you  A\ill  probably  scald  the  malt, 
and  spoil  the  brewing;  though,  should  the  weather  be  very  i 
cold,  -t  to  ti  degrees  more  heat  will  not  signify.  | 

Water,  U-l  gals.;  10  gals,  are  already  in  the  tub,  the 
reniahiing  78,  divided  by  d,  gives  :i!)  gals,  for  each  mash  ; 
ascertain  the  temperature  of  the  water  in  the  mash-tub, 
wdiich  will  by  this  thue  be  about  right,  and  shoot  one-third 
of  the  malt  into  it;  measure  20  gals,  more  water  from  the 
copper,  stir  it  thoroughly  with  the  mash  stick,  and  be  care- 
ful not  to  disturb  the  strainer,  then  add  the  remaining  malt, 
with  the  exception  of  about  half  a  bucket,  measiu-e  the  other 
10  gals,  of  water  to  the  tub,  stir  as  at  first,  aud  spread 
evenly  over  its  surface  the  malt  reserved.  Our  forefathers 
■were  wont  to  fornr  two  marks  diagonally  across  with  tlieir 
foreliuger,  and  to  form  the  impress  of  a  figure  of  six  in  each 
angle,  allowing,  for  .a  pretext,  that  no  witch  could  ever  leap 
over  the  aggregate  No.  2i  aud  the  ci'oss !  But  the  days  of 
leaping  witches  being  over,  this  last  operation  may  be  dis- 
pensed with.  Place  a  broomstick  astride  tlie  top  of  the  tub, 
and  cover  it  over  with  the  malt  sacks;  thus  suspended,  they 
do  not  fall  into  the  mash  and  get  wetted,  if  they  do,  the 
maltster  will  tell  you  of  it ;  place  the  large  cooler  under  the 
fauset,  look  at  the  clock,  and  the  first  mash  is  completed. 

Again  fill  the  copper  with  water,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
three  liours  pilace  the  lading  bucket  inider  the  fauset, 
unscrew  the  spigot  to  about  one-third  of  its  bore,  and  allow 
the  wort  to  escape  gently;  return  it  into  the  mash-tub  till 
you  perceive  it  run  off  clear,  which  it  should  do  alter  emit- 
iug  two  or  three  gallons  ;  then  let  it  escape  into  the  cooler,  1 
and  secure  the  spigot  from  becoming  forced  out  of  its  place  I 
by  means  of  a  little  wooden  wedge.  The  time  occupied  for 
running  off  the  wort  should  be  about  an  hour,  after  which 
screw  home  the  spigot  again. 

The  water  boiling,  damp  the  fire,  ascertain  the  tempera- 
ture, which,  for  the  si-coin/  mash,  sliould  be  ISO";  measure  i 
ao  gals.,  then  li)  gals,  of  water  into  the  masli-tub,  stir  well, 
lay  over  t!ie  sacks,  look  at  the  clock,  and  allow  the  mash  to  ] 
remain  three  hours  as  before.  I 

Now  immediately  shift  the  wort  from  the  cooler  to  the  j 
copper,  aud  add  the  hops,  separating  them  between  your 
baud  as  you  do  so,  incorporate  them   well  with  the  wort  liy  ' 
stirring  and  sifting  with  the  mash  sticl;,  and  do  not  interfere  , 
again  till  the  beer  begins  to  boil,  which,  if  you  keep  a  good 
fire,  it  may  possibly  do  in  three-quarters  of  an  liour.  ^\'atcll  I 
it  naiTOwly,  for  if,  through  negligence,  it   should  boil  over 
at  this  stage,  ere  you  are  aware  of  it,  it  will  be  all  out  of  the 
copper  in  no  time  before  you  can  possibly  stop  it ;  so  soon 
as  the  hops  heave  and  break,  and  foam  appears  through  the 
fissures,  look  ul  the  dock.   It  nuist  now  claim  your  undivided 
atteution  about  an  hour;  allow  it  to  boil  freely  for  that  time, 
coaxing  it  within  hounds  with  the  mash  slick,  though  if  it 
persist  in  boiling  too  violently,  sol  the  liniioce  ihwir  ajar  for 
a  few  miuutes  ;  after  the  Iirst  hour  it  will  iialiiriilly  of  itself 
boil  more  gditly,  and  then  cast  into  it  a  liandful  of  salt. 

P>egin  to  run  off  the  wort  at  its  proper  time  as  before. 
Keep  the  beer  gently  simmering,  and  occasionally  slir  it 
with  the  mash  stick  till  its  expiration  of  two-aiid-a-half- 


hours  is  fulfilled;  then  make  up  a  foundation  for  the  fire 
by  introducing  some  of  the  stout  wood  with  a  portion  of 
nobbly  coal,  and  over  all  some  moistened  slack ;  place  the 
large  brewing  tub  near  the  copper,  suspend  tlie  brewing 
ladder  upon  it,  and  on  that  the  sieve;  lade  the  beer  from 
tlie  copper  into  the  latter,  where  the  hops  will  be  retained; 
this  done,  immediately  put  some  wort  from  the  cooler  into 
the  copper  to  prevent  its  burning.  Move  off  the  strained 
beer  to  a  cool  place  (my  plan  is  to  carry  it  to  the  cellar  aud 
empty  it  into  a  cooler),  in  so  doing  be  careful;  bear  in  mind 
»e  are  brewing,  after  a  manner,  by  measure ;  and  as  a  further 
caution,  1  mention  the  results  of  my  two  last  brewings,  the 
(luantity  eacli  time  loO  gals.  In  the  first,  I  had  (i  gals,  of 
beer  over  and  to  spare ;  for  the  next,  one  quart ;  therefore,  if 
I  had  negligently  upset  any  in  the  last  brewing,  I  should 
have  been  at  a  nonplus.  Separate  live  to  six  gallons  of  the 
hot  beer  into  a  small  tub  to  cool  ready  for  fermentation, 
and  by  this  time  the  wort  will  again  have  all  run  ofi',  put  it 
into  tlie  copper,  and  return  the  hops  there  also  from  the 
sieve. 

During  the  time  it  takes  to  boil,  we  will,  with  one  eye  of 
our  mind  resting  upon  it,  soliloquise  with  the  other  about 
small  beer,  and  come  to  an  understanding  for  the  grains. 
Between  seven  and  eight  hours'  immersion  in  hot  water 
have  vcrij  nearly,  if  not  quite,  extracted  the  saccharine 
qualities  from  the  malt ;  another  mash  would  turn  the  now 
grains  sour,  consequently,  the  liquid  that  would  run  from 
them  might  be  termed  anything  but  sweet-wort;  and  in  lieu 
of  its  ever  becoming  a  palateable  beverage,  would,  after  all 
the  time  and  labour  bestowed  upon  it,  I'eniain  tuiwholesome ; 
a  c.ajiital  sthnulaut  for  bowel  complaints,  or  cholera,  more 
especially  for  a  small  family.  In  large  establishments, 
wheie  they  brew  very  strong  ale,  and  lia-\e  a  great  call  for 
quick  consumption,  the  case  may  he  different.  I  have 
several  times  tried  tliis  third  mash  system  in  a  smirll  way, 
and  invariably  found  it  bad  eccmoniy  ;  tlierefore,  instead  of 
usuig  five  bushels  of  malt  to  the  00  gals,  (unless  for  a  cask 
reserved  for  grand  occasions),  I  substitute  foiu' bushels,  and 
make  pm'posed  brewings  for  table  beer,  allowing  at  tliose 
times  the  reserved  bushel  of  malt  to  cliime  ni  extra  as  a 
condolence.  Having  thus  unburtheued  my  mind,  I  will 
bring  this  small  subject  to  a  close  by  stating  wliat  difference 
I  allow  for  its  process  in  contradistinction  to  ale.  Table 
beer  (00  gals.),  three  bushels  of  malt  and  two  pounds  of 
hops;  first  masli,  three ;  second  mash,  two  hours;  boilings, 
two  hours  each  ;  and  here  let  it  be  observed,  Vi  gals,  of 
water  will  be  the  waste  for  the  malt,  luid  tlie  e\aporalion 
for  four  hours  boiling,  in  lieu  of  five,  will  practically,  and  by 
a  rule  of  three  sum,  be  as  2]  to  l(i  nearly;  tlierefore,  instead 
of  01  gals,  of  water  required  for  the  ale  brewing,  use  8.') 
only;  give  the  same  quantity  of  biu'm,  and  allow  eight  to 
ten  degrees  excess  of  heat  for  working ;  small  beer  requires 
more  stimulating  to  bring  on  and  keep  up  the  fermentation. 

Groins;  these  slionid  be  conveyed  to  the  hog  cistern,  or 
become  otherwise  disposed  of.  Perhaps  the  "  pony  "  and  the 
cow  might  relisli  a  feed.  At  any  rate,  the  mash-tub  is  to 
become  the  working  tub,  and  if  the  grains  are  allowed  to 
remain  there  longer  tlian  necessary,  they  will  turn  it  sour, 
which  must  be  guarded  against;  away  with  them.  Take  out 
the  fauset,  &c.,  close  the  hole  with  a  large  cork,  scrub  and 
scald  the  tub,  and  roll  it  into  the  cellar  to  cool ;  let  the 
fauset  aud  strainer  luidergo  the  sanui  course,  aud  when 
they  are  dry,  place  them  orderly  away  for  the  next  brewing. 
Well,  another  hour,  aud  the  boiling  beer  may  again  partly 
be  suppnsed  to  tiilvO  Care  of  ilself.  it  is  now  early  morning, 
when  the  discuSMion  of  a  raslier  of  bacon  and  a  mug  of  hot 
tea,  let  me  hint,  would  be  found  a  capital  invention,  highly 
invigorating,  and  founding  for  the  inner  man  fresh  spirit 
to  carry  out  his  operations  manfully  aud  clieerluUy.  — 
Urw.uins  akd  Onw.uujs. 

{To  be  cnHliiiiicJ.) 


AIR   AS   A   NON-CONDCCTOn   OK   HEAT. 

Mil.  I'isii,  in  his  article,  ]n-iiited  at  p.  i'i,  states  correctly, 
that  conlined  air  is  one  of  tlie  best  non-conductors  of  heat; 
in  some  circumstances,  a  still  better  mui-conductor  will  bo 
found  in  air  allowed  to  ciniihite  freely  between  two  objects. 
Thus,  in  the  case  of  the  evaporating  pan  jdaced  on  the  hot 


November  10, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


100 


pipe,  had  there  heen  no  red  lead  used  to  confine  the  thin 
stratum  of  air,  there  would  have  lieen  still  less  heat  conducted, 
and,  conso(|uently,  less  evaporation,  because  the  confined  air 
gi'adually  became  heated,  while,  if  it  had  been  free  to  circu- 
late, it  would  liave  been  continually  changing,  the  warm  air 
ascending,  and  being  replaced  by  colder.  It  is  rjuite  possi- 
ble to  make  both  air  and  water,  so  to  speal;,  red  hot.  1 
have  seen  a  hot-water  two-inch  pipe,  hundreds  of  feet  dis- 
tant i'roni  the  furnace,  burn  a  hole  in  a  bale  of  goods 
allowed  to  rest  on  it  for  a  minute  or  two  ;  and  some  of  your 
readers  may  have  witnessed  a  piece  of  lead  melted,  or  wood 
charred,  by  a  jet  of  air  from  the  hot  blast-pipe  in  an  iron- 
foundry,  one  of  the  most  usei'ul  discoveries  of  late  yeais. 
On  the  other  hand,  in  the  case  of  a  double-glazed  frame, 
unless  the  interstraLum  of  air  is  confined,  the  double 
glazing  will  answer  no  purpose,  because  the  air,  by  con- 
tinually changing,  would  carry  offbeat  along  with  it,  much 
the  Same  as  if  there  were  only  one  glazing,  and  this  would 
be  the  case  whether  it  communicated  willi  the  outside  or 
inside  of  tlie  frame.  In  cases,  therefore,  where  it  is  wished 
to  prevent  the  commnnicatiou  of  heat  from  one  object,  to 
another,  as  when  a  pot  or  tub  stands  on  a  Hue  in  the  floor 
of  a  greenhouse,  let  it  be  raised  on  supports  an  inch  or  two, 
but  do  not  confine  the  air  between  the  bottom  of  the  pot 
and  the  flue;  but  in  cases  where  the  radiation  of  iieat  is  to 
be  avoided,  by  uU  means  let  tlie  interstratum  of  air  be  con- 
fined. Again,  in  ventilating  a  greenhouse  by  one  chijnney 
in  the  roof,  without  admitting  air  below,  tliere  will  be  com- 
paratively little  clmuge  of  atmosphere  in  the  house ;  but  let 
a  vertical  diaphragm  be  introduced  into  the  chimney, 
dividing  it  into  two  semicircular  tubes,  instantaneously  a 
column  of  heated  air  will  rush  up  one  side,  and  of  cold 
down  tlie  other,  so  that  a  thermometer  placed  on  each  side 
of  the  division,  on  a  frosty  night,  will  show  a  ditfereuce  of 
perhaps  oO°  of  temperature.  Kow  it  ought  to  be  remem- 
bered, that  the  cold  air  will  fall  to  the  floor  of  the  house 
in  a  stream,  almost  like  so  much  water,  the  colder  it  is  the 
more  directly  and  compactly  it  will  descend,  and  then  woe 
to  the  unfortunate  exotic  standing  below.  The  .above 
explains  the  frequent  drafts  of  cold  air  in  a  heated  hall, 
even  where  all  admission  to  air  frinu  the  outside  is  carefully 
prevented,  some  unfortunate  olil  gentleman's  bald  pate 
meets  with  the  same  fate  as  the  greenhouse  exotic. — 'W-D.-'V. 


WATSONIAS. 

Being  desirous  of  distributing  to  my  pairoiis  and  friends 
bulbous    roots   correctly   named,    and   answering   to   some 
arranged  and  definite  description,  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  am 
at  a  loss  to  Icnow  how  to  do  so,  for,  to  my  great  annoyance,  ' 
I  do  not  find  two  writers  on  the  subject  to  agree  in  describ- 
ing them.     You  very  generously  jjut  forward,  in  your  con-  i 
tinuation  of  the  list  of  bulbs  publislied  in  the  September  | 
number,  a  description  of  the  varieties  of  IVatsunhi,  which  I 
does  not  in  any  way  tally  with  the  varieties  cultivated  under 
the   same   names   by  me.     I,  therefore,   forward  you   the  ! 
enclosed  list  of  them,  which,  after  careful  examination  of  j 
the  flowers,  and  comparison  with  the  drawings  and  descrip- 
tions published,  I  have  adopted,  under  the  impression  it  is 
correct,  but  should  be  most  happy  to  be  corrected  in  any 
errors  I  may  ha^■e  made. 

Wiilsniiiii  hnrifolUi. — So  named  from  the  short,  stiff  habit 
of  the  foUage,  the  leaves  being  seldom  more  than  a  foot 
long.  The  tlower-spikes  are  two  feet  and  over,  and  the 
colour  of  the  flowers  of  a  dun-red. 

Wntsonin  Jiilij'iila  or  aplcndcns  {Aiilholha  fuhjhla  of  some). 
— Tills  is  a  really  beautiful  jilant,  the  flower-spikes  averag- 
mg  from  3  ft.  to  -ift.  inheight.aiid  branching;  Iheflowers  of 
a  bright  orange-scarlet.  I  find  it  thrives  all  tlie  better  for 
not  being  transplanted  too  often,  the  newly  transplanted 
roots  seldom  acijuiring  sufticient  strengtii  to  tlirow  up  good 
flower-spikes  the  first  season.  It  is  an  ever-growing  plant, 
forming  young  shoots  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

Wulsunia  hiimilh. — The  variety  I  have  cultivated  luider 
this  name  was  very  similar  to  birvifolid,  as  was  also  a 
variety  named  Jlclroidur,,  neither  of  which  do  I  consider 
worthy  of  cultivation,  but  for  variety's  sake. 

Watsonin  murijlnata. — I   cannot   discover   any   difference 


between  this  and  .Merlmia,  excepting  the  strength  of  the 
foliage,  which  is  sometimes  margined  with  brown. 

ll'ntsiiiiia  MtrUina  is  of  a  very  strong  habit,  and  seems 
to  care  but  little  for  ill  usage ;  flowering  under  most  dis- 
advantageou-s  circumstances;  the  colour  of  the  bloom  is  a 
dull  brick-red-  It  is  the  commonest  of  all  the  varieties,  and 
increases  very  freely. 

IJ'iilsoiiia  p!/ruiiu(lalls,  or  xpica/n. — Tliis  is  a  very  pretty 
variciy;  the  flower-spikes  from  .'ift.  to  ift.  high,  perfectly 
erect,  with  the  lateral  branches  adlieihig  closely  to  the 
main  spilic ;  the  flowers  are  smaller  than  those  of  other 
varieties,  but  the  deficiency  in  size  is  made  up  by  their 
numbers,  the  length  of  bloom  often  exceeding  two  feet;  the 
flowers  are  of  a  pale  rosy-lilac. 

ll'iilsoiiia  rosea,  or  rusea  iilha. — The  flowers  of  this 
variety  are  larger  in  size  and  more  beautiful  in  colour  than 
those  of  any  of  the  other  varieties  ;  the  spikes  of  bloom  are 
not  quite  so  strong  as  those  ol  J'lili/idn,  but  the  flowers  are 
more  expanded,  and  of  a  most  beautiful  pale  rosy-purple 
colour.  I  have  sometimes  seen  the  three  under  petals 
marked  with  white ;  but  it  seems  to  jue  to  be  a  sport,  as  it 
is  not  general. 

I  have  also  obtained  varieties  under  the  names  ol  coccinea 
and  piirptircn,  but  have  not  yet  bloomed  them.  I  fear,  how- 
ever, I  shall  find,  from  what  I  have  seen  of  the  roots  and 
tlie  growth  of  them,  that  their  plausible  names  have  been 
too  great  a  recommendation  for  them  to  me. 

I  find  all  the  varieties  to  thrive  'well  in  an  open,  rich, 
sandy  loam,  and  the  beds  cannot  be  better  prepared  than 
according  to  your  directions  given  in  a  late  number  of 
this  pubUcatiou— that  is,  by  digging  the  rotted  manure  used 
ten  or  twelve  inches  under  the  surface,  \vhicli  I  find  to  be  a 
good  standing  rule  in  the  cultivation  of  Cape  bulbs  gene- 
rally, and  ff.r  the  same  reason  as  you  so  generously  inform 
your  readers — that  is,  tlnit  they  do  not  require  the  nourish- 
ment the  manure  attbrds  them  until  the  swelling  of  the 
bullis  takes  place  in  the  latter  stages  of  their  growtli.  They 
require  to  be  planted  three  or  four  inches  deep,  on  raised 
beds;  and  I  generally  allow  the  beds  to  remain  two  or  three 
years  undisturbed,  finding  them  to  be  perfectly  hardy,  and 
the  roots  to  come  out  finer  tlirough  it  when  taken  up.  I 
plant  from  August  to  October,  depending  on  circumstances, 
never  keeping  the  roots  longer  out  of  the  ground  than  1 
am  obliged  to. 

I  am  very  anxious  that  the  cultivation  of  these  beautiful 
tribes  of  bulbous  rooted  plants  should  be  more  generally 
understood.  AVe  grow  them  to  great  advantage  in  these 
islands,  where  the  moisture  is  very  great  during  the  au- 
tumnal and  winter  months,  with  occasional  frosts  in  early 
spring.  The  moisture  I  consider  to  be  .'dmost  as  detri- 
mental to  their  growth  as  moderate  frost,  inasmucli  as  the 
constant  rain  during  the  Avinter  months  keeps  tlie  ground 
in  such  a  soddened  state,  tliat,  unless  the  ground  w^as  care- 
fully drained,  there  would  be  no  counteracting  the  influences 
of  the  Mghtest  frosts  ;  as  it  is,  the  foliage  of  the  more  tender 
genera,  wdien  excited  to  early  growth,  is  often  cut  down 
close  to  the  ground,  which  disfigures  the  plant,  but  does 
not  affect  the  blooming  much. 

I  think,  with  care,  they  might  be  cultivated  in  most  gardens 
in  England  and  Ireland,  situated  in  dry,  healthy  localities  ; 
and  their  pretty  and  varied  styles  of  growth,  connected  with 
the  beautiful  colours  of  their  flowers,  should  be  unanswer- 
able arguments  in  tlieir  favour.— Cuam.es  1!.  SauxdilKS, 
CiPsarcun  Nu7'scr>/,  Jersey. 


GAPES  m  POULTRY. 
rr.AY  allow  me  a  small  space  in  the  correspondents'  corner 
of  The  Cottage  Gakdexee  for  a  word  of  exiilanation  ;  as  I 
fear  that  my  remarks  respecting  Gupca  may  be  misconstrued. 
AVtiile  many  persons  have  sought  for  worms  by  the  tur- 
pentined feather,  without  finding  them,  though  the  birds 
were  kdled  by  the  operation  (and  no  wonder,  when  the 
disease,  in  many  cases,  was  acute  inflammation ),  and  others, 
I  doubt  not,  have  mistaken  shreds  of  the  recently  formed 
false  membrane  for  worms,  yet  I  feel  itwould  be  discourteous 
to  a  zealous  investigator,  like  Jlr.  Tegetmeier,  to  doubt  that 
he   has   really  dislodged  worms  from  the   larynx,  or   the 


110 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


November  10. 


windpipe  of  fowls.  ParaHitos,  we  know,  ooonpy  extraonlinaiy 
localities  in  different  creatures,  and  will  not  exist  in  any 
other  part  of  tlie  body,  such  as  the  frunis,  the  palate,  A'c.  of 
fislies,  and,  doubtless,  they  are  sd  placed  for  wise  purposes, 
and  their  iiresenco  is  quite  compatible  witli.  (yea,  x^erliaps 
necessai-y  to)  healtli.  So  these  worms  might  exist  in  tlie 
windpipe  of  fowls  (and  Dr.  UanKin^  tells  mo  he  has  found 
them  in  pheasants,  though  not  tlie  cause  of  death),  at  the 
time  that  the  disease,  of  which  Gapes  is  a  symptom,  might 
occur. 

What  1  really  wish  to  see  is  a  fowl  that  has  died  of 
Gapes,  when,  on  dissection,  these  worms  are  found,  and  no 
disease  in  the  windpipe,  or  lungs,  to  account  for  death  ;  and 
I  sliould  bo  iireiiibj  obliged,  for  the  inquiry  is  an  interesting 
one,  for  sucli  a  fowl  being  sent  to  me. 

"  Gapes  in  chickens  is  caused  by  peculiar  parasitic  worms 
adhenng  to  the  inside  of  the  windpipe,"  are  the  words  of 
Mr.  Tcgetmeier,  in  his  little  work.  Coming  from  so  high 
an  authority,  I  considered  the  error  threefold  dangerous, 
and  this  is  the  only  reason  why  I  have  alluded  especially  to 
himself.  That  worms  are,  at  the  most,  but  an  exceptionnble 
cause,  I  am  wholly  satisfied.  That  the  disease,  or  rather 
the  symptom,  of  Gapes,  is  really  dependant  on  inflammation 
of  the  lining  of  tlic  windpipe,  dissection  in  the  cases  I  have 
seen  convinces  me.  The  further  testimony  of  Dr.  Ranking, 
who  has  again  obligingly  sent  me  some  more  cases  that  he 
investigated,  and  proposes  the  word  Trachilis  (inflammation 
of  the  windpipe)  as  the  proper  nnmc  of  the  disease,  also 
estabhshes  it ;  and  the  unsuccessful  attempts  of  others  to 
extract  worms  from  fowls  afTected  with  (iapes,  is  so  far,  at 
least,  corroborative.  But  "  deeds,  not  words,"  will  be  my 
only  guidance  in  the  future  consideration  of  this  subject;  it 
must  be  settled  hy  cxampfe.%  not  by  argument. — J.  K.  Hoknf.k. 


REIGATE  POULTRY  SHOW. 

This  took  place  on  the  1st  and  '2nd  of  November.  Upon 
what  possible  ground  can  confining  its  exhibitors  to  resi- 
dents in  tlie  counties  of  Kent,  Surrey,  and  Sussex,  be  de- 
fended ?  It  was  a  very  good  show,  on  the  whole.  The 
Dorkings,  Geese,  and  Turkeys,  were  very  excellent. 
Chss  1. -SPANISH.     Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 

1.  Fn-st  prize,  Christoplicr  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on- 
Thames.     2,  Second  prize,  George  Larmcr,  Rcigatc. 

Class  2.— SPANISH.    Cock  and  two  Pullets,  Chickens  of  1853. 
1.  First  prize,   Christopher  Rawson,    Esq.,   The    Hurst,  Waltnn-on- 
Thames.      Arc.    six-and-a-half    months.       10.    Second   prize,   Charles 
AUoway,  Dorking.     Age,  five  months. 

Class  3.— DORKING,— SINGLE-COMBED.     Cock  and  two  Hens  of 
any  age. 
8.  First  prize,  Rev.  .lames  Boys,  Biddendcn,   Kent.     9.  Second  prize, 
Rev.  .Tames  Boys,  Biddcndon,  Kent.     Age,  six-and-a-half  months. 

Class  4.— DORKING,— SINGLE-COniBED.     Cock  and  two   Pullets, 
Chickens  of  1«53. 
ft.  First  prize.  Rev.  .lames  Boys,  Biddendcn,  Kent.    Age,  six-and-a- 
half  months.    2.  Second  prize,  The  Rev.  John  Herbert,  Leigh.    Age, 
eoek,  nine  months,  pullets,  live  months. 

Class  5.— DORKING.— DOUBLE    OR  ROSE-COMBED.      Cock  and 
two  Hens  of  any  age. 

1.  First  prize,  Robert  Glutton,  Hartswood,  Rcigate.  4.  Second  prize, 
Samuel  Bothwell,  Dorking. 

ClassG.— DORKING.— DOUBLE    OR    ROSE-COMBED.      Cock  and 
two  Pullets,  Chickens  of  1S53. 

2.  First  prize,  Rev.  James  Boys,  Biddendcn,  Kent.  Age,  cock,  sis 
months,  pullets,  livc-and-a-half  months.  "•  Second  prize,  Henry 
Ilolman,  Hurstpcrpoint,  Sussex.     Age,  six-and-a-half  months. 

Class  7.— DORKING.— WHITE.     Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 

3.  First  prize,  James  Giles,  Bctchworth.  Age,  two  years.  2.  Second 
prize,  Mrs,  Wythcs,  (ireat  Doods,  Reig:itc,     Age,  four  months. 

Class  8.— DORKING.— WHITE.     Cock  and  two   Pullets,  Chickens 
of  1853. 

6.  First  prize,  Mrs,  Elizabeth  Foreman,  Pippbrook  House,  Dorking. 
Age,  four  months.      12.  Second  prize,  Ricliard  Godman   Kirkpatrick, 
Betchworth  House. 
Class  9,— COCHIN-CHINA.— LIGHT.    Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 

2.  First  prize,  Elizabeth  George,  Chaldon  Rookery,  Coiilsdon.  3. 
Second  prize,  Tlic  Right  Hon.  The  Earl  of  CoUcnhnm,  Tandridgc, 
Surrey.     Age,  various. 

Class   10.~COCHIN-CHINA.— LIGHT.     Cock  and  two   Pullets, 
Chickens  of  1853. 

4.  First  prize,  John  Eaaon,  MontpclUcr  House,  South  Lambeth.   Age, 


nine-and-a-half  months.  17-  Second  prize,  Captain  \\'illiain  Henry 
Snell,  Shirley  Cottage,  Norwood.  Age,  cock,  eight  months,  pullctS| 
seven-and-a-half  mouths. 

Class  11.— COCHIN-CHINA.— DARK.  Cock  and  two  Ilcns  of  any  age. 
2.  Second  prize,  Thomas  Bridges,  Croydon.     Age,  various.     6.  Sectind 
prize,  George  Carter  Morrison,  Reigate.     Age,  eighteen  months. 

Class  12.— COCHIN-CHINA.— DARK.  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  Chickens 

of   lfc53. 

2.  First  prize,  Thomas   Rider,  Bouphton   Place,    Staplchurst.      Age, 

eight  months  and  one  week.     p.  Second  prize,  Hon.  Sirs.  Scott,  Thorpe, 

Surrey.     Age,  sevcn-and-a-haU  months. 

Class  13.— COCHIN-CHINA,— WHITE.    Cock  and  two  Hens,  of 

any  age. 
1.  Second  prize,  Edward  Norton  Harper,  Elmshade,  Rcigate.    White. 
Age,  second  year. 

Class  11. -COCHIN-CHINA.— WHITE.    Cock  and  two  Pullets, 
Chickens  of  1853. 

1.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on- 
Thames.  Age,  six-and-a-half  months.  5.  Second  prize,  John  Baker, 
Horley.     Age,  four  months. 

Class  15.— GAME  FOWL.     Cock  and  two  Hens,  of  any  age. 

2.  First  prize,  Robert  Glutton,  Hartswood,  Reigate.  Black-breasted 
red.  7-  Second  prize,  Samuel  Ridley,  junior,  Clayton,  Hurstperpoint, 
Sussex,    White  and  pile. 

Cbss  16.— GAME  FOWL.  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  Chickens  of  IS-W. 

7.  First  prize,  Samuel  Akehurst,  Copthorn.  1 1 .  Second  prize, 
William  Relf,  Rcigate.     Age,  five  months. 

Class  17.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED    HAMBURGH.      Cock  and   two 
Hens,  of  any  age. 

2.  First  prize,  James  Fisher,  Reigate.    Aged. 

Class  18.— GOLDEN.PENCILLED    HAMBURGH.      Cock    and    two 
Pullets,  Chickens  of  1853. 

4.  First  prize,  James  Underwood,  Merstham.  Age,  three-and-a-half 
months.    6.  Second  prize,  George  Larmer,  Reigate,    Age,  four  months. 

Class  19.— GOLDEN.SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.    Cock  and  two 

Hens,  of  any  age. 
1.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,    Esq.,  The  Hurst,   Walton-on- 
Thames. 

Class  20.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  and  two 
Pullets,  Chickens  of  1853. 

1.  First  prize,  Christoidicr  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on- 
Thames.  Age,  six-and-a-half  months.  3,  Second  prize,  Henry  Taylor, 
Godalming.    Age,  five  months. 

Class  21.— SILVER.PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  .and  two 

Hens   of  any  age. 
6.  First  prize,  Albert  Way,  \\'^onham  Manor,  Betchworth.      5.  Second 
prize,  George  Gibson  Richardson,  junior,  Garlands,  RedhiU. 

Class  22,— SILVER-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  and  two 
Pullets,  Chickens  of  1853. 

5.  First  prize,  Albert  Way,  Wonham  Manor,  Bctchworth.  3.  Second 
prize,  George  Gibson  Richardson,  junior,  Garlands,  RedhiU. 

Class  23.— SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  and   two 
Hens  of  any  age. 

3.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Austin,  Kippington,  Scvenoaks.  2.  Second  prize, 
Christopher  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst,  M'alton-on-Thamea. 

Class  21. —SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.  Cock  and  two  Pullets, 

Chickens  of  1S53. 

9,  First  ])rize,  James  Fisher,  Reigate.     Age,  six   months.     1.  Second 

prize,  Chriatophcr  Itiiwson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.     Age, 

six-and-a-half  months. 

Class  25.— POLAND  FOWL.    Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 

2.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on- 
Thames.  Silver.  4.  Second  prize,  James  Ivery,  Rcigate.  Black  with 
white  crests. 

Class  26.— POLAND  FOWL.    Cock  and  two  Pullets,  Chickens  of  isr.s. 

8.  First  ]>rize,  James  Ivery,  Reigate.  Black  with  white  Crests.  Age, 
five  months  and  three  weeks.  7.  Second  prize,  James  Ivery,  Reigate. 
Black  with  white  crests.     Age,  five  months  .and  three  weeks. 

Class  27.— FOR  ANY    OTHER  DISTINCT  BREED.     Cock  and  two 
Ileus  of  any  age. 

3.  First  prize,  R.  A\'arren,  Cottager,  Leigh.  Sussex  Fowls.  1.  Second 
prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Esq.,  Tlic  Hurst,  A\'alton-on-Thames. 
Algcrine  silk  Fowls, 

Class  27.*— FOR  ANY  OTHER  DISTINCT  BREED.    Cock  and 

two  Pullets,  Chickens  of  1853. 
3,  First  i)rizc,  James  Giles,  Bctchworth.     Fricaland. 

Class  28.— FOR    THE    BEST    CROSS    BETWEEN    ANY    BRKKD. 
t'ock  and  two   Hens  of  any  age. 

1.  Second  prize,  Charles  Charman  Elgar,  Reigate.  Cochin  and 
Dorking. 

Class   29.— FOR    THE    BEST    CROSS    BETWEEN    ANY  BREED. 
Cock  and  two  Pullets  of  any  age. 

G.  First  prize,  James  Ormiston.  Shabdcn,  Chipstead.  Cochin  and 
Dorking.  4.  Second  jirize,  James  Fisher,  Reigate.  t-uehin  and  Diu-king. 
22.  .Second  prize,  The  Rev.  F.  P.  Uoupcll,  WaUou-on-lhc-Hill,  Cuchm 
iind  Spanish.     Age,  one  year. 


November  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


XU 


Class  30.— BANTAMS.    Cock  and  two  Hens. 

3.  First  prize,  Henry  Edward  Hampden  Turner,  Leigh  Place,  God- 
stone.  Black.  C.  First  prize,  Cassteel  Cooper,  Guildfovd.  Gold-laced 
Sebright.  7-  First  prize,  Casstccl  Cooper,  Guildford.  Silver-Iaccd 
Sebright.  9.  First  prize,  William  Haeliblock,  Rcigate  Hill.  White 
Cochin-Chinn.  13.  First  prize,  Samuel  Ridley,  junior,  Clayton,  Hurst- 
pierpoint.  White.  20.  Second  prize.  Col.  Goulbuvn,  Betchwortli. 
Gold-laced. 

Class  31.— GEESE.     Gnnder  and  two  Geese,  hatched  in  1853. 
1.  First  prize,    Christopher   Kawson,   Esq.,  The   Hurst,   Walton-on- 
Thames.       2.    Second  prize,   Christopher   Kawson,    Esq.,   The    Hurst, 
Walton-on-Thamcs.     Toulouse. 

Class  32. — DUCKS.     Drake  and  two  Ducks,  Aylcshury,   Rouen,  or  any 
other  variety. 

1.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on- 
Thames.  Ayleshury.  1 1 .  First  prize,  Robert  Clutton,  Hartswood, 
Reigate.  Black  La!)rador.  18.  First  prize,  Thomas  Price,  St.  Leonard's- 
nn-Sea.  Rouen.  Age,  six  months.  7.  Second  prize,  William  Dray, 
Farningham,  Kent.  Knuen.  9.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Fornian, 
Pippbrook  House,  Dorking.  Muscovy.  21.  Second  prize,  James 
Ormiston,  Sliabden,  Chipstcad.     Aylesbury. 

Class  33.— TURKEYS.     Turkey  Cock  and  two  Hens. 

2.  First  prize,  Albert  Way,  Wonham  Manor,  Betchworth.  Black. 
5.  Second  prize,  James  Giles,  Betchworth.     White. 

Class  31.— GUINEA  FOWLS.     For  the  best  Pair. 

4.  First  prize,  Charles  Charman  Elgar,  Reigate,  3.  Second  prize, 
Charles  Charman  Elgar,  Rcigate. 


SHOULD   POULTRY  BE   EXHIBITED   IN 
PAIRS  ? 

I  FIND  many  of  my  poultry  friends  averse  to  the  plan  now 
generally  adopted  of  showing  two  and  three  hens  with  a 
cock  ;  they  consider  that  an  exhihitor  who  is  in  a  position  to 
show  four  good  birds,  could  certainly  select  and  exhibit  his 
best  pair,  so  that  such  an  exhibitor  would  not  be  excluded, 
while  one  possessing  only  two  birds  of  superior  excellence, 
would,  by  such  modification  of  the  conditions,  be  enabled  to 
show  them.  They,  moreover,  consider  that  extra  cost  of 
baskets  and  conveyance  would  bo  saved,  and  that  when  at 
the  shows,  the  birds,  from  being  fewer  together,  and  having 
more  space,  would  be  less  liable  to  disease.  It  appears  to 
me,  what  is  wanted  at  a  show,  is  the  greatest  excellence  and 
not  the  greatest  number;  a  pair  of  birds  being  sufScient  to 
perpetuate  any  good  qvialities  they  may  possess.  I  must 
confess  I  cannot  see  the  necessity  for  exhibiting  more  in 
one  pen,  and  to  go  still  further,  I  like  the  exhibition  of 
sinr/li-  male  birds ;  they  are  of  the  utmost  importance,  and 
at  spring  shows  it  is  very  convenient  to  be  allowed  to  pur- 
chase a  single  stoclc-bu-d  without  encumbering  yourself  with 
a  number  of  hens,  probably  of  the  same  blood  as  the  cock  ; 
a  deal  of  in-and-in  breeding  would  be  avoided.  I  well  know 
the  trouble  that  was  occasioned  to  the  officials  at  Birrain"- 
ham  when  the  division  of  pens  was  allowed  ;  but  I  am  sure 
amateurs  were  better  able  to  improve  their  stocks  under  that 
regulation.  If  pairs  and  single  birds  were  allowed  to  con- 
stitute a  pen,  there  will  be  less  necessity  for  dividing,  and 
purchasers  would  he  much  benefited. 

Although  I  can  now  scarcely  consider  myself  an  exhibitor, 
being  very  inconveniently  situated  for  railway  accommoda- 
tion, yet  I  feel  much  interested  in  whatever  may  promote 
the  success  of  these  useful  poultry  institutions. — W.  Lokt, 
Great  Healhf  near  Tenhurij. 


HARDY  HERBACEOUS  PLANTS.— ACHILLEA. 

This  genus  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of  Composites, 
and  though  the  members  of  this  genus  are  very  numerous, 
amounting,  in  number,  from  fifty  to  seventy  known  species, 
yet  there  are  but  few  which  are  worth  keeping,  or  growing 
in  the  ornamental  flower-borders.  Of  course,  it  is  desirable 
to  see  them  all  in  botanical  collections,  where,  by  all  means, 
they  should  be  kept  and  grown  for  the  sake  of  botanical 
knowledge ;  but  for  the  flower-border  but  few  of  them  are 
to  be  coveted. 

The  best  and  most  noble  plant  of  this  large  family  is  the 
Achillea  Eupatopjum,  or  Caspian  Milfoil,  so  called  from 
being  a  native  of  the  shores  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  It  was 
inti-oduced  to  this  country  in  the  year  1803. 


It  is  a  strong  grower,  rising  from  two-and-a-half  to  three- 
and-a-half  feet  high,  according  to  the  soil  and  situation  it  is 
giown  in.  It  is  an  excellent  plant  for  the  centre  of  a 
medium-sized  bed  of  any  shape  or  form,  or  for  a  back  row 
]ilant  in  long  borders.  It  blooms  from  July  to  November,  ' 
tlie  flowers  being  of  a  beautiful  golden-yellow  colour.  j 

Its  heads,  or  corymbs  of  flowers,  are  large  and  spreading,   | 
though   of  compact  habit,  their  upper  surface  being  almost 
Hat.     The  leaves  are  long   and  narrow,  twice  cut,  and  the   i 
segments  saw-toothed   and  somewhat  hoary.      Tlie   whole   , 
plant  is  of  a  pale  green  colour.     It  is  readily  increased  by   I 
root  division  in  the   spring.     The  plant  does  well  in  any  i 
good  garden  soil.     Once  well  planted  in  the  proper  places   ' 
in  the  borders,  or  beds,  the  plants  may  remain   untouched 
for  many  years,  except  by  llio  sings,  who  are  very  fond  of  it.   i 
AVliere  the  borders  are  not  properly  attended  to,  and  ke23t 
clear  of  fallen  leaves,  and  the  like,  during  the  winter  and   j 
spring  months  sad  havoc  is  often  made  by  these  marauders,   i 
i\iany  a  .choice  plant  is   either  entirely  lost,  or  so   much 
injured  by  the  slugs  eating  out  its  crown  shoots,  and  secret- 
ing themselves  round  about  the  crowns,  or  elsewhere,   as 
never  to  recover.     This  might  be   iirevented   by   frequent 
earth-stirring  about  the  plants,  and  the  use  of  a  little  quick 
lime  dusted  over  them  now  and  then.  T.  W. 

(7*0  he  contivned.) 


DISEASED   CROP. 


POST    MORTEK    EXA3IINATI0N     OP   A    COCHIN-CHINA    COCKEREL, 
AGED    rn'E    MONTHS. 

Disease. — Hanging  crop,  hard  at  the  iijiperpart,  apparently 
not  painful  on  pressure.  Dtirathn. — Four  weeks.  Treatment. — 
None;  was  amongst  a  large  number  of  fowls,  and  taken  no 
notice  of;  it  fed  well,  never  sickened,  and  had  no  ditliculty  in 
swallowing.  Death. — Killed  hy  hand.  Post  Mortem  (qypear- 
fnices. — Body  very  emaciated.  On  making  an  incision  tlirough 
the  skin  and  integuments  coveringthe  crop,  and  through  the 
crop  itself,  that  ox'gan  was  found  extensively  diseased.  The 
whole  of  the  outer  portion  was  converted  into  a  gristle-like 
membrane,  three-fourths  of  its  size  was  occupied  by  a  hard 
tumour,  which,  when  cut  through,  contained  two  abscesses 
of  the  size  of  mai'bles,  each  tilled  with  inoffensive  semi- 
transparent  matter.  The  substance  of  the  tumour  partly 
cartilaginoiis  and  fibrous,  with  cheese-like  deposits  here 
and  there.  That  portion  of  the  crop,  which,  during  life, 
could  have  been  of  any  service,  might  have  held  about  half- 
an-ounce  of  food;  the  passages  to  and  from  the  crop  were 
much  thickened,  the  whole  seat  of  the  disease  non-vascular. 
Other  Orrjans. — Healthy. — C.F.  Palmer,  Betchworth,  Surrey. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

*#*  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmentnl  writers  of 
TuE  Cottage  Gaedeneb.  It  gives  them  unjuBtifiable  trouble  and 
expense.  All  communicationa  should  be  addressed  *'  To  the  Editor  of 
the  Cottage  Gardener,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Roiv,  London.^'' 

Black  Shanghaes  (f7.  A.), — Some  observations  that  appeared  in  one 
of  our  recent  numbers,  on  Black  Shanghaes,  were  dictated  not  merely  by 
what  had  been  noticed  at  very  many  of  our  principal  Poultry  Exhibitions, 
during  the  last  two  years,  but  were  also  authorised  by  the  opinion  of 
many  of  our  best  breeders.  That,  generally  speaking,  they  are  character- 
ised by  the  absence  of  the  glossy  richness  of  colour  that  distinguishes 
the  Black  Polish  and  the  Spanish,  fowls,  will  hardly  be  contested;  nor  have 
we,  as  yet,  any  certain  record  of  a  similar  uniformity  in  the  colour  of  the 
produce,  to  what  may  be  observed  in  those  latter  breeds.  Whether  the 
Black  Shanghaes  should  he  assigned  the  honour  of  a  ^^  permanent  and 
distinct  vin-ieti/,"  where  like  produces  like,  as  a  general  rule,  requires 
further  proof  than  the  public  is  as  yet  possessed  of.  "0.  A.,'*  and 
some  other  breeders,  perhaps,  may  be  fortunate  in  the  possession  of 
birds  that  comply  with  the  requisite  conditions  more  fully  than  those 
whose  public  appearance  originated  the  remarks  that  were  further  con- 
firmed by  experienced  persons  converaant  with  this  variety.  But  at  the 
best,  the  good  specimens  are  still  the  exception,  not  the  rule;  and  while 
we  admit  that  there  is  often  much  to  admire  in  the  figure  of  Black 
Shani^haes,  and  that  their  merits  are,  undoubtedly,  great  :is  table  fowls, 
"/<?f/Mei*"  is  a  point  in  which  they  do  not  appear  to  equal  advantage. 
"  That  Ihepublic  should  juds^e  for  itself"  is  the  very  aim  and  design  of 
every  article  in  Tue  Cottage  Gardener;  but  surely  this  is  best 
attained  by  the  free  admission  of  impartial  statements  and  opinions  on 
either  side.  "C.  A."  may  have  a  very  higli  opiition  of  the  variety  in 
question,  while  *'A.  C."  is  at  variance  witli  this  essential.  Both  may 
have  their  say,  and  the  byestanders  may  afterwards  judge  for  themselves 
when  the  matter  has  been  thus  discussed. 


iU 


THE  COTTAGE  GAllDENEU. 


NuVEMlillU   10. 


Rough  Plan  of  Garden  (E.  C). — You  cannot  possibly  Iniiirove 
this  plan,  nor  mar  it  by  any  alterations,  shnrt  of  Icvcllinfr  it  all  over  and 
Itci^rinninff  afresh.  It  is  like  the  liiglilandnian'F  eun,  it  wants  a  new 
stock,  a  new  locU,  and  a  new  barrel.  'Die  key-note  is  already  in  your 
hands.  From  the  entrance,  Iti,  and  to  "  the  way  to  the  kitcben-parden," 
1 7,  is  as  straight  as  an  arrow  :  tlie  boundary-line  on  the  left,  goinp:  along 
that  way,  if  also  straight.  The  walks  at  both  ends,  and  along  tlie  two 
sides,  are  also  straight,  then  the  space  these  walks  incloie  or  include  is 
perfectly  regular,  although  one  end  of  it  is  wiil^r  th.\u  the  other.  Now, 
there  is  not  a  man  on  earth  who  can  lay  down  irregular  beds,  or  figures, 
on  this  piece  of  grass,  without  some  of  them  at  least  being  out  of 
place.  There  is  not  one  of  the  present  liecia  in  the  right  place, 
for  this  reason — there  is  not  a  place  tor  any  of  them.  \\'e  would  not  do 
away  with  the  walk  across  the  end  from  the  entrance,  by  any  means,  nor 
the  border  on  the  right  going  to  the  kitchen-gardf-n,  as  that  border,  no 
doubt,  was  intended  for  evergreens,  or  some  tall  things  to  hide  the 
tlower-garden,  provided  the  dower-garden  remains  as  at  present ;  but  if 
the  flower-garden  were  to  be  levelled,  and  laid  out  in  the  geometric  way, 
that  border  ought  to  form  a  part,  and  then  the  grass  to  reach  the  side  of 
the  walk  to  the  kitchen-garden.  You  will  soon  see  plans  that  are  suitable 
for  your  situation,  with  a  little  altering;  and  v  e  shall  point  to  the  kind 
of  beds  that  ought  to  make  your  corner  figures  {always  the  most  difficult 
to  manage  well),  and  also  those  along  your  walks.  All  round  the  centre 
you  will  have  no  dilhculty  about. 

Deutzias  and  Weigela  {Sufjscrifjer). — The  best  way  with  young 
plants  of  Dciitzin  srnbru  and  gracilis,  and  also  of  Weigeln  ruspn,  is  not 
to  prune  them  at  all  for  the  first  four  or  live  years.  By  that  means  they 
will  be  stronger  and  bigger.  After  that,  they  should  be  pruned  like 
gooseberries  and  black  currants— that  is,  getting  rid  of  as  much  old  wood 
as  you  can,  and  leaving  the  young  to  flower  and  make  flowering  wooil ; 
in  two  words,  remove  the  old.  and  spare  the  poinii^  uood  every  time 
you  prune  them;  but  then,  you  are  not  on  lli:it  account  to  cnt  away 
more  old  wood  than  will  keep  the  bushes  moderately  thin.  A  young 
shoot,  here  and  then;,  that  is  longer  than  the  rest,  or  out  of  shape,  is  to 
be  cut-in  for  keeping  the  bush  uniform  in  shape.  Crown  Imjierinia  want 
good  garden  soil ;  on  "burning  gravel"  it  is  useless  to  expect  flowers 
from  them. 

Lawn-trees  (5.  T.). — Picen  M'ehhiniia,  Aniunaria  imhrirata,  Cit- 
pressus  inncrocurpa  (your  Lamhcrtinnu),  and  Cupressus  lorro/osa  will 
not  be  out  of  place,  nor  yet  too  high,  on  a  narrow  lawn,  in  ten  or  twelve 
years  ;  but  in  thirty  years  they  may  be  too  close  together,  and  too  near 
the  house.  Juniperus  sinensis  is  just  in  the  right  place,  and  so  arc  the 
others  for  the  time  you  specify. 

Peaches  and  Vines  in  a  Greenhouse  ;//.  B.  and  others).— 'Act 
an  article  to-day  by  fllr.  Fish. 

Height  of  Front  of  Greenhousr  (//.  /i).— If  your  wall-plate  is  | 
six  inches  in  depth,  five  tect  nine  inches  will  do,  and  even  without  that,  ■ 
if  a  six-foot  man  does  not  require  to  go  close  to  the  front  in  walking. 

Hartley's  Patent  IIougti  Plate  Glass  {Ibid.). — This  will  super- 
sede a  blind  for  all  such  houses.     In  our  own  practice,  we  have  not  jiroved   , 
\X.iQTvery  early  forcin;;\  but  lirst-rate  gardeners  commend  it  even  for  .. 
thiti. 

Bedding-plants  in  Frames  (T//r/>).— Give  air  back  and  front  in 
moist  rainy  liays,  when  the  temperature  is  above  3ti^ ;  but  do  not  let  the 
raiu  get  among  them.     In  dense  fogs  the  lights  will  be  better  abut. 

Daisies  on  Lawns   (76;V/.).— Unfortunately,  we  know  of  no  better  ! 
plan  than  picking  them  out,  and  that  may  be  done  now   as  well  as  in 
spring,     A  little  white  Dutch  clover  might  be  sown  in  spring.     Many  of 
our  lawns  get  crammed,  owing  to  a  false  economy  in  not  mowing  early  \ 
and  rcguhirly  ;  the  seeds  arc  soon  perfected. 

AiUEEiLAN  Ai-OE  Keeting  (.•!  S^/i.^cr/Acj*).— This  will  do  vcry  wcll  lu 
the  hall,  if  the  Amott's  stove  does  not  raise  the  temperature  above  50°. 
If  it  raised  the  heat  much  above  that,  it  ought  to  stand  near  a  window  ; 
and  if  not  suitable  to  give  it  light,  you  will  keep  it  better  in  the  stable, 
at  the  farthest  corner  from  the  horse,  allowing  it  to  be  dry  ;  covering  it 
with  a  cloth  and  hay  in  bad  cold  weather  ;  and,  now  and  tlun,  when 
the  weather  was  fitie  and  mild,  setting  it  out-of-doors  for  a  lew  years. 
If,  however,  you  have  treated  it,  as  reconiracnded,  some  time  ago,  by  Wr. 
Fish,  for  Cactus,  and  have  had  it  full  in  the  sun,  and  allowed  to  get  dry, 
it  will  keep  very  well  in  any  dry,  cool  place,  provided  frost  is  excluded. 
If  the  soil  is  wet  now,  you  might  keep  it  in  the  hall  until  it  was  dry, 
aad  then  move  it  to  the  stable. 

Greenhouse  Vinery  Uoof  witiiolt  Uafters  (Clericus). — Where 
to  introduce,  and  how  to  support  Vines  there.'  Wtt  do  not  sec  whether 
your  squares  are  to  lie  twenty-one  inches  in  wiilth  or  in  length.  If  plants 
are  to  be  at  all  an  object,  your  Vine-stems  should  be  four  feet  from  each 
other.  Hy  reading  I\Ir.  Fish's  article  to-day  you  will  perceive,  that  if  placed 
so  close  as  two  feet  eight  inches,  or  three  feet,  you  will  be  able  to  grow 
nothing  beneath  them  when  the  vines  are  in  foliage.  In  training,  wc  cannot 
fancy  anything  better  than  small  rods  of  iron,  or  stout  wire,  fastened  to 
the  wall-plate  in  front  and  behind,  tied  to  the  supportin.  pieces  of  iron 
of  which  you  speak,  and  siill  further  supported  by  wire  suspenders, 
fastened  in  drilled  holes  in  the  sash  bar. 

How  Heat  or  now  Use  a  five-light  Pit  {E.  H.  Hanipsfead). 
— See  some  articles  by  Mr.  Fish  lately.  A  hot-water  pipe  woulil  cost 
from  yd.  to  Is.  per  foot,  according  to  its  size  of  three  or  four  inches,  and 
that  independent  of  carriage  and  fixing.  A  flue  would  do  well  enom,'h 
for  j\Ielons  and  Cucumbers,  if  securely  constructed,  and  you  could  give 
moisture  enough;  but  pipes,  or  a  tank,  woidd  be  better.  In  some  dis- 
tricts, a  small  wooden  tank,  some  four  inches  deep,  two-and-a-half  feet 
or  three  feet  wide,  divided  in  the  middle,  unless  at  the  ends,  and  covered 
with  slate,  communicating  with  a  small  boiler,  would  be  the  cheapest  and 
most  appropriate  for  Cucumbers.  If  you  have  plenty  of  manure  there  is 
no  occasion  to  arch  the  back  ;  if  a  good  deep  ditch-like  lining  is  formed, 
and  plenty  of  manure  in  a  fresh  state  placed  back  and  front,  it  will  give 
heat  enough,  with  plenty  of  labour.  Failing  that,  we  woidd  keep  IMclona 
and  Cucumbers  to  frames,  where  you  can  line  and  keep  the  pit  as  you 
propose,  as  a  cold  pit,  in  which  to  keep  bedding  plants,  ami  hardier 
greenhouse  plants  in  winter,  and  all  kinda  of  plants  during  uummcr, 
according  to  the  air  you  give  tbcm. 


Mode  of  making  Vine-bordees  and  Planting  three  ^'infries 
(P.  Murriut,  Tring,  Herts.). — Uy  referring  to  the  correspondents'  rolunm 
of  last  week,  you  will  see  a  mode  of  making  Vine-borders  similar  to  your 
own;  only,  tliat  it  is  not  proposed  to  sweeten  the  loam  by  decoinpogition 
so  much,  nor  yet  to  have  the  loam*  so  strong  ;  calcareous  matter  i»  also 
recommended,  and  bruised  bones,  in  preference  to  so  much  rotten  dung, 
the  bones  containing  nourishment  much  longer,  and  giving  it  out  slowly. 
We  greatly  approve  of  your  mode  of  planting,  as  there  is  nothing  like  a 
gootl  start.  Wc  also  approve  of  the  selection  for  the  three  houses,  with 
the  exception  of  the  first ;  for,  unless  you  arc  quite  certain,  from  previous 
experience,  and  your  planting  inside,  that  the  Joslin's  St.  Albans  will 
not  split  in  company  with  the  HambuiKhs  and  Sweet  Waters,  we  would 
discard  it  altogether,  and  substitute  a  Muscadine  and  a  Frontignac — the 
latter  almost  as  good  as  Joslin's,  and  free  from  the  splitting  evil. 

Pears  {{J.  1'.,  Diihlin). — Why  did  you  not  state  if  your  pj-ramidal 
Pears  are  on  (Quince  Stocks  or  not  ?  Pray  write  again,  and  we  will  file 
your  first  letter. 

Cutting-down  old  Fro  it-trees  (E.  jI/.,  Aheryslwith).  —  We 
never  knew  Damsons  of  that  age  (and  twenty  feet  high)  cut  back,  and  we 
should  much  doubt  success.  Apples,  if  in  health,  are  frequently  thus 
handled,  and  sometimes  very  successfully. 

Beak  of  Silver-spangled  Hamburgh  (Amateur). — "Isitabso- 
lutelv  necessary  for  a  Silver-spangled  Hamburgh  cock  to  have  a  white 
beak?  or  would  one  having  a  hlue  beak  (similar  colour  to  his  k-gs) 
be  considered  an  imperfect  hird  '.'"—There  are  few  Silver-spangled  Ham- 
burghs  where  a  blue  tinge  is  not  visible  on  the  bill,  especially  at  its 
extremity  ;  but  this  would  not  be  considered  as  a  cause  for  disqua- 
lification.— W. 

DluLBHRRT  Leaves  changing  their  Shape. — A  Constant  Render 
iays — "  A  friend  of  mine  has  a  Mulberry-tree  trained  against  a  wall,  over 
which  it  extends  about  forty  feet.  A  lew  Acars  since,  the  leaves  in  the 
centre  of  the  tree,  near  the  root,  began  to  change  their  form,  and  this 
cliange  of  shape  in  the  leaf  has  been  every  year  gradually  extending 
itself  over  the  whole  tree.  Upon  the  same  branch  even  the  variation  in 
the  foliage  is  to  he  seen.  I  enclose  some  of  the  leaves  for  your  inspec- 
tion, and  shall  feel  obliged  by  your  informing  me  the  cause."  We  never 
saw  such  a  change  before,  but  we  do  not  think  it  unaccountalde.  The 
usual  shape  of  the  leaves  we  know  is  thiit  of  a  pointed  licart ;  but  the 
change  here  is  to  a  ileeply-cut  three-lobed  form.  Now,  there  is  a  variety 
growing  in  Sicily  with  leaves  very  much  of  this  form,  at  all  events  they  are 
palmate,  therefore,  this  form  is  not  ([uite  a  stranger  to  the  Mulberry. 
But  the  true  cause  of  this  griulual  change  of  shape,  we  think,  is  the 
gradual  decrease  in  the  fertility  of  the  soil.  It  is  very  common  to  find 
the  indentations  in  the  leaves  of  plants  increase  with  the  poverty  of  the 
soil  on  which  tlicy  are  growing.  Horse-radish,  on  a  rich  soil,  has  nearly 
smooth-edged,  broad  leaves,  but,  on  a  very  poor  soil,  they  become  pecti- 
nated, that  is,  divided  like  the  teeth  of  a  comb.  If  the  soil,  to  a  distance 
of  three  yards  all  round  the  i\Iulberry-tree'5  stem,  is  well-manured,  wc 
think  the  change  of  shape  in  the  leaves  will  be  stayed  after  a  year  or  two. 

Meteorology  [E.  H.).~Somc  of  your  suggestions  are  good,  but  we 
shall  never  venture  to  predict  the  weather. 

Fatting  Cochin  Chickens  (R.  B.). — Barley  meal,  wheat,  and  India 
nical,  mixed  with  milk,  fats  them  the  most  quickly.  They  are  of  too 
quiet  habits  to  reiiuiie  shutting  up.  They  should  have  a  free  access  to 
gravel  and  water. 

Karly  Potatoes  {Birkenhead). — The  earliest  variety  is  the  Walnut- 
leaved  Kidney ;  it  is  very  dill'erent  from  the  Ash-leaved  Kidney,  though 
this  name  is  sometimes  applied  to  it.  Tlie  Walnut-leaved  is  not  a  large 
bearer  ;  the  tubers  grow  in  a  cluster  round  the  base  of  the  stem.  The 
Julys  follow  them  in  being  ripe,  and  arc  best  for  the  main  crop. 

Lovel  Suangiiaes. — An  old  Subscriber,  H.  H.,  will  probably  obtain 
what  he  requires  of  Mrs.  Somers  Smith,  Parsonage,  Little  Bentlcy,  near 
Colchester. 

Weight  of  vodng  Geese.— J/r.  TK.  Trotter  says  :  — "  Seeing  that  you 
state  in  your  notices  to  correspondents,  *  that  a  young,  early-hatched 
Goose,  of  the  Toulouse  breed,  having  had  good  keep,  should  weigh 
fourteen  pounds  at  Michaelmas,  but  the  common,  at  the  same  age.  would 
rarely  be  above  eleven  pounds  ;  I  make  free  to  inform Vou,  that  my  Ga/tders 
of  the  common  breed,  hatched  as  late  as  April  20th,  185a,  weigh  within  an 
ounce  or  two  of  seventccn-and-a-half  pounds,  without  having  had  extra 
keep.  Perhaps  some  others  of  your  readers  will  state  the  weights  and 
ages  of  their  young  stock." 

PiNE-,\ppLE  (T.  JoHCi).- The  crown  is  formed  of  the  leaves,  and  they 
arc  of  the  same  use  to  them  as  arc  the  leaves  of  all  the  plants  in  the 
same  tribe.  If  the  crown  is  proliferous,  reduce  it  to  one  as  soon  as 
apparent.  Bad  cultivation  causes  an  excess  of  crown,  such  as  too  little 
heat  and  deficient  light.     Small  crowns  are  always  preferred. 

White  Forget-me-not.—.!  Par.snn^s  Sister  wi»hcs  for  some,  and 
would  be  greatly  obliged  if  a  tormcr  kind  correspondent  near  Malvern 
could  let  her  have  some. 

Self-feeder  {T.  T.). — We  never  saw  one.  The  Spanish  Cockerel, 
with  his  tail  on  one  side  and  whitc-fcalhercd,  will  never  he  worth  any- 
thing. It  is  quite  impossible  to  prescribe  for  a  hcn'a  difliculty  in 
swallowing  unless  we  knew  the  cause. 

Name  of  Plant  (T.Wilson). — Pj/rus  uriti,  the  White  Beam  Tree. 
Wc  should  say  it  is  not  an  eligible  plant  to  graft  Pears  upon,  though 
It  would  probably  take  upun  it  as  tUcy  aic  of  the  same  family. 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  WooLnRiDGE,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalmdar;  and  rublichcd  by  Williaw 
SoMCRViLLE  OitR,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthanistow,  in  the  County  of 
Kssc.t,  at  the  OtHce,  Nu.  '.!,  Anvcn  Corner,  in  the  Patish  of  Chrial 
Church,  City  of  Londou.— November  JOth,  18fi3. 


NoVEJIliER  ]7. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR, 


113 


M 
D 

D 
W 

NOVEMBER  1?— 2S,  1853. 

Weather  near  LownoN  in 

1862. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun 

Sets. 

Moon 
R.&S. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Clock 
af.  Sun. 

Day  of 
Year.   1 

Barometer. 

Thermo.  Wind. 

Rain  in 
Inches. 

17 

18 

19 

20 
2i 
22 
23 

Th 

F 

S 

Sun 

M 

To 

W 

Titmice  near  houses. 
Widgeon  arrives. 

26  Sdnday  after  Trinitt. 
Pes.  Uoval  born  1840. 
Sun's  decliniition,  20°  12'  s. 

29.189—29.070 

29.713—29.279 
29.763—29.543 
29.550—29.304 

29. 09I)— 29.034 
29.299—29-042 
29.5I8— 23.965 

56—42    S.W. 
40—27  ;  S.W. 
53-36  ,   S.E. 
53-43        S. 
54—45  :  S.E. 
47—29  ,     E. 
44—38  1  S.W. 

11 

24 
35 
10 
04 
13 

24  a.  7 
26 
27 
29 
31 
32 
34 

6  a.  4 
5 
4 

I 

0 

111 

5      7 

5  42 

6  33 

7  23 

8  28 

9  38 
10     52 

16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 

14     50 
14     33 
14     24 
14     10 
13     55 
13     39 
13     23 

321 
322 
323 
324 
335 
326 
327 

RIeteoeology  ok  the  Week. — At  Chiswick,  from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-aix  yeara.th 
peraturesof  thcbedays  are  49°  and  36.1°  respectively.    The  greatest  heat,  5g°,  occurred  on  the  21st  in  182 
17th  in  1841.  During  the  period  85  days  were  fine,  and  on  97  rain  fell. 

c  average  highest  and  lowest  tem-    1 
8;  and  the  lowest  cold,  17°,  on  the 

BRITISH   WILD  FLOWERS. 
{Continued  from  page  17.) 

AKAEIS. — WAIL-CBESS. 

Genehic  Chaeactee. — -Cidyx  erect ;  leaves  oblong,  egg- 
shaped,  converging,  deciduous  ;  two  opposite  ones  rather 
the  largest,  somewhat  protuberant  at  the  base.  Petals 
oblong,  reversed-egg-shaped,  undivided,  a  little  spreading, 
I  tapering  at  the  base  into  broadish  claws,  hardly  so  long  as 
the  calyx.  Filaments  thread-shaped,  erect,  simple,  un- 
connected, usually  with  four  glands  at  their  base  externally. 
Anllters  roundish-heart-shaped,  incumbent.  Germcn  line- 
like,  about  the  length  of  the  stamens.  Style  very  short, 
or  none.  <5(i7ma  blunt,  simple.  Porfline-like,  compressed, 
crowned  with  the  permanent  stigma ;  valves  almost  flat, 
ribbed,  or  veiny,  slightly  undulated  from  the  protuberance 
of  the  seeds,  quite  as  long  as  the  membranous  partition- 
Seeds  in  a  single  row,  hanging  down,  oval  or  orbicular,  com- 
pressed, with  or  Avitliout  a  border ;  cotyledons  flat,  accumbent , 

Akabis  thaliana  :  Common  Wall-oress ;  Turkey  Pod ; 
Whitlow  Grass. 

Beseription. — -It  is  an  annual.  i?oo(  tajjering,  fibrous.  Ste^n 
rather  branched,  varying  greatly  in  luxuriance,  upright, 
simple  or  branched,  hairy,  light  green,  from  three  to  twelve 
inches  high.  Leaves  various  in  shape  and  size,  spear-head- 
shaped,  egg,  or  reversed-egg-shaped,  entire  or  unequally 
notched,  their  downiness  short,  mostly  forked ;  radical 
leaves  close  to  the  ground,  numerous,  stalked ;  the  rest 
smaller,  few  and  scattered,  sometimes  naiTow-spear-head- 
shaped.  Stem-leaves  stalkless.  Flowers  small,  clustered,  on 
slender  stalks.  Calyx  generally  a  little  bristly  in  the  upper 
part.  Petals  twice  as  long,  nearly  upright,  white.  Glands 
minute,  and  inconstant,  curved,  but  scarcely  protruding 
between  the  calyx-leaves.  Pods  ascending,  on  spreading 
stalks,  slender,  somewhat  curved,  smooth,  hardly  an  inch 
long. 

Time  of  floioering . — April. 

Places  where  found. — Very  common  on  walls,  dry  banks, 
cottage  roofs,  and  sandy  soils. 

History  .—"[he  generic  name  has  been  surmised  to  have 
been  derived  from  Arabia,  in  allusion  to  the  sandy  soil  and 
other  dry  situations  where  the  first-known  species  were 
found.     Thaliana  is  derived  from  the  name  bestowed  upon 


the  plant  (Thalius),  by  Lugdunensis  and  Bauhin.     Gerarde 
calls  it  Paronychia,  thinking  it  might  be  the  plant  so  called 


by  the  Greeks.  He  says  it  grew  "  upon  the  brick-irall  in 
Chancery  Lane,  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Southampton." 
It  was  commonly  known  in  his  time,  as  "  Whitelow  Grass, 
Whiteblow,  and  Nailwort,"  because  "  it  hath  been  taken  to 
heal  the  disease  of  the  nails  called  a  Whitlow." 


We  do  not  know  that  a  better  definition  of  Protection 
could  be  given,  than  that  it  is  keeping  out  of  harm's 
way.  Such  a  definition  certainly  applies  most  aptly  to 
the  hest  mode  of  protecting  fruit-trees.  That  mode  is 
retardation.  What  is  called  "  protecting  wall  trees  "  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  saving  their  blossom  from 
being  destroyed  by  frost  in  sarly  spring.  To  effect  this, 
the  usual  methods,  from  time  immemorial,  have  been 
to  cover  them  at  night,  so  soon  as  the  petals  begin  to 
appear,  with  mats,  nets,  evergreen  branches,  and  such 
like.  Such  shelters  are  not  to  be  neglected,  but  still 
this  is  not  keeping  the  blossom  out  of  harm's  way.  It 
is  only  sheltering  them  after  they  have  got  into  danger. 
To  keep  the  blossoms  out  of  harm's  way  would  be 


best  effected  by  preventing  that  blossom  expanding 
until  the  spring  frosts  are  passed.  That  this  can  be 
effected,  there  is  no  doubt,  if  proper  care  and  precautions 
are  taken.  Mr.  Errington,  many  years  since,  made 
this  suggestion,  and  we  recur  to  it  now  because  we 
would  rouse  our  readers  to  try  experiments  during 
the  approaching  winter,  and  because  of  the  following 
letter : — 

"  My  Peaches  this  year,  on  a  W.S.W.  aspect,  have 
been  abundant.  Those  on  a  due  S.  and  S.E-  failed. 
This  aspect  has  something  to  do  with  such  result,  be. 
cause  I  have  always  observed  that  the  blossom  opens 
later  there,  and  the  leaves  do  not  blister  so  much.  This 
last  winter,  however,  remembering  what  you   stated 


No.  CCLXVIII,  Vol,  XL 


lU 


THE  COTTAGE   GAEDENER. 


November  17. 


abovit  retarding;  the  blossoming  of  Peacli  trees  by 
heaping  snow  about  their  stems  and  over  their  roots,  I 
adopted  every  mode  I  could  think  of  to  retard  my  trees 
in  blossoming  on  that  W.S.W.  wall.  I  unnailcd  thera, 
and  shaded  them  from  sunshine  throughout  the  winter, 
keeping  them  covered  with  wet  straw  and  mats,  but 
exposing  them  whenever  the  weather  was  cold  during 
the  day.  With  the  same  object  I  laid  bare  the  roots, 
and  I  pruned  late.  My  reward  was  having  the  trees 
bloom  full  II  fortnight  later,  and  having  a  good  crop. 
When  in  bloom  they  were  protected  with  nets  the  same 
as  those  on  the  S.  and  S.E.  walls;  but  on  these  I  had 
scarcely  a  dozen  Peaches  from  twice  as  many  trees  " 

We  earnestly  direct  our  readers'  attention  to  this 
subject,  repeating  what  cannot  bo  too  often  repeated — 
"  Remember,  the  best  protection  is  to  keep  your  blossom 
out  of  harm's  way."  Shelter  them  when  they  have  got 
into  that  way,  but  keep  them  out  of  it  as  long  as 
you  can. 


In  general,  pestilential  disorders,  as  is  the  case  with 
cholera  and  yellow  fever,  have  arisen  where  men  have 
been  collected  together  in  larger  crowds  than  is  con- 
sistent with  all  the  natural  requirements  of  the  cou- 
stitutiou;  whether  in  armies ;  in  popidar  gatherings;  at 
fairs  and  markets,  or  about  great  commercial  harbours. 
The  whole  air  of  such  places  becomes,  at  times,  un- 
qualified to  restore  to  the  blood  all  its  renewing  pro- 
perties, and  then  the  depraved  blood  (hardly  adequate 
to  supply  the  ordinary  wear  and  tear  of  the  frame)  is 
altogether  unable  to  repair  any  accidental  injury  or 
slight  ailment. 

The  state  of  the  air  is  worsened  where  the  free, 
natural  currents  of  large  rivers  are  obstructed  by  dams 
and  weirs,  and  their  waters  directed,  cut  off,  or  absorlied, 
for  irrigation  or  other  purposes.  Large  muddy  deposits 
at  the  low  levels  are  thus  left  exposed  to  the  air,  con- 
sisting of  an  anomalous  mass  of  decomposed  or  de- 
composing animal  and  vegetable  and  earthy  remains ; 
for  the  low  marsh  is  the  very  graveyard  of  the  valleys 
and  uplands  from  which  the  waters  descend.  The  un- 
healthiness  of  alluvial  deposits  was  noticed  by  Hippo- 
crates, and  history  and  ethnology  have  proved  the 
truth  of  the  observation.  Clay  is,  indeed,  tho  emblem 
of  mortality. 

It  is  a  sad  mischance,  when,  for  oiu'  trial,  or  for  social, 
or  "  whether  for  ancestral  faults,  or  our's,"  we  have 
foregone  that  choicest  provision  of  Divine  goodness,  tlie 
natural  reparatory  power  of  the  constitution.  That 
eminent  physician,  the  vis  medicalrix  natures,  over 
directs  at  the  consultations  of  the  poor,  lonely,  country 
practitioner,  and  too  often  stands  aloof  from  the  con- 
clave of  tho  doctors  of  the  city.  According  to  Cocker 
and  Mr.  I'arr,  tho  practice  of  tlie  latter  is  the  more 
unsuccessful;  and  wliere  neither  s]ieody  death  nor 
joyful  recovery  ends  tho  consultation,  tho  best  pro- 
scription is,  always,  removal  into  good  country  air. 

Among  other  large  assemblies  of  men  we  have  not 
enumerated    religious    meetings   as  being  prejudicial. 


The  lustrations  which  are  required  for  them  ;  the  clean 
garments  worn,  and  the  large  and  lofty  domes  in  which 
they  are  commonly  held,  besides  their  high  typical 
import,  have  a  moral  and  natural  tendency  to  form 
habits  of  quiet,  cleanliness,  order,  and  self  control. 

The  ceremonial  laws  ouce  laid  down  by  Moses,  if  no 
longer  binding,  yet  remain  for  our  instruction  (in  cir- 
cumstances not  wholly  unlike,  it  may  be)  in  that 
volume,  that  standing  miracle  which  the  Apostle  tells 
us  contains  all  things  needful  for  this  life,  as  well  as 
for  that  which  is  to  come. 

We  have  no  proof  that  the  leprosy  was  of  super- 
natural origin  in  the  first  instance.  The  Jewish  and 
Egyptian  historians  tell  us  that  the  labouring  slave 
population  of  Egypt  was  subject  to  a  horrible  epidemic 
before  the  E.Kodus.  Tho  Jews  at  that  time  occupied  a 
low,  marshy  situation ;  they  were  worn  down  by  pri- 
vations and  ill-usago,  and  denied  the  free  exercise  of 
their  elevating  and  purifying  religion.  It  is  no  con- 
tradiction to  this  view,  that  afterwards,  clearly  enough, 
the  leprosy  was  made  the  immediate  punislimcnt  for 
wilful  irreligion,  for  pride,  worldly-raindcdness,  and  sub- 
mission to  a  worse  than  Egyptian  bondage.  But  the 
tenor  of  the  old  Levitical  law  seems  rather  merciful 
than  penal  towards  the  subject.  And  if  its  provisions 
should  have  anticipated  every  wise  maxim  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  it  would  only  be  just  what  we  might 
expect.     Let  us  see. 

In  the  first  place,  all  slight  (as  wo  should  sny  pre- 
monitory) symptoms  are  to  be  early  looked  to.  The 
priest  claims  no  extraordinary  powers  here.  He 
separates  tlie  sick  man  from  the  camp,  "  for  his  own 
good,  as  well  as  that  of  the  public,  because  free  and 
fresh  air  would  contribute  not  a  little  towards  bis 
recovery."  (Biblioth :  Bibl.)  If  after  seven  days  this 
change  of  air  induced  no  amendment,  but  tlie  disorder 
was  aggravated  instead,  the  specific  nature  of  the  com- 
plaint was  proved.  We  have  already  seen  how  character- 
istic a  mark  a  breaking-out  of  tho  skin  is,  if  a  dis- 
tempered condition,  especially  if  it  exhibit  no  disposition 
to  heal  of  itself. 

The  direct  connexion  between  disease  and  a  want  of 
cleanliness  is  assorted  in  the  plainest  words.  And  tho 
provisions  for  enforcing  sanitary  observances,  with  all 
reverence  be  it  spoken,  a|)pear  plainer,  and  nioro  prae- 
tioal  than  what  wo  moderns  have  ordered.  No  e.^cro- 
montitions  whatever  were  allowed  to  defile  llic  Israclitish 
camp;  they  must  be  covered  over  with  earth,  forthwith, 
outside  the  camp. 

Orders  are  just  now  beginning  to  bo  given  for  the 
daily  scavenging  ,  of  unwholesome  places,  and  tlie 
instant  removal,  at  whatever  cost,  of  all  offensive 
matters  before  putrefaction  has  too  far  advanced.  T>arge 
masses  of  manure,  dangerous  to  leave  where  they  arc, 
dangerous  to  stir,  too,  are,  as  a  last  resource,  now 
ordered  by  the  authorities  to  ho  covered  well  over  with 
earth.  They  would  only  too  gladly  ro-ouact  in  tho 
northern  towns  the  Jewish  proliibitiou  of  swine. 

Tho  distinction  in  favour  of  the  sanitary  ipuilities  of 
fresh,  running  water,  lias  scriptural  authority.  The  land 


November  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


115 


of  promise  is  to  be  a  land  watered  with  the  bounteous 
raius  of  heaven,  and  not  artificially  irrigated ;  not 
watered  with  the  foot,  like  Egypt.  The  house  iu  which 
one  has  been  sick  is  to  be  washed  seveti  times,  with  free 
use  of  aromatic  herbs.  Fires  are  also  to  bo  used  for 
purification. 

Tlien,  as  to  the  clothes  of  the  sick.  Articles  defiled 
by  the  prespu-atiou  of  the  whole  skin  only  are  to  be 
washed ;  but  if  polluted  by  the  ichorous  discharge  from 
a  broken,  diseased  surface,  they  are  to  be  burnt.  We 
all  know  that  clothes  laid  by  will  sometimes  mould  and 
decay ;  and  the  tendency  of  a  certain  condition  of  the 
air  to  accelerate  these  and  similar  dangers  has  been 
adverted  to  in  a  former  paper. 

At  the  present  time,  in  districts  affected  with  cholera, 
some  people  have  taken  note  of  the  mouldiness  which 
comes  over  joints  of  meat  hung  up  in  the  air,  thinking, 
by  the  character  of  this  putrefaction,  and  its  progi'ess 
from  day  to  day,  to  judge  of  the  persistency  or  dimi- 
nution of  the  choleraic  taint  in  the  air,  as  by  a  sort  of 
cbolerimeter. 

On  some  such  principles  we  should  be  inclined  to 
account  for  the  laws  as  to  the  leprosy  in  houses  (and 
something  of  the  same  nature  was  observed  during  the 
plague  in  London).  It  is  remai'ked,  that,  in  later  times, 
the  Rabbis  behoved  "  that  this  sore  disease  was  in- 
flicted, first,  on  tho  houses  and  garments,  as  a  punish- 
ment for  lesser  sins;  and  if  men  continued  in  a  course 
of  wickedness,  then  it  invaded  their  bodies ;  so  that  it 
begun  in  their  houses  which  were  not  infected  by  the  in- 
habitants, but  the  inhabitants  by  them."  (Lewis.)  The 
general  immunity  of  the  Jews  from  cholera  is  very 
singular ;  though  under  oppressive  or  intolerant  govern- 
ment they  have  suffered,  no  doubt. 

With  the  following  quotations  from  the  author  of 
"  The  Analogy,"  we  would,  for  the  present,  conclude  our 
remai'ks  on  a  subject  upon  which  a  vast  deal  more 
might  be  said: — 

"  The  Law  of  Moses,  then,  and  the  Gospel,  are  autho- 
ritative publications  of  the  religion  of  nature;  tliey 
afford  a  proof  of  God's  general  providence  as  m6ral 
Governor  of  the  world,  as  well  as  his  particular  dispen- 
sations towards  sinful  creatures  as  revealed  in  the  Law 
and  the  Gospel."  "  But  it  is  one  of  the  peculiar  weak- 
nesses of  human  natm'e,  when  upon  a  comparison  of 
two  things  one  is  found  to  be  of  greater  importance 
than  the  other,  to  consider  this  other  of  scarce  any  im- 
portance at  all."  J.  J. 


At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  British  Association  at  Hull, 
a  paper  was  read  by  Dr.  Horner,  before  the  Zoological 
section,  in  reference  to  some  discoveries  concerning  the 
chicken  in  the  egg,  and  its  liberation  from  the  shell. 

The  subject  is  one  that  will  interest  many  of  our 
readers,  and  we  have,  therefore,  endeavoured  to  arrange 
a  brief  abstract  of  the  facts  on  which  his  contradiction 
has  been  given  to  the  common  opinion  of  the  tapping 
noise  that  immediately  pi'ecedes  the  exit  of  the  chicken 


from  its  shell  being  caused  by  tlie  action  of  the  beak  on 

the  latter  substance. 

Dr.  Horner  commenced  by  observing,  that  the  chicken 
in  the  egg  had  often  formed  a  deeply  interesting  subject 
of  investigation  to  the  physiologist,  as  well  as  to  the 
naturalist,  both  of  this  and  other  countries,  inasmuch 
as,  from  the  facility  of  observation,  it  so  admirably  illus- 
trated the  order  of  development  and  growth  of  the 
different  organs  and  parts  of  the  body.  After  alluding 
to  the  various  phenomena  of  incubation,  he  stated,  that 
the  special  object  of  his  communication  was  to  an- 
nounce the  discovery  of  the  nature  of  tho  sound  which 
is  heard  within  the  egg  during  the  last  two  days  of 
incubation,  and  to  show  what  is  the  exact  mode  by 
which  the  chick  breaks  the  shell. 

Now,  the  opinion  so  universally  hold,  not  only  by 
amateurs  and  breeders  of  poultry,  but  also  by  natu- 
ralists and  physiologists,  that  the  tapping,  or,  moi-e 
truly,  the  crackling,  sounds,  heai'd  within  the  egg  on 
the  aoth  and  21st  days  of  incubation,  were  caused  by 
the  efforts  of  the  chick  to  break  the  shell,  he  proved  to 
be  erroneous  by  the  following  experiments.  First,  by 
breaking  a  hole  in  the  large  end  of  the  egg,  when  the 
bill  of  the  chicken  was  seen  to  be  quite  stationary,  and 
never  coming  in  contact  with  the  shell,  though  the 
sounds  referred  to  continued  as  before.  Secondly,  by 
observing  that  the  sounds  were  heard  in  other  instances, 
before  the  bill  had  emerged  from  the  folds  of  the  mem- 
brane which  envelopes  the  chicken,  and,  consequently, 
it  could  not  then  be  employed  to  break  the  shell.  And 
thirdly,  by  enlarging  the  aperture  in  the  shell  first  made 
by  the  chicken,  so  as  to  isolate  the  bill,  and  prevent  the 
possibility  of  its  coming  in  contact  with  the  shell,  when 
the  same  sounds  still  continued  to  be  heard  as  before — 
thus  proving  that  the  sounds  heard  within  the  egg  were 
not,  and  could  not  be,  produced  by  the  bill  of  the 
chicken  breaking  the  shell. 

On  examining  a  recently-hatched  chicken,  by  placing 
the  ear,  and  also  the  stethesoope,  on  its  breast  and 
sides,  a  precisely  similar  sound  was  identified  as  had 
been  heard  within  the  egg.  Thus,  as  Dr.  Horner  ob- 
served, "my  enquiry  was  complete— viz. ,  that  the  sound 
heard  within  the  egg  during  the  last  two  days  of  in- 
cubation is  not  caused  by  the  tapping,  or  by  any  other 
mode  of  contact  of  the  chicken's  bill  with  the  shell ; 
but  that  it  is  truly  respiratory,  and  produced  by  the 
transmission  of  air  through  the  lungs  ;  in  other  words, 
that  it  is  nothing  more  than  the  natural  respiratory 
sound  of  the  chicken."  Such  an  explanation  receives, 
also,  collateral  testimony  from  the  discovery  of  physio- 
logists, that  air  first  enters  the  lungs  of  the  chicken 
about  the  end  of  the  19th  day  from  the  commencement 
of  incubation — viz.,  at  the  very  period  at  wliich  this 
sound,  truly  respiratory,  first  begins  to  be  heard.  In 
further  proof  of  his  assertion,  Dr.  Horner  also  ascer- 
tained that  the  frequency  of  the  respiratory  act  exactly 
accorded  with  the  repetition  of  the  sound  within  the 
egg.  The  action  of  the  heart  of  a  newly -hatched 
chicken,  he  noticed,  was  so  rapid  that  it  could  not  be 


110 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


November  17. 


counted,  whilst  its  impulse  aud  sound  were  diseeraed 
with  difficulty. 

The  opinion  that  the  shell  is  broken  by  a  cutting  or 
scraping  motion  of  the  bill  through  the  agency  of  the 
pointed  horny  scale  at  its  end  was  shown  to  be  falla- 
cious, as  the  membrane  which  lines  the  shell  is,  in  the 
first  instance,  left  entire,  whQe  the  shell  itself  without 
has  been  chipped  or  broken  off.  Now,  the  shell.  Dr. 
Horner  stated,  was  really  broken  bit  by  bit,  and  with 
apparent  ease  by  a  healthy  chicken,  and  generally  by 
one  single  smart  blow,  although,  in  some  instances,  the 
blow  is  immediately  repeated,  or  double.  Each  stroke 
of  the  hill  was  made  with  considerable  power,  imping- 
ing with  force  against  the  shell,  as  was  seen,  as  well  as 
felt  and  heard,  by  placing  the  ear  against  the  part 
when  broken.  When  the  period  of  hatching  approaches, 
the  chicken,  whicii  previously  liad  occupied  but  two- 
thirds  of  the  space  within  the  egg,  now  raises  itself 
in  the  shell  by  a  struggling  movement,  and  by  thus 
unpacking,  as  it  were,  of  itself,  acquires  more  liberty 
for  its  efforts  of  liberation  from  its  shell. 

Dr.  Homer  concluded  by  observing,  that  the  reason 
why  the  shell  is  always  broken  from  right  to  left  (and 
not  from  left  to  right,  as  some  writers  had  fancifully 
stated)  is  because  the  chicken  is  so  packed  in  the  shell 
that  the  head  always  reclines  under  the  left  wing,  and 
on  the  left  side  of  its  body ;  so  that  it  can  only  work 
and  turn  with  facility  towards  that  side. 

It  is  satisfactory  to  observe  that  the  attention  of  men 
of  science  lias  been  given  to  subjects  of  this  nature, 
and,  although  it  may  be  said  that  such  enquiries  do  not 
immediately  benefit  the  more  practical  branches  of 
poultry-keeping,  still  it  cannot  be  denied  that  they  serve 
a  most  useful  purpose,  in  promoting  experiments  and 
habits  of  investigation  that  may  guide  us  towards  not 
only  a  more  skilful,  but  also  a  more  profitable,  system 
of  poultry  management.  Naturalists  have  too  often 
regarded  domesticated  animals  as  removed  from  the 
sphere  of  their  labours,  under  the  same  impressions  as 
lead  botanists  to  look  with  scorn  on  the  florist's  most 
cherished  specimens.  We  hope,  however,  for  better 
things,  being  satisfied  that  all  that  concerns  the  ex- 
istence of  either  birds  or  animals  in  a  domestic  state 
must  be  interesting,  and  may  be  useful  knowledge. 

W. 


BROCOLIS,   CAULIFLOWERS,   &o. 

Who  shall  keep  the  cook  in  temper  without  a  due 
supply  of  these  useful  adjuncts  of  the  noble  science 
of  gastronomy?  That  our  cooks  are  a  most  important 
class  in  society,  wlio  will  doubt ;  aud  to  produce  first- 
rate  dinners  they  should,  of  course,  have  first-rate 
materials  ;  aud  hero  I  must  confess  to  the  low  feeling  of 
envy — the  cook  can  make  her  fire  as  she  pleases,  but 
can  the  gardener  say  the  same  of  the  weather,  on  which, 
as  the  world  knows,  the  results  of  his  practice  must  ever, 
in  a  great  measure,  depend,  let  his  skill  bo  ever  so  first- 
rate  ?  Who  has  not  heard  of  the  poor  frozen-out  gar- 
deners? but  who  ever  heard  of  a  cook  being  frozen  out? 
for  be  the  weather  outside  ever  so  severe,  tlie  kitchen 
server  may  still  be  soon  going  his  daily  rounds,  albeit 


his  materials  may  be  somewhat  of  an  adamantine  cha- 
racter. 

It  being  admitted  that  a  supply  of  these  vegetables  is 
liable  to  be  almost  constantly  in  request,  lot  us  see  on 
what  this  depends. 

On  the  face  of  the  subject,  however,  we  have  to 
grapple  with  a  most  formidable  foe,  by  far  too  well 
known  to  most  of  our  readers  under  the  title  of  club. 
At  first  sight,  the  culture  of  a  Cauliflower  aud  a  few 
Brocolis  may  seem  a  small  affair  to  some,  but  I  can 
assure  them,  that  with  many  families  they  are  one  of 
the  prime  essentials  of  the  kitchen;  for  1  may  freely 
affirm,  that  the  family  I  liave  the  honour  to  serve  have 
not  missed,  perhaps,  some  kind  of  Cauliflowers  or 
Brocolis,  a  score  times  through  the  year  during  the  last 
few  years,  that  is  to  say,  if  they  desire  them,  and, 
indeed,  they  generally  do.  Having  had  much  to  do 
with  these  vegetables  in  my  time,  I  shall  speak  with 
freedom  about  their  culture,  &c.  With  regard  to  "  the 
club,"  it  is  a  tolerably  well-ascertained  fact,  that  hard- 
worked  soils  are  more  liable  to  it  than  those  which  have 
been  under  grass  ;  in  farming  language,  "  leys."  Both 
remedial  and  preventive  measures  have  been  adopted 
by  me,  during  the  last  seven  years,  with  such  good 
success,  that  I  boldly  recommend  them ;  for  prior  to 
that,  I  had  the  utmost  difficulty  in  supplying  our 
family  with  anything  like  regularity ;  since  which, 
as  before  observed,  failures  are  almost  unknown.  The 
preventive  measure  consists  in  deep  trenching  every 
three  years,  bringing  up  each  successive  time  some  of 
the  subsoil,  unless  that  be  a  rank  clay.  As  to  remedials, 
I  use  burned,  or  rather  charred,  rubbish  fi'eely,  boring 
huge  holes  at  the  planting  position,  filling  them  full  of 
the  charred  materials,  and  dipping  the  roots  of  the 
plants  in  soot-water  mud — a  pudding  system — before 
inserting  them  in  the  prepared  holes.  But  this  I  found 
not  thoroughly  satisfactory  without  a  previous  con- 
sideration ;  I  found  out  that  it  was  requisite,  like  many 
other  things,  to  begin  at  the  beginning,  and  proceeding 
on  a  sort  of  normal  system.  This  consisted  in  taking 
means  to  secure  healthy  plants  in  the  seed-bed.  1, 
therefore,  select  the  poorest  plot  in  the  garden  annually, 
and  trench  it  very  deep  in  November,  tbrowmg  it  into  a 
steep  ridge,  or  winter's  fallow  ;  this  is  levelled  down  in 
the  end  of  March,  and  a  dressing,  three  inches  tbick,  of 
my  favourite  charred  weeds,  &c.,  is  forked  in.  I  do  not 
fork  more  than  six  inches  in  depth,  and  generally 
perform  the  operation  twice  when  the  soil  is  dry ;  and 
thus  the  surface,  or  seed-bed  itself  is  comjjosed  as  nearly 
as  may  be  of  subsoil  and  charred  material. 

Our  readers  may — some  of  the  younger  portion,  at 
least — desire  to  know  something  more  philosophic  con- 
cerning this  old,  but,  as  yet,  ill-uuderatood-disease,  the 
devastations  of  which,  if  they  could  be  presented  in  the 
aggregate  from  all  quarters,  would  present  a  most 
astounding  item  in  our  economics.  It  is  settled,  I 
believe,  by  our  Natural  History  gentlemen,  that  the 
swelling,  known  by  the  name  of  "  club  "  in  the  Cabbage- 
worts,  aud  by  that  of  "  anbury  "  in  the  'Turnips,  is  pro- 
duced by  a  small  insect,  a  species  of  weevil.  But,  then, 
like  the  Potato  botrytis,  we  may  fairly  turn  and  ask, 
what  is  the  predisposing  cause?  In  my  opinion,  hard 
]>loughing,  or  hard  digging  il'  you  will,  is  one  of  the 
principal.  Land,  under  constant  culture  for  years,  must, 
of  necessity,  become  altered  in  its  constituents;  there 
must  bo  a  lack  of  some  matters,  and  a  superabundance 
of  others,  whether  organic  or  inorgauic  ;  the  results  from 
which  could  scarcely  be  expected  to  confine  themselves 
to  weakness  alone,  but  extend  even  to  tho  production  of 
positive  disease,  or  a  vitiated  constitution. 

The  vast  amount  of  humus,  too,  which  most  gardens 
contain,  seems  here  an  evil.  How  the  latter  acts  in  tho 
production  of  club,  if  it  bo  so,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know ; 
but  certain  it  is,  that  this  tribe  will  not  succeed  so  well 


NOVEMBEE  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


117 


on  soils  overcharged  with  it  as  on  sound  loamy  soils. 
It  seems  probable  to  me,  that  this  superabundance  of 
humus  might  be  corrected  by  the  application  of  lime ; 
and  if  I  could  obtain  lime  with  the  facility  some  persons 
can,  I  should  certainly  try  it  liberally.  However,  until 
we  can  obtain  a  broader  and  more  scientific  -view  of  the 
subject,  let  me  advise  our  readers  to  persist  in  the 
maxims  here  laid  down,  lualess  they  happen  to  have 
some  superior  mode. 

I  will  now  return  from  the  collateral  branches  to  the 
main  trunk  of  my  subject,  which  is  to  shew  how  one 
portion  or  other  of  tile  families  of  Cauliflowers  and 
Brocolis  can  be  bad  in  use  nearly  all  the  year  ;  and  I 
plainly  foresee,  that  to  say  my  whole  say  on  this  subject, 
I  must  finish  it  in  another  paper. 

To  enumerate  the  kinds  in  vogue  would  be  an  almost 
endless,  and,  I  may  add,  a  needless,  task.  It  will  be 
better  to  throw  them  into  broad  sections,  and  I  will  first 
point  to  the  Cauliflower  race,  of  which  we  have  but  two 
essentially  distinct,  as  far  as  I  am  aware,  viz. :  the  term 
old  London  Cauliflaiier,  and  the  Asiatic,  which  is,  I  fancy, 
synonymouswith  that  called  the  Ze!/den  Caulijlower;  and 
which,  when  true,  used  to  be  nearly  a  month  later,  and 
used  for  succession  crops.  Then,  in  Brocolis,  there  is 
the  Walcherens,  which  are,  probably,  of  the  old  Grange 
impregnated  class,  or  hybrids  partaking  more  or  less  of 
the  Cauliflower  character. 

The  Cajies  are  another  and  distinct  class,  of  very 
precocious  habit,  and  of  much  importance  in  a  suc- 
cession, especially  for  small  gardens,  as  they  occupy 
less  room  than  many  others,  and  dodge  in  famously 
through  the  months  of  August,  September,  October,  and 
November,  and  serve  to  stop  a  gap  when  Cauliflowers 
or  ^""11116  Autumn  Brocolis  are  wanting  ;  but  our  fancy 
cooks  will  not  use  them  whilst  they  can  command  nice 
white  Cauliflowers.  The  old  Capes  of  former  days  were 
but  two  distinct  kinds — Puijjle  and  White;  the  chief 
difference  being  in  coloiu- ;  and  these,  sown  in  the  first 
week  of  June,  might  be  obtained  in  nice  head  in  lialf-a- 
score  weeks  afterwards.  Now,  however,  there  are  many 
kinds  of  the  Capes,  if  we  may  judge  by  our  modern 
seedmen's  list,  such  as  Adam's,  Hammond's,  Dancer's 
&c. ;  but  the  real  character  of  which,  in  the  main,  would 
not  do  for  those  eminent  growers  to  cultivate  whose 
names  they  bear.  But  of  this  matter,  more  before  T 
close  the  subject.  It  apjjears  that  some  of  these  modern 
Capes  are  hybrids,  or  cross-bred  with  our  later  kinds, 
for  they  have  not  the  tendency  to  "  bolt,  or  run,"  so 
much  as  the  original  Capes,  to  which,  indeed,  the  latter 
were  too  liable,  especially  if  impure  in  kind. 

As  another  distinct  section,  I  may  now  name  the 
Branching  or  Sprouting  Brocolis,  of  which  there  are 
some  two  or  three  varieties,  all  purplish,  and  a  very 
useful  class  they  are,  possessing  very  distinct  and  peculiar 
habits,  one  of  which  is,  that  besides  a  head,  they  continue 
to  produce  small,  neat  sprouts,  or  buds,  each  of  which  is 
a  Brocoli  head  in  minature,  through  November,  Decem- 
ber, January,  and  February.  What  Brussels  Sprouts 
are  amongst  the  Cabbages,  these  are  amongst  the 
Brocolis;  they  hold  an  equally  important  position. 
Indeed,  no  small  family  should  be  without  them,  and  no 
large  one  will  choose  to  dispense  with  them,  if  once  they 
fair-ly  scrape  acquaintance  with  them.  One  of  their 
chief  features,  to  which  I  beg  to  direct  special  attention, 
is  that  they  are  of  so  excitable  a  character,  as,  with 
the  least  mildness  of  temperatui'e,  they  continue  to  pro- 
duce buds  or  sprouts  in  the  very  depth  of  winter,  when 
most  other  Brocolis  are  dormant ;  for  as  to  the  other 
classes,  all  those  which  Irad  not  formed  their  heads  by 
the  end  of  October,  or  through  the  earlier  part  of  Novem- 
ber, remain  stationary  until  the  first  mild  weather  in 
the  end  of  January ;  requiring,  in  fact,  a  greater  share 
of  warmth  to  stimulate  them.  Their  flavour,  too,  is, 
in  my  opinion,  superior  to  most  of  the  Brocolis ;  they 


appear  to  combine  a  slight  amount  of  that  peculiar 
flavour  which  is  found  in  the  Turnip-top,  with  the 
Brocoli  flavour;  perhaps  about  ten  per  cent,  of  the 
former. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  true  spring  Brocolis,  which 
generally  begin  to  come  in  about  the  first  or  second 
week  in  February,  and  continue  until  the  middle  of  May, 
when  they  should  be  immediately  succeeded  by  early 
Cauliflowers  from  hand-glasses.  And  thus  it  will  be 
seen,  that  where  it  is  desirable,  where  plenty  of  manure, 
labour,  and  genuine  kinds  can  be  got  at,  one  or  other  of 
this  numerous  family  may  be  had  nearly,  or  quite,  the 
whole  year;  and  of  what  other  vegetable  but  Cabbage 
can  we  say  so  much  ?  Thirty  years  since,  there  were 
not  half-a-score  late  kinds  cultivated  ;  the  Late  Purple, 
the  Brimstone,  the  Danish,  the  Late  TFhite,  &c,,  were  the 
chief  grown.  In  those  days  we  had  no  glowing  fancy 
seed-envelopes  to  be  opened,  as  our  friend  Beaton  says, 
by  kid-glove  men  ;  and  the  superlative  additions  of  jjrim«, 
choice,  very  superior,  splendid,  exquisite,  Sc,  did  not  show 
their  face  on  the  old  brown  wrappers.  I  cannot  but  think 
that  it  is  now  march  of  intellect  with  a  vengeance,  and 
I  will  engage,  that  even  the  addition  of  the  above  fine 
titles  alone,  and  which  are  not  half  the  modern  vocabu- 
lary as  applied  to  seeds,  in  all  pi'obability  increase  the 
profits  of  seedsmen  a  very  many  thousands  in  the 
aggregate.  "What  a  farce  is  it,  from  a  beautiful  paper 
fit  for  a  duchess  to  handle,  to  take  seeds  endorsed, 
"  splendid  Vf aloheren  Brocoli,  rery  superb  :"  and  when 
the  cook  calls  out  for  a  dish,  to  find  the  King  of  Spades 
disagreeably  surprised,  and  standing  aghast  amongst  his 
"  superbs,"  at  finding  them  a  lot  of  rubbish,  scarcely  fit 
for  cattle ;  and,  indeed,  no  Walcheren  at  all.  Here,  then, 
one  link  in  his  chain  has  snapped,  and  he  is  called  to 
book  sharply. 

I  must  here  confess  that  much  of  this  is  due  to  a 
perverseness  on  the  jiart  of  ths  public,  one  portion  of 
which  is  keener  by  half  in  the  heart  after  some  new 
thing,  than  after  higher  points  of  cultiu-e,  and  a  full 
elucidation  of  the  habits,  characters,  and  qualities  of 
proved  good  things.  I  may  here  state,  that  it  has  been 
pleasurable  of  late  to  see  a  desire  to  avoid  these  ex- 
tremes, and  that  some  of  our  more  respectable  seeds- 
men have  shown  a  strong  wish  to  purge  their  lists. 

But  as  to  late  or  spring  Brocolis,  we  have  now  a 
most  voluminous  list,  most  of  them  showing  more  or 
less  the  features  of  some  of  the  before-named  types, 
with  sometimes  appearances  of  an  acquaintance  having 
been  formed  with  the  Cauliflower  and  its  congeners. 
But  the  worst  of  it  is,  that  if  you  were  to  select  twelve 
sorts  from  each  of  the  lists  of  as  distinct  as  the  names 
can  indicate,  from  three  different  seedsmen's  catalogues, 
the  probability  is,  that  you  would  not  have  more  than 
half-a-score  distinct,  or  worth  consideration,  out  of  the 
whole  thirty-six.  In  these  facts  there  is  nothing  invi- 
diously entertained,  for  it  is  traceable,  in  the  main,  to 
too  great  a  desire  for  novelty. 

With  this  late  or  spring  Brocoli,  then,  ends  my  deli- 
neations of  the  classes  which  are  placed  in  their  order 
of  succession ;  and  in  a  succeeding  paper,  I  will  try  to 
show  how  to  handle  them,  so  as  to  keep  up  a  continual 
supply.  E.  Ereingion. 


MEETING  OF  THE  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
November  1,  1853. 
The  meetings  of  the  Horticultural  Society  are  now 
held,  for  the  winter,  from  two  to  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  the  last  up-train  in  the  morning,  past  my 
door,  is  at  ten  o'clock;  therefore,  I  must  either  go  by 
this  train,  or  swallow  an  early  dinner,  and  be  off  without 
nuts  or  nut-crackers ;  and  so  by  the  early  train  I  go 
to  these  meetings,  which  allows  me  time  to  look  round 


118 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


November  ]  7. 


Covent  Garden  market.  Then,  there  is  Mr.  Steven's 
sale  rooms  close  at  hand,  and  it  so  happens  that  he  sells 
all  manner  of  fowls  every  day  our  society  meets,  and, 
of  course,  one  must  call  in  on  passing  the  door,  if  only 
to  keep  up  old  acquaintance.  I  did  not  wait  this  time 
to  see  the  high  prices  they  hid  for  fancy  birds,  hut  I  never 
saw  so  many  really  good  birds  before  in  this  room.  Of 
all  he  sells,  the  light  Buff  Shangbaes  are  my  choice  ;.and 
the  best  hen  among  them,  according  to  my  fancy,  was 
lot  93 ;  and  the  next,  lot  80.  Then,  as  many  of  our 
readers  nnist  have  seen  the  result  of  this  day's  sale,  and 
as  very  probably  I  may  never  see  it,  they  can  judge 
from  the  prices  these  two  lots  fetched  how  far  I  have 
succeeded  in  learning  what  are  the  best  points  in  this 
breed;  the  greatest  defect  in  either  of  these  hens  is  a 
little  wear  in  the  comb.  There  were  above  two  hundred 
lots,  and  I  should  think  much  about  four  hundred  birds  ; 
and  if  so,  three  hundred  of  them  were  Bull'  and  common 
Shanghaes.  There  were  four  or  five  pens,  or  lots,  of  jet 
Black  birds  of  this  breed,  and  a  few  White  ones,  also 
Partridge-speckled  ones ;  but  tlie  Buflfs  formed  the  bulk 
of  the  sale,  which  was  more  like  a  show  than  a  sale- 
room that  day.  When  I  v/as  a  flower  gardener,  I  did 
not  care  the  value  of  a  straw  for  the  "  points  "  which  the 
florists  most  prize  in  their  new  Dahlias,  and  when  I  saw 
a  new  Dahlia  in  a  bed  for  the  first  time,  if  it  did  not 
come  up  to  the  points  most  prized  by  the  ladies,  I  would 
out  with  the  book  and  mark  D.  against  the  name ;  D. 
stands  for  many  things,  but  in  my  garden  book  it  stood 
only  for  "  done  with."  Now,  although  we  have  bad  new 
Daldias  and  other  florists'  flowers  coming  out  every 
season,  for  time  out  of  mind,  and  notwithstanding  that 
some  of  us  cared  very  little  about  the  qualities  which 
gave  them  value,  still,  a  really  good,  new  flower  of  any  of 
the  fancy  breeds  commands  a  high  price — as  much,  in- 
deed, as  it  did  five-and-twenty  years  ago  ;  I  take  it,  there- 
fore, that  a  fancy  bird  of  any  of  the  strains,  and  more  par- 
ticularly these  Shanghaes,  with  all  the  points  up  to  the 
mark  of  the  fancy,  will  command  just  as  high  a  price 
twenty  years  hence  as  they  fetch  at  the  present  day ; 
and  for  this  reason,  that  it  is  just  as  difficult  to  get  a 
really  good  fancy  bird  as  it  is  to  raise  a  superior  seedling. 
But,  already,  it  is  just  as  clear  as  crystal,  that  the  heads 
of  departments  in  the  poultry  fancy  are  getting  on  the 
old  horse  which  ran  away  with  the  florists,  and  never 
stopped  till  he  and  they  got  head  over  heels  into  the 
ditch,  whence  no  one  has  ever  yet  got  out  with  clear 
garments  and  untarnished  reputation. 

Be  that  their  business,  and  mine  to  report  on  Covent 
Oarden,  of  which  I  know  much  now,  as  that  I  regu- 
larly go  to  a  certain  stall  for  a  bit  of  gossip,  about  flowers 
and  new  ways,  before  I  go  round  the  market ;  this  stall 
is  kept  by  a  nice  young  woman,  who  thinks  I  am  a 
foreigner,  and  never  dreams  that  I  am  ever  likely  to  put 
up  in  opposition  to  her,  so  I  get  into  all  the  secrets 
about  how  they  do  things  for  the  market.  Oauntlet  is 
the  newest  and  best  paying  Geranium  they  have  got.  It 
is  now  on  sale  almost  all  the  year  round.  It  forces  with 
less  heat  than  Alha  multiflora,  is  a  good  bedder,  and 
comes  "  of  itself,"  till  very  near  Christmas.  It  is  not 
"  business-like "  to  bring  plants  of  it  for  sale,  as  cut 
flowers  pay  so  much  better. 

The  next  newest  move — only  three  years  old  in  this 
market — is  mixing  various  kinds  of  live  moss  witli  cut 
flowers,  and  this  has  "  taken "  so  well,  that  penny 
bunches  of  green  moss  are  now  as  common  on  the  stalls 
as  cut  flowers  themselves.  This  certainly  deserves 
imitation ;  you  can  hardly  believe  how  nice  the  moss  sets 
off  Rosebuds,  at  this  season,  in  glasses  or  china  vases,  in 
rooms,  and  the  moss  lasts  a  very  long  time  in  water  ; 
you  can  never  make  believe  that  you  have  living  plants 
on  the  table  by  mixing  their  own  leaves  with  cut 
flowers ;  therefore,  when  there  is  a  better  substitute, 
leaves  ought  to  be  sparingly  used,  and  the  best  flowers 


in  the  world  arc  improved  in  looks  by  having  something 
mixed  with  them  in  the  glasses.  The  best  cut  flowers 
were  the  following:  Roses  of  many  sorts — the  Stamlurd 
of  Marengo,  the  darkest  of  them,  and  a  thin  flower; 
Mignonette,  horier  Anemo7ies,  Pansies,  double  Marhjolds, 
Heliotropes,  of  which  the  old  one  was  the  host;  Wall- 
floieers,  Pieotees,  Dahlias.  Scarlet  Oauntlet  Oeraniums; 
and  Corn-flowers  (Centaurea  Cyanea),  Sweet  Gera- 
nium leaves  in  bunches.  Scabious,  Chrysanthemums, 
chiefly  the  Queen  and  Pompones  ;  Camellias,  the  old 
double  white,  and  the  old  variegated ;  Ten-%eeek  Slocks, 
Cactus  (Epiphyllum  speciosum  breed),  Aphelandra  cris- 
tata,  Ixora  coccinea,  leaves  of  Cissus  discolor,  beautiful 
garnisliers  with  cut  flowers.  Alamanda  cathurlica, 
Daphne  Indica  ruhra.  Auriculas,  Fuchsias,  Heaths, 
Ageratums,  and  Potentillas. 

The  liowfuets  were  not  numerous  nor  tastefully  made, 
except  three  kinds.  'The  simplest  and  best  made  one 
had  a  double  Avhite  Camellia  for  a  centre  ;  the  body  was 
quartered  in  dark  blue  and  white,  with  a  fringe  of  Mig- 
nonette near  the  fancy  cut  paper  in  which  all  these 
market  nosegays  are  put  up.  There  were  six  divisions 
of  dark  blue  Violets,  increasing  in  breadth  from  the 
Camellia  to  the  Mignonette,  say  a  bunch  of  five  Violets 
for  the  first  round  after  the  Camellia,  and  every  suc- 
ceeding I'ound  having  a  greater  number  of  Violets  in 
the  bunch ;  the  six  white  stripes  to  divide  tlie  blues 
were  of  single  flowers  of  the  double  white  China  Prim- 
rose. This  is  exceedingly  pretty  when  well  done.  We 
had  the  same  style  last  spring — white  Hyacinths  divid- 
ing quarters  of  blue,  and  the  dark  Hyacinths,  Prince 
Albert,  to  make  black  ribs  for  white  quartering.  A 
very  simple  nosegay  is  made  with  a  white  Camellia,  or 
white  Piose,  for  a  centre,  then  a  row  of  bunches  of  Violets 
round  it,  and  outside  a  thin  fringe  of  Mignonette.  A 
child  could  make  this  nosegay. 

Another  tasteful  nosegay  was  made  exactly  as  I  advise 
geometric  flower-gardens  to  be  planted.  A  garden  so 
planted,  or  a  nosegay  so  made,  will  stand  proof,  thus — 
Cut  it  into  two  across  or  lengthways ;  and  if  the  two 
parts  could  be  folded  together,  like  two  leaves  of  a  book, 
the  same  colours  and  the  same-sized  plants  would  fall 
on  each  other  throughout :  a  bed  of  yellow,  eighteen 
inches  high,  could  not  fold  over  a  yellow  bed,  only  ten 
inches  high,  witliout  a  serious  blemish.  Now,  the  nose- 
gay on  this  plan  had,  for  a  centre,  a  large,  double,  white 
Camellia, — a  scarlet  or  rose  Camellia  would  spoil  the 
whole, — two  bunches  of  Violets,  two  ditto  of  Oauntlet 
Geranium,  two  of  Scarlet  Geranium,  two  of  the  yellow 
Citisus  (ramosus),  two  bunches  of  Heliotropes,  two 
double  white  China  Primrose,  three  Idnds  of  Roses,  iuo 
flowers  of  each,  then  a  fringe  of  Mignonette,  and  a  row 
of  rose-scented  Geraniums  for  a  guard.  The  colours  in 
this  nosegay  were  not  exactly  placed  as  one  woidd 
arrange  thera  in  a  flowei'-garden,  but  it  was  a  very 
good  attempt,  and  the  best  disposition  of  colours  I  ever 
saw  in  a  nosegay.  I  could  almost  vouch  for  it  that 
that  nosegay  was  made  by  a  woman,  whose  natiu'al 
taste  has  not  been  vitiated  by  reading  _  about  these 
things,  except,  perhaps,  in  The  Cott.\gp.  G.vrdener. 

The  best  Vegetables  in  the  market  were — White 
Turnips ;  Red  Cabbage ;  Celery ;  black  Spanish  Ra- 
dishes, as  large  as  Ribston  Pippin  Apples ;  Brussels 
Sprouts,  very  fine;  Savoys,  good;  Brocoli,  not  at  all 
good ;  one  lot  of  Leeks,  after  the  Edinburgh  I'ashion 
of  having  the  bottom  ten  inches  blanched  as  white  as 
wax,  but  only  about  one-half  the  size  for  "cock-a-lcoky;" 
Tomatoes,  splendid,  hut  from  abroad,  packed  in  saw- 
dust, and  the  dust  blown  out  with  a  common  bellows, — 
not  a  bad  plan,  and  a  very  quick  one;  foreign  white 
Grapes,  as  nasty  as  anything,  and  anything  but  whole- 
some to  eat:  if  I  was  the  Lord  ilayor,  or  a  sanitary 
commissioner,  I  would  get  in  the  police  to  swee])  every 
bunch  or  berry  in  the  market  into  the  sewers  and  down 


NOVEMBEU  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


119 


Uio  Thames,  with  whole  baskotsful  of  iiutrid  Mush- 
rooms ;  but  there  were  some  very  Dno,  from  the  button 
up  to  the  full-grown  cap ;  English  TrafiBes,  fine,  2s.  per 
lb. ;  very  largo  Pomegranates,  4s.  a  dozen  ;  fine-looking 
Quinces,  od.  a-piece ;  Spanish  Water  Melons,  not  half- 
ripe  ;  cut  slices  of  ditto,  at  a  penny  per  tasting.  Many 
other  things  and  ways  that  I  would  rather  spealc  of, 
even  as  a  foreigner,  to  the  flower-girl  than  to  our 
readers.  Pears,  Apples,  Plums,  home  Grapes  and 
Pines,  in  plenty,  and  tolerable,  but  nothing  that  way 
that  could  bo  compared  with  what  the  Society  brought 
together  in  Regent  Street. 

The  finest /rwjf  we  had  before  the  Society  were  two 
splendid  Queen  Pine-apples,  from  Mr.  Blakler,  gardener 
at  Newton  Park,  near  Bath,  5  lbs.  each,  and  ono  of 
them  2  ozs.  over  ;  but  it  was  the  symmetry  and  colour, 
with  the  small  crowns,  which  told  so  well.  There  were 
other  two  Queens,  about  the  same  weight,  shorter  and 
thicker,  with  larger  crowns,  and  rather  too  ripe  for 
carriage,  and  an  Enville  Pine,  sent,  I  should  think,  for 
curiosity ;  it  had  five  crowns,  and  eight  suckers  round 
the  bottom  of  the  fruit.  Nothing  tells  here  so  well  as 
Queens,  Black  Jamaicas,  and  smooth-leaved  Oayennes, 
all  the  rest,  Envilles,  Providence,  &c.,  are  considered 
only  as  so-and-so.  A  fine  dish  of  the  most  perfect 
berry  and  bloom  of  the  true  St.  Peters  Orape  were  from 
Mr.  Whiting,  gardener  at  the  Deepdene,  who  also  sent 
three  large  bunches  of  the  white  Galahrian  Raisin 
Grape — a  very  excellent  late  sort,  which  is  not  half  so 
much  known  as  it  ouglit  to  be.  Those  who  cannot  yet 
manage  to  grow  the  Muscats,  and  yet  want  late  white 
Grapes,  should  have  this  Galahrian  Raisin,  or  the  Tre- 
biana — a  rounder  and  much  larger  berry,  but  both  set 
as  well  as  the  Hamhrd.  I  think  Mr.  Whiting  took 
a  prizo  for  Coe's  Late  Red  Plums,  against  Her  Majesty, 
but,  with  that  exception,  the  Queen  took  off  the  rewards 
in  all  the  hardy  fruits.  A  large  tray  full  of  diflerent 
kinds  of  Apples,  from  Her  Majesty,  were  universally 
admired,  and  no  one  there  had  seen  anything  to  come 
near  to  them  this  season.  In  reference  to  tliera,  we 
were  told,  in  the  lecture,  what  is  quite  true,  that  the  new 
kitcben-garden  at  Frogmore  is  the  best  in  this  country; 
that  it  is  managed  with  great  skill ;  and,  indeed,  that 
these  very  Apples  were  proof  positive  of  what  practical 
skill,  with  scientific  knowledge,  could  effect  in  our 
climate,  even  in  such  a  season  as  this;  and  that  these 
beautiful  Apples  were  gathered  from  semicircular  wire 
trellises,  or  espaliers,  which  seems  to  prove  this  to  be  the 
best  way  of  training  our  finest  dessert  fruits  that  do  not 
require  a  wall.  To  all  this  might  have  been  added  a 
stimulus  which  bears  favourably  on  all  the  royal 
gardens,  and  that  is,  that  both  the  Queen  and  Prince 
Albert  go  into  every  hole  and  corner  in  these  gardens, 
look  at  pots  of  cuttings,  seedlings,  and  crosses,  and  all 
and  every  one  of  the  hundreds  of  the  little  trifles  on 
which  a  gardener's  success  so  much  depends,  with  as 
much  interest  as  any  of  her  subjects;  and  you  will 
always  find,  that  where  the  master  and  the  mistress 
take  an  interest  in,  and  look  much  into,  the  garden,  the 
gardener  is  sure  to  succeed,  whether  aided  by  science  or 
no  science. 

A  Frenchman  had  above  one  hundred  sorts  of  Pears 
at  this  meeting,  and  a  great  many  Apples,  which  must 
have  bothered  the  Society's  ofiicers  considerably,  as  they 
had  to  make  out  the  different  names  under  which  many 
of  these  Pears  and  Apples  are  known  in  this  country, 
before  the  meeting,  so  as  to  be  able  to  say  which  was 
which  to  such  Fellows  as  might  wish  to  buy  fruit-trees 
from  the  Frenchman.  After  all  this  trouble,  I  was 
pleased  to  hear  they  had  given  a  good  handsome  prize 
to  the  foreigner,  which  bis  large  collection,  and  the 
cspence  and  trouble  he  bad  in  getting  them  over,  richly 
deserved;  besides,  it  is  always  better  to  be  on  good 
terms  with  our  next-door  neighbours;  and  to  do  the 


French  justice  where  justice  is  their  duo,  is  a  better  way 
than  bullets  and  national  defences  of  any  sort.  We 
were  earnestly  advised  to  give  more  extensive  cultivation 
to  tlie  red  Plum  called  Coe's  late  Red,  with  which  Mr. 
Whiting  beat  the  Queen's  gardeners.  There  was  only 
one  dish  of  the  White  Alpine  Strawberry,  although  one 
of  the  "  special  subjects "  for  that  day.  There  wei'e 
two  kinds  of  fine-looking  Quinces  from  Mr.  Veitch,  got 
from  plants  sent  from  Syria  by  tho  late  Mr.  Barker, 
but  they  could  not  tell  if  they  were  better,  or  very 
difi'erent,  from  our  own  Quinces.  I  saw  some  little 
Apiple-trees,  sent  over  by  Mr.  Barker,  with  Mr.  Hogg  the 
other  day,  which,  they  say,  never  become  bigger  than 
Geraniums;  and  they  were  in  full  fruit  buds,  and  looked 
to  me  exactly  like  the  old  Oslin  Pippin  in  habit.  This 
Syrian,  or  Persian  Apple,  will  grow  as  freely  from 
cuttings  as  the  Scotch  variety.  There  were  some  fine 
Pears  from  the  garden  of  the  Society ;  and  one  enormous 
Savoy,  the  very  biggest  I  ever  saw  or  hoard  of  It 
would  make  "  sauce,"  as  they  say  in  Suflblk,  to  a  whole 
flitch  of  bacon ;  but,  vmfortunately,  tho  Society  still 
adheres  to  the  old  way  of  giving  the  French  names,  a 
yard  long,  to  every  blade  and  button  which  comes  to 
them  from  France;  but  they  might  just  as  well  ex- 
periment on  growing  French  mustachios  in  their  garden 
as  think  that  these  names  are  of  any  use  or  ornament 
to  anybody  here.  There  were  three  sticks  of  Celery, 
from  the  garden  of  the  Society,  just  fit  for  table ;  one 
was  Cole's  Superb  Crystal,  perhaps  the  best  white  Celery 
going;  the  other  two  were  only  one  kind  under  two 
names,  one  called  Sutton's  Superb  Red;  and  here  was  a 
practical  illustration  of  the  nonsensical  method  pursued 
by  this  very  Society  with  respect  to  French  names ;  this 
very  Celery,  called  Sutton's  Superb  Red,  has  been  "  sent 
out"  by  the  Society,  for  twenty  years,  if  I  recollect 
rightly,  under  this  phrase,  Celeri  Oros  Violet  de  Tours, 
but  all  the  towers  and  castles  in  the  world  will  not  turn 
true  Britons  to  this  eft'eminate  kind  of  naming  things 
in  their  own  dominions;  and  the  consequence  is,  that 
what  we  get  for  nothing  through  the  Society,  we  have 
to  pay  for  through  the  nose  to  anybody  who  is  bold 
enough  to  give  a  right  or  a  wrong  English  name  to  the 
thing  in  question.  I  was  told,  in  the  room,  by  one  of 
the  best  judges  in  England,  that  Cole's  Sujierb  Red  is 
just  the  same  thing;  but  anybody's  "superb,"  is  better 
than  French  names  for  common  vegetables.  Roses, 
Chrysanthemums,  and  Dutch  Hyacinths,  &o.,  are  very 
difi'erent  things  ;  when  foreigners  beat  us,  out  and  out, 
in  raising  new  kinds  of  them,  and  a  trade  in  them  is 
established  between  the  two  nations,  we  are  compelled 
to  take  to  their  names.  In  common  vegetables  it  is 
very  diffei-ent ;  still,  if  Brussels  Sprouts  were  to  come  to 
us  now,  for  the  first  time,  through  the  Horticultural 
Society,  I  wonder  what  a  la  in  the  world  they  would 
call  it. 

Orchids.— The  best  Orchid  in  the  room  was  fi'om  Mr. 
Maul,  Nurseryman,  Bristol,  a  beautiful  plant  of  Vanda 
cwrulea,  with  five  spikes  of  open  flowers,  and  two  spikes 
with  the  flowers  in  bud,  each  spike  holding  from  eight 
to  thirteen  flowers,  and  they  were  of  a  beautiful  colour ; 
unfortunately,  this  fine  plant  could  not  possibly  get  a 
prize ;  the  Society,  however,  must  not  be  blamed  for 
that,  for  they  have  a  law,  wliich  they  constantly  publish, 
setting  forth  that  every  plant  must  be  in  the  room  by  a 
certain  time,  else  it  forfeits  whatever  is  due  to  it ;  and  I 
can  say,  from  my  own  knowledge,  that  if  they  were  to 
give  up  this  law  in  favour  of  their  best  customer,  that  is, 
in  favour  of  her  Majesty,  they  might  just  as  well  shut 
up  sho]j,  for  plants  loould  keep  coming  in  till  it  was  time 
to  go  to  bed.  Maxillaria  pieta  was  the  next  largest 
plant.  It  was  from  the  Society's  garden ;  and  also  the 
old  Aclumenes  coccinea,  a  yard  through,  and  in  full 
bloom ;  two  kinds  of  white-flowering  Heaths,  scahriuseula, 
pyramidal  growth,  and  small  flowers,  and  another,  which 


120 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


November  17 


I  forget.  Gesnera  Herhertii,  a  variety  of  Zehrina,  with 
greener  leaves,  and  comes  a  montli  earlier  into  flower  in 
the  country ;  but  they  said  it  is  not  different  from  the 
ordinary  Zehrina;  this  beautiful  plant,  however,  is  never 
seen  worth  seeing  about  London.  A  plant  of  it,  three  feet 
high,  with  eleven  spikes  of  flowers  open,  the  leaves  hang- 
ing over  the  pot.  and  shining  like  the  skin  of  a  well-fed 
Zebra,  in  their  way,  is  a  rare  sight  hereabouts.  A  bush 
of  Cuphea  strigilosa,  a  yard  through,  and  four  feet  high, 
was  much  better  than  most  country  gardeners  could 
produce  at  this  season,  and  a  SlrcUtzia  regincc,  whose 
flower  was  likened  to  a  fanciful  bird,  having  a  sky-blue 
beak  and  head,  out  of  orange-yellow  wings — a  true 
picture,  which  would  go  farther  with  the  crowd  than  tlie 
most  elaborate  scientific  definition.  Lastly,  from  the 
same  garden,  was  a  striking  plant  of  the  Pompone  clinj- 
santhemum,  with  purple  flowers,  but  the  habit  is  so 
short  and  stiff  as  to  be  reckoned  unique;  it  is  only 
imder  a  number, — No.  CO,  Van  Houte.  There  was  a 
full  selection  of  Pompones,  from  Mr.  Chandler,  of  Vaux- 
hall,  who  is  as  celebrated  for  this  as  he  is  for  fine 
Camellias.  Some  of  them  had  tlieir  French  names, 
and  here  are  the  colours  of  the  whole — Surprise,  light 
pink  and  French  -  white ;  Model,  white;  Solfaterrc, 
yellow,  as  good  as  that  in  Hendersonii ;  Le  Nain  Hehe, 
a  very  pretty  little  blush  flower  ;  Pequillo,  ditto,  more 
of  a  rose;  Atala,  rose  colour;  Sacramento,  not  quite  a 
clear  yellow ;  Argentine,  the  best  white, — this  is  the  sort 
for  hair  wreaths  and  wedding  nosegays,  with  Gardenias, 
Orange  Flowers,  and  the  white  fimbriated  Camellia ; 
Ramincidus,  shaded  purple ;  and  Hendersonii,  the  best 
yellow. 

The  next  meeting  of  this  Society  was  announced  for 
the  0th  December,  so  we  shall  miss  the  old  Chrysanthe- 
mums again,  that  being  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks  too 
late  for  thom  ;  and  this  flower  can  neither  be  forced  or 
kept  back  to  do  much  good  at  an  E.xhibition  ;  but,  after 
all,  this  Society  has  done  quite  enough  for  the  Chry- 
santhemums, and  they  might  as  well  open  shop  for 
prizes  to  Tulips  and  Verbenas  as  give  prizes  to  Chry- 
santhemums at  the  present  day. 

Last  of  all,  we  had  two  long  stalks  of  the  elegant 
Pampas  Grass  [Gyneriuni  Arrjenteum)  from  one  of  the 
Vice-Secretaries,  Ptobert  Hutton,  Esq.,  of  Putney  Park; 
and,  after  all  that  I  said  about  this  kind  of  Grass  last 
year,  I  here  found,  from  Mr.  Hutton's  account  of  it,  and 
from  the  lecture,  that  much  more  niight  be  said  about  it. 
"  Queen  Mab"  complained  to  me,  last  summer,  that  her 
guinea  plant  of  it  was  under  a  fairy  spell — probably 
"  the  evil  eye" — and  that  it  would  not  grow  at  all;  and, 
we  were  told  to  say  that  that  was  the  general  result  from 
divisions  of  it   by  suckers.     Jfr.  Hutton  very  kindly 
offered  to  show  his  beautiful  plant  of  it  to  any  of  the 
members  who  might  choose  to  go  and  see  it,  and  tlie 
experience  of  it  in  the  garden  of  that  gentleman  proves 
it  to  be  the  hardiest  of  plants ;  it  was  under  water — I 
mean  the  roots — all  last  winter,  without  any  harm  what- 
ever.    In  the  pampas,  or  prairies,  or  deserts,  or  wilder- 
ness, where  it  grows,  and  covers  miles  and  miles  of  fine 
open  country  in  Buenos  Ayrcs,  it  is  worse  for  travellers 
to  pass  through  than  the  tangled  forests  of  India,  as 
every  blade  is  as  sharp  as  a  two-edged  sword.     We  are 
told,  that  any  one  who  had  connections  with  Buenos 
Ayres  might  procm'o  whole  sacks  full  of  the  seeds  of  it 
for  a  mere  trifle,  and  that  the  Horticultural  Society  had 
sent  for,  or  were  about  to  receive,  ever-so-much  of  it;  so 
that  wo  shall  soon  have  it  all  over  the  country,  and  thus 
a  rare  good  opportunity  will  be  given  to  the  artificial 
flower  makers  for  making  imitations  of  it,  in  various 
colours,   for  ladies   bonnets.      Many   of    the    country 
gardeners  pronounce  Oynerium  wrong ;  they  sound  the 
g  as  in  general,  generation,  &o,,  hut  that  is  not  tlie  way  ; 
the  g  sftunds  hard,  as  in  guest,  G  uy  Mannering,  or  guinea 
pig,  and  the  ij  like  to  e,  thus,  Geenerium.      D.  Beaton. 


OLD  PLANTS  THAT  WILL  BLOOM  IN  WINTER 
IN  A  GREENHOUSE. 

OESTRUM  AUKANTIACUJI. 

This  plant  may  he  considered  as  a  kind  of  cosmo- 
polite. We  have  had  it  bloom  freely  in  stoves,  conser- 
vatories, greenhouses,  and  in  the  open  air.  Wherever 
glass  is  used  for  covering  a  conservative-wall,  with  or 
without  heating,  tliis  plant  should  Lie  tried.  It  is  a 
native  of  Guatemala,  and  has  generally  been  treated  as 
a  stove  plant.  Here,  though  a  large  plant  may  bloom 
continuously,  the  heat  is  apt  to  make  it  .get  naked  of 
foliage,  and  to  have  but  short  panicles  of  bloom.  Planted 
out  in  a  warm  conservatory,  with  a  winter  temperature 
at  night,  ranging  from  -15"  to  50°,  it  will  flower  either 
continuously,  or  several  times  during  the  season,  accord- 
ingly as  it  "is  managed  in  pruning-out  fading  flower- 
shoots,  and  encouraging  young  ones  ;  every  well-grown 
shoot  exposed  to  sun  and  air,  in  such  circumstances, 
producing  its  elegant  panicle,  or  panicle-like  head  of 
bloom. 

This  flower  is  pretty  rather  than  beautiful,  consisting 
of  dullish  orange  tubes,  more  like  the  blossom  of  a 
Hahrothamnus,  than  any  of  the  allied  genera  of  Night- 
shades, and  yet  a  neat  plant  of  it  is  always  interesting. 

For  pot  culture,  it  would  not  he  advisable  to  keep  a 
plant  above  two  years  old.  As  a  whole,  young  plants 
bloom  and  look  best.  I  have  now  some  small  plants  in 
a  greenhouse,  with  five  or  six  shoots  each,  about  two 
feet  in  height,  and  the  shoots  for  fully  half  of  this 
height  being  siumounted  with  their  panicles  of  bloom. 
These  are  something  like  the  third  or  fourth  succession 
during  the  season,  for,  unlike  a  Large  plant  turned  out 
in  a  conservatory,  it  is  preferable,  when  the  plant  is 
grown  in  pots,  that  each  shoot  should  produce  its  bloom 
at  the  same  time,  so  that  when  done  tlie  plant  may  be 
set  aside.  These  small  plants,  above  referred  to,  had 
been  cuttings  in  the  end  of  ilay.  A  previous  lot  had 
been  struck  in  March,  and  plants  that  bloomed  in  June 
were  plants  that  had  been  kept  in  a  deciduous  state  in 
winter,  beneath  the  stage  of  a  vinery ;  excited  with  more 
heat  in  the  cud  of  February;  pruned  back,  shifted,  and 
kept  ill  a  temperature  higher  than  a  greenhouse  until 
the  middle  of  May. 

To  have  young  plants  in  bloom  from  December  to 
March  would  require  a  cool  stove.  From  the  middle 
of  May  to  the  month  of  December  the  plant  will 
thrive  in  a  greenhouse,  and  plants  bloomed  in  summer, 
and  set  afterwards  in  a  sunny  place,  out-ofdoors,  to 
harden  their  wood,  will  be  safely  kept  beneath  tlie  stage 
of  a  common  greenhouse,  in  a  dryish  state,  almost  as 
easily  as  a  Fuchsia.  In  fact,  the  person  who,  from 
stored  past  Fuchsias,  can  have  fine  plants  in  ^iay,  June, 
or  July,  and  nice  plants  afterwards,  from  autumn  and 
spring  cuttings,  will  have  no  difficulty  with  the  Oestrum. 

The  culture  and  propagation  is,  tlierefore,  easy  and 
simple  when  the  means  are  at  command.  Used  for  the 
greenhouse,  it  is  deciduous  for  part  of  the  winter. 
These,  pruned  back  in  spring,  and  supplied  with  an 
average  temperature  of  00°,  will  soon  break,  when  most 
of  the  old  soil  should  be  shaken  away,  and  fresh  given 
in  the  proportion  of  three-parts  loam  to  one  of  peat. 
If  shifted  again,  the  loam  should  still  more  prepon- 
derate. If  now  supplied  with  a  little  bottoin-heat, 
growth  will  proceed  rapidly.  When  the  shoots  arc  on» 
foot  in  length  more  air  should  be  given,  and  full 
exposure  to  sunlight,  unless  in  very  bright  days.  After 
the  end  of  May,  a  cold  pit,  kept  rather  close  at  first,  and 
more  open  afterwards,  is  the  npiiropriato  position. 

Cuttings,  either  of  the  last  season's  deciduous  shoots, 
or  the  young  shoots  that  break  from  thoin,  when  about 
three  inches  long,  strike  very  freely  in  sandy  soil,  in  a 
slight  hotbed.  The  latter  class  will  require  a  bell- 
glass  over  theni  until  they  begin  to  root.    \Vh6n  potted, 


November  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


131 


a  slight  hotbed  heat  will  assist  them,  nnd  iifter  stopping 
tliem  to  secure  the  necessary  number  of  shoots,  and 
these  are  getting  to  the  length  referred  to  above,  a  cool 
pit  or  greenhouse,  with  plenty  of  air  and  light,  is  the 
place  for  them.  Of  course,  when  the  plants  are  kept  in 
a  cool  stove  in  winter,  they  will  preserve  a  semi- 
evergreen  character;  but  for  summer,  antumn,  and  early 
winter  flowering  in  greenhouses,  they  do  best  when 
allowed  to  become  deciduous  in  a  coolj  temperature  in 
winter. 

HABEOTHAMNUS  ELEGANS. 

The  treatment  of  this  has  already  been  given.  I 
allude  to  it  here  again  for  the  purpose  of  recommending 
it  as  a  continuous  flower.  Grown  against  a  pillar,  in  a 
largish  pot,  moveable  at  pleasure,  there  is  scarcely  a 
time  when  you  could  not  gather  bunches  of  its  pretty 
carmine  tubular  flowers.  Winter,  however,  is  tlie  time 
when  the  summer-made  shoots  bloom  most  profusely. 
Cuttings,  either  of  the  young  slioots  taken  off  with  a 
heel,  or  piece  of  the  ripened  one-year-old  shoots,  strike 
freely  in  a  little  heat.  When  potted  oil",  the  plants  are 
better  to  be  kept  close  and  warm  until  the  shoots  are 
about  a  foot  in  length,  after  which,  a  cold  pit  and  a 
greenhouse  will  suit  them,  the  plant  standing  out-of- 
doors  very  well  during  the  sunnner.  A  plant,  struck  in 
spring,  will  bloom  freely  the  following  season,  as  the 
second  winter  approaches,  more  especially  if  it  has  re- 
ceived plenty  of  light  and  air  in  summer.  Being  a 
native  of  JMexico,  it  is  hardier  than  the  Ceslrmn,  retain- 
ing its  evergreen  character  in  a  low  temperature,  such 
as' from  40°' to  -15°. 

FUCHSIA   SEERATTFOLTA. 

Though  this  pretty  Fuchsia,  by  peculiar  treatment, 
may  be  made  to  bloom  at  various  periods,  autumn  and 
winter  are  the  seasons  in  which  it  blooms  most  freely 
and  naturally.  "  A  Correspondent"  may  put  such  a  plant 
against  the  back  wall  of  a  conservatory,  without  heat, 
with  great  propriety,  though  the  plant  be  not  a  climber, 
as  in  such  a  position  it  will  bloom  all  the  winter  if  the 
irost  is  not  too  much  for  it.  This  sjjecies,  and  such 
allied  kinds  as  conUfolia  (and,  we  believe,  spectahilis, 
though  we  have  not  had  equal  experience  with  that), 
may  be  made  to  bloom  freely  in  summer,  Viy  arresting 
growth  in  autumn  by  means  of  dryness  and  coolness, 
and  keeping  the  plant  as  cool  as  possible  in  winter,  in 
any  out-of-llie-way  dark  place,  where  the  vitality  of  the 
shoots  was  merely  preserved.  But  nothing  is  gained 
by  such  trouble,  as  there  are  plenty  of  other  Fuchsias 
in  bloom  at  that  period.  Suppose,  then,  that  such  a 
plant  is  wanted  for  the  winter  of  1854-1850 — obtain  a 
young  plant  next  spring,  or  strike  some  cuttings  in  a 
slight  hotbed. any  time  before  May.  Pot  oft",  when 
struck,  into  loam  and  peat,  lightened  and  made  porous 
with  saud  and  charcoal ;  keep  the  plant  in  a  green- 
house or  cold  pit  until  the  second  week  of  June,  or 
thereabouts,  when,  with  due  attention  to  sbiftings,  it 
may  stand  out-of-doors — first,  in  a  sheltered  place,  and 
then  full  in  the  sun.  But  the  best  plan,  after  the  plant 
is  large  enough  to  fill  a  five  or  a  six-inch  pot,  is,  by  the 
middle  or  towards  the  end  of  June,  to  turn  it  out  in  an 
open  border,  attend  to  it  there  duly  with  water,  and 
what  little  training  it  may  require ;  and  then  raise  it 
carefully  by  the  end  of  September,  or  the  beginning  of 
October,  and  place  it  in  an  open,  but  shady  place,  such 
as  on  the  north  side  of  a  wall  or  hedge.  When  the 
roots  are  working  among  the  soil  in  the  pot  the  plant 
will  stand  more  light;  and  before  it  is  likely  to  be 
injured  by  frost  it  should  be  moved  under  protection, 
and  will  soon  bo  a  gay  object  for  many  mouths.  On 
potting  from  the  border,  even  though  the  plants  are  a 
little  shaded,  frequent  fine  dustings  of  water  over  the 
foliage,  from  the  syringe,  will  be   more  beneficial  in 


preventing  an  excess  of  evaporation  than  deluging  at 
the  roots.  Such  plants,  or  the  smallest  of  them,  pruned 
well  in,  and  planted  out  the  following  June,  will  make 
larger  specimens  for  a  following  year  ;  but  for  pot- 
culture,  unless  standards  are  desirable,  it  would  be  as 
well  not  to  keep  them  older,  but  to  have  a  younger 
stock  from  cuttings. 

BRUGMANSIAS,   OR  DATURAS. 
If  anything  like  system  bad  been  our  object,  we  would 
have  introduced  these  after  Oestrum,  and  Habrothamniis, 
as  they,  also,  belong  to  the  Nightshade  order;  and  yet 
how  unlike  in  their  proportions.     The  tube  of  Cestrum 
would  scarcely  hold  enough  of  nectar  to  wet  the  tooth 
of  the    tiniest    fairy  ;    while   the   corolla   of  suaveolens 
I  would  be  more  than  large  enough  as  a  punch-bowl  for 
i  the  good  temperance  folks;  and  the  tubes  of  sangidnm 
!  and  liUca  would  hold  enough  to  please,  for  one  draught, 
'  the  admirers  of  pale  bitter  ale.     These  plants  are  also 
known  as  Daturas ;  and  then,  again,  the  species  suaveolens, 
I  is  known  as  arhorea,  and  Candida,  and  all  names  are 
'  appropriate  enough,  the  flowers  being  very  sweet,  white, 
and  the  plant  tree-like  in  the  robustness  of  its  growth. 
'  Sanguinea,  dark  red,  is  also  known  as  hicolor.     These 
'  plants  are  all  useful  for  sunnner  decoration  in  the  open 
air,  and  the  large,  massive  plants  never  look  to  advan- 
I  tage  unless  when  they  are  ])lanted  out.     In  a  roomy 
conservatory,  well   supplied   with  manure-water,  they 
form  splendid  objects  for  many  months.     When  used 
I  for  the  open  air,  1  never  made  much  headway  with 
j  them  ;  wlien  left  out,  however,  the  lower  part  of  the 
'  stems  and  the  roots  were  protected.     Lifted  when  the 
'  cold  nights  came,  part  of  the  softest  shoots  pruned  off, 
j  and   kept,  after   rooting  has   taken   place,  rather  dry, 
1  behind  a  stage,  or  in  a  shed,  where  frost  would  not  get 
I  at  them ;  tbeu  watered,  aud  placed  in  greenhouse  treat- 
I  ment  in  spring,  hardened  by  degrees,  and  turued  out  into 
I  rich  soil  in  June,  they  will  yield  abundance  of  flowers 
j  in  the  later  summer  and  autumn  months.    To  have  nice 
manageable  plants  of  these  for  the  winter  months  the 
I  treatment  must  be  slightly  altered.     We  have  had  them 
I  do  tolerably  from  cuttings  struck  in  spring,  kept  under 
glass,  stopped  several  times,  so  as  to  be  rather  stumped, 
and  then  planting  them  out-of-doors  in  a  rich  border  in 
the  end  of  June,  and  re-potting  them  in  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember.    But  such  plants  do  best  the  second  year,  when, 
after  they  have  done  flowering,  their  juicy  stems  are 
hardened  by  sun,  air,  and  little  water,  are  then  partially 
pruned,  removing  the  softest  part  of  the  shoots,  and 
daubing  the  cut  ends  with  lime,  and  tlicn  are  placed  in 
the  coolest  dry  place,  where  frost  cannot  reach,  taking 
care  that  the  soil  is  just  not  thoroughly  dried.      By 
April  and  May  they  should  be  stumped,  or  pruned  pretty 
freely  in,  kept  from  frost  behind  a  north  wall,  and  then 
turned  out  into  a  rich  border  by  the  second  or  third 
week  in  June.     These  will  be  compact,  bushy  plants, 
with  flower-buds  peeping  thickly  by  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber,  and,  raised  carefully,  and  potted,  will  blow  in  a 
greenhouse  for  some  of  the  darkest  months,  if  a  medium 
of  45°  at  night  is  maintained.     This  last  remark,  how- 
ever, is  chiefly  confined  to  the  lutea  and  sanguinea — as 
the  large  flower  of  suaveolens  will  not  open  freely  under 
an  average  temperaHn-e  of  50°  at  night,  unless  there  is 
a  bright  sun  during  the  day.      The  plant,  altogether, 
would  be  more  diflScult  to  get  into  a  suitable  form  for  a 
small  greenhouse.     A  plant  of  either  of  the  others  is  not 
to  be  sneezed  at,  even  in  these  days  of  novelty-loving 
and  advancement. 

Several  plants  of  an  herbaceous  character — such  as 
Chinese  Chrysanthemums,  Salvia  splendens,  Sulviajulgens, 
and  Cupheas,  of  sorts,  Ageratuni,  of  sorts,  especially  a 
variegated-leaved  one  lately  introduced,  with  some  others 
— will  all  make  nice,  stubby,  compact  plants  for  winter 
blooming,  if  struck  from  cuttings  in  May,  and  planted 


123 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


NOVEMBEK  17. 


out  thinly  iu  a  border  in  June,  and  lifted  carefully  and 
potted  before  the  middle,  or  rather  by  the  beginning,  of 
October.  Better  plants  will  thus  be  secured,  and  less 
trouble  involved  than  when  growing  such  things  in  pots. 

R.  Fjsu. 


THE  GLADIOLUS. 
{Coittimicilfnini  paije  102.) 
In  my  two  former  papers  I  described  the  culture  of 
these  fine  flowers  iu  beds  and  in  pots.  Those  in  beds, 
I  suppose  to  be  of  tlie  finest  varieties  ;  but  there  are  two 
or  three  species  that  arc  worthy  of  a  place  in  tlie  mixed 
border,  for  even  the  G.  coinmnnis,  when  in  bloom,  is  as 
showy  a  flower  as  any  in  the  border.  The  species  1 
mean  are  Byzantinus,  deep  red ;  commiiins,  red ;  florec- 
hiindus,  whitish  ;  and  jjsittacimis,  yellow  and  red.  These 
are  all  very  cheap,  the  first.  Is.  Od.  a  dozen;  the  second. 
Is.;  the  third,  2s.;  and  the  fourth,  2s.  for  tlie  same 
number. 

Plant  them  in  clusters  of  four  or  five  each  ill  the 
border,  but  first  make  a  little  prejiaration  for  them,  by 
taking  out  two  spadefuls  of  the  soil,  and  putting  in  half 
a  spade  full  of  well-decomposed  numurc  at  the  bottom  of 
each  hole,  level  the  soil  iu  upon  it,  and  then  plant  the 
bulbs  three  inches  deep.  In  such  situatious  tlioy  may 
remain  for  three  years,  and  then,  when  at  rest,  take 
them  up  and  separate  the  small  bulbs,  and  replant  the 
large  ones,  after  fresh  preparing  the  stations  for  them. 
The  smaller  bulbs  may  be  planted  as  I  shall  describe 
presently,  under  the  head  .Propagation. 

Propagation :  by  Seed. — As  these  roots  propagate  freely 
enough  by  offsets,  it  is  not  worth  the  trouble  of  raising 
seedlings  merely  for  the  sake  of  increasing  the  number 
of  plants  of  any  distinct  species.  The  great  object  of 
this  mode  of  increase  is  to  obtain  improved  varieties, 
combiuing  superior  form,  colour,  size,  and  substance. 
This  improvement  cannot  be  obtained  so  certainly  by 
merely  saving  the  seed  of  any  variety  that  will  produce 
it.  Like  all  other  florist's  flowers,  hybridization  must  be 
resorted  to,  and  that  witli  considerable  taste,  foretbouglit. 
and  discernment.  Choose,  first,  a  well-formed  flower, 
that  is,  with  the  petals  as  broad  as  possible,  each  petal 
or  division  so  placed  as  to  be  salver-shaped;  the  three 
lower  divisions  larger  than  tlie  upper,  and  a  little  more 
turned  back,  so  as  to  show  the  beautiful  markings  on 
each,  the  upper  petals  being  seldom  marked;  the  throat 
or  tube  should  be  stout,  and  not  more  than  one-and-a- 
half  inch  long.  Such  a  shaped  flower  should  be  chosen 
as  the  one  to  bear  seed.  Then  select  a  higher-coloured 
or  better-marked  flowei-,  and  dust  the  pollen  of  its 
anthers  upon  the  stigma  of  the  fine-formed  flower, 
removing,  previously,  its  own  anthers;  cover  the  flower, 
then,  with  some  line  net  muslin,  to  keep  oft'  the  bees 
and  flies.  You  have,  then,  so  far  as  lies  in  }-our  power, 
done  your  utmost  to  improve  your  flower.  As  soon  as 
the  seed  is  ripe,  whicli  may  be  known  by  the  jiod  turning 
yellow  and  beginning  to  crack  at  the  sides,  gather  it  in 
the  pods,  and  lay  them  on  paper,  in  a  window  facing  the 
morning  sun.  The  pods  will  open  very  soon,  and  the 
seed  may  then  bo  cleaned  out  from  them  and  put  by  in 
a  dry  room  till  the  spring. 

This  carefully-saved  seed  should  be  sown  in  pans,  or 
shallow  boxes,  in  March,  placed  in  gentle  boat ;  or,  if 
the  quantity  saved  is  large,  it  may  be  sown  on  a  gentle 
hotbed  under  a  one  or  two-light  frame,  facing  the  south. 
The  compost  described  in  a  lormer  pajier  for  the  beds 
will  be  proper  lor  the  seed.  Level  the  surface  and  ])at 
it  dovi'n  gently.  That  in  pans,  or  boxes,  with  a  flat 
piece  of  wood  ;  and  if  a  frame  is  used,  with  the  back  of 
a  clean  spade.  This  pressing  down  is  to  make  the 
surface  cveu  and  smooth,  so  that  the  seed  uuiy  be 
equally  covered.     Sow   it  so  thin  that  every  seed  shall 


have  a  quartcr-of-an-inch  square  to  grow  in.  When 
the  seed  is  sown,  then,  through  a  fine  bicvc,  cover  it  about 
the  thickness  of  a  penny-piece  ;  give  a  gentle  watering, 
and  keep  it  close  till  the  small  grass-like  seed-leaves 
appear;  then  give  air  daily,  watering  only  when  the 
surface  is  dry.  In  this  stage  the  plants  are  fine  food 
for  slugs,  therefore  keep  a  keen  watch  for  them,  and 
destroy  them  every  one.  As  the  plants  advance  iu 
growth  increase  the  water  and  air;  and  finally,  about 
the  middle  of  May,  expose  them  fully  to  the  weather 
every  day,  only  protecting  them  fi'om  heavy  rains  or 
late  frosts.  Towards  the  un'ddlo  of  .lune  they  may  be 
exposed  day  and  night.  If  all  this  has  been  judiciously 
attended  to  they  will  be  growing  freely  through  the 
summer.  One  point  I  had  nearly  forgot,  but  it  must 
be  attended  to,  and  that  is,  the  seeds  of  the  summer- 
blowing  varieties,  such  as  rmiwsus,  should  be  sown  in  a 
separate  bed  from  the  late  bloomers,  such  as  gaiidavensis, 
because  the  foliage  of  the  former  will  sooner  decay,  and, 
consequently,  the  young  bulbs  will  sooner  be  ripe  aud 
fit  to  take  up  ;  whereas,  if  mixed,  the  hite  growers  would 
be  at  that  time  still  growing,  and  there  would  be 
danger  of  the  early  ones  starting  their  fresh  roots.  Sow 
them  then  separately,  so  as  to  have  aU  the  new  bulbs 
ripened  togetlier. 

When  the  leaves  are  decayed,  procure  a  very  fine 
sieve,  and  pass  the  surface-soil  to  the  depth  of  one  inch 
through  it,  picking  out  every  bulb,  however  small;  and 
when  all  are  gathered,  dry  them  very  slowly,  and  put 
them  away.  This,  for  the  early  bloomers,  should  take 
place  about  the  end  of  Jidy ;  for  the  late  bloomers,  in 
October.  The  former  should  be  planted  in  September, 
iu  drills  four  inches  apart,  in  a  prepared  bed;  cover 
them  three  inches  deep  with  fine  soil,  aud  protect  them 
from  severe  frost  by  a  covering  of  two  inches  of  spent 
tanner's  bark.  In  the  spring,  remove  a  portion  of  this 
before  the  leaves  appear,  to  admit  the  warmth  of  the 
season  to  enter  the  soil.  In  this  bed  they  should 
remain  two  seasons,  and  by  that  time  the  bulbs  will 
have  attained  a  considerable  size.  They  may  then, 
when  the  foliage  decays,  be  taken  up,  aud  the  largest 
bulbs  be  sorted  oi.it  and  planted  in  a  bed  to  flower.  The 
late-blooming  varieties  may  be  managed  exactly  in  a 
similar  way,  only  taking  them  later,  aud  planting  them 
later  also. 

The  smaller  bulbs,  not  likely  to  flower,  should  be 
planted,  at  the  usual  time,  in  the  nursery-bed,  to  grow 
larger  another  season. 

As  the  seedlings  bloom,  all  the  decidedly-improved 
varieties  sliould  be  marked  and  named,  aud  afterwards 
treated  as  the  older-established  varieties. 

T.  Api'leut. 
{To  be  contbiticd.) 


STOVE   FERNS. 

{Cniitinuf'tl  from  jHiijc  82). 

Casseueeha  i'En.vr.\  (]3ird's-lboted). — A  West  Indian 
J''ern,  of  a  dwarf  habit,  aud  very  beautiful.  The  fronds 
arc  divided  into  five  parts,  something  like  a  bird's  claws. 
Each  division  is  pinnated,  and  droops  gracefully  down- 
wards. The  stems  are  black,  and  the  whole  plant  does 
not  grow  more  than  nine  or  ten  inches  high.  It  is  a 
rather  delicate  species,  aud  thrives  better  with  a  mix- 
ture of  charcoal  amongst  the  soil.  Increased,  rather 
slowly,  by  its  creeping  rhizoma. 

l-KnATOi'TERis. — Kcvas.  a  horn,  aud  jiti'rk,  a  fern, 
that  is,  a  Fern  hearing  a  horn  :  a  stag's  born,  I  supjiose, 
is  meant,  because  the  fertile  fronds  arc  divided  and 
twisted  something  like  the  hraiicbing  horns  of  an  old 
stag.  'J'heso  fertile  fronds  are  very  curious.  The  seed- 
cases  are  distributed,  at  regular  distances,  on  tlio  under 


November  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


123 


side,  and  the  edges  of  the  leaf  are  reflexed,  or  turned 
inwards,  on  the  under  side,  partially  covering  the  seed- 
oases,  '.rhe  infertile  or  barren  fronds  are  beautifully 
veined,  thrice  pinnated,  also  reilcxed  at  the  edges.  In 
the  hollow  of  the  segments  of  the  fronds  there  are  little 
knobs,  which  throw  out  roots,  and  will,  in  consequence, 
form  plants,  if  properly  managed. 

C.  THALicTRioiBEs  (Thaliotrum-like). — An  annual 
aquatic  stove  Fern,  common  in  ponds  in  hot  countries. 
I  have  grown  this  Fern  in  large  pots,  just  set  overhead 
in  a  cistern,  in  the  Orchid-house,  fully  three  feet  high, 
with  both  stalks  of  the  fronds  in  high  perfection.  The 
plants,  being  only  annual,  die  in  the  winter ;  but  if 
young  plants  are  raised,  either  from  seed  or  by  the  little 
knobs,  lale  in  the  autumn,  they  will  survive  the  winter, 
and  make  finer  plants  the  following  summer.  Sow  the 
seed  in  a  shallow  pan  filled  with  light  compost,  and 
keep  it  nearly  full  of  water.  To  be  quite  safe,  sow  some 
in  autumn  and  some  in  spring.  The  plants  will  soon 
come  up,  covering  the  soil  at  first  with  Hat  seed-leaves, 
which  soon  send  up  from  the  base  small  fi-onds.  Then 
is  the  time  to  pot  them  off  into  thumb-pots,  which 
should  be  immersed  in  the  water,  leaving  the  young 
frond  above  the  water.  As  they  advance  in  growth 
give  more  pot-room  ;  the  last  shift  need  not  exceed  six- 
inch  pots.  Attend  to  this  point — never  allow  the  surface 
of  the  soil,  even  in  tlie  largest  pots,  to  be  above  two 
inches  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water.  I  have  ratlier 
dwelt  upon  the  culture  of  this  ciu'ious  Fern,  because  of 
its  being  an  aquatic,  and  an  annual — two  circumstances 
that  rarely  occur  in  the  Fern  tribe. 

0.  Parkeeii — (Parker's). — Very  like  the  preceding 
species ;  indeed,  so  much  so,  that  it  requires  a  botanist's 
eye,  and  a  strong  magnifier,  to  detect  a  diiFerenoe,  that 
diftereuee  consisting  in  this  species  having  an  elastic 
ring  to  the  seed-vessel.  Cultivation  exactly  similar  to 
the  preceding  species.  Whoever  can  command  a  cistern 
of  tepid  water,  in  a  moderately-heated  stove,  should 
grow  these  curious  and  elegant  Ferns. 

Cheilanthes — The  assemblage  of  Ferns  under  this 
family  name  are  all  exceedingly  elegant  in  form  and 
habit.  Many  of  them  thrive  best  in  an  intermediate 
house,  not  doing  well  in  any  open,  airy,  greenhouse,  nor 
in  a  close,  moist,  warm  stove.  They  are  marked  in  some 
lists  as  warm  greenhouse  Ferns !  but  then  the  young 
cultivator  naturally  inquires,  what  is  a  warm  greenhouse? 
The  only  answer  must  be,  a  house  heated  to  a  degree 
somewhere  between  an  ordinary  greenhouse  and  a  stove, 
consequently  an  intermediate  house.  Large  must  be 
the  establishment  that  can  afford  so  many  diflferent 
temperatures.  To  overcome  this  difficulty,  1  have  placed 
the  more  delicate  species  on  a  shelf  near  to  the  front  of 
the  ordinary  stove,  where  the  air  apertures  were  placed. 
These  species  requiring  such  a  situation  are  indicated 
by  an  asterisk.  All  such  should  have  a  large  portion  of 
silver  sand  in  the  compost,  and  be  sparingly  watered, 
even  when  freely  growing,  and  the  leaves  should  never 
be  syringed. 

*  C.  HiRTA  (Hairy). — An  African  Fern  of  great  beauty. 
The  fronds  grow  a  foot  long,  and  are  covered  with  gland 
bearing  hairs.  They  are  thrice  pinnated,  the  pinnfe  are 
delicately  small,  and  the  stems  are  brown.  A  very 
elegant  Fern. 

C.  lendigera  (Maggot-bearing). — A  decided  stove 
Fern.  1  always  found  it  thrive  best  in  the  Orchid-house. 
A  more  beautiful,  elegant  Fern  is  not  in  cultivation.  It 
is  not  possible  to  say  too  much  of  its  loveliness.  The 
fronds  are  thrice  cut  or  pinnated,  grov?ing  a  foot  long, 
and  of  a  most  delicate  green;  the  pinnae,  or  small  divi- 
sions, are  long  and  narrow,  and  the  leaves  are  thickly 
l^laced  on  them,  and  exceedingly  small,  also  ;  the  seed- 
cases  ai'e  few  on  each  leaf,  and  are  partially  concealed 
by  the  margin  reflexing  half  over  them.  It  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  grow ;  and  increasing  pretty  freely  by  seed,  if 


sown  under  a  bell  glass,  on  small  porous  sand  stone ;  or 
young  plants  may  be  increased  by  division. 

C.  micropiivlla  (Small-leaved). — A  West  Indian  Fern, 
with  beautiful  small  leaves,  covered  moderately  witli 
gland  bearing  hairs.  It  is  tliis  pubescence  that  renders 
the  species  so  clothed  so  impatient  of  being  wetted  over 
the  foliage.  The  fronds  are  delicately  slender,  twice 
pinnated,  growing  two  feet  long,  and  gracefully  waving 
with  the  least  breath  of  air.  The  leaves  are  rather  broad 
at  the  base,  and  the  seed-vessels  are  continued  round  the 
edge  of  the  leaves.     It  is  very  beautiful. 

C.  radiata  (Rayed). — A  South  American,  delicate, 
lovely  Fern,  almost  equal  to  G.  lendigera.  Fronds  a  foot 
high;  the  branches  are  spread  out,  or  rayed  Hke  a  man's 
hand,  each  branch  is  pinnated.  The  leaves  have  rather 
long  foot-stalks,  jointed  on  the  base,  with  the  margins 
scolloped  out  or  crenated.  The  seed-vessels  are  distinct, 
not  continuous,  but  spread  out  often  all  over  the  frond  ; 
stems  black,  set  upon  a  bundled  rootstock.  Divides 
with  difficulty,  but  may  be  raised  easily  from  seed  in  the 
same  way  as  C  lendigera. 

C.  si'ECTABiLis  (Showy). — This  is  a  rather  difi'use 
Brazilian  Fern,  attaining  a  considerable  size.  The 
fronds  are  thrice  pinnated,  growing  three  feet  long,  and 
of  a  beautiful  light  green.  It  is  of  a  straggling  habit, 
the  fronds  being  so  slender  that  they  often  break  down 
with  their  own  weight.  It  is,  however,  a  fine  Fern  if  a 
little  care  is  taken  to  support  the  fronds.  The  fronds 
are  terminal,  placed  upon  a  bundled  rootstock,  or 
rhizoma. 

*  C.  TENuiiOLiA  (Slender-leaved). — This  Fern,  from 
New  Holland,  is  remarkable  from  the  oircnmstance  of 
being  deciduous,  that  is,  losing  its  foliage  in  winter, 
this  renders  it  somewhat  difficult  to  cultivate,  because 
of  the  transition  from  a  growing  state  to  a  resting 
one.  The  only  way  to  overcome  this  difficulty  is  to  give 
but  little  -water  during  its  quiescent  state  ;  give  only 
just  enough  to  keep  the  roots  alive;  and  whilst  at  rest, 
keep  it  much  cooler.  The  frond  is  thrice  pinnated, 
about  a  foot  long.  The  leaves  are  long  and  sharp- 
pointed,  slightly  turned  iqiwards  at  the  edges.  The 
stems  arc  brown  and  scaly,  a  varied  circumstance  in 
this  genera.  Increases  readily  by  division  of  the 
creeping  rhizoma.  T.  Appleby. 

(To  be  continued.) 


OLD.  FRUITS  AND   THEIR  DECAY. 

It  is  fortunate  for  the  well-being  of  society  that  ex- 
posures of  impositions  should  now  and  then  take  place, 
at  the  same  time,  it  not  unfrequently  happens  that 
unjust  condemnation  follows  in  the  wake  of  an  article, 
which,  though  not  without  some  merits,  had  been  puffed 
up  to  the  world  as  possessed  of  every  good  point  which 
constituted  "  perfection."  Aware  of  the  difficulty  of 
pleasing  every  one,  niost  respectable  houses  have  been 
cautious,  when  issuing  anything  new,  to  give  it  no 
more  merit  than  what  they  confidently  believed  it 
deserved;  yet,  now  and  then,  an  experienced  hand  may 
be  caught  erring,  and  an  inexorable  public  are  no  ways 
sparing  of  their  censures.  As  examples  of  this,  let  ns 
turn  to  the  8t.  Albans  Grape,  the  Aberdeen  Beehive 
Strawberry,  and,  probably,  the  Stanwiclc  Nectarine : 
this  latter,  however,  I  speak  merely  from  report — the 
inefficiency  of  the  others  I  have  proved. 

Now,  I  must  say  that  it  is  wrong  on  the  part  of  the 
public  to  pass  an  unqualified  condemnation  on  those  by 
whose  authority  these  fruits  were  issued,  for  many  con- 
curring circumstances  might  tend  to  give  the  identical 
fruits  submitted  to  them  a  degree  of  merit,  which,  in 
general,  they  did  not  possess ;  besides  which,  however 
keen  and  discriminating  the  taste  of  those  to  whom 
they  were  submitted  might  be,  they  must  be  something 


124 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


November  17. 


more  than  "mortal"  if  they  do  not  sometimes  err,  there 
being  no  mechanical  means  of  measuring  the  merits 
and  demerits  of  the  various  productions  submitted  to 
the  ordeal  of  judgment — the  human  taste  alone  must 
settle  this  point. 

I  would  ask  any  set  of  judges  who  have  had  expe- 
rience in  awarding  prizes,  at  our  country  horticultural 
shows,  for  that  infinity  of  fruits  which  is  usually  present 
at  a  September  meeting,  if  they  can  retire  with  the 
conviction  that  they  are  sure  they  have  given  their 
awards  to  the  best-tlavoured  articles?  I  have  no  doubt 
but  they  gave  them  to  what  they  believed  to  be  the  best 
tasted ;  but  when  that  organ  is  used  to  excess,  as  it  must 
be  on  such  occasions  as  those  I  mention,  it  can  no 
longer  retain  its  keenness  and  perception.  1  mention 
this,  not  from  my  own  individual  opinion,  but  from  the 
recorded  evidence  of  all  those  I  have  conversed  with. 
I  ask.  then,  is  it  fair,  on  the  part  of  an  indignant  public, 
to  condemn  anew  and  but  imperfectly-tried  fruit;  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  is  equally  reprehensible  for  those 
who  recommended  them  to  uphold  them  still,  against 
the  combined  opinion  of  judges  equally  qualified  as 
themselves.  In  the  latter  ease,  an  acknowledgment  of 
error  would  be  more  graceful,  because  it  is  well  known 
that  some  otlier  fruits,  whose  merits  they  described, 
turned  out  all  that  could  be  desired.  Thus,  for  example, 
the  British  Queen  Strawberry,  when  well  gi'own,  is  all 
that  can  be  desired,  and  its  wayward  propensity  to  die 
off,  &c.,  on  soils  unsuited  to  it,  could  not  be  known  to 
those  who  first  issued  it. 

Leaving  this  subject,  however,  might  I  ask  if  the 
addition  made  to  our  fruit  lists  be  at  all  in  proportion 
to  the  losses  we  have  sustained  by  varieties  becoming 
no  longer  healthy  and  vigorous  as  before  ?  I  confess 
appearances  are  sadly  against  us  in  this  respect.  Let 
us,  for  instance,  examine  our  catalogue  of  I'each  and 
other  tender  fruits,  and  see  what  addition  has  been 
made  to  them  in  the  last  twenty  years,  or  more.  Nay, 
even  go  back  as  far  as  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century,  and  see  if  the  lists  then  issued  by  the  leading 
houses  in  the  trade  did  not  contain  almost  all  the  kinds 
in  general  cultivation  at  the  present  time,  and  a  great 
many  more  now  obsolete,  or  rather  lost  to  cultivation. 
When  we  compare  this  state  of  things  with  the  almost 
infinite  varieties  into  which  our  floricultural  productions 
have  been  multiplied,  the  startling  fact  must  convince 
every  one  that  fruit  growers,  as  a  body,  have  been  sadly 
remiss  in  their  endeavours  to  improve,  or  even  retain, 
the  varieties  of  fruits  they  have,  in  other  respects,  taken 
so  much  pains  to  cultivate.  Let  us  take  the  Grape, 
and  we  see  that  Speedily  enumerated  about  12(1  varie- 
ties as  being  in  cidtivation  at  Welbeck,  and  although 
his  successor  cut  down  the  list  to  fifty,  by  discarding 
wortliless  ones  and  repetitions,  still  we  doubt  much 
whether  fifty  kinds  can  be  found  at  any  private  place  at 
the  present  day.  I  am  aware,  that  the  taste  and  dis- 
crimination of  the  public  will  be  urged  as  a  reason  why 
only  some  few  really  good  sorts  are  cultivated  at  the  pre- 
sent time.  This  line  of  argument  I  fully  admit,  and  pro- 
bably with  the  Grape  it  may  not  be  attended  with  any 
after  loss,  for  new  kinds  (or  what  are  said  to  be  new)  are 
occasionally  added  to  our  stock,  so  that  we  apprehend 
little  harm  from  the  loss  of  old  ones.  But  then,  take 
another  useful  fruit,  the  Apricot — and  I  might  almost 
have  added  the  Peach  and  Nectarine,  too,  but  will  con- 
fine myself  to  the  first-named — and  see  what  we  have 
done  in  respect  to  it.  I  confess  not  being  aware  of  a  single 
addition,  worthy  of  notice,  being  made  to  this  useful  fruit 
for  the  last  forty  years,  and,  assuredly,  the  kinds  then 
grown  are  no  longer  the  useful  good  fruits  they  were  at 
that  time.  The  constitutional  decay  of  all  varieties  per- 
petuated by  buds  or  grafts  is  now  a  recognised  law  in 
the  horticultural  code ;  consequently,  the  Apricot  must 


he  verging  fast  into  that  condition  which  refuses  any 
longer  to  flourish,  from  the  same  causes  whicli  liave 
banished  the  favourite  Apples  of  olden  times  from  the 
orchards  they  were  wont  to  thrive  so  well  in.  Now,  I 
only  ask  those  who  have  had  the  care  of  ,\pricot  trees 
for  some  quarter-of-a-century  or  so,  if  their  memory 
does  not  favour  the  belief,  that  better  fruit  was  produced, 
in  their  younger  days,  than  is  now  usually  done  ;  and 
have  not  the  trees  continued  to  exhibit  an  increased 
tendency  to  die  off,  not  piece-meal,  but  in  large  lumps 
at  a  time ;  so  that  but  few  trees  of  twenty  years  old 
and  upwards  exist  now,  without  presenting  the  mutila- 
tion I  speak  of?  I  mean,  that  there  are  really  iewer 
old  trees  in  a  healthy  bearing  condition,  at  the  present 
time,  than  there  were  twenty  years  ago,  taking,  of  course, 
into  consideration  the  increased  number  now  grown. 
There  are  few  fruits  more  really  uselid  than  the  Apricot, 
and  tliere  are  i'ew  cases  in  which  a  healthy  set  of  trees 
continue  to  bear  with  that  degree  of  certainty  with 
which  Peaches,  &c.,  nuiy  be  depended  on  ;  and,  as  I  say, 
the  liability  of  the  tree  to  throw  off  a  limb  is  much 
more  so  now  than  formerly ;  and  tliough  it  would  be 
more  than  most  people  would  do  to  attribute  this  to  any 
one  cause,  yet  1  have  no  hesitation  in  hazarding  an 
opiuion,  that  it  is  owing  to  the  want  of  new  varieties.  As 
our  JMoorpark,  Breda,  Oranrje,  and  Brussels,  tliough 
doubtless  good  in  their  day,  have  performed  duty  so 
long,  they  might,  in  perfect  accordauce  with  tlie  wise 
intentions  of  nature,  delegate  to  their  offspring  the 
task  of  prolonging  their  usefulness,  if  not  improving  it 
also.  Now,  the  seedling  varieties,  which  alone  deserve 
the  name  of  offspring,  are  nowliere  to  be  found ;  so  that 
we  are  forced  to  continue  planting  kinds  which,  after 
thriving  a  few  years,  and  occupying  a  position  as  well- 
trained  trees  against  our  walls,  disappoint  us  by  dying 
off'  in  proportions  of  something  like  one-third  of  a 
tree  at  a  time. 

I  am  aware  there  are  places  where  this  is  less  com- 
mon than  at  others;  yet  I  affirm  that  it  is  everywhere 
more  frequent  than  of  yore.  I  might  add  much  more 
on  this  head,  and  might  even  include  other  fruits  as 
well  as  the  Apricot,  but  I  trust  I  have  said  enough  to 
call  the  attention  of  fruit-growers  to  the  fact  of  their 
mistake  in  not  lurnishing  us  with  healthy  varieties  of 
this  and  some  other  fruits,  whereby  we  might  hope  to 
see  the  evils  we  now  suffer  from  removed,  aud  that 
seemingly  sudden  paralysation  of  such  considerable 
portions  of  our  Apricot  trees  no  longer  common,  and 
gum,  canker,  and  other  sources  of  decay,  which  may 
often  be  traced  to  a  constitutional  source,  disappear 
from  amongst  us.  J.  Eodson. 


PRESERVATION  AND  STORING  OF  ROOTS. 
Tub  preservation  and  storing  of  root-crops  must  be 
considered  a  subject  next  in  importance  to  that  of  their 
culture,  inasmuch  as  it  is  now  becoming  advantageous 
to  grow  a  larger  quantity,  and  more  extended  breadth, 
of  those  roots  which  require  peculiar  management  to 
preserve  them  during  the  winter  mouths,  such  as  JMan- 
gold  Wurtzel  and  Carrots.  This  arises  partly  from  the 
necessity  of  substituting  these  roots  for  the  Turnip  and 
Swede,  so  as  to  avoid  the  evils  which  their  too  frequent 
repetition  occasions,  and  partly  to  the  increased  demand 
for  roots  as  food  for  sheep  and  beasts  during  the  spring 
and  summer  months. 

The  sort  of  stock  for  which  roots  are  required,  neces- 
sitates a  modification  in  the  mode  of  management,  in 
order  that  they  may  be  preserved  in  a  state  perfectly 


November  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


12  j 


sound,  and  retaining  all  their  nutritious  properties,  at 
such  a  period  of  the  year  as  they  are  required  for  use, 
as  well  as  in  the  situation  most  convenient  and  econo- 
mical for  their  consumption. 

The  root  to  which  I  will  first  allude  is  the  Mangold 
Wurtzel ;  and  as  it  is  the  most  tender  root  usually 
grown  for  feeding  stock,  the  method  of  storing  it  will 
be  noticed  separately  from  that  of  other  roots.  I  have, 
however,  known  them  withstand  a  rather  sharp  frost 
when  the  roots  have  been  covered  with  gross  foliage ; 
and  I  have  found  their  keeping  well  in  heap  depends 
chiefly  upon  their  being  put  together  when  the  weather 
is  favourable,  for  which  reason,  it  is  not  good  policy  to 
defer  taking  up  the  roots  beyond  the  middle  of  the 
jnonth  of  November,  more  especially  as  in  those  seasonsi 
when  we  get  but  little  frost,  we  usually  have  a  suc- 
cession of  rain,  which  greatly  impedes  the  work  of 
housing  root-crops.  I  like  to  commence  pulling  and 
casting  Mangold  about  the  middle  of  the  month  of 
October,  and  take  it  away  to  the  store-heap  about  as 
fast  as  the  pigs,  cows,  &c.,  can  consume  the  greens. 
Some  parties,  I  am  aware,  do  not  usually  consume  the 
leaves  by  stock,  but  plough  them  into  the  land  as 
manure  for  the  succeeding  crop,  and  they,  at  the  same 
time,  object  to  their  use  for  feeding  on  account  of  their 
laxative  properties;  but  I  have  found  this  to  arise  not 
from  their  use,  but  their  abuse,  from  feeding  in  too 
large  quantities  without  admixture  with  a  suificiency 
of  other  food  to  counteract  this  tendency.  "When  given 
to  pigs,  beans  should  be  used  in  conjunction;  and  when 
to  milch  cows,  hay,  unless  they  have  a  portion  of  old- 
seasoned  grass  in  their  pasture  to  fall  back  upon. 
Mangold  is  about  the  least  expensive  of  any  of  the  root- 
crops  in  pulling  and  storing ;  and  the  better  the  crop, 
the  less  will  be  the  proportionate  expense.  In  taking 
them  up  they  should  be  hand-pulled,  to  prevent  bruising, 
as  much  as  possible;  and  to  free  them  from  the  earth 
attached  to  the  rootlets,  they  may  be  struck  one  against 
another,  unless  the  land  is  very  tenacious  and  adhesive, 
it  is  then  better  to  use  an  old  hook,  or  the  back  of  a 
knife,  which  will  remove  the  dirt  without  damaging  the 
bulb  ;  the  leaves  may  be  twisted  oif  by  hand,  or  other- 
wise cut  off  by  a  hook,  in  an  oblique  direction,  taking 
care  not  to  cut  across  the  stem  or  crown  of  the  bulb. 
When  the  roots  are  being  carted  for  storing,  never 
remove  them  when  frosted,  but,  if  possible,  when  dry, 
and  whilst  the  weather  is  open;  nevertheless,  they  may 
be  put  into  the  heap  or  stack  whilst  wet  and  compara- 
tively dirty,  supposing  time  is  allowed  for  them  to  dry 
in  the  stack  previous  to  their  being  covered  with  earth. 
When  the  work  of  pulling  and  carting  is  proceeding, 
the  horse  and  manual  labour  should  be  apportioned  in 
such  a  manner  that  all  the  roots  pulled  should  be 
carried  to  the  stack  the  same  day;  but  in  case  any  roots 
are  allowed  to  remain  in  the  field  all  night,  let  them  be 
covered  with  a  few  leaves,  to  prevent  damage  by  the 
night  frosts. 

In  selecting  a  position  for  the  heap  or  stack,  it  should 
be  as  near  as  possible  to  the  place  of  consumption. 
When  intended  for  feeding  cattle  or  pigs,  in  house  or 


yards,  the  south  side  of  buildings,  or  under  the  shelter 
of  trees,  contiguous  to  the  place  of  feeding,  may  be 
chosen  advantageously,  because,  in  such  situations,  it 
is  unnecessary  to  have  more  than  a  slight  covering  of 
earth  for  the  stack,  besides  a  good  coat  of  straw  thatch- 
ing. The  stacks  are  made  in  different  ways ;  some  make 
them  beside  a  high  wall,  and  others  with  a  double  line 
of  hurdles  stuflTed  with  straw,  and  thatched  over  in  both 
cases ;  but  I  prefer  placing  the  roots  in  heap,  the  width 
being  six  feet  at  bottom,  carried  to  a  point  at  the  top, 
the  largest  roots  being  placed  at  the  outsides,  with  tlieir 
stems  outwards,  to  keep  the  heap  in  proper  position. 
The  heaps  may  be  continued  to  such  length  as  the 
quantity  of  roots  or  the  situation  will  admit.  A  cover- 
ing of  straw  thatching  should  be  given  as  soon  as 
the  heap  is  formed,  but  the  covering  of  earth  may  be 
deferred  for  a  little  time. 

When  the  crop  is  intended  for  the  feeding  of  sheep  in 
the  spring  or  summer  months,  the  roots  should  be 
placed  in  heaps,  as  before  described;  but  in  exposed 
situations,  a  thicker  covering  of  earth  may  be  laid  on. 
This  root  is  now  coming  into  use  for  feeding  sheep 
after  the  Swedes  are  consumed;  for  this  purpose,  it  is 
usual  to  stack  them  in  the  field,  as  before  described, 
there  to  remain  until  required  for  use,  when  the  heaps 
are  opened,  and  the  roots  strewed  over  the  land  for 
broadcast  feeding,  or  else  cut  and  placed  in  troughs. 
When  the  crop  is  taken  up  early,  and  placed  in  heaps 
at  regular  intervals,  the  field  may  be  sown  with  Eye 
or  Tares,  aud  fed  by  sheep,  in  conjunction  with  the 
Mangold,  on  the  same  land,  during  the  mouths  of  May 
or  June  in  the  following  year. 

We  have  no  other  root  which  can  be  kept  with  so 
much  advantage,  for  such  a  lengthened  period,  as  Man- 
gold, and,  therefore,  it  is  necessary,  not  only  to  use 
great  care  at  the  time  of  storing  in  the  autumn,  but  it 
is  also  requisite  that  the  heaps  should  be  examined  in 
the  spring  of  the  year ;  aud  when  it  is  ascertained  that 
the  roots  are  striking  and  throwing  a  yellow  leaf,  the 
heaps  should  be  opened,  and  the  roots  turned  over, 
taking  care  to  have  the  sprouts  and  young  rootlets 
rubbed  off,  and  the  heaps  carefully  re-formed,  with  a 
covering  of  straw  and  earth,  to  keep  them  cool,  and 
uninfluenoed  by  the  summer  sun.  When  tliis  plan  has 
been  adopted,  the  roots  will  continue  in  excellent  con- 
dition for  feeding  throughout  the  summer.  During  the 
past  season,  I  have  continued  to  feed  my  store  pigs 
with  Mangold  until  the  latter  end  of  the  month  of  Sep. 
tember,  they  being  in  a  perfectly  sound  state ;  and  I 
found,  at  that  advanced  period  of  the  summer,  that  they 
required  less  admixture  with  other  feeding  materials. 
In  my  nest  paper,  I  propose  to  continue  the  subject,  as 
applied  to  Carrots  and  Swedish  Turnips. 

Joseph  Blundell. 


ANOTHER  MASTER'S  MASTER 
By  the  Authoress  of"  Mi/  Flowers,"  dc. 
We  need  "line  upon  line,  and  preceptiupon  precept,"  to 
impress  our  hearts,  and  direct  our  steps  aright.     My  readers 


126 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NOVEMBEK  17. 


will,  iierliaps,  weaiy  of  the  same  thing  over  again,  but  for 
all  that,  I  am  going  to  follow  up  my  last  paper  with  another 
of  the  same  kind,  to  show  how  dangerous  is  power — how 
evil  is  the  heart  of  man — and  how  siu'ely  punishment  follows 
us  when  we  sin.  Sometimes  it  treads  upon  oui'  very  heels ; 
at  other  times  it  lags  behind  for  awliile ;  but,  depend  upon 
it,  like  the  tortoise,  it  will  win  the  race  at  last. 

William  Blake  was  not  a  gardener,  but  he  was  every- 
thing else  to  his  master,  who  was  afflicted  mth  so  much 
bodily  suft'ering,  as  to  be,  for  months  at  a  time,  unable  to 
quit  his  house.  He  was  a  bachelor,  and  his  servant  was,  of 
coiu'se,  of  great  importance  to  him.  Blalve  had  entered  this 
gentleman's  service  when  a  boy,  and  had  grown  into  his 
ways  and  habits  so  completely,  that  he  became,  at  last,  of 
the  greatest  consequence  to  him,  and  not  the  less  so,  be- 
cause he  bore  with  violence  and  lestiness  which  sometimes 
broke  out  on  his  master's  part.  He  was  everything  to  him  ; 
valet,  butler,  footman,  groom,  out-door  servant,  nurse,  and 
general  man  of  business.  He  was  a  very  uneducated  man, 
but  he  had  a  kind  of  natural  sharpness  that  jumped  with 
his  master's  humour,  and  made  him  useful  and  knowing. 
Everything  was  "  Blake."  His  master  heard,  and  knew,  and 
said,  and  managed  everything  tlu-ough  Blake ;  and  the  con- 
sequence was,  as  it  ever  will  be,  in  cases  of  the  same  kind, 
where  God  is  not  acknowledged  as  the  director  of  aU  our 
paths,  that  cverytliing  was  at  sixes  and  sevens ;  everybody 
was  misrepresented;  some  meant  to  cheat;  others  meant 
to  rob;  and  his  master,  who  was  really  kindhearted,  was 
l;ept  in  a  constant  state  of  petty  warfai'e  with  all  about  him. 
Every  friend  he  had  was  sorry  for  the  influence  Blake  had 
over  him  as  he  grew  older  and  less  able  to  act  and  think 
for  himself.  He  was  persuaded  to  do  unldnd,  and  uncharit- 
able, and  unwise  things  ;  and  people  knew  it  was  from  what 
he  had  heard  through  Blake ;  so  that  his  name  was  not 
honoured  among  men,  as  a  faithful  servant's  should  be. 
The  household  was  miserably  ordered — there  was  no  steady 
head  in  it;  and  when  Elake  and  the  cook  married,  which 
they  did  after  quarrelling  for  many  years,  misrule  and  im- 
position increased  and  multiplied.  The  relatives  of  the 
master  were  greatly  disturbed  at  the  state  of  things,  which 
grew  worse  and  worse,  but  they  could  do  nothing.  Blake 
and  his  wife  ruled  the  empire,  and  none  could  dethrone 
them.  At  last  a  family  began  to  rise  up,  and  then  it  was 
found  best  to  make  a  change,  but  it  was  one  almost  without 
a  difference,  for  they  were  put  into  the  farm-house,  which 
stood  so  near  the  mansion,  that  it  was  next  thing  to  bemg 
under  the  same  roof.  Mr.  G-- — — 's  relations  now  succeeded 
in  placing  a  respectable  couple  in  his  house,  as  cook  and 
valet ;  but  they  very  soon  gave  it  up.  Nothing  and  nobody 
could  get  on  where  Blake  was  prime  minister.  It  was  of 
no  use  to  ti'y  to  legislate  in  such  a  democracy,  and,  there- 
fore, poor  Mr.  O.  was  left  at  last  "  to  dai-kncss  and  to " — 
him. 

Time  passed  on.  Blake  had  a  large  family,  and  brought 
up  his  children  to  do  nothing.  His  eldest  daughter  went 
out  as  lady's  maid,  but  in  a  few  months  she  returned  upon 
his  hands,  with  smart  clothes,  but  no  capacity  for  service. 
His  son  went  sometimes  with  a  whip  after  the  team,  but  ho 
was  not  taught  to  work  for  his  bread,  and  looked  Uke  a  lad 
who  could  do  nothing.  Blake  grew  fat,  and  seemed  to 
thrive  more  and  more ;  but  every  one  said,  wlien  the  next 
heu-  came  to  the  property,  his  light  would  be  put  out. 

And  so  it  proved.  Mr.  G.  faded,  and  his  precarious 
health  suddenly  gave  way.  He  died,  and  everything  went 
to  the  next  of  kin.  It  was  a  matter  of  great  sm'prise  to  all 
that  he  should  uot  have  remembered  his  old  servant  in  bis 
will ;  so  fond  of  him  as  he  had  been,  and  so  useful  as  Blake 
always  was  to  him ;  but  he  left  him  nothing.  As  soon  as 
decency  permitted,  he  had  notice  to  quit  his  house,  and  the 
management  of  the  farm  was  at  once  talcen  from  him.  This 
was  a  heavy  blow  to  Blalce :  he  was  completely  fallen,  and 
no  one  pitied  him.  Not  a  creature  was  there  to  whom  he 
or  his  wife  could  tm-n  for  comfort  or  sympathy.  Neither  of 
them  were  people  of  character,  and  they  had  no  friends. 

Blake  began  to  look  out  for  another  situation  as  baUiflf. 
He  was  a  good  manager  of  land,  &c.,  and  talked  magnili- 
cently  of  one  or  two  gentlemen  who  "  wanted "  him  at  a 
hundred  a-year;  but  no  one  was  forthcoming  to  engage 
him,  and  he  was  soon  going  round  to  solicit  assistance  to 
take  his  family  to  Australia.    This  was  the  last  "cJuincc," 


as  it  is  called,  for  the  man,  who,  for  many,  many  years,  ruled 
and  lived  upon  his  master. 

Preparations  for  departure  were  made,  when  the  needful 
means  were  got  together,  lilake  and  his  family  passed 
away  without  any  one  knowing  or  caring  anything  about 
them;  the  only  circumstance  noticed  was,  that  one  poiirinij 
day,  a  covered  waggon  left  the  vUlago  with  Blake's  eflects, 
and  the  remainder  of  his  children,  luider  the  charge  of  his 
eldest  daughter,  who  went  off  in  a  veiy  smart  silk  dress, 
with  lai'ge  white  muslin  cuffs.  Thus  closed  the  prosperous 
career  of  William  Blake,  and  the  prospect  of  a  new  world 
opened  upon  him.  The  last  accounts  that  reached  England 
of  his  situation,  said,  that  his  eldest  daughter  was  laid  in  the 
grave;  liis  wife  and  other  children  were  suffeiiiig  from  sick- 
ness, and  himself  and  his  son  worldng  in  the  fields. 

Let  no  one  exult  over  misfortune  even  when  it  is  the  re- 
sult of  misconduct.  "Let  him  that  tbinketh  he  standetb, 
take  heed  lest  he  fall."  How  affecting  it  is  to  see  a  fellow- 
creature  in  trouble !  and  it  is  worse  when  brought  about  by 
his  own  hand.  Headers,  tremble !  If  you  know,  in  your 
heart  of  hearts,  that  you  ai'e  walking  in  any  degree  as  Blake 
wallied — Oh,  take  warning!  stop!  "  Tmni  yc  from  your  evil 
ways.  Why  will  ye  die  ?  "  If  you  are  doing  that  which  is 
"  not  lawful  and  right,"  the  Lord  wUl  avenge  it.  You  may 
be  goiug  comfortably  on  now ;  you  may  be  serving  masters 
who  do  not  see,  or  suspect ;  but,  if  you  are  defrauding  th(;m, 
or  misleading  them,  or  influencing  them  against  others,  and 
to  your  own  advantage,  you  are  doing  Satan's  work,  and  he 
will  give  you  the  reward.  Depend  upon  this — that  to  be 
fixithful  to  om'  fellow-men,  we  must  first  be  faithful  to  our 
God.  AVe  cannot  trust  oiirseliKS,  unless  we  are  lield  by  that 
hit  and  bridle  of  God's  Word  ;  unless  we  can  feel,  "  Thou, 
God,  seest."  What  else  can  govern  us  ?  Satan  is  stronger 
than  we  are ;  and,  unless  the  Lord  fights  for  us,  we  cannot 
resist  liis  temptations  and  snares. 

Lot  the  hves  of  two  men  in  one  paa'ish  stiike  the  hearts 
of  us  all.  Lot  us  not  pride  ourselves  on  our  better  conduct. 
Who  can  tell,  till  ho  is  tried,  of  what  stuff  he  is  made  ? 
Header !  "  Suppose  ye  that  these  Galileans  were  sinners 
above  all  the  Gahleans,  because  they  sufl'ered  sucli  things  ? 
I  tell  you,  nay;  but  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  likewise 
perish."    Let  us  turn  from  our  wickedness,  and  live. 


TREATMENT  OF  FOWLS  AT  EXHIBITIONS. 

Now  so  many  of  om'  principal  Poultry  Shows  are  forth- 
coming, perchance  the  following  few  remarks  nuiy  benefit 
brother-exhibitors. 

We  hear  much  said  of  "Poulti'y,"  or  "Exhibition  Fever;  " 
I  am  convinced  it  may,  in  a  great  measiu'e,  be  obviated,  not 
only  by  proper  care  in  the  acting  committees  of  the  various 
exhibitions,  but  equally  so  by  simple  rule  in  the  owners 
themselves.  There  is  no  doubt,  that  many  specimens 
brought  into  competition  could  uot  be  maiulained  iu  the 
same  state  of  vigour  any  considerable  time,  even  if  uot 
subjected  to  the  ordeal  of  an  exhibition-pen.  Fed  luxm'i- 
ously  every  day,  as  many  are,  on  greaves,  Itu'gc  quantities  of 
fresh  meat,  &c.,  &c.,  is  it  matter  of  astonishment  tliat  these 
fowls,  after  a  couple  of  day's  confiueuieut  on  less  stimulating 
food,  should  appeiU'  low  and  dispirited  ? 

But,  even  a  far  greater  cause  of  injury  arises  from  the 
ill-judged  on'angemcnt  of  exhibitors,  in  giving,  at  tlie  last 
moment  before  sencUng  them,  superabundant  quantities  of 
hard  com,  "  lest  the  poor  things  should  be  famished  by  the 
way." 

The  consequences  need  scarcely  any  detail :  the  crop 
becomes  well-filled,  and,  during  the  alarm  consequent  on 
railway  transit,  digestion  is  impeded ;  hence,  w  hen  arrived 
at  tlieir  destmation,  thirst  having  naturally  ensued,  waler  is 
taken  in  very  unusual  quantities ;  the  grain  being  still  iu 
the  crop  becomes  even  more  enlarged;  inliammatidu  suc- 
ceeds ;  the  comb  blacl;cns ;  the  feathers  ruflle  ;  and,  cer- 
tainly, the  (miscalled)  kindness  of  their  owners  has  phiced 
them  not  in  the  most  favourable  view  for  the  inspccticui  nf 
the  judges  ;  nor  is  it  at  all  likely  to  do  otherwise  than  sadly 
injure  their  constitution  for  futm'e  "breeding  purpnses," 
even  should  they  sunive;  an  event,  by  the  way,  somewhat 
problematical. 


NoVUMBEn  17. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


127 


I  have  invariably  found  soft  food  essentdfil  to  well-doing 
in  all  cases  of  sudden  confinement;  and  I  feel  ijerfectly 
assured,  that  if  exhibitors,  generally,  would  feed  less  liber- 
ally when  about  to  despatch  their  poultry,  and  on  such  food 
as  Scotch-oatmeal  and  barloy-tlour,  mixed  with  water,  the 
same  plan  being  adopted  immediately  on  their  return,  we 
should  find  a  very  large  discount  from  the  almost  universal 
complaints  now  afloat  as  to  "  Exhibition  Fever."  Hard 
corn  shouhl,  too,  be  given  in  very  spare  quantities  diu-ing 
exhibitions,  and  that  only  about  mid-day — more  to  promote 
exercise  than  feeding — and  if  green-food  could  be  placed 
within  reach  of  each  fowl,  the  benefit  would  be  very  great, 
whilst  a  constant  supply  of  clean  water  is  an  attainment 
that  is  obligatory  and  must  be  ensured.  To  be  brief;  if 
fowls  were  fed  more  naturally  for  exhibitions  than  is  now 
generally  practised,  it  would  remove  a  very  great  impedi- 
ment to  their  coveted  success ;  and  even  slight  fasting 
would  entail  fai'  less  injury  than  over-repletion.  I  am  not 
an  advocateof  excessive  feeding  of  "  Brood-stock';''  let  them 
be  fed  liberally,  as  a  general  rule,  by  all  means,  and  on  good 
grain ;  but,  if  over-fatted,  the  dearly-bought  experience  of 
many  of  your  readers  (concurrent  with  my  own)  as  to  un- 
shelled  eggs,  or,  perhajis,  scarcely  any  amount  of  eggs  at 
all,  will  be  the  best  attestation  of  the  veiity  of  my  state- 
ments.— Edwakd  He^vitt,  Bikn  Collage,  Sfark  Brook,  near 
Birmingham. 


HARDY  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS. 

{Conlinucd  from  page  111.) 

ACHILLEA    TOMENTOSA. 

This,  the  Woolly  Milfoil,  is  a  very  desirable  little  ever- 
green, hardy  plant,  and  is  readily  kno^vn  from  all  the  rest  of 
its  family.  Its  flowers,  like  the  Caspian  Milfoil,  ai'e  of  a 
beautiful  golden-yellow  colour,  produced  in  close,  compact 
heads,  or  corymbs.  Its  leaves  are  all  finely  and  many-times 
cut,  both  root-leaves  and  those  of  the  stems,  too,  and  woolly, 
especially  when  the  plant  is  flourishing  upon  high  ground. 
BotaJiists  describe  the  leaves  as  pinnatifid,  or  doubly  pin- 
natifid,  the  segments  crowded,  linear  acute. 

This  plant  rises  from  nine  to  twelve  inches  in  height,  and 
flowers  from  May,  more  or  less,  to  the  end  of  September. 
Its  height  tells  us  that  it  should  be  a  front  plant  in  the 
flower  borders.  It  is  a  delightful  plant  for  the  Eockei7, 
and  once  well-planted,  either  in  the  diy  open  border,  or 
upon  the  Eockery,  it  may  stand  in  the  same  spots  for  years, 
if  the  plants  are  kept  clear  of  fallen  leaves  and  the  like, 
which  are  so  apt  to  be  a  harbour  for  slugs  and  other  vermin, 
during  the  winter  months,  and  which  are  very  destructive 
to  it. 

It  is  readily  increased  by  root-division,  either  in  the 
autumn  or  spring  months.  Indeed,  I  would  not  refuse  a 
slip  of  it  in  any  month  in  the  whole  year,  if  I  was  in  want 
of  it.  The  same  facility  in  rooting  occurs  almost  with  all 
hardy  border  plants.  They  will  admit  of  a  slip  being  taken 
from  them  almost  at  any  time. 

In  low,  damp  situations,  where  there  is  much  chance  of 
losing  this  plant  during  the  winter  months,  lift  up  a  plant 
or  two  out  of  the  borders  towards  the  end  of  September  or 
beginning  of  October,  and  pot  them  ;  and,  if  any  one  time 
is  better  than  another,  this  is  the  best  time  to  make  an  in- 
crease of  this  plant  by  division.  When  potted,  the  plants 
should  be  placed  out  in  some  place  where  the  eye  will  be 
upon  them  now  and  then,  to  see  that  they  are  not  being 
eaten  up  by  slugs,  or  wanting  for  a  supply  of  water,  and  the 
like,  as  it  is  soon  lost,  much  sooner  than  many  persons  are 
aware  of. 

Plants,  in  pots,  like  this,  should  always  have  some  sort 
of  protection  during  severe  frosty  weather,  and,  like  the 
Cauliflower,  should  have  all  the  open  air  possible  in  favour- 
able weather. 

In  Curtis's  Bolanical  Mag.,  vol.  14,  page  498,  he  says, 
"  This  plant  grows  naturally  in  Spain,  the  South  of  France, 
the  Valais,  and  Italy;  and  was  cultivated  in  the  Oxford 
Botanic  Gai'den,  in  1G.J8."  It  may  be  supposed  the  plant 
was  not  very  commonly  to  be  seen  then,  neither  is  it  half  so 
plentiful  as  it  deserves  to  be  now,  although,  since  then,  its 
name  has  crept  into  our  English  Floras.      In  Lindley's 


"  Synopsis  of  the  British  Flora,"  he  says,  speaking  of  its 
locahties,  "  It  is  found  in  dry,  hilly  pastures,  in  Scotland  and 
Ireland."  This  points  out  to  us,  that  open,  dry  situations 
are  where  we  should  plant  it  in  our  flower  gardens.  Ba- 
bington,  in  his  "  Manual  of  British  Botany,"  says, "  This  plant 
is  an  escape  from  cultivation,  or  a  doubtful  native ;  but 
whether  properly  indigenous  or  exotic,  it  ranks  in  the  list 
among  our  choice  Hardy  Herbaceous  Plants."         T.  W. 


DISEASES  OF   POULTRY. 


Ai.THonGH  T  have  been  for  many  months  engaged  in 
making  a  series  of  experiments  on  this  disease,  I  have 
delayed  communicating  the  result,  in  the  hope  that  I  might 
be  able  to  furnish  some  satisfactory  hints  as  to  its  cure. 

Koup  is,  essentially,  a  disease  of  the  lining  memliranc  of 
the  nose,  the  eyes  and  mouth  becoming  affected  secondarily. 
In  the  first  instance,  this  membrane  is  slightly  inflamed,  it 
thickens,  and  thus  partially  obstructs  the  naiTow  passages 
of  the  nostrils,  and  as  the  fowl  habitually  breathes  through 
the  nose,  and  not  through  the  mouth,  a  greater  eftbrt  is 
required  to  force  the  ah'  tlirough  the  narrowed  passages, 
and  this  produces  the  distention  of  the  top  of  the  throat, 
and  under  part  of  the  mouth,  which  is  much  dwelt  upon,  by 
some  writers,  as  an  early  symptom  of  the  disease ;  at  the 
same  time,  or  shortly  afterwards,  a  thin,  clear  discharge 
may  be  seen  issuing  from  the  nostrils,  this  dries  upon  the 
beak,  or  by  its  stickiness  collects  small  feathers,  &c.  In 
many  cases,  the  disease  makes  no  farther  progress,  and 
many  remain  in  this  state  for  weeks,  without  change,  when, 
perhaps,  it  should  rather  be  deemed  catarrh  than  roup. 

In  severe  cases,  the  ditficulty  of  breathing  through  the 
nose  increases,  and  part  of  the  air  is  forced  through  the 
tear  passage  (that  leads  from  the  front  corner  of  the  eye 
into  the  nose),  and  causes  a  degree  of  frothiness  which 
partially  obstructs  the  sight,  and  which  is  very  characteristic 
of  advanced  stages  of  the  disease ;  the  discharge  at  the 
same  time  loses  its  clear  transparency,  and  becomes 
creamy  and  oflTeusive,  and  from  the  almost  entire  closeness 
of  the  nostrils  it  collects  internally,  in  the  cavity  of  the 
nose,  in  some  cases  becoming  quite  solid ;  the  irritation 
caused  by  that  portion  of  the  discharge  which  passes 
through  the  eye  produces  great  swelling  and  purulent  in- 
flammation of  the  eyehds,  which,  in  severe  cases,  are  entirely 
closed  from  the  discharge  being  so  long  retained  in  the 
nostrils  ;  it  becomes  putrid,  and  of  an  exceedingly  offensive 
and  well-marked  odour,  which  has  sometimes  reminded  me 
of  that  of  bad  glue.  'The  constitutional  disturbance  is  very 
considerable ;  the  fowl  is  feverish,  unwilling  (or,  perhaps, 
from  blindness,  is  unable)  to  eat,  but  drinks  freely,  and 
very  frequently  sinks  under  the  disease. 

Anxious  to  put  to  the  test  of  experiment  the  contagious 
or  non-contagious  character  of  this  disease,  I  obtained, 
from  a  neighbour,  three  chicken  in  the  worst  possible  stage — 
so  severely  were  they  affected,  that  one  died  immediately 
after  reaching  my  house  ;  these  birds  I  placed  in  an  empty, 
dry  attic,  freely  open  to  the  sun  and  air,  and  they  were  sup- 
pUed  daily  with  fresh  mould,  turf,  water,  food,  &c.  Imme- 
diately on  receiving  them,  I  took  two  perfectly  healthy, 
robust  chickens,  two  months  old,  and  placed  them  in  the 
same  room  ;  into  the  nostrils  of  one  I  rubbed  the  dischai'ge 
from  the  dead  fowl,  and  the  other  was  merely  placed  in  the 
apartment  for  a  week;  these  two  fowls,  thus  treated,  were 
unaffected,  and  I  began  to  suspect  roup  to  be  non-contagious. 
At  the  end  of  that  time,  the  chicken  that  had  not  been 
rubbed  with  the  discharge  showed  signs  of  the  disease, 
which  ran  rapidly  to  a  fatal  termination. 

Now,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  fact  that  this 
bird  was  amply  supplied  with  wholesome  food,  the  room 
diy,  well  ventilated,  and  kept  clean,  it  appears  to  me  as 
strong  a  proof  as  one  case  can  be,  that  roup  is  contagious, 
for  no  fowl  could  be  in  more  unlikely  circumstances  to 
contract  a  catarrh.  The  other  chicken  that  I  endeavoured 
to  inoculate  showed  no  signs  of  the  disease  for  a  fortnight, 
when  (the  two  remaining  original  patients  being  disposed 
of,  one  by  death,  and  the  other  having  recovered  under 
treatment)  I  most  thoughtlessly  placed  it  again  in  the  yard 


128 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


KOVEMBER  17. 


■with  my  best  fowls.  Now,  mark  the  result.  In  a  few  days  I 
saw  that  this  fowl  was  affected,  I  instantly  removed  it,  hut 
too  late,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  yard  became  afiected, 
and  in  spite  of  every  care,  the  disease  proved  fatal  to  more 
than  forty  of  my  very  best  young  birds — Dorkings,  Spanish, 
and  Cochins. 

Perhaps  the  non-contagionists  may  say — Oh  !  it  was  the 
wet  weather  which  has  caused  the  disease  ;  you  were  not 
more  unlucky  than  others.  Perliaps  so ;  but  how  came  the 
first  bird  affected  ?  and  how  was  it,  that  in  the  next  run,  be- 
longing; to  a  neighbour,  and  separated  only  by  open  lath- 
work,  where  forty  Cochins  and  Dorkings,  of  all  ages,  were 
kept,  imder  circumstances  much  less  conducive  to  health, 
being  badly  housed,  very  dirtily  kept,  and  irregularly  fed, 
not  one  was  affected? 

I  am  neither  so  ignorant  of  the  true  laws  of  medical 
evidence,  nor  sufficient  of  an  empiric,  to  regard  the  con- 
tagious on  non-contagious  cliaracter  of  this  disease  so 
settled  by  a  single  experiment,  even  though  extending  to  so 
many  cases ;  at  the  same  time,  I  cannot  but  maintain  that  it 
affords  a  very  strong  presumption  that  it  is  contagious. 
Again,  the  numerous  letters  that  I  have  received,  stating 
that  tlie  introduction  of  a  single  bii-d  from  a  show  or  sale- 
room ])a3  often  been  the  means  of  introducing  the  disease 
where  it  was  previously  unknown,  tend  to  the  same  con- 
clusion. 

And  the  practical  experience  of  such  old  breeders  as 
Eoscoe,  Baily,  &c.  has  led  them  to  the  same  result.  As  to 
my  "  foregone  conclusions  "  and  "  self-imposed  judgment  " 
to  support  "previous  impressions,"  etc.,  of  wdiich  I  am 
accused  by  Dr.  liorner,  at  page  70,  I  may  remark,  that 
they  constitute  one  of  those  y«c(s.'  which  some  writers  ai-e 
particularly  fond  of  setting  up  for  the  pleasure  of  knocking 
down  again.  I  had  «o(  amved  at  any  previous  conclusion 
as  to  the  contagion  or  non  contagion  of  roup,  and,  therefore, 
performed  the  experiments  (as  it  turns  out,  at  a  very  hea\7 
pecuniary  sacrihce),  in  order  to  ascertain  the  point ;  and,  as 
to  the  "genuineness  of  the  preliminaries,"  I  must,  even  in 
spite  of  the  doubt  in  the  Doctor's  mind,  liold  myself  perfectly 
competent  to  pronounce  as  to  whether  the  subjects  of  my 
experiments  were  or  were  not  affected  with  the  disease. 

In  my  little  work  on  "  Profitable  Poultry,"  I  stated,  that 
several  diseases  had  been  confounded  together  under  the 
name  of  roup.  Dr.  Horner  "  repudiates  the  notion."  If  he 
will  turn  to  "  Eichai-dson  on  Domestic  Fowl,"  he  will  find 
that  under  tlie  same  title,  true  roup,  gapes,  inflammation  of 
the  trachea,  and  inflammation  of  the  tail  gland,  are  all 
confounded  together. 

As  to  the  disease  being  merely  an  inflammatory  catarrh, 
its  extreme  virulence  and  extraordinary  fatality,  is,  to  my 
mind,  a  conclusive  negative  to  the  supposition;  common 
catarrh  is  not  a  fatal  disease,  and  is  amenable  to  medicine, 
which  is  not  the  case  with  roup. 

This  leads  me  to  the  treatment.  If  I  had  arrived  at  any 
satisfactory  conclusion  this  article  would  have  been  pub- 
lislied  long  since.  I  have  been  continuing  my  experiments 
with  various  remedies  for  many  months,  having  tried  stimvi- 
lants  of  various  kinds ;  calomel,  with  and  without  opium ; 
tonics,  as  iron,  gentian  and  sulphur,  purgatives,  ic.,  as 
external  applications.  I  have  also  employed  mercurial 
ointment ;  nitrate  of  silver,  tincture  of  iodine,  Arc.,  hut  all 
with  very  indiflerent  success  ;  an  equal  proportion  recovering 
under  every  kind  of  treatment.  Piecently,  I  have  found 
injecting  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper,  or  sulphate  of 
zinc,  into  the  nostrils,  more  efficacious  than  any  other  mode 
of  treatment.  A  solution  (five  gains  to  the  ounce  of  water) 
is  taken,  and  after  pressing  out  the  discharge,  is  dropped 
into  each  nostril ;  as  it  is  difficult  to  convey  fluid  into  the 
nose  from  the  front,  I  usually  take  a  few  drops  in  a  tube 
(a  very  small  quill  will  answer),  and  opening  the  mouth, 
pass  some  into  the  cavity  of  the  nose,  through  the  roof, 
dropping  it  into  the  long  slit  which  may  be  observed  there; 
to  perform  this,  it  is  requisite  that  tlie  fowl  be  hold  on  its 
back  by  an  assistant.  In  this  case,  the  remedy  is  at  once 
applied  to  the  affected  membrane,  and  with  a  much  more 
beneficial  result  than  when  medicines  are  given  internally. 

In  one  or  two  severe  cases,  where  the  secretion  has  be- 
come solid,  causing  a  firm,  permanent  swelling,  I  have 
found  it  requisite  to  open  the  side  of  the  face,  and  extract 


the  secretion ;  but  it  is  not  in  many  cases  that  it  is  suffi- 
ciently solid  to  be  readily  removed  in  that  manner. 

It  is  hardly  requisite  to  state,  that  in  order  to  lead  to  any 
hope  of  success,  the  patients  must  be  warmly,  drily,  and 
cleanly  housed,  the  heads  bathed,  and  that  they  must  be 
supplied  with  abundance  and  variety  of  good  food ;  as  the 
sight  is  often  obscm'ed,  meal  in  paste  will  be  found  better 
than  whole  corn,  and  a  little  stimulant,  as  cayenne  or 
common  pepper,  I  tliink  desirable. 

Sly  opinion  has  been  asked  respecting  an  Essay  advertised 
on  this  subject.  I  fooled  away  a  shilling  on  its  purchase,  and 
liad  a  pamphlet  sent  me  about  one-quarter  the  size  of  the 
Uttle  hooks  so  industriously  and  gratuitously  circulated  by 
Mr.  Moses,  and  found  that  it  contained  nothing  more  than 
might  be  found  in  any  of  the  old  poultry-books — scraped 
horseradish  and  similar'  substances  being  the  proposed 
remedy ! 

The  length  of  this  paper  precludes  my  noticing  the 
criticism  of  Dr.  Horner,  on  my  statement  respecting 
"  Gapes,"  which  I  shall  have  much  pleasure  in  rephing  to 
next  week. — W.  B.  Tegetmeiee,  Tollenhum. 

Ceotvikg  Hen — Post  Morteji  Exasiination. 

It  may  be  in  the  recollection  of  some  of  my  readers,  that 
I  exhibited  a  specimen  of  a  crowing  hen,  at  the  Surrey 
Poultry  Show,  in  contrast  with  what  I  regarded  as  a  Hen 
Cock  or  Hennie  ;  stating,  at  the  time,  at  page  389  of  the  last 
volume,  that  I  believed  the  change  in  habit  and  voice  to 
arise  from  a  diseased  ovary  or  oviduct.  A  few  days  since  I 
killed  the  lien  for  the  pm-pose  of  examination.  All  the  diges- 
tive and  respiratory  organs  were  perfectly  healthy ;  the  ovary, 
also,  was  not  apparently  diseased,  although  in  an  inactive 
state  ;  the  oviduct  or  egg-passage  was  discoloured  at  one 
part  of  its  course  ;  and  loose  among  the  intestines,  I  found 
four  yolks,  or  ova,  one  nearly  globular,  the  others  of  irregular' 
shape,  having  adapted  themselves  to  the  form  of  the 
surrounding  parts  ;  they  were  covered  with  firm  membranes, 
evidently  the  result  of  the  inflammation  they  had  excited  by 
escaping  into  the  cavity  of  the  body,  instead  of  having  been 
received  by,  and  passed  through,  the  oviduct. 

It  is  surprising  that  the  inllammation  so  excited  did  not 
prove  fatal,  as  I  have  noticed,  in  a  huge  number  of  cases 
where  an  ova  or  yolk  has  escaped  from  the  egg  passage.  In 
this  case  the  intiammatory  action  had  entirely  ceased,  and 
was  only  to  be  traced  by  the  resulting  false  membrane  left 
behind;  the  hen,  therefore,  was  in  a  healthy  condition,  and 
miglit,  in  all  probability,  have  lived  some  years. 

The  practical  inferences  to  be  drawn  from  this  case  and 
othei-s  are  these ;  that  when  a  hen  ceases  to  lay,  and  takes  to 
crowing,  the  cause  is  usually  a  diseased  state  of  the  ovary  or 
oviduct ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  useless  to  keep  her,  as  it  is  in 
the  highest  degree  improbable  that  she  will  ever  lay  again. 

This  state  of  things,  however,  should  not  he  confounded 
with  another,  in  whicli  hens  sometimes  crow  wliilst  laying, 
or  at  other  times,  arising  merely  from  an  acquired  habit.  I 
believe  this  peculiarity  to  be  rai'e,  a  case  never  having  come 
under  my  own  obsen'ation. 

I  beg  to  return  my  thanks  to  the  gentleman  who  kindly 
forwarded  the  hen,  as  it  has  added  an  interesting  specimen 
to  my  museum  of  morbid  specimens. — A\'.  B.  Teoetjieiek, 
Tottenham,  Middlesex. 


I  ANTS— WASPS-GLASS  SHELTERS. 

I  On  the  19th  of  April,  185'-i,  I  addressed  you  under  the 
'  present  signature,  and  was  much  obliged  by  yoiu'  reply.  The 
recipe  for  the  ants  did  not  answer,  so  I  adopted  another 
j  plan,  with  perfect  success.  I  made  a  mixtme  of  a  little 
nun  and  brown  sugar,  put  it  in  the  saucers  of  pots,  clear  of 
the  roots  of  my  trees  ;  it  attracted  them  so  strongly,  that  in 
the  space  of  three  weeks,  with  the  all-powerful  aid  of  boiling- 
water,  I  must  have  desti-oyed  myriads  of  them,  and  this 
year  there  has  not  been  one  on  my  wall.  If  ever  enquired 
about  on  this  subject,  you  can  safely  state  the  above  in 
reply. 

I  was,  however,  desperately  annoyed  by  wasps,  m  Sep- 
tember; they  were  very  large — half-way  between  a  wasp  and 
hornet ;  they  were  not  satisfied  with  my  I'rnit — and  I  had  a 
splendid  crop  of  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  but  my  jVpric.ots 


NOVEMBHR  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


139 


failed ;  but  they  attacked  my  bees,  and  destroyed  ten  hives,  that 
contained  fully  three  cwt.  of  honey,  and  we  could  not  drive 
them.  I  found  four  nests  in  our  vicinity,  which  I  com- 
pletely destroyed  with  boiling-water.  Two  of  them  I  did 
not  find  tiU  after  the  miscliief  was  done  ;  they  were  enor- 
mous nests,  and  prodigiously  strong  and  fierce,  and  we 
were  severely  stung. 

I  perceive,  in  the  recent  numbers  of  The  Cottage  Gau- 
DENEE,  mention  is  made  of  glass  coverings  for  walls  clothed 
with  I'eaches  and  Nectarines,  and  in  tlie  one  of  the  15th  of 
September,  under  the  head  of  Heaton  Park,  Mr.  Appleby 
states  that  it  is  used  in  autumn  to  ripen  the  wood ;  in 
spring  to  protect  the  blossoms ;  and  in  another  place 
remarks,  they  secure  the  fruit  from  the  attacks  of  the  large 
fly  and  wasp.  The  iuference  deduced  from  the  latter  ob- 
servation is,  that  they  must  be  kept  on  all  summer,  and 
quite  closed  in. 

Now,  1  have  applied  glass  thus — to  dwarfs  trained  on  my 
hot  wall  (where  the  ants  formerly  were) — I  have  fixed 
hotbed  frames,  four  feet  wide,  seven  feet  long,  screwed 
together  by  small  iron  plates,  close  to  the  wall  at  the  top, 
and  fixed  into  a  small  weather-board,  to  prevent  wet 
ckopping,  or  rather  dripping,  inside,  and  going  down  tlio 
wall  in  an  angle ;  that  at  the  bottom  indicates  eighteen 
inches,  where  they  are  fixed  into  a  spar,  upon  posts  eighteen 
inches  from  the  ground,  which  is  open,  as  are  the  sides 
where  the  shuts  finish,  when  they  come  to  a  rider-tree, 
which  I  could  not,  without  great  difficulty,  cover  from  the 
top,  it  reaching  the  coping  of  the  wall,  which  is  fourteen 
feet  from  the  ground.  Tlie  outward  air  has,  consequently, 
free  access  to  the  bole  of  the  tree  for  eighteen  inches,  and 
at  the  sides,  as  aforesaid,  which  some  parties  hereabouts, 
who  profess  great  science,  say  is  desirable;  but  I  want  a 
better  opinion  than  their's,  and  which  I  know  I  can  obtain 
through  the  medium  of  your  valuable  work.  I  leave  my 
trees  uncovered  till  the  time  for  the  buds  bursting  in  the 
end  of  February,  or  as  the  weather  may  be,  keeping  the 
glass  on  till  the  fruit  has  passed  the  ordeal  of  "  stoning ;  " 
and,  certainly,  this  year,  of  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  I  had 
a  splendid  crop  of  fruit.  The  long  branches  of  a  Green- 
gage Plum  I  had  trained  into  the  branches  of  one  of  the 
Peach-trees,  and  the  fruit  so  protected  was  delicious. 

Now,  I  have  another  wall  (not  heated),  upon  which  I 
have  a  Moor  Park  Apricot,  an  Orange  ditto,  a  Barriiif/lon, 
Acton  Scot,  Noblesse,  Royal  Georije,  Peach  ;  Red  Roman,  and 
Ulrui/e,  Nectarine ;  dwarf  trained,  due  south  aspect.  The 
wall  is  certainly  not  damp,  still  it  has,  in  places,  green  moss 
upon  it.  The  wood  on  the  trees  does  not  ripen  as  it  should 
do,  all  hut  the  Apricots,  and  you  are  aware  they  will  not 
bear  forcing.  I  have  glass  as  aforesaid ;  they  also  do  not 
crop  as  they  should  do,  except  the  occasional  blight  to  a 
few  odd  branches  or  shoots,  and  to  which  Peaches  and 
Nectarines,  especially  the  former  and  Apricots,  are  liable; 
the  trees  are  most  luxuriant,  fine,  well-grown  wood,  not  a 
water-shoot  in  all  the  trees.  Yet  they  are  evidently  not  all 
right,  or  they  would  yield  more  produce,  being  at  full 
bearing  age,  planted  carefully  on  a  well-drained  border,  with 
rubble  bottom.  I  cannot,  by  any  means,  heat  the  wall, 
therefore,  would  it  answer  to  paint  it  black,  as  an  absorbent 
of  heat ;  or  sliould  the  wall  be  boarded  with  black,  highly- 
varnished  board,  or  should  the  wall  be  treUised ;  or  should 
the  glass  be  applied  this  autumn;  and  if  so,  for  how  long  ? 

Then,  I  have  against  some  black,  varnished  boards,  south 
aspect  also,  three  Fig-trees — Brnnswick,  Black  Ischia,  and 
Brown  Turkey.  I  can  glaze  them,  with  eighteen  inches 
open  at  bottom,  and  open  sides,  which  I  kept  on  all  last 
winter,  and  all  summer,  but  had  few  fruit.  Should  they  be 
kept  open  all  winter,  and  just  glazed  like  the  Peach,  &c., 
trees  in  spring  ?  and  should  the  space  at  bottom  and  sides 
be  closed  ?  As  is  said  on  a  lawyer's  "  brief,"  —  and  I  have 
no  doubt  you  would  msh  this  letter  had  been  "  more 
brief"  — Your  kind  opinion  on  these  points,  is,  at  your  early 
convenience,  respectfully  requested. — X.  Y.  Z. 

[We  are  much  obliged  for  the  mode  of  destroying  ants. 
We  forget,  just  now,  the  remedy  proposed  in  1852.  Strong 
lime-water  we  have  found  will  drive  them  away.  Sugar 
and  water,  mixed  with  arsenic,  will  kill  them  fast  enough, 
and  honey  and  water  will  trap  them. 

We  are  very  much  indebted  for,  and  pleased  with,  your 
plan  for  covering  walls  with  glass.    We  had  a  good  crop  of 


Peaches  on  the  open  walls,  but  few  or  no  Apricots.  When 
Mr.  Appleby  lately  adverted  to  these  glass-covered  walls,  or 
narrow  houses,  as  useful  (among  other  greater  matters)  for 
keeping  flies  from  tlie  fruit  in  summer,  our  impression  was, 
not  that  there  would  be  no  openings  for  air  at  that  peiiod, 
but  that  these  openings  would  be  covered  with  gauze,  Not- 
tingham netting,  cfcc. 

We  do  not  see,  clearly,  the  mode  you  adopt  with  your 
heated  wall,  fourteen  feet  high,  and  clothed  with  standards 
and  dwarfs,  unless  it  be  that  you  cover  the  wall  only  to  the 
height  that  the  seven-feet  sashes  will  reach,  fixing  the  top 
to  a  weather-boarding  on  the  wall,  and  the  lower  end  to  a 
rail  on  posts  eighteen  inches  from  the  ground,  and  eighteen 
inches  from  the  wall,  and  having  as  many  sashes  in  one 
place  as  would  reach  from  standard  to  standard.  Now,  if 
this  is  the  plan,  it  is  of  importance  to  know  the  distance 
from  standard  to  standard;  in  other  words,  the  length  of 
glass  fixed  which  you  have  found  to  answer  so  well,  with 
tlie  means  of  admitting  air  solely  at  the  bottom  and  the 
sides.  We  can  easily  conceive  how  this  will  answer  very 
weU,  when  the  width  of  three  or  more  sashes  of  four  feet 
are  thus  fixed  together,  though  we  should  think,  judging 
from  analogy,  that  double  that  number  of  sashes,  fastened 
together,  would  be  apt  to  scorch  the  trees  near  the  top  of 
the  centre  of  the  enclosed  space.  In  all  large  spaces  there 
must  be  means  for  heated  air  escaping,  as  well  as  fresh  air 
being  admitted.  We  have  thought  of  a  simple  mode  of  so 
using  some  old  sashes,  but  every  year,  when  the  time  comes, 
this  plague  of  bedding-out  jilants  requires  every  bit  of 
them,  i'he  plan  was  to  fix  an  iron  pivot,  top  and  bottom, 
in  the  rail,  in  the  centre  of  each  sash  ;  put  that  pivot  into  a 
hole  in  a  boai'd  at  the  top,  and  the  pivot  at  the  lower  end 
into  a  hole  in  a  rail  on  posts  at  bottom,  and  then  the  sashes 
could  be  kept  in  a  plain,  by  means  of  hooks  and  eyes,  or 
moved  inwards  or  outwards,  so  as  to  admit  air,  and  keep  in 
any  position  with  a  pin. 

In  the  circumstances,  you,  no  doubt,  acted  correctly,  in 
covering  only  when  the  buds  were  bursting,  and  removing 
after  stoning ;  but  we  conceive,  tliat  where  there  are  no  heated 
walls,  much  advantage  would  be  gained  by  placing  the  glass 
on  in  autumn,  to  keep  ofi',  so  far,  autumn  rains,  and  thus 
hasten  the  maturing  at  the  expense  of  the  growing  prin- 
ciple. 

This,  therefore,  even  now,  would  be  our  advice  respecting 
the  trees  on  the  wall,  unhealed,  and  which  do  not  seem  to 
ripen  their  wood,  though  it  looks  kindly ;  but,  probably,  just 
touching  the  points  of  their  roots  would  also  be  an  ad- 
vantage in  stopping  growth,  and  causing  the  buds  to  be 
more  matured;  but  this  would  have  been  more  advantageous 
a  month  ago.  ^^'e  would  keep  the  glass  on  these  until  the 
leaves  got  yellow.  In  fact,  were  the  glass  covered  with  any 
opaque  substance,  sucli  as  whiting,  after  the  leaves  fall,  so 
as  to  prevent  the  sun  heating  the  wall,  tlie  sashes  might 
remain  on,  and  thus  keep  back  the  budding  season  in 
spring,  washing  off  the  matter,  or  removing  the  covering 
from  the  glass  as  the  buds  swelled. 

We  have  no  idea  of  trellissing  in  such  circumstances,  as 
a  remedy,  a  draft  is  made  behind  the  shoots,  and  thus  the 
trees  lose  much  heat  when  most  desirable. 

We  have,  also,  very  little  faith  in  the  eflicacy  of  black 
walls ;  unless  where  moist  heat  is  required,  there  are  means 
taken  to  ju'event  radiation.  A  dai'k  colour  becomes  suddenly 
heated,  and,  if  exposed,  as  suddenly  cooled.  After  trying 
several  experiments,  we  think,  that  for  general  purposes, 
there  is  little,  if  any  thing,  preferable  to  the  common  brick  ; 
it  absorbs  heat  somewhat  slowly,  but  then  it  parts  with  it 
slowly. 

Figs,  when  the  wood  is  well  ripened,  may  be  kept  in  the 
dark  as  well  as  in  the  light,  if  free  from  frost,  until  the 
buds  begin  to  push.  Did  the  frost  do  them  no  injury  under 
the  sashes  open  all  round  ? 

We  are,  however,  inclined  to  think  that  something  in  the 
wood,  or  roots,  was  more  at  fault  than  your  treatment. 
Suppose  you  merely  protect  the  shoots  from  frost  this 
winter,  and  cover  in  spring,  leaving  the  cover  on  all  the 
summer,  with  plenty  of  air  at  top,  even  if  you  should 
reduce  it  below,  and  report  the  resuUs,  which  we  can  assure 
you  will  give  pleasure  to  many.  Let  us  have  a  hint  how 
you  manage  so  many  frame-lights,  when  most  of  us  are 
obliged  to  hunt  them  up  for  their  more  usual,  but,  I  am 


130 


THE   COTTAGE   GAKDENER. 


November  17. 


sure,  scai'cely  more  legitimate,  purposes.  Of  course,  in 
very  severe  weather,  you  could  easily  cover  the  openings 
hoth  at  bottom  and  sides  of  your  structures.  Whatever 
mode  may  bo  adopted,  ventilation  must  prove  an  essential. — 
E.  F.] 


DORKINGS  AT  THE  REIGATE  POULTRY 
SHOW. 

(From  a  CorrespondenCj. 

The  Eeigate  Poultry  Exhibition  took  place  on  the  1st  and 
2nd  instant,  at  which  above  4111)  pens  of  Poultry  were 
brought  together  for  competition.  Of  all  places  in  the 
county,  for  railway  accommodation,  none  is  more  convenient 
than  Eeigate,  especially  as  it  is  understood  the  Exhibition 
will  be  in  future  held  nearer  to  the  "  Junction  Station."  Its 
locality  is  six  miles  from  the  town  which  gives  the  name  to 
the  celebrated  Dorkiiiij  Fowl,  so  fast  gaining  in  pubhe 
estimation ;  and  is  within  easy  distance  of  that  district  of 
Sussex,  to  which  all  the  best  birds  exhibited  in  various 
parts  of  the  kingdom  owe  their  origin.  {See  PodlteyBook, 
part  iv.  pwje  Viij).  In  this  district,  too,  the  cottagers  and 
small  farmers  are  universally  breeders  of  Dorkimjs,  and 
depend,  in  a  great  measure,  on  their  fowls  to  pay  their 
rents.  With  this  fact  in  view,  the  committee  judiciously 
admitted  the  cottagers  to  compete  for  prizes  without  pay- 
ment for  their  pens;  and,  by  the  liberality  of  a  generous 
individual,  a  sum  was  placed  at  their  disposal  to  be  awarded 
to  Cottagers,  according  to  the  merit  of  their  respective  pens. 
Under  such  circumstances,  we  had  good  reason  to  expect, 
particularly  in  this  class,  a  display  of  fowls  of  the  highest 
order ;  and  in  this  expectation  the  most  fastidious  could  not 
have  been  disappointed.  Sixty-seven  pens  of  colom-ed  Dork- 
ings, and  twenty-two  of  white,  were  entered ;  and  they  were, 
generally,  of  a  character  which  might  challenge  competition 
at  any  exhibition  in  the  kingdom.  Admirable,  however,  as 
was  this  class  in  general,  one  amateur  superseded  all  his 
competitors.  The  Rev.  J.  Boys,  of  Biddenham,  in  Kent, 
whose  fowls  attracted  so  much  attention  at  the  Metropolitan 
Show,  in  July  (twelve  Prize  Chickens  being  sold  at  the  auc- 
tion for  £'ii  5.9.),  exhibited,  on  this  occasion,  five  pens  of  his 
fowls,  which  attracted  universal  admiration,  as  well  of  the 
amateui',  as  of  the  breeders  and  poulterers  of  this  potiltry 
district.  To  these  were  awarded  all  the  fii'st  prizes  (four), 
and  one  second ;  and  certainly  a  more  beautiful  collection 
of  Dorkings  was  never  exhibited  by  one  individual.  In  the 
other  classes,  also,  were  displayed  many  choice  fowls,  but 
we  confine  our  observations  more  particularly  to  the  Dork- 
ing class,  in  the  hope  that  this  Society  will  no  longer  confine 
their  exhibition  to  a  particular  district,  hut  that,  with 
special  reference  to  their  own  bird,  now  in  universal  requi- 
sition, they  will  open  it  to  the  whole  kingdom;  and  that 
thus  it  will  become  one  of  the  most  eflicient  societies,  espe- 
cially attractive  to  distant  amatem-s,  as  affording  them  the 
opportunity  of  obtaining  choice  stock  birds.  This  expectation 
has  ah-eady  had  itsinlluence,  in  inducing  cottagers,  and  other 
breeders,  to  pay  more  attention  to  the  selection  of  their  own 
stock  fowls ;  and  thus,  as  is  generally  the  case,  the  public 
will  reap  great  benefit,  whilst  they  are  giving  assistance  to 
others  who  most  requii'e  it. 


THE   LAND'S -END,   AND   ITS   AGRICULTURE. 

The  cultivation  of  the  granite  formation  upon  which  the 
soil  around  the  Land's-End  rests  is  primitive  and  careless. 
The  soil,  composed  of  the  slowly-decomposed  granite,  is  not 
only  naturally  fertile,  but,  aided  by  the  warm  moisture  of 
the  climate,  the  grass  is  very  luxm-iant  from  May  until 
November.  The  parish  of  Senen,  in  wliich  the  Land's-End 
is  situated,  is  held  by  only  small  farmers,  whose  holdings 
are  seldom  more  than  sixty,  and  more  commonly  thirty  or 
forty,  acres — down  to  five  or  six.  Generally,  four-fifths  of 
the  farm  is  in  Grass,  and  that  of  excellent  quality ;  the 
other  fifth  is  in  Wheat,  Barley,  and  Turnips ;  but  Grass  is 
the  favourite  crop.  The  luxuriance  of  the  Grass,  and  the 
rocky  nature  of  the  fields,  renders  the  cultivation  of  the 
cereals  less  tempting.     These  rocks  proti'udo  above  the  sur- 


face of  the  fields  in  all  directions,  in  a  vei7  bold  way. 
yUmost  everything  there,  in  fact,  is  either  Granite  or  Grass 
- — granite  houses,  door-posts,  window-cills,  granite  fences, 
even  granite  gates.  This  kind  of  gate  is  formed  by  two 
granite  posts,  with  large  granite  boulders  piled  in  between ; 
so  that  when  they  require  the  ijate  opened,  it  talves  some 
hard  work  to  lift  these  great  stones  on  one  side  and  to 
replace  them. 

There  are  no  trees  of  any  land  here :  they  say  that  the 
wind  desti-oys  them.  The  gardens,  too,  of  the  cottagers 
and  little  farmers,  ai'e  ^Tetchedly  kept;  but  stUl  the  cot- 
tages look  warm  and  comfortable.  They  have  an  abundant 
supply  of  fish ;  and  cows,  in  veiy  excellent  condition,  are 
generally  kept,  and  well-cai-ed  for. 

The  magnificence  of  their  shores,  the  grandeur  of  their 
granite  cUtl's,  too,  are  of  absorbing  interest ;  they  dip  from  a 
general  height  of  about  Otil)  feet  at  once  into  deep  water. 
There  is  little  or  no  beach  to  be  found  for  miles  lU'ound  the 
Land's-End;  and  if  anything  of  the  kind  does  exist,  it  is 
chieily  in  a  few  yards  at  the  very  extremity  of  the  little 
coves  or  indentations  made  by  the  huge  rolUug  waves  of  the 
Atlantic;  and  even  these  little  patches  of  beach  ai-e  com- 
monly composed  of  a  surface  of  large  boulders,  eighteen  to 
twenty-fom'  inches  in  diameter.  These  granite-bound  coves 
are  sun'ounded  by  huge  perpendicular  clitfs  and  rocks,  in  all 
kinds  of  shapes,  and  of  the  most  picturesque  wildness, 
covered  with  mosses,  ferns,  and  heaths,  and  a  kind  of  plant 
which  looks  something  like  stone-crop;*  and  another,  which 
is  of  a  broadish  fleshy  leaf,  about  the  size  of  a  floiin,  grow- 
ing anddst  the  granite  of  their  houses. t 

From  the  Land's-End,  about  a  mile  from  the  shore,  ai-e 
the  Long  Slips  rocks,  and  lighthouse  ;  and  on  the  verge  of 
the  horizon  are  the  Scilly  Islands  and  lighthouse. 

G.  W.  J. 


DISEASED   PIGEONS. 

The  complaint  aft'ecting  .T.  Hewitt's  Pigeons  is  known  in 
London  only  by  "  going  light,"  and  "  going  queer,"  the 
latter  being  the  term  in  vogue  among  the  lower  order  of 
fanciers.  The  symptoms  are  a  gradual  wasting  away  to  a 
skeleton,  the  excrement  being  green  and  watery  until  the 
birds  die  ;  and  though  they  are  a  long  while  pining  away,  the 
whole  time  they  are  under  the  complaint  they  mope  about, 
with  their  feathers  loose  and  untidy,  with  eye  half-cdosed,  and 
looking  wretched.  Tins  will  often  attack  many  birds  at  the 
same  time,  and,  I  beUeve,  there  is  no  saving  them  when 
once  afl'ected,  except  by  an  entire  change  of  food.  If  the 
birds  have  been  fed  on  beans,  which  is  the  best  diet,  then 
change  at  once  to  barley,  tares,  and  peas,  and,  if  possible, 
urge  them  into  gentle  exercise,  which  is  the  only  plan  I  ever 
found  of  any  avail,  and  I  have  tried  many. 

I  have  kept  fancy  Pigeons  for  several  years,  and,  when 
they  have  had  partial  liberty,  have  rai-ely  knoN\ii  them  to  be 
otherwise  than  in  the  highest  condition ;  but  I  never  gave 
them  green  food  of  any  sort,  and  never,  but  on  one  occasion, 
in  many  years,  knew  them  to  eat  it,  and  then  it  was  lettuce 
leaves  which  I  had  thrown  to  some  Pheasants,  with  whom 
(being  strangers)  they  were  joint  tenants  of  the  same 
aviary.  I  thought  this  a  strange  circumstance  for  tame 
Pigeons,  though  I  know  wild  ones  live  for  weeks  on  tui-uip 
shoots,  and  I  have  never  noticed  mine  partake  of  the  green 
mustard  and  radish  tops,  which  I  still  give  the  Pheasants, 
and  to  which  the  confined  Pigeons  have  the  same  access. 

When  newly-arrived  Pigeons  have  been  confined  for  a  few 
weeks  in  an  open  aviai-y,  they  are  passed  to  another  from 
which  they  have  their  liberty;  these  are  fed  on  beans  only, 
but  on  the  roof  they  find  a  composition  of  old  mortar,  loam, 
and  salt,  mixed  together,  to  which  they  are  very  partial,  and 
they  are  always  in  the  best  of  health  in  conseciucncc  ;  the 
plumage  wearing  a  metallic  lustre,  and  they  produce  young 
ones  in  abundance. 

There  are  many  Pigeons  that  will  not  feed  tlieir  young 
ones  beyond  a  certain  age;  this  often  extended  to  when 
they  can  nearly  feed  themselves ;  in  other  instances,  nnich 
younger.  Tliis  habit  is  not  peculiar  to  any  one  sort,  though 
it  is  rare  for  Trumpeters,  Dragoons,  and  some  others,  so  to 


*  Sedum  dmtyptthltum. 
t  Coti/lfdon  iimbilirus. 


Thick-Icaved  white  stone-crop. 
Navclwort. 


November  17. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


1.1] 


forsake  them  ;  but  Carriers,  in  confinement,  are  notorious  on 
this  account ;  and  it  is  usual  to  have  several  pairs  of  feeders, 
to  wliieh  they  are  successively  passed.  Young  Pigeons  are 
often  left  by  the  hen  before  they  are  fledged,  and,  if  the 
nights  are  shai^),  they  die  in  consequence,  even  when  full  of 
food ;  but  it  is  not  unusual  for  high-fed,  salacious  Pigeons  to 
go  to  nest,  and  lay  again  before  the  young  ones  are  old 
enough  to  be  thus  left ;  so  to  obviate  all  these  difficulties,  it 
is  usual  to  put  the  valuable  young  ones  about  to  be  placed 
in  such  a  plight  under  more  common  Pigeons,  who  have 
young  ones  somewhat  younger,  and,  if  shifted  at  night,  the 
changelings  are  not  tUscovered  with  very  delicate  Pigeons 
(as  Almond  Tumblers) ;  and  in  cold  weather  this  is  some- 
times repeated  two  or  three  times,  for  the  sake  of  warmth 
at  night,  until  the  feathers  are  well  grown  to  protect  them. 

Fantails,  Carriers,  and  some  others,  will  often  evince  the 
greatest  affection  for  their  young  imtil  about  a  week  old, 
they  will  then  caU  off  to  nest  again,  and  never  visit  the 
young  afterwards ;  and  this  they  will  continue  to  do  all 
through  the  season,  consequently,  you  must  bo  prepared 
with  good  and  tried  feeders  to  assume  the  necessary 
nursing.  Runts,  Dragoons,  Trumpeters,  and  other  affec- 
tionate birds,  attend  to  the  young  with  every  solicitude, 
jointly,  until  the  hen  lays  again,  when  the  cock  bird  under- 
takes the  whole  of  the  duties,  except  in  some  instances, 
when,  if  the  young  have  left  the  nest,  but  cannot  feed  them- 
selves, they  will  often  petition  the  hen  until  she  feeds  them 
a  little ;  and  this  happens  during  the  day,  when  the  cock  is 
again  on  the  nest. 

You  will  observe,  that  Pigeons  are  not  guided  by  the  size 
of  their  young  ones  as  to  the  proper  time  for  leaving  them. 
They  appear  to  brood  them  for  a  certain  number  of  days, 
irrespective  of  the  state  of  the  weather,  or  forwardness  of 
the  young  ;  for  instance,  if  you  notice,  at  night,  a  pair  of 
young,  valuable  Cai-riers,  with  only  half  a  crop  full  of  food, 
but  partially  fledged,  and  their  mother,  probably,  standing 
over  her  first  eggs  of  the  next  nest,  then  remove  these  to 
the  place  of  a  younger  and  less  valuable  p.air,  by  which  they 
will  obtain  an  addition  week's  nursing,  and  thus  save  them. 
It  is  experience  only  that  can  teach  the  breeder  what  birds 
to  retain  as  the  best  feeders,  and  those  who  will  require 
feeders,  for  many  of  the  most  valuable  birds  will  bring  up 
their  own  young  ones,  while  others  are  too  weak,  too  sala- 
cious, or  too  careless,  to  properly  attend  to  them,  and  for 
whom,  if  it  is  desirable  to  rear  their  young,  it  is  necessary 
to  provide  substitutes. — C.  H.  B.,  Kulp  CoUaije. 


THE   CARRIER  PIGEON. 

"  The  CaiTier  is  lai-ger  in  size  than  most  of  the  common 
sorts  of  Pigedns  :  I  measured  one,  the  other  day,  whose 
length  from  the  point  of  the  beak  to  the  extremity  of  the 
tail  was  fifteen  inches  ;  this,  though  not  one  of  the  largest, 
weighed  nearly  twenty  ounces.  Their  flesh  is  naturally 
firm,  and  their  feathers  close;  when  they  stand  erect  upon 
their  legs,  their  necks  being  usually  long,  there  appears 
in  them  a  wonderful  symmetry  of  shape  beyond  other 
pigeons,  which  are  generally  crowded  on  heaps. 

"  The  upper  chap  of  the  bill  is  half  covered  from  tlie 
head,  with  a  naked,  white,  tuberous,  furfuraceous  flesh, 
which  projects  or  hangs  over  both  its  sides  on  the  upper 
part  nearest  the  head,  and  ends  in  a  point  about  the  middle 
of  the  bill ;  this  is  called  the  wattle,  and  is  sometimes 
joined  by  two  small  excrescences  of  the  same  kind  on  each 
side  of  the  under  chap. 

"  This  flesh  is  in  some  Carriers  more  inclinable  to  a 
blackish  colour,  which  is  generally  the  more  valued. 

"  The  eyes,  whose  iris,  or  circle  round  the  black  pupil,  is 
generally  of  the  colom-  of  a  reddish  gravel  ["  Mayor,  p.  86. 
'  But  should  be  a  fiery  red.'  GEirriN,  p.  CI.  '  Of  a  red 
brick-dust  colour'],  are  equally  sm'rounded  with  the  same 
sort  of  furfuraceous  matter  for  about  the  breadth  of  a 
shilling ;  this  is  generally  thin  when  it  spreads  wide,  and  is 
most  valued,  yet  when  the  flesh  round  the  eye  is  thick  and 
broad,  it  shows  the  Carriers  to  be  of  a  good  blood  that  will 
breed  very  stout  ones. 

"  This  bird  is  often  esteemed,  by  the  gentlemen  of  the 
Fancy,  as  the  King  of  Pigeons,  on  the  account  of  its  beauty 
and  great  sagacity ;  for  which  reason  Mr.  Hickman,  a  dis- 


tiller in  Bishopsgate-street  (not  of  the  family  of  the  lying 
Hickmans),  when  living,  always  kept  a  silver  hatchet  and 
block,  on  which  he  decently  chopped  ofl'  their  heads,  alleging 
that,  being  of  the  blood  royal,  they  ought  not  to  die  after 
the  same  manner  as  the  vulgar  herd. 

"  A  Carrier  is  generally  reckoned  to  have  twelve  proper- 
ties, viz. — 

"  Three  in  the  beak. 
"  Three  in  the  wattle. 
"  Three  in  the  head. 
"  Three  in  the  eye. 

"  To  begin,  therefore,  with  the  first — the  properties  of  the 
beak  are  to  be  long,  straight,  and  thick. 

"  As  to  its  length,  an  inch-and-a-half  is  reckoned  a  long 
beak,  though  there  are  very  good  Carriers  that  are  found  not 
to  exceed  an  inch-and-a-quarter. 

["  In  Moore's  day  an  inch-and-a-half  was  reckoned  a 
long  beak,  although  at  this  time  there  are  beaks  that  would 
measure  one  inch -and -three -quarters,  and  some  few  two 
inches  ;  it  is  infinitely  better  to  have  a  beak  one-inch- and-a- 
half  in  a  right  position,  possessing  the  properties,  straight 
and  thick,  than  have  a  beak  upon  which  tricks  have  been 
played  when  young,  and  coaxed  to  the  length  of  two  inches, 
and  spindle  beaked.  The  experienced  fanciers  are  aware 
how  some  measure,  as  I  said  before.  Position,  thicloiess, 
and  straightness  of  the  beak,  causes  the  admiration  of 
fanciers;  if  you  refer  to  the  portrait  of  the  Carrier  accom- 
panying this  work,  you  will  find  the  beak  two  inches  full, 
and,  if  measured  from  the  back  of  the  head  to  the  end  of 
the  beak,  nearly  three  inches,  understanding  that  in  some 
parts  of  the  country  they  measure  in  this  way.] 

"  The  straightness  of  the  beak  adds  a  wonderful  beauty 
to  its  length,  and,  if  otherwise,  it  is  said  to  be  hook-beaked, 
and  is  not  so  much  esteemed. 

"  The  thickness  of  the  beak  is  likewise  a  veiy  great 
recommendation,  and  if  it  fails  in  this  point  it  is  said  to  be 
spindle-beaked,  which  diminishes  something  of  its  value. 

["  GiKTiN,  p.  03.     Beak  a  black  colour.] 

"  The  ne.'i.t  three  properties  are  those  of  the  wattle,  which 
oixght  to  be  broad  across  the  beak;  short  from  the  head 
towards  the  apex,  or  point  of  the  bill,  and  tilting  forwards 
from  the  head ;  for,  if  othenvise,  it  is  said  to  be  be  pegg- 
wattled,  which  is  very  much  disesteemed ;  and,  therefore, 
some  people,  to  impose  upon  mankind,  and  enhance  the 
price  of  an  inditt'erent  bird,  have  ai'tificially  raised  the 
hinder  part  of  the  wattle,  filled  it  up  with  cork,  and  wired  it 
in  with  fine  wire,  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  be  easily  per- 
ceptible, especially  to  gentlemen  who  are  not  adepts  in  the 
Fancy. 

["  Mayor,  p.  82.    '  To  impose  upon  the  ignorant.'] 

"  We  come  now  to  consider  the  properties  of  the  head, 
which  are  its  lengtli,  its  narrowness,  and  its  flatness.  When 
a  Carrier  has  a  long,  naiTow  head,  and  a  very  flat  skull,  it 
is  much  admired ;  and,  if  otherwise,  it  is  said  to  be  barrel- 
headed. 

["  Mayor,  p.  82.  'With  a  hollow  impression  or  dent  in 
the  middle.'] 

"  The  last  three  properties  are  those  of  the  eye,  which 
ought  to  be  broad,  round,  and  of  an  equal  thickness  ;  for  if 
one  part  of  the  eye  be  thmner  than  the  rest,  it  is  said  to  be 
pinch-eyed,  which  is  deemed  a  very  great  imperfection ; 
whereas,  if  it  has  the  contrary  properties,  it  is  said  to  have 
a  rose-eye,  which  is  very  valuable. 

"  To  these,  some  add  the  distance  which  is  between  the 
hinder  part  of  the  wattle  and  the  edge  of  the  eye ;  but  I 
cannot  allow  this  to  be  a  property,  because,  when  a  Canier 
comes  to  be  three  or  four  year's  old,  if  the  eye  is  broad  and 
the  wattle  large,  they  must  of  necessity  meet:  the  distance 
therefore  seems  to  be  rather  a  property  of  the  Horseman,  of 
which  more  in  its  proper  place. 

"  Another  distinguishing  mark  of  a  Carrier  is  the  length 
and  thinness  of  its  neck,  which  some  call  a  property ;  and, 
indeed,  it  must  be  allowed  to  add  a  vei7  great  beauty  to 
this  bird,  esi)ecially  considering  the  breadth  of  its  chest. 

["  Mayor,  p.  83.  '  The  broader  the  chest  the  better,  for 
which  reason  the  head  should  incline  backward,  which 
shews  it  more  advantageously.'] 

"  Its  feather  is  chiefly  black  or  dun,  though  there  are 
likewise  blues,  whites,  and  pieds  of  each  feather,  but  the 
black  and  dun  answer  best  the  foregoing  properties,  yet  the 


132 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


November  17. 


blues,  and  blue  pieds,  are  generally  esteemed  for  theii-  scar- 
city, thougli  they  will  not  usually  come  up  to  the  properties 
of  the  foregoing  feathers." 

["  According  to  Mr.  Moore,  a  Can-ier  i^i  reckoned  to 
have  twelve  properties,  1-c.  and  all  in  tliat  small  portion 
of  the  bird — the  Head ;  allowing  no  property  to  test 
the  Carrier  by  that  standard,  laid  down  with  regard  to 
the  wonderful  symmeti7  and  elegance  of  shape ;  although, 
in  former  times,  it  w^as  called,  by  the  Gentlemen  of 
the  Fancy,  'the  King  of  X^igeons,'  for  its  elegance  and 
sagacity.  An  umpire,  unequal  to  the  office  he  was  filling, 
might  award  the  prize  from  a  general  appearance  of  the 
bird  (ils  elegance  and  symmetry  of  shape)  although  it  was 
not  laid  down  as  one  out  of  the  twelve  properties  to  test  the 
Carrier  by,  and  I  think  we  are  greatly  indebted  for  the 
judicious  remarks  of  Mayor.  After  all, my  brother  Fanciers, 
I  will  be  candid,  and  inform  you,  that  X  do  not  believe  the 
Carrier  to  be  an  original  bird,  but  bred  up  to  the  highest 
possible  pitch,  by  the  Fancier,  from  the  Horseman — wlien 
at  this  high  pitch,  or  ^standard,  then  it  was  called  a  Carrier, 
nor  is  it  possible  to  prevent  the  degeneration  by  any  art 
whatever,  which  X  shall  endeavour  to  prove  when  I  come  to 
the  Horseman.] 

["  ]\LvvoB,  p.  84.     But  in  my  opinion,  the  above  twelve 
properties  would  be  better,  and  not  so  liable  to  be  confused, 
if  they  were  reduced  to  five  properties,  vix. — • 
"1st.    Thel>eak. 
*'  2nd.  The  Wattle. 
"Ord.   TheXIead. 
"4tl].  The  Eye. 
"  5th.  Length  and  thinness  of  neck,  and  length  of  body. 
*'  But  as  the  gentlemen  of  that  Fancy  have  not  yet  taken 
upon  them  to  lix  a  proper  standard,  as  has  been  done  for 
the  Almond   Tumbler  and  the  Pouter,  the  above  is   sub- 
mitted to  their  consideration.      The   reducing   the   twelve 
properties  to  five  simplifies,  and  is  generally  adopted  by  the 
Gentlemen  of  the  Fancy  who  are  appointed  to  the  office  of 
Umpire.] 

(7^0  he  coiiiinucd.) 


TO    CORRESPOWDEWTS. 

CiNEEAEiAS  {C.  J.  A.).~Yo\i  have  a  dozen  seedling  Cinerarias,  and 
have  kept  theoi  in  a  window  facing  the  sun,  and  instead  of  flourishing, 
and,  as  you  expected,  showing  flower,  they  are  very  unhealthy.  Any 
prower  of  Cinerarias  would  have  anticipated  this.  Your  treatment,  as 
far  as  you  have  described  it,  is  decidedly  wrong,  and  this  is  not  the 
season  to  set  them  right.  All  you  can  do  ia  to  repot  them,  rubbing  off 
part  of  the  old  soil,  and  set  them  in  a  cold  frame  for  a  time  ;  or,  if  you 
have  not  that  convenience,  place  them  in  a  north  window  for  a  month, 
till  they  make  fresh  leaves  and  growth.  Watch  for  green  flies  and 
destroy  them.  Cinerarias  require,  during  autumn  and  winter,  the  coolest 
treatment— 36°  to  40''  of  heat  are  sufficient.  In  fact,  any  low  tempe- 
rature, not  actually  at  the  freezing  point,  will  suit  them. 

Dahlias,  Rats,  and  Hoses  {S(:intillaj:).—We  never  heard  of  rats 
destroying  Dahlias  in  winter  stores,  nor  of  Roses  being  killed  with  too 
much  rotten  dung.  We,  ourselves,  once  planted  some  Rose-trees  on  a 
heap  of  dung,  thirteen  yards  long,  five  yards  wide,  and  four  feet  deep, 
without  one  single  particle  of  soil,  and  they  succeeded  wonderfully,  as 
long  as  they  could  be  left ;  but,  no  doubt,  some  kind  of  fresh  dung  would 
kill  anything,  and  if  the  holes  made  in  the  stony  clay  for  your  Rosea 
will  hold  water,  your  Roses  certainly  will  be  killed,  sooner  or  later.  If 
the  water  drainsVeadily  away,  never  fear,  for  over-rotten  dung  all  Rosea 
delight  in. 

Lantana  caoCEA  {Pa7-snn's  Wife).— Yon  are,  unfortunately,  too  late; 
but  try  and  save  a  couple  of  the  old  plants  ;  prune  them  close  to  the 
hard  wood,  and  shorten  the  whole  plant ;  pot  them  in  leaf-mould,  sand, 
and  light  loam,  and  keep  them  fully  as  warm  all  the  winter  as  a  Gera- 
nium in  growth.  Force  young  cuttings  from  them  early  in  March,  in  a 
cucumber-bed,  and  the  young  plants  will  be  fit  for  the  bed  early  in  June. 
August  is  the  right  time  to  make  cuttings  of  these  bedding  Liuitayias. 
Did  you  ever  try  Lnntima  Scltowii  for  a  bed  ?  Three-year-old  plants  of 
it  do  br:st,  and  it  makes  a  pretty  bed  indeed. 

Rhododendrons,  Azaleas,  Heaths,  and  Conifeks  {H.  B.). — 
The  following  are  twelve  kinds  of  well-marked  varieties  of  Rhododen- 
drniifi,  whicli  vou  can  buy  at,  or  under,  three  shillings  a-picce — Bicolor, 
Alhiim  '^riiinlijlontm,  Candidiim,  Chandler  si:arltt,  Ei't-restiuninn,  Gitt- 
tatum,  H iinfjinthiflurumt  Jacfcsnnii,  Liiciferum,  Macrantlann^  Pu:/um, 
and  Splendidum.  For  six  very  good,  hardy  Azaleas,  take  the  Ghent 
ones,  such  as  ylnia/'f/is,  Aurca  splendfns,  Ne  pUm  Ultra,  Candidissimn, 
Calendidacea  coccineu,  and  Speniosissirna.  Sis  of  the  beat  hardy  Ericas 
you  might  pick  up  on  the  hill  behind  your  house  in  North  Wales  ;  but  if 
you  would  rather  pay  for  the  feather  of  a  far-fetched  bird,  take  Herbacea, 
Strirtn,  Varif^ans  rubra,  Mrditerrancn,  Vulgaris  aiirra,  and  Vulgaris 
dumosa.  We  saw  nine  kinds  of  Heaths  on  Chobham  Common,  and  we 
keep  them  purposely  out  of  this  list,  although  just  as  good  as  any  in  it. 
For  six  "  most  graceful  Conifers,"  at  a  low  figure,  take  Abies  Doufflassii, 
Pinvs  insignis,  Araucarin  irnbriraia,  Cedrus  deodara,  Cryptomeria 
japonicn,  and  Cupressus  macrocarpa,  alias  Lnmhertiana. 

French  Beans  and  Stbawuerries  (T.  W.  L.), — Firat-rate  gar- 
deners have  their  carlieet  French  Beans  and  earliest  Potatoes  on  the 
dinner-table  on  the  firct  of  January  ;  and  next  morning  they  move  the 


earliest  Strawberries,  that  are  to  be,  from  their  winter  Quarters  into  a 
sometvhere  that  is  kept  a  few  degrees  warmer  than  a  cold  frame ;  but, 
judging  from  surmises,  we  would  venture  to  suggest  the  20th  of  next 
niarch  as  the  most  befitting  time  for  you  to  begin  French  licans  and 
Strawberries.  We  once  knew  a  superior  forcing-gardener,  who  once  made 
a  great  mistake,  by  boasting  among  the  craft,  at  a  public  dinner,  that  his 
earliest  beans  were  always  ready  for  the  Christmas  dinner.  "  Sure  enough, 
then,"  said  an  Irish  gardener,  opposite,  "  my  early  beans  are  always  a 
twelvemonth,  all  but  seven  days,  earlier  than  yours." 

Pillar  Fdciisias  and  Pillar  Gehaniums  [Ibid]. — Take  a  two- 
year-old  Fuchsia  of  the  strongest  kind,  cut  it  to  the  surface  of  the  ball, 
nhake  all  the  soil  from  it,  but  do  not  cut  many,  or  any,  of  the  old  roots, 
only  the  small  fibres,  pot  it  in  a  good,  rich,  light  compost,  and  after 
watering,  plunge  it  into  Ijottom-heat  of  from  7^"  to  80°  in  a  close  place  ; 
let  six  or  eight  shoots  from  the  stool  rise  two  pairs  of  leaves,  and  rub  olt 
the  rest,  if  more  come.  Now  select  the  strongest  nhoot,  and  stop  the 
rest,  but  do  not  cut  them  all  awnif,  as  some  foolishly  do.  Keep  the 
centre  shoot  going,  in  heat  and  moisture,  as  fast  as  it  will  grow,  till  the 
flower-buds  appear  by  the  end  of  next  April ;  and  it  the  bottom  threatens 
to  he  bare  of  shoots  fur  a  yard  or  so,  let  two  or  three  of  your  reserve 
suckers  crow  so  long  as  to  cover  the  naked  parts.  The  height  of  the 
pillar  will  be  proportionate  to  the  kind,  and  to  your  Fkill  in  filling-up  the 
details  of  management.  Geraniums  must  only  be  grown  as  standards 
the  first  year  ;  the  aide-shoots  will  form  the  pillar  afterwards  ;  grow  them 
also  in  heat. 

Colour  of  Siiangiiae's  Legs  {G.  G.  Spencer). — Regarding  the 
yellow  leg  as  a  specific  feature  in  the  Shanphae  fowl,  we  should  certainly 
consider  the  fact  of  that  member  being  "  it/ij/tf  "  as  a  fatal  bar  to  dis- 
tinction in  the  prize-list. 

Various  {Phitunthc). — You  wiah  for  creepers  suitable  for  the  back 
wall  of  a  conservatory,  twelve  feet  high,  but  no  artificial  heat.  You  do 
not  say  how  long  it  is.  Nothing  very  tender  will  do  in  such  a  place. 
Jasminum  revohUum,  yellow  and  sweet;  J.  gracile,  white  and  sweet; 
Paasijiora  ca:rulea,  blue  ;  Clematis  cwrulen,  blue.  The  rest  are  strong- 
growing,  rather  herbaceous  in  their  character;  put  down  in  the  order  in 
which  they  will  bloom  from  spring  to  dLnX.\xm\\:—Manruudya  Bar- 
cliiyiina,  purple;  M.  llendersonii,  pink;  M.  alba,  white;  Rhodochiton 
voltibile,  dark  juirplc ;  TropiFolum  pentaphyllmn,  orange,  red,  and 
green;  Lopkosj}ermu?n  erubesrens,  rose-coloured;  L.  Hcndcrsonii,  ctir- 
mine  ;  L.  spcctabile,  variegated;  Ecremocarpus  scaber,  orange.  Again, 
Fuchsias  would  soon  cover  puch  a  wall,  or  Scarlet  Gcraniinns,  and  cither, 
by  being  kept  dryish  in  winter,  would  prevent  injury,  except  from  very 
severe  frosts.  Good  lists  have  already  beftn  given  of  creepers  for  green- 
houjes,  but  they  would  be  unnuitalde  for  a  conservatory  without  beat,  as 
the  finest  things  might  all  be  worthless  after  a  nighVs  frost,  \^'lute  and 
black  Viiie.^,  for  such  a  house,  arc — Black  Hamburgh^  and  M'hite  or 
Hoyiil  Muacadine ;  but  if  you  give  the  heat  from  sun  the  Vines  would 
like  in  summer,  it  will  be  too  much  for  herbaceous  climbers  on  the  back- 
wall.  Were  it  not  that  you  object  to  Camellias,  they  would  do  better  than 
j  anything  else,  as  they  would  stand  cold  in  winter  and  heat  in  summer. 
Fuchsia  serratifolia  {Ibid). — This  will  bloom  in  winter.  Sec  an 
article  to-day  by  i\Ir.  Fish.  You  ask  for  the  "  Handsomest  and  best  ever- 
green creeper  for  the  east  end  of  a  cold  conservatory,  against  which  you  have 
a  roekwork,  Avith  thrcejets  of  water  playing  spray  fashion  over  Ferns,  both 
British  and  foreign."  We  fear,  that  in  your  ease,  we  are  carrying  "salt 
to  Dvsait,"  and  "  shoes  to  Northampton."  But  what  do  you  mean  by 
cold  ?  Do  you  use  tire-heat,  or  not  /  We  can  place  ourselves  just  looking 
at  your  rock-work,  and  if  it  had  been  out-of-doors,  we  would  have  been 
tempted  to  cover  the  wall  with  a  huge  bush  of  double  Whin  or  Furze. 
As  it  is  in  the  house,  and  if  not  heated,  we  would  try  Sollya  htterophylla, 
which  is  very  interesting  with  its  pretty  blue  flowers;  but  if  the  house  is 
heated,  though  not  a  climber,  but  easily  trained,  we  know  of  nothing  more 
suitable  than  the  Acacia  Armata. 

Cyclamens  [Rev.  R.  M.  Eunnji). — These,  received  from  Smyrna,  had 
better  be  putted  in  sandy  loam,  with  a  little  peat,  neither  wet  nor  dry, 
and  kept  in  that  state,  in  a  cool  house,  until  they  begin  to  grow,  when 
they  will  want  more  water,  and  full  exposure  to  the  light. 

Addresses  [B.  W.). — Those  you  require  arc— Capt,  W.  W.  Hornby, 
R.  N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  near  Prescot;  and  Graham  Vivian,  Esq., 
Singleton,  Cornwall. 

Poultry  Fountains  (B.  B.).— There  are  several,  but  none  of  them 
deserving  the  price  required  for  them.  The  best  plan  of  supplying  water 
is  in  a  long  iron  trouph  placed  behind  a  row  of  palings,  through  which 
the  poultry  can  put  their  heads  and  reach  the  water. 

DOB.iiiKGS  {James  Rollins). — The  topknots  at  once  demonstrate  that 
your  birds  are  not  pure  Dorkings. 

British  Wild  Flowers  (jl/T/oso^is). — It  is  probable  that  they  will 
be  published  in  a  separate  form. 

Siianghaes  (A  Subscriber). — You  were  certainly  misinformed.  BuflT 
Shanghaes,  or,  as  you  call  them,  Cochin-Chinas,  are  most  in  request. 

White  Comb. — Chinirgus,  of  Oswestry,  says,  "  Perceiving  a  Cochin 
Pullet  affected  with  a  white  scurf  on  one  side  of  the  face,  which  gave  her 
vcrv  much  the  appearance  of  a  Spanish  fowl's  white  face,  and  not  liking 
that  this  complaint  should  spread  (as  I  understood  it  will)  over  the 
comb  and  neck,  I  had  recourse  to  a  remedy  recommended  in  your  pages, 
viz.,  cocoa-nut  oil  and  turmeric,  in  the  proportion  of  one  drachm  of  the 
latter  to  two  of  the  former;  and  I  am  glad  to  say,  that  in  three  or  four 
applications  she  has  been  cured. 

Names  ok  Plants  {A.  U.). — Abies  Cephalonica  and  Rhndtidcndron 
Dauricum.  {A.  B.)  1.  Asplenium  Trichomanes,  orconimon  fliaidenhair 
Fern.  2,  Eucomis  punctata,  Spotte.l  Kucomis.  3.  Edaardsia  f^rnndi' 
fiora.  Large-flowered  F-dwarsia,  4.  Viburnum  opulus.  Guelder  Rose.  ."i. 
Quercus  rabur,  Stalkless-fruited  Oak.  ti  and  7.  Varieties  of  Quercus 
cerris,  which  we  may  be  able  to  name  next  week. 

Error. — At  page  7'.  on  the  cont  of  covering  walls  ten  feet  high  with 
glass— for  i£l  per  running  yard,  Mr.  Appleby  says  it  should  be  j£l  per 
running /oo£. 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  Wooldbidge,  Winchester  High-Btrcct, 
in  the!  Parish  of  Saint  Wary  Kalendar;  and  PubliBhed  by  William 
SoMBRViLLB  Ore,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Comer,  in  the  Parish  of  ChriU 
Church,  City  of  Loudon.— Novembor  17th,  1863. 


Novum  UEB  24. 


THE  OOTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


isg 


M 
D 

D 
W 

NOVEMBER  24—80,  1853. 

W&ATHRR  NBAn  LONDON  IN   1852. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun 
Sets. 

Moon 
R./cS. 

Moon's 
Ago. 

Clock 
af.  Sun. 

Day  of 
Year. 

Barometer. 

Thermo.  Wind.'  f  °*"j" 
1            1  Inches. 

24 
25 
26 

27 

28 
39 
30 

F 

S 

Son 

M 

To 

W 

Gray  Wagtail  comes. 

Oak  leafless. 
Advent  Sunday. 
Song  Thrush  again  sings. 
Common  Flat  Body  ;  gardens. 
St.  Anorbw. 

29.873— 29.2B6 
29.947-39.689 
29.483—29.426 
29.832—39.692 
29.670—29.450 
29.O8O— 3Q.507 
29.954—29.783 

47-37  1     N. 
64—41    1      8. 
56—88   '■  S.W. 

49-39  1  w. 

51—38  1  N.W. 
39-34  j      N. 
43-26  1    N. 

22 
70 

03 

36  a.  7 
37 
39 
40 
43 
43 
45 

S3  a.  3 
57 
66 
65 
55 
64 
53 

morn. 

0  7 

1  25 

3  45 

4  9 

5  37 
sets. 

11 

25 
26 
37 

1 

13      5 
12     47 
12     23 
12       8 
11     47 
11     26 
11        4 

328 
339 

330 
331 
333 
333 
334 

Mbtboeologt  of  Tna  Week. — At  CliiBwick,  from  observations  durinR  the  last  twenty-six  years,  tlie  averag 
peratures  of  tlieae  days  are  47-5"  and  34.6'  respectively.  Tiie  greatest  heat,  58*,  occurred  on  the  30th  in  1935  ;  and  t] 
29th  in  1846.  During  the  period  94  days  were  fine,  and  on  88  rain  fell. 

3  highest 
e  lowest 

and  lowest  tem- 
:oId,  16^,  on  the 

NEW  PLANTS. 

Bahia  latifoua  {Broad-leaved  Sahia). 

It  13  chiefly  by  the  greater  breadth  of  its  leaves,  and  its 
superior  heighth,  that  this  is  distinguished  from  Bahia 
lanata,  and  there  seems  small  reason  for  separating  them 
I'rom  the  very  descriptively  -  named  genus,  Briophi/llum 
(Woolly-leaved).  Indeed,  Bahia  lanata,  in  many  botanical 
works,  is  to  be  found  described  under  its  synonymn,  Erio- 
phyUuni  aespitosum.  They  belong  to  the  Natural  Order  of 
Oomposiles,  and  to  the  Si/ii(/(fiiesia  mptrjlaa  of  Linnrous. 

B,  latifuliu  is  an  annual,  and  native  of  California.  Steins 
branching  and  woolly;  leaves  covered  with  a  cobweb-like 
down.  Flower-heads  solitary,  on  woolly  stalks ;  florets  of 
the  ray  from  twelve  to  fourteen,  broad,  deep  yellow,  and 
handsome. — {Horticultural  SoHehj's  Journal,  viii.  319.) 

SOHIZANTHUS   VIOLAOEUS    {Tiolet-ColouTed). 

Thig  does  not  seam  to  be  botanically  distinct  from  S. 
piimatus,  but  it  has  been  specifically  named  by  M.  M. 
Vilmorin,  and  is  a  good  hardy  annual.  It  differs  from 
S.  pinimtus,  and  S.  Hookeri,  by  having  no  yellow  stain  upon 
its  flowers. — {Hid,  p.  3'20.) 

Azalea  ceispii'loka  {Crisp-flowered  Aealea). 

By  crisped  is  meant  that  the  edges  of  the  petals  look  as 
if  they  were  uniformly  small-plaited.  This  is  a  very  showy 
shrub,  introduced  from  China  by  Mr.  Tortune,  and  raised 
by  Messrs.  Standish  and  Noble,  of  the  Bagshot  Nursery. 
It  flowers  in  April,  requiring  the  shelter  of  the  greenhouse. 
The  petals  are  of  a  deep  rosy  colour,  or  crimson. — {Botanical 
Maijazinc,  t.  4726.) 

Semeiandra  geandifloea    {Large-flowered   Semciandra). 

It  cannot  be  better  described  than  as  a  Fuchsia  with  dis- 
torted flowers.  It  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of  Onagrads, 
and  to  DiandHa  Monogynia  of  Linnteus.  Sir  W.  Hooker 
thus  writes  of  it  (Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4727): — "A  re- 
markable genus,  allied  to  Fuchsia,  with  singularly-formed 
flowers  of  a  bright  scarlet  colour ;  the  coloured  calyx  con- 
stituting the  principal  portion  of  the  flower.  Native  of 
Mexico,  first  detected  about  Tepic,  by  the  Naturalists  of 


Captain  Beeehey'g  Voyage  in  H.  M.  S,  Blossom,  and  de- 
scribed in  the  Botany  of  that  Expedition.  '  It  was  again 


found  in  the  Sierra  Madre,  on  the  road  from  Mazatlan  to 
Durango,  by  Mr.  B.  Seemann,who  transmitted  to  the  Koyal 
Gardens  the  seeds  from  which  the  plant  represented  in  our 
plate  have  been  raised.  '  The  Semeiandra  yrandiflora,'  says 
Mr.  Seeraann,  '  grows  in  the  temperate  regions  of  North- 
western Mexico,  at  an  elevation  from  4,000  to  5,000  feet 
above  the  ocean,  among  Galphimias,  Tupas,  Cupheas, 
and  Lobelias.  It  is  a  slender  shrub,  about  six  feet  high, 
and  its  bright  scarlet  blossoms  render  it  a  desirable  ac- 
quisition to  every  garden.  When  I  met  with  it,  towards  the 
end  of  1850,  it  was  both  in  flower  and  fruit,  making  it  pro- 
bable that  it  flowers  more  or  less  throughout  the  year.' — 
With  us  (in  Kew)  it  began  to  show  its  blossoms  in  March, 
1853." 


It  is  not  a  little  singular,  that  the  question  of  the  com- 
parative value  of  Quince  stocks,  and  those  called  free 
stocks,  or,  in  other  words,  stocks  of  the  wild  Pear, 
should  have  been  constantly  before  the  public  for  a 
century  or  more,  and  not  yet  by  any  means  be  settled. 
Even  in  the  days  of  London  and  Wise,  as  we  find  in 
their  edition  oi  De  la  Quintinye,  dated  1710,  the  use  of 
both  Quince  and  Wilding  are  respectively  recommended, 
according  to  circumstances,  the  recommendations  pro- 
fessing to  be  backed  by  long  experience.  Thus,  at  page 
50,  it  is  said  oC'La  bon  Chretien  de  Hyver"—"  It  should 
be  grafted  on  a  Quince  stock,  because,  on  a  free  stock 
the  fruit  grows  spotted,  small,  and  crumpled."  Again, 
of  "  La  Bergamot"—"U  the  ground  be  good  and  light, 


they  do  best  on  a  free  stock;  but  if  cold  and  heavy, 
on  a  Quince."  Here  we  see  a  recognition,  in  thoso  days. 
of  the  adaptability  of  the  Quince  to  moist  and  adhesive 
soils.  Again,  at  page  57,  of  "La  St.  Qermain" — "It 
does  best  on  a  soil  moderately  moist,  and  on  a  free 
stock." 

Here,  then,  we  have  a  sort  of  antagonism  in  principle. 
That  many  persons  have  tried  the  Quince  stocks  and 
failed  is  notorious;  and  that  some  have  succeeded  is 
equally  true ;  but,  then,  in  the  former  case,  let  us  ask, 
has  the  stock  itself  been  done  justice  to  ? 

We  long  since  attempted  to  show,  in  the  columns  of 
The  Cottage  G.^rdener,  that  the  man  who  tried  to 
cultivate  Pears  on  the  Quince,  on  soils  adverse  to  the 


No,  COLXIX.,  Vol,  XL 


134 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NoVEMDEn  '^-l. 


growth  of  the  Quince,  was  proceediug  on  a  fallacious 
foundation.  We  have  all  seen  the  common  Red  Currant 
luxuriantly  growing  on  a  warm  and  sandy  bank,  and 
producing  fruit  liberally  and  fine  ;  but  who  would  think 
of  grafting  a  Red  Currant  on  a  Black  Currant  stock, 
and  planting  it  on  a  dry  soil? 

In  the  present  state  of  science,  as  bearing  on  the 
relation  the  root  has  to  the  branch,  and  on  the  influence 
of  the  latter  in  altering  the  functions  of  the  latter,  we 
do  not  think  any  man  can  suppose  that  it  is  in  the 
power  of  the  branch  so  to  modify  the  action  of  tlie  root  as 
to  totally  change  the  natural  habits  of  the  stock  on  which 
the  species  or  variety  is  grafted.  However,  setting  aside 
scientiflc  considerations,  a  more  common  sense  view  of 
the  subject  might  almost  be  presumed  to  settle  the 
question.  Until,  then,  the  public  better  understand,  or 
better  consider,  this  question,  it  will  he  well,  for  those 
who  feel  puzzled,  to  grow  Pears  on  the  ordinary  stock. 
Be  it  understood,  however,  that  we  do  not  hereby  desire 
to  condemn  the  Quince;  on  the  contrary,  we  think,  that, 
for  certain  kinds,  under  certain  circumstances,  it  may 
be  used  with  much  advantage  ;  but  who  is  he  that  can 
give  us  all  tlie  iuformatioii  we  require  to  thoroughly 
settle  the  question?  To  be  sure,  writers  affirm,  with 
all  apparent  confidence,  that  this  kind  should  be  on  the 
Quince,  and  that  on  the  Pear;  but  we  must  confess 
that  we  have  found  great  disappointment  in  such  recom- 
mendations; and  many  are  the  complaints  that  have 
reached  us  from  suffering  amateurs,  who,  taking  their 
cue  from  glowing  accounts  of  the  wonders  performed  by 
the  Quince  stock,  have  at  once  stocked  their  new  garden 
— their  first  attempt  at  gardening,  perhaps — with  these 
fancy  things  with  their  highly  Frenchified  names. 

We  hope  not  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  those  who 
have  a  leaning  towards  the  delightfully -euphonious 
sounds  of  some  of  the  Fi-ench  names  given  by  our  more 
volatile  neighbours  to  fancy  Pears ;  for,  if  the  flavour 
be  e.\cellent,  and  the  kind  profitable,  we  should  have  no 
particular  objection  to  a  Pear  if  it  had  as  many  names 
or  titles  as  a  Spanish  grandee.  They  certainly  shew 
more  taste  than  our  Lancashire  Gooseberry  men,  with 
their  "  Top  Sawyer,"  "  Roaring  Lion,"  "  Jolly  Angler," 
&c.;  but  John  Bull  is  a  rough  fellow,  and  almost  un- 
tamable. 

We  must  here  beg  to  state,  as  our  decided  opinion, 
that  where  the  treatment,  from  the  seed-bed,  or  sucker, 
upwards,  is  what  it  ought  to  be,  with  our  Pear,  or  wilil  stoclt, 
this  stock  will  prove  sufficient  for  every  purpose,  except 
for  pots;  and,  indeed,  for  all  other  modes  of  culture,  we 
think  them  superior  altogether  to  the  Quince.  This  we 
offer  as  an  opinion;  one,  perhaps,  that  may  not  be 
pleasing  to  Quince-stock  men.  But  that  matters  not ; 
our  object  is  truth. 

We  well  know,  that  of  all  the  gardens  we  have  seen, 
and  they  amount  to  many  hundreds,  we  cannot  call  to 
mind  half  a  score  in  which  Pear  culture  was  carried  on 
upon  a  soiuid  basis.  We  do  not  mean  to  impute  neglect 
to  any  of  those  cultivators,  though  such  may  have 
occasionally  been  the  case.     We  mean  to  suy,  that  Pear 


culture  seemed  less  understood  than  the  culture  of  any 
other  fruit 

Mr.  Beaton,  in  his  report  of  the  Regent-street  Meet- 
ing, held  at  the  Society's  Rooms,  on  the  18th  of  October, 
says, — "  Here  I  tasted  some  of  the  best  October  Pears  ; 
at  least,  I  tried  to  do  so,  but  there  was  no  taste,  that  I 
could  make  out,  at  all ;  but,  as  it  is  some  consolation 
to  know  that  we  are  not  alone  in  a  dilemma,  I  must 
mention,  that  ilr.  Solomons,  of  Covent  Garden,  exhi- 
bited splendid-looking  Pears  from  the  South  of  France  ; 
hut  they  were  not  a  whit  better  flavoured  than  if  they 
had  come  from  Uie  haughs  of  Cromdale."  As  a  set-off 
against  such  fruit,  we  may  observe,  that  the  Pears  at 
Oulton  Park  havo  been  highly  admired  by  all  who  have 
seen  them  ;  finer  crops,  or  higher-flavoured  fruit,  were 
never  grown  there.  It  is  of  no  use  gi'atuitously  to 
imagine  that  finer  weather  was  there  than  elsewhere  ; 
the  terrible  accounts  of  their  hay  harvest,  and  the  late 
state  of  much  of  the  cei'eals,  would  speedily  negative 
this  idea.  Indeed,  a  summer,  if  such  it  must  bo  called, 
was  never  known  there  so  difficult  to  deal  with.  They 
began  using  the  Delice  d Dardenfort  Pear,  from  a  west 
aspect,  in  the  early  part  of  October.  These  were 
delightful,  indeed  ;  of  the  most  melting  character,  with 
a  slight  degree  of  scent,  or  muskiness;  and  the  finest 
in  texture  of  all  our  Pears  at  present.  On  the  heels  of 
these,  and  close,  too,  came  Williams  Bon  Chrclienne, 
Altliorp  Crassanne,  Fonilante  d' Axttomne,  Suffolk  Thorn, 
Ducliesse  d'Anffoiileme,  Louis  Bonne  of  Jerseij,  Murie 
Louise,  and  Beurree  d'Amaiilis. 

We  must  needs  point  to  the  Suffolk  Thorn,  a  Pear 
which  deserves  high  commendation ;  at  least,  we  can 
afibrd  to  give  it  such,  especially  as  it  succeeds  perfectly 
in  Cheshire  as  an  ordinary  standard,  and  is  of  first-rate 
character;  thus,  in  the  worst  of  summers,  it  is  a  great 
bearer — quite  melting,  very  juicy,  flesh  fine,  and  is  much 
like  the  old  GanscFs  Bergamot,  from  which,  it  is  stated, 
the  late  Mr.  Knight,  of  Downton  Castle,  raised  it.  Tt 
is  in  use  from  the  second  week  in  October  until  No- 
vember, and  we  beg  to  recommend  it  to  all  our  friends, 
at  least,  those  of  the  north. 

As  to  tlie  otlicr  kinds  here  named,  they  havo  been 
full-sized,  and  their  flavour  excelleut, ;  the  AUIiorp  C'rnn- 
sanne,  and  the  WiUiums'  Bon  Chrclienne,  were  gathered  a 
long  while  before  ripe,  as  they  always  should  he,  and 
were  delicious. 

Returning  to  the  matter  of  stocks,  lot  us  hint  at  the 
reasons  why  Pears  on  the  free  stock  so  often  succeed 
badly.  The  wild,  or  free  stock,  by  nature,  is  inclined 
to  make  deep  roots,  and  deep  roots  are  ever  averse  to 
a  thorough  ripening  of  the  wood.  And  why?  it  may 
fairly  bo  asked.  Tho  answer  is,  that  deep  roots  imbibe 
a  too-copious  and  constant  sup])ly  of  moisture,  and 
tli.at,  too,  at  periods  when  a  degree  of  mellowness,  if  not 
of  partial  dryness,  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  It  is  of 
the  utmost  imjiortance  that  Pears  cease  to  grow,  or, 
rather,  to  elongate  in  the  yoimg  shoots,  by  the  end  of 
August ;  alter  which  period,  the  powers  of  the  tree 
should  tend  to  concentration  rather  than  dispersion. 
That  this  concentration,  or  acoumulntion,  of  the  pro- 


November  24. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


135 


pared  sap  is  beneficial  in  euhaucing  Lotli  size,  quality, 
and  colour  in  the  fruit,  is  amply  proved  by  tlie  efl'eots  of 
ringing;  by  which  means  a  preternatural  supply  is 
arrested  above  the  ringing  point.  In  suoli  cases,  not  only 
the  fruit,  but  the  young  wood  and  the  embryo  bloom-buds 
become  altered  in  condition,  albeit,  at  the  expense,  in 
some  dogi-ee,  of  the  longevity  of  the  tree ;  here,  however, 
tliere  need  be  no  cause  for  alarm,  as  the  Pear  is  naturally 
so  long-lived  as  to  make  this  point  totally  unworthy  of 
consideration. 

We  think,  too,  it  may  be  safely  inferred,  that  the 
temperature  of  the  ascending  sap  is  a  matter  for  serious 
consideration.  Surely,  the  moisture  absorbed  by  roots 
at  three  feet  in  depth,  cannot  be  precisely  the  same,  in 
this  respect,  as  that  absorbed  from  within  a  foot  of  the 
earth's  surface!  The  soil  at  the  former  depth  being, 
probably,  in  July  and  August,  about  fifty  degrees,  whilst 
that  within  a  foot  is  nearer  to  seventy  degrees  :  surely 
both  cannot  produce  precisely  the  same  results  ! 

However,  it  is  a  well-kno^vn  fact,  that  whatever  the 
merits  of  the  Quince  may  be  as  a  stock,  the  Pear-stock 
will  succeed,  in  ninety  cases  out  of  a  hundred,  without 
preparation;  whilst  of  the  Quince,  probably  not  twenty 
would  suit.  The  deep  roots,  then,  got  rid  of,  we  have 
little  doubt  that  the  ordinary  stock  would  suit  well  the 
majority  of  cases.  And  how  shall  these  deep  roots  be 
got  rid  of  ?  If  right  in  our  antecedents,  this  will  bo  a 
small  difficulty.  Frequent  ti-ansplantations,  beginning 
from  the  very  seed,  sucker,  or  layer,  of  the  stock,  and 
station  planting,  according  to  the  maxims  first  made 
patent  through  the  medium  of  The  Cottage  Gardener, 
offer,  in  our  opinion,  the  only  solid  chances  of  success. 
The  rest,  we  fear,  is  all  "  but  leather  and  prunella." 

E.  E. 


We  certainly  had  imagined  that  the  published  prize- 
lists  for  the  Poultiy  Shows  of  the  present  year  had 
made  sufficient  reference  to  all  the  necessary  details  of 
management.  Great,  therefore,  was  our  surprise  to  find 
that  the  one  put  forth  by  the  "  Essex  Association  for 
the  Improvement  of  the  Breeds  of  Domestic  Poultry," 
commenced  with  the  notification  that  we  now  place 
before  our  readers. — "The  following  list  of  prizes  is 
issued,  conditionally,  on  the  amount  of  receipts  for 
subscriptions  and  admissions  to  the  Show  realizing  a 
sufficient  sum  to  pay  the  proposed  premiums,  after  the 
necessary  expences  of  the  Exhibition  have  been  pro- 
vided for ;  and  in  the  event  of  such  a  sum  not  being 
realized,  then  the  surplus,  after  payment  of  expences, 
will  be  divided  amongst  the  prizes  in  a  proportionate 
rate." 

It  is  the  part  of  prudence,  doubtless,  to  calculate  well, 
beforehand,  the  probable  receipts  and  expenditure  of 
such  institutions  ;  but  surely  all  this  should  be  pre- 
liminary, and  not  subsequent,  to  the  formal  issue  of  the 
prize-list ;  when  it  is  but  fair  to  suppose  that  the  Ex- 
hibitor, who  incurs  the  trouble  and  expense  of  pre- 
paring his  birds  for  the  show  on  the  ofi'ers  there  held 
out  to  him,  has  a  positive  right  to  expect  their  strict 


fulfilment.  This,  however,  becomes,  we  should  imagine, 
a  positively  legal  claim,  when,  by  an  actual  payment  for 
the  entry,  a  consideration  is  given  for  the  chance  of  the 
premium. 

Few,  we  believe,  would  contest  the  manifest  right  of 
the  Exhibitor  who  has  complied  with  all  the  requisite 
conditions  to  receive,  if  successful,  the  full  amount  of 
the  prize  originally  published  ;  but  we  would  go  some- 
what further,  and  would  endeavour  to  persuade  the 
managers  of  the  Essex  Association  of  the  great  impolicy 
of  their  proviso,  for,  surely,  thus  to  anticipate  failure,  is 
nothing  less  than  stepping  out  of  their  way  to  court  its 
unwelcome  presence.  Numerous  as  have  now  become 
such  Exhibitions,  no  want  of  success  has  yet  reached 
our  ears,  wherever  ordinary  attention,  and  a  business- 
like system  of  conducting  the  various  details  of  the 
arrangements  has  been  had  recourse  to. 

The  "  N.B,"  at  the  close  of  this  same  list,  is  certainly 
original ;  it  runs  thus : — "  In  the  event  of  the  entries 
for  the  Exhibition  not  being  considered  sufficiently 
numerous  to  insure  the  success  of  the  Show,  if  held  on 
the  days  named,  the  Committee  reserves  to  itself  the 
right  of  postponing  the  Exhibition  to  some  future 
opportunity ;  in  which  event  the  entrance  fees  will  be 
returned  to  intending  Exhibitors,  in  due  time,  before 
the  day  named  for  transmitting  their  specimens." 
Truly  kind  and  considerate  on  the  part  of  the  Honorary 
Secretaries,  but,  unless  we  are  greatly  in  error,  few 
persons  will  be  satisfied  to  keep  up  their  birds,  declining 
to  send  them  elsewhere  in  anticipation  of  then-  appear- 
ance at  Colchester,  with  the  trouble,  risk,  and  expence 
of  packing  and  travelling,  when  it  remains  a  matter  of 
grave  doubt,  up  to  the  eleventh  hour,  whether  there  will 
be  any  Show  at  all.  Many  Exhibitors,  to  whom  the 
mere  amount  of  the  prizes  already  referred  to  would  be 
a  matter  of  utter  indifference,  will  give  a  most  decided 
negative  to  any  such  proposition  as  the  Managers  of 
the  Essex  Association  have  thus  authoritatively  set 
forth. 

We  should  be  son-y  to  damp  the  ardour  either  of 
individuals  or  Societies,  but  surely,  the  notifications  we 
have  referred  to,  as  heading  and  closing  this  prize-list, 
stultify  the  whole  proceeding,  and  an  earnest  remon. 
strance  becomes  our  bounden  duty. 

Turning  from  the  general  arrangement  of  the  Ex- 
hibition to  the  particular  classification  of  the  birds,  the 
first  romai'k  that  occurs  to  us  would  refer  to  the  puddling 
together  of  the  White  and  Coloured  Dorkings  in  one 
class.  Now,  in  every  point  of  view,  these  should  have 
stood  apart.  Why,  again,  may  we  ask,  in  the  classes  13 
or  14  for  "  Duckwing,  and  other  Grey  and  Blue  Game 
Fowls,"  ai'o  th-ee  hens  and  tJiree  pullets  respectively 
required ;  while,  in  every  other  instance,  two  hens  and 
two  pullets  are  the  required  numbers  ? 

Silver-Pencilled  and  Silver-Spangled  Hamburghs  must 
here  compete  together,  an  arrangement  as  unfair  to  the 
birds  as  onerous  to  the  Judges,  whose  opinion  must  be 
pronounced  on  the  relative  merits  of  birds  perfectly 
distinct  from  each  other  in  several  important  features. 


136 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


NOVEJIEETI  24. 


Tho  Golden-Pencilled  and  Spangled  Hamburghs  are 
also  treated  with  the  like  disrespect. 

Malays  are  no  favourites  of  ours,  hut  from  their  long- 
standing, and  peculiarly  -  marked  specific  character, 
should  retain  their  place  on  every  prize-list  which 
professes  to  provide  for  the  competition  of  fowls 
generally.  A  "Pencilled"  Bantam,  side  by  side  with 
the  "  Laced"  birds,  was  reserved,  we  imagine,  for  Essex 


Exhibitiou-room  have  again  and  again  appeared  in 
these  columns  ;  our  present  task,  therefore,  need  not 
extend  beyond  tho  mere  statement  of  the  number  of 
days  of  confinement  in  each  separate  case. 

At  Colchester,  the  birds  must  be  at  the  place  of 
Exhibition  before  noon  on  the  22nd  of  November,  and 
as  the  Exhibition  remains  open  till  the  ending  of  the 
20th,  which  is  a  Saturday,  many  of  the  birds,  we  fear, 


sagacity  to  place  before  the   poultry  public.     Had   it    cannot  reach   home    till  the   Monday   following.     At 


been  "  laced  or  spangled,"  we  should  have  thought  it  an 
error  of  judgment,  and  indicative  of  bad  taste,  to  bring 
the  two  varieties  into  competition ;  but  the  "  Pencilled- 
Bantam"  is  a  mystery  to  us  as  a  show-bird,  although 
we  have  certainly  seen  stTinted  illegitimate  descendants 
of  the  Golden-Peucilled  Hamburghs  that  might  possibly 
have  passed  under  this  name,  but  which,  in  the  moments 
of  their  utmost  ambition,  could  never  hope  to  mount 
higher  than  the  village  dunghill. 

Turkeys  are  tempted  with  liberal  offers,  always  sup- 
posing that  the  money  should  come  in  for  their  pay- 
ment; and,  for  the  first  time,  are  here  divided  by  colour, 
"Black,"  "White,"  and  any  "other  colour"  having 
separate  positions.  In  Turkey-keeping  districts  this 
would  be  a  generally  desirable  system. 

The  Hitchin  and  Home  Counties  Society  announce 
their  Meeting  for  the  18th  and  two  following  days  of 
November.  With  some  few  exceptions,  the  pri/.e-list  is 
judiciously  arranged,  and  the  premiums  liberal.  One 
of  these  points  appears  in  the  very  outset ;  where  Shang- 
haes  being  divided  into  only  two  classes,  one  for 
"  white"  the  other  for  "  coloured"  it  necessarily  follows 
that  "BufiV  "Cinnamon,"  "Partridge,"  and  "Black," 
must  be  all  jumbled  together;  an  arrangement  that 
will  meet  with  few  advocates.  Turkeys  have  had 
separate  classes  assigned  to  the  young  and  the  old 
birds,  but  we  regret  to  observe  that  the  same  favour  has 
not  been  e.xtended  to  the  Geese. 

Premiums  to  the  amount  of  .£100,  with  silver  cups  in 
addition,  have  been  for  many  months  proclaimed  as  the 
liberal  inducements  held  out  to  Poultry-keepers  by  the 
Cambridgeshire  Society,  whose  Meeting  was  arranged, 
and  published  in  our  columns,  for  the  8th  inst.  A 
postponement  took  place  in  consequence  of  the  public 
sale  of  Mr.  Eairlie's  poultry ;  and  now,  after  the  pen- 
money,  in  many  instances,  has  been  paid,  as  we 
are  given  to  understand,  a  printed  circular  has  been 
issued  to  tho  effect  that  sufficient  entries  for  a  Show 
had  not  been  obtained,  and  that  it  was,  consequently, 
again  indefinitely  postponed.  We  allude  to  this  fact  in 
the  hope  that  no  occurrence  of  so  objectionable,  and,  so 
far  as  intending  exhibitors  are  concerned,  so  unfair  a 
determination  may  be  ventured  on,  and  also  as  con- 
clusive evidence  of  the  necessity  for  our  remark  on  the 
proviso  of  the  Colchester  Society. 

On  one  point,  our  observations  apply  alike  to  the 
proposed  arrangements  on  which  all  these  three  Exhi- 
bitions were  to  be  carried  out,  and  this  is  the  unnecessary 
prolongation  of  the  period  during  which  the  fowls  are  to 
be  kept  in  close  coufincraent.  Our  objections  to  this 
unwise  addition  to  the  many  risks  and  hazards  of  tho 


Hitchin,  they  must  arrive  on  the  10th  inst.,  and  remain 
till  the  21st.  At  Newmarket,  they  "were"  to  come  on 
the  7th  inst.,  and  remain  until  after  the  evening  of  the 
30th. 

Further  comments  arc  unnecessary.  Poultry  may, 
indeed,  be  cheaper  another  season  ;  but  even  then,  such 
risks  will  be  dreaded  by  owners  suffering  from  past 
experience,  and  the  Managers  of  Societies  for  encou- 
raging Poultry,  will,  probably,  by  that  time,  yield  their 
present  claim  to  tlie  infliction  of  such  periods  of  impri- 
sonment on  their  proteges. 


The  monthly  meeting  of  the  Entomological  Society,  for 
November,  was  held  on  the  7th  instant,  the  chair 
being  occupied,  in  the  absence  of  the  President,  by  !Mr. 
Westwood.  A  case  of  Butterflies  was  presented  by  T. 
Jones  Stevens,  Esq.,  of  Bogota,  containing  many  very 
splendid  and  rare  species,  among  which  may  especially 
be  mentioned,  Morpho  Ganymede,  of  wliich  a  single 
specimen  only,  in  bad  condition,  was  hitherto  known, 
and  that  is  in  the  collection  of  Dr.  Boisduval,  of  Pai-is. 
This  lovely  Butterfly  is  of  large  size,  with  semi-trans- 
parent wings,  which  reflect,  in  certain  lights,  the 
most  dazzling  ccerulean  bine  gloss. 

A  curious  hermaphrodite  specimen  of  the  British 
Hawk-moth  {Snierintlius  popidi),  was  also  presented, 
one  side  of  tlie  body,  and  the  corresponding  wings 
being  male,  and  the  opposite  half  female. 

Mr.  J.  Curtis  exhibited  some  very  fine  Beetles  from 
Mozambique,  which  he  had  received  from  Signer 
Bertoliue.  Amongst  them  were  the  rare  Mantioora 
lalipennis,  and  Ooliathus  Derbianus. 

Messrs.  Edwin  Shepherd  and  S.  Stevens  exhibited 
specimens  of  a  new  British  Moth,  Noctua  sobrina,  of 
Herrick  Sohafibr,  taken  in  Perthshire,  by  Messrs. 
Weaver  and  Cooper.  Mr.  S.  Stevens  also  exhibited  a 
curious  specimen  of  the  handsome  Beetle,  Triehius 
fasciatus,  with  the  darlv  markings  greatly  suflused. 
Some  curious  varieties  of  the  common  Butterflies, 
\  Aryynnis  paphia,  and  Ilipparohia  janira,  together  with 
!  niuuerous  rare  JNIoths  from  the  New  Forest,  were  also 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Boyd,  who  captured  them  in  ,luly  und 
August  last.  Mr.  Shield,  of  Dublin,  exhibited  a  new 
Moth,  of  small  size,  Xepticula  acetosa,  reared  from 
caterpillars  feeding  on  the  leaves  of  the  common  Sorrel; 
also  specimens  of  a  now  Depressaria  (D.  siibpro- 
pinquella). 

A  number  of  beautiful  Butterflies,  from  Nicaragua, 
were  exhibited  by  Mr.  S.  Stevens,  forming  part  of  a  col- 


NOVEMBEB  2-i. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


18T 


lection  of  upwards  of  1,000  specimens,  which  had  been 
preserved  and  transmitted  to  this  country,  each  being 
wrapped  in  a  small  piece  of  writing  paper,  pressed  flat, 
the  wings  having  been  previously  folded ;  by  this  means 
the  collection  had  occupied  very  little  space,  and  had 
received  no  damage  in  the  voyage,  and  the  specimens 
were  easily  relaxed,  and  the  wings  spread  out,  on 
arriving  in  this  country. 

Mr.  F.  Smith  exhibited  some  living  Ants,  brought 
from  Jamaica  with  Orchids.  They  belonged  to  the 
curious  species,  Odontomachns  (0.  sjnnosus),  and  are 
remarkable  for  the  great  length  and  slenderness  of  their 
hook-like  jaws,  which  they  often  keep  stretched  wide 
apart  whilst  running  about. 

Mr.  Douglas  exhibited  some  plants  of  Olechoma 
liederaeea  (Ground  Ivy),  the  leaves  of  which  were  in- 
fested with  numerous  small  conical,  hairy  galls,  in- 
habited by  the  grubs  of  a  small  Midge,  Cecklomyia 
hursaria,  of  Winnertz,  which  deposits  its  eggs  in  the 
leaves,  and  this  causes  the  formation  of  the  galls.  He 
also  exhibited  the  leaves  of  different  plants  showing 
the  burrows  of  mining  grubs  of  Dipterous  and  Lepi- 
dopterous  insects,  which  were  quite  similar,  although 
forjned  by  such  different  insects ;  also  the  case-bearing 
larva  of  a  Talteporia,  taken  in  the  preceeding  week,  on 
a  fence,  creeping  about,  being  a  very  unusual  period  for 
its  appearance  in  that  state. 

Mr.  Curtis  exhibited  a  number  of  British  insects,  of 
different  orders,  which  he  had  found  to  be  infested  by 
the  minute,  active,  parasitic  larvte  of  the  Oil  Beetle, 
Melije;  amongst  them  were  Malachiiis  ceneus,  Odi/nerus 
spiniiws,  a  Bomhus,  and  a  Saw-fly,  on  the  latter  of  which 
he  had  found  the  small,  black  larvae,  which  had  hitherto 
baffled  all  attempts  to  determine  its  species.  He  also 
stated  that  he  had  observed  the  body  of  the  larvfe  of  a 
Stylops  inclosed  iu  that  of  an  Andrmia,  infested  by  as 
many  as  150  very  minute  worms,  tapering  at  each  end, 
which  he  considered  as  parasites  upon  this  parasitic 
Stylops.  He  also  exhibited  an  African  Sand  Wasp,  of 
the  genus  Ammopldla,  with  a  Stylops  exserted  between 
the  rings  of  its  abdomen  ;  and  Mr.  F.  Smith  stated 
that  he  had  a  foreign  Spliex  in  his  collection,  with 
a  Stylops  exserted  from  its  body,  being  at  least  three 
times  the  size  of  any  hitherto  known  species. 

Mr.  Clifford  exhibited  a  quantity  of  Pearl  Barley, 
which  had  been  greatly  deteriorated  by  the  larvffl  of 
two  small  Beetles,  Anohiwn  graniceum  and  Piimis 
ooatus,  which  had  fed  within  the  grains,  and  had  after- 
wards migrated  to  a  stock  of  Liquorice,  which  they 
attacked.  M'r.  Desvignes  described  a  new  British  Ich- 
neumon, which  had  been  reared  from  the  Reed  iloths, 
Noiiagria  typhm  and  paludloola.  Mr.  Bailey  read  the 
description  of  a  new  genus  of  plant  Beetles,  from 
India,  which  he  named  Paralina,  allied  to  Chryso- 
mela.  Mr.  Westwood  exhibited  drawings  and  speci- 
mens of  a  very  minute  larvae,  which  he  had  received 
from  Mr.  Hogan,  as  that  of  the  curious  genus  of 
Rove  Beetles,  Diglossa  mersa,  in  company  with  which 
it  is  taken  on  the  sands  at  Baldoyle,  near  the  promon- 
tory of  Howth,  in  Ireland.     He  also  exhibited  a  sketch 


of  a  large  black  Irish  Moth,  Cleogene  Lepclctieraria, 
taken  at  Ballymena,  by  Mr.  Templeton,  and  which  had 
been  recorded  by  Mr.  Stephens,  in  his  list  of  the  British 
Museum  Collection,  under  the  name  of  Dasydia  torviiria.  I 
Mr,  F.  Smith  read  some  notes  on  tlie  habits  of  tlie  male 
of  the  curious  Bee  parasite,  named  by  Mr.  Newport, 
Anthophorabia  fasclata,  but  which  he  had  ascertained 
to  be  identical  with  the  previously  described  MelittoUa 
Audoidnii  of  Westwood.  It  resides  in  the  provisioned 
nests  of  diflerent  Mason  Bees  and  Wasps,  and  is  para- 
sitic both  on  the  larva  of  the  bee  and  also  on  the  larva 
of  Monodontomerus,  which  are  themselves  parasites  on 
the  Bee  larva.  He  had  kept  a  male  alive  for  sis  weeks. 
Mr.  A.  R.  Wallace  read  the  commencement  of  a  paper 
on  the  habits  of  the  Butterflies  of  the  Valley  of  the 
Amazon  River,  describing  their  various  modes  of  flight, 
and  the  different  localities  which  they  frequent. 


BROCOLI- CULTURE. 


{^Continued  from  page    ].17.) 

The  former  paper,  it  will  be  borne  in  mind,  was 
devoted  entirely  to  an  attempt  at  a  classification  of  this 
family,  not  so  much  with  a  view  to  elucidate  the  habits 
and  peculiarities  of  kinds  contained  iu  catalogues,  as  to 
show  the  relationship  which  the  different  classes  bear  to 
each  other. 

In  order  to  understand  the  matter  fairly,  let  us  take  a 
case  : — A  family  requiriug  a  constant  succession  of  one 
or  other  throughout  the  year.  I  must  here  suggest, 
that  we  bear  in  mind  that  the  whole  tribe,  for  mere 
economic  purposes,  may  be  throwji  into  three  groups, 
viz.,  tlie  autumn,  the  mid-winter,  and  the  spring  Bro- 
colis.  It  may,  too,  be  observed,  that  there  is  no  set  line 
of  demarcation  between  these  groups,  for,  through  the 
cross-breeding  which  has  taken  place  during  the  last 
twenty  years,  or  more,  kinds  have  been  produced  which 
form  very  useful  links  in  the  chain,  running  into  each 
other,  and  binding  closely  what  was  originally  of  rather 
too  detached  a  character. 

I  will  take  up  that  ]iosition  in  the  round  of  seasons 
with  the  gardener  in  which  the  chief  consideration  is, 
how  to  provide  some  early  Brocoli  to  succeed  the  summer 
Cauliflowers ;  for  although,  on  some  good  and  sound 
soils.  Cauliflowers  may  be  produced  in  tolerable  per- 
fection through  the  summer  and  autumn,  yet,  on  many 
soils,  and  especially  in  hot  and  dry  summers,  they  are 
apt,  through  their  high  degree  of  excitabihty,  to  become 
so  rough,  tough,  and  defaced,  and  what  is  termed  open- 
headed,  from  about  the  second  week  in  August  to  the 
same  period  in  September,  as  to  drive  the  cook  to  prefer 
some  early  Capes,  and  others  of  that  class.  The  true 
Early  Purple,  or  White  Capes,  then,  sown  in  the  be- 
ginning of  May,  will  commence  turning  in  about  the 
end  of  July,  by  which  period  what  are  termed  summer 
Cauliflowers  will  be  on  the  wane,  or  getting  seedy.  This 
Cape  crop  will  keep  up  a  succession  for  a  mouth,  at 
least;  and  if  a  continuance  of  this  class  is  desired  in 
regular  succession,  until  November  (after  which  they 
are  too  tender  to  be  relied  on),  two  more  sowings  must 
be  made, — one  in  the  third  week  of  May,  and  a  last  iu 
the  second  week  of  June,  at  latest. 

This  brings  us  to  consider  what  we  may  do  in  the 
Cauliflower  way  for  the  late  autumn  months,  for  "  Mi- 
chaelmas Cauliflowers"  have  long  been  noted;  and, 
indeed,  as  soon  as  the  temperature  begins  to  decline — 
say  in  the  middle  of  September — Cauliflowers  and  their 
congeners  will  once  more  resume  the  delicate  white,  and 


138 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NOVEMBEK  24. 


close,  and  fine   texture,  for  which  they  are  so  justly 
esteemed. 

In  order  to  carry  out  a  continual  succession  of  the 
Caxdiflower  section,  in  which  I  include  the  Walcherens. 
Oramjess  Earhj  White,  and  others  of  that  class,  I  make 
three  sowings,  irrespective  of  that  sown  in  Angnst  for 
hand-glasses,  &c., — one  in  the  last  week  of  April ;  a 
second  in  tlic  middle  of  May ;  and  a  third  about  the 
end  of  the  first  week  in  June.  l'"roui  these  sowings, 
plantings  in  succession  may  he  made,  which  will  carry 
on  a  continual  supply  from  the  early  part  of  September 
to  Christmas;  the  latter,  of  course,  preserved  in  a  special 
manner;  of  which  more  pi'esently. 

We  will  now  suppose  that  our  cook  has  been  well 
supplied  all  the  summer,  through  the  medium  of  two 
sections — the  Cauliflowers  and  the  Capes — and  that  we 
have  arrived  at  that  period  when  "  the  holly  bough 
hangs  on  the  old  oak  wall."  Let  us  now  see  how  the 
gardener  provides,  henceforth,  a  continual  supply  of  this 
useful  esculent.  This  brings  me  to  the  branching  or 
sprouting  Brocolis,  which,  although  somewhat  despised 
on  account  of  less  pretensions,  both  in  point  of  appear- 
ance and  colour,  yet  have  for  a  very  many  years  proved 
a  friend  in  need;  for,  when  those  of  the  Cauliflower 
section,  with  their  marbled  faces,  have  become  half 
petrifactions,  through  retarding  or  protecting  principles, 
or  shrunk  through  long  keeping,  then  it  is  that  these 
despised  little  ones  dare  to  show  their  faces. 

With  the  fear  of  frosty,  dark  Decembtr,  then,  before 
our  eyes,  and  an  assurance  that  new  kinds,  with  high 
mid-winter  pretensions,  may  prove  treacherous :  more-  | 
over,  knowing,  full  well,  that  our  real  late  or  Spring 
Brocolis  must  not  be  expected  before  the  first  mild  run 
of  weather  in  February  ;  we  take  care  to  plant  some  of 
the  branching  or  sprouting  class  to  which  I  before 
adverted.  One  sowing  in  the  middle  of  April,  and  a 
second  in  the  middle  of  May,  will  just  accomplish  the 
point  we  must  aim  at. 

We  will  next  bring  our  ever-craving  cook  up  to  the 
middle  of  February,  and  we  must  see  how  to  carry  on  a  ' 
supply  until  the  early  Cauliflowers  come  in,  which  will  \ 
be  about  the  third  week  in  May  in  general ;  and  those,  I 
of  course,  from  imder  hand-lights  or  extra  protection  of 
some  kind.     Here  we  enter  on  a  host  of  competitors  for  [ 
the  distinction ;  but  before  venturing  on  the  late  spring  \ 
Brocolis,    let   me    advert    to    a    sort   of   intermediate 
Brocoli,  which,  when  pure,  is  very  valuable ;  I  mean, 
the  "  protecting  Brocolis,"  so  called,  I  presume,  from 
their  singular  habit — they  protect  themselves.     I  do  not 
vouch,  of  course,  for  the  products  of  every  paper  with 
"  Protecting  Brocoli "  written  on  it ;  but  for  such  as  I 
have  occasionally  received,  albeit,  in  the  form  of  angel's 
visits.     This   Brocoli,  when  true,   and  sown  about  the 
beginning  of  April,  will  produce  beautiful  white  heads, 
buried  in  a  canopy  of  leaves;  the  latter  point  inwiirds 
so  as  to  form  a  complete  cap,  which  must  be  forced  by 
violence,  occasionally,  to   get  at  the  cleverly-protected 
head.     From  a  tolerably  early  sowing,  such  may  be 
obtained    a    good   while    boiore    the    ordinary   spring 
Brocoli,  and  are  invaluable. 

As  to  those  for  March,  April,  and  May,  the  lists  are 
so  extensive  that  I  really  cannot  undertake  to  say  any- 
thing as  to  tlie  cliaracter  expected  from  the  flno  names 
therein  contained ;  indeed,  it  would  bo  almost  useless, 
for  every  season  brings  out  some  new  name ;  not,  of 
necessity,  new  kind.  It  is  the  fashion  now  to  append 
the  name  of  the  seller  to  them,  and,  in  some  cases,  this 
may  be  genuine,  if  the  seedsman  has  set  his  "  stock 
grower "  to  work.  I  see  no  chance  for  tlie  grower,  at 
present,  but  to  trust  to  the  high  encomiums  given  to 
them,  unless  ho  can  procure  a  new  and  generally- 
esteemed  kind  from  the  grower  and  originator.  It  re- 
mains to  observe,  that  thoso  who  require  a  supply  of 
spring  Brocoli  through  March,  April,  and  May,  should 


sow  approved  kinds  at  three  periods :  say,  the  middle  of 
Jilarch,  and  the  first  and  third  weeks  in  April,  Now, 
this  is  not  alone  in  order  to  obtain  a  long  succession, 
but  to  provide  against  contingencies ;  for  one  sowing 
may  be  lost,  clubbed,  or  subjected  to  other  casualties. 

In  concluding  this  subject,  let  me  advert  to  one  point, 
and  that  is,  the  best  mode  of  preserving  late  Cauliflowers 
and  autumn  Brocoli  during  the  early  frosts  of  Novem- 
bci-  and  December ;  for  this  is  an  important  featiu-c  in 
securing  a  continuous  supply.  It  has  been  a  custom, 
with  some  of  our  continental  neighbours,  and  even  in 
Britain,  at  some  periods,  to  bury  the  heads  in  peat  stacks ; 
at  least,  so  I  have  been  informed  ;  and  it  has  been  stated 
to  be  eifectual.  This  I  have  never  proved ;  but  tlie  well- 
known  antiseptic  properties  of  peat  would  seem  to  offer 
one  chance,  in  the  extremity  of  matters,  to  accomplish 
this  end.  I  should  fear,  however,  that  they  would  either 
become  somewhat  insipid,  or,  what  would  be  as  bad, 
imbibe  a  flavour  by  no  means  desnable  in  so  delicate  an 
esculent. 

The  pitting  of  Apples  has  been  highly  recommended 
by  some,  in  order  to  prolong  them  much  beyond  their 
season ;  but.  although  it  assuredly  has  accomplished  such 
an  end,  it  has,  I  believe,  ever  been  accompanied  by  dete- 
rioration of  flavour.  I  do  not,  however,  mean  to  infer 
that  precisely  the  same  must  take  place  with  Cauliflowei-s 
and  Brocoli,  but  merely  ofler  the  facts  to  our  readers. 
The  following,  however,  is  good  practice,  as  I  have 
proved  for  many  years.  When  the  autumn  frosts 
threaten,  which  will  generally  be  in  the  early  part  of 
November,  we  at  once  tie  up  the  foliage,  after  the  manner 
of  blanching  Endive  or  Lettuce;  that  is  to  say.  we  draw 
up  all  the  fresh  outer  leaves,  and  force  them  to  protect 
the  crown.  This  will  save  them  from  ordinary  frosts ; 
but  if  the  weather  threaten  to  become  severe,  this  alone 
must  not  be  relied  on.  The  next  best  plan  would  bo,  of 
course,  to  introduce  them  to  cold  pits,  or  frame-work ; 
but  who  can  spare  such,  at  that  period,  but  princes  and 
dukes? 

Our  off-hand  practice  has  been  to  excavate  a  trench 
on  a  dry  bottom  and  in  a  sheltered  situation  ;  a  trench 
about  half-a-yard  in  depth,  staking  down  a  slab  on  each 
side  to  snjiport  the  soil.  This  trench  is  about  forty 
inches  wide,  and  in  this  we  "  heel "  the  plants  "  in 
head,"  removing  them  with  balls  of  earth.  Some  have 
been  tied,  some  not;  thoso  which  have  been  tied  have 
their  bands  cut,  or  they  are  placed  tolerably  closo 
together.  Over  the  trench,  crosswise,  are  placed  sundry 
carriers,  such  as  stout  stakes,  at  about  two  feet  apart, 
and  a  strong  hook,  cut  from  coarse  shrubs  or  trees, 
secures  them  at  each  end,  and  saves  the  expense  of  nails 
and  carpenters.  Henceforth,  then,  these  sunken  pits 
are  attended  as  carefully  as  a  bed  of  early  Radishes : 
mats  are  tlu'own  over  the  trench  every  night,  frost  or 
not ;  and  if  the  ice-king  shows  in  earnest,  lots  of  coarse 
litter  are  strewed  over  the  whole.  As  to  thawing,  if  they 
do  become  ii-ozen,  why  they  are  managed  just  as 
gardeners  manage  their  frozen  plants :  a  very  slow 
thaw,  with  as  slow  an  inurement  to  light,  are  the  points 
aimed  at. 

Some  gardeners  hang  them  up  by  their  heels,  in  a 
shed  or  outhouse,  but  they  soon  become  leathery,  and 
possess  too  nuich  of  the  mummy  character ;  yet  they 
are  really  Cauliflowers.  I  have,  I  fancy,  now  shown 
how  a  continuous  supply  may  bo  kept  up,  with  the 
exception  of  the  hand-glass  Caulinowors :  everybody, 
however,  who  grows  these,  needs  little  information. 

R.  J'jIuungton. 


November  34-. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


139 


BULBS. 

{Coidinucd  from  paijc  00). 
PHYCELLA. 

This  genus  is  composed  of  very  beautiful  flowers,  all 
natives  of  Chili  and  Peru ;  at  first,  the  spocies  were 
mixed  up  witli  those  of  Habraiitlms  on  the  one  hand,  and 
with  Zephijrantlies  on  the  other,  but  only  provisionally 
for  a  time.  When  the  species  increased,  however,  it  was 
found  that  the  group  presented  sufficient  characters  to 
distinguish  them  from  these  two  families ;  and  then  Dr. 
Lindley  separated  them,  and  called  them  Phi/cellas,  a 
a  word  that  we  might  translate  into  "  Painted  Ladies:  a 
more  literal  translation  is  given  in  our  "  Dictionary,"  but 
I  cannot  help  thinking  that  Painted  Ladies  was  the  real 
meaning  intended  by  the  author,  upon  this  ground,  from 
the  Bella  Donnn,  of  Linnseus,  to  Phadranassa,  or  Gay 
Queen,  of  Dr.  Herbert — that  is,  from  first  to  last — most 
of  tlie  dift'ereut  groups  into  which  Aniaryllids  have  been 
divided  go  by  the  name  of  some  celebrated  woman,  '['ho 
author  gives  his  translation  of  Phijcella  to  be  "  a  purple 
pigment,"  in  fact,  rouge,  that  kind  of  paint  once  used  by 
these  very  celebrities  to  heighten  their  natural  beauty.  If 
one  man  calls  up  the  idea  of  beautiful  women  by  naming 
his  plants  after  them,  and  another  man  introduces  his 
rouge  among  them,  can  we  be  at  a  loss  to  understand 
his  real  meaning?  and  if  we  cannot,  I  see  nothing  for 
it  but  that  Phyeella  means  a  Painted  Lady. 

We  all  know  that  these  Phjcellas,  or  Painted  Ladies, 
are,  indeed,  the  most  fickle  of  the  race;  bardy  enough  for 
our  borders  they  certainly  ai'e;  but  to  bring  them  out  to 
the  full  sun,  I  mean  to  flower  them,  is  more  than  most 
people  can  do,  especially  those  of  them  which  inhabit 
the  lower  plains  in  the  North  of  Chili.  They  have  one 
peculiarity  not  common  to  bulbs  from  the  Western 
world,  their  roots  die  annually,  like  those  of  the  Tulip, 
the  Hyacinth,  and  the  great  bulk  of  South  African  bulbs. 
They  will,  therefore,  endure  to  be  taken  up  when  at  rest, 
and  to  be  preserved  in  sand,  or  in  some  very  dry  place. 
They  ought  to  be  taken  up  not  later  than  the  end  of 
August,  even  if  they  are  quite  green  at  the  time ;  for  we 
have  proved,  in  practice,  that  that  is  the  turning  point  in 
their  whole  management  by  which  alone  any  of  them 
will  flower  two  years  running.  If  it  comes  on  wet  with 
St.  Swithin  they  are  likely  to  keep  green,  and  this 
autumn  efibrt  at  prolonged  growth  is  certain  to  hinder 
them  from  flowering  in  the  following  spring  and  summer. 
At  the  end  of  February,  or  early  in  March,  their  new 
roots  begin  to  sprout  like  those  of  the  Hyacinth  in  No- 
vember, showing  clearly  enough  that  that  is  the  right 
time  to  pot  or  plant.  Peat  is  poison  to  them.  Naturally, 
they  grow  in  poor,  hungry  soil,  sometimes  sandy,  often 
hard  and  irony,  and  always  on  a  hard  rocky  bottom.  It 
was  for  them  that  I  first  thought  of  the  slate  shelf,  with 
the  inch  of  sandy  soil  for  the  roots  to  run  in ;  this  thin 
bed  was  constantly  as  wet  as  the  place  would  hold,  from 
the  watering  of  pot  plants,  between  which  certain  bulbs 
stood  for  experiment.  Coburghias,  Pliycellas,  Pliadra- 
nassas,  and  Leucocoryne,  would  grow  and  flower  on  this 
shelf  better  than  by  any  other  method  I  ever  heard  of; 
but  a  cool  greenhouse  seems  too  exciting  to  Pliycellas  at 
least,  and  in  the  open  air,  under  a  south  wall,  1  think  it 
is  not  safe  to  allow  the  roots  to  run  deep.  My  firm 
belief  is,  that  a  great  number  of  South  American  bulbs 
require  a  vei-y  different  treatment  from  all  others;  that  a 
temporary  frame  against  a  south  wall  is  the  best  place 
for  them ;  that  they  should  be  sheltered  from  early  spring 
to  the  end  of  May  ;  and  that  the  frame  and  glass  should 
then  be  removed,  and  the  bed  to  be  more  liberally 
watered  through  the  summer  than  is  our  usual  custom  ; 
and  also  that  the  bottom  of  the  bed  should  be  impervious 
to  the  roots,  at  a  depth  of  not  more  than  four  inches ;  and 
I  cannot  think  of  any  better  plan  than  soft  bricks  or  very 
porous  stone  to  stop  the  roots.    I  am  satisfied  that  all 


the  bulbs  which  inhabit  the  lower  grounds,  from  Valpa- 
raiso to  Lima,  will  flower  easier  that  way  than  by  any 
other  means.  There  are  bulbs  in  different  parts  of  the 
world  that  lequire,  or,  at  least,  would  flourish  in  an  onion 
bed,  other  circumstances  being  favourable.  Mr.  Pince's 
new  HiemantJius  is  one  of  them;  and  yet  it  will  do  just 
as  well  on  the  shelf  of  slate,  in  almost  fine  sand,  if  the 
roots  are  constantly  kept  moist.  It  was  on  that  shelf 
that  it  first  flowered  in  this  country. 

PHYCELLA  BIFLOKA. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  bulbs  belonging  to 
South  America.  The  flowers  are  numerous,  on  long 
peduncles;  they  are  above  two  inches  long,  and  as  much 
across  the  opening,  where  the  colour  is  of  the  brightest 
and  most  intense  scarlet,  with  a  shade  of  purple  ;  the 
tube  at  the  bottom  is  bright  green,  or  greenish-yellow. 
The  remains  of  the  cup  are  divided  into  two  or  three 
sharp-pointed  lobes  between  the  stamens,  and  it  is  on 
this  part  of  the  flower  that  the  main  character  of  the 
genus  rests.  The  remains  of  a  neetarian  membrane  are 
manifest,  in  some  shape  or  other,  in  all  the  Phjcellas — 
that,  \siW\  the  folding-in  of  the  perianth  (convolute), 
when  the  flower  is  closed,  are  the  two  points  on  which 
the  genus  rests.  This  beautifid  plant  was  exhibited 
before  the  Horticultural  Society  in  April,  1838,  by 
Mr.  Tomard,  now  Her  Majesty's  head  man  at  Osborne. 
JMr.  Tomard  and  I  used  to  meet  that  season,  once  a 
month,  in  Wright's  Hotel,  in  the  Strand,  with  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Qardenefs  Benevolent  Institution;  and 
tliat  is  how  I  recollect  so  well  about  the  then  newest 
and  best  balfhardy  bulb  in  the  country. 

PHYCELLA  BEEVITUBA. 
This  is  a  most  marked  species,  from  the  fact  of  the 
tube  being  all  but  wanting,  "  scarcely  more  than  annu- 
lar;" and,  were  it  not  for  the  private  mark.  Dr.  Lindley, 
who  founded  the  genus,  would  have  been  at  fault  with 
this  plant.  As  it  was,  he  remarked,  when  describing  it, 
that  "  it  is  a  matter  of  no  little  difficulty  to  distinguish 
the  species  of  this  beautiful  genus."  There  are  only 
four  flowers  on  a  scape;  the  flowers  not  much  more 
than  an  inch  long,  owing  to  the  want  of  a  tube;  they 
are  scarlet,  with  an  orange-and-scarlet  bottom.  It  is  a 
native  of  Chili,  and  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Knight,  of 
the  King's  Road,  Chelsea,  who  first  flowered  it,  and,  pro- 
bably, some  of  the  stock  may  bo  there  now,  in  the  hands 
of  Mr.  Veitch. 

PHYCELLA  CHLORACA  AND  OBTUSA. 

These  two  must  be  cancelled ;  they  are  transferred  to 
Pluedranassa,  but  the  same  general  treatment  will  do 
for  the  two  families. 

PHYCELLA  CORUSCA. 
There  is  very  little  to  distinguish  this  from  ignea,  of 
which  it  is  only  a  variety,  with  a  longer  style,  and  white 
filaments.  The  flowers  are  a  bright  scarlet,  and  yellow 
below,  and  upwards  of  two  inches  in  length.  The  teeth, 
or  processes  of  the  cup,  are  longer  than  usual  in  this 
variety.  It  is  a  native  of  Concon,  in  the  north  of  ChUi, 
growing  in  poor,  sandy  soil. 

PHYCELLA  CYRTANTHOIDES. 
The  peduncles  are  very  short  in  this  fine  species,  so 
that  the  flowers  turn  down  without  spreading  out,  as  in 
the  genus  Cyrtanthus;  hence  the  second  name.  The 
flowers  are  scarlet,  but  not  so  bright  as  in  the  varieties 
of  ignea,  and  they  are  greenish-yellow  at  the  bottom. 
From  the  close,  drooping  flowers,  and  the  red  stamens, 
this  species  is  easily  known  by  any  one  who  can  distin- 
guish a  Phyeella  at  all.  It  is,  also,  from  North  Chili, 
on  the  sandy  hills,  close  by  the  sea,  near  Concon. 


140 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NoVEMBF.n  24. 


PHYCELLA   GLAUCA. 

This  is  also  a  Tariety  of  ignea,  with  the  usual  fiery 
scarlet  (lowers,  with  yoUowisli  bottoms ;  the  tlistinguisli- 
iug  inarks  are  the  glaucous  leaves,  red  filaments,  or 
stamens,  which  are  about  equal  lengths  with  the  style  ; 
all  those  varieties  inljabit  the  maritime,  sandy  hills,  in 
the  north  of  Chili,  and  they  are  of  the  most  obstinate 
of  hulbs  to  flower  freely ;  but  by  taking  up  the  bulbs 
while  at  rest  they  are  just  as  easy  to  keep  as  the  Vait 
Thol  Tulip.  I  once  had  a  parcel  of  twelve  kinds  of 
bulbs  from  these  parts  in  Cliili,  from  a  lady  who  had 
them  many  years,  but  could  not  flower  one  of  them  ; 
some  of  them  I  failed  to  flower,  but  Phycella  ignea,  and 
its  varieties,  readily  yielded  on  the  slate  shelf;  aud  if 
the  whole  had  been  newly-imported,  I  think  they  would 
have  flowered  at  once  ;  but  let  some  of  these  bulbs  once 
get  the  wrong  way,  and  it  tires  a  man  out  to  got  them 
round  again ;  so  that  if  I  were  to  try  a  curious  expe- 
riment to-morrow  with  any  of  these  Phycellas,  I  would 
rather  wait  for  a  fresh  lot  from  Chili  than  take  my 
chance  with  bulbs  that  have  been  in  the  hands  of  some 
growers  for  the  last  ten  years.  i 

PHYCELLA  HEEBEETIANA. 

This  is  a  three-flowered  species,  with  narrow,  blunt 
leaves,  and  purplish-red  flowers  on  long  peduncles;  the 
bottom  of  the  flower  is  orange-coloured,  and  the  mem- 
brane a  mere  fringe  all  I'ound  the  opening  of  the  tube. 
It  was  discovered  at  a  place  called  Cumbre,  a  pass  in 
the  mouutains  between  Valparaiso  and  St.  Jago,  aud  is 
less  conspicuous  than  those  found  down  near  the  coast. 

PHYCELLA  IGNEA. 

Tbo  leaves  of  the  true  ignea  are  tipped  with  red;  the 
flowers,  si.\  on  a  scape,  ai'e  bright  scarlet,  with  a  yellow 
bottom ;  the  peduncles  are  long,  giving  a  wide  spreading 
to  the  umbel;  the  stamens  are  longer  than  the  flowers, 
and  the  pistil  longer  than  the  stamens ;  the  membrane 
is  in  the  shape  of  two  pointed  teeth  between  each  division 
of  the  flower.  This  is  a  hardy,  dark  bulb,  but  most 
difficult  to  flower  well.  It  was  first  introduced  into 
Lee's  Nursery. 

There  are  several  other  Phycellas,  known  by  dried 
specimens,  sent  home  by  difierent  travellers,  and  no 
doubt  some  of  the  bulbs  are  in  the  country,  but,  as  they 
are  so  very  difficult  to  flower  under  the  usual  treatment, 
we  may  not  hear  more  about  them.  Any  one  who  may 
possess  very  dark-coloured  bulbs  from  the  arid  plains  of 
Coquimbo  may  rest  assured  that  he  has  some  kind  of 
Phycella.  We  have  several  described  irom  hence ;  also 
one  from  Jlendosa,  one  from  Colmo,  and  the  finest  of 
all  from  somewhere  near  Valparaiso,  by  Cumming, 
which  is  called  magnijica,  of  which  I  have  a  drawing 
now  before  me.  The  flowers  are  three  inehes-aud-a- 
half  long  ;  the  tube  is  red  ;  the  middle  part  of  the  flower 
goldon-yellow,  and  the  top  and  opening  a  deep  red,  or 
crimson ;  and  there  is  another  variety  of  it  with  the 
flowers  equally  long,  aud  nearly  all  red.  That  all  these 
kinds  are  just  as  easily  got  at  by  any  one  interested  in 
bulbs  who  lives  at  Valparaiso,  or  thereabouts,  as  any  of 
the  Cape  Irids,  there  can  bo  no  doubt.  All  we  want  is 
a  more  general  difi'usion  of  "  useful  knowledge  "  about 
bulbs  among  our  homo  amateurs,  who  have  not  the 
many  perplexities  incident  to  serving  gardeners  to  con- 
tend with  ;  and  we  should  excel  in  this  line  beyond  the 
growers  of  any  other  country. 

PYROLIRION. 

This  genus,  which  comes  very  near  to,  if  not  only  a 
section  of,  Zephyrantlies,  is  named  the  Fire-lily,  from  the 
fiery-orange  ol  Jiammeum,  one  of  the  species  which  grows 
common  enough  in  corn-fields,  and  on  hills  near  Con- 
ception, in  Chili,     Another  species,  not  unlike  it,  is  tlie 


Amaryllis  aurea,  of  the  "  Flora  Peruviana,"  and  grows  in 
strong  cultivated  land  all  round  Lima,  wlicre  it  flowers 
in  January  and  February.  Aureum  was  iirst  introduced 
to  the  neighhbourhood  of  Liverpool  by  the  late  Ricliard 
Harrison,  with  whom  it  flowered  so  late  as  April ;  and 
there  is  a  third  species  mentioned,  but  not  yet  intro- 
duced, that  I  am  aware  ol".  They  agree  with  /jephyvanthes 
in  h.aving  only  one  flower  on  the  scape,  but  they  delight 
in  stronger  and  more  rich  soil  than  any  of  tlic  Zcjjhyr- 
antlis.  The  same  strong  yellow  loam  which  suit  Hip- 
peasters  so  well  is  the  riglit  thing  for  Pyrolirions.  The 
flowers  oi aureum  are  stalkless  and  upright,  and  full  four 
inches  long;  those  oi  Jt amine um  are  not  quite  so  long; 
the  leaves  of  both  are  long  and  narrow  at  both  ends, 
and  generaUy  only  two  to  a  bulb.  The  stigma  in  these 
flowers  is  very  curious — it  divides  into  three  parts,  and 
each  division  is  in  the  form  of  a  spoon. 

SCILLA  PLUMBEA. 

This  is  the  last  species  on  our  list  of  half-hardy  squills, 
and  I  introduce  it  first  in  order  to  show  how  such  things 
get  about  in  books  on  the  science.  This  is  a  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  species,  which  flowered  at  Kew  in  1813, 
when  a  drawing  of  it  was  made  seventeen  years  after- 
wards, when  it  could  be  traced  nowhere.  The  drawing 
was  published  in  the  "  Botanical  Register,"  "  in  the  hope 
that  others  may  bo  more  successful;"  but  from  that  day 
to  this  the  hope  has  not  been  realised,  and  this  leatl- 
coloured  Sqidll  still  remains  to  be  reintroduced. 

SCILLA  MAUPJTANICA,  HYACINTHOIDES,  AND 
EREVIFOLIA, 

As  far  as  I  can  make  out,  are  just  in  the  same  predica- 
ment as  plumbea.  They  seem  to  have  been  fated  for 
mishaps.  Tournefort,  or  some  great  man  of  his  time,  put 
Linnesus  on  the  wrong  scent,  and  from  his  day  to  this 
hour  we  call  a  Scilla,  that  is  common  on  both  the 
western  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  and  in  the  South 
of  Spain,  as  if  it  were  only  found  in  Peru — Scilla  Peru- 
viana of  our  borders.  All  the  Squills  are  either  blue  or 
purple.  Cupaniana,  a  very  rare  Sicilian  bulb,  is  a  light 
purple  ;  and  there  is  a  white  variety  ;  and  a  very  pale 
pink  variety  of  Bifolia,  which  I  possess  myself;  of  all 
the  rest  I  only  know  of  blue-flowered  ones ;  and  I  quite 
agree  with  those  who  consider  that  colour  is  the  only 
difference  between  Scillas  and  Ornithogalums ;  but  I 
cannot  account  for  it  that  the  two  groups  have  never 
been  tried  by  florist  breeders  for  improving  the  race. 

STENOMESSON. 

Tlie  genus  Slenomesson  is  a  very  natural  group  of 
Soutli  American  small  hulbs,  with  red,  scarlet,  or 
orange  flowers,  mostly  of  one  colour  in  each  flower. 
The  main  feature  on  which  the  genus  is  founded  is 
very  apparent  in  the  flower  of  aluiost  all  the  species — 
a  contraction  of  tlie  middle  part  of  the  tube;  from  stenos, 
narrow,  and  messon,  the  middle.  After  this  contraction, 
the  flower  widens  upwards;  and  if  one  flower  of  any  of 
the  species  were  cut  ofl'  a  gardener  might  easily  mistake 
it  for  the  flower  of  a  Bnmarea.  The  bulbs  are  gone- 
:  rally  dark,  roundish,  and  with  a  very  naiTOW  neck;  the 
!  style  is  larger  than  the  stamens,  and  tliey  are  a  little 
longer  than  the  flower.  They  flower  without  much 
trouble,  and  like  a  free,  sandy  soil,  a  little  shade  from 
the  mid-day  sun,  aud  abundance  of  moisture  at  the  roots 
in  the  height  of  summer,  and  complete  rest  from  the  end 
of  October  till  March  ;  they  also  flower  before  tho  rise 
of  the  leaves. 

STENOMESSON   CROGEUM. 

This  is  a  very  pretty,  deep  orange  flower,  with  six  or 

seven  flowers  iu  the  umbel;  it  has  tho  stamens  shorter 

I  than  any  of  them,  not  quite  so  long  as  the  flower;  the 

scape  is  a  foot  higli  ;  tlio   leaves  aro   narrow,  aud    a 


Novembeh  24. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


141 


little  rounded,  or  rolled  back  on  tlie  margin.    The  bulbs 
were  sent  hers  from  Limn,  by  J.  M'Lean,  Esq. 

STENOMESSON   FLAVUM. 

This  is  golden-yellow,  with  a  long  style  ;  the  stamens 
a  little  longer  than  the  flower;  and  the  nectarian  mem- 
brane, which  connects  the  stamens  in  all  the  species,  is 
sharp-tootlied  between  each  pair  of  stamens  in  this 
species.  It  is  a  native  of  the  sandy  hills  in  Peru,  by 
Lurin  and  Pachacama. 

STENOMESSON  AUEANTIACUM. 

This  is  among  the  newest,  and  from  the  province  of 
Quito,  where  tliey  seem  to  be  more  numerous  than  on 
the  Peruvian  slopes.  The  flowers  are  sliort,  five  or  six 
in  the  umbel,  and  of  an  orange  colour.  The  style  is 
longer,  and  the  stamens  sliorter,  than  tlio  flower. 

STENOMESSON   CURVIDENTATUM. 

This  is  a  stout  flower,  with  the  style  and  stamens  of 
equal  length,  and  much  longer  than  the  flower.  The 
umbel  is  two-flowered,  and  the  colour  is  orange-yellow. 
The  specific  name  refers  to  the  two  curved  teetli  of 
the  membrane,  which  roll  back  between  each  pair  of 
stamens,  giving  the  inside  of  the  flower  a  very  marked 
character.     A  native  of  the  Amancaes  Hills,  near  Lima. 

STENOMESSON   COCCINEUM. 

This  is  a  slender  species,  from  Tarma,  in  Peru,  with 
four  flowers  on  a  scape  of  a  deep  scarlet  colour.  The 
stamens  and  pistil  are  nearly  of  equal  length,  and  longer 
than  the  flower.  It  comes  nearer  to  tiie  shape  of  a 
Phyoella  than  any  of  the  genus. 

STENOMESSON   HARTWEGII. 

A  two-flowered  species,  discovered  by  Mr.  Hartweg, 
near  Quito.  The  flowers  are  orange-red ;  it  is  one  of  the 
hardiest  of  the  race.  Its  habit  of  flowering  in  pairs, 
and  the  nodding  flowers  not  more  than  an  inch-and-a- 
half  long,  render  it  a  well-marked  species. 

STENOMESSON  LATIFOLIUM. 

This  is  a  remarkable  species,  the  leaf  being  nearly 
two  inches  wide  in  the  middle,  about  four  times  broader 
than  is  usual  in  this  genus  ;  but  like  the  rest  of  tliem, 
the  leaf  narrows  much  at  the  bottom  ;  the  flowers  are 
small,  and  of  a  bright  orange  colour.  It  was  sent  from 
Lima,  by  J.  M'Lean,  Esq.,  in  18.37,  and  grows  later  in 
the  winter  than  any  of  them. 

STENOMESSON  VITTELLINUM. 

"  One  of  the  prettiest  of  the  Western  American  bulbs." 
— Bot.  R.  That  peculiar  yellow,  called  yolk  of  egg,  so 
scarce  in  flowers,  distinguisbes  this  species,  reminding 
one  of  the  Australian  Yellow  Oalostemma.  It  was  sent, 
by  Mr.  M'Lean,  from  Lima,  to  the  Horticultural  Society 
in  1842;  it  produces  si.\  upright  flowers  on  an  umbel, 
on  very  short  peduncles ;  the  leaf  is  broad  for  a  Steno- 
messon,  and  rolled  back  on  the  edges. 
j  There  are  several  more  of  them  recorded,  and  some 
'  others  have  flowered  at  SpofForth,  of  which  I  cannot 
trace  further  particulars.  One  called  imiwijloruin,  in 
"Hooker's  Exotic  Flora,"  is  golden-yellow,  and  prettily 
marked  with  green  and  red  on  the  tips,  much  like  a 
Coburglda;  a  very  handsome  flower.  No  bulbs  are 
better  suited  for  a  south  border  of  light  rich  soil  than 
these,  as  they  die  down  mostly  for  the  winter,  and  are 
not  at  all  excitable  to  start  too  early  in  the  spring,  and 
our  ordinary  summers  are  quite  hot  enough  to  flower 
and  ripen  them  out-of-doors.  Once  they  are  well-estab- 
lished, they  would  increase  by  offset  bulbs  ;  and  the 
first  year  those  ofi'sets  have  only  one  leaf  a-piece. 

D.  Beaton. 
{To  he  continued.') 


LITTLE  MATTERS  OF  THE  SEASON. 
I  propose  that  this  paper  shall  be  a  thing  of  shreds 
and  patches,  taking  merely  a  passing  notice  of  aniimber 
of  the  minutiaj  that  are  just  now  perplexing  many 
new  subscribers,  who  are  apt  to  couiplain.  that,  unless 
in  the  correspondent's  column,  the  bulk  of  our  matter  is 
yet  too  transcendental  for  them. 

AIR-GIVING. 
"  I  see  that  Mr.  A.  keeps  his  greenhouse  with  very  little 
air  on  now  ;  while  Mr.  B.  has  air  on  even  at  night,  and 
all  the  windows  and  doors  open  during  the  day.  Which 
shall  I  follow  ?"  This  must  depend  on  circumstances. 
If  your  greenhouse  is  filled  with  established  greenliouse 
plants,  such  as  Heaths,  CameUuis,  Azaleas,  &c.  it  will  be 
impossible  to  give  them  too  much  air,  while  the  outside 
temperature  averages  40'=  at  night.  As  a  general  rule, 
the  warmer,  closer,  and  darker  the  weather,  the  more 
air  in  proportion  should  you  give,  as  there  is  less  danger 
of  a  plant  being  drawn  spindly,  made  the  victim  of 
insects,  or  m.ildew,  in  bright  weather,  than  when  it  is 
dull  and  hazy.  In  the  former  case,  the  wood  is 
solidified,  and  fresh  matter  added  ;  in  the  latter  case, 
the  matter  in  the  shoots  is  merely  extended,  as  you 
would  pull  out  a  piece  of  Indian-rubber.  Set  it  down, 
then,  as  a  primary  principle,  that  healthy  growth  can 
only  take  place  in  light.  In  dull,  warm  weather,  as  we 
have  lately  had,  our  object  should  be  directed  more  to 
retard  extension  than  to  promote  it.  Hence,  air,  in 
such  weather,  is  more  wanted  among  greenhouse  plants 
than  when  the  sun  shines,  though  we  gladly  take  the 
opportunity  of  the  latter  circumstance  to  give  air  for 
drying  the  house,  and  rendering  it  sweet  and  com- 
fortable. The  mode  of  giving  air  in  such  quiet,  still 
weather  noiv,  should  be  different  from  that  we  adopt  in 
cold,  frosty  weather  in  winter.  In  the  latter  case,  the 
air  given  should  he  moderate,  chiefly  at  the  top  of  the 
house,  and  as  equal  as  possible.  Now,  we  would  ))refer 
giving  it  very  unequally  in  such  close  muggy  weather, 
for  the  purpose,  if  possible,  of  creating  a  draught;  and 
it  is  very  possible  to  excite  a  motion  in  still  air  by  this 
means;  namely,  instead  of  opening  all  the  sashes,  back 
and  front,  for  a  few  inches,  to  keep  three-parts  of  them 
shut,  and  open  the  others  to  their  full  extent.  This 
method  will  apply  to  all  kinds  of  greenhouse  plants, 
such  as  Oeraniums,  Cinerarias,  &c.,  when  in  a  growing 
state;  and  Ohrysanthernitms,  and  such  hardy  things, 
when  blooming ;  but  sucli  plants  as  Salvia  splendens, 
Scarlet  Oeraniums,  &o.,  in  bloom,  though  they  must  not 
be  kept  in  a  stagnant  atmosphere,  would  not  keep  their 
bloom  so  long  as  when  exposed  to  these  strong  draughts. 
If  there  should  be  many  such  plants  as  the  above  Salvia, 
or  if  an  Epacris  is  wished  to  bloom  early,  and  the  same 
thing  should  be  desired  of  Gamellias,  Azaleas,  Cinerarias, 
then  the  house,  or  one  end  of  it,  where  these  particular 
things  stand,  may  be  kept  closer  with  advantage ;  hence, 
where  Heaths  are  grown  in  such  a  mixed  house,  they 
should  always  occupy  a  place  at  one  end  by  themselves, 
that  air  may  be  given  there  more  liberally  than  in  other 
parts  of  the  house  ;  as  weak-drawn  growth,  in  the  whole 
of  this  tribe,  is  just  the  precursor  of  mildew;  and  that, 
notwithstanding  all  sulphur  applications,  is  too  often 
the  forerunner  of  a  resting-place  for  good  specimens  at 
tlie  rubbish-heap. 

WITHERED  LEAVES  OF  EVERGREENS. 
Some  of  our  friends  are  alarming  themselves  need- 
lessly on  this  account.  Packets  of  leaves  of  Pohjgala, 
Diosma,  CJdrozema,  Azalea,  Camellia,  Daphne,  Poin- 
settia,  &c.,  are  sent  in  a  blotched  and  withered  state,  with 
commendable  inquiries  as  to  the  cause  and  the  remedy. 
Now,  these  appearances  are  as  frequently  quite  natural 
as  they  are  the  result  of  improper  treatment.  Tliough 
most  of  these  plants  are  evergreens,  always,  when  in 


U2 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


November  ^4. 


health,  possessing  green  ioHagc,  and,  therefore,  (juite 
different,  in  this  respect,  from  deciduous  plants,  it  by 
no  means  follows  that  the  same  foliage  is  always  to 
I'eniain  ])ersi8tent,  like  that  splendid  evergreen,  the 
Ariiucaria  imhricata,  spoken  of  hy  Mr.  Appleby  the 
otiier  week.  It  is  just  as  natural  for  a  Daphne  to  lose 
a  few  leaves  every  year,  as  it  is  foi'  a  Laurel,  or  an  Ever- 
green Oak.  I  have  known  cases  of  gardeneis  priding 
themselves  in  their  evergreens  in  vvmter,  and  yet  grumh- 
ling  sadly  at  the  litter  they  were  always  causing  in 
summer.  Keeping  in  view,  then,  that  few  of  the  ever- 
green plants  we  cultivate  have  foliage  that  never  changes 
or  decays,  we  shall  see  no  cause  of  alarm  in  a  withered 
leaf  while  the  general  health  of  the  plant  is  good.  Uut 
there  are  several  causes  that  ]n'oduce  yellow  leaves 
before  they  would  naturally  become  so, — such  as  keep- 
ing the  plants  in  a  rather  iow  temperature  after  being 
exposed  to  a  high  one,  or  just  the  revei'sc ;  placing  a 
plant  rather  suddenly  in  a  raised  temperature,  when  the 
e.Kcitement,  acting  chiefly  on  the  youngest  part  of  the 
shoot,  leaves  the  older  part  without  sufficient  nourish- 
ment. Such  an  effect  is  hastened,  when,  in  the  first,  or 
cool  state,  there  is  extra  moisture  at  the  roots ;  and  when, 
in  the  second,  or  extra  warm  state,  there  is  a  deficiency 
of  necessary  moisture.  Thus,  for  example ;  were  we,  in 
April  or  May,  to  pass  a  row  of  nice  plants  of  florists' 
Pelargoniums,  on  most  of  which  some  of  the  larger  and 
lower  leaves  wore  getting  yellow,  we  should  see  a  proof 
so  positive  that  the  plants  had  been  neglected  in  water- 
ing, that  no  reasoning,  or  assertion,  would  shako  the 
firmness  of  our  belief:  the  effect  would  register  the 
cause.  But  the  blotches  and  scalds,  on  such  leathery 
leaves  as  Camellias,  ai-e  generally  produced  by  the  sun 
striking  them  after  passing  through  a  knot,  or  soar,  in 
the  glass,  and  from  drip  falling  and  resting  upon  them 
irom  rusty  iron  roofs.  For  the  first,  the  part  in  the 
glass  must  be  found  and  painted  over;  and  for  the 
second,  the  house  must  be  kept  well-painted.  I  have 
no  doubt  that  plants  would  be  relieved  from  all  danger 
of  burning  by  using  Hartley's  rough  glass,  and  the 
annoyance  of  shading  would  also  be  avoided. 

WATERING  GREENHOUSE  PLANTS. 

"  I  am  getting  quite  bewildered.  I  am  told  to  give 
plenty  of  water  to  this  plant,  and  little  water  to  another 
kind  of  plant ;  but,  as  I  cut  along  with  my  water  pot, 
this  "  another"  gets  a  deluging,  before  ever  I  think  about 
it  or  examine  it.  Can't  you  help  me  from  doing  this?" 
I  really  fear  that  even  Hercules  will  do  nothing  for  you, 
unless  you  help  yourself.  It  is  not  knowledge  you  so 
much  want ;  it  is  the  using  it  aright.  This  indiscriminate 
pouring  from  the  water  can  ruins  more  jdants  than  all 
other  causes  put  together.  This  is  such  a  besetting  sin 
among  brisk,  active,  blue  aproners,  that  old  practitioners 
are  forced  to  modify  the  evil,  by  adopting  modes  of  pot- 
ting that  will  prevent  a 'plant  remaining  long  in  a 
drenched  state.  Erom  this  work,  and  other  sources,  they 
have  got  the  whole  theory  of  the  principles  of  watering 
comfortably  lodged  in  their  brains;  so  snugly,  indeed, 
that  it  cannot  be  induced  to  come  down  to  govern  the 
water  spout  until  after  the  mischief  is  done.  Wo  arc  so 
(ileased,  however,  with  the  o])en  manner  in  which  con- 
fession is  made,  and  that  so  much  akin  to  what  not  so 
long  ago  I  could  honestly  have  made  myself,  and  wit- 
nessed done  by  others,  that  witliout  recapitulating  what 
has  already  been  advanced,  I  would  gladly  draw  atten- 
tion to  a  few  matters  as  helps. 

With  all  our  deflcienoios  and  drawbacks,  the  old  adage 
about  "  two  of  a  trade,"  &c.,  was  never  more  at  fault  than 
in  the  case  of  gardeners;  for,  on  the  whole,  wo  are  a 
brotherly,  warm-hearted  community.  The  public  seems 
,to  understand  this  so  thoroughly,  that  go  or  visit  where 
a  gardener  may,  his  knowledge,  if  not  liimsolf,  is  very 
apt  to  be  pounced  upon  as  common  jnoperty.     He  can- 


not but  feel,  at  times,  that  he  has  been  pretty  well 
drained  over  a  cup  of  tea.  Each  and  everything  about 
this  and  that  plant  is  brought  in  requisition,  and  though 
too  much  is  asked  to  he  carefully  remembered,  encourage- 
ment to  floribtry  is  given,  and  good  breeding  is  rarely 
exceeded.  At  times,  indeed,  a  person,  who  would  look 
his  astonishment  did  you  make  any  inquiries  respecting 
the  mysteries  of  his  jiarticular  craft,  will  excuse  freely 
the  inquisitive  bump,  and  even  send  you  a  letlor  of  in- 
(juiry  as  to  advice,  without  even  the  acconqianimeut  of 
postage-stamps  for  an  answer  ;  but,  in  general,  the  mak- 
ing free  with  gardeners'  knowledge  proceeds  upon  the 
]u-inciple,  that  in  their  tastes  they  are  just  "  nne  nf  us," 
and  that  the  information  is  asked  for  as  much  for  doing 
us  honour  as  for  advantaging  themselves.  Had  we, 
like  other  professionals,  made  a  point  of  always  selling 
our  advice,  there  would  have  been  little  taste  for  garden- 
ing, few  plants  in  windows,  and  few  subscribers  for  The 
Cottage  Gardeneu. 

Well,  among  the  matters  of  inquiry,  the  watering  of 
plants  is  a  constantly  recurring  one.  "  Water  only 
when  dry,  and  do  it  thoroughly  then ;  and  wait  until 
your  services  are  needed  again" — seems  simjile  enough  ; 
but,  the  next  opportunity  that  presents  itself,  the  same 
inquiry  is  repeated.  Could  we  say,  once  a  day,  or  once 
a  week,  the  poor  plant  would  get  more  justice.  It  is  so 
much  more  difficult  to  remember,  that  the  time  of  the 
year,  the  state  of  the  weather,  as  respects  heat  and  cold, 
sunshine  and  shade — and  the  condition  of  the  plant, 
growing  and  blooming,  or  standing  still  and  resting — 
must  all  influence  the  time,  and  also,  though  in  a  less 
degree,  the  mode,  of  watering.  It  has  often  been  stated, 
that  a  little  practice  will  discover,  by  the  weight  of  a 
pot,  whether  the  soil  within  is  wet  or  moist;  and  a 
sharp  stroke  with  the  knuckles  on  the  side  will  be  a 
good  index — that  stroke  emitting  a  brisk  sound  when 
the  soil  is  dry,  and  a  dull  sound  when  it  is  wet.  The 
causes  of  this  dryness  are  chiefly  two — the  evaporation 
of  moisture  from  the  soil,  by  a  dry  and  warm  atmos- 
phere ;  and  the  perspiration  of  water  through  the  stems 
and  foliage  of  the  plant,  the  quantity  thus  thrown  oft' 
being  in  proportion  to  the  youth  and  vigour  of  the 
foliage,  the  degree  of  heat,  and  the  amount  of  sun- 
shine. Hence,  it  will  be  perfectly  obvious,  that  a 
Geranium,  in  a  small  pot  that  would  require  refreshing 
twice-a-day  in  a  bright  day  in  July,  may,  in  dull 
weather,  require  watering  once  a  fortnight  in  a  cool 
Gi'eenhousc,  in  November;  or,  perhaps,  ouoc  a  week,  if 
placed  in  the  drier  atmosphere  of  a  sitting-room.  Our 
friends,  will,  therefore,  see  the  uselessncss  of  putting  the 
question  so  often  asked,  "  How  often  shall  I  water  these 
plants?"  The  only  answer  that  can  be  given  is.  Let 
them  have  drink  when  they  are  thirsty.  Were  they 
thorough  water  drinkers  themselves,  we  would  say,  treat 
your  plants  exactly  in  the  same  way.  For,  though  wo 
believe  "Adam's  ale"  to  be  the  best  of  all  wines,  we  do 
not  believe  that  a  person  in  health  will  ever  use  it  un- 
less when  he  needs  it. 

The  times  must,  then,  be  varied  to  the  circumstances 
of  the  plant  and  the  state  of  the  weatlier.  Not  so  the 
modes  of  apjdying  water  to  groiiing  plants.  The  water, 
when  given  at  all,  should  lie  in  qtinntilg  sii/licient  to  reach 
the  whole  of  the  roots.  In  the  licight  of  summer,  and 
even  now,  in  the  case  of  plants  in  small  pots,  and  these 
well  filled  willi  roots,  we  should  have  no  objection  to 
say,  moisten  the  whole  of  the  soil  thoronghli/ :  but,  as 
some  plants  7nay  be  rather  fresh  j)0tto<l,  and  others 
placed  in  pots  so  large  that  the  whole  soil  will  not  bo 
occupied  for  some  time,  it  is  safer  to  speak  of  moisten- 
ing the  roots,  instead  of  the  soil,  and  for  these  reasons  : 
roots  will  be  more  encouraged  to  ramify  and  spread 
when  the  soil  beyond  them  is  not  over  wet ;  and  wot 
soil  in  a  pot,  uiioccupied  hy  roots,  at  this  season,  is  apt 
to   become  sour   and  sodden,  and  thus  tell  upon  the 


NovEnrBER  24. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


143 


plants,  in  gouty  shools  and  diseased  leaves.  Wlien, 
therefore,  as  respects  growing  and  ilowering  plants,  our 
friends  may  read  sucli  iustructions  as,  "  Give  water 
sparingly;"  "Little  water  will  now  be  required;"  let 
it  be  clearly  understood,  that  the  smallncss  of  the 
quantity  used  has  rol'eronco  more  to  the  distance  of 
time  between  the  applications  than  the  quantity  given 
when  it  is  wanted.  When  given,  let  it  reach  every  root, 
and  repeat  not  the  application  until  the  soil  is  again 
getting  dry  ;  whether  that  takes  place,  according  to  cir- 
cumstances, in  the  course  of  a  day,  a  week,  or  a  month. 
Those  who  have  carefully  studied  the  pages  of  this 
work  will  know  that  plants  at  rest,  and  deciduous  jilants, 
when  they  have  lost  their  foliage,  and  it  is  desirable  to 
keep  them  dormant,  must  be  watered  somewhat  difier- 
ently.  It  will  have  been  seen  that  succulents,  during 
winter,  will  scarcely  require  any  water  at  all.  The  gene- 
rality of  plants  that  we  wish  to  rest,  say  a  Fuchsia,  must 
be  neither  wet  nor  dry.  There  is  always  an  attempt  at 
balancing  acaounts  between  roots  and  stems ;  and  great 
moisture  at  the  former  would  seek  a  Tent  in  swelling 
the  buds  of  the  latter.  Such  dryness  as  a  Cactus  enjoys 
would  give  you  first  shrivelled  and  then  lifeless  stems. 
When,  for  various  reasons,  we  wish  a  plant  to  be  kept 
neither  wet  nor  dry,  but  in  a  medium  between  the  two, 
we  must  not  give  water  enough  to  soak  the  whole  ball  at 
any  one  time,  but  commence  the  moisture  to  the  centre 
of  the  ball  at  one  time,  and  the  circumference  at  another, 
and,  what  is  better  than  either,  prick  the  ball  over  with 
small  holes,  say  one  every  two  inches,  and  two  or  three 
inches  deep,  with  a  small  wire,  and  just  give  a  little 
more  at  a  time  than  will  be  sufficient  to  fill  these  holes. 
When  many  plants,  however,  arc  kept  in  this  resting  con- 
dition, nothing  is  more  economical  or  useful  than  to 
hook  them  all  together,  and  cover  the  pots  over  with 
some  substance,  such  as  damp  moss,  which  will  prevent 
the  soil  being  dried ;  and  then  a  sprinkling  of  the  stems, 
in  a  dry  day,  with  a  syringe,  would  be  all  the  watering 
the  plants  would  require,  until  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  start  them  into  fresh  growth. 

AEIUNGING  PLANTS  IN  GKOUPS. 
This  will  be  a  further  help  to  the  waterer.  The  "  ano- 
ther plant"  would  not  be  quite  so  likely  to  get  a  jet 
when  it  did  not  want  it.  Besides,  the  system  will  evince 
a  higher  style  of  order,  and  present  more  variety,  in  a 
given  space,  than  when  all  kinds  of  plants  are  mixed 
together,  so  that  every  part  of  the  house  presents  a 
similar  appearance.  Thus,  with  a  group  of  Chrysan^ 
themuras,  Cinerarias,  Geraniums,  Salvias,  Primroses, 
Heaths,  Epacris,  &o.,  you  cau  give  each  group  the  water 
it  requires,  cold  or  warm,  clear  or  enriched  with  manure. 
But  even  with  the  individuals  of  each  separate  group, 
cast  your  eye,  and  even  your  hand,  searchingly  over  it, 
before  you  let  the  water-pail  approach  it.  Get  used  to 
it,  and  no  time  will  be  lost;  it  will  become  in  a  manner 
instinctive.  R.  Fish. 


THE  GLADIOLUS. 


(Continued  J'rvm  ]}aye  122.) 

Propagation:  by  Offsets. — The  directions  and  obser- 
vations given  and  made  in  The  Cottage  Gardener, 
both  by  myself  and  brother  writers,  are  intended  for 
lovers  of  gardening  that  we  suppose  to  require  such  in- 
formation. Hence  we  write,  and,  perhaps,  sometimes  re- 
peat, many  minute  particulars  and  points  of  culture,  and 
so  forth,  as  the  non-experienced  cultivator  may  possibly 
deem  superfluous  and  unnecessary.  For  such  persons 
we  do  not  write.  Full  as  the  information  may  be,  it  is 
not  particular  enough,  as  is  witnessed  by  the  many 
queries  received  and  answered  every  week.  I  make 
these  few  remarks  to  account  for  my  giving  such  length- 


ened papers  on  the  culture  of  flowers,  and  in  particular 

just  now  on  the  Oladiolus. 

Whoever  has  taken  up  a  root,  or  bulbs,  more  properly 
speaking,  of  this  plant,  must  have  observed  tliat  it  had 
produced  several  small  bulbs  not  so  large  as  the  common 
garden  pea  on  the  underside  of  the  old  bulb.  I  have 
counted  as  many  as  twenty  on  one  bulh  of  the  6'.  emu- 
munis.  Other  varieties,  it  is  true,  do  not  produce  ofl'sets 
so  freely,  but  they  all  propagate  freely  enough  by  this 
mode.  At  the  time  of  taking  up  the  roots,  separate  tlie 
offsets  from  them,  earefidly  keeping  each  variety  or 
species  to  itself,  and  label  them  correctly  at  once  to  pre- 
vent mistakes ;  try  and  keep  them  the  same  way  as  the 
full  grown  roots,  but  plant  them  at  least  a  month  earlier, 
to  enable  them  to  make  the  most  of  the  season  of  growth. 
The  time  for  planting  these  offsets  depends  upon  the 
time  the  old  bulbs  arc  taken  up.  The  early  bloomers 
aro  taken  up,  of  course,  early,  and  the  ofl'sets  of  these  may 
be  planted  in  September,  whilst  the  late  bloomers  cannot 
bo  planted  so  early,  because  they  are  then  in  the  ground  ; 
so  regulate  the  time  of  planting  the  offsets  of  these 
accordingly, 

At  the  time  of  planting,  have  a  bed  prepared  similar 
to  that  made  for  the  blooming  bulbs,  as  described  in  a 
former  paper,  and  when  it  is  ready  bring  out  the  ofl'sets. 
It  will  be  advisable  to  pass  the  very  smallest  through  a 
sieve  with  the  mesh  just  large  enough  to  let  them 
through.  This  will  separate  them  into  two  sizes,  the 
larger  ones  remaining  in  the  sieve.  If  the  quantity  is 
but  small  they  may  be  divided  by  the  hand.  Draw 
drills  four  inches  apart,  and  three  inches  deep,  with  a 
pole  ;  a  triangular-shaped  one  is  the  best  for  this  purpose. 
Then  plant  the  large-sized  offsets  in  the  drill,  thi'ee  or 
four  inches  apart,  pi'essing  each  down  gently  to  keep 
each  in  its  place.  The  small  fry  may  be  planted  thicker; 
indeed,  I  always  sowed  them  in  the  same  way  as  I  would 
the  large-growing  peas,  that  is,  rather  thinly.  By  plant- 
ing them  thus  in  two  sizes,  the  larger  bulbs  will  have 
room  to  produce  their  broader  leaves  without  shading 
or  choking  the  smaller  ones ;  besides,  the  larger  sized 
will  soon  become  flowering  bulbs  if  grown  by  themselves, 
and  good  room  given  to  each.  When  it  is  judged  they 
aro  large  enough  to  bloom,  plant  such  in  a  bed  by  them- 
selves, in  order  to  note  which  are  true  to  their  kinds,  as 
sometimes  the  varieties  degenerate.  Afterwards  they 
may  be  planted  out  along  with  the  parent  stock.  Such 
bulbs  as  have  not  attained  the  flowering  size  may  be  re- 
planted till  they  do.  The  smallest  size  should  remain 
in  the  nursery  bed  two  years,  and  should  then  be  taken 
up,  the  larger  bulbs  sorted  out,  planted  separately,  and 
the  small  size  replanted  for  two  years  longer.  This  may 
appear  a  tedious  process,  requiring  a  large  amount  of 
time  and  patience,  but  when  once  begun,  and  the  first 
year  or  two  passed  over,  the  cultivator  will  be  receiving 
an  annual  reward  by  his  increased  stock  of  blooming 
bulbs  of  these  truly,  when  well  grown,  magnificent 
flowers. 

The  Gladiolus  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of  the  red 
spider  (the  remedy  for  which  I  have  already  mentioned) 
and  also  the  wire-worm  and  mice.  In  preparing  the 
bed,  keep  a  constant  look  out  for  the  wireworm  as  the 
soil  is  being  turned  over.  They  are  easily  seen  because 
of  their  clear  yellow  colour ;  the  most  certain  way  of 
destroying  these  hard-cased  vermin  is  to  collect  them  as 
they  are  discovered,  placing  them  in  a  basin  with  a  small 
portion  of  oil  in  the  bottom,  and  when  the  soil  is  all 
turned  over,  and  all  caught  and  put  into  the  basin,  then 
pour  some  boiling  water  over  them,  and  you  are  certainly 
clear  of  that  lot.  Some  may  escape  the  keenest  and 
quickest  eye ;  and,  for  fear  of  that,  cut  some  potatoes  or 
carrots  into  slices,  and  bury  them  in  the  bed  about  as 
deep  as  the  bulbs.  Take  them  up  now  and  then,  and  if 
any  wireworms  are  preying  upon  them,  scald  them  to 
death  likewise.     Mice  may  be  caught  in  figure  of  four 


144 


THE   COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


November  H-L. 


traps,  or  any  other,  well  baited.  I  have  prevented  their 
depredations  by  placing  chopped  Furze  over  the  bulbs, 
so  that  when  they  thnist  their  little  noses  into  the 
ground  in  search  of  the  roots  the  prickles  of  the  furze 
scratched  and  scared  them  eh'ectually.  I  have  saved 
many  a  crop  of  garden  peas  by  tliis  method. 

These  bulbs  are  subject  also  to  a  disease ;  and,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  I  could  never  discover  either  the  cause  or 
the  remedy.  It  is  quite  as  fatal  in  its  effects  as  the 
Potato  murrain,  but  it  is  not  the  same  disease,  for  the 
Potato  rots  with  a  superfluity  of  moisture  in  it,  but  the 
Gladiolus  becomes  dry  and  powdery.  I  have  had 
Crocuses  and  other  solid  bulbs  suffer  from  the  same  dis- 
ease. In  tlie  spring,  the  tops  of  these  diseased  bulbs 
often  make  an  attempt  to  grow  and  send  up  leaves, 
but  for  want  of  roots,  which  these  diseased  bulbs 
never  emit,  the  leaves  turn  yellow  and  die.  I  am  not 
aware  this  disease  is  infectious,  but  for  fear  it  should  be, 
I  always  remove  the  diseased  bulbs  as  soon  as  discovered, 
and  also  the  soil  in  immediate  contact  with  them. 

I.  Al'PLEBY. 


STOVE   FERNS. 

{Coiilhiiied  J'rom  paijc  123.) 

GIBOTIUM. 

One  of  the  many  genera  taken  from  ^s^y((ij«j;( ;  and 
so  named  from  Kehotion,  a  little  box  or  chest,  the  form 
of  the  seed-vessel. 

C.  B.AROMETZ  (The  Scythian  Lamb  Fern). — A  strong- 
growing  Cochin-China  Fern,  the  rootstook  of  which  is 
short  and  thick,  and  covered  with  long  brownish  hairs, 
giving  it  an  animal-like  appearance ;  hence  its  fabulous 
name.  The  fronds  are  bipinnate  ;  the  lowest  pinnai  are 
long,  and  gradually  shorten  upwards.  They  grow  erect, 
and  often  reach  ten  feet  in  length.  Each  leaf  has  a  stem, 
and  the  seed-cases  are  seated  near  the  base  of  the  leaf 
When  fully  grown,  every  frond  is  fertile,  that  is,  bears 
seed.  It  is  a  handsome  Feru ,  but  to  grow  it  well 
requires  a  large  stove.  Easily  increased  by  division.  I 
have  cultivated  it  for  many  years,  but  was  never  able 
to  produce  the  lamb-like  appearance  of  the  rhizoma. 

G.  ScHEiDEi  (Scheides).  —  A  Mexican  Fern,  of 
great  beauty,  easily  distinguished  from  the  preceding 
species,  by  the  stems,  as  well  as  the  rhizoma,  being 
covered  with  tlie  long  woolly  brown  hairs,  and  by  the 
treedike  rhizoma,  which,  in  cultivation,  has  reached 
three  feet  high.  Upon  this  rootstock  the  iVonds  are 
placed,  and  are  six  or  eight  feet  long,  rather  drooping, 
bipinnate;  the  seed-cases  are  produced  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  pinnEe,  and  number  from  three  to  six  on  the 
margins  of  the  leaves  so  situated.  It  must  be  propa- 
gated by  seed,  as  the  rhizoma  does  not  creep. 

CYATHEA. 

A  tall-growing  genus  of  Ferns,  allied  to  Dichsonia. 
In  their  native  habitats  some  of  this  species  become 
trees  fifty  feet  high,  witli  a  head  of  fronds  at  the  top, 
giving  them  a  Palmdike  appearance.  The  species  in 
cultivation  have  been  lately  introduced  into  British 
gardens,  and  consequently  are  rare. 

C.  AUBouEA  (Tree-like). — In  .lamaica,  its  native  place, 
this  species  is  truly  a  treeFern.  Tlie  fronds  are  tripinnate, 
froui  six  to  eight  feet  long,  standing  on  an  erect  rhi- 
zoma ;  they  are  very  stilf,  leathery,  and  of  a  dull 
green,  with  scales  on  the  underside  of  the  leaves.  The 
stems  are  almost  black,  and  have  thorns  on  them.  The 
seed-vessels  are  cup-shaped,  with  the  seeds  standing 
above  the  edge,  looking,  when  magnified,  very  like  an 
acorn  enclosed  in  its  cup.  As  the  rliizoma  does  not 
creep  they  must  bo  increased  by  seed.  Being  such  a 
large  Fern,  its  culture  should  not  be  attempted  except- 
ing where  there  is  plenty  of  room. 


C.  DE.Ar.DAT.^  (Powdered). — A  New  Zealand  tree  Fern, 
of  gi'eat  beauty.  A  friend  of  mine  sent  me,  some  years 
ago,  a  quantity  of  spores  of  this  fine  Fern ;  but 
whether  the  seed  had  perished  on  the  voyage,  or  been 
shaken  out  of  the  cases  and  lost,  I  could  never  get  one 
to  make  its  appearance.  At  Kow  there  is  a  fine  speci- 
men, imported  alive,  and  it  is  now  nearly  three  feet 
high.  I  have  seen  dead  stems  of  it  nearly  as  thick  as 
a  man's  body,  aud  upwards  of  ten  feet  bigli.  It  is  said, 
in  our  wars  with  the  natives,  these  Fern  stems  served 
the  savages  as  skulking  jilaces,  from  whence  many  a 
deadly  arrow  has  been  shot  at  the  unsuspecting 
Briton.  The  fronds  are  very  beautiful,  of  a  bluish- 
green  on  the  upper  surface,  and  richly  powdered  with 
white  underneath.  They  are  six  or  seven  feet  long, 
jointed,  and  placed  on  the  top  of  the  rhizoma.  Stems 
covered  with  scales.  Requires  a  roomy  stove,  and  is 
increased  by  seeds. 

C.  ELEQANs  (Elegant). — A  tree  Fern,  from  Jamaica, 
and  perhaps  the  handsomest  in  cultivation.  The  Kew 
plant  is  eight  feet  high  in  the  stem,  with  some  fronds 
ten  feet  long ;  they  are  thrice  pinnated,  the  lowest 
pinncE  spreading  considerably,  and  gradually  growing 
less  upwards.  The  frond  stems  are  densely  covered  with 
almost  white  scales,  which  adds  greatly  to  its  beauty. 
Requires  plenty  of  space  to  show  itself,  and  can  only 
be  increased  by  seed. 

(J.  TATE.N's  (Spreading). — A  .famaica  Fern,  of  great 
attractions.  The  fronds  are  slender,  gracefully  spread- 
ing out  and  drooping.  They  are  like  the  whole  genus, 
thrice  cut  or  pinnated,  and  are  of  a  beautiful  yellowish- 
green.  The  rhizoma  is  the  most  slender  of  all  the 
cultivated  species,  growing  three  feet  high.  Upon  it 
the  fronds  are  placed,  spreading  out  to  si.x  or  eight  feet 
long.  The  stems  are  light  brown,  covered  with  prickly 
scales.  This  fine  Fern  is  well  worthy  of  cultivation 
where  there  is  room  for  it  to  expand.  Tliere  are  several 
other  species  of  this  fine  tribe  of  Ferns  described  but 
not  yet  introduced. 

CYRTOGONIUJI. 

From  Kyrtos,  curved,  and  gonu.  A  genus  of  Ferns, 
separated,  by  Mr.  Smith,  of  Kew,  from  AcrosticJium. 
The  small  veins  on  the  leaves  are  singularly  and  sud- 
denly bent  or  angled,  like  the  knee  of  the  human  frame. 

C.  CRispATULUM  (Spreading  -  crcstcd). — A  handsome 
Fern,  from  Ceylon.  Fronds  pinnate,  inclining  to  be 
erect,  erenate  or  cut  at  the  margin,  of  the  deepest  green. 
There  are  barren,  and  fertile,  or  seed-bearing  leaves,  the 
latter  shorter  than  the  former.  On  the  barren  fronds 
there  are,  in  tlie  hollow  of  the  scollops,  a  short  thorny 
substance,  the  stems  have  some  scales,  and  the  rhizoma 
creeps  ;  hence,  it  is  easily  increased  by  division.  The 
whole  plant  seldom  exceeds  two  feet  in  height;  hence, 
it  may  be  grown  in  a  moderate-sized  stove. 

C.  iXAGGEETFORME  (Wliip-shaped). — All  East  Indian 
Fern,  of  the  easiest  culture.  1  have  cultivated  it  for 
years,  in  small  pots,  in  the  deepest  shade  of  the  stove. 
It  is  easily  known  by  the  leaf  becoming  narrower  to- 
wards the  end,  in  the  same  way  as  the  wdiip,  but  more 
suddenly,  aud  by  its  producing  at  the  end  a  knob  or 
knot,  which,  if  not  taken  ofi',  will  soon  send  out  leaves, 
and,  finally,  roots  ;  by  these  it  may  bo  readily  increased. 

C.  nEi'ANDUM  (Spreading). — A  lately-introduced  Fern, 
from  Java.  It  also  produces  living  plants  on  the  leaves. 
The  diflTeronce,  or  distinguishing  mark,  of  the  species,  is 
the  spreading  habit  of  the  barren  fronds,  and  the  leaves 
of  the  fertile  frond  being  erect,  easily  grown,  and  in- 
creased by  the  living  plants  on  the  leaves  being  taken 
oil',  potted,  and  kept  in  the  shade  till  fully  established. 

T.  Al'l'LEItV. 

(To  be  continued.) 


November  2i. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAllDENEK. 


115 


FLOWER-GARDEN  PLANTS  FOR  A    LATE 
DISPLAY. 

While  tlie  flowei-gardenei-  has  been  straining  every 
nerve  to  obtain  a  good  display  in  his  beds  in  tlie  early 
part  of  the  season,  but  little  attention  bas  lieen  paid  to 
what  was  likely  to  bold  out  to  the  end,  The  general 
answer  given  to  any  enquiring  on  such  matters  is,  that 
if  early  flowers  can  be  obtained  there  is  no  fear  but  late 
ones  will  be  forthcoming.  However,  late  ones,  like 
early  ones,  are  not  all  of  equal  merits  ;  and  it  is  to  call 
attention  to  the  difference  they  present  in  that  particu- 
lar that  I  now  forward  you  a  few  stray  notes  on  the 
subject. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  almost  needless  to  observe, 
that  the  present  season  has  been  an  extraordinary  ono 
for  bedding-out  plants,  as  well  as  many  other  things. 
The  usual  complaint  of  a  dry  planting-out-time  has  not 
been  applicable  to  this  season,  for  the  cold  rains  of 
spring,  following  in  quick  succession  the  melting  snows 
of  March,  kept  the  ground  so  cold,  that  the  season  was 
far  advanced  ere  it  attained  that  genial  warmth  so 
necessary  to  vegetation,  the  consequence  was,  that  the 
progress  of  everything  was  slow,  especially  of  such 
things  as  the  generallity  of  bedding-plants  usually 
are.  Now  this  completely  prevented  the  more  tender 
from  making  the  necessary  progress  towards  flower- 
ing, which,  in  finer  seasons,  they  were  wont  to  do; 
but  as  I  shall,  probably,  on  another  occasion,  describe 
its  effects  more  generally,  I  will,  in  the  present  paper, 
confine  myself  to  the  few  plants,  which,  by  the  pecu- 
liar construction  of  their  flowers,  have  been  able 
to  withstand  the  bleaching  rains  with  which  we  have 
been  visited;  and  as  such  qualities  are  not  to  be  found 
in  all  flowering-plants  nsed  for  bedding  purposes,  they 
cannot  be  too  generally  known. 

Calceolakia. — Numerous  and  important  as  this  fa- 
mily is,  there  are  but  lew  of  its  members  capable  of 
withstanding  the  drenching  rains  of  autumn,  while 
some  are  easily  shakeu  olf  by  a  slight  shower  in  summer. 
Now,  this  is  a  sad  drawback,  as,  in  a  season  like  the 
present,  when  for  several  weeks  it  was  scarcely  ever  ten 
consecutive  hours  without  I'ain,  and  that  often  heavy, 
it  soon  was  evident  which  could,  and  which  coifld  not, 
withstand  it;  and  the  best  of  the  whole  lot  was  a  bright, 
clear,  yellow  oue,  of  ratlier  a  tender,  delicate  habit,  and 
rambling  growth,  but  a  large  truss,  and  remarkable 
clear  colour;  it  resembles  Amplexicaulis  in  all  points, 
except  the  foliage  is  less  reflexed  and  of  a  deeper  green. 
I  have  had  it  for  some  years,  and  have  generally  grown 
it  mixed  witli  other  kinds  of  a  stiffer  habit,  which  keeps 
it  up,  and  this  season  I  have  it  grown  so,  but,  somehow, 
the  continuous  wet  has  been  beneficial  to  it  more  than  to 
others,  so  that  it  has,  in  a  measure,  overrun  them,  and 
at  the  time  I  write  (the  first  week  in  November),  is  as 
full  of  bloom  as  it  has  been  at  any  time  during  the 
summer,  and  the  flowers  appear  almost  purer  and  fresher 
from  the  frequent  ablutions  they  have  had.  This  is 
a  great  point,  for  the  shrubby  ones  amongst  which  it 
is  planted  have  lost  their  flowers  long  ago,  and  present 
nothing  but  the  foliage,  and  dead  or  decayed  flowers, 
cut  off  without  their  even  being  showy  or  useful.  This 
Calceolaria  is  also  an  excellent  one  for  bouquets,  having 
long  firm  stalks,  and,  as  1  have  said,  a  good  head  of 
bloom.  It  resists  the  rain  better  than  Amplexicaulis, 
which,  in  other  respects,  it  resembles.  This  plant  I  call 
my  best  for  late  flowering ;  besides  which  it  is  orna- 
mental even  at  an  early  period ;  for,  though  the  harder- 
wooded  kinds  will  flower  sooner,  and  endure  more  frost, 
yet  they  must  all  give  it  the  palm  for  enduring  autumn 
rains,  and  maintaining  a  degree  of  gaiety  in  November 
wliich  would  grace  a  September  display. 

Next,  in  point  of  ornament  and  general  utility,  is  the 
Salvia  tul&ens,  and  its  variegated    ofl'spring.     This, 


which  at  best,  is  a  late  flowering  plant,  has  tliis  season 
kept  on  later  and  more  freely  than  on  former  occasions, 
so  that  its  flowers  now  present  a  degree  of  brilliancy 
which  it  does  not  excel  at  an  earlier  period  :  in  this 
respect,  this  Salvia  diflers  from  most  high-coloured 
flowers,  as  Dahlia,  &o.,  which  become  paler  as  the  season 
advances;  the  continued  wet,  and  absence  of  sunshine, 
bleaching  tbeui,  so  as  to  alter  them  very  much  ;  but 
Salvia  falgens  seems  to  resist  all  this,  and  its  florets,  like 
so  many  horizontal  tubes,  remain  firm  to  the  effects  of 
rain  and  other  casualties.  Another  feature  I  may 
mention,  is,  that  the  variegated  kind  (I  mean  the  one 
with  variegated  leaves)  flowers  quite  as  freely  as  the 
plain  one,  which  is  not  the  case  with  some  other  plants 
having  a  similarly  altered  foliage,  (a  variegated  Coronilla 
glaiica  being  a  very  shy  flowerer).  These  Salvias  have 
been  very  gay,  and  even  the  blue  one  (patensj  has 
continued  to  exhibit  its  flowers  quite  as  plentifully  as  in 
a.  more  favoured  part  of  the  season.  Of  course,  frost 
would  destroy  them,  but  as  early  frosts  are  more  likely 
to  occur  in  a  fine,  dry  autumn  than  in  a  wet  one,  the 
utility  of  the  Salvia,  as  an  ornamental  plant,  is  in  no 
way  diminished ;  it  is  true,  it  does  not  flower  so  early  as 
some  things;  but  it  might  be  planted  with  the  view  of 
autumnal  display,  which  many  gay  objects  in  August 
do  not  present  now.  When  planted  tolerably  thick 
they  support  each  other  ;  and  I  often  surround  them  by 
a  dwarler  plant,  as  an  intermedial  one  between  them 
and  the  edge — the  Heliotrope  being  very  good  that  way. 
I,  therefore,  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending  the 
Salvia  as  a  useful  plant  for  autumn  decoration. 

CnpHEA  STRIGILLOSA. — Tbis  berbaoeous  plant,  which 
is  with  me  quite  hardy,  is  not  much  of  a  favourite  nntil 
late  in  the  season,  when  the  lieavy  dews  and  rains  have 
washed  its  numerous  little  tubular  corollas  into  a 
brighter  colour  than  they  at  first  appeared  to  possess,  so 
that  it  presents  a  more  decisive  colour,  or  feature,  than 
is  given  to  it,  when,  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  season,  it 
is  put  in  comparison  with  other  more  gay  objects; 
however,  it  stands  the  autumn  rains  well,  and  seems  to 
improve  by  them,  and  its  uniform  growth,  and  other 
good  features,  point  it  out  as  one  of  the  best  and  easiest 
cultivated  bedding  plants  we  have.  I  have  beds  of  it 
which  have  remained  for  two  or  three  years  without  a 
single  plant  being  lost ;  in  fact,  the  bed  is  run  over  with 
the  roots,  each  sending  np  flower-stalks  in  abundance  ; 
but  the  beds  are  very  dry,  as  I  find  it  does  not  thrive  so 
•wefl  on  cold,  wet  soils,  and  is  usually  lost  during  the 
winter.  I  may  observe,  that  I  have  occasionally  planted 
the  Zattschneria  Galifornica  with  it,  but  the  latter  never 
answered  satisfactorily;  and  this  season  less  so  than 
most  others,  so  that  I  do  not  much  admire  the  last-named 
plant,  except  for  rock-work,  or  a  mixed  shrubbery,  in 
which  case  it  is  very  useful.  The  Cuphea  platycentra  is 
also  showy  in  the  early  autumn,  but  its  flowers  being 
auxiliary  and  pendant  are  of  but  little  use,  except  on 
close  inspection,  when  the  strigillosa  exhibits  a  dis- 
tinctive spike,  &c. 

Pentstemon. — The  scarlet,  white,  and  pink  varieties 
of  the  Gentianoides  breed  are  very  useful  autumn 
flowers,  when  they  have  been  grown  so  as  to  bring  them 
into  bloom  about  September,  for  the  first  time,  as  old 
exhausted  plants,  which  have  been  bearing  flowers  dur- 
ing the  season,  cease  doing  so  before  the  autumn  fairly 
sets  in  ;  when,  therefore,  a  late  display  is  necessary, 
young  plants,  from  cuttings  of  the  autumn  of  the  year 
before,  but  kept  outside  and  planted  out  at  the  nsual 
time,  will  be  most  suitable,  and  few  things,  at  this 
season,  make  more  display  than  do  the  scarlet  and 
white  kinds  mixed;  and  here,  again,  their  tubular  con- 
struction enables  them  to  throw  off  water,  so  as  to  en- 
dure heavy  rains  without  injury.  Solitary  plants,  in 
mixed  borders,  are  equally  useful,  only  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  they  must  be  young  ones ;  old  worn-out 


1-4G 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NOVE.MEER  24. 


plants,  which,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year,  produce  a 
profusion  of  bloom,  cease,  iu  a  measure,  after  that  crop 
is  ofl'.  The  careful  cultivator  will,  therefore,  keep  up  a 
successiou  of  young  ones,  and  few  plants  are  cultivated 
with  greater  facility,  nothing  being  wanted  but  a  com- 
mon baud-light  out-of-doors;  and  even  that  may  often  be 
dispensed  with,  but  where  it  is  to  be  had,  cuttings  put 
in  at  all  seasons  have  an  eijual  chance  to  grow,  as  they 
resist  damp,  in  autumn  and  winter,  nearly  as  well  as  a 
Calceolaria,  while  they  endure  the  dry  air  of  summer 
with  less  injury  to  themselves  than  that  moisture-socking 
flower.  Tlie  blue  kinds  of  Pentstemon  i  have  never 
been  able  to  make  mucli  of;  for  tlicir  habit  being  less 
robust  tlian  that  of  the  scarlet  and  white  kinds,  they  do 
not  mi.x:  with  them  to  look  well ;  besides,  if  they  did  thrive 
and  flower  equal  to  these  last-named,  the  bed  would, 
nevertheless,  look  better  vvitliout  them ;  a  good  scarlet 
and  white  looks  better  without  a  blue  than  with  one ; 
however,  I  do  not  mean  to  disparage  the  blue  varieties, 
or  rather  species,  for  tlicy  may  be  advantageously  used 
elsewhere,  but  they  have  not  continued  to  flower  so  well 
and  so  late  as  the  more  hardy  kinds;  neither  have  tlioso 
of  the  Camjnmidata  or  A  tropurpurca  breed  done  much 
for  the  autumn,  but  they  are,  in  a  measure,  discarded 
now,  except  in  old  and  mixed  herbaceous  borders,  where, 
with  many  other  things,  they  are  yet  to  be  found. 

Lobelia  dkcujibens.— A  dark  blue  variety  of  this  has 
continued  to  flower  remarkably  well,  and  its  flowers 
seem  to  withstand  the  successive  rains,  &c.,  better  than 
many  things  of  greater  pretensions.  This  kind  is  of 
an  extremely  prostrate  habit,  and  compact,  rather  than 
ragged,  in  its  outline.  It  is,  doubtless,  the  horizontal 
position  of  its  shoots  and  flowers  that  enables  the  latter 
to  withstand  the  hardships  of  a  wet  autumn.  It  is, 
however,  too  dwarf  for  many  purposes  for  which  Lobe- 
lias are  planted ;  otherwise,  as  a  bedding-out  plant,  it 
possesses  considerable  merit. 

I  might  mention  some  few  more  plants  as  being 
useful  for  a  late  display,  but  the  above  are  the 
best  that  I  have  had  this  season.  The  Fuchsia 
fulgens  flowered  late,  but  liieu  it  hides  so  many  of  its 
blossoms  that  there  is  really  but  little  sliow  attending 
it,  while  all  the  other  Fuchsias  ceased  flowering  sooner 
than  usual ;  the  small-leaved  one,  re.flcxa,  excepted ; 
and  as  for  Geraniums,  Verbenas,  Petunias,  &c.,  they 
have  long  ceased  to  be' attractive,  and,  in  some  eases, 
the  plants  have  perished  as  well  as  the  flowers.  I  might, 
however,  mention,  that  the  sweet-scented  variety,  which 
is  grown  simply  for  its  fragrant  foliage,  is  a  very  useful 
autumn  plant,  ami  furnishes  sprigs  for  nosegays  until  a 
late  period  ;  but  all  tender  varieties  of  the  scarlet,  and 
similar  breeds,  are  better  adapted  to  endure  -hot  sun- 
shine than  unceasing  rain.  But  it  is  needless  entering 
on  the  list  of  flowering  jilants  unsuited  to  October  and 
November  display  ;  but  any  addition  to  those  I  have 
mentioned  will  be  gladly  received  by  me ;  and  1  have  no 
doubt  but  others  may  have  in  their  possession  plants 
blooming  late  to  a  degree  of  perfection,  which  must, 
assuredly,  enhance  their  value;  and  as  a  late  bloom,  like 
a  very  early  one,  is  always  acceptable,  I  make  no 
apology  for  thus  calling  the  attention  of  flower-gar- 
deners to  the  matter.  J.  Robson. 


ALLOTMENT   FARMING.— December. 

Reaija-  the  very  name  of  tliis  mouth  reminds  one  of 
rhimy  whiskers  and  blue  noses ;  and  we  may  fancy  we  see 
the  schoolboy  blowing  his  thumbs,  and  tlie  blufl'  ploughboy 
bufl'eting — one  of  the  few  chances  his  jacket  gets  of  being 
well  Justed.  King  Frost  may  soon  be  expected  to  bug  us 
in  his  chilUng  cmliraces,  and  before — long  before — be  has 
finished  bis  paralysing  hug,  doubtless  a  new  year  will  liave 
commenced  by  anticipation,  big,  like  aU  his  ancestry,  with 


deep-laid  schemes  and  sanguine  anticipations.  Well,  so  be 
it ;  neither  Pride  nor  Despair  were  made  for  man.  A  lisht 
beams  iu  tlie  distant  horizon  ;  but  how  may  we  reach  that 
light '.'     By  the  path  of  duty. 

"  England  expects  every  man  to  do  Ids  duty  ;"  and  let  not 
our  cottage  and  aUotmcnt  friends  inuigiue  that  sucli  maxims 
apply  only  to  the  rich  or  the  powerful :  a  mere  labourer  has 
as  certain  a  duty  tn  perform  as  a  prince,  and  one  nf  as  high 
imiiortaucc  in  point  of  principle.  If  men  of  this  caste 
prove  truly  industrious,  out  of  a  regard  to  a  duly  llicy  owe 
society  as  well  as  their  own  fannhos,  they  assuredly  fulfd 
the  great  ends  of  their  being  as  well  as  miglity  monarchs 
who  govern  uprightly  and  judiciously.  The  only  ditl'erence 
is,  that  they  cannot  fare  so  sumptuously,  cannot  dress  so 
fine,  and  are  not  compelled  to  undergo  the  affected  smiles 
and  obseriuiousness  of  servile  adherents. 

Thus  mucli  I  have  observed,  in  order  to  rouse  the  minds 
uf  the  apathetic,  the  dull,  and  the  despairing,  and  those  who 
are  exceedingly  pai'tial  to  ease.  Taking  it  easy,  certainly 
sounds  very  jiretty ;  but  1  much  feai'  that  our  best  interests 
will  not  be  found  here.  Fi-om  Solomon  downwards,  the  wise 
of  all  ages  bear  testimony  to  the  corrupting  power  of  sloth  ; 
for  this  is  the  right  title  uf  a  condition  too  often  called,  for 
politeness  sake,  "  ease." 

Away,  then,  my  cottage  friends,  with  all  such  fallacious 
notions.  To  rest  with  a  good  conscience,  both  nightly, 
after  a  good  day's  work,  and  to  enjoy  a  Sabbath — a  total 
rest,  one  day  in  seven — is  all  that  the  working  portion  reaUy 
recpiire  to  recruit  the  energies  of  both  mind  and  body:  but 
to  attempt  to  live  iu  ease,  cannot,  must  not,  need  not,  be 
the  portion  of  that  class  of  society,  who,  if  they  will  cat, 
must  work. 

I  will  appeid  no  fm-ther,  but  look  into  our  allotment 
afTairs.  I  may  here  press  much  of  the  advice  in  my  last 
pajier,  as  to  a  thorough  worlung  of  the  soil  when  an  oppor- 
tunity occurs.  It  is  imimssible  to  over-rate  the  advantages 
of  a  winter's  fallow  by  deeply  stirring,  and  throwing  tlie  soil 
into  sharp  and  high  ridges :  it  not  only  improves  the  very 
quality  of  the  soil,  but  destroys  much  insect  life ;  and  withal, 
throws  the  most  stidiborn  soil  into  such  mellow  cuudition  by 
March,  that  oue-half  the  labour  will  sullice  to  introduce 
spring  crops  ;  and  they  will,  moreover,  bo  got  iu  with  much 
brighter  prospects.  Of  course,  all  decayed  or  decaying 
vegetables  will  be  first  cleared  otl',  and,  as  before  advised, 
burnt  or  charred  ;  and  an  opportunity  here  occurs  of  cleim- 
iug  out  ditches  or  other  boundary  lines,  the  dubbing  of 
hedges,  etc.,  to  add  to  the  bonfire.  A  convenient  spot  should 
be  selected  for  the  fire  ;  and  as  much  common  or  road-side 
parings,  or  even  ordinary  soil,  should  bo  placed  around, 
before  tlie  burning  commences,  in  order  to  choke  up  the 
mass  when  half  bmnt,  and  cause  it  to  smoulder  for  days. 

Water-courses  sboidd  have  been  well  looked  to  before  the 
trenching  commences  and  properly  scoured;  also  fresh 
ones  uiade  where  needed:  thus  will  every  thing  be  put  in 
godd  working  trim  for  another  campaign.  The  maiiure- 
lieap  should  also  receive  a  little  attention ;  but  the  ctdlivator 
should  instantly  settle  in  his  mind  what  scheme  of  cropping 
he  ought  to  piu'sue  in  the  succeeding  spring ;  for  it  may  be 
desirable  to  introduce  a  portion  of  the  manure  for  some 
crops.  Where  it  is  reqitisite  to  place  manure  at  a  low 
level,  as  iu  the  case  with  some  of  our  carrot-rooted  plants, 
the  ground  may  at  once  receive  its  allowance  jircvionsly  to 
trenching  or  deep-digging ;  for  no  shallow  autumn  digging 
will  bo  advised  by  me.  Such  crops  as  Puisiiijis,  Cnrrolx, 
Lnnij  jMrini/nlil,  itc,  may  thus  be  served ;  and  if  a  little  of 
finer  compost,  containing  a  sprinkling  of  Peruvian  guano, 
can  be  inti'oduced  with  the  seed  in  spring,  in  order  to  pro- 
duce a  plant  speedily,  why,  the  plant  will  be  estabhsbed  iu  a 
good  foundation,  i'ho  manures  thus  dug  in  may  consist  of 
the  coarser  particles ;  and,  after  lids,  the  maum'c-heap  may 
be  turned  to  the  very  bottom  during  a  sovero  frost;  and 
Ibis  will  also  tend  to  the  destruction  of  a  host  of  enemies, 
iu  the  shape  of  grubs,  eggs,  &c. 

The  crops  being  decided  on,  let  pegs  be  put  down  at 
every  point  where  a  fresh  crop  connuences,  and  the  amount 
of  groimd  for  each  accurately  mcasm'ed  out,  iu  order  that  no 
confusion  or  waste  occm:  these  pegs  should  be  nundiered 
iu  succession;  and  the  crops,  whether  single  or  mixed,  diily 
entered  on  a  sheet  of  paper,  in  order  to  be  a  gtudc  tlirougli 
the  spring  and  summer. 


November  2-1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


147 


I  will  here  give  a  specimen  or  two  of  the  moilc  of  wi'iting 
the  sheet: — No.  1  plot,  twelve  feet  to  east;  to  receive  five 
I'ows  of  Kidney  I'otatoes,  in  end  of  February ;  Mangold 
sown  between  each  pair  of  rows,  in  last  week  of  April. 
Potatoes  removed  in  the  second  week  of  .1  nly  ;  and  Swedes, 
from  a  sowing  on  seed-bed,  made  the  second  week  in  May, 
planted  where  the  I'otatoes  were.  Deep  dug  soon,  but  no 
manure  now,  the  ground  being  in  good  heart.  A  little 
compost,  with  a  sprinkling  of  guano  and  charred  materials, 
introduced  in  the  drill  after  Potatoes,  for  Swedes. — 
No.  'i  I'lot,  ten  feet  to  east:  for  spring-planted  Cabbage, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  Longpod  Beans  all  through  them.  This 
land  is  not  rich,  and  must  have  some  manure,  rather  coarse ; 
the  ground  to  be  dug  deep  now,  after  manuring,  and  the 
Cabbages  planted  in  middle  of  February ;  the  Beans  intro- 
duced some  time  after,  being  soaked  six  hours  in  tepid 
water. 

Thus,  or  in  a  similar  and  well-concerted  manner,  may 
our  friends  proceed ;  and  they  may,  at  last,  draw  up  a  little 
condensed  list  of  their  sowings  and  other  needs ;  showing, 
at  one  glance,  what  provision  must  be  made  for  tlie  whole 
demands  of  the  spring  and  summer.  Such  may  rmi  thus  : 
— For  Plots  Nos.  1  to  (i.  Cabbage-plants  required  of  a 
dwarf  kind,  early  heai'ting ;  one  sowing  in  the  middle  of 
March,  a  second  in  the  middle  of  May.  Note — plants  to  be 
obtained  for  the  February  planting. — For  Plots  Nos.  4  and  S. 
Swede  Turnips  must  be  sown  in  the  middle  of  May;  kept 
rather  thin  in  the  seed-bed. 

Of  course,  these  cases  are  mere  suppositions ;  but  they 
will  serve,  perhaps,  to  show  the  uninformed  how  to  secure  a 
crop  ;  for  these  matters,  however  small  they  may  appear 
to  those  not  immediately  concerned,  are  of  great  importance 
to  little  people. 

WiNTEE  Oeeens,  or  Caebage  Woets. — Under  this  head, 
I  must  class  every  thing  which  bears  a  relationship  to  the 
Oonnuon  Cabbage  ;  for  instance,  Savoys,  Green  Kule,  Brus- 
sels Sprouts,  Brocolis,  Ooleworls,  &c.  Of  these,  Brussels 
Sjirouts,  Sovoi/s,  Ooleworls,  ami  Brocolis,  are  rather  impatient 
of  hard  frosts  and  cutting  winds;  and,  unless  protected 
slightly  in  very  hai'd  weather,  may  prove  a  loss,  instead  of 
gain.  As  to  the  Coleworts,  I  have  so  often  urged  on  the 
cottager  the  necessity  of  sending  his  Coleworts  into  the 
market  before  Christmas,  that  I  need  say  no  more  here. 
Savoys  are  a  most  useful  as  well  as  economical  thing  in 
the  labourer's  family :  a  well-headed  Savoy,  boiled  in  the 
same  pot  with  a  lump  of  fat  bacon,  is  a  dish  for  a  first-rate 
squire,  and  needs  not  a  Soyer  to  cook  it.  I  have  kept 
Savoys  in  full  heart,  as  well  as  Red  Cuhhages,  for  pickling, 
famously,  by  cutting  off  the  heads  in  the  end  of  November, 
placing  them  thinly  behind  a  hedge  or  wall,  on  the  nortli 
side ;  suffering  them  to  become  slightly  frozen;  and  then 
strewing  some  litter  over  them,  to  keep  them  frozen  for 
weeks. 

As  to  all  other  Greens,  I  advise  the  grower  to  look  over 
his  plot  weekly,  and  collect  all  leaves  which  are  turning 
yellow,  for  they  are  of  no  real  service  to  the  plant  after- 
wards. They  will  all  continue  to  yield  these  leaves  through 
the  winter,  and  I  need  hardly  say  how  very  useful  such  are 
as  pai't  diet  for  the  cow  or  pig.  It  is  not  their  quality  alone, 
although  every  trifle  tells  in  that  respect;  but  those  who 
know  well  the  needs  of  animals,  know  fuU  well  that  a  change 
is  useful  occasionally  to  keep  the  animal's  bowels  in  order. 

I  can  add  little  more  as  to  allotment  matters  this  month ; 
.Tanuary  will  add  a  wider  field  for  us :  in  the  meantime, 
I  again  repeat,  lose  not  a  chance.  According  to  the  old 
saying,  "little  strokes  fell  great  oaks;"  so  frequent  atten- 
tions, though  they  appear  individually  trifling,  yet,  when 
put  together,  and  their  results  manifest,  plainly  prove  that 
well-directed  labour,  on  whatever  scale,  is  not  in  vain. 

E.  Eeeington. 


APIARIAN'S   CALENDAR.— Decembeb. 

By  J.  H.  Payne,  Esq.,  Author  of  "  The  Bee- Keeper's 

Guide,"  &c. 

Feeding. — I  can  only  go  on  to  impress  upon  every  keeper 
of  bees  (or  who  wishes  to  continue  so)  the  necessity  of 
feeding,  for  I  will  not  hesitate  in  saying  that  not  one  stock 


in  a  hundred  will  survive  the  coming  winter  without  it.  I 
am  speaking  of  stocks  in  this  locality.  West  Suffolk;  but  I 
fear,  from  the  accounts  I  am  receiving  from  different  parts 
of  the  kingdom,  that  the  absolute  necessity  of  feeding  is 
general. 

Food. — I  believe  the  best  food  that  can  be  given,  next  to 
honey,  which  this  year  will  be  far  too  expensive  for  feeding, 
is  one  pound  of  loaf  sugar,  one  quarter-of-a-pint  of  water, 
and  one-quarter-of  apound  of  honey,  simmered  for  a  few 
minutes  over  a  slow  fire  till  the  sugar  is  melted,  and,  when 
quite  cold,  given  to  the  bees,  and  at  the  toil  of  the  hive,  if 
possible. 

Ventilation. — Where  bees  are  in  boxes,  ventilation  is  of 
the  next  importance  to  feeding.  I  have  found  the  best 
method  to  secure  a  perfect  ventilation  is  to  leave  one  of  the 
gratings,  or  holes  at  the  top  of  tlie  box,  open,  from  this  time 
till  the  end  of  February,  and  placing  over  it  a  small  bell- 
glass  or  feeder,  the  vapour  will  then  condense  upon  the 
former,  and  run  down  outside  the  box,  or  upon  the  glass  of 
the  latter,  and  be  caught  in  the  pan. 

Enemies.— Mice  and  birds  must  be  carefvdly  looked  after, 
for  they  are  both  very  busy  at  this  time,  and  will  destroy  a 
stock,  sometimes  very  quickly,  if  allowed  to  jjursue  their 
depredations  unmolested. 

Fi.ooe-eoaeds. — Clean  the  floor-boards  at  least  once  a 
month,  "with  a  dry,  hard  brush,  selecting  a  mild  day  for  the 
purpose,  and  always  at  the  breaking-up  of  a  hard  frost. 

Snow. — Whilst  snow  lies  upon  the  ground,  hut  not  an  hour 
lonijer,  the  entrance  of  the  hives  should  be  stopped  with 
perforated  zinc,  and  not  a  single  bee  allowed  to  leave  them. 


DISCERNING   THE    SEX   OF   A   CHICKEN    IN 
THE  EGG. 

TiiEEE  are  some  observations  in  The  Poultry  Boo!,;  at 
page  Cy,  on  a  Treatise,  by  a  Mr.  Trotter,  in  which  it  is  stated, 
that  by  examining  the  situation  of  the  air-cell  at  the  butt 
end  of  an  egg,  the  sex  of  the  future  chicken  can  be  ascer- 
tained. As  I  have  taken  some  pains  to  prove  whether  this 
theoiy  is  correct  or  not,  perhaps  a  statement  of  my  ex- 
periments may  be  interesting  to  some  of  your  readers. 

It  is  only  right  that  I  should  inform  you,  that  in  the  table 
below  I  have  only  shown  the  eggs  actually  hatched,  which 
you  may  depend  upon  being  correct,  as  before  they  were 
placed  under  the  hens,  the  expected  sex  of  the  chicken  was 
written  on  each,  a  copy  of  which  was  kept  in  a  book,  and 
such  eggs  as  did  not  produce  a  live  chicken  were  duly 
marked  off.  Owing,  however,  to  the  thickness  of  some  of 
the  Shanghae  hen  egg-shells,  I  was  unable  to  discern  the 
situation  of  the  air-cell,  and  these  I  marked  doubtful. 


SUPPOSED    SEX. 

0. 

COCKS. 

HENS. 

DOUBTFUL. 

1 

0 

2 

0 

2 

4 

3 

0 

3 

1 

4 

2 

4 

2 

4 

1 

5 

0 

2 

0 

G 

4 

1 

3 

COOKS.     HENS, 


The  slight  gradations  with  which  position  of  the  air-cells 
differ  in  some  of  the  eggs  presented  a  difficulty  in  assigning 
either  one  aex  or  the  other  to  some  of  them,  I,  therefore, 
determined  to  ti'y  one  moi'e  experiment,  and  for  this  purpose 
I  selected,  from  a  number  of  eggs,  seven  which  had  the  air- 
cell  so  decidedly  to  one  side,  that  had  Mr.  Trotter  examined 
them,  I  suppose  he  would,  without  hesitation,  have  pro- 
nounced the  expected  progeny  to  be  pullets.  The  hen 
succeeded  in  hatching  the  whole  of  them  ;  but  one,  being 
weakly,  died  in  a  few  days,  and  two  others  were  killed  before 
they  were  three  weeks  old;  the  remaining  four  I  watched 
with  some  interest,  from  day  to  day,  until  I  could  with 
certainty  make  out  the  sex.  They  are  now  nearly  three 
months  old,  and,  to  my  surprise,  have  proved  to  be  four 
cockerels ;  so  that  I  am  now  perfectly  satisfied  that  the 
situation  of  the  au--cell  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the 
sex  of  the  chick.— T.  S. 


148 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


November  2i. 


POULTRY    SHOWS. 

AVlNCIIESTEr.  AND  SOUTHERN  CoUNTIEs'  roUI.TP.Y  EXHI- 
BITION.— The  first  meeting  of  any  newly-formed  Society  is 
often  materially  aided  by  the  zeal  and  energy  consequent  on 
novelty  and  excitement,  apart  from  any  consideration  of  the 
real  utility  of  the  Institution.  In  matters  of  graver  import 
than  tliose  now  about  to  occaipy  our  attention  lias  this 
observation  been  found  correct,  and  thus  the  second 
anniversary  is  frequently  a  fair  test  of  ultimate  success  or 
failure. 

The  first  exhibition  of  the  AViuchester  and  Southern 
Counties'  Society  was  held  at  tliat  city  in  November,  IS.Oi, 
and  the  Kith  and  17th  of  this  month  has  witnessed  the 
second  of  their  proposed  annual  meetings.  On  the  former 
occasion,  the  expectations  of  those  with  whom  tlie  idea  of 
the  Association  had  originated  were  fully  realized,  and  Uie 
critical  period  of  the  second  year  has  now  confirmed  their 
opinion,  that  the  district  around  that  city  is  a  suitable 
position  for  the  purpose  they  had  in  view. 

Now,  wliatever  breed  of  poultry  may  be  found  most 
suitable  to  our  se\"eral  circumstances,  it  mil  certainly  be  to 
our  ultimate  advantage  to  get  the  best  of  their  race,  and  this 
we  are  most  efi'ectually  enabled  to  do  by  means  of  our 
Exhibitions,  which  have  encouraged  a  spirit  of  euquiry 
and  research  that  has  already  conferred  great  benefits,  and 
will,  we  trust,  do  still  more  for  poultry-keepers  generidly. 
Fowls,  Geese,  Ducks,  and  Turkeys,  to  say  notbuig  of  the 
less  important  members  of  the  poultry-yard,  are  now  im- 
ported from  whatever  quarter  a  rumour  of  excellence  may 
be  heard.  Tlie  points  of  breeding  stock  are  carefully 
weighed  and  mutually  adjusted  ;  food  and  management  are 
attentively  studied  ;  and  various  experiments  on  the  results 
of  cross-breeding  between  the  different  varieties  of  the 
same  family  are  specially  detailed  for  public  information. 
Hence  it  follows  that  a  degree  of  practical  knowledge  has 
been  attained,  for  which  we  should  have  looked  in  vain  to 
any  other  source.  AA'e  have  dwelt  on  this  fact,  from  our 
knowledge  of  the  common  depreciatory  tone  in  which 
remarks  on  Poultry  Shows  are  often  uttered.  External 
appearances,  distinct  from  culinary  excellence,  are  there,  it 
is  true,  held  of  importance,  but  never,  we  believe,  to  the 
rejection  of  greater  merits  in  an  economical  point  of  view 
in  any  of  those  classes  which  base  their  claims  to  public 
consideration  on  their  character  as  profitable  poultry. 

Let  our  readers  be  assured  that  the  prize  Dorking  vhll 
be,  at  least,  as  satisfactory  on  the  spit  as  any  of  its  defeated 
neighbours  of  the  same  race;  the  Shanghae,  again,  victo- 
rious from  its  combination  of  meritorious  features  of 
form  and  plumage,  will,  in  death, no  less  th.an  life,  maintain 
its  honours ;  and  to  carry  our  comparison  to  the  end,  the 
Toulouse  Geese,  and  the  Rouen  and  Aylesbury  Ducks  will 
drive  their  competitors  from  the  kitchen  as  easily  as  they 
conquered  in  the  Exhibition. 

To  avert  the  very  suspicion  of  partiality,  the  classes,  on 
this  occasion,  were  arranged  alphabetically,  so  Banlams  bad 
precedence,  and  the  successful  birds  were  of  fair  average 
merit. 

Shamjhaes,  in  right  of  their  (dim,  Cochin-China,  followed; 
but  in  the  old  class  for  these  birds  the  entries  were  not 
numerous,  and  the  unfavourable  character  of  the  present 
autumn  had  evidently  retarded  their  moult.  The  first  prize 
for  Duff  and  Cmnamon  fell  to  Mr.  Puuchard,  for  Pen  2.'j, 
containing  birds  that  fully  justified  the  honours  of  their 
position.  The  same  gentleman  met  with  similar  success  in 
the  class  for  chickens  of  the  same  coloius,  hatched  during 
the  year. 

Tliere  were,  also,  several  commendations  in  this  class, 
but,  in  most  instances,  sufficient  attention  had  not  been 
paid  to  matching  the  birds,  botli  as  regards  their  form  and 
featlier.  The  pullets,  as  usual,  were  generally  of  higher 
pretensions  than  their  companions  of  the  other  sex. 

Among  the  While  Shaiiijhiics,  discoloured  legs  were  more 
numerous  than  we  could  have  wished,  and  the  diUiculty  of 
obtaining  "  black"  cocks,  altogetlier  free  from  bronzed  fea- 
thers, does  not  appear  to  have  diminished. 

The  Coloured  Durltimjs  were  good,  and  tho  prize  and  com- 
mended pens  included  nnrny  very  creditable  specimens. 
The  birds  placed  in  Pen  110  were  selected  by  the  .Tudges 
for  a  second  prize,  but  were  subsequently  disqualified  on 


account  of  their  owner  having  omitted  to  send  the  proper 
ticket  with  them,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  assign  them 
then-  proper  place,  or  to  know  by  whom  tliey  had  been  en- 
tered. In  Class  Vi,  the  chickens  in  Pen  UYi,  belonging  to 
Edward  Turner,  lOsq.,  of  Bishpstoke,  were  remarkably  well- 
grown,  and  well-matched  birds,  promising,  at  no  distant 
date,  to  contribute  to  the  merited  celebrity  of  their  race. 
The  M'ltiie  l>or/cin<[s  were  certainly  mentorious,  and  were 
exhibited  in  capital  condition;  we  could  wish,  however,  that 
there  was  less  tendency  manifested  in  these  birds  to  the  un- 
seemly discolouration  of  the  bill. 

Among  the  Game  Fowls  were  some  fan  birds,  especially 
the  Duck-wing  cocks  ;  but  the  delicate  tone  of  their  plum- 
age would  have  appeared  to  greater  advantage  bad  the  dull 
slatecolour  of  their  legs  been  exchanged  for  a  lighter  hue. 
Exhibitors  of  these  birds  should  carefully  remember  the 
distinction  between  the  black-breasted  and  otlier  reds. 

The  Sumhiirghs,  especially  tho  Silver-spangled,  of  which 
latter',  Mrs.  Mills,  of  Bisterne,  bore  off  the  two  first  prizes 
in  Class  ii,  were  a  much  better  lot  than  the  southern 
districts  of  England  are  accustomed  to  produce.  Tho 
Golden-pencilled  cockerel  and  pullets  of  Mrs.  Kcr  Seymour, 
and  the  Golden-spangled  birds  of  jMr.  liawson,  were  well- 
selected  pens  of  great  merit. 

The  same  award  of  praise  is  due  to  several  pens  among 
the  I'ohind  classes.  The  Black,  with  white  crests,  had  spe- 
cimens of  imusual  excellence,  especially  Pen  178.  Of  the 
others,  the  Silver  would  take  precedence  of  the  Golilen. 

In  Malaijs,  there  were  well-bred  specimens  of  both  the 
Coloured  and  "White  varieties. 

Since  our  comments  on  the  Spanish  classes  would  not 
cheer  the  owners  of  tlie  pens  that  were  placed  in  com- 
petition, a  short  word  of  advice  is  all  to  which  we  will  now 
give  utterance.  The  wliite  face,  unimpaired  in  the  efi'ect  of 
its  strong  contrast  with  the  comb  and  plumage,  is  justly 
required  as  essential  to  the  perfect  specimen  of  the  Spanish 
fowl.  A  dark  line  of  feather  at  the  base  of  the  comb, 
separating  it  from  the  face,  is  therefore  iatal;  and  to  this 
defect  there  is  too  often  added  a  blushed  or  red-stained 
appearance  of  the  face  itself.  Now,  these  birds  have,  of 
late,  commanded  very  high  prices;  and  great  dissatisfaction 
is,  therefore,  often  expressed,  when  pens,  on  which  their 
owners  liave  based  great  expectations,  are  pas?ed  over  by 
those  to  .  whom  the  office  of  judge  has  been  confided. 
"  Why,  how  can  such  a  decision  be  just,"  is  a  question  con- 
stantly asked,  "  when  the  birds  came  from  such  or  such  a 
stock?"  naming  persons  whose  success  with  these  fowls  has 
become  matter  of  notoriety.  Our  reply  is  a  very  ready  one, 
and  is  simply  this — that  probably  among  fowls  of  no  other 
kind  is  there  more  uncertainty  in  the  character  of  the  pro- 
duce, even  when  the  parent  stock  has  been  selected  with  the 
utmost  care  and  judgment.  But  it  really  would  seem  that 
the  purchaser  of  a  sitting  of  eggs  thinks  he  is  most  unfor- 
tunate if  any  of  the  produce  fall  short  of  their  ancestral 
excellence.  Nowhere,  indeed,  are  patience  and  persever- 
ance more  requisite  than  in  the  yai'd  of  the  Spanish  breeder. 

Class  Otl  offered  two  first  and  two  second  piizcs  for  the 
old  and  young  birds  respectively  of  "  any  olhcr  ilislinci 
hrecils."  The  task  of  the  Judges  here  becomes  an  onerous 
duty  with  great  responsibility,  both  as  regards  tho  com- 
petition of  different  varieties  of  fowls,  as  also  from  the 
necessity  of  strictly  scrutinizing  the  alleged  new  introduc- 
tions. Regarding  economy  as  tho  only  safe  basis  on  which 
the  efforts  of  the  poultry-keeper  should  bo  grounded,  a 
wide  line  of  demarcation  may  bo  at  once  drawn  between 
the  profit-producing  and  tho  mere  ornamental,  that  is,  tho 
"toy"  poultry.  On  the  present  occasion,  a  very  hand- 
some pen  of  Andahisian.  fowls  were  awai'ded  a  first  prize  ; 
and  since  in  their  merits  as  layers,  and  excellence  for  the 
kitchen,  these  fully  equal  liieir  sable  countrymen,  they 
deserved  their  position. 

Among  the  birds  entered  as  "  Brnlunn  I'lwtrns "  were 
specimens  that  manifested  a  closer  approach  to  the  standard 
of  Shaugbao  excellence  than  any  we  had  yet  observed. 
The  lighter  birds  appeared  to  most  advantage,  but  a  pen  of 
darl;  Cjrey  were  excellent  in  both  form  and  substance.  It 
was  a  fair  opportunity,  therefore,  for  a  rigid  search  in  c|Uost 
of  such  properties  or  characteristics  that  might  be  urged  on 
their  behalf  as  a  separate  and  distinct  breed  ;  but  none  such 
were  visible  in  tho  birds  before  us,  since  nowhere  was  seen 


November  34, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


1-t'J 


the  peculiar  waited  "  pea-comb"  that  is  occasionally  found 
in  this  variety,  which,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  may  he 
ranked  as  "  Grey  Shangliaes."  So  far,  also,  as  we  have 
studied  their  hohits,  no  argument  can  he  found  for  "specific 
difference."  We  have  already  gradations  of  colour  in  Shan- 
ghaes  far  more  apart  than  the  position  that  the  so-called 
Brahma  Pootra  would  assume,  as  a  i-ecognised  member  of 
that  family,  to  which  we  should  certainly  hail  his  admission 
as  a  happy  solution  of  existing  differences  of  opinion.  We 
were  happy  to  hear  that  the  owner  of  the  pen  that  took  the 
first  prize  concurred  with  us  in  this  view. 

There  were  some  good  White  PuUmds  in  this  class,  and 
several  pens  of  the  singular  Piamiiynn  birds,  a  pen  of  which, 
belonging  to  Dr.  Burney,  of  Portsmouth,  were  deservedly 
commended,  from  the  admirable  condition  in  which  they 
were  exhibited,  although,  as  profitable  fowls,  their  claim  to 
distinction  may  be  questioned.  The  eccentricity  of  their 
form  and  plumage  will  probably  gain  them  many  admirers 
among  those  who  may  be  willing  to  overlook  the  more  im- 
portant economical  qualifications. 

PUjeons  were  decidedly  a  good  class,  especially  as 
regarded  the  Carriers,  Barbcs,  and  Turbits. 

The  White,  as  well  as  the  Toulouse  Geese  of  Mr.  Eawson 
well-merited  their  respective  prizes.  The  Aylesbury  Ducks 
were  both  numerous  and  good,  and  though  of  the  Eouen 
few  were  exhibited,  these  were  meritorious.  The  Turkeys 
were  of  fair  average  quality,  but  size  should  be  more 
studied  by  the  owners  of  them  that  were  then  present. 

All  the  birds  for  travelUng  by  railway  were  sent  off  on 
the  evening  of  the  second  day,  or  early  the  next  morning. 
The  Judges  were  the  Eev.  W.  W.  Wingfleld,  and  .T.  H. 
Catling,  Esq. 

Class  I.— BANTAMS  (Gold-laced).    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
1.  Prize,   Bliss   Bradshaw,  Fair  Oak  Park.     Twenty-five  weeks.      4. 
W.  R.  Rose,  Esq.,  Lj'diard  Miliiccnt.  One  cock  and  hen,  seven  months; 
one  hen,  three  years.    Commended. 

BANTAMS  (Silver-laced).    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
10.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham. 
BANTAMS  ;White).    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
12.  Prize,    Mrs.  Mills.  Bisterne,  Ringwood.      Eighteen  months.     18. 
Commended,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston. 

BANTAi\IS  (Black).     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
20.  Prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne.    Eighteen  months. 

BANTAMS  (Any  other  variety).     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
23.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.     (Bu£f.) 

Class  2.— SHANGHAE  OR  COCHIN-CHINA.    (Cinnamon  and  Buff.) 
Cock  and  two  Hens. 
25.  First  prize.  Chas.  Punchard,  Esq.,  Blunt's  Hall,  Havershill.  More 
than  one  year.    23.  Second  prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston. 

Class  3.— SHANGHAE  OR  COCHIN-CHINA.     (Cinnamon  and  Buff.) 

Cockerel  and  three  Pullets,  hatched  183:1. 

61.  First  prize,  Chas.  Punchard,  Esq.,  Blunt's  Hall.     Nine  months. 

40.  Second  prize,  G.  Chase,  Esq.,  Terwick,  Petersfield.      Eight  months. 

41.  Same.  Thirty  weeks.  Pullets  highly  commended.  26.  John  Eason, 
Esq.,  Montpellier  House,  Lambeth.  Nine  and  ten  months.  Com- 
mended. 39.  Hon.  H.  Moreton,  Lydiard,  Swindon.  Cock  and  two  large 
pullets,  Sth  of  March  ;  smalt  pullet,  6th  of  .Tune.  Commended.  44.  G. 
C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgljaston.     Seven-and-a-half  months.     Commended. 

46.  G.  W.  Johnson,  Esq.,  Winchester.  March  18th,  1853.    Commended. 

47.  Same.     April  5th,  1853.     Commended. 

Class  4.— SHANGHAE  OE  COCHIN-CHINA.    (Cinnamon  and  Suff.) 
Cock  and  Hen. 
&3.  Prize,  Rev.  J.  D.  L.  Simmonds,Chilcomb,  Winchester,  May,  1853. 

Class  5.— SHANGHAE  OR  COCHIN-CHINA.    (Brown  and  Partridge- 
feathered.)     Cock  and  two  Hens. 

68.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston. 

Class  6.— SHANGHAE  OR  COCHIN-CHINA.     (Brown  and  Part- 

ridge-feathered.)     Cockerel  and  three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 
70.  First  prize.   Rev.  E.   H.   Kittoe,  Chadwell  Rectory.     Six  months. 
GQ,  Second  prize,  W.  Cave,  Esq.,  Hartley  Wintney.    March. 

Class  8.— SHANGHAE    OR    COCHIN-CHINA.      (White.)     Cock  and 
two  Hens. 
74.  First  prize,   B.   Holmes,   Esq.,    112,    New  Street,  Birmingham. 
Cock,  thirteen  months  ;  hens,  fifteen  months. 

Class  9.— SHANGHAE    OR  COCHIN-CHINA.      (White.)     Cockerel 
and  three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 
76.  First  prize,  G.  Chase,  Esq.,  Terwick.     April.     77.  Second  prize. 
Same.    81.  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.    April  30th,  1853.    Cockerel 
highly  commended. 

Class  11.— SHANGHAE   OR  COCHIN-CHINA.    (Black.)    Cock  and 
two  Hens. 

83.  First  prize,  B.  Holmes,  Esq.,  Birmingham.    Si.Yteen  mouths.    85. 
Second  prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.     1853. 


Class  12.— SHANGHAE    OR    COCHIN-CHINA.    (Black,)     Cockerel 
and  three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 
90.  Prize,  Mr.  W.  P.  Flight,  Winchester.  June  20th.    88.  B.  Holmes, 
Esq.,  Birmingham.     Five  months.     Pullets  commended. 

Class  14.— DORKING.    (Coloured.)    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
100.    First   prize,    Mr.    Dutton,    Strcatham   Common.       Twenty -one 
months.     101.  Second  ])rize,  W.  G.  Chambers,  Esq.,  Portsmouth.     Two 
years.    96.  Dr.  Wesley,  Winchester.    Commended. 

Class   15 — DORKING    (Coloured).     Cockerel  and   three  Pullets, 

hatched  1853. 
102.  First  prize,  Edward  Turner,  Esq.,  Bishopstoke.     Pullets,  twenty- 
nine  weeks  ;  cockerel,  twenty-five  weeks.     lOg.  Frederick  Bernal,  Esq., 
Fareham,  Hants.     Twenty-three  weeks.  Commended.  114.  Mr.  Dntton, 
Streatham  Common.      Eight  months.      Commended.     117.  Mr.  H.   B. 
Higgs,  Southampton.     Seven  months.     Commended. 
(The  whole  class  highly  meritorious.) 
Class  17.— DORKING  tWhite).     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
120.    First  prize,   Mrs.  Mills,   Bisterne.      123.    Second  prize,    Mrs. 
Boucher,  sen.,  Shedfield. 

Class  18.— DORKING  (White).    Cockerel  an.l  three  Pullets,  hatched 
1853. 
124.  Prize,  N.  Antill,  Esq.,  Portsea.    Eight  months. 

Class  23.— GAME  FOWL  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds).    Cock  and 
two  Hens. 
127.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Ker  Seymour,  Hanford,   Blandford.     Aged. 
129.  EIr.  W.  Deazley,  Dunbridge  Station.  Two  years.  Cock  commended. 

Class  24.— GAME   FOWL  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds).    Cockerel 
and  three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 

130.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Ueazley,  Dunbridge  Station.  Seven  months. 
Class  25.— GAME  FOWL  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds).    Cock  and 

Heu. 

131.  Prize,  Mr.  W.  Deazley,  Dunbridge  Station.    Two  years. 

Class  29.— GAME  FOWL    (Duck-wings  and  other  Greys  and   Blues). 
Cock  and  two  Hens. 
133.  First  prize,   Mr.  W.  Deazely,  Dunbridge  Station.    Tivo  years. 
136.  Second  prize,  Mr.  A.  Mundy,  Winchester.     Sixteen  months. 

Class  30.— GAME  FOWL  (Duck-wings  and  other  Greys   and   Blues). 
Cockerel  and  three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 
138.  Prize,  Mr.  Mundy,  Winchester.    Eight  months. 

Class  33.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.     Cockerel  and 
three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 

140.  Prize,  Mrs.  Ker  Seymour,  Hanford.     Seven  months. 
Class  35.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.  Cock  and  two  Hens. 

147.  First  prize,   C.  Rawson,   Esq.,  The  Hurst.     Aged.     llG.  Second 
prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston. 

Class  36.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED   HAMBURGH.    Cockerel  and 
three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 

150.  Prize,  Mr.  Edwards,  Lyndhurst.     Six  months. 
Class  38.— SILVER-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.  Cock  and  two  Hens. 

152.  First  prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.     151.  Second  prize, 
Mrs.  Ker  Seymour,  Hanford,     Sixteen  months. 

Class  39.-SILVER-PENCILLED    HAMBURGH.     Cockerel  .and 
three  Pullets,  hatched  1853. 

155.  Prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne. 
Class  41.— SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.     Cockand  two  Hens. 

162.  First  prize,  C.  Kawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.    Aged.     163.  Second 
prize.  Same. 

Class  42.— SILVER-SPANGLED    HAMBURGH.    Cockerel  and  three 

Pullets,  hatched  1853. 

166.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne.     167.  Second  prize.    Same. 

Class  44.— MALAY.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
172.  First  prize,  A.  C.  Sayers,   Esq.,    Clanville   House.     Two  years. 
173.  Second  prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston. 

Class  45.— MALAY.    Cockerel  and  three  Pullets,  hatched  in  1S53. 
175.  Prize,  A.  C.  Sayers,  Esq.,  Clanville  House.    Eight  months. 

Class  47.— POLAND  FOWL  (Black  with  White  Crests).    Cock  and 

two  Hens. 
178.    First  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,    Bisterne.      181.    Second  prize,    Mr. 
Edwards,  Lyndhurst.    Two  years. 

Class  48.— POLAND  FOWL  (Black  with  White  Crests).     Cockerel  and 
three  Pullets,  hatched  in  1853. 
185.    Prize,    Mr.    Edwards,    Lyndhurst.      Six  months.      183.    G.   C. 
Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.    Eight  months.    Pullets  commended. 

Class  50.— POLAND  FOWL  (Golden).    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
188.  First  prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.     189.  Second  prize, 
C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.    Aged. 

Class  51.— POLAND   FOWL  (Golden).    Cockerel  and  three  Pullets, 
hatched  in  1853. 
190.  Prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.    May,  1853. 

Class  53.— POLAND  FOWL  (Silver).    Cock  and  two  Hens, 
192.  First  prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.     195.  Second  prize, 
P.  Jones,  Esq.,  Fulham.    Eighteen  months. 


150 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


NoVEMItER  24. 


Class  54.— POLAND   FOWL  (Silver).    Cockerel  and  three  Pullets, 
hatched  in  ISS3. 

199.  Prize,  Mr,  Edwurds,  Lyndhurst.     Five  months. 
Class  55.— POLAND  FOWL   (Silver).     Best   Cock   and   Hen. 

'200.  Prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Ilurst.     Aged. 

Class  50.— SPANISH,     Cock  and  two  Hens. 

204,  Prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.     Afied. 

Class  57.— SPANISH.     Cockerel  and  three  Pullets,  hatched  in  1B53, 

208.  Prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.  April,  1853.  2fl5.  Lady 
I\I.  fliacdonald.  Woolnier.     May.     Commended. 

Class  59.— ANY  OTHER  DISTINCT  BREED.     Cock  and  two  Hens, 
and  Cockerel  and  two  Pullets. 

217,  First  prize,  Sirs.  Ulills,  Bisterne,  (Andalusians.)  225.  First 
prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.  Eight  months.  (Itrabma  Pootra.) 
223.  Second  prize.  Dr.  Gwynne,  Sandbach.  Cheshire.  Cock,  March; 
pullets.  May  and  .Tune.  (Brahma  Pootra.)  226.  Second  prize,  P.  Jones, 
Esq.,  Fulham.  Cockerel,  sis  months;  pullets,  five  months.  (Brahma 
Pootra).  230.  Second  prize.  Mr.  Dutton,  Streatham.  Aged.  (White 
Poland.)  214,  Dr.  Burney,  Brockhurst,  Gosport.  T w en tj'- three  weeks. 
(Ptarmigan.)  Commended.  219.  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq,,  Edgbaston.  (Silk 
Fowls.)  Commended,  224.  W.  Cave,  Esq.,  Hartley  Wintaey.  July, 
1S53.  (Brahma  Pootra.)  Commended.  231.  Mr.  W.  P.  Flight,  Win- 
chester. April.  (White  Pohrnd.)  Commended.  233,  Mr.  H.  B. 
Higgs,  Southampton.     Age  not  known.    (Frizzled  Fowls.)    Commended. 

Class  60.— PIGEONS.     For  the  best  pair  of  eacli  variety. 

235.  Prize,  Mrs.  Ker  Seymour,  Hanford,  Blandford.  Aped.  (Ant- 
werps.)  237.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham. 
(Archangels.)  238.  Prize.  Same.  (Australian.;  239.  Prize.  Same, 
(Barbcs.)  240.  C.  Rawson.  Esq.,  The  Hurst.  One  year.  (Earbea.) 
Commended.  244.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.  (Carriers.) 
248.  W.  Case,  Esq.,  Farehara.  Three  years.  (Carriers,  Black.)  Com- 
mended. 249.  John  Colson,  Architect,  Winchester.  Age  not  known. 
(Carriers.  Black,)  Commended.  251.  W.  Case,  Esq.,  Fareham.  Three 
vears,  (Carriers,  Blue.)  Commended.  254.  Prize.  G,  C.  Adkins,  Esq., 
Edgbaston.  (Fantails.)  255.  C.  Rawson,  Ka-q-,  The  Hurst.  One  year. 
(Fantails.)  Commended.  26I.  R.  Bayspool,  Esq.,  Winchester.  Age 
not  known.  (Jacobins,  Black.)  Commended.  262.  Prize.  Same. 
(Jacobins,  Fawn.)  263.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.  (Nuns.) 
266.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.  (Owls.)  270.  Prize,  G.  C. 
Adkins,  Esq..  Edgbaston.  (Pouters.)  2/3.  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edg- 
baston. (Runts.)  Commended.  374.  Prize.  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The 
Hurst.  One  year.  (Runts.)  277.  Prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Ilurst. 
One  vear.  [Swallows.)  280.  Prize,  G.  C.  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston. 
(Tumblers,  Almond.)  283.  Prize,  Dr.  AVesley,  Winchester.  (Tumblers.) 
291.  Prize,  G.  C,  Adkins,  Esq.,  Edgbaston.  (Trumpeters.)  295.  Prize, 
Rev.  C.  R.  Pettat,  Ashe.  (Turbits.)  296.  Mr.  Gillingham,  Winchester. 
Aged.  (Turbits.)  Commended.  297-  John  Colson,  Winchester.  Age 
not  knowp.     (Turbits.)     Commended. 

Class  6!,— DUCKS.     Drake  and  two  Ducks  of  each  variety. 

300.  First  prize,  John  Eason,  Esq.,  Montpellier  House.  Seven  months. 
(Aylesbury.)  3(14.  Rev,  E.  H.  Kittoe,  Chadwell.  Sixteen  weeks. 
(Aylesbury.)  Commended.  308.  Rlr.  Edwards,  Lyndhurst.  Sis  months. 
(Aylesbury.)  Commended.  310,  First  prize,  John  Wickham,  Esq., 
Sutton  Scotncy.  June.  (Rouen.)  311.  Second  prize,  C.  Punchard, 
Esq.,  BIunt*8  Hall.  Seven  months.  (Rouen.)  314.  Second  prize, 
Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne.  (Black.)  315.  First  prize.  Lady  M.  Macdonald, 
Woolmer.  April.  (Buenos  Ayres.)  318.  C.  Punchard,  Esq.,  Blunt's 
Hall.    Seven  months.    (Labrador.)    Commended. 

Class  62.— GEESE.     For  the  best  Gander  and  two  Geese. 
321.  First  prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,  The  Hurst.    1852.    320-  Second 
prize.    The  same.    Aged. 

Class  64.— TURKEYS.    Turkey  Cock  and  two  Hens. 
329.  First  prize,  C.  Rawson,  Esq.,   The   Hurst,     1853.     327.  Second 
prize,  Lady  M.  Macdonald,  Woolmer.    325,  The  same.    Commended. 

South  Devon  and  Newton  Abbott  Aqricultuiui*  So- 
ciety AND  Poultry  Show- — TJiis  was  held  at  Newton 
Abbott,  on  the  8th  of  November. 

The  collection  of  Messrs.  AVilliam  E.  Kendle  and  Co., 
seedsmen,  Plymouth,  comprised  some  very  superior  bulbs, 
and  among  them  we  noticed  the  far-famed  "  Orange  Jelly 
Turnip,"  wliich  was  exliibited  in  much  perfection.  The 
seed  was  not  sown  till  August,  and  the  bulb  was  of  a  good 
size  ;  this  will  prove  a  most  excellent  turnip  for  late  sowing. 
We  also  observed  some  very  fine  bulbs  of  Mr.  Eendle's 
Pm'ple  Top  Swede,  a  sort  now  coming  into  general  use.  It 
is  a  very  hardy  variety,  and  produces  a  great  bulk  per  acre. 
We  understand  that  it  is  very  much  esteemed  by  all  who 
have  grown  it.  There  were  also  specimens  of  Skirving's  Im- 
proved Swede — a  well  Imown  sort  of  established  merit — and 
by  their  side  some  beautiful  specimens  of  Laing's  Sym- 
metrical variety,  as  also  some  good  roots  of  Matson's  Swede, 
Ashcroft  Swede,  Kivers'  Early  Stubble  Swede— a  sort  held  in 
high  repute  as  a  late  sowing  variety — the  Yellow  or  Tan- 
kard Swede,  Green  Top  Scotch  Turnips,  Hood's  Imperial 
Yellow,  and  Skir\'ing'9  Pui'ple  Scotch,  Green  Top,  Bullock, 
Lincolnshire  Red  Globe,  Purple  Top  Aberdeen,  Gordon's 
Y'ellow  Globe,  a  most  valuable  Scotch  Turaip,  presented  to 
the  Exhibitors  by  Alexander  Gordon,  Esq.,  Culter  House, 


Aberdeen  ;  Rivers'  Large  Yellow  Stone,  the  Woolton  Hybrid, 
Dale's  Hybrid,  and  several  others  of  established  merit. 

THE    POULTRY   SHOW. 

Tliis  show  originated  by  M.  Cartwright,  Esq.,  Ford  House, 
Newton,  and  brought  to  its  present  state  by  tbe  labours  of 
tliat  gentleman  and  Mr.  Flamauk,  the  secretaiy. 

TJie  award  of  prizes,  which  was  made  under  the  judg- 
ment of  the  Itev.  Gremille  F.  Hodson,  Banwoll,  Somerset, 
and  Edward  Vivian,  Esq.,  Torquay,  was  as  follows  : — 
Class  1.— DORKING.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 

First  prize,  Mt.  John  Fortescue  Pearse,  Lower  Stcwton,  Whimple. 
Age,  five  months.  Second  prize.  Miss  Caroline  Newman,  Mamhead 
Park,  Starcross.     Hatched  11th  of  May,  1853. 

Class  2.— SPANISH.     Cock  and  two  Hens, 
First  prize,  Miss  Dyott,  2,  Torwood  Mount,  Torquay,    Ape,  seven 
months.     Second  prize,  flir.  J.  B.  Ford,  Idc,  near  Exeter.      Age,  cock 
upwards  of  one  year  ;  hens  various. 

Class  3.— COCHIN-CHINA  (Buffer  Cinnamon).  Cock  and  two  Hens. 
First  prize,  Mr.  William  Channing,  Hcavitree,  Exeter.  Age,  cock, 
seven  months  ;  one  pullet,  sis  months  ;  one  pullet,  five  months.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Philip  Paige,  Torquay.  Buff.  Age,  cockerel,  fivc-and-a-half 
months  ;  hen,  fourteen  months  ;  pullet,  nine  months. 

Class4.— COCHIN-CHINA  (Dark).     Cock  and   two  Hens. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Stark,  Harefield,  Torquay.     Partridge.    Age, 
not  known. 

Class  5.— GAME.    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
First  prize,  Mr.  H.  Brown,  Barton  Hall.     Black-breasted  reds.    Ape, 
five -and- a- half  months.      Second  prize,   Mr.  John  F.  Mortimer,  Will- 
street,  Plymouth.    Age,  six-and-a-half  months. 

Class;.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.    Cock    and    two 
Hens. 
First  prize,  Dr.  Rogers,  Honiton.     Age,  cockerel  four  months  ;  pullets 
six  months.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Wm.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbott,  Tavistock. 

Class  8.— SILVER-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.  Cock  and  two  Hens. 
First    prize,    Mr.    Charles    E.     Phillpotts,    Bishopstowe,    Torquay. 
Hatched  9th  of  April,  1853.     Second  prize,  Mr,  Wm.  W.  Rowe,    Milton 
Abbott,  Tavistock. 

Class  9.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  and  two 
Hens. 

First  prize,  Mr.  Wm.  K.  Spragge,  the  Quarry,  Paignton.  Age,  fifteen 
weeks.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Augustus  Paul,  of  ditto.  Age.  about  eight 
months  ;  one  hen,  eighteen  months. 

Class  10.— SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
First  prize,   Rlr.  Augustus  Paul,  Adwell  Lodge,  Torquay.      Age,  six 
months.    Second  prize,  Mr.  Augustus  Paul,  Adwell,  Torquay.    Age, 
two  years. 

Class  11.— POLAND  FOWL  (Gold  or  Silver-spangled).    Cock  and  two 
Hens. 
First  prize,   Mrs.  Prideaux,   Mount  Plym,  Totnes.    Silver.    Age,  six 
months.     Second  prize,  Mr.  Wm.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbott,  Tavistock. 
Silver-spangled.    Age,  one  year. 

Class  12.— POLAND  FOWLS  (Black-white  tops).    Cock  and  two 

Hens. 
First  prize,   Miss  Dyott,  2,  Torwood  Mount,  Torquay.     Age,  not 
known. 

Class  13.— BARN-DOOR  FOWLS  (Hybrids).  Cock  and  three  Hens. 
First  prize,  Mr.  Charles  Langley,  Chudleigh.  Hybrids,  cross  between 
the  Cochin-China  and  Spanish.  Age,  six  months.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
John  F,  Mortimer,  Mill-street,  Plymouth.  Hybrid,  between  Cochin- 
China  and  Game.     Hatched  23rd  of  April,  1853. 

Class  M.— BANTAMS.     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
First  prize,  Mr.  William  Connett,  of  Exeter.     Black.     Age,  three 
years.    Second  prize.  Rlr.  William  Vickers,  2,  Cohourg  Place,  St.  James, 
Exeter.    White.    Age,  seven  months. 

Class  ]  5.— BANTAMS  (Gold  or  Silver-laced).    Cock  and  two  Hens. 

First  prize,  Mr.  J.  G.  Gully,  Queen-street,  Exeter.  Gold-laced  or 
Sebright.  Age,  two  years.  Second  prize,  Mr.  George  Crocker,  I9,  King- 
street,  Plymouth.    Gold-laced.    Age,  various. 

Class  16. — Special  prize  for  the  best  Cock  and  three  Pullets  of  any  breed, 
Chickens,  hatched  since  the  24th  of  June  last. 
First  prize,  Mr.  John  R.  M.  Hernaman,  Hill's  Court,  Exeter.  Hatched 
in  July.     Second  prize,  Mrs.  Prideaux,  Mount  Plym,  Totnes.    Silver- 
pencilled  Hamburgh.    Age,  eleven  weeks. 

Class  17.— TURKEYS.    Cock  and  two  Hens. 
First  prize,   Mr.  William  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbott,  near  Tavistock. 
Age,  cock,  two  years;  hens,  five  months.     Second  prize,   Mr.   Henry 
Adncy,  Lympstone.    Age,  three  years. 

Class  18,- DUCKS.    Drake  and  two  Ducks. 
First  prize,  Mr.  W.  Rowe,  of  Milton  Abbott.    Aylesbury.    Age,  fivo 
months.    Second  prize,  Mr.  B.  J.  Ford,  Ide,  near  Exeter.    Aylesbury. 
Age,  various. 

C1.1S3  19.— GEESE.    Gander  .ind  two  Geese. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbott,  near  Tavistock.  Ape, 
two  years. 


NoVEMBETt  'M, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEft. 


i51 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

Petonias  (il/oirn).— Your  Petunias  are  all  gooJ,  and  you  cannot  do 
better  than  cultivate  them  in  the  way  you  propose.  You  may  add,  with 
advantage,  the  following  :— Shrubland  Rose,  Beauty  of  Sudbury,  Fairy 
Queen,  Lady  Cullum,  Rosetta,  and  Virginium.  You  ask,  how  you 
should  treat  them  through  the  winter?  Keep  them  gently  growing,  and 
nip  off  the  top  once  a  month,  to  keep  them  bushy. 

Concrete  Walks  {A  Subscriber  from  the  Beginning).— Mr.  Appleby 
says  his  is  a  trade  secret ;  but  we  have  never  found  any  difliculty  in 
making  them.  The  coal-tar  sets  quicker  if  boiled  ;  but  used  cold  it  will 
do.  We  use  lime-rubbish  sifted  tine,  mixed  with  pebbly  gravel  in  equal 
proportions.  We  mix  these  with  the  coal  tar  until  as  thick  an  mortar- 
all  the  materials  being  very  dry— and  spread  it  about  two  inches  thieU. 
In  a  day  or  two  we  sprinkle  some  tine  gravel  over  the  surface,  and  then 
pass  over  it  a  very  light  roller,  or  beat  it  smooth. 

Weight  of  Goslings.— Mr.  Trotter's  remarks  on  the  weight  of 
young  Geese  must  have  arisen  from  some  misconception  of  our  meaning 
in  the  passage  he  refers  to.  We  should,  perhaps,  have  expressed  our- 
selves more  clearly,  had  we  said,  "of  Oeene  as  commonly  seen," 
instead  of  "  eo/nmo7i  Geese  ;"~iiTicc,  when  the  selection  of  breeding- 
stock  and  their  subsequent  management  have  been  duly  attended  to, 
weights,  such  as  those  referred  to  by  that  gentleman,  are  certainly  attain- 
able in  birds  not  of  the  Embden  or  Toulouse  breeds.  But  that  1 1  lbs. 
is  an  average  ("  store,"  not  "  fatted  ")  weight  for  the  young  Geese  ordi- 
narily found,  at  Michaelmas,  in  English  farm-yards  is,  we  believe,  a 
correct  statement,  and  we  are  speaking  solely  of  such  a  general  average. 
Hence  the  inference,  that  the  larger  breeds  deserve  more  notice  than  they 
have  hitherto  gained  in  the  farmer's  estimation. 

Diseased  leaves  of  Camellias,  &c.  (A7mie). — We  should  think 
the  leaves  of  the  Camellias  were  either  injured  before  they  came  out  of 
the  house  in  spring,  from  being  burned  by  spots  in  the  glass,  or  had  a 
rusty  drop  on  them.  Even  beliind  a  north  wall,  as  in  your  case,  we  have 
had  similar  appearances  by  a  part  of  the  plant  standing  above  the  wall, 
whilst  the  rest  of  it  was  shaded  by  it.  If  the  plants  are  healthy,  these 
will  soon  be  replaced  by  other  healthy  leaves.  The  Daphne  generally 
loses  some  of  its  lower  leaves  ;  if  all  are  affected,  the  plant  is  very  likely 
over-watered,  owing  to  bad  drainage.  The  Eii/;/(ori/!Wi  takes  the  withered 
appearance  on  its  tower  leaves  whenever  it  is  subjected  to  too  much 
wet  and  a  low  temperature.  It  requires  from  55°  to  60"  to  open  its 
flowers  kindly  ;  it  will  then  stand  in  from  5°  to  10°  lower.  See  an  article 
to-day  by  Mr.  Fisli. 

Plants  por  back  of  Melon-uodse  (T.  S.).— If  you  told  us  more 
about  the  height,  Szc,  of  the  back  of  your  cucumber  and  melon  house, 
we  could  advise  better,  and  the  time  you  intended  to  use  the  house  for 
cucumbers.  Nothing  ornamental  could  flourish  in  summer  owing  to 
shade.  If  you  wished  it  merely  to  be  green,  the  Ftmis  stipulacea  would 
soon  cover  it  and  look  pretty.  Your  cucumbers,  &c.,  shoulil  be  fifteen 
or  eighteen  inches  from  the  glass.  You  can  have  vapour  beneath  by 
pouring  water  ao  as  to  reach  the  heating  medium  there.  Two  or  three 
lines  with  a  pencil  would  have  enabled  us  to  see  the  matter  more  clearly. 

Profitable  Poultry  {A  Young  Yorkshireman).—lf  you  wish  to 
breed  good  chickens,  and  have  a  good  supply  of  eggs,  have  a  first-rate 
Dorking  cock  and  five  large  Shanghae  (Cochin-China)  pullets. 

Caponizing  (S.  S.). — It  is  too  cruel,  too  needless,  and  too  objection- 
able a  subject  for  us  to  discuss. 

PouLTRV  mixing  TOGETHER  (Ibid). — If  you  Ict  different  varieties 
communicate  you  will  have  cross-bred  chickens,  beyond  all  doubt.  There 
is  no  mode  of  making  them  constant  like  Pigeons. 

Crickrt  Ground  (H.  H.  M.,  O.T/ord^— The  water  at  the  end  of  the 
drain,  we  think,  will  not  injure  the  turf.  It  will  probably  keep  it  a  little 
more  green  in  summer  than  in  other  parts. 

Gardeners'  Calendar  (Sarah  Roope). —There  is  a  condensed  one 
of  the  Kitchen  Garden. 

Rustic  Work  (Constant ia). — Mr.  Howlett's  pamphlet  may  be  had 
of  Messrs.  Jarrold  and  Sons,  Booksellers,  47,  St.  Paul's  Churchyard. 

Home-made  Wine. — R.  H.  I,  has  some  which  *'  tastes  of  the  Cask." 
He  wishes  to  know  if  there  is  any  mode  of  removing  this  objectionable 
flavour. 

Nankeen  Bantams  (Bootham). — The  combs  should  be  double. 

Comes  of  White  Dorkings  Cil/oira).^In  our  opinion,  the  single 
comb  is  handsomest;  but  taste  is  arbitrary,  and  judges  require  that  those 
exhibited  shall  have  double  combs.  Captiiin  Hornby  sells  his  Shanghae 
eggs.     His  address  is,  "  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot,  Jjancashire." 

CoMMRNDED  BiRDS  (F.). — The  copy  you  ask  for  is  sent.  It  is  quite 
true,  that  commended  birds  at  large  shows  are  probably  equal  to  prize 
birds  at  small  shows  ;  and  we,  therefore,  publish  them.  We  cannot  Jo 
so  invariably  because  of  the  space  they  occupy. 

Stove  in  Conservatory  (M.  B.). — Wc  cannot  recommend  any  stove 
for  it  that  has  no  flue.  Cau  you  not  have  a  tank  that  cau  be  filled  with 
boiling  water  ? 

Pt:NS  for  Poultry  travelling  (E.  I.). — Stout,  closcly-waftled, 
wicker  baskets  are  best— square,  and  with  the  entire  lid  to  open.  If  you 
do  not  mind  expense,  Mr.  Gray's,  as  noticed  and  engraved  in  our  columns, 
is  very  desirable. 

Names  of  Fruits  (G.  H.). — The  round  Apple  is  a  Golden.  Reinette, 
and  the  long  one  the  Nelson  Codlin.    The  Pear  is  lieurre  de  Ranze. 

Feeding  Bees  (C.  H.). — None  of  your  stocks  will  require  feeding  at 
present.     Try  them  again  about  the  end  of  January. 

Reigate  Show. — The  Rev.  J.  Boys,  of  Biddendcn,  took  a  first  prize 
for  Dorkings,  and  not  a  second,  as  stated. 

Names  op  Fruit  (J,  M.) — Pears.  No.  1.  Nelis  d'Hiver,  3. 
Apparently  a  small  Beurre  Diet.  4.  Beiirre  d^Aremberg.  6.  Napoleon. 
7.  Calebasse  Base.  S.  Easter  Beurre.  9.  G/uut  Murcenu.  11.  Seems 
a  small  Bishop^s  Thumb,  but  decayed.  12.  Swan's  Kgi^.  Apples. — 
No.  1.  Hormead  Pearmain,  2.  Bedfordshire  Foundling.  3.  Nonesuch. 
4.  Hubbard's  Pearmain. 


CALENDAR  FOE  DECEMBER. 


ORCHID  HOUSE. 

Aerides,  SaccolabimnSt  and  similar  plants,  keep  moderately  dry. 
Air:  excepting  on  very  fine,  bright,  sunny  mornings,  wlien  the  heat 
of  the  sun  and  the  fire  combined  raise  the  temperature  too  high,  no  air 
will  be  required  this  month.  Blocks,  plants  in,  syringe  when  the  sun 
is  likely  to  shine.  Baskets  with  plants  in,  that  are  growing,  dip  in 
tepid  water  two  or  three  times ;  those  not  growing  dip  only  once. 
Baskets  (new),  make  to  lie  ready  when  wanted.  Cockroaches, 
search  for  diligently,  and  destroy  ;  lay  poison  for  them  ;  the  best  is 
candle  ends  crushed  and  mixed  with  arsenic— this  is  a  sure  destructive 
agent.  Heat,  moderate,  to  induce  rest;  day,  with  sun,  70°;  without, 
(i5°  ;  night,  55°  to  6o°.  Insects,  destroy  diligently  ;  one  pair  destroyed 
this  month  will  prevent  a  numerous  brood  nest  year.  Moisture  in 
THE  Air,  supply  to  plants  growing.  Pot  growing  plants:  several 
will  start  this  month;  do  this  before  new  roots  are  formed.  Peat, 
procure  ;  choose  the  most  fibrous  ;  the  best  is  found  in  dry  woods,  where 
the  Common  Brake  (Ptcvis  aquilina)  abounds;  the  roots  of  this  fern 
form  the  best  fibrous  peat.  Stanuopeas,  in  baskets,  beginning  to 
grow,  put  into  fresh  baskets  witli  fresh  peat ;  four  inclies  deep  is  quite 
sufficient.  Water  at  the  roots,  apply  only  to  growing  plants,  and  that 
round  the  edges  of  the  pots.  Young  Shoots,  look  to,  and  keep  the 
centre  dry,  or  they  will  rot.  T.  Appleby. 

PLANT  STOVE. 

Air,  give  on  all  favourable  occasions.  Achimenes,  pot  a  batch  to 
flower  early.  Amaryllis,  pot  a  portion,  and  plunge  in  a  moderate 
tan-pit  to  flower  early.  Begonias,  to  bloom  early,  repot.  Clero- 
dendrums  beginning  to  grow,  repot  towards  the  end  of  the  month; 
place  in  heat,  and  v/ater  moderately.  Erantiiemums,  winter-flowering, 
water  freely,  and  occasionally  with  liquid-manure.  Kerns,  repot  small 
plants  ;  reduce  the  water  to  old  ones  ;  cut  down  decaying  fronds. 
Eranciscea,  pot  a  few,  and  place  in  heat,  to  flower  early.  Gardenias, 
pot  a  batch,  wash  every  leaf,  mid  place  in  dung  heat,  to  start  them  to 
grow,  and  kill  insects  on  them,  especially  the  red  sjnder,  the  great  enemy 
of  Gardenias.  Gf.snkras  showing  signs  of  growth,  shake  out  of  old 
soil,  and  pot  in  fresh  compost ;  give  little  water  and  moderate  heat  till 
next  month.  Gloxinias,  treat  a  few  similarly.  Hoya  bella,  a  new 
and  beautiful  species,  put  in  baskets,  and  train  downwards.  Ixoras, 
keep  cool,  and  moderately  dry,  through  the  month.  Luculia  gra- 
TissiMA,  in  flower,  remove  into  a  greenhouse,  to  prolong  the  bloom. 
IjYCopods,  divide  and  repot.  Passiflora,  and  other  climbers,  prune, 
and  tie  neatly  in.  Plants  to  Force,  such  as  Azaleas,  Persian  Lilacs, 
Hhododendrans,  Roses,  Ike,  place  in  a  forcing-house,  to  bring  them 
on  to  flower  early.  Rogieras,  a  genus  of  winter-blooming  plants, 
should  be  now  showing  flowers.  Sericograpiiis  Gheisp.reghtiana, 
another  addition  to  our  winter-flowerers,  rejiot,  and  water  freely  after  the 
blooms  are  visible.  Tan-beds,  renew,  to  keep  up  a  good  heat  through 
the  winter.  In  every  department  of  the  stove  let  cleanliness  prevail ; 
clear  the  surface  of  the  pots  of  moss  and  lichen  ;  stir  up  the  soil  care- 
fully, without  injuring  the  roots  ;  search  diligently  for  insects;  keep  the 
walls  and  floors  as  dry  and  clean  as  possible  ;  remove  decaying  leaves  as 
soon  as  they  occur ;  wash  pots  witli  plants  in  that  have  become  green; 
and  let  neatness  be  the  general  order  of  the  day  throughout  the  month. 

T.  Appleby. 


GREENHOUSE. 

Air,  admit  freely  when  the  external  temperature  is  above  35°,  espe- 
cially among  hard-wooded  plants  not  desired  to  have  early  in  bloom. 
Those  growing  freely,  or  in  bloom,  should  have  an  average  temperature 
at  night  of  45°.  A  warm  greenhouse  should  be  seldom  lower.  Azaleas 
for  late  blooming,  keep  cool ;  those  swelling  their  buds  not  below  45°. 
Bulbs,  well-rooted  in  pots,  place  in  gentle  heat  for  early  blooming;  put 
funnels  of  paper  over  the  Hyacinths,  to  cause  the  stems  of  the  early  ones 
to  rise  freely;  keep  mice  from  the  successions;  few  things  are  better 
for  this  than  chopped  furze.  Calceolarias,  Cinerarias,  Camel- 
lias, &c.,  attend  to  with  heat  and  moisture,  according  to  the  time  you 
desire  them  to  be  in  bloom;  the  two  first  will  recpaire  frequent  fumi- 
gating. Chrysanthemums,  waterfrecly  with  manure  water.  Climbers, 
prune  generally,  to  give  light  to  the  plants  beneath  them.  Passion- 
flowers may  be  pruned  back  to  within  a  bud  of  the  main  shoots.  Tecuma 
jtisniinoideswiMhXooTa  best  on  longish,  strongish  shoots;  the  smaller, 
therefore,  should  be  cut  out;  after  the  strength  is  thus  moderated,  by 
these  flowering  profusely,  it  may  be  spurred  back,  like  Passion-flowers. 
Train  and  clean  winter-flowering  climbers,  such  as  Kennedya  Maryuttce, 
and  various  Tropo^olums,  such  as  tuberosum  and  pentaphytluni ,-  the 
latter,  started  in  summer,  will  bloom  all  the  winter,  but  the  best  for  this 
purpose,  in  a  warm  greenhouse,  is  Lohbianum.  Earth  in  pots  and 
borders  keep  fresh  by  stirring.  Geraniums,  encourage  the  forwardest, 
when  early  blooming  is  desirable,  with  plenty  of  air,  and  a  medium  tem- 
perature of  45°,  giving  them  plenty  of  air,  and  tying  them  out.  Scarlets, 
taken  up  from  flower-beds,  and  kept  in  boxes  and  sheds,  keep  dry. 
Keep  old  Calceolarias,  so  raised,  moister.  Heaths,  keep  cool,  and  give 
abundance  of  air  in  mild,  clear  weather.  Heat,  by  fires,  apply  when 
necessary  ;  use  a  little  covering  in  severe  weather  in  preference  to  making 
the  fires  strong.  Ixias,  Gladioli,  and  the  hardier  Lilies,  pot  and 
set  in  a  cold  pit,  to  be  protected  from  frost.  Insects,  keep  under,  by 
fumigating  and  scrubbing.  Leaves,  dirty,  w.ish ;  decayed,  remove. 
Mignonette,  take  in  a  few  pots  now  and  then.  Oxalis,  give  winter- 
Idooraing  ones,  such  as  lobnta,  plenty  of  light  and  water.  Poinsettia 
pui.ciiERRiMA  will  make  a  warm  greenhouse  now  gay  for  several  weeks. 
Primula  (Chinese),  introduce  ;  water  with  li(|uid-manure  when  it  shows 
the  flower-bud  ;  the  double-white  give  a  favourable  and  warm  position; 
as  the  flower  stands  well  when  cut  it  is  valuable  for  nosegays.  Roses, 
and  other  Shrubs,  introduce  for  forcing;  commence  at  first  with  -^  fop 
temperature  of  from  45°  to  50°;  if  the  bottom-heat  is  from  5°  to  10° 
higher,  all  the  better.  Salvia  splendens,  supply  liberally  with  water, 
and  give  it  a  warm  corner.  Gesnei-a  zebrinti  will  still  be  a  good  accom- 
paniment where  the  average  night  temperature  is  45°*    Salvia  gesnerce- 


152 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEBENER. 


November  24. 


flora  will  succeed  splendens  in  the  spring.  Succulents,  keep  iliy,  and 
Cactus  especially,  except  the  truncatus,  which  will  now  be  in  bloom  ; 
give  it  a  warm  position,  or  the  blooms  will  not  open  freel'  .  The  same 
may  be  said,  ns  respects  position,  in  the  case  of  Oranges  opening  their 
bloom.  Water  seldom  ;  be  regulated  by  temperature,  eva])orntion,  and 
the  wants  ot"  the  plants  ;  when  the  tlower-buds  are  swelling  and  opened, 
give  it  oftener,  and  nfter  breakfast,  and  with  the  liquid  rather  higher  than 
the  temperature  of  the  house.  Temi'eraturi:,  -15^  during  the  day,  40" 
at  nif^ht,  with  5°  to  10^  more,  at  a  warm  end,  or  a  conservatory,  for 
placing  tenderer  and  forced  flowers  when  first  introduced,  allowing  in  each 
case  a  rise  of  10'^  or  15°  for  sun  heat.  In  severe  weather,  prefer  covering, 
even  during  the  day,  to  large  fires;  comparative  darkneaa  in  a  low  tem- 
perature, for  a  short  time,  is  preferable  to  light  and  a  parched  atmo- 
sphere. Young  plants  just  potted-oli,  or  in  their  cutting  pots,  suffer 
olten  at  this  season  from  two  opposite  causes.  First,  in  the  windows  of 
sitting-rooms — the  dry  air  esliausts  them  ;  and  here,  instead  of  soaking 
the  roots,  sponging  and  sprinkling  the  foliage  is  the  preventive.  In  pits 
and  frames  without  fire-heat,  with  all  the  air  you  can  give,  some  will 
damp  off.  Avoid  everything  of  a  wet  or  fermentint?  material  against 
the  walls  or  boarding.  Two  or  three  inches  of  ttiick  wheat  straw  tied 
firmly  against  them  will  help  to  keep  the  inside  boUi  warm  and  dry. 

R.  Fish. 


FORCING  HOUSE. 

Air,  see  Ventilation.  Asp.-i.R.*,GDS,  promote  succession  crops;  bottom- 
heat  70*^;  plenty  of  air  when  up,  Apeicots,  see  Feiich.  Bottom- 
HEAT,  sustain  generally  about  72°  to  76^.  Cucumbers,  top  dress  ;  apply 
liquid-manure  and  stop,  and  keep  glass  clean  over  head  ;  air  heat,  60^  to 
70°.  CuERRiES,  see  Peach.  Coveri.\gs,  apply  assiduously,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  give  air  frequently.  Fires,  use  discreetly,  to  repel  frost,  to 
sustain  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 
syringe  once  a-week  thoroughly.  Insects,  extirpate,  now  is  the  time  ; 
do  not  forget  the  soft-soap,  tlie  sulphur,  the  sponge,  and  fumigation. 
KiD.NEY-CFANS,  pot  in  five-inch  pots,  four  in  a  pot;  tne  Vans  and 
Newington  Wonder ;  light,  secure  by  all  means  ;  keep  glass  clean  washed. 
Mushrooms,  temperature,  50"^  to  55°;  plenty  of  air  moisture.  Nec-  ] 
TAEINE  and  Peach  in  blossom,  keep  at  about  55°  by  day,  at  night  | 
about  40°  ;  water  very  sparingly  ;  shake  branches  gently,  to  distribute 
the  pollen  ;  stir  earth  around  often.  Pi.nes,  secure  6{i°  to  70°  to  fruiters, 
with  plenty  of  air;  bottom-heat,  7'°  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,  &c.  Sea-kale,  provide  successions; 
bottom -heat  70^.  Strawberries,  introduce  about  the  middle  of 
December,  earlier  is  not  safe  ;  begin  at  50°  in  heat,  and  a  bottom- 
heat  60°.  Tarragon,  Mint,  Sorrel,  Marjoram,  Sec,  introduce  to 
bottom-heat.  Let  Heat  follow  in  a  ratio  to  the  light,  at  any  period. 
Ventilate  as  freely  as  you  dure  at  all  times.  Vines,  to  force,  begin  at 
50°;  in  blossom,  maximum,  70°;  keep  air  moist,  and  get  a  warmth  in 
border  of  75°  ;  sulphur  freely;  remember  the  dreaded  mildew.  Water, 
apply  always  in  a  tepid  state.  R,  Errington. 

FLOWER  GARDEN. 

Anemones,  defend  in  bad  weather;  plant,  if  mild,  for  the  last  time 
till  February.  Auriculas,  defend  in  inclement  weather.  Bulbs 
omitted,  may  be  planted  if  the  weather  be  mild  (See  November),  Car- 
nations, defend  in  inclement  weather.  Composts,  prepare.  Cro- 
cuses, take  up  and  pot  in  lumps,  to  force  in  pots.  Dig  over  borders, 
and  dress  all  quarters  generally.  EDGI^Gs,  trim.  Fibrous-rooted 
perennials  and  biennials,  divide  and  plant.  Flowers,  (choice),  defend 
generally  from  inclement  weather.  Grass,  roll  occasionally,  if  winter  be 
mild.  Gravel,  roll  and  keep  orderly.  Hawthorn,  gather  berries  and 
bury  in  sand,  to  sow  next  Ociolicr.  Hedges,  plant,  and  clip  deciduous 
ooea.  Hyacinths,  defend  in  inclement  weather.  Leaves,  collect  for 
compost.  flluLCH  round  the  roots  and  stems  of  shrubs  nevvly  planted. 
Plant  shrubs  of  all  kinds.  Potted  Plants,  protect  in  deep  frames, 
&c.  ;  place  in  hothouse  for  forcing.  Privet,  gather  seeds  of,  and  make 
young  shoots  into  cuttings  in  bad  weather;  lay  them  in  damp  sand  or 
soil,  and  set  nest  February.  Prune  all  shrubs  rcquiiing  regulation. 
Pruned  Roses,  scrape  bark,  and  wash  with  lime  and  soot.  Ranun- 
culuses, defend  in  bad  weather;  plant,  if  mild;  seedlings  of  them 
require  protection.  Stake  shrubs  newly  planted,  and  any  others  re- 
quiring support.  Suckers  may  be  planted  as  removed  during  the 
winter°dressing.  Tulips,  defend  in  bad  weather.  'Vvrp  may  be  laid 
in  open  weather.  Uncover  protected  plants,  and,  if  not  dry,  place  dry 
materials  next  them.  Water  in  glasses,  change  weekly;  add  a  few 
grains  of  salt,  or  i\\c  rlrops  of  spirit  of  hartshorn.  Buy  all  your  Treks 
and  Shrubs  forthwith,  and  put  them  in  ground,  preparatory  for  final 
planting  in  February.  Think  on  the  Ice-heap,  and  let  leaves  be 
[gathered  to  covr  it.  '  See,  aUo,  that  tlie  ponds  of  water  from  which  you 
get  ice  are  freed  from  leaves  and  sticks,  &c..  D.  Beaton. 


Lobelias,  take  up,  pot,  and  pack  away  in  a  shed,  till  they  make  fresh 
plants.  Ranunculus  beds,  prepare.  Tulip  beds,  shelter  from  frost, 
lieavy  rains,  and  snow ;  finish  planting,  h.  Verbenas  in  frames,  give 
abundance  of  air  to  ;  if  mildew  prevails,  dust  with  sulphur ;  protect  from 
hard  frost ;  water  seldom,  and  only  then  when  absolutely  necessary  ; 
pick  otf  decaying  leaves.  In  this  month  raESH  soils  may  be  procured ; 
LEAVES  collected;  heaps  of  manurts,  loam,  and  peat,  frequently  turn 
over  to  sweeten  and  pulverise.  T.  Apflebt. 

ORCHARD. 

Almonds,  plant.  Apples  ;Espalier),  prune,  &c. ;  plant,  &c.  Apri- 
cots, plant.  Brine,  apply  with  a  scrubbing- bru'^b  to  stems  and 
branches  of  fruit-trees,  to  destroy  insects,  eggs,  and  moss.  Compost, 
provide.  Cherries  (Wall  and  Espalier),  prune  and  train  ;  plant. 
Chesnuts,  plant.  Currants,  prune;  plant.  Cuttings  of  Gooseber- 
ries and  Currants  may  be  planted.  Espaliers,  prune  and  regulate. 
Figs,  protect  from  froat.  Filberts,  ]>lant.  Fork  the  surface  around 
fruit-trees.  Fruit-uoom,  ventilate  occasionally,  and  keep  dark.  Goose- 
berries, plant,  prune.  Layers,  plant.  Loa:\i  and  Compost,  obtain. 
Medlars,  plant.  Mui-bkreies,  plant.  i\IuLCH,  put  around  newly- 
planfed  trees.  Nails  and  Shreds,  draw  and  prepare  in  bad  weather. 
Nectarinks,  plant  ;  prune  and  train  in  frosty  weather.  Nailing, 
proceed  with  in  cold  aspects.  Peaches  (See  Nectarines).  Pkars, 
plant.  Planting,  in  general,  proceed  with.  Plums,  plant;  (Wall  and 
Ewpalier),  prune.  Pruning,  attend  to  generally.  Quinces,  plant. 
Root- prune  where  necessary.  Raspberries,  plant ;  prune.  Survicks, 
plant.  Snails,  destroy  in  their  torpid  state.  Stake  and  support  trees 
newly  planted.  Standards,  remove  dead  and  irregular  branches  from. 
Stations,  make.  Suckek-S,  plant ;  remove  from  all  fruits.  Training, 
proceed  with.  Trench  and  prepare  borders,  c:c.,  for  planting.  Tbin 
orchard  trees.  Vines,  plant,  prune,  and  train,  V.'bathbr  (bad), 
provide  work  for.  Walnuts,  plant.  "Wall-trees,  generally,  prune 
and  regulate.  Walls  ;  it  is  a  very  beneficial  plan  to  paint  these  by 
means  of  a  white-washer's  brush,  with  a  liquid  mixture  of  8  lbs.  lime, 
4  lbs.  soot,  and  G  lbs.  sulphur.  It  destroys  and  banisbes  insects,  as  well 
as-  by  its  dark  colour  promoting  warmth  of  the  wall.  The  liquid  cm- 
ployed,  in  which  to  mis  the  above,  should  be  urine  and  soap-suds  in  equal 
proportions. 

Any  trees  proposed  to  be  regrafted  in  the  spring  may  be  headed  doion 
now,  l>ut  the  stumps  of  the  branches  should  be  left  nufficiently  long  to 
permit  a  few  inches  more  to  be  cut  off  at  the  time  of  grafting. 

R.  Erbington. 


FLORISTS'  FLOWERS, 

Auriculas  and  Polyanthuses,  protect  from  severe  frost ;  give  air  on 
every  tine  day;  keep  as  dry  as  possible  without  flagging;  remove  decay- 
in"-  leaves,  and  stir  the  surface  of  the  soil  occasionally.  Calceolarias  : 
seedlings  transplant ;  seed  may  yet  he  sown.  Carnations  and  Pico- 
tees,  shelter  from  frost,  snow,  and  heavy  rains  ;  give  air  to  on  fine  days, 
even  to  pulling  otT  the  glass  ;  in  wet  weather  give  air  by  propping  up  the 
light  behind;  water,  if  very  dry;  watch  for  slugs,  and  destroy  them. 
Cinerarias,  protect  from  frost ;  repot  seedlings.  Chrysanthemums, 
give  occasional  supplies  of  liquid-manure  to,  to  bring  out  the  later  blos- 
soms. Dahlias,  examine;  cut  off  any  decaying  part  to  the  quick; 
protect  from  frost.  Fuchsias,  cut  off  young  wood,  and  keep  the  plant 
dry.  Hollyhocks  may  he  planted  in  open  weather  ;  mulch  with 
short  litter;  cuttings  pot  off,  and  seedlings  trannplant.  Hyacinths  in 
beds,  shelter  from  frost,  by  mulching.  Hyacinths  in  pots,  place  a  few 
in  heat,  to  bloom  early  ;  in  glasses,  wash  the  roots  in  pure  TVater,  to 
cleanse  off  the  green  slime;  give  them  fresh  water  in  the  glaBBcs.     Tall 


KITCHEN  GARDEN. 

Artichokrs,   dress.      Asparagus-beds,  dress,  b. ;  plant  to  force; 
attend  that  in  forcing.     Beans,  plant  a  good  main  cro])  the  first  week  in 
the  month,  if  not  done  the  last  week  in  November.     Beets  (Red),  dig 
up  and  store,  b.     Borecoles,  full-grown,  may  be  taken  up  -with  good 
balls  of  earth,  and  planted  in  any  nook  or  corner,  or  plot  of  ground  of  less 
value,  in  open  weather,     Brocolis,  treat  the  same,  but  lay  in  deeper,  so 
as  to  earth-up  the  stems  well ;  lay  them  in  carefully,  with  their  heads 
towards  the  north.     Thus  moving  these  vegetables  gives  an  opportunity 
to  prepare  the  quarters  they  occupied  for  other  important  crops ;  they  are 
thus  better  enabled  to  stand  the  severe  weather  that  may  be  expected, 
and,  being  closer  together,  they  are  much  more  convenieHt  for  protection. 
Cabbages,  plant;  earth  up.     Cardoons,  earth  up.     Carrots,  store 
the  main  crops  if  not  done,  and  attend  to  those  growing  in  frames,  &c. 
Caulielowkrs,   attend   to   airing  in    all  favourable  weather   those  in 
frames  or  under  hand-glasses  ;  remove  all  decayed  leaves,  and  look  after 
slugs.     Celery,  earth-up,  and  protect  when  necessary.     Coleworts, 
])lant.    Composts,  prepare  and  turn  over.    Cucumbers,  attend  to  those 
bearing  ;  sow  seed  towards  the  end  of  the  month  for  plants  to  plant  out 
in  the  middle  of  January.     Dung,  prepare  for  hotbeds.     Earthing-up 
attend  to.     Endive,  take  up  full-grown  on  a  dry  day,  and  plant  deep 
and  close  together  at  the  foot  of  walls,  or  other  warm  dry  corners  conve- 
nient for  protection  in  severe  weather.      Horseradish  may  be  dealt 
with  in  the  same  way  as  directed  for  the  Jerusalem  Artichoke.   Hotbeds, 
attend  to.     Jerusalem  Artichokes,  give  a  good  top-covering  of  any 
rough  mulching  or  garden-refuse,  so  as  to  keep  out  frost,  and  to  enable 
them  to  be  taken  up  when  required  ;  yet  it  is  well  to  have  a  few  of  the 
roots  stored  for  fear  of  snow,  or  other  rough  weather,  at  the  very  time 
they  arc  wanted.     Kidney  Beans,  force,  e.     Leaves,  fallen,  collect 
together.     Lettuces,  attend  to  those  advancing  in  frames  on  a  gentle 
heat;  see  that  no  drip  falls  into  the  hearts  of  the  plants,  and  give  all 
the  air  the  weather  will  permit  to  such  as  are  planted  in  frames  for 
winter  protection   only.     Liquorice,   dig  up.      Mint,  force.     Mush- 
room-beds,   make;    attend   to   those  in  production.      Parsnips,   dig 
up  and  store,  b.     Peas,  sow  in  the  open  ground  of  the  best  early  kinds, 
protecting  them  from  frost,  mice,  slugs,  and  birds.     Plants,  to  produce 
seed,  attend  to,  b.     Potatoes  may  be  planted  in  light  soils  in  open 
weather,  and  in  hotbeds  towards  the  end  of  the  month  ;  examine  often 
the  in-door  stores.     Radishes  and  Small  Salauing,  sow  in  frames, 
&c.     Rhubarb,  take  up  and  pot  ofi"  for  forcing,  or  cover  up  with  jiots  or 
tubs  and  fernn-nting  materials.     Sea-kale,  cover  up  with  fermenting 
materials  ;  fallen  leaves  are  the  best  materials  both  for  covering  U|)  the 
Sca-kale  and  Rhubarb.     Spinach,  keep  clear  of  weeds,  and  fallen  and 
decayed   leaves.    Tansy,    force.     Tarragon,  force.      Trench,   drain, 
.S;c.,  vacant  ground.     Weeding,  attend  to.     Be  on  the  alert  of  a  frosty 
looking  evening,  and  Cover   up  a  little  earlier.     Turnips;  any  quan- 
tity, according  to  the  demand,  may  be  taken  up  and  stored,  or  packed  up 
tidy  in  a  corner,  to  be  buried  in  coal-ashes,  so  as  tu  be  come-at-able 
when  required.     We  alway.s  make  it  a  rule,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  to 
store  in  little  or  much,  according  to  the  appearance  of  Ihe  weather,  a 
dozen  or  two  of  Celery,  and  Eiidive,  Brocoli,  or  anything  else  that  is 
likely  to  be  required.  T.  Weaver. 

London:  Printed  by  Harry  Wooldridgr,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendnr;  and  Published  by  Willian 
SoMERViLLE  Ork,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No,  2,  Ameu  Corner,  in  the  Pariah  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— November  24th,  I8fi3. 


DEJEMBEn  ]. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


153 


FLOWER-GARDEN  PLAN— No.   10 


EAST 


A.  was  planted  in  circles,  having  Salvia  patens 
in  tlie  centre,  and  Scarlet  Geraniums,  Yellow 
Calceolarias,  Mont  Blanc  Verbena,  Emma 
and  Defiance,  in  distinct  wings  to  the  edge. 

B.  and  D.  Scarlet  Geraniums. 

E.  and  c.  Yellow  Calceolarias. 

F.  G.   H.  and  I.    Defiance  at  the  wings, 
J.  and  a.  having  Mount  Blanc  centres. 


&  this  garden  were  on  a  level  with  a  walk,  or  the  war  hv 
which  a  stranger  got  to  it,  there  would  Ve  a  great  objection 

No.  coLxx.rvoirxir 


G.  and  I.  having  Emma  centres. 
1.  3.  5.  /.  Sultan  Calceolaria. 
K.  T.  V.  X.  Blue  Lobelia. 

All  the  other  round  beds,  varieties  of  Ver- 
benas. 
J.  K.    L.  ?.i.  N.  o.  p.  a.  are  mixed  beds  of 

nowers. 

The  small  beds  on  grass  verge  outside  the 

to  the  tallness  of 
middle  bed,  a.,  as 


gravel-walk  have  a  standard  Rose  in  each,  and 
have  been  sown  with  Saponaria  and  blue  Ne- 

ninnhiln. 


mophila, 

The  garden  is  laid  out  on  grass,  and  formed 
out  of  an  old  pit,  consequently  is  in  a  hollow, 
having  its  hanks  planted  with  Rhododendrons, 
Azaleas,  Hydrangeas,  and  Roses,  with  Holly- 
hocks and  Dahlias  interspersed. 

the  Salvia  patens  in  the  centre  of  the 
it  is,  the  garden  being  in  a  hollow,  and, 


I 


154 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  1. 


therefore,  under  the  eye,  when  first  seen,  there  is  little  or 
no  objection  to  the  diiferent  heights  in  the  beds  not  cor- 
responding together;  you  get  a  bird's  eye  \iev/  of  tlie 
whole,  and  the  colours  nlone  take  tlie  attention.  Still  we 
must  descend  the  steps  to  the  cireitmferential-walk,  opposite 
the  centre  of  the  bed  N.,  and  here  tlie  company  divides  ; 
some  go  to  the  right,  some  to  the  left,  and  walk  all  round 
first ;  but  if  tliere  are  young  ladies,  and  some  half-pay  or 
full-pay  officers,  unmanied,  in  tlie  party,  the  ladies  go  to 
the  left  and  enter  the  garden  at  v.,  the  said  officers  turn 
to  the  right,  and  enter  at  w.,  and  both  parties  meet  again  at 
the  point  of  c,  as  by  accident.  No  such  thing  ;  but  let  us 
proceed  to  say  that  tliis  is  a  good  arrangement,  take  it  any 
■way  we  like.  There  is  as  mucli  judgment  required  to  amuse 
and  engage  the  attention  of  company  round  a  garden 
as  is  needed  to  plant  one.  The  moment  a  critic  got  to  the 
bottom  of  the  steps  he  would  object  to  the  centre  Sahiiis, 
as  both  diminishing  the  real  size  of  the  whole  garden,  by 
drawing  the  eye  to  the  very  centre,  and  for  hiding  tlie  small 
beds  beyond.  Suppose,  now,  the  Suhias  are  removed,  and 
their  pbices  filled  with  Scarlet  Gcraviiim.i,  tliese,  again,  witli 
the  circle  of  scarlets,  would  give  sucli  a  flash,  on  a  fine  day, 
as  would  rivet  your  eye,  and  cause  it  to  measure  hnlfdhtaixe 
sooner  tlian  tlie  tallness  of  the  Salvias  wouhl.  I  appeal  to 
any  lady  who  is  an  artist,  and  who  is  in  the  liabit  of  taking 
views  ill  perspective,  if  this  viesv  is  not  the  correct  one. 
Either  too  much  bright  colour,  or  very  tall  plants,  therefore, 
are  inadmissible  in  a  Hower-garden  where  there  is  more 
than  one  ring  or  set  of  beds  all  round  the  csntre  one,  as  in 
this.  If  this  garden  consisted  only  of  tlie  centre.  A.,  and 
the  eight  small  circles  round  it,  a.  might  be  planted  with 
BoUyhodis,  without  the  least  prejudice  to  the  rest;  and  here 
lies  the  very  source  of  the  nine  eiTors  out  of  ten  in  making 
and  planting  flower-beds.     Somebody  has  been  somewhere, 


and  saw  a  group  that  took  the  fancy  at  first  sight,  and 
walking  round  it,  or  looking  back  to  it  from  a  distance,  only 
confirmed  the  first  impression,  and  this  body  has  the  repu- 
tation of  having  "  a  good  eye,"  which  is  quite  true,  but  he 
is  no  gardener,  and  he  might  have  as  many  eyes  as  Argus, 
before  I  would  admit  his  beautiful  group,  which  so  pleased 
him,  into  a  composition ;  in  tloe  group,  it  is  just  as  he  says  ; 
but  make  that  group  part  of  a  composition,  and  it  muij  sjioil 
the  whole.  BoiTowing  ideas  is  sure  to  defeat  the  best  artist, 
unless  he  is  himself  so  much  master  of  the  particular  art  in 
hand  as  to  know  exactly  if  the  new  idea  is  applicable  to  his 
case,  and  where  to  introduce  it  into  his  composition.  A 
wlule  Petunia,  instead  of  the  hliii:  Salvia,  would  improve  this 
centre  bed,  and  make  it  unobjectionable ;  the  dilJerent  rings 
would  then  be  in  contrast,  and  that  amounts,  in  tliis  in- 
stance, to  a  neutral ;  then,  one-half  of  the  circles  being  of 
the  Sultan  Calceolaria,  as  at  present,  the  other  half  of  these 
circle  beds  ought  rather  to  be  as  gay  as  pink  and  piuide 
Verbenas  could  make  them;  these  beds  being  so  much 
smaller  than  the  centre  one  and  those  on  the  outside,  I  can 
see  no  objection  to  every  other  one  of  them  being  scarlet,  but 
white  alternately  witli  scarlet  would  be  better,  and  iniire 
telling,  and  I  would  prefer  the  dai'k  Sultans,  in  place  of  the 
small  blue  Lohelias  in  the  circles  on  the  outside  ;  tlien,  if  1 
could  get-the  eight  large  outside  beds  in  alternate  scarlet 
and  yellow,  allround,  then  b.d.  in  good  blue,  as  Delphinium 
sinense,  or  Salvia  patens,  trained  low,  and  c.  E.  either  with 
jjiuk  Nuset/ay  Geraniums,  or  the  old  ''Scarlet  Tarieijated,  1 
would  leave  the  rest  to  the  choice  of  any  one,  or  be  as  they 
are  at  present.  In  short,  let  the  large  centre  bed  be  kept 
low,  with  a  colour  not  too  strong  ;  the  outside  beds  with  tall 
plants  of  strong  colours  ;  and  the  four,  b.  c.  n.  e.,  iu  the 
next  strongest  coloiu's.   The  rest  can  hardly  be  made  wrong. 

D.  Beaton. 


We  cannot  understand  the  reasons  upon  which  any 
farmer  can  object  to  make  a  return  to  Government  of 
the  amount  of  his  Stock,  live  and  dead,  on  a  particular 
day  specified.  It  is  not  an  inquisitorial  inquiry  for  the 
purpose  of  taxation;  hut  an  inquiry,  the  aggregate 
result  of  which  would  be  of  the  greatest  use  to  the 
farmer  himself.  It  is  well-known  liow  much  corn  and 
hay,  and  how  much  live  stock,  are  required  for  the 
supply  of  the  kingdom  ;  and  the  statistical  returns  asked 
for  by  the  Government  will  give  a  tolerably  truthfid 
statement  as  to  the  produce  ready  to  all'ord  that  supply. 
Could  a  farmer  possibly  have  more  valuable  information 
whereby  to  regulate  bis  market  transactions?  It  is  liot 
accurate  knowledge  upon  such  subjects,  but  uncertainty, 
that  are  injurious  to  the  farming  interest.  What  is 
more  sought  for  by  the  manufacturer,  than  accurate 
information  of  the  stock  on  hand  of  the  article  upon 
which  his  capital  is  employed?  By  it  lie  regulates 
his  movements ;  and  so  i'ar  are  we  from  wishing  any 
obstacle  to  be  thrown  in  the  way  of  agricultural 
statistics,  we  wisli  that  means  were  taken  to  have  the 
returns  more  full  and  more  particular.  We  would  have 
the  returns  include  Poultry,  JIarket  Gardens,  Allotments, 
and  Orchards.  We  would  have  them  thus  copious, 
because  we  know  that  in  all  that  concerns  manufac- 
tures— and  farming  and  gardening  are  no  more  than 
manufactures  of  vegetable  and  animal  consumables — 
the  more  information  the  manufactiu-er  possesses  the 
less  liable  he  is  to  tluctiialiiig  |uices  and  needless  loss. 
We  never  knew  an  instance  of  a  man  mistaking  bis 
way  from  having  too  much  liglit. 


Thocgh  we  differ  as  to  some  of  the  regulations  of 
the  Birmiiujliam  Exhibition,  yet  we  rejoice  to  find  that 
it  is  greatly  prosperous.  The  entries  of  all  kinds,  ex- 
cepting iu  Sheep,  are  largely  increased  beyond  those  of 
last  year.  In  PouUnj,  the  increase  is  very  large ;  and 
it  has  this  earnest  of  permanency — it  has  been  steadily 
progressive.  In  IS.Jl,  there  were  1,005  pens;  in  1852, 
],223;  and,  in  the  present  year,  more  than  2,000.  It 
will,  probably,  be  the  most  siu-passiug  Exhibition  of 
Domestic  I'oultry  ever  witnessed.  We  know  that  the 
attendance  will  be  numerous,  and  that  parlies  are 
already  securing  lodgings.  If  an  addition  had  not 
been  made  to  Bingley  Hall,  there  would  have  been 
luucli  difficulty  iu  providing  pen-room  for  the  fowls. 


It  has  been  said,  that  we  are  equally  ignorant  of  the 
origin,  the  precise  se.it,  and  the  cure  of  Cholera:  treat 
it  as  wo  may,  the  disease,  once  established,  carries  otf 
the  half  of  all  attacked.  Some  .Tenner  has  yet  to  rise 
up,  the  oracles  say,  to  give  us  a  specific  remedy.  But 
this  confessed  inability  to  cope  with  the  disease  has 
induced  inquiries  as  to  its  prevention  which  have  led 
to  many  valuable  observations  and  suggestions;  and  we 
cease  to  wonder  at  the  scanty  information  respecting 
the  best  methods  of  cure  in  former  epidemics,  of  the 
symptoms,  autecedeuts,  and  probable  local  and  atmos- 
pheric relations,  of  which  so  many  particulars  have 
come  down  to  us.  These  accounts  all  coufinn  the  idea 
the  danger  has  over  arisen  out  of  some  contamination  of 
the  air  of  crowded  places  {luurho  culi]  ;  and  that  the  sick, 
and  even  the  praliyioitctl,  should  bo  Bopanitcd  froiii  tlio 


December  1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


155 


healthy :  the  only  safety  consisting  in  preventive  mea- 
sures, and  early  attention  to  the  slightest  ailments. 

Priucipus  obsta  sero  medicina  parata  eat 
Morbi  per  nimias  quando  crevere  moras. 

Vaccination  and  the  small-pox  have  proved,  excep- 
tionally, the  thing  sought  to  be  established, — that  pre- 
vention is  better  than  cure  :  poor  town's  children  being 
saved  by  vaccination,  only  to  be  thinned-out  by  other 
infantine  epidemics ;  and  among  those  who  struggle  on 
to  a  more  advanced  age,  consumption,  or  typhus,  steps 
in  in  due  course  to  claim  its  own. 

More  than  twelve  millions  of  our  people  live  in  the 
country,  where  there  is  often  not  more  than  one  man 
to  every  five  acres.  Eight  millions  exist  in  towns, 
where  there  are  too  often  a  hundred  persons  to  every 
acre.  One-third  of  aU  children  born  in  the  country, 
and  one-half  of  all  horn  in  towns,  die  under  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  One-half  of  the  children  of  the  very  poor, 
in  most  towns,  die  under  five  years  of  age ;  and  under 
one  year  of  age  in  a  few  towns.  The  children  of  the 
more  wealthy,  who  reside  in  spacious  houses,  in  wide 
streets  or  squai-es,  with  lofty  rooms,  and  every  attention 
to  nursing,  medical  treatment,  food  and  drink,  warmth 
and  cleanliness,  escape  with  about  the  same  mortality 
as  country  farmers'  and  labourers'  families. 

Some  of  our  large  towns'  mortaUty  may  be  prevented; 
certain  means  being,  to  some  extent,  available  against 
the  consequences  of  our  infringement  of  the  natural 
laws  of  life.  This  is  inferred  from  observations  like 
the  following: — The  great  fire,  after  the  plague  in 
London,  destroyed  many  bad,  dirty,  old,  "leprous" 
houses.  The  fire  at  Hamburgh,  between  the  first  and 
second  attacks  of  cliolera,  took  effect  in  the  same  way : 
and  in  both  instances,  the  laying-out  of  better  streets, 
and  loftier  houses,  resulted  in  a  great  improvement  of 
the  health  of  the  inhabitants.  The  Meb'opolitan  Lodg- 
ing Houses  were  built  to  try  what  could  be  done  for 
the  health  of  the  poor,  by  properly-constructed  dwell- 
ings, with  all  appliances  for  cleanliness  and  ventilation; 
and  so  far,  tlie  health  of  the  inmates  has  actually  reached 
the  country  average. 

There  is  as  much  difference  between  living  a  simple 
country  life,  and  leading  a  more  artificial  existence  in 
town,  as  there  is  between  the  healthy  requirements  of  a 
wild  plant,  and  a  garden  or  hothouse  flower ;  or  between 
a  wholly  domesticated  animal  and  one  allowed  the 
freedom  of  the  open  fields.  Slight  curable  natural 
disorders,  likewise,  when  transplanted  into  those  lo- 
calities termed  the  hotbeds  and  forcing -grounds  of 
epidemics,  assume  new  and  monstrous  forms,  capable 
of  being  perpetuated  under  due  cultivation — permanent 
varieties,  in  fact,  differing  from  their  former  selves  as 
much  as  prize  Pansies,  Geraniums,  or  Magnum  Bo- 
nums,  differ  from  their  wild  congeners. 

More  than  a  hundred  persons  cannot  dwell  together 
on  each  acre  of  ground  without  risk,  especially  when 
hardly  raised  above  the  level  of  a  dirty  river,  or  arm 
of  the-  sea.  Thirty  or  forty  yards  of  elevation  alone 
confers  comparative  immunity  from  cholera,   even  in 


London.^:  In  a  large  city,  over-crowding  begins  when 
the  houses  are  higher  than  the  street  is  mde.  In  low, 
bad  situations,  tlio  streets,  or  courts,  should  be  twice 
as  wide  as  the  houses  are  high.  The  ground-floor 
should  be  only  used  for  lumber  and  warehouse-rooms, 
or  stores;  the  ne.xt  floor  for  shops,  places  of  business,  or 
domestic  oflSces ;  only  the  highest  parts  of  the  house 
being  occupied  as  dwellings.  The  inhabitants  of  such 
places  should  be,  as  much  as  possible,  only  persons  in 
the  prime  of  life,  and  in  the  very  thick  of  the  animating 
occupations  there  going  on,  with  the  means  to  procure, 
and  the  spirit  to  enjoy,  occasional  recreation ;  and 
children  born  in  such  places  should  get  a  country 
bringing-up. 

Certain  exceptional  rules  require  to  be  remembered 
for  the  drainage  of  populous  low  districts.  Sewerage 
cannot  be  thrown  in  any  quantity  into  the  next  river, 
nor  spread  by  irrigation  over  the  marsh  lands  adjacent : 
all  attempts  at  inodorising  and  precipitating  the  essen- 
tial manm'es  on  a  large  scale  have  failed.  In  the 
present  state  of  our  knowledge,  or  ignorance,  aU  that 
we  can  do,  is  to  limit  the  pipe-sewerage  to  liquid  refuse 
only,  removing,  by  vigorous  scavenging  operations- 
week  by  week,  or  even  day  by  day,  all  solid  or  half-solid 
offensive  matters  by  means  of  closed  boxes,  covered 
carts,  and  such-like  contrivances.  Where  the  basement 
stores  are  not  used  for  dwellings,  a  saving  of  fall  may 
be  effected  by  not  sinking  the  tubular  drainage  more 
than  a  few  feet  in  the  ground;  thus,  altogether,  flushing 
operations  may  be  facilitated,  and  the  sewage  carried  to 
a  great  distance,  where  it  will  be  more  manageable  in 
the  end.  The  diameter  of  the  tubular  sewers  may  be 
diminished,  if  we  allow  the  mere  surface-waters  of  the 
housetops,  and  well-scavenged  streets,  to  be  conducted 
directly  into  the  nearest  river.  But  the  main  sewers, 
from  higher  adjoining  districts,  should  be  diverted  at  a 
higher  level,  and  so  carried  clear  ofl'  to  some  distant 
point. 

The  work  of  purifying  the  animal  system  is  wisely 
accomplished  by  a  three-fold  division  of  the  task :  by 
defecation,  diuresis,  and  by  diaphoresis.  Practical  agri- 
culturists adopt  a  like  three-fold  division  of  the  work  of 
keeping  their  farm-yards  clean  and  healthy :  having  one 
process  for  collecting  solid  manure,  with  all  the  sweep- 
ings of  their  premises;  another  process  for  simply  im- 
pounding by  itself  all  valuable  liquid -manure,  and 
nothing  else ;  and  a  third,  separate  arrangement  for  dis- 
posing of  the  rain-water  from  roofs  of  buildings  and 
mere  surface-drainage.  The  puzzle  of  dealing  with  solid- 
manure,  liquid-manure,  surface-drainage,  and  the  enor- 
mous body  of  water  required  for  flushing,  all  at  a  low 
level,  is  a  difficulty  of  our  own  making. 

There  is  a  saying,  that  muck  should  go  up  the  hill,  and 
stock  should  move  down  hill.  Farmers  know  that  the 
richest  alluvial  soils  are  not  the  best  for  rearing  young 

*  "  London  is  situated  in  a  basin,  througli  which  the  Thames  flows  ; 
and  it  was  discovered,  during  the  epidemic  of  18^8 — 1849,  that  the  rate 
of  mortality  from  that  disease  was  nearly  in  the  inverse  proportion  of 
the  elevation  of  the  ground.  The  same  relation  has  hitherto  been  ob- 
served in  the  present  epidemic.  The  danger  of  dying  of  cholera,  and  of 
all  plagues,  diminishes  within  certain  limits,  in  proportion  as  the  dwell- 
ings of  the  population  are  raised  above  the  level  of  the  sea."  IRecent 
Report  of  the  Registrar  General,'] 


156 


THE  GOTTA&E  GAKDENER. 


December  1. 


cattle — being  rather  adapted  for  feeding  mature  animals 
which  fatten  and  prosper  amazingly  there.  So  the 
kitchen-gardener  makes  his  seed-bed  of  the  poorer  and 
less  promising  soil ;  removing  his  choice  plants  in  due 
season  to  some  highly  cultivated  plot,  there  to  make 
the  most  of  themselves. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  note  here,  how  few  of 
our  distinguished  citizens,  bishops,  judges,  and  scholars, 
have  been  town-bred  nnd  born.  "We  even  prefer  our 
domestics,  clerks,  and  confidential  servants,  from  the 
country.  The  great  world  has  always  acted  on  the 
maxim,  that  it  is  cheaper  to  buy  than  to  breed.  Annual 
devastations  from  epidemics,  would,  in  a  century  or  two, 
reduce  our  great  cities  to  nothiug,  were  it  not  for  large 
annual  infusions  of  pure  country  blood.  And  it  has  not 
been  numbers  only,  but  cool  heads  and  steady  hands  ; 
talent,  work,  and  all  the  elements  of  true  greatness,  all 
have  "come  doiin"  from  the  country.  J.  J. 


HOW  SHALL  WE  REXOVATE  OLD  GARDEKS? 

It  is  pretty-well  known  to  the  majority  of  our  readers, 
that  many  of  the  vegetables  we  cultivate  will  not  suc- 
ceed so  v/ell  in  our  old  and  long-cultivated  kitchen- 
gardens  as  in  fresh-enclosed  grounds.  It  matters  not, 
on  some  soils,  how  much  manure  is  applied,  such  things 
as  Carrots,  Lettuces,  the  Cabbageworts,  &c.,  plainly 
show  that  they  are  not  at  home.  I  do  not  say  tliis  of 
all  gardens,  but  tlie  miijority  I  have  found,  by  expe- 
rience, are  of  this  character.  Here,  for  instance,  the 
kitchen-garden  has  been  in  work  for  about  a  century, 
constantly  tilled,  and  the  difficulty  of  procuring  some 
things  is  very  considerable,  and  were  it  not  for  what  the 
world  calls  a  deal  of  jiains-taking,  wliioh,  assuredly, 
involves  a  large  amouut  of  labour,  we  should  occa- 
sionally have  to  encounter  long  visages.  As  it  is, 
I  aur  not  aware  that  we  have  anything  to  blush  at  in 
vegetable  culture,  and  this  emboldens  me  to  indulge  iu 
a  little — at  least,  harmless— discussion,  iu  order  to  en- 
lighten the  minds  of  those  who  are  taking  first  steps  in 
gardening.  It  has  been  truly  observed,  that  there  is  no 
royal  road  to  geometry ;  and  if  a  prince  take  to  fiddling, 
he  is,  I  am  grieved  to  say,  obliged  to  run  through  the 
gamut  by  tlie  same  road  as  the  veriest  clown.  And 
so  it  is  in  many  gardening  processes;  pains,  extra  pains, 
efibrts,  call  them  as  you  please,  must  occasionally  be 
resorted  to ;  and  what  to  those  luckily  circumstanced 
at  times  appears  a  vast  deal  of  trouble,  on  a  closer  and 
more  judicious  inspection  would  appear  a  manifest 
duty. 

Amelioration — the  term  I  select  to  express  what  I 
would  explain — of  course,  means  bettering,  and  the  first 
notion  (with  a  complete  clod-hopper)  connected  with 
this  term  would  be  manuring.  An  old  farmer  of  this 
class,  long  esteemed  as  a  country  wit,  was  once  asked 
in  this  district,  by  a  gentleman  of  much  consideration, 
what  was  the  best  time  of  year  to  apply  muck? — the 
phrase  here  for  all  auimal  manures.  "  All  the  year 
round,"  was  the  answer ;  and  this  has  passed  on,  for 
some  thirty  years,  as  a  piece  of  transcendental  wit:  not 
a  wake  occurs,  but  poor  old  P's  wit  comes  forth  fresh 
as  ever.  Poor  old  P.  is  now  gathered  to  his  fathers, 
and  thus  spared  the  double  penalty  of  observing  that 
this  muck  question  has  become  a  question  of  figures, 
and,  moreover,  that  there  are  certain  conditions  in  land 
that  require  something  even  beyond  muck. 

Without  for  a  moment  attempting  to  enter  the  labo- 
ratory of  the  chemist,  a  proceeding  I  respectfully  transfer 


to  higher  hands,  I  may  observe,  that  these  "  worn-out 
soils"  (the  ordinary  phrase,)  have  parted  with  some 
principle  essential  to  a  high  pitch  of  culture.  That  they 
have,  in  many  instances,  acquired  something  equally 
undesirable  to  certain  crops,  is,  too,  I  think,  equally 
manifest:  I  speak  merely  from  a  common  sense  view  of 
the  matter.  However,  as  I  can  say  little  about  che- 
mical agencies,  I  may,  at  least,  be  permitted  to  state  a 
few  facts,  with,  ]ierhaps,  some  mere  opinions. 

-Draining,  where  stagnation  exists,  I  merely  point  to 
in  passing,  as  the  only  true  basis  on  which  to  commence 
a  thorough  amelioration  ;  this  operation  refers,  perhaps, 
more  to  texture  than  quality  in  its  permanent  cticcts. 
Without  this,  iudccd,  land  generally  requires  donble  the 
amount  of  labour,  whilst  it  will  only  yield  half  the 
amount  of  success.  Wc  must  not  talk  of  permanent 
amelioration  whilst  the  soil  is  so  soured  as  to  be  all  but 
impervious  to  the  marvellous  influences  of  tlie  atmos- 
phere. But  my  chief  purpose  now,  is  to  point  to  deep 
digging,  or  trenching,  and  the  application  of  materials 
of  a  very  economic  kind,  and  which  are  but  too  apt  to 
be  treated  lightly  through  their  very  inexpeusiveness. 

I  have  before  alluded  to  the  great  importance  of  deep 
digging  or  trenching,  in  The  Cottage  Gakdenf.h,  and 
I  must  again  point  to  its  continued  beneficial  eftects,  as 
exemplified  iu  the  crops  here.  Until  the  last  five  or 
six  years  trenching  had  but  seldom  been  resorted  to, 
and  I  began  to  find  that  several  kinds  of  vegetables  de- 
preciated both  in  size  and  quality;  and  the  club  in  the 
Cabbage-worts,  generally,  had  become  so  sei-ious  as  to 
threaten  a  total  failure,  unless  some  remedial  measures 
could  be  devised.  Coucluding  that  it  was  very  probable 
that  certain  inorganic  materials  might  be  contained  in 
the  subsoil,  which  would  he  of  service  to  the  surface-soil, 
besides  the  benefits  arising  from  a  deeper  root  in  dry 
weather,  I  at  once  went  on  the  principle  of  adopting  a 
periodical  trenching,  of  about  once  in  three  years ; 
making  a  point  of  bringing  about  four  inches  of  the 
subsoil — a  sort  of  dirty,  half-sandy,  half-clayey  sub- 
stance— to  the  surface  at  every  operation.  This  has 
done  wonders,  and  it  is  a  practice  that  will  be  continued 
by  me  just  as  long  as  I  can  obtain  laboiu'  to  carry  it 
out. 

I  may  be  pardoned,  perhaps,  for  repeating  what  I 
once  before  related  in  these  jiages,  that  1  originally  took 
the  hint  from  an  odd  circumstance.  About  seven  years 
since,  being  determined  to  grow  neat  little  Silver-skin 
Onions,  for  pickling,  and  for  which  the  general  garden- 
soil  had  proved  too  rich,  I  caused  a  plot  to  be  very 
deeply  trenched,  as  an  experiment,  bringing  up  six  or 
eight  inches  of  the  subsoil,  on  which,  too,  I  sowed  some 
Red  Beet,  us  there  had  been  complaints  about  the  gross- 
ness  of  the  Beet  on  the  ordinary  soil.  It  turned  out, 
however,  that  both  Beet  and  Onions  were  the  largest  in 
the  garden,  although  growing  pricipally  in  this  queer- 
looking  subsoil.  1  have  little  doubt  that  the  slight 
tendency  of  this  S'.ibsoil  to  a  clayey  character  is 
of  much  benefit  in  this  case,  the  surface-soil  being 
rather  sandy.  But  this  cannot  be  all;  there  must  be 
something  in  the  character  of  this  material  which  re 
places  some  quality  of  which  the  soil  had  been  robbed, 
and,  perhaps,  some  peculiar  chemical  agency  induced. 
I  must  hero  confess,  that  such  bold  processes  may  not 
apply  to  all  descriptions  of  subsoil  equally  :  for  instance, 
who  would  think  of  biiuging  up  a  mere  sand,  or  a  gravel, 
unless  the  surface  be  too  adhesive? 

I  have  seen  so  much  of  the  evils  of  shallow  ploughing, 
during  the  last  twenty-five  years,  by  farmers  close  to  my 
elbow,  that  I  would  almost  adopt  any  other  plan  than 
this  dish-skimming  system.  There  are  scores  of  acres, 
almost  touching  my  house,  of  as  nice,  mellow,  upland 
soils,  as  ever  crow  Hew  over,  (to  use  a  Cheshire  idiom); 
soils  which  have  been  skimmed  and  turned  about  five  or 
sis  inches  deep,  for  more  than  a  century ;  and,  of  course, 


Deoejiber  ]. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


107 


next  to  this  adopted  line — tliis  favourite  deptli — a  re- 
gular pan,  almost  as  impenetrable  as  a  layer  of  sheet- 
iron,  exists,  bidding  utter  defiance  to  depth  of  rooting. 
The  despicable  results  of  this  practice  may  be  plainly 
seen  iu  the  bliieuess  of  the  foliage  of  such  things  as 
Swedes,  and  the  general  flagging,  or  drooping,  of  all 
crops,  except  corn,  after  tlio  occurrence  of  only  three 
or  four  days  of  a  hot  July  sun.  Unfortunate  crops ! 
they  would,  if  permitted,  throw  down  deep  radicles, 
which  would  soon  prevent  this  flagging — this  standing 
still,  or  worse — wlien  they  should  be  progi-essing  the 
most. 

Enough  of  this.  I  will  now  point  to  some  appli- 
ances previously  liinted  at.  I  before  spoke  of  the  possi- 
bility of  hriugiug  even  sand  up,  with  advantage,  on  some 
stubborn  soils,  but  how  seldom  do  we  see  that  or  any  other 
attempt  at  improving  texture  by  sucli  means.  1  much 
fear  that  fashion  rules  here,  as  in  most  other  things ; 
I  science  is  powerful,  but  it  is  to  be  feared  that  she  would 
but  "drag  her  slow  length  along"  without  the  aid  of 
fashion.  Everybody  will  admit  that  science  projected, 
completed,  and  furnished  the  Crystal  Palace,  but  where 
would  science  have  been  without  the  overwhelming 
influence  of  fashion?  And  it  is  partly  so  with  many 
gardening  procedures :  be  the  suggester  ever  so  right  in 
his  views,  the  thing  is  thrown  aside  as  butter  paper, 
until  somebody,  higli  in  position,  who  acts  as  a  sort  of 
fugleman  in  society,  takes  it  up,  carries  it  out  regardless 
of  expense,  and  sets  all  the  world  staring  at  him.  The 
practice  of  clay -burning  has  never,  I  believe,  been 
fairly  condemned  on  principle;  but  whatever  may  be 
the  case  agriculturally,  there  are  garden  oases  where  it 
would,  doubtless,  be  beneficial.  But  then  there  are 
such  things  as  lime  rubbish,  and  the  finer  debris  of  old 
buildings,  lime  itself,  and  anything  charred,  which 
was  once  of  organic  character. 

These  are  the  economic  materials  I  alluded  to,  and 
every  body  can  get  them  ;  but  I  would  direct  special 
attention  to  the  use  of  lime  in  old  and  deadened  soils, 
especially  tliose  which  have,  as  gardeners  sometimes 
say,  been  "  mucked,  and  dug,  and  cropped,  until  they 
ai'e  sick  of  it."  Such  soils,  of  necessity,  contain  a  super- 
abundance of  manures,  or  the  dark  residue  of  organic 
matter,  applied  constantly  in  the  act  of  cropping  for 
gross  vegetables,  in  the  shape  of  the  various  manures, 
leaf  soil,  &o. 

But  it  is  impossible  to  overrate  the  importance  of 
charring  every  stick  and  weed,  by  system,  that  hands 
can  be  laid  on.  I  say  by  system,  for  I  would  not  have 
it  understood  tliat  I  wish  people  to  be  always  charring. 
No ;  we  must  have  simpler  and  less  expensive  plans. 
Twice  a  year  I  find  suflicient,  viz.,  March  and  October. 
The  former  month  will  be  fui-nished  with  all  the  prun- 
ings,  dubbings,  and  general  charring  of  the  past  winter, 
or  rest  season  ;  and  the  latter  will  consume  vegetable 
remains,  weeds,  with  their  seeds,  &o. 

Here,  then,  is  a  double  action ;  seeds,  aye,  and  insects, 
destroyed  in  myriads :  a  famous  compost  provided,  and 
a  system  of  cleanly  culture  promoted. 

Deep  trenching,  at  set  periods,  and  for  particular 
crops,  and  the  application  of  corrective  materials,  will 
be  found,  on  trial,  to  make  old  kitchen  gardens  look 
young  again.  E.  Ebbkgion. 


BULBS. 

{^Concluded  from  pai/e  99.) 

SPREKELIA. 

This  genus  is  inadvertently  said  to  be  of  stove  bulbs 

in  our  Dictionary,  but  all  of  them  that  we  know  of  yet 

are  as  hardy  and  as  easy  to  flower  as  the  Vallota  jmr- 

purea.    The  old  Amaryllis  formosissima,  that  used  to 


flower  twice  a-year  with  us,  in  the  pine-stove  at  Altyre, 
thirty  years  ago,  is  just  as  hardy  as  Red  Onions.  The 
Bolivian  Cijhisters  require  only  the  frost  to  be  kept 
from  theur ;  and  Qlauca,  from  Mexico,  is  only  another 
form  or  variety  of  the  Jacobsea  Lily,  from  Guatemala, 
and  is  quite  as  hardy.  There  is  another  one,  called 
Oiimahariim,  which  flowered  at  Spofforth  with  Dr.  Her- 
bert, but  I  never  saw  it,  nor  even  know  where  it  came 
from,  or  if  it  was  published.  That  the  new  kinds,  which 
were  introduced  twelve  or  fifteen  years  back,  were  treated 
as  stove  bulbs,  I  can  readily  believe,  for  I  have  seen 
hardy  bulbs  that  ought  to  have  been  out  iu  the  borders 
kept  in  a  hot  stove,  this  very  season,  by  a  first-rate 
gardener ;  and  I  know,  from  long  experience,  that  nine- 
tenths  of  all  the  gardeners  ruin  their  bulbs  by  too  much 
heat. 

Sprekelia  formosissima,  or  the  old  Jacobiea  Lily,  is 
the  only  bulb  that  I  can  call  to  mind  that  will  grow  as 
well  in  the  stove,  year  after  year,  as  it  will  do  out-of- 
doors.     The  constitution  of  this  bulb  is  unsearchable. 

SPEEKELIA  CYBISTEE. 
Here  is  a  living  example  of  how  bulbs  are  often— too 
often,  indeed— mistreated.  This  bulb  was  introduced 
from  Bolivia,  which  you  may  call  the  Balmoral  of  Peru, 
only  that  it  is  in  the  south-west  of  the  highlands,  instead 
of  being,  as  our  Balmoral  is,  in  the  south-east;  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  it  must  have  strong  heat  in 
London,  and  then  it  would  not  flower,  and  likely 
enough  it  would  soon  have  been  lost,  but  an  American 
gentleman  (begging  his  pardon)  who  was  over  here, 
took  a  fancy  to  it,  and  bought  several  of  the  batch, 
thinking,  no  doubt,  he  could  flower  it  before  the  Lon- 
doners; whether  he  did,  or  not,  I  know  not,  but  the 
year  after  he  sent  back  one  of  the  bulbs  to  Dr.  Herbert, 
who  understood  what  it  was  the  moment  he  saw  it,  and 
he  found  no  difiiculty  whatever  in  flowering  it.  Cybister 
is  the  oddest-looking  flower  among  the  Amaryllids;  the 
flower  hangs  down  in  front,  like  that  oH  formosissima ; 
the  lower  part  of  it,  or  lip,  keeps  the  drooping  posture, 
while  the  rest  of  the  sepals  or  petals  wave  a  good  deal, 
and  spread  outwards  and  upwards,  as  if  endeavouring 
to  regain  the  upright  position  which  it  held  when  in 
bud.  ^  At  first,  the  flower-bud  stands  erect,  but  when 

opening,  it  "  tumbles  down  "  to  the  drooping  posture, 

from  this  peculiarity  the  plant  has  been  named  "  the 
tumbler,"  which  is  the  meaning  of  cybister.  The  Tumbler 
produces  four  flowers  on  a  scape;  the  colour  is  of  three 
shades— blood-red  at  bottom,  and  lighter  red,  with  a 
greenish  tinge  above.  It  is  a  native  of  Bolivia,  and 
was  introduced  in  1838  or  183'J. 

_  SPEEKELIA  CYBISTEE  var.  BEEVIS. 

About  the  same  time  (1840)  that  Dr.  Herbert  flowered 
the  Tumbler,  Mr.  Knight,  of  the  King's  Road,  flowered 
anotiier  bulb  from  the  batch  of  Bolivian  bulbs,  which, 
on  being  compared  to  the  Tumbler,  was  found  to  be  only 
a  variety  of  it  with  shorter  flowers.  To  show  how 
neai-ly  these  Tumblers  bring  Sprekelia  to  Hippeaster,  and 
to  raise  the  question.  Will  the  two  unite  by  crossincr?  I 
may  state,  that  Dr.  Lindley,  before  he  was  aware  ol'  the 
existence  of  the  real  Tumbler,  had  named  this  short- 
flowered  variety  of  it  from  Mr.  Knight,  Hipjjeastrum 
anomalum;  I  believe,  however,  that  he  has  given  np 
that  name  in  favour  of  the  lesser  Tumbler;  and  I  further 
believe,  that  if  Tumblers  wUl  breed  with  Hippeasters, 
that  the  old  //.  aulioum  would  be  as  good  as  any  to  try 
the  experiment  on;  and  also,  that  if  a  cross  is  obtained, 
the  seedlings  will  be  more  hardy  than  seedlings  of 
Aulioum  and  Vittatum,  or,  at  least,  fully  as  hardy. 

There  is  a  mystery  about  the  old  Jacobiea  Lily,  or 
Sprekelia  formosissima,  which  we  shall  never  fathom, 
but  it  tends  to  increase  the  chances  of  uniting  the  breed 
with  Hippeasters.     We  know  that  the  old  formosissima 


15S 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  I. 


was  cultivated,  for  many  years,  with  great  success  in 
the  front  of  pine-stoves,  when,  by  forcing  it  early  in 
February,  after  a  winter's  rest,  it  flowered  twice  tlie 
same  season, — in  the  spring  and  in  the  autumn.  It 
was  the  same  with  the  Coral  tree  (Erythrina  ciistagalli). 
When  I  was  a  boy,  these  two  wore  always  in  the  stove, 
rest  or  no  rest ;  and  the  gardener  who  lailed  to  flower 
them  twice  a-year  was  not  considered  -north  his  por- 
ridge. If  Amari/llis  vittata  of  those  days,  now  a  Ilippe- 
aster,  and  all  the  other  greenliouse  kinds  that  have 
sprung  from  it,  and  other  half-hardy  ones,  are  potted  in 
strong  yellow  loam  only,  they  will  bear  stove  heat  for 
years  and  years  without  any  injury.  I  know  of  no 
other  bulbs  about  which  so  much  can  be  said,  and  the 
fact  is  a  presumptive  evidence,  to  my  mind,  that  the 
Tumblers  must,  some  day  or  other,  lapse  into  Hip2^c- 
asters.     For  tlieir  cultivation,  see  imder  formosissima. 

SPEEKELIA  GLAUCA. 
This  is  a  much  handsomer  flower  than  either  of  the 
Tumblers,  and  if  seedlings  were  to  be  had  in  the  genus, 
this  glauca  might  well  be  supposed  to  be  only  a  cross 
from  Sprekelia  formoshsima  by  some  ligliter  species. 
The  flower  of  (jfauea  is  smaller  and  paler,  and  there  is 
a  pale  streak  along  the  middle  of  each  division  of  the 
flower.  The  leaves  are  narrow  and  very  glaucous  (milky- 
gi-een).  It  was  discovered,  in  Mexico,  by  Mr.  Hartweg, 
who  sent  it  to  the  Horticultural  Society,  with  whom  it 
'  flowered  in  May,  1S40.  The  other  kind,  cinnabarina, 
of  which  I  know  nothing  more  than  that  it  flowered 
with  Dr.  Herbert,  was  introduced,  and  flowered  about 
the  same  time;  so  that  all  the  new  Sprekelias  "  tumbled- 
in "  much  about  the  same  time,  and  that  after  we  had 
all  but  forgotten  when  or  whence  the  old  one  came. 

SPEEKELIA  FORMOSISSIMA. 

For  three-quarters  of  a  century  tbis  was  one  of  the 
commonest  bulbs  in  the  country,  and  no  one  Irtiew 
exactly  where  it  came  from  ;  but  from  the  nature  of  the 
plant  being  able  to  sustain  the  heat  of  the  stove,  it  held 
its  place,  while  hundreds  of  other  bulbs  were  introduced, 
lost,  and  forgotten,  because  they  could  not  bear  such 
heat.  Mr.  Skinner  at  last  found  it  in  Guatemala, 
whence  he  sent  it  home ;  and  much  about  the  same 
time,  I  unpacked  ha!f-a-bushel  of  the  bulbs,  from  the 
gatherings  of  M.  Galeotti,  in  Mexico,  under  the  patron- 
age of  Mr.  Parkinson,  then  our  Consul  in  Mexico,  so 
that  I  was  not  surprised  to  hear  of  the  locality  of  glauca. 
F'rom  this  batch,  I  had  a  bed  in  the  open  air,  and 
without  any  protection  whatever ;  and  the  bulbs  with- 
stood the  severest  frost  experienced  in  this  country  since 
1814.  Hence  my  beUef  that  this  old  -stove  bulb,  as  it 
was  once  considered  to  be,  is  as  hardy  as  a  Dutch 
Crocus;  but  yet  it  will  not  flower  without  ripening-off 
the  bulbs  in  warmer  earth  than  our  south  borders.  It 
is  a  perfect  evergreen,  if  you  choose  to  keep  it  watered 
in  the  greenhouse  during  the  winter,  but,  then,  it  will 
not  flower.  At  Melborne,  this  and  Valnlla  purpurea 
would  make  evergreen  beds,  and,  probably,  flower  as 
freely  as  TuUps. 

It  is  said  that  few  have  ever  heard  of  the  natural  death 
of  a  donkey,  and  I  believe  the  same  might  be  said  about 
the  Jacobaja  Lily.  It  will  grow  in  any  good  garden 
soil,  and  in  all  kinds  of  composts.  In  very  rich  or 
highly-manured  ground,  as  for  onions,  young  bulbs  of  it 
will  double  tlieir  size  in  one  season,  and  they  never  go 
to  rest  till  ten  degrees  of  frost  kills  the  leaves.  But  in 
a  damp  situation  they  will  go  with  much  less  frost,  or 
if  a  smart  frost  comes  close  upon  showery  weather  it  is 
the  same. 

Every  cross-breeder  in  Europe  has  tried  liis  hand  on 
it  scores  of  times  with  no  satisfactory  result;  neither  by 
its  own  pollen,  which  is  good,  nor  by  that  of  kindred 
bulbs,  has  it  produced  a  single  seed.     A  Mr.  Johnson, 


in  ISIO,  gave  out  that  his  seedling  A-mririjUh  Jolinsonii 
was  between  it  and  vittata,  but  that  mistake  has  been 
since  rectilied,  by  direct  experiment  on  ritlala  and 
regiiui,  which  produced  the  same  cross.  ^Ir.  'J'urner, 
the  curator  of  the  Botanic  Gardens,  at  Bury  St. 
Edmunds,  once  wrote  to  Mr.  Loudon  about  a  batch  of 
seedlings  from  formosissima,  but  I  could  never  learn 
more  of  them  when  I  was  in  Sufiblk. 

The  best  way  to  treat  this  and  the  other  species,  is  to 
flower  them  in  pots,  and  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over 
in  May,  to  turn  out  the  balls  under  a  south  wall,  or  the 
front  of  a  greenhouse,  or  stove,  in  rich  deep  soil,  not  too 
stifl';  to  give  them  water  in  dry  weather,  and  to  let  the 
frost  kill  the  leaves  in  the  autumn  ;  or,  if  there  is  no 
frost  to  the  end  of  November,  they  ought  to  be  taken 
up,  then  keeping  the  leaves  on,  and  spreading  out  bidbs 
and  leaves  to  dry  gently  in  any  dry,  warm  place;  a  late 
vinery  is  the  best  place  ;  but  after  a  week  or  ten  days, 
you  might  string  them  up  like  onions,  and  keep  them 
all  the  winter  in  the  kitchen.  They  certainly  like 
warmth  all  the  time  they  are  dry.  In  March,  some  of 
them  might  be  potted,  and  be  put  into  a  cucumber-bed 
to  start ;  the  flower-scape  comes  shortly  after  the  leaf, 
and  before  it  is  quite  open  remove  the  pot  to  in-doors, 
as  you  would  a  Hyacinth.  In  April,  put  a  succession  of 
them  to  work  the  same  way.  and  in  ^lay  the  same ;  or, 
if  you  like  it  better,  keep  them  dry  to  the  end  of  April, 
and  then  plant  them  out,  merely  covering  the  bulbs, 
and  they  will  all  flower  before  Midsummer;  only  one 
flower  to  a  scape  ;  but  a  strong  bulb  puts  out  two 
scapes ;  and  a  two-flowered  scape  has  been  seen  now 
and  then,  but  it  is  a  very  rare  thing. 

I  would  strongly  recommend  these  bulbs  to  every  one 
who  has  a  garden,  as  they  give  no  more  trouble  than 
common  border  Tulips,  and  there  is  a  great  chance  of 
novelties  by  crossing  the  Peruvian  Tumblers  with  the 
richer  Mexican  species. 

STRUMAEIA. 

The  bulbs  included  in  this  genus  are,  to  botanists,  the 
most  easy  to  distinguish  of  any,  from  the  swelling  or 
strumous  formation  of  the  bottom  of  the  style  in  all  of 
them.  This  swelling  of  the  lower  part  of  the  style,  and 
the  regularity  of  the  perianth  or  flower,  are  the  two 
private  marks  which  divide  them  from  Nerine.  Tlicy 
never  got  into  favour  in  cultivation,  and  very  few 
gardeners  know  anything  more  about  them  than  the 
mere  names.  Angustifolia  has  regular  flowers,  white, 
and  lined  or  streaked  with  red.  Truncata  difl'ers  from  it 
only  in  the  leaf  to  a  gardener's  eye.  LingiKcfoUa  is 
broader  in  the  leaf,  which  is  half-an-incli  wide,  than 
either  of  the  jtrcceding,  and  tho  white  flower  is  lined 
with  green.  Uiiihihtta,  at  flrst  sight,  looks  more  like  a 
Nerine,  tho  flower  being  imdulated  ;  but  tho  white 
colour  and  swelled  style  toll  it  to  be  a  Struiiairia. 

Part  of  the  stamens  adhere  (adnate)  to  tho  smaller 
part  of  tlie  style  in  all  of  them,  except  this  one,  in  which 
tho  stamens  are  free ;  tbis,  with  tlio  waved  flower,  brings 
undulata  very  near  to  Nerine,  and,  perhaps,  it  wo\dd 
cross  with  that  genus  ;  and  if  so,  its  ]nwe  white  blossoms, 
i'aintly  tipped  with  rod,  would  open  a  wide  liold  for  im- 
provement in  Nerine,  and  render  shades  and  blushes  in 
that  section  that  would  vie  with  Bella  Donna  itself 

S.  rubella,  with  a  red  flower,  comes  next  nearest  to 
Nerine,  and  the  rest  of  the  names  under  IStruiiatria,  in 
our  Dictionary,  belong  rather  to  Ilessea  and  Imlwiia. 

All  tlie  Slrumarias  rest  with  us  in  summer,  aud  grow 
from  October  to  May  or  June  :  and  require  exactly  the 
same  kind  of  treatment  as  Nerincs. 

TuYSA.NOTUs,  TraTO.MA,  and  Veltueuiia,  are  on  my 
list  of  half-hardy  bulbs  ;  but  they  are  not  bulbs, 
although  the  leaves  and  flowers  look  as  if  they  ought  to 
come  from  bulbs.  Anthericums,  Pallersonias,  and  many 
others,  have  tho  same  looks ;  and  a  man  might  bo  worse 


December  1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


159 


employed  than  in  gathering  together  all  such  plants— 
1  mean  on  paper— for  sorao  of  them  are  extremely 
pretty,  and  ought  to  be  better  known  as  half-hardy 
herbaceous  plants. 

TEITELEJA, 
Or  ratlier,  Tritelia,  as  it  is  sometimes  spelled,  is  a 
gauus  of  small,  hardy,  or  ail-but  hardy,  bulbs,  very 
closely  in  affinity  with  Brod'ucn,  and  not  unlike  it  in 
looks  and  habit.  The  old  OramUJlom,  sent  liome,  I 
believe,  by  Douglas,  from  North-West  America,  has 
been  lost,  'like  his  Oalocliorts,  long  ago.  Laxa  is  one  of 
the  prettiest  and  most  profuse  fiowerers  of  hardy  Lily- 
worts :  but  is  rather  difficult  to  keep  over  the  winter. 
I  think  this  is  also  one  of  Douglas's  bulbs,  and  1  fear 
it  has  gone  after  Orandijlora,  for  I  have  not  seen  it 
since  li-i-'iO,  when  I  lost  it  in  Herefordshire  Its  leaves 
are  long  and  narrow,  the  flower  scape  requires  support, 
the  umbel  being  too  heavy  for  it,  like  that  of  Milia 
hifiora,  which  came  out  at  the  same  time.  The  flowers 
are  of  a  rich  blue  colour,  and  from  twelve  to  twenty  of 
them  come  in  one  umbel.  I  had  it  in  almost  all  peat, 
and  that,  I  think,  was  the  death  of  it,  and  of  the  Calo-  \ 
chorti  as  well ;  and  I  seriously  warn  all  bulb  growers  to 
avoid  peat  as  much  as  possible,  till  they  arc  quite  sure 
of  a  new  bulb.  Unlfiora  is  something  like  a  Crocus  in 
habit,  bearing  one  flower  only  on  a  scape ;  the  colour  is 
a  licacy-blue.  Mr.  Low,  of  the  Clapton  Nursery,  intro- 
duced it  from  some  one  at  Buenos  Ayres;  but  it  is  a 
native  of  Mendoza,  where  Dr.  GilUes  found  it  long  since. 
The  yellow  one,  said  to  bo  from  Monte  Video,  I  never 
saw,  and  know  nothing  about  it. 

UECEOLINA  PENDULA. 

This  is  a  very  rare  bulb,  from  South  America,  high 
up  in  Peru,  and  I  am  not  aware  that  it  ever  flowered  in 
England.  Those  who  put  it  in  the  stove  soon  lost  it. 
It  is  so  much  like  Oriffinia  hyacmthiva  in  leaf,  that  any 
gardener  would  be  excused  ibr  treating  it  to  a  stove 
climate,  if  ho  did  not  know  that  it  was  a  half-hardy 
plant.  It  is  the  Crinum  urceolatmn  of  Ruiz ;  and  tliere 
is  another,  called  fulvea,  from  a  place  in  Peru  called 
Parcatiuanca.  This  has  not  flowered  here  either,  that 
I  know  of;  but,  from  the  dried  specimens  sent  over  by 
Matthews,  it  must  be  a  very  nice  plant,  with  five  flowers 
in  the  umbel — -and  they  not  unlike  some  Bomarea — with 
a  noble-looking  Griffinia-like  leaf,  having  the  foot-stalk 
full  four  inches  long,  with  a  broad  blade,  something  in 
the  way  of  the  bottom  leaves  of  the  new  Lilium  gigan- 
teum. 

WACHENnoKFiA,  Watsonia,  and  Wurmbea,  hare  been 
treated  of  among  "  Cape  Bulbs,"  therefore 

ZEriiYRANTHES, 

is  the  only  remaining  section  on  my  list;  and  the  first 
species  in  the  order  of  the  alphabet  is 

ZEPHYRANTHES  ATAMASCO. 
This  is  the  old  Amaryllis  Atamasco  of  Linnaeus,  and 
the  Atamasco  Lily  of  our  old  books.  At  the  time  (1737) 
Linna3us  published  his  Amaryllis  (Hort,  Clifibrt.  p.  135) 
all  the  species  which  he  knew  of  them,  and  whicli  were 
then  in  the  Cliffort  Garden,  have  since  turned  out  to 
belong  to  as  many  genera,  or  sections  of  tlie  great 
family,  as  Spreltelia,  Zqihymntlies,  Nerbie,  and  Oporan- 
thus.  Although  he  gave  the  name  "  because  Amaryllis 
was  the  Bella  Donna  of  Virgil,"  he  had  not  seen  the 
Bella  Donna  Lily  of  Italy,  and,  therefore,  could  not 
describe  the  type-plant  on  which  he  founded  the  genus. 
The  Atamasco  is  the  best  known  species  of  Zephyr- 
anthes  to  British  gardeners ;  and  those  who  know  thera 
not,  have  only  to  think  of  a  large  white  Crocus,  to  be  of 
a  bright  red  colour  in  the  bud,  and  pure  white  after 
opening,  and  they  at  once  have  the  Atamasco  Lily  in 


idea.  It  grows  in  any  good  garden  soil ,  but  if  it  is  to 
be  left  out  in  winter,  it  ought  to  bo  planted  in  white 
sand,  and  four  or  five  inches  deep.  Although  it  grows  in 
open  pastures  of  Virginia  and  Carolina,  it  is  apt  to  rot 
in  damp,  or  very  strong,  soil  with  us  in  winter. 

ZEPHYRANTHES   CANDIDA. 

This  is  also  a  well-known  and  a  perfectly  hardy  bulb, 
with  white  flowers  and  rush-like  leaves.  A  bunch  of 
white  Crocus  flowers  set  among  a  lot  of  small  Jonquil 
leaves  gives  a  good  idea  of  it.  It  is  a  native  of  Buenos 
Ayres,  but  is  much  hardier  than  Atamasco  ;  and  where 
it  does  well,  it  is  one  of  the  best  hardy  border  bulbs  we 
have,  flowering  all  the  summer,  until  stopped  by  the 
fi-ost,  and  the  leaves  hold  green  all  winter.  In  the 
chalky  soil,  at  Shrubland  Park,  it  increased  prodigiously, 
but  never  flowered  worth  a  button.  I  have  had  it,  how 
ever,  with  dozens  of  flowers  open  on  a  tuft  for  months 
together.  In  Buenos  Ayres  it  grows  in  such  abund- 
ance along  the  banks  of  the  great  La  Plata  river,  that 
the  shore  is  silvered  with  it  for  miles,  as  the  Cotton 
Grass  of  Scotland,  on  a  smaller  scale,  appears  on  the 
margins  of  bogs  and  swampy  ground. 

ZEPHYRANTHES  CAEINATA. 

This  is  my  own  favourite  of  all  the  genus.  The  flower 
is  of  great  substance,  large  for  such  a  small  plant,  and 
of  a  bright,  shining,  rose  colour,  expanding  widely  under 
a  bright  sun.  The  uariow  leaves  are  purple  at  the 
bottom,  and  look  exactly  like  those  of  a  small,  young 
oUset  of  Valotta  purpurea  minor.  It  delights  in  light 
sandy  loam,  and  flowers  in  May  and  June,  producing 
only  one  flower  on  a  scape,  like  all  the  species  of  this 
genus.  They  all  grow  and  flower  in  the  summer,  and 
go  to  rest  in  winter,  except  Candida. 

ZEPHYRANTHES   CHLOEOLEUCA. 
This  is  a  two-flowered  species  of  Hahranthus,  now 
called  Chilensis,  with  stout,  greenish-white  flowers,  about 
which  nothing  has  ever  been  known  in  cultivation. 

ZEPHYRANTHES   DRUMMONDI. 
This  is  the  same  as  Cooperia peduncidata,  supposed 
by  Donn  to  be  a  Zephyranth. 

ZEPHYRANTHES   MESOCHLOA. 
This  is  another  white  flowering  species,  i'rom  Buenos 
Ayres,  with  a  greenish-white  bottom  to  the  flower,  a 
little   stained  with  red  on  the  outside.     It  is  all  but 
hardy,  and  seeds  freely  on  a  south  border. 

ZEPHYRANTHES   ROSEA. 

Another  very  pretty  little  bulb,  from  the  high  moun- 
tains in  Cuba,  and  likes  a  warm  situation,  or  to  be  kept 
in  a  pot  in  the  greenhouse.  It  is  much  in  the  way  of 
Oarinata,  but  with  a  smaller  flower. 

ZEPHYRANTHES   STRIATA. 

This,  and  another  one  much  like  it,  called  Ackermani, 
is  a  variety  of  Verecunda.  The  three  are  from  Mexico, 
or  Guatemala.  They  have  white  flowers,  tinged  with 
red  belbre  they  expand,  wliicii  they  do  quite  flat  on  a 
hot  day.  They  are  very  free  flowering  bulbs,  and  last  a 
long  time  in  bloom  ;  and  each  flower  is  succeeded  by  a 
seed  pod,  and  the  seedlings  flower  early,  with  very  little 
attention. 

ZEPHYRANTHES  TUBISPATHA. 

This  is  rather  a  stove  bidb,  from  the  Blue  Mountains, 
in  Jamaica,  with  white  flowers  that  are  greenish  below. 

ZEPHYRANTHES  VERECUNDA. 
This  is  incidentally  mentioned  above  tinder  Striata; 
a  desirable  pretty  border  bulb. 


160 


THE   COTTAGE    GAllDENER. 


December  1. 


OTHER  ZEPHYEANTHS. 

There  are  several  move  species  of  this  genus  known 
to,  aud  described  by,  botanists  and  ti'avellers,  but  tbcy 
are  either  not  in  cultivation,  or  little  known  if  they  are. 
The  whole  race  delir;ht  in  light,  rich,  sandy  loam;  and 
if  they  are  grown  ia  pots,  large  upright  :32'3  are  the 
best  for  them,  aud  from  three  to  seven  bulbs  might  be 
put  in  each  pot,  and  no  peat  or  leaf-mould  should  be 
used  in  the  compost.  In  the  East  Indies,  and  m  Aus- 
tralia, all  of  theui  would  answer  for  Crocuses.  Candida, 
carinata,  rosea,  and  the  varieties  of  verecunda,  are  the 
best  as  a  selection  of  them.  D.  Beaton. 

YAGAKIA. 

This  (omitted  in  its  proper  place)  is  the  only  genus 
in  the  whole  series  with  which  1  found  myself  at  fault ; 
and  in  rtturning  thanks  to  two  or  three  individuals  who 
assisted  me  out  of  a  fix,  here  aud  there,  with  some 
obscure  species,  I  must  add,  that  I  could  not  find  a 
gardener,  or  amateur,  who  could  define  Vagar'ut,  or 
even  conjecture  which  is  Vagaria  proper.  What  I 
always  took  for  Vagaria  is  the  Spanish  bulb  called 
Lapiendra,  with  the  wliite  band  in  tlie  leaf,  and  I  made 
some  enquiries  about  it  in  The  Cottage  Gardener 
some  time  siucc.  I  ouce  thought  I  had  it  by  the  ear 
through  a  geutleman  well  known  as  Dodman  ;  but,  uo ; 
not  yet.  1  knew  that  Dr.  Herbert  cancelled  Ids  Vayaria 
long  since,  on  receiving  what  he  took  to  be  its  type, 
Pancratium  parvijlonitn,  from  the  Garden  of  Plants  in 
Paris.  I  kuew,  also,  that  Dr.  Lindley  re-opened  the 
genus  Vagaria  on  receiving  the  true  Pancratium  parvi- 
florum,  of  Redoute's  Liliacees.  Here  was  a  fix  ;  and  to 
one  who  knows  the  botheration  caused  by  "  Answers  to 
Correspondents,"  to  those  whose  time  is  of  the  utmost 
value,  it  was  hard  to  trouble  the  author  of  the  second 
Vagaria;  but  a  less  authority  could  not  unfix  me;  aud 
now  I  have  to  thank  Dr.  Lindley  for  putting  me  ou  the 
right  scent.  "  I  regard  it  as  perfectly  certain,"  he  re- 
plies, "  that  my  Vagaria  and  Redoute's  Pancratium 
parvijiorum  (as  to  the  flowers)  are  identical :  but  his 
leaves  are  evidently  represented  from  some  other  plant, 
as  so  often  happens  when  flowers  aud  leaves  are  not 
co-extaneous,"  or  produced  together.  "  Lapiendra  is,  no 
doubt,  a  very  different  thing." 

VAGARIA   PARYIFLORA 

Is  now  ascertained,  beyond  a  doubt,  to  be  a  native  of 
South  America,  having  been  recently  introduced  from 
Bogota  by  C.  B.  AVarner,  Esq.  The  leaves  are  broad 
above,  and  narrow,  or  petiolated,  at  bottom,  like  those 
of  Oriffinia ;  but  the  nearest  affinity  is  to  Eurijclcs. 
"  Certainly  it  is  no  Pancratium."  "  The  flowers  are 
small,  firm,  white,  with  a  greenish  tube,"  and  five  of 
them  form  the  innhel.  It  is  a  greenhouse  bulb,  and 
does  best  in  sandy  loam  and  a  little  rotten  dung. 

D.  B. 


SEASONABLE  LITTLE  MATTERS. 
Since  writing  last  week,  what  changes  we  have  had  ! 
a  sharpish  frost  at  one  time,  an  April  day  at  another. 
The  beauty  of  the  flower-garden  is  now  over  for  this 
season,  though,  six  days  ago,  on  the  Kith  instant. 
Dahlias,  Ageratums,  Pcnstemoiis.  Calceolarias,  Cuphcas, 
Fuchsias,  &o.,  were  very  beautiful.  A  few  days  pre- 
viously, aud  even  the  ilelintrope  was  more  sweet  aud 
beautifvd  than  in  June.  The  flowers  of  all,  except, 
perhaps,  the  Penstemons.  are  now  injured,  although  the 
foliage  of  many,  as  Scarlet  Geraniums,  shrubby  Calceo- 
larias, &c.,  are  little  the  worse  for  the  changes  of  weather 
they  have  passed  through.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  wet 
dull  weather  preceding  filling  tlie  young  shoots  witli 
watery  fluid,  the  frost  would  have  exercised  less  injuiy 


than  it  has.  Like  our  correspondents,  who  are  now 
eagerly  inquiring  what  they  are  to  do  with  their  plants, 
we  should  feel,  that  if  such  matters  had  not  received 
previous  attention,  we  should  be  alluding  to  them  now- 
even  past  the  eleventh  hour.  Aud  yet,  for  the  sake  of 
beginners,  who  are  really  Cottage  Gardeners,  I  am  tempted 
to  advert  to  a  few  little  matters  that  are  all-important 
to  them. 

SCARLET   GERANIUMS. 

This  red  blazer  is  still  an  universal  favoiu'ite.  For  the 
florists'  Pelargoniums  for  windows,  a  fair  friend  told  me, 
she  had  found  such  benefit  from  the  details  of  Aunt 
Harriet's  system,  that  she  troubled  herself  but  little 
about  other  articles.  It  always  gives  me  a  spice  of 
pleasure  to  find  that  some  one  else  has  been  more 
suoccsfnl  in  popularising  the  minutire  of  plant  culture 
than  I  have  been  able  to  be.  I  have  found  that  the 
description,  by  the  same  writer,  of  "  Hari-y  More's" 
system  of  managuig  Scarlet  Geraniums  in  pots  or  boxes 
—keeping  the  plants  in  the  same  boxes  I'or  years,  and 
removing  them  to  any  dry  place  secure  from  frost  before 
they  were  injured — is  the  best  for  securing  abundant 
bloom  in  windows  aud  balconies.  If  the  soil  is  pretty 
moist  at  storing-away  time,  and  if  then  the  pots  or 
boxes  are  covered  with  moss  or  dry  hay,  and  a  little 
of  the  latter  is  left  ready  to  throw  over  the  tops  in  a 
very  frosty  time,  little  more  will  be  required  until 
JIarch,  when  any  shrivelled  shoots  may  be  removed, 
the  plants  be  placed  nearer  light,  and  have  their  stems 
syringed  or  sponged  with  milk-warm  water.  In  April, 
a  little  surface-soil  may  he  scraped  off,  the  soil  moved 
with  a  pointed  stick  to  allow  air  to  enter,  then  watered, 
pruned  a  little  where  necessary,  and  surfaced  with  fresh, 
rather  rich  soil,  and  the  same  plants  will  bloom 
better  and  better  every  year.  I  have  found  no  plan 
more  certain  and  economical  than  this. 

But  some  of  our  friends,  who  ask  questions  how  they 
are  to  manage  these  plants,  in  damp  cellars  and  dry 
cellars,  in  close  garrets  and  dry  gan'ets,  say,  aud  with 
truth,  that  this  is  no  direct  answer  to  them,  when  their 
plants  are  not  now  in  boxes,  but  have  been  growing  in 
the  open  ground.     Well,  even  here,  those  possessing  no 
I  glass  will  find  it  best  to  imitate,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
Harry  More  system.     I  have  hung  plants  up  in  dan)p 
■  cellars,   and   they   moulded  and  rotted.     I   have  hung 
j  them  up  in  dry  cellars  and  garrets,  and  they  became 
I  mummy-dried.     I  have  packed  the  roots  in  damp  moss, 
I  and  left  the  to])s  exposed,  unless  in  severe  frost,  and 
[  had  few  failures.     I  have  taken  them  up  in  ban-owfuls 
I  to  the  rubbish  heap — there  cut  off  all  the  soft  part  of 
{  the  green  shoots,  and  every  leaf;  shortened   the  long 
I  roots  to  some  six  inches  in  length ;  dipped  the  tops,  and 
j  especially  the  cut  parts,  in  a  pot  of  quick-lime ;    and 
then  packed   the  roots,  as  close  as  the  stems   woidd 
squeeze  together,  in  wooden  boxes,  and  in  soil  slightly 
moist,  the  latter  being  placed  rather  firm;  aud  then 
taken  these  boxes  to  any  out-ofthe-way  place,  rather  dry, 
and  where  there  could  he  a  little  light  admitted  on  fine 
days,  and  covering  thrown  over  all  when  the  weather 
was  severe.     In  such  boxes  we  used  to  have  some  fail- 
ures,  but,   on  the   whole,   the   system   answered   well. 
Those  who  had  convenience  might  pot  them  separately, 
in  April,  and  coax  them  forward  in  tlieir  windows  ;  and 
those  who  had  not  that  convenience  would  have  to  tliin 
them  out  as  soon  as  the  tops  became  a  thicket — placing 
some  under  a  temporary  protection,  and  others  in  beds, 
to  be  protected  tlicre.       The  minutire  here  arc  every- 
thing.     The  removing  of  tlie  green  parts  aud   leaves 
lessens  the  evaporating  surface,  and  takes    awny    the 
parts  likely  to  damp  or  shrivel;  this  damping  and  bleed- 
ing are  farther  prevented  by  the  action  of  the  quick- 
lime.    The  older  parts  of  the  stem  contain  a  storehouse 
of  organisable  matter,  which  only  require  the  stimuli  of 


Deof.jiber  1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


101 


beat  and  moistuve  to  soud  out  plenty  of  shoots  and 
roots.  The  less  the  means  for  protection,  the  later  in 
tlie  spring  should  the  growing  processes  take  place. 

There  is  yet  a  better  mode  for  those  who  have  any 
glass,  say  a  two-light  cueuniber-bo.x,  or  any  amount  of 
glass  in  a  cold  pit,  at  liberty.  I  adopted  it  last  season, 
and  1  did  not  lose  one  out  of  a  hundred,  though  many 
hundreds  were  thus  saved.  1  feel  convinced,  that  when 
the  superiority  of  such  plants  for  blooming  freely  over 
young  plants  struck  during  last  summer  and  autumn, 
and  the  less  than  a  tithe  of  the  trouble,  in  com- 
parison with  young  plants,  which  they  involve,  as  the 
latter  must  be  picked,  and  aired,  and  watered,  while  the 
former  will  need  a  very  minimum  of  attention,  and  may, 
while  in  their  dormant  state,  be  squeezed  pretty  well  as 
closely  as  a  bundle  of  sticks,  and  may  be'  placed  in  little 
room;  I  jeel  oonviuoecl,  that  when  all  this  is  known, 
fewer  Scarlet  Geraniums  will  be  consigned  to  the 
rubbish  lieap. 

For  this  plan,  we  arrange  and  ])repare  the  jjlants 
exactly  as  detailed  above,  leaving  not  a  single  leaf 
on,  and  taking  away  all  the  greenest  points  of  tlie 
shoots,  and  well  peppering  these  out  points  with  lime. 
Plants,  alter  two  years  from  the  cutting,  when  growing 
out-of-doors,  are  apt  to  become  too  uuwieldy.  While 
the  plants  are  thus  being  prepared,  tiie  pit  or  bed  is 
made  ready  for  their  i-eception — a  small  heap  of  dung 
and  leaves  has  been  previously  thrown  together,  so  as  to 
get  a  brisk  heat,  and  yet  entail  a  small  amount  of  de- 
composition. Eight  to  twelve  inches  tln'ck  of  this 
material  was  spread  quicldy  along  the  bottom  of  the  pit, 
and, 'to  prevent  the  heat  it  contained  getting  into  the 
atmosphere  at  once,  a  thickness  of  about  four  inches  of 
dry  sandy  earth  was  quickly  spread  over  it.  This  earth 
had  been  kept  dry  in  a  rude  shed  on  purpose.  A  small 
quantity  of  this  earth  is  scraped  back  at  one  end,  on 
this  a  row  of  plants  is  placed  as  thick  as  they  can  stand, 
earth  is  placed  over  and  among  their  roots ;  another 
row,  as  thick  and  close  to  the  other  as  the  stems  can  be 
made  to  interlace  or  press  together,  is  proceeded  with  in 
a  similar  manner,  until  the  space  or  the  quantity  is 
finished.  Now,  the  miuutite  liere  are  of  importance. 
If  we  had  placed  the  roots  in  soil  at  the  bottom  at  once 
there  would  have  been  a  chance  of  damp  injuring  them ; 
and  if  exposed  to  much  sun  the  tops  would  break  before 
there  were  roots  to  support  them.  If  wet,  moist  dung 
had  been  used,  the  same  dangers  from  damp  would  have 
followed  ;  if  too  much  of  it,  tlie  plants  would  have  been 
prematurely  excited,  and  then  we  should  have  had  to 
keep  the  plants  in  a  growing  state  all  the  winter.  The 
small  quantity  used,  and  that  in  rather  a  fresh  state,  kept 
the  roots  from  a  damp  bottom,  and  just  presented  a 
snfBoieut  stimulus  to  call  out  some  fresh  fibres ;  the 
lower  part  of  the  soil  was  moistzned  by  the  moisture 
rising  from  the  fermenting  matter  while  the  surface-soil 
was  dry,  and  thus,  so  far  as  the  moisture  in  the  atmos- 
phere would  admit,  insuring  a  dry  air  among  the  stems. 
When  all  was  finished,  a  little  moi'e  dry  earth,  contain- 
ing a  little  lime  and  charcoal  dust,  was  thrown  all  over 
them,  and,  with  the  exception  of  opening  the  sashes  for 
a  little  air  in  fine  sunny  days,  and  two  or  three  times  a 
mere  dusting  of  water  from  the  syringe,  and  protection 
from  frost,  they  gave  no  more  trouble  during  the  winter, 
not  having  received  a  drop  of  water  at  the  roots.  For 
from  three  to  four  months  these  plants  wore  kept  so 
cool  and  dry  that  they  presented  to  the  uninitiated  a 
mere  mass  of  dead  branches.  As  the  sun  gained 
strength  in  March  they  began  to  break  all  over  into 
leaf;  and  by  April,  at  farthest,  it  became  necessary  to 
thin. them;  potting  some,  and  after  putting  a  good 
handful  of  earth  about  the  roots  of  others,  wrapping 
each  separately  in  a  handful  of  moss.  These  were 
placed  in  the  best  conveniences  comeatable — houses, 
pits,  all  sorts  of  covers — and  got  turued-out,  moss  and 


all,  about  the  middle  of  May  ;  a  few,  from  their  size, 
making  an  appearance  in  a  bed  at  once.  We  have 
preserved  all  the  older  variegated  and  Ivy-leaved  kinds 
in  a  similar  manner ;  but  they  enjoy  a  slightly  higher 
temperature  than  the  older  Scarlets ;  and  while  in  cold 
pits  the  atmosphere  requires  to  be  equally  dry,  the 
roots  must  have  more  moisturo  given  them ;  in  other  i 
words,  they  will  require  watering  several  times  during 
the  winter.  In.  then'  case,  likewise,  however,  it  will  be 
generally  found,  that  the  old  plants  bloom  more  pro- 
fusely than  the  young  ones. 

LARGE   PLANTS   OF   SHRUBBY   CALCEOLARIAS 
IN   l^OTS. 

"  I  saw  a  number  of  showy  plants  of  yellow  Calceo- 
larias in  the  large  conservatory  of  the  Horticultural 
Society.  When  1  attempt  to  grow  some  on  in  pots, 
they  will  always  get  shabby."  Just  so;  the  plants 
delight  in  plenty  of  moisturo  and  comparative  coolness 
at  the  roots.  They  will  not  long  endure  a  scorching 
sun  upon  a  red  pot.  In  this  coldish,  wet  autumn, 
we  have  never  seen  the  Yellow  Calceolarias  more 
beautiful,  indorsing  all  that  has  been  said  in  this  work 
of  the  climate  they  naturally  enjoy.  Now,  by  carefully 
lifting  some  of  the  nicest  plants  from  the  beds,  potting 
them,  and  keeping  them  in  a  cold  pit,  or  in  a  cool 
greenhouse,  nice  plants  in  bloom  may  be  obtained  from 
April  to  July.  But  the  best  mode  is  to  strike  a  pot  of 
cuttings  late  in  May,  and  in  June  plant  them  out  in  an 
open,  rich  border,  and  lift  the  plants  carefully,  and  pot 
them  in  October. 

SHRUBBY  CALCEOLARIA  CUTTINGS. 

"  I  put  in  these  at  the  end  of  September  and  the 
beginning  of  October,  but  they  are  not  yet  all  struck. 
Shall  I  give  them  artificial  heat  to  hasten  the  process  ?" 
Better  not  to  any  extent;  they  must  have  time  in  au- 
tumn. Our  own,  on  a  north  border,  under  some  old 
sashes,  are  not  yet  all  struck,  but  they  are  quite  healthy, 
and  sure  to  be  all  right,  if  left  long  enough  alone. 
I'^om  the  day  they  were  inserted,  and  watered,  and 
covered,  they  have  had  nothing  done  to  them,  until 
about  a  week  ago  some  grass  that  had  taken  leave  to 
grow  was  extracted,  and  dining  several  of  tliese  frosty 
nights  a  little  litter  has  been  thrown  over  the  glass. 
The  old  sashes  being  rather  open,  and  the  weather 
having  proved  rather  dull  and  wet,  neither  air-giving, 
nor  shading,  nor  watering,  has  ever  troubled  them. 
Moss  was  growing  between  the  thick-set  plants,  all 
beaded,  even  in  the  afternoon,  with  dew-drops,  and  the 
Calceolarias  seemed  rather  to  enjoy  it.  In  our  excessive 
kindness  in  giving  these  plants  heat  and  dryness,  we 
haveinsured,  as  has  already  been  demonstrated,  a  sickly 
vegetation  and  abundance  of  insects.  Were  I  under 
the  necessity  of  having  large  plants  of  these  in  bloom 
early  in  summer,  in  greenhouses,  I  would  keep  the  pots 
as  much  as  possible  from  the  sun,  by  shading,  or  plung- 
ing them,  either  in  soil,  moss,  &o. ;  expose  the  plant  to 
all  the  light  it  could  get,  and  plenty  of  aii-,  when- 
ever the  temperature  was  a  few  degrees  above  freezing; 
and  whenever  water  was  wanted,  using  that  liquid  in 
a  cool  state,  and  not  only  at  the  roots,  but  literally 
all  over  the  foliage.  The  same  low  temperature, 
moisture,  and  freedom  from  a  stagnant  atmosphere,  are 
the  essentials  requisite  for  cuttings  and  young  plants  in 
autumn.  When,  at  times,  any  of  them  do  damp  or 
mould  off,  this  is  less  the  result  of  mere  moisture  than 
a  stagnant  atmosphere  loaded  with  malaria.  At  the 
request  of  many  who  have  been  unfortunate  with  these 
ornaments  —  without  which  now  our  flower-gardens 
would  be  blank  indeed — I  have  reverted  to  these  simple 
matters.  Many  have  asked  if  I  kept  such  young  plants 
in  such  a  rioketty  concern  all  the  winter  ?  This  I  have 
not  yet  done,  as  in  severe  weather  I  should  want  so 


163 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  1. 


much  material  to  keep  frost  out.  I  gonerally  raise  aud 
plant  tliem  tlrickly  in  shallow,  narrow,  wooden  boxes, 
which  are  tlien  placed  iu  similar  circumstances,  or  in 
an  empty  lionse,  but  witli  a  south  aspect,  or  one 
south-east  or  south-west,  which  thus  permits  more 
air  to  be  given,  aud  makes  the  plants  more  robust. 
Where  there  is  a  little  room  to  spare  in  a  cold 
pit  or  frame,  a  few  old  plants  taken  up  with  good  balls, 
and  planted  in  earth  as  close  as  they  will  stand,  would 
furnish  a  nice  supply  of  young  shoots  in  March  aud 
April,  which,  as  cuttings,  would  staike  them  in  a  slight 
hotbed  in  as  many  days  as  weeks  would  be  required  in 
autumn.  Unless  for  this  purpose,  and  the  large  speci- 
mens referred  to  above,  this  seems  all  the  use  tliat  old 
Calceolaria  plants  are  fitted  for,  as  with  half  the  attention, 
those  tiny  things  struck  in  autumn  will  beat  these  older 
onss  hollow  for  symmetry  aud  beauty  before  the  middle 
of  July  has  arrived. 

Some  otlicr  friends  have  asked  me,  why  I  place  these 
cuttings  on  a  north  border  at  all  in  autumn ;  if  1 
practice  moving  tlicm  to  a  more  southern  aspect  in 
winter?  Just  for  conveniiiico  sake,  and  the  saving 
of  labour,  place  them  at  ouco  on  a  south  aspect,  say 
in  the  end  of  September;  and  suppose  you  have  a 
sunny  October,  just  calculate  how  many  journeys  you 
must  have  after  them,  to  water,  syringe,  shade,  and 
remove  shade,  all  of  which  labour  is  reduced  next 
to  nothing  when  the  cuttings  are  placed  on  a  north 
aspect.  In  a  good  frame,  they  would,  no  doubt,  stand 
there  secure  all  the  winter;  but,  for  the  reasons  named, 
I  prefer  moving  tlieui  about  the  end  of  November. 
Towards  tlie  beginning  of  April  they  arc  planted  on  a 
south  or  west  border,  with  protection,  and  form  nice 
stubby  plants  by  the  middle  of  May.  R.  Fisu. 


STOVE  FERNS, 

(Contliiiied  from  parje  144.) 
CYRTOPHLEBIUM. 

A  WELL-DEFINED  gcuus  of  Stove  Fcms,  formed,  by  Mr. 
J.  Smith,  from  Polypodimn.  Tlie  name  is  derived  from 
kyrtos,  curved,  and  plielbs,  a  vein ;  all  the  principal 
veins  being  beautifully  curved  upwards,  and  the  mid  \ 
Yeins  between  them  curved  also.  Tliere  are  two  seed- 
cases  on  each  of  tlie  middle  veins.  These  may  be  con- 
sidered the  peculiar  characters  by  wliich  any  of  the 
species  may  be  known  to  belong  to  the  genus. 

C.  ANGUSTIFOLIUM  (Narrow-leaved). — A  Soutli  Ameri- 
can Fern.  Fronds  long  and  naiTow,  growing  thickly  on  a 
short  rhizoma.     Increased  by  division. 

C.  DECUKRENs  (Dccurrout). — A  ratlior  tall-growing, 
handsome  Fern,  from  the  Brazils.  Tlie  fronds  grow 
from  two  to  three  feet  higli,  and  are  pinnated,  each 
pinna3  are  from  si.x.  to  eight  inches  long,  according  to 
the  size  of  the  frond.  As  tliis  Fern  grows  erect  and 
compact,  it  may  be  grown  in  a  moderate-sized  stove. 
Readily  increased  by  division. 

C.  NiTiDUJi  (Shining). — Of  all  tire  genus,  this  is  the 
most  upright  and  stitf-growing  species.  As  it  is  a  native 
of  the  West  Indies  it  requires  the  heat  of  the  stove. 
The  ft'onds  are  often  two  feet  long,  and  of  a  shining 
deep  green  colour,  growing  on  a  sliort,  blunt,  scaly,  and 
creeping  rhizoma.  I  have  gi'own  this  Fern  very  suc- 
cessfuUy  in  a  deep  shade  i'ar  from  the  roof,  where  it 
served  to  hide  the  naked  stems  of  several  tall  plants  of 
Ficus  elastica.  The  peculiar  form  of  the  veins  is  the 
least  seen  in  this  species.     Increased  slowly  by  division. 

C.  PHYLuiiDis  (Hart's-tonguo).  —  A  West  Indian 
Fern,  with  simple  fronds.  Similar  to  tlie  last-named 
species,  but  the  leaves  are  narrower,  rather  longer,  and 
undulate,  or  wavey,  paler  greeu,  and  more  leathery,  aud 
it  attains  a  larger  magnitude.     Requires  frequently  re- 


potting, or  it  will  become  pot-botmd.  I  have  bad  a 
plant  fill  a  pot  densely  with  its  feathery  roots  in  a 
month's  time.  If  kept  too  long  in  tlie  same  pot  it  then 
requires  so  much  water  to  keep  it  from  flagging  that 
the  earth  becomes  sodden,  and  the  fine  roots  perish  ; 
the  plant  becomes  sickly,  and  the  leaves  lose  their 
bright  geecn,  becoming  of  a  yellowish  hue.  This  is, 
indeed,  the  case  with  most  Ferns,  but  more  especially 
with  the  species  belonging  to  this  genus. 

C.  KEi'ENS  (Creeping). — A  West  Indian  Fern,  with  a 
creeping  rhizoma  running  to  a  considerable  distance. 
The  fronds  ai'e  simple,  that  is,  not  cut  or  pinnated  ; 
each  leaf  reclines,  whereas  all  the  others  stand  erect. 
In  addition  to  this  ample  specific  distinction,  the  upper 
side  of  the  frond  is  covered  with  white  scales.  It  is  a 
proper  plant  to  ornament  rock-work,  or  to  plant  on  a 
rustic  block  of  wood,  or  even  to  place  in  a  rustic  basket. 
Increased  very  plentifully  by  its  creeping  rhizoma. 

DICTYOGLOSSUM. 

Divided  from  Acrostichimi  by  Mr.  Smith.  The  dis-  | 
tinguisbing  characteristic  of  tlie  genus  consists  in  the  | 
seed-cases  lieing  densely  scattered  over  the  under  surface 
of  the  fertile  fronds,  excepting  on  the  margin,  which  is 
clear  of  them.  The  name  is  derived  from  diltlijon,  a 
net,  and  glossa,  a  tongue,  alluding  to  the  veins  crossing 
aud  re-crossing  each  other,  and  the  tongue-like  shape  of 
the  fertile  fronds.     There  is  only  one  species,  namely  ; — 

D.  CRiNmur  (Hairy). — A  curious  hairy  Fern,  from 
that  rich  island  of  Ferns,  Jamaica.  The  fertile  fronds 
are  very  distinct  irom  the  barren  ones;  besides  being 
seed-bearing,  they  have  a  stem,  or  stipe,  six  or  eight 
inches  high,  which,  as  well  as  the  upper  side  of  the 
frond,  is  covered  with  narrow  black  hairs.  The  leaf 
itself  is  oval,  tapering  to  the  point,  whereas  the  barren 
frond  is  more  broadly  lanceolate.  Both  grow  about  a 
foot  long,  and  eight  inches  broad  at  the  widest  part. 
The  fronds  arc  placed  upon  a  stout,  creeping  rhizoma, 
by  which  it  may  be  increased,  though  hut  slowly,  by 
division.  Though  a  broad-leaved  Fern,  it  grows  within 
a  small  compass,  and,  therefore,  is  suitable  for  a  mode- 
rate-sized stove. 

DirLAZIUM. 

In  this  geuus,  formed  by  Professor  Swartz,  the  culti- 
vator of  Ferns  will  liud  several  that  he  has  known  as 
Asplcniums.  They  are  separated  on  account  of  the  seed- 
cases  being  placed  in  pairs,  with  each  back  opposite, 
on  a  single  small  vein  ;  hence  its  characteristic  name, 
from  dipla:o,  to  double. 

I).  ARBOREscENs  (Treelike). — A  tall  Fci-u  from  St. 
Helena,  nearly  hardy  enough  for  the  greenhouse.  It 
grows  beautifully  planted-out  in  a  sliady  part  of  a  con- 
servatory. Fronds  bipinnato ;  the  lower  pinna)  spread 
out,  the  upper  ones  gradually  shortening  in.  They 
grow  three  feet  long,  and  are  of  a  pleasing  light  greeu. 
The  leaves  are  cut  at  the  edges.  The  stems  are  scaly, 
and  tho  root-stock  is  erect.  It  must  be  increased  by 
seeds. 

D.  coARCTAiuM  (Close -pressed). — A  handsome  Bra- 
zilian Fern,  reaching  a  foot-and-a  half  in  height.  The 
fronds  are  pinnate ;  the  pinnse  with  a  foot-stem  to  each ; 
tho  leaves  are  cut  at  the  edges,  and  thickly  set,  or  close 
pressed  on  the  stem.  The  root-stock  is  erect,  conse- 
quently cannot  be  divided,  and,  therefore,  the  species 
must  be  increased  by  seeds. 

D.  DECussATUJr  (Crossed). — This  is  tho  Asjilenium 
dt'aK.isiitiim  of  Wallich.  It  is  an  East  Indian  species, 
rather  coarse  in  habit,  but  a  free  grower.  I'ronds  [lin- 
uato,  and  covered  with  woolly-like  hairs.  It  grows 
three  foot  liigli,  and  is  easily  increased  by  its  creeping 
rhizoma. 

D.  .lUGLANUiFOLUui  (Waluut-leavcd). — This  is  a  well- 
known   South   American   Fern.      Perhaps  the   largest 


December  1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


163 


cultivated  spocimon  is  growing  in  the  same  house  as 
\  the  Amherstid  nobilis,  at  Ealing  Park  (Mrs.  Lawrence's). 
It  is  flvo  foot  high  and  as  much  through.  In  general, 
it  does  not  grow  more  than  two  foet  high.  The  fronds 
ai'e  pinnate,  aud  of  a  bright  green ;  leaves  large,  and 
slightly  cut;  rootstock  bundled,  that  is,  many  heads  of 
fronds  set  upon  it.  One  or  more  of  these,  taken  off' 
close  to  the  base,  and  placed  in  pots,  under  a  handlight, 
in  heat,  soon  emit  roots,  and  form  good  plants. 

D.  Otites  (Otitcs). — A  Brazilian  Fern  of  considerable 
beauty.  The  Asplenium  Otitcs  of  Link.  Fronds 
eighteen  inches  long,  pinnate,  and  of  a  lively  green  ; 
margin  deeply  cut.  The  stem  is  scaly,  and  is  placed 
upon  an  erect  root-stock,  consequently,  requires  to  be 
increased  by  seed. 

D.  PLANTAGtNEUM  (Plautain-leavod). — The  only  one 
of  the  genus  with  simple  fronds.  It  is  from  the  West 
Indies,  and  is  of  a  dwarf  habit,  producing  young  plants 
from  the  base  of  the  frond.  Tlie  fronds  are  nearly  all 
fertile.  On  account  of  its  dwarf  habit  it  is  suitable  for 
small  collections.  Increased  in  the  same  way  as  D. 
juglancUfolium,  or  by  its  buds  at  the  base  of  the  fronds. 

D.  Shei'hebdu  (Mr.  Shepherd's).  —  A  beautiful 
Jamaica  Fern,  named  in  honour  of  the  late  Mr.  Shep- 
herd, of  the  Liverpool  Botanic  Gardens,  a  most  suc- 
cessful cultivator  of  the  tribe.  Fronds  pinnate,  growing 
a  foot  or  more  in  height ;  seed-cases  very  regularly  aud 
beautifully  arranged.  It  is  a  lovely  Fern,  and  may  be 
increased  by  division.  T.  Appleby. 

(To  be  continued.) 


THE  NARCISSUS. 


This  early-blooming  flower,  one  of  the  harbingers  of 
clear  skies  aud  fine  spring  weather,  is  an  universal 
favourite,  and  is  desirable  on  account  of  its  beauty, 
fragrance,  perfect  hardihood,  and  early  flowering.  As 
a  florists'  ilower,  the  species  have  been  hybridized  and 
greatly  improved.  The  Narcissus  may  be  divided  into 
three  classes,  as  follows  : — 

]  St.  The  Polyanthus  (Narcissus  Tazetta),  the  varieties 
of  which  ai'e  the  common  white,  the  sulphur,  and  the 
white  and  yellow.  Of  these  there  are  a  great  number  of 
named  kinds ;  such  as,  for  instance,  Orand  Monarque, 
Grand  Due,  Soliel  D'or,  and  Paper  White. 

2ud.  The  Jonquil  (N.  JonquillaJ,  is  named  from  its 
rush-liko  leaves.  Of  this  class  there  are  the  Single 
sweet-scented,  and  the  Double  sweet  large-flowered. 

3rd.  The  Daifodil  (N.  pseudo-narcissus  J  which,  in  its 
original  state,  is  found  wild  in  woods,  in  strong  soils,  in 
Britain.  Of  this  class  there  are  the  Common-double, 
the  Double,  with  white  petals  and  a  yellow  cup ;  the 
Least  Daffodil  {minor),  the  poeticus,  with  a  crimson 
edged  cup,  and  many  other  intermediate  varieties. 

E.  Leeds,  Esq.,  of  St.  Ann's,  Manchester,  has  lately 
bloomed  some  very  splendid  varieties,  some  of  which 
are  figured  in  the  "  Gardeners'  Magazine  of  Botany," 
(Moore  and  Ayres),  for  the  year  1851,  published  by 
W.  S.  Orr  and  Co.  As  Mr.  Leeds  has  successfully 
proved  that  this  flower  may  be  greatly  improved  by  the 
usual  methods  florists  resort  to  for  that  purpose,  and 
which  I  shall  describe  by-and  by,  I  think  the  com- 
mittees of  Floricultural  Societies  ought  to  afford  the 
encouragement  for  their  production  that  they  have  so 
effectively  done  to  the  Auricula,  Hyacinth,  and  other 
florists'  flowers.  For  early  spring  shows,  a  table  of 
Narcissi  would  bo  an  attractive  addition,  in  conjunction 
with  the  other  already-valued  early  prize  flowers. 

That  this  flower  can  be  greatly  improved,  we  have  the 
example  of  the  Dutch  florists,  as  well  as  that  of  Mr. 
Leeds,  mentioned  above;  and  in  order  to  induce  the 
readers  of  The  Cottage  Gakdeneb  to  enter  into  this 
almost  untried  field  (at  least  in  this  country),  I  shall 


endeavour  to  describe  the  means  and  method  they  ouglit 
to  adopt. 

I  shall  divide  the  subject  into  the  following  sections : 
1st.  The  Properties.  2nd.  Propagation.  3rd.  Winter 
Culture.     4th.  Summer  Culture. 

Section  1.  Properties  of  a  good  Narcissus. — This 
point,  every  cultivator  intending  either  to  grow  for 
competition,  or  to  improve  the  breed,  ought  to  study 
and  remember — 

1st.  The  stem  should  be  strong  enough  to  bear  the 
flower  erect  witliout  support. 

2nd.  'The  outer  petal  should  be  broad,  flat,  and  as 
round  as  possible ;  the  inner  petal,  or  nectary,  should 
be  cup-shaped,  perfectly  round  and  smooth  at  the  edges. 
If  edged  with  any  colour,  it  should  be  uniform,  not 
broken,  or  running  down  in  stripes  into  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  nectary.  The  other  colours  should  be  clear 
aud  bright. 

3rd.  Double  flowers,  such  as  the  Jonquil,  should  be 
perfectly  so ,  the  whole  forming  three  parts  of  a  ball, 
the  centre  being  well  filled  up. 

4th.  Varieties  bearing  many  flowers  on  each  stem,  such 
as  the  Single  Jonquil,  and  the  Polyanthus  Narcissus, 
should  have  the  short  flower-stems,  or  peduncles,  all 
nearly  of  the  same  length,  and  all  of  the  flowers  open 
at  the  same  time.  Each  pip  of  these  many-flowered 
varieties  should  have  all  the  properties  described  in  No.  2. 

2.  Propagation  :  hy  Seed  to  obtain  New  Varie- 
ties.— Here  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  Mr.  Deed's 
directions,  given  in  the  work  I  have  already  referred  to. 
Mr.  Leeds  says — "  To  obtain  good  varieties,  it  is  need- 
ful, the  previous  season,  to  plant  the  roots  of  some  of 
each  kind  in  pots,  and  to  bring  them  into  the  green- 
house in  spring  to  flower,  so  as  to  obtain  pollen  of  the 
late-flowering  kinds  to  cross  with  those  which  otherwise 
would  have  passed  away  before  these  were  in  flower. 
With  me  the  plants  always  seed  best  in  the  open 
ground.  When  the  seed-vessels  begin  to  swell,  the 
flower-stems  should  be  carefully  tied-up,  and  watched 
until  the  seeds  turn  black ;  I  do  not  wait  imtil  the  seed- 
vessels  burst,  as  many  seeds  in  that  case  fall  to  the 
ground,  and  ai-e  lost,  but  take  them  off  when  mature, 
with  a  portion  of  the  stem,  which  I  insert  in  the  earth 
in  a  seed-pot,  or  pan,  provided  for  their  reception.  I 
place  them  in  a  north  aspect,  and  the  seeds,  in  due 
season,  are  shed,  as  it  were,  naturally,  into  the  pot  of 
earth.  I  allow  the  seeds  to  harden  for  a  month  on 
the  surface  before  covering  them  half-an-inch  deep 
with  sandy  soil.  The  soil  should  be  two-thirds  pure 
loam  and  one-third  sharp  sand ;  the  drainage  com- 
posed of  rough  turty  soil.  In  October,  I  plunge  the 
seed-pots  in  a  cold  frame  facing  the  south,  and  the 
young  plants  begin  to  appear  in  December  and 
throughout  the  winter,  according  to  their  kinds  and 
the  mildness  of  the  weather.  It  is  needful,  in  their 
earliest  stage,  to  look  well  after  slugs  and  snails." 

To  recommend  and  encourage  the  raising  of  seedlings, 
Mr.  Leeds  says — "  I  think  much  remains  to  be  done  in 
the  production  of  fine  hybrids  of  this  beautiful  tribe  ol' 
plants ;  and  it  may  be  mentioned,  these  are  not 
ephemeral  productions,  like  many  florists'  flowers,  but 
will  last  for  centuries,  with  very  little  care,  as  the  com- 
mon kinds  have  done  in  our  gardens." 

This  gentleman  I  have  the  pleasure  of  being  ac- 
quainted with,  and  a  more  enthusiastic  lover  of  flowers 
does  not  live.  His  garden  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of 
visiting  for  several  years,  and  always  leave  it  with  regret, 
because  I  have  never  had  time  enough  to  see  all  its 
treasures  He  is  rich  in  hybrids  of  many  flowers  un- 
thought  of  as  capable  of  improving  by  hybridizing.  I 
should  enjoy,  if  present,  a  meeting  between  him  and 
our  equally  enthusiastic,  in  hybridizing,  Mr.  Beaton. 

To  return  to  our  subject.  It  is  necessary  to  advise  the 
cultivator,  who  may  attempt  the  improvement  of  this 


1G4 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


DECElinER  1.    I 


"  beautiful  tribe  of  plants,"  how  to  pvoceed  in  the  work 
as  to  ensure,  as  far  as  possible,  that  improvement ;  and 
here,  again,  I  must  take  the  liberty  of  quoting  my 
friend  : — "  There  is  no  end  of  the  varieties  and  elegant 
forms  that  may  be  obtained.  It  is  quite  clear,  however, 
that  incomparuhilis  is  no  species.  1  think  hicolor  is  not 
a  species  ;  and  that  the  number  of  species  is  very  small. 
j  The  late  Dean  of  jNIanchester  mentions  N.  montanus  as 
being  difficult  to  seed.  I  have  three  crops  of  seedlings 
from  this  crossed  both  with  long  and  short-tubed  kinds. 
It  will  cross  with  Ajax,  jyoeticm,  and  aiigiistifolia,  and, 
I  think,  with  Jonquila.  Calathina  never  seeds  with 
me,  but  its  pollen  fertilizes  the  long-tubed  species. 
Bicolor  seeds  occasionally,  but  not  freely.  They  will 
cross  with  nngustifolius,  poetlous,  and  poculiformis,  also 
with  ptimihis.  Moschatus  and  tortuosus  seed  pretty 
freely;  they  will  cross  with  any  of  the  long-tubed 
kinds,  and  the  produce  is  always  beautiful." 

The  reader  will  perceive  in  the  "  Gardeners'  Maga- 
zine," vol.  1,  page  Kill,  that  the  way  of  hybridizing  is 
not  described  in  the  foregoing  e.Ktracts.  In  my  ne.\t, 
I  will  endeavour  to  describe  how  that  should  be  done. 
In  the  meantime,  any  one  intending  to  enter  into  this 
very  interesting  field  of  improvement  should  lose  no 
time  in  procuring  and  potting  the  varieties  mentioned, 
in  order  to  have  flowers  to  operate  upon  next  spring. 

T.  Appleby. 
(To  he  con  tinned.) 


PRESERVATION  AND  STORING  OF  ROOTS. 

{Conf'nuu'tl  from  2^^9'^    J25.) 

Having,  iu  my  first  paper,  treated  of  the  mode  of  pre- 
serving and  storing  the  Mangold  V/iirt~el,  it  is  now  my 
intention  to  bring  under  consideration  the  Carrot  crop, 
showing  the  dift'erencc  in  management  required  for  open 
field-feeding  of  sheep,  and  that  of  storing  for  house  or 
yard-feeding  of  cattle,  swine,  &o.  The  White  Carrot, 
owing  to  the  great  value  and  feeding  properties  of  the 
greens,  requires  somewhat  exceptional  management,  as 
compared  with  either  Mangold  or  Swedish  Turnips. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  obtain  the  full  advantage  of  the 
greens  for  feeding,  it  is  necessary  to  commence  lifting 
the  crop  at  an  early  period,  and  iu  case  of  a  large 
breadth  being  grown,  it  is  requisite  to  begin  digging  the 
roots  before  they  are  arrived  at  fidl  size  and  maturity, 
and  often  as  eai'lyras  the  beginning  of  October.  For, 
although  the  roots,  in  most  seasons,  will  continue  to  in- 
,  crease  in  size  long  after  that  period,  yet  the  large  and 
gross  foliage  of  the  plants,  when  taken  up  thus  early, 
will  amply  com))ensate  for  any  loss  incurred  by  the 
roots  not  being  matured.  It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind, 
when  the  above  plan  is  pursued,  the^  greens  may  be 
made  use  of  for  feeding  milch  cows,  sheep,  and  pigs,  for 
three  or  four  months  in  succession.  It  will,  therefore, 
be  desirable  not  to  lift  the  crop  faster  than  the  cattle  or 
sheep  can  consume  the  leaf,  for  the  roots,  unlike  Man- 
gold, will  not  rot  from  the  effect  of  frost,  and  may  be 
allowed  to  remain  in  the  land  as  long  as  the  greens  are 
fresh,  and  yield  a  profitable  amount  of  food ;  which, 
liowever,  rapidly  diminishes  in  quantity  and  quality,  in 
most  seasons,  after  the  beginning  of  the  mouth  of 
December.  I  have  found  the  Carrot  quite  as  hardy  as 
the  Swede,  if  allowed  to  remain  in  the  land  undisturbed. 


and  if  taken  up  at  all  seasonable  times,  when  the  weather 
is  open,  they  may  be  then  put  into  store-heaps  with  per- 
fect safety. 

I  would,  however,  here  observe,  that  although  they 
will  not  rot  from  the  effect  of  frost,  to  any  greater  extent 
than  the  Swedish  Turni]) ;  yet  both  these  roots  will 
lose  more  or  less  of  their  feeding  value  after  being 
frosted.  When  this  crop  is  intended  for  feeding  sheep 
in  the  field,  it  is  best  to  take  up  the  roots,  aud  put  them 
into  stacks  of  one  hurdle  square,  or  into  heaps,  in 
advance  of  the  sheep,  having  the  roots  cleaned  fit  for 
the  cutter  at  the  time  of  digging,  and  that  portion  of  the 
crop  required  for  feeding,  till  the  month  of  January,  in 
ordinary  seasons,  will  not  require  covering  of  any  sort. 

For  feeding  during  the  spring  mouths,  the  roots  should 
be  placed  iu  small  heaps,  containing  about  fifteen  or 
twenty  bushels,  and  covered  with  a  little  earth ;  this  is 
desirable,  not  only  to  protect  them  from  the  weather,  but 
to  prevent  the  depredations  of  hares  and  rabbits,  which 
animals  are  especially  fond  of  them,  and  will  travel  miles 
during  tljc  night  season  to  obtain  their  favourite  food. 

I  am  now  arrived  at  that  part  of  the  subject  which 
relates  to  the  storing  of  this  root  for  the  feeding  of 
cattle,  &c.,  in  house  and  yards,  &c.,  and  for. this  purpose, 
the  roots  should  be  put  away  iu  such  a  manner  that 
they  may  be  preserved  sound  and  nutritious  till  the 
latest  period.  After  taking  up  the  roots,  the  greens 
sliould  be  removed  with  a  sharp  hook,  cutting  off  a  por- 
tion of  the  crown  of  the  root,  which  will  answer  the  two- 
fold purpose  of  preventing  the  roots  from  sprouting  so 
early  in  the  heap,  aud,  also,  of  holding  the  leaves  to- 
gether, which  will  prevent  waste,  and  facilitate  the  cart- 
ing, by  diminishing  labour. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  clean  the  roots  when  required 
for  late  use;  I  rather  prefer  them  put  iuko  stack  with  a 
portion  of  earth  attached,  for  by  this  means  they  keep 
better,  being  more  cool,  and  less  affected  by  the  circula- 
tion of  air  in  the  spring  months  ;  the  effect  of  which  is 
to  cause  them  to  grow  out,  thus  rtduciug  the  feeding 
value,  and  inducing  a  tendency  to  decay.  For  the  same 
reason,  I  would,  also,  place  the  stacks,  or  heaps,  where 
they  may  be  shaded  by  trees  or  buildings,  and  give  them 
a  thick  and  substantial  covering  of  earth.  The  manner 
of  making  the  stack  may  be  best  efl'ected  in  the  way  re- 
commended lor  Mangold,  by  placing  the  roots  iu  heap, 
from  five  to  seven  feet  wide  at  bottom,  and  carried  up 
to  a  point  at  the  top,  the  length  being  extended  as  cir- 
cumstances may  require. 

It  has  been  urged,  by  some  parties,  that  the  expence 
of  lifting  the  crop  is  so  great  as  to  prove  a  serious  draw- 
back upon  its  value.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that  I 
should  here  call  attention  to  the  facts  of  the  case,  not 
only  as  to  the  cheapest  method  of  digging  the  crop,  but, 
also,  how  far  the  value  of  the  greens,  as  compared  with 
other  roots,  will  serve  to  compensate  for  any  extra  outlay 
iu  labour  for  digging.  To  decide  this  point,  I  will  take  the 
tops  of  a  crop  of  Swedish  Turnips,  at  '.?J  tons  per  acre, 
value  iis.  per  ton=5s.  I  will  also  take  the  greens  of  a 
crop  of  Carrots,  at  6  tons  per  acre,  value  4s.  Od.  per 
ton=;27s.     The  difference  in  favour  of  the  Carrot-greens 


December  1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GABDENEB. 


105 


per  acre,  as  compared  with  Svredish  Turnip,  is  223.  I 
find  the  cost  of  digging,  cleaning,  and  cutting  off  the 
leaves  of  a  crop  of  Carrots,  about  20s.  per  acre,  wlien 
done  in  the  most  economical  manner,  hy  employing  one 
man  to  dig,  and  four  women  following  to  clean  the  roots 
and  cut  off  the  greens. 

I  must  now  consider  the   method    best    suited   for 
storing    and    preserving    that    mo.?t    iinportant,    and 
generally  useful  rooi,  the  Swedish  Turnip.     In  doing 
which,  I  beg  to  observe,  that  the  best  method  of  stack- 
ing for   house-feeding,   &o.,  is   precisely   tlie   same   as 
that  recommended  for  Carrots,  as  regards  the  size  of  the 
heap,  and  the  manner  of  making  it  up  ;  but  the  covering 
may  be  of  straw  only,  and  is  best  laid  on  similar  to  the 
the  thatch  of  buildings.     Sea-weed  is  an  excellent  cover- 
ing for  stacks  of  Boots,  and,  where  it  can  be  readily 
obtained,  will  he  found  superior  to  any  other  materials 
commonly  used  for  the  purpose.     In  the  spring  months, 
when  the  roots  begin  to  sprout  in  the  stack,  they  are 
best  turned  over,  the  sprouts  rubbed  off,  and  the  stack 
re-formed,  as  before  recommended  for  Mangold.    When 
the  crop  is  pulled,  let  the  earth  be  beaten  off  the  roots, 
without  damaging  the  bulbs;  and,  at  the  same  time, 
cut  off  the  leaves,  and  allow  the  stem  of  the  Turnip  to 
remain   entire.     Advantage   should  be  taken  of  open, 
mild  weather  for  the  work ;  rain  will  not  injure  them, 
but  they  should  never  be  taken  up  for  stacking  during 
frost,  for  in  that  case  they  are  sure  to  rot  in  the  heap.=;= 
In  stacking  for  open  field-feeding  of  Sheep,  they  may  be 
put  into  stacks  one  hurdle  square,  and  preserved  until 
March,  without  covering;  after  that  time,  if  required  for 
use  at  an  advanced  period  of  the  season,  they  may  be 
allowed  to  remain  in  the  land,  being  carefully  cut  down, 
(excising  the  greens  below  the  stem  of  the  Turnip),  and 
then  taken  up  as  required  for  use.      Joseph  Blundell, 


THE   BANK  OF  FAITH. 
By  the  Authoress  of^^My  Fhicers." 

I  AM  sure  my  readers  will  forgive  me  if  I  make  this  paper 
a  kind  of  answer  to  correspondents.  I  have  something  to 
say  to  cue  or  two  kindly  interested  hearts,  who  have  a  claim 
to  inquire  after  those  who  receive  their  bounty ;  and  I  think 
others  will  he  glad  to  hear  a  little  more  about  their  poor 
brethren  who  have  already  been  introduced  to  them  in  these 
pages.  Therefore,  with  the  leave  of  the  Editor,  I  sliall  take 
a  new  path  on  this  occasion,  closing  my  ramble  with  a  word 
of  exhortation  and  encouragement  from  the  circumstances 
before  us,  which  may  be  profitable  to  all  classes — the  rich 
as  well  as  the  poor. 

First,  then,  I  address  myself  to  "  C,"  and  to  "  S.  B.,"  who 
have  so  bountifully  contributed  to  the  earthly  comfort  of 
their  poor,  suffering,  grateful  pensioner,  "William  Adams. 
They  will  be  interested  to  know,  that  some  months  ago, 
another  of  om'  readers  kindly  communicated  a  means  of 
curing  that  dreadful  complaint  Cancer,  which  had  been 
successful  in  two  cases,  in  the  very  last  stage  of  disease.  It 
was  immediately  put  in  practice  in  this  case,  and  for  a  time 
it  seemed  to  have  a  remarkable  effect.  Symptoms  changed 
tor  the  better,  extei-nal  appearances  improved  greatly,  and 
hope  strongly  prevailed  in  every  heai't,  even  Adams  himself 
seemed  to  think  recovery  might  he  possible.     But  it  has 

*  The  plan  of  pitting,  or  making  into  small  heaps,  covered  with  earth 
only,  ia  much  practiced  in  some  parts,  particularly  where  likely  to  be 
damaged  by  hares  or  rabbits,  and,  if  the  work  is  done  in  mild  weather, 
the  roots  keep  well. 


pleased  his  Fallier,  in  His  iuscrntable  wisdom,  to  withdraw 
the  hope  awakened.  The  poor  sutferer  has  for  the  last 
month  been  decidedly  worse.  He  perseveres  steadily  with 
the  means,  hut  they  seem  to  have  lost  power,  and  pains  and 
aoguisli  have  returned  as  severely,  nay,  more  severely,  than 
ever.  The  return  of  winter  may  he  the  cause  of  the  relapse. 
We  cannot  tell  why  or  how  it  is  that  favourable  symptoms 
suddenly  disappear,  and  chill  the  hearts  of  the  hopeful; 
but  we  shall  know,  n)7c  (/ny,  tlie  wise  and  merciful  reasons 
that  are  now  hidden  from  our  eyes  ;  and  all  that  we  have  to 
do  here,  is  to  fulfil  our  plain  and  scriptural  duties,  and  believe 
that  "  all  is  well." 

If  "  C."  could  look  through  the  little  window  at  the  joyful 
expression  which  ligiits  up  botli  their  faces,  wlien  tlie  weekly 
donation  (of  tea,  sugar,  soap,  candles,  A'c.  as  the  occasion 
requires)  is  given  in,  it  would  make  his  or  lier  heart  swell, 
and  the  grateful  thanks  and  blessings  which  they  always 
beg  may  be  sent  in  return,  will,  we  trust,  descend  as  dew 
upon  the  head  of  the  generous  giver.  The  donation  sent 
through  thehandof"S.B."hnsbeen  greatly  beneficial  already. 
Poor  Adams,  who  dreaded  the  cold  of  winter  beyond  ex- 
pression, is  provided  with  a  warm  Guernsey  frock,  in  which 
he  lies,  and  a  large,  thicl;,  warm,  flannel  wrapping  gown  covers 
him  completely  round,  when  he  gets  out  of  bed  so  often  by 
night  and  by  day.  Oh  !  the  blessing  of  these  comforts  to 
the  suffering  poor!  It  will  also  enable  me  to  provide  him 
with  firing  through  the  dreaiy  season  before  us,  if  his  life 
should  last.  He  is  obhged  to  have  a  fire  all  night,  as  he  is 
often  out  of  bed  for  a  long  time,  and  the  cold  he  suflers  is 
beyond  description  at  such  times.  Wonderful  are  his  trials ; 
wonderful  are  his  helps  and  mercies ;  deep  is  his  gratitude, 
almost  too  much  for  speech.  Another  friend,  his  first  friend, 
"  J.  S.,"  has  been  more  frequently  informed  of  poor  Adams' 
situation,  therefore,  I  need  only  say  to  him,  that  his  name 
is  borne  on  the  poor  sufferer's  heart  before  the  throne— and 
that  if  his  unwearied  endeavours  to  relieve  and  cure  him 
fail,  his  "reward  will,"  nevertheless,  "  be  great  in  heaven." 

And  now  I  turn  to  "  Comfort,"  who  has  patiently  waited 
to  know  the  end  of  his  most  kind  assistance  towards  putting 
the  "  Poor  Widow's  "  coal  shed  in  habitable  condition.  It 
was  impossible  for  her  to  exist  in  it,  under  any  circumstances, 
during  the  winter — she  would  have  died  of  cold  and  ground- 
damp.  Before  the  generous  donation  arrived,  a  plan  was 
forming  for  removing  her  to  a  more  healthy  place  ;  and  I 
have,  therefore,  set  aside  the  money  to  assist  in  paying  the 
rent,  which  was  the  only  stumbling  block  in  our  way. 
"  CoHroKT  "  has,  therefore,  the  happiness  of  knowing,  thathe 
was  the  chosen  of  the  Lord  to  bring  help  to  this  poor  widow, 
and  enable  us  to  make  her  comfortable  for  the  winter.  She 
now  sits  in  a  small,  but  dry  and  cheerful  cottage,  with  her 
book  upon  her  lap,  ready,  as  she  says,  to  break  out  into 
praise  in  the  very  roads  and  streets,  as  well  as  by  her  own 
fireside,  for  all  the  Lord  has  done  for  lier.  She  still  delights 
in  carrying  a  morsel  to  a  sick  neighbour,  and  in  speaking  a 
"  word  in  season  "  to  all  who  come  in  her  way.  Poor 
AVilliam  Adams  misses  her  scriptural  and  refreshing  dis- 
course, for  she  is  now  settled  at  some  little  distance  from 
him,  but  she  toddles  there  when  she  can,  and  it  always  does 
him  good.  I  hope  "  Cohfoet  "  is  satisfied  with  the  use  to 
which  his  money  is  applied.  He  may  feel  assured  that  a 
very  grateful  heart  asks  a  blessing  for  him  daily. 

The  "  Widow  Indeed,"  continues  to  enjoy  her  bounty,  also, 
gratefully,  savingly,  and  exceedingly.  She  "shrinks"  her 
tea  and  coal  as  much  as  ever  she  did;  and  when  I  tell  her 
her  friend  has  sent  her  more,  she  says,  "Won't  he  be  angry 
if  I  use  so  much  ?"  but  still  she  sits  warmly  and  smilingly 
in  her  clean  kitchen,  and  nothing  makes  her  "  afraid." 

I  remember,  when  first  we  went  to  see  Wilham  Adams, 
he  spoke  to  us  of  a  little  book  he  once  read,  called  "  The 
Bank  of  Faith."  It  was  the  experience  of  one  whose  faith 
was  very  strong,  and  whose  blessings  seemed  to  come  at  his 
very  beck  and  call.  It  had  struck  him  much,  and  he  ex- 
pressed a  longing  wish  that  he  might  possess  such  faith. 
We  often  remind  him  of  this  circumstance.  He  did  at  that 
very  moment  possess  it,  and  his  cry  entered  the  ears  of 
"  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth."  From  very  distant  parts  of  England 
the  Lord  has  called  His  servants  to  minister  to  his  wants  ! 
No  less  than  three  have  been  bidden  to  sustain  him,  and  the 
very  things  his  afflictions  needed  have  been  suppUed  I     The 


IGU 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Decembeb  ] . 


"  Willow  Indeed  "  was  in  extremity,  but  she  cluug  to  the  Pro- 
mise, and  it  kept  its  word. 

The  "  Poor  Widow  "  was  in  trouble,  but  she  also  knew  and 
trusted  Him  who  had  led  her  forty  years  in  the  howhng 
mUlerness  of  trial ;  and  she  lias  reached  the  haven  of  worldly 
quiet  at  last.  There  is  a  worldly  deliverance  for  believers, 
as  well  as  a  spiritual  one ;  and,  where  the  ti-ial  cannot  be 
removed,  it  is  deprived  of  all  its  bitterness. 

Readers !  there  is  a  "  Bank  of  Faith  "  for  every  one  of  us. 
Large  and  glorious  Promissory  Notes  are  given  to  all,  "  with- 
out money  and  without  price."  The  Bank  is  always  open  ; 
by  day  and  night  we  may  enter  it.  It  never  stops  payment. 
It  IS  always  in  full  activity.  What  says  the  Banker  who 
issues  these  Promissory  Notes  ?  What  does  He  promise  ? 
"  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do,  that 
the  Father  may  be  glorified  in  tlie  Son."  "  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my 
name,  he  will  gi^e  it  you."  "  Ask,  and  ye  shaU  receive,  that 
your  joy  may  be  full."  Oh  readers!  what  a  Bank  this  is! 
Where  is  your  faith  ?  Why  do  you  not  cai-ry  in  your  notes 
also  ?  Why  do  you  not  receive  the  promise  ?  Hear  what 
the  Banker's  chrfc  says  about  you  :  "  Ye  lust  and  have  not : 
ye  kill  and  desire  to  have,  and  cannot  obtain  :  ye  fight  and 
war,  yet  ye  have  not,  because  ye  ask  not.  Ye  ask,  and  re- 
ceive not,  because  ye  ask  amiss,  that  ye  may  consume  it 
upon  yom-  lusts." 

Ah  readers !  this  is  the  why  and  the  wherefore !  Poor 
Adams  and  the  two  Widows  have  not  gone  to  it  as  a  Bank 
of  Presumption,  but  as  a  Bank  of  Faith.  Go  ye,  and  do 
likewise. 


GLADIOLUS  INSIGNIS. 

This  most  beautiful  of  this  splendid  genus  of  Cape  Bulbs 
is  not  so  generally  known,  or  so  much  cultivated,  as  it  de- 
sei-ves  to  he.  Its  fine  branchy  spikes  of  bloom,  of  a  rich 
crimson  ground  colour,  the  three  lower  petals  being  dis- 
tinctly marked  with  a  dash  of  blue,  contrast  well,  and  make 
it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  cultivated  flowers,  for 
effect,  either  in  the  border  or  on  the  flower-stand,  when  cul- 
tivated in  pots.  Having  grown  it  to  the  best  advantage  and 
possible  effect  in  both  ways,  I  subjoin  the  following  remarks 
as  to  the  means  I  have  adopted  in  growing  the  plant,  and 
bringing  the  blooms  to  perfection  : — 

In  growing  them  in  the  open  borders,  or  beds,  I  select  a 
good  sunny  aspect,  and  prepare  the  soil  by  laying  a 
good  stratum  three  inches  thick,  of  well-rotted  manure,  on 
the  surface,  and  tlig  it  one  spit  deep,  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember, allowing  it  to  remain  rough  for  three  or  fom-  weeks, 
so  as  to  allow  the  action  of  the  air  to  render  the  surface 
sweet  and  friable  preparatory  to  planting  in  October,  when 
the  ground  is  raked  down  and  marked  off  in  rows  nine 
inches  apart  on  the  beds.  The  roots  are  planted  six  to 
seven  inches  apart  in  the  rows,  and  four  inches  deep.  The 
roots  do  not  make  much  growth  during  winter,  and  the  only 
protection  I  afford  them  is  to  throw  one  iucli  of  sea  sand  or 
light  litter  on  the  surface,  so  as  to  prevent  the  frost  from 
cutting  the  growth  ofl'  close  to  the  ground,  which  materially 
affects  the  blooming.  As  soon  as  the  winter's  cold  is  past, 
and  the  warmer  days  of  early  spring  commence,  the  beau- 
tiful glaucous  leaves  develope  themselves,  growing  from  a 
foot  to  eighteen  inches  long,  and  hanging  down  in  beautiful 
curves  from  the  strong  flower-spikes,  which  do  not  grow  in 
the  open  air  quite  so  tall  as  they  do  under  pot-culture  ;  but 
I  think,  if  possible,  the  colours  are  richer,  and  a  good  bed 
of  Gladiolus  iusiijnis  is  a  gorgeous  sight,  lasting  from  the 
middle  of  -I  une  until  the  end  of  .July.  The  leaves  then  decay, 
and  the  roots  are  taken  up,  the  soil  shaken  from  them, 
divided,  and  placed  in  baskets  on  a  dry  shelf  until  the 
planting  season  comes  again. 

In  pot-culture,  I  have  used  good,  healthy,  friable  loam, 
with  a  third  portion  of  lighter  compost,  so  as  to  render  it 
open,  potting  the  roots,  singly,  in  forty-eight  size  or  live- 
inch  pots,  in  the  month  of  October,  and  watering  sparingly 
un  il  the  bulbs  have  formed  good  roots,  and  commenced 
th  ir  growth,  keeping  the  pots  on  a  shelf  with  a  cool  bottom, 
inethe  greenhouse,  or  in  a  cold-frame  or  pit  until  the  month 
of  February,  when  I  repot  them  in  a  twenty-four  size  or 
eight-inch  pots,  placing  over  the  crocks,  at  this  potting,  a 


small  quantity  of  well-rotted  manure,  and  using  the  same 
compost  as  before,  placing  them  in  a  more  sunny  aspect, 
anil  watering  freely  and  occasionally  with  liquid-manure. 
Tliey  throw  up  branchy  flower-spikes  from  three  to  three- 
and-a-half  feet  high,  in  the  latter  end  of  May,  or  com- 
mencement of  June.  Often  two  or  three  spikes  from  a 
single  root,  of  the  rich  ccdours  described  above,  produchig  a 
most  beautiful  efl'ect.  As  the  leaves  do  not  grow  umch  alter 
the  plants  have  bloomed,  I  remove  them  to  a  shaded  place, 
out-of-doors,  and  gradually  withhold  water  until  the  leaves 
have  died  off,  when  I  knock  them  out,  generally  having  two 
or  three  strong  roots  from  each  pot,  besides  offsets,  which  I 
bag  otr,  and  place  on  a  di-y  shelf  until  the  potting  season 
returns. 

I  assert,  with  confidence,  that  there  is  no  plant  more  de- 
serving of  general  cultivation  than  this  beautiful  variety  of 
Gladiolus ;  the  strength  of  its  habit,  the  comparative  hardi- 
ness of  its  natm'e,  and  the  richness  of  its  colours,  all 
conspire  to  make  it  admirable.  If  grown  in  a  poor  soil,  and 
unsuitable  situation,  it  does  not  make  so  much  effect ;  but 
even  then,  if  the  roots  planted  are  healthy  and  strong,  the 
vigour  of  its  growth  is  such  as  to  excel  all  the  early- 
floivering  varieties  I  have  yet  seen  or  grown,  and  tliuy  are 
not  a  few. — Chas.  B,   Saundebs,   Cwsarcan  Nursery,  Jersey. 


COTTAGE    GARDEN   ALLOTMENTS. 

In  following  up  the  observations  made  in  a  former  article, 
at  page  fi4,  on  Cottage  Gardens,  it  is  superfluous  to  say 
more  on  the  advantages  which  accrue  from  a  well-cultivated 
garden,  for,  independent  of  the  profit  it  retm'iis  to  its  occu- 
pier, it  acts  as  a  sort  of  example  to  the  neighbourhood,  and 
stimulates  the  more  ambitious  to  renewed  exertion.  I  will, 
therefore,  dismiss  this  "Home  Garden"  department,  and 
enter  on  the  "  Cottage  Garden  Allotment,"  wluch  is  generally 
situated  at  some  little  distance  from  the  residence,  as  in 
many  instances  a  number  of  allotments  lie  together,  being, 
in  fact,  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  field  divided  into  a 
specific  number  of  allotments.  Now,  as  the  working  of  this 
plan  has  Ijeen  so  successful  where  it  has  been  introduced,  I 
need  only  simply  urge  its  more  general  adoption  in  districts 
where  it  is  yet  unknown,  for  besides  the  advantages  it  holds 
out  by  giving  an  industrious  tone  to  the  working  classes, 
whose  spare  hours  would  otherwise  be  loitered  away  in 
somethmg,  perhaps,  worse  than  mere  idleness,  it  holds  out  a 
good  moral  lesson,  which  the  most  careless  can  scarcely 
avoid  profiting  by.  Let  us  suppose  the  mechanic  j  ust  turned 
out  of  a  broiling  workshop,  fatigued  more  by  the  impure 
atmosphere  and  monotonous  scenery  he  has  been  subjected 
to,  than  by  the  amount  of  manual  exertion  he  has  under- 
gone ;  his  first  impulse,  after  pai'taking  of  the  ordinary  repast, 
will  be  to  proceed  to  his  garden,  and  if  by  accident,  or 
unsuitable  weather,  he  may  not  have  been  able  to  liave 
visited  his  little  holding  for  some  days,  it  will  present  many 
additional  attractions  to  him,  besides  affording  additional 
employment,  which  enhances  the  enjoyment  rather  than 
embitters  it.  Supposing  it  to  be  in  the  early  part  of  summer, 
and  tilings  growing  fast,  he  will  see  the  progress  some  of 
his  flowers  have  made ;  buds  expanded  into  full  bloom, 
wdiich  were  only  formed  when  lie  last  saw  them,  and  other 
things  showing  an  advance,  increasing  the  pleasure  of 
anticipation ;  while  seeds  that  were  just  sown  will  be  making 
their  way  through  the  ground,  and,  together  with  them,  ho 
will  observe  numbers  of  other  plants  in  the  character  of  in- 
truders, whose  removal  he  will  speedily  determine  on  setting 
about,  after,  perhaps,  taking  another  look  round  to  see  if 
nothing  more  urgent  demand  his  attention,  as  the  breaking 
down  of  tied-up  plants  or  trees,  or  anything  in  that  way; 
besides  whicli,  the  evening  is  the  best  time  to  weed  a  seed- 
ling lied,  lor,  however  careful  the  operation  is  pcrl'oriued,  it 
cannot  be  done  without  endangering  some  of  tlie  lender 
plants  therein ;  and  supposing  the  weeds  to  have  allained 
some  size,  and  overgrown  a  part  of  tho  legitimate  crop,  re- 
moving those  weeds  in  bright  sunshine  exposes  the  tender 
and  previously-shaded  side  of  these  plants  to  the  full  glare 
of  unclouded  sunshine,  without  their  having  the  advantages 
which  even  a  few  hours  at  night  affords  them  of  hnidening 
themselves  to  endure  its  presence  ;  now,  though  plniits  are 


Deobmbek  1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


167 


very  aceommoclatiug,  and  speedily  adjust  themselves  to  the 
altered  circumstances  of  their  condition,  yet  a  little  time  is 
necessary  to  enable  them  to  do  it  properly,  and  without 
saci'ifice  to  themselves.  A  bed  of  Onions,  when  allowed  to 
stand  two  or  tliree  days  too  long  unthinned,  certainly  suffer 
much  in  consequence,  for  the  elongated  stem,  unable  to 
support  itself  wlien  its  companions  are  removed  by  thinning, 
usually  falls  down  and  exposes  some  part  of  its  liitlierto 
sliaded  leaf  blades  to  tlie  action  of  unsparing  sunshine, 
should  it  be  sucli  at  tlie  moment ;  it  is,  therefore,  needless  to 
say  that  such  work  as  tliinning  or  weeding,  which  is  much 
the  same,  ought  to  be  done  in  dull  weather,  or  on  an  even- 
ing, for  tlie  jilant,  mth  an  instinctive  feeling  of  what  it  is 
called  on  to  endure,  will  speedily  erect  itself  (provided  it  is 
not  too  far  gone),  and  lie  prepared  to  greet  rather  than  fear 
that  all-powerful  agent  of  cultivation,  "  the  Sun."  To  the 
cottager,  we  tlierefore  impress  on  him  tlie  necessity  of 
removing  his  weeds  at  once ;  and  a  scarcely  less  m'gent 
in.junction  is  to  "  thin  his  crops  in  time ;"  it  is  all  very  well 
to  say  that  young  plants  are  so  accommodating  as  to  regain 
a  sturdy  growth  after  they  had  been  drawn  up  spindly  and 
weak;  this  robust  habit  is  attained  rather  in  spite  of  the 
mismanagement  than  by  virtue  of  it ;  and  no  one  will  deny 
that  a  loss  of  time  has  been  sustained  in  the  operation ;  and 
hence  a  sacrifice. 

It  has  been  before  observed,  the  Garden  Allotment  differs 
mucli  from  the  Home  Garden — a  more  robust  class  of  pro- 
duce is  generally  substituted  at  the  fonner  place,  and  some 
of  the  more  delicate  or  tender  ones  omitted ;  flowers  do  not 
necessarily  enter  into  the  list  of  articles  cultivated  in  such 
places  ;  for  unless  they  be  of  the  more  common  or  robust 
kinds,  their  presence  thei'e  is  scarcely  in  harmony  with  the 
other  crops.  However,  I  do  not  by  any  means  quarrel  with 
the  cultivation  of  flowers,  for  here  and  there  a  Dahlia,  or 
Hollyhock,  or,  it  might  be,  a  double  Sweet  William,  or  Wall- 
flower, look  very  cheerful  in  their  way;  however,  as  the 
more  legitimate  crop  deserves  most  attention,  we  will  direct 
our  remarks  to  that,  and  first  beg  to  say,  that  a  proper  rota- 
tion of  crops  is  of  essential  service  to  a  place  where  so  much 
is  expected  from  a  limited  extent  of  ground  ;  and  carrying 
this  object  out,  we  must  not  see  the  Cabbage  succeeded  by 
the  CauUflower,  or  anytliing  of  its  own  kindred  tribe ;  but 
contrive  to  have  a  root  crop,  as  Potatoes,  Parsnips,  Carrots, 
or  Onions,  always  intervening  between  two  such  crops.  This 
way  of  managing  the  cropping  will  be  more  difficult  now 
than  of  yore,  since  the  Cabbage-worts  have  formed  a  more 
important  feature  in  Garden  Allotments  where  Potatoes  are 
so  uncertain  a  crop.  Now,  the  exercise  of  a  little  degree  of 
forethought  will  make  this  duty  more  easy  than  might  be 
expected  ;  the  first  crop  of  Potatoes  is  off  eai'ly  enough  to 
be  followed  by  Winter  Cabbages,  and  a  further  supply  might 
follow  the  newly-cleared  Onion  bed  ;  while  the  Cabbages  of 
the  previous  spring  might  remain  on  the  ground  to  furnish 
nice  Greens  in  the  shape  of  the  numerous  shoots  they  are 
possessed  of,  until  the  return  of  spring  reminds  the  culti- 
vator that  root-crops  of  various  kinds  wiU  be  wanted.  Now, 
we  would  not  by  any  means  sow  Can'ots  after  Cabbages,  but 
Potatoes  might  be  planted,  and  that  with  much  less  prepa- 
ration of  tlie  ground  than  is  necessary  for  the  well-being  of 
a  crop  reared  from  a  very  small  seed,  as  Can-ot,  Onion,  &c. 
On  the  other  hand,  when  such  green  crojis  are  suddenly 
removed  to  make  way  for  an  opposite  one,  some  little  time 
ought  to  elapse  in  order  to  allow  it  to  benefit  by  the  changes 
of  atmosphere,  which  only  full  exposure  will  ensure  to  it ; 
whenever,  therefore,  a  piece  of  ground  occupied  by  any  such 
crop  becomes  empty,  let  it  be  immediately  dug,  unless  it  be 
so  excessively  wet  as  to  receive  injury  by  the  operation,  in 
which  case,  it  may,  perhaps,  be  better  lying  in  a  solid  con- 
dition tlian  in  a  fresh-turned-up  one.  This  subject,  having 
attracted  much  attention  amongst  farmers,  will,  probably,  be 
treated  of  hereafter;  in  the  meantime,  let  all  ground  on 
which  Beans,  Potatoes,  CaiTots,  Onions,  and  the  like 
have  been  grown,  be  dug  and  planted  with  Cabbages 
forthwith,  and  whatever  may  be  the  character  of  the 
ground,  light,  or  very  stiff,  observe,  tliere  are  no  medium 
courses  of  cultivation,  it  must  either  be  dug  or  ridged  up 
to  receive  the  benefits  of  the  frost,  or  it  may  be  made 
firm  by  treading  over  it,  &c.,  which  would  not  be  the 
case  were  Cabbages,  &a.  dug  up,  and  the  holes  they  came 
from  allowed  to  remain  loose,  as  so  many  basins,  to  receive 


all  the  rain-water  that  fell  to  stagnate  there  to  the  injury  of 
everything  growing  near  them  ;  better  would  it  be,  after 
removing  a  crop  of  Scarlet  Painners,  or  sucli  like,  to  tread 
and  smooth  the  ground  well  that  would  not  endure  digging 
— by  this  means,  you  will  prepare  a  hard  sealod-up  surface, 
which,  thougli  impervious  to  tlie  admission  of  tlie  air,  to  a 
great  extent,  is  still  more  so  to  tlie  rain,  and,  consequently, 
escapes  the  souring  wliicli  a  too-much  soddening  with  water 
incurs.  But  as  the  digging  and  trenching  of  ground,  under 
the  various  conditions  in  which  it  may  be  placed,  aflbrds  a 
wide  field  for  inquiry,!  will  leave  tliat  for  another  opportunity ; 
and,  in  conclusion  of  the  present  article,  repeat  the  advice  to 
all  parties  of  trying  what  they  can  to  increase  the  utility  of 
Garden  Allotments,  where  they  do  exist,  and  where  tliey  do 
not,  to  endeavour  to  introduce  them,  and  the  result  will,  m 
most  cases,  be  not  only  beneficial  to  the  occupants,  but 
advantages  also  the  proprietor.  J.  PiObson. 


GREY   SHANGHAES. 

Before  proceeding  to  the  substance  of  C.  H.  B.'s  reply  to 
my  last,  I  would  suggest,  in  reference  to  the  concluding 
paragraph  of  his  letter,  in  wliich  he  requests  yon  to  publish 
his  name,  in  order  "  that  .at  least  some  of  your  readers  may 
know  whether  he  is  capable  of  forming  an  opinion  on  the 
subject,"  that  had  he  appended  to  the  name  he  subscribes, 
tliat  of"  Timothy  Mason  "  (a  nom-de-ijucrre  by  which  he  is 
familiarly  known  to  most  of  your  readers)  he  would  have 
attained  his  object  more  effectually,  and  conduced  to  a  still 
wider  appreciation  of  his  claims  in  this  particular,  as  also  of 
his  right  and  title  to  be  considered  the  fair  and  impartial 
disputant  he  jirofesses. 

Mr.  Brown  evades  my  first  challenge,  on  the  pretext  that 
two  birds  cannot  be  taken  as  a  sample  of  "  the  whole  Grey 
variety;"  but  this  is  a  difficulty  of  Mr.  B.'s  own  making  ;  for 
my  proposition  refers,  as  lie  must  know  (for  I  have  through- 
out specially  insisted  on  the  distinction),  not  to  "  the  whole 
Grey  variety,"  but  to  a  single  and  ilislbict  strain  of  that 
variety ;  a  strain  which  a  year  since  liad  scarcely  been  heard 
of  in  this  country,  and  a  little  more  than  two  years  ago  was 
unknown  even  in  America,  wlienee  the  samples  in  this 
country  were  derived.  But  if  my  proposal  to  send  "  one  or 
two  pairs "  for  your  inspection  does  not  satisfy  him,  and 
this  is  his  only  objection,  I  will  most  willingly  extend  the 
number  to  one  dozen  ;  which,  indeed,  would  be  about  all  I 
possess,  or  could  send  of  a  suitable  age.  Will  Mr.  B.  pre- 
tend that  twelve  birds  are  too  few  to  constitute  a  fair  sample 
of  the  produce  of  a  strain,  which,  as  many  months  since,  was 
unlcnown  to  our  poultry  fanciers,  and  of  which,  up  to  the 
date  of  Mr.  B.'s,  in  a  tone  of  infalhbility,  fulminating  his 
anathema  at  them,  as  "  a  very  coarse  variety  of  the  ugliest 
of  Shanghaes,  very  deficient  in  all  the  beauties  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  look  for  in  Buff  and  other  colour,s"  scarcely  that 
number  of  genuine  uncrossed  specimens  liad  been  imported, 
if  I  except  the  nine  birds  presented  to  Pier  Majesty  ? 

Touching  the  excuses  alleged  for  not  accepting  my  second 
challenge,  thougli  1  think  Mr.  B.  might  have  found  a  more 
Iiotent  reason  than  any  he  has  advanced  for  not  acceeding 
to  both  proposals ;  still,  as  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  remove 
the  obstacles  he  has  found  it  convenient  to  raise  to  my 
second,  I  must  let  them  pass  for  wliat  they  are  worth, 
expressing,  however,  my  own  suspicion  that  were  there  "the 
will "  there  would  not  be  found  wanting  "  the  way." 

I  come  now  to  what  Mr.  B.  seems  to  consider  the  really 
serious  part  of  his  letter,  that,  namely,  where  he  declares 
his  willingness  to  break  a  lance  with  me.  "But  all  jesting 
aside,"  he  says,  "will  W.  C.  G.  kindly  state  on  what  terms 
he  will  undertake  to  show  the  best  Grey  pullet  he  can  pro- 
duce, for  all  iiroperties,  except  colour,  against  the  best  one  I 
can  produce  of  some  other  shade ;  this  wUl  meet  the  question 
more  fairly"!  Now,  before  showing  Blr.  Brown  (for  I  will 
not  insult  your  judgment,  Mr.  Editor,  or  that  of  your  readers, 
by  supposing  you  will  need  the  demonstration)  tlie  absurdity 
of  this  proposition,  I  beg  to  say,  that  wliether  fair  or  unfair 
in  itself,  it  does  not  "  meet  the  question  "  al  all :  for  the 
purport  and  intention  of  my  letter  and  challenge  was, — not  to 
prove  that  out  of  some  two  or  three  dozen  Brahmas  (to 
about  which  number  alone  of  genuine  specimens  could  I 
possibly  have  access)  I  could  find  a  bird  superior  to  one  of 


168 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  ]. 


any  other  colour,  selected  by  Mr.  B.  out  of  more  than  as 
many  thousands, — hut  simply,  on  the  one  hanil,  to  afford 
Mr.  E.  an  opportunity  of  proving,  in  opposition  to  my  distinct 
denial  of  its  truth,  his  assertion  as  to  the  identity  or  equality 
in  point  of  merit,  of  the  two  strains  hnown  respectively  as 
"  Brahraas,"  and  "  Mr.  Stainton's  Greys  ;"  and  on  the  other, 
to  induce  him  to  give  me  an  eligible  opportunity  of  disprov- 
ing the  alleged  worthlessness  of  Brahmas,  so  authoritatively 
pronounced  in  his  first  letter,  and  maintained  in  his  second. 
Rejecting  both  these  offers  to  .submit  the  matter  to  arbitra-  ' 
tion,  he  gravely,  and  "  all  jesting  aside,"  proposes  the  above, 
as  "  meeting  the  question  more  fairly."  But,  granting  for 
a  moment  that  it  does,  iu  Mr.  B.'s  view  of  it,  in  some  unde- 
tinable  way,  meet  tlie  question  at  issue,  will  any  one  but  ; 
Mr.  B.  say  there  would  be  the  smallest  reasonableness  in  i 
being  asked  to  show,  in  a  competition  for  the  best  Itiriiip  ] 
(to  illustrate  the  case  by  carrying  out  his  own  simile),  one  j 
of  a  quite  new  variety,  howsoever  excellent,  tahen  from  a  i 
patcli  of  some  twenty  square  yards  of  unmanured  and 
untilled  soil,  against  anotlier  selected  from  a  breadth  of 
some  twenty  acres  of  all  other  varieties  grown  on  land 
brought  to  the  highest  possible  state  of  fertilization  by  the 
practical  energies  and  high  farming  of  a  Mechi  or  a  Philip 
Pusey;  for  this  is  virtually  what  he  asks  me  to  do!  Will 
any  one,  besides  Mr.  B.,  maintain  that  there  is  any  semblance 
of  fairness  in  asking  me  to  show  a  bird  of  a  strain,  which, 
twelvemonths  ago,  was  unknown  in  this  country,  and  of 
which,  even  now,  the  whole  genuine  produce  could  be  com-  ' 
fortably  lodged  in  an  ordinaiy-sized  poultry  house,  against 
a  specimen  chosen  from  the  countless  produce  of  the 
numerous  other  strains,  which,  for  the  last  five  or  six  years 
have  inundated  us,  and  which,  during  that  period,  under  the 
stimulus  of  keen  competition  and  extraordinary  prices,  have 
had  tlie  exertions  of  a  hundred  experienced  breeders 
directed  towards  their  improvement;  every  effort  having 
been  jnade,  by  means  of  fresh  strains,  and  each  year  better 
crosses  to  develop  in  them  the  most  approved  characteristics 
of  the  breed.  ! 

Before  I  had  even  an  idea  of  C.  H.  B.'s  cognomen,  I  had  ■ 
heard  some  curious  anecdotes  of  one  Timothy  Mason,  but  ' 
nothing  certainly  that  would  argue  the  want  of  tact  or 
ordinary  capai-ity,  so  patent  in  tins  proposition.  Truly, 
though  not  indisposed  to  reciprocate  civilities  with  him,  I  : 
cannot,  in  this  instance,  retmn  the  compliment  he  has  paid  ' 
me,  of  well  weighing  my  jn'opositions  before  making  them  ;  ; 
had  he  done  so,  he  would  have  stayed  his  pen  ere  he  risked  ! 
his  credit  for  fairness,  by  making  The  Cottage  Gakdexeu  I 
the  medium  of  so  quixotic  a  proposal.  | 

Tliere  is  little  in  the  remainder  of  Mr.  B.'s  letter  relevant 
to  the  objections  urged  in  mine ;  it  appears  to  be  an  attempt, 
by  a  sort  of  special  pleading,  to  draw  off  the  attention  from 
the  chief  points  in  discussion.  In  one  place  he  asks,  "will 
W.  C.  G.,  or  will  anyone  else  say  explicitly  iu  what  their 
(Bralima  Pootras)  superioiih/  consists."  If  Mr.  B.  intends, 
by  this  expression,  their  "  superiority  over  all  other  varieties," 
he  ouglit  to  know  that  I  have  never  ventured  to  claim  for 
them  such  superexcellency,  unless  as  a  mere  matter  of 
opinion,  in  the  particular  of  sliowiness  and  attractive  beauty 
of  plumage,  an  opinion  affecting  merely  individual  taste  and 
fancy,  and  one  in  which  I  know  many  owners  of  Buifs 
disagree,  but  one,  also,  in  which  I  have  good  grounds  for 
believing  the  majority  of  those  wlio  have  not  had  their  pre- 
dilections estal)iished  by  the  possession  of  eitlier  variety 
coincide  with  me ;  but  at  any  rate,  it  will  be  time  enough  to 
reply  to  this  question  when  ^Ir.  B.  has  given  me  the  oppor- 
tunity I  ask,  of  disproving  the  infoinril;/  ho  attaches  to 
them  ;  and  if,  by  accepting  my  challenge,  he  can  prove  the 
aflSrmative  of  his  position,  viz  ,  their  vast  inferiority,  it  will 
of  course  involve,  at  the  same  time,  an  ample  solution  to 
the  above  question. 

Let  me  now,  before  laying  down  my  pen,  give  your  readers 
two  or  three  specimens  of  Mr.  B.'s  accuracy  in  tlie  statement 
of  facts.  "Wishing  to  make  it  appear  that  he  "raiglit  have 
had  these  fowls,  had  he  so  Avished,"  at  their  earliest  intro- 
duction, he  says,  "  It  was  I  who  first  directed  Mrs.  Hosier 
AVilliams's  attention  to  Dr.  Bennett's  work  on  American 
Poultry,  the  perusal  of  which  led  to  the  first  introduction  of 
Greys  into  tliis  country  by  that  lady.  Before  ordering  these 
birds,  she  sent  me  the  book  for  my  opinion  on  it,  but,  as  the 
engravings  would  have  disgraced  a  child's  pcuny  primer. 


and  the  matter  was  exceedingly  vague,  I  did  not  like  to  offer 
one ;  but  these  Greys  were  selected,  as  the  lady  felt  anxious 
to  introduce  what  she  supposed  would  be  new  in  this 
country."  Now,  it  so  happiens,  fur  the  convenient  upsetting 
of  this  statement,  that  Dr.  Bennett's  book  ilocs  tiui  viici:  mni- 
tion  either  Brahma  Pootras  or  Grey  Shanghaes,  nor  in  any 
way  whatever  allude  to  this  variety ;  and  for  the  simple 
reason,  that  at  the  date  of  the  publication  of  that  book,  in 
IK.'jl,  the  original  birds  had  only  recently  been  brought  to 
America,  and  were  then  known  only  to  two  or  three  indi- 
viduals, from  one  of  whom  Dr.  Bennett  afterwards  procured 
his  birds !  Continuing  his  veracious  history,  Mr.  B.  say.?, 
"They  (the  Brahmas)  were  exhibited  at  Birmingham, 
escaped  notice,  and  were  afterwards  bought  in  at  an  auction, 
at  a  nonunal  price,  while  Turner's  half-bred  10s.  Greys  re- 
ceived the  prize,"  A'c. 

1st.  Now,  the  only  two  pairs  of  so-called  Brahmas  (my 
own  pair,  at  least,  were  only  half-bred  Brahmas,  certainly 
not  genuine  Shanghae)  exhibited  there,  were  nut  put  up  nor 
bought  iu  at  any  auction.  iJndly.  'They  did  not  compete,  as 
Mr.  B.  here  distinctly  implies,  with  Mr.  Turner's  "  Careys," 
wliich  were  not  at  the  same  show  with  the  Brahmas,  but  in 
that  of  the  previous  year,  viz.,  Ib.'il.  So  much  for  the 
accuracy  of  the  statements  Mr.  B.  volunteers  on  a  subject 
he  would  have  us  believe  he  knows  so  well;  and  on  the 
pretended  accuracy  of  which  knowledge  he  grounds  his  chief 
claim  to  be  considered  an  authority.  W.  C.  G. 

[Here  the  contlict  had  better  cease,  for  the  judgment  of 
competent  authorities  are  in  course  of  being  obtained  upon 
the  so-called  Brahma  Poutras.  Four  pens,  from  different 
breeders,  were  exhibited  at  the  Winchester  Sliow,  as  recorded 
in  our  last ;  and  we  know  the  collective  opinion  of  many 
good  authorities  there  assembled  is  that  they  are  a  good 
Grey  variety  of  Shanghaes. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


CULTIVATION   OE    CHICORY    IN    GUERNSEY. 

Chicoky  began  to  be  grown  in  Guernsey  in  1814  or  1845, 
and  its  cnliivation  increased  rapidly  until  LS51,  when  the 
dift'erent  dispositions  of  government  caused  it  to  fluctuate 
much,  and  to  decrease  down  to  the  rate  of  the  present  year. 
At  that  tisne  no  less  than  six  hundred  acres  of  it  were  iu 
cultivation  in  our  small  island,  and  wliich  fetched  Mi  a  ton 
from  tlie  field,  the  average  produce  being  about  ten  tons  to 
the  acre,  making  X''10  an  English  acre — £l'j,000  in  all. 
Tlie  advantages  are,  besides  this  handsome  return,  that  a 
second  or  even  a  third  crop  may  be  grown,  and  it  may  also 
be  followed  by  other  roots  ;  cattle  also  eat  it,  but  I  do  not 
believe  it  will  ever  be  a  favourite  feeding-root.  The  dis- 
advantages are  the  expenses  of  the  culture — not  manuring, 
because  it  requires  nothing  more  than  for  other  roots — but 
the  weeding  and  digging,  the  only  remedy  for  which  is 
sowing  in  drills  at  about  a  foot  distance,  and  turning  over 
the  roots  with  a  very  deep,  naiTow  plough,  with  at  least  six 
horses,  followed  by  men  with  digging-forks,  to  deal'  the 
Chicory  from,  and  throw  it  on,  the  soil.  'The  other  evil  is, 
that  from  the  root  being  so  full  of  life  in  every  particle,  and 
being  easily  broken,  it  leaves  a  really  bad  weed  in  itself  for 
succeeding  crops.  The  best  remedy  found  here  is  to  grow 
Parsnips,  which  aire  always  carefully  weeded,  after  Chicory, 
then  Vetches,  followed  by  Turnips.  The  price  is  now  thirty 
shillings  a  ton,  which  reduces  the  value  one-fourth  ;  slill,  in 
the  absence  of  the  Potato,  of  which  aliout  .£ln,ll(:u  worth 
have  been  exported  in  former  years,  the  culture  of  the 
Chicory  is  v,T,luable,  if  it  could  only  be  stable.  During  the 
fluctuations  in  IM'il,  mentioned  above,  some  of  the  mer- 
chants got  a  few  of  the  farmers  to  give  tlieir  Chicory  at  ten 
shillings  a  ton,  which  was  ruinous.  Such  are  the  most 
important  traits  of  Guernsey  culture  of  Chicory,  wliicli  I 
understand  you  wish  to  collect,  and  which  ai'e  very  much  at 
your  service. — A  Gi'EENBEy.man. 


DERBYSHIRE   AND   MIDLAND  COUNTIES' 

EXHIBITION. 

The  first  annual  E.xhibition  of  Poultry  of  the  Derbyshire 
and  Midland  Counties'   Society,  was  held  in  tlic   County 


December  1. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENEK. 


1G9 


Hall,  at  Derby,  on  the  17th  aud  18tli  of  November,  under 
the  pati-onage  of  a  long  list  of  the  nobility  and  gentry  of 
the  county,  headed  by  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Devonshire, 
the  Lord-Lieutenant.  The  number  of  pens  entered  was 
exactly  370  ;  and  ^Then  we  say  that  scarcely  one  was 
empty,  it  will  ho  seen,  that  in  point  of  numbers,  at  all 
events,  the  Exhiljilion,  for  a  first  attempt,  was  successful. 
In  quality,  as  is  usually  the  case,  the  classes  varied  con- 
siderably, hut  as  a  whole,  we  may  say  that  in  tliis  respect, 
also,  it  was  above  the  average.  The  place  of  exhibition 
was  all  that  could  be  wished,  although,  probably,  the 
Society  will  liave  to  look  out  for  a  larger  one  on  future 
occasions.  The  arrangements,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Secretary,  Alfred  Madeley  (son  of  the  Mayor  of  Derby), 
and  a  small  but  active  aad  iutluential  committee,  were  ex- 
ceedingly good,  and  the  weather  being  tine  a  very  large  and 
respectable  company,  especially  of  ladies,  visited  the  show. 
On  the  whole,  we  may  congratulate  the  Society  and  its 
officers  on  one  of  the  best  of  the  many  first  exhibitions  of 
this  description  which  it  has  been  our  good  fortune  to 
witness.  I'lie  names  of  the  fortunate  exhibitors  will 
appear  from  the  prize-hst,  which  we  sub.join,  but  a  word  or 
two  respecting  each  class  may  not  be  out  of  place. 

Taking  them  iu  the  order  of  the  catalogue  the  adult  Buil' 
Shaiijihaex  first  claim  our  attention.  These  were  not  a 
numerous  class,  nor,  mtli  the  exception  of  the  prize-pens, 
and  one  other,  were  they  good.  The  other  adult  Slianghae 
classes  did  not  number  among  them  one  pen  of  first-rate 
birds,  and  from  most  of  tliem  the  judges  withheld  the 
prizes.  This  may,  in  a  great  measure,  be  accounted  for,  by 
the  old  birds  of  this  variety  not  having  yet  got  through  the 
moult,  and  this  opinion  is  confirmed  by  the  quality  of  the 
chicken  class,  which  included  a  number  of  very  good  fowls. 
All  colours  were  included  in  this  class,  aud  it  numbered 
nearly  eighty  pens,  several  of  which  merited  and  obtained 
the  prizes  which  had  been  withheld  from  their  seniors.  The 
Society  will  do  well,  in  future,  to  divide  tliis  class.  The 
Spanish  come  next  in  order,  and  were  well  and  numerously 
represented,  botli  in  the  adult  and  chicken  classes.  But 
the  principal  feature  of  this  Exhibition,  was,  undoubtedly, 
in  the  Doiiciii;/  classes.  The  old  birds  were  good,  but  the 
chickens  were  the  very  best,  as  a  class,  we  have  ever  seen. 
Of  those  last  there  were  twenty-six  pens,  and  we  may  safely 
say  that  there  was  scarcely  even  a  middling  bird  among 
them.  Tlie  first  prize-xjen,  exhibited  by  Dr.  Hitchman, 
deserves  especial  mention,  as  they  were  admitted  by  all  to  be 
the  finest  pen  of  young  Dorking  fowl  ever  exhibited,  and 
the  judges  (Mr.  J.  W.  Nutt,  of  Stoke  Newington,  and  Mr. 
Bond,  of  Leeds)  had  no  hesitation  in  awarding  their  highest 
commendation  to  the  whole  of  this  class. 

The  Game  fowl,  divided  into  five  classes,  were  numerous 
and  good,  while  the  Humhurghs  were  the  worst  feature  of 
the  Exhibition. 

In  the  Polands,  too,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  there  was 
much  room  for  improvement. 

The  Goldcii-spanr/lfd  Bantams  numbered  three  or  four 
fair  pens,  but  there  was  nothing  worthy  of  notice  among 
the  other  varieties. 

Next  to  the  Dorkings,  the  Turliics  and  Geese  were  the 
best  classes  in  the  Exhibition.  The  judges  awarded  a 
commendation,  very  justly,  to  the  whole  of  the  Turkey  class — 
those  which  obtained  the  prizes  being  especially  good, — as 
were  also  the  prize  pens  of  Geese. 

The  Aylesbury  Ducks  were  also  a  fair  class,  but  there  were 
no  other  Ducks  of  good  quality,  if  we  except  a  pen  of 
Rouen,  and  one  entered  as  WhUe  Java  Ducks. 

The  managers  have  wisely  confined  their  Exhibition  to 
two  days,  and  to  this  we  should  recommend  them,  by  all 
means,  to  adhere  for  the  futiu:e. 

Class  l.—SHANGHAE    (OS  COCHIN-CHINA).    Section  1.— Cinna- 
mon and  Buff.J 
8.  First  prize,  Mr.  James  Cattell,  53,  Worcester-street,  Birmingliam. 
Age,  two-and-a-half  years.     5.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John   Harrison,  jun., 
Snelston  Hall,  near  Ashbourne.    Age,  one  year  and  seven  months. 

Section  2. — (Brown  and  Partridge.) 
13.  Second  prize,  jMr.  William  Wanklyn,  jun..  Bury,  Lancashire, 

Section  5. — Chickens  of  1853.    (Cinnamon  and  Buff.) 
31.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Harrison,  jun.,  Snelston  Hall,  near  Ash- 
bourne.   63.  Second  prize,  Mr.  James  Cattell,  Worcester-street,  Bir- 
mingham.  Age,  seven  months  and  fourteen  days.   51.  Third  prize,  Mrs, 


Hosier  IWilliams,  Eaton  Maacott,  Shrewsbury.  Ape,  seven  months. 
25,  48,  62,  g6.  Highly  commended.  51,  55,  66,  68,  71,  92.  Com- 
mended. 

Section  5. — (White.) 
69.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Staley,  North   Collingham,  Newark.     Ape, 
cockerel  and  one  pullet,  about  sevcu-and-a-half  months ;  one  pullet, 
about  seven  months. 

Class  2.— SPANISH.    Section  1  .—(White-faced.) 
102.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Harrison,  jun.,   Snelston  Hall,  near  Ash- 
bourne. Age,  three  years.  104.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Pevey,  Sudbury. 
Age,  eighteen  months. 

Section  2.— Chickens  of  18.',3. 
110.  First  prize,   Mr.  Edward  Woollett    Wilmot,    Hulrae  Walfield, 
Congleton.    Age,  seven  months.     113.  Second  prize,  ]Mr.  John   Wil- 
liamson, St.  Peter's-strcet,  Derby.    Age,  seven  months. 

Class  3.— DORKINGS.     Section  1.— (Coloured.) 

139.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Faulkner,  Bretby.  134.  Second  prize,  Mrs. 
Hitchman,  Dliekleover. 

Section  2.— (White.) 

140.  First  prize,  Rev.  C.  J.  Newdigatc,  West  Hallam.  142.  Second 
prize,  I\Ir.  Hitchcock,  Steam  fllills,  Ilkeston. 

Section  3. — Chickens  of  1853. 
155.  First  prize,  Dr.  Hitchman,  Mickleover.  Age,  thirty-three  weeks 
and  four  days.  151.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  R.  Rodbard,  Aldwick 
Court,  Wrington,  near  Bristol.  (Grey.)  Age,  eight  months  and  two 
weeks.  159.  Third  prize,  Mr.  William  Cox,  Brailnford.  (Grey.)  Age, 
cockerel,  eight  months  ;  pullets,  seven  months.  167.  Very  highly  com- 
mended. 

(The  whole  class  highly  commended.) 
Class  4,— .MALAY.     Section  1. 

170.  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  S.  Tunaley,  Milfield,  Tamworth. 

Section  3. — Chickens  of  1853. 

171,  First  prize,  Mr,  James  Oldham,  Long  Eaton,  near  Derby.  Age, 
cockerel,  six  months  and  three  weeks  ;  pullets,  seven  months  and  one 
week. 

Class  5.— GAME.      Section  1 — (Slack-breasted  and  other  Beds.) 
173.  First  prize,  Mr.  AshtonMosIey,  Burnaaton  House.     (Red.)     Age, 

fourteen  months.     178.  Second  prize,   Mr.  J.  T.  Edge,  Strelley  Hall, 

near  Nottingham.    (Black-breasted  Red.) 

Section  2.— (White  and  Piles.) 
188.  First  prize,  Mr,  Robert  Choyce,  Bramcote  Hall,  near  Polesworth, 
Warwickshire,     (White,)     190,  Secon.l  prize,    Mr.   John   Davis,    Kirby 
Mu.Ytal,  near  Leicester.    (White.)    Aged. 

Section  4. — (Blues  and  Greys.) 
196,    First  prize,  Mr,   Henry  Koughton,   Bramcote,   Warnickshire. 
(Silver  Grey.)     195.  Second  prize,  Mr,  John  R,  Rodbavd,  Aldwick  Court, 
Wrington,  near  Bristol,    (Grey,) 

Section  5.— Chickens  of  1853. 
202.  First  Drize,  Mr.  G.  H.  Chawner,  Sudbury.  (White)    206.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Nadin,  Stapenhill,  Barton-on-Trent.    (Black-breasted  Red.) 
Age,  seven  months. 

Class  6,— HAMBURGH.     Section   3.— (Si'.vcr-spangled.) 
215.  First  prize,  Mr.   C.  R.  Colville,  M.P.,  LuUington,  Burton-on- 
Trent.    Age,  one  year.    Disqualified  by  having  four  birds.    216.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  F.  Cooper,  Cheadle. 

Section  3.— (Gold-pencilled.) 
221.  Fir-st  prize,  Mr.   James  Oldham,   Long  Eaton.     Birds  of  1853. 
223.  Second  prize,  Mr.  M.  Smedley,  Clouds  Cottage,  Stapleford. 
Section  5.— Chickens  of  1353. 
256.  First  prize,  Mr,  M,  Smedley,  Clouds  Cottage,  Stapleford,     (Gold- 
pencilled,)     Age,  cockerel,  five  months  ;  pullets,  six  months,    254,  First 
prize,  Mr,  Alfred  Smith,   Nomianton,  near  Derby.     (Silver-pencilled.) 
Age,  cockerel,  six  months ;  pullets,  five  months. 

Class  7,— POLAND.     Section  2.— (Golden.) 
273,  First  prize,  Mr,  James  Smith,  Brailsfoi'd,    With  Beards,    275. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  W.  Ward,  Repton. 

Section  •3. — (Silver.) 
2/8,  First  prize,  Mr,  J,  W.  Ward,  Repton. 

Section  4. — Chickens  of  1853. 
269.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Ault.  Brailsford.     (Gold.)      Age,  six-and-a- 
half  months,     283,  First  prize,  Mr.  William  Cox,  Brailsford.     (Silver.) 
236.  First  prize,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Horsfall,  Duffield  Bank  House,  near  Derby. 
(Black.)    Age,  five  months. 

Class  8.— BANTAMS.    Section  ).— (Gold-Iaccd.) 
300.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams,  Eaton  Maseott,  Shrewsbury. 
Age,  one  year.    299.  Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Curzon,  Derby. 

Section  2.— (Silver-laced.) 

303.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams,  Eaton  Maseott,  Shrewsbury. 
Age.  one  year. 

Section  3.— (Black.) 

305,  First  prize,  Mrs,  Hosier  Williams,  Eaton  Maseott,  Shrewsbury, 
Age,  eighteen  months,  304,  Second  prize.  Miss  Fanny  Hurt,  Aldc'r- 
wasley,  Belper,    Age,  five  months. 

Section  4,— (White,) 

309.  Second  prize,  Mr,  G.  Chawner,  near  Derby,     Age,  sis  months. 


170 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  I. 


Section  5. — (Any  other  variety.) 
310.  Second  prize,  Mr.  George  Curzon,  Weston  Underwood.    (Booted 
Bantams.)     Age,  two  years. 

Class  9.-ANV   OTHER  DISTINCT  BREED. 
312.  Second  prize,   Miss  Fanny  Hurt,  Alderwaslcv,  Bclper.    (White 
Silk  Fowls.)     Age,  six  months. 

Class  10.— TURKEYS. 
320.  First  prize,  Mr.  E.  W.  Wilmot,  Huline  W.ilfield,  Congleton. 
(Wild  American.)  A^e,  eighteen  months.  321.  Second  prize,  Mr.  S. 
Stone,  CoUingwnod.  Burton-on-Trent.  (American.)  323.  Third  prize, 
Miss  E,  Steele  Perkins,  Sutton  Coldtield,  near  Birmingham.  (.White.) 
Age,  cock,  one-and-a-half  years  ;  hens,  two-and-a-halt"  years. 
(The  whole  class  commended.) 

Class  11.— GEESE. 
338.  First  prize,  BIrs.  Sherwin,  Bramcotc  Hall.  Ape,  six  months.  339. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Faulkner,  Bretby.  33/.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Spencer 
Stone,  Collingwood,  Burton-on-Trent,     (Toulouse.) 

Class   12.— DUCKS.     Section  1.— (Aylesbury.) 
347.  First  prize,   Miss  Darwin,  Breadsall  Priory.     Age,  four  months. 
350.  Second  prize,  Mr.  James  Sutton,  Shardlow  Hall.    Age,  five  months 
and  four  days. 

Section  2.— (Rouen.) 
353.  First  prize,  Rlr.  J.  Lathbury,  Wetmoor  Hall,  Burton-on-Trent. 

Section  3. — (Any  other  variety.) 
3Sl.  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  S.  Tunaley,  Tamworth.  (Java.)  357,  Second 
prize,  Mr.  J.  Spencer  Stone,  Collingwood,  Burton-on-Trent.  (White 
Call  Ducks.)  3t5:i.  Third  prize,  Miss  E.  Steele  Perkins,  Coldfield,  near 
Birmingham.  {Black  Labrador.)  Age,  two  about  six  months;  one 
about  seven  months. 

Class  13.- GUINEA  FOWL. 

367.  First  prize,  Mr.  John   R.  Rodbard,  Aldwick  Court,  Wrington, 
near  Bristol. 


UNITING  AND  FEEDING  BEES. 

I  WISH  to  keep  through  the  winter  four  stocks  of  bees,  if 
there  is  any  prospect  of  doing  so  with  reasonable  expense, 
of  which,  according  to  tlie  present  appearances,  there  is  a 
poor  prospect,  unless  the  food  I  have  been  giving  is  not  so 
beneficial  to  them  as  that  recommended  by  Mr.  I'ayne,  and 
others,  viz. : — one  pound  of  loaf-sugar,  a  quarter-of-apint- 
of  water,  and  four  pounds  of  honey.  What  1  have  been 
using,  is  one  pound  of  crushed  loaf-sugar,  half-a-pint  of 
strong  ale,  and  a  table  spoonful  of  white  wine,  boiled  in  the 
usual  way,  which  they  take  very  freely,  and  is  what  I  liave 
been  in  the  habit  of  using  for  ten  years.  I  feed  all  atnight, 
at  the  top,  in  caps  of  Taylor's  boxes,  three  inches  deep,  and 
eleven  inches  square,  turned  upside  down,  and  filled  with 
empty  combs.  I  pour  the  syrup  into  them,  and  find  the 
bees  take  it  better  out  of  them  than  they  do  from  tin  or 
zinc  feeders.  It  has  all  been  consumed  by  the  following 
morning,  so  that  there  has  been  no  loss  by  robbers.  The 
puzzle  to  nie  is,  why  they  have  consumed  so  much  dm'iiig 
tJie  time,  ahoKt  a  munllt,  while  I  have  been  feeding ;  and  if  I 
am  to  continue  feeding  till  they  come  to  the  weight  recom- 
mended to  keep  them  through  the  winter,  namely,  twenty 
pounds  each,  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  a  ruinous  aflair. 

I  must  say  this  is  the  worst  season  I  ever  experienced  for 
bees,  as  the  accounts  are  all  bad  in  this  part  (Cheshirel. 
Those  wlio  had  early  swarms  find  that  scarcely  any  of  them 
can  possibly  stand  through  the  winter,  and  many  are  dead 
already. 

No.  1  and  3  of  my  stocks  are  in  square  straw  har-hives, 
which  I  had  from  IMr.  Payne,  in  the  spring,  which  hives  I 
have  a  very  good  opinion  of.  The  swarms  were  put  in  each 
on  the  Cth  of  June  ;  they  are  sti'ong,  and  have  worked  very 
well ;  have  filled  the  hives  down  to  the  lloor-boards  with 
combs,  and  are  worked  beautifully  and  even  on  eveiy  bar. 

On  September  i2th,  I  added  a  stock  to  No.  1,  by  stuxri- 
fying  them  with  Racodhim  celt/irc,  in  the  usual  way.  They 
united  and  agreed  perfectly.  On  the  lUth  of  September, 
they  weighed,  after  deducting  the  hive  and  floor-board,  only 
nine  pounds  one  ounce,  for  bees,  comb,  and  lioney;  so  that 
if  four-and-a-half  pounds  is  allowed  for  the  bees,  there  was 
only  four  pounds  nine  ounces  for  combs  and  honey.  I 
commenced  feeding  them  with  the  above  syrup,  gave  them 
four-and-a-half  pounds,  and  to  my  great  surprise,  on  weighing 
them  on  tlie  'ilst  of  October,  I  found  they  have  only  three 
pounds  ten  ounces.  So  they  are  fifteen  ounces  lighter  than 
they  were  before  they  were  fed. 

No.  'i,  I  added  a  stock  to   on  the  13th  of  September, 


weighed  tliem  on  the  16tli,  and  found  that  they  had  only 
one  pound  one  ounce  for  combs  and  honey,  after  deducting 
as  above.  I  gave  tlicm  four-and-a-half  pounds  of  syrup, 
and  they  weighed,  on  the  '.ilst  of  October,  one  pound  six 
ounces.     So  they  had  gained  five  ounces. 

No.  3,  are  in  one  of  Taylor's  square  boxes,  eleven  inches 
square,  and  nine  inches  deep  inside.  They  are  a  swann  of 
18.53  ;  did  not  swarm  this  season  ;  put  a  stock  to  them  on 
the  13tb  of  September;  weighed  them  on  the  KJth  of 
October,  and  they  had  three  pounds  four  ounces,  after  de- 
ducting as  above.  Gave  them  four-and-a-half  pounds  of 
sjTup,  and  they  weighed,  on  the  31st,  three  pounds  foiuleen 
ounces.     So  they  had  gained  ten  ounces. 

No.  4,  are  in  Taylor's  box,  as  above,  a  swarm  of  IS.'Jl. 
They  swarmed  on  the  flth  of  June.  I  weighed  them  on  the 
10th  of  September.  They  weighed  eight  pounds  one  oimce, 
after  deducting  as  above  ;  gave  them  three  pounds  of  syrup, 
and  they  weighed,  on  the  31st  of  October,  seven  pounds 
eight  ounces.     So  they  had  lost  nine  ounces. 

I  should  be  glad  to  know  if  any  of  the  subscribers  to 
The  Cottage  Oabdener  have  tiied  King's  patent  hives, 
and  whether  they  answer  the  purpose  he  states  in  his 
pamphlet,  of  uniting  the  old  stock  to  a  swarm  taken  from  it 
the  summer  before,  and  putting  it  under  the  old  stock  in 
another  box  till  the  autumn,  then  taking  the  old  stock  off, 
cutting  out  the  combs,  and  letting  the  bees  return  to  the 
box  the  swarm  is  in  ;  if  they  would  work  through  the  box 
the  swarm  is  put  in  peaceably  through  the  summer,  and 
unite  well  with  tliem  in  the  under  bo.x  when  they  are  turned 
out  of  their  own  ?  If  all  this  is  effected,  it  would  save 
much  trouble  and  loss  of  bees,  in  either  drumming  or 
fumigating ;  for  after  ten  years  of  practice  in  fumigating,  I 
scarcely  ever  miss  a  season,  with  the  greatest  cai'O,  but  I 
have  a  loss  by  over  smoking.  This  year,  out  of  six,  I  had 
a  loss  in  two.  In  one  I  had  seven  ounces,  and  in  the  other 
eleven  ounces,  dead ;  in  the  other  four  I  lost  scarcely  one. 
I  find  there  is  a  great  difficulty  in  being  quite  correct  in  the 
process ;  it  is  scarcely  ever  resorted  to  in  this  part — all  go  to 
the  brimstone  pit !  I  find  there  is  a  gi-eat  difficulty  in 
getting  the  bees  from  between  the  combs,  but  I  hope  to 
succeed  better  now,  by  using  shallower  hives. — H.  Hood. 

[Use  no  more  strong  ale  and  wine  for  feeding,  but  sugar, 
water,  and  honey,  in  the  manner  already  recommended. 

Four-pounds-and-a-half  is  a  great  deal  too  much  to  allow 
for  the  weight  of  bees  in  a  liive  at  this  season  of  the  year; — 
certainly  by  one-half,  if  not  more. 

The  reason  of  their  increasing  so  little  in  weight,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  quantity  of  food  given,  may  arise  from  two 
causes  ;  first,  upon  close  inspection,  it  may  be  discovered 
tliat  since  giving  the  food,  comh-makbuj  has  been  going  on, 
whicli  will  account  for  it ;  or,  perhaps,  some  brood  may  have 
been  hatched  off;  and  it  is  not  improbable  but  the  stimu- 
lating nature  of  the  food  given  may  have  had  something  to 
do  in  the  matter. 

King's  xmtent  liive  we  have  never  seen  in  oparation. — 
J.  H.  P.] 


HARDY  HERBACEOUS  PLANTS. 
ACHILLEA  ROSEA. 

This,  the  rose-coloiu-ed  Milfoil,  is  so  called  by  Waldstein 
and  Ivitaibel,  two  botanical  writers  upon  Hungarian  jjlants, 
of  which  country  this  beautiful  plant  is  a  native. 

This  plant  is  closely  allied  to  our  indigenous  species 
called  A.  miilcfoliinii,  and  more  especially  to  its  red  variety, 
but  it  is  altogether  a  larger  growing  iihinl,  and  its  Howers 
ranch  larger,  and  of  a  deeper  dark  rose  colour.  Thcso 
points  render  it  a  most  desirable  plant  for  our  flower- 
borders.  Its  leaves  are  all  hi  or  tripinuatifid,  or  many  and 
finely  cut.  Its  flowers  are  produced  in  compact  spreading 
heads  in  .Tune,  and  more  or  less  to  November.  Of  course, 
the  decaying  flower-stems  should  at  all  times  be  cut  away 
as  soon  as  their  bloom  is  over,  and  the  successional  stems 
neatly  tied  up.  This  plant  generally  rises  from  two  to 
three  feet  in  lieight,  therefore,  making  a  good  plant  for  a 
second  row  in  the  bed  or  bordi'r,  or  a  back  or  centre  row, 
whore  the  beds  are  small,  or  the  borders  narrow,  and  is  in- 
tended to  bo  filled  with  dwai'fish  plants. 


December  1 . 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


171 


Any  good  garden  soil  suits  this  plant,  but  as  it  is  ratlier 
inclined  to  spread  about  at  the  root,  particularly  in  light, 
rich  soils  ;  it  becomes  necessary,  in  order  to  keep  compact 
bunches  in  the  Hower  borders,  to  replant  either  every 
yeai",  or  every  two  years  at  farthest.  This  should  he 
done  during  fine,  open  weather,  in  tlie  spring  months.  At 
the  same  time  increase  can  be  made  ol"  the  plants  to  any 
extent  that  may  be  required.  This  plant  was  introduced  to 
this  country  in  the  year  1803.  T.  W. 


POTATO  MURRAIN. 

May  I  be  allowed  to  add  my  mite  of  information  to  the 
readers  of  your  Cottage  GAiiDENEU,  relative  to  the  disease 
whicli  has  had  such  an  efl'ect  upon  that  most  valuable  of  all 
roots — the  Potato. 

The  iirat  attack  is  acknowledged  by  all  to  be  atmospheric ; — 
[f'soy  in  what  respect,  allow  me  to  ask  your  correspondents, 
can  the  baking  or  drying  system  aiford  a  remedy  ? 

Now,  I  am  not  about  olfering  a  cure,  although  I  wish 
much  tliat  I  were  enabled  to  do  so;  but  my  endeavours  will 
be  to  show  the  effect  of  such  atmospheric  inliuence  after 
the  first  attack  or  blight  of  the  stalk,  so  as  to  set  the  matter 
right  for  future  investigation. 

On  proceeding  over  a  field  of  my  Potatoes,  during  the 
summer,  I  discovered  a  paitial  blight,  and  on  the  following 
day  it  had  increased  considerably  ;  I  then  retreated  to  a  spot 
that  I  considered  most  affected,  and  took  up  carefully  one 
of  the  stalks,  and  it  rather  surprised  me  to  lind  (although 
the  ground  around  was  perfectly  dry)  a  wet  spot,  just  as  if 
I  had  taken  a  wine-glass  of  water  and  thrown  around  the 
base  of  the  plant  previous  to  drawingit  up ;  and  the  inference, 
or  conclusion,  I  came  to  was  this — that  it  was  the  exudation 
of  the  stalk  in  a  state  of  decomposition.  I  followed  this  up 
for  several  successive  days,  and  found  the  Potato  nearest 
the  haulm  was  affected,  and,  apparently,  from  that  very 
exudation,  the  poisonous  matter  thus  impregnating,  slowly, 
but  surely,  following  the  fibres  or  strings  to  the  whole  nest. 

Now,  I  have  heard  of  medical  men  using  the  knife,  or  of 
veterinary  surgeons  dissecting  a  dead  animal  in  a  state  of 
mortification,  losing  a  limb,  and  even  life  itself,  by  a  cut  or 
small  wound  coming  in  contact  with  any  portion  of  the 
matter  in  a  state  of  putrefaction  ; — and  why  may  not  this  be 
the  case  with  regard  to  the  exudation  from  the  Potato 
stalk  ?  If  I  am  right  in  my  conjectures,  this,  surely,  must 
account  for  the  preservation  of  the  root  by  taking  up  the 
stalks  immediately  on  the  discovery  of  their  being  struck. 

Not  having  seen,  in  the  different  publications  of  the  day, 
anything  approaching  to  the  views  here  taken  of  the  Potato 
murrain,  and  in  the  hopes  it  may  call  the  attention  of 
scientific  men  more  immediately  to  the  subject,  is  the  in- 
ducement for  sending   you  those   few  remarks. — An  Old 

ASHBUBTONIAN. 


I  HAVE  seen  an  observation,  that  by  leaving  Potatoes  in 
the  ground  to  self-sow  themselves  you  avoid  or  mitigate  the 
Potato  disease.  I  do  not  think  so;  neither  from  what  I 
collect,  nor  from  my  own  experience. 

My  predecessor,  when  the  Potato  disease  had  first  made 
its  appearance,  ploughed  up  a  fine  old  turf  orchard  of  about 
two  acres,  thinking  to  be  able  almost  to  pay  for  the  land  by 
the  abundance  of  his  anticipated  Potato  crop.  A  fine  crop 
showed  itself  of  the  Potatoes  which  we  call  here  "  the 
Farmer's  Olory,"  but  they  all  went  rotten,  and  were  boiled 
for  the  pigs. 

I  believe  the  land  lay  idle  all  that  winter,  and  at  Lady-day 
I  entered.  In  the  summer,  a  quantity  of  self-sown  Potatoes 
grew  up,  healthy  and  vigorous,  and  they  came  up  so  regular 
and  well  that  I  determined  to  hoe  and  weed  them,  and  to 
gather  the  crop.  Beautiful-looking  Potatoes  I  got  up,  but 
they  almost  immediately  became  diseased,  and  I  boiled 
them  for  my  pigs.  Since  then  I  have  found  it  cheaper  to 
buy  Potatoes  as  I  want  them  than  to  grow  them.  I  gave  a 
small  patch  of  the  same  land  up  to  my  mau-servaut,  and 
he,  at  my  suggestion,  about  the  middle  of  the  November, 
took  my  horse  and  cart,  and  fetched  two  large  tubs  full  of 
the  ammoniaeal  liquor  from  the  neighbouring  gas-works, 
and  dug  it  fresh  into  this  patch  of  ground. 

The  ground  lay  \im  WJOtei\  and  wa^s  turned  once  befove 


planting.  The  next  crop  of  Potatoes  was  free  from  disease, 
although  I  think  it  was  a  little  over  dosed;  for  gas  liquor 
requires  to  lie  mixed  with  the  soil  before  the  application  to 
it  of  roots  or  seeds.  I  throw  out  this  experience  for  useful 
discussion. — A  Woucesteushire  Man. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

•#*  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writers  of 
The  Cottagr  Gaedknkr.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
expense.  All  communications  should  be  addressed  "  To  £/*(?  E(fi7or  of 
the  Cottage  Gardener,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Row,  London.'* 

Propaga-TInx-iiouse  Site  (Waterford).— This  will  be  useful,  though 
much  in  the  shade,  provided  you  can  move  plants  from  it  as  soon  as 
struck,  otherwise  they  will  get  weak  and  drawn.  We  should  prefer  a  house 
standing  east  and  west,  and  power  of  shading  when  necessary. 

Pla-NT-stove  Site  {Ibid). — This  has  a  span  roof;  direction  of  house 
north  and  south.  Hartley's  patent  glass  would  save  shading.  A  wooden 
tank  covered  with  slate,  in  addition  to  iron  pipes,  would  not  be  indis- 
pensable, but  would  furnish  a  nice  means  for  giving  bottom-heat  when 
required.  There  need  be  no  extra  moisture  from  it  in  winter,  if  the 
slates  are  bedded  down  close  with  red  lead,  moveable  pieces  would  give 
you  a  moist  atmosphere  when  necessary. 

Heath  Pkopagatiow  fJifV/).— Articles  on  propagating  by  seed  will 
be  found  in  No.  I67,  and  on  propagating  by  cuttings  in  Nos.  168  and 
169.  By  attending  to  the  minutiie  there  de-^cribed,  you  may  study,  or 
not  study,  old  authorities,  as  you  have  opportunity.  We  know  the 
importance  of  catering  for  new  subscribers;  but  if  we  repeat  similar 
articles  on  the  same  subjects  often,  then  our  old  subscribers  say,  "the 
old  tale  over  again."  It  is  not  so  easy  to  please  the  public  as  many  of 
our  good  friends  imagine. 

Peotecting  Material  {L.  J.  G.),— We  quite  agree  in  all  that  you 
have  said  about  nets,  loose  straw,  &c. ;  hut  we  could  not  pass  an  opinion 
upon  the  material  you  have  invented,  nor  the  quantity  likely  to  be 
wanted,  until  we  had  seen  it  and  tried  it,  and  perhaps  not  even  then. 
We  will,  however,  ventilate  the  matter  for  you,  which,  you  say,  "  is  a 
non-conductor  of  heat,  waterproof,  will  last  for  years,  and  quite  as  useful 
as  wooden  shutters,  and  could  be  made  in  large  quantities  at  one  penny 
per  foot;  could  be  made  to  fasten  on  lights,  so  that  no  wind  sliould  blow 
them  off,  at  l^d.  per  foot ;  could  be  made  to  cover  forcing  houses,  vine 
borders,  walls,  &c.,  at  l^d,  per  foot.  Who  would  not  insure  a  crop  of  wall- 
fruit  for  a  cost  of  less  than  one  farthing  per  foot  per  year  ?*'  We  know  little 
about  patents,  but  enough  to  deter  rather  than  allure;  but  if  this  mate- 
rial could  be  proved  to  suit  so  many  purposes,  and  was  demonstrated  to 
be  superior  in  price,  endurance,  and  applicaliility,  to  anything  and,  every- 
thing else,  the  inventor  and  manufacturer  might  laugh  at  patents,  for 
their  first  and  superior  chance  would  be  remunerarive.  Mind,  all  these 
requisites  must  be  present. 

Apple  foe  House  with  South-east  aspect  {J.  S.). — No  doubt 
the  Hanwell  Souring  would  suit,  and  what  fine  specimens  you  might 
have  of  the  Ribston  Pippin. 

OsALis  BowEii  (/ii'd).— Having  only  a  pit  and  greenhouse,  and  these 
bulbs  beginning  to  spring,  you  must  keep  them  dry  and  as  cool  as  you 
can,  to  be  free  from  frost  until  about  April ;  tlien  water,  and  let  them 
grow  on,  and  they  will  bloom  in  May  and  June,  and  onwards.  If  you 
grew  them  now  you  would  not  have  sun  enough  to  keep  the  blossoms 
open. 

Gladiolus  Seedlings  (Ibid). — These  are  quite  green  yet.  Allowthem 
to  decay  gradually,  by  keeping  them  a  little  dry  ;  if  they  keep  green  till 
spring,  grow  them  on.  and  they  will  most  likely  fade  and  rei.t  early  in 
autumn.  From  the  faded  state  of  the  flower  sent  we  could  not  determine 
its  kind  ;  it  seemed  a  variety  of  fioribunda. 

How  to  cut  Vines  planted  last  season  {A  Young  Begi7iner), — 
Cut  within  a  few  buds  of  the  bottom  of  the  rafter,  as,  if  as  strong  as 
they  are  long  (sixteen  feet),  you  may  take  a  bunch  or  two  next  season. 

Rubble  round  Hot-water  Pipes  (W.  K.  H.). — Will  you  enlighten 
us  as  to  the  materials,  good  conductors,  and  retainers  of  heat,  you  have 
found  quite  changed  in  their  properties  when  placed  contiguous  and  over 
water-pipes  for  bottom-heat  ?  Of  the  materials  you  mention,  we  would 
prefer  brick-bats,  rough  gravel,  washed  clean,  or  lumpy  sandstone ;  hut 
OUF  experience  never  warranted  us  in  supposing  that  one  of  these  would 
act  just  antipodes  to  the  otlier.  We  should  banish  all  small  matter  like 
coal  ashes. 

Fuchsia  coedata  (S.).— If  it  is  fresh  and  growing,  and  has  not 
flowered,  keep  it  in  the  house,  and  curtail  water  a  little,  and  you  will 
probably  have  bloom  early  in  1854.  if  not  before.  If  it  has  bloomed  in 
summer,  and  the  leaves  have  fallen,  treat  it  as  another  Fuchsia.  Plants 
to  bloom  in  winter  may  be  managed  as  mentioned  the  other  week  for  1 
serratifolia. 

Various  (T.  Town). — 1.  Everything  you  mention  in  your  firet  list 
will  be  best  in  your  greenhouse.  2.  Lose  not  a  moment  in  moving  your  | 
Ericas  and  Epacris  into  such  house  from  the  shady  frame  at  the  end  of  [ 
the  garden,  or  you  will  have  the  risk  of  getting  mildew  among  them  to  a  | 
certainty.  Plenty  of  air  is  the  preventive,  and  this  you  can  always  j 
command  where  there  is  fire-heat.  3.  Place  in  that  frame  your  Carna-  i 
tions,  Auriculas,  and  Polyanthus,  and  Fuchsias,  if  small  and  dormant.  ! 
4.  In  the  pit  at  the  end  of  the  greenhouse,  into  which  heated  air  can  be  j 
admitted,  keep  Cinerarias,  Calceolarias,  Petmu'as,  Verbenas,  Daphnes,  ' 
&c.  If  the  first  are  wanted  early  they  must  be  set  in  the  greenhouse,  j 
If  you  practice  what  is  said  to-day,  and  elsewhere,  about  Calceolarias,  j 
you  will  liave  no  difficulty.  5.  To  grow  in  such  a  house,  you  must  keep 
Glaxiniaf!  dry,  dormant,  and  in  a  warm  part  of  the  house  until  the  first  1 
of  Ulay.  6.  Eschew  sea-sand  and  lime,  unless  as  chalk>  fromfireeciAoKsi?  ' 
r!ompi^(.i  yott  must  le^rn  that  what  would  sutt  a  Fuchsia  would  kill  an;    ■ 


173 


THE    COTTAGE    GAilDENER. 


Decembek  1. 


Erica.  ".  Use  manure-water  weak;  wliat  you  mention,  if  at  all  fresh, 
or  left  long  in  the  water,  is  five  timcji  too  stronp.  8.  When  to  give  air 
in  winter. — Regulate  that  more  by  ihe  outside  tlian  the  inside  tempera- 
ture. See  article  last  week.  Q.  "  At  what  degree  should  I  light  fires?" 
Alas  !  there  is  no  mathematical  rule  in  tliese  matters  ;  you  must  take 
sun,  clouds,  clear  sky,  the  direction  of  the  wind,  the  indications  of  a 
thermometer  in  the  shade,  all  as  guides  if  you  wish  to  be  saving.  A 
house  might  be  at  S0°  with  sun-heat  at  three  o'clock  ;  but,  in  a  keen 
nurtherly  wind,  if  you  did  not  light  a  fire  until  your  house  fell  to  38°  or 
35"^,  we  have  seen  nights  when  John  Frost  would  have  stuck  damp  plants 
to  the  shelves  before  your  furnace  would  have  told. 

Vabious  (I.I.  E.).— You  will  find  in  the  present  and  last  number 
much  that  will  suit  your  case.  Though  not  possessing  the  issue  for  the 
last  twelve  raimths,  yet,  by  turning  to  the  in-icx  of  the  volumes  we 
presume  you  do  possess,  you  will  find  information  upon  everything  you 
want.  Witli  every  desire  to  oblige,  we  tliink  our  readers  should  exhaust 
the  stores  at  their  command  by  consulting  indexes  for  themselves,  instead 
of  asking  us  to  do  it  fur  them.  Much  of  your  want  of  success,  notwith- 
standing your  zeal,  is  owing  to  your  window  having  so  little  sunlight. 
Your  dry  cellar  will  enable  you  to  save  such  things  as  Fuchsias  and 
Scarlet  GeraniuviS  ;  but  beware  that  in  rotting  your  vegetable  refuse  in 
your  damp  cellar  you  do  not  create  a  cholera  nuisance.  Do  not  let  the 
soil  in  your  Geranium  and  Fiich^^ia  pots  pet  {juite  dry.  The  best  time  for 
propagating  all  you  mention  would  be  April  or  May;  but,  with  your 
means,  it  would  be  folly  to  trouble  yourself  with  Heath  propagation.  If 
you  keep  yo\iT  Mt/rtle  cuttinf^s  oMvethey  will,  perhaps,  root  in  spring.  The 
Oleander  would  have  done  better  with  you  if  you  had  inserted  the  cut- 
ting in  a  bottle  of  water  and  set  it  on  your  chimney-piece.  Your  Hose 
will  get  more  vigorous  next  spring.  As  tfuching  it,  and  Azaleas  and 
Camellias,  see  an  articlfi  last  week.  You  must  keep  the  frost  out  of  your 
parlour.  You  have  done  t[uite  rij^ht  with  your  bulbs.  Let  them  remain 
where  they  are  covered  up  until  the  pots  are  crammed  with  roots.  Bulhs, 
Fuchsias,  Geraniums,  and  such  hardy  things,  would  suit  your  circum- 
stances best. 


anticipate  the  result  of  ten  years  in  advance,  this  is  a  very  good  way  of 
going  to  work.-  Tlie  question,  therefore,  may  be  cnnsidercd  as  of  uni- 
versal or  public  importance,  and  is  answered  accordingly.  Seven  kinds 
of  strong  summer  climbers,  and  three  kinds  of  Noisettes,  will  make  one 
"  fast  grower"  for  each  pole.  The  best  ten  would  make  perpetuals.  and 
we  only  recommemi  for  bottom  the  Gluire  de  Rusumeiie  and  Gcti7tt  dm 
Batnilles;  the  former  iniiat  6l-  on  its  own  roots,  or  else  it  will  do  no 
good;  the  Geu/tt  v.-o\i\d  also  be  belter  on  its  own  roots;  but  very  low- 
worked  plants  will  do.  The  Hybrid  Perpetuals  ought  to  he  standards 
and  dwarfs, — say  ten  of  the  very  tallest  and  strongest  standards  one  can 
buy,  and  ten  strong  dwarf  plants,  on  their  own  roots,  or  worked  very 
low,  of  the  same  kind  as  the  standard,  or  any  favourite  kinds.  For  seven 
best  summer  Climl/ing  Unses,  take  Felicile  perpetuelle.  Princess  Muriu, 
Mfiriaiithcs.  liiimpnnt.  Ruga,  and  Laura  Davoust.  For  three  he»t 
pillar  Roues,  take  the  old  La  Marque  and  La  Birhe,  two  of  the  best 
pillar  Noisettes,  though  old;  and  for  the  third,  we  wuuld  choose  Jaune 
Desprez.  If  you  want  txperiments,  try  Cloth  of  Gold,  Solfaterre,  and 
Fellenherg,  or  else  Fortune's  Yellow  instead.  For  Standard  perpetuiJs, 
take  Madame  Laffaij,  Mrs.  Elliot,  William  Jesse,  Baron  Previist,  Pius 
the  Ninth,  Standard  of  Morc7i:^o  (pU»nt  this  with  Rampant),  Durhess  of 
Sutherland,  Countesse  du  Chatel,  Pierre  de  St.  Cijr,  and  Coupe  d'  tiefie. 
All  these  are  among  the  very  best  Roses  known,  hut  there  are  iliany 
more  just  as  good,  so  there  is  a  great  choice  in  all  classes  of  Roses. 
Blairii  No.  2,  Aug^uste  Mie,  the  Malmaison,  Bouquet  dc  Flore.  Compte 
de  Montelivet,  Queen  of  Perpetuals,  Queen  Victoria,  and  scores,  are 
fully  as  good  as  those  we  have  named  ;  but  we  would  always  plant  our 
onw  ground  with  the  very  kinds  we  recommend. 

A  DiFFicDLTV  [Zealous  Subscriber).— It  is  perfectly  imposiible  tn  be 
aware  of  what  would  suit  you  from  the  data  given.  A  magician  could 
hardiv  tell  "  the  best  hardy  trees  and  shrubs  to  plant  a  spot,"  and  this 
"spot"  is  now  planted  witli  \\'illowfi,  with  a  '*  stream  running  through 
it,"  and  there  "was  a  pond  there  last  autumn."  If  the  "spot"  is 
swampy.  Willows,  Poplars,  and  Alders,  are  the  best  trees  for  it,  and 
BLignoiias,  of  s;irls,  would  be  the  best  shrubs.     I3ut  what  kind  of  soil  i? 


/hite  Game  Fov/l{Q.  Q.  Q.).— In  colournnly  would  the  points  of  a  [  it  ?     What  is  the  intention  of  i)lantingit?     Is  it  to  hide  out  anything,  or 


good  white  Game  fowl  ditfcr  Irom  what  is  required  in  the  other  varieties 
of  that  breed.  The  head  of  the  rock  should  be  thin  and  long;  face 
bright  red;  beak  strong  and  curved;  eyes  prominent;  neck  long  and 
full ;  brca>t  broad  ;  back  short  and  Hat  between  the  shoulders  ;  body 
tapering  towards  the  tail;  wings  inclined  to  expand  and  cover  the  thighs, 
which  are  short  and  muscular;  shank  of  the  leg  powerful,  and  long  in 
proportion  to  the  thigh;  legs  well  forward,  with  a  clean  flat  foot,  and 
strong  claws,  the  spur  being  low  on  the  leg;  feather  close  and  hard; 
carriage  erect  and  confident.  Tin;  characteristics  of  the  hen  are  those 
of  the  male  bird,  with  the  usual  feuiinins  reductions.  Bantu7ns  avQin 
No.  5  of  The  Poultry  Book. — \\'. 

Guinea  Fowl  (P.  S.  //.).— The  points  of  the  Guinea  fowl  were 
alluded  to  in  a  recent  query.  In  proportion  to  the  less  frequent  cxhii>i- 
tion  of  these  birds  than  other  fowls,  the  stamiaid  of  excellence  may  not 
have  been  so  positively  determined  on  ;  but  uniformity  of  markings  and 
colour  generally,  shuitness  on  the  leg.*,  depth  of  body,  and  weight,  are 
many  points  by  which  judges  are  guidetl. — W. 

Hov/'  i.ATE  CAN  FvEBGRiLEiv:;  EE  PLANTED  {.7.  J.). — Evcry  plant 
you  mention  has  been  planted  and  transplanted  by  the  hand  which  writes 
this,  over  and  over  again,  in  every  week  in  ihe  year.  In  a  very  cold,  late 
spring,  April  is  the  worst  time,  and  frosty  weather,  in  December,  the  next 
worst  time,  to  transplant.  Wlien  the  autumn  is  cool  and  moist,  from 
August  10  October  is  the  best  lime  to  move  all  cvergreeoR.  That  was  the 
time  chosen  by  our  great-grandtathers,  and  by  their  fathers  before  them, 
to  transplant  tiieir  evergreens,  as  we  shall  prove  some  of  these  days, 
froru  the  "  log  "  of  a  dealer  of  those  times.  In  your  case,  if  you  get 
your  trees  and  shrubs  in  by  the  end  of  February  you  are  safe  enough. 
Ahead  gardener  iiom  Scotland  is  the  most  "economical,"  if  his  o«'n 
head  is  put  on  tiie right  way,  otherwise  he  is  what  he  is,  and  an  English 
or  Irish  giirdener  is  no  more.  We  never  interfere  in  t'.iis  department, 
and  we  cannot  say  where  is  the  best  place  to  apply  to. 

Budded  Roses  (jV.  C.  E.). — A  lady  wishes  to  ask  if  other  ladiee,  who 
liave  budded  Hoses  this  season,  found  them  slow  in  moving,  that  is,  do 
ths  buds  generally  remain  dormant.  Her  own  buds  look  fresh  and 
hcidthy,  but  they  did  not  ritart  in*o  growth ;  she  took  oif  the  tyings,  and 
wishes  to  know  if  that  is  n  safe  way.  lu  such  a  season  as  this,  it  is  most 
fortunate   that  the  rose-buds  did  not  skirt,    as  they,  or  the  shoots  from 


tliem,  would  be  so  green  and  soft  that  frost  would  be  sure  to  hurt  them. 

As  to  their  taking  harm  as  they  are,  that  depends  upon  the  sorts.     A  hud 

once  "  taken"   will  be  just  as  safe  on  the  \vildmg  as  it  would  be  .m  its  |  ^^^^.^  ^^^^^  ^^qJ,  with  great  advantage,  on  the  last-named 

own  mother  branch,  or  very  nearly  so  ;  therefore,  a  very  hard  wmtcr  wii'    ■ 

never  hurt  dormant  buds  of  hardy  Rases,  or  of  other  hardy  plants. 


with  a  view  to  profit,  or  what?  Is  it  in  the  middle  of  a  forest,  or  in  the 
bottom  of  a  nalicd  valley  ?  or  near  a  garden,  or  farm,  or  where  ?  What 
is  the  force  of  rhc  "stream;"  and  how  is  it  supplied,  beciiig  the  old 
pond  is  no  more? 

In.tects  (T.  M.  W.). — The  insects  found  in  your  vase,  in  which  you 
fed  some  caterpili:»rs  with  leaves  and  grass,  are  the  larvEe  of  a  fly 
(.•liithomT/ia  cauicularis),  very  like  the  common  house-fly.  They  are 
found  in  water  and  moist  places,  and  occasionally  get  into  the  huinau 
stomach,  where  they  cause  disease. — W. 
'W.  Ad.\ms  (C). — Thankfully  r(?ceived. 

FiJATUERS  (S.  v.). — It  is  very  likely  they  arc  Grey  Sh.^ntrhaes,  as  you 
say  the  parents  came  from  China;  hnt  it  is  as  impossible  to  cive  a 
decided  opinion  from  an  inspection  of  a  few  feathers,  as  it  wouhl  be  to 
draw  a  lady's  portrait  from  a  lock  of  her  hair.  I'aiir  Trees  grafted  on 
Quince  stocks  usually  will  produce  cracked  fruit,  or  be  otherwise  de- 
fective on  a  dry  soil. 

Reigate  PouLTttY  Siiow. — W'e  are  informed  that  Mr.  Bridges  of 
Croydon's  Partridge  Cochin  China  fowls  took  a  frst  prize,  and  not  .a 
second,  as  stated. 

Pullets  Eggs  (T.  P.M.). — Of  valuable  birds,  we  have  had  the  very 
first  eggs  hatched  and  with  good  results,  but  usually  we  reject  about  the 
first  half-dozen.  The  contents  of  the  slop-pail  require  lO  be  diluted  very 
much  before  used  as  llquid-manure.  It  is  only  advantageous  duriug  lUc 
growing  season. 

HouivW  Ducks  (E.Y.  i*.)-— Mr*  Punchard's  direction  is  "Blunt'a 
Hall,  Haverhill,  SulTolk." 

Gl'tta  Pkhcha  Bke-iiives  (ifonf^  B^e).— It  might  be  adopted  as  a 
cover  to  exclude  wet,  but  would  warp  too  much,  we  think,  if  employed 
in  forming  the  hive  itself.  We  know  of  no  rock  plants  that  are  specially 
good  bee-flowers. 

Is  Glass  Porous  ?  (Municeps).— AW  bodies  are  porous,  therefore 
glass  is  so,  hut  we  do  not  know  which  kind  of  glass  is  moat  so. 

Chicory  Sfed  (A  Country  Curate). — We  cannot  say  where  *'  the 
best "  can  be  procured.  We  should  apply  to  a  wholesale  agricultural 
seedsman. 

Soap  Boilers'  Waste  (J.  B.  H.).— It  has  been  used  on  heavy  soils, 
on  peat  moss,  and  on  cold  wet  pastures.     Twenty  waggon  loads  per  acre, 


Tree  PtEONiES  (Ibid). — Early  in  the  spring  is  the  best  time  to  head 
down  Tree  Pttonies,  and  Apple  Trees,  and  many  other  trees;  and  when 
that  is  done,  v\c  cannot  expect  tlowcrs  or  fruit  that  same  season.  To  be 
sure,  a  Tree  Pccnny  might  be  cut  back  after  flowering  in  Rlay  ;  but  then, 
unless  the  season  and  the  part  of  the  country  were  very  favourable  to 
ripen  flower-budu  before  the  end  of  the  season,  there  would  be  no  flowers 
next  year,  so  that  the  (juestion  of  cutting  Tree  Pa-onies  before  or  after 
flowering  is  "  as  broad  aa  it  is  long,"  as  country  people  say. 

DiBLYTF-A  SPECTABiLiS  {Ibid).— T\it  Icaves  and  stems  of  this  plant 
ought  to  be  30  ripe  by  the  end  of  October  that  you  might  cut  them  off 
when  you  dressed  the  border  ;  the  roots  arc  quite  hardy  ;  but  in  case  the 
winter  turns  out  very  hard,  and  your  plant  is  very  young,  a  little  pro- 
tection will  not  hurt  it,  and  may  save  it  from  being  hurt — place  a  pot 
over  it. 

RosB  Poles  (M.  E.  G.). — Our  correspondent  wishes  "to  have  ten 
Larch  poles,  fifteen  feet  high,  with  Roses  over  them."  Some  of  the 
Koses  he  wishes  "to  be  fragrant,  and  others  fast  growers,"  therefor.^  he 
must  have  Noisette  and  Evergreen  Climbers  for  "fast  growers,"  very 
strong  Hj/brid  Perpetuals  for  fragrance,  and  to  keep  a  constant  suc- 
cession of  flowers,  and,  if  possible,  to  form  the  body  of  the  pillars  some 
years  hence,  he  munt  also  have,  for  this  style  of  pillar,  two  or  three 
kinds  that  are  sure  to  keep  the  bottom  full,  and  to  flower  down  to  the 
ground.    When  one  begins  gardening  late  in  life,  or  when  one  wiahea  to 


Names  of  Plants  {J.H.L.). —  1.  Cryptomeria  japnnica  ;  a.  Abies 
Douglasii ;  3.  Pinun  insignis  ;  4.  Abies  Smithiana,  or  fllorindii ;  5.  Abies, 
uncertain  which  ;  fi.  Abies  balsamia ;  /.  Juniperns  prostrata;  8.  I'inua 
eicelsa;  9.  Junipcrus ;  species  ?  in.  juniperus,  sp.  uncertain  ;  U.  Juni- 
pcrus  suecica;  VI.  Abies,  uncertain;  13.  Cupressus  torulosa.  Some  of 
the  hits  were  too  small  for  ui  to  be  certain  ns  to  the  species.  {F.  M.  E.). 
— Specimen  imperfect ;  probably  Aspidiuin  cristatum.  (2?oi'.  R.  M.  E,). 
— The  yellow  flower,  Colutea  Pocockii  {?)  The  other  shrub,  Leycestcria 
formosu. 

Old  Holly-tree  (Clerictis). — Please  to  wait  n  short  time,  and  we 
shnli  put  you  in  the  right  way  with  this  tree;  there  is  no  hurry  about  it 
just  now,  and  we  are  only  waiting  to  procure  dates  ahnut  a  case  of  the 
sort  that  has  been  cured,  to  our  own  knowledge,  for  wc  have  uecn  the 
subject  lately. 


London:  Printed  by  Haekt  Wooldbidgb,  Wincheeter  High-atrett, 

in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMEBViLLB  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  ol 
Essei,  ftt  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Pati»h  of  Chrial 
Church,  City  of  London.— December  Ut,  1863. 


December  8. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


I) 

w 


8 

Th 

» 

P 

10 

s 

11 

Son 

13 

M 

13 

Tn 

u- 

W 

DECEMBER  8—14,  1853. 


Wb&tiikr  near  Iiomion  in  Ifi63. 


Jiaromcter.     IThernio.  Wind.'  f^^^J^ 


Skylarks  flock. 
RcJ-tliroatod  Diver  comes. 
Wild  Swan  comes. 
3  SONDA.Y  IN  Advent. 
Moles  throw  up  hillii. 

Emoek  Week. 


29.293—29.241 

29.613—29.525 

I   30.583—29.537 

29.595—29.519 

;    29.501-29.429 
29.473-29-383 

29.364—29.335 


49-37  s.w. 

63—45  S.W, 

54—49  S. 

57—43  S.W. 

54—40  S.     I 

S4— 43  S.     I 

55—42  I  S.W. 


03 
01 
03 

20 
12 
25 


Rises. 


Sua 
Sets. 


Moon 
11,  &  S. 


Moon's 
Age. 


55  a  7 
56 
57 
58 
59 

VIII 

1 


49  a.  3 
49 
49 
49 
49 
49 
49 


morn. 

1  I  I 

2  12 


9 

10 

12 
13 
14 


Cloek 
af.  Sun. 


173 


Day  of 
Year. 


6     54 
6    26 


342 
343 

344 
345 
346 

347 
34S 


Meteoeology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiawick,  from  observations  durln;:  the  last  twenty-six  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
peratures of  these  days  are  46.6°  and  33.8°  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  6l°,  occurred  on  the  13th  in  1842  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  11°,  on  the 
13th  in  1846.  During  the  period  114  days  were  fine,  and  on  68  rain  fell. 


BRITISH.  WILD  FLOWERS. 

{Continued  from  page  113.) 
Ar.ABis  siT.ioTA ;  Bristol  or  St.  Vincent's  Koek  Cress. 


Description. — It  is  a  perennial.    Root  simply  tufted,  very 


long,  tapering  and  fibrous,  not  creeping,  certainly  perennial. 
Stems  for  the  most  part  several,  erect,  or  ascending,  from 
three  to  six  inches  high,  cylindrical,  leafy  ;  the  central  one 
usually  branched ;  all  rough  in  the  lower  part  with  mostly 
simple,  spreading,  bristly  hair.^;.  Radical-leaves  numerous, 
blunt,  dark  green,  purplish  underneath,  deeply  toothed  or 
sinuated  in  a  lyrate  manner,  rough  with  simple,  rarely 
forked,  stiff,  white  hairs  ;  stem-leaves  scattered,  smaller,  and 
more  entire,  coarsely  and  sparingly  fringed.  Flowers  few, 
in  a  flat  cluster,  erect,  rather  large,  their  petals  cream- 
coloured,  upright.  Oalijx  smooth,  reddish,  scarcely  if  at 
all  spreading.  Pods  slender,  erect,  straight,  smooth,  slightly 
wrinkled,  on  short  smooth  sialics,  of  which  some  of  the 
lowermost  are  accompanied  by  small  line-like  leaves, 
looking  like  hracteas,  but  not  properly  such.  Glands  in  a 
ring  round  the  base  of  the  stamens. 

Time  ofjlowcring. — May. 

Places  where  found. — Lime-stone  rock.s  in  the  south- 
western part  of  England. 

History. — It  was  first  discovered  in  this  country  by  Say, 
and  was  considered  by  him  as  a  dwarf  Cardamine,  or 
Cuckoo  Flower,  "with  Daisy  leaves."  It  was  found  at 
Bristol,  about  St.  Vincent's  Rocks,  by  Mr.  W.  Clayfield, 
and  thence  has  received  its  common  name.  Its  specific 
name,  stricta,  alludes  to  the  straightness  of  its  flower- 
stems.  {Smith.  Withering.)  It  is  the  Arahis  hispida 
or  Rough  Wall-Cress  of  LinnEEUS.  —  {Martyn's  Miller's 
Viet.) 


It  is  not  usual  with  us  to  refer  editorially  to  any  of  the 
subjects  discussed  by  our  departmental  writers,  but  ws 
must  make  an  exception  to-day,  for  the  purpose  of 
directing  especial  attention  to  Mr.  Beaton's  observations 
upon  the  renovation  of  old  trees. 

This  is  a  subject  so  interesting,  both  in  a  physiolo- 
gical and  domestic  point  of  view,  that  it  will  readily 
obtain  an  excuse  for  us  from  our  I'eaders.  Very  fevr  are 
those  who  have  long  resided  in  the  country  who  have 
not  become  attached  to  some  tree,  and  grown  the  fonder 
of  it  as  decay  threatened  its  destruction.  Trees,  in  their 
old  age,  acquire  that  size  and  irregularity  of  form, 
gaining  for  their  pioturesqueness  the  descriptive  title  of 
"  Painters'  trees ; " — it  is  a  beauty  totally  distinct  from 
the  beauty  of  vigorous  growth ;  and  if  once  lost  by  the 
destruction  of  the  trees  is  never  to  be  replaced  until 
one  or  two  generations  of  our  descendants  have  found 
their  graves.      To  preserve  such  features  about  our 


grounds — to  retain  these  "ancestral  trees"  —  is,  con- 
sequently, an  object  most  desired.  We  rejoice,  there- 
fore, that  Mr.  Appleby  has  just  commenced  a  series  of 
papers  upon  preserving  forest  trees  in  vigour,  whilst 
Mr.  Beaton  has  furnished  us  with  information  how  to 
sustain  and  rescue  them  when  decaying. 

We  have  said  that  the  subject  is  of  interest  to  phy- 
siologists also,  and  it  is  especially  so,  because  there  has 
long  been  a  division  of  opinion  among  them  upon  the 
longevity  of  trees.  Some  consider  that  trees  have  a 
prescribed  period  of  duration ;  hut  others  think  that  by 
grafting,  and  other  devices,  some  trees  may  be  rendered, 
to  an  indefinite  extent,  an  exception  to  that  decree  of 
death  which  extends  over  all  other  organised  beings. 

To  the  latter  opinion  we  cannot  give  our  unqualified 
assent.  We  know  that  the  Golden  Pippin  has  been 
quoted  as  evidence  sustaining  that  opinion,  but  there  is 
no  proof  of  that  Apple  being  mentioned  before  the  time 


No.  COLXXI,,  Vol.  XI, 


174 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Decembeb  8. 


of  Evelyn ;  and  two  centuries,  or  even  double  that 
number  of  years,  may  be  readily  allowed  for  an  Apple- 
tree's  probable  life-time.  This  meets  the  inference 
drawn  by  Mr.  Hogg  from  the  fact,  that  "  In  the  Bromp- 
ton  Park  Nursery,  where  the  same  Golden  Pippin  has 
been  cultivated  for  nearly  two  centuries,  and  continued 
from  year  to  year  by  grafts  taken  from  young  trees  in 
the  nursery  quarters,  there  is  not  the  least  disposition 
to  disease,  canker,  or  decay  of  any  kind ;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  a  free,  vigorous,  and  healthy  growth."  (British 
Pomology,  t)7.) 

Grafting  may  postpone  the  arrival  of  death,  just  as 
the  transfusion  of  blood  will  revive  a  sinking  animal ; 
but  we  cannot  reasonably  conclude  that  the  postpone- 
ment can  be  for  a  time  indefinite.  The  day  must  come, 
we  think,  both  to  the  anim.al  and  the  scion,  when  its 
vessels  shall  be  without  the  power  of  propelling  or 
assimilating  the  vital  fluid. 

We  make  these  observations  only  to  warn  our  readers 
from  expecting  too  much,  but  in  no  degi-ee  to  depreciate 
the  essays  to  which  we  allude.  On  the  contrary,  we 
prize  them  highly,  for  they  have  as  their  common  object 
the  preservation  of  old  friends  to  a  still  more  vigorous 
and  greater  age.  Like  Rousseau,  wo  dislike  to  have 
ain  old  post  removed  with  which  we  have  been  long 
acquainted — much  more  do  we  shrink  from  the  taking 
away  of  a  tree  that  is  an  old  acquaintance ;  and  we  ai'e 
grateful  to  any  one  who  aids  us  to  preserve  it.  Fully 
do  we  enter  into  the  spirit  of  bira  who  recently  wrote  as 
follows:  —  "Many  thanks  for  sparing  that  old  tree. 
Whenever  I  think  of  my  earliest  home,  that  tree,  with 
its  huge  excrescences  and  widely  outspread  limbs — even 
the  very  colour  of  its  bark — rise  vividly  to  my  memory. 
I  was  beneath  and  about  that  tree  during  the  first 
twenty  years  of  my  life — the  freshest  and  the  happiest. 
My  first  love  was  told  beneath  that  tree,  and  my  first 
dog  was  buried  beneath  it.  When  I  think  of  ray 
mother,  father,  brothers,  and  sisters,  in  early  days, 
there  is  always  some  event  connects  them  with  that  old 
tree.  Glad — grateful — am  I,  then,  that  tt  is  spared  ;  for 
I  should  miss  its  trunk  and  limbs  almost  as  much  as 
the  faces  I  shall  never  again  see  beneath  them,  and  the 
voices  I  shall  hear  no  more." 


No  one  can  have  attentively  visited  a  succession  of 
Poultry  Exhibitions  without  noticing  a  considerable 
diversity,  and  even  irreconcilability,  in  the  decisions 
of  different  judges.  We  have  so  often  observed  this, 
though  we  knew  that  the  judges  in  each  ease  were  men 
of  honour,  and  gave  their  decisions  honestly  and  care- 
fully, that  we  havo  long  considered  over  the  question — 
Cannot  a  code  of  Rules  bo  devised  that  sliall  insure  a 
greater  uniformity  in  the  decisions,  and  leave  less  to 
the  uncertainty  of  individual  taste  and  judgment? 

We  had  taken  some  steps  towards  securing  an  object 
so  desirable,  and  we  are  again  roused  to  the  subject  by 
tlie  following  letter: — 

"  In  looking  over  your  valualjb^  work,  The  Cott.vge 
GrAEDENEit,  I  find  iiiany  of  your  readers  puzzled  mucli  at 


the  decision  of  the  judges  at  various  shows,  some  holding 
out  that  dealers  should  not  be  chosen  forjudges,  and  some, 
no  doubt,  thinking  them  the  most  fit  persons  to  fulfd  this 
importaut  office.  For  my  own  part,  I  will  not  fmd  fault 
witli  the  judges,  hut  with  tlie  system  as  at  present  ciuried 
out.  Only  tliink  of  choosing  a  man  to  judge  poiUtry,  no 
matter  whether  lie  be  dealer  or  not,  and  having  no  laws 
made  to  guide  him  in  his  judgment !  How  is  it  possible 
that  a  man  can  do  justice  either  to  himself  or  to  the 
exhibitor  under  such  conditions?  Wliy  not,  at  once,  take 
pattern  by  the  old  Clubs  of  Lancashire,  that  liave  been  in 
existence  for  so  many  years,  and  make  laws  for  all  classes 
of  poultry,  similar'  to  those  they  have  for  tlie  fowl  they  show? 
It  is  only  reasonable  to  make  tlie  laws  first,  and  then  to 
choose  the  judges  ;  place  the  laws  in  their  hands,  and  say, 
"  Judge  these  fowls  by  these  laws."  Then,  and  not  till 
then,  will  the  exhibitor  have  justice  done  him.  .\t  the 
same  time,  the  judge  will  be  placed  in  a  very  diflerent 
position  ;  for  having  such  laws,  he  must  be  guided  by  them, 
and  not  be  called  upon  to  judge  fowl  such  as  he  has, 
perhaps,  never  seen  before,  and  merely  according  to  his 
own  taste. 

"  I  here  enclose  you  a  copy  of  the  old  Lancashire  laws,  as 
you  may  think  them  worthy  of  publishing  in  The  Cottaoe 
Gardenee.  They  give  the  old  names  of  the  fowl,  but 
I  have  added  the  names  they  are  shown  under  at  the  new 
Exhibitions. 

"  If  these  laws  had  been  in  existence,  I  should  have  had 
no  cause  to  complain.  I  will  here  point  you  out  my  case  of 
complaint.  At  our  Birmingham  Show,  last  year,  I  sent 
four  pens  of  Gold  Spangled  Hambm-ghs,  and  tlioy  were 
thrown  on  one  side  as  mere  rubbish.  Tliese  fowls,  after 
being  brought  home,  were  thought  very  much  of  by  parties 
who  saw  them  at  the  show ;  and,  in  a  httle  time,  my  son 
sold  to  Mr.  Adkins  some  of  the  hens  that  had  been  so 
unnoticed  at  the  Birmingham  Show,  and  Mr.  Adkins  sent 
them  to  the  London  Summer  Show,  and  there  betook  a  lirst 
prize  with  them.  I  find,  also,  tlie  following,  in  your  remarks 
on  that  show,  in  your  August  Number,  pnge  'ii(j : — "  The 
Hamburghs,  as  a  whole,  were  inferior,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Golden  Spangled  Hamburghs.  Tlie  birds  which  took 
the  first  prize  belonged  to  Mr.  Adkins,  and  were  emhieullij 
rich  in  their  cnlimr  and  mnrliiiiys."  Here,  then,  is  a  cleai- 
case,  showing  the  necessity  of  an  alteration  of  tlie  system  of 
judging,  for  the  fowls  did  not  alter  at  nil,  having  the  same 
feathers  on  them  at  botli  shows,  as  they  had  moulted  ofl' 
before  the  Bh-mingham  Show. — John  Brown,  Globe  Wine 
J'aidts,  Great  Hampton  Street,  Birmingham." 

The  Lancashire  Rules,  alluded  to  by  Mr.  Brown,  are 
inserted  in  The  Poultry  Buoh,  but  we  here  republish 
them. 

RED  MOONED  PHEASANTS  {Golden  Spangled  Hamburgh^. 

POINTS.  HIARKS  ON  KEATHEES.  &C.,  CONSIDEHED  BEST. 

1st,  Comb.— Beat  double,  best  square,  the  most  erect,  antl  most  piked 
liehinfl. 

2nd,  Ears. — The  largest  white. 

3rd,  Neck.— The  best  streaked  with  preen  black  in  the  middle  of  the 

feathers,  and  best  fringed  with  pold  at  the  edges.  I 

4th,  Breast.— The  largest  moons,  brightest  and  best  green  black,  most 
free  from  being  tippeil  with  while  or  red  at  the  end  of 
the  moon,  and  the  clearest  and  best  red  from  the  moon 
to  the  bottom  colour.  j 

iith.  Back. — The   largest  moons,  brightest  and  best  green  black,  least 
tip|)ed  with  white  or  red  at  the  edges  of  the  moon,  and 
the  best  and  clearest  red  Iroui  the  moon  to  the  bottom    ' 
colour. 

6th,  Rump.— The  largest  moons,  brightest  and  best  green  black,  least 
tipped  with  white  or  red  at  the  edges  of  the  moon,  and 
the  best  and  clearest  red  from  the  moon  to  the  bottom 
colour. 

7th,  Wing  (divided  into  four  partsl.  1st,  Boii'.- Best  and  brightest 
green  black,  and  best  antl  clearest  red.  2nd,  liiirs.^ 
To  have  two  distinct  liars,  composed  of  the  largest, 
clearest,  brightest,  anil  best  green  black  moons,  and  the 
clearest  and  best  red  from  the  moon  to  the  bottom 
colour.  3rd,  Flip/tt.— The  clearest  and  best  red.  4th, 
The  Liiehig,  i>r  ittp  of  the  Wiiigy  nbiive  thi-  /light.— 
Largest,  clearest,  brightest,  and  best  green  black  spots 
on  the  end  of  the  foatlu-r,  and  the  best  and  clearest  red 
from  the  spot  to  Ihe  buttom  colour. 

8th,  Tail.— The  brightest,  darkest,  and  Ijcst  green  black.  To  be  full 
feathered. 

gth.  Legs. — Clearest  and  best  blue. 

lOUi,  General  Appearance.- The  best  feathered  hen. 


Decbmbkr  8. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


175 


SILVER  PHEASANTS  (Sid'cr  Spangled  Hamburgh). 

POINTS,  MARKS  ON  FEATHERS,  &C.,  CONSIDERED  BEST. 

1st,  Comb.— Best  double,  best  square,  most  erect,  and  best  piked  behind. 

2nd,  Ears. — Largest  and  best  wbite. 

3rd,  Neck.— Best  streaked,  with  green  black  in  the  middle  of  the  feather, 
and  best  silvered  at  the  edges  of  the  feather. 

4th,  Breast. — Largest  moons,  brightest  and  best  green  black,  most  free 
from  being  tipped  with  white  at  the  edge  of  the  moon, 
and  the  best  silvered  from  the  moon  to  the  bottom  of 
the  feather. 

5th,  Back. — Largest  moons,  brightest  and  best  green  black,  least  tipped 
with  white  at  the  end  of  the  feather,  and  clearest  and 
best  silvered  from  the  moon  to  the  bottom  of  the 
feather. 

6th,  Rump.— Largest  moons,  brightest  and  best  green  black,  least  tipped 
with  white  at  the  end  of  the  feather,  and  the  clearest 
and  best  silvered  from  the  moon  to  the  bottom  of  the 
feather. 

7th,  Wing  (divided  into  four  parts).  1.  Boti'.— Best  and  brightest  green 
black,  and  best  silvered.  2.  Bars, — To  have  two  dis- 
tinct bars,  composed  of  the  largest,  clearest,  brightest, 
and  best  green  black  moons,  and  best  silvered  from  the 
moon  to  the  bottom  of  the  feather.  .1.  Flight. — Best 
and  clearest  silvered.  4.  Lacing,  or  top  of  the  wing, 
above  the  flight. — Largest,  clearest,  best,  and  brightest 
green  black  spots  on  the  end  of  the  feather,  and  best 
silvered  from  the  spot  to  the  bottom  of  the  feather. 

8th,  Tail. — The  brightest,  darkest,  and  best  green  black.  To  be  full 
feathered. 

gth.  Legs. — Clearest  and  best  blue. 

10th,  Gerneral  Appearance.— The  best  feathered  hen. 

BLACK   PHEASANTS  {No  neie  name  at  present). 

POINTS,  MARKS  ON  FEATHERS,  &C.,  CONSIDERED  BEST. 

1st,  Comb. — Best  double,  best  square,  most  erect,  and  best  piked  behind. 

2nd,  Ears. — Largest  and  best  white. 

3rd,  Colour. — The  best  and  richest  glossed  green  black. 

4th,  Legs. — Best  and  clearest  blue. 

5th,  General  appearance. — Best  feathered  hen. 

CREELS  (^Silver  Pencilled  Hamburghs). 

POINTS.  MARKS  ON  FEATHERS,  &C.,  CONSIDERED  BEST. 

1st,  Comb. — Best  double  comb,  best  square,  most  erect,  and  the  best 
piked  on  the  top  and  behind. 

2nd,  Ears. — Largest  and  best  white, 

3rd,  Neck. — Clearest  and  beat  white. 

4th,  Breast. — Largest,  clearest,  and  best  white. 

5th,  Back. — Largest  and  best  clear  green  black  spots  on  the  end  of  the 
feather,  and  the  clearest  white  ground. 

Gth,  Rump. — Largest  and  best  clear  green  black  spot  on  the  end  of  the 
feather,  and  clearest  white  ground. 

7th,  Wing  (divided  into  four  parts).  1.  Bow. — Largest  and  best  clear 
green  black  spot  on  the  end  of  the  feather,  and  the 
clearest  white  ground.  2.  Bars. — Largest  and  best 
clear  green  black  spot  on  the  end  of  the  feather,  and 
the  clearest  white  ground.  3.  Flight. — Clearest  and 
best  white.  4.  Lacing,  or  top  of  the  wing,  above  the 
flight. — Largest  and  best  clear  green  black  spots  on 
the  end  of  the  feather,  and  the  clearest  white  ground. 

8th,  Ttul. — Best  clear  green  black  creeled  tail. 

9th,  Legs. — ^Clearest  and  best  blue  legs. 

10th,  General  Appearance. — Best  feathered  hen. 

To  the  foregoing  communication,  and  to  the  subject 
generally,  we  ask  the  serious  attention  of  all  judges 
of  Poultry.  We  have  not  yet  been  able  to  come  to  a 
positive  opinion  as  to  the  details  of  the  desirable  stand- 
ards of  merit  for  the  guidance  of  judges  at  our  Poultry 
Exhibitions,  but  we  incline  to  think  that  those  stand- 
ards should  be  on  a  plan  allied  to  that  by  which  the 
merits  of  cattle  at  the  Shows  in  the  Channel  Islands  are 
determined.     The  following  is  their  plan : — 

Scale  for  Examining  Bulls. 

POINTS. 

1. — Race  of  both  parents  acknowledged  to  have  been 
superior       -        .        _ 4 

2. — Head  handsome  and  fine ;  cheek  small ;  muzzle 
small,  and  compassed  round  with  white ;  nostril 
large  and  dilated ;  horns  smooth,  a  little  cmved, 
and  tipped  witli  black,  not  very  thick  at  the  base ; 
ears  small,  and  orange-coloured  inside  ;  eye  hvely 
and  large     ----.--.     8 

3. — Neck  fine,  and  well-placed  upon  the  shoulders; 
breast  large ;  iody  round  and  deep,  with  the  ribs 
rounded  well-up  to  the  haunches        -        -        -    3 

i. — Back  straight  from  the  shoidders  to  the  tail, 
forming  a  right  angle  with  the  tail ;  tail  fine         -     3 

0. — Hide  fine  and  loose,  well-covered  with  faie,  soft 
hair,  and  of  an  approved  colour        -        -        -    3 


POINTS, 

fi, — -Fore-leys  straight,  short,  fine  and  strong,  large 
above  the  knee,  and  fine  beneath  it      -        -        -    2 

7. — Hind-quarlers,  from  the  bough  to  the  back,  long 
and  well  filled-up  with  flesh.  The  legs  ought  not 
to  cross  behind  when  waUdng       -         .         ,         .     2 

8. — Symmetry 2 

9. — ConiUtJon,  or  general  appearance        -        -        -     1 

28 

No  prize  to  be  awarded  to  a  Bull  having  less  than  twenty 
points. 

The  principle  on  which  this  code  of  rules  is  formed, 
seems,  with  certain  modifications,  generally  applicable 
to  our  present  wants.  Judges,  it  may  be  certain,  no 
less  than  exhibitors,  will  gladly  welcome  such  an 
arrangement,  and  in  every  respect  would  it  bo  advan- 
tageous to  those  who  may  take  an  interest  in  poultry 
matters,  without  themselves  occupying  cither  of  the 
above  positions. 

At  the  same  time  it  must  not  be  concealed  that  the 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  carrying-out  such  a  measure 
are  considerable  ;  and,  probably,  it  would  be  agreed, 
that  it  has  hitherto  been  wisely  deferred,  since  each  of 
the  last  few  years  has  added  so  greatly  to  our  know- 
ledge of  the  properties,  merits,  and  characteristics  of  the 
several  breeds,  that  constant  changes  would,  in  most 
instances,  have  been  required.  In  our  present  position, 
however,  there  seems  no  reason  why  the  combined 
judgment  of  practical  men  should  not  be  brought  to 
bear  upon  this  subject,  and  it  shall  not  be  neglected. 


A  MOST  liberal  prize-list  has  been  issued  for  a  Poultry 
Show,  to  be  held  at  Shrmvshury,  on  the  8th  and  9th  of 
this  month;  and  the  name  of  Viscount  Hill,  as 
President,  guarantees  due  attention  to  the  requirements 
of  both  exhibitors  and  the  public  generally.  The 
classes,  with  a  single  exception,  follow  the  usual 
routine,  but  that  for  "  birds  of  any  other  distinct  breed," 
has  been  excluded.  We  regret  this,  as  however  un- 
willing to  dignify  with  that  designation  many  of  the 
birds  that  claim  that  title,  the  policy  of  such  a  class 
cannot  be  questioned,  when  it  offers  the  only  means  of 
admission  to  many  varieties  that  possess  merit,  not 
only  as  regards  their  appearance,  but  also  in  an  eco- 
nomical point  of  view.  It  is,  also,  the  only  field  in  which 
their  alleged  good  qualities  can  be  satisfactorily  tested, 
and  then  it  usually  becomes  by  no  means  the  least 
attractive  portion  of  the  Exhibition.  The  Andalusians, 
and  many  of  the  Polish  varieties,  with  the  Ptarmingan, 
and  other  novelties,  on  which  the  public  would  gladly 
gain  further  information,  must  by  this  rule  be  necessarily 
excluded. 


EARLY  POTATOES  IN  FRAMES. 

I  FEEL  that  this  is  rather  a  grave  subject  to  handle, 
as  times  go,  for  we  have  all  seen  the  very  best  practice 
rendered  nugatory,  during  the  last  few  years,  through 
the  devastating  powers  of  the  murrain.  Nevertheless, 
we  must  not  utterly  despair,  nor  stand  with  folded 
arms,  whilst  any  chance  remains  of  restoring  this  inva- 
luable root  to  its  pristine  powers.     It  is  a  fact  worthy 


176 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  8. 


of  pointed  remark,  that  our  early  kinds  in  hotbeds,  or 
frames,  have  not  suffered  in  anything  like  a  ratio  cor- 
responding with  that  of  the  late  crops  in  the  fields. 
Tbis  I  take  for  admitted  on  all  sides  ;  and  if  so,  to  what 
does  it  seem  to  point?  Why,  to  the  fact,  that  early 
planting,  early  rest,  and  a  \ery  moderate  amount  of 
liaulm,  are  favourable  to  Potato-culture  in  the  present 
state  of  affairs. 

Before  offering  a  little  advice  about  early  Potatoes, 
let  me  advert  to  a  singular  fact  in  out-door  culture 
wliich  has  come  to  my  knowledge  somewhat  recently. 
AVitbin  two  miles  of  here,  there  are,  perhaps,  as  many 
Potatoes  grown,  for  the  amount  of  land,  as  in  any  part 
of  England.  Indeed,  for  more  than  thirty  years  the 
culture  of  Potatoes  has  constituted  the  key  to  their  rota- 
tions on  the  lighter  soils;  and  in  tbis  respect,  the  Po- 
tato here  has  become  a  sad  rival  of  the  dairy,  causing 
many  broad  acres  of  old  cheese  pasture  to  be  broken-up, 
and,  of  course,  weakened  by  culture.  Whether  wrong 
or  right,  on  the  whole,  1  pretend  not  to  .judge ;  1  merely 
speak  as  to  the  fact,  and  as  one  bearing  on  the  cheese- 
making,  for  v/e  are  hero  about  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
old  Cheshire  dairy  district. 

About  seven  years  since,  a  certain  person,  who  had 
been,  I  believe,  a  shoe-maker,  took  a  considerable  extent 
of  laud,  which  had  been,  what  is  termed  here,  "xilouglted- 
out"  that  is  to  say,  fairly  exhausted  by  hard  cropping 
and  bad  manuring.     People  thought  he  was  mad;  but 
he  went  boldly  to  work  in  the   Potato  way,  planting 
most  of  this  poor  land  with  that  crop;  and  as,  of  course, 
he  had  no  manure,  and  the  land  would  scarcely  grow  a 
Daisy  without  some  apjjlication,  he  was  driven  to  try  ' 
guano,   and  the  fact  is,  lie  has  gone  on  annually  in-  ; 
creasing  the  breadth  of  Potatoes,  until,  it  would  appear,  j 
that  what  little  alternations  of  crops  he  has  bear  a  direct  ' 
reference  to  this  Potato  and  guano  system.     Pie  is  now 
said  to  have  amassed  much  projierty,  and  everybody  is 
talking  about  Mr.  IVs  wheat  stacks,  and  his  thousands  of 
bushefs  of  Potatoes,  when  other  iblks  have  few  or  none.  | 

Now  I,  for  one,  must  confess  to  having  learned  from  j 
the  shoemaker's  practice;   and  my  opinion  may  be  era- 
bodied  in  the  two  following  maxims  : — 

1st.  Potatoes,  when  above  ground,  sliould  be  so  situ- 
ated  as  to  be  a  full-grown  plant  speedily. 

2ndly.  To  effect  this,  the  manure  used  should  bo 
highly  stimulating,  but  the  first  stimulus  sliould  soon 
pass  away. 

Indeed,  tliese  results  wore  to  be  expected  from 
guano  beforehand,  and  gardeners  have  yet  ranch  to 
examine  into  concerning  the  dillerence  between  a  slow- 
acting  manure  long-continued,  and  a  quick  and  highly- 
stiinulating  one  soon  declining. 

But  it  is  not  only  in  the  Mr.  B.'s  case,  before  alluded 
to,  but  I  have  heard  of  many  others  tending  to  tho 
same  point;  and  1  will  venture  to  say,  that  if  some  of 
our  readers  will  try  two  plots  of  exhausted  soil,  equal  in 
condition  and  cliaractcr,  the  one  with  guano,  tlie  other 
with  farm-yard  manure,  tliat  they  will  find,  as  to  Potatoes, 
the  superiority  of  the  former. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  decay  of  tho  bavdm  presents 
different  appearances  under  ditlering  conditions;  in  one 
case  assuming  the  condition  called  wet  rot,  or  gan- 
grene ;  in  the  otbei-,  a  dry  gangrene.  Now  I  have  ; 
noticed,  for  years,  tliat  the  dry  gangrene  in  tho  liaulm 
is  a  mere  consequence  of  poverty  in  the  soil ;  and  tlio 
evil  of  luxuriance  of  plants  through  highly-stimulating 
manures.  And  so  on,  through  intermediate  cbaractors 
of  soil,  producing,  as  might  be  expected,  intermediate 
efleets. 

But  now  to  the  chief  purport  of  this  paper— which  is 
to  offer  a  'i<iV!  hints  to  the  inexperienced  in  the  principles 
of  forcing,  or  accelerating.  Potatoes. 

There  is  no  bettor  Potato,  for  early  forcing,  than  the 
Ash-leaved  Kidnetj,  if  tnw  (this  is  the    Walnul-lcaved 


Kidiiei/  of  some  districts),  for  there  are  several  mongrel 
kinds  in  culture.  Most  gardeners  force  an  early  frame, 
or  pit ;  some,  several ;  and  most  resort  to  fermenting 
materials  in  such  forcing.  Whatever  the  bed  may  be 
composed  of,  iu  this  respect,  it  must  be  made  to  produce 
a  bottom-heat  of  05"  to  70°,  and  should  be  capable  of 
retaining  it  for  several  weeks,  which  is  generally  effected 
by  what  are  termed  linings.  The  fermenting  material 
should  be  trodden  carefully  in  the  process  of  filling,  or 
building,  as  the  Potatoes  do  not  thrive  so  well  if  the 
soil  settles;  their  fibres  become  broken,  and  their 
foliage  disarranged.  The  best  soil  for  the  Ash-leaved 
Kidney  Potato  is  a  turfy  and  somewhat  adhesive  loam  ; 
but  loam,  or  no  loam,  tliey  love  a  sound  soil — one  not 
too  sandy. 

Tbe  other  classes  of  Potatoes  will  succeed  in  lighter 
soil,  and,  in  fact,  any  of  them  will  do  very  well  in  a 
good  garden  soil  ;  but  by  no  means  add  manurial 
matters,  imless  a  little  guano  were  considered  necessary, 
when  the  best  way  would  be  to  blend  it  with  the  soil 
thoroTighly.  A  gallon  of  Peruvian  woidd  be  enough 
for  an  ordinary  frame  or  pit.  And  now  let  us  advise 
our  young  Potato-forcers  to  start  all  their  earliest  frame 
Potatoes  in  pots — those  five  inches  diameter  are  the 
best ;  and  tliey  may  be  potted  in  soil  both  strong  and 
rich,  on  the  principle  of  giving  things  a  good  start. 
Almost  any  frame  or  greenhouse  will  do  tor  them,  but  the 
lower  the  temperature,  the  earlier  they  should  be  potted. 
If  in  an  ordinary  cool  house,  or  frame,  minus  frost,  and 
the  cultivator  desires  Potatoes  in  March,  there  is  not  a 
day  to  be  lost ;  indeed,  they  should  have  been  potted  a 
month  ago.  The  best  plan  is  to  put  the  Potato  in  the 
bottom  of  the  pot,  or  nearly  so,  and  then  to  fill-up  with 
the  rich  compost :  wlien  the  plaut  has  to  bo  turned  out 
iu  the  bed  there  will  be  found  such  a  mass  of  fibres  as 
will,  in  a  generous  soil,  and  a  little  bottom-warmth, 
cause  the  plant  to  develope  speedily,  which,  as  before 
stated,  is  tbe  chief  object  in  these  days. 

About  the  third  week  iu  January  is  a  capital  time  to 
make  the  bed  and  plant  them  out  finally,  and  a  little 
management  is  requisite  in  this  proceeding.  The  fer- 
menting material  being  all  right,  our  jiraotice  is  to 
strew  a  layer  of  old  turfy  soil  over  it,  and  on  that  layer 
the  kidney's  turned-out  of  pots,  with,  of  course,  nice 
white  balls,  and  a  well-established  sprout;  these  are 
then  placed  in  rows,  about  fourteen  inches  apart,  and  at 
the  distance  of  some  seven  to  eight  inches  between  the 
plants. 

Henceforward,  the  Potato  -  forcer's  chief  aim  is  to 
keep  them  I'rom  "  drawing " — they  require  a  bottom- 
warmth  under  such  circumstances,  if  only  to  repel  frost ; 
and  yet,  again,  for  another  reason,  the  root-nction  must 
be  sustained.  Ventilation  on  every  favoiu'able  oppor- 
tunity is  tbe  pivot  on  which  the  chances  of  success 
must  be  founded.  If  this  be  well  attended,  and  previous 
conditions  have  received  the  attention  recommended, 
why  all  will  be  right. 

But,  no  sooner  are  the  Potatoes  throe  inches  above 
the  soil,  than,  owing  to  the  discrepancy  between  heat 
and  light,  and,  of  course,  our  impatience,  symptoms  of 
this  drawing  will  appear  at  early  periods.  However, 
now  tho  bottom-heat  will  perforce  decline,  and  this 
alone  will  cool  their  ardour;  but  by  this  tiuu^  tbe  plants 
will  be  freely  developed,  and  all  that  remains  to  bo  done, 
is,  not  lorcing,  but  such  a  guarantee  of  warmth  as  will 
enable  the  plant  to  carry  out  its  functions,  t'lcar  glass 
overhead,  and,  of  course,  all  the  light  possible,  witli  a 
most  liberal  ventilation  on  all  fitting  occasions,  will 
nearly  complete  the  rest.  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  tliat 
early  Potatoes  do  not  bear  "  earthing-uii"  so  well  as  tbe 
out-door  cro])S  ;  it,  however,  is  well  to  add  a  little 
mellow  soil  or  leaf-mould,  about  an  inch  or  two  drawn 
to  their  slems  when  they  are  about  six  inches  higli.  As 
to  wateiing,  little  or  none  should  be  practised  until  the 


December  8, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


177 


young  Potatoes  are  large  as  marbles ;  then  one  thorough 
watering  may  be  given — the  water  tepid,  and  of  a 
manurial  character.  Two  things  are  especially  to  be 
avoided^"  drawing,"  and  frost ;  for  the  former,  ventilate 
freely;  against  the  latter,  provide  a  good  covering. 

R.  Errington. 


EENOVATION  OF  OLD  TREES. 
Afteb  all  that  has  been  said  or  done  in  comparing 
the  beautiful  tints  in  the  flowers  of  certain  Lily-like 
plants  to  the  female  complexion,  what  does  it  amount 
to  ?     Only  to  the  mere  fancies  of  some  great  authors, 
who  have  thus  evinced  their  respect  for  "the  jot  d'espril  I 
of  a  distinguished  man,"  as  Dr.  Herbert  asserted,  long 
since,  in  reference   to   Linnseus   having   fixed   on  the 
Bella  Donna  Lily  of  the  Italian  gardens  for  the  type 
plant  to  represent  the  Amaryllis  of  Virgil.      Not  so, 
however,  are  the  labours  of  tliose  who  have  written  on 
the  analogy  between  a  man  and  a  tree.     There  is,  in- 
deed, a  very  marked  resemblance   between   men   and 
trees,  take  them  how  you  will.     Trees  are  living  beings, 
like  ourselves,  and  they  are  as  susceptible  of  good  or 
bad  usage  as  any  of  us.     They  require  food,  air,  light, 
and  warmth,  as  we  do ;  the  earth  is  their  larder,  and 
they  derive  their  nourishment  from  it  by  the  mouths  of 
their  tubular  roots,  otherwise  called  spongioles,  as  we 
do   by  other  tubes,  called   lacteals,  which   convey  the 
essence  of  our  food  to  the  lungs,  where  it  is  prepared 
for  blood  and  muscle,  and  for  flesh  and  bone.     The 
leaves  of  trees  act  the  part  of  lungs,  and  thence  spread 
out  the  elements  of  wood  and  fibre,  and  all  the  essen- 
tials whicli  complete   the  system.     We   say  trees  are 
"  proud,"  and  we  use  certain  means  to  take  the  pride 
out  of  them,  or  to  heighten  their  pride,  according  as  we 
want  their  lofty-bearing  to  suit  our  own  purposes.     We 
aifirm  that  trees  are  sulky,  and  we  humour  them  as 
nurses  do  a  spoilt  child.     We  say  they  are  healthy,  or 
they  are  strong,  and  we  know  they  carry  loads ,  we  also 
say  they  are  not  healthy,  and  we  doctor  them,  and  there 
is  not  a  doctor  in  London  who  can  furnish  a  case  of 
disease  in  his  own  practice  for  which  we  could   not 
produce  a  similar  or  analagous  case  from  among  trees. 
A  tree  is  as  capable  of  being  poisoned  as  a.  man ;  and  if 
it  takes  too  much,  or  gets  too  little,  of  the  necessaries 
of  life,  it  will  tell  of  the  injury  by  symptoms,  just  as 
plainly  as  we  can  by  words.     If  a  big  boy  knocks  his 
thumb  against  the  door-knocker,  he  may  put  it  into  his 
mouth,  it  is  true,  but  he  will  have  "  a  gathering,"  and 
he  may  lose  his  nail  before  it  is  all  over.     An  acci- 
dental knock  with  a  hammer  kills  so  much  of  the  bark 
of  a  sapling  tree,  but  new  bark  comes  under  the  bruised 
part,  just  as  the  new  nail  comes  under  the  old  one,  and 
the  dead  hark  is  cast-off  without  an  effort,  but  the  boy, 
after  a  while,  for  want  of  more  patience,  pulls  off  the 
old  nail,  "  like  a  man."     A  poultice  would  have  brought 
the  thumb  sooner  "  to  a  head,"   and   a  plaster  would 
have  the  same  effect  on  the  injured  bark.    A  young 
man  sprains  his  ankle  in  a  polka,  but  the  doctor,  by 
bandaging  and  "  keeping  him  quiet,"  puts  him  on  his 
legs  again,  and  his  wedding  comes  off  in  less  than  a 
month ;  a  sudden  twist  nearly  severs  a  branch  from  a 
"  main  leader,"  and  the  gardener,  by  the  same  means, 
insures  a  reunion  in  one  growth,  that  is,  by  the  growth 
of  one  season.    A  Russian  officer  of  full  age  receives  a 
"  flesh  wound,"  deep  and  dangerous,  from  an  infidel 
Turk,  but  "  his  blood  is  up,"  and  his  flesh  and  blood 
come  again  fresher  than  before.     A  clumsy  rustic,  while 
thinking  about  his  Molly,  allows  the  wheel  of  his  more 
clumsy  waggon  to  "  bark"  the  tree  by  the  side  of  the 
gate,  but  the  wound  heals  up  again,  though  he  is  none 
the  wiser.     Here  analogy  must  cease  for  the  present,  as 
it  is  far  different  from  the  case  of  the  good  old  man,  for 


when  "the  silver  cord  is  loosed,  the  mourners  go  about 
tlie  streets."  The  pith,  or  silver  cord  of  the  aged  tree,  ! 
yea,  the  very  heart-wood  itself,  may  rot  and  crumble 
into  dust,  or  go  to  feed  tlie  branches,  and  still,  and  yet, 
dissolution  may  be  afar  ofl'.  But  when  the  old  Yew  or 
Holly,  by  the  side  of  the  chiu-ch,  ceases  to  put  forth 
young  wood ;  when  the  berries  "  are  in  proporLion  to 
the  leaves  as  two  hundred  to  one;"  when  the  leaves 
come  smaller  and  much  less  in  number,  year  by  year; 
when  they  come  later,  and  fall  ofl' earlier,  than  was  their 
wout ;  and  when  holes,  or  "  apertures  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  trunk,"  denoting  a  hollow  centre,  are  as  manifest 
as  the  mid-day  sun,  is  it  possible  to  repair  the  vigour  of 
the  tree,  or  to  weather  ofl'its  threatened  dissolution? 

This  question  has,  doubtless,  been  asked  of  every 
gardener,  of  any  standing,  in  the  country,  but  not  more 
ex])Hcitly,  and  to  the  point,  than  in  the  subjoined  letter 
to  The  Cottage  Gardener  : — 

"I  am  the  custos  of  a  large  Holly-treo,  which  I  imagine  to 
be  nearly  as  old  as  the  clmrch  beside  which  it  stands,  thus 
carrying  back  the  date  of  its  planting  some  five  or  six 
hundred  years.  No  branches  have  been  allowed  to  grovv' 
from  it  nearer  the  ground  than  ten  feet.  Its  head  is  very 
large,  but  has  latterly  made  so  little  wood,  and  become  so 
denuded  of  leaves,  as  to  betoken  great  weakness,  if  not 
decay.  The  berries  which  it  produces  this  year,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  leaves,  are  as  two  hundred  to  one. 

"  The  extremities  of  the  branches  undergo  a  considerable 
clipping  every  Christmas.  "Would  you  recommend,  in  pre- 
ference, that  some  of  the  larger  limbs  be  taken  out  ? 

"  There  are  one  or  two  small  apertures  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  trunk,  which,  perhaps,  admit  some  quantity  of  rain, 
and  so  cause  decay.  With  what  material  might  they  best 
be  closed  ? 

"  The  circumference  of  the  tree,  at  four  feet  from  the 
ground,  is  four  feet  nine  inches. 

"  As  I  am  very  anxious  to  infuse  fresh  vigour  into  this 
much-admired  piece  of  antiquity,  I  shall  look  for  your 
advice  with  much  interest. — Cleeicus." 

Tliat  trees  have  the  power  to  heal  over  large  wounds 
made  in  them,  by  accident  or  by  design,  is  a  fact  that 
has  been  known,  and  that  has  never  been  disputed,  for 
ages.  Grafting  and  ringing  fruit-trees  are  familiar  pro- 
cesses founded  on  such  knowledge,  but  the  way  in  which 
new  wood  is  formed  to  cover  old  wounds,  has  been  a 
point  in  dispute  ever  since  the  formation  of  wood  has 
been  admitted  as  a  branch  of  science,  or  rather,  as  part  of 
that  branch  of  science  called  vegetable  phisiology.  The 
oldest  and  best  known  case  in  this  country,  relative  to 
that  dispute,  is  Mr.  Knight's  explanation  of  a  theory  or 
hypothesis  set  forth  by  Mr.  Forsyth,  gardener  to  George 
the  Third,  about  a  discovery  he  made,  or  believed  he 
made,  for  renewing  old  and  worn-out  fruit-trees,  by  so 
operating  upon  them,  as  to  cause  new  wood  to  be  made 
to  cover  old  parts,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  growth  of 
young,  healthy  branches  from  the  new  wood  so  pro- 
duced. Mr.  Forsyth  was  on  the  right  scent ;  his  old 
trees  did  certainly  make  new  wood,  and  deep  wounds  or 
cankered  parts  were  cased  over  by  it,  as  he  said,  and  as 
a  parliamentary  committee  affirmed,  but  his  explanation 
of  the  way  in  which  the  new  wood  was  made  was 
entirely  wrong,  or  was,  at  least,  voted  as  such,  and  the 
error,  the  "  disputed  point,"  as  explained  by  Mr 
Knight,  cost  the  King's  gardener  just  .£1,500.  Par- 
liament had  voted  i3,000  for  the  discovery,  and  this 
brought  a  hornet's  nest  about  their  ears,  as  the  story 
goes,  and  the  upshot  was,  that  only  one-half  of  the 
grant  was  paid  to  the  discoverer.  Mr.  Forsyth  invented 
a  kind  of  plaster — the  ingredients  I  forget,  except  tlie 
cow-dung  and  the  dust  froin  old  dry  mortar,  or  ground, 
or  burnt  bones — and  he  believed  that  this  plaster  would 
cause  new  wood  to  grow  over  any  part  of  a  tree,  as  it 
were,  of  itself,  just  as  some  country  people  believe,  to 
this  day,  that  certain  plasters  are  the  sole  cause  of 
healing  bad  wounds;  thus  putting  cause  for  effect. 


178 


THE   COTTAGE   GAEDENER. 


December  8. 


Mr.  Knight  controverted  this  thpory,  and,  like  Du- 
hamel,  his  contemporary  on  the  continent,  maintained 
that  the  new  wood  was  made  by  the  leaves,  and  sent 
down  to  cover  the  parts,  in  the  sliape  of  roots  from  the 
buds;  and  between  the  two,  this  theory  had  soon  got  the 
upper  hand,  both  here  and  on  the  continent.  Still 
tliere  were  dissentients  at  home  and  abroad ;  but  now, 
people  here,  as  well  as  on  the  continent,  begin  to  be- 
lieve that  Forsyth  was  just  as  near  the  trutli  as  either 
Knight  or  Dnhamel,  and  that  mysterious  plasters  are 
quite  as  capable  of  making  new  wood,  as  "  the  roots  of 
buds ;  "  that  it  is  not  essentia!,  now,  to  have  commu- 
nication between  the  pith  and  the  bark  of  a  tree ;  that 
the  heart-wood  does  not  inclose  the  heart  or  seat  of  life 
im  a  tree  ;  and,  in  short,  that  the  life  of  a  tree  is  in  the 
opposite  direction  from  the  heart ;  that  the  seat  of  life, 
in  the  Oak,  and  other  trees,  is  changed  every  year,  and 
every  year  is  receding  farther  and  farther  from  the 
heart;  that  the  whole  surface  of  a  tree,  and  the  imme- 
diate parts  just  under  the  bark,  from  the  topmost  bud 
downwards,  is  one  huge  seat  of  vitality,  and  that  if 
blood,  or  true  sap,  is  supplied  to  the  seat  of  life  in  due 
quantity,  the  life,  or  vital  force,  is  able  of  itself  to  do  the 
rest :  supply  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  "  piece,"  and 
work  up  the  "  fabric  "  into  sound,  solid  timber,  without 
any  aid  from  the  buds  at  all.  The  bark  of  the  tree  is, 
therefore,  the  natural  covering  for  the  real  seat  of  life  ; 
and  if,  by  any  means,  this  covering  is  destroyed,  a  sub- 
stitute must  be  found  immediately,  to  secure  the  part  from 
the  action  of  the  air,  else  that  portion  of  the  life-seat  is 
killed,  not  as  timber,  but  as  far  as  the  making  of  new 
wood  is  concerned ;  still,  as  the  seat  of  life  is  renewed 
every  gi-owing  season,  a  small  wound,  or  this  deadened 
part,  will  soon  get  covered  from  the  living  parts  round 
it.  Hence,  it  would  appear  that  Knight  and  Forsyth  were 
both  right,  as  far  as  the  formation  of  new  wood  was 
concerned,  and  both  wrong  as  to  the  cause  or  source  of 
the  new  wood. 

Without  a  plaster  of  some  kind  it  is  perfectly  im- 
possible that  a  large  barked  part  of  a  tree  can  be 
covered  with  new  bark  under  many  years ;  whereas,  a 
plaster,  or  any  air-tight  covering,  by  keeping  the  soft 
wood  from  drying  up,  enables  it  to  come  itself  from  its 
oiiii  manufacture,  without  any  assistance  from  fibres  or 
roots  sent  down  by  the  buds,  as  was  supposed  by  Mr. 
Knight,  and  as  we  have  been  taught  since  we  left  school. 

This  is  enough  for  my  purpose  to-day,  but  I  shall 
return  to  the  subject  if  1  am  spai'od.  I  am  going  to 
recommend  a  new  application  of  a  well-known  theory  for 
the  preservation  of  the  old  Holly  tree  by  the  Church  of 
Clericus,  and  as  Clericus  does  not  know  me  in  this  branch 
of  our  craft,  if  I  have  thus  made  known  to  him  that  I 
really  do  know  something  of  the  matter  myself,  he  and 
otl)ers  will  liavo  the  more  confidence  to  take  my  advice 
and  do  as  I  say,  and  that  is  always  some  comfort.  I 
would  advise  the  Duke's  maxim,  however,  in  such  cases, 
"  if  you  want  to  have  anything  done,  do  it  yourself."  A 
particular  friend  of  mine,  acting  on  that  maxim,  some 
twenty  years  ago,  has,  at  the  present  day,  examples  more 
extraordinary  than  any  on  record,  which  go  to  prove 
that  a  tree  renews  the  seat  of  vitality  at  every  succeeding 
growth,  and  not  only  that,  but  a  perfect  confirmation  of 
another  great  fact,  which  is,  that  it  is  possible  to  bring 
an  old  tree,  in  the  last  stages  of  decay  and  rottenness, 
I'roni  the  jaws  of  death,  and  to  make  it  look  as 
healthy,  and  cause  it  to  put  forth  shoots  and  leaves  with 
all  the  vigour  of  a  sapliug  tree  All  this  I  have  seen 
myself  this  autumn  ;  and  had  1  not  seen  it,  I  would  have 
tliought  it  a  hard  saying,  by  one  of  the  cleverest  men  of 
our  age,  tliat  were  it  not  for  accidents  and  for  external 
causes,  "  a  tree  might  have  lived  from  the  creation  to 
this  hour."  But  trees  being  liable  to  all  kinds  of  acci- 
dents, and  to  external  and  internal  causes  of  decay  and 
dissolution,  do  not  and  cannot  live  for  ever,  yet  wo  might 


so  far  guard  them  from  accidents  and  causes  of  decay, 
that  they  could  live  much  longer  than  they  do,  or  can  do 
without  such  aids. 

I  must  first  mention  two  very  singular  things  about 
tliese  trees,  as  they  appeared  to  me  ;  first,  the  coincidence 
of  Mr.  Forsyth  having  made  so  great  a  stir  about  the 
renovation  of  his  trees  in  Kensington  Gardens :  and  the 
second,  that  my  friend  made  no  stir  at  all  about  his 
means  of  renovation,  although  the  experiments  were 
carried  on  in  a  garden  at  Kensington ;  a  garden,  too,  that 
was  open  to  all  the  world,  the  fashionable,  the  philo- 
sophical, as  well  as  the  fustain  jacket  world  for  many 
years  past.  This  was  the  beautiful  garden  belonging  to 
the  late  dowager  Duchess  of  Bedford,  at  Bedford  Lodge, 
near  Kensmgton,  and  her  gardener,  Mr.  Cae,  who  is  as 
well  known  for  his  practical  applications  of  scientific 
knowledge,  as  he  is  for  the  displays  he  furnished,  year 
after  year,  for  the  gatherings  and  public  breakfasts  in 
the  ilower-gardens  at  Bedford  Lodge,  is  the  lucky  in- 
ventor of  a  new  mode  of  making  old  trees  young  again. 

Some  twenty  years  since,  but  J  have  not  tlie  exact 
date,  when  Mr.  Cae  took  charge  of  this  garden,  there 
were  two  large  Oaks,  near  part  of  the  boundary,  in  the 
last  stages  of  decay ;  the  few  limbs  were  stag-headed,  that 
is,  bare,  without  leaves  or  bark,  the  centre  of  the  old 
trunks  were  quite  rotten  down  to  the  ground,  from  a 
pollard  height,  leaving  a  mere  outside  shell  of  living 
wood,  and  the  inside  of  the  shell  was  fast  cnnnbling 
from  the  wet  and  the  soft  rotten  mass  in  contact.  These 
trees  could  be  so  ill-spared  at  that  particular  place,  that 
anything  that  would  keep  them  standing,  if  only  to  train 
climbers  over  them,  and  so  hide  the  boundary  line,  would 
have  been  thought  a  great  feat  at  the  time ;  but  Mr.  Cae 
had  abetter  and  more  durable  scheme  in  his  head;  first 
of  all,  he  had  all  the  branches  cut  olf  as  close  and  as 
smooth  as  possible,  then  he  scooped  out  all  the  decayed 
mass  frotn  the  hollow  centre,  and  scraped  the  sides  of 
the  shell  down  to  the  gi'ound,  taking  oft'  every  particle 
of  decayed  matter.  He  knew  that  if  the  shell  could  be 
kept  dry,  and  excluded  fi-om  the  action  of  the  air,  further 
decay  was  next  to  impossible,  at  least,  not  for  another 
generation  or  two ;  the  plan  he  adopted  for  securing  the 
insides  of  the  two  trees  succeeded  to  perfection ;  and 
when  I  saw  these  trees,  this  autumn,  each  of  them  had 
largo  spreading  heads,  which  looked  as  healthy  and  as 
full  of  large,  soft,  shining  leaves  as  any  tree  in  the  garden, 
and  were  it  not  for  the  old  gnai'led  trunks,  which  are  of 
gi'oat  size,  I  should  take  the  trees  to  be  no  more  than 
forty  or  fifty  years  old,  and  1  can  see  no  reason  why 
these  trees  should  not  stand  for  centuries,  if  a  com- 
munication can  be  kept  between  them  and  the  roots. 

The  plan  was  this.  He  got  together  a  large  quantity  of 
brick-bats,  and  sent  a  man  to  build  a  pillar  iu  the  centre 
of  each  tree,  laying  the  brick-bats  in  lioman  cement, 
and  as  regular  as  if  he  had  been  erecting  a  pillar  for  a 
mommient ;  aud  every  now  and  then  he  poured  in  tbo 
cement  made  into  "  grout,"  or  liquid,  of  course  using 
the  common  proportion  of  sand,  so  as  to  lillup  com- 
pletely any  spaces  that  might  be  left  between  tlie  pillar 
and  shell  of  wood;  and  at  the  top  he  raised  the  pillar 
a  little  higher  than  the  irregular  edges  of  the  BoUai-d 
Oak,  and  there  roiuided  it  off,  so  that  the  wet  could  be 
thrown  ofl',  and  the  work  was  finished.  Now,  if  the  treo 
had  died  a  lingering  death  after  this  operation,  no  wind 
could  ever  blow  it  down,  it  must  have  fallen  jiiece  by 
piece,  as  the  parts  rotted  ;  and  that,  of  itself,  was 
thought  to  be  worth  the  trouble  and  expense.  This 
was  not  done  in  a  corner;  the  time  since  it  was  done  is 
now  too  far  distant  to  allow  a  doubt  as  to  the  Ihial  result ; 
and  any  one  with  a  Sunday  coat  on  will  bo  allowed  to 
see  these  trees,  and  prove  my  report;  he  will  see,  also, 
what  half  the  world  disbelieves ;  he  will  perceive,  on 
close  inspection,  that  new  wood  nill  (/row  ujiwards  :  the 
dome  of  cement  in  the  centre  is  being  fast  covered  by 


Decembek  8. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


179 


the  formation  of  new  wood  growing  upwards  and  over 
it;  and,  altogether,  it  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
experiments  I  ever  saw  or  heard  of 

Now,  it  will  be  seen  that  three  things  seem  essential 
to  the  perfect  success  of  renovating  all  old  trees  like  on« 
of  these — first ;  that  all  the  branches  should  be  cut  close 
off;  that  all  the  dead  matter  inside  the  tree  sliould  be 
got  rid  of  by  some  uieaus  or  other;  and  that  an  air-light 
composition  must  be  used  to  fill  up  the  cavity.  It  may 
be  possible  to  succeed,  in  a  great  measure,  to  insure 
such  a  tree  for  a  leugthoued  period  by  merely  clearing 
the  top  part  of  the  dead  centre  and  filling  it  up  in  this 
manner  ;  but  it  cannot  be  so  sure  as  where  it  is  possible 
to  get  the  whole  centre  first  cleared  out.  The  reason 
for  getting  rid  of  all  the  brandies  is,  that  the  bark  on 
them  is  dry,  and  so  hide-bound  as  to  hinder  the  up-and- 
down  circulation  of  the  sap,  and  so  preventing  a  renewal 
of  the  seat  of  vitality  as  completely  as  it  shoidd  be. 
Should  the  young  wood,  made  the  first  few  years,  not 
exceed  a  yard  in  length,  being  soft  and  young,  it  is 
more  useful  for  tlie  play  of  the  sap  than  dry,  old  wood 
of  three  times  the  length  ;  and  for  letting  down  more 
fresh  wood  and  vigour  into  the  old  trunk,  there  is  an 
ancient  practice,  now  out  of  use,  but,  if  rightly  applied, 
at  the  right  time,  I  am  ijuite  certain,  from  many  ex- 
periments of  my  own,  that  it  is  possible  to  add  much 
moie  vigour  to  an  old  stem  than  some  people  would 
believe. 

When  you  bud  a  Rose-shoot  in  summer,  the  bark 
must  part  from  the  wood,  but,  other  things  being  favour- 
able, the  parts  heal  again  in  three  weeks  ;  not,  however, 
as  has  been  taught,  by  wood  coming  down  from  leaves 
and  buds,  but  from  the  vital  action  going  on  just  at  that 
place  of  the  seat  of  lil'e  ;  if  you  make  a  slit  in  the  hard 
bark  of  the  Rose-stock  at  the  same  time,  the  edges  of 
the  dry  bark  may  get  drier  and  not  unite;  but  you  will 
find  that  the  slit  is  closed  as  soon  as  the  matter  round 
the  bud,  and  that  without  a  bandage  or  plaster  to  keep 
ofl'  the  weather.  The  new  part  in  the  slit  is  soft  wood, 
and  very  tender  bark;  and  if  you  could,  by  any  process, 
get  the  whole  surface  of  the  old  Rose-stock  covei-ed  with 
such  healthy  wood,  and  more  especially  by  such  young 
shining  bark,  does  it  not  stand  to  reason  that  all  the 
workings  of  the  sap  would  go  on  faster  and  more  safe 
under  so  pliable  a  covering,  than  beneath  bark  as  hard 
and  dry  as  the  top  of  an  old  boot?  However,  that  is 
not  so  easily  done  as  said.  But  suppose  we  made  the 
first  slit  from  the  very  bottom  of  the  best  young  shoot, 
down  through  the  old  bark  and  collar,  and  never  stopped 
until  the  knife  reached  a  healthy  root ;  and  supposing 
tliat  the  length  of  the  slit  was  no  hindrance  to  its  heal- 
iug-up  as  fast  as  the  short  slip,  as  it  certainly  would 
not,  a  slit  ten  feet  long  will  heal-up  as  soon  as  one  of  an 
inch  in  length,  for  this  reason,  that  the  slit  is  over 
the  seat  of  life,  its  whole  length,  and  that  one  part,  or 
one  inch  of  that  seat,  is  as  capable  of  healing,  or  making 
matter  to  heal,  as  any  other;  that  I  have  proved  scores 
of  times.  Now,  if  you  can  understand  that  old,  dry 
bark  can  squeeze  the  trunk  or  stem  of  a  tree,  and 
hinder  proper  circulation,  as  surely  as  tight  stays  do, 
you  will  have  no  difficulty  to  understand  that  a  cut  like 
this  will  give  more  freedom  to  the  tree ;  or,  failing  that, 
you  must  surely  allow,  that  if  there  is  an  up-and-down 
current  at  all,  it  is  easier  for  it  to  pass  through  the 
new  wood  and  bark  along  this  slit  than  in  any  other 
part.  But  there  is  another  side  to  the  question.  The 
manufacturing  process  of  making  new  wood  goes  on 
only  in  summer,  or,  say,  during  the  growing  season, 
and  not  quite  that  in  many  trees ;  and  there  are  many 
trees  that  will  not  bear  to  have  a  slit  made  in  their  bark 
any  other  time,  more  than  a  Scotch  thistle  will  bear 
to  be  sat  upon,  or  sat  against,  with  impunity ;  and  when 
unthinking  people  have  made  such  drains  through  the 
bark  of  such  trees,  at  the  wrong  season,  the  parts  either 


cankered,  or  got  stuck  full  of  gum,  and  the  poor  ignorant 
wights  thought  the  thing  would  not  answer  at  all ;  but 
let  my  readers  try  what  I  say,  and  make  a  lot  of  slits, 
not  deeper  than  the  bark,  in  a  Rose  stock,  or  in  any  tree 
they  like,  at  the  beginning  of  next  -luly,  and  if  they  do 
not  find  them  come  as  I  say,  and  if  they  come  and  do 
not  allow  of  freedom  to  both  tree  and  sap,  my  name 
is  not  Donald  Beaton. 


APHELEXIS. 


Of  all  plants  called  Everlastings,  tliis  genus,  allied  to, 
and  not  long  separated  I'rom,  Helichrysum,  is  none  of  the 
least  interesting;  whether  we  regard  the  habit  of  the 
plants,  the  manner  in  which  the  short,  green,  scaly 
foliage  clasps,  and  thus  gives  somewhat  of  a  variegated 
appearance  to  the  whitish  stems ;  the  beauty  of  the 
flowers  themselves,  when  fully  expanded  under  a  bright 
sun ;  and  the  months  and  years  they  will  preserve  their 
beauty  when  cut  from  the  plant  and  kept  clean  and  dry. 
The  blooms  of  this  and  all  tlie  allied  genera  possessing 
these  hard,  shining  petalled  flowers,  have  a  pleasing 
eft'ect  when  mingled  with  some  pretty  diied  grasses,  as 
was  spoken  of  last  year,  and  present  a  better  appearance 
than  any  artificial  flowers  under  a  glass  case,  unless  the 
latter  are  indeed  truly  and  beautifully  moulded. 

As  in  the  case  of  many  other  of  our  most  interesting 
plants,  we  are  indebted  for  this  charming  family  to 
rather  high  and  dry  positions  in  South  Africa  and  New 
Holland.  One  of  the  most  beautiful,  with  purplish-creamy- 
white  flowers,  Aplielexis  sesamoides,  we  owe  to  the 
Cape,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  hiimilis,  with  its 
pinkish  flowers  ;  while  what  are  generally  supposed  to  be 
varieties  of  the  latter,  macnmtha,  large  purple  flowered, 
and  purpurea,  we  have  received  from  New  Holland. 

Where  all  are  beautiful,  and  yet  a  selection  must  be 
made,  I  would  give  the  preference  to  humilis  and  its 
varieties,  and  sesamoides,  though  ericoides  and  fasci- 
culata  are  all  worth  growing. 

The  treatment  of  all  is  so  nearly  alike  that  I  will 
make  no  exceptions  as  to  the  general  management  they 
require. 

1.  Propagation. — Small  side-shoots  getting  firmish  at 
their  base  are  the  best;  but  any  young  shoots  will  do 
possessing  these  conditions.  Any  young  shoot  that  does 
not  show  bloom  may  be  taken  for  this  purpose.  Of  all 
times,  about  April  may  be  considered  the  most  suitable, 
and  not  later  in  summer  than  will  prevent  the  cuttings 
striking  before  winter.  Cut  a  cross  clean  at  the  heel,  or 
base,  with  a  razor-like  kuife :  carefully  cut  off  the  small 
foliage  for  an  inch  or  so,  and  then  insert  the  cuttings  in 
damp  silver  sand,  with  a  layer  of  sandy  peat  beneath  it, 
and  in  pots  filled  three-parts  with  drainage.  If  the 
cuttings  are  placed  in  a  well-drained  small  pot,  and  that 
placed  inside  of  a  larger  one,  so  that  the  bell-glass  rests 
on  the  outer  one,  it  will  be  all  the  better.  The  mode  of 
doing  this  has  been  frequently  explained.  When  the 
cuttings  are  watered,  allow  them  to  dry,  and  then  place 
the  bell-glass  firmly  over  them,  shading  only  in  bright 
sunshine.  At  whatever  time  the  cuttings  are  inserted, 
they  may  safely  have  five  degrees  more  of  heat  than  the 
plant  stood  in.  A  very  slight  hotbed  in  spring ;  a  close, 
cold  frame  in  early  summer,  would  bo  the  requisite 
positions.  After  the  glass  has  been  kept  close  for  a  few  day s 
to  give  an  impulse  to  the  vital  energies,  it  may  be 
elevated  slightly  on  one  side  in  an  evening,  which  will 
purify  the  air  and  prevent  damping,  and  be  shut  down 
close  in  the  morning,  until  roots  are  made,  when  the 
glass  should  be  gradually  removed  altogether.  As  soon 
as  the  plants  are  fairly  rooted,  shift  into  small  pots, 
keep  close  until  the  rooting  is  going  on,  and  then  expose 
to  more  air  by  degrees. 

a.  Choosing  a  Plant.— Suit  as  in  the  ease  of  Heaths, 


180 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Decembeh  6. 


and  other  hard-wooded  plants,  where  the  advantages  of 
the  divisiou-of-Libour  principle  are  brought  i'ully  into 
operation,  it  will,  in  most  cases,  be  found  more  econo- 
mical to  purchase  your  plants  from  a  tradesman  who 
employs  regular'  propagators,  than  to  attempt  to  raise 
the  plants  from  cuttings.  Small,  stubby  plants,  say  in 
a  sixty,  or  three-inch  pot,  should  generally  be  chosen,  as 
they  are  more  obedient  to  the  cultivator's  wishes  than 
older  plants  that  have  become  stunted  in  their  pots. 
Tljese,  if  the  pots  are  very  full  of  roots,  should  be 
shifted  whenever  they  are  received,  uTiless  it  be  for  a 
couple  of  months  in  the  dead  of  winter — disentangling 
the  roots,  so  tliat  they  will  work  freely  in  the  new  soil. 

3.  Soil. — I  have  found  nothing  better  than  iibry  peat, 
with  about  a  third-part  of  silver  sand,  broken  pots,  sand- 
stone, and  charcoal,  from  all  which,  except  the  sand, 
dust  was  excluded,  breaking  the  pieces  into  sizes  pro- 
portionate to  the  size  of  the  pot,  mixing  it  so  that  the 
whole  would  be  open  in  its  substance,  and  yet  admitting 
of  going  closely  together  when  pressed.  As  the  plants 
increased  in  size,  a  little  fibry  loam,  mixed  with  tlie  | 
peat,  had  a  tendency  to  make  the  shoots  more  robust; 
but  the  loam  should,  even  then,  not  be  above  a  fifth  of 
the  compost. 

4.  Time  of  Potting. — If  the  plants  are  obtained  in  a 
small  state  early  in  spring,  they  may  have  two  or  three 
shifts  during  the  first  season,  the  shoots  being  stopped 
to  prevent  flower-buds  being  formed,  and  so  as  to  secure 
a  stocky  plant;  but  the  last  shifting  should  not  be  given 
after  the  middle  of  August,  so  that  the  roots  may  cling 
a  little  to  the  sides  of  tlio  pot  before  winter.  After  the 
first  season's  growth, — as  then  the  plant  may  be  allowed 
to  produce  its  bloom, — the  best  time  for  potting  will  be 
after  the  plant  has  been  pruned-in  when  done  blooming, 
and  just  when  the  young  growth  is  showing  freely. 

5.  Pruning. — With  the  exception  of  nipping  the  points 
of  shoots  in  a  young  plant,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
their  number,  little  more  pruning  will  be  wanted  in  an 
established  plant  than  cutting  back  the  longish  shoots 
that  supported  tlie  flowers.  Every  short,  stubby  shoot 
then  existing,  and  eveiy  one  that  breaks  after  this,  will, 
if  grown  freely,  and  moderately  hardened  in  autumn, 
produce  its  terminal  flower-buds  in  spring  and  early 
summer. 

6.  Watering. — With  all  the  assistance  of  good  drain- 
age, water  must  he  given  very  carefully  during  winter; 
taking  ca.re  that  the  soil  is  never  thoroughly  dry,  and 
never  soaking  wet.  The  latter  will  be  guarded  against 
by  keeping  the  plants  in  smalUsh  pots.  As  the  slioots 
elongate  in  spring,  and  begin  to  show  the  flower-bud, 
more  water  will  be  necessary,  and  a  little  weak  manure- 
water,  two  or  three  times  a  week,  especially  if  of  a  cool- 
ing nature,  such  as  from  old  cow-dung,  will  be  of  service. 
During  that  period,  and  also  when  growing,  a  frequent 
dash  over  head  with  the  syringe  will  keep  them  fresh 
and  vigorous.  When  the  flower-stalks  are  cut  back,  it 
will  be  advisable  to  keep  the  plants  cool  and  rather  dry 
for  a  few  weeks,  until  the  fresh  growth  will  demand  more 
water. 

7.  Temperature  and  Position. — An  average  of  45°  at 
night,  with  a  rise  of  10°  from  sunshine,  and  an  open  airy 
position,  but  free  from  sudden  cold  (h'aughts,  will  suit 
them  during  the  winter  months.  A  similar  position 
will  be  required  in  spring,  and  the  higher  temperature 
that  the  sun  will  give  during  the  day,  with  abundance 
of  air  on  tho  house.  As  summer  approaches,  it  would 
be  a  great  help  to  shade  the  pots,  if  at  all  lull  of  roots, 
from  tho  full  Ibrce  of  the  siui's  rays.  When  the  flowers 
are  pruned  off  the  plants  should  he  cooler,  and  a  little 
shaded  for  a  week  or  two,  if  the  weather  is  very  hot. 
By-a,ud-by  the  young  slioots  will  bear  tho  full  force  of 
the  sun,  and  by  tho  tiegiiniing,  or,  at  farthest,  the  middle 
of  autumn,  tho  plants  would  lie  best  fully  exposed  in  a 
cold  pit,  where  the  pot  could  eitlier  bo  shaded  or  plunged. 


putting  on  the  sashes  only  in  storms  of  rain,  or  as  the 
cold  nights  approach  ;  but  by  the  latter  time,  say  October, 
an  open  place  in  the  greenhouse  would  again  be  their 
most  comfortable  home.  R.  Eish. 


MR.  ERRINGTON  AND  FRUIT  GROWING. 

About  three  weeks  ago,  I  met  with  one  of  our  best 
gardeners,  and,  among  other  matters,  he  wislied  me  to 
point  out  to  him  the  numbers  in  The  Cottage  Gak- 
DENER  in  which  Mr.  Errington  described  his  peculiar 
mode  of  Pear  culture.  A  variety  of  other  matters  drove 
consulting  the  indices  of  previous  volumes  out  of  my 
mind.  Our  brother  chip  bad  mislaid  a  letter  he  received 
on  the  subject,  in  the  end  of  September,  from  a  gentle- 
man wlio  had  visited  Oulton  Park,  and  who  was  quite 
delighted  with  what  he  saw.  Singular  enough,  the  day 
after  I  read  Mr.  E.'s  article  in  our  last  Cottage  Gar- 
dener, my  Iriend  transmitted  me  the  missing  letter; 
and  I  do  not  think  I  am  breaking  confidence,  il',  with- 
holding names,  1  present  you  with  a  few  extracts,  even 
though  they  show,  in  the  "first  place  (somewhat  unneces- 
sarily) that  INIr.  E.'s  practice  is  the  highest,  because 
the  most  successful,  authority  ;  and  because,  in  the 
second  place,  they  will  furnish  an  opportunity  to  Mr.  E. 
to  point  attention  himself  to  those  articles  that  clearly 
unfold  his  system  ;  or,  what  would  be  better  still,  follow 
up  the  introductory  article  of  last  week  with  sevei-al 
fresh  articles  on  the  subject,  describing  the  minutiae 
from  the  planting  of  the  trees  until  they  could  stand 
alone,  and  be  dubbed-in  with  tho  shears — taking  Pears 
first,  and  other  fruit  afterwards ;  for  such  a  tale  is  one 
that  will  hear  repeating. 

The  gentleman  says — "  I  was,  yesterday,  over  the 
gardens  at  Oulton  Park,  where  Errington  is  head  gar- 
dener. His  principle  of  training  and  cropping  his  fruit- 
trees  is  very  superior  to  anything  I  have  seen  elsewhere, 
and  so  very  economical,  that  before  you  carry  out  the 
plans  you  mentioned  to  me  of  planting  your  borders 
with  fruit-trees,  I  should  most  sti-ougly  recommend  you 
to  go  over  to  Oulton,  and  look  at  his  method.  Just 
now,  tlie  fruit  on  the  trees  is  quite  a  sight.  He  told  me 
be  had  already  sent  to  Liverpool  1:200  Peaches  and 
Nectarines ;  and  yet,  after  th.at,  the  walls  were  better 
covered  with  fruit  than  any  I  have  seen.  On  those 
Peach  walls  there  was  not  an  atom  of  wall,  from  the 
cojiing  to  the  ground,  that  was  not  so  covered  with 
wood  that  the  walls  were  not  to  be  seen;  in  fact,  '  there 
was  not  a  brick  that  did  not  pay  rent.' 

"  His  Pears  are  trained  round  the  walks  in  two  ways. 

First,  table-fashion.     In  this  the  trees  are  not  allowed 

to  grow  more  than  two  feet  higli,  and  about  three  feet 

wide,  so  that  when  you  look  down  the  walk,  you  only  see 

1  a  broad  green  table.     I  never  saw  trees  so  laden  with 

fruit.    1  really  think  there  were  more  Pears  than  leaves. 

His  pruning  is  also  done  on  a  difl'erent  system.     'The 

whole  of  tho  new  wood  is  tied  in  and  never  cut;  when 

j  the  tree  gets  very  old,  they  simply  tie  the  shoots  in  twice 

!  a-year,  and  at  other  times  take  the  dubbing  shears,  and 

1  prune  the  tables,  as  yon  would  a  quickset  hedge  ;  when 

tho  wood  is  very  old  they  cut  out  the  old  wood. 

"  'The  second  way  is  like  one  table  upon  the  top  of 
another.  It  would  appear  as  if  the  upper  table  would 
keep  the  sun  off  tho  lower  one,  but  from  tho  peculiar 
way  of  training  this  is  not  tho  case.  Tlie  peculiar 
benefits  arising  from  this  method  are — immense  quan- 
tities of  fruit — the  very  little  space  occupied — the  trees 
being  so  low,  no  sun  is  kopt  from  tho  rest  of  tho  garden — 
and  no  expense  is  incurred  for  trellis-work,  there  being 
not  an  atom  of  trellis-work  iu  tho  garden." 

'Tho  gentleman  speaks  in  tho  highest  terms  of  tho 
crojiping  of  the  kitchen-garden;  tho  growing  Celery  in 
beds,  and  the  modes  of  enrthing-up,  &c. ;  but  these  are 


December 


THE  COTTAGE  OAliDENER. 


131   I 


111010  fainiliav  to  gardoners  and  amateiivs  generally,  as 
i  have  practised  the  bed  system  since  my  appreutice- 
sbip  days,  and  a  capital  plan  it  is. 

Clear  as  the  statements  are,  ,1  have  uo  doubt,  that  as 
respects  the  minntias  of  iirst  management,  and  the 
summer  and  winter  pruning,  and  the  double  table,  Mr. 
Errington  will  render  them  clearer  still.  It'  gentlemen 
will  be  "  taking  notes,"  even  though  they  do  not  "print 
them,"  two  things  are  perfectly  evident:  iirst,  that  there 
is  no  danger  of  gardening  retrograding;  and,  secondly, 
that  we  hhie-aproners  must  keep  our  ears  and  eyes  open. 
Our  friend  could  not  visit  OuUott  at  the  time  ;  but  the 
delay  may  be  the  cause  of  Mr.  Errington  getting  pretty- 
well  turned  inside-out  by  the  endless  questionings  of 
more  pilgrims  than  one.  Meanwhile,  any  light  on  the 
subject  will  be  very  acceptable.  \l.  Fisri. 


THE   NAECISSUS 


{Continued  ffom   i^afje    J(i4.) 

rrojuif/atioii:  hi/  Seed. — In  my  last  paper  on  this  part 
of  the  subject,  I  said  that  Mr.  Leeds  did  not  describe 
tlie  method  of  hybridizing,  so  as  to  increase  the  proba- 
bility of  improving  the  variety.  I  shall  endeavour  now 
to  supply  that  information.  The  improvements  to  aim 
at  are  superior  form,  fine  colour,  and  large  size.  Eorm 
includes  not  only  shape,  but  more  substance  in  the 
petals,  and  cup,  or  nectary.  Every  observer  of  the 
Narcissus  fiower  must  have  noticed  thatit  has  two  parts — 
the  outer  one  is  the  petal,  which  is  entire,  and  is,  there- 
fore, called  mouopetalous  ;  inside  this  there  is,  as  it  were, 
another  petal,  or,  as  botanists  term  it,  a  nectary  crown, 
or  honey  cup;  within  this  are  seated  the  stamens,  six  in 
number,  alternately  shorter.  In  the  centre  of  these  is 
the  stigma,  situated  on  the  top  of  a  filament,  and  thi-ice 
parted.  On  the  top  of  the  stamens  are  the  anthers,  or 
pollen  cases.  The  reader,  with  a  flower  before  him,  will 
soon  discern  these  several  parts  of  the  flower.  Choose 
one,  to  bear  seed,  with  the  tube  or  petal  of  the  best  form 
and  largest  size.  With  a  pair  of  sharp-pointed  scissors 
cut  off  the  anthers  before  they  burst,  then  choose  a 
variety  with  higher  colours,  or  larger  size,  or  any  other 
desirable  property.  Just  at  the  time  the  pollen  cases 
open,  and  the  pollen  is  seen  like  a  fine  dust  within,  pro- 
ceed to  hybridize,  by  emptying  a  few  cases  of  tlie  pollen 
upon  a  sheet  of  white  paper,  and  then  convey  it  to  the 
flower  prepared  for  it.  With  a  fine  camel-hair  pencil 
brush  a  portion  of  the  dust  upon  the  stigma,  taking  care 
that  some  reaches  all  the  three  divisions  of  that  organ. 
Then  cover  the  impregnated  flowers  with  some  fine  net 
muslin,  and  place  the  plant,  if  in  a  pot,  in  the  green- 
house, or  if  in  the  open  air,  shelter  the  flowers  operated 
upon  from  the  rain.  After  the  seed-vessels  begin  to 
swell  they  may  be  fully,  exposed.  Then  follow  the  treat- 
ment of  the  seeds  as  described  in  my  last. 

Bij  Offsets. — Many  of  the  Narcissii  propagate  them- 
selves very  freely  by  ofi'sets.  The  class  with  one  or  two 
flowers  on  a  stem,  such  as  hicolor  and  2'oeticiis,  should 
remain  in  their  place  for  two  or  three  years.  In  old, 
neglected  gardens  they  often  are  allowed  to  remain  six, 
eight,  or  ten  years,  and  these  are  in  large  masses ;  but, 
as  might  be  expected,  the  flowers  are  small.  The  shorter 
time  is  quite  long  enough.  In  August,  in  the  third  year, 
take  them  up  and  separate  such  as  are  large  enough  to 
flower  from  the  small  ones.  The  latter  are  the  increase 
of  stock.  Prepare,  immediately,  a  bed  from  them,  in  a 
retired  but  open  part  of  the  garden.  Take  the  soil  out 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  deep,  place  a  layer  of 
rubble  at  the  bottom,  three  inches  thick,  and  upon  that 
lay  a  stratum  of  good  hotbed  dung  the  same  tfiickness. 
Then  mix  aboutone-fourthof  very  well-decomposed  cow- 
dung  and  leaf-mould  amongst  the  soil.  Fill  up  the  bed, 
and  let  it  remain  for  a  fortnight  to  settle.     Then  draw 


drills  across  it  witii  a  triangular  line  four  inches  apart. 
Plant  the  offsets  throe  inches  apart  in  the  drill,  and  when 
all  are  planted  level  in  the  drill^^,  edge  the  bed,  and  rake 
the  walks,  leaving  all  well  finished  in  a  worlcman  like 
manner.  These  ollsets  may  remain  in  this  nursery  bed 
for  two  or  three  years,  and  should  never  bo  allowed  to 
flower  during  that  time,  the  grand  object  being  to  in- 
crease the  size  of  the  bulbs,  so  as  to  enable  them,  when 
planted  in  the  flower-garden,  to  produce  them  of  superior 
qualities  in  form  and  colour.  Ofi'sets  of  the  Folycinthus 
N'arcissiis,  and  its  varieties,  should  bo  treated  some- 
what similar  to  the  above,  but  require  to  be  planted 
thinner,  and  remain  a  year  longer  in  the  nursery  bed. 

Section  3.  Winter  Treatment. — 1  put  this  season  first, 
because  I  consider  it  to  include  planting,  which  is  the 
first  operation  in  the  culture  of  those  plants.  This 
treatment,  or  culture,  has  three  parts,  viz.,  preparing 
the  ground  ;  planting  the  bulbs  ;  and  routine  treatment 
through  the  season  ;  to  which  may  be  added  a  few 
sentences  on  growing  in  ))ots  and  forcing. 

Prexiaring  the  Bed. — Whoever  wishes  to  grow  fine 
flowers  must  duly  prepare  bis  soil  for  them,  whether 
they  are  in  beds,  borders,  or  pots.  I  mentioned  above 
the  preparation  of  a  bed  for  ofi'sets  and  for  full-sized 
bulbs;  the  only  additions  necessary  will  be  a  few  inches 
more  depth  of  soil,  and  a  greater  deptli  to  plant  the 
bulbs,  especially  such  large  ones  as  Grand  Monarque 
and  its  allied  varieties.  One  species  1  have  found 
always  to  grow  finer,  and  flower  more  freely,  if  planted 
in  five-inch  pots,  three  bulbs  in  each,  and  the  pots 
plunged  two  inches  below  the  rim  in  the  bed  or  border; 
this  species  is  the  Narcissus  BuUiocodium.  I  can 
strongly  recommend  this  charming  little  plant.  It  has 
numerous  long,  round  leaves,  and  the  flowers  spring  up 
amongst  them,  rising  not  more  than  three  iuelies  from 
the  ground.  The  petal  is  much  smaller  than  the  crown, 
or  nectary,  which  is  quite  round,  almost  entire  at  the 
edges,  and  of  a  most  splendid  golden-orange  colour. 
They  are  produced  numerously.  I  have  had  a  pot  with 
three  bulbs  in  it,  and  six  or  seven  flowers  open  at  once, 
with  several  others  coming  on  in  succession.  I  defy 
any  one  to  produce  at  that  season  (April)  a  more 
glorious  hardy  plant. 

After  the  bulbs  are  all  planted,  it  would  be  advisable 
to  cover  the  beds  with  some  half-rotted  leaves,  short 
litter,  or  even  some  spent  tanner's  bark,  to  keep  out 
severs  frost;  and  when  the  milder  months  of  spring 
arrive  this  shelter  should  be  removed,  and  the  soil 
gently  stirred  with  a  small  three-pronged  fork,  to  admit 
the  heat  of  the  sun  and  the  genial  showers  of  spring. 

T.  Appleby. 
(To  he  continued.) 


THE   WOODS   AND   FORESTS. 

There  is  no  part  of  the  culture  of  the  earth's  surface 
so  little  understood  on  scientific  or  practical  principles 
as  that  of  the  Wood  or  Forest.  In  many  countries,  nature 
has  done  this  for  man  without  any  care  or  trouble  from 
him  ;  but  in  thickly-populated  countries,  such  as  Great 
Britain,  the  forest  has  necessarily  given  way  as  the  land 
was  wanted  for  the  growth  of  pulse,  corn,  or  fodder. 
In  such  countries,  the  value  of  timber  has  greatly  ad- 
vanced, and  importation  has  been  called  into  requisition 
to  supply  timber  for  dwelling-houses,  and  various  other 
purposes  in  domestic  economy  for  which  it  is  required. 
'This  is  become,  now,  a  very  important  item  in  our  out- 
goings, and  such  countries  as  Kussia,  Sweden,  Norway, 
and  North  America,  have  had  large  sums  of  money 
remitted  to  them  for  this  article  alone.  Yet,  we  have 
large  tracts  of  land  that  would  grow  immense  quantities 
of  timber  were  it  properly  drained,  properly  planted, 
and  proper  care  bestowed  on  it  afterwards.     We  have 


182 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  B. 


our  well-cultivated  farms,  our  well-manured  gardens, 
our  splendid  conservatories  and  flower-gardens,  all  dili- 
gently cared  for  and  attended  to,  which  is  all  right, 
proper,  and  higlily  commendable.  Yet,  why  not  attend 
to  our  forest  lands  also?  Surely,  when  we  remember 
that  the  wooden  walls  of  old  England  arc  our  glory  and 
defence,  and  that  upon  their  efficiency  and  due  support 
almost  our  very  existence,  as  a  nation,  depends;  remem- 
bering, also,  that  these  same  floating  defences  are  formed 
principally  out  of  our  own  noble  Oak,  the  glory  of  our 
island,  1  say,  surely  wo  ought  to  devote  a  part  of  the 
energies  of  oar  strong-armed  countrymen  to  the  culture 
of  our  woods. 

I  have  had  tliese  ideas  floating  in  my  brain  for  some 
time,  and  haviug,  as  our  readers  well  know  (by  my 
"Jottings  by  the  Way"),  frequent  opportunities,  during 
my  long  jouruies,  of  seeing  difl'erent  gardens,  I  often 
luid  my  attention  drawn  to  the  state  of  the  woods  and 
forests  in  varioi.is  jiarts  of  tlie  country.  I  have  endea- 
voured, in  my  papers  on  "  Coniferfe,"  to  invite  such  as 
have  it  in  their  (lower  to  encourage  the  planting  of  the 
more  valuable  tiuiber  species  as  timber,  as  well  as  for 
ornament,  I  trust  with  some  little  good  etfect ;  and  I 
purpose,  now  I  am  from  liome,  away  from  books  and 
my  chimney  corner,  to  write  a  lew,  perhaps  rambling, 
ideas  on  the  state  of  woods,  plantations,  or  forests,  as 
they  have  eome  under  my  observation  during  the  last 
qnarter-of-a-century,  together  with  a  few  practical  hints 
on  their  improvement  and  increase  by  planting  waste 
lands. 

The  state  of  many,  far  too  many,  of  the  woods  of  this 
country  is  most  deplorable.  A  contemporary  gardening 
publication  has  lately  shown  how  wretchedly  the  na- 
tional woods  and  forests  are  managed,  with  much  force 
and  truth.  1  have  seen  some  of  them,  and  can  bear 
witness  to  that  truth.  The  reason  is,  that  men  are  aj)- 
pointed  to  manage  these  forests  who  have  had  no  expe- 
rience in  wood-craft:  hence  they  cut  down  trees  that 
ought  to  stand,  and  leave  such  as  ought  to  be  cut  down ; 
besides,  also,  cutting-down  too  many  at  once,  merely  to 
make  a  sale,  to  show  an  increase  of  income  for  the  time; 
such  sales  being  most  ruinous  to  the  income  of  after 
years;  putting  one  in  mind  of  the  impatient,  unthinking 
boy,  who  killed  his  goose  that  produced  golden  e.ggs,  to, 
as  ho  foolishly  imagined,  have  all  his  treasui'es  at  once. 
This  principle  has  been  carried-out  to  a  great  extent  in 
the  public  forest  lands  of  our  country. 

Let  not  the  private  owners  of  woods  think  that  they 
are  altogether  unblameable  in  this  respect,  because  they, 
or  their  immediate  predecessors,  have  planted  largo 
tracts  of  waste  or  unprofitable  lands,  and  have  not  cut 
any  down,  but  left  them  all  to  grow.  This  is  quite  as 
great  a  mistake  as  too  severe  thinning;  and  in  this  state 
I  find,  with  some  honourable  exceptions,  are  the  plant- 
ations of  woods  belonging  to  private  individuals.  In 
fact,  you  can  hardly  ride  ten  miles  through  any  part  of 
the  country  but  you  come  across  ])lantations  of  timber 
trees  of  some  twenty  or  thirty  years  old,  but  which  are 
so  thick  that  they  aro  drawn  np  into  little  better  than 
fishing  rods;  or,  if  some  would-be-knowing-one  has  re- 
commended the  thinning  ])roccss  to  be  commenced  forth- 
with, then  down  come  nine-tenths,  or,  perhaps,  more; 
and  then  the  tall,  rather  slender  ones  left  behind  are 
driven  about  with  the  winds,  and  scarcely  one  in  ten  over 
recovers  this  starving  process.  Then,  again,  there  are 
many  tracts  of  woodland  that  are  planted  without  due 
preparation ;  the  plants  are  had  from  some  nurseiy,  and 
stuck  in  anyhow,  and  these  are  expected  to  grow  and 
form  timber ! 

I  once  /lad  a  practical  illustration  of  this  careless  and 
injudicious  way  of  cramming  in  as  many  trees  as  pos- 
sible into  a  tract  of  land  without  any  care.  When  I 
first  entered  the  service  of  T.  Brockleliurst,  Esq.,  I  was 
desired  to    survey  a  piece  of  forestry  that  had  been 


jilauted  four  or  five  years,  and,  as  he  said,  had  not  grown 
at  all  to  his  satisfaction.  Accordingly,  I  inspected  the 
plantation.  1  found  Oaks,  Ashes,  Elms,  and  Larches,  all 
planted  very  tliickly  on  a  wet  swamp,  many  of  them  were 
dead,  and  tliose  that  were  alive  had  not  gi'own  as  many 
inches  as  they  had  been  planted  years.  On  the  ground, 
here  and  there,  were  several  large  Alders  laid  on  one 
side  by  the  wind,  for  even  this  water-loving  tree  had  no 
roots  to  sustain  such  heavy  tops.  To  remedy  this  state 
of  things,  I  proposed  first  to  cut  down  and  dispose  of  all 
these  old  useless  trees,  and.  when  they  were  removed,  to 
have  the  ground  thoroughly  deep  drained,  and  these 
drains  to  be  open  ones.  JMy  project  was  approved  and 
carried  into  elibct.  The  old  Alders  were  removed,  and 
drains  cut  across  the  ground  six  feet  deep,  and  eighteen 
feet  from  drain  to  drain.  All  the  soil  from  each  drain 
was  cast  on  the  surface  right  and  left,  and  levelled  down 
amongst  the  young  trees.  The  good  eflecls  of  these 
operations  were  soon  manifest;  the  removing  the  old 
crankey  trees  allowed  a  freer  circulation  again  amongst 
the  young  trees,  and  this  destroyed  the  lichens  and 
mosses,  and  the  deep  ditches  eflectually  drained  the  soil 
for  the  roots.  The  following  year  many  of  the  trees  grew 
a  foot  or  more  higher,  and  the  year  following,  some  even 
advanced  as  much  as  three  feet  in  height,  with  a  pro- 
portionate increase  in  thickness  of  stem.  The  eui-e  was 
complete.  So  rapidly  did  they  grow,  that  I  was  obliged 
the  third  year  to  thin  them  out  greatly.  I  made  use  of 
them  to  plaut  in  other  places,  especially  the  hedge- 
rows of  the  farms  on  the  estate.  I  liavo  been  told,  the 
trees  are  now  (that  is,  twelve  years  after  being  properly 
drained)  many  of  them  thirty  feet  high,  with  stems  six 
inches  in  diameter. 

Here  is  a  practical  and  now  living  example  of  what 
may  bo  done  with  young  unhealthy  plantations.  In  my 
next,  1  will  give  examples  how  over-crowded  plantations 
should  be  judiciously  thinned.  T.  Appleby. 

(_To  he  continued,) 


TRENCHING  GROUND  IN  AUTUMN. 

The  subject  to  which  I  now  beg  to  call  attention  is 
the  tillage  of  ground  in  autumn,  of  which  some  difference 
in  opinion  yet  exists ;  some  insisting  that  all  vacant 
ground,  without  any  exception,  ought  to  be  at  once 
turned-up,  unless  it  bo  so  much  soddened  by  rain  as  to 
prevent  its  being  done  without  injuring  it  by  the  con- 
solidation its  component  parts  receive  in  the  progress 
of  digging,  forking  over,  or  ]ilougliiug,  as  the  case  may 
be.  Now,  there  are  many  wlio  yet  believe  that  a  certain 
description  of  heavy  land  is  better  lying  in  rather  a 
solid  state  through  the  wet  months  of  winter  than  being 
turned-up  rough  for  the  action  of  the  wind  and  frost  to 
pulverize. 

Widely  difl'erent  as  these  notions  aro,  they  are,  in 
their  respective  cases,  both  right,  as  instances  can  be 
shown  wherein  thoir  efficacy  can  bo  proved  by  tlio 
best  of  all  tests — experience ;  and  such  results  will 
present  difl'erent  aspects  ;  in  one  case,  a  fine  friable 
compost  will  be  left  on  tho  top  of  ground  dug  or 
idoughed-up  in  autumn,  and  exposed  to  a  winter's  frost; 
in  another,  tho  friable,  or  looser  matter,  will  bo  very 
small  indeed,  and  all  below  it  as  stifl'  and  sour  as  if  it 
were  intended  for  bricks  or  earthenware  ;  these  difl'erent 
results,  arising  from  causes  for  which  the  season  is  least 
of  all  to  bo  blamed,  forms,  however,  a  very  imjiortant 
problem  in  horticulture,  or  the  tillage  of  hind.  This, 
however,  must  be  solved  in  aeeordanee  with  certain 
circumstances  to  be  named  hereafter;  and,  in  the  first 
place,  I  may  observe,  that  whcro  garden  ground  will 
not  allow  of  being  dug  in  tho  autumn,  there  is  some- 
thing radically  wrong  in  tho  management  it  has  re- 
ceived; for,  where  gi-ound  had  been  some  time  under 


December  8. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


183 


cultivation,  it  ouglit  to  be  iu  such  a  condition  as  to 
resist  tlie  evil  eifocts  of  a  wot  winter ;  not  but  that  it 
will,  in  common  with  all  other  soils,  suifer  from  the 
protracted  wet ;  still,  it  wiU  bo  much  loss  so  where  the 
superfluous  water  can  find  an  outlet,  instead  of  souring 
amongst  the  stiff  and  impervious  subsoil ;  this,  there- 
fore, points  out  the  necessity  of  draining,  in  order  that 
rain  may  be  quickly  carried  off  without  being  allowed 
to  stagnate  iu  soils  to  the  detriment  of  all  cropping  then 
and  after.  Now,  there  are  many  soils  of  a  productive 
nature  resting  on  an  impervious  clay,  so  near  to  the 
surface  as  to  leave  no  room  for  the  water  to  stand 
without  being  in  immediate  contact  with  the  cultivated 
soil ;  in  all  such  cases,  effective  draining  is  the  only 
sure  remedy  ;  for,  though  there  be  no  superfluous  water 
found  iu  such  soils,  except  after  heavy  rain,  and  the 
wet  weather  that  occurs  in  autumn  and  winter,  yet  this 
is  quite  sufficient  to  call  for  their  drainage,  because, 
though  water,  doubtless,  affords  the  ground  much  en- 
riching matter,  still,  when  allowed  to  stagnate,  its 
utility  is  more  than  neutralized  by  the  evils  that  follow 
in  its  train.  However,  as  most  works  on  draining 
have  explained  all  this,  nothing  here  remains  to  add, 
save  that  when  ground  of  this  description  cannot  be 
drained,  or  it  be  necessary  to  defer  a  season  to  do 
so,  the  digging,  or  ploughing,  ought  to  be  deferred 
until  spring  also,  as,  by  that  means,  the  ground,  having 
been  lying  tolerably  solid  and  compact,  is  not  likely  to 
be  charged  with  so  much  water  as  when  it  is  more  loose 
and  open  as  it  is  after  digging,  trenching,  or  ploughing. 

Now,  though  there  are  many  cases  of  the  kind  just 
mentioned,  yet  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  a  con- 
trary description,  wherein  a  benefit  is  conferred  in 
autumn,  rather  than  otherwise,  by  the  ground  being 
dug,  or  otherwise  turned-up,  as,  by  that  means,  it  is  so 
placed  as  to  receive  the  fertilizing  properties  of  frost 
without  incurring  the  evils  of  wet;  I  therefore  advise  the 
cottager,  and  less-experienced  amateur,  at  once  to  have 
such  ground  turned-up  iu  such  a  way  as  to  expose  as 
much  of  it  to  the  action  of  the  atmosphere  as  it  is 
possible  to  do.  Bidges,  about  two  feet  wide,  are  better 
for  that  purpose  than  plain  digging,  and  the  ground 
must,  nevertheless,  be  turned-up  as  rough  as  possible  as 
well;  some  little  regard  must  also  be  had  to  the  kind  of 
crop  under  which  it  is  likely  to  be  placed  the  ensuing 
season ;  but,  for  most  purposes,  the  ridgiug  system  will 
be  most  available. 

Whatever  mode  may  be  adopted  to  place  the  ground 
in  for  winter,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  must  not 
be  operated  upon  when  wet;  but  much  benefit  will 
accrue  by  taking  advantage  of  the  frosts  of  winter  to 
dig  or  ridge  a  portion  of  it  over,  so  as  to  e."ipose  another 
portion  of  it  to  the  fertilizing  effects  of  the  elements. 
Now  this  is  best  effected  _when  there  is  just  sufficient 
frost  to  bear  trampling  on  without  impeding  the  working 
of  the  tool;  and  it  often  happens  that  such  a  warning 
does  present  itself;  when  such  is  the  case,  by  all  means 
let  it  be  made  use  of.  J.  Eobson. 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  FORWARD  EWES  AND 

LAMBS. 
Thkbe  is  no  portion  of  farming  economy  moi'e  important 
than  that  part  which  relates  to  the  management  of 
Sheep  Stock,  and  it  may  also  be  said  that  none  will 
prove  more  profitable  when  constant  care  and  unremit- 
ing  attention  is  bestowed  upon  it.  But  Sheep-farming 
embraces  a  considerable  variety  with  regard  to  breed, 
age,  and  se,^.  I  therefore  propose,  in  this  paper,  to  con- 
fine my  remarks  to  the  management  of  Forward  Ewes, 
and  the  rearing  and  fatting  of  Early  Lambs ;  and  I  hold 


this  to  be  the  most  difficult  point  of  the  whole  routine  of 
Sheep  management,  requiring,  as  it  does,  groat  judg 
ment,  experience,  and  foresight,  coupled  with  the  most 
vigilant  superintendanco. 

This  kind  of  stock  is  best  calculated  for  arable  farms 
of  the  southern  counties,  for  although  many  portions  of 
the  kingdom  produce  feed  of  all  sorts  of  the  best  quality, 
yet  such  is  the  influence  of  climate  upon  the  rearing  and 
fatting  of  Early  Lambs,  that  it  would  not  be  advan- 
tageous to  rear  them  upon  cold  and  bleak  situations. 
All  kinds  of  Sheep,  when  fatting,  require  tlie  best  food 
which  can  be  obtained,  but  iu  the  case  of  Early  Ewes 
and  Lambs,  a  provision  must  be  made  in  an  exceptional 
manner,  having  regard  not  to  one  kind  of  food  only,  but 
to  every  kind  which  the  land  can  be  made  to  produce, 
and  adapted  for  the  purpose,  in  order  that  a  great  variety 
as  well  as  abundance,  may  be  available.  I,  therefore, 
propose,  that  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  produce  of 
sheep's  food  upon  the  farm,  that  Italian  Rye  Grass 
should  be  grown  in  the  Wheat,  or  Oat  Eddishes,  upon  all 
that  portion  not  required  for  tillage  between  the  months 
of  September  and  December.  This  is  done  by  seeding 
the  corn  land  in  the  month  of  March.  A  portion  of 
White  Carrots  should  also  be  grown  in  lieu  of,  or  in  addi- 
tion to,  the  Turnip  crop;  Mangold  Wurtzolmay  also  be 
grown  to  some  extent,  as  it  is  found  very  excellent  food 
late  in  the  spring,  when  the  Swedes  begin  to  lose  their 
feeding  properties. 

The  breed  of  Sheep  kept  for  the  rearing  of  Early 
Lambs  is  the  Horned  Dorset,  peculiar  to  the  counties 
of  Dorset  and  Somerset ;  we,  however,  sometimes  meet 
with  flocks  of  the  same  breed  without  horns,  but  they 
are  quite  an  exception,  and  were  originally  propagated 
from  the  same  stock.  Early  Lambs  are  occasionally 
obtained  from  the  South  Downs,  and  other  breeds,  but 
after  many  years'  futile  attempts  to  obtain  Early  Lambs 
as  a  rule  from  these  breeds,  it  is  now  considered  a  hope- 
less case,  and  the  Horned  Dorset  is  the  only  breed  which 
can  be  depended  upon  for  that  purpose. 

In  selecting  Ewes  of  the  horned  variety,  it  is  requisite 
that  they  should  have  been  put  to  a  South  Down  Tup, 
and  by  all  means  chosen  of  good  quality,  being  well 
made,  short  legged,  and  clothed  with  fine  wool.  This 
breed  of  Sheep  has  been  greatly  improved  in  quality 
and  symmetry  within  the  last  fifteen  or  twenty  years ; 
but  the  number  of  flocks  have  been  much  diminished, 
having  given  place  to  the  South  Downs  upon  the  hill 
fai'ms  and  in  exposed  situations.  Formerly,  many 
flocks  of  these  Horned  Ewes  wei-e  propagated  almost 
entirely  with  regard  to  their  milking  qualities  and  pro- 
pensity to  produce  twin  Lambs,  in  doing  which  the 
shape  of  the  animal  was,  comparatively,  disregarded. 
We  still  meet  with  flocks  reared  in  the  same  manner  at 
the  present  day ;  hence  the  necessity  of  the  before-named 
selection.  During  the  last  twenty-six  years,  I  have  con- 
tinued to  keep  this  breed  of  Sheep,  and  I  have  found,  in 
some  seasons,  when  my  Ewes  have  been  ill-shaped,  that 
they  have  yeaned  an  immense  number  of  Lambs,  and 
have  proved  very  milky,  and  made  Lambs  of  the  first 
quality ;  they  would  not,  however,  fatten  whilst  suckhng 


Ifii 


THE    COTTAGE    GAllDENER. 


DECEMBEn  f<. 


thoir  Lambs.  At  otlier  times,  when  I  have  obtained  the 
choicest  description  of  Homed  Ewes  from  the  best  dis- 
tricts of  Somersetshire,  I  liave  found  tliatthey  not  only 
brought  a  large  number  of  Lambs,  but  that  the  Ewes 
and  Lambs  would  both  become  fat  and  fit  for  sale  at  the 
same  time,  and  in  first-rate  condition. 

These  Ewes  are  sometimes  sold  in  the  spring  of  the 
year,  but  the  usual  period  at  which  the  breeders  of  this 
kind  of  stock  offer  them  for  sale  is  at  jMichaelmas,  just 
before  the  time  of  lambing.  Since,  however,  the 
number  of  flocks  have  been  diminished  they  have  be- 
come comparatively  dear,  and  it  is,  therefore,  a  common 
practice  for  some  graziers  to  purchase,  and  keep  over 
for  trading  purposes  the  second  year,  those  Ewes  which 
may,  from  circumstances,  be  found  poor,  or  in  merely 
stock  condition  in  the  spring  of  the  yew. 

The  plan  of  breeding  from  the  Ewes  the  second  season 
is  found  to  answer  a  good  purpose  upon  small  arable 
farms  having  but  little  pasture  land  attached,  it  being 
the  best  policy  to  keep  a  stock-flock  in  summer,  and  a 
fatting-flock  in  winter ;  for  it  must  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  this  kind  of  Sheep  does  not  fatten  readily  during 
the  summer  months  in  the  enclosed  districts  of  the 
Southern  Counties,  because  they  feel  the  annoyance  of 
flies  more  than  most  other  breeds. 

The  custom  is  to  turn  the  Tup  with  the  Ewes  the  first 
week  in  May;  a  sliort,  fiue-woolled  Sheep  should  be 
selected,  in  order  tiiat  the  offspring,  more  particularly 
in  the  case  of  twin  Lambs,  which  generally  require  to 
be  kept  a  longer  period,  may  possess  a  close  coat,  it  being 
well  known  that  loose,  hollow  wool  prejudices  the  sale  of 
Lambs  in  the  live  market.  The  Tup  should  also  possess 
good  symmetry  and  plenty  of  flesh  ;  a  well-bred  Hamp- 
shire Down  I  have  found  bettor  than  a  pure-bred  Sussex 
Down,  for  the  Lambs  reared  from  the  latter  do  not 
possess  a  due  proportion  of  lean  meat,  whereas,  those 
produced  from  the  former  are  highly  esteemed  by  the 
consumers  of  the  present  day,  affording,  as  they  do,  a 
well-combined  proportion  of  flesh  and  fat. 

The  Rams  should  be  shorn  about  a  fortnight  previous 
to  being  turned  amongst  the  Ewes,  and  kept  in  an  open 
place  up  to  that  time,  iu  order  that  they  may  gradually 
become  accustomed  to  the  loss  of  their  coats  ;  otherwise, 
in  case  of  their  being  turned  into  the  open  field  when 
recently  shorn,  they  suffer  much  in  health  and  condition 
during  the  night  frosts,  which  often  happen  in  the  early 
part  of  the  month  of  May.  When  these  Ewes  are  kept 
entirely  for  the  purpose  of  producing  early  Lambs  they 
should  never  be  shorn  until  the  Rams  are  taken  from 
them,  which  should  be  done  about  the  20th  of  June ; 
in  that  case,  the  portion  of  the  flock  of  Ewes  which 
proved  to  be  pregnant  would  finish  dropping  their 
Lambs  about  the  14th  of  November.  It  is  not  ad- 
visable, in  a  flock  of  early  stock,  to  have  Lambs  fall  after 
that  period  ;  for  in  case  of  Ewes  lambing  later  they  do 
not  fatten  readily  with  their  Lambs  by  their  sides. 

The  manner  of  keeping  the  Ewes  must  now  bo  con- 
sidered, as  it  will  most  probably  have  its  influence  in 
inducing  the  Ewes  to  ofler  to  the  Ram  at  the  earliest 
time.     Although  the  nature  of  this  breed  of  Sheep  will 


go  far  in  this  respect,  yet  circumstances  often  arise,  such 
as  the  state  of  the  weather,  to  delay  the  breeding  season  ; 
yet  this  may,  in  a  great  measure,  be  prevented  by 
generous  keeping,  and  by  choosing  a  warm  and  sheltered 
situation  for  feeding  them.  I  have  found,  at  this  par- 
ticular period,  the  best  way  to  bring  the  Ewes  forw-ard 
to  the  Ram  is  to  feed  them  upon  Trifolium,  and  cut  Swedes 
or  ^langold,  placed  in  troughs,  havin.g  also  a  change,  or 
run  upon  dry  pasture  for  a  few  hours  during  the  day ; 
but  if  the  Ewes  are  further  delayed  in  their  season,  it  is 
a  good  plan  to  give  them  about  half  a-pint  of  beans  each 
per  day,  which  will  generally  produce  the  desired  object. 
It  will,  at  all  events,  bring  them  forward  in  condition  ; 
and  that  portion  of  the  iiock  which  may  not  in-ove  in 
Lamb  will  the  sooner  be  fit  for  tlie  market.  After  the 
Rams  are  removed  from  the  flock,  and  the  Ewes  ascer- 
tained to  be  with  lamb,  it  will  be  best  not  to  keep  them 
too  high  ;  it  is,  however,  desirable  that  they  should 
have  two  or  three  chungos  of  keep  during  the  day,  but 
not  of  luxuriant,  or  rich  arable  grass.  A  dry  pasture, 
or  a  change  to  a  fold  of  tares,  or  similar  food,  would  be 
most  suitable,  and  they  should,  indeed,  from  this  period 
up  to  the  time  of  lambing,  be  managed  as  a  stock  or 
store  flock,  the  object  being  to  keep  numbers,  and  to  feed 
the  land  bare,  for  the  sake  of  the  manure.  The  tra- 
velling consequent  upon  their  removal  for  change  of 
food  will  also  prove  beneficial,  for  it  is  admitted  by  all 
flock-masters,  that  the  Ewes  and  their  offspring  will  be 
more  healthy  when  the  former  have  received  a  moderate 
amount  of  exercise  during  the  period  of  pregnancy. 

Joseph  Blundell. 
{To  he  contintte(L) 


SOUTH  HANTS  POULTRY  EXHIBITION. 

This  was  field  at  Southampton  on  the  2ith  and  M5th  of 
November,  and  was  one  of  the  best  first  Kxhibhioiis  of 
Poultry  we  have  ever  witnessed.  There  were  oOo  entries, 
and  almost  every  class  was  well  represented.  The  Spunish 
and  Parlridijc  Slmnr/hacs  were  about  the  most  deficient. 
Colimreil  Durkliuis  were  good  classes,  both  old  and  young 
birJri,  and  in  the  latter,  Mr.  Turner  would  probably  have 
carried  otf  tlie  first  prize,  as  he  did  at  'Winchester,  if  Mr. 
Lewry,  the  well-lmowu  dealer,  had  not  been  permitted  to 
enter  the  lists.  Dealers  slioidd  exhibit  against  dealers,  and 
not  against  amateurs,  for  they  have  a  greater  advantage 
over  the  latter  than  nurserymen  have  over  amateurs  at 
flower  shows,  yet  nurseryraou  always  contend  there  for  dis- 
tinct prizes.  Dealers  in  poultry  should  do  the  same,  and  it 
is  very  desirable  to  have  their  stock  at  exhibitions,  one 
object  of  which  is  to  assemble  superior  specimens.  White 
Dorhinqs  were  shown  in  beautiful  condition,  as  were  all  the 
classes" of  S/kihij/wm,  or  Cochin-Chinas,  with  the  exception 
of  those  we  have  specified.  There  were  seventy-nine  pens 
altogether,  the  Buft's,  as  usual,  much  predominating.  Tt  is 
but  due  to  Mr.  Peters,  of  Birmingham,  to  state,  that  nil  the 
WhiU  Shani/hiics,  which  took  prizes  both  at  Winchester 
and  Southainptou,  were  bred  by  him,  although  some  wore 
shown  in  the  name  of  Jlr.  Holmes.  The  Gdmc  classes 
were  more  strongly  represented  than  at  'SVinehesler,  yet 
there  was  sliU  room  for  much  greater  excellence.  In 
liiimbiirrihs,  the  Spangled  of  botli  colours  were  much 
superior  to  the  Pencilled.  Other  classes  contained  more 
tlinn  the  average  of  good  birds.  Plarmhjiins,  as  at  Wui- 
clicster,  did  not  meet  with  much  favom-  in  tlic  eyes  of  tli^e 
iudges.  These  were  E.  Hewett,  Es([.,  of  Birmingliam,  (t. 
J.  Andrews,  Ifeq.,  of  Dorchester,  and  iMr.  S.  Baily,  Mount- 
sti'eet,  Grosveuor  Square. 


DecejMder  8. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEll. 


IM", 


Class  1.— SPANISH.    Birds  eKceeding  one-yeav-oU. 
4.  First  prize,   H.   F.    Fisher,  Llandford,  Dorset.     Age,  seventeen 
months.      7.    Second   prize.   The    lU|,'ht   Hon.    Lady   M.    Macduniild, 
Woolmcr  Lodge,  Liphook,  Hants.     Age  uncertain. 

Class  2 SPANISH.     Chickens  of  1853. 

15.  First  prize,  Lydia  C.  Stowe,  Bredon,  Tewkesbury.  Age,  six 
months.  13.  Second  prize,  John  Clarke,  Shrub  Cottage,  Hartley  Kow. 
Age,  six  montlis. 

Class  3.— DOKKING  (Coloured).     Birds  exceeding  one-3  ear-old. 

26.  First  prize,  Joseph  Symmonds,  Gorwell,  Dorchester.     Aged.     22. 

Second  prize,  H.  F.  Fiahcr.Blandford,  Dorset.    Age,  nineteen  months. 

Class4.— DORKINtJ  (Coloured).    Chickens  of  1853. 

32.  First  prize,   James  Lewry,  Hand  Cross,    Crawley,   Sussex.     Age, 

five   months.     31.  Second   prize,  James  Lewry,   Hand  Cross,  Crawley, 

Sussex.    Age,  five  months. 

Class  5. — DORKING  (White).    Birds  exceeding  one-yenr-old. 
47.    First   priEc,     Rlrs.   Mills,    Bisterne,   Kingwood.      Age,   eighteen 
months.    48.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Mills.     Age,  eighteen  months. 

Class  6.— DORKING  (White).     Chickens  of  1853. 
52.  First  prize,    Nathaniel  Antill,  Half-moon  Street,    Portsea.     Age, 
eight  months.     51.  Second  prize,  Henry  Bone,  Avon,  Bingwood.     Age, 
tive-and-a-half  months. 

Class  /.—COCHIN-CHINA  (Cinnamon  and  Buff).  Birds  exceeding 
one-year-old. 

59.  First  prize,  Charles  Punchard,  Blunt's  Hall,  Haverhill.  Aged. 
55.  Second  prize,  C.  llawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  AgCj 
1852. 

Class  8.— COCHIN-CHINA  (Cinnamon  and  Buff.)  Chickens  of  1853, 
72.  First  prize,  Captain  W.  H.  Snell,  Artillery  Ground,  London.  Age. 
cockerel  and  two  pullets,  eight-and-a-half  months;  one  pullet  sis-and' 
a-half  months.  75.  Second  prize,  G.  W.  Johnson,  Canon-street,  Win^ 
cheater.     Age,  seven-and-a-half  months. 

Class  10.— COCHIN-CHINA.      (Brown   and   Partridge-feathered.) 
Chickens  of  1353. 

111.  First  prize,  V/illiam  Cave,  Hartley  Row,  Hants.  Age,  seven 
months.  113.  Second  prize,  Thomas  P.  Edwards,  Railway  Station, 
Lyndhurst.    Age,  eight  months. 

Class  11.— WHITE  COCHIN-CHINA.    Birds  exceeding  one-year-old. 
115.  First  prize,   Benjamin  Holmes,    112,   New  Street,  Birmingham. 
Age,  cock,  thirteen  months  ;  hens,  fifteen  months. 

Class  12.— WHITE  COCHIN-CHINA,    Chickens  of  1853. 
123.  First  prize,  G.  C.  Peters,  Mosely,  Birmingham.  Age,  sis  months. 
121.  Second  prize,  Benjamin  Holmes,  112,  New-street,  Birmingham. 
Age,  cockerel,  six  months;  pullets,  four  months. 

Class  13.— BLACK  COCHIN-CHINA.    Birds  exceeding  one-year-old. 
126.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne,  Ringwood.    Age.  fourteen 
months. 

Class  14.— COCHIN-CHINA  (Black).    Chickens  of  1353. 
131.  First  prize,  Lydia  C.  Stowe,  Bredon,  Tewkesbury.    Age,  five- 
and-a-half  months.    130.  Second  prize,  W.  P.  Flight,  Winchester.  Age, 
five  months. 

Class  15. — MALAYS.    Birds  exceeding  one-year-old, 

133.  Second  prize,  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Wallon-on-Thames. 
Aged. 

Class  16.— MALAYS.     Chickens  of  1853. 

J34.  First  prize,  James  Leighton,  183,  High-street,  Cheltenham.  Age, 
cock,  five  months;  pullets,  six  months.  135.  Second  prize,  James 
Lcighton,  183,  High-street,  Cheltenham.    Age,  nineteen  weeks. 

Class  17.— GAME  FOWL  (White,  Piles,  Duckwings,  and  Greys.) 

Birds  exceeding  one-year-old. 
144.  First  prize,  John  T.  Ensor,  Dorchester.     Age,  two  years.     140, 
Second  prize,  R.  W.  Wilson,  Stanford  le  Hope,  Romford. 

Class  IB.— GAME  FOWL  (White,  Piles,  Duckwings,  and  Greys.) 

Chickens  of  1853. 
147.  First  prize,  R.  W.  Wilson,  Stanford  leiHope,  Romford.     146. 
Second  prize,  William  Deazley,  Dunbridge,  Romsey,    Age,  ten  months. 

Class  19.— GAME  FOWL  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds.)     Birds 

exceeding  one-year-old. 
158.  First  prize,  John  T.  Ensor,  Dorchester.    Age,  two  years.     152. 
Second  prize,  R.  W.  Wilson,  Stanford  le  Hope,  Romford. 

Class  20.— GAME  FOWL  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds.)    Chickens 
of  1853. 
167.  First  prize,  John  T.  Ensor,  Dorchester.  Age,  coek,  seven  months  ; 
pullets,  five  months.  l64.  Second  prize,  H.  F.  Fisher,  Blandford,  Dorset. 
Age,  six  months. 

Class  22.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.    Chickens  of  1853. 
171.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne,  Ringwood.      Age,  nine  months. 
172.  Second  prize,  Thomas  P.  Edwards,  Railway  Station,  Lyndhurst. 
Age,  six  months. 

Class  2-1.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.    Chickens  of  1853. 
176,  First  prize,   Henry  Fookes,  Whitechurch,  Blandford.     Age,  six 
months.     178.  Second  prize,  Thomas  P.   Edwards,   Lyndhurst  Station. 
Age,  six  months. 


Class  25.— SILVER-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.  Birds  exceeding 
one-year-old. 

180.  First  prize,  Nathaniel  Antill,  Half-moon  Street,  Portsea.  Age, 
two  years.  179.  Second  prize,  C.  Rawstm,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on- 
Thames.    Aged. 

Class  26.— SILVER-PENCILLED    HAMBURGH.     Chickens   of  1853. 
139.  First  prize,   Joseph  Symonda,    Gorwell,   Dorchester.      Age,   six 
months.     186.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Blills,  Bisterne,  Ringwood.     Age,   six 
months. 

Class  27.— SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.    Birds  exceeding  one- 
year-old. 
193,  First  prize,  William  G.  Chambers,  83,  High-street,   Portsmouth. 
Age,  two  years.     IQ'i.  Second  prize,  Thomas  McCann,   Graham    House, 
IMalvern.     Aged. 

Class  28.— SILVER-SPANGLED    HAMBURGH.      Chickens  of    1853. 
•200.  First  prize,  H.  F.    Fisher,  Blandford,  Dorset.     Age,  five  months. 
202.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  I\Iills,  Bisterne,  Kingwood.     Age,  six  months. 

Class  29.— POLAND  (Black  with  White  Crests.)     Birds  exceeding  one- 
year  old. 
207.  First  prize,  William  G.  Chambers,  83,   High-street,   Portsmouth. 
Age,  two  years.     205.  Second  prize,  C.  llawson.  The  Hurst,  Walton-on- 
Thames.     Age,  1852. 

Class  30.— POLAND  (Black  with  ^Vhite  Crests.)    Chickens  of  1953. 

213.  First  prize,  Thomas  P.  Edwards,  Railway  Station,  Lyndliurst. 
Age,  six  months.  212.  Second  prize,  Thomas  P.  Edwards,  Railway 
Station,  Lyndhurst.     Age,  six  months. 

Class  31.— POLAND  FOWL  (Golden).     Birds  exceeding  one-year-old. 

21G.  First  prize,    William   Symonds,  Weymouth.      Age,    two   years. 

214.  Second  prize,  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.     Aged. 

Class  32.— POLAND  FOWL  (Golden).     Chickens  of  1853. 
220.  First  prize,  H.  F.  Fisher,  Blandford,  Dorset.     Age,  two  months. 
221.  Second  prize,  Thomas   P.  Edwards,  Railway  Station,   Lyndhurst. 
Age,  six  months. 

Class   33.— POLAND  FOWL    (Silver).     Birds  exceeding   one-year-old, 

224.  First  prize,  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.     Aged. 

225.  Second  prize,  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.    Aged. 

Class  34.— POLAND  FOWL  (Silver).     Chickens  of  1853. 
235.  First  prize,  William  Symonds,  Weymouth.     Age,  eight  months. 
230.  Second   prize,  W..  G.   K.  Breavington,    Sutton,   Hounslow,    Mid- 
dlesex.   Age,  six  months. 

Class  36.— CROSS,  BETWEEN   ANY   BREEDS.     Chickens  of  1853. 
239.  Second  prize,  Henry  Girdlestone,   Lyndhurst,    Hants.     (Cochin- 
China  and  White  Dorking.)    Age,  seven  months. 

Class  37.— BANTAMS  (Gold-laced). 
252.  First  prize,   Capteels  Cooper,   Guildford,   Surrey.      Age,   seven 
months.  243.  Second  prize,  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames. 
Aged. 

Class  38.— BANTAMS   (Silver-laccd). 
258.  First  prize,   Capteels  Cooper,   Guildford,   Surrey.    Age,  various. 
256.  Second  prize,  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.    Aged- 
Class  39.— BANTAMS  (White). 
261.  First  prize,  Thomas  P.  Mew,   High-street,  West  Cowes,   Isle  of 
Wight.     Age,  unknown.     264.  Second  prize,  William  Symonds,   Wey- 
mouth.   Age,  two  years. 

Class  40.— BANTAMS  (Black). 

268.  First  prize,  Major-General  Buckley,  New  Hall,  Salisbury.  Age, 
unknown. 

Class  41.— BANTAMS  (Any  other  variety). 

269.  First  prize,  S.  Macnaghten,  Bitterne  Blanor  House,  Southampton. 
Age,  six  months. 

Class  42. —GEESE. 
273.    First  prize,    Henry   Fookes,   Whitechurch,    Blandford.       Age, 
unknown.      270.    Second  prize,   C.    Rawson,   The   Hurst,    Walton-on- 
Thames.    Aged. 

Class  43.— AYLESBURY  DUCKS  (White). 
283.    First  prize,  W.   G.  K.  Breavington,  Sutton,  Hounslow,  lilid- 
dlesex.    Age,  eight  months.     290.  Second  prize,  Thomas  P.   Edwards, 
Railway  Station,  Lyndhurst.    Age,  six  months. 

Class  44.— DUCKS.    (Kouen.) 
29s.  First  prize,  Charles  Punchard,  Blunt's  Hall,   Haverhill.    Age, 
eight  months. 

Class  45.— DUCKS.    (Any  other  variety,) 
305.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne,  Ringwood.    Age,  sis  months. 
306.  Second   prize,  The  Right   Hon.   Lady   M.    Macdonald,    Woolmer 
Lodge,  Liphook,  Hants.    (Buenos  Ayres.)    Age,  seven  months. 

Class  46.— DUCKS.    (Muscovy.) 
309.  Second  prize,  Nathaniel  Antill,  Half-moon  Street,  Portsea.   Age, 
four  months. 

Class  47.— TURKEYS.    Birds  exceeding  one-year-old. 
311.    First  prize,  The  Right  Hon.    Lady   M.    Macdonald,   Woolmer 
Lodge,  Liphook,  Hants.  Age,  unknown.    310.  Second  prize,  C.  Rawson, 
The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.     (American.)    Aged. 

Class  48.— TURKEYS.     Birds  hatched  in  1853. 
315.  First  prize.  The  Right  Hon.  Lady  M.  Macdonald,   Woolmer 
Lodge,  Liphook,  Hants.    Age,  six  months. 


180 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  8. 


Class  so.— ANV  OTHER  DISTINCT  BKEED.    Chickens  of  1853. 

331.  First  prize,  W.  P.  Flight,  Winclicstcr.     (While  Polands.)    Age, 

seven  months.     330.  Seeond  prize,  Henry  HowcU,  Curdridge  Parsonage, 

Botley.     (Ptarmigans.)     Age,  cockerel  .ind  one  pullet,  six  months  j  two 

ditto,  four  months. 


POLMAISE   HEATING. 

TuAT  Polmaise,  the  fire-Idng  and  arcli-enemy  to  vegetable 
life,  is  the  worst  system  of  all  that  has  been  brought  into 
light  since  1820,  when  applied  to  gardening  purposes,  such 
as  heating  Pine  Stoves,  Greenhouses,  &c.,  I  am  prepared  to 
say  is  perfectly  true,  and  that  no  thorough  practical  gardener 
can  deny,  at  least,  if  he  has  had  tlie  worldng  of  one  twelve 
months,  and  feels  disposed,  as  I  do,  to  tell  the  trutli  about 
the  matter. 

I  have  had  to  do  with  nearly  all  kinds  of  houses,  and  have 
lived  in  some  of  the  best  and  largest  forcing  establishments 
in  England  many  years,  and  have  taken  many  a  Banksian 
JMedal,  in  my  time,  at  the  Chiswick  Horticidtural  Shows,  but 
never  did  have  to  do  witli  any  system  of  heatmg  that  had 
less  merits  than  the  one  alluded  to.  In  the  first  place,  it 
dries  everytlung  up,  whether  the  sun  shines  or  not,  in  the 
com-se  of  a  few  hours,  consequently,  it  produces  an  atmos- 
phere unfavoiu-able  to  the  growth  of  plants,  so  much  so,  that 
every  particle  of  moisture  the  earth  in  the  pots  contain  is 
evaporated  prematurely,  and  particularly  if  we  endeavour  to 
keep  up  anythmg  like  a  suitable  temperature  for  that  noble 
fruit  the  I'ine-Apple.  At  the  same  time,  it  produces  such 
an  offensive  smell,  which,  at  all  times,  is  so  readily  perceived 
by  the  nasal  organ  in  stepping  into  the  house,  that  one  is 
apt  to  exclaim  that  the  crater  of  Etna  could  not  produce  a 
more  disagreeable  one,  and  that,  too,  with  as  much  air  as  we 
choose  to  admit.  Other  evils  exist  more  numerous  than 
tliese  mentioned.  Thus,  after  a  sharp  night's  frost  in  March. 
Ihe  suu  invariably  shines  very  hot  during  the  day,  and  by 
keeping  up  a  moderate  tempei-ature  in  the  night  there 
unavoidably  is  a  very  great  deal  of  fire-heat  all  day  long ;  and 
what  with  the  heat  of  the  fire  and  the  sun  much  air  must 
he  given,  and,  of  course,  in  larger  quantities  than  by  any 
other  system  of  heating.  The  bed  for  bottom-heat  and  tlie 
internal  atmosphere  of  the  house  arc  heated  simultaneously, 
so  that  we  cannot  heat  one  independent  of  the  other ;  so,  in 
summer  time,  we  can  get  no  heat  to  the  bed,  except  we  heat 
the  house  also  when  not  required. 

And  what  is  still  worse,  the  inliabitants  of  such  a  house 
are  liable  to  be  scorched,  singed,  and  nearly  roasted  some- 
times ;  then  follows  blistered,  blotched,  and  curled  fohage. 
To  say  nothing  of  the  great  nursery  it  forms  for  red  spider, 
thrips,  and  scale,  evils  in  themselves  great  enough  to  dis- 
courage the  most  endiuring  and  most  persevering  gardener 
in  the  world. 

Again,  should  the  joints  of  the  pipes  give  way,  sulphur 
gets  out,  fills  the  house,  and  neai-ly  destroys  everjlihing 
in  it.  Cucumbers,  French  Beans,  and  J'incs  are  the  first  to 
show  the  work  of  this  davigerous  system. 

It  is  true,  we  can  now  and  then  happen,  out  of  a  multitude 
of  Pine  plants,  to  get  one  or  two  good  fruit,  but  this  is  not 
what  we  want  in  these  go-a-liead  times  ;  indeed,  our  aim 
ouglit  to  be  to  employ  tliat  system  whicli  suits  the  welfare 
of  the  plants,  and  that  only  if  we  intend  to  profit  thereby;  I 
tlierefore  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  he  who  wishes 
to  see  his  plants  and  friuts  growing  to  perfection  must  use 
hot-water. — Goliohtly,  Carmarthenshire,  South  Wales. 


HARDY  BORDER  PLANTS. 

{Continued  from  ]Hi(je  127.)  • 
ACHILLEA  PTARMICA  FLOKE  PLENO. 
This  double  variety  is  sometimes  called  Double  Ptar- 
mica,  or  White  Batchelors-buttons.  It  is  a  variety,  of  course, 
of  our  common,  indigenous  species,  Achillea  plarmica,  of 
our  fields  and  riverside  banks,  which  is  called  Goose- 
tongue  or  Sneezewort.  However,  the  double  variety  is  an 
extremely  beautiful  border  plant,  and  very  useful  as  a  late 
bloomer,  flowering  from  the  beginning  of  August  to  the 
end  of  September.    Its  stems  rising  from  one-and-a-half  to 


two  feet  high,  make  it  a  very  desirable  plant  for  the  second 
row  in  the  borders  or  beds.  Its  flowers  are  produced  in 
rather  loose,  spreading  corymbs.  All  its  leaves  arc  strap- 
spear-shaped,  pointed,  equal,  sharply  saw  -  toothed  and 
smooth. 

Its  creeping  root  ptits  up  such  a  profusion  of  suckers  all 
round  its  crowns,  that  they  should  be  all  cut  or  hoed  oil 
during  the  spring  months,  leaving  the  centre  part  or  bunch 
from  seven  to  nine  inches  in  diameter. 

When  tlte  bunches  ar-e  attended  to,  and  ti-cated  in  this 
way,  they  may  remain  in  the  same  spots  in  the  borders  for 
years.  When  increase  is  required,  the  whole  plant  should 
Ije  taken  up  in  the  spring,  and  chopped  through  into  two  or 
four  nice  pieces,  or  if  an  extra  bunch  or  two  are  required  as 
late  as  when  it  has  put  up  its  profusion  of  suckers,  whicli  it 
does  round  the  old-established  plants,  these  may  be  taken 
up  carefully,  and  separated  from  round  the  main  crown. 
Take  a  handful  of  tliem  together,  and  plant  them  in  one 
hole  made  by  the  dibble,  so  as  to  form  one  snug  buncli  in 
the  well-prepared  border  or  bed,  and  watered.  It  flomishcs 
in  any  good  garden  soil.  These  bunches  soon  become  well- 
estabhshed  in  their  situation,  and  make  as  neat  or  even 
neater  bunches  for  autumn-flowering  than  the  ptu'ent  plants 
from  wliich  they  were  taken. 

This  double  variety  is  mentioned  as  being  found  growing, 
in  a  wild  state,  as  long  ago  as  llKifi,  near  Cbilmark,  in  Wilt- 
sliire.  It  has  also  been  observed  in  one  of  the  little  islands 
called  Small  Holme,  in  the  Lake  of  Winandermere,  previous 
to  1724,  and  since  tlien  it  has  been  found  wild  at  Kipton. 

These  pretty  Uttle  double  flowers  in  September  (bke 
the  Hanuncnlns  aconilijo/ins  plrnns^  or  Itoiiljle  Fair  Maids  of 
France,  in  May),  are  great  favourites  with  persons  seeking 
bouquets.  T.  W. 


THE  GAPES  AND  ITS  WORM. 

A  NUMBER  of  correspondents  of  The  Cottage  Gardener, 
have,  from  time  to  time,  recorded  their  several  observations 
of  the  presence  of  a  number  of  small  wonns  in  the  wind- 
pipes of  chickens  affected  with  the  "  gapes  ;  "  and  many  of 
them  have  gone  on  to  show,  that  tliese  parasites  can  be  dis- 
lodged by  that  well-known  "  vermifuge,"  tm'pentine,  either 
du'ectly  applied  to  the  windpipe  of  the  fowl,  by  means  of  a 
feather,  or  by  causing  the  bird  to  inhale  the  vapom'. 

These  facts,  as  they  were  observed,  were  recorded  in  good 
faith,  and  in  all  humUity,  in  the  attempt  to  trace  eflects  to 
causes.  There  has  been  no  evidence  of  "  smiles  of  satis- 
faction mantling  tlie  lips,"  nor  do  I  think  that  any  of  the 
said  correspondents  would  have  been  bold  enougli  to 
Iiazard  ii2fosittvc  opinion,  as  Dr.  Horner,  of  Hull,  lias  done, 
on  pm'ely  ncr]ativc  cviileuee.  Dr.  Horner  dissected  the 
windpipes  of  six  cliickens,  which  he  sai/s  died  of  gapes,  and 
he  found  no  worms,  upon  which,  and  at  once,  he  jumps  to  the 
conclusion,  that  the  statements  of  the  correspondents  of 
The  Cottage  G/uaJENEii  have  all  been  wrong ;  and  the 
sum  of  their  description  he  "  hesitates  not  "  !  to  declare  "  an 
error." 

Again  the  worthy  Doctor  "  hesitates  not,"  and  declares 
tlie  disease  of  gapes  to  be  a  regular  case  of  inflammation  ; 
in  other  words,  chicken  croup.  We  are,  a  little  further  on, 
supplied  with  the  information,  that  "  the  fowl  gapes  to  open 
a  freer  passage  for  the  air  " ! 

Dr.  Horner  admits  that  the  tUslodgment  of  the  worms 
has  been  fully  narrated,  but  says,  that  "no  one  has  yet 
described"  the  parasite,  "as  situated  in  tlie  windpipe,  by 
dissection  after  death."  Perndt  mo  to  supply  this  missing 
link  in  the  evidence. 

Some  months  ago,  my  friend,  Mr.  Lort  (wlio  is  known  to 
many  of  your  correspondents  as  a  careful  and  skilful 
"  Fancier  "  of  some  pai'ticiUar  varieties  of  poultry),  after 
communicating  witii  me  frequently  on  the  subject  of  the 
best  mode  of  applying  turpentine  to  the  interior  of  the 
windpipes  of  chickens,  did,  at  my  request,  forward  me,  by 
post,  a  jwindpipe  of  one  of  his  defunct  Cocliiu  -  Cliinn 
chickens,  which,  he  said,  "ho  had  suffered  to  die  of 
'gapes,'"  expressing  his  belief  that  the  application  of  the 
tuqientine  would  have  saved  the  bird,  as  it  had  tlone 
dozens  of  others ;  but,  as  I  said,  he  allowed  the  chicken  to 
die,  that  1  might  open   its   windpipe   and   .judge   of   the 


Deoembee  8. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


lat 


contents.  I  did  so ;  and  on  slitting  up  the  windpipe  so 
sent,  I  found  six  worms  surrounded  by  a  reddish,  but  not 
particularly  viscid  "  mucus." 

I  had  not  made  a  special  study  of  Helminthology,  and  I 
was  much  engaged  at  the  time,  but  still  I  managed  to 
dissect  several  of  the  worms,  and  to  examine  the  principal 
organs,  alimentary  and  reproductive.  Fortunately,  I  do  not 
tliink  I  was  liable  to  mistake  semi-organised  "  shreds  nf 
membrane "  for  "  Annelida "  of  a  tolerably  complicated 
sti'ucture ;  and  this,  from  the  circumstance  o£  having  for  the 

You  will  see  that  the  worm  was  red  in 
colour ;  the  sldu  transversely  striated ;  and 
that  the  creature  was  sufficiently  transparent 
for  its  interior  organisation  to  be  very  well 
distinguished  even  when  it  was  looked  at  as 
an  opaque  object.  Its  length,  as  you  will  see, 
by  the  scale  annexed  to  the  drawing,  is 
about  three-quarters-of-an-inch,  and  though 
much  of  the  original  transparency  is  now 
lost  from  the  action  of  the  spirit,  I  think 
you  would  say,  if  you  saw  the  original  and 
this  sketch  together,  that  I  have  given  a 
conscientious  and  true  representation  of  what 
was  before  me. 

I  confess  that  I  see  no  difficulty  in  be- 
lieving that  the  presence  of  half-a-dozen  of 
these  creatures  in  the  small  windpipe  of  a 
chicken  would  he  enough  to  cause  suffo- 
cation, as  would,  also  (doubtless),  a  false 
membrane,  the  result  of  inflammation. 

But,  1  do  not  come  forward  to  argue  that 
worms  are  the  sole  cause  of  "  gapes."  I  do 
not  even  record  an  opinion,  or  the  slightest 
vestige  of  a  theory,  but  merely  supply  a  fact 
which  Is  called  for,  and  as  necessary,  it  would 
seem,  as  the  presence  of  the  corpse  to  the 
inquest  which  is  to  be  held  upon  it.  I 
would,  however,  deprecate  exceedingly  the 
mode  of  commencing  a  search  after  truth, 
by  an  utter  negation  of  facts  which  I  believe  have  been 
honestly  and  faithfully  stated,  and  by  the  substitution  of 
matter  to  which  the  old  observation  is  pecuUarly  apposite — 


last  dozen  yeai's  been  familiar  with  the  general  anatomy 
of  Zoophytes  and  Annelida,  in  the  prosecution  of  researches 
in  physiology,  aided  by  the  best  miscroscopes  of  Eoss, 
Powell,  Oberhauser,  and  Nachet. 

Under  these  circumstances,  having  mounted  one  of  the 
worms  in  spirit  (as  a  "preparation"  for  my  cabinet),  I 
ventured  to  make  a  careful  drawing  of  it,  with  the  aid  of 
the  camera  lucida,  as  I  saw  it,  when  magnified  about  thirty 
diameters,  and  this  drawing  I  venture  to  forward  to  you 
with  this  communication. 


"  That  which  is  true,  is  not  new,  and  that  which  is  new  is 
not  true." — John  Anthony,  M.B.,  Cantab,  Washwood,  near 
Birmingham. 


CEDRUS  DEODARA  STANDING  THE  SMOKY 
ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  TOWN. 
It  was  with  fear  and  doubts,  that  foiu" years  ago  I  planted 
several  of  the  above  in  my  garden,  which  is  about  halt-a-mile 
from  the  centre  of  a  large  manufacturing  town,  feeling  a 
great  apprehension  that  the  smoke  would  destroy  them,  I 
am,  however,  happy  to  say,  that  such  is  not  the  case ;  they 
Eire,  indeed,  doing  better  than  almost  any  other  evergreen  in 
my  garden.  I  thought,  perhaps,  some  of  your  suburban 
subscribers,  about  to  lay  out  their  grounds,  might  be  glad  to 
know  this,  I  therefore  venture  to  send  my  own  experience. 
I  may  also,  add,  that  the  Araucaria  imbricnta  does  equally 
well. — Cms. 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER'S  PONY. 

(  Oontinued  from  Vol.   x.,  page    471.) 

"  The  law  of  the  road  is  a  paradox  quite. 
As  you're  driving  your  carriage  along  ; 
If  you  keep  to  the  left,  you  will  keep  to  the  right, — 
And  when  you  go  right— you  go  wrong." 

DRiviNe,  like  reading  and  writing,  is  supposed  to  come 
by  nature.  No  treatise  on  the  subject  ever  yet  fell  into  my 
hands,  although  more  good  horses  are  ruined  by  thought- 
less drivers  than  by  hard  work. 

There  is  a  tendency  to  pull  harder  with  the  right  hand 
than  the  left,  yet  there  is  no  safety  unless  the  left  rein,  that 
which  passes  between  the  thumb  and  fore-finger  of  the 
bridle-hand,  is  kept  constantly  just  on  the  stretch,  while  the 
right  rein,  threaded  between  the  middle  and  the  fore-finger, 
may  be  tightened  or  slackened  occasionally  by  the  right,  or 
whip  hand,  in  crossing  the  road,  turning,  or  avoiding  any 
object :  hence  those  significant  expressions — "  having  him 


under  your  thumb,"  or  "  having  the  whip-hand  of  him."  A 
very  very  slight  reminder  with  the  whip  will  reach  pony's 
attention  when  he  is  not  keeping  the  (left)  rein  at  stretch, 
or  when  any  occasion  requires  him  to  alter  his  course  in 
obedience  to  the  (other)  rein.  A  high-mettled  steed,  with 
a  supersensitive  mouth,  and  touchy  skin,  will  resent  all 
such  practical  hints,  and  will  be  ready  to  "  tm'n  about,  and 
wheel  about,  and  jimip  Jim  Crow,"  on  the  very  slightest 
notice,  as  my  honourable  and  pubUc- spirited  friend,  his 
master.  But  our  pony,  true  to  his  order,  has  a  skin  thick 
enough  to  prevent  him  from  taking  any  offence  when  none 
is  intended;  so  that  you  do  not  teaze  him,  nor  ever  use  the 
whip  without  contriving  to  make  the  reason  why  clear  to  his 
comprehension,  he  will  soon  learn  to  obey  a  good-humoured 
hint,  or  "  aid,"  as  it  is  called.  It  is  in  vain  to  expect  extreme 
delicacy  of  mouth  in  a  pony. 

Do  not  sit  bolt  upright  in  your  seat,  holding  tight  by  both 
reins,  and  keeping  your  nag  at  work  by  constant  touching- 
up.  Going-up  hill,  it  is  better  to  encom'age  him  with  yom' 
voice  than  to  flog  hard,  for  fear  lest,  by  a  sudden  rush,  he 
should  injure  his  wind.  "When  he  starts  aside,  no  more  of  a 
reminder  should  be  administered  than  to  make  him  go  up 
to  his  bit  and  obey  it.  Always  keep  a  strict  watch  upon  the 
play  of  his  ears. 

I  generally  use  a  snaffle,  or  drive  from  the  ring  of  the 
curb  ;  if  there  be  occasion  to  have  the  reins  attached  lower 
down  on  the  bar,  I  use  a  leather  strap  instead  of  a  curb 
chain.  Having  great  confidence  in  the  excellent  fore  legs 
and  feet  of  my  nag,  I  generally  let  him  have  his  head,  and 
wallf  freely  at  first  on  descending  hills,  not  letting  him  bear 
in  hand  until  he  either  begins  to  pick  his  way,  or  till  he 
finds  it  uneasy  to  hold  back  the  carriage  without  going 
faster.  Hard-driving  down  hill,  with  a  light  cart,  may  bring 
you  a  Uttle  sooner  to  the  end  of  your  jom'uey,  hut  it  is  at 


1S8 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


December  8. 


tlie  cost  of  a  heavy  mortgage  on  tlie  fore  legs — tlie  most 
valuable  part  of  hoi'se  property. 

The  trot  is  not  so  good  a  pace  for  a  pony  as  the  walk, 
though  he  should  do,  his  mile  in  about  eight  minutes.  I 
usually  let  ]iim  walk  one  or  two  miles  in  the  hour,  accord- 
ing to  the  road  or  the  weight.  Next  to  the  wall;  he  excels 
at  a  hand-gallop.  More  work  is  to  be  got  out  of  one  hour, 
at  tin  avcrcuje  rafe  of  Jive  miles  an  hoitr,  a  Utile  more  or  tesa^ 
than  at  any  other  speed. 

I  have  no  douht  that  in  time  the  whip  will  he  entirely 
given  up  on  the  driving-box  and  in  our  public  schools,  and 
in  the  army  and  navy.  The  voice,  so  far  as  the  pony  is 
concerned,  is  far  the  safer  and  more  reliable  means  of  en- 
forcing command ;  but  I  despair  of  carrying  more  than  half 
of  my  horse  refoi-ms,  and,  in  the  meantime,  I  must  beg 
that  the  whip  be  used  considerately.  WJjen  ])unishment 
has  to  be  inflicted  it  should  bo  done  decisively,  and  so 
that  it  may  he  remembered,  hut  never  in  a  passion.  The 
best  discipline,  however,  is  always  where  there  are  fewest 
punishments. 

In  making  a  pony's  mouth,  I  leave  him  to  the  breaker, 
only  seeing  that  tlie  breaking-bit  is  not  wriggled  aUf.igether 
to  one  side,  which  is  easily  managed  by  looking  early  to  it. 
If  you  unfortunately  get  a  liorse  Avith  his  mouth  tender  on 
one  side  only,  it  becomes  needful  to  have  one  corner  of 
your  bit  wrapped  either  Mith  soft  cotton  or  light  wire  until 
it  is  righted.  As  soon  as  the  pony  has  got  anything  of  a 
mouth,  I  at  once  put  the  breal;er  into  the  groom's  place, 
and  malce  him  go  tlirough  all  the  routine  of  my  worli  for 
some  weeks,  Caleb  Balderstone  being  the  lord  for  the  time. 
Tills  greatly  diminishes  the  cost  of  breaking,  wliich  is  a 
consideration;  besides,  I  believe  the  best  way  to  learn  to 
do  any  sort  of  business  is  to  get  fairly  in  harness  as  soon 
as  possible.  So  much  for  the  mouth  and  breaking-in, 
written  at  the  instance  of  a  correspondent. 

Since  pony  came  up  from  his  summer's  run  in  the  pad- 
dock, or  his  long  vacation  in  the  aftergrass,  which  has  been 
unusually  prolonged  on  accoimt  of  the  price  of  oats,*  he 
has  got,  as  ive  will  suppose,  a  very  rough  coat,  looking  quite 
as  zoological  as  an  alpaca.  If  it  is  to  trot  about  much  this 
winter  in  the  miry  roads  all  this  will  encumber  him  sadly, 
make  him  cough,  and  putt',  and  snort.  (Though  if  he  has 
to  work  only  in  the  fields  it  will  not  inconvenience  him 
much.)  Many  advise  to  have  a  good  deal  of  long  hair  singed 
off;  and,  from  my  experience,  I  should  say  it  is  best  to  be 
done  with  a  coarse-haired  one,  hut  not  with  a  thin-skinned 
one.  It  expedites  the  natm'al  process  of  moulting ;  gives 
great  relief  to  the  animal's  system,  as  he  is  rather  feverish 
when  first  kept  in-doors;  seems  to  be  very  agreeable  to  him; 
and  saves  nearly  an  hour  a-day  to  Caleb.  Tony  should 
be  very  little  singed  aliout  the  nose,  ears,  or  throat ;  only 
once  over  the  body,  and  twice  underneath,  and  over  his  legs 
and  arms.  A  small  quantity  of  simple,  cooling  medicine 
maybe  given  at  the  same  time.  The  object  is  to  protect 
liim  from  damp,  and  to  help  liis  condition  and  wind.  It  is 
curious,  however,  that  we  should  begin  to  cherish  our  own 
beards  and  moustaches,  and  singe  off  our  horses' coats  at 
the  same  time  ! 

Since  these  very  small  and  unpromising  pony  essays  of 
mine  were  commenced,  I  am  glad  to  have  noted  so  many 
gallant  efforts,  more  or  less  in  the  same  direction.  We 
have  had  an  excellent  set  of  hints  from  Abdel  Kader,  on 
the  natural  treatment  of  the  Arabian  horses.  A  cavalry 
officer  has  come  out  strong  on  the  false  system  of  over- 
grooming  our  troop  horses,  and  saddle  horses  generally ; 
and  the  poor  Lord  Jlayor's  show  has  elicited  a  torrent  of 
eloquence  on  needless  displays  of  equipage.  But,  seriously, 
I  think  a  Lord  Mayor's  show,  as  a  show  once  in  a  year,  is 
a  very  fine  thing,  and  that  there  ought  to  be  one.  If  many, 
or  any,  of  our  '  honourable  friends '  chose  to  read  them- 
selves a  lesson  from  the  Lord  Mayor's  show,  and  just  ask 
themselves  whether  their  own  equipages  are  not  too  cum- 
brous and  portentous  by  half,  taking  much  more  valuable 
and  bigger  horses  to  set  them  agoing  than  tlie  fitness  of 
things  requires,  the  Lord  Mayor's  show  is  a  very  good  thing 
in'that  point  of  view  too.  .Vnd  then,  what  I  have  endea- 
voured to  do  for  the  '  carriage,'  another  utilitarian  is  essay- 
ing about  the  'cottage'  itself,  and  the  pigeon  is  to  be  made 

*  Mem.  We  must  cultivate  an  acre  or  two  of  oata  this  year,  antl  con- 
sult Mr.  BlundcU  anent  it. 


decent,  and  brought  out  in  good  society  along  with  the 
pony.  I  will  conclude,  at  least  for  the  present,  with  the 
following  homely  rhymes.  The  first  is  called  "  The  Horse's 
Prayer;"  and  the  second  contains  a  scarcely  less  touching 
appeal  to  certain  feelings  I  should  wish  to  see  rather  more 
practically  expressed — 

Up  hill  spare  thou  mc ; 

Do«  n  hill  take  care  of  thee. 
On  level  ground  spare  me  not, 

Nor  give  me  water  when  I'm  hot. 

The  Protestant  Hogs  me,  and  gives  me  no  grass ; 

'rhe  Catholic  tires  me  with  riding  to  mass. 
But  now  I  have  come  to  the  hands  of  a  Quaker, 

And  I  can  roam  over  a  rood  and  an  acre. 


POULTRY-yABD   EEPORT. 

If  the  report  of  my  poultry-yards  be  of  sufficient 
moment  to  be  admitted  in  your  very  useful  pubUcation,  I 
beg  to  place  it  at  yom'  disposal.  I  have  several  varieties  ; 
each  variety  is  kept  separate.  The  following,  may,  there- 
fore, be  considered  a  correct  statement  nf  the  cost  and  pro- 
duce of  one  hen  of  each  sort,  irom  the  1st  of  April  to  the 
.'iOth  of  September,  both  inclusive  : — 


VAEIETIES. 


Bantam    

Black-bearded  Pole    

White-crested  Pole     

Cochin-China 

Dorking    

Golden-spangled  Hamburgh . 
Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh  . 
Spanish     

Total  . . . 


NO.    OF 
EGOS. 

WEIGHT. 

COST. 

Ounces. 

S.     I>. 

51 

7C 

1      1 

60 

1()7 

2     4 

HI) 

100 

1     8 

m 

1'20 

2    y 

48 

100 

2     8 

110 

207 

2     2 

84 

1-lS 

1     (i 

78 

^■24 

2     CI 

001 

LMG 

IG     8 

Several  of  my  Cochin  hens  have  sat  three  times  this  year, 
while  the  Dorking  hens  only  sat  once,  the  Bantams  twice. 
The  others  are  non-sitters.  I  should  mention,  in  reckoning 
the  above  cost,  the  average  has  been  taken  including 
cocks,  but  it  is  merely  my  actual  outlay  for  corn ;  green 
food  is  supplied  from  the  garden;  rent  and  expenses  of 
looking  after  the  poultry  is  not  taken  into  account ;  the  last- 
named  item  is  more  than  compensated  for  by  the  pleasure 
of  superintending  them.  At  the  present  high  prices,  the 
cost  would  be  from  ten  to  twenty  shillings  per  year  more 
than  shown  above,  still,  the  cost  of  the  eggs  is  very  small, 
the  average  being  a  fraction  under  three-farthings  each,  or 
fourBautams,orfour-and-a- half  Golden-spangled  Hamburgh 
eggs  cost  only  one  penny.  The  winter  keep  has  to  be 
added,  but  then  the  eggs  will  be  under  one  penny  each,  as 
some  will  be  i^roduced  during  the  next  six  months.  Should 
the  foregoing  meet  approval,  I  shall  be  happy  to  com- 
municate other  information. — B.  P.,  Shoreliam. 


THE  CULTURE  OF  A  ROOD  OF  GROUND. 

nECEMBEE. 

This  being  the  closing  month  of  the  year,  but  little  is  to 
be  done  in  the  way  of  sowing  and  transplanting,  yet  tliere  is 
much  work  to  be  attended  to,  when  the  weather  permits,  in 
digging  and  trenching  .all  vacant  ground  ;  it  being  very  im- 
portant, at  this  season  of  the  year,  that  every  advantage 
should  bo  taken  to  prepare  the  soil  for  future  crops.  If  the 
weather  should  be  frosty,  and  tlie  ground  too  hard  for  the 
spade,  let  the  manure  be  carried  to  the  plots  that  require  it. 
This  is  the  proper  time  to  trim  and  repair  fences  where 
required,  and  to  cleanse  llie  ditches,  the  emptying  of  which 
will  make  a  valuable  addition  to  the  manure-heap.  Leaves 
should  be  carefuUy  collected  at  this  time,  as  they  are  now 
rapidly  falling  from  the  trees.  In  some  localities,  where 
woods  abound,  a  very  large  quantity  might  be  gathered  with 


I 


December  8. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


189 


but  very  little  trouble,  which  would  make  excellent  litter  for 
the  pig,  and  even  the  cow,  besides  maldng  the  best  of 
manure.  I  have  often  been  surprised  that  this  matter  has 
not  been  more  attended  to  by  cottagers.  I  know  well,  from 
experience,  the  value  of  them  as  a  manure,  besides  their 
use  Ibr  litter,  and  instead  of  their  being  a  nuisance,  in 
blowing  about  tlie  roads,  and  laying  ancle  deep  in  plan- 
tations, they  would  prove  of  great  value  to  tliose  who  have 
leisure  to  collect  them,  and  are  not  too  indolent  to  do  so. 
When  I  kept  cows,  and  grew  but  little  straw,  I  liave  collected 
nearly  a  sutlicient  ciuantity  of  leaves  to  bed  them  down  the 
whole  winter. 

"Where  a  portion  of  a  rood  of  ground  is  cropped  with 
Wheat,  it  should  be  carefully  watched  at  tliis  time,  to  see  if 
the  mice  are  getting  it,  whicli  they  are  very  apt  to  do  just  as 
it  is  making  its  appearance  above  groiuid,  which  I  find  to  be 
the  case  with  mine  at  this  present  time.  The  best  method 
of  destroying  tliem  is  by  setting  brick-traps  to  catch  them  ; 
tlie  mode  of  setting  tiie  traps  is  very  simple, — tlie  plan  is  liy 
placing  a  board  tlat  on  the  ground,  and  set  a  single  brick 
(or  Hat  tile)  on  one  end,  a  little  slanting,  and  then  support 
it  with  three  sticks,  in  the  form  of  a  figure  of  four,  with  a 
soaked  bean  or  pea  lixed  on  one  end  of  one  of  the  sticks  for  a 
bait,  which,  as  soon  as  the  mouse  touches,  the  brick  will  fall 
and  kill  it. 

Since  the  publication  of  my  pamphlets  on  Spade  Hus- 
bandry, Pigs,  &c.,  I  noticed  a  report  in  The  Cottaoe  Gak- 
DENEK,*  of  a  tool  wliioh  struck  my  attention  as  being  a  very 
useful  one,  and,  to  the  best  of  my  recollection,  it  was  called 
a  mute,  meaning,  I  suppose,  that  it  was  something  between 
a  fork  and  a  spade.  The  description  of  it  was  so  simple, 
and  the  cost  so  trifling,  that  I  was  induced  to  have  one 
made  to  try  the  effect  of  it.  The  following  is  a  description 
of  it: — Having  an  old  three-pronged  fork  nearly  worn  out, 
I  had  a  plate  fixed  on  the  end  of  the  prongs,  about  five 
inches  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  about  live  inches  deep,  so 
that  tlie  iipper  jiart  being  left  open  the  same  as  when  a  fork, 
only  being  narrower  at  the  bottom  than  at  the  top.  I  find 
this  tool  to  be  very  useful  to  dig  with  where  the  soil  is  of  a 
very  stiff  nature,  and  where  the  fork  cannot  penetrate;  and 
the  great  advantage  it  has  over  the  spade,  is,  that  however 
moist  the  ground  is  this  tool  never  clogs,  the  top  part  being 
open  the  same  as  the  fork.  Having  found  this  tool  of  great 
service  I  have  ventured  to  recommend  it;  but,  in  con- 
clusion, I  must  not  forget  to  mention  that  I  have  a  Imii/ 
handle  to  it,  the  same  as  I  have  to  my  digging-fork,  having 
a  great  objection  to  the  back-ache,  besides,  in  using  the 
long  handle,  1  find  I  have  a  greater  power  in  lifting  the 
soil.  The  particulars  of  the  advantages  I  have  found  in 
using  a  long-handled  tool,  the  make,  &a.,  I  have  given  in 
my  little  work  on  Pig-feeeding,  i'o. 

PiicE  Beead. — Having  noticed  the  economy  of  using  rice 
with  flour  in  making  bread,  we  were  induced  to  try  the  ex 
periment,  and  having  found  it  to  answer  exceedingly  well, 
and  finding  a  great  saving,  I  have  ventured  to  give  the 
result  of  our  trial,  thinking  it  might  be  of  some  little 
service  to  cottagers  with  large  families,  at  the  present  time, 
bread  being  at  such  a  high  price.  The  following  is  the  way 
we  used  it : — One-and-ahalf  pounds  of  rice  put  into  a 
gallon  of  water,  and  stewed  till  it  becomes  quite  soft,  then 
i  mix  it,  while  warm,  with  fourteen  pounds  of  flour,  and  at 
the  same  time  add  a  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  the  usual 
quantity  of  yeast.  Let  it  stand  to  rise,  and  then  make  it 
into  loaves  and  bake  it  in  the  usual  way.  We  have  found 
the  above  quantity  of  flour  and  rice  to  have  made  us  twenty- 
eight  pounds  of  excellent  bread,  and,  independent  of  the 
great  saving,  we  like  it  better  than  bread  made  in  the 
ordinary  way. 

Bees. — We  have  been  feeding  our  light  stocks  of  bees 
with  the  loaf-sugar  and  honey,  as  noticed  in  my  notes  for 
last  month,  and  find  it  to  answer  well,  and  they  appear  to 
take  it  with  as  much  avidity  as  though  it  were  all  honey,  and 
in  consideration  of  honey  being  so  scarce  and  expensive  we 
find  it  a  great  saving.  John  Sii.lett. 

*  An  engraving  of  this  tool  was  attaclied  to  tlie  account  given  in  The 
Cottage  Gabdeneh;  the  exact  date  I  cannot  recollect,  but  I  think  it  is 
some  three  or  four  years  since. 


COTTAGE   BREWING. 


{Coittiiiueit  from  yage  108.) 

Next  in  order,  comes  the  fermentation ;  the  placing  of 
tlie  tub  for  which  purpose  should  be  carefully  considered. 
It  must  be  away  from  cold  draughts,  and  close  to  the  cask 
intended  to  be  filled.  Tilt  the  tub,  by  p)lacing  something 
for  the  edge  of  its  bottom  to  rest  upon,  and  then  pour  into 
it  the  five  or  six  gallons  of  beer  previously  set  apart  to  cool. 
Plunge  the  thennometer  in  the  beer,  M'hich  must  be  lowered 
in  temperature  to  70°,  at  the  least.  This  (milk  warm)  is 
the  proper  point  of  heat  to  apply  the  barm,  which  must  be 
thorouglily  mixed  with  the  beer;  then  place  the  lading 
bucket,  with  its  handle  inverted,  in  the  midst  of  it,  and  this 
will  be  found  to  expedite  the  fermentation  considerably,  as 
it  invariably  begins  in  close  contact  with  the  bucket  first. 
Separate  (loiMe  the  quantity  of  beer,  just  set  to  work,  from 
the  cooler  into  the  small  tubs,  to  be  added  to  it  in  about  an 
hour-and-a-half,  when,  if  all  is  as  it  should  be,  a  white 
head, — in  brewing  parlance,  called  the  helvet, — will  liave 
formed  upon  its  surface  ;  be  very  particular  as  to  this ;  until 
the  helvet  is  perfectly  formed  over,  do  not  add  more  beer, 
otherwise  fermentation  may  be  checked  in  the  beginning, 
and  the  working  prove  precarious  afterwards.  Let  this  form- 
ation of  the  helvet  act  as  a  guide  for  future  additions  ; 
each  time  you  do  so,  separate  more  beer  to  cool,  and  each 
time  double  the  quantity.     Untilt  the  working  tub. 

The  boiling  period  for  the  beer  in  the  copper  having  again 
expired,  strain  its  contents  through  the  sieve,  etc.,  as  before, 
and  take  the  hops  to  the  manure-heap  ;  reserving  a  double- 
liandful,  or  so;  spread  these  to  dry,  and  see  that  they  do 
not  become  mouldy :  for  what  purpose,  anon ;  clean  the 
slime  from  tlie  copper,  and  fill  it  with  water,  to  become 
heated  for  washing-down  the  brewhouse,  or  other  purposes. 
If  the  beer  in  the  coolers  become  too  cold  before  it  can  be 
all  got  together,  warm  a  portion,  and  enter  it  to  the  working- 
tub  at  its  proper  heat.  All  prospering,  the  beer  will  be 
ready  to  tun  before  bedtime  (viz.,  supposing  the  brewing  to 
have  began  the  evening  before) ;  previous  to  which  opera- 
tion, make  sure  that  no  piece  of  cork,  or  other  extraneous 
matter,  remain  withiuside  the  barrel,  for,  should  this  be 
the  case,  it  might  stoxi  up  the  working-hole,  and  prove  a 
difficulty. 

Place  the  cask  to  be  filled  firmly  and  level  on  a  skeleton 
tram,  elevated  a  foot  or  so  from  the  floor,  so  that,  by  a  free 
circulation  of  air  beneath,  it  may  be  preserved  from  damp 
and  injury ;  drive  two  new  corks — one  below,  the  other  in 
the  centre  of  the  barrel ;  secure  a  working-tube  in  the  top 
hole;  fasten  in  the  vent-peg;  adjust  the  tun-pail  in  the 
bung-hole,  and  the  vessel  is  ready  to  fill.  When  the  cask 
is  about  three-parts  full  froth  will  issue  from  the  working- 
tube  ;  place  a  tub  to  catch  it,  and  continue  filling  until  beer 
is  perceived  to  escape ;  then  remove  the  tun-pail ;  lay  a 
piece  of  hop-bagging,  about  six  inches  diameter,  over  the 
bung-hole,  and  fasten  down  the  bung  to  a  degree  that  will 
ensure  its  removal  with  a  good  tug ;  remove  the  tub  from 
under  the  tube,  and  put  an  empty  one  in  its  place ;  pour 
what  beer  and  froth  the  former  contains  into  the  working- 
tub,  and  retire  to  rest  for  five  or  six  hours;  contrive  then 
to  awaken,  or  request  some  one  to  arouse  you,  as  the  beer 
will,  in  all  probability,  require  your  further  attendance.  If 
by  that  time  you  perceive  it  has  not  long  began  working,  do 
not  interfere  with  it;  but  if  it  shows  n<i  sign,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  jog  its  memory  a  little.  I  never  but  once  had 
a  bad  case  of  this  description,  still,  as  there  is  no  telling 
what  may  happen,  it  is  well  to  be  provided  with  a  remedy, 
so  far  it  lies  in  one's  power.  Take  a  large  double-handful 
of  flour,  place  it  on  a  plate  before  a  fire,  stir  to  prevent  its 
burning  ;  grate  about  an  ounce  of  ginger,  mix,  and  when 
quite  dry  and  hot,  enter  it  by  degrees,  with  your  left  hand, 
in  at  the  bung-hole  ;  stir  round  about  with  a  walking-stick 
quickly  with  the  right  hand,  so  as  thoroughly  to  conglome- 
rate the  mass,  and,  doubtless,  it  will  soon  return  from  the 
error  it  had  made.  But  we  will  not  suppose  this  to  be  our 
case  in  the  present  instance,  therefore,  after  five  or  six 
hours'  sleep,  rub  your  eyes,  slip  on  something  slightly,  for 
the  cask  will  merely  require  attendance  a  few  minutes,  to 
fill  it  up  from  the  working-tub;  adjust  the  tun-pail,  and 
continue  to  flU  until  beer  escapes  from  the  tube,  A'c,  and 
do  this  at  intervals  of  every  two  or  three  hours  during  the 


190 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


Decembeb  8. 


time  that  the  beer  works  briskly.  Draw  the  tub  with  the 
first  worldngs  aside ;  allow  them  to  remain  in  it ;  shift 
another  tub  in  its  place,  and  adopt  this  proceeding  each 
time,  while  the  working  goes  on  witli  spirit ;  by  so  doing, 
the  barm  will  have  time  to  settle,  and  the  beer  wUl  run 
clear  away  from  it  wlien  required.  When  the  beer  in  the 
working-tub  is  exhausted,  run  that  from  the  barm  in  the 
small  tubs  ;  prevent  the  yeast  escaping  by  placing  a  whisk 
at  the  edge  of  the  tub, — a  comparison  for  whicli,  do  not 
fancy  that  of  our  mother's,  which  erst  frowned  with  threat- 
ening aspect  from  tlio  mantle-shelf,  but  rather  our  old 
school-master's  veiy  best  and  substantial  birch  rod !  our 
mother's  machine  though  was  mere  moonshine ;  quite  as 
little  applied  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended,  as 
one  would  now  think  of  using  such  an  apparatus  for  sepa- 
rating the  beer  from  the  bann.  The  froth  and  settling 
whicli  remain  in  the  first  tub  had  better  be  throivn  away ; 
it  is  dark- coloured,  intensely  bitter,  and  if  resened  to  add 
to  the  barm,  it  will  not  only  serve  to  unite  these  disagree- 
able qualities,  but  everybody  who  may  have  the  misfortune 
to  bake  with  it  will  eat  bitter  bread.  As  you  subsequently 
separate  the  beer  from  the  barm  into  a  small  tub  by  itself, 
yeast  is  generally  the  perquisite  of  the  brewer,  do  not  sell  it 
too  tliin,  or  the  housewives  will  convene  sundry  palaverings 
detrimental  to  good  fame. 

If,  perchance,  a  deficiency  of  new  beer  should  occm-,  draw 
some  from  the  small  beer  cask  you  may  have  in  tap  to  assist 
you ;  but  if  there  remains  a  few  gallons  to  spare,  add  it  to 
tlie  small  beer,  or  otherwise  preserve  it  in  the  small  sis- 
gallon  cask.  On  the  second  day,  fill  up  the  last  thing  before 
going  to  bed,  and  the  first  on  the  following  morning ;  for 
our  humble  brewing  this  will  not  probably  require  repeating. 
When  quite  done  working,  remove  the  tin  tube  and  drive 
a  new  cork  in  the  place  of  it ;  pour  some  beer  gently  in  at 
the  bunghole  to  fill  up  the  bai-rel  sufliciently,  adding,  at  the 
same  time,  the  hops  previously  dried ;  then,  with  a  pail  of 
warm  water  and  a  flannel,  clean  the  barm  from  off  the  cask, 
and  wash  the  bung  and  piece  of  hop-bag ;  dry  the  lattei-,  to 
be  in  readiness  when  their  time  comes  ;  leave  the  bunghole 
unclosed  about  ten  days,  then  take  out  the  vent-peg,  place 
the  hop-bag  and  bung,  and  drive  it  down  with  a  mallet,  so 
as  to  be  perfectly  air-tight,  leave  the  venthole  open  a  fort- 
niglit,  tlien  close  it,  and  the  thing  is  completed. 

Ale  should  not  be  broachod  before  it  is  six  months  old,  at 
least ;  and  then,  if  the  cork  is  a  large  one,  it  would  be  advis- 
able to  tap  it  at  the  centre  cork  first ;  the  beer  will  be  ao 
much  the  more  likely  to  draw  off  fine  the  further  the  tap  is 
situated  from  the  bottom.  Apropos  to  fine  beer;  if  re- 
quired for  consumption  soon  after  brewing,  proceed,  a  week 
after  it  has  ceased  working,  to  rack  it;  force  in  the  cork  at 
the  bottom  of  the  cask,  and  allow  the  beer  to  escape  into  a 
cooler,  tilt  the  vessel  when  it  begins  to  run  slow  until  grounds 
are  perceived  to  escape,  then  untilt  immediately,  empty  tlie 
grounds  from  the  barrel  into  a  pail,  and  strain  them  through 
a  funnel-shaped  flannel  bag,  rinse  out  the  cask  with  cold 
water,  drive  in  a  tap  to  save  a  cork,  and  return  the  beer  into 
it  without  loss  of  time ;  when  the  froth  has  subsided,  add 
a  handful  of  hops,  bung  it  down,  and  in  two  or  three  days 
the  beer  is  ready  for  use. 

Clean,  scald,  and  dry  the  utensils,  and  thoroughly  cleanse 
the  cellar;  should  the  latter  be  free  from  damp,  tlie  tubs,  etc. 
may  find  a  place  there.  If  the  contrary,  stow  tliem  where  it 
is  most  convenient ;  preserve  and  jirevent  their  falling  to 
pieces,  by  covering  over  with  some  old  carpeting,  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort,  to  exclude  the  air  from  them.  Of  course, 
the  utensils  would  be  benefited  by  being  painted  on  their 
outside.  A  cellar  is  always  preferably  situated  underground, 
by  reason  of  which,  it  is  warm  in  \vinter  and  cool  in  summer. 
We  cottagers  cannot  often  command  such  a  site,  but,  wher- 
ever it  may  be,  an  even  temperature  is  desirable ;  frosts  and 
sb-ong  light  should  be  avoided,  and  gleams  of  sun  zealously 
excluded,  as  from  a  dairy. 

Finally,  John  Barleycorn,  in  a  moral,  social,  and  even 
fiscal  point  of  view,  I  wish  you  well.  This  wreath  that  1 
have  woven  for  your  honourable  brow,  is  far,  very  far, from 
my  wish  to  have  you  coupled  with  idle  drunken  sots,  who 
disgrace  you,  and,  both  for  town  and  country,  are  disgusting 
bad  subjects,  and  a  nuisance,  though,  to  bo  sure,  I  need 
hardly  fear  so  base  a  connexion,  for  yom'  pm'o  decoction, 
such  as  I  have  pointed  out,  will,  of  course,  never  be  found  at 


the  "  Tom  and  Jen?  "  shops  where  such  worthies  associate ; 
those  sinks  of  iniquity,  in  the  way  of  the  farmer,  of  the 
clergyman,  squire,  and  of  every  other  man  with  his  heart 
in  its  right  place  ;  to  the  poor  man  a  ciurse,  and  the 
cause  of  more  distress  for  him  thau  all  the  taxes,  com- 
petition, and  variableness  of  the  weather  enhancing  and 
acting  upon  the  price  of  prorisions  put  together ;  sources 
of  corrupt  and  iUicit  acquaintances,  where  crime  of  all 
kinds  is  propagated,  and  where  every  species  of  vice  united 
to  the  category  of  evil  abound,  offering  no  other  recom- 
mendation, that  I  can  see,  but  for  the  brewer  and  occu- 
pier alone ;  for  surely,  an  exchequer  filled  by  encom-aging 
such  masses  of  crime  can  never  be  said  to  benefit  the 
countrj'.  But  the  remedy  lies  with  ourselves ;  sobriety  and 
self-respect  is  the  panacea,  and  may  the  day  be  fast  ap- 
proaching, when  the  majority  of  ray  fellow-working  men  may 
be  found  exerting  self-control  sufficient  to  allow  a  ban-el  of 
home-brewed  beer  to  remain  upon  their  premises,  with 
benefit  for  themselves,  and  comfort  for  their  mves  and 
families. 

DIGEST. 

KLE. 

Quantity  to  be  brewed ."50  gal. 

Ditto  of  water  required 94  gal. 

Ditto  of  malt 4  bus. 

Ditto  of  hops,  if  beer  is  required  for  keeping 

over  twelve  months 4  lb. 

Ditto  if  required  for  keeping  over  C  mouths     .  3  lb. 

Ditto  of  bann  for  working        .                 .        .  1  qt. 

Heat  of  water  for  first  mash     ....  170  deg. 

Ditto  second  ditto 180  deg. 

Time  for  water  to  stay  on  each  mash       .         .  3  hi's. 

Ditto  for  boiUng  the  beer  each  time         .         .  2.J  hi's. 

Quantity  of  beer  to  begin  working  ...  5  gals. 
Proper  heat  to  set  beer  to  work       .        .    (l.j  to  TO  deg. 
Times  for  brewing,  October  and  Mai'ch. 

T.UiI.E    BEEK, 

Quantity  to  be  brewed 50  gals. 

Ditto  of  water  required Su  gals. 

Ditto  of  malt 3  bush. 

Ditto  of  hops i  lbs. 

Ditto  of  barm  for  working        ....       3  pints 
Heat  of  water  for  first  mash    ....  170  deg. 

Ditto  second  ditto 180  deg. 

Time  for  water  to  stay  on  first  mash         .        .       3  hrs. 

Ditto  second  ditto '2  J  hrs. 

Ditto  for  boiling  beer  each  time       .        .        ,      'i  hrs. 

IJuantity  of  beer  to  begin  the  workuig      .         .       0  gals. 

Proper  heat  to  set  beer  to  work        .         .         .HO  deg. 

Times  for  brewing ;  when  wanted. 

UrWiUtDS  AND  Onwakds. 


THE  CARRIER  PIGEON. 
(^Continued  from  page  132.) 

"  The  original  of  these  Pigeons  camo  from  Bazora,  in 
Persia,  being  sometimes  brought  by  shipping,  and  some- 
times in  the  caravans  ;  hence,  by  some  ignorant  people,  they 
are  called  Buffories. 

"  This  city  is  situate  about  two  miles  distant  from  a  river 
called  Xat  Arab,  which  is  formed  by  tlie  meeting  of  the  two 
great  rivers,  Tigris  and  Euphrates  ;  near  this  place  is  a 
small  house,  like  a  hermitage,  dedicated  to  Iza  ben  Mariam, 
that  is,  Jesus,  the  son  of  Mary  :  in  passing  which  place, 
the  Mahometans  themselves  very  devoutly  offer  up  theii' 
prayers ;  there  is  likemse  a  considerable  quantity  of  land 
whose  revenues  belong  to  this  chapel. 

"  We  come  now  to  give  an  account  of  the  name  which  is 
given  to  this  pigeon,  and  it  is  called  a  Can'ier,  because  it  is 
frequently  made  use  of  to  carry  a  letter  from  one  place  to 
another.  And  sucli  is  the  admirable  cunning  or  sagacity  of 
this  bird,  that  though  you  can?  them  hoodwinked,  twenty 
or  thirty  miles,  nay,  I  have  known  them  to  be  canied  three- 
score or  a  hundred,  and  there  turned  loose,  thoy  will  imme- 
diately hasten  to  the  place  where  they  were  bred.  'L'ho 
Dutch  call  this  pigeon  Bagadat,  I  suppose  from  a  corruption 
of  the  uamo  of  th(^  city  Bagdat,  which  was  formerly  old 
Babylon  which  Nimrod  buih,  bocnuso  they  judge  this  pigeon 
in  its  way  from  Bazora  to  bo  brought  through  that  city. 


December  8. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


191 


["  GiRTiN,  p.  65.  The  winged  messenger  no  sooner  finds 
itself  at  large,  than  its  love  for  its  native  home  influences  all 
its  motions.  It  immediately  flies  up  into  the  clouds  to  an 
almost  imperceptible  height,  and  then,  with  great  certainty 
and  exactness,  darts  itself,  by  some  unknown  intuitive  prin- 
ciple, towards  its  native  spot,  which  is  frequently  at  the  dis- 
tance of  many  miles,  bringing  its  message  to  the  person  to 
whom  it  is  directed.  By  what  visible  means  they  discover 
the  place,  or  by  what  compass  they  are  conducted  in  the 
right  way,  is  eiiually  mysterious  and  unknown  ;  but  it  has 
been  proved,  by  experiment,  that  they  will  perform  a  journey 
of  forty  miles  in  the  space  of  one  hour-and-a-half,  which 
is  a  degree  of  dispatch  three  times  sooner  than  the  swiftest 
four-footed  animal  can  possibly  perform.] 

["  GiRTiN,  p.  CO.  Extraordinary  attention  was  formerly 
paid  to  the  training  of  these  pigeons,  in  order  to  he  sent 
from  governors,  in  a  besieged  city,  to  generals  that  were 
coming  to  succour  it;  from  princes  to  their  subjects,  with 
the  news  of  some  important  transaction.] 

"  In  Turkey  they  call  them  Bagatins,  or  Couiiers,  and  the 
Turks  and  Persians  make  a  common  practice  of  breeding 
this  sort  of  Pigeons  in  their  Seraglios,  where  there  is  one, 
whose  business  it  is  to  feed  and  train  these  birds  for  the 
use  afterwards  designed,  which  they  do  in  this  manner : 
when  a  young  one  flies  very  hard  at  home,  and  is  come  to 
its  full  strength,  they  carry  it  in  a  basket,  or  otherwise, 
about  half-a-mile  from  home,  and  there  they  turn  it  out ; 
after  this  they  will  ean-y  it  a  mile,  then  two,  four,  eight,  ten, 
twenty,  and  so  on,  till  at  length  they  will  return  from  the 
farthest  parts  of  the  kingdom.  This  practice  is  of  admir- 
able use  ;  for  eveiy  Bashaw  has  generally  a  basket  full  of 
these  pigeons  sent  him  from  the  grand  Seraglio,  and  in 
case  of  any  insurrection,  or  other  emergent  occasion,  he 
braces  a  letter  under  the  wings  of  a  pigeon,  whereby  its 
flight  is  not  in  the  least  incommoded,  and  immediately 
turns  it  loose,  but  for  fear  of  their  being  shot,  or  struck 
by  a  hawk,  they  generally  dispatch  five  or  six ;  so  that 
by  this  means  dispatches  are  sent  in  a  more  safe  and 
speedy  method  than  could  possibly  be  otherwise  contrived. 

"  N.B. — If  a  pigeon  be  not  practised  when  young,  tlie 
best  of  them  will  fly  but  very  indifferently,  and  may  very 
possibly  be  lost." 

["  GiETiN,  p.  fi7.  In  the  East,  they  formerly  kept  relays 
of  these  Pigeons  in  constant  readiness  to  carry  expresses  to 
all  parts  of  the  country.  When  the  Governor  of  Dalmatia 
heard  the  news  of  the  death  of  Orillo,  he  let  fly  a  pigeon, 
under  whose  wing  he  had  fastened  a  letter ;  this  fled  to 
Cairo,  from  whence  a  second  was  dispatclied  to  another 
place,  as  was  customary,  so  the  death  of  Orillo  was  made 
known  to  all  Egypt  in  the  space  of  a  few  hours  ;  but  the 
simple  use  of  tliem  was  known  in  very  early  times.  When 
Modena  was  besieged,  Brutus,  within  the  walls,  kept  an 
uninterrupted  correspondence  with  Hirtius  without,  and 
this  by  the  assistance  of  pigeons,  setting  at  nought  every 
stratagem  of  the  besieger,  Anthony,  to  stop  these  winged 
couriers.  In  the  times  of  the  Crusades,  there  are  many 
many  instances  of  these  birds  being  made  useful  in  the 
service  of  war.  Tasso  relates  one  during  the  siege  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  and  Joinville  another,  dm'ing  the  crusade  of  St. 
Louis."] — Baton's  Treatise  on  Domestic  Fiijeons. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

•»*  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writers  of 
The  Cottage  Gaedenbe.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
expense.  All  communications  should  be  addressed  *' To /Ae  .EdiVor  of 
the  Cottage  Gardener,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Row,  London.*' 

Meeits  and  demeeits  of  vaeious  Peotecting  Mateeials 
(B.  B.). — By  referring  to  No.  265,  page  59,  and  onwards,  you  will  see 
what  Mr.  Fish  says  on  this  very  subject.  He  did  not,  however,  feel  con- 
petent  to  express  an  opinion  upon  Frigidomo,  either  as  to  its  power 
thoroughly  to  keep  out  frost,  and  preventing  a  change  of  temperature 
beneath  it,  even  when  wet ;  as  its  makers  tell  us  it  really  does  ;  nor  how 
long  it  might  last.  If  half  what  the  advertisements  say  be  true,  it  must 
be  valuable ;  and  to  satisfy  many  friends,  we  should  be  glad  to  receive 
some  definite  information  concerning  it  from  those  who  have  tried  it 
long  enough  to  be  able  to  speak  from  practice.  Perhaps  the  article  our 
correspondent  of  last  week  thinks  he  has  invented  will  he  best  and 
cheapest  of  all.  However,  we  should  like  to  know  more  about  Frigidomo. 
We  would  not  advise  you  to  fasten  it  on  inside  your  glass,  however  light, 
it  must  darken  a  house  or  pit. 

Locality  foe  a  Dairy  (H.  S,  Skrawby),—\Ve  cannot  advise  any 


one  as  to  a  place  of  habitation.  If  we  were  on  the  look  out  for  a  place 
such  as  you  retiuire,  for  supplying  eggs  and  butter  to  London,  we  should 
go  first  to  look  about  the  Crystal  Palace  at  Sydenham.  You  will  find 
our  charges  for  advertising  reduced  in  accordance  with  the  remission  of 
the  advertisement  duty. 

RocKWOBK  (Loru).— Our  correspondent  wants  "  some  artijinal  rock- 
work  for  the  pedestal  of  a  fountain  in  a  conservatory  ;  the  water  will  not 
touch  the  rockwork."  Now,  if  we  were  allowed  to  add  a  capital  F.  to 
this  name,  we  might  hit  upon  something  handsome,  and  durable,  and 
very  cheap,  that  we  could  recommend  with  confidence,  but  the  whole 
thing,  name  and  all,  is  so  different  from  what  we  are  used  to,  that  we 
shall  he  glad  to  receive  suggestions  from  some  of  our  readers. 

BEARDEn  Golden  Polands  (A.  B.).— The  Polands  have  been  so 
inter-bred  in  this  country,  that  we  should  advise  you  applying  to  some 
of  the  London  dealers  who  import  these  birds  from  the  south  of  France. 
A  full  detail,  however,  of  the  characterisics  of  the  Bearded  Golden 
Poland,  would  occupy  more  space  than  could  be  here  granted,  but  all 
that  you  require  will  be  found  in  the  "  Poland  "  article  of  the  "  Poultry 
Book."  In  form,  the  cock  should  be  robust  and  full ;  the  crest,  beard, 
and  tail  ample ;  comb  and  wattle  diminutive ;  legs  bright  blue.  The 
hen  has  the  usual  feminine  reduction  from  the  figure  of  her  consort. 
The  ground  colour  in  both  sexes  should  be  a  rich  golden  bay,  regularly, 
but  nut  too  heavily,  spangled  with  lustrious  black  ;  in  some  instances  the 
regularity  of  these  markings  approaches  the  character  of  lacing, 
especially  on  the  wing-coverts.  The  more  uniform  the  markings  on  tlie 
hen  the  better  ;  but  the  crest,  hackle,  and  saddle  of  the  cock,  are  bright 
orange,  while  shades  of  dark  brown  are  interspersed  with  the  golden  bay 
of  the  body;  so  that  the  spangle  is  seldom  so  distinct  as  in  the  female. 
The  tail  should  be  richly  bronzed,  and  the  wings  barred  on  the  greater 
coverts.  An  admixture  of  white  in  the  crests  of  both  sexes  has  not, 
hitherto,  been  thought  objectionable,  though  it  seems  to  us  to  convey  a 
mealy  appearance.  There  can,  however,  be  no  question  as  to  the  good 
effect  of  an  entirely  white  crest,  were  that  attainable. — W. 

Bees. — A.  enquires — '*  What  are  the  immediate  effects  of  the  loss  of  a 
queen  under  the  following  circumstances  : — 1st.,  When  a  young  queen, 
the  undisputed  sovereign,  is  lost  during  her  absence  from  the  hive  ?  2nd., 
When  the  young  queen  dies  m  the  hive  before  she  has  deposited  any  eggs? 
3rd.,  When  the  old  queen  dies  during  winter,  at  a  time  there  is  no 
infant  brood?  and  4th.,  When  she  dies  of  old  age,  leaving  a  successor 
about  to  be  hatched,  or  already  at  liberty?  Under  this  last  head,  a  most 
remarkable  observation  was  communicated  in  The  Cottage  Gaedenee 
of  December  l6,  1852.  I  would  also  enquire,  though  I  am  aware  the 
hypothesis  is  a  startling  one — Do  the  bees,  under  any  circumstances, 
through  an  aberration  of  instinct,  or  what  might  be  considered  a  high 
development  of  instinct,  destroy  their  own  queen?"  In  replying  to  "A's" 
first  question,  which  must  allude  to  a  cast,  or  second  swarm  (for  the 
queen  of  a  prime  swarm  does  not  leave  the  hive),  it  may  be  said  that 
great  confusion  immediately  ensues,  and  which  ends  in  the  bees  leaving 
the  hive,  and  joining  their  parent  or  some  other  stock.  To  his  second 
question,  the  same  answer  may  be  given.  At  what  time,  precisely,  the 
third  occurs,  it  is  impossible  to  say,  for  there  is  nothing  observable  in 
the  bees  to  indicate  it ;  but,  as  the  spring  advances,  a  general  apathy 
amongst  them  may  be  observed—little  or  no  pollen  is  carried  into  the 
hive ;  and,  by  little  and  little,  the  bees  waste  in  numbers  till  none  are  left ; 
or,  not  unfrequently,  they  take  the  advantage  of  the  first  warm  day  to 
leave  the  hive  in  a  body  and  join  another  stock.  Neither  is  an  answer  to 
the  fourth  to  be  ascertained;  for  during  the  change  of  queens  in  this 
manner  all  is  peace  and  quiet.  As  to  the  bees  destroying  their  reigning 
queen,  it  is  a  thing,  of  all  others,  the  most  improbable.  Supernumerary 
queens,  it  is  well  known,  are  always  destroyed  by  the  bees  as  soon  as  the 
last  swarm  for  the  season  has  left  the  parent  hive. — .1.  H.  P. 

Bees, — "  A  Lady,  having  taken  the  honey  without  destroying  the  bees  in 
a  hive,  wishes  to  know  when  she  ought  to  commence  feeding  them,  and 
what  food  to  give  ?"  If  the  bet's  are  alive,  which  is  very  doubtful,  begin 
to  feed  immediately:  give  the  following— one  pound  of  loaf-sugar,  one 
quarter-of-a-pint  of  water,  and  one  quarter-of-a-pound  of  honey  simmered 
together  oyer  a  slow  fire  till  the  sugar  is  melted  ;  give  each  hive  a  pound 
of  this  syrrup  per  week  ;  feed  at  the  top  of  the  hive,  but  not  during  severe 
frost.— J.  H.  P. 

Cankee,  oe  Putrid  Soee  Tiieoat  in  Pigeons  (S.  J.). — Mr.  Eaton 
says — "  With  regard  to  cure :  take  half-an-ounce  of  burnt  atumn,  half-an- 
ounce  of  gimpowder,  a  gill  of  best  white  wine  vinegar,  and  mix  them 
well  together ;  take  one  of  your  pigeon  flight  or  tail  feathers,  that  you  find 
in  your  aviary  or  loft,  and  anoint  the  part  affected  inside  the  throat  twice 
or  thrice  a  day.  I  do  not  object  to  raising  the  scurf,  and  cause  it  to  bleed 
a  *'  very  *'  little,  where  it  can  be  got  at,  believing  it  more  effectual.  I  am 
aware  there  are  fanciers  who  object  to  this,  believing  it  searching  enough 
without ;  you  can  try  it  without,  and  if  it  does  not  succeed,  then  raise  the 
scurf  a  little.  Although  '*  S.  J.*'  only  requires,  in  his  letter,  to  know  the 
cause  of  the  young  ones  in  the  nest  being  attacked,  and  the  cure,  if 
possible,  as  I  am  on  this  subject,  I  think  it  will  not  be  altogether  out  of 
place  to  mention,  that  old  birds  are  not  free  from  canker  or  putrid  throats 
where  fanciers  are  not  clean  in  the  keeping  of  their  birds.  It  does  not 
arise  from  soft  meat  in  the  old  birds,  but  from  dirty  food  and  stagnant 
stinking  water,  which  a  fancier  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  let  them  have. 
It  attacks  the  old  birds  in  some  way  different  from  the  young.  It  com- 
mences its  attacks  about  the  mouth  and  beak,  but  will  ultimately  reach 
the  throat,  if  not  prevented.  I  believe,  where  old  birds  that  have  young 
ones  to  feed,  are  fed  upon  beans,  putrid  sore  throats  less  take  place.  I 
had  a  young  Almond,  a  very  beautiful,  small  bird,  brought  it  down  to  learn 
to  feed  itself,  gave  it  best  tares  and  water,  it  would  not  eat,  had  to  put  it  up 
every  night  for  a  fortnight  to  old  ones,  as  I  supposed,  to  feed  it ;  in  about 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  was  surprised  how  it  was  crammed,  beginning 
to  see  fear  lest  it  should  get  out  among  the  flyers  and  be  lost,  determined 
to  watch  the  birds,  as  I  supposed,  that  fed  it  so  well,  if  possible  to  take 
them  down,  also  put  the  young  pigeon  down  ;  to  my  surprise  it  flew  over 
to  the  bean  hopper,  and  eat  the  beans  as  fast  as  any  of  the  old  ones,  while 
it  would  not  eat  tares.  I  believe  Almond  and  short-faced  birds  will  eat 
beans  if  brought  up  young  to  it,  and  it  is  the  best  food  that  can  be  given 
to  Pigeons,  and  prevents  diseases. — M.  Eaton, 

Delphinum  Sinense  {J.  S.  K.). — ^Any  seedsman  in  the  principal 
towns  throughout  the  kingdom  sells  seeds  of  the  Chinese  Larkspur.  Sow 


102 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


December  8. 


it  at  the  beginning;  of  April  in  heat,  and  out  with  it  as  soon  as  it  is  up  ; 
plant  it  out  on  a  rich  piece  of  ground  in  I\I;iy,  nnd  it  will  soon  be  in 
bloom  ;  then  select  the  best  colour,  and  mark  the  plants.  Keep  them 
like  so  many  Sttlvia  putena. 

White  Moss  Rose  [Ibid). — The  white  Moss  Roses  are  quite  as  hardy 
as  the  red  ones,  biit  some  of  them  are  not  so  strong  in  constitution. 

Child's  Nigut  Lights  (/iirf).— One  or  two  of  them '*  in  a  frame  in 
snucers,"  would,  probably,  keep  out  slight  frosts ;  but  we  fear  the  gases 
they  would  emit  would  he  injurious  to  the  plants. 

Pleroma  elegans  (T.  C.  jtin.'). — Plernma  elegans  is  a  plant  that 
rerjuires,  through  winter,  the  warmest  part  of  the  greenhouse,  and  should 
have  but  little  water  through  that  season  ;  only  just  enough  to  prevent 
flagging.  Then,  in  spring,  give  a  good  shift  in  a  moderately  rich  com- 
post; grow  it  liberally;  and  about  the  Ist  of  July  give  it  a  check,  by 
setting  it  out-of-door!i  for  a  short  time  in  a  sheltered  spot;  it  will  there 
set  its  blossoms,  and  should  be  brought  into  the  greenhouse  again  to 
bloom.  To  make  it  bushy,  it  should,  when  growing,  be  frequently 
stopped.  The  plant  you  mention  is  Vriesia  tsplendetis.  It  is  a  plant  , 
rather  new,  and  allied  to  Bi/berf^ia,  from  which  genus  it  has  been  i 
separated.     You  will  find  it  a  most  beautiful  plant  when  it  flowers.  I 

Orchids  (K.  L.,  County,  Dublin). — You  have  had  the  misfortune  to  , 
lose  the  blooms  of  your  Orchids,  and   ask  the  following  questions;  — 

1.  When  a  plant  sliows  flower,  ought  it  to  lie  left  in  the  same  house;  I 
that  is,  if  it  be  in  a  hot,  damp  house,  should  it  be  removed  to  a  cooler 
one?     That  depends  upon  the  kind  of  Orchid.     If  it  be  from  the  East 

Indies,   No  !  only  remove  it  to  the  cooler  end.     If  a  Cattlei/a,  or  other  ' 

genus,  from  Ameiicu,  Yes  !     2.  Supposing  the  plant  to  be  at  rest  in  the  | 

cool  bouse,  and    kept   dry,    should    it   show   flower,    what    treatment  | 

should  be  adopted?     If  the  roots  arc   (as   they   should   be)   alive  and  1 

growing,  give  a  little  water,  and  increase  the  heat  five  or  ten  degrees.  | 

3.  CiittCci/a  crispa,  Oncidiiim  liirtdujn,  and  Epidtudrur/i  coc/ilefttu7n,  a.Te  j 

in  a  moist  house,  day  temperature  7^°  ;    they  all  are  showing  flo"er.  i 

What  should  be  the  treatment  ?     Give  a  drier  temperature,  and  a  few  ' 

degrees  less  heat,  or  the  flower-shoots  will  damp  off.     -i.  Is  the  outward  ! 

air  at  this  season  injurious  to  plants  at  rest?    That  depends  upon  the  i 

state  of  the  external  weather.     Should  a  mild,  sunny  day  occur,  a  little  ! 

air  may  be  given  fur  an  huur  or  two,  about  middav,  but  if  frosty,  or  I 

foggy,  or  wet,  the  outward  air,  if  admitted,  will  do  mischief.  I 

Diseased  Siianguae  Hen  (Argus). — The  hen  described  as  in  moult,  i 
broody,  very  weak,  with  no  appetite,  and  walking  irregularly,  frequently  ' 
ctouching  down,  is  most  probably  sulTerins  from  a  severe  diseiise  of  some 
important  internal  organ.  Cramming  in  disease  can  never  he  beneficial ;  , 
when  the  digestive  organs  are  able  to  act  there  is  always  an  appetite  ;  '■ 
when  unable,  cramming  must  increase  the  mischief.  Imagine  cramming  I 
a  man  in  a  fever,  and  tliink  what  would  be  his  chances  of  recovery.  It 
is  difficult  to  prescribe  for  an  obscure  case,  like  the  present,  without  seeing  j 
the  bird ;  but  warm,  dry  housing,  varied  soft  food,  and  a  little  chopped  ■ 
meat,  seem  very  desirable. — W.  B.  TEcr.TMEiEn. 

Diseased  Eggs  (F.  W.  S.). — The  eggs  described  as  being  of  an  j 
offensive  character,  cannot,  I  should  imagine,  owe  their  peculiarity  to 
the  birds  eating  the  fruits  of  the  Portugal  Laurel,  but  depend,  probably,  I 
on  some  unwholesome  article  of  animal  food.  I  write,  however,  under 
correction,  as  I  have  never  had  any  opportunity  of  examining  such  a 
case ;  and  if  "  F.  W.  S."  could  conveniently  forward  one  or  two  of  the 
eggs  to  town,  I  would  gladly  send  for  and  examine  them.  The  fruit  of 
the  Laurel  contains  a  small  portion  of  prussic  acid,  but  this  poison  is  a 
direct  sedative,  and  unlikely  to  produce  the  effects  described. — W.  B. 
Tegetheier,  Tottenham,  Middicacx. 

First-rate  Jacobin  and  Bald  Pigeons  {H.  W.),—ln  the  first 
place,  J(7'v)6t«,5  ought  to  be  small  birds;  and  the  smaller  they  are  the 
better.  There  was  a  time  when  they  were  considered  smaller  than  the 
Tumbler.  The  feathers  that  form  the  hood,  the  closer  the  better,  also 
closer  to  the  head  the  better;  to  have  a  very  short  beak,  and  a  clean 
pearl  eye,  a  clean  white  head,  white  flight,  and  tail.  \\''ith  regard  to  the 
Bald,  all  the  properties  in  the  Almond  are  to  be  found  in  the  Baldbcad, 
if  good,  except  feather — viz.,  head,  beak,  eye,  carriage,  or  shape,  feather 
only  different.  They  should  have  a  clean  white  head,  clean  and  clear 
white  tail  and  flight.  Almond  Tumblers,  and  other  Tumblers,  differ  in 
no  other  properties  but  feather. — John  LIatthews  Eaton. 

Wall  Tkees  {Fnictus,  S(tltwell).~\Ve  are  at  all  times  glad  to  afford 
any  information.  Since  you  decline  some  of  the  trees  recommended 
before,  you  cannot  do  better  than  substitute — 1  Dtnirre  Did,  1  Ntipoleou, 
1  Ne  Plus  JHciiriti,  and  1  Beurre  de  Rmtce.  If  you  have  plenty  of  height 
of  wall,  have  the  trees  grafted  on  the  Pear  stock ;  if  not,  those  on  Quince 
stocks  will  be  better,  provided  the  soil  is  not  too  light  and  dry.  We  arc 
no  advocate  for  the  Quince  as  a  stock,  except  for  wet,  cold,  and  heavy 
soils.  The  Newtown  Pippin  will  not  do ;  plant  a  Ribstone  Pippin,  Court 
of  Wick,  or  Nonpareil. 

Fruit-trees  (J.  H.,  Siirre!/),~U  J.  H.  will  communicate  with  Mr. 
Hogg,  by  addressing  to  liim  at  13,  Gilston  Bond,  Brampton,  he  will 
obtain  full  particulars  as  to  his  enquiry. 

Budding  Thorns  {€.  A.).—Wfi  happen  to  know  the  very  Thorns 
you  write  about,  and  every  Thorn  of  any  note  from  Hereford  to 
Gloucester,  by  your  road,  and  back  again  through  Ledbury.  We  also 
know  some  ladies,  on  both  roads,  who  bud  Roses,  as  you  do,  and  for  their 
sakes  we  are  loth  to  lead  you  into  a  thorny  path.  Some  people  are  so 
fond  of  trifling  away  their  time,  that  they  goon,  from  year  to  year,  putting 
buds  of  new  Thorns,  here  and  there,  on  old  heails,  but  thev  never  come 
to  much  good.  If  you  are  really  in  earnest,  "  behead  "  the  treea  by  all 
means,  and  just  now  is  a  good  time,  but  give  up  the  idea  of  working 
them  yourself ;  to  climb  up  a  ladder  and  get  your  dress  entangled  in 
these  Thorns,  of  an  evening  in  June,  would  be  an  awful  predicament, 
and  no  one  would  sympathise  with  you.  where  every  third  person  is  a 
grafter  or  budder,  all  over  the  pariah.  Rather  ask  a  professional  grafter 
to  head  down  the  trees  as  he  would  an  old  Apple-tree  in  the  orchard ;  ask 
him,  again,  to  graft  them  like  so  many  Apple-trees,  and  about  three 
weeks  earlier  than  be  would  the  apple,  and  where  the  grafts  do  not  take. 


let  one  of  the  Cherry  budders  from  Ledbury  bud  them  nc.tt  June.  There 
are  plenty  of  people  all  round  you,  who  selilom  lose  a  gratt  or  a  hud  out 
of  live  hundred. 

Address  {H.  H.). — H.  Sturgeon,  Esq.,  Manor  House,  Grays,  Esses. 

White  Scale  (Je  I'ignore). — Paint  over  the  stem  and  brandies  of 
the  Vine  with  a  creamy  mixture  of  i  lb.  of  soft  soap,  1  lb.  of  sulfdiur 
flowers,  i  oz.  of  powdered  l)lack  pepper,  and  4  gallons  of  water,  boiled 
together  for  twenty  minutes. 

Damaged  W'heat  {Bridport}.— The  wheat  damaged  by  salt  water 
will  not  injure  fowls, 

Vdltl're-hocked  (T.  L.  0.). — This  means  that  the  feathers  project 
beyond  the  hock  or  knee  of  the  bird,  aa  they  do  in  some  of  the  Falcon 
and  Vulture  tribes. 

PoDLTp.y  Fountains  (Jiirf). — These,  made  of  good  brown  earthen- 
ware, may  be  had  of  all  sizes.  At  Bury,  in  Lancashire,  one  holding  five 
pints  may  be  had  for  sevenpence. 

Bleeding  in  Vines  (B.  H.).— To  stop  this,  char  the  surface  of  the 
wound  with  a  red  hot  iron,  and  then  rub  in  a  paste  made  with  a  little 
Roman  cement  and  water.  The  culture  of  Pints  inpots  has  been  treated 
of  very  fully  in  our  back  volumes.  Ttinner'n  bark  may  be  used  as  a  fer- 
menting material,  with  perfect  success,  in  Ibrcing  Potatoes,  or  any  other 
vegetable.     The  bark  requires  to  be  in  some  kind  of  pit. 

Co:viB  OF  Spanish  Cock  (R.  T.). — It  ought  to  be  upright,  or  erect, 
and  without  any  excrcssence  upon  it. 

Pine  culture  (H.  C). — Hamilton's  little  bonk  is  as  good  aa  any 
An  advertisement  may  bring  you  the  plants  you  need.  We  do  not  know 
of  any. 

Chrysanthemums  (E.  de  la  T.).— You  can  have  the  book  of  Mr.  G. 
Taylor,  Park-street,  Stoke  Newington,  Middlesex. 

Box  Leaves  (Rev.  B.  E.). — These  are  not  admitted  as  having  medical 
virtues  by  modern  practitioners,  but  at  one  time  they  were  much  ccle- 
Ijratcd  as  a  medicine  in  colic,  intermittent  fevers,  &c.  Oil  distUled  from 
the  wood,  is  said,  by  Dr.  Withering,  to  give  great  relief  when  applied 
locally  in  cases  of  hoemorroids ;  and  that  a  powder  of  the  leaves  will 
destroy  worms. 

Nkwton  Abbot  Poultry  Snow. — We  arc  informed  that  no  first 
prize  was  given  there  for  Golden-peiiciUcd  Hambarghs,  but  that  Dr. 
Rogers  and  Mr.  W.  Wivell  Rowe  had  each  a  second  prize. 

Winchester  Poultry  Show. — When  we  alluded  to  the  dark  beaks 
of  the  White  Dorkings  our  observation  was  general.  Mr.  Antill's  were 
£ree  from  the  blemish. 

Gas  Stove  for  small  Geeeshousb  (H.  C,  Liverpool). — If  you 
refer  to  our  Indexes,  you  will  find  full  directions  for  using  this.  It 
answers  very  well,  but  requires  a  tube  to  convey  all  the  smoke,  &c.,  out 
of  the  house. 

QvERY  {Clericus). — "A. the  owner  of  a  Buff  Cockerel  asks  his  friend 
B.  to  exchange  with  him  for  a  Partridge-coloured  bird  of  the  same  age  for 
the  season;  B.  consents;  A.  stipulating  that  each  should  retain  their 
respective  rights  of  ownership.  Soon  after  this  arrangement  had  been 
made,  the  Eastern  Counties  Exhibition  was  started,  and  one  of  the  con- 
ditions of  that  Show  is,  that  the  birds  exhibited  shall  be  binia  fide  the 
property  of  the  exhibitor.  Now,  both  friends  wifih  to  exhibit  the 
Partridge-coloured  bird.  Query— Who  has  the  greatest  right  ?  The 
owner  lor  the  time  being;  or  the  breeder  who  has  lent  him  to  his  friend 
for  the  season?"  We  think  the  breeder  has  the  right  to  exhibit  tho 
Partridge  cockerel.  He  only  parted  with  him  for  a  specific  purpose- 
breeding— and  the  ownership  remains  with  him. 

BIoulting  {Wales.  J.  L.  F.). — The  only  aids  to  moulting  that  we 
know,  are  generous  feeding,  and  warmth.     Give  a  little  animal  food. 

Index  (An  Old  Subscriber).~Yo\i  may  obtain  the  Index  of  any  volume 
of  The  Cottage  Gardener  from  IMcasrs.  W.  S.  ©rr  and  Co.  We 
purpose  giving  the  Title-page  and  Preface  in  one  number,  and  the  index 
in  the  next  number,  of  our  future  volumes. 

Back  Numbers  (R.  H.  C.\—\\l,  or  any,  of  our  back  numbers  can 
now  be  procured  of  I^Iessrs.  Orr.  Dorkings  are  not  such  good  layers  as 
Shanghaes,  but  they  are  better  for  table  use.  No  treatment  will  make 
old  Dorkings  lay  in  winter.  To  combine  their  good  qualities,  keep 
Shangbae  hens  and  a  Dorking  cock. 

BiRMiNGHAiM  POULTRY  Siiow. — The  total  entries  of  poultry  to  be 
shown  this  year  in  Bingley  Hall  are  2,2/0  pens ;  and  we  understand  that 
applications  for  from  three  to  four  hundred  certificates  have  been  re- 
ceived by  the  Secretary  since  the  last  day  on  which  these  forms  were 
issued — a  number  suflicient  alone  to  make  up  an  ordinary  Poultry  Show. 
There  will  be  280  pens  of  pigeons  ;  and  this  part  of  the  Exhibition  will, 
we  believe,  contain  many  very  choice  and  valuable  specimens,  and  form 
a  most  interesting  and  attractive  feature  in  the  collection. — Midland 
Counties  Herald. 

Bigareeau  Cherribs  (Practical). — We  should  fear  your  Bigarreaus 
are  worn  out.  You  can  do  nothing  better  than  apply  liquid-manure  to 
the  soil  during  the  growing  season. 

Names  of  Plants  (Rer.  R.  M.  E,).  —  Veromcn  Lindleijnna, 
{E.  R.  a.). — Small  blue  flower,  Polypula  vulgaris  ;  the  yellowish-white, 
Linaria  versicolor;  the  white  Moss,  Sphagnum  pnlnstre. 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  Wooldeidgk,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar;  and  Published  by  William 
Somervillk  Orb,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamatow,  in  the  County  ot 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  '2.  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  Loudon.— December  8th,  1863. 


Deoember  15. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


193 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


M 
D 

DECEMBER  15—21,  1853. 

U 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 

Ta 
F 

S 

Son 

M 

To 

W 

Daisy  flowers. 
Wallflower  flowers. 
Mezereoa  flowers. 
4  Sunday  in  Advent. 

Sun's  decimation  23"  27'  s. 
St.  Thomas. 

Weather  near  London  in  1852. 
Barometer.     iThermo.  Wind.]  ?f'," 


Sun 
Rises. 


29.106—28.983 
29.412—29.151 
29.259-29.146 
30.208—30.026 
30.119—30.007 
29.999—29.771 
30.053—29.925 


I  52—37 
!  52—45 
51—34 
49—3! 
52—43 
56—37 
51—34 


S.W. 
S.W. 
S.W. 
N.E. 

S. 
S.W. 
S.W. 


03 

2  a  8 

27 

3 

01 

4 

— 

4 

01 

5 

— 

6 

6 

Sun 

Moon 

Moon'fl 

Clock 

Sets. 

R.&S. 

Age. 

af.  Sun. 

49  a.  3 

rises. 

(5) 

4    32 

49 

4  a  24 

16 

4       3 

49 

5     16 

17 

3     33 

49 

6    19 

18 

3       4 

50 

7     26 

19 

2     34 

50 

8    38 

20 

2       4 

51 

9     51 

21 

1     34 

Day  of 
Year. 


349 
350 
351 
352 
353 
354 
355 


Meteorology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiswick,  from  observations  during  tlie  last  twenty-sis  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
peratures of  these  dayi  are  45.2°  and  35.3°  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  60°,  occurred  on  the  15th  in  1842;  and  the  lowest  cold,  13°,  on  the 
16th  in  1846.  During  the  period  93  days  were  fine,  and  on  89  rain  fell. 


NEW  PLANTS. 
Philesia  euxitolia  i^Bax-lcaved  Philesia). 


This  probably  hardy  evergreen  shrub  belongs  to  the 
Natural  Order  of  Pkiksiads  and  to  Hexandria  Mouogynia 
of  Linnaeus. 

"  Discovered  in  the  Straits  of  Magelhaens  hy  Commerson, 
and  detected  by  Banks  and  Solunder  in  Good  Success  Bay : 
since  found  to  extend  along  the  west  coast  of  Antarctic 
America  to  Chiloe  and  Valdivia  by  various  navigators  and 
naturalists,  from  most  of  whom  we  possess  specimens.  In 
Valdivia,  Mr.  Bridges  says  it  is  called  'Pepino,'  and  is  found 
at  the  summit  of  the  Cordillera  there,  in  marshy  places 
under  Alerse  trees.  It  was  long  a  great  desideratum  to  our 
gardens,  till  at  length  Messrs.  Veitch,  of  Eieter  (and  now, 
happily  for  all  lovers  of  rare  and  beautiful  plants,  also  of 
the  King's  Eoad  Nursery,  Chelsea, — late  Messrs.  Knight 
and  Perry),  introduced  it  through  their  collector,  Mr. 
William  Lobb,  and  gratified  the  numerous  visitors  of  the 
Chiswick  Flower-show,  on  the  12th  June,  18.')3,  by  the  ex- 
hibition of  flowering  specimens.  Some  authors  have  ex 
pressed  doubts  if  the  genus  Philesia  be  truly  distinct  from 
its  near  ally,  Lapageriu;  but  however  closely  may  be  the 
resemblance  in  the  petals,  the  truly  calycine  character  of 
the  short  outer  perianth,  the  erect  stem,  and  veiy  different 
foliage  (ranch  resembling  Luzuriaga) ,  and  the  monadel- 
phous  stamens,  will  surely  keep  thein  distinct.  The  species 
proves  quite  hardy  with  Mr.  Veitch,  at  Exeter:  it  remains 
to  be  ascertained  if  it  will  prove  so  about  London. 


"Description.  —  An  erect,  much- branching,  shrubby 
plant,  three  to  four  feet  high  in  its  native  country.  We  have 
flowering  specimens  before  us  varying  from  four  inches  to  a 
foot-and-a-half,  much  branched;  branches  alternate,  prin- 
cipal ones  as  well  as  the  stem  naked  below,  cylindrical,  and 
scaly  with  brown  lanceolate  scales  at  the  joint;  hranchlels 
angular,  green,  here  and  there  scaly.  Leaves  alternate, 
varying  on  different  plants  from  an  inch  to  an  inch-and-a- 
half  long,  stalked,  linear  -  oblong,  leathery,  evergreen, 
feather-nerved,  smooth,  sharp  pointed,  milky-green  beneatli, 
the  margins  bent  back.  Leaf-stalk  articulated  at  the  setting 
on  of  the  leaf,  and  the  leaf  is  often  deciduous  there,  leaving 
the  persistent  short  leaf-stalk.  Flower-slalks  exceedingly 
short,  terminal  on  the  branches,  bracteated  aX  the  base  of 
the  flower.  Flower  solitary,  drooping,  large.  Calyx  nearly 
three-quarters-of-an-inch  long,  of  three,  oblong,  rather 
blunt,  imbricating,  appressed  sepals,  concave,  skin-like. 
Corolla  two  or  two-and-a-quarter  inches  long,  straight- 
sided-bell-shaped,  petals  oblong,  reverse-egg-shaped,  slightly 
pointed,  bright  rose-red,  somewhat  waxy,  equal,  concave, 
when  dry  veiny,  the  base  united  ;  each  having  within  a  hard 
oblong  depressed  gland  or  nectary.  Stamens  springing 
from  the  base  of  the  petals.  Filaments  united  into  a  tube 
below  the  middle,  then  free,  erect,  equal,  a  little  shorter  than 
the  petals.  .iuWtej's  erect,  rather  arrow-shaped.  Ovar!/ small, 
tliree-angled,  oval,  one-celled,  with  three  short  parietal 
placentir,  which  bear  several  ovules.  Style  a  little  longer 
than  tlie  stamens,  rather  thick.  Stii/ma  indented,  the  re- 
curved margin  obsoletely  three-lobed.  Fruit  an  oval-sub- 
globose,  pointed  berry,  rough  on  the  surface  from  the  many 
seeds  within." — {Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4738.) 

GOLDFUSSIA  ISOPHYLLA  {Equal-leaved  Goldfussia). 
This  genus  was  named  in  honour  of  Dr.  Goldfuss,  Pro- 
fessor of  Natural  History  at  Bonn.  It  belongs  to  the 
Natural  Order  of  Acanthads,  and  to  Didynamia  Angio- 
sperma  of  Linnseus.  This  species  is  known  in  gardens  as 
the  Buellia  isophylla.  The  flowers  are  pale  blue,  with  dark 
zig-zag  veins  on  the  tube  at  the  back  of  the  lobes.  It  differs 
nothing  from  O.  anisophylla  to  the  eye  of  a  common  observer, 
except  in  being  more  regularly  leaved,  and  less  stragghng 
in  its  growth.  It  is  a  small,  stove,  evergreen  shrub,  a 
native  of  Silhet. — {Horticultural  Society's  Journal,  viii.  321.) 

PoDOLEPIS  CHKYSANTHA  {Golden-flowered  Podolepis). 
A  half-hardy  annual,  said  to  be  a  native  of  the  south- 
west coast  of  New  Holland.  Its  flowers  are  bright  yellow. 
The  genus  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of  Composites,  and 
to  the  Syngenesis  Superflua  of  the  Liunffian  system. — 
(Ibid.) 

Beassavola  lineata  {Lined-leaved  Brassavolu). 
This  stove  Orchid  was  sent  to  this  country  from  South 
America,  by  Mr.  Warsowitz,  in  1852.  It  bloomed  for  the 
first  time  at  the  Nursery  of  Messrs.  Jackson  and  Sons, 
Kingston,  in  the  June  of  1853.  It  flowers  in  paii-s,  which 
spring  from  the  root,  and  hang  down.  The  petals  and 
sepals  are  a  very  pale  creamy-white  ;  the  lip,  which  is  very 
large,  nearly  pure  white. — {Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4734.) 

Leptosiphon  lutea  {Yellow  Leptosipkon). 
This   genus  is  very  appropriately  named,  Leptosiphon, 
being,  literally,  slender-tube,  for  which  the  flowers  of  the 
species  are  remarkable.    This  species  is  also  known  as 


No,  CCLXXII,,  Vol,  XI. 


\u 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


DfiCEMBEK  15. 


Gilia  lulca.  It  was  found  by  Mr.  Donglas  in  California, 
but  it  lias  not  been  much  in  public  before  the  present  year. 
It  is  a  highly  ornamental,  hardy  annual,  about  si.x  inches 
high.  The  petals  are  yellow,  with  a  bright  orange  eye. — {Ibid, 
t.47:3ri.) 

Pandantjs  rYGM;EUS  (Dwarf  Screw-Plni:). 
A  stove  evergreen  spreading  shrub,  about  two  feet  high. 


It  reached  Kew  some  twenty  years  ago,  frora  the  Botanic 
Garden  at  JMauritius,  but  was  stated  to  be  a  native  of  Mada- 
gascar. It  flowered  for  the  first  time  in  IbCi'-i-^i,  produciut; 
only  female  flowers.  It  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of 
Screw  -  Pints,  and  to  Dioeeia  Monandria  of  Linuiuus. — 
(Tbid,  t.  4730.) 


Abihuh  Yodng  was  quite  right  when  be  said,  "  Of  all 
the  roots  which  we  can  cultivate  the  Parsnip  is  the 
most  valuable."  We  are  the  unwavering  friend  of  the 
Potato,  but  we  quite  agree  with  another  practical  man, 
who  says  — "  Six  -  pennyworth  of  Parsnip  seed,  well 
sowed,  will  produce  more  meals  than  four  sacks  of 
Potatoes;  and  it  will  not  require  more  than  one-eighth 
part  of  the  ground  which  the  four  sacks  will  require  for 
their  growth." 

We  saw  so  heavy  a  crop  of  Parsnips  taken  up  this 
autumn  —  more  than  twenty  tons  per  acre — and  we 
found  some  of  the  produce  so  excellent,  that  we  resolved 
to  enquire  of  our  friends,  among  which  we  number  our 
books ;  and  we  now  place  the  results  before  our  readers, 
as  we  are  anxious  that  all  of  them  should  grow  a  large 
breadth  next  year,  and  try  their  value  in  all  the  modes 
and  for  all  the  uses  we  are  about  to  recapitulate. 

They  are  produced  finer  and  sweeter  in  a  temperate 
climate,  such  as  that  of  England,  than  they  are  in 
warmer  regions ;  and  we  find,  for  they  are  no  food  of 
modern  acquirement,  that  the  Emperor  Tiberius  was 
aware  of  tliis,  for  he  was  solicitous  of  having  his  Par- 
snips annually  from  Gelb,  a  German  town  on  the  banks 
of  the  Pihine  [Pliny  xix.  5).  They  were  boiled,  tlie 
stringy  centres  removed,  and  the  outer  or  more  pitlpy  por- 
tion served  up  with  wine  sauce  sweetened  with  honey. 

Jloderu  housewives  have  found  out  many  modes  of 
preparing  this  root  for  table,  and  it  has  even  been  con- 
verted into  bread.  "  There  is  a  good  and  pleasant  food, 
or  broad,  made  of  the  roots  of  Parsnips,  as  my  friend 
Mr.  Plat  hath  set  forth  in  his  book  of  experiments,  which 
I  have  made  no  trial  of,"  quoth  old  Gerarde ;  but  then 
adds  this  sturdy  old  stickler  for  wheaten  manchets, — 
"  nor  mean  to  do  ! "  Whether  our  readers  will  be 
equally  prejudiced  we  must  leave  to  their  own  dis- 
cretion ;  but  we  can  assure  them  that  in  many  parts  of 
America  the  pulp  of  Parsnips  is  mixed  witli  ilaize  Hour 
in  the  making  of  bread. 

Every  one  knows  the  usual  mode  of  boiling  and 
serving  up  tliis  root,  hut  it  is  not  so  well  known  that 
it  is  improved  by  being  mashed  like  tlie  Turnip,  and 
that  cold  boiled  Parsnips  are  excellent  when  sliced  and 
fried. 

Every  thousand  pounds  weiglit  of  Parsnips  contain 
from  5)0  to  100  pounds  of  sugar;  and  it  is  this  which 
renders  tliem  not  only  such  excellent  Ibod  for  all  our 
farming  animals,  but  also  such  an  cccellcnt  ingredient 
for  making  home-made  wine.  Tlioso  who  have  tasted 
good  specimens  of  this  liquor  will  agree  with  us  in 
thinking  it  the  best-flavoured  of  all  British  wines.  That 
which  we  tasted  was  made  according  to  this  recipe: — 

Three  pounds  of  Parsnips,  scraped  clean,  and  cut  in 


thin  slices,  boiled  in  one  gallon  of  water  until  quite 
tender ;  strain  the  liquor  from  them,  and  then  rub 
them  through  a  sieve.  Mix  the  pulp  with  the  liquor, 
and  to  every  gallon  add  three  poinids  of  moist  sugar. 
Boil  for  three-quarters-of-an-hour,  and,  when  nearly  cold, 
hasten  fermentation  by  putting  in  a  yeasted  toast.  Let  it 
remain  for  ten  days ;  take  off  the  yeast,  put  the  liquor 
into  the  cask,  and  as  it  works  over  continue  filling  it  up 
with  sugar  and  water.  When  done  fermenting,  bung 
down  the  cask,  and  keep  it  for  a  year  before  bottling. 
The  Parsnips  should  be  used  fresh  from  the  ground,  and 
the  water  shoidd  boil  before  the  slices  are  put  into  it. 

We  have  also  seen  directions  for  making  Parsnip 
marmalade,  and  Parsnip  beer,  but  we  cannot,  at  present, 
refer  to  this  household  lore;  but  we  can  attest  that 
pieces  of  Parsnip,  boiled  until  tender,  and  then  put  into 
ginger  syrup,  have  been  accepted  as  very  superior 
"  preserved  ginger." 

In  making  bread  with  Parsnips,  we  are  informed  that 
the  proportion  should  be  one  pound  of  grated  Parsnijis 
to  two  pounds  of  flour.  Dumplings  may  he  made  by 
adding  one  pound  of  flour  to  two  pounds  of  grated 
Parsnips;  and  a  flavour  may  be  given  with  anything, 
such  as  cinnamon  or  lemon-peel. 

The  relative  fattening  and  nutritious  powers  of  Par- 
snips and  Potatoes  are  shown  by  tlie  following  table ; 
and  we  may  add,  that  in  practice.  Parsnips  are  found  to 
be  much  superior  to  tlie  other  root  for  feeding  stock. 
In  every  100  parts  of  each  are  found  the  following 
constituents : — 

PARSNIPS.  POTATOES. 

Water    79.4°     ...     75.5 

Starch  and  fibre     C.9       ...     19.0 

Gum       G.l       ...       G.e 

Sugar     0.5 

Altiuracu        ...       ;2.1 

Lastly,  but  most  importantly,  arises  the  query — What 
is  the  best  mode  of  culture  ?  The  usual  routine  is 
found  in  our  works  on  practical  gardening  and  farming, 
but,  knowing  how  largely  they  cultivate  the  Parsnip, 
and  how  excellently  they  succeed  in  its  culture  in  the 
Channel  Islands,  we  wrote  for  information  to  our  valued 
correspondent,  ilr.  C.  Saunders,  of  tlie  Ciiesarean  Nur- 
sery, Jersey  ;  and  this  is  his  reply  : — 

"  This  useful  vegetable  is  much  cultivated  in  the 
Channel  Islands,  both  for  culinary  purposes  and  for 
feeding  cattle;  and  its  truly  nourishing  and  fatleniug 
qualities,  from  the  quantity  of  saccharine  matter  the 
root  contains,  cannot  bo  too  strongly  recommended  to 
the  attention  of  all  cultivators  of  farming,  allotment,  or 
garden  ground,  as  there  is  no  vegetable  with  wliich  1 
am  acquainted  which  can  he  turned  to  bettor  account, 
or  made  to  remunerate  the  farmer  or  cottage  gardener 
better  for  his  labour. 


^  .J  [Fattening. 

1.4   Plesh-iiroduciug. 


December  15. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


195 


"  The  variety  generally  grown  and  most  approved  of 
in  the  Islands  is  the  Guernsey  Parsnip.  It  is  a  hroad, 
hollow-crowned  sort,  the  root  measuring  ft'om  1^-  to  4 
inches  in  diameter  across  the  top,  and  tapering  rapidly 
away  to  the  end,  which  is  as  small  as  whipcord,  and 
often  18  to  24  inches  long,  or  from  the  crown  to  the 
extreme  end  2^  to  3  feet  long.  The  crops  vary  from 
3^  to  5  cwt.  per  perch  of  twenty-two  feet  square,  or 
16  to  20  tons  per  acre,  depending  upon  seasons.  This 
season  the  crop  has  been  under  the  usual  average,  as  I 
find  by  the  returns  made  by  the  exhibitors  at  the  Agri- 
cultural Society's  Show,  SbO  pounds  per  perch  is  the 
average  produce. 

'•  Different  modes  of  cultivation  are  resorted  to  by 
different  individuals — some  preferring  to  sow  them  on 
the  broadcast  principle,  whilst  others — and  I  think 
judiciously — preferring  to  drill  them,  which  is  prefer- 
aTjle,  as,  when  carefully  followed  out,  it  presents  so 
many  conveniences  in  the  after  -  management  of  the 
crop,  as  regards  hoeing,  and  keeping  the  crop  clean,  and 
also  in  etiualising  the  space  to  each  individual  plant  for 
the  perfect  development  of  the  leaves,  and  consequent 
s^velling  of  the  root,  and  increase  of  produce. 

"  Without  rambling  about  as  to  the  different  means 
which  the  inventive  genius  of  man  has  directed  him  to 
apply  to  the  successful  cultivation  of  this  useful  escu- 
lent, I  have  seen  the  best  results  produced  in  the  follow- 
ing manner,  viz.,  selecting  a  piece  of  land  where  the 
soil  is  deep — if  light  and  sandy  it  is  none  the  worse  for 
it — and  carting  six  tons  of  well-rotted  manure  on  it,  per 
vergee,  or  four-ninths  of  an  acre — that  is,  forty  perches 
of  the  measurement  before  specified — and  ploughing  or 
trenching  the  land  two  feet  deep  in  the  month  of 
February,  allowing  it  to  remain  as  rough  as  possible, 
that  the  sun,  air,  and  frost  may  act  upon  it,  so  as  to 
render  it  sweet  and  friable  previously  to  sowing  the  seed 
in  March,  or  the  commencement  of  April.  (This  is  more 
particularly  necessary  on  stiif  land  than  where  it  is 
lighter,  or  more  sandy  and  open.)  The  longer  the  land 
lays  exposed  in  this  manner  the  better ;  but  in  these 
islands,  where  a  large  proportionate  quantity  of  cattle  is 
kept,  and  the  rearing  of  cows  and  heifers  constitutes 
one  of  the  most  profitable  items  in  the  farmer's  returns, 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  let  the  grass  grow  as  long 
as  i^ossible,  so  as  to  feed  them,  should  the  ground  broken 
for  the  purpose  have  laid  to  grass,  which  is  generally 
the  case. 

"  In  the  month  of  March  the  ground  is  levelled  down 
either  with  the  spade  or  heavy  harrow,  and  the  seed 
sown  in  drills  at  fifteen  inches  apart.  I  once  enjoyed 
the  advantage  of  seeing  a  piece  of  land  which  an  expe- 
rimental friend  had  divided  in  two  equal  parts,  one-half 
of  which  he  had  sown  in  rows  at  twenty  inches  apart, 
and  the  other  half  at  ten  inches.  In  the  latter  half  the 
produce  was  one-quarter  greater  than  where  the  rows 
were  at  double  the  width,  the  individual  plants,  in  both 
cases,  being  from  seven  to  eight  inches  apart  in  the  rows ; 
and  I  have  since  adopted,  and  recommend,  the  fifteen- 
inch  distance,  hoeing  the  plants  at  the  same  distance  in 
the  rows,  which  has  proved  more  advantageous  than 


either,  producing  heavier  crops,  and  the  plants  being 
sufficiently  near  to  each  other  to  cover  the  whole  surface 
of  the  ground,  preventing  the  weeds  from  growing,  and 
saving  a  portion  of  the  labour  in  after-hoeing  to  keep 
the  crop  clean,  besides  allowing  sufficient  standing  room 
for  digging  the  roots  out  (which  is  generally  done  in 
November  and  December,  as  they  are  required)  without 
damaging  the  crowns,  which  causes  them  to  rot  if  they 
are  kept  any  time  after  digging,  should  it  be  found 
inconvenient  to  let  them  remain  in  the  ground.  Should 
such  be  the  case,  I  recommend  them  to  be  stacked  in 
round  heaps  in  the  open  air,  covering  with  a  little  straw 
to  keep  off  the  wet,  as  the  influence  of  air  and  frost 
tends  to  render  the  roots  sweeter  and  more  palatable 
to  the  cattle. 

"  In  feeding,  they  are  generally  given,  in  proportions 
of  one-third  with  other  roots  and  hay,  to  milch  cows, 
by  night,  which  are  turned  out  to  grass  by  day,  and  do 
not,  in  such  quantity,  influence  the  flavour  of  the  milk 
and  butter  in  the  least,  whilst  they  fatten  the  animals, 
and  tend  much  to  improve  their  appearance.  To  heifers 
and  calves  they  are  given  in  much  larger  proportions ; 
and  they  are  also  given,  where  economy  is  studied,  in 
the  feeding  of  horses  which  are  not  required  for  fast 
work  to  great  advantage,  and  where  it  is  thought 
desirable  to  keep  them  fat  and  well-looking.  I  think 
they  are  very  healthy  food  for  all  animals,  and  their 
fattening  qualities  are  remarkable.  I  have  known 
swine  to  fatten  more  rapidly  on  i-aw  Parsnips  than  on 
barley-meal  and  boiled  potatoes,  and  the  flesh,  when  the 
animals  were  killed  and  cut  up,  most  healthy  and  fine; 
and  there  are  some  old  horses  (from  twenty  to  tliirty 
years  old),  which  daily  pass  our  gates,  sometimes  in 
carriages,  and  sometimes  in  heavier  vehicles,  well 
loaded,  which  have  for  many  years  been  fed  on  these 
roots  and  hay  during  winter,  and  grass  and  hay  during 

summer,  which  look  remarkably  well  and  healthy, de- 

tei-mining  in  my  mind  the  fact,  that  where  extraor- 
dinary exertion  is  not  required  from  horses  the  Par- 
snip is  a  most  wholesome  and  healthy  vegetable  to 
feed  them  with,  far  preferable  to  white  Belgian  Carrots, 
inasmuch  as  they  are  sweeter,  more  nutritive,  more 
easily  digested,  and,  consequently,  producing  less  per- 
spiration and  consequent  exhaustion.  I  would  not  wish 
to  mislead  the  readers  of  your  valuable  periodical  by 
allowing  them  to  suppose  that  they  are  preferable  to  all 
other  food,  under  all  circumstances ;  but  I  do  argue  that 
there  are  circumstances  where  much  of  the  expense  of 
keeping  a  horse  may  be  saved,  and  the  animal  kept  in 
equally  healthy  and  good  condition  by  feeding  it  on 
this  vegetable,  cut  in  slices,  and  mixed,  with  bran,  with 
hay,  instead  of  the  more  usual  and  expensive  food,  Oats, 
Beans,  &c." 


During  last  winter  we  were  engaged  in  aiding  an  en- 
quiry into  the  state  of  the  public  health  in  rural 
districts;  particularly  in  our  valleys  which  had  been 
flooded  by  the  excessive  rains.  The  amount  of  suifering 
and  death  from  epidemic  influences  then  disclosed, 
justifies  the  assertion  that  disorders  having  their  begin- 


198 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  15. 


nings  in  densely-populated  places  may  spread  into 
country  districts,  and  along  river-courses,  under  certain 
circumstances.  The  inferiority  of  the  country  over  the 
town,  in  respect  to  its  greater  freedom  from  epidemics, 
is  not  quite  so  great  as  is  supposed ;  and  although 
nineteen  deaths  to  the  thousand,  in  the  one  case,  be 
registered  against  twenty-six  to  the  thousand  in  the 
other,  it  does  jiot  exactly  follow  that  the  coimtry  is 
healthier  than  the  town  to  the  extent  which  these 
numbers  would  indicate. 

The  great  advantage  possessed  by  the  country  for 
bringing-up  healthy  children  would  prepare  us  to  ex- 
pect a  large  increase  of  the  country  population  at  each 
census.  But  the  reverse  is  the  fact ;  it  is  the  towns' 
populations  only  which  increase  ;  immense  numbers  of 
country  folks  being  added  to  them  every  year.  So  that 
the  deaths  in  country  parishes  must  be  reckoned  at  so 
many  per  thousand  less  the  tens,  twenties,  hundreds, 
who  have  moved  off.  And  the  deaths  among  these, 
wherever  they  go,  must,  ultimately,  be  somewhat  above 
the  average,  as  a  certain  portion  of  their  lives  will  have 
been  previously  spent  and  gone  in  the  place  of  their 
birth.  The  deaths  of  new-born  infants  are  not  at  all 
fully  recorded  in  the  country ;  nor  are  all  epidemic 
causes  of  death  carefully  registered.  In  stating  the  age 
of  very  old  people  there  is  also  a  vulgar  tendency  to 
exaggeration.  There  may  be  a  greater  emigration  from 
poor  hilly  countries  than  from  the  fertile  plains,  owing 
to  the  smaller  means  of  employing  spare  hands  in  the 
pastoral  condition  ;  and  this  may  partly  account  for  the 
small  mortality  apparent  in  the  high  lands,  where  those 
whom  hunger  sjiares  of  age  decay.  Still,  after  all 
deductions,  some  of  which  must  be  taken  with  con- 
siderable abatement,  there  is  a  notable  balance  in  favour 
of  longevity  in  these  regions  when  compared  with  the 
low  lands ;  not  merely  because  all  great  cities  are  on 
the  low  land,  and  near  the  sea,  or  great  rivers,  but 
owing  to  certain  peculiar  attributes  of  the  soil  itself, 
which  we  are  bound  by  the  very  nature  of  our  office  to 
proceed  to  descant  upon. 

We  have  been  at  some  pains  to  point  out,  that  the 
sea,  and  running  rivers,  actually  possess  large  sanitary 
influences,  and  that  it  is  only  when  we  altogether  abuse 
their  powers,  and  set  them  to  execute  cleansing  ope- 
rations enormously  beyond  their  natural  capacity,  that 
we  make  them  into  sources  of  disease.  As  with  the 
water,  so  with  the  earth.  The  earth  possesses  large 
disinfecting  powers;  fixing,  and  rendering  latent,  or 
gradually  converting  to  our  use  all  animal  and  vegetable 
remains  committed  to  it.  But,  in  proportion  to  this 
absorbing  power,  up  to  a  certain  limit,  is  the  prouencss 
to  give  out  noxious  principles  when  the  point  of  satu- 
ration is  altogether  exceeded.  Alluvial  lands,  then, 
which  have  been  frequently  flooded,  whether  artificially 
or  otherwise,  become,  at  length,  unhealthy  only  when 
overcharged  with  organic  deposits,  and  not  from  any 
bad  principle  in  the  clay  itself 

Almost  every  well  in  towns,  and  about  farm-yards, 
would  be  spoiled  by  the  iiltrations  from  neiglibouring 
middensteads  and  drains,  were  it  not  that  the  inter- 


vening soil  intercepts  the  mischief.  The  top-dressing 
with  manure  of  rich  meadows  under  the  very  windows 
of  most  country  liouses  shews  a  strong  faith,  indeed,  in 
the  deodorizing  abilities  of  mother  earth.  The  same 
principle  guides  us  in  the  formation  of  composts;  in 
the  '  strong  measure '  of  bringing  up  to  the  surface  barren 
and  hungry  subsoil,  and  in  the  continual  demand  for 
fresh  earth  for  garden  purposes  ;  old  garden  mould,  and 
even  that  of  long-ploughed  fields,  becoming,  in  time, 
injurious  to  the  health  of  some  cultivated  plants,  not  I 
from  its  poverty,  but  from  its  very  gi-ossness,  which 
grossness  makes  it  an  invaluable  top-dressing  for  poor 
pastures. 

The  reverent  custom  of  committing  to  the  ground  all 
that  remains  of  our  mortal  bodies,  only  becomes  a 
source  of  ill-health  in  very  crowded  places.  Most 
country  schools  are  near  the  churcbyai'd,  and  this  is  the 
usual  locality,  also,  of  the  personage ;  yet  country  clergy, 
men  and  country  lads  have  few  ailments.  Where  it 
becomes  necessary  to  close  a  burial-ground,  it  should  be 
entirely  coated  over  with  fresli  earth  and  green  turf 

The  classical  writers  founded  many  beautiful  moral 
reflections  on  the  tendency  of  the  earth  itself  to  become, 
from  long  use,  foul  and  effete ;  which  the  subsequent 
history  of  the  once  fertile  Latin  lands  has  singularly 
corroborated.  The  history  of  the  ancient  rivers  of 
Mesopotamia,  Egypt,  India,  America,  and  other  hke 
regions,  is  full  of  instances  of  corruption  and  decay 
which  have  come  over  once-cultivated  tracts,  not  from 
the  want,  but  from  the  excessive  accumulation  of  the 
common  elements  of  agricultural  prosperity.  (Mark 
the  wisdom  which  enjoined  sabbaths,  and  jubilees  of 
rest,  and  other  restrictions,  upon  a  too-greedy  husbandry 
in  a  land,  the  oldest  of  the  old  seats  of  civilization,  and 
which  yet  alone  of  these  all  remains  fit  for  human 
abode !) 

It  was  the  common  practice  of  tho  ancients,  wlien  a 
siege,  a  fire,  or  other  calamity  had  destroyed  their  cities, 
to  rebuild  them  on  a  fresh  site  a  little  removed  from  the 
old  one.  The  foundations  of  ill-drained  old  houses  and 
streets,  and  even  of  old  farm-buildings,  in  very  long 
process  of  time  become  unwholesome.  As  to  poultry- 
houses  and  yards,  there  is  no  doubt  that  they  soon 
become  tainted  and  requii'e  change.  Cattle  have  to  be 
occasionally  removed  from  a  well-stocked  pasture  to 
allow  the  ground  a  week  or  two  to  sweeten,  and  take  up 
tlie  manure  dropped  upon  the  surface. 

As  this  attractive  quality  of  the  soil  is  partly  de- 
pendent on  its  porousness,  it  may  be  increased  by 
artificial  means;  and  this  is  tlie  object  of  many  agri- 
cultural and  gardening  processes.  Recenthj  charred 
substances  possess  this  quality  in  an  eminent  degree  ;  * 
and  inti'actable  subsoils,  if  slightly  burnt,  become  much 
more  tractable ;  besides  being  economically  moved  when 
no  longer  holding  a  quantity  of  water  in  combination. 
Simple  exposure  to  the  air,  for  a  year  or  two,  efiects 
nearly  the  same  thing,  especially  if  assisted  by  occa- 
sional turning ;  and  naked  fallows  may  prove  to  have 

*  Ncwiy-burot  nshes  were  enjoined  on  the  .Tews  fts  one  method  of 
purification.  So  little  have  we,  in  fact,  to  add  to  wbat  religion  lias 
already  taught  us,  if  we  read  riglitly. — J.  J. 


December  13. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


197 


advantages  in  this  respect  gi-eater  than  has  been  sup- 
posed. Draining  the  soil  increases  its  absorbent  powers 
and  capacity  for  appropriating  manures ;  and  whole 
tracts  of  country,  ouce  drained,  become  more  favourable 
to  animal  and  vegetable  life  from  this  circumstance, 
as  well  as  because  they  are  less  damp  than  before. 

Quick-lime,  which  becomes  more  porous  and  absorbent 
when  newly  slaked  with  water,  is  of  singular  value  in 
tillage.  Spread  over  the  surface  of  old  pastures,  it 
takes  up  and  brings  into  use  much  injurious  or  inert 
matter  lying  on  the  surface.  Mixed-up  even  in  a  small 
proportion  with  old  garden  soils,  or  crude  subsoils,  it 
eifects  a  doubly  beneficial  change ;  mellowing  them  by 
taking  up  their  superabundant  moisture,  and  becoming 
itself  bulkier  and  lighter  at  the  same  time. 

What  simple  means  has  not  a  beneficent  Providence 
placed  within  our  reach  for  rendering  not  only  powerless 
for  evil,  but — actually  conducive  to  our  well-being — those 
dread  elements  of  disease  which  we  hear  so  much  of 
now-a-days.  So  that  we  do  not  altogether  miss  of  the 
due  proportion  between  end  and  means,  we  shall  see 
things  compensating  each  other  in  a  wonderful  way 
even  in  this  world.  We  cannot  resist  quoting  again 
from  our  favourite  author,  Bishop  Butler : — "  Men  are 
impatient,  and  for  precipitating  things,  but  the  Author 
of  Nature  appears  deliberate  throughout  his  operations, 
accomplishing  his  natural  ends  by  slow  successive  steps. 
And  there  is  a  plan  of  things  beforehand  laid  out, 
which,  from  the  nature  of  it,  requires  various  systems  of 
means,  as  well  as  length  of  time,  in  order  to  the  carrying 
on  its  several  parts  into  operation — making  one  thing 
subservient  to  another ;  this  to  somewhat  further,  and 
even  through  a  progressive  series  of  means  which 
extend  both  backward  and  forward  beyond  our  utmost 
view.  Of  this  manner  of  operation,  everything  we  see  in 
the  course  of  nature  is  as  much  an  example  as  the 
Christian  dispensations."  J.  J. 


In  all  that  has  of  late  been  spoken  or  written  on  the 
position  to  be  occupied  in  our  poultry  lists  by  the 
"  Brahma  Pootra  Fowl,"  we  are  not  aware  of  a  single 
fact  having  been  brought  forward  with  reference  to  its 
alleged  Asiatic  habitat  beyond  what  was  known  to  us 
many  months  since.  In  by  far  the  majority  of  oases, 
the  importations  have  been  from  America;  but  whence 
that  continent  received  the  original  stock  is  a  question 
that  still  receives  contradictory  answers.  Could  it  have 
been  satisfactorily  ascertained  that  in  any  district  of 
Assam,  or  elsewhere,  thi-ough  which  the  Brahma  Pootra 
flows,  these  bu-ds  were  generally  found  in  such  numbers 
as  to  constitute  them  the  usual  fowl  of  the  country,  we 
should  have  good  reason  to  regard  them,  at  any  rate,  as 
a  "permanent  variety"  of  the  Shanghae  family,  how- 
ever we  might  dispute  their  title  to  be  considered  as  a 
"distinct  species."  But  such  evidence  having  not  yet 
reached  us,  our  opinions  must  be  based  on  our  own 
recent  observations,  and  the  recorded  experience  of 
American  breeders. 
As  the  general  record  of  all  that  may  interest  the 


poultry-keeper.  The  Cottage  Gardenee  has  need  of 
the  utmost  caution  in  sanctioning  the  application  of 
the  term  "  new  and  distinct  species"  to  any  novel  intro- 
duction whatever ;  while  it  should  always  stand  forward 
as  the  advocate  of  a  fair  and  unprejudiced  trial  for  all 
that  may  claim  that  designation.  Now,  the  discussion 
with  respect  to  the  subject  of  our  present  inquiries  has 
been  a  wordy  one,  and  enthusiastic  support  and  con- 
temptuous rejection  have  here  come  in  contact.  But 
that  the  public  may  be  placed  in  a  position  to  form 
their  own  opinion,  requires  the  argumonts  on  cither 
side  to  be  impartially  stated. 

Two  distinct  questions  seem  to  bo  involved  in  this 
controversy — 

1st.  Is  the  so-called  Brahma  Pootra  fowl  a  distinct 
breed? 

2nd.  Is  it  possessed  of  superior  merits  and  good  pro- 
perties to  the  Shanghae  or  other  breeds  ? 

In  reference  to  the  first  query,  the  opponents  of  these 
fowls  would  say,  "  There  are  manifest  symptoms  of  an 
illegitimate  descent ;  they  are  cross-bred  fowls,  in  which 
the  Shanghae,  Malay,  and  sometimes  the  Dorking  race, 
have  had  their  part."  It  is  perfectly  true  that  such 
irregular  alliances  have,  during  the  present  year,  pro- 
duced many  birds  closely  assimilating  to  the  Brahma 
Pootra  form  and  plumage.  But  this  is  but  inconclusive 
evidence,  and  goes  but  a  little  way  to  sustain  the  argu- 
ment, if  it  be  true,  that,  although  such  resemblances 
have  been  thus  produced,  there  are  other  specimens, 
which,  in  several  generations,  have  been  bred  true  to 
the  required  form.  We  are  here  especially  cautious  in 
our  words,  for  though  we  have  no  reasons  to  doubt  that 
what  have  been  considered  as  the  purest  strains  of  the 
Brahma  Pootras  have  thrown  pure  chickens  only,  we 
know,  on  good  authority,  that  the  produce  of  imported 
birds,  of  equally  high  pretensions,  have  produced  buff 
chickens  with  black  hackle,  not  to  he  distinguished 
from  Shanghaes  of  the  same  colour. 

The  most  suspicious  point,  to  our  minds,  is  the  occa- 
sional presence  of  the  warted  semi-Malay  pea-comb. 
If,  indeed,  we  found  this  feature  indefinitely  varied  in 
these  fowls,  our  suspicions  would  increase ;  but  it  would 
now  seem,  that  in  comparatively  few  instances  does  it 
appear;  probably,  indeed,  in  no  more  than  where,  in 
Shanghaes,  a  semi-double  comb  presents  its  unwelcome 
form. 

So  far,  the  admirers  of  Brahma  Pootras  sustain 
their  case ;  since,  beyond  any  question,  the  birds  have 
now,  in  some  instances,  been  bred  true  to  colour  and 
form  in  more  than  one  generation,  so  that  if  this  testi- 
mony can  be  continued,  "  permanency  of  variety"  may 
safely  be  predicted  of  them.  But  will  their  friends  be 
satisfied  with  this  concession  ?  We  fear  not;  for  "dis- 
tinctness of  breed,"  in  other  words,  "  speoijie  difference" 
is  often  claimed  for  them.  But  here  we  must  part 
company  with  those  who  hold  this  latter  opinion,  and 
our  reasons  for  so  doing  are,  to  our  mind,  conclusive ; 
since  the  most  careful  inspection  holds  out  no  ground 
for  the  belief  that  either  in  form,  characteristics,  or 
properties,  there  exist  any  specific  distinction  whatever 


198 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


December  15. 


between  good  specimens  of  the  Brahma  Pootras  and 
the  Shanghae  fowl.  As  we  have  ah'eady  observed,  were 
the  warted  "pea-comb"  general  in  the  former  birds- 
there  would  be,  in  that  particular,  a  feature  not  recon- 
cilable with  those  of  the  latter  race  ;  but  this  so  rarely 
happens,  that  we  may  well  bo  permitted  to  consider 
the  instances  in  which  it  occurs  as  exceptions  to  the 
normal  form. 

At  the  late  Winchester  Show,  there  were  exhibited 
several  pens  of  these  Brahma  Pootras,  which  deserved 
to  be  placed  amongst  the  best  that  have  hitherto  been 
submitted  to  public  opinion.  But  here,  bai-ring  colour 
alone,  there  was  not  a  single  point  at  variance  with 
the  Shanghae  character.  In  corroboration  of  our  own 
opinion,  Mr.  Adkins,  of  Edgbaston,  the  gentleman  to 
whom  the  first  prize  pen  belonged,  expressed  his  own 
conviction  that  no  such  distinction  could  be  recognised 
either  in  their  appearance  or  habits. 

Lastly,  let  us  speak  of  colour,  in  which  respect  it 
cannot  be  asserted  that  the  plumage  of  the  Brahma 
Pootra  is  farther,  or  even  so  far,  removed  from  that  of 
the  Shanghae  race,  as  the  members  of  the  latter  family 
are  diverse  to  each  otlier.  On  this  head,  indeed,  the 
facts  would  rather  associate  the  contending  parties  than 
afford  grounds  for  countenancing  a  distinction.  Our 
belief,  therefore,  may  be  expressed  in  the  declaration 
that  the  so-called  Brahma  Pootra  is  merely  a  "  Orey 
ShangJiae,"  of  which  the  evidence  as  regards  its  distinct 
character  as  a  permanent  variety  is  yet  incomplete. 

Our  second  question  was  thus  stated—"  Is  the  Brahma 
Pootra  (jossessed  of  superior  merits  and  good  properties 
to  the  Shanghae  of  other  breeds?" 

Now,  neither  as  regards  their  constitutional  strength, 
their  productiveness  as  layers,  the  weight  attained  in  a 
given  time,  nor  the  proportionate  quantity  of  food  con- 
sumed, or  of  meat  returned,  are  we  able  to  recognise  their 
superiority  over  the  Shanghaes  of  other  colours,  or  such 
races  of  fowls  as  are  usually  placed  in  comparison  with  the 
latter.  Their  plumage,  indeed,  may  be  just  cause  for 
admiration;  but  even  taking  the  best  specimens,  it  is, 
at  least,  equalled  by  selected  birds  of  other  Shanghae 
competitors.  So  that  neither  as  regards  their  value  in 
an  eoonomioal  point  of  view,  nor  their  mei-e  appear- 
ance, can  we  venture  to  place  them  over  the  heads  of 
their  rivals. 

The  foregoing  observations  must  not  be  assigned  to 
any  partial  motive,  for  interest,  one  way  or  the  other,  we 
have  none;  we  have,  indeed,  treated  the  subject  with 
reservation,  on  account  of  the  limited  experience  that 
English  breeders  have  as  yet  had  of  the  more  novel 
variety;  and  whatever  facts  may  still  be  elicited,  pro 
or  0071,  will,  in  due  course,  be  carefully  placed  before 
our  readers. 

We  must  not,  however,  conceal  our  opinion  that  the 
Brahma  Pootras  have  had  unwise  friends,  who,  not 
content  with  allowing  these  birds  a  clear  stage  and  fair 
play  to  develop  their  merits,  have  quoted  from  tlie  otlier 
side  of  the  Atlantic  the  most  wonderful  accounts  of 
enormous  weight  realised  by  them,  and  a  production  of 
eggs  trebling  in  size  and  number  the  usual  Shanghae 


estimate.  These  statements  have  been  very  far  from 
being  realised,  and  the  public  once  misled,  is  natu- 
rally reluctant  to  give  its  confidence  without  complete 
vouchers  of  the  actual  results. 


I 


We  have  the  further  announcement  of  several  Poultry 
Exhibitions,  of  which  that  proposed  to  be  held  at 
Liverpool  on  the  18th  and  PJth  of  January  next  pro- 
mises to  be  an  important  addition  to  our  principal 
annual  meetings.  Willi  great  pleasure  wo  observe  the 
wise  limitations  of  the  days  of  exhibition,  and  trust 
that  so  good  an  example  may,  at  least,  secure  the  most 
attentive  consideration  for  the  propriety  of  an  alteration 
in  this  respect  in  other  instances. 

The  prize-list  contains  no  premium  for  "fouls  of  any 
otlwi'  distinct  breed ;"  an  omission,  as  we  have  recently 
observed,  that  seems  to  exclude  some  deserving  speci- 
mens, while  it  limits  the  means  by  which  the  relative 
merits  of  compai-atively  unknown  varieties  may  be 
tested.  That  much  "rubbish"  is  often  thus  brought 
together,  we  willingly  admit,  though  reluctant  to  believe 
that  more  harm  than  good  results  from  the  retention  of 
this  miscellaneous  class.  We  doubt,  too,  whether,  in 
any  point  of  view,  "  the  Musk,  or  Brazilian  Duck " 
deserves  the  encouragement  of  a  separate  prize. 

A  graduated  scale  has  been  adopted  for  the  number 
of  pens  to  be  exhibited  by  each  subscriber,  while  "  a  fee 
of  three  shillings  will  be  charged  for  every  pen  ex- 
ceeding that  number."  How  raiuih  better  is  this  than  the 
plan  of  prohibiting  any  excess  on  any  tei'ms,  and  thus 
inducing  persons  who  desire  to  show  a  larger  number 
of  pens  than  the  regulations  allow  to  enter  them  in  the 
names  of  their  wives,  children,  or  servants.  This,  it  is 
well-known,  constantly  occurs,  and  it  has  been  again 
and  again  tacitly  countenanced  by  committees,  who 
must  have  been  aware  of  the  evasion.  The  example  of 
the  Liverpool  Society,  therefore,  will,  we  trust,  gain 
many  imitators. 

At  Kendal,  the  23rd  of  December,  and  the  two 
following  days,  are  appointed  for  the  Second  Annual 
Meeting  of  that  Society.  The  coloured  Dorkings,  we 
observe,  are  separately  arranged  according  to  their 
possession  of  a  rose  or  single  comb  ;  otherwise,  the 
classes  follow  the  usual  routine.  But  why  call  Bantams 
"pencilled"?-  Surely,  if  a  bird  really  thus  marked  has 
been  obtained,  it  would  not  be  placed  in  competition 
with  those  that  are  "  laced."  But  a  Pencilled  Bantam, 
properly  so  called,  we  have  never  been  so  fortunate  as 
to  behold — and  again,  if  "  pencilling  "  is  here  used  as 
synonymous  with  "  lacing,"  a  grave  error  has  been 
committed. 

Pigeons  are  too  ai'bitrarily  selected  ;  some  of  the  best, 
both  as  fancy  and  really  useful  birds,  being  summarily 
jumbled  together  in  the  class  for  odds  and  ends. 

At  Manchester,  where  an  Exhibition  is  to  bo  held  on 
the  ;)-ith  and  ^Oth  of  January  next,  an  experiment  is 
intended  by  the  institution  of  a  class  "for  cocks  of  any 
age  of  the  Spanish,  Cochin,  Dorking,  Game,  and  Ham- 
burgh breeds."    A  great  boon  is  thus,  doubtless,  given 


December  15. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


109 


to  intending  purcliasers ;  but  except  under  rare  cou- 
ditious,  few  will  desire  to  exhibit  a  single  male  bird. 
Supenuimeraries  of  this  sex  are  not  abundant,  and  if 
the  usual  number  of  hens  are  wanting,  the  class  for 
"  a  cock  and  one  hen  "  is  the  best  substitute. 

The  18th  rule  declares  that  "  dogs,  sticks,  and  um- 
brellas, will  not  be  allowed  in  the  Exhibition-room." 
The  word  "  umbrellas,"  we  trust,  may  be  understood  in 
its  widest  signification,  and  so  include  the  infinitely 
more  dangerous  "parasol,"  and  though  wo  tremble  at  the 
audacity  that  induces  this  remark,  yet  the  many  injuries 
thus  received  by  valuable  birds  should  be  diligently 
guarded  against  by  such  a  precaution. 


SUGGESTIONS— THE  BLACK  CURRANT. 

In  order  to  afford  a  little  wholesome  variety  to  that 
class  of  readers,  who,  besides  being  in  a  position  to 
appreciate  present  practices,  are  desirous  of  making 
further  advances  or  trying  experiments,  I  intend,  now 
and  then,  if  all  be  well,  to  offer  a  few  remarks  under 
the  head  "  Suggestions." 

This  will  keep  matters  from  becoming  stagnant,  by 
opening  a  wider  field  for  enquiry,  and  setting  other 
minds  in  motion.  As  a  commencement,  I  choose  the 
present  subject,  which,  although  not  of  high  conse- 
quence on  our  exhibition  tables,  yet  occupies  a  high 
place  in  the  kitchen,  the  preserve  department,  and  in 
the  invalid's  room.  It  is  well  known  that  the  Black 
Currant  is  in  many  gardens  a  failure ;  and  although, 
possibly,  the  buslies  grow  with  freedom,  yet  that  small 
success  is  met  with  at  the  ripening  period.  This,  I  have 
long  since  proved,  proceeds  from  weakness  in  the  soil — 
a  Red  or  White  Currant  would  frequently  thrive  in  such 
cases  where  the  Black  failed. 

Now,  by  weakness  of  soil,  I  do  not  simply  mean  soil 
short  of  manure,  although  this  bush  loves  liberal  ma- 
nurings,  I  consider  the  texture  of  the  soil  of  by  far 
more  importance;  the  manure  applied  being  a  secondary 
consideration. 

What  is  termed  a  sound  loam,  that  is  to  say,  a  loam 
which  possesses  a  considerable  amount  of  adhesiveness, 
is  the  very  best,  as  far  as  my  experience  reaches.  This 
character  of  soil  seldom  suffers  from  drought  if  deep 
enough,  and  this  is  the  chief  point  in  the  culture  of 
the  Black  Currant,  which  absorbs  moisture  like  a 
willow.  I  do  not  know  what  our  physiologists  may 
have  to  say  about  the  peculiarities  of  its  foliage,  but  I 
should  imagine  it  must,  from  the  above  circumstances, 
be  of  a  highly  perspiratory  ohai'acter.  I  do  not,  how- 
ever, mean  to  say  that  they  will  only  thrive  exclusively 
on  such  soils;  I  have  known  them  to  succeed  to  admi- 
ration on  a  dark,  fatty  alluvium,  and,  indeed,  on  other 
classes  of  soil,  excepting  always  those  liable  to  droughts. 

In  order  to  pave  the  way  to  the  suggestions  I  have 
to  make,  let  me  observe,  that  this  bush  loves  the  occa- 
sional application  of  rotting  vegetable  or  manurial  mat- 
ters, and  this  premised,  and  the  case  fairly  opened,  I 
may  at  once  proceed  to  my  suggestions.  And,  first,  I  will 
show  forth  principles  based  on  the  foregoing  considera- 
tions; and  this  is,  so  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  matter, 
as  to  sustain,  with  little  extra  trouble,  an  annual  re- 
newal of  their  energies,  and  instead  of  exhaustion  (con- 
sequent on  heavy  bearing,  inducing  premature  old  age), 
an  amount  of  vitality  of  a  long  enduring  character. 

Let  us  suppose,  then,  a  trench  of  five  feet  in  width, 
excavated  half  a-yard  or  so  in  depth,  on  a  soil  tolerably 
fitting  for  their  culture,  and  so  as  to  allow  at  least  six 
inches  of  the  natural  soil  beneath  them. 

We  will  suppose,  also,  not  to  isolate  the  case,  that 


the  subsoil  is  not  marvellously  good,  only  it  must  not 
be  a  mere  swamp,  nor  a  body  of  dry  and  i)oor  gravel. 
Let,  then,  the  experimenter  wheel  in  some  weeds,  &c., 
from  the  rubbish-yard— half-rotten  it  may  bo— to  the 
depth  of  about  six  inches,  and  then  cover  this  over  two 
or  three  inches  with  a  cool  and  adhesive  loam,  unless 
the  subsoil  be  of  that  character,  when  ho  may  use  a 
similar  portion  of  the  excavated  soil.  Ho  may  now 
plant  a  row  of  Black  Currants  on  this  curious  basis, 
and  after  applying  a  little  of  what  some  gardeners  term 
"  priming,"  just  to  start  and  excite  tho  young  fibres  for 
the  first  season,  he  may  fill  in  just  as  much  of  the 
excavated  soil,  and  no  more,  as  will  serve  to  protect  the 
roots. 

Hero  I  may  digress  sufficiently  to  observe,  that  by 
"priming,"  old  gardeners  mean  a  mixture  of  some  land 
from  the  compost-yard,  generally,  with  such  profes- 
sionals, composed  of  several  materials,  for  instance,  any 
or  all  of  the  following: — old  Cucumber-bed  material, 
become  almost  a  "mould,"  old  tan,  old  leaf  soil,  the 
rejected  soil  of  the  potting-shed,  &c.,  &c. ;  such  blended 
well  together  constitute  this  "priming,"  and,  indeed,  it 
possesses  almost  magical  powers.  But  it  will  be  said, 
"hundreds  cannot  avail  themselves  of  this  material;" 
true  it  is,  but  then  any  old  remains  of  the  muck  heap, 
the  wood  pile,  old  turf,  &c.,  will  well  supply  its  place. 

And  now  the  Currants  are  planted,  and  they  will  be 
about  six  or  eight  inches  below  the  ordinary  ground 
level,  with  a  ridge  of  excavated  soil  piled  in  a  neat  line 
on  each  side,  which  will,  of  coiu-se,  cause  our  "men  of 
one  opinion  onltj  "  to  woudcr  what  the  deuce  it  all  means. 
Now,  to  affirm  that  "  means  are  justified  by  the  end  in 
view,"  would,  we  know,  be  justly  considered  a  false 
axiom  by  our  great  moralists ;  it,  nevertheless,  may 
answer  for  Currant  bushes.  Here,  lot  it  be  noted,  that 
the  rubbish-yard  material,  weeds,  &c.,  will  prove  trea- 
cherous to  tlie  Currant  bushes — instead  of  rising  in  the 
world  as  ambitious  Currants  would  naturally  wish  to 
do,  they  will  go  down ;  but  there  is  really  no  room  for 
despair  here.  This  sinking  will,  indeed,  further  the 
after-culture  I  have  to  suggest. 

To  come  to  the  gist  of  the  after-culture,  I  have  to 
recommend  that  this  trench  or  excavation  be  made,  as 
summers  return,  a  receptacle  for  weeds,  &c.,  the  waste 
of  the  garden;  and  they  may  be  wheeled  in  as  they 
come  to  hand,  spread  equally,  and  once  or  tv/ice  during 
the  growing  season  receive  a  slight  covering  of  the 
excavated  soil  at  the  sides— just  as  much,  in  fact,  as 
will  serve  to  prevent  the  weeds  from  drying,  or  from 
seeding  the  neighbouring  crops. 

By  this  time  our  ingenious  readers  will  have  perceived 
that  the  object  is  to  create  and  encourage  a  new  layer  of 
fibres,  mouths,  or  feeders,  which  will  promote  an  annual 
renewal  of  the  energies  of  the  plant,  and  quite  equal  to 
its  enlarged  capacities.  This  system  will  be  found  to 
have  progressively  increased  the  amount  of  healthy 
fibres,  and  to  have  created  an  annually  risiug  mass  of 
compost  of  a  most  congenial  kind ;  and  which  has  the 
merit,  by  a  contiuuous  decomposition,  to  still  form  a 
vaocuum  on  the  suface  of  the  excavated  portion  where 
ready  to  receive  fresh  material,  and  consequently  to  meet 
the  rising  demands  of  the  bushes.  And  the  matter  will 
not  end  here ;  a  ready  receptacle  of  an  ofi'-haud  character 
will  be  found,  which  will  work  up  the  weeds  of  summer 
to  advantage ;  all  that  may  be  complained  of  is,  that  a 
little  of  system  is  requisite ;  but  surely  this  should  form 
no  just  ground  of  complaint  in  the  year  1854  ! 

It  will  be  noticed  here,  that  this  top-dressing  will  be 
alternate  layers  of  rotting  weeds  and  soil;  and  that  it 
would,  in  all  probability,  be  several  years  before  the 
trench  became  filled  above  the  ground  level;  conse- 
quently, all  this  time  the  hollow  surface  would  encourage 
decay  and  an  amount  of  moisture  of  much  benefit  to  the 
bushes.     I  do  not  think  that  there  would  be  any  occa- 


200 


THE  COTTAGE  GABDENER. 


December  ]  i. 


sion  for  a  single  mauuriiig  under  tins  system,  providing 
the  staple  of  tlie  soil  was  pretty  good ;  such  a  body  of 
nourishment  would  be  created  as  would  be  an  ample 
feeding  and  rooting  medium. 

If  1  were  a  market  gardener,  and  had  a  plot  of  land 
of  proper  staple,  rather  too  stiff  for  ordinary  market 
gardening,  I  would  enter  largely  into  the  affair.  I 
believe  that  our  gi-eat  markets  are  but  moderately 
supplied  with  this  useful  fruit,  or  that  they  are  too  dear 
to  be  within  reach  of  the  million,  !br  whom,  by  their 
very  constitution,  it  would  appear,  they  were  in  part  in- 
tended. Jlr.  Loudon  used  to  call  the  Apple  "  the  poor 
man's  fruit,"  but  I  see  no  reason  why  we  should  permit 
the  Apple  alone  to  monopolise  this  title.  In  some  market 
grounds  there  are  portions  cooler  than  the  rest,  and  such 
plots,  on  a  steady  incline,  might  be  thus  disposed  in 
parallel  lines  without  any  cropping  between,  and  it 
would  be  no  very  difficult  matter  to  carry  gutters 
between  the  rows,  and  occasionally  irrigate,  if  a  good 
source  of  water  were  at  hand.  This  carried  out,  it 
would  be  found  that  the  blight  in  this  fruit  so  prevalent 
would  be  almost  unknown,  and  that  the  fruit  would 
swell  beyond  all  previous  anticipation. 

R.  Errington. 


PRUNING  GENERALLY. 

Evert  shoot  which  is  cut  or  stopped,  every  bud  or 
leaf  that  is  rubbed  off,  every  wound  or  incision  made  in 
the  bark,  and  "  operating"  on  the  roots,  may  be  implied 
and  classed  under  this  head,  and  any  one  may  he  a 
general  pruner  without  understanding  more  about  the 
nature  of  pruning  than  the  man  in  the  moon,  who,  as  I 
was  taught,  was  a  wicked  man  indeed,  and  was  hung 
up  in  the  moon,  with  his  axe  over  his  shoulder,  for 
cutting  trees  on  the  Sabbath-day,  as  a  warning  to  all 
boys  who  might  be  tempted,  by  the  evil  spirit,  to  cut 
sticks,  fishing-rods,  or  riding-whips,  on  the  seventh  day 
of  the  week. 

The  efTects  produced  by  a  general  pruner  may  be  good, 
or  no  good,  as  it  happens  ;  but  the  efl'ects  produced  by 
pruning  on  principles  are,  and  necessarily  must  be,  as 
certain  as  these  principles  are  permanent.  If  any  of  us 
prune  with  a  view  of  doing  harm  to  a  plant,  the  effect 
will  be  as  certain  as  the  principle  of  evil  is  abroad  in 
the  world,  and  so  on,  with  every  specific  principle ;  there- 
fore, it  may  do  some  good  to  write,  now  and  then,  to 
i-emind  the  world  at  large  about  the  general  and  specific 
effects  of  pruning  on  right  principles,  if  only  to  lessen 
the  chances  of  doing  harm  by  those  who  must  prune 
away  at  something  or  other  every  year  of  their  lives, 
whether  they  know  the  right  way  of  pruning  different 
plants  or  not.  There  is  nothing  done  within  the  garden, 
in  which  a  man,  without  iiractice,  is  more  likely  to  be 
led  astray  by  loose  reading  than  in  the  doings  of  the 
pruner ;  the  very  plan  that  will  answer  for  one  plant, 
and  cause  it  to  fruit  or  flower,  or  take  to  a  particular 
form  or  shape,  may  hinder  the  next  plant  from  flowering 
at  all,  and  put  it  out  of  shape  altogether ;  therefore,  it  is 
quite  certain  that  the  knowledge  that  would  distinguish 
the  difference  between  pruning  this  plant  and  tliat 
plant  can  never  be  known  to  all  persons  at  the  same 
time;  and  on  that  very  account  serving  gardeners  will 
never  cease  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  so  that  every 
book  called  "  Every  man  his  own  gardener,"  or  doctor 
either,  is  just  as  much  as  to  say,  every  man  has  a  fool 
for  his  gardener,  or  his  patient,  and  as  long  as  such  books 
are  in  the  world  we  must  battle  on  to  keep  down  such 
foolishness. 

The  different  kinds  of  pruning  are  intended  to  pro- 
duce particular  effects  on  the  root  of  the  plant.  The 
food  of  plants  is  gathered  by  the  roots,  and  sent  up 
to  the  leaves,  to  be  changed  by  them  into  a  matter 
from  which  other  leaves  are  made,  as  well  as  branches, 


flowers,  fruit,  wood,  and  all.  Therefore,  by  pruning-off 
more  or  loss  of  the  leaves,  branches,  or  roots,  we  have 
the  power  of  regulating  what  they  produce,  and  the 
regularity  of  the  plant  as  well.  This  wonderful  power 
should  not  be  iutrusted  to  any  one  who  was  likely  to 
abuse  it  from  not  knowing  the  delicate  process  by 
which  nature  regulates  the  movemenls  of  the  organs 
by  which  a  plant  is  formed.  The  quantity  and  quality 
of  leaves,  flowers,  fruit,  and  timber,  depend  on  the 
skill  of  the  pruner  fully  as  much  as  they  do  on  the 
action  of  the  leaves  and  branches,  and  according  to  that 
skill  the  quantities  and  qualities  are  diminished  or 
increased  in  the  same  ratio. 

If  you  were  asked  to  put  the  whole  strength  of  a  tree 
into  three  particular  branches  pointed  out  to  you,  what 
is  more  natural,  in  the  absence  of  practical  knowle_dge, 
than  that  you  would  prune  off  all  the  rest  of  the 
branches,  as  many  people  would  do  who  ought  to  know 
better  ?  You  heard  in  a  lecture,  or  read  in  a  book — 
perhaps  from  this  very  pen^that  if  so  many  branches 
are  cut  oft'  from  a  tree  the  sap  that  woidd  be  expended 
in  feeding  them  would  go  to  nourish  the  remaining 
branches.  All  that  is  right  and  proper;  but  your  appli- 
cation of  the  principle,  or  rule,  may  be  njuch  worse  for 
your  tree  than  no  application  at  all.  Suppose  that  your 
tree  has  been  looking  badly  for  a  long  while,  and  that 
after  digging  round  it  the  looks  are  no  better,  and  the 
rotten  manure  makes  it  look  worse  still  :  it  is,  in  fact, 
in  soil  which  does  not  suit  it,  or  the  roots  have  suffered 
a  violent  check,  or  the  bark  has  got  what  we  call  hide- 
bound, and  the  circulation  is  languid  in  consequence. 
Now,  if  you  apply  the  favourite  remedy  for  throwing 
the  whole  strength  of  the  tree  into  two  or  three  of  the 
branches  by  cutting  off  the  rest  of  the  branches,  the 
chances  are  that  no  strength  will  remain  in  it  to  be 
forced  this  or  that  way,  because  pruning  cannot  alter  the 
nature  of  the  soil,  or  increase  the  vigour  of  the  roots, 
neither  will  it  loosen  the  tightness  of  the  bark.  Accord- 
ing to  my  experience,  the  most  confii'med  errors  among 
amateur  pruners  lies  in  this  question ;  they  put  faith 
and  great  stress  on  a  thing  they  do  not  understand, 
because  some  popular  book  or  writer  said  that  the  thing 
is  so  good  in  a  particular  case,  or  in  general  cases. 
Quack  doctors  kill  people,  as  sure  as  ever  Dr.  Hornbook 
did,  by  the  same  rule.  A  certain  bolus  cured  a  certain 
individual,  or  he  cured  of  himself,  in  spite  of  it,  and 
that  bolus  must  be  the  "universal  medicine"  for  all 
comers,  until  the  last  comer  takes  the  man  of  pills  to 
his  long  home  without  ceremony.  No;  all  the  pruning 
in  the  world  will  not  cure  a  tree  of  any  disease  that  is 
of  the  stint  family,  or,  if  it  does,  the  tree  was  not  so 
much  stunted  as  it  looked  to  be. 

The  only  sure  and  quickest  remedy  for  a  really  stunted 
tree,  be  it  Oak  or  Apple,  old  or  young,  is  to  head  it 
down  to  near  the  ground,  or  graft,  and  to  give  it  one 
more  chance  to  renew  its  strength.  Nevertheless,  a 
young  tree  which  appears  to  be  stunted  by  the  too  much 
exposure  of  the  situation,  may,  in  fact,  turn  out  in  the 
end  to  be  in  better  condition  than  one  of  the  same  age 
and  kind  that  has  been  too  much  nursed,  and  is  grown 
too  fast  in  consequence :  all  the  difference  depends  ou 
the  after-management. 

A  fast  man  prefers  a  fast-growing  tree  to  cover  his 
waUs,  or,  in  its  turn,  to  become  so  much  of  "  the  walls 
of  old  England  ;  "  but,  unless  lie  is  a  good  pruner,  his 
wall-trees  soon  get  bare  at  the  bottom  by  over  strength, 
while  the  "  walls "  of  F-ngland  go  to  the  bottom  for 
want  of  proper  strength  ;  while  the  slow  and  sure  gar- 
dener provides  for  the  covering  of  all  his  allotted  spaces 
as  his  trees  advance ;  and  the  slow  and  easy  forester, 
who  is  sure  to  "  ease  her  "  at  the  proper  time,  will  cut 
down  the  stunted  Oak  to  tlie  surface  of  the  ground 
when  it  is  done  with  the  nurse,  and  thus  secures  a  sap- 
ling BO  full  of  sap,  from  so  many  roots,  that  it  will 


December  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


201 


neither  get  hide-bound  by  the  exposure  of  the  situation, 
nor  suffer  from  the  necessary  pruning,  half  so  soon  as 
the  one  that  was  more  promising  at  first  to  an  unprac- 
tised eye.  All  this  time,  tlie  man  who  would  not  prune 
or  lop  off  a  bough  for  the  world,  looks  upon  our  men, 
both  fast  and  slow,  as  next  thing  to  being  daft ;  but, 
between  the  two,  they  so  managed  at  last  as  to  confine 
him  to  the  park,  and  to  the  care  of  the  park  ranger, 
where  he  may  practise  the  art  of  no-pruuing  until  it  is 
discovered  that  a  tree  may  ho  made  into  a  specimen  as 
well  as  a  Tom  Thumb.  While  this  is  being  settled,  let 
us,  who  have  neitlier  park  nor  paddock,  learu  and  re- 
member, how  any  tree,  or  shrub,  or  bush,  may  best  be 
grown  into  specimens  of  their  kinds,  whether  they  are 
to  be  as  timber  trees  in  the  boundary,  or  for  their  looks 
in  the  front  rows  or  on  the  grass,  or  whether  they  are 
over  the  fence  on  the  other  side,  where  Mr.  Errington 
is  looking  daggers  at  us,  and  where  we  shall  call  on 
him,  when  we  get  all  round,  notwithstanding. 

Now,  what  is  the  best  standard  pattern  for  a  timber 
tree — a  Maypole,  a  broom-stick,  or  the  leg  of  a  Cochin 
cockerel,  or  what?  The  leg,  certainly,  to  begin  with, 
because  it  is  feathered  to  the  ground,  and  also  because 
it  is  croolced  at  the  knee,  and  they  want  knee  timber  in 
the  navy;  so  we  have  two  main  points  to  begin  with. 
They  also  want  straight  timber  for  building,  and  the 
broom-stick  is  as  straight  as  can  be ;  but  the  broom 
head  will  never  do  at  all,  if  we  aspire  to  a  Maypole; 
and  if  not,  why  not,  or  how  are  you  to  help  it?  That 
is  just  what  I  am  driving  at ;  and  if  J  do  not  drive 
to  it,  and  straight  through  it,  before  I  finish,  they  will 
never  make  me  a  royal  forester,  or  give  me  a  cottage 
near  a  wood. 

Being  feathered  down  to  the  ground  is  a  good  begin- 
ning for  a  specimen  tree  of  any  kind,  but  in  those  for 
timber  it  is  not  to  be  expected  always,  the  breed  having 
a  good  deal  to  do  with  such  feathers ;  and  where  it  is 
the  nature  of  the  tree  to  be  low-feathered  at  first,  if  it 
stood  still  for  awhile,  and  moped  like  a  crowing  cockerel, 
or  like  the  young  oak,  as  some  believed,  when  it  started 
afresh  it  may  have  lost  the  feathering  principle,  and 
that  rather  by  the  force  of  the  sap  than  by  the  force  of 
circumstances ;  and  we  are  not  allowed  to  choose  when 
a  young  tree  darts  off  on  a  naked  leg,  other  points 
being  favourable,  or  to  indulge  in  the  fancy  should  it 
show  the  feather. 

After  spray  and  small  feathering,  it  is  just  as  natural 
for  a  timber  tree  to  make  some  boughs  larger  than 
others,  as  it  is  for  a  cock  or  hen  to  make  tail  feathers; 
and  if  the  larger  boughs  expend  that  which  ought  to  go 
for  making  straight  timber,  as  they  most  would,  or  if 
the  tail  feathers  lower  the  fancy  value  of  the  birds,  we 
must  lower  the  boughs,  by  stopping  them  in  time,  for 
we  cannot  pull  them  out  as  they  do  the  feathers.  Stop- 
ping, therefore,  is  the  very  first  and  most  essential  step 
in  pruning  timber  trees,  and  many  other  trees,  if  not  all 
trees ;  and  when  a  young  tree  is  in  full  vigour,  if  the 
leading  bud  of  a  larger  side-branch  is  broken  off  at  the 
right  time — that  is  in  June  or  July,  when  the  force  of 
the  sap  is  the  strongest — it  will  be  enough,  for  the 
immediate  effect  of  this  stopping  is  to  direct  the  force 
into  other  buds  on  this  branch  which  might  otherwise 
lie  dormant ;  and  while  this  moving  is  in  progress,  the 
force  is  partly  expended  in  adding  to  that  which  pushes 
on  the  leader  at  the  top  of  the  tree,  but  stopping  may 
be  done  any  day  in  the  year,  although  not  so  telling  at 
other  times.  If  the  first  side-bud  that  starts  on  a 
stopped  branch  is  allowed  to  go  on,  and  the  rest  are  not 
allowed  to  go  on,  but  are  stopped  at  different  lengths  to 
make  feathers,  or  feathery  branches,  we  have  the  first 
foundation  quite  sure  for  a  piece  of  knee  timber  at  a 
future  day,  and  the  angle  of  the  knee  will  be  according 
to  the  angle  at  which  it  is  natural  for  a  side-branch  to 
grow  out  of  a  main  branch  of  that  particular  tree ; 


some  trees  throw  out  their  side-branches  at  sharp,  and 
some  at  flat,  angles,  and  others  at  all  angles  between 
the  two  ;  so  that  in  a  well-regulated  wood  or  forest  all 
kinds  of  angles  ought  to  be  had  for  the  different  parts 
for  which  knee  timber  is  in  request. 

Another  stopping,  and  for  a  very  different  purpose, 
may  he  made  in  April,  or  any  time  in  the  spring,  in 
order  to  husband  a  scanty  supply  of  sap,  and  to  give 
moi'O  time  for  a  newly-transplanted  tree  to  make  fresh 
roots  before  the  demand  on  them  increases  by  the  length 
of  day,  and  by  the  greater  heat  of  the  sun.  I  once  made 
an  experiment  to  see  the  value  of  this  stopping  in 
particular,  and  everything  was  in  ray  favour.  I  re- 
moved five  Silver  Firs  from  a  young  thick  plantation, 
growing  on  a  moist  sandy  loam  ;  the  trees  were  not  old, 
nor  very  high,  not  more  than  ten  feet  the  highest  of 
them.  They  were  removed  at  the  end  of  March,  a  bad 
time,  to  an  open,  dry,  gravelly  soil,  newly  broke  up — ■ 
another  bad  speck — and,  as  it  happened,  April  was 
more  April-like  that  season  than  it  has  been  since, 
worse  still  for  the  Silvers,  as  it  took  them  unawares, 
and  causing  them  to  move  on,  go  or  no  go,  I  forget  all 
about  the  May  following,  but  Mays  seldom  passed  in 
that  part  of  the  country,  near  the  east  coast,  without 
continuous  east  winds  and  hot  days,  the  wind  often  so 
cold  as  would  chill  a  badger  basking  in  the  sun.  The 
men  were  liuishing  a  new  walk  in  that  part  of  the 
garden,  and  I  was  trying  if  all  the  fastenings  for  the 
newly-planted  trees  were  all  right,  when  it  struck  me,  all 
at  once,  to  try  this  experiment ;  and  I  recollect  the  cir- 
cumstance so  well,  for  the  odd  expression  made  by  the 
man  who  went  for  tlie  step-ladder,  on  returning  to  the 
rest  at  breakfast,  thinking  I  was  out  of  hearing  distance — 
he  declared  that  he  "  would  be  diddled  if  master  had 
not  been  buUfiuching  all  that  blessed  morning  on  that 
there  tree."  This  stopping  was  the  severest  on  record. 
I  took  off  every  leading  bud  all  over  the  branches,  and 
left  only  two  buds  on  the  top  of  the  leader,  or  centre 
stem,  also  every  other  prominent  bud  all  over  the  tree. 
In  this  state  the  tree  did  not  move  a  bud,  except  the 
leading  one  at  the  top,  for  five  weeks  after  the  other 
trees  were  in  growth  ;  and  during  that  time,  the  sap 
that  would  be  expended  in  a  fresh  growth  was  so  far 
kept  in  reserve  until  sulScient  strength  was  gained 
by  new  rootlets,  to  force  open  the  more  backward 
buds,  and  by  that  time  these  new  roots  had  acquired 
such  power  as  kept  up  a  strong  growth  for  the  rest  of 
the  season ;  before  the  middle  of  July,  this  tree  looked 
far  better  than  any  of  the  other  four,  and  when  the 
new  top  shoots  of  all  of  them  were  measured,  the  leader 
of  this  one  more  than  doubled  the  length  of  any  of  the 
others — ^just  foiuteen  inches,  while  the  longest  of  the 
rest  was  only  five  inches  :  the  latter  tells  of  the  severe 
trial  they  endured  by  the  change.  For  the  next  three 
years  this  tree  looked  odd,  but  was  in  much  better 
health  than  the  rest;  and,  by  that  time,  most  of  the 
branches  gained  leading  shoots.  The  odduess  consisted 
in  this — the  tiers  of  branches  were  rather  close  all  the 
way  up,  until  two  years  before  they  were  removed, 
when  the  tiers  were  made  farther  apart,  and  by  my 
removing  the  buds  from  which  the  tier  of  that  season 
would  have  come,  there  was  only  one  shoot  to  that  tier 
from  the  second  bud  left  in  ease  one  should  fail.  When 
a  full  tier  was  made  the  following  season,  the  distance 
between  it  and  the  one  next  below  it  was  so  out  of  pro- 
portion to  all  the  rest  that  no  one  could  guess  how  that 
could  be.  This  opened  my  eyes  a  good  deal ;  and  my 
practice  on  all  the  Firs,  Cypresses,  and  Cedars,  was 
very  different  after  that,  and  to  this  day  I  seldom  see  a 
young  Cedar  of  Lebanon  without  wishing  my  fingers 
in  the  pie  with  it. 

I  may  as  well  say  that  this  took  place  at  Shrubland 
Park ;  and  that  finding  a  disposition  to  a  bush  habit  in 
one  of  the  young  Cedar  of  Lebanon  trees  there,  I  worked 


203 


THE    COTIAGE    GAKDENEK. 


1)ecembek  15. 


it  so  by  stopping,  and  by  increasing  or  diminishing  tlie 
niiuiber  of  tiers  in  all  the  leading  side-branches,  and 
not  allowing  a  bud  to  ojien  but  in  the  very  part  where 
I  wanted.  I  also  kept  the  leader,  or  the  centre  part  oi 
the  bush,  down  Ibr  three  }'ear.=; :  by  that  time  1  had 
established  seven  leaders  from  the  bush-bead  near  the 
ground,  and  treated  every  one  of  tbeni  as  if  it  was  to 
form  the  tree  itself;  then  1  let  go  the  lawful  centre. 
1  forgot  to  leave  auy  memorandum  about  this  tree,  but 
it  begins  to  attract  such  notice  now,  that  what  1  meaut 
to  do  with  it,  and  how  1  did  it,  were  among  the  iirst 
questions  they  asked  mo  tliis  autumn.  What  1  had  in 
view  all  the  time  was  to  miike  a  fountain  of  Cedar,  as 
it  were,  the  lawful  centre  to  represent  the  longest  jet,  and 
the  rest  to  bo  like  so  many  more  jets  all  round  it.  All 
seemed  pleased  with  this  idea,  and  none  more  so  than 
Sir  Charles  Barry.  The  several  leaders  were  now  getting 
too  close  together ;  we  agreed  to  tie  a  string  to  each  of 
them,  and  pull  it  out  as  far  as  possible,  and  to  fix  the 
ends  of  the  strings  to  pegs  in  the  grass ;  and  if  they 
take  care,  by  diligent  stop])ing,  they  may  have  eight 
Cedar-trees  from  one  root ;  but  I  must  stop  myself  for 
the  present.  D.  Beaton. 

STATICE. 

The  English  name  of  tliis  genus  (Sea  Lavender)  is  as 
characteristic  of  the  position   in  which  many  of  the 
species  are  found,  as  the  Botanic  name  (t'vomStiitizo,to 
stop,)  is  demonstrative  of  the  medical  astringent  proper- 
ties of  some  of  the  species.   The  beautiful  Common-Thrift 
is  its  ne.\t  door  neighbour.     In  fact,  the  Armeria  viari- 
liiia  is  as  often  called  the  Statice armeria.     The  broadish  ' 
large  foliage  of  many  of  the  genus,  is,  however,  very 
different  in  its  aspect  from  tliat  of  the  narrow  leaves  of  i 
the  garden  Thrift,     ilany  that  have  been  introduced  I  I 
have  never  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing,  but  where  there  j 
is  room,  I  believe  almost  every  one  of  them  to  be  inte   i 
resting,   from   the    beauty   and   compactness   of    their  1 
numerous  little  flowers,  and  which,  with  the  command 
of  a  greenhouse  and  a  cold  pit,  may  be  made  to  produce 
iilooni  for  nine  months  in  the  year;  and  where  there  i 
can  be  more  heat  given  in  winter,  some  would  bloom  all 
the  year  round.     1  intend  this  to  be  a  gossiping  article 
about  some  of  the  most  interesting  for  house  culture.        | 

1.  Statice  pseiido- Armeria.- — This  plant  is  supposed 
to  claim  for  its  locality  the  south  coasts  of  Europe  and 
the  north  of  Africa  ;  especially  about  Bona,  in  Algiers,  j 
It  is,  therefore,  considered  pretty  hardy,  and  if  unable  to 
stand  in  all  places  out  of-doors,  it  will  thrive  well  under 
the  protection  of  a  cold  pit  or  frame  in  winter,  and  if 
well-established,  will  bloom  early  if  transferred  to  a  i 
warm  greenhouse  in  spring.  It  is  easily  propagated  by 
division,  is  not  particular  as  to  soil,  but  will  grow  most 
freely  where  it  is  light  and  rich.  The  flowers  are 
purple,  blue,  and  bright ;  and  the  leaves,  unlike  the 
Thrift,  are  broad,  so  much  so,  that  good  authorities  con- 
sider that  the  species  is  identical  with  latifoUa. 

2.  S.  Fortuni. — This  is  a  low-growing  herbaceous 
plant,  found  in  China,  by  ]\[r.  Fortune,  near  Chin  Chin, 
and  in  marshy  ground.  Jt  bears  yellowish  flowers.  It 
is  supposed  it  will  prove  nearly  as  hardy  as  the  Thrift, 
but,  being  as  yot  rather  scarce,  it  will  bo  safest  to  give 
it  the  protection  of  a  cold  frame  iu  winter,  and  then  it 
will  bloom  in  summer  and  autumn. 

n.  S.  sinuatii. — This  has  chicUy  been  found  along  the 
eastern  shores  of  the  i\Jediterranean,  and  has  been  grown 
iu  our  gardens  for  more  than  two  hundred  years,  hut 
not  so  much  of  lato  as  it  formerly  was.  It  has  purjile, 
yellowish  flowers,  and  singidar  scolloped  foliage.  In 
damp  inland  places  it  will  require  the  protection  of  a  pit 
in  winter,  but  in  dry  places,  and  on  raised  mounds  of 
stones  or  rock-work  it  would  be  likely  to  stand  well.  It 
generally  seeds  freely,  and  may,  therefore,  be  sown  in 


such  suitable  jdacos  ;  and  if  then  the  winter  destroyed 
it  there  would  be  little  harui.  Both  it  and  Siiiwnium, 
a  dwarf  herbaceous  jdant,  with  blue  flowers  (Wild  Warsh 
Beetl,  found  on  muddy  sea-sbores  iu  this  country,  and 
which,  in  inland  ))laces,  have  received  protection,  have 
been  found  to  he  hardy  at  Hamburgh  ;  simiata  being 
treated  as  a  hardy  annual. 

4.  <S'.  sufi'ruticusa. — This,  as  the  name  implies,  is  a 
beautiful  low-growing  shrubby  herbaceous  plant,  pro- 
ducing its  pretty  blue  flowers  for  most  of  the  summer, 
and  the  protection  of  a  dry  pit  or  a  greenhouse  in  winter. 
If  exposed  to  damp  and  cold  together,  and  a  rather  cou- 
lined  atmosjihere,  it  will  be  the  victim  of  mildew  to  a 
certainty.  It  is  generally  supposed  to  be  a  native  of 
Siberia.  On  a  mound  of  flint  and  stones,  at  the  foot  of 
a  conservative  wall  that  was  covered  with  glass  during 
the  winter,  especially  if  the  wall  was  at  all  heated,  this 
dwarf  pretty  plant  would  be  at  home.  As  worth  trying, 
in  a  similar  position,  might  be  mentioned,  tiioiiopelala, 
mucronata,  ovalifolia,  latifoUa,  speciosa.  tetraij(/na,frutes- 
c'cns,  puhescens,  puherula,  cximia,  &c.  Sujf'ruticosa  is 
generally  propagated  by  cuttings. 

5.  /S'.  eximia. — Although  this  is  next  thing  to  being 
quite  hardy,  it  is  well  worthy  of  the  name  of  choice,  as 
it  has  pretty  flowers  of  a  lilac-rose  colour,  grows  freely 
iu  equal  portions  of  sandy  peat  and  loam,  and  is  easily 
propagated  by  divisions  when,  after  blooming,  the  plant 
is  in  a  dormant  state. 

6.  S.fnitescens. — Another  of  these  low-growing,  com- 
])aet,  biue-tiowering  jilants,  midway  between  a  shrub 
and  a  herb,  and  which  might  be  considered  a  Lilliputian 
of  arhorea.  It  was  first  bloomed  on  the  continent  about 
five  years  ago.  It  was  brought  fiom  the  Canaries,  and 
will  want  but  little  water  when  in  a  state  of  rest  in  a 
dry  cool  greenhouse  or  pit.  Until  more  diffused,  it 
would  be  as  well  not  to  trust  it  much  in  a  temperature 
below  4.')°. 

7.  S.  monopetala. — This  is  a  strong-growing  plant,  of 
a  semi-shrubby  character,  and  producing  clusters  of 
purple  flowers.  It  well  deserves  a  place  in  a  good  green- 
house, where  the  temperature  in  winter  is  not  below  45°. 
and  where  in  summer  it  can  rise  to  70°  and  70°.  It  is 
found  m  Sicily,  the  south  of  Europe,  and  the  north  of 
Africa.  On  many  of  the  species  there  are  salt  exuda- 
tions formed,  which  seem  injurious  when  the  jilants  are 
kept  in  a  dry,  warm  atmosphere,  but  mostly  disappear 
under  a  free  use  of  the  syi'inge,  so  applied  as  not  to 
soak  or  puddle  the  sin-face  soil.  This  plant  has  its  green 
parts  dotted  over  with  white  small  spots  of  these  exuda- 
tions, which  appear  to  be  of  a  snlt-and-lime  character, 
something  like  muriate  of  lime.  It  has  been  proposed 
to  apply  a  little  of  such  matters  to  the  soil  or  water  used 
in  cultivating  it.  In  fact,  a  very  small  quantity  of  salt 
in  the  water  is  not  disbked  by  any  of  thom ;  and  this 
seems  very  natural,  when  we  know  that  most  of  them, 
at  times,  are  iu  their  native  homes  washed  by  the  fogs 
and  the  spray  of  the  ocean.  The  quantity,  however, 
must  be  something  homoeopathic,  and  given  with  caution. 
The  present  species  blooms  during  summer  and  autumn, 
and  is  propagated  by  cuttings  of  the  young  shoots  when 
getting  a  little  firm  at  the  base. 

8.  S.  puherula. — This  is  a  beautiful,  very  dwarf  herba- 
ceous plant,  seldom  above  ouo  foot  iu  height,  producing 
bUie-purple  flowers  iu  spring  and  summer;  a  native  of 
Graciosa,  one  of  the  Canary  Islands,  and  requiring 
from  us  a  dry  cold  pit,  or  greenhouse,  iu  winter,  when 
comparatively  iu  a  state  of  rest,  and  the  giving  of  it 
but  little  water  then.  Just  at  that  period  it  would  have 
plenty  of  moisture  at  home,  as  that  would  bo  the  winter, 
or,  rather,  tho  wet  season  tlierc  ;  but  then  it  would 
previously  have  been  subjected  to  a  temperature  and  a 
light  we  should  look  for  in  vain  in  our  autumns.  It  is 
best  to  propagate  it  by  division,  as  growth  commences 
in  spring.     like  all  others  from  similar  latitudes,  how- 


December  15. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


203 


ever  cool  W8  may  manage  to  keep  them  in  winter,  they 
delight  in  a  rise  of  temjieratiire  as  growth  commencos, 
and  frequent  damping  ol'  tlie  foliage  then. 

'.).  S.  Halfonlii.—L  have  only  seen  small  plants  of 
this,  which  seems  a  compact  species  or  variety,  for  1 
forget,  if  I  ever  knew,  anything  abont  its  antecedents. 
It  seems,  however,  a  desirable  plant. 

10.  S.  Dicksoiiii. — This,  like  the  last,  is  a  neat,  com- 
pact siib-shrub,  producing  blue-purple  flowers  early  in 
spring.  Well-grown  it  gets  from  twelve  to  eighteen 
inches  in  height.  1  suspect  that  like  the  last  it  is  a 
hybrid,  home-raised,  and  none  the  worse  for  that;  at 
any  rate,  1  have  been  able  to  obtain  no  information  as 
to  its  introduction.  l!y  some  it  is  supposed  synony- 
mous with  BUi.dnph/Ua,  a  species  producing  blue 
Howers,  and  with  pecuhar  file-like  leaves,  introduced 
from  South  Africa  a  dozen  of  years  ago;  hut  so  far  as 
1  recollect,  that  was  more  solt  and  herbaceous  in  its 
ch  aracter. 

11.  8.  imhricata. — This  most  desirable  though  herba- 
ceous species  is  a  native  of  Teneriffe,  has  large  hoary, 
irregularly-lobed  leaves,  and  broadly-winged  stems,  and 
produces  its  bluish-purple  flowers  in  abundance  in 
spring,  summer,  and  autumn ;  and,  could  we  com- 
mand heat,  light,  and  air,  enough  in  winter,  would  be 
a  continuous  bloomer.  I  believe  it  was  flowered  for 
the  first  time  in  Paris,  in  1847.  It  it  propagated  by 
half  ripened  shoots;  and  if  taken  oft'  with  a  heel  so 
much  the  better.  But  as  a  cutting  would  make 
little  show  as  a  plant,  until  the  end  of  the  second, 
or  during  the  course  of  the  third  season ;  and  as, 
besides,  as  will  be  seen  presently,  the  process  will  be 
found  a  little  troublesome  to  beginners,  it  would  be 
preferable  to  obtain  nice  healthy  plants  of  this  and 
others  in  four  or  five-inch  pots  from  a  nursery. 
These,  if  obtained  now,  will  merely  require  to  be  kept 
in  an  airy  part  of  the  greenhouse,  and  where  the 
temperature  at  night  averages  4.^°,  or  rather  above  it 
than  below  it.  Here,  during  the  dark  months,  no 
more  water  should  be  given  to  the  roots  than  is  suffi- 
cient to  keep  them  neither  wet  nor  dry ;  but  the 
atmosphere  must  neither  be  covjined,  nor  drij,  by 
means  of  fire-heat  in  excess,  nor  otherwise.  In  sunny 
days,  therefore,  the  sponging  and  dusting  of  the  foliage 
witli  water  will  be  an  advantage.  If  a  number  of 
pots,  or  several  kinds  are  grown,  it  would  be  advisable 
to  place  them  together,  with  a  little  clean  moss  between 
them,  and  a  little  placed  over  the  surface  of  the  soil, 
and  the  merely  dusting  of  this  moss  witb  water  in  fine 
weather  in  winter,  would,  by  evaporation  of  moisture, 
give  a  suitable  atmosphere  to  the  foliage,  while  the 
roots  are  kept  from  being  over  wet.  This,  and  the 
sponging  of  the  leaves  frequently,  will  keep  the  plants 
in  good  health.  In  spring,  as  the  days  lighten,  and 
lengthen,  the  plants  should  be  moved  to  the  warmest 
end  of  the  greenhouse,  or  any  other  place,  where  an 
average  night  temperature  of  from  50°  to  65"  can  be 
commanded;  and,  soon  after  the  plants  push  freely, 
tbey  should  be  shifted  into  clean,  well-drained  pots,  and 
of  such  a  size  as  to  allow  from  one  to  two  inches  more 
space  all  round.  After  this  they  should  be  kept  rather 
close  rmtil  the  roots  are  working  in  the  new  soil,  when 
more  air  should  be  given ;  and,  by  Midsummer,  another 
shift,  rather  larger,  shoidd  be  given,  when  the  same 
process  should  be  repeated.  A  cold  pit,  kept  rather 
close,  would  then  be  the  position  for  them,  syringing 
them  over  head  in  a  sunny  afternoon  and  shutting  up 
early.  Towai'ds  autumn  more  air  should  be  given ;  and 
by  the  end  of  October  they  should  have  their  position 
in  the  greenhouse,  and  be  treated  as  they  were  the  pre- 
ceding winter.  During  the  first  summer  all  flower- 
stalks  that  appear  should  be  nipped  out.  In  very  sunny 
days  they  would  also  require  a  slight  shading  for  a 
few  hours    during    the    hottest  part    of   a    summer's 


day.  In  the  spring,  when  they  obtain  a  temperature 
of  from  50°  to  55°,  they  will  begin  to  throw  up 
their  flower-stalks,  and  then,  from  April,  an  open 
)dace  in  a  greenhouse  will  be  the  appropriate  place 
ibr  them.  During  summer  they  will  find  no  fault  with 
rich  surface-dressings  or  weak  manure -waterings. 
When  the  dark  days  of  the  end  of  autumn  arrive  it  will 
tell  injuriously  upon  flowers  and  stems,  and,  therefore, 
the  flower-stems  had  better  be  pruned  out,  and  the 
plant  subjected  to  the  usual  winter  routine  and  spring 
management.  After  that  period,  however,  younger 
plants  will  be  found  more  manageable.  To  do  any- 
thing well  in  winter,  as  respects  blooming  them,  an 
average  temperature  of  from  60°  to  56°  woidd  be  ne- 
cessary, with  a  rise  of  10°  from  sunshiue.  It  will  be 
seen,  therefore,  that  a  little  e.xtra  assistance,  in  the  way 
of  heat  in  spring,  and  a  moister  and  closer  atmosphere 
when  growing  than  would  suit  a  Heath,  though  by  no 
means  a  close  one,  are  the  principal  minutiiB  to  be 
attended  to  in  the  culture  of  this  and  kindred  species. 
Those  who  keep  their  houses  below  the  temperature 
specified,  but  could  give  the  necessary  heat  in  a  slight 
hotbed  in  spring,  must  take  care  that  the  heat  is  extra 
sweet  if  from  decomposing  animal  and  vegetable  matter, 
as  the  least  rank  steam  would  neutralize  all  other  efforts. 
12.  Statice  arborea. — We  mention  this  last  on  the 
principle  that  the  conclusion  of  a  feast  should  be  richer 
and  choicer  than  its  commencement.  When  well 
grown,  some  three  feet  in  height,  and  as  much  in 
diameter,  with  its  semi-shrubby  habit,  fine  foliage,  and 
large  heads  of  blue  flowers,  it  is  second  to  none  of  the 
group,  and  inferior  to  hardly  any  ornamental  plant  that 
graces  our  plant-houses.  Whoever  can  combine  con- 
venience and  attention  will  be  sure  to  be  rewai'ded.  The 
want  of  success  is  chiefly  owing  to  a  low  temperature 
and  a  sodden  soil  in  winter,  and  the  want  of  enough  of 
heat,  and  enough  of  moisture  in  the  atmosphere  in 
spring,  and  the  want  of  a  closish,  moist  atmosphere 
when  growing  in  summer,  and  especially  when  young. 
A  more  open  situation  suits  the  plant  when  in  bloom, 
and  that,  in  an  established  plant,  may  be  said  to  be 
always,  provided  that  during  winter  the  temperature  of 
an  intermediate  house,  ranging  from  50°  to  60°,  is 
afforded.  It  is  propagated  by  cuttings  ;  but  it  is  best  for 
beginners  to  have  a  nice  young  plant  to  commence  with. 
Much  the  same  process  may  then  be  gone  through  as 
with  the  preceding,  such  as  giving  a  temperature 
above  rather  than  below  45°  in  winter  ;  an  airy  position, 
without  cold  draughts;  little  water  at  the  roots;  fre- 
quent syringing  or  sponging  of  the  foliage;  a  rise  of 
from  five  to  ten  degrees  in  early  spring ;  a  fresh  shift 
soon  afterwards,  and  one  or  two  more  before  the  end  of 
July,  keeping  the  plants  close,  moist,  and  a  little  shaded 
after  each  shifting,  and  more  airy  afterwards,  especially 
after  the  last.  The  cold  pit,  with  not  too  much  air, 
being  the  best  position  after  the  end  of  Juue,  and  an 
early  transference  to  the  greenhouse  in  October  if  it  is 
not  to  bloom  in  winter,  and  an  intermediate  house  if  it 
is  to  do  so,  as  the  blooms  wdl  not  open  freely  under 
50°.  I  know  that  some  gai'deners  succeed  with  this 
])lant  with  much  rougher  treatment  as  respects  low 
temperature,  such  as  from  35°  to  40°  in  winter ;  but  it 
would  require  experienced  fingers  to  go  about  it  under 
such  conditions.  We  know  that  it  has  been  found 
growing  amid  the  debris  of  rocks  washed  by  the  sea  on 
the  coast  of  Teneriffe  ;  and  there,  while  the  summers  are 
hot,  the  climate  throughout  the  year  is  mild,  frost  near 
the  coast  being  unknown,  and  the  snow  only  showing 
itself  in  the  tops  of  the  highest  mountains.  Like  the 
rest,  its  native  locality  points  to  the  importance  of  a 
moist  atmosphere,  and  the  sponge  or  the  syringe  is 
necessary  to  remove  the  saline  incrustations  which 
come  upon  the  foliage,  and  which,  if  left,  would  be  so 
many  bamers  to  a  free  respiration. 


204 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


JjEcEMBEn  15. 


GENERAL   CUr.TUnE. 

1.  Selection  of  Sorts. — If  you  must  keep  your  house 
cool  ia  winter  and  in  S])riui,',  and  yet  wish  some  of  this 
genus,  choose  from  the  first  half  of  those  mentioned.  If 
you  can,  give  the  mentioned  temperature,  &o.,  begin 
with  tlie  last  and  go  baclcwards,  for  as  many  as  you  can 
manage.  "Are  these  the  best?"  I  kuow  tlie  last- 
named  ones  are  very  good  ;  and  I  know,  also,  that  any 
very  fine  ones  I  have  omitted  will  be  noticed  by  either 
coadjutors  or  readers. 

2.  Propagation, — I  have  already  referred  to  the  time 
and  manner  for  herbaceous  kinds  ;  I  now  couline  myself 
to  raising  plants  from  cuttings.  Choose  stubby  shoots 
getting  firmish  at  their  base,  while  their  upper  part  is 
green  and  a  little  solt.  Cut  them  off  close  to  the  old 
stem,  if  possible,  and  expose  the  cut  ends  to  dry  for 
i4  hours,  while  the  foliage  is  kept  moist  and  shaded. 
Then  insert  them  in  silver  sand,  over  sandy  loam,  in 
well-drained  pots ;  water,  to  settle  the  soil,  and  when 
the  foliage  is  dry  place  a  bell-glass  over  them,  and  put 
them  in  rather  a  sluidy  place  for  two  or  three  weeks,  in 
an  average  temperature  of  from  Tif)"'  to  00°;  then  plunge 
the  pots  in  a  mild  hotbed  10°  higher,  and  pot  otl',  and 
keep  close  as  soon  as  struck. 

•3.  Soil. — Equal  parts  of  fibry  loam  aud  peat,  half-a- 
part  of  very  old  cow-dung,  dry,  and  in  small  pieces,  or 
the  same  amount  of  dried  old  leaf-mould  ;  half-a-part  of 
broken  charcoal,  the  same  amount  of  broken  sandstone 
aud  broken  pots,  aud  nearly  half-a-part  of  silver  sand, 
increasing  the  loam  towards  the  last  shifts.  Before 
adding  the  sand,  the  very  fine  dusty  matter  should  be 
removed  from  the  other  constituents  by  means  of  a  line 
sieve. 

4.  Potting. — This  is  best  done  when  fresh  growth  is 
commencing.  Young  plants  may  have  several  shifts 
in  the  season,  so  that  the  pot  be  filled  before  winter. 
Flowering  plants  should  only  be  shifted  in  spring.  The 
ball  should  be  well  moistened  before  fresh  potting,  the 
roots  be  gently  disentangled,  so  as  to  enter  at  once 
among  the  fresh  soil,  and  that  being  roughish  should 
be  packed  as  firmly  as  will  prevent  injuring  the  roots. 
Before  commencing,  have  pots  well  cleaned,  aired,  and 
drained  ;  and  at  early  spring  let  the  compost  be  aired 
and  warmed,  that  the  roots  bo  not  chilled. 

5.  Watering. — It  has  lieen  shown  that  unless  in  the 
case  of  flowering  plants  little  would  he  wanted  in  winter. 
It  will  be  required  liberally  in  summer.  If  you  give 
large  shifts  do  not  puddle  tlie  soil  before  the  roots  get 
into  it.  They  relish  manure-waterings  amazingly.  One 
reason  may  be,  that  thus  they  obtain  more  saline  matter 
than  in  clear  water ;  another  is,  that,  though  often 
naturally  perched  among  barren  spots  and  debris,  the 
roots  have  large  fields  of  action,  and  decomposing  vege- 
table and  animal  matter  is  washed  to  them.  In  our 
gardens,  at  any  rate,  when  given  weak  they  evidently 
enjoy  it.  At  all  times,  summer  and  winter,  the  foliage 
should  be  sponged  or  syringed. 

0.  Temperature  and  Position. — These  have  already 
been  indicated.  A  warm  greenhouse  in  winter ;  an  extra 
rise  of  temperature  in  spring  for  flowering  plants;  the 
usual  greenhouse  temperature  when  in  bloom.  For  giving 
plants  the  same  treatment  in  winter  and  spring,  and  a 
continuance  of  a  close  and  moister  and  warmer  atmos- 
phere in  summer,  such  as  a  cold  pit,  kept  closish  after 
Midsummer,  would  supply ;  hardening  the  plant  for  its 
winter  tenancy  of  the  greenhouse. 

7.  Duration  of  Plant  and  Blooming. — No  one  likes  to 
part  with  an  old  friend,  but  after  the  plant  is  three  or 
four  years  old  younger  plants  will  give  more  satisfaction. 
It  will  have  been  seen,  that  some  khrds  are  nearly  con- 
tinuous bloomers  ;  but  when  allowed  to  do  so  the  plant 
is  sooner  worn  out,  and  is  seldom  so  attractive  at  any 
one  time  as  when  it  ia  grown  to  be  bloomed,  and  then 
rested  and  grown.     It  will,  therefore,  be  evident,  that 


especially  with  early-blooming  kinds  it  would  bo  advis- 
able to  prune  out  the  flower-stalks  when  most  of  them 
are  past  their  best;  allow  the  plants  to  rest  a  little;  and 
then  set  them  growing  again,  such  as  in  a  closish  cold 
pit  in  summer.  R.  Fish. 


THE   NARCISSUS. 

{Continued   from    page    181.) 

Forcing. — JIany  species  of  this  genus  force  admirably, 
and  grow  in  pots,  for  one  season,  quite  as  well  as  the 
Hyacinth.  Though  not  so  varied  in  colours  as  that 
genus,  yet,  on  account  of  their  fragrance  and  bright 
colours,  as  far  as  that  property  goes,  they  serve  well  to 
ornament  the  greenhouse  and  the  conservatory  at  a 
seasou  when  flowers  are  most  welcome.  The  golden- 
yellow  that  predominates  in  the  Narcissus  gives  a  variety 
of  colour,  that  without  them  would  be  wanting  in  early 
spring-forced  flowers.  The  species  generally  used  for 
forciug  are  the  varieties  of  Narcissus  'Tazetta,  the  Poly- 
anllius  Narcissus  (so  named  beuause  the  flowers  are  pro- 
duced in  heads  like  a  Polyanthus),  and  the  N.  jonquilla, 
the  single  of  which  produces  heads  of  flowers  in  the 
same  manner.  The  soil  to  be  used  in  potting  these 
bulbs  should  be  stronger  than  that  proper  for  Hyacinths. 
I  generally  use  it  in  the  following  proportions: — Good 
strong  yellow  loam,  three-fourths ;  leaf-mould  and  cow- 
dung,  both  well  decomposed,  one-fourth ;  and  about 
one-eighth  of  river  or  sea-sand;  the  whole  well  mixed 
together,  but  not  sifted.  This  I  use  in  a  moderately  dry 
state;  that  is,  neither  positively  dry  nor  positively  wet. 

The  large  bulbs  of  the  Polyanthus  Narcissus  require 
larger  pots  than  Hyafiinths.  The  finest  flowers  I  ever  had 
were  forced  in  7-inch  pots,  two  bulbs  in  each.  I  prefer 
putting  in  two  bulbs  in  each  pot,  because  then  a  stick 
can  be  thrust  in  between  the  bulbs  aud  each  flower-stem 
tied  to  it,  and  thus  I  had  a  greater  number  of  blossoms 
in  each  pot.  Large  pots,  and  more  bulbs  in  each,  might 
be  used ;  but  they  are  not  so  convenient  to  place  in 
baskets  in  the  windows,  or  on  a  stage  in  the  hall,  if 
wanted  (which  they  often  are)  for  such  a  purpose.  Jon- 
quils have  much  smaller  bulbs,  and  may,  therefore,  have 
three  or  five  bulbs  in  5-inch  pots. 

The  time  for  potting  may  be  extended  from  the  begin- 
ning of  October  to  the  middle  of  December.  The  first 
batch  potted  to  be  brought  into  a  gentle  heat;  the  fii'St 
to  bloom  as  early  as  Christmas,  and  the  others  in  suc- 
cession. Tlie  last  need  not  be  forced  at  all,  but  have  only 
just  the  heat  the  greenhouse  affords  them.  To  keep  these 
last  back,  I  have  them  placed  behind  a  wall  or  low  hedge, 
protecting  them  from  late  frost  by  an  awning  of  mats, 
till  the  early  and  middle  bloom  is  nearly  over.  By  a 
little  contrivance  of  this  kind  there  will  be  a  succession 
of  flowers  to  the  end  of  April 

The  pots  for  the  Polyanthus  Narcissus  v.'Oi\\A  bo  better 
suited  for  the  purpose  if  they  were  deeper  than  ordinary, 
because  the  bulbs  are  longer  than  the  Hyacinths  or 
Jonquils  either,  and  their  roots  are  stronger  and  more 
numerous.  In  potting,  the  bulbs  should  only  be  par- 
tially covered  with  soil,  in  order  to  give  greater  depth  of 
soil  for  the  roots.  Press  the  earth  previously  to  placing  in 
the  bulbs  very  firmly  down.  This  prevents  the  roots 
descending  too  rapidly  to  the  bottom  of  the  pots,  and 
whilst  descending  so  slowly  they  are  receiving  more 
benefit  from  the  soil,  taking  up  their  food,  as  it  were,  as 
they  go  down.  When  the  pot  is  full  enough  of  soil  to 
allow  the  top  of  each  bulb  to  be  a  little  above  the  rim, 
then  place  the  bulbs  in  the  pots,  pressing  them  gently 
down,  aud  then  fill  in  the  soil  round  and  between  the 
bulbs,  press  it  very  firm  to  them,  to  keep  them  from 
rising  up  when  the  roots  begin  to  protrude  out  at  the  base 
of  the  bulbs.  I  have  seen  them  rise  quite  up  and  out 
of  the  soil  when  not  properly  secured  by  hard  pressure. 
When  they  are  potted,  place  them  on  a  bed  of  coal- 


December  15. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


S05 


ashes  thick  enough  to  prevent  the  worms  from  penetra- 
ting through  it  into  the  pots.  Set  them  quite  level  and 
close  together.  Then  work  in  between  tlie  pots  more 
coal-ashes,  or  some  spent  tanner's  hark,  and  cover  the 
pot,  just  two  inches  deep,  with  the  same  material.  Tlie 
first' batch  should  he  marked  so  as  to  be  known  or 
distinguished  from  the  second  or  third  lot.  I  use  a  stick 
tall  enough  to  stand  four  or  five  inches  above  the  covering. 
This  stick  is  cut  to  a  smooth  face,  large  enough  to  hold 
the  names  and  date  when  the  batch  was  potted.  There 
is  then  no  difficulty  in  knowing  which  to  begin  forcing. 

Bulbous  plants  are  similar  to  all  others  in  this  respect, 
that  they  must  make  new  roots  before  they  ought  to 
start  into  growth  to  produce  leaves  and  flowers.  All 
other  plants,  such  as  Roses,  Jasmines,  Honeysuckles, 
Lilacs,  &c.,  intended  for  forcing,  should  always  be  potted 
some  months  before  they  are  brought  into  heat  to  be 
forced  into  (earlier  than  is  natural)  bloom.  Narcissi, 
intended  to  bloom  at  Christmas,  should  be  brought  in 
and  placed  in  a  heat  of  from  55°  to  60°,  about  the 
middle  of  November.  Take  the  batch  up  out  of  the 
bark,  rub  off  the  bark  from  the  surface  of  the  soil  in  the 
pots,  and  if  there  are  any  dirty  let  them  be  clean  washed. 
Place  them  near  the  glass,  to  prevent  the  leaves  drawing 
up  weak  ;  give  very  gentle  waterings  at  first,  increasing 
the  quantity  as  the  foliage  is  more  develojied,  and  use 
the  syringe  occasionally,  to  cleanse  the  leaves  and  keep 
down  I'ed  spider. 

As  soon  as  the  flower-stems  have  advanced  above 
the  foliage,  then,  without  further  delay,  place  a  stick  in 
each  pot,  and  tie  each  stem  separately  to  it ;  but  do  not 
tie  them  too  tight,  because,  if  you  do,  the  stem  will  be 
contracted,  and,  perhaps,  broken,  if  neglected  too  long. 
If  this  tying  is  judiciously  and  tastefully  managed,  the 
heads  of  flowers  will,  at  a  short  distance,  appear  like 
a  large  single  head,  and  have  a  much  finer  effect. 
Like  the  Hyacinth,  and  other  bulbs  thus  forced,  the 
Narcisssus  does  not  force  well  more  than  once,  or,  at 
least,  without  an  interval  of  two  or  three  years'  rest, 
and  good  management  whilst  in  that  state. 

T.  Applehy. 

STOVE  FERNS. 

{Conibiiicd  from  page  163.) 

DiPLAZiuir  sTRi.iTDM  (Striated). — A  Jamaica  Fern  of 
considerable  magnitude.  The  fronds  are  twice  pinnated, 
and  grow  frequently  five  feet  long,  and  each  wing,  or 
pinucB,  a  foot  long.  'The  leaves  are  sound  and  dentated. 
The  stems  and  ribs  of  the  leaves  are  covered  with  fine 
hairs.  The  root-stock  is  erect,  not  creeping,  and,  there- 
fore, the  plant  must  be  increased  by  seeds. 

D.  SOBA.LATDM  (Half-winged). — 'Ibis  is  a  rare  Fern  in 
cultivation  ;  native  of  the  'warmest  parts  of  South 
America.  The  fronds  are  thrice  pinnated  at  the  base, 
and  twice  pinnated  above ;  growing  four  feet  high  ; 
and  the  root-stock  is  a  single  stem  two  feet  high.  The 
stems  are  channeled,  or  winged,  hence  the  specific  name. 
It  is  a  remarkable,  distinct,  handsome  Fern,  requiriug  a 
large  stove  to  grow  it  well.     Increased  by  seeds  only. 

D.  sYLVATicoM  (Wood).' — A  Fern,  from  Ceylon,  of 
great  beauty.  The  fronds  are  pinnate  :  the  lower  pinnss 
being  long  and  spreading,  and  gradually  shorter  as  they 
approach  the  end  of  the  frond  :  they  grow  from  two  to 
three  feet  long;  leaves  almost  round,  and  cut  at  the 
edges.  The  stem  is  covered  with  dark  brown  scales, 
and  the  rhizoma  has  several  heads  of  fronds  upon  it ; 
by  these  it  may  be  increased. 

DooDiA. — A  commemorative  name  in  honour  of  Mr. 
S.  Doody,  an  early  student  of  Ferns  and  Mosses.  It  is 
a  genus  of  small-growing  Ferns,  with  the  fronds  very 
rough  to  the  touch.     Allied  to  Woodwardia. 

D.  ASPEBA  (File-like,  or  Rough). — A  very  neat,  hand- 
some Fern,  from  New  Holland.     It  will  live  in  a  good 


greenhouse,  but  thrives  much  better  in  a  moderate 
stove.  'The  fronds  grow  upriglit,  very  rigid,  from  eiglit 
to  ten  inches  high,  and  are  of  a  dark  green.  Leaves 
sickle-sliaped,  the  edge  sharply  cut,  so  as  almost  to  he 
hko  spines.  A  suitable  species  for  small  collections, 
and  easily  increased  by  division. 

D.  BLEOHNOiDES  (ISlechnum  -  like). — An  Australian 
Fern,  very  similar  to  the  last  species,  but  may  be  dis- 
tinguished from  it  by  its  greater  size,  and  having  its 
stems  densely  covered  with  black  scales.  May  be  in- 
creased by  its  bundled  rhizoma. 

D.  MEDIA  (Intermediate).— This  is  the  D.  lunulata  of 
R.  Brown,  from  New  Zealand.  It  is  a  graceful,  elegant 
Fern,  and  very  remarkable  by  its  fronds  being  red  when 
young.  They  are,  when  full  grown,  a  foot-and-a-half 
long,  very  slender,  and  drooping  gracefully.  The  leaves 
are  crescent-shaped,  and  spiny  at  the  edges.  Root-stock 
creeping.     Increased  by  division. 

DonYOPTERis. — A  small  genus  of  Ferns,  separated 
from  Fteris  by  Mr.  J.  Smith.  Derived  from  dorij,  a 
spear,  and  pteris,  a  fern :  one  of  the  species  has  leaves 
in  that  form.  The  genus  may  be  known  by  the  seed- 
cases  being  narrow,  placed  on  the  margin,  and  in  a  con- 
tinued line,  and  by  the  reticulation  of  the  veins.  The 
species  are  all  of  a  dwarf  habit,  and  are,  therefore,  proper 
to  cultivate  in  small  collections. 

D.  coLLiNA  (Hill).— A  Brazillian  Fern,  growing  not 
more  than  ten  inches  high,  with  leathery,  palmate,  bright 
green  fronds.  The  sterile  ones  are  sometimes  thrice, 
and  sometimes  five  times  parted  ;  the  fertile  ones  are 
always  five,  parted  or  spread-out  in  five  divisions,  like 
a  man's  hand.  It  is  an  elegant  species,  and  may  be 
easily  increased  by  dividing  the  creeping  rhizoma. 

.  D.  PALMATA  (Hund-shaped). — Differs  from  the  pre- 
ceding species  by  being  taller,  and  by  the  lobes  of  each 
leaf  having  more  divisions,  so  as  to  be  almost  pinnated. 
The  sterile  fronds,  also,  are  almost  simple  when  young. 
It  is  very  beautiful,  easily  grown,  and  increased  by 
division. 

D.  sAGGiiiFOLiA  (Arrow-hcaded). — A  Brazilian  Fern 
of  great  beauty.  The  fronds  are  simple,  acute,  nearly  a 
foot  high,  almost  all  seed,  bearing  stems  black  and 
smooth.  Increases  readily  by  division.  This  species  is 
very  distinct,  very  elegant,  and  ought  to  be  in  every 
collection,  however  small. 

Drymoglossum.— -A  genus  of  low,  creeping,  curious 
Ferns,  established  by  M.  Presl.  The  essential  charac- 
ters by  which  it  may  be  known  are  an  irregular  com- 
povmd  of  the  veins,  and  the  position  of  the  seed-cases, 
which  are  placed  on  each  margin  in  a  continuous  line 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  fertile  fronds. 

D.  LANCEOLATUM  (Lanco-shttped). — A  Jamaica  Fern 
of  considerable  beauty.  Fronds  from  ten  inches  to  a 
foot  long,  simple,  and  narrower  towards  the  end,  where 
the  contraction  takes  place.  The  seed-cases  commence 
and  are  continued  nearly  to  the  apex,  or  end,  in  a  con- 
tinuous line,  very  near  the  edge,  but  not  quite  close  to 
it.  The  irregularly-running  veins  are  inside  the  leaf — a 
curious  and  rare  case  in  foliage.  Increases  readily  by 
dividing  the  creeping  rhizoma. 

D.  piLosiLLOiDES  (Mouso-ear-like).  —  Probably  the 
smallest  of  all  Ferns,  growing  only  about  two  inches 
high.  The  sterile  fronds  are  oval  and  narrow  at  the 
base ,  the  fertile  are  very  narrow,  and,  in  consequence 
of  being  so,  the  continuous  line  of  seed  cases  almost 
cover  them  entirely.  The  leaves  are  simple,  and  placed 
on  each  side  of  a  slender  creeping  rhizoma,  by  dividing 
which  it  may  be  increased.  This  small  Fern  grows  best 
on  a  moss-covered  block  of  wood,  hung  up  in  a  shady 
part  of  the  stove.     It  is  very  rare. 

Drynaria. — A  rather  large  genus;  name  derived 
from  dryinos,  the  oak,  in  allusion  to  the  form  of  the 
leaf  of  the  species  upon  which  the  genus  was  formed. 
Distinguished  by  the  seed-cases  being  naked— that  is. 


206 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  15. 


without  covering— and  the  compound  crooked  lines  of 
the  veins. 

D.  cAPiTELLATA  (Small  -  lieiulcd).  —  Au  East  Indian 
species,  of  a  neat,  pleasing  appearance.  I'ronds  pin- 
nated, attaining  a  toot  in  height;  pinn<e,  or  leaves, 
ovate,  with  a  thick  white  edge.  The  seed-cases  are  large 
and  round,  placed  in  a  regular  row  at  regular  distances 
on  each  side  of  the  midrib.  The  root-stock  is  creeping, 
throwing  out  roots  by  which  it  may  be  increased. 

D.  CRASSiFOLiA  (Thick-leaved). — A  West  Indian  Fern, 
of  a  coarse  strong  liabit  of  growth.  The  fronds  grow 
two  or  three  feet  high  ;  they  are  simple,  long,  lance- 
shaped,  with  a  contraction  at  the  base.  The  seed-cases 
are  remarkably  large,  round,  and  placed  in  one  series  at 
regular  distances  between  the  alternate  primary  veins. 
Increases  readily  by  dividing  the  creeping  rhizoma. 

D.  HEJiioNiTiDEA  (llomionitis). — This  is  the  Poly- 
podium  membrancum  of  Don.  A  beaiitifid  Fern  from 
the  East  Indies.  Fronds  simple,  eighteen  inches  long, 
broad,  lance-shaped,  with  wavy  margins;  very  mem- 
braneous, and  jointed  to  a  scaly,  creeping  root-stalk. 
The  seed-vessels  are  small,  round,  and  placed  irregularly. 
Increased  by  division.  T.  Appleby. 

(To  he  contimieil.) 


MANAGEMENT  OF  FORWARD  EWES  AND 
LAMBS. 
(^Continued  from  page  ]S4.) 
Having,  in  my  former  paper,  brought  the  management 
of  Ewes  down  to  the  period  of  lambing,  I  would 
observe,  that  the  risk,  or  probability,  of  loss  is  much  less 
than  it  is  with  later  Ewes,  when  the  lambing  season 
occurs  in  the  months  of  December  or  January.  In 
general,  it  is  unnecessary  to  resort  to  the  lambing-yard, 
or  '  dead  fold,'  by  reason  of  the  comparative  mildness  of 
the  weather  (peculiar  to  our  climate)  during  the  month 
of  October  and  early  part  of  November.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  not  advisable,  as  is  too  often  the  practice,  to 
allow  the  Ewes  to  roam  at  large  during  the  night  time, 
as  those  about  to  yean  are  too  apt  to  stray  away  from 
the  main  part  of  the  flock,  and  their  Lambs  are  often 
lost,  or  found  dead  under  untoward  circumstances. 
The  shepherd  may  be  diligent  and  attentive,  yet  it 
is  almost  impossible  for  him  to  find  the  Ewes  which 
most  need  his  assistance  in  a  dark  night,  when  they  are 
allowed  to  lie  promiscuously  over  a  whole  field.  I  there- 
fore recommend  that  a  shifting-fold  should  be  used, 
being  placed  on  the  driest  and  most  sheltered  part  of 
the  field,  and  removed  on  to  fi-esb  ground  every  day. 
By  this  means  the  animals  lie  on  clean  land,  which, 
with  shelter,  will  contribute  greatly  to  their  health  and 
well-doing  ;  and  will,  at  the  same  time,  enable  the 
shepherd  to  attend  to  those  Ewes  which  may  require 
assistance,  for  in  the  darkest  night,  when  provided 
with  a  lanthorn,  he  will  be  able  to  discern  them  all ;  nor 
can  the  young  Lambs,  when  they  fall,  escape  his 
observation. 

By  this  mode  of  proceeding,  the  shepherd  can  at 
every  visit  remove  all  those  Ewes  or  l,ambs  which 
require  such  care  to  a  place  of  greater  security ;  for  it 
often  happens,  when  we  got  a  heavy  rain,  that  it  is 
necessary  to  take  them  to  a  hovel  or  covered  shed. 
When  the  Lambs  are  perfectly  strong,  and  the  Ewes 


healthy,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  put  them  under 
cover,  for  should  the  weather  be  very  wet,  it  is  generally 
mild  at  the  same  time,  and  I  have  usually  found  them 
do  well  thus  managed  when  they  have  been  well  kept. 

The  best  Grass  upon  the  fai-m  having  been  reserved, 
both  in  Wheat  stubbles  and  the  young  Clovers,  the 
Ewes,  with  their  Lambs,  should  now  be  placed  upon 
this  food,  taking  care  to  feed  the  Clovers  at  the  day 
time,  and  the  Wheat  Eddishes  during  the  night,  as  the 
former  would  receive  damage  by  the  stock  feeding 
during  the  niglit-frosts ;  and  the  latter  furnishes  the 
best  lay  and  shelter  for  tlio  young  Lambs. 

In  this  manner,  if  the  Italian  Rye  Grass  has  been 
provided  for  them,  as  before  directed,  the  Ewes  will 
give  the  greatest  quantity  of  milk,  and  they  may  be 
kept  upon  these  Grasses  until  the  Lamb  is  a  month  or 
five  weeks  old  with  immense  advantage ;  for  the  Lambs 
will  be  found,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  in  the  best 
possible  condition.  At  a  month  old  the  Ram  Lambs 
should  be  castrated.  There  are  two  methods  pursued  ; 
one  called  drawing,  which  is  done  whilst  the  Lamb  is  from  a 
week  to  ten  days  old  ;  the  other  called  cutting  and  searing, 
which  may  be  efl'ected  with  advantage  after  the  Lamb 
is  a  month  old.  I  prefer  the  latter  plan,  as  it  is  much 
safer  ;  and  the  Lambs,  when  arrived  at  maturity,  will  be 
found  more  fleshy ;  and  (the  prime  parts  of  the  animal 
being  more  perfect)  they  will  be  better  appreciated  by 
the  Purveyor.  When  the  Lambs  have  attained  the 
above-named  ago,  they,  as  well  as  the  Ewes,  should  be 
taken  from  the  grass  and  placed  upon  root-feeding. 
At  this  age  the  I_,amb  begins  to  require  food  in  addition 
to  its  mother's  milk;  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  Ewe  it 
is  desirable  that  the  Lamb  should  have  it ;  for  although 
the  Lamb  would  go  on  and  improve  up  to  the  age  of 
eight  or  nine  weeks'  old  without  artificial  aid,  yet  the 
condition  of  the  mother  would  be  greatly  reduced.  And 
as  it  is  customary  to  fat  the  Ewe  and  Lamb  at  the  same 
time,  I  consider  it  necessary  that  they  should  both  be 
advanced  by  the  best  known  means  from  the  time  the 
Lamb  has  attained  the  age  of  five  weeks. 

In  order  to  do  this,  I  recommend  the  following 
method  (which  is,  indeed,  my  own  practice) : — Previous 
to  commencing  the  feeding  of  roots,  whether  they  con- 
sist of  common  Turnips,  Swedes,  or  Carrots,  they  should 
be  stacked  or  heaped  in  readiness  for  consumption 
about  a  week  or  ten  days  before  being  required  for  use. 
This  will  give  time  for  the  work  to  be  kept  forward 
should  bad  weather  supervene,  which  may  otherwise 
prevent  the  process  of  lifting  the  crop,  and  thus  stop 
the  system  of  feeding.  The  advantage  of  this  mode  of 
feeding  depends  very  much  upon  the  roots  being  cut 
and  placed  in  troughs,  both  for  the  Ewes  and  Lambs, 
which  has  enabled  parties  occupying  comparatively  cold 
and  heavy  land  to  keep  this  early  stock.  Previous  to 
the  iutroductiou  of  the  cutter  invented  by  Jlr.  Gardener, 
the  forward  Ewes  and  Lambs  were  kept  ahnost  ex- 
clusively upon  the  driest  soils,  where  the  Turnips  roidd 
be  consumed  upon  the  land  without  loss  ;  but  it  is  now, 
however,  rendered  quite  practicable,  and,  indeed,  advan- 
tageous, to  keep  them  upon  nearly  oU  soils  where  the 


Deoembeb  ]  0. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


S07 


climate  is  faTOurable,  except  cold  clay  soils,  lying  flat, 
and  unable  to  get  rid  of  the  water.  Indeed,  it  is  now  a 
well-asoertaiued  fact,  that  some  of  our  heaviest  clay 
loams,  which  feed  badly  in  the  winter  months,  pro- 
duce roots  of  the  best  quality  ;  and  with  the  plan  of 
trough-feeding,  these  soils,  under  particular  manage- 
ment, will  produce  the  best  stock,  owing  to  the  great 
feeding  value  of  the  roots  grown  upon  them. 

In  commencing  to  feed  Ewes  and  Lambs  with  roots,  it 
is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  Lambs  should  feed 
in  advance  and  separate  from  the  Ewes.  It  is,  therefore, 
necessary,  that  what  is  called  a  lamb-gate  should  be 
used,  with  space  between  the  rollers,  to  allow  the  Lamb 
to  pass  through  freely,  without  being  sufficiently  wide 
to  admit  the  Ewes.  In  entering  a  field  of  roots,  it  is 
best  to  commence  feeding  in  the  lowest  part,  for  two 
reasons ;  iirstly,  because  the  stock  always  seek  the 
highest  land  to  lie  upon,  and  as  the  hurdles  are  ad- 
vanced they  will  continue  to  follow,  leaving  their  dung 
with  regularity ;  secondly,  the  Lambs,  particularly 
whilst  young,  will  always  draw  through  the  gate  in 
advance  of  the  Ewes  (to  receive  separate  feeding)  much 
better  when  the  folding  ascends  the  hill,  than  they  will 
when  the  hurdles  are  advanced  down  the  incline  of  the 
field. 

I  must  now  state  tlie  best  method  of  feeding.  The 
Lambs  should  be  fed  first,  as  this  will  draw  them 
away  from  the  Ewes ;  and  otherwise,  they  are  apt  to 
contract  the  habit  of  feeding  with  them,  which  is  ob- 
jectionable, because  the  Ewes  receive  the  coarser  food. 
Feeding  should  commence  as  soon  as  the  shepherd  can 
see  in  the  morning,  giving  the  Hay  first,  both  to  Lambs 
and  Ewes;  after  which,  the  troughs  should  be  filled 
with  cut  roots,  taking  care  to  have  them  cut  finest  for 
the  Lambs,  which  is  done  by  passing  them  twice  through 
the  cutter,  which  plan  reduces  the  food  into  a  state 
resembling  dice,  in  which  state  the  Lambs  can  readily 
consume  it,  and  are  induced  to  feed  at  the  earliest 
period,  without  loss  of  time,  and  without  waste.  As 
soon  as  the  troughs  have  been  supplied  with  cut  roots, 
then  proceed  to  give  Oil-cake  and  Peas,  the  quantity 
to  be  regulated  by  their  wants,  always  taking  care  to 
allow  them  as  much  as  they  '^ill  eat.  To  prevent  waste, 
let  the  Oil-cake  be  broken  fine ;  about  the  size  of  a 
Horsebean  is  the  best  size;  otherwise  great  waste  will 
occur,  for  the  Lambs,  whilst  young,  will  take  large  pieces 
up  and  drop  them  outside  the  troughs,  where  it  is 
trodden  under  and  wasted.  To  induce  them  to  eat  Cake, 
or  Peas,  at  first,  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  mix  a 
small  portion  of  common  salt  with  it.  The  Ewes 
should  next  receive  their  allowance  of  Cake,  but  without 
any  Peas,  commencing  with  a  quarter-of-a-pound  per 
day,  the  half  of  which  should  be  given  at  this  time,  the 
other  half  just  before  the  last  bait  of  roots  in  the 
evening.  Roots  should  be  given  at  times  during  the 
day,  and  the  troughs  quite  filled  at  night. 

Joseph  Blundell. 
(To  he  continued.') 


PTARMIGAN  FOWLS. 

As  you  have  enlarged  upon  the  Ptarmigan  Fowls,  and 
pronounced,  what  I  hold  to  be,  an  unmerited  and  erroneous 
judgment  upon  them,  I  call  upon  you,  in  common  fairness, 
to  allow  me  in  your  columns  to  protest  against  that  judg- 
ment. I  will  not  stop  to  remark  upon  the  imiversal  admi- 
ration they  excited  on  first  appearing  in  tlie  summer,  on  the 
prizes  they  took  everywhere,  nor  on  the  encomiums  passed 
on  them  in  your  colums,  and  those  of  other  periodicals  ;  nor 
will  I  stop  to  ask  whether  there  is  no  jealousy  entertained 
against  them  ;  hut  I  will  pass  on  to  notice  your  remarks. 

I  quite  agree  that  merits,  in  an  economical  point  of  view, 
are  the  first  points  a  poultry  judge  should  looi  to.  Now, 
let  us  analyse  the  Ptarmigans.  Nobody  denies  their  beauty, 
which,  I  afiirm,  is  second  to  none ;  nor  has  any  judge  of 
fowls,  in  my  hearing,  denied  the  purity  of  breed.  The  name 
given  them,  "The  Ptarmigan,  or  Grouse-footed  Polands," 
amply  describes  them  as  a  distinct  vaiiety  of  the  Poland 
class — then  what  do  I  object  to  ?  I  protest  against  the 
paragraph — "  though,  as  a  profitable  fowl,  tlieir  claim  to  dis- 
tinction may  he  questioned."  I  protest  against  you,  or  any 
poultry  judge,  passing  a  sweeping  condemnation  of  this 
kind,  on  a  new  variety  of  fowls,  which  you  or  they  have  never 
kept,  and,  consequently,  the  merits  or  demerits  of  which  you 
have  no  possibility  of  knowing.  And  firrther,  I  say  that 
such  a  system  is  imjust;  inasmuch  as  the  importers  of  new 
varieties  are  by  it  condemned  to  the  mercy  of  individual 
caprice  in  the  persons  of  men  by  whose  opinion  the  poultry 
world  are,  in  a  great  measure,  guided.  I  will  contrast  the 
Ptarmigan  and  the  White  Poland,  and  I  will  ask,  in  what 
does  the  latter  excel  the  former  ?  Certainly  not  in  beauty 
nor  in  purity.  I  shall  he  told,  as  egg-producers.  But  those 
who  have  kept  the  Ptarmigan  will  tell  you,  that  it  is  a  very 
prolific  fowl,  laying  a  fair-sized  egg  of  a  delicious  flavour, 
and  though,  perhaps,  there  might  be  some  remorse  at 
slaughtering  so  pretty  a  creature,  yet  once  on  the  table,  it 
would  thence  gain  additional  favours. 

Tlie  matter,  in  mymind,  is  reduced  to  two  points.  Those 
who  condemn  the  fowl  must  either  say,  "  You  owners  do 
not  tell  us  the  truth  about  the  birds ;"  or  they  must  confess 
their  opposition  to  be  founded  on  mere  prejudice,  without 
any  facts  to  guide  them.  As  I  am  sure, , Mr.  Editor,  you  do 
not  desire  wilfully  to  injure  any  breed  of  fowls  in  public 
estimation,  I  call  on  you  to  let  this  appear  in  your  columns. 

I  could  have  enlarged  on  the  veiy  peculiar  and  vultui-e- 
like  habits  of  these  birds,  their  horny  beak,  so  unlike  any 
other  known  variety,  and  the  fact  of  their  preying  on  the 
dead  bodies  of  their  fellows,  but  I  wiU  not  further  trespass 
on  your  space. — Fkedekic  Beenai,  Fareham. 

P.S. — I  have  been  much  struck  to  see  how  even  judges 
differ.  At  Winchester,  in  Dorking  Chicken,  there  were 
•3  pens,  which  I  will  call  1,  2,  and  3.  No.  1  took  the  first 
prize,  '2  and  3  were  commended.  The  next  week,  at 
Southamptom,  3  was  again  commended,  2  was  not;  and  1, 
the  first  prize  at  Winchester,  not  noticed !  Again,  in  the 
extra  class,  at  Winchester,  a  pen  of  Andalusians  took  the 
first  priie,  and  a  pen  of  White  Polands  were  commended. 
At  Southampton,  the  same  Polands  take  the  first  prize,  and 
the  Andalusians  are  not  even  commended;  yet,  in  each  case, 
the  judges  were  the  first  men  in  the  country  I 

[We  admit,  with  Mr.  Bernal,  that  Ptarmigans  are  very 
pretty  birds,  and  that  they  are  a  distinct  breed,  and  we  will 
grant,  on  his  assm-ance,  that  they  lay  good  eggs,  and  in  all 
other  respects  are  equal  to  Polands ;  and  then  we  abide 
by  our  published  opinion,  to  which  every  poultry  keeper  will  I 
assent — "as  profitable  fowls,  their  claim  to  distinction  may 
be  questioned."  Five  of  the  best  judges  in  England  place 
them  even  at  the  best  as  second  to  White  Polands,  and 
we  fear  that  their  prettiness  will  not  save  them  from  the 
public  assenting  to  that  decision. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


POULTRY  SHOWS. 

Exhibition  op  the  Great  Noetheen  Poultey  Assocu- 
TioN. — The  second  Annual  Show  of  this  Society  was  held 
at  Doncaster,  on  Wednesday  and  Thursdaj',  the  30th  of 
November  and  1st  of  December.  The  exhibition  took  place 
ua  a  spacious  covered  market,  recently  erected  by  the  cor- 
poration ;  and  which,  but  for  the  drawback,  that  it  aflTords 


208 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


Deoember  10 


scarcely  sufficient  light  at  this  dark  period  of  the  year, 
would  be  one  of  the  most  complete  places  in  the  Idngdom 
for  such  a  purpose.  We  congr-atulated  the  society  and  its 
officers,  last  year,  upon  a  good,  though  small, beginning ;  and 
we  ventured  to  predict,  that  with  a  continuance  of  the  zeal 
and  ability  they  then  displayed,  they  would  soon  be  able  to 
bring  together  an  assemblage  of  Poulti-y  inferior  to  those  of 
few,  if  any,  rival  exhibitions.  But  we  confess  that  we  did 
not  expect  that  in  less  than  a  year  they  would  increase  their 
numbers  from  a  little  above  200  pens  to  upwards  of  HOO. 
Such,  however,  was  the  fact;  and  it  is  even  more  satisfactory 
to  be  able  to  assert  that  there  was  a  corresponding  improve- 
ment in  point  of  quality. 

The  pens  were  arranged  in  double  rows  throughout  the 
whole  length  of  the  building,  and  the  celerity  with  which  the 
managers  of  the  show  were  compelled  to  execute  their 
work  will  be  apparent,  when  we  state  that  the  market  was 
in  use  up  to  a  late  hour  on  Saturday  niglit,  and  on  Jlonday 
evening  800  pens  were  ready  for  their  feathered  occupants. 
The  pens  themselves  were  spacious,  and  care  was  taken  to 
arrange  the  birds  of  each  class  as  much  as  possible  on  the 
same  elevation,  so  that  none  of  them  should  gain  an  advan- 
tage by  being  placed  in  a  position  more  advantageous  than 
others— a  point  too  often  neglected  on  such  occasions. 
The  only  improvement  we  can  suggest  for  the  future,  is 
that  the  pens  should  be  well  whitewashed  inside,  which  may, 
in  some  degree,  compensate  for  the  deliciency  of  light  in  the 
building. 

The  other  an-angements,  under  the  management  of  the 
honorary  secretary,  j\Ir.  Heniy  Moore,  assisted  by  an  active 
committee,  were  in  all  respects  such  as  to  leave  very  little 
indeed  to  he  desired  ;  and  to  these  gentlemen,  the  members 
of  the  society,  the  exhibitors,  and  the  pubhc,  are  ahke  in- 
debted for  the  trouble  which  they  have  taken  to  cater  for 
their  benefit  and  amusement,  and  for  their  urbanity  and 
attention  during  the  days  of  the  exhibition. 

Although  the  show  was,  as  we  have  said,  wisely  confined 
to  two  days,  we  hope  the  money  taken  at  the  doors  will  have 
been  sufficient  not  only  to  defray  all  the  expenses,  but,  with 
the  subscriptions,  to  have  a  good  surplus  towards  another 
year. 

In  noticing  the  different  classes,  we  shaU  follow  the  order 
of  the  catalogue,  which  commenced  with  the  Spiinish.  Of 
these,  some  good  specimens  were  shown,  and  a  cockerel, 
which  failed  to  obtain  a  prize  because  the  pullets  shown 
with  him  were  inferior  to  others  which  were  exhibited,  was 
sold  for  a  large  price.  The  Dorkiiujs,  which  came  next, 
comprized  some  very  fine  birds,  especially  those  exhibited 
by  the  Hon.  and  Kev.  S.  W.  Lawley,  to  whom  the  first  prize 
was  very  justly  awarded.  The  Cochin  classes,  we  must  con- 
fess, scarcely  held  their  position  in  such  an  exhibition  as 
this,  for  although  there  were  many  good  birds  among  them, 
there  were  but  few  which  attained  to  first-rate  excellence, — 
if,  indeed,  there  were  any  which  reached  that  point.  The 
Buff  chickens  were  the  most  niuuerous,  and,  perhaps,  the 
best  class,  taken  as  a  whole;  tliey  comprised  not  less  than 
88  pons,  several  of  which,  besides  those  to  which  the  prizes 
were  awarded,  were  commended  by  the  judges.  We  were 
glad  to  see  the  l\Ialaijs  muster  a  few  pens  ;  for  although  we 
do  not  think  these  a  very  useful  breed  of  fowls,  we  should 
be  sorry  to  see  one  so  majestic  and  well-bred  in  appearance 
vanish  from  amongst  us.  We  now  come  to  the  Game 
classes,  which  were,  undoubtedly,  the  best  in  the  exhibition, 
and  numbered  together  \ii>  pens.  The  whole  of  the  first 
class  (^ white,  and  piles)  were  declared  by  the  judges,  and  most 
deservedly,  to  be  "  highly  meritorious."  We  never  saw  any- 
thing in  the  shape  of  fowls  wliich  more  completely  combined 
high  breeding,  fine  condition,  and  beauty  of  plumage,  than 
the  adult  birds  shown  in  tliis  class,  and  for  wdiich  the  first 
and  second  prizes  were  awarded  to  Mr.  John  Hartop,  of 
Barnbrough  ;  and  the  two  magnificent  pens  of  white  chickens, 
wJiich  obtained  the  same  honours  for  their  owner,  William 
Hopkinson  (a  working  man,  we  understand)  of  Worksop. 
And  even  in  singling  out  these,  it  is  fair  to  add  that  many 
of  their  competitors  were  very  near  to  tliem  in  the  race. 
The  next  two  classes,  comprizing  the  Black-breasted  and 
other  Beds  (old  and  young)  were  of  almost  equal  merit,  and 
we  did  not  at  all  envy  the  task  of  tlie  judges  who  had  to 
determine  between  their  respective  claim  to  the  prizes. 
The  Blacks  and  Brassy-winged  were  not  quite  so  good,  nor 


were  they  so  numerous,  as  their  relatives ;  buttheDuokwings, 
Greys,  and  Blues,  which  formed  the  last  classes,  were  again 
excellent,  and  showed  that  the  old  English  Game  fowl  is 
still  cultivated  in  all  its  purity  in  this  sporting  locahty, 
although  the  days  of  cock-fighting  ai'e  gone  by.  The  Ham- 
hurijh  classes  were  of  unequal  merit.  The  Pencilled  Ham- 
burghs  were  few,  and  by  no  means  good ;  whUe  the  Golden 
Spangled  comprised  some  good  pens,  and  next  to  the  Game 
the  Silver  Spangled  Hamburghs  were  undoubtedly  the  best 
class  in  the  show.  It  was  admitted,  on  all  hands,  that  a 
better  assemblage  of  these  beautiful  birds  had  never  been 
got  together,  and  the  judges  evinced  their  appreciation  of 
their  excellence  by  awarding  very  numerous  commendations 
besides  the  prizes  allotted  to  them.  The  Polandi  included 
two  or  three  nice  pens,  hut  nothing  which  appeared  to  us  to 
call  for  especial  remark.  A  class  for  "  any  other  distinct 
breed  "  included  a  fine  pen  of  Greij  Cochins,  exhibited  under 
the  new-fangled  name  of  "Brahma  Bootras,"  and  afforded 
an  opportunity  of  comparing  them  with  a  bird  bred  by  Mr. 
Bond,  of  Leeds  (one  of  the  judges)  from  those  which  he 
purchased  from  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams,  at  Bu-minghara,  in 
1851,  under  the  name  of  Greij  Cochins ;  and  except  that  the 
latter  was  a  trifle  darker  in  colour,  and  somewhat  larger  than 
the  so-called  Brahma  Pootras,  we  defy  any  one  to  tell  the 
difference.  The  Golden  Sebright  Buntams  were  numerous 
and  good,  and  there  were  a  few  pens  of  Silvers  also.  The 
Blacks  were  pai-ticularly  good ;  and  the  Whites  little,  if  at  all, 
inferior.  The  Geese  were  niimerous,  but  there  was  nothing 
among  them  that  struck  us  as  particularly  good.  The  Ayles- 
bury Ducks,  on  the  contrary,  were  one  of  the  best  classes  in 
the  show,  and  ran  so  close,  that  we  are  sure  the  judges 
must  have  found  much  difliculty  in  awarding  the  prizes ; 
many  of  the  pens  obtained  commendations.  Among  the 
Kouens  there  were  some  good  pens  of  Ducks,  but  certainly 
none  equal  to  the  two  for  which  the  first  and  second  prizes 
were  awarded  to  Mr.  Brooksbank,  of  Tickhill.  The  Turkeys 
were  good  classes,  and  the  commendations  awarded  showed 
that  tlie  judges  so  considered  them.  Some  good  pens  of 
Piijeons,  and  a  few  fine  Eahbils,  filled  up  the  remaining 
classes ;  and  Mr.  Bond  exhibited,  as  "  extra  stock,"  some 
Cochin  chickens  inferior  to  none  in  the  exhibition. 

The  Judges  were  Mr.  Travis,  of  York ;  Mr.  Bissell,  of  Bir- 
mingham ;  and  Mr.  Bond,  of  Leeds;  all  of  whom  have  had 
much  experience  in  such  matters,  and  they  concurred,  we 
understand,  in  the  opinion  we  have  expressed,  both  as  to  the 
excellence  of  the  show  itself,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  its 
details  were  managed  and  caii-ied  out. 

A  show  of  Pigs  took  place  at  the  same  time,  under 
spacious  tents,  erected  for  the  purpose  just  outside  the 
market  house.  About  IJJO  pens  were  entered  for  competi- 
tion, and  the  show  was  pronounced  by  competent  judges  to 
have  been  first-rate. 

We  append  the  Prize-list  in  the  Poultry  Classes. 
SPANISH. 
Class   I.— For   the   best  Cock  and  two    Hens,  exceeding   one-year-old. 
(U  competitors.) 

First  prize,  .Tames  Dixon,  West  Broolt-place,  Bradford.  Second  prize, 
J.  H.  Smith,  Slielton  Grange,  near  York. 

Class  2.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.    (ai 
competitors.) 

First  and  iccond  prizes,  \Vm.  Batty  Mapplebcck,  Birmingham. 
DORKINGS.      (Coloured.) 
Class  3.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old.    (IC 
competitors.) 

First  prize.  Hon.  S.  W.  Lawley,  Esrick  Rectory,  York.  Second  prize, 
Robert  J.  Bentley,  Finningley  Park. 

'  Class  4. —For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  18i3.    (22 

competitors.) 
j      First  prize,  Titus  B.  Stead,  1,  Upper  Albion-street,  Leeds.    Second 
I  prize.  Sir  Thomas  W.  White,  Wallingwells. 

DORKINGS.      (White.) 
Class  .■>.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(3  competitors.) 
John  Maw,  Doncaster. 
Class  (i.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853,    (4  com- 
petitors.) 
J.  Oldham,  Long  Eaton,  Derby. 

SHANGHAE.     (Cinnamon  and  Buff.) 
Class  7. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(M  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Henry  Ambler,  Watkinson  Hall,  Halifax.     Second  prize, 
Thomas  Shackle,  Hayes,  Middlesex. 


December  15. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAHDENEE. 


200 


Class  3.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
(89  compecitors.) 
First  and  second  prizes,  A.  Reynolds,  Boston.    Second  prize,   Rev. 
George  Hustler,  Appleton,  Tadcaater.    Third  prize,  Simeon  Woodhousc, 
Bootham  Stray,  York. 

SHANGHAE.    (Brown,  and  Partridge-feathered.) 
Class  9.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(7  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Rev.  George  Hustler,  Appleton,  Tadcastev.    Second  prize, 
C.  L.  Clare,  Hindley  House,  Liverpool. 

Class  10.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

(ig  competitors.) 
No  first.    Second  prize  awarded  to  William  Batty  Blapplebeck,  Bir  ■ 
mingham. 

SHANGHAE.    (White.) 

Class  U,— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(1  competitor.) 
George  Boothby,  Louth. 

Class  12. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1353. 

(10  competitors.) 
Robert  Chase,  Birmingham. 

SHANGHAE.     (Black.) 
Claas  13. — For  the  beat  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(No  competition.) 
Claas  14. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

(7  competitors.) 
W.  B.  JIapplebeck,  Birmingham. 

MALAY. 
Class  15.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  esceeding  one-year-oli^. 

(6  competitors.) 
T.  Pearson,  Holbeck,  Leeds. 

GAME  FOWL.     (White,  and  Piles.) 
Class  17.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  esceeding  one-year-old. 

(13  competitors.) 
First  and  second  prizes,  John  Hartop,  Barnbrough.    The  whole  class 
highly  meritorious. 

Class  18. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

(11  competitors.) 
First  and  second  prizes,  William  Hopkinson,  Worksop. 

GAME  FOWL.    (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds.) 
Class  19. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(32  competitors.) 
First  prize,  E.  Frith,  Turner  Wood,  Anston,  Worksop.    Second  prize, 
Thomas  Craven,  Bradford. 

Class  20.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

(28  competitors.) 
First  prize,    S.  Armitage,  Bradford.      Second  prize,  John  Hartop, 
Barnbrough. 

GAME  FOWL.    (Blacks,  and  Brassy-_winged,  except  Greys.) 
Class  21. — For  the  beat  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(7  competitors.) 
No  firsti    Second  prize  awarded  to  Hall  and  Co.,  Boncaster. 

Class  22.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853, 

(6  competitors.) 
First  prize,  George  Holmes,  Thorpe  Salvin.     Second  prize.  Hall  and 
Co.,  Doncaster. 

GAME  FOWLS.     (Duckwings,  and  other  Greys,  and  Blues.) 
Class  23. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(19  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Charles  Chaloner,  Steetley.    Second  prize,  William  Smith, 
Halifax. 

Class  24.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

(11  competitors.) 
First  prize,  W.  Ludlam,  Bradford.      Second  prize,  James  Dixon, 
Bradford. 

GOLDEN-PENCILLED   HAMBURGH. 
Class  26. — For  the  beat  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of   1853. 

(3  competitors.) 
No  first.      Second  prize  awarded  to  James  Oldham,    Long  Eaton, 
Derby. 

GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH. 
Claas  27.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  esceeding  one-year-old. 

(15  competitors.) 
First  prize,  James  Dixon,  Bradford.    Second  prize,  Thomas  Kendall, 
Goole. 
Class  28. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1833. 

(19  competitors.) 
First  and  second  prizes,  Edward  Auckland,  Doncaster. 

SILVER.PENCILLED  HAMBURGH. 
Class  39. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hena,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(12  competitors.) 
First  prize,   James  Dixon,  Bradford.    Second  prize,  Joseph  Tuley, 
Keighley. 

Claas  30. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  I853i 

(18  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Joseph  Tuley,  Keighley.    Second  prize,  Thomas  Craven, 
Manningham,  Bradford. 


SILVER.SPANGLED    HAMBURGH. 
Claas  31. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  esceeding  one-year-old. 

(17  competitors.) 
First  prize,  W.  Ludlam,  Bradford,    Second  prize,  M.  H.  Broadhead, 
Stubbin,  Holmfirth. 

Class  32.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of    1853. 

(27  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Wm.  Mitchell,  Keighley.    Second  prize,  James  Dixon, 
Bradford. 

POLAND  FOWL,     (Black,  with  White  Crests.) 
Class  33. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  exceeding  one-year-old. 

(2  competitors.) 
Joseph  Conyera,  jun.,  Leeds. 

Class  34. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

(5   competitors,) 
John  Cordeux,  Barnsley. 

POLAND  FOWL.     (Golden.) 
Class  35, — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens,  esceeding  one-year-old. 

(7  competitors.) 
Joseph  Conyers,  jun.,  Leeds. 

Class  36. —For  the  beat  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853, 

(12  competitors.) 
John  Hall,  Kiveton  Park. 

POLAND  FOWL.     (Silver.) 
Class  37. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hcna,  exceeding  one-year-old, 

(3  competitors.) 
C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Wiilton-on-Thamcs. 

Class  38.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

(3  competitors.) 
R.  J.  Lomas,  Derby. 

FOR  ANY  OTHER  DISTINCT  BREED. 
Class  39.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  other  distinct  variety, 
not  named  in  the  above  classes,  exceeding  one-year-old.    (g  com- 
petitors.) 
First  prize,  George  Roothby,  Louth.    Second  prize,  John  Jacque^' 
Knaresbro. 

Class  40.— For  the  best   Cock  and  two    Pullets   of  any   other   distinct 
variety,  not  named  in  the  above  class,  chickens  of  1853.    (ll  com- 
petitors.) 

First  prize,  W,  C.  Gwynne,  M.D.,  Sandbaeh,  Cheshire.    Second  prize, 
George  Boothby,  Louth, 

BANTAMS.    (Gold-laced.) 
Class  41. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens.     (16  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Blaster  Godfrey  Horner,  Charlotte-street,   Hull.    Second 
prize,  Francis  Blagg,  South  Leverton. 

BANTAMS,     (Silver-laced.) 
Class  42, — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens.    (5  competitors.) 
First  prize.  Master  Godfrey  Horner,  Charlotte.street,  Hull.    Second 
prize,  Geo.  Boothby,  Louth. 

BANTAMS.      (Black.) 
Class  43. — For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens.    (17  competitors.) 
First  prize.  Wm.  Heaton,  Copley  Wood,  Halifax,    Second  prize,  J, 
W.  Scriven,  Throstle-street. 

BANTAMS.    (White,  or  any  other  colour.) 
Class  44.— For  the  best  Cock  and  two  Hens.     (11  competitors.) 
First  prize,  James  Dixon,  West  Brook-place,  Bradford,     Second  prize, 
Samuel  Armitage,  Thornton-road,  Bradford. 
GEESE. 
Class  43.— For  the  best  Gander  and  Goose.     (36  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Wm.  Hall,  Laughton-en-le-Morthen,  Rotherham.     Second 
prize,  Edward  Day,  Thornberry  Hill,  Sandbeck.     Third  prize,   George 
flioate,  Fenwick. 

DUCKS.      (White  Aylesbury.) 
Class  46,— For  the  best  Drake  and  two  Ducks.     (30  competitors.) 
First  prize,  Henry  Peckef^,  Carlton  Huthwaite,  Thirsk.    Second  prize, 
H.  Ambler,  Watkinson  Hall,  Halifax. 

DUCKS.      (Rouen.) 

Class  47.— For  the  best  Drake  and  two  Ducks,    (13  competitors.) 

First  and  second  prizes,  B.  H.  Brooksband,  Tickhill. 

DUCKS,     (Muscovy.) 

Class  48.— For  the  best  Drake  and  two  Ducks.    (7  competitors.) 

Godfrey  Wentworth,  Woolley  Park. 

DUCKS.    (Any  other  variety.) 
Class  49.— For  the  best  Drake  and  two  Ducks.     (18  competitors.) 
First  prize,  James  Dison,  West  Brook-place,  Bradford.    Second  prize, 
John  Hartop,  Barnbro'. 

TURKEYS. 

Class  50.— For  the  best  Turkey  Cock  and  Hen,  exceeding  one-year-old' 
(10  competitors.) 
First  and  second  prizes,  R,  J.  Bentley,  Finningley  Park. 

Class  51.— For  the  best  Turkey  Cock  and  Hen,  hatched  in  1853, 
(14  competitors.) 

First  prize,  George  Haigh,  Liphill  Bank,  Holmfirth.    Second  prize, 
B.  H.  Brooksbank,  Tickhill. 


210 


THE  COTTAGE  GAUDENER. 


December  15. 


PIGEONS. 

Awarded  to  John  Hartop,  for  Archangels;  Robert  S.  Jewison,  for 
Jacobins;  R.  Royston.  for  Balds,  Owls,  Nuns,  Titrbits,  Fantails, 
Pouters  (iX  Croppers,  2.m\  Barbs  ;  James  Dixon,  for  Almond  Tumblers; 
W,  S.  Parkinaon.  for  Dragoons;  John  Parkinson,  for  black  Carriers; 
and  Maater  Thomas  Moore,  for  'i'rumpeters. 

Bedfoedshire  Exhibition  of  Domestic  PorLTRY. — 
This  was  lield  in  the  Corn  Exchange,  liedibrd,  on  the  30th 
of  Novemher,  and  two  following  days.  The  prizes  awarded 
by  the  judge,  James  Henry  Catling,  Esq.,  King-street, 
Portman  Square,  London,  were  as  follows  : — 

Class  1.— SPANISH.      Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 

1.  First  prize,  W.  Hewitson,  Flitwick  Manor,  AmpthiU.  '2.  Second 
prize,  K.  H.  Strange,  AmpthiU.  3.  Third  prize,  Mias  H.  Emery, 
Kempston  Hardwick. 

Class  2.— SPANISH.    Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

2.  First  prize,  E.  H.  Stranpe,  AmpthiU.  3,  Second  prize,  E.  H. 
Strange,  AmpthiU.     4.  Third  prize,  E.  H.  Strange,  AmpthiU. 

Class  4.— DORKING  (White).    Cock  and  two  PuUeta,  chickens  of  1853. 

1.  First  prize.  Miss  A.  M.  A.  Knapp,  Somerby  HaU,  Oakham. 
Class  5,— DORKING  (Coloured).      Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 
5.  First  prize.  Miss  E.   Steele  Perkins,  Sutton  Coldfield.     2.  Second 

prize,  J.  Br.  Hawkin  Turvin,   Tctworth   HaU,    Potton.     4.  Third   prize. 
Rev.  F.  Thursby,  Abingtou,  near  Northampton. 

Class  6.— DORKING  (Coloured),    Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of 

1853. 

5.  First  prize,  Rev.  F.   Thursby,   Abington,  near  Northampton.     12. 

Second  prize,   Rev.   G.   Gardner  Barter,   Cranfield  Rectory.     4.  Third 

prize.  Rev.  F.  Thursby,  Abington,  near  Northampton. 

Class  7.— COCHIN-CHINA  (Cinnamon  and  Buff).     Cock  and  two 
Hens  of  any  age. 

4.  First  prize,  Henry  Gilbert,  17,  Upper  PhiUimore  Place,  Kensington* 
3.  Second  prize,  James  Cattell,  53,  Worcester-street,  Birmingham.  2- 
Third  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  M'alton-on-Thames. 

Class  8,— COCHIN-CHINA  (Cinnamon  and  Buff).     Cock  and  two 
Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

10.  First  prize.  Miss  H.  Emery,  Kempston  Hardwick,  Beds.  13. 
Second  prize,  John  Emery,  Kempston  Hardwick,  Beds.  11.  Third 
prize,  Miss  H.  Emery,  Kempston  Hardwick,  Beds. 

Class  9.— COCHIN-CHINA  (Broli^^l  and   Partridge-feathered).     Cock 
and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 

2.  First  prize,  John  Forrest  Chater,  Haverhill,  Suffolk, 

Class  10.— COCHIN-CHINA  (Brown  and  Partridge-feathered).    Cock 
and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
7.  First  prize,  B.   F.  Matthews,  Asylum,  Bedford.     5,  Second  ]trize, 
William  Burton,  NorthUl,  Beds.  4.  Third  prize,  John  F.  Chater,  Haver- 
hill, Snffolk. 

Class  12.— COCHIN-CHINA  (White).    Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens 
of   1863. 

2.  First  prize.  Rev.  George  Calvert,  Beeby,  near  Leicester.  3,  Second 
prize,  E.  Burnaby,  Baggrave  Hall,  Leicestershire. 

Class  13. — MALAY.     Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 
1.  First  prize,  Thomas  S.  Trapp,  Bedford.     3.  Second  prize,  James 
Oldham,    Long   Eaton,    Derbyshire-      2.  Third  prize,  Thomas    Sheen, 
Aylesbury. 

Class  14.— MALAY.      Cock  and  two  pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

3.  First  prize,  Thomas  S.  Trapp,  Bedford.  1.  Second  prize,  Thomas 
S.  Trapp,  Bedford. 

Class  15.— GAME  (WTiite  and  Piles).     Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 
3,  First  prize,   James    Howard,   Bedford.      2.    Second   prize,    Henry 
Thurnall,  Royston.     1.  Third  prize,  E.  H.  Strange,  AmpthiU. 

Class  iG.— GAME  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds).     Cock  and  two 
Hens  of  any  age. 

7.  First  prize,  Henry  Thurnall,  Royston.  1.  Second  prize,  Charles 
Barnett,  Esq.,  Stratton  Park,  Biggleswade.  9.  Third  prize,  R.  W. 
Wilson,  Stanford  le  Hope. 

Class  17.— OTHER  VARIETIES.     Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age. 
1.  First  prize,  Theed  W.  Pearse,  Bromham  Road,  Bedford.    3.  Second 
prize,  Henry  Thurnall,  Royston. 

Class  18.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  and  two 

Hens. 
9.  First  prize,   James    Howard,   Bedford.      6.    Second   prize,   James 
Howard,  Bedford.     2.  Third  prize,  E.  H.  Strange,  AmpthiU. 

Class  19.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.  Cock  and  two  Hens. 
1.  First  prize,  Joseph  Jorden,    M'^aterfaU  Cottage,   Birmingham.     2. 
Second  prize,  Joseph  Jorden,  Waterfall  Cottage,  Birmingham. 

Class  20.— SILVER-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.     Cock  and  two 
Hens. 

1.  First  prize,  Joseph  Jorden,  Waterfall  Cottage,  Birmingham.  14. 
Second  prize,  James  Howard,  Bedford.  10.  Third  prize,  G.  Roberts, 
AmpthiU. 

Class  21.— SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.  Cock  and  two  Hens. 
3.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thames.     2.  Second 
prize,  Joseph  Jorden,  Waterfall  Cottage,  Birmingham.     6,  Third  prize, 
E.  H.  Strange,  AmpthiU. 


Class  22.— POLAND  FOWL  (Golden,  with  or  without  Ruffs  or  Beards). 
Cock  and  two  Hens. 
1.  First  prize,  John  Trapp,  Bedford.    2.  Second  prize,  John  Trapp, 
Bedford.     3,  Third  prize,  John  Trapp,  Bedford. 

Class  23.— POLAND  (other  Varieties).     Cock  and  two  Hens. 
1.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thamea.     4.  Second 
prize,  E.  H.  Strange,  AmpthUl.  3.  Third  prize,  E.  H.  Strange,  AmpthiU. 

Class  24.— FOR  ANY  OTHER  DISTINCT  BREED.      Cock  and  two 
Hens. 
6.  First  prize,  IVIiss   H.   Emery,  Kempston  Hardwick.     Hatched  May. 
5.  Second  prize,  Rev.  George  Calvert,  Beeby,  near  Leicester. 

Class  25.— MIXED  BREEDS,     Cock  and  two  Hens  of  any  age,  the 
Cross  to  be  stated. 

6.  First  prize,  Thomas  Sheen,  Aylesbury.  8.  Second  prize,  Charles 
Howard,  Biddenham. 

Class  26.— BANTAMS  (Gold-laced.  SUver-laced,  \\Tiite,  Black,  or  any 

other  variety).     Cock  and  two  Hens. 

Gold-laced. 

1.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thames.  9.  Second 
prize,  Matthew  Leno,  jun.,  Hempstead,  Herts. 

Silver-laced. 
10.  First  prize,  Matthew  Leno,  jun.,  Hempstead,  Herts. 

White, 
19.  First  prize,  Matthew  Leno,  jun.,  Hempstead,  Herts. 

Other  Colours. 

14.  First  prize,  John  Felts,  Biddenham,  cottager,  recommended  by 
Charles  Howard,  Biddenham,  15.  Second  prize,  F.  Lavender,  Bid- 
denham. 

Class  27.— PIGEONS,     A  Pair. 

li  Christopher  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thamcs.  Carriers,  Jacobins, 
Fantails,  and  Runts.  6.  Henry  Child,  Sherbourne  Road,  Birmingham. 
Yellow  Owl,  Black  Bald,  Archangel,  and  Yellow  Turbit.  I6,  John 
Trapp,  Bedford.  Nun,  and  French  Nun.  24.  William  Woods,  26, 
Park  Place,  Kennington  Cross,  London.  Black  Mottled  Trumpeter,  and 
Almond  Tumbler.    34.  F.  Lavender,  Biddenham.    Pouter. 

Class  28.— GEESE.     Gander  and  two  Geese. 

2.  First  prize,  l\Irs.  Harvey,  Ickwell  Bury,  Biggleswade.  1.  Second 
prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thames. 

Class  eg.— DUCKS  (White  Aylesbury,  Drake  and  two  Ducks). 
5.  First  prize,  John  Weston,   Oxford  Road,   Aylesbury.      6.  Second 
prize,  John  Weston,  Oxford  Road,  Aylesbury.     10.  Third  prize,  Charles 
Howard,  Biddenham. 

(Whole  class  highly  meritorious.) 

Class  30.— DUCKS  OF  ANY    OTHER  VARIETY.      Drake  and  two 
Ducks. 

7.  First  prize,  T.  W.  Pearse.  Bromham-road,  Bedford.  12.  Second 
prize,  W.  Hodgkinson,  Gough  Hill,  Birmingham. 

Class  31.— TURKEYS.     Turkey  Cock  and  two  Hens. 
2.  First  prize,  E.  Bumaby,  Baggrave  Hall,  Leicestershire.    1.  Second 
prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  Walton-on-Thames. 

Eastern  Counties*  Poulthy  Exhibition.  —  Norwich, 
though  somewhat  late  in  establishing  a  Poultry  Exhibition, 
has  at  length  set  about  it  in  earnest,  and  the  signal  success 
attending  the  first  show,  held  during  the  present  week,  is 
sufficient  to  justify  its  promoters  in  continuing  it  annually. 

"NVe  believe  we  are  not  far  from  the  mark  in  saying  that 
the  Corn  Exchange  opened  on  Tuesday  with  an  actual  ex- 
penditm'C  of  =£300  by  the  Committee ;  this,  we  rejoice  to 
say,  has  all  been  repaid,  and  has  left,  besides,  a  very 
splendid  surplus. 

The  an-angements  for  the  classification  and  cleanliness  of 
the  fowls  were  no  less  creditable  to  Mr.  Oury  and  Mr.  S. 
Dayues,  upon  whose  shoulders  devolved  this,  and  a  very 
large  portion  besides  of  the  really  hard  work  which  Poultry 
Show  Secretaries  must  make  up  their  mind  to  if  they  wish 
to  avoid  a  failure  and  to  continue  the  exhibitions.  In  the 
catalogue  every  exhibitor's  name  was  placed  alphabetically — 
a  great  convenience  to  the  public  when  searching  for  a 
name  in  classes,  comprising,  as  one  did,  upwards  of  100 
names.  The  judges  award  of  prizes  was  also  to  be  seen  at 
a  glance,  from  one  end  of  the  room  to  the  other,  by  the 
adoption  of  large  cards  of  various  colours,  to  distinguish 
the  lirst,  second,  and  tho  third  awards,  and  by  splendid 
rosettes  to  mark  the  Committee's  prizes.  But  what  was  of 
more  importance,  was  the  great  attention  paid  to  insure 
cleanliness,  and,  consequently,  a  freedom  from  that  effluvia 
which  has  deterred  many  from  attending  exhibitions  of  this 
kind.  I*erhaps  at  future  shows  the  calico  divisions  between 
tho  pens  will  he  superseded  by  thoso  of  thin  board ;  this 
would  render  it  impossible  for  the  birds  to  mix,  or  fight 
with  each  other,  as  they  will  do  when  the  sunshine  displays 
the  shadows  of  adjaceut  competitors,  or,  ns  was  tho  case 
here  with  the  game-cocks,  on  attempting  to  Hght  the  gas 
fully  on  Tuesday  evening. 


December  15. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


211 


We  hope  tliat  the  intentions  of  the  promoters  of  this 
show  may  be  realized  in  giving  an  impetus  to  the  rearing 
of  tlie  best  breeds  of  domestic  poultry  in  our  farm-yards. 
The  cost  of  keeping  Cochins  especially  has  the  great  merit 
of  cheapness  to  recommend  them,  as  it  was  a  fact  admitted 
to  us  by  three  or  four  of  the  most  eminent  breeders  at  the 
show,  tliat  they  did  not  cost  them,  charging  the  utmost 
market  value  for  what  they  consumed,  more  than  IKl.  per 
head  per  week.  Tbeir  weight  was  great,  considering  tlieir 
age,  and  farmers  might  rear  birds  weighing  from  six  to 
seven  pounds  eacli,  at  a  cost  of  about  Is.  6d.  to  Ss. ;  a  very 
important  consideration  when  butcher's  meat  was  7d.  to  Hd. 
per  pound.  We  asked  a  highly  practical  man,  and  at  the 
same  time  one  of  tiie  largest  breeders  of  Cochins,  whether 
he  had  ever  made  a  minute  calculation  as  to  the  outlay;  he 
assm'ed  us  he  had  done  so  for  several  months,  and  was 
persuaded  the  amount  named  was  the  outside,  and  he 
added — *'  I  never  make  the  shghtest  diti'erenee  as  the  shows 
approach;  they  are  taken  up  just  as  they  run."  This  gen- 
tleman's young  birds  were  among  the  best  shown. 

For  the  foregoing  extracts  we  are  indebted  to  the  Novfofk 
Chronicle^  but  we  have  received  several  commendatory 
letters,  but,  at  the  same  time,  requesting  us  to  call  the 
attention  of  the  committee  to  two  great  errors. 

"All  was  well  managed,"  says  one  correspondent,  "with 
the  exception  of  having  a  military  band  playing  constantly 
under  the  same  roof  with  the  fowls.  It  almost  killed  some 
of  them  with  fright."  This  error  has,  probably,  wrought  its 
own  cure,  for  the  noise  of  a  brass  band,  mingled  with  the 
voices  of  visitors,  and  the  clamour  of  Cocks,  Turkeys,  and 
Geese,  must  have  been  enough  to  drive  away  all  but  the 
deaf.  The  graver  error,  was  having  "An  Evening  Enter- 
tainment." It  might  be  entertaining  to  the  visitors,  but 
most  injurious  to  the  birds  and  their  owners.  The  excite- 
ment caused  to  the  birds  by  the  gas  and  music  combined  is 
described  by  our  correspondent  as  terrible.  Moreover,  it 
was  a  violation  of  confidence  to  have  it,  for  those  wlio  sent 
birds  there  were  not  pre-informed  that  they  would  have  to 
go  through  such  an  ordeal. 

PRIZE  LIST. 

Judges. — Mr.  John  Baily,  Poultry  Dealer,  London,  and 
Dr.  Horner,  of  Hall. 

COMMITTEE    PRIZES. 

The  best  General  Collection  of  Poultry,  Hon.  Mrs.  F.  Astley,  Swanton 
House,  Thetford. 

Class  C. — For  the  best  Skanghae  Cock  of  any  age  or  colour,  shown 
separately,  J-  Fairlie,  Esq. 

Class  C. — For  the  best  Shanghae  Hen,  of  any  age  or  colour,  shown 
separately,  C,  Punchard. 

SHANGHAE. 

Class  1. — First  prize,  J.  Fairlie,  Esq.  Third  prize,  C.  Punchard. 
Second  prize  withheld. 

Class  2. —First  prize,  H.  Gilbert,  Kensington.  Second  prize,  C. 
Punchard.     Third  prize,  H.  English,  Kerdiston. 

Class  3. — First  prize,  C.  Punchard.  Second  prize,  T.  Bridges.  Croydon. 

Class  4. — First  prize,  J.  Fairlie,  Esq.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  J.  Chater, 
Haverhill.    Third  prize,  J.  Fairlie,  Esq. 

Class  5. — First  prize,  W.  C.  Reynolds,  Yarmouth. 

Claa^  6. — First  prize,  Rev.  J.  Micklethwaite,  Horstead.  Second  prize. 
Dr.  Allen.  Highly  commended.  Dr.  Allen.  Commended,  C,  Rawson, 
Walton-on-Thames . 

Class  8. — Firat  prize,  E.  H.  L.  Preston,  Esq.  Second  prize,  C. 
Raw  son. 

SPANISH. 

Class  9.— First  prize,  The  Hon.  Frances  Astley.  Second  prize,  C. 
Rawson. 

Class  10.— First  prize,  Rev.  P.  Gurdon,  Cranworth.    Second  prize, 
The  Hon.  Francis  Astley.    The  whole  class  very  highly  meritorious. 
MALAYS. 

Class  11.— First  and  second  prize,  J.  Monsey,  Norwich. 

Class  12.— First  prize,  J.  Oldham,  Long  Eaton,  Derby.  Second  prize, 
Isaac  C.  Dowsing,  Yarmouth. 

POLAND. 

Class  13. — First  prize,  C.  Rawson. 

Class  14.— First  prize,  F.  Astley,  Burgh  Hall.  Second  prize,  R.  S. 
Howe,  Palgrave,  Diss, 

Class  l6. — First  prize,  C.  Stephenson,  Brixton. 

Class  17. — First  prize,  H.  Youell,  Yarmouth.  Second  prize,  Jones 
Parkins,  Fulham. 

Class  18. — First  and  second  prizes,  H.  Youell. 

DORKING. 

Class  20.— First  prize,  Rev.  E.  R.  Benyon,  Bury  St.  Edmund's. 
Second  prize,  T.  W.  Rust,  Stowmarket. 

Class  21. —First  prize,  C.  Rawson.  Second  prize.  The  Hon.  Francis 
Astley. 

Class  22.— First  prize.  The  Hon.  F.  Astley.  Second  prize,  James 
Lewry,  HandcroKs. 


GAME. 

Class  23.— First  prize,  G.  Groom, Norwich.  Second  prize,  A.  Thorpe, 
Norwich. 

Class  24.— First  prize,  J.  Monaey,  Norwich.  Second  prize,  J.  Buckley, 
Desford,  Leicester. 

Class  25.— First  prize,  J.  Monsey.    Second  prixe,  T.  Rix,  Norwich. 

Class  2fl. — First  prize,  James  Monaey.  Second  prize,  Geo.  Ellicj 
Bury  St.  Edmund's. 

Class  27. — First  piize  and  second  prize,  James  Monsey. 

Class  28.— First  prize,  James  Monsey.  Second  prize,  W.  Cults, 
Shottesham. 

HAMBURGH. 

Class  2g.—Fir8t  prize,  Henry  P.  Dowson,  Gcldestone.  Second  prize, 
James  Oldham,  Lonir  Eaton.  Derby. 

Class  3(1. —First  prize,  E.  P.  Archer.  Stowmarket.  Second  prize.  Rev. 
J.  W.  Freeman,  Stowmarket.     Class  meritorious. 

Class  32,— First  prize,  Henry  P.  Dowson,  Geldestone. 

Class  33.— First  prize,  W.  Pott  Pillans,  Sivaffliam.  Second  prize,  the 
Hon.  Frances  Astley. 

Class  34.— First  prize,  the  Hon.  F.  Astley.  Second  prize,  Charlotte 
Astley,  Burgh  Hall.     The  whole  class  highly  meritorious. 

Class  35.— First  prize,  Rev.  T.  L.  Fellowes,  Bcighton.  Second  prize, 
C.  Rawson, 

Class  36.— First  prize.  Rev.  T.  L.  Fellowes.  Second  prize,  Henry  P. 
Dowson. 

DISTINCT  BREEDS. 

Class  37.— First  prize,  John  Fairlie.  Second  prize,  Dr.  Burney,  Brock- 
hurst  Lodge,  Gosport. 

Class  38. — First  prize,  Charlotte  L.  Astley.  First  prize.  Parkins  Jonas, 
Fulham.     Second  prize,  W.  G.  Vivian,  Singleton. 

BANTAM. 

Class  39. — First  prize,  H.  D.  Palmer,  Southtown.  Second  prize,  The 
Hon.  Frances  Astley. 

Class  40. — First  prize,  James  Monsey.  Second  prize,  Henry  D. 
Palmer,  Yarmouth. 

Class  41. — Firt  prize  and  second  prize,  James  Monsey. 

Class  42. — First  prize.  Rev.  P.  Gurdon.  Second  prize,  Kate  Cham- 
berlin,  Calton. 

GEESE. 

Class  43.— First  prize,  John  Fairlie.    Second  prize,  Frederick  Astley. 

DUCKS. 

Class  44,— First  prize,  Rev.  J.  Bulwer.      Second  prize,  C.  Rawson. 

Class  45. — First  prize,  Mrs.  J.  Dutton,  Bury  St.  Edmund's.  Second 
prize,  John  Fairlie. 

Class  46. — Firat  prize,  ^Charles  Punchard.  Second  prize,  G.  Drake, 
Catton. 

TURKEYS. 

Class  47. — First  prize,  Abraham  Cannell,  Cringleford.  Second  prize, 
Barnes  Caldecott,  Ormesby  House. 

Class  48. — First  prize,  John  Fairlie.    Second  prize,  Abraham  Cannell. 

GUINEA  FOWLS. 

Class  49.— Firat  prize,  Wm.  Copple,  Prescott.  Second  prize,  John 
Fairlie. 

PIGEONS. 

Class  50. — Class  a. — Carriers.     Alfred  Master,  Esq.,  Norwich. 

Class  B. — Aimojid  Tumblers.     Mr.  George  Allen,  Norwich. 

Class  c. — Poutei's  &m\  Cropper's.     Mr.  \V.  F.  Orfeur,  Norwich. 

Class  o.—Balds,  Bearda,  and  Mottled  Tumblers.  BIr.  \V,  Taylor, 
Norwich. 

Class  n. — Archangels.     Christopher  Rawson. 

Class  I. — Jaco/iiiis.     Christopher  Rawson. 

Class  K. — Fantnils.     Edward  H.  Everard,  Bury  St.  Edmund's, 

Class  L. — Trumpeters.     Christopher  Rawson. 

Class  N. — Runts.     Christopher  Uawson. 

The  numbers  attending  on  the  several  days  were,  on 
Tuesday  (half-crown  day),  1,300  ;  "Wednesday,  2,200,  in  the 
evening,  400  ;  and  on  the  third  day,  1,300.  As  near  as  can 
he  at  present  ascertained,  there  will  be  a  surplus  of  about 
i^'300,  after  paying  all  expenses,  and  exclusive  of  the  sale 
of  hooks  and  prize  lists,  which  must  amount  to  a  very  con- 
siderable sum. 

THE  SALE. 

Soon  after  one  o'clock,  Mr.  Barnard  ascended  the  platform 
in  the  Hall,  and  commenced  the  sale,  but  the  noise  was  so 
great  from  the  crowing  of  the  cocks,  and  the  crowd  of 
people,  that  he  soon  found  that  he  could  not  be  heard.  The 
sale  was  tiien  adjourned  to  the  Royal  Hotel,  and  the  large 
room  in  a  short  time  was  pretty  well  filled.  In  the  Shanghae 
classes  there  were  few  birds,  and  out  of  yoi  lots,  only 
eighteen  were  sold,  and  these  at  very  low  prices,  the  reserve 
birds  in  those  cases  being  withdrawn,  except  for  the  piize 
fowls.  The  only  prize  fowls  sold  were  Mr.  Micklethwaite's 
white  Cochin  chickens,  for  the  resei^ve  jmce  illu,  to  Dr. 
Allen.  Half-a-dozen  lots  in  Class  2  (the  best  cock  and  two 
pullets)  Cinnamon  or  Buti',  went  for  lis.,  123.,  13s.  14s.,  i 
and  los.  each,  but  little  more  than  common  market  price. 

In  the  Spanish  classes,  twenty-six  lots  were  catalogued. — 
There  were  very  few  birds,  and  only  two  lots  sold,  one  of 
six-months-old,  black  chickens,  at  28s.,  and  one  of  nine- 
months  chickens,  at  23s.  In  the  classes  of  Malays,  twenty- 
four  lots  were  catalogued,  and  only  bids  for  three,  which 
wero  sold  without  reserve,  at  very  low  prices.     There  was 


212 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  10 


not  a  bid  for  any  of  the  prize  fowls  in  those  classes.  There 
were  twenty-two  lots  in  the  Poland  classes,  not  one  of  them 
bid  for— and  out  of  lifty-nine  lots  in  the  Dorhhuj  classes, 
only  two  in  classes  iiO  and  21  were  sold,  the  reserve  prices 
having  been  -withdrawn— one  lot  of  chickens  at  30s.,  and 
another  exceeding  one  year  at  25s.  In  class  22  of  coloured 
Dorkings,  four  lots  were  sold.  The  Hon.  Mrs.  Astley's 
prize  Dorkings  were  knocked  down  to  Mr.  Fairlie,  of 
Cheveley  Park,  at  six  guineas. 

There  were  forty-nine  lots  of  Game  birds  catalogued,  and 
not  a  bid  for  any  one  of  them.  The  Hamburgh  classes 
comprised  sixty-seven  lots,  and  only  two  were  bid  for.  One 
lot  of  Gold-pencilled  chickens  sold  for  10s.,  and  another  of 
Silver-pencilled  for  15s.  The  classes  of  distinct  breeds 
comprised  forty-seven  lots,  and  only  one  bid  for  and  sold 
for  iOs.  There  were  fifty  lots  in  the  Bantam  classes,  and 
only  two  were  sold  without  reserve,  at  153  each.  About 
seven  lots  of  Geese  were  without  a  single  bidder,  pen  2, 
which  gained  the  first  prize,  sold  for  ^20.  These  Geese 
were  the  prize  fowls  belonging  to  Mr.  Fairlie,  the  purchaser 
being  Lord  "William  Powlett.  Three  lots  of  White  Aylcahury 
Duclcs  were  sold  without  reserve,  at  12s.  each.  In  the  class 
of  Rouen,  nine  lots  had  not  a  bidder,  and  in  class  of  any 
colour,  one  lot  was  sold  without  reserve  for  8s.,  and  another 
at  the  reserve  bid  of  30s. 

In  the  classes  of  Turlceys,  comprising  twenty-two  lots, 
only  four  were  sold  at  423.,  ^3  ;3s.,  JCii  Os.,  and  i.'3  I'is. 
One  lot  of  Guinea  Fowls  went  for  Gs.,  and  another  for  10s. 
The  Piqeons,  comprising  fifty-six  lots,  attracted  no  bids,  and 
all  the  lots  in  the  extra  stock  were  left  unsold. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

Si'ANtsH  Fowls.— Exception  has  been  taken  to  a  sentence  in  our 
renoi-t  of  the  late  Winchester  Poultry  Show,  where  we  expressed  an 
opinion  that  "  a  dark  line  of  feather  between  ttie  face  and  comb,''  is 
a  fatal  objection  to  the  Spanish  fowl.  Now,  had  we  said  "  the  preseiice 
of  black  feathers,"  we  should  unquestionably  have  thus  referred  to  a 
standard  to  which  not  one  bird  in  ten  thousand  can  attain,  since  occa- 
Monal  short  bristly  feathers  are  usually,  indeed,  wc  might  almost  say, 
always,  visible  above  the  eye  of  even  the  best  birds.  But,  widely  different 
from  this  is  the  continuous  "black  line  of  feather,"  of  which  we 
expressed  such  strong  disnpprnbation,  and  which,  we  stdl  venture  to 
think  will  meet  with  as  little  favour  from  those  to  whom  the  task  ot  arbi- 
tration at  our  different  Poultry  Shows  may  bo  confided,  as  we  ourselves 
are  inclined  to  bestow.  A  correspondent  has  intimated  to  us  his  belief 
that  the  best"  white  faces,"  in  this  family,  have  been  subjected  to  various 
operations,  such  as  ''shaving  mid  plucking,"  for  the  removal  of  such  in- 
trusive feathers.  In  answer  fo  this,  we  would  observe,  that  beyond  all 
doubt,  instances  may  be  found  where  persons  have  been  willing  to  hazard 
the  dis(nialification  of  their  birds,  justly  consequent  on  the  discovery  of 
Buch  trickery;  but  when  it  is  asserted  that  the  success  of  the  most  cele- 
brated strains,  durins  the  last  two  vears,  has  been  thus  achieved,  our  un- 
quaUfied  and  emphatic  denial  of  tlie  imputation  must  be  at  once  pro- 
nounced. It  has  been  also  stated,  that  disappointment  need  not  be  felt 
at  Spanish  Chickens  failing'  to  realize  the  expectations  of  breeders  whose 
stock  has  been  the  most  carefully  selected,  since  a  very  advanced  age,  it 
is  asserted,  is  requisite  for  the  full  development  of  their  principal 
characteristic,  the  white  face.  Until  after  the  lirst  moult,  an  opinion  on 
the  merit  of  Spanish  fowls  in  tbia  respect  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  specu- 
lative •  and,  we  further  believe,  that  progressive  improvement  may  extend 
into  the  third  year;  but  beyond  this  last  period,  we  imanine  that  there  arc 
but  very  few  instances  where  the  biid,  in  subsequent  seasons,  ever 
appeared  to  greater  advantage  in  respect  of  face.  An  alleged  case  of  a 
Spanish  hen  not  showing  the  white  over  the  eye  till  nearly  four  years  old 
must  be  a  most  unusual  occurrence,  and  calculated,  we  fear,  to  disappoint 
those  whose  patience  in  reliance  on  this  theory  might  carry  thera  on  to 
a  fourth  year  which  should  produce  so  satisfactory,  yet  marvellous,  a 
metamorphosis  in  their  previouslv  imperfect  specimens.  But  more  on 
this  head  when  Birmingham  has  summoned  the  chosen  of  this  race  to 
the  arena  of  Bingley  Hall.— W. 

Weight  OF  Gkese.—j1/^.  TcoZ/cr  says.  "When  I  gave  you  the  weights 
of  my  Ganders  of  this  year's  hatching,  I  had  no  other  moti%'e  than  to 
induce  others  to  do  the  same.  Some  breeders  of  Geese  make  weight 
their  leading  aim  ;  and  if  they  state  the  weights  of  their  old  or  young 
birds,  I  am  under  the  impression  that  the  information  would  be  appre- 
ciated by  many  of  your  readers.  But  I  might  add,  that  I  do  not  consider 
the  lar"-e  breeds  of  Gesse  are  so  profitable  as  the  smaller,  unless  it  can 
be  proved  that  the  latter  consume  more  food  in  proportion,  as  the  dif- 
ference  in  market  price  is  not  equal  to  the  difference  in  their  weights." 

Crysantha  magniflora  {\V.  X.  ir.).— There  is  a  genus  of  New 
Holland  plants,  nearly  allied  to  Epacris,  which  Dr.  Brown  named  Cry- 
santhe,  many  years  since ;  but  we  arc  not  aware  that  Brown  ever  used 
the  term  magniflora  as  a  specific  xx^mt—mnpniftQra  is  more  commonly 
used  bv  florists ;  and,  unless  you  had  some  collateral  proof  to  show  that 
the  word  was  used  rather  by  a  botanist,  wc  would  believe  crijsantha 
originated  with  some  provincial  florist,  and  that  he  meant  Chrysanthemum 
mngnillovum.  We  see  worse  spelling  of  names  very^often  from  a  higher 
grade  of  writers  in  our  own  correspondence. 

Flowerbeds  {Anserculus).'~We  never  object  to  any  fancy  design 
for  flower-beds,  and,  in  some  situations  and  spare  places  about  a  large 
garden,  we  like  to  see  them,  if  they  do  not  seem  to  intrude  on  better 
things  too  much.    When  we  see  a  room  papered  with  a  pattern  in  which 


Dahlias  grow  out  of  Rosea,  and  Gilliflowers  out  of  Thistles,  we  pretend 
to  be  in  a  great  hurry,  for  we  cannot  long  endure  the  torture  of  so  much 
outrage,  It  is  just  the  same  when  we  see  an  attempt  made  to  imitate 
anything  from  nature  or  art  in  a  fancy  flower-garden,  if  the  thing  in 
question  is  not  done  to  a  nicety  after  the  model.  Your  plan  is  to  be  the 
stem  of  a  \''ine,  run  along  the  ground  in  a  slight  serpentine  fashion  ;  this 
stem  is  made  of  dwarf  Box  a  foot  wide  ;  the  leaves  are  to  come  out  right 
and  left,  as  in  the  Vine  ;  the  footstalk  to  be  of  Box,  and  the  outline  of 
the  leaf  in  Box,  like  a  common  edging,  and  the  blade  of  each  leaf  is  to 
be  a  flower-bed  ;  but  you  have  a  peach  leaf  and  a  maple  leaf  alternately 
on  each  side— what  plant  in  this  wurld  grows  that  way?  Let  all  the 
leaves  be  those  of  some  certain  plant,  in  the  name  of  Linnieus,  if  for 
nothing  else  ;  and,  depend  upon  it,  they  cannot  find  fault  with  your 
design,  though  they  might  not  like  it.  The  right  scent  is  needed  in 
more  wealthy  places  than  yours. 

Various  (A*.  Y.  Z.).— Seepages  128  and  129-  At  the  third  paragraph 
from  the  bottom  of  the  second  column  of  the  last  page,  the  words  moist 
heat  should  be  viuch  heat.  It  is  always  very  pleasing  to  find  that  we  are 
giving  satisfaction.  We  now  see  clearly  how  you  can  manage  so  many 
sashes,  seven  feet  by  lour  feet,  as  you  intend  them  to  be  for  a  hothouse, 
some  other  day.  By  looking  to  an  article  a  short  time  ago,  you  would 
see,  that  by  merely  confining  your  Vines  to  the  rafters,  four  feet  apart, 
you  might  have  good  crops  of  Peaches,  where  they  stand  on  what  then 
would  be  the  back-wall,  provided  you  did  not  force  much.  We  now 
thoroughly  comprehend  how  your  sashes  are  fixed,  and  though  we  do 
not  know  exactly  the  patent  ventilator  of  which  you  speak,  it  matters 
little  how  it  is  done,  provided  the  heated  air  is  prevented  accumulating 
at  the  centre  of  the  enclosed  space  at  the  top,  even  though  open  at  the 
bottom  and  at  both  ends.  But  the  mode  of  preventing  this  may  be  done 
very  simply,  such  as  by  having  some  moveable  panes  there,  such  as  you 
describe  for  enabling  you  to  introduce  the  syringe  to  wash  the  trees. 
Now,  in  a  length  of  four  yards,  open  at  the  both  ends,  we  should  think 
one  large  a(|uare  in  the  central  light  of  the  three  would  be  sufficient  to 
prevent  any  danger.  In  a  length  of  six  yards,  two  would  be  requisite, 
or  even  three ;  and  in  that  of  eight  yards,  four,  at  least,  would  be  re- 
quired. There  would  be  no  necessity  for  putting  one  in  either  of  the  end 
sashes,  as  the  open  sides  would  prevent  all  danger  there.  We,  ourselves, 
should  like  these  ventilating  mediums  as  safety  valves.  When  we  spoke 
of  allowing  glass  to  stand  before  the  trees  in  winter,  and  making  it 
opaque  then,  our  object  was  not  to  npen  the  wood  ;  we  presumed  that  to 
be  done  before  the  glass  was  clouded,  to  shut  out  the  sun's  r.^ys,  and 
thus  retard  the  tree  in  its  blooming.  You  might  let  down  the  blind  that 
protects  your  riders  on  standards  on  sunny  days,  in  winter  and  very 
early  spring,  for  a  similar  purpose,  as  the  longer  such  fruits  can  be  kept 
from  blooming,  the  more  safety  there  will  be  for  a  crop,  as  the  blossoms 
will  not  be  forced  to  expand  by  a  sun-heated  wall  when  there  is  little 
warmth  in  the  ground  to  keep  up  a  flow  of  juices.  You  are  quite  right 
in  applying  fires  to  your  walls  in  autumn,  and  putting  them  out  as 
soon  as  the  wood  is  ripened.  The  less  excitement  after  that  from 
sun,  or  otherwise,  the  better,  until  genial  weather  comes  in  spring. 
Your  laying  bare  the  roots  for  a  short  time  can  do  no  harm;  it  will 
stop  growth.  Neither  light,  nor  much  air,  is  of  any  consequence  to  Figs 
after  the  leaves  are  fallen,  until  growth  commences  the  following  spring. 
A  little  straw  twisted  among  the  branchei,  and  then  all  covered  with  mats, 
or  cloth,  would  be  much  safer  than  your  glass  sheets  open  at  the  ends. 
We  have  seen  Ff/j-s  killed  in  houses  under  glass  without  heat.  Your 
sashes  so  fixed  would  be  valuable  for  accelerating  the  Figs  when  placed 
on  after  growth  had  commenced,  until  July,  and  then,  perhaps,  the  Figs 
would  be  as  well  without  them;  but  in  September,  they  would  help 
again  to  ripen  the  crop  and  harden  the  wood.  In  these  cases,  ventilators 
would  be  required  in  all  the  sashes  except  the  outside  ones,  and  in  them, 
likewise,  if  you  shut  up  the  ends.  Figs  like  plenty  of  water  when  grow- 
ing and  fruiting,  and  little  when  in  a  state  of  rest ;  but  the  quantity,  even 
in  the  former  case,  must  be  greatly  regulated  by  the  deptlt  the  trees  are 
planted,  and  the  open  or  close  character  of  the  soil.  So  long  as  your 
trees  make  short  stubby  shoots,  well  stored  with  fruit,  you  need  scarcely 
ever  water  them  in  the  growing  season;  but  if  the  reverse,  actaccordingly- 
We  are  very  sorry  you  should  have  suffered  so  much  from  Wti.yis  in  your 
Bee  department.  Perhaps  some  of  our  friends  will  turn  their  attention 
to  this  subject.  Your  using  the  syringe  is  not  new.  We  have  cleared 
trees  of  them  by  the  garden  syringe,  having  bo\s  ready  to  catch  every 
wasp  as  he  tumbled  down.  With  two  engines  we  could  manage  pretty 
well  to  knock  them  off  the  fruit,  and  bring  down  those  that  were  flyirig 
away.  We  have  seen  few  nests  this  season,  but  they  were  monsters  in 
size.  The  hot-water  is  a  good  thing,  but  it  ia  advisable  to  stupify  the 
rogues  previously,  by  firing  a  fusee  of  powder  and  sulphur  into  their 
holes,  and  then  covering  the  holes  for  a  ft;w  minutes  before  digging  them 
out.  When  this  is  done,  the  ground  should  be  smoothed,  after  burying 
abottlchalf  filled  with  water,  with  its  mouth  open,  and  just  level  with 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  Every  wanderer  that  has  escaped  will  fly  in 
there  and  be  done  fur.  In  strong  nests  wc  have  emptied  a  liottle  several 
times.  An  excellent  trap  is  formed  of  two  handlights,  and  bees  hardly 
ever  try  it.  Some  rotting  fruit,  sour  beer,  with  a  little  sugar,  &c.,  is 
put  into  a  saucer ;  a  handlight  is  placed  over  it,  supported  on  four  bricks 
at  the  corners,  or  any  other  material  more  convenient.  A  few  small 
holes  are  l)roken  at  the  vary  apex  of  this  glass.  Another  sound  handlight 
is  placed  over  the  first,  and  the  place  where  the  one  joins  the  other  is 
secured  with  a  strip  of  wood,  or  putty,  or  clay.  As  noon  as  Mr.  Wasp 
gluts  himself  in  the  saucer,  he  flies  aloft,  gets  through  the  hole  in  the  top, 
and  into  the  upper  glass,  where  he  hums  and  flics  until  he  dies.  I  have 
ac'-n  a  peck  taken  out  of  one  of  such  places.—  R.  F. 

Gapes  (J.  Uollitis).— If  thi«  disease  arises  from  worms  in  the  wind- 
pipe, and  the  inflammation  they  produce,  we  think  oil  poured  down  the 
throat,  greasy  water  for  their  drink,  &c.,  can  have  little  effect  in  curing 
it,  for  the  oil  and  grease  go  into  their  crops. 


London:  Printed  by  Harkt  Wooldridoe,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMEKViLLB  Orb,  of  ChuTch  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Ebsci,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London. — December  15th,  1653. 


JJKCJJjlBER  2:3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


213 


WEEKLY  GALE!\!OAR 


11 

D 

1) 
W 

DECHMBEK  22—28,   1853. 

Wbathrr  nkae  London  in 
Jlaronieter.      Thermo.  Win^. 

1H63. 
Uain  in 
Inches. 

Sun 
niaes. 

Sun    1 
Sets. 

Moon 
11.  St.  S. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Clock 
af.  Sun. 

Day  of 
Year. 

!  22 
1  23 
.  2i 
25 
2S 
27 
23 

P 
S 
Sds 

Br 

To 

w 

Black  Duck  comes. 

Orange-breasted  Goosander  comes. 

White  Nun  comes. 

Christmas  Day. 

St.  Stephen. 

St.  John  Evangelist. 

Innocents. 

29.7!)!— 29.733   '  -19—38    S.W. 
29.788-59,724      6(1—37      S.E. 
29.789—29.735  ;  56—43  1  S.W, 
29,733—29,659   1  .12—41  1    W. 
29,703—29,351    1   55—45  j  S  W. 
29.396—29,032     '    54—36   ■  ,S.W. 
39,789—29,525     i    54—26   1  S.W. 

04 
03 

09 

7  a8 

7 
8 
8 
3 
8 
9 

51  a.  3  ' 
52 
63 
53 
54 
55 
55 

11       6 
morn. 

0  23 

1  42 

3  5 

4  32 
6       2 

22 

24 
25 
26 

1      4 
0    34 

0  ■( 
bcf.  26 

0.  56 

1  25 
1      55 

356 
357 
353 
359 
360 

361  i 

362  j 

Mkteohology  of  the  Week. — At  Cbiswick,  from  observations  durin?  the  last  twenty-six  years,  the 
1    peraturesof  these  days  are  42.6'' and  31,2°  respectively.  The  trreatest  heat,  58°,  occurred  on  the  25th  in  1827 
21th  in  1830.  During  the  period  Uti  days  were  fine,  and  on  66  rain  fell. 

averace  highest  and  lowest  tem-    ] 
;  and  the  lowest  cold,  10°,  on  the 

ELOWER-GARDEN  PLAN.— No.  11. 


Heee  is  a  geometric  garden  for  a  small  space  behind  a 
house,  by  placing  it  lengthways,  as  shown ;  or  for  a  front 
garden,  between  the  liouse  and  the  road  or  street,  by  putting 
it  crossways,  and  doing  away  with  the  two  centre  circles 
(2  2)  going  up  to  the  front-door,  and  squaring  the  ends  of 
the  long  beds  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  garden. 

If  the  plan  is  laid  longways  from  the  bouse,  the  six 
circles,  marked  2,  are  the  best  of  places  for  six  pillar  Roses. 
The  beds  marked  1,  are  for  dwarf  Koses,  and  herbaceous 
plants,  Mimuluses,  Violets,  Pansies,  Poppies,  Anemones,  and 
all  manner  of  things.  Kos.  3  and  4,  are  for  spring  early 
Tulips,  as  the  Van  Thols,  Golden  Standard,  Koyal  Standard, 
Eex  Rubrorum,  Marriage  de  ma  Fil,  and  twenty  others 
besides,  if  one  can  get  them.  The  beds  5,  G,  7,  8,  to  be  of 
Crocuses  of  sorts,  surrounded  by  Snowdrops,  Snow-flakes, 
Turban  Ranunculuses,  and,  indeed,  any  of  these  good,  old 
common  things  that  come  on  in  the  spring,  and,  at  least, 
one  of  the  squares  to  be  with  bedding-plants  in  summer. 
The  two  beds,  7,  of  Tom  Thumbs,  and  bed  8,  with  yellow 
Calceolarias,  and  bed  4,  the  centre  bed,  all  white ;  the  white 
variegated  Alyssum  would  be  the  best,  or  rather  second 
best.  JMangle's  variegated  Geranium  is  certainly  the  beat 
for  that  bed,  but  a  white  Verbena  will  do. 

Then,  by  looking  down  on  these  from  a  back  bedroom- 
window  every  morning,  and  again  in  the  afternoon,  when 
one  went  up  to  dress  for  dinner,  and  as  often  at  other  times 
as  one  had  need  to  proceed  upstairs,  the  eye  T/ould  soon 
get  accustomed  to  symmetry,  and  regular  arrangement  of 
colours  and  ilowers,  under  various  lights  and  shades,  from 
the  state  of  the  weather;  so  that  we  should  soon  get  rid  of 
the  vulgar  prejudice  of  scarleting  the  centres  of  our  flower- 
gardens  for  everlasting. 


Another  great  step  would  be  gained  by  tlie  use  of  such 
simple  figures  so  planted.  We  should  sliame  tho^e  who 
plant  in  such  abominable-shaped  beds,  as  stars,  triangles, 
Iddneys,  pears,  oak-leaf  shapes,  and  goodness  knows  how 
many  more  shapeless  beds  besides. 

1  will  maintain  with  all  my  might,  and  as  long  as  there  is 
breath  in  me,  that  Her  Majesty,  in  all  her  gardens,  has  not 
a  single  llower-bed  of  better  shape  than  any  in  this  simple 
.arrangement,  nor  better  planted  either ;  neither  has  her 
Grace  the  Duchess  of  Sutherland,  nor  the  Honble.  Lady 
Middleton  ;  neither  at  such  public  places  as  Kew  Garden, 
nor  that  of  the  London  Horticultural  Society,  will  any  oue 
find  beds  one  morsel  better  shaped  than  these. 

I  put  it  thus,  because  I  know  that  young  beginners  are 
not  half  so  much  afraid  of  anything  as  about  the  shape  of 
their  flower-beds,  and  these  observations  are  only  meant 
for  such. 

Another  thing  I  have  much  in  view,  is  to  got  this  new 
class  to  take  to  growing  Pillar  Roses ;  and  when  the  older 
hands  see  the  immense  improvement  this  will  produce, 
they  will  come  round,  in  time,  to  give  up  standard  Roses 
altogether,  except  of  the  very  strongest  kinds,  and  they  will 
let  them  grow  as  big  as  the  Stone  Pine  of  Italy,  and  some- 
thing of  that  shape,  and  mops,  as  patterns,  will  go  out  of 
fasliion  entirely,  and  for  ever. 

The  above  plan  may  be  repeated  so  as  to  occupy  a  much 
larger  surface,  as  were  the  blocks  of  which  the  Crystal 
Palace  was  formed.  A  plan  to  show  liow  that  may  be  done 
is  now  ready,  and  will  soon  appear  in  these  pages. 

D.  Beaton. 


No.  COLXXIII.,  Vol.  XI. 


214 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


December  22. 


The  December  Meeting  of  tlie  Entomological  Society, 
held  on  the  uth  instant,  was  one  of  the  most  nume- 
rously attended  we  have  ever  seen,  shewing  the  in- 
creased interest  given  to  the  subject.  The  President, 
Edward  Newman,  Esq.,  was  in  the  chair.  Mr.  West- 
wood  stated,  that  having  been  afforded  an  opportunity 
of  examining  a  living  male  specimen  of  the  Boo  Para- 
site Melittohra  Andouinii,  he  had  distinctly  seen  the 
ocelli,  which  are  not  visible  after  death. 

As  usual,  a  considerable  number  of  new  and  in- 
teresting Lepidoptera  were  exhibited  by  different 
members.  Mr.  Scott,  of  Renfrew,  sent  a  new  Cnephasia, 
allied  to  C.  hellana,  from  Scotland  ;  Mr.  Douglas,  speci- 
mens of  Yponomeata  cerorella,  a  brood  of  the  Catei'- 
pillars  of  which  had  been  found  on  the  common 
Spindle-tree  near  Wandsworth ;  Mr.  Stainton  also  cx- 
lubited  the  cocoons  of  the  same  species. 

Mr.  Westwood  exhibited  a  portion  of  honey-comb, 
received  from  an  anonymous  correspondent,  from  a 
hive,  the  queen  of  which  only  deposited  drone  eggs, 
which  were,  also,  sometimes  placed  at  random  in  the 
cells  of  workers,  causing  an  irregularity  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  series  of  the  latter;  the  hive,  in  conse- 
quence, became  tenantless  in  the  month  of  September. 

Mr.  Curtis  exhibited  a  box  containing  a  number  of 
Bees,  Wasps,  and  Sand-wasps,  from  the  South  of 
Europe,  received  from  Signers  Passerini  and  Bertoloni, 
and  Mons.  Le'on  Dufour.  Tlie  first-named  gentleman 
had  paid  considerable  attention  to  the  habits  of  several 
of  tliese  insects,  and  he  was  about  to  publish  his  ob- 
servations upon  them.  He  also  exhibited  some  British 
species  of  Cuckoo  Flies,  which  are  parasitic  upon  the 
large  Saw  Flies  of  the  genus  Trichiosoma,  one  species 
of  which  forms  its  cocoons  upon  whitethorns  in  hedges. 

The  Secretary  announced  that  the  Council  had  de- 
termined to  distribute  their  stock  of  duplicates  of 
British  Lepidoptera  among  the  members,  upon  appli- 
cation to  the  Curator. 

Mr.  Samuel  Stevens  exhibited  a  specimen  of  the  rare 
Beetle  Pogonocerus  fmciculatus,  taken  by  Mr.  Eoxcroft, 
in  Scotland.  Thus  confirming  the  claims  of  that  species 
to  be  regarded  as  a  native  species-.  It  had  previously 
been  reared  from  the  staves  of  a  cask,  respecting  the 
place  of  manufacture  of  which  there  was  a  doubt.  Also, 
a  specimen  of  the  new  British  Oloicworm,  taken  by  Mr. 
Foxcroft.  It  is  rather  smaller  than  the  common  Glow- 
worm, with  shorter  legs.  The  male  has  not  yet  been 
found. 

]\Ir.  Wallace  exhibited  a  ncvr  and  very  beautiful 
Longicorn  Beetle  from  California,  belonging  to  the 
genus  Acantltociniis.  Also,  a  specimen  of  the  very  rare 
Butterfly,  Enjdna  Oclavius,  of  Cramer.  He  also  road 
the  completion  of  his  memoir  upon  the  habits  of  the 
various  species  and  families  of  Butterflies  which  inhabit 
the  valley  of  the  Amazons.  In  tlie  Agemiulie  he  had 
observed  the  noise  made  by  the  insect  first  noticed  by 
Mr.  Darwin,  but  he  had  only  heard  it  when  those  speci- 
mens were  flying  together  and  battluig  together  in  the 
air.     Of  the  Heliconidoe  he  had  found  as  many  as  sixty 


or  seventy  species.  The  gigantic  Morpldda:  and  Bras- 
solidcc  are  very  slow  in  flight,  the  species  of  Caligo 
flying  only  at  twilight.  Of  the  beautiful  family  Enjci- 
nida  he  had  captured  200  species.  They  are  pre- 
eminently forest  Butterflies,  setting  on  the  underside 
of  leaves  with  theu  wings  expanded.  The  little  Heli- 
copis,  with  gold  spots  on  the  underside  of  its  wings, 
rests  with  them  elevated.  Of  the  Thecln,  as  many  as 
sixty  species  had  been  taken  ;  also,  a  great  number  of 
species  of  Hesperida,  the  only  British  species  of  which, 
known  under  the  common  name  of  Skipper  Butterflies, 
give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  brilliancy  and  rapidity  of 
flight  of  the  South  American  species. 

Mr.  F.  Smith  read  some  further  notes  on  the  Bee 
parasite  named  Antkophorabia  fasciata,  by  Mr.  New- 
port, a  male  of  whiclu  had  been  kept  alive  by  him  for 
seven  weeks.  The  insect  proves  to  be  identical  with 
the  Cirrospihis  Acastor,  of  Walker,  which  specific  name 
must  take  precedence  over  the  names  proposed  by 
Messrs.  Westwood  and  Newport.  Mr.  Walker  had, 
however,  made  a  mistake  in  describing  a  female  as  a 
male,  with  which  latter  sex  he  was  not  acquainted. 

The  remainder  of  the  evening  was  occupied  with  a 
discussion  upon  the  destructive  habits  of  Scolytiis  De- 
structor, and  the  means  for  preventing  its  ravages. 
Captain  Cox,  who  had  paid  gi-eat  attention  to  the 
subject  for  several  years  past,  and  whose  essay  on  the 
subjects  had  received  the  gold  medal  of  the  Royal 
Botanic  Society,  brought  for  exhibition  some  pieces  of 
the  wood  of  Elm  and  Ash-trees,  the  former  destroyed  by 
the  ScoJijtus,  and  the  latter  by  Hijluryus  Fraxini.  He 
entirely  opposed  the  opinion  that  only  trees  in 
an  incipient  state  of  disease  are  attacked  by  the 
Scolytus,  having  observed  healthy  trees  destroyed  by 
them  in  two  years,  especially  mentioning  a  tree  only 
twenty-eight  years  old,  which  bad  been  attacked  by  at 
least  280,000,  judging  from  the  number  of  tracks  made 
by  the  larvEC.  It  is  the  custom  of  the  female  to  m.ake 
a  longitudinal  burrow  beneath  the  bai'k,  depositing  her 
eggs  at  regular  intervals  :  and  the  young  larva;,  when 
hatched,  burrow  at  right  angles  across  the  bark  of  the 
tree,  by  which  means  the  circulation  of  the  sap  is 
entirely  prevented,  and  the  tree  destroyed.  Ho  had 
been  in  communication  with  the  Olficers  of  the  Woods 
and  Forests  in  the  hopes  of  inducing  them  to  adopt  his 
proposed  remedy  for  preventing  the  destruction  of  the 
Elms  in  the  public  parks,  &e.,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
London,  but  had  found  thorn  apathetic  upon  the  subject. 
Old  trees,  which  might  have  been  s.avcd,  liad  been  cut 
down  piece  by  piece,  including  tlio  finest  I'^lm  in  the 
kingdom,  which  grew  opposite  Ijuckiugham  Palace, 
and  young  ones  planted  in  their  stead,  which,  for  want 
of  proper  jirecaution,  were  also  attacked,  and  already 
nearly  killed.  He  had  found  that  the  most  efliciout 
mode  for  preventing  the  destruction  of  tlie  trees  was 
to  disbark  them  to  a  (!onsiderable  extent,  burning  the 
old  bark  full  of  the  insects,  the  process  inducing  a 
strong  growth  of  now  bark.  He  had  also  investigated 
the  habits  of  the  t'aterpilhi.r  of  the  Goat  Afoth,  Cossus 
lignipcrda,  so  called  I'rom  the  oflbnsive  smell  which  its 


December  22. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


215 


larva  emits.  He  had  found,  that  in  a  plantation,  in  the 
Royal  Botanical  Society's  Grounds,  in  the  Regent's 
Park,  out  of  240  trees  only  ninety  had  been  found  free 
from  the  attacks  of  that  insect.  He  had  found  the  only 
available  plan  was  to  follow  its  track,  and  cut  it  out  of 
the  solid  wood,  and  it  was  surprising  how  soon  the 
wounds  thus  made  wei-e  entirely  healed.  A  long  dis- 
cussion among  the  Members  ensued.  Mr.  Newman 
considered  that  tlie  Scolytns  certainly  attacked  healthy 
trees;  instancing  the  row  of  Elms  in  Camberwell  Grove, 
which  ho  had  carefully  watched.  Mr.  Curtis,  on  the 
other  hand,  considered  that  the  trees  attacked  by  the 
Scohjtus  were  previously  in  a  state  of  disease  ;  espe- 
cially noticing  a  row  of  these  trees  in  Lisson  Grove, 
which  had  been  destroyed,  large  pieces  of  the  bark 
falling  oflf.  He  attributed  the  attacks  of  the  insect,  in 
this  case,  to  the  old  age  of  the  trees,  which  were  already 
in  a  diseased  state.  Mr.  Westwood  supported  the  views 
of  the  late  M.  Andouin,  that  the  females  first  brought 
the  trees  into  a  state  of  disease  by  attacking  them  in 
seai'ch  for  food ;  and  when  they  became  actually  dis- 
eased they  then  deposited  their  eggs  in  the  burrows. 
The  subject  was  considered  of  such  practical  importance 
that  it  was  arranged  to  be  continued  at  the  next 
meeting. 


MEETING  OF  THE  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY.— Deoembek  6,  1853. 

There  was  a  full  meeting  on  this  occasion.  The 
room  was  gay  all  round  with  flowers,  and  the  tables 
were  loaded  with  fruit,  Dessert  Pears  being  one  of  the 
things  for  which  a  pitched-battle  was  to  be  fought  on 
that  day.  Her  Ma-iesty's  uniform  success  on  this  iield, 
has,  at  last,  stirred  u]i  the  old  feudal  jealousy  of  some  of 
the  great  chieftains.  For  ages  past,  it  was  not  considered 
as  a  mark  of  high  bearing,  or  practical  superiority  on 
the  part  of  exhibitors,  to  take  the  shine  out  of  royalty  in 
this  country  at  horticidturals.  Peter  Pindar  says,  that 
the  good  old  King  George  III.,  did  not  even  know  as 
much  as  that  Pears  and  Apples  grew  on  trees  at  all. 
"The  first  gentleman  in  Europe"  was  probably  too 
much  so  to  allow  him  to  beat  a  subject  of  his  own  in 
the  field  or  garden ;  and  the  sailor-king  was  so  much 
afloat  before  he  hoisted  the  horticultural  flag,  that  we 
could  not  expect  him  to  have  much  reliance  on  the 
"  stations"  of  his  standard  beai-ers,  so  that  the  magical 
influence  of  "  turning  the  tables"  remained  for  the  days 
of  Queen  Victoria;  but  no  sooner  is  this  influence 
exerted  on  the  part  of  her  Majesty  than  it  is  disputed 
by  her  own  Privy  Councillors,  in  the  matter  of  table 
Pears,  and  in  this  race  her  Majesty  came  up  second  best 
to  the  winning  post  by  the  split  of  a  hair.  There  is 
one  influence,  however,  in  which  her  Majesty  has  no 
rivals  yet — the  influence  of  early  rising — she  is  never 
behind  the  appointed  time,  be  it  early  or  late ;  and  if 
this  influence  were  to  be  disputed  with  equal  zeal,  we 
should  have  less  cause,  or  no  cause  at  all,  for  the  heart- 
burnings about  rules  and  regulations  on  the  part  of  the 
Society,  from  which  even  Majesty  itself  cannot  be 
exempted  without  prejudice  to  the  cause  we  have  in 
hand.  The  Duke  of  Norfolk  and  the  Earl  de  Grey  com- 
peted against  the  Queen  for  the  best  six  kinds  of  dessert 
Pears  ready  for  the  table,  and  two  Pears  of  a  sort.  Tlie 
duke  was  behind  time,  and  lost  his  chance ;  and  although 
the  early  won  this  time,  we  have  a  score  against  him  for 
being  too  late,  also,  not  more  than  ten  months  back ;  so 


that,  de  facto,  as  the  lawyers  say,  her  Majesty  is  not 
beaten  yet. 

Mr.  Hill,  of  Keele  Hall,  Staffordshire,  competed  also 
in  this  class  witli  very  good  fruit.  Mr.  Langleur,  tiie 
great  Pear-grower,  in  .Jersey,  sent  seventy-Jour  kinds  of 
named  Pears,  most  of  which  were  very  good,  bvit  not  so 
fine  as  those  from  our  owu  great  private  establishments. 
The  Horticultural  Society  itself  came  out  strong  with  a 
fine  dish  of  Pears  in  the  sixes  ;  two  Forelle,  or  Trout 
Pears  in  this  dish  were  the  richest  coloured  I  ever  saw ; 
this  is  a  very  small  Pear,  a  famous  bearer,  quite  hardy 
for  a  standard,  and  as  good  as  most  of  the  November 
Pears,  and  makes  the  prettiest  dish  in  a  first-rate  dessert 
of  all  the  Pears,  if  it  is  dished  properly,  keeping  the 
bright  cherry-cheek-ooloured  side  towards  London  all 
the  way  up.  No  one  who  takes  a  pride  in  a  succession 
of  changes  for  a  shooting  party  should  be  without  this 
Pear.  It  is  now  altogether  out  of  the  fashion  to  see 
ladies  come  down  to  dinner  two  nights  running  in  the 
same  dress,  when  there  is  company,  and  the  gardener 
who  does  not  study  the  fashions,  and  dress  up  the  dessert 
table  accordingly,  ought  never  to  have  a  dressing  for  the 
fruit  borders.  Mr.  Solomons,  of  Covent  Garden,  sent 
foreign  fruit  as  usual,  not  to  compete  against  home 
growth.  The  most  beautiful  kind  of  Apple  in  Covent 
Garden  that  day  was  in  this  lot — the  Winter  Colville ; 
we  shall  never  excel  the  French  in  colouring  this 
beautiful  fruit,  which  looked  as  if  cut  out  of  the  purest 
wax,  and  then  varnished  over  with  a  tint  between  cream 
and  light  orange.  The  colour  of  the  Dutch  Mignonne, 
from  France,  was  more  orange  and  perfect  than  we  can 
hope  for  here.  But,  as  a  sign  of  the  times,  we  had  Pears 
all  the  way  from  Kilkenny ;  and  we  were  told  in  the 
lecture,  that  if  our  friends  in  that  part  of  Ireland,  at 
least,  were  to  make  up  their  minds  for  a  stand  up  fight 
in  London,  they  could  and  would  beat  the  French  and 
j  the  people  of  Jersey  in  many  kinds  of  produce,  if  not 
i  always  in  Pears.  It  appears,  from  this  competition, 
that  the  following  Pears  are  thought  by  our  best  gar- 
deners to  be  all  first-rate  at  the  end  of  November : — • 
Olout  Morceau,  Passe  Colmar,  Napoleon,  Marie  Louise. 
I  Beurre  Diel,  Cliaumontel,  Leon  le  CUrc  (Van  Men's), 
I  Knight's  Monarch,  and  Vicar  of  WingfieU.  Vvedales 
St.  Oermain,  we  are  told,  is  the  best  stewing  Pear  after 
all ;  but  being  so  monstrously  heavy  as  to  require  a  wall; 
examples  to  back  this  opinion  were  on  the  table  from 
the  Rev.  J.  E.  Grey,  of  Wembley  Park,  Middlesex,  one 
weighing  one  pound  seven  ounces,  and  another,  one 
pound  four  ounces. 

Gbapes — There  were  three  very  beautiful  bunches  of 
Grapes  in  a  basket,  from  Mr.  Nash,  of  Bishop  Stopford; 
a  large  Black  Hamhro',  a  ditto  Muscat  of  Alexandria, 
in  beautiful  colour,  and  a  Cannon  Hall  Muscat,  not  ripe, 
of  a  greenish-white  colour,  and  we  were  told  that  the 
vines  were  treated  at  first  by  a  labourer  in  a  tan-yard, 
but  whether  or  not  the  tanner  looks  after  them  to  this 
day  I  know  not ;  they  were  certainly  good  enough  for 
the  highest  dessert  table  in  the  land,  if  the  Gannon  Hall 
had  more  sun  to  bleach  the  colour.  Respecting  the  new 
white  seedling  Grape  that  was  shown  on  the  18th  of  last 
October  (page  76),  I  received  the  following  interesting 
account  from  Mr.  Busby  himself,  the  gardener  who 
raised  it.  The  Society  highly  recommended  this  new 
Grape,  and  I  subscribed  to  all  they  said  about  it,  but  I 
was  the  only  party  who  doubted  the  parentage,  and  now 
I  am  confirmed  in  the  opinion  that  it  is  a  sport  and  not 
a  cross.  I  had  a  similar  sport  myself,  in  1849,  the  very 
same  season,  and  also  in  a  Black  Hamhro',  one  berry 
in  a  bunch  being  at  least  three  times  larger  than  the 
largest  berry  I  had  ever  seen  of  the  kind  before.  I  was 
so  bent  on  saving  this  berry,  to  see  what  the  seeds 
would  come  to,  that  I  told  Sheppard,  the  foreman  in  the 
forcing  department  at  ShiaiHand  Park,  that  I  would 
knock  his  head  off  if  this  berry  miscarried  ;  two  seeds 


210 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  22. 


from  it  were  sown  in  the  spring  of  1850,  and  only  one' 
of  them  vegetated,  and  when  I  left  Shrubland,  in  1S51, 
I  told  my  successor  that  if  he  would  hut  fruit  that  seed- 
ling-vine, Ills  fortune,  or  at  least  his  fame,  would  be 
establislied.  But  from  that  day  to  this  I  heard  no  more 
of  it,  and  I  forgot  to  inquire  about  it  when  I  was  there  last 
September.  Whether  my  opinions  on  cross-breeding, 
on  sports,  on  lapses  of  nature,  are  right  or  wrong,  they 
carry  a  certain  weight  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  :  and  if 
there  is  one  thing  more  confirmed  in  my  mind  than 
another,  from  my  own  experiments,  or  from  the  recorded 
experience  of  better  judges,  it  is  this,  that  the  action  of 
foreign  pollen  has  no  more  influence  on  the  size,  or 
shape  of  the  fruit,  or  seed,  than  that  of  the  magnetic 
needle.  All  this  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  vakie  of 
the  new  Grape.  I  really  and  truly  believe  it  to  be  the 
best  English  seedling  Grape  that  ever  was  produced, 
with  the  single  exception  of  the  Esperione,  and  1  con- 
gratulate Mr.  Busby  on  his  fortune,  knowing  as  I  do, 
that  the  same  chance  was  in  the  hands  of  a  youngermau. 

"Stoclavood  Park,  Nov.  ^:1,  ]8ua. 

"  I  am  glad  and  obliged  for  the  frank  maimer  you  spoke, 
of  my  seedlini;  White  Grajie,  as  it  is  rcalbj  a  tine  thing,  and 
I  hope  to  be  able,  in  a  year  or  two,  to  grow  it  well,  witli  the 
help  of  Providence.  I  write  to  tell  you  the  pedigree,  as 
there  seemed  some  doubt  about  the  parentage  previous  to 
184!).  It  had  often  sU'uck  mo  that  a  White  Grape,  similar 
in  character  to  the  Black  Hambro',  hardy,  a  good  setter 
and  bearer,  and  in  other  respects  as  well  adapted  for  forcing, 
was  a  desideratum  worth  trying  for,  so  I  set  to  work-. 
Having  a  Hamhrn'  trained  up  the  roof,  I  had  a  Dutch 
Sweetwater  planted  on  the  back  wall,  trained  down  by  the 
side  of  the  Hamhrn'.  They  were  both  in  tlower  at  the  same 
time,  when  a  little  brushing  with  the  camel's  hair  pencil  was 
all  that  was  done.  "When  the  berries  of  the  Hamhro'  began 
to  swell  for  ripening,  or  rather  when  they  were  ripe,  I  fancied 
I  could  see  the  operation  bad  been  successful  in  one  berry 
only.  That  berry  then  was  carefully  saved,  and  the  seeds 
planted  in  a  pot;  two  plants  were  tlie  produce;  one  get 
accidentally  broke,  the  other,  after  standing  in  a  pot  a  year, 
fotmd  a  place  ui  a  narrow  border  at  the  back  of  a  vinery, 
with  the  permanent  vines  covering  the  roof,  and  bent  down 
the  roof.  It  fruited  the  tirst  time  in  August  this  year,  and 
when  the  young  shows  first  appeared,  so  much  are  they  like 
the  Hnmhro',  that  I  said  to  my  young  man,  I  believe  the 
seedhng,  after  all,  will  be  only  a  Jacaimltc  of  the  old  Blade 
Hamhro',  its  parent.  But  what  was  ray  delight,  when  it 
ripened,  to  see  a  splendid  large  white  transparent  Grape, 
just  the  l)eaii  ideal  that  I  had  imagined,  with  a  most  delicious 
flavour,  thin  skin,  hardy,  aud  a  good  bearer. 

"  So,  you  will  see  there  can  be  no  mistake  in  its  parentage, 
as  I  have  only  saved  seeds  from  the  Hambro'.  I  have 
another  hatch  of  seedlings  from  a  similar  strain,  but  what 
they  will  prove  it  is  impossible  to  say.  [Ten  chances 
to  one  the  berries  will  be  black.— D.  B.].— M.  Busby." 

There  was  a  small  dish  of  Cuthill's  Black  Prince 
Strawherrtj  from  Raynbam  Hall,  Norfolk.  I  was  the 
first  who  seconded  Mr.  Cuthill's  account  of  this  Straw- 
berry, and  I  have  been  very  well  criticised  for  doing 
so ;  but  as  I  never  spare  others  when  1  think  they  are 
in  fault,  I  do  not  want  to  be  spared  myself  on  anything 
I  write  about— nothing  being  more  likely  to  bring  out 
the  truth  than  fair  criticism.  I  hold  it  to  be  strictly 
true  and  correct  that  this  Strawberry  is  what  I  and 
others  said  in  its  favour,  and  also  that  it  is  equally  true 
about  all  that  has  been  said  to  the  contrary.  The  nature 
of  the  soil  makes  all  the  difference,  judging  from  my 
own  experience  with  the  British  Queen  aud  the  Dniciitoii 
Seedliwj.  The  Queen  I  cotdd  not  grow  on  clialky  soil, 
and  I  grew  the  Downton,  as  the  best  Strawberry,  after 
better  gardeners  gave  it  up  in  despair ;  but  after 
trenching  that  part  of  the  garden  where  it  did  so  well, 
I  was  obliged  to  give  it  up  also,  for  try  what  I  would,  I 
could  never  do  any  good  with  it  after  that  trenching. 
]  recollect,  some  twenty  years  back,  our  friend  Mr. 
Errington  making  enquiries  in  the  Qanleners  Mcigazino 


about  other  people's  experience  with  the  Quince  stock,  and 
we  all  know,  by  tliis  time,  that  be  would  as  soon  plant  an 
Upas  tree  as  a  Pear  on  the  Quince ;  but  I  also  recollect, 
when  old  gardeners  about  Edinburgh,  and  particularly 
in  the  East  Lothians,  would  liave  no  dwarf  from  the 
nurseries  hut  on  Quince  stocks,  and  that  the  Quince  stock 
had  to  be  first  grafted  with  the  Virgolouese  Pear,  in  the 
nurseries,  and  then  regrafted  by  the  different  kinds,  or 
double  worked ;  the  first  kind,  or  Virgolouese,  was  a 
secret  then,  which  no  youngster  from  the  country  could 
learn  without  first  paying  his  "footing"  to  the  propa- 
gators— such  a  dose  of  raw  whiskey  as  wotdd  choak  an 
Englisher.  The  Virgolouese  "took"  on  the  Quince  as 
well  as  it  would  on  a  wild  seedling  Pear  stock  ;  then,  the 
union  being  complete,  any  Pear  would  take  on  the  Vir- 
golouese. What  i  want  to  establish  by  these  old  recol- 
lections is  a  better  understanding  between  gardeners 
and  their  employers,  and  between  amateurs  and  their 
fancy  gardens,  when  things  go  wroug  without  the  fault 
of  the  garden  or  the  gardener,  the  supposed  faidt  being 
only  the  misfortune  that  all  things  do  not  do  equally 
well  on  all  kinds  of  soils.  I  do  not  go  to  these  meet- 
ings to  give  a  full  report  of  what  I  see  and  hear ;  that 
part  belongs  to  the  Society,  and  they  do  it  very  weU. 
I  merely  go  for  amusement,  and  to  see  what  inferences 
or  conclusions  I  can  draw  from  things  exhibited,  and 
from  conversing  with  such  gardeners  and  amateurs  as  I 
know  and  meet  there,  for  the  use  of  our  own  large  and 
increasing  family. 

From  the  garden  of  the  Society  w^e  had  a  fine  largo 
]ilaut  of  the  blue  Ernnthemum  pnlchellum,  ditto  of 
Manctiia  hicolor,  Cyjiripedium  insigite,  with  ten  large 
flowers;  Cymhidiiim  gigaiilemn,  with  two  spikes  bearing 
nine  flowers  each  ;  a  nice  Barkeria  SJdnncri  with  three 
spikes  densely  clothed  with  crimson  flowers  ;  a  Vriesia 
speciosa,  but  called  Titlamhia  vittala  (Which  is  the  first 
published  name  ■') ;  a  large  Pine-apple-likc  plant  called 
Bilhergia  Moreliana,  with  grey,  scurfy,  arched  leaves, 
and  the  usual  bright  scarlet  bracts  to  the  flowers ;  a 
large  flowering  variety  of  Z ggojietahim  Blackagii,  with 
five  spikes  coming  in  succession  ;  a  Begonia  fuclisioides 
in  good  bloom,  with  others;  and  a  cross  Begonia  be- 
tween parvijiora  and  insigne — a  true  cross,  the  growth 
aud  habit  after  insigne,  aud  the  flowers  after  parvijiora, 
but  no  improvement.  The  Society  furnished,  also,  a 
nice  collection  of  Pompone  ChrysanthemmM. 

Mr.  Jackson,  of  Kingston,  came  out  strong  with  a 
fine  collection  of  well-grown  Orchids  in  bloom.  There 
were  twelve  plants  of  Barkeria  Skinneri  and  Skinneri 
major,  supported,  in  one  pot,  on  a  branched  block— the 
plants  suspended  from  the  branches  after  the  English 
fashion  of  a  Clnistmas  tree.  This  kind  of  Barkeria  is 
the  easiest  to  grow  of  the  family,  and  is  a  free  flowerer ; 
the  major  variety  has  the  flowers  of  a  darker  crimson 
than  the  species.  I  expected  to  see  among  them  the 
beautiful  Barkeria  eleguns,  one  of  the  scarcest  in  the 
country,  which  I  saw  ten  days  before  licarly  in  flower ; 
two  new  strong  spikes  wore  then  nearly  open  in  front  of 
a  dense  mass  of  old  leafless  stems.  All  these  Barkerins 
require  nothiug  but  to  be  fastened  up  to  bare  chips  of 
wood,  and  to  be  kept  hung  up  quite  close  to  the  glass  of 
the  roof  of  a  cool  Orchid  house,  winter  aud  summer, 
unless  you  want  to  hurry  them  ou  to  finish  tlieir  growth 
sooner  in  a  hotter  place.  The  least  morsel  of  them 
flowers  with  Air.  Jackson  on  that  plan ;  and  I  often  go 
to  see  them.  Oncidium  Barkeri  was  in  this  collection ; 
it  is  not  grown  half  so  much  as  it  ought  to  bo,  seeing 
that  it  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  the  family,  and  is  us 
sweet  as  a  violet,  and  never  fails  to  flower  in  a  cool 
house  early  in  the  winter,  and  lasts  a  long  time  oven  in 
the  drawing-room.  The  bulb  and  growth  is  like  spliace- 
latum,  and  quite  as  vigorous  ;  the  flower-spike  is  nearly 
two  feet  long,  almost  upright,  and  in  this  plant  had 
twenty  flowers,  sixteen  of  which  were  open.     The  size 


Deoembek  22. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Sir 


of  tlio  flower  is  that  of  0.  ampUaium  major,  the  colour 
of  the  lip  the  same  as  in  ampliatum,  but  the  form  dif- 
ferent, and  move  rouuded;  the  baclc  parts  are  brown, 
and  liarred  across  with  yellow,  zebra  fashion.  It  was 
called  after  the  late  Mr.  Barltei',  of  Birmingham,  and  is 
a  very  rare  plant  yet.  Udontogloasmn  Iiisleai/i,  not  so 
good  as  0.  rjnmde,  being  a  much  darker  Hower  iu  that 
way.  Insleay  was  gardener  to  Mr.  Barker,  and  it  was 
often  my  good  luck  to  call  on  them,  and  hear  each 
of  them  speak  so  well  and  so  feelingly  of  each  other, 
and  it  seems  to  do  one  good  to  write  about  their 
namesakes.  Cymhidium  (jirjantemn  on  a  par  with 
that  from  the  Society's  garden,  but  with  a  yellow 
ground  colour  in  the  lip — an  excellent  early  winter 
plant.  Three  kinds  of  Calanthe — the  two  varieties  of 
Vestita,  both  with  large,  white,  sweet-scented  flowers; 
one  having  a  purple  blotch  in  the  lip,  aud  the  other  a 
yellow  blotch;  the  new  rose-coloured  one  from  Mr. 
Veitch,  last  spring,  belong  to  this  section,  all  of  them 
being  ground  Orchids,  and  not  air  plants.  The  third, 
Curculigoides,  is  more  curious  than  showy ;  a  dense 
cluster  of  small  yellowish  flowers,  on  the  top  of  a  short 
stalk,  after  the  manner  of  Tritoma,  and  a  beautiful  new 
kind  of  AnactocMlus  called  alho-marglnatus,  a  sight  of 
which  would  be  a  good  luncheon  to  Mr.  Appleby  ;  it  is 
very  near  to  sctaceus,  but  rounder  in  the  leaf,  which  is 
of  a  darker  and  better  purple,  and  a  small  silver  edge  to 
the  leaf  all  round,  besides  the  vein  marks.  I  was  pro- 
mised a  paper  on  the  cultivation  of  these  beauties,  from 
the  young-  men  who  attend  to  them  at  Mr.  Jackson's;  a 
collection  of  twelve  kinds,  better  grown  than  i.  ever  saw 
them  in  any  other  nursery.  'The  queen  of  all  the 
variegated  plants  has  been  iu  flower  these  six  vs'eeks 
past  with  Mr.  Jackson,  who  sent  cut  branches  of  it  to 
this  meeting,  to  show  that  the  flowers  are  no  better  than 
those  of  the  Grape  vine,  and  much  like  them — this  is 
the  Cissus  discolor. 

Messrs.  Staudish  and  Noble  sent  a  fine  new  hardy  Gen- 
tian from  the  north  of  China,  a  plant  not  unlike  a  stiff 
Pentstemon  geniianoides,  with  large  flowers  in  pairs  at 
the  joints,  which,  in  the  bud,  you  might  take  for  some 
lai-ge  Campanula,  but  the  inside  is  as  blue  as  indigo. 
This  will  probably  be  an  early  spring-flowering  plant, 
for  this  was  one  said  to  have  been  forced. 

Chuysanthemums. — There  were  some  old  ones  shown, 
which  made  the  very  hair  of  my  head  stand  on  end;  iu 
the  whole  course  of  my  experience  I  never  did  see  such 
frights  before.  Imagine  a  four-feet-high  plant  in  a  large 
pot,  with  as  many  white  sticks  as  could  be  stuck  into  the 
mould,  and  to  these  the  branches  were  tied  so  as  to  keep 
the  flowers  as  far  apart  as  between  here  and  London. 
But  there  was  an  old  kind,  from  Mr.  Spary,  of  Brighton, 
so  managed  as  to  be  a  triumph  of  skill ;  this  kind,  in 
the  usual  way,  would  reach  four  feet  high,  but  as  we 
saw  it,  the  highest  flower  was  scarcely  ten  inches  above 
the  rim  of  the  pot,  the  plant  being  trained  on  the  coiling 
system,  and  most  of  the  flowers  coming  from  side-shoots, 
it  was  a  circle  of  thirty  inches,  or  nearly  a  yard  through, 
and  as  regular  as  a  fancy  Geranium,  in  wood,  leaf,  and 
flower. 

Mr.  Robinson,  the  great  Geranium  prize -getter,  of 
Thames  Bank,  had  two  collections  of  Pompones,  just  as 
dwarf,  compact,  and  full  of  bloom  as  any  of  his  Pelar- 
goniums ever  were ;  he  took  the  shine  oft'  from  all  the 
growers  I  ever  saw.  Mr.  Chandler,  and  Mr.  Henderson, 
of  the  Wellington  Road  Nursery,  and  others,  had  quan- 
tities of  Pompones  there,  making  our  room  quite  spicy. 
The  names  of  the  best,  aud  the  other  best  sorts  that  1 
can  get,  1  shall  give  altogether  early  in  the  spring ; 
and  then  I  shall  put  people  in  mind  to  begin  them 
earlier  than  they  would  the  old  kinds,  with  some  other 
improvements  that  I  have  heard  of,  but  whicli  I  have 
not  yet  been  able  to  see  myself  D.  Beaton. 


I'RANCISCEA. 


Tins  genus  has  already  received  attention  in  these 
pages.  I'hese  notes  are  penned  chiefly  to  suit  the  in- 
quiries of  those  who  would  gladly  patronize  such  sweet- 
flowering  plauts,  and  yet  are  destitute  of  the  convenience 
of  a  regular  plant-stove,  though  able,  at  certain  seasons, 
by  means  of  pits  and  other  houses,  to  obtain  a  liigher 
temperattu-c  than  generally  is  necessary  in  the  green- 
house. Being  natives  of  Rio  Janeiro,  and  of  elevated, 
somewhat  shaded  positions  iu  Brazil,  they,  on  the 
whole,  enjoy  the  temperature  of  an  intermediate  bouse. 
All  when  growing  and  coming  into  bloom  would  re- 
quire a  temperature  of  from  .55°  to  CO'-';  when  in  bloom 
in  early  spring,  a  lower  temperature  would  do ;  while 
some,  when  at  rest,  would  enjoy  a  temperatiu'e  of  4r)°, 
and  others  would  be  miserable  if  much  below  50°  at  the 
coldest.  The  whole  genus  is  looked  upon  by  tlie  ablest 
botanists  as  belonging  to  the  family  of  Brunsfehia,  but 
Franciscea  is  the  title  by  which  they  are  now  commonly 
known.  I  shall  now  mention  a  few  of  the  most  inter- 
esting, with  a  i'ew  running  notes  upon  each,  as  respects 
the  difl'ereut  treatment  they  require. 

FEANCISCEA  ACUMINATA. 

This  naturally  blooms  about  Midsummer,  on  wood  of 
that  season's  growth.  The  habit  is  good,  and  the  leaves 
neat  and  pointed,  like  a  Willow.  When  in  bloom,  it 
will  rejoice  in  a  greenhouse  not  over  airy.  When  the 
bloom  is  over,  the  oonsolidadng  of  the  shoots,  by  expo- 
sure to  sun,  becomes  an  object.  In  winter,  it  should  | 
descend  little  iu  temperature  below  48° ;  it  would  be 
better  in  spirits  at  53°.  One  thing  very  much  against 
it  is  that  its  piu'ple  flowers  have  no  sweet  scent;  and 
though  the  foliage  is  interesting,  it  bears  no  comparison 
with  that  of  hydrangaformis  or  macrophijlla  ;  though  in 
these  last  I  never  saw  much  beside  the  foliage  to 
admire. 

FEANCISCEA  CONFERTIFLOEA. 

This  is  a  beautiful  species,  producing  its  clusters,  or 
trusses,  of  deep  lilac  flowers,  from  March  to  May,  at 
the  points  of  the  shoots.  The  strength  and  ripeness 
of  these  shoots  will,  therefore,  yield  a  corresponding 
niunber  of  flowers.  This  must  be  kept  in  view,  in 
pruning  and  growing,  after  the  flowering  is  over.  A 
thicket  of  shoots  would  be  so  weak  that  the  trusses  of 
bloom  would  be  small.  Were  they  in  a  largish  pot 
confined  to  a  dozen,  well  trained  out,  many  flue  trusses 
might  be  expected.  Coming  into  bloom  rather  early, 
this  species  should  not  be  below  50°  after  Christmas, 
but  be  gradually  raised  15°  more  by  the  middle  of 
March.  It  would  stand  a  few  degi'ees  lower,  after 
having  a  good  gro'vvth  in  summer.  The  temperature 
all  along  named  is  artificial  heat,  without  making  allow- 
ance for  sunshine.  Of  course,  without  a  plant-stove, 
but  with  a  heated  pit  or  frame,  shortly  after  the  new 
year  the  plant  could  receive  its  accession  of  tempera- 
ture then;  and  after  being  comparatively  dormant,  there 
is  nothing  the  whole  family  like  so  much  as  the  sweet 
heat  that  arises  from  decomposing  dung  and  leaves. 
Boast  of  all  our  improvements  in  heating  as  we  may, 
there  are  no  possible  modifications  of  hot-water,  that 
for  some  purposes  will  equal  the  good  old-fashioned 
hotbeds.  Of  course,  it  is  better  to  have  both  than  one 
alone,  where  conveniences  will  suit.  Many,  who,  in 
their  eagerness  for  hot -water  pipes,  as  good  as  told 
old  stable-muck  to  "  go  hang,"  may  now  pine  aud 
whine,  and  call  and  whistle  in  vain,  when  they  want 
his  help  for  a  Cauliflower  break. 

FRANCISCEA  EXIMIA. 

This  I  have  not  yet  had  the  pleasure  of  growing, 
though  it  is  a  beautiful  thing  to  look  at,  with  its  large 


218 


THE  COTTAGE  GABDENEE. 


December  22. 


flowers  of  bluish-pm-i)le-and-wlute,  blooming  freely  on 
the  young  wood  from  New-yen.r  to  Midsummer.  I 
suspect,  therefore,  it  will  not  be  very  suitable  for  our 
purpose,  unless  we  can  contrive  to  make  it  rest  in 
winter  instead  of  autumn.  To  bloom  in  January  and 
Febnuiry,  and  even  in  March,  it  would  require  a  tem- 
perature of  from  o."j°  to  00°  during  the  last  half  of  the 
winter,  at  least.  Our  friend,  Mr.  Appleby,  has  bloomed 
it  well,  and  he  may,  ere  long,  be  able  to  tell  us  whether 
it  will  stand  the  starving  system  in  winter.  Plants  that 
will  do  this,  if  not  brought  within  reach  of  the  millions, 
are  placed  within  the  means  of  thousands  that  could 
not  aspire  to  a  plant-stove.  The  maintaining  a  tempera- 
ture from  .50°  to  00°  at  night,  din'ing  winter,  cannot  for 
a  moment  be  entertained  by  numbers,  who  yet  can 
manage  to  get  that  heat  for  dilFerent  purposes  by 
March;  and  when  thus  rather  tender  plants  are  brought 
into  bloom,  they  find  that  with  a  little  scheming,  that 
bloom  is  as  beautiful  and  longer  kept  in  a  greenhouse 
than  in  a  warmer  place.  I  have  not  a  doubt  but  that 
the  present  species  would  thrive  in  a  greenhouse  after 
the  middle  of  April. 

FEANCISCEA   LATIFOLIA. 

This  older  species  is  certainly  not  so  fine  as  the  last, 
but  it  is  still  beautiful.  It  has  generally  bloomed  with 
us  very  profusely  in  spring  and  summer,  while  it  has 
received  about  as  much  ceremony  and  care  in  winter  as 
an  old  Fuschia.  A  large  plant  would  render  a  small 
house  rather  disagreeable  from  its  sweetness;  but  then 
one  or  two  smaller  ones  would  obviate  that  disadvan- 
tage, and,  besides,  be  much  easier  managed  as  respects 
head  room.  Small  plants  will  bloom  ft-eely  on  the 
short  spurs  produced  on  the  well-ripened  wood  of  the 
previous  season.  With  such  a  starving  resting  in  winter, 
the  plant  becomes  nearly,  or  completely,  deciduous, 
looking  like  a  leafless  lilac.  In  such  circrunstances, 
little  or  no  water  is  given,  and  tlie  plant  is  kept  from 
frost  in  a  cold  pit,  or  beneath  the  stage  in  a  greenhouse, 
or  vinery,  where  the  temperature  will  range  from  43"  to 
iG^.  When  convenient,  or  desirable,  it  is  placed  any- 
where in  a  top  temperature,  between  50°  and  00°,  and 
by  sprinkling  with  tepid  water  the  buds  soon  swell, 
burst,  and  yield  their  flowers,  when  a  lower  temperature 
will  suit  them.  I  have  kept  them  in  the  greenhouse 
until  the  advanced  heat  of  the  summer  was  sufficient  for 
this  purpose ;  but,  of  course,  the  plant  did  not  bloom 
until  Midsimimer.  After  blooming,  a  cold  pit,  which 
you  can  make  a  hot  ono  by  keeping  it  closish  after 
June,  is  just  the  place  for  it.  A  moist  atmosphere  can 
be  easily  communicated  by  frequent  syringings,  and  as 
you  perceive  that  the  wood  is  long  enough  by  the  be- 
ginning or  middle  of  autumn,  more  air  may  be  given, 
until  the  plants  are  used  to  stand  the  full  force  of  the 
sun  so  as  to  consolidate  the  wood.  By  the  end  of 
autumn,  the  glasses  must  be  kept  pretty  close,  and  soon 
after  the  plants  are  placed  in  their  cold  winter  quarters, 
the  resting,  and  i/ellowing,  and  shechling  of  the  leaves, 
will  proceed  cotemporaneously.  I  cannot  be  sure  of  the 
individual  now,  but  I  have  a  vivid  recollection  of  being 
told  by  a  gentleman,  when  looking  on  a  nice  plant,  that 
be  had  seen  the  identical  thing  in  a  sort  of  amphi- 
theatre of  bushy,  low  ground,  bounded  by  the  sea  on 
one  side,  and  the  hills  and  forests  to  the  north  of 
Rio  Janeiro  on  the  other.  He  also  told  me,  that  of 
course  the  plant  there  was  a  thorough  evergreen.  Now, 
though  nothing  certain  can  be  predicted  from  such  a 
fact  as  the  hardiness  of  lati/olia,  still,  reasoning  from 
analogy,  we  should  be  apt  to  come  to  the  conclusion, 
that  possibly  such  kinds  as  eoiiferti flora  and  exiinia, 
found  in  much  the  same  parallel  of  latitude,  but  from 
more  elevated  localities,  and  at  such  a  distance  from 
the  coast  as  tlie  province  or  government  of  St.  Paul, 
would  be  capable  of  enduring   a  low  temperature  in 


winter.  A  desire  for  experiment— a  love  for  certain 
plants,  and  the  want  of  sufficient  convenience  for  pruning 
them,  were  the  causes  that  demonstrated  to  me  that 
some  tropical,  and  bordering  on  the  tropic,  plants,  that 
could  be  bloomed,  and  have  their  wood  consolidated  iu 
our  greenhouses  in  summer,  might  be  kept  in  almost  a 
torpid  state  in  winter ;  and,  just  as  in  the  case  of  the 
))Iant  under  consideration,  be  rendered  fresher  and  more 
beautiful  than  if  it  had  stood  in  a  regular  plant-stove 
bouse  all  the  season. 

FEANCISCEA  ANGUSTA. 

This  species  has  small,  narrow  leaves,  and  blooms 
chiefly  at  the  points  of  the  shoots,  and  when  in  a 
small,  young  state ;  but  it  is  by  no  means  equal  to 
the  last,  nor  yet  to 

FEANCISCEA  UNIFLORA,  op.  HOPEANA. 

The  colour  of  the  flowers,  like  hilifolia,  are  a  bluish- 
purple,  changing  to  white ;  but  while  in  latifolia  the 
flowers  are  as  large  as  the  I'inca  major,  those  in  Hopeana 
are  no  larger,  generally,  than  Viiicu  minor.  The  gr'eat 
abundance  with  whicli  they  are  produced,  and  the 
lengthened  period  through  which  they  succeed  each  other, 
together  with  their  sweet  perfume,  render  this  one  of 
the  most  valuable  of  the  genus.  The  bloom  is  chiefly 
produced  on  short  spurs  thrown  out  ft'om  the  well- 
ripened  shoots  of  last  season.  But  as  the  plant  gets 
older  the  young  shoots  get  smaller  and  more  crowded  ; 
and  from  these  plants  a  perfect  sheet  of  bloom  is  pro- 
duced shortly  after  you  place  the  plant  in  heat.  Unless, 
therefore,  for  renewing  the  head  of  the  plant,  no  severe 
pruning  will  be  required  after  the  plant  is  two  or  three 
years  of  age.  Like  latifolia,  it  enjoys  a  close,  moist 
heat  after  blooming,  and  the  removing  any  small  ex- 
hausted pieces  of  wood  ;  then  air  should  be  given  moi'e 
gradually,  by  degrees,  until  the  plant  is  pretty  freely 
exposed  in  the  warmest  part  of  autumn.  Water  then 
should  be  given  just  to  keep  the  plant  from  flagging, 
and  the  plant  kept  rather  dry  all  the  winter.  During 
the  cold  season,  if  thus  treated,  it  will  be  perfectly  safe 
at  45°.  I  have  often  had  it  lower  without  injury,  hut  I 
should  not  like  the  soil  to  be  wet  then.  In  a  sunny 
day,  when  it  was  not  advisable  to  water  at  the  roots,  the 
stems  bad  a  syringe  with  tepid  water.  When  placed  in 
a  heat  from  50°  to  05°,  the  buds  would  soon  swell,  and 
the  flowers  open.  Plants  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four 
inches  high  might  thus  be  easily  managed  in  a  forcing- 
frame  or  pit.  I  have  bad  it  in  a  greenhouse  the  whole 
season,  but  then  it  did  not  bloom  until  Midsummer. 
The  assistance  of  a  little  extra  beat  in  spring  not  only 
gives  bloom  earlier,  but  ensures  tho  young  wood  being 

I  better  ripened. 

General  Man.^gejiekt:  Propagation. — Short,  stubby 

[  shoots,  just  beginning  to  grow,  and  young  shoots,  two 

I  or  three  inches  long,  getting  hard  at  the  base,  wUl  both 
strike ;  the  latter  most  quickly.  They  will  require  to  be 
placed  in  sand,  over  sandy  peat,  in  well-drained  pots; 
to  be  covered  with  a  bell-glass,  and  plunged  in  a  bottom- 
heat  of  SO".  April  and  Jlay  will  be  found  the  best 
times.     Pot  off  when  stnick,  and  give  the  plants  the 

(  assistance  of  a  hotbed  the  first  summer. 

i  Soil  and  time  of  Potting. — Kqual  portions  of  peat 
and  loam  for  plants  a  year  or  two  old ;  more  peat  for 
youug  cuttings;  and  more  loam  for  well-established 
old  plants.  Young  shoots  should  not  stand  for  want  of 
pot  room.  Old  plants  should  bo  pruned  when  done 
Suwcring — cutting  away  old  eflcte  stumps,  and  short- 
ening strong  young  shoots ;  and  when  these  begin  to 
shoot  is  the  best  time  to  pot,  taking  care  to  keep  tho 
plants  close  and  warmish  afterwards.  In  most  cases, 
when  the  jilants  are  several  years  old,  tlie  earth  may 
be  partly  shaken  from  them,  a  lew  of  the  roots  pruned 
away,  and  then  tho  plant  bo  transferred  to  a  similar 


December  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


219 


sized  pot,  as  otherwise  tbey  make  roots  so  freely  tliat 
very  lai'ge  pots  would  be  required. 

Watering. — Little  of  this  will  be  wanted  iu  winter, 
but  it  will  be  wanted  liberally  in  summer.  Clear  weak 
manure  will  be  of  great  service  when  the  flower-buds 
are  opening,  and  during  tbe  growing  period  afterwards. 
Whilst  growing,  the  syringe  sliould  be  applied  every 
afternoon  over  the  foliage  :  as  resting  time  approaches 
this  must  bo  withheld.  R.  Fisit. 


THE  WOODS  AND  FORESTS. 

{Conthntcd  from  imije  18Xi.) 

A  LARGE,  well-formed  tree  is  one  of  the  noblest  objects 
the  earth  produces.  I  have  often  been  struck  with  awe 
on  viewhig  a  noble  Oak,  or  grand  Beech,  and  admired 
the  Power  by  which,  from  an  acorn  or  a  nut,  such  an 
immense  mass  of  vegetable  matter,  strongly  built,  and 
firmly  knit  together,  had  been  formed.  These  majestic 
denizens  of  the  soil  that  are  of  the  first  size,  have 
seldom,  if  ever,  been  planted  by  man.  The  Creator 
first  commanded  the  original  species  into  e.^istence,  and 
from  these  the  self-sown  large  trees  of  the  primasval 
forests  have  originated,  such,  for  instance,  as  tbe  Porter 
Oaks  on  tbe  estate  at  Welbeck,  belonging  to  the  Duke 
of  Portland,  a  remnant  of  tbe  famous  forest  of  Sher- 
wood. I  have  seen  these  Oaks,  and  could  not  encircle 
one  of  them  by  clasping  my  arms  close  to  the  tree  at 
less  than  six  times,  consequently,  the  circumference 
must  be  at  least  thirty-six  feet,  or  nearly  twelve  feet 
diameter,  and  the  height  in  proportion.  A  period  of 
several  hundred  years  must  have  passed  since  these 
trees  were  first  sown,  for  it  has  been  remarked,  that 
"  tbe  Oak  is  three  hundred  yeare  growing,  three  hun- 
dred years  it  stands  in  grand  perfection,  and  it  takes 
three  hundred  years  to  gradually  decay  and  die." 

Whoever,  then,  plants  or  sows  an  Oak,  does  it  for  the 
benefit  of  succeeding  far-distant  ages.  Let  not  this 
consideration,  however,  binder  us  from  planting.  Tbe 
Oak,  for  one  of  tbe  many  species  claiming  the  planter's 
attention,  will,  even  in  a  man's  life-time,  afford  a  re- 
compense for  tbe  pains  bestowed  upon  it.  Tbe  produce 
is — first  stakes,  then  rails,  then  posts,  then  bark,  and 
always  fire-wood;  besides  its  annually-shed  leaves 
increases  and  enriches  the  soil  around  it. 

We  all  naturally  desire  to  see  and  enjoy,  during  our 
life-time,  tbe  fruits  of  our  labour,  and  have  some  return 
for  the  outlay  even  in  planting  a  wood.  To  do  this 
most  profitably,  the  manner  of  doing  it  is  everything. 
The  soil  must  be  duly  prepared  by  draining  (if  wet) 
and  digging ;  then  the  kinds  of  trees  suitable  for  soil 
and  situation  should  be  selected ;  and  then  an  annual 
care  in  pruning,  thinning,  and  protecting  from  vei-min 
and  cattle  must  be  bestowed ;  and  those  preparations 
and  annual  cares  must  be  constant  and  unremitting, 
iu  order  to  succeed  perfectly.  Who  would  not  laugh  at 
and  pity  the  farmer  who  should  sow  his  corn  without 
ploughing  bis  laud,  and  then  expect  an  annual  crop 
without  further  care  ?  Just  as  foolish  is  the  planting 
of  trees  without  due  preparation,  and  afterwards  leav- 
ing them  to  what  men  call,  almost  wickedly,  Providence 
to  take  care  of  them. 

I  have  said  the  land  should  be  drained;  hut  then 
that  is  expensive.  Farming  land,  whether  under  grass 
or  tillage,  requires  the  drains  to  be  covered  where 
practicable,  but  forest  land  need  not  be  so :  the 
instance  I  gave  in  my  last  paper  is  a  proof.  Deep 
ditches,  with  a  proper  outlet  for  the  water,  will  be  suffi- 
cient. I  have,  in  my  mind's  eye,  a  large  tract  of  moor- 
land in  Derbyshire  that  might  be  drained  so  at  a 
comparatively  slight  expense.  At  present,  it  produces 
nothing  but  whins  and  heath,  and  grouse,  and  a  few 
long-legged,  small  sheep ;  and  there  are  thousands  of 


acres,  even  in  this  thickly-populated  country,  in  tbe 
same  condition.  Such  tracts  of  land,  at  present,  are 
not  fit  for  any  other  purpose  tlian  planting.  If  that 
was  properly  done,  the  annual  deposit  of  the  leaves 
would,  in  time,  cover  the  small  rocks  or  stones,  and 
thus,  in  some  future  era,  when  the  land  was  disforested, 
a  suificient  depth  of  rich  vegetable  mould  would  he 
deposited,  on  which  might  be  cultivated  vegetables  for 
food  to  man  and  beast. 

The  planting,  then,  of  a  piece  of  ground,  whether 
one  acre  or  ten  thousand,  having  been  determined 
upon,  the  first  consideration  will  be,  Does  it  require 
draining  in  any  part,  or  the  whole  ?  This  will  include 
the  outlet  for  the  collected  water,  and  the  mode  of  con- 
veying it  to  that  outlet.  In  fact,  to  drain  land  properly, 
requires  a  knowledge  of  levels,  strata,  deposits,  &c., 
and  tbe  laws  that  regulate  them  ;  hence,  a  practical  man, 
as  foreman  or  director,  ought  to  be  employed.  If  the 
waste  has  plenty  of  loose  stones  on  its  surface,  these 
might  be  got  rid  of  usefully  by  making  the  drains  with 
them.  This  operation  of  draining  might  be  done  in 
the  long  days  of  summer,  or  if  labourers  are  then  better 
employed  in  cultivated  land,  it  might  be  done  in  winter 
when  work  is  scarce.  The  proprietor  should  insist 
upon  its  being  well  and  efleotually  performed,  even  if 
less  breadth  be  done  during  one  season.  The  produce 
of  one  acre,  properly  drained,  will  be  worth  more  in  a 
given  time  than  three  acres  ineflectnally  drained. 
'Whatever  quantity  is  drained,  then,  let  it  be  thoroughly 
done,  so  that  a  sufBcient  depth  of  dry  material,  whether 
soil,  bog,  or  even  stones,  for  the  roots  of  the  trees  to 
run  in,  and  there  find  support  for  the  future  forest. 

T.  Appleby. 
(To  he  coniimied.) 


THE    NARCISSUS. 


{Continued  from   page   20.5.) 

Summer  Management. — -In  tbe  open  air,  as  soon  as 
the  winter  is  fairly  passed  away,  let  tbe  soil  in  the  beds 
be  forked  over  carefully,  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  roots 
or  injure  tbe  leaves.  Should  the  weather  prove  dry, 
it  will  he  advisable  to  give  a  good  soaking  of  water  ;  and 
should  the  dry  weather  continue,  give  a  second.  If  the 
water  used  this  time  be  diluted  with  liquid-manure,  it 
will  enoom'age  the  growth  of  the  leaves,  which  all  bulb- 
growers  know  is  of  importance,  inasmuch  as  strong 
foliage  gives  fine  bulbs  for  the  following  season.  If 
needful,  continue  a  due  supply  of  water  till  the  blooms 
are  expanded. 

Tying. — As  soon  as  the  flower-stems  have  advanced 
above  the  foliage  prepare  a  sufficient  quantity  of  sticks, 
painted  a  light  green,  to  secure  them  to.  The  flowers 
of  all  the  tall-growing  varieties  are  heavy,  and  would  be 
bent  down  to  the  ground,  splashed  with  tbe  soil,  and 
spoiled  if  not  supported.  The  single-flowered  varieties, 
such  as  Incomparabilis,  double  Jonquil,  &c.,  might  be 
tied  two  or  three  to  a  stick  ;  but  the  Tazetta  and  single 
Jonquil  should  have  a  separate  stick  to  each  head  of 
bloom.  The  sticks  should  be  long  enough  to  allow  them 
to  have  firm  hold  of  tbe  ground,  and  reach  very  nearly, 
but  not  quite,  up  to  the  flowers,  when  they  have  attained 
their  full  height.  As  the  sticks  should  be  placed  before 
that  takes  place,  it  will  require  some  judgment  and  fore- 
sight to  leave  them  long  enough  to  reach  the  proper 
height.  They  might  be  left  so  as  to  be  rather  longer  than 
is  needful,  and  when  the  stems  have  attained  their  full 
altitude  then  cut  them  down  to  the  proper  length.  In 
tying  them,  at  first  suificient  space  must  be  allowed  for 
the  swelling  of  the  stem.  As  it  will  be  necessary  to 
tread  upon  the  soil  to  thrust  in  the  sticks  and  tie  up 
the  flower-stems,  every  time  the  foot  is  set  upon  the 


220 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Dkckjiiieu  i!'J. 


1  ed  the  spot  or  spots  so  trodden  should  lie  immediately 
obliterated  by  the  small  tliree-pronged  fork. 

Shelter. — lu  order  to  proloucr  the  bloom,  as  well  as  to 

jjreveut  its  being  injured  by  sun,  wind,  or  heavy  rain, 

the  bed  should  be  protected  by  an  awning  of  some  kind 

or  other.     I  consider  the  best  is  a  frame  of  hoops  and 

I   long  rods,  covered  with  oiled  canvass,  so  contrived  that 

I   the  canvass  can  be  easily  thrown  ott'  or  rolled  up  in  all 

cloudy  fine  weather.     The  flowers  would  then  be  seen 

to  greater  advantage.     When   the   bloom  is  over  this 

'   shelter  should  be  removed,  except   the  frame-work  of 

I   hoops,  &c.,  which  might  be  left  on  to  enable  the  amateur 

!   to  replace  the  canvass  when  the  foliage  begins  to  decay. 

The  shelter  will  then  be  useful  to  keep  oil'  the  rains,  and 

thus  ripen  the  bulbs  more  perfectly. 

Taking  up  and  slorini;;  the  Bulbs. — As  soon  as  the 
leaves  are  quite  brown  then  take  up  the  bulbs,  but  be 
careful  not  to  braise  them,  and  leave  all  the  roots  that 
may  not  be  quite  dead  to  them.  Then  lay  them  on  a 
walk  or  boards  in  a  situation  not  fully  exposed  to  the 
sun  for  a  weeli  or  two,  till  all  the  leaves  and  roots  are 
shrivelled  up  and  dead.  When  that  is  so,  then  trim 
them  off  carefully  without  wounding  the  bulbs,  and 
store  them  away  iu  clean  boxes  and  drawers  in  a  cool 
room  till  the  planting  season  comes  round  again. 

I  have  written  all  these  minute  particulars  on  the 
culture  of  these  sweet-scented  charming  flowers,  because 
they  are  worthy  of  all  the  trouble  an  amatem-  can  bestow 
upon  them,  and  because  I  am  not  aware  that  any  writer 
has  given,  hitherto,  full  directions  on  the  culture  of  the 
Narcissus.  T.  Applely. 


THE    IRIS. 


It  has  often  been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  me,  in  visit- 
ing gardens  in  various  parts  of  Great  Britain,  to  find 
this  beautiful  flower  so  little  grown.  The  large,  sho,vy 
flower,  the  many  hues  of  colours  they  display,  the 
dehcious  fragrance  of  several  species,  and  their  easy 
culture,  are  all  qualities  which  recommend  them  greatly  to 
the  lovers  of  flowers.  Following  on  my  Essays  on  Hardy 
Bulb  Culture,  I  shall  next  devote  a  paper  or  two  to  the 
culture  of  the  Iris,  more  especially  the  bulbous  species. 

The  name  Iris  (the  Rainbow)  alludes  to  the  beauty  aud 
diversity  of  the  colours  found  in  many  species.  A  bed 
of  the  English  and  Spanish  Irises  is  extremely  eflective 
when  in  bloom,  showing  oflf  well  at  a  distance,  and 
bearing,  equally  well,  close  examination.  Om'  neigh- 
bours, the  Dutch,  have  greatly  improved  these  varieties, 
and  increased  their  number,  as  their  annual  catalogues 
show.  I  have  about  twenty-five  varieties  myself  under 
cultivatiou,  and  when  they  are  iu  bloom  they  are 
mucli  admired.  There  is  no  flower  tliat  blooms  so  well, 
with  so  little  care,  as  these  bulbous  Irises.  And  as  the 
season  for  flowering  is  past  the  middle  of  summer,  they 
are  iu  bloom  when  the  London  season  is  over,  and  the 
families  of  our  senators  and  gentry  have  left  tlie  dusty 
smoky  city  for  the  clear  fine  air  of  their  country  seats, 
thence  the  Iris  may  very  properly  aud  usefully  be  used 
as  a  bedding-out  plant,  and  as  they  attain  the  height  of 
about  a  foot  to  a  foot-aud-a-half,  they  should  be  planted 
in  large  masses,  that  is,  they  will  serve  to  fill  a  large  bed, 

T.  Appleby. 
( y'o  he  coiitinticd.) 


RHUBARB. 


Although  this  plant  was  known  and  cultivated  iu 
the  gardens  of  the  wealthy  during  the  greater  part  of 
the  last  century,  it  was  not  until  the  beginning  of  the 
present  one  that  its  uses  were  duly  appreciated.  Even 
then  it  made  way  but  very  tardily,  until  the  late  talented 


Mr.  Loudon  called  attention  to  it.  aud  pointed  out  its 
merits,  some  thirty  years  ago.  It  was  then  that  our 
great  market-gardeners,  allured  by  its  productive  powers, 
began  to  cultivate  it  extensively,  aud  have  since  con- 
tinued to  fnrnish  it  in  such  quantities  as  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  public  taste.  Now,  though  it  is  unneces- 
sary here  to  enter  into  the  history  of  the  many  varieties 
which  have  been,  from  time  to  time,  presented  to  us,  it 
will  he  proper  to  enquire  into  its  origin,  and  the  country 
from  wliich  it  originally  came;  and,  although  botanists 
may  differ  as  to  the  name  of  the  parent  species  to  the 
garden  variety  now  in  cultivation,  it  is  needless  to 
regard  that,  since  the  fact  seems  established  that  they 
originally  existed  in  the  same  localities,  aud  a  slight 
enquiry  where  that  was  will  enable  us  to  judge  how  far 
we  can  copy  the  same  in  England. 

lT))on  looking  at  the  map  of  Eastern  Europe  and  the 
adjoiuing  continent,  Asia,  a  large  and  noble  river  runs 
for  a  considerable  way  parallel  with  the  boundary. 
This  large  stream,  the  "  Volga,"  drains  a  tract  of 
country  equal  to  that  of  many  important  empires.  It 
is  on  the  banks  of  this  river  that  the  parents  of  our 
garden  varieties  of  Rhubarb  were  first  found,  and  still 
exist  in  their  primitive  vigour,  fed,  as  they  are,  by  the 
waters  of  an  extensive  distriet;  for,  be  it  remembered, 
the  Rhubarb  flourishes  on  the  vallies  rather  than  the 
hills  which  intersect  this  central  region  ;  the  right 
bank  of  the  Volga,  and  its  tributaries  on  that  side, 
forming  en  extensive  plain,  rich  in  herbage,  vvbich  the 
deep,  moist  soil  sustains  against  the  scorching  efl'ects  of 
summer  sunshine,  more  especially  sucli  plants  as  the 
"  Rheuiu,"  which  root  so  deeply  as  to  be  able  to  with- 
draw moisture  at  a  depth  below  that  to  which  ordinary 
droughts  penetrate.  This  moist,  deep  soil,  being  the 
native  place  of  the  R'lubarb,  it  is  only  fair  to  infer  that 
its  offspring,  in  a  cultivated  state,  must  have  a  liking 
for  the  same  abundance  of  food  and  drink  which  its 
ancestors  enjoyed  on  the  conflues  of  the  Caspian  Sea. 
How  many  districts  at  home  present  features  similar  to 
those  given.  True,  we  have  no  rivers  like  the  Volga  or 
Euxus,  but  many  of  our  streams  pass  through  vales 
equalling  in  fertility  that  which  bounds  the  first 
nam.ed  river.  The  tracts  of  level  land  lying  con- 
tiguous to,  and  not  unfrequently  overflowed  by,  many  of 
our  rivers,  present  a  comfortable  home  for  this  greedy 
consumer  of  good  living.  It  is,  therefore,  to  such  places 
that  we  may  justly  look  for  the  best  Rhubarb  being  pro- 
duced ;  and  much  that  is  good  is  to  be  found  in  such 
places. 

In  thus  pointing  out  a  deep  soil  on  the  margins  of  a 
river  which  might  occasionally  be  overflowed,  I  do  not 
by  any  means  advocate  its  being  planted  where  salt 
water  has  access,  because,  its  origin  being  inland,  and 
at  a  long  distance  from  the  ocean,  as  well  as  from  its 
influence,  it  is  not  likely  to  benefit  by  being  forced  to 
inhabit  a  position  as  much  at  variance  with  ils  internal 
wants  and  requirements  as  planting  it  on  dry  rock-work 
would  be.  True,  a  plant  so  vigorous  as  it  is  will  grow 
under  most  circumstances  ;  but,  then,  mere  growing  or 
dragging  out  an  existence  is  widely  difl'erent  from 
flourishing  ;  aud,  as  a  plant  intended  to  furnish  a 
quantity  of  useful  edible  matter  must  necessarily  be 
supplied  with  the  means  for  doing  so,  it  is  imjiortaut 
that  the  soil  on  which  Rhubarb  is  phanted  be  deep, 
and,  as  I  have  before  observed,  rather  moist  than 
dry— not  soddened  by  stagnant  water,  like  wet,  un- 
draiued  land,  but  open  and  porous,  in  which  water, 
after  being  once  admitted,  passes  through  without  difli- 
culty.  Such  soils  exist  in  our  country  hy  the  margins 
of  many  of  our  rivers,  as  well  as  it  docs  by  the  sides  of 
those  whicli  ruu  iuto  the  Cas|iian  Sea,  and  other  places 
in  South-east(?rn  Europe.  liowever,  as  many  gardens 
are  at  a  distance  from  a  running  stream  of  any  imjiort- 
ance,  some  imitation  of  this  diluvial  soil  must  bo  made, 


Dkcemuer  22. 


THE  COTTAGE  OAllDENEa. 


U-H 


I   in  order  to  acooinmodatc  the  plant  to  the  conditions  most 
I   conducive  to  ils  well-being. 

I  Most  oUl  gardens  that  liave  been  nnder  a  good  and 
'  liberal  system  of  cidtivation  present  a  stratum  ol'  some 
twelve  or  Iburteen  inches  of  rich,  fine  soil,  of  the  class 
which,  in  a  practical  phrase,  is  called  "  top  spit;"  below 
this,  a  depth  of  nearly  as  much  more  of  tolerably  good 
soil  is  also  Ibuud,  whi'cli,  receiving  trenching  now  and 
then,  presents  a  mass  of  food  lor  deep-rooted  plants,  or 
assists  those  which  the  heats  of  summer  compel  to  send 
their  roots  downwards  in  search  of  more  food  than  the 
"  top  spit "  can  afl'ord  :  such  soils,  with  a  subsoil  not 
too  dry,  are  certainly  the  best  substitute  that  can  be 
made  tor  the  river-side  flats,  and  on  such  the  Rhubarb 
will  grow  and  attain  a  degree  of  perleetion  in  proportion 
to  the  richness  of  the  material  by  which  it  is  ted,  for  the 
Rhubarb  is  a  greedy  devourer  of  those  rich  and  unctuous 
substances  whicli  comprise  the  essence  of  the  dunghill ; 
if,  however,  the  soil  be  still'  and  heavy,  with  only  a 
shallow  portion  under  tillage,  and  below  that  an  im- 
penetrable clay,  some  modification  of  it  must  be 
attempted  before  llhubarb  is  ))hinted  ;  trenching,  as 
recommended  before,  must  be  done,  with  this  addition, 
that  the  top  soil  must  bo  again  retauicd  at  top,  and  with 
the  bottom  must  be  mixed  some  opening  matter  of  a 
kind  lilcely  to  retain  its  usefulness;  broKen  stones,  in 
considerable  quantity,  lime  and  mortar  rubbish,  sand, 
ashes,  or  any  mixture  of  these,  with  such  things  as 
leaves,  rotten  tan,  or  dung,  even  matters  which  of  tlicm- 
selves  present  but  a  poor  notion  of  fertility,  are  of  great 
:  service  when  mixed  with  something  else  differing  widely 
from  them;  in  that  respect,  even  the  waste  rubbish  of 
the  carpenter's  yard  is  not  without  its  utility,  for  when 
i  niised  with  a  stubborn  and  adhesive  clay  it  separates 
:,  the  component  parts,  and  probably  before  it  decays,  the 
accession  of  the  air  it  had  been  the  means  of  inviting 
below  may  have  worked  a  partial  change  in  the  clay,  so 
as  to  ameliorate  its  condition  very  much.  Now,  this  is 
equally  applicable  to  many  other  things,  as  well  as  to 
Elnibarb,  but  it  is  essentially  so  to  it,  for  without  a  good 
depth  of  soil  for  the  roots  to  ramble  in  the  stalks  will 
be  poor  and  stringy,  and  not  produced  in  anything  like 
the  abundance  that  constitutes  a  good  crop ;  however, 
supposing  all  that  was  necessary  to  be  done  had  been 
done  to  render  the  soil  good,  it  is  now  fit  to  receive  the 
plants,  before  doing  which,  however,  let  us  take  a  review 
of  the  kinds  now  offered  to  our  use. 
!  One  of  the  oldest  kinds  is  the  small  green-stalked, 
called  the  Old  Green.  This  is  but  little  grown  now, 
;  except  by  those  who  retain  it  for  its  flavour,  which  is 
certainly  sujjerior  to  that  of  all  the  larger  kinds  ;  but  it  is 
j  too  small  to  meet  the  wants  of  buyers,  and  its  produce  too 
1  meagre  to  furnish  a  remuneration  to  the  growers,  who 
'■  receive  so  small  a  sum  per  dozen  bundles.  Another 
old  kind,  alike  passing  fast  into  oblivion,  is  the  cut- 
leaved  variety,  called  The  TarJcetj.  This  kind,  intro- 
I  duced  with  a  view  to  produce  the  medicine  which 
:  passes  under  that  name,  soon  proved  the  inability  of 
our  climate  to  produce  that  article  in  anything  like  the 
strength  required  for  the  purposes  intended.  This  kind 
was  never  much  a  favourite  at  table,  its  ill-associated 
name,  perhaps,  assisting  in  its  unpopularity,  if  not  also 
injuring  its  neighbours;  it  is  but  little  seen  now.  After 
this,  followed  some  hybrids  of  more  or  less  merit, 
but  these  all  bowed  to  the  bulky  and  ponderous  stalks 
of  The  Oiant,  which  appeared  some  thirty  years  ago. 
This  variety  was  an  especial  favourite  at  the  time  with 
amateurs  and  others,  who  prided  themselves  on  the  pro- 
duction of  stalks  of  almost  fabuloHS  weight ;  but  it  was 
in  time  discovered  that  the  actual  weight  of  good  iisable 
;  Rhubarb  stalks  which  it  furnished  was  not  greater  than 
'  that  of  many  other  kinds  of  less  pretentions,  while  its 
flavour  was  inferior  to  some;  hence,  it  fell  into 
I   disrepute,  and  other  kinds,  many  of  them,  having  only 


a  local  name,  were  substituted,  until  the  celebrated 
grower,  Mr.  Myatt,  commenced  improving  the  kinds, 
when  we  were  supplied  in  his  Victoria  and  JAniifean, 
which  are  almost  all  that  can  be  wished  for.  T  might,  how- 
ever, add,  that  prior  to  his  furnishing  the  last-named,  a 
good  early  variety,  without  any  other  cognomen  than 
the  Earlji  Red,  found  its  way  into  many  gardens,  and  by  | 
its  profiflc,  as  well  as  other  qualties,  speedily  became  a 
favourite,  and  it  is  quite  as  early  as  the  Linncr.an.  How 
ever,  1  do  not  despau-  of  seeing  earlier  kinds  produced 
yet  than  any  we  have,  but  those  now  regarded  the  best 
are  good  in  other  points  as  well ;  therefore,  for  the 
amateur's  use,  I  would  simply  advise  the  Victoria  and 
LiniKeaii ;  and  if  he  obtains  small  plants  from  a  nursery, 
with  only  one  crown,!  would  advise  their  being  planted 
on  the  good  ground  nu;ntioned  above,  at  about  four  feet 
apart  each  way,  and  be  sure  not  to  cut  the  stalks  too 
soon,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  the  result  will  in  the  end 
be  satisfactory.  Ofi'sets  are  not  produced  in  such  num- 
bers as  in  many  other  plants,  but  the  plant  produces 
seed,  and  when  that  has  been  carefully  attended  to,  and 
!  true  to  its  kind,  the  produce  is  about  as  true  as  that  of 
j  Cabbages,  Brocoli,  Celery,  &c. ;  which  means  that  now  | 
[  and  then  a  spurious  one  might  be  expected,  and  pro-  l 
hably  an  occasional  improved  variety  will  present  itself  j 
The  seed  ought  to  be  sown  on  a  hotbed,  or  Vvdiere  many 
"  tender  annuals"  are  sown,  and  as  soon  as  the  plants 
will  bear  handling,  let  them  be  planted  out  iu  some  fine 
soil,  suitable  and  good.  A  subsequent  change  may, 
perhaps,  be  necessary  during  the  summer,  but  the 
autumn,  or  winter,  is  the  best  time  to  place  them  in 
their  permanent  quarters ;  and  as  few  plots  of  ground  of 
equal  extent  produce  so  much  edible  matter  as  that 
occupied  by  Rhubarb,  let  it  be  liberally  dealt  with  at 
the  outset.  J.  Robson. 


MANAGEMENT  OF  FORWARD  EWES  AND 
LAMBS. 
{Conliiiiu'dfrom  jmge  207.) 
The  liambs,  whilst  young,  should  have  Hay,  or  Hay- 
chafi',  twice  a  day,  but  after  they  arrive  at  the  age  of 
eight  or  nine  weeks  they  should  receive  Hay  three  times 
per  day-^the  first  bait,  as  has  been  stated,  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning ;  the  second  at  noon ;  and  the  third 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.    It  will  not  answer 
much  later  in  the  day,  for  in  the  short  days  of  winter, 
after  the  Lambs  have  drawn  away  to  the  Ewes,  they 
will  lie  down  for  the  night,  and  the  portion  of  Hay  not 
consumed  will,  in  case  of  rain,  be  distasteful  to  them, 
and  damaged  for  further  use.     The  Lambs,  however, 
seldom  consume  all  the  Hay,  nor  should  they  be  re- 
quired to  do  so,  for  it  is  better  that  they  select  the  best 
portions  of  it,  the  remainder  being  removed  and  given 
to  the  Ewes.     The  Oil-cake  and  Peas  should  be  given, 
as  before  observed,  according  to  their  wants,  but  taking 
care  to  use  covered  troughs,  and  the  last  bait  in  the 
afternoon  should  not  be  given  later  than  three  o'clock, 
otherwise  a  portion  may  be  left  in  the  troughs,  which 
will  be  damaged  in  case  of  rain,  with  change  of  wind,   j 
during  the  night  time,  for  although  the  troughs  may  be  j 
covered,  yet  in  damp  weather,  or  drifting  rain,  the  cake   ; 
will  become  damaged  or  unpalatable.     Roots  for  the   j 
Lambs  should   be   supplied  at  short  intervals,  taking 
care  to  have  any  refuse  remaining  in  the  troughs  re- 
moved every  morning ;   cleanliness  in  feeding  Lambs  I 
being  indispensable.     The  Ewes  may  receive  their  Oil-  ; 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENEll. 


December  22 


cake  in  open  troughs,  as  they  generally  eat  it  imme- 
diately they  are  fed — there  is  then  no  time  for  it  to 
receive  damage  by  rain,  &c.  ;  but  the  troughs  should  be 
kept  dry,  auditor  this  purpose  they  may  be  turned  upside 
down  during  the  time  they  are  not  in  use  between  the 
hours  of  feeding. 

In  the  management  of  this  kind  of  stock,  or,  indeed, 
of  any  Sheep,  it  is  advisable  to  have  a  catch  coop  in  the 
field,  for  the  purpose  of  driving  the  Sheep  into  when 
required  to  be  examined,  or  drafted,  either  for  treatment 
in  disease,  or  for  the  market;  and  in  order  that  the 
coop  may  be  clean,  and  not  contaminated  by  constant 
use,  it  should  either  be  removed  continually,  or  else 
kept  supplied  with  litter,  such  as  refuse  straw,  as  clean- 
liness requires ;  after  being  used  a  given  time  the  bed- 
ding will  be  converted  into  manure,  and  may  be  removed 
for  that  purpose.  I  now  propose  to  make  a  few  remarks 
upon  the  state  in  which  it  is  best  to  give  certain  feeding 
materials.  "When  Peas  are  given  to  the  Lambs  it  is 
desirable  that  they  should  be  cracked,  not  ground  into 
meal,  for  in  this  state  it  is  not  only  objectionable  to  the 
Lambs,  but  very  wasteful,  particularly  in  damp  weather, 
as  much  of  the  finest  portion  becomes  clotted  and  dis- 
tasteful, and,  consequently,  useless  for  the  purpose 
intended.  It  is,  therefore,  only  necessary  that  the  Peas 
should  be  broken,  and  this  only  up  to  the  time  of  the 
Lambs  being  two  months  old,  for  after  that  period  they 
will  readily  eat  them  whole;  and  this,  in  fact,  is  the 
only  state  in  which  they  can  be  given  without  some 
amount  of  waste. 

Good  liay  may  be  given  to  Ewes  and  Lambs,  either 
entire  or  cut  into  chaff.  I  prefer  that  fatting  Sheep 
(and  particularly  Lambs)  should  receive  their  Hay  in 
the  ordinary  state,  for  they  will  then  have  the  oppor- 
tunity to  select  the  best,  and  leave  a  portion,  and  after- 
wards it  may  be  removed,  as  before  stated,  and  given  to 
the  Ewes  or  other  stock ;  whereas,  if  the  Hay  is  given 
in  the  state  of  chaff,  the  Lambs  cannot  so  readily  select 
the  best  and  the  clover-leaf  part,  nor  can  it  be  made  so 
available  for  the  removal  of  the  residue  to  other  stock. 

I  would  here  observe  that  the  declared  object  of  parties 
who  advocate  the  chaH'-feediug  of  stock  is  to  mis  it  with 
cake  or  corn;  and  also,  when  given  alone,  it  is  intended 
to  prevent  waste,  and  induce  the  animals  to  eat  the 
whole,  without  distinction  or  selection.  1  think  the 
former  mode  of  mixing  with  Oil-cake  or  corn  is  objection- 
able, for  I  find  the  stock  are  apt  to  rout  the  chafl'out  of 
the  troughs  in  searching  for  the  better  and  more 
palateable  food;  and  the  latter  mode  of  giving  chaff 
alone  I  consider  without  advantage;  for  if  we  take  the 
loss  of  good  Hay  when  given  in  the  ordinary  state  at 
regular  intervals,  and  in  jiroper  quantities,  it  will  not 
amount  to  more  than  one-twentieth  part,  or  one  cwt.  in 
a  ton;  and  it  must  be  remembered  that  chaff  is  not 
always  given  without  some  loss,  particularly  in  windy 
weather,  when  it  is  often  blown  out  of  the  troughs.  I 
will,  therefore,  put  the  loss  on  chaff-feeding,  at  half  a  cwt. 
per  ton,  which  will  only  leave  an  actual  difforcuco  or 
loss  against  feeding  in  the  ordinary  state  of  uOlbs.  to  the 
ton,  and  the  wasted  portion  must  be  considered  of  some 


value  to  plough  in  as  manure.  I  will,  however,  place 
the  value  of  loss  at  2s.  per  ton,  which  sum  will  not  pay 
the  cost  of  converting  the  Hay  into  chaff,  with  other 
extra  charges.  I  am  willing  to  admit  that  chaff  made 
of  inferior  Hay  is  made  more  palatable  for  store  Sheep, 
and  that  in  some  instances  they  may  be  induced  to  eat 
a  larger  portion  of  the  Hay  as  chaff  than  they  would  if 
given  entire.  But  for  Lambs,  or  fatting  Sheep,  it  can 
never  answer  a  good  purpose  to  ofier  them  Hay  in  the 
form  of  chaff,  which  they  would  otherwise  refuse  as 
ordinary  Hay. 

The  selection  of  feeding  materials  is  a  matter  of  the 
greatest  importance;  for  instance,  it  is  commonly  con- 
sidered that  White  Peas  are  the  best  for  feeding  Lambs, 
but  my  experience  has  taught  nie  that  the  Grey  or  Maple 
varieties  are  much  better  than  the  AVhite.  I  had  an 
excellent  opportunity  of  proving  this  a  few  years  ago ; 
being  out  of  the  Grey  Peas,  which  I  usually  grew  for 
feeding,  I  was  induced  to  purchase  some  of  the  best 
White  boiling  Peas  which  I  could  get,  being  informed 
that  they  were  the  best  sort  for  tlie  purpose.  About  a 
week  after  I  commenced  feeding  with  them,  my  Lambs, 
which  had  heretofore  given  good  satisfaction,  were  now 
complained  of  by  the  butcher;  nor  did  they  die  well,  and 
in  good  condition,  during  the  whole  time  they  were  eat- 
ing White  Peas.  But,  after  a  while,  I  fed  them  with 
Maple  Peas,  when  the  Lambs  soon  regained  their 
former  good  qualitj%  and  maintained  it  until  the  end  of 
the  season.  These  facts,  coupled  with  the  chance  which 
I  had  of  seeing  the  Lambs  dead  every  week,  was  con- 
clusive to  my  mind,  and  I  have  not  since  been  induced 
to  use  AVhite  Peas  for  feeding  Lambs,  nor  should  I  do 
so  if  I  were  enabled  to  obtain  them  at  a  greatly  reduced 
price.  It  may  be  considered  that  the  astringent  pro- 
perty of  the  Grey  and  Maple  Pea  acts  very  favourably 
(particularly  in  connection  with  Oil-cake)  in  the  feeding 
of  Lambs,  by  conducing  to  the  production  of  a  good 
proportion  of  muscle  or  flesh,  which  is  really  desirable 
and  essential  in  making  up  Lambs  of  the  best  quality. 
Beans  are  not  good  for  feeding  Lambs,  as  they  contain 
the  astringent  property  in  excess  of  the  Peas,  and  I  have 
known,  by  their  use  in  feeding,  that  the  flesh  has  been 
made  so  hard  as  to  render  it  tmsaleable  as  Lamb. 

There  is  also  a  vast  difference  in  Oil-cake  for  feeding 
purposes.  The  home-made,  and  some  of  the  I\larseilles 
Cake,  are  very  good  for  feeding  Ewes  and  Sheep  Stock 
in  general ;  but  the  superior  sorts  of  American  Cake  is 
certainly  the  best  for  feeding  Lambs.  This  Cake,  when 
good  in  quality,  always  makes  a  higher  price  than  other 
sorts  of  Oil-cake;  yet  it  is  much  cheaper  for  the  feeding 
of  Lambs,  if  we  measure  its  value  by  results.  In  fact,  I 
do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  so  far  as  cake  and  corn  are 
concerned,  that  American  Barrel  Cake  and  Jlaplo  Peas 
are  the  perfection  of  Lamb-food. 

In  the  growth  of  Grasses  intended  to  produce  Hay  for 
feeding  this  kind  of  stock,  it  is  desirable  to  select  White 
Butch  Clover  with  Trefoil,  and  a  small  portion  of  Italian 
Bye  Grass  mixed  for  the  Lambs,  and  Broad  Clover, 
with  Trefoil  and  Italian  Bye  Grass  for  the  Ewes.  The 
former,  being  intended  as  Hay  for  the  Lambs,  sliould 


December  22. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


223 


be  cut  very  early  indeed ;  it  will  then,  if  well-made,  con- 
tain the  greatest  amount  of  nutrition ;  and  this  is 
especially  necessary,  because  young  Lambs  cannot, 
vinder  any  circumstances,  be  expected  to  eat  more  than  a 
limited  quantity.  It  is,  therefore,  desirable  that  tlie 
Hay  should  bo  of  the  best  quality ;  for  not  only  will 
they  bo  induced  to  eat  the  greatest  bulk  of  the  material, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  the  largest  probable  amount  of 
nutrition  will  be  conveyed  into  the  system.  The  Hay 
best  calculated  for  feeding  the  Ewes  is,  without  doubt, 
the  same  as  has  been  recommended  for  the  Lambs ; 
but  it  often  happens  that  a  sufficiency  is  not  grown  to 
feed  both  with  the  same  sort  during  the  whole  season. 
It  is  usual  to  grow  the  Clovers  alternately,  therefore  the 
supply  of  either  sort  is  limited,  and  the  Broad  Clover 
and  Rye  Grass  Hay  is  commonly  resorted  to  for  the 
feeding  of  Ewes. 

In  a  former  paper  upon  this  subject,  it  has  been  re- 
commended to  feed  the  Ewes  with  half-a-pound  of  Oil- 
cake per  day  each ;  it  was,  however,  omitted  that  thoy 
should  receive  half-a-pint  of  Beans,  also,  in  addition, 
during  the  last  month  of  their  fattening ;  this  will 
render  the  flesh  more  firm,  and  they  will  sell  better  in 
the  market,  inasmuch  as  the  great  objection  to  Ewes 
which  have  been  fattened  during  the  time  they  suckled 
their  Lambs  being  that  they  are  usually  deficient  in 
firmness  and  quality  of  meat, 

I  shall  conclude  this  paper  with  an  observation  as  to 
the  great  advantage  of  high-feeding  for  the  Ewes,  in 
which  the  Lamb  is  also  found  to  participate,  owing  to 
the  exiva.  quality  of  the  milk  induced  by  feeding  upon 
highly  nutritious  materials,  verifying  the  old  saying, 
"  A  fat  Ewe  makes  a  fat  Lamb." 

Joseph  Blundell. 


THE   UPRIGHT  SERVANT. 

Bi/   the   Authoress    of  '■^  My    Flowers." 

Abe  any  of  my  readers  natives  of  Wales  ?  If  they  are, 
they  will  be  pleased  with  a,  sketch  of  one  of  their  country- 
men, of  whom  they  need  not  be  ashamed,  and  whoso  upright 
and  downright  character  may  be  au  example  to  servants, 
and,  perhaps,  a  useful  hint  to  masters,  who  ahvays  find  it  so 
difficult  to  discover  the  truth  when  distiu'bances  take  place 
among  their  households.  It  is  not  always  tlie  smooth- 
tongued, or  the  smooth-tempered,  that  are  right ;  very  often 
the  rough  and  disagreeable  are  the  really  valuable.  But  as 
man  cannot  look  into  the  heart,  it  is  next  to  impossible  for 
a  master  to  know  who  is  right  and  who  is  wrong,  unless  the 
characters  are  so  well  understood  as  to  enable  him  to 
know  who  is  most  likely  to  speak  the  truth. 

David  Bees  lived  with  a  widowed  mother  and  a  young 
sister,  in  a  little  white  cottage  that  opened  upon  a  "hryn" 
or  green,  in  a  southern  county  of  Wales.  It  was  a  beautiful 
situation,  as  all  Welsh  situations  are ;  and  in  the  distance,  a 
picturesque  hay,  bounded  by  a  rocky  shore,  sparkled  in  the 
Sim.  The  little  cottage  stood  close  to  a  very  little  tricklet  of 
water  which  crossed  tlie  edge  of  the  bryn,  and  the  great 
stones  that  supported  the  plank  for  foot  passengers  were 
all  daubed  with  whitewash,  a  very  common  fancy  in  that 
neighbourhood.  If  a  large  stone  peeped  out  of  a  bank, 
there  was  sure  to  be  a  splash  of  whitewash  upon  it,  so 
Nanny  Rees'  cottage  and  appurtenances  were  in  the  usual 
fashion.  Two  or  three  gentlemen's  residences  surrounded 
the  bryn,  and  in  one  of  these  David  began  to  be  a  lad  about 
the  garden  and  stable.  He  was  very  steady,  and  when  the 
groom   went  away  he  stepped  peaceably  into  the  place. 


David  had  a  warm  Welsh  heart,  and  a  hot  Welsh  temper. 
He  gave  all  his  affections  to  the  family  he  lived  with,  and 
would  have  done  battle  for  any  one  of  them  ;  but  he  always 
looked  surly  and  displeased,  do  what  he  would.  He  loved 
to  ride  behind  his  young  mistresses,  but  he  always  seemed 
as  if  he  bated  to  do  it,  there  was  a  sort  of  scowl  on  his  brow 
which  he  did  not  mean  ;  his  temper  was  hot,  hut  his  heart 
was  in  the  right  place  {hmnanhi  speakiiuj),  and  the  event 
proved  that  his  face,  and  not  his  feelings,  was  to  blame. 

After  some  years  the  family  left  Wales,  and  took  David 
with  them.  He  became  the  servant  of  his  young  master, 
and  if  any  one  had  dared  to  say  that  that  young  gentleman 
and  his  beautiful  grey  mare  were  not  the  best  of  their  kind 
in  England,  David  would  have  attacked  them  on  the  spot. 
Times,  however,  changed,  and  poor  Darid  was  obliged  to  seek 
another  situation.  For  some  years  he  suffered  much. 
Circumstances  took  place  in  the  family  of  his  new  master 
of  a  painful  nature,  and  David  had  a  great  deal  to  do  and 
struggle  with;  but  he  was  upright  and  downright,  and  it 
pleased  God  to  guide  him  on  through  all.  Then  he  went 
back  into  AVales,  married,  and  became  coachman  to  a  gentle- 
man who  lived  in  the  very  house  where  his  first  master 
lived,  close  to  his  native  bryn.  Here  he  bad  another  trial 
to  go  through.  Tlie  iniquity  that  was  going  on  in  the 
establishment  David  could  not  away  with.  He  saw  things, 
and  knew  things,  that  almost  distracted  his  honest  heart. 
He  had  nothing  to  do  with  them,  but  be  burned  to  tell  his 
master;  and  at  last  he  did.  He  was  believed,  but  his 
master's  approval  was  all  he  gained  by  it,  for  he  had  no 
longer  a  moment's  peace.  Not  only  his  own  fellow-seivants, 
but  those  of  every  neighbom-ing  family,  rose  up  against  him. 
A  party  spirit  set  in  among  the  servants,  which  ended 
in  David's  going  away;  he  could  not  stand  against  their 
malice  and  resentment,  he  was  baited  to  death.  Go  where  he 
would,  he  was  pointed  at  and  shunned,  till  bis  very  health 
gave  way,  and  he  quitted  his  master,  who  was  truly  grieved 
to  part  with  him, 

After  this,  Rees  took  a  cottage,  and  became  a  market- 
gardener,  in  a  moderate  way;  but  it  was  uncertain  work. 
He  bad  a  wife  and  child,  and  an  aged  mother  to  support, 
and  no  capital,  so  that  wet  seasons,  and  other  losses,  tried 
him  very  much.  When  sent  for  by  bis  first  master  to  take 
a  coachman's  place  in  a  friend's  establishment,  he  gladly 
undertook  it,  although  bis  health  was  not  so  sti'ong,  or  his 
Umbs  so  active  as  of  yore.  Here  another  trial,  and  a  very 
sharp  one,  came  upon  him.  Perhaps  there  is  no  set  of 
people  more  crooked  in  their  different  ways,  and  according 
to  their  opportunities,  than  household  servants.  Of  course, 
there  are  many  valuable  exceptions  in  every  one's  experience, 
and  it  seems  a  hard  thing  to  say;  but  judging  from  what 
we  hear,  rather  than  from  what  we  see,  we  may  conclude 
that  there  are  few  small  bodies  of  persons  congregated 
together,  where  so  much  evil  exists.  AVe  know  what  the 
natural  heart  of  man  is,  and  in  a  gentleman's  household 
there  is  so  Uttle  possibility  of  watching  what  is  going  on, 
that  it  gives  room  for  unbounded  mischief,  with  scarcely 
any  likelihood  of  discovery.  The  household  of  Rees'  master 
was  a  very  regular,  and  well-ordered  one,  apparently  ;  little 
company  kept,  rehgious  observances  attended  to,  and  every 
thing  in  its  place  ;  but  he  soon  foimd  it  was  a  scene  of  actual 
depravity  and  wicked  connivance.  One  of  the  seivants  had 
been  brought  up  from  a  child  in  the  family,  and  was  loved 
and  trusted  almost  like  a  daughter.  She  was  the  worst  of 
all ;  and  poor  Rees  became  almost  distracted  at  all  he  knew, 
and  dared  not  make  known.  He  gave  broad  hints,  hut  they 
were  disregarded.  He  had  suffered  for  speaking  out  in  a 
former  case,  and  knew  not  what  to  do  for  the  best  here. 
Charges  brought  against  a  favourite  supported  by  all  the 
rest  of  the  household  was  ruin  to  himself ;  so,  between  indig- 
nation at  the  goings  on,  fear  of  consequences,  a  hot  Welsh 
temper,  and,  perhaps,  want  of  better  judgment,  he  gave 
offence  to  both  parties,  and  received  notice  to  leave.  This 
circumstance  gave  him  freedom  of  speech  ;  but  the  servants, 
who  could  bring  no  other  accusation  against  him,  joined  in 
declaring  him  mud,  and  so  alarmed  then'  master  and  mistress 
by  their  wicked  devices,  that  all  poor  Rees'  assertions  were 
received  soothingly,  as  those  of  a  lunatic ;  and  he  was  got 
rid  of  quickly  and  quietly — returning  to  his  cottage  almost 
broken-hearted  with  this  second  unhappy  ending  to  his 
honest  service.  The  wicked  never  prosper  long.  Everything 


224 


THE   COTTAGE    GABDENER. 


Leuembkr  22. 


came  to  light  iu  the  appointed  time,  and  poor  P.ees  was 
cleared  of  lunacy  and  of  false  witness.  The  half  of  the 
wickedness  going  on  he  had  not  revealed,  or  even  known ; 
but  liis  upriglitness  was  made  manifest.  Poor  fellow  !  when 
tlie  news  reached  him  it  gladdened  liis  lieart,  and  those  of 
his  friends  who  l;new  liim  rejoiced  still  more.  He  entered 
another  service  in  liis  native  land;  his  new  master  was  well 
acquainted  mth  his  sterling  qualities,  and  our  last  accounts 
stated  that  he  was  happy  and  going  on  well. 

Tlie  fifteen  first  verses  of  the  37th  Psnlm  may  well 
sustain  and  cheer  aU  who  are  situated  like  Pavid  Eees. 
The  wicked  plotted  against  hini,  and  sought  to  slay  him, 
hut  their  own  liearts  were  pierced,  and  their  own  hone 
broken.  The  whole  Psalm  is  an  exquisite  portion  for  a 
tried  and  sutfering  Cliristian.  Xolhing  can  more  strongly 
point  out  the  safety  of  "  upriglit  conversation,"  and  the 
peril  of  tlie  wicked,  than  David  llees'  little  histoiy.  I  wish 
liis  example  would  lead  many  to  do  likewise.  There  is  no 
need  to  be  liot-tempered :  coolness  is  always  to  be  desired ; 
but  a  strong,  faithful,  and  patient  "  trust  in  the  Lord,"  and 
a  full  "  committing  of  our  way  to  Him,"  will  bring  every 
right  thingtopass.  Everything  is  in  God's  Inands;  nothing 
happens  by  accident ;  nothing  needs  "Hi-  meddling.  Prayer 
and  patience  is  onr  work;  "salvation,"  "strength  in  the 
time  of  trouble,"  "  help  and  deliverance,"  is  the  Lord's  part 
to  do.  The  liow^  the  irhcit,  and  the  irlirre  is  His,  and  not 
ours  to  settle.  If  Eees  had  done  right  in  a  more  Scrip-_ 
tiiral  way,  the  consequences  would,  most  probably,  have  been 
less  painful  to  himself ;  but  we  must  learn  to  do  well — our 
.judgments  err — -our  hearts  betray  us,  and  we  do  not  pray 
and  u-all  as  the  Word  of  God  bids  us.  Let  us  all  remem- 
ber this. 


CONCEETE    WALKS. 

Seeing  your  notice  on  concrete  walks,  and  having  for 
some  years  used  tar  on  our  paths  at  Chelsea,  with  most 
satisfactory  results,  I  am  induced  to  explain  our  manner 
of  doing  so,  in  the  liope  that  it  may  be  useful  to  your  cor- 
respondent, particularly  as  many  gentlemen  have  adopted 
the  plan  with  equal  success.  An  old  gravel  path  will  only 
require  to  be  swept  clean;  a  new-made  one  to  be  well  ' 
beaten  and  rolled.  Choose  a  warm  day  (the  warmer  the 
better) ;  let  the  tar  be  boiling  hot;  use  the  common,  long- 
handled,  iron-bound  tar-brush,  and  iron  kettle,  holding 
about  a  gallon,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  only  so  much 
tar  from  the  boiler  at  one  time  as  can  be  used  in  about  a 
quarter-of-an-bour,  and  paint  over  with  a  good  coat.  Let 
a  lad  follow  with  diy-sifted  sand,  throwing  over  enough  to 
prevent  the  tar  sticking  to  his  feet,  and  then  go  over  with 
the  roller. 

We  find  that  two  men  tarring  will  employ  a  lad  to  follow 
with  the  sand,  and  another  to  attend  the  fire  and  supply 
the  tar,  as  fast  as  used.  It  is  now  about  six  years  since 
our  walks  were  first  done  ;  tliey  have  had  two  coats  since, 
the  last  one  this  summer,  and  will  require  nothing  more 
for  three  or  four  years,  and  in  all  weathers  they  are  clean 
and  dry.  Any  one  interested  may  see  them  at  any  time,  at  the 
Pheasantry,  Beaufort  Sti-eet,  Chelsea,  and  obtain  any  further 
information.  They  may  be  used  an  hour  after  being  down, 
and  stand  the  wear  and  tear  of  horse  and  cart. — S.  C.  and 
C.  N.  Bakek,  Half-moon  Passarie,  Graccchiirch  Street. 

P.S.  Is  there  not  some  mistake  in  recommending  square 
baskets  for  poultry  instead  of  round  ones  ?  The  same 
fowls  that  would  be  cramped  and  injured  in  a  square,  would 
travel  in  comfort  in  a  round  one  of  equal  space. 

[We  are  much  obliged  by  this  very  useful  communica- 
tion. With  regard  to  the  information  about  the  shape  of 
baskets  for  the  conveyance  of  fowls,  we  confess  it  is  quite 
new  to  us.  We  thought  that  the  only  advantage  of  a  cir- 
cular-sided basket  over  a  square  one  is,  that  the  tail  feathers 
are  somewhat  less  hable  to  be  broken.  It  is  quite  true  that 
there  is  more  room  available  to  a  bird  in  a  circular  than 
in  a  square  basket  exactly  equal  in  surface,  but  we  would 
rather  have,  for  fowls,  a  basket  two  feet  square  than  cir- 
cular and  two  feet  in  diameter. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


G.\PES  AND  EOUP. 

Pour.TEESs  the  readers  of  The  Cottage  Gaedknep.  have 
been  gratified  by  the  opportunity  which  Dr.  Anthony's 
delineation  has  afforded  of  inspecting  the  worm  discovered 
in  the  windpipe  of  a  chicken  ;  inasmuch,  as  such  a  repre- 
sentation conveys  to  the  mind  a  much  more  definite  idea 
than  any  verbal  description.  Had  Dr.  Anthony  liad  the 
propriety  to  have  stopped  here,  he  would  have  rendered  an 
acceptable  and  courteous  service. 

I  am  deeply  grieved,  lionever,  that  respect  for  common 
honesty  and  truth,  duty  to  myself,  and,  I  may  add,  to  the 
contributors  to  The  Cottage  Gakdener,  compel  ine  to  visit 
with  exposure  the  misrepresentations  heaped  upon  myself. 
I  perform  the  painful  task,  I  say,  as  a  duty  to  your  readers  ; 
for,  were  they  to  feel  that  their  contributions  were  subjected 
to  unredressed  falsification,  few,  I  imagine,  would  venture 
to  continue  them. 

iMy  own  words  and  meaning  have  been  transposed.  What 
I  have  acknowledged,  I  have  been  made  to  deny ;  and  even 
the  "lie  circumstantial"  has  been  i:npuled.  Thus,  Dr. 
Anthony  makes  it  appear,  by  transposition  of  words,  that 
"  I  hesitate  not  to  deny  as  an  error,"  what?  the  assertions 
of  the  numerous  contributors  wlio  say  that  they  have  met 
with  worm  in  the  windpipe  of  fowls  !  whereas,  my  words  are 
distinctly  and  most  immistakeably  addi-essed,  and  addressed 
only  (and  I  now  quote  the  jjassage)  to  "  the  statement  of 
Mr.  Tegetmeier,  that  the  eaiise  of  Gajies  is  the  presence  of 
worms  in  the  windpipe.  This  I  hesitate  not  to  declare  is 
an  error :"  showing,  as  I  afterwai'ds  do,  that  inUammation 
(or  crou]i)  is  the  common  cause. 

Further,  Dr.  Anthony  laboin-s  in  the  assertion,  that  I 
deny  that  worms  exist  at  all  iu  the  windpipe;  when,  in  the 
succeeding  paragraph,  I  write  that  "  I  do  not  deny  that 
worms  infest  the  windpipe  of  fowls."  Nay,  to  "prevent  all 
misconstruction,"  I  write  another  letter,  and  state,  at  page 
10!),  that  "I  do  not  doubt  but  that  Mr.  Tegetmeier  has 
really  dislodged  them  from  the  windpipe  ;"  and  add,  also, 
that  "  these  worms  may  be  a  cause,  but,  at  best,  but  an  ex- 
ceptionable one  of  Gapes  !"  I  will  spare  Dr.  Anthony  all  com- 
ment or  epithet ;  and  the  imputation  and  discredit  he  casts 
upon  my  statement,  that  I  examined  the  windwipes  of  six 
fowls,  when  he  writes,  in  italic,  that  I  say  I  have  done  so, 
I  can  only  pass  over. 

But  casting  aside,  as  wholly  unworthy,  all  further  con- 
sideration of  such  matters,  permit  me  to  state  my  unbiased 
opinion  on  the  subject  of  dispute  with  Mr.  Tegetmeier. 
From  all  that  I  have  experienced,  or  learned,  I  am  firmly 
persuaded,  that  the  disease  called  Gapes  is  truly  and  essen- 
tially Tracheites,  or  inflammation  of  tlie  lining  membrane 
of  the  windwipe  :  but  that  an  unusual  accumulation  of 
worms  in  the  windpipe  does  also,  in  some  cases,  produce 
distress  in  breathing  or  death. 

As  to  Pioup,  I  have  not  had  any  diseased  fowls  sent  to  me  as 
I  had  hoped  ;  I  will,  therefore,  take  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  own 
case,  and  a  truly  admirable  one  it  is  :  it  proves,  as  far  as 
example  can  prove,  that  the  P.oup  is  not  contagious. 

Mr.  Tegetmeier  tells  us,  that  all  his  extensive  yard  of 
fowls  became  affected  with  P>oup  ;  and  that  of  so  vkulent  a 
character,  that  no  less  than  forty  of  his  best  fowis  died  of  it ; 
that  his  neighbour's  rather  extensive  collection  of  poultry 
were  kept  iu  immediate  contiguity  with  his  own ;  so  close, 
indeed,  that  they  were  simply  separated  by  an  open  paling  ; 
yet  not  one  of  these  neighbour's  fowls  became  alfected  with 
Pioup ! 

As  I  can  never  hope  to  see  the  experiment  again  tried  on 
so  large  a  scale  as  this,  and  the  type  of  the  disease  so  bad 
(40  fowls  having  died),  I  bring  it  forward  as  the  most 
striking  and  convincing  example  of  the  non-communicata- 
bility,  or  non- contagious  nature  of  Koup.  The  mere  division 
of  an  fipcii  palinci  was  as  literally  nothing  :  and  I  am  gra- 
tified that  I  can' close  this  letter  with  su(di  a  proof  of  tho 
correctness  of  my  first  opinion,  that  Roup  would  be  found 
not  to  be  really  contagious.  E.  Hoexee. 


POULTRY  EXHiniTIONS. 

The  week  that  commenced  on  the  4th  instant  witnessed 
no  less  than  four  Poultry  Exhibitions,  namely,  those  at 
.Leeds,  Bristol,  tho  Surrey  Zoological,  and  Shrewsbury,  so 


Decejiber  22. 


TIIR  COTTAGE  0A11DENEU. 


:   tliat,  when  wo  also  remembered  that  the  Dnncaster  Sliow 

!   was  held  in  the  previous  week,  and  that  the  birds  destined 

for  Bii'niingham  had  to  occupy  their  pens  on  the  10th,  we 

were  prepared  to  And  many  of  the  best  specimens  reserved 

for  the  hitter  more  important  contest. 

At  Leeds,  the  poultry  aud  cattle  were  shown  in  a  large 
temporary  buikliug  erected  for  that  purpose  ;  tlie  arrange- 
nrents  for  liglitiug  it,  however,  were  sadly  dehcient,  and  no 
fault,  therefore,  could  have  been  found  with  the  judges  had 
,   tlie  points  of  some  competing  pens  been  passed  over,  or 
defects  remained   undiscovered.     The  sun,   indeed,  shone 
i   brightly  for   a   time,  but   even   then   sufficient  light   was 
i   wanting,  and  the  usual  murky  atmosphere  of  a  great  manu- 
facturing town  should  have  induced  every  exertion  to  avoid 
tliis  most  serious  drawback. 

The   adult   Spanish  were   a  fair   class,  Mr.  Hill  Smith 
taking  the  first  prize ;    the  chickens,  however,  were  very 
j   deficient  in  all  the  required  points.     The  reasons  to  which 
I   we   have   already   referred    will   at   once  account  for  the 
absence  of  many  birds  that  have  distinguished  this  class  on 
former  occasions. 
I        Among  the  Coloured  Dorkings  were  several  pens  of  great 
I   merit,  and  the  winners  were  deserving   of  very  high  com- 
mendation, not  merely  for  form  and  weight,  but  likewise  for 
their   admirable   condition    in   respect  of   feather.       The 
chickens  in  pen  103,  belonging  to  Captain  Hornby,  R.N., 
fulfilled  all  that  could  be  required  of  them.     The  (r/i/^e 
Dorkings  are,  probably,  out  of  favour  in  tlie  Leeds  district, 
since   there   were   no   entries   in   the   old   class,    and   the 
chickens  were  of  very  moderate  pretensions. 

When  we  come  to  speak  of  the  senior  Cinnamon  and 
Buff  Sliani/hac,  or  Cochin-China  class,  we  need  only  refer  to 
the  fact,  that  the  decision  of  the  judges  "  wilMield  both  the 
first  and  second  prizes ;  "  most  fully,  indeed,  did  we  assent  to 
this  condemnatory  sentence,  for  a  worse  lot  were,  probably, 
never  penned.  The  chickens,  however,  were  in  advance  of 
their  elders,  and  a  first  prize  was  assigned  to  Mr.  George 
Hustler,  Appleton,  Tadcaster,  and  the  pullets  in  this  in- 
stance would  have  done  justice  to  a  better  cock.  To  Mr. 
Hustler  there  was  also  awarded  a  first  prize  for  a  dark 
Partridge-feathered  pen  of  old  birds.  These  were  re- 
markably good  specimens  of  their  race,  and,  as  but  rarely 
happens,  were  properly  matched,  a  handsome,  red-mottled 
cock  being  shown  with  them,  and  not,  as  is  usually  seen,  a 
Cinnamon,  or  dark  Buff  male  bird. 

For  ^'  Slianghaes,  JVhitej  Black,  or  any  other  colour,^' 
nothing  can  be  said  ;  they  were  very  indifferent,  both  in 
figure  and  condition ;  for  the  first-named,  indeed,  an 
apology  may  readily  be  found  in  the  latter  particular,  in  the 
circumstances  of  their. abode  in  or  near  these  regions  of 
unceasing  smoke.  The  last  division  of  these  birds  were 
in  a  class  ^\for  a  cock  and  jndlct  of  any  colour."  In  ad- 
dition to  the  first  prize  pen,  very  good  cockerels  were  shown 
in  pen  107,  belonging  to  Mr.  Henry  Ambler,  Watkinson 
Hall,  Halifax,  and  a  pen,  210,  the  property  of  Mr.  J.  H. 
Smith,  Skelton,  York. 

The  Malay  class  contained  as  many  cross-bred  birds  as 
it  was  ever  our  fate  to  witness  in  this  family ;  the  winners, 
however,  were  pure,  though  small. 

The  entries  in  the  Game-iov/l  classes  were  numerous,  and 
contained  many  excellent  specimens.  Captain  Hornby's 
pen  of  Black-breasted  red,  No.  2oT,  were  of  first-rate 
quality ;  it  is  true,  we  should  have  preferred  an  entirely 
black  tail  for  the  cock,  but  the  presence  of  white  is  erro- 
neously supposed  to  indicate  any  impm'ity  of  blood.  The 
majority  of  the  old  Knowsley  stock,  against  whom  no 
charge  of  a  craven  disposition  can  possibly  be  alleged, 
were  thus  marked.  The  second  and  third  prizes  were  well 
merited;  the  birds  in  both  were  of  the  same  character,  and 
showed  in  the  small  bu'ds  as  near  approach  to  the  "  heuny  " 
variety,  in  the  reduced  proportion  of  their  tail,  and  the 
colour  of  their  hackle,  so  nearly  allied  to  the  ginger  hens, 
their  companions,  so  frequently  exhibited  with  red-breasted 
cocks.     The  chickens,  also,  were  a  meritorious  class. 

Pen  250,  contained  very  handsome  Brassy-winged  birds, 
and  261,  a  pen  of  Duck-wings,  against  which  we  could  only 
urge  the  error  of  placing  "  olive-legged"  hens  with  a 
"  light-legged "  cock.  Jlr.  Heaton's  blue  Duns,  No.  263, 
were  specimens  of  great  merit. 
We  now  come  to  Hamburghs,  which  were  numerous,  and 


of  fair  average  merit;  but  in  this  district,  where  they  have 
deservedly  attained  such  great  estimation,  we  should  have 
looked  for  superior  excellence.  BIr.  I'ulleisee's  chickens 
were  at  the  head  of  the  Golden-pencilled,  and  Mr.  Good- 
man, of  Leeds,  exhibited  some  handsome  Golden-spangled 
birds.  In  the  Silver  varieties,  the  best  class  was,  un- 
iiuestionably,  that  of  the  spangled  chickens. 

Polnnds  were  only  of  moderate  pretensions,  if  we  except 
the  prize  pens  of  Slessrs.  Horner  and  Pddgway,  for  the 
Golden,  and  Jlr.  Boothby,  for  the  Silver. 

Among  the  i3o»/»m,s,  which  competed  together,  "  black" 
had  the  preeminence.  There  were,  also,  some  fair  "white" 
specimens,  but  the  "  laced  "  were  inferior. 

Geese  were  very  good,  and  the  same  award  of  praise 
should  be  given  to  the  Ducks  generally. 

Turkeys  were  fair;  while  the  '^ extra  class,"  beyond  a  pen 
of  "  Black-breasted  Polish,"  contained  nothing  deserving  of 
comment. 

We  have  already  expressed  our  regret  that  proper 
measures  were  not  taken  to  secure  sufficient  light  in  a 
building  erected  for  this  special  purpose,  and  we  would  also 
remind  those  to  wliom  the  details  of  management  were  on 
this  occasion  entrusted,  that  in  several  particulars  their 
arrangements  were  defective.  The  vessels  for  water,  for 
instance,  were  insufncieut  for  a  proper  supply,  and  being 
made  of  tin,  with  sharp  edges,  were  also  liable  to  cause 
injury  to  the  birds ;  the  pens,  too,  for  the  Geese,  being  only 
three  feet  in  length,  crowded  their  unfortunate  inmates  far 
too  closely,  especially  when  it  is  borne  in  mind,  that  four 
days  of  exhibition  with  gas-light,  and,  consequently,  nearly 
six  of  confinement  in  their  several  cramped  tenements,  was 
to  be  undergone. 

But  we  must  also  allude  to  another  grave  subject  of 
complaint,  and  that  is  the  fact  of  the  Secretary's  office 
being  at  some  distance  from  the  place  of  exhibition,  so  that 
when  a  person  not  a  subscriber,  desirous  of  purchasing, 
had  occasion  to  see  the  officials,  he  had  to  leave  the  room, 
and  on  his  return  pay  again  for  admission.  The  answer  to 
this  complaint  was,  "that  the  individual  ought  to  become  a 
subscriber."  We  think  otherwise;  and  on  behalf  of  the 
public's  shillings  and  half-crowns,  must  at  once  say  that 
such  measures  will  ultimately  benefit  but  little  the  finances 
of  any  Society  that  may  take  such  means  of  adding  to  their 
receipts.  The  public,  who  pay  their  money  at  the  doors, 
are  as  much  entitled  to  access  to  the  Secretary's  office,  who 
undertakes  the  sale  of  the  birds,  as  subscribers  have,  and 
the  attempt  to  make  such  an  intending  purchaser  pay  for 
his  re-admission  is  contrary  to  good  faith,  and  should, 
therefore,  be  publicly  censured. 

To  subscribers,  indeed,  the  privilege  of  gratuitous  re- 
admission  is  properly  limited,  provided  always  that  full 
access  is  given  to  non-subscribers  to  such  offices,  or  persons, 
with  whom  they  may  find  it  necessary  to  transact  any 
matters  of  business  arising  from  their  presence  in  the 
building,  and  provided  for  and  sanctioned  by  the  regu- 
lations of  the  Society  itself.  To  pay  a  second  time  for  the 
honour  of  an  interview  with  the  gentlemen  in  office  will 
hardly  be  appreciated  as  worth  the  cost,  even  if  a  courteous 
and  civil  reception  be  there  guaranteed. 

But  while  speaking  of  payments  for  admission,  we 
should  mention  that  the  four  days  to  which  this  Exhibition 
has  been  protracted  have  two  on  which  a  half-crown  is 
charged  at  the  door.  We  doubt  the  good  policy  of  so  high 
a  rate,  and  earnestly  would  we  suggest  to  similar  local 
Societies  the  extreme  desu-ability  of  fixing  a  general  low 
charge  for  entrance,  not  merely  for  the  interest  of  the 
Association  itself,  but  that  the  views  of  its  promoters  may 
be  the  more  widely  extended,  and  the  more  beneficially 
exerted. 

The  judges  were  Mr.  Andrews,  of  Dorchester,  Mr.  Eaily, 
of  Blount-street,  Grosvenor  Square,  and  Mr.  Trotter,  of 
Hexham,  and  their  decisions  were  unexceptionable. 

The  Ankual  Winter  Poot.ti!Y  Show  in  connection  with 
the  Siu-rey  Zoological  Gardens  was  held  on  the  6th,  7th, 
and  8th  of  this  month.  The  pens  were  arranged  at  the 
Horse  and  Can-iage  Repository,  near  the  Elephant  and 
Castle,  the  best  room  for  the  purpose,  except  Bingley 
Hall,  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  The  attention  paid  to 
the  birds  was  worthy  of  all  commendation,  and  we  regret 
that  there  were  not  more  there. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Decejibeh  22. 


Of  Poultry,  there  were  085  pens,  and  of  Pigeons  212. 
They  would  have  been  more  numerous  had  not  exhibitions 
at  Shrewsbury  and  Leeds  been  held  at  the  same  time,  and 
if  others  had  not  been  nursing  for  the  Birmingham  Show 
in  the  next  week.  Tliere  were  not  many  good  Shnni/hacs  in 
any  of  the  classes.  Mr.  Fan-lie  took  the  first  prize  "for  old 
Buff  birds,  and  Mr.  H.  English,  of  Kerilistone,  Norfolk, 
was  sirailai'ly  rewarded  for  Buff  chickens.  In  Whites,  Mr. 
W.  C.  Pieyuolds  had  tlie  first  priza  for  old  birds,  and  the 
Pvev.  Dr.  Allen  for  chickens.  Mr.  T.  Bridges,  of  Croydon, 
and  Mr.  .J.  F.  Chater,  were  similarly  successful  for  old  and 
young  Partridge-coloured  Capt.  Snell  had  the  first  prize 
for  the  best  cockerel  and  pullet.  The  Blacks  were  indiflerent; 
so  much  so,  that  no  first  prize  was  given  for  old  birds,  and 
no  second  for  chickens.  Mr.  W.  P.  Flight,  of  Winchester, 
took  the  first  and  only  prize  for  the  latter. 

The  S/iaH/s/i.  were  fairly  repi-esented.  Mr.  Fox  and  Mr. 
Botliam  took  all  the  first  prizes. 

Dorkings  were  not  so  good  as  we  have  seen  lately,  yet  the 
classes  were  quite  of  average  quality.  Mr.  T.  Button,  Mr. 
E.  Boys,  and  Mr.  Squire,  took  the  first  prizes  for  coloured 
Dorkings,  and  Mrs.  Mills,  and  Mr.  C.  Alloway,  for  ^\'hite 
Dorkings.  There  is  an  effort  making  to  cry  up  Dorkings  as 
superior  to  all  other  varieties,  but  it  will  not  succeed.  We 
shall  have  to  show  the  reasons  for  the  attempt,  and  for  its 
failure. 

The  Po/rt»(/s  and  Saviburi/hs  of  all  classes  were  good; 
but  the  Giime  and  Malay  pens  might  have  had  better 
tenants.  Bantams  were  generally  good.  The  other  classes 
were  below  an  average. 

The  best  feature  of  the  Show  were  the  Fir/eons.  We  never 
saw  such  a  very  superior  gathering  of  these  birds.  An  ex- 
excellent  authority  writes  to  us  thus  sententiously  about 
them. 

"  The  Almonds  excellent ;  no  bad  ones.  The  Pouters 
undeniable.  Sam.  Butt,  Esq's,  in  snch  condition,  as  likenise 
Matthew  Wicken,  Esq.,  Kegent's  Park,  London.  Toys  and 
Foreign,  Pigeons,  and  also  C.  Eawson,  Esq's,  birds  all  good. 
Adkins,  Esq.,  birds  reqvure  a  very  long  rest  to  recover  them- 
selves. The  Almonds  and  Pouters  were  taken  out  of  then' 
pens  and  examined,  and  measured  very  accurately,  that  no 
mistake  should  occur.  I  have  heard,  the  pen  117,  Spanish 
Hunts,  Blues,  are  two  cocks,  if  so,  AcUdus,  Esq.,  will  have 
the  prize  with  his  Beds." 

The  judges  of  the  Poultry  were  E.  Hewitt,  Esq.,  of  Bir- 
mingham, and  J.  W.  Nutt,  Esq.,  of  Stoke  Newiugton.  Of 
tlie  Pigeons,  E.  Pyne,  D.  Wolstonholme,  J.  M.  Eaton,  and 
E.  Hardy,  Esqs. 

The  Bikjiingham  Poultky  Show. — Dui-ing  the  present 
year  a  large  compartment  has  been  added  to  the  former 
spacious  area  of  Bingley  Hall,  but  the  unprecedented 
number  of  entries  amounting  to  no  less  than  SiTo  pens  (IDO.'J 
Poultry  and  2sn  Pigeons),  left  no  room  unoccupied.  Com- 
paratively few  of  the  birds  that  had  been  entered  failed  to 
make  their  appearance,  and  where  this  was  the  case  the 
vacancy  was  given  to  dealer's  pens  of  the  same  class,  so 
that  there  was  no  confusion  of  the  various  breeds. 

The  new  portion  of  the  building  contained  the  birds  that 
stood  first  in  the  catalogue,  Spanish,  as  nsual,  heading  the 
list.  In  these,  the  first  and  second  prizes  in  Class  1 
were  assigned  to  pens  4  and  7,  both  belonging  to  Captain 
Wyndham  Hornby,  E,N. ;  and  between  these  and  tiie  occu- 
pants of  the  third  prize,  pen  No.  .■i7,  belonging  to  jMr.  Har- 
rison,  there  appeared  a  wide  interval  in  respect  of  the  main 
characleristies  of  this  race.  Captain  Hornby's  fowls  were 
not  merely  possessed  of  those  qualities  of  shape  and  face 
whicli  are  liere  required,  but  were  also  shown  in  admirable 
condition,  bearing  witness  to  the  judicious  management 
that  had  brought  them  out  in  such  form  after  the  late 
most  unfavourable  season.  When  we  consider  the  great 
advance  that  has  been  made  of  late  in  this  class,  the 
general  favour  with  which  it  has  been  received  at  the  hands 
of  the  public,  and  tlie  zealous  determination  with  wliich 
numerous  competitors  have  entered  the  field,  the  success 
that  has  again  attended  the  Knowsley  stock  commands  our 
admiration,  no  less  than  our  surprise,  that  ii  single  indi- 
vidual should  have  so  long  retained  his  enviable  distinction 
as  a  Spanish  breeder. 

In  Spanish  chickens,  the  like  success  attended  the  owner 
of  the  victors  in  the  senior  class ;  the  cockerel  shown  in 


the  winning  pen  being,  probably,  the  best  bird  of  the  year 
ever  exhibited.  Mrs.  L.  C.  Stow,  of  Bredeu,  near  Tewkes- 
bury, took  a  second  prize;  while  the  tliird  fell  to  Jlr.  Eden, 
of  Salford,  by  both  of  whom  birds  of  great  merit  were 
exhibited.  Mrs.  Stow  was  also  deserveiUy  at  the  head  of 
the  hst  in  the  class  for  a  cock  and  one  puUct,  but  in  this 
class,  which  contained  some  40  pens,  there  were  many 
specimens  that  would  have  been  more  wisely  retained  in 
then'  owners'  yai'ds  than  brought  forward  as  competitors  in 
such  a  contest.  W'e  except,  of  com'se,  the  prize  and  com- 
mended birds,  several  of  which  promise  well.  We  cer- 
tainly had  thought  that  the  points  of  a  Spanish  fowl  had 
been  by  this  time  sufficiently  understood  to  prevent  the 
exhibition  of  decidedly  red-faced  fowls,  and  of  such,  also, 
as,  with  a  i^artial  white  face,  combined  a  large  portion  of 
the  former  objectionable  colour.  Spanish  chickens,  it  is 
true,  must  have  many  allowances  made  for  them,  since  in 
their  first  season  they  come  before  us  in  an  immatiu'c  state; 
the  cockerels  may  then  be  pardoned  for  a  slight  blush  on 
their  coiuitenances,  which  may,  perhaps,  be  ultimately  ex- 
changed for  the  proper  hue ;  but  decidedly  red  augurs  ill 
for  the  future  witli  pullets.  Again,  much  may  be  hoped  for 
from  a  blueish-white  face,  but  the  subsequent  metamor- 
phosis from  red  to  white  is  rarely,  if  ever,  achieved.  Com- 
paratively few  dark  feathers  appeared  between  the  face  and 
comb  of  the  prize  birds,  a  pioint  to  which  we  attach  im- 
portance, though  perfectly  aware  of  the  difficulty  of  its 
attainment,  and  the  evils  to  which  the  laying  too  much 
sti'ess  on  it  jnight  probably  lead. 

AVe  must  now  pass  on  to  Dorkimjs,  where  Captain  Hornby's 
name  again  stood  first  in  both  the  4th  and  5th  classes.  Pen 
KjO,  to  which  the  first  prize  was  awarded,  coniained  a  most 
magnificent  black-breasted  cock,  mth  rich,  dark  brown  hens, 
which  in  size,  figure,  and  condition,  left  nothing  to  be 
desired;  the  second  prize  birds  were  but  Uttle  inferior, 
although  then'  relative  position  was  fully  justified.  These 
were  both  single-combed,  but  the  third  prize  was  assigned 
to  some  highly  meritorious  rosy-combed  bu-ds,  belonging  to 
the  Eev.  John  Hill,  the  Citadel,  Hawkstone,  Shropshire. 
The  hens  were  extremely  rich  in  colour  and  of  great  sym- 
metry. Lady  Chesterfield  took  a  fourth  prize ;  and  some  i 
other  pens  received  the  honom'  of  high  commendation.  1 

Both  classes  of  Dorldng  chickens.  No.  5,  containing  a 
cockerel  and  three  pullets,  and  No.  0,  a  cock  and  one  pullet, 
were  pronounced  by  the  judges  to  be  "  meritorious  ;"  to  No. ."), 
indeed,  the  word  "  highly"  was  added,  and  fully  was  this 
deserved,  for  better  specimens  of  this  breed  had  never 
hitherto  been  brought  together.  A  similar  observation  as 
that  passed  on  the  Spanish  here  occvuxed  to  ns,  namely,  the 
wonderful  condition  in  which  the  winning  pens  were  brought 
out,  many  of  the  birds  appeared  as  close  in  feather  as  game 
fowls,  a  point,  as  indicative  of  strength  and  vigour  of  con- 
stitution, greatly  to  be  desired  in  a  family  against  which  the 
charge  of  being  delicate  is  almost  the  only  one  that  can  be 
fairly  brought. 

In  White  Dor/lings,  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth  was  successful 
in  the  old  class ;  but  these  birds,  beautiful  as  they  undoubt- 
edly are,  seem  year  by  year  to  be  sinking  in  popular  estima- 
tion. 

"  Where  is  the  first  prize  for  the  old  Shannhnes .'"  was  a 
question  repeatedly  asked  on  the  first  admission  of  the 
public;  to  which  the  reply,  that  it  had  been  "  witlihcld  by 
the  judges,"  was  the  only  one  that  could  be  rendered.  Dis- 
appointment and  astonishment  were  naturally  both  called 
forth,  but  the  verdict,  however  startling,  was  just. 

It  cannot  be  questioned  but  that  out  of  the  immense 
number  of  Shanghae  pens,  in  the  various  classes,  amount 
ing  in  all  to  .'i2U,  there  were  fewer  good  birds  than  might 
have  been  selected  from  the  smaller  collection  of  ]^)eceml.ior, 
1852.  If  an  inquiry  be  made  as  to  the  causes  of  this  retro- 
grade movement,  one  depreciating  inlluence  may  be  traced 
to  the  immense  number  of  inforinr  bu'ds  that  have  been 
distributed  through  the  medium  of  the  now  frequent  sales 
by  auction  in  the  metropolis.  In  expressing  such  an  opinion, 
we  should  explain  that  no  allusion  is  here  made  lo  the  mode 
adopted  by  many  large  and  successful  breeders  ol'  disposing 
of  their  surplus  stock  by  a  public  sale,  rather  than  by  private 
negotiations;  for  such  a  course  is  not  merely  the  wisest  for 
the  owner,  but  also  most  advantageous  for  the  public  buyer. 
But  the  periodical  sale  of  miscellaneous  stock,  often  of 


December  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


221 


worthless  character  and  doubtful  pedigrees,  tlie  refuse  of 
yards,  and  the  rejected  of  all  who  are  conversant  with  the 
race,  are  thus  repeatedly  foisted  and  palmed  off  on  those 
who  are  willing  to  believe  in  such  announcements,  without 
personal  experience  of  the  subjects  on  which  their  money  is 
to  be  expended.  There  may,  indeed,  be  other  reasons,  for 
stating  which  space  is  now  wanting,  that  have  contributed  to 
this  result,  but  not  the  least  is  that  to  which  we  have  now 
alluded.  Shanghaes  we  believe  to  be  a  highly  valuahle 
fowl  for  many  purposes,  but  when  tliey  were  unduly  puil'ed 
for  the  purpose  of  speculation,  and  represented  as  combin- 
ing in  themselves  the  merits  of  all  the  other  races,  they 
were  unfairly  treated,  and  their  just  position  improperly 
depreciated. 

The  first  prize  we  have  said  was  here  withheld  ;  the  second 
and  third  were  respectively  assigned  to  Messrs.  Peters,  of 
Mosely,  and  Steggall,  of  Weymouth.  Mr.  Cattell  had  some 
large  birds  in  pen  480,  but  the  cock  was  all  but  unfeathered 
on  the  legs. 

There  were  several  good  pens  of  Buff  chickens ;  those  of 
Lord  Berwick,  that  took  the  first  prize,  Mr.  Harrison's, 
and  Mr.  Fairlie's,  presenting  many  featm-es  of  high  ex- 
cellence. Mr.  Punchard  took  a  fourth  prize,  and  had  also 
a  highly  commended  pen. 

In  class  11,  for  Brown  and  Partiidge-coloiired  old 
birds,  Mr.  Punchard  was  victorious  ;  Mr.  Fairlie  being 
second.  We  regret  to  notice,  in  many  pens  exhibited  in 
this  and  the  following  class  for  chickens,  that  colour  has 
been  neglected,  far  too  large  a  portion  of  buff  being  allowed 
to  present  itself  to  the  injury  of  the  rich  pencilling  of  the 
proper  plumage. 

White  Shanghaes  had  many  pens  presenting  that  most 
undesired  feature  of  olive  and  green  legs ;  but  the  prize 
pens,  of  which  that  belonging  to  Mr.  Hewitt,  of  Eden 
Cottage,  near  Birmingham,  came  first,  were  free  from  this 
defect,  and  well-shaped,  handsome  birds. 

The  Black  Shanghaes  did  not  rise  above  the  standard  of 
last  year  ;  few  only  of  the  cocks  being  free  from  bronze  or 
red  markings. 

The  prize  pens  of  Malays,  in  both  classes,  were  decidedly 
good ;  and  although  we  believe  the  merits  of  this  race  to  be 
superseded,  in  a  great  measm'e,  by  those  of  the  Shangbac, 
it  gives  us  pleasure  to  witness  the  retention  of  so  distinct  a 
family  of  fowls,  with  such  regard  to  the  purity  of  their  blood 
as  was  evidenced  by  the  winning  pens. 

Upwards  of  300  pens  of  Game  Fowls  presented  one  of  the 
most  striking  features  of  this  Great  Exhibition ;  and  cer- 
tainly, taken  as  a  class,  they  were  second  to  no  other.  The 
Pile  birds,  in  pen  1011,  belonging  to  Mr.  H.  Feltham,  of 
Tamworth,  were  amongst  the  most  perfect  specimens  of 
their  race.  The  feather  of  the  cock  was  of  really  dazzling 
effect,  the  back  and  wing  being  rich  brown-red,  with  hackle 
and  saddle  of  the  brightest  chesnut.  The  Black-breasted 
reds,  again,  in  pen  1084,  belonging  to  Mr.  Henry  Lowe,  of 
Coraberford  Lodge,  near  Tamworth,  could  hardly  be  sm-- 
passed,  either  as  regards  the  strength  and  symmetry  of 
their  form,  or  the  brilliancy  of  their  colouring.  The  Blacks 
and  Brassy-winged  did  not  strike  us  as  equal  to  the  other 
classes ;  but  the  Greys  and  Duekwings  call  for  our  highest 
award  of  praise. 

AVe  must  confess  to  a  feeling  of  disappointment  on 
reaching  the  Pe/icilled  Hamhunjhs,  both  Gold  and  Silver, 
few  pens  being  free  from  grave  blemishes ;  hardly,  for  in- 
stance, should  we  have  deemed  it  necessary  to  remind  exhi- 
bitors that  five  toes  are  not  a  recommendation  in  these  fowls. 

The  Spanf/led  Hamburghs,  however,  in  both  varieties, 
redeemed  the  character  of  their  family,  and  contained  many 
pens  of  very  high  pretensions.  Mr.  Adkins,  to  whom  the 
first  prize  was  awarded,  showed  a  really  spangled  cock,  a 
fitting  companion  to  hens  of  great  beauty.  But  here  let  a 
word  be  said  on  a  point  suggested  by  this  and  some  other 
pens.  The  dark  Streaky-breasted  cocks  with  red  hackle,  too 
often  shown  with  spangled  hens,  are  deservedly  censured  and 
objected  to;  but  let  us  be  careful  for  the  retention  of  the 
beautiful  characteristic  Hamburgh  tail  while  we  aim  at  a 
spangled  male  bird.  The  more  perfect  the  birds  in  the 
spangle,  the  neai-er  the  approach  to  the  hemiy  tail  of  the 
Sebright  bantam  in  both  the  Gold  and  Silver  Hamburghs, 
among  the  latter  of  which  were  numbered  many  pens  of  great 
excellence. 


The  1st.  prize  Black  Polish  cock  was  one  of  the  best  crested 
birds  we  ever  remember  to  have  seen  ;  and  when  we  say  the 
hens  wore  of  iiroportionate  merit,  the  position  of  the  pen  on 
the  prize  list  will  be  accounted  for. 

Both  the  Golden  and  Silver  PoUmds  were  admirably 
represented ;  the  first  prize  chickens  of  the  latter  having 
every  feather  of  their  very  symmetrical  top-knots  iieifectly 
laced. 

In  class  43,  for  the  Miscellnneoiis  Foipls,  there  were 
numerous  entries,  including  several  pens  of  Brulima  Ponlrus, 
but  a  second  prize  only  was  awarded  to  them,  and  this  fell 
to  Mr.  Fairlie,  whose  pea-combed  cock  was  shown  with 
single-combed  hens.  We  must  again  repeat  our  firm  con- 
viction, that  nothing  has  been  as  yet  elicited  to  warrant  the 
belief  of  tliese  birds  proving  a  distinct  breed.  All  that  we 
can  learn  shall  be  carefully  recorded,  but  we  greatly  err  if 
in  any  respect  they  will  be  found  to  surpass  good  Shanghae 
specimens.  In  crossing  with  large  Dorking  hens,  a  source 
to  which  many  so-called  Brahma  Pootras  may,  with  great 
probability,  be  assigned,  a  large  fleshy  bird  will  doubtless 
he  produced,  with  good  development  of  the  breast  for 
culinary  purposes.  But  we  will  not  now  anticipate  the 
revelations  of  another  season  in  respect  of  these  novelties, 
be  our  surmises  favourable  or  adverse.  The  pair  of  Brahma 
Pootras  shown  by  Mr.  Baily,  of  Mount  Street,  were  of  great 
size ;  the  cock,  we  were  assured,  had  reached  the  enormous 
weight  of  ini  lbs.  Besides  these,  we  have  had  Polands, 
Bearded,  Black,  White,  Dun  with  white  top-knots.  Chamois 
or  Pale  Buff,  White  with  dark-laced  hackle  and  top-knots, 
but  yet  far  removed  from  the  desideratum  of  White  with 
Black  crests ;  there  were  also  some  Mottled  birds  of  ex- 
tremely good  shape  and  pretty  feather. 

Ptarmiijuns  were  present,  but  unnoticed.  Andalusians  had 
first  and  second  prizes.  Black  Hamhuryhs.  here  termed 
"  Moss  Pheasants,"  were  also  rewarded ;  and  among  the 
Rumpless  was  a  Black  cock,  the  best  of  his  kind  we  ever 
saw.  The  Frizzled,  belonging  to  Miss  Vivian,  of  Singleton, 
near  Swansea,  were  shown  in  admirable  condition. 

Gold  and  Silver-lacedi?nHtonswere  meritorious;  some  of 
the  many  white  good  ;  but  the  black  mustered  very  strongly, 
and  deserved  great  praise,  being  reported  by  the  Judges  as 
"  the  whole  class  excellent."  In  the  miscellaneous  Bantam 
class  there  were  curious  specimens  of  "  frizzled,"  "mottled," 
"  tufted,"  "  booted,"  and  the  "  game." 

Geese  were  both  numerous  and  good — the  first  and 
second  prizes  being  both  given  to  Mrs.  Hill  for  cross-bred 
birds  of  the  Irish  and  Toulouse  varieties  ;  the  weight  of  the 
first  pen  being  571bs. 

Better  Aijleshury  Sucks  than  those  belonging  to  Lord 
John  Scott  we  should  conceive  it  difficult  to  produce.  The 
Rouen  were  fair,  as  also  the  East  Indian. 

For  Turkeys,  Mr  Fairlie  won  second  and  third  prizes  in 
the  senior,  and  1st.  and  3rd.  in  the  junior  class.  The  weight 
of  Mr.  Harrison's,  who  took  tlie  first  old  prize,  were  5;51bs. 

Two  hundred  and  eighty  pens  of  Pigeons  were  exhibited, 
containing  many  good  specimens,  among  the  best  of  which 
were  some  Cai-riers,  Almond  Tumblers,  FantaUs,  Ai'changels, 
and  Jacobins.  Some  "  Porcelain,"  and  "  ScagUola,"  Pigeons 
were  among  the  most  striking  novelties  in  this  class. 

The  arrangements  for  the  show  were  admirably  con- 
ducted ;  and  we  are  glad  to  learn  that  it  is  in  contemplation  to 
present  a  testimonial  to  Mr.  T.  B.  Wright,  in  acknowledgment 
of  the  continued  exertions  of  that  gentleman  on  behalf  of 
this  Society.  The  prize  list  concludes  with  the  names  of 
the  following  gentlemen,  who  officiated  as  the  Poultry 
Judges  on  this  occasion  : — 

The  Rev.  William  Wriothesley  Wingfield,  Gulval  Vicarage, 
Penzance  ;  George  James  Andrews,  Esq.,  Dorchester ;  Mr. 
John  Baily,  Mount  Street,  Grosvenor  Square  ;  the  Rev. 
Robert  PuUeine,  the  Rectory,  Kirby  Wiske,  near  Thirsk; 
William  Symonds,  Esq.,  Rodwell  House,  Weymouth ;  Mr. 
Thomas  Challener,  Burnt  Leys,  Whitwell,  near  Worksop. 

The  attendance  was  great  beyond  all  former  precedent. 
The  number  of  visitors,  on  the  first  day,  paying  5s.  each, 
exclusive  of  subscribers,  amounted  to  nearly  3000 ;  and  on 
the  second  day  there  were  more  than  10,000  who  paid  Is. 
each  for  admission.  Down  to  the  evening  of  that  day  about 
^1400  worth  of  poultry  had  been  sold. 

We  must  observe,  that  the  important  and  arduous  ofBce 
of  superintending  the  feeding  of  the  hu-ds  was  entrasted  to 


228 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


December  22. 


Mr.  Hewitt ;  and  we  can  assiu'e  the  esliibitors  that  to  him 
they  are  greatly  indebted. 

SPANISH.      (HI  pens.) 

Class  1. — Cock  aod  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

4.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Windham  Hornby,   Knowsley  Cottapc,   Prescot. 

/.  Second  prize,  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  R.N.,   Knowsley  Cottage, 

Prescot.     3/.  Third  prize,  John  Harrison,  jun.j   Esq.,  Snelston  Hall, 

near  Aslibourn. 

Class  2.— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
54.  First  prize,  Capt.  W.  W.  Hornby.     50.  Second  prize,  Mrs.   L.  C. 
Stow,   Bredon,    near  Tewkesbury.     92.  Third  prize,  Mr.    Peter  Eden, 
Cross  Lane,  Salford,  I\lanche3ter. 

Class  3.— Cock  and  one  Pullet,  chickens  of  1853. 
106.  First  prize,  I\Ir3.   L.   C.    Stow,  Bredon.  near  Tewkesbury.     li;2. 
Second  prize,    Blaster  W.  B.    IMappIebeck,    Hiphtield,    Rlost ley- road, 
Birrainffham,       140.    Third   prize,    I\Ir.   James   Bell,    Woodhouselees, 
Canonbie,  Carlisle. 

DORKING.  Coloured.  (2/4  pens.) 
Class  4. — Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 
l60.  First  prize,  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  R.N. ,  Knowsley  Cottage, 
Prescot,  1-49.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottage, 
Prescot.  16-1.  Third  prize,  the  Rev.  John  Hill,  The  Citadel,  Hawkstone, 
Shropshire.  Hf).  Fourth  prize,  The  Right  Honourable  the  Countes,s  of 
Chestertield,  Bretby  Hall,  near  Burton-on-Trcnt. 

Class  5.— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

216.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottage.  Prescot. 

238.  Second  prize.   The  Rev.    Stephen   Donne,    Oswestrj'.      '235.  Third 

prize,  The  Rev.  John  Hill,  The  Citadel.    Hawkstone,    Shropshire.      257. 

Fourth  prize,  Mrs.  Finch  Noyes,  The  Cottage,  Salisbury. 

(The  whole  class  highly  meritorious.) 

Class  6. — Cock  and  one  Pullet,  chickens  of  JS53. 
369.  First  prize,  Mr.  James  Drewry,  Newton  iMount,  near  Burton-on- 
Trent.  41(3.  Second  prize,  I\Ir.  Henrv  Smith,  The  Grove,  Cropwell 
Butler,  near  Bingham,  Nottinfrhamshire.  327.  'I'hird  prize,  J\Jrs. 
Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottage.  Prescot.  303.  Fourth  prize,  Mr. 
James  Drewry,  Newton  Mount,  near  Burton-on-Trent. 

DORKING.    White.     (42  pens.) 

Class  7. — Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

419.  First   prize,   The    Right  Honourable   the   Earl   of    Dartmouth, 

Patshull,  St  afford  !sh  ire.     430.   Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Sutton,  Grove 

Cottage,     Handsworth.       421.    Third   yirize,    Francis   Edwards,    Esq., 

Bulstrodc  Park,  near  Gcrrard's  Cross,  Buckinghamshire. 

Class  8. — Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1653. 

440.  First  prize,  the  Rev.  Edward  Elmhirst,   Shanell  Rectory,  near 

Lutterworth.     439.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Jennens,    flioseley,    near 

Birmingham.  434.  Third  prize,  The  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth,  I 

Patshull,  Staffordshire.  I 

COCHIN-CHINA.     Cinnamon  and  Buff.     (244  Pens.)  | 

Class   9. — Cock   and   three    Hens  exceeding  one-year-old.  1 

487-  Second  prize,  Mr.  George  Charlton   Peters,  Moseley.   near  Bir-  ! 
mingham.  439.  Third  prize,  Rlr.  Frederick  Charles  Steggall,  Weymouth, 
Dorsetshire. 

(First  prize  withheld.) 

Class  10. — Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
496.  First  prize.  The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Berwick,  Cronk  Hill,  near 
Shrewsbury.  644.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Jolin  Harrison,  jun.,  Snelston 
Hall,  near  Ashbourne.  623.  Third  prize,  John  Fairlie,  Esr|.,  Cheveley 
Park.  Newmarket.  Cambridgeshire.  6l)0.  Fourth  prize,  Mr.  Charles 
Punchard,  Haverhill,  Suffolk, 

COCHIN-CHINA.     Brown  and  Partridge-feathered.      (59  pens.) 

Class  II. — Cock  and  three  Hens  excei'ding  one-year-old. 

G98.  First  prize,  Blr.  Charles  Punchard,  Blunt's  Hall,  near  Haverhill. 

704.  Second    prize,   John    Fairlie,    Esq.,    Cheveley    Park,    Newmarket, 

Cambridgeshire.      710.  Third   prize,    Mr.   Thomas   Bridges,    Croydon, 

Surrey. 

Class  12. — Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
731.  First  prize,  Mr.  Tliomas  Smith,  Stableford,  near  Bridgnorth. 
748.  Second  prize,  John  Fairlie,  Esq.,  Cheveley  Park,  Newmarket, 
Cambridgeshire.  750.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  Lowe,  Whateley,  near 
Kazeley,  Staffordshire,  747.  Fourth  prize,  Mr.  William  Batty  Mapple- 
beck,  6,  Bull  Ring,  Birmingham. 

COCIIIN-CIirNA,     Cinnamon  and  Buff,  or  Brown.     (117pcns.) 
Class  13. — Cock  and  one  Pullet,  chickens  of  1S53. 
812.  First  prize,  I\Ir,  Charles  Punchard,  Blunt's  Hall,  near  Haverhill, 
Suffolk.     792.  .Second  prize,  William  Cust  Gwynne,  Esq.,  M.D.,    Sand- 
bach,  Cheahire.     848.  Third  prize,  flir,  Charles  Punchard,  Blunt's  Hall, 
near  Haverhill,  Suffolk. 

COCHIN-CHINA,     White.     (60  pens.) 
Class  14.— Cock  and  three   Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 
874.  First  prize,  I\Ir.  Edward  Hewitt.  Eden  Cottage,  Sparkhrook,  near 
Birmingham.     875.  Second  prize,  Mr.  George  C.   Peters,  Moseley,  near 
Birmingham.     872.  Third  prize,   IMiss   Holmes,  112,   New  Street,  Bir- 
mingham. 

Class  15.— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
881.  First  prize,  Mr.  Herbert,  Powiek,  Worcestershire.      885.  Second 
prize,  Miss  Kate  Graham,  Vardley,  near  Birmingham,    010.  Third  prize, 
Mr.  Edward  William  Haslcwood,  Bridgnorth. 


COCHIN-CHINA.     Black.    (41  pens.) 
Class  16.— Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 
930,    First  prize,    Mrs,     Hosier    Williams,     Eaton     ]\Iascott,    near 
Shrewsbury. 

(Second  prize  withheld.) 

Class  17. — Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1553. 
951.  First  prize,  Mr.  Valentine  Walshman  Blake,  6,   Old  Square,  Bir- 
mingham.    958.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Parker,  Church  Lane,  Hands- 
worth,  near  Birmingham. 

MALAY.     (27  pens.) 
Class  18. — Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 
980.  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  S.  Tunaley,  MilfieUl  House,  near  Tamworth. 
984.  Second  prize,   Mr.   Gcrvase  Oldham,   Nether  Whitacre,   Warwick- 
shire. 

Class  ig.— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
938.  First  prize,  Mr,  Charles  Ballance,   5.   Mount  Terrace,   Taunton, 
Somersetshire.    993.  Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Manfield,  Dorchester. 

GAME  FOWL.     (226  pens,) 
Class  20. — White  and  Piles.     Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one- 
year-old. 
JOU.  First  prize.    Mr.   Henry   Felthousc,   Tamworth.     1003.  Second 
prize.  I\Ir.  Charles  Barnes,  Vauxhall,  Birmingham.      100ft.  Third  prize, 
Mr.  Francis  S.  Bullock,  Hawthorn  House,  Handsworth,  Birmingham. 

Class  21.— White  and  Piles.     Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
1034.  First  prize,    Mr.    Henry   Fcllhouse,  Tamworth.      IOI9.    Second 
prize,  i\Irs.  Wilson.  Redditch,  'W'orcestcrshire.       1032.  Third  prize,  Mr. 
Ricliard  Dummeller,  Shackcratone  Field,  near  Athcrstone. 

Class  22. — Black-breasted  and  other  Reds.     Cock  and  three  Hens  ex- 
ceeding one-year-old. 
1084.  First  prize,  Mr.   Henry  Lowe,  Comberford   Lodpe,  near  Tam- 
worth.    1073.  Second  prize,  Mr.  \\Mlliam  Cox.   Brailsford  Hall,  Derby. 
1091.  Third  prize,  I\Ir.  James  Thomas  Wilson,  Redditch,  \\'orce3tcrshire. 

Class  23.— Black-breasted  and  other  Reds.     Cock  and  three  Pullets, 
chickens  of  1853. 

1139.  Fir^^t  prize,  Mr.  James  Thomas  Wilson,  Redditch,  Worcester- 
shire. 1113.  Second  prize,  Iilr.  Thomas  Roscoe,  Knowsley  Cottage, 
Prescot.     1131.  Third  prize,  I\Ir.  David  Joseph  Arnold,  Tamworth. 

Class  24. — Blacks  and  Brassy-winged,  except  Greys.  Cock  and  three 
Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

Ilfi4.  First  prize,  Isaac  Avry,  King's  Norton,  Worcestershire,  II73. 
Second  prize.  Air.  Charles  Hopkins,  Newton  Regis,  near  Tamworth. 
1167.  Third  prize,  I\Ir.  James  Thomas  Wilson,  Redditch,  Worcestershire. 

Class  25. — Blacks  and  Brassy-winged,  except  Greys.  Cock  and  three 
Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
1186.  First  prize,  Mr.  \Villiam  Dester,  Seckinjton,  near  Tamworth. 
1190.  Second  prize,  i\Ir.  Richarl  Field,  Bragg's  Farm,  near  Shirley- 
street,  Warwickshire.  1 1 87.  Third  prize,  I\lr,  James  Thomas  Wilson, 
Redditch,  Worcestershire. 

Class  26. — Duekwings,  and  other  Greys,  and  Blues.    Cock  and  three 
Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

12f)l.  First  prize,  Mr.  Robert  Choyce,  Bramcote  Hall,  near  Tamworth. 
1208.  Second  prize,  Messrs.  Williamand  James  H.  Parkes,  Wellington 
Place,  Highgate,  Birmingham.  II91.  Third  ditto,  Mr.  William  Smith, 
Kent  House,  Halifax, 

Class  27. — Duekwings.  and  other  Greys,  and  Blues.    Cock  and  three 
Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 

121!i,  First  prize,  Dlr.  John  Lowe,  Bull  Ring.  Birmingham,  1223. 
Second  prize.  I\Ir.  \\'illiam  Cherrington,  Stockton,  near  Shiffnal.  1220. 
Third  prize,  Isaac  Avery,  King's  Norton,  Worcestershire. 

GOLDEN-PENCILLED    HAMBURGH.     (40  pens.) 

Class  28. — Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

1234.  First  prize,  I\fr.  John  Lowe,  6,    Bull  Ring,  Birmingham.      1235. 

Second  prize     Iilr.   T.   R.    Pearson,    Chilw  ell,  near  Nottingham.     1221). 

Third   prize,   Henry  Thomas  I\Iousley,    Esq.,    Ashby,    near   Welford, 

Northamptonshire. 

Class  29.— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
1256.  First  prize,  I\Ir.  James  Drewry.  Newton  Mount,  near  Burton- 
on-Trent.  12-16.  Second  prize,  i\Ir.  William  Tyler,  Friday  Bridge,  Bir- 
mingham. 1252.  Third  prize,  Mr.  William  Tyler,  Friday  Bridge,  Bir- 
mingham. 1261.  Fourth  prize,  Mr.  John  Lowe,  G,  Bull  Ring,  Bir- 
mingham. 

GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.     (67  pens.) 

Class  30.— Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

1275.  First  prize,  Mr.  George  C.  Adkins,  Carpenter  Road.  Eilgbaston. 

Birmingham.   127G.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Francis  Adkins.  Carpenter  Boad, 

Edgbaston,    Birmingham,       1287.    Third    prize,     Mr.    Joseph    Tuley, 

Kcigliley,  Yorkshire. 

Class  31. — Cock  and  throe  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
1300.  First  prize,  Dlr.  E.  Auckland,   Doncaster.      1319-  Second  prize, 
]\Ir.  ,!ohn  Hill,   Sclly  Oak,  near  Birmingham.     1327.  Third  prize,  Mr. 
Kmanuel  Throop,  jun.,  Keighley,  Vorkshirc.     1291.  Fourth   prize,    Mr. 
Henry  Clapham,  Aireworth  House,  near  Keighley,  Vorkshire. 

SILVER-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH.      (94  pens.) 

Class  32, — Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  onc-yoar-old. 

13D3.  First   prize,    Mr.   J.    R.    Pearson,  ChiKvell,   Nottinghamshire. 

1345.  Second    prize,   Mr.   Thomas    i\l'Cann,  Graham    House,    Malvern, 

Worcestershire.     1351.  Third  prize,  Mr,  George  0.  Adkms,  Carpenter 

Eoad,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham. 


December  22, 


THE  COTTAGE  OARDENEE. 


2  2d 


I 


Class  33,— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickenB  of  1853. 
1400.  First  prize,  Mr.  Edward  Archer,  Malvern.      1365.  Second  prize, 
]\Iis3  Mary  Anne  Tuley,  Keiphley,  Yorkshire.     1382.  Third  prize,    l\Ir, 
Josiah  H.  Chune,  Coalbrooltdale,  Shropshire.     1387.  Fourth   prize,  Mr. 
Joseph  Taverner,  Hartshill,  near  Atherstone. 

SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH.     (86  pens.) 

Class  31.— Cock  and  three  Hens,  chickens  of  1853, 

1422.  First  prize,  Tlie'Rev.   F.   W.   Cartwright,  Oaklcj',  near  Thame. 

1445.  Second   prize,    Mr.  Thomas   M'Cann,  Graham  House,  Malvern. 

1430.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Henry  J.   Davenport,  Colmore  Terrace,    Summer 

Lane,  Birmingham. 

(The  whole  class  highly  meritorious.) 
Class  35. — Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
1464.  First  prize,  Mr.  Josepli  Jordan,  W'aterfall  Cottage,  Wheeler- 
street,  Birmingham.  ]452.  Second  prize,  fliiss  Simmona,  Kind's  Heath, 
near  Birmingham.  1446.  Third  prize.  The  Right  Hon.  L.idy  Calthorpe, 
Perry  Hall,  Staffordshire.  146S.  Fourth  prize,  Mr.  W.  Beach,  Monument 
Lane>  Birmingham. 

POLAND  FOWL.    Black,  with  White  Crests.    {29  pens.) 

Class  36.— Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

1501.    First  prize,    Mrs.  Adkins,  Carpenter  Uoad,    Edgbaston,   Bir- 

mingham.     1505.  Second  prize,  Mr.   Edward  Bird  Guest,   Ivy   House. 

Broadwas,  Worcestershire.     1504.  Third  prize,  Mr.    George  Richmond 

CoUis,  Crescent,  Birmingham. 

Class  37.— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
1513.    First  prize,  Mt.  Thomas  Panton  Edwards,   Railway   Station, 
Lyudhurst,  Hampshire.     1522.  Second  prize,   Mr.  Edward  Bird  Guest, 
Ivy  House,  Broadwas,  Worcestershire.     1520.  Third  i)rize,  Mr.  Thomas 
Panton  Edwards,  Railway  Station,  Lyndhurst,  Hampshire. 

POLAND  FOWL.     Golden.     (25  pens.) 
Class  38. — Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 
1531.  First  prize,  Robert  H.  Bush,  Esq..  Letficld  House.  Clifton,  near 
Bristol.     1533.  Second  prize,  Master  Godfrey   Horner,  Charlotte-street, 
Hull.     1530.  Third  prize,  W.  G.  Vivian,  Esq.,  Singleton,  SM'ansea. 

Class  39.— Cock  and  three  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853. 
J544.    First  prize,  James  Winter,  Brailsford,  Derby,     1539.  Second 
prize,  blaster  John  Edwards   fliapplebeck,   Moseley-road,  Birmingham. 
1542.  Third  prize,  James  Winter,  Brailsford,  Derby. 

POLAND  FOWL.      Silver.     (24  pens.) 

Class  4ft. — Cock  and  three  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old. 

1555.    First  prize,    J.    II.  Vivian,    Esq  ,   BI.P.,    Singleton,    Swansea, 

1557.  Second  prize,  BIr.  George  C.  Adldns,  Carjienter  Road,  Edgbaston, 

Birmingham.     1563.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Christopher  Kawson,  The  Hurst, 

Walton-on-Thames. 

Class  41. — Cock  and  three  Pulleta,  chickens  of  1853. 
1567.  First   prize,  William  Cos,  Esq.,  Brailsford  Hall,  Derby.     1572. 
Second   prize,    Mr.  W.    G.  K.  Breavington,    Sutton,  near   Hounslow, 
Middlesex.  1576.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Cyrus  Clark,  Street,  near  Glastonbury. 

Class  42.— ANY  OTHER  DISTINCT  BREED.     (Ill  pens.) 
Bramah  Pootea..— 1583.  Second  prize,  John  Fairlie,  Esq.,  Cheveley 

Park,  Newmarket,  Cambridgeshire.     (No  first  prize  awarded.) 
Cuckoo. — 1598-  First  prize,  Mr,   George  M'Kenzie  Kettle,   Dallicott 

House,   near  Bridgnorth.     I59G.  Second  prize,  Mt,    George  M'Kenzie 

Kettle. 

Poland. — I6II.  First  prize,  J.  H.  Vivian,  Esq.,  M. P.,  Singleton, 
Swansea.  (White.)  161O.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  Button,  Streatham 
Common,  Surrey.     (White.) 

Andalusian. — 1624.  First  prize,  Colonel  Clowes,  Froxmer  Court, 
Worcester.  I623.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Taylor,  jun.,  Cressy  House, 
Shepherd's  Bush,  near  London. 

Moss  Pheasant. — 1631.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Brown.  1633.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Jordan,  Waterfall  Cottage,  Wheeler-street,  Bir- 
mingham. 

Ancona. — 1637.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Edward  Simons,  Dale  End,  Bir- 
mingham.    (No  first  prize  awarded.) 

RuMPLESS. — 1642.  First  prize,  Mr.  William  A.  Beach,  Shirley-street, 
near  Birmingham.  l644.  Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Manfield,  Dor- 
chester- 

Silky. — 1649.  First  prize,  Mr.  Jonathan  Harlow,  Highfield  House, 
Moseley,  near  Birmingham.  I65O.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Jonathan 
Harlow. 

Other  Varieties. — 1663.  First  prize.  Miss  Vivian,  Singleton, 
Swansea.  (Frizzled,  or  Italian.)  I668.  First  prize,  Rlr.  John  Shackel, 
Blenheim  House,  Small  Heath,  Birmingham.     (Rangoon.) 

BANTAMS.    Gold-laced.     (33  pens.) 

Class  43. — Cock  and  two  Hens. 

l6S4.  First  prize,  Mr.  George  C.  Adkins,  Carpenter-road,  Edgbaston, 

Birmingham.  1674.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams,  Eaton  Blascott, 

near  Shrewsbury.  1693.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Edward  Hewitt,  Eden  Cottage, 

Sparkbrook,  near  Birmingham. 

BANTAMS,    Silver-laced.    (14  pens.) 
Class  44.— Cock  and  two  Hens. 
1706.  First    prize,    Mrs.   Adkins,    Carpenter-road,    Edgbaston,    Bir- 
mingham.     1714.  Second  prize,    Mr,   Edward    Hewitt,   Eden   Cottage, 
Sparkbrook,    near    Birmingham.      1/04.    Third    prize,    Mrs,    Hosier 
Williams,  Eaton  Mascott,  near  Shrewsbury. 


BANTAMS.    White.    (27  pens.) 
Class  45. — Cock  and  two  Hens, 
1721.  First    prize,    the    Rev.  John    Hill,    The    Citadel,    Hawkstone, 
Shrewsbury.       1736.  Second    prize,    G.    F.     Hodson,    Esq.,    Banwell, 
Somersetshire. 

BANTAMS.      Black.    (26  pens.) 
Class  46.— Cock  and  two  Hens. 

1767.  First  prize,  Mr,    Gilbert  W.    Moss,  Liverpool.     176-1.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Gilbert  W,  Moss, 

(The  whole  class  excellent.) 

BANTAMS.     Any  other  variety.     (20  pens.) 
Class  47.— Cock  and  two  Hens, 
1775.  First  prize,    Mr.  Charles  Thorneloe,   Lichfield.      1779.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Charles  Edwards,  Brislington,  near  Bristol.     (Frizzled.) 
(The  whole  class  excellent.) 

GEESE.     (31  pens.) 
Class  48. — Gander  and  two  Geese. 
181S.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Hill,  New  House,  Stretton   Grandison,    Here- 
fordshire.   I8I9.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Hdl.     1790.  Third  prize.  The  Right 
Hon.  Viscount  Hill,  Hawltstone,  Shropshire. 

(The  whole  class  highly  meritorious.) 

DUCKS.     White  Aylesbury.     (128  pens.) 

Class  49.— Drake  and  three  Ducks. 

1834.  First  prize.  The  Right    Hon.  Lord   John  Scott,  Cawston  Lodge, 

Dunchurch,  Warwickshire.    1365.  Second  ditto,  Mr.  W.  K.  Breavington, 

Sutton,    near    Hounslow.        1312.    Third    prize,    Mr.    John    Weston, 

Aylesbury. 

(The  whole  class  good.) 
Class  .50.— Rouen.      Drake  and  three  Ducks. 
1906.  First  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Worrall,  Knotty  Ash  House,  near  Liver- 
pool.    1888.  Second  prize,   His  Grace  the   Duke  of  Sutherland,  Tren- 
tham  Hall,  StafFordahire.     1902.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Worrall. 

Class  51.— Any  other  variety.  Drake  and  three  Ducks. 
1926.  First  prize.  Miss  Clifton,  Whittington,  near  Worcester.  (Black 
East  Indian,  or  Buenos  Ayres.)  1927.  Second  prize,  Miss  Steele  Perkins, 
Satton  Coldfield,  near  Birming-ham.  (Labrador,  or  Buenos  Ayres.)  igsG. 
Third  prize,  Mr.  John  Shackel,  Blenheim  House,  Small  Heath,  near 
Birmingham.     (Decoy  or  Call.) 

Class  52.— Muscovy.    Drake  and  two  Ducks, 
1944.  First  prize,  Mr.  Charles  Sturge,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham, 

TURKEYS.      (37  pens.) 
Class  53. — Turkey  Cock  and  two  Hens  exceeding  one-year-old, 
1957.  First  prize,  Mr.  William  Harrison,  Bagworth  Park,  near  Market 
Bosworth.      1959.  Second  prize.    Miss    Ellen    Fairlie,    Cheveley    Park, 
Newmarket,  Cambridgeshire.      i960.  Third  prize.  Miss  Ellen  Fairlie. 
Class  54.— Turkey  Cock  and  two  Hens,  hatched  in  1853. 
1965.  First  pri/.c,   Miss   Ellen    Fairlie,    Cheveley    Park,    Newmarket, 
Ca,mbridgeshire.     1966.  Second  prize.  Miss  Ellen  Fairlie.      1369.  Third 
prize.  The  Hon.  Viscount  Hill,  Hawkstone,  Shropshire. 
(The  whole  class  meritorious.) 

GUINEA  FOWL.     (14  pens.) 
Class  55. — For  the  best  pair. 
1991.  First  prize,  Henry  Thomas  Mousley,  Esq..  Ashby,  near  Welford, 
Northamptonshire.     1998.  Second  prize,  Mr.   William  Copple,   Portico 
Cottage,  Eccleston,  near  Prescot,  Lancashire. 

Class  56.— PIGEONS.     (280  pens.) 
Carriers.- 7-  First  prize,    Messrs.   W.    Siddons  and  Sons,  Aston, 
near  Birmingham.     24,  Second  prize,  Mr.  Samuel  Ridley,  jun.,  Clayton, 
Sussex. 

Almond  Tumblers.— 56.  First  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  James  Cottle, 
PuUeney  Villa,  Cheltenham.  44.  Second  prize,  Howard  Luckcock, 
Esq.,  Oak  Hill,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham. 

Mottled  Tdmblbrs.- 80.  First  prize,  Mr.  Joshua  Hopkins,  39, 
Dale  End,  Birmingham.  88.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Parker,  Church 
Lane,  Handsworth,  near  Birmingham. 

Balds,  on  Beards.— 60.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Child,  Sherboume 
Road,  Balsall  Heath,  near  Birmingham.  62.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Rlay 
Goddard,  Hagley  Road,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham. 

Owls.— 95.  First  prize,  Mr.  William  Henry  Simpson,  Islington,  Bir- 
mingham. 97-  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Baily,  jun.,  113,  Mount-street, 
Grosvenor  Square,  London. 

Nuns.— 124,  First  prize,  Mr.  Samuel  Kirk,  Cheapside,  Belper,  Derby- 
shire. 125,  Second  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Price,  Handsworth,  near  Bir- 
minirham. 

Tordits.— 136.  First  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Child,  jun.,  Sherboume  Road, 
Balsall  Heath,  near  Birmingham.  131.  Second  prize.  Master  John 
Edward  Mapplebeck,  Moseley  Road,  Birmingham. 

Archangel.— 145.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Vivian,  Singleton,  Swansea.  146, 
Second  prize,  Mrs.  Hopkins,  39,  Dale  End,  Birmingham. 

Jacouins.— 163.  First  prize,  Mr.  Joshua  Hopkins,  Dale  End,  Bir- 
mingham. 155.  Second  prize,  Mr.  George  Lowe,  Greet,  Sparkbrook, 
near  Birmingham. 

Fantails,— 131.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Simons,  Speedwell  Road,  Bir- 
mingham.    197.  Second  ditto,  Mr.  Charles  Thorneloe,  Lichfield. 

Trumpeters.— 206.  First  prize.  Mr.  Josiah  B.  Chune,  Coalbrookdale, 
Shropshire.  213,  Second  prize,  Mr.  Charles  Toney,  Waterloo  Place, 
Bloomsbury. 


230 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  22. 


Pouters,  or  Croppers.— 322.  First  prize,  Mr.  Joshua  Hopkins,  39, 
Dale  End,  Birmingham,  218.  Second  prize,  Miss  Fanny  Hill  Curtis, 
High-street,  "West  JJromwich. 

Barbfs. — 242.  First  prize,  Mr-  W.  H.  Goddard,  Haglcy  Road,  Edg- 
baston,  Birmingham.  244.  Second  prize,  The  Hon.  Rowland  C.  Hill, 
Hawkiitone,  Shropshire. 

Runts.— 247.  First  prize.  Mrs.  Simons,  Speedwell  Road,  Birmingham. 
249.  Second  prize,  Mv.  J.  B.  Winder,  Birmingham. 

Dragoons.— 265.  First  prize.  Mr.  Sumuel  Ridley,  jun.,  Clayton, 
Snsscx.     266.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Edward  Barber,  Monkspath. 

Anv  other  new  or  distinct  variety. — '269.  First  prize,  Mr.  ,Tohn 
Child,  Slierbourne  Road,  Balsall  Heath,  Birmingham.  (Porcelain.)  27 1. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  George  Lowe,  Greet,  Sparkbrook,  near  Birmingham. 
(Black  Kite.)  274.  Extra  prize,  I\Irs.  Vivian,  Singleton,  Swansea. 
(Hyacinth.)  272.  Extra  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  James  Cottle,  Pulteney  Villa, 
Cheltenham.  (ScagUola.) 


HARDY  BORDER  PLANTS. 

{CoiUlnued   from    page    180.) 

ACANTHUS   MOLLIS,   OB  BEAR'S  BREECH. 

This  species  is  more  appropriately  called  "  The  Corinth- 
ian Plant,"  from  its  being  supposed  to  have  been  the 
plant  the  tlowers  of  which  furnished  the  ancients  with  that 
style  of  architecture.  It  is  called  Acanthus,  from  acauthos, 
a  spine,  because,  in  some  of  the  species,  the  leaves  are  very 
spiny  or  prickly  round  their  irregularly-cut  margins.  This 
is  a  noble  and  most  desirable  jilant,  either  as  a  margin 
plant  in  the  plantations,  or  as  a  single  bunch  plant  upon 
the  lawn.  It  tionrishes  in  any  good  garden  soil,  and  is 
readily  increased  by  root-division.  After  being  once  well- 
planted  it  might  remain  for  any  number  of  years,  forming 
a  veiy  pleasing  and  interesting  group,  year  after  year, 
without  any  trouble.     It  dies  quite  down  every  winter. 

Its  roots  are  of  a  long,  fleshy,  branching  character,  spread- 
ing out  wide,  and  this  is  often  the  cause  of  its  loss.  Spread- 
ing-rooted  plants  are  apt  to  be  destroyed,  because  the 
forgetful,  or  else  the  inexperienced,  or  careless,  assistant 
makes  too  free  with  the  spade  round  about  them.  By  the 
bunch  system  of  growing  the  spade  never  need  be  used  here  at 
all ;  for  should  the  plant  appear  to  intrude  too  far  on  either 
side  it  is  readily  cut  away,  or  any  portion  of  its  crowns 
removed  with  a  three-grained  fork,  when  it  puts  up  in  the 
spring,  which  is  much  better  than  the  spade  to  be  used 
among  most  plants ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  season,  of 
com'se  all  unsightly  decayed  leaves  and  flower -stalks 
should  be  removed  as  they  die  away,  and  its  little  bed  made 
tidy,  and  a  spadeful  or  two  of  nice  soil,  such  as  leaf-mould, 
or  the  like,  from  the  frame-ground,  or  comjjost-yard,  put 
neatly  over  its  crowns,  and  the  bed  is  then  dressed  for  the 
whole  year. 

Its  flower-stems  rise  to  from  one-and-a-half  to  three  feet 
high,  with  a  beautiful  long  spike  of  spiny  calyxes,  and  large 
blossoms,  so  curious  and  handsome,  that  every  visitor  to 
the  garden  would  be  inquiring  what  plant  it  could  be.  All 
its  leaves  put  up  from  the  ground  from  a  foot  to  eighteen 
inches  long,  and  stalked ;  their  margins  ai'e  cut,  or  in-egularly 
scolloped,  and  a  little  spiny.  Its  time  of  flowering  is  from 
July  to  September. 

It  was  introduced  to  this  country  in  the  year  1.548,  from 
its  native  place,  Italy. 

When  planted  in  the  mai'gins  of  shmbberies,  and  in  such- 
like places,  the  spade  should  always  be  kept  from  near  its 
roots,  and  that  part  where  this  plant  is  be  rendered  tidy 
with  a  little  top-di-essing.  By  so  dealing  with  it,  we  have 
had  this  plant  flower  beautifully  in  the  most  gloomy  corner, 
as  well  as  in  tlie  most  open,  sunny  situation,  for  the  last 
twenty  years,  in  the  same  spots,  and  how  long  before  we 
cannot  say. 

Acanthus  spinosds  and  A.  spinosissimcs. — These,  too, 
are  curious  and  interesting  plants,  which  should  be  dealt 
with  in  the  same  way.  Their  leaves  ars  very  much  more 
cut  and  spiny. 

Of  course,  such  plants  as  these  are  some  yeai's  before 
they  become  noble  specimens,  alter  which,  under  the  above 
treatment,  it  would  be  difficult  to  number  Uieir  days  in  the 
same  spots.  T.  W. 


THE   CARRIER  PIGEON. 

With  regai'd  to  the  Carrier  (foi-merly  styled  King  of 
Pigeons) ;  it  is  possible  to  make  everj'  tame  pigeon  a 
Carrier,  to  a  certain  extent,  according  to  the  sagacity  of  the 
different  breeds.  Beards  have  been  known  to  do  Dover  to 
London.  Almonds  and  Short- faced  Tumblers,  by  practising 
them,  would  do  miles;  and  if  a  message  is  neatly  wound 
round  the  leg,  and  jiroperly  secm'ed,  and  not  fastened  to 
their  feet  like  kite's  tail  (which  would  frighten  the  bird  and 
prevent  its  finding  its  home),  it  would  carry  the  message  to 
its  home,  and  consequently  would  be  a  Carrier.  As  a  proof  of 
it,  at  the  Derby,  at  Epsom,  after  the  Derby  is  over,  I  am 
more  pleased  at  the  sight  of  the  pigeons  tossed  to  convey 
the  news  of  the  winning  horse  than  seeing  the  race.  On 
one  occasion,  a  pigeon  was  thrown  up  from  a  carriage 
mndow,  with  a  message  and  a  long  string  tied  to  its  feet,  as 
I  presume ;  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  the  bird  could 
reach  the  Grand  Stand,  when  a  person  at  the  corner  of  the 
stand  put  out  his  hand  and  caught  the  bu-d,  whether  by  the 
stiing  or  not  I  cannot  tell.  From  what  I  saw,  the  bird  made 
a  great  effort  to  reach  the  stand  to  rest;  now,  if  the  gentle- 
man who  tossed  the  pigeon  from  the  carnage  window  had 
instructed  it  to  convey  the  message  to  the  gentlemen  of  the 
Grand  Stand,  it  was,  to  all  intents  and  pui-poses,  the  most 
sagacious  Cai'rier  ever  heard  of.  I  think  the  more  proper 
name  for  our  shai-p  and  sagacious  fljing  birds  would  be  to 
call  them  Homers  or  Homebirds,  so  great  is  their  love  for 
home. 

Suppose  a  gentleman  bought  a  pair  of  these  sbarp-fljing 
birds,  for  their  sagacity,  of  a  poor  chimney-sweeper,  and 
afterwards  took  them  fifty  miles  into  tlie  country,  placed 
them  in  the  most  comfortable  aviai'y  that  ever  was  built,  kept 
them  in  for  twelve  months,  pampered  them  with  every  kind 
of  grain  or  seed,  beautiful  waters  to  drink  and  wash  in ;  now, 
after  being  kept  one  year  in  this  lofty  and  spacious  aviary,  with 
all  these  apparent  comforts,  after  giving  them  their  liberty, 
■will  they  stop  ?  Certainly  not;  they  will  again  go  home.  It 
appears  to  me  their  motto  is  "  There  is  no  place  Uke  home," 
however  homely.  Although  it  may  be  they  were  fed  upon 
barley,  dirty  water  to  drink,  and  roosted  upon  soot-bags,  yet 
as  soon  as  they  obtain  then  liberty  they  mount  the  skies,  and 
will  not  take  rest  till  they  reach  their  home  ;  by  what  means 
is  mysterious  and  unknown ;  you  might  as  well  try  to  stay  a 
Wood  Pigeon. 

The  Pigeons  now  made  use  of  as  Carriers  or  Messengers, 
are  Antwerp  birds,  and  by  some  are  called  Antwerp  Cai'riers. 
These  are  the  birds  to  do  the  utmost  work  as  Messengers. 
A  thorough-bred  Antwerp  is  an  ugly  looking  bird,  while  a 
half-bred  looks  pleasant.  The  Carrier,  or  Stout  Bird,  so 
called  and  admu'ed  by  fanciers,  is  too  valuable  to  risk  in 
flying,  for  fear  of  being  lost,  particularly  as  some  of  the 
owners  would  not  take  twenty  guineas  for  each  bird.  The 
special  object  the  fanciers  now  have  in  keeping  these  valuable 
birds,  arises  from  the  great  admu'ation  of  their  beautiful 
properties,  viz.:  1st.,  The  Beak;  '2nd.,  The  Wattle;  ;)rd., 
The  Head;  4th.,  The  Eye;  Oth.,  The  length  and  thinness 
of  neck,  and  length  of  body,  which  is  sliape  or  carriage. 

Was  it  ever  yet  placed  on  the  pens  of  the  Carriers  at  the 
poultry  shows  what  distance  the  birds  had  accomplished? 
This  would  open  the  door  to  lying,  for  the  man  who  woidd 
lie  the  most  would  be  awai-ded  the  prize,  if  tested  by  such  a 
standard,  besides  being  a  queer  point.  If  at  a  society  of 
Carrier  fanciers,  and  some  extraordinary  Carriers  were 
shown,  a  gentleman,  a  visitor,  was  to  ask  the  question — the 
utmost  distance  they  hail  performed — the  fanciers  would 
know  then  he  was  no  fancier. 

It  is  a  mistaken  notion,  although  not  laid  down,  that  a 
good  fancier  overlooks  feather  in  awarding  a  prize,  although 
the  standard  judiciously  laid  down  takes  cognizance  of  five 
properties.  Good  feather  has  its  influence,  and  the  eye  is 
gratified  by  witnessing  Carriers  of  superior  plumage.  There 
are  good  and  bad  colours  in  the  t'ai'riers,  viz.,  good  blacks 
and  bad  blacks,  good  and  bad  coloured  dun,  good  and  bad 
coloured  blue,  aud  in  all  the  colours,  which  is  not  lost  sight 
of  in  good  fanciers. 

With  regard  to  the  wattle,  or  orbit  of  unnafiu'al  size,  or 
bloated  amplification,  no  good  fancier  ever  attempted  to  get 
into  their  birds  bad  properties.  A  crowded  wattle  is  bad. 
The  standard  laid  down  for  the  wattle  is  thus ;  it  ought  to 


Deoembkb  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


331 


be  broacT  across  the  beak,  short  from  the  head  to  the  point 
of  the  bill,  ami  tilting  forwards  from  the  liead  ;  if  otherwise, 
it  is  said  to  be  pegwattled,  wliich  is  a  very  great  fault.  It 
is  not  in  tlie  quantity  of  wattle,  but  in  the  right  form  and 
stylo  of  the  wattle. 

We  must,  tlierefore,  altogether  lose  sight  of  first-rate  and 
valuable  Carriers  being  made  flying  birds  ;  Antwerp,  Dra- 
goons, and  other  cross-bred  sharp  birds  are  used  instead. 
Therefore,  tlie  time  has  arrived,  that  we  must  look  upon 
Carriers,  not  as  in  former  days,  as  birds  of  extraonhnary 
flight,  but  as  laney  jiigeons  altogether. 

A  you)ig  lady  might  be  truly  beautiful  at  twenty  years  of 
age ;  a  vast  number  of  engravings  of  her  might  be  sold ; 
she  entertaining  a  bad  opinion  of  men  is  determined  to  die 
a  virgin ;  her  life  is  spared  afterwards  for  fifty  years,  and  not 
altering  her  name,  some  persons  seeing  her  at  this  great 
age,  would  exclaim,  "  call  her  truly  beautiful,  she  is  any- 
thing but  that !  "  not  making  allowance  for  time ;  it  is  equally 
applicable  to  Carriers.  It  is  one  thing  to  see  a  Carrier  in 
the  prime  of  life,  and  quite  another  thing  to  see  it  when  it  is 
very  old  and  in  the  last  stage  of  its  existence.  I  admit,  then, 
the  wattle  does  not  look  handsome,  the  Carrier  being 
altogether  out  of  condition. — Jno.  Matthews  Eaton,  7, 
Islintjton  Grei;n, 


MISCELLANEOUS  POULTRY  MEMORANDA. 

The  Contagion  of  Hour. — The  following  extracts  from  my 
Poultry  Corresjiondence,  bears  so  directly  on  this  subject, 
that  I  feel  no  apology  is  requisite  for  their  insertion. — "  The 
first  time  that  I  had  it  ^viz.  roup)  amongst  my  fowls  was 
after  the  j)urohase  of  two  Chittagong  hens,  which  I  soon 
found  were  roupy." — J.  H.  B.  Chew  Magna,  near  Bristol. 

This  gentleman  informs  me,  that  he  never  loses  any 
Turkeys  by  roup,  even  when  most  prevalent  in  the  district, 
which  exemption  he  attributes  to  feeding  them  largely  with 
onions  during  the  first  two  months  of  their  lives,  and  that 
some  Polands,  hatched  with  the  Turkeys  and  fed  with  them, 
have  been  exempt,  though  running  with  others  sufl'ering 
from  it. 

"  I  just  noticed  the  disorder,  brought  by  a  fowl  purchased 
in  London,  and  which  fowl  certainly  impregnated  all  the 
others."  "  I  brought  a  cock  from  a  distant  run,  being 
partly  persuaded  that  roup  was  not  contagious  ;  he  was  in 
brilliant  condition  when  he  came,  in  two  days  he  was  moping 
about,  and  on  the  third  day  showed  a  discharge  from  his 
nostrils,  which  has  continued  for  three  weeks." — E.  A., 
Malvern. 

"  I  bought  some  fowls  at  Birmingham,  who  introduced  it 
to  our  neiglibourbood,  and  it  has  already  killed  a  large 
number."—!.  E.  T. 

"  I  killed  a  pair  of  Hamburghs  that  brought  it  on  my 
premises." — K.  B.  T. 

"  I  have  some  hens  very  bad ;  the  complaint  attacks  all 
new  comers,  and  two  or  three  have  died  very  shortly  after." 
— W.  W. 

"  I  think  the  following  fact  proves  the  disease  to  be  con- 
tagious. Four  pullets  were  sent  to  me,  about  four  months 
old,  in  a  perfectly  healthy  condition,  they  were  placed  with 
the  other  fowls,  and  three  of  them  have  taken  the  disease 
and  suffered  severely."- — T.  W.  T. 

As  the  contagious  character  of-  this  disease  is  now  under 
discussion,  I  have  selected  the  above  extracts,  all  of  which 
have  a  reference  to  facts  rather  tliau  to  mere  opinions ; 
they  are  not,  I  am  siu'e,  more  than  a  small  portion  of  those 
that  I  might  have  gathered  by  wading  though  all  my  corres- 
pondence. I  would  strongly  caution  all  breeders  to  be  upon 
the  safe  side,  and  not  to  allow  any  expression  of  a  new 
opinion,  unsupported  by  any  publication  of  facts,  to  tempt 
them  to  place  an  infected  breed  along  with  sound  and 
healthy  stock. 

On  looking  over  my  last  paper  on  this  subject,  I  find  that 
I  omitted  to  mention  several  points  of  minor  importance; 
firstly,  as  to  the  mode  in  which  the  disease  is  communicated. 
I  imagine,  that  the  fojtid  purulent  discharge  from  the 
nostrils  of  affected  birds  running  into  the  water,  or  mixing 
with  soft  food,  is  the  usual  mode  of  propagation ;  and,  in 
other  cases,  it  may  spread  from  one  fowl  picldng  the  in- 
crusted  dischai'ge  off  the  beak  or  feathers  of  another. 


With  regard  to  the  susceptibility  to  contract  the  disease, 
I  find  that  amongst  my  own  stock  the  Dorkings  were  the 
most  liable  ;  next  in  order,  the  Spanish  ;  and  least  of  all,  the 
Shanghaes,  whose  comparative  immunity  from  this  scourge 
I  regard  as  a  strong  jioint  in  their  favour. 

I  may  also  mention,  that  owing  to  some  mistakes  in  the 
punctuation,  there  is  much  obscurity  in  one  or  two  passages, 
thus,  by  the  misplacing  of  a  period,  I  am  made  to  speak  of 
sulphur  and  pm'gatives  as  tonics,  and  then  to  say  they  were 
employed  as  external  applications. — W.  B.  Teoetmeiei!. 

Floweb  oe  Sulphck  foe  A'EnariN. — One  of  the  most 
successful  exhibitors  of  Shanghaes  told  me  that  he  had 
acted  on  my  advice  respecting  the  use  of  this  remedy,  and 
that  he  piu'chased  twenty-four  pounds  of  it  to  fill  a  dustiiig 
hole,  and  that  his  flock  of  more  than  two-hundred  birds 
ai'e  now  as  free  from  lice  as  they  were  infested  formerly. 
On  looking  over  the  latest  American  Poultry  Book  (namely, 
MiNEii's)  Avhich  has  been  just  imported,  I  was  pleased  to 
see  the  remedy  has  been  adopted  in  America,  and  that  it  is 
found  that  it  may  be  more  conveniently  applied  by  means  of 
a  flour  dredger  than  by  the  hand. 

Maggots  foe  Fowxs. — Many  persons  are  in  the  habit  of 
hanging  up  some  animal  substance,  such  as  refuse  meat, 
dead  poultry,  &c.,  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  a  supply  of 
maggots  for  fowls.  The  plan  is  objectionable,  in  many  points, 
the  offensive  odour  of  the  putrifying  meat  is  unpleasant  and 
unwholesome;  nor  can  I  reg.ard  the  maggots  falling  un- 
cleansed  from  the  putrid  flesh  as  pai'ticularly  wholesome 
diet.  By  accident,  I  discovered  a  better  mode  of  proceeding. 
It  is  customary  with  me  to  have  the  dead  fowls  which  I  am 
so  frequently  receiving  buried  in  the  fowl  run;  it  frequently 
liappens  that  they  are  fly-blown  before  burial ;  in  that  case, 
the  maggots  continue  to  live,  and  grow  to  their  full  size, 
when  their  natural  instinct  leads  them  to  quit  the  carcase 
and  work  their  way  towards  the  surface  of  the  ground  before 
they  change  into  the  perfect  insect,  the  well-known  blue 
bottle  or  flesh  fly.  The  living  fowls  soon  discover  their 
approach  towards  the  surface,  and,  by  constant  scratching, 
obtain  a  plentiful  supply,  and  if  the  decaying  flesh  is  buried 
a  couple  of  feet  deep,  there  is  no  fear  of  their  exposing  it, 
nor  does  it  even  become  offensive  to  the  smell. 

I  regard  this  plan  as  far  superior  to  hanging  up  flesh  to 
putrify.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  not  offensive  ;  secondly,  the 
maggots,  by  working  their  way  through  eighteen  inches  of 
earth,  are  thoroughly  cleansed  from  any  adhering  putridity ; 
thirdly,  the  supply  is  gradual,  and  the  scratching  affords 
constant  amusement  and  occupation  for  the  poultry.  It  is 
hardly  necessai-y  to  state,  that  if  the  meat  is  buried  before 
it  is  fly  blown  no  maggots  will  ever  make  their  appearance. 
At  the  date  of  writing  this  memorandum  (November  14j  I 
have  observed  several  fowls  diUgently  scratching  over  the 
graves  of  some  of  their  kindred  inten-ed  a  few  weeks  back, 
and  on  turning  up  the  earth  with  a  spade,  I  saw  that  there 
was  a  suflicient  number  of  maggots  to  furnish  them  with 
amusement  and  animal  food  for  some  time.  Although  I 
think  this  by  far  the  best  mode  of  giving  maggots ;  yet,  even 
given  in  this  way,  I  regard  them  as  vastly  inferior  to  the 
diet  of  worms. — W.  B.  Tegetheiee. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

Feeding  Bees  {E.  B.  S.).— Tlie  hive,  weighing  about  seventeen 
pounds,  exclusive  oi^  hive  and  board,  will  not  require  feeding  till  the 
spring,  and  then  with  barley-sugar.  The  one  weighing  only  five  pounds 
requires  liberal  feeding  wow,  certainly  not  during  severe  frost;  the  food 
most  proper  for  them  is  syrup,  one  pound  of  loaf-sugar,  quarter-of-a-pint 
of  water,  and  a  quarter-of-a-pound  of  honey,  simmered  together  over  a 
slow  fire  till  the  sugar  is  melted ;  when  cold,  given  to  the  bees  at  the  top 
of  the  hive.     Let  both  hives  remain  where  they  now  are. 

WoiST  Heat  {A.  B.  H.). —  Greenhouse  plants  do  not  require  this 
except  when  they  are  growing.  It  is  useless  to  apply  the  liquid-manvre 
to  any  plant  except  when  growing  and  healthy.  Wait  until  the  spring. 
Pelargfjniums  are  what  formerly  were  called  Geruniums,  but  they  are 
now  divided  and  quite  distinct  genera.  Dorking  {Citloured)  FowIk 
equally  pure  in  race,  are  produced  and  exhibited  with  single  as  well  as 
double  combs.  Under  the  greenhouse  shelves  will  do  very  well  for 
dormant  Fticlisios. 

Neglected  Garden  (A.  Hhtdeley). — This,  so  infested  with  rank 
grass  .and  other  weeds,  you  had  better  have  the  top  six  inches  pared  off, 
and  thoroughly  charred.  It  will  destroy  the  weeds,  &c.,  and  give  you  a 
good  dressing  for  the  soil. 

Binding  the  "Cottage  Gardener"  (J.  Peiinington). — If  you 
state  the  number  of  your  volumes,  you  may  obtain  Indexes  and  covers 
for  them,  through  your  bookseller,  of  Messrs.  W.  S.  Orr  and  Co.,  our 
publishers. 


I 


20:^ 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


December  ;?2. 


CLi:MBEns  FOR  Back  North-east  Wall  of  a  CoNSSRVATORy 
(Mina). — Vou  uish  them  to  be  evergreen,  and  continue  long  in  bloom, 
and  the  wall  is  heated  in  winter  by  a  stack  of  chimnica.  Vou  have  not 
told  us  what  heat  you  can  command  on  tiiis  wall,  and  tiie  aspect  is  a  bad 
one.  Many  of  the  plaiit3  you  mention  require  a  tropical  climate,  and 
others,  sucli  as  Clssiis  of  varieties,  though  they  look  well  .is  evergreens, 
have  no  flowers  to  speak  of.  The  only  ones  you  mention  suitable  are — 
Biff7ioutit  jnsminoidL's  and  Jnsmhmm  grandijiurum ;  and  if  you  have  a 
Habrothamnus^  h-xva  elenans,  not  fasciculut us.  We  would  add  J axmi- 
num  ffiacile,  Passijiora  racernosa,  P.  ccerulea,  MandeDtlUt  suiwuolens, 
Kennedya  Marryattce,  Sotlt/a  heterophiiUa,  and  Tiicsnnia  7no/(issijna. 
With  such  an  aspect,  were  the  place  ouis,  we  would  plant  these  for  quick 
covering;  but  we  would  ultimately  have  such  a  wail  covered  with  Ca- 
TnelUus,  and  then  it  would  be  a  stgiit  worth  looking  at. 

Seeds  from  Smyrna  (Rev.  R.  I\I.  -E.).— The  name  of  the  seed  is, 
probably,  a  local  name  ;  and  if  the  plant  is  a  native  of  Smyrna,  the  way 
to  treat  the  seeds  is  to  sow  them  shallow,  in  a  pot  of  light  soil,  early  in 
March;  to  put  the  pot  in  a  cucumber-bed,  and  to  watch  the  seedlings, 
if  they  come  up,  to  see  the  place  is  not  too  hot  for  them  ;  to  put  them 
into  single  pots,  and,  by  the  end  of  May,  to  plant  one-half  of  the  plants 
out-of-doors,  in  some  warm  situation,  to  prove  themselves,  and  to  keep 
the  rest  in  pots  as  greenhouse  plants,  to  wait  the  result  of  the  experi- 
ment. If  the  frost  does  not  harm  tlie  plants  put  out,  of  course  the  whole 
are  hardy  ;  if  it  does,  treat  the  others  like  greenhouse  plants  until  they 
flower,  and  see  bow  you  like  tliem  ;  meantime,  you  may  learn  from  the 
donor  what  the  plant  is  considered  best  for  at  Smyrna. 

William  Adams  (C). — The  kind  assistance  already  received  has 
fully  supplied  all  present  wants.  Should  a  more  advanced  stage  of  suf- 
fering need  increased  assistance  application  will  gratefully  be  made 
through  this  medium.  It  is  impossible  fully  to  express  the  gratitude  felt 
by  alt  parties  to  the  truly  kind  donor, 

Pines  wot  Fruiting  (d  Young  Gardener — ^^  Yorkshire"). — You 
have  watered  your  Pmes  too  equally  all  the  year ;  they  have  gone  past 
their  showing  time,  and  are  then  rather  puzzling.  You  must  foice  them 
to  show  by  a  check,  and  that  checjc  drought  at  mot,  with  a  moderate 
bottom-beat  until  spring,  say  ~(f.  As  soon  as  light  weather  comes  in, 
the  end  of  February,  you  may  increase  ijottom-beat  to  84^,  and  shut  up 
much  sun-beat,  and  resume  catering.  About  your  new  pinery  we 
caimofc  cfTcr  building  details;  you  had  better  employ  somebody  on  the 
spot  who  understands  it.  You  must  compel  your  man  to  guariintee  an 
air-heat  (if  necessary)  of  70°,  when  there  is  20°  of  frost  ouiside;  and  you 
must  be  able  to  secure  bottom-heat  at  all  times  oi  30°. 

Peacheky  (J.  Stephens). — Your  peach-house  is  thirty  feet  long.  You 
may  put  three  trees  in  a  front  trellis,  viz.,  at  the  warmest  end  a  Roi/at 
George,  next  an  Elnige  Nectarine,  then  a  BcUegarde  Peach.  On  the 
back,  we  suppose  standards,  ^TioiheT  Bellegarde,  a  Walbiirton  Admirable, 
and  a  JRlvZ  Jlomau  oi  Murray  Nectarine:  the  Nectarine  at  warm  end, 
next  Bellegurde.  and  lastly  the  Walbiirton  Admirable.  You  can  have 
the  covers  from  Slessrs.  W.  S.  Orr  and  Co. 

Concrete  for  Yards  {B.  H.). — You  will  sec,  in  a  communication 
to-day  from  fllessrs.  Balcer,  that  their  tarrod  walks  will  bear  a  horse  and 
cart,  we  think,  therefore,  that  it  would  do  for  farrn-yards  and  sheds. 
The  experiment  is  well  worth  trying.  We  should  use  small  gravel 
instead  of  sand. 

Books  (T.  E.  C.).— The  7th  edition  (1S30J  of  Withei-ing'a  Arrange- 
ment of  British  Plants,  and  Ulain^s  Forest  Planter  and  Prnner'.-i 
AssLtta/ttf  would  suit  you.  (.!  Yoi/ng  Gardener). — Loudon's  Hnrtus 
Britanicvs  \v:is  stereotyped,  therefore  continues  as  it  was  at  first.  The 
Su})pleinent  can  be  barl  separately.  We  c.innot  tell  when  another  sup- 
plement to  the  Eiicticliiptsdia  nf  Plants  is  lihclv  to  appear. 

Holes  in  an  Elm  {E.  N.  H.).~C\\t  out  all  the  dead  parts,  and  fill 
them  up  with  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  cUy  and  cow-dung,  made  into  a 
paste  M  ith  urine. 

Killing  Wire-worms. — C.  F.  writes  as  fillows  : — "Why  Mr,  T. 
Appleby  should  recommend  your  readers,  in  his  paper  on  'The  Gladio- 
lus,' published  in  last  week's  number,  to  take  such  a  deal  of  trouble  to 
provide  themselves  with  'a  basin  with  a  small  portion  of  oil  in  the 
bottom.'  and  a  kettle  of  'boiling  water,'  in  order  to  destroy  the  wire- 
worm,  I  cannot  conceive.  Vv' Iicu  I  meet  with  one  of  these  little  pests 
he  does  not  live  a  minute  longer.  With  my  finger  and  thumb  of  one 
hand  on  the  head,  and  the  corresponding  digitals  of  the  other  hand  on 
the  tail  part,  his  body,  with  a  sligtit  extension,  readily  divides  into  two 
parts  ;  both  of  these  I  then  drop  into  the  border,  and  my  work  proceeds. 
Thus  the  body,  which  before  threatened  so  much  havoc  among  my  peta, 
become^,  as  far  as  it  goes,  food  for  them." 

Newlv-i'lanted  Pears  and  Apples  (Iota). — These  you  say  arc 
dwarfs.  Cut  the  strong  shoots  back  to  four  buds,  and  the  weaker  to  two. 
It  will  be  time  enough  to  talk  about  training  them  two  years  hence. 

Vine  and  Fig-trees  (J.  E.).—Movc  them  at  once  into  the  green- 
house. Not  knowing  their  size,  we  can  say  nothing  about  the  pruning 
needed.  Keep  your  Ferns  where  they  are  until  spring.  You  had  much 
better  k^ep  the  pots  of  Ferns  within  others  a  size  or  two  larger,  with  the 
space  between  the  two  pots  filled  with  damp  moss. 

SiiANGiiAE  Eggs  (B.  H^.}-— '^^'^c  know  that  Mr.  Sturgeon  has  always 
refused  to  soil  eggs. 

Root-pruning  (C/(?WeHsJ.— Much  has  been  written  in  former  vo- 
lumes; but,  generally,  applicable  rules  can  scarcely  be  prepared.  Tlie 
wliole  operation  requires  to  be  guided  by  the  strength  of  the  tree,  the 
kind,  and  the  object  desired. 

Various  (.-l  Suliscriber,  D.  //.).— If  the  Vines  require  manure,  give 
them  a  little  well-decayed  stable  dung.  Red  Spider  is  generally  caused 
by  dcfiricncy  of  moisture.  We  gave,  some  months  ago,  a  full  account 
of  Mr.  Fleming's  Pine  culture.  Vinc.^  inside  a  house  would  he  bene- 
fited by  bottom-heat  to  their  roots,  if  these  arc  outside  the  hoiifiC. 

Black  Shangiiae  Cockerel  (II'.  W.  7J,).— In  answer  to  your 
query,  "  Do  you  know  of  any  real  Black  Shanghae  Cockerel?"  wc  can 
say,  Yes;  I\Ir.  W.  P.  Flight,  of  Winchester,  has  one,  but  he  is  very 
young.    We  believe  he  will  not  sell  him, 


.Slugs  (F.  S.  Tyro), — Continued  stlrrinjr  the  ground,  frequent  sprink- 
ling with  lime  and  salt,  but  of  the  latter  not  more  than  //r///a  ton  per 
acre  at  a  time,  sedulously  searching  for  tbem,  and  letting  a  few  ducks 
roam  over  the  garden  occasionally,  will  keep  dov.-n  these  pcsts  ;  but  there 
is  no  mode  of  utterly  destroying  them. 

Names  of  Insects  {Rnsticus). — The  little  beetles  which  riddle  holes 
in  the  leaves  of  your  Hollyhocks  are  the  Hnltica  iiifipest,  a  verv  common 
species,  very  fond  of  malvacc-ous  plants,  both  wild  and  cultivated.  If 
very  troublesome,  the  plant  should  be  well  shaken  over  a  pillow-case,  or 
some  such  bag,  and  the  insects  which  will  fall  in  should  be  destroyed  by 
dipping  the  bag  into  boiling  water.  Tiie  Eniomotogical  Society,  li', 
Bedford  Row,  London,  will  be  happy  to  receive  any  specimens  of  British 
insects  for  distribution  of  duplicates  among  the  members. — W.  A\'. 

Address  {Tamitoniensis). — I\Ir.  Trotter,  Hcaley  Mill,  ITesham. 

Poultry  Judges  {F.  W.  Freeman,  Little  Fin/wrough,  Stuwmarket). 
— In  answer  to  your  queries— six  hours  is  too  short  a  apace  of  time  for 
two  judges  to  examine  accurately  750  pens  of  fonls  ;  lor  if  there  are  three 
birds  in  each  pen.  i!-2J0  have  to  be  examined  in  360  minutes.  Birds 
hatched  in  the  autumn  of  1S.52  are  certainly  not  to  be  considered  as 
chickens  of  1853  ;  but  ii  is  sometimes  impossdde  for  judges  to  distinguish 
between  chickens  hatched  late  in  the  autumn  and  others  hatched  early 
in  the  spring  following.  Trimmed  spurs  ought  to  disqu:ilify  birds  as 
well  as  tiimmed  feathers,  because,  as  you  say.  it  enables  cocks  of  eighteen 
months  old  to  be  passed  off  for  cockerels  of  less  than  twelve  mouths. 
According  to  present  rules,  a  single-combed  White  Dorking  cock  is  dis- 
qualified, and  ought  not  to  have  a  pri/.e  awarded. 

Koup  (L.  E.  I.). — We  should  no  more  think  of  putting  healthy  fowls 
into  a  house  and  walk  where  roup  has  prevailed  than  we  should  of 
putting  a  healthy  horse  into  a  >itall  where  a  glandered  horse  had  been 
living.  Before  we  put  any  fowls  into  that  house  and  w;ilk  we  should 
b.ave  the  house  thoroughly  cleansed  and  washed  over  with  a  bolntion  of 
chloride  of  lime.  ^Vc  should  also  have  the  surface-soil  oi  the  walk  pared 
off  and  burnt.  The  ashes  might  be  again  spread  over  the  walk,  and 
would  improve  it. 

Norwich  Poultry  Snow  (J.  Playford,  Great  Yar month). —W^  are 
quite  sure  that  Mr.  Cattling  would  not  lend  himself  to  give  prizes  to 
exhibitors  merely  because  they  were  residents  in  Norwich;  nor  do  we 
think  the  Committee  would  wi^h  anything  so  unfair  to  be  perpetrated. 
It  is  quite  impossible  for  us  to  give  an  opinion  upon  birds  wc  have  not 
seen. 

Bottom-heat  (ill.  6.).— By  referring  to  the  index  you  will  find 
bottom-heat  by  pipes  and  tanks  discussed.  As  you  contemplate  using 
manure  in  a  fresh  state  for  the  purpose  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  the 
plan  projiosed — a  brick  pit,  with  open  ends,  to  receive  the  manure  beneath 
a  slate  bottom  ;  but  you  must  be  sure  that  this  elate  is  thoroughly  close, 
to  prevent  the  impure  gases  entering.  You  may  divide  your  other  pit 
with  temporary  moveable  wooden  partitions.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing 
for  us,  of  the  same  pit  to  make  one  light  a  hotbed  and  the  other  a  cold 
bed,  and  just  by  placing  a  little  hot  manure  in  one  and  net  in  the  other; 
and  when  we  want  it  all  for  cold  pit  plants  whipping  the  manure  out 
again.  With  your  close  bottom,  you  need  not  mind  how  rank  your 
manure  is.  The  slatud  place  would  be  better  thr.n  the  o;hcr. 
.  Botto:u-iieat  in  a  Cool  Greenhouse  (Ibid). — Do  not  attempt  it; 
the  flue  would  be  too  precarious  to  depend  upon,  and,  besides,  you  do 
not  want  it.  If  you  waiit  to  propagate  greenhouse  plants  there  and 
bedding  plants,  you  can  do  it  all  comfortably  without  bottom-beat ;  only, 
in  some  cases,  you  might  wait  longer.  Wc  think  you  will  know  all 
about  this,  even  by  reading  articles  since  No. '21L';  but  if  there  is  any 
trifle  or  particular  you  would  wish  better  cleared  up,  write  again. 

TEMPERATURE  OF  GREENHOUSE  (Ibid). — Do  iiot  let  it  bclow  35°; 
40°  would  be  better;  and  if  you  wished  bidom  -15°  would  be  better  still. 
These  arc  night  temperatures  in  cold  weather ;  a  slight  excention  micrlit 
he  made  in  extreme  cases.  I\Ir.  Fish  wrote  on  the  most  economical 
means  for  doing  all  these  things  some  time  ago.  \Vith  an  outside  at 
30°,  he  would  require  to  judge  what  it  would  be  before  morning,  before 
he  could  tell  you  what  heut  to  have  in  your  hou'^e.     Sec  an  articl<'  to-day. 

Old  Window-sasces  (A  Northern). — As  coverings  for  pots  they 
will  be  very  useful ;  nearly  upright  they  would  need  no  alteration.  If 
laid  somewhat  flat,  a  piece  had  better  be  cut  out,  or  several  holes  bored 
in  the  intervening  sash  bars,  or  the  piece  be  removed  altogcfhcr  on  th<* 
up]icr  side,  so  as  to  have  the  wood  level  with  the  glass,  and  tiiat  painted 
or  puttied  would  prevent  wet  decaying  the  wood.  The  water  would 
thus  ruu  down  the  same  as  in  a  sash  without  any  impediment ;  but  as 
there  would  be  no  caps  more  air  would  be  required.  Even  an  earth,  or 
a  turf-pit  in  the  warm,  sheltered  place  ynu  mention,  would  be  useful,  or 
you  could  make  it  of  boards  or  bricks.  We  made  a  capital  one  the  other 
day  with  a  double  wall  of  old  boards,  filling  between  them  with  sawdust. 
For  answers  about  puttying,  see  what  Mr.  Fish  says  to-day. 

FucnsiA  SEERATiFOLiA  (Margaret). — Wc  think  it  very  likely  the 
other  shoots  will  yet  bloom,  but  we  could  not  be  sure  without  seeinc: 
it.  Continue  the  manure-waterings.  Whether  it  bloom  or  not,  it  had 
better  be  pruned-in  in  April,  planted  out  in  May,  and  raised  and  potted 
in  the  beginning  of  October. 

OxALis  BowiEi  (Ibid). — As  you  have  only  a  south  window,  let  it 
remain  dormant  as  it  is.  In  April  or  May,  place  it  on  the  sbtdf  in  the 
kitchen,  where  it  is  a  little  warm,  though  dark,  if  it  has  not  started 
bcf'U'c  then;  and  allow  it  to  remain  there  untd  it  begins  to  grow;  then 
pot  it  and  water  it ;  place  it  back  again  until  the  shoots  arc  tlirce  or  more 
inches  in  lenith.  and  then  place  it  in  your  window;  and  then,  if  the 
bulbs  were  widl  ripened,  you  will  liave  a  fine  sight  in  sunny  days. 

J'Jrror. — P.  igo,  col.  1,  line  3(5  from  the  bottom,  for  "  if  tJic  cork  be 
a  large  one,"  read  "  if  the  cask  be  a  large  one 

Name.s  of  Plants  {Cuntal)).  —  Wc  think  Berberis  asiafirn. 
(II.  Mc  Douull). — Wc  cannot  undertake  to  name  Mosses.  1.  Aspidium 
spinulosum.  2.  Polypodium  vulgarc.  3.  Blechnum  boreale.  4.  Too 
small  a  fra^'ment. 

London:  Printed  by  Habrt  Wooldridge,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendnr  ;  and  Published  by  \Villiam 
So:\iRSViLLE  Orb,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthumstow,  in  the  County  of 
Kase.x,  at  the  Oflice,  No.  'J,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Porieh  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London. — December  22nd,  1853. 


Dkckmukii  ~i'. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR 


333 


i\r 

n 

D 

w 

21) 

Th 

30 

K 

31 

S 

1 

Sun 

a 

M 

3 

To 

4 

W 

DEC.  29,  1853.— JAN.  4,  18S4. 


Velvet  Duck  comes. 

Yellow-line  Quaker  ;  trees. 

Incomplete  ;  woods. 

I  Sunday    avteb  Ciiuxst.    Ciu. 

Oniscua  asellus ;  walls. 

Porcellio  scaber ;  under  atones. 

Armadillo  vulgaris. 


WbATUER  NKAR  rjONUON  IN   1862. 

Barometer,     iThermo.  Wind.'  J^T '"  I 


Sun 
Kiscs. 


29.077—29.654 
30.015-29.784 
30.119—30.071 
30.03!)— 29. S93 
29.863—29.703 
29.798—29.663 
29.657-29.463 


54—47    S.W.  1 

52—38  ]  S.W. 
50—44  !      S.     i 
52—47     S.W, 
51—44  '  S.W, 
49—30 


2—38  !  S.W. 


03 
18 

w.  I     — 


9  a  8 
9 
0 
9 


Sun 
Sets. 


Moon  I  Moon'i 
R.&S.  '    Age. 


Clock 
af.  Sun. 


56  a.  3 
57 

58 
IV 

II 
1 

2 


7    28 
seta,    I 

5  a  16  I 

6  41  , 

a     6  I 

9     28 

10    46 


Diyof  ' 
Year. 


23 
51 
20 
48 
15 


363 

364 

365 

1 


Mbteoeology  op  the  Week. — At  Cliiswick,  from  observations  durin?  the  laat  twenty-six  years,  the  averapje  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
Tieratures  of  these  days  are  42.8^  and  32.3"  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  56°,  occurred  on  the  30th  in  1833  ;  and  thelowestcold,  12°,  on  the 
1st  in  1837.  During  the  period  111  days  were  fine,  and  on  71  rain  fell. 


BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS. 

{Contimied  from  page  173.) 

.\n,^Bis  HispiD.i :  Alpine,  or  Welch  Eock  Cress ;  Ali)ine 
Lady's  Smock. 


Description. — It  iy  a  perennial.  Root  wood}',  tapering, 
running  deep  into  the  ground,  subdivided  and  tufted  at  the 
crown,  not  at  all  creeping.  Stem  one,  or  more,  three  or 
four  inches  high,  erect  or  ascending,  simple  or  slightly 
branched,  cylindrical,  leafy,  frequently  quite  smooth,  some- 


times rough  towards  the  base,  with  simple  spreading  hairs. 
Bnot-leaves  numerous,  about  half-an-inch  long,  composing 
several  lax  tufts,  slightly  succulent,  deep  green,  sometimes 
nearly  or  quite  smooth,  but  most  frequently  rough,  especially 
on  the  upper  side,  with  short,  spreading,  cloven  or  three- 
forked  bristly  hairs ;  their  outline,  more  or  less,  perfectly 
lyrate,  sometimes  merely  hatchet-shaped,  rarely  only 
reversed-egg-shaped,  and  slightly  pinnatifid,  always  tapering 
at  the  base  into  a  slender  /ootstidk,  longer  than  the  leaf. 
Stem-lenves  scattered,  spear-head,  blunt,  mostly  quite  entire 
and  smooth,  sometimes  hairy ;  the  lower  ones  having  now 
and  then  a  lateral  notch,  and  more  or  less  of  a  footstalk. 
Flowers  in  terminal,  solitary,  erect,  las,  very  smooth  clusters, 
much  elongated,  and  somewhat  wavy,  after  flowering.  Calyx 
smooth,  slightly  spreading,  membranous  at  the  margin. 
Petals  twice  as  long,  pale  purple,  or  white,  with  a  horizontal, 
reversed-egg-shaped,  entire  border.  Pods  spreading,  smooth, 
line-like,  tipped  witli  the  round-headed,  somewhat  elevated, 
sligmu  ;  their  valves  separating  at  the  top  and  bottom, 
slightly  curved  back  at  each  end,  but  not  rolled  back ;  in 
Ehrhart's  specimen  they  have  a  slender,  not  very  prominent 
keel,  which  may  also  be  perceived  in  some  British  ones, 
though  not  so  far  advanced.  Seeds  disposed  in  a  simple  row. 

Ptaces  lohere  found. — On  moist,  lofty  rocks  in  Wales, 
Scotland,  and  Cumberland. 

Time  of  flowering. — .July. 

History. — This  was  first  discovered  in  Wales  by  Mr. 
Lhwyd,  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  has 
been  much  mistaken  by  botanists,  and  confounded  not  only 
with  other  species  but  with  another  genus.  Hence  De- 
candoUe  calls  it  Arabis  petrtca ;  Crantz  describes  it  as 
A.  thalianu ;  and  it  is  the  A.  Orantziana  of  Ehrhart,  Sisym- 
brium arenosum  of  Linnteus,  in  his  "  Flora  Suecica,"  but  not 
of  his  "Species  Wantarum;"  Gardamine  petrwa,  of  Hudson, 
and  others;  Gardamine  hastulala,  of  Sowerby;  and  Nas- 
turtium petrteum  Cambro-britannicum  Johnsoni  of  Ray,  who, 
in  the  third  volume  of  his  "  Historia  Plantarum,"  page 
413,  describes  the  places  near  Lhanberis,  where  it  was 
observed  by  Mr.  Lhwyd.  Donn,  endeavouring  to  adopt  all 
former  names,  makes  Aruhis  pelrtea,  the  species,  and  Craiit- 
zinna^  hispida,  hastulata,  fceroensis,  and  runcinata,  as  its 
varieties.  We  behave  that  all  the  trivial  variations  on  which 
tliese  are  founded  arise  merely  from  the  varied  soils  and 
climates  in  which  they  are  found.  {Smith,  Withering. 
Donn.     Say.) 


May  the  year  which  is  now  withdrawing  have  to  our 
readers  no  remembrance  more  poignant  than  the  thorns 
of  the  Holly-leaves  with  which  he  is  crowned  at  bis 
departure  ;  and  may  the  gifts  of  the  New  Year  have  a 
faithful  emblem  in  the  incrustation  of  the  cakes  which 
seem  bowled  about  his  arrival.  May  the  inscription  on 
the  mantle  of  the  departing  year  be,  "Peace"  to  all; 
and  that  on  the  breast  of  its  successor  bo,  "Good- 
will," as  general.  May  its  blossoms  be  unfrosted,  its 
leaves  without  slugs,  and  its  fruits  ungrub-eateu!  May 
its  crops  be  abundant,  prices  low,  and  employment 
unfailing ! 


Our  worthy  friends ! 

A  Rude  new  year, 
To  you,  an'  a'  your  hearts  baud  dear. 

At  hamc  or  far  awa  1 

Though  Fortune  scrimpet  favours  yield, 
Hale  be  your  hearts,  at  hame,  a-field  ; 
Nor  ever  lack  a  eozie  bield, 

Frae  a'  the  storms  thatblaw. 

Wi'  milk  an'  meal,  for  bread  an'  brose  ; 
Aye  gude  clean  sarks,  hale  coats  an'  hose; 
Content  in  ilka  e'e  ; 

When  years  on  years  have  rowed  around. 
An'  you  wi'  age  an'  honours  crowned, 
Blay  you  lie  down  to  slumber  sound. 
An'  blythe  your  wakin'  be. 

Our  incidental  allusion  to  the  Holly  of  this  festive 
time,  Mr.  Beaton's  seasonable  allusion  to  the  treatment 


No.  COLXXIV,,  Vol.  XI. 


234 


THE   COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


December  29. 


of  the  same  tree  iu  its  old  age,  and  a  letter  now 
before  us,  ha-re  united  to  bring  to  our  remembrance  a 
promise,  long  since  made,  to  publish  our  notes  "  On 
the  Plants  of  the  Bible."  We  will  at  once  set  about 
redeeming  that  promise,  and  will,  as  nearly  as  maj'  be, 
follow  their  alphabetical  array. 

In  the  11th  and  12th  verses  of  the  10th  chapter  of 
the  2nd  Book  of  Kings,  it  is  stated  that  •'  Tlie  navy  of 
Hiram,  tliat  brought  gold  from  Ophir,  brought  in  from 
Ophir  great  plenty  of  Aljiug  Tkees,  and  precious 
stones.  And  the  king  (Solomon)  made  of  the  Almug 
trees  pillars  for  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  for  the  king's 
house,  harps  also  and  psalteries  for  singers  :  there  came 
no  such  Ahiiug  trees,  nor  were  seen  unto  this  day." 

Now  we  shall  find,  if  we  refer  to  the  texts  which  we 
shall  insert  at  the  conclusion  of  our  observations,  that 
Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  sent  timber  from  Lebanon  in 
floats  along  the  sea-coast  to  Joppa,  from  whence  Solomon 
conveyed  it  to  Jerusalem.  It  would  seem,  from  some  of 
those  texts,  that  the  Almuij,  or  Al(ium  trees,  came  also 
with  the  Cedar  and  Fir  timber  from  Lebanon ;  but  this  we 
shall  see  hereafter  is  not  at  all  irrecoucileable  with  other 
texts,  which  state  as  apparently  that  the  Gold,  Algum 
trees,  and  precious  stones  were  brought  from  Ophir.-': 
That  such  was  the  fact  we  have  the  testimony  of 
Josepbus,  who  says,  "The  ships  from  Ophir  brought 
precious  stones  and  Pine  trees,  which  Solomon  made 
use  of  for  supporting  the  Temple  and  his  palace,  as  also 
for  making  musical  instruments,  the  harps  and  psalteries 
of  the  Levites.  The  wood  which  was  brought  him  at 
this  time  was  larger  and  finer  than  any  that  had  ever 
been  brought  before ;  but  let  none  imagine  that  these 
Pine  trees  were  lilce  those  which  are  now  so  named,  and 
which  take  their  denomination  from  the  merchants  who 
so  call  them,  that  they  may  procure  them  to  be  admired 
by  those  that  purchase  them;  for  those  we  speak  of 
were,  to  the  sight,  like  the  wood  of  the  Fig-tree,  but 
whiter  and  more  shining.  Now,  we  have  said  thus 
much,  that  nobody  may  be  ignorant  of  the  difference 
between  these  sorts  of  wood,  nor  unacquainted  with  the 
nature  of  the  genuine  Pine  tree,  and  the  uses  the  King 
made  of  it."f     {Antiquit,  1.  viii.  c.  7.) 

We  are  of  opinion,  from  these  quotations,  that  the 
enquiry  is  narrowed  to  two  points.  What  country 
was  intended  by  Ophir  ?  and  what  cone-bearing  tree  of 
its  forests  was  then  known  as  the  Almug  '!■ 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Ophir  was  most  accessible 
to  Solomon  from  the  Red  Sea,  for  we  find  that  he  built 
ships  at  Ezion-geber,  situated  on  the  shore  of  that  sea, 
and  that  by  the  aid  of  mariners  sent  to  him  by  king 
Hiram,  they  sailed  to  Ophir,  and  returned  with  gold  as 
their  freight.  We  are  also  told,  that  once  in  three  years 
the  ships  returned,  having  as  their  freight  gold,  silver, 
ivory,  apes,  and  peacocks.  Now,  all  these  are  produc- 
tions of  Hindostan,  and  when  we  know  that  Josepbus 

*  2  Chron.  i^.  8,  l6— i.'t.  10,  1:6,  28.  1  Kings,  s.  22. 
t  We  are  aware  that  some  translators  render  the  Greek  name  em- 
ployed by  Josepbus,  "The  Pitch  or  Torch  Tree,"  but  even  this  agrees 
remarkably  with  the  qualities  and  uses  of  the  Deodar,  for  Rfr.  Moorcroft, 
the  Indian  traveller,  observes  thit  its  wood  is  so  resinous  that  laths  of 
it  are  used    s  candles. 


(Antiquit  1.  viii.  C.  4.),  Vitringa,  Reland,  and  other  good 
authorities  were  of  opinion  that  Ophir  and  India  are 
identical,  we  have  no  difiicidty  iu  avowing  that  that 
opinion  is  our  own.  We  are  quite  aware  that  Michaelis 
RosenmuUer,  and  others  of  equal  research ,  have  concluded 
that  Ophir  was  some  part  of  the  south  coast  of  Arabia, 
and  we  have  no  difficulty  in  assenting  to  that  oi)inion 
also,  for  we  believe  that  Ophir  was  a  collective  name, 
just  as  we  say  the  East  Indies,  which  includes  all  the 
peninsular  of  India  and  the  islands  and  countries  beyond 
in  the  China  Sea.  We  have  no  doubt,  those  being  days 
when  the  Mariner's  compass  was  unknown,  that  the  ships 
from  Ezion-geber  coasted  along  the  southern  shores  of 
Arabia,  and  the  Persian  gulf,  the  islands  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Indus,  and  down  the  western  coast  of  peninsular 
India,  and  that  all  the  places  they  visited  were  included  in 
the  general  name  "  Ophir  ;"  and  let  it  not  be  forgotten,  in 
support  of  the  opinion,  with  which  we  concur,  that  in 
so  doing  they  would  probably  visit  a  town  near  Goa, 
mentioned  by  Arrian  as  iSoM/)2)aca ;  that  the  Septuagint 
translate  Ophir  by  Soupara,  and  that  the  ancient 
Egyptians  called  India  Sophir. 

Whether  Ophir  be  India  or  the  southern  part  of 
Arabia,  it  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  mouths  of 
the  Indus,  which  is  important  in  support  of  the  other 
opinion  we  have  adopted,  namely,  that  the  Ahmig\^  the 
C'eilnis  deotlara. 

It  is  stated  in  the  texts  we  have  quoted,  that  Almug 
trees  came  from  Lebanon  as  well  as  from  Ophir,  but 
that  such  as  had  never  been  seen  at  any  other  time 
came  from  Ophir.  Now,  it  is  a  fact  strongly  confirma- 
tory of  our  opinion,  that  botanists  can  discern  no 
difference  between  the  Cedar  of  Lebanon  fCe/hus 
Lihani),  and  the  Cedar  of  Northern  India  (CeJrus 
deodara).  "  I  incline  to  the  opinion,"  says  Sir  W. 
Hooker,  "  that  if  the  Deodar  of  the  Himalaya  had  been 
discovered  in  a  locality  nearer  to  the  Cedar  of  Lebanon, 
botanists  would  have  considered  it  only  a  variety  of 
that  classical  tree,  and  tracing  it,  as  we  can  do,  accord- 
ing to  the  testimony  of  travellers,  from  Mount  Atlas  in 
the  west  to  the  chain  of  Taurus  and  Altai  on  the  east, 
we  may  fairly  infer  that  the  same  species  reaches  the 
Himalayah  range,  and  stretches  as  far  as  Ivamaon." 
Such  being  the  case,  the  Jewish  writers  may  well  be 
excused  for  considering  the  Almug  trees  of  Lebanon  and 
those  of  Ophir  as  the  same,  although  the  gigantic  trunks 
from  tlie  latter,  if  they  were  of  the  Deodar,  might  well 
justify  the  observation,  "there  came  none  such  (before) 
nor  wore  seen  unto  this  day." 

Let  us  see  how  the  Deodara  agrees  with  what  little 
we  know  of  the  Almug  tree  of  the  Scriptures.  That 
those  from  Ophir  were  very  large  is  evident;  and  we 
have  tills  testimony  of  the  Deodar  from  Major  Madden. 
After  quoting  a  measurement  of  their  height  as  140  feet, 
he  proceeds  to  observe:  "Although  the  Deodar  abounds 
and  attains  a  great  girth  on  mountains  thirty  miles 
from  the  plains,  all  the  gigantic  specimens  on  record 
occur  near  the  snowy  range.  On  Choor,  not  one 
exceeded  seventeen  feet  round  at  five  high  (a  pretty 
good  size  too!);    but  at  Slides,  near  Looloot,  ou  the 


December  29. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


..^  i 


western  side  of  tlio  Changsbeel  ranpe,  there  exists  a 
hollow,  flat-orowiied  patriaroh,  thirty-six  feet  round  at 
four  feet  from  the  ground;  there  is  another  of  the  same 
dimensions  near  the  sacred  fish-tank  below  Chenee, 
in  Koonawai  ;  and  at  Sheeong,  on  the  north  face  of  the 
Boorum  Ghatee,  one  of  thirty-three  feet.  Dr.  HolT- 
meister  mentions  specimens  above  forty  feet  in  circum- 
ference." [Joum.  of  Agrimltural  Soc.  of  India,  vii.) 

To  show  that  the  Deodar  is  strictly  coincident  with 
the  repeated  declarations  of  Josephus,  that  the  Almity 
was  a  Pine  tree,  we  have  only  to  mention  that  two  of 
our  best  botanists,  Mr.  Lambert  and  Dr.  Lindley,  at 
first  enrolled  the  Deodar  among  the  true  Pines :  the  one 
as  Abies  Deodara,  and  the  other  as  Pinus  Deodara.  We 
need  only  observe  upon  the  means  of  transit,  that  the 
river  Indus  would  readily  bring  down  the  Deodar  timber 
to  the  ships  of  Solomon,  on  floats,  as  Hiram  conveyed 
that  from  Lebanon  to  Joppa. 

The  wood  of  the  Deodar  coincides  in  appearance  and 
uses  with  all  that  we  are  told  about  those  of  the  Almug. 
It  ranks  among  the  sacred  trees  of  the  Hindoos,  being 
always  planted  near  the  temples  of  their  idols,  Muhadeva 
and  Devi.  In  Kumaoon,  where  it  has  been  introduced, 
says  Major  Madden,  all  the  finest  trees  are  found  nearest 
the  temples,  where  the  first  would  naturally  be  planted, 
just  as  in  Great  Britain  the  largest  Yews  are  those  by 
the  churches.  The  pilgrim  to  Budiu'eenath  and  Kedai-- 
nath  may  occasionally  be  met  carrying  a  young  Cedar 
as  the  most  acceptable  gift  to  the  shrine,  next  to  the 
Company's  Rupee,  which  is  everywhere  the  most  sacred 
and  all-sufficient !  In  addition  to  this  sacred  regard  for 
the  Deodar,  its  wood  is  so  durable  that  its  timber  has 
been  taken  out  of  Indian  temples  that  have  been  erected 
from  two  to  four  centuries ;  and  Mr.  Moororoft  had  speci- 
mens from  the  starlings  of  a  bridge  in  Ladakh,  where  it 
had  been  exposed  to  the  water  for  nearly  four  hundred 
years.  This  durability  and  hallowed  character  are  just 
the  circumstances  which  would  recommend  it  to  Solomon 
for  adoption  as  a  building  material,  for  it  is  a  disposition 
of  the  human  mind,  witness  our  evergreens  at  Christmas, 
to  adopt  and  engraft  into  our  own  practices  those  most 
esteemed  even  among  the  heathen. 

The  very  name  Almug  intimates  that  the  Jews  were 
acquainted  with  its  durability,  for  Parkhurst  says  that 
the  name  is  derived  from  al,  not,  and  mag,  to  dissolve. 
or,  to  translate  the  name  literally,  they  called  it  "  the 
non-decaying  tree."  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  one  of 
its  names  among  the  Hindoos  of  Koonawur  is  Kelmung, 
which  differs  little  from  the  Hebrew. 

Lastly,  the  Deodar  wood,  from  its  lightness,  combined 
with  hardness,  and  capability  of  receiving  a  high  polish, 
is  peculiarly  well  fitted  for  making  the  musical  instru- 
ments mentioned  in  the  Bible  as  made  from  the  Almug. 
Dr.  Kittoe,  who  also  thinks  this  and  the  Deodar  are  one 
and  the  same  tree,  observes,  "  All  the  most  sacred  and 
valuable  works  in  peninsular  India  are  made  of  this 
wood — and  not  unworthily,  for  such  is  the  odour,  hard- 
ness, and  veiny  colourations  of  the  wood,  that  we,  who 
have  seen  articles  of  furniture  manufactured  from  it, 
cannot  wonder  at  the  preference." 


The  second  annual  Exhibition  of  the  Torquay  and 
South  Devon  Poultri/  Association  will  take  place  on 
tlio  llth  and  two  following  days  of  .January  next.  Old 
and  young  birds,  we  notice,  are  to  compete  together ; 
but  on  this  we  should  observe,  that,  although  the  boun- 
dary of  1S03  will  then  be  passed,  it  is  still  easy  to  make 
the  distinction  between  birds  over  and  under  one  year 
old,  as  the  managers  of  the  Metropolitan  have  deter- 
mined on.  We  are  sorry  to  find  that  fifteen  shillings 
is  all  that  can  be  given  to  induce  competition  for 
Geese.  And  the  same  small  sum  only  is  allotted  for 
Turkeys.  These  are,  surely,  birds  that  well  deserve  great 
encouragement  at  all  Exhibitions  of  useful  Poultry,  and 
are  those  through  Vfhich  we  are  most  likely  to  interest 
farmers  in  the  objects  that  such  institutions  must 
mainly  regard.  The  rules  of  tfiis  Society  are  concise, 
and  well  arranged. 

But  not  far  from  Torquay,  another  prize-list  has  been 
issued,  for  the  Devon  and  Cornwall  poulti-y-keepers. 
This  exhibition  is  to  take  place  at  St.  George's  Hall, 
Stonehouse,  on  the  18th  and  19th  of  Januaiy,  1854. 
Tlie  novelties  in  this  list  include  the  extension  of  the 
white-crested  black  Poland  class  to  "  black,  white,  and 
buff  Polamls;"  the  introduction  of  a  separate  class  for 
"  Ptarmigan  Fowl ;"  the  omission  of  the  Rouen  class  in 
Ducks,  all  of  which,  the  Aylesbury  alone  excepted,  are 
to  be  shown  together ;  and  a  prize  for  "  the  best  six 
eggs  of  any  one  named  breed."  Size,  we  presume, 
would  here  be  the  criterion  of  merit ;  but  the  office  of 
Judge  must  necessarily  be  involved  in  difficulties  when 
this  class  comes  before  him  in  its  present  form.  The 
Exhibition  is  not  an  open  one,  being  limited  to  "  resi- 
dents in  Cornwall  and  Devon,"  but  such  restrictions  we 
have  always  thought  are  more  wisely  avoided.  As  this 
will  be  the  third  Poultry  Exhibition  held  at  Plymouth 
within  seven  months,  the  "fowl  mania"  is  evidently 
not  on  the  decline  in  that  locality. 

Proceeding  still  further  west,  the  Otli  and  Cth  of 
January  ofi'er  us  a  show  at  Truro,  where  the  Land's 
End  district  contains  many  zealous  poultry -keepers, 
and,  perhaps,  we  might  add,  even  too  many  separate 
Exhibitions,  but  this  is  only  an  evil  common  to  many 
other  parts  of  England.  The  prize-list  runs  in  the 
usual  form,  saving  only  the  rule  limiting  the  exhibitors 
of  Geese  and  Turkeys  to  "birds  exceeding  one-year-old." 
We  have  always  thought  it  desirable  to  have  separate 
classes  for  the  old  and  young  of  both  these  birds,  but  if 
one  only  can  be  granted  it  should  be  irrespective 
of  age. 

The  Salisbury  prize  -  list  contains  the  following 
passage : — "  As  the  crossing  of  the  breeds  of  poultry 
may  produce  the  most  valuable  results,  all  crosses  must 
be  particularised,  with  the  pedigree  of  the  races  from 
which  they  sprung."  This,  of  course,  refers  to  the 
prize  there  offered  for  a  "  cross  between  any  breeds."  That 
useful  table  fowls  may  be  thus  produced,  we  have  long 
been  aware ;  hence  our  recommendation  for  such 
purposes  of  the  mixed  race  between  the  Shanghae  and 
Dorking,  and  also  the  latter  with  the  Game  fowl.  But 
that   the    permanency  of   these  good  points  can  be 


20G 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Decembkk  29. 


secured  beyond  the  first  generation,  is  a  subject  on 
wbicli  we  have  never  been  able  to  persuade  ourselves 
from  such  facts  as  have  come  witbin  our  own  know- 
ledge. This  meeting  is  to  be  held  on  the  ;Jth  and  0th 
of  January  next. 


THE   LEEK. 

A  HUMBLE  subject,  truly,  but  one  of  such  importance 
in  kitchen  economy,  as  that  poor  cooks  would  cut  a  sorry 
figure  without  it.  Tiiis  vegetable  lias  been  stated  to 
have  been  introduced  into  tliis  country  in  l-'iOi,  but  it 
is  very  probable  that  it  was  kuown  long  before  that 
period.  In  the  East,  we  are  given  to  luiderstand  that 
its  use  dates  as  far  back  as  the  Egyptian  bondage.  What 
is  termed  tlie  London  Leek  is  the  kind  generally  culti- 
vated, as  being  more  .succulent,  and,  indeed,  in  every 
way  superior. 

There  is,  perhaps,  as  great  a  difference  between  a 
well-cultivated  Leek  and  a  neglected  one  as  between 
the  bad  and  good  of  any  other  vegetable ;  the  one  pos- 
sessing a  clean,  succulent,  and  highly-hlanched  stem  of 
some  nine  inches  in  length  and  two  inches  in  diameter; 
the  other  a  more  whitened  collar,  with  a  bunch  of  loose 
green  foliage,  of  no  account  in  kitchen  economics.  In 
its  highly-cultivated  state  it  forms  a  very  superior  dish, 
dressed  as  Sea-kale  ;  and  having  supped  on  such  a  dish 
last  night,  I  may  be  supposed  to  be  somewhat  inspired 
by  the  importance  of  the  subject. 

Leeks  require  a  long  summer  before  them,  in  order  to 
bring  them  to  that  degree  of  perfection  of  which  they 
are  capable ;  therefore  they  must  be  sown  early,  more 
especially  as  their  hardihood  is  proverbial. 

Like  Celery,  rich  soil  is  indispensable  ;  williout  this, 
it  is  impossible  to  produce  the  high  character  and  well- 
earned  recommendations  here  bestowed  on  them.  As 
to  the  character  of  the  staple  of  the  soil,  it  may  be 
observed,  that  by  the  assistance  of  manures  they  may 
be  made  to  succeed  in  any  soil  found  in  gardens  ;  but 
as  to  preference,  I  think  they  preler  it  rather  light  than 
otherwise  ;  and  it  should  be  as  deep  as  for  Celery — say 
quite  half-a-yard,  if  possible. 

Tliey  may  be  sown  about  the  last  week  in  February, 
or  first  week  in  March,  on  an  elevated  bed,  the  soil 
light  and  rich.  My  practice  is  to  fork  in  a  little  old 
cucuinbcr-bed  soil,  and  then  finally  to  sjiread  a  couple 
of  inches  of  very  liiglily-deenyed  dung  on  tlic  surface, 
and  on  this,  when  made  firm  witli  the  spade,  to  sow  tlie 
seeds. 

Plants  tiius  reared  will  be  three  times  as  strong  when 
finally  planted  in  the  end  of  May  as  those  treated  in 
the  ordinary  way.  This,  however,  may  be  ohserved,  that 
they  must  have  more  room  in  the  seed-bed  than  is  com- 
monly allowed  to  them.  They  are  too  generally  sown 
broadcast,  but  this  is  a  bad  plan  ;  the  drill  system  is  by 
far  tlie  best  here,  as,  indeed,  in  a  majority  of  cases. 
The  drills  in  the  seed-bed  should  be  about  si.^  inches 
apart,  and  the  seed  should  be  sown  very  thinly  in  the 
drills:  and  wlicu  the  young  plants  are  fairly  up,  they 
should  be  thinned  to  an  incli  or  more  apart ;  in  iact,  no 
two  should  touch.  No  weeds  must  be  allowed  to  obtain 
a  footing ;  and  in  the  early  part  of  April  the  small  hoe 
may  bo  used  between  the  drills.  Watering  will  be  re- 
quisite while  in  the  seed-bed ;  and  matters  thus  carried 
out,  we  will  turn  our  attention  to  the  linal  planting. 

The  usual  practice  is  to  plant  them  in  rows,  singly, 
as  any  other  vegetable ;  and  this  practice,  I  believe, 
prevails  with  the  market-gardeners  about  the  metro- 
polis. With  the  latter  class  I  will  not  measure  lances, 
but  this  I  will  say,  that  although  I  pretend  not  to  judge 
what  practice  best  suits  their  plans,  rotations,  &o  ,  I  do 
assume  to  know  what  is  fitting  in  private  gardens,  and 


in  pursuance  of  sucli,  I  must  strenuously  recommend 
what  is  termed  the  "  bed  system,"  such  as  I  have 
always  recommended  for  Celery.  I  find,  in  the  case  of 
Leeks,  as  with  Celery,  that  such  produces  more,  by 
far,  in  a  given  space;  facihtates  the  blanching  process; 
and  further,  moreover,  a  spirited  rotation  system ;  the 
last  a  matter  of  great  importance  in  these  days  of  keen 
practice  in  the  art  of  cropping. 

We  select  a  plot  of  ground  that  is  in  pretty  good  con- 
dition, and  our  beds,  we  will  suppose,  are  to  be  four 
feet  in  width,  (although,  be  it  observed,  tliey  may  be  as 
much  as  six  feet,  or  as  narrow  as  even  a  double  row),  a 
four-feet  bed  will  require  a  plot  of  ground  seven  feet  in 
width  ;  less  would  not  he  convenient,  and  more  would  be 
wasteful.  This  allows  a  surplus  on  each  side  of 
lialf-a-yard,  and  tliis  is  necessary  for  holding  what  ex- 
cavation is  requisite.  The  line  is  then  stretched,  and 
each  side  of  the  four-feet  bed  "  chopped  out."  The  line 
removed,  the  soil  is  excavated  about  a  moderate  spade's 
depth,  and  this  soil  is  piled  up  right  and  left,  as  with 
Celery  beds.  Indeed,  the  practice  is  so  alike,  that  the 
recommendations  for  one  would  pretty  well  sulfico  for 
the  other. 

We  must  ever  remember,  however,  that  one  portion 
of  our  readers  would  much  rather  read  an  original 
article,  fresh  from  the  mint  of  the  mind,  than  refer 
back  to  old  ones;  for  tlie  latter  are  apt  to  bo  viewed  in 
the  same  light  as  old  newspapers — glanced  at,  and  then 
filed  for  ever.  AYell,  but  about  our  poor  Leeks  ;  what 
more  can  we  say  ?  The  soil  excavated  a  spade  deep, 
and  ))iled  compactly  on  either  side,  the  next  thing  is  to 
wheel  in  some  half-rotten  manure,  lour  inches  in  tbick- 

!  ness;  and  if  it  is   too  rich  the  Leeks  will  freely  forgive 

I  tlie  error,  as  they  are  tremendously  gluttonous.  Tliis 
manure  S|)read,  must  be  forked  in,  an<l  well  mixed  with 

'  about  as  much  soil ;  and  now,  belbre  planting,  we  gene- 

,  rally  spread  a  coating  of  old  tan,  or  leaf-soil  very  mellow 

j  (or  very  old  and  powdery  manure  is  better  by  far),  over 
the  surface  another  inch  or  two,  and  then  we  cover  this 
two  inches  thicJ!  with  a  portion  of  the  excavated  soil. 

'  Tlie  ground  is  now  ready  for  planting,  and  a  bed,  four 
feet  wide  in  the  clear,  will  just  take  seven  plants,  which 
will  be  seven  inches  apart,  leaving  just  three  inches  on 

j  each  outside.  The  rows  should  be  nearly  a  foot  apart, 
and  we  bore  boles  with  a  stake  for  their  reception.  The 
jilants  are  inserted  in  these  holes,  accompanied  by  a 
slight  fastening  with  the  dibble,  not  for  tear  of  their 
being  blown  out  of  their  holes,  but  for  fear  o!  a  drying 
air  searching  out  tlieir  weak  jjoints  before  they  are 
able  to  cater  for  themselves.  It  has  been  strongly 
recommended,  I  am  aware,  not  to  fasten  them  at 
all,  or  even  to  fill  up  their  holes  with  soil;  but  the 
reasons  lor  this  I  could  never  learn.  When  planted 
they  require  a  little  training,  as  they  are  a  very  top- 
heavy  thing  when  grown  strong.     About  one-third  of 

I  the  foliage  may  be  cut  away,  and  about  one-fourth  of 
the  points  of  the  fibres ;  the  latter  operation  becomes 
almost  imperatively  necessary,  on  account  of  the  e.x- 
treme  length  to  which  the  fibres  run,  rendering  it  diffi- 
cult to  insert  them  in  their  holes,  jiroviding  the  plants 

i  are  fine.  A  clean  course  of  culture  now  becomes  requi- 
site, and  an  occasional  watering,  in  dry  weather,  and,  it 

;  may  be,  the  use  of  tlie  hoe  about  three  weeks  alter  they 
aro  planted ;  after  which  I  advise  that  all  weeds  be 
pulled  by  the  hand  until  eartliing-up  time,  when  the 
apjilication  of  soil  will  alone  stay  the  growth  of  weeds. 

And,  now,  about  earlliing-up  ;  for  I  would  have  this 
considered  unconnected  with  more  cultural  processes. 
Whatever  may  be  ])eople's  opinion  about  the  earthing 
of  Celery,  whether  soon  and  frequent,  or  late  and  heavy, 
there  is  no  question,  I  think,  but  that  Leeks  do  not  love 
to  be  buried  until  the  "  eleventh  hour."  I  do  not  say 
that  other  plans  will  not  succeed,  but  I  have  over 
noticed  them  to  niako  the  most  bulk  when  enjoying  tlie 


Dkcembbb  29. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


23T 


most  freedom ;  I,  therefore,  do  think  that  it  is  well  to 
allow  them  a  good  deal  of  liberty  before  putting-  them 
under  a  course  of  training.  However,  about  the  begin- 
ning of  August  their  fibres  near  the  surface  will  be- 
come oooasioually  exposed  to  too  much  drought;  and 
now  it  is  that  an  earthing  may  be  given  :  this  will  coax 
the  sm'face-roots,  retain  moisture,  and  kill  a  crop  of 
weeds ;  besides  (though  a  collateral  consideration)  con- 
stituting a  first  stage  in  the  blanching  process.  About 
three  inches  of  the  excavated  soil  may  be  thus  applied, 
using  much  caution  in  its  introduction. 

Things  may  thus  proceed  until  the  end  of  the  month, 
when  they  will  have  attained  nearly  their  full  size ;  and 
now  it  is  that  I  would  have  them  blanched  in  earnest. 
Two  boai'ds  should  be  used,  as  in  Celery-bed-culture ;  and 
with  one  on  each  side,  the  leaves  of  the  Leeks  first 
well-gathei'ed  up,  the  workman  may  proceed  steadily 
and  carefully  to  introduce  some  six  inches  in  depth  of 
soil.  After  this  there  will  be  little  requisite;  by  the 
early  part  of  October  they  will  be  a  splendid  produce,  fit 
for  the  exhibition  table,  and  equally  fit  for  the  cook,  who 
will  chop  them  into  her  broths  or  soups  with  little  hesita- 
tion, tempted  by  their  bold  and  succulent  stems,  white 
as  the  hoar-frost.  B.  PIkeington. 


A  LESSON  ABOUT  OLD  HOLLIES. 

The  last  paragraph  of  the  left-hand  column,  at  page 
200,  begins  thus, — "  The  different  kinds  of  pruning  are 
intended  to  produce  particular  efteots  on  the  root  of  the 
plant."  A  very  wrong  conclusion ;  the  effects  of  pruning 
are  to  be  looked  for  rather  in  the  produce,  whether  it  be 
flowers,  fruit,  or  timber.  If  you  want  a  fine  specimen 
Geranium,  you  begin  by  pruning  the  old  plant;  the 
crop  of  flowers  which  follow  will  depend  more  on  the 
system  of  pruning  and  stopping  than  on  the  training  of 
the  plant,  or  even  the  strength  of  the  roots.  The 
principal  efl'ect  of  good  pruning  on  a  fruit-tree  is  an 
abundant  crop  ;  the  contrary  may  be  the  efl'ect  produced 
by  the  unskilful  pruner,  and  yet  both  of  them  may  have 
afiected  the  roots  in  an  equal  degree ;  that  is,  supposing 
that  such  prunings  afl'ected  the  roots  at  all. 

That  settled,  and  before  I  resume  the  subject  of 
"  stopping,"  I  must  refer  to  the  old  Holly-tree  of  Glencus, 
(see  page  177),  in  order  to  give  some  practical  advice,  or 
how  he  is  to  deal  with  it  for  the  next  few  years,  for  I 
have  more  superstition  in  me  about  Holly-trees  than 
about  all  other  trees  put  together.  I  was  once  well  nigh 
shot  by  the  greatest  scamp  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
a  poacher,  for  watching  a  fine  grove  of  young  Holly- 
trees,  in  full  berry,  from  his  class  and  kindred,  who 
always  paid  me  some  nightly  visits  before  Christmas 
Eve.  Since  that  night,  any  one  having  Hollies  near  a 
church,  or  round  a  churchyard,  might  ask  my  advice 
respecting  their  management,  and  he  would  have  it 
gratis  and  with  good  will. 

The  Holly-tree  by  the  church  of  Clericus  has  a  clean 
trunk  ten  feet  high,  which  girts  above  four  feet  lialf-way 
up ;  the  head  of  it  is  of  large,  heavy  limbs,  spreading 
wide,  but  now  they  are  getting  bare  of  young  wood,  and 
showing  other  symptoms  of  old  age.  The  heart-wood 
has  been  rotting  slowly  for  many  years  towards  the  top  ; 
but  how  low  down  decay  has  advanced,  is  not  easy  to 
say ;  all  we  know  of  it  is,  that  from  the  time  the  bark 
gave  way,  and  holes  began  to  appear  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  trunk,  the  eflects  of  wet  and  damp  air  have  caused 
more  decay  in  one  year  than  could  have  been  the  case 
during  ten  years  from  the  mere  natural  decay  going  on 
under  the  bark,  as  a  dry  covering,  in  the  absence  of 
atmospheric  influences,  and  that  every  year  the  process 
of  decay  will  now  go  on  with  increased  eft'eot  until  the 
holes  are  stopped  in  some  way  or  other.  Then,  with 
respect  to  the  larger  boughs  in  the  head  of  the  tree,  if 


there  is  yet  sound  timber  in  them  to  the  core,  or  centre, 
they  need  not  all  be  removed.  Like  those  of  the 
Pollard  Oak,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  cut  them  back  as  far 
as  black  wood  is  found.  A  very  old  tree  always  gives 
way  at  the  extremities  first,  and  decay  follows  down- 
wards by  slow  degi-ees ;  and  if  it  is  arrested  before  it 
has  reached  the  main  trunk,  or  the  body  of  the  larger 
branches,  so  much  the  better.  No  more  of  the  large 
branches  need  be  cut  than  is  really  necessary  to  get  rid 
of  decaying  heart-wood  ;  but  every  branch  and  twig 
which  grows  out  of  these  boughs  ouglit  to  be  cut  off 
quite  close,  and  with  a  smooth  cut,  and  the  smooth  cut 
ought  to  be  painted  to  keep  the  wet  and  air  from  the 
wood  as  much  as  possible.  Suppose  that  one  of  the 
large  boughs  is  as  thick  as  a  man's  thigh,  and  after 
cutting  off'  several  lengths  from  the  top  it  was  found  to 
be  in  a  sound  state  about  the  middle  of  its  length,  let  it 
be  cut  there  with  a  slanting  cut  downwards  with  a  saw; 
after  that,  the  slant  must  be  made  quite  smooth  with  a 
pruning  chisel,  and  then  paint  it  as  securely  as  a  painter 
would  do  a  front  door. 

Any  oil  paint  that  would  secure  a  door  from  the 
weather  will  do  for  the  wound  of  any  tree  just  as  well 
as  the  best  plaster  that  ever  was  made.  J  have  used 
plasters  of  all  sorts,  and  different  kinds  of  paint,  and 
even  hot  tar,  to  such  wounds,  with  exactly  the  same 
results;  some  people  say  that  oil  paint  is  apt  to  kill  a 
tree,  but  that  is  far  from  the  truth.  I  have  seen  young 
Apple  trees,  not  bigger  than  a  walking-stick,  scraped 
and  scratched  in  all  directions,  and  the  bark  much  torn 
off  to  get  rid  of  the  mealy  bugs,  and  after  that  the 
whole  smeared  with  oil,  without  the  least  hurt.  I  am 
quite  certain,  on  the  contrary,  that  rank  train  oil  is  a 
good  manure,  rather  than  a  poison,  for  plants  and 
trees.  I  have  often  followed  tiie  tract  of  a  rolling 
machine  on  the  lawn,  where  the  oil  from  the  axle 
dripped  all  along,  and  made  the  grass  so  much  greener 
than  the  other  parts  that  you  could  tell  the  tracks  for  a 
whole  season  after  the  trickling.  White  lead  or  red 
lead,  mixed  in  oil,  will  not  hurt  the  stem  of  a  Geranium, 
much  less  the  stem  of  a  tree ;  and  I  know  of  no  appli- 
cation to  a  woimd  made  by  pruning  more  simple  or 
effectual  than  two  or  three  coats  of  good  paint,  and  I 
could  always  so  manage  that  the  paint  could  hardly  be 
seen  by  adding  a  little  soot  or  lamp-black  to  it,  and  by 
dusting  some  dry  crumbs  of  the  old  bark  over  the  paint 
before  it  was  dry. 

Let  Clericus  do  so  to  liis  Holly  tree,  all  over  the  head, 
about  the  end  of  next  April,  whioli  is  the  best  time  to 
cut  in  the  head  of  that  tree ;  but  if  it  was  an  Oak  or  an 
Elm,  or  almost  any  of  our  deciduous  trees,  the  opera- 
tion should  be  early  in  Eebruary,  before  the  rise  of 
the  sap,  otherwise  the  tree  might  be  half  kijled  by 
bleeding.  In  no  case  would  I  spare  any  portion  of  a 
large  bough  if  I  found  the  centre  wood  to  be  giving 
way,  or  even  of  a  very  dark  colour,  this  dark  colour 
being,  in  the  Holly,  the  first  symptoms  of  decay;  the 
best  heart  wood  of  the  Portugal  Laurel,  Alaternus, 
Phillyrea,  and  others,  is  always  of  a  dark  colour,  but 
not  that  of  the  Holly. 

After  the  head  of  the  tree  was  thus  docked,  and  the 
wounds  made  by  cutting  either  painted  or  covered  with 
some  plaster  or  another — the  kind  of  paste  or  plaster  is 
immaterial,  providing  it  keeps  oft'  the  wet  weather — I 
would  strive  hard  to  clean  out  as  much  as  possible  of 
the  rotten  wood  from  the  inside,  without  cutting  away 
any  of  the  live  bark,  if  at  all  possible ,  and  I  would  fill 
in  the  cavity,  as  much  as  I  could,  with  some  kind  of 
composition  that  would  not  be  likely  to  perish  soon — a 
concrete  of  cement,  or  lime,  or  chalk,  with  rough  gravel 
or  pebbles,  would  be  as  good  as  cement  and  bricks, 
except  the  last  coat  by  way  of  plaster  covering,  and  that  \ 
ought  to  be  of  the  best  cement,  and  so  finished  off  as  I 
to  be  quite  efleotual  against  all  weathers.   As  to  plasters   ' 


938 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  29. 


of  cow-dung,  soft  clay,  hair  mortar,  with  such  and  such 
otiier  things  added  to  make  the  thing  more  mysterious, 
I  confess  to  put  very  little  faith  in  them,  except  as  tem- 
porary expedients. 

Hot,  dry  days  and  cold  nights  in  May,  and  the  first 
part  of  June,  is  a  very  trying  time  for  old  trees  with  a 
feeble  circulation,  and  more  trying  when  all  the  small 
houghs  are  cut  ofi';  therefoi-e,  I  should  like,  if  I  were 
doctoring  such  a  tree,  to  cover  the  trunk  all  the  way  up 
wi[h  hay  bands,  but  not  very  tight.  My  successor  at 
Shrubland  Park  has  done  wonders  with  hay  bands,  and 
a  coat  of  moss  under  them,  on  transplanted  large  trees 
which  he  was  obliged  to  move  at  a  wrong  season ;  but 
as  our  old  Holly  has  no  small  twigs  to  give  vent  to  the 
upward  flow,  the  mossing  is  not  so  essential  for  it.  I 
know  some  first-rate  gardeners  who  would  prefer  leaving 
a  few  young  twigs  here  and  there  in  the  head  of  the 
tree,  to  "  encourage  the  rising  sap,"  but  that  is  just  the 
very  thing  I  would  avoid  ;  and  I  introduced  the  case  of 
the  Silver  Firs,  at  page  201,  on  purpose  to  show  the  good 
effects  of  hindering  the  rise  of  the  sap  into  the  branches, 
or  into  new  growth,  until  it  was  so  strong  as  to  be  able 
to  break  open  buds  that  you  could  hardly  see  at  the 
first  rising  of  the  sap  in  the  spring,  for  this  reason,  that 
I  am  fully  persuaded,  in  my  own  mind,  that  three  new 
shoots,  thus  started  from  hidden  buds,  as  it  were,  are 
worth  thirteen  shoots  of  equal  size  hut  two  or  three 
years  old.  I  am  equally  certain  that  this  "  encouraging" 
of  the  sap,  as  it  is  called,  does  a  great  deal  of  harm  in 
such  cases.  When  the  sap  enters  the  mouths  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  roots  it  differs  nothing  from  drainage 
water  from  the  same  ground — as  it  travels  upwards  it 
must  mix  with  the  sap,  or  juice,  or  blood  already  in  the 
tree,  as  surely  as  whiskey  is  mixed  with  hot  water  in  a 
punch-howl;  and  whatever  the  quality  of  that  tree  may 
be,  that  quality  is  imparted  to  the  rising  sap  long 
before  it  opens  the  top  bud.  If  you  tap  a  Sugar  Maple 
tree  at  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  again  at  a  height 
of  ten  or  fourteen  feet  up  the  trunk,  and  draw  a  bottle 
full  of  juice  from  each  tapping,  the  top  one  will  be  twice 
or  three  times  the  strength  of  the  other.  I  know  it 
would  be  so  in  a  Birch  tree,  for  my  grandmother  told 
me  of  it,  and  she  was  a  good  chemist  in  that  line  before 
Liebig  was  born.  Now,  the  faster  the  rise  of  the  sap 
the  less  it  takes  up,  or  mixes  with  the  true  blood  of  the 
tree ;  and  the  more  watery  it  is,  the  more  watery  the 
shoot  it  makes,  and  the  more  time  it  takes  to  ripen  it. 
An  unripened  shoot,  at  the  end  of  the  first  season,  is 
never  so  strong  and  useful  in  after  years  as  one  that  is 
thoroughly  ripe  at  first.  It  is  also  the  first  shoot  that 
will  give  way  when  age  or  accident  befalls  the  tree ;  and 
that  is  one  reason  why  very  fast-growing  trees  seldom 
live  so  -long  as  trees  of  the  same  kind  which  cannot 
grow  so  fast. 

This,  we  must  recollect,  is  quite  a  different  question 
from  that  about  whether  the  timber  from  a  fast-growing 
tree  is  more  durable  or  stronger  than  that  from  a  slow 
grower  of  the  same  kind;  a  fast-growing  tree,  in  the 
bottom  of  a  rich  valley — say  an  Oak — will  yield  better 
timber  than  one  of  the  same  age  which  had  to  struggle 
on  for  years  on  the  bleak  hill  side  ;  but  the  one  in  the 
valley  cannot  bear  up  so  well,  or  so  long,  against  the 
infirmities  of  old  age  as  the  other  :  and  so  with  all  trees, 
notwithstanding  all  that  has  been  said  and  believed  to 
the  contrary.  The  longer  the  rising  sap  is  pent  up  for 
want  of  an  easy  outlet,  the  richer  it  is,  so  to  speak,  and 
the  more  healthy  the  new  shoot  it  makes  ;  hence  it  is 
that  I  would  never  encourage  a  husty  growtli  in  a 
stunted  tree  under  the  doctor. 

From  the  middle  of  April  to  the  end  of  May  there  is 
always  a  give-and-take  system  in  our  climate  between 
the  rising  sap,  the  bright  sunny  day,  and  the  chilly 
night ;  hence  the  chief  reason  for  covering  the  stem 
with  hay-bands — they   keep   olf  the  extremes   of  heat 


and  cold,  and  the  impulse  (/icen  by  the  suir  to  the  cir- 
culation is  not  taken  by  the  frost  at  night.  All  these 
thiugs  ought  to  be  present  to  the  mind  of  the  doctor  or 
chief  piiiner. 

If  one  hut  knew  where  to  look  lor  the  ends  of  the 
roots  of  this  very  old  ti'ee,  a  good  deal  of  strength 
might  be  got  by  adding  fresh  soil  over  them,  and  by  a 
system  of  regular  waterings  through  the  summer,  for  a 
couple  of  seasons,  after  the  cutting  over  the  top,  but  to 
water  near  the  old  trunk  would  be  next  to  useless;  still, 
if  the  soil  all  over  the  roots  could  be  loosened,  or  taken 
off  altogether,  and  fresh  soil  added  instead,  there  is  no 
doubt  but  a  little  root,  here  and  there,  might  strike  into 
it,  and,  if  only  one,  it  would  be  a  good  beginning,  and 
would  soon  increase  to  many.  The  Holly,  however,  is 
not  given  to  much  root-making — an  old  one  in  particular ; 
and  what  roots  they  make  are  as  hard  as  iron,  and  as 
bare  of  fibres  as  the  trunk  they  support.  If  the  tree 
stands  near  the  church,  some  of  the  roots  ai'e  sure  to  be 
matted  against  the  wall,  and  if  the  breadth  of  18  inches 
of  the  earth  next  to  the  wall  was  removed  down  to  the 
matted  roots,  and  large  quantities  of  water  poured  over 
them,  so  as  thoroughly  to  soak  down  a  great  way,  and 
then  to  fill  up  the  trench  with  fresh  soil,  I  am  quite 
sure  that  the  old  tree  would  revive  again  and  last  out 
a  very  long  time  yet. 

Now.  although  Clericiis  and  the  old  Holly-tree  have 
furnished  a  text  for  all  this,  the  subject  is  just  as  appli- 
cable to  every  one  of  my  readers  who  may  have  favourite 
old  trees,  and  to  every  kind  of  old  tree  in  the  country, 
if  they  bear  in  mind  that  old  evergreen  trees,  like  his 
Holly,  ought  to  be  cut  at  the  end  of  April,  and  other  old 
trees  before  the  rise  of  the  sap,  say  in  January  or 
February.  I  have  no  doubt  but  Clericus  himself  has 
often  taken  the  advantage  of  his  own  position  to  warn 
and  advise  a  certain  individual,  or  family,  against  pre- 
vailing errors,  while  the  greater  number  of  his  flock 
took  the  subject  as  applicable  to  their  own  failings,  and, 
let  us  hope,  acted  on  his  advice,  as  I  hope  many  will  do 
on  mine,  for  I  like  old  trees,  and  old  friends,  and  old 
associations,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  if  I  had  my 
choice,  I  would  sooner  build  my  castle  near  some  old 
stag-headed  trees  than  in  tlie  best  open  park  in  the 
country  witliout  them,  and  any  body  who  cut  a  dead 
branch  out  of  my  stags,  would  ever  rue  the  day,  if  I 
came  across  him  at  the  time. 

I  often  think  how  the  world  would  stand  if  old  trees 
could  speak;  such  tales  would  put  men  and  women, 
villages,  parishes,  counties,  and  kingdoms,  by  the  eai-s 
together.  From  the  fatal  night  on  which  Pyramus  and 
Thisbe  intended  to  meet  under  the  Mulberry-trees,  until 
the  last  night  of  the  old  year,  such  trees  in  the  by 
paths  of  life  have  been  witnesses  to  more  than  half 
the  world  would  like  the  other  half  to  know,  and  more 
than  I  would  tell  them  if  I  really  did  know,  but  I  shall 
never  make  a  secret  of  my  intentions  towards  The 
CoTT.iGE  GARDENEr,,  the  Editoi",  and  his  contributors, 
not  forgetting  the  "  compliments  of  the  season "  to 
them,  and  to  all  our  numerous  readers,  who  have  enabled 
us  to  go  on  and  prosper  from  a  small  beginning. 

D.  Beaton. 


DISAPPOINTMENTS. 

There  is  no  schoolmaster  so  successful  in  teaching 
as  Experience.  Much  is  done  now-a-days  to  save  us 
from  the  wliip  and  the  blow  that  tho  crusty  old  fellow 
will  mercilessly  use  despite  all  tho  petitions  and  crtbrts 
of  the  would-be  benevolent  to  the  contrary.  The  old 
lulage,  "  lightly  come  and  liglitly  go,"  is  based  upon  that 
principle  of  our  nature  that  leads  us  to  value  an  object 
in  proportion  to  the  difiiculties  its  acquisition  has  cost 
us.      Even   gardening  itself,   with    all  its   bewitching 


December  29. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


239 


attractions,  would  at  once  be  shorn  of  its  olianns,  wei'e 
there  not  something  to  be  continually  cared  for ;  and 
ever-occurring  obstacles  to  be  mot  and  surmounted. 
Were  it  merely  a  thing  of  one  idea,  and  that  so  patent 
and  simple  that  the  mere  announcing  of  it  would  be 
tantamount  to  its  full  comprehension  and  develop- 
ment, tlien  adieu  to  emulation  and  honourable  rivalries, 
and  farewell  to  that  increasing  perseverance  that 
only  receives  a  meet  reward,  when,  after  surmounting 
an  obstacle,  it  finds  it  has  gained  a  more  elevated 
platform,  whence  alike  to  behold  and  aspire  to  seize 
objects  of  interest  and  beauty  unknown  before.  Un- 
successful  grumblers    are   most  likely   to   remain   so 


being  in  this  pit  nearly  a  fortniglit  of  severe  weather, 
closely  covered,  I  was  so  disappointed  to  find  nearly  all 
the  Geraniums  with  several  leaves  in  a  state  of  dreadful 
mould.  I  am  sure  this  was  caused  by  the  warm  situation, 
and  a  constant  drop  coming  through  the  glass.  There 
is  and  can  be  no  damp  from  below.  I  suppose  it  was 
my  own  fault,  leaving  them  too  long  shut  up,  but  1 
thought  that  until  the  frost  was  entirely  gone  it  was 
the  safe  plan.  How  can  I  prevent  this  dropping  which 
ruins  my  plants?  Would  you  advise  the  smallest 
quantity  of  putty  placed  at  the  edges  of  the  laps  of  the 
glass?"  And  then,  after  some  pleasing  comphments, 
adds — "  I  am  so  very  fond  of  my  flowers,  as  even  to  be 


because  they  have  got  into  the  bad  habit  of  blaming  willing  to  learn  from  sad  experience,  so  that  I  hope  you 
everybody  and  everything  but  themselves.  All  are  so  '"  '  '  "" 
fortunate  but  they,  the  luckless  wights,  forgetting  that 
success  is  not  a  matter  of  dreams  and  cloudy  visions  of 
a  wondrous  phantom  called  chance,  but  in  most  cases, 
when  continuous,  is  the  sure  consequence  of  prudence, 
exertion,  attention,  and  study.  Young  gardeners  who 
read  these  pages  may  need  to  be  reminded  of  this ;  for 
myself,  I  confess,  that  in  my  younger  days  I  derived 
anything  but  benefit  from  men  having  a  high  opinion 
of  themselves,  but  who,  somehow,  never  got  their  light 
from  under  the  bushel  measure  that  concealed  it,  ascrib- 
ing the  well-merited  success  and  comfort  of  others  to  the 
fact  that  they  were  lucky  felloics.  Be  assured,  there  is 
no  true  continuous  luck,  if  you  will  use  such  a  term  for 
success  in  life,  separate  from  the  upright,  the  intelligent, 
the  persevering,  and  the  attentive.  The  dawdler,  the 
trifler,  the  man  who  can  only  grasp  one  idea,  or  who  is 
more  taken  up  with  the  gratification  of  his  appetites 
than  the  working  of  his  mind,  will,  ere  long,  be  left 
noiohere  in  gardening. 

IMost  of  the  statements  of  disappointments  that  reach 
us  come  from  earnest  amateurs.  Of  course,  they  feel 
annoyed  at  their  failures.  I  should  have  small  hope  of 
them  if  they  did  not.  I  would  just  have  a  little  more, 
if  they  lectured  and  said  some  severe  things  to  us,  be- 
cause we  had  not  directed  them  properly;  and  this, 
despite  all  that  an  old  poet  has  said  about  wrapping 
himself  in  conscious  rectitude,  is  not  the  most  pleasant 
thing  in  the  world,  unless  when  right  would  stand  in 
the  way;  it  is  preferable  to  feel  that  our  conduct  is 
approved  of.  Now,  what  has  made  an  occasional  peep 
into  the  correspondence  so  pleasing,  is,  that  with  many 
needless  apologies  for  troubling  (for  there  is  no  trouble, 
when  letters  are  short,  at  once  to  the  purpose,  and 
legibly  written),  almost  everyone  throws  the  blame  of 
neglect  upon  his  or  her  own  shoulders ;  and  that,  too,  in 
cases  where  a  want  of  explicitness  or  inattention  to 
minuticB  might  have  justified  placing  some  of  the  blaine 
not  far  from  the  door  of  the  writer.  Any  extreme  treat- 
ment recommended  for  a  particular  section  of  plants,  in 
particular  eircumstances,  has,  by  an  extra  amount  of 
generalising,  been  applied  'to  plants  in  eircumstances 
different,  and  in  nature  not  allied ;  and  the  consequences 
have  been  disappointment  and  failure.  A  few  of  these, 
not  involving  anything  new,  but  tending  to  show,  if 
possible,  more  forcibly,  the  value  of  attention  to  minutiee 
shall  now  engage  our  attention. 


KEEPING  GROWING  PLANTS  'IN  THE  UAKK. 

A  correspondent,  after  describing  a  new  pit,  sunk  two 
feet  below  ground,  and  raised  two  feet  above  it  (at  back, 
I  presume),  in  a  dry  place,  the  back-wall  some  sixteen 
inches  higher  than  the  front-wall,  so  as  to  give  a  good 
slope,  filling  part  of  this  up  with  stones  and  brick 
rubbish  ;  and  for  small  plants,  making  a  platform  of 
boards  resting  on  bricks ;  and  by  striking  cuttings  early, 
having  such  nice  plants  in  October,  that  even  we  should 
have  admu-ed,  if  not  envied  them;  came  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  once  secure  in  this  pit,  the  plants  might  be 
kept  dark  and  closed  ^up  for  some  time.    "  Well,  after 


will  kindly  advise  me 

Now,  what  would  the    severest  stickler  for  novelty 
make  of  such  a  letter  as  tho  above  ?      Were  he  sure  it 
was  from  a  gentleman,  he  could  not  help  being  civil. 
Did  the  writing  bear  the  slightest  impress  of  a  lady's 
liand,  whatever  grufthess  he  could  muster  for  an  occasion, 
would  be  changed  into  the  most  obliging  courtesy.     If 
he  found  that  many  beginners,  just  feeling  their  way, 
were  apt  to  be  led  into  the  same  mistakes  and  con- 
sequent disappointments,  he  would  come    to  the  con- 
clusion that  he  might  do  worse  than  try  to  rectify  the 
matter  in  a  prominent  place  of  The  Cottage  Gardeneh. 
Our  correspondent  has  evidently  studied  all  that   has 
been  said  of  the  practicability  of  keeping  tender  plants 
shut  up  in  the  dark  in  continued  cold  weather,  but  in 
guarding  against  tlie  cold,  only  j  ust  avoided  being  stranded 
on  the  opposite  evil  of  a  close,  muggy,  malarian  atmo- 
sphere, without  a  ray  of  light,  or  a  breath  of  fresh  air 
to  neutralise  their  noxious  properties.     We  have  been 
honoured  with  visitors,  who  expressed  their  surprise  at 
finding   frames  and    pits   destitute   of    artificial   heat, 
snugly  covered  during  the  day,  and  visions  of  economy 
ill  labour,  and  a  very  minimum  of  care  and  forethought 
flitted  through  their  mind,  only  to  be  dispelled,  when, 
like  our  correspondent,  they  suffered  from  over  doing  a 
jninciple  that  was  good  in  itself.     Many  enquiries  that 
reach  us,  such  as— When  should  I  light  a  fire  in  the 
greenhouse  ?    What  temperature  should  I  have  in  it  at 
bed-time,  with  an   outside  temperature   of   30°  ?    pre- 
suppose that  we  could  make  gardening  as  simple  as  a 
mere  mechanical  art  of  routine,  such  as  a  direction  a 
watchmaker  could  give  about  the  winding  up  of  a  clock 
or  a  watch.     Now,  it  would  be  folly  to  pretend  to  any 
such  powers.     We  can,  as  far  as  we  know   ourselves, 
detail  the  principles  on  which  operations  are  based ;  we 
can  tell  all  the  minutiae  loe  use  in  carrying  out  these 
operations,  and  even  show  how  these  are  to  be  varied, 
according  to  circumstances ;  but  we  never  can  present 
any  substitute  for  the  anxious  attention,  the  unwearied 
industry,  the  continuous  forethought,  and  the  constant 
habit  of  observation,  as  respects  weather,  temperature, 
sunshine,   and    shade,   which   the   successful   gardener 
must  exhibit ;  and  even  could  we  do  so,  as  has  already 
been  stated,  the  real  pleasure  of  the  pursuit  would  soon 
disappear ;  that  pleasure,  which  even  to  the  professional 
man  of  general  intelligence  must  ever  be  regarded  as 
fully  one-half  of  the  reward  he  receives  for  his  labours. 
Keeping  these   things    in   view,   referring  to   other 
articles  for  the  principles  of  growth    and  perfection, 
merely  remembering  that  warmth,  associated  with  heat, 
are  the  great  stimuli  to  extension   and  elongation  in 
plants,  but  that  little  or  no  solid  matter  is  added  without 
the  presence  of  Ught,  and  that  this  extension,  and  that 
addition,   can   only  be  healthy  when   the   foliage    has 
access  to  a  pure  atmosphere,  we  see,  at  once,  that  our 
correspondent  was  right  in  thinking  the  plants  had 
been  too  long  shut  up ;  that  is  to  say,  if  in  the  northern 
position  the  weather  was  not  much  darker  and  colder 
than  we  have  found  it  to  be  in  Hertfordshire.     In  some 
days,  very  dark  and  foggy,  and  the  nights  rather  shai-p, 


2i0 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Deckjihek  20. 


tlie  covering  has  not  been  removed  during  the  day  ;  but 
the  weather  has  been  too  variable  in  its  character  to 
warrant  shutting-up  close  for  the  space  of  eight  days  or  ] 
a  fortnight.  Writing  this  on  the  13th,  tliere  is  ratlier  a 
sharpish  frost  in  the  evening,  and  everything  at  all 
tender  has  been  slightly  covered ;  hut  the  largn,  fleecy 
clouds  that  ,are  now  gathering  seem  to  prognosticate  a 
change  by  the  time  the  moon  sets  in  the  morning. 
Whetlier  that  change  comes  or  not,  these  sudden  transi- 
tions have  been  the  character  of  the  season,  thus  in- 
volving much  more  trouble  and  care.  Supposing  this 
letter  of  our  correspondent  to  have  been  written  sevei'al 
days  ago,  the  fortnight  mentioned  would  involve  the 
last  week  of  November,  and  the  first,  and,  perhaps,  a 
little  more  than  the  first  week  of  December.  Now, 
unless  in  the  northern  position  the  weather  was  very 
different  from  what  it  was  liere,  tlie  close  covering  so 
long  was  wrong.  During  the  mist  of  the  last  week 
in  November  the  frost  was  so  slight  as  to  hurt 
no  half-hardy  plant  under  glass ;  aud  for  several 
nights  the  weatl)er  was  so  clo.se  and  warm  that 
we  did  not  cover  even  at  night.  For  instance,  on 
the  last  night  of  the  month,  the  thermometer  out-of- 
doors  was  nearly  50°  at  bed-time ;  and  ne.\t  day,  the 
first  of  December,  was  so  clear  and  bright  that  every 
plant  was  exposed  to  the  full  influence  of  the  sun; 
plenty  of  air,  back  and  front,  was  given  to  cold  pits  to 
dry  them  ;  but  as  the  clear  sky  betokened  frost  at  night, 
the  sashes  were  all  shut  between  one  and  two  o'clock ; 
and  after  thus  enclosing  an  amount  of  sun-heat  the 
sashes  were  protected  as  soon  as  the  sun  left  them. 
Next  day,  though  not  very  cold,  after  a  sharp  night,  was 
so  dull  and  foggy  that  the  covering  was  not  touched ; 
and  the  following  night  being  again  i-ather  sharp  the 
trouble  of  re-covering  was  avoided.  But  during  the 
weelc  afterwards,  there  was  only  a  very  slight  frost  for 
two  or  three  nights;  and  the  days,  though  rather  dull, 
were  warmish,  ranging  from  -10°  to  47°,  a  heat  sufficient, 
when  in  an  enclosed,  dark,  moist  atmosphere,  to  canse 
such  plants  as  Geraniums  to  be  excited  into  action,  and 
to  bring  into  development  many  races  of  fungous 
moulds  that  light  and  air  would  have  kept  at  bay.  I 
have,  therefore,  as  yet,  had  little  covering  during  the  day. 
When,  therefore,  I  spoke  the  other  week  of  keeping 
old  plants  of  Geraniums  so  easily,  and  with  a  minimum 
of  trouble,  recollect,  that  if  I  were  to  give  these  plants 
sufficient  heat  to  cause  the  buds  to  break  on  their  bare 
stems,  1  should  then  he  obliged  to  give  them  light  and 
air  to  keep  the  foliage  healthy.  At  present,  1  look  upon 
the  stems  and  tlie  roots  much  as  I  would  do  on  the 
tuber  of  a  Potato  or  a  Dahlia.  But  young  plants  struck 
in  autumn,  be  they  scarlets  or  others,  will  not  endure 
this  treatment.  They  must,  as  a  general  rule,  be  kept 
slowly  growing.  If  in  cold  pits,  and  severe  weather 
comes,  in  which  even  during  the  day  it  would  not  be 
safe  to  uncover  the  glass,  we  must  not  only  keep  out 
the  ice  king,  but  we  must  be  sure,  when  we  keep  covered 
up  for  several  days,  or  weeks,  that  the  temperature  within 
is  not  high  and  moist  enough  to  stimulate  elongation.  I 
have  had  Geraniums,  Calceolarias,  &c.,  closely  shut  np 
for  a  montli,  but  then  I  knew  the  inside  temperature 
ranged  from  32°  to  ;)0°,  at  which  there  is  but  little  dis- 
position to  grow,  or  for  moisture  to  be  raised  by  eva- 
poration. In  a  continuance  of  such  weather,  frosty  at 
night,  and  dull  during  the  day,  when  tlie  trouble  of  un- 
covering aud  covering  again  would  not  have  been 
counter-balanced  by  the  good  of  a  little  foggy  light,  and 
yet  the  thermometer  outside  was  raised  a  degree  or  two 
above  the  freezing  point,  we  would  then  give  a  little  air 
at  the  back,  by  elevating  the  sashes,  shutting  up  again 
before  the  glass  in  the  shade  indicated  the  freezing 
point.  Coolness,  in  such  circumstances,  is  quite  as 
essential  as  freedom  from  frost.  In  fine,  bright  days, 
when  the  frost  was  thoroughly   excluded   at  night,  it 


would  always  be  advisable  to  uncover  for  a  few  liours 
ill  tlie  heat  of  the  day,  when  you  wished  your  plants  to 
be  growing. 

In  a  continued  frost,  and  yet  days  with  a  fair  amount 
of  sunshine,  the  frequency  of  uncovering  becomes  a 
question  of  labour,  and  the  standing  still  of  your  plants. 
I  have  often,  in  such  cold  weather,  allowed  sunny  days 
to  pass  without  uncovering  cold  pits,  because,  though 
the  sun  was  bright,  the  air  was  so  sharp  and  dry  as  to 
be  unfit  to  circulate  among  soft-wooded  plants,  and 
because  I  knew  that  the  heat  of  the  sun  would  have 
little  or  no  influence  in  heating  the  enclosed  pit  through 
the  covering.  In  a  word,  when  such  plants  are  covered 
up,  day  and  night,  for  a  length  of  time,  be  sure  the 
inside  temperature  is  not  above  35°.  A  short  time  at 
31°,  in  such  circumstances,  will  be  far  preferable  to  40° 
or  45°.  Whatever  length  of  time  you  shut  up,  whether 
you  give  a  night  of  twelve  hours,  or  twelve  days,  if  you 
have  done  right,  you  will  find  your  plants  exactly  as  you 
left  them  ;  and  this  you  will  never  do  if  they  have  been 
allowed  to  elongate  in  a  dark,  moist,  warm  atmosphere. 
The  precaution  of  not  exposing  to  bright  sun  directly 
after  such  treatment  has  frequently  been  alluded  to,  and 
if  frost  should  have  at  all  penetrated,  the  plants  should 
be  thoroughly  thawed  for  a  couple  of  days  before  un- 
shaded light  is  admitted. 

PUTTYING  LAPS. 

We  do  not  attach  great  importance  to  the  pulUjing  of 
tlie  laps  in  glass  sashes.     It  is  of  more  importance  to   I 
give  them  a  good  slope  from  back  to  front  in  winter.   '< 
Unless  very  line  weather  should  ensue,  there  will  bo   i 
little  chance  of  having  it  done  until  spring,  as  the  glass   ' 
ought  to  be  perfectly  dry.     Our  correspondent  will  also 
excuse  us  for  hinting  that  it  will  not  prove  a  remedy  for 
the  dropping   of  which  complaint  is   made;    because,   j 
supposing  that  wet  does  not  penetrate  through  some  | 
holes,  or  bad  workmanship  in  the  sash-bars,  I  believe  it  j 
to  be  not  o'oXy  possible,  hut,  probable,  that  these  moisture   > 
drops  do  come  from  below,  and  the  pots  together,  and 
that  the  puttying  of  the  laps  would  remove  one  of  the 
escapes  for  it  now  present ;  I  am  the  more  convinced  of 
of  this  when  I  find  the  pit  is  xew.     The  mortar  and  the 
bricks  together  would  hold  a  fair  amount  of  water,  and 
it  is  surprising  what  an  amount  of  moisture  exists  in  ! 
soil  apparently  dry,  and  we  are  not  informed  that  any   ! 
means  had  been  taken  to  prevent  this  moisture  rising 
from  the  bottom  of  the  pit  whenever  there  was  heat 
enough  to  abstract  it  by  evaporation.     Let  our  corres- 
pondent, next  summer,  fix  a  large  bell-glass  so  that  no 
air  shall  enter  at  its  base,  on  the  hardest  and  driest  walk 
to   be   found,    and  on  a  warm   sunny   day    the    heat 
will  saturate  the   enclosed   air  with  invisible   vapour, 
but  the  cold  of  night,  acting  on  the  glass,  will  condense 
that  moisture,  and  it  will  trickle  down  its  sides  in  drops, 
and  wet  the  pavement  that  seemed  yesterday  so  dry. 
According  to  the  heat  of  the  weather,  and  the  amount 
of  moisture  in  the  air  and  in  your  pit,  would  a  similar 
thing  take  place,  the  drip  hanging  from  sash-bars,  &c. 
being  merely  vapour  condensed  by  coming  into  contact 
with  a  body  more  cold  than  the  air  in  wliich  it  was  sus- 
pended.    One  great  advantage  of  covering  the  glass,  not 
merely  of  cold  pits,  but  also  of  forcing  houses,  in  cold 
weather,  is  that  keeping  the  glass  warm  little  condensa- 
tion of  moisture  is  eftbcted,  and,  consequently,  there  is  no 
drip,  and,  what  is  of  more  consequence  still,  the  air 
enclosed  is  not  thus  rendered  dry  by  being  deprived 
of    its    moisture.      I  recollect,    when    I    was   groping 
my  way  in  these  matters,  with   no  such  assistance  as 
can  bo  obtained  so  easily  now,  noting  that  in  a  small 
forcing-house  where  the  glass  was  covered  the  atmos-   | 
phere  was  so  moist  and  pleasant  in  the  morning,  and 
the  sash-bars  next  to  perfectly  dry  ;  but,  as  soon  as  the 
covering  was  removed,  and  before  tho  sun  had  gained  i 


Deokjibur  29. 


THE  COTTAGE  OAllOENEU. 


211 


great  power,  tlio  condeiiseJ  drops  from  tlie  glass  and 
sash-bars  would  Iio  fallint;  all  over  tlie  liouso,  and  tlie 
only  mode  of  getting  rid  of  tlioni  was  to  iusine  a  snffl- 
cieucy  ot'heat  to  enable  us  to  give  air,  and  thus  allow 
the  saturated  air  to  escape.  When  the  sun  heated  the 
glass,  it  acted  uo  longer  as  a  condensing  medium.  Air, 
therolbre,  and  light,  whenever  they  can  bo  given  with 
safety,  are  the  great  means  of  freedom  from  the  evils  of 
which  our  correspondent  complains.  I  have  mentioned 
an  e.Ktreme  case  where  air  umy  be  given,  where  the  glass 
was  not  uncovered.  In  dull  weather,  -with  the  outside 
temperature  above  40",  it  muy  be  given  somewhat  freely, 
if  not  loaded  with  mist. 

In  frosty  weather,  that  is,  though  hot  in  the  sun  it  is 
next  to  freezing  in  the  shade,  it  should  be  given  with 
caution,  that  is,  merely  elevating  the  top  of  the  sashes 
a  Uttle,  and  care  being  taken  to  shut  up  early  after 
I  noon.  Though  tiius  the  enclosed  space  be  raised  in 
temperature  u"  or  10",  there  is  no  danger  of  sickly 
elongation,  or  the  healthy  action  of  fungous  vegetation 
from  the  increased  temperature  that  comes  IVom  sun- 
light. A  variety  of  statements  similar  to  that  of  our  cor- 
respondent, makiug  this  matter  apjiear  as  a  stumbling- 
stone,  must  plead  as  an  apology  ibr  the  length  of  these 
remarks,  and  the  neglect  of  other  matters  1  intended  to 
notice.  K.  Fish. 


THE  WOODS  AND  FORESTS. 

{^Continued  from  liaf/t;  211).) 

Wh.\t  a  glorious  sight  it  would  be  to  see  a  part  of  our 
redundant  population  at  work  on  the  waste  lands  of 
England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland,  draining,  levelling,  and 
otherwise  preparing  the  wilderness  for  the  reoejition  of 
young  trees  hereafter  to  produce  timber  for  the  genera- 
tions that  are  to  come  alter  us  1  Our  countrymen  of  the 
poorer  classes,  many  of  whom  are  now,  even  with  all 
our  trades  and  commerce,  driven  to  seek  bread  in  foreign 
countries,  would  rather,  much  rather,  seek  work  on  the 
moors,  hills,  and  mountains  of  our  happy,  quiet,  safe 
land,  if  such  works  as  reclaiming  waste  soils  were  forth- 
with proceeded  with  and  known  to  be  in  progress. 
Many  inhabitants  of  large  towns  and  manufacturing 
districts  imagine  that  all  our  able-bodied  poor  are,  or 
may  be,  in  full  employment ;  but  such  is  not  the  case, 
as  I  can  prove,  in  a  small  degree,  by  my  own  experience; 
for,  since  I  began  to  break  up  my  ground  for  nursery 
purposes  I  have  had  numbers  of  able-bodied  men 
applying  to  me  for  work  almost  daily.  Jlen  strong  in 
sinew,  and  willing  to  labour  even  for  the  small  sum  of 
12s.  per  week;  aud  I  am  quite  confident,  were  it  made 
known  that  Government,  or  large  proprietors,  were  about 
to  try  to  make  the  wilderness  to  smile  by  planting  it 
with  trees,  they  would  have  plenty  of  strong  labourers 
applying  for  leave  to  work  at  very  moderate  wages  at 
such  labour. 

These  remarks  about  labourers  are  not  out  of  place, 
for  witliout  them  no  improvement  can  be  accomplished 
in  our  woods,  forests,  or  wide-spi-eading,  desolate,  naked 
moors.  It  has  been  suggested,  and  I  believe,  in  some 
degree,  acted  upon,  that  our  unhappy  convicts  might 
be  employed  in  such  work,  rather  than  send  them  away 
to  a  penal  settlement;  but  no  true-hearted  Englishman 
would  like  to  see  his  fellow-countrymen  that  have 
transgressed  the  laws  employed  in  that  work  that  ought 
to  be  given  to  the  honest  hard-working  labourer,  striving 
to  provide  his  family  with  their  daily  bread  by  the  work 
of  his  hands.  Give  such  men  employment,  and  remove 
poverty  from  them,  with  all  its  temptations  to  crime, 
and  that  will  lessen  the  numbers  of  the  offenders  against 
the  laws. 
I  shall  first  bring  into  consideration  how  to  manage 


aud  improve  existing  wood*,  aud  then  how  to  plant  and 
manage  new  ones. 

A  well-managed  wood,  of  comse,  needs  no  remark  ;  it  is 
sucli  as  have  been  planted  and  utterly  neglected  after- 
wards that  need  improvement.  The  great  evil  in  most 
woods  is  the  neglect  of  pruning  and  thinning.  On  these 
two  heads  I  shall  dilate  a  little. 

A  great  mistake  is  often  made  in  planting  in  good 
ground  by  putting  in  the  trees  too  thick,  and  by  planting 
the  wrong  kinds  of  trees  as  nurses.  If  the  ground  is 
tolerably  good  and  well  drained,  then  plant  Oak  or  Ash, 
or  the  Silver  Fir,  with  Ha/.els  for  underwood.  The  first 
to  be  the  crop,  and  the  other  the  nurses,  to  be  cut  down 
when  they  begin  to  draw  up  the  Oak.  The  pruning  of 
them  all  should  commence  the  second  or  third  year. 
The  knife  is  then  the  instrument  strong  enough  for  the 
purpose  Wounds  made  with  it  soon  heal,  and  are 
covered  over  with  new  bark,  so  that  the  timber,  when 
sawn  up  into  boards,  will  be  free  from  knots.  Cut  off 
the  side  branches  close  to  the  stem,  from  two  to  three 
feet  from  the  bottom.  Especially  pay  attention  to  the 
trees  intended  to  stand  Ibr  timber;  the  others  may  be 
pruned  less  carefully. 

As  soon  .IS  the  nurse,  or  superfluous  trees,  begin  to 
encroach  upon  the  timber  trees,  cut  every  second  one 
down,  they  will  be  fit  for,  at  least,  stakes  or  bind  wood,  and 
will  pay  for  the  labour.  The  others  may  remain  three 
years  longer,  and  then  remove  every  second  one  again. 
If  they  have  grown  wrll,  as  they  will  do  in  good  ground, 
they  will  then  bo  fit  for  rails,  as  well  as  the  thin  tops  for 
stakes  ;  and  by  this  time  the  underwood  should  have  a 
dressing  by  severe  thinning.  The  great  object  to  aim 
at  being  to  have  a  sufficient  number  of  trees  growing 
for  a  certain  number  of  years  to  shelter  the  permanent 
trees,  and  rather  draw  them  up,  so  as  to  have  clear, 
straight  stems,  or  boles,  as  the  woodmen  term  them. 
The  pruning  should  be  attended  to  yearly,  removing  a 
tier  of  branches  every  season.  Tlie  time  for  pruning 
the  hard-wooded  timber,  such  as  the  Oak,  Ash,  or  Elm, 
should  be  just  before  the  spring-growth  commences, 
after  the  sap  has  risen  ;  then  the  wounds  more  quickly 
heal.  The  Fir  tribe  should  be  pruned  in  the  autumn,  so 
that  the  cuts  may  heal  up  before  the  spring.  As  the 
trees  become  large  the  pruning  may  be  dispensed  with, 
the  object  having  been  attained,  namely,  a  clean,  straight 
stem,  some  forty  or  fifty  feet  high.  The  trees  should 
have  sufficient  space  for  the  head  of  brauehes  to  spread 
out  over  and  cover  a  space  of  ground  at  least  from 
twenty  five  to  thirty  feet  diameter,  and  each  tree  should 
stand  clear  of  its  neighbours.  No  branches  should  be 
allowed  to  project  beyond  their  fellows,  but  every  side 
should  be  equally  furnished,  so  as  to  balance  the  tree 
against  the  wind  from  every  quarter.  So  far,  we  may 
consider  pruning  to  have  done  its  work  from  the  infancy 
to  the  full  maturity  of  the  timber  tree. 

In  my  next,  I  will  consider  what  pruning  ought  to 
have  done  to  trees  that  have  never  been  primed  or 
otherwise.  T.  Appleby. 


THE  IRIS. 

{Cnntimied   from   pa(jc   220.) 

Iris  Pavoni,\. — (The  Peacock  Iris.)  This  species  re- 
quires the  greenhouse  to  grow  it  in.  It  is  a  dwarf- 
growing  plant,  seldom  exceeding  nine  inches  in  height. 
The  flowers  are  produced  on  short  footstalks,  and  the 
prevailing  colour  is  a  most  lovely  blue,  contrasted  with 
a  pure  white  eye.  I  know  no  plant  with  more  bright 
and  pleasing  colours.  Though  so  beautiful,  it  is  not 
often  seen  in  cultivation ;  a  circumstance  I  cannot 
account  for,  excepting  that  it  is  a  bulb,  and  for  nine 
months  in  the  year  either  dormant,  or  producing  such 
small  foliage  that  it  is  neglected  and  perishes.     I  think 


242 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENEE. 


December  yJ). 


this  is  a  great  pity,  aud  plant-lovers  are  to  blame  to 
gi'udge  tlie  necessary  care  of  such  a  charming  flower 
(when  in  bloom),  because  it  is  not  interesting  or  beautiful 
when  the  bloom  is  over.  It  may  be  ignorance  is  the 
cause,  and  if  so,  I  will  try  to  give  the  information  how 
to  cultivate  it. 

Soil. — At  Pine-Apple  Place  we  gi'ew  this  plant,  and 
bloomed  it  finely ;  and  such  is  its  beauty,  that  almost 
every  visitor  purchased  a  pot  of  it.  The  soil  used  con- 
sisted of  loam,  sandy  peat  or  heath  mould,  and  two- 
year-old  decayed  leaves,  in  equal  parts. 

Management. — Tlie  pots  were  five  inches  in  diameter,  j 
and  three  bulbs  were  usually  ]ilaced  in  each  of  these  pots,  j 
The  pots  were  well-drained,  and  lilled  with  the  compost 
to  within  about  an  inch-and-a-half  of  the  rim;  the  bulbs 
were  then  placed  upon  the  soil,  and  covered  an  inch 
deep,  leaving  half-au-inch  to  hold  water.     This  potting 
was  performed  about  the  first  week  in  October,  and  the 
pots  were  placed  in   a  cold  pit,  where  they  remained 
through  the  winter,  with  the  inotection  of  a  covering  of 
double  mats  in  severe  frosty  weather.     About  the  end 
of  February  they  were  placed  in  the  grcenliouse,  on  a 
shelf  near   to  the  glass,   and  when  the  leaves  nearly 
reached  to  it  they  were  placed  upon  a  platform  near  the 
front  windows,  where  tbey  stood  till  they  bloomed,  and 
then  were  placed  on  the  stage  amongst  other  plants  in  [ 
bloom.     Such  is  the  treatment  given  to  imported  bulbs,  i 
which  always  flowered  most  satisfactorily. 

The  treatment,  after  blooming,  consists  in  giving  a 
due  supply  of  water  at  the  root,  till  the  leaves  begin  to  , 
fade,  and  then  it  should  be  gradually  lessened  in 
quantity,  and  as  they  are  tlien  not  very  sightly  objects 
they  should  be  placed  in  a  cold  frame  to  ripen  the  bulbs, 
and  no  water  should  be  given  to  them.  Where  there  is 
convenience,  it  is  better  to  keep  them  in  the  dry  soil  in 
the  pots,  which,  to  prevent  any  water  reaching  the  soil, 
should  be  laid  on  their  side,  and  put  into  a  cool  shed  or 
room  till  the  planting  season  arrives  ;  then  shake  them 
out  of  the  soil,  rub  oti'  the  decayed  roots,  aud  repot  them 
entirely  in  fresh  compost.  I 

Propagation.  By  Offsets. — These  are  produced  rather  \ 
sparingly,  and  as  the  bulbs  are  imported  from  Holland  \ 
at  a  very  moderate  price,  it  is  scarcely  worth  while  to  j 
pot  the  offsets,  yet,  as  some  amateurs  may  be  desirous  | 
of  increasing  their  stock,  in  that  case,  plant  the  offsets 
in  the  above  com[)Ost,  in  a  box  large  enough  to  hold 
the  entire  lot  of  small  offsets.  They  should  be  planted 
about  September,  placed  in  a  cold  pit,  and  grown  on  as 
long  as  possible,  and  allowed  to  go  to  rest  as  soon  as  the 
leaves  decay.  The  second  year  the  bulbs  will  have  in- 
creased in  size,  aud,  therefore,  should  be  ])lanted  thinner. 
What  one  bo.x  held  the  first  year  will  bo  found  sufficient 
to  fill  two  of  the  same  dimensions  the  second  year;  and 
in  the  third,  many  of  them  will  flower;  they  should, 
therefore,  be  put  into  the  |iots,  and  treated  exactly  like 
the  old  full-sized  bulbs.  This  is  so  lovely  a  flower  that 
I  should  be  sorry  to  see  its  colours  varied  by  hybridizing, 
unless  a  larger-blossomed  variety  could  be  raised,  which 
can  only  bo  obtained  by  liberal  treatment,  and  saving 
seed  from  the  largest  flowers  and  strongest  ])lants. 
Should  this  be  attempted,  the  seed  should  be  sown  in 
wide,  flat,  earthen,  unglazed  pans,  aud  the  bulbs  should 
be  kept  in  the  pans  for  the  first  two  years,  then  carefully 
sifted  out  of  the  soil,  and  planted  tbiruier  in  boxes,  and 
treated  in  the  same  way  as  the  oil'sets  till  tbey  flower. 

Iris  Peksica  (The  Persian  Iris). — This  is,  also,  a 
bulbous  species,  and  requires  pit-culture,  in  pots,  to 
grow  it  to  perfection,  and  keep  it  for  any  length  of  time. 
Planted  in  the  open  border  it  soon  perishes,  probably 
from  the  moist  soil  and  climate  of  this  country.  The 
flowers  are  variegated  in  a  most  pleasing  and  elegant 
manner,  and  have  the  additional  valuable  qualities  of 
being  most  agreeably  perfumed,  or  sweet-scented.  Like 
j  the  preceding  species,  it  is  a  dwarf-growing  plant,  in 


fact,  still  more  so.  I  have  never  seen  one  more  than 
four  inches  high,  hence  it  is  a  suitable  ]dant  for  a  small 
basket  in  a  window,  or  to  place  in  an  oi-uamcntal  vase 
on  the  drawing-room  table.  On  account  of  its  agreeable 
fragrance  it  is  a  good  flower  for  a  band  bouquet. 

in  cultivation  proceed  with   aud   follow  the   method 
described  above  for  its  lovely  compeer  the  Iris  pavonia. 

T.  ArrLEBY. 
{To  lye  continued.) 


RHUBARB   AND  ITS  FORCING. 

In  following  out  the  remarks  made  at  page  '^21  on 
the  Rhubarb,  we  now  come  to  the  forcing  of  that  veget- 
able, and  in  so  doing  some  difficulties  are  met  with 
which  might  not  be  expected  from  a  plant,  which, 
seemingly,  has  the  power  to  store  up  the  germs  of  its 
future  growth  ;  yet  many  have  been  deceived,  even  in 
forcing  Rhubarb,  for  eommo7i  as  it  is,  there  is  some- 
thing more  required,  to  bring  it  iuto  use  at  Christmas, 
than  introduces  Sea-kale  at  that  time  ;  for  although  they 
are  both  deep-rooted  plants,  and  the  edible  portions  of 
each  are  the  same,  tlie  one  is  much  sooner  brought  into 
use  than  the  other. 

It  would  appear  that  "  the  crown,"  or  that  portion  of 
a  Sea-kale  plant  which  is  above  the  surface,  is  much 
easier  operated  on  by  heat  than  is  that  of  the  Rhubarb, 
which,  by-the-by,  contains  but  little  that  assumes  a  woody 
shape,  as  its  incipient  buds,  seated  as  tbey  are  ainougst 
roots  fleshy  and  torpid,  are  not  to  bo  started  into  life 
without  an  efficient  action  being  also  given  to  those  roots, 
which  cannot  well  he  done  witliout  applying  more  heating 
matter  to  the  surface  of  the  ground  than  the  plants  will 
bear;  hence  the  many  failures  in  its  forcing  by  the 
plants  being  scalded,  or  otherwise  so  iudifterently 
supplied  with  warmth,  that  it  is  unable  to  reach  those 
recesses  into  which  it  is  necessary  to  introduce  it  to 
ensure  a  proper  growth.  These  difiiculties  have  led  to 
another  mode  of  applying  the  beat,  which  is  that  of 
taking  up  the  plants  and  placing  them  on  such  heating 
material  as  comes  to  hand,  whereby  its  growth  may  be 
reckoned  on  with  safety  to  come  in  at  a  particular  time. 
Now,  to  have  it  at  Christmas,  it  must  he  taken  up  and 
forced  in  that  way  later  in  the  .season,  say  the  end  of 
.lanuary  or  February.  A  very  little  heat  will  bring  it 
on  in  the  open  ground  without  the  sacrifice  which 
taking-up  incurs,  which  is  considerable  whore  proper 
jirovisiou  has  not  been  made  for  it;  but  as  this  may  be 
done  with  very  little  trouble,  it  may  be  as  well  here  to 
notice  the  way  in  which  that  is  done. 

When  a  family  requires  a  supply  of  Rluibarb  ns  early 
in  the  season  as  possible,  it  is  customary  to  prepare  a 
quantity  of  plants  every  year,  so  that  a  portion  may 
he  taken  up  in  autumn  without  dimiuishiug  the  supply 
below  what  is  wanted  at  the  natural  season;  for  this 
purpose,  it  is  quite  as  well  to  take  up  a  part  of  the  old   | 
plants,  say  those  which  have  been  in  bearing  some  two 
1  or  three  years,  and  the  crowns  have  become  so  much   j 
enlarged,  or  divided,  as  to  occupy  more  ground  than  can 
be  covered  by  an  ordinary  Sea-kale  pot  of  about  one  foot 
in  diameter.     In  taking  up  these  it  is  necessary  to  be 
]  careful,  in  order  to  preserve  as  ruucli  of  the  root  unhurt  \ 
'  as  possible;  dig,  therefore,  well  round  them  ;  then  uu- 
derminc  thera   the  same  way  as  is  done  in  taking  up   i 
shrubs  where  a  ball  is  reipiired.     If  the  ground  be  light, 
loose,  or  open,  a  mat  may  be  lied  round  the  ball  during 
the  course  of  operations,  for  it  is  essential  that  a  large 
bulk  of  earth  should  remain  undisturbed  around  each 
ball,  presenting  a  huge  clod-like  shape,  ol'tcu  sulficiently 
large  to  be  a  good-sized  barrow  load. 

When  a   sufficient  number  of  these  have  been  pre- 
pared, it  is  then  necessary  to  look  to  the  hcatiBg  con- 


Decembkb  29. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


240 


trivance  by  which  it  is  to  be  hastened  into   growtli ; 
and   for   that   purpose   ahnost   anything   will   do   that 
aflbrds  an  increase  of  temperature.     It  is  not  unusual 
to   iind  very   good  Rhubarb    grown  in    the   dark    re- 
cess  of   some    spare    corner    of    the    stock-hole,    pro- 
vided that    such   is   to   be    had ;    an  odd   corner  in  a 
stable  will  also  do  ;  and  it  is  often  enough  forced  in  a 
"  cellar ;"  nevertheless,  it  is  all  the  better  by  being  so 
situated  as  to  have  a  little  light,  although  at  the  first 
commencement    this   agent    is    not  wanted.      In   the 
absence  of  any  suitable   place   in   the    back   grounds. 
Rhubarb  is  sometimes  honoured  by  an  odd  corner  in 
some  of  the  forcing  or  other  house,  where  a  good  warmth 
is  kept  up.     When  this  is  the  case  it  may  be  relied  on 
with  more  certainty.     It  may  also  be  forced  by  being 
placed  on  some  bed,  or  heap  of  leaves,  or  dung,  or,  what 
is  better,  both  mixed,  and  a  bo.s.  set  over  it,  the  warmth 
these  fermenting   matters   impart   speedily  pushes  the 
incipient  buds  into  activity;  and  when  it  has  once  been 
induced  to  make  a  move  much  of  the  difficulty  is  over, 
for  it  will  continue  to  grow  in  spite  of  a  diminished 
temperature.      Observe,  that   in   placing  it   on   a   bed 
of  fermenting  material,  care   must  be  taken  that  the  I 
heat  does  not   attain  a  point  over  that  of  blood-heat, 
otherwise  the  roots  will  be  destroyed  ;  in  fact,  about  70°  \ 
or  80^  is  quite  as  much  as  it  is  prudent  to  treat  it  to  at 
this  early  season,  when   so   many  concurring  circum- 
stances would  induce  a  period  of  rest  rather  than  one  of 
activity,  that   harsh   treatment  is  sure  to  result  in   a 
misfortune  of  that  or  a  more  decided  kind.     In  covering 
up  the  roots  in  the  hotbed,  it  is  better  not  to  use  any 
close  packing  material,  as  wet  soddened   straw — leaf- 
mould,  with  a  few  ashes  at  top,  will  be  more  suitable, 
and  even  these  might  be  omitted  if  it  appeared  likely  to 
check  the  heat  too  much.     In  a  usual  way,  it  grows 
without  much  attention,  and  the  stalks  it  produces  are 
in  accordance  with  the  strength  of  the  buds,  and  the 
vital  energy  of  the  plant  which  was  stored  away  at  the 
end  of  summer      Coupled  with  this  is  the  gentle  or 
forcible  means  taken  to  bring  it  into  use  :  if  gentle  and 
steady,  they  will  be  fine,  because  they  are,  perhaps,  as- 
sisted by  the  plant  withdrawing  nourishment  from  the 
surrounding  matter  it  is  placed  in ;  if  forcible  means  be 
used,  the  stalks  will  most  likely  be  weak,  because  urged 
into  activity,  and  kept  there,  i'ed  solely  by  the  accumu- 
lated juices  stored  away  previously  to  its  being  taken  up. 
Having  said  this  much  on  the  early-forced  Rhubarb, 
it  is  proper  to  observe,  that  it  is  also  occasionally  forced 
in  the  natural  ground,  by  placing  long  and  wide-mouthed 
pots  over  the  plants,  covering  the  surrounding  ground 
with  fresh  tree-leaves  or  other  heating  material ;  in  this 
mode,  it  rarely  happens  that  any  mode  of  applying  it 
can  ensure  a  supply  of  stalks  before  the  beginning  of 
February,  after  which  it  furnislies  an  abundant  supply, 
and  it  has  the  additional  advantage  of  not  sacrificing 
any  plants,  and  the  shoots  can  by  accommodated  to  the 
open  air  without  injury,  and  a  supply  can  bo  furnished 
to  carry  on  the  family  until  the  earliest  kind  come  into 
use  in  the  open  air  in  the  common  way. 

It  may  be  projjer  to  observe,  that  when  plants  ai'e 
taken  up  and  stored  away  in  some  dry  warm  corner  to 
force,  watering  will  be  necessary,  and  if  this  be  done 
with  liquid-manure,  so  much  the  better,  as  the  require- 
ments of  the  plant  will  be  such  as  to  greedily  devour 
food  of  any  kind  that  may  be  placed  before  it ;  it  is  also 
necessary  to  caution  the  inexperienced  against  things 
which  at  times  commit  sad  depredations  on  this  and 
other  tender  crops,  but  the  rapidity  with  which  it  is  pro- 
pelled on  soon  outgrows  the  attacks  of  such  tiny 
assailants.  The  more  dangerous  or  difficult  part  of  the 
business  being  in  securing  the  plant  against  injury  by 
the  heating  matter,  and  the  earlier  the  season  in  which 
it  is  applied,  the  greater  the  danger ;  hence  the  propriety 
of  attending  oaiefully  to  this. 


It  is  needless  here  to  urge  the  growth  of  Rhubarb 
more  strongly  to  the  attention  of  cottagers,  for  it  has 
been  done  so  already,  and  its  uses  are  tolerably  well 
known ;  but  I  have  often  been  grieved  to  see  the  little 
attention  paid  it  by  them,  as  some  confined  spot  under 
a  tree,  hedge,  or  bush,  is  considered  good  enough ; 
hence  the  certainty  of  its  not  being  a  satisfactory  crop 
— for  a  gross  feeder  and  robust-habited  plant  like  the 
Rhubarb  can  ill  brook  to  be  confined  in  a  pot,  or  placed 
in  such  a  position  as  to  derive  no  more  nourishment 
than  a  moderate-sized  one  might  give;  on  the  contrary, 
I  advise  the  cottager  to  give  it  one  of  the  best  positions 
in  his  garden,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  the  result  will 
be  as  satisfactory  as  that  of  any  other  crop  planted 
in  the  same  place.  <I.  Robson. 


THE    MANAGEMENT   OF    DOWN    EWES    AND 

LAMBS. 
Having,  in  several  former  papers,  treated  of  the  mode  of 
management  to  be  adopted  in  keeping  forward  Ewes 
and  Lambs,  it  is  now  my  intention  to  write  upon  the 
treatment  necessary  for  the  management  of  the  latter 
description  of  stock — those  which  usually  drop  their 
Lambs  in  the  months  of  December,  January,  and 
February.  In  doing  so,  I  must  call  attention  to  one  or 
two  very  important  points,  for  it  must  be  admitted  that 
both  early  and  late  lambing  Ewes  have  each  advantages 
which  make  them  desirable  stock,  under  different  cir- 
cumstances, such  as  the  variations  of  soil  and  climate, 
as  also  the  extent  of  the  farm,  the  proportion  of  pasture 
and  arable  land,  and  the  rotation  of  crops,  &c.,  adopted 
thereon.  For  instance,  forward  Ewes,  to  make  early 
Lambs,  are  best  adapted  to  small  arable  farms,  where  a 
system  of  close  cropping  and  high  farming  is  pursued, 
and  upon  those  soils  where  a  large  portion  of  land  is 
annually  sown  to  Wheat.  Having  two  farms  under  my 
own  management,  one  of  which  is  stocked  with  horned 
Ewes  for  rearing  early  Lambs,  the  other  with  Down 
Ewes,  which  bring  their  Lambs  in  the  months  of  De- 
cember and  January,  I  find  the  early  stock  get  through  a 
large  quantity  of  roots  at  an  early  period  of  the  season, 
which  enables  me  to  sow  an  extended  breadth  of  Wheat; 
whei'eas,  upon  the  farm  where  the  Down  Ewes  and 
Jjambs  are  kept,  the  root  crops  are  not  fed  oiF,  more  than 
in  time  sufficient  for  sowing  the  land  to  Oats  and  Barley. 
Again,  in  the  spring,  when  the  roots  are  consumed,  it 
is  a  common  practice  to  sell  all  the  forward  Lambs, 
and  two-thirds  of  the  Ewes,  before  the  grass  and  green 
crops  are  ready  for  feeding ;  yet,  in  the  case  of  Down 
Ewes,  it  is  good  management  if  half  the  Lambs  are  fit 
for  sale  at  the  time  the  Turnips,  &c.,  are  consumed,  say 
the  first  week  in  May.  The  Ewes  are  seldom  fat 
enough  for  the  butcher  until  shearing  time — that  is, 
the  latter  end  of  May,  or  the  beginning  of  June.  These 
are  important  points  in  farm  economy,  and  must  be 
specially  provided  for.  In  the  case  of  eai'ly  stock,  the 
numbers  will  be  so  much  diminished  by  sale,  before  the 
grass  feeding  commences,  that  but  little,  if  any,  en- 
croachment will  be  made  upon  the  provision  for  the 
stock  of  the  ensuing  season.  On  the  other  hand,  where 
Down  Ewes  ai'e  kept  an  extensive  provision  in  green 


Ui 


THK  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


UECEMBEr.  ii'.l 


crops,  sucli  as  Eye,  Trifolium,  auJ  Tares,  must  be  maJe, 
j   ^vith  JMangokl  Wurtzel  of  the  last  year's  growth  kept  in 
I   reserve,  or  else,  such  is  their  requirements,  when  de- 
liending  upon  grass  feed  alone,  that  but  little  grass  can 
j   be  reserved  for  Hay  to  supply  the  stock  of  the  suc- 
ceeding year. 

I  It  is,  therefore,  quite  clear,  from  the  foregoing  ob- 
;  servations,  that  Down  Ewes  for  breeding  are  best 
j  adapted  for  large  farms,  where  a  portion  of  the  stock 
i  consists  of  Wether  Slieep,  &o.,  which  are  usually  sold 
I  off  out  of  Turnips,  thereby  diminishing  the  pressure 
i  upon  tlie  summer  keeping.  And  they  are  also  well  cal- 
;   culated  for  farms  containing  a  considerable  proportion 

of  pasture  land,  which  may  be  fed  during  the  summer 

season. 

The  next  thing  to  be  named  is  the  selection  of  stock. 
There  are  various  kinds  of  Down  Ewes  in  ordinary  . 
use.  Those  for  producing  Lambs  in  the  months  of 
December  and  January,  being  bought  in  as  stock  chiefly 
from  the  breeding  districts  of  Dorset,  Somerset,  and 
part  of  Wilts,  are  for  the  most  part  of  Southdown 
origin,  aUhough  of  late  many  of  these  flocks  have  been 
much  improved  by  the  introduction  of  the  improved 
Hampshire  blood,  whereby  the  size  and  value  of  the 
Ewes  have  been  much  increased  ;  and  it  is  found  they 
will  bring  their  Lambs  quite  as  early  after  being 
crossed  in  this  manner,  the  propensity  for  early  breed- 
ing being  attributable  to  the  soil  and  climate  of  the 
before-named  counties.  When  Ewes  are  required  ibr 
rearing  Lambs  for  sale  in  the  summer  months,  and  for 
feeding  in  pasture  districts,  it  is  usual  to  select  the 
improved  stock  of  the  Hampshire  Down  breed,  which  is 
peculiarly  adapted  as  breeding  stock  for  the  higli  chalk 
hills  of  Hampshire,  Berksliire,  and  part  of  Wiltshire. 
Tliis  breed  is  the  best  for  producing  Lambs  of  large 
size,  and  where  great  weight  is  desirable ;  but,  to  be 
killed  as  Lamb,  they  do  not  usually  come  to  hand  so 
quick  as  the  breed  of  Southdown  origin. 

It  has  been  found  a  good  plan,  instead  of  waitiug 
until  tlie  autumn  for  the  purchase  of  Lamb  Ewes  of 
tlie  Hampshire  breed,  to  buy  them  in  the  month  of 
July,  and  take  them  into  enclosed  grazing  farms,  keep- 
ing them  high,  and  turning  the  Tup  with  them  imme- 
diately ;  by  which  management,  some  of  the  best  and 
earliest  down  Lambs  I  have  ever  seen  have  been  ob- 
tained. The  climate  and  soil  of  most  of  the  enclosed 
arable  farms  of  the  southern  and  eastern  counties  is 
such  as  to  almost  ensure  the  Ewes  having  Lambs  at 
the  earliest  period,  although  they  might  have  been 
selected  from  stock  bred  upon  high  and  exposed  situa- 
tions, and  where  the  regular  breeding  flock  does  not 
lamb  until  late  in  the  season. 

Wlien  Ewes  are  bred  between  the  Southdown  and 
Hampshire,  I  would  put  them  to  Rams  of  the  same 
cross  for  producing  fat  Lambs;  on  the  other  hand,  if 
the  Ewes  are  of  the  Hampshire  breed,  it  is  best  to  use 
a  pure-bred  Sussex  Down  Ram.  I  would  here  caution 
parties  against  the  reverse  of  this,  for  I  have  known  ' 
great  losses  in  lambing  ensue  when  the  large'  Hamp-  ! 


shire   Rams  have   been    used   with   pure-bred   Sussex 
Down  Ewes. 

The  mode  of  keeping  the  Ewes  previously  to  lambing 
should  be  earned  out  with  great  regularity,  for  although 
generous,  and,  indeed,  high  feeding  may  be  necessary 
to  induce  the'  Ewes  to  have  early  Lambs,  yet,  after 
they  are  proved  to  he  pregnant,  very  luxuriant  food 
often  proves  disadvantageous,  causing  loss  both  of  Ewes 
and  Lambs. 
I,  therefore,  advise,  that  at  any  stage  of  pregnancy 
I  the  Ewes  should  be  kept  upon  close,  bare  keep  diu'ing 
the  greater  part  of  the  day  ;  and  that  when  it  is  neces- 
sary to  feed  ofl:'  grass  which  may  be  gross,  it  should  be 
left  until  late  in  the  season,  and  when  it  has  been  under 
the  influence  of  night  frosts  for  a  time.  It  will  prove 
more  hearty  and  healthy  food,  and  should  be  given  iu 
limited  proportions  once  a-day,  "being  divided  off  by 
luu'dles.  similar  to  the  method  adopted  in  feeding-off 
Turnips.  The  Forward  Horned  Dorsets  usually  lamb 
early  enough  to  feed  all  the  best  grass  with  their  Lambs 
at  their  side,  and  thereby  make  a  profitable  use  of  it. 
The  Down  Ewes,  however,  geuerally  consume  all  the 
grass  upon  the  farm  before  they  lamb,  and  often  require 
roots  and  Hay  afterwards.  I  cannot  admit  it  to  be  a 
good  plan  to  allow  them  to  feed  the  Clover  seeds;  these 
should  be  reserved  as  a  turn-out  for  the  Ewes  and 
Lambs,  for  about  a  week  or  ten  days  previously  to  their 
going  together  into  the  Turnips.  Regard  must  be  had, 
however,  to  the  weather,  for,  in  case  of  frost,  the  Clover 
will  receive  great  damage  by  feeding,  and  it  is,  at  the 
same  time,  the  worst  lying  the  young  Lambs  can  have 
during  frosty  nights. 

It  is  necessary  that  this  stock  should  have  a  dry, 
sheltered,  roomy  fold-yard  provided  for  the  lambing 
season.  A  shed,  ten  or  twelve  feet  wide,  enclosing  two 
or  three  sides  of  a  square,  is  best;  the  bottom  should 
be  covered  about  six  inches  iu  depth  with  peat  soil,  or  i 
dry  loamy  earth;  this  will  not  only  absorb  the  urine, 
but  will  assist  in  keeping  the  fold  dry.  The  fold  should 
then  be  littered  over  with  straw,  and  a  fresh  supply 
continually  added  as  cleanliness  requires. 

A  provision  should  be  made  near  the  fold  of  roots 
or  Cabbages,  in  case  of  frost  and  snow ;  the  latter  is  to 
be  preferred,  because  they  are  more  wholesome  food  for 
the  Ewes  before  lambing.  I  cannot  recommend  the 
practice  of  giving  roots  in  this  case,  for  I  have  known 
a  great  loss  of  Ewes  from  premature  lambing  after 
having  been  fed  upon  Turnips.  It  must,  however,  be 
allowed,  that  of  all  the  roots  Swedish  Turnijis  are  the 
best  for  the  purpose  ;  and  it  is  important  that  the  Ewes 
should  have  a  run  upon  pasture  land  during  the  day, 
and  when  feeding  upon  roots  they  ought  to  receive  a 
liberal  allowance  of  good  Hay. 

JosEM  Blundell. 

{To  he  coiiliniicd.) 


DECEirUEK  Si). 


THE  COTTAGE    GARDENEll. 


Ui) 


ALLOTMENT  FARMING— JANUARY. 

The  compliments  of  tlie  season  to  our  allotment  and 
cottage  gardeners;  may  tlie  new  year  aft'ord  tliem  every 
elianee  of  laying  the  foundation  of  prosperous  cultivation ; 
and  may  they  enjoy  the  inestimable  blessing  of  good  health, 
to  carry  out  their  views.  In  casting  our  eyes  on  the  past 
we  shall  And  abundant  cause  to  he  exceedingly  thankful ; 
the  PoUitoc  ilisra^c^  which  at  one  time  threatened  almost 
the  entire  destruction  of  this  valuable  root,  has  not  been 
so  bad  as  was  anticipated ;  and  although  harvesting  was, 
in  the  main,  carried  out  under  very  untoward  circum- 
stances, yet  we  have  enjoyed,  what  I  must  term,  a  cheap 
loaf,  as  compai'ed  with  some  of  the  prices  in  by-gone  days. 
Let  those  who  cannot  duly  estimate  the  latter  blessing  just 
he  reminded,  that  in  the  year  1709  the  four  pound  loaf  was 
about  two  shillings  I  What  would  folks  say  in  these  times  to 
sixpence  a  pound  for  bread?  Thanks  to  God,  all  seas  are 
now  covered  with  the  trading  vessels  of  Britain,  and  were  it 
not  for  that  dreadful  scourge  of  humanity,  warfare,  it  would 
he  all  but  impossible  that  famine  could  again  be  known ; 
for  we  have  never  known  harvests  to  fail  in  the  same  year 
all  over  the  world. 

Let,  then,  woricing  men  consider  these  blessings,  take  fresh 
heart,  and  screw  up  their  courage  anew,  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  rising  spring. 

I  hope  that  my  former  advices  concerning  the  improve- 
ment of  the  soil  have  been,  at  least,  in  part,  carried  out; 
and  let  me  impress  on  my  friends,  the  small  gardeners  or 
farmers — whom  I  feel  very  desirous  of  advising  in  a  practical 
and  profitable  way — the  propriety  ('let  us  say  the  necessity) 
of  not  losing  a  chance  during  this  month  of  persevering  in 
such  a  course.  Some  of  our  readers  may,  perhaps,  be 
necessitated  to  lose  a  little  time,  by  chance,  at  their  regular 
calling ;  let  it  not,  however,  be  lost  time  in  reality ;  let  it 
record  double  duty.  A  willing  man  who  feels  a  real  interest 
in  Ills  own  plot,  and  whose  mind  occasionally  glows  with  the 
anticipation  of  manufacturing  a  fat  hog  or  two  annxially, 
and  of  seeing  his  children  with  ruddy  and  contented  faces 
— sucli  an  one,  I  say,  armed  with  a  good  spade,  and  with  a 
fork,  and  wheelbarrow  at  his  elbow,  will  do  much,  even  in  a 
few  hours,  if  the  weather  will  favour  his  operations. 

Over-hours,  this  month,  are  entirely  out  of  the  question  ; 
and  sooner  than  omit  real  improvements,  or  postpone  them 
until  spring  has  arrived,  let  me  advise  that  a  day  he  occa- 
sionally solicited  from  regular  employ.  February,  let  it  be 
remembered,  is  already,  as  it  were,  appearing  plain  in  the 
foreground  of  time's  picture,  and  being  notorious  for  weep- 
ing propensities,  let  our  friends  bear  in  mind  th  e  utility  of  look- 
ing well  to  gutters,  drains,  or  other  water-courses.  I  should 
hope,  that  where  a  regular  allotment  system  is  established 
of  any  consequence,  that  the  founders  have  so  managed 
matters, as  that  what  we  will  call  a  "main"  has  been  provided ; 
that  is  to  say,  one  outlet  common  to  every  secondary  drain 
or  gutter  which  after  experience  may  introduce.  If  such 
main  exist,  of  course  it  will  be'  ever  necessary  to  see  that 
no  obstructions  occur,  no  mud,  coarse  herbage,  or  other 
matter,  be  allowed  to  obstruct  the  passage  of  v/ater. 

I  have  before  alluded  to  the  charring  of  weeds,  ifcc,  and 
the  gathering  of  soot  as  manure.  The  young  crops  must 
be  pushed  forward  at  railway  speed  when  once  above 
ground,  for  it  is  not  he  who  sows  or  plants  earliest,  but  he 
who,  when  he  does  so,  makes  a  plant  in  the  least  time,  that 
will  command  the  greater  share  of  success.  The  soot  well 
husbanded  may  be  put  iu  any  corner  where  rain  cannot 
reach  it,  and  as  I  have  before  advised,  so  I  repeat,  that  a 
little  guano  should  be  added  to  it,  and  this  needs  nothing  more 
to  make  it  a  compost  (or  what  we  call  priming),  but  a  few 
baiTowfuls  of  old,  dry,  and  mellowed  dung,  or  rich  soil, 
which  will  divide  the  atoms  of  guano  and  soot;  such  a 
mixture  will  force  almost  any  young  vegetable  forward  in 
an  astonishing  degree,  and  this  is  the  best  way  to  escape 
grubs,  the  fly,  itc. 

Our  great  Turnip-growers  know  all  this ;  and  it  applies  to 
almost  all  our  crops  as  well  as  Turnips. 

After  j>reparing  the  soil,  as  thus  advised,  for  the  coming 
spring,  in  the  next  place,  let  me  advise,  once  more,  that  our 
friends  make  up  their  minds  to  their  course  of  cropping. 
This  done,  let  them  look  well  to  their  manure-heap,  and  see 
if  anything  can  be  done  for  it.    I  have  so  often  said  that 


ordinary  manure-heaps  should  he  turned  in  the  autumn, 
and  formed  into  two  portions,  that  I  need  scarcely  repeat 
the  suggestion. 

The  muck-heap  of  the  ordinary  cottager  will  show,  at  this 
period,  two  characters  distinct  enough  to  point  to  a  couple 
of  uses.  The  very  coarsest,  or  recently  made  manure, 
should,  in  December  or  January,  be  separated,  and  the  older 
residue  turned  by  itself,  and  well  mixed  for  peculiar  purposes. 

As  to  cropping  affairs,  in  .January,  little  can  lie  done.  If 
the  occupier  desire  to  have  some  early  Peas  or  lieans,  let 
him  sow  some  Prince  Albert  Peas  and  Marslialts  Prolific 
Beans,  as  early  in  the  month  as  the  weather  will  let  him. 
If  he  wants  early  Radishes,  he  may  sow  an  ounce  of  Wood's 
Earbj  Frame  at  the  same  time.  At  the  end  of  the  month 
he  may  sow  a  bed  of  early  Horn  Carrots,  in  a  warm  corner, 
and,  indeed,  the  Radishes  may  be  sprinkled  amongst  them, 
to  save  labour.  The  Rhubarb,  for  early  work,  should  have 
been  covered  in  the  beginning  of  November,  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  keeping  in  the  ground-heat;  if  not  done  then,  let 
the  cultivator  watch  a  mild  period  and  do  the  thing  now. 
If  there  be  any  Lettuce  or  other  matter  intended  to  be 
early  in  spring,  they  will  be  safer  with  some  protection  in 
hard  weather ;  and  even  "  pricked-out"  Cabbage  plants  will 
amply  repay  for  a  little  loose  litter  scattered  over  them 
occasionally  in  severe  weather. 

Having  little  more  advice  to  give,  I  must  now  put  in 
practice  the  advice  once  given  by  a  sage  adviser  to  great 
talkers  and  great  writers,  "  to  be  sure  to  leave  oft'  when 
thev  had  done."  E.  Ebeingioh. 


WHITE   COMB. 

Having  lately  had  a  very  bad  case  of  this  complaint  in  a 
Cochin  cockerel,  I  endeavoured  to  procure  some  cocoa-nut 
oil  to  dress  it  with,  according  to  the  recommendation  in 
The  Cottage  Gakdenee,  but  being  unable  to  procure  it, 
I  determined  to  try  an  ointment  known  at  the  druggists  as 
"citrine  ointment,"  into  which  I  had  a  little  turmeric  and 
olive  oil  introduced ;  the  latter,  to  make  it  more  easy  of 
application.  I  rubbed  the  comb  and  roots  of  the  feathers 
near  the  same  with  this  ointment,  and  repeated  the  same 
every  three  or  four  days.  After  applying  it  four  times  the 
bird  was  quite  well  of  the  complaint;  and  as  the  cure  was 
so  etfectual,  and  the  trouble  and  cost  so  trilling,  I  think  it 
well  worth  making  public. — "  One  in  the  Ring." 


^y 


APIARIAN'S   CALENDAR.— Januaby. 

J.  H.  Payne,  Esq.,  Author  of  "  The  Bee-Keeper's 
Guide,"  (ic. 

The  sun  has  again  begun  to  climb,  and  with  the  lenglh- 
enin[^'iiiid  brightening  days  the  apiarian  must  increase  his 
diligence  towards  his  little  pets  by  attending  carefully  and 
unceasingly  to  their  wants,  for  as  surely  as  they  are  neg- 
lected, if  only  for  a  day,  their  ruin  will  follow ;  for  of  all 
seasons,  during  the  present  century,  this  may  certainly  be 
pronounced  the  worst,  and  without  the  greatest  attention 
being  given,  utter  ruin  to  every  stock  must  follow,  for 
scarcely  one  in  a  hundred  has  been  able  to  store  sufficient 
food  to  carry  them  through  the  winter;  and  where  the  popu- 
lation is  low  (which  is  the  case,  I  fear,  in  many  stocks),  it 
is  a  doubtful  matter  if  even  with  the  most  careful  feeding 
they  can  be  made  to  survive  the  winter. 

Hives. — Should  any  of  the  readers  of  The  Cottage 
Gakdenek  wish  to  be  supplied  with  hives  from  my  maker, 
let  the  order  be  given  early,  for  it  will  save  delay  and  incon- 
venience, as  well  as  give  him  employment  during  the  winter 
months,  for  his  infirmities  prevent  his  engaging  in  any 
other  occupation  at  that  season. 

Flooe-eoards. — The  necessity  of  cleaning  floor-boards, 
shutting-up  the  hives  when  snow  is  on  the  ground,  watching 
against  birds,  &c.,  has  already  been  fuUy  insisted  upon. 

Food. — ^When  the  hives  are  very  weak,  that  is,  having 
only  two  or  three  pounds  of  honey  in  store,  I  would  recom- 
mend a  few  pounds  of  syrup  being  given  as  before  directed, 
viz.,  one  pound  of  loaf-sugar,    one-quarter-pint  of  water, 


246 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  29. 


and  one- quarter  pound  of  honey,  simmered  together  over 
a  slow  fire  until  the  sugar  is  melted,  and  when  cold  given 
to  the  bees,  and  at  the  top  ot  the  hive  if  possible ;  hut 
where  they  have  a  little  richer  store,  harley-sugar  may  be 
given  instead  of  sjTup. 


POULTRY-YARD   REPORT. 

The  "  Poultry-yard  Reports,"  in  your  very  useful  perio- 
dical, from  various  parties,  have  been  vei'y  interesting  to  mo, 
and  no  doubt  to  all  who  are  desirous  to  know  what  the  true 
cost  of  keeping  Poultry  is.  That  of  "  H.  G."  in  yoiur  number 
for  October  20th,  makes  the  expense  much  less  than  I  have 
been  able  to  do  with ;  but  most  of  his  13(i  Cochins  being 
"  chickens  "  (many  of  them  perhaps  small),  and  particu- 
larly the  circumstance  of  his  always  feeding  them  himself, 
will  go  to  account  for  it.  I  have  kept  Poultry,  and  indeed 
felt  interested  in  tlie  pursuit  for  the  last  fifteen  yeai-s,  but 
have  not  given  attention  to  tlie  exact  quantity  of  food  re- 
quired to  support  a  certain  number  of  fowls  until  the  last 
year.  Wy  stock  comprises  Cochins,  Spanish,  and  Bantams, 
Tm-keys,  Ducks,  and  Guinea  Fowls,  kept  in  diftereut  yards, 
for  the  feeding  of  the  whole  of  which  I  have  weekly  given 
the  allowance.  The  quantity  required  is  somewhat  more 
than  it  would  be  for  fowls  alone,  but  not  much,  as  it  will  be 
seen  that  I  have  only  eight  Turkeys.  The  quantity  con- 
sumed, and  calculation  founded  on  it,  will,  I  believe,  how- 
ever, be  useful  to  some  of  your  readers.  That  the  allowance 
has  been  ample,  the  condition  of  the  whole  of  my  Poultry 
proves ;  my  Cochin  cockerels,  weighing  0  and  10  lbs. 
and  upwards,  and  not  very  early  birds ;  and  the  condition 
and  beauty  of  the  plumage  of  my  Ponltrj  has  attracted 
observation.     My  stock,  when  last  taken,  was, 

182  Cochins,   and  Spanish,  mostly  chickens  of  April, 
May,  and  June; 

b  Bantams; 

5  Guinea  Fowl ; 

8  Turkeys ; 

n  Ducks. 

209  head  of  Poultry. 

Weekly  allowance  of  food  for  them,  besides  vegetables  : 
3  bushels  of  bai-ley,  at  4s.  tid.  .     .     .  i'O  l-l     fi 
2i         „         barley  meal,  at  4s.  Rd.  .     Oil     3 
2  „         hran,  at  ls.3d.     ...     0     2     (i 


Zl     7     3 

The  20f)  head  of  Poultry,  at  lid.  .  .  XI  6  IJ 
and,  allowing  a  trifle  for  turnips,  as  stated  below,  the  cost  is 
something  over  lid.  per  head,  per  week ;  hut  this  must  vary 
with  the  price  of  the  food.  As  to  ijunnlUy  of  food  pev-heKd, 
per  week,  1  take  one  quart  of  barley  as  sufficient  for  '.,  foirl, 
as  the  ground  of  my  calculation.  There  are  thirty -two  qyarts 
in  a  bushel ;  so  that  a  bushel  will  feed  thirty-two  full-grown 
fowls  for  a  week.  Whatever  part  is  given  in  the  form  of 
barley-meal  for  soft  food,  1-Hbs.  will  be  about  equal  to  one 
quart,  which  makes  48  lbs.  of  ground  meal  to  the  bushel. 
By  taking  these  measures  and  weights  as  a  standard,  the 
quantity  of  food  required  for  any  given  number  of  Poultry 
can  be  immediately  determined.  If  part  of  the  stock  are 
chickens,  two,  or  even  three,  if  small,  can  be  reckoned  for  a 
full-grown  fowl.  If  Poultry  have  been  regularly  well  fed, 
they  will  consume  much  less  than  lean,  hungry  tilings. 
My  Poultry  are  fed  as  follows: — The  first  thing  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  let  out,  they  have  bai'ley  thrown  them ;  at  eleven 
o'clock,  they  have  soft  meat  in  troughs,  a  little  bemg  thrown 
on  the  ground,  that  all  may  feed  at  once.  It  is  composed 
of  onc-thirri  barley-meal,  one-third  bran,  and  oiic-l/urd  Swede 
turnips,  boiled  and  pressed  through  a  mashing  machine : 
these  are  well  mixed  together.  The  fowls  are  vei-y  fond  of 
it,  and  it  is  a  very  filling  and  economical  food.  In  the 
evening,  they  again  have  a  little  barley  thrown  them. 
Having  fixed  the  quantity  per  head,  as  above  stated,  it  is 
easy  to  calculate  the  daily  allowance,  or  the  allowance  for 
each  meal.  Never  give  animal  food ;  but  all  my  Poultry 
having  a  run  on  grass,  doiibtless  find  insects  and  worms,  of 
which  they  are  very  fond. 


Before  finishmg  this  paper,  which,  I  fear,  is  ah'eady  too 
long,  I  beg  to  remai'k  on  a  statement  in  your  number  of  the 
17th  of  November,  on  the  colour  of  Shanghae's  legs.  I  beg 
to  inquire.  Is  the  yellow  leg  a  "specific  feature?"  Several 
of  the  best  formed  and  coloured  buds  that  I  have  seen 
have  pink-white,  or  flesh-colom"ed  legs,  (not  a  dead  white) ; 
and,  as  far  as  my  observation  has  gone,  the  pink-white  leg 
is  generally  associated  with  a  better-coloured  skin,  and  a 
whiter  fluff',  and  with  the  under  or  downy  part  of  the 
feathers  all  over  the  bird  of  a  purer  white.  There,  pro- 
bably, are  some  pale  yellow-legged  Shanghaes  of  equal 
colour;  but  if  there  is  anything  in  my  obseiTation,  together 
with  the  knomi  prejudice  of  all  the  old  writers  on  domestic 
poultry,  as  well  as  of  epicures  and  cooks,  against  yellow 
legs,  as  indicating  coarseness  of  flesh,  surely  pink-white  or 
flesh-coloured  legs,  which  have  been  considered  best  for  a 
table  fowl,  (except  it  can  be  shown  that  they  are  not  an 
essential  property  of  the  Shanghae  fowl,)  should  not  be 
condemned.  If  there  is  such  a  vai'iety  or  sub-variety,  or  if 
pure  bred  yellow-legged  birds  are  apt  to  produce  chickens 
with  pink-white  legs,  then  surely  they  should  be  cultivated 
in  preference  to  an  inferior  coloured  legged  bird;  for  when 
the  Shanghae  fowl  comes  to  stand  entirely  on  its  merits  for 
use,  I  cannot  but  think  its  yellow  legs,  and  fret|uently  yellow 
skin,  will  be  its  chief  drawbacks.  I  think  highly  of  the 
Shanghae,  or,  improperly,  the  Cochin-China;  and  have 
been  at  considerable  trouble  and  expense  to  get  the  best. 
Mr.  .Tohn  Baily,  of  Mount  Sti-eet,  says,  in  liis  little  but 
excellent  work,  of  the  Cochin-China,  "  flesh-coloured  legs 
are  inadmissible."  Mr.  Trotter,  in  his  essay,  speaking  of 
the  coloui'  of  their  legs,  says  a  "pinky -white  is  most 
admired."     The  Rev.  S.  Dixon  is  to  the  same  effect. 

My  only  object  in  making  these  observations  is  the  wish, 
that  if  the  Shanghae  fowl  with  flesh-coloured  legs  is  legiti- 
mate, it  should  be  cultivated,  and,  perhaps,  in  preference  to 
the  yellow-legged  bird.  I  believe,  that  by  careful  breeding, 
the  Shanghae  may  be  produced  a  short-legged,  compact 
fowl  that  will  vie  with  the  Dorking  for  the  table;  and  its 
properties  as  a  layer  and  niurse,  together  with  its  hardihood 
of  constitution,  size,  and  docility,  will  constitute  it,  perhaps, 
the  most  desirable  of  fowls  for  general  keeping.  J.  B. 


POTATOES   FOR   EVER! 

To  be  "useful"  is  my  highest  ambition,  but  to  gain 
approbation  through  anything  I  may  have  been  enabled  to 
say,  or  do,  for  the  benefit  of  others,  is,  indeed,  encouraging, 
and  nerves  one  on  one's  way.  Mr.  Tasker's  "cheer"  is 
genuine,  and  comes  very  "  refreshing  to  the  ti'aveller."  Of 
this  I  beg  him  to  remain  assured  ;  for  cheers  to  me  are 
"  angels  visits,  few  and  fai-  between." 

In  regard  to  Mr.  T.'s  questions,  as  to  "how  I  manage  to 
grow  more  than  one  hundred  sacks  of  Potatoes  to  the  acre? " 
1  simply  answer,  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow,  which  brings  me 
at  once  to  a  bump  distinguishable  upon  my  forehead, 
thongh  whether  this  hump  betokens  system,  or  order,  I  am 
not  phrenologist  sufficient  to  discover ;  hut  of  this  I  am 
certain,  that  without  system,  and  without  order,  no  man 
can  raise  a  production  sufficiently  remunerative  (or  grow 
rich  either),  work  he  ever  so  hard.  To  render  my  answers 
clear  and  orderly,  I  must  enter  somewhat  into  particulars, 
and  state,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  extent  of  my  Potato 
culture  is  confined  to  a  garden  which  I  have  under  a  three- 
course  system  of  cropping,  where  no  similar  species  is 
allowed  to  occupy  the  same  ground  oftener  than  once  in 
thrco  yeai's — part  of  the  secret  of  the  one  hundred  and 
forty  sacks.  My  compartmental  arrangements  of  crups  I 
will  endeavour  to  convey  by  ]iointiug  out  their  occupation 
this  year,  and  their  situation  for  the  next,  and  so  on. 

First  division — Potatoes,  main  crop  ;  secoiul  earlier  sorts, 
such  as  the  FiniyfnUh,  Martin's  Secdliinj.  Loaker'f  Oxonian, 
Ml/lot's  Flour  Bull',B.ndPrlnceo/Wales.  (ifl  should  bo  spiu'ed, 
I  intend  to  secm-e  seed  of  the  latter  for  next  year,  and  send 
it  out  in  earnest,  if  our  Editor,  upon  his  trial  of  it,  pronounces 
it  worthy).  These  varieties  are  ripe  and  ready  for  lifting 
quite  by  the  beginning  of  August.  Then-  site  is  then 
trenched  and  well  manm-ed  to  receive  strong  plants  of  the 
winter  and  spring  families  of  Cabbage-worts. 


Deoembee  39. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


2-17 


Second  division — Root  wops. — Turnips,  Beet,  Carrots, 
Parsnips,  Onions,  &c.  Tliis  ground  can  be  at  liberty  by  the 
beginning  of  December,  to  become  bastard  trenched,  and 
laid  up  in  ridges  for  the  action  of  the  winter  frosts,  to  be 
planted  with  the  main  crop  of  Potatoes  the  first  favourable 
opportunity  in  March,  i  strongly  urged  autumn-planting 
two  years  ago ;  but  as  practice  works  progress,  the  system  I 
adopted  this  year  I  intend  to  continue,  for  I  am  inclined  to 
think  the  plan  accelerated  the  formation  of  the  tubers  a 
fortnight  at  the  least.  I  have  my  seed  in  preparation,  an 
explanation  of  which  will  answer  the  questioir  about  "sets." 
I  choose  middling  sized  wliole  Potatoes,  (grown  under  my 
own  observation  on  a  neighbour's  ground,  a  light  gravelly 
soil,  opposite  in  its  nature  to  my  own,  which  is  a  sound 
gravelly  loam).  The  seed  is  now  disposed  in  single  layers 
upon  shallow  wooden  ti'ays,  and  secured  from  contact  with 
damp  in  an  underground  cellar,  having  a  temperature 
ranging  from  40°  to  45° ;  its  dimensions  are  nine  feet  by 
eighteen  feet,  and  it  is  dimly  lighted  by  a  glazed  aperture, 
measuring  three  feet  by  six  inches.  The  young  eyes  on 
the  tubers  are  just  budding  forth.  I  shall  soon  attend  to  the 
"  spurting  "  process,  and  leave  one  shoot  upon  those  sets 
which  ai'e  the  size  of  a  small  hen's  egg,  and  two  shoots  to  those 
which  exceed  that  size ;  I  follow  up  the  disbudding  as  fast 
as  the  shoots  appear,  and,  by  planting  time,  the  shoots 
allowed  to  remain  are  become  robust  and  purple  with 
health,  with  young  roots  starting  from  around  their  base, 
stm-dy,  so  to  speak,  as  the  quills  of  a  porcupine.  The 
advantage  can  be  plainly  seen  over  the  old  enervating, 
spurting,  and  cutting  method.  Nothing  is  here  lost  to  the 
potato;  whatever  virtue  is  gone  out  of  it  remains  elaborated 
in  the  young  shoot,  and  the  tuber  is/lelivered  to  the  soil, 
with  its  powers  about  it,  in  addition  to  a  young  plant,  with 
roots  and  leaves  germinating,  ready  to  compete  for  the  light 
of  day,  and  to  begin  their  fructifying  functions  •nithout 
loss  of  time. 

To  return  to  the  soil.  When  the  ridges  are  in  a  frozen 
state,  about  the  beginning  of  February,  I  take  the  oppor- 
tunity to  break  them  up,  leaving  the  soil  something  re- 
sembling to  a  Polar  Sea  in  minature  ;  it  is  again  forked 
over  the  first  dry  and  favourable  opportunity,  preparatory  for 
planting,  which  brings  me  to  the  questions — "  Width  of 
chills,  and  the  distance  at  which  the  sets  are  placed?"  and 
"  Whether  manure  is  put  in  the  drills  at  the  time  of  planting, 
in  spring,  or  dug-in  in  autumn  ?  " 

I  am  a  decided  advocate  for  pure  air,  and  manage  to  let  it 
circulate  as  freely  as  possible  amongst  all  animal  and  veget- 
able life  under  my  charge.  I  give  thirty  inches  between  the 
rows  for  the  main  crop  of  Potatoes ;  the  drills  are  foimedin 
depth  six  inches,  if  the  planting  is  conducted  early  in 
March ;  if  towards  the  latter  end,  not  quite  so  deep ;  from 
fourteen  to  eighteen  inches,  according  to  the  size  of  the 
set,  is  the  distance  I  place  between  them  in  the  drills,  a 
method  for  forming  which,  and  the  after-management,  I 
recently  explained,  at  page  4'.J8,  in  the  last  volume  of  The 
Cottage  Gaedenee. 

According  to  my  judgment,  the  rule  of  applying  raw 
manm-e  to  the  drills  at  planting  time  is  radically  wrong.  It 
must  be  bad  practice  to  place  a  pulpy  tuber  into  a  mass  of 
sweltering  corruption,  and  I  am  confident  the  future  culture 
of  the  Potato  will  prove  it  so.  If,  however,  manure  is 
decided  upon,  let  me  advise  it  be  worked  into  the  land  now, 
though  thus  to  give  manure,  as  Mr.  Beaton  once  justly 
observed,  is  vei'y  much  like  putting  bread  and  cheese  with 
a  dead  man  into  his  coffin,  where  nothing  is  active  to 
partake  of  it.  A  better  method  would  be  to  get  the  land 
thoroughly  pulverised,  by  bastard  trenching  {viz.  keeping 
the  bottom  spit  down)  to  the  depth  of  two  feet,  the  ground 
is  thus  made  open  iot  the  warmth  and  action  of  the  atmo- 
sphere, thus  encouraging  the  decomposition  of  organic  and 
other  substances  ever  present  in  all  soils  which,  looked  out 
from  the  air,  would  remain  there  unproductive  till  doomsday. 

If  the  land  will  bear  liming,  one  of  the  greatest  benefits 
would  be  found  by  spreading  fifty  bushels  or  more  per  acre, 
fresh  from  the  kiln,  and  work  it  into  the  surface  just  before 
planting  time.  Its  effect  would  prove  far  more  productive 
in  generating  those  gases  which  are  congenial  to  the 
Potato  than  the  most  bountiful  application  of  manure  that 
could  be  appUed.  But,  where  lime  would  be  found  unsuit- 
able to  the  soil,  or,  from  its  nature,  soot  and  salt  mixed 


(forty  bushels  of  soot,  and  twenty  bushels  of  salt  per  acre), 
and  applied  in  the  manner  of  lime-dressing,  is  a  worthy 
substitute ;  in  fact,  this  latter  dressing  could  not  be  mis- 
applied upon  any  soil.  I  use  whichever  of  the  substances 
is  most  come-at-able  at  the  time,  and  the  soot  and  salt  have, 
latterly,  most  corn-ted  my  company,  though,  to  speak  truth, 
the  first  is  my  greatest  favourite. 

Now,  compare  the  above  method  with  the  too  common 
leave-go  habit  of  allowing  the  soil  to  become  livery,  sod- 
dened,  and  uncared  for,  over-nm  with  weeds  and  aU  the 
children,  until  the  last  moment  in  spring,  when  a  hundred 
other  things  require  attending  to,  to  be  then  hurriedly  and 
improperly  dug,  and  similarly  sown,  and,  what  is  worse,  the 
Potatoes  themselves  have  been  allowed  to  undergo  a  like 
careless  treatment ;  probably  kept  in  jumbled  masses, 
heated,  forced  into  germination,  and  deprived  of  their  long 
premature  shoots  over  and  over  again,  till  almost  every 
hearty  property  of  the  tuber  is  sacrificed  and  gone ;  then,  as 
a  final  stroke,  cut  to  pieces  and  placed  along  with  raw 
manure  in  the  drills  at  planting,  thus  adding,  as  it  were, 
insult  to  injury,  and  laying  the  surest  foundation  for  disease 
that  could  possibly  be  thought  of.  Eschew  the  lazy  practice 
as  you  would  the  plague. 

Third  division  —  Mixed  crops.  Early  Potatoes,  Peas, 
Beans,  and  so  forth.  This  compartment  serves  also  for  the 
Celery  trenches,  and  flying  crops,  such  as  Lettuce,  Endive, 
&c.  This  mixed  produce  is  assisted  solely  through  the 
season  by  apphcations  of  liquid-manures.  It  will,  for  next 
year,  take  the  place  of  the  winter  and  spring  Cabbageworts, 
as  they  are  used  from  off  their  ground,  and  the  root  crops 
then  take  its  present  site ;  the  Parsnips  settling  themselves 
where  the  Celery  is  grown,  and  the  other  seeds  sown  with 
top-dressings  of  charred  wood-ashes. 

I  have  now  divulged  the  whole  secret  and  formula  as 
connected  with  the  140  sacks.  I  do  not  consider  that 
number  anything  extraordinary,  as  five  years  since  my  crop 
averaged  more  than  200  sacks  to  the  acre,  grown  after  the 
same  plan  ;  the  ground,  when  taking  them  up,  was  hterally 
covered  with  Potatoes ;  from  otf  one  particular  spot  I  had 
the  curiosity  to  measure  three  bushels,  and  the  site  they 
occupied,  when  growing,  to  produce  that  quantity,  measured 
just  twenty-one  square  yards. 

I  never  was  at  Pontefract,  but  I  am  familiar,  even  7iow, 
with  liquorice  lozenges  sold  under  that  patronym  (they  are 
one  of  the  best  of  specifics,  taken  in  time,  to  frighten  away  a 
sore  throat).  Liquorice  bespeaks  also  a  good  soil,  which 
leads  me  happily  to  conclude  some  is  in  Mr.Tasker's  posses- 
sion ;  therefore,  appropos  to  the  latter  part  of  his  letter,  which 
says — "I  intend  to  plant  several  acres  of  Potatoes  next 
year."  I  will  state  a  course  that  has  occurred  to  me  as 
being  likely  to  suit  the  cultivation  of  the  Potato  on  a  large 
scale,  viz. : — 

First  crop — Swedes.  Land  ploughed  and  wrought  into  a 
good  tilth,  and  formed  into  single  lidges,  measuring  thirty 
inches  apai-t  from  each  apes,  a  thorough  application  of 
sound  farm-yard  dung  to  be  then  carted  on  to  the  land,  and 
spread  evenly  between  the  furrows,  the  ridges  then  split 
with  the  plough,  to  close  over  the  dung,  thus  forming  fresh 
ones,  and  a  light  roller  afterwards  made  to  pass  over  them ; 
the  seed  then  drilled  with  guano,  bone-dust,  or  some  of  the 
artificial  manures,  to  hasten  the  young  plant  out  of  the  way 
of  the  fly ;  then  comes  hand-hoeing,  singling  out  the 
plants,  and  horse-hoeing.  Cart  the  Turnips  from  the  land, 
to  be  near  at  hand  for  the  fatting  stock. 

Second  crop — Potatoes.  Subsoil,  plough  and  work  the 
land  into  a  fine  tilth  by  the  month  of  March,  add  fresh 
lime,  or  soot  and  salt,  as  a  top-dressing,  harrow  it  in,  and 
plant.  I  wotdd  invent  a  one-horse  machine  to  open  one 
drill,  and  fill  up  the  last  at  the  same  time,  for  dexterity's 
sake.  Directly  the  Potatoes  appear  horse-hoe  between  the 
rows.  I  would  invent  and  add  to  the  hoe  a  couple  of  slight, 
lateral,  moulding  plates,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  a 
portion  of  soil  vpon  the  young  plants,  to  secure  them  from 
frost.  Next  come  the  moulding  up  with  a  double  mould 
board  plough,  and  the  boys  to  pick  off  the  berries,  should 
any  form ;  just  the  sort  of  job  for  the  boys  ;  it  does  not  last 
long.  Then  the  taking  up  and  carting  the  crop  to  the  bay 
of  a  bai-n,  to  he  evenly  spread,  sorted,  and  examined,  for 
three  weeks  or  a  month  before  storing. 

Third  crop — Mustard.  Potato-haulm  burnt,  land  harrowed 


248 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


December  29. 


and  sown  immediately  with  White  Mustard,  to  be  eaten  off 
in  a  few  weelcs  by  slieep  folded  on  the  ground. 

Fourlh  crop — Wheat.  Laud  plouglied  shallow,  and  pre- 
pared for  Wheat  directly  after  the  Mustard  is  eaten  off  by 
the  sheep;  or  should  a  cereal  crop  to  be  sown  in  spring  be 
more  appropriate,  sow  Colewoits  instead  of  the  Mustai'd. 
Tares  may  be  sown  after  tlie  cereal  crops,  to  lieep  the  land 
active  the  following  winter,  and  then  come  the  course  of 
Turnips  again. 

This  idea,  as  from  one  who  is  not  a  farmer  (at  present), 
is  not  written  without  regard  to  deference.  I  should  be 
sorry  to  mislead,  by  advising  a  system  which  I  have  not 
proved  by  trial ;  still,  I  have  confidence  sutiicient  in  tlie 
course,  to  say,  had  I  the  opportunity,  I  would  work  it  out. — 
UpWiUlDS  ASH    OKWAIiDS. 


BEE-KEEPING  FOR  COTTAGERS. 
{Continued  from  page  15.) 

Pusilioii  for  Hives. — Hives  should  be  placed  as  nearly  as 
possible  facing  towards  the  south-east,  it  being  best  that 
they  should  receive  the  morning,  but  not  tlie  afternoon 
sun.  They  should  be  sheltered  from  the  north-west,  north, 
and  north-east  winds,  by  the  cottage,  or  the  hedge-i'ows,  or 
trees,  otlierwise  the  bees,  in  trying  to  enter  the  hives  on 
their  return  home,  laden  with  spoil,  are  likely  to  be  blown 
to  the  earth  and  destroyed;  and  the  hives  themselves  are 
in  danger  of  being  upset.  Should  no  sucli  shelter  be  at 
hand,  a  willow  hedge  might  easily  be  planted  at  the  back 
and  sides  of  the  bee-stands,  to  break  the  force  of  the  wind. 
Willow  sticks  grow  like  weeds,  and  if  nicely  trained  and 
trimmed  would  present  a  very  neat  appearance.  It  is 
always  best  to  have  hives  so  placed  as  to  be  able  to  pass 
behind  them.  The  close  neighbourhood  of  large  brooks 
or  ponds  should  he  avoided.  Means  should,  if  possible, 
be  found  for  protecting  the  outside  of  the  hives  from  the 
direct  heat  of  the  sun,  for  bees  delight  in  cool  places,  seek- 
ing, in  a  wild  state,  the  deep,  cool  places  of  the  forest ; 
whilst,  therefore,  in  our  country  of  short  seasons,  we  must, 
during  the  summer  months,  expose  the  bees  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  morning  sun  for  our  good,  we  should  give  them 
some  protection  from  its  noon-day  heat  for  their  comfort. 
In  winter,  also,  the  cooler  the  bees  are  kept  the  better; 
then  it  is  best  altogetlier  to  shut  out  the  sun-light;  the 
straw  hackles  and  the  blocks  we  shall  presently  describe, 
will,  we  think,  effect  both  these  objects. 

Slockiiui  a  Bee-Giirden. — In  our  introduction  we  spoke  of 
getting  swarms.  Care  must  be  taken  that  first  swarms  only 
be  had,  any  others  being  of  very  little  use.  The  hive  in- 
tended to  receive  the  swarms  should  be  sent  to  the  man 
who  is  to  supply  it  sometime  before  it  is  expected  to  come  off. 

We  strongly  advise  beginners  to  purcliase  a  one-year-old 
hive  with  a  young  queen.  It  costs  but  a  few  shillings  more 
than  a  swarm,  and  by  throwing  off  a  swarm  in  the  firstyear, 
gives  at  once  the  delights  of  bee  keeping,  and  saves  a  year's 
time.  New  hives  can  be  told  from  old  ones  by  the  light 
colour  of  the  combs  in  the  former.  Tliey  can  be  removed 
at  any  time  between  November  and  February,  or  even  as 
late  .as  April,  if  from  a  distance  of  about  three  miles.  In 
all  cases  the  greater  the  distance  from  which  they  are 
brouglit,  the  better,  as  otlierwise  the  bees  might  return  to 
their  old  haunts,  and  die  for  want  of  shelter. 

Aije  of  Hives. — A  hive  should  not  be  allowed  to  stand  for 
more  tliau  four  years,  that  is,  live  summers.  Each  bee  that 
is  bred  leaves  a  thin  skin  in  its  cell;  in  tliie  course  of  time 
the  cells  are  thereby  partly  filled  up,  the  bees  cannot  reach 
tlieir  full  size,  and  the  hive  conseijuently  dwindles  away. 
In  Section  V.  we  shall  point  out  a  system  of  management 
by  which  it  is  believed  the  stock  of  bees  can  be  kept  regu- 
larly renewed. 

Stretii/tli  of  Hives,  and  the  Depriviiii]  Sijslem. — In  keeping 
hives  strong  lies  the  great  secret  of  success  :  eveiy  bee 
that  is  destroyed  is  so  much  loss;  hence  the  merits  of  the 
depriving  system,  tliat  is,  tlie  system  whereby  the  honey  is 
taken  without  destroying  the  bees.  (Tlie  method  of  taking 
it,  both  by  joining  in  the  autumn,  and  by  super-hiving  in 
the  summer,  is  the  easiest  thing  possible,  and  will  be  ex- 


plained in  Section  IV.)  It  is  a  well-proved  fact,  that  the 
consumption  of  the  populations  of  two  or  three  hives  united 
together  is  little  more  than  that  of  a  single  hive  ;  whether 
this  arises  from  the  greater  numbers  that  can  be  spared 
from  nursing,  in  the  spring,  to  collect  what  little  honey  can 
then  be  had,  or  whether,  from  increased  warmth  and  com- 
fort, and  consequent  decreased  hunger,  has  not  yet  been 
detennined.  It  is,  however,  a  fact;  and  as  these  strong 
hives  collect  twice  the  honey  of  a  weak  one,  and  throw 
earlier  and  stronger  swarms,  by  all  means  beg  the  slupified 
bees  that  such  of  your  neighbours  as  continue  in  the  old 
course  are  about  to  bury,  and  join  them  to  your  own  hives. 
Be  careful  yourselves  never  to  destroy  a  bee. 

Cleanliness. — Take  care  to  keep  everything  about  the  hives 
neat  and  trim,  and  let  nothing  grow  in  front  higher  than 
the  entrances.  Let  no  drip  come  upon  them,  no  rain  beat 
against  them.  By  means  of  the  feeders,  to  be  used  as 
hereafter  described,  keep  the  inside  of  the  hives  as  dry  as 
possible.  Unless  some  plan  be  adopted  when  the  bees  are 
confined  to  the  hives  in  the  winter  months,  the  perspiration 
from  the  bees  settles,  or  is  condensed,  upon  the  combs,  and 
runs  down  upon  the  iloor-boai'ds ;  they,  being  constantly 
damp,  turn  mouldy  and  rot,  breed  dysenteiy  and  desti-uction 
in  the  hives,  and  ruin  all  the  bee-master's  expectations. 
Personal  cleanliness  must  also  be  attended  to,  the  sense  of 
smell  in  bees  being  very  acute  ;  they  are  very  apt  to  resent 
inattention  to  this,  and  to  punish  such  as  approach  them 
reeking  with  beer  and  filth. 

Enemies,  and  Decline  vf  Hives. — The  foregoing  directions 
having  been  attended  to,  and  the  hives  kept  strong,  clean, 
and  dry,  you  need  fear  no  enemies,  for  you  and  the  bees 
between  you  will  prevent  all  attacks  from  spiders,  wasps, 
hornets,  ants,  moths,  woodlice,  mice,  lizards,  and  all  such 
vermin,  whilst  fresh  air  and  good  food  will  prevent  dysentery 
from  making  its  appearance.  Perhaps  the  chief  cause  of 
the  decline  of  hives  is  the  death  of  the  queen,  from  old  age 
or  some  otlier  cause,  when  there  is  no  young  queen  to  suc- 
ceed, and  no  brood  in  the  hive  from  which  a  new  queen 
may  be  reared.  This  danger  is  greatly  lessened  by  the 
joining  system,  for  if  bees  witli  a  young  queen  ai-e  joined  to 
a  hive  with  an  old  one,  tlie  chances  are  that  the  one  that  is 
young  and  vigorous  will,  in  the  fight  that  is  sure  to  ensue 
between  the  rival  queens,  quickly  dispatch  her  old  and  worn- 
out  rival. 

.S'<;;i,(/.';.— Numberless  are  the  cures  that  have  been  pro- 
posed for  stings,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say  which  of  them  is 
the  best;  we  will,  therefore,  mention  two  or  three,  that  each 
may  be  tried  in  turn.  'The  first  step  to  be  taken  is  to  draw 
out  the  sting,  (wliich,  being  barbed  lil;e  an  ai'row-head,  is 
sm-6  to  be  left  in  the  skin),  and  by  pressing  a  key,  or  some 
hollow  tube,  over  the  wound,  squeeze  out  as  much  as 
possible  of  the  poison  that  h.is  been  thrown  in.  As  a  cure, 
some  propose  tobacco-juice,  applied  as  follows  : — jMoisten  a 
little  tobacco  with  water,  and  work  it  into  a  pulpy  juice  in 
the  palm  of  the  band;  then  apply  it  in  its  moistened  state 
to  the  wound,  rub  in  the  juice  with  the  finger  from  about 
from  five  to  ten  minutes,  moistening  the  tobacco  afresh  as 
the  juice  is  rubbed-in.  Others  recommend  that  a  slice  of 
onion,  covered  with  fine  salt,  should  be  tied  over  the  wound. 
Others  recommend  liquor  potassai  to  be  introduced  into  the 
wound  on  the  point  of  a  needle,  or  the  nib  of  a  clean  pen. 
Carbonate  of  soda  may  be  rubbed  into  the  wound  with  good 
results.  Others  (and  this  plan,  by-the-way,  seems  to  be 
the  best  cure  that  there  is  for  tlie  stings  of  sei-penls),  having 
extracted  the  sting,  hold  a  piece  of  hot  iron,  or  live  coal,  or 
charcoal,  as  near  to  the  wound  as  possible,  renewing  tlie 
application  (as  long  as  it  can  be  borne)  until  the  ert'ect  of 
the  poison  has  been  destroyed.  Otliers  simply  recommend 
bathing  the  wound  in  cold  water.  Whichever  of  these 
modes  is  adopted,  it  should  be  adopted  quickly.  Some 
persons  are  scarcely  at  all  utt'ected  by  a  sting ;  the  wound 
smarts  a  bit  and  tliat  is  all.  With  others,  the  poison  is 
carried  (juickly  through  the  veins,  and  some  days  elapse 
before  the  swellings  that  ensue  subside.  \  cold  lotion 
applied  frequently  to  the  swollen  parts,  is,  perhaps,  as  good 
a  remedy  as  any  in  tliis  case.  Although  hardly  coining 
within  the  scope  of  this  section,  tlie  subject  of  slings  has 
been  introduced  here  as  the  most  convenient  place. 

Bpoks. — As  a  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  bees,  and  with 
it  the  profit  to  he  derived  from  keeping  them,  increases, 


December  29. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


9-19 


every  man  of  intelligence  will  desire  to  l;no\v  more  about 
them  than  can  be  conveyed  in  these  jiages,  and  ■will  willingly 
invest  some  portion  of  his  profits  in  works  relating  to  them. 
TV  6  can  safely  recommend  "  Taylor's  Bee-keeper's  Manual," 
as  almost  exhausting  the  subject.  "  The  English  Bee- 
keeper," by  a  Country  Curate,  may  come  next,  as  containing 
a  vast  number  of  useful  hints.  K. 

{To  he  conlinued.) 


MISCELLANEOUS    POULTRY    MEMORANDA. 

OuT-DOOR  PEKCHES.^Those  poultry-keepers  who  follow 
the  plan  of  giving  their  fowls  an  unlimited  supply  of  food 
must  be  well  aware,  that  after  having  fed  to  satiety  the  birds 
seek  repose,  and  that  if  any  convenient  perches  or  raised 
objects  ai'e  at  hand  they  are  iisually  chosen  for  resting 
places  in  preference  to  the  ground.  Living  on  a  cold  clayey 
soil,  it  occurred  to  mo  that  the  fowls  would  be  much  less 
liable  to  those  diseases  induced  by  dampness,  if  a  few  low, 
broad  perches  were  placed  in  a  convenient,  warm,  sunny, 
and  sheltered  corner  which  they  were  in  the  liabit  of  fru- 
(juenting  ;  and  I  find  they  fully  appreciate  my  attention,  in- 
variably selecting  the  perches  in  preference  to  resting  on 
the  wet  grass,  and  the  advantage  resulting  from  the  use  is 
that  the  dung  being  dropped  in  one  place  is  more  readily 
cleared  away,  and  tlius  the  run,  if  a  confined  one,  is  kept  in 
a  more  wholesome  condition.— W.  B.  Tegetmeiek. 


HARDY   BORDER   PLANTS. 

{Coiitinin'dfrom  page  '.ioO.J 
ACONITUM  VERSICOLOE. 

THE  MANY-COIOUKED  WOLFSliANE  OK  MONKSHOOD. 

The  Aconites  are  a  very  long  family,  and  a  great  number 
of  which  are  very  showy,  desirable  plants  in  beds,  borders, 
or  in  plantations.  The  very  best  of  the  whole  family  is  the 
above-mentioned  species,  being  truly  a  showy  plant.  Its 
roots  are  tuberous,  supported  by  an  immense  mass  of  fibre. 
It  dies  quite  down  in  the  winter  months,  and  starts  up 
rather  early  in  the  spring,  which  is  the  very  best  time  to 
increase  it  by  division  of  its  roots  if  required. 

'This  kind  grows  pretty  compact,  therefore  does  very  well 
in  the  same  spots  in  the  borders  for  many  years,  when 
tidily  dealt  with  at  the  border-di'essing  times.  It  is  very 
hardy,  being  a  native  of  Siberia,  and  was  introduced  to  this 
country  in  the  year  IS^O.  The  whole  plant  is  of  a  pale 
green  colour,  and  smooth ;  its  leaves  roundish,  but  cut ;  its 
tlower-stems  panicled ;  a  very  free  bloomer,  producing 
flowers  large,  blue  and  white.  They  are  extremely  pretty, 
and  continue  from  the  end  of  June  to  September. 

In  dry,  open  .situations,  this  plant  rises  three  feet  to  three 
feet-and-a-half  high,  whilst  in  low,  moist,  rich  soils,  or  in 
plantations  near  trees,  the  same  plant  will  reach  from  four 
to  five  feet  in  height,  and  flower  beautifully.  Indeed,  the 
whole  family  are  delightful  plants  for  plantations,  for  they 
exist  among  an  abundance  of  fallen  leaves,  where  a  vast 
number  of  slugs  are  often  found.  Now,  slugs,  I  am  aware, 
are  not  very  nice  in  their  diet,  but  never  have  I  known 
them  to  injure  a  Wolf's-bane  of  any  kind. 

Though  these  plants  are  all  poisonous  they  are  eagerly 
sought  for  bouquets. 

The  height  of  the  plant  already  stated  shows  that  it 
should  be  planted  in  the  hack  or  centre  rows  in  the  beds 
or  borders. 

It  often  happens  that  a  good  plant  is  a  mifl'y  one ;  hut 
such  is  not  the  case  with  this  Aconite,  for  it  will  flourish  in 
any  soil  or  situation.  T.  "\Y. 


THE  TUMBLER  PIGEON. 

'       With  regard  to  the  Tumbler,  should  your  views  of  the 
Tumbler  bo  carried  out,  viz.,  that  their  extraordinai-y  agiUty 


in  the  air,  the  facility  with  which  they  tumble,  or,  what, 
in  the  Circus  is  termed  the  "back-spring,"  is  performed  by 
them,  is  the  property  that  would  have  first  brought  the  birds 
possessing  it  into  favour,  and  winch  should  ever  since  have 
been  borne  in  view  by  their  subsequent  admirers ;  it  will 
follow  at  Metropolitan,  Birmingham,  and  all  the  Shows  in 
Her  Majesty's  dominions,  it  must  be  said  how  many  miles 
they  have  executed,  how  many  times  they  tumble,  or  roll,  for 
the  Eoller-Tumblers,  as  they  are  known  by  this  name  among 
Fanciers,  roll  over  many  times.  Now,  if  birds  are  to  be  awarded 
prizes  by  such  a  standard,  most  assuredly  it  ought  to  be  placed 
on  their  pen  for  Judges  to  see  it.  Did  you  ever  witness  it? 
if  you  have,  I  never  did ;  and  there  ^^•ould  be  great  evil  in 
it,  as  I  observed  before  on  the  Carriers.  It  would  open  the 
door  to  falsehood,  which  is  already  too  open  in  some  regu- 
lations. The  Judges,  whoever  they  are,  if  competent,  will 
award  the  prizes  by  the  standard  as  laid  down  by  the  five 
properties,  or,  "Woe  betide  them!"  I  am  sensible,  it  is 
different  where  prizes  are  held  out  for  the  best  "  Feathered 
Flying  Birds;"  birds  better  feathered  than  others,  under 
this  rule,  are,  in  some  measure,  entitled  to  the  prize.  But 
the  Judge  has  the  power  to  withhold  the  prize  if  he  does 
not  discover  sufficient  merit  in  tlie  bird.  On  the  contrary, 
if  the  two  birds  arc  equal  in  feather,  then  they  must  be 
awarded  by  the  five  properties. 

I  will  call  your  attention  to  a  remark  in  The  Cottage 
Gabdeneu,  &c.,  ii!Hh  September,  185o,  Signed,  Sidney 
Foster,  Secretary,  among  the  advertisements,  in  returning 
thanks  to  a  liberal  public,  the  advertisement  commencing 
"  Surrey  Zoological  Gardens."  The  sentence  I  allude  to  reads 
thus :  He  had  but  one  feeling,  which  was,  that  the  best 
specimens  might  succeed  without  any  favoritism  to  a 
"  clique  "  or  individual.  Something  or  other,  I  think,  is 
meant  here.  Only  one  thing  I  do  know,  they  have  wisely 
refrained  from  ofi'ering  prizes  to  good  feathered  flying  birds, 
which  disgrace  all  Pigeon  Shows.  Birmingham  offered  two 
prizes  for  the  different  varieties;  1st  prize  to  the  best 
Pigeon  ;  2nd  prize  to  the  second-best  Pigeon  through  all  the 
varieties  ;  but  there  was  not  any  prize  held  out  to  common 
good  feathered  flying  birds  ;  consequently,  these  birds  must 
be  tested  by  the  standards  as  laid  down,  or  else  great  dis- 
satisfaction is  given  to  the  gentlemen  of  the  fancy  ;  for  it  is 
quite  immaterial  to  them  who  takes  the  prize,  their  only 
desire  being  that  the  best  birds  shall  be  awarded  the  prizes. 
And  if  the  Judges  would  only  act  up  to  those  remarks  in 
The  Cottage  Gaeuekei;,  itc,  September  irjtb,  lHoo,  pages 
157  and  -iatS.  It  commences  thus,  "  A  rule  that  heads  every 
prize  list,  is  to  this  eff'ect: — That  the  judges  are  empowered 
to  withhold  prizes  should  they  consider  that  the  specimens 
are  of  inferior  quality.  No  regulations,  we  believe,  can  be 
more  necessary,  and  none,  we  feel  convinced,  can  be 
neglected  with  greater  injury  to  any  Society,  its  exhibitors, 
and  the  public."  This  is  equally  applicable  to  Pigeons,  and 
at  evei-y  Show  ought  to  be  enforced. 

With  regard  to  flying  "  Short-Faced  Tumblers ;"  it  is  not 
so  much  that  I  object  to  flying  on  account  of  their  being 
timid,  weak,  and  going  down  chimney-pots  (which  is  had 
enough),  thus  losing  birds  of  great  value  ;  besides,  washing 
would  not  be  of  any  use  to  them,  as  it  tends  to  make  them 
more  coarse,  which  is  the  reverse  of  what  is  wished  to  be 
obtained  in  these  birds,  viz.,  delicacy. 

With  regard  to  shortness  of  face  in  a  Tumbler ;  it  is 
utterly  impossible  to  produce  a  "  Little  Wonder,  or  Non- 
pariel,"  without  it,  for  whatever  properties  a  Tumbler  pos- 
sesses, and  however  near  perfection  it  approached,  to  the 
end  of  the  beak,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  to  the  end  of 
the  quick  of  the  beak,  if  from  the  iris,  or  inner  circle  of  the 
eye,  measured  three-quarters-of-an-inch,  it  could  not  be 
pronounced  a  "  Little  Wonder,  or  Nonpai'eil."  But,  on 
the  contrary,  if  the  distance  did  not  exceed  half-an-inch, 
and  possessing  the  other  properties,  it  would  be  pro- 
nounced a  "  Little  Wonder,"  and  fanciers  would  go  hundreds 
of  miles  to  see  it.  It  is  true,  these  "  Little  Wonders" 
do  perish  in  the  shell,  with  those  keepers  of  Pigeons 
who  do  not  know  how  to  manage  them.  Not  so,  however, 
with  experienced  fanciers,  who  act  the  part  of  midwife,  and 
free  the  prisoner ;  having  released  the  little  captive,  it 
is  another  thing  how  to  get  it  fed.  It  often  happens  that 
the  soft  food,  or  "  pigeon's  milk,"  as  by  some  called,  is  not 
up  for  some  days  after  the  Pigeons  ai-e  hatched  by  their 


250 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENEE. 


Dkcemrf.r  29. 


parpnts.  You  may  ascertain  this  by  ti'j'ing  tlie  crop  of  the 
old  bii'Js.  The  yomiR  bbd  must,  in  such  case,  be  fed  some- 
bow,  or  it  will  die.  The  owner  must  look  for  the  best  shift 
he  has  got,  and  it  will  be  advisable  to  place  it  under  as  small 
birds  as  possible,  being  better  able  to  feed  it,  they  will 
sit  lighter  upon  it  in  the  nest;  whereas,  large  birds  are  more 
likely  to  squeeze  it  to  death  in  the  nest.  One  keeper  of 
Pigeons  may  breed  a  hundred  more  in  the  season  that  are 
mere  *' foxes."  A  fancier  may  raise  a  few,  but  they  are 
"  lions."     Sm-ely  this  cannot  be  called  the  fi-eaks  of  fancy. 

The  most  money  I  ever  loiew  given  for  a  Pigeon  was 
£25.  It  belonged  to  the  late  Mr.  Manton,  sexton  to  St. 
Mary's,  Islington,  London,  and  after  his  death  was  sold  at 
auction,  among  his  other  Pigeons.  It  is  also  equally  true 
that  this  was  not  a  Shanghae  cock,  but  it  was  a  wonderful, 
pretty  little  Bald-head  Tumbler,  that  would  not  have 
weighed  one-twentieth  part  of  the  Shanghae  cock  which 
sold  for  £iO  at  Mr.  Stevens's  auction.  Now,  if  we  estimate 
comparative  weights,  it  was  not  the  weight,  but  the  want  of 
weight,  and  other  properties,  tb  at  caused  such  competition 
for  this  pretty  little  wonder.  What  will  utilitarians  say  to  a 
pie  of  such  Pigeons!  "Give  us  a  Pigeon-pie  made  of 
Spanish  Eunts,  that  will  weigh  from  two  pounds  to  three 
pounds  each;  that  will  suit  us  better."  There  is  a  wide 
difference  batween  Pigeon  eating,  and  Pigeon  fancying." — 
Jno.  M.tTTHEWs  Eato.n,  7,  Islington  Green,  London. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

•**  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writers  of 
The  Cottage  Gabdenke.  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," 

Frigi   Domo  ASA  Covering.— J?.  C  says — "As  you  invite  commu- 
nications on  the  subject  of  the  '  Frigi  Domo'  canvass,   I  give  you  my 
experience.    I  was  induced  to  purchase  owing  to  the  favourable  mention  ; 
of  it  in  your  columns  ;  and  in  ordering,   I  allowed  a  foot-and-a-half  in 
five  yards  for  shrinking  (of  which,  by-the-by,  Mr.  Appleby  said  nothing,; 
on   exposure  to  the  weather,  however,   I  found  this  shrinking  go  on  to  : 
the  extent  of  twenty-five  per  cent,  on  a  yard-and-a-quarter,  and  how 
much  farther  it  may  yet  go  I  cannot  tell,  as  the  cover  has  been  very  little  I 
used.    As  to  the  question  of  the  *  Frigi  Domo*  being  a  perfect  security  j 
against  frosts,  I  have  simply  to  state,  that  on  the  morning  of  the  17tK 
ult.    I  found  the  glass  of  my  frames  coated  with  frost,  under  two  thick- 
nesses of  Russian  matting,  with  the  '  Frigi  Domo'  laid  over  them." 

Lucerne-sowing  (Lucerne) .—huccrne  should  be  drilled  at  ten  inches 
space  between  the  rows,  in  order  that  hoeing  may  take  place,  this  being 
the  most  important  operation  in  connexion  with  the  cultivation  of  the 
crop.  And  at  that  distance,  also,  the  land  will  produce  a  better  crop 
than  when  the  rows  are  placed  either  closer  or  farther  apart. — J.  B. 

Growing  Tuenip-seed  (IV.  Lurt), — Turnips,  or  Swedes,  for  pro- 
ducing seed,  should  be  selected  with  care  from  the  variety  intended  for 
propagation,  being  particular  to  choose  such  as  are  alike,  and  possessing 
the  desirable  properties  belonging  to  its  sort,  bearing  in  mind  that  shape, 
colour,  and  density,  are  the  most  important  points.  Roots  of  a  mode- 
rate size  are  best  for  producing  seed.  They  should  be  transplanted  early 
in  the  month  of  November,  in  order  that  they  may  strike  root  before 
hard  frost  sets  in.  They  may,  however,  be  transplanted  at  any  time 
during  open  weather  in  the  winter  months.  The  earliest  planted  will 
usually  produce  the  greatest  quantity  of  the  best  seed.  They  are  best 
dug  in  with  the  spade,  taking  care  to  bury  the  bulb,  just  allowing  the 
leaves  to  appear  above  ground.  New  land  should  be  chosen  for  the 
purpose,  such  as  orchard  land,  for  no  crop  will  pay  so  well  for  growth 
under  trees  aa  Turnip-seed.  Any  corner  of  old  pasture,  or  land  of  any 
sort,  where  Turnips  have  never  been  grown,  will  answer  well,  because 
the  crop  will  yield  more  seed  than  when  planted  in  arable  land. — J.  B. 

Insects  (SaitM«). — The  insect  you  state  was  found  in  old  wood,  in 
a  post,  which  was  bored  through  and  through  by  them,  is  the  caterpillar 
of  a  small,  pretty  moth,  (Ecophora  sulphurella,  with  the  case  of  gnawed 
particles  of  wood,  in  which  it  resides.  The  borings  were  not,  however, 
made  by  that  insect,  but  by  some  Ptinidte  or,  perhaps,  wood-boring 
wasp,  and  the  caterpillar  takes  advantage  of  the  burrows  made  by  them 
[0  feed  on  the  soft  inner  bark  and  fine  fibres  of  the  wood. — W.  W. 

Smyrna  Seeds  again  {R.  M.  E.). — We  had  the  same  kind  of  seed 
from  another  correspondent,  who  was  answered  last  week.  You  supply 
the  additional  fact  that  these  seeds  (not  berries)  are  eaten  at  Smyrna. 
6'i/Wame7i-?  might  do  without  covering  them  with  soil,  but  they  answer 
much  better  covered,  say  an  inch  or  two  over  the  crown  of  the  bulb. 
Ixodia  arhillioides  is  not  a  shrub,  but  an  herbaceous  plant  of  the  com- 
posite order.  It  was  in'roduced  from  New  Holland  just  fifty  years  since, 
and  requires  the  protection  of  the  greenhouse  or  frame  in  winter. 
Shanghae  is  pronounced  Shang-iye.  The  enclosed  is  a  little,  trailing, 
half-shrubby  Mesembrifanthemnm,  with  pinkish-red  flowers  of  no  great 
account.  It  has  stood  20*^  of  frost  in  dry,  sheltered  places  near  London; 
at  Claremont,  for  instance. 

Lists  (/iW.)— After  the  winter  ia  over,  we  shall  enumerate  the  half- 


hardy  plants  that  stood  out  unhurt  in  different  parts  of  the  three  king- 
doms ;  and  also  mention  the  best  sorts  that  were  killed  in  England,  and 
that  list  will  be  the  one  for  you  to  choose  from  for  your  part  of  Ireland. 
There  is  a  very  decided  objection  to  answering  such  questions  in  a  work 
like  The  Cottage  Gardener,  as  people  nnlt  buy  any  plants  we  re- 
commend, if  they  want  them,  without  considering  whether  they  are  suit- 
able or  not  to  their  locality  ;  and  at  best  we  could  only  guess  what 
*'  would  he  Hltely  to  stand  out  "  with  you  in  that  part  of  Ireland.  You 
can  guess  with  more  certainty  than  any  of  our  writers. 

Black  Spanish  Cock  [A  Suhscriher).  —  Our  meaning  has  been 
somewhat  misunderstood  in  the  paragraph  you  allude  to,  but  a  reference 
to  our  report  of  the  late  Birmingham  meeting  will  explain  the  objections 
entertained  against  a  "  a  continuous  dark  line  of  feather"  over  the  eye 
of  the  Spanish  fowl.  M'e  have  not,  indeed,  yet  seen  the  Spanish  bird, 
male  or  female,  that  is  entirely  free  from  feathers  between  the  face  and 
the  base  of  the  comb,  but,  unquestionably,  the  fewer  these  are  the 
better;  and  this  will  be  a  point  for  breeders  to  keep  carefully  in  view. 
But  where  this  space  is  heavily  feathered,  and  a  broad  dark  line  thus 
produced,  the  effect  is  certainlv  injurious  to  the  general  appearance  of 
the  bird.  Mr.  Amphlet,  of  Walsall,  writes  as  follows: — "  I  liave  a 
Spanish  cock  in  my  possession,  eighteen  months  old,  has  just  got  over 
his  moult,  the  pure  white  warted  circle  round  his  face  reaches  five- 
eighths-of-an-inch  above  his  eye,  and  without  either  black  or  red  mark- 
ings, the  white  joining  up  to  the  comb.  This  bird  has  never  been 
(rxhihited." 

CuARACTEEisTics  OF  FcwLS  {A  Constant  Reader^ . — The  points  on 
wliicli  a  Golden-spangled  Hamburgh  would  be  judged  would  include 
the  comb,  the  white  ear-lobe,  general  clearness  of  the  ground-colour, 
and  distinctness  of  the  spangle,  where  white  at  the  extremity  of  the 
feather,  is,  of  course,  most  objectionable.  The  figure  and  proportions 
would  also  be  borne  in  mind.  When  you  complain  of  a  cock  as  not 
"  hen-feathered,"  we  should  entirely  agree  with  you,  so  fcr  as  the 
hackle  and  body  are  concerned,  but  the  characteristic  Hamburgh  tail  we 
should  be  sorry  to  relinquish,  if  it  may  possibly  be  retained  with  a 
spangled-plumape  in  the  male  birds  ;  but  here  is  the  great  difficulty,  for, 
as  in  the  Sebright  Bantam,  the  peculiarities  of  feather  in  the  hen  can 
only  be  transferred  to  the  cock  by  sacrificing  some  of  the  usual  dis- 
tinctive feathers  of  the  male  sex.  But  the  whole  subject  to  which  you 
allude  is  undergoing  our  careful  consideration. 

Extensive  Poultry  -  keeping  {F.  B.  Fareha7n).~We  certainly 
should  not  anticipate  profit  from  your  scheme  of  keeping  300  Minorca 
Hens  and  SO  Cocks,  calculating  sales  at  the  rate  you  do,  viz.  i3  10s.  a 
thousand  eggs.  Much  must  depend  on  the  relative  situation  of  your 
market  and  its  average  prices,  but,  speaking  generally,  we  should  incline 
to  the  opinion  that  "  eggs  and  rhickejis  "  would  pay  better  than  either 
separately,  and  that  for  thi-s  purpose  no  more  judicious  selection  could 
be  made  than  Shanghae  pullets  with  Dorking  cocks. 

Comb  of  Spanish  Cock  (Greenhorn). — *'  A  comb  drooping  a  little^* 
would  not  disqualify  a  Spanish  cockerel,  though  an  upright  form  would 
be  of  course  desirable.  Where  the  comb  drops  in  birds  of  five  months 
old,  we  should  have  little  hope  of  any  subsequent  improvement  by  its 
becoming  more  erect.  "-4  crooked  tail"  should  consign  the  bearer  of 
it  to  the  class  for  dead  poultry,  A  good  Spanish  cockerel  shows  his 
white  face  in  the  first  year,  with  continuous  improvement  up  to  the 
third. 

Points  of  excellence  in  Pocltey  (James  BHcklei/).~Thc  suhject 
to  which  you  refer,  namely,  the  points  of  excellence  of  the  various  breeds 
of  poultry  is  receiving  our  diligent  investication,  although  we  are  not 
at  present  prepared  to  say  in  what  manner  general  acquiescence  might 
he  best  obtained  for  the  recognition  of  the  different  points  of  merit  in 
the  several  breeds.  In  respect  of  "  vulture  hocks,"  we  are  at  a  loss  to 
see  the  improvement  that  some  persons  consider  them  to  confer. 

Wooden  Shutters. — /.  T,  L.  says  he  cannot  get  them  six-and-a-half 
feet  by  four,  under  ten  shillings.  Mr.  Fiah  has  not  had  much  to  do  with 
the  price  of  yellow  deal  lately;  but  a  few  years  back,  the  price,  (is.  Gd., 
was  what  very  nice  ones  were  made  for  a  gentleman  in  his  neighbour- 
hood, and  they  gave  the  gentleman  and  gardener  much  satisfaction.  He 
thinks  they  were  not  quite  three-quarters-of-an-inch  thick,  but  will 
make  inquiries,  and  give  the  answer.  Of  course,  the  more  work  the 
more  cost;  but  all  they  merely  want  is  to  be  planed  on  one  side,  joined 
together,  and  fastened  to  three  cross  pieces.  If  a  ledge  goes  round,  so 
much  the  better. 

Unnailing  Peach  and  Nectarine  Trees  (C.  T.).— This  is  a  good 
time.  It  keeps  the  twigs  from  being  heated  by  the  sun  striking  the 
wall.  Your  labourer  can  do  it  easily  enough  ;  let  him  avoid  touching 
the  trees  with  the  hammer,  and  tearing  out  the  mortar  in  the  joints. 
Let  him  give  each  nail  a  slight  tap  on  the  head  before  trying  to  pull  it 
out,  and  it  will  come  out  easily. 

Cold  Pit  (Ibid). — The  glass  should  be  raised  when  it  rains,  when  it  \a 
mild,  and  you  can  prevent  the  rain  entering.  Snow  is  always  next-door 
neighbour  to  freezing  ;  and  if  a  mat  was  on  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to 
take  it  off.  We  are  grateful  that  a  fall  of  snow  has  protected  many  of 
our  pits  without  mats. 

Figs  dropping  when  nearly  Ripe  (Ibid).— We  should  say  that  the 
roots  are  either  too  deep  or  not  wet  enough  ;  if  the  former,  cut  a  small 
ring  of  bark  out  of  the  principal  shoots  near  the  bottom,  not  more  than 
will  heal  over  the  same  season.    Do  it  in  summer. 

Heating  Greenhouse  and  Melon-pit  from  the  same  Boiler 
(R.  J.  S.  L.), — Capital;  no  difficulty.  We  have  frequently  explained 
how  it  can  be  done.  If  you  are  your  own  tradesman,  and  want  more 
information,  write  again  ;  any  ironmonger  or  hot-water  man  will  not 
need  it.  Vour  proposed  arrangement  of  house  of  peaches,  vines,  and 
plants  will  do  ;  but  you  will  have  to  make  a  point  to  give  a  preference  to 
one,  as  you  would  see  by  articles  of  Mr.  Fiah  lately.    You  would  alBO  see 


December  29. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 


251 


what  he  said  of  plants' suitable  for  such  circumstances  ;  but  a  list  of  good 
plants  will  be  made  out  ere  long. 

Changing  a  Vine  by  Gbai'ting,  ok  Inakching  (Ibid).— By  this 
you  will  secure  the  crop  this  year  (on  the  old  Vine,  we  presume),  but  you 
will  not  get  such  a  young  ahoot  as  you  would  do  by  aacviiicing  the  crop 
by  cutting  the  Vine  down.  To  save  the  crop,  and  yet  change  the  sort, 
put  a  graft  on  one  of  the  lowest  slioots  or  spurs  directly,  if  you  propose 
starting  it  in  January;  or  obtain  a  shoot  from  such  a  spur,  and  inarch  a 
young  vine  upon  it  in  Mav  or  April.  In  either  case,  every  other  shoot 
!  and  lateral  on  the  Vine  must  be  stopped  after  the  bunch,  except  the 
grafted  or  inarched  one.  You  cannot  graft  the  Vine  when  the  sap  is 
rising.  If  you  do  not  do  it  now,  you  must  wait  until  the  Vine  is  in 
full  leaf. 

Bark  Bed  for  Forcing  Frame  (f?.).— You  would  have  a  difficulty 
in  securing  heat  in  cold  weather,  unless  you  could  surround  it  by  a 
lining  of  bark,  or  fermenting  matter,  such  as  dung,  &c. ;  but  if  you 
merely  wanted  a  little  heat  it  will  do.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  sow 
Canna  and  Balsams  in  such  a  place  in  March,  and  they  are  not  only 
worth  sowing  hut  worth  growing. 

Poultry  Queries. — Mr.  Tegetmeier  begs  to  state  that  he  cannot 
answer  any  poultry  queries  that  are  sent  to  him  by  post  unless  the  letters 
contain  a  stamped  envelope  for  the  reply,  when  he  will  be  most  willing 
to  do  so.  All  others  will  be  noticed  in  the  correspondent's  page  of  The 
Cottage  Gardener.  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  present  address  is  WUlesden, 
near  London, 

Cochin  Pullet  not  Laying  {R.P.M,). — In  the  case  of  the  pullet 
described  as  unable  to  lay  her  first  egg,  nothing  can  be  done  beyond 
waitmg  with  patience  for  the  effects  of  the  natural  expulsive  efforts. 
The  query  arrived  too  late  for  reply  in  our  last  number. 

Poultry  Fountain  (  —  ). — We  do  not  know  of  any  Poultry  Foun- 
tains so  cheap  as  sevenpence  each,  like  those  at  Bury,  in  Lancashire.  If 
any  such  could  be  bought  in  London  they  would  sell  readily. 

Price  of  Shanghaes  (7/^irf).— "We  hope  never  to  hear  again  of  such 
prices  as  forty  and  fifty  pounds  for  one,  but  if  you  had  seen  at  Birming- 
ham how  birds  sold  readily  at  from  ^'2  to  s£5  each,  you  would  not  have 
thought  them  decreasing  in  value.  Good  birds  will  always  fetch  a  good 
piice ;  bad  and  moderate  birds  are,  as  they  should  be,  just  worth  as  much 
as  is  their  value  for  table. 

Pedestal  (Loro). — Unless  we  saw  where  the  fountain  is  placed,  and 
all  the  accompaniments,  we  could  not  venture  even  to  offer  a  suggestion. 

Removing  Yew  Trees  {Croydon). — You  may  very  safely  move  a 
Yew,  the  stem  of  which  is  six  inches  in  diameter,  if  you  attend  to  the 
precautions  we  have  repeatedly  published. 

Soft  Eggs  {Ibid). — We  have  often  observed  that  these  are  usually 
the  result  of  inflammation  of  some  portion  of  the  egg  organs.  Try  a 
lower  diet  of  boiled  rice  and  mashed  potatoes  for  a  week  or  ten  days. 
The  excessive  number  of  cocks,  eight  to  thirteen  pullets,  should  be 
entirely  obviated  ;  three  cocks  would  be  quite  enough.  If  they  are  all 
together  it  is  very  erroneous  practice. 

Camellia  Stocks  {S.  W.). — We  cannot  give  you  the  information  as 
to  price.     Write  to  two  or  three  of  the  chief  London  nurserymen. 

Poultry  Prizes  {J.  D.). — If  you  directed  your  poultry  not  to  be 
put  up  to  sale,  the  committee  have  no  right  to  deduct,  from  the  amount 
of  your  prizes,  the  charge  arising  from  their  own  mistake. 

Sea-shore  Seeds  (B.). — They  were  broken  into  small  pieces  by  the 
post-office  punch.  You  will  find  the  recipe  for  the  sulphur,  soft-soap, 
and  clay  mixture,  to  dress  your  Vines,  in  almost  every  one  of  our  past 
volumes.  Asparagus  plants,  three  years  old,  may  be  taken  up  very 
safely  and  replanted  in  the  spring. 

PYRENiEAN  Maize. — R.  W.  w'lahes  to  know  where  this  can  be 
obtained. 

Zinc  Labels  (P.). — Scour  the  face  with  rough  sandpaper,  and  you 
will  find  that  the  ink  will  then  adhere. 

Manuring  Roses   (Ibid). — Put  a  mixture  of  your  dungs,  various, 
about  six  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  soil,  over  the  roots,  and  in 
spring  and  summer  give  frequent  waterings  in  a  basin  left  in  the  soil, 
j    Answers  to  other  queries  next  week. 

'        Names  of  Plants  {A  Subseribfir). — 1.  Asplenium  Tricltomaiies,  the 
j    Maiden-hair  Fern.     2.  Appears  to  he  seedling  plants  of  some  kind  of 
Aspidium.     3.  Asplenmm  Rutu-Muraria,  the  Wall-rue  Spleen-wort. — 
(A  New  Sitbscribtr).S3.  Euonymus  EnropcEits,  the  common  Spindle- 
tree  or  Prick-wood;  and  32  is  the  white-fruited  variety  of  the  above, 
'    which  is  called  Euonynms  EuropcEus,  var.  leucocarpus. 


CALENDAR  FOR  JANUARY. 


ORCHID  HOUSE. 

Aerides,  Saccolahiums,  Vandas,  and  such-like  Indian  plants,  give 
water  to  once  during  the  month.  Air. — In  this  first  month  of  the  year 
we  frequently  have  severe  frosty  nights,  and  clear,  bright,  sunny 
days.  The  heat  necessary  to  keep  out  the  frost,  and  the  bright  sun, 
will  raise  the  temperature  of  the  house  too  high;   to   lower  it  to  the 


right  pitch  air  must  bo  given,  and  the  apertures  to  give  air  ought 
to  be  so  placed  that  the  cold  air  does  not  rush  in  directly  upon  or 
through  the  plants.  The  best  place  for  the  openings  is  directly  oppo- 
site the  pipes ;  the  air  then  becomes  heated  in  a  degree  before  it 
reaches  the  plants.  Blocks:  plants  on  these  will  require  attention; 
any  that  are  loose  should  be  refastened  ;  cleaae  the  leaves  and  pseudo- 
bulbs  from  green  scurf  and  all  kinds  of  inseets.  Cyetopodiums,  see 
to  ;  if  any  fresh  growth  is  observable,  repot  in  a  rich  compost.  1)en- 
DROBiUMS,  remove  into  a  cool  houHC ;  such  as  show  growth  may  be 
potted  and  kept  moderately  moist.  Heat:  keep  both  the  houses  to  the 
lowest  point  of  heat  for  the  first  half  of  the  month  ;  as  the  days  lengthen 
allow  the  heat  to  increase  a  few  degrees.  Insects,  continue  to  destroy. 
Moisture  :  on  sunny  days  sprinkle  the  walks,  walls,  and  pipes,  two  or 
three  times  a  day.  Piiais  grandiflorcs,  now  flowering,  give  plenty 
of  water,  and,  if  convenient,  plunge  the  pots  in  a  bed  of  heated  leaves, 
or  tanner's  bark.  Potting,  continue  to  perform  upon  all  orchids 
beginning  to  grow.  Soils,  procure,  such  as  fibrous  peat  and  turfy 
loam ;  lay  them  in  a  place  to  dry,  to  be  ready  for  the  general  potting 
next  month.  Sobralias,  place  in  a  cool  house  ;  heat  .15°  by  day,  and 
60°  by  night ;  cut  down  all  the  shoots  that  flowered  the  preceding  summer 
to  allow  room  for  the  young  shoots ;  keep  them  quite  dry  while  at  rest. 
Stanhopeas  in  baskets,  if  growing,  dip  in  tepid  water.  Syringe 
blocks,  as  directed  last  month.  Water  at  the  roots,  apply  carefully; 
do  not  wet  the  young  shoots.  T.  Appleby. 


PLANT  STOVE. 

See  last  month.  Prepare  a  hotbed,  c,  to  strike  cuttings  in.  Cumb- 
ers beginning  to  grow,  tie  in.  Eranthemums,  and  other  winter- 
flowering  plants,  give  manure  water  to  occasionally.  Turn  tan-beds, 
and  renew  the  heat  by  adding  fresh  bark.  Pot  a  secoiid  batch 
of  Achimenes,  Gesncras,  and  Gloxinias,  to  succeed  those  done  last 
month.  Give  moderate  supplies  of  ii»a^er  till  they  begin  to  grow.  The 
heat  oi  this  house  must  still  be  kept  low,  as  too  much  excitement  will, 
for  want  of  light,  cause  the  plants  to  grow  weak,  and  the  young  leaves  to 
come  yellow.  Seeds  of  stove  plants  sow,  e.,  giving  only  one  watering 
till  they  begin  to  appear.  Hard-shelled  seeds  steep  in  water  heated  to 
IS0°or200°;  leave  them  till  the  water  cools.  Sponge  all  large  leaves, 
to  clear  off  dust  and  insects.  Sdeface-stir  the  earth  in  pots,  and 
clear  off  weeds  and  moss,  and  add  a  top-dressing  of  fresh  compost. 

T.  Appleby. 


FLORISTS'  FLOWERS. 

Air,  Whenever  the  sun  overcomes  the  frost  draw  off  the  lights,  it 
will  refresh  the  plants  much  ;  if  kept  on  the  plants  will  begin  to  grow, 
and  will  be  more  liable  to  suffer  from  close  covering  during  severe 
weather.  In  dull,  humid,  mild  weather,  give  air  at  the  back  or  sides  by 
tilting  up  the  lights.  Anemones  may  yet  be  planted ;  choose  a  dry  day 
for  the  purpose;  cover  the  tubers  with  a  thin  layer  of  white  sand. 
Auriculas  and  Polyanthuses,  dress  off  decayed  leaves;  search  foi 
slugs  in  the  frames  and  under  the  pots.  Carnations  and  Picotkes, 
water  when  dry  ;  pick  off  decayed  leaves.  Any  leaves  not  decayed,  but 
showing  spots  on  them,  remove  ;  it  is  the  plague  of  these  plants.  Chry- 
santhemums now  partially  at  rest,  water  once;  any  advanced  shoots 
cut  off,  and  make  cuttings  of;  those  out-of-doors  place  a  slight  covering 
of  tanner's  bark  round,  to  protect  them  from  frost.  Cinerarias  will 
now  be  showing  flower;  water  when  dry;  pot  seedlings;  repot  young, 
small  plants,  struck  late,  to  encourage  growth.  Calceolaria  seed- 
lings, pot  off  from  pans  ;  repot  young  plants  ;  give  plenty  of  air  to  ;  smoke 
frequently,  to  destroy  green  fly  ;  attend  closely  to  watering,  and  avoid 
wetting  the  leaves  ;  pick  off  daily  all  decayed  leaves,  and  clear  the  surface 
of  the  soil  of  moss.  These  are,  as  the  term  is,  miffy  plants,  and  soon 
lost,  without  great  care  through  this  month.  As  the  frost  in  this  month 
is  often  very  severe,  apply  Coverings  of  sufficient  thickness  to  keep  it 
out ;  light,  open  material,  such  as  fern  or  straw,  with  a  single  mat  over 
it  to  prevent  it  blowing  about,  is  better  than  a  covering  of  three  mats 
laid  close  upon  each  other.  Dahlias,  examine,  and  clear  away  all 
decayed  tops  or  bulbs;  any  roots  quite  gone  throw  out  at  once. 
Fuchsias:  as  soon  as  shoots  are  made  half-an-inch  long,  slip  them  off, 
and  put  them  in  sand  under  hand-glasses  to  strike ;  these  early  short 
cuttings,  or  slips,  strike  easily  and  quickly.  Hollyhocks:  should  the 
weather  be  open,  plant>  them  out ;  if  not  already  done,  the  sooner  this  is 
done  the  better  chance  there  is  to  have  a  good  bloom.  Use  hoops  and  mats 
over  the  Tulip  and  Hyacinth  beds  in  severe  frosty  or  heavy  rainy 
weather.  Lobelias  (Tall),  keep  from  severe  frost,  and  moderately  dry. 
Pansies  in  pots,  look  to,  and  water  gently  when  dry  ;  search  frequently 
for  slugs  ;  those  in  the  open  air,  in  mild  weather  close  the  earth  (loosened 
by  frost)  to  the  plants;  if  open  weather,  give  a  top-dressing  of  decayed 
leaves  and  a  little  soot.  Pinks  :  after  the  frost  is  gone  press  the  soil  to 
with  the  hand  firmly,  or  they  will  be  thrown  quite  out  of  the  ground. 
Ranunculuses  maybe  planted,  weather  permitting,  the  last  week  in 
the  month  (see  former  number  of  The  Cottage  Gardener  as  to  the 
manner) ;  water,  give  none  in  frosty  weather,  but  as  soon  as  a  change 
takes  place,  apply  it  early  in  the  morning  of  a  fine  day.  Verbenas, 
give  air  to  ;  trim  off  decaying  leaves  and  mould  ;  stop  such  as  are 
growing  and  drawing  up  weak.  T.  Appleby. 


FLOWER-GARDEN. 

Annuals  in  borders,  keep  free  from  fallen  leaves  or  other  litter ;  and, 
if  the  weather  is  fine,  sow  a  few  more  at  the  end  of  the  month.  Bulbs, 
see  that  mice  or  rats  do  not  get  to  them;  fresh  soot  keeps  them  off  for 
awhile.  Cuttings,  of  various  hardy  deciduous  shrubs,  climbing  Roses, 
and  the  like,  may  yet  be  put  in.    Edgings,  see  that  they  are  in  good 


THE  COTTAGE  GAPtDENER. 


DECEMnrn  99. 


order;  slate  edgings  arejhe  best,  then  box:  either  may  be  laid  this 
luonth.  If  the  soil  is  dryat  the  end  of  the  month,  plant  some  Gladioli, 
such  as  Psittacimia,  Gandttvensis,  and  their  varieties,  and  continue  in 
monthly  succession  to  the  end  of  April.  Forget  not  lo  procure  such 
stakes,  rodi,  pegs,  and  tallies,  as  may  be  wanted  next  summer,  in  time. 
Destroy  rats,  mice,  and  other  creatures  destructive  to  seeds  and  roota. 
Again  look  at  the  protected  plants,  to  see  they  are  dry.  Grass,  keep  it 
clean  and  well  rolled.  Hedges,  evergreen  and  otherwise,  may  yet  be 
planted  and  dressed.  Layers  of  evergreens,  or  deciduous  shrubs,  may 
be  made  as  the  borders  are  cleaned.  Manurf,.  in  composts,  apply  to 
such  flower-beds  as  may  require  assistance ;  and  in  a  solid,  rotten  state 
to  all  roses.  Mulch  all  newly-planted  trees,  &c.  Potted  plants  in 
reserve  garden  secure  from  frosts.  Planting,  push  forward  in  mild 
weather.  Privet,  make  cuttings  of  the  young  shoots  for  increase. 
Prune  and  regulate  every  tree  or  bush  which  requires  it;  be  more  bparing 
with  evergreens.  Ranunculuses,  if  the  soil  be  dry,  plant  a  lot  for 
another  succession.  Roses,  prune,  plant,  and  dung,  if  not  already 
done;  protect  Ten  and  young  Bourbons -,  and  wash  them  with  strong 
lime  and  soot  paint  to  kill  moss  and  insects.  Seedlings,  and  all  young 
plants,  protect  according  to  their  hardiliood  and  strength.  Suckers, 
pull  up  and  destroy,  unless  wanted  for  increase,  as  those  of  some  Roses, 
&c.  Trench  vacant  ground.  Walks,  roll  as  soon  as  they  are  dry, 
after  rains  or  frost,  and  keep  them  regularly  cleaned.  Weeds,  destroy 
everywhere.  Wheeling,  reserve  for  frosty  or  very  dry  weather.  Four 
times,  within  our  memory,  after  unusual  mild  weather  to  the  middle  of 
January,  wc  experienced  iseuere/rosf  and  rough  weather;  provide  against 
another  of  these  trials  in  time,  and  see  that  everything  is  ready  for 
securing  a  supply  of  ice  at  the  first  opportunity.  U.  Beaton. 


ORCHARD. 

Apples,  cleanse  from  blight,  moss,  &c.  ;  brine  and  soft  soap  are  good 
for  such  purpose.  Bush-fruit,  plant,  prune.  CoMrosTs.  procure  and 
prepare.  Cherries,  plant,  prune.  Cuttings,  plant  of  Gooseberries. 
Fruit-boom,  look  over  weekly;  be  sparing  in  giving  air;  remove  de- 
caying fruit,  and  keep  the  room  dark.  FrLBitiiTs,  plant.  Fork,  borders. 
Gooseberries,  plant,  prune.  Layers,  make.  Loam,  procure  for 
stations.  Mulching,  perform.  Mulberries,  plant.  Medlars, 
plant.  Nails  «»rf  Shreds,  dre&s.  Nectarines:  See  Penchea.  Plums, 
plant,  prune.  Pears,  plant;  prune  ordinary  kinds.  Peaches,  plant, 
prune,  train,  and  dress.  Planting  in  general  proceed  with.  Stations, 
make.  Training  in  general  proceed  with.  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-parts  lime, 
applied  with  a  bush  in  to  every  crevice ;  urine  or  soap-suds,  or  both,  may 
be  employed  to  mix  with.  "    " 


R.  Errington, 


FORCING-HOUSE. 

Air:  ^aa  VentiUitwn.  Asparagus,  get  out  succession-beds  on  mild 
heat.  Apricots:  See  Peach.  Rottom-heats,  sustain  and  assist,  ■J-1'^ 
to  78°.  Cucumbers,  top,  dress,  train.  Cherries;  Sec  Pe-u-h. 
Coverings,  use  wlicrc  possible,  to  save  fire-heat,  and  to  protect  from 
extremes.  Figs:  See  Peach.  Fires,  use  discreetly.  Glass,  wash  all 
roofs.  Grapes,  ripe,  use  fires  and  air  liberally,  remove  decaying  berries. 
Insects,  extirpate;  use  fumigation,  the  sponge,  and  soft  soap.  Kidnet- 
beans,  pot.  and  provide  successions.  Nectarinks  and  Peaches,  in 
bloom,  air  lilierally,  and  shake  to  disperse  the  pollen.  Mushrooms, 
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.  Roofs,  protect  in  boxes,  tubs, 
&c.  Strawberries,  give  air  and  light,  use  liquid-manure  where 
blossoming;  introduce  successions.  Tarragon  and  other  herhs.  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.    ERttlHGTON. 


GREENHOUSE. 


be  pruned  and  repotted.  Geeanicms  and  Cinerarias  \iill,  in  all 
likelihood,  uant  cleaning  and  fumigating.  The  iir:<t  may  now  he 
repotted  for  late  May  and  early  June  Ijlooming,  and  the  latter  must  he 
shifted  and  Icept  growing,  so  as  to  prevent  tliem  throwing  up  flower- 
stalks,  if  late  bloom  and  large  specimens  are  desired.  A\'here  room  is 
limited,  a  fine  display  is  ol}tained  by  successions,  and  using  nnt  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  toljacco  then  is  tantamount  to  labour  and  money  thrown  away. 
Roses  in  pots,  for  April  and  Mav  and  June  blconiing,  in  the  greenhouse, 
finish  pruning ;  wash  with  a  paint  of  soot,  sulphur,  and  clay;  top-dress 
with  rich  compost ;  and  plunge,  if  possilile,  in  a  house  or  pit — sawdust 
will  be  a  good  marerial— and  give  at  first  a  temperarure  of  40°  to  45°  at 
night,  and  from  -15°  to  50°  during  the  day.  Succulents,  unless  growing 
and  showing  flower,  refrain  from  watering.  Trupa-olam  Lobbinnuvi,  anil 
Manettia  hicolor,  will  be  gre:it  ornaments  now,  in  a  warmish  dry  green- 
house. Water  plants  only  Mhcn  requisite,  and  perform  the  operation 
after  breakfast,  using  water  rather  higher  than  the  medium  temperature 
of  the  house.  Place  a  few  Achimenes,  Gcbuera,  and  Gloxinia  roots  into 
heat  for  early  blooming.  In  a  conservatory  or  greenhouse,  where  no 
hard-wooded  plants  to  speak  of  are  grown,  and  where  a  medium  heat  of 
50°  can  be  maintained— that  is.  45^  at  night,  and  55°  during  the  day — 
Poinsettia  jmlcherrima.  Euphorbia  Jaci/uinijiara,  &c.,  may  be  in- 
troduced from  the  stove.  For  the  Poinsettia  especially,  if  a  little  extra 
heat  can  be  given  in  April,  a  close  cold  pit  in  summer,  an  average  night 
temperature  of  50°  in  October,  and  a  medium  of  from  45°  to  55°  in  winter, 
nothing  can  surpass  the  brilliancy  of  the  large  crimson  floral  leaves,  for  a 
couple  of  months,  at  this  period,  while  the  brilliancy  remains  longer  in 
such  a  house  than  iu  a  plant  stove.    {.Hee  Calendar  of  la^t  month.) 

E.  Fish. 


KITCHEN-GARDEN. 

Artichokes,  attend  to,  shelter,  &c.     Asparagus,  plant  in  hotbed  ;    I 
attend  to  that  forcing;  temperature  about  65°,  and  at  night  50°.    JJrans,    1 
plant,  b.  ;  earth-stir  among  often  ;  advancing  crops  protect  from  frost  ; 
plant  in  hotbed,  if  required.  Beet  (red),  plant  for  seed.  Brocoli,  protect    , 
from  frost.     Cabhagks,  plant,  e. ;  sow,  e.  ;  plant  for  seed.     Cabdoons,     I 
attend  to,  shelter,  &c.     Carrots,  sow  small  crop  ;  plant  for  seed  ;  (early    I 
Horn)  sow  on  gentle  hotbeds,  fill  the  frame  up  well  with  earth,  so  as  to    | 
bring  the  crop  up  close  to  the  glass;  attend  to  early  thinning-out,   and    j 
earth-stirring  with  a  little  pointed  stick  among  all  frame  crops.     Cauli-    I 
flowers  in  frames,  attend  to  protection  from  frosf.  and  give  all  open    i 
air  possible  in  open  weather,  by  taking  the  lights  entirely  off;  also,  hand- 
glass crops,  clear  away  all  decayed  leaves  and  slugs,  and  earth-stir  often;    I 
if  young  plants  are  required,  a  pinch  of  seed  may  be  sown  in  pans,  and    j 
placed  in  any  lieated  Rtructure,  but  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. 
Cucu.MBEBS,  sow  and  prick  out;  temperature,  by  day,  70°  to  75°,  and  at 
nicht  6j°.     Dung,  for  hotbeds,  prepare  in  earnest;  wheel  on  to  vacant    ! 
ground,     Earth  for  hotbeds,  prepare.     Earth-stir,  and  fasten  plants    ' 
disturbed  by  frust,    &c.      Endive,   blanch,   protect.      Frost,  protect    | 
plants  from,  by  temporary  covering.     Ground,  trench  vacant.     Horse-    , 
radish, plant  at  any  time  during  the  month  in  open  weather.  Hotbeds, 
make  and  attend  to,     Jerusalem  Artichokes,  take  up  and  replant  in    ] 
open  weather,  at  any  time  during  the  month.     Kidney-beans,  sovv  in    , 
succession  in  hotbed,  &c.     Kale  (Sea),  attend  to;  force  in  succession.    : 
Lettuces,  in  frames,  attend  ;  protect  from  frost ;  sow  on  warm  border, 
e.     LiftuoRiCK,  plant,  e.,  and  digup  three-year-old.     Melons,  sow,  for 
fruiting  in  May  ;  day  temperature  75°,  niglit  G5*^.     i\Iint,  iorce,  in  hot- 
.  bed.     Mushroom  Beds,  make,  and  attend  to  those  producing  ;  procure 
horae-droppingfi  for.     I\Iustard  and  Cress,  sow  in  hotbed.     Onions,    ' 
clear  from  weeds  ;  examine  stored  ;  sow  a  small  crop,  e.  ;  plant  for  seed. 
Parsley,  sow,   e, ;    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 
I  mouse   trap    or   two   set    About  the   pea    quarters.      Sow;    earth-stir; 

shelter  from    frost;    and   preiiare   stick.      This   is  a   good  season   for    ^ 

j  making  main  sowings  of  early  and  second  early  peas   where   the   soil 

works  well  and  the  weather  is  open.     Potatoes,  plant  in  slight  hotbed;    ' 

and  they  may  also  be  planted  out  in   the  open   border,  or  quarters,  in 

1  fine  open  weather,  where  the  soil  works  well.     Examine  those  in  the  store. 

i  Radishes,  sow,  in  hotbed  ;  thin  out  as  soon  as  the  plants  can  be  handled 

I  and  sift  a  little  dry  earth  among  them  ;  sow  in  border,  c.     Rape  (for 

salading),  sow  in  hotbed;  (cdilile-rooted),  sow.     Ruudark,  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  towjirdstbciend  of  the  month.  Tan  sey.  plant 

in  hotbed.    Tarragon,  plant  in  hotiied.  Turnips,  plant  for  seed  ;  should 

the  weather  Bcem  inclined  to  set  in  severe,  store  in  a  good  supply,  or  heap 

them  to  cover  them  over  with  coal-ashes.     Weeds,  contiimally  destroy, 

d  do  any  work  which  will  lessen  th;>tofthe  following  busier  months  ; 


?   Air,  admit  at  every  favourable  0)jportunity,  whenever  the  temperature 

outside  is  al)ove  35°,  except  in  windy  or  foggy  weather,  especially  among 

Heaths,  Epacrises,  and  Azaleas  that  you  do  not  wish  to  bloom  early.     In 

fo"-gy  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  con  ■ 

tinuance,  and  could  be  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  bv  a  little  firing  is  a  great  security  for  the  health  <'f  the  ^  j'fl'par'ticui'ar,  such  as  planting  all  the  main  out-door  crops  of  Potatoes, 

plants  in  dull  weather.     Soft-wooded  plants  should  be  kept  at  one  end  of  ,  ...,,'„„„,  .       .    -  


the  house.     Bulds   and  hardy  Suauus,  such  as    Lilacs,  Azaleas,  and 
Roses,  introduce  from  the  forcing-houae,  placing  them  at  the  closest  and 
1     warmest   end   of  the    house;    Calceolarias,    Ciner.irias.  Geraniums,  and 
Chinese  Primroses,  clean,  shift,  and  supply  at  times  with  manure-water. 
1    Camellias  and  Cytisuses  opening  their  buds,  supply  with  manure- 
water.     Climders,    prune  in,    if  not  already  done,  those  that  produce 
their  flowers    on   the   young   wood;    others,  such   as   Kennedyas,   now 
1    flowering  and  growing,  attend  to;  and  especially  train,  every  day,  the 
1    Tfopwntums,  if  you  wish  to  prevent  confusion.     No  time  should  be  lost 
I    in  potting  such  kinds  as  Tricolontm,  .Jarrattii.  Speciosa,  Azuren.  &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  better 
I    to  use  coverings  for  the  glass.    Focusiasi  the  fotwardcst  may  now 


..herever  the  soil  will  allow  of  it,  and  the  weather  is  favourable.  Woon- 
lke.  destroy  in  the  mushroom-house  by  trapping  under  dry  Kay.  and 
scalding  it  in  hot-water  ;  or  by  baiting  small  pots  with  boiled  potatoes, 
or  slices  of  potatoes  under  dry  moss.  T.  Weaver. 


London:  Printed  by  Habrt  Wooldridge,  Winchester  High-strect, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar ;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMERViLLK  Obr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  tho  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  Loudon.— December  29th,  1863. 


Janbatiy  5. 


THE  COTTAGK  QARDENER. 


253 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR 


n 

w 


Th 
F 


7  I  S 

8  :  Sun 

9  M 

0  To 

1  W 


JANUARY  5-11,  185-1. 


Glomeris  marpinata;  sand. 
Epiphany.    Twelfth  l^ay. 
Ju1u»  Londinonsis  ;  raoss. 
1  Sunday  ai'Ter  Epiphany. 
Julu»  terreatri*  ;  sand,  woods, 
Julua  punctatus  ;  tree  bai'k. 
.Tutus  pulchellus ;  moss. 


Weathsb  NBiE  London  in  18.53, 

Sun 

Kises. 

Sun 
Sets. 

Moon 
11.  &S, 

Moon's 

Age. 

Clock 
af.  Sun, 

Day  of 
Year, 

Barometer.      Thermo.  Wind. 

1 

Hain  in 
Inches. 

29715—29.629    '   52—30 
29.(156-29. 481       49—32 
29.4S6— 29.13S    :   53—30 
29.527—39.4(14     '    49—32 
29.740— 'ig, 680    ;  50—35 
29.684-29.300    ;   51—42 
29.623—29.473    1   51—42 

S  W. 
S.W. 
S.W. 

S.E. 

W. 

s. 

S.W. 

01 
16 

!^ 
01 
06 

03     : 

s 
7 
7 
7 
6 
6 
5 

5^ 
6 

J 

13 

11     .'•.9 
morn. 

1  11 

2  22 

3  32 

4  41 

5  49 

6 

3 
s 
9 

10 

11 

12 

5  42 

6  9 

6  35 

7  1 

7     20 

7  50 

8  14 

5 
6 

7 
» 
9 
10 

11 

Mbtborology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiiwick,  from  observntions  durinp  the  last  twenty-ffix  vcars,  the  averftpe  highent  and  lowest  tem- 
peraturcB  of  these  days  are  40.7"  and  30.3"  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  54*,  occurred  on  the  Cth  in  16-15  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  0=",  on  the 
7chin  1641.  During  the  period  Uddayi  were  fine,  and  on  70  rain  fell. 


BRITISH    WILD  FLOWERS. 

{Continued  from  pntjc  273.) 
AnvBis  ciluta:  Fringed  Wall  Cress. 


-T,l 


Besaiplion. — It  is   a  biennial.     Eool    simple,   tapering 


Slum  generally  solitary,  from  two  to  four  inches,  but,  when 
cultivated,  near  a  foot  in  height,  erect,  quite  simple,  leafy, 
cylindrical,  smooth.  liool-lvnvcs  several,  in  one  simple  tuft, 
various  in  size,  rever.sed-egg-shaped,  often  reddish;  tapering 
at  the  base ;  IIiosl-  of  the  stem  alternate,  stalkless,  or  half- 
clasping,  elliptio-oblong ;  all  somewhat  milky-green,  quite 
smooth  on  both  sides,  more  or  less  evidently  toothed, 
fringed  with  simple  or  forked,  scattered,  spreading,  bristly 
hairs ;  some  of  which  ai'e  often  crowded  into  a  small  tuft  or 
beard  at  the  tips  of  the  leaves,  whilst  others  form  a  more 
regular  frhige  upon  the  taper  bases,  or  foot-stalks,  of  the 
root-leaves.  Flower's  in  a  simple,  terminal,  upright,  smooth, 
flat  cluster.  Cahjx  tawny,  with  a  white  edge.  Petals  twice 
its  length,  pure  white,  almost  erect,  JPotls  upright,  slender, 
each  tipped  with  the  simple,  blunt,  stigma,  supported  by  a 
very  short,  conical  style  ;  their  valves  undulated,  channeled, 
and  slightly  keeled. 

Places  where  found. — It  is  very  rare,  being  found  only  on 
rocks  by  the  sea-side  at  Einville,  Cunnamara,  in  the  west  of 
Ireland;  and  in  Scotland  on  rocks  near  Loch  Lea,  in 
Glen  Est. 

Times  of  flowering. — July  and  August. 

History. — This  is  the  Tiirritis  ciliata,  and  T.  ulpina,  the 
Fringed  or  Alpine  Tower  Mustard,  of  some  botanists.  The 
specific  name  ciliiilti,  eye-lashed  or  fringed,  alludes  to  the 
hairs  round  the  edges  of  the  leaves.  {Smilli.  Wither- 
ing.) 


There  was  a  time,  part  of  what  some  people  still  call 
"  the  good  old  times,"  a  time  enduring  to  the  close  of 
the  reign  of  George  III.,  when  Kew  Gardens  were 
sealed  up  from  vulgar  eyes,  and  its  vegetable  riches 
guarded  as  watchfully,  and  kept  as  exclusive,  as  the 
golden  fruit  of  the  Hesperides.  In  those  times,  the 
heart  that  beat  beneath  a  fustian  jacket  was  considered 
lis  incapable,  or  as  unworthy,  of  being  gladdened  by  the 
beautiful  in  nature ;  and  the  head  that  was  ever  put  into 
a  brown  paper  cap  was  deemed  as  too  devoid  of  taste 
and  ingenuity  ever  to  relish  or  succeed  in  the  culture  of 
exotic  plants.  If  tlie  hands  connected  with  such  heads 
and  hearts  should  be  allowed  to  come  within  arms  length 
of  such  plants,  there  was  no  telling  what  might  happen. 
The  least  horrible  event  expected  to  occur  was  that  they 
would  tear  off  the  leaves  and  blossoms  for  the  mere  sake 
of  mischief,  and  from  the  mere  propensity  to  destroy 
what  is  lovely.  So  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  and  others  of 
those  "  old  times,"  shut  up  Kew  Gardens,  and  wore 
sedulous  and  diligent  to  take  care  that  when  once  a 


plant  got  within  their  iron  gates  no  mortal  out  of  the 
peerage,  and  very  few  in  it,  should  have  a  cutting  or  a 
root  whereby  it  might  be  propagated. 

It  never  entered  among  the  thoughts  of  those  guar- 
dians of  the  Kew  riches  that  it  was  possible,  or  proper, 
that  such  things  should  be  diffused  among  the  people, 
known  to  them  only  as  "the  vulgar."  They  never  seem 
to  have  suspected  that  by  such  diffusion — by  fostering  a 
taste  for  such  things — by  rendering  a  man's  garden  more 
varied  and  beautiful,  his  dwelling  more  attractive — that 
you  weaned  him  from  pleasures  not  of  home-growth,  and 
elevated  bis  desires  to  strive  for  something  less  debasing 
than  such  things  as  could  be  found  on  and  around  the 
tap-room  table. 

In  these  "  bad  times"  of  change  we  go  upon  a  different 
system — we  have  adopted  as  a  rule,  that  the  more  people 
have  of  new  plants,  and  the  more  they  delight  in  them, 
the  happier  and  the  better  they  will  be;  we  let  tliem 
into  Kew  Gardens  unwatched,  yet  not  a  leaf  is  ri6ed ; 
we  build,  or  they  build  for  themselves,  Crystal  Palaces, 


No.  CCLXXV.,  Vol.  XI, 


254 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  S. 


and  we  make  for  them  parks  and  gardens,  where  they 
may  walk  unrestrained,  and  roll  upon  the  grass  even, 
and  bask  in  the  sunshine,  and  revel  in  pure  air.  And 
what  is  the  consequence  of  all  this?  We  must  condense 
the  reply  into  one  sentence — We  have  had  no  Revolution. 
If  we  were  to  search  through  the  entire  "  Encyclopasdia 
of  Plants  "  for  a  single  species  that  would  illustrate  best 
the  working  of  the  two  systems,  we  should  lind  none 
that  would  afford  that  illustration  so  forcibly  as  The 
Fuchsia. 

Who  is  there  among  the  thousands  who  will  read  this 
page  that  would  not  grieve  if  this  plant  of  the  garden, 
the  window-sill,  and  the  conservatory,  was  totally  de- 
stroyed? Who  wo\ild  not  feel  that  they  who  nursed  it 
either  in  a  cracked  tea-pot,  or  in  an  Etruscan  vase,  had 
to  suffer  a  lost  pleasure  ?  Yet  this  gay  little  friend  of 
the  poor  as  well  as  of  the  ricli,  would  never  have  been 
gladdening  tliem  if  it  could  have  been  found  nowhere 
than  in  Kew  Gardens  as  managed  under  the  old  system. 
It  was  introduced  into  those  gardens  by  a  Captain  Firth, 
as  far  back  as  1788,  and  there  it  remained  when  a 
second  edition  of  the  Hortus  Kcwemis  was  published  in 
1811.  It  was  a  close  prisoner ;  it  had  not  escaped  to 
brighten  up  a  cottager's  window,  much  less  had  any  one 
endeavoured  to  raise  from  it  varieties;  like  all  other 
things  then  at  Kew,  it  was  a  forcible  illustration  of  the 
hidden  talent — it  was  useless  even  to  the  possessor. 

Notv,  we  know,  and  are  rejoicing  in  the  knowledge, 
that  a  hundred  of  its  varieties  are  adorning  our  houses 
and  gardens.  This  has  all  happened  since  1815,  and 
how  it  happened,  how  the  Fuchsia  got  among  the  peo- 
ple, is  well  told  in  this  narrative.-- 

"  Soft  JliJsummcr  air,  cheery  with  sunshine  and  perfumed 
with  all  tlie  scents  that  it  had  robbed  out  of  liis  nursery 
garden,  crept  in  through  the  monthly  roses  .it  the  jiorcli  and 
the  half-open  cottage  door,  to  make  itself  at  home  in  George 
Swayue's  room.  It  busied  itself  there,  s\yeeping  and  rustliug 
about,  as  if  it  had  as  much  right  to  the  place  and  was  as  much 
tile  tenant  of  it  as  the  gai'dener  himself  It  had  also  a  sort 
of  feminine  and  wifely  claim  on  George;  who,  having  been 
spending  hulf  an  hour  over  a  short  letter  written  upon  a 
large  sheet,  was  inviteil  by  the  midsummer  air  to  look  after 
Ins  goi'deii. — The  best  efforts  were  being  made  by  liis 
gentle  friend  to  tear  the  paper  from  his  liand.  A  bee  bad 
come  into  the  room — George  kept  bees — and  Iiad  been 
hovering  about  tiie  letter;  so  drunk,  possibly,  with  honey 
that  he  liad  mistaken  it  I'or  a  great  lily.  Certainly  lie  did 
at  last  settle  upon  it.  Tho  lily  was  a  legal  document  to  this 
effect : — 

" '  Sir, — Wo  are  hereby  instructed  to  give  you  notice  of  the 
death  of  Mr.  Thomas  Queeks,  of  lidmonton,  the  last  of  the 
three  lives  for  which  your  lease  was  granted,  and  to  inform 
you  that  you  may  obtain  a  renewal  of  the  same  on  the  pay- 
ment of  one  hundred  guineas  to  the  undersigned.  AVe 
are.  Sir, 

'"Your  (here  the  bee  sat  upon  the  obedient  servants), 
'"Flint  and  GnisTON.' 

"  Mr.  Swayne  granted  himself  a  rule  to  consider  in  his  own 
mind  what  the  lawyers  meant  by  tlieir  uncertain  phrase- 
ology. It  did  not  mean,  ho  concluded,  that  iMessrs.  F.  and  G. 
were  willing,  for  one  Imndreil  pounds,  to  renew  the  life  of 
Mr,  Queelis,  of  Edmonton  ;  but  it  did  mean  that  he  must 
turn  out  of  the  biaisc  and  grounds  (wliicb  bad  been  Swaync's 
Nursery  tiarden  for  three  generations  jjiist)  unless  bo  ^^■ould 
pay  a  large  fine  for  the  renewal  of  his  lease.  He  was  but  a 
young  fellow  of  flve-and-twenty ;  who,  until  recently,  bad 

*  This  narrative  13  aubatantially  true  ;  we  believe  it  has  been  published 
in  some  pniiular  work,  but  it  was  sent  lo  us  as  an  extract  from  an  Irish 
newspaper. 


been  at  work  for  the  support  of  an  old  father  and  mother. 
His  mother  had  been  dead  a  twelvemonth  last  Midsummer- 
day  ;  and  his  father,  who  had  been  well  while  Ids  dame 
was  with  him,  sickened  when  she  was  gone,  and  died  before 
apple-gathering  was  over.  Tlie  cottage  and  the  garden  were 
more  precious  to  George  as  a  home  than  a  place  of  business. 
There  were  thoughts  of  parting — like  thoughts  of  another 
loss  by  death,  or  of  all  past  losses  again  to  be  suffered 
freshly  .and  together — which  so  clouded  the  eyes  of  Jlr. 
Swayne,  tliat  at  last  he  could  scarcely  tell  when  he  looked 
at  the  letter  whether  the  bee  was  or  was  not  a  portion  of 
the  wilting. 

"  An  old  woman  came  in  with  a  Midsummer  cough,  sound- 
ing as  hollow  as  an  empty  coffin.  She  was  a  poor  crone 
who  came  to  do  for  George  small  services  as  a  domestic  for 
an  hour  or  two  every  day;  for  he  lighted  his  own  fires,  and 
served  up  to  himself  in  the  first  style  of  cottage  eoohery  his 
own  fat  bacon  and  potatoes. 

'"I  shall  be  out  for  three  hours,  Milly,'  said  George,  and 
he  put  on  his  best  clothes,  and  went  into  the  sunshine. 
'  I  can  do  nothing  better,'  he  thought,  '  than  go  and  see 
the  lawyers.' 

"  They  lived  in  the  City ;  George  lived  at  the  east  end  of 
London,  in  a  part  now  covered  witb  very  dirty  streets ;  but 
then  covered  with  copse  and  field,  and  by  Swayne's  old- 
fashioned  nursery  ground,  then  crowded  with  stocks  and 
wallflowers,  lupins,  and  sweet  peas,  pinks,  lavender,  liearts- 
ease,  boy's-love,  old  man,  and  old-fashioned  plants ;  for  it 
contained  nothing  so  tremendous  as  Schizantluises,  Escol- 
zias,  or  Clarkis  pulchellas,  which  were  weedy  little  atomies, 
though  they  sound  enough  to  rival  any  tree  on  Lebanon. 
George  was  an  old-fashioned  gardener  in  an  old-fashioned 
time;  for  we  have  here  to  do  with  events  wliich  occurred  in 
the  middle  of  the  reign  of  George  the  Third.  George  then 
— I  mean  George  Swajiie,  not  Georgius  Kex — marched  otl' 
to  see  the  lawyers,  who  lived  in  a  dark  court  in  the  City, 
He  found  their  clerl;  in  the  front  office,  with  a  marigold  in 
one  of  liis  button-Iioles  ;  but  there  was  nothing  else  that 
looked  like  sttmmer  in  the  place.  It  smelt  like  a  monthly 
shut  up  tool-house;  and  there  was  parchinent  enough  in  it 
to  make  scarecrows  for  all  the  gardens  in  Kent,  Middlesex, 
and  Surrey. 

"  George  saw  the  junior  pai'tuer,  Mr.  Griston,  who  told 
him,  when  he  heard  his  business,  that  it  was  in  Mr.  Fbnt's 
department.  "When  he  was  shown  into  Mr.  Flint's  room, 
Mr.  Flint  could  only  repeat  the  instructions  of  tlie  landlord. 
"'You  see,  my  lad,'  he  said,  'these  holdings  that  have 
been  let  hitherto  for  thirty  pounds  jier  annum  are  now 
worth  fifty.  Yet  my  client,  Mr.  Crote,  is  ready  to  rciu-w  tlie 
lease  for  three  more  lives  at  the  very  slight  fine  we  have 
named  to  you.     What  would  yon  have  more  reasonable  ? ' 

"  '  Sir,  I  raalce  no  complaint,'  Cieorge  answered  ;  'only  I 
want  to  abide  by  the  ground,  and  I  have  not  so  much  1 
money  as  you  reqtiu-e.  I  owe  nobody  a  penny  ;  and  to  pay 
my  way  .and  lay  by  enough  money  for  next  year's  src^ds  and  I 
roots,  has  been  the  most  tliat  T  can  manage.  I  have  saveil 
fifteen  pounds.  Here  it  is.  Sir ;  fake  it,  if  it  will  lielp  me 
in  this  business.' 

"'Well,'  Mr.  Flint  suggested,  '  what  do  you  say  to  this  ? 
I  make  no  promise,  but  1  think  I  can  persuade  iMr.  t'rote  to 
let  yon  retain  possession  of  your  bind,  for — shall  we  say'.' — 
two  years,  at  the  rent  tif  fifty  pounds;  and  at  the  expiration 
of  that  term,  you  may  iierhups  b»  able  to  pay  the  line  and 
to  renew  your  lease.' 

" '  I  will  accept  that  offer,  Sir.'  A  homespun  man  clings 
to  the  walls  of  home.  Swayne's  nursery  would  not  support 
so  high  a  rental ;  but  lot  the  future  lake  thought  for  itself — 
to  postpone  for  two  yeiu's  the  doom  to  quit  the  roofstree 
under  which  his  mother  suckled  him  was  enough  fer 
George. 

"So  ho  turned  homeward  and  went  dieerfully  on  bis  way 
by  a  sliort  cutlhrougb  narrow  sireets  and  lanes  that  iHirdered 
on  the  Thames.  His  gardener's  eye  tliscovered  all  tin' 
lonely  liltlo  pots  of  mignonette  in  the  upper  windows  ul' 
the  tottering  old  houses  ;  ami,  in  the  trimmer  streets,  where 
there  were  rows  of  little  houses  in  all  shades  of  wbiti'-wasli, 
some  quiet  Ircsh  looking,  inhabited  by  people  who  kept  their 
windows  clean,  he  sonieliiiies  saw  as  many  as  fmr  llower 
pots  upoii  the  window  sill.  Then  there  were  the  squares  of 
lurf,  pul,  in  weekly  instalments  cif  six  iuehes,  tu  the.  credit 


January  6. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


255 


of  caged  Ipiks,  for  the  slow  liiiuidation  of  tlie  debt  of  green 
fields  due  to  them.  There  were  also  parrots  ;  for  a  large 
number  of  the  houses  in  those  river  streets  were  tenanted 
by  sailors  who  brought  birds  from  abroad.  There  were  also 
all  sorts  of  grotesque  shells ;  and  one  liouso  that  receded 
from  its  neighbours'  had  a  small  garden  in  front,  which 
was  sown  over  with  shells  instead  of  flowers.  The  walks 
were  bordered  with  shells  instead  of  boxwood,  and  there 
were  conches  upon  the  wall  instead  of  wall-flowers.  The 
summer-house  was  a  grotto ;  but  the  great  centre  ornament 
was  a  large  figure-head,  at  the  foot  of  which  there  was  a 
bench  erected,  so  that  the  owner  sat  under  its  shadow.  It 
represented  a  man  with  a  great  beard,  holding  over  his 
shoulder  a  large  three-pronged  fork;  whicli  George  believed 
to  be  meant  for  Neptune.  That  was  a  poor  garden,  thought 
George  ;  for  it  never  waved  nor  rustled,  and  did  not  by  one 
change  of  feature — except  that  it  grew  daily  dirtier — shew 
itself  conscious  of  the  passage  of  the  hour's  and  days,  and 
months  and  seasons. 

"  It  interested  George  a  great  deal  more  to  notice  here  and 
there  the  dirty  leaves  of  new  kinds  of  plants;  which,  brought 
home  among  the  sailors,  struggled  to  grow  from  seed  or 
root  Tlirough  the  window  of  one  house  that  was  very 
poor,  but  very  neat  and  clean,  he  saw  put  upon  a  table  to 
to  catch  the  rays  of  summer  sun,  a  strange  plant  in  blossom. 
It  had  a  reddish  stalk,  small-pointed  leaves  ;  and  from  every 
cluster  of  leaves  hung  elegant  red  flower-bells  with  purple 
tongues.  That  plant  excited  him  greatly;  and,  when  he 
stooped  to  look  in  at  it,  he  felt  some  such  emotion  as  might 
stir  an  ai'tist  who  should  see  a  work  by  Kubens  hung  up  in 
a  pawnbroker's  shoe  window.  He  knocked  at  the  green 
door,  and  a  pale-faced  girl  opened  it,  holding  in  one  hand  a 
piece  of  unfinished  needlework.  Her  paleness  left  her  for 
a  minute  when  she  saw  it  was  a  stranger  who  had  knocked. 
Her  blue  eyes  made  George  glance  away  from  them  before 
he  had  finished  his  respectful  inquiry.  '  I  beg  your  pardon,' 
he  said,  '  but  may  I  ask  the  name  of  the  flower  in  the 
window,  and  where  it  came  from?' 

" '  Will  you  walk  in,  if  you  please,  sir,'  said  the  girl, 
'  mother  will  tell  you  all  she  knows  about  it.' 

"  With  two  steps  the  yoimg  gardener  strode  into  the  small 
front  room  where  a  sick  and  feeble  woman  sat  in  an  arm 
chaii'.  The  room  was  clean  and  Httle  furnished.  There 
was  only  sand  upon  tlie  floor;  and,  on  the  table  with  some 
more  of  the  girl's  work,  was  part  of  a  stale  loaf,  flanked 
with  two  mugs  that  contained  some  exceedingly  blue  and 
limpid  milk.  George  apologised  for  his  intrusion  ;  but  said 
what  his  calUng  was,  and  pleaded  in  excuse  the  great  beauty 
and  novelty  of  the  plant  that  had  attracted  him. 

"  '  Ay,  ay,  but  I  prize  it  for  more  than  that,'  said  Mrs.  Ellis, 
'  it  was  brought  to  me  by  my  son.  He  took  it  as  a  cutting, 
and  he  brought  it  a  long  way,  dear  fellow,  all  the  way  from 
the  West  Indies,  nursing  it  for  me.  Often  he  let  his  own 
lips  parch,  sir,  on  the  voyage,  that  he  might  give  water 
enough  to  the  flower  that  he  took  home  for  his  mother. 
He  is  a  tender-hearted  boy,  my  Harry.' 

"  'He  is  young,  then  ? ' 

"  'Well,  he  is  not  exactly  a  hoy,  sir ;  but  they  are  all  boys 
on  board  ship,  you  understand.  He  could  cariy  off  the 
house  upon  his  back,  Harry  could ;  he  is  so  wonderful 
broad-chested.  He's  just  gone  a  long  voyage,  su',  and  I'm 
feai'd  I  shall  be  gone  a  longer  before  he  comes  back ;  and 
he  said  when  he  went,  '  Take  care  of  the  plant,  mother,  it'll 
have  hundreds  of  bells  to  ring  when  I  come  back  to  you 
next  year.'     He  is  always  full  of  his  fun,  su',  is  my  Harry.' 

" '  Then  ma'am,'  George  stammered,  '  it  is  a  plant  you 
would'nt  like  to  part  with.' 

"  The  poor  woman  looked  angiy  for  a  moment ;  and  then, 
after  a  pause,  answered  gently, '  No,  sn,  not  until  after  my 
time  comes.' 

"  The  young  gardener,  who  ought  to  have  gone  away,  stiU 
bent  over  the  flower.  The  plant  was  very  beautiful,  and 
evidently  stood  the  climate  well,  and  it  was  of  a  kind  to 
propagate  by  slips.  George  did  not  well  know  what  to  say 
or  do.  The  girl  who  had  been  nimbly  stitching,  ceased 
from  work  and  looked  up  wonderingly  at  the  stranger,  who 
had  nothing  more  to  say,  and  yet  remained  with  them.  At 
last,  the  young  man,  with  the  colour  of  the  flower  on  his 
cheeks,  said,  'I'm  a  poor  man,  ma'am,  and  not  much 
taught.    If  I'm  going  to  say  anything  unbecoming,  I  hope 


you'll  forgive  it ;  but  if  you  could — if  you  could  bring  your 
heart  to  part  with  this  plant,  I  would  givo  you  ten  guineas 
for  it,  and  the  first  good  cutting  I  raise  shall  lie  yours.' 

"  The  girl  looked  up  in  great  astonishniont,  '  Ten  guineas  !' 
she  cried,  '  why,  mother,  ten  guineas  would  make  you 
comfortable  for  the  whole  winter.    How  glad  Harry  will  be  ! ' 

"  The  poor  old  woman  ti'emblod  nervously ;  '  Harry  told 
me  to  keep  it  for  his  sake,'  she  whispered  to  her  daughter, 
wlio  bent  fondly  over  her. 

" '  Does  Harry  love  a  flower  better  than  your  health  and 
comfort  ? '  plead  Harry's  sister. 

"A  long  debate  was  carried  on  in  low  tones, while  George 
Swayne  endeavomred  to  look  as  though  ho  were  a  hundred 
miles  off,  hstening  to  nothing.  But  the  loving  accents  of 
the  girl,  debating  with  her  mother  tenderly,  caused  Mr. 
Swayne — a  stout  and  true  hearted  young  fellow  of  twenty- 
five — ^to  feel  that  there  were  certainly  some  new  thoughts 
and  sensations  working  in  him.  He  considered  it  important 
to  discover  from  her  mother's  manner  of  addressing  her  that 
the  name  of  the  young  woman  was  Susan.  When  the  old 
lady  at  last  consented  with  a  wish  to  George's  offer,  he  placed 
ten  guineas  on  the  table  beside  the  needlework,  and  only  stole 
one  glance  at  Susan,  as  he  bade  good-bye,  and  took  the 
flower-pot  away,  promising  again  earnestly  that  ho  would 
bring  back  to  them  the  first  good  cutting  that  took  root. 

"  George  Swayne,  then,  havmg  tlie  lawyers  almost  put  out 
of  his  head,  carried  the  plant  home  and  duly  busied  him- 
self in  his  greenhouse,  over  the  multiplication  of  his  treasure. 
Months  went  by,  during  which  the  joung  gardener  worked 
hard  and  eat  sparingly.  He  had  left  to  himself  but  five 
pounds  for  the  general  mamtenance  of  his  garden ;  more 
was  needed,  and  that  he  had  to  pinch,  as  far  as  he  dared, 
out  of  his  humble  food  and  other  necessaries  of  existence. 
He  had,  however,  nothing  to  regret.  The  cuttings  of  the 
flower-beUs  throve,  and  the  thought  of  Susan  was  better 
to  him  than  roast-beef.  He  did  not  again  visit  the  widow's 
house.  He  had  no  right  to  go  there,  until  he  went  to 
redeem  his  promise. 

"  A  year  went  by :  and  when  next  July  came  George 
Svvayne's  garden  and  greenhouses  were  in  the  best  condi- 
tron.  The  new  plant  had  multiphed  by  slips,  and  had 
thriven  more  than  he  could  have  expected.  The  best  plant 
was  set  by  until  it  should  have  reached  the  utmost  perfection 
of  blossoms  to  be  carried  in  redemption  of  the  promise  made 
to  widow  Ellis.  In  some  vague  way,  too,  Mr.  Swaj-ne  now 
and  then  pondered  whether  the  bells  it  was  to  set  i-inging 
after  Hany  had  returned  might  not  be  after  all  the  bells  of 
Stepney  parish-church. — And  Susan  Swayne  did  sound  well, 
that  was  certain.  Not  that  he  thought  of  mai-rying  the  pale 
girl,  whose  blue  eyes  he  had  only  seen,  and  whose  soft  voice 
he  had  only  heard  once ;  but  he  was  a  young  fellow  and 
he  thought  about  her,  and  young  fellows  have  their  fancies, 
which  do  now  and  then  shoot  in  unaccountable  du-ections. 

"A  desired  event  had  happened  one  morning.  The  best 
customer  of  Swayne's  nursery  grounds,  the  wife  of  a  city 
knight.  Lady  Salter,  who  had  a  fine  seat  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, alighted  from  her  carriage  at  the  garden  gate.  She 
had  come  to  buy  flowers  for  the  decorations  of  her  annual 
grand  summer  party;  and  George,  with  much  pertm-bation, 
ushered  her  into  his  greenhouse,  which  was  glowing  with 
the  crimson  and  purple  blossoms  of  his  new  plant.  When 
Lady  Salter  had  her  admiration  duly  heightened  by  the 
information  that  there  were  no  other  plants  in  the  country 
like  them ;  that,  in  fact,  Mr.  Swayne's  new  flowers  were 
unique,  she  instantly  bought  two  slips  at  a  guinea  each,  and 
took  them  home  in  triumph.  Of  course,  the  flower-bells 
attracted  the  attention  of  her  guests,  and  of  course,  she  was 
very  proud  to  draw  the  attention  to  them.  The  residt  was 
that  the  carriages  of  the  great  people  of  the  neighbourhood 
so  clogged  up  the  road  at  Swayne's  nursery,  day  after  day, 
that  there  was  no  getting  by  them.  George  sold  for  a 
guinea  each  all  the  shps  he  had  potted,  keeping  only  the 
continuance  of  his  trade,  and  carefully  reserving  his  finest 
specimen.    That  in  due  time  he  took  to  Harry's  mother. 

"  The  ten  guineas,  added  to  the  produce  of  Susan's  labour — 
she  had  not  slacked  it  a  jot — had  maintained  the  sickly 
woman  through  the  winter ;  and,  when  there  came  to  her  a 
letter,  one  morning  in  July,  in  Harry's  dear  scrawl,  posted 
from  Portsmouth,  she  was  half  restored  to  health.  He 
would  be  with  them  in  a  day  or  two,  he  said.    The  two 


256 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


Januaky  5. 


women  listened  in  a  feverish  state  of  excitement  for  every 
knock  at  the  green  door.  Next  day  a  knock  came ;  but  it 
was  not  Harry — Susan  again  opened  to  George  Swayne. 
He  had  brought  their  flower-bells  back ;  and,  apparently, 
handsomer  than  ever.  He  was  very  much  abashed,  and 
stammered  something ;  and  when  he  came  in,  he  could  find 
nothing  to  say.  The  handsome  china  vase,  which  he  had 
substituted  for  the  widow's  flower-pot,  said  something,  how- 
ever, for  him.  The  widow  and  her  daughter  greeted  him 
with  hearty  smiles  and  thanks  ;  but  he  had  something  else 
to  do  than  to  return  them — something  of  which  he  seemed 
to  be  exceedingly  ashamed.  At  last  he  did  it.  '  I  mean  no 
offence,'  he  said,  'but  this  is  much  more  yours  than  mine.' 
He  laid  upon  the  table  twenty  guineas.  They  refused  the 
money  with  surprise  ;  Susan  with  eagerness.  He  told 
them  his  story;  how  the  plant  had  saved  him  from  the 
chance  of  being  turned  out  of  his  home ;  how  he  was 
making  money  by  the  flower,  and  how  fairly  he  considered 
half  the  profits  to  be  due  to  its  real  owner.  Thereupon  the 
three  became  fast  friends,  and  began  to  quarrel.  While 
they  were  quarrelling  there  was  a  bouncing  knock  at  the 
door.  Mother  and  daughter  hurried  to  the  door;  but  Susan 
stood  aside  that  Harry  might  go  first  into  her  mother's  arras. 

" '  There's  a  fine  chime  of  bells,'  said  Hanj,  looking  at 
his  plant,  after  a  few  minutes.  'Why  it  looks  no  hand- 
somer in  the  AVest  Indies. — But  where  ever  did  you  get  that 
splendid  pot '! ' 

"  George  was  immediately  inti-oduced.  The  whole  story 
was  told,  and  Harry  was  made  a  referee  upon  the  twenty- 
guinea  question. 

" '  God  bless  you,  Mr.  Swayne,'  said  Harry,  '  keep  that 
money  if  we  are  to  be  friends.  Give  us  your  hand,  my  boy ; 
and  mother,  let  us  have  something  lo  eat.'  They  made  a 
little  festival  on  that  evening  in  the  widow's  house,  and 
George  thought  more  than  ever  of  the  chiming  of  the  bells 
as  Susan  laid  her  needlework  aside  to  bustle  to  and  fro. 
Harry  had  tales  to  tell  over  his  pipe  ;  '  and  I  tell  you  what, 
Swayne,'  said  lie,  '  I'm  glad  you  are  the  better  for  my  love 
of  rooting.  If  I  warn't  a  sailor  myself  I'd  be  a  gardener. 
I've  a  small  cargo  of  roots  and  seeds  in  my  box  that  I 
brought  home  for  mother  to  try  what  she  can  do  with.  My 
opinion  is  that  you're  the  man  to  tmii  'em  to  account ;  and  so, 
mate, you  shallhave  'em.  If  you  get  a  lucky  penny  out  of  any 
one  among  'em,  you're  welcome ;  ior  it's  more  than  we  can  do.' 

"  How  these  poor  folk  laboured  to  be  liberal  towards  each 
other ;  how  Harry  amused  himself  on  holidays  before  liis 
next  ship  sailed  with  rake  and  spade  about  his  friend's 
nursery;  how  George  Swayne  spent  summer  and  autumn 
evenings  in  the  little  parloin';  how  there  was  reaUy  and 
truly  a  chime  rung  from  Stepney  steeple  to  give  joy  to  a 
little  needle  woman's  heart;  how  Susan  Swayne  became 
much  rosier  than  Susan  Ellis  had  been  ;  how  luxm'iously 
George's  bees  were  fed  upon  new  dainties;  how  Flint  and 
Gristone  conveyed  the  nursery-ground  to  J\Ir.  Swayne  in 
freehold  to  Lira  and  his  heirs  for  ever,  in  consideration  of 
the  whole  purchase-money  which  Swayne  had  accumulated  ; 
how  the  old  house  was  enlarged  ;  how  a  year  or  two  after 
that,  Susan  Swayne,  the  lesser,  dug  with  a  small  wooden 
spade  side  by  side  with  giant  Uncle  Harry ;  who  was  a  man 
to  find  the  centre  of  the  earth  under  Swayne's  garden  when 
he  came  home  ever  and  anon  from  beyond  the  sea,  always 
with  roots  and  seeds,  his  home  being  Swayne's  nursery,  and, 
finally,  how  happy  and  how  populous  a  home  the  house  in 
Swayne's  nursery  grew  to  be — these  are  results  connecting 
pleasant  thoughts  with  the  true  story  of  the  earliest  cultiva- 
tion in  this  country  of  the  flower  known  as  the  Fuchsia." 


Few  irremediable  causes  of  premature  decay  actually 
exist  ill  nature;  the  inconsiderate  or  wilful  misuse  of 
the  very  means  of  preserving  health  proving  not  un- 
frequently  a  cause  of  death.  In  these  matters  we  partly 
depend  upon  our  own  conduct,  whether  as  individuals, 
or  socially,  or  as  a  nation.*     Modern  science  and  pbi- 

*  chlorine,  the  efficient  disinfcctini^  agent  of  chloride  of  xinc,  is  the 
acting  principle  also  in  chloride  of  sodium,  or  sea-salt,  the  typical  purifier. 
The  spread  of  cholera  in  the  East  Indies  mu.'tt  have  been  greatly  favoured 
by  the  laws  which  restrict  the  use  of  salt ;  possibly  this  may  have  been 
one  exciting  cause. 


lanthropy  can  only  point  out  similar  means  of  safety  to 
those  originally  enjoined  on  the  Israelites,  if  to  those 
precepts  be  added  the  duty  of  kindness  to  the  poor,  and 
that  enlarged  sphere  of  humanity  which  regards  every 
man  as  our  neighbour,  there  is  absolutely  nothing  left 
to  be  added  to  what  has  been  inculcated  by  the  good 
physician.  If  men  could  but.bo  induced  to  live  as  they 
ought  to  live  (instead  of  doing  what  they  ought  not,  and 
leaving  undone  what  they  ought  to  do),  there  seem 
grounds  for  concluding  that  the  average  term  of  human 
life  might  be  greatly  increased,  and  the  amount  of 
human  suffering  lessened.  On  this  point  there  is  a 
marvellous  agreement  between  the  abstract  speculations 
of  cool  calculating  rationalists,  and  the  transcendental 
opinions  of  the  religious. 

We  have  already  seen  in  the  case  of  the  .Jews  how 
beneficial  has  been  the  mere  keeping  clean  the  outside 
of  the  cup,  so  far  as  bodily  health  is  concerned.  In 
those  worn-out  Oriental  countries,  where  a  long  course 
of  misuse  has  rendered  the  banks  of  rivers,  &c.,  deadly 
to  the  European  constitution,  a  Hindoo  or  Mahometan 
population  yet  contrives  to  live  with  few  hereditary 
ailments,  retaining  much  patriarchal  simplicity  of  man- 
ners, and  most  of  the  old  ceremonial  lustrations,  though 
the  spirituality  which  these  once  typified  is  rejected, 
and  the  moral  and  intellectual  condition  is  deplorable 
enough. 

The  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  are  noted  for 
their  longevity;  their  general  prosperity;  and  their 
piu'itanic  adherence  to  Bible  rules  of  life.  The  same 
may  be  affirmed  of  ministers  of  religion  as  a  body. 
The  old  monks  (considering  the  times  in  which  they 
lived)  were  distinguished  from  those  about  them  by  a 
greater  attention  to  religious  duties;  and  also  by  their 
greater  intellectual  attainments,  their  more  successful 
cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  their  consequent  health  and 
wealth.  Their  fall  was  a  consequence  of  their  misuse 
of  these  earthly  blessings.  They  waxed  fat,  and  kicked ; 
as  we  are  all  too  apt  to  do.  Hero  has  ever  been  and  still 
is  the  great  danger. 

Contrasting  the  state  of  things  in  the  North  of  Ire- 
land with  the  poor  Bible-less  South  (where  a  settler 
recently  said,  "  If  I  could  only  make  these  men  Maho- 
metans it  would  be  a  step  gained")  we  shall  find 
physical  destitution  closely  connected  with  religious 
destitution.  This  is  not  the  place  to  enter  on  the  old 
liberties  of  the  Galilean,  suffice  it  to  say  that  the  Bible 
is  not  forbidden  in  France.  Cuvier  was  a  Bible-society 
man.  Well,  in  this  country,  and  in  Franco,  jieople  live 
one-fourth  longer  than  in  such  places  as  dark  Austria 
or  sordid  Russia.  We  have  an  unwilling  evidence,  in 
the  profane  sneers  of  the  scofier  at  the  worldly  success 
of  saintly  folk,  that  godliness  is  gain,  oven  in  this  life. 

Contemporary  historians  have  chronicled  violences, 
wars,  frauds,  persecutions,  and  the  like,  because  thoy 
have  been  extraordinary  exceptions  to  the  even  current 
of  events,  and  have  arrested  attention  at  the  time.  The 
normal  tendency  of  wliat  is  riglit,  virtuous,  true,  and  of 
good  report  to  work  its  own  reward,  in  every  oge  has 
been  unnoted,  except  incidentally.     Modern  research 


January  5. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


257 


has  been  more  directed  towards  collating  those  scattered 
incidental  allusions  ;  and  the  result  has  been  to  give  us 
quite  a  new  notion  of  the  every  day  life  of  times  too 
hastily  considered  days  of  violence  and  blood  only. 

A  gay  Parisian  about  to  settle  in  life,  as  we  say,  con- 
sulted a  leading  French  doctor,  having  reason  to  dread 
hereditary  consumption,  a  disease  whicli  carries  off  one- 
fourth  of  the  people  of  Paris.  "  Never  fear,"  was  the 
reply,  "spend  six  or  eight  months  in  the  year  in  the 
country,  and  lead  a  patriarchal  life  when  you  are  there." 'i= 
This  is  the  great  secret.  We  cannot  "lay  in  a  stock  of 
health  "  during  a  hurried  excursion  from  one  luxurious 
hotel  to  another.  A  lodging  at  a  fashionable  watering 
place  is  not  much  better.  "  Talk  about  rus  in  urhe," 
once  observed  a  classical  friend  of  ours,  "  I  call  this 
ufbe  ill  rus!"  If  the  country  is  to  restore  us,  we  ought 
to  catch  somewhat  of  the  sweet  infection  of  its  every- 
day life.  A  country  cottage  home,  the  care  of  the 
domestic  animals,  the  garden  and  kindred  avocations, 
besides  bringing  us  out  to  enjoy  the  fresh  air,  are  of 
themselves  eminently  healthful.  Besides,  we  contend 
that  they  afford  the  means  of  studying  the  very  lav/s  of 
life,  just  as  comparative  anatomy  has  elucidated  the 
secret  of  the  whole  human  frame.  And  we  tliinlc  they 
enable  us  the  more  aptly  to  comprehend  the  significance 
of  many  of  the  deep  sayings  of  old. 

Wo  cannot  accept  without  protest  the  dogma  of  the 
day— that  civilized  man  should  be  perpetually  invetiting 
artificial  wants  to  be  the  incentives  and  also  tlie  rewards 
for  increased  exertion.  On  the  contrary,  we  believe  that 
the  many  and  distracting  cares  and  pursuits  of  trade 
and  commerce  are,  if  not  destructive,  at  least  severely 
trying  to  the  health  of  both  body  and  mind. 

The  whole  current  of  these  remarks,  together  vi'ith 
certain  speculations  on  the  life  of  trees,  have  called  to 
our  mind  the  following  magnificent  passage  from 
Louth's  Isaiah,  and  it  is  peculiarly  appropriate  to  the 
season,  many  happy  returns  of  which  we  wish  our 
readers. 

"I  will  exult  in  Jerusalem  and  rejoice  in  my  people. 
And  there  shall  not  be  heard  any  more  therein 
The  voice  of  weeping  and  the  voice  of  a  distressful  ci'y  ; 
No  more  shall  there  he  uu  infant  shortlived, 
Nor  an  old  irtnn  who  hath  not  fulfilled  his  days. 
For  he  that  dieth  at  an  hundred  years  shall  die  [young]. 
And  the  sinner  that  dieth  at  an  hundred  years  shall  be  accursed ; 
And  they  shall  build  houses  and  shall  inhabit  them, 
And  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  and  shall  eat  the  fruit  thereof. 
They  shall  not  build  and  another  inhabit, 
They  shall  not  plant  and  another  eat. 
For  as  the  days  of  a  tree  shall  he  the  days  of  my  people^ 
And  they  shall  wear  out  the  works  of  their  own  hands, 
lily  chosen  shall  not  labour  in  vain, 
Neither  shall  they  generate  a  short  lived  race." 

J.J. 


A  Metropolitan  PotiUry  Shoic,  at  the  Baker  Street 
Bazaar,  is  announced  for  the  lOth  of  January  next,  and 
the  three  following  days.  The  prizes  are  liberal,  and 
wOl,  doubtless,  invite  competition,  since  no  less  a  sum 
than  i£17  is  allotted  to  Spanish,  and  .£21  to  Dorkings. 

*  The  following  singular  authorities,  among  others,  appear  somewhat 
to  favour  this  notion.  Herodotus,  on  the  Macrobian  or  long-lived 
Ethiopians— a  dogma  of  the  Etruscans  quoted  by  Niehuhr :  Louis  Cornaro 
referred  to  by  Abernethy;  Clerk's; Fleury's)  Ancient  Israelites;  Lincard 
on  the  Primitive  Church  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  with  a  reference 
to  these  words,  "the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth  :"  Dean  Gravely  on  the 
state  of  the  Holy  Land  at  its  tirst  colonization  at  the  time  of  the  Judges  : 
Pictorial  History  of  England  on  our  own  Sason  times  ;  and  lastly.  Dr. 
Van  Oven,  Lee,  Chadwick,  to  Dr.  Cumming,  and  the  Bishop  of  London. 


For  both  tliese  families  a  new  class  has  been  formed, 
namely,  one  for  "  the  best  Code  (or  Hen)  of  an;/  age,"  a  wise 
step,  wherever  the  funds  may  allow  of  it.  At  the  end  of 
Shanghaes  we  have  Class  22  for  "  Brahma  Pootras,"  so 
we  apprehend  that  the  framers  of  this  list  have  satisfied 
their  minds  on  a  point  on  which  our  own  are  still  in 
grave  doubt.  Game  Fowls  and  Hamburghs  are  arranged 
as  usual,  but  Polands  are  granted  a  fourth  class  for 
those  of  "  any  other  colour"  beyond  the  Gold,  the  Silver, 
and  the  White-crested  Black. 

Class  50  offers  prizes  "  to  the  most  useftd  cross-bred 
fowls,"  a  novel  feature  in  our  principal  Poultry  E.'ihi- 
bitions,  and  which  we  should  like  to  see  accompanied 
by  the  warning,  that  such  crosses  must  not  be  bred  from, 
but  devoted  wholly  to  the  kitchen.  Geese  have  only 
an  equal  premium  with  each  variety  of  Bantams,  £1 10s. 
being  all  that  is  offered  for  them.  They  would  have 
merited,  we  think,  greater  liberality,  and  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Loudon  can  produce  specimens  of  the  highest 
excellence. 

The  owners  of  Pigeons  have  great  inducements  laid 
before  them ;  and  "  Rabbits  "  also  are  invited. 

Prohibitory  prices,  we  are  glad  to  find,  are  here  done 
away  with;  and  "  not  for  sale"  may  be  affixed  to  pens 
with  which  the  owners  have  no  desire  to  part. 

We  are  glad  to  find  that  the  experience  of  the 
Secretaries,  Messrs.  Houghton  and  Catling,  will  secure 
to  exhibitors  that  care  and  attention  for  their  birds, 
without  which  great  hazards  must  always  be  incurred. 

We  must  not,  however,  refrain  from  the  repetition  of 
our  strong  reprehension  of  the  Show  being  continued 
for  four  days.  For  a  ickole  veek  must  the  birds  be  shut 
up  in  the  pens,  for  they  are  to  ba  in  the  Bazaar  on  one 
Saturday,  and  cannot  be  released  until  the  Saturday 
following!  If  they  have  to  travel  from  a  distance  they 
must  be  in  their  basket  on  the  Friday  previous,  so  that 
for  nine  days  they  must  be  in  close  confinement !  Now, 
at  Leeds,  where  there  there  was  similar  imprisonment, 
we  know  of  birds  that  arrived  dead  and  dying — birds, 
too,  that  had  taken  first  prizes  ! 

We  have  been  applied  to  for  information  as  to  who 
form  the  Committee  of  the  Metropolitan  Show,  but  we 
are  not  able  to  give  such  information.  It  would  be 
satisfactory  to  the  public  if  the  names  were  published. 

Neither  does  the  disparity  in  the  Prize  List  give 
general  satisfaction,  as  the  following  letter  testifies. 

"  As  the  organ  of  the  Poultry  Fanciers,  I  beg  to  draw 
your  attention  to  the  Prize  List  of  the  approaching  Exlii- 
bition  in  Baker  Street,  and  would,  through  tlie  same 
medium,  urge  on  breeders  the  propriety  of  witlihclding  all 
specimens  of  the  Poland,  Hamburgh,  Game,  and  Bantam 
species,  for  which  you  :vi]l  see  that  the  prizes  ofltjred  are 
liltle  better  than  uiie-ih'ml  of  those  for  Spanish,  Dorking, 
and  Cochins.  Promoters  of  these  shows  should  bear  in 
mind  that  they  are  rendered  attractive  to  the  public  in 
proportion  to  the  variety  of  the  birds,  and  that  although  a 
Spanish  breeder  pays  comparatively  little  attention  to  other 
breeds,  it  is  not  so  with  the  mass  of  the  visitors.  The 
question  is  enthely  in  the  hands  of  exhibitors,  who  have 
only  to  resolve  to  exhibit  at  no  show  in  which  the  prizes 
are  not  equal  for  all. 

"  In  this  particular  case  I  know  one  very  successful  exhi- 
bitor who  will  not  have  a  single  pen,  although  before  seeing 
the  Ust  he  bad  intended  to  send  several.    It  is  always  an  j 


258 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


.Tanuary  ■<. 


expensive  thing  to  exhibit,  and  persons  ought  not  to  be 
certain  to  make  a  loss  even  if  they  take  a  prize,  which  would 
be  the  ease  witli  Bantams  coming  from  the  country." 

We  regret  to  notice  tliat  the  Prize  List  for  the  Here- 
ford Poultry  Show  has  followed  the  old  error  of  saving 
their  premiums  by  confounding  distinct  varieties  of 
fowls  in  a  single  class.  Thus,  for  instance,  all  the  four 
kinds  of  Haraburghs  compete  together,  and  the  same 
with  Polands,  Bantams,  and  Ducks.  The  principle  is 
an  erroneous  one,  unsatisfactory  to  the  exhibitor  and 
the  public,  while  it  imposes  an  unfair  task  on  the  judge. 
In  the  infancy  of  Poultry  Societies  such  mistakes  wore 
unavoidable,  but  now  it  is  far  better  to  have  no  show 
whatever  (ban  to  conduct  it  on  a  bad  system. 


FEUIT-CULTURE. 

A  FEW  weeks  since  (page  ISO)  my  respected  friend 
and  coadjutor,  Mr.  Fish,  took  occasion  to  call  attention 
to  my  practice  in  hardy  fruit-culture,  and  introduced  an 
extract  from  a  letter  wliich  it  appears  had  been  written 
by  some  gentleman  who  had  visited  our  gardens  during 
the  past  fruit  season,  and  wlio  spoke  in  warm  terms  of 
his  impressions  concerning  the  fruits.  I  cannot  imagine 
who  the  gentlenran  may  be,  but  I  hereby  tender  him 
my  best  thanks  for  his  good  wishes  both  to  myself  and 
fruit-cnlture,  and  also  ibr  affording  me  an  opportunity 
of  occasionally  bringing  the  matter  before  our  readers, 
although  to  some  it  may  appear  a  thrice-told  tale.  It 
somehow  happeus  tliat  even  the  most  self-evident  truths 
require  to  be  repeated,  again  and  again,  before  they  can 
attract  sufficient  attention,  or  leave  that  impress  in  tlie  ' 
human  mind  which  shall  bring  forth  fruit,  or,  in  other  < 
words,  cause  tlie  reader  not  only  to  think  but  to  act.  I 
In  my  practice  there  are  no  secrets.  I  am  not  par-  I 
ticularly  partial  to  mysteries,  and,  indeed,  if  I  were,  I  j 
do  not  think  that  [  could  manufacture  tliem  out  of  such 
materials.  Simplicity  is  the  basis  ;  for  I  have  long  held  j 
the  opinion  that  in  fruit-culture  any  roundabout  plan,  j 
involving,  of  course,  mucli  expense,  is  unworthy  of 
consideration.  Plans,  systems,  call  them  what  we  will, 
may  be  ingenious,  may  be  illustrative  ;  but,  to  be  gene- 
rally useful  to  a  utilitarian  public,  they  must  possess  two 
other  (Qualifications — they  must  be  economic,  and  afford 
every  possible  chance  of  success.  They  should,  more- 
over, possess  so  much  simplicity  in  carrying  out,  that 
any  thinking  person,  although  unacquainted  with  gar- 
dening matters,  might  carry  them  out  without  difficulty. 
The  fact  is,  that  the  question  of  fruit-culture  was 
fairly  overlaid,  a  score  or  two  years  since,  by  systems  of 
pruning.  So  elaborate  bad  they  become,  and  withal 
looked  so  charming  on  paper,  tliat  folks  had  almost 
forgotten  that  fruit-trees  have  roots  which  will  as  little 
bear  to  be  treated  with  indifference  as  the  branches. 

I  do  not  here  intend  to  attempt  a  settlement  of  the 
long-pending  quarrel  between  the  Messrs.  Prune-all  and 
Prune-none,  as  these  fierce  belligerents  have  opened  the 
question  entirely  in  tlieir  own  way.  I,  for  one,  am 
content  to  let  them  settle  it  in  liUe  manner;  I  advocate 
common-sense  pruning. 

It  is  now  some  twenty-four  years  since  my  attention 
became  strongly  attracted  towards  the  question  of  fruit- 
tree  culture.  Having  been  born  and  bred  in  a  nursery 
containing  twenty-four  acres,  and  in  which  quantities  of 
fruit-trees  were  grown,  I  had  every  opportunity  of  wit- 
nessing, during  my  early  days,  the  various  "  rule-of- 
tbumb  "  processes  considered  requisite  by  tlie  knowing 
ones  of  those  times.  Physiological  enquiries  concerning 
the  functions  of  plants,  trees,  &o.,  wore  confined  to  a 
very  limited  sphere  of  operation;   and,  indeed,  if  any 


one  in  those  days  had  held  such  dreamings,  he  would 
have  found  it  particularly  expedient  to  keeji  them  almost 
hermetically  scaled,  for  it  would  have  been  excessively 
prejudicial  to  his  reputation  amongst  "sound  men"  to 
broach  such  gimcraek  notions.  I  well  remember  a  very 
ingenious  gentleman,  who  had  been  studying  Sir  J. 
Sinclair,  coming  frequently  to  the  said  niu'sery  to  chat 
a  little  time  away  with  the  ground  foreman,  bis  con- 
versation generally  smacking  of  chemistry.  He  was 
attempting  to  get  old  John  to  classify  soils  ;  but  not  so. 
John,  although  apparently  very  attentive  at  the  time, 
always  persisted  in  calling  him  "  Dr.  Calcareous"  beliind 
bis  back — this  term  being  the  only  one  John  could  re- 
member out  of  the  whole  vocabulary. 

However,  I  must  back  to  my  subject.  Twenty  years 
ago,  and  more,  then,  having  been  drawn  somewhat 
closely  to  a  consideration  of  the  hows  and  whys  of 
fruit-culture,  I  could  not  help  being  struck  with  the  fact 
that  our  ordinary  fruits  were  not  unfrequently  more 
fruitful  in  the  hands  of  the  cottager,  or  in  a  state  of 
nature,  than  in  the  pampered  condition  in  which  we 
might  see  them  in  the  kitchen-gardens  of  the  noble  and 
the  affluent,  with  all  the  paraphernalia  of  highly-wrought 
borders,  and  other  expensive  affairs.  In  those  days  I 
could  never  pass  an  old  orcliard  Pear-tree,  of  perhaps  a 
century's  standing,  or  more,  without  reflecting  how  if 
came  to  pass  that  such  trees  should  hear  so  heavily 
witliout  the  pruner's  aid.  In  the  garden  case,  i  saw 
that  the  general  character  oT  the  young  wood  was  totally 
different ;  rambling  trees,  with  coarse  breast-wood,  aji- 
jieariug  as  though  tliey  were  cultivated  for  the  sake  of 
their  sjiray;  in  tlie  natural  case — or  accidental,  if  you 
will — the  trees  producing  some  tliree  or  four  inches 
only  of  young  shoot  annually,  and  that,  too,  chieHy  at 
the  terminal  points.  Old  Thorns,  too,  Hollies,  and  1 
can  scarcely  say  what,  all  seemed  to  jioint  to  some 
great  fact,  and  one  which  I  was  exceedingly  desirous  to 
ascertain.  I  felt  ]5ersuaded  that,  say  what  people  would 
about  this  and  that  tree  being  tender  and  requiring 
coaxing,  there  was  some  radical  mistake  in  the  culture, 
and  that  all  the  arguments  whicli  liad  been  used  to 
justify  usages  were  fallacious,  and  merely  meant  to  hide 
what  could  not  be  explained  in  a  satisfactory  way.  I 
felt  assured,  betimes,  of  one  thing,  that  no  system  of 
pruning  could  ever  prove  satisfactory  in  itself,  whatever 
miglit  be  its  merits,  unless  accompanied  by  certain  root 
conditions  of  even  greater  import. 

Knowing,  of  course,  that  all  old  kitchen  -  gardens 
were  rich  in  decayed  vegetable  matter,  even  to  repletion  ; 
knowing,  also,  that  gardeners,  in  general,  wero  compelled 
to  crop  such  soils  as  close  as  the  line  could  be  drawn; 
and  that  in  so  doing,  coupled  with  a  constant  necessity 
for  manuring  on  behalf  of  vegetable  culture,  I  felt 
assured  that  gardeners  in  general  had  been  iuvioglcd  into 
a  species  of  self-deception ;  and  that  wlien  their  fruits 
failed,  although  their  Cauliflowers  and  Celery  succeeded, 
that  they  were  forced  to  cover  their  retreat  by  making 
all  look  nice  on  the  wall,  or  by  neat  pruning  systems. 

And  not  only  the  wall  borders-,  but  tliose  of  the  open 
kitchen-garden  partook  of  the  same  character,  as  well 
they  might.  These  things,  I  say,  then,  led  mo  at  once 
to  the  conclusion,  that  an  unworthy  compromise  had 
been  made,  and  that  tliose  practices  wore  fundamentally 
wrong;  and  that  the  question  of  fruit-culture  required 
to  be  considered  in  itself,  totally  apart  from  vegetable 
culture;  for  I  felt  pcisuaded,  that  so  long  as  the  two 
cases  were  kept  in  a  mixed  condition,  so  long  would 
erroneous  practices  prevail, 

The  question  being  thus  shorn  of  its  extra  appurte- 
nances stood  on  its  own  foundation  ;  and  tlio  mind 
thus  unfettered  (in  other  cases  than  Pears  or  Cabbages) 
begins  to  think  anew  on  the  sulijcct;  or,  in  other  words, 
approaches  tho  case  with  less  prejudice. 

And  notv  arose,  in  my  mind,  tho  idea  of  attempting  to 


Jahdaey  5. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


250 


realise  by  art  wliat  was  found  desirable  in  trees  under 
natural  conditions.  Let  us  take  a  subject  by  way  of 
illustration.  Here  is  an  old  Thorn-trco  wliich  lias  stood 
for  a  series  of  years;  we  have  seldom  known  it  fail  of  a 
crop  of  haws.  J5eside  it  is  a  recently-planted  i|uioksot 
hedge,  every  plant  in  whicli  claims  to  be  a  relative 
of  yon  old  Thorn-tree.  ISut  these  rogueish  youug 
Thorns  do  not  bear  berries  !  The  soil  is  good,  and  they 
have  been  regularly  clipped,  whilst  the  old  Thorn  has 
been  neglected  :  it  needs  no  shears.  Now,  I  know,  of 
course,  that  a  Thorn  is  not  a  Pear;  but  I  do  know, 
also,  that  in  the  eyes  of  first-rate  men,  who  combine 
science  with  practice,  it  will  furnish  as  apt  an  illus- 
tration as  they  would  desire. 

Admitting  tliis  for  tlie  sake  of  argument,  the  inge- 
nious young  reader  will  naturally  nsii,  what  then  can 
be  done  to  make  tliese  young  Thorns  hasten  their 
bearing?  I  will  tell  you,  my  youug  friends.  Stay  your 
hand  witli  the  shears,  and  ap])ly  the  same  amount  of 
cutting-oH'  to  the  root ;  but,  nevertheless,  thin  out  the 
brandies  instead  of  dubbing  them  ;  for  even  a  Tliorn- 
tree  requires  a  certain  amount  of  light  during  an  English 
summer,  to  enable  it  to  mature  blossom  for  the  next 
year. 

To  return  from  this  digression; — I  found  that  three- 
parts  of  the  fruit-trees  in  our  gardens  were  in  a  similar 
condition  to  the  young  Thorns  in  the  hedge,  and  that 
no  system  of  pruning  could  alone  place  these  ti'ees  in 
a  fruit-bearing  condition.  It  appeared  evident  that  the 
root  was  too  a(!tive,  or  too  highly  fed  for  the  exceedingly 
limited  amount  of  branches  and  foliage ;  and  that  in 
such  eases,  either  the  branches  must  be  allowed  to 
develope  themselves  with  more  freedom,  or  the  supplies 
nuist  be,  in  part,  cut  away.  This  led,  of  course,  to 
root-pruning,  which  I  have,  indeed,  practised  for  twenty- 
four  years,  although  it  is  the  fashion  with  some  to  make 
a  fuss  about  it  now,  as  if  it  were  a  tolerably  fresh  idea. 
But  this  root-pruning,  although  a  preventive  measure, 
requires  to  be  repeated  in  many  cases  ;  and  it  occurred 
to  me  that  something  of  a  more  remedial  character 
might  be  adopted.  Hence  tlie  idea  of  Staiions  oc- 
curi-ed ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  so  placing  a  tree,  as 
that  its  roots  could,  at  any  time,  be  placed  in  a  com- 
pletely isolated  position,  and  its  supplies  of  food  appor- 
tioned to  its  real  needs  with  the  utmost  precision. 
Those  who  are  interested  in  this  part  of  the  question 
will  lind  that  this  view  of  ati'airs  originated  entirely 
with  myself;  but  the  first  time  I  made  them  public,  1 
bebeve,  was  in  "  Maund's  Botanist  and  Eruitist,"  about 
a  dozen  years  since. 

As  years  have  rolled  on,  I  have  had  ample  opportuni- 
ties of  testing  tlio  souudness  of  these  views  ;  and  I  speak 
emphatically,  albeit,  such  must  of  necessity  appear  some- 
what egotistic;  however,  there  is  little  use  in  mincing 
over  the  matter ;  and  I  will  endeavour  occasionally  to 
show  our  youug  readers  how  to  proceed  in  such  affairs. 
Could  I  long  since  have  fully  oai'ried  out  my  views  in 
liardy  fruit-culture,  I  think  I  could  have  shown  such  a 
case  in  practice  by  this  time  as  would  have  settled  the 
question ;  and,  as  it  is,  our  success  has  certainly  been 
very  great,  especially  in  seasons  notorious  for  failures, 
and  tiiat,  too,  in  places  considered  models  in  the  world 
of  gai-dening.  Our  Pears  were,  indeed,  worth  looking 
at;  and  as  for  out-door  Peaches,  as  I  have  said  before, 
we  have  not  missed  a  full  crop  lor  years ;  but  we  have 
no  heated  walls 

The  worst  question  we  country  gardeners  have  to 
deal  with  is  that  of  economising  labour  so  as  to  meet 
all  demands  ;  this  is  by  far  more  diflicidt  than  anything 
in  the  nature  of  gardening;  so  the  world  must  not 
judge  us  as  we  are  entirely,  but  as  wo  hope  to  be. 

R.  Ebbingion. 


PRUNING. 

An  intimate  friend  of  mine  was  once  engaging  himself 
to  a  great  country  gentleman ;  and  when  he  told  me 
about  the  bargain  they  made,  and  the  conversation  that 
passed  between  them  at  tlie  time,  I  was  so  struck  with 
one  of  the  qualifications  which  the  gentleman  hoped  his 
new  gardener  would  have,  in  the  absence  of  another 
qualification,  on  which  he  did  not  seem  to  put  much 
stress,  that  I  shall  never  forget  it.  "  I  know  your  cha- 
racter stands  high,  and  you  have  the  credit  of  being 
wliat  is  called  a  scientific  gardener;  but,  for  my  own 
part,  I  do  not  much  value  that  quality;  it  is  apt  to 
make  some  men  tlnnk  more  of  themselves  than  they 
ought  to  do  :  and,  besides,  if  I  can  get  plenty  of  flowers 
and  fruit  all  the  year  round,  and  the  place  is  kept  as 
I  wish  it,  I  think  we  could  dispense  with  science,  thus 
far  in  the  country,  or,  at  least,  we  need  not  put  much 
stress  on  it."  Another  gentleman,  who  reads  The 
Cottage  Gardener,  made  another  remark,  in  a  letter 
to  myself,  sixteen  years  since,  which  I  shall  never  forget. 
"  Not  only  a  gardener,  but  every  cook  and  groom,  ought 
to  know,  or  be  informed  in  the  science  which  bears  on 
their  departments,  before  tliey  are  admitted  into  large 
establishments,  where  the  health  of  tlie  family  and  most 
valuable  property  are  entrusted  to  their  care."  I  quite 
agreed  with  tliis  correspondent,  although,  previously,  I 
did  not  look  upon  cooking  and  grooming  in  that  light; 
for  I  was  a  man-cook  in  three  establishments,  without 
considering  that  it  was  necessary  to  catch  a  hare  before 
cooking  it;  and  I  could  ride  tlie  wild-cat  colt  up  or 
down  a  steep  brae,  or  plunge  into  the  stream  without  a 
saddle,  and  swim  across,  without  being  aware  that  any 
science  at  all  was  necessary  in  the  matter;  but  I  never 
yet  believed  that  a  man  ought  to  be  allowed  to  prune  a 
gooseberry  bush  until  such  time  as  he  could  give  a 
good  sound  reason  for  every  cut  he  made ;  and  if  he 
could  do  that,  1  would  call  it  scientific  indeed,  although 
he  might  call  it  only  practical  knowledge — sound  prac- 
tical knowledge  being  the  only  sure  foundation  for 
practical  science,  after  all. 

If   you    stand    before    a    young    tree,    not    higher 
than   your  head,   and   see   one   or   more   of  the   side- 
brauehes  so  much   stronger  than  the  rest,  with   their 
ends   more   upright — showing   plainly   that   tliey,   too, 
would  be  leaders  in  time,  as  much  so  as  the  centre  and 
true  loader — science  teaches  that  if  the  top,  or  tops,  are 
merely  cut  ott'  or  stopped,  the  ascending  force  is  divided, 
and  the  leading  character  is  lost,  from  that  hour,  to 
those  shoots.     But  science  may  be  at  fault  for  all  that; 
and  practice  alone  must  guide  the  pruuer  as  to  which  of 
four  buds  to  cut  to.     If  you  take  the  point  of  a  shoot, 
and  bend  it  to  you,  there  are  eyes,  or  buds,  on  tlie  upper 
side  of  it,  also  on  the  under  side,  and  on  the  right  and 
left  sides  as  well.     Now,  the  question  is,  to  which  of 
tliese  buds  is  the  shoot  to  be  cut  to ;  and  to  that  science 
cannot  direct  you,  at  least  not  to  three  of  them,  science 
being  based  on  fundamental  rules.     If  you  understand 
it,  you  will  never  cut  a  side-bi'anch,  in  any  tree  or  bush, 
to  a  bud  directly  on  the  upper  side  of  it;  because  it  is 
natural,  or  fundamental,  that  the  top  bud  left  on  the 
upper  side  will  eitlier  take  the  lead,  or,  by  growing  in- 
wards, crowd  the  distance  between  it  and  the  stem  or 
trunk  of  the  tree.     A  pruner  may  work  to  get  more 
flowers,  more  fruit,  or  timber,  or  he  may  only  want  a 
more  regular  disposition  of  the  branches;  but  none  of 
these  can  be  had  by  crowding  them :   still  there  are 
three  more  chances  in  the  three  buds  left  out  of  the 
four ;  but  as  science  does  not  go  by  chance,  it  cannot 
tell  which  of  the  three  buds  is  tlie  right  one  to  cut  to. 
If  you  cut  to  a  bud  on  the  under-side  of  the  shoot,  that 
bud  will  make  a  shoot  that  will  grow  outwards ;  and  if 
there  is  room  in  that  direction,  that  is  the  best  way  for 
it  to  grow :  but,  suppose  there  is  another  shoot  which 


260 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Jancarx  0. 


occupies,  or  which  will  soon  occupy,  that  space,  then 
your  causing  a  new  one  to  grow  in  tlmt  direction  will 
crowd  that  part;  therefore,  cutting  to  an  under-side 
hud,  in  such  a  case,  is  manifestly  wrong. 

Let  us  now  take  a  hud  on  tlie  lelt  side  of  the  shoot, 
and  cut  to  it.  This  also  may  be  riglit  or  wrong,  as  it 
happens.  A  leader  rising  from  the  left  side  of  a  shoot 
will  grow  more  to  the  left  than  tlie  shoot  itself  would  do 
were  it  not  stopped  ;  and  if  that  left  side  is  already 
better  furnished  than  the  right  side,  tliere  will  be  more 
crowding  than  needs  be;  and  it  is  just  tlie  same  on  the 
riglit  side  of  the  briinch.  Here,  then,  we  have  got 
science  and  practice  just  matched,  the  one  helping  the 
other  in  equal  proportions,  or  "  value  for  value,"  as  the 
greedy  hypocrite  said,  when  he  gave  away  his  cuttings, 
with  the  only  view  of  doubling  his  own  collection. 

This  teaches  us  to  stop  an  as))iring  leader  to  lessen 
its  force  in  that  direction  ;  never  to  stop  it  to  a  bud  on 
the  upper  side  of  it,  and  to  be  guided  to  the  right  bud 
to  cut  to  by  the  rest  of  the  branches ;  choosing  the  bud 
on  that  side  where  tliey  are  less  crowded,  and  so,  by 
directing  anew  growth  to  tlie  more  open  part  of  the 
bead,  balancing  the  whole  more  equally. 

I  put  the  question,  which  is  the  root  and  foundation 
of  all  pruning  on  this  footing,  because,  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten,  in  general  pruning,  it  stands  just  as  here  set 
forth;  though  never,  or  but  in  very  rare  cases,  in 
pruning  a  forest  or  timber  tree ;  for  exceptions,  take  a 
pillar  rose?  If  one  of  them,  or  one  out  of  every  hundred 
of  them,  were  to  bo  led  up  with  one  central  stem,  like  a 
forest  tree,  the  chances  are  that  it  would  get  bare  at  tlie 
bottom,  some  time  or  other;  and  if  it  did,  there  is  no 
other  shoot  to  fall  back  upon,  or  rather  to  cut  back  to 
furnish  the  feathers  to  the  ground ;  therefore,  the  safest 
plan  is  to  have  two,  three,  or  more  leaders,  for  the 
centre  of  a  jiillar-roso,  and,  in  pruning  the  side-branches 
from  them,  we  meet  with  exceptional  cases  to  that  of  not 
pruning  back  to  a  bud  on  the  upper  side  of  a  timber 
tree.  We  want  the  pillar  to  rise  as  fast  as  practicable, 
after  furnishing  side-branches  enough  to  form  the  body  ; 
and  if  we  always  avoided  the  cut  to  an  opposite  bud, 
we  might  have  more  for  the  body  of  the  pillar  than  was 
really  necessary,  and  not  enough  of  upright  growth 
to  carry  on  the  height  in  proportion.  In  such  cases,  if 
we  are  sure  of  sufficient  side-branches,  it  is  always  best 
to  cut  back  to  a  bud  on  the  upper  side  of  all  the  topmost 
branches.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  take  the  care  of 
fruit-trees  trained  against  something,  or  of  flowering 
plants  merely,  trained  the  same  way,  and  find  that  the 
young  wood  fi'ora  the  main  branches  is  too  strong  for 
our  purpose,  we  prune  back  to  a  bud  on  the  under  side 
of  the  shoot,  because  ii  shoot  from  such  under  bud  is 
never  so  strong  as  one  from  the  upper  side. 

Such,  then,  I  conceive  to  be  the  rudiment  or  first 
principles  of  pruning.  The  very  first  move  in  the 
process  is  merely  to  squeeze  the  leading  bud  on  a  twig 
or  branch  between  the  finger  and  thumb,  without  an 
external  wound,  the  soft  parts  inside  the  bud  being  only 
affected  by  the  squeeze  so  much  as  to  hinder  the  growth 
in  that  direction.  The  second  step  removes  the  bud 
altogether,  and  the  third  involves  the  cuttiug  off  of  a 
portion  of  the  wood  as  well — the  practical  eye  directing 
the  hand  to  whore  and  to  what  extent  the  removal  is  to 
be  made,  and  that  the  quantity  to  bo  cut  oft',  and  the 
bud  at  which  we  must  stop,  must  necessarily  vary  on 
the  same  branch,  according  to  the  purpose  intended  by 
the  pruner.  Another  maxim  is  this — pruning  will  add 
very  much  to  the  size  and  weight  of  a  great  variety  of 
fi'uit,  by  coniiniug  the  energies  of  the  parts  next  to  the 
fruit,  for  that  very  purpose,  instead  of  being  expended 
in  making  moie  wood  ;  but  all  the  pruning  we  can  do, 
except  in  very  rare  cases  indeed,  will  not  add  one  inch, 
or  one  ounce,  to  the  size  or  weight  of  a  tree,  although 
more  than  half  the  pruners  iu  the  world  believe  to  the 


contrary.  AVhy,  then,  should  timber  tree.s  be  pruned 
at  all '.'  Mr.  Appleby  will  tell  us  why  when  be  comes 
to  that  part  of  bis  instructions  to  the  royal  Ibrcst  com- 
missioners ;  and  here  I  shall  eonline  my  observations  to 
the  effects  that  may  he  produced  by  juHiniug  the  large 
outside  trees  along  the  boundary  of  villii,  gardens — trees, 
indeed,  that  have  been,  for  ages,  nuicli  wor.se  managed 
than  all  the  trees  in  all  the  forests  in  the  country  have 
been,  in  this  age  more  particularly  ;  and  they  say  that 
is  bad  enough. 

The  next  step  in  pruning,  after  stopping  buds 
and  aspiring  leaders,  is  a  process  which  every  gar- 
dener and  forester  puts  in  practice  every  season,  and, 
curiously  enough,  no  one  has  ever  yet  thougiit  proper 
to  explain  it  in  print,  as  far  as  my  reading  goes.  Take 
up  any  book  or  essay  on  foresting,  and  you  will  find 
the  first  stop  in  pruning  recommends  that  aspiring 
leaders  be  stopped  ;  and  the  second  rule  to  prune  olf  the 
lowest  tier  of  branches,  after  a  certain  age,  and  before 
the  branches  are  more  than  one  inch  in  diameter;  but 
there  is  a  step  between  the  two  which  is  never  omitted 
in  practice — it  is  so  difficult,  however,  to  explain  it  by 
the  pen,  that  all  writers  pass  it  by,  or  take  it  for  granted 
that  any  one  who  is  competent  to  prune  at  all  must 
know  of  it  without  being  told.  Let  us  suppose  a 
common  case,  however :  A  young,  healthy  tree,  six  or 
seven  feet  high,  is  removed  from  the  nursery,  and  is 
planted  along  the  boundary  line  of  a  villa  garden,  where 
it  is  intended  for  a  screen  more  than  for  its  timber; 
and  let  us  say  that  the  first  three  feet  of  it  from  the 
ground  is  without  any  branches,  then  a  thick  head  of 
hranches,  with  all  the  big  ones  about  the  same  size,  and 
none  of  them  seeming  to  vie  with  the  leader,  which  is 
freely  setting  off  in  the  middle  without  a  rival — ^,just 
such  a  tree  as  one  would  select  out  of  a  whole  nursery 
row.  When  this  tree  begins  to  make  a  free  growth  after 
planting,  the  pruner  comes  round  in  the  winter  to  see 
that  all  is  right ;  he  finds  no  necessity  for  the  first  step 
in  pruning-in  this  tree — namely,  to  stop  a  too  forward 
branch — for  there  is  none  of  that  class;  then,  if  he  is 
not  a  practical  hand  at  the  knife  be  will  do  just  what 
the  book  tells  him — misses  the  second  step  altogether, 
and  takes  ofi'  the  lowest  tier  of  branches,  which  is 
the  third  step.  Here  he  would  be  wrong  iu  two 
ways:  first,  he  is  not  pruning  for  getting  cleau,  straight 
timber,  therefore,  tliere  is  no  need  of  depriving  his  tree 
of  its  lowest  branches;  and  secondly,  he  will  need  them 
all  by-and-by  for  screening  the  garden.  The  common 
lot  of  all  planting  for  screens  is,  the  plants  are  sot  too 
thick,  and  the  one  soon  spoils  the  other  by  over-shading, 
and  all  get  bare  at  the  bottom  as  fast  as  the  tops  rise, 
and  so  on  they  go  till  you  see  right  through  them,  and 
then  the  usual  means  of  hiding  the  boundary  a  second 
time  with  evergreens  is  had  recourse  to.  Now,  what  is 
right  of  pruning  boundary  trees  is  right  al'out  planting 
them;  they  ought  to  be  planted  rather  thinner,  or  wider 
apart,  in  the  first  instance,  and  in  pruning  them  the 
branches  ought  to  be  thinned  when  they  grow  close 
together,  so  as  to  keep  the  one  from  shading  the  other, 
that  all  may  live  for  a  long  time,  and  form  a  perfect 
screen  ;  taking  off  the  lowest  tier  is  of  little  use,  and  may 
do  harm,  by  depriving  you  of  the  number  of  screens  ;  it 
is  the  e(fud  distribution  of  the  branches  all  over  the  tree 
that  is  required,  and  our  young  tree  from  the  nursery, 
with  a  fine  head  of  branches,  has  now  arrived  at  that 
stage  when  the  growth  of  these  branches  causes  them  to 
be  too  close  together,  and  they  ought  to  be  thinned  as 
surely  as  a  young  forest  plantation  should  be,  or  any 
other  plantation  that  was  planted  thick  at  first;  the 
practiced  eye  would  see  this  at  once,  but  the  most 
practical  pen  could  not  say  at  a  distance  which  of  the 
branches  or  how  many  of  them  ought  to  be  cut  olf,  so 
as  that  the  head  should  not  bo  crowded  for  another  year; 
then  it  follows  that  the  second  step  in  pruning  should  be 


Janoaiit  5. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


961 


to  see  that  the  branches  are  not  crowded  in  any  part  of 
the  head;  and  the  third  step,  that  of  cutting  away  the 
lowest  tier  sliould  never  be  talien  until  the  second  step, 
tliat  of  thinning  tlie  head,  was  accomplished;  therefore, 
when  we  know  that  too  mucli  pruning  at  one  time  hurts  a 
tree,  if  the  necessary  thinning  happens  to  require  more 
than  the  value  of  two  bottom  tiers  to  be  removed,  tlie 
third  step  should  not  take  place  at  all  that  season.  A 
tree  taken  thus  early  should  be  so  managed,  to  the  last 
day  of  its  life,  as  that  no  branch  need  be  cut  from  the 
main  trunk  of  more  than  one  inch  in  diameter.  A 
wound  made  by  such  a  cut  will  he  healed  over  by  new 
wood  the  first  season,  and  leave  no  blemish  in  the  wood. 
I  never  yet  spoke  to  a  man  about  the  necessity  of 
stopping  a  branch  that  was  stronger  than  its  fellows, 
who  could  not  understand  the  reason  in  one  minute. 
We  all  agree  that  there  must  be  a  leader  in  parties, 
creeds,  and  kingdoms,  as  well  as  in  trees;  and  when 
another  tries  to  get  tlie  upper  baud  things  go  wrong 
and  out  of  joint,  and  we  stop  hira ;  but  there  is  not  one 
in  ten  who  understands  the  reason  for  thinning  the 
head  of  a  tree  before  the  pruning  for  straight  timber 
begins.  It  is  not  every  one  who  knows  the  use  and 
value  of  leaves  that  can  understand  how  it  is  that  leaves 
can  be  useless,  or  injurious  ;  but  they  can  be  both  ; 
part  of  the  things  which  go  to  make  timber,  or  fruit,  go 
also  to  make  leaves ;  but  unless  leaves  are  allowed  full 
exposure  to  the  light  they  are  of  no  use  to  the  tree ; 
and  what  goes  to  make  an  useless  leaf  is  an  useless 
expenditure,  and  therefoi'e  an  injury  so  far.  So  much 
for  the  first  three  steps  in  pruning,  and  now  to  conclude 
■ — -Who  will  take  me  to  task  about  saying  that  pruning 
does  not  "  add  an  inch  or  an  ounce  "  to  the  length  or 
weight  of  a  timber  tree  ?  Here  is  a  fine  chance  for 
some  of  our  young  readers,  in  one  of  the  easiest  and 
simplest  kind  of  writing,  namely,  hard  criticism ;  the 
harder  the  better,  if  it  is  courteous.  D.  Beaton. 


DISAPPOINTMENTS  IN  WINDOW-GARDENING. 

"Ode  window  is  all  our  domain;  no  terra  firma 
belongs  to  us,  unless  that  which  is  situated  there,  but 
the  small  quantity  of  earth  contained  in  boxes  and 
flower-pots  is  as  dear  to  us  as  the  soil  in  the  boots  of 
the  Barons  of  olden  time,  when  at  the  coronation  of  a 
king  they  could  severally  boast  that  each  rendered 
homage  standing  upon  his  own  soil ;  and  yet  how 
careless  you  are  of  us,  never  telling  us  when  the  frost 
would  come,  or  giving  us  full  information,  except  in  far 
back  volumes^'  how  to  act.  And  there  now,  my  soil  in 
pots  is  pressed  hard  as  a  brick ;  and  the  plants  on  which 
I  took  so  much  pains  are  past  redemption.  Alack  a 
day!  what  shall  I  do?"  In  a  market  town,  where 
there  are  some  nice  little  gardens,  where  the  windows 
during  the  spring  and  summer  months  are  well  stocked 
with  flowering-plants,  and  this  holding  good,  not  only 
as  respects  the  middle  classes,  but  applying  equally  to 
the  homes  of  the  mechanics,  and  not  a  few  of  the  more 
unskilled  labourers ;  a  nurseryman  told  me — and  his 
manner  betokened  that  he  had  not  a  spark  of  a  notion 
that  ever  I  put  words  on  paper  —  "these  scribblimj 
fellows  that  let  out  all  the  secrets  about  this  plant  and 
that  plant  are  really  the  best  friends  to  us;  for  do  you 
see,  they  make  such  comraonish  things  look  so  grand, 
that  ladies  ask  their  gardeners  if  they  have  got  such  a 
thing,  and  forthwith  we  get  an  oi'der  ;  and  others,  who 
have  a  man  so  many  days  a-week,  resolve  upon  being 
economical,  because  these  writing  men  tell  them  how 
easily  such  and  such  things  can  be  kept  over  the  winter, 
and  they  propagate  wholesale,  and  give  a  good  order  for 
pots,  and  all  goes  merry  as  a  marriage  bell,  until  some 
day  or  night,  wlien  the  good  jobbing-man,  who  could 


not  be  in  two  places  at  once,  ia  out  of  the  way,  the 
plants  are  freezed,  and  as  tliey  will  not  be  beat,  I  have, 
in  all  such  oases  of  orderhig  of  pots  in  a\itumn,  felt  half 
assin-ed  of  receiving  an  order  for  plants  in  spring,  and 
then,  Sir,  almost  all  our  better-to-do  sort  of  people,  who 
make  a  pride  of  keeping  their  plants  in  windows  over  the 
season,  meet  with  so  many  accidents,  from  a  little  want 
of  thought  and  attention  at  the  right  time,  that  they 
readily  give  us  a  sum  for  a  few  nice  plants,  which  they 
would  not  be  inclined  to  do  had  they  not  known  some- 
thing practically  of  the  labour  and  attention  that  were 
requisite  to  keep  the  plants  healthy."  Now,  if  our  friend 
has  no  other  resources,  we  think  we  can  here  point  to 
one  remedy  for  his  grievance,  namely — the  nearest  re- 
spectable nurseryman. 

A  learned  man  we  lately  heai-d  preach,  said — "  If 
you  ask  me  what  the  morrow  will  be  at  this  time,  I 
reply,  I  do  not  know;  wait  till  then,  and  I  will  tell  you." 
Now,  to  some  extent,  the  same  answer  applies  to  our 
friend,  as  to  telling  him  what  the  weather  should  be  in 
our  uncertain  climate.  We  can  only  give  general  rules 
in  such  matters.  The  reducing  of  a  general  principle 
to  particular  cases  must  be  left  entirely  to  the  judgment 
and  forethought  of  the  parties  concerned.  We  can  never 
supply  mere  continued  observation,  and  the  deducing  of 
inferences  from  it,  as  to  what  the  weather  will  be. 
Without,  however,  waiting,  like  the  learned  Doctor,  we 
can,  from  certain  circumstances,  such  as  the  direction  of 
the  wind,  the  absence  or  presence  of  clouds,  the  state  of 
the  thermometer  and  barometer,  judge  pretty  accurately 
what  the  weather  is  likely  to  be  for  short  intervals  of 
time.  For  instance,  last  Monday  evening,  though  it 
was  freezing  fast,  I  predicted,  from  the  presence  of  large 
fleecy  clouds,  that  it  would  be  milder  before  morning ; 
and  the  following  morning  and  day  were,  for  the  season, 
rather  warm.  These  matters,  however,  were  entered 
into  rather  fully  some  time  ago.  They  are  worthy  of 
the  study,  not  merely  of  our  friends  the  amateurs,  but, 
in  these  economical  days  of  the  practical  gardener. 
Just  think  how  much  might  be  saved  in  fuel  did  the 
furnace-man  keep  his  eye  on  the  sky,  the  wind,  and  the 
thermometer  in  the  shade  alone;  there  would  be  less 
irregularity  in  houses,  less  overheating  of  them,  less 
waste  of  fuel,  by  sending  in  dampers  and  opening  the 
furnace  doors  that  the  valuable  heat  may  be  spent  on 
the  external  air,  because  it  would  be  injurious  to  admit 
it  into  the  house.  I  passed  such  a  furnace  at  night  not 
so  long  ago,  and  the  able  gardener,  under  whose  super- 
intendence the  place  was,  said  7iothing  could  be  more 
vexing,  as  the  waste  thus  occasioned,  in  districts  where 
coal  had  to  be  driven  long  distances.  He  added,  "  I 
have  more  bother  with  this  than  anything  else."  A 
young  gardener  once  showed  me  a  letter  he  intended 
sending  to  a  periodical,  showing  the  importance  of 
noting  the  outside  thermometer  in  the  management  of 
houses ;  and  I  said,  "  It  is  very  well,  but  surely  such  an 
article  could  not  be  needed — I  myself  had  been  so 
accustomed,  when  a  furnace-man,  to  look  to  the  glass 
before  I  went  into  a  house,  or  touched  a  fire."  He 
assured  me  that  in  a  large  establishment  he  never  saw 
it  done;  and  I  can  partly  believe  it,  as  I  have  long 
found  that  in  the  case  of  young  men  attending  houses 
it  requires  some  scores  of  questions  as  to  the  condition 
of  the  outside  thermometer  in  a  winter's  evening,  before 
any  other  answer  can  be  got  than  "I  don't  know,"  or  "I 
forgot  to  look."  Now,  in  these  competing  days  it  re- 
quires no  prophecy  to  foretel  that  such  easy-going 
unobservant  persons  stand  a  good  chance  not  to  be 
looked  at  hntforgotten. 

"  I  have  had  a  handsome  bow  sash  made  for  my 
window,  retaining  the  common  sash  as  before,  there 
being  nothing  difl«rent  from  a  window  with  double  sashes, 
farther  than  that  the  outside  one  projected  more  than 
ordinary,  and  iu  the  space  between  I   have  kept  my 


3G2 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEll. 


January  5. 


plants  well,  being  able  to  give  tliem  air,  &c.,  when  it 
migbt  not  be  desirable  to  air  the  room ;  but  now 
you  have  got  me  nearly  into  a  scrape ;  for  relying 
on  what  you  saitl,  as  to  the  non-conducting  pro- 
perties of  confined  air,  1  did  not  move  the  plants 
iu  these  cold  nights,  and  notwithstanding  tliero  had 
been  a  fire  in  the  room,  some  of  the  foliage  was  slightly 
injured."  There  is  sucli  a  thing  as  carrying  a  principle 
to  an  extreme.  A  good  non-conductor  of  heat,  and  a 
perfect  one,  are  very  different  things.  I  never  asked  lor 
confined  air,  what  its  proprietors  propound  iorfrigidomo, 
namely,  that  beneath  it  there  would  be  no  change  of 
temperature.  I  can  believe  it  to  he  a  capital  protecting 
material,  although  several  folds  of  it  would  not  secure 
what  it  pretends  to  do  in  a  cold  night.  If  confined  air 
was  altogether  impervious  to  heat,  then  the  warmth  of 
your  room  would  have  as  little  effect  on  the  one  side  as 
the  frost  without  on  the  other.  Bounded  on  each  side 
by  a  wall  of  glass,  a  substance  easily  affected  by  changes 
of  temperature,  the  air  next  to  the  glass  would  be 
affected  by  the  heat  on  the  one  side  and  the  cold  on  the 
other.  But  iu  proportion  to  the  complete  isolation  of 
the  enclosed  air  would  be  tlie  obstacle  to  the  uniform 
temperature  within,  by  the  free  passage  of  heat  ou  the 
one  side,  and  of  cold  on  the  other.  I  can  conceive  it 
very  possible  tliat  three  distinct  temperatures  may  exist 
in  such  an  enclosed  sjiace,  and  that  therefore  leaves  six 
inches  iVom  the  glass  might  be  frozen,  while  those 
double  tliat  distance  would  be  safe.  Besides,  let  it  not 
be  forgotten,  that  every  hole  and  cranny  are  so  many 
means  for  setting  the  air  in  motion,  destroying  its  isola- 
tion, and  making  it  a  conductor  instead  of  a  non- 
conductor. 

Even  with  such  holes,  an  advantage  is  so  far  gained, 
because  free  radiation  is  intercepted.  For  example,  the 
best  security  we  could  give  to  a  sash  over  a  cold  frame, 
or  pot,  fi-om  frost,  would  be  the  covering  it  with  au 
opaijue  substance  that  could  neither  be  easily  heated 
nor  cooled,  raising  that  covering  several  inches  above 
the  glass,  and  then  securing  it  all  round  the  sides  and 
ends,  so  that  air  shall  not  easily  come  out  or  go  in. 
We  thus  alike  prevent  the  radiation  and  conduction  of 
heat.  But  suppose  we  place  such  a  covering  over  a 
sash,  and  leave  the  sides  and  ends  open,  we  certainly  so 
far  prevent  the  free  radiation  of  heat,  but  we  allow  the 
rather  free  egress  and  ingress  of  air  to  conduct  it  away. 
Hence,  in  cases  where  close  shutters  outside  would  bo 
undesirable  in  the  coldest  nights,  the  plants  should  be 
moved  from  the  outside  glass  ;  in  very  cold  weatlier  they 
should  be  taken  into  the  room  altogether  ;  and  in  cases 
wliere  double  sashes  are  not  used,  the  plants,  as  often 
advised,  should  be  placed  in  the  middle  of  tlie  room  at 
night. 

I  have  been  told  of  several  very  successful  adap- 
tations of  this  double  or  bow  window  style,  so  as  to 
resemble  a  miniature  greenhouse,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
they  will  become  more  general,  as  tliey  ai-o  really  more 
interesting  than  the  pretty  toys  of  Ward's  eases,  just  on 
the  principle,  that  three-parts  of  the  pleasure  to  bo 
derived  from  plants  consist  in  the  being  able  to  attend 
to  and  supply  their  many  wants.  Picture  to  yourselves 
such  an  enclosed  space,  say  from  eighteen  inches  to 
three  feet  in  width,  see  it  arranged  with  little  baskets 
and  vases,  and  stands  filled  with  llovvering-])lants,  with 
openings  in  the  external  sash,  so  that  in  suitable 
weather  you  may  give  air,  water,  wash,  syringe,  &c., 
without  making,  what  the  ladies  are  apt  to  call,  a  jncss 
in  the  parlour,  unless  their  own  hands  should  liavo 
wielded  the  water-pail,  &c.,  and  tlien  it  is  all  right. 
Think  of  the  ability  to  give  these  plants  air,  &c.,  when 
you  could  not  make  the  slightest  draught  from  the 
window  into  the  room ;  on  account  of  tlie  dear  invalid 
reclining  on  the  sofa,  and  the  thinks  that  dear  friend 
would  look  I'ar  more  heart-reaching  than  the  balmiest 


words,  wlien,  after  the  room  was  all  comfortable,  the  i 
plants  washed  so  as  to  be  as  fresh  as  a  daisy  after  a  I 
shower,  you  shut  up  your  external  ventilators,  throw 
up  the  sash  of  your  inside  windows,  and,  amid  beauty 
and  odours,  causing  the  mind  of  your  friend  to  forget  the 
distress  of  the  present  amidst  the  ilowery  recollections 
of  the  past,  and  the  more  than  sunny  ho]ies  of  the  j 
future.  And  for  such  a  delight  to  others  even,  lot  alone 
the  pleasure  to  ourselves,  would  not  the  trouble  and  the 
care  sink  into  insignificance?  You  say,  that  if  you  had 
fixed  stages,  baskets,  &c.,  in  sucli  a  place,  that  there 
would  be  an  annoyance  in  getting  them  into  the  room 
in  frosty  nights  and  days,  however  beautiful  the  sight 
might  be  in  summer.  Well,  let  them  alone  where  they 
are.  Procure  a  waterproofed  cloth  so  as  to  cover  the 
outside  of  the  window,  well  padded,  and  large  enough 
to  be  fixed  securely  at  the  sides.  In  cold  nights,  and 
even  days,  admit  a  little  air  from  the  room  among  the 
plants,  and  when  very  severe,  place  a  gallon  stone- 
bottle,  filled  with  hot  water,  in  the  miniature  greenhouse 
before  retiring  to  rest. 

I  believe,  that  in  the  case  of  all  who  can  afford  the 
comfort  of  tlio  real  luxury  of  having  a  cool  room  in 
summer  and  a  warm  one  in  winter,  that  double 
windows  will  become  a  sort  of  necessary,  even  when 
plants  are  not  cultivated  between  them.  Air  may  then 
bo  given  at  pleasure,  and  yet  the  counter-action  to  a  free 
radiation  and  difl'usion  of  heat  will  serve  to  maintain  a 
more  equable  tomperatiu'e  within.  As  a  medium  for 
plant  growing,  I  think,  that  under  various  modifications, 
the  idea  is  destined  to  be  a  popular  one.  Many  thiuk 
plants  unhcaltluj  in  rooms,  as  giving  out  deleterious 
gases  by  night  and  iu  dark  evenings.  Unless,  in  the 
case  where  odours,  pleasant  or  otherwise,  are  very 
powerful,  I  thiuk  too  much  stress  has  been  laid  upon 
this,  but  all  agree,  that  whatever  be  the  influence  of 
vegetation  during  the  night,  it  docs,  while  healthy  and 
clean,  improve  and  purify  our  atmosphere  during  the 
day.  These  double  cases  would  allow  the  needlessly 
timid  to  shut  out  the  deleterious  gases  and  exhalations, 
when  dark,  either  in  a  bod-room  or  sitting  room,  while 
they  could  enjoy  their  exhilirating  influence  during  the 
clay. 

With  pleasure  I  notice  that  this  idea  is  to  form  a 
prominent  one  in  the  government  rules  for  the  new 
eemetries.  Whatever  the  inside  arrangement,  it  is  to  bo 
imperative  the  surrounding  of  it  with  a  belt  of  vegeta- 
tion of  trees  and  shrubs;  not  so  much  for  shade  and 
beauty  as  lor  neutralising  the  exhahrtions  I'rom  decom- 
posing matter,  and  thus  so  far  afford  a  healthy  atmos- 
phere. Government  hero  is  following  out,  at  however 
liumble  a  distance,  the  teachings  of  the  noblest  of  all 
philosophy,  be  it  reverently  spoken,  tho  example  of  the 
Great  Architect  of  Nature  himself.  Before  animals  could 
poison  the  air  with  their  breath  and  decomposition  the 
countorpoison  had  already  been  ju'cpared.  Vegetation 
had  spread  its  verdant  mantle  over  our  earth,  and  tho 
sunbeam  had  played  upon  its  foliage,  thus  eliciting  pure 
oxygenated,  inspiriting,  vital  au-,  before  present  aninuil 
forms  had  been  called  to  take  their  position  in  this 
beautiful  world.  11.  EisH. 


THE   IRIS. 

[Continued  from  page  24'.i.j 
Ir.is  SusiANA  (Tho  Shusnu  Iris). — This,  thougli  one 
of  medium  stature,  has  mi  uncomiuonly  largo  flower, 
and  on  account  of  its  sinj^ularly-blended  colours  is  e.x- 
ceodingly  interesting  and  quite  a  striking  beauty.  It 
is,  however,  not  genern.Uy  grown,  but  certainly  deserves 
to  be,  because  its  llowcrs  arc  so  largo  and  finely- 
ooloiu'od  in  streaks  of  rich  purplo.  It  is  not  strictly  a 
bulb,  but  has  a  fleshy,  roundish  kind  of  root-stulk.     I 


Janctaixy  5. 


THE  COTTAGE   GAilDENEB. 


203 


had  a  lot  of  it  from  Holland  this  season,  and  thoy  camo 
over  quite  safe,  were  potted  immediately,  and  are  now 
growing  well. 

The  soil  this  species  requires  is  a  rather  strong  one ; 
that  is,  a  compost  of  three-parts  good  loam,  such  as  an 
old  pasture  will  afford,  one-part  well  decomposed  hotbed 
manure,  or  the  horse-droppings  from  off  our  public 
highways.  If  the  former  manure  is  used,  then  add  a 
good  addition  of  sand ;  the  latter  will,  perhaps,  not  re- 
quire it,  because  sand,  or,  at  least,  grated  stone,  will 
generally  be  scraped  up  with  the  dung.  In  this  mate- 
rial I  find  them  to  grow  very  satisfactorily.  The  Shusan 
Iris  is  nearly  hardy  in  the  south  of  England,  but  is  apt 
to  go  off  with  the  damp  weather  of  autumn ;  therefore 
it  is  safer  always  to  keep  a  few  in  pots,  sheltered  througli 
winter  in  a  cold  frame  or  pit. 

At  Messrs.  Henderson's,  of  Pine -Apple -Place,  it 
is  kept  plunged  in  a  pit,  which  pit  is  simply  pro- 
tected with  mats  thrown  over  a  frame-work  made  of 
iron  rods  length  ways,  and  bent  over  in  lialf-circles 
at  about  seven  feet  apart  across  the  pit  or  bed.  It 
is  one  of  the  neatest  habitations  for  half-hardy  bulbous 
plants  I  know  of  anywhere.  It  is  a  winter  habi- 
tation for  rarer  kinds  of  Squill  (Scilla),  for  the  Bui- 
bocodium  veniuin.  for  the  Cj/clobothms,  Bigiddlas,  and 
other  rare,  scarce,  half-hardy,  and  difficult-to-do-well 
bulbs.  The  pit  is  simply  a  parallellogram  formed  by 
building  two  walls  four  feet  apart,  about  one-and-a-half 
feet  high,  with  cross  walls  at  each  end.  It  is  filled  with 
brick  rubble  to  within  six  inches  of  the  top,  and  that 
space  is  filled  with  ashes,  in  which  the  pots  are  plunged 
up  to  the  rim ;  then  on  the  top  of  the  bricks  is  placed  a 
long  piece  of  timber,  about  the  size  of  a  brick  in  the 
square.  Into  this  sill  the  iron  hoops  are  fixed,  thus 
rendering  all  firm  and  substantial.  It  has  been  in  use, 
to  my  knowledge,  for  more  tlian  ton  years,  and  is  appa- 
rently quite  as  perfect  now  as  the  day  it  was  built  and 
finished.  An  additional  shelter  is  given  to  it  by  a  thick, 
four-feet  high.  Yew  hedge  on  the  north  side.  So  con- 
vinced am  I  of  the  excellence  of  this  hybernaculum,  that 
I  shall  put  one  up  for  my  own  use.  I  am  certain  it 
would  be  an  excellent  place  for  many  things  that  are 
now  damping  oft'  in  close  pits  or  frames ;  such,  for 
instance,  as  Verbenas  and  shrubby  Calceolarias,  plants 
that  invariably  suffer  more,  or  rather  perish  more,  from 
damp  than  the  severest  cold.  In  such  an  airy  pit  damp 
would  vanish  every  fine  day,  and  frost  might  be  kept 
out,  or  from  the  plants,  by  coverings  of  non-conducting 
materials,  such  as  that  called  friyidomo,  which  I  have 
seen  in  use  at  Dyrham  Park,  near  Barnet,  and  which 
the  excellent  and  scientific  gardener,  Mr.  O.  Thomson, 
assured  me  was  the  best  covering  material  either  for 
shade  or  shelter  of  which  be  had  ever  had  experience. 

This  is  a  digression  in  favour  of  a  pit,  or  rather,  per- 
haps, it  might  be  termed  a  raised  and  sheltered  bed, 
which  I  am  sure  the  readers  of  The  Cottage  Gaiidener 
will  excuse,  nay,  many  of  them  will  be  glad  of  the  in- 
formation how  to  form  such  a  place.  Whoever  visits 
the  Pine  -  Apple  Nursery  should  request  to  be  shown 
this  raised  bed  in  which  are  grown  the  rarer  bulbs  in 
pots.  Its  neatness  and  efficiency  would  be  sure  to 
gratify  the  visitor.  The  only  fault  I  could  ever  find 
about  it  was  the  hedge  being  a  little  too  near  it,  so  that 
there  is  scarcely  room  to  creep  along  between  the  pit 
and  the  hedge. 

After  the  winter  season  is  over,  this  beautiful  Iris  may 
then  be  planted  out  to  bloom,  and  taken  up  again  in  tlie 
autumn.  It  is  easily  propagated  by  division.  On  each  side 
of  the  fleshy  root-stock  there  springs  forth  shoots;  these 
gradually  elongate  till  they  have  a  root-stock  belonging 
to  each.  This  young  root-stock  will  form  roots,  and 
then  it  may  bo  safely  divided  off  the  parent  plant,  potted 
in  a  proportionate  sized  pot,  and  placed  in  a  shady  place 
tiU  fresh  roots  are  emitted,  and  the  plant  is  fairly  esta- 


blished ;  afterwards  give  it  .1  second  potting,  and  then 
it  may  be  treated  like  the  old  plants.  Tlie  species  also 
produces  seeds,  and  may  bo  increased  by  tlicm  as  a 
matter  of  course;  but  hitherto  there  has  been  no  dis- 
position to  (as  florists  term  it)  sport.  All  the  seedlings 
have  come  exactly  like  the  parents.  Whether  a  Beaton, 
or  a  Leeds,  could,  by  hybridizing,  produce  such  a  result, 
I  must  leave  to  them ;  the  flower  is  really  such  a  fine 
one  that  it  seems  almost  impossible  to  improve  it. 

One  point  in  its  culture  I  must  not  forget.  If  a  plant 
has  become  old,  and  branchy,  and  weak,  then  it  will  be 
advisable  to  break  it  up  entirely,  make  of  it  as  many 
as  possible,  and  commence  afresh.  T.  Appleby. 

(!Z'o  be  coiUiniied.)  ■ 


ENVILLE   PARK, 
The  Seat  of  the  Earl  of  Stamford  and  Warrington. 

Wherever  there  are  improvements  taking  place,  or 
going  on,  I  am  pretty  certain  to  hear  of  them,  and  quite 
as  certain  to  go  and  see  them,  and  also  to  take  notes ; 
and,  as  Burns  says,  "  I'  faith  to  prent  them."  A  very 
good  and  entertaining  book  might  bo  written  on  the 
progress  of  gardening,  and  we  should  find,  that  in  pro- 
portion as  the  taste  for  gardening  increases  or  wanes, 
so  will  the  taste  for  all  that  is  good  or  lovely  in  the 
moral  world  increase  or  wane  also.  Great  Britain 
stands,  perhaps,  the  highest  of  any  nation  or  kingdom, 
ancient  or  modern,  as  a  gardening  people;  and  I  need 
not  insist  upon  the  moral  and  intellectual  superiority  of 
her  people.  Long  may  gardening  flourish  among  us, 
especially  the  ornamental  part  of  it ;  for  I  say,  increase 
the  love  of  flowers,  and  the  lovely  part  of  the  human 
character  will  be  developed  in  proportion. 

Enville  is  quite  a  household  word  among  Pine-growers. 
It  was  here  that  the  kind  known  as  the  Enville  was 
either  raised  from  seed,  or  first  fruited,  and  hence  took 
its  name. 

The  place  is  situated  about  five  miles  from  Stour- 
bridge, a  town  famous  for  the  manufacture  of  glass, 
and  the  boundary  on  that  side  of  the  black  country.  I 
was  staying,  about  a  month  ago,  a  few  days  with  my 
esteemed  fiiend,  Mr.  Catling,  curator  of  the  Birmingham 
Botanic  Gardens,  and  whilst  there,  I  heard  that  Lord 
Stamford  was  making  great  improvements  in  his 
gardens.  That  news  induced  me  to  start  forth  on  a 
journey  of  discovery  through  what  is  called  "  the  black 
country."  Whoever  has  read  the  beautiful  story  of  Nell 
and  her  Grandfather,  in  Dickens  "  Old  Curiosity  Shop," 
will  remember  his  vivid  description  of  this  country.  It 
commences  as  soon  as  the  passenger  leaves  the  noble 
station  of  tho  London  and  North  Western  Railway,  in 
New  Street,  Birmingham,  and  stretches,  without  any 
relief,  to  Stourbridge.  A  blealc,  barren,  desolate,  and 
black,  smoky  district,  with  scarcely  a  tree,  or  a  hedge, 
or  a  green  field  to  relieve  the  eye.  Even  the  cottage 
gardens,  where  there  are  any,  are  barren;  or,  if  there 
arc  a  few  hardy  Scotch  Kale  plants  to  be  seen,  they  are 
so  dark  coloured  that  the  mind  is  distressed  with  the 
idea  of  having  them  cooked  to  eat.  Thanks,  however, 
to  the  steam  and  iron  way,  I  was  quickly  conveyed  over 
it,  and  as  soon  as  I  passed  over  the  line  of  hills  just 
beyond  Stourbridge  lentered  into  as  pleasant  a  country 
as  can  be  found  anywhere  in  Britain. 

I  cheerfully  pursued  my  way  on  foot,  for  there  is  no 
pubho  conveyance  that  way,  till  the  towers  of  Enville 
appeared  in  view.  Every  step  told  me  that  improve- 
ment was  the  order  of  the  day.  The  hills  are  covered 
with  young  thriving  plantations,  in  which  the  Lai'ch 
appeared  to  preponderate  greatly,  though  I  could  detect 
a  mixture  of  the  sturdy  Oak,  the  graceful  Ash,  and  the 
slender  Birch  amongst  them.  Doubtless  the  Oak  is 
intended  to  be  chief  when  tho  rest  are  thinned  out. 
Many  of  these  yoimg  plantations  are  now  just  at  the 


aC4 


THE    COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


Januart  0. 


stage  when  the  tliinuing  process  should  be  commenced. 
The  brunches  are  beginning  to  interlace,  and  a  drawing 
up  will  take  place  if  they  are  neglected  even  two  years 
longer. 

As  I  drew  nearer  tlie  mansion,  I  obserred  to  the 
riglit  a  long  length  of  new  lofty  brick  walls;  these  I 
found  were  the  boundary  of  a  large  new  kitchen  and 
fruit  gardens,  on  the  south  side  of  which  is  a  large  con- 
gregation of  glass  houses,  nearly  all  in  an  unfinished 
state.  Long  ranges  of  pits  are  in  front,  and  these  were 
filled  with  the  healthiest  bedding-out  plants  I  have  seen 
this  many  a  year.  In  one  large  pit  there  were  some 
good  healthy  Pines,  and  in  another  some  good  Straw- 
berry plants  preparing  for  forcing.  All,  however,  is  in 
an  unfinished  state,  but  progressing  surely  though 
slowly.      From   this   kitchen   garden  we,   that   is,  the 


all  during  the  season.  Amongst  such  duties,  that  of 
filling  an  ice-house,  or  storing  the  ice  away  elsewhere,  is 
one  important  job  which  must  never  be  delayed  when 
an  opportunity  otfers,  for,  the  old  and  trite  saying  of 
"  make  hay  while  the  sun  shines,"  is  not  more  wise  than 
"store  ice  while  it  freezes;"  for,  as  every  one  knows, 
good  and  suitable  ice  for  storing  away  does  not  present 
itself  every  year  in  the  south  of  England,  especially  in 
localities  near  the  coast;  consequently  the  first  chance 
must  not  be  lost. 

There  are  various  opinions  afloat  regarding  the  keep- 
ing of  ice,  some  insisting  that  it  ought  to  be  excluded 
from  the  air  as  much  as  it  is  possible  to  make  it,  by  a 
close  fitting  apartment,  and  covering  of  litter  to  an  e.K- 
travagant  e.\tent ;  while  others  would  seem  almost  to  inti- 
mate that  a  free  ventilation,  if  not  almost  open  exposure. 


gardener,  Mr.  Alton,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  royal     was  more  necessary.     Now,  the  wide  difl'erence  between 
gardeners  of  that  ilk,  and  myself,  wended  our  way  up  a    these  two  opinions  leaves  room  for  many  intermediate 

plans  or  ideas,  and  it  is  amongst  them  that  I  take  my 


rising  ground  to  the  plant-houses  or  conservatories. 
These  were  well  filled  witli  good,  healthy  plants,  but 
they  are  too  small  and  too  lanciful  for  the  place.  They 
are  to  be  taken  down,  and  a  much  more  extensive  and 
noble  range  put  up.  I  saw  the  stakes  put  down  for  the 
foundations. 

The  pleasure  grounds  are  very  extensive,  occupying  a 
rising  ground  to  the  north  of  the  house.  They  were 
formed  about  five  years  ago,  and  it  is  remarkable  how 
the  Rhododendrons  thrive  in  the  soil — a  kind  of  red 
claj'.  To  look  at  it,  I  should  have  thought  they  would 
not  hare  existed  a  single  summer,  but  they  have  grown 
well,  and  are  of  a  deep  green,  and  well  set  with  buds.  As 
this  pleasure  ground  is  so  extensive,  advantage  has  been 
taken  of  that  circumstance  to  plant  a  considerable 
number  of  the  choicest  Coniferse.  I  noticed  the  follow- 
ing: Picea  nohilis,  9  feet,  a  handsome  specimen;  P. 
]Fehhiana,  well-formed  and  uninjured;  Pimis  jtiUula,  a 
little  injured;  P.  macrocarpa,  a  splendid  specimen, 
3.")  feet  high,  with  a  stem  three  feet  round  ;  P.  excelsa, 
a  dark  green,  densely  branched  variety  ;  P.  ayacalinile, 
6  feet,  uninjured;  TaxotUum  distichum,  a  fine  tree,  45 
feet  high,  and  -i  feet  round  the  stem ;  A  hies  Brononii,  quite 
hardy  here,  uninjured  for  four  years;  Abies  Doiiylasii, 
growing  rapidly  ;  fii/o-essHS  ;ora/o.w(,  quite  hardy ;  C.  thu- 
rifera,  much  injured;  Cedrits  Deodara,  many  plants, 
growing  rapidly.  The  Deciduous  trees  here  are  very 
remarkable.  I  do  not  suppose  there  are  any  such  in  the 
kingdom.  They  have  been  planted  in  groups  of  seven 
or  nine,  and  the  branches  have  spread  along  and  over 
the  ground  to  a  very  great  extent.  I  think  I  speak 
within  bounds  when  I  say  the  branches  cover  a  space 
1 00  yards  in  diameter.  Of  course,  they  were  out  of  leaf 
when  I  saw  them ;  but  when  in  full  foliage  they  must 
make  a  grand  appearance.  In  the  pleasure  grounds  there 
are  an  ujiper  and  a  lower  lake  of  water.  Jets  are  being 
put  in,  and  will  be  very  eftective,  no  doubt,  when 
finished. 

Such  is  my  very  brief  account  of  a  nobleman's  seat 
that  is  in  a  state  of  improvement.  Visitors  need  not  go 
through  the  dismal  country.  I  did  to  appreciate  its 
beauty  by  contrast ;  for  there  is  now  a  railway  opened 
from  Oxford,  and  from  that  point  I  would  advise  any 
inhabitant  of  the  south,  desirous  of  seeing  a  fine  place, 
to  start  from.  Oxford,  of  course,  can  be  readied  easily 
enough  from  any  part  of  the  kingdom.  The  station  for 
Enville  is  Stourbridge.  In  three  or  four  years,  if  it  goes 
on  prosperously,  this  will  be  quite  a  lion  in  gardening. 

T.  Applebt. 


ON  KEEPING  ICE. 

The  arrival  of  winter  brings  with  it  duties  peculiarly 
its  own,  and  some  of  which,  if  not  performed  at  the 
identical  time  they  ought  to  bo  done,  cannot  be  done  at 


stand,  without  impugning  the  veracity  of  those  who 
think  that  ice  keeps  as  well  in  an  out-door  heap  as  in  a 
well,  or  house  properly  jirepared  for  it.  I  have  tried 
both  plans,  and  must  say  that  my  efforts  at  keeping  ice 
in  an  out-door  heap  has  been,  on  the  whole,  unsatisfac- 
tory; and  though  others  may  have  been  more  successfid, 
might  I  not  ask  if  their  good  fortune  in  keeping  it  did 
not  arise  from  tlie  great  bulk  they  had  stored  away? 

It  is  well  known  that  the  detached  masses  of  ice  which 
float  southward  from  the  Arctic  Sea,  often  reach  a  tem- 
perate latitude  before  they  are  entirely  melted  ;  but  it  is 
only  fair  to  conclude,  that  when  they  do  so,  they  must 
have  been  of  huge  dimensions  at  the  starting  point ; 
subject  to  the  same  rule,  therefore,  must  be  the  ice-heaps 
which  we  have  stored  up  in  dry  sheltered  corners. 
They,  too,  must  have  been  tolerably  bulky  to  furnish 
the  requisite  quantity  a  family  of  rank  often  requires  at 
the  end  of  suuimer  and  beginning  of  autumn ;  for,  be  it 
remembered,  that  under  whatever  circumstances  ice  be 
kept,  the  quantity  left  for  use  in  September  here  rarely 
amounts  to  more  than  one-fourth  of  what  was  stored 
away  in  winter,  so  wasteful  a  material  it  is  to  deal  with, 
in  spite  of  all  the  preservative  means  taken  to  save  it. 

Where,  therefore,  an  ice-house  exists,  I  would,  by  all 
means,  advocate  its  being  filled  with  the  best  and 
cleanest  ice  that  can  be  got,  as  soon  as  the  weather  and 
other  tilings  admit  its  being  so.  Afterwards,  I  would 
advise  an  ice-heap  formed  somewhere,  in  order  to  test 
the  value  of  the  two  modes.  This  plan  I  have,  with 
one  or  two  exceptions,  adopted  for  many  years,  and  the 
result  was  in  favour  of  the  ice-house.  True,  the  outside 
heap  was  of  some  service,  because  any  that  was  wanted 
during  its  continuance  was  had  from  there ;  but  it 
always  took  a  very  largo  heap  to  last  until  the  middle 
of  June  ;  and  sometimes  it  was  gone  much  sooner. 

The  plan  I  adopted  with  this  heap  was  this:— A  con-' 
venient  spot,  where  the  water  would  drain  away,  was 
selected  near  the  pond  the  ice  was  taken  from,  and  a 
square,  or  polygon,  was  formed  by  hurdles  being  made 
firm  in  their  places.  Sometimes  the  ice  was  stacked  on 
the  ground,  and  sometimes  faggots,  or  brush-wood,  was 
placed  at  bottom,  but  at  all  times,  straw  was  placed  at 
the  sides  against  the  hurdles,  and  the  ice  was  then 
introduced,  well  broken  beforehand,  and  rammed  tight 
in  its  place,  the  same  as  in  the  ice-house ;  and  when 
the  top  of  the  hurdles  was  attained,  stakes  by  the 
side  of  tliem  wero  driven  in,  or  some  other  con- 
trivance adopted,  in  order  to  keep  up  the  ice,  and 
allow  the  heap  to  be  made  as  lofty  as  possible ;  but 
it  is  a  bad  thing  to  build  ;  and  I  never  saw  any 
workman  that  could  carry  it  up  so  as  to  appear 
anything  like  a  "  steep  roof"  Such  as  it  was,  it  was 
covered  over  with  litter,  and  if  the  place  was  exposed  to 
winds,  care  was  taken  to  secure  the  straw  against  being 
removed;  uoverthelcss,  I  always  had  the  inorlilication 


lANUAKV  a. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


2fl:j 


to  find  my  heap  sadly  reduced  by  Easter,  and  sometimes 
in  the  middle  of  May.  All  that  remained  of  sixty  or 
seventy  cart  loads  of  ice  was  a  small  jjortionthat  woidd 
have  gone  into  one,  and  which,  in  a  few  days,  dis- 
appeared altogether. 

This  was  not  the  result  of  one  year  alone,  but  of 
several  years  in  succession;  and  thence  I  had  come  to 
the  conclusion,  that  an  outside  ice-heap  was  an  un- 
profitable affair,  except  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  any 
immediate  wants  of  the  family  prior  to  opening  the 
more  important  store,  when  my  worthy  coadjutor, 
Mr.  Beaton's  article  on  "  Icebergs  "  appeared  in  these 
pages,  about  two  years  ago,  wherein  he  seems  to  give  the 
preference  to  out-door-keeping  contrivances ;  but  it  is 
possible  he  may  have  placed  a  massive  volume  of  ice 
^iu  a  favourable  outside  situation,  against  a  smaller 
quantity  in  an  indifferently  constructed  house — hence 
the  result. 

Now,  as  there  are  wide  differences  in  ice-houses,  and 
in  different  seasons  the  same  house  will  preserve  ice  a 
longer  or  shorter  time,  according  to  circumstances,  it  is 
not  fair  to  draw  a  general  conclusion  on  any  one  season 
alone  ;  but  I  would  wish  to  guard  parties  against  filling 
a  small  house  with  light  snow,  for  if  it  be  so,  no  ordinary 
amount  of  ramming  can  make  it  tight,  and  the  whole 
volume  being  so  much  charged  with  air  speedily 
dissolves.  Most  people  seem  disposed  to  fill  it  witii 
bright  clear  ice  on  a  frosty  day,  when  the  sounds  it 
emits  rings  like  bell  metal.  Whether  this  is  the  best 
possible  condition,  or  not,  I  am  far  from  affirming; 
cei'tainly  it  has  one  advantage,  it  is  likely  to  be  stored 
away  clean,  for  the  clear  frosty  air  keeps  both  it  and  the 
dirt  in  their  respective  places;  but  I  am  of  opinion  that 
it  is  in  a  more  dense  condition  when  a  partial  tliaw 
has  commenced,  and  it  is  more  likely  to  get  well 
broken  then ;  but  then  it  is  liable  to  get  loaded 
with  dirt,  which  certainly  does  more  harm  than  the 
benefit  it  is  likely  to  derive  from  its  increased  density; 
besides  which,  the  propriety  of  securing  ice  whenever 
the  weather  admits,  and, it  is  of  sufficient  thickness, 
must  not  be  departed  from.  It  must  be  proceeded  with 
without  delay,  regardless  of  the  weather  and  other  ex- 
ternal circumstances. 

It  is  almost  needless  here  urging  the  necessity  of 
having  the  ice  well  broken  and  tightly  rammed  in, 
these  duties  being  so  well  and  generally  known;  but  I 
would  warn  all  who  may  not  be  already  aware  of  the 
fact,  that  salt  ought  never  to  be  used  in  storing  away 
ice,  for  although  confectioners  and  others  use  it  in  the 
preparations  they  make,  still  it  is  not  as  a  preservative 
— in  fact,  it  has  a  contrary  tendency,  and  when  it  has 
been  used,  which  it  was  strongly  urged  to  be  done  some 
twenty  years  ago,  the  result  proved  its  decaying  in- 
fluences ;  tlierefore,  when  an  ice-house  is  to  be  filled, 
rather  exercise  what  care  can  be  done  to  secure  the 
material  well  pounded  in,  and  clear  from  dirt,  leaves, 
grass,  or  other  impurities ;  and  the  house  being  well 
filled  up  to  the  top,  the  straw  need  not  be  added  until  it 
Las  subsided  a  little,  which  it  will  do  in  about  a  mouth 
or  so,  when  it  may  be  covered  over  ;  otherwise,  if  needs 
be,  it  might  be  filled  up  with  some  ice  that  may  have 
been  left  in  store  for  that  purpose,  and  the  second 
receding  will  be  the  time  to  cover  it  up.  However, 
these  matters  are  best  known  to  the  individual  cases 
they  are  meant  to  represent,  so  that  in  winding  up  this 
article,  it  is  only  proper  to  remark,  that  where  a  choice 
of  water  exists  from  which  ice  can  be  withdrawn,  select 
that  which  contains  the  greatest  amount  of  spring  water 
of  rather  a  hard  kind,  for  my  e.xperience  so  far  has 
proved  it  to  furnish  the  best  keeping  ice. 

•J.  ROBSON. 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  DOWN  EWES  AND 

LAMBS. 

(^Continued  from  jyagc   24-t.) 

My  last  paper  upon  this  subject  concluded  with  the 
method  of  making  the  fold-yard,  and  the  manner  of 
feeding  the  Ewes  previous  to  lambing.  It  is  now  my 
intention  to  continue  the  subject  in  reference  to  the 
treatment  of  Ewes  when  they  have  yeaned,  and  also  of 
the  Lambs  as  they  fall. 

The  weather  is  generally  very  uncertain,  and  often 
accompanied  by  frost  and  snow,  at  the  time  of  lambing, 
with  this  stock;    and  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
some  exceptional  management  is  required   in   conse' 
quence.     To   be   well  prepared   for  all  contingencies, 
it  is   a  good   plan  to  have  a  store  of  roots  at  hand, 
or,  what  is  better,  to  be  provided  with  the  large  Drum- 
bead  Cabbages,  which  are  not  so  susceptible  of  frost 
as  roots,  can  be  more  readily  eaten  by  the  Ewes,  and 
I  will  furnish  the  Lambs  with   a  better  supply  of  milk 
than  can  be  obtained  when   the  Ewes    are  fed  upon 
roots.      The  Ewes  will,  however,    do   well    for    their 
,  Lambs  at  the  first,  when  fed  upon  any  kind  of  common 
I  Turnips.     It  will   also   be  very   desirable,   when   con- 
venient, that  a  few  acres  of  dry  pasture  should  be  held 
in  reserve,   containing  all  the  grass  which  may  have 
grown  upon  it  since  harvest,  and  which,  in  ordinary 
I  seasons,    will  by  this   time   have   become   hearty  and 
;  useful  food  for  the  Ewes ;    and   on  this  land,  at  the 
same  time,  they   may   receive  roots  in  addition   with 
advantage.     This  pasture  will  afford  good  lying  for  the 
young  Lambs  as  fast  as  they  fall ;  so  that  they  should, 
with  the  Ewes,  be   removed  to  it,  and  there  remain; 
!  receiving  a  fresh  partition  of  grass,  with  roots,  every 
i  day,  until  the  period  of  removal  into  Turnips  for  open 
I  field-feeding.     This  removal  should  not  take  place  until 
I  the   Lambs  are  strong  enough  to  encounter  the  difii- 
culties  which  usually  attend  open  field-feeding;  which 
they  will  generally  be  able  to  do  at  the  age  of  two  or 
three   weeks.      The  foregoing    observations,    however, 
must  be  considered   to  apply  to  those  Lambs   which 
come  healthy  and  strong ;  but  when  the  reverse  is  the 
case,  they  should,  together  with  twin  Lambs,  which  are 
usually  more  weakly,  receive  especial  care  and  protec- 
tion, by  being  placed  in  separate  apartments  of  hurdles 
placed  square  and  under  cover. 

It  should  be  carefully  noticed  which  it  is  that 
requires  particular  treatment,  it  being  sometimes 
the  Ewe,  at  other  times  the  Lamb,  and  often  both. 
When  the  Ewes  are  short  of  milk,  American  Linseed 
Cake,  commonly  employed  for  feeding  purposes,  should 
be  used,  ground  fine,  and  made  into  gruel.  This 
may  be  given  to  them  twice  a-day,  in  addition  to 
the  usual  supply  of  food,  with  great  advantage;  for. 
although  Linseed  Meal  may  be  preferable  for  the 
purpose,  yet,  when  required  for  a  large  number,  it 
would  be  somewhat  expensive. 

Lambs,  in  some  seasons,  sufier  much  in  health, 
and  great  and  heavy  losses  often  occur.  There 
are  two  complaints  to  which  young  Lambs  are 
particularly    liable,    and  which,    at    the    same    time, 


2CG 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  5. 


often  pi-ove  fatal  to  an  alarmiug  extent,  namely,  tbe 
white  scour,  ai-.d  a  rheumatic  affection.  The  first, 
which  is  often  beyond  control,  I  liave  sometimes 
cured,  when  discovered  in  good  time,  with  a  dose 
of  ten  drops  of  tincture  of  opium,  half  a  tcaspoonful 
of  prepared  chalk,  in  half  a  wine-glass  of  warm 
water.  This  is  sufficient  for  a  Lamb  at  any  age 
under  one  month,  and  should  be  repeated  every 
three  hours,  until  the  desired  efi'ect  is  produced.  The 
rheumatic  complaint  is  first  discovered  by  the  animal 
becoming  crippled,  and  losing  tbe  use  of  one  or  more 
legs,  which  swell  at  the  joints,  after  which  tbe  Lamb 
soon  becomes  emaciated ;  and  in  case  actual  death  does 
not  ensue,  they  are  profitless  for  keeping,  and  should 
be  destroyed.  This  disease,  unlike  the  first-named,  has 
no  remedy ;  but  in  all  disorders  a  preventive  being 
better  than  a  cure,  I  shall  endeavour  to  show  tbe  causes, 
and  likeliest  method  of  prevention.  In  my  own  flocks, 
for  tbe  last  twenty  years,  I  have  suffered  great  loss  by 
this  complaint,  and  I  attribute  tbe  causes  to  be,  firstly, 
the  Ewe  having  more  milk  than  tbe  Lamb  can  take. 
secondly,  the  insufiicieney  of  milk,  whereby  tbe  Lamb 
becomes  unable  to  bear  tbe  effect  of  changeable 
and  bad  weather ;  and,  tliirdly,  undue  exposure  in 
low  and  wet  situations.  The  first  cause  should  be 
obviated  by  the  milk  being  drawn  from  the  udder 
every  morning,  in  all  cases  where  tbe  Lamb  cannot 
take  it,  for  I  believe  this  to  be  tbe  chief  cause 
of  the  disease,  and  often  the  occasion  of  the  white 
scour  also,  for  by  accumulation  in  tbe  udder  the 
milk  becomes  unwholesome.  Insufficiency  of  milk 
may  be  in  some  measure  rectified  by  the  before-named 
use  of  linseed  gruel.  Tbe  last  cause  named  may  be 
removed  by  keeping  the  stock  upon  the  driest  aud  most 
sheltered  parts  of  tbe  farm,  or  by  artificial  protection. 

Tbe  Lambs  having  arrived  at  a  fortnight  old,  they 
should,  with  the  Ewes,  be  placed  on  root-feeding  ;  and 
it  ouglit,  at  this  juncture,  to  be  determined  whether  the 
Ewes  are  to  be  fattened  witli  tbe  Lambs,  or  are  to  be 
held  on  for  grass  feeding  and  fatting  in  the  summer 
months.  I  advocate  both  methods  as  being  advisable 
upon  farms  of  moderate  size,  where  there  is  a  fair 
proportion  of  arable  and  pasture  land.  I  would  take 
half  the  number  of  Ewes  (those  which  bring  their  Lambs 
earliest)  and  keep  them  for  tbe  former  purpose,  and  tbe 
remaining  half  I  would  hold  on  for  tbe  latter. 

In  carrying  out  the  former  plan,  the  object  is  to 
fatten  the  Ewes  at  the  same  time  they  are  suckling 
their  Lambs;  and  for  this  purpose,  I  should  recommend 
precisely  tbe  same  mode  of  feeding,  both  for  Ewes  and 
Lambs,  as  that  which  has  been  written  upon  in  detail 
in  my  former  paper  upon  the  "  Management  of  Forwai'd 
Ewes  and  Lambs,"  and  for  which  I  beg  to  refer  the 
reader  to  No.  272,  page  206,  of  The  Cottage  Gar- 
denrh.  When  tbe  method  therein  described  has  been 
carefully  carried  out,  the  Lambs  will  be  fit  for  market 
at  thirteen  and  fourteen  weeks  old,  aud  the  major  por- 
tion of  tbe  Ewes  will  be  ready  likewise,  as  soon  after 
the  Lambs  are  sold  as  the  weather  will  admit  of  their 
being  clipped  of  their  wool. 


By  the  latter  mode  of  management,  it  is  only  in- 
tended to  keep  the  Ewes  in  good  substantial  condition, 
sufiBcient  for  them  to  maintain  aud  furnish  an  abundant 
supply  of  milk  for  their  Lambs,  and  to  gradually  improve 
their  case,  in  order  that  they  may,  when  leaving  Turnip 
feeding,  be  speedily  fattened  upon  grass.  It  is,  liow- 
ever,  a  good  plan  to  breed  from  the  Ewes  a  second 
season  when  they  have  been  thus  managed.  This 
should,  however,  be  determined  by  the  relative  prices 
between  stock  Ewes  and  Mutton ;  for  when  stock  is 
higher  in  proportion  than  fattened  Shecji,  they  will  pay 
better  to  breed  from  again  than  to  fatten  upon  grass 
and  summer  keeping.  I  have  found,  for  a  series  of 
years,  that  Ewes  fattened  from  shearing-time  till 
Michaelmas  will  pay  about  nine  shillings  per  head; 
whereas  tbe  increase  in  their  value  when  put  to  the 
Ram,  aud  kept  ibr  stock  up  to  Michaelmas,  would,  in 
ordiuai'y  seasons,  amount  to  twelve  shillings  per  head. 

Nor  is  this  the  only  advantage  to  be  derived  ;  for  the 
breeding  Ewes  only  require  moderate  keep,  and  may  be 
kept  in  greater  numbers  by  oue-third,  whereas  the 
fatting  Ewes  must  receive  tbe  best  summer  food  upon 
the  farm,  and  be  kept  in  limited  numbers. 

To  return,  however,  to  the  mode  of  feeding — when 
the  Ewes  aud  Lambs  enter  upon  Turnips  it  is  lest  for 
them  to  begin  with  common  Turnips,  which,  upon  some 
very  dry,  sandy,  or  gravelly  soils,  may  be  eaten  upon  the 
land  uncut  if  the  Ewes'  teeth  are  good;  but  in  case  the 
laud  becomes  very  dirty  from  feeding  in  wet  weatlicr, 
the  Turnips  should  be  cut  aud  given  in  troughs.  The 
quantity  saved  by  this  plan  will  pay  the  expense  of 
cutting,  in  addition  to  the  advantage  derived  by  the 
animals.  Under  this  systoni  the  Ewes  receive  only 
Turnips  and  Hay,  and  tbe  common  varieties  of  Turnips 
should  always  be  consumed  by  the  middle  of  the  month 
of  February,  after  which  tliey  should  receive  Swedes 
until  the  end  of  the  Turnip-feeding  season.  The  Lambs 
must,  however,  in  this  case,  bo  fed  in  the  best  possible 
way  in  accordance  with  the  plan  given  in  detail  in  a 
former  paper  ;  but  I  would  here  state  what  I  believe  was 
there  omitted,  that  a  special  provision  should  be  made 
for  the  Lambs,  by  the  reservation  of  a  (juantity  of 
Carrots  (whore  they  can  be  advantageously  grown),  con- 
tinuing to  feed  them  upon  this  root  until  the  early  part  of 
April,  after  which  they  lose  some  of  their  (p.ialily,  when 
Mangold  may  be  substituted  instead,  up  to  the  time  of 
Grass-feeding;  indeed,  I  know  of  nothing  so  good  to 
give  them,  whilst  feeding  upon  grass,  as  Maugold- 
wurti^el,  cut  aud  placed  in  troughs,  and  given  alternately 
with  Cake  and  Peas. 

1  would  here  observe  upon  the  groat  advantage  to  be 
derived  by  feodiug  Lambs  upon  White  Carrots;  for, 
after  several  seasons  of  carefully-conducted  cxporinionts 
upon  this  subject,  I  have  proved  that  one-half  the 
quantity  of  Oil-cake  and  corn  will  bo  saved  by  their  use  ; 
that  is  to  say,  the  La7nbs  do  not,  and  cannot,  cat  more 
than  half  the  quantity  of  Oil-cake,  &c.,  whilst  feeding 
upon  White  Carrots,  as  they  do  when  fed  upon  Swedish 
or  any  variety  of  Turnips,  although  they  have  been 
allowed  a  continual  supply  of  roots,  and  cake,  and  peas, 


■January  5. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


207 


ad  libitum,  in  both  oases.  I  must  now  refer  my  readers 
for  any  further  information  requisite  in  Lamb-feeiling, 
ami  other  Jopartments  of  their  management,  to  my 
previous  paper  upon  the  treatment  of  Forward  Lambs. 

JosEP?i  Bltjndei,l. 


THE    MAIN    CHANCE. 

Bi/    the    Authoress   nf  "My    Floircrs." 

What  do  my  readers  understand  by  the  term  "main 
chance?"  The  heliever  and  the  worldly  man  wiU  totally 
differ  about  it;  the  one  will  mean  treasure  hiid  up  in 
Heaven,  dug  from  the  gold-mines  of  the  Gospel ;  the  other, 
treasures  heaped- up  on  earth,  toiled  for  through  weary 
days  anil  anxious  nights,  too  often  bringing  sorrow  as  well 
as  gain,  and  perisliing  in  the  using. 

I  am  about  to  give  a  sketch  of  one  wlio  sought  this  last 
kind  of  main  cliauce.  It  is  drawn  by  the  able  and  valuable 
pen  so  often  busy  in  tbe  service  of  his  fellow-creatures  in 
these  pages  ;  aud  will,  I  am  sure,  intei-est  deeply — I  trust, 
benetit  eifectually — many  a  cottage  gardener,  and  many  a 
general  reader. 

" '  Godliness  Avith  contentment,  these  be  the  pillars  of 
felicity,'  are  the  words  of  an  eminent  modern  writer; 
words  which  intending  emigrants  would  do  well  to  consider 
before  finally  making  up  their  minds  to  leave  the  happy 
Ijomesteads  of  Old  England,  for  the  roughing  of  the  bush, 
or  the  excitement  of  tlie  Australian  gold-field.  The  subject 
of  emigration  is  frauglit  with  anxious  and  painful  consider- 
ation to  the  Christian  philanthropist.  That  the  discovery 
of  gold  should  have  taken  place  at  the  same  time,  in 
Austraha  and  the  southern  part  of  the  great  Continent  of 
America,  is  too  pilainly  marked  by  the  finger  of  God  to 
escape  the  acknowledgment  of  any  but  the  avowed  infidel, 
and  that,  therefore,  its  results  will  be  for  the  good  of  His 
creatures  and  the  glory  of  His  own  name  cannot  be 
doubted.  Yet  it  is  a  distressing  thing  to  witness  the  rush 
that  has  taken  place  among  all  classes  of  society  to  secure 
the  golden  treasures,  in  spite  of  risk  of  voyage,  health,  and 
sep.ai'ation  from  relatives  and  friends.  Some  of  the  readers 
of  The  Cottage  GxVHDENEB  may  remember  the  melancholy 
but  true  history  of  William  Green  ;  and  I  have  room  to  add 
another  instructive  lesson  from  the  example  of  Frederick 
Jones,  who  also  was  in  my  emplo}',  and  the  result  of  whose 
career  has  reached  me  lately  by  an  Australian  vessel. 
Listen,  then,  ye  intending  emigrants ! 

"  Frederick  Jones  was  known  to  me  as  the  son  of  quiet  and 
respectable  people,  well  to  do  in  their  station  in  life ;  and 
when  his  parents  applied  to  me  to  engage  him  to  run 
on  errands,  and  to  do  other  little  services  which  a  lad  is 
usually  called  upon  to  perform,  I  did  not  hesitate  in  se- 
curing his  services  ;  for,  independent  of  the  good  character 
of  the  family  generally,  there  was  something  pecuharly  pre- 
possessing in  the  boy  himself.  He  had  a  cheerful  and 
manly  countenance,  with  a  bright  and  clear  eye,  that  looked 
you  openly  and  honestly  in  the  face ;  nor  did  his  looks 
deceive,  for  a  steadier,  more  hard-working,  honest  lad  I 
never  knew,  and  his  obliging  and  conciliatory  manners 
obtained  for  him  the  general  good-will  of  all  who  knew 
him.  It  was  with  regret,  that  after  remaining  mth  me 
two  years,  he  left  me  to  follow  the  business  of  his  father. 
After  leaving  me,  he  continued  a  regular  attendant  at 
the  Sunday-school,  until,  in  fact,  he  nearly  reached  the 
estate  of  manhood,  aud  I  looked  with  much  interest  on  liis 
progress  in  life.  I  should,  indeed,  have  been  very  glad  to 
have  taken  him  apprentice  in  my  own  business,  but  even  at 
this  early  age  he  had  an  eye  to  what  is  called  "  the  main 
chance," — I  mean,  the  gain  of  wealth  ;  for,  by  some  means 
or  other,  he  contracted  the  notion  that  his  father's  trade 
held  out  greater  prospects  of  larger  wages  than  my  owti,  and 
as  his  parents  did  not  attempt  to  influence  his  choice,  he 
was  bound  to  that  without  hesitation. 

"  We  now  come  to  the  eventful  period  of  his  life,  when,  by 
the  lapse  of  time,  he  became  his  own  master,  and  threw 
off  the  shackles  of  his  apprenticeship.  The  news  from 
the  gold-diggings  arrested  his  attention,  and  he  determined, 
at  the  earliest  possible  period,  to  seek  in  the  distant  clime 


of  Australia  for  that  wealth  which  he  thought  could  not  be 
obtained  with  suUicient  readiness  in  England.  His  parents, 
for  some  time,  opposed  his  plans,  but  finding  liis  mind 
fully  made  up,  they  ceased  to  attempt  to  iiiUuence  his 
choice,  and  eventually  assisted  him  with  the  loan  of  £20, — 
a  large  sum  for  persons  in  their  humble  position.  The 
day  at  last  arrived  for  sailing,  and  having  found  a  compa- 
nion who  entered  fully  into  his  views  and  feelings,  they  set 
sail  from  Liverpool  about  eighteen  months  ago.  A  letter 
was  received  from  him  from  I'lymouth,  where  the  vessel 
touched,  and  although  he  had  already  experienced  some  of 
the  misery  of  a  sea  voyage,  it  was  written  in  rather  good 
spirits,  and  he  told  his  mother  that  they  had  a  clergyman 
on  hoard,  who  had  preached  to  the  emigrants  an  imiuessive 
sermon  on  the  subject  of  Abraham's  departure  at  the  Lord's 
command.  This  letter  was  full  of  aifectionate  leave-taking, 
and  thanks  for  his  parents'  assistance ;  he  dealt  mourn- 
fully on  the  possibility  of  not  seeing  them  again,  aud  sent 
various  messages  to  his  younger  brothers  and  sisters. 

Months  after  this  rolled  away,  and  no  letter  came  to 
soothe  the  anxiety  of  his  parents ;  and  they  were  almost 
beginning  to  be  fearful  that  he  had  not  safely  reached  his 
destined  port,  when  the  Australian  mail  brought  the  long- 
looked-for  epistle.  I  have  only  lately  read  it,  so  that  its 
contents  are  fresh  and  clear  upon  my  memory,  aud  I  sin- 
cerely wish  that  its  simple  narrative  was  as  clearly  im- 
pressed upon  the  minds  of  all  intending  emigrants,  for 
although  evidently  written  with  a  view  to  colour  matters  as 
highly  as  possible,  consistPUtly  with  truth,  yet  there  was 
such  a  picture  of  confusion  and  hardships  to  be  undergone 
by  the  unfortunates  who  have  left  the  happy  shores  of 
England,  that  would,  I  am  persuaded,  make  the  most 
sanguine  pause  before  they  took  a  step  which  would  involve 
great  labour  and  difficulties  to  attempt  to  retrace  ;  and,  in 
fact,  in  most  cases,  the  expence  of  returning  prevents  the 
possibility  of  doing  so." 

I  must  keep  the  continuation  of  this  interesting  tale  till 
my  next  paper.  It  is  one  of  instruction  and  profit,  for  I 
am  sure,  nine  people  out  of  ten  do  not  view  emigration  in 
its  right  light.  They  may  thhik  they  are  going  out,  like 
Abraham,  at  the  Lord's  command,  when  they  are  only 
fleeing,  like  Jonah,  irom  His  face,  and  casting  His  words 
behind  them.  Abraham  obeyed  an  express  command,  and 
went,  "not  knowiug  whither;"  but  people  are  very  often 
improvident  in  the  good  things  the  Lord  gives  them  ;  or, 
greedy  of  gain,  or  thirsting  after  riches,  or  wearying  for 
something  new  and  exciting,  and  they  go  where  tempta- 
tion is  offered,  where  gold  abounds,  and  where  God  is  not 
known  or  worshipped !  Dear-  readers!  your  gains  maybe 
less  in  your  Christian  home,  but  they  are  safe,  and  peace- 
ful, and  honest.  Look  more  to  God.  Seek  His  blessing. 
Ask  Him  to  bless  your  basket  and  your  store.  Turn  from 
your  idols.  Put  away  the  abominable  things  which  He 
hates — the  false  balance,  and  the  bag  of  deceitful  weights. 
Depend  upon  it,  our  business  is  with  ourselves ;  our  worldly 
matters  are  the  Lord's  concerns.  Oh  !  if  we  pray  more,  we 
shall  prosper  more  1  Let  us  dig  in  the  Lord's  "gold-fields, 
in  our  closet,  with  a  closed  door.  That  is  the  way  to  be 
rich,  holy,  happy.  Headers  !  before  you  follow  poor  Frede- 
rick Jones,  try  this  plan. 


POISONOUS  SECRETIONS  AND  ROUP. 

Few  facts  in  physiology  are  more  inexplicable  than  that  of 
animal  poisons,  when  introduced,  by  the  absorbent  vessels, 
into  the  system.  That  a  single  drop  from  the  poisonous 
tooth  of  the  adder  should,  when  applied  to  a  wound,  forth- 
with induce  such  a  fearful  train  of  mortal  symptoms  is, 
indeed,  astounding.  The  aid  of  the  chemist  is  sought  in 
vain  to  shed  a  single  ray  of  light  on  the  deadly  nature  of 
this  "  leperous  distilment."  He  discovers  nothing  in  the 
saliva  of  the  rabid  animal,  or  in  the  poison  of  the  rattle- 
snake, save  the  most  simple  ingredients,— a  little  water  and 
mucous,  combined  with  minute  portions  of  a  simple  and 
innocuous  salt,  are  all  that  liis  art  and  his  science  can 
detect ! 

On  the  other  hand,  possibly,  some  of  your  readers  may 
now  learn  with  surprise  that  these  vei'y  pioisons — the  poison 
of  the  rattlesnake,  of  the  Cobra  de  CapeUo,  or  of  the  rabid 


268 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  5. 


animal,  &rc. — may  be  swalhived  with  entire  impunity.  The 
repeated  experiments  of  physiologists  have  shown  that  they 
may  he  swallowed  and  introduced  into  tlie  stomach  mthout 
their  producing  any  effect  whatever  I  So,  also,  is  it  with 
the  matter  from  the  plague  sore,  and  with  other  vitiated  or 
specific  animal  secretions  of  an  infecting  nature. 

These  facts  are  highly  interesting  in  themselves,  and 
must  be  especially  so  to  tliose  who  are  impressed  with  the 
notion  that  Roup  in  fowls  is  contagious,  and  that  it  is  com- 
municated from  one  to  another  in  the  manner  which  Mr. 
Tegetmeier  points  out,  viz.,  by  swallowing  the  nasal  dis- 
charge of  diseased  birds,  for  tlms  observes  this  excellent 
wTiter: — -"I  imagine  that  the  fcetid,  purulent  discharge 
from  the  nostrils  of  affected  birds  running  into  the  water, 
or  mixing  witli  soft  food,  is  tlie  usual  mode  of  propagation ; 
and  in  other  cases,  it  may  spread  from  one  fowl  picl;ing  the 
incrusted  discharge  off  the  beak  or  feathers  of  anotlier." 
Tlie  experiments  of  physiologists  with  animal  poisons  and 
diseased  secretions  proving  that  tliey  are  swallowed  with 
impunity,  at  once  scatter  abroad  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  theory 
respecting  the  communicatiou  of  Koup.  Kay,  he  himself 
most  imhappily  does  so  a  week  or  two  before  he  in'omul- 
gates  it !  for,  in  the  very  preceding  letter,  he  recounts  how 
of  two  of  his  fowls  that  became  affected  witli  Roup,  the  one, 
"into  the  nostrils  of  which  he  rubbed  the  discharge  from 
a  dead  fowl,"  and  "  endeavoured  to  inoculate,"  did  not  show 
any  signs  of  the  disease  until  a  week  and  some  days  after 
the  otiier !  Does  not  the  matter  of  Roup,  then,  really 
possess  preservative  (instead  of  contagious)  powers  against 
the  disease  ?  or,  at  least,  defers  the  attack,  or  renders  it 
milder,  as  inoculation  for  the  small  pox  ?  For  3Ir.  Teget- 
meier tells  us,  that  the  chicken  not  inoculated  very  soon 
died  ;  but  he  does  not  tell  us  of  the  death  of  the  other,  but 
simply  that  the  attack  of  Roup  was  long  delayed.  Surely, 
surely,  then,  swallowing  the  discharge,  or  pecking  it,  com- 
municated not  the  disease,  when,  in  the  case  of  "  rubbing 
in,"  its  approach  was  delayed!  Why,  there  may  be  a  great 
discovery  here ;  something  more  than  is  dreamt  of  in  the 
Ijhilosophy  of  contagiouists.  In  all  soberness,  we  cannot 
but  see  what  tacking  about,  what  saying  to-day  and  unsay- 
ing to-moiTow  is  required  to  bolster  up  a  theory  so  very 
questionable — and  something  more — as  that  Roup  is  propa- 
gated by  contagion. 

I,  too,  liave  Imd  fom'  cases  communicated  to  me  ( and  I 
protest  against  all  experiments  made  by  one  person  as 
being  so  liable  to  error)  similar  to  those  of  Jlr.  Teget- 
meier's correspondents.  On  dissecting  their  accounts,  I 
showed  to  the  writers  evident  sources  of  doubt,  fallacy,  and 
error.  I  have  not,  however,  gone  to  the  fountain  head; 
and  I  tliink  it  will,  at  least,  be  felt  that  I  have  completely 
turned  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  own  position,  and  that  by  directing 
his  own  artillery  against  it.  And  his  "monster"  case,  where 
his  own  yard  of  fowls  were  decimated  by  Roup  (40  having 
died),  and  his  neighbour's  extensive  collection  escaped, 
though  separated  only  by  "  npcn  lath -work,"  still  stands 
forth  in  testimony  against  his  hypothesis  of  contagion,  as 
do  numberless  similar,  tliough  minor  examples,  when  fowls 
refuse  to  be  infected. 

I  trust  you  will  do  me  the  favour  to  find  room  for  the 
above  remarks,  which,  I  assure  you,  shall  be  my  last  on 
the  subject.  My  chief  object  was  to  show  that  poisonous 
and  vitiated  animal  secretions  are  wholly  inoccuous  when 
introduced  by  the  mouth  into  the  stomach.  I  conclude 
with  repeatiug  some  sentiments  of  my  first  letter,  viz., 
there  is  great  danger  in  the  doctrine  of  contagion,  as  ama- 
teurs will  rest  satisfied  with  only  removing  the  diseased 
fowl ;  but  what  produced  Roup  in  that  bird,  may  produce  it 
in  all  the  rest.  Seek  out  the  cause,  and  he  strict  in  your 
attentions  to  warmth,  pure  air,  dryness  clean  water,  and  to 
variety  of  healthy  food.  F.  R.  Hoenee. 


are  pink  and  white,  and  very  much  more  loose  and  spread- 
ing than  the  blossoms  of  tlie  versicohr,  wliich  are  of  a  deep 
blue  and  white  colour,  and  larger,  and  much  more  com- 
pactly formed. 

This,  also,  is  naturally  a  taller  grower;  its  stems  more 
slender  and  straggling  in  its  branches;  and  its  leaves  deeper 
cut,  or  more  rhomboidly  cut.  The  whole  plant  is  quite 
smooth. 

This  very  desirable  species  is  a  native  of  the  South  of 
Europe,  and  was  inti'oduced  into  this  countiy  in  the  yeai' 
1507.  It  rises  from  four  to  five-and-a-half  feet  high,  which 
makes  it  a  desirable  plant  for  the  back  or  centre  rows.  It 
ilourislies  in  any  good,  common  soil,  and  is  readily  in- 
creased by  di^■ision  of  its  roots  after  it  puts  up  its  first 
leaves  in  the  spring.  If  no  increase  is  required,  the  old 
plants  may  remain  in  the  same  spots  for  almost  any  number 
of  years,  for,  should  its  crown  become  a  little  too  spreading, 
it  is  readily  reduced  with  a  fork  rather  than  a  spade. 

Tliis  is  one  of  the  tuberous-rooted  kinds,  supported  by  an 
immense  mass  of  root  fibres;  and  when  such  jilants  are  to 
remain  to  flower  in  the  same  spots,  and  expected  to  do 
well,  the  less  they  are  chopped  about  at  the  roots  the  better. 
I  prefer  comforting  them  over  the  roots,  and  round  their 
crowns,  with  a  spadeful  or  two  of  I'resh  soil.  T.  W. 


HARDY  BORDER  PLANTS. 

( Contin  tied  from  page  249. ) 

ACONITUM  VARIEGATUM. 

VAEIEGAIED  WOLirSBAKE  OB  MONKSHOOD. 

The  Aconitiim  versicolor,  before  mentioned,  and  this,  the 
varieijutum,  are  a  great  deal  alike  ;  but  in  this,  the  blossoms 


KENDAL  POULTRY  EXHIBITION. 

The  best  proof  that  the  taste  for  poultry-keeping  is  ex- 
tending itself  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land  is  the  increasing  numbers  of  shows.  Determined  not 
to  be  behind  their  neighbours,  the  fanciers  of  Westmore- 
land last  year  got  up  a  very  creditable  Exhibition  at 
Kendal.  The  second  meeting  was  held  on  the  2ind,  li.ird, 
and  •-'4th  of  December  last,  at  the  National  School-room, 
in  Kendal,  and  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands  that  a  very  great 
improvement,  due,  no  doubt,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the 
spirit  of  emulation  engendered  by  the  previous  Exhibition, 
had  taken  place  in  the  quality  of  the  stock  shown.  The 
number  of  pens  entered  were  'ill.  The  school-room,  in 
which  the  Exhibition  was  held,  was  rather  too  small  for  the 
purpose,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  part  of  the  pens 
had  to  be  placed  in  three  tiers,  so  that  the  birds  in  the 
upper  tier  were  too  high  to  be  inspected  with  advantage, 
and  the  height  of  the  pens  took  away  the  light  in  front 
from  those  below.  This  was  the  only  drawback  that  we 
could  perceive  in  the  management,  and  we  are  houud  to  add 
that  it  was  one  that  tlie  committee  had  not  the  means  of 
preventing.  In  one  respect,  an  example  was  set  whicli  the 
managers  of  other  shows  would  do  well  to  follow.  Three 
days  only  were  allowed  to  the  show.  The  birds  were 
received  at  the  doors  up  to  nine,  A.  3i.,  on  the  Thursday. 
By  ten  o'clock  all  were  in  their  pens,  ready  for  the  judge 
(Mr.  Bond,  of  Leeds)  to  commence  his  labours.  These 
he  was  able  to  complete  soon  after  two  o'clock,  so  that  the 
doors  were  opened  to  the  public  by  three,  and  an  oppor- 
tunity was  thus  allowed  to  all  to  inspect  tlie  birds  the 
same  evening.  Now,  if  one  judge  can  inspect  and  decide 
upon  the  merits  of  nearly  40t)  pens  of  birds,  comprised  in 
sixty  classes,  in  four  or  five  hours,  there  can  be  no  reason 
why  a  longer  number  should  not  be  adjudicated  upon  in  the 
same  space  of  time  by  increasing  the  number  of  judges. 
By  such  means  a  private  view,  at  least  to  subscribers,  might 
be  afl'orded  in  the  evening  of  the  first  day,  and  all  excuse 
for  running  the  show  beyond  a  third  day  reiiiovcd.  The 
birds  would  thus  leave  their  homes  so  as  to  he  received  at 
the  place  of  exhibition  on  the  morning  of  one  day  ;  they 
would  remain  there  during  that  and  the  two  succeeding 
days ;  and,  by  the  employment  of  a  sulVicient  force,  lliey 
might  all  be  easily  put  upon  the  rail  on  the  third  night,  so 
as  to  reach  their  own  walks  on  the  day  following.  The  only 
attention  required  in  this  respect,  at  Kendal,  is  that  the  first 
day  should  be  Tuesday  or  "W'ediiesda}',  instead  of  Thursday, 
so  that  the  fowls  should  not  have  to  he  dispatched  on  the 
Saturday  night.  The  managers,  and  their  indefatigable 
honorary  secretary,  Mr.  .Tames  Uillard,  will,  we  fed  assured, 
excuse  us  for  giving  this  hint  for  improvement  whero  there 
was  so  much  to  commend. 

In  noticing  tho  various  classes  according  to  their  order 


January 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


269 


in  the  catalogue,  the  Spanish  first  claim  our  attention,  and 
they  were,  young  ami  old,  most  creditable  to  the  good  folks 
of  Kendal,  who  carried  off  all  the  honours  in  both  classes. 
The -Dor/^zyv.s- were,  perhaps,  even  better  classes,  the  prize 
birds  in  the  chicken  class  being  very  good  indeed.  The 
Buff  Cochins  presented  nothing  very  particular  in  the  adult 
class,  i^-ith  the  exception  of  Ihe  first  prize  birds.  Among 
the  cliickens  some  creditable  specimens  were  exhibited,  and 
the  same  remark  applies  to  the  "Whites.  In  the  dark 
variety,  the  first  prizes  were  withheld,  but  a  good  pen 
of  Black  chickens  obtained  and  deserved  a  first  prize  in 
their  class.  The  Game  classes  were  exceedingly  good,  and 
\re  repeat  a  remark  which  we  have  had  occasion  to  make 
before,  that  we  are  glad  to  see  these  old  English  fowls  cul- 
tivated, even  tliough  they  are  no  longer  required  for  the 
purpose  of  the  cock-pit.  The  Hamhurghs  and  Polands 
afforded  no  subject  of  especial  remark,  if  we  except  a  good 
pen  of  G-olden  Polands,  and  one  of  Blacks,  each  of  which 
carried  off  a  first  imze  in  its  class.  Of  the  Banfnms,  the 
Blacks  were  the  best.  The  Geese  were  not  particularly  good, 
and  the  Dnchs  were  said  not  to  have  been  equal  to  those 
shown  the  previous  year.  The  Turkics  were  a  good  class. 
We  append  the  prize  list  as  usual. 

SPANISH. 

C/ra.';*  1.— Cock  and  two  Hens.  2.  First  prize,  Mr.  R.  B.  Parkinson, 
Kendal.  4.  Second  prize.  G.  A.  Gelderd,  Esq.,  Aikvigf:  End,  Kendal. 
C;a.9s2.— Cock  and  two  Pallets,  chickens  of  1853,  I?.  First  prize,  Mr. 
11.  B,  Parkinson.  21.  Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Whitwell,  jun.,  Tolson 
Hall. 

DORKING  (Single-combed). 

Clasf;  3.— Cock  and  two  Hens.  26.  First  prize,  Henry  Ambler,  Esq., 
Watkinson  Hall,  Halifax.  Age,  one  year  eight  months.  29.  Second 
prize.  G.  A,  Gelderd,  Esq.  Age,  three  years  six  months.  Class 
4.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.  53.  First  prize,  Thoa. 
UUock,  Esq.,  Bownesa.  Age,  eight  months.  54.  Second  prize,  Thos. 
Ullock,  Esq.     Age,  cock,  five  months  eight  days ;  pullets,  eightmonths. 

DORKING  (Double  or  Rose-combed). 
Class  5. — Cock  and  two  Hens.     63,  Second  prize,   Mr,  Thompson, 
Hyniog.    Age,  one  year  six  months.     First  prize  not  awarded. 

DORKING  (White). 
Class  7. — Cock  and  two  Hens,     71.  First  prize,  Mr.  Jas.  Rookes.  Age, 
two  years  seven  months.    Second  prize  not  awarded. 

COCHIN-CHINA  (Cinnamon  and  Buflf). 
C/ass  g.  — Cock  and  two  Hens.  7^-  First  prize,  Henry  Ambler,  Esq. 
Age,  one  year  seven  months.  75.  Second  prize,  G.  A.  Gelderd,  Esq. 
Age,  one  year  six  months.  Class  10.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens 
of  1853.  1 12.  First  prize,  BIr.  George  Gibson.  Age,  nine  months.  86, 
Second  prize,  Henry  Ambler,  Esq.    Age,  sis  months, 

COCHIN-CHINA  {Brown  and  Partridge-feathered). 
Class  W. — Cock  and  two  Hens,  H6.  Second  prize,  W,  ^^''anklyn, 
Esq.  Age,  cock,  one  year  eleven  months  ;  hens,  on«  year  eight  months. 
First  prize  not  awarded.  Class  12.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of 
1853.  125.  Second  prize,  Wm.  Wanklyn,  Esq.  Age,  cock,  nine  months  ; 
puUeta,  eight  months.     First  prize  not  awarded. 

COCHIN-CHINA  (White), 
Class  14.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.     128.  First  prize, 
Edward  Calvert,  Esq.,  Warwick  Bridge,  Carlisle.     Blue  mark  on  the 
crest.      Age,   eight   months   one  week.      12g.    Second    prize,    Edward 
Calvert,  Esq,     No  mark  on  the  crest.     Age,  eight  months, 

COCHIN-CHINA  (Black). 

C/n.ss  16.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.  133.  First  prize, 
W.  Wanklyn,  Esq,     Age,  nine  mouths. 

GAME  FOWLS  (White  and  Piles). 

Class  19-— Cock  and  two  Hens.  140.  First  prize,  H.  W.  Heaton, 
Esq.  Age,  one  year.  I37.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W,  Wilkinson,  Erigsteer. 
Age,  one  year  six  months.  Class  20, — Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens 
of  1853,  142,  First  prize,  Mr,  Frank  Atkinson,  Age,  six  months.  145, 
Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Thackeray,  Hawkshead  Hall.  Age,  eight  months 
one  week. 

GAME  FOWLS  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds). 

C/ass  21  .—Cock  and  two  Hena.  l62.  First  prize,  Mr,  George  Banks. 
A^Q,  one  year  seven  months.  150.  Second  prize,  Mr.  James  Thompson. 
Age,  one  year  six  months.  Class  22. — Cock  and  two  PuUels,  chickens  of 
1853.  180.  First  prize,  H.  W.  Heaton,  Esq.  Age,  eight  months.  178. 
Second  prize,  Daniel  Leeming,  Esq.    Age,  sis  months. 

GAME  FOWL  (Best  of  any  other  variety). 
Class  23.— Cock  and  two  Hens.  185.  First  prize,  Henry  Ambler,  Esq. 
Age,  one  year  eight  months.  188.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Wilkinson. 
Age,  two  years  five  months.  Class  24. — Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens 
of  1853.  201.  First  prize,  H.  W,  Heaton,  Esq.  Duckwings.  Age, 
eight  months,  200.  Second  prize,  Daniel  Leeming,  Esq.  Age,  six 
months, 

GOLDEN-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH, 

C/asi- 26,— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.  203.  Second  prize, 
H.  W,  Heaton,  Esq.    Age,  sis  months. 

GOLDEN-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH. 

Class  27.— Cock  and  two  Hens.     205.    Second  prize,  Mr.  W,  W. 


Ruttlidge.  Age,  one  year  sis  months.  Class  28. — Cock  and  two  Pullets, 
chickens  of  1853,  225.  First  prize,  Mr.  H.  W.  Heaton,  Age,  eight 
months.     217.  Second  prize,  Mr.  James  Rookes.     Age,  seven   months. 

SILVER-PENCILLED  HAMBURGH. 
Class  29.- Cock  and  two' Hens.  231.  Second  prize,  Mr.  George  Gibson. 
Age,  one  year  eight  months.  First  prize  not  awarded.  Class  30. — Cock 
and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.  235.  Firat  prize,  Mr.  Christopher 
Brown.  Age,  eight  months.  232.  Second  prize,  G.  A.  Gelderd,  Esq. 
Age,  six  months  two  weeks. 

SILVER-SPANGLED  HAMBURGH. 
C7;(W.s' 31.— Cock  and  two  Hens.  243.  First  prize,  Daniel  Leeming, 
Esq.  Age,  one  year  six  months.  245.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Thomas 
Robinson.  Age,  one  year  six  months.  Class  32. — Cock  and  two  Pullets, 
chickens  of  1853.  249.  First  prize,  Daniel  Leeming.  Esq.  Age,  six 
months,     248,  Second  prize,  Daniel  Leeming,  Es(i.     Age,  sis  months. 

POLAND  FOWL  (Black,  with  White  Creats). 
Class  33. — Cock  and  two  Hens,      25G.  First  prize,    Joseph   Conyers, 
Esq.     Age,    one  yeat-  six   months.     Class  34. — Cock  and   two    Pullets, 
chickens  of  1853,     25/.  Second  prize,    G.  A.   Gelderd,  Esq.     Age,  six 
months  two  weeks. 

POLAND  FOWL  (Golden). 
Class  35. — Cock  and  two  Hens.  259.  First  prize,  Joseph  Conyers, 
Esq.  Age,  two  years  seven  months.  258.  Second  prize,  G.  A.  Gelderd, 
Esq.  Age,  two  years  six  months.  Class  3(5. — Cock  and  two  PuUeta, 
chickens  of  1853,  26O.  Second  prize,  G.  A.  Gelderd,  Esq,  Age,  five 
months  two  weeks. 

POLAND  FOWL  (Silver). 
Class  37- — Cock  and  two  Hens.     261.  Second  prize,  T.  K.  Atkinson, 
Esq.,  Cardew  Lodge,  near  Carlisle.    Age,  two  years  six  months.     Class 
.■^3.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.     262.  Second  prize,  T.  K. 
Atkinson,  Esq.     Age,  seven  months, 

BANTAMS  (Gold-laced  or  Pencilled,) 
Class  40,— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.       264,  First  prize, 
W.   Wanklyn,    Esq,    Age,  eight  months.     263.  Second  prize,    H.    W. 
Heaton,  Esq.     Age,  nine  months, 

BANTAMS  (Silver-laced  or  Pencilled), 
Class  41. — Cock   and  two  Hena.     265.  Second  prize,  H.  W.  Heaton, 

Esq.     Age,  cock,  two  years;  hens,  one  year.     Class  42. — Cock  and  two 

Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.    266.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Waugh.    Age, 

sis  months. 

BANTAMS  (Black), 
Class  43.— Cock    and  two  Hena.     2/0.  First  prize,   Joseph   Conyers, 

Esq.     Age,  three  years.     269,  H.  W.    Heaton,    Esq.     Age,    one   year. 

Class  44.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chickens  of  1853.     2/2.  First  prize, 

H.  W.  Heaton,  Esq.     Age,  nine  months.     273.    Second  prize,  Jos. 

Wilson,  Esq.    Age,  ten  months. 

GEESE. 
Class  49.— Best  Gander  and  one  Goose,    288.  First  prize,    Mr.   John 
Stamper.     Age,  seven  months  two  weeks.     287,  Second  prize,  Mr.  John 
Stamper,  Newton,  Penrith.    Age,  seven  months  two  weeks. 

DUCKS. 
Class  50. — Best  white  Aylesbury  Drake  and  two  Ducks.     298.  First 
prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Morton.     Age,  five  months.     302.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
Henry  Lickbarrow,  Kendal.     Age,  six  months. 

DUCKS. 
Class  51. — Best  Rouen  Drake  and  two  Ducks.  318.  Firat  prize, 
Henry  Ambler,  Esq.  Age,  one  year  sis  months.  317.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  R.  S.  Parkinson.  Age,  six  months.  C/uss  .52.— Best  Drake  and 
two  Ducks  of  any  other  variety.  323.  Second  prize,  G.  A.  Gelderd, 
Esq.  Call  Ducks.  Age,  seven  months.  327.  Jas,  Bousfield,  Esq. 
Age,  seven  months  two  weeks.  330.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Thos.  Robinson. 
Age,  two  years  seven  months, 

TURKEYS, 
Class  53.— Best  Turkey  Cock  and  one  Hen.    341.  First  prize,  Mr.  W. 
Whitwell,  sen.    Age,  eight  months.    335.  Second  prize,  Jas,  Yeates, 
Esq.     Age,  nine  months. 

GUINEA    FOWL. 
Class  54.— For  the  best  pair.     347,  First  prize,  G,   A.   Gelderd,  Esq. 
Age,  one  year  sis  months.    349.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Jas.  Rookes,    Age, 
one  year  seven  months. 


ATOMS   FOR  THE   TIMES. 

How  are  histories  made  up  ?  Let  those  who  write  them 
answer,  and  they  will,  douhtless,  say,  from  scattered  facts — 
things  done  and  given  off  to  the  world,  claiming  small  con- 
sideration in  themselves  possibly  at  the  time,  hut  to  become 
largely  valuable  for  the  compiler  as  atoms  of  knowledge, 
illustrating  the  national  mind  and  practical  intelligence  of 
the  day.  Let  this  he  my  excuse,  then,  for  wielding  my 
grey  goose  quill  once  again,  for  who  can  tell  but  a  particle 
for  improvement  may  he  impai-ted  towards  a  systematic 
whole  for  the  future  ? 

I  intend,  in  the  present  paper,  to  describe  a  few  season- 
able facts  resulting  from  my  own  experience,  conformable 
to  what  Mr.  Erriugton  wrote  at  page  150  about  renovating 
old  gardens.     The  first  instance  occurred  nine  years  since 


270 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


January  0. 


with  an  old  gai'den  (a  deep  loam,  with  its  siu'faco  black 
from  long  culturel,  which  came  into  occupation  as  a  con- 
ciliatory conclusion  to  letting  some  land ;  it  was  mlluigly 
given  up  by  the  lessee  as  being  a  patch  of  ground  compara- 
tively worthless, 'and  which,  indeed,  would  scai'cely  grow 
turnips  larger  than  lien's  eggs  :  we  shall  see. 

Firstly,  the  hedge  was  "plashed"  around,  and  a  dressing 
of  road-scrapings  hauled  on,  and  spread  at  the  rate  of  sixty 
loads  to  the  acre.  It  was  then  bastard-trenched  two  feel 
deep,  the  crumbs  between  the  spits  only  being  shovelled 
upon  the  surface.  This  trenching  affair  caused  a  sensation 
rather,  though  little  was  said  to  me  upon  the  subject,  with 
tJie  exception  of  one  man,  who  evidently  considered  me  as 
all  in  the  wrong.  Poor  fellow  I  his  build  was  Herculean ; 
he  was  once  "  I'  th' local,"  and  his  healing  Avas  upiight  as  a 
ramrod.  I  believe  lie  has  never  to  this  day  forgiven  me  about 
tliat  trenching  ;  the  "  back  aches,"  the  "  wet  shirts,"  and 
the  "  right  down  hard  work,"  which  he  was  sure  to  ga-eet  me 
witli,  and  as  surely  to  meet  with  my  pity,  was  something  to 
lament  and  laugh  about  at  the  sarne  time.  Once,  though, 
a  terrible  row  happened.  James  did  not  go  about  his  work 
quite  to  my  satisl'action,  and  upon  my  intimation  of  tlie 
same,  it  caused  him  to  dasli  down  his  spade,  and  boldly 
confess  that  he  "knew  how  to  trench  before  I  was  born." 
I  could  only  appease  his  oflended  dignity  by  assuring  him, 
that  the  individual  wlio  taught  me  to  trench  was  a  person 
mucli  younger  than  myself.  What  time  the  horse,  the 
cows,  and  the  iiigs  did  not  engage  him,  lie  employed  during 
tlie  winter  about  this  process,  and  the  hardship  was  more 
in  the  breach  than  the  endurance.  A  top-dressing  of  wood- 
ashes  was  applied,  and  seeds  of  the  Jl'IMc  Bvlyiim  Carrot, 
and  of  the  YeHuw  Globe,  and  Lont)  Bed  Mantjold  Wurtzeh, 
were  sown  in  drills, — the  first  twenty-four,  and  tlie  latter 
thii-ty  inches  apart,  during  the  beginning  of  April ;  the 
CaiTots  becoming  finally  thinued-out  to  nine  inches,  tlie 
Wurtzels  to  eighteen  inches,  and  I  sliall  never  forget  the 
splendid  crops  as  a  result.  I  could  have  run  hard  upon 
the  heels  of  a  prize  with  samples  of  each  of  those  roots  at 
any  show  in  the  kingdom.  The  Wmizels  were  consumed 
by  the  cows  and  pigs,  a  part  of  the  Carrots  by  the  horse, 
and  thirty  cwt.  were  sold  as  "wonderments" — quite  a  new 
feature — in  Ludlow  market,  at  .^is.  per  cwt. 

My  second  experience  refers  to  the  garden  now  in  occu- 
pation. It  has  been  under  cultivation  for  culinary  vegetables 
upwards  of  two  hundred  years,  and  for  a  long  time  had  lain 
under  the  bane  of  being  a  piece  of  ground  occasioning  more 
expense  than  it  was  worth.  The  miserable  specimens  of 
crops,  with  the  altogether,  that  greeted  me  on  my  first  in- 
troduction after  what  I  had  been  led  to  expect,  was  some- 
thing lugubrious  in  tlie  extreme,  and  would  certainly  have 
disheartened  any  person  not  accustomed  to  look  beyond  the 
surface  of  things.  With  me,  to  probe  the  subsoil  was  an 
object  for  instant  operation.  I  found  it  all  right,  not  ]n'i- 
mitive,  but  it  had  never  been  disturbed  since  the  garden 
was  made  ;  below  the  depth  of  thirty  inches  a  wet  plastic 
clay  presented  itself,  which  made  me  decide  at  once  for 
drains.  It  is  now  six  winters  since,  reckoning  with  the 
present,  that  a  re-arrangement  of  the  whole  thing  took 
jij.^cp^ — a  mere  sow's  ear"  aflair;  but  the  ground  was 
drained,  and  sorted,  plam  trenching  I  cannot  call  it,  for 
what  with  a  new  fruit  border,  shifting  walks,  and  so  on, 
the  whole  body  of  the  soil  became  removed  into  a  now  posi- 
tion ;  care  was  taken,  however,  to  keep  the  subsoil  down  as 
much  as  possible.  Several  year's  collection  of  rotted  debris 
— famous  as  a  preserve  for  rats — was  cleared  out  of  a  back 
yard,  and  added  as  the  completion,  a  planting  went  on,  and 
this  was  all  the  manure  aiTorded. 

Just  before  sowing-time,  soot  and  salt  was  applied  as  a 
top-dressing,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  ground  became 
cropped  with  Potatoes ;  the  result  gave  over  two  hundred 
sacks  for  the  acre,  and  the  bountiful  produce  the  soil  has 
since  continued  to  yield,  coupled  with  the  vigorous  health 
of  the  fruit-trees  and  ornamental  slirubs,  shows  plainly  the 
principle  upon  which  old  gardens  can  be  renovated ;  and, 
let  me  add,  all  holdings  whatsoever,  be  they  great  or  small, 
agricultural  or  horticultural.  For  my  own  part,  rather  than 
allow  the  excuse  about  a  want  of  dung  to  distress  me,  I 
would  break  up  the  most  uncongenial  subsoil  as  a  means 
for  far  more  recompense. 
i       Practice  and  science  will,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  soon  joui 


hand  in  hand  never  more  to  bo  parted,  and  then  prejudice 
and  ignorance  must  give  way,  for,  of  all  that  has  been 
done  and  WTitteu,  from  Columella  down  to  Mr.  Mechi,  we 
still  really  appear  but  just  stepping  upon  the  tlireshold  of 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  capabiUties  of  the  soil.  Com- 
paring notes  with  what  has  been  achieved  for  its  sister 
sciences,  we  need  only  consider  the  advancements  etfected 
in  the  breeds  of  animals,  and  the  steady  improvements 
from  good  to  better  in  the  floral,  fruit,  vegetable,  and  cereal 
products,  to  become  aware  that  a  laxity — and  this  is  the 
more  sm'prising,  the  land  being  a  great  first  cause — prevails 
towards  an  equal  consideration  for  its  merits.  ^\'hen  a  soil 
neglected,  ca]iable  only  of  yielding  a  beggarly  produce  one 
year,  can,  by  merely  breaking-up  the  subsoil,  and  with  a 
trifling  extraneous  aid  be  made  to  yield  enormous  crops 
the  next  year,  the  question  naturally  intrudes,  How  is  it 
that  this  process  is  so  little  entered  upon  or  thought  of? 
There  is  nothing  abstrase  .about  the  matter  practically, 
altliough,  abstractedly,  it  points  to  the  laboratory  of  the 
chemist  and  the  way  of  science.  The  answer  appeai-s  to 
resolve  itself- — The  man  who  breeds  an  improved  Short- 
horn, or  introduces  a  Sebright  Bantam,  raises  a  superior 
description  of  fruit,  and  improves  the  properties  of  grain, 
etc.,  seldom  achieved  these  things  by  chance;  a  vast  amount 
of  study  and  perseverance  have  been  required  to  form  the 
animal,  and  bring  the  jiroduce  to  what  we  now  find  them, 
and  generations  have  been  required  to  do  it  in ;  yet  still 
the  work  goes  on,  and  the  inquiry  at  last  arises — What 
then'  original  parents  ?  and  whence  the  wheat  and  barley  ? 

An  experiment  with  Barley,  by-the-by,  just  forces  itself 
upon  my  recollection.  At  page  ^08  of  the  last  volume,  I 
related  the  circumstance,  perhaps  some  of  my  readers  may 
feel  interested  if  I  explain  the  residt.  Personally  curious, 
and  when  the  scythe  was  in  full  operation  upon  its  name- 
sake, I  again  took  train,  and  the  2i!nd  of  August  found  me 
once  more,  note-book  in  hand,  at  the  Oxfoi'd  Botanic 
Gardens ;  it  would  have  been  as  well  had  I  defeiTed  my 
visit  until  somewhat  later,  for  the  Barley,  being  shaded  by 
the  trees  from  the  morning  sun,  was  not  so  ripe  as  I 
thought  to  find  it.  According  to  my  judgment  this  was 
the  state  of  the  boxes — No.  1,  red  chalk;  No.  i,  common 
eai'th ;  and  No.  7,  Herefordshire  iron  and  stone ;  showed 
their  crops  very  neai'ly  equal  in  straw  and  grain.  No.  1 
(possibly  attributable  to  its  situation)  was  the  ripest,  and 
its  corn  the  finest.  No.  3,  oolite ;  No.  3,  Brighton  chalk ; 
and  No.  5,  sand;  claimed  the  second  degree — a  very  mode- 
rate result.  No.  C,  Skiddaw  slate,  and  No.  8,  a  slate,  were 
failures — plucked  decidedly.  Probably  many  other  persons 
took  an  equal  interest  in  this  experiment  with  myself.  It  is 
a  step  in  the  right  du'ectiou  ;  and  the  more  jmbl'ic  trials  we 
meet  with  of  this  sort,  the  quicker  shaU  we  be  enabled  to 
form  our  ideas  for  practical  pui-poses.  It  would  be  well  if 
such  experiments  were  carried  out  plurally  in  ditlerent 
parts  of  the  country  at  the  same  time,  and  conclusions 
compai'ed.  Upwaeds  and  ONWAiais. 


LETTER  FROM    AN  EMIGRANT    GARDENER 
IN   SOUTH  AUSTRALIA. 

Two  or  threo  ye.oi's  since,  the  WTiterof  the  following  letter 
lived  as  gardener  mth  a  gentleman  in  Ipswich.  He  left  his 
situation  with  his  wife,  and,  I  lielicAe,  two  children,  to  settle 
in  Australia.  Subsequently,  his  father,  who  was  a  working 
gardener,  also  joined  him,  talking  over  the  rest  of  the  family. 
The  letter  was  sent  to  a  cottager  of  his  acquaintance  residing 
in  my  parish,  and  on  its  being  shown  to  me,  I  obtained  his 
permission  to  copy  it  forinsertion  in  the  "  Cottage  CtArdenkr," 
thinking  that  it  would  interest  not  only  other  gardeners  but 
your  readers  in  general.  P.  S.,  Bushmere. 

"  Pastures  Farm,  South  Australia, 
"  April,  IiS'ii). 

"  Dear  Friend. — An  opportunity  now  ofl'ers  itself  for  rao  to 
send  a  few  lines  as  you  wished  me  to  do  so  in  a  letter  I 
received  from  you  a  short  time  since,  and  for  which  I  am 
obliged.  I  have  been  living  as  gardener  to  Captain  Slurt, 
up  to  November,  1801,  when  1  left  him,  and  had  a  liberal 
ofl'er  made  me  to  take  a  piece  of  land,  which  I  accepted,  and 


January  5. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


271 


bei'O  I  am  in  a  comfortablo  liouse  and  a  good  pleco  of 
ground  (0  acres)  ;  my  crops  have  paid  well  considering,  for 
tlie  lirst  season,  and  it  has  been  the  most  expensive  one 
I  shall  have,  having  had  every  thing  to  buy,  my  land  to  fence 
in,  house,  stable  ttc,  to  build.  I  never  intend  to  work  for  a 
master  again,  although  masters  here  dare  not  say  any  thing 
to  theu-  men.  I  mean  to  tell  you,  this  is  ft  place  for  a  working 
man.  I  hail  the  day  witli  pleasure  that  I  landed  in  this  my 
adopted  country,  for  here  a  man  may  feel  what  he  can  never 
feel  in  Engl.auil,  and  tliat  is  independence.  I  wish  I  had  left 
before;  I  lilie  the  Colony;  true,  there  are  three  months  in 
the  year  that  are  not  pleasant,  as  the  heat  is  great,  but  not 
oppressive ;  the  other  nine  are  equal  to  May  or  June  with 
you,  and  things  grow  well.  Grapes  are  as  line  as  in  any  part 
of  tiie  world  ;  the  Muscats  ripen  here  in  the  open  air  equal 
to  any  thing  I  ever  saw  in  England  ;  and  I  have  seen 
bunches  of  other  kinds  which  weigh  as  much  as  27  lbs. 
and  as  black  as  jet,  with  a  good  bloom.  Peaches,  and  all 
European  fruits,  do  quite  as  well  as  do  many  of  the  Tropical 
kinds.  As  you  wisli  to  know  a  little  about  the  animals  &c., 
I  will  tell  you  of  a  few  ;  but  there  are  so  many  that  it  would 
occupy  too  much  room  here  to  mention  all.  We  have  the 
Kangaroo  Eat ;  several  sorts  of  the  Kangaroo  which  is  liunteil 
by  dogs  called  Kangaroo  Dogs.  There  is  the  Wild  Dog  in  great 
numbers  ;  these  are  hunted  by  fox-hounds ;  the  Oppossum ;  the 
native  Cats;  WalUbeys  of  many  kinds.  Of  birds  there  are  a 
great  collection  ;  the  largest  is  tlie  Emu,  standing  five  or  six 
feet  high,  and  runs  witli  great  speed ;  the  Turkey,  large  and 
good  eating  ;  Eagles,  Hawks  of  many  kinds  ;  and  some  very 
large  and  liandsorae  Bitterns,  seA'eral  sorts — theliandsomest 
is  the  niglit  Bittern ;  Kobius,  five  varieties.  I  have  seen 
Duck  and  Teal  in  great  numbers  ;  I  shot  eighteen  one  even- 
ing last  week,  in  aliout  an  hour,  not  five  minutes  walk  from 
my  house.  Quails  abound  by  thousands,  and  the  sport  is 
equal  to  Partridge  shooting  ;  they  are  like  the  English  bird, 
only  about  half  the  size  ;  Swans  and  Geese  are  plentiful  in 
winter.  The  I'arrots  ai-e  the  handsomest  of  all  the  feathered 
tribes ;  there  are  many  varieties,  large  and  small ;  the  smallest 
is  the  Budgaraga  or  Shell  or  Love  Parrot.  I  have  caught 
twelve  and  fourteen  pounds  worth  in  one  day.  This  is  a  trade 
I  liave  taken  up,  and  a  very  good  one  it  is  ;  I  use  clap  nets. 
There  are  hundreds  of  other bu-ds  which  I  cannotname  ;  but 
no  good  songsters.  The  Laughing  Jackass  is  a  curious  bird ; 
you  would  think  some  one  was  laughing  at  you.  All  the 
birds  here  halloo  and  whistle.  I  have  not  as  yet  had  time 
to  get  a  collection.  We  have  several  kinds  of  Snakes — black, 
brown,  .silver,  carpet,  -whip,  and  others  ;  but  the  worst  of  all  is 
the  deaf  Adder ;  they  are  only  found  by  the  coast ;  plenty  of 
Lizzards  and  Guanas  ;  these  are  harmless  and  very  hand- 
some. S[iiders  of  all  colours ;  there  is  one  kind  that  builds  a 
door  with  strong  hinges  by  which  it  opens  and  shuts  ;  you 
have  to  ply  it  hard  with  a  knife  before  the  spider  lets  go. 
I  earned  six  pounds  the  other  day  in  getting  their  nests  to 
go  to  England.  AVe  have  the  Centipede,  the  Tarantula,  Scor- 
pion, and  thousands  of  insects  which  I  Imow  nothing  about. 
Very  few  Butterflies  and  Moths,  and  their  colours  not 
brilliant.  Nothing  annoys  us  so  much  as  the  flies,  and  these 
only  in  summer.  We  have  few  Mosquitos  ;  they  are  mostly 
near  water.  As  soon  as  I  can  I  intend  to  collect,  but  as 
labour  is  and  has  been  scarce,  and  wages  are  high,  I  have 
had  to  keep  close  to  work.  I  employ  one  band,  and  I  cannot 
get  a  labouring  man  under  seven  or  ten  shillings  per  day; 
mechanics  earn  I'roiii  twelve  to  sixteen  shillings.  If  a  man 
wants  to  better  his  condition  let  him  come  here,  and  in 
two  or  three  year.s  he  may  have  a  piece  of  land  of  his  own. 

I  was  sorry  hear  of  the  death  of  Mr.  J.  R ;  it  must  have 

been  a  great  loss  to  many,  as  there  were  but  few  masters 
like  him. 

"  There  have  been  thousands  come  to  these  colonies, 
The  Gold  diggings  ai-e  yielding  well,  and  numbers  have  made 
fortunes  at  thom,  but  vei-y  many  have  done  no  good  ;  I  went, 
but  did  not  stay.  My  father  and  brothers  had  a  long  spell  at 
it  but  did  not  succeed,  except  my  brother  Alfred,  who  has 
done  better  and  is  there  still.  Edwin  Smyth." 


BEE-KEEPING  FOR  COTTAGERS. 
(Contimied  from  page  249.) 

Section  3. — Apparatus  eequiked  in  Bee-keeping. 

We  hope  none  of  our  readers  will  be  frightened  at  the 
long  list  of  apparatus  that  wo  shall  mention  i  it  by  no  means 
follows  that  every  article  will  be  absolutely  necessary ;  or,  if 
necessary,  need  be  made  as  we  describe ;  certain  objects 
Iiave  to  "be  attained,  and  we  describe  such  articles  as  we 
conceive  to  be  useful  in  attaining  such  objects ;  if  they  can 
be  attained  in  any  more  simple  mode,  by  all  means  let  it  be 
done.  A  bee-keeper  ought  to  be  prepared  for  every  con- 
tingency, and  it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  the  little 
extra  trouble  that  will  be  required  to  make  one's  set  of 
apparatus  complete  will  be  well  bestowed. 

Hiivs.—'nie  oldest  bee-keepers  are  at  present  undecided 
whether  straw  or  wooden  hives  are  to  Ije  preferred.  The 
former,  from  their  cheapness,  will  generally  be  preferred  by 
cottagers.  All  stock  hives  should  be  of  the  same  size,  viz : — 
thirteen  inches  in  diameter,  that  is,  across,  and  eight  inches 
in  depth,  both  inside  measure  ;  tliey  should  be  straight  in 
the  sides,  and  quite  flat  on  the  top ;  a  hole,  four  inclies  in 
diameter,  should  be  left  in  tlie  top;  this  may  be  covered 
over  (not  fitted)  witli  a  piece  of  inch  deal  about  six  inches 
square,  or  a  piece  of  straw-work  like  the  hive,  .about  six 
inches  in  diameter.  If  the  entrance  bo  made  in  the  hive  it 
may  be  two  inclies  wide,  and  the  depth  of  tlie  lowest  round 
of  straw;  it  is  better,  however,  to  have  the  entrance  in  the 
floor-board  for  convenience  in  operating.  (See  Floor-hoar Js). 
Three  or  four  spare  hives  should  alw.ays  be  kept  ready  for 
use,  as  there  is  no  knowing  what  emergencies  m.ay  arise. 

Top  Hives. — For  each  stock-hive,  you  should  have  two 
small  super  or  top  hives,  at  least.  Those  sliould  be  the 
same  in  form  as  the  stock-hives,  one  smaller  than  the  other, 
but  both  smaller  thair  the  stocks;  the  smaller  need  not 
have  a  hole  at  the  top.  One  may  be  ten  inches  across,  by 
seven  inches  deep  ;  and  the  other  eight  inches  across,  by 
six  inches  deep.  Each  should  be  furnished  with  a  small 
glass  window  about  three  inches  squ.are.  Each  mndow 
may  be  covered  over  by  a  thick  piece  of  baize,  or  a  piece  of 
linen,  three  or  four  times  doubled,  tucked  into  the  bindings 
of  the  hive  over  the  window,  and  secured  from  being  blown 
about  by  the  wind  by  a  piece  of  twine  at  its  lower  end,  or 
by  a  piece  of  deal  the  exact  size  of,  and  just  thiclc  enough 
to  fill  up  the  opening  in  which  the  glass  is  fixed,  and  so 
exclude  the  light;  this  deal  shutter  can  be  fixed  in  its  place 
by  a  thin  piece  of  cane  laid  across  it,  having  its  ends  tucked 
into  the  bindings  of  the  hive  ;  all  light  must,  in  some  way 
or  other,  be  carefully  shut  out.  It  will  be  prudent  to  have 
a  good  stock  of  super-hives  always  ready,  as  in  fine  honey 
getting  weather  those  on  the  stock-hives  will  be  quickly 
filled,  and  must  be  replaced  by  empty  ones. 

Wooden  Hives. — Sliould  it  be  wished  to  try  wooden  hives 
they  may  be  made  of  full  inch  deal,  eleven  inches  square, 
by  nine  inches  deep,  both  inside  measure,  with  a  hole  three 
inches  square  at  the  top,  and  windows  five  inches  square  in 
two  of  the  sides :  these  windows  should  be  covered  with 
pieces  of  zinc  rather  larger  than  the  windows  themselves, 
and  made  to  slide  over  the  side  the  hive,  between  two  rows 
of  tacks  set  pretty  closely  together  in  the  rows.  Small 
wooden  boxes  may  be  used  on  the  top  of  wooden  hives  in 
the  same  manner  as  straw  supers  are  used  on  sti-aw  hives ; 
they  may  be  made  of  thinner  wood  than  the  stock-hives, 
and  should  have  as  large  windows  (to  be  covered  as  before) 
as  can  be  safely  made  in  them. 

Glasses. — If  it  be  wished,  glasses  may  be  used  instead  of 
top-hives  ;  in  that  case,  the  toji-hives  mil  do  as  coverings 
for  the  glasses,  for  glasses  must  be  covered  and  kept  warm, 
or  the  bees  will  not  work  in  them.  They  should  even  be 
wrapped  round  with  tow,  or  a  bit  of  old  drugget,  or  blanket, 
before  being  covered,  or  the  bees  will,  except  in  very  warm 
weather,  go  down  in  the  night,  and  not  resume  work  till  late 
the  next  day :  it  is  as  well  to  form  this  drugget  or  blanket 
into  caps  fitting  loosely  over  the  glasses  :  they  will  not  only 
be  more  easily  removed  and  replaced  when  it  is  wished  to 
examine  the  glasses,  but  neatness  will  be  thereby  secured. 
It  is  very  interesting  to  watch,  and,  therefore,  deshable  to 
have  one  or  two  hives  worked  with  glasses  ;  it  must  be 
remembered,  however,  that  bees  do  not  work  so  well  in  glass 
as  in  straw.    As  the  management  of  glasses  and  top-hives 


THE  COTTAGE  OAUDENER. 


Jaxv 


■AKY  -1. 


is  the  same  (except  as  regards  warmth),  uo  more  will  he 
said  on  the  suhject  of  glasses  specially. 

Floor-hoards. — These  should  he  of  the  same  shape  as  and 
ahout  two  inches  broader  than  the  lower  part  of  the  stoclc- 
hive,  and  may  be  made  of  any  stout  stutf  not  less  than  an 
inch  in  tliiclaiess.  Two  hits  of  wood  or  clips  about  nine 
inches  long,  two  deep,  and  one  broad,  should  be  screwed 
underneath  them  across  the  grain.  These  clips  prevent  the 
floor-hoai'd  twisting,  and  should  be  about  six  inches  apart  so 
as  to  drop  over  the  head  of  the  pedestal,  or  bee-stand,  which 
will  he  next  described ;  by  this  means  the  whole  is  kept 
firm.  It  is  advisable  to  nail  or  screw  a  thin  piece  of  deal 
(i-inch  stuff),  the  exact  size  of  the  lower  part  of  the  stock- 
hive,  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  floor-board,  in  such  manner 
that  the  grains  may  run  in  exactly  opposite  directions ;  the 
grahi  of  the  thin  piece,  in  fact,  running  in  the  same  direction 
as  the  clips.  In  this  thin  piece,  or  if  the  thin  piece  be  not  used, 
then  in  the  floor-board  itself,  the  entrance,  which  should  he 
four  or  live  inches  wide,  and  half-an-inch  deep,  ought  to  be 
formed.  To  do  this, make  two  saw  cuts  just  so  far  apart  as  is 
required  for  the  width  of  the  entrance,  and  running  in  the 
same  direction  as  the  clips  from  the  edge  towards  the  centre 
of  the  floor-hoard.  Let  this  cut  be  rather  more  than  half  an  ■ 
inch  deep  at  the  edge,  and  go  oft'  to  nothing  at  the  middle  ; 
then  jiare  all  the  wood  between  these  cuts  away,  and  you 
have  a  slope  leading  up  into  the  hive;  then  neatly  fix 
another  small  piece  of  wood  in  front  of  this  slope,  where 
the  bees  can  alight,  and  the  floor-hoard  is  complete.  An 
entrarice  in  the  hive  itself  (wdiich  not  only  helps  to  destroy 
the  hive,  hut  is,  as  already  mentioned,  greatly  in  the  way  in 
operating)  is,  by  this  means,  rendered  unnecessary.  It  is 
always  advisable  to  bevel  off'  the  edges  of  the  floor-board, 
to  assist  the  passing  off  of  any  diip.  Stone  or  slate  for 
floors  must  not  he  thought  of  for  an  instant:  such  materials 
are  far  too  cold.  There  should  always  be  extra  floor-boai'ds 
ready  for  use. 

Pedestals,  or  Bee-stands — Each  hive  should  have  its  sepa- 
rate pedestal,  and  in  tixing  them  an  eye  should  be  given  to 
future  operations.  There  should,  if  possible,  be  room  to  get 
behind  them.  They  may  he  ]ilaced  in  two's  at  such  a 
distance  apju't  that  the  floor-boards,  when  placed  upon 
them,  may  be  about  three  inches  apart.  Koom  should  be 
left  between  each  set  of  two  to  fix  a  third,  if  necessary.  A 
pedestal  of  unbai'ked  fir  or  larch,  ahout  five  or  six  inches 
thick,  looks  as  neat  as  anything.  It  should  stand  about  a 
foot  or  fifteen  inches  above  the  ground,  and  be  sunk  at 
least  two  feet  into  it ;  the  earth  must  then  be  rammed  ilown 
hard  all  round  it.  It  is  as  well  to  give  the  pedestal  the 
slightest  possible  inclination  forwards,  that  any  moisture 
which  may  be  condensed  upon  the  combs  and  may  run  down 
to  the  fioor-board  may  he  thrown  oft'  at  the  hive  entrance. 

Before  it  is  fixed,  a  cross-piece,  barely  six  inches  broad, 
must  he  nailed  firmly  to  the  head  of  it,  over  which  tlie  clips 
of  the  floor-board  are  to  drop.  Should  it  he  diftlcult  to 
procure  such  stands  as  these,  old  beer  barrels,  or  pieces  of 
stout  wood  six  inches  in  breadth  and  fixed  on  three  stout 
legs,  milking-stool  fashion,  or  anything  that  can  be  firmly 
fixed  will  do  as  well — neatness,  however,  is  always  desirable. 
The  cross  pieces,  in  fixing  the  pedestals,  must  be  made  to 
face  forwards,  in  order  that  the  entrances  in  the  floor  boards 
may  come  into  the  right  position. 

{To  he  continued.') 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

ICE-WATKR  iJ,  L.). — Wc  do  not  know  of  any  plan  by  which  you  could 
keep  clean  ice  along  with  ice  that  is  not  clean.  If  you  were  to  put  :i 
quantity  of  clean  ice  in  a  metal  or  wooden  case,  and  bury  it  in  the  centre 
of  the  dirty  ice,  it  would  be  a  great  waste,  as  a  leaf  or  a  twi};  ainonp;  it 
will  cause  it  to  waate  ;  besides,  the  meUing  of  the  dirfy  ice  would  soon 
impregnate  the  purer  article,  unless  the  containinp;  vessel  waa  made  of 
zinc  and  water-tight.  If  you  could  keep  it  so,  and  your  master  put  a 
lump  or  two  of  it  into  hia  drinkinp  water,  you  would  soon  have  to  look 
out  for  another  master  who  valued  his  health  more,  for  there  is  nothing 
more  unwholesome  to  drink  than  ice-water,  unless  it  be  the  doctored 
wash  in  the  cellar  of  a  beer-house,  and  that  never  gives  the  threat  disease 
called  goitre,  which  ice-water  is  apt  to  do  sooner  or  later.  If  your 
master  muat  have  iccd-waler,  the  cheapest  way  by  far,  is  to  make  new 
clean  ice  for  him  two  or  three  timca  a  week,  from  water  drawn  from  bi» 


own  pump.  How  that  is  done  we  mean  to  vhnw  very  soon,  and  wc  are 
glad  of  your  letter  to  remind  us  to  warn  our  readers  against  using  ice- 
water  even  from  the  purest  source.  To  make  new  ice  every  morning  in 
July  is  a  umch  less  costly  process  than  to  keep  old  ice  in  this  country. 

Birmingham  Poultry  Snow. — The  sales  in  the  Poultry  I'ppartment 
have  been  very  niniierous,  the  majority  of  tlie  pens  having  been  disposed 
of— a  fact  which  may  be  attributed  to  the  moderate  prices  mo.st  of  the 
exhibitors  placed  upon  the  birds  which  there  was  no  intention  of  rctiiining 
by  the  naming  in  the  certificates  of  a  prohibitory  one.  One  of  the  lots 
sold  was  the  pen  of  the  yet  scarce  Bramah  Pootras,  sent  by  Prince 
Albert.  The  price  was  JfbO  ;  but  we  believe  Ulr.  John  Baily.  the  eminent 
and  respected  poultry  dealer,  of  London,  received  .i  110  for  a  pair  of  fine 
specimens  of  this  variety.  These  sums  are  by  no  means  so  fabulous  or 
absurd  as  some  unreflecting  persons  may  imagine,  when  we  bear  in  mind 
that  they  arc  given  for  a  desivable  addition  to  the  ordinary  kinds  of 
domestic  poultry,  which,  for  some  time  to  come,  must  be  verv  scarce  in 
this  country,  and  eagerly  sought  after.  Fom  la,  under  ordinarily  favour- 
able circumstances,  arc,  we  know,  prolific,  and  with  the  number  of 
chickens  which,  with  skilful  management,  may  be  obtained  from  three 
or  four  hens,  in  the  course  of  a  season, 'a  spirited  breeder  may  reasonably 
expect  to  repay  himself  such  outlays  as  those  we  have  mentioned,  fllr. 
Andrews,  of  Dorchester,  wc  believe,  sold  a  pen  of  Cochin-China  fowls  for 
^50.,  and  some  other  pens  sold  for  the  same  sum  ;  ^-10,  .^'30,  and  .;t'20 
being  given  in  tolerably  numerous  cases.  The  bulk  of  the  transfers  took 
place  on  the  first  day,  when  they  amounted  to  d.'i,\25  (is. ;  on  M'ednes- 
day,  to  itiigs  13s.;  on  Thursday,  to  ,£'136  6s.;  and  on  Friday,  to 
.^123  153.;  the  total  being  ^l,6sl.-~{Midlii7id  Counties  Hernld.)  We 
have  many  complaints  of  pens  of  birds  being  sold  before  any  visitor 
could  look  at  them.  Two  hours  should  be  allowed  for  inspection  before 
the  sale  office  is  opened. 

Adam's  Oak. — P.  writes  to  us  as  follows:  ''Between  Hemsworth 
and  Great  Houghton  is  a  famous  old  Oak,  called  '  Adum  Oak;'  when 
the  sun  favours  us  again  I  hope  to  send  you  a  photograph  of  it,  to  be 
engraved  in  The  Cottagk  Oaudeneu.  Also,  I  should  be  glad  if  any 
of  your  readers  would  favour  me  with  any  well  authenticated  history, 
IfiE^cud,  SiC,  relating  to  it.  It  is  situated  on  Brierly  Common,  and  by 
its  side  once  stood  '  Eve,'  another  Oak,  which  has  been  cut  down  to 
make  a  road  across  the  Common  ! — at  least,  so  I  am  told."  Can  any  of 
our  readers  give  tlie  desired  information  ? 

Roup  Contagious. — Ulrs.  C.  writes  as  follows: — "I  have  some 
valuable  poultry,  purchased  from  Capt.  Hornby  and  others,  and  a  fort- 
night ago  I  purchased  a  few  Shanghaes  in  this  neighbourhood;  the  even- 
ing after  th' y  were  bought,  I  observed  sonictliing  remarkable  about  the 
fowls,  especially  one  whicli  I  examined  and  removed.  I  gathered  from 
The  Poultry  Book  it  must  be  Roup.  I  therefore  removed  them  all,  and 
sent  my  best  stock  a  few  miles  in  tlie  country  to  board.  I  am  fully 
aware  that  they  all  drank  together,  and  it  is  evident  to  me  that  in  no 
other  way  could  the  contagion  liave  spread,  for  they  did  not  run  together, 
only  met  in  the  yard.  The  common  fowls  I  kept  at  home  have  nearly  all 
taken  it,  and  upwards  of  thirty  I  had  killed.  ]\Iy  question  on  this-head 
is — When  may  I  safely  venture  to  have  my  best  stock  home,  without  hazard 
to  any  that  have  not  been  infected  by  it  ?  One  question  more,  if  you  will 
allow  mc.  Our  Poultry  Show  is  fixed  for  nc:;t  week.  If  the  nostrils  and 
eyes  of  my  best  fowls  should  be  dry,  would  it  he  any  risk  to  cage  them 
together  during  those  two  days  ?  "  Wc  should  not  hesitate  to  have  the 
birds  back  to  the  yard  if  it  was  purified  by  chloride  of  lime,  &c.,  as  re- 
commended by  us  recently  ;  and  the  yard  allowed  to  remain  empty  for  a 
week  or  two.  Nothing  would  justity  exhibiting  the  birds  for  some 
months,  or  until  quite  well. 

Spanisu  Fowls  Eggs  {T.F.), — Wc  should  put  them  under  a  Game 
hen  rather  than  under  a  Dorking  hen.     Poultry  Ho )/se.v  are  treated  (f    ■ 
most  coitiously  in  the  first  number  of  The  Poultry  Book.  \ 

Norwich  Show. — Mr.  PUiyfurd  says  we  were  wrong  in  considering  ' 
that  he  alluded  to  Rlr.  Cattliug  when  commenting  upon  the  award  of  the  j 
Prizes,  "  because  he  was  not  there  ;  and  if  he  had  been,  is  sure  he  would  ; 
not  have  done  it."     So  we  said.  1 

GoLDKN  Hamburghs  (S.  B.).— If  there  is any  dilTcrcncc.  thc  .S/mj)i:/(.-rf 
are  rather  hardier  than  tiic  Penritled.  The  latter,  howevir,  arc  tlic  best 
layers.  Write  to  any  one  who  has  taken  prizes  for  them,  and  state  what 
you  require. 

Turkeys  {A  Worcestershire  Lady). — We  think  from  four  to  six  hens 
are  the  best  numbers  for  one  cock,  and  we  prefer  the  smaller  number. 

Lame  SuA^GUAE  Cockerel  {W.  irmrf/cy).— What  kind  of  lameness 
is  it  7  Is  it  a  limping  with  one  leg,  or  a  want  of  power  to  move  it ;  or  is 
it  a  spasmodic  lifting  up  of  the  legs  higher  than  usual  when  walking  ? 

London:  Printed  by  Habrt  Wooldridce,  Winchester  Hiph-strect, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalenriar;  and  Published  by  William 
Somervillb  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Wulthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Ea9e.\,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Chribt 
Church,  Citj  of  Loudon.— January  fitb,  18S4< 


Janoary  1'^. 


jr 

D 

V 

w 

12 

Th 

13 

F 

U 

S 

15 

Sun 

IS 

M 

17 

To 

18 

W 

JANUARY  12-18,  1854. 


Julus  pusillus  ;  (;ra!)s  roots. 
Cmspedosoma  Raulinsii. 
Oxford  Term  begins. 
2  Sunday  after  Epiphany. 
Lithobius  forficatus  ;  stones. 
Lithoblus  variei^utus. 
Lithobius  vulgaris. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR 

\t^KATHF.tt   NEAR    IjONI»ON    IN    IHS^ 

Barometer.       Thermo.  Wind. 


Ruin  in 
Indies. 


Sun 
Rises. 


Sun 

Seta. 


BIooli     Moon*8 
U.  &  S.      Age. 


Clock   I  Day  of 
af.  Sun,  I    Year. 


29  5li3— 2P.412 
•.!i|-454— 29  382 

29.776— 29. 6;2 

29.406—29.393 
29.392-28.99S 
29-540- 29.1-'>7 
29.943—29.762 


53—38 
48—45 
47—34 
47—31 
45—33 
42—34 
41—41 


S  W. 

s.w. : 

w. 

s.\v. ' 

s. 

N.W. 

N. 


24 

01 
12 
23 

OS 


4a8 
4 
3 
2 
1 
0 

vn 


13a4 
15 

16 
18 
19 
21 
23 


0     51    ' 
7     45 
rises. 
5al3 

6  29 

7  42 

8  67 


13 

14 

© 
Id 
17 

18 
19 


8  33  I 
»       0  I 

9  22 

9  44 
10       i 

10  24 

10  44 


12 
13 
14 
15 

16 
17 
18 


aiKTEOROLOGY  OF  TOE  Wbek. — At  Chiswick,  froDi  observations  durins  the  last  twenty-si.':  years,  tlie  average  highest  and  lowest  tern, 
peratures  of  these  days  are  42^  and  31.3^  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  56°,  occurred  on  the  Mtbin  1849  ;  and  the  lowest  cold  4°  on  th( 
14tU  in  1S33.  During  the  period  104  days  were  fine,  and  on  85  rain  fell.  '     * 


the 


NEW  PLANTS. 
Mettermohia  PRiNCiris   (Princeli/  Metlernidihi). 


•■A      V.         «     1  h 


At  first  sight  this  plant  has  the  appearance  of  a  loosely- 
ttowered  Azalea  indica,  but  it  belongs  to  the  Natnral  OrJei- 
ot  Nightshades,  and  to  Pentandria  Monogynia  of  Linnteus 
being  grouped  in  the  Natural  System  with  Sessea  and 
Cestriim.  It  is  m  our  stoves  an  evergreen  shrub  of  about 
three  feet  high.  It  was  named  by  M.  Mikan,  its  discoverer 
m  honour  of  the  Austrian  Prince  Metternicli-Winneburg. 
Its  flowers  are  white,  with  greenish  tubes,  and  "  powerfully 
and  dehciously  fragrant."  It  blooms  during  August  in  our 
stoves.— (Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4747.)  Some  authorities 
have  stated,  that  m  its  native  country  it  attains  the  height 
of  twenty-five  feet,  but  Mr.  Gardiner,  curator  of  the  Ceylon 
Botanical  Garden,  and  who  had  seen  it  growin"  about  Piio 
Janeiro,  says  it  is  a  shrub  smaller  than  Sliflia  chrysantha, 
the  average  stature  of  which  is  eleven  feet.  He  justly 
describes  the  flower  as  "  not  unlike  those  of  a  Datura.'' 

Abies  bracteata  {Bractcd  Silver  Fir). 
We  are  so  utilitarian  that  we  rejoice  over  the  introduction 
of  a  new  hardy  timber-tree  much  more  than  over  the 
appearance  among  us  of  the  most  beautiful  new  flowers 
liight  glad  are  we,  therefore,  to  find  that  this  noble  example 
of  the  true  Panes  is  now  settled  among  us,  and  may  be 
purchased  of  Messrs.  Veitoh.    It  was  introduceil  by  their 


able  and  successful  collector,  Mr.  Lobb,  who  we  congra- 
tulate upon  having  returned  to  England  in  health  and  safety. 
It  is  a  native  of  California,  where  it  was  first  discovered  by 
Dr.  Coulter,  and  subsequently  by  Douglas,  in  latitude  ■'56'', 
and  at  an  elevation  of  0,000  feet.  Mr.  Lobb  thus  descrilies 
it  :— 

"  '  This  beautiful  and  singular  tree  forms  here  (he  writes 
from  the  Californian  forests)  the  most  conspicuous  orna- 
ment of  the  arborescent  vegetation.  On  tlie  western 
slopes,  towards  tlie  sea,  it  occupies  the  deep  ravines,  and 
attains  the  height  of  120  to  130  feet,  and  from  one  to  two 
feet  in  diameter:  the  trunk  is  as  straight  as  an  arrow  ;  the 
lower  branches  decumbent;  the  branches  above  are  nu- 
merous, sliort,  and  thickly  set,  forming  a  long  tapering 
pyramid  or  spire,  which  gives  to  the  tree  that  peculiar  ap°- 
pearance  which  is  not  seen  in  any  other  khids  of  the  Pinus 
tribe.  When  standing  far  apart,  and  clear  from  the  sur- 
rounding trees,  the  lower  branches  frequently  reach  the 
ground,  and  not  a  portion  of  the  trunk  is  seen  from  the 
base  to  the  top. 

_ " '  Along  the  summit  of  the  central  ridges,  and  about  the 
highest  peaks,  in  the  most  exposed  and  coldest  places  ima- 
ginable, where  no  other  Pine  makes  its  appearance,  it 
stands  the  severity  of  the  climate  without  the  slightest  per- 
ceptible injury,  growing  in  slaty  rubbish,  which  to  all 
appearance  is  incapable  of  supporting  vegetation.  In  such 
situations  it  becomes  stunted  and  bushy ;  but  even  there 
the  foliage  maintains  the  same  beautiful  dark  green  colour, 
and  when  seen  at  a  distance  it  appears  more  like  a  hand- 
somely-grown Cedar  than  a  Pine.  No  doubt  it  is  one  of 
the  hardiest  trees  of  the  Californian  vegetation,  and  is 
equally  well  adapted  for  clothing  the  mountain-tops  as  the 
sheltered  valley. 

"  '  Tbe  cones,  too,  ai-e  quite  as  singular  as  the  growth  of 
the  tree  is  beautiful ;  when  fully  developed,  the  scales,  as 
well  as  the  long  leaf -like  bracts,  are  covered  mth  globules 
of  thin  transparent  resin,  presenting  to  the  eye  a  curious 
and  striking  object.  Douglas  was  mistaken  in  saying  tliat 
this  Fir  does  not  occur  below  GOOO  feet  of  elevation ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  found  as  low  as  3000  feet,  where  it  meets 
Taxiidium  sempervirens.' — Perhaps  the  introduction  of  no 
Conifera,  not  even  that  of  the  Deodar,  has  excited  a  more 
lively  interest  in  horticulture  and  arboriculture  than  that  of 

the   present     species,    with    its    porcupine-like    fruits." 

{Bohinical   Mayazine,  t.  4740.) 

Mr.  Lobb  is  believed  to  have  also  inti educed  another  new 
Conifer  from  California,  for  which  Dr.  Lindley  has  proposed 
the  name  Wdlinijlonia  i/if/anlea.  This,  however,  is  pre- 
mature, for  it  is  not  yet  clear  that  it  has  generic  characters 
sufficiently  distinct  to  separate  it  from  Sequoia.  In  the 
Gardeners'  Chronicle,  Mr.  Lobb  thus  speaks  of  this  "  Giant 
of  the  Forest  " — 

''This  magnificent  evergreen  tree,  from  its  extraordinary 
height  and  large  dimensions,  may  be  termed  the  monarch 
of  the  Californian  forest.  It  inhabits  a  solitary  district  on 
the  elevated  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nivida,  near  the  head 
waters  of  the  Stanislau  and  San  Antonio  rivers  in  lat.  38° 
N.,  long.  120°  10'  W.,  at  an  elevation  of  5000  feet  from 
the  level  of  the  sea.  From  80  to  00  trees  exist,  all  within 
the  circuit  of  a  mile,  and  these  varying  from  200  feet  to  320 
feet  in  height  and  from  10  to  20  feet  in  diameter.  Their 
manner  of  growth  is  much  like  Sequoia  (Tasodium)  scvi- 
pervirens,  soma  are  solitary,  some  are  in  pairs,  while  some, 


CCLXXVI.,  Vol.  XI. 


274 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  12. 


and  not  unh-equently,  stand  three  and  four  together.  A  tree 
recently  felled  measured  about  300  feet  inleugtli,with  a  dia- 
meter, including  bai'k,  20-  feet  2  inches,  at  5  feet  from  the 
ground ;  at  18  feet  from  the  ground  it  was  14  feet  (i  inches 
tlu-ougli ;  at  100  feet  from  the  ground,  li  feet ;  and  at  200 
feet  from  the  ground,  S  feet  .O  inches.  The  bark  is  of  a  pale 
cinnamon-brown,  and  from  12  to  V>  inches  in  thickness. 
The  branchlets  are  round,  somewhat  pendent,  and  resem- 
bling a  Cypress  or  Juniper.  The  leaves  are  pale  grass- 
green  ;  those  of  the  young  trees  are  spreading,  with  a  shai-p 
acuminate  point.  The  cones  are  about  2J  inches  long,  and 
3  inches  across  at  the  thickest  part.     The  tnink  of  the  tree 


in  question  was  perfectly  solid,  from  the  sap-wood  to  the 
centre  ;  and  judging  from  the  number  of  concentric  rings,  its 
age  has  been  estimated  at  :i000  years.  The  wood  is  light, 
soft,  and  of  a  reddish  colour,  lUce  redwood  or  Taxodlum 
sempcrriretis.  Of  this  vegetable  monster,  21  feet  of  the 
bark,  from  the  lower  part  of  the  trunk,  have  been  put  in  tlie 
natural  form  in  San  Francisco  for  exhibition;  it  there  forms 
a  spacious  carpeted  room,  and  contains  a  piano,  with  seats 
for  40  persons.  On  one  occasion  140  children  were  admitted 
without  inconvenience.  An  exact  representation  of  this 
tree,  drawn  on  the  spot,  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  litho- 
graphers, and  mil  be  published  in  a  few  days." 


FoEMER  periods  of  our  national  history  have  been 
variously  described  as  the  Dark,  the  Crusading,  and  the 
Augustan  Ages;  and  if  we  were  asked  as  tersely  to 
cliaractorize  that  in  which  wo  are  now  living,  wo  should 
say  it  is  the  Common  Sense  Age. 

We  remarked,  last  week,  upon  the  absurd  system,  now 
abolished,  of  Iceeping  Kew  Gardens  closed  against  the 
people,  it  being  now  reasonably  concluded,  that  if 
natural  beauties  and  intellectual  pleasiu-es  are  placed 
within  the  easy  reach  even  of  the  poorest,  there  is  still 
so  much  of  good  in  liumau  nature,  that  very  many 
would  prefer  such  gratifications  before  more  sensual 
indulgences.  That  tlie  conclusion  was  just,  is  told  by 
the  myriads  frequenting  Kew,  the  Parks,  the  British 
Museum,  and  the  National  Gallery. 

Encouraged  by  this,  Common  Sense  has  carried  the 
facilities  for  mental  improvement  a  step  further;  and 
in  the  Mechanics  Institutes,  their  lectures  and  libraries, 
all  well  attended,  we  observe  another  attractive  power 
at  work  to  wean  the  labouring  classes  from  debasing 
habits 

Common  Sense,  we  think,  now  suggests  to  go  anotlier 
step  onward.  Mechanics  Institutes  provide  rational 
amusement  and  wliolesome  instruction  for  the  artisans 
and  the  residents  in  towns,  but  we  now  re<2uiro  ViUage 
Institutes. 

A  great  movement  in  that  direction  is  organising, 
under  Lord  Shaftesbury,  for  tlio  better  supply  of  rural 
districts  with  cheap  and  good  literature ;  and  Lord 
Ashburtou's  proposal  to  have  the  Diocesan  Scliool- 
masters  better  instructed  in  "  common  things"  will  be 
a  powerful  auxiliary.  His  lordship  offers  prizes  to  the 
Schoolmasters  now  training  in  the  Winchester  Diocesan 
School  ;  the  prizes  to  be  awarded  to  those  most  fully 
conversant  with  the  things  of  every-day  life.  The 
importance  of  liaving  the  Village  Schoolmaster  a  centre 
of  "  science  with  practice"  in  all  that  relates  to  our 
bodies,  our  clothing,  our  food,  our  dwellings,  and  our 
gardens,  is  a  suggestion  laden  with  most  beneficial 
results. 

We  bad  written  thus  far  when  we  received  the  fol- 
lowing from  Mr.  l''ish.  It  is  liighly  valuable,  as  offering 
the  suggestions  of  a  reflecting  mind  in  one  well  con- 
versant with  the  wants  and  luibits  of  those  with  whom 
Village  Institutes  and  Village  Schoolmasters  will  have 
to  bo  in  intimate  connection  : — 

"One  of  our  old  winters  has  returned."  Many  "a 
merry  Cliristmas,  and  a  liappy  new  year,"  has  been 
expressed  to  old   friends  iu  the  sounds  of  the  living 


voice  that  would  have  been  unheard  but  for  the  iron- 
cased  roads  which  old  Jack  Frost  had  kindly  provided 
for  all  pedestrian  tourists.  Writing  this  on  the  second 
day  of  1854,  after  a  fortnight  of  weather  below  the 
average  in  temperature,  the  days  of  my  teeuhood  seemed 
to  come  again  at  seeing  many  a  sturdy  youth  and  rosy- 
faced  damsel,  with  buoyant  steps,  hastening  on  to  a 
father's  home,  or  a  grandfather's  fireside ;  and  if  a  dark 
shade  passed  over  the  happy  recollections  conjured  up 
by  such  a  bright  scene,  it  was  my  knowledge  of  the 
well-known  fact,  that  in  the  homo  of  many  an  honest 
and  industrious  peasant,  the  high  price  of  provisions, 
the  cost  of  fuel,  the  comparative  inadequate  remune- 
ration for  labour,  the  uncertainty  of  obtaining  constant 
work  in  such  circumstances,  combined  to  render  the 
larder  less  well  filled,  and  the  genial  fire  less  crackling 
and  bright  than  usual. 

"  Blessings,  many,  rest  on  those,  who,  feeling  their 
responsibility  as  stewards  of  the  bounties  of  Providence, 
have,  by  distributing  clothing,  fuel,  and  food,  insured 
the  practicability  of  their  humbler  neighbours  rejoicing 
at  this  season  along  with  them  !  May  more  blessings 
come  to  those,  who,  whatever  the  extent  of  their  chari- 
ties, never  make  charity  an  opiate  for  concealing  from 
themselves  the  demand  of  justice  that  a  fair  day's 
work  should  receive  a  fair  day's  wages;  and  who,  less  or 
more,  are  imitating  the  conduct  of  a  Nobleman,  who, 
according  to  one  of  our  best  correspondents,  has  raised 
every  man's  wages  4s.  per  week  ;  thus  guaranteeing  the 
possession  of  the  necessaries,  and  some  of  the  comforts, 
of  existence,  withoiit  breaking  in  upon  that  self-respect 
and  high-minded  independence  of  feeling  so  iutimalely 
hound  up  witli  the  honour  and  power  of  a  people,  that 
they  never  can  be  too  much  encoiu'aged  among  our 
working  comrades  ;  but  which  an  indiscriminate  charity, 
approaching  to  almsgiving,  never  fails  to  uproot  and 
destroy. 

"  Let  us  look  around  us  still  further.  What  is  the 
aspect  of  our  peasanlry,  as  respects  knowledge  aud 
morals?  We  bear  much  talk  about  "the  schoolmaster 
being  abroad;"  and  bow  nicely  it  swells  a  period,  and  turns 
a  sentence,  to  introduce  sonietliiug  about  the  "  marcli 
of  intellect," — the  progress  of  thought— the  lorco  ol 
public  opinion  —  the  wonderful  doings,  as  respects 
advancement  and  purity  in  this  nineteenth  ceuliuy  of 
ours !  No  doubt,  contrasted  with  the  past,  every  ]ihilan- 
lliropist  has  reason  to  take  heart  aud  rejoice;  but,  if  we 
compare  g<niei'al  attainuumts  with  advantages  aud 
privileges,  we  Imvo  reason  to  hang  our  heads  in  very 


Januaky  12. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


275 


k 


shame.  Plow  general  aro  the  scenes  in  these  festive 
times,  in  many  villages,  where  the  cares  of  home  and 
kindred  are  forgotten,  and  a  jollity,  so  wild,  as  to  touch 
upon  the  insane,  reigns  supreme  !  Those  scenes  aro  in 
the  drink-shops.  Tobacco,  beer,  and  spu-its  have  so 
drowned  thought  and  so  muddled  the  mind,  that  it 
choruses,  to  the  echo,  sentiments  so  sensual,  and  songs 
so  immoral,  as  once  would  have  mantled  their  cheeks 
with  indignation.  Are  such  the  scenes  we  expect  will 
promote  purity  of  thought  and  integrity  of  action  ? 

"  Sufficiently  near  to,  if  not  in,  most  of  our  villages, 
schools  have  been  established  in  which  reading  and 
writing,  &c.,  have  been  taught;  but  it  is  often  now,  and 
too  generally,  until  lately,  these  were  taught  as  a  mere 
act  of  routine.  Too  little  attention  has  been  jiaid  to 
imbue  the  mind  of  our  youths  with  the  importance  of 
these  elements  of  instruction,  not  so  much  on  account 
of  what  they  were  worth  in  themselves,  but  as  valuable 
keys  for  unlocking  whole  storehouses  of  wonders  and 
sources  of  elevated  enjoyment,  even  should  the  range  of 
our  enquiry  extend  no  farther  than  the  world  on  which 
we  dwell.  Unfortunately,  we  are  so  naturally  averse  to 
the  pure,  that,  as  a  too  general  fact,  it  is  found  that  the 
mind,  whose  reading  had  been  directed  little  farther 
than  a  catechism,  or  a  work  on  theology,  will  be  too 
apt  to  neglect  reading  altogether.  This  will  bo  none 
the  less  likely  to  be  the  case  if  the  few  books  within 
reach  shotdd  in  any  way  be  associated  with  the  hard 
knocks  and  canings  of  the  village  pedagogue.  I  would 
humbly  submit  this  last  remark  to  the  strenuous  advo- 
cates for  retaining  the  "Book  of  books"  as  a  class  book 
in  our  schools.  Even  now,  some  of  its  most  beautiful 
passages  are  never  read  by  me  without  a  vivid  recollec- 
tion of  the  thumps  I  received  when  trying  to  read  them 
when  a  boy.  The  Bible  and  the  cane  we  would  divorce 
for  ever  from  coming  in  contact  in  our  schools.  Let  it 
be  reserved  for  those  of  their  classes  advanced  beyond 
the  infliction  of  the  rod. 

"  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  art  of  reading,  when  acquired, 
will  be  lost  if  not  practised.  Men  have  worked  with 
me  who  could  not  read  nor  write,  and  yet  had  learned 
both  when  young.  Others,  who  practised  what  they  had 
learned  regretted  that  they  could  get  nothing  to  read. 
Just  ask  yourselves  if  that  is  not  the  condition  of  many 
a  vUlage  with  which  you  are  acquainted?  What  are 
the  men  to  do  in  such  circumstances  ? 

"  I  say  nothing  now  of  the  unfitness  of  education 
females  of  the  same  classes  receive  for  throwing  all  the 
charms  of  utility,  and  the  more  than  witchery  of  a  well- 
bfilanced  enlightened  mind  as  magnetic  attractions 
around  humble  homes.  To  our  disgrace  it  must  be 
owned,  that  girls,  as  to  education,  have  ever  been  less 
cared  for  than  boys,  and  hence  their  comparative  weak- 
ness as  an  improving  influence  on  the  rougher  part  of 
mankind. 

"  Well,  what  are  these  men  to  do  ?  Many  of  them, 
you  see,  cannot  read,  but  they  tliinh.  They  cannot 
help  that ;  every  moment  thought  is  thrilling  through 
their  brain.  What  a  fact !  How  suggestive  of  respon- 
sibility !    Will  that  thought  be  always  concealed?    No ! 


Man  is  inherently  social.  Wo  all  relish  meeting  with 
our  fellow-men,  and  exchanging  thoughts  by  embody- 
ing them  in  words,  The  same  of  the  man  who  reads, 
but  who  can  get  little  to  read.  He  pants  for  social 
intercourse.  Where  shall  he  find  it?  In  the  ale-house. 
This  ability  to  read  the  paper  makes  him  a  sage  and  a 
philosopher  there.  The  man  who  cannot  read  has  ears ; 
becomes  almost  as  learned  as  his  reading  brother,  and 
learns  to  talk  of  murders  and  sensualism  as  glibly, 
until  too  often  the  hearts  of  both  become  as  hardened 
as  those  of  the  perpetrators  of  the  villanies  on  which 
they  delight  to  linger. 

"  Shall  I  go  to  the  home  of  such  men,  and,  beholding 
the  broken  furniture,  the  tattered  bedclothes,  the  general 
misery,  denounce  them  as  all  that  is  vile  ?  Nay ;  a 
word  of  love  would  be  more  powerful  than  that!  Rather 
let  us  ask,  '  Have  I  nothing  to  do  with  this  man's  vice 
and  misery?  Have  I,  knowing  that  character  is  so  far 
moulded  by  circumstances — have  I,  knowing  the  strong 
impulsiveness  of  human  feehng — have  I,  knowing  that 
mind  must  be  incessantly  active — have  I — knowing  all 
this,  and  feeling  all  this — done  what  in  me  lay,  that  my 
erring  brother  should  have  means  and  opportunities 
for  his  faculties  being  employed  upon  the  pure  and  the 
elevating,  instead  of  revelling  among  the  gross  and  the 
degrading  ? ' 

"  Responsibility  in  these  matters  is  now  becoming 
more  felt,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  that  gardeners  and 
their  employers  are  not  behind  in  the  movement. 
Reading-rooms,  at  times  combined  with  a  coffee-room, 
good  libraries,  and  occasional  lectures  on  generally 
interesting  subjects,  in  homely  language,  would  consti- 
tute, in  time,  great  opponents  of  the  beer-shops.  Erom 
the  correspondent  I  have  already  alluded  to,  a  gardener 
to  a  nobleman,  I  lately  received  the  following  account 
of  the  forming  of  a  village  library: — 'We  have  just 
established  a  reading-room  and  library  in  the  village 
of  S^,  which  is  only  about  half-a-mile  from  the  garden. 
The  room  will  be  lighted  and  warmed  from  six  o'clock  to 
ten  in  the  evening,  and  supplied  with  the  Times,  Illus- 
trated London  News,  Cottage  Gardener,  Gardener's  Clironi- 
ele,  Sussex  Express,  Mark  Lane  Express,  Builder,  House- 
liold  Words,  and  many  other  periodicals.  Our  library 
is  not  extensive  at  present,  but  we  are  in  hopes  it  will 
improve  as  we  go  on.  Members  are  to  pay  Is.  en- 
trance, and  6d.  per  month  subscription.  We  have  had 
several  meetings  respecting  it,  and  have  now  got  about 

forty  members.     Mr.  S.,  the  tutor  at ,  has  been  its 

chief  promoter.  The  clergyman  has  also  taken  an 
active  part,  and  his  lordship  has  become  patron,  so, 
altogether,  I  am  in  hopes  we  shall  be  able  to  do  some 
good,  although,  I  am  soiTy  to  say,  the  people  in  this 
neighbourhood  are  not  very  fond  of  such  things.  I  am 
in  hopes  it  will  keep  many  young  men  from  going  to  a 
public-house  at  night,  as  the  room  will  be  pleasant 
and  warm,  with  plenty  to  read  for  amusement  and 
instruction.' 

"  Who  does  not  join  in  the  hope  of  our  friend  ?  Who 
does  not  feel  grateful  for  this  double  example  of  kind- 
ness in  the  nobleman  referred  to  ?     Had  I  to  make  a 


276 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


Januaby  12; 


similar  effort,  I  would  do  away  with  the  entrance- 
money,  reduce  the  fees  to  2s.  or  3s.  a-yeai',  and  thus 
enooui'age  the  peasantry  to  be  members  ;  for  though  con- 
tending against  making  working  men  recipients  of 
charity,  in  any  shape,  let  us  advocate  knowledge  being 
placed  within  their  reach  on  the  easiest  possible  terms. 
Instances  are  known  to  me  in  which  such  institutions 
never  got  beyond  Struggle  Point,  until  the  terms  were 
made  so  low  as  to  invite  the  masses.  Numbers  here  are 
everything  as  respects  energy  and  usefidness.  A  man 
that  can  pay  sixpence  is  nothing  to  si.x.  men  who  pay 
one  penny  each. 

"  Then,  as  hinted  above,  if  our  friend  was  to  give  a 
snort  lecture  on  gardening,  and  the  worthy  tutor,  and 
the  good  clergyman,  were  to  do  the  same  as  respects 
natural  history,  mechanical  philosophy,  social  econo- 
mics, &o.,  a  variety  and  interest  would  be  added  that 
would  be  both  pleasing  and  improving. 

"Knowingthe  exciting  temptationsof  the  liquor-shop, 
we  have  but  slender  hope  of  seeing  great  improvements 
in  our  large  villages  \mtil  such  institutions  are  intro- 
duced, combined  with  good-sized  gardens,  or  an  allot- 
ment for  every  cottager." 


We  shall  be  much  obliged  by  our  readers  informing  us 
the  lowest  degrees  of  cold  they  have  observed,  recorded 
by  their  self-registering  thermometers.  One  corres- 
pondent, at  Bury,  in  Lancashire,  says  ; — 

"My  registering  thenaoraeter,  last  night  (Deo.  27th), 
indicated  7°,  viz.: — 25°  below  freezing  point,  and  at 
8  o'clock  stood  at  13°.  I  am  anxious  to  hear  if  the 
frost  has  been  as  severe  elsewhere. — W.  X,  W." 

On  the  same  night,  at  Southampton,  tbe  thermometer 
was  at  24°,  but  on  tlie  29th  it  fell  as  low  as  18°.  At 
Chiswick,  on  the  16th  of  December,  it  was  at  7°,  and 
on  the  28th  at  8°.  At  Croydon,  in  Surrey,  on  the  29tb, 
it  was  15". 

These  temperatures,  however,  are  far  above  that  of  the 
night  of  January  the  .3rd,  when,  near  Nottingham,  the 
thermometer  sank  to  4°  below  zero,  or  30°  below  the 
freezing  point  of  water.  We  shall  be  glad  to  know 
what  was  the  lowest  temperature  of  that  night  in  different 
parts  of  England. 

Mr.  E.  J.  Lowe,  of  the  Observatory,  Highfield  House, 
near  Nottingham,  says, 

"  The  following  are  the  temperatures  of  the  coldest  days 
here  since  180U  : — 


1810      . 

.     Feb. 

21      . 

.     12°  ab 

ove  zero. 

1814      . 

.     Jan. 

13      . 

4° 

;i° 

t» 

)) 

14      . 

.       5° 

1815 

„ 

23      . 

.     11° 

1810     . 

.     7vh. 

11      . 

•)0 

18-JO 

.     Jan. 

]      . 

.        (1.5^ 

1823 

Ill      . 

.      fi.rj° 

1820 

15      . 

.    11° 

1830 

1!)      . 

.      10° 

1838 

)) 

21)      . 

.      i)° 

1H41 

>> 

—      . 

.      -1° 

1H15 

.  March  14      . 

.    vr 

]804 

.      Jau. 

3 

■i°  Itelow  zero. 

ture  was  0°  below  zero  (as  indicated  by  several  corrected 
thermometers),  and  at  4  feet  above  the  ground,  upon  a  flat 
board,  8°  below  zero." 


"  On  the  14th  of  Marcli,  1845,  the  temperature,  on  tbe 
grass,  fell  to  1°  below  zero;  to-day  (Jan.  3)  that  tempera- 


CULTURE   OF  COLEWORTS-SUGGESTIVE. 

About  thirty  years  since  the  culture  of  these  most 
useful  vegetables  was  principally  confined  to  the  market- 
gardens  about  the  metropolis ;  our  ordinary  country 
gardeners  knew  and  cared  httle  about  them.  In  later 
years,  however,  their  culture  has  been  much  on  the 
increase  ;  our  markets  have  been  so  abundantly  sup- 
plied with  them  at  all  periods,  that  their  importance 
has  become  famiUar  to  all  classes,  and  almost  every 
private  garden  of  importance  possesses,  at  least,  a  winter 
supply.  Indeed,  so  much  have  they  increased  in  esteem, 
that  they  have  gone  far  towards  supplanting  the  larger 
Cabbages.  As  some  confused  notions  ate  abroad  con- 
cerning them,  it  will  be  well  to  state  liere  in  what  tbeir 
peculiarity  consists.  Tbe  fact  is,  that  a  new  race  of  \ 
Cabbages  may  be  said  to  have  sprung  up,  of  which,  pro- 
bably, the  Dwarf  Early  York  is  the  parent,  at  least,  on 
one  side ;  but  most  of  them  are  far  superior  to  that  once 
useful  kiud,  in  being  more  succulent  and  fuller  in  tbe 
head,  for  the  Old  York  had  a  sort  of  twisted  character, 
which  detracted  sadly  from  its  value.  It  is  well  known 
that  our  market-gardeners  select  for  seed  from  those 
with  thick  and  succulent  midribs  in  the  leaves,  as 
making  them  of  superior  quality,  and  as  bunobing 
better  for  market ;  and  in  tbis  respect  sucli  kinds  as 
Barnes's  Early  Dicarf,  Atkins's  Matchless,  &o.,  when 
from  a  true  stock,  are  far  superior  to  the  Uld  York. 

Now,  it  so  happens  that  most  of  these  improved 
dwarf  and  early-hearting  kinds  produce  a  very  superior 
amount  of  sprouts  to  the  old  Early  Yorks,  and  although 
the  market-gardeners  care  not  a  fig  ibr  sprouts,  private 
gardeners  frequently  find  them  of  great  service.  Market- 
gardeners  have  to  purstie  a  more  rapid  rotation,  based, 
in  the  main,  on  tlie  peculiar  demands  of  the  market, — 
they  must  produce  any  given  crop  when  it  fetches  the  1 
highest  price  ;  the  private  gardener,  on  the  contrary, 
lias  to  consider  the  peculiar  needs  of  a  given  family ;  ! 
and  it  not  unfrequently  liappens  that  his  crops  are  of 
the  greatest  importance  in  this  respect,  when  they  would 
be  of  least  value  in  the  market.  In  tbis  way,  then, 
stands  the  relative  position  of  the  parties ;  and  I  con- 
sider it  very  necessary  to  all  little  gardeners,  whenever 
old  blue  aprons  undertake  to  explain  sound  maxims  of 
culture,  to  clear  away  those  mists  whicli  have  too 
long  formed  a  kiud  of  halo  around  common  sense 
matters,  and  either  dimmed  the  eye  of  the  would-bo 
learner,  or  so  refracted  the  rays  oP  light,  as  to  make 
plain  matters  appear  distorted  or  unsatisfactory. 

I  well  remember  that  when  the  "Atkins's  Matchless" 
Cabbage  first  came  up,  and  when,  of  course,  it  might  bo 
had  in  much  purity,  planting  about  ten  poles  of  ground 
with  it  about  tlie  beginning  of  July.  The  land  had 
been  deeply  trenched  for  tbe  preceding  crop,  and  much 
of  tbe  subsoil  brought  to  the  surface, — this  subsoil  a 
reddish  sand,  called,  in  Cheshire,  "booted"  sand,  from  a 
slight  tendency  it  has  to  tho  clayey  principle,  for  when 
squeezed  in  tho  hand  it  is  slightly  adhesive.  The 
ground  was  well-manured  with  old  hotbed  linings, 
which  was  first  dug  in  a  S]iade  deep,  and  then  forked 
over, — a  favourite  practice  with  me  when  I  can  spare 
so  much  labour,  for  I  find  that  it  makes  tho  soil,  for 
about  ten  inches  in  depth,  a  well-mixed  compost,  and 
the  dung  being  old  hotbed  linings  chopped  into  mince- 
meat, a  most  complete  mixture  takes  place,  and  not  a 
fibre  but  has  food  close  to  it — the  soil,  also,  thus  pre- 
serviug  moisture  in  a  summer's  drought.  These  Cole- 
worls  were  ))lantod  at  a  distance  averaging  one  foot 
apart,  and  when  they  came  in  use,  which  was  through 
September  and  October,  their  houds,  or  Bboulders,  fairly  , 


Januahy  12. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


277 


met  each  other,  anci  being  used  up  betimes  from  the 
civcumstauce  of  their  boiug  in  sucli  a  congenial  com- 
post, they  sprouted  forthwith,  and  by  the  middle  of 
November  the  whole  surface  of  the  plot  was  one  uni- 
form mass  of  young  spronts,  and  never  before  or  since 
have  I  seen  such  a  marvellous  produce.  As  I  always 
sow  a  successional  crop  about  the  last  week  of  June, 
which  period  would  be  too  early  for  our  more  southern 
neighbours,  we  had  no  occasion  to  use  the  sprouts  until 
the  succeeding  February  and  March,  when  they  pro- 
duced thousands  of  what  might  be  termed  small  Cole- 
worts,  just  what  our  fancy  cooks  like,  and  forming  a 
valuable  conirecting  link  between  the  true  winter  Cole- 
worts  and  the  early  spring  Cabbages  of  the  dwarf  and 
early-hearting  kinds.  But,  be  it  remembered,  tliis  mode, 
with  the  best  of  soil,  can  by  no  mer.ns  carry  out 
the  designs  of  the  cultivator,  unless  the  kind  be 
genuine ;  and  of  this,  together  with  the  disappointments 
incident  to  the  cultivator  tlu'ough  the  ungenuineness 
of  spurious  kinds,  albeit  well  prepared  and  well  named, 
more  in  a  succeeding  notice. 

And  now  I  have  attained,  I  hope,  a  point,  as  to 
vegetable  economics,  which  wns,  indeed,  the  aim  I  took 
la  taking,  "  the  Colewort,  and  its  culture,"  for  my  theme, 
viz.,  to  sliew,  that  even  in  the  culture  of  so  simple  a 
thing  as  Dwarf  Cabbages,  a  jirogressive  improvement 
in  culture  (as  to  copious  supplies  to  meet  the  demands 
of  families  from  their  kitchen-garden)  has  really  taken 
place,  as  compared  with  the  kitchen-gardens  of  some 
twenty  years  since ;  I  have,  therefore,  to  suggest,  that 
those  gardeners  who  still  adhere  to  the  old  system 
of  growing  heavy  crops  of  summer  Cabbages  of  large 
size  (famous,  to  be  sure,  on  exhibition-tables,  as  asto- 
nishing those  who  are  simply  gratified  with  a  sudden 
display),  just  give  the  subject  a  second  consideration, 
and  see  whether  the  conveniences  and  comforts  of  a 
private  family  in  the  country  be  not  rather  enhanced 
by  a  capital  vegetable  garden,  which  keeps,  as  they  say, 
"  the  pot  a-going,"  than  by  those  diversions  which  are 
created  by  extraordinary  specimens  occasionally,  and 
which,  whatever  merit  they  may  possess,  too  often  serve 
to  decoy  the  attention  from  matters  less  specious,  but  of 
more  general  utUity. 

I  much  fear  that  our  great  exhibitors,  who  live  near 
great  towns,  where  a  big  dust  must  be  kicked-up 
occasionally,  to  evince  progress,  will  blame  me  for  thus, 
as  they  may  say,  decrying  the  exhibition-table.  I  must 
beg,  however,  to  assure  them,  that  no  one  can  admire 
a  big  cabbage  more  than  myself,  although  &  Drumhead; 
and  that  when  I  feel  a  strong  appetite,  1  should,  cer- 
tainly, prefer  a  big  one  to  a  small  Colewort  for  my 
dinner  ;  but  such  narrow  views  must  not  be  allowed  to 
settle  a  whole  case,  and  that  these  ex  parte  ways  of 
settling  an  affair,  although  sometimes  very  popular,  are 
not  entirely  worthy  of  the  age  we  live  in.  The  great 
fact  is  in  the  exhibition  of  vegetable  specimens  which 
astonish  by  their  size,  that  they  ought  simply  to  be  con- 
sidered as  samples  of  what  iiuii/  he  done,  rather  than 
what  oiif/ht  to  be  done  on  every  occasion.  If  any  prefer 
the  exhibition-table  to  a  good  round  of  domestic  con- 
veniences, I  have  no  right  to  blame  them;  but  still  it  is 
proper  such  persons  should  know  that  not  unfre 
queutly  such  aims  are  rather  antagonistic  to  that  con- 
stant and  useful  supply  in  a  long  succession  which  is  so 
agreeable  to  our  cooks.  When,  however,  the  case  be- 
comes agricultural  rather  than  horticultural,  it  is  piu'ely 
what  has  been  termed  a  "breeches-pocket  argument." 
Generally  speaking,  he  who  can  produce,  in  one  ci'op,  the 
greatest  amount  of  produce  from  a  given  sjiace  of  ground 
is  the  greatest  hero.  Thus  it  is  that  gardeners  are  not 
always  more  successful  than  Mr.  Mechi:  their  balance 
sheets  will  not  please  everybody. 

It  is  well  for  those  of  our  friends  whom  we  can  ma- 
nage to  impress  with  the  due  amount  of  importance 


the  subject  deserves,  to  observe,  that  from  the  second 
week  in  June  to  the  middle  of  July  is  the  period  when 
a  proper  succession  of  Coleworts  should  be  sown;  and 
that  they  must  he  dwarf,  early-hearting,  round-hearted 
kinds;  as  for  names,  we  are  in  danger  of  being  swamped 
with  them.  Our  market-gardeners,  who,  many  of  them, 
save  their  own  kinds,  hold  the  seed-shoji  names  in  su- 
preme contempt.  The  fact  is,  that  be  a  seedsman  what 
he  may,  he  cannot  undertake  to  produce  kinds  in  perfect 
purity;  his  business  is  too  complicated  to  admit  of  it. 

Plenty  of  manure  is  indispensable  to  their  culture ; 
for  Blue  Cabbages,  which  are  the  result  of  poor  land, 
drought,  or  club,  are,  by  no  means,  sought  after  by 
good  table  men. 

One  point  more.  I  hold  it  good  practice,  with  the 
private  gardener,  to  take  up  well-hearted  Coleworts  in 
the  end  of  November,  and  "heel"  them  right  close 
together ;  and  as  soon  as  a  stiff  i'rost  sets  in,  and  the 
ground  is  well  seated,  to  cover  them  with  loose  litter, 
keeping  them  frozen  with  all  his  might;  aud  when  they 
must  thaw,  to  take  care  that  their  final  thawing  and 
inurement  to  light  runs  over  about  three  days,  avoiding 
sudden  sunshine.     All  this  requires  care,  of  course. 

R.  Errington. 


PRESERVING  AND  SERVING  ICE. 

Ice  crowned  the  last  days  of  the  old  year  so  com- 
pletely that  all  the  ice-houses  and  ice-cellars  in  the 
country  aie  now,  or  ought  to  be,  quite  lull  of  it ;  ice- 
herrjs,  or  ice-heaps,  ought  also  to  be  finished,  if  not 
thatched,  before  this  sees  the  light.  In  our  "  Dictionary" 
there  are  two  ways  named  for  doing  the  ice,  one  of 
which,  with  plans,  is  by  the  late  Mr.  Cobbett,  and  the 
other  by  your  humble  servant.  Any  one  who  follows 
the  last  plan  need  not  fear  about  the  safety  of  bis  ice- 
heap  until  ice  comes  again ;  or,  at  least,  till  ice-time 
comes  round,  whether  we  shall  have  ice  then,  or  not; 
and  any  one  who  follows  Mr.  Cobbett's  plan  will 
assuredly  find  his  ice  run  short  when  he  most  needs  it. 
Some  one  played  off  a  hoax  upon  Cobbett  about  keeping 
ice,  and  the  ice  world  was  so  much  divided  upon  the 
subject,  for  many  years  after  his  plans  were  given,  that 
this  hoax  got  into  a  ready  circulation  among  all  the 
books  and  newspapers  on  gardening.  No  one  ever 
wrote  more  clearly  than  did  Cobbett,  and  that  was  the 
main  reason  why  so  many  people  in  the  country  read 
bis  works,  who  never  believed  one-half  of  what  be  said 
on  politics,  and  in  his  wranglings  with  those  from  whom 
he  differed  in  other  things  ;  hence  the  great  demand  for 
his  "  Cottage  Economy,"  in  the  sixteenth  edition  of 
which  the  hoax  about  keeping  ice  first  appeared;  but 
he  said  the  plan  was  not  his  own,  he  only  believed  what 
some  one  else  told  him  of  it ;  and  he  said,  that  if  the 
plan  should  fail,  the  house  he  proposed  would  be  a 
model  for  a  pig-stye  for  all  generations.  Those  who  have 
not  the  "  Dictionary,"  or  access  to  that  edition  of  the 
"  Cottage  Economy,"  will  understand  the  plan  from  this 
description  of  it : — A  strong  polo  is  fi.xed  in  the  ground 
like  the  handle  of  an  umbrella,  fifteen  feet  long ;  the 
umbrella  roof  is  of  straw,  and  four  feet  thick  ;  the  wall 
all  round,  and  up  to  this  roof,  is  also  of  straw,  and  of 
equal  depth,  and  the  circle  within  is  ten  feet  across.  The 
usual  drainage  is  very  good,  and  the  ice  is  to  be  packed 
all  round  the  centre  post  up  to  the  roof,  and  if  any  of 
our  readers  can  keep  ice  with  that  contrivance  till  St. 
Swithin's  day,  I  pledge  my  word  that  I  shall  go  down 
to  him  to  ice  the  things  for  his  next  party  dinner,  if  he 
only  pays  me  for  travelling  expenses.  The  great  error 
in  tins  plan  is  the  centre  post,  thirty  inches  round, 
without  it  the  ice  would  keep  double  the  time,  but  it  is 
only  waste  of  time  and  money  to  make  so  small  a  heap  as 
this  ;  although  it  is  ten  feet  across,  the  real  diameter  of 


2T8 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENEK. 


Januakt  12. 


the  ice  is  only  fivo  feet,  and  that  includes  the  post  in 
the  middle,  where  the  ice  will  give  way  first.  lu  a  very 
short  time  there  will  bo  a  wasting  cavity  all  round  the 
post  in  communication  with  the  air  at  the  open  drain- 
age, and  the  air  at  the  drainage  being  warmer  than  tlie 
air  in  contact  with  the  ice  along  the  cavity,  a  column  of 
it  will  rise  round  the  post,  and  not  finding  a  vent  at  the 
top,  it  chills  aud  falls  down  by  the  side  of  the  ice,  and 
thus  a  constant  circulation  goes  on,  wasting  the  ice 
more  and  more  till  all  is  gone.  A  walking-stick,  even  a 
straw,  or  a  dry  leaf,  in  the  midst  of  ice,  soon  makes  a 
cavity  all  round  it. 

It  would  have  been  unpardonable  in  us  to  have  left 
out  Cobbettsplan  from  the  "  Dictionary,"  because  it  had 
a  world-wide  celebrity,  but  it  would  be  worse,  if  we  did 
not  show  the  utter  impossibility  of  securing  a  supply  of 
ice  by  it  in  our  countiy.  Cohbett  was  as  well  aware  as 
any  of  us  that  damp  is  the  great  enemy  to  ice,  and  he 
is  quite  right  in  advising  to  have  it  in  a  dry  place,  and 
away  from  the  drip  of  trees ;  farther  than  that,  he  knew 
nothing  practically  on  the  subject  at  all,  as  he  himself 
acknowledged,  but  his  admission  is  not  known  to  one  iu 
ten  who  heard  his  scheme  recommended. 

Others  have  recommended  salt  and  salted  water  to  be 
poured  on  the  ice,  from  time  to  time,  as  the  ice  was 
being  packed.  That  idea  must  have  originated  from 
not  understanding  the  reason  wliy  salt  is  so  largely  used 
with  ice  by  the  confectioners  for  producing  an  intense 
degree  of  cold  for  freezing  their  mixtures,  but  that  very 
cold  is  obtained  at  the  expense  of  the  ice,  which  melts 
much  faster  with  salt  than  without  it.  1  have  Icnown 
one  or  two  gardeners  who  used  salt  in  packing  their  ice, 
and  kept  a  good  supply,  notwithstanding  ;  but  that 
cannot  aflect  the  question  ;  they  might  have  bad  more 
ice  left  at  the  end  of  the  season  if  they  had  not  used 
the  salt,  and,  which  is  the  same  thing,  the  quantity  of  ice 
put  together  might  be  much  less  when  salt  was  not  used. 

The  next  question  is  watering  ice  at  the  time  of 
packing  it,  in  order  to  make  the  whole  into  one  solid 
heap  by  the  fi-oezing  of  the  water  between  the  particles 
of  ice.  Whether  this  watering  does  more  harm  than 
good,  or  any  good  at  all,  depends  on  circumstances.  If 
tbe  ice  is  thin,  so  as  to  be  easily  pounded  very  small, 
and  that  it  is  so  pounded  on  a  keen  frosty  day,  there  is 
no  doubt  but  the  watering  will  cement  the  ice  more 
firmly,  so  to  speak,  therefore,  the  less  air  is  left  in  it, 
and  tbe  longer  it  will  last  in  consequence.  But  if  the 
ice  is  very  thick,  as  a  good  deal  of  it  has  been  this 
winter,  the  men  will  not  pound  it  small  enough  for  the 
watering,  pay  them  as  you  will,  or  make  them  half 
drunk  to  excite  them  to  the  work.  Tbe  thing  is  im- 
possible, for  there  is  not  another  kind  of  laboiu-er's 
work  half  so  distressing  to  tlic  limbs ;  coming  in  their 
way  but  once  a  year,  they  never  get  so  used  to  it  as 
to  be  able  to  stand  long  at  it  without  slacking  :  all  that 
I  Imow  quite  well  from  a  long  experience,  and  I  dwell 
on  it,  because  I  kuow,  equally  well,  that  there  are  many 
masters  who  blame  their  gardeners,  or  any  men  in 
charge  of  labourers,  if  they  do  not  get  more  work  out 
of  the  labovirers  on  certain  occasions  when  a  pushing 
job  like  this  comes  to  hand.  It  is  quite  true,  that  a 
gardener,  who  understands  the  right  way  to  manage  a 
set  of  men  propeily,  can  very  easily  got  an  extra  job 
done  quicker,  now  and  then,  tlian  the  usual  run ;  but 
that  does  not  apply  to  the  icciug  days.  Therefore, 
seeing  that  strong,  thick  ice  cauuot  be  got  broken  so 
small  as  to  be  safe  to  use  water  fi'orn  a  roso  i)ot  with  it, 
the  best  plan  is  not  to  use  water  iu  such  cases.  Then, 
again,  if  tlio  ioo  is  not  finished  wliilc  it  yet  freezes,  as 
often  happens,  the  water  will  not  freeze  much  by  the 
mere  coldness  of  the  ice  ;  and,  there  being  cavities 
innumerable  in  a  heap  of  lumpy  ice,  the  water  playing 
into  them  on  a  soft  day,  and  porliaps  the  finishing  day, 
will  do  a  great  deal  of  harm. 


The  next  question  for  consideration  is  snow  and  ice 
put  together.  Now,  I  must  confess  that  I  have  very 
little  practice  to  bear  on  this  question.  I  have  occa- 
sionally ordered  the  sides  of  an  ice-heap  to  be  plastered, 
as  it  were,  with  snow,  and  I  never  Ibiind  any  ill  eliects 
from  it,  neither  can  I  say  it  did  much,  or  any,  good; 
but,  judging  from  what  I  have  seen  of  snow-heaps  that 
were  made  for  the  purpose  of  iceing,  when  ice  could 
not  bo  had,  and  knowing  that  salt  and  snow  melting 
together  will  cause  a  more  intense  cold  than  ice  and 
salt,  and  also  knowing  that  the  fiercest  sun,  iu  our 
climate,  has  not  the  slightest  perceptible  influence  on 
tbe  surface  of  a  deep  snow  wreath,  if  the  air  is  allowed 
to  play  over  it,  I  am  quite  satisfied  in  my  own  mind 
that  snow  is  just  as  good  and  useful  as  ice,  aud  is  as 
easily,  if  uot  easier,  kept  than  ice  b}'  itself  aud  that 
packing  ice-heaps  with  snow,  as  the  work  goes  on,  is 
the  best  practice ;  and  I  should  think  that  the  drier  tbe 
snow  was  at  the  time  the  better  it  would  answer  the 
purpose.  If  we  put  two  parts  ice  and  one  of  snow 
together,  in  filling  an  ice-house,  or  in  making  up  an 
ice-heap,  I  should  say  that  would  be  about  the  right 
proportion  ;  but  let  me  be  understood  as  having  no 
actual  experience  on  that  point. 

I  think  the  question  between  egg-shaped  ice-houses 
sunk  iu  the  earth,  and  ice-heaps  put  together  in  the 
open  air  in  the  form  of  a  sugar-loaf,  is  now  decided,  by 
universal  consent,  in  favour  of  tlio  latter ;  but  wliether 
the  question  of  confining  the  air  in  an  ice-house,  on  the 
old  stuffing  principle,  be  settled,  or  not,  I  cannot  say. 
I  am  satisfied  myself  that  such  confining  of  air  is  deci- 
dedly a  wrong  practice. 

I  have  thus  touched,  briefly,  on  all  the  mooted  points 
that  have  been  discussed  on  this  subject,  as  far  as  I  am 
aware  of,  except  that  of  keeping  very  thick  ice,  such  as 
that  from  America ;  of  that  I  have  no  experience,  nor  do 
I  think  it  of  public  use  if  I  had.  All  the  ice  for  this 
season,  among  ourselves,  will  be  gathered  and  stored 
before  this  appears,  aud  that  is  what  I  have  wished 
before  I  said  anything  moro  about  it,  because  I  did  not 
want  to  ojien  the  question  again,  but  before  the  end  of 
the  year  I  should  much  like  to  hear  of  the  difi'ereut 
modes  of  packing  ice  which  have  been  put  in  practice 
this  season  ;  the  quantities  that  were  put  together  in 
different  places  ;  the  kind  and  depth  of  covering ;  and 
the  result  of  the  whole,  as  to  how  the  ice  is  kept,  as, 
notwithstanding  our  present  experience  and  siiccess, 
who  can  say  but  a  better  way  still  may  yet  be  found  out? 

And,  now,  for  the  long-sought-for  information  about 
making  ice-plates  and  dishes,  to  set  iced  things  upon  at 
lireakfast,  or  on  the  dinner-table.  I  liave  not  to  go  to 
Mr.  Gunter  for  the  receipts,  for  I  have  had  a  pitched 
battle  against  his  best  man  since  I  promised  to  tell  of 
my  own  ways.  We  actually  excelled  Mr.  Gunter's  best 
frigori/lcs  v/hon  Prince  Albert  dined  at  Shrubland  Park; 
but  I  now  forget  tlic  name  of  his  manager  there,  who 
acknowledged  the  superiority  of  our  Siiflblk  manufacture. 
I  have  dined  with  him,  however,  there,  and  with  others, 
who  saw  how  tilings  were  got  up  iu  difi'ercnt  parts  of 
tlie  comitry,  on  such  occasions,  aud  making  allowance 
for  good  breeding,  and  "  present  company,"  the  ])alm 
was  spread  in  favour  of  the  "  present  occasion,"  &c.,  &c. 
If  you  saw  "how  things  were  got  up"  for  the  last 
Christmas  dinner,  wlion  no  ices  were  wanted,  believe 
me,  it  would  not  have  taken  away  your  appetite  as  it 
did — I  mean,  by  partaliing  of  it  so  freely. 

How  to  make  hoar-frost  by  the  side,  of  the  kitchen 
fire  was  a  problem  witii  us  boys  wlion  I  was  at  school, 
and  the  wliolo  art  and  mystery  of  making  iced  things, 
ice-plates  and  all,  is  on  the  same  princi]ile :  but  we 
must  uot  confine  the  subject  so  much  ;  for  I  venture  to 
say  that  there  was  not  the  value  of  a  pin  in  the  Crystal 
l^alaco  which  could  not,  in  miniature,  at  least,  bo  reju-e- 
sented  in  ice  as  clear  as  crystal,  beginning  with  the 


January  13. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


270 


crystal  fountain  itself,  and  so  all  round  to  the  English 
dolls.  To  make  lioar-frost  by  the  side  of  the  fire,  you 
have  only  to  take  a  wooden  pail,  or  bucket,  with  iron 
hoops  on,  and  half  fill  it  with  snow,  and  mix  one-third 
common  salt  with  the  snow,  and  set  the  bucket  so 
near  the  fire  that  the  heat  will  melt  the  snow.  As 
the  snow  melts  it  dissolves  the  salt ;  and  the  molting 
will  produce  such  intense  cold  as  will  make  actual 
hoar-frost  on  tlic  iron  hoops,  and  sooner,  if  they  are 
wetted  a  little,  on  the  side  farthest  from  the  fire.  If  the 
wood  of  the  bucket  is  damp,  and  an  ccjual  quantity  of 
snow  and  salt  is  molting,  the  hoar-frost  will  soon 
appear  on  the  outside  of  the  bucket,  but  not  so  soon  as 
on  the  iron  hoops.  I  have  seen  this  done  scores  of 
ti-nes  ;  and  the  wildest  and  most  mischievous  prank  a 
^<oy  can  be  guilty  of  is  to  get  another  boy  to  put  his 
tongue  on  the  frosted  iron  hoop,  pretending  that  the 
hoop  is  hot  all  the  wliile — in  two  or  three  seconds  the 
tongue  will  stick  to  the  hoop,  so  as  to  tear  off  the  skin 
before  it  can  be  released — so  let  no  one  try  this  experi- 
ment until  he  learns  to  take  off  the  tongue  as  quickly 
as  the  twinkling  of  the  eye. 

Now,  a  bucket  more  than  half-filled  with  ice  pounded 
very  small,  and  a  good  quantity  of  common  salt  mi.Ked 
witli  it,  will  give  nearly  the  same  degree  of  cold  any  day 
in  the  year;  and  so  things  are  iced.  Every  iced  thing 
one  can  buy  in  London  is  done  by  ice  and  salt  melting 
in  a  wooden  vessel,  or  ought  to  be  in  a  wooden  one ;  but, 
of  course,  any  other  vessels  might  answer  nearly  as  well. 
The  iced  things  yon  buy  at  public  stalls  near  London, 
and  other  large  places,  might  have  been  made  at  Inver- 
ness, and  sent  up  in  wooden  casks,  packed  like  Dutch 
and  Irish  butter,  if  they  had  free  communication  by  rail 
beyond  Aberdeen  so  far;  then  they  scoop  it  out  of  these 
casks  with  strong  wooden  spoons,  put  it  on  china 
plates — then,  and  not  till  then,  is  it  ready  for  your  order. 
Pewter  vessels  are  the  best  to  put  tlie  creams  in  for 
iceing,  and  they  are  to  be  bought  in  London  of  all  sorts 
and  sizes  as  easily  as  beer  pots,  but  I  do  not  know 
vrhere  in  London. 

To  make  a  bowl,  a  tea-cup,  or  a  plate,  of  ice,  all  that 
you  have  to  do  is  to  get  the  mould  (of  pewter),  fill  it 
with  the  clearest  water,  and  put  it  in  the  ice-bucket, 
covering  it  all  over  with  a  little  salt,  besides  the  salt 
already  mixed  with  the  ice  in  the  bucket ;  let  this  be 
done  two  hours  before  the  plate  or  other  vessel  is 
wanted  at  table,  and  place  the  bucket  in  a  cool  room  ; 
the  larder  is  as  good  as  any  place  in  summer  ;  in  the 
wintertime  any  place  will  do  away  from  the  fire;  just 
when  they  are  ready  to  go  in  to  breakfast,  have  so  many 
pats  of  butter,  made  that  morning,  standing  on  ice,  and 
get  a  nice  common  breakfast-plate  on  the  ice,  with  the 
butter,  but  the  butter  must  not  be  on  the  plate  that  goes 
to  table.  Now,  get  out  your  pewter-plate  mould,  and 
before  you  open  it,  plunge  it  in  a  bucket  of  warm-water, 
such  as  you  could  bear  your  hand  in,  and  leave  it  in 
half  a  minute,  but  you  must  learn  the  exact  time  by 
experience,  as  one  mould  requires  more  time  than 
another  that  might  seem  of  the  same  size  and  substance ; 
the  reason  for  dipping  the  mould  into  the  warm-water 
is  to  free  tlie  ice-plate  from  the  inside  of  it;  now  open 
the  lid  of  the  mould,  and  slip  out  the  ice-plate  on  a 
clean,  dry  cloth  or  towel,  wipe  it  all  round,  to  get  ofl"  the 
damp  caused  by  the  hot-water,  and  put  it  on  the  cold 
china  plate,  and  put  the  cold  butter  on  it,  and  oif  yon 
go  as  fast  as  anything  straight  to  the  breakfast-table, 
and  who  knows  how  the  crystal  plate  and  cold,  firm 
butter  was  got ;  but  there  it  is,  sure  enough. 

Imitations  of  Strawberries,  and  other  fruit,  also  of  all 
kinds  of  fishes  and  birds,  fancy  things,  and  what-not, 
may  be  done  in  ice  after  the  same  manner,  for  the 
dinner  or  breakfast-table.  For  pic-nic  parties,  what  is 
easier  than  to  carry  along  with  you  as  much  of  iced- 
cream  as  will  cool  the  whole  party,  in  little  wooden 


casks  or  jars,  rolled  in  woollen  clotli  or  Welsh  flannel. 
Mr.  Gunter  would  send  any  quantity  of  ice-cream  to 
Aberdeen,  and  it  would  be  as  firm  and  cold  as  when  it 
left  his  still-rooms  in  London,  till  the  last  particle  of  it 
was  consumed. 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  practice  and  exjiertness  re- 
quired to  manage  all  this,  and  the  first  attempts  will  be 
lil;e  the  first  lessons  in  music,  or  drawing,  or  dancing, 
or  anything  else;  and  for  a  whole  life-time  some  persons 
will  succeed  much  better  than  others.  In  getting  itp 
fifty  varieties  of  things,  or  moulds,  out  of  the  ice- 
buckets,  one  person  ought  to  manage  the  plunging  hot 
bath,  and  slide  out  the  ices  as  fast  as  possible,  on  some- 
thing cool  and  dry ;  and  a  second  to  take  them  up  equally 
fast,  and  arrange  t)iem  on  cool  plates  or  dishes ;  and  a 
third  carry  them  ofi'  to  the  dining-room  with  all  speed. 
But  be  sure  of  one  thing — -see  that  any  deformed  article 
is  not  the  perquisite  of  the  operators,  else  there  may  be 
more  of  them  than  will  cool  their  ardour  in  the  work. 

Ice-buckets  ought  to  have  a  few  drainage  holes  at  the 
bottom  to  let  off  the  water  as  the  ice  melts,  and  wooden 
hoops  are  better  than  iron  ones,  as  the  latter  rust,  and 
take  the  cold  faster  to  their  sides.  As  to  the  real 
quantity  of  salt  to  be  used,  I  cannot  just  say,  by  weight 
or  measure ;  the  very  commonest  will  do,  and  if  you 
were  to  put  weight  for  weight  of  ice  it  would  not  spoil 
it,  but  far  less  will  do,  and  you  will  need  much  more  of 
the  salt  in  summer.  1).  Beaton. 


SNOW  AS  A  PROTECTOR. 

"  My  cold  pits  have  got  covered  with  snow ;  shall  I 
sweep  it  oil',  so  that  the  plants  beneath  may  have  a  little 
sunlight,  when  there  is  any  in  these  irosty  days;  or 
should   I   allow  it   to   remain   until   a   change  in  the 
weather  removes  it?    I  don't  mind  covering  and  un- 
covering, if  I  shall  advantage  my  plants  by  my  labour." 
This  is  the  purport  of  many  enquiries  from  friends 
who  cannot  see  how  our  general  principles  are  to  be 
applied  to  particular  cases.     If  only  part  of  what  has 
been  said  of  protecting  materials  be  correct,  then  snow, 
when  loose,  and  sufficiently  thick  to  prevent  frost  pene- 
trating, is  one  of  the  very  best  protectors  we  could  use. 
Its  colour  places  it  low  in  the  scale  either  as  an  ab- 
sorbent, or  a  radiator  of  heat.     Even  where  there  is  a 
little  sun,  about  the  shortest  day,  if  the  frost  is  at  all 
keen,  the  sun  will  aft'ect  the  snow  merely  on  the  surface, 
and  what  is  softened  there  will  be  congealed  again  by 
the  frost  of  night,  but  still  leaving  a  quantity  of  lighter 
matter  beneath  it.     As  long  as  this  light,  flossy  matter 
remains  between  the   glass   and  this   surface   that  is 
softened  and  hardened  by  turns,  there  will  be  no  danger 
of  frost  of  a  few  degrees  penetrating  by  the  glass  that 
would  injure  half-hardy  plants  usually  kept   in   such 
places.     Uare  should,  however,  be  taken  that  the  frost 
does  not  enter  through  the  walls,  or  by  the  ends  of  the 
sashes  wliere  they  rest  on  the  wall  plates.     When,  how- 
ever, the  snow  is  alternately  melted  and  frozen,  so  as 
to  resemble  a  cake  of  ice  on  the  glass,  it  would  then  be 
necessary  to  throw  some  litter  over  all  to  prevent  the 
greater  radiation  of  heat  from  within,  as  the  very  com- 
pression of  the  snow  squeezed  out,  as  it  were,  all  the 
confined  air,  the  possession  of  which,  independent  of 
its  colour,  made  it  a   bad  radiator,  and  a  good  non- 
conductor of  heat. 

Now,  if  in  such  a  pit  the  heat  within  was  not  high 
enough  to  melt  the  snow  contiguous  to  the  glass,  that 
heat  would  not  be  sufficient  to  lengthen  the  tissues  of 
the  plant,  nor  yet  to  cause  fungous  broods  in  the  shape 
of  damps  to  spread.  Hence,  for  the  mere  preserving  of 
a  plant — the  maintaining  it,  so  far  as  its  nature  will 
permit,  in  a  state  of  healthy  rest — it  matters  but  little 
whether  that  rest  be  a  period  of  fourteen  hours  or  four- 


280 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Januaky  12. 


teen  days,  lu  such  a  long  niglit  as  tlio  latter  period 
there  must  he  uo  exteusion  of  growth.  As  low  a  tempe- 
rature within  as  the  plants  will  stand  without  injury, 
is  the  first  essential  of  safety,  when  we  wish,  from 
motives  of  economy  or  necessity,  to  keep  half-hardy 
plants  shut  up  night  and  day. 

Jnthe  case  of  hardier  plants,  such  as  Cauliflower  plants 
wider  hand-lights,  whenever  a  IVost  of  a  week  or  so  is  ex- 
jiected,  and  the  days  are  too  dull  to  give  the  plants  any 
advantage  from  uncovering  tliat  woiddcompensalo  for  the 
lahour,  it  is  preferable  to  have  the  plants  and  ground 
slightly  frozen  before  putting  this  night-cap  in  t)ie  shape  of 
protection  over  them.  The  cold  pits  under  my  care  have 
not  been  uncovered,  now,  for  almost  a  fortnight.  Some  of 
the  tenderest  liad  straw  covers  over  them  jireviously ; 
others  had  a  little  dusting  of  rough  hay  shaken  over  the 
glass;  and  some  had  merely  the  protection  of  the  glass. 
The  weather,  as  respects  cold,  seemed  threatening,  and 
more  protecting  material  was  got  in  readiness.  A  fall  of 
five  inches  of  snow  was  1  railed  as  a  temporary  respite  from 
a  regular  attack  on  the  little  hay-rick  we  Ijad  saved  from 
the  first  mowing  of  tlie  least  prominent  parts  of  the 
lawn.  The  sun,  on  pits  facing  the  south,  wlien  it  did 
shine,  lessened  the  thickness  of  the  snow,  and  on  these 
places,  especially  where  it  was  likely  to  disappear  al- 
togetlier,  a  little  hay  was  shaken  on,  or  litter  of  any 
sort ;  but  as  to  ease  our  trouble  in  this  respect,  it  has 
happened,  several  times,  that  when  wo  were  thinking  of 
doing  this  another  slight  fall  of  snow  has  come  and 
thus  saved  us  the  trouble. 

Plants  under  frames,  on  a  north  border,  such  as  the 
little  bedding  Calceolarias  mentioned  the   other  week, 
and  which  have  not  yet  been  touched,    are  all    quite 
comfortable  under  tlieir  suow  mantle.    The  sun,  when  it 
did  shine,  never  touched  the  snow  there.     I  find  that 
these  pits,  owing  to  the  heat  stored  up  in  their  bottoms, 
&c.,  and  witli  this  mantle  over  them,  which,  while  it 
lasts,  prevents  heat  and  cold  easily  penetrating,  liave  a 
very  equable   temperature,   ranging  from    34°   to    "S°. 
Did  I  allow  them  to  renniin  iu  such  a  darkened  state, 
witli   a   temperature    10°   higher,    I    should   expect   to 
witness,  at  the  end  of  a  fortniglit,  a  qutintity  of  miser- 
able spectres,  thougli,  if  this  weather  should  last  for  a 
month,  I  feel  confident  that  when  uncovered  then,  the 
plants  will  look  as  nice  ns  a  field  of  Wheat,  that  for  a 
similar  time,  and  a  similar   agent,  has  been  shrouded 
from  the  light  of  day.     If  the  suow  fell  on  the  field  of 
Wheat   after  the   ground  was  crusted  with  frost,   the 
farmer  knows  that  many  of  the  enemies  of  his  favourite 
crop  will  be  kept  inactive,  and  that  when  the  snow  dis- 
appears his  crop  will  look  much  the  same  as  before  it 
came.     But  if,   aa  sometimes  happens,  a  good  fall  of 
snow  should  take  place  when  tliere  has  been  no  frost 
to  affect  the  ground,  though  frosty  weather  afterwards 
causes  the  snow  to  remain,  everyone  know's,  that  when, 
after  a  gradual  thaw,  that  snow  has  gone,  the  Wheat 
plant  will  be  found  to  have  grown,  at  least  to  have  ex- 
tended in  length,   and   if   not  exposed    afterwards  to 
sudden  frosts  when  in  this  tender  state,  the  farmer  has 
reason  to  look  ujion  sucli  a  snow  fall  as  his  best  friend. 
Now,  wliat  in  this  latter  case  affects  but  a  little  in  the 
way  of  injury  such  a  hardy  plant  as  the  Wheat,  even 
wheu  long  covered,  would  be  apt  to  spread  destruction 
among  a  pit   of  half-hardy   bedding  plants.     Suppose, 
for  instance,  that  in  an  afternoon  the  enclosed   atmo- 
sphere of  such  a  pit  should  he  45°,  the  external  heat 
38°  or  40°,  hut  that  owing  to  the  air  being  more  rarified 
and  cold  between  us  and  the  clouds,  the  moisture  that 
otherwise  woiUd  have  readied  us  as  rain  descended  in 
the  sluqie  of  a  heavy  fall  of  snow,  and    that   on  the 
score  of  economy  we  wished  to  secure  tliat  snow  as  a 
protecting  agent,  so  loug  as  the  frost  which  it  brought 
with  it  continued,  then  the  true  points  of  safety  would 
be   to   reduce  the  temperature   within,   by  tilling  the 


sashes  a  little  behind,  so  as  to  take  away  every  induce- 
ment to  make  the  plants  lengthen  and  grow  while  thus 
excluded  from  light. 

T'he  question  of  uncovering  cold  ])its,  by  sweeping  off 
the  snow  that  envelopes  them,  so  as  to  give  them  light, 
becomes  thus  a  matter  of  expediency,  economy,  time  of 
tho  year,  and  object  aimed  at.     For  instance,  when  in 
such  ])laces  we  wish  to  grow  on  jihuifs  as  fast  as  we  can, 
and  the  labour  can  he  commanded,  whicli,  after  all,  is 
not  much  where  there  are  only  a  few  gliiss  sashes  alto- 
gether,   then    no   safe  ojjportunity   of   giving   sunlight 
j  should  be  missed.     Was  it  luy  object  to  keep  merely  as 
I  great  a  number  of  small  plants  in  as  stuall  a  state  as 
possible,  so  as  to  economise  time,  room,  and  labour — 
then,  during  the  months  of  November,  December,  and 
I  the  first  part  of  January,  I  sljould  be  sorry  to  sweep  off 
I  a  good  coveriug  of  snow  under  such  supposed  circum- 
stances of  continued  frost ;  because,  in  the  first  jj'ace, 
!  I  should  quite  despair  of  getting  any  frigidomo,  in  tlie 
way  of  u  protector,  equal  lo  tho  snow,  whatever  jnice  1 
paid  for  it;  and,  secondly,  because,  in  additiori  to  know- 
:  ing  that  the  plants  were  kept  in  the  stationary  circum- 
;  stances  I  wislied  them  to  be,  I  know  that  wliat  sunlight 
j  they  could  get  under  such  circumstances  would  not,  in 
'  the   way   of   advantage,  coimterbalance   the   labour  of 
'  uncovering  and  covering,   and  the  getting  of  the  pro- 
tecting nuiterial  in  the  stead  of  tlie  suow.     But  suppose, 
now,  that  1  wanted  these  tiny  things  to  take  a  bit  of  a 
race  in  growth,  so  as  to  attain  some  size  by  April  and  Way; 
j  and  suppose,  again,  that  we  had  a  snow  fall  in  March, 
and  sunny  days    afterwards;    I  should  not  hesitate  in 
clearing  away  the  snow  to  admit  sunlight  then,  so  as  to 
iuduce  and  consolidate  giowth.      Circumstances,  then, 
must  regulate  our  proccdiu-e. 

Ju  all  we  have  said  above  of  half-hardy  plauts  being 
safe  under  glass  with  a  covering  of  suow,  it  must  be 
understood  tliat  we  moan  the  snow  to  be  thick — from 
six  to  twelve  inches — and  the  frost  not  very  severe. 
When  the  snow  was  only  one  or  two  inches  thick,  and 
the  frost  was  10°  to  ~'0°  below  the  freezing  point,  the 
sun,  obeying  the  laws  of  radiation,  would  soon  let  the 
frost  penetrate,  and  jilenly  of  other  covering  must  be 
held  in  requisition,  iu  addition  to  or  without  the  snow. 

Two  words  more.  If  the  frost  should  penetrate,  never 
uncover  until  some  time  after  a  thaw  lias  come;  and, 
again,  if  long  shut  up,  give  the  jilants  subdued,  not  full, 
light  at  first.  li.  Fish. 


THE   WOODS  AND  FOBESTS. 
{Coiilhiiivdfrom  page  201.) 

Thinning  a  Neglected  Plantation. — Tliis  is  not  an 
easy  task  to  do  effectually  without  injuring  the  trees 
that  are  left.  It  requires  considerable  judgment  and 
experience,  or  the  trees  will  bo  so  injured  by  a  too 
sudden  exposure  to  the  cold  iiir  rusliing  through  thorn 
as  to  be  several  years  iu  recovering  the  eficcts  of  it. 
I  have  seen  young  slender  Oaks  completely  killed  by  a 
too  severe  thinning.  The  best  way,  in  such  a  case, 
to  proceed,  in  my  opinion  (and  I  am  homo  out  by 
practice),  is  this — 

Supposing  a  plantation,  no  matter  to  what  extent, 
has  never  been  pruned  or  thinned  till  the  trees  have 
grown  so  high  and  so  thick  that  all  the  lower  branches 
are  dead,  and  the  lowest  of  these  have  dropjicd  to  tlio 
ground;  the  very  tops  of  tho  trees  only  have  branches, 
and  these  touch  each  other ;  the  polos  of  such  a  wood 
will  be  tall  and  slender,  and,  therefore,  wlien  one  is 
fixed  upon  to  stand,  and  all  tlio  others  near  it  are  cut 
down,  this  tree  to  be  left  for  a  noble  timber  tree  will 
look  something  like  a  lurch-broom  stuck  into  the  ground, 
the  broom  end  upwards ;  this  appearance  the  best 
woodsman  in  the  world   cauuot  remove  ;  hut   ho  cau 


January  12. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


281 


prevent,  in  a  ilegreo,  the  serious  injury  tliat  would 
accrue,  by  first  going  through  the  wood,  and  marking, 
hy  some  means  or  other  (a  circle  of  red  paint  is  a  good 
method),  all  tlie  liandsomost  and  best  trees,  at  such  a 
distance  from  each  other  as  would  allow  them  sufficient 
I  space  to  form  good  lioads  when  they  have  space  to 
,  expand  their  branches.  Su])posing  there  are  five  trees 
between  these  standards,  as  I  may  terra  them,  then  let 
the  marker,  with  some  other  kind  of  mai-k,  place  it 
upon  the  two  trees  on  eaeli  side  of  the  standard.  These 
are  to  be  cut  down  that  season,  and  these  will  leave 
three  trees  standing  as  a  protection  to  the  standard  till 
it  has  become  partially  prepared,  as  it  were,  to  stand 
by  itself. 

This  opening-bydegrees  process  will  give  the  stand- 
ard, also,  an  opportunity  of  sending  fortli  a  few  more 
branches  down  the  stem.  (1  refer  more  particularly  to 
deciduous  trees.)  This  putting  forth  of  new  branches 
must  have  been  observed  by  any  one  in  the  practice 
of  thinning  woods,  and  these  branches  assist  very  mate- 
rially in  enabling  the  tree  to  acquire  more  strength  to 
withstand  the  strong  draught  that  it  will  be  exposed  to 
when  the  second  thinning  is  done.  The  standard  tree 
should  have  two  seasons  allowed  to  get  used  to  its 
partially  unshelte''ed  position.  In  the  third  season,  two 
of  the  three  trees  left  should  be  removed  ;  there  will 
then  bo  one  left,  and  the  standard  will  have  to  bear  a 
much  greater  exposure  to  cold  winds,  but  it  will  now 
be  enabled  to  bear  them;  it  will  have  acquired  two 
years'  additional  strength,  the  wood  will  be  more  con- 
solidated, and  the  roots  will  have  had  a  larger  space  to 
gather  up  strengthening  food.  Imagine  the  ditference 
between  this  preparatory  thinning  process  and  that  of 
taking  away  all  the  five  nurse  trees  at  once.  Any 
common-sensed  man  must  perceive  that  it  is  better  to 
thin  by  degrees. 

"  Oh  but,"  says  one,  "  it  is  too  much  trouble  ;  and  do 
not  tell  me  :  the  trees  that  are  left  are  natives  of  this 
country,  and  are  hardy  enough  ;  they  will  stand  any 
breezes,  and  will  soon  thicken,  get  stiff  and  upright,  and 
will  then  have  nice  clean  boles  without  any  fuss  about 
thinning  and  pruning."  Such  is  the  language  too  often 
used  by  the  managers  of  the  woods  of  this  country,  but 
I  do  trust  the  proprietors  of  such  neglected  wood  will 
open  their  eyes  and  see  the  folly  of  such  let-alone  doc- 
trines. Trees,  like  every  other  production  of  the  field, 
are  given  to  man  to  dress  and  keep,  and  no  owner  of 
woodland,  if  he  neglects  it,  is  excusable. 

To  proceed  with  our  thinning  process.  The  one  nurse 
left  should  remain  to  fill  her  office  for  at  least  three 
years  more,  so  that  the  whole  process  of  thinning  a 
neglected  plantation  will  extend  over  a  period  of  seven 
years.  The  trees  for  timber  will  then  have  become 
proof,  by  gradually  acquired  strength,  against  all  storms 
and  cold  winds.  If  it  is  desired,  the  space  between  and 
under  the  trees  may  either  be  planted  with  proper  under- 
wood shrubs,  such  as  Hazels,  Hollies,  Laurels,  Rhodo- 
dendrons, &c.,  or  the  trees  that  have  been  felled  may  be 
allowed  to  produce  stools  of  suckers,  or  the  whole  ground 
may  be  dug  over  and  sown  with  grass.  All  these  con- 
siderations, or  practices,  depend,  of  course,  upon  the 
will  and  objects  of  the  owner.  If  game  is  desired,  the 
underwood  will  be  cherished;  and  the  best  protection 
for  pheasants  I  ever  saw  was  made  by  plashing  the 
whole  of  the  underwood  so  that  it  formed  a  perfect 
impassable  thicket  No  poacher  could  possibly  pene- 
trate it,  and  the  owner,  now,  alas!  defunct,  soon  had 
the  finest  preserve  of  pheasants  in  the  country.  This 
wood  so  plashed  had  been  a  neglected  plantation. 

T.  Appleby. 
{To  he  continued.) 


THE   IRIS. 


{Continued  from  2'«i/e   3G3.) 

A  DED  of  tlie  Spanish  and  English  bulbous  Irises  is, 
when  in  flower,  very  effective,  and,  as  they  flower  during 
the  summer  months,  they  should  be  made  use  of  more 
than  they  are  as  bedding-out  plants. 

The  species  are  named  Iris  xiphium  (from  xipJiios,  sword- 
like, the  leaves  being  of  that  shape),  and  /.  xiphioides, 
which  means  that  the  latter's  leaves  are  like  those  of 
the  former.  They  are  distinguished  from  each  other  by 
the  petals  of  the  first  being  as  narrow  as  the  flat-shaped 
stigmas,  and  the  germen  or  seed-vessels  being  round ; 
whereas,  xipldoides  has  the  petals  broader,  and  the 
germen  acutely  angular.  These  are  distinctions  suffi- 
cient to  separate  the  species.  Each  species  has  been 
hybridised,  and  there  are  numerous  varieties  now  cul- 
tivated chiefly  distinguished  by  the  sporting  of  the 
colours. 

Propagation  :  By  Seed. — Every  amateur  in  Florists' 
flowers  that  propagates  thera  by  seed  ought  to  be  more 
anxious  to  improve  the  variety  he  saves  seed  from  than 
merely  to  increase  the  number  of  roots  ;  hence,  no  seed 
should  be  saved  but  such  as  has  been  hybridised  with 
a  view  either  to  improve  the  form,  the  colour,  or  the 
size.  Now,  in  order  to  succeed  with  more  certainty  in 
attaining  these  objects,  the  pollen  of  the  one  possessing 
one  of  these  qualities  in  the  highest  perfection  should 
be  dusted  upon  the  stigma  of  another  possessing  the 
property  of  size.  From  such  hybridised  flowers  the 
best  seeds  most  likely  to  bring  improved  flowers  will 
be  obtained.  All  other  blooms  that  have  not  been 
operated  upon  should  be  cut  off'  as  soon  as  the  flowers 
fade. 

The  seed  will  ripen  about  the  end  of  September,  and 
should  then  be  gathered  just  before  the  seed-vessels 
burst.  Examine  the  bed  daily,  and  cut  oif  such  seed- 
pods  as  appear  to  be  quite  ripe  ;  lay  them  as  they  are 
gathered  upon  a  large  sheet  of  brown  paper  placed  in 
a  window  where  the  morning  sun  only  will  shine  upon 
them  ;  in  this  position  the  ripening  process  will  go  on, 
and  the  pods  will  open  one  after  another.  When  all 
are  gathered,  and  properly  dried,  then  clear  the  seed 
from  the  cases ;  let  them  lay  another  day  or  two  exposed 
to  the  sun  to  harden  them,  then  put  them  up  into 
brown  paper,  and  place  them  in  a  drawer  in  a  diy, 
cool  room.  Mice  are  very  fond  of  the  seeds,  and  will 
soon  eat  and  destroy  the  stock,  if  they  can  get  at  them ; 
therefore,  the  seed  should  be  put  in  a  secure  place, 
where  it  will  be  safe  from  their  depredations. 

In  early  spring,  prepare  a  place  to  sow  the  seed  in, 
the  best  will  be  a  gentle  hotbed,  with  a  one  or  two- 
light  bos  upon  it;  but  if  that  cannot  be  conveniently 
had,  it  may  be  sown  in  square  boxes,  orflat  earthenware 
pans.  The  soil  proper  for  them  is  good  loam,  sandy 
peat,  and  leaf-mould,  in  equal  parts,  thoroughly  mi.xed 
together,  but  not  sifted.  If  the  hotbed  is  used  this 
compost  should  be  at  least  eight  inches  thick.  If  boxes 
or  pans  are  used  let  them  be  well  drained.  The  sur- 
face of  the  soil  should  be  patted  gently  down  and  made 
quite  smooth,  then  sow  the  seed  rather  thinly  upon  it, 
and  sift  some  of  the  compost  through  a  rather  fine 
sieve  upon  it,  taking  care  that  the  seed  is  not  buried 
too  deep ;  the  thickness  of  a  crown-piece  will  be  suffi- 
cient. Place  the  light  on  the  frame,  giving  air  night 
and  day,  unless  it  be  very  frosty.  Those  in  pans  may 
be  placed  in  a  greenhouse. 

As  soon  as  the  seed-leaves  appear  then  increase  both 
the  quantity  of  air  and  water  freely,  but  at  distant  in- 
tervals. I  mean,  thoroughly  wet  the  soil  once,  and  then 
water  no  more  till  the  soil  is  dry  again.  Continue  this 
treatment  through  the  summer,  till  the  leaves  begin  to 
turn  yellow,  then  withhold  it.  As  soon  as  the  leaves 
are  quite  decayed,  then  sift  the  soil  through  a  very  fine- 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


Januahy  12. 


meslied  sieve,  picking  out,  as  the  operation  is  goinfj  on, 
all  the  young  bulhs,  oven  the  very  smallest,  lor  the 
smallest  may  produce  the  best  tlower.  AVheu  all  are  care- 
fully picked  out,  dry  them  for  a  few  hours,  and  then  juit 
them  iu  a  canvass  bag,  and  hang  it  up  in  o  room  with- 
out fire  till  the  planting  season  arrives.  In  the  mean 
time  prejiaro  a  bed,  three  feet  wide,  and  as  long  as  may 
be  needful,  to  plant  thorn  in. 

Choose  an  open  pait  of  the  garden,  and  a  dry  subsoil. 
If  it  is  not  dry  it  must  be  made  so  by  drainage.  Dig 
out  the  soil  to  the  depth  of  fifteen  inches,  and  then  lay 
in  three  inches  of  broken  stones  or  brickbats,  and  u])on 
them  place  a  covering  of  thin  turf,  the  grassy  side 
downwards.  Fill  in  the  soil  again,  if  of  tolerable  good 
quality,  mixing  it,  as  the  operation  goes  on,  with  some 
dung  and  leaf-mould,  in  such  quantities  as  will  make 
the  soil  rich  and  light.  A  little  sandy  peat  would  be  of 
service,  as  also  a  liberal  allowance  of  river  sand,  unless 
the  soil  be  already  of  a  sandy  character.  With  these 
additions  the  soil  of  the  bed  will  be  considerably  raised  ; 
but  if  the  bed  is  prepared  some  six  weeks  or  two  mouths 
before  it  is  wanted,  a  settling  will  take  place,  so  as  to 
lower  it  nearly  to  the  original  level,  or  only  just  high 
enough  to  suit  the  flowers.  In  this  state  let  it  lay  till 
the  mouth  of  September,  then  is  the  time  to  plant  the 
seedling  bulbs.  If  there  should  be  any  great  dift'erence 
in  their  size  it  will  be  advisable  to  select  the  lai'gest 
size,  and  plant  them  by  themselves  at  one  end  of  the 
bed.  Draw  drills  four  inches  apart,  and  three  inches 
deep,  across  the  bed,  and  plant  the  larger  bulbs  (if  any) 
lour  inches  apart  in  the  drill ;  the  smaller  size  may  be 
planted  thicker  —  two  or  three  inches  will  be  space 
enough.  When  all  are  planted,  level  down  the  drills 
with  a  rake,  and  they  will  require  no  iurther  care  till 
the  spriug,  after  they  have  made  their  way  to  the 
surface ;  then,  with  a  small  three-pronged  fork  stir  up 
the  soil,  to  give  it  a  fi-esh  appearance,  and  to  admit 
freely  the  warm  rains  and  air  of  the  spring  and  summer 
months.  In  this  bed  they  may  remain  two  years,  when 
some  of  them  will  have  attained  such  a  size  as  to 
warrant  the  expectation  that  they  will  flower.  They 
should  then  be  taken  up,  dried,  and  stored,  and 
treated  like  the  old  flowering  bulbs.  T.  Appleby. 
{^To  be  coiithuwil.) 


PEAS. 

SOWING    AND    PKESEEVING. 

It  is  certainly  a  just  and  wise  provision  of  nature  that 
the  seeds  of  plants  possess  a  greater  degree  of  hardihood 
than  their  parent  plants.  This  is,  perhaps,  most  con- 
spicuous in  those  of  the  tenderer  exotic  natives  of  the 
tropical  regions,  which,  though  never  natni-alised  with 
us.  yet  are  enabled  to  rijien  their  seeds  in  our  hot- 
houses, and  these  seeds  are  capable  of  enduring  an 
amount  of  frost,  I  might  say  equal  to  that  of  indigenous 
plants.  It  is  true,  a  seed  is  but  a  bud  containing  in 
embryo  the  future  plant ;  but  the  same  beautiful  law  of 
nature  has  so  ordained  that  the  mere  bursting  of  the 
shell  which  confines  the  cotyledon,  does  not,  iu  every 
instance,  involve  the  young  oflspring  in  destruction,  for 
they  are  possessed  of  a  greater  degree  of  hardihood  at  that 
ago  than  when  further  advanced.  This  is  especially 
the  ease  with  hardy  or  half-hardy  plants,  most  of  which 
endure  our  winters  but  when  in  a  young  state.  Now 
this  rule  has  been  taken  advantage  of  by  the  flower- 
gardener,  who  sows  his  annuals  (from  the  temperate 
regions)  in  the  open  ground  the  beginning  of  Sep- 
tember, and  sees  them  stand  an  amount  of  frost  they 
would  not  have  done  had  the  plants  been  larger. 
Subject  to  the  same  law  is  the  tenderer  kinds  of  Brocoli 
and  Cauliflower,  and  many  other  things,  which,  having 


a  duralion  allotted  them,  and  a  duty  to  jierform  in  that 
time,  arc  fortified  with  a  power  of  resisting  many  in- 
clemencies, which  a  look  at  the  map  of  the  counti'y 
they  came  from  would  induce  a  belief  they  were  not 
able  to  do. 

This  example  of  adaptation  to  circumstance  is  of 
inestimable  value  in  many  points  of  view.  Our  farmers 
sow  their  ^Yheat  in  autumn  with  something  like  a 
certainty  that  nothing  short  of  a  Russian  winter  (without 
snow)  will  kill  the  young  plants.  True  it  is  that 
another  point  bears  on  this  last  case,  and  one  that 
should  be  mentioned  in  conjunction  willi  a  young 
plant's  hardihood.  The  seed  itself  continues  to  supply 
nourishment,  or  assistance,  to  the  young  plant  long 
after  we  might  suppose,  by  its  size  and  habit,  that  such 
assistance  was  needed  ;  and  the  shrewd,  observant 
husbandman,  notices  the  cheek  the  plant  receives  when 
it  loses  that  support,  which,  in  local  jihrase,  passes  by 
various  denominations;  and  the  plant,  left  there  to  its 
own  resources,  has  to  struggle  and  maintain  an  ex- 
istence by  its  own  exertions,  aided,  of  course,  by  the 
external  circumstances  in  which  it  is  placed,  and  the 
soil  in  which  arc  its  roots. 

I  have  introduced  the  above  observation  by  way  of 
calling  attention  to  the  culture  of  one  of  our  most  useful 
vegetables,  i.  e.  Peas — to  obtain  an  early  dish  of  which 
has  long  been  regarded  as  an  important,  point  in  horti 
culture;  and  in  furtherance  of  this  object,  the  attention 
of  seed-growers  and  others  has  been  directed  to  the  im- 
ju'oving  of  varieties  iu  cultivation,  so  as  to  hasten  pro- 
duction as  much  as  possible. 

It  is  generally  allowed  that  the  Pea,  as  well  as  most 
cereals,  &e.,  are  all  annual  plants,  and  that  their  capa- 
bility of  standing  over  one  winter  to  ripen  their  seed  in 
the  next  season  is  merely  owing  to  the  accidental  cir- 
cumstances of  their  being  sown  at  such  a  season  as  just 
enables  them  to  attain  a  size  capable  of  resisting  the 
elements,  without  incurring  a  danger  of  their  falUng  a 
prey  to  the  severities  of  the  season,  which  they  are  sure 
to  do  if  beyond  a  certain  size.  Now,  to  have  tho  crop 
of  such  a  size  as  to  secure  itself,  as  well  as  to  produce 
the  earliest  possible  pods,  many  things  are  to  be  con- 
sidered— as  the  position  in  which  the  crop  is  placed  in, 
and  the  nature  of  the  soil,  as  well  as  the  latitude  of  the 
place;  coupled  with  these,  is  also  a  prophetic  knowledge 
of  the  kind  of  weather  they  aro  likely  to  encounter,  n 
circumstance  as  much  important  to  success  as  any 
other,  and  one  of  which  the  cottager  has  as  good  a  chance 
to  foretell  as  any  philosopher,  of  whatever  standing  he 
may  be;  and  as  the  wisest  may  be  mistaken  and  nt 
fault,  it  is  advisable,  in  all  cases,  to  provide  against 
such  mishaps  as  that  of  a  flourishing  looking  crop  of 
Peas  being  destroyed  in  Eehruary. 

This  was  much  the  case  last  season ;  the  mildness  of 
the  autumn  and  early  winter  months  favouring  their 
growth,  they  had  progressed  so  far  as  to  be  unable  to 
endure  the  rigoiU'S  of  frost  and  snow  when  these  tokens 
of  winter  visited  us ;  now  we  know  that  crops  which 
last  year  were  sown  at  tho  same  time  they  had  been  ibr 
many  years  perished  as  above,  while,  in  former  seasons, 
they  had  flourished  and  done  well :  the  reason  was 
obvious — the  mildness  which  continued  so  long,  fiivourod 
their  growth  to  such  a  degree,  that  many  crops  were  a 
full  foot  high,  or  more,  when  hard  weather  set  in,  be- 
sides being  in  that  delicate  state  which  moisture  and 
nuldness  imparts.  The  time  at  which  such  crops  wore 
sown  was  somewhere  about  tho  middle  of  November; 
later  crops  stood  better ;  those  at  or  about  Christmas 
being  tho  best.  Now,  this  was  sniBcient  to  teach  all 
those  who  did  not  know  before,  that,  besides  tho  No- 
vember crop,  it  was  also  advisable  to  put  one  in  at 
Christmas,  the  latter  being  tho  more  certain  to  succeed. 
Independent  of  taking  care  to  have  a  successional 
crop,  it  is  also  advisable  to  look  to,  and  preserve  the 


January  12. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENEB. 


283 


fii'st  by  all  availiiblo  meaus,  for  besides  the  weather,  a 
liost  of  ciieniies  will  very  likely  attack  the  crop.  Mice, 
ia  the  first  instanoo,  will  seize  aucl  devour  the  seed  just 
when  it  is  cominf;  throu|;,'h  the  ground,  ii'  not  before. 
Rats  are  equally  dostructivti,  and  worse  to  trap,  but  they 
are  rarely  so  numerous.  Wood  Pigeons  are  also  sad 
euemics  ;  those  arc  only  frightened  away  by  the  nse  of 
gunpowder  ;  while,  perhaps,  the  worst  to  couibiit  is 
the  slug,  which,  iu  mild  seasons,  abounds  in  such 
numbers  as  to  render  the  protection  of  the  crop  a 
work  of  dilficnlty.  Nevertheless,  it  must  bo  persevered 
in ;  and  in  addition  to  the  use  of  coal-ashes  as  a  covering, 
and  of  lime,  soot,  &c.,  as  dustings,  the  rows  might  also 
be  partly  eovorcd  with  barley  chat!',  which  is  one  of  the 
best  of  all  coverings,  being  a  preservative  against  the  slug, 
as  well  as  a  protector  to  the  plants  themselves.  We,  there- 
fore, urge  ou  the  necessity  of  this  article  being  more  used 
by  gardeners  who  have  the  means  of  obtaining  it,  for  it 
not  only  saves  Peas,  but  it  will  be  found  useful  to  other 
things  as  well,  its  sharp  points,  and  angular  file-like 
sides,  rendering  it  a  more  formidable  barrier  to  the  slug 
than  anything  else  we  are  acquainted  with.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  sticks  should  be  supplied  as  soon  as 
possible ;  and  when  severe  ii-ost  sets  in  suddenly, 
after  a  long  period  of  mild  weather,  some  other  covering 
should  be  adopted  as  well.  This  will  suggest  itself 
to  the  cultivator  in  sutidry  ways ;  and  it  is  not  the  most 
costly  that  is  at  all  times  the  most  useful,  for  a  few 
boughs  of  Furze,  evergreen  Firs,  or  anything  that  way, 
will  sometimes  serve  as  well  as  waterproof  covering,  &o. 
In  closing  this  account,  I  cannot  recommend  any  one 
Pea  in  particular  as  likely  to  meet  all  the  wants  of  the 
case  in  hand,  for  I  believe  the  number  of  really  distinct 
liinds  is  much  fewer  than  many  people  imagine.  I 
have  so  repeatedly  been  deceived  in  a  so-called  new  one 
being  only  a  "  Kent,"  or  "  Charlton,"  that  I  fear  it  will 
not  be  safe  to  say  which  are  generally  good;  but  I  have 
found  Warners  Emperor  universally  so,  and  as  it  is  a 
fair,  good  kind,  of  medium  height,  and  not  new  now, 
consequently,  likely  to  be  genuine,  I  would  recommend 
it  to  the  inexperienced  for  the  earliest  crop.  Later  crops 
I  will  speak  of  Jiereafter,  as  other  considerations  will 
detei'mine  these;  and  as  the  first  crop  will  have  been 
sown  some  weeks  before  these  pages  reach  the  reader,  I 
would  advise  those  who  have  not  tried  this  Pea  in 
November,  to  try  it  in  January,  and  I  question  much  if 
the  six  weeks  difference  in  tlie  time  of  sowing  will 
make  more  than  half  that  number  of  days  in  the 
gathering,  other  things  being  the  same.  This,  however, 
with  other  matters  relating  to  second  crops,  must  be 
postponed  to  another  time.  J.  Bobson. 


MANAGEMENT    OF    DOWN    EWES  AS 

BREEDING  STOCK. 

(Continued  from  page   244.) 

There  are  two  circumstances  which  concur  to  make 
a  flock  of  Down  Ewes,  as  breeding  stock,  in  all  proba- 
bility, more  profitable  for  the  future  than  they  have 
been  hitherto ;  first,  the  great  and  increasing  consump- 
tion of  mutton  and  lambs;  and  secondly,  the  almost 
entire  supply  of  wether  mutton  being  obtained  by  early 
maturity,  and  derived  from  sheep  killed  at  two  years  old 
or  under.  Coupling  these  two,  with  other  favourable 
circumstances,  it  must  be  considered  as  highly  en- 
coui'aging  to  flock-masters  to  proceed  with  energy  and 
judgment  in  increasing,  as  much  as  possible,  the  extent 
of  their  stocks  of  breeding  Ewes. 

Early  maturity  is  certainly  become  a  new  feature  in 


fattening  of  sheep;  and,  as  it  is  likely  to  be  very  much 
moro  extended,  there  is  no  doubt  but  it  will  induce 
breeders  of  Down  Sheep  to  use  more  judgment  than  has 
been  hitherto  shewn  in  the  selection  of  their  stock. 
This  brings  us  to  one  of  the  most  important  points  in 
the  whole  range  of  sheep  management;  and  one  upon 
which  the  success  and  profit  of  a  flock  mainly  depends. 
For  it  must  be  admitted,  that  those  kind  of  sheep  which 
are  most  in  demand  by  the  purchasers,  and  which  will 
consume  the  green  crops  of  the  farm  with  the  greatest 
amount  of  profit,  possess  those  qualities  which  should 
direct  our  judgment  in  selection. 

Under  the  head  of  "Downs,"  I  must  name  three 
varieties  as  demanding  our  attention,  the  origin  of  all, 
being,  without  doubt,  the  South  or  Sussex  Downs;  the 
other  two  being  founded  upon  crosses  with  other  breeds, 
and  are  called  the  Hampshire  Downs  and  Shropshire 
Downs.  The  two  latter  are  at  the  present  day  engross- 
ing the  attention  of  breeding  and  flock-masters  to  a 
much  greater  extent  than  formerly.  It  is,  however, 
well  known,  that  all  Down  varieties  of  Sheep  have  been 
greatly  improved  for  useful  and  profitable  purposes  by 
the  advocates  and  admii'ers  of  each  particular  sort.  It 
may  be  considered  a  somewhat  difficult  task  to  advise 
parties  to  select  as  breeding  stock,  for  general  purposes, 
any  sort  in  particular,  as  the  soil,  situation,  and  climate 
must  be  taken  into  account.  My  intention  is,  however, 
to  offer  a  few  ideas  upon  the  subject,  and  which  are 
gleaned  chiefly  from  my  own  experience  and  observa' 
tion.  For  farms  situated  upon  the  high  and  exposed 
chalk  hills  of  the  southern  counties  of  Hampshire, 
Wiltshire,  Dorsetshire,  and  Berkshire,  the  improved 
variety  of  Hampshire  Down  proves  to  be  well  adapted. 
There  is  no  question  but  that  they  are  more  hardy 
than  the  pure  Sussex  Down ;  which  fact,  together  with 
the  advantage  of  additional  size,  and  early  maturity, 
has  influenced  the  minds  of  breeders  in  selecting  this 
variety ;  and  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  the  Hamp- 
shire breed  are  quietly  making  way,  and  driving  the 
Sussex  Downs  from  many  of  the  above-named  districts. 

In  the  south-western  coxmties  of  Dorsetshire,  Somer- 
setshire, and  Wiltshire,  upon  the  best  soils,  where 
breeding  flocks  are  kept,  the  Sussex  Downs  still  pre- 
dominate, although  they  are  greatly  improved  in  size, 
and  in  many  other  respects,  since  their  first  introduction, 
which  took  place  after  the  Horned  Sheep  of  these  districts 
were  given  up.  Many  of  the  finest  flocks  of  breeding 
Ewes  of  these  counties  still  retain  the  advantages  which 
they  derived  from  a  cross  with  the  Horned  Dorset;  and, 
although  they  are,  in  appearance  and  general  character, 
South  Downs,  yet  this  dash  of  the  breed,  together  with, 
the  influence  of  soil  and  climate,  gives  them  the  pro- 
pensity for  early  breeding,  and  for  the  purposes  of 
producing  early  Down  Lambs,  renders  them  much  in 
request  by  graziers  in  arable  districts. 

The  Hampshire  variety  of  sh  eep  differ  widely  in  this  re- 
spect, and  their  lambing  season  is  from  five  to  six  weeks 
later ;  nor  is  this  singular,  when  it  is  considered  that  the 
derivation  of  the  breed  was  by  crossing  with  the  native 
breed,  and  that  the  soil  is  cold  and  backward  upon  which 


284 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Janlahy  lU. 


tbey  are  usually  kept.  The  Sussex  Downs  have  still  nume- 
rous advocates,  and  altlioiigh  they  are  found  in  consider- 
able numbers  in  many  counties,  yet  they  arc  chiefly  found 
upon  their  native  hills  in  the  county  of  Sussex  in  all 
their  purity  of  breed  and  distinctness  of  character.  I 
am  somewhat  inclined  to  think,  that  in  this  district 
climate  alone  favours  the  perpetuation  of  the  breed,  for 
the  soil  partakes  much  of  the  character  of  the  chalk 
hills  of  the  before-named  counties.  I'here  is,  however, 
one  idea  of  vvliich  the  Susse.K  breeders  are  peculiarly 
tenacious,  which  is,  that  they  can  keep  a  much 
greater  number  of  Sussex.  Downs  than  of  the  larger 
variety  of  Down  sheep ;  I  have  heard  it  stated,  to  the 
amount  of  one-third  more.  But  we  have  good  judges, 
who,  after  impartial  trials  and  great  experience,  do  not 
allow  more  than  one  in  twenty  in  favour  of  South 
Downs.  J\[y  own  opinion,  however,  is,  that  the  fairest 
proportion  is  one  in  ten,  and  that  will  be  found  an 
ample  allowance  in  favour  of  the  breed.  I  must  also 
observe,  that  the  great  improvements  in  the  culture,  and 
generally  productive  state  of  the  land,  has  been  lost 
sight  of  in  this  case  ;  for  I  must  claim  the  advantage  of 
superior  cultivation  as  imparting  to  vegetation  more 
nutrition,  and,  consequently,  more  capability  of  sustain- 
ing a  larger   and  heavier  variety  of  stock. 

I  liave  considered  the  foregoing  observations  as  neces- 
sary in  guiding  parties  who  may  be  commencing  stock 
farming,  and  assisting  those  who  maybe  desirous  of  im- 
proving their  breeds  in  different  districts.  1  shall  now 
proceed  to  treat  of  the  general  management  requisite  at  the 
commencement  of  the  breeding  season;  having,  in  pre- 
vious papers,  spoken  of  the  method  of  keeping  the  Ewes 
upon  a  generous  and  liberal  diet,  in  order  to  bring  tliem 
forward  to  the  ram.  I  beg  to  observe,  that  the  rules  and 
manner  of  proceeding  there  alluded  to  will  apply  upon 
stock  farms,  for  the  management  of  the  out-going,  or 
that  portion  of  the  Ewes  intended  for  sale  ;  but  for  the 
ordinai-y  breeding  stock,  it  is  not  necessary  to  resort  to 
any  peculiar  or  expensive  method  of  feeding  ;  for  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  the  Ewes  have  their  breeding 
season,  which  is  somewhat  peculiar  to  soil  and  climate, 
and  which  it  does  not  often  answer  a  good  purpose  to 
attempt  to  alter.  I  should,  therefore,  say,  let  them  be 
kept  fairly,  and  in  good  useful  condition,  with  due 
variety  and  regularity  in  feeding,  and  the  usual  advan- 
tages of  a  breeding  flock  may  be  expected  in  return. 
The  first  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  selection  of  rams, 
either  for  the  improvement  of  the  flock,  or  for  the 
maintenance  of  its  good  qualities ;  the  former  is  gene- 
rally, however,  considered  somewhat  easier  than  tbe 
latter.  I  am  aware  it  is  the  custom  with  many  ram 
breeders  (who  may,  possibly,  be  repaid  i'or  extra  trouble 
and  attention  to  their  stock),  for  them  to  select  sheep, 
and  put  them  to  Ewes  individually,  with  the  view  of  one 
animal  correcting  defects  existing  in  the  other,  and 
'  whicli  may  otherwise  be  inherited  or  perpetuated  by  the 
offspring.  Now,  I  am  well  aware,  that  in  large  breeding 
flocks,  kept  for  profitable  increase,  this  would  be  too 
tedious  and  expensive  a  project.  I,  therefore,  suggest, 
whilst  acknowledging  the  fact  that  "  like  begets  like," 


that  the  improvement  of  a  flock  may  be  well  secured 
by  drafting  the  Ewes  previous  to  turning  the  ram  with 
them,  and  dividing  them  into  two  or  more  classes, 
placing  in  one  class  those  which  may  be  too  kind,  or 
deficient  in  flesh  and  bone,  and  turning  with  them  rams 
calculated  to  remedy  these  defects;  and  in  another  class, 
those  which  are  too  coarse  and  unkind,  and  select  rams 
for  them  of  an  opposite  description  ;  whilst  a  third  class 
may  also  be  formed,  with  tbe  object  of  correcting  any 
deficiency  in  the  quality  of  wool,  or  other  points,  which 
are  well  known  to  breeders.  This  plan  possesses  groat 
advantages  ;  for  tbe  general  character  of  a  flock  may  be 
soon  raised,  at  a  moderate  expense,  merely  by  the  extra 
trouble  attending  the  separate  keeping  and  feeding  the 
flock  during  a  period  of  about  six  weeks. 

Joseph   Blundell. 
(^7'o  he  cont'inifcd.) 


GAPES,  AND    THE   DISEASES  CONFOUNDED 
AVITH   IT. 

I  AM  afraid  that  the  readers  of  the  Cottage  Gardener 
are  as  tired,  as,  I  confess,  that  I  am  of  the  constant  discus- 
sions that  arise  from  Dr.  Horner's  criticisms  on  my  medical 
articles.  Dr.  Horner's  last  letter  (page  '~!24),  in  which  he 
states  that  ray  experiments,  related  at  page  127,  prove  the 
roup  to  be  not  contagious,  shows  that  we  regard  medical 
evidence  from  jjoints  of  view  so  widely  dift'erent,  and  the 
inferences  which  we  draw  from  the  same  facts  demonstrate 
tliat  our  processes  of  reasoning  are  so  essentially  opposed 
to  one  another,  that  I  scarcely  think  it  probable  that  we 
shall  ever  arrive  at  the  same  conclusion  on  any  subject  what- 
ever. Eespectingroup,  it  is,  therefore,  useless  for  me  to  say 
more.  I  have  laid  the  facts  with  which  I  am  acijuainted 
so  fully  before  my  readers,  that  they  may  readily  draw  their 
own  inferences  as  to  its  contagious  or  non-contagious  cha- 
racter. 

On  the  subject  of  Gapes,  however,  I  must  be  pemiitted 
to  say  a  few  words ;  especially  as  I  have  not  hitherto  rephed 
to  the  numerous  remai-ks  of  Dr.  Horner  on  my  statements. 

The  discussion  has  ai'isen  from  the  confounding  of  two 
essentially  disinct  diseases,  namely,  (iapes  caused  by  para- 
sitic worms,  and  Croup,  or  inflammation  of  the  windpipe. 
I  repeat,  two  essentially  distinct  diseases,  that  could  never 
have  been  confounded  by  any  person  who  liad  closely 
watched  the  symptoms  of  both. 

True  Gapes  is  prevalent  amongst  chickens;  whilst  Croup 
usually  attacks  older  I'owls.  Gapes  is  common  in  the 
spring  and  summer;  Croup  is  more  frequent  during  wut 
autumns.  I  have  not  seen  a  case  of  Gapes  for  some 
mouths  ;  and  Dr.  Horner  is  quite  safe  in  asking  for  speci- 
mens of  tlie  disease  at  this  season,  when  it  is  quite  certain 
he  wUl  not  get  them. 

It  is  well  known  that  croup  in  children  is  more  prevalent 
in  wet  seasons  and  situations  than  iu  those  that  are  dry; 
and,  as  might  have  been  expected,  croup  in  fowls  was  very 
abundant  during  the  past  rainy  autumn;  many  cases,  both 
living  and  dead,  were  forwarded  to  me,  and  I  also  had 
several  amongst  my  own  fowls.  In  all  instances  I  found  the 
disease  yield  readily  to  one-twelfth  of  a  grain  of  tartar 
emetic,  and  warm,  dry  housing.  One  bird  that  I  killed  for 
examination,  during  the  progress  of  the  disease,  exhibited 
no  other  morbid  indications  than  a  high  degree  of  inHam- 
mation  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the  windpipe. 

I  have  cases  I  never  for  a  moment  confounded  with 
Gapes,  as  the  manner  of  breathing  in  the  two  diseases  is 
most  distinctly  marked;  in  Gapes,  as  its  name  implies,  the 
chick  is  observed  to  open  its  mouth  at  intervals  with  a 
decided  gape,  and  a  muscular  action  of  the  nock,  as  if  it 
were  endeavouring  to  dislodge  something  from  the  throat. 
In  croup,  on  the  contrary,  the  bird  does  not  gape  (strictly 
spealiing),  but  the  mouth  is  kept  more  or  less  open,  and 
there  is  always  either  a  rattling  noise  from  accumulation  of 


•Januaiiy  12. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


285 


mucus  in  tlio  windpipe,  or  tliat  peculiar  metallic  trnmpet- 
like  sound  which  is  so  cliaraoteristic  of  croup  in  children. 

The  cases  mentioned  by  Drs.  Horner  and  Puinking  "were 
evidently  those  of  croup,  or  simple  inflammation  of  the 
windpipe;  they  are  described  as  occurring  in  fowls  (not  in 
ohiclcens),  and  as  yielding  readily  to  antimonials. 

If  these  gentlemen  will  patiently  wait  until  the  spring,  I 
have  no  doubt,  but  that  they  will  be  able  to  discover  a 
sufticient  number  of  cases  to  induce  them  to  modify  the 
assertion  that  Gapes  is  only  occasionally  produced  by  para- 
sites. I  repeat,  from  extensive  experience,  and  I  know- 
numbers  of  your  readers  will  bear  out  my  assertion,  that 
Inic  Gripes  in  cliiclcciis  is  iiivariab/i/  -prodnced  by  the  presence 
of  worms  in  the  windpipe,  and  that  spirit  of  turpentine, 
applied  either  directly,  or  by  fumigation,  is  the  most  effect- 
ive remedy.  At  the  same  time,  1  am  perfectly  cognisant 
of  tlie  frequent  existence,  under  other  circumstances,  of  a 
simple,  (and  if  my  unprofessional  readers  will  excuse  a 
technical  term)  idiopathic  inflammation  of  the  mucous 
lining  of  the  windpipe. 

Dr.  Horner's  assertion,  that  the  presence  of  parasites  "is 
quite  compatible  with,  yea,  perhaps  necessary,  to  health,"  is 
certainly  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  I  ever  met  mth ; 
and  if  some  professional  D'Israeli  shall  hereafter  arise,  will 
stand  a  fair  chance  of  being  embalmed  amongst  the 
"  curiosities  of  (medical)  literature." 

The  medical  profession  are  evidently  in  a  state  of  the 
most  benighted  ignorance,  for  they  all  regard  the  presence 
of  tape  worms,  and  the  other  animals  that  infest  the  human 
body,  as  causing  severe  and  sometimes  fatal  disease,  and 
are  in  the  lia1)it  of  employing  the  most  powerful  medicines 
for  their  expulsion. 

I  cannot  conclude  without  returning  my  thanks  to  Dr. 
Anthony  for  kindly  forwarding  the  drawing  of  the  worm 
whicli  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  me  to  have  fur- 
nished at  this  season  of  the  year.  Into  the  disagreement 
between  him  and  Dr.  Horner  I  have  no  inclination  to 
enter,  for  I  regard  personal  disputes  as  exceedingly  unde- 
sirable in  a  public  journal,  ancl  vei-y  uninteresting  to  the 
readers  at  large.  1  have,  therefore,  in  my  capacity  as  a 
regular  correspondent  to  this  journal,  often  refrained,  even 
when  soi-ely  tempted,  from  entering  into  a  personal  discus- 
sion with  my  perpetual  antagonist. — AV.  B.  Tegetheiek, 
Willisden,  near  London. 


GROWING  PEAR-TREES  ON  QUINCE 
STOCKS. 

Lrs'iNG,  perhaps,  in  the  most  favoured  locality  under  the 
sun  for  the  cultivation  of  the  Pear,  viz.,  the  Isle  of  Jersey, 
it  may  not  be  irrevalent,  and  I  hope  will  not  be  considered 
obtrusive  by  youi'  talented  correspondent,  "  11.  E."  if  I 
submit  the  following  remarks  to  the  perusal  and  attention 
of  your  readers.  There  is  so  much  soundness  of  argument 
and  apparent  good  judgment  in  the  article  he  has  written 
and  published  in  one  of  your  late  numbers  relative  to  the 
comparative  value  of  the  free  (Pear)  and  tiuince  stocks 
in  their  application  to  the  purpose  of  growing  this  valuable 
and  wliolesome  fruit,  that  I  dare  not  say,  "  we  ditfer  in 
opinion."  Nay,  I  have  learned  much  from  his  article ;  he 
may,  possibly,  learn  something  from  mine.  And,  doubtless, 
it  may  be  observed  in  the  perusal  of  these  lines,  that  the 
object  it  is  so  desirable  to  prevent,  i.e.,  too  great  au  exten- 
sion of  the  roots,  may  be  realised  without  having  recourse 
to  what  I  consider  the  troublesome  practice  of  constantly 
transplanting  the  trees,  attended  with  certain  loss  of 
time  in  a  large  establishment,  where  much  ground  is  de- 
voted to  gardening  pm'poses,  and  many  liands  are  kept, 
and  altogether  incompatible  and  inconvenient  in  the  ma- 
nagement of  small  gardens. 

ily  friends  liave  been  growing  Pear-trees  on  Quince 
stocks  for  upwards  of  forty  years,  and  I  have  been  em- 
ployed in  the  same  way  for  the  last  fifteen.  I  obtained 
all  the  information  I  could  from  them,  and  then  applied 
my  own  wits  to  the  subject,  and  I  have  cause  to  be  much 
gratified  with  the  result  of  my  practice ;  and  trust  I  may, 
having  shown  tlie  grounds  on  which  I  offer  my  opinions, 
write  confidently  and  freely  on  a  subject  I  am  so  well  and 


intimately  acquainted  with;  and  whilst  my  experience  is 
limited  to  this  favoured  island  alone,  1  have  authority  for 
stating  that  similar  practice  has  produced  similar  results  in 
many  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom.  In  Cornwall,  Devon- 
shire, Somersetshire,  Hampshire,  Essex,  Suffolk,  and  other 
counties,  and  I  dare  to  say  it  may  be  done  generally,  where 
suitable  soil  and  situation  is  aiforded.  I,  therefore,  with 
due  deference  to  the  opinion  of  "  R.  E.,"  "that  until  the 
public  better  understand,  or  better  consider  this  question, 
it  will  be  well  for  those  who  feel  puzzled  to  grow  Pears  on 
the  ordinary  stock,"  strongly  recommend  the  Quince  stock 
for  the  cultivation  of  the  Pear ;  and  whilst  advocating  and 
proving  its  efficiency  for  the  purpose,  strongly  recommend 
all  persons  about  to  plant  Pear-trees  to  adopt  the  plan, 
setting  aside  all  idea  and  thought 

"  That  he  who  plants  pears. 
Plants  for  his  heirs." 

In  the  cultivation  of  the  Pear  on  the  Quince  stock,  it  is 
necessary,  in  the  first  place,  to  procure  good  stocks  (the 
Portugal  variety  is  the  best,  as  it  grows  most  vigorously), 
wliich,  if  planted  in  a  suitable  soil  in  the  fall  of  the  year, 
will  be  fit  for  budding  the  ensuing  August.  By  a  suitable 
soil,  I  mean  any  soil  that  is  rich,  open,  and  moist,  and  in 
a  sheltered  situation.  Should  the  soil  in  which  it  is  conve- 
nient to  plant  them  be  of  a  stiff',  retentive  character,  and 
rather  dry  in  its  nature  (very  dry  soils  in  high  situations 
will  not  suit),  I  would  recommend  that  it  should  receive  a 
good  dressing  of  sea-sand,  or  lime  and  salt,  the  saline  par- 
ticles of  which  retain  their  moisture,  and  are  of  immense 
benefit  to  stiff  soils,  both  as  to  rendering  them  open,  and 
also  in  enriching  them  at  the  same  time,  by  imparting  to 

;  them  the  benefit  of  the  salts  they  contain. 

{       The  stocks  being  planted,  and  having  made  a  free  and 

■  vigorous  growth  during  the  first  season,  I,  as  fax  as  pos- 
sible, use  tile  western  and  south-western  sides  of  the  stocks 
for  the  insertion  of  the  buds,  as  the  wind  is  more  prevalent 
in  this  quarter  of  the  globe  from  these  than  from  any  other 
points  of  tlie  compass,  the  buds  are  thereby  less  exposed, 
and,  consequently,  less  liable  to  be  broken  off  by  the  wind.  I 
do  not  budimtilthe  middle  or  latter  end  of  August,  availing 

;  myself,  if  possible,  of  an  opportunity  after  rain,  as  I  always 
find  the  bark  of  the  stocks  run  best  at  such  times.     I  insert 

!  the  buds  within  two  or  three  inches  of  the  ground  (apply- 
ing the  common  T  method  in  the  practice),  as  I  find  the 
buds  so  placed  always  shoot  off  much  stronger,  and  upon 
the  first  year's  growth  much  of  the  after  success  depends. 
AU  the  varieties  do  not  do  equally  well  on  Quince  bottoms, 
but  the  exceptions  are  very  few.  I  have  subjoined  a  list  of 
a  few  of  the  best  varieties,  with  their  styles  of  growth,  and 
periods  of  maturing  their  fruits. 

The  buds  having  been  carefully  put  in  and  tied  require 
no  further  attention  but  looking  to  at  the  descent  of  the 
sap,  so  as  to  loosen  and  remove  such  ties  as  require  it, 
and  prevent  their  cutting  the  bark,  paying  the  penalty  of  neg- 
ligence at  this  period  of  the  plant's  growth,  the  results  of 
wliich  are  unsightly  carbtmcles  and  disfigurements,  from 
which  the  plant  cannot  be  afterwards  ridded,  and  which 
often  causes  stagnation  in  the  flow  of  the  sap,  producing 
canker  and  irremediable  disease. 

To  this  particular  point  I  would  call  your  readers  attention 
— "  That  unless  a  Pear-tree  budded  on  a  Quince  stock  is 
clean  and  freely  grown  it  is  not  worth  planting."  The 
only  chance  of  succeeding  with  it,  is  to  plant  it  a  little 
below  the  bud,  so  as  to  induce  it  to  root  in  its  own  wood, 
thus  annulling,  to  a  great  extent,  the  utility  of  the  Quince 
in  bringing  it  to  an  early  bearing  state. 

In  December,  1  carefully  head  the  stocks  down  three 
inches  above  the  bud,  slanting  the  cut  to  the  northward,  so 
as  to  carry  the  wet  from  the  bud ;  I,  at  the  same  time, 

I  remove  the  remainder  of  the  ties.  When  the  buds  shoot 
off  in  the  spring,  I  tie  them  carefully  up  to  the  upper  part 
of  the  stock,  pinching  out  the  ends  of  the  strongest  sboots 
in  the  beginning  of  May :  it  must  not  be  done  later,  as  it 
would  be  useless,  not  allowing  time  for  the  perfection  of 
the  young  wood,  which,  if  not  properly  ripened,  must  be 
cut  away  at  the  next  season's  pruning. 

In  the  first  year's  pruning,  I  cut  the  shoot  or  shoots 
short,  the  central  shoot  being  left  longer  than  the  others, 
and  being  careful  in  pruning  tlie  side-shoot  or  shoots  to 
have  an  eye  to  the  future  formation  of  the  tree,  by  leaving 


28G 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


January  12. 


tlie  upmost  and  forerighfc  buds  in  the.  right  direction.  The 
second  year's  pruning  and  grnwtli  so  far  forms  the  strongest 
of  the  trees,  that  tliey  are  prepared  to  be  removed  to  the 
position  in  the  ground  or  garden  tliey  are  intended  to 
occupy ;  and  as  the  principal  part  of  the  stoclis  are  grown 
from  cuttings,  the  great  disadvantage  of  strong  roots  is, 
and  has  been,  obviated  by  this  means  of  preparing  the 
stocks,  so  that  the  transplanting  is  attended  with  very  little 
trouble,  and  tlie  replanting  is  rendered  equally  easy.  In 
the  planting,  should  the  ground  be  moist  and  rich,  I  plant 
the  trees  at  the  same  depth  as  they  were  previously  planted 
and  had  grown  in  the  quarter;  but  if,  on  the  other  hand, 
it  is  i-ather  dry,  I  plant  a  little  deeper,  as  I  tind  they  do 
better  by  being  so  planted,  and  roots  often  proceed  from 
the  Pear  wood  as  well  as  from  the  Quince.  I  find  old  Ume- 
rubbish  and  cinder-ashes  to  be  e-^cellent  materials  for 
dressing  the  surface  with,  as  they  induce  the  stock  to 
throw  out  a  large  quantity  of  fibrous  roots,  and  they  are 
the  alimentary  and  nutritive  organs  of  the  tree,  in  the  fruit- 
bearing  state,  during  many  after  years.  I  generally  prune 
the  roots  previously  to  planting,  cutting  under,  and  raising  a 
small  proportion  of  well-rotted  manure  with  the  sod  in  the 
planting,  more  particularly  so  if  the  ground  has  not  been 
previously  prepai'ed  by  trenching,  itc. 

The  trees  being  planted  either  in  rows  at  ten  feet  apart 
either  way,  over  a  piece  of  ground,  or  round  the  quarters 
of  a  vegetable  garden  (the  usual  x^lan),  it  is  desirable  to 
get  as  much  growth  as  possible  from  them  during  the  first 
two  or  three  years  by  judicious  pruning.  This  is  easily 
effected ;  the  wood  being  vigorous,  you  have  only  to  adopt 
the  plan  which  is  most  applicable  to  your  situation,  and 
train  the  trees  accordingly,  either  as  espaliers  in  the  per- 
pendicular and  horizontal  style  of  training  (by  far  the  best 
plan  for  Pears,  either  in  this  way  or  on  walls,  as  it  throws 
them  into  early  and  productive  bearing),  or  as  pyrimidal 
trees,  or  as  dwarf  standard,  or  QuenouUIe  trees,  or  as 
standard,  or  standard-trained  trees,  run  up  on  their 
own  wood ;  in  the  practice  of  either  of  which  plans  I 
prune  with  care  until  the  tree  is  formed,  shortening  all 
the  shoots,  so  as  to  form  fruiting  spurs,  with  the  exception 
of  the  leading  and  such  shoots  as  are  required  to  make  and 
maintain  the  formation  and  appeai-ance  of  the  tree,  which 
are  pruned  from  nine  to  twelve  inches  long.  The  trees 
grow  spontaneously,  and  produce  abundant  crops,  which  are 
valuable  in  these  islands  as  articles  of  sale, — one  hundred 
ChaumontcUe  Pear-fruit,  weighing  one  hundred  pounds 
weight,  readily  reaUzing  the  handsome  sum  of  £b.  It  is 
not  unusital  to  see  them  so  fine ;  most  gardens  here  pro- 
duce some  such  fine  fruit,  and  I  once  saw  a  Pear  of  this 
particular  sort  which  weighed  twenty-three  ounces.  Smaller 
fruit  of  the  same  sort  realize  lower  but  almost  propor- 
tionate prices,  according  to  their  weight  and  appearance. 
The  other  sorts  of  Pears,  being  some  of  them  smaller,  and 
]>roduced  in  much  larger  quantities,  besides  being  ready 
for  sale  when  there  are  larger  collections  of  fruit  in  the 
market,  ai-e  sold  at  much  lower  prices,  but,  nevertheless, 
make  a  good  return. 

The  period  of  the  tree's  duration  in  a  productive  state 
is  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  years,  requiring  to  be  often 
renewed  after  that  period  ;  for,  having  produced  quantities 
of  fruit  during  the  proceeding  years,  and  the  wood  having 
been  constantly  spmTed  back,  has  become  more  or  less 
deteiiorated.  "rhe  roots  may  also  bo  decayed,  or  have,  pos- 
sibly, got  into  the  cold  subsoil,  which  is  not  suitable  for 
them.  Whichever  may  be  the  case,  they  wiU,  if  they  have 
received  oue-third  of  the  care  it  is  necessary  to  bestow  on 
free  stocks,  and  have  thriven  under  it,  bo  in  no  way  in- 
debted to  their  owners,  and  should  be  grubbed-out,  to  be 
replaced  by  young  trees. 

Thtis  the  greatest  of  all  advantages  attending  growing 
Pear-trees  on  Qtdnco  stocks  are — early  and  great  produc- 
tiveness ;  whilst  they  occupy  so  small  a  space  of  ground 
that  they  soon  pay  for  themselves  and  the  space  they 
occupy,  besides  hatrding  a  handsome  per  centage  over  to 
their  owners  for  the  little  trouble  and  care  necessary  to 
lieep  them  in  order.  AVlio  would  grow  Pears  on  free  (Pear 
stocks)  in  preference  to  Quince,  when  such  results  may  and 
are  realised?  My  reasoning  powers  induce  me  to  think, 
"  that  to  grow  Pear-trees  in  such  a  way  as  to  last  a  sliort 
and  useful  space  of  time,  is  far  better  than  to  take  the 


chance   of  gi'owing   fruit  for  futmity;"  the  risk  run   in 
growing  tJiem  on  the  free  stock. 

I  sub.join  a  list  of  a  few  of  the  best  and  most  free-growing 
varieties,  with  the  periods  of  the  fruit's  matmity,  wiricL,  of 
course,  varies  a  little  according  to  the  seasons,  and  trust 
the  foregoing  article  may  be  interesting  and  instructive  to 
some  of  your  readers,  as  well  as  assist  in  settling  an  un- 
settled ijuestion,  as  wherever  a  Quince-tree  will  grow,  a 
Peai'tree  may  be  grown  on  a  liuince  stock. 


STYLE  OF 
GKOWTU. 


PERIOD  OF 
MATUBIMG     FBUIT. 


Citron  dea  Carmea      .        .        .  Free  .Tuly  to  August 

Windsor Very  Strong  August 

Jargonelle Free  August 

William's  Bon  Chretien      .         .  Very  Strong  September 

Bcurrce  d'  Amauiis     .         .        .  Very  Strong  Sept.  to  Oct. 

Gracioli Strong  October 

Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey       .         .  Very  Free  October 

Brown  Beurrt^e    ....  Free  October 

fliarie  Louise       ....  IndiiVcrcntiy  October 

Duchcsse  d'  Angoideme      .         .  Free  Oct.  to  Nov. 

Duchcsse  d'  Orleans    .         .         .  Strong  Oct.  to  Nov. 

Miel  de  Waterloo        .         .         .  Free  Oct.  to  Nov. 

♦Cressanne Free  Oct.  to  Nov. 

Beurree  Diel.  or  Royal        .         .  Very  Strong  Nov.  to  Dec. 

Napoleon,  or  Cliarles  d'  Autricbcs  Free  Nov.  to  Dec. 

Glout  Morceau    ....  Strong  Nov.  to  Jan. 

Colmar  d'  Areniberg    .         ,         .  Strong  December 

*Coluiar Free  Nov.  to  Dec. 

*Passe  Colmar    ....  Free  Dec.  to  Jan. 

ChaumontcUe      ....  Free  Dec.  to  Jan. 

Knight's  Monarch       .         .         .  Free  Nov.  to  Jan. 

Winter  Nelis       ....  Free  Dee.  to  Jan. 

BeuiTcc  Durfom          .         ,         .  Strong  Jan.  to  Feb. 

Beurree  Kanec    ....  Strong  Jan.  to  March 
Easter  Beurree,  or  Bergamot  do 

la  Pentecote         .        .        .  Indilferent  Qlarch  to  May. 
Uvedale's  St.  Germain,  or  Belle 

de  Jersey     ....  Strong  Baking  or  stewing 

Gilogil Strong  Ditto           ditto 

Of  the  twenty-seven  varieties  here  enumerated,  which  are 
all  of  the  best  and  most  useful  descriptions  in  their  seasons, 
there  are  but  two  which  do  not  thrive  luxuriantly  on  the 
tjuince  stock.  The  varieties  marked  with  an  asterisk  reipiire 
a  wall:  an  eastern  or  a  western  aspect  suits  them  well. 
Many  of  the  other  varieties  produce  finer  fruit  when  placeil 
against  walls,  but  they  do  not  absolutely  require  it. — C.  1>. 
Saundeks,  Cicsarean  Nursery,  Jersey. 


THE   POUTER  PIGEON. 

With  regard  to  the  English  l^outer,  I  believe  no  fancier 
ever  saw  the  crop  too  largo,  provided  it  was  of  the  right 
shape,  viz.,  globidar;  although  large,  it  is,  nevertheless, 
neat.  A  large  crop,  slack-winded,  is  a  great  fault ;  fanciers 
do  not  strive  to  get  huge  crops  in  sliape  like  three-cornered- 
cocked  hats  ;  but  if  they  can  get  them  round,  they  care  not 
how  huge  they  are  called,  particularly  if  it  has  a  bib  whicli 
marks  it  in  the  shape  of  a  half-moon,  well  known  to  fanciers. 

What  fancier  ever  saw  a  Pouter  with  too  slender  a  girth  ? 
Unfortunately,  in  some  measiu'e,  this  grand  property  is  lost; 
fanciers  complaining  that  they  have  to  take  both  hands  to 
them,  whereas  formerly,  comparatively  spealcing,  to  use  an 
old  term,  the  girth  woitld  pass  through  a  "  wedding  ring." 
The  Pouter  fanciers  are  exerting  their  utmost  to  restore  it, 
so  that  the  Pouter  may  appear  like  a  "  Tumbler  "  in  hand. 
The  smaller  the  girth,  greater  is  the  contrast  given  to  the 
beautiful  shape  of  the  whole  bird. 

Above  all,  what  fancier  over  saw  an  English  Pouter  too 
long  in  the  legs  ?  It  is  possible  a  Pouter  may  fall  short  of 
length  of  body,  or  feather,  but  it  is  utterly  impossible  to 
breed  a  Pouter  with  legs  too  long  ;  the  best  Pouter  fanciers 
that  ever  lived  have  tried  at  it.  Sloore,  in  1735,  says,  length 
of  leg,  seven  inches.  Mayor,  in  17B5,  length  of  leg,  some 
of  them  wanting  a  mere  tiitle  of  seven  inchcs-and-a-qiiartor. 
In  our  day,  "  talk  is  cheap,"  and  wo  hcitr  of  Pouters  seven 
inches-and-a-half  in  legs.  It  is  one  thing  to  bear  and 
another  tiling  to  see.  1  believe  Pouter  fanciers  will  think 
that  I  am  going  too  far  when  I  say  it  is  possible,  hut  very 
improbable,  that  in  England  a  l^outer  might  be  fotuid  that 
would  measirre  seven-and-a-half  inches  in  the  leg;  at  the 
same  time,  I  do  not  beUeve,  in  a  thousand  years  they  will 
breed  one  eight  inches  in  length  of  leg ;  even  if  it  was 


Januaes  12. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


287 


possible,  the  legs  cannot,  by  any  possibility,  be  too  long. 
Tlio  body,  flight,  and  tail,  might  be  too  short. 

The  epitome  of  excellence  in  an  English  Pouter  is  made 
to  consist  as  follows : — 

1.  Length  of  body. 

2.  Length  of  legs. 

3.  Neatness  of  crop.  . 

4.  Slenderness  of  girth. 

5.  Beauty  of  feather. 

Any  combination  of  three  of  these  properties  out  of  the 
five  in  a  Pouter,  shewn  against  another,  must,  if  rightly  and 
justly  awarded,  take  the  prize ;  for  instance,  one  Pouter 
shewn  against  another,  supposing  one  to  talce  the  first  three 
properties,  and  the  other  to  take  the  last  two,  to  the  former 
the  prize  ought  to  be  awarded.  It  is  quite  immaterial 
which  of  the  three  properties  a  Pouter  takes  out  of  the  five 
to  be  awarded  the  piize  ;  and  this  will,  or  ought  to  pi'evail, 
at  Metropolitan,  Ijirmingham,  and  every  other  Show,  if 
rightly  awarded. 

If  persons  prefer  Blue  Rocks  to  Almond  Tumblers, 
Skinums  to  Carriers,  or  common  house  Runts  to  English 
Pouters,  by  all  means  let  them  do  so,  but  I  cannot  agree 
with  them,  or  admire  their  taste.  In  all  shows,  wlietlier 
agricultural,  horticultural,  poultiy,  or  pigeon,  certain  well- 
defined  rules  must  be  clearly  laid  down,  or  no  judges  can 
act  in  unison,  or  give  satisfaction. — John  Matthews  Eaton, 
7,  Islhifi/on  Green,  London. 


EASY  MODE    OF  EXCLUDING  FROST. 

It  may  interest  some  of  your  readers,  who,  like  myself, 
have  only  a  cold  pit  or  frames  for  presening  half-hai-dy 
plants  during  winter,  to  know  that  I  succeeded  last  year  in 
keeping  out 'frost  by  burning  one  or  two  floating  night 
lights*  under  a  plate  of  iron,  about  a  foot  in  diameter, 
supported  about  an  inch  above  the  flame,  which  I  found 
radiated  sufiicient  heat  for  the  purpose.  I  used  castor  oil 
(costing,  wholesale,  about  4d.  per  pound),  which  is  so  free 
from  smell,  and  bums  so  pm-ely,  that  I  have  used  it  in  a 
sick  room  for  three  months,  and  at  present  bm-n  it  all  night 
in  my  bedroom. 

I  did  not  observe  any  injurious  effect  from  gases  gene- 
rated by  the  lamp,  such  as  you  seemed  to  fear  in  your 
reply  to  "  J.  S.  K.,"  page  192 ;  but  if  this  were  found  to  be 
the  case,  the  lamp  could  be  burned  in  a  close  ii'on  box,  and 
the  fumes  carried  oS  in  a  small  pipe. — A.  D.  A. 

[The  suggestion  at  the  conclusion  of  this  communication 
obviates  our  objection.  The  iron  box  might  be  made  lilce 
a  gas  stove,  with  a  tube  passing  the  whole  length  of  the  pit, 
so  that  scarcely  any  heat  would  be  lost.  There  need  be  no 
door  to  the  box,  but  the  bottom  bo  made  to  take  on  or  off 
in  the  manner  of  a  pill-box  lid. — En.  C.  G.] 


SEA   WEEDS. 

(Continued  from  page  15.) 

DASYA.—Ag. 

"  Erond  filamentous ;  fructification  two-fold  on  distinct 

plants  —  1,   ceramidia,   containing   a  tuft   of  pear-shaped 

spores ;  2,  lanceolate  pods  (stichidia),  containing  tetra-spores 

ranged  in   transverse  bauds." — Harvey.     Name  signifying 

hairy. 

1.  Dasya  coccinea  (Scarlet).  —  Stems  rather  thick  and 
hairy,  branched,  the  branches  twice  winged.  This  is  one 
of  our  most  lovely  sea  plants ;  the  colour  varying  from  pale 
pink,  in  the  early  stages  of  its  growth,  to  bright  rosy-scarlet, 
and  then  to  deep  crimson-brown.  In  this  last  state  it  does 
not  adhere  well  to  paper.   It  is  a  summer  plant,  and  annual. 

2.  D.  OCEI.LATA  (Eyed). — This  lovely  little  thing  is  found 
on  rocks  covered  with  mud,  near  low-water  mark.  It  is 
rare,  though  Mrs.  Gritflths  has  found  it  abundantly  on  the 
pier  at  Torquay.  It  is  in  little  tufts  only  one  or  two  inches 
high.  The  minute  branches  at  the  tips  of  the  fronds  are 
so  crowded  that  the  plant  looks  something  like  a  tuft  of 

*  The  best  are  German  manufacture,  a  wick  inserted  in  a  thin  slice  of 
cork,  and  cost  only  6di  for  a  large  box. 


little  brownish-red  feathers,  with  eyes ;   hence  its  name 
(ocelluta'). 

■i.  D.  ARBUSOULA  (Shrubby).  — "  The  stems  much 
branched."  They  vary  from  two  to  four  inches  in  height, 
are  of  a  red-brown,  and  the  substance  rather  soft.  "  Not 
uncommon  on  the  shores  of  Ii'eland  and  Scotland." — Hurvey. 
4.  D.  \'enusta  (Lovelyj. — I  have  never  liad  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  this  plant.  Harvey  speaks  of  it  as  cast  ou  shore 
in  summer,  and  found  in  Jersey  by  Miss  AVhite  and  Miss 
Turner.  "Annual.  Very  rare.  Stem  3 — 4  inches  high,  as 
thick  as  a  hog's  bristle,  bare  of  ramuli,  but  all  the  branches 
and  their  divisions  clothed  with  very  slender,  hair-like, 
single -tubed  ramuli.  Colour  a  fine  rose-red;  substance 
veiy  flaccid  and  tender ;  closely  adhering  to  paper.  A  beau- 
tiful species." — Harvey. 

ORDER  8.— LAURENCIACEJi;. 

"  Rosered  or  purple  Sea  Weeds." — Harvey. 

1.  BONNEMAISONIA.— ^ff.  ' 

Named  after  M.  Bonnemaison. 

BoNNEMAisONiA  Asi'AEAGOiDES  (Asparagus-liko). — A  very 


beautiful  weed,  growing  on  rocks.  The  frond  is  from  four 
to  twelve  inches  long,  and  much  branched ;  the  branches 
alternate,  with  little  slender  ramuli.  The  colour,  when 
cast  on  shore,  a  fine  scarlet,  or  rather  rose,  becoming 
darker,  or  crimson,  in  di-ying.  Harvey  remarks  that  "those 
plants  of  B.  asparagoides  found  in  the  west  of  Ireland  are 
darker,  and  also  become  darker  in  drying ;  while  in  those 
which  are  from  the  east  coast  of  Ireland  and  south  of 
England  the  colour  fades  in  di-ying."  I  have  observed  this 
tendency  to  fade  in  Scotch  specimens  also.  The  most 
beautiful  specimens  I  have  seen,  as  regards  colour,  were 
some  which  I  found  on  the  Northumberland  coast  at  Bara- 
boroug]),  opposite  the  Fam  Islands.  It  was  really  a  very 
pretty  sight  to  see  them  come  floating  in  witli  the  advancing 
tide,  and  I  watched  and  waited  long  that  none  might  escape 
me,  as  they  were  not  very  plentiful,  and  it  was  only  on  that 
one  day  that  I  found  them.  It  is  a  summer  plant,  and 
annual.  The  specimen  from  which  our  plate  is  taken  is 
from  Ireland,  and  rich  in  capsules,  which  contain  a  tuft  of 
spores. 

2.  LAURENCIA. 

Name  in  honour  of  M.  de  la  Lam-encie. 
1.  Laueencia  pinnatefhia  (Deeply-lobed). — This  plant  is 
also  annual,  and  grows  on  rocks.     It  is  common  and  very 


288 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Januaky  12. 


variable  in  its  appearance — sometimes  of  a  jellow-green,  at 
others  brown  or  purple.  Tlie  fronds  are  from  one  to  twelve 
inclies  high  ;  substance  cartilaginous.  "It  has  a  hot,  biting 
taste,  and  in  Scotland  is  called  Pepper  dulse." 

L.  c.ESPiTOs.i  (Tufted). — Frond  roundish -winged,  pyra- 
midal ;  ramuli  numerous,  often  crowded,  tapering  to  the 
base.  Growing  on  stones.  Annual.  Summer.  Common. 
Colour  dark  purple — sometimes,  when  exposed  to  the  sun, 
greenish-yellow. 

a.  L.  OBTUSA  (Blunt).— Parasitic  on  large  alga?.  Annual. 
Not  uncommon  in  England  and  Ireland,  but  more  so  in 
Scotland.  Tlie  substance  is  tender,  and  the  plant  soon 
breaks  into  pieces  if  left  long  in  fresh  water.  Tlie  fronds 
are  tufted,  ratlier  crowded,  from  three  to  six  inches  long.  I 
have  specimens  from  tlie  Cumberland  coast,  and  one  from 
Jaffa  ! 

4.  L.  DASYPHYiiA  (Hair -leaved).— "  Frond  filiform,  irre- 
gularly branched  ;  ramuli  short,  club-shaped,  obtuse,  very 
much  attenuate  at  base  ;  colour  pale  pink." — Harvey. 

5.  L.  TENUissniA  (Thinnest).— On  rocks  and  alguB.  Very 
rare.     Colour  pale  pm-ple,  or  red. 

S.  CHRYSYMENIA.— X  A<j. 

1.  Chrvsymenia  CLAVELLOSA  (Club -Spotted ). — The  frond 
of  this  delicate  and  lovely  weed  is  gelatinous,  and  from 
three  to  twelve  inches  high,  very  much  branched,  and  of  a 
beautiful  crimson-pink.  AVhen  placed  in  fresh  water  for  a 
time  it  assumes  a  yellow  or  orange  tint,  whence  its  generic 
name,  from  two  words,  signifying  golden  and  a  membrane. 
It  is  not  very  common,  but  I  have  frequently  had  it  from 
the  Isle  of  Man,  through  the  lundness  of  my  friend,  3Iiss 
Heslop. 

2.  C.  Oecadensis  (Orkney).— "At  Skail,  Orkney,  Miss 
Watt.  The  specimens  yet  seen  of  this  supposed  species  are 
insufacient  to  establish  its  character  fully." — Harvey. 

4.  CHYLOCLADIA.— ffi-TO. 

"  Frond  tubular,  constricted  at  regular  intervals,  and 
divided  into  chambers.  Name  from  two  words,  signifying 
juice  and  a  branch." 

1.  Chylocladia  oViiLis  (Oval). — On  rocks,  sometimes  on 
other  alga;.  An  annual,  and  not  uncommon  on  the  English 
and  Irish  shores.  From  two  to  ten  inches  high  ;  cartilagi- 
nous; the  branches  set  with  oval  ramuli  of  a  purplish 
colour. 

3.  C.  KALiFOEMis  ( Kali-shapcd).— The  subslancc  is  gela- 
tinous, and  the  form  that  of  a  tube  constricted  at  intervals, 
with  the  branches  in  whorls.  Fronds  from  four  to  eighteen 
inches  long ;  colour  purpli.sh-red,  often  a  pale  greenish- 
yellow.     Frequent  on  rocks  and  alga;. 

0.  C.  KEFLEXA  (Bent-back). — l>ond  of  a  purple  colour, 
and  membranaceous.  The  lower  branches  are  arched,  and 
attach  themselves  by  short  processes.  This  plant  is  very 
rare.  A  specimen  I  have  from  ilrs.  Ealfs  is  the  only  one 
I  have  seen.     It  has  been  found  near  Ilfracombo. 

4.  C.  I'AKVOT.A  (Little). — A  parasite  on  the  smaller  alga;. 
Gelatinous  and  slender ;  colour  a  fine  red. 

0.  C.  AETicuLATA  (Joiutpd).  —  Like  the  preceding,  this 
plant  springs  from  a  tuft  of  fibres.  It  is  very  much 
branched  and  bushy;  colour  a  pink-red,  and  the  frond  filled 
with  thin  gelatine.  S.  B. 

(Til  Tie  conlhiucil.) 


POULTRY  NOTES. 

DISEASED   PIGEONS. 

A  cOEEEsroNDENT  wishod  to  know  how  to  treat  the  disease 
termed  "  going  light,"  when  I'igeons  are  ill,  moping  about 
inanimate,  and  gradually  wasting  away.  I  have  always 
found  fat  of  some  sort  to  be  an  excellent  restorative ;  for 
instance,  a  few  pills  of  fresh  butter,  suet,  or  pork-fat,  about 
the  size  of  a  pea,  put  down  their  throats  on  alternate  days, 
a  few  times  ;  and,  if  practicable,  allow  them  to  run  in  the 
garden.  Though  Pigeons  are  iiot  carniverous,  I  have  known 
some  exceedingly  fund  of  hara-fnt,  which  they  devoured 
greedily,  and  apparently  much  to  their  well-being. 

Your  correspondent  seems  to  doubt  the  fact  that  Pigeons 


are  fond  of  green  food.  I  am  well  aware  that  those  that 
have  never  had  an  opportunity  of  pecking  about  in  a  garden, 
and  are,  consequently,  ignorant  of  such  food,  will  necessarily 
express  no  fondness  for  salad ;  but  Pigeons  are,  never- 
theless, naturally  very  fond  of  some  plants,  such  as  young 
peas,  lettuces,  savoys,  cabbage,  and  the  young  tops  of  Swede 
turnips.  Eough-leaved  plants,  such  as  mustard  and  white 
turnips,  they  reject. 

SPANGLED   HAMBURGH  FOWLS. 

In  giving  the  Lancashire  Pailes  for  judging  the  Pheasant 
Fowls,  or,  as  you  call  them.  Spangled  Hamburghs,  I  beg  to 
say  it  is  a  mistake  to  call  those  therein  named  Creels,  Silver 
I'encilled,  for  by  carefully  reatUng  that  rule  you  will  find 
them  to  be  what  I  suspect  you  would  condemn  as  bad  Silver 
Spangled ;  they  are,  in  other  words,  'White-necked  Silver 
Pheasants;  their  difterence  from  the  Jloon  Pheasants  con- 
sists in  their  having  wliite  necks  and  breasts  ;  and  the  black 
markings  being  simply  designated  spots,  not  moons,  the 
Moon  Pheasants  having  dark  markings  in  their  hackles, 
and  moons  (round  spots)  on  their  breasts  ;  thus  you  will 
perceive  there  are  four  classes  of  Pheasant  Fowls,  or 
Spangled  Hamburghs,  Golden  Pheasants,  Copper,  or  lied 
Moon  Pheasants,  Creels,  or  Silver  Pheasants,  and  Silver 
Moon  Pheasants.  Now,  as  no  Poultry  Book,  that  1  have 
seen,  has  collected  all  the  rules  for  judging  these  varieties, 
consequently,  a  judge  that  prefers,  or,  perhaps,  only  knows 
one,  may  be  excused  for  having  a  predilection  when  both 
are  shown  in  one  class. 

COMBS  OF  DORKINGS. 

I  EEAE  my  remarks  on  the  combs  of  Dorkings,  published 
some  time  back,  were  misunderstood.  When  I  said  they 
ought  to  be  Eose-combed,  I  meant  the  old  Dorkings  of 
white  plumage,  the  fowls  originally  bred  at  Dorking,  in 
Surrey.  The  single-combed  birds  that  occasionally  appear 
among  them,  I  believe  to  arise  from  the  practice  formerly 
so  frequent  of  crossing  with  a  game  cock  to  improve  a  worn- 
out  stock.  The  Grey,  I  am  aware,  may  be  either  single, 
cupped,  or  rose-combed,  according  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
breeder,  but  as  these  are  descended  from  the  old  Sussex 
fowl,  I  do  not  consider  them  as  ti'ue  Dorkings,  even  though 
they  have  generally  assumed  the  name. 

CHICKENS  FROM  PULLETS  &  COCKERELS. 
You  wished  to  know  the  sex  of  chickens  bred  from  birds 
of  the  preceding  year.  My  Shanghaes,  from  a  cockerel  of 
Anster  Bonus,  hatched  in  March,  IS-J'J,  and  pullets  of 
April  and  JNIay,  of  the  same  year,  have  produced  as  follows : — 
First  broods,  thirty-three  chicken,  sixteen  cockerels,  and 
seventeen  pullets  ;  second  broods,  twenty-five  chicken,  seven 
cockerels,  and  eighteen  pullets. 

ROUP. 

The  various  discussions  on  this  malady  of  the  poultry- 
yard,  concerning  its  contagion,  or  non-contagion,  appear 
rather  to  have  passed  the  bounds  nf  amity.  I  believe  there 
is  some  truth  on  both  sides,  thus — influenza,  or  any  cold, 
is  at  once  set  down  as  Koup ;  and  it  is  here,  I  think,  the 
error  originates. 

l^utrid  Pioup  I  consider  similar'  to  glanders  in  horses,  and 
very  contagious  ;  still  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  that  even 
were  a  roupy  fowl  placed  in  a  healthy  run,  and  clean,  airy 
fowl-house,  where  tiiero  was  no  predisposing  cause,  the 
contagion  mhjht.  not  spread,  so  powerful  are  circumstances ; 
but  I  should,  by  no  means,  like  to  try  the  experiment  with 
valuable  fowls. — B.  P.  Bekni,  Bcssels  Green,  Sevcmm/ts. 


POULTRY  EXHIBITIONS. 

CoENWALL  Poultry  Exiiihition. — This  was  held  in  the 
Corn  Jtarket,  l^enzancc,  on  the  STth  and  3(Sth  of  December. 
The  following  is  the 

prize  list, 
in  reading  which  it  should  he  borne  in  mind,  that  where  two 
classes  exist  for  the  same  brood  of  fowl,  the  first-mentioned 


Januaiiy  13. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


289 


are  birds  above  a  year  old,  and  the  last  those  hatched 
ia  18;VJ. 

Spanish.— Second  prize,  Mr,  J.  Fox,  Rosevale,  Penzance.  Ditto.— 
Second  prize,  l\Ir.  W.  Lawrence,  Rosemorran. 

CoLOUEED  Dorkings.— First  prize,  G,  Williama,  Esq.,  Trevince. 
Ditto.— First  prize,  G.  William,  Esq.,  Trevince.  Second  prize,  W. 
Bolitho,  Esq.,  Chyandour. 

White  Dorkings.— Second  prize,  A.  Smith,  Esq.,  Scilly.  Ditto.— 
First  prize,  A.  Smith,  Esq.,  Scilly.     Second  prize,  ditto.  ] 

Buii'F  AND  Cinnamon  Siianghaes.— First  prize,  Mr,  W.  Lawrence,  j 
Rosemorran.     Second  prize,   Mr.  J.  R-  Uranwell,   Penzance.     Ditto.—  , 
First  prize,    Rev.   W.  W.    Winpfield,    Gulval.     Second   prize,   Mr.  T. 
Gittus,  Goldsithney,  and  Mr.  Welch,  Penzance.  I 

BaowN  AND  Parteidge-i'katiiered  Shangiiaes. — Second  prize, 
Mr.  T.  Gittus,  Goldsithney.     Ditto.— First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro,  i 

White  Shangiiaes.— Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Lawrence,  Rosemorran,  ' 
Gulval.     Ditto.— First  prize.  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield,  Gulval.    Second 
prize,  Mr.  W.  Lawrence,  Rosemorran. 

Malays.— First  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  Mayne,  Penzance. 

Game  Fowl. — First  prize,  E.  H.  Rodd,  Esq.,  Penzance.  Second 
prize.  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield,  Gulval.  Highly  commended,  ditto. 
Uitto. — First  and  second  prizes,  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield,  and  P.  Grenfell, 
Esq. 

GoLDEN-PENCiLLEn  Hahburgii. — Second  prize,  P.  Grenfell,  Esq., 
Gulval  fyoung  birds). 

SiLVER-PENCiLLBD  H AMBURGii.— Sccond  prizc,  P.  Grenfell,  Esq., 
Gulval.     Ditto.— Second  prize,  P.  Grenfell,  Esq. 

SiLVER-sp ANGLED  H AMBURGII. — Second  prizc,  P.  Grenfell,  Esq. 
Ditto. — Second  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro. 

PoLANDS  (Black  with  white  crests).— Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  Fox, 
Rosevale. 

GoLDKN  PoLANDS.— First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro.  Ditto. — 
First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro. 

Silver  Polands. — Second  prize,  G.  Williams,  Esq.,  Trevince. 
Ditto. — Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  Fox,  Rosevale. 

Polands  (Any  other  variety).- First  prize,  Mr.  Lawrence,  Rose- 
morran. 

Bantams.— First  prize,  G.  Williams,  Esq.  (Silver-laccd).  Firat 
prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro.     (White.) 

Geesb. — First  prize.  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield,  Gulval.  Second  prize, 
G.  Williams,  Esq.  Third  prize,  Mr.  H.  Trembath,  junr.,  Bosereage, 
Gulval.  Ditto.— First  prize,  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield,  Gulval.  Second 
prize,  ditto. 

White  Aylesbury  Ducks.  —  First  prize,  J.  S.  Bedford,  Esq., 
Pendrea.     First  prize,  Mr.  E,  Burton,  Truro.     (Young  birds.) 

Rouen  Ducks. — First  prize,  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield.  Second  prize, 
T.  S.  Bolitho,  junr.,  Esq.,  Penalverne,  Penzance. 

Ducks  (Any  other  variety).— First  prize,  J.  S.  Bedford,  Esq.,  Pendrea. 
Second  prize,  A.  Smith,  Esq.,  Scilly. 

Turkeys. — First  and  second  prizes,  G.  Williams,  Esq.,  Trevince, 
Ditto. — First  prize,  G.  Williams,  Esq. 

Pigeons. — First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro  (Black  Carriers)  ;  ditto, 
ditto     (White    Pouters);    ditto,    ditto   (Buff  Jacohines)  ;    ditto,    ditto 
(Yellow- shouldered  Turbits,   crested  ;  ditto,  ditto  (Silver  Owls).     First 
prize,    Mr.    J.   Fox,   Rosevale  (Nuns);  ditto,    ditto   (Fawn   Tumblers). 
First  prize,  G.  Williams,  Esq.,  Trevince  (Runts) ;  ditto,  ditto  (Almond 
Tumblers).     First  prize.  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield  (Fantails);  ditto,   ditto 
(Archangels).     First  prize.   Rev.   T.  Phillpotts,  Portbgwidden  (Trum- 
peters).    Highly    commended.— Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield  (Runts) ;   Mr. 
C.    Ellis,    Hayle  (Fantails);  Mr.   E.   Burton,   Truro   (Silver  Turbits);   I 
Rev.  W.  W.   Wingfield,   Gulval  (Nuns);  and   Mr.   E.    Burton,   Truro 
(Nuns).     Commended.— Mr.    H.    Baynard   (White   Fantails);    Mr.    E. 
Burton,  Truro,  ditto;  Mr.  J.    Fox,   Rosevale  (White  Jacobines) ;  ditto  j 
(Trumpeters);    ditto   (Owls);    and    Mr.     E.    Burton,   Truro,  (Almond  : 
Tumblers). 

Extra  Stock. — First  prize,  W.  Bolitho,  Esq.,  Chyandour  (Peacock  I 
and  Hen).     First  prize,  Rev,  W.  W.  Wingfield,   Gulval  (coloured  Call 
Drake  and  Duck).    First  prize,  E.  H.  Rodd,  Esq.,  Penzance  (Cock  and 
two  Hens,  common  Pheasants). 

Some  notes  promised  on  this  Exhibition  have  not  yet 
reached  ua. 

HONITON     AND     EasT     DeVON     POULTRY     EXHIBITION.  — 

— The  Second  Annual  Exhibition  of  the  Honiton  and  East 
Devon  Association  for  the  Improvement  of  Domestic 
Poultry  was  held  at  Honiton,  on  Wednesday  and  Thurs- 
day, theUHth  and  2!Jth  December,  in  the  Market  House  aud 
Poulti'y  Market  adjoining,  which  had  been  covered  in  with 
glass,  and  fitted  up  for  the  occasion,  and  everything  done 
to  render  it  comfortable  for  the  birds  and  commodious  for 
the  visitors.  The  weather,  unfortunately,  was  very  unpro- 
pitious,  a  heavy  snow-storm  having  fallen  on  the  day 
previous  to  the  Show,  followed  by  a  severe  frost,  which 
deteiTed.  many  from  visiting  the  Exhibition.  But,  notwith- 
standing, the  attendance  was  very  good  on  the  first  day,  and 
on  the  second  the  numbers  were  largely  increased.  418 
pens  of  birds  were  entered  for  competition,  and  the  quality 
of  the  classes,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two,  was  such  as 
has  rarely  been  brought  together  at  any  Provincial  Show. 

The  Pen  of  Spavlah,  which  took  the  first  prize  in  class 
1,  contained  hens  of  sni'passing  excellence;  and  the  Cock- 
erel in  the  first  prize  pen  of  Class  9  was  a  bird  of  con- 
siderable merit.  The  Coloured  Dorklnffs  were  particularly 
fine.  The  Cochin-Chiuas  were,  as  usual,  the  most  numerous. 
The  Buff  Chicken  class  was,  however,  the  centre  of  attrac- 


tion, as  it  contained  the  rival  pens  of  Captain  Snell,  of 
London,  and  Mr.  Channing,  of  Heaviti'ee  ;  the  foimer  gen- 
tleman having,  through  the  local  papers,  challenged  his 
birds  against  those  of  all  the  amateurs  in  Devon  aod  Corn- 
wall, which  was  accepted  by  the  latter.  Tlie  pens  exhibited 
by  both  gentlemen  were  nnusually  fine,  and  although  Capt. 
Snell  carried  off  the  palm,  Mr.  Channing  may  well  be  proud 
of  his  birds  ;  and  many  of  the  otlier  pens  in  this  class  were 
of  sufficient  merit  to  have  secured  for  them  a  prize  at  almost 
any  local  Show.  The  Mulai/s  were  a  very  good  class,  and 
showed  that  in  spite  of  the  favour  which  their  more  recently 
imported  neighbours  have  enjoyed,  they  still  retain  some 
kind  patrons  and  friends.  The  Birmingham  Prize  birds, 
"  Wallace"  and  "  Lord  Lilliput,"  appeared  in  this  class. 

The  GaDw  Fowls,  in  all  their  varieties,  were  admirably 
represented,  particularly  in  the  Chicken  class. 

The  Hamhurghs,  with  their  gay  and  varied  plumage,  were, 
in  all  their  classes,  of  great  merit. 

The  Polands  were  few  in  number,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  two  or  three  pens,  not  remarkable  either  for  size  or  beauty. 

The  Turkeys,  Geese,  aud  iJitcks  were  all  good,  particularly 
the  latter.  In  the  Ayleshimj  class  the  competition  was 
unusually  severe. 

The  Bantams  comprised  almost  every  variety,  and  were 
well  represented,  and  among  them  was  a  pen  of  Silky  Japan 
Fatal s. 

The  Pigeons  were  numerous,  and,  from  their  beauty  and 
rarity,  formed  a  very  interesting  part  of  the  Exhibition. 

The  prizes  for  Dead  Poultry  were  a  new  feature.  The 
entries  were,  however,  comparatively  few,  and  the  poultry 
not  of  first-rate  quality.  The  Exhibition  closed  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Thursday,  and,  with  very  few 
exceptions,  the  birds  were  dispatched  to  their  resi:)ective 
homes  the  same  evening.  The  Judge  was  E.  Hewitt,  Esq., 
Sparkbrook,  near  Birmingham. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  awards  : 

Spanish. — Class  1. — Cock  and  two  Hens.  (8  pens.)  8.  First  prize, 
James  E.  IVIarshall,  Belmont,  Taunton,  Somerset.  1.  Second  prize, 
Boughton  Kingdon,  Upper  Paul-street,  Exeter.  (Whole  class  meri- 
torious.)    Class  ii. — Cock  and  two  Pullets,  cliicken  of  1853.     (12  pens.) 

10.  First  prize,    Miss   Dyott,    2,   Toiwood    Mount,    Torquay,    Devon. 

11.  Second  prize,  W.  J.  Square,  14,  Portland  Square,  Plymouth. 
Dorking  (Coloured). — Class  3. — Cock  and  two  Hens.     (9  pens.) 

21.  First  prize,  J.  F.  Pearse,  Lower  Slewton,  Whimple,  Devon.  26. 
Second  prize,  Mrs.  Brunei,  Watcombe,  Torquay,  Devon.  Class  4. — 
Cock  anil  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (18  pens.)  31.  First  prize,  J. 
R.  Rodbard,  Aldwick  Court,  Wrington,  Bristol.  40.  Second  prize,  J. 
H.  Townsend,  Ashfield,  Honiton,  Devon. 

Dorking  (White).— C/a,vs  5.— Cock  and  two  Hens.  (4  pens.)  50. 
First  prize,  C.  Edwards,  Brislington,  Bristol,  51.  Second  prize,  Miss 
Wilcox,  Nailsea  Court,  Bristol.  Class  C— Cock  and  two  Pullets, 
chicken  of  1853.  (2  pens.)  52.  First  prize,  Rliss  Fanny  Patteson, 
Feniton  Court,  Honiton,  Devon.     (Second  prize  withheld.) 

CocHiN-CiHNA  (Cinnamon  and  Boff). — Cltiss  7. — Cock  and  two 
Hens.  (13  pens.)  54.  First  prize,  W.  L.  Channing,  Heavitree,  Exeter. 
62.  Second  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street,  Glastonbury,  Somerset.  Class 
8.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (32  pens.)  92.  First  prize, 
Capt.  Snell,  St.  Swithin's  Lane,  London.  91.  Second  prize,  W.  L. 
Chcnning,  Heavitree,  Exeter.     (The  whole  class  highly  meritorious.) 

Cochin-China  (White).— CVu.vs  9.— Cock  and  two  Hens.  (6  pens). 
102.  Second  prize,  F.  J.  Coleridge,  The  Cottage,  Ottery  St.  Mary,  Devon. 
(The  first  prize  withheld.)  Class  ]0. — Cock  aud  two  Pullets,  chicken 
of  1853.  (4  pens.)  108.  First  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street,  Glastonbury, 
Somerset.     I07.  Second  prize,  James  Turner,  Northhrook,  Exeter. 

Cochin-China  (Black,  Brown,  and  Partridge).  —  C/uss  II. — 
Cock  and  two  Hens.  (4  pens).  109-  First  prize,  Miss  Dyott,  2,  Torwood 
Mount,  Torquay,  Devon.  (Black.)  1 10.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Madge, 
Gittisham,  Honiton,  Devon.  (Partridge.)  Cla^s  12. — Cock  and  two 
Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (IQpens.)  125.  First  prize,  Capt.  Snell,  St. 
Swithin'a  Lane,  London.  (Partridge.)  124.  Second  prize,  Thomas 
Bridges,  Croydon,  Surrey.     (Partridge.) 

Malay. — Class  13. — Cock  and  two  Hens.  (6  pens.)  132.  FiroC  prize, 
Charles  Ballance,  5,  Mount  Terrace,  Taunton,  Somerset.  135.  Second 
prize,  William  Manfield,  Dorchester.  Class  14. — Coek  and  two  Pullets, 
chicken  of  1853.  (6  pens.)  138.  First  prize,  Charles  Ballance,  5,  Mount 
Terrace,  Taunton,  Somerset.  140.  Second  prize,  Edmund  Stamp, 
Honiton,  Devon. 

Game. — Class  15. — Cock  and  two  Hens.  (I6  pens.)  145.  First  prize, 
,T.  K.  Rodbard,  Aldwick  Court,  Wrington.  Bristol.  156.  Second  prize, 
Charles  Edwards,  Brislington,  Bristol.  (The  whole  class  meritorious.) 
Class  16.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (!2  pens.)  168. 
First  prize,  .T.  F.  Mortimer,  Mill-street,  Plymouth,  Devon.  170.  Second 
prize,  Edmund  Timms,  Stoke  Bishop,  Bristol.  (The  whole  class  unusually 
meritorious.) 

Golden-pencilled  Hamburgh. — Class  17- — Cock  and  two  Hens. 
(9  pens.)  172.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Devenish,  Honiton,  Devon.  175.  W. 
W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbot,  Tavistock,  Devon.  Class  18.— Cock  and  two 
Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (G  pens.)  181.  First  prize,  Miss  F.  Patteson, 
Feniton  Court,  Honiton,  Devon.  185.  Second  prize,  Charles  Hoxley, 
Norwood  House,  Honiton,  Devon. 

Golden-spangled  Hamburgh. — Class  ig. — Cock  and  two  Hens. 
Opens.)     193.  First  prize,  Charles  C.  Templer,  Bridport,  Dorset.     192. 


290 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  12. 


Second  prize,  Charles  C.  Templer,  Briciport,  Dorset.  Class  20.— Cock 
and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (8  pens.)  198.  First  prize,  W.  K. 
Sprap??e,  The  Quarry,  Paignton,  Devon.  201.  Second  prize,  C.  C. 
Tempier,  Bridport,  Dorset.     (An  exceedingly  good  class.) 

Silver-pencilled  Uxmbv^gu.— Class  21,— Cock  and  two  Hens. 
(7  pens.)  204.  First  prize,  F.  H.  Aberdein,  Honiton,  Devon.  208. 
Second  prize,  \V.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Ahbot,  Tavistock.  Devon.  Class 
22.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (G  pens.)  212.  First  prize, 
F.  H.  Aberdein,  Honiton,  Devon.  211.  Second  prize,  Miss  F.  Patteson, 
Feniton  Court,  Honiton,  Devon. 

Silver-spangled  Hamburgh.— C/ews  23.— Cock  and  two  Hens, 
(9  pens.)  222.  First  prize,  C.  C.  Templer,  Bridport,  Dorset.  221.  Second 
prize,  Charles  Edwards,  Brislington,  Bristol.  (The  whole  class  well  re- 
presented.) Clasx  24.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (9  pens.) 
230.  First  prize,  Frank  Page,  Tor,  Torquay,  Devon.  232,  Second  prize, 
C,  C.  Templer,  Bridport,  Dorset. 

Black  Poland  (with  White  Crests).- C^oss  25.— Cock  and  two 
Hena.  (3  pens.)  236.  First  prize,  James  P.  Hine,  Thickthom,  Ilminster, 
Somerset.  23".  Second  prize,  James  Newick,  Hinton  St.  George, 
Ilminster,  Somerset.  Class  26.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853. 
(3  pens.)  239.  Second  prize,  Henry  Hine,  Bedford  Brewery,  Plymouth, 
Devon.     (First  prize  withheld.) 

Golden  Poland.— C/«.s.5  27.— Cock  and  two  Hens.  (3  pens.)  243. 
First  prize,  Robert  H.  Bush,  Litfield  House,  Clifton,  Bristol.  (Second 
prize  withheld.)  Class  28.— Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853. 
(5  pens.)  248.  First  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street,  Glastonbury,  Somerset. 
245.  Second  prize,  Charles  Edwards,  Brislington,  Bristol. 

Silver  Poland.— C/«ss  29.- Cock  and  two  Hens.  (3  pens,)  251 
First  prize,  Cyrus  Clark,  Street,  Glastonbury,  Somerset.  249.  Second 
prize,  W.  W.  Rowc.  Newton  Abl)ot,  Tavistock,  Devon.  Class  30.— 
Cock  and  two  Pullets,  chicken  of  1853.  (3  pens.)  252.  First  prize, 
Charles  E.  Coleridge,  Eton  College.  253.  Second  prize,  Charles  Edwards, 
Brislington,  Bristol. 

Bantams  (Gold  and  Silver-laced).— C/oss  31. — Cock  and  two 
Hens.  (10  pens.)  258.  First  prize,  Joseph  Goodenough,  Godmanstone, 
Dorset.    260.   Second  prize,  J.  G.  Gully,  Queen-street,  Exeter. 

Bantams  (Black,  White,  and  any  other  variety).— C/ass  33.— 
Cock  and  two  Hens.  (18  pens.)  283.  First  prize,  William  Connett, 
270,  Hight-street,  Exeter.  281.  Second  prize,  William  Connett,  270, 
Hight-street,  Exeter. 

TvRKE\s.— Class  33.— Cock  and  one  Hen.  (13  pens.)  291.  First 
prize,  Charles  Edwards,  Brislington,  Bristol.  285.  Second  prize,  I\Irs. 
GrifBn,  Holmsley  Farm,  Monkton,  Honiton,  Devon.  (Competition 
good.) 

Geese.— C/(tss  34,— Gander  and  one  Goose.  (5  pens,)  296.  First 
prize,  Thomas  Valentine,  Upottery,  Honiton,  Devon.  3O0.  Second 
prize,  W.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbot,  "Tavistock,  Devon. 

Ducks  (White  Aylesbury).— C/«,?s  35.— Drake  and  two  Ducks. 
(IS  pens.)  311.  First  prize,  W.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbot,  Tavistock, 
Devon.    318.  Second  prize,  Miss  Wilcox,  Nailsea  Court,  Bristol. 

Ducks. —Class  36.— Drake  and  two  Ducks.  (10  pens.)  322.  First 
prize,  T.  J.  Bremridge,  Penrose  Villa,  Heavitree,  Exeter.  326.  Second 
prize,  W.  W.  Rowe,  Miltim  Abbot,  Tavistock,  Devon. 

Pigeons.— C/ftss  37-  Carriers.  (7  pens.)  329,  W.  L.  Channing, 
Heavitree,  Exeter.  Class  38.— Tumblers.  (4  pens.)  336.  W.  L. 
Channing,  Heavitree,  Exeter.  339.  Commended.- J.  B.  Chune,  Coal- 
brookdale,  Salop.  C/«.s.s' 39.— Nuns.  (8  pens.)  341.  W.  L.  Channing, 
Heavitree,  Exeter.  Class  40.— Archangels.  (3  pens.)  350.  J,  B. 
Chune,  Coalbrookdale,  Salop.  Class  41.— Jacobincs.  (5  pens.)  353. 
W.  L.  Channing,  Heavitree,  Exeter.  Class  42.— Fantail.  (9  pens.) 
361.  Charles  Edwards,  Brislington,  Bristol.  Class  43.— Runts.  (2  pens.) 
365.  Rev.  E.  E.  Coleridge,  Buckcrell  Vicarage,  Honiton,  Devon.  Class 
44.— Any  other  v.ariety.  (21  pens.)  387.  J.  B,  Chune,  Coalbrookdale, 
Salop.  (Australian  Porcelain.)  386.  Highly  commended.— Charles 
Bluett,  Taunton,  Somerset.     (Magpies.) 

Dead  Poultry.— C/h-ss  45.— Turkey.  (5  entries.)  389,  and  390. 
First  and  second  prizes,  Sirs.  Gritfin,  Holmsley  Farm,  Monkton, 
Honiton,  Devon.  C/(«s  4G.— Cockerels.  (Sentries.)  397.  First  prize, 
Wm.  Brown,  Red  Gate  Farm,  Shute,  Devon.  394.  Second  prize,  Mrs. 
Vern,  Upton  Cottage,  Payhenbury,  Devon.  396.  Highly  commended. 
—James  Cousley,  Homlet,  near  Honiton,  Devon.  Class  47. — Pullets. 
(4  entries.)  -lOl.  First  prize.  Dr.  Rogers,  Honiton,  Devon.  400.  Second 
prize,  Mrs.  Banfield,  Wadhayes  Farm,  near  Honiton,  Devon.  Class  48. 
— Goose.  (Sentries.)  404.  First  prize,  Clement  Griffin,  Luppltt,  Devon. 
406.  Second  prize,  Thomas  Griffin,  J-up])itt,  Devon.  Class  49.— Ducks. 
(3  entries.)  409.  First  prize,  Clifford  Shirreff,  Yardbury,  Colyton, 
Devon.    410.  Second  prize,  Thomas  Griffin,  Luppitt,  Devon. 

Saltseuky  and  Western  Counties. — This  took  place  on 
the  r)th  and  0th  instant.  Very  great  credit  is  due  to  the 
Honorary  Secretary  for  the  success  attending  it.  Thehirds 
were  exceedingly  well  attended  to,  and  the  rooms  of  the 
Council  niinniber  attbrded  a  well -lighted  and  comfortable 
arena.  Mr.  Andrews,  of  Dorchester,  was  to  have  been  one 
of  the  .Tudges,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Hinxman,  of  Durn- 
ford  House,  but  being  absent,  unavoidably,  his  place  was 
supplied  by  Mr.  Higgs,  of  Southampton.  The  SUver  Cup, 
we  suppose,  will  be  given  to  Mrs.  Mills,  as  the  winner  of  the 
greatest  nuoiber  of  first  prizes.  Spanish  fowls  were  indif- 
ferently represented ;  Coloured  Dorkingfi  were  better,  and 
Wliite  Dorkintfn  wore  most  excellent.  Mrs.  Mills  exliibits 
birds  in  this  class  which  in  stoutness  ai'e  seldom  equalled. 
In  ShiinffJiaeSj  or  Cochin-Chinas,  the  BuSs  and  Browns  were 
good  and  numerous ;  but  there  were  only  three  pens  of 
AVhite,  and  tlie  same  number  of  Black.  Malays  were  mode- 
rate ;  Giime  but  little  better  ;  and  all  the  7-Iambur<fh  classes 
were  below  an  average.  The  Polands  were  few,  but  some 
good  birds  were  among  them.      In  the    Cross-breeds^  the 


chickens  of  Mr.  Fookes  fully  realize  what  we  have  advo 
catcd  as  the  result  of  a  union  between  the  Sbanghae  and 
Dorking — the  breasts  were  largely  developed.  The  Ban- 
tams were  all  indifferent.  The  Ge(?s(.' most  excellent;  those 
which  took  the  first  i^nze  weighed  '-'1  lbs.  each,  and  those 
to  which  the  second  was  awarded  weighed  19  lbs.  Ducks 
of  aU  the  classes  were  good,  and  the  Turkeys  were  still  more 
superior.  In  the  class  for  any  distinct  variety,  the  JVhite 
Pohinds  of  Mrs.  Assheton  Smith  were  very  superior,  and  in 
admirable  condition.  In  Class  51,  the  Crow  fowls,  we  think. 
are  only  bad  black  Game  fowls,  but  Miss  Bathui'St's  Silk 
Fowls  were  of  the  best  we  ever  saw. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Prizes  : 

Spanish.— Class  1. — Exceeding  one-year-old.  6.  First  prize,  Mr.  T. 
Pain,  Salisbury.  2.  Second  prize,  Dlr.  James  Crane,  jun.,  Tolpuddle, 
Dorset.    Age,  two  years. 

Spanish.— Class  2.— Chickens  of  1S53.  17.  First  prize,  Mr.  P.  P. 
Cother,  Salisbury.  Cockerel  hatched  May  20,  1853;  pullets,  June  20. 
16.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Clark,  Hartley  Row. 

Dorking  (Coloured). — Class  3. — Exceeding'  one-year-old.  23. 
First  prize,  Mrs.  Finch  Noycs,  L.iverstock.  26.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Jos. 
Symonds,  Gonvell,  near  Dorchester.     Ape,  one  year  si.i  months. 

Dorking  (Coloured).— Class  4.— Chickens  of  1853.  32.  First 
prize,  Mrs.  Finch  Noyes,  Salisbury.  31.  Second  prize,  Mr.  R.  Genge, 
Waterson,  near  Dorchester. 

Dorking  (White). — Class  5. — Exceeding  one-year-old.  46.  First 
prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne.     47.  Second  prize,  ditto. 

Dorking  (White). — Class  6. — Chickens  of  1853.  52.  First  prize, 
Mrs.  Besant,  Blilborne  St.  Andrews,  Dorset.  A^^y  seven  months.  51. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Fookes. 

CocHiN-CniNA  (Cinnamon  and  Buff). — Class  7. — Escecdingr  one- 
year-old.  66.  First  prize,  Mr.  James  Crane,  jun.,  Tolpuddle,  Dorset. 
54.  Second  prize,  Mr.  F.  T.  Kelsey,  Lavington  House,  Devizes. 

Cochin-China  (Cinnamon  and  Buff). — Class 8. — Chickens  of  1853. 
64.  First  prize,  Mr.  W.  Flight.  Winchester.  Age,  seven  months.  66. 
Second  prize.  Mr.  H.  Fooks,  Whitchurch,  Blandford.  Age,  cock,  seven 
months  ;  pullets,  nine  ditto. 

Cochin-China  {Brown  and  Partridge  Feathered). — Class  9. — 
Exceeding  one-year-old.  81.  Second  prize,  Mr,  Woodcock,  Fugglcstone. 

Cochin-China  (Brown  and  Partridge  Featherf.d). — Class  10. — 
Chickens  of  1853.  91.  First  prize,  Mr.  Wra.  Cave,  Hartley  Row,  Hants, 
Age,  seven  months.  85.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Edwards,  Lyndhurst  Sta- 
tion.   Age,  nine  months. 

Cochin-China  (WhiteI.— Class  11.— Exceeding  one-year-old.  93. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Flight,  Winchester. 

Cochin-China  (White).- Class  12.— Chickens  of  1S53.  O-I.  First 
prize,  Mr.  Flight,  Winchester.  95.  Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  Lyne, 
Malmesbury. 

Cochin-China  (Black).— Class  13.— Birds  exceeding  one-year-old. 
96.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne. 

Cochin-China  (Black). — Class  14.— Chickens  of  1853.  97-  First 
prize,  Mr.  Flight,  Winchester.    98-  Mr.  Lyne,  Malmeshury. 

Malay. — Class  15. — Birds  exceeding  one-year-old.  102.  First  prize, 
Mr.  Woodcock,  Wilton.     103.  Second  prize,  Mr.  C.  Coles,  Fareham. 

Malay. — Class  16. — Chickens  of  1853.  105.  First  prize,  Mr.  Dawkins, 
Salisbury.  104.  Second  prize,  Miss  Lewis,  Martyr  Worthy,  Winchester. 
Age,  seven  months. 

Game  Fowl  (White,  Piles,  Duckwings,  and  Greys).— Class  17. 
Birds  exceeding  one-year-old.  111.  First  prize,  Mr.  Mundy,  Win- 
chester. (Duekwing.)  113.  First  prize,  Mr.  Blake,  Castle-street,  Salisbury. 
108.  Mr.  Thos.  Hall,  Newport,  Isle  of  White.     (Duekwing.) 

Game  Fowl  (White,  Piles,  Duckwings,  and  Greys). — Class  18. 
Chickens  of  1953.  118.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Mundy,  Winchester. 
(Duekwing.)    Age,  nine  months. 

Game  Fowl  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds). — Class  19. — 
Exceeding  one-year-old.  121.  Second  priz.e,  Mr.  Thomas  Hale,  Newport, 
Isle  of  Wight. 

Game  Fowl  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds). — Class  20. — 
Chickens  of  1853.  125.  First  prize.  Mr.  T.  Hale,  Newport,  Isle  of  Wight. 
Red.  Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  Stratton,  Bodenham.  Age,  Cock,  nine 
months  ;  Pullets,  seven  ditto. 

Golden-pencilled  Hamburgh. — Class  21. — Exceeding  one-year- 
old.  128,  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  P.  Mew,  Cowes,  Isle  of  Wight.  127, 
Second  prize,  Rlr.  Robert  Fookes,  Milton  Abbas,  Blandford.  Age, 
twenty-one  months. 

GOLDEN-rENCILLED  HAMBURGH. — ClaSS  22. — CllJckcns  of  1853.      131. 

Second  prize,  Mr.  R.  Fookes,  Milton  Abbas,    Age,  six  months. 

GoLDEN-SPANGLEn  HAMBURGH. —  Class  23. —  Exceeding  one-year- 
old.  134.  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  P.  Edwards,  Lyndhurst.  132.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Genge,  Waterson,  Dorset. 

Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh. —  Class  25.— Exceeding  one-year- 
old.  138.  First  prize,  Mr.  N.  Antill,  Portsea.  142.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
Chambers,  Portsmouth. 

Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh. — Class  26. — Chickens  of  1853.  144. 
First  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne.  145.  Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  Mew, 
Cowes,  Isle  of  Wight. 

Silver-spangled  Hamburgh.— Class  98. — Chickens  of  1853.  152. 
First  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne.  154.  Second  prize,  Mr.  H.  Fisher, 
Blandford. 

Poland  Fowl  (Black,  with  White  Crests).— Class  29. — Ex- 
ceeding one-year-old.  167.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Jlills,  Bisterne.  158. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Edwards,  Lyndlmrst  Station. 

Poland  Fowl  (Black,  with  WuiteCrests).— Class  30.— Chickens 
of  1853.  160.  First  prize,  Mrs,  Mills,  Bisterne.  l62.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
Edwards,  Lyndhurst, 

Poland  Fowl  (Goldkn). — Class  32, — Chickens  of  1853.  ifip.  First 
prize,  Mr.  Fisher,  Blandford.  166.  Second  prize,  Mr,  C,  Stephenson, 
Brixton.    Age,  eight  months. 


January  12. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


291 


Poland  Fowl  fSiLVER).— Class  33.— Exceeding  one-year-old.  171. 
First  prize,  Mr.  Parkins  Jones,  Fulham. 

Poland  Fowl  (Silver).— Class  34.— Chickens  of  1853.  172,  First 
prize,  Mrs.  Assheton  Smith,  Tidworth,  173.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Ed- 
wards, Lyndhurst. 

Cross  between  any  Breeds.— Class  35.— Birds  exceeding  one-year- 
old.  175.  First  prize,  Mr.  Attwater,  Cheltenham.  (Dorking  and  Malay.) 
174.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Fooks,  Tarrant  Monckton.  (White  Dorking  and 
White  Cochin.) 

Cross  between  any  Breeds,— Class  3G.— Chickens  of  1853,  188. 
First  prize,  Mr.  Attwater,  Cheltenham.  (Dorking  and  Malay.)  Age, 
seven  months.  183.  Second  prize,  flfr,  Fooks,  Whitchurch,  Dorset. 
(Cochin  and  Dorking.)     Age,  six  months. 

Bantams  (Gold-laced).— Class  37.— 1 99.  First  prize,  Mr.  J.  Crane, 
Jun.,  Tolpuddle,  Dorset.     198-  Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  J.  Fox,  Devizes. 

Bantams  (Silver-laced). — Class  38. — 201.  First  prize,  Mr.  Cateels 
Cooper,  Guildford. 

Bantams  (White).— Class  39.-204.  First  prize,  Mr.  J.  P.  Mew, 
CowcB,  Isle  of  Wight.  206.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Assheton  Smith,  Tid- 
worth House. 

Bantams  (Black). — Class  40.— 214.  First  prize,  Mr.  J.  Fox,  Devizes. 

Bantams  (Any  other  variety). — Class  41.— 220.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  W.  Symonds,  Milborne  St.  Andrew.     (Silk.) 

Geese.— Class  42. — 231.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Pinnegar,  Coomhe.  224. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Edwards,  Lyndhurst.     (Whole  class  commended.) 

Docks  (White  Aylesbury). — Class  43. — 236.  First  prize.  Mr. 
Edwards,  Lyndhurst.  235.  Second  prize,  BIr.  W.  Fooks,  Tarrant 
Monckton.    Age,  nine  months.     (Whole  class  commended.) 

Ducks  (Uoden). — Class  44. — 242.  First  prize,  Mr.  H.  Fookes, 
Whitchurch.    246.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Wickham,  Sutton  Scotney. 

Ducks  (Any  other  Variety). — Class  45. — 248.  First  prize,  Lady 
M.  Rlacdonald,  Liphook,  Hants.     (Buenos  Ayres.) 

Turkeys. — Class  46. — Birds  exceeding  one-year  old.  262.  First  prize< 
Mr.  11.  Waters,  Boscombe.  264.  Second  prize,  Mr.  C.  Smith,  Durnford- 
(Whole  class  commended,) 

Turkeys. — Class47. — Birds  hatched  in  1853.  268.  First  prize,  Mrs. 
Attwater,  South  Newton.  (Copper-colour.)  272.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
Symonds,  Gorwell.     (Bronze.)     (Whole  class  commended.) 

Distinct  Varieties. — Class  50. — 230.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Assheton 
Smith.  (White  Polands.)  277.  Second  prize,  Dr.  Burney,  Gosport. 
(Ptarmigans.) 

Distinct  Variety — Chickens. — Class  51. — 287.  First  prize,  Mr. 
Cave,  Hartley  Kow.  (Bramah  Pootra.)  Age,  five  months.  2S9.  Second 
prize,  Miss  Bathurst.    (Silk  Fowls.) 


HARDY   BORDER  PLANTS. 

( Continued  from  page  268.  J 
ACONITUM  PANICULATUM. 

PANICUED  WOUSEANE  OR  MONKSHOOD. 

This  is  a  veiy  desirable  kind,  having  flowers  large,  and 
of  a  pale  blue  colour.  It  is  said  to  be  a  native  of  France, 
and  introduced  to  this  country  in  the  j'ear  181.5.  Its  roots 
ai-e  tuberous,  supported  by  a  large  mass  of  libres.  It  is 
readily  increased  by  division  in  the  spring  months,  when  it 
first  puts  up  its  leaves.  The  roots  may  remain  in  the  same 
spots  for  many  years  without  injury,  or  becoming  too  wide 
and  straggly.  Its  stems  rise,  according  to  the  soil  and  situa-- 
tion,  from  three  to  five-and-a-half  feet  in  height.  They  are 
much  branched  upwards,  the  branches  being  somewhat 
twisted,  and  panicles  straggling.  The  upper  part  of  the 
flower,  or  helmet,  is  conical,  or  half-cu'culai-,  and  the  spiu' 
short,  thick,  and  a  little  spiral.  The  leaves  are  deeply  cut, 
or  lobed;  the  segments  saw-toothed,  and  curved  upwai'ds 
at  the  points. 

There  is  a  great  similai'ity  in  the  growth  of  this  species 
and  of  the  varieiiatum,  both  in  the  shape  and  cut  of  the 
leaves,  the  manner  of  branching  stems,  and  the  form  of  its 
expanded  blossoms. 

It  is  a  very  ornamental  plant,  but,  of  course,  from  its 
height,  it  should  form  a  bunch  in  the  back  or  centre  row 
in  the  borders  or  beds.  It  flowers  from  the  end  of  June 
to  the  end  of  August.  T.  W. 


OUR  CONTEMPORARIES. 
The  Family  Friend. — Most  uureservedly  and  strongly 
do  we  lecommend  this  little  monthly  periodical  to  our 
readers.  Its  very  varied  contents  are  full  of  amusement 
as  well  as  instruction.  The  illustrations,  also,  are  ex- 
cellent. As  somewhat  relative  to  our  own  subjects,  we 
quote  from  it  the  following,  on  Salads. 

"  Salad. — The  herbs  and  vegetables  for  a  salad  cannot  be 
too  freshly  gathered.  They  should  be  carefully  cleared  from 


insects  and  washed  with  scrupulous  nicety ;  they  are  better 
when  not  prepared  until  near  the  time  of  sending  them  to 
table,  and  should  not  be  sauced  until  the  instant  before  they 
are  served.  Tender  lettuces,  of  which  tlie  outer  leaves 
should  be  stripped  away,  mustard  and  cross,  young  radishes, 
and  occasionally  small  green  onions,  (when  the  taste  of  the 
party  is  in  favour  of  these  last),  are  the  usual  ingredients 
of  summer  salads.  Half-grown  cucumbers  sliced  thin,  and 
mixed  with  them,  are  a  favourite  addition  with  many  per- 
sons. In  England  it  is  customary  to  cut  the  lettuces  ex- 
tremely fine  ;  the  French,  who  object  to  the  flavour  of  the 
knife,  which  they  fancy  this  mode  imparts,  breali  them  small 
instead.  Young  celery  alone,  sliced  and  dressed  with  a  rich 
saladjmixture,  is  excellent ;  it  is  still  in  some  families  served 
tlius  always  with  roast  fowls.  Beet-root,  baked  or  boiled, 
blanched  endive,  small  salad-herbs  which  are  easily  raised 
at  any  time  of  the  year,  celery,  and  hardy  lettuces,  with  any 
ready-dressed  vegetable,  will  supply  salads  through  the 
winter.  In  summer  salads  the  mixture  must  not  be  poured 
upon  the  lettuce  or  vegetables  used  in  the  salad,  but  be  left 
at  the  bottom  to  be  stirred  up  when  wanted,  as  thus  pre- 
serving the  crispness  of  the  lettuce.  In  winter  salads,  how- 
ever, the  reverse  of  this  proceeding  must  be  adopted,  as 
thus  :  the  salad  of  endive,  celery,  beet,  and  other  roots  being 
cut  ready  for  dressing,  then  pour  the  mixture  upon  the  in- 
gredients, and  stir  them  well  up,  so  that  every  portion  may 
receive  its  benefit.  In  doing  this,  it  should  likewise  be  re- 
collected that  the  spoon  and  fork  shoidd  always  be  of  wood, 
and  of  sufScient  size  to  stir  np  the  vegetables  in  large 
quantities. 

"  Salad  dressintj. — For  a  salad  of  moderate  size,  pound 
very  smoothly  the  yolks  of  two  hard  boiled  eggs  with  a 
small  tea-spoonful  of  unmade  mustard,  half  as  much  sugar 
in  fine  powder,  and  a  salt-spoonful  of  salt.  Mix  gradually 
with  these  a  small  cup  of  cream,  or  the  same  quantity  of 
very  pure  oil,  and  two  table-spoonfuls  of  vinegar.  More 
salt  and  acid  can  be  added  at  pleasure ;  but  the  latter 
usually  predominates  too  much  in  English  salads.  A  few 
drops  of  Cayenne  vinegar  will  improve  this  receipt.  Hai-d 
yolks  of  egg,  two  ;  unmade  mustard,  one  small  tea- spoonful ; 
sugar,  half  as  much  ;  salt,  one  salt-spoonful ;  cream  or  oil, 
small  cupful ;  vinegar,  two  table-spoonfuls.  To  some  tastes 
a  tea-spoonful  or  more  of  eschalot  vinegar  would  be  an 
acceptable  addition  to  this  sauce,  which  may  be  otherwise 
varied  in  numberless  ways.  Cucumber  vinegar  may  be 
substituted  for  other,  and  small  quantities  of  soy,  caviare, 
essence  of  anchovies,  or  catsup  may  in  turn  be  used  to 
fiavonr  the  compound.  The  salad  bowl,  too,  may  be  rubbed 
with  a  cut  clove  of  garlic,  to  give  the  whole  composition  a 
very  slight  flavour  of  it.  The  eggs  should  be  boiled  for 
fifteen  minutes,  and  allowed  to  become  quite  cold  always 
before  tliey  are  pounded,  or  the  mixture  will  not  be  smooth  ; 
if  it  should  curdle,  which  it  will  sometimes  do,  if  not  care- 
fully made,  add  to  it  the  yolk  of  a  very  fresh  unboiled  egg. 
As  we  have  before  bad  occasion  to  remark,  garlic,  when 
very  sparingly  and  judiciously  used,  imparts  a  remarkably 
fine  savour  to  a  sauce  or  gravy,  and  neither  a  sti'ong  nor  a 
coarse  one,  as  it  does  when  used  in  larger  quantities.  The 
veriest  morsel  (or,  as  the  French  call  it,  a  mere  soupcon)  of 
the  root  is  sufficient  to  give  this  agreeable  piquancy ;  but 
unless  the  proportion  be  extremely  small,  the  effect  will  be 
quite  different.  The  Italians  dress  their  salads  upon  a 
round  of  delicately  toasted  bread,  which  is  rubbed  with 
garlic,  saturated  with  oil,  and  sprinkled  with  cayenne,  before 
it  is  laid  into  the  bowl :  they  also  eat  the  bread  thus  pre- 
pared, but  with  less  of  oil,  and  untoasted,  often  before  their 
meals,  as  a  digester. 

"  French  Salad  dressiny. — Stir  a  salt-spoonful  of  salt  and 
half  as  much  pepper  into  a  large  spoonful  of  oil,  and  when 
the  salt  is  dissolved,  mix  with  them  four  additional  spoo]i- 
fuls  of  oil,  and  pour  the  whole  over  the  salad  ;  let  it  be  u-ell 
turned,  and  then  add  a  couple  of  spoonfuls  of  vinegar;  mix 
the  whole  thoroughly  and  serve  it  without  delay.  The  salad 
should  not  be  dressed  in  this  way  imtil  the  instant  before  it 
is  wanted  for  table  ;  the  proportions  of  salt  and  pepper  can 
be  increased  at  pleasure,  and  common,  or  cucumber-vmegar 
may  be  substituted  for  the  tai-ragon,  which,  however,  is 
more  frequently  used  in  France  than  any  other. 

"Another  Salad  dressing. — Boil  two  eggs  ten  minutes,  and 
put  them  into  cold  water,  to  harden  and  cool;  then  take  out 


293 


TIIK  COTTAGK  a.\Rl)f<;Nh:R. 


January  ]■>. 


the  yollcs,  and  rub  tliem  tlirougU  a  coarse  sieve  into  a  liasin  ; 
add  two  table-spoonfuls  of  olive-oil,  a  tea-spoonful  of  salt, 
the  same  quantity  of  mustard,  half  the  quantity  of  ground 
black  pepper,  a  tea-spoonful  of  soy  or  essence  of  ancliovies, 
and  two  table-spoonfuls  of  vinefjar ;  incorporate  tlie  wliole, 
and  pour  this  sauce  down  the  side  of  tlie  saU\d-bowl.  The 
whites  of  the  eggs  will  serve  to  garnish  the  salad. 

" /iiimmir  Salmi. — Wash  very  clean  one  or  two  heads  of 
fine  lettuce,  divide  it,  let  it  lie  some  time  in  cold  water; 
drain  and  dry  it  in  a  napkin,  and  cut  it  small  before  serving. 
Mustard  and  cresses,  sorrel  and  onions,  may  be  added. 

"  Winter  Salad. — AYash  very  clean  one  or  two  lieads  of 
endive,  some  heads  of  celery,  some  mustard  and  cresses; 
cut  them  all  small,  add  a  little  shredded  red  cabbage,  some 
slices  of  boiled  beet- root,  an  onion,  if  the  flavour  is  not  dis- 
liked ;  mix  them  together  with  salad  sauce.  In  spring,  add 
radishes,  and  also  garnish  the  dish  with  them. 

"  Vegc'tahlt'  Salath  made  of  roots  wliich  have  been  boiled, 
also  make  good  winter  salads,  amongst  whicli  po/ntn  and 
heet-root  salads  are  perhaps  the  best.  Cut  the  roots  into 
thin  slices,  season  tliem  witli  pepper  and  salt,  and  pour  over 
them  the  salad  mixture,  to  which  may  be  added,  if  the 
tlavour  be  not  disap]^roved,  a  few  slices  of  raw  onion. 

"  French  Salail. — Chop  three  anchovies,  a  shalot,  and  some 
parsley,  small,  put  them  into  a  bowl  with  two  table-spoonsfuls 
of  vinegar,  one  of  oil,  a  little  mustard,  and  salt.  When  well 
mixed,  add  by  degrees  some  cold  roast  or  boiled  meat  in 
very  thin  slices  ;  put  in  a  few  at  a  time,  not  exceeding  two 
or  three  inches  long.  Shake  them  in  the  seasoning,  and 
then  put  more ;  cover  the  bowl  close,  and  let  the  salad  be 
prepared  three  hours  before  it  is  to  be  eaten. 

"  Ilniian  Salad  is  made  by  picking  the  white  portion  of  a 
cold  fowl  from  tlie  bones  in  small  flakes,  pihng  it  in  the 
centre  of  a  dish,  and  pouring  a  salad  mixture  over,  enriched 
with  cream ;  make  a  wall  around  witli  salad  of  any  kind, 
laying  the  whites  of  eggs,  cut  into  rings,  on  the  toxi  in  a 
chain. 

"  Spaiiish  Salad. — Talie  wliatever  salad  can  be  got,  wash 
it  in  many  waters,  rinse  it  in  a  small  net,  or  in  napkins,  till 
nearly  dry,  chop  up  onions  and  tarragon,  take  a  bowl,  put  in 
equal  quantities  of  vinegar  and  water,  a  teaspoonful  of 
pepper  and  salt,  and  four  times  as  much  oil  as  vinegar  and 
water;  mix  the  same  well  togetlier;  take  care  never  to  put 
tlie  lettuce  into  the  sauce  till  the  moment  the  salad  is 
wanted,  or  it  loses  all  its  crispness  and  becomes  sodden. 

Far  l^inaiijreflc. — Take  auy  kind  of  cold  meat,  chop  it 
finely,  and  lay  it  in  a  dish ;  chop  tlu;  whites  of  the  eggs 
employed  for  the  salad  very  finely  with  small  onions ;  add 
any  kind  of  herb,  and  pickled  cucumbers,  all  chopped 
finely:  make  a  garnisli  round  the  meat,  serve  it  with  salad 
mixture,  but  do  not  stir  it  together,  as  it  would  spoil  the 

appearance  of  the  dish,  wliich  looks  very  pretty  with  the  '•  "'=^'  niouliing  timc.-W.  B.  T. 
eggs  and  herbs  in  a  ring.  i       Bissased  Il.VBuiT.-Can  any  of  our  rea.Icrs  give  Ascut  inforraation 

r,  ^,  ■    ,         r>    I     .        1-t    -1  1  ■    T  ji     i.  -1  1.  \    QXi  tlic  foliowini;  csise  .' — '    On  examining  n  rahbit  of  the  Lop-eared  breed 

"  Chicken  SalacL—BoA    a   chicken   that   weighs   not  more  ,   to-day,  I  found  one  ear  completely  filled  with  a  hard  matter  resembling 
than  a  pound  and  a  half.     "When  very  tender,  take  it  np,  cut  ^   scurf;    on   touchinp  the  ear  the  rabbit  screamed  out.     I  then  took  as 
it  in  small  strips  ;  then  take  six  or  seven  fine  white  heads 
of  celery,  scrape  and  wash  it;  cut  the  white  part  small,  in 


a  similar  manner  to  tlic  leaves  of  your  Columnea,  kc. ;  and  the  mischief 
is  certainly  done  to  the  Celery  by  a  little  mining  yrub, 

TitAiMNG  Verdenas  ( [ 'tT'uO.— ThcFc  are  very  fdw  of  our  modern 
Verbenas  that  have  the  trailing  habit  of  Vi-rht-na  iniii/iilrin.  The  only 
ones  are  varieties  of  that  species— namely,  V.  vmlindris  mtijor  anil 
V.  melhidris  alba.  'J'here  is  an  old  sort  named  HendersonH  that  creeps, 
and  it  has  dark  purplish-crimson  flowers.  Oimshy  Beauti/.  also,  has  a 
dwarf  habit,  and  is  a  pleasing  light  blue  ;  but  it  is  none  of  the  melindris 
breed. 

CnflYSANTHRMUMS  [Homo). — You  ask  more  than  we  can  tell  you. 
We  should  suppose  there  are  no  Chrysanthemums  that  are  hardy  ennupli 
to  blow  out-of-doors  as  far  north  as  Lancaahirc.  Have  you  ever  seen 
any?  The  following:  is  a  list  of  the  best  now  grown,  arranged  in  the 
colours  you  mention: — Rnse — Amazon  (Salter^  with  orange  bordt-r  ; 
Kortuoe,  ditto;  Agenor  (yalterj,  JJarbette.  II7ii7e— Diamant  de  Ver- 
sailles, Krrine,  Fleur  de  Marie,  Gem  de  Versailles,  Ladv  Talfourd. 
Pury^/c— Leon  Laquay,  Armand  Tessier — there  are  very  few  of  this  colour. 
lii-ifiht  Scarlel—'l'hc  nearest  approach  to  this  colcur  is  J/jon^icns, raised 
by  Houlanper,  of  Paris.  Mount  Etna  ia  a  red.  There  is  not  a  bright 
scarlet  in  existence.  Yeltuw — L'ingot  d'Or,  Annie  Salter,  Cloth  of  Oold, 
Nandee.  Ovan^c — Poudre  d'Or,  La  Reine  d'Or,  Plutus,  Gluck,  Temple 
of  Solomon.  U  irA— Ilantonette,  Comte  de  Rantzon,  ]\Iadame  Poggi, 
Phidias.  The  price  of  the  above  would  be,  on  an  average,  about  12s.  the 
dozen.  We  cannot  recommend  dealers.  Any  respectable  nurseryman 
would  supply  you.     Your  ether  questions  will  be  answered  shortly. 

Rock-work  in  Fkrneby  {D.  E.).~Yow  are  erecting  a  house  for 
Ferns,  and  intend  planting  thein  out  against  the  walls,  in  a  Itiiid  of  rock- 
work,  and  wish  to  know  the  material  to  be  had.  If  you  can  get  ruugli 
sandstone,  that  would  answer  well.  It  might  be  placed  irregularlv 
against  your  walls,  with  spaces  left  to  hold  soil  for  the  Fern-roots.  There 
is  a  Fern-hout-c  at  J.  Anderson's,  Esq.,  the  Holme,  Regent's  Park, 
London,  where  the  Ferns  are  planted  against  the  walls  in  a  kind  of 
rustic  basket,  or  nest,  made  with  Roman  cement.  If  stones  are  scarce 
with  you,  you  might  make  a  similar  arrangement,  having  the  largest 
spaces  towards  the  bottom,  and  the  smaller  upwards,  to  prow  in  each 
Ferns  of  proportionate  size.  Read  Ulr.  Appleby's  papers  on  Ferns  ;  he 
describes  the  height  each  grows  to.  In  the  meantime,  we  give  the  list 
below,  agre.tble  to  your  request.  None  of  tliem  are  expensive,  hut  all 
reijuire  moderate  heat : — \diantum  assimile,  medium  size;  A.  concinnum, 
medium;  A.  formoium,  large;  A.  trapcziformc,  large;  Acnisticbum 
aleicornc,  large  ;  Aspidiuni  coriaecuni,  large;  Asplenium  aurituni,  small; 
A.  ebeneum,  small;  Blechnum  intermediimi,  small;  11.  occidentale, 
medium;  Ciessabeeria  hastata,  medium:  Cheilianthcs  lendigera,  me- 
dium; C.  repens,  large;  C.  tenera,  small;  Cienopteris  cicutaria,  medium; 
C.  viviparum,  medium;  Cyrtomium  falcatum,  large;  Davallia  canariensc, 
medium;  D.  pyxidata,  large;  Doodia  aspera,  small;  Gymnograuima 
calomelanos,  large  ;  G.  chrysophylla,  medium  ;  Pteris  chinensis,  me- 
dium ;  P.  sagittiefolium,  small,  in  addition  to  these,  jou  should  have 
all  the  Lycopodiums. 

Hkn  DtiAn  ON  THE  Nest  (T.  S.).— In  this  case,  in  which  the  lien 
was  fed  on  Indian  meal  and  bran  twice  a-day,  with  corn  and  dry  rice, 
the  de:  th,  doubthss,  arose  from  apoplexy,  which  is  not  unfrequent  in 
fat  laying  hens.  Indian  meal  and  bran  both  contain  a  high  proportion 
of  fat-forming  food,  and  being  /'trg't'/y  supplied,  no  doubt  conduced  to 
the  attack.  A  little  raw,  dry  rice  could  not  have  bad  any  ill  elfect, 
although,  if  much  were  given,  it  might  swell  to  so  great  a  degree  as  to 
cause  the  bird  to  become  crop-bound.  Under  any  circumstances,  rice  is 
better  given  after  having  been  cooked.— W.  B,  T. 

Cock  with  malformed  Tail  {A  Dorkinfr  Fancier). — The  occur- 
rence of  soft  quills  filled  with  blood  in  the  tail  of  a  cock,  in  the  place  of 
well-formed  feathers,  depends  evidently  on  some  irregular  action  of  the 
parts  which  form  or  secrete  the  feather  ;  and  as  these  are  situated  deep 
in  the  skin  it  is  diflicuU  to  suggest  a  remedy.  It  would,  perhaps,  be 
most  advisable  to  trust  to  the  restoration  of  the  natural  action  at  the 


much  of  the  hard  stuff  off  as  I  could,  and  bathed  with  warm  water;  after 
that  I  greased  the  ear  well.  I  took  two  pieces  us  large  as  a  nuin's  finger 
from  the  car,  which  seemed  to  reach  quite  lo  the  farthest  extremity. 
Can  yim  tell  me  the  cause  of  this,  and  a  remedy  for  same  ?  " 

Cocoa-nut  (L/»f/tt). — The  end  of  the  nut,  which  has  the  three  cir- 
cular marks  or  scars,  "conmionly  known  as  the  monkey's  face,"  is  the 
base,  or  that  ne.\t  the  stalk.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  these  three 
marks  indicate  the  places  through  which  the  three  embryos  each  nut 


pieces  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch  long,  mix  it  with  the 
meat  of  the  fowl,  and  just  before  the  salad  is  seut  in,  pour 
a  dressing  made  in  the  following  way  over  it.  Boil  four 
eggs  hnrd;  rub  their  yolks  to  a  smooth  paste  with  two  table- 
spoonfuls  of  olive  oil  ;  two  tea-spoonfuls  of  made  mustard  ;  contains  would  sprout  forth  if  each  was  completely  developed.  Two, 
-  '      "       '  '  «  .      ..    .  .1   however,  are  constantly  abortive  ;  and  which  is  the  fertile  may  be  ascer- 

tained by  trying  to  thrust  a  pin  into  each  scar.     Those  two  which  the 
pin  cannot  pierce  are  those  over  the  undeveloped  embryos. 

Exchange  {W.  Nic/inlus). — \\'^c  cannot  insert  such  a  proposal.  When 
we  have  seen  a  specimen  of  your  communications  we  can  decide  whether 
thev  are  suitable. 

Vinegar  Plants  (BiiJ/swafrr). — We  cannot  undertake  such  ncgo- 
ciations.     Vou  had  better  advertise. 

Taunton  Snow  {J.  E.  M.). — Wc  are  much  obliged  ;  hut  as  the  com- 
mittee did  not  think  it  of  sufficient  interest  to  our  readers  to  advertise  it 
in  our  columns,  we  cannot  allow  ourselves  to  shew  we  differ  from  lliem 
by  inserting  their  prize  Vmt. 

Inskct  on  Cinkrarias  (An  E/iqtih-rr). — It  is  the  thrips  which  has 
attacked  them.  Dust  over  the  insects  frequently  with  Scotch  snuff,  and 
syringe  the  leaves  when  the  weather  permits. 

Hall's  Garden  Nets. — Mr.  J.  Meuchinn,  Lichfield,  wishes  to  know 
where  these  can  be  obtained. 


one  tea-spoonful  of  salt;  and  one  tea-cupful  of  strong  vine- 
gar.   Place  the  delicate  leaves  of  the  celery  round  tlie  edges  ' 
of  the   dish.     "White-heart  lettuce  may  he  used  instead  of  ! 
celery.   Any  other  salad  dressing  may  he  used,  if  preferred."  ' 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

William  Adams  (C). — Both  your  very  kind  enclosures  have  been 
received,  and  applied  as  nearly  as  possible  as  you  directed.  The  Authoress 
of  "  My  Flowers"  will  explain  more. 

Diseased  Gesner-t,  (A.  L.  C). — The  leaves  of  ynur  7Esf:hitnnnthus 
and  Columnea  are  diseased  ;  the  inner  substance  of  the  leaf  appears  to 
be  destroyed.  Vou  wish  to  know  how  to  restore  them  to  health.  The 
diseased  leaves  cannot  lie  restored,  and,  therefore,  they  may  as  well  all 
be  cut  off  at  once,  and  if  the  shoots  arc  thereby  left  quite  naked  it  will 
be  advisable  to  shorten  them  in  also  freely.  The  plants  should  have 
fresh  compost  to  grow  in,  and  a  brisk  heat  to  start  into  fresh  growth. 
Do  this  well,  and  disease  will  disappear.  Did  you  ever  observe  a  little 
insect,  or  grub,  in  the  interior  of  your  leaves '/  The  disease  is  very  likely 
causeti  by  such  a  grub.     Celery  leaves  are  often  dcBtroyed  in  apparently 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  Wooldridgk,  M'inchcster  High-street, 
in  the  Parieh  of  Saint  Wary  Kal^ndar  ;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMERViLLB  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Esse.t,  at  the  Office,  No.  i!.  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— January  12th,  1854. 


Januaky  19. 


THK  COTTAGR  GARDENER. 


t'fl3 


WEEKLY  CALEPJDAR. 


Th 

F 
S 
SUK 

sr 

To 


JANUARY  19-25,  1854, 


Cryptops  hortensis ;  gardens. 
Cryptops  Savignii  ;  gardens. 
Sun'3  declinat.,  19°  55'  9. 
3  Sunday  after  Epiphany. 


Weathbk  near  Loudon  in  1853. 


Sua 


Barometer.     [Thermo.  Wind.'  ""'"'"  ,  liises. 
1  inches. 


25    W 


Geophilus  Acuminatus. 
Geophilus  longicornia. 
iCoNV.  OF  St.  Paul. 


29  957—29-799 
29.714-29.589 
29.463—29.360 
29.764—29.523 
30.122—29.970 
30.157—29.904 
29.803— 29.647 


54—47  S,W. 
5.5—37  I  S.W. 
50—33  '  S.W. 
42-35  ,  N.W, 
43—31  '     N. 


42—34 
42—32 


05 
17 
06 
00 


58  a  7 
57 
66 
55 
54 
52 
51 


Sim 
Sets. 


24a4 
26 
27 
29 
31 
31 
34 


Moon 
R.ScS. 


10     11 

n    27 

morn. 
0    46 


Moon'a 
Age. 


20 
21 
22 

€ 


Clock 
af.  Sun. 


Day  of 
Year. 


11  2  (  19 

11  20  20 

11  37  I  21 

11  54  22 

12  9  23 
12  24  24 
12  33  25 


Meteorology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiswick.from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  the  averape  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
peratures of  these  days  are  43.1°  and  33.1°  respectively.  The  ijreatest  heat,  60*,  occurred  on  the  19th  in  1828  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  45°,  on  the 
19th  in  1833.  During  the  period  93  days  were  fine,  and  on  96  rain  fell. 


Akabis 
Mustard. 


BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS. 
{Continued  from  pcuje  233.) 
rniisuTA :    Hairy    Wall    Cress ;    Dai.sy    Tower 


Dcsa-iption. — It  is  a  perennial.    Root  strong  and  woody. 


Stems  several,  about  a  foot  high,  upright,  leafy,  clothed  with 
thiclc-set,  spreading,  or  partly  bent-dowu  hair.s  ;  branched, 
and  less  hairy,  at  the  top.  Leaves  bUmtish,  variously 
toothed,  more  or  less  rough,  witli  short,  bristly,  simple  or 
forked,  prominent  hairs;  the  root-leaves  largest,  reversed- 
egg-shaped,  tapering  at  the  base  ;  stem-leaves  numerous, 
stalldess,  oblong-egg-shaped.  Flowers  small.  Oalyx  smooth, 
purplish.  Petals  white,  modsrately  spreading.  Slignia 
stallcless.  Pods  forming  very  long,  close,  smooth  clusters, 
erect,  slender,  smooth ;  valves  with  a  slight  keel  half  way 
up,  undulated  from  the  alternate  projection  of  the  seeds, 
which  are  in  a  single  row,  not  a  double  one  like  Turrltis. 
This  hist  character,  confirmed  by  a  similitude  of  habit,  is 
admirably  chosen  by  Mr.  Brown  to  define  the  genus  Arabis, 
in  contradistinction  to  Turritis,  whose  much  more  numerous 
seeds  are  disposed  in  double  rows. 

Time  of  flowering. — May. 

Places  where  found. — On  old  walls,  stony  or  rocky  banks, 
and  mountain  dry  pastures.     Not  common. 

History. — Parkinson  calls  this  the  Erysimum  or  "  Hairy 
Hedge  Mustard,  with  uncut  leaves,"  and  Ray  describes  it  as 
Barbarea  muralis,  "Wall  Cress,  or  Tower  Mustard,  with 
Daisy  leaves. "„  It  is  the  Turritis  hirsuta  of  Linnaeus,  and 
many  other  botanists.  If  grown  in  a  rich  soil  it  not  only 
acquires  a  much  larger  size  but  loses  all  its  hairiness.  It 
is  one  of  the  "  Sciatica  Cresses  "  of  the  old  herbalists,  who 
say  that  if  the  roots,  or  leaves,  but  especially  the  roots,  are 
bruised  in  summer,  and  made  into  an  ointment  with  hog's- 
lard,  appUed  to  the  part  affected  with  rheumatism,  for  four 
hours,  and  the  place  afterwards  bathed  with  a  little  oil,  and 
covered  with  wool  or  other  warm  wrapper,  a  cure  will  always 
be  effected.     (Smith.     Witheriny.    Ray.    Parkinson.) 


The  January  Meeting  of  the  Entomologioal  Society  was 
held  on  Monday,  the  2nd  inst.,  at  the  Society's  Rooms, 
and,  notwithstanding  the  great  severity  of  the  weather, 
was  much  better  attended  than  could  have  been  antici- 
pated. The  Members  of  the  Council  had,  however, 
been  especially  summoned  to  a  meeting  previously  to 
the  general  meeting,  to  settle  the  lists  of  Council  and 
Officers  for  the  ensuing  year,  to  be  proposed  at  the 
Anniversary  Meeting  on  the  fourth  Monday  in  the 
month;  the  result  of  which  was,  that  Messrs.  Spence, 
Curtis,  Westwood,  and  Janson,  are  proposed  to  be  re- 
moved from  the  Council,  and  Messrs.  Stainton,  Dallas, 
F.  Smith,  and  Edward  Shepherd,  to  bo  elected  in  their 
stead.  We  are  not  sorry  to  perceive,  in  this  arrange- 
ment, that  the  Council  are  anxious  to  bring  the  youn"'er 
active  members  of  the  Society  into  the  Council,  re- 


moving such  as  from  their  length  of  service  may  desire 
to  be  released  from  the  duties ;  but  we  think  that  the 
rule  which  is  adopted  of  striking  off  such  Members  as 
have  attended  the  Council  Meeting  the  fewest  number 
of  times  has  been  too  rigidly  adopted  in  the  case  of  one 
of  the  gentlemen  proposed  to  be  removed,  as  his  absence 
was  known  to  have  arisen  from  his  having  been  abroad 
for  a  long  period,  and  his  long  service  and  devotion  to 
the  science,  with  his  return  to  this  country,  ought,  in 
our  opinion,  to  have  ensured  his  retention  on  the 
Council,  and  which,  in  fact,  we  hope  may  still  be 
effected  at  the  Anniversary  Meeting.  The  Council  do 
not  propose  any  alteration  in  the  list  of  officers  for  the 
ensuing  year. 

Amongst  the  donations  to  the  Library  and  Museum, 
received  since  the  last  meeting,  were  the  "  Transactions  of 


CGLXXVIT.,  Vol.  XI. 


294 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Januaby  19. 


the  Natural  History  Society  at  Vienua ;"  the  "  Jonmal 
of  tire  Entomological  Society  of  Stettin  ;"  an  elaborate 
Memoir  on  the  anatomy,  history,  and  transformations 
of  the  common  domestic  Black-beetle,  or  Cock-roach 
(Blatta  orientalis)  in  which  the  author  has  endea- 
voured to  investigate  the  place  of  its  origin,  whence  it 
has  been  so  widely  distributed  over  the  habitable  world; 
the  remarkable  nature  of  its  egg-case,  &c.,  is  also 
carefully  examined  and  described. 

A  number  of  splendid  Lepidoptera;  were  presented  by 
Mr.  Jones  Stevens,  of  Bogota ;  and  various  species  of 
rare  British  Microlepklop>tercs,  by  Mr.  Vaughan,  of 
Bristol.  A  note  was  communicated  on  the  decease  of 
Mr.  Whitfield,  the  African  traveller  and  collector,  by 
whom  so  many  rare  animals  had  been  brought  to  this 
country.  Mr.  Samuel  Stevens  exhibited  some  speci- 
mens of  the  splendid  Morplio  Ganymede  (Morpho 
Sulkou'skyi,  of  Kollar,  recently  described  and  figured  in 
the  Vienna  Transactions),  which  he  had  received  from 
Mr.  Jones  Stevens,  of  Bogota.  One  of  the  specimens 
had  arrived  in  a  bad  condition,  being  saturated  with  an 
exudation  of  grease.  Having,  however,  dipped  the 
Butterfly  in  camphine,  and  then  powdered  it  over  with 
magnesia,  or  pipeclay,  the  grease  is  entirely  absorbed, 
and  the  fly  has  entirely  regained  its  former  brilliancy. 
Mr.  S.  Stevens  also  exhibited  some  beautiful  Lepidoptera. 
from  Manilla.  The  Secretary  read  a  note  by  Mr.  Jones 
Stevens,  on  the  occun-ence  of  many  species  of  minute 
moths  in  Bogota,  but  as  they  generally  came  to  the 
lamps  at  night,  they  could  not  be  captured  and  pre- 
served in  good  condition. 

The  Secretary  also  read  a  note  by  Mr.  R.  Fortune, 
from  the  Gardeners'  Chronicle,  on  the  mode  of  taking 
honey  from  bee-hives  in  China.  The  Chinese  hives 
consist  of  a  rough  box,  square  or  cylindrical,  with  a 
moveable  top  and  bottom,  which  is  rarely  placed  near 
the  ground,  as  with  us,  but  is  raised  eight  or  ten  feet 
high,  and  generally  fixed  under  the  jjrojccting  roof  of  a 
house  or  out-building.  When  it  is  desired  to  take 
a  portion  of  the  honey,  the  hive  isgently  lifted  down,  and 
placed  on  its  side  on  a  table  ;  the  moveable  top  is  then 
taken  oif,  and  as  much  honeycomb  as  is  considered 
desirable  cut  out  with  a  knife,  made  apparently  for 
the  purpose,  having  the  handle  almost  at  right  angles 
with  the  blade ;  the  top  is  then  replaced,  and  the  hive 
elevated  to  its  former  position.  Tlie  bees  liad  neither 
been  killed  by  fumes  of  brimstone,  as  it  is  contrary  to 
the  Buddhist  Creed  to  take  away  animal  life,  nor  bad 
they  been  stupified  witli  fungus,  but  tliey  were  flying 
overhead,  during  the  operation,  in  great  ninnbers, 
without  even  stinging  the  half-naked  operator  ;  but  they 
were  rendered  harmless  by  the  smoke  of  the  dry  stems 
of  leaves  of  a  species  of  Artemisia,  whicli  grows  wild  on 
the  Tea-hills,  which  is  cut  early  in  summei',  sun-dried, 
and  twisted  into  bands,  and  used  for  this  piu-pose,  as 
well  as  for  driving  the  Mosquitoes  out  of  the  dwellings. 
Mr.  Wi'Stwood  stated  that  a  similar  plan  of  taking 
honey  had  been  adopted  by  an  apiarian  neighbour  of 
bis  at  Cbiswick,  and  who,  having  turned-up  tlie  hive  to 
be  operated  upon,  partially  stupified  the  bees  by  a  few 


whiffs  of  tobacco-smoke ;  he  had  himself  succeeded  in 
extracting  as  much  comb  as  was  desirable  from  his 
hives  even  without  the  use  of  tobacco,  by  simply 
turning  the  hive  upside  down,  and  driving  the  bees  into 
an  empty  hive,  and  then  cutting  out  the  comb,  working 
slowly  and  quietly,  and  biiishing  off  the  few  bees  which 
remained  in  the  comb  with  a  featlier. 

Mr.  Curtis  read  a  note  upon  the  habits  of  Famirgus 
ursinus,  a  curious  wild  Bee,  which  he  had  observed 
formed  its  burrows  on  hard  earth  at  Tunbridge  Wells. 
He  bad  noticed  the  females  occasionally  curled  up,  as 
if  asleep,  in  the  flowers  of  Hieracium ;  and  at  other 
times  with  their  hind-legs  laden  with  pollen.  The  first 
portion  of  a  Memoir  on  tlie  Clirysomelidtc  of  New 
Holland,  by  Mr.  Baly,  was  read,  containing  tlie  genera 
Phyllocharis  and  Lamprolina  ;  also,  descriptions  by 
Mr.  Hewitzon,  of  new  species  of  Butterflies  from 
Bogota ;  and  an  elaborate  jSIemoir  by  Dr.  Davy,  F.  n.  s., 
on  the  Chemical  Analysis  of  the  excrement  of  insects, 
from  which  some  remarkable  results  were  deduced,  with 
reference  to  the  analogies  exhibited  with  the  urinary 
and  exoremeutitious  secretions  of  bii-ds,  serpents,  &c. 


After  two  years'  experience,  we  think  it  right  to 
express  our  firm  conviction  that  the  most  valuable 
domestic  Fowl  at  present  known  to  us  is  the  Shangbae, 
or  Cochin-China. 

If  any  one  conversant  with  poultry  as  a  stock  for 
jji'ofit  were  asked  to  give  what  he  considered  the  points 
of  excellence  desirable  in  such  fowls,  he  would  replj' — 
"  Tliey  should  be  large,  quick  of  growth,  hai-dy,  fit  for 
the  table  at  an  early  age,  meaty,  abundant  layers, 
especially  in  winter,  good  mothers,  quiet  in  their  habits, 
and  their  fe'athers  valuable  for  the  upholsterer." 

Now,  in  every  one  of  these  points  do  the  Shanghaes 
excel.  Their  feathers  are  equal  to  those  of  the  Goose. 
No  fowl  known  to  us  is  so  gentle,  or  can  be  kept  within 
a  boundary  no  higlier  than  three  feet.  Better  sitters, 
or  mothers  more  carefid  of  their  chickens,  cannot  be 
found  ;  and  at  the  end  of  a  month  from  their  liatching 
time  they  will  again  begin  laying  with  their  chickens 
around  them.  That  they  arc  early  fit  for  the  table  is 
told  by  the  facts  that  coclcerels  are  best  cooked  when 
from  four  to  five  months  old,  and  pullets  when  from 
five  to  six  months  old,  and  that,  if  tolerably  well  fed, 
they  will  weigh  about  IJ  pounds  for  every  month  of 
age.  As  to  their  hardihood,  we  have  not  heard  of  tlieir 
sufl'ering  anywhere  during  the  late  severe  weather, 
though  we  know  of  many  t.liat  endured  it  with  no  other 
shelter  during  the  day  than  a  roofed  shed,  boarded  up 
on  the  north  and  east  sides.  As  layers  tliey  are  sur- 
passed by  none.  We  have  known  instances  of  jniUets 
laying  more  than  100  eggs  without  requiring  to  sit. 
Pullets  when  six  mouths  old  begin  laying,  and  continue 
doing  so  tlu'ougbout  tlie  winter. 

As  to  tlieir  meatiuess,  tlie  very  great  mistake  is  being 
assented  to  by  some  breeders  of  tliis  fowl,  tlial  tliciv  is 
more  of  giblets  than  meat  upon  them.  It  is  (juite  true 
that  most  of  tlio  meat  on  a  cockerel  is  upon  the  legs, 


Jancaby  19. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


295 


but  it  is  not  so  in  tlio  case  of  pullets,  for  these  have 
breasts  quite  as  well  developed  as  the  usual  breed  of 
barn-door  fowls.  Those  who  condemn  the  Shanghae  as 
a  bird  deficient  iu  producing  serviceable  flesh,  ground 
that  condemnation  on  the  crooked -brested,  crooked- 
backed,  or  othoi'wise  imperfect  birds  that  are  rejected 
from  the  stock.  Good,  short-logged,  compact  pullets  are 
too  valuable  as  yet  to  bo  killed  usually  for  the  table, 
but  we  can  attest  that  such  birds  are  as  meaty  on  the 
breast  even  as  Dorkings,  and  the  flesh  is  more  juicy, 
but  not  so  close  grained. 

The  sole  point  of  inferiority,  then,  which  can  be 
established  against  the  Shanghae  fowl  is  that  its  cock- 
erels are  deficient  in  breast  meat.  Then,  to  make  the 
breed  perfect,  let  breeders  set  about  selecting  birds  for 
stock  that  are  characterised  by  well-developed  breasts. 
We  know  of  one  cock  that  is  breasted  like  a  Dorking, 
and  he  will  be  coupled  this  season  with  an  imported 
hen  that  has  the  largest  development  of  breast  we  ever 
kriew  in  any  bird.  The  attention  of  the  breeders  of 
Shanghaes  has  been  most  successfully  directed  towards 
the  improvement  of  colour — let  it  now  be  turned  to  the 
more  important  improvement  of  an  increase  of  flesli 
upon  the  breast.  We  know,  from  experience,  that  it  is 
to  be  effected ;  and  the  results  of  further  experiments, 
we  are  confident,  will  be  still  more  effectual.  The  two 
brothers,  Messrs.  R.  and  C.  Colling,  achieved  far  greater 
changes  in  the  arrangement  of  meat  upon  their  Short- 
horns than  has  to  be  accomplished  upon  the  Slianghae. 

Even  whilst  we  are  writing  this  we  have  received 
letters  confirmatory  of  our  views.  Thus,  a  first  au- 
thority, writing  to  us  about  the  recent  challenge  exhi- 
bition, expressly  says  that  form,  and  not  mere  size, 
gave  the  palm  to  Captain  Snell.  His  letter  is  as 
follows : — 

"  The  town  of  Honiton,  Devonshu-e,  was,  on  the  28th  ult., 
the  scene  of  far  greater  excitement  than  has  hithexto 
agitated  the  poultry  world,  and  the  influx  of  amateurs  from 
long  distances  was  far  beyond  all  precedent.  Though 
situate  twelve  miles  from  the  nearest  railway  station,  Liver- 
pool, Manchester,  Shrewsbury,  Birmingham,  and  inter- 
mediate places,  sent  incredible  numbers  of  the  poultry 
fancy,  while  not  a  trifling  addition  of  amateurs  reached 
Honiton  fi'om  the  metropolis. 

"  This  was  occasioned  from  the  news  being  carried,  with 
wUd-flre  rapidity,  that  the  challenge  of  Captain  Snell,  of  St. 
Swithin's  Lane,  London,  to  all  Cochin-Chiua  breeders  in 
Devon  and  Cornwall,  to  produce  the  equals  of  those  that 
gained  first  prizes  in  London,  Southampton,  and  vai-ious 
other  places,  had  been  accepted  by  Mr.  W.  L.  Channing, 
of  Heavitree,  Exeter,  and  that  the  event  was  to  take  place 
at  the  Honiton  Exhibition  of  Poultry. 

"  Each  pen  of  birds  had  its  coniident  supporters,  who 
somewhat  liberally  espoused  their  individual  opinions  by 
making  it  the  subject  of  a  '  betting  speculation ; '  and,  no 
doubt,  considerable  sums  changed  hands  in  consequence. 
Another  notoriety  of  this  aftair  arose,  too,  from  the  lengthy 
correspondence  that  had  previously  taken  place,  in  the 
public  newspapers  of  Devonshire,  between  then-  respective 
owners.  To  prevent  the  possibility  of  any  unfairness,  the 
committee  had  (with  the  sanction  of  the  o^vne^s)  placed 
the  rival  favourites  intermixed  among  thirty  other  pens  in 
the  same  class,  and  secured  the  services,  as  judge,  of  Mr. 
Edward  Hewitt,  of  Eden  Cottage,  Birmingham,  to  officiate 
on  this  tmusually  important  occasion  —  so  that  not  the 
shghtest  possible  clue  might  offer  itself,  either  as  to  the 
ownership  of  the  '  favomrites,'  or  their  individuahty.  These 
arrangements  complete,  the  anxiety  to  ascertain  the  result 


was  unceasing;  and  every  stratagem  was  called  into  play 

to  get  early  information  of  the  success sTul  ones;  and  not  till 
the  public  admission  was  it  known  that;  another  chaplet  was 
added  to  the  existing  lam-els  of  Capta  in  Snell,  though  the 
most  diverse  statements  on  the  affair  had  been  'flying 
about '  for  hours  previously  to  the  juidge  entering  on  his 
duties.  It  is  very  doubtful  whether  itwo  so  perfect  pens 
ever  before  contested  publicly  for  the  i  nastery,  and  certain 
it  is  that  time  will  long  pm-sue  its  oi  iward  coiurse  before 
such  rivals  again  enter  the  lists.  On(3  marked  difference 
was  at  once  apparent — that  the  defeatedi  fowls,  in  regai-d  to 
size,  had  the  superiority;  not  so,  ho;vever,  in  respect  of 
formation  and  colom- — Captain  Snell's  being  a  perfect  self- 
coloured  hght  buff';  his  rival's,  on  the.  other  hand,  being 
what  is  termed  'mealy,'  or  'grizzled,'  more  especially  on 
the  wing  coverts ;  neither  could  they  boaist  of  the  perfection 
of  shape  that  marked  the  winning  pullets — one,  more 
especially.  The  \'isitors,  generally,  made  the  space  opposite 
'  the  favomitos  '  the  trysting  place  during-  their  stay ;  while 
not  a  few,  negUgent  of  the  excessive  fall  of  snow,  foimd  it 
impossible  to  reach  the  trains  in  due  tim  e,  and  were,  there- 
fore, compelled  to  pay  '  a  visit  to  mine  hcjst,'  to  discuss  over 
their  wine  the  events  of  the  closing  day." 

Then,  as  to  the  table  merits  of  the  Shanghae,  J.  B., 
whose  address  we  have,  writes  thus ; — 

"In  pubUshingmy  'Poultry-yard  Report,"  in  yoiu:  number 
of  the  39th  December,  a  mistake  has  been  made.  Instead 
of  '  Mr.  Baily,  of  Mount  Street,  says  flesh-coloured  legs 
are  j'liadmissable,'  it  should  be,  '  flesh-coloured  legs  are 
admissaltle ' — just  the  opposite.  I  have  lately  had  several 
Cochin  chickens  of  fotu-  to  sis  months  old  at  table ;  the 
pullets  were  round  and  compact  birds,  but  the  cockerels 
rather  leggy.  The  colour  of  some  of  them  rather  yellow 
before  cooked,  but  of  others  not  to  be  complained  of.  They 
were,  however,  my  loorst-colourcd  fowls  that  1  killed.  I  am 
persuaded  that  the  colom-  of  my  best  light  -  feathered 
Cochins  (none  of  which  I  have  Mlled)  would  be  unexcep- 
tionable in  colom-  when  killed,  particularly  those  with  pint- 
white  legs.  As  to  the  eating  of  those  ah-eady  had  to  table, 
they  were  very  superior  to  the  common  run  of  fowls par- 
ticularly tender,  juicy,  and  well-flavoured.  This  opinion 
has  been  expressed  by  several,  who  should  be  judges,  who 
have  partaken  of  them  at  my  table.  I  am  persuaded  that 
this  breed  will  stand  their  ground  as  a  veiy  useful,  if  not 
the  most  useful,  fowl.  A.  first  cross  with  the  Dorldnsr  I  can 
well  conceive  to  be  a  first-rate  table  fowl." 


On  the  9th,  10th,  and  1 1th,  took  place  sales  by  auction 
of  drafts  from  three  of  the  best  Poultry  Yards  of  Eng- 
land— Mr.  Sturgeon's,  Mrs.  Herbert's,  and  Mr.  Pun- 
chard's.  We  know  that  it  has  been  an  opinion 
prevailing  recently  that  the  taste  for  Shanghaes  is 
declining.  This  opinion  we  felt  convinced  was 
grounded  upon  the  fact,  that  at  various  recent  sales 
(Mr.  Stevens  has  had  thirty-six  in  about  as  many  weeks) 
the  prices  have  been  low.  On  the  other  hand,  we  saw 
in  this  no  other  proof  than  that  the  public  judgment 
had  improved,  for  the  low  prices  were  those  given  for 
indifi"erent  birds.  The  results  of  these  three  sales  testify 
that  we  were  correct,  for  all  the  good  birds  realized 
good  prices. 

At  Mr.  Sturgeon's  sale,  the  100  lots  sold  for 
.£275  17s.  6d.  At  his  sale,  in  November,  1852,  the 
highest  sum  given  for  one  bird  was  i£12  10s.  for  a 
cockerel,  but  this  year,  £13  10s.  was  given  for  Lot  39, 
"  Rich  buff  cockerel,  well-feathered,  and  of  good  weight; " 
another  cockerel,  Lot  16,  sold  for  £10  15s.,  and  two  of 
the  hens.  Lot  42, "  sister  to  the '  Queen,* "  sold  for  £7  7s. ; 
and  Lot  42,  for  £9  15s.     A  hen  of  1851,  winner  of  the 


2'JG 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


January  10. 


Cheltenham  Cup,  realised  £10  10s.  Of  the  White 
Shangliaes,  the  higliest  sum  given  for  a  cockerel  was 
£i  5s.,  and  the  hig:hest  for  a  pullet,  ^£1  15s. 

Mrs.  Herhert's  fo  wis  were  sold  on  the  10th.  Her  Buff 
birds  were  very  bail  indeed,  and  her  Blacks  very  little 
better ;  not  one  o  f  the  cockerels  being  without  red  i 
feathers.  Her  W.hite  Shaiighaes,  for  which  she  has 
been  so  justly  celebrated,  are  not  so  stout  as  those  of 
last  year's  sale.  Seventy  birds  of  these  Whites  were 
sold  for  i'llO.  The  highest  price  was  .i'lO  10s.,  and 
that  was  for  the  cockerel  which  took  the  first  prize  at 
Birmingham  in  1M53.  Tlio  three  pullets  which  accom- 
panied him  on  that  occasion  sold  for  five  guineas  each. 

Mr.  PmioharSs  Shanghae  fowls,  all  buflf  and  cinna- 
mon, were  sold  on  the  11th.  They  were  not  so  good 
as  those  drafted  from  his  yard  last  year,  being  smaller 
and  deficient  in  substance.  The  cockerels  were  bettor 
than  the  pullets.  There  were  160  Lots,  and  they  sold 
for  il7(j.  The  highest  price  given  for  a  cockerel  was 
£1  10s.  for  Lot  49,  he  having  taken  the  second  prize  at 
Norwich,  and  been  highly  commendod.  at  Birmingham. 
The  largest  sum  given  for  a  pullet  was  £i,  Gs.  for  Lot  63. 


THE  WINTER:  ITS  PROBABLE  EFFECTS  ON 
VEGETABLES,  &c. 

If  the  weather  has  been  as  severe  in  other  parts  of 
Britain  as  it  has  been  in  Cheshire,  I  make  no  doubt 
that  a  great  outcry  will  prevail  about  the  losses  in  our 
kitchen-gardens.  I  am  not  aware  (speaking  of  the 
present  moment,  January  2,)  that  I  ever  saw  stronger 
signs  of  extremely  severe  weather  for  a  few  days,  for  the 
thermometer  now,  whilst  1  write,  si.\  o'clock,  p.m.,  is 
down  to  0°,  which  is  what  we  gardeners  consider  rather 
a  strong  case.  But  the  accompaniments  are  remark- 
able ;  the  wind  has  been  vacillating  in  a  singular  way, 
although,  to  observe  the  extremely  quiescent  state  of 
the  air,  one  might  materially  imagine  that  not  a  dis- 
turbing cause  existed.  It  rather  nminds  one  of  the 
accounts  we  have  read  of  the  conditions  of  atmosphere 
in  the  Polar  regions,  for  although  sucli  an  extreme 
depression  of  temperature  exists,  the  air  is  bearable: 
I  have  known  many  a  day  in  the  beginning  of  March 
less  so,  when  we  have  had  a  frost  only  some  10°  or  12", 
but  accompanied  by  a  cutting  north-easter.  Verily  these 
winds  are  the  greatest  refrigerators,  taking  away  not  only 
warmth,  but  robbing  all  vegetable  bodies  of  that  mois- 
ture which  not  only  promotes  their  succulence,  but 
consitutes,  as  it  were,  their  life-blood  and  energy. 

I  well  remember  the  great  frost  of  1H13 — 14  ('.'),  when 
the  Thames  was  frozen,  and  a  fair  held  on  it.  That 
very  year  I  had  left  my  school,  which  was  on  the  banks 
of  the  Thames,  opposite  to  the  old  Church  at  Putney ; 
and  having  a  few  holidays  before  I  was  compelled  to 
put  my  shoulder  to  the  wheel,  I  was  daily  on  the 
Thames  with  my  school-fellows,  and  many  dangers  we 
narrowly  escaped  in  crossing  to  Fulham  on  the  ice- 
bergs which  floated  abundantly  on  the  Richmond  side 
of  the  bridge,  whilst,  strange  to  say,  on  the  London  side 
all  was  smooth  ice,  and,  indeed,  tliere  the  fair  was  held, 
with  all  its  paraphernalia  of  printing-presses,  booths, 
round-abouts,  swings,  kc. 

But  to  my  tale;  I  do  not  think  tliat  the  present 
position  of  affairs  greatly  resembles  it.  A  south-east 
wind  greatly  prevailing,  a  creamy  condition  of  air,  with 
huge  rolls  of  mist  in  the  evening,  like  the  lace  in  folds 
round  a  lady's  cap,  rolling  stealthily  over  the  meadows. 


at  four  o'clock,  p.ji,,  at  about  six  feet  above  the  ground 
level. 

I  should  not  depart  so  wide  of  the  Cabbage  and  Let- 
tuce question,  but  to  furnish  notes  for  comparison  with 
those  of  distant  friends,  for,  doubtless,  many  a  one  will 
be  dreading  the  upshot,  as  we  do  in  this  quarter.  To 
give  a  slight  detail  of  recent  temperatures,  I  must  ob- 
serve, that  the  frost  here  may  be  said  to  have  set  in  at 
precisely  the  same  period  as  on  that  former  memorable 
occasion,  viz.,  the  day  after  Christmas-daj',  which,  if  my 
memory  does  not  prove  treacherous,  was  the  exact  period. 

On  Monday  evening,  the  2tith,  a  slight  frost  occurred; 
in  the  night,  on  Tuesday,  a  good  deal  of  snow  fell ;  on 
Wednesday  frost  continued  ;  and  on  Thursday  morn- 
ing, at  seven,  a.m.,  thermometer  down  to  0°  or  7° ;  and 
on  that  same  evening,  rain,  with  a  temperature  ranging 
from  30°  to  40°.  On  Friday,  froze  again  ;  continued  on 
Saturday.  On  Sunday  afternoon,  and  through  part  of 
the  night,  a  right  old  English  snow,  on  Monday  morn- 
ing averaging  six  inches  in  depth,  when  we  had  to  put 
our  ice  plough  into  requisition,  for  besoms  were  help- 
less, you  might  as  well  liave  had  a  lady's  fan  ;  and  now, 
as  before  observed,  the  thermometer  about  0°,  with  such 
a  hoary  starving  look  as  would  almost  startle  a  veteran 
of  the  Siberian  deserts. 

Further  I  cannot  report  now  ;  therefore  let  us  see 
about  its  application. 

One  of  the  first  families  of  vegetables  wliich  suffers  is 
the  Brocoli,  and  these  are  ratljcr  difficult  to  replace. 
Little  can  be  done  for  these  after  sutlering  from  the 
effects  of  severe  weather:  those  that  are  half-killed  must, 
of  course,  fall  off  in  an  immature  state,  and  such  being 
generally  half-decayed  in  the  stem,  produce  very  lean 
and  small  heads.  With  regard  to  these  things,  every 
pains  should  be  taken  to  get  the  hand-glass  Cauliflowers 
forward,  as  if  the  destruction  amongst  spring  Brocoli  is 
very  great  there  will  be  an  unusual  desire  for  these 
betimes.  Plants,  well-establislied  in  pots  in  the  autumn, 
very  sturdy,  and  preserved  hitherto  in  frames,  or  pots, 
may  be  repotted,  and  placed  in  the  front  of  some  house 
in  the  corir.=e  of  January;  these,  with  the  use  of  liquid- 
maniu'e,  will  be  strong  indeed  by  the  end  of  February, 
when  they  may  be  got  out  under  hand-glasses  in  rich 
soil,  and  every  attention  being  paid  them,  nice  Cauli- 
flowers may  be  cut  in  the  beginning  of  May.  Lettuces 
will,  doubtless,  be  heavy  sufferers,  especially  those  which 
were  very  strong  plants  in  October,  and  to  provide 
against  such  a  mischance,  sowings  should  bo  made 
immediately  in  boxes,  or  pans,  and  these  introduced 
immediately  to  heat. 

As  soon  as  the  young  plants  can  be  handled,  a 
frame  possessing  a  bottom  heat  of  about  (i0°,  siiould  be 
appropriated  to  them,  and  they  should  bo  pricked  out 
in  rich  soil,  very  close  to  tlie  glass,  and  receive  cover- 
ing in  severe  weather.  Such  may  be  pricked  out  by 
the  end  of  the  month,  and  will  bo  stifl'  little  plants  by 
the  third  week  in  February,  when  they  must  bo  hard- 
ened ofl',  and  planted  out  in  prepared  soil,  in  very 
warm  situations,  on  elevated  beds,  and  by  receiving 
every  attention,  with  an  occasional  liquid -manuring 
during  dry  weather  in  March  and  April,  good  Lettuces 
may  be  produced  by  the  end  of  the  latter  month  and  all 
through  May.  Cabbage  plants,  too.  are  apt  to  suller 
much  in  sucli  winters,  and  even  those  of  tlio  dwarf, 
hearting  kinds  may  ho  sown  in  heat,  and  trans- 
planted after  the  manuer  of  the  other  things.  Those 
planted  out  in  autumn  sliould  have  examination  during 
the  first  dry  weather  at  the  end  of  .lanuary  or  first  week 
in  February,  tlioy  are  apt  to  become  loose  in  the  soil. 
Sucli  should  be  fastened,  and  have  the  soil  drawn  close 
to  their  necks ;  all  blanks,  too,  should  be  made  good, 
and  towards  the  middle  of  March  they  will  begin  to 
benefit  by  a  liberal  application  of  liquid-manure  during 
dry  periods. 


Januarx  19. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


;i9r 


A  close  examination  of  all  store  roots  should  talco 
place  as  soon  as  possible,  and  these  should  he  all  turned 
over  and  picked.  Beets  will  have  sprouted,  and  Pur- 
snips,  Carrots,  &o.,  should  have  all  sprouts  and  roots 
rubbed  away.  It  is  a  capital  plan  to  spread  them  in 
the  sun  and  wind  for  several  hours  to  kill  the  young 
fibres,  and  then  to  store  them  again.  Kkhiey,  or  other 
early  Potatoes,  in  early  frames,  may  be  placed  in  simple 
layers  in  boxes,  first  putting  a  layer  of  leaf-soil  in  the 
bottom,  and  sticking  their  ends  in  it;  they  may  then 
be  introduced  to  heat  to  sprout,  but  it  will  be  well  to 
cover  them  over  their  crowns  with  very  fine  manurial 
matter,  which  will  cause  them  to  produce  strong  sprouts. 
Such  may  be  planted  with  fine  sprouts  three  inches  in 
length,  in  prepared  beds,  in  the  middle  of  February, 
and  will,  with  proper  attention,  probably  be  ibimd 
earlier  tlian  those  planted  at  once  in  hotbeds  in  the  end 
of  December. 

I  may  first  mention,  in  addition  to  what  I  had  pre- 
viously stated  with  regard  to  the  weather,  that  the  ther- 
mometer, whilst  I  finish  these  observations,  January  .S, 
six  o'clock,  P.M.,  may  be  quoted  about  'i°;  but  as  1  do 
not  place  extreme  reliance  on  niy  glass,  it  is  not  impro- 
bable that  we  may  hear  of  its  being  below  zero  in  some 
places. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  this  weather  may  be  fol- 
lowed by  cutting  winds,  if  so,  it  is  fearful  to  contemplate 
the  havoc  amongst  vegetables,  tender  trees,  &c.  This 
weather  will  also  put  some  of  our  so-called  hardy 
new  shrubs  and  trees  to  the  test,  and  will  tend  to 
purge  some  of  our  trade  catalogues  of  over-glowing 
descriptions.  R.  Ereington. 


PRACTICAL  PRUNING. 

When  a  child  is  born  high  up  in  the  world,  I  mean, 
up  among  the  hills,  the  boy  or  girl  is  so  far  apart  i'rom 
other  boys  or  girls,  that  a  great  deal  is  to  be  learned 
fi'om  the  natural  bent  of  the  mind  and  body ;  add  to 
this,  that  when  the  grown-up  people  gather  together,  as 
to  a  wedding,  or  a  dance,  or  at  sheep-shearing,  or  at 
"  marking  the  lambs,"  or  on  any  other  common  occa- 
sion, the  boys  and  girls  are  put  out  of  the  way  lest 
they  should  be  troublesome ;  besides,  these  high  born 
little  ones  are  never  allowed  little  high  chairs  to  sit  at 
table,  they  must  take  their  porridge  elsewhere,  as  it 
happens;  so,  as  I  have  just  hinted,  they  have  no  chance 
to  learn  much  from  doing  what  they  see  others  do,  for 
they  do  not  see  them  at  their  doings.  I  believe,  that  if 
a  dull  child,  say  a  boy,  were  left  on  an  island  where 
there  was  no  one  but  himself,  but  where  there  were 
plenty  of  birds  and  animals,  that  he  would  learn  two 
things,  at  least,  that  are  prized  in  civilized  life ;  he 
would  learn  to  like  flowers,  and  he  would  learn  to 
dance  from  what  he  saw  around  him.  No  great  credit 
thus  for  highlanders  being  such  good  natural  dancers, 
yet  they  find  it  very  difficult  afterwards  to  learn  it  by 
rule  and  note;  but  when  they  get  over  the  first  three 
steps,  the  "  one,  two,  three,  and  a  hop,"  all  the  difficulty 
is  over. 

It  is  just  the  same  in  pruning.  The  man  who  has  been 
accustomed  to  cut  and  prune  after  his  own  natural 
fashion,  or  as  if  he  came  to  this  world  for  no  other  pur- 
pose, will  find  it  a  hard  and  tedious  process  to  follow 
and  imitate  the  first  three  steps  of  the  scientific  pruner, 
even  though  the  said  pruner  is  guided  as  much  by  cir- 
cumstances as  by  scientific  rules;  but  no  sooner  does  he 
master  the  first  three  fundamental  rules  for  pruning 
than  the  difficulty  is  over.  We  must  not  suppose,  how- 
ever, that  the  thing  is  either  easy  to  learn,  or  that  every 
one  can  be  a  thorough  master  of  it;  like  every  thing 
else,  there  will  always  be  better  pruuers  than  others, 
teach  or  practice  as  we  may.    To  be  a  good  general 


pruner  requires  a  long  course  of  practice,  because"  it  is 
from  that  alone  that  we  can  learn  the  vast  variety  there 
is  in  the  nature  of  so  many  kind  of  plants  and  trees. 
A  forester  may  prune  his  Oaks  to  perfection  itself,  and 
yet  cut  a  sorry  figure  against  a  Peach  wall ;  and  a 
smock-frock  customer,  in  Kent,  may  iii-unc  a  filbert  bush 
better  than  my  lord's  gardener.  So  on  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter. 

Here  we  have  certain  kinds  of  trees  to  fill  up  the 
boundary  line  of  a  confined  garden  for  a  screen,  such  as 
Poplars,  Maples,  Thorns,  Oaks,  Horse  Chesnuts,  Spruce 
and  Silver  Firs,  Scotch  Pine,  Larch,  and  such  trees,  and 
we  must  not  allow  them  to  spread  out  their  limbs  over 
our  neighbour's  garden,  or  sufter  them  to  trespass  on 
our  own  more  choice  trees  and  shrubs  in  front  of  them 
along  the  border.  We  have  thus  a  definite  object  to 
prune  for,  as  much  so  as  he  who  prunes  for  a  crop  of 
fruit;  and  if  we  take  heed  as  to  how  we  start,  our  trees 
are  just  as  easily  managed,  and  more  so  than  the  Peach 
or  Apricot  against  the  wall.  All  depends  on  the  style 
of  pruning  for  the  first  few  years.  I  once  cut-in  a  shoot 
of  a  Finns  exoeha  in  the  month  of  May,  and  it  bled  as 
fast  as  the  drops  could  run,  and  the  sap  was  as  thin  and 
clear  as  spirits  of  turpentine.  I  never  saw  any  tree 
bleed  so  fast  before  or  since.  I  repeated  the  experiment 
two  seasons  after  that,  and  at  the  same  time,  when  the 
sap  flowed  as  before.  I  never  knew  a  Spruce  or  a  Silver 
Fir  to  drop  the  sap  after  a  cut  at  any  season,  but  if  they 
are  pruned  late  in  the  spring,  they,  and  the  Larch,  as  well 
as  many  other  conifers,  will  ooze  out  a  kind  of  resin  in  the 
form  of  gum ;  therefore  I  should  not  like  to  make  free 
with  any  of  the  tribe,  by  way  of  pruning,  from  the  end  of 
March  till  after  Midsummer,  and  I  would  not  hesitate 
to  cut  them  at  any  other  season,  so  that  the  whole  of  the 
boundary  trees  under  consideration  may  be  pruned  any 
time  in  the  winter;  but  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the 
middle  of  July  is  the  best  time  in  the  whole  year  to 
prune  all  forest  trees  whatsoever ;  the  reason  for  that  is, 
first,  that  none  of  them  bleed  at  that  season,  the  growth 
being  then  so  rapid  as  to  suck  up  all  their  sap  faster 
than  it  comes,  leaving  none  of  it  to  run  over;  and 
secondly,  that  at  that  season  growth  is  so  vigorous,  e.x- 
tending  the  seat  of  life  outwards,  that  new  wood  is  soon 
formed  over  small  wounds,  and  round  the  sides  of  larger 
wounds ;  v/hereas,  all  v?ounds,  or  cuts,  made  from  the 
end  of  October  to  the  end  of  May,  must  necessarily 
stand  fully  exposed  to  all  weathers  till  the  Midsummer 
following.  The  worst  of  it  is  that  few  people  can  spare 
time  for  summer  pruning. 

The  Spruce,  Silver  Fir,  and  Larch,  and  most  conifers, 
seldom  require  any  pruning  in  a  boundary  line,  or  any- 
where in  a  garden,  rmtil  they  are  old  and  lull  grown,  and 
then  all  they  require  is  to  thin  out  the  spray  on  the 
chief  limbs,  if  the  parts  get  too  crowded,  or,  as  is  too 
often  the  case,  if  they  were  planted  too  close  at  first,  and 
are  now  hurting  each  other,  or  some  valuable  shrubs 
near  them,  when  the  tops  of  the  branches,  which  over- 
run the  space  between  them  and  the  shrubs,  may  be 
shortened  back  without  any  hai'm.  So,  too,  if  the  Fir 
branches  hang  over  the  next  door  neighbour's  garden, 
for,  be  it  remembered,  I  am  now  contemplating  one  of 
the  evils  of  a  house  semi-detached  ;  builders  will  put  up 
houses  in  pairs,  and  divide  them  aud  the  garden  across 
the  middle,  and  if  you  plant  trees  along  the  boundary  of 
No.  l,they  will  spread  their  branches  over  No.  2,  and 
so  will  those  of  No.  2  in  the  other  directions;  thus  the 
occupiers  turn  colours,  the  one  looks  black  and  the 
other  looks  blue,  and  soon  they  are  as  much  divided  as 
the  houses  and  gardens  they  severally  occupy;  there- 
fore, if  only  for  the  looks  of  the  thing,  it  is  surely  worth 
while  to  learn  to  prune  boundary  trees  before  all  other 
trees. 

According  to  my  tale,  almost  all  trees  can  be  so  pruned 
as  to  grow  something  in  the  way  of  trees  trained  against 


298 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Janttaet  19. 


walls,  that  is,  two-sided  back  boughs  are  stopped,  from 
time  to  time,  to  prevent  them  spreading  over  to  the  other 
side,  and  front  boughs  the  same,  to  keep  them  from 
trespassing  on  our  own  more  clioice  things  in  front  of 
them,  and  this  stopping  on  two  sides  will  force  nuich  of 
the  growth  right  and  left,  and  that  will  flU  up  the 
boundary-line  much  sooner  and  better  tlian  letting  the 
trees  grow  in  a  more  natural  way.  The  only  difficulty 
lies  in  this,  the  cliance  of  having  our  trees  look  so  much 
like  a  hedge,  and  that  difficulty  no  pen  can  remove, 
but  nothing  in  the  world  is  more  easy  for  the  knife.  A 
good  pmner  can  give  any  form  or  tiu-n  to  a  tree, 
and  still  it  will  look  as  if  it  took  that  particular  form 
naturally,  and  that  is  the  right  test  for  a  good  primer  : 
if  you  can  trace  his  handywork  after  the  trees  .ire  all  in 
leaf  depend  upon  it  he  wants  a  cut  or  two  himself  A 
Spruce  tree  is  a  good  pattern  to  go  by  in  pruning  boun- 
dary trees,  only  tlie  tiers  of  branches  should  not  be  so 
regular,  nor  the  regularity  of  their  diminishing  lengths 
upwards  so  apparent,  still,  I  say  this  is  a  very  good 
pattern-tree.  When  you  first  begin  to  thin  the  head  of  a 
young  ti-ee  is  the  right  time  to  think  of  the  Spruce  pat- 
tern, and  to  follow  it  out  patiently  fi-om  year  to  year 

There  would  be  little  dilficulty  in  so  pruning  and 
training  a  young  Oak  as  to  make  it  look  exactly  of  the 
same  style  of  gi-owth  as  a  Spruce — tiers  of  branches  at  1 
regular  distances,  and  the  branches  getiing  less  and  less 
in  length  upwards,  but  there  is  no  need  for  such  close 
imitation;  all  that  I  want  to  impress  on  the  youug 
pruner  is,  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  our 
deciduous  trees  to  prevent  him  from  giving  them  the 
same  form  as  the  Spruce  has  by  natnre;  and,  then, 
knowing  he  has  this  power,  I  want  to  teach  him  also 
not  to  make  bad  use  of  it,  or  to  blame  The  Cottage 
Gardener  if  he  does.  A  genial  soil,  and  good  brains, 
help  to  cover  every  brick  in  a  fruit-wall ;  but  the  best 
bi-aius,  contending  against  bad  soil,  find  it  a  difficult 
matter  to  make  a  decent  appearance.  None  of  this 
difficulty,  however,  affects  our  pruner  on  the  present 
occasion;  if  branches  come  at  all,  he  knows  they  must 
have  space  enough  allowed  them  to  expose  their  leaves 
to  sun  and  light,  and  if  more  branches  come  and  crowd 
the  necessai-y  space,  he  knows  he  must  prune  off  the 
supernumeraries.  He  knows,  also,  that  main  branches 
will  grow  in  size,  and  extend  in  length,  just  as  trees  do, 
and  he  prunes  them  from  the  beginning  as  lie  would 
tliin  a  thick  jilantation.  In  course  of  years,  he  finds 
the  side-branches  on  the  main  limbs  require  exactly  the 
same  kind  of  management  as  the  large  limbs  when  they 
were  mere  branches  did  at  the  first  setting-off,  tliat  is, 
they,  too,  get  crowded,  and  must  be  thinned,  else  their 
closeness,  and  consequent  shade,  will  soon  spoil  other 
branches  whicli  be  cannot  well  spare,  and  so  be  removes 
them  as  often  as  they  interfere  with  his  plans,  so  that, 
in  fact,  the  proper  thinning  of  the  head  of  forest-trees, 
and  all  other  trees,  according  to  their  natures,  is  the 
main  and  grand  secret  of  the  pruner's  art,  and  the  last 
thing  that  is  thought  of,  when  we  want  to  make  a  primer 
of  a  country  bumpkin,  or  of  my  lord  Duke,  with  bis 
thousands  of  acres,  who,  if  he  thinks  at  all  on  the  sub- 
ject, is  perfectly  satisfied  with  his  forester,  if  he,  the 
said  forester,  knows  as  much  as  keeping  down  aspiring 
leaders,  and  cutting  off  a  tier  or  two,  year  by  year,  fi-om 
the  under  or  lowermost  boughs,  but  that  degree  of 
knowledge  could  be  taught  to  a  noodle  in  ten  minutes  ; 
and  it  is  idle  talk,  if  not  .altogether  shameful,  to  rail  at 
lloyal  Forest  Commissioners  for  doing  the  very  thing 
that  our  best  books  on  foresting,  until  a  very  recent 
date,  were  teaching,  and  even  insisting  ouglit  to  be 
done.  The  whole  thing  amounts  to  that  style  of  writing 
called  "  teaching  your  grandmother."  You  now  perceive 
a  better  order  of  things,  and  you  find  fault  with  hor,^ 
poor  soul,  because  she  did  not  find  it  out  for  herself 
before  your  first  smile  gladdened  her  very  heart. 


Yes,  and  I  say  it,  and  I  wiU  maintain  it,  until  the  end 
of  the  war,  that  the  grand  secret  of  pruning  lies  in  the 
thinning  of  the  branches,  first,  fi-om  the  main  trunk  of 
the  tree,  and  afterwards  from  the  gi-eat  limbs  into  which 
the  first  branches  gi-ow  in  the  course  of  years.  In  short, 
I  hold  it  as  a  fundamental  rule,  that  every  main  branch, 
or  great  limb,  which  is  only  the  same  thing,  in  the  brad 
of  a  tree,  requires  the  same  kind  of  pruning  and  atten- 
tion, after  a  certain  age,  as  the  trunk  and  head  required 
at  the  first  setting-off;  and  that  rival  branches,  and 
crowded  ones,  ought,  and  must  be  removed,  or  subdued, 
in  the  one  as  well  as  in  the  other.  A  healthy  tree  will 
.always  make  more  shoots,  and,  consequently,  more  leaves 
than  can  receive  the  necessary  light  for  the  exercise  of 
their  functions;  or,  if  they  do  for  a  year  or  two,  tliey 
get  overshadowed  after  that,  and  the  pruner  must 
remove  them  in  time,  rather  than  allow  nature  to  sup- 
press and  kill  them  m  the  long  run;  but  all  that  is 
necessary  to  know  about  thinning,  neither  scieuce,  or  a 
practical  pen  can  thoroughly  teach  a  third  party ;  you 
miglit  as  well  try  to  learn  a  man  to  make  a  military 
cloak,  or  Wellington  boots,  except  as  far  as  general  rules 
can  teach. 

The  Cedar  of  Lebanon  is  often  the  worst-managed 
tree  in  England,  while  it  is  youug  and  growing  very 
fast,  and  the  best  tree  I  know  of  to  point  to  for  the 
teaching  of  thinning  heads  and  limbs  of  trees.  At  the 
firstgoing-off  this  tree  gi-ows  so  slowly  that  the  intervals 
between  the  tiers  of  branches  is  very  little,  and  the 
branches  themselves  do  not  come  in  regular  tiers,  as  in 
the  Spruce,  until  the  tree  has  grown  freely  in  its  final 
place,  and  often  not  even  then,  or  at  any  stage  of  its 
growth,  owing  to  sHght  variation  in  the  seedlings,  like 
those  of  the  Scotch  Fir.  There  is  one  peculiarity, 
however,  in  all  the  varieties  of  this  Cedar,  which  is 
much  in  the  favour  of  the  pruner ;  it  bears  the  knife 
more  freely  than  any  other  tree,  not  excepting  the  Yew  ; 
and,  like  the  Yew,  no  day  in  the  year  conies  amiss 
to  it  for  priuiing.  I  have  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
young  Cedars  of  Lebanon  in  my  day,  and  I  am  quite 
sure  of  all  this,  and  I  know  that  one  can  give  any  kind 
of  form  to  the  tree  by  pruning,  from  the  shape  of  a 
Currant  bush  to  that  of  the  Larch, or  Lombardy  Poplar  ; 
but  for  illustrating  the  subject  of  thinning,  I  shall  sup- 
pose the  Cedar  of  Lebanon  is  to  be  carried  up  as  the 
Silver  Fir  grows — a  regular  set  of  tiers  at  regular  dis- 
tances all  the  way  up,  and  no  small  branches  left 
between  these  tiers,  only  little  stumps  of  small  branches 
tliat  were  stopped  early,  and  the  usual  tufts  of  leaves  so 
common  on  the  stem  of  young  trees  of  this  Cedar.  A 
young  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  and  a  young  Wistaria  sinensis 
are  the  two  most  lazy  plants  we  liavc,  if  they  once  take 
to  being  lazy;  but  that  is  not  their  natural  way,  for  the 
Cedar  can  gi-ow  almost  as  fast  as  the  Larcli,  and  Wistaria 
faster  than  the  Grape  Vine.  The  reason  for  the  slow 
growth  of  the  Cedar  is,  principally,  that  a  lot  of  bottom 
branches  had  been  allowed  to  divide  the  strength  and 
energy  among  themselves  at  the  expense  of  the  leader, 
and  if  they  were  allowed  to  stand  in  a  free  open  space 
they  would  keep  their  advantage  for  very  many  years, 
spreading  as  far,  on  all  sides,  as  the  leader  could  rise 
upwards,  and  that  is  the  reason  why  you  see  so  many  of 
them  flat-lieaded.  But  cut  out  one-half  of  those  bottom 
shoots,  and  stop  the  point  of  the  other  half  and  away  goes 
the  leader  immediately  ;  and  if  you  were  to  cut  off  every 
one  of  them,  the  leader  would  go  quite  as  fast,  tliat  I  am 
quite  certain  of;  but  then  the  want  of  bottom  branches  in  a 
young  Cedar-tree  would  look  bad,  besides  hindering  one 
from  making  agoodspecimen  of  it.  Thebest  plan  is  to  fix 
on  what  is  to  bo  the  lowest  tier,  and  cut  all  the  rest  into 
within  four  inches  of  the  trunk;  the  stumps,  being  all 
covered  with  leaves,  will  keep  alive  as  long  as  you 
please  without  increasing  in  diameter,  so  that  when  you 
come  to  cut  them  ofl"  quite  closo  the  wood  wiU  be  small 


January  19, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


299 


and  easy  to  cover.  This  stopping  process,  or  stumping, 
is  often  obliged  to  bo  resorted  to  by  the  best  forest 
primers  when  they  have  to  deal  with  trees ;  I  mean,  any 
forest  trees  that  have  been  long  neglected.  There  is  so 
much  thinning  to  bo  done  at  once,  that  if  the  one-half 
of  it  were  dono  in  one  season,  many  ti'eos  would  sutler 
severely  from  it,  and  so  they  hit  on  this  stumping  i)lan, 
to  arrest  the  swelling  of  such  branches  as  they  intend 
to  remove  ultimately.  D.  Beaion. 

{To  be  conlinucd.) 


LOOKING  AROUND   US. 

The  last  three  weeks  have  been  trying  ones  to  the 
patience  of  anxious  amateurs — the  let-well-alone  policy 
is  one  they  are  very  slow  to  learn.  Many  an  anxious 
look  has  been  given  to  plants  in  cold-pits,  when  true 
prudence  would  liave  kept  the  glass  shut,  and  the  cover- 
ing untouched,  except  for  turning  and  breaking  it. 
Writing  this  on  the  9th,  it  is  now  more  than  three  weeks 
since  the  plants  in  ovu'  cold-pits  saw  the  light  of  day. 
I  know  the  inside  was  cold  enough,  and,  therefore,  no 
air  was  necessary.  The  snow  constituted  a  valuable 
protection  until  tlie  7th,  when  it  began  to  melt  rapidly. 
I  have  glanced  in  at  a  corner  or  two,  and  have  no 
reason  to  be  alarmed,  but,  as  the  covering  is  not  tho- 
roughly thawed,  I  shall  leave  it  as  it  is  a  day  longer. 
When  first  uncovered,  if  the  day  should  be  sunny,  a 
little  shading  will  be  necessary.  Air,  too,  after  such 
confinement,  should  be  given  gradually,  not  too  much 
at  once.  I  mentioned,  the  other  week,  the  importance 
of  giving  a  little  air,  even  if  the  covering  was  kept  on 
several  days,  whenever  the  temperature  within  was  high 
enough  to  encourage  growth.  The  first  opportunity 
should  be  taken  to  remove  every  damped  or  decaying 
leaf  In  all  structures  capable  of  being  heated,  the 
keeping  constantly  covered  would  neither  be  necessary 
nor  useful;  but  in  severe  frost,  as  we  have  had,  the 
thermometer  sinking  from  10°  to  22°  below  freezing, 
covering  the  glass,  where  practicable,  becomes  both 
usei'ul  and  economical.  The  plants  are  not  dried  and 
drawn,  and  the  coal-heap  is  saved;  besides,  a  minimum 
of  attention  is  required.  Large  fires  pre-suppose  fre- 
quent waterings,  and  admittance  of  air,  too,  when  the 
plants  would  have  been  better  in  a  cooler  atmosphere, 
and  without  the  admission  of  dry,  frosty  air.  Hence,  in 
a  greenhouse,  kept  in  mild  weather  at  from  -15°  to  50° 
at  night,  I  would  prefer  that  that  house  should  range 
from  35°  to  40°  during  a  few  nights,  with  10°  to  20° 
below  freezing  out-of-doors.  A  gardener  lately  wrote  to 
me,  that  he  had  covered  all  the  pits  and  houses  he 
could,  though  he  could  heat  them,  and  he  was  sure,  that 
with  an  outlay  of  a  few  shillings  on  litter,  his  plants 
would  look  better  than  some  of  his  neighbours,  who,  in 
similar  structures,  had  kept  out  frost  by  the  cost  of 
many  pounds  for  coals  alone. 

Waterin//. — In  cold  pits,  little  of  this  will  be  required 
for  some  time  to  come.  When  the  weather  brightens, 
and  a  plant,  or  pot  of  plants,  gets  dry,  it  is  best  to  lift 
the  pot  out,  and  replace  it  when  drained.  In  house's 
heated,  watering  will  be  most  wanted  where  the  flue  or 
pipe  is  hottest ;  and  whatever  needs  it  shoidd  have 
enough  at  the  time  to  reach  every  root.  In  the  case  of 
a  flue,  the  necessity  of  frequent  waterings  should  be 
avoided  in  severe  weather,  by  having  evaporating  pans, 
or  vessels  filled  with  water,  set  over  the  heating  medium. 
This  will  prevent  the  atmosphere  being  dried.  In  mild 
weather  it  matters  not  whether  these  vessels  are  full  or 
empty,  as  if  there  is  no  fire-heat  evaporating  from  them 
will  proceed  but  slowly.  Much  care  is  necessary  in 
watering  all  greenhouse  plants  in  frosty  weather,  and  an 
effort  should  be  made  to  spill  as  little  as  possible.    A 


little  fire-heat  with  a  frosty  air  outside  dries  the  soil  in 
Ijots  very  quickly.  Such  things  as  Cinerarias,  Gera- 
niums, and  soft-wooded  plants,  show  this  before  much 
mischief  can  he  done ;  but  in  the  case  of  Heaths, 
Chirozcmas  &c.,  if  you  wait  until  you  see  the  flagging 
signs  of  dryness,  you  may  pretty  well  take  them  to  their 
last  resting-place  at  once.  Fme  specimens  of  these 
should  be  examined  by  weight  and  striking  their  sides 
with  a  knuckle  almost  every  day.  In  the  case  of  the 
whole  of  the  pea-blossomed  fraternity  of  compact  hard- 
wooded  plants,  such  as  Gastrolobium,  and  other 
allied  genera,  with  a  similar  termination  of  "  lohimn," 
as  was  long  ago  demonstrated,  they  must  neitlier  be  dry 
nor  soaked,  or  the  rootlets  go  to  a  certainty.  Drainage, 
therefore,  must  be  perfect;  and,  at  times,  the  means 
mentioned  the  other  week  must  be  resorted  to  in  water- 
ing, when  the  specimen  is  large.  Any  one  of  our  readers 
as  fond  of  fruit  as  they  are  of  flowers,  and  who  have 
succeeding  in  gathering  Strawberries  from  January  to 
March  from  plants  that  were  runners  the  previous 
season,  will  have  no  difficulty  in  keeping  these  hard- 
wooded  plants  in  just  the  right  condition.  Copious  and 
good  directions  have  been  given  about  Strawberry  grow- 
ing, but  when  wanted  early,  a  vast  deal  depends  upon 
the  watering.  If  left  too  dry,  the  fruit  embryo  is  dried 
up;  if  too  wet,  a  gouty  dropsy  is  the  3'esult;  and  in 
winter  especially,  the  disuse,  or  the  ill-use  of  water 
affects  injuriously  our  pot  plants.  Let  the  water  during 
winter  be  always  a  few  degrees  warmer  than  the  house. 

Plants  in  Windows. — Judging  from  what  little  we 
have  seen  of  window-gardening,  many  of  our  friends 
will  have  to  visit  the  plant  stores  next  season.  Large 
fires,  the  dry  air  of  the  room,  and  the  neglect  of  the 
water-pail  at  the  roots,  and  the  sponge  over  the  foliage, 
have  left  nothing  but  dried  skeletons,  where  a  month 
ago  all  was  fresh  and  luxuriant.  The  soil,  in  some 
cases,  had  been  of  a  loamy  character,  and  so  thoroughly 
baked  and  hardened  had  it  become,  that  with  neither 
finger  nor  nail  could  I  make  an  impression  upon  it. 
Whole  tribes  of  Geraniums,  Myrtles,  &c.,  were  not 
worth  a  brass  farthing.  Fuchsias  presented  the  only 
hope,  inasmuch  as  there  might  be  vitality  below  the 
soil,  though  there  was  none  above  it.  Others,  to  save 
trouble,  had  for  three  weeks  kept  their  window-plants 
on  the  chimney-piece,  or  in  a  recess  by  the  side  of  the 
parlour  chimney,  and  their  dusty,  weakly  aspect  was 
enough  to  give  one  the  blues. 

A  few,  copying  the  example  of  our  old  friend,  Mrs. 
Thinl;-in-Time,\mA  plants  in  their  rooms  almost  sufficient 
to  make  us  blush  for  our  own.  No  dust  had  been 
allowed  to  fall  upon  them ;  the  leaves  had  been  sponged 
every  week;  the  roots  had  been  watered  just  as  they 
needed  it ;  not  a  vestige  of  a  yellow  leaf  was  allowed  to 
remain  ;  every  possible  ray  of  light  was  given  when 
safety  from  frost  was  secured;  and  when  cold  was  ap- 
prehended the  plants  were  removed  from  the  window, 
and  covered  up  at  night.  The  first  mild  sunny  day  the 
window  will  be  opened  a  little,  and  by-aud-by  the  plants 
will  be  set  outside.  Plants  in  living-rooms,  however, 
sufl'er  hut  little  from  close  vitiated  air  ;  every  opening 
of  the  door  brings  a  fresh  supply.  It  is  the  heat,  and 
the  dryness  of  the  an-  from  the  five  that  injures  them; 
and  these  can  only  be  counteracted  by  nearness  to  the 
glass  in  the  day  time,  so  as  to  cool,  as  well  as  have 
light,  and  a  damp  atmosphere  by  sponging  and  sprink- 
ling the  foliage. 

Manure  Water. — This,  in  a  weak  state,  will  now  be 
of  advantage  to  Cinerarias  coming  into  bloom.  Camellias 
in  bloom  and  opening  their  buds,  Chinese  Primroses, 
Ageratums,  Salvias,  Tropoeolum  Lobbiana,  Lachenalias 
showing  bloom,  Cyclamens  ditto,  Perpetual  Carnations, 
Pinks,  Scarlet  Geraniums  in  a  blooming  state,  &c. 
Most  other  things  in  a  greenhouse  should  have  clear 
soft  water  at  this  time. 


300 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


January  19. 


Syringing. — Tbis  will  be  generally  advisable,  wben, 
after  some  dull  days,  we  have  a  sunny  one — very  likely 
the  forerunner  of  a  frosty  night.  If  plants  are  as  dry 
as  safety  will  permit,  they  will  stand  an  amount  of 
cold  tliey  could  not  do  wben  wet.  In  dull,  foggy  wea- 
ther, the  whole  perspiring  and  elaborating  processes  of 
this  plant  are  reduced  to  a  minimum.  A  bright  sun 
comes  npon  such  plants,  and  finds  them  unprepared  to 
meet  him,  and  before  their  dormant  energies  are  aroused, 
be  makes  them  bang  their  heads  like  bulrushes.  Now, 
ten  to  one,  the  plants  do  not  require  nioistui'e  at  the 
roots,  and  a  drenching  there,  witli  a  frosty  night  suc- 
ceeding, might  require  as  many  more  coals  from  you  as 
would  keep  a  parlour  Are  for  several  days,  if  your  bouse 
was  large.  A  slight  dusting  over  the  foliage,  in  such 
circumstances,  just  as  the  sun  begins  to  shine  forcibly — 
nay,  repeating  the  operation  at  mid-day,  if  necessary. — 
would  supply  moisture  for  bim  to  evaporate,  without 
extorting  it  from  the  debilitated  stems  and  foliage  of 
the  plant.  Upon  the  same  principle,  after  dull  weather, 
we  are  often  forced  to  shade  tender  plants  from  a 
bright  sunshine,  not  because  sunlight  is  not  good 
for  them,  but  because  tbey  are  not  prepared  for  its  I'ree 
action.     Extremes  must  be  avoided. 

Air-giving.- — This  is  another  puzzler.  I  have  men- 
tioned, when  in  cold  pits  tliey  may  bo  shut  up,  and 
when  air  must  be  given.  As  a  general  rule,  with  an 
outside  temperature  of  ;tO°  to  40°  in  the  shade,  air  may 
be  given  ireely;  but  so  as  to  keep  out  wet.  With  that 
temperature,  and  foggy,  give  none  if  you  can  keep  the 
fog  out ;  give  a  little  if  that  is  beyond  your  power.  In 
cool  greenhouses  act  on  the  same  principle.  Where 
plants  are  in  bloom,  or  plants  are  forced,  air  must  be 
given  with  more  caution.  Give  little,  or  none,  in  very 
frosty  weather  ;  prefer  letting  your  tires  low  during  the 
day  ;  and,  if  practicable,  cover  up  at  night.  If  several 
days  of  raw,  cold,  damp  fog  come,  keep  it  out  if  you  can. 
If  it  gets  into  the  house,  light  fires  to  change  the  fog 
into  invisible  vapour,  and  give  a  little  air  at  the  top, 
just  to  let  the  moisture-laden  air  escape.  This  will 
prevent  the  evil  of  a  stagnant  atmosphere.  With  an 
outside  temperature  of  40°,  and  above,  give  air  freely. 
When  much  below  that,  a  free  admission  of  air,  except 
for  an  hour  or  two,  would,  in  the  case  of  greenhouse 
plants  in  general,  be  attended  with  a  free  use  of  the  fuel 
heap.  R.  Eish. 

THE  WOODS  AND  FORESTS. 

PREPARINO   THE    GROUND   POti   A   NEW   PLANTATION. 
(Continued  from  page   281.) 

Supposing  the  proprietor  of  some  extensive  moor,  or 
mountain  land,  has  determined,  or  been  influenced,  by 
some  means  or  other,  no  matter  what,  to  plant  a  large 
piece  of  those  barren  and  bare  portions  of  his  estate,  the 
first  thing  to  do  is  to  prepare  the  ground  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  yoimg  trees.  Draining  is  the  first  step 
towards  that  preparation.  Without  this  important 
measure  being  well  carried  out  vain  will  be  the  labour 
and  expence  of  planting.  I  have,  some  three  or  four 
weeks  ago,  given  an  instance  of  the  ill-elfects  of  planting 
undrained  laud,  and  the  beneficial  etfects  it  had  on 
them  when  performed. 

If  the  ground,  then,  is  wet  and  springy,  or  any  part 
of  it,  let  that  part  be  well  and  thoroughly  drained.  It 
will  pay  the  expence  in  a  very  few  years  by  the  rapid 
and  free  growth  of  the  trees.  The  next  operation  will 
be  digging  or  trenching  the  ground.  This  is  a  heavy 
and  somewhat  costly  operation,  requiring  a  largo  amount 
of  labour,  and  a  no  less  large  siiare  of  patience  and 
perseverance  ;  but  wherever  the  spade  and  pickaxe  can 
be  used,  tho  land  intended  to  be  quickly  covered  with 
timber  must  be  digged,  or  oven  trenched.     Far  better 


is  it  to  only  undertake  to  plant  five  acres  at  once,  nud 
do  it  well,  than  to  plant  fifty  carelessly  prepared.  The 
practice,  when  I  was  a  boy,  was  to  let  to  nurserymen,  by 
contract,  a  certain  number  of  acres  to  be  planted  at  so 
much  an  acre  ;  the  nurseryman  to  find  labour  and  trees, 
and  to  fill  up  all  vacancies  that  might  occur  through 
deaths  for  three  years.  This  seemed  a  very  excellent 
plan ;  and  where  the  land  was  tolerably  good,  in  some 
ten  or  fifteen  years  a  fair  sprinkling  of  trees  did  make 
some  growth. 

I  was  then  in  a  celebrated  nursery  in  the  north,  and 
often  had  to  attend  upon  the  men  and  carry  plants  for 
them.  Previous  to  planting,  a  kind  of  jiioneers  were 
sent  to  what  they  called  prepare  the  ground  by  holing 
it.  Tins  work  was  commonly  done  about  August  and 
September.  If  the  ground  would  allow  it,  a  turf,  about 
a  foot  square,  was  cut  off  the  surface,  the  soil  underneath 
thrown  out,  and  then  the  turf  put  into  tlie  bottom  of 
the  hole,  and  tlie  soil  upon  it ;  but  if  the  land  was 
thin  of  soil,  covered  with  brushwood,  or  fern,  the 
holing  was  then  done  with  a  kind  of  mattock,  one  end 
of  which  was  like  a  strong,  thick  hoe,  and  the  other 
sharp  and  small,  like  a  common  pickaxe.  With  the 
broad  end  of  this  certainly  powerful  tool  in  the  hands  of 
a  strong,  willing  man,  the  turf  or  fern,  was  cliopped  ofl' 
in  a  circle  about  a  foot  or  fifteen  inches  diameter.  Then 
the  soil,  or  gravel,  or  mar),  or  whatever  was  underneath, 
was  loosened  with  the  sharp  end  of  the  mattock,  and 
the  hole  was  ready,  as  they  said,  for  the  tree.  Tbis 
operation  was  often  relet  by  the  nurseryman,  and  was, 
or  was  not,  properly  done,  as  the  case  miglit  be.  The 
price,  if  I  remember  rightly,  was  miserably  low,  so  that 
loo  frequently  the  men  only  half  did  the  work,  in  order 
to  count  a  greater  number  of  holes,  and  thereby  earn 
more,  or,  at  least,  obtain  more  of  their  scanty  pittance. 
'Then,  when  autumn  arrived,  the  trees  were  torn  up  out 
of  tlie  nursery  beds,  a  kind  of  hodge-podge  mixture  was 
concocted,  and  the  trees  were  tlirust  into  these  prepared 
holes  or  bolings.  The  men  should  have  opened  the 
holes  deep  enough  for  the  roots,  then  set  the  tree  in  the 
centre,  and  fill  in  the  loosened  stuff,  whether  gi'avel, 
sand,  or  soil,  or  a  mixture  of  all  upon  and  amongst  the 
roots ;  but  too  frequently,  in  order  to  get  in  a  certain 
number  before  night,  the  spade  was  merely  thrust  iu 
about  the  centre  of  the  loosened  soil,  worked  backwards 
and  forwards,  till  a  kind  of  chasm  was  formed;  then 
the  roots  were  crammed  in  and  the  soil  closed,  and  this 
was  called  preparing  and  planting  a  forest. 

In  some  situations  this  mattock  would  be  an  excellent 
tool,  no  doubt,  for  preparing  the  ground,  and  the  pre- 
vious summer  a  proper  season  to  do  the  work  in.  Steep 
hill  sides,  covered  with  small  stones,  with  here  and  there 
patches  of  gorse  heath  and  rough  grass,  in  such  places 
this  mattock  would  be  the  very  best  instrument  for  the 
purpose ;  but  then  the  whole  surface  should  bo  mattocked 
over,  and  all  brambles,  whin  bushes,  or  heath,  stubbed 
up,  and  either  burnt  or  laid  in  heaps  to  rot.  With 
tbis  instrument  the  most  barren  hill,  or  mountain,  might 
be  prepared,  so  as  to  receive  and  grow  trees  well. 

It  is  well  known  to  many  persons  that  in  Hampshire 
there  are  large  tracts  of  hilly  land  on  which  there  is 
tlie  scantiest  of  all  herbage,  and  scarce!}'  an  inch  of 
mould.  About  forty  years  ago,  the  late  Lord  Calthorpe 
came  into  possession  of  a  large  tract  of  sucli  land  iu  that 
county.  He  was  then  a  young,  enterprising  man,  full  of 
benevolent  feelings  for  the  poor  on  his  estate,  and  there- 
fore he  immediately  set  them  to  work  in  preparing  the 
barren  parts  of  it  for  the  reception  of  trees.  So  little 
soil  was  there  that  every  particle  that  could  bo  found 
was  laid  in  little  heaps,  and  when  the  planting  was 
commenced  not  more  than  a  spadeful  could  be  allowed 
to  each  tree.  Yet,  so  well  were  they  planted  and  ma- 
naged under  his  own  eye,  that  ten  years  ago,  wlicu  I 
sojourned  for  a  short  period  in  tho  neighbourhood,  tho 


January  19. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


301 


trees  had  progressed  so  as  to  give  the  what  was  once  a 
bleak  waste  quite  a  woody  ap])earauce.  These  hills  are 
now  covered  with  very  fair  timber,  aod  this  instance  of 
great  success  in  making  the  wilderness  to  smile,  even  in 
the  owner's  life-time,  ought  to  stimulate  all  proprietors 
of  waste  lands  to  go  and  do  so  likewise. 

T.  Appleby. 
(To  be  contiimed.) 


THE  TUBEROSE. 

This  fine,  sweet-scented  flower,  PoUanlhes  tuherosa' 
was  introduced  fronr  the  East  Indies  so  long  since  as 
lOdS).  Tlie  tuberous  roots  are  grown  in  Italy  as  an 
article  of  commerce,  and  are  brought  over  in  con- 
siderable quantities  to  this  country  annually.  They  are 
mostly  imported  by  the  Italian  warehousmen  in  London, 
and  come  generally  along  with  Orange  and  Lemon-trees, 
the  large  flowered  Jasmine  (Jasminmn  ifrandiflorumj, 
and  the  Arabian  Jasmine  ( Jcmninum  Samhac).  As  this 
is  the  season  to  purchase  the  roots  of  the  Tuberose,  and 
plant  them,  I  trust  a  few  remarks  on  its  culture  will  be 
acceptable  and  useful  to  the  readers  of  The  Cottage 
Gardener. 

Soil. — The  soil  I  have  found  to  suit  them  best  is  a 
rich,  alluvial  loam,  mixed  with  about  one-fourth  tho- 
roughly decomposed  hotbed  manure,  or  two  years'  old 
cowdung,  well  reduced,  will  answer  admirably.  If  the 
loam  is  not  naturally  sandy,  a  sufficient  portion  should 
be  added  to  the  compost.  I  find  river-sand,  sifted  so 
as  to  clear  it  from  stones,  the  best  kind  of  sand  for  the 
purpose. 

Pots — The  diameter  of  the  pots  should  be,  for  one 
tuber,  5  inches  ;  for  two,  7  inches  ;  and  for  three,  8^ 
inches.  The  pots  should  be  chosen  as  deep  as  possible, 
because  the  roots  of  the  Tuberose,  like  all  other  bulbs, 
descend  rapidly  and  deeply  into  the  soil.  The  pots 
should  be  used  quite  clean,  and  must  be  well  drained. 
Previously  to  potting  the  roots  all  the  small  side-shoots 
should  be  carefully  rubbed  oft',  as  well  as  all  the  remains 
of  the  old  withered  roots  and  leaves.  This  dressing  of 
the  bulbs  must  be  done  with  care,  so  as  not  to  injure  or 
wound  the  main  tuber.  The  Italians,  I  suppose,  send 
them  over  with  all  these  excrescences  on  them  to  make 
them  look  larger,  or,  perhaps,  to  preserve  the  main 
tuber.  When  they  are  thus  cleaned  let  them  be  potted. 
Planting. — Fill  the  pots  with  the  soil,  and  press  it 
firmly  down,  leaving  the  pot  so  full  as  to  allow  the  neck 
of  the  tuber  to  be  level  with  the  rim  of  the  pot;  then 
insert  one,  or  two,  or  three,  as  may  be  thought  most 
convenient,  in  each  pot  in  proportion  to  its  size,  filling 
the  earth  in  firm  round  each  tuber.  I  have  grown  them 
equally  well  in  all  the  three  sines,  but  for  placing  in  a 
conservatory,  when  in  bloom,  I  should  recommend  the 
largest  size,  and  three  tubers  in  each  pot.  The  tuber 
only  produces  one  flower-stem,  though  cacli  stem  pro- 
duces sometimes  as  many  as  ten  pairs  of  flowers. 

Varieties. — There  are  two  varieties,  namely,  the  single, 
and  double.  The  latter,  generally,  is  preferred,  though 
I  think  the  single  equally  beautiful.  The  flower-stems 
rise  to  the  height  of  from  three  to  four  feet,  and,  con- 
sequently, in  a  conservatory,  the  pots  should  be  on  a 
level  with  the  floor,  to  bring  the  flowers  nearer  to  the 
eye;  hence,  three  flower-stems  show  much  finer  and  to 
greater  advantage  than  one.  When  used  only  as  cut- 
flowers,  the  one-tuber-in-one-pot  system  might  be  adopted. 
I  imagine  the  flowers  are  somewhat  finer  and  larger  by 
that  method.  Where  few  are  grown,  too,  it  may  be 
desirable  to  put  one  or  two  bulbs  only  iu  each  pot.  A 
succession  of  bloom  may  be  obtained  by  potting  a  hatch 
in  Eebruary,  and  a  second  in  March,  and  a  third  in 
April—later  than  that  will  not  answer  well.  In  order 
to  he  certain  of  a  good  bloom    choose  the   soundest 


tubers  only.  If  the  central  part  feel  soft,  or  is  decayed, 
throw  such  away  at  once — they  are  worthless,  and  will 
only  disappoint  the  cultivator  if  potted  and  attempted 
to  be  grown. 

Gulture. — When  all  are  potted,  then  plunge  them  in  a 
very  moderately-heated  bed  of  tanner's  hark,  or  fer- 
mented loaves.  I  always  plunged  them  in  such  a  bed 
made  in  a  deep  jjit,  and  seldom  failed  to  bloom  every 
tuber,  though  I  have  frequently  witnessed  a  failure 
where  they  were  merely  potted  and  kept  in  a  warm 
house  without  plunging.  Of  course,  the  different  batches 
to  be  bloomed  in  succession  were  plunged  at  diff'erent 
times.  And  here  1  would  remark  that  this  East  Indian 
plant  would  do  best  by  being  excited  into  growth 
by  bottom-heat,  whilst  such  bulbs  as  the  Hyacinth, 
Narcissus,  &c.,  require,  previously  to  being  placed  in 
heat,  plunging  in  a  cold  material,  until  new  roots 
were  formed,  whilst  the  Tuberose  requires  a  moderate 
bottom-heat  at  first  to  start  the  roots  into  growth. 
As  soon  as  the  leaves  begin  to  spring  from  the  top 
of  the  tuber  then  commence  watering,  giving  small 
quantities  at  first,  and  increasing  as  the  growth  ad- 
vances. Numerous  leaves  soon  appear,  and  when  the 
growth  is  vigorous  so  that  the  leaves  require  a  large 
aiQoiintof  support,  then  give  the  plant  some  weak  liquid- 
manure  every  third  time  of  watering. 

As  the  season  advances  give  plenty  of  air  on  every 
fine  day  to  prevent  the  leaves  from  ijeing  drawn.  The 
flower-stems  will  soon  be  seen  pushing  up  from  the 
centre  of  the  leaves.  They  must  be  watched  daily  (for 
tbey  grow  very  quickly),  and  as  soon  as  they  come  to 
within  six  inches  of  the  glass  lift  them  carefully  out  of 
the  pit.  It  will  be  found  necessary  to  place  a  stick  in 
each  pot,  and  tie  up  to  it  all  the  leaves,  as  well  as 
flower-stems,  nearly  their  whole  length,  or  tbey  will 
infallibly  bo  broken  if  removed  without  this  precaution. 
Place  them  in  a  warm  greenhouse,  or  intermediate 
stove,  for  having  got  the  flower-stems  fairly  started  they 
are  sure  to  bloom.  The  great  difficulty  is  then  over- 
come. Afterwards,  give  plenty  of  water,  and  use  the 
syringe  freely,  to  prevent  the  attacks  of  the  red  spider, 
till  the  blooms  begin  to  open,  when  the  syringe  must 
be  dispensed  with,  and  the  plants  removed  into  a  cool 
greenhouse,  or  conservatory,  to  prolong  the  bloom. 

The  late  R.  Salisbury,  Esq.,  wrote  a  long  paper  on 
the  culture  of  this  plant,  so  as  to  bloom  the  young  sucker, 
and  thus  save  the  trouble  and  expence  of  importing 
them  ;  hut  really  the  price  of  imported  full-grown 
blooming  bulbs  is  so  reasonable,  that  the  saving  is  very 
questionable  ;  the  nurserymen  only  charge  four  shillings 
a  dozen  for  such  roots.  Now,  to  grow  a  sucker,  or  side- 
shoot,  from  its  being  separated  from  the  parent  bulb  to 
blooming,  requires  a  large  amount  of  care,  trouble,  and 
expence  ;  and  at  least  three  years,  even  if  successful,  to 
accomplish  it.  I  think  there  are  few  cultivators,  if  any, 
that  would  not  buy  them  full-grown  and  ready  to 
flower  at  once,  rather  than  be  at  all  this  trouble  and 
expence  of  growing  the  small  roots  into  a  blooming  state. 

T.  Appleby. 


SEA-KALE. 


It  has  been  justly  observed  that  there  are  few  things 
which  are  not  better  when  grown  in  a  natural  way  than 
forced,  but  one  of  these  few  is,  assuredly,  "  Sea-kale," — 
not  that  it  is  entirely  useless  grown  in  a  state  of  nature, 
hut  that  it  does  not  then  possess  the  qualities  we  have 
long  looked  upon  as  constituting  its  principal  merits. 
One  of  these  qualifications  is  that  crisp  tenderness 
which  in  a  blanched  condition  it  receives,  differing  in 
this  respect  from  Asparagus,  which,  when  not  allowed 
to  show  its  head  above  ground,  is  said  to  eat  sticky  and 
tough,  the  under  part  being,  in  fact,  unfit  for  food. 


302 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


Jakuary  19. 


However,  the  reverse  is  the  case  with  Sea-kale,  for  with 
it  fibre  and  other  woody  matter  would  seem  to  lie 
more  inlly  formed  when  exposed  than  when  blancliod 
up  in  the  confined  manner  it  is  when  forced  into  use ; 
nevertheless,  means  may  be  taken  to  direct  the  etibrts  of 
nature  to  produce  a  diii'erent  article,  as  by  covering  over 
the  crown  of  tlie  plant  with  something  that  will  (exclude 
the  air  a  certain  degree  of  blanching  takes  place,  de- 
priving the  young  shoot  of  the  woody  librc  and  the 
strong  taste,  which,  in  common  with  some  other 
members  of  the  Cabbage  family  (to  which  it  is  in  some 
degree  related)  is  mucli  diminished ;  and  the  article, 
with  good  management,  has  all  the  crisj)  tenderness  of 
the  forced  production,  with  more  of  the  vigour  and 
strength  of  tlie  last-named  than  the  more  forward  crops 
coidd  boast  of.  Now,  as  this  is  easily  attained  by  very 
humble  means,  and  coming  into  use  when  ordinary 
garden  vegetables  are  far  from  plentiful,  it  may  not  be 
altogether  useless  here  to  point  out  the  way,  adding  a 
few  words,  in  the  first  place,  on  forcing  in  general. 

For  the  earhest  crop  of  Sea-kale,  I  have,  for  many 
years,  been  of  opiniou  that  plants  reared  on  good  groimd 
in  one  season,  with  single  eyes,  and  of  such  a  size  as  to 
resemble  tolerably  well-grown  Carrots,  are  best  adapted 
for  the  first  crop,  by  being  taken  up  carefully  and  in- 
serted in  soil  that  is  heated  in  some  way  for  that 
purpose.  The  amount  of  warmth  necessary  is  much 
less  than  is  often  supposed — nevertheless,  it  must  be 
forthcoming,  or  the  result  will  be  unsatisfactory.  How- 
ever, there  are  often  odd  corners  in  which  a  quantity 
miglit  be  stowed  away  with  ease,  which  could  not  be 
made  available  for  anything  else.  The  mushroom- 
house  is  often  applied  to  this  piu-pose,  and  is  a  very 
good  place,  as  is  also  any  heated  corner  in  connection 
with  the  hothouse  fire,  as  the  amount  of  heat  is  the 
only  requisite  qualification,  light  being  of  no  conse- 
quence-—in  lact,  it  is  better  without  it,  except  so  far  as 
arranging  the  plants  and  examining  them  afterwards  is 
concerned.  For  early  work,  the  plants  ought  to  be 
taken  up  as  soon  as  the  leaves  drop  ofl';  in  other  words, 
"when  they  are  ripe;"  and  it  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance to  take  them  up  with  as  little  injury  as  possible 
— for,  as  the  future  produce  is,  in  a  measure,  the  de- 
velopment of  the  stored-up  matter  contained  in  the 
crown,  or  incipient  bud,  assisted  by  what  little  nourish- 
ment the  plant  can  draw  from  the  medium  it  is  placed 
in,  it  follows  that  the  latter  cannot  be  expected  to 
supply  much  if  all  those  small  rootlets,  which  ramify 
in  various  directions  for  food,  be  all  cut  ofl'  in  the  taking 
up  or  replanting  process,  and,  as  they  are  very  tender, 
and  easily  broken,  it  requires  great  care  to  ensure  their 
doing  well.  Some  growers  put  the  roots  in  pots — some 
half-a-dozen  roots,  or  so,  in  a  large,  deep  one;  but  as 
these  must  be  very  large,  and  difficult  to  remove,  I  have 
generally  contrived  to  do  without  them,  by  planting  the 
roots  tolerably  thick  on  the  heated  place,  giving  a  final 
coat  of  ashes  at  last,  and  over  this  something  that  will 
keep  the  place  dark,  and  somewhat  moist :  some  very 
homely  contrivances  will  effect  this  well  enough. 

It  would  be  as  well  to  remark,  here,  that  when  a 
supply  of  plants  like  the  above  are  wanted  yearly,  a 
corresponding  quantity  must  be  sown  every  spring ; 
and,  as  I  have  observed  they  may  he  reared  in  one 
season,  it  is  only  fair  here  to  observe  that  it  is  only  on 
good  ground  that  such  can  bo  done,  and,  when  that  is 
not  etlbcted,  two-year-old  plants  must  bo  substituted — 
these,  however,  have  generally  more  ci-owns  than  one  to 
a  root,  and,  consequently,  are  not  so  good.  Neverthe- 
less, they  may  be  used  when  single  ones  are  not  to  bo 
had.  It  is  almost  needless  here  to  observe,  tliat  in 
jn-eparing  plants  for  forcing  the  seed  should  bo  sown 
where  the  plant  is  to  remain,  and,  by  being  properly 
thinned  in  time,  a  good,  usei'ul  produce  will  generally 
follow.     Very  small  plants,  standing  one  year,  may  bo 


transplanted  during  winter,  and  in  summer,  by  being 
regulated  a  little  in  the  way  of  curtailing  the  head,  a 
very  good  plant  may  be  obtained  I'oi-  forcing. 

I'or  the  later  crop,  beginning  with  February,  and  fol- 
lowing on  to  May,  plants  in  the  open  ground  may  be 
more  advantageously  forced  in  country  places,  where 
leaves  or  other  heating  materials  are  at  hand,  by  being 
covered  up  with  the  heating  matter,  pots  being  placed 
over  the  plants,  with  lids,  &c.,  as  is  generally  known, 
and  the  heating  matter  being  apjilied  between,  imparts 
a  warmth  to  the  ground  which  urges  on  the  growth  of 
tlie  new  vegetable  in  such  a  way  as  to  bring  it  to  a  size 
fit  for  table  in  about  three  weeks  or  a  month  after  the 
fermenting  matter  has  been  applied.  This,  of  course, 
will  depend  upon  other  circumstances  as  well,  only  let 
it  be  remembered,  that  after  January  the  amount  of 
heat  requisite  for  forcing  is  nuich  less  than  before 
that  period,  and  the  plant  is  also  much  better  able  to 
endure  the  process  tlian  wheu  done  earlier,  and  the 
produce  is  also  considerably  stronger,  and  gradually 
improves  in  tliat  respect  as  the  season  advances,  and 
ibrcing  becomes  a  mere  matter  of  assistance.  This, 
however,  will  be  easily  understood;  and  those  who  wish 
to  have  a  dish  of  Sea-kale  before  Christmas  must  not 
expect  to  have  it  so  strong  and  fine  as  if  they  waited 
later  for  it ;  but  the  sacrifice  is  generally  made  without 
a  scruple. 

Much  of  the  well-being  of  Sea-kale  depends  on  the 
treatment  the  plants  receive  during  the  summer  moutlis 
If  they  are  left  to  run  wild,  flowering  and  exhausting 
themselves  in  a  useless  way,  the  produce  must  not  be 
expected  to  be  good,  as  it  can  hai'dly  be  expected  that  a 
ripened  crop  of  seed  can  leave  the  plant  which  produced 
it  with  all  its  "  stores"  unimpaired  ;  on  the  conti'ary, 
the  nutriment  which  ought  to  have  been  stored  away 
in  embryo  has  been  used  to  perfect  the  crop  of  the 
past  season — on  that  accouut,  therefore,  lot  no  plants 
seed,  unless  a  few  to  produce  the  quantity  that  may  be 
requisite  to  sow  the  crop  wanted  the  following  spring. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  enriching  matter  is 
also  needed  to  assist  the  growth  of  the  plant,  and,  if 
that  could  be  applied  at  the  growing  time  (he  result 
would  be  more  satisfactory.  Liquid-manure  and  a  little 
salt  might  be  applied  at  that  time  to  advantage,  and 
the  ground-stirring,  and  other  modes  of  good  cultivation, 
being  carried  out,  a  crop  may  bo  expected  ;  but  the 
usual  summer  treatment  has  in  other  places  been  dealt 
with,  that  it  is  unnecessary  here  to  repeat  it,  only  it 
may  be  worthy  of  notice  to  all  who  are  contemplating  a 
new  jiiantation  to  call  tlioir  attention  to  the  natiu'e  of 
the  ground  where  this  plant  is  found  wild^the  sandy 
shores  of  the  seaside — and  by  that  tliey  will  have  a 
hint  what  description  of  soil  is  best  calculated  to  ensure 
a  good  growth  afterwai'ds.  J.  Kodson. 


MANAGEMENT    OF    DOWN    EWES  AS 
BREEDING  STOCK. 
{Continued  from  page  284.) 
Toe  tune  at  which  the  Tup  should  be  turned  in  with 
the  Ewes  will  depend,  in  some  measure,  upon  the  dis- 
trict where  they  are  kept ;  for,  except  in  those  localities 
where  the  soil  and  climate  arc  good,  it  is  useless  to 
attempt  early  breeding ;  not  only  will  the  habit  of  the 
stock  oppose  this,  but  the  cultivation  of  tho  land  also, 
for  in  cold,  backward  situations,  the  stock  must  depend 
more  upon  tho   summer-keeping,  as  in  that  case  the 
greatest  increase  and   requirements  of  the   flock   will 
take  jilaco  at  the  period  wheu  such  land  is  capable  of 
yielding  its    greatest    produce.      Whereas,   tho    better 


January  19. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


303 


descriptions  of  soils  may  be  made  to  yield  the  largest 
'  amount  of  produce  for  Slieep-keeping  in  the  winter  and 
spring  mouths,  and  are,  consequently,  capable  of  sus- 
taining a  large  increase  of  stock,  although  it  may  take 
I  place  a  month  or  six  weelvs  earlier  than  usual.  It  is, 
1  therefore,  best  to  decide  upon  the  breeding  season,  and 
regulate  it  as  much  as  possible  according  to  the  in- 
fluence of  the  before-mentioned  circumstances.  Tlio 
method  of  feeding  and  general  management  of  the 
Ewes,  from  this  period  until  Lambing-time,  having 
been  rather  fully  treated  upon  in  my  former  eoutribution 
upon  their  treatment  on  grazing  farms,  I  intend,  now, 
to  make  only  a  few  general  observations,  showing  the 
distinctions  necessary  to  be  made  between  a  Grazing 
and  Breeding  flock.  In  tlie  breeding  flock  there  is 
always  a  proportion  of  young  Ewes,  which  circumstance, 
coupled  with  the  fact  of  the  difference  in  the  nutritious 
and  forcing  properties  of  the  food  produced  upon  grazing 
as  compared  with  breeding,  districts,  greatly  reduces  the 
risk  of  disease  and  loss  in  the  latter  at  the  Lambing 
time,  pai-ticularly  if  due  regard  be  paid  to  keeping  of 
the  flocli,  and  to  the  change  of  food,  and  regularity  in 
the  time  of  feeding, 

I  must,  however,  here  remark  upon  the  practice  of 
stock  breeders  who  feed  their  meadow-land  in  the 
autumn  and  winter  months;  for  I  have  known  flocks 
often  become  unsound  from  this  circumstance,  when 
the  season  has  been  continuously  wet.  Yet  it  is  not,  in 
my  opinion,  the  mere  fact  of  feeding  the  stock  in  the 
meadows  which  has  induced  the  Rot,  or  disease  of  the 
liver,  so  much  as  the  want  of  judgment  displayed  by 
the  flockmaster,  in  not  allowing  a  regular  change  of 
food,  whereby  the  meadow-grasses  are  made  available  in 
conjunction  with  the  produce  of  arable  land  at  the  same 
time.  I  hold  the  opinion,  that  Ewes,  when  they  are 
kept  entirely  in  the  meadows,  in  a  wet  season,  for  a 
period  without  change  of  food,  or  lying,  will  be  subject 
to  the  Rot;  whereas,  the  produce  of  the  same  meadow- 
land  may  be  consumed  by  the  Sheep,  if  they  had  at  the 
same  time  the  produce  of  arable  land,  with  the  further 
advantage  of  lying  upon  the  same ;  and,  although  strong 
arguments  have  been  urged  in  support  of  tlie  theory 
that  the  eggs  of  the  flukes  are  taken  into  the  system 
witli  the  grasses  of  particular  localities  on  which  they 
are  deposited,  I  am  of  opinion  that  it  is  neither  more 
nor  less  than  the  animal  taking  into  the  system  an  undue 
quantity  of  water,  which  produces  the  fluke  in  the  ducts 
of  the  liver,  this  being  known  to  graziers  as  the  incipient 
stage  of  the  Rot  in  Sheep. 

I  must  here  mention,  that  the  best  known  antidote  to 
this  disease  is  feeding  the  animals  upon  salt  marsh- 
land. Where  this  is  not  available,  an  admi.xture  of  a 
small  portion  of  common  salt  with  their  ordinary  food 
is  advantageous.  I  furtlier  urge  the  great  necessity  of 
keeping  lumps  of  rock-salt  in  the  field,  to  which  the 
stock  can  gain  access  at  aU  periods  of  the  year. 

In  continuing  the  subject,  I  must  here  observe,  that 
the  Rams  must  be  taken  away  from  the  Ewes  at  such 
period  as  may  be  desu-able,  for  upon  most  farms  it  is 
best  that  the  Lambs  should  come  well  together,  in  order 


that  they  may  be  all  weaned  at  the  same  time.  From  this 
time,  until  the  Ewes  commence  lambing,  they  should  be 
kept  in  a  moderate  manner,  and  with  great  regularity, 
having  regard  to  change  and  variety  in  food,  rather  than  to 
the  use  of  gross  and  luxuriant  keep  ;  and  it  is  best  to  keep 
them  as  long  as  possible  upon  the  grasses,  not  allowing 
them  roots  until  necessity  compels,  and  when  they  are 
given,  the  Swedish  turnips  are  the  best  for  the  purpose, 
together  with  a  fair  quantity  of  good  sweet  hay.  After 
the  above  management  has  been  carefully  carried  out,  a 
prosperous  and  prolific  Lambing  season  may  be  season- 
ably anticipated.  It  will  then  be  necessary  to  he  provided 
with  a  sheltered  fold-yard,  the  method  of  making  and  con- 
ducting which  has  been  described  in  detail  in  my  former 
])aper  upon  the  treatment  of  Down  Ewes  for  grazing  ; 
in  addition  to  which,  I  have  only  to  say,  that  additional 
space  should  be  provided  (in  case  of  inclement  weather) 
for  the  young  Lambs,  which,  with  their  mothers,  should 
receive  accommodation  by  shelter  and  good  feeding, 
until  they  are  suHioiently  strong  to  bear  the  exposure  of 
open  field  feeding 

In  stock  flocks,  where  the  Wether  Lambs  are 
reared  for  sale  as  stores,  they  should  not  be  castrated 
so  young  as  when  intended  for  sale  as  fat  Lambs. 
It  should,  therefore,  be  deferred  until  the  Lambs 
arrive  at  the  age  of  six  or  seven  weeks.  This  method 
will  greatly  improve  them  for  grazing  purposes; 
the  animal  frame  being  more  fully  developed,  and 
having  more  flesh  and  constitution,  they  will  be  able  to 
carry  a  greater  weight  of  mutton  at  a  given  age ;  and 
even  in  the  poor  state,  when  offered  for  sale,  the  general 
appearance  and  outline  of  the  animal  will  be  better 
appreciated,  and  rendered  more  valuable  to  the  pur- 
chaser. As  soon  as  the  Ewes  and  Lambs  are  able  to 
enter  the  open  field  for  root-feeding,  &c.,  they  should  be 
kept  in  accordance  with  the  niles  of  useful  and  moderate 
feeding;  but,  in  some  cases,  high  and  even  artificial 
feeding  may  be  profitably  resorted  to  when  the  land 
will  bear  the  excess  of  manure.  That  portion  of  the 
Ewes  which  have  Wether  Lambs  and  twins  suckling, 
may  be  advantageously  divided  from  the  other  portion 
which  have  Ewe  Lambs,  and  may  be  fed  with  oil-cake, 
and  peas  or  beans  in  mixture,  receiving  also  a  fuU 
allowance  of  the  best  hay,  and  a  continuous  supply  of 
cut  turnips.  These  being  the  sale  Lambs  of  the  next 
summer  or  autumn,  they  will  improve  in  value  in  pro- 
portion to  the  food  given,  if  supplied  to  them  with  re- 
gularity and  judgment.  The  remaining  portion  of  the 
flock,  being  Ewe  Lambs,  may  be  kept  somewhat  different, 
and  should  have  a  liberal  supply  of  the  best  hay,  and 
cut  turnips,  which  food  will  be  sufficient  to  raise  stock 
of  good  size  and  constitution,  supposing  the  ordinary 
method  of  feeding  has  been  acted  on.  The  Ewes  of 
both  divisions  of  the  flock  will  do  well  for  themselves, 
and  afford  plenty  of  milk  for  their  offspring,  when 
allowed  a  sufficiency  of  turnips,  and  as  much  as  they 
can  eat  of  good  field  hay.  They  should,  however, 
have  common  turnips  for  the  first  month  or  six  weeks, 
after  that  time  Swedish  turnips  are  best,  which  should 
be   continued    as  long   as    they  possess    their   nutri- 


;i04 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  19. 


tious   properties,   wliicli,   by   the    method  I   have   de- 
scribed in  my  jjaper  upon  the  preservation  of  Pioots, 
they    will    do    until    the     middle    of   the    mouth    of 
May.     And,  indeed,  from  the  middle  of  the  month  of 
April,  where  farms  have  water-meadows  attached,  the 
Ewes  and  Lambs   may  have   Inirdled-oft'  for   them   a 
portion  of  grass  every  day,  returning  to  the  field  for 
root    and    hay   feeding    in    the   evening.      After    the 
Swedish   turnips    have   been   all   consumed.    Mangold 
Wurtzel  will  be  just  coming  in  season  for  feeding,  and 
it  is  an  excellent  kind  of  food  for  the  Lambs  to  have 
cut  and  placed  in  troughs,  in  advance  of  the   Ewes, 
throughout  the  summer,  and,  by  preserving  a  sufficient 
quantity,  they  may  be  used  for  tliis  purpose  uutil  the 
Lambs  are  fit  for  sale  at  the  summer  fairs.     I  do  not 
hesitate  to   say,  that  stock  Lambs   of  the   very  best 
description  may  be' made  at  a  far  loss  cost  from  cake  and 
corn  than  when  they  receive  grass  only  in  connection 
with  those  artificial  i'eeding  materials.     The  green  crops 
of  dilfereut  kinds  will  now,  after  the  Turnips  are  gone, 
be  coming  into  use;  and  those  crops,  such  as  Trifolium, 
Tares,  &c.,  should  be  given  only  as  a  change,  which 
food  they  should  get  liurdlod-ofl'  for  them  during  the 
day,  and   in  the  evening  they  should   be  allowed   to 
return  to  grass,  or  Saintfoin,  where  the  Lambs  should  : 
receive  their  trough  food.     This  mode  of  feeding  will 
not  only  efiect  the  consumption  of  all  these  crops  in 
due  season,  but  will  furnish  abundance  for  change  and  I 
mixture  in  feeding,  so  essential  to  the  profitable  feeding 
of  stock  sheep.     The  kind  of  food  just  spoken  of  will 
carry  the  stock  on  to  the  period  when  the  Lambs  must 
be  weaned ;    and  this  is  an  important  operation,  and 
should  be  done  with   care   and   attention.     The   best 
rule  is  to  remove  the  Ewes  from  the  Lambs,  rather 
than  the  reverse,  as  the  Lambs  will  be  more  contented 
if  they  are  allowed  to  run   and   feed   in  tlieir  former 
haunts;  for  in  case  they  are  taken  away  from  the  Ewes, 
and  removed  to  a  strange  place,  they  will  become  ex- 
ceedingly restless,  and  it  is  often  some  days  before  they 
take  to  their  food  willingly.     The  Ewes,  when  removed, 
should,  if  possible,  for  a  few  days  be  sent  to  a  distant 
part  of  the  farm,  and  out  of  hearing  of  the  Lambs, 
otherwise  the  call  of  the  Ewes  proves  a  source  of  great 
disquietude  to  them. 

The  wool  of  a  stock  flock  is  of  great  importance  in 
the  economy  of  sheep-farming,  and,  as  it  is  a  double 
question,  I  should  observe,  that  upon  the  hill  farms 
the  Ewes  should  not  be  shorn  too  early,  as  it  may  be 
deferred  until  the  middle  of  the  month  of  Juno,  with 
advantage  to  the  fleece  and  the  animal.  There  is, 
however,  another  very  important  operation  in  connec- 
tion with  the  growth  of  wool,  namely,  dipping  them  in 
solutions  of  poisonous  compounds,  whereby  the  lice 
and  ticks  in  the  wool  are  destroyed,  it  being,  at  the 
same  time,  tho  means  of  improving  the  growth  of  wool, 
as  well  as  the  health  and  condition  of  the  stock.  There 
are  many  of  these  compounds,  all  containing  arsenic, 
in  use,  but  that  known  as  "  Bigg's"  is  very  suitable,  as 
well  as  the  method  of  dipping  by  bis  improved 
apparatus.  Joseph  Blundell. 


POULTRY  SHOWS. 


The     Cohnwali,    SocrETv's     PouLTr.Y     Show.  - 
we  hear  of  a   Poultry   Society   liaving    held    its 


When 
third" 
annual  jneeting,  we  are  ready  to  assign  respectable  anti- 
quity to  such  a  body,  and  enquire,  witli  some  interest,  into 
tile  practical  results  that  may  have  boon  thus  attained. 
In  the  present  instance,  the  ■'  Cornwall  SncieLy,"  being  the 
first  institution  of  tliis  kind  formed  in  the  west  of  1-Jn^'land, 
has  reached  this  point  in  its  career,  and  not  merely  has  its 
exhibition,  year  by  year,  progressed  satisfactorily,  both  as 
regards  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  pens  exhibited,  but 
the  poultry -markets  throughout  the  neighbourhood  arc  now, 
by  general  admission,  far  better  supplied  than  was  tho  case 
ill  Ibrraer  years.  This  latter  fact  is,  after  all,  the  main 
point  by  which  we  must  estimate  success  or  failure  in  these 
societies  ;  for  we  are  firmly  persuaded,  that  without  the 
prospect  of  improving  our  breeds  of  poultry,  in  a  strictly 
economical  point  of  view,  the  denizens  of  the  poultry-yard 
would  never  have  occupied  their  present  position  in  the 
pubhc  favour. 

The  Corn-chamber  in  Penzance,  was,  as  previously,  the 
site  selected  for  the  show,  and  although  an  addition  of  fifty 
pens  appeared  in  the  catalogue,  beyond  the  entries  of  tlie 
last  year,  abundant  accommodation  was  provided  for  the 
whole  number. 

In  Spanish,  the  first  prize  was  withlield  in  both  classes, 
no  pen  being  altogether  free  from  a  ruddy  tinge  on  the 
faces  of  some  of  its  occupants.  iMany  of  the  birds  were 
well-shaped,  and  shown  in  good  condition,  but  the  absence 
of  a  main  characteristic  of  this  family  could  not  allow  tliem 
any  higher  position. 

Coloured  Dorkin(is,  both  old  and  young,  had  the  first  prize 
pens  from  the  yard  of  George  Williams,  Esq.,  of  Trevince, 
near  Truro,  whUe  the  second  prize  fell  to  some  good 
chickens  belonging  to  Wm.  Bolitho,  Esq.,  of  Cbyandour. 
On  looking  carefully  at  several  of  the  pens  in  these  classes, 
we  would  suggest  that  mere  bulk  and  weight  should  not 
alone  be  aimed  at,  since  form  and  symmetry  may  be  present 
at  the  same  time  with  tho  former  good  qualities,  and,  if  so, 
would  certainly  be  an  additional  recommendation  of  the 
fowl  corabinnig  these  advantages.  The  higher  bred  the 
bird,  provided  size  is  duly  regarded,  by  so  mncli  the  larger 
quantity  of  flesh  will  appear  on  the  more  profitable  portions 
of  its  body,  with  a  corresponding  decrease  of  ofl'al.  A 
glance  at  the  prize  Dorkings  at  the  recent  Birmingham 
meeting  would  fully  be.or  us  out  in  the  recommendation  we 
offer  to  Dorking  breeders,  to  seek  form  as  well  as  substance. 
In  While  TJoikinfis,  which  were  more  numerously  re- 
presented than  usually  happens,  all  the  prizes  in  both 
classes  fell  to  the  birds  of  Auprustus  Smith,  Esq.,  of  Trescow 
Abbey,  in  the  Scilly  Islands ;  notwithstanding  a  rough 
passage,  the  winners  were  in  beautiful  feather,  and  from 
the  nuiuber  of  pens  claimed  must  be  popular  in  this 
neighbourhood. 

In  the  whole  class  for  BiiffShniKjhiics,  Mr.  LawTence,  of 
Pvoscraorran,  near  Penzance,  came  first,  and  beyond  all 
question,  his  position  of  honour  was  duly  merited  in  every 
respect.  The  second  prize  was  taken  by  Sir.  Brauwell,  of 
Penzance.  Turning  to  the  young  birds  of  the  same  colour, 
we  find  the  name  of  the  Pev.  AV.  W.  Win^field  as  the 
owner  of  the  well-shaped  and  good-coloiu'ed  birds  that  took 
the  first  prize  ;  while  equal  seconds  were  awarded  to  Messrs. 
Gittus  and  Welch.  Highly  commended,  and  the  more 
limited  token  of  judicial  approbation,  appeared  affixed  to 
numerous  other  lots  in  this  division  of  the  shew.  i\Ir. 
Lawrence  had  a  second  prize  fur  bis  White  Shnittjhua^,  and 
the  names  of  those  who  won  in  tlie  chicken  class  included 
the  Kev.  W.  W.  Wingiield,  Mr.  Lawrence,  and  Mr.  Burton, 
of  Truro.  To  the  latter  gentleman  was  also  awarded  a 
first  prize  for  his  Pai'tridge-fcatbered  chickens,  while  Mr. 
Gittus  took  a  second  for  bis  pen  of  old  birds  of  the  same 
colour. 

The  circumstance  of  a  cold,  wet  autumn,  and,  conse- 
quently, a  late  and  unfavourable  moulting  season,  has, 
hitherto,  told  against  the  appearance  of  the  adult  Slinnghaes, 
and  their  temporary  depreciation  in  popiibu'  estimation,  has, 
therefore,  been  apparent.  This,  we  must  say,  is  evidently 
unjust  towards  a  race  of  fowls,  possessing,  as  these  do,  such 
undoubted  claims    to    be    considered    among    the     most 


Januaby  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAHDENEE. 


;iO& 


generally  useful  members  of  tbe  iiouUry-list ;  ami  is  far 
raoi-f,  we  thiuk,  to  be  ascribed  to  former  undue  claims  on 
their  behalf,  aud  extravagant  price  to  which,  in  many  cases, 
they  were  run  up  for  the  purposes  of  speculation,  than  to 
their  having  really  fallen  short  of  those  qualihcations  which 
were  asserted  for  them  by  their  wiser  frieuds.  In  many 
localities,  where  a  limited  range  only  can  bo  afforded,  no 
fowl  will  answer  better  ;  and  since  these  conditions  arc 
necessarily  attached  to  the  circumstances  of  many  poultry- 
keepers,  we  have  no  fear  but  that  their  merits  will  long 
sustain  tliem  in  their  just  position. 

The  Hamhur<jk  classes  formed  no  exception  to  the  usual 
character  of  these  birds  as  at  present  shown  in  the  southern 
districts  of  England,  and  wliich  we  have  spoken  of  as  far 
behind  their  appearance  in  their  more  favourite  northern 
localities.  This  remark  would  apply  still  more  strongly  to 
the  Pencilled  tlian  to  the  Spangled  varieties  ;  among  the 
latter,  Mr.  Winglield  esliibited  a  pen  of  Olold-spangled 
birds  of  great  beauty,  but  these  having  only  recently  passed 
into  his  possession  were  not  qualified  to  compete  for  any 
prize. 

But  Game  fuwh  should  have  had  precedence  of  Ham- 
burghs,  in  thd  order  of  the  prize-list;  and  the  specimens  of 
this  race  that  were  here  assembled  had  the  fullest  right 
to  hold  their  own,  for  better  bii-ds  have,  probably,  never 
before  been  exhibited  at  a  merely  local  show  of  this 
description.  In  the  pen  of  Duckwings,  belonging  to  E. 
Eodd,  Esq.,  of  Penzance,  every  point  required  in  the  Game 
fowl  was  seen  to  the  best  advantage ;  it  would,  indeed,  have 
been  difficult  to  have  found  a  fault  of  any  kind  witli  these 
truly  admirable  specimens.  Black-breasted  reds,  with  both 
white  and  yellow  legs,  followed  in  their  several  pens,  the 
latter  taking  the  lead,  though  when  we  came  to  the  chickens 
the  former  had  the  pre-eminence.  The  whole  class  was 
pronounced  "  highly  meritnrioiis,"  and  certainly  appeared  to 
us  as  most  fully  meriting  this  commendation. 

The  Polands  were  also  good,  especially  the  Golden,  and 
some  "White  birds  belonging  to  Mr.  Lawrence ;  the  former 
bemg  the  property  of  Mr.  Burton,  of  Truro. 

Of  Bantams  we  can  say  but  little,  since  they  were  few  in 
number,  and  moderate  in  quality. 

Geese,  as  was  fitting  with  the  exhibition  of  a  society  whose 
principal  object  has  been  the  benefit  of  the  farmer  and  the 
cottager,  came  out  in  great  force,  the  first  prize  in  the  old 
class,  and  the  first  and  second,  also,  in  the  young,  being 
assigned  to  Mr.  Wingfield ;  the  first-named  pen  containing 
Toulouse  birds,  the  second  half-bred  between  Toulouse  and 
the  common  English  Goose,  and  the  third  Toulouse  again. 
George  Williams,  Esq.,  had  a  second  prize  in  the  first,  and 
was  commended  in  the  second  class. 

We  must  repeat  the  Judge's  general  approbation  of  the 
Ducks.  BIr.  Bedford's  Aylesbury's  were  admirable,  also  the 
black  East  Indian,  belonging  to  that  same  gentleman.  Mr. 
Wingfields  Rouen  Ducks  were  pure  specimens  of  that 
breed,  where  form  and  colour  have  been  but  too  commonly 
sacrificed  to  mere  size  by  the  introduction  into  tlie  yard  of 
large  specimens  of  the  common  breed,  so  that  both  their 
productiveness  and  the  flavour  of  the  ttesh  have  hence 
suffered  deterioration.  The  true  plumage  of  the  Rouen 
breed  is  that  of  the  wild  mallard  and  duck  in  their  re- 
spective sexes.  Among  Ducks  of  any  other  variety  were 
several  pens  of  very  large  dun  and  brown  birds. 

In  Turkeys,  Mr.  Williams  was  all-successful,  every  prize 
falling  to  his  pens.  J\Ir.  Lawrence  exhibited,  as  extra  stock, 
some  good  American  Turkey  Poults. 

The  Pigeons  well  deserve  favourable  notice,  for  nearly 
every  class  was  well  represented,  and  if  we  give  special 
notice  to  any,  it  must  not  be  regarded  as  any  slight  to  the 
remainder.  Thus,  the  White  Trumpeters,  belonging  to  the 
Rev.  T.  Phillpotts,  of  Porthgwidden,  must  certainly  have 
honourable  mention,  for  better  birds  of  this  variety  it  has 
never  been  our  good  fortune  to  behold.  The  Nuns,  Turhits, 
Owls,  Fantails,  and  one  pair  of  Almond  Tumblers,  were  also 
of  great  excellence. 

And,  now,  one  short  sentence  of  advice  to  exhibitors 
generally.  Select  your  birds  that  are  intended  to  be  sent 
to  an  exhibition  with  greater  care.  If  it  is  worth  your 
while  to  send  any,  it  is  surely  worth  your  while  to  send  the 
best,  and  for  you,  or  those  who  have  the  charge  of  them,  to 
see  to  their  being  properly  matched  to  each  other.     How 


much  disappointment  follows  a  neglect  of  this  caution,  the 
eclioes  of  any  exhibition  would  easily  testify  ;  with  two 
or  three  good  birds  there  constantly  appears  one  so  mani- 
festly deficient  in  important  points,  that  the  whole  pen  is 
unavoidably  passed  over,  and  a  more  even  pen  of  birds, 
possibly  inferior  to  some  in  the  defective  pen,  is  justly  pre- 
ferred. Again,  do  not  keep  up,  or  "fat"  your  birds  for  ex- 
hibition; a  little  extra  care,  a  little  more  nourisliing  food 
may  be  advisaljle,  but  there  is  no  intention,  on  such  occa- 
sions, to  show  "fat"  poultry,  and  birds  in  this  state  will 
neither  appear  to  so  much  advantage  as  those  with  whom 
little  beyond  their  ordinary  treatment  has  been  had  re- 
course to ;  nor  are  they  in  an  equally  safe  condition  to 
encounter  the  fatigue,  and  consequent  disease,  to  tVie  chance 
j  of  which,  after  our  utmost  care,  they  must  be  subjected  by 
so  violent  a  change  in  tlicir  usual  habits  and  treatment. 

By  this  time  the  points  of  excellence  should  Ijave  been 
sufficiently  understood  to  prevent  the  annoyance  of  defeat 
where  green  or  olive-legged  White  Shangliaes,  Polands  with 
bronzed  wings.  White  Dorkings,  and  White  Bantams  with 
blue  legs,  and  other  similar  api)areut  imperfections  have 
marred  the  effect,  and  lost  the  victory,  to  other  really  good 
specimens  in  the  same  pen. 

To  the  judge,  James  Furneaux,  Esq.,  of  Scilly,  near 
IMymouth,  the  author  of  the  useful  and  amusing  pamphlet, 
"  i'hc  Puultry  Pi-nlatnijue,"  the  thanks  of  this  Society  were 
justly  rendered,  tlie  decisions  being  such  as  might  have 
been  anticipated  from  a  geutlcman  who  has  studied  this 
subject  with  such  long-continned  attention. 

Truro  Poultry  Society. — The  Second  of  the  Annual 
Poultry  Exhibitions,  whieli  it  is  proposed  to  hold  at  this 
town,  came  off  on  the  0th  and  (ith  of  January  last.  A  con- 
siderable increase  in  the  number  of  tlie  pens  occupied  over 
those  of  last  year,  and  the  general  character  of  their  tenants, 
evidenced  the  continued  attention  of  the  poultry-keepers  of 
the  West  of  England  to  the  objects  of  their  care. 

In  the  s.&x\\t  Spanish  there  were  seven  pens,  of  which,  No. 
11,  belonging  to  Mr.  W.  G.  ]3ennett,  of  Truro,  took  the 
first  prize  ;  the  second  I'alling  to  Mr.  Blee,  of  Penzance. 
The  chickens  of  this  breed  were  of  moderate  quality,  and 
the  rubicund  countenances  of  even  the  prize-birds  were 
very  far  from  what  we  should  desire  to  see  in  specimens 
occupying  that  position. 

When  we  come  to  the  Coloured  Dorkings  we  must  reite- 
rate our  opinion  expressed  with  reference  to  this  same 
family  at  the  Penzance  Exhibition,  for  they  were  generally 
coarse,  and  in  indifferent  feather ;  and  the  introduction  of 
better  blood  is  here  manifestly  required.  The  pens  of  the 
While  variety  were  far  better  filled ;  and  here  Mr.  Smith,  of 
Scilly,  was  successful  in  the  old  birds ;  Mr.  Hawke,  of  Truro, 
in  the  young. 

In  the  adult  Buff  Slianghacs,  we  should  have  been  in- 
clined,  we  think,  had  the  choice  been  permitted  us,  to  have 
taken  pen  No.  i'S,  belonging  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  of  Penzance, 
which  received  the  second  prize,  rather  than  that  belonging 
to  Messrs.  C.  E.  Andrew  and  Co.,  No.  41,  which  was  placed 
above  them  on  the  prize-list,  since  in  point  of  form,  feather, 
and  condition,  they  appeared  to  usof  greater  merit,  although 
it  might,  certainly,  be  urged,  that  Mr.  Lawrence's  pens  had 
somewhat  too  mucli  cinnamon  for  the  cock.  In  chickens  of 
the  same  variety  there  were  many  meritorious  birds  exhibited, 
Mr.  Blee,  of  Penzance,  taking  the  first  prize,  with  the  same 
birds,  as  we  believe,  that  carried  off  the  second  prize  at 
Penzance  last  week.  In  both  these  last  classes  there  were 
many  commendations,  and  notwithstanding  the  late  un- 
favourable moulting  season,  the  condition  of  the  specimens 
was  generally  good,  although,  in  several  instances,  the  pre- 
sence of  a  faulty  bird,  as  too  often  happens,  ruined  the 
pretensions  of  companions  that  might  otlierwise  have  been 
distinguished.  The  brown  and  partridge-feathered  pens, 
beyond  a  good  cock  belonging  to  BIr.  Burton,  of  Trm'o,  in 
No.  79,  contained  nothing  calling  for  especial  notice. 

White  Shanghaes  were  very  fairly  represented,  and  the 
Judges  were  probably  occupied  for  some  time  with  the  prize 
pens  in  either  class.  If  our  adherence,  indeed,  to  the  judg- 
ment ultimately  pronounced  is  a  matter  of  doubt,  we  would 
much  rather  assign  any  difterence  of  opinion  to  the  fact 
that  our  inspection  of  the  competing  pens  took  place  by  gas- 
light only,  wlien  many  points  are  necessarily  the  more 
involved  in  doubt. 


306 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  19. 


Gume  Fowls  generally  were  good,  and  the  first  prizes,  in 
both  the  adult  and  chicken  classes,  were  allotted  to  pens 
belonging  jointly  to  the  Rev.  W.  Wingfleld  and  Mr.  Pascoe 
Grenfell,  of  Gulval ;  and  Mr.  Mitchell,  of  Truro,  took  a 
second  prize  in  the  first-named  division. 

The  Golden  PoicUled  Hambiin/hs  deserved  their  honours, 
Mr.  Miller,  of  Truro,  receiving  the  first,  and  Mr.  Grenfell 
the  second  prize  for  old  birds.  A  first  prize  was  also 
awarded  to  the  Kev.  W.  Wingfield  for  his  golden-spangled 
specimens. 

The  Silver  Ilnmbiirghs,  however,  did  not  rise  above  tlieir 
usual  level  in  these  pai-ts  ;  while  Pvla7icls,  the  white-crested 
black  excepted,  were  good. 

Tlie  entries  for  "  any  other  distinct  breed"  seemed,  in 
several  instances,  to  have  been  made  without  due  reference 
to  the  regulations,  since  ^^cream-coloured  Pohmds"  should 
have  appeared  with  "  Polaiuh  of  any  other  variety,"  and 
"  Golden  spnnykd  Pheasants  "  should,  of  course,  have  taken 
their  place  along  with  the  Hamljurghs  of  that  denouxination. 
Three  pens  of  "  barn-door-l'owls"  were  also  here  submitted 
to  inspection,  but  surely  thgu-  owners  were  over-confident  in 
claiming  for  them  the  dignity  of  a  "  distinct  breed." 

Bantams  were  but  an  average  lot ;  but  many  of  the  Dnel;s 
were  meritorious ;  while  Geese,  being  limited  by  tlie  prize- 
list  to  "  birds  exceeding  one-year-old,"  were  nccessai'ily  limited 
in  number;  we  are  at  a  loss,  indeed,  to  imderstand  the 
reason  of  this  restriction,  for  Geese  of  the  year,  if  not 
allowed  a  separate  class,  should,  at  least,  be  permitted  to 
compete  with  their  seniors. 

Turkeys  were  numerous  and  good,  and  among  the  Pigeons 
were  many  excellent  specimens. 

Class  4(i,  for  "  extra  stock,"  had  the  following  notice 
appended  in  the  prize-hst,  "  Extra  prizes  will  be  "awarded 
to  any  deserving  specimens  of  Water-fowls,  Pheasants,  or 
other  birds,  but  all  fowls.  Bantams  included,  must  be  shown 
in  the  regular  classes  appointed  for  them."  We  were,  con- 
sequently, surprised  to  find  pens  of  Shanghaes,  Dorkings, 
Game,  and  Bantams,  in  this  division.  For  many  reasons, 
we  apprehend,  it  would  have  been  more  desii-able  to  have 
adhered  to  the  strict  letter  of  the  regulations.  "  Peregrine 
Falcons,"  strange  neighboui's  to  the  poultry,  here  received 
a  prize. 

Brahma  Poolras  and  Spanish  were  exhibited  by  Mr.  E. 
Simons,  of  Birmingham,  to  wliom,  in  conjunction  with 
Captain  Mansell  and  Mr.  Seldon,  of  Falmouth,  the  task  of 
adjudication  had  been  confided. 

The  Secretaries,  we  fear,  must  have  had  an  arduous 
duty  imposed  upon  them,  since  the  Market-house,  in  which 
the  Show  was  held,  could  not  be  given  up  to  them  for 
their  preparations  till  nine  o'clock  on  the  evening  imme- 
diately preceding  the  day  of  exhibition,  and  as  the  birds 
were  to  be  in  their  pens  by  eleven  o'clock  on  the  following 
morning,  it  is  highly  creditable  to  those  gentlemen,  Messrs. 
W.  H.  Jenldns,  and  John  U.  Paul,  that  the  necessary  erec- 
tions wore  completed  within  the  proper  time.  Tlie  Judges, 
also,  must  have  worked  liard  to  have  finished  their  arbitra- 
tions within  the  period  allotted  to  them. 

In  one  respect,  the  Truro  Society  have  donated  from  the 
usual  routine  lately  followed  by  Poultry  Associations,  for 
tlieir  prize-list  divided  the  several  varieties  into  two  classes, 
that  for  "  birds  exceeding  one  year  old,"  and  '^chickens  hatched 
in  IH-yj ; "  but,  at  the  same  time,  their  second  riUe  stated 
that  "  chickens  of  1853  can  be  slimuu  in  the  classes  for  fond 
above  one  year  old."  Now,  surely,  if  separate  classes"  are 
allotted  to  the  adult  and  young  birds,  it  is  far  better  to  keep 
them  apart,  and  this  not  less  for  the  sake  of  the  o-xhibitor 
than  of  the  judge  ;  while  the  prize-list  and  catalogue,  as 
above  quoted,  seem  to  contradict  each  other,  since  the 
wortling  of  the  first-named  class,  if  intended  to  admit 
chickens,  should  have  been  not  "  birds  exceeding  one  year 
old,"  but  ^*birds  of  any  age." 

The  prospects  of  the  present  yeiu-,  as  based  on  the  results 
of  that  which  has  just  closed,  are  most  encouraging  to 
Cornish  Poultry-keepers ;  and  we  trust  that  another  season 
will  so  enable  them  to  matm-e  their  arrangements,  that 
other  counties  may  be  induced  to  contribute  still  more 
largely  to  these  annual  exhibitions. 

Class  1.— Spanish.— Firs;  prize,  Blr.  \V.  G.  ))ennctt,  Truro.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Alfred  Blee,  Penzance.    Class  2.— Chickens  ot  1953.— First 


prize,  Mr,  John  Thomas,  Truro.  Second  prize,  Mr.  VV.  J.  Lawrence, 
Gulval. 

Class  3. — Dorkings  (Coloured). — First  prize,  Mr.  G.  W.  Williams, 
Trevince.  Second  prize,  Mr.  G.  Williams,  Trevince.  Class  4. — Cluckens 
of  1853. — First  prize,  l\Ir.  George  Williams,  Trevince.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  James  Gatley,  Truro. 

Class  5. — Dorkings  (White).— First  prize,  Mr.  Augustus  Smith, 
Scilly.  Second  prize,  Mr.  G.  Williams,  Trevince.  Class  6. — Chickens 
of  1853. —  First  prize,  Mr.  Charles  Hawke,  Truro.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
W.  H.  Christoe,  Truro.  Extra  second  prize,  Mr.  Augustus  Smith,  Scilly. 

Class  7. — Shangdae  or  Cocuin-Cuina  (Buff  or  Cinnamon).^ 
First  prize,  Messrs.  Andrew  and  Co.,  Uedruth.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W. 
Lawrence,  Gulval.  Class  8. — Chickens  of  1853. — First  prize,  Mr.  Alfred 
Blee,  Penzance.     Second  prize,  Mr.  Edward  Burton,  Truro. 

Class  9. — Cocuin-China  (Brown). — First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton, 
Truro.    Second  prize,  Mr.  Sydney  Godolphin,  Trcmough. 

Class  11. — Cociiin-China  (White). — First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton, 
Truro.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Lawrence,  Gulval.  Class  12. — Chickens 
of  1853.— First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W. 
Lawrence,  Gulval. 

Class  15. — Malays. — First  prize,  Blr.  T.  Maync,  Penzance. 

Class  17. — Game  Fowl.— First  prize,  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield,  and 
Mr.  P.  Grenfell,  Gulval.  Second  prize,  Mr.  H.  Mitchell,  Truro.  Extra 
prize.  Mr.  W.  Pascoe,  Feock  ;  ditto,  Mr.  W.  Hooks,  Truro.  Class  18. — 
Chickens. — First  prize.  Rev.  W.  W.  Wingfield,  and  Mr.  P.  Grenfell, 
Gulval. 

Class  19. — GoLnEN-PENCiLLED  Hamburgh. — First  prize,  Mr.  T. 
N.  Miller.     Second  prize,  Mr.  P.  Grenfell,  Gulval. 

Class  21. — GoLDEN-spANGLED  Hambubgh. — First  prizc.  Rev.  W. 
Wingfield,  Gulval. 

Class  23. — Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh. — First  prize,  Mr.  P. 
Grenfell,  Gulval.     Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  N.  flliller,  Truro. 

Class  25. — Silver-spangled  Hamburgh. — First  prize,  Mr.  T.  M. 
Hawke,  St.  Day.  Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  Woolfe,  Redruth.  Class  26.— 
Chickens  of  1853.— First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  N.  C.  Stephens,  Truro. 

Class  29.— Poland  (Golden).— First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Burton,  Truro. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Cock,  Truro.  Class  30. — Chickens  of  1853. —Second 
prize,  Blr.  E.  Burton,  Truro. 

Class  31.— Poland  Fowl  (Silver).— First  prize,  Mr.  G.  Williams, 
Trevince. 

Class  33. — Poland  Fowl.— First  prize,  Mr.  W.  Lawrence,  Gulval. 

Class  35.— For  any  other  DISTl^■CT  Breed. — Second  prize,  Mr. 
A.  Smith,  Scilly.  Second  prize,  flir.  Jas.  Groves,  Truro.  First  jirize, 
Mr.  Thomas  Duustan,  Truro.  Second  prize,  Mr.  G.  Di.von,  Truro. 
Second  prize,  Blr.  H.  Edwards,  Penryn.  Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  Gittus, 
Goldsithney.     Second  jirize,  Mr.  W.  Benney,  Truro. 

Class  36. — Bantams.— First  prize,  Mr.  H.  C.  Carnell,  Perran  Wharf. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  G.  Williams,  Trevince. 

Class  37. — Geese.— First  prize,  G.  Williams,  Esq.,  Trevince.  Second 
prize,  G.  Williams,  Esq.,  Trevince. 

Class  39.— Ducks  (White  Aylesburj*).— First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Hawke, 
Truro.     Second  prize,  M.  T.  Gittus,  Gildsithney. 

Class  40. — Ducks  (Rouen). — First  prize,  Mr.  E,  Burton,  Truro. 

Class  41. — Ducks. — First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Green,  Truro.  Second  prize, 
Blr.  Hosking,  Chasewater.     Second  prize,  Blr.  G.  Williams,  Trevince. 

Class  42. — Turkeys. — First  prize,  Blr.  G.  Williams,  Trevince. 
Second  prize.  Dr.  Carlyon,  Truro.  Second  prize,  Blr.  Edmund  Carlyon, 
St.  Austell. 

Class  44. — Guinea  Fowl. — First  prize,  BLister  Charles  Gatley,  Truro. 

Geeat  Metropolitan  I'oi'ltky  Suow.. — No  reason  can 
be  assigned  why  a  ShoAv  of  Poultiy  in  London  should  not 
excel,  or,  at  the  least,  equal,  the  similar  display  which  is  held 
annually  at  Birmingham.  Yet  such  an  e<inaUly  has  not 
hitherto  been  achieved,  and  we  hear  it  asked  on  all  sides, 
"Why  is  this?"  Wc  do  not  feel  at  all  inclined  to  enter 
upon  an  explicit  answer  to  this  query,  but  there  is  some 
powerful  reason  existing  that  keeps  away  from  the  London 
I'.xhibition  pens  such  birds  as  those  of  Captain  Hornby,  and 
Messrs.  Sturgeon,  Peters,  I'unchard,  &c.  To  secure  a 
better  exhibition,  there  ought  to  be  a  powerful  Committee 
of  men  above  suspicion,  and  who  do  not  fiiuch  from  having 
their  names  blazoned  forth  to  the  world — a  Committee  not 
exclusively  of  exhibitors,  and  of  men  more  anxious  to  have 
an  excelling  Exhibition  than  to  reap  from  it  some  udvautage 
to  themselves.  If  such  a  t'ommittee,  and  under  Poyal 
Patronage,  is  formed,  we  shall  have  a  I'oiilti-y  Exhibition 
such  as  ought  to  be  held  in  the  British  meti'opolis. 

At  the  Show,  which  endured  from  the  loUi  to  the  l.'Uh 
instant,  lioth  those  days  included,  there  were  about  1131' 
pens  of  poultry,  but  very  many  were  extra  slock  "fur  sale," 
and  of  tlic  others  there  were  fai'  too  many  exhibited  in  the 
names  of  the  same  few  parlies,  with  no  other  object  than  to 
obtain  purchasers.  This  sinks  the  character  of  an  Exhibi- 
tion, for  it  is  biinging  it  down  to  tho  level  of  a  I'oullry 
Market. 

Tho  pens  were  very  well  arranged,  and  Uio  ventilation, 


•Januaby  19. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 


307 


feeding,  and  careful  attendance  on  the  birds,  were  unex- 
ceptionable. 

Altbough  there  were  more  than  sixty  pens  of  Spanish 
fowls,  yot  none  were  equal  in  quality  to  those  we  have  seen 
both  here  and  at  Birmingham.  Had  not  the  cock  in  Pen  0, 
to  which  a  first  prize  was  awarded,  lost  one  eye  ? 

There  were  about  one  hundred  pens  oiColourvd  Dorkhifjs^ 
and  among  tliem  some  birds  of  great  excellence,  especially 
the  single  cocUerels  exbibited  by  Mr.  Fisher  Hobbs.  We 
never  saw  finer  or  better-conditioned  birds.  They  are  first 
cousins  of  tlie  bird  of  which  a  portrait  is  given  in  "  Tlie 
Poultry  Book."  Mr.  Hobbs  sold  three  to  Prince  Albert  for 
£25.  White  J}or/cinf/s  were  few  in  number,  and  this  was 
not  compensated  by  quality. 

Tliere  were  nearly  400  pens  of  Shanghaes,  and  many  were 
very  good.  All,  however,  betray  a  great  neglect  of  attention 
to  improvement  of  form.  Colour  has,  hitherto,  absorbed 
too  much  of  the  breeder's  care,  but  he  must  now  pay  the 
same  attention  to  form,  and  the  same  jiidgment  as  is  shown 
by  llock  and  herd  masters  to  couple  parents  together  that 
may  combine  ail  desired  points  in  their  offspring.  More- 
over, we  saw  in  many  pens  all  the  bad  consequences  of 
breeding-in-and-in.  The  Black  Shanghaes  were  very  in- 
diffex'ent,  and  we  expect  soon  to  see  them  entirely  neglected. 
The  Brahma  Pootras  were  there  in  some  force,  and  a  very 
varied  lot  indeed  they  were.  No  better  evidence  of  their 
want  of  legitimacy  could  be  given  than  the  fact  that  the 
first  piize  was  given  to  birds  with  Pea-combs,  and  all  the 
aspect  of  a  Malay  tinge ;  whilst  the  second  prize  was  given 
to  single-combed  birds,  of  so  mai'ked  a  character,  that  if 
only  their  heads  had  been  seen  they  would  have  been  taken 
for  Dorldngs. 

The  Malays  were  good,  and  the  cock  in  pen  615  was  as 
noble  a  bird  as  Ave  ever  saw  of  this  variety.  The  Hamhurghs 
were,  generally,  above  an  average  ;  and  pen  780,  belonging 
to  the  Rev.  F.  W.  Freeman,  which  took  the  first  prize  for 
Sihcr-penc-illecl.,  were  very  superior.  Folands  were  generally 
good,  and  we  were  much  struck  by  the  black  with  black 
top-knots,  belonging  to  Mr.  W.  G.  Vivian.  Bantams  were 
generally  good  also  ;  and  the  Gold-laced,  pen  973,  shewn  by 
Mr.  U.  Spurey,  were  the  best  of  the  variety  we  ever  saw. 
Their  deUcacy  of  form,  pmity  of  colour,  accurate  lacing, 
and  high  condition,  could  hardly  be  excelled.  They  were 
purchased  hg  the  Queen  for  ,4'10.  The  other  classes  were  of 
average  merit,  and  the  Muscovy  Ducks  very  superior.  There 
were  425  pens  of  Pigeons,  and  about  the  best  collection,  as 
a  whole,  we  ever  witnessed. 

The  novelty  of  exhibiting  single  cocks  and  single  hens, 
we  think,  was  highly  successful.  They  are  not  so  pleasing 
to  the  eye  as  when  grouped  together ;  but  standing  alone 
affords  a  stringent  test  of  excellence.  None  but  first-rate 
birds  can  bear  this  solitaiy  display.  It  enabled  many  to 
obtain  new  blood  for  their  poultry -yards,  of  which  they 
readily  took  advantage. 

In  the  "  Distinct  Breed"  class  we  noticed  but  one  novelty, 
pen  937,  "  Ghou  Rook  Fowls."  They  are  mere  toy  birds, 
small,  quite  black,  crested  like  the  Ptarmigan,  very  short- 
legged,  and  rurapless. 

Judges. — Edward  Hewitt,  Esq.,  Eden  Cottage,  Spark 
Brook,  Birmingham.  William  Symonds,  Esq.,  0,  Belfield 
Terrace,  Weymouth.  Mr.  John  Baily,  Mount  -  sti-eet, 
Grosvenor  Square. 

Spanish.  —  Class  1.  —  Cock  and  two  Hens, — 6.  First  prize,  Mr. 
Thomas  H.  Fox,  44,  Skinner-street,  Snow  Hill.  8.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
Charles  Botham,  Wexham  Court,  Slough.  13.  Third  prize,  Mr.  W. 
F.  Fisher,  Blandford.  Class  2. — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 2g.  First  prize, 
Mr.  Wm.  Plummer,  Brislington,  near  Bristol,  50.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
Edward  Owen,  121,  High-street,  Shadwell.  4S.  Third  prize,  Mr.  John 
Taylor,  jun.,  Cressy  House,  Shepherds  Bush.  Class  3. — Cock. — 55. 
First  prize,  Mr.  H.  D.  Davies,  Spring  Grove,  Hounslow.  59. — Second 
prize,  Mr.  Joseph.  Rake,  Bristol.  Class  4. — Hen. — 64.  First  prize,  Mr. 
William  Plummer,  Brislington,  near  Bristol.  67.  Second  prize,  Mr.  C. 
J.  Mold,  Wingfield  Park,  Belper. 

DoEKiNG,— Class  5. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — gi.  First  prize,  Rev. 
James  Boys,  Biddenden,  Kent.  84.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Finch  Noyes, 
The  Cottage,  Salisbury.  75.  Third  prize,  Mr.  W.  Smith.  Mays  Hill 
Farm,  near  Henley  in  Arden.  Class  6. — Cock  and  two  Pullets.  128. 
First  prize,  Mr.  H.  Smith,  The  Grove,  near  Bingham,  Notts.  135. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Edward  Terry,  Aylesbury.  102.  Third  prize.  Rev. 
James  Boys,  Biddenden,  Kent.  Class  7. — Cock.— 145.  First  prize,  Mr. 
\V.  Fisher  Hobbs,  Boxted  Lodge,  Colchester.  147.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
\V.  Fisher  Hobbs,  Boxted  Lodge,  Colchester.  Class  8. — Hen. — 156. 
First  prize,  Rev.  Jas.  Boys,  Biddenden,  Kent.  159.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
W.  G.  K.  Breavington,  Sutton,  near  Hounslow.     Class  9. — White. — 


Cock  and  two  Hens.— 173.  First  prize,  Mr.  F.  Edwards,  Bulstrode  Park, 
Bucks.  169.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Jos.  Jennens,  Moseley,  near  Bir- 
mingham. Class  10. — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 18fi.  First  prize,  Mr.  C. 
Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thamcs.  182.  Second  prize,  Mr.  H. 
U.  Davies,  Spring  Grove,  Hounslow. 

Cochin-China  (Buff  and  Cinnamon). — Class  11. — Cock  and  two 
Hens.— 198.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park,  Newmarket. 
109.  Second  prize,  Rlr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park,  Newmarket.  20fi. 
Third  prize,  Mr.  R.  L.  Howe,  Palgravc,  Suffolk.  Class  12.— Cock  and 
two  Pullets.— 302.  First  prize,  Mr.  K.  C.  Stcggall,  Weymoutli.  246. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park,  Newmarket.  243. 
Third  prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park,  Newmarket,  Class  13. — 
Partridge-coloured. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 345.  First  prize,  Mr.  Thos. 
Bridges,  Croydon,  344,  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park, 
Newmarket.  352.  Third  prize,  Mr.  .ledediaU  Strutt,  Belper.  Class  14. 
— Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 356.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley 
Park.  Newmarket.  361.  Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  F.  Chuter,  Haverhill, 
362.  Third  prize,  Mr.  J.  F.  Chuter,  Haverhill.  Class  16.— Cock  and  one 
Pullet. — 414,  First  prize,  Mr.  H.  Gilbert,  Upper  Phillimore  Place, 
Kensington.  456.  Second  prize,  Rlr.  J.  H.  Gandy,  Old  Clecve,  Taunton, 
Class  16,— White.— Cock  and  two  Hens.— 464.  First  prize,  Mrs.  E. 
Herbert,  Powick,  Worcester.  46 1.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  C.  Reynolds, 
Great  Yarmouth.  462.  Third  prize,  Mr.  J.  Rake,  Bristol.  Class  17.— 
Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 486.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Eason,  Montpelier 
House,  South  Lambeth.  437.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  E.  Herbert.  Powick, 
Worcester.  465.  Third  prize,  Rev.  S.  Allen,  D.D,,  Englefield  Green, 
Surrey.  Class  18.— Black. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 494.  Second  prize,  Rlr. 
T.  H,  Fox,  44,  Skinner-street,  Snow  Hill.  (First  prize  withheld.)  Class 
19.— Black.— Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 508,  First  prize,  Mr.  V.  W. 
Blake,  6,  Old  Square,  Birmingham.  507.  Second  prize,  flir.  J.  Harding, 
Brazendoors  Road,  Norwich.  Class  20. — Cock. — 515.  First  prize,  Mr. 
C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  527.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
R.  E.  Gibbs,  jun.,  91,  Old  Gravel  Lane.  Class  21.— Hen.— 542.  First 
prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park,  Newmarket.  550.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  John  Emery,  Kempstou,  Hardwick,  near  Bedford.  (The  class 
meritorious.) 

Brah!\ia.  Pootra. — Class  22. — Cock  and  two  Hens,  603.  First  prize, 
Mr,  H.  D.  Davies,  Spring  Grove,  Hounslow,  593.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
H.  Gilbert,  Upper  I*hillimore  Place,  Kensington. 

Malay,— CLass  23, — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 6l5.  First  prize,  Mr. 
William  Crick,  23,  Warner  Place,  South  Hackney  Road.  6l2.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Roi)ert  Hedges,  1,  St.  George's  Road,  Horsemonger  Lane. 
Class  24. — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 625.  First  prize,  Mr,  James  Leighton, 
183,  High-street,  Cheltenham.  626.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Edward  Owen, 
High-street,  Shadwell.     (Whole  class  meritorious.) 

Game  Fowl  (White  and  Piles). ^Class  25. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 
633.  First  prize,  Rev.  T.  L,  Fellowcs,  Beighton.  630.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  James  Monsey,  Norwich.  Class  26.— Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 
636.  First  prize,  Mr,  George  Hatfield,  Doncaster.  038.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  James  Monsey,  Norwich.  Class  27. — Reds, — Cock  and  two  Hens. 
— 639.  First  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Thurnall,  Royston.  647.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  E.  Farmer,  Greet,  Birmingham.  644.  Highly  commended. — Mr. 
W.  Chard,  jun.,  3,  Clifford's  Inn,  Fleet-street.  {This  class  generally 
commended.)  Class  28.— Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 062.  First  prize,  Mr.  E. 
Lowe,  Comberford  Mills,  near  Tamworth.  65S.  Second  prize,  Mr.  G, 
C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham.  Class  29. — Blacks,  &c. — Cock 
and  two  Hens.^67S.  First  prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Jennens,  Moseley,  Bir- 
mingham. (Second  prize  withheld.)  Class  30, — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 
684.  First  prize,  Blr,  R  Choyce,  Bramcote  Hall,  Tamworth.  6S7. 
Second  prize,  Mr,  W.  G.  Vivian,  Singleton,  Swansea.  Class  31. — 
Greys. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 689.  First  prize,  Mr.  H.  Thurnall, 
Royston.  694.  Second  prize,  Mr.  H.  T.  Freere,  Palgrave.  Suffolk. 
Class  32, — Cock  and  two  I'ullets^— 706.  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  B.  Fairhead, 
Maldon,  Essex.    /Ol.  Second  prize^  Mr.  James  Monsey,  Norwich. 

Golden-pencilled  Hambubgh, — Class  33. — Cock  and  two  Hens. 
— 7^9-  First  prize.  Rev.  F.  W.  Freeman,  Little  Finborougli,  Stowmarket. 
7O8.  Second  prize,  I\Ir.  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames, 
Class  34. — Cock  and  two  Pullets,— 7ig.  First  prize,  Rev.  T.  W.  Freeman, 
Little  Finborough,  Stowmarket.  729.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne, 
Ringwood.  (Whole  class  highly  meritorious.)  Class  35. — Golden- 
spangled  Hamburgh. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 742,  First  prize,  Mr.  C.  J. 
Mold,  Wingfield  Park,  "34.  Second  prize,  Mr.  G,  C,  Adkins,  Bir- 
mingham. Class  36. — Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 744.  First  prize,  Mrs.  H. 
Fookes,  Whitchurch,  Blandford.  748.  Second  prize,  Mr,  J.  DLxon, 
Bradford.  Class  37. — Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh. — Cock  and  two  Hens. 
—761.  Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  McCann,  Malvera.  (First  prize  withheld.) 
Class  38. — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 780.  Firstprize,  Rev.  F.  W.  Freeman, 
Little  Finborough;  Stowmarket.  770.  Second  prize,  Mr.  F.  H.  Aberdein, 
Honiton,  Devon.  Class  39. — Silver-spangled  Hamburgh. — Cock  and  two 
Hens.— 794.  Firstprize,  Mr.  F,  Edwards,  Bulstrode  Park.  797-  Second 
prize,  Mr.  J.  Jordan,  Wheeler-street,  Birmingham.  Class  40. — Cock 
and  two  Pullets. — 816.  First  prize,  Rev.  T.  L.  Fellowes,  Beighton.  8O6. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Jas.  Dixon,  Bradford. 

Poland  Fowl  (Black,  White-crested).— Class  41.— Cock  and  two 
Hens. — 819-  First  prize,  Mr.  G.  C.  Adkins,  Birmingham.  Class42. — 
Cock  and  two  Pullets,— 828.  First  prize,  Mr.  F.  Edwprds,  Bulstrode 
Park.  824.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Mills,  Bisterne,  Ringwood,  Class  43. — 
Golden.— Cock  and  two  Hens.— 840.  First  prize,  Mr.  R.  H.  Bush, 
Sitfield  House,  Clifton.  835.  Second  prize,  Mr.  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst, 
Walton-on-Thames.  Class  44, — Cock  and  two  Pullets, — 854.  First  prize, 
Mr.  W.  G.  Vivian,  Swansea.  848.  Second  prize,  Mr.  A.  Rosling,  jun., 
Southwark.  Class  45. — Silver.— Cock  and  two  Hens. — 858,  First  prize, 
Mr.  G.  C.  Adkins,  Birmingham.  86I,  Second  prize,  Mr,  S.  T.  Baker, 
Manor  House,  Chelsea.  Class  46. — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 874.  First 
prize,  Mr.  F.  Edwards,  Bulstrode  Park.  3/8.  Second  prize,  Blr.  S. 
Boulnois,  Abbey  Koad,  St.  John's  Wood.  Class  47. — Any  other  colour. 
— Cock  and  two  Hens. — 884.  First  prize,  Mr.  T.  Dutton,  Streatham 
Common,  Surrey.  883.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park. 
Class  48. — Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 897.  ^'^rst  prize,  Mr.  W.  G.  Vivian, 
Swansea.    896.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  G.  Vivian,  Swansea. 


308 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  19. 


For  any  othee  Distinct  Breed. — Class  49- — 907«  First  prize, 
Mr.  John  Taylor,  jun.,  Cressy  House.  (Andalusian.)  918.  Second 
prize,  Mt.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park,  (Scotch  Bakies.)  924.  First 
prize,  Mr.  H.  A.  Davies.  Spring  Grove,  Hounslow.  (Rangoon.)  929. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  G.  Vivian,  Swansea.  (Frizzled.)  932.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  W.  G.  Vivian,  Swansea.  (Normandy.)  937-  First  prize,  Mr. 
H.  B.  Hiffgs,  Hill  Lodge,  Southampton.  (Ghou  Kook.)  939.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  J.  C.  Mold,  Wingfield  Park.  Beiper.  (Rumpless.)  9IU. 
First  prize,  Rev.  T.  L.  Fellows,  Beighton.     (Moss  Pheasant.) 

Foe  Ceoss  Breed.— Class  50. — 949.  Ten  shilling  prize,  Mr.  Thomas 
Sheen,  Aylesbury.     (Muffled  Dorking  and  Cochin.) 

Bantams  (Gold-laced).— Class  51.  — Cock  and  two  Hens.— 9/3.  First 
prize,  BIr.  U.  Spurey,  Market-street,  Dunstable  9/0.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  G,  C.  Adkins,  Birminghiim.  Cla^s  52. — Silver-laced — Cock  and 
two  Hens.— 939.  First  prize,  Mr.  Uriah  Spurey,  Market-street,  Dun- 
stable. QriS.  Second  prize,  Mr.  James  Mousey,  Norwich.  Class  53. — 
White.— Cock  and  two  Hens. — 1000.  First  prize,  I\Ir.  W.  Cottis,  Withatn, 
Essex.  999.  Second  jjrize,  Mrs.  Caroline  Brace,  Abingdon,  (.'lass  54. — 
Blaek.— Cock  and  two  Hens. — 100/.  First  prize,  Mr.  James  Blonsey, 
Norwich.  1013.  Second  prize,  F.  S.  Astley,  IJsq.,  Burgh  Hall,  Thetford. 
Class  55. — Any  other  variety. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 1025.  First  prize, 
Mr.  \V.  Sidney  Forrest,  Greenhithe.  IO29.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  G, 
Vivian,  Singleton,  Swansea. 

Geese. — Class  56, — Gander  and  two  Geese. — 1050.  First  prize,  IMr. 
A.  "Williams,  Reading.     lOoI.  Second  prize,  I\Ir.  A.  Williams,  Reading. 

Ducks  (White  Aylesbury). — Class  5/. — Drake  and  two  Ducks. — 
1056.  First  prize,  Mr.  E.  Terry,  Aylesbury.  105S.  First  prize,  Mr.  W. 
G.  K,  Brcavinpton,  Sutton,  near  Hounslow.  IO77.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
A.  Willifttus,  Reading.  Class  58. — (Rouen). — Drake  and  two  Ducks. 
— 1088.  First  prize,  fllr.  R.  Green,  Westerham.  Uigs.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  B.  H.  Brooksbank,  Tickbill,  Rotherham.  Class  59-— Any  other 
variety.— 11198.  First  prize,  I\fr.  John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park.  1105. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  G.  Botham,  Wexliani  Court,  Slough.  Class  60. — 
(Muscovy). — Drake  and  two  Ducks. — 1118.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Fairlie, 
Cheveley  I'ark.     1120.  Second  prize,  Mr.  I,  Taylor,  Cressy  House. 

Turkeys.— Class  61. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 1123.  First  prize,  Mr. 
John  Fairlie,  Cheveley  Park.  1121.  Second  prize,  fllr.  John  Fairlie, 
Cheveley  Park.     U3U.  Third  prize,  Mr.  A,  Williams,  Reading. 

Guinea  Fowl.— Class  62.— Pair.— 113?.  First  prize,  Mr.  F.  Edwards, 
Bulstrodc  Park. 


ORCHARDS   IN   KENT.— No.  3. 

DLACK   CUREANTS. 

Amongst  tlie  individual  fruits  to  wliicli  tLc  public  taste  of 
late  years  lias  directed  more  than  ordinary  attention  the 
Blaclc  Currant  stands  iire-emincnt.  Useful  alike  at  tlie  time 
it  is  in  season,  and  in  a  preserved  condition,  tlie  demand 
for  it  has  been  such  as  to  induce  growers  to  extend  their 
plantations  considerably,  and  as  it  is  well  known  to  be 
hardy,  of  easy  culture,  and  speedily  comes  into  a  beai'ing 
condition,  it  is  probable  the  supply  hereafter  may  fully 
equal  the  demand,  but  as  that  business  more  especially 
concerns  the  speculator  than  the  cultivator,  I  will  at  once 
leave  the  caterer  for  the  public  to  his  own  conjectures  as  to 
their  future  wants,  and  proceed  to  detail  the  iirocess  by 
which  the  fruit  is  grown  so  extensively  as  astonishes  some 
provincial  gardeners  when  they  first  get  a  sight  of  the 
sui^plias  which  our  metropolitan  markets  present  during  the 
season. 

Commencing,  first,  with  llir  situaliuii,  it  is  necessary  to 
observe  that  this  fruit  is  but  seldom  allowed  to  reign  para- 
mount master  of  the  premises  it  occupies,  for  it  generally 
is  planted  underneath  some  other  crop  to  which  it  is  sub- 
ordinate, as  Apples,  Pears,  or  Filberts,  but  more  generally 
the  two  lirst-namtd,  for  the  latter  prefers  a  drier  soil  than 
suits  tlie  Black  Currant  in  a  usual  way  ;  however,  where 
the  wants  or  wishes  of  the  owner  influences  liis  decision,  he 
plants  it  with  the  last-named  crop  as  well,  otherwise  it  must 
be  observed  that  the  Black  Currant  prefers  a  damp  soil,  and 
seems  to  derive  really  less  injury  i'rom  shelter  than  any 
other  fruit  we  know  of.  In  forming  a  new  plantation  of 
permanent  standard  fruit-trees,  it  is  usual  to  plant  something 
as  nurses  to  them,  or  rather  to  occupy  the  ground  in  a 
profitable  way  while  the  larger  trees  are  progressing,  and, 
not  unusually,  these  temporary  trees  remain  long  after  tlie 
branches  of  the  trees  above  them  have  united  so  as  to 
deprive  the  undergrowth  of  all  chance  of  seeing  tlie  sun, 
and  yet  we  freijuently  see  good,  useful  fruit  gathered  in 
such  places,  though  certainly  not  in  the  abundance  it  would 
have  been  had  it  been  allowed  the  unopposed  possession  of 
the  whole  ground,  but  even  under  such  disadvantages  its 
importance  often  tells  to  the  grower's  benefit  as  much  as 
its  exalted  superiors. 


When  carefully  pruned  and  attended  to  it  beai-s  wcU  in 
seasons  when  other  fruits  ai-e  often  scanty,  and  it  is  seldom 
that  a  total  failure  in  tliis  crop  takes  place,  unless  under 
extraordinary  circumstances.  Certainly,  the  past  season 
exhibited  the  Black  Currant  in  a  ditfereut  light  than  it 
usually  had  been  seen  in  before,  for  at  the  time  when  the 
fruit  had  been  fau-ly  set,  and  partly  grown,  a  disease, 
under  the  incomprehensible  title  of  ■'  a  blight,"  attacked 
tliem,  and  quantities  of  the  hemes  fell  otif,  leaving  the 
bunches  much  lessened,  in  many  cases  more  than  half  ; 
this  disease  having  much  of  the  mystery  of  the  Potato 
disease  about  it,  conjectures  as  to  its  cause  were  life  enough, 
but  attempts  at  its  cure  or  prevention  another  season  were 
but  little  attended  to.  Now,  as  this  disease  may  make  its 
appearance  again,  it  is  only  right  here  to  mention  it  as  pre- 
senting no  features  to  indicate  want  of  healtli  or  vigour  in 
the  plant ;  neither  is  it  confined  to  those  who  may  be 
suffering  from  poverty  or  weakness,  for  the  healthiest  plan- 
tations were  attacked  as  well  as  the  neglected  or  indifferent 
ones.  However,  the  disease  did  no  farther  damage  than 
lessening  the  crop,  for  the  remaining  portion  ripened  very 
well,  and  at  gathering  time  the  quantity  was  not  so  much 
below  the  average  as  was  expected,  yet  it  could  not  bo  called 
more  than  half  a  crop. 

As  I  have  said,  the  Black  Currant  foi-ms  a  very  im- 
portant undergrowth  to  plantations  of  Apples,  Plums,  &e.., 
its  produce  is  not  always  the  only  source  of  revenue  the  cul- 
tivator relies  on,  for  the  other  fruits  may  be  abundant, 
although  the  present  season  this  was  far  from  being  the 
case ;  however,  there  is  every  reason  for  believing  that  the 
sliort  crop  of  the  past  year  will  in  no  wise  pre\'ent  fresh 
plantations  being  made,  and,  like  everything  else  (which 
there  is  a  remunerative  demand  for),  ground  not  exactly 
adapted  for  Black  Currants  is  likely  to  be  planted  with  them, 
and,  in  fact,  has  been  planted  already,  but  so  hardy  and 
accommodating  is  this  production,  that  it  does  not  seem  to 
refuse  to  grow  anywhere ;  even  in  jilaces  where  nothing  else 
will  thrive,  it  will  accommodate  itself  wonderfully  well — on 
the  cliffs  of  a  rock,  or  the  recesses  of  a  dell — on  light  soil, 
or  on  heavy ;  yet  it  is  only  on  the  latter  kind  of  soil  that  the 
quantity  and  quality  of  the  fruit  is  according  to  the  standard 
of  excellence  we  would  like  to  see  adopted ;  only  in  one 
respect  this  fruit  differs  from  most  others, for  while  they  are 
injured  by  being  grown  in  close  contact  with  trees  of  another 
kind,  struggling  with,  and  depriving  tlieni  of  much  of  the 
nourishment  they  so  much  require,  this  fruit  seems  to 
thrive  better  under  the  shade  of  trees  than  it  does  alone, 
provided  these  trees  be  not  too  numerous  or  encroaching. 
However,  as  we  have  said  enough  on  its  general  habits,  let 
us  turn  to  the  details  of  its  cultivation,  which  ai'e  few  and 
easily  understood. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  understood  by  all  not  confined  all 

their  lives  in  tlie  recesses  of  city  or  factory,  that  the  Black 

'  Currant  strikes  root  freely  when  slips  of  the  current  year 

I  are  put  into  the  ground  in  the  autumn,  after  they  have 

1  ripened   and   shed  their  leaves ;    these   slips   are   usually 

!  planted  in  rows  about  two  feet  apart,  and  six  or  eight  inches 

1  are  allowed  in  the  row;  the  shoots  made  the  first  season  are 

I  usually  cut  back  the  ensuing  winter,  which  cutting  back  is 

j  called  heading-in ;    the  growth    of    the  second   season    is 

generally   surticient  to  form  a  tolerable    "head,"    and  the 

plant  might  then  with  advantage   be  taken  up  and  planted 

in  its  place,  as  it  is  advisable  it  should  not  be  too  stunted. 

At  this  planting  no  cutting  takes   place,  except   any  very 

disorderly  shoot  may  be  cut  out,  but  none  are  shortened ; 

neither    is   it  common  to  shorten  any  shoot  of  the  Black 

Currant  at  any  time,  for  the   wood-buds   being   generally 

sparingly  scattered,  it  is  better  to  leave  the  end  one,  wiiich 

is  always  present.  In  planting,  the  Black  Cui'rant  is  usually 

inserted  deeper  in  the  ground  than  other  fruits  of  its  size, 

and  as  it  is  usually  furnished  with  abundance  of  roots  of  a 

fibrous  kind  its  removal  is  not  much  check  to   it.      The 

growth  of  the  first  season  after  planling  is  looked  over  and 

thinned  a  little,  cutting   away  all  horiziuilal  or  dependant 

shoots,   as   these,   when   loaded   with   fruit,   hang  on   the 

ground   and  get  dirtied.      Some  care  must  also  be  taken 

that  the   plant  does  not   hang   on  one   side  ;  this  must  be 

remedied   by  stamping   it  up   with   the   foot,  or  when  the 

plant  gets    large  it  is  cut  away  on  the  heavy  side,  preserving 

the  other  to  assist  in  maintaining  something  like  a  balance. 


jANnABY  19. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


30!) 


Dung,  or  other  manure,  must  be  added  in  winter,  and 
great  care  tal;en  not  to  dig  too  deep.  This  practice  is 
really  more  hurtful  to  fruit  plantations  than  the  digging  will 
compensate  for.  Even  the  Black  Currant,  which  is,  as  we 
say,  planted  deep,  requires  to  he  carefully  dealt  with  at 
digging-time,  for  many  useful  roots  will  be  found  within 
four  inches  of  the  surface,  and  it  is  needless  here  observing 
that  these  ought  not  to  be  disturbed.  It  is  not  uncommon 
for  some  growers  to  heap  the  earth  up  in  a  mound  around 
the  collar  of  each  plant,  which  materially  steadies  it  against 
the  wind  and  other  casualties  ;  and  when  the  ground  is 
light  it  may  be  of  service,  but  in  a  general  way  it  may  be  dis- 
pensed with,  and  the  ground  cultivated  plain,  observing  that  in 
all  winter  prunings  to  preserve  a  few  young  shoots  from  the 
centre  of  the  plant,  so  as  to  keep  up  the  succession,  and  not 
allow  it  to  become  too  tall,  and  "  run  away,"  as  it  is  called  ; 
otherwise,  with  the  exception  of  these  shoots  coming  forward, 
the  ti-ee  ought  not,  by  any  means,  to  be  too  thicl;,  so  that 
when  it  has  got  to  what  may  be  called  "  full  size,"  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  shoots  may  be  cut  away  every  year; 
cutting  away,  first,  all  those  which  disfigure  the  tree  by  their 
improper  length  or  awkward  growth  ;  afterwards,  if  it  be 
necessary,  a  few  that  may  be  wanted  to  reUeve  the  tree  of 
its  superfluity.  However,  as  all  depends  on  the  eye  and 
taste  of  the  operator,  it  is  needless  saying  more  than  again 
pointing  out  that  the  summer  shoots  of  the  past  year  ought 
never  to  be  shortened,  but  that  in  all  other  respects  he  may 
cut  the  tree  in  any  manner  with  impunity,  for  it  will  endure 
a  great  deal  of  ill-usage  before  it  finally  gives  in.  But  as 
a  nice  plantation  of  healthy  young  trees,  vigorous,  well- 
shaped,  and  uniform,  is  always  a  pleasing  object,  I  advise  the 
youthful  cultivator  not  to  rest  satisfied  with  anything  short 
of  excellence  in  this  respect ;  and  though  the  Black  Currant 
is  often  thrust  into  any  out-of-the-way  corner,  yet  it  is  only 
when  they  are  well  grown  and  orderly-looking  trees  that 
they  approach  the  point  which  it  is  desirable  to  attain  in  an 
amateur  garden ;  for  even  in  this  utilitarian  age,  the  appear- 
ance of  a  tree  is  not  altogether  unimportant,  especially 
when  planted  in  a  position  where  it  is  seen  daily,  or  nearly 
so.  AU  these  points  must,  therefore,  be  attended  to,  and 
the  Black  Currant,  when  grown  as  it  ought  to  be,  will  form 
as  Ui^eful  a  fruit  as  any  which  grace  our  tables. 

In  conclusion,  I  may  observe,  that  the  old  variety  is  still 
mostly  grown  ;  for  though  the  larger  one,  called  the  Black 
Naples,  has  been  tried  by  some  of  the  more  spirited  growers, 
it  has  not  become  so  much  a  favourite  as  it  was  expected  to 
be,  for  it  appears  the  ripened  berries  drop  oft'  even  more 
than  the  old  kind  with  the  least  wind  or  rain.  If  this 
drawback  could  be  overcome  by  some  improved  variety  of 
equal  size,  a  desideratum  would  be  attained  useful  to  all, 
and  we  have  no  doubt  but  attention  skilfully  directed  that 
way  would  accomplish  this;  the  same  as  many  other 
wayward  propensities  in  fruits  and  vegetables  have  been 
overcome.  But  while  the  energies  of  our  fruit-growers  are 
all  directed  to  the  improved  culture  or  perfection  of  some 
more  fashionable  fruits,  this  may  be  neglected;  yet  there 
is  none  more  worthy  the  attention  of  the  enterprising 
improver,  and  we  have  no  doubt  but  a  really  better  variety 
than  those  now  in  existence  would  meet  the  reward  due  to 
it,  as  much  as  if  it  were  a  like  improvement  on  Black 
Hambro'  Cxrapes,  or  the  latest  fashionable  Strawberry. — 
H.  B. 


SHANGHAE  FOWLS. 

In  your  last  number's  notices  to  correspondents,  I  per- 
ceived you  say,  that  you  are  "  at  a  loss  to  see  what  im- 
provement is  conferred  by  the  Falcon  Hock "  (in  reference, 
I  presume,  to  Shaughae  fowls). 

As  "  a  curve  is  a  line  of  beauty,"  an  artist  would,  pro- 
bably, on  seeing  specimens,  one  possessing,  and  the  other 
wanting,  this  property,  decide  that  the  soft,  curved  feathers 
curling  round  and  concealing  the  angularity  of  the  hock 
was  an  evident  improvement.  Whether  this  is  a  sufiicient 
reason  for  the  "fashion"  setting  so  distinctly  in  this 
direction,  is  not  for  me  to  say;  nor  is  "fashion"  much 
governed  by  reason  ;  hut  it  is  well  known  to  such  of  your 
readers  as  have  opportunities  of  attending  poultry  sales, 
that  the  public  taste  is  so  decided  in  this  point,  that  birds 


possessing  it  have  realised  considerable  sums,  which,  othei'- 
wise,  were  so  inferior,  that  they  would  infalUbly  have  been 
consigned  to  your  "  class  for  dead  poultry;"  and  I  have  no 
doubt  that  in  another  season  it  will  be  considered  essential 
for  prize  birds  to  possess  this  property.  In  another  page, 
you  also  express  a  hope  that  you  may  not  again  hear  of 
such  large  sums,  as  have,  in  a  few  instances,  been  given  for 
fowls.  1  should  imagine,  that  so  long  as  it  is  difficult  to 
produce  them  combining  Aix  the  required  points  of  ex- 
cellence, such  as  do  come  up  to  that  standard  will  com- 
mand as  high  prices,  relatively  to  tlieir  intrinsic  value,  as 
choice  specimens  of  any  other  description  of  stock  (useful 
or  ornamental)  are  known  to  do  ;  and  the  withholding  the 
Ih'st  prize  for  Butt'  Slianghaes,  at  the  late  Birmingham 
Sliow,  affords  pretty  good  evidence,  that  in  that  variety  first 
class  birds  are  not  yet  very  numerous,  and  that  the  owners 
of  such  are  not  likely  to  be  tempted  to  part  with  them  at 
an  ordinary  piice. — H.  W.  Colunson,  47,  Gastle-slreel, 
Soutliwarlc. 

[The  gentleman  who  wrote  the  commeirt  upon  the  Falcon 
hock  is  a  good  judge,  but  probably  meant  no  more,  than 
that  such  circumstances  are  of  minor  consideration.  How- 
ever, it  is  a  matter  of  taste  only.  "With  regard  to  our  hope 
that  we  shall  hear  no  more  of  enormously  large  sums  being 
given  for  a  single  bird,  we  only  intended  to  convey  the  ex- 
pression of  our  sincere  wisli  that  good  birds  may  so  abound 
as  to  preclude  such  high  prices  being  obtainable.  In  other 
words,  that  the  supply  of  excellence  will  more  than  equal 
the  demand. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


SEA  WEEDS. 


{Continued  from  page  2fi8.) 

SoJiE  of  my  readers  may  not  have  seen  an  account  of 
the  gathering  of  Sea  Weeds  for  manure,  coal,  and  fire-wood, 
in  a  History  of  the  Channel  Islands,  by  Inglis  ;  and  to 
them  it  can  scarcely  fail  to  be  interesting,  as  it  is  peculiar 
to  those  islands. 

"  This  Sea  Weed  is  called  in  French  varech,  and  in  Jersey 
dialect '  vraie  ; '  and  a  busy  time  is  the  vraicking  season  in 
.Jersey.  This  season  is  fixed  by  the  island  legislature,  and 
is  named  twice  a  year,  commencing  generally  about  the 
lOth  of  jMarch  and  the  'iOth  of  July,  and  continuing  each 
time  about  ten  days.  1  have  spoken  of  the  beds  of  rocks 
that  surround  the  island ;  and  it  is  chiefly  from  these  rocks 
and  islets  that  the  vraic  is  gathered. 

"  Wlien  the  vraicking  season  begins,  those  whose  families 
are  not  numerous  enough  to  collect  the  needful  supply  assist 
each  other;  and  the  vraicking  parties,  consisting  of  eight, 
ten,  or  twelve  persons,  sally  forth  betimes,  from  all  parts  of 
the  island,  to  their  necessary,  laborious,  but  apparently 
cheerful  work.  Although  a  time  of  labour,  it  is  also  a 
season  of  merriment ;  '  vraicking  cakes,'  made  of  flom', 
milk,  and  sugar,  are  plentifully  partaken  of,  and  on  the 
cart  which  accompanies  the  party  to  the  sea-beach  is  gene- 
rally slung  a  little  cask  of  something  to  drink,  and  a  suit- 
able supply  of  eatables.  Every  individual  is  jirovided  with 
a  small  scythe,  to  cut  the  weed  from  the  rocks,  and  with 
strong  leg  and  foot  gear.  The  carts  proceed  as  far  as  the 
tide  will  allow  them,  and  boats,  containing  four  or  sis 
persons,  carry  the  vraickers  to  those  more  distant  rocks 
which  are  unapproachable  in  any  other  way.  It  is  truly  a 
busy  and  a  curious  scene.  During  this  season,  at  half-tide 
or  low-water,  multitudes  of  carts  and  horses,  boats  and 
vraickers,  cover  the  beach,  the  rocks,  and  the  water ;  and  so 
anxious  are  the  people  to  make  the  most  of  their  limited 
time,  that  I  have  often  seen  horses  swimming,  and  carts 
floating,  so  unwilling  are  the  vraickers  to  be  driven  from 
their  spoil  by  the  inexorable  tide.  But  this  Sea  Weed  is 
not  employed  solely  as  manure,  it  is  also  used  as  fuel, 
and  for  this  purpose  it  is  collected  at  other  times  than 
at  the  regular  vraicking  seasons  —  not  from  the  rocks, 
indeed,  but  from  the  sea-beach.  The  collection  of  this 
Sea  Weed  is  a  constant  employment  with  those  who  live 
near  the  sea  shore,  and  the  produce  of  their  labour  is 
either  used  for  fuel,  or  is  sold  to  those  who  want  it.  At 
almost  all  times,  men,  women,  and  children,  but  chiefly  the 
two  latter,  are  to  be  seen  at  this  employment,  gathering  or 


310 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Jandary  19. 


spreading  the  weed  out  to  dry.  They  use  a  raie,  or  three- 
pronged  pitchfork,  and  a  wheelbarrow,  in  which  it  is  carried 
above  high-water  mark  to  be  dried.  Tliis  is  the  universal 
fuel  of  tlie  country :  and  it  malses  a  hot,  if  not  a  cheerful 
fire.  Coal  is  scarcely  used  at  all,  and  only  a  very  small 
quantity  of  wood  along  with  the  vraic,  and  this  even  not 
universally.  Ou  feast  days,  only,  and  family  gatherings,  a 
coal  lire  is  lighted  in  the  best  parlour." 

ORDEE  9.— COKAXLINACE/E. 

"  Rigid,  articulated,  or  crustaceous,  mostly  calcareous  Sea 
Weeds,  purple  when  recent,  fading  on  exposure  to  milk- 
white,  comjiosed  of  closely- packed  elongated  cells  or  fila- 
ments, in  which  carbonate  of  linre  is  deposited  in  an  or- 
ganised form." — Harvey. 

Formerly  these  algaj  were  thought  to  be  zoophytes,  but 
there  is  now  no  doubt  that  they  are  vegetables.  This  may 
be  ascertained  in  a  powerful  acid,  when  the  lime  will  be 
removed,  and  the  vegetable  substance  be  disclosed. 

1.  CoRALLiNA  OFi?iciNi\iis  (Commercial). — Very  common 
ou  all  our  shores,  from  two  to  six  inches  high,  fringing  the 
edges  of  tide  pools,  wliere  it  aflbrds  a  snug  hu'king-place 
for  young  crabs,  &c. 

3.  C.  ELONGATA  (Lengthened). — "The  lateral  shoots  of 
the  branches  slender  and  subulate,  with  long  cylindrical 
articulations." — Johiist. 

3.  C.  sQUAMATA  (Scaly). — On  rocks  in  the  south  of 
England. 

2.  JANL\. 

"  Frond  slender,  branched  in  a  dichotomous  manner,  the 
joints  cylindrical,  the  crust  calcareous  unporous,  the  axis 
subcartaliginous,  solid,  constructed  at  intervals  correspond- 
ing to  the  articulations  of  the  crust.  Capsular  swelhngs 
produced  in  the  axis  of  the  branches  containing  granules. 
Name  from  Janira,  one  of  the  Nereides." — Juhiiston. 

1.  Janta  etjeens  (Ruddy). — Parasitical  on  small  marine 
plants  ;  common,  very  bushy  indeed,  and  tufted.  Some 
specimens  whicli  I  have  from  Jaffa  are  so  thickly  clustered 
that  they  look  like  a  little  dog's  paw. 

3.  J.  coRNicuLATA  (Small-horned). — Like  J.  miens,  form- 
ing thick  tufts,  but  the  articulations  of  the  branches  arc 
different.  Sub-order,  2.  NulUpore*.  Frond  crustaceous,  or 
foliaceous,  opaque,  not  articulated. 

3.  MELOBESIA. 
"  Name  from  one  of  the  sea  nymphs  of  Hesiod." 
1.  M.  P0LV3I0RPHA  (Various-formed).— "Frond  attached 

to  rocks,  tliick,  stony,  encrusting,  or  rising  into  sliort  clumsy 

branches." — Harvey. 

3.  M.  CALCAREA  (Chalky). — "  On  many  parts  of  the  coast 

this  plant  forms  vast  beds,  extending  for  miles  in  submarine 

strata,   and   is   advantageously   used   as   manure   on   soils 

requiring  the  addition  of  lime." — Harvcij. 

3.  M.  PAScicuLATA  (Brindled). — "At  the  bottom  of  the 
sea." 

4.  M.  ACARiciFOHjns  (Muslu'oom-shaped). — "Frond  un- 
attached, globular,  hollow.  On  the  bottom  of  quiet  bays." — 
Han^ctf. 

fi.  M.  LICHENOIDES  (Lichen-likc). — Of  a  pale  colour,  and, 
as  its  name  denotes,  resembling  a  Lichen.  Tliero  ai-o 
several  minute  species,  of  which  I  shall  only  give  the  names. 

M.  MEMBRANACEA  (Skinny). 

M.  EARiNOSA  (Floury). 

M.  VERRUCATA  (Warted). 

M.  rusTuiATA  (Pimpled). 

Professor  Harvey  says  that  the  question  still  remains, 
whether  Melobesiaj  are  independent  vegetables,  or  whether 
they  be  merely  amorphous  states  of  the  common  Corallhia 
ojjicinalis.  This  latter  is  the  view  advocated  by  Dr.  Jolniston. 

4.  HILDEN13RANDTIA. 

1.  HiLDENBRANDTiA  RUERA  (Red).— "On  smooth  stones 
and  pebbles  between  tide  marks,  and  in  deep  water.  Colour 
variable — now  a  bright,  now  a  dull  red." — Hanvij. 

"  The  corallines  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  ocean,  but 
are  much  more  numerous  in  warm  llian  in  cold  countries, 
and  some  of  the  species  of  the  tropical  and  sub-tropicid 
ocean  are  among  the  most  beautil'ul  of  marine  vegetables." — 
Harvey.  S.  B. 

{To  be  conl'mued.) 


RAIN    THAT    FELL    AT    MIDDLETON,    NEAR 

BEVERLEY,  in  the  yeak  1^53. 

Inches. 

January 3.fi0 

Februai-j'     l.t>3 

March 1 .75 

April    1.18 

May     1.-17 

June     3.8!) 

Jidy 3.03 

August    1.S3 

September 1.03 

October   3.3U 

November 3.04 

December   1.14 

Inches 34.43 

1S.50  34.1J3 

1851   33.(i7 

1853   34  70 

— EoE.  Denison,  Waplinijlan  Manor,  Pocklimjlon,  Torkshire. 


DISEASES  OF  POULTRY. 

BUMBLE    EEET   IN  DOEiaNGS. 

Hating  had  recently  occasion  to  kill  some  Dorkings  affected 
with  this  disease,  I  took  the  opportunity  of  submitting  the 
feet  to  careful  microscopical  examination  (witli  the  aid  of 
a  gentleman  well  known  for  bis  researches  in  minute  patho- 
logical anatomy).  As  the  result  of  our  examination  of  the 
disease,  in  vaiious  stages,  I  may  state,  that  it  appears  totaJce 
its  rise  in  the  true  skin  (viz.,  the  cutis),  which  is  exceedingly 
thick  under  the  sole  of  the  foot ;  the  first  symptom  of  its 
occui'rence  is  the  presence  of  a  small  warty  tumour,  which 
appears  externally  ;  this  gradually  extends,  and  a  deep-seated 
enlargement  appears ;  at  the  same  time,  the  latter  continues 
to  increase,  and  when  it  attains  a  considerable  size  ulcera- 
tion takes  place,  and  the  scurf  skin  (or  cuticle)  covering  it 
is  loosened  ;  at  the  same  time  a  peculiar  and  oiJensive  odour 
results  from  the  ulceration  of  the  tumour.  It  is  hardly  neces- 
sary to  remark  that  the  bird  becomes  lame,  and,  if  one  side 
is  affected,  rests  the  foot  as  much  as  possible. 

On  examining  the  substance  of  the  tumour  under  the 
microscope,  it  was  found  to  be  totally  destitute  of  blood- 
vessels and  nei-ves,  and  to  be,  in  fact,  a  mass  of  dead  inor- 
ganized  matter,  situated  between  the  true  skin  and  the  teu- 
donous  parts  of  the  foot. 

The  remedy  that  would  naturally  suggest  itself  for  this 
examination  would  be  the  removal  of  the  diseased  growtli ; 
but  I  have  found,  on  attempting  this  operation  subse(|uently, 
tliat  there  are  two  serious  objections  to  this  practice — cutting 
into  the  skin  around  the  diseased  growth  is  attended  witli 
great  loss  of  blood,  the  flow  of  wbicli  is  checked  with  dilli- 
culty ;  and  the  removal  of  the  tumour  cannot  be  eilected 
without  exposing  to  so  great  a  degree  the  tendonons  sti'uc- 
tures  of  the  foot,  that  a  recovery  can  scarcely  be  expected, 
especially  as  there  is  a  low  stage  of  vitality  in  these  parts 
very  unfavourable  to  recovery  after  injm'y. 

This  examination  confirms  my  previous  views  of  the  cause 
of  this  troublesome  complaint,  namely,  that  it  is  produced 
by  pressure  and  concussion.  Cocks,  therefore,  are  more  sub- 
ject to  it  than  hens  from  their  greater  weight;  and  birds 
that  roost  on  high,  narrow  perches,  are  much  more  liable  to 
tlio  disease  than  those  than  are  obUged  to  rest  ou  broail  and 
low  ones. 

Another  evil  arising  from  high  perches  for  heavy  birds  is, 
that  tlicy  frequently  break  the  keel  of  the  breast  bone  liy 
tlie  violence  with  which  they  descend  on  to  the  grouiul.  I 
killed  a  Dorking  lien,  a  short  time  since,  in  which  the  breast 
bone  was  extensively  fractured  in  this  way;  and  another 
was  under  my  care,  in  which  I  had  to  remove  a  lai'ge  ]>orlion 
of  dead  bone  that  had  lieen  destroyed  in  tliis  manner;  mid 
I  think  it  very  probable  that  the  violence  of  the  shock  niiiy 
severely  injure  some  of  tlie  more  important  internal  organs, 
especially  during  such  time  as  the  liens  are  laying. 

In  conclusion,  I  can,  from  practice  as  well  as  theory,  re- 


January  19. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


;i]l 


commend  low,  broad  perches  ns  the  best  preventive  of  this 
affection.  It  is  a  fortunate  circumstance  tliat  its  frequent  oc- 
curence is  so  easily  prevented,  when  its  incurable  nature  is 
taken  into  consideration.  In  fact,  so  slightly  do  I  think  it  is 
under  the  intlucnco  of  remedies,  that  I  would  not  give  live 
shillings  for  the  best  Dorking  that  ever  walked  on  two  feet  if 
one  of  them  was  thus  ail'ected. — W.  B.  Tkoetmeier.  WH- 
lesden,  near  London. 


BEE-KEEPING  FOR  COTTAGERS. 
(Continued  from  page  273.) 

Ooverinr/s  and  Shades.— TPor  coverings,  nothing  better  than 
common  glazed  milk-pans,  or  lids  of  large  brown  pans  :  the 
latter  are  to  be  preferred,  as  having  a  handle,  being  glazed 
on  the  outside,  and  tlirowing  off  the  rain  more  easily. 
They  make  a  neat  finish  to  the  hives ;  by  their  weight  they 
keep  the  hives  steady ;  and  the  cost  of  them,  in  most  locali- 
ties, is  very  ti-ifling.  They  should  be  sufficiently  large  to 
throw  the  wet  well  over  the  door-board.  Where  slate  or 
freestone  abound,  a  substitute  for  them  might  be  made,  by 
procuring  a  lump  of  the  required  size,  flat  on  one  side,  chip- 
ping away  the  upper  surface  to  give  it  the  form  of  a  sugar- 
loaf,  and  just  sufficient  of  the  under  surface  to  make  it 
slightly  hollow,  and  so  prevent  the  wet  from  creeping^  up 
towards  the  hives  :  this,  if  of  stone,  would  require  painting. 
Whatever  way  be  used  for  coverings,  it  is  necessary  that  the 
bodies  of  the  hives  should  also  be  protected,  for  on  this  (as 
already  stated  in  section  1,)  success,  in  a  great  measure, 
depends;  for  where  the  hives  are  exposed  to  the  sun,  the 
bees,  by  its  heat,  are  inconvenienced  in  the  summer,  and 
renderedunnecessarily  active,  and  consequently  hungry  in  the 
winter, so  that  loss  occurs  all  the  year  round.  The  protec- 
tion cannot,  perhaps,  be  better  afforded,  than  by  using  a 
thick  straw  hackle  placed  over  the  milk  pan,  worked  on  a 
hoop  of  such  a  size  as  to  fit  upon  its  (the  milk-pan'sj  edge. 
By  leaving  the  stmw  of  this  hackle  long  enough  to  reach 
nearly  to  the  floorboard  an  effectual  shade  is  made.  We 
have  used,  with  success,  a  kind  of  round  jacket  made  of  zinc, 
standing  upon  the  floor-board,  and  covered  by  the  milk-pans. 
A  few  holes  at  the  top  edge  of  the  jacket  let  out  all  the  hot 
air,  the  place  of  which  is  supplied  from  the  entrance  to  it, 
which  is  made  about  eight  inches  broad,  and  six  high,  and 
is  covered  by  a  projecting  piece  which  keeps  the  alighting 
board,  by  the  hive  entrance,  quite  dry.  This  jacket  may  be 
made  of  oilcloth,  stiffened  by  ribs  of  wood.  Where  milk- 
pans  cannot  bo  procured,  hackles,  such  as  those  described, 
if  properly  secured  against  the  wind,  are  the  best  substitutes. 

Ailaplinr/  Hoards. — Several  of  these  will  be  required ;  one, 
at  the  least,  for  each  hive,  and  each  top  hive :  they  may  be 
made  of  pieces  of  j-inch  mahogany,  or  pine,  some  of  the 
same  diameter  as  the  stock,  others  of  the  same  diameter  as 
the  top  hives,  each  having  a  four-inch  circular  hole  in  the 
centre. 

Water  Pans. — Where  brooks  or  ponds  ai'e  not  plentiful, 
water  must  be  given  to  the  bees  in  the  summer  months.  It 
may  be  given  in  any  brown  shallow  pan  or  trough,  filled 
with  good  sized  pebbles  and  moss,  which  will  act  as  stand- 
ing places  for  the  bees.  The  water  must  be  changed  every 
day  or  two.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  cover  over  the  tops 
of  the  pebbles,  or  they  will  be  useless  to  the  bees.  Instead 
of  using  stones  and  moss,  a  kind  of  raft  may  be  made  by 
tying  or  nailing  strips  of  light  wood  each  about  one  inch 
broad,  and  an  inch  shorter  than  the  breadth  of  the  pan,  at 
inch  distances  along  two  other  pieces  of  wood,  each  about 
an  inch  shorter  than  the  length  of  the  pan  :  this  raft  sliould 
be  well  painted,  or  the  wood  will  become  saturated  and 
sink:  an  adaptation  of  this  raft  may  be  used  as  a  float  for 
the  feeder  to  be  next  described. 

Weighinff  Maehine. — We  fear  that  it  will  be  out  of  the 
power  of  many  of  our  readers  to  get  this  :  if  so,  they  must 
rely  upon  their  hands  and  judgment  in  ascertaining  the 
weights  of  their  several  hives,  taking  care  to  under-estimate 
rather  than  over-estimate ;  after  a  little  practice,  very  con- 
sideralfle  accuracy  of  judgment  may  be  acquired :  experi- 
ments in  weighing  might  be  made  at  first  with  hives  filled 
and  partially  filled  with  sand,  which  might  be  afterwards 
weighed  in  the  ordinary  domestic  scales. 


If  a  spring-balance  of  any  kind  can  be  bought,  or  even 
borrowed,  then  a  tall  tripod,  with  stout  poles,  about  seven 
feet  long  for  legs  (like  a  gigantic  milking-stool  in  form,) 
may  be  made,  broad  enough  at  the  base  to  allow  of  its  being 
placed  over  the  hives,  and  having  a  piece  of  tough  wood, 
about  six  inches  square,  nailed  at  tho  bottom  of  each  leg,  to 
prevent  them  sinking  into  the  ground.  Under  the  top  piece 
(which  corresponds  with  the  seat  of  the  milking-stool,  and 
should  be  about  nine  inches  square,  and  three  or  four  inches 
thick)  sliould  be  hung  a  pulley,  or,  even  better,  a  set  of 
pulleys,  and  to  this  pulley,  or  to  the  lower  of  the  set  of 
pulleys,  should  be  hung  the  spring-balance.  Four  eyes 
must  be  screwed  into  the  edge  of  each  floor-board,  at  equal 
distance  from  each  other,  and  two  pieces  of  stout  cord,  each 
from  four  to  five  feet  in  length,  with  a  hook  fli-mly  fastened 
to  each  end  of  each  piece  must  be  provided,  and  each  of 
these  pieces  must  be  run  through  the  ring  in  the  moveable 
part  of  the  balance.  The  method  of  using  this  apparatus 
is  pretty  obvious,  will  be  detailed  in  section  4.  We  are  in- 
debted to  the  "  Country  Curate,"  for  this  idea  of  a  tripod ; 
though  his  is  much  more  neatly  and  tastily  made  than  that 
here  described,  which,  however,  it  is  believed,  will  be  found 
equally  useful  with  his. 

Feeders. — As  all  food  must  be  given  at  the  top  of  the  hive, 
and  in  large  quantities  when  given  in  the  autumn,  lai'ge 
feeders  are  necessary.  The  simplest  way  to  make  them  is 
to  take  a  piece  of  wood,  about  eight  inches  square,  and  half- 
aninch  thick,  and  a  strip  of  tin  or  zinc,  equal  in  length  to 
the  four  sides  of  the  wood,  and  about  four  inches  deep  ;  then 
get  one  of  the  round  German  lucifer  match-boxes,  cut  off 
the  bottom  of  it,  and  make  a  hole  about  three  inches  from 
the  edge  of  the  eight-inch  square  piece  of  wood,  just  large 
enough  to  fit  the  part  on  which  the  lid  of  the  lucifer- box 
would  shut;  fit  this  firmly  into  the  hole,  and  you  have  a 
tube,  up  which,  when  placed  over  the  centre  hole  of  the 
hive,  the  bees  can  ascend.  Nail  a  ship  of  zinc  all  round  the 
piece  of  wood,  take  it  to  the  tinman,  and  get  him  to  solder 
up  the  fourth  side.  You  will  then  have  a  box  with  a  pipe 
standing  up  in  it,  three  inches  from  one  side,  five  inches 
from  the  other;  counting  from  the  centre  of  the  pipe.  Two 
inches  from  the  side  on  which  you  have  the  five-inch  space, 
have  fixed  another  bit  of  tin  or  zinc  running  all  across  the 
box,  and  to  within  an  eighth-of-an-ineh  of  its  bottom ;  next 
procure  a  piece  of  thin  cork  as  large  as  the  division  of  the 
box  in  which  is  the  pipe ;  if  a  piece  so  large  is  not  to  be 
procured,  stitch  several  smaller  pieces  together,  cut  a  hole 
in  the  centre  of  it  just  large  enough  to  fall  easily  over  the 
pipe,  bore  it  full  of  small  holes  with  an  awl,  and  burn  these 
holes  clean  with  a  red  hot  iron  wire,  and  you  will  have  a 
float;  paint  the  box  and  the  float  well  inside  and  out, 
taking  care  not  to  stop  up  the  holes  in  the  float ;  get  a  piece 
of  thin  glass  rather  larger  than  the  box,  and  you  will  have  a 
feeder  as  complete  .and  handy  as  any  that  can  be  made,  and 
capable  of  holding  four  or  five  pounds  of  food.  To  use  it, 
place  it  over  the  centre  hole  in  the  hive,  with  the  narrow 
division  towards  the  back  of  the  hive,  slip  the  piece  of  glass 
forward,  and  pour  in  the  food,  it  will  pass  under  the  division, 
and  raise  the  float. 

(To  he   continued.) 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

•#♦  Werequesttliat  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writeTsof 
The  Cottagk  Gardener.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
e-^pense.  All  communications  should  be  addressed  "  To  the  Editor  0/ 
Ttie  Cottage  GardeneT,1,Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Rote,  London.'* 

Cochin-China  Fowls  (R.  P.,  Elmstead). — See  what  is  said  to-day 
about  their  merits  editorially.  Some  of  the  sisters  of  the  Dorking- 
breasted  cock  there  mentioned,  and  some  of  the  produce  of  the  imported 
hen,  will  be  sold  at  Mr.  Stevens's  Auction  Rooms  on  the  24th  instant. 

W.  Adams.— The  Authoress  of  "  My  Flowers  "  offers  her  grateful 
'thanks,  and  those  of  the  recipients  of  the  Cliristmas  donation,  to  •*  C." 
She  has  presumed  to  use  her  own  judgment  in  one  case,  and  trusts  for 
forgiveness.  The  "  Widow  Indeed"  is  so  liberally  provided  for,  that  the 
h,-ilf-crown  meant  for  her  was  added  to  that  of  the  "  Poor  Widow,"  whose 
eyes  rained  tears  of  gratitude  for  the  blessing,  for  the  season  was  very 
cidd  .ind  trying.  May  an  hundredfold  be  returned  into  that  bosom 
which  so  kindly  remembers  the  poor. 

Guano  {Homo). — R.  Errington  begs  to  inform  this  inquirer,  that  the 
party  he  alluded  to  uses  about  two  hundredweight  to  the  statute  acre  of 


312 


THE    COTTAGE    GAHDENEll. 


Januauv  U>. 


gwano.  He  applies  if;  hrondcast  over  tlie  Initts,  or  bouts,  as  they  arc 
Ciilled  in  Cheshire,  just  before  thev  are  soiled  over,  and  the  sprouts  just 
lire.ikint;  ground.  The  soilinp  is  then  immediately  applied  about  lour 
inches  in  thickness.  Homo  would  do  well  to  use  two-and-a-half  hun- 
dredweight, in  his  case,  of  real  Peruvian,  digging  his  ground  well  in  the 
end  of  March,  when  dry,  and  setting  well-kept  seed,  aireudi/ bei;u7i  to 
sprout  by  design,  immediately  on  the  heels  of  the  digging, 

Feuits  for  YoRKsniRE  (B.  L.,  Hull}.  — Pears —ShohAen  Court, 
Gratioli  of  Jersey,  Broom  Park.  Hacon'a  Incomparable,  Thompson's, 
Forelle.  Desfiert  Apples— Kerry  Pippin,  Court  of  Wick,  Golden  Reinette, 
Nonpariel  Pitmaston  Russet, 'Wyken  Pippin,  Boston  Russet,  Old  Non- 
pareil. Kitchen  Apples.— \VoT\n?,\ey  Pippin,  Beauty  of  Kent,  Winter 
Majetin,  Gooseberry  Apple,  Alfreston,  CaWille  Blanche.  This  selection 
is  an  admirable  one,  and  just  such  as  we  would  have  recommended  to 
you.  Of  Pears  for  the  east  wall,  you  should  have  Jersey  Gratioli, 
Hacon's  Incompariihle,  and  Forelle.  Of  Atples,  Golden  Rimettc, 
Pitmaston  Nonpareil,  Russet,  and  Old  Nunpareit.  All  the  dessert  Apples 
in  your  list  may  be  grown  on  Paradise  stocks  with  success  ;  but  the 
culinary  varieties  should  be  on  the  Crab.  The  whole  of  the  Pears  will 
t^o  on  the  Quince  ;  but  unless  your  soil  is  heavy  and  wet,  we  would  not 
advise  you  to  adopt  it  as  a  stock. — H. 

Richmond  A'^illa  Black  Hambro'  Guape  (.-l.  B.). — We  know  this 
Grape,  and,  from  what  we  have  seen  of  it,  it  appeared  to  us  to  l)e  very 
like  a  variety  which  we  have  known  for  the  last  six  or  seven  years  by  the 
name  of  Black  Champion.  We  are  not  jirepared  to  say  that  it  is  the 
same,  but  if  it  is  so  similar  as  it  appeared  to  us  to  be,  it  is  a  very  first-rate 
Grape,  and  well  worth  cultiyating  even  in  the  smallest  collections.  It  is 
very  superior,  both  in  the  size  of  the  berry  and  bunch,  to  Black  Harabro*, 
is  nearly  a  fortnight  earlier,  produces  berries  of  a  more  uniform  size,  and 
colours  better.  Such  is  our  opinion  of  Blade  Chamjiton,  and  sueh,  also, 
was  the  opinion  we  formed  of  the  Richmond  Villa  when  we  saw  it.  But 
we  are  always  delicate  about  giving  decided  opinions  on  new  things  until 
we  have  had  sufficient  experience  of  them.  We  must,  therefore,  leave 
you  to  act  in  some  measure  on  your  own  responsibility.— H. 

Flower-garden  Plan,  No.  1 1  (A  Yorhshirrman).— That  plan  would 
do  for  even  a  smaller  place  than  jours.  The  circles  can  be  about  five 
feet  in  diameter,  and  you  ought  to  allow  three  feet  between  tlic  beds  ;  but 
the  right  way  to  gu  to  work  would  be  to  get  out  the  garden  line,  and  a 
good  bundle  of  little  sticks,  and  with  tliem  to  try  to  make  the  actual 
figures  from  the  plan  ;  then,  if  you  found  the  place  too  small,  allow  less 
distance  between  the  beds  rather  than  curtail  them. 

Roses  {Rev.  P.).— We  have  often  snid  that  all  the  strong  hybrid 
China  Roses,  like  Blairii,  No.  2,  will  not.  or  rather  will  never,  flower 
well,  if  at  all,  provided  they  are  pruned  like  IMoss  and  Cabbage  Roses, 
Printed  lists  of  these,  and  all  other  Roses,  are  offered  for  the  mere  charge 
of  postage  by  all  the  great  rose-groweis,  therefore  it  would  be  only  waste 
of  paper  for  us  to  print  such  lists. 

Gooseberries  {Ibid). — The  following  arc  among  the  best  table 
Gooseberries  ;  the  first  three  are  small,  and  the  other  three  large  kinds  : — 
Rough  Red,  Red  Champagne,  and  Pitmaston  Green  Gage ;  Roaring 
Lion,  Red  Warrington,  and  Rifleman.  For  baking — Dixon's  Golden 
Yellow,  Wellington's  Glory,  British  Crown,  Keen's  Seedling,  Heart  of 
Oak,  and  Jolly  Angler,  .^re  as  [rood  as  any,  but  there  is  a  score  as  good 
as  these,  and  if  you  send  to  I\Ir.  T.,  who  knows  more  of  this  class  of 
fruit  than  any  gardener,  he  may  give  you  even  a  better  selection ;  he  is 
still  where  you  say,  and  is  a  trustworthy  dealer. 

Flower  Garden  {Jonathan). — Your  plan  will  bo  engraved,  when 
your  questions  will  be  answered,  with  some  observations  of  our  own.  It 
is  a  very  useful  plan  for  many  places. 

Front  Garden  [F.  W.). — The  usual  way  of  screening  off  the  house 
from  the  public  road  is  by  planting  a  hedge  of  common  Laurels,  as  from 
gate  to  gate  in  your  plan,  the  plants  to  be  about  four  or  five  feet  high, 
and  to  be  planted  a  yard  apart  along  the  boundary,  and  two  feet  from  it ; 
that  would  be  by  far  the  most  convenient  way  for  you,  then  the  whole 
border  in  front  of  the  hedge  would  be  at  your  service  for  a  selection  of 
such  things  as  7/ow  like  best.  If  you  plant  all  with  them,  you  will  have 
no  flower  to  speak  of  after  June,  Why  not  use  perpetual  Roses  one- 
half,  and  such  shrubs  as  Ribea  aanguineum,  Pyrus  japonica,  Philadel- 
phus  GordonariuQ,  which  flowers  in  July,  Dwarf  Almond,  Red  Rlczereon, 
Yellow  and  Silver  Variegated  Hollies,  Evergreen  Barbery  (Berberis 
aquifolium),  Darwin's  Barbery,  Forsythia  viridissima,  Deutzia  gracilis, 
Leiccstsria  formosa,  Sweet  Briar,  with  common  and  Tree  Pcrony, 
Lupinus  poUyphyllus,  Phloxes,  and  a  few  Scarlet  Geraniums  in  front. 

OxALis  Bov!U  {Constant  Reader'i. — The  enclosed  fleshy  tuber-like 
thing  is  what  we  have  all  along  called /ung'S,  A  ecction  of  the  Oxalis 
genus  make  thasc  fangs  to  convey  nourishment  to  a  new  colony  ofb.ilbs, 
which  settle  at  as  far  a  distance  from  tlie  old  bulb  as  the  farthest  ends  of 
such  fangs,  exactly  as  the  "runner"  from  a  Strawljcrry  plant  is  meant 
to  extend  the  young  from  the  old  plants.  The  Oxalis,  by  means  of  these 
fangs,  year  by  year,  would  soon  bury  its  new  made  bulbs  in  loose  soil 
so  deep  that  they  would  never  flower.  Your  bulbs  arc  quite  right  and 
proper;  leave  them  as  they  are  till  next  Ajiril,  but  not  (|uite  dry;  by 
that  time  the  substance  of  the  fangs  will  be  expanded  in  making  a  set  of 
new  bulbs  for  you. 

Tacsonia  molissima  {E.  M.). — Your  question  has  been  answered 
in  our  articles  on  the  genus.  Your  plant  flowered  in  a  greenhouse,  and 
fruited  also.  You  pruned  it  back  to  the  main  stem,  and  you  are  afraid 
there  will  be  no  room  for  it,  which  is  all  quite  right,  unless  your  house 
is  a  Crystal  Palace,  for  this  is  the  first  climber  we  would  plant  in  the  new 
Palace  at  Sydenham.  In  three  years  it  would  reach  up  to  the  highest 
part  of  the  centre  transept.  To  get  your  plant  under  control,  you  must 
cutoif  80  many  of  the  roots  evert/ year,  just  as  is  recommended  at  page  lOri 
of  this  vol. ;  and,  besides  that,  a  large  portion  of  the  annual  growth  ought 
to  be  trained  outside  the  house,  as  there  stated,  in  a  good  border.  No 
ordinary  greenhouse  is  large  enough  for  the  three  Tacsonias,  except  for  a 
few  years.  Gttmanicafa  a.nA  pinnalistipii la,  and  inarch  their  j/oun/^ 
shoots  into  young  shoots  oi  molissima,  then  humour  the  three  on  the 


same  roots,  and  try  and  leave  plnnatlstipula  outside  every  season.  The 
othertwo  "  time  about,"  that  is  one  of  them  outside  one  year,  and  inside 
tlie  next.  Tiie  roots,  the  roots,  the  roots,  of  these  Tacsonias  are  the 
things  to  manage,  and  to  cut  off  every  bit  of  young  wood  every  year 
except  the  main  leader,  or  leaders,  but  the  more  you  cut  them,  without 
cutting  the  roots,  the  more  they  will  not  flower. 

Clethra  ardorea  {It/id). — We  should  have  no  fears  about  it  in  that 
part  of  Dorsetshire  against  a  south  wall,  but  we  would  mat  it  the  first 
two  or  three  winters — it  is  about  as  hardy  as  the  "  Green  Wattle," — 
Acacia  aj/inis,  alias  dealhnta.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  the  Tacsnnias,  or 
Tecoma  jasniinoides,  \\o\\\i\  standout  there  without  good  covering  ;  but 
as  you  have  plants  of  them,  why  not  try  them,  and  let  us  know.  "A 
faint  htart  never  won  a  fair  lady,"  or  proved  half  so  many  Gordon  ex- 
periments, as  the  heart  of  spades. 

Clotted  Crea*m  (Ibid.). — That  is  the  Devonshire  fashion,  and  we 
know  of  no  better  way  than  worlcmg  it  by  hand.  A  clergyman  near  ua 
gets  all  the  butter  from  three  or  four  cows  done  "by  hand,"  and  prefers 
it  to  any  other  way.  The  new  milk  is  scalded  by  plunging  tin-pailfuls  of  it 
in  a  copper  of  boiling  water  ;  the  cream  is  managed  in  the  usual  way, 
and  the  butter  is  made  by  working  up  the  cream  in  an  open  wooden  tub 
by  the  hand,  just  as  they  work  the  yolk  of  an  egg  with  a  spoon. 

Wooden  Siiuttfrs- — "J.  T.  L."  says,  page  250,  that  he  cannot  get 
them  six-feet-and-a-half  by  four  under  Ids.  I  have  had  some  made 
after  I\Ir.  Fish's  recommendation,  three-quarters  of-an-inch  thick,  planed 
on  one  side,  joined  well  togifther.  fastened  to  three  cross  pieces,  and  a 
ledgfl  round.  I\Iy  size  is  not  quite  so  large  as  "J.  T.  L's;"  bis  size 
could  be  madcjby  my  carpenter  for  fis.  fid.  each,  rash.  His  address  is 
R.  Allen,  Mile  End.  near  Whlttington,  Salop.— J.  P.  O." 

Cow  (4»). — We  cannot  discuss  such  a  subject  in  our  pages. 

Auriculas,  &c.  {Bertha). — All  the  plants  you  mention  can  be  raised 
from  seed ;  but  as  you  can  buy  them  all  very  cheap,  and  you  would  have 
to  wait  a  year  or  two  for  seedlings  blooming,  we  advise  you  to  buy  jilants. 

Sand  for  Potting  (A  Deronshire  Rector).~'The  fine  shell  sand  of 
which  you  enclosed  a  sample  would  answer  very  well  for  potting  pur- 
poses. Even  the  granite  sand  from  Partmnur,  if  the  black  sediment 
was  washed  out  from  it,  would  also  do  very  well. 

Manures  (7C.1.— As  you  have  no  stable-manure  you  must  use  guano, 
ground  hones,  urate  of  the  I^ondon  I\Iaimre  Company,  super-phosphate 
of  lime,  &c.  These  will  do  for  Turnips,  or  any  other  crop  :  super-phos- 
phate and  urate  would,  probably,  answer  your  purpose.  If  you  live  near 
the  sea,  sea-weed  will  be  a  good  store  for  you.  Save  all  weeds,  scourings 
of  ditches,  and  any  other  vegetable  refuse,  in  a  pit,  and  have  the  house- 
slops  emptied  over  them. 

Icebergs  {L.). — You  will  have  seen  what  Mr.  Beaton  had  written 
before  your  note  arrived. 

Dyeing  Everlasting  Flowers. — A  subscriber  will  be  much  obliged 
by  information  how  to  dye  Xeranthemums,  &c. 

Hartley's  Rough  Plate  Glass  (J1/.  S.).— It  is  perfectly  suitable 
for  a  vinery. 

Poultry  Diseases  (W.  Soufhcotc). — You  must  advertise  your  capa- 
bilities. It.  is  quite  impossible  we  can  recommend  that  or  those  totally 
unknown  to  ua. 

Australian  Laughing  Pigeons. — A  Pigeon  Fancier  wishes  for  a 
description  of  these. 

Hen  Laying  whilst  Roosting  (E.  F.  S),— Nothing  is  so  easy  to 
cure  as  this.  Let  her  sleep  in  a  place  where  there  is  no  roost,  and  where 
she  must  consequently  sleep  upon  the  ground. 

Cancer. — If  '*  H.  B."  will  send  an  address  to  the  Editor,  a  private  com- 
munication might  be  had  from  the  party. 

Potatoes  without  Manure  (A.  B). — If  your  soil  is  fresh,  and  has 
been  well  trenched,  you  may  apply  thirty  bushels  of  soot  and  thirty 
bushels  of  salt  per  acre,  and  be  certain  of  a  better  crop  than  if  you 
manured  with  stable-dung. 

Shrewsbury  Show  (S.  D.)-— It  shall  appear  next  week.  If  Secre- 
taries of  such  Societies  as  advertise  in  our  pages  will  oblige  us  by  sending 
reports  of  the  exhibitions  we  shall  always  insert  them  most  readily.  It 
is  quite  impossible  for  us  to  send  special  reporters  to  all. 

Motherless  Chickens  (W.  L.  S.)- — Feed  them  upon  eggs  boiled 
hard,  and  chopped  fine,  mixed  with  bread  crumbs  and  a  little  barleymcal 
or  Indian  meal.  They  only  require  this  for  the  first  fortnight.  A  little 
crushed  hempseed,  given  once  daily,  mixed  with  their  other  food,  is 
very  beneficial. 

Nest  Eggs  (,4  Subscriber). — Any  turner  of  wood  could  make  wooden 
ones  for  you. 

Dendrohium  (A  Gardiner,  Liverpool). — No  such  specimen  »'eached 
us ;  send  us  another.  Wc  answer  all  queries  without  the  slightest 
preference. 

Spanish  Cockerel  {W.  Curtis).— Send  an  advertisement. 

Names  of  Plants  {Ignnras).—No.  1.  Aspidium ^fili.rmas.  No.  2. 
Aspidium  dilataium. 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  M'^ooldridgb,  Wincheater  High-street, 

in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalcndar ;  and  Published  by  William 
So.MERViLLK  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  OfHce,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  ChriBt 
Church,  City  of  London.— January  IQth,  1854. 


Januahy  -iO. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDBNEE. 
WEEKLY  CftLEWDAR. 


313 


M 

1) 

W 

JAN.  20-FEB.  1,   1S54. 

Obisluni  trombidioides. 
Obisium  orthodactyluni. 
Obisiuin  muscorum. 

4    dUISDAY    AFTER    EpiPIlANY. 

King  C^iias.  I.  HIaktyr  113j9. 
Chrlifer  Latrcillii ;  bark. 
Podura  plumbca  ;  stones. 

Weathek  neab  Lo.ndon  in  ]«53. 

Barometer.     iThermo.  Wind.'  ?"',"  '" 
1                             Inches. 

S\ra 
Rises. 

Sun        Moon     Moon's 
Sets.      E.&S.      A(53. 

Clock      Day  of 
af.  Sun.     Year. 

26  1  Tu 

27  1  F 
23  '  S 

29  Sun 

30  1  JI 

31  ;  To 

1  '  \v 

29.737— sg.e.il      40— 2G  '    E. 

29.791  —  29739       40—36        E. 
29. S33— 29.741    j  42—37     N.E. 
29.SI.5— 29.S27    1   43—35  '     N. 
29.795- 29.716    '  43-25     S.W. 
3U. 205-30. 0S6    1   47-24   '     N. 
3!). 192— 30.160    1    32—28   '     N. 
^- 

04 
13 

50  a  7 
49 
47 
46 
44 
43 
41 

36  a  4       (i     17 
38           7    23 

40  sets. 

41  6  a  33. 
43       !     7       0 
45       '     8     23 
47       ;     g     40 

27 
2B 

® 
1 
2 
3 
4 

12  52 

13  4 
13     16 

13     27 
13     37 
13     46 
13     55 

26 
27 
28 

29 
30 
31 
32 

Mkteouologv  of  TnE  W^EK.-Al  Chisxvick.fiom  oliservations  durins  the  last  twenty-seven  Tears,  the  averape  highest  and  lowest  tern- 
,,erature»  of  these  oaysare  44.7°  and  f    respectively.    The  greatest  beat,  67°,  occurred  on  the  28th  in  1834  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  16',  on  the 
26th  in  IS27.  Uurmg  the  period  lUl  days  were  tine,  and  on  bS  rain  tell.                                                                  ^."0^....=.,  >.uiu, .«  ,  uu  ,.1.0 

NEW  PLANTS. 

DiDYMOCAT.i'us    HuMiiOLDTiANA     {Hiim'bohU's    Dii/ymocarp, 
or  T'ciit-J'ruU). 


This  genus  is  closely  allied  to  Strcplocarpiis  and  Chiri/n, 
and  the  species  before  us  so  closely  resernljles  Chirila 
sinensis  in  linbit,  that  it  not  improbably  will  be  added  to 
that  genus.  It  is  not  the  same  as  J),  primulifulia,  if  the 
description  of  the  latter  be  correct,  which  assigns  to  it  a 
downy  stem,  and  no  radical-leaves,  for  I).  Hiimhohlliana  has 
no  stem,  and  radical-leaves  only.  It  is  a  native  of  the 
mountain  districts  of  Ceylon,  at  an  elevation  of  about  5,000 
feet.  It  belongs  to  the  ISfatural  Order  of  Gcsneriiiorts,  and 
to  Diflynamid.  Anfjiospennia  of  Linnaius.  Tiie  flowers  are 
usually  pale  purple,  but  sometimes  white,  and  open  here 
during  October  in  a  warm  greenhouse.  —  {Botanical 
Magazine,  t.  47S7.) 


Ekytheochiton  Beash.iense    {Brazilian   Bed-Tunic,    or 
Eri/throchiton). 

The  name  of  the  genus  refers  to  the  red  calyx,  and  that  of 
the  present  species  to  its  native  country,  whence  it  came  in 
l.Hi2.  It  has  a  pahn-like,  branchless  stem.  The  flowers 
are  white,  large,  haudsomu,  and  come  in  succession  through 
many  months  of  the  year.  These  qualities  render  it  a  very 
desii-able  ornament  of  our  stoves.  It  belongs  to  the 
Natural  Order  of  Buevorts,  and  to  Pentandria  Monoijijnia  of 
Linnaeus. — {Botanical  ilaijazine,  t.  4742.) 

SCHEEEIA  Mexicaka  {Mexican  Scheeria). 

It  so  closely  resembles  Achimenes  that  it  is  very  fre- 
quently known  as  A.  Seheerii.  There  are  two  liinds,  the 
purple  and  the  blue-flowered,  but  which  is  the  species,  and 
wljicli  is  the  variety,  is  undetermined.  It  is  a  native  of 
Chihuahua,  one  of  the  northern  states  of  Me.xico,  whence  it 
was  received  in  1850,  by  F.  Seheer,  Esq.  It  bloomed  at 
Kew,  in  the  autumn  of  1852,  and  Sir  W.  Hooker  says — 
"  We  have  no  hesitation  in  predicting  that  in  a  few  years  it 
will  be  found  in  every  garden."  {Botanical  Magazine, 
t.  4743.)  It  is  a  Gesneru-ort,  and  belongs  to  Didi/namia 
An(jiospen)iia  of  Linnseus. 

Eekeekeis  CONCINNA  {Ncat  Bcrherry). 

Tliis  is  a  very  agreeable  addition  to  our  list  of  evergreen 
Berberries,  and  the  more  so  from  its  dwarf  habit.  "  It  is 
allied  to  the  B.  Sihirica,  also  a  single-flowered  plant,  but 
readily  distinguished  by  the  long  tripartite  spines,  slender 
pedicels,  and  glaucous  leaves;  the  latter,  hswever  constant 
a  character  in  both  our  wild  and  cultivated  specimens,  is 
not  a  constant  one  in  other  species  of  the  genus,  and  hence 
may  prove  variable  in  this.  The  seeds  were  gathered  from 
small  bushes  growing  in  the  Lnchen  valley  of  the  SiJckim- 
Himalaya,  at  an  elevation  of  12,000  to  1.3,000  feet;  it  there 
formed  a  small  low  bush,  one  to ^  three  feet  high,  with 
spreading  almost  prostrate  branches,  thickly  covered  with 
small  leaves  of  a  deep  green  hue;  and  polished  above, 
snowy-white  and  glaucous  below ;  these  colours,  the  large 
oblong  scarlet  berries,  and  red  branchlets  giving  the  shrub 
a  singularly  neat  and  pretty  appearance  when  in  fruit.  The 
specimens  in  the  Eoyal  Gai'dens  at  Kew  have  come  up  per- 
fectly resembling  wild  ones,  and  flourish  luxuriantly  in  an 
open  border." — {Botanical  Mayazine,  t.  4744.) 

Hjehanthtjs  insigxis  {Showy  Blood-Flower). 

This  bulbous-rooted  plant  is  a  native  of  Natal.  It  flowered 
during  the  August  of  185:J,  at  Kew,  in  a  cool  frame.  It 
belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  AmaryUids  and  Hcxandria 
Monoyynia  of  Linnaius.  Flowers  in  large  umbels,  orange 
and  crimson-coloured. —  {Botanical  Mayazine,  t.  4743.) 


FoK  the  very  valuable  monograph  of  The  Garden  Pea 
AND  ITS  VARIETIES,  which  WB  now  oommeuce,  we  and 
GUI'  readers  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Robert  Hogg,  author  of 
"  British  Pomology,"  and  other  works. 

Among  the  curiosities  of  garden  literature   in   the 
present  day  are  the    seedmen'a    catalogues.     Of   all 


shapes  and  sizes,  from  the  great  broadsheet  to  the  bulky 
pamphlet  and  the  stamped  "  price  current,"  they  are  as 
far  in  advance  of  those  of  the  last  century  as  the  new 
edition  of  the  "Encyclopedia  Britannica"  is  of  the  first. 
But  while  they  have  so  increased  in  volume,  and  im- 
proved iu"appearanoe,  the  question  arises — Have  they 


OOLXXVIII,,  Vol.  XI, 


314 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


January  20. 


done  so  to  the  same  extent  in  utility  ?  Tliat  we  should 
go  on  from  one  degree  of  exoellonco  to  another  is  one 
thing,  and  a  most  desirable  end  to  he  attained,  but  to 
e.x.tend  varieties  and  multiply  the  names  of  varieties  for 
the  mere  gi-atiiication  of  whiur  or  fancy  is  quite  another 
matter,  and  leads  to  nothing  hut  confusion,  disappoint- 
ment, and  annoyance. 

I  have  now  before  me  three  seed  catalogues  of  the 
last  century,  varying  iu  dates  from  1780  to  1791,  and 
each  issued  by  separate  establishments.  The  greatest 
number  they  can  collectively  enumerate  of  Peas  is  23 ; 
of  Brocoli,  5;  of  Cabbage,  8;  and  of  Lettuce,  13;  these 
I  have  selected  as  illustrations,  and  it  will  be  allowed, 
that  so  far  as  the  number  of  varieties  is  concerned  tliey 
are  amply  sufficient  for  all  purposes.  But  I  have  also 
before  me  three  catalogues  of  the  date  1853,  also  issued 
by  three  separate  houses,  and  iu  these  the  collective 
enumeration  of  Peas  is  88;  of  Broeoh,  47  ;  of  Cabbage, 
46 ;  and  of  Lettuce,  03,  varieties !  Need  it  be  wondered 
at,  therefore,  that  the  public,  and  "  tlie  trade"  themselves, 
are  longing  to  be  freed  from  such  a  chaos  of  names  and 
nonentities.  It  is  exceedingly  desirable  that  we  should 
have  new  varieties — the  more  the  better.  It  is  only  in 
this  way  we  can  expect  to  improve  as  we  have  done 
during  the  last  few  years.  Were  it  not  for  some  step 
iu  that  direction  we  might  still  have  been  confined  to 
the  Charlton  for  the  earliest,  and  the  old  Marrotos  and 
Marotto  for  the  late ;  but  the  time  has  now  arrived 
when  such  old  varieties  as  are  found  to  bo  inferior  to 
those  of  more  recent  introduction  should  be  discarded. 
It  is  a  complaint  of  daily  occurrence  that  there  is  such 
a  multiplication  of  varieties,  and  names  of  varieties; 
and  some  have  ventured  to  attribute  this  to  unworthy 
motives  on  the  part  of  the  seedsmen;  but,  as  a  body,  I 
know  the  respectable  part  of  the  seed  trade  deprecate 
such  a  state  of  matters  as  much  as  any  one,  aud  glad 
would  they  be  if  the  public  would  take  the  matter  in 
their  own  hands,  and  ascertain  what  is  really  worth 
cultivating  and  what  is  not ;  if  they  would  so  make 
themselves  acquainted  with  what  they  grow,  as  to  be 
able  to  decide  upon  wbat  is  distinct  and  what  is  not. 
Much  has  been  said,  o!  late,  endeavouring  to  inculpate 
the  seedsmen.  It  is  not  for  me  to  advocate  the  cause 
of  any  party,  as  I  have  no  interest  in  the  matter  beyond 
a  desire  to  "  see  things  called  by  their  right  names,"  and, 
if  possible,  to  reduce  the  number  of  useless  and  unne- 
cessary names  and  varieties.  But  I  believe  much  of 
the  confusion  has  arisen  with  the  public  themselves  ;  it 
is  with  garden  vegetables  as  with  fruits.  A  person 
becomes  possessed  of  a  first-rate  variety,  of  which  he  has 
lost  the  name,  or  of  which,  he,  perhaps,  has  never  known 
the  name;  he  is  pleased  with  it,  cultivates  if.,  takes 
prizes  with  it,  and,  if  of  a  liberal  spirit,  distributes 
it  among  his  friends  and  neighbours :  in  course  of 
time  it  is  associated  witli  his  own  name,  is  adver- 
tised as  "  a  new  thing,"  gains  popularity,  and  "  tlio 
trade"  become  possessed  of  it  to  enable  tliem  to  oblige 
their  customers.  One-half  of  the  world  soon  discovers 
it  to  be  the  same  as  something  else,  but  the  other  half 


will  not  believe  it  is  so,  either  because  they  have  not 
observation  enough  to  see  the  identity,  or  because  they 
have  never  seen  that  with  which  it  is  identical ;  and  so 
they  persist,  year  after  year,  to  buy,  and  cidtivate,  and 
recommend  it  under  the  name  by  which  they  first 
made  its  acquaintance.  And  so  it  is  with  the  Pea, 
Brocoli,  Cabbage,  Lettuce,  and  every  other  crop;  and 
until  the  public  use  a  little  more  discrimination  they 
must  continue  to  dwell  in  this  state  of  bewilderment, 
and  the  seedsmen  remain  the  passive  agents  of  their 
patrons. 

It  is  for  us,  therefore,  to  make  ourselves  acquainted 
as  much  with  wliat  we  grow  as  we  do  with  how  to 
grow  it ;  to  exercise  a  little  more  observation,  without 
taking  things  for  granted,  and  then  we  shall  have  the 
remedy  iu  oiu'  own  hands.  With  this  view,  I,  last 
season,  determined  to  make  myself  acquainted  as  much 
as  possible  with  the  subject,  beginning  with  the  Pea 
and  its  varieties ;  and  for  this  end  I  procitred  all  the 
varieties  of  garden  Peas  wliich  were  to  ho  obtained  in 
London,  under  whatever  and  as  many  names  as  they 
were  to  be  had,  taking  care  that  all  new  varieties  were 
got  from  those  houses  which  professed  to  supply  them 
true  and  genuine.  They  were  all  sown  on  the  same 
day,  and  on  the  same  piece  of  ground,  aud  were  care- 
fully noted  at  least  once,  but  frequently  twice  a-week. 
In  addition  to  this,  I  most  kindly  and  liberally 
received  permission  from  several  of  the  wholesale 
London  seedsmen  to  make  free  use  of  their  sample 
grounds,  in  which  they  make  trials  of  all  the  seeds 
they  have  supplied  during  the  previous  season ;  aud  it 
is  from  observations  so  made  that  I  am  now  enabled 
to  furnish  some  account  of  the  garden  Peas.  The 
varieties  are  arranged  in  tho  rotation  iir  wliich  tliey 
came  into  pod. 

taylob's  rnouno. 

This  is  a  very  early  Pea,  earlier,  if  anything,  than 
even  Saiigster's  No.  1,  hut  is  of  a  more  slender  habit 
ofgrowth.  The  pods  are  all  strictly  single,  and  are 
of  the  size  and  shape  of  No.  ],  containing,  on  an 
average,  from  six  to  seven  peas  in  eacli.  The  plant 
is  two  feet  high,  and  produces  perfect  pods  even 
to  the  top  of  the  haulm,  when  tho  whole  ripen  off 
simultaneously. 

Taylor's  ProUjic  seems  to  bo  a  very  superior  variety 
of  the  old  Early  Kent,  from  which  it  has,  no  doubt, 
originated.  I  obtained  it  from  INIessrs.  Noble,  Cooper, 
and  Piolton,  of  Fleet  Street,  who  seem  to  have  paid 
particular  attention  to  the  preservation  of  Iho  true 
character  of  this  excellent  variety.  U  was  sown  on 
the  30th  of  March,  and  fully  slatted  on  tho  8th  of 
June  ;  but,  as  regards  oarliness,  it  cannot  be  called 
more  than  a  day  before  No.  1.  It  is  a  vci-y  good 
cropper,  well  adapted  for  forcing  and  early  sowing,  and 
in  field  culture  produces,  ou  an  average,  five  quarters 
per  acre. 

K.VRI.Y   KENT. 

SvNONYJiES. — Prince  Albert,  Early  l\!iiy. 
This  variety  may  be  included  under  tho  same  head  as 


January  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


31D 


tho  preceding,  but  it  is  very  inferior  in  every  respect — 
the  pods  being  much  smaller,  fewer  in  number,  and 
veiy  mucli  less  productive.  It  is,  therefore,  now  un- 
worthy of  cultivation. 

sangster's  number  one. 
Synonymes. — Daniel  O'Rourhe,  Waite's  Daniel 
O'Roiirl-e. 
This  variety  is  of  a  slender  habit  of  growth,  more  so 
tlian  Warner's  Emperor,  and  consists  of  a  -single  stem 
two  feet  high,  producing,  on  an  average, 
from  eight  to  ten  pods  on  each  plant. 
Pods  generally  single,  but  frequently  in 
pairs ;  ten  -  inches  -  and  -  three  -  quarters 
long,  and  upwards  of  half-an-inch  wide, 
quite  straight,  thick,   and   plump,  and 
terminating    abruptly    at    the    point. 
When  fully  grown  they  become  much 
swollen,  broad  in  the  back,  and  some- 
what round,  or   quadrangular.      They 
contain,  on  an  average,  seven,  but  fre- 
quently eight,  peas.     The  ripe  seed  is 
white. 

This,  and  Waite's  Daniel  O'Ronrlte, 
were  sown  in  adjoining  rows  on  the 
5th  of  April,  and  came  into  bloom  on 
the  5th  of  June ;  on  the  9th  the  first 
blooms  began  to  drop,  and  the  slats 
(young  pods)  appear ;  by  the  22nd  the 
whole  plants  were  nearly  out  of  bloom ; 
and  on  the  1st  of  July  the  pods  were 
quite  filled  and  ready  to  gather.  I  have 
been  most  particular  in  my  observation 
of  these  two  varieties,  as  it  has  been  said  by  some  that 
they  are  distinct.  That  there  should  be  no  mistake,  I 
procured  Sangster's  Number  One  from  Mr.  Sangsiek, 
and  Daniel  O'Eourke  from  Mr.  Watte.  They  were 
sown  on  the  same  day,  came  up  on  the  same  day,  slatted 
on  the  same  day,  podded  on  tho  same  day,  and  died  off 
on  the  same  day,  after  having  attained  the  same  height, 
and  presented  the  same  habit  of  growth.  I  have  pre- 
served the  original  name  of  Sangster's  No.  1,  because 
it  holds  priority  of  the  other,  and  because  I  know,  by 
my  own  personal  knowledge,  that  this  variety  has  been 
in  that  gentleman's  possession  for  the  last  eight 
years.  There  are  too  many  varieties  already,  without 
increasing  them  by  multiplying  the  names  of  those  that 
do  exist. 

This  is  a  very  valuable  Pea,  and  should  be  cultivated 
in  every  garden  as  the  earliest  crop.  As  regards  earli- 
ness,  it  does  not  surpass  Warner's  Emperor;  but  it 
possesses  the  desirable  property  of  doing  its  work 
quicker  than  that  variety,  and  as  much  so  as  the  Early 
Kent,  but  possessing  a  much  larger  pod,  and  being 
more  prolifie.  It  is  not  so  tall  by  some  inches  as  Em- 
peror,  stops  growing  and  blooming  much  sooner,  and 
is  ripening  ofl'  when  Emperor  is  still  fresh  and  growing. 
In  this  respect  it  is  very  valuable  to  the  gardener,  as 
it  enables  him,  after  obtaining  a  prolifie  crop  of  early 
Peas,  to  clear  the  ground  for  something  else. 


V  < 


Syn 
Raihc 


WARNERS    EMPEROR. 

ONYMEs. — Warner's    Conqueror,   Tsheruvod's 
•ay,    Morning     Star,    Rising     Sun,    Emperor, 
Conqueror. 

Plant  of  a  slender  habit  of  growthi 
always  with  a  single  stem,  which  is 
two-anda-half  to  three  feet  high,  and 
produces  from  eight  to  ten  pods  on 
each  plant.  Pods  generally  single,  but 
frequently  in  pairs,  from  two-and-a-half 
to  three  inches  long,  perfectly  straight, 
and  terminating  abruptly  at  the  end. 
They  are  well-iilled,  and  contain  from 
five  to  seven  peas,  which. ai'e  roundish 
and  flattened,  seven-twentieths  of  an 
inch  long,  six-twentieths  broad,  and  the 
same  in  thickness.  The  ripe  seed  is 
white. 

The  seed  was  sown  on  the  5th  of 
April,  and  the  plants  came  into  bloom 
on  the  5th  of  June;  the  blooms  began 
to  drop  on  the  9th,  and  on  the  1st  of 
July  the  pods  were  completely  filled, 
and  ready  to  gather. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  praise 
of  this  as  an  early  variety ;  but,  as  re- 
marked under  Sangstei-'s  Number  One, 
it  does  not  get  so  quickly  off  the  ground 
as  that  variety.  R.  H. 

{_To  he  continued.'^ 


Like  the  Bourgeois  gentilhomme  who  discovered   that 
he  had  been  talking  prose  all  his  life  without  knowing 
it,  many  of  our  readers  will,  ere  this,  have  discovered 
that  they  are  every  day  putting  in  force  some  of  the 
best  means  for  preventing  disease  and  prolonging  life. 
If  more  than  100  or  120  persons  cannot  dwell  to- 
gether on  each  acre  of  ground  without  tlie  air  of  the 
place  being  sensibly  worsened,  it  is  clear  that  where 
each    house    has   a  garden   attached    any    dangerous 
amount  of  over-crowding  can  hardly  take  place.     The 
constant  demand  for  manure  in  a  garden,  must  tend  to 
diminish  the  standing  nuisance  from  cesspools,  sewerage, 
and  so  forth.     Many  of  the  same  laws  govern  animal 
and  vegetable  life,  therefore  it  follows  that  the  healthy 
or  unhealthy  condition  of  ninety-nine  out  of  a  hundred 
garden    products    is    the    very    best    eudiometer     or 
measurer  of  the  salubrity  of  any   situation.     Thus,   if 
the  whole  air  be  so  smoky  as  to  affect  the   growth  of 
flowers  and  fruits,  it  will  aftect  children's  lungs  also. 
Smoke  or  soot  (carbon),  in  descending  from  the  upper 
air,  imbibes  and  fixes  all  the  exhalations  from  the  bodies 
and  lungs  of  a  dense  population  below,  so  long  as  it  is 
newly  burnt,  warm  and  di-y,  in  virtue  of  a  law  already 
explained.     But,  on  becoming  cold,  damp,  and   over- 
charged with  ammoniacal  matters,  the  soot  at  length 
begins  to  give  out  again,  in  low,  moist  situations,  all  the 
noxious  compounds  previously  imbibed.   And,  although 
coarse  herbage    and  some  descriptions  of  trees   may 


316 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Jakuaey  2C. 


thrive  under  such  stimulants,  and  great,  hearty  men,  in 
the  prime  of  life,  take  no  great  barm  in  a  smoky  atmo- 
sphere, yet  it  makes  sad  work  with  children  and 
delicate  people,  and  with  delicate  plants. 

Another  great  sanitary  law  is,  that  inside  a  house  or 
room  each  individual  requires  at  least  500  cubic  feet  of 
space,  or  nineteen  cubic  yards,  or  a  cube  of  eight  feet 
each  way,  in  height,  length,  and  breadth,  to  respire  in, 
due  regard  being  had  to  ventilation.  This  is  known 
and  acted  on  in  such  institutions  as  model  prisons  and 
lunatic  asylums,  but  at  balls,  routs,  concerts,  lectures, 
schools,  theatres,  public  meetings,  public  houses,  and 
other  places  of  public  recreation,  falsely  so  called,  no 
regard  at  all  is  paid  to  this  isimple  requirement.  Gas- 
burning  greatly  adds  to  the  contamination  of  the  air. 
(During  the  last  visit  of  cholera,  the  Edinburgh  College 
of  Physicians  even  cautioned  people  against  crowding 
to  their  favourite  evoaiug  chapels.)  A  needless  sacrifice 
of  life  takes  place  every  year  among  the  young,  from 
crowded  school-rooms,  and  insufficient  play  ground  and 
want  of  holiday-making.  AVe  have  noted  very  many 
cases  of  sudden  death  clearly  traceable  to  the  e.tcite- 
ment  of  political  meetings — a  sort  of  intoxication  far 
more  besotting  than  that  of  the  accompanying  beer 
barrel.  The  ancients  had  a  name  for  this  social  disease, 
which,  with  them,  assumed  the  form  of  epilepsy. 

How  few  of  these  evils  afifect  those  who  live  in  the 
country.  Children  there  have  room  enough  to  play  in  ; 
and  seed  time,  hay  time,  and  harvest  (according  to  the 
reports  on  education),  are  always  made  holiday  of.  And 
then  (right  or  wrong)  country  people  leave  a  great  deal 
to  their  superiors  in  political  matters,  and  they  live  the 
longer  for  it.  Half-a-century  ago,  a  north-country 
farmer  was  asked  what  he  really  thought  about  the  state 
of  affairs.  "  I  think,  indeed  !  "  he  re))lied  ;  "  dou't  you 
know  that  liOrd  George  Cavendish  thinks  for  Farness 
Fells,  and  Charles  Fok  thinks  for  Lord  George  Caven- 
dish ! "  On  the  contrary,  the  Americans  (according  to 
Lord  Carlisle)  are  all  politicians,  and  always  unhappy 
and  unhealthy.  The  chief  danger  of  crowds  to  our 
country  people  arises  from  their  staying  too  long  for 
their  own  good,  or  that  of  their  cattle,  at  great  markets 
and  fairs.  It  is  a  safe  rule  to  "  Give  a  market  price, 
and  take  a  market  price,  and  get  home  by  dinner  time." 

A  very  numerous  class  of  sufferers,  however,  calls 
loudly  for  the  abolition  of  the  smoke  nuisance,  and  the 
extended  occupation  of  suburban  gardens,  witli  an  encour- 
agement of  the  allotment  system,  and  removal  of  need- 
less restrictions  on  the  sale  of  land  in  and  about  toiins.- 

*  Cato  says — The  countryman  lias  the  fewer  bad  thoupht'; ;  his  properly 
binds  liim  to  the  state  not  so  mueh  as  a  pledge,  but  by  stron;:er  arid 
better  tics  of  feeling  ;  and  it  is  natural  that  a  labour  wholesomely  ex- 
ercising the  bodily  powers,  not  ])Crformed  in  yloomy  dwellinpa,  but  in 
the  unrestricted  light  of  nature,  in  sunshine  and  storm,  shuidd  preserve 
the  mind  sound,  eherisliinu  a  sobriety  and  keenneas  of  observation,  a 
quiet,  unbiassed  judgment.  The  freeholder  who  cultivates  his  own  field 
enjoys,  in  the  progress  of  the  seasons,  and  the  nature  of  his  employ- 
ment, an  unvarying',  a  liberal  relaxation,  without  which  it  is  im)iossible 
that  mind  and  liody  can  be  maintained.  The  city  operative  scarcely 
recruits  his  strength  on  the  holiday  ;  he  allows  himself  no  respite  from 
toil ;  dependent  on  those  to  whom  he  looks  for  favour,  he  feels,  or  is  the 
object  of  the  jealousy  of  trade  in  which  one  party  is  ever  clashing  with 
another;  he  wants  the  calm  aeir-cunfidcnce  ins])ircd  by  permanent 
property.  The  ideas  of  the  peasant  are  lively  ami  pleasing,  because 
their  number  is  confined  ;  those  of  the  townsman  are  confused  by 
obscure  conception  and  misapplied  language.  In  the  country  the  national 
race  is  kept  up;   towns  arc  made  up  of  all  nations  and  lauds.   INiebttfn'.'] 


Now  public  parks  and  pleasure  gi'ounds  for  the  living 
are  more  generally  needed  than  even  cemeteries  for  the 
dead  and  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  dying.  In  planning 
suburban  residences  for  working  men  (where  land  is 
comparatively  clieap),  either  open  squares  should  be 
laid  out  with  garden-plots  to  the  front  of  the  houses,  or 
enclosed,  hollow  squares,  for  greater  seclusion,  with  the 
gardens  behind,  after  the  Eastern  fashion.  All  our 
good  things  in  the  shape  of  free  commerce,  education, 
and  free  institutions  will  soon  be  lost  to  us,  unless  we 
give  our  fellow-countrymen  free  air,  and,  above  all 
things,  habits  of  personal  cleanliness  and  purity.*  . 

The  signal  fall  of  many  great  cities  has  been  traced  to 
both  moral  and  physical  causes  of  corruption.  All  crowded 
places  near  the  level  of  the  sea  are  especially  prone  to 
all  the  known  forms  of  epidemic  disease,  from  which, 
however,  an  elevation  of  100  or  120  feet  gives  a  com- 
parative immunity,  and  I3.j0  or  400  feet  a  very  great 
immunity  indeed  (as  Mr.  Farr  tells  us) ;  350  feet 
hapjKns  to  he  precisely  the  height  of  ancient  Jeru- 
salem; though  Tyre,  Sidon,  and  all  the  once  proud,  and 
wise,  and  rich  cities  of  Phosnioia  were  by  the  sea  shore- 
Damascus,  one  of  the  oldest  cities  in  the  world,  still 
numbers  150,000  or  200,000  inhabitants.  It  stands  at 
an  elevation  of  2,200  feet.  But  it  is  with  its  beautiful 
suburban  gardens  than  we  have  at  present  to  do.  Ac- 
cording to  Col.  Chesney  [Tigris  and  Evplirates,  v.  ii] — 
"  The  city  is  embosomed  in  flower  and  fruit-gardens, 
dotted  here  and  therewith  kiosks  shaded  with  trees; 
the  whole  forming  a  wooded  belt  of  thirty  miles  (some 
say  fifty  miles),  at  least,  in  circumference,  terminated  at 
one  side  by  an   almost   boundless   wilderness." 

A  part  of  the  river  which  waters  all  these  gardens,  is 
here  lost  in  pools  and  marshes,  and,  accordingly,  no 
wonder  that  when  the  wind  sets  in  from  this  quarter 
"intermittent  fevers  prevail  in  autumn;  yet,  on  the 
whole,  i^amascus  must  be  accounted  a  healthy  city,  and 
in  it  aijed  people  are  very  numerous."  Now,  we  have  the 
authority  of  Mr.  Simon,  for  stating,  that  in  the  city  of 
London  few  people  reach  to   three  score  years  and  ten 

J.  J. 


RENOVATION  OF  OLD  GARDENS. 

I  HAVE  heard  it  said  oftener  than  once,  that  the  reason 
why  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin"  wtvs  read  simultaneously,  as 
it  were,  all  over  Europe,  was  because  The  Times  spoke 
out  so  strongly  against  it  on  its  first  appearance.  I 
have  myself  acknowledged,  over  and  over  again,  that 
Jlr.  Cobden  gave  a  great  impulse  to  the  circulation  of 
Tiijj  Cottage  Gakdeneu  when  ho  proposed  his  scheme 
for  buying  freehold  allotments,  as  I  shall  call  tliem. 
Tliose  wlio  aspired  to  be  prime  councillors,  if  not  i)riine 
minifiters,  advised  their  trade  associates,  all  over  the 
country,  to  do  as  Jilr.  Cobden  wanted  them  to  do,  and 

*  The  e!eanne.ss  of  the  body  is  a  symbol  of  the  purity  of  the  soul ; 
external  purification  is  called  sanctitication,  because  it  makes  those 
observe  ut  least  an  outward  purity  who  draw  near  to  the  sanctuary. 
Cleanliness  is  a  natural  consequence  of  virtue  ;  since  lilthiness,  for  the 
most  part,  proceeds  only  from  .sloth  and  meanness  of  spirit  (and  we 
generally  finil  cleanliness  jn-actised  in  proportion  to  the  prevalence  of 
a  spirit  of  genuine  piety).  It  is  certain,  the  nastincns  in  which  most  of  our 
lower  sort  of  people  live,  es|)ccially  the  poorest,  itnd  those  t/utt  ure  in 
towns,  eit/ier  muses  or  iiicreusfs  many  distempers,  [Ftcurif. — Ancient 
Isyiieliles.} — .1.  ,T. 


jANtJAIiY  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


317 


aftor  tliat  to  take  in  Tfie  Cottage  Oakdenki!,  to  see 
and  loani  how  to  manage  the  new  froeholds ;  so  they 
did;  and  al'ter  draining,  trenuhiug,  and  cropping,  on  the 
true  Kn-ingtoniau  system,  the  new  freeholders  lie.gan  to 
lay  siege  to  these  pages  for  advice  ahout  flowers,  climhers, 
pigs  and  poultry,  about  ewes  and  lambs,  Swedisli  tur- 
nips, bees  and  pigeons,  till,  at  last,  these  freeholds  were 
as  full  as  nuts.  Aftor  all  this  we — the  staff  and  standard 
of  the  onward  progress — thouglit  it  would  be  all  plain 
sailing  witli  us — no  more  now  dodges  to  thinli,  or  write, 
about;  but  no,  we  were  then  threatened  with  civil  war 
and  open  rebellion — first  come,  first  served — fair  play 
loudly  called  for  by  the  fairest  portion  of  creation  and 
English  law,  ditto  by  good  judges.  I  want — and  I 
want — and  everybody  wanted,  just  everything  e.\cept 
what  everj'body  else  wanted  not;  and,  indeed,  there 
were  so  many  interests  "  wanted"  in  our  pages  and  in 
our  camp,  that  we  had  to  diplomise  as  cautiously  as  if 
we  had  been  one  of  "  tlie  Four  Powers."  Yet,  after  get- 
ting over  the  "  crisis,"  here  we  are  again  as  deep  in  the 
mud  as  ever  by  the  doings  of  the  "Encumbered  Estates 
Commission"  in  Ireland.  Hear  what  our  correspondent, 
Carrig  CathoJ,  says,  all  the  way  from  Dublin.  "  We 
have  just  taken  possession  of  an  old  place,  to  v/hich 
there  was  appended,  '  once  on  a  time,'  very  fine  gardens ; 
at  present,  there  remain  flue  garden,  walls  and  the  skele- 
ton of  once  a  grand  conservatory  and  vineries.  .1  look 
forward  to  a  busy  and  pleasurable  spring,  hoping  to 
profit  by  Mr.  Errington's  excellent  advice  in  restoring 
an  old  (iu  this  case,  ruined)  garden  to  some  order  before 
many  months  have  elapsed.  It  would  serve  and  gratify 
me,  and  probably  many  others,  if  he,  or  some  other  of 
your  corps  equally  capable,  would  take  in  liand  '  The 
renovation  of  old  shrubberies,'  with  a  list  of  those  good 
hardy  and  half-hardy  shrubs  introduced  witliin  the  last 
ten  or  fifteen  years ;  "  and  so  forth. 

Whatever  may  become  of  Ireland,  one  thing  is  certain 
of  the  Irish  themselves,  tfcey  excel  all  tjie  nalions  of  the 
earth,  when  they  appeal  to  the  best  i'eeliugs  of  our  com- 
mon nature,  be  they  in  love,  law,  or  logic,  and  my  young 
Cedar  of  Lebanon  must  stand  over,  without  thriving, 
for  another  week  or  two,  as  a  proof  of  the  assertion  to 
begin  with. 

Now,  for  the  sake  of  Old  Irsland  and  all  that  is  Irish, 
let  me  entreat  of  Carrig  Gathol  not  to  cut  down  a  tree 
or  shrub  in  this  "  old  place "  until  he  has  well  con- 
sidered all  the  pros  and  the  cons,  inside,  outside,  and 
all  around  it.  Nothing  is  easier  than  to  pull  down  trees  ; 
any  blockhead  can  do  that.  There  is  a  story  about  a 
chopping-block,  which  stood  years  in  the  back  kitchen 
of  an  old  Irish  mansion,  which  sprouted  at  last,  and 
was  transplanted,  and  formed  a  fine  tree  after  all ;  but 
all  the  blocks  chopped  upon  in  Ireland  for  tlie  last 
year  or  two,  or  for  the  next  half  dozen,  may  not  be  so 
excitable,  and  anyone  who  will  try  the  experiment, 
by  cutting  down  trees  and  setting  their  blocks  or 
bottoms  for  chopping  on,  without  well  considering 
what  they  are  ahout,  ought  to  have  tlieir  own  heads — 
no  matter  where. 

If  I  took  possession  of  an  old  place  in  Ireland,  or 
elsewhoi-e,  the  first  thing  I  would  do  would  be  to  put 
the  kitchen-garden,  the  vineries,  and  conservatory,  with 
all  the  offices,  in  good,  thorough  repair.  Also  tlie 
carriage-road,  and  other  roads  necessary  for  more  private 
use.  In  doing  that,  I  might  find  that  a  better  lino  for 
any  such  roads  might  be  taken;  that,  again,  might 
involve  some  fresh  planting  in  different  places;  at 
least,  I  would  settle  all  that,  and  get  a  plan  drawn  out 
of  all  the  main  improvements  before  I  would  fix  on 
what  alterations  I  would  make  in  the  old  shrubberies 
and  pleasure  grounds,  as,  no  doubt,  many  of  the  trees 
and  shrubs  requii'e  to  be  thinned  out,  and  if  they,  or 
any  of  them,  could  be  transplanted,  that  would  be  better 
than  cutting  them  down.     Good  planters  could  remove 


very  largo  trees  and  shrubs  if  they  were  properly  pre- 
pared, say  by  cutting  round  their  roots  at  three  feet 
from  the  stems,  all  round,  this  next  spring,  so  as  to  be 
ready  to  move  next  October.  We  might  gain  fifteen  or 
twenty  years  by  this  way  of  going  to  work,  besides 
having  the  newly  transplanted  things  more  in  character 
with  the  rest  of  the  place. 

Aftor  that,  I  would  fi.x  on  all  the  best  specimens  that 
could  be  left  iu  their  present  position,  and  put  tliem  in 
proper  trim  by  the  knife,  saw,  or  hook,  but  instead  of 
rooting  up  all  those  that  were  interfering  with  the  best 
siieoimens,  I  would  first  consider  whether  any  or  most 
of  these  oould  come  in  useful  for  me  before  my  improve- 
ments were  finished,  and  if  they  would,  I  should  be 
loth  to  destroy  them,  and  it  is  always  time  enough  to 
throw  away  tilings  when  we  are  sure  v/e  do  not  want 
them.  Still,  I  would  not  allow  very  common  things  to 
iutej'fere  any  longer  with  better  things ;  I  would  cut 
them  down  to  the  ground  at  once,  and  I  would  dig  the 
ground  about  as  deep  as  possible,  or  even  trench  it,  and 

j  iu  doing  so  there   would    be  a   good  opportunity   for 

!  cutting-in  the  roots  of  the  cut-down  plants,  as  you  would 
those  of  herbaceous  plants  in  a  mixed  border.  Very 
old  Lilacs,  Syringas,  Guelder  Coses,  Privets,  Laurels, 
and  a  hundred  more  such,  could  thus  be  renewed  in  ono 
season,  so  as  to  make  a  respectable  appearance,  and  to 
be  ten  years  iir  advance  of  similar  kinds  brought  in  from 
the  nurseries,  and  they  would  easily  remove  and  come 
in  useful  somewhere  else,  after  one  or  two  season's 
growth  where  they  now  stand.      There  is  hardly  an  old 

j  shrub  in  the  country,  evergreen  or  otherwise,   which 

:  might  not  be  improved,  in  some  way  or  other,  so  as  to 
be  of  as  much  interest,  or  even  novelty,  as  any  of  the 

]  more  recent  introductions. 

!  Bear  in  mind  what  I  have  said,  long  since,  about 
making  standards  and   half-standards  of  Laurels,  both 

■  common  and  Portiigal,  Privets,  Alaternus,  Phyllerias, 
Sweet  Bay,  as  well  as  of  every  one  of  our  common 
shrubs,  and  there  never  was  a  better  opportunity  for 
making  them  than  when  an  old  shrubbery  is  to  be 
thinned  or  condemned.      Every  old  shrub  that  is  cut 

j  down  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  be  it  worn  out  ever 
so  nrucli,  will  throv.'  up  one  or  more  strong  shoots  the 
first  season,  and  if  you  confine  the  growth  to  the 
strongest  shoot,  there  is  a  standard  for  you  at  once,  if 
you  help   it  on  by  sunnner  pruning;  and  then,  if  you 

'  only  remove  suckers  from  it  when  you  come  to  trans- 
plant it  into  fresh  soil,  you  have,  perchance,  the  work 
of  six  or  ten  years  all  ready  in  one  season,  and  spaj-e 
you  no  end  of  money,  besides  setting  you  up  with  such 

I  plants  as  are  thought,  now-a-days,  very  fashionable.  A 
few  years  since,  I  made  a  nice  standard  of  an  old  stool 

:  of  the  Fly  or  French  Honeysuckle  on  this  plan,  and  I 
recollect  that  a  duke's  gardener,  and  one  from  a  noble 
lord's  place,  both  were  puzzled  the  same  week,  to  know 
what  it  could  be;  and  others  thought  it  to  be  the 
V/eiqcUa  rosea,  because  it  stood  in  one  of  the  best  situa- 
tions about  the  garden,  but  no  one  looked  at  it,  or  if  they 
did,  thought  very  little  of  it,  all  the  years  it  stood  stragg- 
ling among  other  shrubs.  A  standard  of  the  snow-ball 
Guelder  Rose  is  as  pretty  a  plant  as  the  newest  from 
California,  and  an  old  stool  of  it,  cut  down  this  spring, 
will  make  a  stem  as  clean  as  a  ramrod,  and  as  tall  as 
any  man,  in  one  summer.  Many  of  the  common 
Spirieas  make  the  prettiest  little  standard  plants  you 
ever  saw,  and  so  with  all  the  rest  of  the  very  oldest 
shrubs ;  p.nd.  I  can  tell,  from  my  own  experience,  that 
great  people,  now-a-days,  think  a  great  deal  of  this  style 
of  plants,  but  we  are  not  tied  to  standards  for  all  that ; 
and  if  we  like  bush  plants  better,  tlie  old  shrubbery  will 
lurnish  them  as  fresh  and  much  stronger  than  the 
purse,  if  we  mind  what  we  are  about.  At  all  events,  I 
do  not  advise  any  one  to  cast  off  old  plants  merely 
for  being  old,  and  only  requiring  a  little  management 


318 


THE  COTTAGE  QARDENEK. 


Januaby  20. 


to  make  them  young  enough,   and   of  any  shajie  re- 
quired. 

To  give  another  turn  to  the  question  for  and  against 
an  old  worn-out  or  chocked-up  shrubbery,  and  suppose 
that  any  of  us,  wishing  for  a  iVesli  start,  sent  an  order 
to  a  first-rate  nursery  for  au  assortment  of  uU  the  new 
shrubs  and  low  trees  that  have  been  introduced  for  so 
many  years  past,  with  only  this  one  restriction,  that 
none  of  these  should  be  sent  us  for  which  more  than  a 
guinea  is  charged,  but  of  those  under  half-a-crown  a- 
piece  send  six  of  this,  ten  of  that,  and  fifty  of  the  other, 
and  30  on.  Now,  where  could  all  these  be  better  pro- 
vided for  than  in  this  very  old  shrubbery,  after  all  the 
old  shrubs  are  rooted  out,  and  leaves  and  their  ashes 
spread  over  the  ground,  which  is  tlien  trenched  three 
spits  deep,  takiug  u]i  six  iuohes  of  the  very  bottom  to 
be  mi.xed  with  the  best  soil  in  the  trench  ou  the  surface ; 
surely  the  young  stock  will  take  to  this  deep  wrought 
soil  at  once,  and  we  may  plant  them  now  so  thick  as 
that  in  two  or  three  years  two-thirds  of  them  may  be 
removed  to  other  jilaees,  which  is  all  quite  true :  but 
still  I  hold  to  my  first  tune.  There  are  so  many  irons 
in  the  fire  when  one  begins  a  new  place,  or  to  im])rove 
an  old  one,  that  some  must  go  to  the  wall,  or  come  off 
second  best;  and  if  we  made  up  our  minds  to  do  away 
with  every  plant  in  the  old  shrubboiy,  except  some 
very  fine  specimens,  and  that  the  whole  ground  is  to  be 
renewed  at  once  by  deep  trenching,  as  above,  there  is  a 
cheaper,  more  safe,  and  much  better  way  of  managing 
the  young  plants  from  the  nursery  than  that  of  planting 
them  at  once  ou  the  site  of  the  old  ones. 

The  moment  I  made  up  my  mind  about  the  iiumber 
of  new  plants  that  I  could  afford  to  buy  and  pay  for  in 
one  year,  1  would  order  them  at  once,  and  I  would  plant 
them  in  nursery  rows,  in  a  new-trenched  piece  of  ground 
in  the  old  kitchen-garden,  where  they  would  be  ready 
for  my  hand  at  any  time  when  I  was  ready  for  them ; 
but  I  would  not  consider  it  as  just  ready  for  planting 
when  the  site  of  the  old  shrubbery  was  trenched,  because 
such  ground  is  sure  to  settle  down  uneven.  Boot  weeds 
are  not  all  taken  out  at  once,  there  will  be  roots,  or  bits 
of  suckers  ft-om  the  old  plants,  that  you  cannot  get  rid 
of  till  they  show  where  they  are  by  next  growing  season  ; 
and  besides,  the  shrubbery  ground  is  yet  too  much  ex- 
hausted by  the  old  roots  to  furnish  the  necessary  supply 
to  a  fresh  crop  of  similar  quality,  which  is  the  greatest 
objection  of  all.  These  objections  could  only  be  got 
over  by  allowing  the  newly  trenched  ground  to  lie  for  a 
season  under  some  cleaning  crop,  that  is,  a  crop  which 
would  allow  of  the  ground  to  be  worked  or  stirred 
between  the  rows  or  plants  ;  and  when  this  crop  was 
removed,  the  whole  ground  would  be  dug  over  and 
made  even  on  the  surface.  All  this  would  mix  the  fresh 
soil  that  was  brought  to  the  surface  at  the  time  of 
trenching  with  the  rest  of  the  surface-soil  more  properly, 
and  then  the  whole  would  be  in  a  much  better  condition, 
in  all  respects,  for  planting  the  young  trees ;  if,  in 
addition  to  this,  wo  could  allbrd  to  give  two  or  three 
spadefuls  of  fresh  compost  from  a  prepared  heap  to 
each  plant,  as  the  work  proceeded,  I  should  say  the 
whole  put  together  would  bo  as  much  as  any  planter 
could  do  under  the  circumstances. 

Again.  Suppose  we  decided  ou  the  plan  of  destroying 
all  but  the  very  best  plants  in  the  old  shrubbery,  and 
finding  that  the  nature  of  the  subsoil  did  not  promise  a 
safe  addition  to  that  which  is  worn  out  already,  what  is 
to  be  done?  Why,  in  that  case,  the  best  plan  would  bo 
to  make  single  groups  of  such  best  plants  by  leaving  a 
few  of  the  inferior  ones  round,  or  near  them,  for  a  time, 
then  merely  level  the  rest  of  the  shrubbery  ground,  and 
turf  the  whole  of  it  up  to  the  very  l.iouglis  of  such 
gi'oups,  or  single  specimens,  and  to  have  no  dug  ground 
at  all  on  the  old  site.  This  last  plan  would  malio  the 
most  telliug   improvement    in   the   sliortest  time,   for 


shrubbery  borders  are  entirely  out  of  fashion,  except  in 
limited  places  near  large  towus,  where  one  likes  to  have 
a  little  of  everything.  This  does  not  affect  the  question 
whether  newly  planted  trees,  or  shrubs,  are  better  in  dug 
beds,  in  groups,  or  singly,  in  open  spaces  on  the  grass. 
It  is  certainly  better  for  old  trees  or  shrubs  to  be 
planted  in  beds  or  spaces  that  can  be  stirred  over  the 
siu'face  for  the  first  few  years.  If  you  oidy  jdant  a 
common  Beech,  ou  a  corner  of  the  lawn,  or  pleasure- 
ground,  you  expect  it  to  grow  faster  and  to  be  more 
vigorous  than  another  Beech-tree  planted  out  in  the 
park  or  forest,  because  it  is  under  the  eye  of  the 
gardener.  To  meet  your  wishes,  the  gardener  makes 
a  hole  four  feet  iu  diameter,  and  as  deep  as  his  ground 
will  allow  of,  for  the  Beech,  and  he  mixes  two  barrow- 
loads  of  good  soil  with  the  best  soil  from  tlie  ]iit  for 
planting  the  tree  in  ;  he  raises  tlie  soil  in  the  centre  of 
this  pit  six  inches  above  the  grass,  and  ])lauts  your 
Beech,  then  stakes  it,  and  reduces  the  size  of  the  ))it 
one-half  by  laying  the  turf  so  far  rising  in  a  very  gentle 
slope ;  he  waters  it  in  the  summer,  and  if  you  notice 
how  fast  it  grows,  he  will  be  sure  to  water  it  the  more, 
and  to  give  liquid-manure  at  times  :  but  if  you  grumble 
at  him,  and  say  the  Beech  will  never  make  a  big  tree, 
lie  will  take  you  at  your  word,  and  the  tree  may  go  to 
Halil'ax  sooner  than  he  should  water  it  again,  unless 
you  are  on  the  spot ;  and  if  you  are,  Ibrced  growth  does 
not  suit  Beech-trees  at  all.  As  soon  as  the  roots  of  this 
Beech  get  away  below  the  grass,  and  out  of  the  influence 
of  hand-watering,  he  covers  the  space  over  with  nice 
turf;  and  the  soil  has  now  settled  so  much  that  you  can 
perceive  but  a  slight  rise  from  the  rest  of  the  lawn. 
What  is  right  for  a  Beech-tree,  in  a  garden,  is  right  for  a 
whole  shrubbery.  As  soon  as  the  plants  can  take  care 
of  themselves,  the  best  and  cheapest  way  is  to  turf  uj) 
to  them. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  you  desire  to  have  a  group  of 
evergreen  Oaks  here,  another  of  scarlet  American  Oal;s 
yonder,  and  so  on,  with  groups  of  one  kind  or  of  mixed 
kinds,  there  is  another  rule  for  them ; — the  gardener 
gets  as  man}'  long  poles,  sharp  at  the  bottom,  as  you 
want  plants  in  tlie  group  ;  he  whitewashes  the  poles  as 
he  would  the  walls  of  his  cottage,  and,  may  be,  he  will 
fasten  a  bunch  or  branch  of  the  kind  of  tree  to  the  top 
of  each  pole,  and  he  sticks  them  in  the  ground  just 
wliere  you  want  the  group,  and  at  such  distance  from 
each  other  as  he  thinks  necessary  for  the  trees  to  stand 
apart,  and  there  they  will  remain  for  your  honour  until 
you  can  judge  of  them  from  the  drawing-room  windows, 
or  from  the  front  or  back-door,  or  from  a  bend  in  the 
carriage-drive  when  you  return  from  shooting.  When 
you  decide  on  the  very  places  for  the  trees,  or  shrubs, 
the  rule  is  to  break-up  and  trench  and  heavily  manure 
the  whole  space  all  rouud  and  between  the  white  poles; 
the  more  irregular  the  outline,  the  more  Icnowing  your 
friends  and  neighbours  will  take  you  and  your  gar- 
dener to  be  ;  for  you  must  always  bear  in  mind  that  all 
these  improvemeuts  are  carried  on  by  tis  and  we — no 
matter  which  of  you  is  master.  The  right  trees  arc 
planted,  at  the  right  time,  where  the  poles  stood,  and  the 
rest  of  the  dug,  or,  rather,  trenclicd  ground,  is  planted 
with  a  mixture  of  evergreens  and  flowering  shrubs, — 
perhaps  Hollyhocks,  and  other  tall,  shrubby  plants  ;  all 
these  will  pay  for  trenching  and  for  trees,  and  nurse 
up  the  principals  to  the  bargain  :  but  none  of  them 
are  allowed  to  liurt  the  principals  by  roots  or  branches, 
or  by  shade ;  out  they  go,  one  after  the  other,  as  fast  as 
they  seem  to  be  in  the  way  of  their  betters — the  prin- 
cipals ;  the  turf  proceeds  from  the  outside  just  as  rapidly, 
.and  iu  the  same  proportion,  till  at  last  there  is  none 
left  to  cover,  all  tho  temporary  plimts  being  removed, 
and  no  signs  of  a  clump  or  shrubbery  behind,  except 
that  tho  grass  is  more  green  where  the  ground  was 
loosened  ;  and  for  that  matter,  who  knows  but  tho  very 


Januaky  36. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


319 


shades  of  the  beautiful  trees  caused  that  striking  greeu- 
ishness — -if  tliere  is  such  a  word — and  so  ou  with  all  the 
groups  in  the  garden.  Groups  of  ornamental  trees,  in  a 
parii,  and  the  largest  forest  plantations,  are,  or  ought  to 
be,  planted  ou  the  same  plan ;  the  principal  trees  are 
planted  at  some  given  distance  apart,  so  that  if  you  cut 
down  the  first,  third,  fifth,  seventh,  or  any  other  num- 
bers, the  I'est  will  stand  at  equal  distances,  and  between 
these  come  tlio  nurses. 

The  ground  ought  to  be  well  and  deeply  trenched  for 
all  groups  of  ornamental  trees,  in  a  i)ark  or  garden; 
and  for  single  trees,  in  a  garden,  it  is  better  not  to  go 
so  deep,  if  the  bottom  soil  is  not  very  good,  as  when 
the  roots  get  into  bad  soil  the  branches  get  mossy,  and 
the  tree  looks  bad.  When  you  move  a  large  plant  from 
an  old  shrubbery,  whether  the  roots  aro  prepared  before- 
hand or  not,  I  would  strongly  advise  some  rich  compost 
to  be  used  in  planting  it  in  a  new  place,  or  else  some 
very  rotten  dung  to  be  mixed  with  the  natural  soil  of 
that  place ;  this  is  to  prevent  the  tree,  or  shrub,  from 
standing  still  ibr  a  season  or  two.  Nothing  pays  so 
well  as  a  generous  treatment  at  first  for  all  large  trees 
that  are  moved,  or  for  small  ones,  when  it  o-an  be  done. 
For  mulching  young  or  old  plants  after  planting,  the 
best  thing  is  short  littery  dung,  half-rotten ;  and  the 
next  best  is  tan  fresh  from  the  tan-pits ;  and  the  third 
best  is  the  same  after  it  is  used  ibr  bottom-heat  in  pine 
or  melon  beds.  All  plants  of  any  value  ought,  certainly, 
to  be  mulched  the  first  year,  at  least ;  but  fresh  tan  will 
last  three  summers  if  it  is  an  inch  thick  at  first ;  and 
birds  are  not  so  apt  to  scratch  it  about  as  they  do  any 
kind  of  dung. 

All  this  apijlies,  generally,  to  such  places  as  our  Irish 
friend  has  got  into,  and  yet,  jierhajis,  not  particularly 
to  his  case.  He  was  among  our  earliest  subscribei's, 
and  has  followed  us  out  through  thick  and  thin,  and 
now  it  is  but  right  that  each  and  all  of  us  old  writers 
should  give  him  a  lift  as  far  as  we  can  understand  his 
newly-acquired  property  ;  but  either  of  us,  ou  tire  spot, 
could  tell  him  more  to  the  point  in  one  hour  than  we 
can  by  writing  till  our  fingers  ache.  Next  week  I  must 
report  tlie  meeting  of  the  Horticultural  Society ;  but  I 
shall  soon  give  him  such  a  list  of  the  best  new  and  old 
plants,  and  all  that  1  can  think  about  them,  as  will 
make  a  standing  reference  for  the  whole  of  the  season 
to  many  more  besides  him  and  D.  Beaton. 


A  GROUP  OF  PLANTS  OFTEN  ASKED 

ABOUT. 

Egg  Plant. — This  is  the  Solanum  melongena  ooi- 
gerum,  and  of  this  there  are  varieties  with  violet,  red, 
and  yellow-coloured  fruit ;  but  the  white  is  the  great 
favourite  with  our  young  friends,  as  it  so  closely  re- 
sembles a  common-sized  egg,  only  being  more  trans- 
parent and  shiuing.  1  recollect,  a  few  years  ago,  when 
a  large,  fine  plant  of  the  white  variety  engrossed  more 
attention  in  a  corner  of  the  greenhouse  than  any  other 
plant  in  the  garden.  Another  variety,  Sol-anum  melon- 
genu  esculeiitum,  is  chiefly  distinguished  for  the  prickles 
on  the  stem,  leaves,  and  calyx  of  the  flower.  None  of 
these  would  be  cultivated  either  for  the  bloom  or  the 
foliage.  The  fruit,  or,  rather,  its  hard  external  shell,  is 
the  attraction.  There  is  a  little  difhoulty  in  getting  a 
good  healthy  specimen  in-doors,  owing  to  the  plant 
being  very  liable  to  the  attacks  of  green-fly  and  thrips, 
for  which  fumigation  and  syringings  are  the  only  re- 
medy. So  liable  are  these  plants  to  these  insects  that 
I  have  frequently  bundled  good  specimens  to  the  rub- 
bish-heap lest  they  should  infest  more  valuable  things 
in  their  vicinity.  I  have  never  tasted  them  cooked  but 
once,  and  that  was  enough,  though  fried  with  butter, 


pepper,  salt,  &c. — appurtenances  with  which  even  flint 
stones  aro  said  to  yield  a  ricli  sauce — but  I  do  not 
profess  to  bo  a  judge  in  epicurism.  When  well-ripened, 
and  kept  dry,  the  fruit  may  be  preserved  for  many 
months.  Jn  ]\iarch,  it  will  be  desirable  to  sow  the  seeds 
in  a  hotbed,  and  to  prick  the  plants  olf  as  soon  as  they 
arc  threes  inches  in  height,  ])laciug  three  round  the  sides 
of  a  four-inch  pot.  In  a  few  weeks  they  will  want  a 
pot  of  that  size  for  each  plant;  and,  by-and-by,  another 
sliift  will  be  wanted.  As  the  month  of  May  comes 
more  air  must  be  given,  so  as  to  lower  the  temperature, 
so  tliat  the  plant,  after  frequent  shiftings,  may  stand  in 
an  eight  or  ten-inch  pot  by  the  middle  of  June,  when  it 
may  be  transferred  to  the  greenhouse,  after  being  gra- 
dually hardened  off  by  more  and  more  air  being  given 
to  them  in  the  hotbed.  If  the  situation  is  warm,  and 
a  south  wall  has  an  empty  space,  a  number  may  be 
planted  out  there,  and  trained  close  to  the  wall ;  but 
they  will  not  ripen  kindly  unless  in  a  warm  season  and 
in  a  sheltered  place.  The  soil  used  for  pots  should  be 
light  and  ricli,  consisting  chiefly  of  loam  and  leaf- 
moidd,  or  very  decayed  manure.  Plenty  of  water  must 
be  given  dming  the  growing  season,  and  no  lack  of  the 
syringe  over  the  foliage,  or  it  will  be  impossible  to  keep 
the  plants  in  a  healthy  condition.  The  Egg  Plants  are 
natives  of  Africa. 

Cayenne  Pepper  and  Curky  Powder  Plants. — 
These,  when  unadulterated,  are  the  produce  of  different 
species  and  varieties  of  Gapsicum.  The  word  is  derived 
li'om  kapto,  to  bite.  I  once  saw  a  mischievous  little 
urchin,  who  would  try  his  fingers  and  lips  upon  every- 
thing within  his  reach,  so  stung  with  setting  his  teeth 
through  a  cherry-shaped  Capsicum,  that  I  thought  he 
would  never  bite  more.  To  add  to  the  mischief,  he  had 
worked  the  fruit  between  his  fingers  and  thumb,  so  as 
to  break  the  skin  inadvertently  before  he  jjounced  it  into 
his  mouth,  and  then,  in  his  agony,  he  must  needs  rub 
his  nose  and  his  eyes  with  these  same  fingers,  until  he 
screamed  and  danced  with  torture. 

The  kinds  generally  cultivated  are  almost  endless 
varieties  of  annuitm,  consisting  of  various  forms  and 
colours  of  fruit,  natives  of  India  and  South  America — 
eerasiforme,  cherry  pepper  ;  baccaium,  the  bird  pepper; 
grossum,  the  bell  pepper;  and  frutesccns,  tlie  ohilies,  or 
Cayenne  pepper;  though  the  latter  pepper  is  made  from 
grinding  the  seeds  and  outside  covering's  of  all  sorts, 
especially  those  that  are  red.  Tlie  last-named  kind,  if 
kept  in  a  plant-stove,  pruned  back,  and  fresh  potted,  or 
well  top-dressed  every  year,  will  yield  large  crops  for  a 
nmnber  of  years,  and  from  its  habit  will  be  neat  and 
compact  to  look  at. 

The  fruit  is  used  for  pickling  when  green ;  for  mixing 
with  other  pickles;  for  placing  in  vinegar,  so  as  to  form 
Chili  vinegar ;  and  for  grinding,  as  we  have  seen,  when 
ripe,    for   pepper;    and    when    in   this   ripe   state   the 
plants  have  a  very  gay  appearance  in  the  front  of  a 
vinery  or   a   greenhouse ;  as,  unless  in  favourable  sit- 
uations, they  do  not  often  ripen  sufficiently  in  the  open 
air,  though  forwarded  under  glass  until  the  end  of  May. 
Some  years  ago,  some  poor  attempts  at  wit  were  made 
by  associating  the  name  of  a  nobleman  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  a  little  curry-powder,  in  a  glass  of  warm 
water,  to  the  labouring  man,  when  wet  and  weary  ;  but   I 
we  know,  from  experience,   that  a  very  little  of  this   ' 
powder,  or  Cayenne  pepper,  or  a  few  drops   of  Chili   I 
vinegar,  in  such  a  tumbler  of  water,  if  not  too  often  | 
repeated  so  as  to  give  a  false  stimulus  to  the  stomach, 
will  not  only  be  grateful,  but  cheek  many  an  incipient  ' 
disease  that  springs  from  wet  and  cold.  j 

In  growing  these  plants  for  pickling,  the  seeds  (which  i 
may  be  kept  in  their  ripe  cases  until  wanted)  should  be  i 
sown  under  glass,  towards  the  end  of  Marcli,  and  if  in  ' 
a  hotbed  all  the  better.  As  soon  as  the  plants  are  four  i 
inches  high  they  should  be  pricked  off,  either  singly  in 


SCO 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENEE. 


J.\N-cARr  UG 


small  pots,  or  fom-  in  a  five-incU  pot,  aud  well  watered, 
syringed,  and  smoked  lor  the  gveon  tly,  and  shifted 
again,  if  necessary,  until  the  first  or  second  week  in 
Jane,  when  the  jilants  may  be  turned  out  into  nice 
mellow  soil,  in  front  of  a  south  wall,  in  front  of  forcing- 
bouses,  or  on  a  south  border,  when  a  good  quantity  of 
green  fruit  will  be  obtained  in  September  and  October. 

To  obtain   beautiful   plants  with   ripe  fruit,  for  tlie 
greenhouse,  the  plants  would  require  to  lie  sbifted  sc|)a- 
rately,  or  three  in  a  six  or  eight-inch  pot  in  M.ay,  and  be 
kept  rather  close  until  they  were  moved  to  the  green- 
bouse  about  tlie  end  of  Juuo.    Good  drainage  should  be  j 
given,  the  soil  should  be  light  aud  rich,  plenty  of  water  I 
given  both  to  roots  and  foliage,  and  green  tly  started  as  | 
soon  as  one  presents  itself.     Nice  Cidll  plants  may  bo 
grown  separately  in   six  or  eight-inch  pots,  and,  if  not  | 
potted  every  year,  they  should  have  the  old  surface-soil 
removed,  and  Iresb  added,  of  equal  portions  of  loom  and 
rotten  dung.     In  addition  to  this,  they  will  drink  in  : 
manure-waterings  with   avidity.      When   a  number  of  ; 
kinds  are  grown,  few  things  look  more  beautiful  in  a  | 
bouse  in  the  autumn   months  than  nice   plants   wuU  | 
stored  with    ripe  fruit,   of   various   shapes,   sizes,  and  j 
colours.  j 

The  Caper  ri..vNT. — Some   well-to-do  people   would  ' 
think  the  best  beef  but  poor  fare  without  a  supply  of  I 
Horse-radisb  and  mustard,  and  to  tbem  Caper-sauce  lias  I 
an  indissoluble  association  with  boiled  leg  of  mutton. 
The  plant  from  wdiich  the  true  Caper  is  obtained  is  the  i 
Cappariis  spinosa,  a  rambling,  trailing-like,  spiny  shrub,  j 
that  flourishes  in  dry  soils  somewhat  calcareous,  aiid  in  ' 
situations  fully  exposed  to   the  sun,  in   the  south   of  j 
Europe,  the  Grecian  Archipelago,  the  Levant,  and  the  ' 
northern  shores  of  Africa.      It  has  been  tried  in  many  j 
parts  of  England,  but,  though  it  has  lived  many  years, 
it  has  seldom  produced  many  flower-buds  unless  when  | 
under  glass.      In  an  orchard-house,  or  fastened   to  a 
conservative  wall  covered  with  glars,  there  is  no  doubt 
but  it  would  grow  and  produce  its  flower-buds  in  abun- 
dance.    In  such  circumstances,  or  even  on  dry,  warm 
positions  in  the  south  of  the  island,  the  practice  followed 
out  near  Toulon  would  be  the  best  to  adopt,  namely,  to 
get  the  base  of  the  shoots  well-ripened  in  the  autumn 
by  a  strong  sun,  and  withholding  water;   and  then,  to- 
wards winter,  cut  the  shoots  well  down,  and  cover  the 
stools  with  moss,  or  earth,  as  we  do  with  large  Fuchsia 
plants  that  we  intend  to  furnish  us  with  strong  flower- 
ing shoots  from  the  bottom  next  summer. 

When  grown  in  a  pot  in  the  greenhouse,  the  pruning 
should  not  be  anything  so  severe,  but  the  treatment 
should  be  regulated,  so  as  to  supply  a  great  number  of 
young  shoots  not  over-strong,  and  yet  strong  enougli  to 
yield  abundance  of  flower-buds.  A  twelve  or  eigbteen- 
inch  pot  will  grow  a  nice  plant;  and  loam  and  peat, 
with  a  little  chalk  or  lime-rubbish,  will  suit  it.  It  is 
easily  propagated  by  pieces  of  the  shoots,  and  divisions 
of  the  roots,  aud  also  by  seed,  when  obtainable,  but  then 
it  should  be  sown  as  soon  as  ripe.  Tlie  plant  can 
scarcely  have  too  much  sun  after  it  begins  to  gi'ow. 

As  an  ornamental  plant,  the  Cuper  is  rather  attractive; 
the  flowers  are  numerous,  large,  white,  witli  veins  of 
Ulac  and  red  at  times,  and  the  centre  filled  with  almost 
numberless  stamens.  The  fruit  is  also  used  for  Capers, 
but  the  chief  supply  is  obtained  from  the  flower-buds, 
whioli  are  picked  when  half  the  size  they  would  he 
before  they  expanded.  They  arc  then  placed,  as  they 
can  bo  obtained,  in  a  vessel,  aud  covered  with  vinegar 
holding  salt  in  solution.  To  keej)  them  nice  and  green, 
a  preparation  of  copper  is  often  used,  or  they  stand  in 
a  copper  vessel,  or,  when  arranging  the  Capers  accord- 
ing 10  their  size,  they  pass  through  fine  copper  sieves; 
but,  in  this  respect,  those  wlio  cat  tliera  just  run  the 
same  risk  as  those  who  indulge  in  the  use  of  nice  c/rcen 
pickles  generally — that  greenness  being  the  consequence 


of  copper  in  one  shape  or  other.  The  public,  liowever, 
n:i!l  have  their  pickles  green,  aud  they  get  them — a 
doctor's  bill,  a  shortening  of  existence,  are  minor  con- 
siderations. One  of  the  best  aud  easiest-procured  sub- 
stitute for  Capers  is  the  green  seed  of  the  Nastintium. 

C.\STOR  Oil  Pl.yn'ts. — Our  young  friends  are  quite  at 
liberty  to  trace  a  counection  between  those  stimulants 
to  eating  aud  the  produce  of  this  latter  iulcresting 
plant.  It  is  the  Tlicimis  cimimnnis  of  botanists,  aud 
Palma  Clirhti  of  gardens,  owing  to  its  spiny  capsules, 
and  its  broad,  pahnatedike  foliage.  Vvhen  at  home,  in 
Africa,  it  must  have  a  splendid  appearance,  as  it  there 
takes  the  form  of  a  tree.  In  our  gardens  it  is  a  tender 
annual.  I  have  sometimes  seen  it  prove  its  hardiness, 
the  seeds  having  fallen  on  the  ground,  and  sprung  up 
the  fbllcwing  summer.  In  general,  however,  it  is  best 
to  sow  a  few  seeds  in  a  hotbed  in  the  middle  of  .March  ; 
harden  them  oft'  by  degi'ces,  aud  transfer  to  ricli  soil  in 
the  open  garden  in  the  beginning  of  June.  If  the 
plants  have  bad  a.  shift  or  two  previously  they  will 
become  ail  the  belter  specimeus.  The  oil  is  obtained 
from  pressing  and  crushing  the  seeds  when  ripe,  and 
its  strength  or  virulence  will  greatly  de])end  on  tlie 
amount  of  pressure,  that  coming  from  the  outer  coats  of 
the  seed  being  much  milder  than  that  supplied  from 
tlie  interior  parts.  The  oil  obtained  from  the  seed  of 
some  other  spurge-worts  is  excessively  acrid. 

R.  Fish. 


BADORGAN,  THE  SEAT  OF  F.  0.  MEYRICK,  Esq. 

This  place  is  situated  in  the  pleasant  Isle  of  Angle- 
sea,  in  North  Wales,  and  the  gardens  are  managed  by 
my  friend,  Mr.  Ewing,  the  inventor  of  the  so-named 
Olass  Walls.  I  had  for  some  time  been  desirous  of 
seeing  these  structures,  in  order  to  Judge  for  myself,  aud 
try  to  form  a  correct  opinion  as  to  their  fitness,  utility, 
or  beauty,  as  garden  buildings.  The  one  erected  in  the 
Hcrticultur.al  Gardens,  at  Chiswick,  I  have  never  seen; 
but  I  judged,  and  I  think  rightly,  that  if  there  was  any 
merit  or  usefulness  in  them,  I  sliould  be  most  likely  to 
see  it  exemplified  in  the  gardens  under  the  charge  of 
tlie  inventor.  I  had  read,  in  various  gardening  publica- 
tions, some  brief  accounts  of  tliem,  and,  in  some  in- 
stances, a  large  amount  of  a  depreciating  character  of 
their  usefulness. 

I  had  occasion  to  visit  North  Wales  on  business,  aud 
resolved  to  take  time  by  the  forelock,  and  ]iay  these 
celebrated  gardens  a  visit,  oven  at  this  dull  time  of  tho 
season.  I  endeavoured  to  divest  my  mind  of  every  idea 
I  might  have  formed  lor  or  against  Glass  Walls  pre- 
viously to  reaching  the  place,  and  I  think  that  I  am 
now  i)repared  to  give  a  fair  report  of  thein  aud  the 
fruit-trees  growing  within  them. 

For  tho  benefit  of  such  of  the  readers  of  The  Cottage 
Garukneu  as  may  not  know  what  is  meant  by  Glass 
Walls,  as  exemplified  at  Badorgan,  I  will  try  to  describe 
them.  In  the  first  place,  there  are  a  certain  number  of 
square  brick  pilla''s,  in  two  par.allel  lines,  built  so  as  to 
receive  and  support,  at  the  level  of  the  soil,  two  lines  of 
bearers,  inclosing  a  space  of  ground,  as  near  as  I  could 
judge,  twenty  inches  across.  Upon  these  bearers  there 
is  set  up,  quite  perpendicular,  two  rows  of  glass  lights, 
or  frames,  with  pillars  between  them.  Their  height  is 
eleven  feet,  and  the  top  is  glazed  also.  Every  other 
light  is  on  both  sides  made  to  open  by  means  of  a  long 
rod  with  cranks  altaclied  to  it,  and  a  revolving  wheel 
at  tho  end.  I  saw  tbem  shut  and  opened  witli  tho 
greatest  facflity.  The  top  of  this  double  wall  of  glass 
is  ornamented  slightly  with  carved  bordering,  and  the 
whole  presents  a  light  and  elegant  appearance.  Inside 
there  is  a  trellis  to  which  the  trees  are  trained.  Reaches 
are  planted  on  tho  soutli  side  of  the  trellis,  and  Apricots 


January  :2G. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


321 


on  tlio  nortli,  and  tlio  trees  nearly  reach  the  top,  and 
must,  when  in  f'olia,Q;c,  and  lull  of  ripe  fruit,  and  the 
frames  set  open,  lie  a  very  ornamental,  agroeahlc  sight. 
The  roof,  also,  is  moveable  by  a  similar  contrivauco. 

The  question  naturally  arises.  Are  they  wortliy  of 
adoption  in  gardens  generally  '.'  I  give  it  as  my  decided 
opinion,  after  a  careful  and  dispassionate  study  of  the 
subject,  that,  with  some  modification,  they  are.  I  am 
quite  willing  to  allow  that  as  a  means  of  defence  they 
are  not.  I  would  only  use  them  as  an  elegant  and 
useful  division  of  a  garden.  The  first,  any  one  that 
has  seen  a  Glass  Wall  will  at  once  allow;  and  the  useful- 
ness, I  think,  may  he  equally  made  manifest.  As  a 
means  of  shelter  from  the  cold  north  wind,  a  wall  of 
glass  will  be  equally  as  effectual  as  a  wall  of  bricks,  and 
certainly  ten  times  handsomer.  Then,  the  use  as  a 
fruit  wall  is  more  certain  still;  for  every  tyro  in  garden- 
ing knows  that  a  i'ruit-tree  under  glass  is  more  certain 
to  produce  fruit  than  one  exposed  to  the  atmosphere, 
even  with  temporary  shelters  when  in  blossom.  Under 
the  sheltering  inflaence  of  this  double  row  of  upright 
glass  the  flowers  will  be  sure  to  expand  freely,  and  the 
fruit  set  equally  as  freely,  because  the  free  current  of 
air,  rushing  through  the  trees  every  mild  day  when  full 
air  is  given,  will  cause  the  fruit  to  set.  The  ripening  of 
the  fruit  is  also  certain  to  go  on  satisfactorily,  and  by 
having  light  on  both  sides  the  colour  will  be  equally 
full  on  every  side  of  each  fruit ;  and,  lastly,  that  im- 
portant point,  tlie  ripening  of  the  wood,  will,  in  such  a 
structure,  be  certain  to  bo  accomplished  better  than 
against  the  common  brick  wall.  Thus  the  three  great 
points,  of  jjreservation  of  the  blossom,  maturing  the 
fruit,  and  ripening  the  wood,  is  secured  by  sucli  a  Glass 
Wall  as  I  saw  at  Badorgan. 

I  examined  the  trees  very  minutely  the  first  week  in 
this  year,  and  can  bear  testimony  to  the  perfect  state  of 
the  wood,  tlie  plentiful  appearance  of  round,  phnnp, 
and  healthful  blossom-buds,  and  the  particularly  clean, 
bright  colour  of  the  bark. 

At  one  end,  JMr.  Ewing  had  planted  a  Fig  tree,  on 
which  he  said  there  had  been  a  heavy  crop  the  previous 
summer,  and  there  was,  when  I  looked  at  it,  also  a 
heavy  crop  of  fruit  about  half-swelled,  quite  fresh  and 
soimd;  whilst  on  a  brick  wall  close  to  it  the  fruit  on 
another  i'ig-tree  of  the  same  kind  was  completely  de- 
stroyed by  the  frost. 

The  only  point  I  cannot  prove  is,  what  kind,  if  any, 
was  the  fruit  on  the  Peaches,  Nectarines,  and  Apricots, 
during  the  past  season.  Mr.  Ewing^"and  he  is  an 
honourable  man" — declared  to  me  that  the  crop  had 
been  good,  and  the  fruit  excellent  in  quality  ;  and  I 
believed  him.     Is  there  a  man  living  who  would  not  ? 

I  have  now  stated,  fairly  and  conscientiously,  all  that 
I  consider  the  good  points  of  the  Glass  Walls,  as  I  saw 
tliem  here.  They  are,  undeniably,  beautiful  structures; 
they  are  useful,  because  the  trees  enclosed  are  certain  to 
produce  an  abundant  crop  of  fine  well-ripened  fruit ; 
and  another  point,  which  I  have  not  alluded  to  before, 
is  that  there  are  no  hiding  places  for  noxious  vermin  or 
insects,  as  iu  th3  old  nail-holed  brick  wall. 

The  improvements,  or  modifications,  I  would  suggest, 
consist  in  making  the  enclosed  space  wider,  so  as  to 
allow  space  for  a  spectator,  or  the  gardener,  to  walk 
between  the  two  rows  of  trees.  An  iron  trellis  to  walk 
on  might  rest  upon  bearers  from  the  pillars  that  support 
the  structure,  and  thus  the  pressure  upon  the  soil  would 
be  avoided.  I  would,  also,  have  means  of  giving  air 
below  the  glass  lights  and  above,  by  opening  the  roof 
only,  thus  avoiding  the  risk  of  breakage  from  sudden 
gusts  of  high  winds  blowing  against  the  open  windows 
and  the  trees.  (I  have  to  notice  another  Peach-house  in 
these  gardens  where  this  point  is  adopted,)  Another 
improvement  would  be  the  introduction  of  divisions, 
glass  of  course,  in  the  wall,  one  or  more  of  which  divi- 


sions might  he   heated  with   hot- water;    and  thus  a 
succession  of  crop'?)  obtained. 

In  another  part  of  the  gardens  there  is  a  noble  Peach- 
house,  which  may  be  termed  a  glass-covered  wall.  It 
is  three  Inindred  feet  long,  six  feet  v.-ide,  and  thirteen 
feet  high,  The  glass  front  is  perpendicular,  and  the 
narrow  roof  is  glazed  also,  and  forms  a  short  span-roof, 
oue-half  of  which  is  made  to  open  upwards.  To  bind 
the  front  lights  to  the  wall  and  the  front  glass,  there 
are,  at  certain  distances,  some  Hat  iron  bars,  through 
which  holes  are  made  to  admit  a  long  rod,  to  which  rod 
there  are  attached  cranks,  worked  by  vertical  and  hori- 
zontal wheels.  The.se  are  attached  again  to  an  upright, 
strong,  iron  rod,  about  four  feet  from  the  gromid,  where 
there  is  another  horizontal  wheel,  and  a  kind  of  barrel 
with  ribs,  which  fit  into  the  teeth  of  the  wheel.  When 
air  is  given,  by  means  of  a  windlass  the  ribs  of  this 
barrel  hold  the  wheel  fast  iu  its  place,  and  thus  no 
ordinary  wind  can  move  the  opened  lights.  This  is 
the  house  I  alluded  to  as  having  the  front  lights  fixed, 
air  being  given  mider  them  ;  but  jMr.  Ewing  says,  the 
lop  sashes,  when  ojien,  cool  the  house  quite  enough, 
because  the  heavy  atmos])heric  air  is  pressed  down 
through  the  openings.  The  whole  of  this  is  made  of 
glass  and  iron,  and  cost  about  i'-iOO.  Standing  at  one 
end,  and  looking  through  this  long  avenue,  as  it  were, 
of  Peach-trees,  this  house  has  a  surprisingly  good 
appearance. 

Tliere  is,  also,  a  greenhouse  in  the  same  garden, 
formed  on  every  side  with  upright  glass,  and  a  ridge- 
and-furrow  roof.  In  this  house  I  noticed  numerous 
good  specimens  of  the  usual  greenhouse  plants,  such  as 
Jplieli'.in:;.  Boronias,  liriostcnions.  Pohjgalns,  and  other 
New  Holland  shrubs.  In  a  pit  I  saw  some  well-formed 
Heaths,  which  had  been  planted  out  in  a  bed  of  heath- 
mould  in  the  same  pit  for  three  years,  and  had,  in  con- 
sequence, formed  themselves  into  dense  bushes,  without 
the  tedious  process  of  tyeing-out,  as  practised  by  the 
metropolitan  exhibitors.  They  were  taken  up  with 
balls,  and  potted  during  this  last  summer,  and  certainly 
had  a  healthy,  dark  green  appearance  when  I  saw  them. 

The  Vineries  here  have  been  planted  about  three  or 
four  years,  and  the  Vines  are  remarkably  strong  and 
promising.  The  borders  are  ]n-otected  in  a  most  capital 
manner,  being  regularly  thatched  with  straw — that  is,  a 
frame-work  is  formed  leaning  upon  the  front  of  the 
house,  and  resting  upon  a  foundation  close  to  the  walk. 
This  iVarae-work  is  then  well  thatched,  arid  the  border, 
consequently,  is  rendered  much  more  dry  than  if  the 
straw  had  been  in  actual  contact  with  the  soil.  When 
I  was  there  the  ends  were  open,  but  when  forcing  com- 
mences, I  understood  these  would  be  closed.  I  should  think 
the  distance  from  the  thatch  to  the  soil  of  the  border 
next  the  house  is  about  two  feet.  I  suggested  that 
Mushrooms  might  he  grown  under  this  thatch,  and  was 
informed  that  spawn  had  been  put  in  for  that  )nu-pose. 

Speaking  of  Mushrooms  reminds  me,  that  in  the 
Mushroom-house  I  observed  what  I  took  for  a  new 
vegetable,  but  soon  found  out  it  was  nothing  else  but 
Tandp  to}JS,  blanched.  I  was  assured  tliey  were  vei'y 
delicate  eating,  much  more  so  than  Sea-kale  itself.  This 
is  worthy  of  general  imitation. 

Badorgan  is  situated  close  to  a  creek  of  the  sea  ;  and 
in  the  pleasm-e-grounds  I  was  much  gratified  to  find 
that  fine  tree,  the  Araucaria  imhricata,  is  not  at  all 
affected  by  the  sea  breezes.  I  saw  about  fifty  of  them, 
averaging  from  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  high,  well 
formed,  dark  green,  healthy,  thriving  trees. 

In  the  woods  and  plantations  the  Rhododendrons 
thrive  well,  and  there  are  some  very  fine  specimens  of 
the  best  hybrid  varieties. 

Silver  Eirs  are  the  predominating  evergreen  forest 
trees,  and,  like  the  Araucaria,  seem  to  brave  the  sea 
breeze  with  impunity. 


■3i2 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Januauy  20. 


I  could  fill  another  sheet  with  notes  on  this  place, 
but,  as  I  have  already  exceeded  the  iislial  s|iacc  allotted 
to  uie,  1  must  conclude  by  saying  that  1  was  much 
gvatified,  and,  I  will  add,  instructed  in  many  points,  by 
my  visit.  In  summer  the  place  nuist  be  beantiful  ;  and, 
it  I  am  spared,  1  will  visit  it  at  that  season,  and  give  a 
turthor  report  of  the  progress  of  the  trees  on  these 
Glass  Walls.  1  must,  however,  just  notice  tliat  Mr. 
Ewing  has  invented  a  new  kind  of  hot-water  pipes, 
for  which,  if  they  answer  his  expectations,  he  intends  to 
take  out  a  patent.  That  fact,  of  course,  prevents  me 
sayiug  another  word  aboiit  them,  only  this — I  think 
they  are  very  likely  to  supersede  any  now  in  use. 

T.  Appleby. 


THE   MANAGEMENT  OF  LONG-WOOLLED 
EWES   AND   LAMBS. 

H.u'iMG,  in  several  former  papers,  gone  into  the  ma- 
nagement of  Dowu  and  other  short-woolled  sheep,  it  is 
now  my  intention  to  treat  chiefly  of  the  long-woolled 
breeds,  such  as  the  Cotswolds,  Lineolns,  Tceswaters,  &e., 
although  the  same  observations  will  apply  equally  well 
to  other  varieties,  that  is  the  Lciccsters,  Kcnts,  Dcvons, 
and  the  crosses.  I  propose  to  consider  the  best  mode 
of  management  for  Ewes  and  Lambs  of  these  breeds 
when  kept  in  pasture  districts,  or  upon  farms  con- 
taining a  small  portion  of  arable  and  pasture  land 
in  connection. 

1  have  noticed,  in  nearly  every  county,  that  there  are 
cu'cumstanccs,  in  connection  with  soil  and  situation, 
which  render  a  variation  in  the  treatment  of  stock 
necessary,  yet  there  are  general  rules  which  may  be  said 
to  apply  in  almost  all  cases  where  the  breeds  of  sheep 
are  nearly  allied.  In  treatirjg  this  subject,  I  think  my 
object  will  be  best  attained  by  alluding  to  it  under  two 
separate  heads— first,  the  method  to  be  pursued  in 
rearing  fat  Lambs;  and,  secondly,  that  required  for  the 
rearing  of  stock  Lambs  for  grazing  at  a  future  period. 
The  first  part  of  our  subject  is,  certainly,  a  matter  of 
great  importance,  and  one  upon  which  will,  in  a  great 
measure,  depend  the  pi-ofitablc  consumption  of  grass 
and  other  green  food.  I  also  intend  to  speak  of  stock 
kept  upon  farms  consisting  entirely,  or  in  greater  part, 
of  pasture  land.  The  first  object  in  raising  fat  Lambs 
should  be  to  select  that  breed  or  cross  which  will  make 
the  greatest  weight  of  meat  iu  the  least  time,  of  that 
quality  most  iu  esteem  by  the  purveyor  and  consumer. 
1  shall  first  observe,  that  although  many  advocate  the 
pure  breeds  of  Leicosters,  Cotswolds,  and  others,  for 
rearing  fat  Lambs,  yet  the  far  greater  number  of  gra-siers 
])refer  a  cross  either  of  the  South  Down  or  Horned 
Dorset,  these  being  both  short-woolled  breeds.  This 
cross  exercises  a  beneficial  infiuence  upon  the  wool,  and 
genera!  appearance  of  the  Lamb;  and  in  case  of  twin 
imrabs  this  is  especially  desirable,  because  they  gene- 
rally rc(iuiro  three  weeks  or  a  month  extra  keeping, 
during  which  period  the  pure  long-woolled  breeds  be- 
come hollow  in  the  coat,  thereby  depreciated  in  value 
as  fat  Lambs  in  the  live  market ;  at  the  same  time,  it 
will  bo  found  that  the  quality  of  meat  to  tho  consumer 
will  be  improved  in  nearly  the  same  proportion  as  the 


general  apjicarauce  is  by  the  close  wool.  The  cross  of 
short-woolled  sheep  being  advantageous  in  this  case,  it 
is  best  to  decide  which  breed  should  have  the  prefer-' 
enee.  I  think  it  must  bo  admitted  that  the  Horned 
Dorset  is  the  best  cross  of  tho  two,  for  I  find  that  the 
produce  in  Lambs  will  be  greater  than  it  will  from  tho 
Down  cross;  and  although  there  is  no  greater  propensity 
to  fatten  at  an  early  age  in  the  produce  of  the  former, 
yet  it  is  equally  so,  and  the  greatly  increased  growth,  as 
compared  with  the  latter,  makes  the  former  tho  more 
profitable.  I  can  safely  say,  that  I  have  oltcn  seen  the 
most  perfect  fat  Lambs  that  it  is  possible  to  roar  from 
the  Long-woolled  Ewes  when  they  have  been  put  to  the 
Horned  Dorset  Rams.  Many  persons,  inexperienced  in 
the  result  of  such  a  cross,  may  fancy  that  the  Lambs 
would  come  horned  like  the  sire,  but  it  is  a  fact,  that 
ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  will  come  polled 
Lambs.  I  mention  this,  because  it  is  well  known  that 
horned  Lambs  are  not  appreciated  in  the  live  markets. 

The  Tup  may  be  turned  with  the  Ewes  during  tho 
mouth  of  September  upon  fai'ms  consisting  partly  of 
arable,  such  land  being  generally  tilled  to  produce  root- 
crops  for  feeding  Ewes  and  Lambs  before  the  pastures 
are  ready;  but  upon  jjasture  farms  the  mouth  of  Oc- 
tober will  be  soon  enough ;  for  it  is  not  desirable,  in 
this  case,  for  the  Lambs  to  come  long  before  the  grass 
is  ready  for  feeding. 

The  mode  of  keeping  tho  Ewes  during  pregnancy 
must  now  be  considered;  and  upon  farms  containing 
some  arable  land,  whore  roots  are  cultivated,  they  may 
be  made  use  of  for  feeding  the  Ewes,  in  connection  with 
hay,  during  the  winter  months ;  but,  at  !dl  times,  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  resort  to  root-feeding  until  all 
the  grass  is  consumed,  and  this  may  be  made  available 
for  a  considerable  time,  when  tho  aftermath  is  allowed 
to  accumulate  and  kept  in  reserve.  The  best  roots  ars 
Cabbages ;  but  failing  these,  the  Swedish  Turnips  are 
better  than  any  variety  of  common  Turnips. 

Again,  upon  a  purely  pasture  district,  the  Ewes,  not 
having  the  advantage  of  a  root-crop,  must  be  kept 
entirely  upon  grass  or  hay  ;  and  by  earcl'uUy  preserving 
grass  in  the  pastures,  such  as  may  have  arisen  after 
tho  month  of  August  upon  any  dry  soil,  this  grass, 
when  held  iu  reserve  for  the  winter,  will  fLU'nish  the  host 
possible  food  for  in-Lamb  Ewes.  The  lambing-time 
for  this  description  of  stock  is  not  usually  attended  with 
so  much  risk  as  those  breeds  whicii  Lamb  at  an  earlier 
season ;  and  it  is  quite  sulticient,  where  the  I'arms  are 
sheltered,  to  keep  a  shifting-fold  on  the  driest  pasture, 
and  if  screened  from  the  north  by  fences  it  will  then 
not  bo  necessary  to  resort  to  the  use  of  a  shed  and  fold 
yard.  It  will,  however,  be  quite  requisite  tliat  great 
care  and  attention  should  be  paid  lo  this  breed  of  Ewes 
at  tho  lambing-time  :  for  although  much  of  the  risk 
consequent  upon  bad  weather  will  bo  avoided,  yet  the 
ordinary  casualties  which  occur  will  demand  tho  utmost 
vigilance  of  the  shepherd  by  night  and  by  day.  The 
method  of  treating  the  Lambs  whilst  yoiuig,  including 
castrating,  &o.,  has  been  treated  in  detail  in  a  Ibrmer 
paper  upon  tho  managcmont  of  Down  Lambs  for  fatting. 


JaNUAHY  2(i. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


3a3 


From  this  period,  tlie  Lambs  with  tlio  Ewos  will  be  uble 
to  go  into  tlie  pastures  for  grass-feeding,  and  this  ])art 
of  the  season  may  be  considered  the  most  important  of 
any,  for  it  often  happens  tliat  the  season  is  bacl^ward, 
or   the   farms   cold  and  exposed.     In  either  case,  the 
Lambs  will  bo  ready  for  the  grass  before  it  is  sulheiently 
advanced  in  growth  to  ailbrd  thera  sufficient  sustenance 
without  the  additional  aid  of  roots,  or  artificial  feeding. 
I,  therefore,  reooramend  that  upon  every  farm  possessing 
,   arable  land  Mangold  should  be  grown,  and  held  in 
[  reserve  for  the  stock  at  this  critical  period  of  the  year; 
i  for  in  ease  the  Lambs  receive  a  check  from  insufficiency 
;   of  food  whilst  young,  they  never  recover  it  so  far  as  to 
,  make  first-rate  fat  Lambs.     The  Mangold,  in  this  case, 
j   should  be  cut  and  placed  in  troughs  for  the  Lambs  in 
:   advance  of  the  Ewes,  as  also  oil-calce  or  com  until  the 
1  grass  is  become  abundant;  but  the  Ewes  may  receive 
\  their  Mangold  strewed  over  the  grass  land  every  day, 
and  the  grass  should  be  partitioned  ofi'  in  folds  until 
the  fields  are  covered  with  a  sufficiency  to  admit  of 
being  (what  is  called)  stocked  for  the  summer.     Upon 
those  soils  which  are  rich  enough  to  fatten  Sheep  by 
the  aid  of  its  own  produce  alone,  it  is  customary  to 
reckon  how  many  Ewes  and  Lambs  may  be  fattened 
upon  an  acre,  and  turn  in  the  number  required,  there  to 
remain  until  the  Lambs  are  fit  for  the  market.     On 
these  soils  they  are  often  kept  in  connection  with  bul- 
locks ;  the  land  being  stocked,  according  to  its  capability, 
witli  both  beasts  and  sheep ;  and  from  the  quiet  habit 
of  the  long-woolled  breeds  they  are  found  to  do  well 
when  pastured  with  bullocks.      On  the  contrary,  the 
Down  breed  of  Sheep  is  not  found  to  answer  well  on 
stocking  pastures  upon  this  plan,  either  by  themselves, 
or  in  connection  with  bullocks ;  for  being  of  a  roving 
habit,  they  trace  the  fields  backwards  and  forwards,  ren- 
dering the  food  quite  distasteful  to  the  cattle  as  well  as 
themselves.   Hence,  the  almost  universal  practice,  where 
Down  Sheep  are  kept,  of  giving  their  daily  allowance  of 
food  by  advancing  tlie  hurdles  on  to  fresh  ground. 

1  have  noticed  the  promiscuous  mode  of  feeding  upon 
grass  land  adopted  where  the  produce  has  been  quite 
insufficient  to  fatten  the  animals,  and,  in  consequence,  I 
advise,  that  wherever  the  grass  produce  is  not  of  rich 
quality,  the  stock  should  be  continually  advanced,  by 
receiving,  in  addition  to  their  daily  portion  of  grass,  a 
supply  of  roots,  or  artificial  food,  which  will  not  only 
make  good  any  deficiency  in  the  feeding  properties  of 
the  grass,  but  will  greatly  improve  the  value  of  the 
produce  in  future  seasons.  Under  the  foregoing  method 
of  management  the  Lambs  will  be  fit  for  the  market 
at  from  twelve  to  fourteen  weeks  old,  at  which  time  the 
Ewes,  also,  will  be  forward  in  condition ;  many,  perhaps, 
fat  enough  to  sell  at  the  time  the  Lamb  is  sent  to 
market;  but  in  this  sort  of  Sheep  the  wool  is  valuable 
from  its  quantity,  particularly  when  kept  upon  the 
strongest  soils — it  is,  therefore,  desirable  to  make  it  a 
rule  never  to  sell  the  Ewes  until  they  have  been  fleeced, 
and  there  is  no  breed  of  Sheep  which  look  so  well  out 
of  their  wool  as  tlie  Long-woolled  and  their  crosses,  and 
realise  in  proportion  a  greater  price  in  consequence. 


This  kind  of  stock  ought  always  to  bo  sold  off  fat  before 
Michaelmas,  because  the  grass  loses  its  fattening  pro- 
perty after  that  time;  therefore,  the  most  backward 
Ewes,  or  those  which  may  have  reared  twin  Lambs, 
should  be  forwarded  by  corn  or  cake  feeding. 

R.  Blundell. 
{To  he  cuiiUnitcd.) 


THE   MAIN   CHANCE. 

(CoHclmlcd  from  pai/c  267.) 

By  the  Authoress  of  "  My  Floioers." 

"  Fr.EUEracK  .Jones'  voyage  had  been  very  prosperous,  but 
his  troubles  on  landing  were  overwhelming  :  the  expences 
of  moving  liis  goods  and  chattels  from  shipboard  were 
frightful;  and  the  diiliculty  of  obtainiug  shelter  almost 
incredible.  There  was  an  evident  attempt  to  put  the  best 
face  upon  tilings ;  but  it  was  at  the  same  time  so  clear  that 
he  would  have  given  anything  to  be  able  at  once  to  return, 
that  the  struggle  to  brave  out  the  undertaking  would  have 
been  amusing  had  it  not  been  so  painful.  He  had  received 
one  or  two  offers  of  employment,  but  he  could  not  decide 
whether  at  once  to  advance  to  the  diggings,  or  to  engage  in 
his  own  trade. 

"The  scenes  of  reckless  intemperance  and  outrageous 
■nickedness,  evidently  had  shocked  his  mind,  while  the  loss 
of  his  domestic  comforts,  and  the  gentle  attentions  of  an 
excellent  and  devoted  mother,  were  clearly  much  felt.  He 
wrote,  "  Tell  my  little  brother  John  not  to  think  of  coming 
here  until  I  send  for  him ; "  and  he  quaintly  added, "  that  wiU 
be  many  a  long  day  first."  He  hoped,  he  said,  in  a  few 
years,  to  save  enough  money  to  enable  him  to  return  with 
a  realization  of  an  independence.  This,  he  admitted,  was  the 
aim  of  almost  the  whole  of  the  population ;  no  one  seemed 
to  have  made  up  his  mind  to  be  a  permanent  inhabitant ; 
alas !  how  few  of  those  who  are  sanguine  enough  to  entertain 
such  a  notion  will  ever  realize  their  anticipations ! 

"  Months  again  rolled  on,  and  the  arrival  of  every  Australian 
mail  was  eagerly  looked  for  by  the  friends  of  Frederick 
Jones,  in  the  hope  of  its  bringing  further  intelligence  from 
the  absentee ;  nor  were  they  disappointed,  for  early  one 
morning  a  letter  in  his  well-known  haud\vriting  was  giveir 
to  the  father,  and  was  read  with  eagerness  aloud  to  the 
whole  family.  Fredericlc  was  working  about  sixteen  miles 
from  Melbourne,  on  the  road  to  the  diggings,  where  he  was 
receiving  ample  wages,  which  probably  might  have  enabled 
him  to  lay  aside  a  weekly  sum  towards  the  fund  to  enable 
him  to  return  home,  had  not  the  expence  of  food  and 
raiment  been  exorbitant,  and  lodging  fearfully  high.  He 
bad,  too,  been  uuweD,  and  rmable  for  some  time  to  work  at 
all,  but  was  now  much  improved  in  health ;  and  he  had 
been  obliged  to  walk  sixteen  miles  to  post  his  letter,  and  to 
return  the  same  evening,  making,  as  he  said,  "  a  tolerable 
walk  "  for  such  a  purpose.  These  were  still  more  decided 
symptoms  of  regret  at  having  left  England,  and  a  strong 
recommendation  to  all  to  pause  before  they  decide  upon 
emigrating.  The  climate,  he  said,  evidently  did  not  suit  a 
large  proportion  of  the  emigrants ;  and  fevers  and  dysentery 
were  frequent. 

"About  the  same  time  of  the  same  day  another  letter 
was  received  in  the  town,  brought  by  the  mail  from  South 
Austraha,  and  directed  to  the  parents  of  the  young  man 
who  accompanied  Frederick  Jones.  The  date  of  this  letter 
was  about  three  weeks  later  than  the  former,  and  sad,  indeed, 
was  the  iutelUgence  it  brought!  The  writer,  who  had 
opened  a  small  store,  was  suddenly  summoned  to  attend 
the  sick-bed  of  his  friend,  whom  he  foimd  prostrated  with 
typhus  fever,  insensible  to  all  around  him,  and  evidently  in 
great  danger.  The  doctor  said  the  case  was  not  without 
hope,  but  everything  depended  upon  cai-eful  and  judicious 
nursing.  No  tender  mother  was  at  hand  to  minister  to  his 
wants ;  and  the  young  friend  alone  undertook  its  arduous 
duties.  For  three  days  and  nights  he  never  left  I'rederick's  j 
bedside,  and  had  to  undergo,  alone,  all  the  overwhelming  j 
anxieties  of  watching  over  him.  Sometimes,  in  the  par'oxysms 
of  delii-ium,  poor  Frederick  would  tlu'ow  himself  from  the 


324 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENKtt. 


January  20. 


bed,  and  it'required  all  Iiis  companion's  corporal  strength  to 
restrain  hini  fronr  doing  injury  to  both.  Nut  one  coherent 
word  escaped  his  lips;  and  the  only  indication  he  liad  of 
bis  being  at  any  time  sensible,  was  wlieii  he  folded  his 
bauds,  as  if  in  prayer,  and  a  slight  niovemeut  of  the  lips 
strengthened  the  hope  that  he  \yas  so  engaged;  and  thus 
his  soul  passed  away  to  stand  before  the  throne  of  Christ. 

"  So  ended  the  career  of  our  poor  favorite  !  Carressed  and 
beloved  at  home,  he  died  in  a  foroigii  land,  with  no  minis- 
terial attendance,  noriu  possession  of  the  ordinary  comforts 
of  the  poorest  man  in  his  native  country.  And  for  what  was 
this  sacrifice  made?  For  the  vain  and  delusive  hope  of 
heaping  up  earthly  treasures,  "that  moth  and  the  rust 
corrupt,  and  that  thieves  break  through  and  steal !  " 

"  Poor  Jones  was  buried  by  his  only  friend  at  the  least 
possible  cost;  but,  nevertheless,  the  doctor's  and  undertaker's 
bills,  and  otlier  incidental  expences,  left  about  .£20  to  be 
made  up  in  the  best  way  that  miglit  he ;  a  sale  of  his  few 
effects  produced  a  part  of  the  sum,  and  his  friend  made  up 
the  deiiciency. 

"How  great  the  shock  was  to  liis  parents  I  need  not 
describe.  To  hear  of  his  health  and  deatii  in  the  same  day 
was  a  blow  that  few  could  bear  witli  calmness :  and  the 
Jones's  were  no  exception  to  the  generality.  I  may  just  add, 
that  the  friend's  letter  was  a  very  desponding  one,  weighed 
down  as  he  was  by  the  deatli  of  Jones.  He  liad  made  up 
his  mind  to  I'eturn  with  al)  possible  expedition,  for  lie 
stated,  that  although  more  money  might  be  made  often  than 
in  England,  yet  everything  was  so  expensive,  and  sickness  so 
prevalent,  that  no  saving  could  be  effected." 

Dear  readers!  the  history  of  Frederick  Jones  is  a  very 
striking,  and  a  very  awful  one.  He  was  wishing  to  lie  rich. 
The  love  of  money,  and  not  the  command  of  the  Lord,  sent 
lihn  fortli,  from  parents,  home,  and  quiet  business.  When 
we  go  into  places  where  there  is  no  fear  of  God,  no  means 
of  grace,  and  no  woi'd  from  the  Jjord  to  point  out  our  way  ; 
there,  depend  upon  it,  we  talie  no  blessing  witli  us,  and  put 
ourselves  in  tlie  way  of  such  temptations  and  troubles  as 
must  end  in  bodily  and  spiritual  harm.  The  Romans,  in 
ages  long  gone  by,  had  what  they  called  an  oracle,  which 
they  took  no  step  without  solemnly  consulting.  Jl'c  have  an 
oracle ;  let  us  consult  it  in  all  oiu'  doings.  Our  oracle  is  not 
one  of  flesh  and  blood,  hidden  in  some  mysterious  place, 
like  that  of  the  poor  benighted  llomans  :  but  it  is  the  Word 
of  the  living  God !  Wliat  says  it  to  those  who  are  seeking 
their  worldly  good  ?  "  Godliness  with  contentment  is  great 
gain."  "  And  having  food  and  raiment,  let  us  be  therewitli 
content,  liut  they  that  will  be  ricli  fall  into  temptation  and 
a  snare,  and  into  many  foolish  and  hiu'tl'ul  lusts  that  drown 
men  in  destruction  and  perdition.  For  the  love  of  money 
is  the  root  of  all  evil;  which,  while  some  coveted  after, 
they  have  erred  fronr  the  faith,  and  pierced  themselves 
through  with  many  soitows."  "  Seek  ye  firsl  tl;e  kingdom 
of  God  and  his  rigliteousness,  and  all  these  tlnngs  shall  be 
added  unto  you."  C)b  !  tliat  we  would  lay  these  thiugs  to 
heart !  That  we  would  prn;/  more  for  our  daily  bread,  and 
not  go  seelnng  it  in  the  waste  places  of  the  earth!  1 
have  never  yet  Ucnrd  of  a  man  who  feared  God  going  to  the 
gold-regions ;  he  dares  not. 

Let  us  reflect  how  dreadful  it  must  be  to  lie  on  a  sick  bed 
in  a  strange  and  heathen  land;  to  feel  that  time,  health, 
blessings,  life  itself,  have  all  been  wasted  and  misused! 
that  the  Great  Account  is  at  hand !  ^Vliat  a  main  chance 
this  is  to  toil  and  struggle  for  I  Depend  upon  it,  readers, 
"  the  Idngdom  of  Flis  righteousness  "  is  the  only  real  and 
certain  main  chance.     Let  us  dig  in  the  Lord's  gold-fields. 


ALLOTJIENT  FARMING— FEBRUARY. 

Aftee  one  of  the  most  severe  winters  on  record,  more 
keen,  indeed,  tlian  the  notorious  hard  frost  of  1814,  which 
those  of  our  cottage  friends  who  possess  a  bleached  crown 
will  remember,  we  are  at  last  placed  on  the  tlireshold  of  a 
rising  spring;  hard  weather  there  still  may  be,  but  it  is  at 
least  a  consolation  to  remember  tliat  we  have  got  rid  of  a 
dull,  dark  December,  and  such  a  January  as  will  be  long 
]   remembered. 

But  there  are  no  new  things  in  this  world.    Since  time 
began,  the  histoiy  of  the  human  race  is  altogether  a  chain 


of  varied  character,  liuk  after  liuk  produce  shades  of  dif- 
ference, and  yet,  wlien  the  whole  cliaiu  is  viewed,  cycles;,  or 
groups  of  events,  or  coiulitions,  present  themselves  to  tlie 
mind  as  comiug  round  again  at  intervals.  Indeed,  if  it 
were  not  so,  how  could  the  great  balance  be  restored  ?  If 
we  have  a  repetition  of  cold  summers,  how  shall  their 
chilling  ell'ects  be  counter-checked  but  by  some  possessing 
an  unusual  degree  of  heat?  If  we  have,  like  the  starring 
and  sloppy  years  of  1H1(;-17,  too  uch  wet,  do  we  not 
generally  find  tliat  nature,  in  a  compensatory  way,  sends 
certain  periods  of  drought,  perhaps  combined  with  much 
heat,  and  which  just  serve  to  restore  the  balance. 

Therefore,  our  cottage  garden  friends  and  those  who 
deal  with  the  allotment  system,  wliich  one  day  will  receive 
a  far  broader  development,  take  lieart;  although  your 
Cabbageu'orts,  Lettuces,  ttc,  have  quailed  beneath  tlie 
stern  dominion  of  the  ice  Idng  of  ISfi-f,  yet  lake  courage 
tin-ough  tlie  fact,  that  the  sun  will  sliine  not  a  whit  the  less 
when  spring  arrives;  and,  witli  April  sliowers  condjined,will 
again  give  rise  to  tlie  same  lightness  of  heart  and  heel  as 
came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  our  forefathers.  j 

Whilst  writing  this,  I  must  remarlc  that  the  past  severe 
weather  has  been  one  of  no  small  trial  to  the  lov.-ly.  Every- 
thing on  the  rise  but  fires  with  the  poor ;  an  unusually 
hard  period  as  to  weather;  Totatoes  only  in  the  hands  of 
the  aiilueiit  or  the  grasping;  even  such  root-crops  as 
Swedes,  Carrots,  Parsnips,  Beet,  A'C,  partaking  of  the 
general  tone  of  trade  ;  the  whole,  of  course,  biassed  iu  the 
main  by  the  price  of  Wheat ;  (hen,  I  say,  this,  w  ith  more,  had 
I  space  for  further  observation,  will  prove,  to  all  feehng 
minds,  that  much  privation,  if  not  suffering,  has  been  en- 
dured. But  how  plain  the  endurance  of  these  things  proves 
that  John  Bull,  although  a  notorious  grumbler,  is  by  no 
means  a  revolutionist. 

It  shows  the  endurance  of  the  masses,  and  points,  in  un- 
mistakable language,  to  that  under  current  of  feeling  which 
!  evinces  tlie  secret  faith  they  have  in  tlie  solidity  of  our  free 
government.  The  character  of  the  pending  war,  too,  will 
set  forth  the  character  of  our  time-honoured  institutions  in 
a  bolder  light  than  ever;  the  desperate  character  of  some 
of  our  semi-barbiu'ous  nations  •will  surely  teach  our  country- 
men a  lesson  they  will  not  speedily  forget. 

But  to  our  allotment  matters.  If  any  of  our  readers  have 
been  what  is  termed  frozen  out,  they  have  surely  had  an 
excellent  chance  of  attending  to  drainage  affairs,  manuring, 
hed-je  or  boundary  dressing,  &c.,  and  of  clearing  and  col- 
lecting the  residue  of  everything  that  has  once  been  alive, 
in  order  to  increase  the  manure  heap.  There  will  be, 
doubtless,  plenty  of  sont  this  spring,  for  much  firing  must 
of  necessity  have  been  used. 

I  have  always  strenuously  advocated  carefulness  over  this 
valuable  stimulant,  and  still  think  that  the  most  profitable 
and  economic  way  of  using  it  is  combined  with  good 
Peruvian  guano,  and  the  remains  of  very  old  wood  slacks, 
old  manure  liecome  a  soil,  S:c.,  and  which  our  chemists 
have  dignified  by  the  title  of  humus.  This  may  be  pre- 
pared before  hand,  and  kept  out  of  the  reach  of  others  for 
use  in  drills  or  on  beds.  It  nrust  be  remembered,  however, 
that  this  is  a  precious  material,  and  not  by  any  means  for 
"  digging-in "  as  ordinary  manure.  Its  chief  use  is  as  a 
promoter  of  rapid  growth  in  young  seed  crops,  making  them 
\  to  grow  rapidly  out  of  the  reach  of  insect  enemies,  slugs, 
&c.,  and  also  to  steal  a  marcli  on  the  summer. 

Many  crops  may  he  obtained  from  ground  not  too  much 
exhausted  by  the  use  of  this  alone ;  the  JSurh/  Morn  Cnml.  I 
have  grown  capitally,  by  the  use  of  such  a  material,  in  beds 
of  about  four  feet  in  width,  .such  beds  having  been  n  high 
ridge  all  the  winter,  and  broken  down  and  well  worked  in 
the  beginning  of  February;  the  compost  apphed  abnut  an 
inch  or  more  in  thickness,  and  "  triclded-iu"  with  a  fork  to 
about  four  inches  in  depth.  The  seed  then  sown  and 
covered  with  the  ordinary  soil  an  inch  in  thickness.  Such 
beds,  for  early  work,  should  be  thrown  six  inches  above  the 
ordinary  ground  level,  in  order  to  promote  a  mellowness  in 
the  soil,  as  stagnation  through  a  low  level  is  one  of  the 
greatest  enemies  of  early  crops. 

The  nicest  attention  must  be  paid,  during  this  month,  to 
a  due  preparation  of  the  soil  for  spring  sowings  ;  wlietlier 
the  ground  has  been  ridged  and  worked  in  autumn  or  not, 
it  must  by  no  means  be  handled  when  wet.     Neither  must 


January  2U. 


I'HK  COTTAGE  GAliDENEll. 


325 


thp  operator  think  of  digging  whilst  snow  is  on  tlie  gronnil ; 
this  is  a  most  improper  prococUn-e,  and  enough  in  itself  to 
cause  the  fiiiluro  ol'  a  crop.  It  is  scarcelj'  too  much  to 
attirra  that  oue-huli'  the  success  of  any  crop  is  dependent 
Oil  the  manner  in  which  the  soil  is  prepared  in  spring. 
Ground  of  an  adhesive  character,  and  which  has  not  heen 
worked  in  autumn,  should  be  twice  worked,  and  it  will  he 
well  to  ridge  it  with  dcrp  digging  for  a  month,  the  operator 
making  up  his  mind  to  crop  it  rather  later,  which  will, 
indeed,  he  a  matter  of  necessity. 

Most  of  the  spring  sowings  will,  of  course,  occur  in  the 
early  jiart  of  March,  hut  there  are  a  few  things  which  are 
better  done  at  the  close  of  February,  if  the  soil  is  in  a 
friable  condition.  I'arsnijis,  for  instance,  require  a  long 
summer,  if  they  are  e.xpected  to  be  tine.  Tliose  who  grow 
the  Early  Horn  Carrut,  too,  under  high  and  attentive 
culture,  as  we  have  often  recommended  in  our  allotment 
paper,  in  order  to  bunch  and  sell  them  in  May,  when  they 
fetch  a  high  price,  must  (as  before  observed)  get  in  the 
seed  about  the  very  end  of  January,  and  attend  them  as 
early  Hadishes;  indeed,  tlie  two  latter  may  be  sown  in 
alternate  drills,  at  three  inches  apart,  and  receive  the  same 
attention,  which,  indeed,  they  require,  and  the  Kadishes 
being  sold  oil  in  the  end  of  March,  tlie  Carrots  will  thence- 
forth have  it  all  their  own  way  ;  tliey  will  then  be  in  drills 
of  six  inches  distance,  and  may  stand  close  together  in  the 
drills. 

It  is  astonishing  how  many  hunches  of  Carrots  may  be 
drawn  off  a  moderate-sized  bed  by  such  good  and  high  cul- 
ture ;  that  is  to  say,  with  a  high  interest  and  feeling  in  the 
affair.  Of  course,'  those  who  require  good,  full  crops  of 
summer  Peax,  and  Broad  Beans,  will  take  care  to  sow  full 
crops  during  this  month  ;  a  row  or  two  in  the  first  week, 
and  the  same  repeated  in  the  last  week,  will  produce  as 
many  Peas  and  Beans  as  the  cottage  or  allotment  man  has 
room  for  in  his  small  plot. 

The  best  Pea  is  the  Bedman's  Imperial ;  the  best  Bean,  I 
think,  Johnson's  Wonderful^  or  the  old  Broad  Windsor,  if 
the  soil  is  strong.  11.  Ekkington. 


APIARIAN'S   CALENDAE,.— Februauy. 

Bij  J.  H.  Payne,  Esq.,  Author  of  "  The  Bee-Kccpcfs 
Guide,"  etc. 

Those  persons  who  have  brought  their  stocks  thus  far 
in  health  may  congratulate  themselves,  and  may  also  be 
congratulated,  for  I  am  quite  aware  of  the  difficultY,  the 
expence,  and  the  trouble  ;  but  hov.-  mortifying  it  would  he  to 
have  an  abundant  honey  season,  and  no  bees  to  collect  it. 

Floor-boaeds. — Particular  attention  must  be  given  at  this 
season  in  endeavouring  to  keep  the  interior  of  the  hives 
free  from  damp,  which  a  frequent  changing  of  the  iioor- 
boards  will  tend  very  much  to  etfect ;  indeed,  after  so  long  a 
confinement  as  the  late  frost  has  occasioned,  it  becomes 
necessary,  or  the  health  of  the  stocks  will  be  much 
endangered. 

Feedinct. — ^Food  must  be  liberally  supplied,  but  in  so 
doing  much  attention  must  be  paid  to  neatness  and  clean- 
liness in  its  administration,  for  where  syruj)  is  nsed,  the 
greatest  care  must  be  given  that  it  be  not  smeared  about  tha 
hives  and  iloor-boards,  for  it  will  not  only  cause  dampness 
in  the  hives,  but  induce  fighting  amongst  the  bees  when 
they  are  able  to  fly  abroad. 

Hives  of  Coiid. — Let  the  hives  of  comb  [in  which 
swarms  of  the  last  year  have  died  be  carefully  preserved  for 
the  purjiose  of  putting  swarms  of  the  coming  season  into 
them.  The  best  method  of  keeping  such  hives  will  be,  after 
having  cleared  them  of  the  dead  bees,  to  hang  them  up  in 
a  dry  place,  out  of  the  reach  of  mice  or  rats.  The  advantage 
which  a  swarm  put  into  a  hive  of  clean,  di-y  comb  h.as 
over  one  that  is  put  into  an  empty  hive  is  very  great  indeed, 
and  known  only  to  those  persons  who  have  experienced  it. 


IIAEDY  BOllDER  PLANTS. 

{Continued from  pnr/e  2!)l.j 
ACONITUH    CAMMARUM. 

THE    75EAJCED  WOI,?SE.\NE    OR    MONKSHOOD. 

This  a  fine,  t.all,  spiry-formed,  compact-growing  plant,  is 
often  called  -(.  rostratum,  even  in  books.  Its  roots  are 
tuberous,  supported  by  a  large  amount  of  massy  (ibres, 
which  should  not  be  disturbed  at  the  border-dressing  times. 
Shoidd  no  increase  be  needed,  these  plants  may  remain 
undisturbed  for  many  years  in  tlie  same  spots.  It  flourishes 
in  any  good,  common  garden  soil.  The  wliole  plant  is  of  a 
dark  green  colour.  Its  stems  rise  from  four  to  even  six 
feet  in  height,  according  to  the  soil  and  situation  it  is 
growing  in.  Its  leaves  are  cut  somewhat  like  fingers  of 
the  human  hand.  The  whole  plant  is  smooth  ;  the  iiowers 
are  purple,  large,  numerous,  and  panicled  ;  the  extreme  or 
main  spikes  being  very  long.  It  is  a  very  sliowy,  desirable, 
hardy,  strong-growing  plant;  a  native  of  Switzerland,  and 
was  introduced  to  this  country  in  17.j'i ;  floivering  from  the 
end  of  .June  to  the  end  of  August.  It  should  be  planted  in 
back,  or  centre  rov,'S,  either  in  the  beds,  borders,  or  plant- 
ations, where  it  is  very  useful,  for  it  even  does  well  in 
situations  where  it  is  much  shaded  by  trees,  and  a  little 
drip  from  them  does  not  hurt  it.  T.  W. 


POULTRY  SHOWS. 

SiiEarsHiEE.— This  was  held  on  the  Sth  of  December,  in    i 
a  building  erected  specially  for  the  purpose,  in  the  Smith-   i 
field,  Shrewsbury.     For  the  following  report  we  are  indebted 
to  Eddowes's  Shrewsbury  Journal : — 

"  The  Poultry  deservedly  attracted  very  considerable  at- 
tention, particularly  among  the  fair  sex,  and  this  de]3artment 
has  proved  a  very  pleasing  addendum  to  the  exhibitions  of 
stock.     In  the  class   of  Spanish  fou-l,  those  of  Mr.  S.  D. 
Smith   and  K.   D.   Newill,  Esq.,  which  took  the  first  and   ' 
second  prizes,  were  considered  as  very  good  specimens,  but 
the  vidiole  class  were  scarcely  tip  to  par.     In  the  chickens, 
those  of  the  Rev.  S.  Donne  and  Mr.  Amphlet,  which  were 
awarded  prizes,  mny  be  considered  to  have  deservedly  taken 
the  palm.     Of  Coloured  Dorkiny  fowl  there  were  sixteen  pens 
of  very  fine  birds,  the  prizes  being  taken  by  Lord  Berwick 
with  the  same  fov.'ls  as  were  at  the  Coalbroolidale  Show. 
Four  of  the  pens  also  drew  fortli  honorary  mention  from 
the  judges.     There  were  also  eighteen  pens  of  chickens  of 
this  year,  the  whole  of  which  were  highly  meritorious,  and   | 
some  of  the  pens  it  were  almost  impossible  to  excel.     The    ; 
mere   fact    of    those    of   Viscount   Hill   and   Mrs.   Lloyd,    ; 
Oswestry,  having  taken  the  prizes  among  such  competitors,    i 
speaks  so  highly  in  their  favour  that  it  is  unnecessary  for   i 
us  to  add  another  word.     Tliose  of  the  Picv.  It.  Corbett,  of  : 
Harnage,  were  too  old  to  compete  in  the  class  of  chickens,   '■ 
and  consequently  disqualified,  though  really  first-class  birds.   | 
Both  classes  of  Dorkings  were  pronounced  by  able  judges 
to  be  such   a  collection  as  has  seldom   been  seen  at  any 
exhibition.     Passing  on  to  While  Dorl,inys,  though  the  class 
was  not  very  large,  tlie  prize  birds  deservedly   won  their   ■ 
laurels.     We  next  come  to  the  Oochin-China.     There  were 
six  pens  of  Cinnamon  and  Buff  fowl,  out  of  which  the  first 
prize  was  taken  by  Mr.  Cattell,  with  the  same  birds  as  have 
v;on  the  prizes  at  the  principal  exhibitions  in  the  kingdom. 
Of  chickens  there  were  thirty-one  pens  of  very  superior 
birds  entered,  more  particularly  those  of  the  Piov.  S.  Donne   . 
and  Lord  Berwick,  which  took  the  prizes.     There  were  nine 
entries   for   Brown    and  Partridge-feathered   Cochin-China  . 
chickens,   among   which   were   some   excellent   specimens, 
particularly  those  which  took  the  prizes.     Mrs.  Williams,  of 
Eaton  Mascott,  carried  away  the  fir.st  prize  for  Black  Cochin- 
China  chickens  with  the  same  birds  as  were  so  successful  at 
Coalbrookdale.     Mrs.  Stowe,  of  Tewkesbury,  also  exhibited 
some  fine  specimens  in  this  class.     Mr.  W.  Lort  took  all 
the  prizes  awarded  for  Malays,  but  tlie  judges  did  not  con- 
sider there  was  sufficient  merit  in  the  class  of  fowl  to  award 
the  first  prize.     In  Black-breasted  and  other  Red  Game  fowl 
Sir.  E.  Eggington,  of  Ludlow,  and  Mr.  R.  Roden,  of  Marsh 
Brook,  were  the  successful  competitors  against  some  very    \ 
fine  birds.     A  v/hole  class  of  Polandfowl  was  disqualified  on    ' 


326 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Jan  DAB  Y  26. 


'  accoiiut  of  tlie  top-Jcnots  being  trimmed  for  exhibition,  a. 
practice  the  judges  had  more  than  once  to  deprecate.     A 

I  ])en  of  Silver  Pahnd  fowl  of  Wr.  E.  AV.  Hazlewood,  of 
Bridsenorlh,  were  splendid  hird.s.  The  llev.  G.  C.  Guise 
took  the  first,  and  Mrs.  H.  Williams  the  second  prize  for 

j    Bl:ic!i  Banlams  against  three  other  dangerous  competitors. 

:  The  whole  class  of  Gccsc  was  noticed  hy  the  judges  as 
meritorious,  and  a  very  fine  pen  could  not  compete,  owing 
to  their  not  being  entered  in  time.  Those  of  Mr.  fileredith, 
which  carried  the  palm  of  the  day,  were  very  line,  the 
gander  and  two  geese  weighing  02  lbs.  beating  any  com- 
petitors hy  two  or  three  pounds.  Of  White  Aylesbury  Ducks 
there  were  eleven  pens  entered,  which  formed  a  very  at- 
tractive group  for  their  excellence;  Mrs.  Stowe,  of  Bredon, 
taking  the  first,  and  Mr.  T.  Jobson  the  second  prize.  The 
first  prize  for  Koueu  ducks  was  given  to  Jlr.  J.  E.  Chune, 
he,  however,  having  no  competitor.  In  the  class  for  ducks 
of  any  other  variety  there  were  ten  entries,  the  first  prize 
being  awarded  to  a  pen  of  beautiful  Labrador  or  Buenos 
Ayres.  The  Turkeys,  of  which  there  were  four  pens  entered, 
were  really  excellent,  those  of  Miss  Meu-e  and  Viscount 
Hill  being  extraordinary  specimens.  There  were  ten  pens 
of  turkey  poults  entered,  among  which  there  were  some 
very  fine  specimens,  particularly  the  prize  birds.  The  class 
of  Pii/c'ous  was  very  well  represented  by  all  varieties  in  first 
condition.  Among  the  extra  exhibitions  we  noticed  a  re- 
markable pen,  belonging  to  Mr.  S.  Juckes,  of  Shrewsbury, 
containing  an  imported  hen  of  the  CochinChina  breed, 
with  thutecn  very  fine  chickens  three  months  old." 

[In  the  following  Kst  fowl  refers  to  birds  exceeding  one-year-old.  and 
cinckciis  means  those  of  1853.  Each  pen  consists  of  a  male  and  two 
female  birds,  and  the  first  prize  in  each  case  is  c£2  2s.,  and  the  second 
£l   Is.  unless  otherwise  specified.] 

Si-AiMLsii — Fowl— First  prize,  Mr.  S.  D.  Smith,  Madelcy.    Second 

prize,   »Ir.  R.   D.   Newill,  Admaston.     Chwkfns First  prize,  Rev.  S. 

Donne,  Oswestry.     Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  Aniphlett,  Walsall. 

DOEKING  (Coloured).— Foic;.— First  prize,  Right  Hon.  Lord  Berwick. 
Second  prize,  Right  Hon.  Lord  BerwicI;.  Chiclceris.—Fhst  prize,  Ki-Iit 
Hon.  Viscount  Hill.  Second  prize,  Mr.  David  Lloyd,  Oswestry.  (The 
whole  class  highly  meritorious.) 

Dorking  (White).— Foii./.— First  prize,  Hon.  Mrs.  Kenyon,  Pradoe. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  H.  Foster,  Dunstable,  Beds.  C/iicA-ras.— First  prize, 
Hon.  Mrs.  Kenyon.     (Second  prize  withheld.) 

rocuiN-Cnir.A  (Cinnamon  and  Buff).— Foic;,— First  prize,  Mr.  ,T. 
C.attell,  Birmingliam,  Second  prize,  Hon.  .and  Rev.  H.  N.  Hill  Ber- 
rington.  C/jictens.— First  prize,  Rev.  S.  Donne,  Oswestry.  Second 
prize.  Right  Hon.  Lord  Berwick. 


Cochin-China  (Brown  and  Partridge-feathered).  — /••[lirf.  —  First 
prize,  withheld.  Second  prize,  Mr.  H.  C.  Simpson,  College  Hill,  Shrews- 
bury. Chickens.— Fust  prize,  Mr.  1'.  Cartwriglit,  Oswestry.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  J.  Massey,  MVm,  Salop. 

CociliN-CiiiNA  (Cimiamon  and  Buff,  or  Brown).— C/neiois.— First 
prize,  Mr.  James  Cattell,  Birmingham.  Second  prize,  Mr.  T.  F.  Palmer, 
Shrewsbury. 

CociliN-CuisA  (White).  —  CTirfew.— First  prize,  Mr.  W.  Lort, 
lireat  Heath,  Herefordahire.  Second  prize,  the  Rev.  S.  Donne,  Oswestry. 

Cocnin-CniNA  (Blaey.-C/iW.-ras.— First  prize,  Mrs.  H.  Williams, 
Eaton  Ulascott,  S.ilop.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  L.  C.  Stowe,  Bredon,  Wor- 
cestershire. 


prize. 


Malav.—Fo!i.;.— First  prize  withheld.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Lort, 
Great  Heath,  Herefordshire.  C/,ic/,-c;K.~First  prize,  Mr.  W.  Lort, 
trreat  Heath,  Herefordshire.     Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Lort. 

.,P,t^"'-  ^°'^'''  (White  and  Files).— FoiiZ.-First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Peplow, 
Wellington.     (Second  prize  withheld.) 

Game  Fowl  (Black-breasted  .and  other  Reds).— i-'oic(,— Pi.-st  priz 
Mr.    !■,.    Lggington,    Ludlow,     (Second   prize   withheld.)     Cliiekem.- 
First   prize,    Mr,    l-ggington,   Ludlow.     Second  prize,   Mr.  R.  Roden, 
Marsh  Broolt. 

Game  Fowl  (Black  and  Brassey-winged,  except  Cirevs).— Fo;ri.— 
J'lr.st  pnzc,  Mr.  N.  N.  Dyer,  Bredon,  Worcestershire,  C/iic/rcM,— First 
prize,  Btr.  N.  N.  Dyer,  Bredon,  Worcestershire. 

Ga.iie  Fowl  (l)iickwings  and  other  Grcvs  and  Blue).— ;''ow(.— First 
prize,  Mr.  r.  Dickin,  Ellerdine,  Salop,  (;/»c/.c;K,-First prize,  withheld. 
Second  prize,  Mr,  R.  Roden,  Marsh  Brook. 

GoLnEN-i>E«ciLLED  HAMCuRGll.-r/nc/avls.-First  prize,  Mr.  J. 
Dain,  Henlcy-m-Arden.     Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  B.  Chnne,  Coalbrookdale, 

GoLDEN-si.ANGLED  Ha JlliDBCil.- r/»V./,c)M,-First  prize,  Mr,  G. 
Juckes,  Bcslow,  Salop,    Second  prize,  E.  Peplow.  Wellington, 

SiLVEn-rENCiLLED  HAJlBnr.on.—FoW.— First  prizc,  Mr.  J.  Dain, 
Henly-in-Ardcn.  Second  prize,  Mr.  E.  Gough,  Gravel  Hill,  Chickens.— 
lirst  prize,  Mr,  J.  B,  Chune,  Coalbrookdale,  Second  prize,  Mr.  J. 
fliasscy,  Wcm. 

SiLVER-si'ANGLED  Hahbu RGH.  —  Foic/.  —  First  prizc  Mr  W 
Homer,  Ivingsland.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Corbet,  Sundonie.  Chickens.- 
^i.rst  priM,  Mrs,  S.  Acton,  Actou  Scott.    Second  jirize,  Mr.  \V.  Homer, 


Poland  Fowl  (Black,  with  White  Crests). — Fowl. — Class  disqualified, 
the  top-knots  being  trimmed,  and  the  judges  strongly  dc]>reeating  this 
practice.  Chickens. — First  prize,  DIr,  J.  Aniphlett,  Walsall.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  J.  Child,  Balsall  Heath. 

Poland  Fowl  (Golden). — Foh7.— First  prize  withheld.  Second 
prize,  no  entry.     Chickens. — First  prize,  Mr.  S.  D.  Smith,  RIadcley. 

Poland  Fowl  (Silver). — Fowl. — First  prize,  Mr.  E.  W.  Hazlcwood, 
Bridgnorth.  Second  prize,  no  entry.  Chickens. — First  and  second 
prizes,  no  entry. 

Fowls  of  any  other  Breed. — (Rumplcss.) — First  prize,  Blr.  T. 
Taylor,  Burleigh  Villa.  iBlue  Poland.)— First  prize,  Mr.  E.  W.  Uazlc- 
wood,  Bridgnorth. 

Bantams  (Gold-laced).— Foif/.— First  prize,  Mr.  U.  Spary,  Markgatc- 
street,  Beds.     Second  prize,  J.  A.  Lloyd,  Leaton  Knolls,  Salop, 

Bantams  (Silver-laecd).  —  Foivl. —Virzt  prize,  Mr.  V.  Spary, 
Markgate-street,  Beds.     Second  prize,  Mrs.  Corbet,  Sundorne. 

Bant.\ms  (Black). — Fowl. — First  prize.  Rev.  G.  C.  Guise,  Pulver- 
batch.     Second  prize,  Mrs.  H.  Williams,  Eaton  Mascott. 

Geese. — First  prize,  I\Ir.  Dleredith,  Frodcsly,  Salop.  Second  prize, 
Miss  Ellesmere,  Boreton,  Salop.     (U'holc  class  meritorious.) 

Ducks  (White  Aylesbury).— First  prize,  BIrs.  LydiaC.  Stow,  Bredon. 
Second  prize,  Thomas  Jobson,  The  Bank,  Salop, 

1>UCKS  (Rouen), — First  jirize,  BIr.  J.  B.  Chune,  Coalbrookdale. 

Ducks  (Any  other  variety). — First  prize,  DIr.  T.  L.  Bleire,  Cound 
Harbour,  Salop.     Second  prize,  BIr.  T.  L.  Meire. 

Turkeys. — Exceeding  one-year-old. — First  prize.  Bliss  Bleirc,  Ber- 
rington,  Salop,  Second  prize,  the  Hon,  Viscount  Hill.  Birds  of  1853. 
— First  prize,  the  Hon.  Viscount  Hill.  Second  prize,  Bliss  BJeire,  Bcr- 
rington,  Salop. 

Guinea  Fowl  —First  prize,  BIr.  T.  L.  Bleirc,  Cound  Harbour,  Salop. 
Torquay. — This  Exhibition  opened  on  the  11th,  and  a 
more  magnificent  siiectacle  in  the  Poultry  line  has  certainly 
never  been  witnessed  in  tlie  West  of  England.  Nearly 
three  hundred  pens  were  liUod  with  a  due  proportion  of  all 
the  leading  varieties  of  Fowds,  Tmdceys,  Ducks,  Geese,  and 
Pigeons,  m  forty  classes.  The  spacious  room  was  tastefivUy 
fitted  throughout  with  decorations  kindly  fm'nished  by  Mr. 
AN'cbb,  of  the  lloyal  Hotel,  and  choice  plants  and  evergreens 
from  Morgan's  Horticultural  establishment,  and  the  arrange- 
ments throughout  reflect  the  greatest  credit  upon  the 
untiring  exertions  of  the  Honorary  Secretary  and  Com- 
mittee. The  office  of  Judge  was  undertalien  by  Mr. 
Edwai'd  Plewett,  of  Bii'mingham,  and  when  we  say,  that 
dming  the  past  season  he  has  been  selected  for  the  same 
onerous  duty  at  many  of  the  leading  shows  in  England — at 
some,  as  sole  adjudicator,  at  others,  associated  with  the  first 
judges  in  the  kingdom — we  need  not  say  anything  further 
with  regard  to  the  justice  of  his  decisions.  We,  however, 
sometimes  find  that  even  justice  is  not  palatable  to  the 
prizeless  exliibitor,  but  we  are  the  more  pleased  to  find  that 
the  decisions  have  not  merely  demanded  satisfaction,  but 
obtained  it.  We  have  his  authority  for  stating  that  the 
classes  generally  were  such  as  would  do  credit  to  any  ex- 
liibition,  especially  the  Bufl'  Shanghae,  Spanish,  Dorkings, 
Game,  Hamburghs,  Turkeys,  and  Ducks. 

We  hope  that  next  year  the  Committee  will  coiTect  the 
manifest  injustice  and  bad  pohcy  of  giving  prizes  of  less 
value  to  the  Geese  than  others.  The  arrangements  for  the 
exhibition-room  were  certainly  the  best  yet  seen  at  a  local 
show ;  and  the  superior  quality  of  some  classes  were 
manifest  on  the  most  cai'eless  inspection.  It  will  be  seen, 
that  Mr.  Chamiing,  of  Heavitree,  Exeter,  again  felt  disposed 
to  enter  the  lists  against  his  formidable  antagonist.  Captain 
SncU,  relying,  this  time  (though  so  recently  defeated  at 
Honiton)  on  the  entry  of  several  fresh  pens  of  birds;  the 
result  is  identical  with  the  former  decision.  Captain  Snell  | 
taking  precedence  with  the  same  fowls  as  before  ;  the  ] 
second  prize  to  the  formerly  selected  ones  of  Mr.  Chanuing. 
The  .tVmerican  bronze-winged  Turkies  still  proved  liow 
wondorously  deceptive,  in  appearance,  to  their  rivals,  they  are 
if  brought  to  scale,  as  being  so  exceedingly  close-feathered, 
they  weighed  seven  or  eight  pounds  more  than  aiii/  others. 

AVe  are  sorry  to  have  to  aild,  that  a  trustworthy  corres- 
pondent writes  thus : — "  I  must  complain  of  the  tiiorough 
want  of  carefulness  displayed  in  Ihe  railway  officials  in 
tossing  about  baskets  of /iiHcy  poultry  at  the  stations  ;  for, 
travelling  as  I  have  lately  so  much  by  rail,  my  feelings  have 
been  sliocked  at  their  utter  heartlessness  in  tliis  matter; 
and  when  remonstrance  is  attempted,  it  is  no  unusual  lliing 
to  hear,  '  they  ai'O  only  a  lot  of  fowls.'  " 

Class  1. — Spanisu.— Cock  and  two  Hens,- First  prize,  BIr.  John 
Blarshall,  Belmont,  Taunton.      Second  prize.  Bliss   Lydin  C.  Sto\ve, 


Januaky  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


027 


Brendon,  near  Tewkesbury.  Third  prize,  I^Ir,  \Vm,  Wcvill  Howe,  Ulilton 
Abbot,  Devon. 

Class  2.— Dorking  (Coloured).  —  First  prize,  Mr.  John  F.  Pearae, 
Lower  Slewton,  Whimplc.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Brunei,  Watcombe, 
Torquay.  Third  prize,  Mr.  John  U.  Rodbard,  Alnwick  Court,  Wrington, 
near  Bristol. 

Class  3.— Dorking  (White).— First  prize,  Mr.  Chas.  Edwards,  Bria- 
lington,  near  Bristol.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Kobt.  Rowse,  Torquay.  Third 
prize.  Miss  Ann  Wileox,  Nailsea  Court,  near  Bristol. 

Class  4.— SiiANGiiAE  (Cinnamon  and  Buff).— First  prize.  Capt.  "W. 
H.  Sncll,  St.  Swithin's  Lane,  London.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  Ij. 
Channing:,  Heavitrce,  Exeter.  Third  prize,  Mr.  Cyrus  Clarke,  ytreet, 
near  Glastonbury. 

Class  5.  —  Shanghae  (.Brown  and  Partridg;c).  —  First  prize,  Rev. 
Grenville  F.  Hodson,  Banwell,  Somerset.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John 
Rodbard,  Alnwick  Court,  Wrington,  near  Bristol.  Third  prize,  Miss 
Lydia  C.  Stowe,  Brendon,  near  Tewkesbury. 

Class  6.— SiiANGBAE  (White).— First  prize,  Mr.  Cyrus  Clarke,  Street, 
near  Glastonbury.  Second  prize,  Miss  Lvdia  C.  Stowe,  Brendon,  near 
Tewkesbury.    Third  prize,  Mr.  P.  J.  Coleridge,  Ottery  St.  Mary. 

Class  7.— Malay.— First  prize,  Mr.  Charles  Eallance,  5,  Mount 
Terrace,  Taunton.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Charles  Ballauce,  ditto.  Third 
prize,  Mr.  Henry  Adney,  Lympstone,  Devon. 

Class  8.— Game  Fowls.— First  prize,  Mr.  J.  F.  Mortimer,  Mill- 
street.  Plymouth.  Second  prize,  Chas.  Edwards,  Brislington,  near 
Bristol.    Tliird  prize,  J.  R.  Rodbard,  Alnwick  Court,  Wrington,  near 

Welm  Rmv!;,''Mmo"n"XEI^o-tf.-  febW  prize  Mr.  Kawara  v™m, 
WooMeld,  Torquay.     Third  prize,  Mr.  ,T.  Creed,  Kmgskerswell. 

Class  lO.-GOLDEN-SPANGLEDHAMBrROn.-First  prize.  Miss  Ka*e 
Pai-e  Torquay.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Wm.  Kennaway  bpragire  The 
Quarry,  Paignton.    Third  prize,  Mr.  Wm.  Kennaway  Spragge,  ditto. 

Class  ll._SiLVEK.PENCiLi.ED  HAMBURGH.- First  Py^":.  Ksv-  St. 
Vincent  L  Hammick,  Milton  Alibot.  Second  prize,  Mr.  1.  M  che  1- 
more  un.,  B^y  Totnes.  Third  prize,  Mr.  E.  Vivian,  Woodfield, 
Torquay.    (This  class  was  of  unusual  merit.) 

riTss  1"  — SiLVEE-SPANGLED  Hambckgh.— First  prize  Mv.  J.  B. 
Tool^od'kigher  Terrace,  Torquay.  Second  prize  Mr.  Frank  Paige, 
Torquay.    Third  prize,  Mr.  A.   Paul,  Adwell  Lodge,  Torquay. 

Class  13.-POLAND  (Black  with  White  Crests).-First  prize    Mr.   E. 

Sr~1iliiSS^'Thir?^p^l  £^  ^a^  Hf  cf  S:: 
Torquay  (The  .Tudge  strongly  deprecated  the  pulling  out  ot  the  anterior 
feathers  in  the  crests  of  this  class.) 

Class  14.-POLAHD  (Golden).-First  prize  withheld.  Second  prize, 
Mrs.  Prideiu.^,  Mount  Plym,  Totnes.  Third  prize.  Mr.  Chas.  Edwards, 
Brislington,  near  Bristol. 

Class  15 -Poland  (Silver) .-First  prize,  Mr.  Cyrus  Clarke,  Street, 
near  Glastonhury.  Second  prize,  Mr,  Chas.  E.Coleridge,  Eton  Windsor. 
Thkd  prize  Mr.^Chas.  Edwards,  Brislington,  near  Bristol.  (This  was  a 
very  good  class.) 

Class  16— Any  distinct  breed  not  specified  above.— First 
prSe  Mrs  Brunei,  St.  Mary-Church.  (Frizzled  or  Italian.)  Second 
prize;  Major  Servante,  HoUacomte,  Torquay.    (Ptarmigans.) 

Class  i7._BANTAMs(Gold-laeed).-First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Cooper  Guild- 
ford, Surrey.    Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  G.  Gully,  Queen-street,  t.xeter. 

Class  18.-BANTAMS  (Silver-laced).  -  First  prize  Mr.  C.  Cotiper, 
Guildford,  Surrey.  (The  cock  died,  but  being  good  the  Committee 
allowed  the  prize.) 

Class  ig.-BANTAMS  (White).-First  prize,  Mr.  Wra.  Connett, 
Upholsterer,  270,  High-street,  Exeter  and  Torquay.  Second  prize, 
Miss  A.  M.  Northcote,  Ashprington,  near  Totnes. 

Class20.— Bantams  (Black).— First  prize,  Mr.  Wm.  Connett,  270, 
High-street,  Exeter. 

Class  21.— BANTAMS  (Any  other  variety) .—First  prize,  Mr.  C. 
Edwards,  Brislington,  near  Bristol.  (Fri/^zled.)  Second  prize,  Eev. 
Grenville  F.  Hodson,  Banwell,  Somerset.    (Silky  Japan.) 

Class  •JO.—TuttKEVS.— First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Edwards,  Brislington, 
near  Bris"tol.    Second  prize,  Mr.  Elias  Blackaller,  Blaidencombe. 

Class  23 -GEESE.-First  prize,  Mr,  W.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbot. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  J.  Blackaller,  Maidencombe,  Torquay. 

CHss  ')4.— DnCKS  (White  Aylesbury).— First  prize,  Mr.  W.  W. 
Row'e,  MUton  Abbot.  Second  prize,  Miss  Ann  Wilcos,  Nailsea  Court, 
Bristol. 

Class  25  —Ducks  (Eouen). -First  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  J.  Brembridge, 
HeavUree,  nea.  Leter.  Second  prize,  Mr.  W.  W.  Rowe,  Milton  Abbot. 
Cass  »6 —Pocks  (Any  other  variety).— First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Edwards, 
Brislington,  near  Bristol.    (Buenos  Ayres.) 


REMARKABLE  YEW  TREES. 
It  can  liardly  fail  to  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
most  careless  ot  all  observers  how  some  soils,  seemmgly 
fertile,  and  producing  certain  crops  in  great  a,bundance, 
refuse  to  do  the  same  with  crops  of  another  kmd ;  lor 
we  find,  that  while  one  district  may  he  famous  for  certain 


productions,  it  refuses  to  support  others,  save  only  iu  a 
medium  way.  We  have  all  seen  parks  and  pleasure 
grounds  which  could  boast  their  Oaks,  and  it  might  be 
'J'horijs,  and  some  other  trees,  of  a  size  and  age  almost 
coeval  with  the  Conquest,  while  Elms,  Beeches,  and  some 
other  trees,  were  in  no  respect  remarkable  for  their  size  or 
general  health,  although,  in  another  place,  these  trees  might 
surpass  the  Oalc,  &c.  in  their  vigorous  growth,  and  theeflect 
they  produce  on  the  landscape. 

As  the  most  illiterate  have  a  sort  of  veneration  for  large, 
old,  or  remarkable  trees,  it  is  no  wonder  that  most  of 
the  extraordinary  ones,  should,  by  some  means  or  other, 
find  their  way  into  some  of  the  various  horticultural 
works  tlie  last  few  years  have  given  rise  to ;  but  as  almost 
every  place  of  note  has  its  large  tree,  its  "  king  of  the 
forest,"  or  other  dignitary,  it  is  not  unlikely  but  the  great 
number  of  remarkable  ones  restrains  those  who  would 
otherwise  gladly  report  them  from  doing  so,  think-  „ 
ing  they  might  only  bo  describing  what  so  many  had  the  -^ 
means  to  exceed.  Be  this  as  it  may,  there  is  no  doubt  but 
a  large  number  of  very  remarkable  trees  have  welcomed  the 
summer's  sun  and  braved  tlie  winter's  blast,  for  many 
generations,  unnoticed  and  uukuoivn,  except  by  the  rural 
population  in  tbpir.i'esnectivc  iipifbliourli^M^^-^"   ^=-^  to  which, 

iiiomorablo  event  of  things  iong  KEre--^. -._-!_ ,   -c     

our  ]<',aitor  has  invited  communications  respecting  these 
remarlcable  objects  of  anticiuily,  as  well  as  of  those  remark- 
able for  their  gigantic  size,  our  comitry  friends  could  not  ilo 
more  service  to  the  horticultural  world  than  by  forwarding  a 
faithful  description  of  those  wonderful  productions  whicb 
come  daily  under  their  eye ;  and,  by  way  of  encouragement  to 
such,  I  shall,  this  week,  notice  two  or  three  m  the  imme- 
diate neighbourhood  I  write  from;  beginning,  however,  with 
a  species  scarcely  less  national  than  the  Oak,  and  m  its 
massive  proportions  approaching  nearer  thereto  than  many 
would  be  inclined  to  believe,  and  from  the  position  it  is 
often  found  in,  a  degree  of  sacredness  is  seemingly  thrown 
over  it  which  goes  far  to  protect  its  less  fortunate  brethren 
when  planted  in  a  less  honoured  situation.  I  need  hardly 
add  that  the  "Yew"  here  is  alluded  to.        ^ 

At  what  period  this  sombre  and  unchangmg  tree  was  hrst 
planted  in  our  grave-yards  is  a  point  I  wilhngly  leave  to 
be  settled  by  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  who  have  made 
it  their  business  to  inquire;  but  there  cannot  be  any 
difference  in  opinion  regarding  the  taste  which  select^l  it 
out  from  amongst  the  many  trees  indigenous  at  tlie  time, 
and  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  see  or  hear  of  any  attempt 
being  made  to  supplant  it  by  any  of  those  newer  productions 
we  hear  lauded  up  so  much  ;  but  of  this  there  seems  little 
fear.  The  feeling  of  veneration  for  the  "  Ciiurch  yard  iew 
amounts  to  something  like  that  in  which  the  village  rustic 
regards  the  "robin,"  and  the  unwilUngness  to  hurt  either  is 
manifested  in  so  many  ways  that  protective  enactments  are 
uncalled  for  in  either  case.  This  proper  regard  for  the 
mournful  "Yew"  is  much  enhanced  when  the  specimen  is 
such  as  to  demand  more  than  ordinary  notice,  and  it  is  one 
of  that  class  to  which  I  wish  to  call  attention. 

In  the  beautiful  and  romantic  viUage  of  Loose,  which 
stands  in  a  vaUey,  or  gulley,  through  which  a  small  stream 
of  water  passes  on  its  course  to  join  the  Medway,  the 
parish  church  rears  its  head,  without  exciting  any  exU'aor- 
dinary  cl.aims  for  distinction  beyond  others  of  its  class;  but 
near  to  the  entrance,  at  its  western  end,  a  venerable  \  ew 
has  stood  the  blast  of  many  a  mnter.  This  remarkable 
tree  when  viewed  a  few  yards  off,  presents  nothing  exti-aor- 
dinai-y  in  its  outUne,  beyond  that  its  foliage  seems  in  excel- 
lent health,  and  extends  laterally  a  greater  breadth  than 
the  maiority  of  such  trees,  but  not  so  much  as  to  call  lor 
particular  attention,  while  in  form  it  is  like  most  of  its  class, 
hemispherical,  or  nearly  so ;  but  a  closer  approach  excites 
the  aclmu-ation,  if  not  astonishment,  of  the  jnspector-its 
venerable  trunk,  rising  out  of  the  ground,  seems  to  have 
presented  a  straight  bole  to  the  height  of  some  eight  or 
ten  feet,  and  then  diverged  off  into  branches  m  the  usual 
way  This  bole,  which  at  one  time,  doubtless,  showed  its 
capabiUties  of  furnishing  good  sound  planks  for  a  haU 
dinin"  table,  is  no  longer  what  it  was  then,  although,  in  the 
eyes  of  an  antiquaiy,  it  presents  features  more  beautiful ; 
ill  one  respect,  however,  it  is  probably  unaltered— it  is  still 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


328 

perpendicular,  tlms  showing  its  stability,  and  giving  pro- 
mise to   afl'ord  shade  and  shelter  for  many  generations  ot 
the    human    race   yet    to    come.      Now,  I    presume   that 
readers  will  think  this  is  nothing  more  than  many  trees 
similarly  placed  give  promise  to,  but  when  I  tell  them  that 
the  trunk  of  this  tree,  without   presenting   any  of  those 
uneven  humps,  or  projections,  which  give  a  false  measui-e- 
ment  to  their  circumference,  is,  at  the  smallest  pait,  between 
the  root-claws  and  the  breakings  o£  the  branches,  no  less 
than  thirty-two  feet  ten  inches,  they  will  assuredly  give  it 
the  credit  of  being  an  extraordinary  one.     True,  it  is  no 
lon'^er  sound ;  in  fact  it  is  a  mere  sliell  with  several  open- 
ings, but  none  .exceeding  two  feet  wide,  while  the  shell  itselt 
is  from  six  or  eight  inches  to  a  foot  thick.     There  is  space 
inside  for  a  number  of  people,  and,  doubtless,  many  ot  tlie 
village  rustics  have,  in  their  younger  days,  been  within  its 
ample  enclosure.     Of  late  years,  however,  the  pai-ish  autho- 
rities have  put  a  fence  around  it  to  protect  it  from  t  le 
molestation  of  those  who  seem  disposed  to  think  that  tlie 
pleasure  of  viewing  an  object  is  not  complete  without  the 
possession  of  a  portion  of  it ;  in  this  respect,  the  uninformed 
rustic  is  a  Ir'  ?,danserous  visitor  than  the  learned  collector 

i    ■>- ■■ies'  ■•  curiosities.     In  the  present  instance,  the 

lu'aLcirctt  oeen  at 


J.\>;rART  20. 


adopted;  the  heavy  wooden  pahng  conceak, 
as  well  as  protects  the  object  inside,  wliereas,  an  iron  one 
need  not  have  done  so ;  however,  the  inriuiring  visitor  will 
be  able  to  see  sufficient  of  it  to  form  an  idea  of  its  magnitude. 
It  is  also  proper  to  say,  that  the  site  of  this  veV.er.ible 
object  is  in  a  narrow  valley,  orrather  on  the  side  of  the  hill 
forming  it,  and  the  soil  seems  very  congenial  to  forest  trees 
of  most  kinds,  as  well  as  most  fruit  trees  likewise.  Lime- 
stone,  called  here  "  Kentish  Eag,"  exists  in  great  quantities, 
and  is  dug  within  a  very  short  distance  for  building  and 
other  purposes  ;  and,  doubtless,  the  roots  of  this  U'ee  are  in 
contact  with  this  material.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  many 
other  forest  trees  also  present  a  healthy  api)earance,  but 
the  custom  of  the  iieiglibourJiood  with  that  of  former 
periods  having  been  more  directed  to  the  cultivation  of 
coppice  than  timber  plantations,  there  are  no  remarkable 
timber  trees  immediately  near,  that  I  could  hear  of;  Ijesides, 
the  tempting  prices  given  for  home-grown  timber,  some 
fifty  years  ago,  was  too  great  to  be  resisted  by  needy  pro- 
prietors at  that  time,  Iieuce  the  absence  of  extraordinary 
trees.  Nevertheless,  at  a  short  distance  from  the  Yew 
above-mentioned,  and  in  a  situation  exactly  similar,  an  ex- 
traordinary line  Cedar  of  Lebanon  erected  its  sturdy  head. 
Not  having  an  opportunity  to  examine  it  closely  at  the  time, 
I  could  only  give  it  a  hasty  glance,  and  comparing  it  witli 
others  in  my  mind,  I  thouglit  it  the  iinost  tree  of  tlie  kind 
I  had  ever  seen,  being  evidently  sound,  and  in  the  best  of 
health,  and  of  proportions  from  which  a  ship  carpenter 
might  obtain  some  six-inch  planks,  which,  as  every  one  is 
aware  of,  but  few  Oaks  can  furnish. 

^  Continuing  the  subject  of  Yews,  I  may  add,  tliat  in  another 
Church-yard,  some  six  miles  or  more  from  the  last,  there  is 
another  tree  of  the  same  kind,  which,  I  was  informed,  was 
as  large  as  the  last,  and  perfectly  sound.  This  latter  quali- 
fication seemed  so  extraordinaiy,  that  I  determined  on 
paying  this  famed  tree  a  visit;  and  though  it  fell  short  of 
what  was  reported  of  it,  yet  I  was  not  disappointed,  for  I 
hardly  expected  to  find  a  tree,  10  feet  in  diameter,  perfectly 
sound  ;  this  one,  however,  differed  much  from  the  last ;  with 
a  less  expanded  top,  it  presented  equal  tokens  of  good 
health,  and  its  hole,  which  was  not  very  short,  was  gnarly 
and  covered  with  those  short  spray  twigs,  or  branches, 
wliicli  in  a  great  measure  hid  it  from  view;  however,  a 
string  run  round  underneath  them,  and  at  the  distance  of 
four  feet  from  the  ground,  presented  a  circumference  of 
upwards  of  twenty-seven  feet;  and  thougli  I  could  not  pro- 
nounce it  as  sound  timber,  I  am  satisfied  there  were  no 
liollow  spaces  of  any  extent.  This  description  will  probably 
make  it  appear  as  a  more  extraordinary  tree  than  the  first- 
named,  but  then  it  is  to  he  considered,  that  at  the  place 
wliere  the  circumference  was  taken  the  girth  was  more 
than  atone  foot  from  the  ground;  in  fact,  the  tree  presented 
a  sort  of  barrel-like  swell  at  that  height,  both  above  and 
below  being  smaller  ;  nevertheless,  its  size,  general  health, 
and  comparative   soundness,  was    such   as    to    command 


respect  I  may  also  add,  that  it,  too,  seems  to  luxuriate  on 
th;.  Limestone  range,  although  its  site  was  more  elevated 
and  exposed,  being,  in  fact,  on  one  of  those  en""'="':es 
which  command  a  view  of  eastern  parts  of  the  -Weaklot 
Kent;"  and  our  young  friends  will  find  iis  hill  on  the  county 
map  under  the  name  Ulcomb. 

A  third  tree,  scarcely  less  intercstmg  than  cilher  of  the 
last,  exists  in  the  churchyard  at  Leeds,  near  Maidstone, 
another  rural  parish  but  a  few  miles  from  either  of  the  last- 
named.  This  tree  is,  however,  hollow,  and  has  also  the 
singular  form  of  being  much  thicker  at  a  yard  from  the 
ground  than  at  one  foot  from  it ;  at  the  former  height  it  is 
upwards  of  thirty  feet  in  circumference,  and  sevc-ral  open- 
iii^s  admit  of  its  holding  several  persons,  who  are  not  m 
this  case  debarred  by  an  unsightly  fence  ;  but  the  tree  is 
certainly  not  so  remarkable  as  the  one  at  Loose,  the  latter 
presenting  limbs  of  some  five  or  six  feet  diameter  at  the 
breakin"  ;  whereas,  those  at  Leeds  arc  much  less  ;  stUl,  it 
is  a  roinarkable  tree,  and  bids  fair  to  live  for  many  genera- 
tions yet.  It  is,  however,  much  exposed  :  and  the  barbarous 
practice  of  diggmg  graves  so  near  a  relic  of  former  Umes, 
may,  doubtless,  tend  to  lessen  the  days  of  this,  as  well  as 
of  many  other  trees  similarly  placed j^,_lnit  ^^ns^Oas 
-^  oocre.l  arpund.  and  calculateu  '-^^  ^^^.j^jj  authorises 
the  propriety  of  restricting  innovations  of  this  kind  as 
much  as  possible;  and  though  the  anxious  wish  of  some 
emment  parishioner  to  be  buried  under  the  Yew-tree 
may  seem  a  duty  on  the  part  of  those  to  whom  the 
bequest  was  made,  wo  are  far  from  certain,  that  the  next 
generation  wiU  regard  the  injury  done  to  so  venerable  a 
rehc  ni  the  same  light.  However,  as  I  professed  only  to 
describe  the  trees  as  tliey  are,  without  prescrilnng  rules  for 
then-  future  welfare,  I  must  leave  the  latter  part  of  the 
duty  to  more  experienced  h.inds;  and,  in  conclusion,  will  be 
glad  to  learn  what  part  of  the  kingdom  can  furnish  liner 
Yew-trees  than  those  to  which  I  refer;  and  liope  to  find 
some  other  correspondent  informing  us  where  remarkable 
trees,  eitlier  of  this,  or  other  kinds,  may  be  found;  for  I 
believe  that  many  such  do  exist,  unknow'n  save  in  the  im- 
mediate neighbourhood  of  theh  site.— A  Coreespoxdest. 


THE   POULTRY  PENTALOGUE.* 

One  of  the  most  useful  little  ponlti-y  manuals,  with  its 
information,  moreover,  conveyed  in  an  amusing  form,  that 
have  lately  appeared  on  this  now  popular  subject,  is  thus 
entitled. 

The  Five  great  rules,  whence  its  appellation,  are  thus 
specified  :— 1,  I'ure  Breed  ;  -■>,  Fresh  Blood  ;  :!,  \aued  Diet; 
4,  Equable  Temperature;  .O,  Strict  Cleanhness.  Poultry- 
keepers,  indeed,  might  be  at  variance  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  these  various  requisites  would  he  best  provided  for, 
but  that  these  form  the  main  requisites  towards  success,  all 
would  assent  to ;  and  wherever  failures  have  come  before 
us,  to  the  neglect  of  one  or  other  of  these  essentials  has 
the  cause  been  manifestly  referable. 

The  advice  for  the  interior  economy  of  the  Fowl-house  is 
a  fair  specimen  of  the  form  in  which  the  aulhor's  recom- 
mendations are  conveyed,  and  is  so  well,  and  yet  so  simply, 
put,  that  we  will  now  transcribe  it  for  our  readers'  benefit. " 

"  Brick  or  stone  is  too  cold  for  the  flooring,  which  had  far 
better  be  of  lime,  ash,  or  well-beaten  earth."  The  former  is 
best,  as  it  can  be  more  easily  swept  and  kept  clean.  It, 
should  be  above  the  level  of  the  external  soil  to  avoid 
damps.  The  whole  of  the  interior  had  better  be  plastered, 
as  the  rough  walls  and  thatcli  are  likely  to  collect  dirt  and 
vermin.  If  the  roof  is  tiled  and  slated,  plaster  is  still  more 
necessary  to  clieek  the  extremes  of  Iieat  and  cold.  Two 
or  three  coats  of  whitewash  in  the  course  of  the  summer, 
especially,  will  be  found  very  conducive  to  health." 

When  wo  come  to  direolions  fur  feeding  and  general 
management  equally  safe  giii.Innco  is  briefly  given. 

At  page   IT   we  light  on   '■  Ihc  m;/s!mcs  nf  Cl.iclKiidom,"   i 

*  "  Tlic  Poultry  Pcntaloguo  ;  cr  Five  Rules  for  Fnncy  Fowls  nnil  Fowl  t 

tiinciora       By  James  Furncaux,  Ksq.,  Prcsi.lcnt  of  the  Devon  nnd  Corn-  I 

W.1I1  Poultry  Associalion.— \V.  S.  Orr  anil  Co.,  I.onilou :   iiuijfishcd  bv  I 
1..  I.Hlslonc,  Piymoutli. 


January  2C, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


or 

we  appre- 

ary    circuin- 


vUeearestaotiouisplaced  m  the  number  of  consorts  to 
be  aUowed  the  male  bird.  The  limit  to  which  our  autl.or 
would  restnct  the  harem,  namely,  three  hens,  is, 
bend,  unnecessarily  close,  and,  under  ordin 
stances,  we  should  feel  no  cause  for  anticipating  inferior 
pioduce,  provided  the  male  bird  be  in  good  condition,  where 
hve  or  six  hens  were  permitted   to   run   with  Jiim.     Our 

doubtless,  claam  exemption  from  our  more  liberal  allow- 
ance where,  lor  instance,  every  effort  was  put  in  re,,uisition 
to  bleed  the  choicest  specimens  for  exhibition;  or  where 
again,  the  cock  was  young,  or  the  narrow  boundaries  of  a 
small  yard  was  all  the  space  allowed  for  their  run.  In 
former  days,  also,  another  class  of  birds  would  have  been 
destined  o7  I  "^'"'I'  "™'''^''  *''  G^'-^^e-fowls  tliat  were 
freouen  it  l^t  "1  «'^'"^P'°"«  ,^''^  th^  pit,  where  these,  and 

Chapter  ix.,  bearing  the   ominous  title  "  Kevolulionarv  " 

cbtabiisli  permanent  races  from  cross-breeding  the  present 
d  tlerent  varie  les.  In  a  matter  like  tliis,  where  the  op  iions 
oL'?ut':;:^^tll?2:^°"^'?-  -'  variance,.™  must  exi^Ss  oui 
acknowledgment  of  onr  ,nfA  ,  Z'^  <""™»'  refrain  from  an 
we  may  judge  from  trials.  Atpife%?lffisiitlj,lK'^«lt„.ra=<"m-oc/- 
ti-ates  his  theory,  while  alluding  to  the  delicacy  of  the  Dorking 
race,  which  be  thinks  might  be  invigorated  without  any 
lasting  prejudicial  effects  in  the  breed,  "  by  tlio  iiifnnion  of  a 
iliish  of  Game  blood."  "  The  progeny  of  a  Game  cock  and 
Dorking  Hen  will  be  half-and-half,  all  of  which,  with  the 
exception  of  a  single  cockerel,  should  be  consigned  to  the 
cook,  and  the  survivor  should  have  as  little  of  a  Game 
appearance  as  possible.  If  put  with  Dorking  lieus,  the 
chickens  will  be  quarter  Game  ;  and  the  same  plan  being 
pursued  for  another  generation,  the  cross  will  be  reduced  to 
an  eighth,  after  which  there  will  bo  little  chance  of  the 
birds  '  cvijhnj  bach'  " 

Now,  this  argument  is  based  on  the  hypothesis  that  in 
breeding  from  fowls  of  different  families  the  produce  will 
present  a  proportionate  combination  of  the  characteristics 
of  both  parents.  But  is  this  so  ?  In  few  cases,  we  believe, 
is  the  amalgamation  by  any  means  so  perfect,  and  in  the 
chickens  of  such  a  brood  we  should  expect  to  find  some 
bearing  a  close  resemblance  to  one  parent,  and  some  repro- 
ducing the  featm'es  of  the  other,  while  comparatively  few 
could  be  correctly  termed  half-and-half.  If  this  uncertainty 
prevailed  in  the  first  cross,  stUl  more  questionable  would  be 
the  chance  of  fixing  the  Game  character  at  the  exact  (juarter 
in  the  next  generation.  Since,  therefore,  with  all  our  care, 
we  can  never  be  positively  certain  in  what  proportions  the 
desired  combination  may  be  brought  about,  the  advantages 
to  be  gained  by  cross-breeding  fowls  appear  to  present  so 
great  a  hazard  of  iujm'ing  our  pure  breeds,  that  few  beyond 
those  to  whom  the  test  of  the  experiment  is  sufficient  to 
interest  will  be  likely  to  take  shares  in  this  lottery.  The 
introductioii  of  a  "pile  "  Game-fowl  into  a  strain  of  black- 
breasted  reds  is  said  to  have  made  its  appearance  after  a 
lapse  of  fifteen  years,  when,  moreover,  for  many  generations 
not  a  symptom  of  it  had  been  apparent.  AVe  certainly  be- 
lieve that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  Game  blood,  in  such 
an  instance  as  that  suggested  by  Mr.  Furneaux,  would  be 
bred  out  in  three  or  four  generations,  from  the  universal 
tendency  in  Nature  to  revert  quickly,  in  such  unions,  to  the 
type  of  one  or  other  of  tlie  original  parents.  All  we  contend 
for  in  this,  as  in  other  crosses  between  the  different  breeds 
of  fowls,  amounts  to  this,  that  it  cannot  be  said  that  such 
produce  generally  will  exhibit  in  form,  feather,  or  properties, 
any  very  near  approach  to  the  proportion  of  the  parents' 
features  to  which  their  origin  would  entitle  them. 

But  we  should  be  guilty  of  great  injustice  to  Mr.  Fur- 
neaux were  we  to  leave  our  readers  under  the  impression 
that  he  himself  is  in  favour  of  the  practice  we  have  just 
spoken  of.  So  far  from  it,  indeed,  that  he  expressly  says 
(page  •-;2),  "But,  although  I  maintain  the  practicability  of 
forming  new  varieties,  either  by  taking  advantages  of  the 
freaks  of  Nature,  or  by  pursuing  some  systematic  course,  I 
am  by  no  means  an  advocate  for  the  trial  of  the  exjieriment. 
To  say  nothing  of  the  confusion  and  mongrelising  that 
would  inevitably  ensue  if  the  practice  were  generally  adopted, 


329   f 


Idonottbinkthat  the  public  taste  would  encourage  the 
endeavour  to  inundate  us  with  a  multitude  of  new  mce, 
There  i.s  sometlimg  m  John  Bull's  composition,  whiJlT  so 
long  as  he  is  a  bona-fidc  Englishman,  acts  as  an  AseM  cra° 
upon  his  spint  of  enterprise,  and  reduces  its  speed  withtn 
controllable  imits.  Whh  his  descendants  it  is  otheiwse 
and  he  go. ahead  mania  of  the  United  States  is  continual]; 
developing  Itself  in  such  characteristic  proceedings  as  te 
raanfactm-e  of  wooden  nutmegs,  Aztec  children,  or  Brahm  - 
Pootra  fowls,  the  last  two  of  which  have  been  rejected  by 
oui  ethnologists  and  ornithologists  during  this  yeai-   Whilst 

issibm;"",??  *°"I"^°'''  "^^  revolutionary  doctrine  of  the 

ossibility  of  fonnmg  new  varieties  of  poultry,  I  in  no  way 

maintain  the  desirability  of  it."  '"  no  way 

We  have  said  enough  to  satisfy  our  readers  that  Mr.  Fur-  i 
IZl  S^ff  ^V"  ''"'''  "f  ^  tl^ougbtful,  unprejudiced  \ 
n  pX;„        '  ^^'"™i''^"^S   compilation   from   the  labours   of  i 

w  t    .,  poultry-keeping  ;  as  such,  therefore,  it  will,  doubt 
^t^^:t^^^'  «.osetowhomits;uhiec^n;^l:!r  | 


GAPES. — INFLAMJIATION    Of    THU    WiSDT'jrE. 

Fancy  a  young  practitioner  called  to  the  bedside  of  a 
patient  who  lies  gasping  for  breath  in  the  agonies  of 
suffocation ;  and  fancy  the  young  practioner,  either  from 
want  of  observation  of  the  symptoms,  or  from  being  pre- 
judiced, taking  the  disease  to  be  inflammation,  and  treating  it 
as  such  ;  and  the  weakened  patient  dying,  and  the  cause  of 
the  stoppage  of  the  windpipe  being  discovered  to  have  been 
mechanical,  and  with  no  relation  to  inflammation  at  all: 
What  would  be  thought  of  that  practitioner?  If  he  were 
timid,  hesitating,  or  erring  through  want  of  more  perfect 
information  upon  the  subject,  we  should  pity  while  we 
blamed  him  :  now  let  us  carry  the  simile  into  the  poultry 
yard,  and  let  the  practitioner  be  the  fancier  of  fowls,  who  in 
the  course  of  the  year  has  dozens,  if  not  hundreds  of 
feathered  patients,  who,  if  they  cannot  speak,  yet  can  open 
their  mouths  in  a  manner  quite  expressive  of  the  character 
of  difficult  respiration.  How  is  he  to  treat  these  poor  httle 
chickens  that  every  now  and  then  open  their  mouths  and 
"  gape  ? "  If  he  belong  to  the  positive  school,  he  will 
"Pooh!  Pooh!"  any  idea  but  that  of  the  disease  being 
inflammation,  and  he  will  treat  the  poor  «■<«/.■  liltic  chickens 
with  Tartar  Emetic,  and  the:/  will  die — and  it  only  remains  to 
write  a  book  to  prove  that  they  ought  to  have  lived !  But  if 
he  be  a  practitioner  of  the  other  class,  be  will,  with  all 
modesty,  trace  effects  to  causes  ;  he  will  cautiously  observe 
symptoms  without  jireconceived  notions  about  the  nature  of 
the  disorder,  seeking  earnestly  what  light  the  experience  of 
other  practitioners  may  throw  upon  the  subject;  and  the 
following  'is  a  synopsis  of  what  he  will  find,  and  which,  I 
think,  shews  pretty  clearly  that  a  great  deal  tliat  is  practical 
and  good  has  been  put  forth  and  verified,  step  by  step,  and 
very  much  of  it  in  the  pages  of  the  "  Cottage  Gakdenek." 

Fowls  seem  to  be  threatened  with  suffocation  from  two 
disorders  very  different  in  then-  nature  and  symptoms  ;  the 
first,  which  is  known  by  the  name  of  "gapes,"  being  peculiar 
to  chickens,  and  being  the  result  of  a  mechanical  ob- 
struction :  the  other  being  an  inflammation  of  the  windpipe 
occurring  in  full-grown  fowls,  and  being  of  the  nature  of 
"croup." 

Gapes. — In  wet,  cold  weather,  or  soon  after  it,  the  chickens 
ai'e  observed  to  gape  suddenly,  and  to  do  so  "  at  inter^nh,'' 
"with  a  muscular  motion  of  the  neck,  as  if  they  were 
endeavouring  to  dislodge  something  from  the  throat,"  in  the 
intervals  of  gaping  the  breathing  being  natural :  experience 
has  shewn  that  this  proceeds  from  the  presence  in  the  wind- 
pipe of  one  or  more  small  red  worms,  of  about  three-quarters- 
of-an-inch  in  length  ;  and  that  if  these  parasites  are  allowed 
to  grow  or  develope,  that  the  chicken  will  die  suffocated;  an 
after-examination  of  tlie  windpipe  displaying  no  trace  of 
inflammation ;  hut,  that  if  the  chicken  affected  ivith  gapes 
be  made  to  swallow  the  vapour  of  turpentine  at  intervals,  or 
if  a  small  portion  of  turpentine  be  passed  down  the  windpipe 
so  as  to  reach  the  worms,  they  will  be  dislodged,  coughed 


330 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


January  2fi. 


,wUl 


up,  and  the  clncken,  in  a  very  large  proportion  of  cases, 
live  and  ^« -}^;^^^^;„^  ^,  ,,,,  ^i^Opipe,  S^ner^y^f  ^^ 


name  are  so  t 


fall  ™mvn  fo'wis7aud  is  clisliiuiuishe,!  from  gapes _ 
so  useful  in  curing  "  gapes. 


once,  tliat  many  of  tUe^foregoin 
m  the  excellent 
letter  of  Mr.  Tegetmeier,  in  a  late  numher,  and  who  is  so 
Sod  an  authority  that  I  believe  I  may  ^^^^J^^" 
facts-  I  have  endeavoured  to  shew  how  mnch  they  p^o^e 
and  Ihat  they  are  of  enormous  importance,  I  am  suie  will 
h  Mt  hy  al/owners  of  the  valuable  breeds  «  Pou  U^ 
I  should  think  the  general  remarks  of  Mi.  J;^g^™"fJ' 


sA^  te^Sa:fed'-^m' Um-^^cellent  and  pra^cal 


i,,,in,v  —1  ^ure  sien  vou  know  what  you  arc  doing.   Do  not 

all  injurious  to  J™-.  " /rstore%;Bin"  e^'din"^  Im^cdiauiy.  Payne'. 
than  seven  pounds  of  honey  in  store.  Degra  J'      ,f_,^;     ji„ction  is 

hives,  &c..  are  to  be  .o'''™^^^™^^^^ °?f  J^o^ ten  pounds  of  food 
;;''sto7e'^-ivfb-^r":;':u.arVirrc'ss!7oVrweeU  or  two,  give  honey  and 
su"ar.  and  then  barley-suRar. 

M.TBOPo.,TA^  Snow.-F.  Ber„a,  m.,  Sl^L^'^ir^ngLm 
vou  on  Monday  evening.  I  "="''=*  "^ /°d„  the  tw„  pens  of  Ptar- 
Show  on  Sunday  mornmg.A^ SI.,  p.--    0-day,  the  t^^_,P,,^^.,  ^^,^^^^. 

migans  exhibited  by  me  !»t,,«^''"^V"'„mii^t  arise  from  great  care- 
anee  !  This,  I  think  you  will  agree  «  *  "^^' "^^'„"'"here  it  has  arisen, 
lessness  somewhere.  Next  week  I  w  U  let  y"*^  '^^^1^;^,'  „„  ^y  „„e.  1 
as  at  present  I  am  not  able  positively  to  Sj^  '^e  buime  ,_^^_^^  ^^^ 

^vill  also  then,  it  you  will  give  me  ^paee,  tel    y™^»;^        1 
so-called  AndaUisian  Fowls,  and  brmg  for«  ard     laets. 


matter  of 
practitioners  in 
niidanco   from  the 


lamp 


,  though  it 


pont  which  remains  is  of  quite  minor  im.P.°rt^"««' » 
t„  .f,^™^..  i«f»o>.«t.-.  Tln^s  do  these .pjirasitic  creatmi^  _^^_^ 
understand  parasites  hatched  from  ova,  but  in  tlie  case  of 
the  chickens  there  would  he  no  time  for  this ;  and  it  is 
difficult  to  imagine  the  ova  as  present  in  the  chicken  before 
it  makes  its  exit  from  the  egg. — John  Anthony,  Washwood, 
near  Birmingham. 


TO    CORRESPO?JDENTS. 

***  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  iriitersof 
The  Cottage  Gardener.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
e.tpense.  All  communicationa  should  be  addressed  "  To  the  Editor  of 
The  Cottage  Gardener,  "2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Row,  London,^' 

Greenhouse  and  Melon-pit  {Rev.  J.  S.  !,.)•— You  wish  to  heat 
both  by  one  tire.  The  greenhouse  is  13  feet  by  II  feet  7^  inches,  the 
melon-pit  is  6  feet  from  it  in  front,  and  13  feet  by  6  inside  measure; 
an  open  tank  has  been  made  of  brick  and  cement,  and  top-heat,  as  well 
as  bottom-heat,  is  reiiuired.  The  first  thing,  then,  to  do,  is  to  fix  tlie 
site  of  the  stock-hole,  which  should  be  between  the  house  and  pit,  or  at 
the  end  of  the  latter.  In  either  case,  it  must  be  sunk  enough  to  allow 
the  top  of  the  Ijoiler  to  be  lower,  six  inches  or  so,  than  the  bottom  of 
your  tank.  Then,  if  your  stock-hole  was  between  the  two,  you  might 
have  a  T  piece  for  a  flow  and  return,  taking  one  into  the  greenhouse,  and 
the  other  into  the  melon-pit,  and  both  in  nearly  the  same  level ;  but,  in 
the  latter,  it  should  terminate  in  a  small  cistern,  to  which  the  flow-pipe 
for  top-heat,  and  the  one  for  bottom-heat,  should  be  attached,  and 
supplied  with  plugs  or  valves  to  take  the  heat  off,  or  let  it  on,  at  pleasure. 
If  your  stock-hole  was  at  the  end  of  the  melon-pit,  it  would  be  prefenible 
to  have  the  flow-pipe  taken  into  an  open  cistern  there,  higher  by  a  foot 
or  two  than  your  pipes  for  top-heat,  and  have  three  Iioles  in  that  cistern 
for  pipes  being  fastened  to, — one  for  the  greenhouse,  one  for  top  heat  in 
melon-pit,  and  one  for  bottom-heat  ditto,  so  that  you  could  stop  and 
regulate  the  heat  in  either  at  discretion.  Under  such  a  supposition,  you 
would  require  two  four-inch  pipes— a  flow  and  return—round  the  front 
and  part  of  the  ends  of  your  greenhouse,  two  three-inch  pipes  for  top, 
and  two  for  bottom,  in  your  tank,  for  melons.  In  each  of  these  cases, 
see  that  the  flow-pipe  rises  a  few  inches  to  the  farthest  extremity  from 
the  boiler  or  cistern,  and  there  fix  a  small  open  pipe,  to  be  taken  outside 
the  building  to  allow  the  escape  of  air.  If  the  bottom  of  your  tank  was 
no  lower  than  you  could  put  your  ])ipcs  in  the  greenhouse,  and  you 
could  depend  on  your  tank  holding  water,  then  you  migiit  dispense  with 
pipes  altogether  in  your  melon-pit,  by  running  a  division  up  the  middle 
of  your  tank,  except  at  the  farther  end,  taking  one  end  of  your  T  piece 
into  the  tank,  and  the  other  into  the  greenhouse,  and  covering  your  tank 
with  stronc;  slate,  and  leaving  part  of  that  uncovered,  so  as  to  supply  you 
with  top-heat.  We  have  seen  such  contrivances  act  admirably,  but  they 
are  not  to  be  depended  on  like  separate  pipes.  Near  the  end  of  our 
cn.'nnrl  vninMip,  you  will  find  a  most  economical  arrangement  by  means 
of  a  wooden  tank,  described  and  illustrated  by  Mr.  Fish.  You  will  per- 
ceive, that  under  this  mode,  were  the  pipes  in  the  greenhouse  higher  than 
your  tank  they  would  cmjity  themselves  into  it.  Taking  the  water  from 
the  boiler  at  once  to  a  cistern  higher  than  the  highest  pipes,  and  then  by 
means  of  plugs  or  valve.i  letting  it  on  where  you  wish,  is  the  m,.st  ma- 
nageable mode,  and,  perhaps,  the  cheapest  in" the  end.  Vou  would  sec, 
by  some  articles  of  Mr.  Fish,  lately,  that  when  pipes  are  used  for  bottom* 
heat,  with  plenty  of  rubble,  tanks  maybe  dispensed  with  ;  but  the  latter, 
even  with  pipes,  are  useful  for  affording  a  moist  bottom-heat.  Any  of 
the  tradesmen  who  advertise  in  our  columns  would  do  your  work  well. 

Various  (C.  I.  S.  ,^.).— Your  Coha-a  has  very  likely  robbed  your 
Mnmlevilla ;  they  should  have  been  planted  in  brick  divisions.  Do  not 
mind  the  sickly  look  of  the  latter  now  ;  ours  has  long  ago  lost  its  foliage  ; 
prune  it  rather  close  by-and-by.  Your  temperature, -10°  at  nicht,  and  a 
rise  of  10"^  during  the  day,  is  all  right.    We  are  pleased  the  plants  you 


Diseased  Ear  or  ^A-^^T-'TUicb  aT  tTvour^^^^^^^^^^^ 
received  these  replies-'  The  disease  ^^^^^^^^^  Eription     what   is 

(Ascurs)  Rabbits,   is,    I  f^r^'^^.^^^'^ile^U^^^^ 

termed,  wa-r  in  the  ear.     I  do  not  i^""^^  ^ue  J^^'  ^^     wax,  or  scurl, 

the  best  remedy  1  ever  tried,  or  heard  ot,  is  to  rcm^^hrttlTs  oi  ::>weer  uu 
fcnm^the  inside"  of  tlie  ear,  and  apply  'vTapa  to.  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
feltyttig  :i  speHuy  c-uicum^  i)c  ^T:LnVir.''Tt  may  be  as  well  to  add,  that  the 
symptoms  of  this  disease  approaching  are  continual  shaking  of  the  head  ; 
and  if  taken  in  time  may  easily  be  cured.  —Oris." 

*'  I  have  frequently  found  Rabbits  subject  to  the  ear  disease,  but  the 
cause  I  am  quite  ignoraut  of.  I  beg  to  inform  Ascttt,  if  he  will  occa- 
sionally examine  the  ears  of  his  rabbits,  and,  on  seeing  the  least  symptom 
of  the  disease  recurring,  drop  a  little  sweet  oil  and  turpentine  into  them, 
all  will  be  right.  I  once  kept  rabbits;  and,  at  my  first  onset,  was  nearly 
discouraged  by  this  rather  noxious  disorder,  but  an  old  fancier  let  me 
into  the  secret,  and  ever  afterwards  all  went  on  well.  I  had  no  recipe  as 
to  i)roportion  of  oil  and  turpentine,  but,  at  the  commencement,  1  pro- 
cured a  half-pint  bottle,  into  which  I  put  a  rather  large  teaspoonful  of 
turpentine,  and  then  filled  with  sweet  oil ;  this  I  kept  always  at  hand. 
I  object  to  picking,  or  in  any  way  meddling  with  their  ears  more  than  is 
necessary  to  drop  in  the  oil,  taking  care  to  always  well  shake  the  bottle 
before  doing  so.     I  believe  the  disease  is  infectious. — I).  E." 

Trellis  with  Evergreens  [Odemeretaw^ .—Yqm  want  just  the  very 
same  things  which  all  great  lovers  of,  and  enthusiasts  in,  gardening  want 
when  they  first  begin — very  choice,  very  good,  very  pretty  evergreen 
plants  and  climbers,  or  "  pretty  flowering  evergreens,"  but  nature  has 
never  thought  fit  to  indulge  mortals  in  such  extravagances  ;  and  there  are 
no  such  plants  as  you  ask  for,  at  least,  not  in  temperate  latitudes.  Ever- 
green Roses  would  soon  cover  your.'trcllis,  and  soon  after  that  they 
would  be  too  much  confined.  We  would  plant  a  dozen  kinds  of  the  best 
hybrid  perpetual  Roses  for  a  division  fence,  sLx  feet  high ;  and  the  index 
to  the  last  volume  will  show  when  to  look  for  them,  and  the  best  of  the 
evergreen  Roses  as  well. 

..^CHMEA  FULGENS  (Dan). — Either  youT  plant  of  this  must  have  bccn 
very  young  when  you  had  it,  or  you  put  it  in  a  large  pot  too  soon,  and 
so  prevented  its  flowering,  for  no  plant  flowers  more  freely  when  well 
used.  Do  not  shift  it  this  spring,  hut  give  it  strong  peat  and  moisture 
from  March  till  the  end  of  June,  then  less  water  and  a  drier  place,  and 
you  will  soon  see  it  in  beautiful  bloom. 

Orcuids  {Ibid), — Ill-treated  orchids  are  a  long  time  coming  round, 
but  you  have  acted  fairly  by  them  since  they  came  into  your  possession. 
Continue  as  you  have  begun,  and  trust  to  patience. 

Allamanda  {Ibid). — All  the  Allamandas  flower  on  the  young  wood 
made  the  same  season,  like  the  grape  vine  ;  therefore,  to  keep  them  within 
bounds,  and  to  get  them  to  flower  abundantly,  they  must  be  cut  in  very 
close  at  pruning  time ;  but,  like  vines,  if  you  want  them  to  cover  a  large 
space  in  a  short  time,  you  would  not  cut  them  in  so  close  in  jiots.  All 
the  wood  of  last  year  may  be  cut  down  to  one,  two,  or  three  buds  from 
the  old  wood. 

Cape  Rule  {So,  Durham). — The  leaves  sent  are  those  of  some 
Bahiana,  and,  we  think,  of  Babiana  plicata,  witli  purplish  little  flowers 
in  I\Iay.  Your  plant  seems  to  have  been  potted  early  in  September,  or 
it  has  been  kept  too  warm,  for  it  is  as  forward  now^  as  it  generally  is  in 
the  middle  of  March.  These  Babianas  arc  among  tlie  smallest  bulbs  of 
the  Ixia  tribe  ;  sandy  peat  is  the  best  for  them  in  pot.'^,  and  all  the  heat 
they  rec]uire  is  to  keep  the  frost  from  them.  Your  plant  will  go  to  rest 
early  in  May,  but  it  ia  doubtful  if  it  will  flower  this  season  from  May  to 
the  end  of  September.  Keep  it  dry,  and.  after  potting,  keep  it  cool  all 
through  the  winter;  from  aix  to  ten  of  its  little  bulbs  will  grow  very  well 
in  our  -IS-sized  pot. 

SpANTSn  Fowls. — I\rr.  Painter  informs  us,  that  his  birds  at  the  Me- 
tropolitan Show  took  the  third  prize  for  Spanish  Chickens,  his  birds 
having,  bymistake.  been  put  into  pen  18,  which,  as  in  the  catalogue,  had 
been  assigned  to  Mr.  Taylor. 

Food  for  Ducks  {Ori.t). — The  following  arc  our  directions  given  in 
"The  Poultry  Book:" — \\'e  allow  them,  morning  and  evening,  a  liberal 
mess  of  steamed  Roots,  Carrots,  Turnipa,  or  Mangel  Wurtzcl,  as  the 
case  may  be,  mixed  up  with  bran  and  a  little  harley-meal.  The  refuse 
of  the  kitehen-garden  is  eagerly  devoured,  and.  where  grass  is  not  ubtaiu- 
able  by  them,  must  be  regularly  supplied  to  them.  When  feeding  thcni 
for  table,  a  portion  of  skim-milk  with  their  meal  forwards  them  very 


January  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GABDENEB.. 


S31, 


rapidly."  As  to  the  mode  of  reavinp:  Bucklingg,  we  must  refer  you  to 
the  same  work,  of  whicli  it  occupies  lour  pages. 

Bread.— S.  E.  I.  says— "I  shall  be  much  obliged  by  any  receipt 
available  for  the  poor,  during  the  present  high  price  of  food,  for  making 
Bread  with  a  mixture  of  Indian  Rleul,  Rice,  Barley  Weal,  or  any  otlier 
article  of  food  cheaper  than  Wheat."  We  shall  be  glad  of  any  commu- 
nication on  so  important  a  subject.  Our  own  experience  enables  ua  to 
recommend  the  addition  of  two  pounds  of  boiled  potatoes,  rubbed  through 
a  colander,  to  half-a-pcck  of  tlour. 

Damp  and  Watery  Situation  (//.//.).— The  only  poultry  fitted 
for  such  a  situation  are  Ducks. 

.  SiiANcnAES  (Amicus  Gnlli).— The  ear-lobes,  and  all  about  them,  ought 
to  be  rod  ;  but  we  should  not  consider  a  white  stain  upon  it  a  defect 
preventing;  the  bird  taking  a  prize  if  otherwise  sufficiently  meritorious. 
Is  it  a  permanent  stain,  or  is  it  merely  "  white  comb,"  and  removeablc 
by  being  ruljbed  with  an  ointment  of  turmeric  and  cocoa-nut  oil  ?  Hemp- 
seed  bruised,  and  in  very  small  ((uanlitics,  is  useful  for  young  chickens  ; 
but  wc  deprecate  such  stimulating,  rich  food  for  the  breeding  stock.  We 
prefer  the  second  sitting  oipn//ets'  eggs  to  the  first  sitting. 

Growing  Food  tor  Pigs  and  Fowls  (Isle  of  IVi'g//;).— Divide  your 
ground  into  two  equal  parts,  and  grow  alternately  on  one-half  Barley, 
and  on  the  other  half  Carrots,  Parsnips,  and  Mangold  WurtKel.  When 
these  crops  are  olf,  steal  a  crop  of  Coleworts  from  the  vacant  ground. 
This  incessant  cropping  will  require  very  liberal  manuring.  Of  Pigeons, 
we  should  keep  Jiunts  for  table  purposes. 

Manork  pon  Crlery  ;;!/.  F.)  — The  dungs  of  bens  and  sheep  are 
excellent  for  Celery.  You  map  mix  them  with  the  soil  before  .ilnnt.incr 
and  you  may  make  liquid-manure  trom  mciu  rur  watering  the  plants 
while  growing. 

Radishes  in  Frames  (/•  B.). — These  cannot  be  grown  too  near  the 
glass  ;  two  or  three  inches  from  it  is  not  too  near.  Vou  may  sow  them 
now,  and  have  them  off  before  you  require  the  frames  for  Cucumbers 
in  April. 

Carrot  Grooving  (W.  F.  B.). — A  light,  deep  soil,  trenched,  and  a 
little  manure  turned  in  with  the  bottom  spit  is  the  best.  Sawing  about 
the  third  week  in  April  is  a  good  time  for  avoiding  injury  to  their  roots 
by  the  grub. 

Transplanting  Cabbages  (G.  Taslcer), — If  you  move  them  with  a 
trowel  they  scarcely  receive  any  check.  We  should  prefer  this  mode  ; 
for  the  loosening  the  soil  receives  by  digging  and  manuring  is  very 
promotive  of  growth. 

Moth  in  Wardrobes  (G,  A.  O.). — We  are  informed  that  spirit  of 
turpentine  sprinkled  on  sheets  of  paper  and  placed  among  the  infested 
articles  eft'ectually  destroys  the  l\Ioth. 

Diseased  Eggs  (F.  W,  S.). — You  were  answered  at  page  195. 

Laying-out  Garden  (L.  M.) — Nothing  would  induce  Mr.  Beaton, 
nor  any  other  trardener  of  discretion,  to  lay  out  a  gaulen  he  has  never 
seen.     He  merely  criticises  the  arrangements  intended. 

Soot  (A  Subscriber  from  the  Beginning). — Root  is  a  very  useful 
manure  for  Wheat  or  Clover,  the  former,  when  thin  of  plant  in  tlic  spring 
months,  would  be  greatly  benefited  by  the  application  of  about  fifty 
bushels  per  acre,  sown  broadcast  on  the  land  in  the  month  of  March, 
during  dry  weather.  It  should  be  harrowed  in,  on  a  still,  quiet  day,  but 
in  order  to  prevent  its  flying  before  the  wind,  and  thereby  insure  a 
regular  distribution,  it  is  advisable  to  mix  common  salt  or  damp  ashes 
with  the  soot.  The  benefit  to  be  derived  from  an  application  of  soot  to 
Wheat  will  be  more  in  the  produce  of  straw,  and  its  peculiar  property 
is  to  induce  the  Wheat  plant  to  tiller  and  branch  out.  It  acts  somewhat 
in  the  same  manner  upon  the  Clover  plants,  inducing  a  very  luxuriant 
foliage.  The  properties  of  soot,  as  manure,  may  be  compared  to  Guano, 
except  as  regards  the  phosphates.  Your  other  query  we  are  enquiring 
about. — .1.  B, 

Brahma  Pootras. — B.  P.  writes  to  us  as  follows — "  Many  amateurs 
wish  to  know  why  the  jud2;e3  at  the  flletropolitan  Show  this  month  gave 
the  prizes  in  the  Brahma  Pootra  class  to  birds  with  smnll  combs,  similar 
to  the  Malay.  That  a  I\Ialay  head  should  be  put  upon  a  Brahma  footra 
fowl,  which  is  evidently  of  the  Shanghae  race,  requires  a  little  explana- 
tion, and  the  poultry  world  ought  to  know  the  authority  upon  wliich  the 
judges  acted." 

Parsnips  (.4  Poultry/  Wommi). — They  will  not  produce  roots  of 
useful  si^e  under  a  plantation  of  laurels.  Your  other  questicn  will  be 
answered  next  week. 

Peat  Charcoal  (L.  R,  Lucas). — Apply  to  IVIr.  Purser,  Secretary  of 
the  London  Manure  Company,  Bridge  Street,  Blackfriars. 


CALENDAU  FOR  FEBRUARY. 


FLOWER   GARDEN. 

Anemones,  sow  ;  finish  planting,  b.  and  e.  Annuals  (Tender),  sow 
in  hotbed  ;  admit  air  to  daily ;  water  slightly  ;  cover  with  mats  the  glasses 
at  nights  ;  sow  seeds  of  blue  and  white  Campanula  carpaticn  in  heat,  for 
autumn  .flowering,  e. ;  pot  old  plants  of  each,  and  put  in  heat  for  cuttings, 
b.  ;    sow  Nemophita,   and    other  Californian   amiuals,   to   flower  after 


autumn-sown  ones  ;  (Hardy)  sow  in  bordcra,  e. ;  for  early  blowing,  sow 
in  pots  in  a  hothouse.  Auriculas,  dress,  and  attend  carefully  those 
under  glass,  as  the  buds  appear.  Biennials  (Hardy),  sow,  e.  Bulbs, 
finish  planting.  Carnations,  plant,  and  shelter  from  cold  winds. 
Dahlias,  sow,  and  place  tubers  in  hotbed,  to  break  buds  for  slipping, 
iJREss  borders  generally.  Edgings  of  Box,  &c.,  may  be  planted  and 
repaired.  (See  January).  Cut  round  the  roots  of  evergreens,  to  remove 
about  next  July.  Evergreens  removed  last  autumn  may  have  liquid 
manure  in  fine  weather.  Evergreens,  plant  in  mild  weather,  c.  Grass, 
roll  and  sweep  weekly.  Gravel,  roll,  and  weed  in  dry  weather,  weekly, 
and  try  the  concrrfe  system.  PIedges  (Deciduous),  plant,  b. ;  (Ever- 
green) plant,  e.  Hvacintiis,  shelter,  for  they  begin  to  appear.  Mig- 
nonette, sow  in  pots,  and  place  in  hotbed,  or  hothouse,  and  green- 
house, for  succession.  Neatness,  attend  to  everywhere.  Perennials 
(Hardy),  sow,  e, ;  plant  suckers,  sUps,  and  partings  of  roots  ;  (Half- 
hardy)  uncover,  if  frosts  gone.  Planting  of  llowcring  shrubs,  com- 
plete. Polyanthuses,  sow:  earth-up  with  rich  compost.  Potted 
Shrubs,  prune,  shift,  and  dress  the  soil;  pot  oil"  bedding  geraniums, 
ike,  from  stove  pots.  Ranunculuses,  finish  planting,  b.  and  e,  Roses, 
prune  strong  ones,  and  leave  some  to  prune  in  April  for  late  flowering ; 
manure  with  cow-dun^.  Sowing  of  tree  and  shrub  seeds,  complete 
generally.  Support,  with  stakes,  &c.,  newly-planted  shrubs.  Tulips, 
shelter  as  they  arc  now  appearing.  Turp  may  be  laid,  and  see  that 
plants  are  in  heat  for  cuttings,  such  as  Lobelias,  Verbenas,  &c. 

Climbers,  such  as  honeysuckles  and  jasmines,  should  be  prnned  and 
trained  in  the  early  days  of  the  month,  iffrfwc-e  to  moderate  sized  patches 
such  plants  as  phloxes,  asters,  veronicas,  &c.,  otherwise  they  will  occupy 
too  much  space,  injure  their  neighbours,  and  harbour  vermin.  Hcrba- 
coi/s  plants  shouhl  be  planted  out  from  nursery-beds  into  the  borders 
without  delay.     Hatf-hardif  shrubs,  &c.,  may  have  theirshelters  partially 


GREENHOUSE; 

Air,  admit  freely  among  hard-wooded  plants,  such  as  Ericas,  Epacris, 
Diosma,  &c.,  when  the  atmosphere  is  clear,  and  the  outside  temperature 
from  35°  to  40°.  In  damp,  foggy,  or  frosty  weather,  it  is  better  to  use 
little  firing,  and  keep  the  house  more  close,  unless  you  have  the  means 
of  heating,  and  so  far  drying  the  air  before  it  is  admitted— the  drying,  of 
conrse,  to  take  place  only  when  the  air  is  loaded  with  moisture.  When 
the  fog  gets  into  the  house,  light  a  little  fire  and  give  air,  and  it  will  soon 
be  dispersed.  All  these  plants  will  now  want  more  water,  but  do  not  give 
it  in  dribblets ;  after  doing  it  thoroughly,  wait  patiently  until  the  soil  is 
getting  dry.  Tliose  in  full  bloom  may  have  similar  treatment,  especially 
if  the  sun  will  raise  the  house  to  55°.  Those  swelling  and  opening  their 
heads  must  not  be  low^er  than  45^,  with  10°  or  1^"  more  in  the  middle  of 
the  day.  Azaleas  and  Camellias,  place  those  swelling  and  bursting 
their  buds  in  the  warmest  end  of  tlie  house,  and  you  may  remove  them 
to  the  coldest  end  when  in  bloom.  Supply  such  rather  lii)crally  with 
water.  Those  to  be  retarded,  keep  as  cool  a?  possible,  and  not  so  moist. 
Bulbs,  Cinerarias,  and  Primulas,  in  flower,  assist  with  manure- 
water  ;  the  double  Chinese  Primula  give  a  warm  corner,  as  it  is  (especially 
the  white)  a  splendid  object  when  well  grown.  The  night  temperature  of 
these  should  not  be  below  45'^,  if  desired  to  keep  them  in  fidl  bloom, 
with  10°  more  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  Cinerarias,  for  blooming,  do 
best  at  this  season  in  small  pots  ;  those  desired  to  make  fine  specimens  in 
May  and  June,  should  not  now  I?e  allowed  to  be  pot-bound,  or  be  stunted 
any  way,  but  kept  slowly  growing.  Forsythia  viridissima,  Deutzia 
sc/ibrii,  and  Weigelia  rosea  will  yield  their  blossoms  during  this  and  the 
following  month  if  slightly  forced.  Forced  hardy  shrubs  keep  at  the 
warmest  end  of  the  house  at  first.  Begonia  obliqua  makes  a  fine  con- 
servatory plant  in  winter,  if  the  night  temperature  is  seldom  below  45°. 
Calceolarias  and  Geraniums,  keep  at  the  best  place  for  li^ht  and 
heat.  All  these  soft-wooded  plants  require  more  heat  than  the  hard- 
Mooded  ones;  the  former  shift  as  necessary.  The  forwardest  of  the 
latter,  stopped  and  shifted  before  Christmas,  tie  out  and  train. '  Place  in 
flowering-pots  those  stopped  some  time  ago,  and  now  breaking;  and 
stop  more  young  plants  for  succession,  to  be  shifted  when  the  buds  have 
broken  again.  Franciscea  IntifoHa  and  vnijlora,  do  well  in  a  conserva- 
tory at  this  season,  if  they  had  previously  received  a  little  extra  heat, 
after  being  allowed  to  become  deciduous  in  the  beginning  of  winter,  the 
wood  being  well-perfected  previously.  Fuchsias,  start  some  favourite 
kinds,  if  you  can,  in  a  nice,  sweet,  slight  hotbed,  as  at  this  season  they 
stand  a  little  bottom-heat  well,  though,  when  fairly  started,  a  medium 
temperature  makes  better  plants  than  a  high  one.  Cut  them  well 
down,  and  thin  the  shoots  afterwards,  to  as  many  stems  as  you  may 
require.  The  young  shoots  taken  off,  treated  as  cuttings  in  the  hot- 
bed, under  a  handlight,  or  shaded,  will  make  choice  summer  and 
autumn  plants.  Kepot  those  for  the  greenhouseby  the  end  of  the  month, 
and  prune  back  freely  ;  those  intended  for  cottage  windows  had  better 
remain  in  their  winter  quarters  for  another  month,  keeping  them  rather 
dry,  and  as  cool  as  possible,  so  that  more  room  at  present  maj' be  afforded 
to  other  plants.  The  same  Hotbed  would  do  for  seeds,  nittings,  &c.  ; 
and  also  for  starling  some  Achimenes,  Gesneras,  and  Gloxinias — the  two 
former  either  in  the  pots  by  which  they  grew,  or  by  removing  the  tubers, 
and  placing  them  in  pans  with  light  earth,  until  they  grow  a  little;  the 
latter  either  in  their  late  pots  before  they  spring,  or,  what  will  do  as  well, 
in  fresh  pots  and  sod,  so  that,  whenever  they  start,  they  take  hold  of  the 
fresh  material.  For  Fires,  Protection,  Dressing,  and  Cleaning, 
see  last  month.  Insects  will  now  begin  to  be  busy,  and  the  best  antidotes 
and  sulphur  vapour  and  tobacco  fumigation,  but,  above  all,  cleanliness 
and  good  cultivation.  Scarlet  Geraniu:\is:  old  plants,  stored  in  pits, 
seeds,  garrets,  &c.,  examine.  Remove  all  parts  that  are  mouldy  and 
damped.  Dust  with  lime  and  charcoal,  and  expose  more  to  the  light, 
that  the  young  shoots  may  break  vigorous  and  strung.  R.  Fish, 


332 


T1!K   COTTAQK    GAHDENICR. 


Januauy  00. 


FLOaiSTS'  FLOU'KUS. 
Auriculas  anc  Polyantuuses,  proceed  without  delay  to  top-diess 
with  rich,  light,  well- sweetened  compost.  Water  them  two  or  three 
times  during" the  month,  pivini:  it  only  in  thcmorninn;;  gu'e  plenty  of 
air  on  every  mild  day.  but  shut  up  early,  au.l  cover  up  s-'curcly  every 
night,  for  ;'i  sudden'frust  would  cripple  the  liloom^.  Calceolarias, 
repot ;  sow  seed  of,  kei^p  clear  of  insects,  and  give  air  daily,  to  prevent 
damping-ofF.  Caknations  and  Picotees,  attend  to  with  water  and 
plenty  of  air  in  mild  weather.  Cinekarias,  smoke  frecjuently  to 
destroy  green  fly;  repot,  middle  of  the  month;  give  free  supplies  of 
watPr'to,  and  plentv  of  air.  Cubysakthemdms,  put  in  cuttings  of, 
latter  end.  Oaulias:  look  over  the  roots,  and  remove  all  decayed 
bulbs.  Set  some  in  a  warm  place  to  start  growth,  and  afford  eultmgs. 
FocnsiAS,  pot.  latter  end;  put  in  cuttings  of  scarce  sorts  early,  to 
afford  good  blooming  plants  in  July.  HyACi.XTns.  protect  from  severe 
weather,  with  hoops  and  mats.  Pinks,  in  fine  v/eather  stir  up  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil ;  press  any  that  the  frost  may  have  disturbed  down  into 
the  earth  again.  Ranunculuses,  plant  early  in  the  month,  choosing  a 
dry  day  for  that  purpose.  Tulips,  shelter  from  frost  and  heavy  storms 
of  rain,  snow,  or  nail.  Verbenas,  look  to,  trim  off  all  mouldy  leaves, 
give  water  to  when  needful,  and  plenty  of  air  every  day  not  actually 
frosty.  Water,  give  to  all  florists'  flowers  in  pots.  Should  the  i^n-een 
fly  appear,  promptly  destroy  it  by  tobacco  smoke.  Look  after  Slugs  in 
tilt  frames  or  pits,  and  destroy  them.  '-T-  Appledv. 


PLANT  STOVE. 

AiK,  give  ireeiy  on  an  proper  occasions,  but  shut  up  earij  .l.  ... r..^.  - 

noon.  Cuttings  of  various  plants  desirable  to  increase  may  he  put  in 
towards  the  end  of  the  month.  Divide  HEnnACEous  PLA^TS,  such  as 
Achimencs,  BiWersfias,  TUlandsias,  Vriezia,  and  Hedr/chiums,  repot  and 
divide  also.  Ixoras  (specimen  plants),  repot ;  prepare  young  plants  of, 
to  ma!;e  specimens  by  potting,  tying-out,  and  giving  more  heat  and 
moisture.  Insects,  diligently  extirpate,  by  every  means,  such  as 
cleaning  the  plants  v.itha  sponge,  smoking  with  tobacco  frequently,  and 
washing  the  pipes  with  Rulphur-watcr  to  destroy  or  keep  uo'.vn  the  red 
spider.  Potting:  this  is  the  month  to  go  through  the  whole  of  the 
stock  and  repot  them;  let  batches  of  such  things  a-i  AcJiimeiies,  (Jes- 
nerris,  and  Gio-rlnias,  be  potted  fr.»ni  time  to  time.  V/ater,  give  freely 
as  the  plants  grow  and  the  days  lengthen.  Soils,  prepare  for  use  by 
placing  them  under  cover  to  dry  and  warm.  Syringe:  u^i-  tlua  in- 
strument almost  daily,  to  give  moisture  to  the  air,  and  refresh  and 
cleanse  the  leaves  of  the  plants,  and  to  keep  down  the  red  spider.  Let 
everything  be  kept  clean  and  sweet,  let  no  decaying  leaves  be  seen,  nor 
moss  appear  on  the  pots  or  walls.  T.  Atpleey. 


ORCHID  HOUSK. 

TnR  season  has  now  come  when  the  general  juo'^iJi^  of  the  orchids  will 
he  needful.  Numbers  will  be  growing,  and  then  is  the  best  time  of  all 
for  potting.  The  materials  must  be  provided  in  good  time,  in  order  to  he 
in  good  condition.  Fibrous  turves  nf  peat,  the  same  of  loam,  sphagnum 
or  white  bog  moss,  charcoal,  and  broken  potsherds,  are  the  principal 
articles  wanted.  New  or  well-washed  pots  must  aNo  be  provided  The 
turf  should  be  brought  under  cover  and  placed  where  it  will  become 
partially  dry.  It  might  be  laid  upon  the  pipes  or  flues  for  that  purpose. 
Air  will,  during  the  month,  be  frequently  necessary.  To  keep  the  house 
up  to  the  mark  of  propf)'  hettt,  good  fires  will  be  necessary,  and  if  the 
sun  should  break  forth,  the  thermometer  will  ruri  up  rapidly,  and  then  air 
is  necessary  to  reduce  the  heat.  Blocks:  the  plants  on  these  will  re- 
quire the  syringe  to  he  used  daily  ;  refresh  such  plants  on  them  as  need 
it,  with  new  blocks,  before  the  plants  begin  to  push  forth.  Baskets, 
renew  when  necessary.  If  the  baskets  arc  made  of  «iro,  give  fresh 
sphagnum,  and  lirger  baskets,  if  needful.  Dendkobes  will  begin  to 
show  buds  of  bloom,  give  water  to  and  repot  them  as  they  need  it. 
Heat:  the  season  of  growth  for  most  kind  of  orchids  being  come,  the 
heat  may  he  increased  10'^  Ijy  day,  a:id  6'^  by  night.  Insects  must  be 
diligently  destroyed.  I\Ioisture  in  the  Aia,  increase  during  the 
month.  A  dry  atmosphere,  now  the  plants  are  crowing,  will  cause  them 
to  grow  weak  and  spindly,  especially  Dcndrohcr, ;  let  the  pipes,  flues, 
walls,  and  floor  be  diligently  wetted  every  day,  especially  in  the  morning. 
Potting,  proceed  with  without  dehiy ;  if  the  young  and  tender  roots 
push  much  before  this  is  done,  there  is  great  danger  of  their  being  broken 
off.  Watering  at  the  root  to  plants  growing  must  be  given  freely.  Let 
all  the  walls,  stages,  shelves,  window-sills,  and  the  glass,  have  a  thorough 
cleunin};,  to  sweeten  the  air  of  the  house.  In  potting,  attend  to  the 
leaver  and  stems  of  the  plants,  sponge  them  well  over  in  every  part ; 
nothing  is  so  injurious  to  plants  as  having  their  breathing  pores  stopped 
with  moss  or  dust.  T.  Appleby. 


ORCHARD. 

Apples,  prune,  train,  and  plant.  Apricots,  plant,  train,  and  cover, 
h.  Blossoms,  cover  directly  to  n-turd.  Cherries,  plant,  prune, 
train.  Ciiesnuts,  plant  and  sow.  Currants,  prune,  plant,  b.  Cut- 
tings of  all  fruits,  plant,  h.  Dressing,  carry  out  of  .all  borders  ; 
beware  of  the  spade.  Filberts,  plant;  hang  catkins,  and  remove 
suckera.  Gooseberiiies,  prune,  plant,  train.  Grafts,  collect  imme- 
diately ;  put  them  in  a  cold  corner;  in  May  commence  operations  at,  c. 
Layers,  make.  Medlars,  plant,  I^Ioss,  remove ;  use  brine.  I\Idl- 
BEHRiEs,  plant.  Nectarines,  plant,  prune,  train.  Orchard-trees, 
finish  planting  and  pruning;  top-dress  old  onea.  Peaches,  aa  AVc- 
inrinen i  apply  sulphur  and  lime  wash.  Plums,  plant,  prune,  train. 
Pbab3,  plant,  prune,  train.    Qoinces,  plant.    Raspdeebiks,  plant, 


prune,  tie.  Sccicers,  remove  from  all  fruits.  Vines,  plant,  prune. 
train.  Walnuts,  plant  and  sow.  Watch  forth.-  scale,  aphides,  and 
other  insects,  and  try  to  utterly  exterminate  them.       R.  Kur-iNCTON, 


FORCING  HOUSE. 

Aiu,  admit  on  all  occasions,  if  safe.  Apeicots  :  sec  Peach.  Cocfm- 
bers,  keep  good  linings  to  dung-heds ;  sprinkle  bed  often:  air  fre- 
quently; bottom-heat  90'  maximum.  In  Iiouses,  train  regularly,  stop 
occasionally,  and  give  liquid  manure,  witli  a  moist  air  heat  of  70°  to  80°. 
Cherries  .IS  Pi;ach>:::,  only  a  lower  maximum — say  70°  sun  heat.  Cap- 
sicums and  CniLiES,  sow.  b.  Figs  as  Peaches,  wiXy  a  higher  minimum 
—say  1)0°.  Grapes,  late,  keep  dry  and  cool ;  thin  the  berries.  Heat,' 
in  all  cases,  in  proportion  to,  ai^d  advancing  with,  light.  Kidney- 
beans,  6c.°  to  70°;  plentv  of  air,  moisture,  and  a  light  ^situation. 
Mklons,  sow;  provide  beds,  &c. ;  air-heat.  70°  to  80°  ;  bottom-heat, 
90°  maximum.  Moisture,  constantly  provide  the  air  with,  wherever 
lire-heat  is  used.  Nectauinks  as  PeacU»:>i.  Pines  {Fruiters),  rising, 
increase  warmth  and  air  moisture;  liquid-manure  to  the  roots  occa- 
siomvllv  ;  (Succcssiaiis)  still  dry  if  in  dung-pits.  Peaches,  disbud,  and 
pinch  gross  shoots  ;  fumigate  occasionallv.  Potatoes,  get  out  suc- 
cessions. Stuawbesries,  introduce  plentv;  keep  moist  :dr,  frequent 
ventilations  near  glass;  maximum  6o°.  Tomatoes,  sow,  b.  Ven- 
tilation, night  and  day,  as  long  as  air,  moisture,  rnd  heat  is  secured. 
Vines,  disbud  early,  and  attc-nd'to  thinning  the  berry ;  keep  clear  of  all 
waste  spray.  Keep"  a  mellow  state  of  air.  neither  damp  nor  dry,  hut  a 
permanency  of  air  moisture.  A\'atering,  attend  to  withj-cgularity  and 
precision. 


11.  Eerington. 


KITCHEN    GARDEN. 

Artichokes,  defend  from  frost.  Asparagus,  plant  in  hotbed,  and 
attend  to  that  forcing.  Balm,  plant.  Beans,  plant;  earth-stir,  and 
transjtlant  from  frames,  e.  Beets,  sow  a  little  for  early  use  ;  plant  for 
seed,  and  dig  up  for  storing  any  left  in  the  bed.  Borecole,  sow,  e. 
Brocoli,  sow  a  little,  e.  Burnet,  sow  or  plant.  Caeuages,  plant  ; 
sow  ;  and  plant  for  seed.  Cap.rots,  sow  on  ccntle  hotbed  for  earlv  use  ; 
attend  early  to  thinning  advancing  crops,  &c. ;  plant  for  seed,  e.  Cau- 
liflowers, attend  to,  airing,  eartli-stirring,  removing  all  decayed  leaves 
and  slugs;  plant  out  winter  standing,  should  the  weather  be  open  and 
mild,  and  attend  to  spring-sown  crops  (sec  last  month);  sow,  if  required; 
prick  out.  Celery,  attend  to  carthing-up,  protection,  ^ic. ;  leave  for 
seed,  and  sow  a  little  fur  early  use.  Chervil,  suw.  Chives,  divide 
and  plant  out.  Clary,  sow,  c.  Composts,  prepare  and  turn  over. 
Coriander,  sow.  Coi;n-salad,  sow.  Cucumbers,  attend  to  those 
forcing  ;  prick  and  plant  out ;  and  sow  in  hotbeds.  Dill,  sow,  m.  Dung, 
prepare  for  hotbeds.  Earthing-up,  prrform  when  necessary.  Endive, 
still  protect  frnmwetand  severe  weather.  Fennel,  sow  or  plant.  Gar- 
lic, plant.  IIORSE-RADisu,  plant.  Jerusalem  Artichokes,  plant. 
Kidney  Beans,  sow  in  succession,  &c.  Keep  a  good  supply  of  earths 
in  the  dry  for  immediate  use.  Leeks,  plant  for  e^.cd  ;  sow,  e.  Lettuces. 
plant  out  from  frames,  &'C.,  of  the  winter  standing,  towards  the  end  of 
the  month,  and  sow  in  the  open  border.  If  short  of  plants,  sow  in  frames 
on  a  crentle  hoibcd  at  the  beginning  of  the  month.  Liquorice,  plant 
and  dig  U]i.  Melons,  plant  out  for  early  crops  ;  sow  and  pot  off;  attend 
to  this  sort  of  work  on  a  kindly  calm  afternoon,  just  before  shutting-up 
time,  I\IiNT,  force,  in  hotbed  ;  plant.  Mushroom  beds,  make  in  suc- 
cession, and  attend  to  those  in  bearing.  Mustard  and  Cress,  sow  in 
succession.  Onions,  sow  main  crop  towards  the  middle  to  the  end  of 
the  month  ;  also  plant  for  seed,  if  not  done  ;  and  plant  the  Underground 
or  Potato  Onion.  Parsnips,  take  up  where  left  in  the  ground  till  now ; 
plant  or  leave  for  seed  ;  al-io  sow  towards  the  middle  of  the  month,  par- 
tieul.irly  in  light  soils.  Parsley,  sow.  Peas,  sowings  may  be  made 
both  of  early  and  second  on  the  same  day,  where  the  soil  works  well,  as 
the  one  will  be  found  a  good  succession  to  the  other  at  picking  time ;  also 
to  suit  some  unfavourable  situations,  it  is  well  to  sow  in  frames  in  small 
pots,  or  in  sods  of  turf,  which  is  by  some  thought  best,  to  plant  out  when 
a  good  season  offers  ;  also  attend  to  slicking,  earthine-up.  and  protecting 
other  forward  crops.  Pennyroyal,  plant,  e.  Potatoes,  plant  in  hot- 
bed of  any  favourite  early  kinds;  this  may  be  done  from  the  first  to  the 
end  of  the  month  ;  also  plant  out  during  this  month  all  the  main  crops, 
if  the  soil  will  admit  of  it,  and  plant  whole  sets  in  prcfercuf's  to  cut  ones  ; 
also  look  over  those  in  store,  olten  to  keep  shoots  rubliedoff.  Radishes, 
attend  to  (see  .January),  and  sow  in  succession  either  in  bord^jr  or  hotbed. 
Rape  (for  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.  Sage 
and  Savory,  plant,  c.  Salsapy,  sow,  e..  in  small  quantity,  for  early 
use.  Savoys,  sow,  m.  and  c.  Scor7.oner.\,  sow,  c.,  in  small  quantity, 
for  early  use.  Sua-kale,  attend  to  that  forcing;  cover  up  in  succession. 
Shalots,  plant.  Skirrets,  sow,  e.  Spinach,  weed,  sow,  m.  Sor- 
ri:ls,  sow  or  jjlaiit,  e.  Tansy,  Thyme,  and  Tarragon,  phant,  e. 
Turnips,  plant  for  seed;  sow,  c.  Vacant  GnnuKD,  dig;  weed,  &c. 
There  is  a  right  time  and  a  right  way  of  doing  everything.  Plant  out  in 
mild,  open  wcathpr;  wheel  out  manure,  &c.  on  frosty  mornings,  or  on  a 
fine,  dry  day;  make  good  use  of  the  hoe  on  fine,  dry  days,  in  stirring 
among  the  various  crops  ;  look  over  all  in-door  stores  in  rainy  weather; 
and  tic  the  ends  of  new  mats  before  thev  arc  applied  to  use. 

T.  Wbavbu. 


London:  Printed  by  Harrv  Wooldridge,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parieh  of  Saint  Mary  Kakndar  ;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMERViLLE  OiiB,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Chriit 
Church,  City  of  London.— January  26th,  1854, 


February  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


333 


M 
D 

D 

W 

FEBRUARY  2—8,  1854. 

PuRip.    Candl.  Day. 
Podura  viridis ;  buckwheat. 
Spliodrus  coUaris ;  roots. 
5  Sunday  after  EpipnANV. 
Staphylinus  morio ;  moss. 
Onialium  planum  ;  baric. 
Byrrhus  aemistriatus. 

Weather  near  London  in  1853. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Moon's 

Age. 

Clock 
af.  Sun. 

Day  of 

Year. 

Barometer. 

Thermo.  Wind.;  J^"'""" 
Inches. 

Sets.    [K.&S. 

2 
3 
4 
6 
6 

7 
S 

Th 

P 

s 

SnN 
M 
To 
W 

30.120—29.962 
29.715-29.535 
29.783—29.521 
29. S78— 29.710 
29.843—29.685 
29.521—29.343 
29.230—29.062 

42—23  1  N.E.  i       — 
39—34  !  S.E.  1      — 
41—31  [N.W.  j       17 
42—32  '   S.E.          — 
43—34      N.E.          — 
45—34         S.             01 
40—26      S.E.  1       — 

40  a? 
33 
37 
35 
33 
31 
30 

49  a  4 
SO 

6! 
54 
50 

53 
V 

10     54 
morn. 

0  8 

1  20 

2  30 

3  33 

4  42 

n 
6 

8 

9 

19 
11 

14      2 
14      9 
14     15 
14     20 
14     24 
14     27 
14     30 

33 
34 
35 
36 
37 

33 
39 

Meteoeology  of  the  Week.— At  Chi8wick,from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  tbe  averac^e  highest 
peraturss  of  these  daysare  45.3°  and  32.6°  respectively.     The  greatest  heat,  5/°,  occurred  on  the  3rd  in  1860  ;  and  the  lowest 
Sth  in  1S30.  During  the  period  94  days  were  fine,  and  on  95  rain  fell. 

an  d  lowest  tem- 
cold,  10°,  on  the 

It  ought  to  have  been  stated  in  the  first  paper  on  The 
Garden  Pea  (page  314),  that  much  allowance  is  to  be 
made  for  trials  made  during  the  last  season,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  extremely  wet  and  ungenial  state  of  the 
weather  during  the  summer  months.  In  favourable 
summers,  the  period  of  growth,  that  is,  the  time 
occupied  between  the  sowing  and  gathering,  is  some 
days  less  than  indicated  in  those  observations;  thus,  in  a 
warm  summer,  Taylor's  Prolific,  and  Sanijster's  Number 
One,  would  have  been  at  least  four  or  five  days  earlier. 
We  come  now  to  notice  one  of  the  most  distinct  and 
chai'acteristic  Peas  in  cultivation. 

DANECROFI    RIVAL. 

Synonyjies, — Olass  Pea,   Oirling's  Pea,   Oirling's 
Daneeroft. 

This  variety  is  readily  distinguished  from  all  others 
by  the  peculiarity  of  the  colour  of  the  whole  plant, 
which,  instead  of  being  of  a  dark  or  lively  greyish- 
gi'een,  is  of  a  pale  and  sickly-looking  yellowish-green, 
or  rather  greenish-yellow.  This  is  :iot  occasioned  by 
any  unhealthiness  or  want  of  vigour  in  the  plant,  but 
from  the  absence  of  that  secretion  which  is  met  with  on 
the  leaves  of  other  Peas,  or  those  of  Cabbages,  and 
on  the  fruit  of  Plums  and  Grapes,  commonly  called 
hloom,  and  which,  by  some  of  the  learned,  is  said  to  be 
wax,  and  by  others,  resin. 

The  plant  is  from  two-and-a-half  to  three  feet  high,  of 
slender  habit  of  growth,  and  consists  of  a  simple  stem. 
The  pods  are  produced  singly,  and  are  from  two-and-a- 
half,  to,  sometimes,  three  inches  in  lengtli,  perfectly 
straight,  and  terminated  abruptly  at  the  end  ;  being  in 
every  respect  similar  to  those  of  Warner's  ]Emperor. 
They  contain,  on  an  average,  seven  peas,  but  occa- 
sionally eight.  The  ripe  seed  is  white.  It  was  sown 
on  the  5th  of  April,  bloomed  on  the  5th  of  June,  and 
on  the  14th  the  blooms  dropped,  and  the  slats  appeared. 
On  the  2nd  of  July  the  pods  were  quite  filled  and 
ready  to  be  gathered.  This,  though  an  early  Pea,  and 
coming  in  almost  as  soon  as  any  of  those  already  de- 
scribed, is  not  a  desirable  variety  for  general  cultivation. 
It  is  much  less  productive,  and  considerably  more 
tender,  as  the  gardener  who  trusts  to  it  for  his  first 
crop  will  soon  discover  to  his  cost  and  disappointment. 
It  was  raised  some  years  ago  by  Mr.  Girling  (Girlin" 
of  Daneeroft,  near  Stowmarket),  in  the  days  when  there 
were  no  Number  One  nor  Emperors,  but  now  it  is  not 
worth  cultivating  except  by  the  curious. 


BECK  S   GEM. 

This  is  a  real  gem— a  horticultural  gem.  It  is  not 
above  a  foot  high,  and  completely  covered  with  pods. 
For  small  or  private  gardens,  or  for  forcing,  this  will  be 
a  most  valuable  acquisition,  as  it  occupies  comparatively 
little  space,  and  produces  as  great  an  abundance  of  pods 
as  many  of  the  varieties  do  which  require  sticks.  It  is 
but  newly  introduced  by  Messrs.  Beck,  Henderson,  and 
Co.,  of  the  Adelphi,  London,  from  whom  I  procured  it. 
The  plant  is  one  foot  high,  of  a  stout  habit  of  growth 
for  its  size,  and  consists  of  a  very  short-jointed  stem, 
which  branches  at  almost  every  joint 
from  the  base  to  witliin  three  or  four 
of  tlie  top,  and  produces  from  fourteen 
to  eighteen  pods.  The  pods  are  almost 
always  in  pairs,  rarely  single,  and  are 
produced  at  every  joint,  particularly 
towards  the  top.  They  are  about  three 
inches  long,  six  -  tenths  -  of  -  an  -  inch 
broad,  perfectly  straight,  somewhat 
waved  on  the  upper  side,  and  tapering 
gradually  at  the  point  on  the  under 
side.  They  are  smooth,  and  of  a  dark 
green  colour,  plump,  and  well-filled, 
containing  from  five  to  seven  peas, 
which  are  as  large  as  those  of  the 
Imperial,  being  nine -twentieths,  or 
nearly  half -an -inch  long,  seven - 
twentieths  broad,  and  the  same  in 
thickness.  The  ripe  seed  is  somewhat 
ovate,  and  of  a  greyish-pearly  colour. 

The  seed  was  sown  on  the  5th  of 
April,  and  the  plants  bloomed  on  the 
7th  of  June;  on  the  12th  the  blooms 
began  to  drop,  and  the  slats  appear. 
On  the  25th  the  plants  ceased  blooming,  the  first  pods 
were  ready  for  gathering  on  the  2nd  of  July,  and  a 
succession  was  kept  up  till  tbe  24th  of  July,  by  the 
same  plants. 

This  is  one  of  the  instances  which  reconciles  us  to 
the  increase  of  the  number  of  varieties.  But  that  we 
may  fully  appreciate  the  value  of  such  introduction,  our 
first  consideration  should  be  the  total  extinction  of  all 
such  varieties  as  are  found  to  be  inferior  in  value,  and 
consequently,  worthless. 

We  have  now  completed  what  may  be  called  the 
earliest  Peas,  and  from  what  we  have  stated,  it  will  be 


No.    CCLXXIX.,  Vol.  XI.^ 


334 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Pebroahy 


seen  that  there  is  very  little  difforeuce  ns  regards  the 
time  at  which  each  is  ready  for  gathering.  Still,  how- 
ever, although  the  number  enumerated  is  small,  there 
is  room  for  selection,  and  for  the  earliest  crop  we  would 
recommend  either  Taylor's  Prolific,  or  Sangster's  Number 


One,  and  Beck's  Oem.  Any  of  these,  if  sown  in  a 
warm  situation  early  in  .January,  will,  if  all  goes  well, 
produce  an  abundant  crop  iu  the  second  or  third  week 
in  May.  R.  H. 

(To  he  continueiL) 


CoNTiNDiNG  our  notes  on  "  The  Plants  of  the  Bible,"  we 
come  next  to  The  Almond. 

We  are  justified  in  concluding  that  the  Almond  is 
not  a  native  of  Palestine,  because,  when  .Jacob  wished  a 
suitable  present  to  be  presented  to  the  Egyptian  ruler,  he 
desired  thtitAhnoncls  might  form  a  part  of  the  gift  as  being 
"of  the  best  fruits  of  theland"(G'eK.  xliii.  11).  Now,  such 
fi'uits  are  esteemed  to  be  those  which  require  some  care 
in  the  culture.  We  should  not  consider  Sloes  and  Crab 
Apples  "of  the  best  fruits"  of  England.  The  Almond 
grows  wild  in  Barbary,  but  its  fruit  is  very  inferior  to 
that  obtained  from  the  cultivated  trees  in  Palestine  and 
other  parts  of  the  Levant.  In  commerce  they  still 
retain  the  name  of  the  Jordan  Almond,  but  they  ai-e  no 
longer  e.xported  hither  fi-om  the  banks  of  that  river,  our 
supply  being  now  chiefly  derived  from  the  south  of 
Europe. 

The  regard  and  attention  paid  by  the  Israelites  to 
this  tree  and  its  fruit  is  strongly  evidenced  by  the 
various  allusions  to  it  made  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
These  allusions  are  nearly  all,  in  some  mode  or  other, 
founded  upon  the  earliness  of  its  blossoms. 

Theophrastus,  who  wrote  about  three  hundred  years 
before  the  birth  of  our  Saviour,  remarks  that  it  was  the 
only  tree  in  Greece  which  produced  its  blossoms  before 
its  leaves.  We  all  know  that  such  is  its  habit  in  our 
own  shrubberies,  and  that  those  blossoms  are  among 
the  earliest  that  adorn  the  spring.  It  was  on  this 
account  that  God  employed  it  as  an  emblem  to  denote 
how  speedily  his  judgments  should  be  executed  upon 
Israel.  "Jeremiah,  what  seest  thou?"  was  God's 
question  to  the  entranced  prophet ;  and  when  he  re- 
pUed,  "I  see  a  rod  of  an  Almond  Tree,"  God  rejoined, 
"  Thou  liast  well  seen,  for  I  will  hasten  my  word  to 
perform  it"  (Jerem.  i.  11,  12). 

For  a  similar  reason,  probably,  was  Aaron's  rod,  or 
official  staff,  formed  of  a  branch  of  this  tree.  It  was 
well  calculated  to  remind  its  bearer  of  the  promptitude 
and  early  devotion  to  his  duties  required  of  him  by 
God.  Nor  was  the  lesson  less  impressive  upon  the 
people,  for  when  they  saw  that  the  rod  budded,  blos- 
somed, and  bore  Almonds  in  rapid  succession,  it  urged 
upon  them  that  the  good  thoughts  of  the  heart,  if  un- 
checked, give  rapid  birth  to  suitable ,  efforts  and  results 
(Numbers  xvii.  8). 

As  teaching  these  lessons— as  a  symbol  that"  the  best 
fruits"  of  our  lives  and  the  first  thoughts  of  our  hearts 
should  be  towards  God— Almonds  were,  perhaps,  selected 
as  a  happy  symbolical  form  for  the  bowls  of  the  lamps, 
or  candlesticks,  of  the  Temple.  Such  ofl'erings  of  our 
best  and  earliest  would  be  a  ligiit  to  tlie  Temple,  and 
upon  such  ofi'eriugs  would  the  liglit  of  the  Temple 
specially  descend. 


Lastly,  it  is  elegantly  used  by  Solomon  as  a  symbol 
of  advancing  old  age,  when  he  says  "  the  Almond  Tree 
shall  shed  its  flowers"  ( Ecclesiastes  xii.  o).  :■  Man  was 
justly  compared  to  an  Almond  Tree,  because,  as  he 
becomes  wise  by  experience,  so  this  tree  becomes  more 
fruitful  as  it  advances  in  years ;  a  fact  well  known  to  the 
ancients,  for  Pliny  says,  "  The  Almond  and  the  Pear  are 
in  their  old  age  most  fruitful"  (Nat.  Hist.  1.  xvi.  c.  2'7). 
So  also  is  extreme  old  age  as  beautifully  compared  to  an 
Almond  Tree  casting  off  its  flowers.  With  us  the 
Almond  has  pink  blossoms,  but  in  the  east  the  flowers 
are  snowy  white,  and  a  fitting  simile  of  those  white 
locks  the  falling  off  of  which  has  ever  been  named  as  a 
symptom  of  extreme  length  of  years.  It  is  not  only 
alluded  to  in  our  own  sonneteers  well-known  words — 

*'  Time  hath  thinned  my  flowing  locks, 
The  few  I've  left  are  grey  ;  " 

but  Anacreon  wrote  long  before  from  the  lauds  of  the 
East — 

"  oft  am  I  by  woman  told, 
Poor  Anacreon,  thou  grow'st  old  : 
Look  how  thy  hairs  are  falling  all ! 
Poor  Anacreon  !  how  they  fall." 


In  the  Malvern  Prize-list  for  the  present  year,  which 
announces  the  Exhibition  of  that  Poultry  Society  for  the 
13th  and  14th  of  September  next,  we  find  the  classes 
almost  entirely  confined  to  Chickens,  Dorkings  and 
Bantams  being  the  only  exceptions  where  the  seniors 
are  permitted  to  enter  the  lists.  Considering  the  time 
of  year  at  which  the  birds  will  have  to  make  their 
appearance,  the  limitation  to  those  hatched  in  the  year 
is  certainly  a  wise  restriction,  though  we  are  at  a  loss  to 
understand  why  Dorkings  alone  of  the  larger  fowls 
should  be  exempt  from  this  arrangement.  With  four 
separate  classes  for  Shanghaes,  could  not  the  Committee 
have  given  one  each  to  the  Coloured  and  White  Dor- 
kings? Hardly  any  two  varieties  of  any  breed  are  less 
suited  for  a  common  class,  and  we  cannot  but  regret  to 
see  it  in  this  instance.  A  new  division,  again,  of  Game 
Fowls  is  also  proposed,  for  Diichwinys  and  Blaek- 
breasted"  are  to  go  together,  the  rest  in  a  common 
medley.  We  hold  this  to  be  a  great  mistake,  for  it 
would  be  difficult  to  take  any  two  varieties  of  the  Game 
Fowls  more  distinct  in  feather  than  the  black-broastod 
"  reds  "  and  the  Duckwings.  But  this  word  "  red  "  is 
an  insertion  of  our  own,  for  wc  presume  its  omission  to 
have  been  accidental  in  the  list  before  us,  since  "  black 
breasted"  is  a  terra  by  which  alone  no  variety  of  game 
or  other  fowls  has  yet  been  distinguished.  But  what 
becomes,  may  wo  ask,   of  the  remaining  "  rods,"  the 

•  The  Septimgint  and  our  version  of  the  Bible  interpret  it.  "The 
Almond  Tree  shall  flourish ;  "  but  Parkinson  jusUy  remarks  that  the 
Hcl)rew  "  never  has  anything  like  this  meaning  elsewhere  in  the  Hebrew 
Bible." 


February  3. 


THK  COTTAGK  GARDENEK. 


335 


"  gingers,"  and  "  sti-eaky-breasted"  among  others  ?  Surely 
they  should  stand  with  tlicir  black-breasted  relatives  on 
every  account,  the  position,  in  i'act,  which  invariably 
they  occupy  where  the  Game  Fowls  receive  the  greatest 
care  in  the  sub  division  ol'  the  various  members  of  their 
family.  It'  it  be  said  that  the  beading  of  Class  n  should 
have  been  "  Black-breasted,  and  other  reds,  and  Duck- 
wings,"  and  that  the  meaning  is  apparent,  all  we  reply 
is,  that  Secretaries  should  be  more  accurate  in  the  cor- 
rection of  their  published  prize-lists,  if  they  wish  to 
avoid  the  inconvenience  and  confusion  of  which  we 
have  very  recently  had  occasion  to  complain. 

The  high  rate  of  peu-money,  four  shillings  for  each, 
as  also  the  unusual  charge  of  10  per  cent,  on  all  sales, 
load  us  to  imagine  that  this  E.Khihition  is  designed  to 
be  self-supportiug;  and  since  this  is  luidoubtedly  the 
footing  on  which  the  permanent  stability  of  all  such 
institutions  should  be  founded,  we  shall  gladly  hear  of 
its  success  in  the  present  case ;  and  if  the  number  of 
pens  prove  somewhat  more  limited,  the  counter-balanc- 
ing effect  of  the  e.\clusion  of  much  rubbish  must  be 
taken  into  favourable  consideration. 

In  one  respect  the  decision  of  the  Malvern  Com- 
mittee may  be  followed  profitably  by  those  with  whom 
may  rest  the  arrangements  for  other  Poultry  Societies 
during  the  ensuing  season.  Two  days  are  wisely  fixed 
for  the  duration  of  the  Show,  a  private  view  being  given 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  judging-day.  The  hour,  also, 
for  closing  on  the  second  day  being  (i  p.m.,  a  majority 
of  their  birds  may  be  on  their  homeward  journey  that 
same  evening.  Under  certain  circumstances,  where 
more  than  ordinary  expense  is  unavoidable,  the  exten- 
sion to  a  third  day,  as  we  have  often  said,  may  be 
reasonable ;  but,  beyond  this,  we  reiterate  our  convic- 
tion, that  no  further  period  of  confinement  for  the  fowls 
should  be  permitted.  Dead,  dying,  and  sickly  speci- 
mens, but  which  had  been  placed  in  their  several  pens 
in  perfect  condition  and  health,  have  but  too  often 
appeared  on  the  opening  of  the  returned  baskets,  and 
such  must  inevitably  continue  the  result  of  these  unduly 
protracted  exhibitions. 

The  absence  of  the  name  of  a  gentleman  (whose 
triumphs  in  the  Dorking  and  Spanish  classes  may  be 
almost  termed  uninterrupted  for  the  last  two  seasons) 
from  the  list  of  awards  at  the  late  Metropolitan  Exhi- 
bition is  thus  to  be  accounted  for.  Captain  Hornliy, 
indeed,  has  suffered  too  severely  froni  the  evils  we  have 
now  spoken  of  to  subject  his  birds  to  the  eight  or  nine 
day's  confinement  that  their  appearance  at  J-5aker  Street 
must  have  entailed,  and  he  is,  moreover,  far  fi-om 
standing  alone  in  this  determination,  so  that  a  fourth 
day,  we  hope  and  trust,  will  rarely  again  mar  the 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  any  Poultry  Show  whatever. 


CULTURE   OF  TOMATOES. 

It  happens  of  necessity  that  the  departmental  writers 
in  The  Cottage  Gardener  occasionally  cross  each 
other's  tracks ;  this  I  take  to  be  more  contributary  to 
the  cause  oi'  truth,  and  the  well-olearing-up  of  questions, 


than  if  each  were  to  observe  a  most  rigid  line  of  demar- 
cation, which  would  merely  pi'oduce  and  spread  one  set  • 
of  ojiiuions,  in  which  the  unknowing  are  hut  too  a[)t  to 
build  up  a  set  of  cut-and-dry  rules,  which,  however  right 
in  themselves,  cannot  with  sulficient  pliancy  adapt 
themselves  to  awkward  circumstances.  This  it  is  which 
renders  the  gardeners  of  the  present  day  so  immea- 
surably superior  to  their  predecessors ;  they  are  com- 
pelled to  carry  out  about  double  the  amount  of  business 
with  the  same  number  of  hands,  or,  as  1  know  in  many 
cases,  with  a  less  number,  and  this  cannot,  like  the  vast 
impetus  given  to  commercial  matters  in  later  years,  be 
attributed  to  tlie  introduction  of  steam  power. 

The  Tomato  is  an  instance  of  wliat  1  urged  at  the 
commencement  of  these  remarks;  its  culture  lias  been 
written  over  and  over  again ;  but,  indeed,  of  what  branch 
of  the  gardening  art,  or  of  what  individual  tiling  within 
its  precincts,  may  not  the  same  bo  said  ?  This  singular 
plant  is  a  puzzle,  in  our  fitful  climate,  in  move  ways 
than  one.  Except  in  more  favoured  southern  counties, 
it  lequires  the  aid  of  a  wall,  and  one,  too,  with  a 
southern  aspect;  but  since  the  growing  increase  of  our 
tender  Pears,  and  the  still-existing  demands  for  sites 
on  such  aspects  for  our  good  old  fruits  of  proved  cha- 
racter, gardeners  find  it  most  difficult, — shall  1  not  say 
impossible? — -to  suit  all  these  customers.  What,  tlien, 
may  give  way  ?  Here  is  the  rub  !  Who  will  give  up 
his  Moorpark  Apricots;  his  Royal  George,  Noblesse, 
and  Galande  Peaches;  his  Elruge,  Newington,  and 
other  Nectarines ;  to  say  nothing  of  Neilis  Pears,  or 
the  D'Arembei'gs,  Passe  Colmars,  &c.,  with  a  very  early 
Duke  Cherry,  and  several  others  I  could  name? 

I  well  remember,  that  many  years  since  Mr.  Loudon 
quoted  some  Tomato  culture  in  his  Magazine,  which,  at 
the  time,  appeared  singular,  because  uncommon.  The 
gist  of  the  plan  was  the  keeping  the  plants,  from  year 
to  year,  as  perennials,  or  rather,  in  the  language  of 
botanists,  as  suffrutieose  shrubs.  This,  of  course,  im- 
plies that  they  were  kept  in  a  beat  congenial  to  their 
habits,  and  they  were,  indeed,  preserved  in  hot  stoves. 
Fruit  was,  of  course,  in  use  through  the  whole  winter, 
and,  indeed,  nearly  all  the  year;  and  I  advert  to  this 
fact,  merely  to  show  those  of  our  readers,  vfbo  are  not 
very  knowing  in  horticultural  matters,  what  the  real 
habits  of  the  plant  are,  and  in  so  doing,  lead  them  to 
approach  as  near  those  conditions  as  expedients  within 
reach  will  permit. 

The  ordinary  practice  in  this  country  is  to  treat  it  as 
a  half-hardy  annual ;  few  can  afford  house  room  for  it, 
except  during  the  nursing  season  in  a  young  state,  and 
then  its  treatment,  as  to  temperature,  light,  &c.,  may  be 
lumped  with  such  things  as  the  Capsicums,  Chilies, 
and,  if  you  will,  the  ridge  Cucumbers.  But  there  are  a 
few  special  matters  to  which  I  would  point,  and  these 
deserving  of  consideration  by  those  who  are  desirous  of 
enjoying  the  luxury  of  good  Tomato  sauce;  and  to  those 
wljo  are  as  yet  unacquainted  with  this  powerful  and 
peculiar  zest,  to  say  nothing  of  Soyer's  fancy  Tomato 
dishes,  I  would  say,  just  try  a  little  really  good  with  a 
first-rate  rump  steak  when  the  appetite  is  thoroughly 
whetted  with  several  hours'  keen  exercise. 

The  first  thing  I  would  name,  then,  is,  tliat  those  who 
cannot  afford  all  the  necessary  appliances  of  heat,  &c., 
place  their  plants  in  such  a  condition  at  the  beginning 
of  summer  as  to  be  ripe  for  action,  that  is  to  say,  be  so 
mature  in  habit  as  to  possess  a  tendency  to  blossom 
rather  than  a  profusion  of  leaves.  To  accomplish  this, 
the  best  plan  1  am  acquainted  with  is  to  sow  in  October. 
Strange  advice,  some  of  our  country  cousins  will  say; 
and  so  it  is;  but  let  us  show  why  it  is  expedient.  Of 
course,  this  pre-supposes  the  having  a  house  or  pit  arti- 
ficially heated  to  fly  to  :  without  that  I  urge  nothing. 
Sow  in  October,  then,  in  a  plain,  loamy  soil — manurial 
matters  unknown.     The  reasons  for  this  strange  course 


330 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Febucahy  2. 


shall  appear  in  their  place.  When  the  plants  arc  fit  to 
liaudle,  plant  a  few  in  five-inoU  pots  singly,  there  to 
endure  the  winter;  when  they  are  ahout  live  inches 
high  let  the  terminal  point  be  pinched — this  will  bring 
us  to  about  the  second  week  in  November,  and  by 
this  time  the  pots  will  be  filled  with  then-  fibres  ; 
and  such  being  in  reality  the  case,  they  will  be  in  a 
jiosilion  to  endure  a  good  deal  of  dryness,  which,  as  a 
winter  procedure,  is  essential.  And  now,  until  April, 
all  that  they  need  will  he  a  situation  in  some  house,  pit, 
or  Irame,  where  they  will  enjoy  from  OU"  to  55°  through 
the  winter,  and  as  much  light  as  can  be  afforded  thom. 

By  the  end  of  this  period  it  will  be  found,  under  such 
treatment,  that  they  are  somewhat  of  what  gardeners 
term  a  woody  character,  rather  than  such  a  solt,  pliant, 
and  watery  annual  as  we  too  often  find  them  by  ordinary 
culture. 

But,  be  it  observed,  let  them  be  kept,  as  to  watering, 
in  a  niggardly  way  all  this  time ;  they  must  scarcely  be 
permitted  to  grow,  only  to  keep  the  first-formed  leaves 
tolerably  fresh.  In  the  axils  of  those  few  simple  leaves 
lay  the  germs  of  shoots  already  in  a  latent  way  ripe  for 
development,  only  waiting  better  sides ;  perhaps  we 
might,  in  this  case,  borrow  a  phrase  from  nautical  men, 
and  say,  "lying-to  under  bare  poles,"  which  may  be 
translated — "  waiting  in  a  patient  position  for  favour- 
able circumstances."  And  if  our  warm-blooded  seamen 
may  be  allowed  to  be  occasionally  quiescent,  surely  a 
gardener  may;  and  if  such  is  followed  by  a  proper 
course  of  action  it  will  prove  that  such  plans,  although 
at  the  moment  inexplicable,  were  not  matters  of  mere 
whim. 

And  now  we  have  our  little  half-shrubby  Tomato 
plants  brought  to  the  middle  of  April,  by  which  time 
they  will  be  about  ten  inches  in  height,  and  possessing 
one  main  stem  only,  so  hard  in  texture  as  to  require  no 
support,  and  to  stand  any  breeze.  Tlie  terminal  point 
should  liave  the  first  blossoms  formed,  and  the  plants 
should  now  be  well  hardened  oif,  keeping  them  still 
within  some  structure,  or  cold  frame,  or  pit,  close  to  the 
glass,  and  where  they  will  enjoy  a  puff  of  wind  occa- 
sionally. 

I  may  here  observe,  that  they  sliould  be  grown  up  to 
this  time  entirely  in  a  sound  loam,  not  a  particle  of  any- 
thing else  with  it.  This  I  recommend  slrenuoashj ;  and 
I  may  as  well  show  why.  If  they  were  grown  in  any 
light  mixture  rich  in  humus,  they  would  grow  too  fast 
to  solidil'y,  tliey  would  require  watering  frequently,  and 
tlie  vifhole  plant  would  bo  throivn  into  a  false  position. 
Now,  my  object  is  to  make  tlie  solidification  of  the  stem, 
&c.,  l;eep  pace  with  the  growth ;  and  if  in  strong  loam 
they  will  go  for  weeks  without  water :  and  this  it  is 
which  makes  them  such  sound  plants. 

Those  who  plant  them  against  walls  will  be  enabled 
to  get  such  plants  out  about  the  middle  of  May  ;  indeed, 
they  must  about  follow  the  rules  of  the  "  bedding- 
system,"  and  they  should  be  planted  on  the  grouiid-lecd, 
or  rather  above  it.  This  is  most  important,  in  order  to 
avoid  over-luxuriance,  which  is  the  bane  of  the  Tomato 
in  our  climate,  nine  cases  out  of  ten.  As  for  the  soil 
they  are  filled  up  with,  that  matters  little,  so  that  it  be 
rather  liglit ;  and  henceforth  their  culture  is  pretty  well 
known.  I  may  hove  observe,  however,  that  we  seldom 
use  shreds  in  nailing  them  ;  we  just  drive  the  nail 
through  the  centre  of  the  stem — a  rough  procedure,  cer- 
tainly, but  this  is  rather  a  benefit  than  otherwise,  as  it, 
doubtless,  administers  a  wholesome  degree  of  punish- 
ment to  these  proud  revellers  in  the  damp  air  of  our 
British  skies.  If  the  summer  prove  congenial,  they 
will,  despite  these  precautions,  run  too  much  into  a 
rampant  foUage,  and  this  must  be  occasionally  reduced 
by  cutting  some  of  the  big  leaders  half  away,  and  by 
destroying  every  sucker  and  su])erfluous  side-shoot 
betimes ;  and  in  addition,  they  must  have  one  or  two 


root-prunings  ;  being  in  an  elevated  position,  this  is 
easily  accomplished  by  just  thrusting  down  the  spade 
parallel  with  the  wall,  at  ahout  a  foot  distance,  and  cut- 
ting through  every  root.  The  worst  pest,  now-a-days,  is 
tlio  Potato  fungus  :  this  has  taken  possession  of  the 
Tomato,  and  no  marvel  either,  being  of  the  samo 
family.  There  can  be  little  question,  I  think,  about  its 
identity:  certain  it  is,  however,  that  this  odd  plant  has 
become  liable  to  a  pest  of  the  kind  ;  and  I  have  found 
sulphur  a  great  clicck  to  it.  I  have  not  half-exhausted 
the  I'omato  subject;  there  are  other  phases  under  which 
to  view  its  culture,  and  I  may  have  to  return  to  it. 

Pi.  Errington. 


MEETING    OF    THE    HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY.— jANu.iRy  17,  1854. 

We  do  not  expect  to  see  much  of  gardening  at  these 
meetings  in  the  middle  of  January  in  any  year,  and 
less  after  so  hard  a  winter  as  we  have  just  experienced. 
Nevertheless,  we  had  some  rare  things  to  look  at  and  to 
think  about,  besides  some  excellent  fruit  and  flowers. 
The  rarest  thing  that  I  have  yet  seen  at  the  Regent- 
street  Meetings  was  a  bunch  of  the  LiicuUa  gratissima 
in  flower;  not  from  the  lower  ranges  of  tlie  Himalayas, 
its  native  place,  but  from  the  open  air  in  Devonshire. 
Fifteen  years  back,  it  was  not  unusual  to  meet  with 
this  plant,  at  Christmas,  in  flower  in  the  stoves  about 
London,  not  so  good-looking  as  the  one  from  Devon- 
shire, it  is  true,  but  still  in  bloom,  and  sweeter  than  a 
violet ;  confined  heat,  or  any  degree  of  forcing,  except 
for  a  month  or  so  when  it  starts  in  the  spring,  being 
next  thing  to  death  to  it.  This  rare  experiment  was 
tried,  and  succeeded,  in  the  garden  of  J.  Lnscombe,  Esq., 
of  Combe  Pioyal,  near  Kingsbridge,  South  Devon.  The 
plant  stands  out  there  trained  against  an  east  wall.  I 
suppose  the  wall  of  the  dwelling-house,  for  there  is  a  fire 
on  the  other  side  of  the  wall,  and  the  heat  from  it,  was 
greatly  in  favour  of  the  Luculia  outside  ;  in  addition  to 
this,  "a  ragged  mat"  was  placed  over  it  in  cold  weather; 
and  in  the  coldest  time,  when  the  thermometer  was  down 
to  zero  about  London,  they  placed  a  frame  of  rough  boards 
in  addition  ;  that  was  all  the  protection  that  this  plant 
ever  received  there  ;  and  here  we  had  a  sample  from  it 
in  bloom  in  the  middle  of  January.  Mr.  Luscombe 
grows  Oranges  and  Lemons  against  the  common  walls  of 
his  kitchen-garden  just  with  tlie  same  kind  of  protection, 
and  sends  up  specimens  of  them  every  year  to  the  Hor- 
ticultural Society.  In  a  general  way,  the  Luculia  gra- 
tissima requires  llie  same  kind  of  winter  protection  and 
management  as  the  tree  Rliododcndron  ;  and  as  it  is  the 
sweetest  plant  in  the  world,  I  mean  the  flowers,  and  [ 
never  refuses  to  bloom  in  winter  when  it  gets  the  right  i 
treatment,  I  should  like  to  hear  jSIr.  Fish  say  all  that 
can  be  said  about  it,  so  as  to  get  it  into  general  cultiva- 
1  tion.  I  once  had  throe  dozens  of  them,  and  I  liad  orders 
to  ]iack  one,  four  feet  high,  in  full  bloom,  for  her 
\  Miijesty,  aud  the  Queen  is  so  fond  of  it,  that  a  stock 

of  it  is  kept  up  in  the  royal  gardens  ever  since. 
1  Mr.  Luscombe  sent  also,  from  the  open  air,  cut  sjieoi- 
I  mens  of  the  old  Linum  tigrinum,  one  of  the  very  best  of 
1  all  the  good  old  winter  iloweiiug  ])liints.  When  this 
jilant  is  done  well  it  is  little  behind  the  Allinminda 
citlhartica  m  beauty,  as  was  plain  enough  from  a  jihint 
sent  from  the  garden  of  the  Society  to  tliis  meeting. 
This  plant  was  not  quite  a  yard  high,  but  it  was  in  full 
bloom  all  over,  and  every  (lower  was  as  broad  as  a  shil- 
ling, aud  as  yellow  as  a  liutler-cup.  and  about  tlio  samo 
tint.  Perhaps  I  can  tell  as  much  ahout  this  plant  as 
anybody,  for  I  had  once  a  )ihint  of  it  as  tall  as  a  man, 
and  quite  as  full  of  bloom  as  the  one  from  the  Society, 
and  it  kept  so  for  full  four  of  Iho  dullest  months.  Tlie 
treatment  was  peculiar,  and  few  gardeners  have  yet  hit 


!  FkbeuabyS, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 


837 


upon  it ;  but  hero  it  is.  The  plant  was  five  years  old,  and 
if  it  had  been  three  thnes  older  it  would  be  still  finer, 
for  I  believe  any   age  under  twenty  years  is  young 
enough  for  this  plant  if  it  is  managed  properly.     First 
of  all,  it  oomes  from  cuttings  as  freely  as  a  Geranium, 
and  March  is  the  best  time  to  make  them.     It  cannot 
endure  in-door  culture  in  the  height  of  summer,  owing 
to  its  liability  to  the  attacks  of  the  red  spider;  therefore, 
a  cutting  struck  in  the  spring,  and  kept  in  a  damp,  hot 
frame  till  the  middle  of  May,  is  then  turned  into  a  close, 
cold  pit,  where  it  stands  till  the  hegiuniug  of  July,  and 
where  it  is  kept   very  damp  all  the  time  to  keep  the 
spider  at  bay.     It  is  then  planted  out  in  a  very  warm, 
sheltered  corner,  but  not  against  a  south  wall.    The  soil 
here  cannot  be  made  too  rich  for  it,  and  it  must  be  a 
light  compost;  to  encourage  the  roots  to  the  surface, 
and  to  create  a  damp  atmosphere  round  it,  a  thick  layer 
of  fresh  moss  is  placed  over  tlie  surface  as  a  mulching  ; 
and  to  the  end  of  August,  or  at  all  times  wliile  the 
weather  is  hot,  this  moss  is  syringed  over,  whether  the 
roots  need  water  or  not,  all  this  damp  being  absolutely 
necessary  to  save  it  from  the  red  spider.     As  soon  as 
the  plant  begins  a  fresh  growth  after  being  turned  out, 
it  is  stopped,  to  cause  it  to  become  bushy ;  ten  inches 
or  a  foot  is  long  enough  before  stopping,  as  the  plant 
is  naturally  inclined  to  grow  tall  in  the  free  soil.     A 
little   frost  will    not    hurt  it  here,  but  it  ought  to  be 
taken  up  eai'ly  in  October,  potted,  and  put  in  the  shade 
under  a  mat,  for  three  weeks;  by  that  time  it  has  taken 
to  the  pot,  and  may  be  set  in  the  greenhouse,  or  cold 
pit,  till  about  Christmas,  when,  if  it  is  intended  for  a 
very  tine  specimen,  it  ought  to  be  put  into  a  cool  stove, 
say  in  a  lieat  of  from  &0°  to  60'^ ;  here  it  will  ripen  the 
wood  made  last  autumn,  and  also  produce  many  flowers; 
and  in  March  it  is  allowed  to  get  so  dry,  by  degrees, 
that  the  leaves  droop  and  fall  off,  and  by  the  end  of  the 
month,  or  early  in  April,  it  is  pruned  very  close,  every 
side-shoot  down  to  the  last  eye,  and  a  few  of  the  strongest 
to  si.K  or  nine  inches.     It  soon  pushes  again,  is  then 
shaken  out  of  the  soil,  the  roots  much  cut  back,  is  put 
into  the  smallest  pot  that  will  hold  the  roots,  kept  close 
for  a  little  while,  and  out  again  to  the  close  pit,  as  last 
season,  planted  out,  taken  up,  stoved  in  winter,  dried, 
cut,  and  potted,  as  before.     The  third  winter  it  is  fit  to 
be  seen,  and  would  take  no  hurt  in  tlie  drawing-room 
for  two  mouths,  or  in  a  cooler  place,  if  needs  be ;  win- 
tering in  the  stove  is  not  absolutely  necessary ;  but  I 
cannot  see  how  a  really. superb  specimen  could  be  made 
without  it  in  less  than  five  or  six  years.     Yet  it  is  a 
hardy  greenhouse  plant,  and  it  has  stood  out  against  a 
wall  in  South  Devon  this  hard  winter  with  only  a  slight 
protection. 

There  was  a  singularly  pretty  plant  from  the  Society's 
garden,  called  Thyrsacanthus  rutilans,  one  of  the  soft- 
wooded  Acauthads,  coming  near  to  the  Justicia  in 
growth  ;  it  might  be  nearly  a  yard  high  ;  a  single  stem, 
as  like  the  old  Justicia  coccinea  as  anything  could  be  in 
look  and  growth ;  from  the  top  of  this,  spread  out  and 
hung  down  half-way  to  the  pot,  slender  flower-spikes,  or 
thyrses,  just  like  long  whips  of  Russellia  juncea,  and 
these  were  loaded  with  the  brightest  crimson  tubular 
flowers,  about  twice  the  size  of  those  of  the  Russellia, 
and  baughig  down  the  same  way.  At  a  venture,  I 
should  say,  that  the  best  way  to  get  this  ready  for 
Christmas  Shows  would  be  by  taking  an  early  spring 
cutting  from  a  top  branch,  striking  each  in  a  separate 
pot ;  good,  strong  hotbed  culture,  as  long  as  there  was 
head-room  for  it;  not  to  be  too  hasty  in  shifting,  but 
liquid-manure  to  make  up  for  pot  room,  as  the  plant 
ought  to  flower  in  a  number  24-pot  as  the  largest  size  ; 
to  keep  the  plant  very  near  the  glass  in  strong,  moist 
heat  till  the  end  of  August;  after  that,  drier  and  drier 
by  degrees,  till  a  dead  stop  was  put  to  farther  growth  ; 
and  as  soon  as  the  tops  of  the  flower-stiings,  so  to  call 


them,  appeared,  heat  and  moisture  to  be  resumed ;  at 
any  rate,  it  is  a  nice  thing,  and  certainly  requires  some 
care  in  the  management  to  bring  it  out  as  perfect  as 
it  is  capable  of  being  done. 

Selago  distans  is  another  plant  which  the  Society 
exhibits  every  winter,  and  a  better  plant  of  it  than  the 
one  sent  to-day  was  never  seen;  not  a  leaf  on  it  could 
be  seen ;  it  was  one  mass  of  pure  white  spikes,  like 
white  Mignonette,  if  there  was  such  a  thing,  full  four 
feet  across,  and  not  two  feet  high.  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  say  how  this  has  been  done,  for,  to  tell  tlie  truth,  I 
do  not  know  how;  but  I  know  that  these  simple  and 
sol't-wooded  plants  require  more  daily  attention  during 
every  stage  of  growth  than  the  rarest  Heaths,  and  that 
it  is  only  after  many  year's  close  attention  to  their  re- 
quirements that  any  one  can  excel  in  their  flowering. 
There  is  a  great  deal  more  care  necessary  to  make  a  fine 
pot  specimen  of  a  common  Petunia,  or  a  common  Ver- 
bena, than  there  is  for  getting  a  Queen  Pine-Apple  up  to 
six  or  seven  pounds ;  but,  of  course,  no  one  but  a  gardener 
is  aware  of  this,  and  any  one  but  an  old  gardener,  who 
ventured  to  say  as  much,  would  be  hooted  out  of  coun- 
tenance :  it  is  a  fact,  for  all  that.  There  is  nothing  like 
driving  at  facts,  be  they  ever  so  common  or  so  unplea- 
sant at  the  time.  I  have  been  hammering  for  years  at 
the  execrable,  puny,  half-starved,  and  shameful  plants 
they  grow  about  London,  of  that  most  beautiful  of  all 
beautiful-leaved  plants,  when  done  well,  the  Oesnera 
zebrina.  Some  people  in  the  country  think  that  I 
durst  not  show  my  face  to  London  gardeners  for  my 
hard  sayings  ;  quite  the  reverse  ;  they  are  all  glad  to  see 
me.  They  know  much  better  than  I  can  tell  them  when 
they  are  behind ;  but  the  best  of  us  cannot  always  be 
up  to  the  mark  in  every  thing,  and  it  often  happens 
that  a  soft-beaded  fellow  in  the  country  hits  upon  a 
thing  by  mere  chance  which  puzzles  the  best  brains  to 
find  out  by  the  closest  experiments  and  daily  toil ;  and 
yet  there  are  gardeners,  and  masters  too,  who  think  that 
it  is  only  necessary  to  be  a  gardener  for  knowing  every- 
thing-that  way  all  at  once. 

A  really  well  grown  specimen  of  the  Oesnera  zebrina 
has  been  cultivated  and  exhibited  from  near  London  at 
last ;  we  bad  it  here  to-day  from  the  Society's  garden, 
four  plants  in  a  No.  16  pot,  all  of  the  same  size  and 
tints  in  the  leaves,  about  a  yard  high,  and  the  leaves 
hanging  over  the  pot,  the  flower-spikes  strong  and  in 
full  bloom.  The  great  art  in  growing  this  plant  is  to 
keep  all  the  leaves  in  full  beauty  to  the  very  last, 
whether  the  plant  is  tall  or  dwarf,  and  as  the  leaves  are 
so  handsome,  the  taller  the  plant  the  more  leaves,  and 
consequently  the  more  beauty.  A  single  plant  of  it, 
though  grown  ever  so  well,  does  not  look  nearly  so 
handsome  as  three,  four,  or  five.  I  like  five  best  in  one 
pot,  the  middle  one  to  be  a  little  taller  than  the  rest; 
but  a  No.  12-pot  would  be  necessary  for  such  a  speci- 
men. The  way  to  make  it  sure  and  easiest  would  be  to 
grow  each  plant  in  a  separate  pot  till  the  flower-bud 
appeared,  then  to  put  the  five  in  one  large  pot  at  once, 
either  keeping  the  tallest  for  the  middle,  or  planting  the 
other  four  a  little  deeper.  Another  advantage  of  grow- 
ing them  in  single  pots  to  this  stage  is,  that  if  they  are 
a  little  too  long  in  the  legs  you  can  plant  them  so  deep 
in  the  big  pots  as  to  bring  down  the  leaves  to  the  very 
edge  of  the  pot  at  once ;  but  in  that  case  the  big  pot 
should  not  be  filled  up  with  the  compost  at  once,  only  a 
little  now  and  then,  just  as  the  new  roots  from  below, 
or  from  the  naked  stems,  filled  the  last  earthing  up  ;  the 
way  they  often  do  with  forced  Kidney  Beans. 

The  finest  sight  I  ever  saw  of  these  Zebrinas  was 
last  year  with  Mr.  Barley,  the  gardener  at  Newnham 
Courtney,  near  Oxford ;  he  had  a  whole  house  full  of 
them  just  set  for  bloom,  and  in  their  large  pots,  as  here 
described,  and  there  was  not  a  single  bad  leaf  in  the 
I  house ;   the   darker-leaved  variety,  and  the  one  called 


338 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Fedruaby  2. 


Herhertii,  with  a  greener  leaf,  were  never  seen  more 
perfectly  to  ditier  from  the  ordinary  kind.  There  were 
BIX  kinds  of  Corrccas — spcc'wsa,  Onodii,  iiicta,  and  picta 
superha,  curiosa,  and  something  else,  all  like  so  many 
Fuchsias  in  hloom.  A  line  plant  of  Acacia  llnifolia,  one 
of  the  earliest  and  the  best  to  make  a  close  specimen  of 
the  whole  family,  with  a  brilliant  Ejxtcris,  called  ardeii- 
Jissima;  all  from  the  same  collection. 

Mr.  .Jackson,  of  Kingston,  my  next  door  neighbour, 
sent  three  beautiful  Orchids,  for  which   he  got  a  smart 
prize  ;  the  newest  of  tliem  was  a  strong  plant  of  Wiirrea 
Lindeniana,  a  ground  Oichid,  from   somewhere  about 
the  Spanish   Main,  on   the   north-east   side   of  South 
America,   where  it  was   discovered   by  Mr.  Linden,   a 
foreigner,  after  whom  it  is  called.     It  had  a  flower-spike 
above  two  feet  long,  quite  upright,  and  carrying  fifteen 
or  sixteen  flowers,  which   are  all  of  a  creamy  colour, 
except  the  lip,  which  is  of  a  rich  reddish-purple.     It 
seems  to  be  as  fit  for  winter  work  as  the  old  Fhaiiis 
[  grandijiorus,  and  requires  exactly  the  same  treatment, 
I  so  that  it  is  everybody's  plant  who  has  heat  at  com- 
!  maud.     The  second  was  a  large  mass  of  BarUeria  Skin- 
I   nerii  major,  the   dark   criaisou   variety ;    this,  and   the 
[  older  light  crimson  Skinnerii,  have  been  in  bloom  with 
him  all  this  winter,  hanging  in  dozens,  from  close  to  the 
roof  glass  along  the  whole  north  side  of  the  Mexican,  or 
cool  house,  where  I  often  go  to  sec  them  on  purpose, 
and  am  quite  sure  that  all  tliese  Biirkerias  are  much 
easier  to  grow  and  to  keep  than  fancy  Geraniums;   and 
that  the  reason  why  some  gardeners  fail  with  spectabilis, 
is  by  giving  it  too  much  heat;  it  should  never  be  above 
fiO°  any  day  in  the  year,  if  it  could  he  kept  so  low;   a 
cool  greenhouse  is   much   too   hot   for  it   in   summer. 
When  Mr.  Skinner  first  sent  it  home,  he  said  it  ought 
to  be  out-of-doors  all  summer,  hanging  from  a  tree  over 
a  brook,  or  pond  ;  and  a  pupil  of  mine,  who  knew  this,  is 
the  only  one  who  has  yet  brought  it  out  in  full  perfec- 
tion;   I  mean  Mr.  Brewster,  gardener  to   Mrs  Wray, 
at    Cheltenham.     It   seems    to  me  that  the  very  rare 
Barkeria  elegans  is  just  like  it,  and  I  know  that  the 
least  over-heating  will  tumble  it  heels  over  head.     They 
have  a  large  stock  of  it  at  Kingston  ;  and  one  tine  plant 
coming  into  flower,  I  was  very  an.xious  they  would  get 
ready  for  this  show,  but  I  warned  them  about  the  degree 
of  heat  it  could  stand.   Who  would  take  heed  to  what  an 
old  gardener  could  know  about  Orchids,  however.     Not 
they,  indeed!     So  this  lovely  Orchid  was  put  into  the 
Calcutta-house  to  get  it  up  in  time  for  the  meeting. 
Mark  the  result :    every  one  of  the  flower-buds  dropped 
off  the  third  or  fourth  day;  and,  as  I  told  them,  it  served 
them  just  right  enough  ;   but  as  they  have  plenty  of  it,  I 
hope  we  shall  see  one  at  the  next  meeting,  or  at  some 
one  of  these  meetings  in  the  spring.     The  third  was  a 
good  blush  variety  of  the  Lycaste  Skinnerii,  a.  plant  that 
runs  into  a  great  number  of  shades  and  sizes  in  the 
flower  and  footstalks. 

Talking  of  the  next  meeting  reminds  me  that  we  were 
promised  a  sight  of  the  wonder  of  the  age  at  that  meet- 
ing— that  is,  drawings  and  dried  specimens  of  the  largest 
tree  on  the  face  of  the  eartli — a  bigger  tree  tlian  the 
Boabab  itself,  and  as  tall  as  four  of  it,  if  reports  are 
true.  This  is  quite  a  now  thing,  and  is  called  after  the 
first  Duke  of  Wellington,  Wellingtonia  gigantea,  a  kind 
of  conifer,  an  evergreen,  and  as  hardy  as  tlie  Scotch  Pine. 
Mr.  Lobb  brought  home  seeds  of  it  lately  to  Mr.  Veitch 
from  far  away  in  the  mountains  above  California ; 
seedlings  of  it  ai-e  up,  and  doing  as  well  as  can  be  ex- 
pected. I  saw  two  or  three  of  the  cones,  and  I  am 
quite  satisfied  that  no  other  Conifer  cones  in  the  same 
way.  The  nearest  that  I  could  iiken  it  to  was  a  little 
abortive  cone,  which  a  friend  brought  mo  from  the  old 
Cedar  trees  on  Lebanon.  We  had  just  a  glimpse  of  a 
small  drawing  of  this  Wellingtonia  at  the  Meeting,  with  a 
likeness  of  a  man  under  it,  to  show  the  relative  heights, 


but  I  should  not  like  to  be  made  a  picture  of  for  such  a 
purpose  when  I  was  full  grown,  for  the  huge  tree  maltes 
the  man  look  no  bigger  than  Tom  Thumb. 

There  was  a  large  assortment  of  iSaliid  plants,  as  good 
as  any  family  could  wish  for,  from  Celery  to  French 
Sorrel,  from  the  Society's  garden,  but  they  still  kee]i  to 
the  French  names,  and  for  Lettuce  you  have  a  name  like 
latitude  :  and  Sorrel  is  Oazclle,  or  some  such  confounded 
name,  and  so  on  uutil  you  forget  the  very  names  of  the 
commonest  things  you  ever  planted,  ))arted,  or  sowed 
the  seeds  of:  and  all  this  nonsense  for  no  other  earthly 
purpose  but  to  make  believe  that  the  things  are  new  to 
all  the  world,  except  the  world  of  this  Society. 

Pears. — Of  these  there  were  abundance  of  winter  des- 
sert ones,  and  not  one  of  them  fit  for  the  table,  except  Ne 
plus  Meuris,  just  turning  colour,  a  most  awkward  Pear 
to  dish  well,  and  not  very  tempting  to  look  at,  but  a 
most  delicious  Pear  when  you  break  into  it,  if  it  is  in 
the  right  state;  a  most  easy  tree  to  manage,  as  it  grows 
stubby,  and  a  good,  sure  bearer. 

Pine  Apples. — Of  these  we  had  only  one,  and  that 
from  one  of  the  best  Pine  growers  in  England,  Mr. 
Jones,  gardener  to  Lady  Chai-lotte  Guest,  Dowlais, 
Glamorganshire.  It  was  a  Queen  .Pine,  with  a  very 
small  crown,  as  Mr.  Fleming  grows  them,  who  told  me, 
last  summer,  that  the  only  secret  in  having  small  crowns 
is  to  keep  air  on  the  pits  all  night  throughout  the  year. 
This  Queen  was  only  .3  Hi.  7  oz.,  but  it  was  growti  as  an 
experiment,  and  sent  to  Loudon  to  shew  the  result  of 
that  experiment.  It  was  as  fine  of  that  size  as  ever 
was  seen  ;  it  was  grown  in  a  10-inch  pot,  to  keep  the 
jilant  small,  and  economise  space,  and  peat  was  the 
compost.  Now,  if  Mr.  Jones  can  cut  a  hundred  ]iounds 
of  Queen  Pines  from  a  pit  that  would  only  produce  eighty 
or  ninety  pounds  of  seven-pounders,  his  plan  is  by  far 
the  more  economical ;  and  a  party  of  eighteen  to  dinner 
seldom  eat  a  three-pound  Queen  at  one  dessert,  as  these 
Queens  are  much  larger  than  black  Pines  of  the  same 
weight. 

Strawberries.  —  There  was  a  nico  dish  of  forced 
Black  Prince,  from  Mr.  Brown,  gardener  to  J.  Darnell, 
Esq.,  of  Waltham  Abbey,  Essex.  I  believe  this  is  the 
only  Strawberry  that  could  be  thus  managed,  except, 
perhaps,  the  red  Alpine,  as  tliey  force  them  in  France. 

Grapes. — They,  at  least  some  of  them,  were  splendid 
for  this  season.  'There  was  one  disli  of  the  Muscat  nf 
Alexandria,  from  Mr.  George  Wortley,  of  Norwood,  the 
best  1  have  yet  seen  in  January — every  berry  was  as  full 
and  shining  as  when  it  beg.au  to  chaiigo  colour  last 
September.  The  usual  way  is  to  see  them  beginning  to 
shrivel  and  turning  into  raisins  at  this  season.  Mr. 
Forbes,  at  the  Duke  of  Bedford's,  sent  six  hunches  of 
very  beautiful  Black  Hambro's,  three  of  them  being  the 
crop  of  ISb'-'t  kept  back,  .and  throe  from  the  first  crop  of 
18ri4,  that  is,  the  earliest  and  the  latest  crop,  and  were 
it  not  that  green  leaves  were  on  llie  spurs  accon]|uiuying 
the  now  Grapes,  one  could  hardly  make  out  which  was 
which.  The  Black  St.  Peter's  were  never  in  better 
bloom,  or  fuller  in  the  berry,  in  January,  than  were 
these  Hambro's.  Mr.  Forbes  must  certainly  have 
some  secret  method  in  keeping  tlie  Black  Hanihru'  so 
late  in  such  plump  condition,  and  Mr  Wortley.  gar- 
dener to  Mrs.  Maubert,  of  Norwood,  h.as  hold  of  this 
secret,  else  his  Muscats  could  not  come  in  an  equally 
good  full  condition.  In  the  ordinary  process,  all  that 
gardeners  can  do  for  the  preservation  of  their  late 
Grapes  is  to  stir  tho  borders,  and  give  a  good  drench- 
ing to  the  roots  just  as  tho  berries  begin  to  turn  colour 
in  tho  autumn  ;  after  that,  the  house  inside,  and  the 
roots  inside  and  outside,  are  kept  as  dry  as  can  be. 

There  was  a  Scotch  Fir,  nine  or  ten  feet  high,  all  the 
way  from  Edinliurgh,  to  show  how  well  it  did  alicr 
being  transplanted  by  the  jiateut  machine  invenCeil  by 
Mr.   MacGlashen,  and  there  were  several  letters  from 


February  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


330 


gardeners  about  Edinburgh,  and  in  different  parts  of 

I   the  countiy,  many  of  whom  1  I^now  personally,   and 

'   from  all  these,  and  from  what  I  had  heard  last  summer, 

it  appears  that  Mr.  MacGlasheu's  machines  are  in  high 

repute  in  the  north,   and  that  thousands  of  trees  and 

shrubs  liave  been  transplanted  by  them  with  the  greatest 

success,  hut,  somehow  or  other,  we  in  England  do  not 

seem  to  value  them  half  so  much  as  they  do;  but  I 

(   have  no  doubt,  wlien  we  have  seen  more  of  them  in  use 

'   here,  we  shall  lilce  them  better  and  use  them. 

D.  Beaton. 


LTSYANTHUS  RUSSELLIANUS. 

This  splendid  Gentianwort,  producing  its  large  bell- 
like flowers  in  panicles  at  the  end  of  the  shoot,  was 
introduced  by  Mr.  Drummond,  from  Texas,  nearly  twenty 
years  ago,  and  yet,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  suc- 
cessful growers,  it  is  oven  now  very  seldom  seen  in 
collections.  Like  many  other  plants  rarely  met  with,  it 
is  by  no  means  diflicult  to  manage  when  the  minutiae 
of  its  culture  are,  or  can  be,  attended  to  ;  but  whatever 
care  be  given,  if  these  minutia3  are  neglected  failure  is 
sure  to  be  the  result.  I'he  two  most  successful  growers 
I  Jiave  met  with  are  Mr.  Cuthil!,  of  Camberwell,  and 
Mr.  W.  Thompson,  of  Wrotham  Park.  From  the  latter 
gentleman  I  received  a  plant  and  some  seeds  some  ten 
years  ago,  and  I  grew  it  with  very  fair  success  for  several 
seasons,  and  only  got  out  of  it  from  two  causes.  The 
first  was,  that  from  the  quantity  of  things  required,  the 
plants  did  not  receive  the  necessary  attention  when 
young ;  and  the  second  was,  that  at  that  time  having 
no  plaut-stove,  I  found  that  although  the  plants  bloomed 
well  in  a  greenhouse  not  over  airy,  that  yet  a  closer  and 
warmer  atmosphere  was  necessary  for  the  ripening  of 
the  seeds.  In  fact,  my  greenhouse-saved  seeds  would 
not  vegetate. 

When  grown  from  seed  the  ])lant  must  be  treated 
as  a  biennial.  The  seeds  should  be  sown  in  pans,  or 
pots,  half-filled  with  drainage,  then  filled  with  equal 
portions  of  loam,  leaf-mould,  heath  soil,  and  a  portion 
of  silver  sand,  sifting  it  so  as  to  have  three  degrees  of 
fineness — the  roughest  going  over  the  drainage,  the 
next  in  I'oughness  over  that,  and  the  finest  on  the 
surface.  Press  that  down  level,  and  if  not  moderately 
moist,  water,  or  dip  the  pot  in  a  pail  of  water,  until  all 
is  moistened,  and  allow  to  drain  thoroughly  for  twenty- 
four  hours  in  a  warm  place.  Smooth  the  surface  again 
by  scattering  previously,  if  necessary,  a  little  of  the  finer 
compost  over  it,  so  that  nothing  will  adhere  to  the 
pressing  board;  then  sow  the  seeds ;  scatter  very  lightly 
a  little  silver  sand  over  them,  and  press  gently  again. 
The  month  of  March,  or  the  beginning  of  April,  is  a 
good  time  for  sowing,  as  the  plants  will  just  be  in  nice 
size  for  standing  the  following  winter.  The  previous 
soaking,  and  then  draining  of  the  soil,  will  prevent  the 
necessity  of  watering  much  before  the  plants  are  fairly 
up,  and  one  source  of  disappointment  will  thus  be 
avoided,  as  wet  foliage  they  much  dislike,  especially 
when  yonng.  When  the  seeds  are  thus  sown,  cover  the 
pot  with  a  square  of  glass,  or  a  bell-glass — the  first  is 
the  best,  as  extra  moisture  will  more  easily  escape — and 
cover  that  again  with  a  piece  of  paper,  so  as  to  shade 
the  seeds  until  they  are  fairly  up.  The  best  place  for 
the  seeds  is  any  shaded  place  commanding  an  average 
temperature  of  from  70°  to  75°,  such  as  being  plunged 
in  a  cucumber  or  melon-bed  will  give.  When  the  seeds 
are  up  substitute  a  thin  piece  of  paper  for  a  thick  one ; 
but  do  not  do  away  with  the  shade  until  the  plants 
have  got  several  healthy  leaves,  then  the  glass  should 
be  removed,  and  the  thin  paper,  or  other  shade,  con- 
tinued a  little  longer,  inuring  them  to  more  light  by 
degrees.     In  watering,   let  the   spout  of  the   pot  rest 


against  the  side  of  the  pan,  so  as  to  moisten  the  soil 
without  wetting  the  plants.  A  better  plan  is  to  have  a 
vessel  of  water,  between  70°  and  80°  in  temperature, 
and  to  hold  the  pot  or  pan  in  it  within  a  quarter-ol- 
an-inch  of  its  rim,  and  thus,  through  the  hole  in  the 
bottom,  the  water  will  rise,  until  you  see  the  first  symp 
toms  of  moistuess  on  the  surface,  when  the  pot  should 
bo  set  where  it  can  drain  freely.  The  same  plan 
would  prevent  myriads  of  delicate  seedlings  fogging 
or  damping-ofl',  as  they  now  frequently  do. 

By  Midsummer  the  plants  will  be  large  enough  to  pot 
singly  in  throe-inch  or  four-inch  ])ots,  using  soil  similar 
to  that  mentioned  above,  with  the  addition  of  some 
small  pieces  of  charcoal,  to  assist  drainage;  and  these 
little  plants  should  be  again  transferred  to  a  close  frame 
or  pit ;  if  they  can  be  phniged  in  a  mild  bottom-heat, 
all  the  better.  They  will  need  shading  from  the  sun 
for  the  first  fortnight,  and  sliould  be  inured  to  more 
light  and  air  by  degrees,  so  that  the  young  shoots  be 
somewhat  consolidated  before  autumn.  If  the  leader 
seems  to  run  away,  it  should  have  its  point  nipped  out 
when  four  inches  in  lengtl},  that  a  sufficiency  of  shoots 
may  be  obtained,  as  at  the  end  of  good  strong  healthy 
shoots  the  panicles  of  bloom  will  be  produced  the  fol- 
lowing year.  During  the  latter  part  of  September,  and 
the  first  part  of  October,  the  plants  should  have  all  the 
light  possible,  and  as  much  air  as  would  not  unduly 
depi'ess  the  temperature. 

It  will  frequently  be  found,  that  a  few  side-shoots, 
two  or  three  inches  in  length,  may  be  removed  from  a 
young  plant,  or  even  from  one  showing  and  coming  into 
bloom.  These,  taken  ofl'  close  to  the  stem,  a  few  of  the 
lower  leaves  removed  and  inserted  in  pure  sand,  above 
sandy  loam,  covered  with  a  bell-glass,  and  placed  in  a 
sweet  bottom-heat,  will  strike  root,  and  when  potted  oil' 
will  require  just  the  same  treatment  as  seedlings.  In  a 
packet  of  seed  there  will  often  be  various  shades  of 
purple,  and  the  spot  at  the  base  of  the  flowers  will  be 
brighter  on  some  plants  than  upon  others,  and,  in  this 
case,  cuttings  are  the  readiest  means  for  securing  a 
superior  variety.  So  far  as  my  own  practice  extended, 
plants  from  cuttings  bloomed  equally  freely  with  plants 
from  seed,  hut  were  less  luxuriant:  the  shoots  producing 
their  panicles  when  half  the  length  of  the  shoots  from 
seedlings. 

The  wintering  of  the  young  stubby  plants  is  an  im- 
portant aflair.  After  being  well  exposed  in  autumn, 
they  should  be  moved  by  the  middle  of  October  into  a 
warm  greenhouse,  a  cool  stove,  or  an  intermediate  house. 
The  position  should  be  dry  rather  than  moist,  and  the 
plants  should  stand  pretty  near  the  glass,  as  near  as 
would  not  subject  them  to  sudden  changes  of  tempera- 
ture. The  heat  should  hardly  be  long  below  43°,  and 
seldom  for  any  length  of  time  below  50°  :  they  will 
enjoy  5°  or  10°  more  with  air.  From  this  time  in 
October,  until  the  beginning  of  March,  the  plants  must 
not  flag,  but  they  must  not  have  more  water  than  will 
keep  them  from  doing  so.  If  the  bottom  of  the  pots 
stood  for  an  inch  in  damp  sand  or  moss  it  would  he  an 
advantage,  If  water  miist  be  given  above,  avoid  damp- 
ing the  stems  or  foliage.  This  will  be  easier  guarded 
against  if,  in  potting,  the  collar  of  the  young  plant  is 
well  elevated  in  the  centre  of  the  pot.  During  the 
whole  of  this  period  the  syringe  shoidd  never  touch 
them.  The  drier  the  stem  and  foliage  the  better  the 
plants  will  like  it.  This  is  just  one  reason  why  a 
person  may  grow  a  dozen  or  two  more  successfully  than 
one.  In  the  latter  case,  the  spout  of  the  pot  and  the 
syringe  do  the  mischief  before  it  is  thought  about. 
Green  fly  is  apt  to  make  its  appearance,  especially  at 
this  stage ;  and  in  fumigating  with  tobacco  the  fumes 
should  be  weak  and  cool,  giving  two  or  three  weak  doses 
instead  of  one  strong  one. 
If  by  the  first  of  March   your  plants   are   healthy. 


340 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


Febroary  2. 


stubby,  and  but  little  lengtliened  since  last  October,  you 
have  managed  admirably.  Tbey  must  now  get  a  start 
for  blooming.  Those  who  wish  to  gain  a  year,  will,  no 
doubt,  find  plants  at  Camberwell  ready  to  begin  with. 
Any  forcing  house  or  pit  will  do,  where  they  can 
receive  from  5°  to  10°  higher  temperature. 

If  the  pots  could  be  plunged  iu  a  nice,  sweet  bottom 
heat,  so  that  the  roots  would  be  5°  or  10°  in  advance  of 
the  top,  the  plant  would  thank  you  for  it.  The  roots 
have  been  as  stationary  as  the  slioots  during  the  winter; 
it  is  advisable  to  give  them  the  first  start.  Whenever 
the  roots  are  freely  pusliing  out  fresh  fibres  the  plants 
must  get  a  larger  shift,  and  this  may  be  done  on  the 
successive,  or  the  one  shift,  system.  An  eight  or  ten-inch 
pot  will  grow  a  middling  specimen.  On  the  successive 
mode,  giving  two  or  three  sliitts  by  the  month  of  May, 
there  is  less  danger  from  over  watering.  On  the  one- 
shift  mode,  the  soil  should  increase  in  roughness  as  you 
near  the  sides  of  the  pot;  a  portion  of  charcoal  should 
be  incorporated,  the  whole  well  pressed,  and  water  so 
judiciously  given  that  the  soil  near  the  sides  of  the  pot 
should  never  be  wet,  though  moistish,  until  the  roots 
begin  to  occupy  it.  With  this  attention  as  to  watering, 
the  one-shift  system  will  involve,  upon  the  whole,  least 
trouble,  and  may  often  be  used  with  great  advantage 
witli  all  plants  grown  only  for  that  season.  Whatever 
mode  be  adopted,  though  not  absolutely  necessary,  yet, 
if  tlie  pots  can  be  plunged  so  as  to  command  a  more 
equal,  and  a  few  degrees  higher,  tem])erature  than  the 
brandies,  it  will  be  an  advantage  to  the  plant  until  the 
end  of  May.  During  this  period,  though  air  be  given, 
yet  a  closish  atmosphere  should  be  secured  to  encourage 
growth.  In  June,  the  plants  should  have  more  air,  and 
rather  full  exposure  to  ligiit.  After  fresh  growth  in  the 
head  of  the  plant  commenced  the  slioots  should  be  tied 
out,  and  care  taken  to  have  them  equal  iu  strength. 
When  growth  is  proceeding  rapidly,  not  only  will  more 
water  be  necessary,  but  alter  the  greater  light  and  air 
that  the  plants  receive  in  June,  which  will  hasten  the 
flowering  process,  they  may  have  weak  manure-water- 
ings alternately  with  the  clear.  As  the  heat  of  summer 
advances  the  plants  should  have  more  air.  Under 
such  treatment,  August  and  September  will  be  tlieir 
chief  flowering  months,  opening  their  first  buds  towards 
the  end  of  July.  When  in  this  condition,  ai'tcr  being 
inured  to  the  change  gradually,  they  make  fine  orna- 
ments for  the  parlour  or  the  greenhouse  ;  but  as  already 
stated,  the  seed  cannot  be  depended  on  unless  it  is 
ripened  iu  a  higher  temperature.  It  may  also  bo  noted, 
that  unless  the  temperature  be  warm,  and  the  position 
have  plenty  of  light,  the  flowers  will  neither  open  so 
well  nor  have  so  good  a  colour. 

I  so  forget  the  matter  in  Mr.  Cuthill's  monograph, 
that  I  do  not  know  whether  he  describes  a  more  royal, 
easier  road  to  success  tlian  tlie  above  ;  the  chief  points 
of  which,  before  they  were  reduced  to  ])ractiite  by 
myself,  were  communicated  to  mo  by  Mr.  Thompsou, 
many  years  ago.  U.  Fish. 


THE   CYCLAMEN. 

A  CORRESPONDENT  hfts  made  inquiry  how  to  improve 
our  present  race  of  Cyclamens,  especially  the  more 
hardy  kinds,  such  as  C.  cmim,  G.  JSnropemn,  and  C. 
heilenfolinm.  As  tho  subject  requires  some  space — 
rather  more  than  is  given  to  replies  in  general  to  cor- 
respondents in  their  proper  place — and  as  those  jilants 
are  decidedly  jirotty  gems  wheu  in  bloom,  and  univer- 
sally admired,  1  will  answer  the  query  for  tlie  benefit 
not   only  of  the  querist  but  for  our  readers  fjcnerally. 

The  common  Cyclamen  grows  wild  on  the  hill  sides  of 
the  south  of  Em-ope,  and  is  so  plentiful  that  the  pigs 
feed  upon  tho  roots  or  bulbs — hence  our  English  name, 


Sowbread.  Tlie  O.  comn  is  found  at  a  considerable 
elevation  on  the  Alps,  where  it  is  protected  from  the 
severe  frost  by  the  snow.  When  the  warm  days  of 
spring  partially  melt  the  snow,  this  little  plant  may  he 
seen  with  its  beautiful  deep  pink  blossom  peeping 
through  the  white  robe  of  the  earth.  , 

Thus  hardy  are  the  Cyclamens ;  and  yet  bow  many 
fail  to  grow  and  flower  them  well ;  and  the  reason,  as  I 
believe,  is  because  the  pure  Alpine  air,  and  the  cool 
slielter  of  the  snow,  is  not  sulBciently  attended  to  in 
their  cultivation.  On  the  contrary,  as  soon  as  they  are 
out  of  bloom  they  are  placed  in  some  out-of-the-way 
place,  perhaps  under  the  drip  of  trees  exposed  to  heavy 
rains,  and  saturated  with  wet  while  they  last,  and  after- 
wards sufleriug  from  extreme  drought,  and  the  ravages 
of  slugs  and  other  vermin  concealed  amongst  and 
under  the  pots.  The  wonder  is  that  any  are  left  alive 
under  such  unfavourable  treatment. 

To  remedy  this,  I  will  try  briefly  to  describe  the 
proper  culture,  and  shall  divide  tlie  subject  into — 1st, 
Piopaftiition ;  '^ind.  Soil;  :jrd,  Potting;  and  -ith.  Summer 
and  Winter  Treatment. 

1st,  FropaijiUion — All  the  species  must  be  propagated 
by  seed.  The  bulbs  are  solid — that  is,  they  have  no 
coats  like  the  Onion,  or  the  Hyacinth,  and  they  do  not 
send  forth  any  ofl'sets  like  the  solid  bulb  of  the  Crocus, 
or  the  Gladiolus.  If  abulb  of  this  latter  is  cut  in  two  they 
will  rot,  and,  consequentl}',  perish,  and  so  will  that  of  the 
Cyclamen,  and,  therefore,  they  must  be  propagated  by 
seed.  The  seed  itself  is  very  pierisbable  and  will  not 
grow  if  kept  too  long ;  hence  it  must  be  sown  as  soon 
as  it  is  ripe,  which  may  be  known  by  its  changing 
colour  and  bursting  the  seed  vessel.  Sow  it  thinly  in 
the  compost  I  shall  describe  presently,  in  a  wide, 
shallow  pot,  or  ]nin,  covering  it  about  a  quarter-of-an- 
inch  ;  give  a  gentle  watering,  and  place  the  pan  in  a  cold 
frame.  The  greenhouse  kinds  may  be  placed  on  a  shelf 
near  the  glass,  but  shaded  from  the  mid-day  sun;  here 
they  may  remain  till  they  come  up,  care  being  takeu  to 
keep  the  soil  moderately  moist  by  sprinkling  it  occasion- 
ally with  water  from  a  fine-rosed  watering  pot.  13y  no 
means  flood  it,  or  pour  the  water  on  heavily,  for  if  that  is 
])ractised  the  seed  will  be  washed  bare  and  perish. 
Some  of  them  may  come  up  soon,  but  the  greater  part  will 
remain  under  the  soil  till  the  spring,  ju  this  position 
they  should  remain  until  all  grow,  and  then  increase  the 
quantity  of  water,  but  only  just  sutiicient  to  thoroughly 
moisten  it,  withholding  it  then  until  the  soil  is  mode- 
rately dry  again.  The  beautiful  single  little  seed  leaves 
will  iucreaso  in  size  during  the  growing  season,  and  each 
will  form  a  small,  tiny  bulb.  Towards  the  end  of  .lune 
the  leaves  will  begin  to  turn  brown  and  decay  ;  then 
they  must  be  allowed  to  go  to  rest,  by  giving  no  more 
water.  Keep  them  in  the  pau,  placing  it  in  a  cool 
place  so  contrived  that  no  hoavy  rains  can  fall  upon  it. 
Towards  the  autumn  they  will  begin  to  grow  again,  and 
as  soon  as  that  is  observed  stir  the  surface  of  tlie  soil, 
clearing  it  of  moss  and  lichens  or  weeds.  Then  put  a 
thin  coating  of  fresh  soil  on  the  surface,  and  water  it  to 
settle  it  close  u|)oii  the  small  bulbs,  which  should  not 
be  covered  too  deep,  I  prefer  keeping  the  young  bulbs 
the  second  year  iu  the  same  pau,  hecause  the  first 
season  they  are  so  very  small  that  there  is  danger  of 
a  eousiderahle  number  being  lost,  if  the  attempt  is  made 
to  transplant  them,  or  take  them  u|)  when  a  year  old. 
Keep  the  soil  again,  during  the  second  season,  propeily 
moistened,  and  when  the  leaves  decay,  allow  them  again 
to  go  to  rest.  Wheu  the  season  of  growth  ariivos,  then 
keep  a  watch  upou  them,  and  as  soon  as  tho  least  signs 
of  growth  are  apparent  jirovido  a  sufficient  numf>er  of 
tluunh-pots,  the  smallost  size  made,  drain  them  well, 
.ind  fill  them  with  the  compost,  then  carefully,  with  a 
flat,  sharp  stick,  take  up  a  bulb,  and  place  it  iu  tho 
middle  of  tho  pot,  leaving    the  upper  part  of  it  just 


Febrtjaby  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENEB. 


341 


above  tho  soil.  If  tliero  are  any  living  roots,  pvcsei've, 
if  possible,  every  one  of  them.  Proceed,  bulb  by  bulb, 
till  all  are  ])otted  ;  then  give  a  good  watering,  and  ])lace 
the  pots  upon  a  thick  bed  of  coal-asbes,  in  a  cool  IVatne. 
Protect  tiiem  during  the  winter  from  frost,  giving  air  on 
all  favourable  occasions.  Towards  spring  thoy  will 
have  made  "three  or  four  leaves,  an,d  tho  pots  will  be 
found  lull  of  roots.  A  shift  into  a  larger-sized  pot  will 
then  be  necessary,  and  will  encourage  the  bulbs  to  in- 
crease in  size  very  materially.  I  have  even  shifted  them 
twice  in  the  season  with  the  best  effect.  ]5y  this  close 
attention  to  re-potting,  and  a  due  supply  of  water,  the 
bulbs  will  have  increased  to  such  a  size  that  many  of 
them  will  flower ;  and,  in  such  species  as  are  apt  to 
sport,  will  reward  the  cultivator,  very  probably,  with 
some  improved  varieties.  T.  Avpleby. 

{To  be  continued.) 


WOODS   AND   EOEESTS. 
(Conihmed  from  paije  301.) 

Planting. — It  has  been  said  that  "  whoever  fells  a  tree 
ought  to  plant  a  hundred,"  and,  like  most  other  old 
sayings,  this  is  not  only  a  wise  one,  even  applied  to 
the  owner  of  woods  for  his  own  interest,  but  also  is  but 
honest  to  bis  posterity  and  the  succeeding  generations. 
If  it  is  the  duty  of  a  private  individual  to  rojilant  his 
woods  whenever  he  falls  any  quantity  of  timber,  it 
surely  is  more  especially  the  duty  of  the  government  of 
any  country  to  replace  any  trees  that  it  may  be  neces- 
sary, either  for  use  as  timber,  or  on  account  of  age,  to 
apply  tho  a.\e  to  tho  root.  And  this  remark  applies 
with  still  greater  force  to  the  government  of  this  coun 
try,  inasmuch  as  timber  for  ship-building  is  so  neces- 
sary for  our  grand  national  means  of  defence.  Our 
greatest  statesmen  have  always  paid  considerable  atten- 
tion to  this  point  of  political  economy,  and  so  greatly 
has  its  wisdom  been  pressed  upon  the  attention  of  the 
legislature,  that  a  commission  has  for  many  years  been 
ajipointed  to  watch  over  and  manage  the  forests  belong- 
ing to  the  nation.  Public  attention  has  been  lately 
drawn  to  this  important  duty  of  government  by  the 
press,  and  we  may  hope  that  the  business  of  planting 
will  now  be  carried  on  with  spirit  and  in  tho  best  pos- 
sible manner.  Having  made  these  few  prefatory  re- 
marks, I  shall  now  endeavour  to  describe  the  best  mode 
of  planting  a  track  of  land  with  timber  trees.  I  have 
already  alluded  to  the  preparation  of  the  ground  by 
draining  and  digging,  or  otherwise  making  the  ground 
ready  for  the  trees.  The  first  point  to  consider  is,  what 
kind  of  trees  will  grow  best  upon  the  space  to  be  planted. 
If  there  is  a  fair  depth  of  soil,  then,  by  all  means,  plant 
it  with  that  most  valuable  of  all  timber  trees,  the  Oak, 
mixing  them  with  some  kind  of  Fir-trees,  as  nurses  to 
shelter  and  draw  them  up  for  a  few  years.  Very  lately, 
I  visited  the  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Portland,  at  Welbeck 
Abbey,  in  Nottinghamshire,  and  had  the  pleasure  of 
walking  through  the  Oak  plantations  on  that  estate. 
This  venerable  nobleman  is  more  than  fourscore  years 
old,  and  has,  during  his  long  life,  been  an  energetic 
planter  of  tliis  noble  tree  the  Oak.  I  noted  large  labels 
on  each  pLantation,  onvphich  is  painted  veiy  legibly  the 
date  of  each  plantation,  so  that  the  rate  of  growth  may 
be  observed  at  once.  They  ai'e  planted  (or  sown  I  could 
not  learn  which)  on  ridges,  or  rather  long  beds.  The 
younger  ones  stand  thick  on  the  beds,  but  are  regularly 
thinned  as  they  require  it ;  but  such  as  have  been 
growing  since  1834,  the  oldest  date  I  came  across,  are 
now  quite  thin,  with  clean,  straight  poles,  really  beauti- 
fid  specimens.  In  such  a  favourable  soil  and  situation 
there  is  no  need  of  nurses,  neither  have  any  been 
planted,  but  in  less  favoured  spots  they  will  be  found 


advantageous.     The  Oak  will  grow  in  almost  any  soil 
not  actually  wet  or  very  much  exposed. 

In  ground  considerably  clj'.vated,  or  on  hill  sides, 
when  the  soil  is  thin,  then  lot  tho  Larch  be  tho  tree 
intended  to  make  timber,  mixing  it  with  tho  Scotch  I'lr, 
the  Birch,  or  the  Beech,  as  nm-ses.  In  low,  wet  grounds, 
which  cannot  be  drained,  tJte  Willow,  the  Poplar,  and 
the  Alder,  should  be  planted,  mixed  with  a  few  ashes, 
and  the  Balm  of  Oilead,  S'prnct,  or  Silver  Fir,  these  to 
be  planted  on  raised  mounds.  Indeed,  the  whole  of 
these  trees  planted  on  such  ground  should  be  planted 
on  ridges,  the  soil  dug  out  to  form  the  ridges  being 
thrown  upon  them  to  elevate  the  ground  above  tho 
water  level,  and  increase  the  bed  of  soil  for  them  to 
grow  in.  In  positions  near  tho  sea-coast,  such  plants 
as  will  bear  tho  breeze  should  be  planted  nearest  to 
the  water  to  shelter  those  further  inland  from  the  salt 
spray.  The  common  Alder  is  one  that  beai's  the  sea 
blast  as  well  as  any.  If  ever  that  beautiful  tree,  the 
Araucaria  imhricata  becomes  common,  it  will  be  an 
excellent  sea-side  tree ;  for,  as  I  remarked  in  my  account 
of  Badorgan,  lately,  there  it  is  quite  healthy  and  unin- 
jured, though  planted  within  a  few  yards  of  the  sea- 
shore. 

On  the  tops  of  our  highest  hills,  the  only  way  to  get 
up  a  young  plantation  will  be  to  plant  it  with  the 
hardiest  of  trees,  and  that  thickly,  so  that  they  may 
shelter  each  other.  I  noticed,  lately,  on  some  of  the 
highest  hills  of  Lauoashire  and  Yorkshire,  plantations 
of  some  extent,  and  there  the  hardy  Scotch  Eir,  the 
Larch,  and  the  Birch,  have  managed  to  stand  the  blasts, 
hue  the  reason  why  they  bad  not  made  much  progress 
was,  in  my  opinion,  because  the  spaces  planted  are  too 
small  and  isolated;  yet  I  observed  some  in  the  centre  of 
each  plot  that  had  made  considerable  more  progress 
than  the  outside,  showing,  evidently,  that  larger  planta- 
tions, even  on  such  bleak  positions,  would,  in  time, 
shelter  each  other,  and  such  barren  spots  would  be  then 
covered  with  thriving  timber  trees. 

T.  Appleby. 
(_To  be  conlimicd.) 


TEMPOKARY   HOTBEDS. 

The  season  having  now  arrived  in  which  forcing  of 
all  kinds  will  be  going  on  with  great  activity,  the  careful 
cultivator  will  often  have  his  inventive  ])0wers  put  to 
the  test,  in  order  to  ensiire  to  everything  that  degree  of 
warmth  and  shelter  which  is  so  essential  to  its  well 
being;  for,  in  many  cases,  tlie  number  of  frames  and 
other  conveniences  are  not  sufficient  fortherequirements 
of  the  season,  that  some  "  make  shifts"  have  to  be  called 
into  action,  while,  at  the  same  time,  every  inch  of  glass 
is  supposed  to  be  hard  at  work  as  well.  Now,  though 
it  would  be  idle  to  say  that  any  substitute  for  a  glass 
covering  is  as  good  as  glass  itself,  yet  many  contrivances 
might  be  adopted  which  would  either  hasten  on,  or 
shelter,  productions  of  a  kind  not  too  tender.  For 
instance.  Potatoes  that  were  planted  on  a  hotbed  in 
December,  might,  by-aud-by,  have  the  frame  taken  away 
from  them;  the  second  crop,  especially,  might  be  made 
to  dis]jonse  with  such  a  luxury,  and  some  frame-work  of 
some  kind  or  other  erected  which  would  admit  of  being 
covered  up  with  some  frost-jiroof  material ;  while,  at  the 
same  time,  other  beds  might  be  made,  and  the  Potatoes 
planted,  which  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  humour  with 
a  glass  covering  at  all  if  that  material  be  wanted 
elsewhere. 

Let  us  suppose  that  tree  leaves,  or  dung,  or  both, 
exist  in  sufficient  quantity  to  have  a  frame  or  two  built 
with.  Then,  with  this  fermenting  material,  when  in 
due  order  (according  to  directions  so  often  given),  let  a 
sort  of  hotbed  be  made  of  any  required  length,  but  it 


343 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


Febbuaby  2. 


had  bettor  not  be  more  than  five  or  six  feet  wide  :  Ibo 
beight  of  three  feet  will  probably  do  at  this  season. 
Wlien  this  is  done,  procure  some  deals  or  rough  slabs, 
and  fix  them  edge-ways  up  all  around  the  top  of  it, 
securing  them  at  the  corners  to  each  other;  and,  if 
necessary,  at  one  or  two  places  in  the  middle,  partition 
pins  might  be  laid  across,  acting  in  the  capacity  of  tie 
beams,  by  the  sides  being  fastened  to  them.  This  being 
done,  some  contrivance  must  also  be  adopted  with  a 
view  to  support  the  covering  that  will  be  necessary  to 
put. upon  this  bed;  one  of  the  best  beiug  a  waterjiroof 
oil  cloth,  or  something  that  way,  to  support  which  a 
rail  had  better  be  carried  along  the  centre,  about  two 
feet  higher  than  the  tops  of  these  boards  ;  this  rail  to 
be  secured  by  posts  driven  into  the  bed,  &c.,  and,  if 
necessary,  short  pieces  might  be  laid  from  the  sides  to 
it,  in  the  manner  of  the  rafters  of  a  building,  and  it  will 
easily  be  seen  that  over  this,  mats,  or  any  other  covering 
of  that  kind,  might  easily  be  thrown  at  any  time. 

From  this  it  will  easily  be  seen  that  a  great  amount 
of  exposure  must  take  place  when  light  is  wanted,  con- 
sequently, very  tender  products  must  not  be  expected  to 
thrive  here  ;  but,  in  fact,  such  delicate  thiugs  as  Ciicuin- 
bers,  and  many  other  tender  seedlings,  ought  to  have 
some  more  suitable  place,  but  as  a  succession  of  young 
Potatoes  is  no  less  necessary  than  Cncumhers,  and  a 
handful  of  Radishes  a  month  or  so  belbre  their  natural 
season  out-ofdoors  is  often  as  much  esteemed  as  a 
handful  of  flowers,  it  follows  that  any  easy  means  of 
obtaining  these  must  be  worth  the  little  labour  they 
cost.  Young  Carrots,  too,  are  esteemed  a  luxury  at  a 
season  when  the  old  ones  are  no  longer  palatable,  and, 
by  a  similar  contrivance  to  the  above,  their  presence 
may  be  commanded  some  time  before  those  in  the  open 
air  come  into  use,  and,  what  is  equally  important,  in 
quite  as  good  a  condition  as  these  are  when  of  the 
same  size. 

If  no  preparations  have  been  made  by  the  amateur  by 
the  time  these  pages  will  reach  him  in  the  way  of 
making  such  beds,  no  time  must  now  be  lost,  and  let 
the  soil  be  at  once  put  on,  and  the  seed  sown,  or  if  for 
Potatoes,  let  them  be  planted  :  it  is  not  much  advantage 
to  have  them  in  the  growing  condition,  which  they  often 
are  ])iior  to  putting  into  a  frame  closely  covei-ed  with 
glass,  for  in  this  latter  case  the  warmth  and  shelter 
afforded  is  suflicient  to  maintain  them  in  that  growing 
state  in  which  they  have  been  before  their  final  planting; 
whereas,  to  take  up  Potatoes  which  have  made  some 
progress  from  a  warm  floor,  or  bed,  and  remove  them 
out-ofdoors  to  where  the  only  beat  they  have  is  a  little 
at  the  bottom,  subjects  them  to  a  check,  which  throws 
them  farther  back  than  those  not  started  at  nil ;  how- 
ever, a  little  sprouting  at  the  eyes  will  do  no  harm,  and 
in  planting  such  make-shift  beds  it  is  advisable  to  use 
larger  Potatoes  ibr  seed  than  for  out-door  planting 
generally. 

When  circumstances  will  admit  of  it,  great  advantage 
accrues  from  having  the  soil  roqtiired  for  such  beds  in 
as  dry  and  mellow  a  condition  as  possible  ;  this  may 
easily  be  effected  when  there  are  means  for  that  purpose, 
as  shed  room,  &o.  It  is  also  proper  to  observe  that  a 
very  rich  soil  is  not  absobitely  necessary  for  the  pur- 
pose, although  it  must  not  be  a  )ioor  or  exhausted  one, 
and  for  the  (Jarrots  a  considerable  quantity  of  sand,  or 
other  opening  matter  ought  to  be  added,  for  this  root  is 
not  benefited  by  much  dung  or  other  enriching  sub- 
stance of  that  kind.  Radishes  may  be  treated  more 
liberally,  perhaps,  but  the  priucijial  agents  of  success 
are  in  other  causes,  and  one  of  the  most  important  is 
the  total  seclusion  of  that  cold  harsli  air  so  baneful  to 
vegetation  in  the  spring.  If  this  can  be  accomplished 
without  shutting  out  entirely  light  from  the  plant,  then 
the  object  is  gained  ;  but  as  that  cannot  well  be  etiected 
without  glass,  means  must  bo  taken  to  partially  admit 


the  light,  while  a  part  of  the  covering  remains  on,  or 
rather  while  some  temporary  covering  is  taking  the 
place  of  the  principal  one.  Oiled  calico  will  do  better 
than  a  dark  body,  or  paper  similarly  prepared  will 
answer  equally  well,  only  is  not  so  durable,  and  requires 
a  stretching  frame,  or  something  that  way  to  support  it 
on;  but  these  things  will  easily  suggest  themselves  to 
the  operator  ;  suffice  it  here  to  say,  that  anything  that 
will  admit  the  light,  and  check  the  coldness  of  the 
atmosphere,  when  the  east  wind  is  parching  everything 
up,  must  be  beneficial ;  only  let  it  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  in  as  far  as  Radishes  are  concerned,  a  larger  space 
of  full  exposure  must  bo  made,  otherwise  the  plant  will 
be  nothing  but  top,  or,  what  is  equally  bad,  a  long,  useless 
neck.  Carrots  are  more  hardy,  and  as  the  seed  is  along 
time  in  germinating,  it  is  not  necessary  for  the  bed  to 
have  much  li,gbt  during  the  early  part  of  this  process; 
however,  they  must  have  light  before  they  make  their 
appearance,  otherwise  they  will  lack  that  robust  sturdy- 
ness  so  necessary  to  their  well-being  afterwards. 

It  is  almost  needless  pointing  out  the  many  purposes 
to  which  such  beds  may  be  adapted.  A  patch  of  Cauli- 
Jioicer  and  Lettuce  seed,  sown  in  such  a  [dace,  furnishes 
plants  long  before  the  same  kinds  coidd  be  bud 
in  the  ordinary  way  of  out-door  sowing ;  and  it  not 
unfrequently  happens  that  the  stock  of  autunni-sown  of 
these  things  suffers  much  in  a  severe  winter  like  the  pre- 
sent ;  hence  the  necessity  of  replacing  as  many  as  pos- 
sible. I  may  also  observe,  that  French  Beans  do  very 
well  on  a  bed  so  treated,  only  they  must  be  somewhat 
later,  as  their  tropical  origin  ill  fits  them  to  endure  the 
cold  blasts  so  common  in  our  springs;  but  of  this  I  may 
probably  speak  hereafter.  Nevertheless,  many  thiugs 
might  be  sown  here  which  are  wanted  in  small  quanti- 
ties ;  and  a  little  later,  such  a  bed  will  be  famous 
for  raising  annual  flowers  to  plant  out  in  the  parteiTe 
and  elsewhere  ;  in  fact,  the  uses  of  such  a  bed  are  mani- 
fold ;  and  as  the  season  is  at  band  wherein  every  inch  of 
glass  will  be  bard  at  work  in  the  roaring  and  protecting 
things  more  tender  or  valuable,  it  behoves  the  careful 
cultivator  to  make  the  most  of  the  means  at  his  dis- 
posal ;  and  if  the  common  objects  can  be  eflected  iu  a 
homely  way,  the  mode  in  which  that  is  done  reflects 
more  credit  upon  him  than  when  a  more  expensive  sys- 
tem has  been  at  work;  and  as  many  residences  in  the 
vicinity  of  London  can  command  hot  stable-dung  in 
any  quantity,  and  as  many  country  places  abound  in 
leaves  in  an  almost  equally  unlimitable  extent,  I  advise 
each  party  to  adopt  a  free  use  of  each  material ;  for 
whatever  may  be  the  merits  of  hot-water  pipes  and  tanks, 
even  when  arranged  in  the  most  complete  way,  the  day  has 
notyet  arrived  when  the  old-fasliioued  dung-bed  has  to  be 
driven  out  of  use  ;  although,  in  every  fresh  invention  of 
the  iron-and-water  system,  a  threat  is  held  out  that  the 
doom  of  all  fermenting  materials  is  sealed ;  but,  somehow, 
the  dung-bed  yet  rears  its  bumble  bead  annually  in  the 
back  grounds  as  of  yore  ;  and  though  it  would  be  unjust 
to  affirm  its  produce  in  every  respect  came  as  cai'ly  as 
that  furnished  by  a  well-regulated  system  of  hot-water 
or  other  mode  of  applying  fire-heat,  yet  it  is  much  to  be 
I  questioned  whether  any  mode  is  more  congenial  to  vege- 
I  tation  when  that  does  show  itself  And  the  results  of 
horticultural  shows  iu  the  summer  months  present  as 
many  good  examples  of  Melon  culture  under  the  old- 
■  fashioned  system  as  under  the  new,  and  the  aspect  of 
the  foliage  of  tilings  growing  there  fully  corroborates 
that  view— of  course,  taking  the  management  into  consi- 
deration likewise.  Hut  as  far  as  that  is  concerned,  the 
management  of  a  plant,  when  luxiu'ialing  in  the  genial 
warmth  conveyed  by  well-prepared  fermenting  materials, 
is  an  easy  matter  when  the  tup  or  foliage  of  tho  plant  is 
allowed  to  partake  likewise  of  its  exhilirating  influence; 
but  in  the  description  of  rough,  half-exposed,  beds,  which 
this  chapter  has  been  devoted  to,  the  kindly  influence  of 


Febbuary  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


343 


a  uico  genial  heat  has  to  he  nevitralized  by  frequent,  full 
exposures  to  au  atmospliere  not  the  most  agreeable  to 
vegetation  in  a  dormant  state,  let  alone  that  of  a  highly 
excited  Idud.  Nevertheless,  this  anomaly  is  partly  got 
over  by  beginning  in  time,  and  a  sort  of  sturdiness  of 
top  is  attained  when  good  management  and  attention 
are  put  iu  force.  J-  Robson. 


THE   MANAGEMENT  OF  LONG-WOOLLED 
EWES  AND   LAMBS. 

(Coiiliinu'd  from  page  SH^i.) 
Under  the  second  head  of  the  subject,  I  propose  to 
consider  the  rearing  of  stock  Lambs  for  grazing  at  a 
future  period,  as  well  as  for  keeping  up  the  numerical 
strength  of  the  flock.  In  breeding  Lambs  for  sale  as 
grazing  stock,  we  must  regard,  in  some  measure,  the 
requirements  of  the  graziers  as  well  as  the  prolit  of  the 
breeder.  It  often  happens,  that  in  situations  where  the 
soil  and  climate  is  suitable,  that  a  portion  of  the  Ewes 
are  purchased  every  year,  and  the  produce  in  I^ambs 
sold  as  stock ;  in  this  case,  with  any  of  the  varieties  of 
the  Long-woolled  Ewes,  it  is  the  best  plan  to  use  the 
Down  Tup  for  the  piu'pose  of  rearing  the  first  cross  to 
be  sold  to  the  graziers,  and  for  this  object  it  will  be 
found  that  uo  cross  is  so  good  as  that  obtained  from  the 
Hampshire  Down  breed.  The  mixture  of  this  blood 
with  that  of  the  Long-woolled  varieties  effects  a  great 
improvement  in  the  value  of  the  stock;  this  cross  not 
only  making  a  great  weight  of  mutton  at  a  given  age, 
but  producing  it  of  improved  quality,  as  compared  with 
the  pure  Long- wooUed  breeds,— th  e  latter  being,  generally, 
somewhat  deficient  in  lean  meat,  whereas  the  former  will 
exhibit  a  well-combined  proportion  of  both  fat  and 
flesh.  It  is  from  this  circumstance  that  the  cross-bred 
animals  are  more  in  request  by  the  purveyor,  and  that 
tliey  often  realize  in  the  live  market  a  price  very  little 
below  that  of  pure-bred  Down  sheep. 

In  stock  flocks,  where  the  object  is  to  continue  a 
particular  breed  of  sheep,  and  to  replenish  the  flock, 
after  the  annual  sale  of  the  old  Ewes,  by  reserving  the 
greater  portion  of  Ewe  Lambs,  it  is  advisable  to  adliere 
as  much  as  possible  to  distinctness  of  character  and 
pui'ity  of  blood.  And  in  making  a  selection  of  Rams, 
and  sometimes  of  a  few  Ewes  also,  I  recommend  that 
the  origin  of  the  flock  should  he  carefully  ascertained ; 
and  if  it  is  traced  to  the  same  blood  as  that  which  it  is 
intended  to  maintain,  so  much  the  better,  if  care  and 
judgment  has  been  displayed  in  the  stock  from  which 
the  choice  is  made;  for  I  am  of  opinion,  that  breeding 
in-and-in  (as  it  is  called)  is  not  objectionable,  care 
being  taken  to  procure,  as  a  change,  animals  of  the 
same  blood,  from  different  localities,  where  tlie  difference 
of  soil  and  situation  will  exercise  a  beneficial  influence 
upon  the  constitution.  I  would  further  observe,  that  it 
is  better  to  select  Rams  of  the  best  quality  from  your 
own  flock  rather  than  take  them  from  others  of  doubtful 
origin.  It  is  well-known  that  parties  have  continued  to 
breed  from  the  same  flock  for  upwards  of  fifty  years 
without  intermixture,  and  with  great  success;  hut  this 
is  evidently  a  matter  of  skill,   and  requires  vigilant 


attention,  for  it  may  be  safely  said,  that  iu  the  case  of  1 
many  flocks  now  pampered  by  excessive  feeding,  for  ' 
the  purposes  of  exhibition,  &c.,  if  they  were  to  be 
treated  in  the  same  manner,  without  a  change  by  selec- 
tion from  other  flocks,  although  managed  with  great 
judgment  in  other  respects,  great  degeneracy,  with  weak- 
ness of  constitution,  would  be  the  inevitable  result. 

In  the  department   of  Sheep  farming   called  stock- 
breeding,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  the  soil  and  locality ;   ' 
and  generally,  the  thinnest  soils,  the  most  hilly,  and  the  j 
most  exposed,  are  chosen  for  the  purposes  of  keeping  I 
breeding  Ewes;   these  conditions  of  soil  and  climate 
being  unfavourable  to  the  profitable  production  of  fat 
stock.    I  do  not  propose  to  repeat  the  details  of  manage- 
ment necessary  for  a  breeding  flock,  which  I  have  pre- 
viously gone  into,  and  which  will  be  found  in  the  article 
on  the  treatment  of  Down  Ewes,  in  No.  277  of  The 
CoiTAGE  Gardener.     In  conclusion,  I  beg  to  express 
the  conviction  that  the  method  of  management  there 
set  forth,  if  fairly  carried  out,  will  be  found  quite  suiB- 
cient,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  to  ensure  successful 
results.  Joseph  Blundell. 


THE   FATTING   OF   SHEEP. 

Of  all  the  branches  of  farming  economy  and  the 
practical  management  of  land,  the  fatting  of  Sheep  is 
one  of  the  most  important ;  and  when  it  is  considered 
how  many  influences  are  in  operation,  in  connection 
with  this  subject,  it  may  well  be  said,  that  to  make  it 
profitable  and  successful  at  the  present  day,  requires 
all  the  service  that  scientific  attainment  can  render,  and 
all  the  advantages  which  can  be  derived  from  practical 
knowledge  and  diligent  application. 

The  fatting  of  Sheep  in  first-rate  style,  when  conducted 
upon  the  modern  and  improved  method,  embraces  a 
wide  range  of  conditions,  some  of  which  are  the  kind  of 
Sheep,  and  their  age ;  the  nature  of  the  soil,  its  situation 
and  aspect ;  the  varieties  of  food,  both  natural  and  arti- 
ficial ;  their  cost  and  method  of  application ;  the  influence 
of  climate;  the  season  of  the  year;  and  the  rotation  or 
system  of  cropping  the  land.  All  these,  with  others^ 
which  will  pass  under  consideration  during  the  treat- 
ment of  this  subject,  must  be  received  as  necessary 
auxiliaries  in  the  process,  and  all  conducive,  although 
varying  in  degree,  to  the  success  of  the  system.  The  ' 
first  question  to  he  asked  is.  Is  our  soil  of  the  condition, 
staple,  and  quality,  adopted  to  the  fatting  of  Sheep  ?  If 
not,  it  would  he  far  better  to  keep  a  stock  flock  in  pre-  < 
forence  to  a  grazing  one,  or  else  to  appropriate  the  pro- 
duce for  a  difierent  purpose. 

In  the  same  degree  that  warmth  is  necessary  to  aui 
mals  fatting  under  cover,  iu  the  like  manner  is  shelter 
desirable  to  grazing  Sheep  in  open-field-feeding;  and  as 
I  propose  to  apportion  a  space  in  this  paper  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  house-feeding  of  Sheep,  I  therefore 
intend  my  observations,  in  general,  to  apply  to  the 
method  of  fatting  Sheep  in  the  open  field.  I  must,  how- 
ever, here  observe,  that  although  the  advantage  of 
moveable  sheds  for  the  Sheep  to  lie  in  during  the  winter 


344 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


February  2. 


months,  whilst  feeding  on  Turnips,  would  be  very  great, 
yet  we  have  no  plan  at  present  designed  whereby  we 
can  gain  by  the  shelter  aflbrded,  without  being  subject 
to  the  serious  drawback  of  an  accumulation,  or  unequal 
distribution  of  the  manure.     Any  attempt  at  artilicial 
1  protection,  or  shelter  for  Sheep,  which  induces  them  to 
}  collect  together,  has,  moreover,  the  further  disadvantage 
of  propagating  the   foot  lameness,  which  is  of  gi'eat 
I   moment  at  the  present  period,  v.-hilst  there  is  S9  great  a 
tendency  in  flocks  to  this  disease.     Could  these  difficul- 
ties be  avoided,  and  shelter  be  afforded  to  the  stock  at  a 
moderate   cost,   farmers  would   no  doubt  gladly   avail 
themselves  of  the  benefit. 

The  most  important  point  is,  no  doubt,  the  selec- 
tion of  stock  suitable  to  our  soil,  climate,  and  kind 
of  food.  In  the  northern  and  midland  counties  the 
Long-wooUed  breeds  of  Sheep  greatly  predominate ; 
and  hitherto  it  must  be  admitted  that  they  have 
been  considered  best  adapted  to  the  profitable  con- 
sumption of  green  ci-ops,  whether  Grass  or  Turnips ; 
but  the  plan  of  crossing  with  the  Down  is  increasing 
rapidly,  and  this  mixed  breed  is  coming  into  favoiu- 
with  both  grazier  and  consumer.  This  fact  I  hold  to 
be  the  forerunner  of  another  change,  and  that  is  the  use 
of  the  Down  breed  of  Sheep  for  fatting,  in  preference  to 
the  Long-woolled  or  cross  breeds.  The  Hampshire 
Down  breed  of  Sheep  being  not  only  well  established  as 
the  best  for  profitable  fatting,  but  reckoned  the  best 
adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate  of  the  southern,  eastern, 
and  south-western  counties,  the  question  then  arises, 
what  is  the  essential  difference  of  soil  and  climate 
between  these  two  districts,  calling  them  the  northern 
and  southern,  which  should  induce  a  preference  ?  We 
have  no  more  hardy  breed  amongst  the  Long-woolled 
tribes  than  the  Hampshire ;  nor  is  the  former  to  be 
preferred  to  the  latter,  for  early  maturity,  or  the  profit- 
able consumption  of  farm  produce. 

I  am,  therefore,  inclined  to  think,  that  either  breed 
must  stand  upon  its  own  merit  for  fatting  purposes, 
and  in  a  great  measure  separate  and  apart  i'rom  the 
influence  of  soil,  particularly  in  the  absence  of  any 
decided  experiments  proviug  the  contrary.  These  ob- 
servations apply  more  particularly  to  the  winter-feeding 
upon  roots,  &c.,  for  I  am  ready  to  admit  that  the  Long- 
woolled  Sheep  would  give  the  most  profit  in  feeding  the 
grass  upon  deep  rich  soils  in  the  summer  months,  being 
of  quieter  habits.  Joseph  Blundell. 

{To  he  contiimcd.) 


BANTAMS  AS  RECENTLY  SHOWN. 
The  fartlier  we  recede  from  tlio  strictly  profitable  breeds 
of  poultiy,  the  more  arbitrary  becomes  the  standard  by 
which  those  that  remain  must  receive  the  verdict  of  the 
"fancier;"  an  expression  especially  suited  to  the  diminutive 
race  on  which  we  now  design  to  otter  a  few  remarks  ai'ising 
from  then-  public  appearance  during  the  past  year.  Excel- 
lence i'or  the  table,  and  a  prolilic  character  as  layers,  are 
I'igluly  valued  as  counter-balancing  certain  deficiencies  in 
form  or  feather,  when  we  discuss  the  competing  merits  of 
economical  poultry ;  and  we  have  ever  been  of  the  number 
of  those  who  think  that  in  every  (luestion  connected  with 


the  poultry-yard,  "  comparalive  cost  anil  produce  "  must  be  the 
main  ground  on  -Khich  the  claims  of  the  vni-ious  races  nuist 
be  foimded.  But  with  "  bantams,"  i'oi-m  and  feather  are  tbe 
sole  points  to  receive  attention ;  for  few,  if  any,  of  their  most 
ardent  admirers  would  class  them  among  the  prolitable 
fowls. 

Now,  taking  them  in  the  order  in  which  they  come  before 
us  in  the  catalogues  of  our  various  exhibitions,  let  us  first  ask 
wliether  the  Gold-laved  birds  that  have  been  showm  during 
the  past  twelve  months  have  been  generally  equal  or  supe- 
rior to  those  of  prerious  years  ?  Our  own  obsen'ation  wotild 
lead  us,  at  once,  to  reply  in  the  negative  to  this  infjuu-y,  and 
tills  opinion  is  based  on  a  careful  review  of  the  majority  of 
the  jirincipal  exhibitions. 

In  very  many  instances  the  specimens  have  eridently 
been  "  bred  out ; "  lacing  has  first  become  irregular,  and  at 
last  spotty,  till  some  birds,  shown,  too,  with  sanguine  ex- 
pectation in  this  class,  appeared  as  bad  representatives  of 
tlie  spangled  variety.  Few  judges  have  been  occupied,  wo 
imagine,  for  any  great  lengtli  of  time  before  the  pens  of 
this  section  of  the  Bantam  iiimily ;  for  wherever  fair  speci- 
mens have  been  present,  their  position  has  been  at  once 
assigned,  and  we  have  no  hesitation  in  exjiressing  our  belief 
that,  generally  speaking,  at  least  four  out  of  every  five  pens 
were  in  no  position  to  claim  the  honour  of  any  token  of  com- 
mendation whatever.  But  though  this  may  be  admitted  as 
the  fact,  it  will  be  worth  our  while  brielly  to  advert  to  the 
probable  causes  of  this  decline,  which,  tliough  we  cannot 
hope  to  throw  any  fresh  light  on  the  experience  of  many 
wh(j  have  long  studied  this  variety,  may  yet  prove  serriceable 
to  the  long  list  of  those  whose  various  circumstances  enable 
them  to  gratify  their  taste  for  poulti-y  only  in  the  class 
before  us. 

Thus  we  may  ask  what  has  beeu  the  per  centage  of  laced 
Bantam  chicken  hatched  from  the  eggs  of  really  good  birds 
during  the  past  year?  Some  of  our  friends,  who  have  set 
hundreds,  would  answer,  barely  one  percent.:  and  though 
we  will  not  insist  on  so  low  an  average,  we  doubt  whether 
any  much  higher  rate  could  be  proved,  at  least  wdiero  the 
parent-birds,  as  before  said,  were  really  good  specimens  as 
judged  by  the  recognized  standard. 

Comparing  this  with  the  healthy  and  numerous  broods 
that  other  liantams.  Silver  and  Gold  alone  excepted,  con- 
tinue to  produce,  we  must  arrive  at  the  conclusion,  that  in 
the  selection  of  the  parents  of  this  variety  we  require  cer- 
tain features  adverse  to  the  vigorous  and  perfect  propagation 
of  their  race  ;  and  at  once,  when  we  turn  to  the  prize  pen, 
the  square  henny  tail,  and  the  absence  of  both  hackle  and 
saddle  featliers  in  the  cock,  points  manifestly  to  the  cause  of 
their  unfertile  character.      AVe  are,  in  fact,  breeding  from 
birds  selected  especially  from  their  non-possession  of  the 
universal  gallinaceous  characteristics  of  the  male  sex.     Add 
to  this  continuous  breeding-iu-and-in,  from  the  difficulty  of 
procuring  fresh  blood  good  enough,  as  it  is  thought,  to  mix 
with  favourite  and  long-cherished  strains,  and  we  have  more 
than  sufficient  reason  fully  to  account  for  tlie  present  depre- 
ciation.    But  wo  might  also  allude  to  another  iuttuence, 
which  will  avail  for  our  present  purpose  so  far  as  it  is  con- 
sidered that  the  laced  liSantam  "  orhihiated "  with  the  Inte 
Sir  .lolm  Sebriglit,  being  the  result  of  his  careful  selection 
and   continued   experiments   with   other    varieties   of    this 
family.     If  this  supposition  be  correct,  the  result  we  now 
witness  woidd  be  in  strict  analogical  concurrence  with  all 
that  takes  place,  under  similar  circumstances,  in  the  rest  of 
the  animal  kingdom.    The  peculiar  form  and  character  thus 
arrived  at  would  inevitably  wear  itself  out,  iu  a  longer  or  a 
shorter  space,  according  to  the  greater  or  less  diHicidty  of 
obtaining  freslt  birds  that  miglit  help  to  reproduce  the  same 
points  that  first  distiuguislied  the  variety.     But  wo  must  not 
linger  on  tliis  part  of  our  sidiject,  for  a  disquisition  on  the 
origin  of  the  Sebright  Bantam  has  no  place  in  the  present 
paper,  wliere  we  merely  propose  to  in(iuire  into  the  fact  of 
their  assumed  degeneracy. 

An  imperfect  state  of  the  organs  of  generation  being  in 
fowls  commonly  co-existent  witli  the  partial  assumption  of 
the  plumage  of  the  other  sex,  we  have  a  ready  chu^  to  a 
cause  wliicli  would  account  for  the  usual  unfertile  cliaracter 
of  the  Sebi-ight  egg,  and  thence,  going  a  step  fmllu'r,  the 
degeneracy  of  their  progeny  in  tlie  comparatively  few  in- 
stances in  which  they  do  prove  productive. 


February  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENEE. 


345 


But  pvittiug  this  line  of  argument  aside,  anotlier  practice 
might  be  quoted  as  likely  to  tend  to  the  loss  of  tlie  cherished 
points  of  the  laced  Bantam's  excellence.  Late-hatched 
chickens  of  the  year  are  very  generally  successful  at  exhibi- 
tions, a  majority  of  prizes  frequently  falling  to  their  share 
at  six  and  seven  months  old.  From  prize  birds  it  is  often 
hastily  coucluded  that  prize  chickens  are  most  probably  to 
be  bred,  and  immature  parents  are  consequently  selected, 
producing  chickens  that  either  in  form,  or  featlier,  or,  per- 
haps, in  both,  must  constantly  endence  tlie  want  of  judg- 
ment in  such  a  choice.  The  mature  bird,  on  the  other  hand, 
wlien  at  two  or  three  years  old  the  plumage  has  somewliat 
suffered  in  regularity,  or  colour,  where,  for  instance,  the 
abhorrent  "kite-win^  "  has  been  developed,  would  have  been 
far  more  likely  to  have  thrown  chickens  that  would  have 
contributed  to  tlieir  owner's  reputation. 

Tlie  foregoing  remarks  apply  equally  to  both  the  "  gold  " 
and  "silver"  varieties;  both  of  these,  indeed,  as  occasion- 
ally happens  with  Polands  of  the  same  colour,  being  hatched 
from  eggs  laid  by  the  same  parents.  But  to  the  deficiencies 
in  the  former  birds,  we  have  to  add  in  the  latter  a  tendency 
to  coarseness  and  excess  of  size  to  which  the  others  are  not 
equally  subject.  This  has  been  apparent  for  some  years, 
and  we  see  no  reason  to  alter  our  opinion  from  those  that 
have  been  lately  exhibited.  The  clear  silver  tone,  more- 
over, has  too  generally  degenerated  into  a  dull  yellowish- 
white,  or  tended,  on  the  other,  to  a  light  shade  of  hay. 

Our  readers  need  not  be  reminded  that  in  penning  these 
remarks  many  very  beautiful  specimens  would  plead  exemp- 
tion to  the  general  opinion.  We  feel  obliged  to  pronounce 
that  Bantams  have  rather  reti'ograded  than  otherwise  during 
the  past  year ;  for  there  have  certainly  been  instances  wliere 
the  occupants  of  pens  would,  perhaps,  have  borne  com- 
parison with  the  best  of  former  days  ;  but  these  have  oc- 
curred but  seldom,  and  when  present  have  the  more  con- 
firmed ns  in  our  low  estunate  of  the  beauty  of  then-  com- 
panions. We  believe,  also,  that  if  there  has  been  no 
improvement  on  a  comparison  of  very  recent  times,  the 
downward  course  of  the  laced  Bantams  would  be  still  more 
apparent  when  contrasted  with  a  period  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  since;  and  that  "  they  are  not  lohnt  they  were,"  would 
here  be  a  more  just  application  of  that  remark  than  in  most 
cases  in  which  we  hear  it  used. 

(To  he  continued.') 


THE    GENUS  ANCECTOCHILUS. 

If  there  is  a  genus  of  plants  that  merits  our  attention, 
and  excites  a  particular  admiration  more  than  another,  it  is 
certainly  that  of  Anwctochilus.  Since  the  introduction  of 
Sctaceus,  the  first  species  from  the  island  of  Ceylon,  no  other 
plant  surpasses  the  rich  and  splendid  colour  of  its  leaves. 
It  is  for  peculiarity,  that  this  and  the  allied  genus,  Physiirus, 
have  become  so  celebrated  with  cultivators.  Unfortunately, 
however,  tlie  cultivation  of  these  rare  plants  has  been,  and 
still  is  considered  to  be,  very  difficult  by  amateurs,  so  much 
so,  indeed,  that  few  of  them  have,  hitherto,  made  the 
attempt,  although  they  must  regret  the  loss  of  such 
acquisition  from  their  collections. 

T'his  last  summer,  however,  I  observed,  at  the  exhibitions 
at  the  Ghiswick  gardens,  that  the  whole  collection  of 
Anceciochilus  had  been  grown  in  a  splendid  state  of  culture, 
and  also  that  they,  by  their  extreme  beauty,  attracted  tlie 
attention  of  visitors  very  much.  Those  plants,  particularly 
favoured  by  nature,  were  neverseen,  perhaps,  in  so  flourishing 
a  state,  but  more  commonly  in  a  weak,  wretched  condition. 
Those  exhibited,  however,  told  plainly  that  there  are  means 
by  which  amateurs  may  enjoy  these  rare  and  magnificent 
beauties  of  nature.  When  I  stood  admiring  these  plants,  I 
did  not  believe  that  their  culture  could  be  surpassed  by  any 
degree  of  skill.  Some  time  afterwards,  however,  when  on 
a  visit  to  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  at  Kew,  my  attention 
was  suddenly  arrested  by  a  rich  collection  of  Ancectochilus, 
of  which  all  the  species  surpassed,  by  far,  those  which  I 
had  seen  at  the  Chiswick  exhibition. 

The  foreman  of  the  propagating  department,  Mr.  Han- 
nemann,  was  the  grower  of  these  extraordinary  plants,  and 
he  very  kindly  communicated  to  me  the  means  by  which  he 
brought  these  jilants  to  such  admired  perfection.     Being 


convinced  that  this  knowledge  would  bo  of  great  use  and 
jjleasure  to  many  amatem-s,  and  wishing,  at  the  same  time, 
to  contribute  something  to  the  embellishment  of  our  hot- 
house, I  subjoin  a  statement  of  tlie  manner  by  which  Mr. 
Hannemann's  essays  have  been  crowned  with  success.  The 
compost  he  uses  is  one-third  rough-chopped  peat,  one-third 
sand,  and  one-third  chopped  sphagnum  (moss) ;  to  that 
compost  is  added  a  handful  of  horn,  crushed  to  powder, 
and  a  few  pieces  of  charcoal,  to  each  pot.  The  plant  is 
lightly  potted  in  that  compost,  the  pot  is  then  plunged  in 
another  pot  of  a  larger  size,  and  the  interval  between  the 
two  pots  is  filled  up  mth  sphagnum,  and  on  this  outer  pot  a 
bell-glass  is  placed  to  secure  the  plant,  which  thus  soon 
recovers  from  the  effects  of  repotting.  In  this  way  the 
leaves,  which  constitute  the  only  beauty  of  the  plant,  have 
room  enough  to  spread  themselves  out  on  all  sides.  But 
the  great  secret  of  growing  these  plants  to  the  utmost  per- 
fection seems  to  be  in  keeping  the  sphagnum,  or  moss, 
which  covers  both  pots,  in  a  free-growing  state  all  the  year 
round,  and  as  om'  native  moss  from  the  woods  must  be 
used,  it  is  forced  to  grow  so  much,  that  the  surface  of  the 
pots  must  be  as  regularly  gone  over  as  the  best-managed 
lawn  or  jiiece  of  grass,  to  keep  down  the  luxuriant  growth 
which  the  heat,  damp,  and  confined  air  are  always  stimu- 
lating. At  the  nursery  of  Mr.  Jackson  and  Son,  in  Kingston, 
where  this  treatment  has  also  been  adopted,  and  where  it 
is  found  to  answer  beyond  their  sanguine  expectation,  the 
Orchid  grower,  Mr.  Davidson,  keeps  pans  of  living  sphagnum 
growing  in  the  house,  on  purpose  to  have  some  of  it  near 
him  when  he  wants  to  repair  any  failure  on  the  pots  under 
the  glasses,  and  for  potting  these  plants  at  any  season. 
Neither  Mr.  Davidson  nor  his  kind  employers  make  a  secret 
of  the  ways  they  find  best  to  manage  the  rare  plants,  for 
which  they  are  to  be  much  praised.  Anotlier  thing  which 
they  have  dicovered  in  the  process  of  growing  the  Ancecto- 
chilus family  is  veiy  curious,  and  most  useful  to  know, 
which  is,  that  the  bell-glasses  never  require  to  be  wiped, 
as,  no  matter  how  long  they  are  in  use  over  these  plants,  if 
the  sphagnum  is  kept  aUve  there  is  no  mouldiness  or  any 
green  slime  ever  seen  on  the  inside  of  the  glass,  as  is  seen 
to  be  the  case  with  glasses  which  are  used  over  cuttings  or 
seeds  in  the  ordinary  way.  The  reason  for  this  constant 
cleanliness  inside  the  glass,  they  believe  to  be,  that  the 
sphagnum  consumes  all  the  damp  vapours  which  must  rise 
from  the  gradual  decomposition  of  the  dift'erent  parts  com- 
posing the  mixture  in  which  the  plants  and  sphagnum  are 
growing.  AVhen  these  damp  vapours  are  loaded  with  the 
impurities  from  the  compost,  and  wlien  it  is  not  thus  con- 
sumed, as  it  is  not  in  the  jiots  of  cuttings,  it  is  so  trouble- 
some to  the  propagator,  by  soiling  the  inside  of  his  glasses, 
that  he  must  have  recourse  to  wiping  them  with  a  dry  cloth 
every  day,  or  very  often,  or  else  the  mouldiness  would  soon 
spread,  and  involve  his  cuttings  in  ruin. 

Mr.  Davidson  has  been  trying  experiments,  this  winter,  on 
purpose  to  prove  how  far  the  pure  air,  and  cleanliness  inside 
these  glasses  over  the  Anwctoc/iili,  may  assist  cuttings  of 
rare  plants  to  make  roots  more  speedily  than  under  glasses, 
without  sphagnum,  on  the  old  system;  and  as  far  as  we  can  . 
yet  judge,  there  is  cause  to  believe  that  the  living  sphagnum 
is  the  greatest  help  to  the  propagator  that  has  yet  been 
discovered.  Besides  this,  they  have  already  proved  to  de- 
monstration that  the  whole  race  of  these  most  beautiful- 
leaved  plants  which  require  bell-glasses  to  be  kept  over 
them,  cannot  be  grown  with  any  degree  of  success  if  the 
moss  or  sphagnum  is  dead  about  them,  and,  no  doubt,  the 
purifying  influence  of  the  living  sphagnum,  as  is  proved  by 
the  cuttings,  is  the  chief  reason  why  the  Ancectochili  do  so 
much  better  that  wffy  than  on  the  older  plan,  with  all  the 
sphagnum  dead  and  rotting  about  tliem,  so  as  to  make  the 
air  too  impure  for  a  lively  growth  in  such  confined  space 
as  that  covered  by  a  bell-glass.  Without  glasses  it  is  not 
possible  to  imitate  the  natural  conditions  under  which  these 
plants  are  found;  they  form  part  of  the  vegetation  wliich  is 
capable  of  enduring  tlie  deep  sliades  of  trees  and  shrubs, 
and  they  are  constantly  surrounded  by  other  low-growing 
plants  of  similar  constitution,  where  neither  sun  or  wind 
affect  them  much,  so  that  they  are  always  in  a  still,  damp, 
hot,  shaded  atmosphere,  which  we  can  imitate  only  by  the 
use  of  bell-glasses.  We  have  also  proved  that  liquid- 
manure  from  guano  and  other  sources  will  excite  them  to 


346 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


February  2. 


superior  growth.  Keeping  them  from  flowering  causes  the 
same  result ;  but  this  requii-es  great  judgment,  as  plants 
have  been  lalleil  by  the  sudden  decay  of  tlie  stalks  of 
the  flowers  ;  the  safest  way  is  not  to  talce  ofl'but  one  flower- 
bnd  at  one  time,  and  that  after  the  stalli  is  grown  the  full 
length,  and  so  one  bud  after  another,  for  a  week,  and  then 
to  cut  off'  the  flower-stem  when  it  naturally  begins  to  die  ; 
thus  the  leaves  will  receive  all  the  nourishment  which  the 
flowers  would  have  consumed. 

Although  the  liottest  temperature  of  our  stoves  would 
perfectly  suit  them,  they  content  tliemselves,  nevertheless, 
with  a  much  lower  temperature,  like  other  hothouse  plants, 
and  then  the  watering  must  be. comparatively  diminished. 

In  Ceylon,  and,  Ukely,  also  in  the  other  islands  where 
they  grow,  the  natives  name  them  King  of  the  Forest,  and 
that  with  great  propriety,  although  they  grow  so  low  on  the 
ground  among  plants  of  like  habit  as  tlie  sphagnum  of  our 
own  woods:  and,  certainly,  the  sphagnum  agrees  with  them 
best,  and  witli  many  cuttings  as  well,  when  it  is  sun-ounding 
them  in  a  living,  growing  state.  Therefore,  it  is  very  pro- 
bable that  the  use  of  live  moss  or  sphagnum  will  shortly  be 
mucli  extended  in  tlie  propagatiug-house  for  many  other 
purposes  besides  that  of  growing  the  living  genus  under 
consideration ;  or,  faiUng  that,  1  shall  be  happy  if  my 
account  of  what  is  now  proved  about  the  use  of  live  moss, 
will  be  of  use,  or  add  to  the  pleasure  of  the  English 
amateur,  to  whom,  and  to  all  with  whom  I  have  become 
acquainted  in  England,  1  owe  my  sincere  gratitude  for 
liberality  and  kindness. — H.  G-.  Haacic. 

[Tlie  author  of  the  above  original  and  interesting  com- 
munication is  a  young  student  from  Germany,  who  is  over 
here  for  the  sole  purpose  of  learning  our  language,  and  our 
ways  of  doing  business  in  tlie  nursery  trade,  in  order  to 
qualify  himselffor  superintending  the  British  and  American 
branches  of  that  trade  at  home.  How  far  he  has  made  use 
of  his  means,  may  be  judged  of  from  this  communication, 
when  I  say,  from  personal  knowledge,  that  he  could  not 
speak  a  word  of  English  this  time  last  year. —D.  Beaton.] 


POULTRY  SHOWS. 

LrvEEPOOL  Grand  Poultry  Show. — This  Show  took  place 
on  the  18tli  and  19th  of  January,  and  though,  from  the 
vicinity  of  Kuowsley,  and  the  fact  tliat  many  good  breeders 
of  poultry  reside  in  that  neighbourhood,  we  had  been  pre- 
pared for  a  good  display,  we  confess  the  reality  far  exceeded 
our  expectations,  and  we  have  no  liesitation  in  saying  (and 
we  heard  the  Judges  express  the  same  opinion),  that  {num- 
bers considered)  it  was  the  very  beat  Show  that  has  ever 
yet  been  held,  there  being  scarcely  a  bad  bird  there.  That 
the  number  of  entries  should  not  have  exceeded  307,  is  a 
matter  of  surprise  to  us;  but  it  was  a  flrst  attempt  so  well 
carried  out,  however,  that  we  venture  to  predict,  that  with  a 
little  judicious  increase  to  the  prize-hsts,  the  next  Liverpool 
Poultry  Sliow  will  be  second  to  none  in  the  kingdom. 

This  Show  was  held  in  Mr.  Lucas'  Cai-riage  Repository, 
which  had  undergone  sucli  alterations  and  inrprovements 
as  left  nothing  to  be  desired  in  light,  ventilation,  accom- 
modation, and  eff'ect,  and  testified  to  the  "  good  taste,"  as 
well  as  energy,  of  the  AVorlcing  Committee. 

The  Spanish,  which  was  a  good  class,  consisted  of  29 
pens.  It  proved  a  walk-over  for  Captain  Hornby,  who  mth 
two  beautiful  pens  (whicli  we  fancied  were  not  his  Bir- 
mingham birds,  but  luau  J'liees  at  a  show)  took  1st  and  2nd 
prizes  in  the  adult  class,  as  well  as  1st  in  the  chickens,  the 
2iid  prize  going  to  a  pen  belonging  to  "Mr.  Hardy,  of  War- 
rington. 

'rhe  Cohiirei!  Dorfiiin/s  were  pronounced  by  the  Judges 
to  be  "  highly  meritorious,"  and  well,  indeed,  they  deserved 
the  praise.  The  1st  and  2nd  prizes  for  aged  birds  went 
to  the  Knowsley  pens  ;  and  those  for  chickens  to  two  beau- 
tiful lots  belonging  to  Mrs.  Townley  Parker  and  Capt. 
Hornby.  The  commendations  were  numerous  and  well- 
merited. 

Of  IVIule  Dorkiiuis  we  need  only  say,  they  were  a  mode- 
rate class,  and  shown  in  scarcely  "moderate"  condition. 

Class  7,  for  adult  Goclun-Vhiiia  (cinnamon  and  buff), 
produced  only  eight  entries,  but  they  were  good  birds,  and 


in  much  better  condition  than  has  lately  too  often  been  the 
case.  Mrs.  Stowe  taking  the  1st  prize,  while  the  2nd  went 
to  a  pen  belonging  to  Jlr.  Mitchell. 

Class  H  must  have  given  some  little  trouble  to  the  Judges, 
as  it  contained  oO  pens  of  much  more  tlian  average  merit. 
J\Ir.  Harrison  obtamed  the  1st  prize,  the  2nd  being  awarded 
to  Capt.  Hornby,  for  a  pen  scarcely  inferior,  in  which,  hy- 
the-by,  was  one  pullet  quite  the  best  in  the  Show. 

Class  !t,  Broirn  and  Parlrifh/e-coloiti-ed,  was  very  mode- 
rate, but  was  redeemed  by  its  follower  Class  10,  in  which 
Mr.  Archer,  of  Malvern,  took  1st  prize  with  an  excellent 
and  very  heavy  pen,  the  2nd  going  to  Mr.  Job  for  a  good  lot. 
In  Class  11,  White  Cochin-Chinas,  only  one  entry,  and 
the  prize  was  withheld  on  account  of  yreen  leys ;  but  Class 
12  was  one  of  much  more  than  average  merit,  Mr.  Rawson 
most  deservedly  taking  1st  prize,  and  Mr.  Job  the  2nd. 

The  Black  Cuchin-Chiiias  were  not  in  great  force,  and  we 
observed,  as  is  so  general,  coloured  feathers  in  the  cocks. 

Of  the  Malays  we  cannot  speak  with  "  high  commenda- 
tion ; "  but  must  record  our  tribute  of  praise  to  the  Game, 
which  in  all  classes  were  much  to  be  admired.  More  difli- 
culty,  however,  might  have  attended  the  awards,  had  more 
attention  been  paid  by  their  owners  to  proper  arrangements, 
and  had  they  remembered  that  in  a  prize  pen  the  birds 
should  match  in  colours  of  leys  as  well  as  other  things. 
We  saw  good  pens  put  "hors  de  combat,"  from  the  cock 
having  yellow,  and  the  hens  white,  legs,  &c.  for  the  various 
prizes  in  these,  as  well  as  the  Hamburyh  classes,  which 
were  of  good  average  merit,  we  must  refer  our  readers  to 
the  prize  list. 

Of  all  the  Poland  classes  we  cannot  speak  too  highly. 
They  possessed  great  merit,  and  were  much  admired.  Mr. 
Beesley,  Mr.  Conyers,  and  Jlr.  Baker,  received  1st  prizes 
for  their  birds,  and  well-deseiwed  them. 

The  Bantams  had  their  usual  crowd  of  fair  admirers  ;  Mr. 
Moss  and  Jlr.  Rawson  showing  some  first-rate  pens. 

The  Geese  were  well  represented;  the  1st' and  2nd  prizes 
being  awarded  to  Mr.  Townley  Parker.  There  was  not  a 
pen  in  the  class  which  was  not  fairly  entitled  to  a  prize,  but 
the  prize  pens,  especially  the  1st,  defied  all  competition. 
They  were  in  beautiful  order.  We  subjoin  their  weights  as 
wo  heard  them  reported— gander,  2U  lbs.  !)oz.;  goose, 
20  lbs.  14  oz  ;  goose,  21  lbs.  10  oz. — or  72  lbs.  1  oz.  the  pen. 

The  Aylesbury  Ducks  desen'ed  great  praise.  The  1st 
prize  in  these  went  to  a  pair  of  Mr.  Rawson's,  which,  if  we 
mistake  not,  were  successfully  exhibited  at  (iloucester,  but 
(we  regret  to  add)  in  very  difterent  condition  from  their 
present  state.  The  2nd  prize  went  to  a  good  pen  of 
Mr.  Weston's. 

The  Eouens  were  shown  in  good  condition,  and  were  a 
good  class.  The  prize-takers  were  Mr.  Pearse  and  Mr. 
Worrall. 

Class  42,  for  Ducks  of  any  variety,  brought  twelve  good 
pens  to  the  post,  the  mnners  being  Mr.  Dixon,  for  East 
India  Blacks,  and  Mr.  Bird,  with  some  beautiful  Call  Ducks. 
The  Turkeys  bring  us  to  the  end  of  the  list,  and,  like,  the 
Geese,  possessed  very  great  merit.  The  1st  prize  was 
awarded  to  Mr.  Conyers,  whose  Turkey  cock  was  almost 
the  finest  we  ever  saw.  Mr.  Neilson  took  the  2nd  prize  ivith 
a  pen  scarcely  inferior,  as  well  as  an  extra  1st  prize  for 
"  purity  of  blood,"  to  a  singularly  good  pen  of  wild  Ame- 
rican 'furkies,  which,  from  their  condition  and  beauty  of 
feather,  were  the  objects  of  general  admiration. 

Every  care  and  attention  was  paid  to  the  feeding  of  the 
birds,  and  the  courtesy  and  civility  of  every  official  con- 
nected with  the  Show  ought  not  to  be  passed  over.  To  Mr. 
Gilbert  Moss  is  chiefly  due  the  credit  uf  originating  and 
cari-ying-out  so  successfully  the  first  Liverpool  I'oulUy 
Show,  and  we  sincerely  congratulate  him  on  the  result  of 
his  exertions,  arduous  as  we  know  they  have  been. 

The  Judges  were  iMr.  Baily.  of  London,  and  Mr.  Hewitt, 
of  Birmingham,  and  their  judgments  gave  general  satis- 
faction. 

A  correspondent,  and  very  excellent  judge  of  Poultry, 
writes  In  us  as  follows  : — "  1  consider  the  exhibition-room  at 
the  Liverpnnl  Show  one  of  the  best  adapted  for  the  purpose 
I  have  yet  seen,  being  well-lighted,  and  the  ventilation  of  a 
very  superior  character  indeed, — the  latter  being  a  neces- 
sary acquisition,  when  looked  upon  in  connection  with  either 
the  health  of  the  poultry,  or  even  the  convenience  of  visitors, 


Februahy  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


347 


and  too  generally  entireli/  overlooked  in  the  arrangements 
of  a  Poultry  Show.  The  extreme  cleanliness  that  pervaded 
every  section  of  the  Show  reflects  infinite  credit  on  the 
Committee;  and  the  result,  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  is 
a  convincing  test  it  was  duly  appreciated  by  the  public,  the 
attendance  including  almost  every  family  of  distinction  in 
the  county.  I  by  no  means  expected  to  meet  witli  so 
many  first-rate  specimens  at  Liverpool,  and  witli  pleasure 
do  I  acknowledge  my  belief  that  so  general  au  amount 
of  tirst-class  birds  have  but  rarely  competed,  while  the 
influx  of  indifi'erent  ones  was  unusually  limited :  a  sufficient 
proof  that  the  selection  by  exhibitors  themselves  improves 
steadily  and  satisfactorily.  In  Game  fowls,  however,  this 
remark  is  inapplicable,  many  of  decidedly  superior  pens 
being  properly  disqualified  from  the  fact  of  yellow,  black, 
and  white  legs  being  all  exhibited  tngdhcr.  The  SpanUh, 
coloured  Dorkings,  buff  Cochins,  Game  (of  all  kinds), 
Hamburghs  and  Polands  (of  each  variety^,  were  excellent. 
In  Geesc^  however,  and  Turkeys,  it  was  evident  the 
Judges  had  not  a  sinecure  task,  for  the  competition 
was,  perhaps,  the  best  yet  witnessed  ;  and  such  was  the 
sui'passingly  beautiful  pen  of  Wild  American  Turkeys^ 
that  belonged  to  John  B.  Neilson,  of  Doe  Park,  Woolton, 
near  Liverpool,  that  an  extra  first  prize  was  awarded  them ; 
and  the  Aylesbury  Ducks  were  a  very  liberal  and  un- 
usually good  class.  The  first  prize  pen  of  Rouen  Ducks 
were  as  true  to  feather  as  the  most  fastidious  amateur 
could  desire  ;  but  I  long  to  see  the  weights  approaching 
more  nearly  such  as  were,  year  after  year,  effected  at  Bir- 
mingham (varying  from  twenty-six  to  thirty-four  pounds  the 
set  of  four),  for  certainly  great  size  (if  combined  with 
purity  of  breed)  is  quite  a  desideratum.  There  is  no  cause 
for  doubting,  a  very  few  seasons  will  find  Liverpool  possess- 
ing an  exhibition  of  poultry  second  only  to  Birmingham,  and 
I  hope  that  the  Committee  will  meet  with  well-merited 
support." 

Class  1. — Spanish. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — ].  First  prize,  Capt. 
William  Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottaf^e,  Prescot.  :i.  Second 
prize,  Mrs.  Windham  Hornhy,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  Class  2. — 
Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 26.  First  prize,  Captain  Windham  Hornhy, 
Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  Hatched  Feb.  1st.,  1853.  13.  Second  prize, 
Mr.  John  Wilmott  Hardy,  Warrington.  The  cockerel  hatched  early  in 
May  ;  the  pullets  on  May  20. 

Class   3.— Dorking    (Coloured). — Cock    and    two   Hens. — 33.    First 

Srize,  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  41. 
econd  prize,  Mrs.  Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  (The 
whole  class  meritorious.)  Class  4. — Cock  and  two  Pallets. — 47.  First 
prize,  Mrs.  Katharine  Townlcy  Parker,  Astley  Hall,  Chorley.  Hatched 
15th  of  April.  61.  Second  prize,  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley 
Cottage,  Prescot.     Hatched  l6th  of  April. 

Class  5. — Dorking  (White).— Cock  and  two  Hens.— 70.  First  prize, 
Mr.  Joseph  Jenners,  Museley,  Birmingham.  72.  Second  prize,  Mr. 
George  Fell,  Warrington.  Class  6. — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 75.  First 
prize,  Mr.  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  Hatched  May, 
1853.  73.  Second  prize,  Mr.  K.  Gibson,  Hooley,  near  Crawley,  Surrey. 
Seven  months  old. 

Class  7- — Cochin-China  (Cinnamon  and  Buff). — Cock  and  two  Hens, 
— 77-  First  prize,  Mrs.  Lydia  C.  Stowe,  Bredon,  near  Tewkesbury,  Wor- 
cestershire. 76.  Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Mitchell,  Keighley.  Class 
8. — Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 107.  First  prize,  Mr.  John  Harrison,  jun., 
Snelston  Hall,  near  Ashhourn.  Hatched  middle  of  April.  II7,  Second 
prize.  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  Hatched 
March  24th,  1853. 

Class  9. — Cochin-China  (Brown,  and  Partridge-feathered). — Cock 
and  two  Hens, — 135.  First  prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Hindson,  Brecli  Road, 
Everton.  134.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Charles  Leigh  Clare,  Hindley  House, 
Liverpool.  Class  10. — Cock  and  two  Pullets. — 146.  First  prize,  fllr. 
Edward  Archer,  Great  Malvern.  Cock  and  hen  hatched  March  25th  ; 
other  hen  February  l6th,  1853.  141.  Second  prize,  I\Ir.  Samuel  Job, 
Holmefield  House,  Aigburth.     Hatched  I3th  July,  1853. 

Class  12.— Cocbin-China  (White).— Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 155. 
First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  Hatched 
April,  1853.  153.  Second  prize,  Dlr.  Samuel  Job,  Holmefield  House, 
Aigburth.     Hatched  on  the  Qth  of  August,  1853. 

Class  13.— Cochiw-China  (Black).— Cock  and  two  Hens.— 159.  First 
prize,  Mr.  Howard  B.  Fos,  New  Ferry. 

Class  !5.— Malay.— Cock  and  two  Hens.— 162.  First  prize,  Mr.  Thos. 
S.  Trapp,  Bedford.  Class  16.— Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 166.  First  piize, 
Mr.  Thos.  S.  Trapp,  Bedford.     Hatched  in  June. 

Class  17.— Game  Fowl  (White  and  Piles).— Cock  and  two  Hens. — 
168.  First  prize,  Mr.  James  Mousey,  Ber-street,  Norwich.  l6y.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Francis  S.  Bullock,  Hawthorn  House,  Handsworth.  Class  18. 
—Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 170.  Second  prize,  Mr.  James  Monsey,  Ber- 
street,  Norwich.     Sis  months  old. 

Class  19.— Game  Fowl  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds).— Cock  and 
two  Hens.— 181.  First  prize,  Mr.  Abraham  Turner,  Thornton  Grange, 
Cheshire.  175.  Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Cox,  Brailsford  Hall,  near 
Derby.     (Whole  class  commended.)    Class  20.— Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 


Ifig.  First  prize,  Mr.  James  Monsey,  Ber-street,  Norwich.  Age,  nix 
months.  188.  Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Cox,  Brailsford  Hall,  near 
Derby.     Hatched  April  10th. 

Class  21. — Game  Fowl  (Blacks  and  Brassy-winged,  Greys  and  Blues). 
—Cock  and  two  Hens.— 202.  First  prize,  Mr.  Theed  William  Pearse, 
Bromham  Road,  Bedford.  (Duekwing  Game.)  Age  :  cock  seven  months  ; 
pullets  eight  months.  196.  Second  prize,  Mr,  James  Dixon,  Bradford. 
Class  22.— Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 206.  First  prize,  Mr.  Edwin  L. 
Bullock,  Handsworth,  Staffordshire.  Hatched  June  30th.  207-  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Samuel  Taylor  Smith,  Park  Lane,  Madeley.  Age,  nine  months. 

Class  23. — GOLDEN-PENCILLED    H  AM  BURGH,  — Cock  and  tWO  HCHS. — 

209.  First  prize,  Mr.  C,  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thamea.  208. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Henry  Worrall,  Knotty  Ash  House,  Liverpool.  Class 
24.— Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 214.  First  prize,  -Mr.  Josiah  B.  Chune, 
Coalbrookdalc,  Shropshire.    Age,  seven  months. 

Class  25.— Golden-spangled  Hamburgh.- Cock  and  two  Hens  — 
221.  First  prize,  Mr.  George  Fell,  Warrington,  Lancashire.  Age,  about 
one  year  and  eight  months.  219.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  West,  Ecclc- 
ston,  near  St.  Helens.  Class  26.— Cock  and  two  Pullets.— 225.  First 
prize,  Mr.  James  Dixon,  Bradford.  230.  Second  prize,  Mr.  C.  Rawson, 
The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thaincs.     Hatched  April,  1853. 

Class  27. — Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh,— Cock  and  two  Hens. — 
234.  First  prize,  Mr.  William  Mitchell,  Keighley.  Class  28.— Cock  and 
two  Pullets.— 239.  First  prize,  Mr.  William  Mitchell,  Keighley.  240. 
Second  prize,  Qfr.  James  Dixon,  Bradford. 

Class  29. — SiLVER-sPANGLED  HAMBURGH. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 
247.  First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thamcs.  245. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  William  Mitchell,  Keighley.  Class  30.— Cock  and  two 
Pullets.— 249.  First  prize,  Mr.  William  Mitchell,  Keighley.  252.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Edward  Alison,  jun.,  Park  Hall,  Chorley,  Lancashire.  Age, 
seven  months. 

Class  ;.i!.— Poland  Fowl  (Black,  with  White  Crests).— Cock  and 
two  Hens. — 264.  First  prize,  Mr.  Thomas  Becsley,  Eccleston  Lane  Ends, 
near  Prescot.  Hatched  in  June,  1853.  26(1.  Second  prize,  Mr.  Joseph 
Conyers,  42,  Boar  Lane,  Leeds,     (Whole  class  meritorious.) 

Class  32. — Poland  Fowl  (Golden). — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 273. 
First  prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Conyers,  42,  Boar  Lane,  Leeds.  267.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  C.  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  (Class  highly 
meritorious.) 

Class  33.— Poland  Fowl  (Silver).— Cock  and  two  Hens.- 280.  First 
prize,  Mr.  S.  T.  Baker,  Manor  House,  King's  Road,  Chelsea.  282. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  James  F.  Greenall,  Grappendall  Hall,  Warrington. 
(Class  highly  meritorious.) 

Class  34. —Bantams  (Gold-laccd).— Cock  and  two  Hens,— 29O.  First 
prize,  Mr.  Gilbert  W.  BIoss,  Liverpool.  293.  Second  prize,  I\Ir.  C. 
Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames. 

Class  35.— Bantams  (SHver-laced).— 295.  First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Kawson, 
The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  298.  Second  prize,  I\lr.  C.  Rawson, 
The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames. 

Class  36. — Bantams  (White). — Cock  and  two  Hens.- 300.  First  prize. 
Master  R.  M.  Brocklebank,  Ansley,  Aigburgth. 

Class  37. — Bantams  (Black). — Cock  and  two  Hens.— 304.  Firstprize, 
Mr.  Gilbert  W.  Moss,  Liverpool.  Chickens  of  1853.  302.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Joseph  Conyers,  42,  Boar  Lane,  Leeds. 

Class  39. — Geese. — Gander  aod  two  Geese. — 307,  First  prize,  Mrs. 
Katharine  Townley  Parker,  Astley  Hall,  Chorley,  3l6.  Second  prize, 
Mrs.  Katharine  Townlcy  Parker,  Astley  Hall,  Chorley. 

Class  40.— Ducks  (White  Aylesbury).— Drake  and  two  Ducks.— 326. 
First  prize,  Mr.  C.  Uawsoii,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames.  330. 
Second  prize,  Rlr.  ,Iohn  Weston,  sen.,  Aylesbury,  Buckinghamshire. 
(Class  highly  meritorious.) 

Class  41, — Ducks  (Rouen).— Drake  and  two  Ducks.— 335.  First 
prize,  Mr.  Thced  W.  Pearse,  Bronham  Road,  Bedford.  33/.  Second 
prize,  Mr.  Henry  Worrall,  Knotty  Ash  House,  Liverpool. 

Class  42. — Ducks  (Any  other  variety}.— Drake  and  two  Ducks. — 338. 
First  prize,  Mr.  James  Dixon,  Bradford.  (East  India  Black.)  339. 
Second  prize,  Mr.  Lambert  John  Bird,  Litherland  Mount,  Litherland, 
near  Liverpool.     {Decoy  or  Call.) 

Class  44. — Torkevs. — Turkey  Cock  and  two  Hens. — 353.  Firstprize, 
Joseph  Conyers,  42,  Boar  Lane,  Leeds.  (Cambridgeshire.)  Weight  of 
the  three  birds,  53lbs.  350.  Second  prize,  Mr.  John  B.  Neilson,  Doe 
Park,  Woolton,  near  Liverpool.  (American.)  Extra  first  prize  for 
Purity  of  Breed.— 357.  Mr.  John  B.  Neilson,  Doe  Park,  Woolton,  near 
Liverpool,     (Wild  American.) 

Devon  and  Cornwall  Poultry  Association's  rntST 
Exhibition. — This  Society  had  their  first  show  at  St. 
George's  Hall,  Stouehouse,  on  the  18th  and  10th  of  the 
present  month,  on  which  occasion  24:3  pens  were  entered 
for  competition.  This  number  would,  prohahly,  have  been 
considerably  exceeded,  had  it  not  been  for  the  accidental 
collision,  in  respect  of  time,  with  the  Torquay  Exhibition, 
held  in  the  previous  week,  and  also  from  what  we  must 
consider  the  unwise  determination  of  the  committee  to 
confine  the  entries  to  residents  in  Cornwall  and  Devon. 
If  the  general  improvement  of  our  poultry-yards  be  the 
object  of  such  Associations,  it  is  manifest  that  such  limi- 
tations must  be  prejudicial  to  success,  for  the  wider  the 
sphere  of  their  operations,  the  greater  probabihty  is  there 
of  bringing  together  the  best  specimens  of  every  breed  ; 
and  another  year  we  shall  hope  to  number  such  restrictive 


348 


THE  COTTAGE  GARBENER. 


Febbuaby  2. 


regulations  among  the  rules  that  have  been  once  for  all 
aboUshed  and  done  away  with. 

Class  1  included  Coloured  Dorkhvjs,  young  and  old ; 
chickens  here,  as  in  the  other  breeds,  competing  with  the 
adult  birds.  This  class,  as  has  been  the  case  throughout 
the  more  western  districts  of  England,  was  certainly  below 
an  average,  for  it  could  not  be  said  to  contain  one  really 
good  pen.  The  first  prize  was  awarded  to  Mr.  "\V.  C. 
Hodge,  for  No.  3,  where  there  were  two  fair  hens,  but  tlie 
cock  had  a  sprigged  comb,  almost  amounting  to  a  "  cup." 
Mr.  E.  Barton,  of  Truro,  had  the  second  prize,  and  Mr. 
W.  W.  Howe's  birds  were  commended.  No  White  Dorkings 
were  shown,  tliough  one  pen  had  been  entered. 

Spaiiisli,  again,  were  below  an  average.  To  No.  10,  he- 
longing  to  Mr.  B.  Kingdon,  an  even  pen  of  tolerable  birds 
was  assigned  the  first  place,  while  No.  17  followed  with 
specimens  of  a  similar  cliaracter,  the  property  of  jMr.  B. 
ford.  Mr.  W.  W.  Kowe  had  a  commendation  for  No.  12, 
which  contained  the  best  bu-d  (a pullet)  of  the  entire  class. 
Of  Cinnamon  and  Biijf  Shanghaes  there  were  thirty-three 
pens,  all  possessing  more  or  less  of  merit.  Mr.  W.  J. 
Lawrence  headed  tlie  list  of  awards  with  the  same  birds 
that  lately  won  for  him  the  like  position  at  Penzance  ;  Mr. 
Channing  having  the  second  prize  for  No.  34.  No.  2^i  and 
'^■1,  belonging  to  Blr.  S.  C.  Parkhouse,  were  deservedly  com- 
mended, as  also  was  Mr.  Channing,  for  No.  3-3.  To  pens 
-IS,  belonging  to  the  Misses  Coryton,  of  Pentilie  Castle,  and 
-11,  to  Mr.  W.  C.  Pennington,  of  Penzance,  high  commend- 
ations were  awarded. 

Five  pens  of  Brown  and  Partridge  Shanghacs  were  ex- 
hibited, but  the  class  was  indifferent.  JMiss  K.  Buller  took 
tlie  first  prize,  though  the  cock  was  a  decided  Cinnamon 
bird.  Mr.  B.  Ford  came  second,  with  No.  S5,  in  which  the 
cock  was  too  stilty  a  specimen. 

Next  were  nine  pens  of  Black  and  While  Shanghaes, 
shown  together,  and  forming  hut  an  unequal  class.  The 
first  prize  was  here  given  to  Mr.  E.  Burton,  for  No.  CO,  con- 
taining white  birds,  certainly  the  best  in  the  class.  The 
second  prize  to  Mr.  J.  Turner,  for  No.  C3,  witli  black  birds, 
of  wliicii  the  cock  was  indifi'erently  booted,  and  had,  more- 
over, a  drooping  comb.  Mr.  J.  Turner  was  also  commended 
for  some  very  good  wliite  birds,  in  No.  5Ci.  The  cock  in  CJ 
was  not  pure  black,  and  still  less  so  were  tlie  occupants  of 
No.  04. 

In  Malays,  Mr.  Hunt  walked  over  the  course  with  a  very 
good  pen. 

Red  Game  were  inferior  specimens,  conseriuently  the 
first  prize  was  withheld,  while  Jlr.  M.  Charlton  took  the 
second  with  a  pair  of  good  dark-legged  hens,  but  an  inferior 
yellow -legged  cock.  The  best  pen  in  the  room  belonged  to 
Mr.  Dent,  but  too  late  an  entry  had  disqualified  it  from 
competition.  Greg  Game  had  six  entries,  of  which  Mr.  J. 
W.  Little's  No.  73,  had  the  first  prize,  and  Mr.  J.  F. 
Mortimer,  the  second  ;  tlie  latter  pen  was  hai'dly  inferior, 
except,  perhaps,  in  the  male  bird. 

In  Game,  any  other  variety,  we  found  nine  entries,  of 
which  several  exhibited  strange  combinations  of  various 
breeds ;  thus.  No.  70  had  evidently  been  crossed  with 
Golden  Polands,  and  almost  all  tlie  rest  had  a  strain  of 
]\Ialay,  or  the  coarse  Indian  Game  blood.  Mr.  P.  0.  Treby's 
Piles  took  the  tu-st  jirize. 

Silver-pencilled  Hamhurghs  were  mostly  second  rate.  The 
first  prize,  here,  fell  to  No.  f^i),  belonging  to  the  Misses 
Coryton,  the  second  to  Mr.  AV.  W.  Rowe. 

In  Golden-pencilled  Hamhurghs  wo  found  the  winners  in 
pen  103,  the  property  of  the  Rev.  H.  V.  L.  Hammond ;  next 
to  which  came  Mrs.  B.  Ford's,  No.  102.  Mr.  Hine  was 
commended  for  No.  101.  These,  on  the  whole,  were  a 
better  class  than  the  preceding. 

There  was  no  first  prize  in  Silver  spangled  Hamhurghs, 
but  the  second  was  given  to  Mr.  Paul,  No.  100. 

In  the  Golden-spangled  Mr.  A.  Paul  had  the  first  prize  ; 
Mr.  H.  Hine  the  second. 

Golden  Polands  numbered  six  entries,  and  both  prizes 
here  fell  to  Mr.  E.  Burton.  The  Silver  variety  was  badly 
represented,  a  second  jirize  only  being  awarded  to  the  pen 
of  Mrs.  T.  Prideaux. 

Ptarmigans,  which  here  received  the  unusual  honour  of  a 
separate  class,  were  in  three  pens,  of  which  JMr.  F.  P. 
Smyth  was  the  owner  of  that  which  took  the  first  prize,  as. 


also,  of  one  commended.    No.  34,  the  unnoticed,  was  an 
importation  from  Constantinople. 

In  While  Bantams  Mr.  Channing  took  a  second  prize, 
and  the  same  was  awarded  to  Mr.  J.  G.  Gully  for  his 
"  hlack."  The  laced  birds  were  represented  by  a  single 
rejected  pen,  and  the  same  with  Guinea  fowls. 

Of  Turkeys  there  were  but  two  pens,  for  which  a  first 
prize  was  given  to  Mr.  W.  "W.  Kowe,  for  No.  140,  and  a 
second  to  Mr.  Crawley,  No.  145.     Both  of  these  were  good. 

Geese  were  of  moderate  quality,  a  second  prize  only  being 
assigned  to  Mr.  W .  W.  Rowe,  who  was  also  successfid  in 
the  class  for  Ayleshury  Ducks ;  Mr.  R.  E.  Moore  there 
following  him  in  pen  150.  The  Rouen  Ducks  of  Mr.  E. 
Bmton  won  the  first  prize,  and  some  common  Ducks  of 
Mr.  "\V.  "W.  Rowe,  the  second,  in  the  class  provided  for 
coloured  Ducks  generally. 

The  prize  for  dead  fowls  produced,  among  others,  a  pen 
of  half  bred  Barn  door  and  Shanghae,  that  stood  first  in 
the  awards ;  while,  in  the  second  place,  there  appeared  the 
progeny  of  the  above-named  mongrels,  with  Spanish,  both 
belonging  to  Mr.  W.  Bassett. 

A  prize  having  been  offered  for  the  best  six  eggs  of  any 
one  breed,  a  somewhat  indefinite  proposition  as  to  the  points 
by  which  the  award  would  be  regulated,  Mr.  S.  C.  Parkhouse 
obtained  both  the  first  and  second  prizes  with  those  of  the 
Shanghae  race. 

In  Pigeons,  Mr.  Channing  won  with  Trumpeters  and 
Almond  Tumblers,  and  was  also  commended  for  his 
Carriers,  the  prize  for  which  was  given  to  Mr.  W.  T.  Square, 
as,  also,  that  for  Pouters.  Mr.^E.  Burton's  Fantails  and 
Runts  were  pronounced  winners,  and  his  Almond  Tumblers 
were  commended.  The  fact,  that  among  Extra  Slock  there 
appeared  the  name  of  Mr.  Channing,  as  taking  prizes  for 
his  Turhits,  Nuns,  and  Owls,  showed  clearly  that  the 
regular  Pigeon  class  should  not  have  been  limited  to  a  few 
arbitrarily  selected  varieties,  but  have  included  all  that  are 
now  generally  recognised.  A  prize  was  here  allotted  to  the 
Frizzled  fowls  of  Mr.  T.  Russell. 

A  Rabbit  show  was  also  permitted  to  add  its  attractions 
to  the  poultry  pens,  and  hero  the  name  of  Mr.  G.  M.  Kowe 
appeared  as  the  winner  of  the  first  prize,  and  that  of  Mr. 
J.  P.  Briggs  for  the  second. 

We  understand  that  it  is  the  intention  of  this  Society  to 
hold  two  annual  Exhibitions,  and  that  its  second  meeting 
will  take  place  in  the  ensuing  autumn,  when  chickens,  prin- 
cipally, will  appear  for  competition. 


HARDY   BORDER  PLANTS. 

{Continued  from  page  235.^ 

ACONITUM    JAPONICUM. 

THE    JAPAN    WOLFSBANE. 

This  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  tlie  whole  family  of  Monks- 
hoods, being  such  a  free  bloomer,  and  its  blossoms  being 
very  large,  of  a  rich  blue  colour.  Its  roots  ai'o  tuberous, 
supported  by  a  large  amount  of  fibres.  It  is  readily 
increased  by  division,  in  the  spring  months,  when 
putting  up  its  first  leaves.  Its  stems  rise  from  three-and- 
a-half  to  five  feet  in  height,  much  branched,  and  its  panicled 
branches,  short  and  numerous,  forming  a  fine  head  of 
bloom.  The  leaves  are  much  and  deeply  cut,  the  segments 
being  narrow,  often  cut  into  threes.  'The  whole  plant  is 
smooth,  veiny,  and  of  a  dark  green  colom-.  It  is  a  native 
of  Japan,  and  was  introduced  to  this  country  in  17i)0.  It 
Hourishes  in  common  gai-den  soil,  and  from  its  height  and 
beauty  forms  a  delightful  hack  or  centre  row  plant  for 
either  beds  or  borders;  flowering  from  the  end  of  .Time 
to  the  end  of  August.  T.  W. 


POST-MORTEM 


EXAMINATION 
COCK. 


OF    A     HEN 


Altiiouoii  it  is  much  more  pleasant  to  proclaim  that  our 
opinions  formerly  published  have  been  verified  by  know- 
ledge subsequently  acquired,  yet,  when  truth  only  is  our 
aim,  there  is  a  certain  satisfaction  in  aclcnowledging  that  our 


FEBKUARy  2. 


THE  COTTAGE   GAEDENEK. 


840  I 


previous  'siews  were  wi'Ong;  itis,  as  has  been  truly  said,  simply 
confessing  that  we  are  wiser  to-day  tban  we  were  yesterday. 
I  am  thus  circumstanced  with  regard  to  the  anatomy  of  the 
birds  called  Hen-Cocks,  one  of  which  I  exhibited  at  the 
Surrey  Summer  Show,  and  described  at  page  30!)  of  the  last 
volume,  stating  that  I  regarded  it  as  a  male  bird,  with  some 
iirrest  of  development  in  the  plumage.    Eecently  I  killed  it 
for  the  purpose  of  examiuation,  and  found  that  it  was  simply 
a  hen  in  which  the  ovary  had  never  been  developed,  but  had 
degenerated  into  a  hard  cartilaginous  mass.     This  bird,  as 
I    iriay  be  seen  by  referring  to  its  description,  was  remarkably 
like  a  cock,  in  comb,  wattles,  general  carriage,  &c.,  and  from 
its  examination,    therefore,    I   am   induced   to  hazard  an 
I    opinion  that  all   so-called  Hen-Cocks  are  simply  hens  in 
j    wliicli  the  ovary  has  never  been  developed ;  this  will  account 
I    satisfactorily  for  the  fact  that  those  persons  who  (imagining 
j   them  to  be  cocks)  have  endeavoured  to  breed  from  them  have 
I   invariably  failed  to  do  so.     In  fact,  I  regard  the  only  differ- 
ence between  what  has  been  termed   a  Hen-Cock  and  a 
Crowing  Hen  (such  as  that  whose  post-mortem  is  described 
at  page  liiS  of  the  present  volume)  to  be,  that  in  the  Hen- 
Cock  tlie  ovary  is  never  developed,  or  is  diseased  before  it 
arrives  at  an  active  state ;  whilst  in  the  Crowing  Hen  the 
ovary  becomes  diseased  after  having  been  in  action,  and, 
therefore,  after  the  bird  has  laid. 

The  first  condition,  therefore,  occurs  in  pullets,  and  as 
they  grow  they  assume,  more  or  less,  the  gait,  comb,  &c.,  of 
the  cock— hence  the  name  of  Hen-Cock;  the  latter  are  old 
hens,  who,  having  arrived  at  their  full  growth,  necessarily 
retain  their  form  and  habits  to  a  greater  degree,  and  are, 
therefore,  termed  simply  Crowing  Hens. 

Although  both  kinds  may  be  kept  as  a  matter  of  curiosity, 
it  will  be  seen  that  they  are  quite  uuprofitable,  in  an  econo- 
mical point  of  view,  as  layers.  I  may  mention,  however, 
that  Mr.  Yarrell  informed  me  that  they  are  admirable  nurses 
to  broods  of  young  chicken,  but  I  have  had  no  experience 
in  their  employment  for  this  purpose. — W.  B.  Tegetheiek, 
Willesden.  near  London. 


SEA  AVEEDS. 

{Oontinucd  from  pa(je  310.) 

ORDER  10.— DELESSERIACEiE. 
We  come  nest  to  the  tenth  order,  Delesscriuceie,  which, 
though   not  very  numerous,   are   extremely  beautiful   and 
attractive,  both  as  regards  colour  and  form. 

1.  DELESSEEIA, 

"  Rose-red,  flat,  membranaceous,  with  a  per-current  mid- 
rib; fructification  of  two  kinds  on  distinct  individuals. 
Named  in  honour  of  M.  Beig-Dellessert,  a  distinguished 
French  naturahst."- — Harvci/. 

1.  D.  siNGUiNEA  (Blood-coloured).  —  Growing   on   rocks 


^IX^ 


in  the  sea,  bearing  numerous  leaves  from  two  to  eight 
inches  long,  of  a  reddish-pinlc  when  living,  but  becoming  a 
most  lovely  rose-coloui-,  tinted  sometimes  witli  violet,  when 
dried.  The  leaves,  ov  fronds,  are  shaped  like  those  of  a 
Dock.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Landsborough  mentions  a  beautiful 
variety  of  this  plant  which  was  once  found  floating  at 
Sultivalts  by  Miss  McLeish  (a  most  zealous  and  diUgent 


weed-gatherer).    It  was  a  great  bunch,  of  a  dozen  branches,  I 
some  of  the  fronds  being  eight  inches  in  length,  and  five-  ', 
and-a-half  in  breadth.    The  peculiarity  of  this  remarkable 
variety   was,   that  it   was  lobed  somewhat  like   Delesseria  \ 
sinnosa,  with  a  midrib  in  each  lobe.     Dr.  L.  also  mentions  a   ] 
"  magnificent  frond  of  B.  sanguinea,  in  the  possession  of  j 
Major  Martin,  of  Ardrossan,  thirteen  inches  long,  and  eight 
inches  broad."     It  is  common,  but  so  beautiful  that  it  is 
universally  admired.     It  is  very  fine  on  the  Cumberland   j 
coast,  and  a  blacksmith  there  sent  me  a  number  of  fine   I 
specimens,  and  said  he  had  cut  about  three  hundred  from   ; 
the  rooks.    He  is  much  interested  in  all  branches  of  natural 
history,  and  it  is  a  delightful  recreation  for  him  after  the 
labours  of  the  day  are  ended. 

2.  D.  siNuosA  (Scolloped)  is  also  common,  but  very  pretty. 
It  is  a  parasite  on  the  larger  algfe.  In  spring  the  young 
fronds  are  of  a  rosy-pink,  but  later  m  the  season  of  a 
darker  hue,  and  varying  from  a  brownish-purple-red  to 
crimson  ;  when  older  still,  the  leaves  are  often  tinted  with 
green.     It  adheres  well  to  paper  when  not  too  old. 

3.  D.  AiATA  ("Winged/ — Very  abundant.  The  stem  is  much 
branched,  and  with  a  winged  membrane,  but  no  leaves. 
The  colour  is  a  deep  red.  This  plant  makes  pretty  speci- 
mens for  the  herbarium. 

4.  D.  ANGUSTissiuA  (NarrowBst). — Much  like  the  last,  but 
a  narrower  frond.  Harvey  says,  that  it  appears  to  him  an 
extreme  variety  of  a  variable  plant. 

•5.  D.  HYPOGLOSSUM  (Tongue-shaped). — The  frond  of  this 
pretty  Delesseria  is  much  branched,  so  that  it  forms  quite  a 
little  bush.  The  lance-shaped  leaves  have  a  midrib.  It 
grows  on  rocks,  and  is  parasitic  on  other  algfe — is  "  from 
lour  to  sis  inches  in  diameter."  In  Ireland,  the  breadth 
of  the  frond  is  much  greater  than  in  British  specimens. 
Colour  varies  from  pink  to  red  or  crimson. 

C.  D.  KUSCirOLiA  (Ruscus-leaved) — Not  very  common; 
the  frond  proliferous,  aud  broader  and  shorter  than  the 
last.     The  colour  is  a  fine  red.     On  rocks,  itc. 

2.  NITOPHYLLUM. 
"  Frond  plane,  delicately  membranaceous,  rose-coloured, 
reticulated,  wholly  without  veins,  or  very  slight  vague  ones 
towards  the  base.  Fructification  hemispherical  capsules, 
imbedded  in  the  substance  of  the  frond,  aud  ternaLe 
granules  forming  distinct  scattered  spots." — Greville. 

1.  N.  PUXCTATUM  (Dotted).  The  frond  is  very  thin,  and 
di\ided  into  segments,  the  fructification  scattered  all  over 
it.  It  grows  on  algse,  and  is  an  annual  and  a  summer 
weed.  Harvey  speaks  of  gigantic  specimens  found  by  Mr. 
D.  Moore,  at  Cushendall  Bay,  nortli  of  Ireland,  five  feet 
long  and  three  feet  wide  !     A  beautiful  species. 

2.  N.  HiLLu;  (Hill's). — "  On  rocks  ;  rare;  first  found  by 
Miss  Hill,  at  Plymouth."  It  is  a  handsome  plant,  of  a  sort 
of  mulberry-colour,  becoming  orange-colour  when  put  into 
fresh  water.  When  recently  gathered  it  has  a  very  un- 
pleasant smell. 

3.  N.  BoNNEHAisoNi  (Bonnemalsou's). — Rare.  "Frond 
with  a  short  cartaliginous  stem,  broadly  fan-shaped,  two  to 
four  inches  long,  and  about  as  broad ;  more  or  less  deeply 
cleft ;  substance  very  thin  and  delicate  ;  closely  adhering  to 
paper." — Harvey. 

•1.  N.  Gmelini  (Gmehn's). — On  rocks  ;  rare;  colour  pur- 
plish-red. 

5.  N.  LACERATUM  (Lacerated).— The  frond  of  this  very 
variably  shaped  weed  is  much  divided,  and  from  two  to  ten 
inches  in  length  ;  it  is  common,  but  makes  pretty  specimens. 
Very  abundant  indeed  on  the  Cumberland  coast,  nearFlimby, 
Maryport,  AUonby.  ttc. 

0.  N.  VEKSicoLOE  (Changing  -  coloured).  —  Rosy-red 
changing  to  orange-colour  in  fresh  water.  Miss  Giflbrd 
says,that  when  the  water  first  comes  in  contact  with  the  frond 
it  immediatly  loses  its  crispness,  hissing  and  crackling  like 
slackened  lime,  giving  out  at  the  same  time  a  peculiar  strong 
aud  pungent  odour  which  makes  the  eyes  smart.  She  has 
examined  dozens  of  specimens  in  the  hope  of  discovering 
the  fructification,  but  without  success.  It  has  never  been 
found  in  a  growing  state,  but  is  thrown  ashore  by  the  tides, 
from  June  to  August,  in  the  south  of  England  and  Ireland. 

3.  PLOCAMIUM. 
"  Frond  fiUform,  compressed,  between  membraneous  and 


350 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Fbbbdart  2. 


cai'tilaginous ;  fine  pink-red,  much  branched ;  branches 
distichous  i  alternately  secund  and  pectinated) ;  I'ructifi cation 
of  two  kinds.  The  name  is  from  a  Greek  word  signifying 
braided  hair." — Grcville. 

1.  fLocAjiirji  cocciNEUM  (Scarlet) — This  pretty  weed  is 
so  common,  and  so  well  known,  that  it  seems  almost  super- 
fluous to  describe  it.  It  is  a  general  favourite,  with  its 
beautiful  and  delicate  crimson  fronds.  So  common  in  some 
paits  of  Scotland,  says  Dr.  Landsborough,  that  it  is  carted 
away  for  manure.  It  varies  much  in  colour  and  in  size, 
some  specimens  being  almost  coarse,  others  delicately  pecti- 
nated, and  very  small.  S.  E. 
(To  he   continued.) 


ORCHARDS  IN  KENT.— No.  4. 

I  CHEKBIES. 

Although  the  terms  "  Kentish  Cherry "  are  familiar 
household  words,  yet  the  fruit  does  not  occupy  that  pro- 
minent position,  as  an  e.xtensively  cultivated  one,  which  the 
name  would  imply,  it  being,  in  most  districts  of  the  county, 
of  less  importance  than  the  Filbert,  Black  Cm'rant,  and 
Apple.  However,  it  being  of  easy  culture,  it  has  in  former 
years  been  more  extensively  planted  than  of  late ;  and  the 
nuuilier  of  new  plantations  making  are  very  few  indeed. 
Pohtical  measures,  unnecessary  here  to  mention,  have  opened 
out  continental  districts  more  suited  to  the  growth  of  this 
fruit  than  oiu"  own  jtrecarious  springs,  conserjuently,  London, 
and  many  other  provincial  towns,  are  supplied  with  Kentisli 
Cheriies  that  know  nothing  of  the  county,  except,  perhaps, 
in  passing  through  it  by  rail  or  water.  As  my  purpose  is 
to  describe  the  mode  of  culture  adopted  in  Kent  where  this 
fruit  is  grown,  1  must  leave  the  foreign  produce  to  its  own 
deserts,  and,  in  the  words  of  a  ivorthy  old  grower,  aflinn, 
that  if  it  was  not  for  our  late  frosts  in  spring,  we  need  not 
be  afraid  of  foreign  produce  ;  but  as  we  have  no  control  over 
the  late  frosts  very  serious  losses  occur  in  consequence. 

Contrary  to  most  otlier  cultivated  fruits  the  Cheny  does 
not  seem  to  require  a  ricli  soil,  or,  rather,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  supply  it  so  frequently  with  those  enriching  substances 
which  are  so  liberally  applied  to  Filberts,  Hops,  &c.,  the 
Cherry  being  apt  to  "  gum  "  off,  or  canker,  when  too  grossly 
fed.  In  this  respect  it  is  a  true  type  of  the  tribe  of  plants 
to  which  it  belongs,  for  the  Peach,  in  like  manner,  dislikes 
too  higli  feeding,  for  it  tends  to  produce  in  it  a  gouty  habit. 
Another  thing  the  Cherry  dislikes  is  much  pruning  or  cut- 
ting, either  at  the  top  or  root ;  the  latter  being  equally  in- 
jurious as  the  former ;  hence  the  plan  of  planting  it  in  such 
a  position  as  to  secure  its  roots  against  injury  in  tliat  way, 
whicli  is  done  by  planting  it  in  a  field  afterwards  laid  down 
to  permanent  grass;  but,  in  a  general  way,  the  ground  at 
planting  time  is  in  a  course  of  tillage,  and  often  remains  so 
for  a  year  or  two  afterwards.  It  is  proper  to  observe,  that 
standarfl  trees  are  universally  planted,  and  these  with  a 
stem  of  not  less  than  six  or  seven  feet:  the  distance  at 
which  they  are  placed  apart  depends  on  various  circum- 
stances— they  are  to  be  found  from  twelve  to  thirty  feet  or 
more,  but  twenty-four  is  a  very  common  distance.  In 
selecting  trees  to  plant,  great  care  ought  to  be  taken 
that  they  have  not  endured  too  much  cutting  at  top. 
Maiden  trees  are  preferable  to  those  fine-headed  ones 
which  have  only  become  so  at  the  expense  of  their  after- 
health,  perhaps;  for  it  not  unfrequently  happens  that  gum 
is  found  exuding  from  some  of  those  wounds  made  by  the 
knife.  The  roots  ought  also  to  be  good  and  whole,  and 
have  been  taken  up  with  care,  and  the  tree,  after  being 
duly  planted,  must  be  tied.  It  is  a  common  practice  in 
Kent,intying-up  newly  planted  fruit-trees,  to  put  in  two  slakes, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  tree,  and  in  driving  them  in  let 
their  tops  lean  out  Irom  the  tree  a  little,  but  not  so  much 
but  that  they  will  draw  up  to  it  when  they  arc  tied  to  it  and 
to  each  other.  The  benefit  of  this  is,  that  while  they  are 
pulling  against  each  otlier  they  arc  each  pulling  against 
the  tree,  and,  conseiiuently,  securing  it  against  side  winds, 
which  would  otherwise  rock  it  backwards  and  forwards.  I 
need  hardly  observe,  that  these  stakes  are  placed  on  a  line 
with  what  is  expected  to  be  the  highest  winds,  which,  in 
the  diatriot  I  write  from,  is  south-west  and  west.  | 


All  being  planted  in  what  we  may  call  a  ploughed-field> 
we  will  leave  the  occupier  to  put  in  what  description  of  crop 
he  chooses,  and  it  is  usually  corn  that  he  sows;  for,  be  it 
remembered,  that  small  fruits  are  not  often  planted  with 
the  Cherry  as  they  are  with  the  Apple  and  Tear,  conse- 
quently the  ground  must  be  put  io  some  use  during  tJie 
early  part  of  the  tree's  progress ;  but  it  very  often  happens 
that  the  one  following  the  planting  of  the  trees  is  the  last 
cro]i  from  tillage,  and  if  so,  the  ground  is  sown  down  to 
grass,  in  the  usual  way,  while  the  corn  is  on  the  ground; 
but  Ijefore  tlial  is  done,  I  may  as  well  relate  a  practice  some 
have  of  throwing  up  a  mound  of  earth  around  the  stem  of 
each  tree,  rounding  it  off  so  a.s  to  form  a  mole-bill-like 
mound  of  perhaps  a  cart-load  of  earth.  Although  this  is 
not  a  universal  plan  it  is  a  very  general  one,  but  its  utility 
may  be  questioned ;  certainly,  the  additional  weight  it  gives 
steadies  the  tree  in  a  great  measure,  but  if  its  roots  were 
sufficiently  deeply  planted  before  this  "  eai'thing  up."  its 
utility  is  certainly  (luostionable,  except  on  light  soils,  where  it 
secures  a  greater  depth  and  increased  moisture;  however, 
many  healthy  Orchards  exist  without  it.  1  must  leave  its 
adoption  or  not  to  those  wliose  inclination  directs  them, 
and  leaving  that  subject,  will  endeavour  to  describe  what  soils 
and  situations  Clierry  Orchards  are  in  general  formed  on. 

Tlie  Clierry  seems  to  delight  in  a  much  stifl'er  soil  than 
most  other  cultivated  fruits,  for  without  wishing  for  the 
moisture  so  much  relished  by  the  Black  Cm-rant  and 
Raspberry,  the  Cherry  likes  one  more  stiff  than  wet;  hence 
many  fine  Orchards  are  found  on  sucli  heavy  lands  as 
grow  good  Wheat  and  Beans,  and  such  soils  not  unfre- 
quently furnish  a  sward  of  grass  Ukewise,  the  latter  lieiug 
the  surface  produce  of  an  Orchard  of  this  fruit.  The 
ground,  at  the  time  of  laying  down,  ought  not  to  be  poor 
and  worn  out,  although,  as  I  have  before  observed,  much 
enriching  matter  in  contact  with  the  roots  of  the  trees  is  to 
be  deprecated.  Now,  apart  from  the  stiff,  heavy  loam  de- 
scribed above,  Cherries,  especially  of  the  Early  Mny  Duke 
varieties,  are  often  found  on  soils  of  a  much  drier  descrip- 
tion ;  in  fact,  on  the  dry  hill-sides  of  the  limestone  foiTua- 
tion.  Some  extensive  Orcliards  of  this  kind  are  found  on  the 
banks  of  the  Medway,  in  its  course  between  Tunbridge  and 
Maidstone,  and  on  some  of  the  lateral  ridges  with  which 
the  district  abounds,  and  which  I  have,  in  a  former 
article,  described  as  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  Filbert  and 
the  Hop.  This  dry  and  stony,  but  by  no  means  shallow, 
soil,  supports  a  crop  of  Cherries  very  well  where  they  escape 
the  frosts  they  are  so  often  visited  with  in  the  first  week  of 
May;  and  as  the  May  Dulc  and  its  kindred  early  Chenics 
are  always  most  in  demand,  the  temptation  to  plant  them 
extensively  existed  in  greater  force  before  "  free  trade " 
opened  the  market  to  foreign  produce;  since  then,  the  later 
kinds,  as  the  Black  Jleto-h,  Biyai'fcau,  Flemish,  and  Kentish, 
have  been  more  in  demand. 

I  must  not  take  leave  of  this  article  without  saying,  that 
after  planting  the  tree  must  be  protected  against  the 
injuries  of  cattle,  etc.,  by  something  being  securely  fastened 
around  tliem;  when  it  is  intended  to  graze  the  ground  with 
sheep,  which  are  certainly  the  best,  some  furze,  or  gorse, 
ought  to  be  bound  tightly  arotind  the  tree  and  its  two 
stakes  afore-mentioned ;  or,  what  is  better  still,  each  tree 
might  be  surrounded  by  a  timber  fence;  three  stout  stakes 
being  set  up  in  a  triangular  fashion,  cross  pieces  might  be 
nailed  on  sufficiently  close  to  prevent  sheep  putting  their 
heads  through,  and  between  tho  top  bar  and  tho  second  one 
a  wide  space  is  occupied  by  securing  two  pieces  in  a 
diagonal  form,  in  fact,  like  the  letter  Xi  forming  a  sort  of 
brace,  which,  taken  in  conjunction  with  tlie  triangular  form 
of  the  enclosure,  gives  it  a  more  sturdy  character  than  the 
slendemess  of  the  materials  used  would  lead  us  to  expect. 
This  species  of  protection  is  adopted  very  extensively  with 
all  sorts  of  standai'd  trees,  and,  when  well  done,  it  looks  neat 
and  orderly.  The  three  stakes  used  ai'o  generally  about 
two  feet  apai't  at  the  bnttom,  and  a  little  more  at  top.  They 
cannot  well  be  dispensed  with  until  tho  trees  attain  a  con- 
siderable size,  and  tho  bark  assumes  that  rugged,  uninviting 
asp(X!t  which  age  alono  can  give,  and  which  renders  them 
no  longer  assailable  by  sheep.  This  same  remark  holds 
good  in  regard  to  Apples  and  I'ears,  all  of  which  are 
attacked  by  sheep,  t'i!C.,\vhen  not  protected. 
Little  pruning   is   given   to   the   Cheny.    Some   unruly 


J 


February  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


351 


growths  are,  perhaps,  curbed  a  little  at  first,  after  that  little 
more  is  required,  as  the  branches  have  not  that  tendency  to 
entangle  amongst  each  other,  and  get  thick,  as  the  Apple 
and  Pear ;  for  some  of  the  Cherries  have  an  upright  growth 
at  first,  and  after  having  attained  a  certain  height,  they 
then,  by  their  own  weight,  gradually  spread  and  bend  down- 
wards. 

The  kinds  most  gromi  are  two  or  three  Bhck  Hearts, 
having  local  names ;  the  Bigarreaii,  of  which  there  are 
three  or  four  apparent  varieties ;  and  the  Kentish  and 
Flemish,  which  are  a  distinct  section  from  the  others,  and  of 
which  there  are  more  than  one  kind  of  each.  The  Morello 
is  not  much  grown,  yet  I  do  not  know  the  reason  why  ;  as  a 
fruit  it  is,  according  to  market  prices,  more  than  double  the 
value  of  any  other,the  very  earhest,  perhaps, excepted.  Some 
growers  have  also  added  to  their  stock  the  more  recent  addi- 
tions to  tlie  garden  varieties,  as  the  Black  Eagle,  Tartarian, 
£//o«,  etc.,  but  they  have  not  become  generaUsed  yet :  and, 
as  I  have  before  observed,  new  Orchards  are  but  sparingly 
formed,  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  have  that  trial  they 
seemingly  deserve. 

In  drawing  this  article  to  a  close,  I  must  not  omit  point- 
ing out  the  advantages  of  having  a  considerable  number  of 
Cherry-trees  together ;  for  the  preservation  of  the  fruit  from 
birds  is  a  matter  not  so  easily  efiected,  and  it  is  quite  as 
difficult  to  keep  them  away  from  one  ti-ee  as  from  a  hun- 
dred; hence  the  advantage  of  having  such  a  number  toge- 
ther as  will  be  worth  the  trouble  of  watching  them,  and 
there  is  no  other  way ;  and  every  gardener  knows  the  difii- 
culty  of  scaring  these  marauders  away  from  such  a  tempting 
repast  as  ripe  Cherries  without  the  tolerable  free  use  of 
gunpowder.  Hence  the  advantage  of  having  such  a  number 
of  trees  in  one  place  as  mil  afford  keeping  a  vigilant  watch- 
man on  the  look-out  continually ;  for  these  little  depredators 
ai-e  up  by  early  morn ;  and  unless  the  produce  be  closely 
attended  to,  there  will  be  few  fit  for  use  preserved  from 
their  rapaciousness  ;  and  in  an  Orchard  of  some  acres  of 
extent,  netting  and  similar  contrivances  are  out  of  the 
question.  H.  B. 


MORETON  BAY  IN  AUSTRALIA. 

The  letter  of  Edwin  Smith,  from  South  Australia,  inserted 
at  page  270,  interested  me  much.  I  knew  him  and  his 
father  for  many  years ;  and,  I  might  say,  he  left  England 
from  my  house.  He  called  on  me  among  the  very  last  he 
parted  from ;  and  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  he  is  likely  to 
succeed.  Here  is  another  letter  from  a  young  gardener,  a 
native  of  Perthshire,  who  went  out  from  this  place  in  1852. 
The  letter  was  read  to  me  the  other  night  by  one  of  his 
friends  here,  and  I  asked  permission  to  send  a  copy  of  it 
to  the  Cottage  Gaedenek;  if  only  to  infuse  a  little  more 
of  the  spmt  of  emigration  into  the  mass  of  clever  young 
gardeners,  who  have  little  chance  here  to  succeed  to  good 
situations.  For  myself,  if  I  were  on  the  right  side  of  forty, 
I  would  even  throw  up  a  good  situation  and  be  off,  for  the 
sake  of  poor  relations,  if  not  to  rough  it  out  for  my  own 
advantage. — D.  Beaton. 

"  Kangaroo  Point,  Brisbane,  Moreton  Bay,  Aug.  7,  1853. 
******* 

"  You  will,  no  doubt,  be  inquiring  what  sort  of  a  place 
this  is  for  gardeners.  Certainly  there  are  not  many  fine 
gardens ;  still,  I  could  have  got  £2  2s  per  week  as  the  above. 
But  I  have  changed  my  occupation  to  that  of  a  sawyer,  as  I 
can  have  £'3  per  week  by  working  only  five  days  a-week ;  and 
then  not  so  hard  as  I  used  to  do  for  10s.  per  week.  And 
were  I  to  work  only  as  day-labourer,  I  could  get  £1  10s.  per 
week,  and  no  slave-driving  here ;  Jack's  as  good  as  his  mas- 
ter. Provisions  are  as  follows  : — bread,  Is.  3d.  per  41b.  loaf; 
beef,  ifcc,  2d.  per  lb. ;  tea,  Is.  6d.  per  lb. ;  sugar,  3d.  to  6d. 
per  lb.;  butter,  Is.  3d.  per  lb.;  cheese,  6d.  to  8d.  per  lb. 
Clothing,  about  the  same  as  at  home ;  as  its  all  light  cloth- 
ing that  is  worn  here,  what  would  get  a  black  coat,  would 
dress  you  from  top  to  toe.  Glass  and  china  are  very  high, 
and  mostly  all  household  furniture.  The  weather  has  been 
very  dry  these  last  two  months,  which  is  rare  during  the 
winter  months ;  and  when  it  does  rain,  it  does  in  earnest ; 
the  winter  crops  are  looking  well,  as  the  colder  or  winter 
months  is  the  time  to  grow  aU  hardy  vegetables,  such  as 


Potatoes,  Cabbages,  &c,  and  in  the  hotter  or  summer  months, 
the  Vine,  and  the  Pine,  and,  in  fact,  this  place  mil  grow 
any  and  everything ;  only  enter  the  dense  scrub,  there  above 
your  head  is  suspended  the  tender  Orchid,  while  below  your 
feet  arc  entangled  by  Hoyas  and  Kennedyas  ;  in  a  word,  this 
is  the  place  to  see  the  beauties  of  nature.  But  I  must  not 
overlook  the  natives  as  they  lay  about  basking  in  the  sun  ; 
its  a  hai-d  case  to  induce  them  to  work,  as  they  will  tell  you, 
"  white  fellows  work,  black  fellows  eat."  Imustgive  tlieladies 
the  praise  for  making  them  usefid.  And  what  amuses  me 
most,  they  cannot  bear  a  sight  of  them  when  they  first  come, 
but  the  one  lets  the  other  know  how  to  speak  to  them,  so 
that  for  a  sheep's  head,  value  2d.,  you  may  have  your  cottage 
washed,  water  fetched,  wood  chopped,  knives  cleaned,  shoes 
brushed,  in  fact,  the  Mai-ys,  as  they  call  them,  are  the  only 
servants.  There  is  something  strange  in  their  nature,  as 
they  all  leave  the  settlement  just  before  sun  down;  and  all 
AustraUa  would  not  induce  them  to  stop  ;  they  are  a  very 
timid  kind  of  people  after  dark.  Were  you  to  visit  them  at 
their  camp,  the  only  request  would  be  for  some  tobacco  ;  even 
in  asking  that  they  would  only  open  one  of  their  eyes,  and  if 
the  answer  is  No,  shut  it  directly.  I  have  only  sent  you  these 
few  Unes  to  let  you  Icnow  that  we  have  reached  the  Antipodes 
safely,  and,  in  a  word,  those  that  wish  to  do  well  cannot  fail  in 
so  doing  here,  as  a  man  for  from  £20  to  ^£30  can  clear  a  piece  of 
land  that  would  support  a  large  famdy.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  charging  for  pasture,  the  animals  are  only  branded 
with  the  name  of  the  owner.  Horses,  cattle,  and  sheep, 
there  stay  in  the  bush  for  years  without  ever  inquiring  after. 
I  am  living  about  three  miles  from  Mr.  CaldweU ;  he  has  a 
place  about  one  mile  from  the  setUement,  and  is  doing  very 
well.  I  will  not  advise  any  one  to  leave  home ;  but  this  I 
know,  there  is  plenty  of  work  and  plenty  of  money.  Even 
a  policeman  gets  £1  per  month,  with  wearing  apparel 
foimd.  And  as  beautiful  a  coimfry  as  ere  the  sun 
shone  on.  By  the  same  post  I  am  writing  for  all  my  brothers 
to  come  out ;  and,  perhaps,  in  a  few  weeks  more,  you  will 
hear  of  your  humble  servant  plodding  his  way  to  the  diggings 
to  try  his  luck  there.  Should  any  of  you  wish  to  come,  the 
passage  is  pleasant,  and  plenty  requiring  your  service.  No 
poor  people  here  to  crave  assistance;  all  are  able  to  have 
a  leg  of  mutton  for  dinner.  Joseph  Geaham." 


THE   RIGHT  AND  WRONG  WAY   OF 
PLANTING. 

It  is  now  just  twenty  years  ago  since  I  inclosed  a  strip  of 
land,  by  the  side  of  a  road,  on  very  clayey,  wet,  and  inchfttrent 
subsoil.  It  was  about  two  hunch-ed  yards  long  by  about 
five  mde ;  I  posted,  and  railed  it,  and  quick'd  it.  My  first 
operation  was  to  put  a  tile  drain  under  it  the  whole  length, 
about  two  and  three  feet  deep ;  the  fall  was  enough,  and 
barely  enough.  I  then  trenched  the  whole  of  the  ground 
about  three  feet  deep  ;  I  had  a  fine  old  fellow  about  seventy 
years  old  (who  was  a  "navvy"  in  his  younger  days),  living 
in  a  cottage  of  mine  hard  by,  and  I  allowed  him  to  do  just 
as  he  liked  with  my  little  inclosure.  It  amused  him,  and 
kept  him,  which  was  my  object.  Every  grinning  blockhead 
who  passed  by  had  something  to  say  about  my  buying  the 
land  dearly ;  but  some  had  the  good  sense  to  admit  that 
what  I  was  doing  was  light,  and  would  "stand  for  the  job,"  if 
it  did  not  pay  me.  My  object  was  to  do  the  laud  well,  or  it 
would  not  have  been  worth  doing  at  all,  and  better  left  unin- 
closed.  I  then  planted  a  belt  of  trees  upon  it,  consisting  of 
Fir,  Larch,  Oak,  Birch,  &c.  The  plantation  has  grown  to  be 
the  sui-prise  of  all  who  knew  its  origin  :  it  is  beautiful. 

Now  for  the  contrast.  A  neighbour,  at  the  same  time, 
inclosed  a  similar  piece  of  land,  and  stuck  in  his  trees  any 
how  ;  without  draining,  or  trenching,  or  hardly  digging, 
except  a  hole ;  and  they  present  a  miserable  spectacle  and 
contrast ;  and,  I  mean  to  say,  that  it  would  be  better  even 
now  for  liim  to  pull  them  up,  and  to  follow  my  plan  ;  that 
is  to  say,  if  he  means  to  have  a  good  and  thriving  plantation 
at  all.  The  question  in  these  matters  is  this  :  does  a  man 
mean  to  accomplish  that  which  he  seems  to  bo  attempting  ? 
If  he  does,  let  him  go  the  right  way  to  work  ;  if  not,  let 
him  leave  it  alone.  Mr.  Appleby's  most  timely  lettei-s  on 
planting  forest  trees  have  led  me  to  make  these  remarks. 


352 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


February  2. 


To  look  at  the  neglect  of  planting  by  the  landed  gentiy  of 
this  country,  and  the  neglect  of  their  plantations  and 
timber,  generally,  you  would  think  them  a  set  of  mortgagees 
in  possession,  rather  than  the  proud  owners  of  English 
estates.  A  AVoiicestehshike  Man. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

♦»*  Werequestthat  noone  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  Cottase  Gardener,  2,  Amen  Corner ,  Paternoster  liow^  London." 

CociiiN-CniNA  Fowls  {A  Norfolk  Rector).— We  know  of  a  few  very 
good  cockerels  and  pullets,  of  Sturgeon's  breed,  which  will  be  parted  with 
for  ten  shillings  each  ;  and,  as  in  your  case,  they  offer  a  good  opportunity 
for  improving  the  poultry  in  any  neighbourhood. 

Clotted  CvLZAM.—Fllli/jf^ha77i  says,  "I  think  I  can  supply  your 
readers  with  a  far  more  simple  and  practicable  mode  of  making  Devon- 
shire, or  clotted  cream,  than  that  mentioned  iuThe  Cottage  Gardenek. 
Keep  the  milk  in  block  tin  pans,  which  are  far  more  cleanly  and  sweet 
than  earthenware  or  wood.  Place  yesterday's  milk  over  the  top  of  a 
kitchen  boiler,  removing  the  iron  opening;  when  the  pan  sounds  dead 
by  striking  it  with  your  finger  take  it  off,  and  skim  the  cream  the  nest 
morning-.  The  heat  will  naturally  force  all  the  rich  and  creamy  qualities 
of  the  milk  to  the  surface." 

Sowing  Calendrtnia  speciosa  (An  Ardent  Amateur). —The  first 
week  in  March,  or  the  first  half  of  March,  is  the  best  time  to  sow  the 
seed  of  Calendrinia  speciosa  ;  and  the  best  soil  for  it  is  equal  quantities 
of  loam,  peat,  and  sand;  it  likes  good  drainage,  and  does  not  require 
to  be  kept  so  moist  as  most  plants.  The  seed  pan  should  be  in  a  hot 
frame  till  the  seedlings  arc  well  up,  after  that  the  seedlings  require  more 
air  and  less  heat  than  a  frame  gives.  Sow  the  seeds  thin,  as  the  young 
seedlings  are  liable  to  damp  if  they  stand  crowded. 

Dried  Specimens  (Wirf).— No  one  ever  discovered  a  plan  for  drying 
specimens  by  which  the  colour  of  the  flowers  could  be  retained.  After 
all,  what  is  it  but  botanical  haymakiiig,  and  we  all  know  that  hay  does 
not  show  us  the  colour  of  the  fresh  material. 

Number  OF  British  Ferns  (7i(rf).~No  one  can  tell  how  many  species 
of  British  Ferns  there  are,  because  it  is  so  difficult  to  make  out  a  species 
from  a  variety.  Wc  must  rest  contented  with  knowing  how  many  kinds 
of  Ferns  belong  to  Great  Britain,  which  are  I97. 

Umbrella  Roses  {Christopher).— \Ye  take  it  you  mean  Standard 
Roses  with  the  heads  trained  on  an  umbrella-like  trellis,  and  we  do  not 
hesitate  to  say,  that  of  all  ways  of  training  Roses  that  is  the  very  worst.  For 
constant  bloomers,  take  Bourbon  and  Hybrid  Perpetuals— Bouquet  de 
Flora,  Pierre  de  St.  Cvr.  Imperatrice  .Josephine,  Barron  Prcvost,  Mrs. 
Elliot,  BladameLatfay,  William  Jesse,  Pius  the  Ninth,  Duchess  of  Suther- 
land, Compte  de  Montalivet,  and  Standard  of  Marengo. 

Flower-garden  Plan  {Yorkshire),— \Yq  do  not,  and  never  did, 
pretend  to  select  plants  for  a  whole  flower-garden.  The  plan  is  very 
good,  however,  escsitt  the  four  nearly  triangular  beds,  embracing  the 
eenrral  group;  we  shall  change  these  to  circles,  and  add  four  smaller 
circles  in  the  centre,  between  the  four  half-moons,  and  four  outside  beds, 
then  engrave  it,  when  we  shall  say  something  about  how  the  colours 
ought  to  stand,  but  wc  cannot  select  the  plants. 

Epide>-drum  {A,  G.,  Liverpool.).— Yo\u  Epidendrum  is  one  of  the 
commonest  weeds  in  all  parts  of  the  east  coast  of  South  America,  from 
the  Equator  to  the  Mexican  Gulf,  and  in  the  West  India  islands  it  is 
the  smallest  variety  of  Corhlt-nfum,  and  is  named,  no  doubt,  in  some 
botanical  svstem,  but  gardeners  take  no  account  of  any  of  these  useless 
varieties.  Your  other  plant  cannot  be  determined  from  the  specimen 
sent,  which  was  crushed  by  the  post-ottice. 


Rdsticus  and  A  Constant  Subscriber. — We  cannot  inecrt  your 
notes  but  as  advertisements. 

BIiLDEw  {Mary). — Nothing  but  being  kept  in  a  drier  air  will  prevent 
the  mddew  of  which  you  complain.  Your  house,  or  room,  must  be 
damp. 

Baker-street  Poultry  Show.—*'  I  senttwopensof  my  Ptarmigans 
in  the  highest  possible  condition  and  cleanliness  to  the  above  show.  I 
received  them  back  on  Tuesday  morning,  three  whole  days  after  the 
Show  closed,  and  ten  from  the  time  they  left  home!  They  returned  in 
so  disgustingly  filthy  a  state,  that  had  they  been  kept  the  whole  time  in 
a  pig-stye  they  could  not  have  looked  worse  ;  both  the  cockerels  had 
lost  everyone  of  their  beautiful  long  sickle  tail  feathers!  Now,  Mr. 
Editor,  have  I  not  a  right  to  complain  of  this? — Frederick  Bernal." 

Diseased  Ear  in  Rabbits.— Mr.  AUsop,  the  Rabbit  fancier,  says— 
"  The  cause  is  damp  without  good  ventilation,  and  not  being  kept  clean, 
and  with  good  bedding.  The  cure  is  a  little  sweet  oil  put  in  the  ear,  and 
the  lump  then  loosened  with  the  thumb  and  finger  until  it  will  come 
out.  If  it  should  return,  repeat  the  same,  giving  the  Rabbit  some  sul- 
phur in  shorts,  or  barley-meal,  moist." 

Orchard  Planting  (Trowi/esome).— The  best  trees  for  your  purpose 
will  be  either  pyramids  or  dwarfs  on  the  Paradise  stock.  If  you  under- 
stand hnw  to  manage  pyramids,  we  would  recommend  them  ;  if  not,  then 
choose  dwarfs,  to  be  grown  in  the  form  of  a  hollow  basin.  Plant  them  in 
rows  running  from  north  to  south,  with  four  trees  in  each  row,  and  those 
at  the  extremities  being  each  six  feet  from  the  walls,  and  the  trees  six 
feet  distant  from  each  other.  The  rows  should  be  ten  feet  apart,  and  the 
distance  between  the  extreme  rows  and  the  walla  will  be  five  feet — in  this 
way  you  will  have  five  rows.  The  Currants  and  Raspberries  can  be  grown 
between  the  rows  in  the  spaces  of  ten  feet.  In  this  way  you  will  have  a 
very  pretty  little  orchard,  and  make  the  most  of  the  room.  The  Morello 
Cherry  you  will,  of  course,  plant  against  the  walls. — H. 

Liverpool  Poultry  Snow  (Lii-erpurf/ian). — It  is  quite  impossible 
for  us  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  birds  we  have  not  seen.  Be  assured, 
however,  that  with  all  competent  judges,  a  well-matched  pen  of  good 
form  and  in  high  condition  will  always  be  more  considered  than  a  pen 
deficient  in  those  requisites,  though  superior  in  minor  points. 

Laburnum  Tree  (7.  B.  H.'.. — As  nothing  thrives  in  the  bed  around, 
try  some  plants  in  pots,  or  tubs,  plunged  in  the  bed. 

Irish  Moss  {Ihid).—Can  any  of  our  readers  say  "what  quantity  of 
Irish  JIoss  outrlit  to  be  boiled  per  day  for  a  calf ;  and  whether  it  is  better 
mixed  with  either  Linseed  or  Indian  Meal." 

Buff  Shangiiaes  (Arg^us). — To  breed  chickens  of  these  with  clear 
hackle  you  must  select  parents  similarly  gifted,  and  even  then,  for  a  genera- 
tion or  two,  the  hackle  will  not  be  immaculate:  It  is  not,  at  present, 
])ossiblc  to  be  !<urc  of  breeding  such  chicliens.  Your  buff  hen  and 
golden  hackled  cinnamon  cock  will  probably  give  some. 

Cooking  Beet-Uoot  (H.). — There  is  as  much  reason  in  this  as  in 
roasting  an  egg.  Enclose  it  in  a  paste  of  flour  and  water,  and  then 
cither  bake  or  boil  it.  There  will  be  no  earthy  flavour  in  it  then,  and  it 
is  one  of  the  most  delicious  and  nutritious  of  vegetables. 

Spanish  Cockerel  iA7i  Old  Subscriber). — The  spasmodic  affection 
of  his  legs  has  been  caused,  probably,  by  cold  and  damp.  Let  him  be 
in  a  dry  place,  in  a  shed  with  ashes,  or  other  dry,  dusty  materials  for  the 
floor,  and  with  straw  to  sleep  upon  instead  of  a  perch. 

Names  of  Plants  (Anne  S.), — Yours  is  Epaeris  purpurasccna. 
{A  Voting  One). — I.  Abies  canadensis.  2.  Cryptomeria  japoniea.  3. 
Pinus  insignis.  4.  Abies  cephalonica.  5.  Not  known.  6.  Pinus 
cembra.  /.  Thuja  Weareana.  8.  Some  species  of  Savin.  9.  Escalonia 
rubra.     13.  Hellehorus  niger. 

Properties  of  Rouen  Ducks  (.4  Subscriber.). —  Hardihood  of 
constitution  ;  cavlv  maturity;  and  excellence  of  flavour.  The  Drake  only 
should  have  the  white  collar.  The  colour,  in  both  sexes,  should  approach 
as  nearly  as  possible  to  that  of  the  wild  Mallard  and  Duck  respectively. 
An  average  of  good  specimens  of  either  sort  would  give  the  advantage  in 
point  of  weight  to  the  Rouen  over  the  Aylesbury. — W. 


Cuttings  (J.S.  il/.).— We  shall  give  an  essay  on  making  cuttings 
shortly  that  will  meet  your  wishes. 

Newington's  Hand  Dibble  {A  Subscriber  from  the  beginning.). — 
This  is  an  ingenious  and  useful  implement  for  putting  in  small  quantities 
of  grain  per  acre.     We  have  used  it  with  good  efiect ;  but  hand-dibbling 
is  a  tedious  process,  and  it  is  difficult  to  get  ordinary  labourers  to  use  it 
with  care  and  skill ;  and  as  it  is  often  a  matter  of  importance  to  seize  the 
most  favourable  opportunity  when    the    weather    above  and  the   land 
beneath  are  in  the  most  favourable  condition,  the  slow  action   of  the 
I    dibble  is  objectionable  ;  and  we  prefer  the  drill,  which  ought  to  deposit 
1    a  moderate  quantity  of  seed  at  an  uniform  depth.     The  great  fault  in  the 
1    use  of  the  drill  is  in  putting  in  too  much  seed  so  as  to  crowd  the  plants. 
We  cannot  speak  practically  as  to  the  benefits  of  the  hand-row  cultivator, 
but  the  greater  scarcity  of  labour  which  now  prevails,  in  consequence  of 
recent  changes,  points  to  the  necessity  of  machinery  calculated  to  dis- 
pense with  a  portion  of  manual  labour. — W.  C,  S. 

Preparing  Feathers  (A  Parson's  Sister).— The  chief  requisite  is  to 
dry  them  thoroughly.  This  may  be  done  by  exposing  them  to  the  sun 
in  a  room,  or  by  having  them  kiln-dried  in  bags.  When  perfectly  dried, 
they  should  be  put  loosely  into  a  bag  and  well  beaten,  to  separate  the 
dust  from  them.  They  are  in  the  best  state  for  pillows  and  beds  after 
they  have  had  the  stump  of  each  cut  ofif,  as  they  then  do  not  force  their 
way  through  the  ticking. 

White  Bantams  {Several  Correspondents).— We  shall  observe  upon 
the  decision  in  question  nest  week. 

Glass  {Hortus).—\Vc  have  seen  the  ribbed  glass  used  with  perfect 
success  for  Cucumbers  and  other  forcing. 


Golden-pencilled  Hamburghs  (.4  Poultry  Woman.).  —  White 
down  at  the  base  of  the  tail  of  a  Golden-Pencilled  Hamburgh  cock  is 
certainly  objectionable.  Your  pullets  of  this  breed,  now  nearly  a  year 
old,  should  have  laid  some  eggs  in  the  later  autumn  months,  but  the 
severe  weather  we  have  recently  experienced  may  account  for  their  present 
non-productiveness  ;  and  these  fowls  do  not  greatly  distinguish  them- 
selves as  winter  layers.  Good  food  and  shelter  is  all  we  can  advise,  for 
whatever  is  calculated  to  force  on  the  production  of  eggs  must  be  ulti- 
mately detrimental  to  the  bird.  If  you  have  a  good  run,  the  spring 
months  will  soon  fill  your  egg-basket,  but,  if  you  cannot  give  your  birds 
this  indulgence,  the  suoner  you  cease  to  keep  Hamburghs  the  better.— W. 

ToaauAY  Snow. —  "  Allow  mc  to  correct  an  error  in  your  report  of  the 
Torquay  Poultry  Show,  with  reference  to  the  buff  Shanghaes  witli  which 
1  took  first  pri/-e  there.  They  are  stated  to  have  been  the  same  birds 
with  which  I  gained  the  victory  at  Honiton.  This  is  not  altogether 
correct,  one  of  the  pullets  having  been  different.  At  Honiton,  the  two 
shown  were  Light  of  the  Harem  and  Daisy;  at  Torquay,  Light  of  the 
Harem  and  Wtldjlower.—W.  H.  Snell." 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  Wooldridge,  "Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar ;  and  Published  by  William 
Somerville  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— February  2nd,  1854. 


FunnuARV  'J. 


TEE  OOTTAOE  QAUDENER. 


358 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 

sr  1    i> 

D  j  w 

FEBRUAKY  0-15,  1854. 
Platysoma  picipcs ;  bark, 

QUKIiN    ViCTOKIA    MARKIED    1840. 

Platysoma  depres;ms. 
Skptuacesima  Sunday. 
Parnus  sericeus  ;  pond  bank. 
Valentine. 
Ilydrophilus  caraboidea. 

WKA-rmtlt  NKAU  Low  now  in  1853. 

Sun 
Rises. 

.Sun 

Sets. 

Moon 
R.&S. 

Moon's     Olnclt  !  Day  of 
Age.     af.  Sun.     Year. 

1 

Barometer. 

Thermo.;Wind.lj^;^^ 

9 

10 

11 

12 
13 

u 

15 



Tu 

P 

S 

yuN 

M 

To 
\V 

2Q.01.';— 2S.9V3 
29.324-2(J.081 
29.368-29.362 
29.494—29.388 
29.632—29.584 
29.818-29.798 
29.818— 29.79B 

40—34  !    E. 
.37—28  'N.E. 
36—27  i    E. 
34—27  ■  N.E. 
34— 26       E. 
32— IS     N.R. 
35-23    N.W. 

02 
06 

28  87 
26 
24 
22 
21 

19 
17 

1  a  r>       .5    40 
3       :     6     28 

575 

7      1    7    36 
9      1    rises. 
10      '    6a45 
12          8      2 

13 
13 
14 
15 

© 
17 
18 

1                I 
14     32  I       40 
14     33   '       41 
14     33          42 
14     32          43 
14     31    ;       44 
14     29  i       45 
14     28          46 

UlRTKonoLOGY  OF  THE  Week. — At  Chiswick.from  observations  (Itiring  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  the  averape  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
neratiires  of  these daysaro  45.8°  anil  31. 3°  respectively.     The  greatest  heat,  65°,  occurredou  the  10th  in  1831 ;  and  tho  lowest  cold,  3°,  on  the 
j     luhinlS45.  During  the  period  117  days  were  fine,  and  on  72  rain  fell. 

BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS. 

{Continued  from  paffc  29:1.) 
Aeabis  TunntTA :  Towor  AVall  Cress ;  Tower  Turkey-pod ; 
Great  Tower  Mustard. 


Description. — It  is  a  biennial.     Eoot  tapering,  simple, 


woody.  Herb  light  green,  more  or  less  densely  downy  all 
over  with  fine,  short,  soft,  starry  hairs.  Stem  a  font  or  more 
in  height,  cylindrical,  simple,  erect,  leafy.  Leaves  hairy  on 
both  sides,  reversed-egg-shaped,  broad,  toothed,  rather 
acute,  but  not  pointed;  the  root  ones  tapering  downward 
into/(Jo<-s(ate  ;  the  rest  heart-shaped  at  the  base,  clasping 
the  stem ;  the  uppermost  gradually  diminished  into  oblong 
hractes,  each  accompanying  ono  of  the  short  fower-stalks. 
Cluster  flat-topped,  nearly  or  quite  simple.  Petals  pale 
sulphur-coloured,  with  a  spreading  border.  Glands  two  at 
the  inside  of  the  shorter  stamens,  and  two  at  tho  outside  of 
the  longer.  Style  very  short,  with  a  small,  not  dilated, 
stigma.  Pods  very  long,  flat  channeled,  thickened  at  the 
edges,  curved  downwards  as  they  ripen,  chiefly  towards  one 
side ;  their  valves  slightly  undulated,  not  at  all  keeled ; 
on  short  stalks.    Seeds  round,  compressed. 

Places  where  found. — On  old  walls  and  stony  places ;  very 
rare.  It  has  been  found  in  Cambridge  on  the  walls  of 
Trinity  and  St.  John's  Colleges ;  in  Oxford,  on  tho  waUs  of 
Magdalen  College;  and  in  Kinross-shive  on  tho  walls  of 
Cleish  Castle. 

History. — This  is  the  Turritis  major  of  old  botanists ;  and 
Euellius,  as  observed  by  Gerarde,  states  of  the  whole 
genus — "  the  juice  of  the  herb  healeth  ulcers  of  the  mouth, 
and  the  poor  peasant  doth  use  the  oil  (of  the  seed)  iu 
banquets,  and  the  rich  in  their  lamps."  It  was  thought  by 
Bauhin,  Ray,  and  others,  to  belong  to  the  genus  Brasslca, 
and  its  glands  are  those  of  that  genus,  but  its  flat  aoeumbent 
cotyledons,  and  simple  row  of  seeds,  added  to  the  habit, 
settle  it  as  a  species  of  Arabls.  It  was  found  at  Lewisham, 
before  the  year  1733,  by  Professor  John  Martyn.  {Smith. 
Withering.     Martyn.    Johnson's  Gerarde,)] 


The  present  very  high  price  of  Bee.id  has  brought  to 
us  such  a  multitude  of  complaints  and  queries — all 
suggestive  of  desirable  information — that  we  will  com- 
bine the  answers  and  observations  they  have  elicited  in 
one  prominent  notice. 

Every  householder  is  competent  to  decide,  from  the 
evidence  of  his  own  eyes  and  his  own  palate,  as  to  the 
quality  of  the  bread  offered  to  him;  but  whether  the 
loaf  be  of  the  legal  weight  is  not  so  obvious.  We  beg 
to  warn  our  readers  on  this  point,  for  the  present  high 
value  of  bread  offers  an  additional  temptation  to  bakers 
to  be  fraudulent — a  temptation  they  have  no  great 
anxiety  to  resist.  This  is  no  uncharitable  conclusion,  for 
wo  know  that  of  four  four-pound  loaves,  each  from  a  dif- 
ferent baker,  not  one  urns  deficient  in  weir/ltt  less  than  four 
ounces.     There  need  to  be  a  very  summary  mode  of 


punishing  such  dishonest  purveyors  of  bread,  which, 
though  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  modern  inflictions,  yet 
might  be  wholesomely  adopted  without  the  attendant 
cruelty.  A  piece  of  wire  was  drawn  through  a  loaf 
deficient  of  tho  assizo  weight,  and  the  same  wire  was 
then  passed  through  the  baker's  nose,  and  thus  arrayed, 
seated  on  a  hurdle  with  a  label  specifying  his  name  and 
offence,  he  was  dragged  through  the  streets  of  the  town. 
In  Russia,  without  more  to  do,  they  used  to  nail  the 
fraudulent  baker  by  the  ear  to  his  own  door-post. 

In  mixing  the  flour  for  bread-making,  it  is  of  very 
great  advantage  to  have  either  Bran  or  Rice  boiled  in 
the  water  employed.  The  increase  of  weight  of  bread 
obtained  by  so  doing  is  very  large,  as  will  appear  from 
two  statements  we  shall  append.  It  is  true  that  such 
addition  gives  but  little  increase  of  nourishment,  but 


No.   OOLXXX.,  Vol,  XL 


354 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


Februakv  9. 


physiologists    bavo    tlioroiighly    deiiioustrated    Uiat  a 

certain  quantity  of  food  is  as  essential  for  liealth  as  a 

certain  amount  of  uutritiou. 

A  correspondent  (A.  B.)  says : — 

"  I  beg  to  enclose  a  receipt  for  cbeap  and  wbolesome 
bread  for  tbe  poor.  I  bave  tried  it  witb  flour  from  wliicb 
ouly  tbe  brau  l]as  been  taken  out,  and  it  produced  twenty- 
eigbt  pounds  of  good  bread  ;  at  tbe  same  time,  and  in  tbe 
same  oven,  I  baked  fourteen  pounds  of  flour  in  tbe  usual 
way,  wbicb  made  eigbteen  pomids  of  bread.  I  tben  sbowed 
tbe  difi'erent  results,  side  by  side,  to  our  own  labourers. 
Take  a  pound-and-a-balf  of  wdiole  rice,  boil  it  gently  over  a 
slow  fire  in  tliree  ([uarts  of  water,  for  about  five  liours, 
stirring  it  occasionally,  and  afterwards  beat  it  into  a  smootb 
paste.  Mix  tbis  wbde  warm  into  fomleen  pounds  of  flour 
[without  any  mart'  inilrf)^  adding  to  it,  at  the  same  time,  tbe 
usual  quantity  of  yeast.  Allow  tbe  dougb  to  work  tbe  usual 
time,  near  tbe  fire,  after  wbicb  divide  it  into  loaves,  and  it 
will  be  found,  wbeu  baked,  to  produce  from  twenty-eight  to 
thirty  pounds  of  excellent  white  bread." 

A  Prebendary  of  Durham,  writing  to  his  Diocesan 
some  years  ago,  states  as  follows: — 

"  I  caused  four  bushels  of  wheat  (nine-gallon  measure)  to 
be  ground,  and  nolbing  but  tbe  coarse  bran  taken  out :  the 
produce  was  four  bushels  and  a  half  of  flour,  and  'i'in>.  of 
bran.  About  ten  days  ago,  I  boiled  some  of  the  bran,  and 
kneaded  a  due  proportion  of  the  flour  with  the  strained 
liquor,  and  tbe  result  of  tbe  experiment  was  so  highly 
satisfactory  that  I  resolved  to  repeat  it  with  the  most  strict 
attention  and  tbe  most  scrupulous  exactness.  Tbe  details 
of  this  second  experiment  I  am  now  about  to  communicate 
to  your  Lordsldp ;  and  I  thought  proper  to  send  you  also 
some  of  tbe  bread  produced  by  it,  that  you  might  form  a 
judgment  of  its  excellence.  Yesterday  I  took  •'ilb.  of  bran, 
boiled  it,  and  witb  the  liquor  strained  from  it  lineaded  5(itb. 
of  Uotu',  adding  the  usual  quantity  of  salt  and  yeast.  When 
the  dougb  was  sufticiently  risen,  it  was  weighed,  and 
divided  into  loaves ;  the  weight,  before  being  ])ut  into 
the  oven,  being  93  lb.  13  oz.  ;  it  was  tlien  baked  two 
hours,  and,  some  time  after  being  drawn,  tbe  bread  was 
v/eighed,  and  gave  83  lb.  S  oz.  —  loss  in  baking  10  II). 
f)  oz.  The  same  quantity  of  flour  kneaded  with  common 
water  loses  about  10  lb.  11  oz.  in  the  baking,  and  pro- 
duces only  LID  t1>.  s  oz.  of  bread  ; — gain  by  my  method  14  lb. ; 
tliat  is,  a  clear  increase  of  one-fifth  of  the  usual  quantity 
of  bread  from  a  given  quantity  of  flour.  Tbis  increase, 
wiiich  at  first  appears  astonishing,  (since  only  .')  lb  of  bran 
were  boiled)  seems  to  depend  on  a  combination  of  three 
causes:  first,  the  water  in  which  the  bran  is  boiled  weiglis 
half  a  pound  more  per  gallon  than  plain  water;  secondly, 
owing  to  its  glutinous  consistence,  it  is  less  subject  to  evapo- 
ration by  heat ;  thirdly,  and  principally,  a  greater  quantity 
of  it  is  necessary  to  make  the  dough;  a  bushel  (orridtb.) 
of  flour  requires  three  gallons  (i.  (■.  271!).)  of  plain  water; 
but  it  imbibed  three  gallons  and  tbrei>  quarts  of  bran  water, 
weighing  35  lb.  10  oz.  The  bran,  after  being  used  in  this 
way,  is  equally  fit  for  many  domestic  purposes,  ami  I  suspect 
even  more  nutritiuus  for  pigs  and  poultry  than  if  given  to  them 
raw.  I  bad  the  curiosity  to  weigh  it  after  the  liipior  was 
sti-ained  ott',  and  found  that  it  had  gained  I'-i  lb.  and  if  water 
incorporates  with  it  tbe  same  manner  as  it  does  with  rice, 
why  may  not  its  nutritive  power  be  increased  in  the  same 
manner?  Tbe  conjecture  accords,  at  least,  wifli  Count 
Piumford's  principle.  Eut  to  return  to  my  experiment :  I 
i  have  amused  myself  witb  tbe  following  calcniation,  which 
I  perhaps  will  make  your  Lordslii])  smile.  The  increase  of 
bread,  by  tliis  method,  being  a  fifth  from  a  given  quantity  of 
flour,  the  consumption  of  floiu-  w'ould  be  saved  by  it  every 
sixth  day,  or  sixty  days  in  a  year.  Supposing  then  that  the 
practii'C  were  universally  adopted,  and  taking  tlie  consunq)- 
tion  of  flour  in  this  kingdom  at  20U,IIII0  bushels  per  day,  tbe 
aiDiiiiil  suuini/  would  amount  tii  I'-i  millions  of  bushels,  whifh, 
at  the  present  price,  would  cost  about  iO  millinns  sterling, 
and  in  ordinary  times  above  fom-  millions.  Of  tbe  whole- 
someness  of  the  bread  there  can  be  no  doubt;  of  its  flavour 
you  will  judge  by  the  specimen  I  bave  sent  you;  and  1  can 
add  from  experience,  that  it  keeps  very  well.     After  my  Jirst 


batch  had  been  baked  ten  days,  I  put  a  loaf  wbicb  remained 
of  it  into  my  oven  for  about  'M  minutes,  and,  being  suffered 
to  grow  cool  again,  it  was  cut,  and  had  every  appearance  of 
new  bread  ;  nav,  we  even  thought  it  bett.'r  than  it  was  at 
first." 

It  deserves  to  be  better  known,  in  support  of  tbe 
economy  of  using  ouly  stale  bread,  that  during  the  great 
scarcity  iu  1800,  an  Act  of  Parliament  was  passed  ])ro- 
hibiting  bakers  selling  any  bread  "  tmtil  the  same  shall 
have  been  baked  twenty-four  hours  at  the  least."  This 
act  was  founded  upon  evidence  taken  before  a  committee 
of  tbe  House  of  Commons,  which  demonstrated  that 
one-half  of  the  bread  in  London  is  consumed  the  day 
it  is  baked,  and  that  if  the  bread  were  leapt  for  twenty- 
four  hours  the  saving  would  be  from  one-third  to  one- 
eighth  of  the  whole  consumption.  That  this  is  so  was 
further  substantiated  by  tlie  Baker's  Comiiauy  stating 
that  the  consequence  of  the  Act  was  to  reduce  tbe 
consumption  of  bread  onc-six.th. 

Witb  regard  to  the  nutritive,  yet  cheaper,  articles  that 
may  be  advantageously  mixed  with  Wheat  Hour  for 
bread-making,  we  stated,  in  a  former  number,  our  own 
experience  in  adding  boiled  Potatoes,  rubbed  through  a 
colander ;  and  we  have  hoard  since  that  Turnips  may 
be  emploj'cd  in  the  same  mode.  When  the  bread  is 
twenty-four  hours  old,  we  are  told  that  not  tbe  slightest 
taste  of  the  Turnips  is  detectable.  We  have  also  re- 
ceived the  following  on  this  important  enquiry  :— 

"Tbe  Hditor  of  The  Cuttarje  Lamp,  bogs  to  draw  the 
attention  of  '  S.  E.  J.'  to  the  following  receipts  for  cbeap 
and  w  bolesnme  bread,  inserted  in  tbe  September  number  of 
that  Periodical,  and  taken  from  a  very  excellent  work,  '  The 
Family  Economist.'     They  are  as  follows  : — 

"'1st.  Maize,  one  gallon;  barley,  one  gallon;  wheat 
flour,  haU'-a-gallon. 

"  "-ind.  Maize,  one  gallon;  wheat,  one  gallon.  (Tbis  is 
an  excellent  l)read.) 

"  '  3rd.  I  hie  gallon  each  of  oatmeal,  barley,  and  wheat  ; 
or  oatmeal  and  wheat,  without  bailey. 

"'Itb.  Uarley  flour,  one  peck;  wheat  flour,  halfa- 
gallon. 

''  '.''itb.  One  gallon  each  of  barley,  rye,  and  wheat. 

"'(Ub.  One  gallon  each  of  barley  and  rye;  two  gallons 
of  wdieat. 

"  '  7tli.  Euck  wheat,  one  gallon  ;  barley  or  rye,  one  gallon  ; 
wheat,  two  gallons.  In  using  any  of  these  mixtures,  it  is 
found  best  to  ferment  the  wheat  flour  by  il self,  and  then 
add  it  to  the  other  materials,  to  make  up,  and  rise  in  the 
usual  way.'  " 


As  the  following  suggestions  from  the  Irish  College  of 
Physicians  are  somewhat  more  specific,  and  less  general, 
than  any  others  hitherto  issued,  we  beg  to  recommend 
them  to  our  readers. 

The  deplorable  state  of  thiugs  on  the  banks  of  the 
LifFey  is  just  a  faithful  exposition  of  the  condition  of 
all  oui'  great  seaports ; *  and  until  some  change  in  the 
present  system  shall  have  been  brought  about  it  would 
almost  seem  that  the  more  extensive  the  system  of 
liquid  sewerage,  the  more  completely  must  our  fine 
rivers  be  empoisoned.  Seeing  that  one-half  of  the 
cholera  in  England  occurred  in  eight  great  seajiorts,  the 
lowest  parts  suffering  the  most,  it  is  impossible  to  over- 
estimate the   siguifieanco   of  the   warning  wliich    has 

*  See  our  remarka,  Dec.  1st. 


February  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


355 


gone  forth  from  tlie  months  of  the  Tyne,  the  'L'hames, 
and  the  Lifley :  "  precept  upon  precept ;  line  upon  lino; 
"hero  a  little  and  there  n  little." 

The  danger  from  mismanagement  of  house  sewers  is 
not  over-estimated  by  the  committee.  If  used  for  getting 
rid  of  aught  more  powerful  than  slops  and  dishwashings, 
they  shoidd  hardly  communicate  with  the  inside  of 
houses,  but  the  sink  should  bo  put  down  in  a  detached 
office.  The  daily  flushing  of  house  sewers  (when  a 
little  chloride  of  lime  may  be  employed)  must  be  done 
at  the  ebb  of  the  tide,  or  it  will  be  productive  of  a 
doubtful  benefit.  There  is  no  disputing  the  propriety 
of  having  privies  and  ashpits  at  some  distance  from  the 
house,  carefully  closed  in,  and  regularly  clciinscd  and 
emptied  by  the  aid  of  covered  scavenging  carts,  &c. 
The  use  of  lime,  chlorine,  peat,  charcoal,  &c.,  we  have 
already  urged ;  also  the  direct  sympathy  between  the 
skiu  and  the  bowels ;  and  we  concur  in  the  committee's 
very  rational  remarks  on  diet.  In  a  fiiture  number  we 
hope  to  give  their  views  of  the  treatment  of  the  disease 
itself. 

SANITAHY    MEASmiES    BECOMMENDED    BY    THE    CHOLEEA    COM- 
MITTEE   OF   THE    COLLEGE   OF  PHYSICIANS  IN  IRELAND. 

"The  most  important  object,  perhaps,  that  can  be  at- 
tempted, both  in  tlie  public  arrangement  of  a  great  city 
and  in  the  domestic  arrangement  of  houses,  is  lu  secure  an 
uiiviliaied  atmosphere,  and,  as  far  as  j^ossible,  to  preserve  it 
from  those  foul  exhalations  vjith  which  it  must  iecmne  loaded 
ivherever  a  great  number  of  people  are  congregated  in  a  coTii- 
piirativehj  small  space. 

^'  To  secure  this  object,  more  especially  as  a  means  of 
preventing  the  spread  of  epidemic  diseases,  the  strictest 
attention  to  sewerage  is  imperatively  necessary.  The  effect 
of  deficient  or  imperfect  sewerage  on  the  spread  of  epi- 
demics is  so  fully  established  that  it  may  be  regarded  as 
indisputable. 

"  The  facts  observed  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  dming 
the  prevalence  of  the  epidemic  cholera  in  1841.1,  if  they  do 
not  place  cholera  and  defective  sewerage  in  the  relation  of 
cause  and  effect,  at  least  prove  an  intimate  connection  be- 
tween them.  All  manm'e  heaps,  filth  of  every  description, 
stagnant  pools  of  water,  &a.,  should  be  immediately  removed 
from  the  -siciuity  of  dwellings. 

"  The  main  sewers  should  be  frequently  flushed  with 
water,  and  all  the  communications  between  them  and  the 
atmosphere  should  be  closed,  except  those  requisite  for 
drainage ;  the  latter  should  be  provided  with  water  valves, 
or  trapped  so  as  to  prevent  the  escape  of  recurrent  effluvia. 

"  If  the  sewerage  of  the  city  of  Dublin  pennitted,  the 
coimnittee  think  it  would  be  advisable  to  have  all  the 
sewers  flushed  simultaneously. 

"  The  refuse  matter,  street  sweepings,  &c.,  removed  by 
the  scavengers,  should  be  so  disposed  in  convenient  de- 
positories outside  the  city  as  not  to  become  additional 
sources  of  danger;  moist  filth  should  he  covered  over  with  dry 
materials,  so  as  to  restrain  evaporation,  and  the  disengage- 
ment of  offensive  vapours,  as  far  as  possible ;  deodorizing 
substances,  such  as  dri/  turf  mould,  peat  charcoal,  or  chloride 
of  lime,  should  be  freely  used  to  neutralise  them. 

''  All  occupants  of  houses,  as  well  in  tiie  higher  as  in  the 
lower  walks  of  life,  should  be  infoi-med  that  it  is  not  merely 
in  the  neglect  of  the  main  sewerage  that  a  risk  of  promoting 
the  spread  of  disease  exists,  there  being  scai'cely  a  house  of 
any  class  in  which  the  sewerage  imd  sculleries  ai-e  not  so 
mismanaged  as  to  render  them  dangerous  to  the  health  of 
the  inhabitants. 

"  All  ash  or  filth  pits  should  be,  as  far  as  jmssiblc,  kept 
apart  from  the  dwelling-limises,  and  carefully  closed  in  or 
covered  up  by  closely-fitted  doors. 

"  AU  communication  between  the  house  sewers  and  the 
interior  of  the  dwelling-house  should  be  carefully  closed, 
and  those  parts  with  which  it  is  necessary  to  keep  a  oom- 


i  to  get  rid  of  liquid  wasfo  should  be    carefully 
water  valves.     The   air  of  tlio   dwclling-liouse 


muuication 

fittcxl  with  Wilier  viiives.  j  ne  air  oi  mo  Uwcinng-liouse 
being  warmer  than  the  air  of  sewers,  and  escaping  by  the 
doors,  windows,  chimneys,  i'C,  tends  to  exhaust  tiio  sewers 
of  their  foul  air,  which,  rising  in  the  house  to  supply  the 
place  of  tho  heated  air  which  has  escaped,  keeps  up  a 
constant  supply  of  foul  air,  which,  passing  from  the  sewers 
through  the  dwelling-house,  is  necessarily  breathed  by  the 
occupants. 

"The  same  observation  applies  to  water-closets,  privies,  itc. 

"  Tho  too  prevalent  practice  of  throwing  filth  into  streets 
and  laiies  should  be  eftectually  prevented. 

"  The  authorities  should  provide  covered  carts  for  the 
removal,  every  morning,  of  such  matters  as  would  otherwise 
he  thrown  into  the  street. 

"  The  committee  cannot  too  strongly  reprobate  the 
practice  which  tliey  understand  has  recently  grown  up  in 
the  poorer  districts,  of  converting  the  cellars  and  kitchens, 
H-hieh  have  been  condemned  as  residences,  into  ash-pits  and 
receptacles  of  all  sorts  of  flltli. 

"  The  committee  cannot  avoid  observing,  that  the  sanitary 
condition  of  the  metropoUs  of  Ireland  must,  notwithstand- 
ing evei7  temporary  and  partial  eftbrt  at  iraprovenrent, 
remain  in  an  unsatisfactoiy  state  unless  means  be  provided 
for  eflectually  abating  that  greatest  of  all  nuisances,  an 
enormous  open  sewer,  formed  by  a  tidal  river  running 
through  tho  middle  of  the  city. 

"  The  Liffey,  under  the  present  system,  instead  of  being 
an  ornament  and  an  advantage,  as  it  woidd  be  if  it  received 
only  the  natural  drainage  of  the  district  contiguous  to  its 
banks,  is  converted  into  a  receptacle  of  foul  matters  from 
the  numerous  sewers  which  contaminate  its  waters,  and 
the  deposits  from  which,  being  left  exposed  when  the  tide 
ebbs,  taint  the  atmosphere  to  a  great  extent  with  the  most 
offensive  effluvia. 

"  Lodging-house  keepers,  and  the  landlords  of  tenements 
let  out  to  the  poor,  should  be  subjected  to  the  regulations 
against  over-crowding ;  should  procure  an  adequate  supply 
of  pipe-water;  provide  proper  ash-pits  and  conveniences,  and 
ensure  proper  ventilation, — by  opening  windows  at  stated 
times,  by  ventilators,  perforated  zinc  plates,  lowered  open- 
ings, &c.  Moderate  fires  in  open  grates  assist  ventilation, 
raising  the  temperature  inside  the  house,  and,  at  this 
season,  aid  in  preserving  the  functions  of  the  sldn  and 
bowels  in  a  healthy  state.  Sudden  alternations  of  tempe- 
ratm'e  should  be  avoided ;  the  internal  heat  of  the  house 
should  not  be  so  high  that  the  efl'ect  of  passing  out  into  the 
open  air  would  produce  chill  of  the  surface,  and  possibly 
breed  complaint. 

"  White- washing  with  frcsh-hurnt  lime  is  of  great  import- 
ance ;  and  where  the  disease  should  unhappily  break  out, 
the  committee  advise  chloride  of  lime,  dissolved  in  water, 
for  washing  the  floors  of  the  house.  Burials  within  the  city 
should  be  discom'aged.  In  very  poor  localities,  where  pipes 
are  not  laid  down,  a  water-cart  for  the  neighbourhood  might 
dispense  water  at  the  houses  of  the  most  needy,  for  cleanli- 
ness and  dressing  wholesome  food. 

"  The  committee  advise  no  sudden  changes  in  habits  of 
living  when  moderate  and  regular.  A  due  allowance  of 
animal  food,  fish,  and  vegetables,  with  the  usual  condi- 
ments, and  wme,  sound  malt-Uquor,  or  other  accustomed 
stimulant,  in  moderate  quantity,  is  imobjectionable.  Excess 
should  be  avoided,  particularly  in  the  case  of  ardent  spirits  ; 
and  also  of  food  likely  to  cause  indigestion  or  bowel  com- 
plaint, particuhrly  unri]3€,  decayed,  or  unsound  fruit. 

"  Betivccn  the  functions  of  the  botcels  and  skiu  a  remarkable 
sympathy  or  consent  exists,  so  that  attention  should  be  paid 
to  secure  a  healthy  state  of  the  latter  by  the  occasional  use 
of  the  warm  bath,  and  clothing  suitable  to  the  season,  in 
order  to  keep  up  a  suflicieut  degree  of  activity  in  the  super- 
ficial circulation.  Flannel  or  wooUen  clothing  next  the 
person  is  j)referable  at  this  season,  with  strict  attention  to 
cleanliness,  and  frequent  changes  of  clotliing. 

"  In  general,  debilitating  causes  must  be  avoided,  as 
excessive,  long-continued  fasting  and  fatigue,  exposure  to 
moist,  stagnated  ah,  or  to  air  loaded  with  effluvia  of  organic 
matters."  J.  J. 


356 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENEK. 


Febkbaky  9. 


THE   HARDY  FRUIT  QUESTION. 


As  it  is  my  intention  to  run  over  this  subject  again' 
at  intervals,  a  desire  appearing  to  exist  to  that  effect — if 
we  may  judge  by  Mr.  Fish's  letter,  and  other  applica- 
tions— in  doing  so,  instead  of  gi-appling  with  the  ques- 
tion in  the  abstract,  it  will  be  well  to  analyse  it  a  little, 
and  let  the  several  divisions  representing  wain  points 
of  culture  have  separate  attention.  This  will  be  found 
by  far  the  most  desirable  course,  as  the  young  gardener, 
or  amateur,  who  wishes  to  take  up  the  subject  in  earnest, 
will  have  an  opportunity,  such  as  young  folks  have  with 
geographical  puzzles,  of  studying  each  in  its  own  in- 
trinsic character,  and  then  of  learning  to  "  dove-tail " 
them  all  together  in  order  to  make  a  whole. 

The  question  of  Stoclis  is  one  which  may  be  fairly 
investigated,  but  not  thoroughly  settled  by  any  man. 
A  vast  diflereuce  of  opinion  exists,  and  there  is  some  ground 
for  it,  and  I  much  fear,  that  until  every  Pear  we  have, 
or  receive,  is  fairly  tried  on  both  stocks,  under  proper 
circumstances,  nothing  sufiicicntly  conclusive  will 
be  found.  Nothing  but  here  and  there  an  isolated  fact, 
all  very  well  in  itself,  but  contributing  little  towards 
such  a  system  as  would  satisfy  an  ardent  fruitist  or  a 
man  of  science. 

Here,  perhaps,  I  may  be  pardoned  for  stepping  aside 
for  a  moment,  and  suggesting  the  propriety  of  having 
some  public  garden,  in  a  central  spot,  devote*  to 
experiments  of  this  kind.  The  Horticultural  Society 
of  London  has  done  much  towards  settling  the  no- 
menclature of  fruit,  but  it  would  appear  that  such 
matters  as  I  here  suggest  would  carry  them  wide  of  their 
objects,  and,  indeed,  prove  too  much  for  their  ma- 
chinery. Moreover,  I  should  dispute  their  situation  for 
such  a  trial.  Pears  and  other  tender  fruits,  proved  to 
succeed  there,  might  fail,  under  similar  circumstances, 
when  tried  in  our  more  northern  parts.  I  would  rather 
suggest  a  midland  situation — say  within  ascore  miles  of 
Birmingham,  and  rather  on  tlic  north  side  than  the 
south.  Fruits  well  proved  here  would  be  eligible  for 
any  part  of  England,  and  most  of  our  better  Scotch  and 
Irish  climates  ;  the  locality  selected  would  be  a  guarantee 
to  tliose  placed  under  inferior  conditions,  and  would 
inspire  the  public  with  more  confidence. 

As  it  is,  nothing  is  more  common  in  the  north  than 
to  hear  people  say,  "  Recommended  by  the  Londoners; 
yes,  but  we  have  not  the  London  climate."  For  when 
they  come  to  hear  talk  of  the  Fig-trees  of  Worthing, 
Lancing,  and  the  neighbourhood,  thriving  like  a  Goose- 
berry bush,  whilst  they  can  scarcely  grow  them  in  tlio 
hot  corner  of  a  south  wall,  they  naturally  conclude  that 
the  southerns  must  possess  immense  advantages  in 
point  of  climate. 

In  such  a  garden  as  that  selected,  the  question  of 
"  stocks  "  should  be  pushed  to  its  utmost;  the  influence 
of  soils  diffei-ing  much  in  texture  ascertained ;  the  dif- 
ferent modes  of  ti'aining  well  illustrated;  and  all  kinds 
of  protection  principles  carried  out,  in  order  to  establish 
as  nuich  success  and  economy  of  application  as  possible. 
Now,  such  tilings  woidd,  I  conceive,  amply  repay  the 
fruit-growers  of  Britain,  and  I  have  little  doubt,  that 
witli  some  ingenuity,  such  a  garden  might  bo  made 
selfsupporting  after  the  first  outlay.  In  such  a  garden 
(speaking  now  of  Pears)  I  would  make  stations  of 
about  ioiu-  feet  square  for  Pears  of  every  kind;  one 
class  of  stations  should  bo  a  strong  loam  ;  the  second  a 
light  or  sandy  loam;  and  the  third  a  fat,  dark  soil,  of 
neither  character  exactly — a  sort  of  alluvium — and  this 
I  would  obtain  by  blending  thoroughly  such  things  as 
pond-uiud,  ditchings,  furrowings,  old  leaf-soil,  peat,  or 
any  debris  of  rotten  vegetables,  with  a  good  deal  of 
sand — all  these  materials  well  broken  dowu,  mellowed, 
and  thoroughly  mi>:cd  ;  the  latter  intended  for  IVars  on 
the  tiuincc,  for  in  such  a  prepared  station,  1  have  grown 


the  D'Aremlcrg  Pear  of  higher  flavour  on  a  Quince 
stock  than  those  on  the  wall. 

In  thus  pursuing  the  Pear  question,  some  may  want 
to  know  why  all  this  fuss  should  be  made  as  to  trials. 
I  will  tell  them,  or,  at  least,  give  an  opinion  why.  I 
have  repeatedly  urged,  in  the  columns  of  The  Cottage 
Gardeneb,  that  those  who  would  give  the  Quince  stock 
a  fair  and  honest  trial  should  start  on  what,  for  the 
present,  I  may  term  a  common-sense  foundation.  The 
soil  in  which  they  are  grown  should,  at  least,  be  such  as 
the  Quince,  in  its  own  uatm-e,  and  ungrafted,  would 
delight  in.  Surely,  no  man  of  any  standing  in  horti- 
culture will  deny  the  reasonableness  of  this  position : 
to  hunt  for  arguments  to  prove  this  were  surely  a  work 
of  supererogation.  Well,  then,  there  next  arises  the 
whys  and  wherefores  of  light  and  adhesive  loams,  and 
this,  almost  before  I  can  explain,  will  be  tolerably 
obvious  to  most  of  our  readers.  Soils,  we  know,  vary 
exceedingly  in  difl'crent  quarters;  and  although  the 
chemist  may  so  highly  simplify  matters  in  his  laboratory 
as  to  appear  to  bring  all  the  great  facts  connected  with 
cultural  matters  into  the  compass  of  a  nutshell,  by  the 
use  of  such  highly  concentrated  terms  as  clay,  chalk, 
sand,  humus,  &c.,  yet,  only  exchange  his  blowpipe,  cru- 
cible, &c.,  for  a  spade  and  a  wheelbarrow,  and  see  what 
a  quandary  he  will  be  in. 

Looking  apart  from  so  grave  a  subject,  we  all  know 
what  strangely  contradictory  reports  meet  us  on  all 
sides  about  fruits,  more  especially  Pears.  We  do,  also, 
know  that  Pears  crack  during  their  swelling  ;  that  they 
sometimes  ripen  prematurely — sometimes  are  so  tardy 
in  this  act  as  to  become  more  like  our  Derby  Spa  Pears, 
such  beauties  as  the  tourist  may  see,  but  not  taste,  at 
the  far-famed  Matlock  baths. 

Now,  it  is  not  fair,  surely,  to  charge  all  this  on  pecu- 
liarity of  climate;  this  alone  cannot  account  for  it,  inas- 
much as  I  have  repeatedly  known  the  most  contradictory 
results  from  gardens  within  a  score  miles  of  each  other. 
Neither  can  it  be  peculiarity  of  site  alone,  nor  compara- 
tive elevation;  at  least,  so  I  have  found  it,  ;ilthough  I  by 
no  means  deny  a  modicum  influence  to  all  those  things. 
I  would,  however,  not  beg  the  question  hero.  I  do  not 
wish  to  give  a  preponderance  to  the  question  of  soil ;  I 
merely  wish  to  force  it  on  public  notice  for  awhile.  Ad- 
mitting, then,  that  a  trial,  as  suggested,  would  be  of  ser- 
vice, it  will  bo  plain  tliat  two  leading  principles  in  the 
way  of  soils  must  be  well  represented,  viz  ,  adhesive 
loams,  and  light,  or  sandy  loam  ;  and  grant  with  this,  the 
reasonableness  of  allowing  the  Quince  stock  its  own 
element,  and  I  have  the  case  I  felt  desirous  to  make  out 
when  I  began  this  paper. 

I  do  verily  believe,  then,  tluat,  although  my  good 
friend,  Mr.  Beaton,  has  almost  forced  a  recantation  on  me 
in  a  this  year's  Cott.ige  Gakdener,  as  to  the  (Quince 
stock,  yet  I  must  bog  respectfully  to  assure  him,  that  I 
must  still  consider  the  question  of  stock  an  open  ques- 
tion; inasmuch  as  we  have,  since  the  days  of  our  child- 
hood, frequently  met  with  Pears  of  very  superior  cha- 
racter from  the  Quince  stock;  and,  although,  through 
force  of  circumstances,  this  samotjuince  may  have  boon 
either  overrated,  or  grievously  misunderstood,  yet  this, 
in  the  minds  of  wide-thinkiug  men,  may  by  no  means 
force  a  conclusion.  Indeed,  as  to  the  question  of  stocks, 
"  in  the  lump,"  who  shall  luidertako  to  say  that  our 
grafting  and  budding  systems,  as  perlbrmed  by  the  ordi- 
nary routine,  are  worthy  of  tho  ago  wo  live  in?  The 
fact  is,  the  knowledge  of  the  most  lu'actical,  or,  if  you 
will,  theoretical  of  men,  by  no  means  satisfies  himself; 
he  knows  well  tliat  this  branch  of  horticultural  lore  is 
much  in  the  rear  of  oilier  jiovtious  of  gardcuing,  inas- 
much as  we  still  seem  coaliued  to  tho  rules  of  oiu'  gnuul- 
sires.  We  are  all  on  a  devious  track,  where  douliU'ul 
foot-prints  alone  may  be  seen  to  guide  us;  and  to  lliose, 


Febkuaey  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


yOT 


I  suppose,  we  must  confine  ourselves  until  we  find  a 
better  road. 

lu  conclusion.  I  see  no  chance  of  a  happy  delivery 
out  of  tliis  labyrinth  but  by  real  experiment ;  but  I 
fear  that  wars  and  war's  rumours — those  direful  antago- 
nists of  peaceful  progress — will,  for  awhile,  cause  many 
horticultural  questions,  only  in  their  swaddling  clothes, 
to  hold  the  state  of  babyhood  longer  than  usual.  Let 
us,  however,  still  watch  the  bantling  with  close  attention, 
and  still,  though  in  an  intermittent  way,  alFord  every 
help.  Those  who  live  at  their  ease,  and  fear  not  the 
fluctuation  of  events,  have,  at  least,  a  chance  of  perusing 
such  interesting  matter. 

R.  Ereington. 


TREES  AND  SHRUBS. 

In  this  list  I  sliall  not  confine  myself  to  those  plants 
that  have  been  recently  introduced,  because  I  intend  it 
to  be  more  generally  useful,  but  I  shall  point  out  those 
more  recently  brought  to  notice.  Many  of  the  plants  in 
my  list  have  been  already  mentioned  in  this  work,  and 
treated  of  in  full,  and  by  turning  back  to  the  indices  of 
former  volumes  their  proper  cultivation  will  bo  found 
in  addition  to  what  is  hers  stated. 

iLLictuji  FLOKiD-'iNDM,  Or  Aniseod-Treo,  is  a  low  ever- 
green bush,  growing  slowly  to  six  or  eight  feet,  and 
requiring  a  damp  sandy  soil,  and  generally  increased 
from  layers.  A  native  of  swamps  in  Florida  and  Loui- 
siana.   Flowers  of  ^lo  account. 

Iliioidm  eeligiosum,  recently  introduced  from  Japan, 
is  a  very  nice  low  plant,  that  will  do  well  in  a  warm, 
RheUored  place,  but  does  not  require  a  damp  situation. 
Both  these  are  evergreen,  and  require  protection  north 
of  Loudon  in  hard  winters. 

Magnolia  geandifloea. — Everybody  knows  this  fine 
evergreen,  but  many  do  not  know  that  there  are  several 
varieties  of  it,  some  of  which  do  not  flower  with  us 
worth  a  straw,  and  seedlings  of  it  take  a  very  long  time 
before  they  come  to  a  flowering  age.  The  one  called 
Exmoutli  grandiflora  is  the  only  kind  really  worth 
gi'owing.  It  is  known  by  the  rustiness  which  covers 
the  under  side  of  the  leaves.  A  Magnolia  grmidiflora, 
with  the  under  side  of  the  leaves  gi'een,  is  not  worth 
having  till  it  comes  to  a  great  age,  and  hardly  then 
except  in  very  warm  situations.  It  requires  dry  sandy 
loam  on  a  dry  bottom,  and  is  as  hardy  as  the  Portugal 
Laurel,  but  flowers  best  against  a  wall.  It  is  best 
increased  from  layers. 

Magnolia  olauca  and  Thomsoniana  is  a  fast-growing 
plant,  and  flowers  early.  The  variety  raised  by  Mr. 
Thomson,  of  the  Mile-End  Nursery,  is  the  best,  makes 
a  beautiful  lawn  plant,  and  should  not  have  a  wall. 
The  leaves  ai'e  large,  bluish-green,  and  fall  off  in  the 
autumn. 

Magnolia  ieipeiala,  called  the  Umbrella-Tree,  on 
account  of  its  very  large  leaves,  and  Elkvvood,  from  the 
points  of  the  shoots  being  like  the  horns  of  the  elk. 
A  very  fast-growing,  soft-wooded,  deciduous  plant,  with 
very  large  white  flowers;  deep,  rich  soil,  and  a  dry,  shel- 
tered situation,  suit  it  best. 

Magnolia  conspioua. — This  is  one  of  the  very  best; 
it  is  one  sheet  of  white  blossom  in  April  before  the  leaf 
comes,  and  when  it  comes  of  age  it  flowers  as  freely  as 
Tom  Thunib.    No  shrubbery  should  be  without  it. 

Magnolia  maoeophtlla. — The  long,  large-leaved' 
Magnolia,  one  of  the  scarcest,  but  one  of  the  most 
noble-looking  of  the  family,  and  comes  nearest  to  the 
Umbrella-Tree.  The  leaves  fall  in  the  autumn.  It 
requires  a  dry  situation,  and  good,  light  soil,  lUce  all 
those  large-leaved  kinds. 

Magnolia  accuminata. — This  prefers  a  damp  soil, 
but  it  will  do  almost  in  any  soil,  and  for  that  reason  it 
is  generally  used  to  graft  others  on,  or  scarce  seedlings. 


Magnolia  auiiicdlata  is  also  a  large-leaved  kind, 
which  gi'ows  very  fast,  and  is  generally  grafted  on  the 
last;  they  all  have  large,  white  llowers,  and  are  amongst 
the  finest-looking  bushy  or  low  trees  of  all  v.'o  grow, 
whether  in  flower  or  not,  and  there  are  many  seedling 
ling  variations  from  each  of  them,  which  arc  highly 
valued  by  those  who  know  them  and  can  find  room 
for  them. 

Magnolia  puepubea,  with  light  purplish  flowers,  is  a 
dwarf  plant,  often  seen  in  American  beds  in  front  of 
large  Rhododendrons.  It  is  a  very  free-flowering,  deci- 
duous plant  and  very  hardy.  Any  of  the  large-leaved 
kinds  will  graft  on  it  as  readily  as  on  accuminata,  and, 
like  the  Quince  and  Paradise  stocks,  it  will  dwarf  on  any 
of  them,  so  as  to  make  a  miniature  plantation  of  the 
most  interesting  kind  imaginable ;  but  for  that  way 
you  must  do  the  thing  at  home.  There  is  no  demand 
in  the  trade  for  these  dwarfs. 

EvEEGKEEN  Berbeeies. — Thcsc,  like  the  finer  Mag- 
nolias, are  not  known  half  so  much  as  they  ought  to  be. 
Tliere  are  nearly  forty  Idnds  of  evergreen  Berl.ieris,  and 
yet  you  can  hardly  meet  with  a  person  out  of  a  great 
nursery  who  knows  more  than  half-a-dozen  of  tliem. 
All  that  were  known  in  1850  iiave  been  described  by 
Dr.  I.indley,  in  the  "  Jom-nal  of  th.e  Horticultural 
Society,"  whence  I  abridge  tho  following  account  of 
them. 

Crowbeery-leaved  Beebeey  {Berberis  empetrifoUa). 
— A  well-known  spiny  and  trailing  low  bush,  for  a  bog- 
bed  or  a  dry  rockwork.  It  grows  anywhere  and  anyhow. 
From  the  Land's  End  in  Soutli  America. 

Stae-spined  Berbeev  (Berberis  actinacantha). — From 
Chili.  A  stifl'  bush,  three  feet  high;  grows  anywhere, 
and  spawns  much  ft'om  the  roots.  Flowers  numerous, 
but  very  small — yellow,  of  c*ourse,  like  all  of  them. 

Box-leaved  Berbery  (Berberis  buxifolia). — This  is 
only  a  better  variety  of  one  called  dulcis,  a  native  of 
Valdiria,  oIF  the  west  coast  of  South  America,  while  the 
Box-leaved  comes  from  Terra  del  Fuego.  It  is  a  variable 
plant,  which  is  the  cause  of  these  aliases,  duleis,  rotim- 
difolia,  microphijlla,  and  inermis. 

Yellow  Beebeey  (Berberis  lutea). — This  was  found 
by  Mr.  Lobb  high  up  in  tho  mountains  (14,000  feet), 
near  Veto,  in  Peru,  whence  he  sent  it  to  Mr.  Veitch. 
It  was  found  by  Ruiz  and  Pavon,  who  first  named  it; 
and  they  said  it  was  a  large  bush,  eighteen  feet  high. 
It  comes  near  to  the  beautiful  Berberis  Darwinii,  and 
flowers  in  the  same  way.  It  grows  in  "coldish  places," 
and  stooi  out  unharmed  at  the  Exeter  nursery  of 
Mr.  'Veitch. 

Wallioh's  Beebeey  (Berberis  Wallichiana,  alias 
maoropJtyUa  and  atrovirens). — "An  evergreen  of  most 
beautiful  aspect;"  a  native  of  Java,  said  to  grow  to  ten 
feet,  with  leaves  and  flowers  much  like  the  common 
a(piifolium.  It  was  described  iu  Dr.  "Wallioh's  great 
work  on  the  Rare  Plants  of  India,  and  was  introduced 
by  Mr.  Veitch ;  but  I  have  not  heard  if  it  is  yet  on 
sale,  but  it  stood  out  with  them  at  Exeter. 

Ragged  Beebeey  (Berberis  heterophjlla,  alias  ilici- 
folia). — The  alias  belongs  to  a  pretty  plant,  and  Iietero- 
phylla  is  not  worth  gi-owing  except  in  botanic  collections. 

Ilex-leaved  Beebery  (Berberis  ilicifolia) — A  very 
rare  thing,  said  by  Dr.  Joseph  Hooker  to  be  the  hand- 
somest sjiecies  in  the  genus,  and  grows  to  eight  feet 
high  iu  Terra  del  Fuego.  This  most  splendid  Berbery 
flowered  at  Kew,  and  then  died,  and  must  be  got  over 
again.  A  Captain  going  through  this  Straits,  or  rather 
coming  home  through  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  might 
find  it,  if  he  were  to  lie  to  and  send  out  in  quest  of  it. 
The  leaves  are  like  an  evergreen  Oak,  but  of  a  darkish 
green  above  and  whitish  underneath. 

Daewin's  Beebeey  (Berberis  Darwinii). — Another 
gem  of  the  first  water,  for  which  wc  are  indebted  to  Mr. 
Lobb.   It  will  grow  five  or  six  feet  high,  perhaps  double 


358 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


FEnnuARY  9. 


the  size  in  our  more  favoured  climate.  It  is  a  native  of 
tlie  islands  of  Chiloe  and  Valdiria,  and  on  tlie  main 
land  as  far  as  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  I  helieve. 

Small-flowered  Bjoreery  (Berheris parviflora,  alias 
■rirgata,  hut  very  ditferent). — "  It  is  a  true  evergreen, 
jiei-fectly  hardy,  and  rather  liaDdsomo." 

The  liOXA  JjEKUeev  (Berheris  Loxensls). — From  the 
highlands  near  Loxa,  in  Peru.  Small  flowers  in  erect 
clusters,  and  most  heautiful  foliage,  deep  shining  green 
on  both  sides.  Introduced  by  Mr.  Veitch,  through 
Mr.   Lobb. 

The  WA\'y  Berbery  (Berheris  muliilata). — From 
12,000  feet  high  on  the  Peruvian  Andes  ;  small  yellow 
flowers,  in  small,  round  clusters ;  fine  wavy  leaves,  and 
growing  to  five  or  six  feet  high. 

OKANGE-i'LOWEREn  Berbert  (Berhcris  Aiirahuacensis). 
— A  most  stupid  name  for  a  flue  thing  in  Van  Houtte's 
"  Flore  des  Serres,"  from  near  the  snowy  mountains  in 
New  Grenada,  at  0,000  feet  elevation;  and  they  are  not 
quite  sure  yet  if  it  is  quite  hardy.  The  flowers  are  in 
drooping  racemes,  and  very  deep  yellow. 

Jamieson's  Berbery  (Berheris  Jamiesonii). — Another 
very  beautiful  species  in  the  way  of  WalUchiana,  found  by 
Hartweg,  Purdie,  and  Dr.  Jamiesou,  of  Quito,  to  whom 
British  gardens  are  nmoh  indebted,  and  after  whom 
Mr.  Veitch  named  it,  he  having  sent  them  the  seeds. 
Mr.  Glendinning  had  seeds  of  it  from  Mr.  Purdie,  who 
collected  for  [vew.  The  flowers  are  in  upright  panicles. 
It  "must  certainly  be  a  plant  of  great  value  in  gardens." 

The  Whitened  Berbkry  (Berheris  dealhata). — 
Raised  in  the  garden  of  the  Horticultural  Society,  in 
1830.  A  stout  plant,  four  to  five  feet  high,  with  droop- 
ing flowers ;  a  very  well-known  plant. 

White-backed  Berbery  (Berheris  kypoUuca). — From 
the  north  of  India,  by  Dr.  Royle,  to  the  Horticultural 
Society  ;  flowered  in  1847.  "  A  fine,  handsome,  ever- 
green bush,"  and  "  one  of  the  stoutest  of  the  genus;" 
also,  "  a  remarkable  fine  species  " 

The  KasiiJiuL  yi^timiwi  (Berheris  asiaticus). — I  had 
several  standards  of  it  at  Shrubland  Park;  it  soon 
makes  a  fellow  to  match  a  nice  standard  of  the  sea 
Buckthorn,  Ilippophae  rliamnoiiles,  and  no  garden  should 
be  without  both  of  them,  but  as  bushes,  I  would  not 
give  a  fig  for  either  of  them.  The  Kushmul  Berbery  is 
the  best  hedge  plant  we  have  in  England.  A  regiment 
of  Cossack  cavalry  could  not  face  it,  or  red  deer  either. 
It  comes  from  seed,  like  Mustard  and  Cress,  and  grows 
as  fast  as  any  plant  I  know,  also  in  any  soil  whatever. 
It  is  worse  than  the  Ijlack  Thorn  for  poaghers,  in  a 
game  cover,  and,  altogether,  a  most  valuable,  or,  rather, 
invaluable  thing.  There  are  many  varieties  of  it 
from  seed. 

The  Cuttra  Berbery  (Berheris  aristala). — The 
native  name  is  Cliitra  in  Nepaul.  "  The  fine,  close, 
bi-istle-pointed  serratures  of  the  leaves,  the  rich  reddisli- 
brown  branches,  and  the  long,  loose,  panicled  racemes 
of  (hrii/lu  yellow)  flowers,  ai-e  quite  peculiar  to  this 
plant,  and  separate  it  clearly  from  every  other."  The 
fruit  is  red,  and  hang  on  to  Christmas.  It  goes  under 
several  wrong  names,  as  ajfinis,  Jlorihundu,  Walli- 
clciana,  &c. 

The  Umbelled  Berbery  (Berheris  umhelhta,  alias 
angulosa  and  gracilis). — A  native  of  Kamaon,  in  the 
north  of  India.  Grows  hei-e  about  four  feet  high  ; 
flowers  in  drooping  racemes,  and  succeeded  by  oblong, 
purplish  fniit.  "  The  species  is  veiy  j)retty,  in  con- 
sequence of  its  graceful  manner  of  growth." 

The  Dyer's  Berbery  (Berheris  tinctoria),  so  named 
in  consequence  of  furnishing,  like  other  species,  a  fine 
yellow  dye.  A  slender,  low-growing  shrub,  of  which 
we  know  but  little  yet  in  cultivation  ;  it  was  only  lately 
introduced  by  the  East  India  Company. 

The  Ophthalmic  Berbery  (Berheris  Igcium). — "The 
real  Lycium  indioum  of  the  Greek   physicians,"   and, 


"  to  this  day  its  extract  is  used  against  ophthalmia  with 
great  success,  as  in  the  time  of  Dioscorides."  A  "  bad 
evergreen,  but  a  pretty  summer  bush."  The  flowers 
grow  erect. 

Section  Ord. — Leaves  pinnate  or  trifoliate  ;  that  is, 
the  leaves  coming  in  threes  together,  or  else  in  pairs, 
along  after  each  other,  as  in  the  common  Holly  leaved 
Berbery. 

Three-leaved  Berbery  (Berheris  trifoliala). — From 
the  North  of  Mexico,  by  Hartweg,  to  the  Horticultural  ^ 
Society.  A  most  beautifid,  low-spreading,  evergreen 
shmb,  or  you  might  call  it  ever-blue,  lor  the  leaves 
look  like  the  blue  Gum-trees  of  Australia  in  the  shade; 
grows  to  three  or  four  feet,  and  is  quite  hardy  in 
Suffolk,  and  a  very  slow  gi'ower ;  a  fine  thing,  but  the 
beauty  is  in  the  leaves. 

TiiiN-LEAVFD  Berbery  (Berheris  tenuifolin). —  Un- 
fortunately too  tender  for  our  climate  ;  it  is  with  ns  a 
graceful  tall  plant  for  the  conservatory ;  everybody 
admires  the  tall  plant  of  it  in  the  large  conservatory  of 
the  Horticultural  Society,  at  Chiswick.  What  a  fine 
thing  to  send  out  to  Australia,  with  the  Japan  and 
Chinese  species. 

Ehrenberg's  Berbery  (Berheris  Ehrenheryii). — Not 
to  be  had  in  England,  but  it  flov.'ered  on  the  Continent, 
and  is  described  in  Linnaea  xx.  45,  from  the  temperate 
parts  of  Mexico. 

The  Pallid  Berbery  (Berheris  pallida).  —  From 
Mexico,  and  a  very  fine  thing,  but  only  a  greenhouse 
plant  in  London,  therefore  out  of  my  beat. 

Prickly  Berbery  (Berherii  fascicidaris) ■■ — Odd  they 
should  call  this  so,  as  it  is  not  more  prickly  than  any  of 
the  rest.  A  well-known  low  spreading  bush,  very  like 
tlie  common  one,  but  more  tender,  and  requires  a  wall, 
about  London.  J\Ir.  Rivers  got  a  cross  between  it  and 
the  common  Holly-leaved,  which  is  quite  hardy,  and 
intermediate  between  the  two. 

The  Holly-leaved  Berbery  (Berheris  aquifolimn). — 
This  is  what  I  call  the  "  Common  Evergreen  Berbery ;" 
but  I  well  recollect  the  day  when  I  was  asked  five 
guineas  for  a  little  plant  of  it;  then  a  guinea;  then  nine- 
pence  a-piece;  and  last  of  all  a  couple  of  shillings  the 
hundred  seedlings.  The  most  useful  plant  in  cultivation  ; 
will  grow  in  ])ure  sand  and  stiff  clay  anywhere  and  any- 
how. I  once  got  a  berry  from  it  as  largo  as  a  Blacli 
Hamburgh  Grape,  and,  like  the  large  Hamburgh  I  men- 
tioned the  other  day,  I  wanted  to  do  wonders  willi  it, 
but  I  fear  it  will  never  set  the  Thames  on  fire.  This  is 
the  species  of  which  are  the  immense  specimens  1  men- 
tioned last  sjiring,  at  Banl;  Grove,  near  Kingston  ;  per- 
haps the  finest  in  England. 

The  Creei'Ing  Berbery  (Berheris  repens). — With  all 
the  looks  of  the  last,  this  is  only  a  low  creeping  rock 
plant,  tliat  never  rises  above  a  foot  or  so,  but  runs 
along  by  its  creeping  under-ground  shoot  in  all  direc- 
tions. 

Chaff-stemjied  Berbery  (Berheris  ghimaeea,  alias 
ncrrosa). — There  never  was  a  better-named  plant;  for  it 
seems  as  if  made  on  purpose  to  chafl'the  best  of  us  until 
we  get  quite  nervous  for  its  slow  growth,  which  is  at  the 
rate  of  about  an  inch  in  five  years.  It  is  a  neat,  stocky, 
little  plant,  and  well  worth  growing  for  all  that,  and 
looks  like  a  branch  from  the  common, just  stuck  in  the 
ground. 

Nei'Aul  Ash-leaved  Berbery  (Berheris  Nepaidensis, 
alias  pinnata). — This  long  and  much-talkcd-of  Pierbery 
was  lately  raised  at  I\ew,  and  at  the  Garden  of  the 
Horticultural  Society,  but  I  believe  first  flowered  with 
Mr.  Pince,  of  Exeter.  It  was  exhibited  in  bloom  by  the 
Horticultural  Society  in  Mareli,  1852,  where  I  lirst 
saw  it.  A  native  of  the  north  of  India,  and  is  believed 
to  be  hardy  enough  for  England.  A  most  noble  plant, 
with  strong  upright  clusters  of  rich  yellow  flowers,  whicli 
are  succeeded  by  a  darli  blue  fruit  of  an  oval  figure. 


February  0. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


359 


Acanthus-leaved  Berbery  (Berberis  LechenauUii, 
alias  aoanthifoUa,  both  names  by  Dr.  Wallioli). — Tliis 
is  a  more  noble  plant  than  the  last,  tlie  leaves  beiufj 
eighteen  inciies  long,  with  cloven  or  twelve  pairs  of  loaf 
lots.  It  is  from  the  Nielghorries  in  the  soutli  of  India, 
"  found  in  almost  every  clnmp  of  jungle  about  Ootaca- 
muud."  So  that  any  one  having  iViouds  at  Madras,  or 
in  that  presidency,  might  get  any  quantity  of  it.  And 
the  way  to  kuow  it  from  the  Nepau!  plant  is  by  its 
round  berry,  or  fruit ;  the  Nepaul  cue  has  oval  berries. 
It  is  in  England,  but  is  very  scarce. 

Foktune's  Chinese  Berbeky  {Berberis  Fortuni). — 
Now  a  well-known  species,  with  upright  growtli,  four  or 
fivo  feet  high,  and  too  naked  of  leaves  to  make  a  vei-y 
handsome  plant ;  it  is  called  the  "  Bamboo  Berbery  "  by 
the  Chinese. 

Mr.  Beale's  Berbery  (Berberis  Bealii). — This  is  a 
splendid  plant  from  the  north  of  China,  by  Mr.  Fortune, 
to  the  Messrs.  Standish  and  Noble,  of  Bagsliot.  From 
dried  specimens  sent  home  by  Fortune,  SirW.  Hooker 
and  Dr.  Lindley  mistook  it  for  the  Ilex  juponica,  of 
Thuuberg;  and  Bealii  is  given  as  a  second  namo  to 
Berberis  japonica  in  the  "•lournal  of  the  Horticultural 
Society"  for  IS.jO,  page  20.  But  Fortune  stuck  to  his 
te.xt,  and  maintained  tliat  liis  plant  was  very  different 
from  the  Ilex  japonica,  and  he  was  right ;  when  his 
seedling  plants  appeared  the  proof  was  obvious.  'J'his 
and  the  next  I  saw  at  the  Chiswick  Show  in  June,  18.52. 

Thbee-tined  Berbery  (Berberis  trifurea). — A  very 
strong  leathery-leaved  one  from  China,  by  Mr.  Fortune, 
as  above,  the  leaf  ending  in  three  strong  spiry  lobes, 
like  the  tines  of  a  fork.  It  is  mentioned  in  my  account 
of  the  June  Show  at  Chiswick,  in  18.52.  It  is  largely 
cultivated  in  the  pi-ovince  of  Che  Xiaug  for  the  dyers. 
It  grows  two  degrees  farther  south  than  Bealii,  and  may 
be  less  hardy,  but  that  we  shall  soon  hear  from  Bagshot. 

Berberis  consanguinea. — This  may  be  called  tho 
"  Intermediate  Berbery,"  that  is,  intermediate  between 
Bealii  and  trifurea.  Jt  was  found  in  the  Green  Tea 
district  of  Hwuychow,  where  Bealii  was  also  found,  and 
botli  must,  therefore,  be  quite  hardy  here. 

With  the  exception  of  Fortune's  Berbery,  all  these  from 
India,  China,  and  Japan,  seem  to  belong  to  one  typo,  the 
Ilex,  or  Japan  Holly,  of  Thurnborg,  who  mistook  an  ever- 
green Berbery  for  a  Holly.  Those  from  Mexico  and 
the  north-west  of  America  follow  another  type ;  those  to 
the  southward,  to  low  swamps  of  Terra  del  Fuego,  may 
be  referable  to  a  third  type.  If  my  eyes  were  bandaged, 
I  could  tell  the  China  from  the  Indian  ones  by  the  feel 
of  the  leaf, — I  moan  the  Napaul  and  Acanthus-leaved 
Berberis, — the  northern  ones  being  so  much  more  lea- 
thery and  stouter.  The  Funebral  Cypress  of  China 
is  but  a  northern  form  of  Oupressus  torulosa  from  India, 
and  the  Deodar  of  India  but  another  form  of  the  Cedar 
of  Lebanon,  and  yet  the  whole  are  so  distinct,  that  a 
common  labourer  in  the  garden  could  tell  the  one  from 
the  other. 

Now,  this  is  a  sample  of  the  way  I  mean  to  give  lists 
of  all  the  trees  and  shrubs,  old  and  young,  that  are,  or 
can  be,  expected  to  bear  our  climate,  if  1  live  long 
enough.  This  is  the  most  complete  list  of  evergreen 
Berberis  anywhere,  and  many  of  the  eastern  ones  must 
be  high-priced  till  they  seed,  when  they  will  be  as 
common  as  any  of  them.  They  all  grow  from  cuttings, 
and,  1  believe,  by  grafting  also ;  many  of  them  make 
underground  runners  and  suckers,  by  which  they  are 
readily  multiplied ;  but  seedlings  alone  can  make  them 
numerous  and  cheap.  How  would  it  do  to  graft  the 
large-leaved  kinds  on  tall  stems  of  Asiatiea  l  We  have 
all  ivinds  of  standards,  and  why  not  standard  evergreen 
Berberis?  The  seeds  of  all  ought  to  be  sown  as  soon 
as  ripe;  but  they  will  not  come  up  till  the  following 
spring.  There  is  hardly  a  plant  worth  growing  among 
the  deciduous  Berberies  which  may  not  be  referred  to 


the  original  type,  the  common  one  of  which  there  are 
more  tlian  twenty  kinds,  differing  in  some  shght  respects. 
Another  subject  has  just  been  handed  over  to  my 
office — the  Alphabet  of  Gardening — on  which  I  sliall 
enter  next  week.  This  is  odd  enough,  for  I  began  life 
as  a  Dominie.  D.  Beaton. 


SOWING   PELARGONIUM  SEED. 

"  When  should  Pelargonium  seed  be  sown,  and  in 
what  soil  and  circumstances;  whether  in  a  cool  frame 
or  a  bed;  I  only  possess  a  frame  and  southern  win- 
dow?" The  above  is  merely  one  of  several  enquiries. 
The  very  best  mode  of  action  is  one  thing;  tlie  most 
proper,  under  the  circumstances,  is  quite  another  affair. 
Professed  florists  hardly  ever  sow  a  Geranium  seed  at  a 
venture.  Even  they,  at  times,  raise  seedlings  far  infe- 
rior to  the  plants  from  which  they  came;  but  by  careful 
hybridizing,  and  anxious  management,  they  work  for 
improvements  in  habit  and  form.  Many  realize  a 
peculiar  ])leasure  in  raising  plants  from  seed,  and 
attending  to  the  little  jirotegees  in  their  infantile  state, 
having  a  strong  love  for  plants  and  flowers  of  all  de- 
scriptions, and  yet  but  little  of  the  more  refined  taste 
and  enthusiasm  of  the  professed  florist.  And  these  are 
just  the  people  to  say — "  Wl)y  should  not  our  wishes  be 
consulted?  Florists  know  all  about  it  already.  It  is  not 
wliat  suits  the  few\  but  what  suits  the  million  that  is  of 
any  advantage  to  us.  If  wo  have  a  pleasure  in  raising 
a  Geranium  from  seed,  such  as  the  mere  tradesman 
never  experiences,  why  should  wo  not  know  how  to  do 
it  in  the  simplest,  as  well  as  tlie  best,  way,  and  without 
being  told  to  go  back  to  this  page  in  that  far  back 
volume?"  I  fully  sympathise  with  feelings  such  as  these. 
The  first  cuttings  I  struck  were  Scarlet  Geraniums. 
The  flrst  seeds  I  sowed  in  a  pot  were  a  mixture  of  Pe- 
largoniums. 1  had  much  less  success  with  them  in  my 
flrst  trials  than  with  the  cuttings,  and  yet,  at  last,  in 
rather  unfavourable  circumstances,  I  succeeded  pretty 
favourably.  To  meet  the  circumstances  of  various 
classes,  I  will  give  various  modes  of  treatment. 

1.  When  a  hotbed  can  be  commanded  in  autumn, 
and  a  greenhouse  in  winter,  where  a  warm  end  can  be 
appropriated,  with  an  average  temperature  ranging  from 
45'-'  to  50°  during  the  cold,  dark  months,  with  a  rise 
from  sunshine.  This  may  be  considered  the  most  fa- 
vourable means  for  raising  these  plants  and  getting 
them  early  into  bloom.  In  such  a  case,  our  experience 
would  lead  us  to  sow  the  seeds  as  soon  as  they  were 
gathered  and  had  lain  a  few  days — say  in  the  beginning 
of  August.  Tlie  seed-pans  should  have  been  previously 
prepared,  draining  them  well,  and  filling  them  with  a 
compost  of  equal  parts  of  loam,  heath-mould,  and  leaf- 
mould,  with  just  sufficient  silver  sand  to  make  it  light 
and  porous.  Pots,  six  inches  across,  or  wider,  would 
answer  just  as  well,  if  not  better;  but  in  their  case,  the 
drainage  should  occupy  fully  one-half,  and  the  com- 
post should  consist  of  various  degrees  of  fineness,  the 
roughest  over  the  drainage,  and  the  finest  on  the  sur- 
i'ace.  I  mention  the  above  compost  as  being  good ;  but 
let  no  one  fret  himself  because  he  cannot  get  it,  for,  as 
previously  mentioned,  the  road-drift  soil  obtained  from 
the  side  of  the  highway,  well  aired,  and  lightened,  if 
necessary,  with  sand,  and  with,  if  obtainable,  a  little 
charcoal-dust,  will  be  amply  sufficient. 

One  great  error  among  amateurs  and  young  gardeners 
is  using  soil  for  sowing  seeds  and  for  potting  in  a  dry, 
dusty  state.  Just  fill  a  pot  or  a  pan  with  such  dry  soil, 
with  or  without  a  plant,  and  see  how  many  times  you 
must  use  a  water-pot  before  you  can  moisten  it,  and  you 
will  obtain  a  clue  to  the  reason  why  many  seeds  never 
vegetate;  and  why,  often,  in  the  case  of  small  seeds,  the 
seedsman  is  blamed  because  no  pl.ants  come  in  the  pot, 


360 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


Febeuahy  9. 


after  you  have  either  scorched  them  or  washed  them 
overboard.  I  have  often  thouglit  tliat  this  gi-eat  error  is 
partly  based  on  the  judicious  custom  wo  adopt  of  sowiut; 
seeds  out-of-doors  when  tlie  surlaco  is  nice  and  mellow 
and  dry.  Did  we  sow  when  the  ground  was  clammy  and 
wet,  wo  should  clog  the  seed,  and  prevent  air  hawng  ac- 
cess to  it,  and  therefore,  when  from  necessity  wo  do  sow 
in  such  circumstances,  we  coyer  with  some  dry  and  light 
material.  When  wo  sow  when  tlie  surface  is  dry,'we 
know  tliere  is  enough  of  moisture  beneath  to  rise  and 
swell  the  integuments  of  the  seed,  and  that,  even  if  a 
shower  does  come,  the  rain  will  jiass  through  it,  and 
thus  leave  air  passages  which  would  not  be  left  if  tlie 
ground  was  solid  and  wet  before  the  rain  came. 

Now,  though  the  seed  of  the  Pelargonium  is  not  small, 
and,  therefore,  may  escape  the  evils  to  which  small  seeds 
are  liable,  still,  in  their  case,  as  well  as  in  all  others 
where  sowing  in  pots  under  glass  is  adopted,  it  is  advis- 
able to  have  the  soil  in  a  moistish  state,  such  as  can 
be  efiected  by  watering  tho  seed-pots  well  a  day  before 
sowing,  allowing  them  to  drain  thoroughly  afterwards; 
or  even  setting  tlie  pots  or  ])ans  in  water,  that  they  may 
be  thoroughly  saturated,  and  then  allowing  them  to 
drain  for  twenty-four  or  forty-eight  liours.  This  is  based 
on  the  genei'al  principle,  that  the  less  young  plants  re- 
i]uire  from  the  water-pot  bolore  they  are  pricked  out  of 
the  seedling  pan,  tho  less  danger  there  is  of  damping, 
shanking,  &o.  A  slight  exception  must  be  made  in  the 
case  of  seeds  which  are  imperfectly  ripened,  or  are  getting 
rather  old.  In  their  case,  when  tho  bulk  of  the  soil 
is  thus  moistened,  some  dry  material  should  be  placed 
on  the  surface,  in  which  the  seeds  should  bo  embedded, 
as  too  much  moisture  in  their  case  would  promote  de- 
composition instead  of  germination.  Even  in  the  case 
of  Pelargonium  seed,  when  little  drills  are  drawn  about 
three-quarters-of-an-inch  apart  across  the  seed-]ian,  and 
the  seeds  deposited  in  them  about  one-twolfth-of-an-inch 
deep,  a  little  dryish  matter  may  be  sprinkled  over  them, 
and  gently  pressed  down  with  a  board,  or  the  bottom  of 
a  pot,  as  your  previous  preparation  of  the  pots  will 
ensure  plenty  of  moisture  for  the  roots  to  feed  upon  as 
soon  as  they  jji-otrudo. 

When  thus  sown,  the  pots  should  be  plunged  in  a 
hotbed  yielding  a  bottom-heat  of  80",  and  a  top  tem- 
perature of  from  05°  to  70'',  and  very  little  extra  heat 
wiU  yield  that  tem])erature  at  tliat  season.  In  order  to 
prevent  the  escape  of  moisture,  and  to  hasten  ger- 
mination, tho  seed-pans  should  be  shaded  until  tho 
young  plants  appear,  and  if  the  seed  is  good  you  wiU 
not  have  to  wait  long.  When  fairly  above  ground,  a 
little  air  should  be  given,  but  also  a  slight  shade  in 
bright  sunshine.  As  soon  as  they  havo  made  a  couple 
of  roughish  leaves  they  should  be  thinned  out,  pricking 
them  into  other  seed-pans,  or  potting  three  or  four 
round  the  sides  of  a  three-inch  pot.  These  should  go 
again  into  the  seed-bed,  and  receive  the  advantage  of  a 
sweet  bottom-boat,  be  watered,  aired,  and  shaded  from 
the  midday  sun  as  before.  In  from  three  weeks  to  a 
month,  all  the  strongest  will  require  a  three  or  four- 
inch  pot  separately ;  the  weakest  may  continue  in  ])ans, 
or  three  or  four  in  a  pot.  These,  when  thus  fresh 
arranged,  should  be  kept  rather  close  to  encourage 
growth  at  first,  but  as  soon  as  roots  are  forming  freely, 
more  air  must  be  gradually  given  during  October,  that 
the  plants  may  be  hardened  off  to  stand,  without 
shrinking,  a  lower  temperature  in  winter.  By  the  end 
of  October,  or  soon  after  the  middle,  the  plants  should 
be  transferred  to  an  ojien,  airy,  warm  part  of  tho 
greenhouse,  whore  they  should  stand  not  more  than 
twelve  01-  eighteen  inches  from  tho  glass.  Here  tliey 
must  I'eceive  what  watej-  they  require,  and  bo  ko]it  clear 
of  dust  and  iut^ecl.s.  In  Febnuiry  and  Mavc-ii,  the 
single-potted  plauts  may  either  have  another  shift  into 
four   or  five-iuch  pots,    or  be  top-dressed    with    rich 


compost.  It  is  waste  of  room  to  give  these  plants  large 
])ots  until  you  see  tho  bloom.  You  may  expect  to  see 
ilower-trusses  from  the  earliest  .about  ilidsuuuiicr.  Tho 
suudler  plants  shifted  on  in  succession  will  be  throwing 
up  Iheir  ilowers  until  tlio  end  of  the  autumn.  If  kept 
i)i  the  greenhouse  all  the  summer,  they  will  want  water- 
ing very  often,  and  if  to  save  this  you  put  them  into 
larger  pots  you  will  retard  the  blooming,  you  will 
escape  the  double  dilemma  by  placing  the  small  pot 
inside  a  larger  one,  and  placing  moss  between  them. 
As  soon  as  the  tlower-tnisses  appear,  weak  manure- 
waterings  will  give  tho  llowei's  strength  and  size.  If 
there  are  many  plants,  and  you  do  not  wish  to  fill  the 
greenhouse  with  them,  you  would  save  labour  by  setting 
the  small  pots  on  a  hard  bottom  out-of-doors,  and 
plunging  them  in  poor  earth,  sand,  or  ashes,  after  tho 
middle  of  Juno,  in  a  place  exposed  to  the  sun.  If  a 
plant  shows  bloom  extra  promising,  lift  tho  pot  care- 
fully, so  as  not  to  injure  any  roots  that  may  have  pro- 
truded, and  place  these  roots,  pot,  and  altogether,  in  a 
larger  2)ot,  water  and  shade  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then 
give  the  plant  a  good  position  in  the  greenhouse.  If 
j'ou  repotted  such  a  plant  in  the  usual  way,  you  would 
give  less  justice  to  the  bloom  than  if  yon  had  allowed 
the  plant  to  remain  in  the  bed.  If  you  did  not  value 
the  pot,  and  could  crack  it  in  several  places,  witliout 
injuring  the  roots,  before  placing  it  in  a  larger  one,  and 
filling  the  space  between  with  compost,  that  would  be 
the  best  mode  of  acting  under  the  circumstances. 
When  weak  manure-waterings  are  frequently  given,  or 
a  pinch  of  superphos))liate  of  lime  is  placed  on  the 
surface  of  the  soil,  it  is  amazing  what  line  trusses  of 
bloom  may  be  obtained  from  a  four-incli  pot.  Under 
the  above  mode,  most  of  the  seedlings  may  bo  bloomed 
the  first  season. 

2.  Where  there  is  a  hotbed,  but  no  greenhouse. 
Follow  exactly  the  same  mode,  only,  in  September, 
appropriate  a  light  of  tho  hotbed  to  the  young  jilants, 
so  that  you  moy  Iteop  them  rather  close,  and  then  give 
air  to  harden  them  off.  You  could  not  keep  them  in 
such  a  place  easily  without  fire-lieat  during  winter.  It 
would  bo  necessary,  previous  to  November,  therefore,  to 
get  them  placed  in  the  windows  of  sitting-rooms  where 
there  was  firing  in  winter.  To  save  trouble,  a  number 
of  plants  should  be  placed  in  one  largish  pot,  or  if 
three  or  four  are  placed  in  a  four  or  five-inch  pot,  or  a 
few  singly,  if  they  were  packed  in  moss,  in  zinc  ti'ays, 
they  would  require  but  Itttle  attention  in  watering,  and 
could  bo  easily  moved  from  place  to  place,  as  the 
weather  and  circumstances  might  dictate.  The  plants 
would  not  bloom  quite  so  early,  under  such  circum- 
stances, unless  great  care  was  exercised  to  keep  them 
clean,  to  save  them  from  cold,  and  yet  afford  them  every 
ray  of  sunshine. 

3.  Where  tliero  is  a  gi-eenhouso,  but  no  hotbed,  only 
a  few  hand-lights  and  bell-glasses.  In  this  case,  suitable 
soil  should  be  prepared  in  a  box,  to  bo  set  in  the  green- 
house, and  covered  with  a  bell-glass,  or  hand  light,  so 
as  to  warm  the  soil  before  sowing.  Or,  what  we  havo 
found  rather  better,  prepare  a  piece  of  gi'ound  on  tho 
south  side  of  a  fence,  by  taking  away  a  littlo  of  the 
natural  soil,  placing  a  layer  of  drainage,  and  then 
several  inches  of  the  prepared  compost,  and  watering 
it  with  warm  water,  and  then  placing  a  hand-light  over 
it  for  several  days,  and  not  only  allowing  tho  interior  to 
be  heated  with  sun-heat  during  tho  day,  but  taking  care 
to  confine  that  heat  by  a  covering  at  night,  removing  it 
ouly  when  tho  sun  came  the  next  day,  or  the  day 
became  warm.  Here  the  seeds  should  bo  sown,  as 
mentioned  above,  and  a  little  air  given  only  after  the 
plants  ap|)cared.  By  keeping  them  in  such  places  when 
pricked  out,  and  taking  great  care  in  covering,  shading, 
and  aii-giviug,  provided  they  bo  sown  early,  they  will 
not  bo  far   behind  those  that  had  hotbeJ  treatment, 


Febhuaey  9. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


301 


wliilo  all  risks  from  steam  and  over-heatiug  aro  avoided. 
Ill  siioli  a  case,  tlio  plants  should  be  housed  by  tlio 
middle  or  the  bogiuiiiiig  ol'  October.  It  will  be  seen 
that  this  mode  is  equally  applicable  to  those  possessing 
only  a  window  and  a  couple  of  hand-lights. 

The  above  modes  have  relerence  to  sowing  seeds  as 
soon  as  ripe,  by  which  extra  earliness  of  blooming  is 
secured,  at  the  expense  of  extra  and  continued  attention. 
I  have  sown  the  seeds  exactly  the  same  way  in  a  hotbed 
in  spring,  and  have  had  plants  in  bloom  from  three 
weeks  and  onward  later  than  those  sown  the  previous 
August  and  September  ]3ut,  as  a  general  rule,  fewer 
plants  bloom  from  spring-sowing  during  that  season, 
but  then,  if  kept  in  small  pots  during  the  winter,  they 
will  bloom  early  tlie  following  year,  and  the  attention 
they  will  require  in  winter  will  be  nothing  in  com- 
parison of  the  care  demanded  from  those  young  things 
raised  in  August  or  September.  When  the  seed  is 
saved  over  the  winter,  it  is  best  kejit  in  an  airy  place. 
A  good  plan  is  to  bang  it  up  in  a  sitting-room,  in  muslin 
bags ;  it  is  much  injured  by  confined  damp.  I  liave 
no  doubt  that  many,  like  the  correspondent  with  whose 
inquiry  we  commenced  this  paper,  will  prefer,  for  this 
season,  at  least,  spring-sowing.  Keeping  this  in  view, 
let  us  glance — 

4.  At  the  mode  to  be  adopted  where  there  is  a  frame, 
and  a  southern  window.  I  should  turn  ono  light  of  this 
frame  as  quickly  as  possible  into  a  hotbed,  and  when 
all  was  sweet  and  nice,  I  would  j)lace  inside  my  pots  of 
seed.  If  such  a  bed  was  designed  for  Cucumbers,  a 
corner  of  it  would  be  the  very  thing.  If  such  a  bed  was 
designed  for  early  Radishes,  or  Potatoes,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  have  a  corner,  over  which  you  could  place 
the  top  of  a  hand-light,  or  large  bell-glass  or  two,  so 
that  in  giving  air  to  other  things  you  could  keep  your 
plants  as  close  and  shaded  as  you  pleased.  Proceed,  as 
closely  as  possible,  aeoording  to  the  directions  given  in 
the  first  case.  Your  plants  will  be  all  the  better  for 
any  extra  heat  they  can  derive  from  the  hotbed  until 
the  first  weeks  in  June,  then,  if  you  have  a  light  or  two 
of  a  cold  frame  at  liberty,  or  from  which  the  early 
crop  has  been  removed,  it  would  be  the  very  place 
for  them  for  a  month  or  six  weeks,  as  you  could 
encourage  them  there,  with  a  close,  moist  atmosphere, 
such  as  you  could  not  command  in  your  window. 
As  they  grow  freely,  give  them  more  air  by  degrees. 
Encourage  only  one  stem,  and  never  think  of  stopping 
a  shoot.  When  once  you  see  the  flower,  and  are 
satisfied  therewith,  you  may  make  your  plant  as  bushy 
as  you  like  next  year.  By  the  middle  of  July,  your 
plants  may  have  abundance  of  air  in  your  frame, 
be  placed  in  your  window  sill,  or  even  in  a  sheltered 
place  out-of  doors.  Many  will  bloom  ;  and  those  which 
are  too  small  to  do  so  will  be  as  easily  kept  over  tho 
winter  in  your  window  as  any  other  small  plant. 

5.  Whore  there  are  no  conveniences  except  a  window, 
or  a  cool  greenhouse — and  yet,  for  saving  the  trouble  of 
wintering  small  plants,  sowing  in  spring  is  resolved 
vipon.  In  this  case,  unless  means  such  as  those  referred 
to  above  are  used  for  accumulating  heat,  the  end  of 
March  will  bo  early  enough  to  sow.  Tho  best  position 
for  the  seed  would  be  no  great  distance  from  the  kitchen 
fire-place ;  and  after  the  plants  were  fairly  up,  and  were 
set  in  the  window,  or  greenhouse,  with  a  large  glass  over 
them,  tilted  on  one  side  as  the  temperature  increased, 
they  might  be  moved  back  to  tlie  chinmey-piece  at  night, 
until  the  days  and  nights  become  warm.  Even  under 
such  circumstances,  where  people  were  resolved  to  con- 
quer difficulties,  I  have  seen  numbers  bloom  in  the 
autumn.  Even  with  very  moderate  attention,  and  de- 
laying the  sowing  until  the  second  week  in  April,  nice 
shrubby  jjlauts  were  obtained,  that  stood  tho  winter  with 
but  little  trouble,  and  bloomed  early  the  following  sea- 
son.    Where  there  are  a  deficiency  of  conveniences  and 


a  lack  of  labour  power,  I  would  decidedly  recommend 
s^)n»i/-sowiiig.  I 

Two  things  aro  essential  to  early  blooming  ;  first, 
small  pots  ;  and  secondly,  giving  no  enricliing  manures, 
either  in  the  shape  of  top-dressing  or  ricli  waterings 
until  the  flower-buds  show  themselves.  R.  I'lsii. 


THE     CYCLAMEN. 

{Continued  from  page    341.) 

The  passion  for  new  plants  is  so  rife  that  good  old 
ones,  though  ever  so  beautiful,  have  almost  been  driven 
out  of  cultivation  ;  but  there  has  been  such  great  disap- 
pointment in  many  of  the  new  plants  sent  out  with  high 
sounding  names,  and  glowing  descriptions  of  their  beauty, 
that  there  is  now  a  considerable  reaction,  and  new  plants 
are  looked  upon  with  a  great  amount  of  jealous 
fear  that  they  either  will  not  answer  the  character  given 
to  them  by  the  introducer,  or  are  difficult  to  grow  and 
bloom  satisfactorily.  To  prove  this,  I  need  only  refer  to 
two  plants  that  caused  quite  a  sensation  at  the  time  they 
were  introduced — I  mean  the  once  famous  Plumharjo 
Larpentce,  and  the  no  less  he-praised  Fuchnia  spectahilis. 
No  two  jilants  ever  introduced  disappointed  so  much 
tlie  plant-loving  cultivator  ;  and  in  a  very  few  years,  I 
have  no  doubt,  they  will  sink  into  utter  oblivion. 

Not  so  with  the  subject  of  my  present  essay.  They 
rarely  disappoint  the  grower  :  tbougli  old  in  culture, 
they  are  as  much  esteemed  as  ever,  and  I  trust  they  will 
be  more  so  still  as  the  knowledge  of  their  culture  be- 
comes better  understood.  In  my  last  paper,  I  described 
the  method  of  propagating  tbeni,  and  I  now  proceed 
with  the  second  part  of  the  subject,  namely, — 

Soil. — It  is  well  known  to  skilful  propagators,  that  unless 
a  plant  has  a  proper  soil  to  grow  in  it  will  not  thrive  satis- 
factorily. Heaths  will  not  live  in  loam.  Geraniums  will  not 
thrive  and  flower  woU  in  heath-mould  ;  neither  will  New 
Holland  plants  generally  grow  well  in  either  separately, 
but  mixed  together,  with  a  due  admixture  of  sand,  this 
larger  class  of  plants  thrive  and  bloom  to  perfection. 
This  having  been  found  to  be  so  by  experience,  the  mix- 
ing of  these  soils  has  been  practiced  by  all  good  cultivators, 
and  the  soils  so  mixed  have  very  properly  been  termed  a 
compost ;  and  a  mixed  or  compounded  soil  is  suitable  for 
the  genus  named  Cyclamen. 

The  compost  I  use,  and  wliich  I  have  found  to  answer 
remarkably  well,  consists  of  two  parts  loam  of  a  rather 
light  texture — such,  for  instance,  as  well-decomposed 
turf  from  an  upland  pasture  would  be  after  two  years' 
exposure  in  the  compost  yard — and  one  part  heath- 
mould,  brought  from  a  moor  where  the  common  Heath 
grows.  This  should  also  belaid  up  a  year  previous  to 
using,  to  mellow  it;  and,  lastly,  one  part  of  leaf-mould  well 
decomposed.  To  these  add  about  one -eighth  silver 
sand.  Mix  these  all  well  together,  breaking  the  turfy 
parts  with  the  hand,  and  picking  out  all  the  large  roots 
of  the  Heath,  or  any  large  stones  there  may  bo  amongst 
them;  but  by  no  means  sift  it,  for  if  it  is  made  fine  by 
sifting  it  soon  becomes  so  close  and  compact  that  water 
cannot  penetrate  it,  or,  if  it  does,  it  remains  so  long  in 
it  that  tlie  soil  becomes  sodden  and  sour,  the  fine  roots 
die,  and  the  plants  no  longer  thrive,  but  become  sickly 
and  perish.  This  soil,  or  more  properly  speaking,  the 
compost,  should  be  mixed  and  prepared  by  being  jjro- 
perly  dried  (that  is,  neither  too  wet  nor  too  dry)  in  due, 
time  for  the  potting. 

Pottinij. — This  necessary  operation  should  be  done 
once  every  year,  and  the  time  for  it  is  just  before  they 
begin  to  grow.  The  season  for  rest  extends  from  the 
middle  of  Juno  to  the  middle  of  Sejitember,  or  there- 
abouts;  therefore,  tho  repotting  time  will  be  about  the 
first  of  October.     In  potting,  proportion  the  size  of  the 


31)2 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Fkhrdaky  9. 


pots  to  tlie  size  of  the  bulbs.  Bulbs  one  iuoh  across 
will  require  four-inch  pots,  wbilst  such  as  mciisure  two 
inches  diameter  sliould  liave  live-inch  pots,  and  so  on 
in  Llie  same  ratio  for  loss  or  larger  bullis.  The  utmost 
cleanliness  should  prevail  in  all  tlje  materials;  the  soil 
should  be  perfectly  sweet,  the  pots  either  new  or  clean 
washed,  and  the  drainage  should  also  be  clean.  Old 
drainage  will  do  if  it  is  clean  washed  througli  several 
waters ;  but  I  always  prefer  fresh-broken  crocks  for 
these  plants.  Provide  a  little  nice,  sweet,  clean  moss, 
also,  to  place  upon  the  draiuagc.  In  potting,  proceed 
thus: — Lay  a  largf  piece  of  pot  over  the  hole  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pot,  llien  lay  round  it  a  few  lesser  pieces, 
so  us  to  cover  tlio  bottnui  of  the  pot;  upon  these  place 
a  layer  of  still  smaller,  enough  to  completely  cover  the 
last  layer;  then  upon  these  last  place  a  thin  layer  of 
moss.  When  this  is  carefully  done  the  drainage  will 
be  efl'ectivc.  Then  fill  the  pot  with  the  compost  nearly 
up  to  the  rim,  and  then  turn  the  ball  of  old  soil  out  of 
the  ])ot,  and  shake  it  out  from  amongst  the  roots.  Clear 
away  all  that  are  dead,  and  spread  the  living  ones  out 
on  tlie  surface  of  the  new  soil ;  cover  them  over,  and 
leave  the  bulbs  just  out  of  the  soil;  shake  the  soil 
down,  and  the  operation  is  linislicd.  Give  no  water  for 
a  time  until  i'resli  roots  are  produced.  The  after-treat- 
ment I  must  defer  to  anotlier  op|)ortuuity. 

T.  ArPLEBY. 

{To  be  coiilittiufl.) 


WOODS  AND  EOEESTS. 

(^Continued  from  ptuje  3-41.) 
Planting. — The  season  for  this  operation  commences 
as  soon  as  the  leaves  have  fallen,  and  may  be  continued 
through  all  the  winter  mouths,  weather  permitting,  up 
to  the  middle  of  March,  always  bearing  this  in  mind, 
that  the  sooner  it  is  finished,  the  more  certainty  there 
will  be  of  the  trees  growing  and  doing  well.  If  the 
trees  have  to  be  piu'cbased  from  some  nursery  at  u  dis- 
tance, the  moment  they  arrive  they  should  be  laid  in  by 
the  heels,  ,as  it  is  termed  by  )ilanters.  If  the  roots 
have  become  dry  during  the  transit,  they  should, 
previous  to  being  laid  in,  be  thoroughly  wetted,  citlier 
by  dipping  their  roots  in  water  tliickened  with  line 
earth,  or  by  pouring  water  upon  thorn  from  a  coarse- 
rosed  water-pot.  Whilst  the  roots  are  being  wotted, 
let  a  long  trench  be  opened  deep  enough  to  hold  the 
roots.  Then  open  tlie  trees  out,  and  lay  them,  not  too 
thick,  regularly  in  along  the  row,  a  man  following  quickly 
with  a  sjiade,  to  cover  the  roots,  the  great  object  being 
to  get  them  covered  up  as  soon  as  possible  from  the 
drying,  shrivelling  air. 

By  treating  them  thus  the  roots  will  be  greatly  pre- 
served, and  the  chances  of  growing  multiplied.  I  have, 
in  the  course  of  my  experience,  seen  them  very 
differently  treated.  To  save  trouble,  the  bundles  of 
trees,  when  they  came  from  tlie  nursery,  were  placed 
close  together,  in  outhouses,  sliglitly  covered  with  straw, 
and  there  they  remained  till  time  and  weather  permitted 
them  to  be  planted.  No  wonder  that  more  than  one- 
half  died  by  such  injudicious  treatment. 

Many  noblemen  and  gentlemen,  finding  this  to  be  the 
case,  have  adopted  the  plan  of  devoting  a  plot  of  ground 
as  a  nursery,  on  their  premises,  purchasing  small  plants, 
and  growing  them  for  a  year  or  two  on  the  spot.  This 
is  a  very  advantageous  method,  inasmucli  as  the  trees 
can  then  be  taken  uj)  as  many  at  once  as  can  be  jdantcd 
in  one  day,  and,  consequently,  there  is  more  certainty 
of  success,  providing  every  due  prc)iaratiou  of  the 
ground  is  attended  to  previously  to  planting.  But  if 
the  trees  are  had  from  a  nursery,  and  carefully  laid  in, 
they  will  succeed  very  well,  if  the  precaution  is  taken 


not  to  take  more  up  any  morning  than  can  be  planted 
the  same  day. 

The  sici-  of  the  trees  to  be  jilantcd  is  a  subject  re-  ■ 
(juiring  due  consideration.  lu  exposed  situations,  trees, 
three  or  four  feet  high,  will  be  so  blown  and  twisted 
about  by  the  winds,  that  considerable  numbers  will  , 
perish,  and  such  as  do  grow  will  be  several  years  | 
before  they  establish  themselves  liriidy  in  tlic  ground, 
however  well  the  ground  may  have  been  prepared,  and 
the  trees  firmly  ]dauted.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to 
suppose  that  there  is  anything  gained  by  planting 
large  trees,  especially  in  unsheltered  positions.  0)ie- 
and-a-half  to  two  feet,  at  the  farthest,  are  si/.es  that  grow 
the  best,  because  the  wind  has  less  power  upon  them. 
Besides  this,  the  trees  in  the  nursery-rows  are  generally 
planted  thick,  and  then  shelter  each  other,  and,  perhaps, 
have,  in  most  cases,  been  growing  for  three  or  more 
years  ou  the  same  plot  of  ground  without  being  re- 
moved, hence  the  roots  will  bo  what  are  termed  tap- 
rooted,  with  few  side  fibres;  and  these  two  points  of 
growing  thickly,  and  having  only  one  or  two  straight 
la.p-roots,  operate  greatly  agaiust  a  successful  removal. 
Poor  Richard  says — "  1  never  knew  an  oft-removed  tree, 
nor  yet  an  oft-removed  family,  that  tlirove  so  well  as 
one  that  settled  be."  He  is  quite  true,  if  trees  were  not 
reqviired  to  be  moved  ;  but  where  they  must  be  trans- 
planted, one  or  two  removals,  by  increasing  the 
number  of  fibrous  roots,  is  not  only  not  iujurious,  but 
positively  beneficial.  Hence,  all  good  nurserymen 
transplant  their  stock  of  young  trees  at  least  every 
second  year,  planting  them  thinner  each  time.  Trees 
so  planted,  and  more  especially  Conifers  and  evergreen 
shrubs,  are  much  more  useful  and  valuable  to  the 
planter.  This  practice  of  removing,  or  transplanting,  is 
now  generally  practised  in  most  nurseries,  and,  con- 
sequently, a  somewhat  higher  price  is  charged  for  them, 
which  is  but  reasonable.  ]''or  it  is  a  considerable 
addition  to  the  expense  of  a  nursery  these  frequent 
removals. 

In  sheltered  situations,  the  larger-sized  trees  so  re- 
moved may  be  planted  with  every  probability  of  success. 
Old  neglected  plantations  that  have  been  severely 
thinned  will  be  a  proper  place  to  plant  these  larger 
trees.  In  such  situations,  small  trees  would  very  likely 
be  smothered  by  rank  grass,  ferus,  &c.,  besides,  where 
game  abounds,  being  cropped  off  by  hares  or  rabbits ; 
hence,  to  fill  up  woods  that  have  been  thinned,  the  trees 
should  not  be  less  than  three  feet  higli,  providing  they 
are  well  furnished  with  fibrous  roots,  and  the  ground 
stirred  up  well  to  plant  them  in.  If  hares  or  rabbits 
abound  greatly,  the  trees  should  be  jirotected  liom  their 
bites,  i  have  often  seen  numbers  of  nice  young  trees 
in  such  places,  in  severe  winters  like  this,  witli  the  bark 
peeled  ofi'  all  around  as  high  as  these  pests  to  the 
planter  could  reach.  Last  year  I  planted  an  orchard  of 
five  acres,  and  though  the  game  hereabouts  is  by  no 
means  iilentiful,  yet  they  found  out  my  Pear  and  Apple 
trees,  and  began  to  make  havoc  with  the  bark.  1 
adopted  a  very  simple  protection,  cheap,  and  easily 
applied,  which  completely  stopped  them  from  barking 
the  trees,  and  that  was,  I  set  two  men  to  daub  the  stems 
as  high  as  the  hares  could  reach  with  cow-dung,  made 
thin  with  water,  about  the  consistence  of  common  paint. 
It  was  laid  on  with  a  home-made  brush  of  common 
garden  mat,  and  one  application  served  through  the 
winter.  Not  a  single  tree  was  touched  afterwards.  Now 
the  expense  of  the  cow-duug  paint  was  trifiing,  and  a 
man  could  daub  over  several  hundred  of  these  in  a  day. 
1  can  confidently  recommend  this  siuiplc,  non-injurious 
application,  a  preventive  of  hares  barking  trees. 

T.  Ari'Liiui'. 
CTo  be  coiiliiiui'd.) 


Februaev  fl. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


303 


CULTURE  OF  TREES  FOR  LOCAL  REQUIRE- 
MENTS.—THE  LARCH. 
]t  vequircs  no  groat  amount  of  poetic  genius  to  pro- 
nounce  hcaltliy  and  well-regulated  plantations  of  trees 
as  one  of  tlio  greatest  oruuments  of  Nature,  and  the 
most  careless  observer  of  such  things  is  seldom  so  far 
dead  to  all  around  him  as  not  to  fool  pleasure,  or  its 
contrary,  by  the  presence  or  absence  of  trees  in  the 
landsea]io  before  him.  True,  there  are  districts  in  which 
these  noble  productions  of  nature  exist  in  too  great  a 
profusion  to  gratify  tho  taste  of  the  cultivated  mind, 
which  sees  too  nuich  monotony  to  be  pleased,  unless  it 
be  accompanied  also  by  something  that  is  grand  or 
sublime  ;  however,  there  are  few  districts  in  this  country 
to  which  this  fault  applies.  The  industry  of  the  hus- 
bandman, through  a  long  series  of  ages,  has  removed 
most  of  the  traces  of  the  primitive  forests  which  encum- 
bered this  country  at  one  time,  and  it  is  only  hero  and 
there  that  a  tract  of  land  may  bo  met  with  which  there 
is  reason  to  believe  had  never  felt  the  plough  or  spade, 
nor  any  substitute  for  these  useful  implements  of  culti- 
vation ;  such  tracts  are,  however,  to  be  met  with  occa- 
sionally, but  they  generally  present  a  barren,  uninviting 
aspect,  and  by  their  produce  tell,  in  immistakable  terms, 
that  much  toil  and  trouble  would  be  required  to  bring 
them  into  cultivation,  and  that  when  done,  it  would  be 
very  questionable  whether  such  labour  had  been  pru- 
dently expended.  Other  tracts  certainly  promise  to  do 
more,  but  then  they  are  fenced  in  by  certain  trammels 
of  the  law  in  such  a  way  as  to  debar  all  improvement. 
Of  such  class  are  some  of  tho  Royal  Forests,  which, 
however,  may  be  more  prudently  looked  after  hereafter ; 
but  as  this  has  been  already  adverted  to  elsewhere,  I 
will  advance  no  further,  but  beg  to  call  attention  to 
some  matters  more  in  detail  as  relates  to  the  profitable 
culture  of  certain  kinds  of  timber-trees,  and  the  treat- 
ment necessary  to  their  well-being. 

There  are  few  things  connected  with  rural  affairs  of 
which  more  has  been  said  than  the  pruning  and 
thinning  of  forest-trees,  and  books  and  treatises  innu- 
merable have  been  sent  abroad  on  tho  subject.  Unfor- 
tunately, the  most  of  these  are  couched  in  too  general 
terms  to  serve  in  all  instances,  there  being  certain 
special  cases  wherein  a  treatment  in  direct  variance 
with  that  generally  given  is  not  only  excusable,  but 
highly  advisable,  and  as  certain  districts,  or  rather 
certain  wants,  give  rise  to  these  special  cases,  the  one 
I  am  going  to  narrate  may  serve  as  an  example  to  the 
rest,  although  they  may,  in  each  instance,  dill'cr  much 
from  it  in  the  causes  and  effects  which  govern  their 
respective  conditions. 

In  travelling  a  little  way  from  home  with  a  friend 
from  a  distant  county,  who  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  all  Nature's  productions,  as  well  as  a  skilful  and  ex- 
perienced manager  of  trees  and  woodlands,  we  came 
upon  many  objects  which  excited  bis  anger,  as  well  as 
others  did  his  admiration,  the  latter  feeling  being, 
perhaps,  confined  to  the  effects  which  Nature  produced, 
rather  than  through  any  well-directed  skill  in  assisting 
her  in  such  objects,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  (had  he 
traversed  this  part  of  the  county  of  Kent  alone,  without 
a  chance  of  learning  the  wants  and  requirements  of  the 
district)  ho  would  have  gone  away,  condemning  us  as 
the  most  barbarous  managers  of  trees  and  woodlands 
that  had  any  existence  in  a  civilized  country.  Hedge- 
row trees,  lopped  from  tho  ground  almost  up  to  their 
very  tips  ;  others,  beheaded,  and  that  operation  having 
been  several  times  repeated  had  given  their  trunks  a 
singularly  hideous  appearance  when  seen  for  the  first 
time  by  a  stranger,  and  more  especially  so  if  it  was  in 
the  dusk  ;  but  what  drew  from  him  most  condemnation, 
was  a  plantation  of  young  Larch  Firs,  which,  to  him, 
appeared  like  a  large  nursery  abandoned  to  its  fate,  and 


the  trees  struggling  with  each  other  for  an  existence. 
Now  this  may,  at  first  eight,  appear  to  many  an  impru- 
dent way  of  managing  things;  as  I  believe  I  am  williin 
bounds  when  I  say,  that  in  a  usual  way,  about  twenty 
thousand  Larch  Trees  arc  jdantcd  on  an  acre,  and  those 
never  got  either  thinning  or  pruning;  this,  of  course, 
at  first  sight,  may  puzzlo  those  not  versed  in  such 
matters,  as  they  did  my  friend  ;  but  a  very  few  words  will 
explain  all.  Wood  is  a  heavy,  bulky  commodity,  and 
not  easily  moved  great  distances  witliout  incurring 
expenses  beyond  what  its  intrinsic  value  will  repay; 
consequently,  its  greatest  worth  is  on  the  spot  where  it 
is  grown,  provided  a  demand  exists  there.  Now,  in  the 
case  referred  to,  there  is  a  demand,  and  a  good  one,  for 
Larch  poles  of  a  certain  size,  as  well  as  poles  of  other 
kinds  of  wood,  but  beyond  that  size  or  standard 
their  value  diminishes  very  much  ;  hence,  tho  propriety 
of  cutting  them  at  the  precise  period  they  are  lit  for 
market.  I  need  hardly  say,  that  Larch-trees,  planted 
at  distances  not  exceeding  eighteen  inches  apart, 
speedily  become  drawn;  and  at  tho  time  when  my 
friend  saw  them,  they  resembled,  as  he  justly  observed, 
a  "  forest  of  fishing  rods ; "  some  of  the  worst  of  the 
trees,  probably,  having  had  a  bad  start,  had  given  up  the 
struggle  for  existence,  which  the  others  competed  for 
with  all  the  energy,  and  not  little  of  the  selfishness,  of  a 
life  and  death  struggle.  This  state  of  things  puzzled 
my  friend,  who  saw  enough  to  convince  him  that  edge 
tools  were  used  pretty  freely  in  the  fruit  plantation 
adjoining  and  elsewhere ;  however,  he  did  not  require 
much  convincing  of  the  profitable  nature  of  the  plan, 
which  is  this : — 

The  large  extent  of  ground  under  cultivation  as  Hop- 
gardens, in  Kent,  and  their  consequent  want  of  poles 
from  ten  to  eighteen  feet  long,  without  any  of  the  switch 
top,  has,  of  course,  led  to  a  great  demand  for  such 
articles,  as  some  throe  thousand,  or  more,  are  wanted 
per  acre,  and  these  often  wanting  renewing,  an  active 
trade  for  such  articles  is  kept  up  ;  and  independently  of 
the  large  quantity  which  a  coppice  of  hard-wooded  trees 
produces  at  each  cutting,  and  of  which  I  will  speak 
hereafter,  there  has  been  a  growing  demand  for  Larch 
poles  for  many  years,  and  many  plantations  of  the  kind 
above  spoken  of  has  been  made  of  late,  and  many  of 
these  are  made  not  by  wealthy  landlords  with  a  view  to 
ornamenting  their  estates,  but  by  enterprising  farmers  and 
others,  who  look  forward  with  some  degree  of  certainty 
of  being  remunerated  for  their  outlay,  and  in  many 
instances  the  speculation  has  been  a  lucrative  one  ;  for 
on  land  of  no  great  reputation,  the  produce  of  such  a 
plantation  often  sells  from  fifty  to  seventy  pounds  per 
acre  standing  on  the  ground,  the  purchasers  cutting 
and  clearing  it  all  away,  and  the  seller,  after  grubbing 
the  stumps  up,  which  may  cost  (with  the  digging  of  the 
same)  about  .£5  per  acre,  generally  reaps  good  crops  of 
corn  afterwards  from  the  change  it  has  undergone,  and 
by  that  routine  of  cropping,  now  so  much  practised, 
another  piece  undergoes  tho  operation  of  planting,  &c. 
[  must  not,  however,  forget  to  mention,  that  such  aresult 
is  usually  eflscted  in  about  twelve  years  after  planting, 
and  sometimes  it  is  less,  if  the  ground  be  good,  &.c. 
As  there  is  no  attention  whatever  required  after  the 
first  planting,  save,  perhaps,  keeping  the  worst  of  the 
weeds  down  the  ensuing  season,  tho  investment  seems 
a  favourable  one,  and  on  really  good  land  I  have  known 
a  ten-years  growth  produce  eighty  pounds  per  acre. 
Now,  according  to  the  pouudsshillings-and-pence-way 
of  enforcing  an  argument,  I  question  much  if  any  other 
mode  of  growing  trees  of  a  forest  kind  present  such  a 
quick  and  profitable  return ;  and  I  am  not  sure  but  a 
carefully-managed  plantation  of  hard  wood,  cut  pcriodi- 
caUy,  be  not  equally  a  paying  concern.  Certain  it  is 
that  timber  is  not  so  remunerative,  for  the  old  saying  is, 
"  that  a  coppice  will  buy  the  horse  before  the  timber  will 


36-i 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


FEnllDAIlY  9. 


tho  saddle ;"  and  though  the  remark  be  disheartening  to 
those  wlio  so  patriotically  plant  and  clothe  the  country 
with  its  most  Licfilting  ornaments,  yet  it  is  too  true,  that 
as  a  crop,  timber  has  almost  ceased  to  be  planted  for 
remuneration,  except  in  those  inaccessible  places  where 
tlie  husbandman  cannot  come,  or  where,  tor  other  rea- 
sons, he  is  not  allowed  to  do  so;  but  there  are  special 
cases,  wherein  trees  are  more  profitable,  and  in  a  great 
many  they  are  useful,  but  these,  as  well  as  other  matters 
relating  to  coppices,  &c.,  1  must  leave  for  another 
article ;  and  in  conclusion,  would  warn  our  young  friends, 
when  passing  tln-ough  an  unUuown  country,  not  to 
jump  too  hastdy  at  conclusions  respecting  the  treatment 
of  certain  things,  for,  liK-e  the  case  above,  it  may  be  the 
very  best  in  its  way  that  could  be  adopted. 

J.  lloBSON. 


THE  FATTING  OF  SHEEP. 
{Continued  from  paqe  344.) 
In  continuation  of  the  subject  relating  to  the  breeds 
of  Sheep  to  be  selected  for  fatting  purposes,  I  must  al- 
lude to  the  statemeut  of  Mr.  Samuel  IJruce,  given  in  the 
31st  No.  of  the  "Journal  of  the  Koyal  Agricultural  Society 
of  England,"  whose  great  practical  experience  in  this 
matter  must  give  it  considerable  weight  and  importance. 
Tho  first  important  item  in  this  statement  is  the  compar- 
ativG  numbers  of  the  diiforeut  breeds  of  Sheep  which 
may  be  kept  upon  the  like  quantity  of  food.  The  bulk 
of  food  requisite  to  fatten  100  Cotswold  Sheep  would 
fatten  10.5  Leiccsters,  11  Ti  Hampshire  Downs,  115  Sheep 
cross-bred  between  tho  Cotswold  and  South  Down,  and 
130  pure  South  Down.  The  most  important  item  which 
this  statement  furnishes  is  the  comparative  profit  yielded 
by  the  same  breeds  in  the  vahie  both  of  mutton  and 
wool,  and  this  will  place  them  in  the  following  order : — 
The  Cross-bred  Sheep  give  the  greatest  money  return, 
the  Hampshire  Downs  next,  then  the  Cotswolds,  the 
Leicesters,  and  last  of  all,  giving  the  least  profit,  are  the 
pure  South  Downs.  Another  statement  upon  this  subject, 
based  upon  actual  experiment,  and  carried  out  in  the 
most  elaborate  and  detailed  manner,  is  by  Mr,  J.  B. 
Lawes,  and  which  will  be  found  in  the  38th  No.  of  the 
same  Journal,  and  must  be  taken  as  the  most  conclusive, 
it  being  the  greatest  combined  effort  of  science  and  prac- 
tice brought  to  bear  upon  tho  subject  which  has  ever 
been  offered  to  public  notice,  and  the  result  is  decidedly 
in  favour  of  the  Hampshire  Down  breed  of  Sheep,  as 
compared  with  the  pure  South  Down.  Other  statements 
and  experiments  may  bo  adduced,  but  for  the  most  part 
they  point  in  tho  same  direction.  I  must  further  say, 
that  the  above  statement  and  experiment  entirely  sup- 
port my  own  opinion  upon  tho  subject ;  and  that  after 
having  given  groat  attention  to  the  fatting  of  Slieep,  and 
having  been  a  eloso  observer  of  the  best  practices  for  a 
I  period  of  twenty-five  years,  I  can,  without  any  hesitation, 
I  confirm  tho  above  statements. 

I  I  cannot,  however,  entirely  disregard  the  effect  of 
I  soil  and  climate  in  this  matter,  and  it  would  be  no 
I  doubt  difficult  to  state  which  breeds  of  Sheep  are  best 
'  adapted  for  fatting  upon  the  different  soils,  but,  in 
!  deciding  this  point,  it  is  best  not  to  overlook  the  breeds 


peculiar  to  certain  districts  of  the  kingdom  ;  and  I  may 
he  here  allowed  to  say,  that  in  case  any  doubt  arises  in 
the  mind  of  persons  about  to  select  a  breed  of  Sheep 
for  fatting  purposes,  they  would  do  well  to  observe  the 
prevailing  breeds  chosen  by  the  most  enlightened  and 
experienced  graziers  of  the  locality. 

In  order  that  my  readers  may  better  understand  the 
remarks  I  shall  have  to  make,  I  propose  to  consider  this 
subject  as  naturally  divided  into  two  departments, 
namely, — the  winter  fatting,  and  the  summer  grazing.  I 
trust,  also,  that  a  few  general  remarks  upon  the  purchase 
of  stock  will  not  be  considered  out  of  place.  I  cannot 
advise  the  buying  of  Sheep  whicli  are  very  poor,  as  it 
will  always  cost  more  to  feed  the  Sheep  up  to  tolerable 
condition  than  it  will  to  purchase  them  in  that  state. 
Before  you  resolve  to  buy  Sheep,  endeavour  to  decide 
upon  the  age  and  breed  of  Sheep  best  suited  to  your 
soil  and  keeping ;  and  in  .going  through  a  fair  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing,  always  select  those  which,  in 
your  own  judgment,  are  best  suited  to  your  purposes; 
buy  them  as  cheap  as  you  can,  but  buy  them,  and  re- 
member that  the  purchase  of  stock  merely  because  it  is 
cheap  (or  what  is  called  a  bargain),  must  be  character- 
ised as  folly,  and  that  the  likeliest  lot  to  yield  profit  is 
that  which  you  deem  best  suited  to  your  requirements. 
I  would  further  recommend  that  a  warranty  of  sound- 
ness should  be  obtained,  and  no  difficulty  will  be  found 
in  securing  it ;  for  I  have  never  known  parties  hesitate 
in  giving  a  warrantry  when  they  felt  satisfied  that  it  was 
not  really  required. 

I  must  now  proceed  with  the  consideration  of  the 
first  branch  of  the  subject — tho  winter  fatting  of  Sheep 
in  the  open  field — for  although  I  propose  to  make  some 
remarks  upon  the  comparative  advantages  of  bouse 
and  field-feeding,  yet  I  must  defer  them  until  the 
conclusion  of  this  article.  The  great  increase  in 
our  population,  and  its  requirements,  has  completely 
reversed  tho  system  of  fatting  Sheep  ;  formerly  their 
summer  grazing  was  a  matter  of  primary  importance, 
but  since  the  introduction  of  root-crops  tho  winter  fat- 
ting process  has  now  become  the  most  essential,  both  as 
regards  the  necessities  of  the  consumer  and  tho  profits 
of  the  arable  land  farmer.  Before  the  pm'chasing  of 
stock  takes  place,  calculate,  as  near  as  possible,  how  many 
can  be  kept,  and  tho  period  you  wish  ,to  finish  root- 
feeding  ;  and  in  case  it  is  required  to  clear  the  land  eoj'ly 
for  the  purpose  of  sowing  winter  and  spring  wheat,  tho 
number  of  Sheep  may  be  increased  in  the  same  propor- 
tion, and  it  will  be  necessary,  in  such  case,  to  resort  to 
artificial  feeding,  in  order  that  the  animals  may  be  fat- 
tened in  less  time.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  a 
fair  rule  to  go  by  is  that  ten  acres  of  turnips  will  fatten 
100  sheep,  supposing  the  crop  to  weigh  about  twenty 
tons  of  roots  ])or  acre,  and  that  they  receive  as  muoli  of 
good  hay  as  they  will  eat  during  tho  period  of  consump- 
tion. This,  however,  must  in  reality  bo  only  considered 
the  starting  j)oint  in  feeding,  for  tho  consuming  a  given 
quantity  of  turnips  may  be  made  to  extend  over  a  great 
length  of  lime,  by  tho  addition  of  feeding  materials, 
such  as  oil-cake,  corn,  ka.     In  stocking  a  furiu  with 


FEDEnAUY  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


3C5 


.  fatting  Slieep,  wlieii  the  object  is  to  eousunie  the  root- 
crop  continuously  from  October  to  April  inclusive,  I  do 
not  hold  it  to  bo  a  good  jilan  to  purchase  Sheep  all  of  one 
ago  or  condition ;  nor  do  I  like  the  system  of  soiling  out 
all  the  stock  at  one  period  ;  I  would  prefer  having  some 
of  them  fit  for  market  at  an  early  period,  and  others 
later  in  the  season.  The  advantage  of  this  plan  will  be 
found  in  those  winters  when  the  roots  are  seriously 
damaged  by  frost,  for  in  case  of  any  great  diminution  of 

;  the  root-crop,  it  is  a  matter  of  great  consequence  to  have 
a  portion  of  stock  fit  for  sale,  as  the  numbers  of  stock 
may  then  be  adjusted  to  the  keep,  and  the  crisis  passed 
over  without  loss.  It  is  very  desirable,  upon  those  farms 
where  a  portion  of  grass-keeping  can  be  made  available, 
to  purchase  a  portion  of  Lambs  to  he  held  on  through 
the  winter,  and  sold  fat  after  shearing  time,  instead  of  pur- 
chasing a  full  complement  of  wether  Sheep  ;  and  I  con- 
sider that  two-teeth  Sheep  are  more  profitable  to  fatten 
than  four  or  six-teeth  Sheep;  for  although  it  must  be 
admitted  that  the  older  Sheep  fatten  quickest,  yet  the 
two-teeth  Sheep  grow,  and  yield  a  heavier  weight  of  meat 
in  proportion  to  the  food  consumed  ;  indeed,  it  is  now 
somewhat  difficult  to  obtain,  in  any  numbers,  the  four 
and  six-teeth  Sheep  ;  early  maturity  being  now  the  most 
prevailing  idea,  the  greater  portion  of  the  Sheep  are 
fatted  as  tegs  or  two-teeths.  Before  leaving  the  subject 
of  ages  of  the  stock  for  fatting,  it  is  necessary  to  make 
some  comparison  of  the  difference  between  the  keeping 
of  Lambs  and  two-teeth  Sheep ;  and  in  the  case  of  stock 
purchased  in  the  autumn  for  keeping  through  the  winter, 
until  shearing  time,  whether  we  view  the  question  in  rela. 
tion  to  first  cost,  or  expense  of  feeding,  it  is  in  favour  of 
the  Lamb ;  for  it  will  be  found,  of  a  lot  of  Lambs  and  two- 
teeth  Sheep,  bought  at  the  same  price,  that  the  former 
will  realize  the  most  money  when  sold  out,  supposing 
both  to  have  been  kept  alike;  and  this  arises  from  the 
great  growth  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  value  of  its  fleece,  as 
compared  with  that  of  the  two-teeth. 

Joseph  Blundell. 
{To  be  continued.) 


VEGETABLES  AND    FRUIT   OBTAINABLE 

IN    FEBRUARY. 

A  CoEEESPONDENT  says,  that  "  a  monthly  notice  of  this 
kind  would  be  a  valuable  jiiece  of  inibrmation  for  the  em- 
ployer and  the  gardener,  as  it  would  show  liim  what  others 
can  do."  .  Now,  I  should  place  but  little  value  on  this  kind 
of  knowledge,  as  every  gardener  that  is  wortliy  of  holding 
his  situation  ^Y^11  try  and  make  the  best  of  his  circum- 
stances. Hearing  of  what  others  do,  and  a  stray  remark 
from  his  employers,  at  times,  will  generally  be  sufficient  to 
cause  him  to  husband  his  means  to  the  utmost.  To  a 
right-minded,  intelligent,  industrious  man,  it  is  anything 
but  pleasing,  or  provocative  of  renewed  etTort,  to  be  grum- 
bled at  because  he  does  not  get  such-and-such  things  so 
early  as  Mr.  A.  or  Mr.  B.,  when  the  circumstance.=i  and  the 
expenditure  are  things  altogether  difl'erent.  There  would 
be  less  unpleasantness  in  this  respect,  if  employers  did  not 
expect  impossibihties  at  times ;  and  if  our  great  gardeners 
did  not  unwittingly  allow  the  idea  to  get  into  the  mind  of 
their  aristocratic  visitors,  that  such-and-such  things  involved 
but  littl«  trouble  or  expense.  I  have  noted  down  in  my 
memory  as  many  facts  illustrative  of  these  remarks  as 
would  lill  a  large-sized  volume, — facts  which  would  show 


that  tho  blame  was  often  put  on  the  gardener  when  he  did 
not  deserve  it.     Allow  me  to  give  just  a  few  illustrations. 

A  lady,  sm-roundcd  by  company,  blamed  her  gardener 
in  an  exhibition-room  because  his  plants  wore  not  by  any 
means  such  nice  and  now  things  as  those  of  Mr.  B. ;  sum- 
ming- up  with  the  linale, "  I  am  sure  the  garden  cost  more  than 
enough."  I  have  often  wondered  how  that  lady  would  have 
looked,  if  the  gardener  had  .allowed  his  injured  feelings  as 
a  man  to  get  the  better  of  his  prudence  as  a  servant,  and 
then  and  there  promulgated  the  fact — that  for  years  there 
had  not  been  live  shilhngs  spent  either  upon  plants  or 
seeds — even  the  vegetable  seeds  being  all  home-saved?  A 
gardener,  in  these  circumstauces,  would  show  discretion  in 
never  exhibiting. 

Again,  Mr.  C.  dines  at  Mr.  D.'s  in  the  month  of  March, 
and  has  Cucumbers  for  fish,  and  Eadishes  tor  salad,  Mush- 
rooms in  all  stages,  young  Potatoes,  French  Beans  with 
mutton,  and  Strawberries  for  dessert.  "  Why  cannot  I  have 
the  same?"  is  the  question  put  to  blue-aproner  the  next 
morning,  after  seeing  that  there  is  no  chance  of  his  garden 
yielding  liim  such  dainties  for  weeks  to  come.  "  Why,  Sir, 
you  know  you  bound  me  down  to  have  only  that  certain 
number  of  loads  of  dung ;  and  what  was  the  use  of  begin- 
ning early — I  could  not  have  kept  things  at  all  tender  aUve 
if  I  had  commenced  earUer."  "  Hang  the  dung ;  is  not 
there  that  pit  heated  by  hot-water :  why  should  not  I  have 
Cucumbers  in  one  part,  Beans  in  another,  and  Strawberries 
in  another,  before  commencing  to  force  the  Vinerj'  ?  "  "  No 
reason  at  all,  provided  you  allow  fuel  for  the  pm-pose  ;  but 
didn't  you  tell  me  I  must  not  use  a  particle  more  than  that 
heap  of  dusty  coal,  which  nobody  else  corrld  burn,  and  these 
few  clialdrons  of  coke,  which  will  only  be  sufficient  vow  if 
we  have  a  nice  sunny  spring,  but  which  I  would  have 
thoroughly  consumed  in  a  month  or  six  weeks  in  severe 
weather  in  January  or  February." 

Is  it  necessary  to  increase  such  examples,  or  to  say  where 
such  high  expectations  on  the  one  side,  and  unequal  re- 
sources on  the  other,  are  hkely  to  end,  save  in  mutual  dis- 
appointment ?  A  few  months  ago,  I  listened  to  a  gentleman 
extolUng  to  the  sides  two  pits  he  bad  heated  with  hot-water, 
by  means  of  one  smaU  boUer;  and,  no  doubt,  I  rather  pricked- 
up  my  ears,  when  he  enthusiastically  spoke  of  the  small  quan- 
tity of  fuel  necessary  to  raise  the  water  to  200°,  and  how  he 
could  heat  two,  and,  he  had  no  doubt,  three  jiits,  with  no  more 
fuel  than  it  would  be  required  to  heat  one,  all  that  was 
wanted  being  merely  to  make  the  water  hot,  and  cu-culato  it 
must.  "When,  on  being  appealed  to,  I  quietly  hinted  that  I 
imagined  a  certain  quantity  of  fuel  would  only  give  out  a 
certain  quantity  of  heat ;  and  that,  even  when  applied  to  water, 
although  the  heat  was  very  equally  diffused,  the  fuel  neces- 
sary to  raise  and  maintain  a  certain  temperature  would  be 
in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  water  in  the  pipes,  and  the 
loss  of  heat  from  radiation  to  which  they  would  be  exposed ; 
and  that,  consequently,  two  or  three  pits  could  not  be  heated 
by  the  same  quantity  of  fuel  as  would  be  sufficient  for  one, 
while  that  quantity  would  just  be  increased  in  proportion  to 
the  disparity  of  temperature  between  the  internal  and  the 
external  atmosphere.  I  saw  a  look,  which  said  as  plainly 
as  possible,  "  Ob!  you  know  nothing  at  all  about  economis- 
uig  fuel;"  while  I  felt  what  a  miserable  position  the  poor 
feUow  would  be  in  that  was  expected  to  have  early  fruit  and 
vegetables  in  those  pits,  with  his  fuel  measured  out  to  him 
by  the  bushel;  and  I  did  this  all  the  more,  because  circum- 
stances have  compelled  me  to  try  almost  every  possible 
means  of  economy  in  this  direction,  so  much  so,  that  I  have 
often  felt  the  buddings  of  envy  at  the  condition  of  those 
near  the  mouth  of  a  coal  pit. 

Let  our  friends  rest  assured,  that  unless,  in  these  circum- 
stances, or  where  opportunities  present  themselves  for 
using  the  waste  steam  and  hot-water  from  factories,  &c,,  for 
acceleratuig  vegetation,  that  early  ci'ops  of  fruit  or  veget- 
ables must  always  be  obtained  at  the  expense  of  money,  or 
money's  worth  and  labour. 

Vetjetahles  from  Open  Garden. — Celeiy,  Brussels  Sproutsj 
Borecoles,  of  sorts ;  Savoys,  Brocolis,  Coleworts,  Spinach, 
Leeks,  young  Onions,  Horse-radish,  lied  Cabbage,  I'arsley, 
and  other  Herbs,  Wliite  Beet. 

Protected  hi  Beds — by  the  side  of  Walls  or  under  Glass. — 
Parsley,  Sorrel,  Lettuce,  Endive,  and  Cauliflower.  Sried 
Herbs  of  all  desirable  kinds. 


366 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


February  0. 


From  Slon:  l\ooms. — Potatoes,  Jerusalem  Artichokes, 
Turnips,  Carrots,  Parsnips,  Scorzonora,  Salsafy,  Ked  Beet, 
Onions,  Shallots,  (Jai'lio,  Rocambole,  Chervil,  &c. 

From  Forchiff  Ground.  —  Sorrel  (green).  Mint  (gi'een), 
Radishes,  Asparagus,  New  I'otatoes,  Sea  Kale,  blanched 
Turnip-lops,  Rhubarb  StaliiS,]Mushrooms,  blanched  Cliicory, 
Jlustard  and  Cress,  French  Beans,  Cucumliers. 

Friiil  from  Fruit  Room. — Apples,  Pears,  Medlars,  Quinces, 
Walnuts,  Chesnuts,  Filberts,  &c. 

Fruit  from  Forciiiii  Ground. — Pine  Apple  ( at  times).  Oranges 
(at  times,  when  cultivated),  late  Cirapus,  or  early  Grapes, 
and  Strawheixies. 

R.  Fish. 


RICH,  YET  rOOR. 
By  tlut  Autlwrsas  of  "  My  Flowers." 
A  VERY  solemn  word  is  about  to  be  spoken  to  us  «//  in 
the  following  awfully  affecting  naiTative.  It  has  been  fur- 
nished by  the  same  kind  hand  that  has  sent  so  many  words 
"  in  season ;  "  but  scarcely  any  ciirumstanccs  of  real  life 
have  met  my  observation  so  heai'treuding,  so  terrible,  as 
these ! 

"  In  the  middle  of  a  great  thoroughfare  in  a  large  manu- 
facturing town,  in  the  north,  may  be  seen  a  quaint  old 
house  and  shop,  which,  like  an  aged,  prejudiced  person, 
seems  to  laugh  at  modern  innovations,  and  to  hold  improve- 
ments in  supremo  contempt.  For  although  its  more  pre- 
suming compeers  have  gradually  taken  tone  from  their 
neighbours,  as  one  after  another  abandoned  its  small 
windows,  and  adopted  magnificent  squares  of  plate  glass, 
yet  tlie  old  house  still  retains  its  primitive  simplicity — a 
large  stone  step  standing  at  the  door-way,  and  two  old 
windows,  which  have  occupied  the  same  position  for  more 
than  halfacentmy,  forming  its  frontage.  The  real  cause 
of  its  retaining  so  venerable  an  appeai-ance,  however,  is,  in 
fact,  the  tight-handedness  of  its  possessor — a  man  wliose 
father  carried  on  the  same  business  successfully  before  him. 

^ "  John  Scott,  until  the  last  yeai-  or  two,  was  invariably  at 
his  post  beliind  the  counter ;  morning,  noon,  and  night, 
might  ever  be  seen  his  broad  expansive  countenance  attend- 
ing upon  his  customers,  until  a  looker-on  might  really 
wonder  when  and  how  he  contrived  to  spare  time  to  satisfy 
the  cravings  of  his  appetite.  To  be  '  not  slothful  in  busi- 
ness '  appeared  to  be  Scott's  guiding  test,  to  the  exclusion 
of  every  other  in  the  Word  of  Uod ;  for  the  scraping 
together  and  lajing  up  of  gold  seemed  to  be  the  aim  and 
end  of  his  existence ;  and  money  in  large  quantities  lie  did 
get,  and  held  it,  too,  with  an  iron  grasp  which  nothing  could 
loosen.  No  matter  what  inducement  was  held  out — no 
matter  how  great  the  need  for  charitable  assistance— Scott 
was  not  to  be  softened  into  chai-ity.  Families  to  whom  he 
was  deeply  indebted  for  their  assistance  in  the  gathering  up 
of  his  wealth  might  press  upon  him  cares  and  the  most 
distressing  necessities ;  charitable  institutions  with  bank- 
rupt committees  might  plead  the  absohite  need  of  imme- 
diate help  to  enable  thora  to  carry  on  their  benevolent 
undertakings, — Scott  was  unmoved ;  not  a  sixpence  would 
he  give  !  and  yet  he  was  rolling  in  wealtli ! ! 

"Althoiigh  his  fellow-townsmen  despised  his  penurious 
liabits,  and  held  him  in  contempt,  yet  they  still  frequented 
his  shop,  for  the  articles  he  sold  could  not  elsewhere  be 
procured  so  good,  and  were  certainly  far  superior  to  any 
production  of  his  rival  manufacturers.  Alas !  that  tliis  man 
should  have  forgotten  the  many  wm-nings  of  the  Word  of 
God,  not  to  make  gold  our  idol ;  and  that  he  should  not 
have  remembered  that  '  to  whom  much  is  given,  from  liim 
will  much  be  requh'ed  ! ' 

"  But  did  this  accumulation  of  wealth  really  add  to  his 
liappiness  ?  Listen  to  the  rest  of  my  story,  ye  who  receive 
liberally,  and  dispense  with  niggardhness,  and  lake  warning. 
Jolm  Scott,  to  the  surprise  of  his  neighbours,  was  seen  less 
frequently  behind  his  counters ;  on  busy  days  even  his 
absence  was  occasionally  noticed — questions  were  asked, 
and  unsatisfactory  answers  were  given,  witliout  any  par- 
ticular reasons  being  offered.  At  last  the  truth  was  dis- 
covered— a  kind  of  diseased  state  of  feeling  had  gradually 
been  creeping  over  him.  He  began,  at  lirst,  to  express 
fears  that  his  household  expences  were  beyond  what  his 


income  would  afford — the  fear  and  alarm  increased;  he 
next  fancied  bo  should  become  a  bankrupt.  His  friends 
endeavom-ed  to  laugli  him  out  of  such  an  absurd  idea,  but 
llie  feeling  increased,  and  to  such  a  degree  that  he  feared 
the  approach  of  bailill's;  and  at  last  his  fancies  carried  him 
to  such  a  pitch  that  ho  refused  to  leave  bis  bed,  and  became 
decidedly  deranged  in  mind  upon  that  one  subject.  There 
he  lies  now,  a  wretched,  miserable  man — dreading  every  tap 
at  bis  door  as  the  harljinger  of  the  sheriff's  otlicer— every 
visit  of  a  friend  as  a  messenger  to  convey  him  to  the  work- 
Iiouse.  His  business  is  carried  on  by  his  friends,  and  he  is 
never  expected  to  be  able  again  to  resume  his  labours. 

"  Is  there  no  moral  in  this  ?  Does  it  not  speak  to  the 
covetous  man  in  words  not  to  be  misunderstood  ?  Alas  ! 
what  object  is  more  melancholy — more  dillitult  to  meet  in 
social  life  without  expressing  disapprobation  of  it — than  the 
niggai-dly  man  of  ample  means  ?  " 

Headers,  it  seems  almost  beyond  tlie  power  of  man  to 
speak  upon  so  terrible  a  history  as  this  !  It  seems  as  if  the 
nan-ative  itself  said  everything.  But  I  wouUI  beseech  you 
to  consider  how  it  is  witli  men  when  they  "  fall  down  and 
worship  "  the  prince  of  this  world !  "  All  these  things," 
saitli  the  devil  to  the  soul,  "will  I  give  thee,  if" — (/'  itiily — 
"  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me."  Behold  the  end, 
the  wortdhj  end,  of  such  worship  and  such  service  !  While 
the  very  meat  is  in  their  mouths,  the  wrath  of  God  goetli 
forth  and  slays  then  enjoyment  of  it.  All  is  tm-ned  to 
wormwood.  Like  the  apples  on  the  Dead  Sea  shore,  the 
mouth  that  eats  them  is  filled  with  dust  and  bitterness. 
Satan,  tliat  old  serpent,  has  twined  round  their  hearts, 
crashed  their  spiritual  hfe,  and  now  leaves  them  in  moclcei-y 
to  reap  according  as  they  have  sown.  Oh  !  what  a  portion 
is  it  when  we  reap  corruption  ! 

Here  is  an  instance — an  appalling  instance — of  the  vanity 
of  riches.  Poor  John  Scott  still  holds  them  ;  they  have 
not  been  snatched  from  him ;  but  yet  they  are  lost  to  him  : 
the  Lord  has  blown  upon  them,  and  they  have  withered  in 
his  grasp ;  his  'power  of  enjoyment  is  cut  ofi';  he.  can 
discern  tliem  no  longer.  Solomon  says,  "  There  is  a  sore 
evil  which  I  have  seen  under  the  sun  ;  namely,  riches  kept 
for  the  owners  thereof  to  then-  hurt."  He  also  says,  "There 
is  an  evil  which  I  have  seen  under  the  sun,  and  it  is  common 
among  men :  a  man  to  whom  God  hath  given  riches,  wealtli, 
and  honour,  so  that  he  wanteth  nothing  for  his  soul  of  all 
that  ho  desireth,  yet  God  giveth  him  not  jjower  to  oat 
thereof,  but  a  stranger  eateth  it :  this  is  vanity,  and  it  is  an 
evil  disease."     Indeed  it  is. 

Poor  Scott  yet  lives,  and  the  day  of  grace  may,  therefore, 
not  yet  be  passed,  'i'liere  is  "  balm  in  Gilead ; "  IJiere  is 
ointment  to  moUify  the  deadliest  sore ;  there  is  a  medicine 
tluit  can  draw  out  even  the  sting  of  death  !  Is  he  wholly 
dead  to  things  of  sense?  Miglit  the  Gospel  sound  slill 
touch  an  unbroken  chord  in  that  poor,  jangled  mind  I 
Nothing  else  can  save  body  or  soul ;  but  the  healing  leaves 
of  "the  tree  of  life  "  mirjiil  yet  bo  laid  to  the  soul,  and  it 
miijlit  mise  and  sing !  He  who  was  "  wounded  I'or  our 
transgressions,  and  bruised  for  our  iniquities,"  is  ready  and 
willing  to  save;  and  nothing  can  so  effectually  restore  a 
diseased  and  disturbed  mind  as  the  soothing  and  sweet 
sound  of  Jesus'  message  to  lost  sinners. 

Readers,  let  us  "  beware  of  covetousncss,  wdiich  is  idolatry." 
Let  us  "  use  riches,  as  not  abusing  them "  or  they  will 
" pierce  lis  through  with  many  sorrows."  They  are  (iod's, 
and  not  our's,  even  when  poured  into  our  lap;  wo  are  only 
stewards,  and  if  unjust  ones — if  nirfijorilly  ones — laying  up, 
instead  of  laying  out — remember. 


CITY  OV  MANCHESTER   EXHIBITION 

OF   rOLlLTllY. 

Although  behind  many  other  localities,  Manchester 
appears  to  have  determined,  when  it  did  begin,  to  com- 
mence in  earnest ;  and  when  we  state  that  this,  their  first 
Show,  numbered  upwards  of  111)0  pens,  we  may  well  congra 
tuhite  the  amateurs  of  the  neighbourhood  on  their  first 
success.  The  meeting  was  held  on  tlie  'Jllli  and  'J'ltli  of 
January,  in  the  "Free  Trade  Hall,"  a  place  in  whicli  oilier 
sounds  than  the  crowing  of  cocks  were  wont  to  have  been 


Febedarv  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB, 


oGr 


heard.  Tho  building  is  sufficiently  spacious,  including  the 
Kallevios,  for  a  very  large  display  of  poultry,  but  having 
boon  adapted  for  gas-light  use,  it  is  unfortunately  not  pro- 
vided with  suHiciont  windows  to  liglit  it  efl'ectually  in  tho 
day-time,  especially  at  tliis  dull  season  of  tlio  year.  Some 
temporary  openings  had  been  made  to  remedy,  in  some 
degree,  this  defect;  but  still  there  was  not  light  enough  to 
show  the  birds  to  advantage. 

But  even  with  this  drawback  the  exhibition  was  a  good 
one,  for  the  Committee,  headed  by  their  cliairman,  Mr. 
Wanldyn,  had  made  excellent  arrangements  for  the  recep- 
tion and  cai'e  of  the  specimens,  and  for  the  accommodation 
of  tlie  subscribers  and  spectators ;  and  the  area  of  the 
building  was,  moreover,  large  enough  to  enable  tliem  to 
liave  all  their  pens  placed  on  a  level,  and  covered  with  wire 
netting,  so  that  all  tlie  light  which  the  place  alforded  was 
made  available,  and  the  unfau'ness  so  much  and  so  justly 
complained  of  where  specimens  are  placed  at  different 
heights  was  avoided.  In  the  body  of  tlic  ilall,  the  pens 
were  arranged  in  rows,  with  broad  alleys  between  them ;  on 
the  platform  were  three  more  rows  of  pons,  and  two  rows 
extended  around  the  galleries.  The  Turkies,  Geese,  and 
AyleshuT]!  Ducks,  were  penned  in  a  small  adjoining  building, 
communicating  with  the  Hall ;  and  a  refresbment-roora, 
with  offices  for  the  secretary  and  his  stalf,  completed  the 
arrangements. 

Whether  as  regards  quantity  or  quality,  the  Show,  as  a 
whole,  may  bo  safely  j)ronounced  highly  creditable  both  to 
the  promoters  and  exhibitors.  The  classes,  as  is  always 
the  case,  were  somewhat  unequal  in  point  of  merit ;  but  in 
most,  if,  indeed,  not  in  all  of  them,  some  good  specimens 
were  shown,  and  in  several  there  were  few  bad  ones.  A 
wet  morning  rather  thinned  the  company  on  the  Tuesday ; 
but  the  weather  cleared-up  as  the  day  advanced,  and  the 
Hall  soon  became  thronged  with  a  company  so  numerous 
as  to  show  that  the  prevailing  taste  for  poultry  had  not 
failed  to  extend  itself  even  to  the  metropolis  of  oiu:  manu- 
factures. 

In  oifering  a  brief  commentary  on  the  different  classes 
the  ■Spanish  first  claim  our  attention.  These  were  arranged 
in  three  classes,  numbering  together  70  pens,  and  com- 
prising some  of  the  best  birds  the  kingdom  can  produce. 
The  coloured  Dorkinys,  also,  wore  numerous  and  highly 
meritorious,  Capt.  Hornby  can-ying  off  the  principal  prizes 
in  all  three  classes.  The  Cochins  had  some  good  speci- 
mens, but  we  do  not  think  that  they  were  equal,  in  the 
whole,  either  to  the  Spanish  or  Dorkimjs.  There  were  a  few 
pens  of  good  Malays,  but  nothing  deserving  especial  notice. 
The  Game  classes  did  not  muster  so  strong  as  we  should 
have  expected,  but  among  them  were  some  very  fine  spe- 
cimens of  this  truly  English  fowl, — in  our  opinion,  the  hand- 
somest to  looli  at,  and  the  best  for  the  table,  of  all  the 
varieties  of  our  domestic  poultry.  The  Hmnhuryhs  came 
next,  and  were  fairly  represented ;  but  there  was  nothing 
very  remarkable  amongst  them,  if  we  except  the  pen  of 
sih'er-spangled  chickens,  to  which  tho  first  prize  in  their 
class  was  awarded  and  which  were  among  the  very  best  we 
ever  saw.  The  Polands  were  both  numerous  and  good,  and 
some  of  the  classes  received  the  commendations  of  the 
Judges  collectively.  Those  attractive  little  favomites,  the 
Bantams,  were  also  in  good  force,  and  added  their  irdte  to 
the  interest  of  the  feathered  fowl.  A  class  which  we  do  not 
remember  to  have  seen  before  came  next,  being  for  "  a  cock 
and  lien  more  than  one  year  old,  of  any  variety,"  and  in  it 
no  less  tlian  five  prizes  were  offered.  This  brought  together 
some  very  fine  specimens  of  almost  eveiy  variety,  and  re- 
sulted in  the  first  prize  being  carried-ofl'  by  a  splendid  paii' 
of  Capt.  Hornby's  Spanish,  the  two  next  by  Dorkincfs,  the 
foiurth  by  Dr.  Gwynue's  Brahma  Pootras,  and  the  fifth  by  a 
fine  pair  of  Andalusians.  The  next  classes  were  for  single 
cocks  of  the  different  varieties,  and  they  brouglit  together 
an  assemblage  of  good,  bad,  and  indifferent,  in  which  the 
latter  quality  appeared  to  us  to  predominate.  The  Geese 
were  not  numerous,  but  there  were  a  few  good  pens  among 
them.  The  Ducks  exhibited  nothing  very  remarkable  in 
point  of  quaUty.  There  were  some  very  fine  Turkies,  the 
three  which  obtained  the  first  prize  weighing  together  04  lbs. 
A  few  good  pens  of  "  extra  stock,"  comprising  several  va- 
rieties, and  including  a  pair  of  the  finest  Turkey  Poults  we 
ever  remember  to  have  seen,  completed  the  list  of  913  pens. 


forming  together  an  e.xhibition  of  which  an  older  society 
might  justly  be  proud. 

I'rom  a  very  competent  Correspondent  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing additional  notes : — 

"Anew  featm'e  (and  among  the  exhibitors  of  first-class 
Ijirds  it  proved  a  most  popular  one)  was  the  positive  lu'o 
liibition  of  sticlcs,  umbrellas,  or  parasols,  in  the  hands  ot 
visitors,  all  being  left  in  tho  care  of  a  party  provided  to 
take  charge  of  them  till  the  owners  were  about  to  leave ; 
tlie  only  exception  being  in  favom'  of  the  Judges.  By  this 
ai'rangement  the  comforts  of  tho  imprisoned  poultry  were 
readily  ensured,  and  not  only  was  the  noise  occasioned  by 
the  screaTuing  of  alarmed  fowls  greatly  lessened,  but  it  was 
pleasing  to  see  the  air  of  quiet  contentment  that  reigned 
throughout;  it  would  be  well  if  the  same  course  was  adopted 
generally,  for  much  of  the  after  indisposition,  so  much  com- 
plained of  in  fowls  returned  from  exhibitions,  no  doubt 
proceeds  from  tho  constant  state  of  irritation  kept  up  by  the 
perpetual  violence  of  thoughtless  visitors.  I  must  give 
the  liighest  credit  to  the  general  management  and  jieculiar 
cleanliness  of  tlie  exhibition,  and  the  really  untiring  efforts 
of  all  the  committee  to  carry  out  aU  their  plans  with  order 
aud  regularity. 

"In  spealcing  of  the  diflorcnt  classes,  the  Spanish,  as  usual, 
took  precedence  on  the  catalogue  ;  here,  too,  they  did  most 
undoubtedly  take  precedence  of  every  collection  of  this 
variety  that  has  competed  at  pubhc  exhibitions,  the  rivah-y 
and  competition  being  very  far  beyond  the  aggregate;  the 
avenue  appropriated  to  this  variety  seemed  quite  tlie  most 
popidai',  while  many  and  ui'gent  were  the  disquisitions  here 
held  on  the  individual  merits  of  particular  pens.  When  it 
is  stated  that  the  far-famed  pens  of  Capt.  Hornby,  whose 
oft-repeated  successes  have  been  so  frequently  blazoned  in 
the  public  prints,  here  had  to  doff  their  laurels  to  a  new- 
comer, some  little  idea  of  the  severity  of  the  struggle  for 
mastery  in  this  class  may  be  imagined.*  The  first  prize 
were,  undoubtedly,  the  best-conditioned  fowls  we  ever  saw, 
and  all  tho  most  fastidious  could  desire.  In  the  Spanish, 
Capt  Hornby  secured  no  less,  however,  than  three  first,  a 
second,  and  a  thu'd  prize ;  whilst  in  coloured  Dorkinys  the 
superiority  of  that  gentleman's  strain  was  fully  apparent, — 
three  first,  three  second,  and  a  third  prize  being  awarded. 
Of  the  coloui'ed  Dorkinys  it  is  impossible  to  speak  more 
highly  than  their  due,  for  not  only  were  they  in  e.xcellent 
condition,  but  the  most  closely  matched  that  we  have  yet 
seen.  Tlie  White  Dorkinys  were  really  but  little  worthy  of 
admiration  ;  for  though  a  few  pens  were  exceedingly  good 
fowls,  they  presented  that  "uncared-for"  appearance,  the 
very  opposite  of  what  should  exist  in  birds  where  the  com- 
petition is  a  good  one,  if  their  owners  entertain  reasonable 
desire  for  success.  I  felt  quite  astonished  at  the  obvious 
degeneracy  of  the  Bvff  Oochins,  for  though  in  point  of 
numbers  there  was  notliing  to  complain  of,  I  in  vain 
looked  for  those  especial  favourites  that  were  so  deservedly 
coveted  in  former  days ;  this  it  is  diflioult  to  account  for, 
except  from  the  fact  of  too  great  attention  being  given  by 
breeders  generally  to  coloue,  to  the  almost  complete  neglect 
of  more  essential  characteristics.  The  Black  class,  too,  was 
very  indifferent,  as  also  tlie  Partridye-fetUhered,  and  in  each 
section  many  prizes  were,  therefore,  withlield.  In  IVhite 
Cochins  some  very  excellent  pens  were  exhibited,  and  the  i 
fowls  of  G.  Peters,  Esq.,  of  Birmingham,  were  exceedingly 
successful.  In  the  Game  classes  the  competition  was 
necessarily  very  closely  contended,  tliis  breed  of  fowls  having 
been,  for  more  than  two  centuries,  the  most  carefully  ma- 
naged in  the  suiTOunding  districts  of  any  part  of  the  United 
Kingdom  :  "  the  old  Derby  breed"  (of  Ijlack-breasted  reds) 
having,  in  the  days  when  the  ci-uel  practice  of  cock-fighting 
was  in  the  ascendant,  proved  their  capabilities  in  the  cock- 
pit of  superiority,  as  they  now  did  in  the  exhibition-pen. 
Never  were  there  more  beautifully-featliered,  highly-condi- 
tioned, or  perfect  specimens  brought  into  competition. 

"In  Amateur  Prizes  (the  awai-d  being  to  a  single  cock),  the 
specimens  were  deservmg  of  all  praise,  and  found  ready 
purchasers  at  hberal  prizes, — one  twelve  guineas, — on  which 
a  very  considerable  advance  was  afterwards  offered  to  the 
purchaser,  but  refused.  Several  other  single  birds  were  also 
eagerly  sought  for  by  amateurs,  so  that  most  chimged  hands. 

*  It  is  but  fair  to  state  that  Capt.  Hornby's  pen  of  best  birds  were 
not  there. 


368 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


February  0. 


The  "White  Ayleshury  find  Piouen  Bucks  mustered  strongly, , 
and  showed  in  good  feather;  hut  in  the.  latter  variety,  the 
deterioration,  hoth  in  form  and  coloui',  from  such  as  a  few 
years  hack  figured  A  I  at  the  Birmingham  Shows,  and  again 
and  again  were  subjected  to  the  ordeal  of  the  scales  by  the 
judges,  and  vaiied  from  2G!}lhs.  to  3-llbs.  the  four,  accord- 
ing to  their  condition,  convinced  the  most  sceptical  that 
■new  hlood  is  here  wanting,  for  certainly  great  size  was  (with 
the  colours  of  the  pure  TVild  Duck)  indicative  of  original 
piirilyj  and  ought,  if  possible,  to  be  malnUuned." 

The  -Judges  were  E.Bond,  Esq.,  Leeds;  T.  Challoner, 
Esq.,  Worksop ;  E.  Hewitt,  Esq.,  Birmingham ;  "W.  Symonds, 
Esq.,  AVeymouth;  and  W.  Trotter,  Esq.,  Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne. 

AVe  annex  the  list  of  prizes  awarded  by  the  Judges : — 

Class  1. — Spanish. — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 14.  First  prize,  John 
Harrison,  jun.,  Snelston  Hall,  Derbyshire.  3.  Second  prize,  Captain 
Windham  Hornby,  R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage  Prescot.  /.  Third  prize, 
Captain  Windham  Hornby,  R.N. ,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  Class  2. — 
Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 30.  First  prize,  Captain  Windham  Hornby, 
R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  33.  Second  prize,  Daniel  Parsons, 
Cuerden,  near  Preston.  47.  Third  prize,  William  Ellison,  junr.,  Low 
Sizcrgh,  near  Rlilnthorpei  Class  3. — Cockerel  and  one  Pullet. — 49. 
First  prize,  Captain  Windliara  Hornby,  R.N.,  Kno^^sley  Cottage,  Prescot. 
51.  Second  iirize,  Henry  Openshaw,  Oak  Hill,  Prestwich,  near  Blan- 
chester.     53.  Third  prize,  G.  W.  Hardy,  Warrington. 

Class  4. — DoEKiNG  (White). — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 73.  First  prize, 
Joseph  Jennens,  Moseley,  Birmingham.  74.  Second  prize,  George  Fell, 
Springfield,  Warrington.  77.  Third  prize,  Francis  Edwards,  Bulstrode 
I'ark,  Buckinghamshire.  Class  5.—  Cockerel  and  three  Pulleis, — 79- 
Second  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames. 

Class  6. — Dorking  (Coloured).  —  Cock  and  two  Hens. — 88.  First 
prize.  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  82. 
Second  prize.  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  K.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage, 
Prescot.  94.  Third  prize,  E.  Lister,  Cassia  Lodge,  near  Over,  Cheshire. 
Class  7. — Cockerel  and  three  Pullvts. — 104.  First  prize,  Captain  Windham 
Hornby,  R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  93.  Second  prize.  Captain 
'  Windham  Hornby,  K.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  il6.  Third  prize, 
Mrs.  Thomas  Townlcy  Parker,  Astlcy  Hall,  Chorley. 

Class  8. — Dorkikg  fOf  any  colour). — Cockerel  and  one  Pullet, — lig. 
First  prize,  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot. 
136.  Second  prize,  E.  Lister,  Cassia  Lodge,  Over,  Cheshire.  12g.  Third 
prize,  Daniel  Parsons,  Cucrdcn,  near  Preston. 

Class  9. — CocniN-CniNA  (Cinnamon  and  BufT).— CocA'  and  fico  Hens. 
—145.  First  prize,  I\Irs.  Ambler,  Watidnson  Hall,  near  Halifax.  iGO. 
Second  prize,  DIrs.  Lydia  C.  Stow,  Bredon,  near  Tewksbury.  144. 
Third  prize,  George  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham.  Class  10. — 
Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 193.  First  prize,  JMrs.  Ambler,  WatUinson 
Hall,  near  Halifax.  171.  Second  prize,  H.  W.  Collinson,  47,  Castle- 
street,  Southwark.  23<).  Third  prize.  Miss  Rachel  Walker,  Clipston 
Rectory,  Northamptonshire. 

Class  11. — CocuiN-CiiiNA  (Brown  and  Partridge-feathered). — Cock 
and  two  Hens. — 2(i0.  Second  prize.  George  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston,  Bir- 
mingham. 261.  Third  prize,  Colonel  Clowes,  Froxmer  Court,  Wor- 
cesterahire.  Class  ll.— Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 2/0.  Second  prize, 
William  Wanklyn,  jun.,  Grcenbank,  Bury.  272.  Third  prize,  Thomas 
Bridges,  Croydon,  Surrey. 

Class  13.— CociiiN-CuiNA  (White). — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 291.  First 
prize,  George  C.  Peters,  Charlton  Cottage,  Moseley,  near  Birmingham. 
292.  Second  prize,  Benjamin  Holmes,  112,  Ncw-strect,  Birmingham. 
28S.  Third  prize,  George  Boothby,  Holme  Cottage,  Louth,  Lincolnshire, 
Class  14. —Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 317-  First  prize,  George  C. 
Peters,  Charlton  Cottage,  I\Ioseley.  near  Birmingham.  3l6.  Second 
prize,  George  C.  Peters,  Charlton  Cottage,  Jloscley,  near  Birmingham. 
294.  Third  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on-Thames. 

Class  15. — CocniN-CniNA  (Black).— Cor,A-  and  two  Hens — 324.  Se- 
cond prize,  Henry  Parker,  Church  Lane,  Handswortli,  near  Birmingham. 
Class  16, —  Cockerel  and  three  Pullets,  —  326.  First  prize,  William 
Wanklyn,  junr.,  Greenbank,  Bury.  328.  Second  prize,  W.  C.  Gwynne, 
M.D., 'Sandbach,  Cheshire.  335.  Third  prize,  Mrs.  Lydia  C,  Stow, 
Bredon,  near  Tewkesbury. 

Class  17.  —  CocniN-CuiNA  (Of  any  colour). — Cockerel  and  one 
Pullet.Sil,  First  prize,  Henry  Ambler,  Watkinson  Hall,  near  Halifax. 
383.  Second  prize,  George  C.  Peters.  Charlton  Cottage,  Moseley,  near 
Birmingham.  368.  Third  prize,  Charles  Bainbridge,  16,  Old  Meeting- 
street,  Birmingham. 

Class  18. — BIalay. — Cock  and  two  Hens.~3Q3,  First  prize,  Gervase 
Oldham,  \A'hitacre,  near  Coleshill,  Warwickshire.  396.  Second  prize, 
Gervase  Oldham,  Whitacre,  near  Colesliill,  Warwickshire.  Class  19, — 
Cockerel  and  three  Pallets. — 401.  First  ])rize,  Gervase  Oldham,  Wliitacre, 
near  Coleshill,  WarwickBhire.      403.  Second  prize,  Gervase  Oldham. 

Class  20. — Gauie  Fowl  (White  and  Piles).— CocA-  and  two  Hens. — 
404.  First  prize,  W.  and  J.  H.  Parkes,  Wellington  Place,  Higligate, 
Birmingham.  40fi.  Second  prize,  Francis  S.  Bullock,  Handsworth,  near 
Birmingham.  410.  Third  prize.  Rev.  Thomas  Lyon  Fellowes,  Beighton 
Rectory,  Acle,  Norfolk.  Class  21. — Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 417. 
First  jtrize,  Arthur  Dakin,  Birmingham.  413.  Kecund  prize,  Henry 
Ambler,  Watkinson  Hall,  Halifax. 

Class  22. — Game  Fowl  (Black-breasted  and  other  Reds). — Cockerel 
and  two  Hens. — 418,  First  prize.  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  R.N., 
Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  430.  Second  prize,  Robert  Brookhouse, 
Cheadle,  Cheshire.     433.    Third  prize,   Sam   Armitage,  Tliorn ton-road. 


Bradford.     Class   ^3.~— Cockerel   and   three   Pullets. — 436.    First  prize,    1 
Captain   Windham    Hornljy,   R.N.,    Knowsley  Cottage,    Present,    433, 
Second  prize,  Geo.  C.  Adldns,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham. 

Class  21. — Game  Fowl  (Black  and  Brassy -winged,  except  Greys). — 
Cock  and  two  Hens. — 450.  First  prize,  Joseph  Jennens,  Moseley,  Bir- 
mingham. 451.  Second  prize.  Sam  Armitage,  Thoniton-road,  Bradford. 
418.  Tliird  prize,  Samuel  T.  Smith,  Madeley,  Shrnpsbire.  Class  25. — 
Cockerel  and  three  PuUcts. — 456.  First  prize,  Samuel  T.  Smith,  Madeley, 
Shropshire.     457.  Second  prize,  Joseph  Jennens,  Moseley,  Birmingham. 

Class  26. — Ga:me  Fowl  (Duckwings  and  other  Greys  and  Blues). —  1 
Cock  and  two  Hens. — -159.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Ambler,  Watkinson  Hall,  I 
near  Halifax.  466.  Second  prize,  Sam  Armitage,  Thornton-road,  j 
Bradford.  462.  Second  prize,  Henry  Worrall,  Knotty  Ash  House,  ' 
Liverpool.  Class  27. — Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 468.  First  prize, 
Dan  Leeming,  Blackwood  HoufiC,  Halifax.  471.  Second  prize,  John 
Adwen,  Kebroyd,  near  Halifax. 

CIass28. — Golden-pencilled  Hambueghs.- Coc/c and/tro  Hens. — 

4S1,  First  prize,  Josiah  B.  Chune,  Croakdale,  Shropshire.      474.  Second 

prize,    Captain   Windham    Hornby,   Knonsley   Cottage,  Prescot.    483. 

Third  prize,  Charles  John  I\Iold,  Wingfield  Park,  Belper.     Class  29, — 

]   Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — ■191.  First  prize,  Henry  W.  Heaton,  Copley 

;  Wood,  near  Halifax.    493.  Second  prize.  Rev,  Thomas  Lyon  Fellowes, 

I  Beighton  Rectory,  Acle,  Norfolk. 

I      Class  30.— Golden-spangled  HAMEirnGns. — Cock  and  two  Hens.  \ 

1  — 504.  First  prize,  James  Dixon,  Bradford.     499.  Second  prize,  George  j 

I  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham.     4tiG.  Tliird  prize,  Joseph  Thorpe,  j 

Symister  Lane,  near  Bliddleton.     Class  31. — Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. 

— 526.  First  prize,  George  Fell,    Springfield,  Warrington,     filG,  Second  ] 

prize,  John  Andrews,  Watcrhouses,  Ashton-undcr-Lync.  \ 

Class  32. — Silvek-pencilled  HAMDnnciis. — Cock  and  two  Hens,  ; 
546.  First  prize,  James  Dixon,  Bradford,  Yorkshire.  537.  Second  prize, 
M.  H.  Broadhead,  Stubbin,  Holmfirth.  Yorksliire.  531,  Third  prize, 
Jeoffrcy  Ashcroft,  Waterloo,  near  Ashton-under-Lyne.  (Cottager.)  ' 
Class  33. —  Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 549.  First  prize,  Thomas  1 
Haslain,  Symister  Lane,  near  Bliddlcton.  (Cottager.)  555.  Second  I 
prize,  Joseph  Crossley,   Lane  Top,   Sutton,  near  Cross  Hills,  Vorkshire. 

Class  34. — Silver-spangled  Hamburghs. — Cock  andtwo  Hens. — 

5G9.  First  prize,  James  Dixon,  Bradford,  Yorkshire.     5Gl.  Second  prize,  , 

JeofTery    Ashcroft,     Waterloo,   near  Ashton-under-Lyne.      565.    Third  | 

prize,   H.   M.   Broadhead,   Stubbin,  Holmfirth,  Yorkshire.     Class  35, —  i 

Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 5S8.  First  prize,  Matthew  Hedley,  Higher  j 

Broughton,   Manchester,      576,    Second  prize,   Thomas    Hall,    Denton  j 
Lane,  Fox  Denton,  near  Oldham.     (Cottager.) 

Class  30.- Poland  Fowl  (Black,  with  White  Crests). — Cock  and 
two  Hens. — 59/.  First  prize,  George  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston,  Bir- 
mingham. 604.  Second  prize,  John  T.  Hibbert,  Urmston,  near  Man- 
chester. 598.  Third  prize,  Joseph  Conyers,  42,  Borr  Lane,  Leeds. 
Class  37. — Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 6O9.  First  prize,  Francis  ; 
Edwards,  Bulstrode  Park,  Buckinghamf^^hire.  Gil.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  i 
C.  H.  Horsfall,  Duffield  Bank  House,  Derby.     (The  class  commended.)    ' 

Class  38.— Poland  Fowl  (Golden).— Co(7:  and  two  Heiis.—6l3. 
First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Waltou-on -Thames.  621. 
Second  prize,  S.  C.  and  C.  N.  Baker,  Half-moon  Passage,  Gracechurch-  j 
street,  Jjondun.  617.  Third  prize,  Joseph  Conyers,  42,  Boar  Lane,  | 
Leeds.  Class  39. — Cockerel  and  three  Pullets. — 632.  First  prize,  James 
Whittakor,  Clare  Hall,  Iluddcrsfield.  627.  Second  prize,  William  Cox, 
Brailslord  Hall,  Derby.  '  ' 

Class  40. — Poland  Fowl  (Silver). — Cock  and  two  Hens. — 638.  First    ; 
prize,  James  F.  Grecnhall,  Crappcnhall  Hall,  Warrington.    G35.  Second    ; 
prize,    Christopher    Rawson,    The    Hurst,    Walton-on-Thamcs.      640. 
Third  prize,   George  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston.  near  Birmingham.    Class 
4l.~Cockerel  and  three  Pullets.— ^iQ.  First   prize,    W.    G,    Vivian, 
Singleton,  Swansea.  ' 

Class  42. — Bantams  (Gold-laced). — Cock  and  two  Hens,  or  Cockerel 
and  Pullets.— G52.  First  prize,  George  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston,  Birming- 
ham. 65G.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams,  Eaton  Mascott, 
Shrewsbury.  • 

Class  43.— Bantams  (Silver-laced).- CocA:  and  two  Hens,  or  Cockerel 

and  Pullets.— 6G4.  First  prize,  George  Boothby,  Holme  Cottage,  Louth,  , 

Lincolnshire.  G65.  Second  prize,  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams,  Eaton  Mascott,  i 

Shrewsbury.  1 

Class  44. — Bantams  (Black). — Cock  and  two  Hats,  or  Cockerel 
and  Pullets.— fi/O.  First  prize,  Gilbert  Winter  Moss,  Liverpool.  674. 
Second  prize,  Gilbert  Winter  flioss,  Liverpool, 

Class  45. — Bantahis  (White). — Cock  and  two  Hens,  or  Cockerel  ana 
Pullets. — 678.  First  prize,  George  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham. 
Gtf/,  Second  prize,  Edward  Alison,  jun..  Park  Hall,  near  Chorley. 

Class  46. — Bantams  (Any  other  variety). — Cvek  and  two  Hens,  or 
Cockerel  and  Pitllets. — 690.  First  prize,  Mrs.  Hosier  Williams,  Eaton 
Mascott,  Shrewsbury.  GbQ,  Second  prize,  George  C.  Adkins,  Edgbaston, 
Birmingham. 

Class  47.— Cock  And  Hen. — More  than  one-year-old  of  any  varietji, 
— 707.  (Spanish.)  First  prize,  Captain  Windham  Hornby,  R.N., 
Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  697-  (Dorking.)  Second  prize,  Mrs. 
Tiiomas  Tov.nley  Parker,  Astley  Hall,  Chorley.  701.  (Uorking.)  Third 
prize.  Captain  Windliam  Hornby,  R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot. 
700.  (Brahma  Pootra.^  Fourth  prize,  W.  C.  Gwynne,  I\I.D.,  Snn))ach. 
Cheshire.  710.  (Andalusiau.)  Fifth  prize,  Colonel  Clowes,  Froxmer 
Court,  Worcestershire. 

Class  48. — Amatedb  Prizes.— C'ucfcs  of  any  age, — "^AX,  For  the  best 
single  Spanish  cock.  E.  W.  W^Umot,  Hulmc  Warfield,  Conglcton. 
746.  For  the  best  single  Cochin  cock.  Robert  Brookhouse,  Clieadle, 
Cheshire.  7/3.  For  the  best  single  Dorking  cock.  John  Staley,  North 
Coliingham,  near  Newark.  779-  For  the  beat  single  Game  cock.  James 
Fletcher,  Ringley,  near  Bolton.  793.  For  the  best  single  Hamburgh 
cock.     James  Partington,   Symister  Lane,  near  Middletou,     (Cottager.)    ' 


Febhuary  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


309 


Class  49.— Geese. — Gando'  and  tiuo  Geese. — 801.  First  prize,  Captain 
[    Windham   Hornby,   R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,    Prescot.      8O7.    Second 
prize,  William    Charlton,   Scedley.      804.  Third  prize,  Mrs.  Thomas 
Townlcy  Parker,  Astley  Hall,  Chorley. 

Class  50. — Docks  (White  Aylesbury). — Drake  and  three  Ducks.^- 
810.  First  prize,  Christopher  Rawson,  The  Hurst,  Walton-on -Thames. 
827,  Second  prize,  BIrs.  Lydia  C.  Stow,  Bredon,  near  Tewsbury.  815. 
Third  prize,  John  Hunt,  Harrow,  near  Ulverston. 

Class  51.— Ducks  (Rouen),— DraAre  and  three  Ducks. — S34.  First 
prize,  Henry  WorraU,  Knotty  Ash  House,  Liverpool.  839.  Second 
prize,  R,  E.  Ashton,  Ramsbottom,  near  Bury.  836.  Third  prize,  Thomas 
Statter,  Stand  Hall,  Pilkington. 

Class  52. — Ducks  (Of  any  other  variety). — Drake  and  three  Ducks. — 
847.  First  prize,  Henry  WorraU,  Knotty  Ash  House,  Liverpool.  (Call 
Ducks.)  8(3.  Second  prize,  Miss  Clifton,  Whittington,  near  Worcester. 
(Black  East  Indian.)  8(il.  Third  prize,  William  Hodgkinson,  Gough 
Hill,  Birmingham.     (I\Iuscovy.) 

Class  53. — TuEKEYs. — Turkey  Cock  and  two  Hens. — 871.  First  prize, 
Joseph  Conyers,  42,  Boar  Lane,  Leeds.  S66.  Second  prize,  Captain 
Windham  Hornby.  R.N.,  Knowsley  Cottage,  Prescot.  870.  Third  prize, 
E.  H.  Wilmot,  Hulme-Warfield,  Congleton. 

Extra  Stock.— 89?.  Prize.  Rev.  Thomas  Lyon  Fellowes,  Beighton 
Rectory,  Acle,  Norfolk.  (Black  Hamburghs.)  909.  Prize.  Thomas 
Whittington,  jun.,  Wooton  Wawen,  near  Henley-in-Ardcn.  (Anda- 
lusian.) 


ST.  LAWRENCE   VINEYARD. 

Amongst  the  many  estaWishments  worthy  of  the  horti- 
culturist's attention  in  the  Island  of  Jersey  is  a  Vineyard 
situate  on  the  south-western  side  of  the  island,  and  on  the 
same  side  of  the  St.  Lawrence  Hill,  about  two  and  a  half 
miles  from  the  town  of  St.  Helier's,  and  overlooliing  the 
beautiful  Bay  of  St.  Auhin's,  the  property  of  a  very  worthy 
and  spirited  gentleman,  who  has  devoted  much  of  his  time, 
during  the  last  seven  years,  in  turning  a  "  barren  cotil  and 
fm'ze  bank"  into  a  valuable  and  profitable  piece  of  property. 
The  crops  now  produced  being  turned  to  very  good  ac- 
count, through  the  many  advantages  the  peculiar  position 
of  the  property  offers,  and  the  good  judgment  which  has 
been  displayed  by  the  proprietor  in  availing  himself  of  those 
advantages. 

The  whole  area  of  this  establishment  is  about  two  English 
acres,  which  is  terraced  and  faced  according  to  the  facing  of 
the  hiU  slope.  S.E.  and  S.AV.,  but  principally  S.W.,  the 
upper  portion  of  wliich  is  covered  with  glass  constructions, 
which  are  devoted  exclusively  to  the  cultivation  of  the  Vine ; 
the  measured  length  of  which  is  more  than  half  a  mile ; 
which  are  heated  with  boilers  and  hot-water  pipes  of  Messrs. 
Bui'bidge  and  Healy's  construction;  the  capacity  of  which 
system  is  more  fully  developed  here  than  in  any  other 
establishment  I  have  had  the  advantage  of  visiting ;  for  the 
pipes,  in  several  instances,  are  fixed  on  an  inclined  plane, 
and  owing  to  the  irregularity  of  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
the  extreme  ends  of  tho  pipes  are  many  feet  above  tlio  level 
of  the  boilers,  and  tlie  houses  being  from  two  to  three 
hundred  feet  long,  the  water  in  the  pipes  has  to  flow  a  great 
length  up  hiU  before  it  reaches  the  return  pipe  to  the 
boiler ;  and  the  pipes  at  the  extreme  end,  near  the  expansion 
box,  axe  often  much  wai'mer  than  nearer  the  boiler,  main- 
taining in  the  whole  a  beautiful  and  congenial  heat  through- 
out the  house  or  houses,  which  are,  of  course,  heated  in 
compartments,  and  by  different  boilers. 

The  worthy  proprietor,  who  feels  much  interested  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  vine,  himself  devotes  much  personal 
attention  to  the  manner  in  which  the  manual  labour  is 
performed,  and  the  result  of  such  attention  must  be  very 
gratifying  to  him,  for  the  crops  produced  during  the  seasons 
185a  and  IK.'j:)  have  been  prodigious,  and  have  surpassed 
all  expectation,  five  to  six  tons  of  well-coloured  and  finely- 
flavoured  grapes  having  been  cut  in  18."i'2,  and  seven  to  eight 
tons  in  18.03  ;  the  greatest  portion  of  which  have  been  sold 
in  the  London  markets,  realizing  a  good  profit  to  the  sales- 
man ;  a  hving  to  the  individual  employed  in  conveying 
them  to  and  fro,  in  his  capacity  as  "  middleman ; "  and 
remuneration,  with  interest,  to  the  employer  and  proprietor 
for  his  outlay  and  incidental  expences ;  who  has,  on  the 
other  hand,  tlie  gratification  of  employing,  advantageously, 
several  hands  in  attending  to  the  houses.  Vines,  grounds,  etc., 
and  preparing  the  fruit  for  the  market.  So  much  for  the 
wise  application  of  leisure  time,  at  a  leisure  period  of  life ; 
the  proprietor  being  a  man  in  easy  circumstances,  inde- 


pendent of  the  establishment,  which  has  been  a  source  of 
recreation  and  amusement,  during  the  last  few  years,  to  liis 
ingenious  and  persevering  mind,  and  now  proves  a  valuable 
investment  of  capital,  independent  of  the  moral  source  of 
gratification  arising  from  the  amount  of  good  it  does  to 
others;  and  the  proof  that,  "  Without  steadiness  of  purpose 
no  real  good  can  be  realized." 

But  again,  tliere  are  many  things  which  would  take  a 
thoughtful  gardener's  (either  amateur  or  professional)  atten- 
tion in  walldng  over  this  establishment.  One  strildng 
pecuharity  is,  that  more  than  half  of  the  Vines  are  planted 
in  tho  borders  at  the  backs  of  the  houses,  which  are  on  a 
level  with  the  top  of  this  wall,  and  are  trained  down  the 
rafters  instead  of  up,  which,  to  reason,  seems  the  actual 
perversion  of  Dame  Nature's  laws  respecting  the  flow  and 
descent  of  sap  ;  but  whether  it  is  the  nature  of  tho  dressing 
given  to  the  borders,  the  natural  vigour  of  the  Vine,  or  the 
mode  of  pruning  and  management  (each  plant  not  being 
allowed  more  than  a  single  rod,  which  is  most  unmercifully 
stumped-in  every  season,  not  allowing  a  spur  or  an  eye  to 
remain  visible,  and  then  being  painted  over  with  a  coat  of 
"lime,  soft  soap,  and  sulphur  vivum  mixed,"  to  boot),  I 
know  not ;  but  the  Vines  seem  to  thrive  well  under  it,  and 
they  are  close  or  short-jointed,  and  when  excited  to  growth 
in  winter  or  early  .spring ;  December,  January,  and  February, 
being  the  periods  at  which  they  are  stai'ted,  so  as  to  ripen 
the  fruit  in  rotation,  they  break  at  the  joints  or  bends  of 
the  wood,  with  three,  four,  and  five  eyes  or  shoots,  giving 
striking  evidence  of  health  and  vigour;  the  strongest  one 
or  two  of  these  shoots  are  allowed  to  remain,  according  to 
the  requirements  of  that  particular  part  of  the  roof,  and  the 
remainder  are   rubbed  off  with  the  thumb. 

These  being  the  two  most  marked  pecuharities  respecting 
the  culture  of  the  plants  themselves,  which  are  principally 
of  tiiG  Black  Hamburgh  and  Muscat  of  Alexandria  varieties, 
it  would  be  wasting  most  of  your  readers  time  to  recapitulate 
the  whole  process  of  Vine  culture.  We  all  know,  or  think 
we  know,  a  good  deal  about  these  simple  things,  and  "  Mr. 
Annus,"  having  been  the  first  pruner  of  vines,  or  having 
accidentally  nipped  off  the  tops  of  the  young  shoots,  and 
attracted  man's  attention  to  what  he  had  not  before  noticed, 
I  must  leave  to  more  able  heads  and  hands  tlie  development 
of  the  aforementioned  personage's  theory,  merely  specifying, 
that  tlie  topping  of  the  young  shoots,  and  tho  thinning 
of  the  berries  on  the  branches,  is  here  performed  with 
far  less  ceremony  and  expenditui'e  of  time  than  is  usually 
bestowed  on  such  operations. 

The  Grapes  ripen  very  early  here,  being  in  abundance 
during  the  months  of  May,  June,  and  July,  and  the  Vines 
are  then  drawn  out  of  the  houses,  or  the  lights  axe  taken 
off,  after  the  fruit  is  gathered,  so  as  to  perfect  the  develop- 
ment of  the  plants  growth  for  the  season,  to  lipen  the  wood 
and  prepare  tho  plants  to  be  resubjected  to  similar  treatment 
the  ensuing  year. 

It  was  a  question  in  my  mind,  for  some  years  after  seeing 
this  practice  commenced,  "  That  turning  the  Vines  down- 
wards could  not  possibly  answer  for  any  length  of  time ; "  and 
I  do  not  doubt  that  many  of  your  readers  may  enter  into 
the  same  line  of  thouglit.  I  considered  that  "  Art  might 
assist  Nature ;  but  that  the  perversion  of  Nature's  ways 
must  end  in  disappointment."  Such  were  my  thoughts ;  but 
here  we  may  see  the  perversion  of  Nature  made  Nature's 
assistant,  and  turned  to  the  best  possible  accoimt,  by 
answering  all  the  purposes  requu'ed  of  it.  Shortness  of 
joint  in  wood,  prolific  bearing,  apparent  health  and  vigour 
of  plant,  whilst  the  foresight  displayed  in  so  planting  them 
provided  a  body  of  good  mould  between  the  back  wall  and 
the  slope  of  the  hill,  for  the  nourishment  and  support  which 
could  not  have  been  obtained  by  equally  easy  and  convenient 
means  in  any  other  way  in  this  particular  locality. 

As  it  may  be  readily  supposed,  there  is  a  large  quantity 
of  rain  falls  on  the  roofs  of  such  a  surface  of  houses  and 
sideling  ground ;  and  that  the  run  of  such  quantities  of 
water  would  be  highly  injurious  to  the  terraces  and  property 
beneatli ;  this  the  proprietor  has  prepared  himself  to  meet 
by  having  a  number  of  large  circular  cisterns  built  on  the 
surface  of  the  grounds  with  bricks  and  cement,  to  receive 
the  water  from  each  of  the  roofs,  each  of  which  is  supphed 
with  a  large  watercock,  at  or  near  the  bottom,  which  is 
turned  on  when  the  rains  are  heavy,  and  these  cisterns 


370 


THE   COTTAGE   GAEDENER. 


Febeuabt  9. 


falling  so  that  the  overplus  water  may  be  conveyed  through 
pipes  to  the  lower  terraces,  anil  thence  to  one  immense 
cistern.  By  these  means,  all  Uie  rain  falling,  which  could 
in  any  way  be  injm-ious  to  tlie  property,  or  among  the  neigh- 
bours below,  is  saved,  and  may,  sliould  circumstances  require 
it,  be  forced  up  to  tlie  higliest  part  of  the  premises,  to 
water  the  Vine  borders,  &c. 

I  should  have  said  enough  respecting  this  ornamental 
and  useful  place  to  have  called  the  attention  of  all  horticul- 
turists towards  it,  but  I  cannot  stop  yet ;  my  thread  is  not 
run  out ;  and  here  I  must  inform  your  readers,  I  have  seen 
Hiiu-lhorndeii  and  Rihsloii  Pipiiin  Apples  ripe  in  August; 
Apricots  by  hundi-eds ;  Plums  and  Peai-s  by  bushels  ;  and 
small  fruit  by  the  cwt.  Enough  I'ruit  is  now  grown  on 
this  cotil  and  once  haiTcn  piece  of  ground  to  supply  a 
whole  regiment,  ItlOO  strong,  and  every  man  to  have  as 
much  as  would  do  him  good  dming  the  season,  besides 
flowers  growing  and  thriving  in  the  most  eshuberant  state. 
Here  I  recollect  seeing  J^h/Uulis  purpurea,  or  the  Fox- 
glove, growing  in  the  most  beautiful  variety,  from  pure 
wliite  to  tlie  original  piu"ple,  and  some  with  the  most  beau- 
tifully spotted  throats  in  almost  evei-j'  intermediate  shade ; 
the  central  spikes  of  bloom  being  from  seven  to  eight  feet 
high,  with  from  thirty  to  forty  minor  and  lateral  shoots, 
making  altogether  the  most  splendid  pyramids  of  bloom 
that  can  possibly  be  imagined.  The  Dimhh-  TcUow  Provence 
Rose  also  thrives  well  here  a  very  strong  plant ;  gi-owing  at 
the  foot  of  one  of  the  flights  of  steps,  producing  abundance 
of  splendid,  large,  yellow  flowers,  as  lai'ge  and  as  double  as 
the  Old  Provence  Jtosc.  This  seems  to  be  a  pecidiar  plant, 
outwitting  the  most  witty  of  gardeners  as  to  the  best  mode 
of  cultivating  it.  It  seems  as  if  it  would  only  grow  where 
it  lUced.  Here  it  thrives  in  the  greatest  luxuriance  and 
beauty.  The  Fuchsias,  Posonias,  Pioses,  and  most  other 
flowering  shnibs  and  plants  may  liere  be  seen  thriving  with 
the  same  luxmiance  of  gi-owth  and  abmidance  of  bloom. 
I  would  recommend  .all  the  lovers  of  hortieultm'e  and 
floriculture  visiting  the  Island  of  .Tersey  not  to  leave  it 
without  endeavoming  to  make  time  for  a  visit  to  this 
estabhshment. — G.  B.  S.,  Jersey. 


BANTAMS  AS  RECENTLY  SHOWN. 

{Concluded  from  page  S-t.'i.) 

Whatetee  the  causes  to  which  we  should  assign  the 
falling  off  in  the  "-laced"  birds  that  we  recently  com- 
plained of,  it  is  satisfactory  to  observe  that  other  varieties 
have,  at  the  same  time,  more  than  held  their  own.  In  tlie 
"  Hack "  Bantam  Class,  for  instance,  birds  of  the  highest 
merit  have  been  abundant,  and  both  at  Leeds  and  Birming- 
ham pens  of  these  birds  have  been  shown  in  the  year  just 
passed  that  would  have  stood  the  severest  criticism,  and  it 
may  be  fahiy  said,  that  throughout  the  regions  of  Poultry 
Shows  these  have  been  eminently  good.  No  complaints 
are  beard  of  the  unfertile  character  of  the  black  Bantam's 
eggs,  hardy,  vigorous  little  balls  of  dark  fluffy  down  are 
always  abundant,  and  neither  in  chickenhood  or  matmity, 
under  ordinary  care,  need  we  feel  anxious  about  their  well 
doing.  But  all  this  is  widely  different  to  what  takes  place 
with  the  subjects  of  our  last  paper,  viz.,  the  laced  birds, 
both  gold  and  silver.  Yet  this  might  well  be  expected, 
since,  in  the  last  case,  the  characteristic  features  of  the 
healthy  male  bird  are  deemed  blots  and  blemishes,  and 
our  anxious  and  continued  efforts  are  devoted  to  their  eradi- 
cation as  far  as  om'  powers  go.  But  look  at  the  parent  of 
our  black  Bantam  brood — a  vigorous,  high-couraged  little 
fellow,  with  so  much  masculine  energy  as  enables  him  to 
lord  it  over  fowls  tmco  his  size,  and  possessing  his  male 
attire  as  brilliantly  relieved  from  that  of  his  mate  as  wo  find 
in  black  fowls  of  any  kind. 

The  tail  is  here  left  an  open  question,  since,  although 
there  are  many  by  whom  the  preference  would  be  given  to 
one  of  rather  a  square  character,  no  one,  we  think,  should 
find  fault  with  the  most  ample  sickle-feather,  prorided 
there  be  no  undue  excess  of  size  or  loss  of  sjTnmetry. 
Another  point,  on  which  we  have  hoard  various  opinions 
expressett  concerns  the  ear-lobe,  which,  to  our  own  eye, 
appears  best   when  white,  or  hut   slightly  blushed;  good 


judges,  however,  are  found  who  do  not  object  to  its  being 
red,  but  when  this  is  the  case,  the  loss  of  the  contrast,  so 
strongly  exemplified  in  the  black  Spanish,  or  the  black 
Hamburgh,  seem  to  deteriorate  from  the  general  effect. 

■'  JFliUe"  Bantams,  also,  have  progressed  rapidly  of  late, 
and  the  coai'se  birds  that  were  frequently  seen  m  fonner 
years,  more  allied  apparently  to  the  white  Dorking  than 
belonging  to  the  family  we  are  now  speaking  of,  arc  rarely 
thrust  forwaid  for  judicial  (Usapprohation.  The  July  Ex 
liibition,  at  Plymouth,  had  some  excellent  birds  in  this  class, 
perfect  in  form  as  well  as  feather;  and  at  Birmingham,  also, 
they  came  forward  with  equ.al  credit.  Here  we  first  come  to 
a  question  relative  to  the  "  comb,"  for  in  the  l.aced  and  black 
varieties  there  can  be  no  question  hut  that  that  appendage 
should  be  in  the  rose  form.  The  single  comb,  however,  is 
said  to  be  admissable  in  white  Bantams,  though,  whenever 
it  is  substituted  for  the  former,  the  bird  appears  to  disad- 
vantage, in  our  eyes,  to  fully  the  same  extent  as  mth  the 
white  Dorliing.  The  compactness  of  the  rose-comb  hai'mo 
nises  with  the  general  character  and  form  of  these  diminu- 
tive birds;  and  both  here,  as  in  the  case  of  other  rose- 
combed  fowls,  the  intensity  in  colour  of  the  comb  appears 
to  exceed  that  of  single- combed  specimens.  IMay  not  this 
be,  perhaps,  attributable  to  the  formation  of  the  first  so 
clearly  resembling  the  coral,  from  which  we  ai'e  accustomed 
to  derive  an  epithet  for  the  comb  generally  ?  Be  this  as  it 
may,  our  verdict  goes  unhesitatingly  for  rose-combed  white 
Bantams,  though  admitting  the  excellence  in  other  points 
of  very  many  single-combed  pens  that  have  been  recently 
exliibited. 

Considerable  surpiise  was  felt  by  many  exhibitors  at  a 
decision  in  the  Bantam  classes  at  the  recent  Metropolitan 
Exhibition.  We  allude  to  the  fli'st  prize  awarded  to  a  pen 
of  "  booted  and  tufted  white  Bantams,"  which  were  placed 
over  the  head  of  several  pens  of  the  clean-legged  bbds,  to 
which  last  custom  has  hitherto  hmited  the  class  in  question. 
According  to  the  wording  of  the  prize-list,  the  Judges  might 
have  felt  themselves  bound  to  award  the  prize  to  any  birds 
of  that  "  colom-  "  that  might  seem  to  them  best  to  deserve 
the  honour ;  and,  in  saying  this,  it  must  be  remembered  tliat 
we  are  not  here  discussing  the  question  of  whether  they 
were  the  best  birds  of  theu-  class,  or  not;  but,  simply, 
whether  they  were  admissable,  or  othenvise.  The  clean- 
legged  white  Bantam  has,  unquestionably,  been  generallj" 
considered  as  the  best  form  of  tliat  bird,  and  nothing  of 
recent  introduction  has  uiduced  us  to  change  that  opinion. 
The  "  booted  "  birds  have,  also,  during  the  past  year,  been 
assigned,  in  many  instances,  a  separate  class,  where  the 
birds  possessing  this  peculiarity,  no  matter  of  what  colom-, 
should  all  be  an-anged.  The  fact  of  prizes  for  "  booted,  or 
feathered  Bantams"  would  at  once  disqualify  such  specimens 
when  shown  in  the  other  classes  that  have  previously  been 
occupied  exclusively  by  the  clean-legged  birds ;  but  it  is  by 
no  means  equally  cleai'  that  tke  former  irould  be  necessarily 
mcludcd  among  those  "  of  any  oilier  variety." 

Beyond  the  fom'  varieties  ah-eady  enumerated,  the  com- 
petitors for  fame  among  the  other  Bantams  were,  till  the 
last  year  or  so,  comparatively  scarce ;  nor,  indeed,  wore  the 
merits  of  such  as  did  appear  sutlicient  to  malie  us  anxious 
for  their  fm-thor  acquaintance.  The  period  over  which  this 
remark  is  extended  is  not  designed  to  go  back  to  those 
times,  now  some  twenty  or  thirty  yeai-s  back,  when  the 
booted  Bantams,  and  the  unfortunate  Creepers  and  Jum- 
pers were,  among  others,  objects  of  popular'  favour  ;  but  we 
refer  only  to  the  hater  epoch  of  Poulti-y  Exhibitions,  dating, 
perhaps,  from  their  first  inaugiu'atiou  .at  Bu-minghain. 
Among  the  miscellany  that  the  class  for  odds  and  ends 
fre([uontly  submits  to  our  notice,  the  "  Spanyled"  birds  .are 
frequently  seen,  but  these  are  rai'cly  satisfactory,  too  com- 
monly reminding  us  of  miperfect  lacing,  wliicli  is  dege- 
nerating into  spottiness,  rather  than  showing  the  clear 
ground  colour  and  distinct  spangle  which  should  be  reqmred 
here  as  rigourously  as  with  the  Hamburghs  or  Polish. 

The  "Game  Bantams"  have  had  among  their  number 
some  specimens  of  extreme  beauty,  especially  those  minia- 
ture Duckwings  so  deservedly  the  objects  of  general  admira- 
tion at  the  MetropoUtan  lixbibition  in  the  early  part  of 
180:i. 

Beduced  fac  similes  o{  the  black-breasted  and  other  reds 
have  also  been  successful  on  several  occasions,  and  both 


February  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER 


371 


tliese  promise  well  for  supplying  any  gap  that  the  failure  of 
other  hitherto  more  I'anoiod  l)reeds  may  possibly  create. 

'^  Mollled  Blade  and  While,"  and  "liijlvd"  Bantams  are 
occasionally  claimants  for  distinction,  but  rarely  in  such 
form  as  would  encourage  their  owners  to  further  efforts. 
Bundles  of  loose  feathers,  ti'rmed  "  Tartarian  or  GhiiwsL'" 
Bantams  are  only  remarkable  for  the  absence  of  every 
feature  that  is  regarded  as  meritorious  in  this  family, 
especially  symmetrical  figure  and  closeness  of  feather. 

The  old  "  Yfltou'iir  Nankin"  Bantam  has  again  appeared 
in  public  ;  and  if  the  colours  are  not  those  that  have  most 
accorded  witli  the  general  taste,  well-selected  specimens 
have  had  sufficient  recommendation,  in  poiut  of  good  looks, 
to  give  them  additional  value  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  are 
partial  to  them  from  tlieir  excellence  as  mothers. 

Par/riili/f  Banlams,  again,  have  been  shown  in  very  good 
form,  and  in  some  instances,  in  form,  as  well  as  jjlumage, 
have  partially  justified  their  appellation,  though  we  are 
decidedly  adverse  to  that  system  of  nomenclature  whicli  has 
given  us  these  with  the  " plu-asant"  and  the  "ostrich"  fowl 
of  older  writers,  and  the  Plarmiyim  fowl  of  our  own  time. 

Our  summary,  therefore,  of  "Bantams  as  recently  shown," 
is  highly  favourable  to  the  class  generally ;  and  wherever, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  laced  birds,  deterioration  has  been 
evidenced,  the  cause  seems  manifest,  though  the  remedy, 
so  long,  at  least,  as  the  breeder's  object  and  practice  con- 
tinues as  now,  may  be  long  sought  in  vain. 


POLMAISE   HEATING. 

I  BEG  the  use  of  a  small  space  in  The  Cottage  Gardener, 
to  reply  to  Mr.  Gohghtly,  resjiecting  that  most  simple  and 
yet  most  economical  system  of  heating  horticultural  struc- 
tures with  which  I  am  acquainted — tlie  Polmaise — which 
Mr.  Golightly  so  hastily  coudemns,  and  which  I  so  uphold 
as  the  best  system  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 

I  am  at  this  time  working  old  Hues  and  hot-water  as  well 
as  the  Polmaise,  which,  if  erected  on  a  good  principle,  is  the 
most  economical  as  regards  fuel  and  attendance  over  any 
other  that  ever  I  worked.  As  to  the  air  of  the  house  being 
charged  with  an  unjjleasant  gas,  I  can  assure  him  it  is  not 
the  case  with  me,  as  it  neither  roasts,  singes,  scorches,  nor 
blotches  the  most  tender-leaved  plants  of  the  tropics.  If 
he  were  to  see  how  orchidaceous  plants  delight  in  this  sweet, 
pure  atmosphere,  how  their  most  delicate  roots  ramble  and 
liang  about,  both  from  their  baskets  and  blocks,  he  would, 
I  think,  be  convinced  that  this  is  the  best  system  of  heating ; 
and  that  the  gai'dening  world  stands  deeply  indebted  to  the 
late  Mr.  Meek  for  making  this  most  important  and  valuable 
discovery,  and  for  publishing  it  to  the  world. 

It  was  in  the  year  181(1  that  we  erected  a  stove  heated  on 
tlie  above  principle,  and  I  am  iierfectly  satisfied  with  it,  and 
prefer  it  to  any  heated  by  hot-water.  Mr.  Golightly  states, 
that  tlie  bed  or  bottom-heat,  and  the  internal  atmosphere  of 
the  house,  are  heated  simultaneously ;  and  that  we  cannot 
heat  one  independent  of  the  other.  I  beg  to  differ  from 
him ;  for  by  closing  the  ventilators  of  the  hot  air  chambers 
we  stop  the  communication  with  the  atmosphere  of  the 
house  only ;  so,  by  gradually  opening  the  ventilators,  there 
is  a  surplus  charge  of  sweet  hot-air  to  be  diffused  through 
the  house,  which,  on  a  cold  frosty  night,  I  find  a  great 
advantage. 

As  to  the  nursery  that  Mr.  Golightly  describes  it  to  he 
for  red  spider,  thrips,  and  scale,  I  can  with  confidence  assure 
him  I  have  none  of  those  intruders. 

In  conclusion,  I  wish  to  remind  Mr.  Golightly  that  all 
systems  are  not  perfect,  and  liable  to  accident.  Flues  may 
choke,  boilers  may  burst,  the  joints  of  pipes  may  give  way, 
and  foul  air  may  get  in  the  pipes  and  disarrange  the  whole 
system  ;  and  all  this  I  have  found,  to  my  mortification,  on 
a  cold,  sharp,  frosty  morning.  Again,  when  the  water  boils, 
how  unpleasant  it  is  to  find  your  house  full  of  steam,  with 
the  hot-water  flying  about  in  all  directions  in  such  frosty 
nights  we  have  lately  experienced.  —  Henry  Ceaddock, 
Ki-resley,  Oovenlry. 


HARDY  BORDER  PLANTS. 
(  Oontiimed  from  page  ,S48.^ 
ACONITUM   ANTHORA. 

THE    VVnOLESOME    WOLFSIIANE    OR    MONKSHOOD. 

I  KNOW  not  for  why  this  species  should  be  called  the 
Wholesome  Monkshood,  when,  no  doubt,  it  is  as  poisonous 
as  any  of  the  whole  showy  family.*  This  is,  certainly,  a 
choice  plant,  and  one  of  the  prettiest  of  its  whole  genus. 
It  should  be  planted  in  some  of  the  best  open  situations  in 
the  flower  borders.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  was 
introduced  into  this  country  in  the  year  IfiDli.  It  is  alto- 
gether a  more  dwarf  and  smaller  plant  tlian  the  generality 
of  this  family.  Its  blossoms  are  showy  and  large,  of  a 
yellow  or  pale  yellow  colour  ;  its  leaves  are  finely  and  many 
cut,  the  segments  very  narrow  and  pointed.  Its  stems  rise 
from  one-and-a-half  foot  to  two  feet  and-a-ha!f  in  height, 
according  to  the  soil  and  situation  it  is  growing  in.  There- 
fore  it  makes  a  most  desirable  front  or  second  row  plant  in 
the  borders.  It  is  readily  increased  by  root  division,  in  the 
spring  months,  when  it  first  shows  its  leaves  ;  and  as  our 
practice  always  is,  when  dressing  of  the  flower-beds,  to  have 
a  barrowful  of  nice  earth  at  onr  heels,  such  as  tirrfy-loam,  and 
leaf-mould,  or  the  like,  from  tho  frame  ground,  and  when 
we  come  to  a  choice  plant  like  this,  we,  of  course,  Jinyer 
everything  away  round  about  its  crown  that  is  like  a  fallen 
leaf,  weed,  or  slug.  We  then  consider  whether  the  bunch  has 
become  too  large  or  straggling,  and  if  so,  we  carefully  lessen 
it  with  the  fork,  perhaps  by  inserting  the  fork  through  the 
centre  of  the  bunch,  leaving  the  best  placed  h.alf  to  remain 
Then  in  goes  the  spado  to  the  wheelbarrow  for  a  little  fresh 
eai-tli  to  fill  up  the  deficiency  caused  by  the  removal  of  half 
the  plant.  This  strengthens  and  keeps  the  main  bunch  up 
to  the  mark  of  perfection,  whilst  the  part  taken  away  may 
either  be  to  form  a  bunch  in  some  other  part  of  the  garden, 
or  borders;  or  this,  instead  of  being  to  form  another 
single  bunch,  may  be  divided  into  many  pieces.  This,  of 
course,  is  as  required.  Again,  if  we  find  a  choice  plant  like 
this  seems  to  have  tired  of  its  place  or  spot  from  long 
standing,  we  up  with  it  altogether.  This  affords  a  good 
opportunity  for  increase  by  division.  In  this  case  we 
either  change  a  good  portion  of  the  earth,  or  change  its 
place  with  another  plant  of  the  same  height  and  colour, 
being  at  the  same  time  ever  mindful  to  work  up  the  soil 
well,  adding  to  it  a  spadeful  or  two  of  fresh  soil  from  the 
wheelbarrow.  T.  W. 


SHANGHAES  THE   EARLIEST  LAYERS.— 
PRODUCE    OF  JERSEY   COWS. 

Yon  have  occasionally  requested  your  readers  to  contribute 
the  result  of  their  experience  in  poultry  and  other  matters. 
The  following  statement  shows  the  value  of  aShanghae  fowl 
over  others,  for  laying,  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

In  May,  I  hatched,  under  two  hens,  fourteen  Shanghae 
pullets,  and  five  Spanish  pullets,  besides  nine  cock  Shangiiae 
birds  :  and  in  August,  I  purchased  five  Speckled  Dorkings 
of  our  two  host  dealers  in  London  :  tliey  were  extremely  fine 
birds,  and  several  months  older  than  the  Shanghaes.  It 
may  surjjrize  some  of  your  readers,  but  the  following  state- 
ment is  correct. 

Eggs  laid  by  Shanghae  pullets,  from  Nov.  12, 1853, 
to  Jan.  23,  185i 331 ! 

Ditto  by  Dorkings 11 ! ! 

Ditto  by  Spanish    2 ! ! 

The  Spanish  laid  for  the  first  time  yesterday,  (.Tan.  22nd ;) 
and  the  Dorkings  on  Dec.  20.  Eggs  have  been  selling  in 
our  neighbourhood  at  eight  for  a  shilling ;  to  a  large  family, 
like  mine,  the  Shanghaes  have,  therefore,  been  very  valuable. 
I  ought  to  add,  that  the  fowls  have  all  been  kept  alike. 

Perhaps  it  may  also  interest  some  of  your  readers  to  know 
the  produce  obtained  in  England  from  five  real  Jersey 
I'ua-s,  from  Jan.  1,  1853,  to  .Ian.  1, 1854.  We  have  made  of 
butter  1227  tbs.  11  ozs.,  besides  the  milk  used  in  a  family  with 
six  little  children,  and  that  consumed  during  the  weaning  of 

*  It  was  many  years  since  believed  to  be  an  antidote  to  the  poisonous 
species,  and  these  being  called  Thura,it  was  named  Anihora  or  Antithora. 
It  is  certainly  poisonous,  though  not  so  violent  in  its  effects  as  the  other 
kinds.— Ed.  C.  G. 


372 


TTTK  COTTAGE  QAllDKNEK. 


FKBRaAHY  9. 


two  calves.  AVe  scaM  oiiv  mil!;  over  //rry,  on  tlip  T>evnnsliire 
plan  ;  and  ieed  the  Cows  on  Swedes  and  liay,  but  liave  never 
any  ill  flavoiu'  in  tiio  butter.  ^Ve  could  dispose  of  much 
more  butter  than  we  make. — SrES  («  Wilts  Clerfjyman). 


TO    CORRESPOWDEWTS. 

Plan  of  Peach  Hocsr  (T.).— It  unuld  not  do  oftpn  to  engrave 
pluns,  but  if  you  tell  us  your  situation,  ami  what  you  purpose,  we  will 
advise.  TUe'sultject  has  frequently  been  referred  to,  and  the  simplest  is 
the  best.  The  best  Peaehcs  are  penerally  obtained  from  houses  where 
the  trees  take  the  direction  of  the  glass,  being  trained  fifteen  or  eighteen 
inches  from  it. 

Contemplated  GREENnousE  (Omap?i).—T]\e   sun   does   not  shine 
after  ten  o'clock,  a.m.,  upon  your  pround.     ^^'e  should  not  like  to  advise 
you,  though  we  have  no  doubt  you  wnuld  grow  such  things  as  Camellias, 
Azaleas,  and  even  Geraniums,  'and  Heaths,  if  you  gave  them  planty  of 
air,  and  all  the  light  you  could.    Tlic  plants  would  liave  the  advantage  of 
refracted  light,  even  "though  the  sun  did  not  shine  after  ten,  a.m.    The  i 
worst  of  it  would  be  in  winter,  as  your  plants  would  hardly  have  a  ray  at  i 
all,  but  they  would  be  no  worse  than  most  plants  facing  the  south  this 
season,  as  the  hours  of  sunshine  might  soon  be  counted.     Had  we  the  I 
house,  up  it  should  go,  maugre  all  disappointments  in  somethings,  but  ^ 
we  have  not  proved  plants  in  such  a  place  fur  a  twelvemonth,  with  the 
exception  of  Camellias,  Fuchsias,  and  Azaleas,  and  they  were  set  out-of-  ' 
doors  for  a  couple  of  months,  about  August.  Unless  you  have  abundance  I 
of  air,  Pelargoniums,  Sec,  would  get  leggy. 

Russian  Anemone  (A  receiii  Sufiscriber), — We  presume  it  requires   | 
no  particular  treatment,  but  wc  are  not  sure  which  it  is.  i 

Seedling  Pansies  (Ibid). — Wintered  in  a  frame,  should  have  abun-   i 
dance  of  air  in  favourable  weather,  be  well  hardened  off,  and  be  planted  | 
out  in  rich,  mellow,  well  aired  ground,  about  the  end  of  March,  or  the   ■ 
beginning  of  April.     If  the  weather  is  rather  milJ   do  it  earlier,   and 
protect  after  planting  if  it  should  be  severe  on  a  sudden. 

Andalusian  Laughing  Pigeons  {Durham), — With  regard  to  the 
Laughing  Pigeons,  so  little  kept  by  fanciers,  the  fullest  account  of  these 
birds  is  in  Mr.  Eaton's  work  on  "  Pigeons,"  p.  71«  "This  Pigeon  is 
about  the  size  of  middling  Runts,  and  much  of  the  same  make;  and  I 
am  informed  has  a  very  bright  pearl  eye,  almost  white ;  as  forits  feather, 
it  is  red-mottled,  and  some  tell  me  that  tliey  have  seen  blues.  They  are 
said  to  come  from  the  Holy  Land,  near  Jerusalem.  When  the  cock 
plays  to  his  hen,  he  has  a  hoarse  coo,  not  unlike  the  gurgling  of  a  bottle 
of  water  when  poured  out,  and  then  makes  a  noise  which  very  much 
imitates  a  soft  laughter,  and  from  thence  this  bird  has  its  name."  Wc 
think  the  gentlemen  who  Itecj)  the  Laughing  Pigeons  should  also  keep 
the  Trumpeter.  Both  birds  being  of  the  Runtish  kind,  and  having 
such  strange  voices,  and  if  a  cross  comes  from  these  birds,  who  knows 
but  their  offspring  might  laugh  and  trumpet  in  the  same  bird. 

Jacobin  Pigeons  (R.  .S7o;ie;.— You  mention  that  you  bought  a  pair 
of  Jacoliius,  but  you  do  not  mention  whether  they  are  two  cocks  or  two 
hens.  I  presume  you  bought  them  for  cock  and  hen,  and  your  complaint 
is  that  they  do  not  match  up.  The  probability  is,  that  if  they  arc  two  cocks 
or  two  heiis  they  never  will,  although  the  experienced  fanciers  frequently 
witness  two  hens  matching  up,  laying  four  eggs  in  the  nest,  relieving 
each  other  in  sitting ;  the  eggs,  as  a  matter  of  course,  coming  to  nothing, 
although  plenty  of  cocks  are  in  the  loft.  The  same  will  take  place  with 
rtigard  to  the  cocks — two  cocks  forsaking  their  hens,  matching  up, 
sitting,  although  no  eggs  in  the  pan,  and  relieving  each  other  in  their 
sitting.  It  never  struck  me  to  observe  if  the  cocks  would  sit  at  night. 
You  must  prove  your  Jacobins  thus,  putting  a  forward  hen  to  each,  and 
if  they  play  up,  then  you  have  two  cocks  ;  on  the  contrary,  try  two  cocks 
to  the  Jacobins,  and  if  they  match  up,  then  you  have  two  hens.  If, 
after  all,  the  pair  should  be  cock  and  hen,  place  them  in  a  pen  with  lath 
petitions  between  them,  feed  and  water  them  out  of  the  same  utensils  : 
feed  them  on  small  beans,  and  give  them  a  good  supply  of  hemp-seed, 
and  when  you  observe  the  hen  sweep  her  tail,  and  shew,  as  it  is  called, 
to  the  cock,  and  as  she  plays  in  the  other  pea  or  basket,  you  may  put 
her  to  him,  and  they  will  soon  be  matched. — J.  BI.  E. 

White  Bantams  {Julia  Williams,  and  A  White  Bantam).— Bo\h. 
these  enquiries  may  be  answered  together.  The  fact  of  the  first  prize  in 
the  class  for  White  Bantams  having  been  awarded,  at  the  late  Metropolitan 
Show,  to  a  pair  of  rough-legged,  tufted,  white  birds,  has  created  some 
surprise,  and  fault  has  consequently  been  found  with  the  judges  for  this 
decision.  But  it  appears  to  us  that  these  gentlemen  would  be  bound  by 
the  wording  of  the  prize-list,  and  that  no  matter  whether  the  birds  in 
question  were  booted  or  tufted,  the  fact  of  their  colour  entitled  them  to 
be  shown  in  that  class.  The  question  of  how  far  they  merited  the  prize, 
is,  however,  entirely  distinct.  The  matter  in  dispute  proceeds  entirely 
from  the  wording  of  the  prize-list,  and  the  usual  description  of  birds  that 
have  appeared  for  competition  as  "  White  Bantams,"  being  at  variance. 
It  has,  doubtless,  been  generally  understood  that  the  points  of  excellence 
that  would  here  confer  a  prize  were  widely  opposed  to  the  "booting" 
and  "tuft"  that  decorated  the  winners  on  this  occasion,  and  remedy 
must  be  sought  for  in  the  more  accurate  enumeration  of  points  required 
in  certain  classes,  and  those  of  which  the  possession  would  place  the 
candidates  in  a  different  position:  strictly  speaking,  there  was  nothing  in 
the  rule,  subject  to  which  these  birds  were  exhibited,  to  debar  their  com- 
petition, but  henceforth  such  difTiculties  might  be  avoided,  by  limiting  a 
class  to  clean-legged,  untufted  specimens,  or  by  requiring  the  tufted 
liirds  to  be  shown  in  a  distinct  class  by  themselves.  This,  no  less  than 
many  like  difficulties  that  have  occurred,  proves  the  necessity  of  greater 
accuracy  in  the  terms  of  our  prize  lists,  as  also  of  a  more  generally 
recognized  standard  of  merit,  by  which  the  points  of  competing  pens 
have  judgment  passed  upon  thora. 
MiNOECA  Fowls  filLf.,  Taunton).— \,  The  Minorca  cannot  be  called 
i  v."  distinct  race"  of  fowls.  Excellence  in  Spanish  requires  the  white 
face  i  the  Minorca's  scarlet  countenance  causes  it  to  be  ranked  as  a  dege- 


nerate sub-variety  of  the  first-named  bird,  with  which  they  hsve,  doubt- 
less, liad  a  common  origin  ;  and  Spanish  breeders  are,  moreover,  but  too 
well  aware  of  the  constant  tendency,  in  even  their  bcht  birds,  to  throw 
chickens  with  more  or  less  of  this  objectionable  feature.  2.  The  Dlinorca 
is  commonly  exhibited  in  the  class  for  "finvlsafamf  other  distinct  r«- 
rictt/,*' — a  position  they  would  improperly  occupy  if  in  any  way  por.sesscd 
of  Spanish  blood  ;  but  if  this  class  were  *' for  fuu-lt,-  of  any  varifty  not 
enumerated  above  "  this  might  be  assigned  as  their  best  place. — W. 

Perpetual  Roses  {W.  W.). — They  arc  not  very  suitable  against  a 
house,  unless  you  had  some  on  tall  standards,  and  others  as  dwarfs. 
The  following  twelve  will  suit  you  best: — 1.  J'.ocpiet  dc  Flora;  2.  Le 
Grenadier;  3.  Bladame  Laeharme;  -1.  Purpurc  dc  Tyre,  or  Tviian 
Purple;  5.  Malmaison,  or  Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison  ;  and  fi,  Aeidale. 
These  Bourbons  ought  to  be  on  tall  standards,  and  the  following  hybrid 
perpctuals  as  dwarfs: — 1.  Mrs.  Elliott;  2,  William  Jesse  ;  :J.  IMa'dame 
Laffay ;  4.  Baron  Provost;  5.  Duchess  of  Sutherland;  and  6.  Earl 
Talbot.  Or,  if  the  Bourbons  do  not  suit  you,  take  the  following — 
1.  Standard  of  BIcrango;  2.  Sidonic ;  3.  Queen;  -l.  Pius  the  Ninth; 
5.  Jacques  Lafitte  ;  and  6.  Auguste  Mic.  All  these  grow  very  strong, 
and  will  llower  from  Blay  to  November. 

Rose  Cottings  (G.  P.  W.). — Rose  cuttings  when  they  are  pruned, 
and  elementary  essays  on  the  first  lessons,  to  you,  and  such  as  you,  are 
to  commence  next  week,  and  will  be  continued  for  a  long  time  at  short 
intervals. 

Diseased  Geranium  Leaves  {Isabel). — General  debility  from  low 
temperature,  want  of  roots,  and  good  soil,  seem  to  he  the  only  fault,  and 
that  you  are  in  the  right  way  to  get  over;  but  -you  certainly  potted  them 
one  month  too  soon,  because  you  did  not  keep  a  brisk  heat  lor  a  week 
or  two  after  shaking  them  from  the  poor  stuff.  Pray  do  not  blame  Susan. 
Vour  "  clear  directions"  were  all  Greek  to  her.  no  doubt.  Give  very 
weak  draughts  from  the  hand-basin,  at  every  other  watering,  all  through 
the  si>ring,  and  milk-warm,  of  course;  and  when  the  sun  comes  out 
strong,  shade  them  in  the  middle  of  the  day  till  April,  and  do  not  give 
them  another  potting  till  they  flower. 

Age  oi-  Eggs  for  Sitting  {S.  S.). — We  prefer  eggs  not  older  than 
a  fortnight.  Eggs  much  older  have  produced  thrifty  chickens,  but  it  is 
certain,  as  a  general  rule,  than  the  older  the  egg  the  weaker  its  progeny 

Broken  Beak  (H.  Lawrence). — The  hook  broken  off  the  upper 
mandible,  or  jaw,  of  the  cock's  beak  will  never  be  restored.  The  beau- 
tiful fresh  redness  in  the  combs  of  fowls,  which  you  justly  admire,  is  the 
result  of  good  keeping.  To  tell  what  this  is  occupies  the  space  of  half 
"The  Poultry  Book." 

Cow  Insurancb  {N.  M.  G.). — There  were  two  Societies  in  London 
for  insuring  the  lives  of  cattle,  but  we  fear  they  are  both  extinct. 

*'TnE  Bees.  A  Poem." — Where  can  this  volume,  written  by  Dr. 
Evans,  be  obtained  ? 

Bupp  Shanghae  Eggs  {A.  Z.,  Jersey). — \\''rite  to  G.  W.  Johnson, 
Esq.,  Canon-street,  Winchester.  They  are  all  from  prize  birds,  and  are 
203.  for  thirteen,  including  the  bos. 

German  Barm  or  Yeast  {J.  W.  M.). — Can  any  of  our  readers  tell 
us  how  this  is  made?  The  mode  oi  preserving  yeast  in  Germany  is 
thus  detailed.  Put  the  yeast  from  new  beer  into  a  clean  linen  bag,  place 
this  in  a  vessel  half  full  of  fine  wood  ashes,  cover  it  three  inches  deep 
with  similar  ashes,  and  press  gently.  Leave  it  for  a  day  or  two,  until  the 
yeast  has  become  a  thick  paste.  Then  form  it  into  small  balls,  dry  Ihem 
in  a  moderate  heat,  and  store  them  in  bags  in  a  dry,  airy  place.  When 
yeast  is  required,  dissolve  as  many  of  the  balls  as  may  be  suflicieut  in  a 
little  warm  beer. 


Exchange  of  Poultry  (IF.  H.  Lockyer).- 
advertisement. 


-It  must  be  put  in  as  an 


Hartley's  Plate  Glass  (TF.  D.). — This  might  be  employed  for  a 
greenhouse  without  over-lapping.  It  might  be  fitted  together  like  plate 
glass,  and  all  wet  excluded,  if  the  edges  were  done  over  with  liquid 
putty  before  being  joined  together.  Coloured  illustrations  are  impossible 
for  us. 

Fowls  eating  eacu  other's  Featiieks  {Joh7i  Chinaman). — If 
you  supply  your  fowls  with  a  little  animal  food  daily,  and  powdered 
oyater-shells,  they  will,  probably,  leave  off  their  canibalism. 

Concrete  Walks  {A  Constnyit  Reader), — Full  directions  are  given 
in  previous  volumes,  as  you  will  find  in  the  indexes.  We  never  saw  the 
rockwork  at  theColliBCum. 

Gooseberry  and  Currant-tbees  (SHiin-fian). — By  all  means  give 
them  a  bed  to  themselves.  If  grown  among  vegetablcH,  or  round  the 
main  quarters,  their  roots  are  continually  being  injured  by  the  spade. 
The  soil  is  too  rich,  too  deep,  and,  probably,  too  moist,  for  your  fruit- 
trees.  Take  up  the  young  ones,  and  plant  on  stations  on  the  surface,  as 
so  often  described  by  fllr.  Errington. 

Silver  Poland  Fowls  (.4  Pole). — Write  to  those  who  you  see  have 
taken  prizes,  and  ask  them  if  they  can  supply  your  wants. 

Worms  in  Dogs  {E.  W.). — Mr.  Youatt  Bays,  that  glass  finely  powdered 
is  almost  an  imfailing  remedy.  I\Iake  the  powdered  glass  into  a  ball  with 
lard  and  a  little  ginger  powder. 

Rabbits  barking  Trees  {A  Subscriber). — To  prevent  this  paint  the 
stems  with  cold  coal  tar  as  high  as  the  vermin  can  reach.  See,  also, 
what  Rlr.  Appleby  says  to-day. 

Names  of  Plants  (A  Subscriber), — Vour  Fern  is  Pteris  sermlata^ 
and  requires  a  stove.  (W.  Place), — Your  seeds  are  of  Staphyieapijinata, 
or  Common  Bladder  Nut. 

Rendle's  Price  Current  (F).— You  can  have  one  on  application  to 
Mr.  Kcndle,  Nurseryman,  Plymouth.    It  is  very  well  got  up. 


London:  Printed  by  Harbt  Wooldridgb,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalcndar;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMEUViLLE  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Pariah  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— February  9th,  1854. 


February  16. 


THK  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


srs 


FEBRUARY  16-22,   1854, 

Wratheu  near  LoNnON  in  1853. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun    )   Moon 
Sets,    ;R,&S. 

Moon's 
Age, 

Clock 
bf.  Sun. 

Day  of 
Year, 

1)  ,   w 

Barometer, 

Thermo.  Wind. 

Rain  in 
Inches. 

lli 

17 

IS 

19 
20 
21 

22 

Th 

P 

S 

Shn 

M 

Tb 

W 

Bruchnsater  ;  furze. 
Erliopaster  lannstris. 
Oranije  Upper  \^'in;?;  dead  leaves. 
Sexagesima  Sunday. 
February  carpet ;  woodside. 
Sun's  declinat.,  Ill"  34'  n. 
Early  Moth  ;  hedges. 

29.820—29.784 

29.746-29.531 
29.530-29.494 
29.710—29.550 

29.802-29.444 
.10.094—30.050 
30.010-29.870 

33-25   !     N. 
35—25     N.W. 
36—10        N. 
34—19     N.E. 
30—23        N. 

38—19    N.W. 
33—30     S.W. 

03 

15 
13 
U 
9 

7 

5 
3 

14  !    9    IS 
16     ;  10    36 

15  '  11    s6 

20          morn, 

22  1     19 

23  2     42 
25            4       3 

19 

20 
21 

2" 

14    22 
14     IS 
14     13 
14       7 
14       1 
13     54 
13    47 

47 
4S 
49 
51) 
61 
52 
53 

Mbtboeologt  ok  the  Week. — At  Chiswick,  from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-seven 
peraturca  of  these  days  are  4C°  and  32.6°  respectively.     The  greatest  heat,  57",  occurred  on  the  i; 
l6th  in  1827,  inuring  the  period  108  days  were  fine,  and  on  81  rain  fell. 

years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
th  in  1 847  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  1 5',  on  the 

NEW  PLANTS. 
Bravoa  GEjnNiFi.ORA  {Twiii-flouvrrd  Brnvoa). 


m 


» 


This  pretty  little  bulb  is  a  native  of  tbe  vicinity  of  the 
Eeal  del  Monte  mines,  and  of  tbe  mountains  near  Tal- 
ladolid,  and  Miciciacan,  in  Mexico.  Its  flowers  are  iu  pairs 
at  the  upper  part  of  tbe  Hower-steni,  and  tbeuce  its  specific 
name.  Tbey  are  scarlet  outside  and  yellow  witbin.  It 
blossoms  in  July,  if  kept  in  a  greenbous'e  wbere  tbe  winter 
temperature  ranges  between  4.5^^  and  .'■|5°,  and  tbe  summer 
temperature  between  00°  and  80°.     Mr.  Beaton  gives  some 


particulars  concerning  it  at  page  241  of  our  nintb  volume. 
— (Bolcmical  ilayaziiw,  t.  474] .)  It  belongs  to  tbe  Natural 
Order  Amaryllids,  and  to  Hexandria  Monmjynia  of  Linnseus. 

Begonia  biseerata  {Donhly-saw-toothed  Ber/onia). 
Like  otber  Begonias  it  requires  to  be  frequently  renewed 
by  cuttings. (ifoteHi'm;  Muynzine,  t.  4740.)     Tbe  following 
we   extract  from   tbe  Joiiriud  of  the   HorlimUiiral  Society, 
ii.  :313:  — 

"  Eeceived  from  G.  U.  Sldnner,  Esq.,  in  April,  1847,   and   ! 
said  to  be  from  Guatemala. 

"  A  berbaceous  plant,  two  feet  or  more  in  beigbt,  covered 
all  over  witb  a  sbort  bavsb  pubescence.    The  root  is  fibrous, 
and  disposed  to  produce  suckers  from  its  crown.     The  stem 
is  cylindrical  and  dull  purple.  Tbe  leaves  are  palmate,  doubly 
sen-ate,  so  oblique  that  there  are  frequently  but  four  lobes    i 
instead  of  five,  with  tbe  base  triangular  and  not  bordered  by 
parenchyma.     Tbe  flowers,  which   are  pale  pink,  grow  on    \ 
stalks  rather  longer  than  tbe  leaf-stalks,  three  or  more  in  a 
cluster,  in  tbe  upper  axils  or  at  tbe  end  of  tbe  branches.    ; 
The  males  have  two  roundish,  ovate,  hairy,  doubly  serrate    I 
sejials',   and  a  pair  of   very  small,  smooth,  wedge-shaped   I 
petals,  toothed  only  at  tbe  point.  ' 

"  It  is  a  stove  herbaceous  species,  which  grows  freely  in  a 
mixture  of  loam,  sandy  peat,  and  leaf-mould,  in  equal  pro- 
portions. When  done  growing,  it  should  have  two  or  three 
months'  rest  by  withholding  moisture  from  tbe  roots.  It  is 
easily  increased  by  cuttings,  and  may  be  flowered  at  any 
season  of  tbe  year,  by  altering  tbe  time  of  starting  and 
resting.  j 

"  A  very  distinct  plant,  but  not  so  ornamental  as  many  of  | 
tbe  other  kinds." 

Campanula  Vidalii  (Vidal's  Bell  flower'). 

This  hardy  berbaceous  plant  was  discovered  on  an  in- 
sulated rock  between  Santa  Cruz  and  Porta  Delgada,  on 
the  east  coast  of  Plores,  one  of  tbe  Azore  Islands,  by  Capt. 
Vidal,  R.N.  It  grows  to  the  beiglit  of  about  two  feet ;  stem 
branchy;  tbe  entire  plant  is  glossy,  but  clammy.  The 
flowi^rs  are  white,  and  partake  both  of  the  bell  and  urn 
form.  It  blooms  in  August.— (Bo(aHicaZ  Magazine,  t,  4748.) 

PldjiIeeia  Jamesoni  {Jameson's  Plumieria). 
This  is  a  handsome  stove  plant,  sent  by  Professor  Jameson 
from  the  neigbbourliood  of  Guayaquil,  in  Peru.    It  is  about 
four  feet  high,  and  blooms  in  our  stoves  in  July.    "Its  great 
beauty  consists  in  the  fine  red  of  the  flower-stalks,  end  of 
the  outside  of  the  flower,  and  the  rich  yellow  of  the  inner 
side  of  tbe  corolla."     It  belongs  to  the    Natural  Order  of  ; 
Doffhanrs,  and  to  Pentandria  Siyynia    of   Linnseus.— (Bo-   I 
tanical  Mayazine,  t,  47,01.)  j 


A  LETTER  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Leicester  is  now 
before  us  containing  this  passage — "  My  employer  is 
very  anxious,  for  the  sake  of  immediate  effect,  to  have 
nearly  four  hundred  large  evergreens,  chiefly  Coniferous, 
planted  during  next  month,  and  he  insists  that  the 
early  spring  is  the  best  time  for  so  doing.  I  wish  the 
operation   to  be  deferred  until  early   autumn,   and  at 


length  be  has  consented  to  refer  tbe  inquiry  to  The 
Cottage  Gardener." 

Now,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  replying  that  the 
gardener  is  right  and  his  master  wrong,  if  by  "  large 
evergreens,"  specimens  of  the  Fir  tribe  and  others  are 
intended  which  liave  attained  tbe  heighth  of  eight  feet 
or  more.     Small  evergreens  from  a  nursery,  which  are 


No,   CCLXXXL,  Vol,  XI. 


374 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


FEBBnARY  18. 


transplanted  at  sucli  establishments  almost  annually  for 
the  sake  of  confining  their  roots  within  a  small  compact 
compass,  that  may  be  moved  with  little  injury  whenever 
wanted,  why  they  may  be  planted  by  the  purchaser 
either  in  autumn,  winter,  or  spring;  hut  such  large 
evergreens  as  we  have  referred  to  should  have  their 
roots  cut  round  now,  and  then  he  left  where  growing, 
prepared  for  removal  early  next  October.  It  is  quite 
true  that  large  evergreens,  such  as  we  have  specified, 
may  succeed  when  transplanted  in  spring,  but  it  is 
always  at  a  great  sacrifice,  and  we  know  an  instance, 
last  year,  where  every  precaution  in  staking,  mulching, 
and  watering,  were  adopted  relative  to  such  trees  moved 
the  last  week  in  February,  yet  one-fifth  nearly  of  the 
trees  were  sacrificed.  Large  deciduous  trees,  ten  feet 
high.  Birch,  Sycamores,  Poplars,  Thorns,  Cratseguses, 
&c.,  bore  the  transplanting  without  a  single  failure. 

Mr.  Beaton,  writing  to  us  upon  the  subject,  says: — 
"They  knew  as  much  about  transplanting  evergreens 
in  the  days  of  London  and  Wise  as  we  do  now ;  but 
how  the  change  came  about  for  planting  them  only  in 
April  and  May,  as  was  long  the  fashion,  it  is  not  so 
easy  to  say.  About  thirty  years  since,  in  one  of  the 
largest  nurseries  in  the  north,  they  would  '  draw'  decid- 
uous plants  until  the  first  Tuesday  in  April,  but  none 
after  that  for  love  or  money,  as  it  was  not  'lucky' to 
do  so.  After  that  day  evergreens  would  be  'drawn'  as 
long  as  orders  came  in ;  and  very  likely  it  was  for  the 
convenience  of  the  nurserymen  that  the  planting  of 
evergreens  was  put  off  till  late  in  the  spring,  they  being 
the  chief  guides  to  planters,  from  the  first  edition  of 
'  Miller's  Dictionary'  till  Loudon  brought  out  the  '  En- 
cyclopoedia  of  Gardening'  in  1822.  Mr.  Gleudiuniug, 
in  the  '  Journal  of  the  Horticultural  Society,'  made  the 
first  move  towards  the  old  style  of  planting  evergreens 
early  in  the  autumn,  and  in  The  Cottage  Gardener 
I  pushed  the  subject  as  far  as  London  and  Wise  did — 
neither  of  us  being  aware  that  we  only  renewed  an 
ancient  practice." 

The  contribution  of  Mr.  Glendinning,  thus  referred 
to,  appeared  in  1840,  and  from  it  we  borrow  this 
extract : — 

"  It  would  be  traversing  over  a  beaten  track  to  enter  into 
any  general  detail  respecting  the  ascent  and  descent  of  the 
fluids  in  plants,  and  the  formation  and  deposition  annually 
of  new  wood  in  all  Ugneous  vegetation.  It  will  be  sufficient 
for  my  purpose  to  state  that  this  extension  and  formation 
takes  place  chiefly  after  Midsummer,  and  principally  in 
evergreens  during  autumn,  when  the  young  shoots  begin  to 
attain  a  certain  degree  of  consistency.  It  is  during  this 
downward  tendency  of  the  fluids,  and  when  the  solar  action 
is  in  some  measure  on  the  decline,  that  I  should  seize  and 
conduct  with  all  rapidity  the  operations  of  transplanting ; 
and,  if  this  is  intended  to  be  conducted  extensively,  I  should 
recommend  the  end  of  Aiigust  as  a  good  time  to  begin, 
September  being  the  safest  month  in  the  year;  selecting 
such  plants  to  commence  with  as  have  matured  their  shoots. 
Another  and  very  important  reason  remains  to  be  stated 
why  autumn  ia  to  he  preferred  for  undertaldngs  of  this 
kind  in  preference  to  winter.  The  force  of  the  sun  during 
summer,  although  now  on  the  decline,  has  warmed  the 
earth  to  a  considerable  degree  and  depth,  so  that  the  mu- 
tilated roots  are  comparatively  situated  on  a  gentle  bottom 
heat,  which  rapidly  promotes  cicatrization,  and  frequently 
aids  the  emission  of  young  spongelets  during  the  current 
autumn. 


"  That  the  season  which  I  have  here  ventured  to  urge  for 

the  performance  of  the  work  under  consideration  is  un- 
deniably theoretically  the  right  period  appears  beyond  all 
question  ;  and  being  no  mean  experimentalist  in  rural  em- 
beUishment,  with  plants  of  considerable  magnitude,  I  can 
attest  also  that  it  is  practically  the  season  to  be  prefen'ed 
beyond  all  others.  I  had  occasion  to  superintend  the 
removal  of  upwards  of  two  thousand  trees  and  shrubs,  all 
evergreen,  and  varying  in  size  from  six  to  forty  feet  high, 
during  one  autumn.  The  trees  were  prepared  as  formerly 
described  the  previous  spring,  and  as  the  undertaking  was 
rather  gigantic,  the  work  was  begun  in  August  and  linished 
with  the  year.  The  result  was  of  course  watched  with  some 
interest,  and  the  following  summer,  when  an  examination 
took  place,  I  found  that  those  trees  which  were  transplanted 
early  in  the  season  indicated  little  change  from  their  re- 
moval, but  the  contrary  was  the  case  with  tliose  which  had 
undergone  similar  transplantation  during  December.  In 
fact  the  gradual  diminution  of  the  motion  of  the  sap, 
accompanied  with  declining  atmospheric  action,  which 
tended,  in  conjunction  with  the  usual  autumnal  precipita 
tions,  to  cool  and  saturate  the  earth,  clearly  and  pro- 
gressively e.xldbited  om-  comparative  success." 

Knowing  that  the  account  -  books  of  the  celebrated 
London  and  Wise,  of  the  Brompton  Nursery,  were  in 
the  possession  of  Mr.  Hogg,  we  applied  to  him  for  some 
extracts  from  them  that  might  confirm  or  refute  the 
statement  that  early  autumn  was  the  season  for  trans- 
planting evergreens  preferred  by  those  eminent  nur- 
serymen. He  has  furnished  ns  with  such  extracts  most 
obligingly  accompanied  by  this  comment: — "I  now 
enclose  you  the  extracts.  There  seems  a  fair  distribu- 
tion of  all  kinds  of  evergreens  over  the  autumn,  winter, 
and  spring;  but  it  is  very  evident  that  the  greater 
portion  were  transplanted  early  in  autumn.  For  ten 
that  are  sold  in  winter  and  spring  there  are  one  hundred 
in  September  and  October.  Of  course  you  will  imder- 
stand  I  have  not  sent  you  every  entry,  but  only  such 
as  will  show  that  during  every  month  evergreens  of 
all  hinds  were  transplanted." 

From  the  Day  Book  of  BROnrpioN  Park  Nursery, 
roR  1717. 
1717. 


May    7.- 

— To  Sh-  John  Austin,  to  make  good  ye 
Yew  hedge: 

36  Hedge  Yews,  at  3s. 

5 

8 

0 

)» 

To  Mr.  Carpenter : 

20  Hedge  Yews,  3  foot  high 

0 

10 

0 

11. 

—To  Esqr.  Waller,  of  Beckensfield : 

23  Hedge  Yews,  3  foot  and  J  high. 

I 

2 

0 

.3  Standard  ditto,  0  foot  high 

0 

l.") 

n 

1  Pyramid  Bredgeman  Holley,  0  foot 

0 

5 

0 

27. 

—To  a  Jobber: 

36  Phillarees 

0 

18 

0 

June   1. 

—To  a  Jobber : 

40  Phillarees 

1 

1) 

0 

20. 

—To  a  Woman : 

12  Hedge  Phillarees 

0 

n 

0 

Aug.  12. 

—To  a  Man  from  London  : 

3  Phillarea  Hedg  Plants     . 

0 

1 

fl 

30. 

—To  Esqr.  Fellowes,  at  Carshalton : 

31  Large  Standard  Yews    . 

7 

!;■) 

0 

31. 

„     44  Hedge  Yews 

.O 

10 

0 

Sept.  2. 

„     40  Large  Yews 

5 

0 

0 

.3. 

„    41  Large  Hedg  Yews 

,') 

0 

0 

4. 

„    13  Large  Fan  Standard  Yews 

3 

5 

0 

9. 

„     40  Hedg  Yews 

5 

0 

0 

11. 

„     42  Hedg  Yews 

5 

,') 

0 

18.- 

—To  Mr.  Adam  Holt : 

18  Pyramid  Yews    . 

1 

7 

0 

200  Hedge  PluUereas 

8 

13 

4 

30.- 

—To  Mr.  Bartlctt,  of  Camberwell: 

11  Hedg  Holleys,  7  ft.        . 

4 

O 

6 

12  Smaller  ditto,  2  ft. 

1 

10 

0 

Fbbeuaby  16. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


375 


FnoH  THE  Cash  Book  of  London  and  Wise,  op  the 
Bkommon  Pakk  Nueseey. 

1691.  £    «•    <!■ 

Sept.  14.— payd  for  10  fiiTS  .  .  .00  OH  0(i 

1092. 
Aug.  ye  39. — payd  to  a  man  for  bringing  a  holly 

plant  out  of  ye  country   .  .    00  00  Oi 

Sept.  ye  13. — payd  to    Natt    Swendon   for  570 

Phylereas  plants.  .  .    03  09  00 

1093. 
July  ye  10. — payd  for  ffetching  of  a  parcel  of 
Laurus  Tinus  from  Mr.   Ham- 
monds     .  .  .  .     00  00  00 
ye  31. — Eobt.   Baker  bought  7  I'hillarees, 
ye  charges  sending  them  to 
AVhitton,  totheLd.  Ffaulklands  00  09  04 


We  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  those  Peas  which 
may  be  called  second  early ;  the  difference  between  the 
time  at  which  they  are  ready  for  use,  and  those  we  have 
already  described,  being  at  least  from  eight  to  nine 
days,  forming  a  very  important  consideration  with  the 
gardener.  Till  withm  the  last  twelve  or  fourteen  years 
they  were  always  sown  for  the  earliest  crops,  and  were, 
in  consequence,  called  Frames,  but  as  they  some 
seventy  or  eighty  years  ago  displaced  the  Charlton  as 
the  earliest,  they  in  their  turn  have  been  displaced  by 
those  which  have  been  treated  of  in  the  beginning  of 
this  monograph.  As  gai-den  varieties,  it  is  very  probable 
they  will,  in  course  of  time,  share  the  same  fate  as  the 
Charlton,  after  the  improved  early  varieties  have  become 
more  generally  cultivated ;  and  in  all  likelihood  Early 
Frames  will  come  to  signify  any  good  early  white  Pea, 
without  any  particular  care  having  been  taken  in  pre- 
serving the  purity  of  the  stock.  For  the  present,  how- 
ever, such  is  not  the  case,  for  being  a  staple  article  in 
the  seed  trade  much  expense  is  bestowed  in  selecting 
them. 

SINGLE-BLOSSOIIED    FRAME. 

Synonymes.  —  Single  Frame,  Russell's  Early,  Earliest 
Early,  Early  Dwarf  Frame,  and  by  some  Early 
Kent,  but  erroneously. 

The  distinction  between  a  single  and  double  blos- 
somed Pea  is  not  generally  known.  We  have  frequently 
met  with  those  who  regard  them  in  the  same  sense  as 
they  would  a  single  and  double  Dahlia,  whereas  the 
difference  consists  merely  in  the  Single-blossomed  Pea 
bearing  one,  and  the  Douhle-hlossomed,  having  two 
flowers  on  a  peduncle,  or,  as  we  generally  say  in  our 
descriptions,  "pods  single  or  in  pairs."  There  is  a 
great  disposition  in  all  the  Single-blossomed  Peas  to 
assume  the  character  of  Double-blossomed,  and  hence 
the  care  required  in  selecting  them.  On  this  account  it 
is  diflScult  to  meet  with  the  true  Single-blossomed  Frame, 
and  after  all  it  becomes  a  question,  even  when  obtained, 
whether  it  is  worth  while  to  incur  so  much  trouble  and 
expense  for  any  advantage  that  may  be  derived  from 
having  it  of  the  true  Single-blossomed  character. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Higham,  in  Kent,  where  the 
earliest  Peas  that  come  to  the  London  markets  are 
produced,  I  know  some  growers  who  talce  no  small 
amount  of  pains,  not  only  to  preserve  the  character  of 


this  variety,  but  to  secure  the  possession  of  it  exclu- 
sively to  themselves.  They  save  their  own  seed,  and 
carefully  exclude  all  plants  which  exhibit  double 
blossoms ;  but  it  is  to  bo  borne  in  mind  that  the  soil 
of  this  district  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  producing  early 
crops  of  every  description,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that 
the  Peas  grown  and  saved  on  such  soil,  year  after  year, 
have  assumed  a  character  which  they  would  not  retain 
if  produced  under  different  circumstances. 

The  description  of  the  Single-blossomed  Frame  being 
in  all  respects  the  same  as  that  of  the  Double-blossomed, 
with  the  exception  of  the  pods  being  single  instead  of 
in  pairs,  it  will  not  bo  necessary  to  enter  further  on  this 
subject,  but  merely  refer  our  readers  to  that  variety. 

EARLY    WARWICK. 

Synonymes. — Racehorse,  Essex  Champion. 

When  the  Early  Warwick  was  first  introduced,  some 
years  ago,  it  was  a  single-blossomed  Pea,  and  somewhat 
earlier  than  the  Double-blossomed  Frame  of  those  days. 
It  was  first  obtained  at  Evesham,  in  Warwickshire, 
hence  its  name,  and  was,  in  fact,  a  pure  stock  of  the  true 
Single-blossomed  Frctme.  The  Early  Warwick,  ^judgmg 
from  what  is  now  cultivated  under  that  name,  has 
changed  its  original  character,  and  assumed  that  of  the 
Douhle-blossomed  Frame.  The  Double-blossomed  Frame, 
on  the  other  hand,  having  been  much  improved  of  late 
years  by  a  careful  selection,  has  been  obtained  of  an 
earlier  character  than  formerly,  and  the  result  is,  that 
by  the  degeneration  of  the  one,  and  the  improvement  of 
the  other,  little  difference,  if  any,  exists  between  it  and 
the  Early  V/arwiek.  Still,  however,  they  are,  as  I  think, 
needlessly  cultivated  as  distinct  varieties. 

The  Essex  Champion,  which  has  boon  introduced 
within  the  last  two  or  three  years,  and  is  admitted  to  be 
a  well-selected  stock  of  Early  Warwick,  though  a  good 
bearer,  and  an  excellent  Pea  for  large  culture,  does  not 
differ  from  any  other  pure  stock  of  the  Double-blossomed 
Frames. 

The  sample  of  Early  Warwicks  which  I  grew  were 
sown  on  the  5th  of  April,  bloomed  on  the  11th  of  June, 
and  were  fully  podded  on  the  8th  of  July,  being  eight 
days  later  than  Songster's  Number  One,  and  Warner's 
Emperor,  and  six  days  later  than  Beck's  Gem. 

BOUBLE-BLOSSOMED   FRAME. 

Synonyjies. — Early  Frame,  Early  Nimble,  Nimble 
Tailors,  Taylor's  Nimble,  Nimble  Peas. 

I  have  not  thought  it  worth  while  to  enumerate  all 
the  names  by  which  this  variety  has  been  known  since 
the  time  of  its  introduction,  some  seventy  or  eighty 
years  ago.  Such  a  list  is  of  no  use  now,  as  there  is  no 
instance  in  the  present  day  of  any  one  of  them  being 
employed.  Those  I  have  recorded  are  still  in  general 
use ;  but  in  addition  to  these,  there  are  numerous  others 
which  are  adopted  by  seedsmen,  intended  to  convey  the 
idea  of  superiority  of  the  stock  they  have  for  sale.  This 
is  a  distinction  which  is  perfectly  legitimate,  particularly 
in  those  instances  where  the  seedsman  appends  his 
name  as  a  guarantee  for  the  purity  and  excellency  of 
the   stock :    and  in  proportion   as   confidence    can  be 


376 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Eebruakt  IC. 


placed  in  tbe  liouse  so  distinguishing  them,  in  the  same 
proportion  are  the  stocks  lilcely  to  be  genuine,  for  we 
cannot  suppose  any  respectable  house 
associating  its  name  witli  an  article 
■which  would  tend,  in  the  least,  to  injure 
its  respectability,  or  shalie  that  con- 
fidence which  it  is  ever  eudeavonring 
to  secure.  It  may  be  laid  down,  there- 
fore, as  a  general  rule,  that  A.'s  Douhle- 
blossomed  Frawe,  and  B.'s  Donhle-hlos- 
somed  Frame,  are  such  as  the  vendors 
know  to  have  been  produced  from  care- 
fully -  selected  stocks ;  but  as  regards 
any  difference  between  the  two,  in  all 
probability  there   is  none. 

The  Dotdile  -  llossomed  Frame  pro- 
duces a  simple  stem  from  three  to  four 
feet  high,  of  a  slender  habit  of  growth, 
but  considerably  more  vigorous  than 
that  oi  Nmnher  One,  or  Emperor.  Pods 
single  and  in  pairs,  in  about  equal 
proportion,  three  inches  long,  and 
about  five  -  eighths  wide,  perfectly 
straight,  and  terminating  abruptly  at 
the  point ;  when  full  grown  they 
become  very  thick,  and  almost  quad- 
rangular, and  contain,  on  an  average, 
about  seven  peas  in  each.  The  ripe 
seed  is  round,  and  of  a  pearly-white  colour. 

It  was  sown  on  the  -^th  of  April,  bloomed  on  the  nth 
of  June,  and  was  ready  to  be  gathered  on  the  Stli  of 
July. 

I  have  seen  samples  of  the  DouUe-hhssomed  Frame 
so  carefully  selected  as  to  produce,  with  very  few  ex- 
ceptions, the  pods  always  in  pairs,  but  the  expense  in- 
curred in  securing  this  chai-acter  would  not  be  com- 
pensated by  any  advantage  that  could  be  derived  from 
the  preservation  of  it.  R.  H. 

{To  l)c  coutimtL'd.) 


VEGETABLE    CROPPING.— PRESERVATION. 

At  length  a  new  year  calls  into  being  the  most  active 
thoughts  amongst  the  gardening  fraternity,  and  every 
man's  wits  and  energies  will,  doubtless,  be  sharpened 
by  the  extreme  and  perilous  season  which  has  just 
turned  its  back  upon  us.  Indeed,  as  is  well  known, 
these  vicissitudes,  and  sudden  surprises  to  which  the 
more  northern  nations  of  Europe  have  ever  been  liable, 
have,  in  truth,  formed,  in  great  part,  their  national  cha- 
racter, and  placed  them  in  positions  of  superior  strength 
to  most  of  the  kingdoms  of  warmer  climes.  With  the 
gardener,  a  fine  climate  begets  a  sort  of  security  which 
is  ill  adapted  to  meet  unlooked-for  contingencies,  and 
hence  we  hear  so  much  about  the  greater  amount  of 
success  in  the  culture  of  hardy  fruits,  &c.,  in  situations 
where  the  inference  beforehand  would  have  been  fairly 
against  such  results.  Your  northern  gardener  is  a 
jealous  creature  ;  he  has  little  faith  in  weatlier,  and  is 
not  in  the  habit  of  poetising  over  zephyrs,  gentle 
showers,  the  beautiful  hoar  frost  on  the  window-panes, 
&o., — he  is  a  stern  sort  of  fellow,  and  can  scarcely  afford 
to  crack  a  joke. 


It  may  hero  be  urged,  what  has  this  to  do  with  the 
heading  of  this  paper'.'  The  answer  is — Much;  for  it 
will  be  found  that  gardeners,  whose  lot  is  cast  in  inaus- 
picious climes,  or  who  have  soil  of  a  peculiiirly  sterile 
or  obstinate  character  to  deal  with,  arc  compelled  to 
expend  extra  care  amongst  the  vegetables,  even  as  with 
the  fruits. 

I  may  here  point  to  the  great  importance  of  attending 
to  those  principles  as  to  the  early  winter  frosts,  on 
which  the  safety  of  tender  vegetables  depend  :  and  in  so 
doing,  I  will  just  quote  my  own  practice,  as  that  is  close 
to  my  elbow,  and  has  been  what  I  should  call  eminently 
successful.  With  a  thermometer  little  wide  of  zero,  and 
an  unusual  demand  for  the  products  of  the  kitchen-gar- 
den, it  may  be  surely  fancied  by  even  those  who  have 
never  been  subjected  to  such  an  ordeal,  that  the  gar- 
dener's mind  must  be  liable  to  much  anxiety. 

Well,  as  I  before  said,  we  northerns  never  trust  wea- 
ther ;  for  my  part,  during  the  last  half-score  years  of  my 
time,  I  have  always  so  laid  jny  plans  in  the  beginning 
of  December  as  though  I  expected  a  Lapland  winter; 
that  is  to  say,  as  far  as  labour  would  can-y  it.  This 
may  seem  pushing  things  to  exti-cmes  by  many,  and, 
indeed,  it  is  ;  but  1  find  it  a  most  wholesome  jealousy, 
and  one  that  is  satisfactory  in  its  results. 

Sometimes,  to  be  sure,  a  wiseacre  may  stare  at  you 
and  say,  "  You  made  too  much  fuss  by  half,  for  I  did 
not  take  half  yom'  trouble."  But  these  trusting  men 
are  in  a  mess  when  the  day  of  battle  arrives,  and  then, 
forsooth,  most  of  them  will  tuni  round  and  prate  about 
the  propriety  of  a  "stitch-in-time." 

But,  to  state  details,  let  us  take  the  BrocoVi  Family. 
Every  plant  we  have,  and  1  have  a  great  breadth,  have 
had  their  crowns  tucked  full  of  straw  ever  since  the 
middle  of  December,  and  they  now  look  .almost  as  fresh 
as  though  we  had  passed  a  mild  winter;  the  straw  still 
remaining  on  them  (January  i4).  Bath  Coss  and  Ham- 
mersmith Lettuces  were  all  covered  up  when  firmly  frozen 
in  the  Clu-istmas  week ;  they  remained  in  this  state 
until  almost  the  I'Jth  of  January;  that  is  to  say,  they 
remained  covered  three  days  after  the  thaw  arrived  ;  and 
they  are  in  fine  order,  with  scarcely  any  perceptible  iujiu'y . 
The  weather  was  dull  when  they  were  uncovered ;  and 
had  the  sun  bi'oken  out,  I  could  have  restored  half  the 
covering  as  shade ;  indeed,  it  is  always  the  best  practice 
not  to  thoroughly  uncover  after  long  covering ;  we 
always  do  it  in  what  might  be  thought  a  slovenly  way, 
and  leave  a  flickering  screen  on  still,  perhaps,  for  two  or 
three  weeks.  Coleicorts,  of  which,  in  one  point  or  other, 
we  have  had,  I  should  say,  a  quarter  of  an  acre,  were  all 
covered  thinly  just  as  the  lettuces,  and,  indeed,  treated 
the  same.  We  have  had  small  loss,  considering  the 
style  of  weather  we  have  endured.  Our  Coleworts 
now  lie,  as  the  Lettuces,  three-parts  uncovered  ;  a 
flickering  of  loose,  strawy  litter  lies  over  the\n  like  net- 
worl;. 

Savoys,  too,  arc  a  somewhat  tender  green ;  nt  least, 
they  are  not  safe  in  such  frosts  as  we  lately  experienced, 
especially  if  they  are  ripe  in  head  in  the  autumn.  My 
practice  is  to  cut  all  the  more  forward  with  solid  lieads, 
and  to  stick  them,  with  their  stalks  pointed  close  toge- 
ther, on  the  north  side  of  a  wall,  or  any  colder  spot  still, 
if  possible.  Hero  they  lie  close  together,  and  when 
firmly  frozen,  I  cover  them  well  up  with  litter,  finishing 
the  top  in  a  thatching  sort  of  style,  to  throw  ott'  tlie  wet ; 
and,  if  snow  fall,  it  is  not  sufl'ered  to  thaw  on  tliein.  In 
fact,  we  treat  the  mass  as  though  it  were  a  miniature  ice 
bouse,  and  here  they  keep  fresh  as  a  daisy  lor  many 
weeks.  Savoy  Coleicorts  are  more  dainty.  We  grow  a 
good  many  of  the  new,  little,  neat,  green-curled  for  this 
purpose,  and  we  have  now  a  beautiful  stock  of  them,  as 
smart,  as  nont,  and  green  as  little  bushes  of  green- 
curled  dwarf  Endive  in  September.  'J'liese  being  in  a 
green  state,  and  devoid  of  hearts  of  any  bulk,  require  a 


Febkuaby  16. 


THE  COTTAGE :  GAEDENER. 


37v 


difference  in  tlie  mode  of  protection  ;  in  fact,  they  arc 
managed  as  ordinary  Coleworts. 

Now,  after  such  report,  into  which  I  have  heen 
almost  imperatively  led  by  the  bearing  such  remarks 
may  have  on  the  vegetable  question  in  wintei's  to  come, 
let  me  advert  to  a  few  features  in  vegetable  culture  pe- 
culiar to  the  season,  for  I  nnist  soon  back  to  the  Fruits 
again. 

And,  first  of  all,  about  a  rotation  sclieme  adapted  to 
the  succeeding  spring,  summer,  autumn,  and  winter. 
This,  in  a  garden  of  any  consequence, is  something  more 
than  a  mere  whim  or  fancy.  It  unfortunately  happens, 
that  science  has  done  but  little  for  us  as  yet  in  this 
respect ;  the  best  light  by  which  we  are  guided  at  present 
being  that  of  sound  experience,  which,  however  em- 
pirical, when  taken  without  reference  to  principles,  is  of 
much  value.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  too,  that  the 
man  of  experience,  or  practice,  is  not  the  same  dog- 
matical animal  that  would  have  been  bis  character  half  a 
century  ago.  The  public  will  not  receive  this  kind  of 
pompous  ignorance,  although  backed  by  grey  hairs  and 
a  stiff  demeanour.  The  deductions,  or  inferences,  there- 
fore, of  men  of  experience  and  good  standing,  in  any 
profession,  in  these  times,  carry,  necessarily,  much 
weight,  and  this  is  just  as  it  should  be. 

In  adverting  to  rotation  schemes,  I  have  before 
offered  my  views,  and  I  may  be  allowed  to  repeat  some 
of  them,  as  bearing  on  cultivation  matters  in  hard- 
worked  vegetable  gardens,  for  such,  I  doubt,  constitute 
the  majority.  Tbe  first  great  feature  that  has  ever  met 
my  view,  in  a  consideration  of  the  rotation  question,  is 
the  frequent  recurrence,  and  the  immense  breadth  of 
land  required,  for  what  are  termed  Cabbageworts,  a 
term,  the  modern  acceptation  of  which  includes  every- 
thing, from  a  Ragged  Jack  up  to  a  first-rate  coelaiey 
Cauliflower. 

It  does  appear  to  me,  that  in  spite  of  all  that 
ohemisti-y  might  do  for  the  rotation  question,  here  would 
at  all  times  be  a  point  of  such  over-bearing  influence  as 
to  throw  many  impediments  in  tlie  way  of  the  most 
scientific  procedures.  I  would  here,  once  more,  draw 
attention  to  deep  digging  or  trenching,  that  is  to  say,  if 
you  can  get  labour  enough,  for  not  every  one  who  can 
preach  such  doctrines  can  carry  them  out,  and  if.  any 
one  should  honour  me  with  a  call,  and  not  see  so  much 
of  this  deep  digging  going  on  as  he  would  be  led  to 
expect,  I  shall  be  tempted  to  use  the  language  which  I 
have,  years  ago,  heard  imputed  to  some  irreverend 
lecturer,  who,  when  accused  of  the  difference  between 
the  precepts  he  gave  out  and  his  own  example,  replied 
— "  You  must  follow  the  light,  not  the  lanthorn." 

When  I  urge  trenching,  however,  I  am  not  supposing 
it  either  expedient  or  possible  for  every  one  who 
possesses  an  old  kitchen-garden  to  deep  dig  every  pole 
of  land  annually.  I  name  it  for  the  sake  of  directing 
attention  to  a  class  of  vegetables,  &c.,  for  which  I  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  using  the  term  "  Pkepabeks."  Of 
such  are  the  following : — Asparagus,  Celery,  Rhubarb, 
Leeks,  Winter  Spinach,  Sea-kale,  Horseradish,  Ptasp- 
berries.  Strawberries,  &c. 

Now,  these  are  not  all  preparers  in  the  same  sense 
pi-ecisely,  some  accomplish  this  by  merely  deepening 
the  soil,  others  by  the  long  period  during  which  the  plot 
is  occupied  by  them,  and  most  by  the  extra  manuring, 
&e.,  requisite  when  the  crop  is  "  laid  down." 

I  do  think  that  all  modern  rotation  schemers  will  do 
well  to  look  this  view  of  the  question  full  in  the  face, 
and  if  their  Sea-kale  has,  hitherto,  been  produced  under 
blanching-pots,  their  Celery  grown  simply  by  the  old 
and  pitiful  single  row  system,  their  Asparagus  left 
merely  existing,  for  several  years,  their  Raspberries  in  a 
similar  position,  to  reconsider  the  matter,  and  see 
whether  a  different  mode  of  culture  leading  to  better 
rotations  may  not  more  conduce  to  the  end  in  view.     I 


have  so  often  adverted  to  this  part  of  the  question,  and 
iu  these  pages,  too,  that  some  may,  doubtless,  grow 
tired  of  it ;  but  I  may  just  remind  such,  that  the  back- 
wardness of  vegetable  culture  and  hardy  fruits  has  been 
urged  iu  the  most  pointed  way,  during  the  last  year  or 
two,  by  parties  of  such  weight,  as  that  their  remarks 
may,  by  no  means,  be  slighted.  R.  Ebrington. 


CUTTINGS. 


AccoBDiNa  to  a  good  authority,  who  has  been  resting 
awhile,  at  Bath,  from  the  toils  and  scenes  of  a  busy 
country  life,  "this  is  a  season  when  such  operations 
(making  cuttings)  interest  all  connected  with  in-door 
and  out-door  gardening."  Now,  it  is  quite  true  that 
spring  is  the  best  time  to  make  cuttings  for  in-door 
propagation,  and  no  one  can  begin  too  early  in  tbe 
spring  with  soft-wooded  cuttings  if  the  means  are  at 
hand;  but  the  spring  is,  certainly,  not  the  best  time  to 
make  cuttings  for  outside  propagation;  nevertheless, 
we  are  all  of  us  but  too  glad  to  receive  such  hints  as 
will  enable  us  to  make  The  Cottage  Gardener  more 
useful,  and  "augment  the  sale  of  it;"  therefore  this  is 
the  first  of  "a  series  of  articles  on  Striking  Cuttings, 
first,  of  all  soft-wooded  plants,  as  Geraniums ;  and, 
secondly,  all  hard-wooded  plants,  as  Roses,  &c;"  on  the 
recommendation  of  J.  S.  M.  while  residing  at  IBath. 

In  my  busy  days,  I  received  more  useful  hints  on 
gardening  from  Bath,  than  from  all  England,  L-eland, 
and  Scotland  put  together.  When  people  go  to  Brighton 
they  seem  to  forget  gardening  altogether;  but  when 
they  go  to  Bath,  it  often  seemed  to  me  that  it  was  on 
pm-pose  to  tell  of  all  the  very  secrets  of  gardening  to 
one  another;  and  by  way  of  proving  how  far  any  one 
was  up  to  the  mark,  to  get  things  sent  from  home  to 
Bath  to  tell  the  tale.  Poultiy  shows  are  nothing  to  the 
private  exhibitions  at  Bath,  at  the  end  of  the  winter,  to 
my  own  knowledge ;  the  worst  of  it  was,  and  perhaps 
is  now,  that  the  exhibition  is  not  always  a  private  one ; 
your  last  cucumber  to  Bath  may  have  been  presented  to 
a  second  party,  and  to  gratify  the  presentee,  it  is  now 
ticketed  for  all  Bath  to  see,  as  from  your  garden  in  the 
happy  land,  if  not  from  the  cradle  of  the  very  science, 
bearing  on  its  length  and  juiciness.  At  all  events, 
Editors  must  know  every  thing,  else  they  would  never 
send  me  this  letter  from  Bath,  to  remind  me  of  reminis- 
cences of  "  Auld  Lang  Syne." 

The  top  part  of  a  shoot  is  the  best  part  for  a  cutting 
in  all  plants,  and  more  so  in  all  the  soft-wooded  plants; 
the  top  of  a  young  weak  side-shoot  is  better  for  a  cutting 
than  the  top  of  the  strongest  shoot,  for  this  reason,  that 
it  is  not  so  liable  to  damp  at  the  bottom  as  a  large 
succulent  shoot  would  be ;  but  if  you  can  get  it  to  strike 
roots,  the  strongest  makes  the  best  plant  of  the  two. 
Then,  on  the  principle  of  never  venture,  never  win, 
most  gardeners  make  cuttings  in  the  spring  of  as  many 
tops  as  they  can  put  their  hands  on ;  but  writers  do  not 
advise  young  beginners  to  be  so  bold — rather  to  feel 
their  way  by  taking  the  more  sui-e  and  easy  tops  for 
their  first  cuttings.  But  I  shall  mention  a  great  many 
plants  by  name,  and  say  under  each  of  them  how  the 
the  thing  is  to  be  done,  and  in  different  ways. 

Long  cuttings  are  not  so  easy  to  manage  as  short 
ones,  and  they  are  more  extravagant;  the  reason  is  this, 
the  long  ones  will  not  hold  up  their  heads  nearly  so 
well  as  short  ones,  and  when  the  head  of  a  cutting 
droops  it  is  a  bad  sign,  and  if  it  is  not  able  to  prick  up 
its  ears  and  stand  erect  after  two  days,  it  is  a  worse 
sign,  and,  instead  of  "  being  all  up  with  it,"  the  chances 
are  that  it  will  not  root  at  all,  but  damp  off  at  last.  I 
shall  tell  of  a  remedy  for  such  a  case  by-and-by. 
Secondly,  the  extravagance  of  making  long  cuttings 
will  never  be  more  felt  than  when  you  have  only  one 


378 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Febkcart  1G. 


plant  of  a  Verbena,  or  Anagallis,  or  of  any  other  kind 
of  which  you  expect  a  good  many  plants  at  turning-out 
time;  or  if  that  one  plant  has  only  a  single  shoot,  and 
you  take  the  first  cutting  of  it  too  long,  what  remains 
will  be  too  short  for  yoiu-  purpose  to  get  more  cuttings 
from  during  the  cutting  season. 

All  cuttings,  except  those  with  heels,  ought  to  be 
made  exactly  in  the  same  way,  so  that  if  you  understand 
how  to  make  a  Verbena  cutting,  and  also  why  it  is  that 
you  made  it  just  that  way  and  not  any  other  way,  you 
understand  how  and  wliy  every  other  cutting  in  the 
country  is  made.  Now,  on  the  supposition  that  you 
never  made  or  saw  a  cutting  made  in  your  life  time,  and 
considering  the  hard  winter  which  made  stock  plants 
for  getting  cuttings  from  scarce,  let  me  advise  you  not 
to  try  experiments  on  your  own  stock  until  you  have 
learned  to  make  a  cutting  as  smart  as  any  of  them  from 
the  following  directions : — You  can  learn  the  process 
by  practising  on  any  thing  you  can  gather  from  the 
hedges,  road-side,  or  any  where — a  handful  of  the  tops  of 
Privets,  Lilacs,  particularly  Persian  Lilacs,  which  arequite 
small  at  the  tops — Apple,  Pear,  Peach,  Plum,  Cherry,  or 
what  not,  will  learn  you  equally  as  well,  if  you  gather  a 
lot  of  the  tops,  and  try  them  as  I  shall  point  out.  The 
dullest  boy  I  ever  had  from  the  farm,  or  from  the  school, 
I  could  teach  in  ten  minutes  to  malie  cuttings  of  most 
things,  and  surely  it  will  not  he  any  difficulty  to  one 
like  you  to  learn  al)  about  fhom  at  once;  still,  a  little 
practice  on  the  wild  things  will  not  be  amiss,  seeing  that 
frst-cuttings  will  be  very  scarce  this  spring. 

I  never  like  to  see  a  cutting  of  any  soft  plant  more 
than  two  inches  long,  except  Geranium  cuttings,  and  a 
few  others ;  Verbenas,  Petunias,  Calceolarias,  Lobelias, 
American  Groundsel,  Anagallis,  and  l\ichsias,  I  like  to 
be  only  of  that  length  for  hotbed  and  spring  work — any- 
thing shorter  will  do  equally  well,  even  half-inch  cut- 
tings, when  one  can  manage  them,  will  be  better  in  the 
long  run  than  any  thing  beyond  two  inches.  I  put  a 
great  deal  of  stress  on  the  particular  length  I  wish  for 
cuttings;  and  I  am  too  old  now,  and  have  been  so  ac- 
customed to  cuttings  of  all  sizes,  that  if  all  the  gardeners 
and  writers  in  the  country  were  to  rise  up  against  me, 
and  say  I  was  daft  on  that  point,  I  would  not  give  it  up 
for  the  whole  lot  of  them.  The  Verbenas  grow  with 
two  leaves  at  every  joint,  one  on  each  side  of  the  shoot, 
and  Petunias  seldom  grow  that  way,  but  on  the  flower- 
ing wood ;  this  is  another  point  on  which  I  am  just  as 
firm  as  on  the  length  of  cuttings. 

In  the  spring,  we  often  meet  with  store  pots  of  Petu- 
nias that  were  struck  last  autumn,  and  on  every  plant 
in  the  pot  the  leaves  are  zig-zag  instead  of  being  in 
pairs — at  least,  the  top  part  is  not  in  pairs  of  leaves,  not 
one  of  which  is  worth  a  pin,  they  are  even  worse  than  use- 
less, they  will  deceive  you  next  Slay,  as  sure  as  fate,  if  you 
strike  them  now ;  the  tops  are  "  flowering-wood,"  and 
you  cannot  alter  their  nature.  One  should  never  make 
a  cutting  from  the  flowering-wood  of  a  Petunia  in  the 
spring ;  we  are  often  obliged  to  make  them  of  flowering- 
wood  in  the  autumn,  because  most  parts  are  then  in 
bloom.  When  one  makes  bis  Petunia  plants  from  the 
flowering-wood  in  the  spring,  the  bottom  part  will  not 
swell  out  like  the  new  top,  which  it  will  make;  the  plant 
gets  top-heavy,  and  unless  it  is  fastened  down  at  plant- 
ing-out time  it  snaps  off,  or  it  is  so  twisted  about  with 
the  wind  that  it  cannot  grow  ;  and  when  it  is  fastened 
down,  the  hard,  wiry  bottom  cannot  pass  up  suflioient 
nourishment  for  the  healthy  new  top,  and  there  it  re- 
mains ever  so  long,  and  you  cannot  toll  whether  it  will  live 
or  die— all  this  time  the  bed  might  be  covered.  I  have 
known  very  good  gardeners  deceived  by  these  Petunias, 
without  being  at  all  aware  of  what  was  the  matter  with 
them :  and  1  appeal  to  any  of  my  readers  who  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  planting  out  Petunias,  if  they 
have   not,  some  time    or   other,  met  with   more   dis- 


appointment with  them  than  with  any  other  plants, 
if  ever  they  stood  still  after  planting.  1  have  been  so 
myself,  and  found  some  of  such  plants  to  go  off  for  two 
months  after  planting  time  without  knowing  why,  and 
I  was  a  long  time  before  I  found  out  the  reason,  but 
after  finding  out  the  cause  of  their  going  off,  1  made  a 
practice  of  cutting  back  all  my  store  pots  of  them  in 
January,  so  that  the  propagators  could  not  err  in  making 
cuttings  from  the  wrong  parts ;  after  that,  I  seldom 
failed  in  having  the  Petunia-beds  as  full  and  as  early 
ready  as  any  beds  in  tlie  garden.  Therefore,  before  we 
set  about  learning  to  make  cuttings,  just  look  over  your 
stoi-e  pots  of  Petunias,  and  if  the  leaves  are  alternate 
on  the  top  of  the  shoots,  cut  them  all  down  to  the  old 
leaves  which  were  on  the  cuttings  last  autumn,  and  put 
the  jwts  into  heat,  they  will  then  make  new  wood  for 
the  very  best  kind  of  cuttings,  and  be  quite  time 
enough.  Although  there  is  not  another  plant  that  does 
so  bad  from  flower-wood  as  the  Petunia,  there  are  many 
that  will  be  backward  in  starting  next  Jlay,  when 
planted  out,  if  the  cuttings  are  made  now  from  the  old 
wood  or  pots  that  stood  stock  still  all  the  season;  to 
get  over  this,  many  gardeners  put  the  store  pots  into 
heat  in  January,  so  as  to  force  a  little  growth  to  get  the 
first  cuttings  from. 

Altogether,  I  think  the  best  way  will  be  to  say  that 
the  first  crop  of  cuttings  from  all  your  soft-wooded 
plants  ought  to  be  from  gi-owth  made  since  the  end  of 
last  November.  Those  who  do  not  want  immense 
numbers  seldom  begin  before  the  end  of  February, 
wlien  there  is  no  lack  of  this  young  growth,  but  for 
those  who  must  begin  with  the  new  year,  there  is 
nothing  for  it  but  to  force  on  purpose. 

The  best  crop  of  Verhentts  I  ever  had,  was  once  when 
the  fly  took  to  all  my  stock  of  them,  in  a  cold  house,  at 
the  end  of  November,  and  as  nothing  else  in  that  house 
was  flyed,  I  ordered  the  whole  lotof  Verbena  store  pots 
to  be  removed  to  a  house  where  we  were  forcing  Roses, 
and  all  kinds  of  plants  for  the  conservatory,  and  where 
a  moist  beat  of  between  fifty  and  sixty  degrees  was 
kept,  with  good  airing.  I  forget,  now,  if  it  was  from  the 
weather  getting  very  cold,  or  what,  but  the  Verbenas 
stood  in  the  forcing-house,  up  on  a  shelf  close  to  the 
glass,  till  Christmas,  and  every  one  of  them  made  a 
growth  in  the  time  fit  to  make  cuttings ;  the  cuttings 
were  made,  and  two  more  crops  of  healthy,  strong 
growth  were  got  before  the  old  pots  were  removed.  All 
our  Verbena  plants  for  that  season  were  rooted  before 
the  end  of  February,  and  all  the  old  store  pots  were 
thrown  away.  Once  more  ;  if  store  cuttings  of  Verbenas, 
or  of  almost  any  soft-wooded  plant,  are  badly  injured  by 
the  fly,  and  look  black  or  smutty,  no  cutting  should  ever 
be  taken  from  such  parts,  tlie  tops  must  either  be  cut 
off  or  forced  to  now  growth  before  cuttings  are  fit  to  be 
made  from  them. 

The  way  to  make  a  cutting  is  this — you  first  of  all 
cut  oft'  the  top  of  a  shoot,  say  of  a  Verbena  shoot,  as 
being  one  of  the  easiest,  measure  with  your  eye  down  to 
the  pair  of  leaves  that  will  come  the  nearest  to  two 
inches,  and  cut  it  just  above  the  uext  joint  lower  down, 
the  bare  piece  from  between  the  two  joints  will  serve 
you  to  hold  between  the  forefinger  and  thumb  of  the 
left  band,  while  you  cut  ofl'tlio  two  opposite  leaves  with 
a  very  sharp  knife ;  cut  the  leaves,  or  rather  the  leaf- 
stalks, quite  close  to  the  stem  of  the  cutting,  but  do  not 
injure  the  buds  which  nestle  there;  now  take  the  top  of 
the  cutting  between  the  forefinger  and  the  middle  finger, 
and  put  the  joint  from  which  3'ou  have  just  cut  the 
leaves  on  the  thumb-nail,  and  cut  right  across,  just 
below  tlio  joint,  with  a  cleau  cut,  and  tlio  cutting  is 
made  ;  if  the  kuifc  is  blunt,  or  if  you  put  much  stress 
on  it,  you  will  malce  a  bruised  cut,  or  if  you  cut  with  a 
pair  of  common  scissors  it  will  be  tlie  same,  and  a 
bruised  cut  on  so  soft  a  part  is  sure  to  rot  and  fester  as 


February  16. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


379 


soon  as  it  is  planted,  anil  water  or  moisture  gets  to  it, 
but  a  clean  cut  will  stand  safe  long  enough  for  the 
cutting  to  make  roots,  as  tlio  stem  of  a  flower  would  in 
a  glass  of  water. 

Many  kinds  of  cuttings  would  suck  up  more  water 
tliau  was  needed  if  they  were  cut  off  half-way  between 
two  joints,  and  would  run  the  risk  of  being  killed  by 
too  much  water  so  taken  up,  and  that  is  the  reason  why 
they  cut  so  close  to  a  joiut  or  a  single  leaf,  because  the 
stem  is  lia.rder  there  than  between  joints  or  leaves,  and 
will  not  take  in  so  much  water  in  consequence.  For  a 
Verbena,  however,  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  to  cvit  close 
to  a  joint,  for  the  joints  of  them  are  of  the  nature  of 
Strawberry-runners,  the  one  will  root  as  well  as  the 
other  at  the  joints,  if  they  toucli  the  ground ;  sooner, 
perhaps,  than  if  the  joints  were  buried  deep  in  it. 

If  I  had  to  plant  a  new  bed  with  Strawberries  to- 
morrow, I  would  take  up  the  youug  plants,  and  leave 
six  inches  of  the  runner  to  every  one  of  them,  and  I 
would  then  plant  them  like  Cabbage  plants,  with  a 
dibber,  putting  down  the  six-inch  piece  in  the  bole  till 
the  roots  came  just  within  it ;  with  another  push  from 
the  side  with  the  dibber,  I  would  make  tlie  six-inch 
piece  as  firm  in  the  ground  that  you  could  not  pull  it 
up  without  breakiug  the  leaves,  and  yet  the  roots  would 
be  as  loose  as  anything,  and  free  to  work  in  the  bed  in 
all  directions,  without  any  cramming  and  cramping,  and 
a  stranger  could  not  see  liow  the  frost  did  not  turn  out 
my  whole  plantation,  after  the  first  hard  night;  yet  they 
are  all  as  firm  as  London.  Now,  Verbena  cuttings,  also 
Lobelias,  and  some  Calceolarias,  could  be  done  exactly 
on  the  same  plan,  getting  as  much  of  the  space  between 
the  joints,  to  fix  in  the  cutting-pot,  as  would  do  to  hold 
it  firm,  with  the  bottom  joint  only  within  the  surface  of 
the  sand.  By  this  way  we  always  did  our  cuttings  of 
very  scarce  sorts  of  Verbenas,  or  new  ones  bought  in 
late  in  the  spring,  and  gained  one  joint  for  every  cutting 
we  made,  and  that  joint  made  two  more  cuttings  by  the 
next  growth,  which  was  a  great  help  to  get  a  good  stock 
from  a  small  beginning.  The  usual  way  is  to  take  three 
joints  lor  a  free-growing  Verbena  cuUinij,  or  a  four-joint 
cutting,  when  the  joints  grow  close  together,  then,  by 
taking  only  two  joints  and  the  naked  piece  below,  to 
fasten  as  a  cutting,  we  saved  the  third  joint  for  another 
growth.  When  yon  come  to  try  this  way,  if  you  look 
sharp  you  may  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone ;  make  a 
clean,  smooth  cut  every  time,  and  your  cutting  needs  no 
more  dressing,  except  cutting  off  the  two  leaves  next 
the  bottom,  or  if  you  have  room  in  the  cutting-pot,  you 
need  not  even  cut  these  leaves  at  all. 

I  would  not  advise  at  all  to  have  the  soil  in  the 
cutting-pot  for  soft  cuttings  pressed  bard,  as  some 
people  do,  and  as  we  must  all  do  for  Heath  cuttings  and 
the  like  of  them,  for  I  am  quite  sure  that  this  hard 
pressing  does  more  harm  than  good.  To  have  a  free 
nourishing  compost  is  much  better,  and  easier  for  the 
tiny  roots  to  work  in.  I  care  not  what  kind  of  soil  suits 
a  soft-wooded  plant  best  when  it  is  out  of  the  ]n'opagat- 
ing  stage,  I  use  only  one  compost  for  the  cuttings  of  all 
of  them,  and  I  never  press  it  hard,  not  more  than  if  I 
was  potting  a  Geranium,  just  two  or  three  raps  by  the 
bottom  of  the  pot  on  the  board,  then  a  thin  layer  of 
clean  sand  on  the  top  to  keep  the  cuttings  clean  and 
tidy  ;  an  eighth-of-an-inoh,  or  even  less,  will  do  just  as 
well  as  an  inch  deep  for  any  soft  cutting,  as  the  sand  is 
not  for  the  purpose  of  helping  the  cutting  to  root,  but 
to  keep  all  clean ;  many  thousands  of  such  cuttings 
never  get  a  morsel  of  sand  at  all,  but  then  the  pot 
cannot  be  made  so  full  as  with  the  sand  ;  more  water 
will  be  needed,  and  some  of  the  cuttings  often  die  or 
damp  otl'  on  the  top;  but  with  sand  covering,  and  a 
good  working  bottom-heat,  70°  to  80°  strong,  and  no 
bad  smells  from  the  bed,  I  would  not  give  a  fig  for  a 


man  who  would  lose  one  cutting  out  of  five  hundred  in 
March  and  April. 

The  universal  compost  for  soft  cuttings  is  equal  parts 
of  peat,  leaf-mould,  and  sand,  sifted  as  fine  as  possible, 
with  an  inch  of  the  last  sittings  over  a  good  drainage  ; 
if  leaf-mould  is  not  at  hand,  I  would  rather  use  peat  and 
sand  in  equal  proportions  than  put  any  kind  of  loam 
with  cuttings  for  fast  work.  I  have  often  and  often 
missed  the  leaf-mould  when  I  had  it  in  abundance 
under  my  nose,  and  1  know  that  in  the  great  nurseries 
they  think  it  a  most  extravagant  thing  to  use  it  at  all 
for  such  common  work. 

A  three  or  four-inch  pot  is  a  better  pot  for  soft  cuttings 
than  any  other  size,  because,  without  good  practice,  one 
is  too  apt  to  give  too  much  water,  and  if  tlje  pot  is 
larger,  the  compost  will  bold  too  much  water  for  the 
safety  of  the  cuttings;  but  with  a  small  pot,  well 
drained,  and  with  such  light  compost  as  I  used,  one 
might  water  twice  a  day  without  doing  the  least  harm. 
Scores  of  times  have  I  watered  many  scores  of  cutting- 
pots  three  times  a  day,  when  the  sun  was  strong  in 
March,  but  very  little  to  oacli  pot,  as  it  was  done  with 
the  syringe,  but  then  the  machinery  was  perfect,  and  a 
man  watching  every  turn  and  shade  of  '.he  movements: 
bottom-heat  up  to  90°,  top-heat  seldom  so  low  as  that, 
and  nothing  to  shade  the  sun  from  the  glass  frame,  no 
bell-glasses  in  use,  but  no  air  allowed  as  far  as  it  could 
be  kept  elose.  Five  days  allowed  to  strike  Verbenas, 
Anagalises,  Senecios,  and  a  few  others ;  and  ten  days 
for  the  slower  ones  ;  the  heat,  the  sun,  and  the  syringe 
were  the  prime  agents,  and  if  the  syringe  was  neglected 
for  one  hour  after  the  frame  was  dry  enough  for 
another  turn  it  would  make  a  day's  difference  in  the 
rooting  of  the  cuttings,  and  perhaps  destroy  some  of 
them  altogether  ;  it  was  just  like  risking  oneself  in  an 
express  train — the  greater  the  danger  and  the  speed,  the 
more  exciting,  and  the  sooner  ended  ;  but  the  turn  of  a 
straw,  and  we  shudder  at  a  distance  from  the  scene. 

When  one  has  to  raise  seeds,  or  seedlings,  and  force 
some  Hyacinths,  or  grow  young  Cucumber  or  Melon 
plants,  or  any  other  thing-  requiring  a  different  treat- 
ment from  cuttings  in  a  two-light  box  or  pit,  if  a  tem 
porary  division  cannot  be  made  down  below  the  rafter 
to  separate  the  different  things,  it  is  more  safe  to  have 
cuttings  with  some  close  glasses  over  them,  bell-glasses, 
or  sqiiares  of  glass.  I  like  squares  best  as  giving  less 
trouble,  but  things  will  root  under  a  bell  sooner ;  on 
the  other  hand,  squares  require  double  pots,  and  they 
need  the  inside  pot,  or  cutting-pot  to  be  small ;  and  I 
hold  it  as  firm  as  a  rock,  that  a  cutting-pot  was  never 
too  small  yet ;  then  the  square  never  wants  wiping  like 
a  bell  glass,  only  to  turn  it  every  morning,  and  the 
bottom  heat  is  never  too  strong  for  the  double  pot,  as 
there  is  always  a  little  space  between  the  two  to  let  go 
the  beat.  Another  use  of  the  square  is  that  it  compels 
the  hard-headed  ones,  the  dulls  and  the  drones,  to  make 
their  cuttings  short  enougli  so  as  to  find  head-room 
without  being  obliged  to  put  the  cutting-pot  inside  very 
large  ones  on  pui'pose  for  head-room.  Add  to  all  this, 
that  if  you  must  have  top  glasses,  you  must  either  take 
a  square  of  glass  and  double  pots,  or  else  lose  the  best 
part  of  the  cutting-pots  by  the  bell-glass,  the  sides  of 
the  pot  all  round  being  the  very  best  part  for  all  cuttings, 
and  that  cannot  be  had  if  the  bell  is  on,  unless  you 
double  pot  and  put  sand  between  the  two  for  the  glass 
to  rest  on ;  but  really,  for  such  propagation  as  we  are 
now  contemplating,  this  is  too  much  of  a  good  thing, 
just  like  carrying  coals  to  Newcastle.  It  was  necessary, 
however,  that  I  should  sliow  these  different  ways  before 
we  decided  on  how  the  cuttings  were  to  be  planted. 
When  the  frame  or  bed  is  close,  and  is  entirely  given 
up  to  cuttings,  no  glasses  are  needed  unless  one  likes, 
then  the  pots  may  be  brimful,  and  the  cuttings  planted 
as  shallow  as  will  just  hold  them  steady,  and  no  more. 


380 


THE   COTTAGE    GARDENEJR. 


Febrdary  JG. 


the  pots  being  so  small  one  need  not  mind  filling  tlio 
centre  with  cuttings,  but  only  ;i  row  round  the  side,  and 
as  near  to  each  other  as  they  will  stand  without  touching 
each  other. 

Here,  thou,  is  a  great  advantage  for  breaking  in 
the  youngsters ;  a  pot  brimlbl  must  be  very  care- 
I'uUy  watered,  else  all  is  over;  but  the  sand  takes  in 
enough  by  little  and  little,  and  they  can  never  overdo 
the  watering  ;  the  small  pot  never  gets  too  much  bottom- 
heat,  and  the  roots  all  at  the  sides  of  tlie  pot  will  run 
down  faster  than  by  any  other  way,  and  wheii  the 
plants  are  ready  for  potting  otT  there  is  no  fear  of 
breaking  roots.  When  wo  have  to  place  a  cutting-pot 
inside  one  that  is  a  little  larger,  the  smaller  the  outside 
one  is  the  better,  if  it  gives  head-room  to  the  cuttings 
under  tlie  square  of  glass ;  and  it  often  happens  that 
pots  do  not  match  so  near  as  to  allow  of  this  witliout 
having  the  cuttings  lower  in  this  cutting-pot  than  those 
in  the  last  pot,  but  half-an-inch  below  the  rim  is  the 
lowest  I  can  aflbrd  for  young  apprentices  to  put  in  their 
first  cuttings,  i  once  "had  a  man  that  1  could  never 
sliame  out  of  pressing  the  soil  for  these  cuttings  as  he 
would  for  liard-vvooded  ones,  and  although  ho  lost  scores 
by  his  bad  practice,  he  persisted,  in  spite  of  me,  till  one 
day,  being  out  of  all  patience,  1  made  him  do  what  I 
never  heard  of  before,  but  it  answered  very  well  indeed ; 
it  was  to  fill  a  pot  with  the  compost,  and  put  on  a  layer 
of  the  driest  sand  ho  could  find,  and  not  to  press  or 
water  till  after  the  cuttings  were  all  planted  ;  what  with 
the  trembling  from  his  fright,  and  the  trickling  down  of 
the  dry  sand  in  each  hole  before  he  could  got  in  the 
cutting,  it  was  an  awkward  job,  but  every  ono  of  the 
cuttings  took,  and  from  the  two  extremes  he  made  a 
useful  man  after  that,  and  he  hit  on  a  good  new  plan 
for  cutting-pots  and  seedling-pots  alter  that,  which  1 
followed  and  found  useful.  It  was  to  have  a  little 
hollow  in  the  centre  for  holding  all  water  each  pot 
needed,  and  from  this  hollow  the  soil  all  round  took  up 
enough,  without  any  falling  heavily  on  the  cuttings. 

D.  Beaton. 


STRIKING,   AND  YET   COMPARATIVELY 
NEGLECTED,   PLANTS. 

xVgave  Americana  (American  Aloe). — This,  according 
to  a  popular  delusion,  is  tho  wonderful  centenerarian, 
that  will  bloom  only  when  a  hundred  years  old.  Many 
a  mile  has  been  tranjpod  by  yoiuig  gardeners  to  see  a 
good  specimen  in  bloom.  I  have  already  done  so,  and 
woidd  be  tempted  to  re)ieat  tlie  pilgrimage  to-morrow. 
A  flower-stem,  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  lieight,  and 
with  something  above  fifteen  thousand  blooms  and 
buds,  is  a  sight  not  easily  Jbrgotten.  I  once  paid  a 
shilling  to  see  a  "  magnificent  specimen"  at  the  Egyptian 
Hall,  Piccadilly,  but  it  was  such  a  Lilliputian,  that  I 
have  seen  a  Yucca JUamentosa  very  little  behind  it. 

This  genus,  along  with  Clivia,  LiUcca,  and  the  won- 
derful Fuorcroija,  &c.,  form  a  fibrous-rooted  division  of 
the  group  of  Amaryllids.  The  S])ecios  with  which  I 
have  headed  this  article,  and  its  variegated  variety,  as 
well  as  many  other  species,  are  met  with  pretty  plenti- 
fully in  the  tropical  parts  of  America.  Americana  is  not 
only  one  of  the  most  luxuriant,  but  the  most  yieldiug  to 
circumstances,  as  it  is  found  equally  at  home  in  tho  hot 
plains,  and  at  an  elevation  of  nine  thousand  feet. 
Hence,  the  plant  is  nearly  as  comfortable  in  the  South 
of  Europe  as  in  the  central  states  of  America.  Nay,  in 
Devonshire,  it  has  been  found  to  grow  and  bloom  in  the 
ojien  air  without  any  protection.  A  plant  at  Saltcombe 
Bay,  six  inches  high,  in  1801,  was  eleven  feet  in  height 
in  1820,  and  that  year  threw  up  a  flower-stem  twenty- 
seven  feet  in  height. 

Still,  unless  iu  very  favourable  positions,  the  plant 


will  not  endure  tlie  open  air  in  this  country;  and  far  less 
could  it  be  cultivated,  with  advantage,  for  tin-  uses  to 
which  it  is  applied  ni  more  genial  latitudes;  such  as 
forming  impenetrable  fences  or  hedges;  yielding  strong 
fibre,  thread,  and  paper,  from  its  macerated  foliage;  af- 
fording soap,  by  evaporating  tlie  expressed  juice  of  the 
thick  leaves;  and  giving  abundance  of  a  beer-like 
liquor,  called 7)((/(yHC,  by  fermenting  the  juice  that  flows 
freely  where  the  inner  leaves  arc  cut  out  just  before  the 
flower  stems  appear.  A  strong  spirit  is  also  distilled 
from  this  pulque. 

I  know  nothing  of  the  amount  of  fibrous  matter  derived 
from  this  source,  or  whether  or  not  it  could  be  greatly 
augmented.  Doubtless,  there  are  many  things,  such  as 
the  Ibliage  of  the  Pine-apple,  from  which  a  gi-eat  amount 
of  useful  fibre  could  be  obtained.  The  needle-like  foli- 
age of  the  Eir  tribe  is  already  being  brought  into  useful 
requisition.  I  allude  to  this  incidentally,  having  lately 
read  that  so  much  is  a  deficiency  of  fibre  of  any  sort 
felt,  that  even  the  paper-makers  are  quite  at  their  wits' 
ends  to  obtain  anything  that  will  suit  their  purpose,  the 
demand,  owing  to  the  vast  quantity  required  for  the 
cheap  literature  of  the  day,  actually  treading  u])ou,  if 
not  exceeding,  the  supply ;  so  much  so,  that  ladies  are 
besought  not  to  waste  a  rag  that  by  possibility  could  be 
converted  into  paper.  Only  think  of  a  young  lady,  for 
the  sin  of  waste  or  carelessness  in  this  respect,  being 
condemned  to  tell  sacli  ecstatic  thoughts  to  the  cold 
moon,  instead  of  wafting  them,  on  smooth  hotpressed, 
to  an  atmosphere  genial  and  reciprocal  I 

I  would  merely,  then,  in  general,  recommend  the 
culture  of  this  Aloe  for  its  somewhat  grotesque  interest 
and  beauty.  The  variegated-leaved  one  is  the  most 
pretty,  but  it  does  not  grow  so  strong  and  luxmiant. 
The  ]ilants  will  never  make  an  impression  until  they 
become  somewhat  gigantic  in  size  ;  then,  as  sentinels 
to  tho  entrance  of  a  conservatory  iu  smnmcr,  placed  iu 
pairs  by  a  terrace-walk,  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the 
style  of  architecture,  iu  fact,  in  almost  every  possible 
position,  they  have  a  noble  ellect,  and  will  not  be  very 
particular  as  to  the  care  they  require.  I  confess,  that 
if  I  had  such  specimens  in  largo  tubs.  I  should  not 
wish  to  lose  them  by  their  flowering.  Did  the  blooming 
of  these  plants  become  a  matter  of  importance,  gar- 
deners would  soon  find  the  means  of  doing  so,  by  rapid 
growth,  and  thou  early  maturation.  If  a  plant  could 
lie  bloomed  in  the  open  air  in  Devonshire,  the  inference 
is  obvious  that  it  could  ho  bloomed  much  earlier  when 
all  the  advantages  of  house-treatment  were  bestowed. 

What  has  been  stated  of  the  localities  iu  which  the 
plant  is  found  furnishes  the  key-note  to  its  treatment, 
it  is  generally  propagated  by  suckers.  These,  whoa 
taken  oil',  and  firmly  potted  in  sandy  loam,  and  a  little 
lime- rubbish,  will  grow  quickest  if  placed  in  bottom-heat, 
and  furnished  with  as  high  a  temperature  as  would  suit 
a  Pine-apple.  Tlicy  will  grow,  butmore  slowly,  in  a  green- 
house. In  fact,  before  the  plants  become  large  they  will 
get  on  best  in  tho  hothouse,  though  that  need  not  dis- 
courage those  having  only  a  greenhouse.  In  either  case, 
when  the  plants  come,  after  repeated  shiftings,  to  fill  a 
1:;  or  Iti-inch  pot,  they  will  be  best  out-of-doors  for  a 
couple  of  the  hottest  mouths.  By  tho  time  a  tub  or 
a  box  is  necessary  for  them,  some  nice  fibry  loam  should 
be  obtained,  enriched  with  dried  nodules  of  cow-dung, 
and  a  fair  portion  of  lime  rubbish,  and  some  bits  of 
charcoal,  to  keep  the  whole  in  rather  au  open  state. 
It  will  he  desirable  to  shift  them  not  later  than  tho 
end  of  jMay,  that  the  roots  may  ramify  Ireely  during 
the  summer.  It  will  also  be  necessary  to  keep  the 
collar  of  the  plant  well  uji;  as  if  there  is  much  soil 
below  the  bottom  of  the  ball  it  will  be  sure  to  sink. 
After  this,  the  Agaves,  however  desirable  they  be  out- 
of-doors,  will  bo  looked  upon  as  downright  intruders 
did  they  want  the  inside   of  stove  or  greenhouse.     A 


Febeuaev  16. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


381 


different  system  of  management  must,  thoroforo,  bo 
adopted ;  but  out-of-doors  it  will  be  desirable  they 
should  be,  from  the  middle  of  May,  or  earlier, 
until  the  middle  of  October,  if  the  autumn  is  flue. 
Where  room  in  a  greenhouse  or  orangery.  Sea.,  cannot 
be  given,  a  warm  shed,  stable,  &c.,  sliould  be  secured, 
and  a  small  truck  with  wheels  would  assist  the  moving 
of  the  plants.  The  successful  wintering,  in  the  above 
supposed  circumstances,  will  greatly  depend  on  the  soil 
being  rather  dry  before  housing.  To  secure  this,  means 
should  be  resorted  to  for  throwing  the  autumn  rains 
past  the  soil.  No  frost  above  a  few  degrees,  better  none 
at  all,  should  touch  the  plant.  In  severe  weather  they 
may  be  covered  up,  top  and  tub,  with  dry  hay,  freed 
from  its  seeds.  In  a  mild  winter,  or  during  mild  days, 
if  the  place  in  which  they  are  wintered  be  dark,  they 
will  relish  being  wheeled  to  the  door  during  the  heat  of 
the  day.  No  water  will  be  wanted  at  the  roots  until 
placed  in  the  light  next  sjiring.  The  leaves,  if  at  all 
dirty,  may  have  a  sponge  drawn  along  them,  as  the 
cleaner  they  are  the  better  will  they  look  and  thrive. 
As  the  sun  gains  strength  in  June,  the  ])lants  will  want 
water  rather  liberally,  and  manure-water  may  then  bo 
given  alternately  with  advantage,  or  if  that  is  not  con- 
venient, a  mulching  of  rich  compost  may  be  substituted. 
By  September,  little  or  no  more  water  will  be  required, 
and  even  rains  should  be  kept  from  the  soil  as  much  as 
possible.  This  will  render  the  large  leaves  firm  and 
compact,  and  in  this  state  they  will  stand  much  rougher 
treatment  during  the  winter. 

LlITiEA  GEMMINIFLOR.\(iS;/H.  Agave  GEHMINU'LOKa). — 

This  is  a  very  singular  plant  from  Peru,  which,  although 
requiring  a  greenhouse  when  young,  and  delighting  in 
a  higher  temperature  in  its  infantile  state,  will,  when 
old  and  seasoned,  prove,  it  is  expected,  as  hardy  as  the 
Agave.  Imagine  a  short,  knobby  stem,  with  number- 
less long,  rush-like  foliage  proceeding  from  it ;  all  of 
these,  with  the  exception  of  the  younger  central  ones, 
which  are  upright,  have  a  pendulous,  weeping  charac- 
ter, so  as  to  liang  gracefully  over  the  pot  or  tub,  and 
you  will  form  a  good  idea  of  the  interesting  appearance 
of  the  plant,  even  though  you  shonld  seldom  see  its 
splendid  flower-stem  issuing  from  the  centre  of  the 
foliage,  and  rising,  like  a  huge  taperiug-to-a-poiut  bottle- 
brush,  to  a  lieigbt  of  from  twelve  to  thirty  feet,  the 
greenish-yellow  flowers,  with  the  stamens  and  pistil 
standing  freely  out  beyond  the  petals,  averaging  three 
inches  in  length,  and  produced  in  succession  along  the 
sides  of  the  stem. 

The  plant  was  named  in  compliment  to  a  ISIilanese 
nobleman.  It  was  introduced  more  than  flfty  years  ago; 
and,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  bloomed  first  in  this  country  at 
Mr.  Knight's  exotic  nursery  in  1820,  the  flower-stem  ap- 
pearing in  the  middle  of  August,  and  reaching  fourteen 
feet  in  lieight  by  the  middle  of  November.  I  think  it  is 
vei'v  likely  that  plants  may  be  found  in  tlie  same  esta- 
blishment. It  had  bloomed  previously  in  the  continent, 
and  plants  had  been  raised  from  its  seeds.  A  specimen 
bloomed  at  Brussels,  in  ]8o7,  the  flower-stem  reaching 
the  lieight  of  thirty  feet,  and  having  from  1000  to  1 500 
flowers.  Two  years  ago,  a  small,  healthy  specimen 
bloomed  in  the  Botanic  Garden,  at  Chelsea,  the  flower- 
stem,  in  November,  reaching  the  height  of  eleven  feet. 
It  liad  been  kept  in  a  greenhouse  for  several  yeai's, 
receiving  the  usual  treatment  given  to  Aloes  and  plants 
of  that  character.  In  all  the  instances  of  its  blooming, 
with  which  I  am  acquainted,  the  flower-stems  have 
made  their  appearance  in  autumn,  and  reached  their 
culminating  point  before  mid-winter.  It  would  seem, 
therefore,  that  the  heat  and  the  Ught  of  a  summer's  sun 
were  necessary  to  the  maturation  of  the  plant.  If,  then, 
it  was  desirable  to  bloom  this  plant  at  an  early  period, 
a  leaf  must  be  taken  out  of  the  modern  successful 
Pine-grower's  book,  and  thus  accomplish  rapid  growth 


and  early  maturity.  I  can  recollect  huge  Pine  plants 
standing  in  pits,  and  producing  fair  fruit  when  tlioy  had 
received  some  balf-a-dozen-of-ycars'  attention.  But  1 
have  seen  as  fine  fruit  on  little  squat  plants,- — such, 
for  instance,  as  at  Trentham, — the  plants  being  scarcely 
eighteen  months  from  the  sucker.  Although  this  plant 
would  not  need  the  same  amount  of  heat  as  the 
Pine;  stdl,  a  higher  temperature  than  the  greenhouse, 
with  abundance  of  light  and  air,  would  hasten  its-period 
of  maturity,  and  this  latter  would  be  still  farther  done 
by  abundance  of  light,  and  reducing  the  water  to  a 
minimum  in  simimer  before  the  plant  was  wanted  to 
sliow  in  the  autumn.  When  the  plant  is  more  generally 
diffused,  and  even  flower-stems  from  six  to  ten  feet  in 
height  duly  appreciated,  there  will  be  means  taken 
to  make  it  bloom  early.  The  simplest  culture  will  suit 
it.  it  can  be  raised  from  ripe  seeds,  but  is  generally 
propagated  by  suckers.  It  delights  in  sandy-loam  alittle 
enriched.  In  winter  it  will  require  little  water,  and  in 
summer  weak  manure-waterings  will  bo  acceptable.  The 
temperature  of  the  greenhouse  will  bo  quite  suiHcieut, 
unless  when  it  is  desirable  to  rattle  it  on  when  young. 

FuoRCROYA  GiGANTEA.  —  Aiiotlior  commeiiiorative 
plant,  and  resembling  an  Agave  in  appearance.  It  has 
been  introduced  100  years,  but  has  -seldom  been  seen 
in  flower.  It  bloomed  at  Walcot,  in  Shropshire,  in 
18'21.     It  requires  similar  treatment  to  an  Agave. 

Fdobcroya  longvEva  is,  like  Oiijantea,  from  South 
America,  and  a  still  more  wonderful  species.  Its  specific 
name  may  have  reference  to  the  slow  rate  at  which  it 
grows,  as  the  natives  have  a  beliet  that  it  flowers  once 
in  -100  years.  It  was  found  on  Mount  Tanga,  in  the 
province  of  Oaxaca,  in  Mexico,  at  the  elevation  of 
10,000  feet;  and,  therefore,  deemed  hardy  enough  to 
stand  our  climate,  at  least,  in  the  southern  counties. 
Several  plants  were  introduced  in  1833 ;  so  that  we 
may  wait  long  until  we  see  one  of  its  wonderful 
flower-stems  at  home,  if  the  tale  of  the  natives  bo  true. 
Without  that  splendid  appendage,  if  found  hardy,  it 
would  constitute  a  fine  addition  to  rugged  and  rocky 
scenery.  Its  clean,  upright  stem  would  resemble  an 
oldish  plant  of  Yucca  aloeifolia,  but  the  large  cluster  of 
long  sedge-like  leaves  on  the  top,  differing  from  the 
upright  foliage  of  the  Yucca,  has  a  drooping,  pendulous 
position.  From  the  centre  of  this  mass  of  foliage  the 
wonderful  flower-steiji  rises.  Baron  Harwinske  found 
specimens,  with  clean  cylindrical  stems,  twelve  to 
eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  forty  feet  in  height, 
and  then  a  flower-stem  reaching  another  forty  feet.  The 
appearance  of  a  graceful,  finely-formed  Spruce  Fir  of 
that  height,  forty  feet,  raised  upon  the  top  of  a  clean 
pole  some  forty  feet  high,  with  a  huge  coronet  of  droop- 
ing sedgy  foliage  at  the  point  of  junction;  only  sup- 
posing that  that  tree  was  a  mass,  not  of  green  leaves, 
but  of  white  blossoms,  would  give  no  bad  idea  of  this 
wonderful  flower-stem  It  would  be  interesting  to  know 
what  progress  tlie  plants  in  this  country  have  made. 

Yucca. — The  whole  of  this  genus  is  of  easy  culti- 
vation, reioicing  in  deep  sandy  loam,  and  all  are  hardy 
enough  for  England,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of 
«Zo6'j/'oZ-tu,  which,  especially  when  the  stems  get  to  a  great 
height,  might  have  a  little  protection  in  winter.  The 
genus  is  as  striking  among  Lilyworts  as  those  already 
referred  to  are  among  Amaryllids.  I  saw  .JYucca 
yloriosa  in  bloom,  in  several  places  last  season.  The 
beautiful,  low-growing  Jilamentosa,  that  throws  up  a 
flower-stem  of  from  five  to  seven  feet,  is  always  a 
welcome  sight  in  any  position.  Taken  as  a  whole, 
however,  the  plants  of  the  genus,  all  of  them  inter- 
esting, make  little  show  when  grouped  together ;  and 
neither  do  they  harmonise  with  tine  architectural  or 
symetrical  lines.  Sparingly  introduced,  they  make  a 
strildng  appearance  from  contrast.  For  instance,  a  huge 
bush  of  Oloriosa  is  rather  a  taking  object  on  a  weU-kept 


382 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Februaey  1G. 


lawn.  Wild  scenery,  and  huge  rock-works,  aretbe  scenes 
in  whicli  they  would  revel  and  feel  most  at  home.  When 
walking  through  such  places  in  princely  establishments, 
I  have  often  thought  what  fine  accessories  the  Adam's 
Needles  would  give.  No  place  is  so  small  hut  a  few  of 
these  plants  would  lend  it  an  additional  charm.  They 
are  easily  propagated  by  suckers  and  oflsots.  I  think 
Mr.  Beaton  has  already  referred  to  this  singular  tribe, 
and  a  proper  dei'enco  and  recommendation  of  their  pe- 
culiar fitness  for  certain  circumstances  could  not  be 
loft  in  better  hands. 

R.  Fish. 


THE    CYCLAMEN. 


{Continued  from  page   3G2.) 

The  flowers  of  lliese  plants  are,  as  I  have  said  before, 
exceedingly  beautiful,  but  I  must  also  claim  for  the 
foliage  of  many  of  tlie  species  the  same  praise.  The 
markings  of  the  leaves  are  almost  as  beautiful  as  those 
of  the  leaves  of  some  of  the  Anajctochils,  which  my 
esteemed  friend,  ilr.  Beaton,  has  written  about  lately. 
Almost  every  seedling  plant  of  O.  Buropeum  and  O. 
Itedenfuliiim  have  different  shades  of  white  and  green  on 
their  leaves,  so  that  in  raising  seedlings  the  interest 
of  the  cultivator  is  greatly  heightened  thereby. 

In  describing  the  potting  operation,  I  omitted  to 
mention  that  C.  coiim  sliould  have  the  bulbs  covered 
about  a  quarter-of-nu-incli.  The  reason  for  this  difl'ei-- 
ence  I  can  scarcely  say,  but  it  is  practised  by  all  growers, 
myself  included.  It  may  be,  that  if  the  bulbs  were  left 
exposed  the  leaves  of  this  species  would  fall  down  and 
be  very  irregular,  instead  of  forming  a  neat,  handsome 
plant.  It  is  difficult,  in  some  few  cases,  to  give  a  satis- 
factory reason  for  some  particular  point  of  culture,  and 
this  is  one.  Experience  says — cover  the  bulbs  with  the 
compost  a  quarter-of-an-inoh,  and  I  know  of  no  reason 
to  depart  from  the  rule. 

Summer  Culture. — This  season  I  will  suppose  to  com- 
mence as  soon  as  the  leaves  begin  to  push  forth,  which 
generally  happens,  if  they  are  cultivated  in  a  cold  frame, 
about  the  end  of  January.  They  will  then  require  a 
gentle  watering;  and  as  the  leaves  advance  the  quantity 
should  be  gradually  increased.  The  month  following 
the  flower  buds  will  begin  to  appear;  then,  if  the  pos- 
sessor has  a  greenliouse,  they  should  be  removed  into 
it,  and  placed  near  to  the  glass,  to  keep  them  from  being 
drawn.  In  this  position  more  water  will  be  required ; 
but  the  soil  should  not  be  kept  constantly  wet,  but 
allowed  to  become  dry  on  the  surface  between  each 
successive  watering.  Plenty  of  air  will  be  beneficial  on 
aU  favourable  occasions ;  and  when  the  plants  are  fully 
in  bloom  they  may  be  placed  in  such  situations  of  the 
house  as  will  show  the  beauty  of  the  flowers  to  the 
greatest  advantage.  I  have  them  placed  upon  empty 
pots  turned  upside  down,  ivhioh  elevates  them  above 
the  other  plants  upon  the  platform,  or  stage,  where 
they  stand. 

After  the  bloom  is  over,  and  the  late  frosts  all  gone, 
I  set  them  out-of-doors  upon  a  bed  of  coal-ashes,  in 
front  of  an  east  wall,  wliere  they  can  enjoy  the  morning 
sun.  Water  should  still  be  given  to  tliem  in  dry  wea- 
ther, the  grand  object  being  to  preserve  tlie  leaf  and 
root-action  for  two  or  three  months.  This  gradually 
increases  the  size  of  tlie  bulbs,  and  stores  up  a  large 
amount  of  vigour  for  the  following  year.  By  the  end  of 
June,  the  leaves  will  begin  to  show  symptoms  of  ripe- 
ness and  decay,  then  withhold  water,  and  to  ensure 
perfect  rest,  lay  the  pots  on  their  sides,  so  that  no 
summer  rains  may  cause  precocious  growtli. 

During  all  this  trentmeiit  in  the  open  air  keep  a 
constaut  louk-out  lor  slugs  and  snails.  These  pests  are 
very  much  pleased  to  feed  upon  the  young  buds,  which 


if  eaten  off  quite  clean,  destroys  them  cfiecUially.  I 
believe  they  are  more  destructive  to  these  charm- 
ing plants  than  any  other,  therefore  be  diligent 
in  himting  them  out  of  their  hiding-places.  Tlicy  may 
generally  be  found  lodging  under  the  pots,  and  some- 
times form  a  neat,  snug  homestead,  or  den,  in  the  hole 
at  the  bottom  of  the  pots,  from  whence,  if  they  are  not 
discovered  and  destroyed,  they  may  issue  forth  at  night 
and  make  sad  havoc. 

Winter  Treatment.  —  The  operations  for  the  winter 
treatment  are  easy  and  few.  I  suppose  this  season  to 
commence  about  September.  They  will  then,  or,  at 
least,  should,  be  completely  at  rest;  but  as  frosts  may 
then  be  expected  it  will  be  prudent  to  protect  them, 
and  as  a  removal  to  effect  this  must  be  determined 
upon,  it  will  be  well  then  to  repot  them  at  once.  That 
operation  enables  us  to  get  rid  of  all  worms  or  slugs 
that  may  be  in  or  about  the  pots.  I  need  not  repeat 
how  to  repot  them,  as  I  have  already  sufficiently  de- 
scribed how  to  perform  that  operation  under  the  head 
"  Potting."  When  all  arc  potted,  then  place  them  in  a 
cold  frame,  on  a  thick  bed  of  coal-ashes  or  sawdust. 
If  the  latter  is  used,  place  a  thin  layer  of  soot  over  the 
soil  first, — this  will  eft'ectually  prevent  worms  from  pene 
trating  through  the  sawdust  into  the  pots.  In  this  posi- 
tion they  will  require  no  water,  and  should  have  the 
lights  drawn  off  all  fine  days ;  even  if  a  little  frosty  it 
will  not  hint  the  more  hardy  kinds.  The  C.  persicmn 
requires  a  somewhat  diB'erent  treatment ;  it  is  a  decided 
greenhouse  plant;  and  when  repotted,  which  it  should 
be  at  the  same  time,  it  should  be  placed  on  the  green- 
house shelf  immediately ; — the  cold  frame  is  too  cool  lor  it, 
even  if  well  covered-up;  besides,  it  flowers  much  earlier. 
I  have  a  lino  plant  of  O.  persieum  rubicmn,  a  splendid 
variety,  now,  at  the  moment  I  am  writing,  in  fine  flower. 

During  severe  weather  it  will  be  advisable  to  cover- 
iqi  even  the  more  hardy  ones  with  a  mat  or  two,  to 
break  off  the  ill  effect  of  long-continued  severe  frosts ; 
but  as  soon  as  the  leaves  grow  remove  the  plants  into 
the  greenhouse.  These  plants  always,  excepting  O. 
persicum  and  its  varieties,  maybe  grown  out-of-doors; 
but  as  my  allotted  space  is  full,  I  must  defer  their 
culture  out-of-doors  to  another  opportunity. 

T.  Applebt. 
(7*0  he  continued.) 


STOVE  FERNS. 

( Continued  from  page  200.^ 

DRYN'ARtA  iMoiDEs  (Iris-like). — An  East  Indian  Fern, 
of  a  rather  coarse  habit.  Fronds  simple,  of  a  long 
spear  like  shape,  sometimes  lobed  at  the  margin.  The 
seed-vessels  are  very  small,  and  thickly  placed  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  fertile  frond.  In  this  Fern  occurs  the 
rare  case  of  having  the  veins  in  the  interior  of  the 
frond.  Easily  increased  by  its  creeping  rhizoma.  It  is 
very  suitable  to  grow  under  lai'ge  Palma,  or  other  tall- 
growing  stove  trees. 

D.  LoxGii'ES  (I.ong-stalked). — Another  East  Indian 
Fern,  with  a  peci.diar  long  leaf-stalk,  hence  its  specific 
name.  The  fronds  grow  three  feet  long,  and  are  pinnate 
and  leathery ;  the  pinu;o  grow  laterally  and  have 
segments  very  broad  towards  the  base;  seed-vessels 
large,  in  two  rows.  Increased  by  dividing  the  creeping 
root-stock. 

D.  jiELANococc-A  (Hhick-stemmed). — An  East  Indian 
Fern, ofatall, graceful  habit.  The  frondsreacli  frequently 
the  height  of  three  feet,  and  are  pinnatifld  ;  the  pinnm  are 
distant  from  each  other,  and  are  rather  simrp-pointed, 
and  of  a  light  green.  The  seed-vessels  are  large  and 
placed  ill  one  row.  rising  up  above  the  surface  of  the 
froiul.  it  is  a  fine  Fern,  easily  grown,  and  increased  by 
dividing  the  ci'eeping  rhizoma. 


February  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


383 


D.  QOEROiFOLiA  (Oalc-leaved). — This  fine  Fern  has  a 
wide  geognipliical  distribution.  It  is  found  in  all  the 
hottest  parts  of  the  East.  Fronds  various — oue  variety 
has  no  fertile  fronds,  at  least,  not  cultivated  in  our 
stoves.  The  fronds  of  this  variety  are  sterile  and 
pinnatifid,  with  deeply-cut  segments,  approaching  to 
the  form  of  the  oak-leal'.  The  real  well-defined  species 
has  both  sterile  and  fertile  fronds  on  the  same  plant. 
The  sterile  fronds  have  no  stem,  are  heart-shaped,  and 
jagged,  or  waved,  at  the  edges  ;  the  fertile  fronds  have 
a  short  stem,  are  pinnate  with  narrow  segments,  each 
segment  having  a  thick  binding  or  edge.  The  seed- 
vessels  are  circular,  and  are  placed  in  groups  over  the 
under  surface  of  the  leaves.  Both  are  well  worthy  of 
cultivation.  I  liave  grown  the  species  on  a  low  shelf, 
far  from  the  light,  with  tlie  pots  plunged  in  moss,  into 
which  the  roots  ran  freely,  and  by  this  moist,  steady 
treatment  they  grew  very  satisfactorily.  1  found  it  easy 
to  increase  by  division. 

D.  vui.GABrs  (Common). — This  is  the  Polypodium 
phymatodes  of  Linnfeus.     It  is  a  handsome,  broad-leaved 

Fern,  from  the  Malay  Islands  and  the  Mauritius.  The 
fronds  ai'e  pinnated,  and  grow  more  than  a  foot  long  ; 
each  division  is  almost  triangular  and  broad.  The 
root-stock  creeps  very  much,  is  black  and  scaly.  The 
seed-cases  are  round  or  oval.  I  once  had  a  large  plant 
of  this  fine  Fern  under  my  care,  growing  in  a  large 
wire  basket,  the  creeping  root-stocks  grew  through  the 
meshes  of  the  basket,  and  threw  out,  as  they  crept 
round  it,  their  large,  broad  fronds.  It  was  a  noble  plant, 
measuring  full  two  feet  diameter,  and  was  much  ad- 
mired. It  will,  however,  grow  very  well  in  a  pot,  or 
amongst  rockwork  in  the  stove.  The  plant  alluded  to 
would  have  made  (I  speak  within  bounds)  at  least  a 
score  of  plants  had  it  been  divided.  This  example 
shows  that  it  is  easily  increased  by  that  mode. 

Elaphaglossum. — A  genus  formed  from  Aerosticlmm ; 
distinguished  from  that  and  other  allied  genera  by  its 
simple  fronds  with  forked,  distinct  veins. 

E.  OALL.EFOLIUM  (Calla-leaved). — A  Fern  from  Java, 
that  hot  country,  hence  it  requires  the  warmest  part  of 
the  stove  or  orchid  house.  It  has  barren  and  fertile 
fronds,  the  former  rather  broadly  acuminate,  or  sharp- 
pointed,  shining  deep  green,  with  wavy  edges;  the  stems 
are  of  dark  colour  underneath.  The  fertile  fronds  are 
narrower  and  more  erect.  Both  fronds  grow  about  a  foot 
high,  and  are  jointed  at  the  base.  The  root-stock  creeps, 
hence  it  is  easily  increased  by  division.  A  desirable 
species  for  any  collection. 

E.  CKAssiNEHVA  (Thick-nerved). — This  West  Indian 
Fern  may  be  distinguished  from  the  last  by  its  stouter 
leaves  and  thicker  veins,  and  by  the  height  of  the  bar- 
ren fronds.  These  attain,  frequently,  two  feet  in  height, 
whilst  the  fertile  fronds  never  exceed  one  foot.  The 
barren  fronds  are  also  undulated,  and  of  a  dull  green. 
Easily  increased  by  dividing  its  short,  creeping  root-stock. 

E.  coNioEME  (Conformed). — A  species  nearly  hardy 
enough  for  the  greenhouse,  but  thrives  better  in  a  cool 
stove,  through  the  winter.  It  is  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  where  it  is  found  growing  on  shady  rocks.  The 
sterile  fronds  are  very  beautifully  veined  with  almost 
perfect  regularity,  and  of  a  long  oval  form,  narrow  at 
the  base,  and  terminating  in  a  sharp-point ;  growing  about 
a  foot  high.  The  fertile  fronds  are  much  smaller,  and 
covei'ed  throughout  with  seed-vessels.  The  root-stock 
creeps,  and  is  covered  with  scales.  Increased  by  division. 
It  is  a  pretty,  neat  species,  and  worthy  of  general  cul- 
tivation. 

E.  DoMBEYANDJi  (Dombey's). — A  South  American 
Fern,  remarkable  for  having  the  sterile  fronds  thickly 
j  covered  with  star-like  scales.  The  form  is  blunt,  line- 
shaped,  narrowed  at  the  base.  The  fertile  fronds  have 
stems  nearly  half  the  length  of  the  frond,  and  are  of  the 
same  shape,   excepting  tliey   ai'e   more   pointed.     The 


root-stock  creeps,  and  therefore  it  may  be  increased  by 
division.  A  very  distinct  and  well-defined  species  that 
ought  to  be  in  every  collection. 

E.  LoNoiroLiuM  (Long-leaved). — This  is  the  tallest 
species  of  the  whole  genus,  growing  in  its  native  country 
(West  Indies)  fully  two  feet  high.  Sterile  fronds,  long- 
lance-shape,  narrow  at  the  base,  and  sharp  at  the  ex- 
treme point,  and  rather  wavy  at  the  edges.  Fertile 
fronds  erect,  and  the  same  form,  rhizoma  creeping,  and 
easily  increased  by  division.  T.  Appleby. 

{To  be  continued.) 


TREES  ADAPTED  FOR  PARK  SCENERY. 

It  is  too  often  the  case,  that  in  spite  of  the  efforts  we 
make  to  cast  olf  prejudice  on  one  side  we  are  fostering 
it  on  another.  Indeed,  so  much  so,  that  honest  John 
Bull  seems  at  all  times  the  victim  of  quackery.  Only 
very  recently  he  was  led  to  believe  in  the  prophetic 
revelations  of  polished  timber,  when  it  had,  by  the 
carpenter's  assistance,  assumed  the  form  and  exercised 
the  functions  of  a  table ;  while  only  a  short  time  before 
that  certain  lecturers  assured  us  they  exercised  an 
almost  irresistible  control  over  the  minds  and  persons 
of  many  of  their  hearers.  These  sciences  of  Table 
Turning  and  Electro  Biology  had,  in  their  turns,  ob- 
tained HO  many  disciples  and  believers,  that  it  afforded 
grave  doubts  with  our  elderly  worthy  dames  if  their 
marvellous  disclosures  had  not  some  connection  with 
the  Prince  of  Darkness  ;  unfortunately  for  society  at 
large  it  did  not  appear  that  either  art,  for  it  is  not  just 
to  call  them  sciences,  was  ever  applied  to  any  useful 
purpose,  so  that  they  seem  likely  to  pass  into  oblivion 
without  leaving  a  trace  of  that  utility  behind  them 
which  now-a-days  forms  a  leading  feature  in  eveiy  thing 
that  is  inquired  for.  However,  it  is  not  likely  to  be 
long  ere  anotlier  subject  of  novelty  (it  would  be  treason 
to  call  it  quackery  so  soon)  takes  the  place  of  the  dis- 
carded ones,  and  John  Bull  will  run  as  eagerly  after  it 
as  if  it  were  the  first  shadow  he  ever  followed.  For- 
tunately, there  are  sober  moments,  and,  as  it  has  been 
often  remarked,  the  most  sensible  periods  are  those 
which  follow  in  the  wake  of  the  grossest  folly,  we  may 
pardon  our  volatile  nature  for  now  and  then  having  a 
rambling  fit ;  but  these  sudden  departures  from  old  and 
well-established  rules  are  not  the  only  errors  we  run 
into,  others  equally  unpardonable  are  enacted  every 
day.  In  our  generalization  system  we  seem  to  make 
too  few  exceptions,  and  a  rule,  if  once  laid  down,  and 
receive  the  stamp  of  society  at  large,  is  rarely  with- 
drawn, even  if  it  be  after  found  to  be  fallacious,  and 
those  who  are  convinced  of  its  being  so,  are  not  always 
the  first  to  abandon  the  idea.  Few  people,  now-a-days, 
profess  to  believe  in  the  prophetic  notices  contained  in 
a  weather-predicting  almanack,  yet  Francis  Moore's  pub- 
lication is,  perhaps,  as  much  patronised  as  ever,  and  his 
mysterious  out-pourings  are  annually  set  forth  to  puzzle 
those  who  take  the  trouble  to  read  them,  while  in  many 
other  things  the  case  is  the  same  as  in  that  of  almanacks. 

Now,  though  the  above  may  not  seem  to  have  any 
connection  with  the  ordinary  affairs  of  horticulture  or 
agriculture,  yet  the  same  spirit  now  and  then  exhibits 
itself  in  these  sciences.  A  plan — a  mode — or  an  idea — 
put  forth  on  the  authority  of  some  aspirer  after  fame,  is 
received  for  a  time,  and  the  thing  is  lauded  as  being  a 
boon  to  society, before  wliich  the  steam-engine  or  printing- 
press  sink  into  insignificance.  By-and-by,  however,  its 
demerits  are  found  out,  and  it  takes  its  place  according 
to  its  worth,  and  not  unfrequently,  when  it  has  been 
publicly  found  out  of  occupying  a  higher  place  than  it 
deserved,  it  has  received  a  corresponding  severe  degree 
of  punishment,  and  been  condemned  with  more  harsh- 
ness than  justice.     Now,  in  accordance  with  this  rule, 


384 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


I'ebedary  10. 


some  useful  plants  and  fruits  liavo  been  cast  aside 
because  tlieir  adopted  sponsors  had  the  imprudence  to 
laud  them  to  a  degree  they  did  not  deserve  ;  however, 
their  resuscitation  has  often  been  efl'ected  through  the 
instrumentality  of  tlieii-  accusers  carrying  their  malice 
too  far,  as  well  as  from  the  aid  of  their  friends'  good 
word  ;  still,  after  all  that,  now  and  then  false  ideas  will 
creep  in  and  maintain  a  place,  as  it  were,  backed  only 
by  the  traditionary  story  which  gave  them  their  origin. 

1  should  think  there  are  no  readers,  from  those  just 
removed  from  tlie  Primer  upwards,  but  arc  aware 
how  much  the  Oak  has  been  praised  as  possessing 
all  the  qualities  in  itself  which  a  multitude  of  other 
trees  ouly  contain  amongst  them.  Its  general  features, 
size,  form,  foliage,  and  the  manifold  uses  of  its  timber, 
has,  with  other  considerations,  conspired  to  render  it 
the  especial  favourite  of  the  poet  and  naturalist,  while  a 
sort  of  veneration  seems  to  bang  over  it  in  the  less 
informed  class  who  arc  not  readers,  from  the  reports 
they  have  heard  of  the  useful  part  it  takes,  or  has  taken, 
in  contributing  to  our  national  greatness.  This  feehng, 
alas!  threatens  to  become  an  erroneous  one,  since  the 
quantity  of  home-grown  Oak  timber,  now  used  in  ship 
building,  forms  but  a  very  small  portion  of  what  is  used 
in  that  way;  liowever,  we  do  not  attempt  to  deny  it  the 
place  it  has  so  deservedly  attained,  neither  do  I  con- 
demn it  as  lacking  those  points  so  much  insisted  on  by 
its  admirers,  but  I  do  condemn  those  who  can  see 
neither  beauty  nor  utility  in  other  trees,  merely  because 
they  are  not  Oaks.  Now,  as  all  trees  are  not  neces- 
sarily wanted  for  the  same  purpose,  it  follows  that  those 
of  other  kinds  may  be  equally  useful  in  their  respective 
ways  as  Oaks.  Carts,  waggons,  and  buildings,  are 
equally  necessary  to  a  comfortable  existence  as  ships, 
and  timber  to  make  them  must  also  be  had  somewhere, 
and  the  weight  of  Oak,  with  some  other  faults  it  has, 
renders  it  not  the  most  prized  timber  for  articles  of  a 
locomotive  character ;  however,  I  will  waive  this  point 
also,  and  leave  the  wheelwright  and  other  village  me- 
chanics to  urge  their  own  case  with  the  self-constituted 
patriot  who  will  only  plant  Oaks  on  his  domain,  and 
confine  my  remarks  to  its  merits  and  demerits  as  a  park 
tree  for  giving  effect  to  the  general  scenery  there. 

I  readily  grant,  that  if  we  take  a  general  survey  of 
many  domains,  or  even  districts,  that  the  Oaks  will  bo 
found  to  exercise  a  wonderful  influence  in  giving  these 
districts  a  character,  more  so  than  any  other  tree  planted 
there  ;  however,  there  are  other  places  where  others  pre- 
dominate, as  well  by  their  size  and  utility  as  by  their 
numbers ;  and,  moreover,  some  of  them  present  as  fine 
appearances,  when  we  can  divest  ourselves  of  the  poetic 
feeling  the  Oak  inspires,  as  does  the  King  of  the  i'orest 
himself.  iVIight  1  ask,  how  much  does  the  Beech  avenue 
lack  in  the  sliapo  of  jiictorial  beauty ';'  And  even  as  a 
single  tree  it  possesses  many  of  the  good  qualities 
ascritied  to  the  Oak  ;  its  foliage,  in  summer  and  autumn, 
presenting  as  many  points  to  the  landscape  painter  as 
the  Oak  does,  and  in  winter  its  feathery  boughs  are  no 
less  pleasing.  There  are  many  hue  Beech  avenues 
attached  to  country  mansions,  and  they  are,  possibly,  as 
much  regarded  as  Oaks  would  have  been  in  their  places. 
Then  we  have  the  Elm,  which  also  makes  a  fine  avenuo, 
growing  qiucker  than  either  Oaks  or  Beeches;  but  it 
is  not  so  long-lived,  only  in  places  where  the  soil  is 
suitable  it  gets  larger  tlum  either  the  above,  and  Elm- 
trees  of  extraordinary  size  are  not  luicommon,  while 
very  large  Oaks  are  not  so  plentiful ;  but  I  cannot  say 
that  I  approve  of  the  Elm  avenue,  and  still  less  of  its 
appearance  as  a  single  tree; — but  it  has  its  merits,  and 
deserves  attention. 

In  dry  situations,  in  the  south  of  England,  the  Sweet 
Chemut  often  forms  a  pretty  object  as  a  park  tree,  and 
for  an  avenue,  it  is,  perhaps,  not  exceeded  by  any ;  but 
its  timber  is  not  so  valuable  as  Oak,  which,  in  some 


respects,  it  resembles,  as  it  is  liable  to  sjilintcr  when 
sawn  up,  so  that  timber-merchants  do  not  like  it,  although, 
in  point  of  durability,  &c.,  it  is  fully  equal  to  the  Oak; 
while,  for  appearance,  its  glossy  green  leaves,  and  its  no 
less  interesting  flowor  in  August,  render  it  very  attrac- 
tive, and  its  winter  appearance  is  not  bad.  1  believe 
it  is  longer-lived  than  the  Elm  and  some  other  trees; 
but,  as  1  say,  the  timber  deteriorates  iu  value  just  as  it 
gets  the  size  that  is  most  wanted  for  ship-building  and 
other  purposes,  and  this  bad  property  seems  to  be  the 
same  on  all  soils. 

Amongst  a  host  of  other  trees  having  expanded  tops, 
the  Sycamore,  Lime,  Noncaij,  and  Common  3Itiple,  have 
all  tlieir  respective  claims,  and  some  planters  insist 
much  on  tlie  merits  of  the  Lime  as  a  park  tree  or  one 
suitable  for  avenues.  Its  quick  growth  certainly  entitles 
it  to  respect,  but  some  of  the  hard-wooded  kinds  are 
certainly  more  appropriate  iu  many  points  in  view. 
The  Sycamore  is  also  a  quick-growing  tree,  and  far  from 
being  unsightly,  although,  in  iioiut  of  interest,  it  must 
succumb  to  the  Walnut,  which  is  more  deserving  of 
attention  than  any  of  tlie  last-named ;  while  the  Horse 
Ohesnut  has  also  its  admirers,  and  as  a  single  tree  it  is 
excelled  by  none,  but  its  uses  iu  forming  an  avenue  or 
group  is  somewhat  questionable,  and  its  coarse,  rampant 
growth  makes  its  appearance  less  graceful  than  many 
other  trees;  it,  however,  grows  very  fast,  and  if  mixed 
with  other  trees  speedily  overtops  many  of  them. 

In  thus  mentioning  many  of  the  common  trees  which 
give  efi'ect  to  our  landscape,  we  must  not  forget  one 
which  is  but  rarely  planted,  and  certainly  deserves  more 
attention  than  it  receives, — the  common  Wild  Cherry, 
which,  when  in  flower,  forms  a  very  pretty  object,  and 
when  not  so,  its  upright  growth  is  not  at  all  nugracefni. 
It  certainly  looks  as  well  as  the  Poplars,  which  are  here 
and  there  admired,  but  which  ought  to  be  sparingly 
inti'oduced  into  groups  or  lines  in  jiark  scenery,  but 
they  are  useful  in  tlie  continuous  belt,  whore  the  latter 
is  indispensable,  because,  overtopping  everything  else, 
they  break  that  monotonous  outline  the  belt  so  often 
presents.  However,  as  my  present  paper  has  far  ex- 
ceeded the  limits  I  intended  for  it,  i  must  cease,  but 
send  a  few  more  remarks  hereafter  in  continuation  of 
this  subject,  relating  to  such  trees  as  are  less  common, 
and  venturing  a  few  observations  on  the  recently  im- 
ported ones,  more  especially  on  the  Pinus  tribe,  wliicii 
some  planters  think  will  effect  a  revolution  iu  our  forest 
trees  and  woodland  scenery  ;  but  without  denying  these 
interesting  trees  the  merit  they  deserve,  I  cannot  bring  | 
myself  to  the  belief  that  they  will  oust  our  own  long-  I 
tried  and  trust-worthy  native  specimens,  neither  do  I  I 
think  they  will  even  successfully  compete  with  them  in 
the  points  on  which  these  admirers  call  their  "  forte," 
for  1  believe  our  own  trees  combine  more  of  the  truly 
beautiful  and  useful  than  any  of  these  far-fetched  and 
costly  productions  so  much  admired  by  the  collectors  of 
novelties.  J.  Kobsojs. 


THE   FATTING   OF    SHEEP. 

{Continued  from  pnyc  'Mh.) 
Sevebal  distinct  systems  of  feeding  arc  now  iu  use. 
One,  whereby  the  sheep  receive  tlie  roots  cut  and  placed 
in  troughs,  and  an  allowance  of  hay  iu  addition  ;  and 
another,  in  which  they  receive  turnips  and  hay,  with  an 
allowance  also  of  oilcake,  or  corn,  or  both.  Believing, 
as  I  do,  that  both  these  methods  of  feeding  arc  uscl'ul 
under  certain  circumstances,  I  cannot  recommend  one 
in  preference  to  the  other ;  but  wiU  proceed  to  state  how, 
and  in  what  inauner,  they  may  bo  both  beneficially 
employed. 


February  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


885 


Tho  I'oniicr  method  is  most  siutablc  for  tha  ridiest 
soils,  wlioro  tlic  use  of  oil-cako  and  artificial  feeding 
materials,  iii  addition  to  the  consuui|)tiou  of  a 
heavy  crop  of  roots,  would  be  found  too  stimulating  for 
the  cereal  crops  which  usually  follow.  The  latter  is  an 
excellent  method  of  feeding  Stock  upon  soils  which 
require  extra  manuring,  and  when  it  is  desirable  to 
fatten  tho  animals  in  the  least  time ;  for  1  consider 
the  system  of  cake-feeding,  although  costly,  yet 
highly  advantageous,  as  it  may  be  fairly  calculated 
that  about  one-half  should  be  charged  to  the  stock, 
the  other  to  the  land  as  manure.  There  is  yet 
another  mode  of  feeding,  whereby  the  Sheep  are  allowed 
to  eat  the  roots  on  the  land  uncut,  and  receive,  at  the 
same  time,  cake,  or  corn,  and  hay ;  but  this  only  applies 
to  very  dry  soils,  where  the  roots  can  be  eaten  upon  the 
land  without  waste ;  for  upon  all  other  soils  there 
would  be  a  loss,  by  waste,  equivalent  to  the  cost  of  cut- 
ting, independent  of  the  disadvantage  to  the  stock. 

In  making  a  comparison  of  these  modes  of  feeding,  my 
experience  teaches  me  that  the  Sheep  will  fatten  as  fast 
upon  soils  in  general,  vthevt  they  get  tho  roots  cut  and 
given  in  troughs,  with  a  liberal  allowance  of  good  hay, 
as  they  will  when  allowed  to  eat  the  roots  on  the  land 
uncut,  and  receive,  at  the  same  time,  half-a-pound  of 
oil-cake  each,  with  hay.  When  Sheep  are  fed  upon  roots, 
for  fatting,  it  is  necessary  not  only  that  a  sufficient  pro- 
vision be  made,  but  that  different  kinds  of  roots 
should  each  be  consumed  at  the  period  of  the  year 
when  they  contain  the  greatest  amount  of  nutrition, 
and  in  order  to  secure  this  advantage,  I  would  use  them 
in  the  following  order,  commencing  with  the  varieties 
of  common  Turnips,  which  may  be  continued  till  the 
month  of  December;  after  which  time,  the  Swedish 
Turnips  will  be  best,  and  may  be  continued  up  to  tho 
month  of  April — indeed,  when  sufficient  care  has  been 
exercised  in  their  preservation,  they  may  be  used  with 
success  through  the  month  of  May.  In  general,  however. 
Mangold  Wurtzel  will  be  preferred  at  this  time,  and 
during  the  summer  mouths.  White  Carrots  are  also 
beginning  to  attract  the  attention  of  graziers ;  and,  as 
they  are  palatable  and  nutritious  in  an  early  state, 
October  is  not  too  soon  for  using  them,  and  they  may 
be  continued  in  feeding  up  to  the  month  of  March. 
There  have  been  tables  published,  showing  the  com- 
parative nutritive  value  of  these  roots,  obtained 
from  analysis  by  diffijrent  chemists,  the  results  of 
which,  if  not  actually  alike,  yet  serve  to  furnish  us 
with  useful  information.  They  are,  by  analysis, 
classed  somewhat  in  the  following  order: — Mangold 
Wurtzel,  the  most  nutritious;  Carrots  nest;  thenSwedish 
Turnips ;  and  last,  being  the  weakest  feeding  root,  the 
common  Turnips.  There  is,  moreover,  another  excel- 
lent feeding  plant ;  and,  although  it  cannot  exactly  be 
classed  with  roots  or  bulbous  plants,  yet  it  must  not  be 
passed  over  in  silence.  I  allude  to  Rape.  I  do  not  re- 
collect seeing  any  analysis  of  its  feeding  properties,  but, 
as  it  is  known  to  be  very  valuable  and  fattening,  as  green 
food,  in  the  early  part  of  the  season,  I  consider  it  the 


best  farm  produce  for  fatting  Sheep,  diu'ing  the  months 
of  August  and  September. 

My  own  experience  enables  mc  to  recommend  tlie 
feeding  of  Sheep  with  artificials,  as  they  are  called, 
in  most  cases  where  the  laud  requires  the  extra 
manure  which  will  be  left  by  their  consumption. 
In  this  method  of  feeding,  regard  must  be  had  not 
only  to  the  feeding  value  of  the  materials,  but  also 
to  the  money  value  of  the  article  in  the  market ; 
for,  although  the  sagacity  of  buyers  and  sellers  generally 
goes  far  towards  assimilating  the  two  values,  yet 
tliere  is  often  an  advantage  to  be  gained  when  pur- 
chases are  made  in  anticipation.  There  is,  also,  much 
dilVerenoe,  as  well  as  peculiarity,  in  the  nutritions 
and  feeding  value  of  those  substances  which  are  com- 
prehended in  the  list  of  artificial  materials.  There  is 
some  considerable  difference  in  the  value  of  cake,  as 
shown  by  the  chemical  analysis  of  Professor  Way, 
entered  in  the  24th  Number  of  the  Journal  of  the  Royal 
Agricultural  Society  of  England,  and  which  places  the 
English  cake  iirst  as  the  most  nutritious;  it,  at  the 
same  time,  gives  the  feeding  value  of  Rape  cake  as 
equal  to  Linseed  cake,  and  also  shows  that  the  value 
of  Peas  and  Beans  are  very  nearly  allied  for  feeding 
purposes.  There  is,  also,  a  valuable  and  interesting 
statement  of  a  series  of  experiments  in  the  o.'3rd  number 
of  tho  above-named  journal,  carried  out  by  Mr.  J.  B. 
Lawes,  and  although  it  relates  to  Pig-feeding,  it  is,  on 
the  other  hand,  quite  sufficient  to  exhibit  the  value  of 
the  materials  for  feeding  Sheep.  It  is  there  stated  that 
the  feeding  value  of  pulse  and  leguminous  crops,  such 
as  Beans,  Peas,  Tares,  Lentils,  &c.,  is  found  to  be 
greater  than  that  of  the  cereal  crops,  such  as  Oats, 
Barley,  &c.  Now,  although  we  shall  do  well  not  to 
entirely  disregard  the  evidence  of  chemical  analysis,  it 
is,  nevertheless,  desirable  to  enquire  how  far  these 
results  coincide  with  our  own  practical  experience  of 
their  value.  I  find  that  American  Barrel-cake  is  supe- 
rior in  feeding  value  to  any  other  Liuseed-calie,  and  it 
carries  in  the  market  a  higher  price,  showing,  also,  that 
it  is  estimated  as  superior  by  feeders  in  general.  There 
is,  however,  nothing  in  the  above-named  analysis  whicli 
justifies  these  conclusions. 

Another  instance  must  be  noted  in  which  experience 
and  practical  application  corroborates  the  accuracy  of 
the  analysis,  thus,  Mr.  Pusey  finds  that  his  Sheep  do 
equally  well  upon  Rape-cake  as  they  do  when  fed  upon 
the  like  quantity  of  Linseed-cake ;  ]ny  own  use  of  it 
supports  Mr.  Pusey's  state'ment  as  regards  the  feeding 
of  Tegs  or  Hoggets,  but  not  so  as  regards  the  feeding 
of  older  Wether  Sheep,  or  Ewes,  and  fatting  Lambs, 
more  particularly  when  given  in  admixture  with  Lin- 
seed-cake, for  I  find  that  the  Stock  will  eat  the  Linseed- 
cako  in  preference,  it  being  more  palatable  than  the 
Rape-cake,  although,  probably,  not  more  nutritions.  I 
find,  also,  that  Sheep  sometimes  eat  the  Rape-cake 
very  well  for  awhile,  but  after  they  get  into  good  con- 
dition, and  well-advanced  in  fatness,  that  they  refuse 
it  altogether,  particularly  when,  they  receive  an  allow- 
ance of  well-made  Clover  Hay.     One  thing,  however, 


386 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Februaky  16. 


must  not  be  overlooked,  in  case  of  waste,  or  dropping- 
out  of  the  feeding  troughs,  it  may  be  considered 
that  Rape-cake  is  worth  all  its  cost  as  manure,  whereas 
liinseed-cake,  under  the  like  circumstances,  is  not 
worth  more  than  two-thirds  of  its  cost  in  tlie  market- 
Reverting  to  the  use  of  corn  and  grain  for  feeding 
Sheep,  I  mustohserve,  that  it  is  bad  practice  to  use  any 
of  the  leguminous  crops  in  the  fatting  of  Sheep,  except 
in  ad  ixture  with  cake,  and  they  are  then  required  only 
for  about  a  month,  at  the  latter  part  of  the  fatting  pro- 
cess of  wether  Sheep,  or  aged  Ewes,  for  the  purpose  of 
rendering  the  flesh  firm.  They  may,  liowever,  be  used 
for  fattening  Lambs  or  Hoggets  throughout,  the  excess 
of  Nitrogen  they  contain  acting  favourably  in  the  pro- 
j  duction  of  flesh  in  all  young  animals.  I  condemn  the 
j  feeding  of  fatting  Sheep  with  Oats,  Barley,  Indian 
I  Corn,  Bran,  &c.,  being  both  wasteful  and  unprofitable, 
as  compared  witli  oil-cake  and  the  legumes. 

The  opinions  hero  advanced  are  based  upon  my  own 
observations,  and  they  are  strongly  supported  by  the  late 
experiments  of  Mr.  Lawes.  There  is,  however,  one  im 
portant  point  worth  observation,  and  which  Mr.  Lawes 
has  exhibited  ;  that  tlie  residue  of  the  legumes,  after 
consumption,  is  of  more  value  as  manure  than  that  to 
be  obtained  from  the  Cereals. 

Joseph  Blundeli,. 
(7^0  be   continued.) 


SEA  WEEDS. 


{Continued  from  jm(je    300.) 

Theee  is  something  very  sm-prising  in  considering  the 
spores  or  fructification  of  marine  plants ;  so  minute,  that,  \ 
even  with  the  assistance  of  the  microscope,  there  is  as  yet  ' 
considerable  obscurity  regarding  them.  Specks,  so  small 
as  are  tliese  spores,  not  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  and  yet 
each  tiny  atom  containing  life,  and  capable,  under  favourable 
circitmstances,  of  producing  plants,  some  of  which  are  of 
large  dimensions,  is  a  fact  so  wonderful,  that  the  mind  is 
lost  in  the  contemplation  of  it,  and  is  led  from  the  astonish- 
ing eff'^.ct  to  the  first  Great  Cause ;  to  Him  who  in  wisdom 
has  made  all ;  whose  works  do,  indeed,  praise  Him.  Tliere 
are  wonderful  tilings  lying  hidden  in  the  mighty  deep  ! 
Many  which  are  rarely  seen  by  man,  and  many  which  are 
passed  by,  either  because  they  are  common,  or  the  attention 
has  not  been  directed  to  them,  or  from  a  want  of  knowledge 
of  their  beautiful  structures.  I  can  assure  ray  readers,  from 
experience,  that  an  interest  in  the  beautiful  plants  of  the 
ocean  is  much  to  be  desired.  JIany  an  hour,  which  would 
have  been  passed  by  the  invalid  in  comparative  dulnes.s,  lias 
been  cheered  and  made  delightful  by  the  arrival  of  some  of 
these  interesting  objects,  and  sometimes  even  a  sleepless 
hour  in  the  nigbt  has  had  light  thrown  upon  it  by  the 
remembrance  of  their  wonderful  beauty.  And  what  an 
inducement,  for  tliose  who  are  ordered  to  the  sea-side,  to 
walk  out,  day  by  day,  in  search  of  them,  when,  under  other 
circumstances,  tliey  would  have  wandered  listlessly  about, 
and  not  have  received  half  tlio  benefit ;  for  it  is  of  great 
importance  that  the  mind  should  have  healthy  exercise,  as 
well  as  the  body,  so  closely  is  the  one  conuectod  with  the 
other. 

ORDER  11.— 11H0DYMENIACE,E. 

Eed  or  purple  Sea  Weeds,  with  a  root  like  a  disk,  but 
sometimes  branched  and  matted;  "Frond  very  variable 
(sajs  Harvey)  in  habit  and  colour,  either  leafy  or  filiform, 
or  much  branched;  in  some  an  intense  scarlet;  in  some 
crimson ;  in  others  brown-red  or  purple  ;  the  substance  is 
ratlier  thick'. 


upon  rocks  and  stones  in  deep  water;  the  frond  is  rallier 
cartilaginous,  of  a  liright  red,  fan-shaped,  ilat,  and  much 
divided  in  a  wedge-like  manner.  The  mai-gin,  when  the 
plant  is  in  fruit,  fringed  with  "  ciliary  processes,  in  which 
the  tubercles  are  placed,  or  ^rith  tetraspores  forming  cloudy 
spots  along  the  margin."  I  found  this  weed  in  great  abund- 
ance and  remarkably  fine  at  Spittal,  near  Berwick-upon- 
Tweed.  It  is  also  plentiful  in  the  Isle  of  Man.  The  fronds 
are  sometimes  ten  inches  long.  It  makes  very  handsome 
specimens  for  the  herbarium. 

:i.  K.  I'.vLMETTA  (Fan-like). — Fronds  of  a  rosy  red,  and 
more  or  less  iorked,  fan-shaped;  "  rather  rigid,  and  not 
adliering  well  to  paper." 

•4  .R.  CRisTATA  (Crested). — I  have  only  seen  one  specimen 
of  this  rare  plant,  kindly  sent  me  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lands- 
borough.  Harvey  speaks  of  it  as  vei7  rare,  and  quite  a 
northern  species.  "  Fronds  about  an  inch  long,  divided 
near  the  base  into  several  main  brandies;  substance  mem- 
branaceous ;  adhering  closely  to  paper  in  drying." 

0.  R.  ciLiATA  (Fringed). — Frond  thick,  and  of  a  pui-ple- 
red  ;  mucli  lobed,  and  fringed  with  ciliie ;  on  rocks  and 
stones. 

0.  R.  JODATA. — On  rocky  shores ;  fronds  lanceolate, 
narrow,  and  becoming  much  more  so  at  the  top  ;  colour  dull 
red ;  adhering  well  to  paper  wlien  not  too  old.  Tliis  plant 
varies  much.     It  is  not  uncommon  on  the  Cumberland  const. 

7.  R.  PALMATA  (Hand-shaped). — Tliis  is  the  well-knowu 
Dulse  of  Scotch,  and  in  Ireland  is  called  Dillisk;  happily  it 
is  very  common,  and  is  mucli  used  as  an  article  of  food, 
either  raw  or  cooked;  the  shorter  plants  are  thought  the 
best;  sheep  feed  upon  it.  The  frond  is  wedge-shaped, 
broad,  and  much  divided.  It  grows  on  the  stalks  of  Lmni- 
iinria  dii/ila,  as  well  as  upon  rocks.  I  extract  the  following 
passage  from  Dr.  Landsborough's  "British  Sea  Weeds:" 
"  Dr.  Grevillo  says,  that  Dulse  is  the  true  Saccharine  Fncus 
of  the  Icelanders.  According  to  Lightfoot,  it  is  used 
medicinally  in  the  Isle  of  Skye,  to  promote  perspiration  in 
fevers.  In  the  islands  of  the  .\rcbipelago,  it  is  a  favourite 
ingredient  in  ragouts,  to  which  it  imparts  a  red  colour, 
besides  rendering  them  of  a  richer  and  thicker  consistence. 
The  dried  frond,  like  many  other  alga^,  when  infused  in 
water  exhales  an  odom'  resembling  violets;  and  Dr.  Tatrick 
Neil  mentions,  that  it  communicates  that  llavour  to  vegetables 
with  which  it  is  mixed  Dr.  L.  also  says,  that  by  the  High- 
landers it  is  called  Duillisg,  which  is  a  word  compoimded 
of  two  Gielic  words,  dtiille,  a  leaf,  and  uisi/c,  water,  i.e., 
the  leaf  of  the  water.      From  uisije,  is  derived  the  word 


1.  STENOGEAMMA. 

Named  from  two  words  signifying  nan'ow,  and  a  line, 
because  the  fruit  is  in  hues. 

1.  S.  iNTEREurxA. — 'J'liis  plant,  which  is  washed  up  from 
deep  water,  is  veiy  rare,  though  Miss  Gilford  has  found  it   I 
in   tolerable  abundance  at  Minehead,  in  Somerset.     It  is   | 
of  a  fine  red  and  much  lacinated;    fan-shaped,  and  rather  | 
resembling  Ultodi/menia  j'almella;  from  three  to  five  inches 
long,  and  about  as  wide. 

2.  RHODYMENIA. 
From  red,  and  a  membrane. 

1.  R.  BIFIDA  (Two-cleft). — A  rosy-red,  ti-ausparent,  thin 
frond,  forked  from  the  base;  "the  margins  fringed  with 
ciliie." 

2.  R.   LACINIATA    (Torne;.— This   beautiful    weed   grows 


Febbuaby  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARnENEB. 


387 


whisky;  and,  with  the  addition  of  laugh,  life,  we  have 
the  usquebaugh  of  the  Irish  {aqua  vUit),  water  of  life  ;  with 
how  much  more  propriety  might  it  be  called  the  water  of 
death !  The  Highlanders  and  Irish  used  to  dry  it  in  the 
sun,  and  chew  it  as  they  now  do  tobacco. 

3.  SPHCEEOCOCCUS. 

Frond  cartilaginous,  compressed,  two-edged,  linear,  dis- 
tiohously  branched,  with  an  internal  rib,  cellular-.  Name 
from  a  sphere  and  fruit. 

1.  S.  coKONoriT'OLins  (Coronopus-leaved). — Frond  cartila- 
ginous, much  branched,  and,  at  first  sight,  not  unlike  coarse 
specimens  of  Plocnmium  coccineum.  It  is  a  handsome  plant, 
of  a  fine  red  colour ;  fronds  from  six  to  twelve  inches  long. 

It  grows  on  rocky  shores,  is  not  uncommon  in  the  south 
of  England  and  Ireland,  but  is  rare  in  Scotland.  Dr. 
Greville  has  found  it  in  Bute;  I  have  had  it  sparingly 
from  the  Isle  of  Man.  S.  B. 

{To  he  continued.) 


ROUP. 

I  AM  surprised  you  should  admit  the  publication  in  your 
paper  of  such  dangerous  theories  as  Dr.  Horner's  have 
proved  to  be.  I  have,  for  a  long  time,  been  in  the  habit  of 
placing  implicit  confidence  in  the  correctness  of  opinions 
recorded  in  your  paper.  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  can  do  so  no 
more.  I  consider  it  the  duty  of  an  Editor  to  thoroughly 
sift  such  communications,  or,  at  any  rate,  to  caution  his 
readers.  I  regret  to  say  that  I  introduced  a  roupy  fowl  to 
my  stock  entirely  in  consequence  of  Dr.  H.'s  assurance  of 
this  disease  being  non-contagious,  and  the  result  has  been 
most  disastrous.  My  only  wish  is  that  I  could  come  upon 
him  for  damages ;  I  would  certainly  do  it.  To  think  of  my 
losing  a  score  of  valuable  fowls  through  such  assurance  ! 
*****  I  must  request  the  insertion  of  this  com- 
munication (or  part  of  it%  as  a  solace  to  my  feelings,  and 
a  caution  to  others. — Ei.iza  Batehan,  Lovghborough. 

[Our  correspondent  is  too  hard  both  upon  Dr.  Horner 
and  ourselves ;  and  we  must  think  her  own  rashness  is  most 
to  blame.  Dr.  Horner  stated  his  opinion  rather  strongly, 
it  is  true ;  and  for  ourselves,  if  our  correspondent  will  refer 
to  page  2.33,  she  will  see  that  we  there  said — "  We  should 
no  more  think  of  putting  healthy  fowls  into  a  house  and 
walk  where  roup  had  prevailed,  than  we  should  of  putting  a 
healthy  horse  into  a  stall  where  a  glandered  horse  had 
been  living."  Besides,  Mr.  Tegetmeier  and  Mr.  Brent  have 
recorded  similar  opinions,  so  that  our  correspondent  was 
rash  in  acting  as  she  did. — Ed.  C.  G.] 

In  addition  to  the  above,  we  have  the  following  from 
W.  Lort,  Esq.,  of  Great  Heath,  Tenbury,  well-known  as  an 
experienced  breeder  of  fowls : — 

"  For  the  last  two  months  I  have  been  devoting  much  time 
to  experiments  iipon  roupy  fowls.  I  have  now  no  hesitation 
in  pronouncing  Eoup  highly  contagious,  so  far  as  Dorkings 
are  concerned,  and  that  Cochin-Chinas  will  catch  this  com- 
plaint is  pretty  evident.  I  have  succeeded  in  giving  the 
Eoup  to  several  healthy  fowls  by  allowing  the  dead  body 
of  an  old  roupy  cock  to  remain  with  them  in  an  out-building 
for  about  three  days.  Three  of  the  fowls  thus  infected  were 
young  Dorkings,  and  the  other  a  Cochin-China  pullet.  The 
former  are  now  quite  cured,  but  the  Cochin-China,  as  she 
appeared  to  eat  her  food  well,  I  was  inclined  to  let  take  her 
chance ;  she  died  in  about  a  fortnight  from  the  time  she  took 
the  disease,  without  having  diminished  much  in  weight,  and 
with  a  crop  tolerably  well  supplied  with  grain.  How  these 
birds  caught  the  disease  from  the  dead  one  I  do  not  pretend 
to  say.  Mr.  Tegetmeier,  and  he  is  generally  pretty  sound 
in  his  opinions,  has  intimated  that  the  disease  may  be 
communicated  by  the  birds  picking  tiie  dried  matter  from 
the  heads  of  their  companions.  This  might  have  been  the 
way  the  disease  was  taken  from  the  dead  bird;  but,  as  I 
have  before  said,  I  venture  no  opinion  as  to  how  the  disease 
was  taken :  I  only  know  that  it  was  communicated  by  a 
dead  bird,  and  in  a  very  malignant  form.  It  behoves  those 
who  have  roupy  fowls  to  remove  them  at  once  to  some  dry, 
clean  place,  as  far  as  possible  from  the  rest  of  the  poultry. 


"That  part  of  your  report  of  the  Shropshire  Poultry 
Show  which  has  reference  to  the  Malays  is  somewhat 
incorrect.  The  first  prize  was  withheld  from  a  pen  of  old 
fowls  in  heavy  moult,  but  my  chickens  obtained  first  and 
second  prizes." 


THE  ROSE  GARDEN. 

AVe  have  before  us  the  "Supplement,"  just  published,  to 
"  The  Eose  Garden,"  written  by  Mr.  W.  Paul,  the  well-known 
Nurseryman  of  Cheshunt.  When  we  say  that  it  is  a  worthy 
continuation  of  that  excellent  book,  and  that  tlie  four  coloured 
porti'aits  of  Eoses  are  as  beautiful  as  those  which  have  pre- 
ceded them,  we  have  said  enough  to  commend  it  effectiially 
to  our  readers. 

The  following  extract  states  Mr.  Paul's  estimate  of  the 
recent  additions  to  the  various  families  of  Eoses. 

"  In  Groups  1,  2,  and  3,  the  '  Boursault,'  the  '  Double 
Yellow,'  and  the  '  Scotch,'  no  valuable  additions  have  been 
made.  In  Group  4,  the  '  Damask,'  we  have  a  White  Eose, 
'  Harriet  Martineau,'  which,  during  the  past  summer,  was 
the  finest  of  White  Eoses.  We  remember  to  have  seen  this 
variety  in  bloom  four  or  five  years  ago,  when  in  the  hands  of 
one  individual,  and  were  struck  with  its  purity  and  beauty. 
For  three  years,  however,  it  gave  but  indifferent  flowers  here, 
and  can  therefore  at  best  be  pronounced  but  an  uncertain 
Eose. 

•'  To  Group  5,  the  '  Provence,'  we  have  added  an  excellent 
variety  in  '  Dometille  Becar :'  like  others  of  the  group,  it 
requires  a  rich  soil  and  good  cultivation. 

"  Group  fi,  the  '  Pompon,'  presents  us  with  no  additions. 

"  Group  7,  the  '  Moss,'  has  been  the  most  fertile  of  Sum- 
mer Eoses  in  the  production  of  new  varieties,  but  it  is  in 
quantity  rather  than  quality.  Of  the  forty-three  additional 
varieties  here  described,  I  have  seen  rather  more  than  one 
half,  four  of  which  I  can  with  confidence  recommend :  these 
are, '  Duchesse  d'Abrantes,' '  Latone,' '  Purpurea  rubra,'  and 
'  Princess  Alice.'  It  must  be  told,  however,  that  many  were 
seen  blooming  under  disadvantageous  circumstances  ;  and 
if  at  present  we  are  in  the  dark  as  regards  the  quality  of  the 
flowers,  in  habit  of  growth  many  of  the  new  kinds  are  de- 
cided improvements.  The  '  Moss'  appears  the  most  obdu- 
rate of  Eoses,  almost  incapable  of  improvement  by  seed; 
and  I  believe  many  of  our  best  varieties  are  the  result  of 
'  sporting.'*  The  '  Moss  Princess  Alice,'  first  oflTered  for 
sale  this  year,  is  the  first- fruit  of  a  sowing  made  in  the 
Cheshunt  Nurseries  in  the  Spring  of  1847;  so  slow  is  the 
process  of  blooming,  proving,  and  bringing  into  a  saleable 
condition,  the  varieties  of  this  group.  It  is  a  great  improve- 
ment on  the  general  run  in  regard  to  growth,  which  is  so 
vigorous,  that  it  quickly  forms  a  large  umbrageous  tree, 
flowering  abundantly :  the  flowers  resemble  the  varieties  of 
the  '  Alba,'  being  blush,  with  pink  centres. 

"  It  must  be  a  source  of  surprise  to  those  cultivators  who 
are  not  acquainted  with  the  commerce  of  the  Eose,  that  the 
'French  Eose'  (Group  8)  has  of  late  produced  no  new  va- 
rieties worth  notice.  How  is  this  ?  It  is  that  the  group 
has  been  so  many  years  cultivated,  and  consequently  im- 
proved so  much,  that  floricultural  skill  could  go  no  further  ? 
Certainly  it  is  one  of  the  oldest  groups,  and  counts  more 
varieties  than  any  other ;  but  fliere  is  ample  room  for  im- 
provement yet.  The  reason  is  not  this  :  it  is,  that  the 
Summer  Eoses  generally  ai-e  at  a  discount.  A  good  seed- 
ling French  Eose  is  as  difiicult  to  originate  as  a  good  seed- 
ling Perpetual ;  and,  when  obtained,  does  not  realise  one- 
fourth  the  price.  The  raisers  are  aware  of  this,  and  follow 
that  course  of  culture  which  promises  the  greatest  recom 
pense. 

"  Let  us  pass  to  the  next  group, '  Hybrid  French,"  which 
offers  one  variety,  '  Comtesse  de  Segur,'  of  great  beauty 
The  flowers  are  neither  largo  nor  full,  so  that  it  scarcely 
answers  as  a  Show  Eose  ;  but  they  are  exquisitely  shaped, 
and  of  a  very  pleasing  colour. 

"  Group  10,  the  '  Hybrid  Chinese '  has  received  several  ad- 
ditions. One  only, '  Genera!  Lamoricifere,' seems  to  require 
particular  notice.  It  differs  widely  from  its  congeners. 
The  flowers  are  pink,  the  petals  increase  in  size  from  the 
centre  outwards,  so  that,  although  perfectly  double,  they 

*  See  "  Rose  Garden,"  Division  II. p.  32. 


388 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


FEBRtTABT  10. 


ave  hollow  in  the  interior,  like  a  cup.  It  often  blooms  in 
tlie  autumn,  and,  we  doubt  not,  wUl  eventually  do  so  con- 
stantly, and  thus  become  a  '  Hybrid  Perpetual '  Eose. 

"The  'Hybrid  Noisette'  (Group  11)  jn-esents  us  with 
nothing  new;  but  the  'Hybrid  Bourbon'  (Grouji  V2)  has 
been  more  generous.  Frederic  the  Second  is  a  capital 
Climbuig  or  I'iUar  Rose,  with  large  purplish-crimson  flowers, 
well  shaped,  but  not  quite  full.  Paul  Eicaut  is  certainly 
one  of  the  finest  of  Eoses :  the  boldness  of  growth,  and  the 
rich  bright  crimson  hue  of  the  flowers,  must  render  it  an 
miiversal  favourite.  It  is  equally  good  for  a  Standard  or  a 
Pillai-.  Vivid  (Paul's)  is  something  of  the  style  of  the  latter. 
It  is  a  smaller  flower,  but  of  a  riclier  colom',  and  far  more 
velvety  :  it  is  of  vigorous  growth,  very  hai'dy,  and  will  form 
one  of  the  most  StiTliing  of  Pillar  or  Climbing  Eoses. 

"  The  remaining  groups  of  Summer  Eoses  offer  nothing 
very  remarkable.  We  were  looking  ^ith  hope  towai'ds  the 
Eoses  from  China,  introduced  by  Mr.  Fortune  ;  but  these, 
however  interestmg  in  a  botanical  point  of  view,  do  not  pos- 
sess the  attributes  requii'ed  by  the  florist.  Fortune's  Climb- 
ing Yellow,  if  hardy,  may  make  a  valuable  addition  to  our 
Climbing  Eoses  ;  and  the  Banksiie  Fortunianawill  probably 
make  a  useful  Wall  Eose,  more  showy  than  the  old  variety, 
as  its  flowers  are  twice  the  size. 

"  We  now  pass  the  second  class,  '  Autumnal  Eoses,'  the 
first  five  groups  of  which  require  no  sjiecial  notice. 

"The  'Hybrid  Perpetual'  (Group  27;  has,  within  the 
last  five  years,  given  us  more  fine  new  vai'ieties  than  all  the 
other  groups  together.  Sixteen  years  ago  there  was  but  one 
variety  :  at  the  time  of  the  publication  of  the  '  Eose  Gae- 
DEN,'  1847-48,  there  were  107  ;  and  now  we  have  no  less 
than  9rj7  ;  giving  an  increase  of  l.'iO  varieties  in  five  years! 
Some  of  these  are  of  surpassing  loveliness,  and  we  shall 
proceed  to  note  the  names  of  those  which  have  most  de- 
lighted us,  refeiTing  to  pp.  15 — i'2  for  descriptions  of  them : 
— Alexandrine  Bachemeteff,  Angelina  Granger,  Auguste  Mee, 
Baronne  Hallez,  Baronne  de  Heeckeren,  Blanche  (Por- 
temer),  Caroline  de  Sansal,  Cheraeu,  Comte  Odart,  Comte 
de  Nanteuil,  Destigny,  Duchesse  de  PrasUn,  Duchesse 
d'Orleaus,  Enfant  du  Mont  Carmel,  Eugene  Sue,  Ferdinand 
Dejipe,  General  Bedeau,  General  Brea,  General  Castellane, 
General  Cavaignac,  General  Negiier,  Graziella,  Inermis, 
Joan  of  Ai'C,  Lady  Stuart,  Laura  Eamand,  Louise  Peyronny, 
Madame  de  Manoel,  Madame  Ducher,  Madame  Fremion, 
Madame  Guillot,  Madame  Louise  Thenard,  Madame  Pepin, 
Madame  Elvers,  Mere  de  St.  Louis,  Noemi,  Paul  Dupuy, 
Prince  Leon  Kotchouby,  Queen  Victoria  (Paul's),  Eosine 
Margottin,  Salvator  Eosa,  Souvenir'  de  Leveson  Gower, 
Standard  of  Marengo,  Triomphe  de  Paris,  Volta,  William 
Griffiths.  This  may  appear  a  long  list,  but  it  may  be  de- 
pended on  as  containing  the  names  of  vaiieties  of  first  merit 
only.  It  were  easy  to  add  as  long  a  list  of  other  interesting 
varieties,  well  worthy  of  culture  ;  but  these  we  consider  al- 
together indispensable  to  every  amateur. 

"  If  to  the  next  group  (28),  the  'Bourbon  Perpetual,'  so 
many  varieties  have  not  been  added,  it  is  yet  as  remarkable 
for  improvement :  we  may  almost  say  it  has  given  birth  to  a 
new  style  of  flower,  at  the  head  of  which  stands  Louise 
Odier.  These  Eoses,  many  of  which  were  originated  at 
Lyons,  are  of  vigorous  growth,  producing  long  shoots  well 
clothed  with  handsome  shining  fohage.  The  llowers,  if  well 
formed,  are  not  generally  large,  therefore  tliey  cannot  be 
recommended  as  Sliow  Eoses;  but  they  flower  so  abundantly 
throughout  the  autumn,  which  many  of  the  '  Hybrid  Perpe- 
tuals'  do  not,  that  they  are  even  more  desirable  where  the 
object  is  to  have  a  good  supply  of  Eoses  late  in  the  year. 
Louise  Odier,  Colonel  Foissy,  Dr.  .Juillard,  Prairie,  and  Eoine 
jNIatliylde,  are  the  most  striking  novelties.  If  allowed  to 
look  into  the  future,  we  should  assign  to  this  group  a  dis- 
tinguished position  among  Eoses  at  no  distant  period. 

"  Group  211,  tlie  '  Eose  de  Eosomi'ue,'  furnishes  a  remsu'k- 
able  Eose  in  '  Comte  Bobrinsky ;'  the  habit  is  dwarf  ;  the 
flowers  varying  much  in  quality  and  colour :  opening  some- 
times beautifully,  and  almost  scarlet.  In  '  Souvenir  de  Ma- 
dame Lille'  we  have  a  seedling  from  '  Geant  des  Batailles  :' 
the  flowers  are  much  darker,  rich  in  appearance,  and  nicely 
cupped. 

"  In  group  'K  we  find  the  '  Tea-scented.'  Among  them, 
Canary  is  pretty  in  bud,  but  only  semi-double  when  ex- 
panded.   It  appears  a  rigorous,  hardy  kind,  and  the  buds 


have  a  charming  effect  on  the  tree  in  the  distance.  Madame 
^'illermoz  is  a  fine  bold  Eose,  with  handsome  foliage.  Sora- 
breuil  is  also  a  variety  of  great  promise.  The  past  summer 
has  been  most  unfavourable  for  these  Eoses,  consequently 
it  is  diflicult  to  form  a  judgment  of  many  tlial  remain ;  biU, 
as  far  as  we  can  at  present  pronounce,  we  are  not  sanguine 
in  regard  to  the  new  kinds. 

"The  'Bourbon'  (Group  -iC)   has  given  us  darker  and 
brighter  fiowei-s,  both  of  which  were  much  wanted.    Apol- 
line,  Aurore  du  Guide,  Jury,  Madame  Cousin.  Madame  Hel-   ' 
fenbein,  Prince  Albert  (Paul's)  Eeveil,  Scipio,  Sir  J.Paxton,   , 
Souvenir  d'  un  frere,  and  Vorace,  are  the  best  of  the  nnnie-    ! 
reus  kinds  recently  added,  and  often  continue  flowering  till 
the  blossoms  are  destroyed  by  fi'ost." 


BEE-KEEPING  FOU  COTTAGERS 

{Coniinuctl frovi  2>fiff^  311.) 

Condiiisers  — Feeders,  if  left  on  after  feeding  is  over,  will 
fulfil  all  the  pm-poses  of  a  condenser :  a  condenser,  as  its 
name  imports,  is  used  for  coUecting  and  condensing  the 
perspiration  that  in  the  winter.rises  from  the  bees,  and,  unless 
canicd  away,  settles  upon  the  combs,  and  causes  them  to  tm-n 
mouldy  and  breed  disease.  If  you  have  not  as  many  feeders 
as  you  have  hives  (and  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  you  should 
have,  for  none  of  yom'  hives,  if  properly  managed,  ought  to 
want  feeding  at  all),  a  large  galUpot,  or  bee-glass,  turned 
upside  down  in  a  zinc  ti-ough,  or  even  placed  upon  a  piece  of 
metal,  "with  a  large  hole  in  the  centre,  and  set  overthe  hole  in 
the  centre  of  the  hive,  will  make  as  good  a  condenser  as  any- 
thing :  should  a  piece  of  metal  and  not  a  trough  be  used,  it 
mil  be  necessary,  every  three  or  four  days,  to  turn  up  the 
gallipot  or  glass,  (first  shpping  a  plate  of  tin  or  zinc  under 
it,  to  prevent  much  cold  air  entering  the  hive),  and  wipe 
away  the  moisture  that  will  have  collected  on  it,  and  the 
metal :  the  condenser,  in  winter,  tends  as  much  as  anjlhing 
to  presen-e  the  health  of  the  bees. 

Fiimif/afors. — The  Icitchen- bellows  may  be  easily  used  for 
smoking  hives  ;  it  will  only  be  necessai-j-  to  have  a  tin  tube, 
about  three  inches  long  and  two  inches  across,  made  to  fit 
over  the  air  hole ;  at  one  end  of  it  there  must  be  rivetted  a 
piece  of  perforated  zinc  ;  at  the  other  there  must  he  a  mova- 
ble lid  made  of  a  similar  material.  It  wUl  also  be  well  to 
have  a  flat  box,  about  two  inches  broad,  four  inches  long, 
and  half-an-iuch  deep,  with  a  piece  of  perforated  zinc  fitted 
to  one  end,  and  a  tube  somewhat  larger  than  the  nozzle  of 
the  bellows  fitted  to  the  other,  so  as  to  make  a  box  some- 
thing like  a  flat  watering-pot  rose:  this  box  is  to  be  inserted, 
on  operating,  into  the  mouth  of  the  hive,  and  fixed  there 
with  some  bits  of  rag,  or  list :  the  object  of  it  is  to  give  the 
operator  a  freer  use  of  his  hands  than  he  would  have  if  tlie 
nozzle  of  the  bellows  were  to  be  introduced  into  the  hive. 
The  material  to  be  used  in  this  is  what  is  called  Devil's  Snuff 
Box,  Fuzz-ball,  or  Puff-ball ;  it  should  be  gathered  nearly 
ripe,  dried  in  the  sun,  and  kept  dry.  Counti-y  folk  can 
generally  get  this  pretty  easily  from  the  fields;  when,  how- 
ever, it  cannot  be  procured,  the  Bocod'tiim  t-cllun;  or  dai-k 
cobweb-kind  of  stuff  that  may  be  found  in  most  wine-vaults, 
will  answer  the  purpose  equally  well. 

Bee-DiTss  anil  GloiK-s. — AVhatever  may  lie  said  about  cool- 
ness in  operating  being  the  best  protection  against  stings,  it 
is  always  desirable  to  be  protected ;  in  fact,  the  necessary 
coolness  can  only  be  obtained  after  many  years  experience, 
and  then  only  by  a  favoured  few.  Do  not,  then,  despise  a  I 
bee-dross  and  gloves.  The  thick  leather  gloves  used  by  ' 
hedgers,  drawn  well  up  the  coat-sleeves,  or  a  pau'  of  thick 
woollen  gloves,  lengthened  gauntlet  fashion,  by  baring  n 
pair  of  old  stockings  with  the  feet  cut  ofi'  sewn  to  them,  will 
eft'ectually  protect  one's  hands,  whilst  a  thin  gauze 
or  leno  sack,  into  wiiich  to  put  tlie  hat,  head, 
and  shoulders,  will  do  the  same  for  the  face  :  the  lower 
end  of  this  sack  will  he  slipped  inside  the  jacket,  which 
must  be  then  buttoned  up ;  it  will  be  even  better  to 
make  armholes  in  the  sack  (which  may  be  kept  tight  to 
the  arms  by  means  of  india-rubber  bands'),  and  run  a  string 
into  its  lower  end,  so  as  to  be  able  to  draw  up  tlio  wiiolo 
bag-fashion  tightly  under  the  arm-pits  :  tlie  broadev  llie 
brim  of  the  hat  the  better.    As  bees  are  unable  to  witlidraw 


Febbuaky  16. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 


889 


their  stings  from  leather  gloves,  it  will  be  as  well,  if  possilile, 
to  have  the  backs  of  them  covered  with  some  fui', — hare  or 
rabbit-skin,  for  instance, — having,  of  course,  the  fur  out- 
wards. 

Knives. — The  two  following  knives  wll  be  found  very 
convenient  in  operating,  more  particularly  the  latter  of  them ; 
without  it,  great  difficulty  is  experienced  in  cutting  the 
combs  from  tlie  tops  of  the  hives.  The  first  is  merely  a 
strong  knife,  made  square  at  the  end,  and  sharpened  at  the 
end  and  on  both  sides,  so  that  it  can  cut  downwards  or 
either  way  ;  the  second  is  a  thin  rod  of  iron,  about  a  quarter- 
of-an-iuch  square,  having  a  lancet-shaped  head,  welded  at 
right-angles  to  the  rod,  and  shai'pened  at  both  sides  also, 
that  it  may  cut  both  ways.  Both  these  knives  may  be  made 
of  a  good  hard  bit  of  iron. 

Sieves. — One  or  more  perforated  zinc  sieves,  according  to 
the  number  of  old  hives  to  be  taken  up  every  year,  must 
be  had  for  draining  the  honey  from  the  corahs.  A  sieve 
of  this  kind  may  be  readily  made  by  naUing  a  circular  piece 
of  perforated  zinc  to  the  hoop  of  an  old  worn-out  hair  sieve, 
or  by  making  a  rough  bos  with  sides,  each  about  six  inches 
broad,  and  with  a  piece  of  perforated  zinc  for  a  bottom.  A 
common  cohinder  answers  the  purpose  of  drawing  honey, 
perhaps,  as  well  as  anything. 

Blocks. — These  are  merely  small  pieces  of  wood  of  the  same 
depth  as  the  entrances  to  the  hives,  and  are  made  use  of  for 
narrowing  the  entrances  in  the  months  when  the  bees  are 
idle,  and  when  the  hives  are  likely  to  be  attacked  by  robber- 
bees  ;  they  should  be  of  various  breadths,  varying  from 
half-an-inch  to  an  inch-and-a  half  Other  and  larger  blocks 
will  also  be  required  for  placing  before  the  hive  entrances 
in  cold,  or  snowy  weather,  to  prevent  the  sun's  rays  striking 
on  the  already  narrowed  entrances.  Small  pieces  of  inch- 
stutf,  about  three  inches  square,  answer  this  purpose  as  well 
as  anything :  placed  in  front  of,  and  nearly  close  to,  the  hive 
entrance  in  winter,  they,  in  connection  with  the  hackles  and 
jackets  already  described,  will  effectually  ward  off  the  sun's 
rays  and  reflected  light,  and  will  assist  in  keeping  the  bees 
quiet. 

Sundries. — You  must  also  have  several  pieces  of  wood, 
about  six  inches  square,  to  lay  over  the  middle  holes  of  the 
stock  hives  when  tlie  top  hives  are  removed ;  several  flat 
pieces  of  zinc  or  tin,  of  various  sizes  (from  twelve  inches 
by  eight  to  six  inches  bv  six),  some  of  the  smaller  pieces 
perforated ;  a  small  stoppered  bottle  of  liquor  potassre,  or 
cold  lotion ;  a  bit  of  tobacco ;  and  some  bits  of  linen  or 
woollen  rag :  all  these,  as  well  as  many  of  the  smaller 
articles  already  described,  and  other  little  things  that  mil 
suggest  themselves  in  practice,  may  be  conveniently  kept 
in  a  box  in  some  handy  place  where  they  may  be  got  at  any 
time. 

Painting,  though  not  exactly  "  apparatus,"  seems  a  proper 
end  for  this  section.  Everything  about  the  bees  that  can 
be,  sliould  be  well  painted  ;  things  last  three  times  as  long 
and  look  infinitely  neater  in  consequence.  Painting  can  be 
done  on  fine,  dry,  mUd  days  in  January  and  February  mthout 
injury  to  the  bees. 

(To  Ite  continued.) 


I     SILVER-SPANGLED    HAMBURGH'S  CHARAC- 
i  TERISTICS. 


In  a  recent  number  of  The  Cottage  Gaedenee,  T  noticed' 
with  much  pleasure,  some  remarks  made  by  you  in  reply  to 
a  letter  written  by  Mr.  John  Brown,  of  Birmingham,  on  the 
subject  of  poultry  judges  having  some  positive  rule  to  guide 
them  in  their  decisions,  more  especially  as  regards  Spangled 
Hambui-gh  fowls.  From  the  various  and  conflicting  opinions 
we  hear  from  persons  who  may  be  supposed  to  have  some 
knowledge  of  the  characteristics  of  this  breed  of  poultiy, 
and  from  the  apparently  extraordinary  decisions  we  so  fre- 
quently see  at  exhibitions,  it  is  perfectly  evident  the  time 
has  now  arrived  that  some  positive  rules  shoidd  be  laid 
down  for  the  guidance  of  both  breeders  and  judges. 

Having,  myself,  for  some  time  past,  jjaid  considerable 
attention  to  the  Silver-spangled  Hamburgh  fowl,  I  beg  to 
request  you  will  allow  me  a  small  space  in  yom-  Journal,  to 
express  my  ideas  of  what  I  consider  constitutes  the  prin- 


cipal characteristics  of  this  elegant  and  useful  variety  of 
poultry,  and  in  my  views  respecting  them,  T  know  I  am  sup- 
ported by  many  of  the  largest  breeders  of  tins  class  of  fowl. 

The  general  impression  amongst  the  best  l)reeders  is, 
that  a  perfect  Silver-spani/led  hen  should  have  a  double, 
rosy,  and  erect  comb,  and  not  a  lop-sided  one,  which  wo  so 
I'requently  see  ;  white  ear-lobes,  and,  above  all,  eyery  feather, 
from  the  head  to  tlie  extremity  of  the  tail,  should  be 
perfectly  white,  tipped  at  the  end  with  black  ;  this,  from  the 
feathers  over-laying  each  other,  gives  an  alternate  black  and 
and  white  spot,  producing  in  a  perfect  bird  that  beautiful 
spangled  appearance  from  which  this  variety  takes  its  name. 

The  male  bird  of  the  Silver-spangled  breed  should  also 
have  a  double,  rosy,  and  erect  comb,  terminating  in  a  point 
at  the  back ;  white  ear-lobes,  and  every  feather  white  tipped 
with  black  to  the  extreme  end  of  the  sickle  feathers  of  the 
tail,  but  from  the  great  length  of  the  neck  and  saddle- 
hackle  of  the  male  bird,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  produce 
that  spangled  appearance  on  the  back  which  we  always  see 
in  the  male  bird,  and  it  is  from  this  cause  alone  that  the 
Silver-spangled  cock  shows  so  large  a  proportion  of  white 
feathers  on  the  back. 

Having  recently  seen  a  tendency  among  some  of  our 
poultry  judges  to  award  prizes  to  fowls  in  this  class  having 
the  benny  tail,  thereby  showing  a  more  spangled  appearance 
on  the  back,  I  beg  to  call  their  attention  to  this  particular 
point,  that  the  male  bird  of  the  Silver-spangled  breed  ought 
to  possess  the  drooi^ing  saddle-feathers,  which  adds  so  much 
beauty  and  elegance,  as  compared  with  the  cropped  and 
narrow  appearance  of  the  henny-tailed  birds. 

I  am  aware  that  some  of  oiu'  poultry  juilges  will  differ 
with  me  in  opinion  as  regards  the  retention  of  the  saddle- 
feathers,  but  I  do  know,  that  in  the  districts  of  Yorkshire 
and  Staffordshire,  where  this  class  of  fowls  is  principally 
bred,  none  but  birds  having  the  saddle-feathers  would  be  con- 
sidered pure,  and  a  henny-tailed  cock  would  be  said  to  be 
crossed  with  the  Golden-spangled. 

This  is  a  question  upon  which  many  of  our  judges  are 
not  agreed,  and  it  is  one  that,  for  the  guidance  of  bi'eeders, 
ought  to  be  settled.  One  judge  awards  prizes  to  henny- 
tailed  birds,  another  will  not  notice  them.  So  well  is  this 
understood  amongst  many  exhibitors,  that  when  the  judges 
are  known,  they  exhibit  accordingly. 

Surely  this  ought  not  to  be.  Let  us  have  some  definite 
rules  to  guide  x\s,  and,  depend  upon  it,  first-rate  birds  will 
be  produced.  I  hope  you  wUl  render  us  your  aid  and 
assistance  in  endeavoiu-ing  to  settle  this  disputed  question. 
— An  Admirer  or  the  Saddle  Feathers. 

[We  shall  be  glad  to  have  the  opinion  of  other  breeders 
of  Spangled  Hamburghs  on  this  point. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


SII,K    CULTURE. 

The  cultivation  of  Silk  was  confined  for  ages  to  China 
alone,  and  the  Chinese  guarded  the  secret  from  whence  they 
derived  such  immense  wealth  with  such  extreme  jealousy, 
that  many  of  the  ancient  writers  believed  it  to  be  a  vegetable 
product,  which  we  may  infer  from  the  following  lines  : — 

*'  Nor  flocks,  nor  herds,  the  distant  Seres*  lead, 
But  from  the  flowers  that  in  the  desert  bloom. 
Tinctured  with  every  varying  hue,  they  cull 
The  glossy  down,  and  card  it  for  the  loom." 

Mai'sellianus  gives  a  more  correct  description  from 
whence  the  Seres  produced  such  a  costly  material.  He 
says,  they  have  an  insect,  which  they  rear  in  buildings,  spin- 
ning a  fine  thread ;  and  this  statement  becomes  interesting, 
for  it  at  once  removes  a  mistalien  notion  that  the  Silk- 
worm, in  countries  where  it  is  indigenous,  is  left  to  its 
natural  state.  On  the  contraiy,  wherever  silk  is  cultivated 
as  an  article  of  commerce,  the  Silk-worm  is  artificLilly  reared, 
and  it  is  to  the  care  of  man  for  these  little  silk  manufac- 
turers that  we  are  indebted  for  their  beautiful  filament. 

It  is  well-known  how  reluctant  the  Chinese  are  to  admit 
strangers,  but,  notwithstanding  all  their  precautions,  two 
Persian  missionaries  penetrated  the  country,  and  to  them  is 
accorded  the  credit  of  introducing  this  valuable  branch  of 

*  Seres  was  the  name  by  which  the  ancients  designated  the  Chinese. 


390 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


February  16. 


industry  into  Eurojie.  They  observed  with  interest  the 
labours  of  the  little  insect,  and  made  themselves  acquainted 
witli  tlie  vai'ious  processes  of  fabricating  its  produce,  and 
succeeded  in  obtaining  a  quantity  of  Silk-worm  eggs,  wliich 
they  concealed  in  a  hollow  cane,  and  safely  conveyed  them 
to  Constantinople,  in  the  year  502.  The  eggs  were  liatched 
in  due  season,  and  the  insects  thus  produced  were  the  pro- 
genitors of  all  the  countless  generations  of  Sillc-worms  in 
Europe,  and  have  become,  to  many  countries,  a  valuable 
hrancli  of  industry.  From  Constantinople  it  spread  to 
Greece,  Spain,  Italy,  France,  Germany,  and  Holland. 
Even  in  Sweden  and  Russia,  silk  is  successfully  cultivated; 
and  we  trust,  tliat  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  England, 
so  .justly  renowned  for  its  industry  and  its  inventions,  shall 
also  count  its  silk  cultivators.  PuUen  says,  in  his  Essay, 
"  A  lady,  with  a  little  trouble,  may  easily  provide  herself 
with  a  suit  of  silk." 

It  has  been  proved  that  4,000  SUk-worms  spin  more  than 
one  pound  of  silk,  which  will  make  sixteen  yards  uf  6rus 
de  Naples,  sufficient  for  a  lady's  dress  ;  and  the  time  from 
the  hatching  of  the  eggs  to  the  reeling  of  the  silk  is  no 
more  than  six  weeks.  Attempts  have  often  failed,  by  ti'ying 
to  substitute  different  food  for  that  which  is  natural  to  tbo 
Silk-wnrm,  for  tlie  insect  will  not  tln-ive  on  any  other  food 
but  the  Mulberry-leaf;  and  Monsieur  L.  de  Long  Champs 
asserts,  that  the  Silk-worm  fed  upon  the  white  Mulbeny-leaf 
produces  a  much  finer  silk  than  those  fed  upon  the  black ; 
the  former  having  the  advantage  also  of  coming  into  leaf  at 
least  a  fortnight  earlier  than  the  latter,  and  of  being  most 
easily  propagated. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  result  obtained  by 
Monsieur  Nourrigat,  cultivator  at  Lunel,  in  the  Department 
of  the  Herault,  in  France  : 

From  a  ozs.  of  eggs  he  obtained  Silk-worms  sufficient  to 
produce  .12  cwts.  of  cocoons ;  the  worms  requiring  .321 
cwts.  of  leaves,  or  100  leaves  for  every  five  cocoons. 

The  cocoons  were  sold  for i'.'lOC  10     0 

The  expenses  were 108     »     0 


The  Nett  Profit    XIOh     5    0 


BOMBYX. 


DISEASES  OF  POULTRY. 

VKRTIGO    AND   APOPLEXY  IN   LAYING    HENS. 

The  regularity  with  which  certain  diseases  recur  at  parti- 
cular seasons  is  not  tlio  less  remarkable  in  featliered  tliau 
iu  unfeathered  bipeds.  Tiie  commencement  of  the  laying 
season  has  furnished  me  with  an  unusual  number  of  cases 
of  vertigo  and  apoplexy.  The  history  of  these  cases  is 
nearly,  in  all  instances,  perfectly  identical ;  the  birds  well 
fed  during  winter  become  very  fat,  and  as  soon  as  the  egg 
organs  become  active  an  undue  determination  of  blood  to 
tlie  brain  takes  place,  causing  vertigo,  when  the  hen  stag- 
gers or  runs  round  and  round  ;  in  severe  cases  a  small  vessel 
gives  way,  and  an  effusion  of  blood  talces  place,  wliich,  press- 
ing on  the  hrain,  causes  apoplexy.  (It  may,  perhaps,  in- 
terest some  of  my  professional  readers  to  state  that  I  have 
invai'iably  found  the  effusion  to  take  place  at  the  base  of 
the  brain,  and  chielly  around  the  medulla  oblongata ;  in 
fact,  so  low  down  does  tlie  extravasation  extend,  that  it  may 
be  noticed  in  all  cases  wliere  it  exists  by  merely  removing 
the  athis,  without  opening  tlie  skull;  to  do  which,  without 
injuring  the  brain,  is  attended  with  very  considerable 
trouble.)  Cases  of  vertigo  may  usually  be  successfully 
treated  by  holding  the  head  of  the  bird  under  a  stream  of 
3old  water,  taking  care  tliat  it  does  not  run  into  the  mouth, 
or  the  bird  may  be  drowned ;  this  should  be  followed  by  an 
immediate  dose  of  live  grains  of  jalap  in  powder,  which,  by 
its  irritating  and  drastic  action,  will  cause  a  determination 
of  blood  from  the  head  to  the  digestive  organs.  (I  may  men- 
tion, in  passing,  tliat  this  is  one  of  the  very  few  cases  in 
wliich  jalap  is  a  desirable  medicine  for  poultry,  its  violent 
and  wealiening  effect  rendering  it  much  less  desirable  than 
other  aperients,  as  castor  oil,  <S:c. )  This  treatment,  followed 
up  by  low  unstimulating  diet  for  a  i'ew  days,  will  generally 
be  quite  successful.  Should,  however,  the  vertigo  continue, 
or  should  apoplexy  supervene,  immediate  recourse  must  bo 


had  to  copious  bleeding  ;  to  perform  this  operation,  nothing 
more  is  requisite  than  to  stretch  out  the  wing,  on  the  under 
side  of  which  may  be  observed  several  veins ;  the  largest 
should  then  be  freely  opened  with  a  sharp-pointed  penknife, 
or  lancet,  when,  if  the  finger  is  pressed  on  the  vein  above 
the  opening  (that  is  nearer  the  body),  the  blood,  being 
aiTested  in  its  course  towards  the  heart,  will  flow  freely, 
and  continue  to  run  as  long  as  the  finger  is  kept  in  that 
position,  ceasing  on  its  removal.  The  quantity  taken  away 
must,  in  all  cases,  depend  on  the  urgency  of  the  symptoms ; 
in  apoplexy,  the  only  chance  of  saving  the  bird  is  to  con- 
tinue until  consciousness  returns  ;  and  in  vertigo,  until  the 
bird  on  being  placed  on  the  ground  ceases  to  run  round 
and  round. 

By  adopting  these  means  I  have  saved  every  bird  affected 
with  vertigo  that  has  come  under  my  notice ;  whereas,  if 
left  alone  the  disease  generally  terminates  in  apoplexy ; 
and  in  the  latter  disease  I  have  saved  two  valuable  birds 
which  I  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  immediately  after  the 
attack. 

I  may  mention,  that  these  diseases  occur  also  in  male 
birds,  although,  as  far  as  my  experience  extends,  less  fre- 
quently than  in  laying  hens. — AY.  B.  Teoetjleiek,  WiUcsthii, 
near  London, 


ROYAL  SOCIETY  OF    VAN    DIEMEN'S    LAND. 

The  monthly  meeting  was  held  on  10th  September;  Sir 
W.  T.  Denison,  President,  in  the  chair. 

Among  the  presentations  were,  from  Mr.  H.  Hull,  seeds 
of  Jlartynia  fragrans,  from  the  Mauritius,  for  the  society's 
gardens. 

From  the  Rev.  Edward  Freeman,  of  Brown's  River,  a 
specimen  of  drift  ivood  cast  up  on  the  sea-beach  there,  upon 
which  were  fixed  a  congeries  of  curious  ova-cells  of  a  shell- 
fish. 

From  Sir  W.  T.  Denison,  a  packet  containing  nineteen 
species  of  seeds  from  China,  for  the  gardens. 

From  Francis  Smith,  Jun.,  Esq.,  a  packet  containing  120 
species  of  Indian  seeds,  for  the  gardens. 

A  case  containing  thirty -nine  plants  has  been  forwai-ded  to 
Aucland,  and  a  case  of  New  Zealand  plants  is  expected  in 
return. 

A  member  suggested  the  great  difficulty  generally  ex- 
perienced in  cultivating  the  conifers  of  Tasmania.  Mr. 
Archer  infomied  the  meeting  that  his  attempts  with  them 
had  usually  been  successful,  and  that  he  had  now,  in  a 
thriving  condition  in  his  garden  at  Cheshunt,  (immediately 
at  the  foot  of  the  Western  Mountains),  six  pieces. 

Mr.  W.  Archer  submitted  for  examination,  and  explained 
at  some  length,  a  series  of  drawings  made  by  him  of  certain 
galls  or  tuberosities,  witli  turret- like  processes,  upon  twigs 
of  the  Casnarina  guadrivalvis,  laid  before  the  society  a  fen- 
months  since  by  Dr.  Officer,  and  of  the  animal  contained, 
and  promised  to  supply  a  description  in  writing  for  the  next 
montlily  meeting. 

Mr.  Archer  drew  attention  to  a  small  brown  speck 
observable  on  the  surface  of  oranges  brought  here  from 
Sydney  this  season,  and  to  the  fact,  that  under  each  of  these 
brown  fungus-like  scales  he  had  found  a  minute  living  insect, 
little  more  tlian  one-hundredth-of-an-incli  in  diameter. 

Jlr.  Arclier  also  laid  on  the  talde  a  curiously  convoluted 
and  fautaslic  growth  of  a  shoot  of   Cdsuuiinti  for  inspection. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

•*•  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  depnrtmental  writersof 
Tub  Cottagr  Gahdrneb.  It  gives  them  unjuBtifiahle  trouble  and 
expense.  All  communications  should  be  addressed  "  To  the  Editor  oj 
The  Cottage  Gardener,  3,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  How,  London,^* 

CucuniBER  AND  I\Ielon  Housf..— T.  T.  Bftys, — "In  No.  2S9  of 
TiiK  CoTTACK  Gabdenhh,  I  saw  a  plnn  of  a  '  Cucumber  and  ]\IcIon 
House'  which  was  much  recommended.  Wc  ore  ubout  crcetinp  a 
small  house  to  grow  early  I'ucumbcrs  and  late  Melons,  and  to  put 
a  few  stove  plants  in  to  flower  which  will  not  bloom  in  our  green- 
house.    Wc  have  five  lights,  8  feet  in  length,  and  3  ft.  6  in.  wide, 


February  1G. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


391 


which  is  sufficient  for  a  house  for  ua ;  it  will  have  one  roof  to  train 
the  plants  to.  I  intend  having  a  short  back  roof,  2  ft.  Gin.  wide,  the 
two  ends  bricked  to  the  roof.  I  intend  the  boiler  to  be  at  the  east  end, 
and  the  door  at  the  other.  My  enquiry  is,  will  the  top  pipes  running  in 
the  chamber  from  one  end  to  the  other  be  sufficient  to  heat  the  house 
for  Cucumbers  during  winter ;  and  what  will  he  the  expense  of  the  boiler, 
and  the  sized  boiler  required,  and  pipes  ;  alao,  where  they  can  be  ob- 
tained ;  also  the  lights  ;  it  fronts  the  south;  and  ia  it  best  to  have  the 
two  pipes  in  the  chamber?  I  was  thinking  of  having  a  tlue  along  the 
back  of  the  house,  hut  only  for  occasional  use."  Two  pipes  in  such  a 
chamber  will  be  quite  sufficient  to  heat  such  a  house,  provided  you  have 
openings  in  the  sides  of  the  chamber  to  allow  heat  to  get  into  the  atmo- 
sphere of  the  house  when  necessary.  It  will  also  he  necessary,  in  the 
ca9e  of  Cucumbers  and  Melons,  to  have  troughs  fixed  on  such  pipes,  as 
mentioned  in  the  plan,  No.  259,  p-  ^56;  or,  if  you  wish  to  avoid  that 
extra  expense,  the  pipes  should  be  surrounded  with  rubble,  rough  gravel, 
and  then,  by  pouring  water  amongst  that  rubble,  you  may  have  moist  heat 
at  command.  By  thus  covering;  your  pipes,  you  may  also  dispense  with 
the  expense  of  a  slate  covering  over  the  chamber.  From  nine  to  twelve 
inches  of  rough,  hard  stuff  over  tlie  pipes  will  be  sufficient.  If  with  only 
two  pipes,  they  will  require  to  be  four-inch  ones.  These  will  be  quite 
sufficient,  if  you  carry  your  flue  through  the  back  wall,  as  that  will  give 
you  a  dry  heat.  If  you  did  not  have  the  flue,  and  yet  wanted  fruit  all 
winter,  you  would  be  safer  with  two  three-inch  pipes  for  bottom-heat, 
and  two  for  top-heat.  You  would  see  the  mode  of  doing  this  the  other 
week.  The  expense  of  pipes  and  boilers  was  given  last  year;  that  will 
greatly  depend  upon  the  distance ;  the  smallest  boiler,  costing  about 
j^2  1  Os. ,  would  be  sufficient.  Lights  will  depend  on  the  glass ;  about  1  s. 
per  foot  would  be  a  fair  price ;  but  you  would  see  advertisements.  Alto- 
gether, if  not  objected  to,  we  would  have  pipes  for  top,  and  others  for 
bottom-heat,  to  turn  off  and  on  at  pleasure.  We  have  no  doubt,  how- 
ever, that  the  plan  in  No.  259  will  answer  admirably;  but  your  house 
with  the  hipped  roof  will  be  much  larger  in  proportion  for  your  two 
pipes  than  that  house  is  with  four;  the  heating  power  would  be  as  two 
to  four ;  the  space  to  be  heated  more  than  two  to  three.  If  expense  is  no 
object,  you  cannot  keep  too  close  to  the  mode  in  No.  259. 

Scale  on  Fruit-trebs  {Ibid). — We  have  tried  water  almost  boiling 
for  this,  and  also  a  mixture  of  oil  and  grease,  but  both,  though  killing 
tlie  scale,  injured  the  trees.  We  have  seen  a  mixture  of  lime,  soot,  and 
clay,  tried  with  good  effect.  The  insects  were  smothered,  and  the  mixture 
dropt  off  before  the  bark  was  injured. 

Indian-rubber  Plant — Ficus  elasticus  (Peckham), — We  fear 
your  plant  has  been  kept  too  cold,  and,  perhaps,  in  these  circumstances, 
too  wet.  Try  a  sharp  knife,  and  make  an  incision  in  a  fair-sized  shoot. 
If  no  white  juice  comes,  you  may  almost  despair;  if  that  exudes,  keep 
the  plant  in  the  warmest  part  of  the  greenhouse,  if  you  have  no  better 
place;  sponge  the  shoots  on  a  sunny  day,  but  give  very  little  water  to 
the  roots  until  the  buds  begin  to  swell.  Let  the  water  used  for  syring- 
ing, and  also  for  watering  the  roots,  be  warm,  say  76°  to  80°.  It  ought 
to  be  all  right  if  you  gave  it  from  50°  to  6o°  during  winter.  Most  likely 
the  frost  has  had  access.  If  there  is  healthy  juice  in  it,  it  will  break 
again.  We  require  an  address  from  writers  and  critics;  but  enquiries 
may,  or  may  not  be  so  accompanied. 

Hen-feathered  Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh  Cock.— E.  A. 
asks — "  Whether  a  Hen-feathered  Silver-pencilled  Hamburgh  Cock  is  an 
acknowledged  variety  ?  "  If  by  *' variety"  is  meant  any  permanence 
of  this  peculiar  feature  in  the  progeny,  the  answer  must  be  in  the  ne- 
gative. Such  birds  are  occasionally  seen,  but  we  cannot  conceive  how 
they  could  be  thought  desirable  in  the  Pencilled  Hamburghs,  although 
the  more  perfect  development  of  the  spangle  usually  consequent  on 
this  peculiarity  might  be  regarded  as  some  compensation  in  a  spangled 
pen,  for  the  absence  of  the  very  characteristic  sickle  tail  that  distin- 
guishes the  Hamburgh  family. — W. 

Tree  Carnations  {Mary). — You  will  be  quite  right  to  take  shoots 
off  your  tree  Carnation,  for  cuttings,  early  in  the  spring  ;  and  where  you 
take  them  from  leave  only  one  or  two  joints  from  the  old  centre,  so  that 
the  next  growth  may  come  without  being  on  long  legs  ;  half  the  Car- 
nation trees  are  soon  spoiled  for  want  of  pruning  in  time.  Whether  the 
shoots  so  cut  at  the  beginning  of  March  will  make  new  shoots  so  strong 
as  to  flower  next  summer  is  another  question.  If  the  tree  is  in  very  good 
health,  is  strong,  and  has  good  roots,  these  new  shoots  will  be  sure  to 
flower  after  the  middle  of  July. 

Turf  Country  (Ibid). — How  lucky  you  are  to  have  turf  instead  of 
coal,  if  your  turf  is  that  kind  of  hard,  black  peat,  which  they  cut  in  the 
form  of  bricks.  When  that  kind  of  earth  is  tried  in  a  loose  heap,  and 
some  of  it  is  run  through  a  rough  sieve,  and  kept  dry  in  a  shed,  it  is  the 
best  thing  in  this  world  to  keep  other  things  from  rotting  or  moulding, 
and,  therefore,  the  best  thing  to  plunge  pot  plants  in,  either  in  a  pit  or 
frame;  a  little  water  will  not  hurt  it  much,  but  the  drier  it  is  kept  the 
better.  The  keeping  qualities  of  your  stock  of  Pelargoniums  is  as 
follows  : — 1 .  Punch  ;  2.  Compactum  ;  3.  Commander  -  in  -  Chief  ;  4. 
Cerise;  5.  Tom  Thumb  ;  6.  Unique;  ?.  White  Ivy-leaf;  8.  Mangle's 
Variegated ;  and  Q.  Golden  Chain  ;  all  except  9  will  do  in  a  dry,  cold  pit, 
without  any  fire  heat,  and  9  is  a  sociable  kitchen-window  plant,  hot 
and  dry ; — make  cuttings  of  every  bit  of  it  as  soon  now  as  your  bed  is 
ready. 

Flower-garden  (Rev.  E.  H.  C.).— Your  geometric  garden  is  ex- 
ceedingly well  planted.  When  we  saw  No.  1  to  be  with  Delphinum 
sinense,  we  handed  the  letter  to  a  lady  who  happened  to  be  in  the  room, 
and  read  off  the  colours  of  all  your  beds  from  the  plan  itself,  and  we  only 
missed  in  No.  H.— No.  10  requires  to  be  7nixed,  to  agree  with  II, 
and  also  not  to  disagree  with  13,  the  planting  would  then  he  perfect, 
according  to  the  prevailing  taste.  If  we  were  quite  sure  of  the  boundary 
line,  and  how  the  walks  to  and  from  8  and  9  terminate,  we  would 
engrave  this  plan  for  the  sake  of  the  planting. 

Feeding  Bees  {A  Tyro). — Go  on  to  supply  barley-sugar  until  your 
bees  refuse  to  eat  it,  which  will,  in  all  probability,  be  in  April.  If  No.  2 
has  a  good  supply  of  barley-sugar  always  in  store,  say  three  or  four  sticks, 
at  least,  there  is  very  little  cause  to  fear  of  their  being  carried  through  the 
winter,  and  making  a  good  stock  for  next  year,  but  all  depends  upon  their 
haying  food  and  their  taking  it.    Buy  Payne's  Bee-Keeper's  Guide, 


Cucumbers  (W.  W.) — These,  not  ripening  their  fruit  in  your  green- 
house last  summer,  were  probably  supplied  with  something  wrong  at 
the  root ;  either  the  soil  or  the  watering  were  deficient.  It  i«  impossible 
to  say,  positively,  where  the  error  was  unless  we  knew  what  you  did. 

Devon  and  Cornwall  Podltrt  Snow. — B.  J.  Ford.  Esq.,  of 
Ide.  near  Exeter,  took  a  Jirst  prize  for  Partridge-coloured  Shanghacs, 
and  not  a  second,  as  stated  in  our  report. 

Golden-pencilled  Hamburghs  {A?i  Anxious  Enquirer). — Your 
hens  not  laying  this  year,  though  so  prolific  last  year,  indicates  that  they 
are  probably  too  fat.    Give  them  less  nutritive  food  for  a  few  weeks. 

Shanghabs  not  laying  {Darlington). ~Yo\xx  pulleta  are  certainly 
too  well  fed.  Stint  them  to  a  quarter-of-a-pint  of  barleymeal  and  bran 
mixed,  and  a  quarter-of-a-pint  of  wheat  or  barley  a-head  per  day.  The 
symptoms  you  mention,  at  present  are  those  of  a  severe  cold.  Give  the 
invalids  a  desert  spoonful  of  castor  oil,  and  keep  them  in  a  dry,  sheltered 
she.!  for  a  few  days. 

Cayenne  Pepper  in  Pods  {T.H.;.— Either  the  foreign  or  the 
English  will  do  for  Poultry.  Such  stimulants  are  never  given  to  our 
fowls. 

Emigration. — H.  C.  says — "A  party,  anxious  to  emigrate  to  ^jisirn/ia 
as  an  agriculturist,  wishes  to  know  what  seeds  he  should  take,  both 
agricultural  and  horticultural  ?  Which  part  of  the  country  is  best  adapted 
for  agricultural  pursuits?  What  breeds  of  Cattle,  Poultry,  and  Sheep 
would  be  best  to  take?  (Query— Should  any  be  taken;  or  purchased 
when  there  ?)  How  is  ground  obtained  there,  by  purchase  ?  or  are  there 
parts  free  to  all  who  like  to  clear  the  land  and  cultivate  it  ?  What  kind 
of  field  and  garden  implements  should  be  taken  ?  What  books  might  be 
read  with  advantage  on  the  subject  ?  " 

Invalid  Fowls  (Jl/.J.— We  can  only  suggest  that  they  need  more 
nourishing  food,  such  as  wheat  and  Indian-meal ;  but  it  is  quite  impos- 
sible for  us  to  give  an  opinion  without  knowing  how  or  where  they 
are  kept. 

Orchid  Culture  {W.W.).—We  do  not  know  whether  Mr.  Appleby 
intends  to  make  arrangements  for  publishing  these  in  a  separate  form. 

Eggs  from  late  Pullets  (S.  T.).—Wii  should  have  no  objection  to 
rear  chickens  from  eggs  laid  by  pullets  hatched  last  May,  especially  as 
they  weigh  nearly  6lbs.  each.  We  never  sit  a  hen  after  the  beginning  of 
June,  nor  earlier  than  the  middle  of  February. 

Plaister  for  wounded  Plants  {H.  H.,  Jjm.).— The  cut  surfaces 
of  Rose-Stocks,  and  similar  wounds,  do  not  require  any  other  covering 
than  a  little  thick  paint.     Pressure  is  injurious  to  such  wounds. 

Awning  for  Rose-*  (J.  F.  T.).~Your  friend's  Roses  in  America, 
which  were  scorched  up  last  aunimer,  though  grown  "under  the  shade 
of  trees,"  probably  nufi'ered  on  account  of  being  so  situated.  The 
weather  for  Hoses  can  scarcely  be  too  hot  in  this  country,  if  the  soil  is 
rich  and  well  supplied  with  moisture.  The  roots  of  the  trees  beneath 
which  they  were  grown  probably  robbed  the  Roses  of  the  nutriment 
which  would  have  enabled  them  to  withstand  the  heat.  An  awning 
would  prolong  the  duration  of  the  bloom,  but  manure,  and  water  to  the 
roots,  would  best  carry  them  through  great  drought.  The  seeds  you 
mention  may  be  obtained  in  England  as  good  as  in  France. 

Iodine  for  the  Potato  Disease  {M.  S.). — We  know  nothing  upon 
this  subject.  There  is  some  iodine  in  all  Sea-weed.  The  grass  beneath 
the  Cedars  dies  from  want  of  light. 

Spanish  Cockerel  (A.  B.  C,),— Write  to  Capt.  Hornby,  Knowsley 
Cottage,  Prescot,  Lancashire. 

Sudden  Death  of  Poultry  (W.  E.).— The  cock  forwarded  to  Mr. 
Tepetmeier  having  been  sent  to  Tottenham,  did  not  reach  him.  The 
bird,  doubtless,  died  of  apoplexy  ;  a  description  of  the  symptoms,  and 
treatment  of  which,  will  be  found  in  the  present  number. 

SEEDS     DIRECT     FROM     THE     GROWERS, 

(Carriage  Free)  the  most  effectual  means  to  prevent  disappointment. 

Sutton's  Catalogue  for  1854  is  just  published,  and  will  be  sent 
post-free,  on  receipt  of  one  postage  stamp. 

JOHN  SUTTON  &  SONS,  Seed  Growers,  Reading,  Berks. 

IMPROVEMENT    OF    GRASS    LANDS. 

SUTTON'S  RENOVATING  GRASS  SEEDS  FOE 

IMPROVING  OLD  PASTUllES.—Many  Old  Upland  Pastures,  Parks, 
and  Meadows,  are  nearly  destitute  of  Clovers  and  the  finer  and  more 
nutritious  sorts  of  Grasses,  in  which  case  we  are  in  the  practice  of 
furnishing  such  sorts  only  as  are  wanting.  If  the  Seeds  are  sown  early 
in  the  season,  the  improvement  in  the  Pasture  will  be  very  considerable, 
and  at  a  small  expense. 

The  following  is  similar  to  many  other  letters  received  from  former 
purchasers :  — 

From  D.  T.  Cunynghame,  Esq.,  Wellesbourne,  Warwick,  Nov.  ]852. 

"The  meadows  that  were  renovated  with  your  Seeds  are  looking 
very  well.  I  cut  nearly  2  tons  of  hay  to  the  acre,  and  three  years  ago 
the  same  land  hardly  produced  half-a-ton  per  acre.  The  Garden 
Seeds  I  have  had  from  you  exceed  by  far  any  that  I  have  bought  else- 
where." 

Quantity  of  Seed  required,  8  lbs.  to  12  lbs.  per  aci'e.  Price  Is.  per  lb.. 
Carriage  Free. 

Address,  JOHN  SUTTON  &  SONS,  Seed  Growers,  Reading,  Berks. 

N.B.— We  have  a  very  fine  Stock  of  Mangold  Wurtzel  and  Carrot 
Seed,  and  other  Agricultural  Seeds. 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  Wooldridge,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar ;  and  Published  by  William 
Somerville  Ore,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  OfBce,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  ia  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London. — February  l6th,  1854. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER.— ADVERTISEMENTS. 


NEW   SEEBS-GROWTK   of  1853 -RENDLE'S 

COLr>F:rTION  of  OAHDKN  seeds,  for  ONI:  VKAU,  irH/  be  sent 
out  as  usual  hii  the  Sufmrriffers. 

The  rollertUinn  hdve  f^iven  miiuersnl  snfisfiirtwn,   and  thei/  wilt  lie 
fuiniil  .ttijririi'nt  to  suppl//  a  garden  diir'inf^  tht:  whole  of  the  12  months. 
No.  I.— A  complete  Collection,  to  supply  a  larfje  garden  for  12 

inontlis,  inctuilinf^  2(1  t|uarts  of  tlie  newest  and  most  approved 

I'cas,  for  early,  medium,  and  late  crops  ;  10  quarts  of  Ueans,    £  s.  d. 

.ind  full  quantilics  of  all  other  kinds  of  vegetaljle  seeds       . .     3     0    0 

For  the   detailed  (j f t ant i ties  contained  in  the  No.   I   Collection,  see 
luirk  page  Gardeners*  Chro7iicle,  Jan.  7,  1954. 
No.  2. — A  complete  Collection,   in   reduced   quantiticg,    for  a 

smaller  t^arden  ..  ..  ..  ..  -.  ..  ..200 

No.  :l. — A  complete  Collection,  ditto  ..150 

No.  4. — A  small  and  clioice  Collection        ..         ..  -.         ..0150 

*t^=  All  orders  above  20i-  carriage  free  {see  Price  Current),  and  all 
orders  abo'^e  £r>,  delivered  carriage  free  to  every  Rnilumi/  Statio7i  in 
E/ii^lnnd  and  ITrt/p,?,  a7id  to  every  Steam  Port  in  England,  Wales, 
Ireland,  and  Srollnnd. 

WILLIAM  E.  RENDLE  &  CO.,  Seed  Merchants,  Plymouth. 
Established  l"SS. 

The  quantities  contained  in  the  above  Collections  v-lll  be  found  in  our 
Price  Current  and  Garden  Dirf-ctor^,  Just  published. 

WEITE    MULBERRY    TREES.  -  EXPRESSLY 

CULTIVATED     FOR   THIC    REARlNli    OF    THK    SILK   WORM, 
at  10s,  ITis,  ami  20a  per  liundred.     CiUtinpfs,  r>s  ditto. 

SILK-WORMS  EGGS,  Is  (id  i)ei-  tliousand. 
Post-office  Orders  or  Stamps,  on  receipt,  duly  attended  to.     Address, 
Mr.  .1.  R.  KVAr^S,   8.  Corlt  Street,  Bond  Street,  London;    or  Mr.  G. 
EA,LCH[N,  Spring:  Place,  Godahninfr,  Surrey. 


POLYAHTIIUS   SEED. -To  the   lovers  of  that 

beautiful  carlr  spring  Jlowrr,  the  POLYANTHUS.— J  AMES  WOODS 
has  attain  to  oiler  a  (|uantity  of  Polyanthus  seed,  which  he  has  this  year 
saved  with  more  than  ordinary  care  from  aljout  |eiirhty  named  and  pood 
laced  flowers,  which  he  can  recommend  with  ronfidence,  with  dirertions 
for  sowing.  Price  Is  per  packet,  or  sent  free  on  receipt  of  thirteen 
posta[re  stamps. 

J.  W.  lias  a  quantity  of  Ranunculuses,  good,  old.  superfine,  named 
sorts,  in  one  general  mixture,  which  he  will  send  free  by  post,  at  4s  per 
100,  or  35s  per  1,000,  on  receipt  of  post-oflice  order  or  postage  stamps, 
to  JAMES  WOODS,  Florist,  Harwich,  Essex. 

P.S. — Plants  of  Polyanthuses  will  be  sent  out  in  April,  at  exceedingly 
low  prices,  with  blooms  on  each  plant,  as  the  stock  must  be  reduced,  as 
the  land  is  wanted  for  railroad  purposes. 

choice"  SEEDS  for~peese:^t  sowing- 

JOSEPH  HENUY  KNIGHT,  Seedsman,  Sec,  Battle,  Sussex,  bc^s  t" 
ofl'er  the  following  choice  Seeds,  whieli  have  been  saved  under  his  own 
inspection,  and  are  warranted  of  the  finest  kinds.  Post  Free,  i/i  scaled 
parlcets,  at  the  prices  annexed  :  — 

ASTER  GERMAN,  in  12  separate  colours;  many  of  them  have  been 
grown  five  inches  over — the  cidlection  for  Is  fid. 

ANTIRRHINUM,  from  70  kinds,  including  the  best  striped,  mottled, 
and  marbled  kinds,  fid. 

PANSEV,  from  100  of  the  best-named  kinds,  Is. 

HOLLYHOCKS,  from  a  collection  of  50  named  sorts.  Gd, 

SWEET  WILLIAM,  from  50  sorts,  6d. 

VERBENA,  from  71  kinds,  including  the  new  continental  sorts,  Od. 

CARNATION,  PICOTEE,  PINK,  and  CALCEOLARIA,  from  the 
choicest  show  kinds,  Is  each. 

Choice  Annual  Flower  Seeds,  with  full  dcRcriptions  of  the  height, 
colour,  time  of  flowering,  and  general  character,  marked  on  each  packet. 
None  but  the  most  approved  kinds  will  be  included  in  any  collection; 
the  whole  sent  Post  Free  at  the  prices  annexed. 

Lartie  Packeta  for  large  Establishments  — 100  pai)ers,  lOs  (id  ;  50  papers, 
Gs  ;  30  papers,  4s.  Smaller  Packets  for  smaller  Establishments— 100 
papers,  7s  ;  50  papers,  4s  ;  :iO  papers,  2s  fid  ;   12  papers,  Is  2d. 

Descriptive  Catalogues  may  be  had  by  enclosing  one  postage  stamp. 

CAEEY   TYSO'S   CATALOGUE    OF    ELOEISTS' 

FLOWERS  for  185.^-4  may  be  had,  post  free,  for  two  labels.  TREATISE 
on  the  ANEMONE,  for  four  labels.  Ditto  on  RANUNCULUS,  for 
eight  labels.  £   s.  d. 

RANUNCULUSES:   100  splendid  named  sorts,  40s  to  4     0    0 
,,  25  superb  Seedlings,  do.  1   15     0 

,,  100  fine  mixtures  from  . .    8a  . .    1     0    0 

DOUBLE  ANEMONES:  50  fine  named  sorts    12s  ..   0  15     0 
Ranunculus  and  Anemone  Seeds,  per  paper  0    2     6 

IMPORTED  GERMAN  SEEDS  :— Asters,  Stocks,  Balsams,  Lark- 
spurs, Poppies,  'Zinnias,  Sic„  in  named  assortments,  2a  (id  each  ;  25 
varieties  of  Ann\ials,  5s.     The  above  articles  can  he  sent  by  post. 

C.  TYSO'S  Sovereign  assortments,  comprising  ISsclcct  Ilanunculuscs 
and  18  ehoiee  Double  Anemones,  sent  postage  free  for  jfi'l  Is. — Wal- 
linpford,  Berks. 


SELECTED  GARDEN  SEEDS.-We  beg  to  offer 

Ihe  following  Collections  of  Garden  Seeds: —  j£    s.  d. 

No.  I. — A  romplote  collection,  suitable  fur  a  large  garden        ..      3     0     0 
2. — A  collection  of  equally  ehoicc  varieties,  but   smaller 

quantities       ..         ..  ..  1   10    0 

.1. — A  collection  suitable  for  a  small  garden  . .         ..  ..     o  15    o 

Nos.   1   and  2  collections  will  be  sent  carriage  free  to  any  Railway 
Station  in  Encland  or  Wales. 
.1.  C.  WHEELER  »c  SONS,    Seed  Merchants,  Gloucester. 

A  GENTLEMAN,"  giving  nf  Tine  Growing,  has  GO 

fine  Plants,  of  the  best  sort4,  and  in  excellent  condition,  nearly  fruiting, 
to  dispose  of.— Apply,  by  letter,  C.  D,,  OMice  of  tlic  Publisher  of  Tiik 
Cottage  Gardener, 


HAWKES'S    CHAMPAGNE    RHUBARB.-  ! 

This  most  desirable  variety   i**  now  for  the  first  time  olicri'd  to  Ihc  public.     I 
It  has  stood  tlie  severest  test  that  can  be  ai)|died,  and  has  beaten  every-     , 
thing  in  Covcnt  Garden  and  other  London  markets,  in  realizing  higher    ! 
prices,  from  its  magnificent  colour  and  size.     It  has  been  seen  by  the    i 
very  highest  authorities,  anil  pronounced  to  be  a  most  valuable  introilue-    ' 
tion.     In  earliness  it  e(|ual3  the  Prince  Albert,  but  is  of  a  deeper  colour, 
and  a  much  greater  bearer.     It  forces  remarkably  well,  and  is  very  hardy 
out-of-doors.     I*Ir.  Hawkos  has  placed  the  entire  sale  in  the  hands  of 
DUNCAN  HAIRS. 

One-year-old  plants,  strong,  5s  each.  A  few  two-years-old,  very  strong, 
for  sale. 


LAING'S  MAMMOTH  RED   CELERY. 

This  is  considered  the  largest  yet  grown,  attaining  the  extrnordinary 
weitiht  of  from  lOli).  to  12lb..  and,  at  the  same  time,  perfectly  solid.  It 
is  nearly  perennial  in  its  habits,  as  it  will  not,  unrler  any  circumstances, 
run  to  seed  the  first  season,  and  it  is  ditlicult  sometimes  the  second,  when 
planted  out  for  that  purpose.  In  colour  it  is  a  bright  red  ;  in  flavour 
unsurpassed,  if  equalled. 

It  has  been  seen  growing  by  many  practical  gardeners,  who  deem  it  a 
new  feature  in  the  garden,  from  the  fact  that  you  may  have  it  nearly  all 
the  vear.     Packets  'Jr  fid  each. 

DUNCAN  HAIRS,  Seedsman,  109,   St.  Martin's  Lane,  London. 


THE     HOSE     GARDEN, 

By  WILLIAM  PAUL,  of  the  Nurseries,  Chcshnnt,  Herts. 
"  Infinitely  the  best  work  ever  written  on  the  Culture  of  tlic  Rose,"  — 
Botanic  Garden. 

By  the  same  Author,  price  Is, 

AN    HOITR    WITH    THE    HOLLYHOCK. 

London:  Pii'Rr  IJitoTiiF.us  &  Co.,  2:1,   Paternoster   Row;  and  all 

Booksellers. 

New  Edition,  Price  8d  ;  or  by  Post,  of  the  Author,  Kelsalc,  Saxmundham, 

Sullolk,  Is. 


MITCHELL'S  HAEDY  EARLY  CAULIFLOWER. 

Tills  is  grown  prcriKcly  as  the  hand-glass  variotv,  but  when  removed 
from  the  frame  docs  nut.  require  the  same  protection,  aiul  comes  In  im- 
mediately after.  This  is  particularly  recommended  for  gentlcn'icn's 
establishments.  The  head  is  not  large,  but  handsome  and  rtmipact,  and 
is  so  firm,  that  you  may  let  them  stand  from  ten  days  to  a  fortnight,  and 
they  will  not  get  pithy.  This  is  quite  a  distinct  variety.  Packets  2s  6d 
earti. 

DUNCAN  HAIRS,  Seedsman,  109,  St.  Martin's  Lane, 
London. 

Pnsf-.fijfire  Orders  ptii/abte  at  Cltaring  Cross. 

PYRAMIDAL  PEAR-TREES  ON  THE  aUINCE 

STOCK.— J.  and  J.  ERASER,  Nurserymen,  Lea  Bridge  Road,  Essex, 
beg  to  offer  the  above  in  fine  strong  Trees,  and  such  as  would  fruit  the 
first  and  second  year  after  planting,  at  the  underuamed  prices.  These 
Pears  are  remarkable  for  their  compact  style  of  growth  and  prolific 
bearing.  I'hc  collection  comprises  the  following  fine  sorts: — Beurre 
d'Amaulis,  Beurre  d'Aremberg,  Beurre  de  Capiaumont,  Beurre  Diel, 
Beurrt'  Easter,  Beurre  Grise  d'  Hiver,  Noveau,  Beurre  Uancc,  William*s 
Bon  Chretien,  Crassane,  '^^''hitc  Doyenne,  Duchesse  d'  Angoul^me, 
Forelle,  or  Front  Pear,  Glout  RIorccau,  Hacon's  Inconqiarable,  .largo- 
nelle,  Louise  Bonne  of  .Jersey,  Marie  Loui3e,  Napoleun,  Winter  Neilis, 
and  Passe  Colmar.  Price  2s  fid  to  3s  fid. 
January  13,  lS5l. 

GLENFIELD   PATENT    STARCH,   used   in   tlie  , 

Royal  Laundry ;  Wothcrspoon's  Machine-made  Lozenges   and  Comfits,     I 
packed  In  neat  -1  oz.,  8oz.,  16  oz.,  and  7Ih.  Boxes,  free  from  colouring    ' 
matter,  which  is  so  much  objected  to;  Scotch   I\Iarmalade,  Jams  and 
Jellies,  now  so  universally  known   for  fine  (|uality,  prepared  by  Steam 
Power,  for   Home  use  and  Exportation.     Scld  bv  all  Shopkeepers. 

London— WOTHERSPOON,   MACKAY,  &"Co.,  66,   (Jueen  Street, 
Cheapside. 

Glasgow- ROBERT  W^OTHERSPOON  Sc  Co.,  40,  Dunlop  Street. 


INTERESTING     TO      EVERY     SPORTSMAN 

AND  COUNTllV  GENTLEMAN.— This  Day  is  Published,  price 
23  Gd,  Part  I.,  to  be  completed  in  about  Fifteen  Monthly  Numbers, 
roval  4to, 

BRITISH  GAME  BIRDS  and  WILD  FOM^L.  By  BEVEULEY 
U.  MORRIS,  Es(|.  The  present  Number  of  this  splendid  and  chibornle 
work  contains  Coloured  Illustrations  of— 1.  The  Pheas.ant ;  2.  Caper- 
caillic  or  Wood  Grouse;    3.  Jack  Snipr  ;    4.  Gargancy 'I'eal. 

GuooMnRiiiGn  and  Sons,   Pulilishers.  5.  Patcmoster-rnw. 

To  ADVERTISERS.-THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER 

and  Country  {Jentlrman's  Companion  {Kstahlished  IKIH),  is  snp- 
]>lied  to  Six  Thousand  Fiimilics  of  the  United  Kingdom.  Amonu'st  ila 
Subscribers  are  included  GAimRNEUs,  Poulthv  BitRF.Dr.us,  and  Bkr- 

KrEI'ERS  — PrOKRSSIDNAL    and     AiMATRUR,— CnuNTRV     GKNTLKftllCN 

and  Clergymkn.  To  Advertisers,  desirous  (d"  commimirating  with 
these  classes,  its  columns  offer  exclusive  advantages,  and  its  position  as 
a  Family  Journal  gives  to  Advertisements  referring  to  article.')  of  dtuncstic 
connumption  n  wide  and  desirable  pulillcitv. 

THE  (COTTAGE  GARDEiVEU  is  published  in  Weekly  Numbers, 
Stamped,  and  Unstamped,  and  in  Monthly  Parts.  The  terms  bir  Ad- 
vertisements (which  arc  inserted  in  the  whole  impression)  arc  as  followa  : 
Five  Lines  {about  sixty  words),  3s  Od  ;  pet  Line  additional,  (><1. 

Wm.  8.  Orr  and  Co.,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Row. 


February  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


393 


FEB.  23— MARCH  1,  1854. 

Weather  near  London  in  1853. 

Sun 
Rises, 

Sun 
Sets. 

Moon 
R.&S. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Clock 
bf.  Sun. 

Day  of 
Year. 

D 

W 

Barometer. 

Thermo.jWind. 

Rain  in 
Inches. 

23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
I 

Th 
F 

S 

Sdn 

M 

Tn 

W 

Small  Brindle;  oaks. 
St.  Matthias. 
Clouded  head ;  oaks. 
Sheove  Sunday. 

Shrove  Tuesday. 

Lent  begins.  Ash  Wednesday. 

29.629—29.540 
29.754—29.306 
29.732—29.456 
29.182— 29.086 
29.752-29.441 
29.900— 29.SO9 
29.696—29.653 

43—25 
40—32 
40—29 
44—30 
39—22 
40—24 
39—24 

W. 

N.W. 

N. 

W. 

N. 

N.W. 

S.W. 

02 
09 
15 
00 

27 

la7 
68  a  6 
SG 
64 
52 
50 
46 

27  as 
29 
31 
32 

34 
36 
40 

5  10 

6  4 

6  44 

7  12 
sets. 
7ai5 

8  32 

26 
27 
28 

29 

® 

1 

2 

13    .18 
13    30 
13    20 
13     10 
IS       9 

12     49 
12     37 

54 
65 
56 
57 
58 

69 
60 

Mbteobology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiswick.from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
peratures of  these  days  are  47.7°  and  34.2°  respectively.  The  greatest  heat,  64°,  occurred  on  the  38th  in  1846;  and  the  lowest  cold,  18°    on  the 
23rd  in  1852.  Ouring  the  period  108  days  were  fine,  and  on  81  rain  fell.                                                                                                     ' 

FLOWER-GARDEN  PLAN.— No.  12. 


WALK 


o 


o 


This  Plan  is  £i  duplicate  of  Plan  No.  11,  at  page  213,  and 
all  that  I  said  about  that  plan  refers  equally  to  this  one. 
There  were  two  blocks  of  beds  in  No.  11,  and  there  are 
four  blocks  oC  the  same  beds  in  this  plan.  That  is  on  the 
princii)le  on  which  Sir  Joseph  Paxton  proceeded  with  the 
Crystal  Palace.  First  of  all,  he  hit  on  making  one  complete 
square  or  block  of  a  house  for  Water  Lilies,  for  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire ;  tlien  it  struck  him,  how  easy  it  would  be  to  ex- 
tend tills  block  system,  east  and  west,  or  north  and  south, 
or  in  all  directions.  All  after  that  was  but  a  question  of 
money.  The  circular  part,  called  the  transepts,  was  merely 
to  break  the  uniformity  of  a  great  many  blocks  when  put 
together.  That  curved  portion,  or  rather  the  curve  system, 
was  an  old  way  of  hothouse  building  with  him,  and  with 
others  before  him.  Regularity  was,  and  is,  the  grand  secret 
in  the  Crystal  Palace,  and  from  it  to  the  one-bed  system  on 
the  little  piece  of  grass  in  front  of  the  casement  window, 
regularity  evinces  taste  and  adaptation  of  means  to  an 
end.    If  you  had  room  for  only  one  flowor-lipdj  tlin  BitUfttion 


of  that  one  bed  ought  to  show  that  the  owner  of  it  was  alive 
to  the  beauty  of  regularity. 

If  you  have  room  for  one  bed  only,  that  bed  must  not  be 
placed  at  one  of  the  corners,  or  at  ono  of  the  sides  of  your 
small  piece  of  ground,  and  for  this  reason,  that  there  is  not 
a  second  bed  to  match  it  at  the  other  corner,  or  side,  so  as  to 
make  the  space  equally  divided,  or  regular.  In  the  centre, 
however,  this  bed  would  be  quite  regular,  because  we  cannot 
put  two  beds  in  the  centre  of  a  small  piece  of  grass,  and 
each  of  them  be  in  the  middle ;  therefore,  single  beds,  or 
single  blocks  of  similar  beds,  ought  to  stand  in  the  centre 
of  conjiiu'd  places ;  but,  if  more  than  one  block  is  to  be  made, 
the  very  middle  of  the  space  must  be  avoided  as  a  plague 
spot,  for  the  reason  just  given. 

There  is  an  old  story,  in  Scotland,  about  two  daft  bodies 
happening  to  meet  of  an  evening  at  a  farm  house,  and  a 
bed  for  them  was  made  in  the  barn  for  the  night ;  but  even 
pooridiots  are  not  always  harmless,  as  people  say;  for  these  two 
disputed  about  who  should  ocdupy  tha  middle  of  the  bed  j 


mi 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENEK. 


February  23. 


tliey  fouglit,  too,  anil  also  had  torn  tlieslieets,  blanliets,  and 
all  into  two  lialves,  and  each  of  them  took  his  half,  and 
made  a  bed  for  himself.  That  was  not  a  whit  more  daft 
than  having  the  only  two  flower-beds  on  the  centre  of  a 
small  piece  of  grass,  or  a  single  bed,  anywhere  but  in  the 
middle. 

The  next  step  is,  when  there  is  room  for  only  three  beds, 
how  are  we  to  dispose  of  them  ?  Nothing  is  more  easy  ;  if 
they  had  to  stand  as  close  as  three  in  a  bed,  one  of  them 
would,  and  should,  be  in  the  middle,  and  the  other  two  op- 
posite each  other;  hut,  as  pieces  of  ground  that  would 
admit  of  this  disposition  are  very  rare  to  be  met  with,  we 
seldom  see  three  beds  anywhere,  or,  if  so,  only  as  a  breach 
on  regularity. 

A  four-sided  piece  of  ground,  if  ever  so  small,  will  admit 
of  four  beds,  or  of  five  beds,  according  to  the  taste  of  the 
owner ;  and  the  two  ways  would  he  quite  regular  ;  one  bed 
in  the  very  centre,  and  one  in  each  of  the  other.  Here  we 
have  arrived  at  our  aristocratic  blocks,  each  of  them  are  of 
five  beds,  a  centre  one  and  two  side  ones,  the  rest  of  the 
beds  are  more  accompaniments,  and  might  be  of  half-a- 
dozen  shapes,  and  still  be  in  pairs,  or  double  pairs,  and  so  on. 


It  is  not  the  shape  of  a  bed,  or  a  block  of  beds,  (hat  one 
ought  to  be  so  particular  about,  for  there  never  was,  and 
never  shall  be,  a  set  rule  for  the  shape  of  llower-beds.  It  is 
the  disposal  of  the  beds  themselves,  and  the  way  the  colours 
will  tell  best,  that  wo  have,  all  of  us,  to  learn  so  much  yet. 
Then  we  gardeners  know  very  well,  from  our  practice,  that 
it  is  quite  impossible  to  dispose  of  the  colours  to  the  best 
advantage  unless  the  beds  are  so  placed  as  to  suit  the  extent 
of  such  and  such,  a  colour,  in  such  and  such  places.  All  the 
world  are  not  yet  agreed  as  to  the  best  disposal  of  the  colours 
in  flowers,  hut  if  they  did  so  agree,  without  the  beds  and 
sizes  of  beds  were  laid  down  something  like  in  due  propor- 
tion to  the  colours  and  the  heights  of  the  plants  that  are  fit 
to  plant  in  a  fme  garden,  the  agreement  would  be  of  little 
practical  value.  Those  who  take  their  notions  of  the  value  or 
eft'ect  of  coloturs  from  what  the  painters  say  of  thorn,  may  or 
may  not  be  all  wrong,  according  to  the  knowledge  of  the  said 
painter  in  flower  colours.  Even  cut  flowers  may  lead  the 
best  painter  in  the  world  astray  as  to  the  eflect  they  would 
produce  with  the  leaves,  style  of  growth,  and  shade  of  the 
living  plants.  Practice  alone  will  ever  make  a  good  arranger 
of  a  flower-garden.  I).  Beaton. 


The  still  unascertained  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and 
his  companions,  and  the  exploring  expeditions  still  em- 
ployed in  endeavouring  to  ascertain  mors  information 
concerning  their  route,  and  whereabout,  casts  more 
even  than  the  usual  amount  of  interest  over  the  Arctic 
Regions.  Wo  were  glad,  therefore,  to  avail  ourselves  of 
a  recent  opportimity  of  obtaining  some  authentic  par- 
ticulars of  those  latitudes,  which  are  associated  in  our 
minds  from  childhood  with  no  other  ideas  than  endless 
snow  and  ice,  and  with  days  and  nights  alternately  of 
months  duration. 

We  especially  sought  for  an  account  of  the  plants  of 
that  dreary  region,  and  though  we  failed  in  attaining 
anything  original,  yet  we  were  referred  to  a  work  from 
which  we  have  derived  what  we  required,  and  much 
more  that  is  amusing  and  useful. 

The  publication  referred  to,  is  Dr.  Sutherland's 
"Joui'nal  of  a  Voyage  to  Baffin's  Bay  and  Barrow's 
Straits,"  in  the  years  18.50  and  1851, 

From  this  we  learn  that  the  land  plants  of  the  Arctic 
circle,  thotigh  specimens  of  them,  all  in  a  growing  state, 
can  be  contained  in  a  box  two  feet  square,  yet  amount 
in  number  to  forty-flvo  ascertained  species.  They  are 
as  follows ; — 

Eanunculus  frigidus   Willi!.    Assistance  Bay. 
Papaver  nudicaifle  L.     Assistance  Bay. 
Cochlearia  fenestralis  Br.    Assistance  Bay. 
Parrya  arctica  Br.    Assistance  Bay. 
Cardamine  bellidifoUa  De.    Assistance  Bay. 
Braya  glabella  Richardson.    Assistance  Bay. 
Draba  rupestris  Br.    Assistance  Bay. 

„       glacialis  Adams,  var.    Assistance  Bay. 
„       alpina  L.    Assistance  Bay. 
Arenaria  Eossii  ?  Br.    Assistance  Bay. 

,,        rubella  Hook.     Assistance  Bay. 
Cerastium  alpinum  L.  var.  glabatum.     Assistance  Bay. 
SteUaria  longipes  Goldie.     Northumberland  Inlet.* 
Lychnis  apetala  L.    Assistance  Bay. 
Potentillanana  Lehm.    Berry  Island  and  other  islands  in 

Davis'  Straits. 
Dryas  integrifolia  L.     Assistance  Bay,  Berry  Island,  and 

adjacent  islands. 
Cruciferffi  ? 
Epilobium  latifolium  L.    Northumberland  Inlet. 

*  Known  also  by  the  name  Hogarth  Sound,  which  was  given  by 
Captain  Parry,  its  original  discoverer. 


Saxifraga  pauciflora  ?  Stev.     Bushnan  Island. 

„        oppositifolia  L.    Assistance  Bay,  Beriy  Island. 

„        nivalis  L.     Assistance  Bay. 

„        ceruua  L.     Northumberland  Inlet. 

„        crespitosa  L.     Assistance  Bay. 

„        flagellaris  WilUl.    Assistance  Bay. 

,,         tricuspidata  Dc.     Northumberland  Inlet. 

„        hirculus  Dc.     Nortlumiberland  Inlet. 
Pyrola  rotundifolia  L.     Northumberland  Inlet. 
Cassiope  tetragona  Don.     Bushnan  Island. 
Vaccinium  Vitis  Idaea  L.    Bushnan  Island. 
Arctostaphylos  alpina  Siir.     Northumberland  Inlet. 
Polygonum  viriparura  L.    Assistance  Bay. 
Oxyria  reniformis  L.     Assistance  Bay. 
Empetrura  nigrum  L.     Northumberland  Inlet. 
Vaccinium  uliginosum  L.     Northumberland  Inlet. 
Salix  cordifolia  I'arsh.    Assistance  Bay. 
„       arctica  Pull.     Assistance  Bay. 
Juncus  biglumis  L.    Assistance  Bay. 
Carex  Hepburnii  Bootl.     Berry  Island. 
Luzula  hyperborea  Br.    Berry  Island,  Davis'  Straits. 
Eriophorum  polystachyum  L.    Assistance  Bay. 
Phippsia  monandra  Trin.     Assistance  Bay. 
Alopecurus  alpinus  Sm.    Bushnan  Island. 
Poa  cenisia  All.    Bushnan  Island,  Assistance  Bay. 
Hierochloe  alpina  Wahl.    Bushnan  Island. 
Luzula  hyperborea  Br.    Bushnan  Island. 
Woodsia  glabella  Br.    Berry  Island  and  other  islands  in 

Davis'  Straits. 

Of  some  of  these  plants  we  find  the  following  par- 
ticulars scattered  through  the  Tolumes. 

On  the  2'Jth  of  May,  1850,  in  the  vicinity  of  Dark 
Head,  Dr.  Sutherland  says  : — 

"  Vegetation,  as  yet,  had  hardly  made  any  advance,  al- 
though snow-huutings  and  ptamiigan  ( Tctruo  saliceli,  and 
Tctrao  riijicstris)  could  be  seen  occasionally.  The  ptarmigan 
feeds  upon  the  willow  tops,  and  the  snow-bunting  upon  the 
berries  of  the  Empctrum  niijrnm,  which  are  ver)'  abundant. 
I  landed  six  years  ago  on  the  rugged  coast,  south  of  the 
Black  Eiver,  in  the  bottom  of  South-east  Bay,  and  found 
these  berries  so  numerous  in  the  month  of  May,  that  whole 
basketsful  could  have  been  collected ;  and,  although  they 
have  been  covered  with  snow  during  the  whole  winter  and 
spring,  and  were  so  far  liable  to  change  of  temperature, 
they  did  not  seem  to  have  suflered  much  from  it,  for  they 
retained  their  sweet  taste,  and  other  properties  peculiiu'  to 
them  in  a  fresh  condition.  It  is  very  probable  that  the 
temperature  had  rarely  been  above  the  freezing  point; 
otherwise,  decomposition  of  their  juices  would  soon  have 
rendered  them  quite  tasteless. 

"A  plant  (Pyrola  media?),  known  by  the  name  '  buko- 
blather  '  among  the  Danes,  which  is  very  abundant,  is  also 
very  highly  prized  as  an  antiscorbutic;  and  when  they  have 
any  fears  of   the  approach   of  soui'vy,  it  is  collected  in 


FEDiiuARy  23. 


THE  COTTAGE   GAEDENER. 


305 


basketsful,  and  a  decoction  or  infusion  made  from  it  comes 
into  general  use." 

Writing  at  Melville  Bay,  in  the  middle  of  August, 
Dr.  Sutherland  observes  : — 

"Vegetation  was  very  far  advanced.  In  some  parts, 
especially  the  southern  slopes,  it  was  rather  luxuriant.  The 
Andromeda  leirutjona  was  beginning  to  fade  ;  a  specimen  or 
two  in  bloom  was  obtained  in  a  shaded  spot.  There  was  a 
whole  array  of  Arctic  plants.  The  well-known  yellow  Arctic 
poppy  {Papaver  nudicaidc),  one  or  two  varieties  of  creeping 
willows,  several  grasses  ten  or  twelve  inches  in  length,  the 
Alopecurus  Alpiims,  and  hosts  of  Cryptogamic  forms  could 
be  recognised." 

Gardening  was  not  altogether  neglected  on  board  the 
ships  even  during  their  winter  sojourn. 

"  Water-cresses  and  mustard  were  reared  with  great  care, 
and  they  were  very  highly  prized.  Several  stems  were  ex- 
.amined,  and  found  to  be  four  to  five  inches  in  length.  The 
proportion  of  water  which  the  young  plants  contained  was 
so  great,  that  one  could  hardly  expect  to  derive  great  benefit 
from  a  few  ounces  of  them  every  week.  A  portion  was 
exposed  to  a  temperature  of  90°  to  100°,  until  it  ceased 
to  lose  weight  by  further  exposure ;  the  remainder,  con- 
taining all  the  antiscorbutic  and  nutritious  properties  of  the 
plant,  amounted  to  C'.j  per  cent.,  which  was  not  nearly  one- 
half  the  weight  of  the  seed  that  had  been  used ;  the  93-5 
which  escaped,  unfortunately  happened  to  be  water.  I  tried 
the  same  experiment  several  times  with  both  mustard  and 
cress,  so  that  I  might,  if  possible,  receive  favourable  im- 
pressions with  respect  to  the  gardening ;  but  the  results 
were  invariably  the  same,  for  the  water  which  escaped  by 
evaporation  often  exceeded  93  per  cent.  I  could  hardly 
credit  that  a  plant  grown  in  the  dark,  and  destitute  of  every 
trace  of  green,  containing  such  a  large  proportion  of  water, 
and  almost  insipid  with  the  exception  of  the  acrid  principles 
of  the  seed  and  its  essential  oil,  could  possess  virtues 
worthy  of  the  slightest  confidence.  The  young  plants  were 
less  acrid  than  the  seed,  and  the  essential  oil  had  almost  all 
disappeared ;  their  weight,  too,  was  about  half  the  weight  of 
the  seeds  which  produced  them.  Notwithstanding,  its  cul- 
tivation was  encouraged  and  continued  zealously,  and  the 
amusement  and  recreation  it  afforded  proved  of  great  value 
to  those  who  devoted  their  attention  to  that  department  of 
horticulture." 

"  The  Expedition  was  most  munificently  supplied  with 
preserved  vegetables,  which  still  remained  as  fresh  as  when 
they  were  put  into  the  tins.  The  allowance  of  them  that 
was  served  out  proved  most  ample  at  all  times,  and  no  one 
seemed  to  have  any  '  longing  '  for  succulent  vegetable  food. 
The  time,  however,  for  this  '  longing '  was  only  approach- 
ing ;  for,  up  to  this  time,  we  had  the  use  of  fresh  potatoes, 
which,  be  it  observed,  grew  in  18-tO,  passed  through  a 
summer  and  a  winter  in  the  Aiiic  Regions,  in  addition  to 
one  winter  in  the  climate  that  produced  them,  and  still  re- 
tained their  nutritious  properties  imchanged.  They  always 
deserved  and  got  the  preference,  and  now,  that  we  had  just 
used  the  last  of  them  at  dinner,  we  should  have  felt  glad  to 
have  transferred  the  high  esteem  that  had  attached  to  them 
in  the  fresh  state,  to  the  patent  preserved  potato  of  Edwards  ; 
this,  however,  we  could  not  do,  in  the  presence  of  succulent 
carrots  and  turnips.  The  fresh  potatoes  sometimes  became 
frozen,  and,  if  they  were  permitted  to  thaw  without  being 
used  immediately,  fermentation  commenced  and  in  a  very 
short  time  they  became  quite  sweet :  if,  however,  they  were 
put  into  the  vessel  to  be  boiled,  without  first  being  thawed 
in  cold  water,  they  invariably  became  quite  tough,  so  that 
they  might  be  boiled  into  shreads,  without  removing  the 
fibrous  structure  which  they  seemed  to  have  assumed.  A 
remark  was  made  to  the  cabin  steward,  on  one  occasion, 
.that  the  potatoes  were  not  sufficiently  boiled;  his  reply  was, 
that  they  had  been  kept  in  boiling  water  for  three  hours. 
This  reminded  us  of  what  Mr.  Darwin  observed  in  the  lofty 
Andes,  when  his  guides  were  blaming  the  new  pot  for  not 
boiling  the  potatoes;  the  true  cause  being  the  lowering  of 
the  boiling  point  of  water,  from  the  immense  height  which 
they  had  attained,  but  of  this  they  had  no  conception." 


In  our  last,  we  gave  it  as  our  opinion  that,  in  all  pro- 
bability, the  I'rame  Peas  will,  in  time,  be  discontinued 
as  garden  varieties;  and  that  they  will  ultimately  occupy 
much  the  same  position  tliat  the  Charlton  does  now 
Every  year  confirms  us  more  and  more  in  that  opinion, 
as  we  find  new  varieties  introduced,  rivalling  them  in 
earliness,  and  far  surpassing  them  in  excellence.  Those 
which  we  are  now  about  to  describe  sufficiently  illus- 
trate this  fact ;  for,  while  they  come  into  use  almost,  if 
not  quite,  as  soon  as  the  Frames,  they  are  possessed  of 
that  peculiarly  tender  and  rich  flavour  which  is  charao- 
tei'istio  of  the  Marroivs.  Seeing,  therefore,  that  we  can 
have  a  sufficient  supply  furnished  by  those  earliest  vari- 
eties, such  as  Sawjstefs  Number  One,  and  Warner  s  Em- 
peror, till  the  rich  marrowy  crops  oi Nonpareil,  Bingtvood, 
and  Paradise  are  ready,  of  what  use  are  the  dry  and 
mealy  Frames,  which  come  in  at  the  same  time  ? 

Fairbeard's  Nonpakeii.. 

I  am  not  very  well  prepared  with  a  report  of  the  com- 
parative earliness  of  tliis  variety,  as  I  did  not  receive  it 
till  some  time  after  the  others  were 
sown,  and  I  did  not  meet  with  it  in 
the  sample  grounds  of  those  mem- 
bers of  the  trade  who  so  kindly 
afforded  me  that  advantage ;  I  con- 
sequently had  no  opportunity  of 
comparing  it  with  others.  But  it  is 
said  to  be  earlier  than  Champion  of 
England,  and  as  early  as  tlie  Frames, 
and,  from  what  I  have  seen  of  it,  I 
have  no  reason  to  doubt  this  state- 
ment. Of  this  I  am  quite  certain ; 
it  is  a  most  valuable  pea,  and  belongs 
to  the  class  of  sweet,  wrinkled  vari- 
eties, known  as  Knight's  Marroivs — 
in  fact,  a  Knight's  Marrow  as  early 
as  the  Frames! 

The  plant  produces  a  branching 
stem,  from  three-and-a-half  to  four 
feet  high,  with  a  habit  of  growth  and 
vigour  similar  to  the  Double  Blos- 
somed Frame.  The  pods  are  from 
two  -  inches  -and  -  three  -  quarters  to 
three-inches-and-a-quarter  long,  half" 
an-inch  broad,  somewhat  curved,  and  terminated 
abruptly  at  the  end.  They  are  very  full  and  plump,  but 
do  not  become  thick-backed  and  fleshy  as  they  ripen,  as 
the  Frames  do ;  and  they  contain  from  sis  to  eight  peas, 
which  are  close  together,  and  very  much  compressed, 
being  nine-twentieths-ofan-inch  long,  seven-twentieths 
broad,  and  six-twentieths  thick;  and  of  that  very  sweet 
flavour  which  is  peculiar  to  the  Knight's  Marrows.  The 
ripe  seed  is  small  and  wrinkled,  and  of  the  same  colour 
as  the  other  white  wrinkled  peas. 

This  variety  was  raised  by  Mr.  William  Fairbeard,  of 
Green  Street,  near  Sittingbourne,  who  also  raised  the 
Champion  of  England;  and  it  may  now  bo  obtained 
through  any  respectable  seedsman. 


39G 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER, 


Februarv  23. 


'Frames. 


RiNGWooD  Marrow. 
8ynonymes:—BecJi's Marrow:  Flanagans  Pea. 

This  is  a  very  valuable  pea,  and  another  rival  of  the 
It  produces  a  very  large,  well-filled  pod,  and  is 
a  most  abundant  bearer ;  but  it  has 
a  peculiarity,  which,  by  some,  is  con- 
sidered an  objection,  from  the  pod 
being  white  instead  of  green,  and 
presenting,  when  only  fully  grown, 
tbe  appearance  of  over-maturity. 
This  objection,  however,  is  chiefly 
taken  by  those  who  grow  it  for  mar- 
l{ets,  and  who  find  a  difiioulty  in  con- 
vincing their  customers,  that  not- 
withstanding the  pod  being  white  it 
is  still  in  its  highest  perfection.  So 
far  from  being  soon  out  of  season, 
the  Ringwood  Marrow  retains  its 
tender  and  marrowy  character  longer 
than  many  other  varieties;  and  I 
trust,  from  the  statement  I  have  now 
made,  and  the  extensive  publicity 
which  it  will  have,  that  any  preju- 
dice which  may  exist  regarding  the 
character  of  this  excellent  variety 
will  be  as  generally  dispelled.  As 
regards  earliness,  I  found  it  not  more 
than  two  days  behind  the  Frames; 
and,  in  every  other  respect,  far  supe- 
rior to  them. 

Plant  with  a  moderately  vigorous  habit  of  growth, 
producing  a  stem  which  is  three-and-a-half  to  four  feet 
high,  and  always  simple,  except  in  wet  seasons,  when  it 
makes  a  second  growth  by  throwing  out  slioots  from 
near  the  ground.  The  lowest  ])ods  are  within  about  a 
foot  of  the  ground,  and  are  produced  at  every  joint, 
even  to  the  extremity,  the  whole  number  on  each  plant 
being  from  ten  to  twelve.  The  pods  are  single  and  in 
pairs,  in  about  equal  proportions,  from  three  to  three- 
and-a-balf-inches  long,  and  six-tenths-of-an-iuch  wide, 
sliglitly  curved  and  waved  on  the  upper  margin,  and 
terminated  rather  abruptly  at  the  point.  As  they  ripen, 
they  become  thick  and  fleshy,  with  a  rough,  pitted,  and 
shrivelled  sm-face.  They  contain  from  six  to  seven 
large  peas,  which  are  roundish  and  not  compressed, 
about  nine-tenths-of-an-inch  long,  seven-tenths  wide, 
and  the  same  in  thickness.     The  ripe  seed  is  white. 

The  Rhuju'ood  Marrow  was  sown  on  the  5th  of  April, 
bloomed  on  the  10th  of  June,  and  was  ready  to  be 
gathered  on  the  9th  of  July.  It  is  far  superior  to 
SUUlng's  Orotto,  both  in  earliness  and  filling. 

There  is  a  variety  called  Lincoln  Green,  which  pos- 
sesses all  the  properties  of  the  Ringwood  Marrow, 
without  the  objectionable  white  pod,  at  least,  so  I  am 
informed,  but  I  cannot  speak  of  it  from  my  own  ex- 
perience, for  the  sample  which  I  grew  was  late  sown, 
and  suffered  so  much  by  the  attacks  of  the  "  Dolphin" 


Having  given  prominence  to  the  statement  by  one 
correspondent,  A.  B.  (page  S.'j-l),  of  a  mode  of  making 
cheap  bread,  which  that  correspondent  declares  she  had 
"  tried,"  and  shewn  the  residts  to  her  "  own  labourers," 
we  feel  bound  to  give  equal  prominence  to  the  following 
counter-statement,  and  shall  be  glad  if  A.  B.  can  justify 
what  she  communicated. 

With  respect  to  the  addition  of  Potatoes  to  flour 
made  into  bread,  they  render  it  less  cake-like  than  liice 
makes  it,  but,  to  ns,  it  appeal's  quite  as  palatable,  and 
causes  the  bread  to  continue  moist  for  a  nuicli  longer 
time. 

"  I  take  the  liberty  of  adverting  to  the  receipt  for  cheap 
bread,  introduced  into  the  leader  of  your  joirmal  of  tbe  Uth 
instant,  where  you  have  been  iuduced,  upon  -the  statement  of 
a  eorrcspoudent,  to  give  fm-thur  publicity  to  an  eiTor  wliieli 
had  previously  gone  tbe  round  of  the  provincial,  and  many 
of  the  metropolitan  newspapers.  Tlie  fact  of  its  lieing  an 
error,  you  may,  in  one  moment,  con\'ince  yourself,  by  adding 
together  the  weight  of  all  tbe  ingredients  your  corres- 
pondent directs  to  be  used,  and  you  wiU  at  once  see  the 
impossibiUhj  of  the  result  stated,  uuless  we  ai'e  again 
li%ing  in  the  age  of  nm-acles,  and  to  those  having  faith  an 
increase  in  the  quantity  of  their  Staff  of  Life  ("dming  the 
process  of  baking)  is  vouchsafed.  If  the  bread  made  with 
lA  lb.  of  rice  increased  to  the  weight  quoted,  it  could  only 
be,  of  comse,  by  the  absorption  of  a  much  larger  quantity 
of  water  than  is  allowed  in  the  receipt  given,  and  from 
which  there  would  be  no  nourishment  derived ;  hiil  it  is  not  even 
so,  for  I  have  repeatedly  tried  it,  most  carefully  weighing 
every  ingredient  before  mbdug,  afterwards  tbe  dough,  and 
then  the  bread,  and  the  result  has  always  been  tliat  the 
increase  in  weight,  over  and  above  what  the  14  lbs.  of 
flom-  would  have  yielded,  has  been  but  a  i  lb.  more  than  the 
actual  weight  of  the  lice  added,  viz.,  '2  lbs.,  the  rice  added 
having  been  IJ  lbs.  The  bread  thus  made  is  very  nice 
eating,  but  to  reduce  the  rice  to  pulp  is  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  occupies  a  great  deal  of  time,  and  requires  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  firing  ;  these  things  taken  into  con- 
sideration, making  the  bread  dearer,  instead  of  cheaper  than 
wheaten-tlour  bread. 

"  I  have  also  tried  the  addition  of  Potatoes,  and  find  the 
weight  of  the  bread  increased  only  to  the  weight  of  pota- 
toes added  ;  and  certainly  not  so  nice  as  by  tbe  addition  of 
rice.  14  lbs.  of  good  wheaten  flour  will  absorb  H  lbs. 
of  water,  which,  with  Jib.  of  yeast,  maizes  2'."  lbs.  of  dough, 
losing  exactly  2  lbs.  in  baking  ;  therefore,  yielding  ill  lbs. 
of  bread,  and  making  an  increase  of  U  lbs.  (by  tbe  absorp- 
tion and  retention  of  water)  upon  the  14  lbs.  of  flour  used, 
which  is  a  much  greater  increase  than  can  be  obtained  by 
emploring  any  other  ingredient,  besides  being  purer,  and 
far  more  nourishing,  therefore  cheaper,  and  in  every  respect 
the  most  desii-able.  If  you  add  together  the  weight  uf  your 
correspondent's  ingredients,  viz., 

Flom' 14  lbs 

nice   H 

Three  quarts  of  water. .       7J 

Sufficient  yeast J 


{Aphis),  that  it  did  not  come  to  maturity. 
{To  be  euntiiiiicd.) 


T.  H. 


2Si  lbs.  of  dough  is 

the  result.  Allowing  this  to  lose  only  'i  lbs.  by  baking 
(viz.,  the  same  as  tbe  14  lbs.  of  floiu'  dough),  it  will  only 
yield  '^Jl^lbs.  of  bread.  Now,  there  is  no  disputing  figures, 
therefore  I  repeat  that  it  is  utterly  impossible  that  '23J  lbs. 
of  materials  cau,  by  baking,  {irilUnut  Ziivine  interjmsition), 
become  converted  into  30  lbs.  of  bread ;  and  tl;e  publication 
of  such  statements  are  sure  to  produce  cither  disappoint- 
ment (more  especially  to  the  poor,  who  arc  not  likely  to 
enter  pliilosophieally  into  the  subject,  and  discover  the 
fallacy  of  the  statement  by  calculation),  or  distrust,  by 
creating  doubts  of  the  balcer's  honesty,  to  whose  oven  the 
bread  may  be  sent. 

"  To  spare  you  the  trouble  of  answering  my  quei'y  (ad- 
dressed to  you  by  note  last  week),  concerning  Messrs.  Beck 
and  Henderson's  whereabouts,  I  write  to  iufomi  you,  tliat, 
after  much  trouble,  I  this  day  found  their  house  of  business, 


Febkuary  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


397 


but  upon  maldng  application  for  some  seed  of  the  Pea, 
Bvclc's  Gum,  you  spoke  so  liighly  of,  in  yoiu'  Journal  of  the 
and  instant,  I  was  informed  that  they  had  none  except  for 
theu-  regular  customors.  Will  you  kindly  inform  your 
readers  of  this  fact,  and  thereby  spare  many  a  fruitless 
journey.  "  John  Denny,  Stoke  Neivinylon." 


POTATO  CULTURE— SUGGESTIONS. 

The  present  high  price  of  this  uniyersal  favourite, 
notwithstanding  the  great  deterioration  in  quality,  as 
compared  with  the  Potatoes  of  a  score  years  since, 
proves  that  the  public  still  cling  to  it  with  as  much 
tenacity  as  ever;  although  such  immense  losses  have 
accrued  to  cultivators  as  would  have  driven  any  other 
root  out  of  cultivation.  We  may,  therefore,  expect  an 
enormous  breadth  under  culture  again  this  year ;  and  1 
take  it  for  granted,  that  practical  hints  from  observant 
and  experienced  cultivators  will  be  well  received  by  our 
numerous  readers. 

A  few  years  since,  soon  after  the  disease  broke  out, 
the  press  teemed  with  nostrums,  recipes,  and  advice 
— the  latter  certainly  of  the  most  dogmatical  character ; 
and  the  public,  fairly  swamped  with  mere  opinions,  at 
last  turned  from  the  subject  with  disgust.  The  great 
misfortune  was,  that  the  bulk  of  all  this  gratuitous 
advice  was  given  by  persons  wUose  chief  qualification 
for  the  matter  was  an  extreme  partiality  for  this  root, 
especially  when  accompanied  by  good  old  English  roast 
beef.  As  our  country  farmers  say,  there  was  too  much 
of  the  "  lire-side  ploughing ;"  and  culture  of  this  kind 
is  not  always  of  the  most  profitable.  I  take  it  for 
granted,  that  after  all  the  visionary  speculations  that 
have  been  offered  as  the  ground-work  for  future  opera- 
tions, the  best  way  to  deal  with  the  question  is  to  take 
warning  from  past  facts,  and  to  leave  hypothesis  to  the 
mere  experimenter. 

One  great  fact,  and  that,  on  the  face  of  the  question, 
is  this:  that  luxuriance  of  growth,  so  far  ft-om  being 
an  alleviator,  is  a  promoter  of  the  disease.  This  is  so 
well  established,  that  I  will  venture  to  affirm  ninety 
out  of  a  hundred  of  really  experienced  and  practical 
men  will  readily  assent  to  it.  The  next  point  established 
is,  that  late  growth  offers  no  chance  of  amelioration, 
but  directly  the  reverse.  Here,  again,  I  have  no  fear  of 
being  left  in  a  minority  as  to  the  opinion.  These,  then, 
are,  I  think,  the  two  chief  features  of  the  question  on 
which,  for  the  present,  to  base  our  practice ;  other 
collateral  points  there  are  to  which  I  will  just  advert, 
but  they  hold  a  decidedly  subordinate  position.  Such 
being  taken  for  granted,  we  may  as  well  see  for  a 
moment  how  the  two  admitted  evils  are  produced. 

To  say  that  manurial  matters  produce  luxuriance  is 
a  mere  truism — every  schoolboy  knows  that ;  but,  does 
nothing  else  contribute  to  it?  Here  is  the  rub!  A 
man,  holding  opinions  that  rich  manures  prove  pre- 
judicial, may  plant  a  plot  in  an  old  kitchen-garden, 
and  fancy,  that  because  he  has  added  no  fresh  manure 
he  cannot  have  ei'red  in  that  respect;  but  this  is  most 
fallacious,  and  thousands  annually  thus  mistake  their 
course.  I  have  known  many  a  plot  in  a  kitchen-garden 
much  richer  after  a  scouring  crop,  than  the  manured 
land  of  the  farmer ;  at  least,  if  not  in  manures,  in  the 
remains  of  former  applications,  or  in  that  dark  material 
termed  humus,  and  which  we  gardeners  find  highly 
contributary  to  rampant  growth. 

Setting  aside  the  question  of  manures  for  a  moment — 
Is  there  nothing  in  cultural  operations  having  a  ten- 
dency to  produce  the  undesirable  condition  of  a  gi-oss 
plant? — Yes;  deep  digging;  and  this  is  unluckily 
favourable  to  late  as  well  as  rampant  growths.  Those 
who  have  long  known  me  as  a  staunch  advocate  for 
deep  digging,  trenching,    and   such-lilje   high  cultin-al 


operations,  may  think,  in  an  off-hand  way,  that  I  "  blow 
hot  and  cold." — Not  so,  however.  When  deep  digging, 
manuring,  &o.,  are  found  to  be  inimical  to  the  welfare 
of  any  given  crop,  I,  for  one,  am  content  to  throw  them 
overboard,  although  things  of  immense  importance  in 
themselves;  in  order  to  bo  bettor  able  to  buffet  the 
waves  and  avoid  shoals  and  rocks.  But  I  will  quote  a 
case  which  occurred  with  me  last  year.  Having  a 
desire  to  grow  a  liberal  quantity  of  the  Ash-leaved 
Kidney,  specially  for  seed,  an  annual  practice  with 
me,  I  selected  one  of  the  poorest  plots  in  the  kitchen- 
garden  ;  the  previous  crop  had  been  the  Red  Beet,  for 
which  ground  had  been  trenched;  in  doing  so,  about 
three  inclies  of  subsoil  had  been  brought  up,  a  usual 
practice  with  me.  The  ground  was  unmanured  for  the 
Beet  previous,  and,  of  course,  unmanured  for  the  Kidney; 
and,  I  will  now  add,  undug  ! 

The  ground  was  marked  out  in  beds  of  about  three  to 
four  feet — what  our  Cheshire  farmers  call  "  butts" — a 
corruption,  doubtless,  of  "  bouts."  The  Kidneys  were 
set  on  the  solid  ground,  exceedingly  thick,  in  order  to 
make  them  small  and  genteel;  for  we  old  Kidney 
Potato  growers  know  full  well  that  too  high  culture 
forces  the  Kidney  to  "run  out,"  that  is  to  say,  to  lose  the 
handsome  form  for  which  it  is  in  part  so  much  esteemed, 
and  to  become  dumpy  and  irregidar. 

The  Kidneys,  planted  whole,  of  course,  were  about 
six  inches  square  apart,  every  little  fellow  selected  for 
shape,  and  set  on  end  ;  they  then  had  a  slight  dressing 
of  old  manure,  delivered  by  hand  fi-om  a  basket, 
strewed  over  them ;  and  next  a  coating  of  pulverised 
soil,  about  two  inches  in  thickness.  Nothing  more  was 
done  until  they  were  Just  bursting  through  the  soil, 
with  a  crop  of  young  weeds,  when  another  two  inches 
of  pulverised  soil  was  spread  over  them,  thus  "  killing 
two  birds,  &c."  This  latter  is  the  ordinary  "  butt 
culture  "  practice  in  Cheshire. 

I  have  now  to  add,  that  the  crop  was  enormous  for  the 
space  occupied,  I  think  nearly  double  that  of  some 
treated  in  higher  style,  and,  as  I  expected,  the  majority 
of  them  were  adopted  for  seed  to  plant  whole,  for  it  is 
nonsense  to  plant  Kidneys  whole  nearly  as  big  as  a 
flounder,  with  the  idea  of  having  a  superior  crop ;  this 
is,  indeed,  a  waste. 

It  may  now  be  naturally  expected  that  I  should  show 
how  this  deep  digging  may  prove  prejudicial  to  Potatoes 
in  their  present  position  ;  but  in  doing  so,  I  must  beg 
to  qualify  such  remarks  by  observing,  that  I  by  no 
means  affirm  that  deep  digging  is  .to  be  avoided  in  all 
cases.  I  am  simply  speaking  of  old  tilled  or  dug  soils, 
rich  in  the  remains  of  former  manures.  Deep  digging, 
of  course,  encourages  deep  rooting ;  deep  roots  are  often 
at  work  when  shallow  ones  are  idle  ;  and  the  system  of 
the  plant  is,  of  course,  thereby  kept  distended  with 
invigorating  fluids,  which,  as  a  matter  of  course,  not 
only  render  the  plant  more  gross,  but,  ft-om  the  mere 
annual  up  to  the  huge  Oak,  through  the  various  inter- 
mediate grades,  sustains  a  lively  circulation  for  a  longer 
and  later  period  in  defiance  of  temporary  droughts  and 
other  vicissitudes  to  which  plants  with  mere  surface 
fibres  were  ever  liable. 

Everybody  knows,  who  has  paid  close  attention  to  the 
character  of  the  disease  under  varying  conditions,  that 
it  assumes  at  least  two  distinct  phases  after  a  certain 
period;  and  here  I  would  not  defer  the  question  to 
those  possessing  small  suburban  gardens,  but  to  those 
whose  lot  is  cast  amongst  thousands  of  broad  acres,  and 
whose  locality  is  known  as  a  Potato  district.  In  such 
quarters,!  have  seen,  repeatedly,  extensive  fields  adjoin- 
ing each  other,  and  of  precisely  a  similar  staple  of  soil, 
the  one  covered  with  a  moist  and  rotten  blackness,  the 
other  dried  up  to  mere  sticks.  And  how  is  this  ?  Simply 
because  the  one  field  produced  a  gi-oss,  or  highly  cul- 
tivated plant,  the  other  a  lean  one,  through  the  mere 


398 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Februabt  23. 


inability,  perhaps,  of  the  farmer  to  provide  as  much 
manure  for  it  as  he  would  desire ;  and  thus  through  a 
comparative  poverty  forced  to  befriend  himself. 

It  will,  doubtless,  be  remembered,  that  some  weeks 
since  1  pointed  to  the  immense  success  that  a  neighbour 
of  mine  has  had  who  has  grown  annually  a  score  or  two 
acres,  and  that,  too,  on  a  tract  of  land  that  everybody 
despised,  as  it  were,  previously  ;  it  being  what  is  termed 
"  ploughed  out;"  that  is  to  say,  so  hard-worked  and  ill- 
used  as  to  require  much  handling  to  get  it  in  temper 
again.  I  then  stated,  that  as  he  kept  no  stock  he  was 
driven  to  the  use  of  guano,  and  to  this  must  be  at- 
tributed, in  the  main,  his  success.  And  I  here  advise 
what  I  certainly  shall  practise,  that  where  manure  miisi 
he  used  it  be  very  old,  such  as  is  calculated  to  spend  its 
little  remaining  strength  in  a  short  period;  indeed,  if  it 
were  possible,  I  would  prevent  its  being  of  any  advan- 
tage to  the  plant  after  the  beginning  of  July.  With  this 
view  of  things,  I  shall  immediately  prepare  a  compost  to 
go  in  drills,  or  to  be  sown  over  beds  just  before  covering 
the  Potatoes.  This  compost  will  be  composed  of  old, 
dry  and  powdery  manure,  much  soot,  and  a  little  good 
guano,  with  perhaps  a  pinch  of  salt ;  and  this,  well 
mixed,  I  shall  sow  by  hand  from  baskets.  In  the  event 
of  the  soil  being  in  tolerable  heart,  without  manure  at 
planting  time,  I  shall,  in  the  case  of  the  beds  or  "  butts" 
before  described,  add  r[uick-Ume  to  the  same  compost, 
and  dress  the  surface  of  the  bed  or  "  butt"  just  as  the 
Potatoe  is  breaking  ground,  and  immediately  soil  it  all 
over  to  prevent  dissipation  and  to  destroy  weeds. 

To  make  the  young  sprouts  into  a  stout  plant  in  a 
very  short  period  after  they  break  the  ground,  and  that 
with  such  extra  assistance  as  will  desert  them  as  soon 
as  they  are  a  good  plant,  is  my  policy ;  and  the  rest  I 
leave  to  the  atmosphere  and  the  rains. 

But  mind,  this  by  no  means  involves  earlier  planting 
than  other  folks  ;  the  planting  question  has  nothing  to 
do  with  it.  Let  people  plant  when  they  will,  I  hold  it  a 
maxim  that  Potatoes  to  be  relied  on  for  ordinary  field 
or  garden  crops  should  not  be  allowed  to  expose  their 
heads  unprotected  until  the  third  week  in  ilay ;  but  I  j 
would  so  manage  them  that  they  shall  have  done  much  < 
work  underground,  like  the  mole,  before  they  appear.       ' 

I  would  here  caution  the  inexperienced  against  deep 
planting,  especially  for  crops  required  early ;  but  even 
later  kinds  love  not  to  be  buried  deep.  Let  those  who 
would  prove  this  just  try  a  few  rows  of  early  Potatoes 
side  by  side.  Let  them  plant  one  lot  about  seven  inches 
in  depth,  and  the  other  about  three,  and  I  will  engage 
that  the  latter  will  be  ready  for  use  nearly  a  fortnight 
before  the  deep-planted  ones.  Moreover,  early  crops  are 
best  without  a/ierap/'2ic'**ioKsofsoil,  if  it  can  be  dispensed 
with.  I  have  known  a  frame  of  Potatoes  retarded  a 
fortnight  or  more  by  an  ill-judged  application  of  surface- 
dressing  when  they  were  six  inches  or  more  in  height, 
and  no  wonder,  either.  Persons  thus  over  officious  do 
not  consider,  that  in  so  doing  they  interpose  a  cool  and 
fresh  body,  somewhat  nonconducting,  between  the  gene- 
rally warmed  medium  the  roots  are  in  and  the  atmos- 
phere, and  that  such  interposition  must  lower  the 
temperature  where  the  roots  are  situate  by  perhaps  live 
degrees;  of  this  fact  I  am  persuaded,  having  well 
proved  it. 

In  taking  leave  of  the  Potato  for  a  little  while,  I  would 
impress  on  our  readers  the  common-sense  proceeding  of 
procuring  as  good  seed  as  possible.  It  is  all  very  well 
to  say,  in  despair, — "  It  matters  little  about  seed  ;  I  have 
known  covru|)ted  seed  produce  as  good  a  crop  as  the 
very  best."  This,  altliougli  a  fact  in  a  few  solitary  cases, 
is  what  I  call  a  most  unphiloso)iliical  .and  cowardly 
conclusion.  What!  because  anomalies  exist  in  this  case, 
as,  indeed,  they  beset  most  matters,  shall  tlio  mind  of 
man,  in  a  fit  of  more  childish  impatience,  in  the  most 


gross  and  undistinguishing  manner,  rush  on  an.  impo- 
tent conclusion  ? 

Our  Sir  Isaac  Newtons,  our  Dr.  Johnsons,  our  Paleys, 
were  not  men  of  this  metal ;  they  were  made  of  "  sterner 
stuff."  As  well  might  a  cattle  breeder  forswear  all  right 
of  pedigree  through  "  blood,"  because,  forsooth,  he 
made  a  first-rate  '■  hit "  from  a  most  ordinary  source. 
I  doubt  not,  myself,  that  the  Potato  will  one  day  be 
restored  to  us  in  its  original  strength;  but  bad  seeding, 
bad  breeding,  and  conceited  modes  of  culture,  based  on 
no  real  principles,  certainly  do  not  ofler  the  best  chances 
of  such  a  desirable  consummation. 

R.  Eeringios. 


TREES  AND  SHRUBS. 

HOLLIES. 

There  arc  above  a  dozen  of  the  Common  Holly  with 
green  leaves,  and  above  a  score  of  Variegated  Hollies. 
Some  of  the  green  kinds  are  named  variously,  fi'om  the 
size  or  shape,  or  from  prickles  or  no  prickles,  from  the 
thickness  or  thinness  of  the  leaves,  and  also  from  the 
Holly-berries  being  yellow,  black,  or  white — and  out  of 
these  one  might  pick  up  six  or  seven  very  distinct  sorts; 
but  there  is  no  right  or  regular  system  of  names  by 
which  they  can  be  asked  for  that  I  am  aware  of.  It  is 
the  same  with  the  Variegated  Hollies — one  must  see 
them  to  make  a  selection  of  sorts.  Silver,  Golden,  and 
Hedgehog  Hollies  give  but  a  very  faint  idea  of  this 
class;  and  so  do  the  best  Nursery  catalogues.  Nothing 
short  of  seeing  a  good  collection  in  the  large  nurseries 
can  enable  one  to  make  a  selection  of  such  plants. 
When  one  is  going  to  buy  in  earnest — oven  one  of  our 
best  country  gardeners — he  would  know  more,  and  learn 
more,  in  one  hour,  going  over  a  large  nursery,  when  the 
plants  are  all  in  leaf,  than  he  could  by  reading  about 
new  trees  and  shrubs  for  a  whole  week,  if  he  had  nothing 
else  to  do.  Besides  the  varieties,  there  are  several  new 
Hollies,  and  old  ones,  too,  that  ought  to  be  in  every  good 
collection. 

A:iiERicAN  Holly  (Ilex  opaea). — A  beautiful,  low  tree, 
which  is  used  all  over  North  America  as  we  do  the 
common  Holly.  Laxijiora  is  only  a  variety  of  Opaca, 
according  to  Nuttal. 

Minorca  Holly  [Ilex  halearica). — A  very  distinct 
kind,  which  comes  nearest  to  our  common  Holly,  on 
which  it  is  propagated  by  buds  and  grafts  in  the  usual 
way. 

Dahoon  Hoi.ly  (Ilex  cassine). — There  are  two  very 
distinct  Hollies,  from  America,  which  are  often  con- 
founded under  this  name  ;  one,  with  small  leaves  (Ilex 
cassine);  and  the  other,  with  large,  smooth  leaves  with 
hardly  a  priclcle  on  (lUx  dahoon),  and  thought  to  be  a 
greenhouse  plant ;  but  tho  two  are  equally  hard,  only 
that  cassine  ripens  scarlet  berries,  and  dahoon  never 
does  with  us. 

The  Narrow-leaved  Holly  (Ilex  anijiistifoUa,  alias 
myrtifolia).—A  very  rare  plant  indeed ;  but  a  very 
beautiful  and  well-marked  species,  from  North  America. 
It  prefers  a  low,  damp  situation,  being  naturally  a 
swamp  plant  in  Virginia  and  Georgia.  It  was  also  called 
Ilex  rosemarinifolia,  which  gives  a  good  idea  of  its 
appearance. 

The  Perado  Holly  (Ilex  Perado). — This  is  the  Hex 
Maderensis  of  some  of  our  nurseries  and  some  French 
collections.  This  is  a  Holly  from  Madeira,  and  is  often 
kept  in  the  greenhouse,  but  it  is  quite  hardy.  It  has 
shining  and  nearly  smooth  leaves,  and  forms  a  close, 
dwarf,  evergreen  bush. 

The  Ejiktkj  Hollv  (Ilex  V(viiilaria). — A  sciirco  jdant,  j 
from  tlie  sea-shore  from  Caroliua  to  I'lorida.  It  is  some-  , 
times  called  the  South  Sea  Tea  and  Cassiohorry  bush,  | 
in  our  gardens,  also  ligiistri/olUi. 


February  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  QAHUENER. 


309 


Ilex  latifolia,  alias  lau7'!/oUa. — A  fine  broad-lcavod 
Holly,  from  Japau.  Gralted  on  the  common  Holly, 
is  quite  hardy,  and  ought  to  bo  in  every  good  collection, 
being  the  best  of  all  tlie  new  Hollies. 

Ilex  diptrena, — A  beautiful  Holly,  recently  from  the 
North  of  India,  but  quite  hardy. 

Ilex  latispina. — A  very  marked  species,  with  broad 
prickles  set  in  a  zig-zag  way  on  the  loaf;  quite  htirdy, 
and  well  worth  having  among  new  plants. 

Ilex  microcaupa. — Another  very  distinct  species,  with 
large,  thick  leaves  without  prickles,  promising  to  make 
a  large,  handsome  evergreen. 

Ilex  cohndia. — A  very  curious,  new  Holly,  with  long, 
fleshy  leaves,  having  three  formidable  spines  at  the  end 
of  each. 

Ilex  furcata. — Another  curious  spined  Holly  of 
recent  introduction,  whioli  promises  to  make  a  well- 
markud  species;  but  all  these  new  Hollies  are  so  much 
sought  for  that  only  very  small  plants  of  them  are  sent 
out  from  the  Nurseries.  They  are  all  iu  tlie  garden  at 
Bank  Grove,  near  Kingston,  and  do  not  seem  the  least 
touched  by  the  frost.  I  see  they  increase  some  of  them 
by  cuttings,  as  well  as  by  grafliug  on  tho  common 
Holly. 

Ilex  Magellanioa. — I  bave  only  seen  but  very  small 
pot-plants  of  this  either,  but  it  seems  a  very  distinct 
sort.  These,  and  a  few  other  sorts,  are  merely  nursery 
names  about  Loudon,  but  I  do  not  know  the  authorities 
or  tho  parties  who  gave  these  names.  The  plants,  how- 
ever, are  becoming  very  fashionable,  like  the  evergreen 
Berberries  and  Conifers  ;  as  also  are  the  new  Evergreen 
Oaks,  of  which  there  are  several  very  interesting  ones  in 
the  Nurseries.     One,  called 

Qdehcus  iles  zan,  took  my  fancy  very  much  at  Bank 
Grove,  the  leaves  being  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  the 
common  Oak. 

Quekousagrifolta. — The  Evergreen  Oak  of  California 
is  a  very  remarkable  plant,  having  smooth  leaves  when 
quite  young,  but  as  the  plant  gets  older  the  leaves  turn 
as  prickly  as  those  of  a  Holly.  "  The  long,  narrow  acorns, 
almost  conical,  are  a  remarkable  feature  in  the  species." 
Nuttall,  the  American  botanist,  who  knew  this  Oak 
in  California,  says,  "As  a  hedge  it  would  form  a  very 
close  shelter,  and  the  leaves,  evergreen  and  nearly  as 
prickly  as  a  Holly,  would  render  it  almost  impervious 
to  most  animals."     The  wood  is  of  no  account. 

QuERcus  soLEROPHYLLA  (Hard-loaved  Oak). — A  new 
one  from  China,  a  very  marked  evergreen  species.  It  was 
sent  over  by  Mr.  Fortune,  in  1850,  and  being  quite 
hardy,  it  promises  to  make  a  handsome  addition  to  our 
large  evergreens. 

QnERcus  TNVERSA. — Another  EvergreenOak,  from  the 
north  of  India,  by  Mr,  Fortune,  quite  different  from  any 
we  had  before,  but  in  habit  somewhat  like  our  old  ever- 
green Oak.  These  China  Oaks  are  sold  by  the  Messrs. 
Standish  and  Noble,  of  Bagsbot,  but,  of  course,  any 
nurseryman  in  the  kingdom  could  get  them  for  any  gen- 
tleman in  the  neighbourhood,  and  that  is  always  the 
best  and  cheapest  way  to  go  to  work.  If  I  wanted  a 
new  plant  from  Dublin,  or  Glasgow,  or  Edinburgh,  I 
would  order  Mr.  Jackson,  of  Kingston,  to  get  it  for  me. 
Of  course,  if  I  did  not  deal  with  him  I  could  not  ask 
liim  to  take  the  trouble,  and  even  then  I  would  give 
him  his  own  time. 

OAKS  IN   GENERAL. 

The  kinds  or  varieties  of  Oaks,  in  all  parts  of  the 
world,  are  just  as  numerous  as  the  Geraniums,  and  as 
easily  multiplied  by  seeds ;  they  also  run  into  sections, 
as  distinct  from  one  another  as  the  sections  of  Gera- 
niums. The  Ilex,  or  Evergreen  Oak  section,  and  the 
Willow  Oak  (Pliellos)  section,  are  the  most  sought  after 
for  pleasure  grounds  and  large  gardens,  and  there  is 
hardly  an  end  to  the  variations  they  run  into  from  the 


acorn.  The  Lucomh  Oalc  is  the  finest  tree  tliat  over 
originated  in  England.  If  people  would  but  manage  the 
diflerent  kinds  of  Ilex,  or  Evergreen  <Jak,  so  as  to  get 
them  up  like  the  Lucomb,  or  the  Turkey  Oak,  some  oi' 
the  broad-leaved  sorts  of  Ilex  would  make  more  hand- 
some heads  than  even  the  Lucomh  Oak.  There  are  no 
plants  in  England  worse  managed  tli  an  the  old  Evergreen 
Oaks,  and  that  principally  for  not  knowing  how  to  prune 
them  when  they  are  young.  They  should  never  bave  but 
one  leader  ;  and  when  they  come  bush-lieaded  from  the 
first,  beading  them  back  to  near  the  ground  is  the  easiest 
way  to  manage  them. 

SYMPLOCOS  JAPONICA. 
Quite  a  new  evergreen  from  Japan,  with  leaves  like 
the  Sweet  Bay,  and  growing  as  tall  at  home  as  the  Bay 
does  here  ;  the  flowers  are  of  no  account.  They  have  a 
Symplocos  (tinctoria)  in  the  southern  States  of  North 
America,  called  the  Sweet  Leaf, -wbicli  they  use  for 
dyeing  yellow ;  and  the  Japanese  use  tliis  one  for 
decorating  their  idols,  as  we  use  tho  Christmas  Holly. 
Tills  promises  to  be  a  very  beautiful  evergreen,  and  to 
be  as  liardy  as  the  Onjplomeria.  Mr.  Fortune  sent  it,  in 
IH.'JO,  to  the  Bagshot  collection  of  his  novelties. 

Vir.UKNUM    PLICATUM. 

A  large,  handsome -flowering,  deciduous  shrub  from 
tlie  north  of  China,  sent  home  by  Mr.  Fortune,  with 
round  balls  of  snow-whitii  flowers,  after  the  manner  of 
the  Guelder  Rose,  very  much  cultivated  in  the  best 
gardens  in  China.  It  comes  nearest  to  an  old  American 
Viburnum,  called  deiUatum  ;  and  I  think,  to  make  tho 
best  of  it  in  this  country,  it  ought  to  be  grafted  on 
dentatum,  which  will  grow  in  any  good  garden  soil,  while 
plicatum  refuses  to  grow  well  in  many  places. 

Viburnum  macrooephalum. — Another  of  Mr.  For- 
tune's plants,  from  tho  north  of  China,  where  it  seems  to 
be  as  great  a  favourite  as  the  Camellia.  He  says,  there  is 
a  plant  of  it,  in  the  island  of  Chusan,  20  feet  high,  and 
flowers  all  over,  down  to  the  ground,  something  like 
large  heads  of  Hydrangea.  I  have  seen  this  in  flower 
in  the  gardens  of  the  Horticultural  Society,  and  I  can 
safely  say  it  is  superior  to  the  Hydrangea;  but  the 
beads  are  not  so  flat  as  in  the  Hydrangea,  and  the 
flowers  are  pure  white.  I  have  this  fine  thing  in  my 
own  garden,  but  do  what  I  will  I  cannot  make  anything 
of  it;  no  frost  seems  to  hurt  it,  and  no  soil  agrees  with 
it,  as  far  as  I  can  make  out,  and  I  see  nothing  for  it  but 
to  graft  it  on  some  near  relative — on  dentatum,  or  puhes- 
cens,  or  some  such  allied  plant ;  others  must  find  it  as 
difficult,  also,  or  otherwise  we  should  have  had  it  at  the 
May  exhibitions  among  the  very  first. 

MYEICA  CALIFORNICA. 

A  sweet-leaved  evergreen  Gale,  from  California,  by 
Hartweg  to  the  Horticultural  Society.  This  is  a  valu- 
able evergreeen,  and  is  quite  hardy ;  the  first  time  I  saw 
it  was  in-doors  in  a  pot,  and  I  mistook  it  for  a  broad- 
leafed  Banksia,  or  something  that  way,  which  will  give 
a  tolerable  idea  of  it  to  those  who  know  these  Banksias. 
I  have  also  seen  a  plant  of  it  loaded  with  seeds,  which  I 
will  make  it  cheap  for  a  new  plant. 

DAPHNE    FORTUNI. 

A  charming  addition  to  our  sweet-scented  flowers, 
and  belongs  to  the  Mezereon  section  of  the  genus, 
coming  into  flower  early  in  the  spring  and  casting  its 
leaves  in  the  autumn.  The  flowers  are  much  larger 
than  those  of  Mezereon,  and  of  a  pale  bluish-lilac.  It 
has  been  ten  years  in  England,  but  not  grown  half  so  , 
much  as  it  deserves. 

EDGWORTHIA    CHRYSANTHA. 
Nearly  related  to  the  Daphne;  a  deciduous  shrub,   . 


400 


THE  COTTAGE  GAllDENEfi. 


Febrdaby  23. 


IVoiii  Chiisau,  by  Mr.  Fortime.  It  requires  a  good,  warm 
situatiou  to  flower  well,  but  like  the  Yellow  Jasmine 
(nudijiora)  and  tbe  Fonylhia  viriiUssima,  all  from 
China,  they  answer  much  better  as  pot  plants,  to  he 
protected  while  in  flower,  until  such  time  as  tbe  plants 
are  of  a  large  specimen-size,  when  tbcy  will  take  care 
of  themselves. 

AZALEAS. 

Azalea  ovata. — Next  to  Weigcla  rosea,  this  is  tbe 
finest-looking  evergreen  shrub  on  the  bills  of  Chusan, 
according  to  Mr.  Fortune,  and  tbe  best  of  all  be  found 
in  tbe  east.  It  is  quite  a  difl'erent  thing  from  all  our 
greenhouse  Azaleas,  being  quite  smooth  in  the  leaves, 
and  quite-hardy  after  it  comes  to  a  good  size.  It,  bow- 
ever,  as  well  as  the  Viburnums  and  tlie  Roses  wbiob  he 
introduced,  do  not  get  uu  with  us,  e.\cept  in  rare 
instances  here  and  there. 

AzALKA  AMCENA. — This  IS  also  a  quite  hardy,  nortb-of- 
Chiua  plant,  and  most  suitable  for  the  front  of  a  choice 
American  bed.  The  flowers  arc  of  a  light  purple  in  the 
open  air,  and  look  as  if  one  was  withiu  another,  like  the 
bos8-in-bose  Polyanthus,  and  tbo  loaves  are  the  smallest 
of  all  tbo  race. 

SPIRAEAS. 

SPIR.EA  LiNDLEYANA. — As  a  Standard,  or  for  covering 
the  nortb  side  of  a  bouse,  oi'  any  other  cold  wall,  this  is 
invaluable,  but  as  a  bush  it  is  only  a  fiddlestick,  getting 
soon  so  confused  that  you  can  do  nothing  with  it.  It 
can  be  made  standards  of,  exactly  as  tbey  do  standard 
Currants,  first  making  cuttings,  from  which  all  tbe 
bottom  eyes  are  taken  ;  or,  which  is  done  much  sooner,  cut 
down  a  strong  bush  of  it  closo  to  tbe  ground,  and  make 
layers  of  tbe  very  strong,  soft  shoots  wbicb  rise  imme- 
diately ;  first  cutting  out  tbe  eyes  from  tbe  part  in  tbe 
ground.  Now  is  a  very  good  time  to  out  one  down, 
but  it  may  be  done  all  through  the  spring.  [ 

Spiraea  ari.efolia. — Ought  to  be  in  every  garden  for  j 
its  elegant  plumes  of  white  flowei's  all  tbrougb  the  i 
autumn.  j 

Spir.ea  BELLA. — Anotfier  great  favourite  deserving  a  i 
place  in  the  choicest  collection. 

SpiEyEA    OUNEIFOLU,    S.   LAXIELORA,     S.    VAOCINIEOLIA,  ! 

and  S.  noTDNDiroLiA,  arc  all  North  Indian  low  shrubs,  | 
well  deserving  extensive  cultivation  ;  and  S.  i'issa,  from  i 
Mexico,  a  tall,  handsome  bush,  equaUy  so. 

Spir/EA  expansa, — Also  a  Nortb  Indian  plant,  with 
flat  heads  of  pinkish  flowers,  is  very  handsome.  i 

Spir.ea  pubesoens. — A  newer  one,  from  Cliusan,  with 
little  heads  of  white  flowers,  and  not  more  than  a  small  \ 
tufted  bush.  j 

SpiR.EA  PBUNiFOLiA,  with  doublc  white  flowers,  is  also 
from  China,  and  is  highly  prized  already  for  its  elegant 
spikes  of  crowded  flowers — a  real   ac(|uisition — like  a  I 
double-white  Hawthorn. 

Spir.ea  Douglasii. — A  fine,  late  autumn-flowering 
one,  with  large  heads  of  white  flowers,  in  August  and 
September. 

Spiraea  reevesiana. — Single  and  double  flowers  ;  the 
former  is  a  graceful  shrub ;  but  naturally  flowering 
very  early  in  tbe  spring  it  often  fails  with  us,  unless  the 
wood  is  well  ripened  in  tbe  autumn.  Tbo  double- 
flowering  variety  is  said  to  be  more  free;  but  I  never 
saw  it.  This  last  is  quite  a  new  shrub ;  as  also  one 
called  Spiraa  callosa,  with  nearly  white  flowers,  but  it  is 
new  to  me. 

Skimmia  .japonica  is  a  low  evergreen,  with  scarlet 
berries  in  winter;  quite  new,  and  one  of  the  best  of  the 
low,  busby  evergreens.  I  have  described  it  at  length  in 
a  former  volume. 

Doddle  crimson  Peach,  and  tbe  Double  white  Peach, 
both  from  Africa ;  ought  to  be  in  every  select  collection, 
particularly  tbo  crimson-flowered  one,  on  which  tbe  fruit 
comes  in  clusters  together,  but  it  is  of  no  value. 

D.  Beaton. 


TOBACCO— NICOTIANA.  ' 

Tins  is  a  plaut  that  generally  arrests  a  considerable 
amount  of  atleutiou  among  visitors,  and  a  whole  chain 
of  (jueries  are  launched  upon  Ibc  cultivator,  coming 
alike  from  the  young  gcnl  who  never  bel'ore  had  any 
idea  of  the  look  of  the  plant  from  whence  he  obtains  bis 
bo.'v  of  mild  Ilavannahs ;  from  tlie  tyro  feeling  his  way 
amid  the  vexing  questions  of  laxative  and  social  eco- 
nomics; and  from  tbe  farmer,  with  an  eye  to  the  main 
chance,  who  cannot  for  the  life  of  liim  sec  why,  siuce 
he  has  been  forced  to  compete  with  all  the  world  in 
coi-n-growiug,  be  is  not  allowed  free  scope  lor  an  equal 
test  of  bis  abilities  in  the  supplying  bis  countrymen 
with  Tohaccn. 

The  general  position  for  tbe  Tobacco-plant  would  be 
a  lich  piece  of  a  field,  or  tbe  sheltered,  wcU-manured, 
kitchen-garden;  but  tbe  kind  generally  cultivated — Nico- 
tiana  Tahacum,  the  Virginian  or  Kcutuckian  variety, 
and  macrophijUa,  a  very  large-leaved  species  or  variety — 
make  a  noble  appearance  in  front  of  a  shrubbery,  the 
large  leaves  bciug  far  more  attractive  than  tbe  beads 
of  dumpy  pink  flowers.  Then  there  are  other  species, 
that  instead  of  mounting  from  live  to  seven  feet  in 
height  generally  rise  no  higher  than  from  one-and-a- 
half  to  two-and-a-half  feet;  have  nice,  sweetish,  white 
flowers,  such  as  widalata,  sometimes  called  suavcolcits, 
rotuiidi/oliii,  and  lomjijlnra,  that  arc  neither  uninterest- 
ing wben;grown  in  a  bed,  nor  when  cultivated  as  speci- 
mens in  pots.  Though  some  of  tliesc  latter,  if  favoured 
by  greenhouse  treatment,  would  become  perennial,  yet 
all,  when  grown  out-of-doors,  will  be  most  successfully 
treated  as  ratlier  tender  balf-bardy  annuals. 

The  botanic  name  is  commemorative  of  John  Nicot, 
who  sent  seeds  from  Portugal  to  Franco  about  tbe 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  common  name 
is  attributed  by  difl'erent  persons  to  diflerent  sources — 
some  contending  that  it  is  derived  from  Tobago,  the 
most  southerly  of  tbe  Cai'ibbean  Islands;  others  alleging 
that  it  comes  from  Tahaco,  a  small  island  in  the  bay 
of  Panama ;  while  others  assert  it  comes  I'rom  Tabasco, 
a  district  bordering  on  the  Jsay  of  Campcachy,  iu  tbe 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  is  altogether  a  matter  of  no  moment 
which  of  these  places,  or  if  any  of  tlicm,  was  thus  ho- 
noured in  giving  a  popular  name  to  this  narcotic,  that, 
in  spite  of  the  edicts  of  princes,  is  accompanying  the 
footsteps  of  civOisation,  and,  unless  kept  under  due 
moral  and  sanitary  restraint,  is  calculated  to  do,  ere 
long,  for  mankind  generally,  what  opium  has  done  for 
its  votaries,  and  the  fire-water  for  its  worslii])pcrs.  A 
fact  of  more  importance  is,  that  all  these  places  are 
within  tbo  tropics,  implying  thus  tliat  a  high  tempe- 
rature is  necessary  to  bring  tbe  Tobacco-plant  to  the 
highest  state  of  perfection.  True,  very  fair  Tobacco  is 
produced  in  tbo  south  of  Europe,  and  even  us  far  north 
as  Holland,  and  what  are  called  splendid  sam])les  come 
from  Kentucky  and  Virginia,  yet  even  the  best  con- 
noisseurs allow,  that  for  an  agreeable  pufl'  that  wafts 
them  unconsciously  amid  the  idealities  of  dream-land, 
there  is  nothing  like  a  bit  of  real  Havannab,  at  wdiich 
place  we  know  tbe  temperature  is  not  only  tropical,  but 
a  dry,  sunny  atmosphere  generally  prevails,  rains  seldom 
appearing  urdess  in  July  and  August. 

There  is  some  dilTcreuce  of  opinion  as  to  tbe  intro- 
duction of  smoking  into  F.ngland,  but  it  is  generally 
supposed  that  Sir  Walter  ivaleigh  made  it  I'ashionablo 
by  his  smoking  parties  at  Islington,  during  tlie  last 
decade  of  tbo  sixteenth  century.  The  practice — tlio 
vh'tue — or  rather  the  vice — soon  became  so  extended, 
that  tbo  princes  of  Christendom,  with  unerring  infal- 
libility, in  the  shape  of  the  Pope  at  their  bead,  promul- 
gated shoals  of  awful  penalties  against  the  user  of 
Tobacco,  wbicb  proved  just  as  cflectual  as  the  procbim.i- 
tiou  of  the  Emperor  of  China  against  bis  subjects  using 


February  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


401 


Opium.  Fiuding  suoli  odicls  of  no  avail,  thoy  showed 
thoii-  worldly  wisdom  in  filling  their  oofifers  with  a  heavy 
tax  on  the  growth  or  importation  of  an  article,  the 
using  of  which  thoy  were  powerless  to  prohibit — a  tax 
that  in  one  shape  or  another  meets  the  tobacco  con- 
sumer go  almost  where  ho  will  in  civilised  society.  This 
is  not  the  place  to  inquire  into  the  propriety  of  a  go- 
vernment taxing  heavily  any  commodity,  the  use  of 
which  would  foster  the  virtues,  minister  to  the  neces- 
sities, or  encourage  the  vices  of  its  people  ;  but  while  a 
revenue  must  be  collected,  most  disinterested  persons 
would  admit  that  tliat  revenue  should  be  raised  from 
luxuries  rather  than  necessaries.  In  this  former  category 
I  would  place  Tobacco.  True,  many  a  hard-working 
man,  as  well  as  they  who  would  find  it  an  impossibihty 
to  separate  between  the  pulBng  of  a  cigar  and  an  as- 
sumed gentility,  look  upon  the  "  weed"  as  an  indis- 
pensable necessary ;  and  often  have  I  heard  a  working 
man,  when  remonstrated  with  about  his  grumbling  as 
to  his  circumstances,  and  yet  wasting  so  much  per  week 
on  the  soothing  herb,  forcibly  declare,  that  he  would 
give  up  his  dinner  before  he  gave  up  his  pipe,  though  I 
believe  it  was  but  seldom  that  dining  was  neglected  if 
it  could  be  avoided.  Thus  both  had  to  be  paid  for,  and 
the  grumbling  went  on ;  the  poor  man  forgetting  that 
the  chief  means  for  his  attaining  comfort  and  respect- 
ability consist  in  striving,  wlion  young  and  healthy,  for 
the  means  of  securing  some  of  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
of  existence,  and  then,  by  denying  himself  of  their  fre- 
quent use,  obtain,  by  that  honourable  selfdeuial,  the 
means  of  commanding  comparative  independence  of 
character  and  position. 

Since  corn  has  got  up  to  something  bordering  upon 
famine  price,  I  have  heard  less  grumbling,  from  my 
farmer  friends,  that  they  are  not  allowed  to  grow  Tobacco 
duty  free,  when  they  must  compete  with  the  world  in 
corn.  To  my  imderstanding,  this  would  merely  be 
protection  over  again.  Our  farmers  may  grow  Tobacco 
now,  against  the  foreigner,  as  much  as  they  please ;  but 
they  know  their  only  chance  of  success  would  be  in  not 
being  taxed  as  the  foreigner  is.  The  lover  of  Tobacco, 
in  any  of  its  shapes,  would  only  obtain  then  an  inferior 
article,  at  but  little  diminution  in  price.  Some  farmers, 
last  year,  endeavoured  to  demonstrate  to  me,  that  on 
good  soils  in  England  they  could  raise  a  heavy  crop  of 
Tobacco  as  easily  as  a  crop  of  turnips ;  but  to  this,  con- 
sidering the  natural  tenderness  of  the  plant,  I  wholly 
demur.  That  a  crop  should  thus  be  obtained,  by  sowing 
in  May,  I  do  not  deny ;  for  I  have  often  seen  strongish 
plants,  the  seeds  of  which  had  been  self-sown  and  sur- 
vived the  winter.  I  have  also  seen  strong  patches  of 
Tobacco  far  north  of  the  Forth ;  but  there,  in  my  own 
practice,  and  when  cultivated  by  others,  with  the 
greatest  success,  in  Meath  and  Wexford,  in  Ireland,  the 
plants  were  treated  as  half-hardy  or  tender  annuals : 
the  seed  being  sown  in  hotbeds  during  the  middle  or 
end  of  March,  pricked  out  into  another  bed,  where  they 
could  be  protected,  or  placed  separately  in  pots,  and  then 
transfen-ed  to  rich,  well-aired  soil  after  the  middle  of 
May;  shading  them  from  the  sun  imtil  the  roots  take 
hold,  by  means  of  pots,  an  evergreen  branch,  or  a  little 
clean,  loose  litter,  placed  thin,  and  fastened  on  each  side 
with  a  clot  of  earth.  By  these  means  our  summers  are 
prolonged;  and  fine  specimens,  as  respects  growth,  may 
be  expected.  But  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  it 
is  a  very  exhausting  crop,  and  requires  very  richly- 
manured  land. 

I  hardly  know  what  is  the  state  of  the  law  now. 
A  lawyer  told  me,  two  years  ago,  that  I  was  liable  to 
a  penalty  for  a  piece  which  I  had  then  growing 
— even  though  I  applied  it  entirely  to  the  destroying  of 
insects.  I  suspect  that  Government  would  not  interfere 
with  a  largish  plot  in  a  garden.  With  the  first  pro- 
mulgation  of  the  taxing  of  the  article,  any  one  was 


allowed  to  grow  half  a  pole  for  medical  purposes ;  and, 
therefore,  every  cottager,  wlio  can  conscientiously  look 
upon  Tobacco  as  a  medicine,  may  comfortably  grow  that 
quantity;  and  then,  by  means  of  a  slight  liotbed,  or 
raising  his  seedlings  near  his  kitchen  fire,  and  moving 
them  to  the  window — much  in  the  samo  way  as  men- 
tioned the  other  week  lor  Pelargonium  -  seeds  —  by 
careful  tending  and  curing,  ho  may  secure  from  three  to 
four  pounds  of  very  passable  Tobacco. 

The  mode  of  sowing  has  already  been  referred  to.  As 
the  seed  is  small  it  should  be  tiiinly  covered.  Whatever 
means  are  at  hand  for  getting  good  plants  by  the  middle 
of  May  shovdd  bo  adopted,  as  the  quantity,  if  not  the 
quality,  will  greatly  depend  on  this.  Towards  the  end 
of  May,  the  ground  having  previously  been  well  dunged, 
and  aired,  and  pulverised,  turn  these  good  plants  out 
about  eighteen  inches  apart.  I  used  to  put  them  about 
sixteen  inches  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  three  feet  from 
each  other.  If  taken  from  a  box  or  bed  a  little  shading 
was  given  at  first.  When  young  seedlings,  as  soon  as 
they  can  be  easily  handled,  are  pricked  out  in  beds  or 
boxes,  in  lightish  soil,  and  with  very  rotten  dung  beneath, 
giving  them  a  square  of  three  inches,  from  plant  to  plant, 
or  oven  a  little  less,  they  can  be  raised  with  nice  balls,  by 
means  of  a  trowel,  and  will  soon  take  hold  of  the  gar- 
den soil,  and  thus  want  but  little  shading.  They  must 
be  watered  every  day  in  sunny  weather  for  some  time, 
using  water  well  warmed,  so  as  to  increase  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  soil  as  warm  as  new  milk.  At  this  tender 
stage  the  plants  ai'e  exposed  to  various  enemies ;  and  a 
friend  of  ours  has  often  told  me  that  was  just  the  best 
sign  of  how  good  a  thing  Tobacco  is.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
the  wire-worm  and  the  millipede  will  go  some  distance 
for  a  nibble,  and  traps  of  sliced  Turnips,  Carrots,  &c., 
must  he  inserted  in  the  soil  as  enticing  guardians.  Mr. 
Slug,  however,  is  the  worst  to  get  rid  of;  brewers' 
grains  will  prove  a  more  attractive  narcotic  for  him 
than  eveii  the  Tobacco,  and  dozing  on  heaps  of  these  he 
may  be  caught  napping  in  a  morning.  Failing  that,  a 
little  soot  and  lime  often  sprinkled  round  the  plants  is 
a  good  remedy.  Surface-stirring  of  the  ground  with  the 
hoe,  but,  better  still,  with  the  points  of  a  foi'k,  will  cause 
them  to  flit  their  quarters,  and  bo  of  great  service  to  the 
plants.  Plenty  of  waterings  will  be  eagerly  drunk  in 
in  dry,  warm  weather.  If  there  is  abundance  of  manure 
in  the  ground,  a  little  quick-lime  in  the  water  will  render 
the  manure  more  soluble  for  the  plants.  If  the  ground 
is  not  well  manured,  it  should  be  applied  with  the  water- 
ings, in  a  liquid  state;  any  kind  being  serviceable  if 
not  given  too  strong.  By  the  time  the  plants  have  made 
from  a  dozen  to  eighteen  leaves,  the  stem  should  be 
stopped,  otherwise  much  of  the  strength  of  the  plant 
would  be  thrown  into  the  head  of  flowers  and  seeds. 
For  garden  rise,  two  or  three  pods  of  seed  will  furnish 
an  ample  supply.  After  this  stopping  the  leaves  will 
increase  rapidly  in  size.  The  check  thus  given  to  the 
ascending  growth  will  cause  laterals  to  push  freely  from 
the  axils  of  the  loaves,  hut  these  must  be  all  carefully 
picked  out  as  soon  as  they  appear ;  in  fact,  the  whole 
strength  of  the  plant  must  be  thrown  into  the  large, 
massive  foliage.  The  plants  will  be  injured  by  a  very 
small  amount  of  frost,  and,  therefore,  it  is  desirable  to 
harvest  the  crop  by  the  middle  of  September,  or  not 
long  after;  and,  if  all  has  gone  well,  the  lower  leaves 
will  begin  to  show  signs  of  arriving  at  maturity  by  that 
period. 

In  gathering,  or  rather  in  drying  and  preserving  the 
crop,  much  care  is  necessary,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that 
though  it  might  be  economical,  so  far  as  securing  a 
source  for  destroying  the  green  fly,  it  could  never  he 
economically  managed,  on  a  small  scale,  for  securing 
tlie  cottager  four  or  five  pounds  of  tobacco  for  smoking, 
if  all  the  labour  was  to  be  accounted  for.  I  have 
gathered  the  crop  all  at  once,  by  pulling-up,  or  cutting. 


-102 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


February  23. 


down  the  plants  close  to  the  ground ;  or  by  going  over 
the  plants  at  several  times,  and  making  several  gather- 
ings of  the   larger  leaves  ;     and   though    by   the   last 
method  more  produce  was  obtained,  and,  therefore,  the 
best  means   to  follow  when   the  plant  was  cultivated 
largely,  yet,  on  a  small  scale,  the  gain  did  not  counter- 
balance the  additional  trouble.      In  either  case,  after 
being  gathered  the  leaves  should   have  no  more  sun 
than  was  sufiicientto  soften  them,  so  that  they  were  so 
])liable  as  to  be  easily  handled  without  breaking.     In 
this  state   they   should    be   stripped   from  the   plants, 
strung   together  in  strings   through   their  midribs,  so 
close  as   not  to   touch,  and  then  hung  up  in  a  shady, 
airy  place,  under  cover.       The  eaves  of  old-fashioned 
cottages,  garrets,   and  sheds,  through  which  there  is  a 
circulation  of   air,   would    answer   admirably.      AVhen 
weU-dried,  they  are  taken  down,  packed  neatly  in  a  heap, 
the  stem-ends  inwards,  and  covered  witli  a  cloth,  or  a 
little  bay,  until  they  begin  to  ferment,  taking  care  that 
the  heat  docs  not  much  exceed  100°,  allowing  them  to 
remain   several   days,    and  tlien   taking  them  out    and 
drying,  and  submittiug  again  to  a  similar  process,  by 
which  time   the   midribs  will  be  quite  pliable.     When 
agaiu  almost   thoroughly  dried   they  must  be   packed 
regularly  and  firmly  in  boxes  and  air  excluded.     If  any 
thing  like  mould  appear   the  leaves  should   be  dried 
again,  and  then  packed.     Those  who  are  interested  in 
knowing  how  these  leaves,  after  various  washings  and 
herbs  added,  are  changed  into  the  tobacco  and  snuft'  of 
our  shops,  would  do  well  to  visit  a  tobacco  manufactory. 
There  is  a  mode  somewhat  simpler  that  used  to  be 
adopted  by  the   Horticultiiral   Society,  and   if  a  nice 
brown  colour  in   the  leaf,  if  a  rather  pleasant  smell,  if 
the  highest  commendations  from  professed  judges,  who 
used  to  come  out  with  their  splendid  Havannahs  of  home 
growth,  be  any  criterion,  then  the  outline  of  the  system 
is  worth  mentioning,  and,  where  circumstances  admit, 
worth  imitating.     The  plants  were  all  taken  up  in  Sep- 
tember, and  taken  at  once  to  a  Mushroom-house,  where 
they  were  suspended  against  the  walls,  and  by  strings 
all  over  the  house.     Tlie  house  was  then  shut,  and  by 
means  of  flre-heat  a  temperature  of  70"  was  maintained 
for  four  or  five  days,  until  all  the  leaves  were  yellow. 
The  heat  was  then  raised  to  75°,  and  the  leaves,  with 
the  exception  of  the  midribs,  became  of  a  fine  Ibrown 
colour,  the  midribs  being  yet  green  and  succulent.    The 
heat  was  then  increased  to  between  80°  and  00°,  and  in 
five  days  the  midribs  were  dry  and  brittle.     The  leaves 
beiug  curled  and  very  brittle,  heat  was  discontinued, 
and  the  floor  of  the  house  watered  several  times,  until, 
by   its   evaporation,   the   leaves   were   again    soft   and 
pliable,  when  they  were  stripped  from  their  stalks,  laid 
out  evenly  in  a  heap,  well  pressed,  and  then  packed  in 
a  tub.     lu  a  fortnight,  a  little  mould  made  its  appear- 
ance, when  they  were  re-hung  in  the  house,  gradually 
re-dried,  and  the  floor  more  gently  watered  than  before, 
and  were  re-packed  again  and  kept  in  a  good  state. 
Many  years   have   passed  since  I   saw   some  of  this 
Tobacco,  and  great  changes  have  taken  place  since  then, 
but  as  a  home-cured  article  it  was  very  superior,  and  no 
doubt  answered  the  designed  purpose  well. 

If  carefully  used,  such  home-grown  Tobacco  may  be 
safely  employed  for  the  extirpation  of  insects;  but  if 
allowed  to  burn  too  fast,  by  using  it  in  a  dry  state,  or 
without  abundance  of  a  damp  covering,  such  as  moss, 
it  will  do  more  harm  to  plants  near  it  than  to  the 
insects.  I  have  seen  some  used  that  had  been  half- 
rotteu  in  the  sweating  process;  I  have  seen  others  that 
had  been  dried  by  beiug  hung  in  an  open  shed,  and  its 
good  properties  thus  dissipated  :  both  doing  great  injury 
to  plants.  I  recollect  smoking  a  peach-house,  when  an 
apprentice,  with  this  latter  material,  blowing  awny  with 
might  aiul  main  at  a  liole  iu  tlie  side  of  a  pot  filled 
with  it,  luitil  the  foreman,  standing  at  the  outside  of 


the  door,  should  pronounce  the  house  full  enough,  and 
afford  me  an  exit  from  such  a  Pandemonium.  In 
three  days  almost  every  young  Peach  had  tumbled. 
Unless,  therefore,  some  care  is  taken  iu  the  drying  and 
the  burning,  I  would  advise  amateurs  to  stick  to  the 
manufactured  shag,  so  far  as  their  plants  are  concerned. 
The  most  of  the  so-called  Tobacco-paper  is  worse  tlian 
bome-gi'own  Tobacco,  however  badly  cured.  In  large 
places,  the  latter,  witb  moderate  attention  given  to  it, 
used  alone,  or  mi.xed  with  the  manufactured,  will  be 
found  economical.  R.  Fish. 


THE  ANTIRRHINUM. 

There  are  few  flowei-s  that  have  been  so  much  im- 
proved by  the  skill  and  perseverance  of  the  florist  as 
the  Antirrhinum.  The  species  that  has  been  hybridized 
and  improved  is  named  by  the  botanists  Antirrhinum 
mnjus.  It  is  a  native  of  Britain,  and  is  fouud  on  rocks 
and  old  walls  in  abundance.  The  generic,  or  family,  or 
first-name,  is  derived  from  anti,  like,  and  rhin,  a  snout, 
— flowers  having  the  appearance  of  an  animal's  snout. 
The  second,  or  specific  name,  majiis,  means  the  larger, 
to  distinguish  this  species  from  the  rest  of  the  genus, 
but  more  especially  from  A.  meananthum,  the  lesser- 
flowered.  The  varieties  of  this  greater  Snapdragon  (the 
English  name)  are  very  numerous.  A  seed-bed  will 
produce  endless  varieties ;  and  this  propensity  to  sport 
has  been  made  use  of  by  florists  to  improve  the  form, 
size,  and  colour  of  the  progeny,  and  that,  too,  with 
considerable  success;  but  there  is  still  great  improve- 
ment needed  to  render  the  varieties  standards  of 
perfection. 

lite  Properties  that  are  considered  necessary  to  form 
a  perfect  flower  of  an  Antirrhinum  have  not  been 
defined  by  any  florist,  that  I  am  aware  of,  excepting 
Mr.  Glenny ;  and  I  hope  he  will  excuse  me  if  I  tran- 
scribe his  ideas  on  the  subject,  though  I  think,  if  Mr. 
Glenny  himself  had  to  write  them  over  again,  some  of 
the  points  would  (as  I  hope  to  see  the  flowers  them- 
selves) be  better  defined. 

"  Properties  of  a  first-rate  Antirrhinum : — 

"1.  The  plant  should  be  dwarf;  the  flowers  abun- 
dant ;  the  mouth  wide,  and  the  more  the  inner  surface 
turns  up  to  bide  the  tube  the  better. 

"2.  The  tube  should  be  clear  and  pure,  if  white,  and 
if  any  other  colour,  it  should  be  bright;  and  the  mouth, 
and  all  the  inner  surface,  should  be  of  a  different  colour 
and  texture  (?),  and  form  a  contrast  with  the  tube. 

"  3.  The  petal  should  lap  over  at  the  indentations,  so 
as  not  to  show  them  ;  the  texture  of  the  tube  should  be 
like  wax,  or  enamel ;  the  inside  surface,  which  laps 
over,  should  be  velvetty. 

"4.  When  the  flower  is  striped  or  spotted,  the  mark- 
ing should  be  well-defined  in  all  its  varieties  (varia- 
tions?); the  colour  should  be  dense,  whatever  that 
colour  may  be. 

"5.  The  flowers  should  form  spikes  of  six  or  seven 
blooms,  close,  but  not  in  each  other's  way ;  and  the 
footstalks  should  be  strong  and  elastic,  to  keep  them 
from  hanging  down  close  to  the  stem,  which  they  will 
if  the  footstalks  are  weak." 

The  iray  that  theij  should  he  shown  requires  some 
consideration.  I  am  an  advocate  for  all  florists'  flowers 
(that  can  be  grown  so  successfully)  to  be  shown  in  pots. 
The  public  then  can  judge  raoreetiTectually  of  the  appear- 
ance they  would  make  in  the  borders  of  the  flower- 
garden.  We  have  seen  that  the  Rose,  the  Pausey,  and 
the  Carnation  can  be  grown  and  exhibited  in  pots  with 
excellent  cfl'ect,  and  I  am  certain  the  Antirrhinum  can, 
also,  quite  as  well  he  grown  and  exhibited  iu  pots — thus 
showing  the  plant  as  well  as  the  flower.    This  flower  is 


Fkuuuaiiy  ,"23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


•403 


quito  capable  of  being  showu  in  classes;  and  tlioy  sbould 
be  distinguisbed  as  follows  : — 

1.  Skli'S. — Snob  as  bave  no  spots  or  stripes. 

2.  Striped — Sucb  as  arc  clearly  striped  ;  uo  spots  to 
be  allowed. 

3.  Spotted. — Sucb  as  liavo  tbo  whole  flower  spotted, 
tbougb  tbe  tube  may  be  allowed  to  be  of  a  pure  wbite, 
or  any  otber  colour,  providing  it  be  clear,  bright,  and 
distinct. 

The  following  varieties  prove  that  sucb  a  division 
into  the  above  classes  is  practicable,  even  with  sucb  as 
we  possess  now. 

Selfs. — Saturne,  deep  purple  -  crimson  ;  Sidplturea 
perfecta,  clear  sulphur. 

Striped. — Flamingoe,  striped  rose ;  //en(Z(;rsoKii!,  blusli 
and  red  edge. 

Spotted. — Constance,  purple,  and  yellow  throat,  with 
white  blotclies  ;  Van  Oircliodt,  red-crimson,  with  yellow 
throat  and  white  blotches. 

I  have  thus,  as  I  think,  clearly  made  out,  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  tbe  unprejudiced  reader,  that  the  Antirrhinum  is 
capable  not  only  only  of  being  improved  in  its  desirable 
projierties,  but  also  may  be  further  improved  as  an 
exhibition  flower,  by  being  grown  in  pots,  and  exhibited 
in  at  least  three  classes,  thus  creating  a  greater  interest 
to  tbe  grower,  the  exhibitor,  and  the  visitors  to  such 
exhibitions  where  they  are  so  shown.  I  do  not,  by  any 
means,  consider  such  distinctions  frivolous,  nor  tbe 
raising  of  improved  flowers  useless.  On  tbe  contrary,  I 
am  certain  sucli  pursuits  tend  to  civilize  and  elevate  tbo 
minds  of  such  persons  as  may  devote  their  leisure  hours 
to  such  recreations.  Every  hour  that  can  be  honestly 
spent  in  tbe  culture  of  flowers  is,  at  least,  innocently 
spent,  and  may,  in  many  instances,  be  profitably  so, 
even  to  the  most  devoted  utilitarian,  for  whatever  pur- 
suit brings  most  cash  into  tbe  purse  is,  with  some  minds, 
considered  the  most  worthy  of  being  followed.  This, 
perhaps,  I  may  say,  sordid  motive,  influences  sadly  too 
many  of  the  cultivators  of  such  lovely  thnigs  as  flowers. 
Even  such  may  have  their  passion  gratified  by  raising 
seedling  florist  flowers;  and,  in  Antirrhinums,  especially, 
there  is  a  wide  field  for  speculation.  Passionate  lovers 
of  new  Antirrhinums  will  not  grudge  giving  a  good  price 
for  a  really  superior  variety,  and,  therefore,  even  the 
utilitarian  may  be  induced  to  try  bis  band  at  the  game, 
though  I  hope  many,  many  others  will  follow  on  in  the 
same  track  merely  for  the  love  of  the  pursuit,  indepen- 
dently of  any  profit  there  may  be  in  the  event.  In  my 
ne.xt  paper  1  will  endeavour  to  direct  such  in  the  way 
of  success.  T.  Appleby. 

{To  he  coiitimted.') 


STOVE  FERNS. 


{OonUiiued  from  page  SSS.) 

EiAPHAGLOssuM  scoLOPENDRiEOLiuM  (Sclolopendrium- 
leaved). — A  Brazilian  Fern,  of  great  beauty.  The  barren 
fronds  are  more  than  a  foot  long,  pale  green,  wavy  at 
the  edges,  and  of  an  oblong  lance-shape.  The  stem  of 
these  leaves  is  about  six  inches  long ;  the  stems  and 
margins  of  the  fronds  are  covered  with  hair-like  scales. 
Fertile  fronds  upright,  nearly  eighteen  inches  high, 
upon  a  stem  of  eight  inches.  Root-stock  creeping, 
short,  and  scaly.     Increased  by  division. 

E.  viLLOSuii  (Shaggy). — A  curious,  handsome  Fern, 
from  the  West  Indies.  The  barren  fronds  are  remark- 
able by  being  covered  with  long,  shaggy  hairs ;  they  are 
of  an  oblong  lance-shape,  sharp  pointed,  and  a  foot 
long.  Fertile  frond  narrow  and  short.  Increased  by 
its  creeping  root-stock. 

Fadyenia. — -A  genus  named  in  honour  of  Dr.  Fadyen, 
who  spent  several  years  of  bis  life  in  Jamaica.     There 


is  only  ouo  species  known,  and  a  very  curious  little 
Fern  it  is.  I  bave  cultivated  it  for  several  years,  and 
found  it  to  grow  host  if  tlio  pot  containing  the  plant 
was  placed  in  a  shallow  pan  of  water  in  the  Orchid 
house.  Very  little  water  was  given  to  tlie  soil  in  the 
pot.  Tbe  plants  grew  strong  and  spread  over  tlie 
surface  of  the  earth,  completely  covering  it  with  their 
broad,  sterile  fronds,  which  I'requently  produced  young 
plants  at  the  ends  of  tbe  fronds. 

F.  prolifeba  (Fruitful).  —  A  Jamaica  Fern.  The 
sterile  fronds  are  simple,  spreading  horizontally,  and 
frequently  producing  plants  at  tbe  points  ;  hence  it  is 
called  proliferous.  The  fertile,  or  seed-bearing  fronds 
are  also  simple,  but  stand  upright  in  tbe  centre  of  the 
plant,  growing  about  five  inches  high,  lance-shaped, 
narrower  at  the  base,  and  blunt  at  tbe  apex.  The  most 
remarkable  character  of  tbe  species  is  the  seed-vessels. 
These  are  disposed  alternately  on  each  side  of  tbe 
midrib ;  they  are  very  nearly  tbe  shape  of  a  horse- 
shoe, with  the  margins  thick  and  hairy,  and  are  veiy  large 
and  conspicuous.  Increased  by  the  young  plants  pro- 
duced at  the  ends  of  the  sterile  fronds.  A  very  curious, 
interesting,  small  Fern  that  ought  to  be  in  every  col- 
lection. 

Goniophlebidm. — A  genus  of  Ferns  formed  out  of 
Polypodium  by  Mr.  Prest,  and  so  named  from  gonia,  an 
angle,  anApMcbia,  a  vein — tbe  veins  forming  angles  on 
the  imderside  of  the  fronds.  The  distinguishing  cha- 
racters of  tbe  genus  consist  in  the  angular  position  of 
the  veins.  The  sori  placed  at  the  end  of  the  vein,  and 
these  seed-vessels  being  round. 

G.  albo-punctatuji  (White-spotted). — A  very  distinct 
species,  from  the  Brazils.  Fronds  two  feet  long,  almost 
triangular,  pinnate,  having  the  upper  surface  spotted 
over  with  white  scales.  Leaflets  undulated,  and  tbe  upper 
ones  without  stems.  Seed-vessels  in  one  series.  Root- 
stock  scaly  and  creeping,  by  which  it  may  be  easily 
increased. 

G.  argutum  (Sharp-cut). — A  beautiful,  rare  Fern,  from 
Nepaul.  Fronds  pinnate,  of  a  lanced-sbape,  with  sharp- 
pointed  leaflets,  growing  a  foot-and-a-half  high  ;  stems 
pale  brown,  and  shining  ;  seed-vessels  large  in  one 
series,  and  of  yellowish  colour.  Increased  by  dividing 
the  scaly,  creeping  rhizoma.  A  very  elegant  Fern, 
worthy  of  universal  cultivation. 

G.  Catherin.e  (St.  Catherine's). — A  Brazilian  Fern, 
of  great  beauty.  Fronds  almost  triangular,  pinnate; 
the  leaflets  blunt  and  oblong ;  root-stock  creeping,  and 
covered  with  scales  wrapping  over  each  other;  seed- 
vessels  in  one  series,  and  only  one,  the  upper  part  of 
the  leaf  Another  elegant  Fern,  increased  by  dividing 
the  creeping  root-stock. 

G.  DEFLBXUM  (Beut-down). — Another  beautiful  pro- 
duction of  that  prolific  country,  Brazil.  Fronds  pinnate, 
growing  two  feet  in  height,  with  the  leaflets  bent  down 
and  undulated.  Stems  dark  green ;  and  seed-vessels  in 
two  rows.  Root-stock  scaly  and  creeping,  by  which  it 
may  easily  be  increased. 

G.  HARPEODES  (Scimitar-like).— A  tall-growing,  rather 
coarse  Brazilian  Fern.  Fronds  pinnate,  the  leaflets 
curved  in  a  scimitar-like  form.  The  fronds  stand  nearly 
erect  upon  a  stem  a  foot  or  more  long,  and  often  the 
frond  itself  reaches  tbe  height  of  three  or  four  feet; 
hence,  it  should  only  be  grown  where  there  is  plenty  of 
room.  Seed-vessels  large,  and  in  one  series.  Increased 
easily,  by  dividing  the  thick,  scaly,  creeping  root-stock. 

G.  iNOANUM  (Hoary). — A  West  Indian  Fern,  of  a 
dwarf  habit.  Fronds  pinnate,  lance-shaped,  and  densely 
covered  with  hoary  scales;  leaflets  obtusely  oblong,  and 
leathery.  The  plants  grow  about  nine  inches  high. 
Seed-vessels  in  one  series.  Veins  indistinct.  Root- 
stock  creeping  and  scaly.     Increased  by  division. 

G.  i..\TiPEs  (Broad-footed). — A  Brazilian  Fern,  of  a 
neat  habit.     Fronds  pinnated,  slender,  and  drooping, 


404 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


February  23. 


growing  eighteen  inches  high  ;  leaiiets  long  and  narrow,  ! 
undulated,  and  spreading ;   seed-vessels  small,  and  in 
two   ranks.     Increased   by  dividing  the  bright  green, 
creeping  root-stock. 

G.  MENisciFOLiuM  (Meniscium-loaved).- — A  tall-grow- 
ing Brazilian  Fern,  of  great  beauty,  arising  from  the 
beautiful  arrangement  of  the  angulated  veins.  Fronds 
pinnate,  growing  three  feet  high  ;  the  leaflets  are  six 
inches,  sharp,  lance-shaped,  undulated  or  wavy,  and  of 
a  shining,  bright  green  colour;  seed-vessels  large,  often 
in  two  rows,  and  of  a  yellowish  colour ;  stems  bright 
green,  and  jointed  on  the  creeping,  scaly  i-oot-stalk.  In- 
creased by  division.  A  truly  elegant  Fern,  but  requires 
plenty  of  room  to  show  off  its  beauty  to  advantage. 

G.  I'lLosELLoiDEs  (Pilosella-Uko.)  —  A  West  Indian, 
low-growing,  creeping  Fern,  suitable  for  rustic  baskets 
to  suspend  in  the  stove.  Fronds  simple,  sterile, 
covered  with  light-coloured  hairs,  oval-shaped,  and  only 
two  inches  high;  fertile,  hairy,  narrower  than  the 
barren  fronds,  and  grows  nearly  double  the  height ; 
seed-vessels  in  one  series,  and  each  surrounded  with 
narrow  scales ;  root-stock  slender  and  creeping.  In- 
creased very  readily  by  division. 

G.  sUB.\DRicuLATUM  (Half-carcd). — From  the  Isle  of 
Luzon.  The  most  beautiful  Fern  in  the  genus.  Fronds 
pinnate,  growing  four  feet  long;  leaflets  long  and  narrow, 
bright  green,  and  subauriculato  at  the  base.  The  fronds 
being  long  and  slender,  tliey  are  pendulous;  hence  it  is 
a  grand  plant  for  a  basket.  There  is  a  plant  of  it  at 
Kew  so  growing,  that  has  nearly  twenty  full-grown 
fronds,  some  of  which  are  nearly  eight  feet  long,  with 
a  centre  stem  not  more  tliau  eiglit  inches  long.  This  is 
&  noble,  elegant  plant,  and  this  is  the  way  the  plant 
ought  to  be  grown  to  show  its  beauty.  Increased  by 
seeds  only,  though  sometimes  young  plants  are  pro- 
duced on  the  root-stock.  T.  Appleby. 
i^To  be  continued,) 


GARDEN  FENCES— WALLS. 

Although  it  often  happens  that  circumstances  deter- 
mine not  only  the  shape  and  size  of  a  kitchen-garden, 
but  also  the  description  of  fence  by  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded, yet  there  are  cases  in  which  a  clioice  can  be 
made,  and  in  such  cases  some  discretion  ought  to  be 
used,  as  an  error  run  into  in  this  respect  is  not  so  easily 
rectified  as  one  affecting  a  less  permanent  structure ; 
and  as  the  subject  is  one  of  great  importance,  the 
readers  of  The  Cottage  Gardener,  will,  perhaps, 
allow  my  entering  into  it  more  fully  than  on  matters 
having  a  more  transient  existence  ;  and  in  going  through 
the  subject,  I  will  endeavour  to  notice  some  of  the 
different  structures  or  fences  which  have  either  been 
used  or  recommended  as  suitable  for  the  purpose  in 
question. 

Many  years  ago,  I  had  the  management  of  a  garden 
which  had  been  formed  by  a  gentleman  as  well  skilled 
in  mechanical  science  as  he  was  in  horticulture  and 
the  other  branches  of  Natural  History,  and  in  this 
garden  he  had  introduced  many  novelties,  or,  at  least, 
such  as  were  regarded  so  at  that  time  ;  and  amongst 
others,  fences  and  other  contrivances  for  training  fruit- 
trees  were  plentifully  scattered  about,  and,  certainly,  the 
best  substitute  for  a  brick-wall  that  ever  I  saw  was  of 
his'  contrivance,  in  the  shape  of  a  wooden  one  of  the 
ordinary  height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet.  This  wall,  if  it 
might  be  so  called,  was  not  exactly  straight,  it  being 
formed  in  divisions  of  just  such  a  length  as  to  hold  one 
tree,  and  wliicli  stood  in  a  sort  of  zig-zag  line  to  the 
general  direction  of  the  whole.  Thus,  for  instance, 
supposing  the  general  direction  to  have  been  from  east 
to  west,  then  the  first  division  of  twenty  or  more  feet 
(for  I  have  forgotten  the  exact  dimensions)  presented  a 


south-east  aspect,  while  the  next  length  would  be  south- 
west in  a  similar  way,  and  the  third  would  bo  full 
south,  and  then  another  south-east  again,  and  so  on  ; 
these  breaks  serving  the  purpose  of  preventing  that 
onward  current  of  cold  air  which  it  was  supposed  acted 
so  seriously  in  ju-eventing  trees  from  bearing  well  or 
ripening  their  fruit.  It  is,  however,  proper  to  observe, 
that  the  angular  positions  above  given  were  not  quite  so 
much  as  is  represented  by  a  full  south-east  or  t-diith- 
west  exposure,  but  the  general  direction  being,  as  I  say, 
to  have  a  full  soutli  aspect,  the  divisions  were  so 
arranged  as  to  present  a  few  points  bearing  east  or  west 
of  that  direction,  and  though  the  appearance  was,  in 
the  opinion  of  some,  rather  singular,  it  was  not  un- 
sightly, and  the  trees  seemed  to  be  benefited  by  it. 
Observe,  as  I  say,  it  was  built  of  wood;  a  strong  frame- 
work was  set  up  like  high  posts  and  rails,  and  on  the 
sunny  side  of  these  deals  about  one  inch  thick  were 
secured  upright,  and  fitting  as  close  as  they  cotdd  be 
made  at  the  time,  a  slender  stone  kerb  run  along  the 
bottom,  merely  to  prevent  the  boards  from  resting  on 
the  ground,  and  the  top  was  surmounted  by  a  sort  of 
coping-board,  not  projecting  more  than  two  inches, 
although  its  width  might  be  increased ;  but  this  I 
think  is  rarely  called  for.  It  was  tarred  over  to  save  it 
from  the  effects  of  the  weather,  but  paint  might,  perhaps, 
have  proved  a  greater  preservative,  but  I  am  not  alto- 
gether sure  of  that,  but  of  this  I  may  speak  hereafter ; 
suffice  it  to  say,  that  in  addition  to  the  upright  frame- 
work which  supported  the  boarding  aforesaid,  a  series 
of  braces  were  placed  at  the  back  to  support  it  against 
the  efl'ects  of  trying  winds,  which  certainly  did  not  add 
to  its  appearance  on  that  side,  but  they  could  not  well 
be  done  without ;  the  front  side,  however,  was  plain  and 
smooth,  the  upright  posts,  &c.,  being  flush  with  the 
boarding. 

This  wooden  wall  was  covered  with  Pear-trees,  which 
did  very  well  on  its  sunny  side,  the  back  being  appro- 
priated to  Currants,  &o.,  which  did  well  likewise,  and  to 
young  gardeners  it  formed  a  capital  place  to  nail  on.  One 
evil,  of  course,  it  had,  if  it  could  be  called  an  evil,  the 
boards  always  got  so  much  sun-dried  in  periods  of  hot 
weather  as  to  occasion  considerable  openings  between, 
at  these  times,  and,  consequently,  admitting  currents  of 
air  both  ways ;  whether  this  was  prejudicial  or  other- 
wise, I  will  not  take  upon  me  to  say ;  I  shoidd  feel  in- 
clined to  think  that  at  the  time  such  ciu'rents  of  air 
took  place  the  warmth  of  the  amosphere  was  such  as 
to  render  it  useful,  rather  than  otherwise,  and  as  the 
openings  swelled  up  during  the  winter,  the  efl'ects  at  the 
time  the  trees  were  in  bloom  was  not  felt. 

Now,  though  the  above  differs  but  little  from  the  ordi- 
nary close  paling  fence,  against  which  it  is  not  unusual 
to  train  fruit-trees,  yet,  as  it  was  much  higher  and  des- 
tined to  act  as  a  garden  wall,  I  hero  adduce  it  as  one 
that  was  in  existence,  and  answered  well,  and  it  cer- 
tainly as  much  deserved  to  be  copied  as  some  otlier 
contrivances  of  more  recent  origin,  this  being  made,  I 
believe,  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  ccntui-y,  was, 
some  thirty  years  ago,  well  covered  with  trees,  and 
though  it  did  not  deserve  the  poetic  name  of  being  ono 
of  the  "  wooden  walls  of  old  England,"  it  must  now  bo 
an  "  old  wooden  wall." 

Our  readers  will,  perhaps,  remember,  that  in  some  of 
the  early  numbers  of  "Loudon's  Gardener's  Magazine," 
a  plan  was  suggested  of  having  walls  built  of  slates, 
held  together  by  frame-work  of  some  kind  or  otlicr,  the 
slates  to  be  made  moveable,  and  the  frame-work  also,  in 
order  that  it  might  be  made  to  do  duty  to  trees  planted 
on  trellisses  in  various  places,  or,  when  uuide  stationary, 
it  was  expected  that  trees  being  planted  on  both  sides  of 
it,  a  considerable  amount  of  heat  would  bo  transmitted 
through  to  hurry  on  the  growth  on  the  shady  side,  more 
SO  than  would  likely  be  done  by  a  brick-wall ;  and  some 


Febkdaby  :33. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


405 


enthusiastic  cultivators  suggested  that  the  slates  being 
made  movable  they  might  be  slipped  out  and  placed 
behind  the  tree  that  had  been  denied  the  all-important 
benefits  of  sunshine ;  whichever  of  these  ways  were 
adopted,  it  was  expected  that  an  advantage  would 
accrue  from  such  a  dark  body  as  slates  absorbing  so 
much  solar  boat,  but  it  was  forgotten  how  cold  a  substance 
it  was  at  other  times,  and  that  if  it  speedily  received  heat 
from  the  suu,  it  quite  as  quickly  parted  with  it;  besides 
whicli,  the  trouble  and  expense  ofmovingsuch  an  intri- 
cate piece  of  mechanism  put  it  beyond  the  wishes  of  those 
who  might  liavo  adopted  a  more  simple  and  eUicacious 
plan ;  at  all  events,  the  plan  never  became  populai',  and 
but  few  were  erected  on  this  rickety  principle,  yet,  it 
doubtless  afforded  a  good  bint  to  those  who  have  since 
carried  out  the  idea  of  having  two  tier  of  trees  in  a 
narrow  enclosure,  which  they  designate  a  "  glass  wall;" 
for  the  trees  I  speak  of,  being  planted  and  trained  back 
to  back,  with  tiie  slate  between  them,  it  required  no 
great  amount  of  ingenuity  to  adopt  another  substance 
for  slates,  and  to  place  it  on  both  sides  of  the  trees  it 
was  intended  to  protect,  but  as  these  are  merits  attached 
to  glass  coverings,  which  slate  has  no  claim  to,  it  is 
only  proper  to  observe,  that  at  the  time  the  latter  was 
adopted  glass  was  too  expensive  to  meet  the  wants  of 
every  one,  but  it  is  now,  perhaps,  the  cheaper  article  of 
the  two,  while  its  utility,  in  many  ways,  is  so  great,  and 
so  varied,  that  I  must  leave  for  another  time  the  task 
of  detailing  the  uses  it  is  applied  to  as  forming  a  part 
of  the  "  garden  fence,"  to  wliich  this  chapter  is  devoted. 
I  must,  also,  leave  the  other  descriptions  of  boundary 
linos  for  a  similar  paper,  as  well  as  the  upright,  arched, 
and  hanging  trellis,  and  the  other  mode  by  which  a 
division  is  made  between  one  part  and  another,  and  as 
such  form  important  features  in  a  garden,  a  few  notes 
to  enable  the  amateur  to  choose  the  one  most  adapted 
to  his  wants,  will,  probably,  be  useful. 

J.    RODSON. 


THE   FATTING  OF   SHEEP. 

( Concluded  from  l)U(je  386.) 

Hay  is  also  a  most  valuable  and  important  material 
in  the  fatting  of  Sheep ;  it  is,  however,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  straw,  the  most  bulky  of  all  our  dry  kinds  of 
food  in  use,  corapai'cd  with  the  nutrition  it  contains ; 
and  in  the  case  of  feeding  ruminating  animals  its  use  is 
very  desirable,  the  bulk  being  requisite  to  assist  diges- 
tion in  animals  of  this  class.  The  sort  of  Hay  which 
may  be  designated  as  Sheep  Hay,  is  that  composed  of 
all  the  finest  and  most  nutritious  of  the  grasses ;  and  as 
the  selection  of  these  varieties  of  grass,  and  the  method 
of  making  the  Hay,  is  a  matter  upon  which  the  value  of 
it  will  depend,  I  beg  to  refer  my  readers  to  the  article  I 
inserted  upon  the  subject  in  The  Cottage  Gardenee 
for  the  month  of  June  last.  It  may  be  shortly  stated, 
however,  that  the  White  Dutch  Clover  and  the  Trefoil 
or  Hop  Clover  are  the  best,  and  of  the  grasses  no  sort 
can  be  compared  with  the  Italian  Rye  grass  for  the 
making  of  first-rate  Sheep   Hay. 

After  having  gone  through  the  whole  catalogue  of 
feeding  materials  commonly  used  for  Fatting  Sheep,  and 
somewhat  in  detail,  it  is  now  time  to  treat  of  the  mode 
of  feeding,  for  although  this  part  of  my  subject  may.  be 
considered  by  many  a  very  plain  and  simple  process,  yet 
my  experience  has  shown  me  that  ignorance  or  gross 
neglect  prevails  to  a  great  extent  in  connection  with  the 


detail  of  feeding  fatting  Sheep.  It  is  not  only  necessary 
that  all  the  best  feeding  substances  should  be  lu'cpared, 
and  ready  at  hand,  but  it  is  also  essential  that  tlie 
animals  should  receive  their  allowance  of  the  dill'crent 
kinds  of  food  with  great  regularity,  and  at  a  particular 
time  of  the  day ;  at  the  same  time,  the  quantity  given 
should  not  be  in  excess  of  their  requirements,  otherwise 
great  waste  must  be  the  result. 

In  commencing  the  fatting  process  with  a  lot  of  Shee[) 
which  have  been  kept  previously  only  in  store  condition, 
it  is  not  right  to  allow  them  a  full  quantity  of  rich 
feeding  substances  at  the  onset,  but  they  should  bo 
accustomed  to  it  by  degrees,  in  order  that  they  may 
make  gradual  progress,  and  that  the  material  used  in 
feeding  may  afford  the  most  profit,  as  poor  Shec})  will 
not  yield  a  good  return  for  a  full  allowance  of  rich  Ibod, 
nor  will  the  constitution  of  the  animals  cudure  it 
without  gi'eat  risk  and  loss  of  health. 

Upon  farms  containing  mixed  soils,  the  warmest  and 
driest  land  should  be  selected  during  the  winter  months, 
but  generally  after  the  middle  of  March,  Turnips  may 
be  fed  upon  cold  or  clay  soils  with  advantage.  In 
feeding  the  varieties  of  common  Turnips  upon  dry  laud 
in  the  early  part  of  the  season,  and  before  the  Sheep 
are  far  advanced  in  condition,  they  may  be  allowed  to 
eat  the  roots  upon  the  land.  Tegs,  or  two-teeth  Sheep, 
when  they  commence  feeding  the  Swedish  Turnips,  and 
which  they  ought  to  do  in  the  months  of  January  or 
February,  should  receive  their  food  cut  and  placed  in 
troughs,  this  being  requisite  not  only  for  the  purpose  of 
consuming  the  crop  without  waste,  but  inasmuch,  as 
about  this  time  they  usually  shed  their  teeth,  they 
cannot,  therefore,  be  made  to  eat  their  roots  uncut  ad- 
vantageously. 

The  preparation  of  food  is  the  next  point  to  be  con- 
sidered. When  Turnips  are  prepared  in  readiness  for 
the  cutter,  it  should  be  done  with  care,  and  in  order 
that  the  roots  may  be  consumed  without  waste  they 
should  be  entirely  free  from  earth.  This  work  is  often 
done  in  the  most  imperfect  manner — large  chips  of  the 
Turnip  being  cut  off  with  the  rootlets,  as  also  the 
stem  or  neck  of  the  bulb,  which,  being  left  on  the 
land,  are  trodden  under  foot  and  left  unconsumed ,  for  I 
find,  when  Sheep  are  well-fed  at  the  trough  they  will  not 
eat  anything  off  the  land.  It  is,  also,  necessary  that  a 
provision  should  bo  made  against  a  period  of  severe 
frost,  which,  in  case  it  occurs  at  all,  usually  happens  in 
the  month  of  January ;  and  when  the  system  of  pitting 
the  whole  crop  is  not  adopted,  a  sufficiency  of  Turnips 
should  be  heaped  and  prepared  to  feed  the  stock  through 
that  month.  In  preparing  Oil-cake  for  feeding,  it  should 
be  broken  fine,  with  as  little  dust  or  meal  as  possible. 
When  any  of  the  pulse  or  grain  crops  are  used  for 
feeding  they  should  never  be  ground  into  meal,  but 
merely  crushed — this  will  prevent  waste;  nor  should 
they  be  used  in  the  whole  or  entire  state,  because  any 
of  the  grains  being  dropped  on  the  land  may  vegetate 
and  mingle  with  succeeding  crops. 

I  am  now  arrived  at  that  part  of  the  subject  which 
relates  to  the  manner  of  feeding,  but  having  omitted 


400 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Februahy  23. 


my  remarks  upon  tlie  preparation  of  liny,  I  beg  to  say 
that  it  should  always  be  ready  at  band.  When  convc- 
niout,  the  rick  of  Hay  ought  to  be  made  in  or  near  the 
field  of  Turnips,  as  this  article  is  never  so  good  for  feed- 
ing as  when  it  is  cut  out  of  the  stuck  and  given  imme- 
diately; where  this  is  not  practicable,  a  moveable  Hay- 
liouse  should  be  kept  in  the  field,  where  three  or  four 
days'  allowance  may  bo  held  in  reserve  in  good  condi- 
tion. I  am  aware  that  the  method  of  cutting  Hay  and 
feeding  as  chaff  is  approved  by  many  parties,  but  I  am 
of  opinion  that  it  does  not  answer  a  good  purpose  for 
fatting  Sheep  ;  but  having  gone  into  the  subject  in 
detail  in  my  paper  upon  the  management  of  Forward 
Ewes,  I  beg  to  refer  my  readers,  who  may  reqiure  infor- 
mation upon  the  subject,  to  No.  273  of  The  Cott,\ge 
Gaedener.  My  experience  has  taught  me  that  fatting 
Sheep  should  receive  their  food  in  the  following  order — 
The  first  thing  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  short  days 
of  winter,  as  soon  as  the  shepherd  can  see  to  work,  one- 
half  of  the  daily  allowance  of  cake  or  corn  should  be 
given;  immediately  after  which,  the  morning  bait  of 
Hay,  in  such  quantity  as  they  will  eat  readily  without 
waste;  the  troughs  should  then  be  supplied  with  cut 
Turnips,  Mangold,  or  Carrots,  whichever  root  may  be 
in  use,  at  intervals  during  the  day ;  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  the  second  moiety  of  cake  or  corn 
should  be  given,  followed  by  the  afternoon  allowance  of 
Hay.  It  is  necessary  to  supply  Hay  early  in  the  after- 
noon, otherwise  the  Sheep  are  apt  to  draw  away  to  their 
night  lair,  after  which  it  often  becomes  damaged  and 
unpalatable.  The  last  supply  should  be  roots,  filling  the 
troughs  to  the  brim,  in  order  that  during  the  long 
nights  of  winter  the  wants  of  the  sheep  may  be  readily 
supplied. 

If  the  suggestions  and  modes  of  management  recom- 
mended in  this  paper  be  strictly  adhered  to,  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  say  that  Sheep  will  fatten  as  quickly,  and 
with  as  much  profit,  as  can  be  obtained  by  any  mode 
of  open  field-feeding. 

When  Sheep  are  fat  and  fit  for  market,  it  is  a  matter 
of  some  consequence  as  to  how  they  may  be  disposed 
of  to  the  best  advantage.  In  drafting  them  for  market, 
let  them  be  carefully  matched,  both  for  size  and  quality; 
the  large  sheep  should  be  sold  separately  from  the 
lesser  ones,  as  they  will  then  attract  two  sets  of  buyers; 
and  when  matched  in  quality,  both  buyer  and  seller 
will  be  the  better  enabled  to  estimate  their  weight  and 
value.  Joseph  Blundell. 


ALLOTMENT  FARMING.— MARCH. 

Now  ivill  the  fortunate  holder  of  a  nice  little  plot  of  land, — 
enough  to  keep  liim  from  having  to  prnxhase  with  hard 
cash  liis  potatoes,  carrots,  parsnips,  cabbages,  &c. — begin  to 
take  fresh  heart,  notwithstanding  tlie  painful  gloom  of  the 
past  winter — one  that  will  be  long  remembered  by  thous- 
ands. But  our  Scotch  neighbours  have  an  old  saying 
about  quarrels,  which,  I  suppose,  amounts  to  this,  in  simple 
EngUsli,  "  Let  bygones  lie  bygones  ;"  and  so  say  I,  Lamen- 
tations about  the  past  are  but  of  small  value  as  compared 
with  resolutions,  and  a  stem  self-reliance  as  to  the  futiu'e  ; 
and  the  man  who  is  ever  depending  on  his  neighboiu's  or  ex- 


traneous assistance,  may  be  likened  to  a  weak  biiilding, 
which  relies  un  props  and  slioring  for  its  scciu'ity.  No 
individual,  no  nation,  can  long  stand  secure  that  knows  not 
the  value  of  this  high  principle  of  self-reliance ;  and  1  doubt 
not,  that  by  this  time  our  Allotment  readers,  in  general, 
scarcely  need  reminding  of  such  things.  One  thing  may 
here  be  remarked,  and  most  consolatory  it  is — the  tenden- 
cies of  the  age  are  benevfdent,  inasmuch  as  all  orders  of 
society  in  our  favoured  land  daily  perceive,  more  and  more, 
their  mutual  dependency  on  each  other;  and  the  knowledge 
of  this,  I  need  scarcely  say,  is_the  very  basis  of  social  order, 
of  progress,  and  a  bettered  condition  ultimately  among 
our  labouring  classes. 

The  weather,  siuce  the  late  intense  frost,  has  been,  in  these 
parts,  of  the  very  best  kind  for  tlie  period  as  to  facilitating 
the  necessary  operations;  and  I  should  hope  that  my  cottage 
friends  have  not  stood  with  foldud  arms  until  now.  They 
scarcely  need  reminding  of  the  vast  importance  of  digging 
ground  whilst  it  is  in  a  tolerably  dry  or  mellow  state.  Some 
peoi^le  have  an  idea  that  they  must  wait  until  a  few  days 
before  sowing  time  before  they  dig  tlicir  plot,  but  this  is 
nonsense.  I  am  prepared  to  admit,  that  when  soils  are 
exceedingly  stubborn  it  becomes  a  question  as  to  when  and 
bow  they  may  be  best  fitted  to  receive  the  intended  crop. 
But,  now  let  us  see  what  ought  to  be  the  cropping  policy  of 
our  little  gardens  for  the  ensuing  year  ;  for  it  is  by  no  means 
essential  that  every  year's  cropping  should  be  the  same. 

I  would  here  once  more  ))npress  our  allotment  friends 
with  the  fact,  that  the  culture  of  plots  is  by  no  means  obhged 
to  be  the  same  as  that  of  their  more  countryfled  friends.  As 
for  the  imce  of  wheat  in  another  year,  no  material  opinion 
can  be  formed  ;  it  has  risen  to  a  fearful  height  this  winter 
and  spring,  and  well  must  it  have  been  with  those  holders 
of  small  plots  of  land  who  took  our  constant  adrice  of 
laying  out  most  of  their  strength  in  cultivating  such  roots 
as  Parsnips,  Carrots,  Swedes,  <tc.,  instead  of  ephemeral  sum- 
mer crops. 

I  would  again  repeat  the  advice  fonnerly  given,  to  adhere 
to  such  maxim  ;  for,  what  with  a  grievous  war,  and  the  pos- 
sibility of  another  slender  haiTest,  and  other  considerations, 
we  must  not,  I  fear,  expect  very  cheap  bread  for  some  time 
to  come.  And  I  may  here  urge  the  importance  to  those 
who  hold  plots  near  to  towns  or  markets  of  trying  their 
hand  at  something  that  will  sell  well,  especially  such  light 
matters  as  will  afford  them  a  chance  of  a  few  Turnips,  Cole- 
worts,  or  other  greens,  afterwards ;  and,  as  before  observed, 
the  Hani  Ciirrnt  is  a  most  eligible  thing.  If  any  one  is  still 
inclined  to  try  a  few  beds,  he  may  yet  carry  out  his  views  by 
proceeding  immediately ;  although  they  should  have  been 
sown  in  the  middle  of  February.  The  seed  should  be  well 
rubbed,  and  then  mixed  with  damp  soil,  and  set  in  a  warm 
place,  in  a  room  Tidth  a  fire  in:  it  will  be  found  to  have  com- 
menced germination  in  about  three  days,  and  must  then  be 
immediately  removed  to  the  coldest  place  in  the  house  for 
three  days  more,  and  then  sown.  The  soil  should  be  in  the 
most  friable  state,  and  they  are  by  far  best  in  beds  elevated 
six  inches  above  the  ground  level.  AYe  sow  them  in  cross 
rows  made  by  the  finger,  at  four  inches  apart,  and  thin  them 
slightly  when  little  plants.  This  done,  they  may  be  bunched 
and  sold  for  a  good  deal  of  money  in  May  and  .June,  and 
the  ground  at  liberty,  by  the  end  of  the  latter  month,  for  a 
fidl  winter  crop  of  roots  or  other  vegetables. 

I  would  point,  too,  to  what  are  temied  JEarli/  Colcu-orts,  or 
Cabbages.  I  fear,  however,  the  imperious  Ice  Iving  has 
been  a  severe  meddler  amongst  diese  usefuls.  Those  who 
are  fortunate  enough  to  possess  lots  of  these,  will  do  well 
so  to  scheme  their  cropping  aflairs  as  to  allow  rows  of  these 
a  place  for  awhile,  especially  where  the  soil  is  good.  There 
will  be  no  necessity  for  suffering  them  to  become  Cabbages, 
in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term  ;  such  has  been  the  cha- 
racter of  the  past  winter,  and  such  the  position  of  the  rising 
spring,  as  regai-ds  the  vegetable  question,  connected  with 
high  piices  in  other  things,  that  there  is  sure  to  be  a  keen 
demand  for  these  things  until  June,  especially  in  the  vicinity 
of  thriving  commercial  towns.  In  these  days  of  steam,  I 
call  it  "  vicniity"  when  a  garden  is  close  to  a  line  of  rail,  al- 
though twenty  or  more  miles  from  the  market. 

Earhj  Lrtliires.  too  ;  those  who  have  secured  nice  winter 
plants,  and  have  them,  as  mini'  are,  fresh  as  a  daisy,  on  well 
manured  soil,  in  warm  corners — what  a  good  article  would 


Febbuaby  33. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


407 


they  be  for  the  allotment  holder  or  cottager  to  push  into  the 
market  in  the  middle  of  May.  Indeed,  it  is  much  to  be 
lamented  that  our  manufacturing  and  agricultural  labourers, 
who  hold  a  nice  little  plot  of  land,  do  not  better  understand 
their  position  in  regard  of  these  market  matters.  There 
really  needs  a  little,  highly- condensed  handbook  to  guide 
them;  a  waistcoat-pouket  affair;  but,  to  be  really  useful,  it 
must  be  written  by  "one  who  has  whistled  at"  the  spade. 

And  now,  after  speaking  of  schemes  and  policies,  let  me 
turn  to  tlie  genuine  old-fashioned  work  of  the  month. 

First — are  your  plans  of  cropping  determined  on?  If  not, 
you  are  much  to  blame.  Set  to  and  decide  immediately. 
Above  all,  take  care  to  secure  some  good  keepiinj  roots;  and 
if  you  cannot  eat  them  your  pig  will.  I  need  not  repeat 
them  here ;  you  know  all  about  them  and  their  importance. 
The  past  winter  will  have  taught  you  a  lesson  you  will  not 
speedily  forget.  Let  your  cropping  scheme  be  so  planned 
as  that  two-thirds  of  it  shall  be  in  the  main  intended  for 
keeping  roots,  unless  you  can  compreliend  my  suggestions 
as  to  market  work,  wlien  you  are  welcome  to  plan  as  you 
please.  Eemember,  tliat  most  of  these  roots  require  deep 
digging,  and  most  of  the  manure  at  about  a  foot  to  half-a- 
yard  below  the  surface.  They  thus  obtain  the  most  power 
when  most  needed — say  from  the  end  of  June  to  the  end  of 
August.  But  it  is  well  to  do  even  more,  and  which  I  have 
frequently  suggested  in  these  pages — to  do  what  our  great 
agriculturists  do — to  use  a  little  dressing  in  the  drill,  for  it 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  for  young  seedlings  that  when 
they  come  up  that  they  be  strong  plants  betimes.  Our 
readers  will  remember  that  I  have  repeatedly  advised  a  soot 
compost  for  this  purpose. 

Parsnips  must  be  got  in  immediately.  I  sow  in  the 
third  week  of  February.  The  ground,  being  prepared  for 
Mangold  or  Swedes,  may  either  have  early  Potatoes  between 
the  lines  intended  for  the  root-crops,  or  a  few  roots  of  early 
Coleworts  may  be  obtained  from  it.  Anything  which  will  be 
cleared  off  the  ground  by  the  early  part  of  July.  A  provision, 
indeed,  must  be  made,  by  some  means,  for  a  few  Cabbages, 
but  they  should  not  be  permitted  to  occupy  ground  as  a 
principal  crop ;  plenty  of  spaces  will  be  found  for  them. 

Onions,  if  not  sown,  may  be  got  in  by  the  middle  of  March. 
The  ground  deep  dug ;  a  little  manure  kept  well  down,  and 
a  little  of  the  soot  and  guano  mixture  sowed  by  hand  over 
the  seed  before  soiling  it  over.  Let  the  beds  be  rolled  hard 
after  sowing  when  they  are  very  dry. 

Peas  may  be  sown  for  a  full  summer  crop  in  the  ilrst 
week,  chosing  the  Redman's  Imperial,  which  rises  about 
thirty  inches  high.  The  cottager  should  make  this  his  last 
sowing. 

Broad  Beans. — The  last  planting  must  be  got  in  immedi- 
ately ;  indeed  it  is  getting  full  late  for  a  full  crop. 

Turnips. — A  few  of  the  Early  Dutch  may  be  sown  on  any 
spare  border  in  the  early  part  of  the  month;  they  are,  how- 
ever, more  a  luxury  than  a  profit. 

Lettuces. — A  little  oiAdy's  cos,  or  Bath  cos,  may  be  sprinkled 
in  with  the  Onions,  to  be  transplanted  between  other  crops ;  and 
it  will  be  well  to  sow  a  good  sprinkling  again  towards  the 
end  of  the  month,  as  j)lants  from  these  two  sowings  will  be 
much  larger  than  any  during  the  remainder  of  the  summer. 
Indeed,  March  and  July  are  the  two  months  in  which  Let- 
tuce sowing  becomes  most  profitable,  and  three  sowings 
should  be  made  in  each  by  those  who  keep  a  pig,  as  their 
waste  leaves  and  stems  are  capital  pig  food  ;  to  a  sow  with 
pigs  more  valuable  still ;  whilst  Lettuce  is  peculiarly  the 
cottager's  salad,  and  known  to  be  not  only  wholesome  but 
nutritious. 

Spinach  may  be  sown  to  advantage  in  the  first  week  of 
March,  as  a  mixed  crop,  but  must  on  no  account  occupy 
land  as  a  principal. 

A  little  Cabbage  of  a  dwarf  kind,  such  as  Matchless  once 
was,  should  be  sown  once  a  month  until  September.  Towards 
the  end  of  the  month,  or  in  the  early  jjart  of  the  April,  the 
larger  Carrots  may  be  sown.  The  middle  of  April,  however, 
is  a  safer  period.  As  to  other  little  proceedings,  such  as 
sticking  Peas,  filling  up  Cabbage  blanks,  planting  half-a- 
dozen  Red  Cabbages  to  pickle,  and  so  forth,  the  allotment 
man  wiU  of  himself  remember  all  about  them.  I  here  try  to 
remind  him  that  the  hoe  or  fork  must  be  kept  agoing.  N'o 
quarter  to  Weeds,  must  be  the  motto.  If  the  first  spring 
weeds  are  allowed  to  go  to  sfied,  one  might  fancy  the  o^vner 


by  no  means  an  idle  man,  inasmuch  as  he  has  thereby  pro- 
vided himself  with  a  doubled  amount  of  labour. 

Finally;   let  all  cultural  processes  but  planting-out  be 
done  when  the  soil  is  dry.  E.  Eueington. 


APIARIAN'S   CALENDAR.— March. 

By  J.  H.  Payne,  Esq.,  Author  of  "  The  Bee-Keeper's 
Guide,"  etc. 

Bees  oatheeing  Pollen. — Bees  may  now  be  seen  upon 
a  bright  day  in  the  Aconites  and  early  kinds  of  Crocuses, 
collecting  the  little  pollen  and  honey  which  they  aft'ord  ;  and 
it  is  but  little  indeed — onlyjust  sufficientto  arouse theworkers 
to  activity,and  the  queens  to  depositing  their  eggs;  therefore, 
without  careful  and  constant  feeding,  death  by  starvation 
must  follow ;  for  I  imagine  that  not  one  stock  in  ten  has 
sufficient  honey  in  store  to  support  it  through  the  winter 
and  early  spring. 

FoBSAKiNG  Hkes. — Whcro  the  population  is  low,  and 
little  or  no  food  in  store,  the  bees  are  very  likely,  upon  a 
fine  and  mild  day,  towards  the  end  of  the  month,  to  forsake 
their  hives  entirely,  and  to  join  themselves  to  more  populous 
and  better-stored  communities.  This  desertion,  when  it 
happens  towards  the  end  of  April,  is  frequently  mistaken 
for  an  early  swarm ;  the  only  means  of  prevention  is  to 
keep  them  well  supplied  with  food ;  but  even  this  will  not,  in 
all  cases,  keep  them  from  leaving  their  hives. 

Wasps. — It  will  be  well,  during  the  present  and  the  next 
month,  to  be  looking  for  queen-wasps,  and  destroying  every 
one  that  makes  its  appearance.  A  garden-syringe,  as  I  have 
already  said,  is  the  most  useful  thing  I  have  ever  found  to 
effect  then-  destruction,  for  if  discharged  at  them,  it  brings 
them  to  the  ground,  and  the  foot  then  finishes  the  business. 


DORKINGS    AS  RECENTLY  EXHIBITED. 

Ie  the  value  of  good  Dorkings  has  greatly  increased 
during  the  past  year,  the  quality  of  these  birds  has  certainly 
made  a  proportionate  advance.  Such  a  result  speaks  most 
favourably  for  the  good  already  accomplislied  by  Poultry 
Societies,  against  which  the  charge  has  been  so  often 
levelled,  that,  however  advantageous  for  the  purposes  of  the 
fancier,  they  would  have  little  effect  on  the  breeds  that  were 
destined  to  provide  for  the  wants  of  our  tables.  But  since 
the  farmer's  fowl,  as  the  Dorking  has  been  not  inaptly 
called,  has  thus  prospered  under  their  auspices,  and  to  no 
other  cause  can  their  present  position  be  justly  assigned, 
their  avowed  object,  "the  improvement  of  the  various 
breeds  of  domestic  poultry,"  has,  in  this  instance,  at  least, 
been  admirably  effected. 

The  Exhibition  of  the  Eoyal  Agricultural  Society  at 
Gloucester,  in  the  summer  of  1853,  brought  together  by  far 
the  best  collection  of  Dorkings  that  had  ever  been  sub- 
mitted to  public  notice  ;  but  manifest  as  the  improvement 
on  that  occasion,  it  was  even  surpassed  by  the  display  at 
Bingley  Hall,  in  December  of  the  same  year.  In  the  ex- 
pression of  such  an  opinion,  full  weight  is  attached  to  the 
relative  conditions  of  the  two  shows,  of  which  the  former, 
in  a  great  measure,  consisted  of  young  chickens,  whose 
subsequent  appearance,  in  many  instances,  at  Birmingham, 
presented  them  in  at  a  more  matm"ed  form. 

A  few  years  since,  mere  size,  and  that,  we  imagine,  often 
falling  short  of  the  present  average,  was  mainly  regarded 
by  the  breeder,  to  the  exclusion  of  both  feather  and  form, 
and  since  in  this  light  the  characteristic  feature  of  the  race, 
the  fifth  toe,  mattered  Uttle,  the  lai'ge  Surrey  or  Sussex  fowls 
destitute  of  this  supernumerary  number  would  have  an- 
swered all  his  requirements.  But  now  we  have  not  merely 
advanced  with  respect  to  feather,  but  the  well-bred  Dorking 
of  the  present  day,  in  its  improved  form,  gives  a  larger 
proportion  of  flesh  compared  with  offal  to  that  produced  by  t 
its  four-clawed  connexions,  and  taking  the  best  specimens,  [ 
no  loss  of  weight,  we  believe,  need  be  submitted  to. 

But  there  are  few  persons  so   indifferent  to  external  ap- 
pearances, that  where  beauty  of  plumage  can  be  combined   i 
with  the  economical  properties  of  a  fowl,  a  preference  will 
not  be  awarded  to  the  bird  thus  distinguished   over  that  I 


408 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


February  23. 


■which  lacks  the  same  advantage  of  good  looks.  Not  merely, 
indeed,  have  the  coloui'S  of  the  Dorking  improved,  hut  the 
plumage  now  frequently  attains  a  degree  of  iirmness  and 
comUtion  in  strong  contrast  to  the  loose-feathered  specimens 
that  breeders  were  formerly  content  witli.  Dorldngs,  it 
must  he  admitted,  cannot  be  bred  true  to  colom-,  as  that 
phrase  is  understood  with  many  other  families  of  fowls,  but 
this  great  point  of  "  condition  of  feather,"  indicative  of 
health  and  vigour,  and  so  agreeable  to  the  eye,  may  now  be 
easily  attained  throughout  the  various  shades  and  dis- 
tinctions of  their  colour.  And  here  the  great  point  of  ex- 
cellence, combined  with  figure,  in  which  the  Dorking  pens 
of  ISD:!  have  stood  pre-eminent. 

That  these  two  essential  quaUties  have  been  gained,  to 
an  extent  not  previously  witnessed,  will  hai-dly  be  contested  ; 
nor,  as  has  been  already  intimated,  need  a  comparison 
of  present  with  past  weights,  taken  as  an  average  of  good 
birds,  he  apprehended  as  tending  to  show  that  the  improved 
form  and  feather  has  been  gained  at  any  sacrifice  of  weight, 
so  material  a  consideration  with  the  poulterer  and  his  cus- 
tomers. Cockerels  exceeding  ten  pounds,  and  pullets 
weiglung  down  the  scale  at  eight  poimds,  having  been  no 
very  uncommon  productions. 

Tlie  blacl;  and  mottled-breasted  Grey  Dorkings,  in  their 
various  shades,  have  generally  headed  the  list  of  awards, 
and  the  Pencilled,  Spangled,  Golden,  Ked-Speclded,  and 
Cuckoo  sub-varieties  have  been  by  no  means  dangerous 
competitors  to  the  former.  It  might,  indeed,  have  been 
wished  that  the  red  birds  in  particulai-,  of  which  there  is 
more  than  one  good  strain,  had  been  more  encouraged,  for 
they  are  remarkably  handsome-feathered  birds,  and  they  are, 
moreover,  well  spoken  of  in  respect  of  vigour  of  consti- 
tution. The  Cuckoos,  also,  are  often  extremely  compact, 
though,  perhaps,  somewhat  deficient  in  size.  Several  of 
these  latter  have  appeared  at  exhibitions,  in  the  class  for 
"  any  other  distinct  breed,"  while  every  evidence  of  real 
Dorking  blood  was  present.  The  "  Cuckoo  Jowl,"  indeed, 
is  an  erroneous  designation  when  appUed  in  this  manner, 
being  simply  the  distinction  of  colour,  which  is  often 
assumed  by  fowls  of  various  separate  families ;  thus  we 
have  Cuckoo  Dorkings,  Cuckoo  Polands,  Cuckoo  Game- 
fowls,  and,  a  little-to-be-desired  sport.  Cuckoo  Shanghaes, 
all  of  which  should,  of  course,  appear  with  theii'  respective 
families. 

As  in  Dorkings,  almost  every  colour  (hlaclc  and  white 
alone  excepted)  may  be  produced  from  the  same  parents, 
so,  also,  in  respect  of  comb,  which  may  appear  in  its  double 
or  single  formation  in  chickens  from  the  same  bu-ds.  The 
same  laxity,  therefore,  should  be  observed  on  this  point  as 
with  plumage,  more  especially  in  a  case  like  the  present, 
where  the  supply  of  the  table  is  the  main  object  to  be  kept 
iu  view ;  for  to  judge  these  bii-ds  by  the  same  arbiti'ary 
standard  applied  to  the  fowls  bred  with  especial  reference 
to  feather,  such  as  Bantams,  Polish,  and  the  Hamburghs, 
would  be  most  unwise.  The  comb,  whether  single  or 
double,  if  good  of  its  kind,  will  make  no  difference  iu  the 
award ;  indiridual  opinion  or  fancy,  may,  indeed,  give  a  pre- 
ference, but  no  judge  should  lay  greater  stress  on  one  than 
the  other.  It  has  been  sometimes  said,  that  the  double- 
combed  are,  on  an  average,  the  heaviest  hnds,  but  it  is  but 
fair  to  add,  that  authorities  of  equal  experience  are  found 
to  hold  to  the  conti-ary  opinion.  The  "  old  orujlnal " 
Dorking  seems  to  have  been  a  single-combed  bh-d,  and  the 
double-comi),  with  the  uncertainty  of  colom-,  as,  also,  in 
m.any  cases  of  the  fifth  toe,  may  cast  suspicions  on  the 
primitive  ancestral  position  of  the  coloured  Dorking  of  the 
present  day,  to  which  its  delicate  constitution,  and  the  con- 
stant necessity  for  the  introduction  of  fresh  blood,  may  be 
regarded  as  adding  weight ;  but  this  is  not  the  fit  place  for 
the  discussion  of  that  Imotty  point.  The  coloured  Dorking 
pens,  we  should  notice,  are  constantly  ill-matched  in  respect 
of  colom-,  even  to  an  extent  beyond  what  the  natm'al  difli- 
culty  already  mentioned  is  sufficient  to  justify,  and  many  a 
prize  has,  doubtless,  been  thus  lost. 

In  White  Dorkings,  the  past  year  has  seen  little,  if  any, 
improvement ;  their  smaller  size,  then-  alleged  greater  de- 
licacy, in  rearing  (in  which,  however,  the  ■m-iter  of  these 
notes  does  not  concur),  are  points  which  induce  a  pre- 
ference to  their  coloui-ed  relations.  Good  specimens, 
however,  have  been  shown  on  vai'ious  occasions,  but  even 


these  have  not  been  such  as  to  justify  a  belief  that  they 
have  shown  an  improvement  on  former  years.  Many  of 
their  pens  have  been  disquahfied  by  blue,  or  otherwise  dis- 
coloured legs,  and  the  single-combed  specimens,  to  some  of 
which  prizes  have  been  awarded,  had,  in  many  eyes,  no 
title  to  that  distinction,  the  double  comb  appearing  in  everj- 
way  to  become  the  AVhite  Dorking. 

It  is  singular-  that  lbD;j  sliould  have  witnessed  this  great 
change  for  the  better  in  the  Dorking  fowl ;  since,  for  very 
many  seasons,  no  more  fatal  period  has  been  Icnown  to  their 
breeders.  Young  and  old,  but  the  former  more  especially, 
have  died  under  every  possible  condition  of  cUniate  and 
management.  That  under  circumstances  so  unfavourable, 
Dorldngs  should  have  been  able  to  emerge  from  the  ruck, 
and  secure  a  good  place  among  the  first  ranks  of  their  most 
favoured  competitors,  argues  great  intrinsic  merit  on  their 
part,  and  warrants  the  expectation  that  even  more  may  be 
anticipated.  Fifty  guineas  have  lately  been  paid  for  a  single 
pen  of  Colom-ed  Dorkings,  and  the  same  sum  refused  on 
more  than  one  occasion ;  and  Captain  Hoi-nby  finds  no 
cUfficulty  in  parting  with  his  surplus  stock,  even  at  as  high  a 
rate  as  five  guineas  per  bii-d.  So  remarkable  an  increase  in 
value  becomes  still  more  striking  when  it  is  remembered, 
that  although  Shanghaes  have  frequently  gone  beyond 
these  sums,  they  were  recent  introductions,  carrying  with 
them  the  charm  of  novelty  and  fashion,  in  addition  to  their 
own  real. good  quahties ;  but  with  Dorkings  the  case  was 
different;  both  the  name,  and  the  bird  itself,  in  many  degrees 
of  merit,  were  famUiar  to  us,  and  highly  commended  as  it  was 
for  the  table,  any  such  commanding  i)Osition  in  the  annals 
of  the  poulti-y  world  was  never  tliought  of;  and  had  the 
probability  of  then-  attaining  theii-  present  value  ever 
been  alluded  to,  a  mania,  even  more  absurd  than  thatof  the 
Shanghaes,  would  have  been  assigned  as  the  motive  of  so 
absm-d  a  conjectm-e. 

The  south-western  counties  of  England  ai-e  generally  de- 
ficient in  the  coloured  Dorkings ;  and  when  really  good 
bu-ds  are  there  shown  they  are  generally  but  visitors  from 
other  districts.  The  Keigate  Exhibition  would  have  reason- 
ably been  regai-ded  with  great  interest  by  the  Dorking 
breeder,  as  likely  to  produce  the  best  specimens  from  the 
very  head-quarters  of  the  family ;  but,  if  we  remember 
rightly,  the  hmitation  of  the  exhibitors  to  those  resident 
within  a  given  distance  of  that  town  tarnished  the  laurels 
that  were  there  won.  Gloucester  and  Bu-mingham,  indeed, 
have  proved  that  the  Sussex  an-  is  not  essential  to  the  Dork- 
ing's -well-doing ;  and  another  season,  if  this  county  and 
SmTey  desire  to  retain  the  celebrity  in  this  class  of  fowls, 
gained  in  former  times,  and  so  long  creditably  sustained,  the 
lists  must  be  thrown  open,  and  the  competition  of  England 
invited. 


HARDY   BORDER   PLANTS. 
ACONITUM   OCHROLEUCUM. 

THE    GBEAT   TALE    YELLOW   WOLFSBANE. 

Tins  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  hardy  border  plants  we 
have,  and  a  noble  plant  it  is  when  in  bloom,  and  so  vei-y 
suitable  for  plantations  where  a  few  or  many  kinds  of 
hardy  herbaceous  plants  are  planted  by  those  who  are 
anxious  to  have  as  great  variety  as  possible  in  a  lijuited 
space.  As  1  have  said  before,  this  is  a  grand  plant  for 
such  places,  or  for  a  centre  or  back-row  jjlant  to  margi- 
nal borders  to  flower  gardens,  sucli  as  Mr.  Beaton  so  fre- 
quently speal<s  of,  recommending  the  mai'ginal  borders  to 
be  filled  with  hardy  herbaceous  plants,  and  the  centre  beds 
with  bedding  plants ;  and  such  borders  can  be  filled  with  a 
choice  selection  of  these  beauties,  to  be  quite  as  Interesting, 
if  not  more  so,  as  the  centre  beds  are  which  are  each  filled 
with  one  kind  and  colour.  Whatever  kinds  of  hardy  plants 
were  used  to  fill  one  of  sirch  beds,  the  same  might  bo  used 
to  fill  the  coiTesponding  bed  on  the  opposite  side  ;  or  if  not 
precisely  the  same  kinds,  such  plants  should  be  used  that 
would  flower  at  the  same  season,  and  be  of  the  same  colour 
and  lieight;  hut  the  best  eifect  will  be  produced  by 
using  the  same  lands  of  plants. 

A.  ockrolciicum  is  a  very  strong  grower,  but  not  a  rapid 
spreader,  its  crown  being  very  compact,  and  its  roots  all 


February  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


409 


fibions,  which  extend  round  its  crown  for  a  considerable 
distance.  It  is  readily  increased  by  division  in  the  spring 
months,  if  such  be  required,  or  it  may  remain  in  the  same 
spots  for  almost  any  number  of  years  without  becoming 
straggling  or  tiring  of  its  situation,  if  its  roots  are  not  cut 
and  chopped  about  at  the  times  when  the  borders  are  being 
dressed  off.  At  those  times,  rather  place  a  spadeful  of 
nice  fresli  earth  over  and  round  about  its  crowns,  after 
weeds,  S:c.  are  cleared  away.  Tliis  kind,  like  all  the  others 
of  its  family,  dies  entirely  down  during  the  winter  months. 

Its  loaves  are  all  deeply  lobed,  and  its  segments  coarsely 
notched  and  pointed.  The  stems  rise  from  four  to  even 
seven  feet  high,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  plant  and 
the  soil  and  situation  it  is  growing  in.  Its  stalks  put  out 
an  abundance  of  side-shoots  or  branches,  which  all  form 
panicle-like  spikes  of  flowers,  which  are  of  a  palish  yellow 
colour,  forming,  upon  the  whole,  a  very  striking  plant, 
though  not  so  pretty  as  the  versicolor  and  otliers.  It 
flowers  from  the  beginning  of  June  to  the  middle  or  end  of 
August.  It  is  a  native  of  Caucasus,  and  introduced  to  this 
in  couuti'j  1794.  T.  W. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

***  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writers  of 
The  Cottage  Gabdenek.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
expense.  AU  communications  should  be  addressed  "  To  the  Editor  of 
The  Cottage  Gardener,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Row,  London." 

Feeding  Imprisoned  Pheasants. — *' A.  B.  wishes  to  know  the 
best  food  for  common  Pheasants.  She  has  had  a  house  put  up  for  them, 
a  wooden  shed,  with  a  large  outside  court  composed  of  wood  and  wire 
netting,  both  house  and  court  being  well  gravelled  ;  to  this  they  are,  of 
course,  alwaj's  confined,  In  the  court,  Spruce  Fir-trees  are  planted  for 
shelter.  The  court  is  on  a  sloping  bank,  facing  nearly  south,  and  well 
sheltered  from  north  and  west  winds.  The  Pheasants  are  fed  every  day 
with  oatmeal  and  water  (made  of  the  consistency  that  it  crumbles  when 
thrown  down),  crumbs  of  bread,  oats,  two  or  three  potatoes,  worms, 
cabbages,  and  turnip-tops,  and  fresh  water  every  day  ;  but  with  all  this 
care,  three  of  the  Pheasants,  a  cock  and  two  hens,  have  died  in  the  last 
month.  In  the  Pheasantry  there  are  still  nine  hens  and  two  cocks. 
Would  one  cock  be  sufficient  to  keep?  The  Pheasants  that  died  were 
fat,  nicely  fed  birds,  and  showed  no  sign  of  illness  till  just  before  they 
died  ;  nor  was  there  any  mark  on  them  as  if  injured  by  vermin,  except 
on  one  of  the  hens,  where  the  skin  on  the  back  was  torn  on  one  place, 
but  it  seemed  as  if  the  other  birds  had  done  it."  Not  trusting  to  our 
own  judgment,  we  sought  information  from  a  first  authority,  and  this  is  the 
reply  : — "I  send  you  what  one  of  our  keeper's  says  ;  but  I  believe  I  know 
as  much  about  Tame  Pheasants  as  any  body,  and  my  notion  is,  that 
'A.  B.'  is  taking  too  much  care  of  her  Pheasants,  and  that  the  complaint 
of  which  they  have  died  is  over  feeding.  I  recommend  her  to  stop  the 
oatmeal  entirely,  giving  them  Indian  corn,  barley,  oats,  (wheat  occa- 
sionally, but  not  at  the  present  prices),  mixed  up  with  chaff,  or  straw,  so 
that  they  may  not  be  able  to  gobble  it  all  up  at  once,  but  have  to  scratch 
and  find  it ;  at  the  same  time,  this  would  serve  to  amuse  them.  Pheasants 
are  great  gluttons  when  their  food  is  handy,  and  they  have  no  trouble  in 
looking  for  it.  I  have  a  cock  Pheasant  now  in  my  hall,  who  I  saiv  eat 
till  he  died  of  repletion  ;  I  saw  this.  Probably  your  correspondent,  had 
she  examined  their  stomachs,  would  have  found  them  choked  with  fat. 
I  would  substitute  some  turf  in  part  of  the  court  instead  of  the  gravel. 
Let  them  also  have  some  lime  to  peck  at,  and  some  cabbage  leaves  every 
day.  I  do  not  think  a  cock  ought  to  serve  more  than  five  or  six  hens, 
and  I  should  be  inclined  to  put  one  cock  and  four  hens  together,  and  one 
cock  and  five  hens,  so  as  to  prevent  the  chance  of  the  two  cocks  fighting. 
If  this  Pheasantry  is  where  other  Wild  Pheasants  are  it  is  well  to  have 
the  top  of  the  enclosure  open,  so  that  the  wild  cocks  may  come  in  and 
pay  their  respects  to  the  hens.  I  have  often  watched  them  at  this.  The 
inmates  have,  of  course,  one  wing  clipped  to  prevent  their  flight."  The 
gamekeeper's  note  is  as  follows : — "  I  cannot  conceive  the  death  of  the 
Pheasants  was  occasioned  at  all  by  the  food ;  on  the  contrary,  I  think 
1  they  were  taken  the  best  of  care  of  that  way.  I  should  have  preferred,  in 
lieu  of  the  oatmeal  and  water,  whole  corn  and  a  diversity  of  it ;  but  as 
the  time  is  coming  for  laying,  care  should  be  taken  they  are  not  too  fat. 
A  portion  of  bran  with  the  meal  (oat  or  any  other),  warm  best  would  be 
substituted.  As  to  the  number  of  cocks,  I  should  say,  decidedly,  three 
hens  to  one  cock  ;  and  now  they  should  be  penned  ofi",  as  the  cocks  will 
fight  and  cause  the  hens  to  fly  and  dash  about.  Should  'A.  B.'  detect 
any  more  dead,  the  best  plan  would  be  to  have  them  Tnost  carefully 
plucked  of  their  feathers,  and  see  if  there  is  no  injury  on  them,  as  it  is 
astonishing  what  a  small  blow  will  kill  a  Pheasant,  and  more  particularly 
if  on  the  head,  which  they  are  subject  to  in  a  mews,  and  is  difficult  to 
detect  unless  denuded  of  the  feathers.  Another  hint,  too,  is  worth 
naming,  and  that  is,  what  sort  of  netting  is  over  the  top  of  the  place  of 
confinement  ?  " 

Browned  Akaucaeia  (A.M.), — It  is  as  natural  for  Cryptomeriaa, 
Arbor  Vitifis,  Cypresses,  and  many  other  Conifers,  to  be  browned  by 
cold  winds,  and  on  calcareous  soils,  as  it  is  for  them  to  grow  upwards ; 
and  it  is  not  at  all  curious  that  such  an  unnatural,  unpractical,  and  un- 
scientific way  as  turning  out  an  Araucaria  from  a  pot,  with  the  ball 
entire,  at  the  beginning  of  winter,  should  cause  it  to  brown.  It  was  a 
most  ungardcning  way  of  planting  Araucarias.  We  have  often  heard  of 
them  and  of  others  being  planted  in  their  balls,  and  we  have  seen  them 
screwed  right  out  of  the  ground  in  consequence,  but  we  do  not  repollect 


of  ever  hearing  of  any  one  turning  out  valuable  pot  plants  at  the  "  be- 
ginning of  December!  "  Yet,  if  the  leaves  are  only  browned,  and  we 
think  that  is  all  the  extent  of  the  damage,  they  will  all  come  right  again ; 
but  if  they  are  killed,  there  is  no  remedy.  Try  them,  here  and  there, 
with  the  point  of  a  knife,  and  you  can  easily  sec  if  there  is  life  in  them. 
These  Araucarias  require  no  covering  from  the  severest  frost  we  ex-. 
pericnce  in  this  country.  They  are  perfectly  hardy,  and  coddling  only 
liurts  them. 

CovEE  FOR  Game  (F.  W.  M.  B.).—lt  is  bad  practice  to  head  down 
any  tree,  and  much  more  so  a  Spruce-tree,  in  a  game  cover.  Spruce- 
trees,  sixty  feet  high  and  twenty  feet  apart,  the  branches  just  meeting, 
make  the  finest  game  cover  we  know  of  anywhere.  "  Low  grounds,"  if 
they  are  at  all  damp  or  boggy,  must  first  be  planted  with  trees 
sure  to  grow  on  such  soils,  as  Alders,  Poplars,  Willows,  and  Ash,  in  the 
way  pointed  out  the  other  day  by  Rlr.  Appleby.  Then  fill  up  between  the 
trees  with  one-half  young  Privet,  the  rest  with  Black  Thorn  or  Sloe-bush, 
&c.,  common  Hazel,  or  wild  Nut-trees.  All  these  will  grow  in  the 
wettest  soils,  and  will  make  an  impenetrable  cover  ;  but  low  ground  is 
not  at  all  the  right  place  for  game,  except  snipes  and  woodcocks. 

Query  (Fitzgerald). — Your  description  would  be  referable  to  a  Silver- 
pencilled  Hamburgh  cock ;  but  we  must  add,  that  to  name  either  fowls  or 
plants  without  seeing  the  specimens  is  always  an  unsatisfactory  task, — W. 
Lime-ash  for  Poultry-house  Floor  (/.  T.). — The  lime-ash 
floor  is  composed  of  one-third  part  refuse  lime  from  the  bottom  of  the 
kiln,  containing  a  considerable  portion  of  ashes,  the  remaining  two- 
thirds  being  what  is  termed  in  Cornwall,  '' skimpings,**  a  kind  of  slaty 
spar,  broken  very  fine.  These  are  mixed  together  with  the  nfiresaary 
portion  of  water  to  wet  the  lime,  and  then  laid  down,  being  constantly 
beaten  till  dry.  A  far  better  floor,  however,  is  now  made,  by  mixing 
together  one-third  of  lime  (the  best  grey  and  the  common,  in  equal 
quantities),  and  two-thirds  of  the  very  small  pebbles  from  the  shore; 
Uiis  latter  is  an  excellent  material  for  poultry-house  floors. — W. 

Spanish  Cock  (Ibid). — Red  is  always  objectionable  on  the  face  of  a 
Spanish  fowl,  the  object  of  the  breeder  being  a  perfect  white  face.  In 
reference  to  your  question  about  the  price  of  eggs,  you  had  better  apply 
to  Captain  Hornby,  Knowsley  Cottage,  near  Prescot.— W. 

Game  Fowls  (Ibid). — It  will  not  pay  to  keep  Game  fowls  in  con- 
finement, their  halaits  requiring  a  wide  range. — W. 

Grapes  for  Vinery  (C.  T.  J.). — For  your  Vinery,  15  feet  by  12  feet, 
one  West's  St.  Peter,  one  Royal  Muscadine,  and  two  Black  Hambro's, 
we  should  plant  in  your  case,  and  in  the  order  we  have  placed  them, — 
the  St.  Peter's  at  the  hottest  end.  We  should  be  very  jealous  of  a  four- 
feet  deep  border,  unless  above  the  ground  level.  Plants  two  years  old 
will  be  proper,  planted  in  the  end  of  March,  the  balls  of  earth  unloosed. 
As  to  Climbers,  that  is  a  matter  of  taste,  or  fancy,  rather  ;  they  are  nume- 
rous, and  any  respectable  nurseryman  will  safely  advise  you  also  as  to 
what  plants  to  cultivate.  Our  worthy  coadjutor,  Mr.  Fish,  in  his  back 
papers,  has  advised  about  all  these  things.  Your  hen  Pheasant  will,  no 
doubt,  "fraternise"  with  your  fowls  if  you  can  keep  her  from  "bolting." 
As  to  food,  see  among  answers  "  to  correspondents  "  to-day. 

Grapes  for  Vinery  (A.  B.  C). — Your  Vinery  is  36  feet  by  18  feet. 
Perhaps  you  have  about  nine  rafters,  but  you  have  not  stated-  If  so, 
plant  as  follows  : — One  Muscadine,  or  Sweetwater,  one  Muscat,  one  Bar- 
harossa,  two  St.  Peter's,  four  Black  Hambro's.  Plant  in  the  order  they 
stand  here,  beginning  at  the  hottest  end  with  the  Muscadine.  About 
your  Orchard-house,  all  depends  on  whether  you  understand  how  to 
manage  the  trees.    The  construction  of  the  house  appears  good. 

The  Peacock  Iris  (A.  R.). — You  are  quite  right.  Mr.  Appleby  has 
correctly  described  Viesseuxia  glaucopsis,  but  inadvertently  called  it 
Iris  pavonia.  Mr.  Beaton  says, — "The  Peacock  Iris  of  the  seed-shops 
is  the  true  Viesseuxia  glaucopsis.  A  very  light  blue  flower,  with  a  whitish 
eye  or  spot  at  the  bottom.  Viesseuxia  pavonia,  or  Iris  pavonia,  of  Lin- 
neffius,  is  quite  a  different  plant ;  a  largish  white  flower,  with  the  most 
intensely  shaded  blue  spot  at  the  bottom  of  each  petal,  like  the  spot  in  the 
tail  feather  of  the  Peacock.  I  had  it  twice  from  the  late  Mr.  Young,  of 
Taunton,  and  you  could  buy  it  for  Is  fid,  in  the  London  seed  shops,  twenty 
years  since,  but  I  believe  it  is  now  lost  to  the  country.  Mr.  Carter,  of 
Holborn,  is  the  most  likely  person  to  have  it.  I  said,  in  The  Cottage 
Gardener,  that  both  kinds  were  to  be  had  in  the  seed-shops — Vol.  X, 
page  441.  Mackay  (Lows),  of  Clapton  ;  Colville,  Young,  of  Taunton; 
and  Wheeler,  of  Warminster  ;  with  Young,  of  Epsom,  had  it,  I  believe, 
when  I  was  a  bulb-grower  in  Herefordshire,  from  1829  to  183?;  since 
that  time  I  lost  sight  of  many  of  them." 

Dressing  foe  Trees  in  Orchard-houses  (R.  Edivards).^\  lb. 
flowers  of  sulphur,  i  lb.  soft  soap,  i  lb.  ground  black  pepper,  boiled  for 
twenty  minutes  in  four  gallons  of  water.  If  necessary,  add  enough  clay 
to  render  it  as  thick  as  paint.  Apply  it,  when  cool,  by  the  aid  of 
a  painter's  brush.  It  must  be  put  on  before  the  buds  have  opened.  Give 
plenty  of  air  during  the  day,  and  moist  air  at  night,  to  keep  away  the 
Bed  Spider. 

Super-phosphate  of  Lime  (W.W.). — We  cannot  tell  what  is  the 
composition  of  the  powder  from  the  Bone  Charcoal  Works.  It  will  do  to 
make  the  super-phosphate  if  it  contains  the  phosphate  of  lime  portion 
of  bones.  A  handful  of  super-phosphate,  once  a-year,  in  the  spring, 
will  be  quite  enough  for  one  Rose-tree. 

Soft  Eggs  {J.  B.  N,). — If  you  refer  to  the  Indexes  of  last  year  you 
will  find  abundant  information  on  the  subject.  It  arises,  probably,  from 
inflammation  of  the  egg  passages.  Give  each  hen  one  grain  of  calomei 
and  one-twelfth  of  a  grain  of  tartar  emetic.  Feed  with  soft  food  only 
for  a  few  days. 

Economical  Bread. — R.  P,  H.  says, — "In  reply  to  S.  E.  J,,  in  your 
number  of  Jan.  26,  I  enclose  the  accompanying  receipt,  which  is  now 
being  used  by  a  friend,  whence  I  have  to-day  returned,  and  I  can  state 
that  the  semi-rice  bread  we  had  at  breakfast  was  excellent,  as  was  also 
another  baking  I  partook  of  at  the  same  house  last  week.  1;^  lbs  of  whole 
rice,  set  in  a  jar,  with  plenty  of  water,  to  simmer  all  night ;  any  water 
remaining  in  the  morning  to  be  strained  off,  and  the  rice  well  beaten  into 
a  paste.  This  paste  is  to  be  added  to  the  bread  after  it  has  risen,  and 
well  kneaded  in.    1^  lbs,  of  rice  \vill  do,  and  14  lbs,  of  floiir." 


I  410 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Pebhuaby  23. 


Tchpentine  foe  Gapes  (L«r!/).  —  BIr.  Tegetmeicr  pave  full 
directions  in  our  last  volume.  Shut  up  the  fowl  in  a  box  with  some 
spirit  of  turpentine  poured  upon  a  very  hot  plate,  so  that  it  must  inhale 
the  fumes  of  the  turpentine.  Do  not  suflocate  the  bird,  and  repeat  the 
application  daily  until  the  gaping  ceases. 

Ducks  not  Laying  iQ.).—ATe  they  old  birds?  Whether  old  or 
young,  common  ^Jucks  rarely  lay  in  winter  unless  they  arc  very  liberally 
fed.     The  Aylesbury  and  Rouen,  however,  lay  iu  the  autumn. 

Rice  Meal  (T.  Z..)- — We  do  not  know  what  are  its  fattening  quali- 
ties. Have  any  of  our  readers  used  it  for  feeding  pigs  ?  We  will  answer 
the  other  queries  nest  week. 

Emigration  (A  Young  Gardener).—  Do  you  seriously  say  that 
^16  is  too  much  for  carrying  you  and  your  baggage  half  round  the 
world,  and  feeding  you,  running  all  risks,  interest  for  capital  sunk  in 
the  ship,  Sec.  Government  aid  highly-recommended  applicants.  Full 
information  may  be  obtained  at  the  Emigration  Office,  in  London. 

Collodion,  foe  Cuttings  (E.  C.  J.). — This  is  Gun  Cotton  dis- 
solved in  ether.  Mr.  Low,  in  a  recent  communication  to  the  Royal 
Society,  says  he  found  it  most  beneficial  to  dip  the  cut  end  of  each  cat- 
ting, whilst  dry,  into  the  Collodion.  It  keeps  out  excess  of  moisture.  Of 
131  cuttings  so  treated,  86  rooted,  whilst  of  131  without  the  Collodion 
plaister  only  42  rooted.  The  experiments  were  tried  upon  Stove,  Green- 
house, and  Hardy  plants.  Guttapercha  disulved  in  naptha  would  pro- 
bably answer  the  same  purpose. 

Oak  Slabs  for  Park  Palings.— JJ/.  G.  says— *' I  want  them  five 
feet  high  and  three-quarters-of-an  inch  thick.  Where  can  I  procure 
them?  have  SCR n  them  near  I\Ir.  Fish's.  I  am  now  in  IrL-liind."  Wc 
presume  you  will  have  no  difficulty  in  getting  them  from  the  nearest  oak 
forest  where  they  are  falling  timber.  Choose  it  of  the  straightest  grain, 
and  not  over  old.  If  the  stick  should  be  twelve  to  eighteen  inches 
through,  split  it  with  beetle  and  wedges  into  four  parts,  and  then  rend 
your  slabs  in  feather-edged  style,  from  one  inch  on  one  side  to  half-an 
inch  or  less  on  the  other.  They  then  lap  over  each  other,  which  is 
generally  the  way  they  are  put  up.  After  rending,  they  will  want  a  little 
dressing  with  a  sharp  axe,  to  make  them  more  equal,  and  to  remove  the 
sap-wood.  Such  fences  will  last  a  very  long  time.  Many  make  them 
decay  by  daubing  them  with  paint,  or  tar,  while  in  a  green,  unseasoned 
state,  thus  doing  something  more  than  having  their  trouble  and  expense 
for  nothing. 

Geranium-leaves  Spotted  (M.  L.).—lt  strikes  us  that  your 
plants  have  got  the  spot,  from  cold  and  damp ;  and  if  the  age  of  the 
leaves  does  not  deceive  us,  the  frost  has  also  paid  thera  a  visit.  You 
did  right  in  removing  the  worst  at  once,  and,  most  likely,  all  will  have  to 
go  ;  though,  to  keep  the  plants  alive,  you  had  better  do  so  by  degrees. 
A  higher  temperature,  say  50*^  to  55°,  and  plenty  of  air  in  suitable 
weather,  will  restore  them  if  not  too  far  gone,  but  it  is  not  easily  got  rid 
of,  as  it  becomes  constitutional  if  let  alone.  We  cannot  say  anything 
as  to  your  supposed  reasons;  for  though  your  writing  seems  admirable 
at  first  sight,  and  many  words  are  extremely  plain,  there  are  others 
which,  after  repeated  trials,  we  have  been  unable  to  decipher  so  as  to 
make  sense  out  of  them. 

Select  Lists  of  Greenhouse  Plants  (S.  0.),—-'\Ve  think  Mr. 
Appleby  promised  a  list  some  time  ago.  Such  lists  have  often  been 
given,  and  will,  no  doubt,  be  repeated  to  please  you,  though  they  seem 
the  driest  and  most  useless  things  we  have  had  to  do  with.  Do  we  quite 
understand  you  that  the  "more  select  the  list,  the  better  it  will  be," 
when  the  chief  reason  you  assign  for  obtaining  it,  is  the  severe  winter 
having  killed  so  many  of  the  plants  usually  grown  in  Peacheries  and 
Vineries  ?  Did  you  want  a  list  for  a  definite  purpose  we  would  at  once 
endeavour  to  supply  you,  though  we  repeated  an  old  tale  to  old  readers. 
Very  select  greenhouse  plants  are  rather  more  easily  lost  than  those 
usually  kept  in  Vineries,  &c. 

Bees  rejecting  Food  {Honey  Bee).— Your  hives  that  refuse  to  take 
the  food  given  thera,  are,  in  all  probability,  not  in  need  of  it;  but  the 
weight  will  decide.  We  would,  at  any  rate,  induce  them  by  some  means 
to  take  the  food.  Feed  the  other  hives  liberally;  give  them  at  least  two 
pounds  per  week.  Send  a  stamped  directed  envelope  to  J.  H.  Payne, 
Esq.,  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  and  some  seed  of  Leucantha  will  be  inclosed 
to  you. 

Golden  Pheasants  (F.  ^F.).— For  hatching  and  rearing  these 
employ  Bantams,  or  a  small  breed  of  White  Silk  Fowls.  The  latter  are 
not  to  be  surpassed  for  this  purpose. — W. 

Pullet  Dying  on  Nest  (£.).— The  pullet  forwarded  died  of 
apoplexy,  the  ])redisposing  cause  being  extreme  fatness  ;  a  dietary  con- 
sisting in  great  part  of  Indian  corn  meal,  and  pea  racal,  &c.,  is  far  too 
fattening  and  stimulating  for  fowls  kept  in  an  aviary.  Indian  corn  con- 
tains, on  the  average,  three  times  as  much  fatty  material  as  barley,  and  is 
not,  therefore,  if  given  abundantly,  a  good  food  for  laying  hens,  especially 
as  it  is  not  very  rich  in  those  flcsh-forraing  materials  out  of  which  eggs 
are  formed. — W.  B.  Tegetmeier. 

Hogg's  Edging  Tiles  {An  Amateur). — Wc  have  received  a  report 
from  Mr.  O.  Townscnd,  of  Fordham,  Cambridgeshire,  in  which  he  states 
that  Hogg's  Edging  Tiles,  which  were  laid  down  in  September  last, 
"areas  sound,  after  having  endured  the  late  severe  frost,  as  the  day 
they  were  first  put  down."  Those  which  were  placed  in  "  the  Society's 
Garden"  were  of  a  different  construction,  and  manufactured  of  aditfcrent 
description  of  clay  from  those  which  arc  referred  to  above. 


CALENDAR   FOR   MARCH. 


FLOWER-GARDKN. 

Annuals  (Tender),  such  as  the  Portuluccas,  Mcsembryanthemums, 
Lobelias,  &c.,  sow,  b.;  (Hardy),  xow  on  dry  borders,  b.  and  e.;  finish 
transplanting  autumn-sown  annuals.    Biunnials,  sow,  c.    Climbers, 


half-hardy,  aa  Maurandya,  Lophospennum,  &c.,  pot  and  train,  b.,  to 
have  strong  for  next  May  planting.  Cuttings  ;  push  on  the  propagation 
of  cuttings,  and  transplant  them  as  fast  as  they  root.  Cuttings  from 
Rose  prunings,  plant  in  the  shade.  Dahlias,  'sow,  and  force  old  roots 
for  stock,  b.  Dress  every  part  within  the  boundary  as  carlv  as  you  can. 
Edgings  of  all  sorts  finish  olT  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  off  from 
plants  you  want  cuttings  from,  b.  Fini>h  all  the  PLANTiNcand  Spring 
Pruning  of  trees  and  shrubs,  and  all  necessary  alterations,  as  soon  as 
the  weather  will  permit.  Grass,  and  white  and  small  yellow  Cloveu 
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  come  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  fieshy-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  ;  gee  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  lew  strong  ones  may  be  left  unpruned  till  April,  to  bloom 
later;  but  this  plan  is  radically  bad  and  not  necessary  now  with  our 
perpetuals.  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 
in  heat,  transplant  as  soon  as  you  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 
roses.    Turf,  lay.  jj.  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° 
to  "5°.  Cherries,  use  moderation;  keep  a  humid  air;  temp.,  5i>°  to 
60^  artificiafheat ;  ventilate  freely.  Figs,  much  as  Peac/ies;  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  Sulphur.  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,  re-arrange  and  increase  temperature.  Red 
Spider,  see  Sulphur.  Strawderries,  introduce  successions,  water 
liberally,  keep  near  the  air  and  light.  BIelons,  bottom-heat  75°  to  80'^, 
air-heat  70°  to  80°;  thin  the  Vine  well.  Sulphur,  apply  at  least 
monthly  in  all  structures.  Temperature,  allow  S°  or  10°  advance  in 
heat  during  sunshine.  Vermin,  entrap.  Vines,  early-train,  stop,  thin 
berries,  tie  ehoulders  ;  do  not  forget  the  sulphur.  Watering,  attend 
to  'iaily-  R,  Krrington. 

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;  drcas  the  walls 
with  sulphur  paint.  Raspberries,  still  plant,  prune,  stake,  and  top- 
dress.  Root-pruning  may  stillbedone.  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  A'rH//i7)i',  proceed  according 
to  the  degree  of  development  of  the  bud,  taking  each  kind  the  moment 
the  buds  actually  begin  to  expand.  R,  Ebrington, 


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.  Bulbs 
and  Tuberous  roots,  introduce,  and  water  more  freely;  start  the  various 
kinds  ofAchimencs,  Gesnera,  and  Gloxinia,  in  hotbed;  seeds  of  the 
latter,  sown  now,  will  give  nice  little  flowering  plants  for  thii  autumn  and 
winter,  if  you  can  give  them  hc.it.  Calceolarias  and  Cinerarias, 
water  more  freely;  give  manure  water  to  those  flowering  and  showing 
their  flower-stalks;  shade  in  sunny  weather;  shift  tor  succession 
Camellias  and  Azaleas,  water  more  plentifully  when  in  bloom  ;  keep 
those  intended  for  late  blooming  as  cool  and  shaded  as  possible,  so  th.it 
frost  docs  not  injure  them.  Diosma,  Epacrks,  Heaths,  give  abun- 
dance 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.  Habrotuamnus  elegans  is 
now  a  pretty  object,  grown  in  a  pot,  or  trained  against  u  jiillar.  Hot- 
beds, prepare  for  sowing  Primula  seeds,  and  any  other  desirable  green- 
house plants,  raising  cuttings,  sowing  seeds,  or  striking  cuttings  of  the 
commoner  sorts  for  stocks  on  which  to  inarch  or  graft  Corrcas,  Oranges, 
Camellias,  &c.;  the  grafting  of  sucli  plants  is  easily  cflcctcd  in  such  a 
sweet,  moist  hotbed,  and  does  r.wny  with  much  of  the  trouble  of  inarch- 


Fkbbuauy  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


411 


ing.  Sucli  n  bed  will,  also,  be  neceaanry  for  starting  Cockscombs  and 
JJalsams,  &c.  Strong,  eiirly,  winter-flowering  Puimulas  ahould  be 
sown  tbe  end  of  this  month  ;  and  Cinrrarias  intended  for  tlie  same 
purpose  tbe  month  following.  Insects,  destroy.  Leaves  and  Stems, 
clean  ;  a  little  soap  and  water  is  a  great  auxiliary  for  removing  all  kinds 
of  filth  ;  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 off.  Soil,  prepare,  turn,  and  expose  for  a  general  shifting  about 
the  end  of  the  month  ;  but  do  not  knock  about  fresh  soil  intended  for 
potting  so  as  to  shake  the  fibre  out  of  it.  Primula  sinensis  will  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  bouquet. 
Train  large  plants  of  Pelargoniums  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  them,  keeping  in  mind  whether 
the  flowers  are  produced  on  young  or  old  wood ;  train  daily  tliose  on 
trellisses  ;  and,  as  the  season  is  now  getting  on,  let  neatness,  order,  and 
cleanliness,  everywhere  prevail.  Watering  will  now  be  more  wanted, 
and  a  molstish  atmosphere  in  clear  weather,  to  counteract  the  drying 
etTecta  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  skins. 
Unless  in  extreme  cases  fire-heat  will  not  be  so  much  wanted,  Old 
Scarlet  Geraniums,  stored  past,  should  now  be  brought  into  the  light, 
top-dressed,  &c.  R.  Fish, 

ORCHID  HOUSE. 

Abrides,  and  other  similar  Indian  plants,  will  this  month  be  growing 
rapidly ;  give  them  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  abundantly  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  hard  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  be  growing.  Dendrobes,  see  last  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,  70° 
by  night,  Mexican  House,  70°  to  75°  by  day,  6o°  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  Aie, 
keep  up  a  large  amount  of,  by  keeping  the  walks,  platforms,  and  walls 
frequently  flooded.  Potting,  proceed  with,  and  finish  before  the  end  of 
the  month.  Now  is  the  time  to  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.  Stanhofeas,  now  growing,  put  in  fresh  compost  in  large 
baskets.  Steam,  where  possible,  admit  amongst  the  plants.  Watering 
at  the  Root  must  now  be  regularly  given,  but  care  taken  that  it 
does  not  lodge  upon  the  leaves  or  in  the  hollow  of  the  young  shoots. 

T.  Appleby. 


PLANT  STOVE. 

AcHiMENES  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,  repct,  and  place  in  heat.  Aphelandras,  repot.  Baskets. 
Place  in  these  JEschynanthus,  Achimenes,  some  Lj/copodiums,  and  other 
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,  Climbers  will  now  be  growing  fast;  attend  to 
training  and  thinning  shoots;  in  pots  place  fresh  trellisses  to,  and  keep 
the  plants  constantly  trained  around  them.  Cuttings  continue  to  put 
in  ;  pot  off  such  as  have  rooted.  Heat,  increase  to  70°  by  day,  6o°  by 
night ;  winter-blooming  plants  gone  out  of  bloom  cut  in  severely,  and 
place  in  a  cool  house  to  rest.  Ixoras,  repot,  stop,  and  tie  out;  place 
them  in  a  frame  heated  with  dung;  here  they  grow  rapidly  and  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  frequently  washed  out,  and  every  yellow  leaf  removed,  every  plant 
neatly  tied,  and  decaying  flowers  removed  as  they  occur, 

T.  Appleby. 


FLORISTS'  FLOWERS. 

Anemonibs,  double,  protect  from  frost.  Auriculas  and  Poly- 
anthuses will  now  be  showing  their  flower-stems.  In  this  stage 
they  will  require  constant  attention.  Top-dressing,  if  not  done,  must 
be  finished  the  first  week  ;  water  regularly  in  pretty  liberal  quan- 
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  encourage 
growth.  Calceolarias,  repot,  prick  out  seedlings,  give  plenty  of  air 
to,  and  smoke  frequently  with  tobacco.  Carnations  and  Picotbbs, 
put  into  their  blooming  pots.  Search  the  soil  over  minutely  to  find 
wireworms,  and  destroy  thera  previously  to  using.  Place  thera  when 
potted  upon  a  bed  of  coal-ashea,  with  a  convenience  of  hoops  and  mats 
to  shelter  them  from  severe  weather.  Should  mildew  appear,  dust  with 
sulphur ;  and  destroy  green  fly  with  tobacco-water  or  Scotch  snuff. 
Cinerarias  finish  potting,  b. ;  smoke  frequently  to  destroy  every  green 


fly  soon  as  it  appears;  water  freely,  and  shade  from  bright  sun  as  tlie, 
flowers  open.  Ciirysantiiemums  pot  off  into  small  potn  and  repot,  b. 
in  a  aize  larger.  Dahlias,  all  intended  to  be  potted  should  now  he 
done  ;  pot  off  cuttings  as  soon  as  rooted,  and  put  in  more  cuttings  if 
required.  Divide  the  old  roots,  leaving  a  bud  or  two  to  each  division; 
place  each  division  in  a  pot,  and  allow  them  to  grow  ulowly  till  planting 
time  ;  a  cold  frame,  well  protected  from  frost,  will  be  shelter  enough  for 
them.  Fuchsias,  repot;  cuttings  may  yet  be  put  in.  Begin  to  train 
early,  in  order  to  form  well-shaped  plants.  Hyacinths  ;  tie  the  flower- 
stems  to  sticks,  to  prevent  the  winds  from  breaking  them  off;  continue 
to  shelter  the  bed  by  hoops  and  mats.  Hollyhocks,  plant  out  where 
they  are  to  bloom  ;  place  a  mulch  of  short  litter  round  each  plant. 
Pansies,  top-dress  ;  in  pots,  lay  down  the  shoots  round  the  plant,  cut 
the  stems  half  through  to  induce  roots;  shelter  from  heavy  rains  and 
severe  frosts.  Pelargoniums,  pot  youne  plants ;  top-dress  old  oncn, 
and  tie  out  to  form  large,  spreading  specimens;  smoke  frequently,  to 
destroy  green  fly  ;  when  the  flower  buds  appear,  give  liquid-manure 
every  third  time  watering.  Pinks,  top-dress,  b.,  if  not  klone  last  month. 
Ranunculuses  may  yet  be  planted,  b. ;  shelter  the  bed  from  heavy 
rain,  frost,  hail,  or  snow.  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  frost  intervenes  at  night,  and  no  protection 
is  given,  the  young  leaves  will  be  much  injured.  Verbbnas,  in  pots  for 
exhibition,  repot,  tie  out,  and  nip  off  the  tups  of  the  shoots;  shelter  both 
these  and  those  intended  to  plant  out  from  frost  ;  smoke  frequently  to 
keep  down  green  fly,  and  syringe  occassonally  with  sulphur-water  to 
destroy  or  prevent  the  red  spider ;  put  in  cuttings  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  Rosps,  -ind 
place  those  in  pots  in  a  warm  house,  to  be  coming  on  for  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  them  up  with  some  kind  of  tool  or  other,  as  a  plant  thus 
transplanted  always  suffers  so  much  less  than  a  plant  drawn  from  the 
seed-bed.  Angelica,  sow,  or  plant,  e.,  autumn-sown.  Alexanders, 
sow, m. ore.  Asparagus,  sow  or  plant,  e. ;  and  dress  off  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 eartii-stir  autumn-sown,  and  thin  out.  Borecole, 
sow,  m.  Brocoli,  sow  a  little  of  the  early  kinds,  and  mark  any  favorite 
kinds  for  seed.  Burnet,  plant  or  sow.  Cabbages. — Any  early  kinds 
may  be  sown,  or  Red  Dutch,  should  plants  be  wanted.  Capsicums,  sow, 
to  forward  in  hotbed,  b.  Cabdoons,  sow,  e.,  for  first  crop.  Carraway, 
sow.  Carrots,  sow  for  early  crops;  attend  to  thinning-out  those  in 
growth,  and  earth-stirring  ;  sowings  of  the  Early  Horn  may  still  be  made 
on  gentle  hotbeds.  Cauliflowers,  plant  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  erop,m., 
and  prick  out  early-sown  on  gentle  hotbed  j  leave  for  seed.  Chamo- 
mile, plant.  Chervil,  sow;  save  seed  from  autumn  sown.  Chives 
may  be  divided,  and  planted  out.  Clary,  sow,  e.  Cress  (American), 
sow.  Composts,  prepare.  Coriander,  bow.  Corn  Salad,  sow. 
Cucumbers,  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  plant.  Earth-stirring,  attend  to  in  all  cases,  andoften. 
Fennel,  bow  or  plant.  Garlic,  finish  planting.  Hoeing,  attend  to  in 
dry  days.  Horehound,  plant  or  sow.  Horseradish,  finish  planting. 
Hyssop,  sow,  or  take  up  and  divide  old  roots.  Jerusaleji  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  Knotted 
Marjoram,  sow  a  little  for  early  use.  Marjoram  (Common  Garden), 
divide  and  plant  out.  Melons,  sow  in  succession,  and  ridge  out ;  attend 
to  earthing-up,  training,  &c.,  the  early  crops.  Mint,  plant.  Mush- 
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,  bow,  e.  Onions,  sow  the  main  crop  ;  plant  for  seed,  b,  ; 
also  finish  planting  the  Underground  or  Potato  Onion  ;  also  the  Tret- 
Onion  ;  and  look  over  those  in  the  store.  Orach,  sow.  Parsley,  both 
kinds,  sow.  Parsnips,  sow,  b.  Peas,  bow  in  succession  ;  the  beginning 
of  this  month,  is  a  good  season  to  sow  any  of  the  tall  kinds  ;  earth-stir, 
or  earth-up,  and  attend  to  sticking,  &c.  Pennyroyal,  plant.  Pota- 
toes, finish  planting,  either  in  hotbed  or  open  quarter.  Radishes, 
BOW  in  succession  ;  attend  to  thinning-out  young  crops.  Rajipion,  sow. 
Rape,  sow  common,  and  edible-rooted,  e.  Rhubarb,  sow  or  plant,  b. 
llocHAMBOLE  and  Rosemary,  plant.  Rue,  plant.  Sage,  plant. 
Shallots,  finish  planting.  Salsafy  and  Scorzonera,  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  successional 
and  late  crops.  Skibrets,  sow,  e.  Succory,  sow.  Sorrel,  plant  or 
sow.  Spinach,  sow  in  succession.  Tansey  and  Tarragon,  plant. 
Thyme,  sow  or  plant.  Tomatoes,  sow  in  hotbed,  e.  Turnips,  make  a 
small  sowing  two  or  three  times  during  the  month.  T.  Weaver 


London:  Printed  by  Harry  Wooldridge,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar ;  and  Published  by  William 
Somerville  Ore,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Paiisb  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— February  23rd,  1854. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER.— ADVERTISEMENTS. 


EDWAED   GEORGE    HENDERSON   AND    SON 

hez  to  inform  their  patrons  and  the  public,  that  their  CATALOGUE  of 
SEEDS  for  1854  ia  now  ready,  anil  will  be  forwarded,  "  post-free,"  on 
application. 

E.  G.  H.  and  Son  take  this  opportunity  of  informing  their  patrons, 
that  none  but  the  most  popular  and  imjirovcd  kind  of  Vegetable  Seeds 
appear  in  their  list;  and  among  the  Flower  Seeds,  only  those  whose 
beauty  and,  merit  is  universally  aeknowledged  ;  together  with  a  careful 
selected  stock  of  the  principal  New  Varieties. 

E.  G,  H.  and  Son  beg  respectfully  to  call  particular  attention  to  the 
following  Choice  Seeds  of  Florist  Flowers,  which  they  can  confidently 
recommend  as  being  selected,  from  a  Choice  Collection  of  Named  Flowers 
of  extra  merit ;  and  also  the  annexed  New  Annuals  : — 

CHOICE    FLORIST    FLOWERS. 

PER    PACKET. 


Antirrhinum,  fine  mixed,  -id 
Balsam,  Camellia  flowered,  6d 
Calceolaria,  extra  fine,  2s  6d  &  5s 
Cineraria,  ditto,  Is  Gd  &  2s  Gd 
Carnation,  fine,  Is  6d 
Dahlia,  Is 


Geranium,  fancy  vars.,  2s  Gd  &  5s 

Hollyhock,  Is 

Pansey,  Is  Cd 

Petunia,  Is 

Pink,  ls6d 

IVIimulus,  fine  spotted  varieties,  6d 

CHOICE     FLOWERS. 


NEW    AND    OTHER 

PER    PACKET. 

Nycterinea    capensis,     splendid 

(new),  Is 
Nycterinea  selaginoides,  4d 

,,  villoaa,  4d 

Nolana  grandillora  alba,  4d 
(Enothera      prostrata,      bedding 

plant,  4d 
Portulucca,    new    orange     (not 

aurea),  6d 
Portulucca,  new  rose,  Gd 
Primula   sinensis    fimbriata   alba, 

2s  (id 
Primula  sinensis   fimbriata  rubra, 

2s  Gd 
Rhodanthe  Manglesii,  Gd 
Schizanthus      Grahami     carnea 

(new J ,  Gd 
Schizanthus  retusa,  4d 

,,  J,         alba,  4d 

Stock,  Scarlet  Intermediate,  Gd 
Stock,     Pyramidal    Wallflower- 
leaved,  Cd 
Stock,  new  large-flowered  German, 

extra  fine  (in  collections),  2s  Gd 
TropcGolum  Triomphe  de  Gaud.Gd 
Digitalis,   very   tine    new  spotted 

varieties,  Gd 
Phlox  Drummondiialbaoculata,  Is 
,,  ,,  coeciuea,  Is 

,,  ,,  Leopoldiana,  6d 

alba,  Gd 


Abronia  urabellata,  Is  6d 
Anagallis  azurca  grandiflora,  Is 

,,         rubra  ,,  Is 

Arctotis  breviscapa,  extra  fine,  fid 
AsLur,  nnw  dwarf  German  Pyra- 
midal, in  collections,  Gs 
Aster,  new  French  Peony  flowered, 
Pyramidal,  in  collection"*,  Ss  Gd 
Balsam,  new  double  pale  yellow,  Is 

,,        ,,     aurora.  Is 
Collinsia    bicolor    atrorubens 

(new),  Gd 
Collinsia  Bartsio'folia,  4d 
Clintonia  pulchella,  Gd 

alba,  Gd 
,,  ,,  atropurpurea 

(new),  Is 
Eucnide  Bartonioides,  Gd 
Erysimum  Arkansanum  ('new).  Is 
Grammanthes  Gentianoides,  Gd 
,,  ,,  lutea,  fid 

,,  ,,        variegata,  Gd 

Humca  elegans.  Gd 
liCptosiphon  luteum  (new),  Is  fid 
Linum  grandi!lorumrubrum(newJ, 

Is  Gd 
Lobelia  ramosa,  large  blue,  4d 

,,  ,,  alba  (new),  6d 

Maurandya  elegans.  superb,  Gd 
Mignonette,  new  large  flowering, 3d 
,,  tree,  Is 


Febru/ir?/,  1854. 
WELLINGTON     NURSERY,     ST,   JOHN'S    WOOD,    LONDON. 


SELECTED  GAEDEN  SEEDS -We  beg  to  offer 

the  following  Collections  of  Garden  Seeds: —  .■£'   s.  d. 

No.  I  ■ — A  complete  collection,  suitable  for  a  large  garden       . .  3    0    0 
2. — A  collection  of  equally  choice  varieties,  but  smaller 

c|uar.tities       1   10     0 

3. — A  collection  suitable  for  a  small  garden  . .         ..          ..  0  15     0 

Nos.   I  and  2  collections  will  be  sent  carriage  free  to  any  Railway 
Station  in  Entjland  or  Wales. 

.?.  C.  WHEELER  &  SONS,  Seed  Merchants,  Gloucester. 


IMPROVEMENT  OF  GRASS  LANDS. 

SUTTON'S  EENOVATING  GKASS  SEEDS  FOE 

IMPROVING  OLD  PASTURES,— Many  Old  Upland  Pastures,  Parks, 
and  RIeadows,  are  nearly  destitute  of  Clovers  and  the  finer  and  more 
nutritious  sorts  of  Grasses,  in  which  case  we  are  in  the  practice  of 
furnishing  such  sorts  only  as  are  wanting.  If  the  Seeds  are  sown  early 
in  the  nenmn,  the  improvement  in  the  Pasture  will  be  very  considerable, 
and  at  a  small  expense. 

The  foliowing  is  similar  to  mamj  other  letters  receincd  from  former 
purchaaevs : — 

From  D.  T.  Cumjnghame,  Esq.,  Welleshourne,  Warwick,  Nov.  1852. 

"The  meadows  that  were  renovated  with  your  Seeds  are  looking 
very  well.  I  cut  nearly  2  tons  of  hay  to  the  acre,  and  three  years  ago 
the  same  land  hardly  produced  half-a-ton  per  acre.  The  Garden 
Seeds  I  have  had  from  you  exceed  by  far  any  that  I  have  bought  else- 
where." 

Quantity  of  Seed  required,  8  lbs.  to  12  Vis.  per  acre.  Price  Is,  pe)-  lb.. 
Carriage  Free. 

Address,  .JOHN  SUTTON  &  SONS,  Seed  Growers,  Reading,  Berks. 

N.B. — We  have  a  very  fine  Stock  of  Mangold  Wurtzcl  and  Carrot 
Seed,  and  other  Agricultural  Seeds. 


REWDIE'S   UEW   PRICE   CURRENT   for  1854 

should  be  obhiiiied  by  all  who  liare  Gardens,  whellier  small  or  large. 
It  will  he  found  to  be  a  correct  and  nsefal  Guide  tu  llie  amafnir  and 
young  gardener ;  a  remembrancer  to  the  more  advanced  in  horticulture, 
and  a  source  nf  reference  to  all. 

Can  he  obtained  from  the  London  Publishing  Office,  294,  STRAND; 
price  Sixpence,  or  from  the  Proprietors,  WILLIAM  E.  RENDLK  and 
CO.,  Seed  Merchants,  Plymouth.  Estauhbhed  J7bG. 


CHOICE    SEEDS. -BASS    &    BEOWN'S    NEW] 

SEED  AND  PLANT  LIST  is  now  complete,  supphed   free  for  three    i 
penny  stamps. 

FINE  NEW  PEAS  of  the  last  and  present  year*  t  introduction. 

s.   d. 

Waite's  Daniel  O'RourUc,  very  early        2    6  per  quart 

Fairheard's   Nonpareil,    earlier  than   the   Champion   of 

England,  rich  flavour 5    0        „ 

Sangster's  No.  1,  2:J  feet,  very  early,  prolific,  and  fine  ..2     0        ,, 
Stuart's  Paradise,  4  feet,  a  very  fine,  large,  long-podded 
marrow,  three  weeks  before  Thurston's  Reliance,  or 

other  Peas  of  the  same  character         2    0        „ 

Hairs'  Defiance,  4  feet,  fine,  new  wrinkled  marrow       ..20        ,, 

The  three  last -men  Honed  were  grown  last  season  by  ourselves,  and 
we  can  recommend  each  of  them  as  an  acquisition.  Sangster's  No,  1 
and  Stuart's  Paradise  are  included  in  the  collection  below, 

BASS  AND  BROWN'S  ASSORTED  COLLECTIONS   OF  VEGE- 
TABLE SEEDS.— The  following  comprise  the  best  in  cultivation,  in- 
cluding several  new  sorts  of  first-rate  quality: — 
No.  1.— Collection  for  a  large  garden,  containing  20  quarts  of 

Peas,  in  20  best  sorts,  and  all  other  Vegetable  Seeds  in   £  s.   d. 

proportion,  sufficient  for  one  year's  supply 3     0    0 

No.  2. — Collection  in  smaller  proportion 2    0    0 

No.  3.— Collection  ditto  16    0 

No.  4. — Collection  of  choice  kinds  for  a  small  garden  ..         ..     0  15    0 
If  any  sorts  of  Vegetables  are  not  wished  for,  enlarged  quantities  of 
others  will  be  sent  to  make  up  the  amount.     Goods  Caekiage   Fkee 
(not  under  20s)  to  all  the  London  Termini. 

Seed  and  Horticoltural  Establishment.  Sudbdry,  Suffolk. 

SEEDS— Carriage  Free— WILLIAM  E.  RENDLE 

and  CO.  have,  from  the  very  extensive  juilro?iage  they  have  received' 
been  induced  this  season  to  offer  the  following  liberal  arrangement  to  all 
who  purchase  Seeds  from  their  Estublisbmcnt. 

All  orders  ABOVE  ^'5  will  be  DELIVERED  CARRIAGE 
FREE  TO  AKY  RAILWAY  STATION  in  ENGLAND  or  WALES, 
AND  TO  AMY  STEAM  PORT  IN  ENGLAND,  WALES,  IRELAND, 
OK  SCOTLAND. 

Two  or  three  purchasers  joining  together  will,  therefore,  have  the 
advantage  of  having  their  orders  delivered  free  of  any  cost  far  carriage. 

BENDLE'S  PRICE  CURRENT  foe  1854  should  be  obtained  by  all 
who  have  gardens,  or  who  take  an  interest  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil. 

GENUINE  SEEDS- J.  S- HAYWOOD'S  Catalogue 

of  Vegetable  and  Flower  Seeds  for  the  present  Year  is  now  ready,  and 
may  be  had  gratis.  Having  tested  the  growing  qualities  of  his  Seeds, 
J.  S.  HAYWOOD  flatters  himself  they  will  be  found,  as  usual,  superior 
to  most  in  quality,  and  cheap  as  any  in  price. 

26,  Broad  Street,  and  Lower  Wick  Nursery,  Worcester. 
Established  175fi. 

"WHEELEE'S  SHOET  SELECT  SEED  LIST."- 

J.  C.  WHEELER  &  SON'S  SEED  hlST  is  now  ready,  and  will  he 
forwardedfree  on  application.  We  have  fried  to  make  it  as  short  and  as 
select  as  possible,  leaving  out  the  names  of  allinferior  varieties,  so  that  it 
is  really  a  List  of  the  best  Seeds  in  cultivation.  Grasses  and  other  Agri' 
cultural  Seeds,  Garden  and  Flower  Seeds,  all  described,  and  prices  put 
to  every  article.  We  delivei'  our  Seeds  Carriage  Free  to  almost  every 
Railway  Station  in  the  kingdom,  and  take  especial  care  that  every  sort 
we  send  out  is  true  to  name,  and  of  the  best  quality. 

J.  0.  WHEELER  &  SONS,  Seed  Klerchants  Glouceater. 

SHETJBS,  FEUIT,^n'd  FOEEST  TEEES,  SEEDS, 

&c. :— Sycamore,  Chesuut,  Walnut-trees,  r>  feet  high,  3d  each  ;  Laurels, 
2d  each;  Privet,  Id  each,  4  feet  high  ;  Red,  White,  and  Black  Currants. 
3  feet  liigh,  4d  each;  Ilex  Oak,  English  Yew,  Cypress,  Variegated 
Holly,  Gold  and  Silver-leaf  Euonymus,  Arborvitw,  Honeysuckles,  Cle- 
matis, Virginian  Creepers,  Laburnum,  Lilacs,  BIoss  and  Running  Rosea, 
Berberis,  Double-blossom  Furze,  Cotoneaster,  in  j)ots,  at  fid  each ;  Es- 
callonia  macrantha,  Is  each ;  Standard  Roses,  Is  each  ;  Flowering 
Almonds,  2s  (id  each  ;  Tulip  Tree,  2s  each  ;  Cryptomeria  japonica.  3s 
each  ;  Bos-edging,  -Id  per  yard.  Every  other  Shrub,  Flower,  or  Tree,  at 
equally  low  prices. 

At  W.  CULLINGFORD'S,  1,  Edmund-tcrrace,  Ball's-pond-road, 
Islington,  London.     Flower  and  Vegetable  Seeds  of  every  kind. 

PYRAMIDAL  PEAR-TREES  ON  THE~  QUINCE 

STOCK.— J.  and  ,T.  ERASER,  Nurserymen,  Lea  Bridge  Road,  Essex, 
beg  to  otfer  the  above  in  fine  strong  Trees,  and  such  as  would  fruit  the 
first  and  second  year  after  planting,  at  the  undernamed  prices.  These 
Pears  are  remarkable  for  their  compact  style  ol  growth  and  prolillc 
bearing.  The  collection  comprises  the  toliowing  line  sorts -.—Beurre 
d' Amaulis,  Beurre  Die),  Benrrc  Grise  d'  Hiver,  Noveau,  William's  Bun 
Chretien,  White  Doyenne,  Forolle,  or  Front  Pear,  Glout  Hlorceau, 
Hacon's  Incomiiarable,  Jargonelle,  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey,  Marie 
Louise,  and  Napoleon,     Price  Ss  Gd  to  -Is  fid. 

January  13.  18fi4. 

KnXpIiILL  nursery,  WOKING,  SURREY- 

WATERER  and  GODFREY,  Nephews  and  Successors  to  the  late 
Hosea  Waterer,  respectfully  invite  the  attention  of  parties  engaged 
in  i>lanting  to  the  following  list:  — 

Araucaria  imbricata,  2,  3,  4,  .1,  and  6  feet  high,  in  the  open  quarters, 
regularly  removed  every  year,  and  as  robust  ami  handsome  us  it  is  possi- 
ble to  get  them.     We  have  a  large  stock. 

Cryptomeria  japonica,  2,  3,  4.  5,  (i.  to  S^ feet.  ^^ 

TO    APIAEIANS.— Por  Sale,  an  excellent  stock 

of  BICES,  consisting  of  Four  Double  Hives,    all   strong  and   healthy 

To  be  had  upon  very  moderate  terms,  with  Feeders,  Caps,  *tc.,if  rciiuired. 

AddresB,  '*  7/,"  care  of  Mr.  Ltmo>i)  Htfltioncr,  Teddlnglon,  Middlese)!. 


Mauoh  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


413 


MARCH  2—6,    1854. 

Wbathke  nbak  London  in  1653. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun 
Sets. 

Iloon 
R,  &S. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Clock 
bf.  Sun. 

Bay  of 
Year.   : 

M 
D 

W 

Barometer. 

Thermo.jWind. 

Rain  in 
Inches. 

2 
3 
4 
5 
0 

7 
8 

Ta 

F 

S 

Son 

M 

Tn 

W 

Drassus  ater ;  stones, 
Clubiona  lapidicola. 
Aranea  domestica  ;  house, 
I   Sdnday  in  Lent. 
Forbicina  polypoda ;  stones. 
Cicindela  campestris ;  paths. 
Emb£;r  Week. 

29.503—29.339 
30.087-29.810 
30.113—29.982 
29.840-29.838 
29.897—29.862 

29.937—29.917 
30.043—29.932 

45—27     N.W. 
40—21     N  E. 

46-35  1    S. 
49—39  ,  S.W. 

55—44  1  S.W. 
54-34   1  S.W. 
50—29     S.W. 

10 

02 
12 
02 
11 
03 

46  a  6 
43 
41 
39 
37 
35 
33 

39  a  5 
41 
43 
45 
46 
48 
50 

9    47 
11       1 
morn. 

0  14 

1  24 

2  30 

3  33 

3 
4 

6 

3 

6 

9 

12    25 
12    13 
II     59 
11     46 
11     33 
11      17 
11       3 

SI 
62 
63 
64 
65 
66 
67 

I^Ibtborology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiswick, from  observations  durina:  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tem- 
peratures of  these  days  are  49°  and  3'2,2°  respectively.  The  Rreatest  heat,  65°,  occurred  on  the  8th  in  1826  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  13°,    on  the 
6th  in  1845.  Durins  the  period  122  days  were  fine,  and  on  67  rain  fell. 

NEW  PLANTS. 

Ceeopegia  Tiuvaitesii  (.1/r.   Thwaites's  Ceropcgia). 


The  name  of  the  genus,  derived  from  Iceros,  wax,  and 
peflc,  a  fountain,  refers  to  the  waxy  appearance  and  form  of 
the  flower,  for  although  in  the  ahove  sketch  the  flowers 
appear  uuexpanded,  yet  they  never  hecorae  more  opened, 
but  retain  this  fountain-head  form.  The  specific  name  is  in 
honour  of  Mr.  Thwaites,  who  sent  the  plant,  in  IS.'il,  from 
Ceylon  to  Kew.  They  belong  to  the  Natural  Order  Ascle- 
piads^  and  to  Pcntandrla  Dlgynia  of  Linnseus.  It  is  not 
unlike  Ceropegia  bulbosa,  as  we  remember  seeing  it  growing 
in  India.  It  flowered  at  Kew  in  September,  18-53.  The 
plant  is  a  twiner;  the  young  stem  and  leaves  are  frequently 
tinged  with  red ;  calyx  of  five  sepals,  green  tinged  with  red  ; 
corolla  with  yellow  tube  funnel-shaped,  "  very  narrow 
below  the  middle,  much  inflated,  and  almost  globose  at  the 
base,  dilated  upwards,  and  there  sprinkled  with  dark,  blood- 
red  spots."  The  root  of  C.  bulbosa  is  solid  and  eatable.  It 
is  a  native  of  the  Coromondel  coast,  and  is. called  by  the 
natives  Manchij-Mandu. — {Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4758.) 


Passiplora  MEDUS.EA  {Medusean  Passion-Jloiver) . 
Believed  to  be  from  Mexico.  It  is  a  climber,  and  blooms 
in  November,  when  trained  along  the  rafter  of  a  stove. 
Leaves  crescent-shaped,  with  two  rows  of  yellow  pellucid 
glands,  from  the  leaf-stalk  towards  the  concave  edge  of  the 
leaf.  Calyx  pale  yellow  green  ;  the  filamentous  crown  pale 
crimson.  Flowers  rather  small.  —  {Botanical  Magazine, 
t.  4702.) 

ClEEHOPETALUM    COENUTUM    {Horn-hearing   Cirrlwpetalnm). 

This  Orchid  is  a  native  of  the  Khasya  Hills  of  eastern 
Bengal,  and  bloomed  at  Kew  in  the  September  of  1853. 
Plowers  in  a  radiating  umbel.  Upper  sepals  yellowish, 
sprinkled  with  purple  ;  lower  ones  purplish,  and  united  so 
as  to  resemble  a  horn.  Odour  like  "  that  of  bad  glue." — 
{Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4753.) 

CoLEUs  B1.UMEI  {Blame's  Coleiis). 
This  is  a  Melissa  or  Balm-like  plant,  chiefly  remarkable 
for  the  leaves,  all  but  their  green  margins  being  of  a  dark 
crimson  or  blood  colour.  The  plant  was  sent  by  Mr.  Low, 
of  the  Clapton  Nursery,  to  Kew  Gardens.  The  flowers, 
purple  and  white,  are  in  long,  upright  clusters  or  racemes. 
It  is  a  native  of  Java.  Sir  W.  Hooker  says ; — "  Nothing  is 
more  easily  cultivated,  and  no  stove  should  be  without  it, 
for  it  flowers  throughout  the  summer,  and  till  the  setting  in 
of  the  winter."  It  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of  Lipworts, 
and  to  Didynamia  Ggmnospermia  of  Linnaeus. — {Botanical 
Magazine,  t.  4754.) 
Dendeobium   cymbidioides    (Cymbidium-like  Dendrobiiim) . 

This  Orchid  is  the  Desmotrichum  cymbidioides  of  Blume, 
but  that  genus  has  been  incorporated  with  Dendrvbium. 
"  Native  of  the  lofty  wooded  mountains  of  Gede  Salak,  in 
Java."  Sepals  and  petals  yellow,  labellum  white,  sprinkled 
near  the  base  with  purple. — {Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4755.) 
Billbeegia  thyesoidea  {Dense-flowered  Billbergia). 

This  Pine-applewort  is  a  native  of  rocky  places  near  Eio 
Janeiro.  It  was  sent  to  the  Kew  Gardens  by  Messrs.  Hen- 
derson, of  the  Niursery,  St.  John's  Wood.  It  has  erect, 
prickly  -  edged  leaves  two  feet  long.  The  flowers  are 
crimson,  and  in  a  very  dense  bunch  or  thyrse,  and  its  size 
and  beauty  are  increased  by  the  bractes  being  of  the  same 
colour,  and  descending  some  distance  down  the  flower-stem. 
It  is  a  stove  plant,  and  flowered  at  Kew  in  the  November  of 
1853. — {Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4756.) 


Ii  has  been  often  noted  that  the  world  must  be  cir- 
cumnavigated before  a  wasUerwomSn  can  be  comfortably 
at  breakfast  with  tea  and  sugar  in  her  caddy ;  and  now 
it  is  a  truth  as  strange,  that  Cape  Horn  must  bo  doubled 
twice  before  Scotch  farmers  can  excel  in  Wheat  crops. 
Never  was  a  "  truth  stranger  than  fiction  "  more  strange 
than  the  truth,  tliat  those  farmers  now  depend,  in  a 
great  measure,  for  such  crops,  upon  the  manure  made 
by  sea-birds  on  the  furthest — most  western — coast  of 
South  America. 

When  Pizarro   first   conquered   the   country  of  the 
Incas,  he  found  the  Peruvians  using  that  manure  as  a 


fertiliser,  and  among  the  thoughts  which  never  crossed 
his  brain  inost  certainly  were  the  facts,  that  some  three 
centuries  after,  instead  of  Peru  being  the  land  of  gold, 
she  would  derive  a  chief  portion  of  her  revenue  from 
that  dung  of  the  sea-birds !  Yet  such  a  fact  is  only  one 
more  illustration  of  the  truth,  that  all  which  appertains 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  is  a  more  enduring  source 
of  wealth  than  the  veins  of  gold  which  may  traverse 
its  substrata. 

That  our  agriculture  has  greatly  benefited  by  the  use 
of  Guano,  this  "dung  of  the  sea-birds,"  requires  no 
further  proofs  than  are  afibrded  by  the  deputation  of  the 


No.  CCLXXXIII,,  Toi.  XI, 


414 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Makch  2. 


Roynl  Agricultural  Society  which  waited  upon  the 
Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs  ;  and  the  motion 
made  in  the  House  of  Commons,  by  Colonel  Blair, 
during  the  past  month,  urging  upon  our  Government 
the  importance  of  obtaining  this  manure  at  a  cheaper 
rate  from  the  rulei-s  of  Peru.  In  the  course  of  his 
speech,  Colonel  Blair  stated,  that  Guano  was  almost  in- 
dispensable to  Scottish  farmers;  and  the  supply  of  it 
being  at  a  reasonable  rate,  affected,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  the  food  of  the  people ;  "  upwards  of  ten  million 
bushels  of  Wheat  being,  it  was  said,  added  to  the  pro- 
duce of  the  country  by  means  of  this  stimulant  of  the 
soil." 

Now,  we  confess  that  we  are  not  of  the  number  of 
those  who  are  anxious  to  procure  Guano  from  Peru, 
because  the  more  difficulties  there  are  thrown  in  the  way 
of  procuring  it,  and  the  more  costly  it  remains,  by  so 
much  the  more  will  the  science  and  perseverance  of  our 
countrymen  be  excited  to  contrive  for  it  an  eflRcient 
substitute.  If  that  science  and  perseverance  are  so 
directed  and  stimulated,  as  Mr.  Slaney  said  at  the 
last  meeting  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society,  we 
have  "  no  doubt  that  the  time  is  gradually  approaching 
when  such  a  substitute  for  Guano  will  be  found  within 
our  own  resources  as  will  render  us  independent  of  a 
foreign  importation." 

Guano  is  nothing  more  than  the  remains  of  fish  after 
they  have  passed  through  the  digestive  organs  of  birds ; 
and  we  have  not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that,  from  the 
refuse  of  our  fisheries,  including  those  of  the  Sprat, 
Herring,  Pilchard,  Whale,  Seal,  Cod,  &c.,  a  manure  may 
be  prepared  identical  in  fertilizing  effects  with  Guano. 

We  are  confirmed  in  that  opinion  by  the  chemical  re- 
searches  of   Dr.   Apjohn,  communicated  to  the  Royal  i 
Agricultural  Improvement  Society  of  Ireland.     He  ana- 
lysed the  "  Fish  Jlanure"  of  Mr.  Petit,  and  he  found  it 
composed  as  follows : 

Water,  expelled  by  a  heat  of  213° 8.00 

Sand 33 

Oil 2.40 

Organic  Blatter    50.72 

Supei'phosphate  of  Lime 9,S5 

Sulphate  of  Lime,  hydrated 19. (il 

Sulphate  of  Magnesia    71 

Sulphate  of  Potash     2.05 

Sidpliate  of  Soda    2.42 

Chloride  of  Sodium    1.12 

Sulphate  of  Ammonia    , 2.72 

100. 

This  is  a  very  close  approximation  to  Peruvian  Guano, 
and  Dr.  Apjolm  shews  that  if  this  is  worth  ;£  8  :  4  :  1 
per  ton,  then  Petit"s  "  Fish  Manure"  is  worth  £0  for  the 
same  weight. 

Pursuing  his  observations  upon  "  Fish  Manure,"  he 
observes : 

"  If  a  fish  of  any  Idnd  be  subjected  to  an  accurate  chemical 
examination,  it  will  be  found  to  consist  of  water,  oil,  and 
azotized  organic  matter;  and  associated  with  this  latter, 
particularly  in  the  bony  parts,  will  be  found  certain  mineral 
salts,  which  niny  be  insulated  by  calcinatinn,  and  the  aggre- 
gate of  which  constitute  the  calx  or  ash.  Now,  in  connexion 
witli  the  process  of  Sir.  Petit,  it  is  obviously  important  to 
know  the  per  centage  quantities  of  these  diiferent  consti- 
tuents ;  and,  as  far  as  my  infoi-raation  extends,  the  know- 


ledge already  acquired  on  this  subject  is  very  limited — the 
only  analysis  which  I  have  been  able  to  meet  with,  being 
one  of  sjirats,  by  Professor  Way,  pubhshed  iu  Morton's 
"  PJncycloptedia  of  Agriculture,"  aud  one  of  herrings,  due  to 
Mr.  SulUvan,  of  this  city,  and  given  in  an  article  of  Lis, 
headed  "The  Undeveloped  Resom'ces  of  Ireland,"  which 
occurs  in  the  first  number  of  a  monthly  periodical,  brought 
out  under  the  title  of  "  Tlie  .Tournal  of  Industrial  Progress." 
"  T  here  subjoin  the  results  obtained  by  those  chemists. 
The  numbers  for  the  sprats  being  the  means  of  results  ob- 
tained in  lts47  and  l^ls. 


WAY. 

BtlXIVAN. 

Fresh 
Sprats. 

Dry 

Sprats. 

Fresh 
Herrings. 

Dry 
Herrings. 

Water 

04.12 

19.05 

14.72 

2.11 

53.09 

41.02 

5.S9 

07.44 

13.77 

10.39 

2.40 

_ 

Oil    

Azotized  mattei' .... 
Ash 

42-2S 

50.33 

7.39 

Per  centage  of  nitro- 

100 
1.94 

100 
5.40 

100 
2.77 

100 
8.05 

"  The  per  centages  of  nitrogen — viz.,  11.53  and  14.74,  given 
by  Professors  Way  aud  Sullivan,  have  reference,  not  to  the 
dried  fish,  but  to  what  Way  calls  dry  nitrogenous  matter, 
i.e.,  the  dried  fish  minus  the  oil ;  and  they  are,  tlicrel'ore, 
not  found  in  this  table. 

"  Professor  Way  also  gives  the  analysis  of  the  ash,  which  is 
in  the  main  composed  of  the  phosphates  of  lime  and  potash, 
with  alkaline  chlorides,  and  traces  of  magnesia  and  iron, 
and  is  remarkable  for  containing  no  carbonic,  and  but  a 
minute  quantity  of  sulphuric  acid. 

"  Before  I  had  seen  these  analyses,  being  under  the  im- 
pression that  sprats  and  hen'ings  were  the  fish  most  likely 
to  he  used  iu  the  preparation  of  fish  guano,  I  had  resolved 
to  make  them  the  subject  of  a  chemical  examination,  hut 
was  not  at  the  time  (.about  the  10th  of  last  January)  able  to 
obtain  specimens  of  either  in  the  Dublin  market.  I  thought 
however,  it  woitld  not  be  uninteresting  to  experiment  upon 
some  other  varieties  of  fish,  and  I  accordingly  selected  tor 
this  purpose  a  haddock  and  whiting  of  small  size,  nduch 
gave  the  following  results.  The  haddock  weighed  11.0,  and 
the  whiting  10.2  ounces. 


Water 

Oil    

Azotised  matter 
Oil    


Per  centage  of  nitro- 
gen    


HADDOCK. 

WHITING. 

Fresh. 

Dry. 

Fresh. 

Dry. 

74.33 
1.15 

]  9.35 
4.57 

4.48 
77.70 
17.82 

70.18 
2.34 

17.74 
3.74 

9.20 
74.50 
15.70 

100 

100 

100 

100 

Fresh. 
3.53 

Dry. 

13.70 

Fresh. 

3.43 

Dry. 
14.43 

"  The  analysis  of  the  ash  is  not  as  yet  completed. 

*'  Upon  comparing  these  analyses  with  each  other,  the 
haddock  and  whiting  are  found  to  have  very  much  the  same 
composition,  tlie  principal  difference  being  that  the  latter 
contains  better  than  twice  as  mitoh  oil  as  occurs  iu  the 
former.  Rut  wdicn  they  are  compared  with  those  of  Way 
and  Sullivan,  the  discrepancies  are  very  great  indeed.  We 
lind,  for  example,  the  amount  of  water  in  haddiick  and 
whiting  to  be  about  ten  per  cent,  greater  than  in  sprats  or 
herrings,  their  per  centago  of  oil  to  be  in  comparison  quite 
trilling,  and  the  amount  of  their  azoti/.ed  matter  and  ash  to 
be  considerably  higher.  Lastly,  the  amount  of  nitrogen 
found  by  Sullivan  and  Way  is  greatly  less  than  has  been 
yielded  by  my  oxpovimcnis — a  circumstance  easily  under- 
stotid  when  we  Itear  iu  mind  the  very  large  rL'lativo  quantity 
of  oil  iu  herrings,  and  particularly  in  sprats.  I'bis  latter 
being  a  point  of  gi-eat  consequence  in  relotion  to  the  manu- 


March  2. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


415 


facture  we  have  under  disciisslon,  it  will  be  well  to  illustrate 
it  by  collecting  into  a  table  some  of  the  preceding  figures. 

Fresh  sprat    l.!)-t    Dried  sprat    5.40    Deprived  of  oil  and 

dried  si^rats  11.33 
Do.  herring  2.77  Do.  lierring  8.S0  Do.do.  herrings  14.74 
Do. haddock  a.SS  Do.haddockl;1.76  Do. do. haddock  14.40 
Do.  whiting    3.4.3    Do.  whiting  14.43    Do.  do.  whiting  15,82 

"  We  have  now  sufficient  data  for  investigating  the  im- 
portant practical  question  to  which  reference  has  been 
already  made — viz.,  the  number  of  tons  of  fresh  sprats,  her- 
rings, haddock,  or  wliiting,  necessaiy  for  giving  a  single  ton 
of  Petit's  guano.  This  question  may  be  solved  in  more  ways 
than  one ;  but  the  simplest,  and  I  believe  the  most  accurate, 
will  be  to  di^'ide  10.13,  the  per  centage  of  nitrogen  in  the 
fish  guano,  as  determined  by  my  analysis,  by  the  number 
which  represents  tlie  per  centage  of  nitrogen  in  the  fresh 
fish  ;  the  quotient  mil  obviously  represent  how  many  tons 
of  the  latter  will  be  necessary  to  yield  one  of  the  former. 
The  following  are  the  results  of  this  arithmetical  opera- 
tion:— 


In  the  case  of  sprats  . . 
herrings  . . 
haddock  . . 
whiting     . . 


10.13 

1.94 
10.13_ 

2.77~ 
10.13 

3.93 
10.13_ 

3.43 


=5.22 


3.65 


=2.87 


:2,95 


"It  thus  appears  that  one  ton  of  our  fish  guano  will 
require  for  its  production  5.32  tons  of  sprats,  3.65  of  her- 
rings, 2.87  of  haddock,  and  2.95  of  whiting.  I  may  observe, 
too,  that  these  numbers  must  be  not  over,  but  a  little  under 
the  mai'k ;  for  in  Petit's  process,  the  fish,  I  understand,  is 
partially  di-ied  in  a  centrifugal  machine,  and  if  so,  the  liquids 
squeezed  out  must  contain  some  proportion  of  azote." 

We  desire  to  draw  especial  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Dr.  Apjolm,  and  all  other  modern  men  of  science,  found 
their  estimate  of  the  value  of  a  manure  upon  the  amount 
of  ammouia  or  of  nitrogen — the  basis  of  ammonia — which 
it  contains.  This  view  of  the  value  of  manures  was 
published  by  the  writer  of  these  remarks  nearly  thirty 
years  ago,  in  Loudon's  Gardener's  Magazine,  but  we 
note  this,  not  for  the  purpose  of  saying  "  that's  my 
thunder,"  but  for  the  sake  of  pointing  out  the  far  more 
important  fact,  that  all  are  agreed  in  the  estimate  of  the 
great  fertilizing  power  of  ammonia. 

It  has  been  shewn,  that  on  the  roof  of  an  ordinary 
house  enough  rain  and  snow  fall  in  the  course  of 
twelvemonths  to  supply,  if  properly  preserved,  all  its 
inmates  with  water  during  that  period.  So  we  are  quite 
sure  that  the  refuse  and  sewage  of  those  inmates,  if 
properly  accumulated,  are  sufficient  to  manure  the 
gi'ound  necessary  to  supply  them  with  vegetable  food. 

This  is  no  merely  theoretical  view,  but  is  founded 
upon  well-ascertained  facts.  If  all  the  bones  of  the 
butcher's  meat  are  broken  into  very  small  pieces,  and 
thrown  into  a  tank,  and  mixed  with  the  vegetable 
refuse  of  the  garden,  or  allotment,  and  all  the  coal- 
ashes;  and  if  in  another  tank  are  collected  all  the 
house-sewage,  including  that  from  the  sink,  and  the 
water-closet — an  ample  supply  of  manure  will  be  fur- 
nished for  fertilizing  the  ground  required  to  grow 
Wheat  and  garden  vegetables  for  the  family  ;  for  it 
must  be  remembered,  that  the  sewage-manure  must  be 
applied  in  a  liquid  form  ;  and  before  being  applied  to 


the  growing  crops  it  must  be  diluted  with  at  least  five 
times  its  bulk  of  water. 

Of  tho  value  of  such  manure  no  practical  cultivator 
of  the  soil  needs  any  testimony.  It  is  most  rich  in 
ammonia,  and  is,  in  ti'uth,  too  -powerful  to  be  used 
unless  weakened  in  the  way  we  have  named.  For 
those  who  may  need  further  evidence,  we  quote  the 
following  from  the  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Agricul- 
tural Improvement  Society  of  Ireland,  on  the  7th  of 
February  last : — 

"The  Chairman  (LordClonbrock)  then  rose  and  said,  I 
should  hke  to  take  this  opportsnity  of  producing  to  this  meet- 
ing another  sort  of  manure  which  I  had  the  means  of  partially 
testing  myself.  Itis  one  that  is  made  by  the  London  Manure 
Company,  and  is  called  "  urate."  I  believe  the  leai'ned  pro- 
fessor, in  his  analyses,  says,  that  urate  is  not  a  very  accu- 
rate name  for  it,  but  "  ^vill  not  a  rose  by  any  other  name 
smell  just  as  sweet?"  so  call  it  what  we  will,  I  have  proved 
it  to  be  a  very  useful  and  valuable  manure.  I  took  it  at 
first  by  the  recommendations  of  some  practical  agriculturist 
in  my  own  neighbourhood,  who,  having  tested  it,  recom- 
mended it  to  my  notice,  and  I  sent  a  certain  quantity  to 
Dr.  Apjohn,  to  be  analyzed,  and  the  result  was,  that  I  was 
a  Uttle  alarmed  at  the  time,  for  I  was  afraid  it  was  a  poor 
manure,  but  I  merely  read  the  result  of  the  learned  Pro- 
fessor's analyses,  witliout  estimating  the  details  of  the 
analyzed  itself.  Not  being  a  chemist  myself,  I  did  not 
understand  the  actual  value  ;  however,  I  was  determined  to 
give  the  thing  a  fair  and  accurate  trial,  although,  from  my 
analyses,  I  was  afraid  I  had  got  an  inferior  commodity,  for 
we  know  very  well  that  we  are  in  the  habit  of  being  recom- 
mended to  use  manures  which  often  turn  out  very  worthless. 
I  caused  twelve  drills,  therefore,  to  be  opened,  one  half  of 
which  I  dressed  with  Permian  guano,  from  Messrs.  Gibbs, 
of  first-rate  quality,  at  the  rate  of  fom-  cwt.  to  the  acre  ;  I 
thought  with  my  new  manure  the  best  way  would  be  to  put 
in  a  quantity  which  was  an  equivalent  value  to  the  value  or 
price  of  the  Peruvian  guano,  and  I  was  very  much  astonished 
and  agreeably  suiprised  at  the  result,  and  my  tm-nips  got 
up  sooner,  and  my  crop  weighed  considerably  more  than  the 
crop  raised  from  the  guano. 

"  Mr.  Read — I  beg  to  confirm,  my  lord,  what  you  have 
stated  ;  I  did  not  know  anything  of  the  urate  manure  till  I 
received  a  letter  from  Blr.  Persse,  of  Galway,  requesting  I 
would  give  it  a  trial,  and  let  him  know  the  result.  I  did 
this  last  autumn  when  I  was  late  with  some  green  crops. 
He  sent  me  a  ton  of  it,  and  I  applied  it  in  the  proportion 
you  have  mentioned — six  hundred  weight  to  the  acre — and 
the  result  was  quite  beyond  my  expectations.  'The  crop  is 
beyond  an  average  crop,  greater  than  I  have  ever  been  able 
to  grow  with  Peruvian  guano,  and  it  will  be  a  very  profitable 
investment  at  £7  IDs  a  ton.  It  was  coai-se  moor  land  where 
I  tried  it,  and  I  thought  it  would  be  a  failure  on  such  land, 
but,  as  I  had  no  other  manure  for  the  groirad,  I  ventured 
on  it,  and  the  result  was  extraordinary.  I  have  rape  now 
growing  one-and-a-half-feet  high,  which  was  not  sown  tiU 
very  late,  indeed,  in  the  month  of  August. 

"  The  Chairman — I  have  tried  it  with  rape  exactly  in  the 
same  way.  I  tried  it  also  with  rape  and  bones,  but  in 
alternate  drills.  The  bones  produced  comparatively  nothing, 
while,  with  the  urate,  the  rape  was  good.  I  tried  the  urate, 
also,  on  oats  last  year,  and  no  one  could  go  into  the  field 
without  seeing  the  improvement  at  a  distance.  I  have  no 
doubt  of  its  very  great  value  as  a  manure. 

"  The  analyses  of  the  urate  is  in  our  jom-nal,  but  I 
think,  as  I  said  before,  to  the  unleai'ned  reader  that 
analyses  would  rather  disappoint  him  ;  at  least  it  did  me, 
and,  perhaps,  it  may  other  people.  If  Dr.  Apjohn  will  say  a 
few  words  on  it,  perhaps  it  would  answer  the  same  purpose 
as  if  it  were  analyzed  again.  He  will  explain  to  the  meeting 
how  it  is  that  it  is  valuable. 

"  Dr.  Apjohn — With  respect  to  its  being  valuable,  it 
requires  very  little  corroboration  on  my  part.  I  had  never 
any  doubt  that  it  was  a  good  manure.  It  contains  phos- 
phate of  hme,  fom-  per  cent,  superphosphate,  and  three  per 
cent,  of  ammonia,  and  any  mixture  containing  these  con- 


41  fi 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Maech  2. 


stituents  must  lie  a  good  manure.  The  nitrogen,  I  may  ob- 
serve, is  in  a  state  in  which  it  is  very  easily  developed  into 
ammonia,  by  putrefaction,  and  in  this  particular-  it  differs 
from  hones.  I  recollect  stating  in  my  report  it  was  not  pro- 
perly called  2irate.  I  made  that  statement  on  these  grounds, 
that,  if  an  nrale,  it  should  have  contained  a  large  quantity 
of  gypsum,  but  that  such  was  not  tlie  case.  There  was  a 
little  gypsum,  but  merely  the  equivalent  of  the  superphos- 
phate present  in  it  ;  the  quantity  of  superphosphate  of  lime 
was  small,  and  the  quantity  of  ammonia  was  small  also,  but 
then  it  should  be  recollected  that  there  is  no  superphos- 
phate at  all  in  Permian  guano.  I  can,  therefore,  easily  con- 
ceive that  this  so  called  urate  would  be  pj'oductive,  in  the 
case  of  gi-een  crops  requiring  superphosphate,  of  the  veiy 
best  effects." 

Now,  tlie  Urate  of  the  London  Manure  Company 
thus  powerfully  eulogized  is  well-kuown  to  be  com- 
pounded from  the  sewage  of  the  Metropolis. 


The  anniversary  meeting  of  the  Entomological  Society 
was  held  on  the  23rd  of  January,  when  the  four  gentle- 
men, whose  names  had  heen  proposed  at  the  ordinary  1 
meeting  of  January  for  removal  were  accordingly  re- 
moved, and  Messrs.  Stainton,  Dallas,  F.  Smith,  and 
Edward  Shepherd,  elected  in  their  stead.  No  change 
was  made  in  the  oiEoes  of  the  President  (who  holds 
the  Presidentship  for  two  years),  Treasiu-er,  and  Sec- 
retaries. The  President  delivered  an  address,  for  which 
a  vote  of  thanks  was  passed,  accompanied  by  a  request 
that  it  should  be  published.  The  great  advantages 
whioli  have  accrued  to  Entomology  by  the  exertions  of 
numerous  collectors  in  foreign  regions  was  especially 
dwelt  upon,  together  with  the  necessity  for  a  more 
liberal  encouragement  of  them  than  they  iu  general 
receive. 

The  ordinary  meeting  for  February  was  held  on  the 
0th  of  that  month,  Edward  Newman,  Esq.,  F.R.S.,  the 
President,  being  in  the  chair.  Messrs.  Stainton,  F. 
Smith,  and  Mr.  W.  Saunders,  were  nominated  by  him 
to  be  the  Vice-Presidents  for  the  ensuing  year.  The 
President  exhibited  specimens  of  both  sexes  of  a  new 
genus  of  Moths,  sent  from  South  America  by  Mr. 
Bates,  by  whom  they  had  been  reared  from  the  Cater- 
pillar, which  reside,  singly,  in  curiously -constructed 
cases,  which  they  bear  about  with  them  (like  snail 
shells),  and  into  which  they  withdraw  the  head  when 
alarmed.  The  female  is  winged.  The  President  pro- 
posed for  this  new  genus  the  name  Saceophora  Batesii, 
and  considered  it  to  be  allied  to  Psyche,  hut  it  seems  to 
us  to  be  much  nearer  to  Oastropaclia. 

A  magnificent  collection  of  Butterflies  and  Moths, 
collected  in  Ceylon,  by  Mr.  E.  Layard,  was  e.xhibited 
by  that  gentleman,  by  whom  many  of  the  species  had 
heen  reared  from  the  Caterpillar  state.  The  collection 
is  especially  rich  in  small  Butterflies,  the  nocturnal 
species.  We  also  especially  remarked  some  mag- 
nificent species  of  the  restricted  genus  Papilio,  as 
many  as  eight  or  ten  of  which  have  been  reared,  and  a 
most  lovely  hair-streak  Butterdy,  with  long  tails  to  the 
hind  wings,  as  well  aa  several  species  of  Death  Head 
Moths. 

Mr.  J.  Curtis  read  a  memoir  upon  the  British  species 


of  click  Beetles  [Elaterida),  entering  critically  into 
their  nomenclature,  and  describing  several  new  British 
species.  He  likewise  called  attention  to  their  larv;c, 
which  are  known  under  the  common  name  of  "  wire 
worms,"  and  are  very  destructive  to  vegetation,  several 
species  of  which  he  had  represented  in  his  memoirs  in 
the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.  Mr.  S 
Stevens  also  exhibited  a  species  of  the  same  family, 
new  to  this  country,  being  the  Elater  impressus  of 
Fabricius,  which  bad  been  taken  at  Rannock,  in  Perth- 
shire, by  Messrs.  Weaver  and  Foxcroft,  whose  researches 
had  added  so  many  species,  hitherto  only  found  in  the 
north  of  continental  Europe,  to  our  native  fauna. 

Mr.  S.  Stevens  also  exhibited  two  striking  varieties  of 
the  Fritillary  Butterflies,  Argynms  Euplirosyne,  and 
Arg.  Paphia.  The  former  remarkable  for  having  a 
black  fascia  across  tlie  fore  wings,  and  the  latter  for 
having  large  black  blotches  on  the  upper  side  of  tho 
wings.  They  were  both  taken  near  Ipswich,  bjr  Mr. 
Johnson. 

Mr.  Douglas  exhibited  a  specimen  of  the  common 
Pldgalia  pilosaria.  remarkable  for  having  been  taken 
as  early  as  the  24th  of  January,  late  at  night,  having 
been  attracted  to  the  light  of  a  gas-lamp,  at  Lee,  iu 
Kent.  Mr.  Douglas  further  observed,  that  he  had,  on 
a  former  occasion,  observed  Moths  late  at  night  flying 
about  the  lamps  where  they  had  not  been  visible  at  an 
earlier  period  of  the  evening.  He  likewise  recommended 
the  attention  of  entomologists  to  the  curious  fact,  tlurt 
notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the  season,  he  had 
already  found  the  larvte  of  the  minute  hut  beautiful 
Moths  forming  the  genus  Eiacldsta,  forming  their 
burrows  in  the  leaves  of  diiierent  kinds  of  grasses,  so 
that  it  was  necessary  for  persons  who  wei'e  anxious  to 
rear  them  to  be  on  the  look-out  already  for  their  Cater- 
pillars. 

Mr.  G.  R.  Waterhouse  directed  the  attention  of  the 
members  to  the  new  illustrated  work  on  the  Genera  of 
European  Beetles,  of  which  the  publication,  by  M. 
Jacquelin  Duval,  has  been  commenced,  and  which 
promises  to  be  of  great  service  to  the  science.  Spe- 
cimens of  the  coloured  plates  were  exhibited.  He 
likewise  made  some  observations  on  the  generic  identity 
of  two  groups  of  exotic  Cureulionidfe,  which  had  been 
named  Gherrus  and  Polyphrades,  by  the  late  JNl. 
Schonherr. 

The  Secretary  announced  that  the  Council  have  ex- 
tended the  time  for  the  receipt  of  Essays  in  competition 
for  the  prizes  on  the  subject  of  the  Mussel  Scale  of  tho 
Apple,  &c.,  to  the  30th  of  December,  1804,  and  that 
they  offer  a  similar  prize  of  £b  5s.  for  an  Essay  on  the 
N-itural  History  of  the  Coccus  producing  the  lac  dye  of 
commerce.  Dr.  Royle  having  kindly  ofl'ercd  to  furnish  to 
ap]ilicants  the  information  on  this  subject  in  the 
possession  of  tho  East  India  Company,  and  to  procure 
from  the  resources  of  the  Company,  in  India,  any 
further  particulars  that  may  bo  required.  The  Essays 
to  bo  delivered  by  the  31st  of  December,  18J5. 


March  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


417 


PEARS   ON  QUINCE   STOCKS. 

I  MnsT  confess,  that,  with  an  earnest  desire  to  offer  a 
little  advice  on  anotlior  subject,  I  am  tempted  to  set 
aside  my  design  by  tlie  excellent  observations  made  by 
Mr.  C.  B.  Saunders,  at  p.  ,'285,  January  13th  of  the 
current  year. 

Most  of  your  readers  may  know  that  Mr.  Saunders  is 
a  Jersey  nurseryman  of  long  standing ;  and  as  to  evi- 
dence concerning  Pears,  wlio  shall  despise  Jersey 
advice,  especially  if  emanating  from  such  a  quarter? 
Mr.  Saunders  is  certainly  as  unknown  to  me  as  I  am 
to  him,  but  bis  name  and  position  are  no  secrets  to  me  ; 
and  I  do  confess,  that  his  frank  and  generous  recognition 
of  me  as  an  old  labourer  in  the  Pear-garden  is  a  wel- 
come testimonial,  inasmuch,  as  I  feel  a  secret  pride  in 
meeting  a  fellow-labourer  in  the  cause  of  truth  in 
devious  tracks,  although,  possibly,  the  parties  com- 
menced their  journey  from  very  different  points  of  the 
compass. 

I  at  once  return  Mr.  Saunders  the  compliment  lie 
paid  me,  "of  leai'ning  something  from  my  remarks." 
Indeed,  as  to  myself,  I  scarcely  ever  entered  a  garden, 
however  mean,  or  read  the  opinions  of  another,  but  I 
leai-ned  sometliing,  and  many  a  grey-headed  veteran  will 
confess  the  same.  I,  however,  profess  not  to  review  the 
system  of  culture  laid  down  by  IMr.  Saunders,  which,  (taken 
as  a  whole,  and  considered  as  referring  to  the  Channel 
Islands,  and,  perhaps,  our  more  southern  counties),  is, 
doubtless,  up  to  the  mark,  yet  will,  I  fear,  scarcely  be 
found  applicable  to  our  northern  counties. 

My  chief  business  in  this  paper  will  be  to  examine 
into  the  Quince  stock  question,  and  in  doing  so,  I  must, 
as  in  duty  bound,  pay  more  heed  to  the  general  ques- 
tion than  to  individual  opinions;  therefore,  to  those  of 
my  old  friends  with  whom  I  may  have  the  misfortune 
to  differ,  I  merely  say,  please  to  bear  with  me. 

We  must  not,  however,  in  discussing  maitters  like 
this,  beg  one-half  the  question ;  it  is  all  very  well  to  say, 
"where  the  soil  is  suitable,  &c.,"  but  the  great  misfor- 
tune is  to  have  to  grapple  with  unsuitable  soils.  Cer- 
tainly, any  first-rate  gardener,  with  all  appliances,  may 
work  wonders ,  he  may  make  a  dry  soil  moist,  a  wet 
soil  into  a  dry  one,  a  poor  into  a  rich  one,  a  tenacious  or 
stubborn  soil  into  one  of  the  utmost  ])liability.  But 
those  who  cater  for  the  majority,  although  occasionally 
they  may,  or  try  to,  write  up  higher  principles  than 
thousands  have  the  means  of  practising,  yet  must,  after 
all,  show  to  numberless  smaller  and  less  ambitious 
gardeners  how  they  may,  without  extra  cost,  attain  a 
respectable  amount  of  success. 

I  am  glad  to  have  my  long-formed  opinion  better  con- 
firmed by  so  able  a  person  as  Mr.  Saunders.  The 
opinion,  that  as  a  ground-work  to  the  extension  of  the 
Quince  stock,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  soil  be 
adapted  to  the  Quince  itself,  the  recognition  of  this 
principle,  if  it  be  correct,  can  alone,  as  a  foundation, 
support  a  good  superstructure.  Well,  then,  this  admit- 
ted, I  would  ask  those  gardeners  of  great  experience, 
who  have  conducted  matters  of  this  kind  in  four  or  five 
counties  in  Britain,  wide  apart,  in  how  many  they  have 
seen  the  Quince  thriving  to  their  entire  satisfaction  on 
unprepared  soil. 

As  to  the  free  stock ;  we  find  Pears,  in  all  quarters, 
and  on  soils  widely  differing,  generally  thriving  as  to  the 
principle  of  growth.  I  had  some  of  the  newest  Pears 
from  Mr.  Rivers,  about  four  years  since,  all  on  the 
Quince,  from  which  I  was  led  to  expect  great  things,  but 
they  have  turned  out  a  complete  failure.  I  had  selected 
with  a  view  to  enlarge  the  amount  of  late  or  heavy 
kinds,  adapted  to  inferior  climates.  They  were  planted 
carefully  against  a  wall  having  an  eastern  exposure, 
and  the  soil  prepared  in  a  way,  as  I  thought,  adapted  to 
the  Quince,  but  they  have  not  grown  a  foot  since  I  ob- 


tained them,  and  they  look  as  if  they  would  never  cover 
the  wall.  A  neighbour  of  mine,  a  reverend  gentleman, 
who  takes  a  delight  in  liis  garden,  had  several  of  the 
newest  kinds  on  the  Quince,  about  the  same  time,  and 
I  have  heard  him  express  much  disappointment  over 
his  little  fancy  trees.  Now  the  soil,  in  general,  about 
here,  is  rather  sandy,  and  in  the  two  cases  I  have  quoted 
the  subsoil  is  dry,  doubtless  too  dry;  and  I  think  it  just 
to  mention  all  these  little  things,  inasmuch  as  my  object 
is  by  no  means  to  lessen  the  desire  for  the  Quince,  but 
merely  to  sharpen  people's  wits,  and  to  make  them  pro- 
ceed with  caution,  in  order  to  lessen  the  chances  of 
future  disappointment,  and  to  lead  to  the  possibility  of 
one  day  placing  the  question  on  a  sure  and  well-ascer- 
tained foundation.  I  doubt  not  that  Mr.  Saunders, 
whose  urbane  style  is,  I  think,  unmistakeable,  will  ex- 
cuse my  thus  handling  the  Quince  rather  roughly,  aud 
for  proceeding  a  little  further  with  this  most  interesting, 
although  perplexing  question.  Mr.  Saunders  quotes 
Cornwall,  Devon,  Somerset,  Hants,  Essex,  Suffolk,  as 
likely  counties  for  the  Quince  :  a  goodly  array  of  warm 
quarters,  to  be  sure  ;  but  then,  what  are  they  to  all  the 
remaining  counties  in  England  ;  to  say  nothing  at  all, 
for  the  present,  of  Scotlamd  or  Ireland  ;  for  folks  there 
love  a  mellow  Pear,  and  have  and  desire  to  enjoy  the 
product  of  their  own  little  gardens. 

I  have,  for  years,  urged  the  importance  of  soils  of  an 
alluvial  character ;  and  that  if  not  so,  that  character 
must  bo  imitated,  if  success  is  expected.  Here  I  find, 
with  much  pleasure,  Mr.  Saunders  and  I  meet ;  he  says, 
— "  Very  dry  soils,  in  high  situations,  will  not  suit." 
Now  this,  if  confessed,  at  once  points  to  the  severity  of 
limits  imposed  on  the  Quince  stock,  or  to  such  highly 
artistic  and  expensive  proceedings  as  will  ill  suit  the 
general  conditions  under  which  the  thousands  of  small 
gardeners  scattered  over  the  kingdom  are  placed.  Aud 
if  so,  how  is  it  that  our  great  nurserymen,  who  have 
made  a  good  thing  of  the  Pear  propagation,  never  in- 
formed their  customers  of  so  great  a  fact  ? 

Mr.  Saunders  speaks  of  using  sea-sand,  lime,  and  salt, 
in  a  compost  for  Pears  on  the  Quince.  I  have  little 
doubt  that  the  advice  is  judicious,  as  regai'ds  the  sea- 
sand  and  lime,  and  probably  it  has  been  found  whole- 
some practice  with  our  friends  of  the  little  isles,  v/ho, 
having  such  things  at  command,  and  close  at  hand,  have 
doubtless  tried  them  repeatedly.  Moreover,  I  have  ever 
found  that  the  Quince  thrives  best  in  a  soil  that  is  close 
and  fine  in  texture  ;  in  fact,  in  one  that  would  be  called, 
by  old  practitioners,  unctions;  a  broad  term,  to  be  sure, 
for  our  adhesive  loams  will  fall  under  this  head.  It  is 
not,  however,  a  matter  of  loams,  for  loam  alone  may  not 
settle  this  question.  There  is  a  character  of  soil,  well 
known  to  gardeners,  of  a  darkish,  fatty  character,  that 
is  somewhat  moist  in  almost  all  weathers,  and  yet  not 
wet,  which  is  rich  in  some  kind  of  humus  or  organic 
matter,  and  which,  indeed,  our  Johnstons,  Ways,  or 
otlier  celebrated  agricultural  chemists  would  better  de- 
fine than  I  can.  This  kind,  I  say,  is  the  thing,  in  my 
opinion,  for  the  Quince.  1  do  not  say  that  it  is  the  only 
kind  in  which  the  Quince  will  thrive;  I  know  better;  but 
it  is  the  kind  of  compost  that  I  would  advise  those  who  are 
highly  interested  in  the  question  to  imitate  ;  and  if  the 
subsoil,  at  about  a  couple  of  feet  below  the  ground  level, 
possesses  a  permanency  of  moisture,  not  wet,  why,  I 
verily  believe  that  all  the  conditions  requisite  for  the 
Pear  on  the  Quince  are  present ;  the  climate  over-head 
being  tolerably  propitious  or  improved  by  a  well- 
judged  assiduity. 

But  now,  I  must  just  beg  to  take  another  glimpse  at  Mr. 
Saunders'  most  interesting  paper,  one  which  is,  indeed, 
highly  suggestive.  Mr.  Saunders  heads  rather  low  on  tlie 
stock  in  order  to  plant  low  ;  aud  others  call  into  action 
the  fibres  from  the  graft  or  bud,  as  well  as  the  roots  of  I 
the  Quince;  for,  as  he  justly   observes,  such  a  course  •! 


418 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  2. 


will  cause  fibres  to  protrude.  About  the  propriety  of 
this,  under  the  circumstances  JNIr.  Saunders  quotes,  T 
have  not  the  sliglitest  doubt ;  but  is  not  this  almost 
tantamount  to  e.^pressing  a  doubt  about  the  powers  of 
the  Quince  stock?  I  now  fear  that  I  have  an  unplea- 
sant duty  to  perform,  and  that  is  to  say,  that  I  must 
disagree  with  Mr.  Saunders,  when  he  says,  p.  28D,  "All 
the  varieties  do  not  do  equally  well  on  Quince  bottoms, 
but  the  exceptions  are  very  few." 

Tliis  affirmation,  I  have  little  doubt,  will  be  found 
correct  as  to  Jersey,  Guernsey,  and  the  southern  coun- 
ties of  Eugland,  but  surely  this  is  taking  too  narrow 
ground  for  the  whole  question. 

Mr.  Saunders  fully  recognises,  in  the  case  of  the 
Quince  stock,  the  immense  utility  of  top-dressings,  or,  in 
other  words,  the  encouragement  of  surface-roots.  Our 
readers,  who  have  been  acquainted  with  The  Cottage 
Gardener  from  its  earlier  period,  will,  doubtless,  re- 
member, that  in  all  the  advice  I  have  been  called  upon 
to  offer,  as  to  hardy  fruit  culture,  I  have  ever  persisted 
in  the  propriety  of  encouraging  surface-roots  by  a  si/s- 
tematic  aud  periodical  procedure;  and  I  have  had  my 
vanity  (I  may  call  itj  gratified,  by  ob.serving  the  idea 
echoed  by  most  of  our  Calendar  men,  and  by  writers  of 
what  ai'e  commonly  termed  "  original  articles"  The 
remainder  of  Mr.  Saunders'  excellent  paper  is  of  so 
suggestive  a  character,  that  some  long  evening  I  must 
beg  to  have  another  sitting  with  it;  indeed,  we  are  but 
on  the  threshold  of  this  interesting  question. 

E,.  Eekington. 


SPRING  PROPAGATION. 

I  ENTER  on  these — the  first  lessons  in  gardening — 
with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  a  young  volunteer,  although 
I  have  been  pressed  into  the  service,  aud,  like  all  other 
enthusiasts,  I  shall  be  liable  to  overshoot  the  mark,  or 
hit  so  low  down  that  I  shall  miss  jny  aim  both  ways  in 
my  huny.  It  is  not  learning,  or  knowledge,  or  philo- 
sophy, and  all  that,  which  is  so  much  needed,  when 
you  want  to  teach  plain,  common  things,  as  tlie  knack 
of  doing  it  so  as  to  be  easily  understood  by  those  who 
have  only  plain,  common  sense,  in  the  absence  of  all 
practice,  to  help  tliem  to  learn  from  what  you  say  or 
write.  They  send  wise  men  to  parliament,  and  yet 
members  are  constantly  asking  questions  as  to  how 
tilings  are  to  be  done,  or  to  be  brought  forward,  that 
they  may  steer  their  course  accordingly.  Here  it  is 
exactly  the  same:  we  want  questions  to  be  put  to  us 
about  every  thing  we  write  which  is  not  clearly  under- 
stood; we,  also,  want  questions  about  things  which  we 
pass  over;  and  we  want  questions  relating  to  things 
which  we  forget  to  write  about  altogetlier,  or  but  very 
seldom.  Now,  we  do  receive  such  questions,  in  great 
numbei-s,  every  week — that  branch  is  very  expensive  on 
account  of  them,  and  one  would  suppose  there  could 
not  be  a  more  easy  way  of  learning  and  teaching  ;  yet 
it  is  far  from  it ;  there  is  not  one  in  ten  who  can  ask  a 
legal  question,  or  a  question  on  any  branch  of  business, 
with  which  ho  is  totally  unacquainted,  that  can  be 
understood  by  a  lawyer,  or  any  other  man  of  business, 
so  as  to  be  able  to  give  a  professional  answer  to  it;  and 
our  brancli  seems  to  be  more  diificult  still,  for  we 
hardly  find  one  in  twenty  of  our  correspondents  whose 
questions  we  can  make  anything  of  except  by  mere 
guessing.  l''or  all  that,  I  wish  to  be  reminded  of  every 
letter  of  the  al|)habot  of  gardening  which  I  may  pass 
over,  or  minnble  about  so  as  not  to  be  clearly  under- 
stood by  all  my  readers. 

Making  Cuttings  is  one  of  the  easiest  things  in  gar- 
dening. Anybody  can  make  cuttings  after  ono  or  two 
lessons.  In  the  first  lesson,  at  page  :j77,  we  see  that 
the  yomig  growtli  of  the  tops  of  sido-shoots  are  the  host 


for  cuttings  of  all  soft-wooded  plants,  and  that  all  tops 
are  equally  good,  if  they  are  not  very  strong  and  suc- 
culent ;  that  two  inches  is  the  very  longest  that  these 
cuttings  sliould  be,  except  Geraniums,  and  that  halt-an- 
inch  is  long  enough  for  many  of  them,  as  dwarf 
Lobelias,  for  instance,  if  one  can  handle  them  ;  that  all 
cuttings  of  this  class  are  best  made  by  a  clean  cut 
across  under  a  joint  made  on  the  nail  of  the  left  thumb, 
as  we  used  to  cut  the  nib  of  a  quill-pen  ;  that  the  pots 
called  "large  No.  60,"  which  are  rather  more  than 
three  inches  across  at  tlie  top,  are  the  best  size,  but 
tliat  a  cutting-pot  can  never  be  too  small ;  that  the 
smallest  pot  is  large  enough  for  ten  or  a  dozen  of 
cuttings  of  Lobelia  conipacta;  that  such  very  small 
cutting-pots,  and  all  cutting-pots,  are  best  inside  anotlier 
pot  one  size  larger,  whether  they  are  for  bell  glasses  or 
not;  that  all  cuttings  are  best  to  be  quite  close  to  the 
sides  of  the  pot  all  round,  aud  no  more,  but  that  a 
clever  man,  and  a  more  clever  woman,  would  strike 
every  one  of  them,  though  the  pot  was  as  full  of  tbem 
as  they  could  stick  together ;  that  half  sand  and  half 
peat,  or  two  parts  of  sand,  and  one  part  of  leaf-mould, 
rubbed  well  together,  make  one  of  the  best  composts 
for  all  soft-wooded  cuttings,  without  exception,  including 
bedding  Geraniums  and  Fuchsias ;  that  this  compost 
should  not  be  pressed,  for  such  cuttings,  harder  than 
the  mould  in  potting  a  Geranium;  and  that  a  thin 
layer  of  white  sand  makes  a  cutting-pot  look  tidy, 
besides  being  of  great  use  in  taking  the  water  better 
than  peat  and  sand,  and  also  keeping  oil'  mouldiness ; 
that  the  pot  should  be  nearly  full,  and  if  that  was  too 
troublesome  to  water,  that  the  centre  of  the  pot,  or 
rather  the  sand  in  the  centre,  might  be  made  into  a 
hollow  on  purpose  to  take  the  water.  I  believe  these  to 
be  the  hare  bones  of  that  article ;  and  the  reasons  for 
the  difierent  ways  make  up  the  whole  animal  where  it 
stands.  Animals  and  cuttings  want  water,  and  the  pots 
must  have  a  little  water  before  the  cuttings  are  planted; 
at  least,  it  is  safe  to  do  so,  but  propagators  seldom  do 
it  if  they  can  help  it;  they  contrive  so  that  the  sand 
and  peat,  or  leaf-mould,  or  whatever  they  mix  for  the 
cuttings,  is  just  damp  enough  to  hold  together  while 
they  "  put  in  the  cuttings."  Planting  cuttings  is  an 
outlandish  way  of  talking;  they  are  always  ^i(f  iw,  no 
matter  where ;  then,  after  they  are  put  in,  they  are  well 
watered  with  a  fine  rose-pot;  with  a  good,  free  drainage, 
and  this  sandy  compost,  in  such  small  pots,  it  is  hardly 
possible  to  hurt  cuttings  with  too  much  water  ;  bottom- 
heat  that  would  roast  a  Cucumber  will  not  hurt  them  if 
they  are  double-potted,  and  if  they  stand  on  the  surface 
of  the  bed,  the  outer  pot  keeps  the  other  from  drying,  so 
that  the  sides  of  the  cutting-pot  are  always  nioistish. 
aud  tliat  is  just  what  makes  the  roots  come  so  soon,  and 
creep  down  the  sides  with  such  evident  relish. 

So  you  see,  that  if  the  operation  is  done  in  this  simple 
way,  and  the  pots  and  cuttings  are  kept  tidy  afterwards, 
there  is  really  no  such  danger  about  a  hotbed  as  one 
might  think  ;  the  greatest  fear  is  about  the  smell  of  it, 
as  that  from  hot  dung,  or  a  mixture  of  dung  and  leaves, 
or  from  the  linings  outside,  is  a  most  deadly  poison  to 
cuttings  and  to  most  plants.  I  only  know  tlie  Pine- 
apple plant  as  an  exception,  and  that  would  live  and 
thrive  in  a  steam  from  hot  dung  that  would  kill  a  house 
spider,  or  any  of  the  insect  tribe:  a  fact;  which  gardeners 
take  advantage  of  to  kill  the  diftVrent  scaly  insects 
which  infest  this  plant  from  the  cradle  in  a  wild  state. 
There  ought  to  be  a  small  thermometer  in  every  cutting- 
bed  to  tell  tlie  heat  morning  aud  evening;  and  if  there 
is  nothing  but  cuttings  in  the  bed,  the  thermometer 
should  never  fall,  day  or  night,  below  75",  and  to  be 
between  that  and  '.10°  or  0:')°  in  the  middle  of  a  hot  day. 
When  the  plants  are  rooted,  potted  ofl',  and  como  to 
their  senses,  as  it  were,  wo  keep  them  much  cooler  at 
night,  as  they  would  be  in  a  wild  state ;  but  for  cuttings, 


Makch  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


419 


and  all  stages  of  propagation,  we  are  acting  artificially, 
and  contrary  to  the  course  of  nature  in  every  way,  and 
in  none  more  wide  tlian  in  the  matter  of  heat  both  for 
tlio  bottom  and  top  degrees.  The  centre  of  a  new 
dung  bed  is  the  hottest,  and  the  sides  of  an  old  one, 
wliich  is  kept,  on  by  hot  linings  on  the  outside.  One 
seldom  gets  the  right  degree  of  heat  from  these  beds 
longer  than  a  few  days  at  a  time,  but  that  is  no  great 
harm ;  from  S5°  to  '.)"j°  is  what  I  used  to  prefer  at  six 
inches  below  the  surface.  A  layer  of  tan  is  the  best 
thing  to  put  over  a  cutting-bed,  for  plunging  the  pots 
in,  or  for  keeping  down  bad  smells ;  sand  is  the  next 
best ;  leafmould  the  next  best,  but  it  is  very  liable 
to  be  over-run  by  worms  ;  an  old  mushroom-bed  broken- 
np,  and  the  small  parts  kept  for  surfacing,  is  a  very 
good  substitute  for  these  things.  I  have  used  sand  for 
many  years  exclusively  for  this  work,  and,  when  it  is  to 
be  had  at  hand,  I  would  take  it  before  anything  I  ever 
saw  tried.  Our  coiTespondent,  in  the  turf-district,  would 
find  sifted  turf,  kept  a  little  damp,  the  best  possible 
thing  for  the  surface  of  a  cutting-bed.  When  the  heat 
is  uniform,  from  75°  to  8.5°,  few  cuttings  begin  to  grow 
before  they  are  rooted ;  and  seeing  them  make  a  start 
is  the  index  to  their  rooting ;  but,  with  a  higher  degree, 
many  cuttings  would  seem  to  grow  without  making 
a  single  root 

When  cuttings  are  put  in  early  in  the  spring,  and  a 
large  supply  of  plants  is  wanted  from  a  small  stock  of 
any  given  plant,  it  is  not  an  economical  way  to  remove 
cuttings  as  soon  as  they  are  rooted,  or  to  have  them 
potted  into  larger  or  smaller  pots ;  it  is  better  to  allow 
them  to  stand  as  they  are,  and  as  soon  as  they  have 
made  a  growth  sufficient  to  make  another  lot  of  cuttings 
to  out  them  all  down  to  one  joint  from  the  surface  of 
the  pot,  still  leaving  the  pots  iu  the  bed  till  another 
growth  comes  up  a  little,  then  to  remove  the  pots  to  a 
more  airy  place  for  a  week  or  ten  days  before  the  struck 
plants  are  repotted;  however,  when  one  is  at  n  pinch 
for  any  particular  plant  or  kind,  1  see  no  fear  in  leaving 
the  first  pot  in  the  cutting  frame  until  three  or  more 
crops  of  cuttings  are  got  from  the  original  ones  ;  this  I 
have  done  with  a  thousand  pots  iu  my  day.  1  once  ran 
out  of  a  blue  Anagallis  altogether,  and  had  to  send  two 
hundred  miles  for  a  few  cuttings  in  February  ;  I  got 
only  seven  little  cuttings  in  a  box  by  post,  and  from 
those  seven  I  got  some  hundreds  of  plants  by  a  fresh 
crop  from  every  pot  of  them  as  fast  as  tiiey  rooted,  and 
not  a  pot  was  moved  out  of  the  hottest  part  of  the  bed 
till  near  the  end  of  April,  and  I  forget  how  many  crops 
I  took  from  the  first  pot ;  but  there  was  a  fresh  crop 
every  eight  or  nine  days. 

I  never  could  find  room  to  pot-oQ:'  rooted  cuttings  into 
single  pots  before  the  middle  of  April,  and  if  I  had,  I 
very  much  doubt  the  use  of  it.  The  safest  way,  and  the 
less  trouble,  is,  after  they  are  a  week  or  so  out  of  the 
cntting-bed  to  shake  them  out  of  the  fii'st  pot,  and  put 
four  or  six  of  them  in  the  same  sized  pots  with  a  richer 
compost,  two-thirds  leaf-mould,  or  any  light  rich  stufl', 
and  one-third  of  sand  and  peat,  or  all  sand  if  peat  is 
scarce,  and  to  plunge  the  pots  in  heat  for  another  week; 
after  that  to  remove  them  to  a  cooler  bed  with  more  air, 
or  what  we  call  the  nursing  bed ;  and  after  a  while  to 
divide  them  again  and  pot  them  singly,  or,  what  is 
better,  to  plant  them  in  rows  across  a  bed  made  on 
purpose  for  that  stage  of  the  work ;  but,  of  course,  all 
that  is  not  to  be  looked  for  in  limited  places,  but  the 
principle  can  be  kept  in  view,  and  applied  according  to 
means.  In  the  nurseries,  it  is  best  to  have  every  plant 
in  a  separate  pot  as  soon  as  it  is  rooted,  for  the  market ; 
but  in  ]jrivate  and  small  establishments  there  is  a 
world  of  trouble  in  watering  so  many  little  pots,  even  if 
there  was  sufficient  room  for  them  ;  and  to  put  a  little 
uewly-rooted  plant  of  this  class  into  a  large  pot  would 
be  the  same  as  trying  to  kill  it  by  inches. 


PELAEGONIUM    CUTTINGS. 

It  is  never  a  good  plan  to  make  cuttings  of  green- 
house Pelargoniums  (Geraniums,  as  they  are  usually 
called)  in  the  spring,  but  one  is  often  tempted  to  do  so,  j 
now  and  then,  with  a  new  or  very  scarce  kind,  and  tlien  ! 
only  the  top  of  a  shoot,  hero  or  there,  where  they  came  j 
too  thick  for  training  propeidy.  Tliere  is  no  general  rule 
for  such  cuttings  as  to  lengtti ;  any  length  that  you  can 
fix  firm  in  the  cutting-pot,  with  a  little  top  above  the  sand, 
will  do  up  to  four  inches  ;  but  suppose  I  had  a  real  new 
and  very  dear  plant,  with  three  shoots  to  it,  just  now,  I 
could  not  expect  to  make  any  impression  with  it  next  May 
or  June  by  the  flowers,  but  I  might  make  lots  of  plants 
from  it,  and  see  the  llowers  also  at  tlie  riglit  time,  then 
I  would  go  to  work  on  this  wise ;  1  would  leave  the 
strongest  shoot  to  dower,  and  I  would  take  two  as  short 
cuttings  as  I  could  manage  from  the  other  two,  put 
each  of  them  in  a  thumb-pot  with  a  little  loam,  leaf- 
mould,  and  sand;  strike  them  like  Verbenas,  keep  them 
in  the  hotbed  after  they  were  rooted,  and  potted  into  a 
3 inch  pot  till  they  were  five  or  six  inches  high,  then 
whip  off  the  tops  and  make  two  more  cuttings  in  the 
same  way,  and  so  on  till  the  end  of  next  May,  and  all 
this  time  I  would  use  every  bit  of  new  growth  which 
appeared  on  the  original  two  shoots  on  the  first  plant,  and 
by  the  beginning  of  May  I  would  even  stump  down  these 
two  shoots  for  final  cuttings,  and  after  the  plant  fiowered 
I  would  cut  down  that  shoot  also,  and  being  the 
strongest,  it  will  be  as  forward  next  autumn  as  the 
other  two  which  were  cut  a  month  or  six  weeks  earlier. 
All  this  is  not  to  be  recommended  as  good  practice;  far 
from  it :  but  it  is  wonderful  what  one  can  do,  even  in  a 
small  way,  with  a  new  plant.  These  spring  cuttings 
ought  to  be  planted  out-of-doors  early  in  June,  and  to 
be  taken  up  and  potted  by  the  end  of  July,  and  they 
would  come  in  bumpers  next  year. 

Bedding  Geraniums. — Many  of  them  can  only  be 
propagated  to  advantage  in  the  spring,  and  four  inches 
is  the  best  length  for  the  cuttings,  and  the  cuttings  to 
be  put  in  half-an-inch  deep,  the  same  light  compost  as 
for  other  soft-wooded  plants  will  do  equally  well  for  all 
bedding  Geraniums,  without  a  single  exception.  The 
Ooldeii  Chain  is  yet  the  scarcest  of  them,  and  every  inch 
of  it  will  strike  now  as  freely  as  a  Verbena ;  the  little 
shoots  may  look  now  as  brown  and  seem  as  firm  as 
horns,  yet  these  will  root  with  no  trouble,  and  no 
matter  how  short  they  may  be,  the  plant  will  do  all 
the  better  if  they  are  all  cut  close  in,  say  to  an  inch 
of  the  older  stem.  After  this  cuttiug-in,  let  the  old 
plants  be  kept  rather  dry  for  six  weeks,  and  they  wUl 
break  out  again,  and  do  all  the  better  for  it ;  and 
none  of  tliese  should  ever  be  kept  iu  pots  all  tlie  sum- 
mer. Touchstone,  a  bright  scarlet  flower,  is  the  next 
scarcest,  and  one  of  the  best  bedders ;  a  verj'  strong 
grower,  that  is  not  worth  a  straw  if  not  propagated  in 
spring  ;  summer  cuttings  of  it  from  the  flowering  wood, 
in  summer,  will  never  make  a  bushy  plant,  as  such 
plants  will  soon  get  bare  and  look  bad ;  they  are  also 
not  nearly  so  easy  to  keep  in  winter.  Lady  Manj  Fox, 
as  good  iu  every  respect,  and  as  bad  in  all  details,  as 
the  last,  and  the  self-same  treatment  ibr  both.  Diadem- 
atitm,  D.  ruhescens,  and  D.  reyium ;  after  discarding 
D.  bicolor ;  the  other  three  are  among  the  very  best 
bedders,  and  all  of  them  ought  to  be  propagated  in  the 
spring,  but  they  will  do  from  summer  and  autumn  cut- 
tings nearly  as  well ;  IVilmore's  Surprise,  the  new,  large, 
half-double  one,  is  of  this  class,  a  shoot  from  the  old  Dia- 
dematum ;  but  whether  it  is  as  good  as  they,  for  beds,  I 
cannot  tell,  having  not  seen  a  bed  of  it  yet.  All  the  Quer- 
cifolium  breed  ought  to  be  propagated  in  the  spring;  but, 
like  the  Diadematums,  they  will  do  from  summer  cut- 
tings; and  four-inch  cuttings  are  the  best  size.  Unique 
— I   have  always  maintained  that   spring  cuttings    of 


d20 


THE    COTTAGE    GAKDENER. 


JIarch  2. 


this  fine  bedder  are  the  best ;  and  have  also  shown  that  it 
will  strike  in  the  open  air  as  freely  as  any  of  the  race,  and 
so  has  one  of  our  correspondents,  a  gentleman  of  great 
skill  in  most  plants.  Two  gardeners,  from  Essex,  called 
on  me  once,  and  they  almost  told  metomy  face,  that  it  was 
either  a  mystery  or  a  farce  to  say  that  it  could  be  had  from 
cuttings  except  in  the  spring;  audthis  very  week,I  was  in 
a  nursery,  where  I  saw  scores  of  splendid  old  plants  of 
it  lying  idle  on  the  stage  of  a  very  cold  greenhouse ;  and, 
although  I  never  saw  the  owner  before,  I  took  the 
liberty  to  ask  him  how  he  could  afford  to  keep  them  idle 
at  such  a  time ;  and  he  seemed  quite  astonished,  when  I 
told  him  that  they  would  root  like  couch  grass,  as  he 
always  understood  this  kind  could  not  he  rooted  hut  at 
the  end  of  July,  in  the  open  air.  He  never  heard  of 
such  a  book  as  The  Cotiwge  Gardener,  and  he  did 
not  take  in  any  of  the  gardening  periodicals  or  papers, 
yet  he  has  the  best  stock  of  Unique  and  of  Qnercij'olium 
s'.iperbum  or  coccincum,  that  ever  I  saw  in  a  nursery. 
Cuttings  of  the  Unique  sliould  be  as  short  as  one  can 
manage  to  make  and  fix  in  the  pot,  because  it  is  so  long 
between  the  joints,  and  those  of  them  from  cuttings 
this  spring  will  hardly  be  fit  for  beds  next  summer. 
Young  plants  of  tliis  kind  grow  so  rank  that  they  do 
not  flower  half  so  well  as  old  plants,  and  that  may  be 
the  reason  why  it  is  not  seen  in  every  flower-garden  in 
Europe,  for  of  all  plants,  we  have  nothing  like  it  in  ! 
colour.  The  true  way  to  manage  it  is  this — very  short  j 
cuttings  in  February,  March,  or  April,  will  make  plants 
with  short-jointed  stems  near  the  pot ;  the  grand  secret 
for  keeping  plants  of  it  ten  years  or  more,  to  he  single- 
potted  in  4S-sized  pots,  by  the  middle  of  May;  these  ' 
pots  to  be  plunged  in  coahashes,  or  in  something,  early 
in  June  ;  to  let  the  growth  trail  on  the  ground,  and  to 
cut  them  to  four  or  five  joints  next  the  pot,  in  the  first 
week  in  August,  and  to  make  cuttings  of  every  bit  of 
them  on  the  spot;  then  to  put  these  cuttings  in  pure 
sand.  0]'  very  sandy  compost,  full  in  the  sun,  but  to  be 
shaded  with  some  boughs  for  the  first  three  weeks.  If 
the  cuttings  axe  long-jointed,  as  they  are  almost  sure  to 
be,  though  not  so  long  as  cuttings  taken  from  an  open 
bed,  let  the  plants  be  potted  as  deep  as  to  bring  down 
a  joint  to  very  near  the  surface  when  they  are  taken 
up  at  the  end  of  September.  These  long-jointed  plants  to 
be  cut  down  to  the  joint  next  the  pot  the  following 
February,  and  to  stop  or  nip  olT  the  points  from  the 
next  growth  twice  or  three  times  before  the  end 
of  May. 

As  soon  as  the  plunged  plants  have  started,  after 
being  so  cut  down,  they  ought  to  be  unplunged,  and  tlie 
roots  that  have  escaped  through  the  bottom  hole  of  the 
pot  must  be  cut  off,  and  the  pots  to  stand  out  in  the 
full  sun  ;  this  check  will  cause  the  whole  autumn  growth 
to  be  close-jointed;  and  when  the  tops  are  taken  for  cut- 
tings, next  February,  vvliere  can  you  find  more  bushy 
plants? — -not  in  England,  I  am  certain.  After  that  they 
arc  fit  for  the  Queen,  or  for  anything;  but  let  us  have 
them  planted  in  a  bed,  in  ^oo»'  soil,  and  no  Tom  Thumb 
that  ever  was  born  or  propagated  will  ever  excel  them 
in  the  abundance  of  flowers,  or  richness  of  colour;  that 
is,  if  you  plant  them  in  the  right  way,  and  not  as  some 
people  do,  who  leave  half-a-mile,  or  too  much  space  be- 
tween plant  and  plant:  six  inches  from  the  branches 
of  one  plant  to  the  branches  on  the  next  is  the 
right  thing ;  and  if  there  are  any  branches  long 
enough  to  train,  you  are  in  the  wrong  box ;  for  this 
sort  will  never  do  well  if  the  shoots  are  allowed  to  rim 
long  in  pots.  All  of  them  should  come  directly  from  a 
firui,  stalky  bottom,  after  the  plants  are  planted  out  in 
May,  and  the  open  six-inch  spaces  between  the  plants 
might  be  planted  quite  thick  with  the  little  annual 
IuicnrUUumgnindiJluruin;(vom  a  sowing  about  the  middle 
of  .\pril;  those  would  flower  while  the  Uniques  are 
filling  up  with  new  growth. 


All  the  breed  of  Scarlet  Geraniums  may  be  propagated 
in  the  spring,  if  the  stock  is  needed;  and  theyoungplanls 
will  do  to  plant  round  the  outside  of  the  older  ones. 
There  is  no  particular  rule  about  the  length  of  cuttings 
of  these — anything,  from  three  to  six  or  seven  inches,  will 
do  equally  well.  The  dwarf  kinds,  as  2'oni  Thumb,  Frog- 
more,  or  Baron  Hugel,  will  do  at  three  inches,  and  the 
strong  ones  may  be  as  long  as  one  can  spare  tlie  cuttings. 
All  these  young  Scarlets  are  better  if  potted  two-and-two 
in  pots,  as,  when  you  plant  them  out,  the  two  can  be 
jjushed  a  little  apart  without  much  disturbance  to  the 
ball,  and  that  will  be  wide  enough  apart  for  most  of 
them.  All  the  more  bushy  old  ones  ought  to  be  set 
apart  for  baskets,  or  vases,  or  for  windows;  and  the 
more  low  and  bushy  they  arc,  the  better  they  will  look  in 
these  conspicttons  places.  There  is  no  belter  ]ilant 
going  for  a  small  bed,  or  for  an  edging  of  the  kind  to  a 
large  bed,  than  Baron  Hugel— a.  very  dwarf  kind,  with 
bright  scarlet  flowers  and  a  dark  horse-shoe  leaf,  and 
young  plants  of  it  require  to  be  planted  thick — not 
more  than  six  inches  apart  every  way,  and  tliere 
ought  to  be  two  rows  of  it  for  an  edging  to  tell 
properly.  There  is  a  crimson  variety  of  the  old  Varie- 
gated Searlet  Oeranium,  which  makes  a  fine  variety  in  a 
flower-garden  ;  and  there  is  a  variegated  form  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange,  a  much  neater  plant  for  an  edging 
than  the  green  one,  and  it  is  equally  sweet  in  the  leaf; 
it  makes  a  peculiar  edging,  because  it  is  a  difl'erent  leaf, 
and  a  diiierent  tint  from  all  other  variegated  Geraniums. 
It  deserves  to  be  grown  as  much  as  any  of  that  class, 
and  there  is  the  new  scarlet,  or  crimson  Ivy-leaf  sort, 
which  I  noticed  at  one  of  the  Shows  in  1?J2 — a  very 
fine  thing  for  a  wall,  or  to  hang  down  from  a  basket,  or 
vase.  A  couple  of  plants  of  this  one  would  furnish  a 
dozen  good  cuttings  this  spring,  which  would  be  time 
enough  for  this  summer,  as  they  grow  fast,  and  one 
might  soon  get  a  stock  of  it. 

EOSE   CUTTINGS. 

The  spring  is  not  a-good  time  for  cuttings  of  Rosea 
in  the  open  air,  yet  I  have  grown  lots  of  them  that  way, 
even  from  cuttings  put  in  as  late  as  the  middle  of  April ; 
but  there  is  a  particular  way  of  making  and  managing 
them.  All  the  Chinas,  and  Tea  Roses,  all  the  Bourbons, 
hybrid  liourbons,  and  hybrid  Perpetuals,  with  Noisettes, 
and  all  the  climbing  Roses,  and  a  great  many  of  the 
hybrid  Chinas,  as  Ghenedole,  Blairii,  Charles  Duval,  &c., 
will  come  from  spring  cuttings,  but  from  all  the  other 
classes  it  is  mere  chance  work  at  this  season.  The  China 
'  and  Tea  Bases  wiU  do  by  cutting  across  a  joint  where  the 
I  last  grorcth  issuedfrom,  if  the  shoots  are  of  a  middling  size, 
I  and  not  more  than  four  inches  long:  they  do  not  like  to 
j  have  the  top  shortened  at  this  season.  All  the  rest  ought 
1  to  be  heeled-cuttings,  and  as  short  as  they  can  be  had; 
anything  below  six  inches  will  do.    A  heel-cutting  is  one 
1  which  is  pulled  downwards  so  as  to  wrench  it  from  the 
I  branch  ;    the  heel  is  the  part  torn  ofl',  and  if  a  slip  of 
the  bark  comes  ofl'with  it  they  call  it  a  tail,  and  this 
nmst  be  cut  olT  from  the  heel  as  carefully  as  a  cutting  is 
cut,  and  if  there  is  any  ragged  wood  to  the  heel  have 
it  ofl'  also ;  but  on  no   account  shorten  the  top  in  the 
spring      When   looking  out  for  such  cuttings,  choose 
those  that  have  begun  to  grow,  or  whose  buds  are  much 
swollen,  just  the  opposite  of  what  you  would  prefer  last 
October.     Then,  every  one  of  these  buds,  top  bud  and 
all,  you  must  remove  by  a  very  gentle  touch  with  the 
point  of  your  finger  on  the  point  of  the  hud — without 
this  you  will  not  get  one  out  of  ten  of  them  to  root,  do 
what  you  will  with  them.     But  I  must  make  the  reason 
clear  for  you :   these   buds  would   hurst   a  long  time 
before   any  roots  came,   and   by  their  leaves   sucking 
the  juice  they  would  soon  deprive  the  cutting  of  that 
wliicli  would  go  to  nnike  roots  ;  hut  if  you  got  them  off 
as  gently  as  1  say,  you  will  not  disturb  other  very  small 


Mahoh  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


421 


bmls  which  cluster  round  the  bottom  of  most  of  the 
hu-go  ones;  and  before  these  vory  small  buds  have  time 
to  swell,  the  natural  force  of  tlie  season,  so  to  speal;, 
will  cause  roots  to  grow.  All  such  cuttings  ought  to  be 
in  little  pots  of  very  sandy  stuff,  pressed  rather  lirm, 
and  the  cuttings  to  bo  close  to  the  sides  of  the  pot; 
then  plunge  all  the  pots  in  the  ground,  so  that  the  riuis 
are  just  out  of  sight,  and  jio  more;  the  place  to  be  a 
shady  one,  where  the  sun  cannot  get  at  them.  In  dry, 
parching  weather,  sprinkle  them  with  a  little  water  early 
in  the  day,  and  about  once-a-week. 

Now,  at  parting,  let  me  urge  on  you  to  use  pots,  and 
I  shall  tell  you  the  reason  why  next  time  we  meet. 

D.  Beaton. 


A  FEW  HINTS  ON  THE  THEORY  AND  PRAC- 
TICE OF  PROPAGATING  BY  CUTTINGS. 

An  amateur  lately  expressed  a  desire  that  I  would  give 
a  few  ideas  upon  this  subject,  as  applicable  to  various 
circumstances  similar  to  a  late  article  on  sowing  Pelar- 
gonium or  other  tender  seeds.  He  wanted  to  know 
something  about  the  rationale  of  rooting  cuttings,  and 
the  most  successful  and  economical  methods  to  adopt 
during  the  spring  months.  These  general  matters  are 
always  attended  with  this  difficulty,  that  the  very  par- 
ticular which  the  inquirer  may  most  want  may  be  the 
very  subject  that  the  writer  passes  over  unnoticed. 
But  this  is  the  less  to  be  regretted,  when  any  corres- 
pondent may  obtain  the  information  he  wants,  if  it  is 
possible  to  supply  it,  for  the  expense  of  a  postage-stamp. 

At  some  other  time,  though  not  now,  I  may  have 
something  to  say  upon  our  friend  Mr.  Beaton's  theory 
of  pruning,  respecting  which  he  so  courageously  bids 
defiance.  There  seems  to  be  a  growing  feeling  that  the 
whole  system  of  Physiology  is  not  the  cut-and-dried 
symmetrical  affair  that  books  and  doctors  represented 
it  to  be.  Only  a  few  years  ago,  and  they  who,  like 
myself,  had  any  doubt  of  a  regular  circulation  of  fluids 
in  plants,  of  watery  unelaborated  sap  upwards,  and  of 
elaborated  organisable  juice  downwards,  and  that  as 
regular,  and  by  vessels  as  distinct,  as  the  veins  and 
arteries  of  the  animal  system,  were,  in  defiance  of  all 
potent  facts,  sneered  at  as  crotchetty  sceptics.  When 
such  facts  come  to  be  noticed  and  reviewed  by  men  of 
great  continental  reputation,  a  vague  idea  steals  over 
the  mind  that  some  change  must  be  made  in  the 
system,  as  no  theory  can  be  of  any  avail  that  is  not 
based  upon,  and  in  accordance  with,  general  facts. 

My  belief  in  the  theory  that  all  addition  of  cellular 
and  vascular  tissue  must  proceed  downwards,  from 
matter  now  elaborated  by  the  leaves,  or  stored  up  after 
being  elaborated,  was  somewhat  early  shaken  in 
attempting  to  raise  plants  from  cuttings  in  a  hotbed,  in 
which,  though  I  was  not  very  successful  in  getting  roots 
to  come  in  the  soil,  yet,  owing  to  the  great  atmospheric 
heat  and  moisture,  not  only  did  the  upper  buds  on  the 
cuttings  swell  and  elongate,  and  throw  out  roots  there, 
but  the  very  upper  points  of  cuttings,  cut  over  an  inch 
or  so  beyond  the  bud,  had  many  of  them  knobs  of 
cellular  matter  there  formed  ;  and  from  these,  when 
kept  somewhat  shaded,  roots  protruded,  and  hung  down 
in  a  pendulous  position,  while,  in  two  or  three  cases  of 
Orange  plant  cuttings,  some  small,  leafy  appendages 
appeared  in  connection  with  this  seemingly  cellular 
matter,  but  which  dwindled  away  as  the  buds  below 
began  to  extend  into  shoots.  Now,  although  many 
years  have  passed  since  then,  I  thought  that  the  stimu- 
lants of  heat  and  moisture  could  make  exceptions  to  a 
generally-received  theory  ;  for  roots  came  more  freely 
from  top  and  sides  than  from  the  base  of  the  cutting ; 
and  as  this  was  not  at  all  a  desirable  result,  nor  yet, 
even,  under  these  circumstances,  to  be  relied  upon  as  a 


general  one,  I  drew  the  inference,  that  it  was  unwise 
and  undesirable  to  stimulate  and  expand  tho  top  of  a 
cutting  more  than  was  needful  for  its  healthy  action ; 
and  tills  kept  in  view,  young  plants  will  be  sturdy  in 
their  growth,  and  not  drawn  and  debilitated. 

The  mystery  of  raising  plants  from  cuttings  would  be 
lessened  did  beginners  recollect  that  every  perfect  bud 
could,  under  proper  circumstances,  be  made  into  a  plant 
as  well  as  a  perfect  seed.  I  do  not  now  allude  to  the 
process  of  taking  a  growing  bud  from  one  plant  and 
transferring  it  to  another,  as  in  Rose-budding  ;  I  allude 
to  raising  a  new  individual  from  the  .single  bud.  This 
is  most  generally  done  with  deciduous  plants  and  when 
in  a  state  of  repose — such  as  the  Vine,  in  winter  or 
spring.  In  this  case,  a  piece  of  tlie  shoot  is  left  on  each 
side  of  the  bud ;  the  cellular  and  vascular  tissue  are 
thus  exposed  at  each  end,  as  well  as  the  woody  fibre. 
To  increase  this  surface,  alike  for  the  absorption  of 
moisture  and  the  expansion  of  tissue,  many  take  oif  a 
thin  slice  of  the  bark  and  alburnum  on  the  side  of  the 
cutting  opposite  the  bud.  These  buds,  with  from  half 
to  one  inch  of  the  shoot  at  each  end,  are  generally  fixed 
firm,  horizontally,  in  a  pot  of  soil,  and  covered  half-an- 
inch,  and  placed  in  a  briskish  heat;  two  things  here 
being  worth  noting — that  the  stimulants  affect  all  parts 
of  the  cutting  equally  ;  and  then,  again,  at  jjottiug  time, 
it  will  be  found  that  tissue  and  roots  have  been  pro 
truded,  not  from  one  part  continuously,  but  some  at  the 
upper  end,  some  at  the  lower,  and  others  from  the  under- 
side opposite  the  bud— a  fact  worthy  the  attention  of 
the  physiologist. 

We  cannot  follow  this  plan  with  cuttings  from 
growing  plants,  because  the  bud  would  rot  in  the 
soil.  We  make  the  nearest  approach  to  it  when,  in 
the  case  of  scarce  Verbenas  and  Calceolarias,  &c.,  we 
cut  between  each  joint,  fasten  the  stem  in  the  soil,  and 
leave  the  buds  with  part  of  their  leaves  above,  or,  in 
extreme  cases,  and,  where  the  buds  are  opposite,  splitting 
the  stem  into  two.  In  all  such  cases,  especially  when 
the  stem  is  soft,  the  base  and  the  split  sides  should  be 
dried  in  the  shade  before  inserting  them.  There  are 
only,  comparatively,  few  things  that  can  be  thus  ma- 
naged. Most  cuttings  require  from  two  to  three  buds, 
two  being  essential ;  the  upper  one  for  the  ascending 
stem  of  the  plant,  and  the  lower  one,  across  the  base  of 
which  the  clean  cut  is  to  be  made,  for  the  descend- 
ing roots.  There  are  two  reasons  why  this  is  gene- 
rally required.  The  first  is,  that  at  these  nodes  or 
joints,  where  leaves  are  placed  and  buds  are  formed, 
there  is  a  consequent  concentration  of  vital  forces; 
and  the  second  is,  that  at  these  places  the  stem  is 
harder  and  more  dense  than  between  the  joints,  and, 
therefore,  when  the  knife  is  sharp  and  the  cut  clean,  less 
likely  to  damp  or  rot  at  its  base.  To  prevent  this  latter 
evil  still  more,  all  cuttings,  except  those  of  small  hard- 
wooded  things,  such  as  Heaths  and  Epacris,  will  be 
benefited  by  having  their  bases  dried  in  the  shade  or 
the  sun,  in  proportion  to  their  succulence,  while  the 
upper  part  of  the  cutting  is  kept  moist  and  shaded. 
The  reasons,  why  in  one  case  it  is  recommended  to  slip 
off  cuttings  close  to  the  older  stem  with  a  heel,  and  in 
another  to  cut  through  just  at  the  junction  of  the  young 
and  older  wood,  are,  that  in  the  former  case  you  may 
obtain  an  accumulation  of  vital  power  at  the  seat  of  the 
embryo  buds,  and  in  the  latter,  that  from  the  hard- 
ness there  may  be  less  danger  of  damping  off. 

Now,  unlike  the  case  of  dormant  buds,  to  which  we 
have  alluded,  and  which,  though  better  to  be  excited 
gradually,  will  yet  stand  a  considerable  amount  of 
sudden  excitement  without  great  injury,  the  great  rule, 
in  the  case  of  those  cuttings  taken  from  growing  plants, 
is  just  to  keep  them  healthy,  and  take  nature  and  the 
season  of  the  year  for  your  guide,  never  giving  an  addi- 
tional excitement  from  extra  heat,  except  communicated 


423 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  2. 


gradually,  and  that  chiefly  when  the  sun  is  gaining 
strength,  taking  care  that  tliis  excitement  should  act 
raore  upon  the  part  of  the  cutting  in  the  soil  than  on 
the  part  ahove  it.  No  greater  cause  of  failure  can 
exist,  than  at  all  times,  and  in  all  circumstances,  trans- 
ferring cuttings  into  a  hotbed.  Many  fail  to  get  green- 
house and  even  bedding  plants  to  strike  in  summer  and 
autumn  from  this  cause  alone.  In  no  case  should  they 
have  a  mucli  higher  temperature  than  the  plants  stood 
in  until  a  callus  is  formed,  and  the  protrusion  of  tissue 
has  taken  place.  Nay,  many  things,  in  autumn,  will 
strike  better  when  kept  coolei',  such  as  being  transferred 
from  a  south  hordor  to  a  north  one  Few  things  at 
that  time  will  stand  the  excitement  of  extra  heat.  The 
sun  is  losing  its  force,  and  vegetation  is  not  expanding, 
but  accumulating  for  its  winter  repose,  and  we  must 
act  accordingly,  until  when  callused  we  excite  the 
cuttings  to  root  when  we  are  in  a  hurry.  Patience 
given  as  to  time  would  neutralise  many  failures. 
Even  in  spring  the  extra  heat  we  give  should  be  some- 
thing proportionate  to  the  season,  and  to  what  the  plant 
formerly  enjoyed.  "When,  therefore,  we  are  in  a  hurry, 
the  best  plan  is  grndualhj  to  give  the  plant  an  extra 
excitement  first.  Many  things  will  stand  extra  heat 
without  this  precaution,  but  many  will  not;  and  all 
will  be  healthier  in  consequence.  Besides,  the  extreme 
of  dispatch  in  rooting,  even  in  spring,  is  not  always  the 
extreme  of  advantage.  I  have  rooted  Calceolarias,  in 
March,  in  fewer  days  than  they  required  weeks  in 
October,  and  onwards ;  but,  if  they  had  been  struck 
cooler,  they  would  have  required  less  hardening  off,  and 
been  less  liable  to  insects  and  weakly  constitutions. 

"  But  bow  are  wc  to  keep  a  gi-owing  cutting  healthy, 
and  get  it  to  root,  vrithout  giving  it  an  exciting  stimulus? 
Will  not  the  light  and  air  I'ob  it  of  its  juices  when  its 
severance  from  the  root  renders  a  supply  naturally  im- 
possible '?"  Quite  right.  But  how  is  this  exti'a  heat,  the 
stumbling-stone  of  young  propagators,  to  remedy  the 
evil  ?  Will  not  the  extra  heat  just  stimulate  the  per- 
spiring processes,  and  thus  welt  your  cuttings;  or,  if  that 
is  prevented  by  a  close  atmosphere  and  shading,  will  thoy 
not  become  wire  drawn  and  attenuated?  I  have  instanced 
a  Vine-cutting  in  heat.  Take  the  case  of  a  ripened 
shoot  of  a  Currant  tree  inserted  in  the  ground  in  au- 
tumn. If  the  ground,  as  a  whole,  has  been  warmerthan 
the  atmosphere,  you  will  get  roots  before  you  get  shoots. 
If  you  left  a  bud  at  the  base  of  the  cutting,  that  would 
be  expanded  before  those  exposed  to  the  atmosphere. 
If  the  atmosphere  was  the  warmest,  it  would  be  the 
reverse.  Generally,  they  are  so  alike  in  average  tempe- 
rature, that  the  bursting  of  the  buds  and  the  rooting 
proceeds  almost  cotemporaneously.  But  cut  off  a  grow- 
ing shoot  in  summer,  and  place  it  in  a  sunny  place,  and 
where  would  it  be  next  morning?  But  cover  it  with  a 
glass,  give  it  a  moist  atmosphere,  keep  its  leaves  moist, 
and  shade  from  bright  sunshine  ;  and,  by  a  very  round- 
about way,  you  would  obtain  a  nice-rooted  plant. 

Now,  witli  slight  differences,  the  same  modes  and 
principles  must  be  adopted  with  all  tender  cuttings 
taken  from  growing  plants.  Let  us  merely  mention  a 
few  of  them.  I.  The  cutting  should  be  maintained  in 
healthy  action ;  whenever  it  flags,  it  will  be  so  much 
time  lost.  2.  Increase  of  temperature,  if  moderate,  will 
give  an  additional  stimulus  to  the  vital  powers;  a  great 
rise  will  debilitate  the  system,  and  cause  extension  up- 
wards instead  of  downwards.  The  increased  heat 
should  be  made  to  tell  chiefly  on  the  base  of  the  cutting. 
4.  The  soil  in  which  cuttings  are  placed  should  be 
firm,  and  the  surface  a  dampish  silver  sand,  next 
to  impervious  to  air;  or  the  soil  should  bo  rather  loose, 
however  the  surface  be  covered,  in  proportion  as  the 
cuttings  are  hard-stemmed  or  rather  succulent,  b.  The 
sun,  by  the  too  rapid  fixation  of  carbon  in  the  cutting, 
the  air  and  heat,  by  carrying-ofl"  its  moisture,  would, 


if  permitted,  soon  leave  a  wreck  behind  ;  and  we,  in 
the  first  place,  keep  the  cutting  in  healthy  action  by 
neutralizing  their  influence.  We  keep  it  from  access  to 
air  by  means  of  a  frame,  or  bell-glass ;  and,  if  at  all 
tender,  most  likely  by  both  ;  and  we  keep  the  sun  oft' 
by  shading,  or  causmg  its  rays  to  be  difluscd  before 
reaching  it.  Then,  secondly,  we  do  not  merely  keep  iu 
view  that  the  whole  surface  of  the  cutting  is  a  trans- 
piring medium,  we  make  it  also  an  absorbing  one,  by 
siuTounding  it  with  an  atmosphere  saturated  with 
vapour,  and  by  frequent  dewings  of  the  stem  and 
foliage — a  much  better  plan  than  frequent  soakings  of 
the  soil  iu  which  the  cuttings  are  placed,  and  escaping 
the  decomposition  of  the  base  ends,  often  the  conse- 
quence of  these  soakiugs.  But,  Othly,  if  the  air  is 
long  confined,  such  as  uuder  a  bell-glass,  and  especially 
if  there  is  the  smallest  bit  of  fading  leaf,  the  atmo- 
sphere will  become  impure,  aud,  theu,  when  placed  near 
the  glass,  though  shading  from  sun  be  necessary, 
yet  every  moment's  shade  more  than  the  cutting 
actually  requires  will  act  as  a  drawing  and  debili- 
tating influence.  The  best  chance  of  rooting  consist- 
ing in  the  cutting  absorbing  and  decomposing  for 
itself  fresh  organisable  matter,  which  it  can  only  do 
in  light,  suggested  two  practices — the  first,  after  a  few 
days,  when  beH-glasses  were  kept  close  down,  tilting 
them  up  a  little  on  one  side  at  night,  which  purified 
the  air,  and  if  conical  glasses  were  used,  rendered 
all  the  trouble  of  glass-wiping  in  the  morning  a 
thing  of  the  olden  times  ;  and,  secondly,  keeping 
the  cuttings,  whether  under  glasses  or  the  re- 
verse, at  such  a  distance  from  the  glass  that  the 
rays  of  the  sun  were  too  difi'used  to  hurt  them  before 
reaching  them,  while  the  bother  and  uncertainty  of 
shading  were  completely  avoided.  This  idea  I  received, 
some  seventeen  years  ago,  from  Mr.  Caie,  who,  from 
jiractising  it,  was  one  of  the  most  successful  propagators 
at  that  time  round  London.  I  have  acted  on  it  ever 
since. 

At  present,  I  have  several  lights  of  cuttings  now 
striking,  consisting  of  Calceolarias,  Petunias,  Verbenas, 
&c.,  that  have  had  nothing  in  the  shape  of  glasses,  more 
than  the  glass  sash,  and  have  never  seen  a  bit  of 
shading.  'The  cuttings  stand  fully  two  feet  from  the 
glass  at  the  back,  and  some  sixteen  inches  in  front ; 
and  if  the  sun  should  continue  strong,  the  cuttings  and 
walls  are  dewed  several  times  a-day  with  water  from  a 
syringe,  the  sun  thus  getting  something  else  to  eva- 
porate instead  of  the  juices  of  the  cuttings.  1  have 
frequently  thus  dewed  fifty  lights  with  less  than  a 
garden  pail  of  water,  and  yet  every  leaf  was  damped. 
'The  mode  of  doing  so  I  have  previously  described. 
Then,  Tthly,  the  size  of  the  cutting,  and  the  number 
of  leaves,  must  just  be  in  proportion  to  the  means  you 
possess  for  keeping  the  cutting  healthy,  and  preventing 
its  undue  perspiration.  In  plants  with  leathery  leaves, 
I  have  often  kept  all  the  leaves,  even  those  at  the  joint 
through  which  the  knife  passed.  But  in  the  case  of 
plauts  with  softish  stems,  this  would  be  apt  to  promote 
damping  and  rottuig  ofl',  in  which  case  they  should  be 
removed.  Cuttings  with  large  leaves  also  require  great 
care ;  and  all  things  considered,  trouble  is  lessened 
when  the  cuttings  are  rather  small,  and  the  leaves,  if 
many  aud  large,  are  lessened  aud  shortened.  A  few 
small,  healthy,  whole  leaves  are  important  for  carrying 
on  the  necessary  functions  of  the  cuttings. 

And,  lastly,  cuttings  at  all  tender  or  difficult  will  strike 
sooner  the  nearer  the  base  comes  to  the  drainage,  and, 
better  still,  to  the  sides  of  the  pot,  as  the  resistance  thus 
given  to  the  swelling  of  the  cutting  causes  roots  to  be 
produced  more  quickly.  Hence,  as  a  rule,  a  few  cuttings 
round  the  sides  of  a  small  pot  will  root  faster  and  be 
every  way  raore  sure  than  many  cuttings  across  a  wide 
pot,  or  merely  inserted  in  a  bed. 


March  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


423 


A  few  words  more  to  meet  several  inquiries.  "  Dung- 
and-leaves-beat  is  considered,  when  sweet,  essential  for 
spring  propagation,  as  furnishing  such  a  genial  atmo- 
sphere. I  have  bottom-heat  from  hot-water.  Should  I 
make  a  bed  above  the  beating  inediuni  to  receive  these 
advantages,  and  when?"  Just  as  you  like.  Your  cuttings 
will  do  admirably  plunged  in  saud,  ashes,  or  any  thing 
you  like  ;  and  by  watering  your  heating  medium  you  can 
have  vapour  in  abundance,  though,  except  you  carefully 
use  manure-water,  you  will  not  have  such  a  genial  mois- 
ture as  that  proceeding  from  sweet  dung  and  leaves.  But 
leaving  the  dung  alone  you  will  have  at  least  freedom, 
comparatively,  from  one  annoyance — the  slugs  and  wood- 
lice  that  somehow  get  into  almost  every  bed  and  pit  in 
an  old  garden ;  and  you  will  also  escape  the  unpleasant- 
ness of  not  having  the  bottom-beat  you  require,  as  your 
heating  medium  will  be  next  to  inoperative  if  it  has  to 
pass  first  through  much  depth  of  compact  rotted  dung. 
The  cuttings  in  the  sand  above  the  heating  medium 
will  not,  therefore,  strike  so  fast  as  in  a  hotbed  of  dung, 
but  they  will  be  subject  to  fewer  casualties.  With  such 
a  place,  heated  by  hot-water,  propagation  may  commence 
after  January. 

2.  "  I  am  maldng  a  bed  for  propagating  numbers  of 
things;'  the  plants  being  previously  excited,  when  should 
I  commence  making  the  cuttings?"  The  end  of  Febru- 
ary and  the  beginning  of  March  will  be  time  enough,  as 
before  that  you  miglit  lose  more,  from  want  of  air  and 
damping,  than  you  would  gain  in  forwardness. 

3.  "I  want  to  propagate  many  things,  such  as 
Fuchsias.  Geraniums,  &c.,  for  my  window,  when  should 
I  begin?"  April  and  May  will  be  soon  enough,  but  if 
you  have  bell-glasses  you  might  try  a  few  at  the  end  of 
March.  In  your  case,  with  only  your  window,  you 
must,  if  you  begin  early,  use  yoiu'  chimney-piece  in  cold 
nights.  Place  the  cuttings  close  to  the  window  in  warm, 
dull  days ;  and  two  or  three  feet  from  the  window,  or 
shaded  with  a  thin  curtain,  when  it  is  sunny. 

R.  Fish. 


SCRAPS  FROM   MY  NOTE   BOOK. 

CHATSWOETH. 

By  way  of  variety,  it  is  pleasant  and  desirable  to  visit 
gardens  in  the  depth  of  winter,  though  at  that  season 
the  out-door  garden  has  not  many  charms ;  the  glass- 
houses are  the  more  interesting,  the  contrast  and  com- 
fort being  more  seen  and  felt. 

During  the  late  severe  snow  storm,  business  called  mo 
to  visit  several  places,  and  at  each  place  I  saw  some- 
thing interesting.  Many  persons,  I  fear,  imagine  that 
gardeners  in  winter  are  literally  "  frozen-out  gardeners," 
and  if  in  a  good  place  have  almost  a  sinecure  of  it. 
Before  hothouses,  forcing-houses,  pineries,  &o.  were 
built  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  wealthy  classes,  such  a 
state  of  ease  to  the  gardener  might  have  taken  place, 
but  the  case  is  widely  diffei'ent  in  our  day,  even  in  the 
deepest  and  most  severe  winter.  Indeed,  he  has  now 
to  exercise  a  large  share  of  forethought,  and  close  atten- 
tion, almost  day  and  night  also,  to  keep  out  Jack  Frost, 
and  to  keep  a  continual  look  out  for  choice  plants  to 
bloom.  He  has  to  put  his  Vines  and  Peaches,  Cucum- 
bers and  Mushrooms,  in  motion;  he  has  to  produce  his 
winter  salads,  his  early  Sea-kale  and  Rhubarb ;  and  a 
little  later  in  the  season  he  has  to  prepare  thousands, 
nay,  in  some  places,  tens  of  thousands  of  bedding-out 
plants  to  furnish  his  flower-beds  in  the,  comparatively- 
speaking,  new  massing  style ;  and  all  this,  and  a  great 
deal  more,  he  has  to  perform,  study,  and  bring  to  bear 
through  all  weathers.  Truly  the  gardener's  bed  is  not, 
in  this  generation,  a  bed  of  roses.  These  thoughts 
passed  through  my  mind  lately,  whilst  visiting  such 
places    as    Chatsworth,  Heaton   Park,    Kinmel   Pai'k, 


Penrhyn  Castle,  Haigli  Hall,  and  many  others.  Any 
person  that  has  any  knowledge  of  gardening  would 
observe,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  busy  notes  of  pre- 
paration to  bring  to  bear  certain  effects  hereafter.  I 
often  think  a  good  gardener  would  make  a  good  general; 
tlie  same  train  of  ideas  passes  through  his  mind — he 
has  to  combat  with  numerous  enemies,  frost,  blight,  too 
much  wet,  too  little,  too  much  sun  and  too  little,  besides 
hosts  of  vermin ;  all  these  have  to  be  overcome,  re- 
butted, or  destroyed,  to  insure  the  victory.  Happily, 
these  enemies  are  not  his  own  species,  and  therefore  he 
feels  the  less  regret  at  bringing  all  his  artillery  to  bear 
upon  them. 

At  Chatsworth,  I  saw,  in  the  middle  of  January,  a 
most  remarkable  illustration  of  the  art  of  retardation. 
At  one  end  of  a  long  range  of  Vineries  there  is  one 
house  devoted  entirely  to  one  variety  of  the  Vine,  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  Grapes  in  February  and 
March,  or,  perhaps,  still  later.  The  kind  is  West's  St. 
Peter's.  The  crop  was  abundant,  the  bunches,  many 
of  them,  large,  and  the  berries  as  black  as  ink,  and  as 
plump  as  a  partridge;  finer  Grapes  need  not  be.  In 
another  house  there  was  hanging  a  few  bunches  of  fine 
Muscats  and  Caniiun  Hall  Grapes  !  a  rare  sight  for  the 
20th  of  January. 

In  the  Peach-house  range  the  earliest  house  was  just 
going  out  of  flower,  and  apparently  setting  well.  In  a 
narrow  house  some  Vines  in  pots  were  showing  fruit. 
The  back  wall  has  a  raised  narrow  border.  In  this 
border  the  pots  containing  the  Vines  were  plunged  up 
to  their  rims  in  soil.  The  front  Vines  were  not  plunged, 
and  by  this  method  the  Grapes  ripen  in  succession; 
those  on  the  back  wall,  of  course,  ripen  first,  and  the 
others  afterwards. 

The  Cucumber-house  was  in  full  bearing.  I  noted 
several  nice  fruit  cut,  and  the  cut  end  set  in  water. 
The  young  man  told  me  that  was  an  excellent  way  to  keep 
them  fresh — a  good  scrap  of  information.  In  a  Pine-pit 
I  observed  some  very  fine,  well-swelled  Pines,  of  the  kind 
called  Smooth  Cayenne,  v/hich  I  was  informed  has  a  good 
flavour  in  winter,  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  Mont- 
serrat;  superior  it  certainly  was,  in  point  of  size,  at 
that  time. 

In  the  Mushroom-house,  which,  by-the-by,  is  a  very  su- 
perior one,  was  a  great  quantity  of  th  at  delicious  vegetable. 
h\  the  floral  department,  I  was  much  struck  with  the 
Victoria-house.  Instead  of  that  magnificent  plant,  the 
tank  was  dry  and  filled  with  Camellias,  Azaleas,  and 
Rhododendrons.  There  was  a  change  with  a  vengeance. 
Let  not  the  reader,  however,  suppose  that  it  is  no  longer 
the  Victoria-house.  That  plant  is  now  proved,  without 
any  douht,  to  be  an  annual,  and  therefore  perishes  in 
the  autumn.  Young  plants  are  to  be  raised  early  in 
the  spring,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  large  enough  will 
be  removed  into  the  noble  Victoria-house,  and  these 
temporary  inhabitants  wiU  be  banished  into  other 
quarters. 

The  Orchid-house,  as  a  matter  of  course,  1  paid  my 
due  respects  to,  and  found  it  gay  with  bloom,  par- 
ticularly of  the  following  : — Ansellia  Africana,  two  noble 
plants  with  numerous  spikes;  Calanthe  masuca.  two 
spikes  at  this  (for  that  plant)  uncommon  season; 
G.  vestita,  with  many  spikes  of  tlie  deep-coloured  spot 
variety;  Dendrobium  heteroearpum,  with  its  honey- 
scented  pale  blossoms;  Lcelia  anoepis,  and  its  variety 
Barkeriana,  Taa,ny  hXooms;  also  the  chfammg  Sophro- 
nitis  grandijiora,  a  tiny  plant,  with  flowers  three  times 
its  size  ;  8.  violaeea,  a  pretty  thing  in  its  way ;  Barkeria 
Skinnerii,  the  deep-coloured  variety ;  and  several  species 
oi  Zygopetalmn,  the  prettiest  of  which  is  crinitimi. 

T.  Appleby. 


421 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Maech  2. 


THE  ANTIRRHINUM. 

{Continued  from  paije  3S0.) 

A  GREAT  number  of  florists'  flowers,  tliough  exceed- 
ingly beautiful,  have  tlie  disadvantage  of  their  bloom 
being  slioit  lived.  Such,  for  instance,  as  the  glorious, 
t'liougli  somewhat  gaudy,  Tulip,  and  the  neat-blossomed 
Ranunculus.  These,  and  some  others,  which  the  florist 
will  easily  recollect,  only  last,  witli  every  attention  to 
shading  them  from  the  flower-fading  power  of  the  sun, 
some  hve  or  six  weeks,  but  I  may  fairly  claim  for  the 
Antirrhinum  the  power,  with  very  moderate  care,  of 
continuing  to  reward  the  cultivator  with  its'  bright- 
coloured  blossoms  for  at  least  three  months,  and  that  at 
a  season  when  florists'  flowers  are  comparatively  scarce : 
even  as  a  bedding-out  flower  it  has  great  merit.  It  pro- 
duces at  least  three  colours  not  to  be  surpassed  by  any 
flower — I  mean  bright  crimson,  pure  white,  and  clear 
yellow.  For  large  beds,  especially,  it  is  well  adapted, 
blooming  continuously  daring  July,  August,  and  Sep- 
tember. For  this  purpose  I  recommend  it  to  Mr.  Beaton, 
and  should  be  glad  if  he  would  give  his  opinion  on  its 
capability  and  merits. 

Then,  again,  it,  is  very  well  adapted  to  plant  on 
rockwork.  I  have  seen  admirable  specimens  grown  in 
such  a  situation.  I  have  noticed,  also,  very  pretty  plants 
of  it  growing  on  old  brick  walls  Qoweriug  very  freely, 
and  giving  an  interest  to  what  would,  without  them, 
have  been  most  unsightly  objects. 

I  trust  I  have  said  enough  in  favour  of  this  flower  to 
induce  the  readers  of  The  Coxhoe  Gardener  to  culti- 
vate it  more  than  they  have  hitherto  done  ;  and  in  order 
that  such  as  have  not  yet  grown  it,  or  but  imperfectly 
so,  may  succeed,  I  shall  endeavour  to  describe  the  best 
way  of  cultivating  it. 

Propagation  :  by  Seed,  to  obtain  improved  varieties. — 
Tlie  Antirrhinum  is  so  perfectly  hardy  that  the  seed 
may  be  sown  in  the  open  border  of  the  garden.  I  would 
advise  the  zealous  raiser  of  improved  varieties  first  to 
procure  from  some  respectable  florist  a  few  of  the  lead- 
ing best  sorts  now  in  cultivation,  grow  them  one  year, 
and  save  seeds  from  them,  keeping  the  seed  of  each 
variety  to  itself  By  adopting  this  plan  be  would  find 
out  the  best  breeders.  There  is  no  seed  like  home- 
saved.  I  have  before  me,  now,  a  letter  from  a  gentleman 
near  Liverpool,  containing  an  imliraited  order  for  any 
kind  of  Horists'  flower-seed,  provided  I  could  warrant  it 
being  gathered  from  distinct  varieties  kept  separate ; 
meaning,  for  instance,  seed  saved  from  Cineraria  Hen- 
derson's Marianne,  or  Calceolaria  Sultan,  or  Hollyhock 
Cream  of  the  Valley,  or  Fuchsia  Bank's  Olory,  &c.  Every 
seedsman  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land  knows  that  flower  seeds  are  not  saved  se))arately 
from  separate  varieties,  but  I  do  think  the  idea  such  an 
order  implies  is  worthy  of  being  carried  out.  Packets 
of  so  saved  seeds  would  certainly  sell,  and  there  would 
he  more  probability  of  the  purchaser  obtaining  improved 
varieties  from  such  seed.  It  is  the  consideration 
arising  from  my  customer's  order  that  leads  me  to 
recommend  the  keeping  the  different  varieties  of  An- 
tirrhinum seed  in  separate  parcels,  and  the  probability 
of  obtaining  improved  distinct  varieties  would  be  in- 
creased, if  the  different  sorts  were  grown  at  a  distance 
from  each  other,  the  seeds  kept  in  separate  paper,  named, 
and  sown  in  separate  parcels.  It  may  appear  tedious 
such  a  process,  but  trouble  is  nothing  compared  with 
success. 

The  time  for  sotting  this  carefully-saved  seed  is  about 
the  second  week  in  April.  Prepare  a  bed  for  it  in  an 
opeii  part  of  the  garden,  by  manuring  it  well  in  the 
autumn,  and  digging  in  the  manure  at  the  same  time, 
leaving  the  siu'face  rather  rough  for  the  frosts  to  act 
u|)on  it  and  pulverize.  Then,  when  the  sowing  time 
arrives,  fork  the  surface  over,  breaking  it  as  fine  as  pos- 


sible. Choose  a  time  when  the  surface  is  moderately 
dry  for  this  operation.  Have  a  sufficient  number  of 
wooden  labels  ready,  rub  a  little  white  lead  ou  them,  take 
one,  and  write  legibly  the  name  of  the  variety  from 
whence  the  seed  was  gathered ;  sow  that,  and  then 
write  the  next,  and  sow  it  also,  and  so  proceed  till  all 
the  parcels  are  sown  ;  then  rake  the  bed  smooth  to 
cover  the  seed,  and  the  operation  is  finished.  Should 
the  weather  prove  dry  afterwards,  a  very  gentle  watering 
during  evening,  now  and  then,  will  help  the  seeds  to 
vegetate. 

When  the  seedlings  have  attained  an  inch  or  two  in 
height,  dig  another  larger  bed,  and  transplant  the  seed- 
lings into  it,  planting  them  five  inches  apart  every  way, 
keeping  tlie  sorts  still  separate.  Here  they  may  remain 
till  they  flower.  Then  compare  each,  as  they  come  fully 
into  bloom,  with  the  properties  as  given  in  my  last 
paper  on  this  subject ;  and  all  such  as  are  quite  up  to,  j 
or  superior  to,  the  points,  give  a  name  to,  and  describe 
them  in  a  book  kept  for  that  purpose.  All  the  rest  that 
are  deficient  in  form,  colour,  and  size,  may  either  be 
thrown  away  at  once,  or  planted  in  the  front  of  shrub- 
beries, if  good  in  colour  ;  or  give  them  away  to  any  poor 
cottager  to  ornament  his  flower-border.  The  good,  im- 
proved sorts  should  be  increased  by  cuttings ;  the 
method  of  doing  which  I  shall  give  in  my  next. 

T.  Appleby. 

{To  he  continued.) 


FRUIT   TRELLISES. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  say  whether  the  old-fashioned 
perpendicular  Trellis  be  on  the  decline  or  the  ascendant, 
'.t'rue  it  is,  that  some  gardens,  in  which  that  useful  old- 
fashioned  appendage  had  done  duty  for  some  two  or 
three  generations,  has  been  summarily  dismissed  by  the 
present  one ;  yet  there  are  others  wherein  the  time- 
honoured  contrivance  has  been  reinstalled  in  an  im- 
proved form,  and  in  many  gardens  it  has  been  adopted 
in  some  shape  or  other,  the  old-fashioned  one  retaining 
many  of  its  features  still.  Now,  it  need  not  be  asked 
what  benefits  it  confers,  since  wo  have  the  testimony  of 
something  more  than  one  hundred  years  to  prove  its 
utility,  and  surely  that  says  more  in  its  favour  than  the 
most  eloquent  eulogy  that  could  be  bestowed  upon  it. 
I  shall,  therefore,  at  once  go  into  the  details  of  the 
variety  of  its  forms,  commencing  first  of  all  with  that 
oldest  shape,  which,  after  all,  is  probably  the  best,  that  is, 
taking  all  things  into  consideration — I  mean  the  ordi- 
nary upright  Trellis. 

There  are  various  forms  of  this  differing  from  each 
other  in  shape  and  height,  as  well  as  in  the  material 
the  frame-work  is  made  of,  but  usually  this  is  wood  or 
iron,  or  both  together.  Now,  though  I  am  not  altoge- 
ther positive  that  iron  exercises  a  hurtful  influence  on 
the  trees  planted  and  trained  against  it,  yet  I  prefer 
wood  where  other  reasons  do  not  point  out  iron  as  being 
better  adapted.  However,  as  other  things  often  deter- 
mine this,  I  need  only  say,  that  when  it  can  be  contrived 
to  have  iron  standai'ds  and  rails,  wooden  uprights  fas- 
tened to  the  iron  rails  form  the  best  material  on  wliich 
to  train  trees ;  to  have  the  whole  of  timber  is  attended 
with  after-trouble  when  the  latter  decays,  which  posts  are 
sure  to  do  ;  but  this  being  a  subject  in  Mr.  Errington's 
province,  I  dismiss  it,  and  would  request  the  amateur 
about  putting  up  a  Trellis  to  examine  those  in  his  neigh- 
bourhood, and,  doubtless,  he  will  see  a  something  which 
will  enable  him  to  apply  the  right  means ;  but  if  his 
place  be  entirely  new,  I  would  advise  him  to  wait  a  year 
or  two  before  jnitting  it  up,  in  order  to  get  the  trees 
fairly  established,  and  grown  a  certain  length,  before  be 
applies  such  an  open  and  conspicuous  piece  of  cage-work 


]\rAECH  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


425 


lo  liis  garden  so  long  before  it  ia  wanted;  the  trees 
iiuist,  of  course,  be  trained  to  sticks  tbrtist  in  the  ground 
in  tlie  mean  time;  but  observe,  1  do  not  advocate  tlio 
last  measure  on  any  other  account  than  that  of  saving 
llie  Trellis  vifork,  which,  by  being  placed  in  its  position 
some  two  or  three  years  before  wanted,  naturally  dimi- 
nishes its  working  capabilities  the  like  time. 

It  seldom  happens  that  the  direction  of  the  Trellis  can 
be  commanded,  as  it  forms  a  feature  in  a  garden  when 
it,  is  carried  in  all  directions;  but  it  will  be  found  that 
those  running  north  and  south  will  be  the  most  useful, 
as  by  that  both  sides  enjoy  an  equal  amount  of  sun- 
shine ;  this  benefit  is  known  to  the  husbandman  as  well 
as  the  gardener ;  for  in  some  districts,  where  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  shock  all  the  corn,  tliey  are  made  so  as  to 
[loint  to  the  one  o'clock  sun,  the  attentive  agriculturist 
having  found  that  to  bo  about  the  middle  of  the  "har- 
vest day;"  and  so  accurately  is  this  accomplished,  that 
in  walking  over  several  fields  it  is  seldom  that  a  de- 
parture is  found  from  so  good  a  rule.  Now,  why  not  fruit- 
trees  benefit  as  well  as  corn  from  an  exjiosure  on  two 
sides?  consequently,  it  would  be  prudent  to  have  trel- 
lises covered  with  fruit  trees,  and  rows  of  vegetables, 
especially  peas,  scarlet  runners,  &c.,  planted  in  such  a 
way  as  to  command  these  conditions. 

1  will  not  here  dwell  on  the  kinds  of  trees  pi'oper  to 
plant,  but  will  say,  thatwhovo  tender  Pears,  Plums,  &c., 
are  so  trained,  they  are  more  easily  protected  when  in 
bloom  than  when  planted  or  grown  in  any  other  way, 
as  any  little  sheltering  substance  thrown  over  the  top  is 
usually  sufficient  to  protect  the  whole  tree  ;  and  at  such 
times  it  is  highly  advisable  to  use  such  a  covering  as  a 
few  mats,  an  old  sheet,  or,  in  fact,  anything  that  can  be 
obtained. 

We  now  come  to  "  the  Fancy  Trellis,"  of  which  there 
are  several  varieties ;  one,  a  very  common  one,  being  a 
sort  of  continuous  arch,  or  vault,  with  a  walk  under- 
neath ;  this  is  very  well  in  some  cases,  but  it  is  more 
curious  than  pretty  in  long  lengths.  This  is  generally 
composed  of  iron  or  wire-work,  and  to  look  well  ought 
to  be  well  covered  witli  trees.  It  has  been  argued,  that 
by  the  trees  covering  so  large  a  space  as  the  arch,  a 
greater  quantity  of  fruit  must  be  obtained  than  by  trees 
]ilanted  and  trained  the  ordinary  way ;  but  then  it  is  to 
lie  remembered,  that  those  trees  have  only  one  side, 
whereas  those  planted  against  an  upright  Trellis  bear 
on  both  sides,  generally;  and  the  exposure  of  bloom,  in 
such  a  position,  to  the  spi'ing  frosts  and  other  inclemen- 
cies, is  greater  than  that  from  trees  growing  in  any  other 
way.  However,  it  has  its  admirers,  and  may,  possibly, 
be  a  prudent  appendage  in  some  gardens. 

Many  years  ago,  I  bad  the  management  of  a  Trellis 
which  took  my  fancy  more  than  any  that  I  have  seen 
since;  it  was  somewhat  like  one-half  of  an  arch,  the 
w^alk  by  the  side  of  it  being  much  lower  than  the  adjoin- 
ing ground  where  the  trees  were  planted,  a  wall 
formed  one  verge,  and  along  the  top  of  this  wall 
iron  supports  were  inserted,  at  intervals,  to  support  the 
iron  frame-work  of  this  Trellis,  which,  rising  on  the 
border,  projected  a  considerable  way  over  the  wall, 
having  plenty  of  head  room.  Of  course,  these  iron 
supports  had  the  whole  weight  to  carry,  but  being 
placed  perpendicularly  they  bad  no  difiiculty  in  doing 
so,  and  the  whole  presented  a  pleasing  appeai-ance. 
'J'h.o  top  of  the  wall,  instead  of  having  an  ornamental 
coi)iug,  was  covered  with  the  pretty  British  plant  Sedum 
acre  (or  stone  cropl,  which  deserves  more  attention  than 
it  often  gets.  This  Trellis,  I  may  add,  answered  the  pur- 
pose very  well,  while  its  adoption  in  a  hilly  garden  was 
not  only  appropriate  but  highly  ornamental. 

There  are  other  forms  in  which  the  same  thing  may  be 
effected,  as  the  Table  Trellis,  which  is  a  frame-work, flat, 
or  nearly  so,  and  often  but  little  elevated ;  this  is  often 
placed  where  it  is  advisable  to  train  the  trees  in  the  opposite 


way  to  the  last-named,  with  their  heads  up  the  bill  side, 
whereas,  the  other  being  planted  on  the  hill  curved  from 
it,  covering,  or  partly  covering,  a  walk  on  a  lower  level. 
Jt  is  needless  here  to  mention  the  fanciful  figures  that 
are  now  and  then  introduced  into  the  gardens  of  the 
curious,  some  of  them  are  constrained  to  take  grotesque 
shapes,  with  little  to  recommend  them  but  their  sin- 
gularity, as,  for  instance,  upright  cylinders,  with  the 
trees  trained  spirally  around  them;  fantastic  globes, 
semi-globes,  or  other  figures  approaching  thereto,  have 
all  their  admirers;  but  as  these  are  detached  figures, 
rather  than  a  continuous  trained  object,  I  must  dis- 
miss them,  and  in  winding  up  this  article  on  Trellises, 
woidd  beg  to  remind  our  young  friends  of  the  Rasp- 
berry Trellis,  which,  by  its  simplicity,  may  with  pro- 
priety be  adopted  everywhere  to  advantage,  as  it 
need  only  consist  of  three  horizontal  rails,  with  posts 
where  wanted,  and  the  canes,  being  tied  to  such  rails, 
will  bear  fruit  of  better  quality  than  wlien  huddled 
together  all  to  one  stake  in  the  usual  manner.  Other 
things  might  be  similarly  treated,  but  liasps  are  the 
most  benefited  by  it.  Another  description  of  Trellis 
is  also  often  turned  to  good  account,  which  is  one 
placed  on  the  roof  of  a  house  on  which  a  Vine  or  some 
other  fruit-tree  is  trained.  This,  however,  is  only 
applicable  in  certain  cases,  but  where  it  is,  a  single 
year's  trial  will  soon  prove  how  much  better  the  Grapes 
ripen  on  the  roof  facing  the  mid-day's  sun  than  on  the 
ordinary  wall  having  that  aspect ;  but  this  subject  having 
been  ah-eady  treated  of  in  The  Cottage  Gaedenee  need 
not  be  repeated  hero.  J.  Eobson. 


ECONOMY   OF  THE  FARM-YARD. 

The  economy  of  the  Farm-yard  must,  certainly,  he 
considered  as  a  subject  of  the  highest  importance  in 
connection  with  agriculture,  for  under  this  head  has  to 
be  noted  the  method  of  managing  the  manure,  both  as 
regards  its  quantity  as  well  as  quality,  and  the  main- 
tainance  of  the  fertility  of  the  land  must,  in  a  great 
measure,  depend  upon  the  extent  and  the  value  of  the 
home-made  manure  ;  for  although,  by  the  application  of 
capital  in  the  purchase  of  artificial  manures,  the  land 
may  be  made  to  produce  crops  greatly  in  excess  of  the 
ordinary  modes  of  management,  yet  the  method  of 
manufacturing  manures  in  the  farm-steading  is  now 
become  part  and  parcel  of  the  best  systems  of  feeding, 
and  may  be  considered  scientifically  in  conjunction 
with  the  feeding  of  animals.  In  almost  every  portion 
of  the  kingdom  great  improvement  in  the  farm-build- 
ings have  been  recently  effected,  yet  much  remains  to 
be  done  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  and  in  many 
instances,  where  improvements  have  been  attempted, 
they  cannot  be  considered  much  more  than  mere  altera- 
tions ;  for  some  of  the  most  essential  changes  required 
for  the  making  and  preservation  of  Farm-yard  manure, 
have  been  hut  too  often  entirely  neglected. 

There  is  a  mode  of  proceeding,  on  the  part  of  many 
occupiers  of  land,  which  is  highly  blameable ;  they  do 
not,  in  many  instances,  avail  themselves  of  the  ad- 
vantage of  good  yards  and  buildings,  for  the  conversion 
of  their  straw,  fodder,  &o.,  into  manure  of  the  best 
quality. 

I  have  often  noticed,  upon  large  corn  -  producing 
farms,  immense  quantities  of  straw  lying  about  in  a 


426 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


March  2. 


rotten  or  partially  decayed  state,  and  the  number  of 
cattle  kept  on  the  farm  totally  inadequate  to  convert 
the  straw  into  a  manure  worth  cartage  to  tlio  field. 
And  this  leads  me  to  one  of  the  most  important  points 
in  the  economy  of  the  Farm-yard.  It  often  happens 
that  a  largo  number  of  Sheep  stock  are  kept,  parti- 
cularly upon  favourable  soils,  and  quite  suiBcient  in 
Dumber  to  consume  the  whole  of  the  root -crops  grown, 
and  also  the  far  greater  portion  of  the  Hay  produced 
upon  the  farm.  Yet  this  as  a  system  must  be  con- 
sidered, upon  the  whole,  disadvantageous ;  for  the  profits 
of  a  farm  ought  to  arise  from  returns  in  many  direc- 
tions, and  a  sufficient  number  of  either  store,  or  fatting 
animals,  should  always  be  kept  in  the  farm-steading,  to 
convert  the  straw  ijroduced  into  valuable  manure;  and 
for  this  purpose,  at  least  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the 
roots  produced  should  be  consumed  by  cattle,  pigs,  &e. 

There  are,  however,  cases  in  which  exceptions  may 
be  allowed — such  as  heavy  land,  where  it  is  desirable  to 
remove  the  whole  of  the  roots  fi'om  the  land;  and  also 
in  localities  where  there  is  an  extensive  sale  for  Straw,  at  I 
a  good  price,  a  considerable  quantity  may  then  be  dis- 
posed of  and  replaced  by  purchasing  artificial  manures  j 
of  the  like  value  with  great  advantage;  this  mode  of  j 
proceeding  alone  can  justify  the  consuming  the  whole  ' 
root-crop  by  sheep  on  the  land.  I 

The  construction  of  the  Farm-yard,  the  arrangement  i 

of  the  buildings,  and  the  accommodation  afforded  for  [ 
■  ■    ■  \ 

the  cattle,  must  now  be  considered ;  and  as  it  is  too  often 

the  case  that  these  are  altogether  insufficient  to  give  the  j 
occupier  an  opportunity  of  converting  his  straw  into  1 
good  manure,  I  intend  to  lay  down  a  few  general  rules  ■ 
for  guidance,  whereby  advantages  may  be  obtained  : 
without  any  reconstruction  or  costly  alteration  of  the  | 
buildings;  and  I  consider  this  the  more  necessary, when 
it  is  remembered,  that  it  often  occurs,  from  the  force  of  | 
circumstances,  that  new  steadings  built  upon  improved 
principles  cannot  be  obtained. 

First,  let  every  building  be  spouted,  and  the  water 
from  the  roofs  carried  away  to  some  convenient  place, 
where  it  cannot  gain  access  to  the  Farm-yard  and 
deteriorate  the  accumulating  mass  of  manure.  Let  the 
I'arm-yard  be  considered  a  store,  or  repository  for 
manure,  instead  of,  as  formerly,  a  place  to  feed  cattle 
in  without  shelter  ;  and,  previously  to  depositing  manure 
in  the  yards,  place  at  the  bottom,  peat,  or  loose  earth, 
where  such  can  be  obtained,  six  or  eight  inches  in 
thickness;  this  will  absorb  the  drainage  from  the  manure 
which  may  accumulate  upon  it.  In  placing  the  manure 
in  the  yard,  let  each  kind  be  spread  about  the  surfacei 
in  order  that  a  proper  admixture  may  take  place ;  its 
value  will  then  be  equalized  in  all  respects  when 
required  for  use.  I  set  no  value  upon  a  tank  to  receive 
the  liquid  which  draws  trom  the  open  yard ;  I  prefer  a 
rather  long  and  narrow  cesspool,  kept  supplied  occasion- 
ally with  loose  earth  &c.,  for  the  liquid-manure  to  rvm 
into,  the  sediment  from  which  will  be  absorbed  by  the 
earth  &c.,  which  may  bo  removed  about  twice  a-year, 
and  used  as  manure  for  pasture  and  grass  land.  I  beg, 
however,  to  say,  that  in  all  cases  where  the  Farm-yard 


is  so  situated,  the  drainage  from  the  manure  should  be 
led  on  to  pasture  or  meadow-land,  for  the  purposes  of 
irrigation,  where  a  sufficient  outfall  can  be  obtained  to 
distribute  it  with  regularity. 

The  next  consideration  is  the  accommodation  for  the 
animals  when  not  allowed  to  lie  promiscuously  in  the 
Farm-yard.  My  own  practice  is  to  allow  separate  apart- 
ments for  each,  or  every  set  of  animals,  during  the 
winter  months.  Thus,  the  dairy  Cows  have  each  a 
shed  to  lie  in,  12  feet  by  10  feet,  and  space  in  front  of 
about  the  same  extent ;  the  Heifers,  also,  are  kept  two 
or  three  together,  in  a  similar  shed,  but  with  a  rather 
larger  space  in  front.  The  breeding  Sows  have  each  a 
shed  to  rest  in,  and  outer  space  for  eating  green  food, 
the  same  size  as  the  pens  for  the  cows  ;  and  each  farrow 
of  store,  or  fatting  pigs,  are  accommodated  in  the 
same  way. 

In  each  and  every  instance,  the  pens  are  first  covered 
at  the  bottom  with  loamy  earth,  about  eight  inches  in 
thickness,  and  the  manui'e  is  always  allowed  to  accumu- 
late under  the  animals,  upon  the  principle  of  box  feed- 
ing, taking  care  to  litter  with  straw  daily,  as  cleanliness 
requires,  and  the  accumulation  is  allowed  to  continue 
until  inconvenience  arises.  The  manure  is  then  removed 
and  spread  over  the  farm-yard,  or  put  into  heap  for  more 
immediate  use  if  required. 

As  I  do  not  intend  these  observations  to  apply 
to  modern  or  recently-constructed  buildings,  I  would 
here  state,  that  in  case  further  space  is  required 
for  fatting  cattle,  good  roomy  boxes  may  be  ob- 
tained by  appropriating  the  corn  mows  of  a  barn ; 
and  it  often  happens,  that  in  ancient  farm-steadings 
much  barn  room  may  bo  dispensed  with,  and  fitted  up 
as  cattle  boxes  at  a  trifling  cost,  and  may  be  managed 
with  nearly  the  same  facility  and  advantage  as  first-rate 
buildings.  Joseph  Blundell. 

(.jf'o  he  coiUmucd.) 


WHAT   A   MOMENT   MAY   BRING   FORTH. 
By  the  Autkorass  of  "  ASy  Floicors," 

Hithehto,  1  have  sketched  the  history  of  persons  in  the 
more  humble  ranks  of  life  as  warnings  or  examples  ;  but  I 
am  now  going  to  set  forth  a  wai-niug  taken  from  a  higher 
spliere,  to  show  that  the  Lord  is  no  respecter  of  persons, 
but  Umt  His  just  judgments  fall  ahke  on  the  high  and  low; 
and  that  there  is  a  "  woe  "'■  unto  them  that  ai-e  mighty  to 
di-ink  wine,"  as  well  as  beer,  and  to  men  of  slreugtli  to 
miuglo  sti'oug  drink,  "whetlier  they  are  rich  or  jjoor,  lourned 
or  unlearned;  for  "  the  soul  that  sinueth,  it  shall  ilie." 

We  do  not  so  often  observe  the  miserable  consequences 
of  sin  in  the  higher  walks  of  fife.  It  is  more  out  of  sight 
tlian  amongst  those  whose  bread  depends  upon  the  labour 
of  their  hands ;  but  let  my  cottage  readers  be  quite  sure  of 
this,  that  sui  and  folly  reap  as  full  a  rewai-J  uuioug  the 
nobles  of  the  land  as  among  the  peasants ;  perhaps  even 
more  ko  ;  and  that  many  a  splendid  carriage  thai  dashes  by, 
audmany  asi)lendid  mansion, whore  gold  and  fiducss  of  bread 
are  found,  contain  heai'ts  as  withered,  and  broken,  imd 
luourniug,  and  diseased,  as  any  of  those  stai'viug  in  a 
desolate  cottage,  or  confined  within  the  walls  of  a  union 
workhouse. 

Edward  Fortescue  was  the  son  of  a  nobleman.  His 
parents  wore  both  devoid  of  principle,  and  their  manner  of 
fife  sadly  unfiko  what  it  ought  to  be  amongst  the  nobiUty  of 


March  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


427 


a  Cln-istian  land.  From  theni  he  could  learn  nothing  of 
good ;  and  his  youtlil'ul  years,  both  at  school  and  college, 
were  wild  and  dissipated.  When  he  first  drew  particular 
notice  he  was  concealing  himself,  under  a  feigned  name 
and  the  appearance  of  a  plain  gentleman,  from  some  pursuit 
or  other;  and  living  in  a  place  as  much  as  possible  out  of 
the  way  of  former  acquaintance.?.  His  countenajice  evidently 
bore  marks  of  his  manner  of  life ;  no  one  who  looked  at 
him  could  avoid  seeing  that  he  was  a  man  of  confirmed 
drinking  habits  ;  and  his  conduct  soon  convinced  every  one 
of  the  fact.  It  was  gradually  whispered,  however,  that  he 
was  a  disguised  nobleman;  that  his  history  was  a  pitiful  one; 
that  he  bad  been  unjustly  ti'eated,  obliged  to  hide  from  his 
own  father,  who  wanted  to  force  him  into  signing  away 
money  and  lands,  and  was  much  to  be  sympathized  with. 
This  di'ew  him  into  society,  where  the  quiet  elegance  of  his 
manners  would  have  made  him  very  welcome,  but  for  the 
habits  he  indulged  in,  which  were  constantly  coming  to 
light.  Often  was  he  picked  up  in  the  streets  wholly 
intoxicated,  and  sometimes  fighting  with  men  of  low  and 
wretched  character;  yet  two  or  three  respectable  fnends 
clave  to  hun,  either,  as  he  used  to  say  "  for  my  five  balls" 
(meaning  his  future  coronet),  or  because  there  were  kindly 
qualities  buried  under  the  frightful  features  of  his  outward 
life.  Alas  !  what  a  terrible  sight  it  is  to  see  vice  tiiumph- 
ant  in  high  places  !  To  see  the  young,  educated,  titled  man, 
a  slave  in  its  grasp,  and  sacrificing  all  the  talents  tlie  Lord 
has  given  him — station,  wealth,  power,  and  influence — to 
debasing  passions,  instead  of  spending  them  in  the  service 
of  God  and  to  His  glory ! 

Little  did  poor  Mr.  Fortescue  dream  of  the  end  of  his 
wretched  earthly  career !  Little  did  those  who  laughed,  and 
danced,  and  associated  with  him,  dream  ofiteilher!  Hewent 
on  recklessly  in  the  downward  path,  never  attended  the  means 
of  Grace,  or  the  sound  of  the  Gospel,  at  least  while  we  were 
acquainted  with  him ;  and  if  a  terror  ever  crept  into  his 
heart  he  must  have  drank  it  away.  Oh  !  let  my  readers 
pause  one  moment,  to  think  of  this  manner  of  using  "  things 
temporal !  "  Is  it  not  loo  snrely,  to  "  lose  the  things  that  are 
eternal?  " 

Years  passed  away ;  and  Mr.  Fortescue  still  lived  on  in 
the  same  manner,  sometimes  abroad,  sometimes  at  home ; 
but  always  under  his  feigned  name,  and  in  his  usual 
wretched  habits.  He  had  formed  a  close  intimacy  with  one 
family,  whose  eldest  son,  though  quite  unlil;e  him  in  outward 
things,  had  been  his  great  friend  from  their  first  intro- 
duction, and  with  this  family  he  passed  most  of  his  time, 
when  he  was,  as  he  called  it,  at  home. 

When  about  to  return  from  France,  for  the  last  time,  as  it 
sadly  proved,  he  >vi-ote  to  his  friend  to  announce  his  arrival, 
saying,  with  a  thoughtlessness  and  presumption  only  too 
common  mth  us  all,  "  On  that  day,  without  fail,  you  wiU  see 
me  at  your  dinner-table."  "  Go  to  now,  ye  that  say,  To-day, 
or  to-morrow  we  will  go  into  such  a  city,  and  continue  there 
a  year,  and  buy,  and  sell,  and  get  gain  :  whereas  ye  know 
not  what  shall  be  on  the  moiTow.  For  what  is  your  life  ?  It 
is  even  a  vapour  that  appeareth  for  a  little  time  and  then 
vanisheth  away.  For  that  ye  ought  to  say,  If  the  Lord  will, 
we  shall  live,  and  do  this  or  that." 

Mr.  Fortescue  took  his  passage,  and  had  a  prosperous 
waft  across  the  channel.  On  arriving  in  the  roads,  the  tide 
did  not  quite  serve  for  the  little  sailing-packet  to  enter  the 
pier,  and  they  tacked  once  or  twice  in  consequence.  Most 
of  the  passengers,  glad  to  get  out  of  ship,  landed  in  the 
boat,  but  Mr.  Fortescue,  who  was  bringing  over  some  valu- 
able articles  belonging  to  a  friend,  chose  to  remain  with  his 
luggage,  and  see  it  safely  landed  himself.  In  a  very  short 
time  the  tide  served,  the  little  vessel  made  her  last  tack, 
and  was  entering  the  mouth  of  the  pier.  Surely  all  was 
safe  and  secure !  At  that  very  instant  of  time  a  sudden 
chop-round  of  the  breeze  took  the  vessel  aback ;  she  stnick 
against  the  pier,  and  went  down  before  the  eyes  of  the 
horrified  spectators.  Mr.  Fortescue  could  not  swim,  and 
perished  !  The  last  that  was  seen  of  him  was  as  he  stood 
on  the  deck  with  his  portmanteau  in  his  hand,  surprize  and 
horror  stamped  on  his  face.  No  time  was  allowed  for  an 
effort  to  escape,  or  he  might  almost  have  sprung  from  the 
vessel's  side  to  the  shore.  No  time  was  allowed  for  more 
than  a  full  sight  of  his  awful  position  on  the  brink  of 


terrific  destruction.  Oh  !  who  can  describe  the  horror  of 
that  sight; — of  that  unlooked-for,  unprepared-for  moment ! 

Thus  closed  a  life  of  recklessness  and  open  sin.  In  tlie 
very  momijut  that  seemed  most  smooth  and  safe,  destruction 
came.  Who  can  reckon  on  a  day  ;  an  instant  ?  "  Be  ye 
ready ;  for  the  Son  of  Man  coraeth  at  an  hour  when  ye 
think  not." 

Readers — we  may  all  learn  a  deep  lesson.  We  may  not 
be  living,  perhaps,  in  outwuril  sin ;  but  we  may  be  quite, 
tju'Ue  as  unfit  to, die  as  this  young  nobleman.  Inward  sin 
is  quite  as  impure  in  the  sight  of  a  holy  God  as  the  most 
desperate  outward  wickedness ;  let  us  remember  tliat.  The 
Lord  is  no  respecter  of  person ;  there  is  neither  higli  nor 
low  in  His  sight.  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die." 
But  what  a  death  it  is !  and  how  suddenly  it  may  come 
rushing  upon  us,  just  when  we  are  saying,  "  Peace  and 
safety!"  There  is  no  peace,  there  is  no  safety  to  any  but 
those  who  are  gathered  under  Almighty  wings.  Are  we 
sheltered  there  ?  Have  we  fled  for  salvation  to  Him  who 
died  to  purchase  it  for  us  ?  We  ai'e  all  ti7ing  to  walk  on 
the  waves  of  this  troublesome  world,  someliow  or  other; 
but  we  cannot  do  it  long.  We  rmist  sink,  if  the  hand  of 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  stretched  out  to  save  us.  We  may  think 
we  are  just  entering  the  heavenly  port ;  but  the  breeze  of 
hope  will  chop  right  round,  readers,  and  dash  us  on  the 
rocks,  unless  Clirist  is  in  the  ship ;  unless  we  have  a  fu'm 
hold  of  Him ;  unless  He  is  our  Hope  and  our  Salvation. 
Let  this  solemn  warning  rouse  us  to  seek  Him  while  He 
may  be  found ! 


THE    POLAND    FOWL   AS    RECENTLY 
EXHIBITED. 

We  may  fairly  assume  that  custom  has  now  sanctioned 
the  arrangement  of  all  the  regular-tufted  fowls  in  the 
classes  assigned  to  Polands,  and,  consequently,  that  the 
"  tufted  Hamburgh "  is  a  designation  applicable  only  to 
former  times.  By  the  expression,  "  rec/iilar-tiifted"  fowls, 
an  e.xiception  is  provided  for  in  such  cases  as  the  Ptarmigan, 
the  Pencilled  Game-fowl,  and  some  others,  distinguished  by 
a  lark-crest  totally  distinct  from  the  full,  globular  top-knot 
of  the  Poland  proper. 

The  origin  of  this  latter  breed  being  enveloped  in  so 
much  uncertainty,  the  advocates  of  the  old  combless  Pole 
must  not  take  it  amiss  if  the  line  of  demarcation  between 
their  favourites  and  the  birds  known  to  them  as  "  tufted 
Hamburijhs  "  being  regarded  as  the  cause  of  much  needless 
confusion,  has  been,  by  almost  general  consent,  and  hy  the 
authority  of  our  leading  Poultry  Societies,  relinquished  and 
done  away  with.  The  argument  for  this  distinction,  it 
would  appear,  rested  mainly  on  tlie  absence  of  the  comb, 
and  alleged  greater  size  of  the  "  true  Poland"  for  in  respect 
of  feather,  we  apprehend,  their  case  has  not  been  establislied, 
the  Spangled  birds  aloue  having  thus  been  termed  Ham- 
burghs.  Now,  with  reference  to  the  comb,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  less  of  it  the  better  in  any  Poland  fowl,  and 
that  anything  approaching  the  huge  horns  that  sometimes 
disfigures  these  birds  is  highly  objectionable,  as  imparting 
a  degree  of  coai-seuess  to  their  otherwise  symmetrical  form. 
But,  at  the  same  time,  exhibitors  would  act  prudently  to 
remember,  that  amputation,  or  reduction  by  the  knife  of  this 
appendage,  is  an  operation  always  apparent  to  an  ex- 
perienced eye,  and  conducing  neither  to  their  owner's  credit, 
nor  to  the  appearance  of  the  birds  themselves.  A  cicatriced 
woimd  is  always  left,  and  the  space  occupied  by  the  sub- 
stance removed  is  never  properly  filled  up  by  the  feathers 
of  the  crest. 

The  White-crested  Black  Polands  of  18.53  were  no  im- 
provement on  their  predecessors,  but,  rather,  as  we  think, 
the  contrary.  Condition  was  too  often  absent,  even  when 
form  and  feather  were  satisfactory.  The  causes  that  have 
probably  induced  this  result  may  embrace  their  delicate 
constitution  as  chickens,  and  their  comparatively  unprofit- 
able character  as  mere  poultry ;  eii'cumstances  which  b  ave 
given  a  preference  to  more  useful  and  hardier  fowls,  few  of 
which,  however,  in  beauty  of  appearance,  can  claim  supe- 
riority over  the  subjects  of  these  remarks. 

The  Poland,  indeed,  and  these  observations  apply  equally 
to  all  their  varieties,  has  been  well  styled  an  "  aviary  bird ; " 


428 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


March  2. 


for  although  greater  extention  of  Uraits  that  would  usually 
be  implied  by  this  term  are  requisite  for  their  appearance 
in  their  best  form,  they  are  confessedly  unable  to  rough 
through  their  existence  in  the  same  independent  manner 
that  most  of  our  other  breeds  are  capable  of  doing. 

A  limited  portion  of  White  has  not  been  thought  incom- 
patible with  the  plumage  of  the  White-crested  Black  Poland 
cock's  tail,  and  has  even,  sometimes,  been  alluded  to  as 
instancing  pm-ity  of  blood.  But  to  this  we  do  not  assent, 
considering  that  any  fowl  distinctively  termed  black,  or  any 
other  colour,  should  be  uniformly  of  that  colour,  any  de- 
■i-iation,  such  as  is  here  provided  for  by  the  appellation 
"  White-crested,"  being  alone  excepted ;  bronze  and  red 
markings,  in  either  sex,  have  been  the  just  cause  of  many 
summary  disqualilicatious.  Poland  "  improvers,"  however, 
have  been,  of  late,  as  busy  with  the  top-knots,  as  the  combs 
of  other  birds,  and  with  precisely  the  same  results — the  dis- 
figurement, and  ignominious  omission  of  their  pens  from 
judicial  notice.  The  Dahlia  fancier  applies  his  curling- 
tongs  to  the  petal  of  liis  much-cherished  flower,  and  a  ten- 
dency to  irregularity  of  form  is  thus  checked,  but  the  ab- 
straction of  the  oiitinding  portion  would  mar  its  own  object. 
lu  the  same  way,  if  it  is  thouglit  that  a  Poland's  top-knot 
requires  cleansing  and  arrangement  in  any  mode  previous 
to  exhibition,  no  one  has  a  light  to  object  to  this,  so  long 
as  the  bird  is  allowed  to  retain  the  full  complement  of  its 
plumage,  although  we  may  gravely  doubt  the  advantage  to 
be  thus  gained  if  the  bird  is  in  good  health  ;  and,  if  other- 
wise, it  ought  not  to  appear  under  any  circumstances 
whatever. 

Those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  thus  "plucking"  their 
White-crested  Black  Polands,  would  do  well  to  obtain  a 
regulative  standard  for  their  labours.  As  frequently  every 
single  black  feather  has  vanished  from  the  anterior  portion 
of  the  tuft,  we  should  be  glad  to  learn  whence  their  model 
was  obtained,  for  we  have  never  yet  been  so  fortunate  as  to 
meet  with  any  specimen  of  this  variety,  where  black  feathers, 
more  or  less  in  number,  were  not  visible  at  the  base  of  the 
top-knot  above  the  nostrils. 

Golden  Polands  have  fully  maintained  their  ground,  and 
the  fierce  discussion  of  some  few  months  since,  "  beards  or 
no  beards,"  seems,  in  tlieir  case,  and  with  the  Silver  also,  to 
have  gone  in  favour  of  the  beard.  We  should  be  curious, 
indeed,  to  learn  whether  the  pros  and  cons  of  this  knotty 
point,  so  ardently  and  laboriously  discussed  in  the  pages  of 
The  Cottage  Gardenee,  influenced  in  any  way  the  present 
general  desires  of  the  guardians  of  the  public  peace,  who 
are  now  so  anxious  thus  to  adorn  their  chins  and  throats, 
and  which  municipal  and  magisterial  authorities  seem  so 
unwilling  to  permit.  What  triumph  for  the  advocates  of 
the  beard,  if  human  bipeds  thus  become  emulous  of  the 
natural  comforts  of  tliis  portion  of  the  feathered  race.  An 
elaborate  article  for  the  transactions  of  a  learned  society 
must  testify  to  this  evidence  of  the  value  of  poultry  lite- 
ratm-e. 

The  beard,  we  repeat,  is  evidently  popular  with  the 
exhibitors  of  the  Gold  and  Silver  Polands,  and  our  own 
indiridual  opinion  certainly  goes  with  them.  For  not 
merely  do  we  regard  the  beard  as  in  good  keeping  with  the 
appearance  of  the  top-knot,  but  our  conclusion,  from  past 
exhibitions,  would  lead  us  to  anticipate  more  birds  of  higher 
merit,  in  other  respects,  among  any  given  number  of 
Polands,  than  we  should  probably  meet  with  among  the  un- 
bearded. The  main  faults  in  this  class,  as  of  old,  have 
been  the  imperfect  character  of  the  spangle  ;  frequently  so 
heavy  as  to  leave  little  of  the  ground-colour  visible,  and 
nearly  as  often  irregular  and  spotty.  This  remark,  indeed, 
applies  fully  as  much  to  the  Silver  as  the  Golden  birds. 
The  top-knots  of  the  latter  are  among  the  points  to  which 
the  breeder's  attention  should  be  carefully  directed,  for  in 
the  male  birds  they  are  seldom  regular,  and,  to  our  eye, 
the  intermixture  of  wliite  with  the  rich,  golden-orange  is  no 
improvement,  but  many  good  judges,  we  must  acknowledge, 
tliink  otherwise.  Black  top-knots,  again,  in  the  hens,  do 
not  harmonize  with  the  general  tone  of  the  plumage ;  for 
whether  the  variety  be  gold  or  silver,  each  feather  of  the 
tuft  should  be  clearly  laced.  There  were  some  beautiful 
examples  of  this  in  the  Silver  chicken  class  at  the  last 
Birmingham  meeting. 

Much  that  has  been  said  on  the  Golden  is  applicable  to 


tlie  Silver  Poland  also.  From  the  results  of  the  past  year, 
we  should  assume  that  it  has  been  found  an  easier  t.isk  to 
breed  first-rate  birds  of  the  latter  than  of  the  former  variety, 
especially  with  respect  to  feather.  The  comb,  however, 
has  here  been  apt  to  run  coarse  ;  and  too  many  pens 
have  been  shown  in  such  condition  as  could  only  ensure 
disqualification. 

With  the  Silver  birds  the  Poland  classes  usually  ter- 
minated, but  several  Societies  have  now  adopted  an  addi- 
tional class  for  ^^  Polands  of  any  other  varietij,"  to  obviate  the 
confused  medley  of  several  fowls  of  undoubted  Poland 
blood  in  the  class  "  for  any  other  distinct  breed."  At  pre- 
sent, we  are  certainly  inclined  to  think  enough  has  been 
done  for  them,  though  their  claim  to  this  distinction  was 
in  every  way  founded  on  reason.  AVe  say  this  advisedly, 
since  a  specific  difference  between  some  of  these  sub- 
varieties  has  been  positively  asserted.  Now,  we  are  per- 
fectly willing  to  admit,  that  with  regard  to  Polands,  as, 
indeed,  to  all  other  fowls,  we  have  much  to  learn,  for  the 
confusion  from  which  wliat  we  do  know  has  been  gradually 
elicited,  is  sufficient  ground  to  avoid  the  expression  of  too 
dogmatical  an  opinion  on  matters  when  the  premises  admit 
of  so  much  uncertainty.  But  can  we  assert  as  a  fact,  that 
these  white,  black,  buff,  and  other  varieties  hereafter-to-be- 
mentioned,  are,  indeed,  ^^  distinct  jiermanent  varieties  /" 
Careful  selection,  for  many  generations,  may  have  done 
much  to  establish  a  near  approach  to  uniformity  of  plunmge, 
but  as  yet,  we  apjirehend,  this  evidence  is  far  from  com- 
plete; and  ^^  original  distinction" — by  which  is  unplied  a 
separate  existence  from  all  such  very  remote  times — will 
hardly,  we  suppose,  be  liere  asked  for.  The  Bearded-white 
birds  (not  to  be  confounded  with  the  "Albinos"  from  the 
White-crested  blacl;)  though  carefully  secluded  from  other 
fowls,  have  thrown  many  imperfectly-spangled  chickens; 
and  rumours  attach  the  same  suspicion  (for  we  have  not 
ourselves  had  ocular  demonstration  of  the  fact  in  this 
instance)  to  the  bulf  and  black  bkds. 

The  latter,  however,  are  strikingly  handsome ;  and,  when 
in  good  condition,  are  a  feature  in  any  exhibition.  Com- 
paratively few  specimens  have  been  shown ;  hut,  if  we 
remember  rightly,  Leeds  had  an  excellent  pen. 

The  Bearded-while,  again,  have  many  friends,  and  have 
proved  attractive  objects  on  many  occasions.  The  regularity 
of  their  top-knots  is  seldom  surpassed,  and  they  are  birds  of 
a  stout  vigorous  habit.  The  point,  however,  in  which  tliey 
appear  to  least  advantage  is  the  contrast  between  then-  blue 
legs  and  dark  bills  with  the  white  plumage.  A  light- 
coloured  bird  requires,  in  every  case,  a  light-coloured  leg, 
and  fortunately  for  the  white  Shanghaes  and  Dorkings,  the 
family  colour  of  the  extremities  suits  that  of  the  plumage. 

Of  the  Buffer  Yellow  Polands  with  White  lacings,  enough 
is  not  yet  known  to  speak  positively  of  their  merits.  In 
those  that  have  been  exhibited,  the  colours  have  not  been 
sufficiently  clear ;  and  hence  a  confused  effect.  We  are  in- 
clined to  believe,  that  had  the  yellow  been  of  a  somewhat 
darker  shade,  the  contrast  of  colour  would  have  been  better. 
But  in  this,  as  in  all  other  instances  where  Polands  are  con- 
cerned, it  would  be  unfair  to  judge  of  any  vai'iety  merely 
from  young  specimens — form  and  feather  continuing  to  im 
prove  up  to  the  thu'd,  if  not,  indeed,  to  the  fourth  year. 

Eumours  of  tlie  reappearance  of  tlie  While  hlaelt-cresled 
Poland  have  been  abroad  during  the  last  yeai',  and  one  or 
two  fruitless  expeditious  on  the  part  of  keen  fanciers  were 
thereby  induced.  A  pen  of  white  birds,  with  dusky  top-knots 
and  hackle,  were  the  only  evidence,  at  Birmingham,  of  any 
efforts  towards  the  restoration  of  this,  seemingly,  hist  race. 
But  tliese  we  allude  to  gain  little  hope  of  better  things 
from  the  same  source — the  character  of  the  hackle — even 
supposing  the  top-knot  had  been  good  in  colour,  being  totally 
at  variance  with  the  object  in  view — a  plumage  of  uniform 
white  contrasting  with  a  perfectly  black  ei-est. 

There  were,  also,  at  liirmiugham,  good  pens  of  the  Bine 
Polands  with  while-cresis,  and  some  spotted,  or  rather  mottled, 
bu'ds  of  the  same  family,  both  shown  in  good  condition,  [ind 
deserving  notice  for  this  unusual  feather.  A  pen  of  Cncl.-on 
Polands,  also,  were  there  exhiliited. 

If  it  cannot  ba  inferred,  from  what  has  now  been  said,  lliat 
Polands,  in  their  different  varieties,  have  equally  profited  by 
the  skill  of  the  breeder  with  some  other  families  of  our 
fowls,  we  are  certain  that  this  has  happened  from  no  lack  of 


March  3. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


429 


attention,  nor  want  of  appreciation  of  either  their  merits  or 
their  beauty.  But  the  reason  must  be  sought  for  in  the  dif- 
ficulty that  is  so  generally  complained  of  in  rearing  their 
chiclcens,  and  their  extremely  slow  growth,  points  which  the 
utihtarian  character  of  the  present  day  will  not  dispense 
with  even  in  the  details  of  our  Poultry-yards.  As  profitable 
poulti-y,  we  can  say  little  in  favovu'  of  the  Poland  ;  and  thus 
we  are  not  surprised  that  the  anticipations  of  many  of  their 
sanguine  admirers  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  past  year,  which 
led  them  to  expect  greater  popularity  for  their  favourites 
than  they  have  since  attained  to,  have  proved  groundless.  If 
the  Shanghae,  whose  rapid  upward  course  was  in  a  great 
measure  attributable  to  the  idea  of  its  profitable  character, 
has  been  somewhat  dimmed  in  its  hitherto  triumphant 
course,  its  competitors  have  been  the  useful  Dorliings  and 
Spanish  ;  and  birds  of  feather  only,  Polands  perhaps  more 
especially,  have  failed  to  gain  the  vacant  place,  however 
meritorious  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  are  attached  to  birds  of 
this  character. 


ARABIAN   LAUGHING   PIGEONS. 

We  have  now  in  our  possession  a  pair  of  these  curious 
birds.  The  cock  bird  is  pale  blue,  with  very  beautiful  and 
a  very  strong  metalUc  iridescence  on  the  neck  feathers. 
The  hen  is  mottled  blue  and  white,  and  much  smaller  than  her 
mate.  They  are  under  the  average  size  of  Pigeons,  and  have 
red  unbooted  legs.  The  beak  is  somewhat  more  hooked 
than  usual,  but  otherwise  there  is  nothing  in  their  appear- 
ance, to  an  unpractised  eye,  distinguishing  them  from  a 
common  Pigeon.  Their  varied  cries,  however,  are  cer- 
tainly extraordinary.  Some  of  the  notes  are  those  of  a 
loud,  coarse  laugh ;  but  it  is,  when  they  are  much  alarmed, 
more  like  a  hoarse  clamour. 

The  gentleman  from  whom  we  have  received  the  Pigeons 
writes  as  follows  : — 

"  Their  originals  I  bought  and  sent  home  by  ship,  They 
come  from  Arabia,  and  cost  me  two  dollars  per  pair.  They 
vary  in  colour,  being  mostly  blue,  red,  and  white.  I  have 
bred  them  white,  pied-blue,  and  mottled. 

"  They  stand  our  climate  tolerably  well.  The  difierent 
sounds  they  make  are  very  strange,  and  when  breeding  they 
utter  several  different  lands  of  cry.  Indeed,  any  one  that 
had  never  heard  them  would  be  puzzled  to  know  what  was 
the  cause  of  the  sounds  they  make,  and  I  think  you  and 
your  friends  will  be  very  much  amused  to  hear  them,  as  my 
friends  have  been.  They  would  not  have  thought  Pigeons 
capable  of  making  so  many  different  sounds.  I  feed  them 
with  wheat,  tares,  barley,  and  a  little  herapseed,  once  daily. 
They  are  fond  of  different  kinds  of  greens. 

"  I  dare  say  you  will  not  hear  them  for  a  day  or  so,  until 
they  get  accustomed  to  your  place.  In  addition  to  this,  if 
they  are  disturbed  at  night  they  make  those  laughing 
sounds,  and  should  they  see  a  light  they  immediately  com- 
mence, being  thus  almost  as  good  as  a  house  dog.  One  night 
I  was  aroused  by  them,  and  knew  that  some  one  was  in 
their  place,  and  on  getting  up  found  my  man  had  got  up 
much  earlier  than  usual  to  commence  his  brewing.  This 
set  them  all  in  full  cry,  and  in  one  respect  they  are  better 
than  a  dog,  for  they  are  not  so  easy  to  quiet. 

"  Those  I  have  bred  in  this  country  stood  the  climate 
pretty  well,  but  I  find  that  it  is  better  to  keep  both  them 
and  the  English  Fancy  Pigeons  shut  in  when  it  is  very  cold, 
or  very  cold  and  wet  with  it.  I  find  neither  my  Pigeons 
nor  poultry  stand  the  damp,  cold  weather  well,  especially 
when  the  wind  is  either  in  the  north  or  east." 


CEDAR  OF  LEBANON, 
At  Stanford  Court. 
A  CoERESPONDENT  in  The  CoTTAGE  Gakdenee  for  January 
26,  page,  328,  in  speaking  of  remarkable  trees,  states  that  in 
the  county  of  Kent  there  are  some  fine  old  Yew  Trees,  and 
he  also  states  there  is  (wliat  he  thinks)  the  finest  Cedar  of 
Lebanon  he  has  ever  seen,  but  he  does  not  state  the  dimen- 
sions. Now,  I  would  beg  to  inform  "  A  correspondent"  that 
there  is  growing  in  the  kitchen-garden,  at  Stanford  Court, 


Worcestershire,  a  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  which  I  think  there 
are  few  in  England  equal  to  ;  at  least,  I  liave  not  heard  of 
any;  the  dimensions  of  which  are  as  follows: — Height, 
about  seventy -five  feet ;  circumference  at  two-and-a  half- feet 
from  the  ground,  nineteen  feet ;  diameter  of  branches,  ono- 
hundred-and-twenty-two  feet  the  one  way,  and  about  eighty- 
five  feet  the  other  way,  and  covering  a  circle  of  ground  mea- 
suring three  hundred-and-eighteen  feet. 

Although  the  size  of  the  trunk  may  not  appear  veiy  large, 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  is  the  smallest  part  between 
the  root  and  branches,  which  are  only  five  feet  from  the 
ground.  The  main  feature  of  this  noble  tree  is  the  enor- 
mous length  of  the  lower  branches,  which  are  supported  by 
strong  props,  the  present  number  being  twenty-five.  Tliis 
fine  tree  was  planted  in  its  present  situation  about  the  year 
1749,  rather  more  than  one  liundred  years  since  ;  the  soil  it 
grows  in  is  a  very  deep  strongloam  ;  the  soil,  indeed,  seems  to 
supply  the  necessary  food,  for  the  Cedar  seems  perfectly  at 
home  there.  This  tree  would,  I  have  no  doubt,  have  been 
much  handsomer,  but  the  heavy  falls  of  snow  that  we  had 
some  ten  or  fifteen  years  since  deprived  it  of  several  of  its 
largest  upper  branches. 

I  should  be  glad  to  hear,  through  the  medium  of  The 
Cottage  Gakuewek,  where  the  largest  and  handsomest 
Cedar  is  to  be  found  in  England,  together  with  height, 
width,  and  breadth  of  ground  it  occupies. — C.  X. 

[We  shall  be  much  obliged  by  descriptions  of  Trees,  dis- 
tinguished for  their  size,  beauty,  or  local  traditions. — ■ 
Ed.  C.  G.]. 


DISCREPANCY  IN  JUDGMENTS. 

GOLDEN-PENCILLED    HAMEUEGHS. 

Wlll  you  kindly  permit  me  space  for  a  few  lines  in  your 
paper.  I  am  anxious  to  know  which  is  the  chief  point  in 
a  Golden-spangled  Hamburgh  cock.  I  have  asked  many 
judges,  but  they  have  all  been  of  different  opinions  ;  perhaps 
some  of  your  kind  readers  will  enlighten  me  on  the  subject. 
Last  year  I  bred  for  ear-lobe  and  bronze-tail,  with  great 
satisfaction.  I  witnessed  the  result,  and  obtained  first 
prizes  at  the  Baker-street,  and  SuiTey  summer  shows.  I  ex- 
hibited the  same  birds  at  a  small  show  soon  after,  and  was 
beaten  for  the  first  prize.  The  cock  in  the  first  pen  had 
certainly  a  tail  of  nothing  but  bronze,  though  in  every  other 
respect  was  nothing  of  a  bird  ;  he  had  no  white  ear-lobe, 
a  comb  almost  round,  with  scarcely  any  point,  and  had  had 
carriage,  too.  With  reference  to  the  pullets,  there  was  no 
comparison.  Upon  enquiry  why  these  birds  had  the  fint 
prize,  one  of  the  judges  remarked — "Oh!  that  bronze-tail 
will  take  a  prize  anywhere."  But  notwithstanding  this,  my 
opinion  is,  that  a  bird  with  a  good  ear-lobe,  a  good  pointed 
comb,  tail  nicely  edged  with  gold,  and  perfect  carriage, 
ought  certainly  to  go  before  a  tail  of  all  bronze,  if  the  birds 
be  deficient  in  other  points.  No  doubt,  many  of  your 
friends  will  benefit,  as  well  as  myself,  if  some  of  your  kind 
readers  give  us  their  opinion  upon  the  matter. — LrvE  and 
Leaen. 


POLMAISE  HEATING. 

I  READ  every  word  of  your  very  valuable  Periodical,  and  I 
never  consider  my  week's  work  properly  over  if  I  omit  the 
doing  it,  but  absence  from  home  prevented  my  seeing  your 
number  for  the  8th  of  December,  in  which  Mr.  Golightly 
has  come  down  so  heavily  upon  my  favourite  Polmaise, 
and  my  attention  was  only  called  to  his  charge  a  few  days 
ago.  I  am  afraid  Mr.  G.  will  have  begun  to  think  that  no 
one  doubts  what  he  has  said.  I  am,  however,  glad  to  see, 
by  your  publication  this  week,  that  I  shall  not  be  the  only 
chamj>ion  for  Polmaise. 

I  warm  my  house  by  Polmaise,  and  no  one  could  tell  that 
they  were  not  in  the  natural  heat  of  summer;  in  the  I'ine 
stoves  the  air  may  be  kept  at  any  degree  of  moisture,  by 
the  tank  for  water  directed  by  Mr.  Meek  to  be  placed  in  .ill 
Polmaise  stoves,  and  by  the  application  of  water  on  the 
floors  of  the   chambers  under  the  beds  over  the  walks. 

There  is  no  smell,  unless,  as  I  admit,  some  accident  has 


430 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Mabch  2. 


liappened  to  tbe  flue,  but  that  is  readily  cm-ed  in  u  few 
houi-s.  If  tlie  houses  are  properly  constructed,  you  may 
lieat  the  bed  -nitbout  increasing  tbe  temperature  of  tbe 
house,  and  by  admitting  air  by  tbe  flues  beneath  tbe  bed, 
which  should'  lead  through  the  outside  wall,  you  can  have 
any  amount  of  fresh  air  into  the  house,  day  and  night, 
slightly  warmed. 

As  to  the  scorching,  singing,  roasting,  blistering,  blotch- 
ing, and  curling,  I  am  quite  sure  that  they  are  not  to  be 
attributed  to  Polmaise.  It  is  very  sti-ange,  that  bouses  so 
frequently  suffering,  according  to  Mr.  Golightly,  from  the 
inroads  of  sulphur,  should  be  such  fruitful  nurseries  for 
red  spider,  thrips,  and  scale.  I  had  an  impression  the  red 
spider  would  infest  an  open  Peach  wall,  certainly  beyond 
the  reach  of  Polmaise,  unless  well  looked  after,  and  I  have 
formerly  had  the  foliage  of  Peach-trees  entirely  destroyed 
by  it.  As  Mr.  Golightly  and  I  reside  in  the  same  locaUty,  I 
should  much  like  to  see  his  unfortunate  Polmaised  houses, 
and  ai-gue  the  merits  of  the  system  with  him  on  the  spot. 
You  may,  if  you  please,  exchange  my  address  with  him  for 
his  own. — T. 


PICKLED   NASTURTIUM   LEAVES. 

In  a  recent  article,  by  Mr.  Fish,  on  the  sub.iect  of  Capers, 
he  observes,  that  Nasturtiums  form  an  excellent  substitute 
for  the  favourite  adjunct  to  boiled  mutton.  He  does  not, 
however,  mention  a  fact  of  which  probably  many  of  your 
readers  are  unaware,  namely,  that  Nasliirtiiim  leaver  ai-e 
equally  available  for  tbe  above-mentioned  substitution,  with 
the  green  Nasturtium  seeds  usually  employed. 

All  that  is  necessai-y  is  to  gather  the  healthy  leaves  at 
any  period  of  their  duration  and  to  bottle  them  in  vinegar ; 
a  proportion  of  these  being  chopped  up  and  mixed  with  the 
melted  butter,  when  reqiured  for  use.  The  plant  intended, 
is  the  common  garden  Nasturtium  or  Indian  Cress,  tbe 
Tropofchdii  mnjiis  of  botanists,  and  not  any  species  of  the 
dissimilar  genus  NastiiHhim. — M.  C. 


GOATS. 


Mllk  is  becoming,  with  other  necessary  articles  of  food, 
dear  and  of  bad  quality  ;  and  it  is  desirable  that  labom-ing 
men  with  famUies  sliould  be  aware  that,  where  they  have 
a  Uttle  outlet,  or  small  inclosed  garden,  a  goat  or  two  may 
be  kept  so  advantageously  as  to  abolish  the  "sky  blue"  and 
milkman's  bills  together. 

On  the  continent,  and  especially  in  the  North  of  Germany, 
Goats  are  kept  to  a  very  great  extent,  and  they  are  of  large 
size,  giving  a  very  considerable  quantity  of  milk,  which 
every  one  who  has  tasted  it  knows  to  be  of  the  best  quality. 

I  was  spealdng  on  this  subject,  this  day,  to  an  intelligent 
native  of  the  Black  Forest,  and  he  informs  me  that  there 
every  poor  jierson  has  a  Goat,  which  browses  on  the  Forest 
in  tbe  summer,  and  stays  at  home  during  tbe  winter,  in  a 
shed,  giving  milk  for  about  eight  mouths  in  the  yeai-.  In 
the  summer  they  are  driven  out  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, fetched  in  to  be  milked  at  eleven ;  kept  in  tbe  shed 
during  the  beat  of  the  day ;  driven  out  again  about  five  ;  and 
brought  home  and  milked  again  about  eight.  In  the  winter 
they  ai'e  milked  only  once,  and  fed  principally  upon  rough 
hay :  but  in  such  localities  the  country  is  wild  and  uncul- 
tivated to  a  great  e.xtent,  abounding  with  rocks  and  plants, 
to  which  the  animal  is  very  partial ;  and  in  such  places  no 
material  mischief  can  be  done. 

This  is  the  difiiculty  in  an  enclosed  and  highly-cultivated 
counti-y  like  England,  for  Goats  ai'o  so  mischievous  that  they 
would  not  be  permitted  to  be  at  large,  and  it  would  be  most 
praiseworthy  on  your  pai-t,  if  you  would,  in  a  set  treatise  on 
the  subject,  in  tlio  columns  of  your  pubhcation,  point  out  to 
to  your  readers  a  prKclical  mode  of  liceping  and  using  these 
hardy  and  valuable  animals,  beginning  with  the  eticlosiiri',  or 
place  where  they  might  be  kept ;  their  food  and  manner  of 
treatment  generally.  They  will  bear  almost  any  ti-eatment, 
and  have  been  known  to  give  milk  and  thrive  on  board  a 
ship,  in  stormy  weather,  when  fed  upon  brown  paper ;  and, 
as  I  have  read  in  your  pages,  when  fed  upon  pigtail  tobacco, 
cai'penters  chips,  and  kippered  salmon ;  so  there  is  no  diffi- 


culty where  a  man  has  a  garden.  There  is  the  prejudice  to 
be  got  over,  and  perhaps  that  is  tbe  gi-eatest  obstacle  of  all ; 
and  where  servauLii?)  have  to  milk  them,  I  don't  know 
what  would  be  done;  for  servants,  now-a-days,  through 
learning  so  much,  are  above  their  caUing,  and  can  with  diffi- 
culty be  found  able  to  milk  cows,  or  fit  (as  Cobbett  says) 
to  take  care  of  a  cat.  Indeed,  in  this  neighbourhood,  tliere 
is  so  much  bother  about  education,  that  I  verily  believe  the 
real  philanthropists  among  the  promoters  of  it  think  that 
education  will  alone  feed,  clothe,  and  lodge,  every  human 
being,  without  any  thing  besides.  I  mean  their  hoolt  educa- 
tion ;  far  different  from  tbe  opposite  sort  of  education  I  con- 
template, namely,  the  teaching  every  child  to  set  a  just 
value  upon  every  object  it  may  come  in  contact  with,  and  to 
take  care  of  everything  they  are  intnisted  with,  either  be- 
longing to  themselves  or  their  employers.  On  the  contrary, 
they  aie  now  taught  enough  to  enable  them  to  read  those 
destructive  periodicals  which  are  issued  in  swarms  from 
every  petty  shop  in  almost  every  street,  which  make  heroes 
of  thieves,  and  attractive  characters  of  mm-derers  ;  and  the 
effect  may  be  imagined.  I  am  sony  to  trouble  you  so 
much ;  I  should  not  have  done  so,  but  from  a  conriction, 
that  in  your  hands  the  subject  may  be  made  useful  to  the 
great  population  of  the  country. — Thomas  Standbkidge, 
Edghaston. 

[Editors  ought  to  know  everything;  and  we  do  know  some 
little  about  Goat-keeping  ;  but  we  shall  be  obliged  by  any 
one  sending  us  the  results  of  his  experience,  and  mode  of 
treatment. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

Trees  and  Shrubs  for  a  Damp  Place  {A.  S.  B.). — They  might 
have  been  all  planted  by  this  time  had  we  known  your  wants  before.  The 
large-leaved  Alder  {Ahms  cord'/olia),  Cut-leaved  Alder  (A.  /ru-iniata). 
Deciduous  Cypress,  Balsam  Poplar,  Ontario  Poplar,  and  the  so-called 
Black  Italian  Poplar,  White  Willow,  Duke  of  Bedford  Willow,  Brittle 
Willow  {Sali.v  fi-agilis),  and  the  Goat  Willow  i  S.  cnprae),  American 
Plane  Tree,  Scarlet  DIaple  {Acer  ruhrimi)^  and  White  Maple  {A.  eriocer- 
pum),  are  among  the  very  best  ornamental  trees  for  a  damp  place.  The 
Spnice  Fir  grows  beautifully  in  deep,  moist  soils,  pnd  in  low  situa- 
tions, far  better  than  on  dry  soils.  The  Common  Holbi  and  all 
the  variegated  ones,  will  also  grow  in  your  filied-up  pond  ;  and  so 
will  Filbtrtti,  Blufkthorits,  and  Privet:  also  common  Laurels,  to  an 
enormous  size  ;  and  round  the  sides.  Weeping  Birch  does  much  better 
than  on  dry  soil ;  and  the  Deodara  grows  with  its  roots  nearly  in  the 
river,  on  the  left  hand,  as  you  enter  Oxford  from  London,  and  nothing 
can  do  better— the  Willows  close  by  do  not  look  better.  The  following 
shrubs  will  do  with  you,  and  look  very  ornamental : — The  common  ever- 
green Berbery  (B.  aqiiifoHum),  MugnoHa  purpurea.  Scarlet  Dogwood, 
Sweet  Gale,  Coviptoiiia  asplenifolia.  Snowdrop  Tree,  Scarlet-berried 
Elder  (Sa7nl/ncus  racemosa),  common  Elder,  common  Honeysuckle, 
Calt/cajithns  Jiorida,  most  of  the  common  RhododeudronSy  A7tdromeda 
Jinrtubunda,  arinniuata,  and  others;  Periiettia  iniUTiniata,  and  Vacci~ 
nuTiis,  all  which  you  can  get  at  the  iSJurseries  ;  aud  all  these  names  are 
the  common  nursery  names  by  which  to  ask  for  them. 

A  MATCH  FOR  Saponaria  (SavaAl.— The  white  Sweet  Alyssum  is 
the  only  white  annual  that  will  match  your  pretty  luce  bed  of  Supounria 
calabricu.  and  flower  it  out  till  the  frost  stops  them  both.  Vou  might 
have  a  crop  olT  both  beds  before  you  planted  out  the  autumnal  crop, 
say  a  blue  Nemophila  and  Eucaridium  grnudiflorutn,  a  bright  rosy-pink 
flower.  These  two  might  be  sown  next  week,  aud  they  would  be  in 
flower  by  the  last  week  in  May,  and  continue  a  month  ;  then,  by  growing 
the  Aipssiim  and  Snponaria  in  pots,  sown  at  the  end  of  April,  they  would 
be  ready  to  fill  the  beds  the  day  you  parted  with  the  blue  and  pink.  There 
are  no  new  annuals  fit  for  beds  that  we  have  not  mentioned  in  the  two 
last  volumes.  The  little  camomile-like  Cenias,  which  wc  spoke  of,  are 
hardly  yet  in  the  trade. 

Trop(EOLUM  (Ibid). — No  one  can  account  for  the  roots  of  this  plant 
not  growing.  It  often  lies  twelve  months  dormant.  Keep  it  a  little 
moist  till  .June,  and  try  it  again. 

SouTH-'WALL  (J67V/).— A  good  Winter  Pear  is  the  most  useful  fruit; 
and  a  Wistaria  sinensis  the  best  flower  for  your  wall  with  the  east 
current  of  wind  in  that  part  of  the  country.  Passe  Colmar,  Winter 
Nelis,  or  Beurre  Ranee,  are  among  the  most  suitable  winter  Pears. 

Boundary  Belt  iFillinghfim). —  Large  common  Laurels,  Privets, 
Hollies,  and  Tree  Bos,  are  the  best  to  plant  under  large  trees  in  a  belt, 
through  which  you  want  to  hide  the  view,  but  Portugal  Laurels,  Yews, 
Alaterums.  Sec,  would  not  suffer  from  the  drip  of  the  large  trees.  With- 
out strict  attention  to  two  rules  it  is  (icrfectly  impossible  to  establish  a 
screen  of  evergreens  under  old,  large,  forest  trees.  The  first  rule  is, 
that  the  plants  be  not  less  than  four  feet  high  ;  and  the  second  is,  that 
the  planting  be  done  in  September,  or  early  in  October.  Spring  planting 
will  not  do  were  you  to  water  the  plants  three  times  a  day  through  tho* 
summer,  and  for  this  reason,  the  more  you  watered,  the  more  you  would 
encourage  young  roots  from  tbe  foresters  to  rob  your  evergreens.  When 
you  plant  in  September,  cut  every  root  you  find  in  the  ground,  make  the 
hole  rather  larger  than  if  there  were  no  big  trees,  and  plant  a  little 
deeper  than  usual,  then  mulch,  and  the  old  and  new  plantations,  or 
rather  their  roots,  will  start  on  more  equal  terms  next  seasoD* 


March  2. 


THE  COTTAGE  GABDENER. 


431 


Berberis  AsiATiCA  (A'.).— This  is  the  name  by  which  you  must  ask 
for  the  Kttshmul  Berbery.  It  is  just  the  plant  to  keep  people  to  the 
path  across  the  field.  Vou  will  probably  have  to  advertise  for  it.  We 
have  not  the  slightest  idea  where  it  is  to  be  sold,  but  every  nursery  in 
which  Thorns,  or  Quick  for  hedges  are  grown,  ought  to  have  it  on  sale. 

PoLANDS  EATING  EACH  OTHERS*  Crests  (T.  K.). — Fowls  of  several 
varieties  are  occasionally  addicted  to  the  habit  of  plucking  out,  nnd  also 
eating  their  companion's  feathers.  We  have  noticed  it  in  Slianghaes, 
where  the  birds  having  been  kept  without  a  proper  supply  of  animal 
food,  the  young-  feathers  immediately  after  moulting  are  taken  as  a 
substitute,  and  the  practice  thus  acquired  is  rarely  extinguished.  But 
Polands  seem  to  be  specially  given  to  this  vexatious  trick,  particularly 
in  the  exhibition  pen,  as  if  it  were  a  mere  divertisement  to  while  away 
their  time.  The  top-Icnot,  however,  being  here  the  favourite  point  of 
attack,  some  disfigurement  ensues,  for  which,  when  the  practice  has 
become  habitual,  we  know  of  no  effectual  remedy.  In  the  cases  before 
alluded  to,  the  provision  of  the  proper  diet  would  have,  probably,  ob- 
viated the  mischief,  but  the  habit,  we  believe,  is  rarely  given  over.— W, 

Bdff  Shangiiaes  (C.  p.). — "Which  bird  would  be  the  most  profit- 
able to  breed  from,  either  for  sale  or  exhibition,  a  pullet,  with  its  exterior 
feathers  of  a  beautiful  bufl"  colour,  but  the  under  part  of  the  feathers  of  a 
dark  or  i^laty  colour;  but  the  other  bird  equally  good  externally,  and 
also  free  from  slatiness  underneath  ?  "  We  are  of  opinion  that  probabi- 
lities are  in  favour  of  the  latter,  grounding  our  opinion  upon  the  fact 
that  the  less  dark  colouring  matter  there  is  in  the  plumage  of  the 
parents,  the  less  is  there,  usually,  in  the  plumage  of  their  chickens. 
This  increases  the  value  of  the  latter,  there  being  a  taste  for  pure  buffs. 
In  our  opinion,  however,  a  slight  and  regular  necklace  adds  greatly  to 
the  beauty  of  a  buff  bird  ;  and  let  it  never  be  forgotten,  that  all  good 
judges  of  poultry  give  the  palm  to  beauty  of  form  and  high  condition,  in 
preference  to  mere  purity  of  colour.  We  have  known  lirst-rate  pure 
iDuff  birds  bred  from  slaty  flufled  buff  Shanghaes;  and  we  have  known 
dark  birds  come  from  the  purest  buffs,  This  arises,  probably,  from  a 
dark  cross  in  a  previous  generation  of  their  ancestors. 

Flower-garden  {E.  H.  C). — Your  geometric  flower-garden  is  on  a 
capital  plan,  and  you  cannot  go  wrong  in  plantinjj  it.  Keep  the  strongest 
colours,  as  scarlet,  purple,  or  yellow,  in  tiie  corner  beds,  and  the  rest 
will  do  with  plain  or  mixed  colours,  or  with  borders  as  you  propose.  We 
never  saw  these  exact  figures  for  corners,  but  they  are  exactly  to  our 
liking,  and  we  think  original. 

Flower-Garden  {A  Yoimg  Gardener). — Your  plan  is  very  good 
indeed,  and  most  easy  to  plant,  and  if  we  did  but  know  the  entrance  to 
it,  or  the  side  next  the  windows,  or  that  from  which  it  is  most  seen,  we 
could  help  you  a  little,  although  we  do  not  profess  to  plant  a  single  bed 
for  anyone.  Supposing  we  enter  by  the  centre'walk,  between  1  and  2, 
then  the  first  two  beds,  4  and  G,  should  be  with  the  same  plants,  in  mixed 
and  subdued  colours,  as  Heleotrope,  and  some  grey  Verbena,  or  Mangle's 
variegated  Geranium,  or  any  other  variegated  Geranium,  with  or  without 
other  mixture  ;  recollect,  the  two  must  be  exactly  alilce,  and  they  must 
neither  be  scarlet,  nor  yellow,  nor  strong  purple.  1 1  and  12  must  be  alike, 
and  so  must  17'and  18,  also  24  and  25,  and  anything  pott  please  may  be 
in  all  these,  except  scarlet,  yellow,  and  reddish-purple.  Emma  Verbena, 
and  any  grey  or  light  Verbena  would  be  very  proper  for  any  of  these 
pairs.  Then  the  circles  8  and  21  to  be  of  a  different  colour  from  any  of 
the  pairs  or  match -beds  along  this  centre;  white,  yellow,  scarlet, 
blue,  or  even  green,  will  do  for  these  two  circles,  and  each  of  them  must 
be  of  one  colour,  but  the  two  need  not  be  of  the  same  colour.  3,  10,  16, 
and  23  should  have  scarlet,  yellow,  and  bright  purple,  with  or  without 
borders  of  an  opposite  colour;  and  if  you  could  manage  the  same  colours, 
but  tvlth  different  plants,  for  6,  13,  ig,  and  26,  you  would  be  perfect  as 
far  as  it  is  possible  for  that  figure.  14  and  15  depend  on  the  colours  in  8 
and  2J.  There  ought  to  be  four  distinct  colours  in  these  four  circles — 1 
and  2  to  be  the  same  colour,  7  and  20  ditto,  9  and  22  ditto,  and  27  with 
28  ditto  also.  Each  of  these  pairs  ought  to  be  of  a  different  colour  from 
that  in  each  of  the  two  large  beds  nest  to  them  ;  but,  as  we  do  not  know 
what  those  large  beds  may  be,  all  we  can  do  is  to  say,  plant  all  the  pairs 
with  neutrals,  or  dark  blue,  dark  purple,  or  pure  white;  but  ref!ollect,  all 
this  depends  on  entering  at  between  1  and  2,  or  between  27  and  28.  Your 
plan  will  be  engraved  some  day. 

Poultry  .Iddges  {George  Crocker^  Plymouth), — It  has  been  wisely 
determined  that  Judges  at  Poultry  Exhibitions  are  not  bound  to  give  the 
reasons  for  their  decisions,  excepting  otily  in  such  cases  as  an  exhibitor, 
feeling  himself  aggrieved  by  the  awards,  appeals  to  the  committee  or 
managers,  who,  if  there  appear  just  cause,  would  then  refer  to  the 
Judges.  We  cannot  doubt  but  that  in  any  instance  of  this  kind  the 
required  information  would  be  immediately  afforded,  but  the  application 
should  be  made  at  once.  The  Rev.  G.  Hodson  was  the  Judge  at  the 
Plymouth  Exhibition  in  January  last. — W. 

Cramp  in  Chickens  {Miss  C.).— Nothing  causes  this  more  com- 
monly than  allowing  them  to  be  at  night  or  during  the  day  on  a  brick 
floor,  When  under  cover  nothing  is  better  than  a  floor  covered  with  dry 
sand  and  a  very  little  hay  scattered  over,  and  a  little  green  food  daily. 
Removing  the  chicken  attacked  into  a  warm  place,  and  giving  it  half-a- 
teaspoonful  of  brandy  is  the  best  remedy. 

Firs  {M.). — Those  you  mention  are  raised  from  seed,  sown  when  ripe. 
They  are  too  cheap  to  be  worth  your  while  to  propagate  them. 

PoMOLOGicAL  SOCIETY  {G.  T.  S.). — Write  to  Mr.  Hogg,  13,  Gilston 
Road,  Brompton. 

Lucerne  (J.  S.}.— Where  this  has  failed  you  had  better  mis  a  little 
super-phosphate  of  lime  with  the  soil,  and  sow  afresh  early  in  April. 

Randles'  Price  Currents  {F.  H.).— You  can  obtain  both  the  Hor- 
ticultural and  Agricultural  Price  Currents  by  remitting  twelve  postage 
stamps  to  Messrs.  Handle,  Nurserymen,  Plymouth.  We  quite  agree  with 
you  in  thinking  they  contain  a  large  amount  of  information.  Embracing  as 
they  do  cultural  directions,  an  almanack,  and  advertisements,  they 
differ  essentially  from  a  common  catalogue  of  plants. 

Gapes  CF«//er).— When  Mr.  Tegetmeier  directs  for  the  cure  of  this 
disease  that  the  fowl  be  made  to  inhale  the  fumes  of  spirit  of  turpentine 


"as  long  as  it  can  withstand  its  influence,'*  he  means  until  it  gasps  for 
breath,  which  you  can  perceive  by  raising  the  lid  of  the  box  in  which  it 
is  being  exposed  to  the  fumes. 

Various  {Ibid). — You  must  write  to  Capt.  Hornby  for  prices.  The 
most  economical /eerft'r  is  a  trough  placed  Ijchind  a  palisade,  so  that  the 
fowls  can  reach  it  with  their  beaks  but  not  with  their  feet.  We  have  no 
experience  of  wicker  nests.  It  is  quite  immaterial  what  wood  false  nest 
eggs  are  made  of,  because  they  must  be  painted  white. 

Sturgeon's  Siianguaes  {Heteii). — We  believe  Mr.  Sturgeon  was 
dissatisfied  at  some  decisions  where  he  exhibited,  and,  as  he  had  abun- 
dance of  laurels,  he  could  alford  to  withhold  from  exhibiting.  We  hope 
he  will  determine  otherwise  this  year,  for  his  birds,  as  a  whole,  have 
never  been  surpassed. 

Beck's  Gem  {A  Subscriber,  Tavistock). — You  will  have  seen  what  a 
correspondent  said  last  week  as  to  the  restricted  supply  of  this  Pea. 

Artificial  Manure  for  Potatoes  {Cantab). — You  ask  "which  is 
the  best  for  them  ?  "  Yet  you  do  not  say  a  word  as  to  the  nature  of  the 
soil.  You  might  as  well  ask  a  physician  what  is  the  best  medicine  for 
you,  without  giving  him  the  slightest  further  information.  We  never 
manure  for  Potatoes,  but  grow  them  on  plots  rendered  sufficiently  fertile 
by  the  manuring  for  previous  crops.  If  we  were  obliged  to  manure  for 
Potatoes,  we  should  select  a  light,  poorish  soil,  and  apply  at  the  rate  of 
forty  bushels  of  soot,  twenty  bushels  of  common  salt,  and  two  cwt.  of 
Epsom  salt  per  acre. 

Plan  of  Melon  and  Cucumber  Hovsb  {John  Carne). — "The  use 
of  this,  in  No.  259,  's  frustrated,"  you  say,  '*  as  we  are  left  totally  in  the 
dark  as  to  the  expense  of  such  a  building,"  We  have  given,  several 
times,  the  general  price  of  articles — beyond  this  wc  do  not  feel  it  to  be 
our  province  to  go.  Several  times  we  have  calculated,  for  ourselves  and 
others,  what  such  and  such  buildings  should  cost,  and  have  been  fre- 
quently put  out  by  the  structure  costing  more  or  less  than  we  bargained 
for  ;  these  being  greatly  influenced  by  the  locality,  and  changes  introduced 
by  the  owners.  Tradesmen  would  do  better  to  state  what  such  and  such 
sized  houses  could  be  put  up  for.  Meanwhile,  if  the  obliging  subscriber 
who  sent  the  plan.  No.  2,  259,  would  also  send  an  account  of  the  expense 
the  house  as  it  stands  cost,  he  will  confer  a  great  favour  on  many 
readers . 

Muscat  and  Barbarossa  Grape  for  a  late  House  {E.  HI.)— 
You  are  quite  right — the  Muscat  will  require  more  heat  than  the  Barba- 
russa,  but  still  we  would  plant  one  house  of  equal  parts  of  both,  in  pre- 
ference to  one  alone.  \Ve  have  set  Muscats  very  well,  though  on  the 
next  rafter  were  Hamburghs.  You  may  keep  the  Muscats  at  the  warm- 
est end,  and  just  give  a  little  less  air  there  when  the  fruit  is  setting. 

Orange  Tree  {W.  M.  S.). — We  are  rather  doubtful  whether  you  have 
raised  it  from  seed  or  from  a  cutting,  as  these  are  called  pipings  by  some 
florists.  If  the  former,  you  will  not  easily  fruit  it  in  a  window,  and  had 
better  have  it  inarched  or  grafted  with  the  Otaheite,  the  Lemon,  or  any 
free-flowering  variety.  If  you  wish  to  try  it  as  it  is,  give  it  all  the  light 
you  can,  sponge  its  leaves  frequently,  water  with  manure-water,  or  give 
a  rich  top-dressing,  inure  to  air,  and  by  the  middle  or  the  beginning  of 
1  June  set  it  out-ot-doors,  in  a  warm  place,  against  a  fence  ;  give  it  plenty 
of  water  there,  and  house  again  by  the  beginning  of  October;  and  very 
likely,  next  spring,  you  will  get  blossoms,  to  be  followed  by  fruit.  The 
first  will  be  delightful,  the  second  of  little  use. 

Glauber  Salt  for  Potatoes  {A  Reader).— The  ashes  of  the 
tubers  of  Potatoes  contain  about  56  per  cent,  of  Soda  and  Potash,  com- 
bined with  Sulphuric  and  other  acids.  We  know  of  no  experiments  upon 
Potatoes  with  Glauber  Salt  (Sulphate  of  Soda),  If  you  employ  it,  sow  it 
by  the  sides  of  the  rows  when  the  Potatoes  are  well  up  in  the  spring.  Do 
not  use  more  than  2  lbs.  for  every  thirty  square  yards. 

Scale  on  Apple  and  Pear  Trees  {A.  B.  W.). — Yours  is  the 
Muscle  Scale.  Try  applying  spirit  of  turpentine  by  means  of  a  hard 
brush. 

Cancer  (E.).— It  is  quite  impossible  we  can  publish  the  information 
you  require,  but  if  you  will  enclose  your  address  in  a  stamped  envelope 
directed  to  "The  Authoress  of  My  Flowers,"  it  shall  be  forwarded  to 
her  unopened. 

Canaries'  Nests  {E.  G.),— Wool,  dry  moss,  and  horse-hair  are  best 
for  them.  We  knew  Canaries  loose  in  a  room  that  built  their  nest  on  a 
cornice  from  the  thread,  &c.,  in  a  lady's  work-bos. 

Brahma  Pootra  Cock  {H.  S.).~'Wc  cannot  give  you  any  "  marks  " 
whereby  you  may  distinguish  him  from  "Cochins  or  Shanghaes,"  because 
we  are  more  and  more  convinced  that  the  so-called  Brahma  Pootras  are 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  "Cochins  or  Shanghaes,"  with  white  plumage, 
and  sprinkled  more  or  less  with  black  feathers.  The  good  points  of  the 
Shanghae  are  also  the  good  points  of  the  Brahma  Pootra.  Chickens 
should  have  very  slightly  moistened  Indian  and  barley  meal,  mixed  with 
chopped  egg,  for  the  first  three  or  four  weeks.  After  that  they  may  have 
varied  food  like  the  full-grown  fowls. 

Work  on  Farming  {A,  W.  IT.}.— Morton's  Cyclopaedia  of  Agricul- 
ture will  best  suit  you. 

Gas  Tar,  or  Asphalt  {S.  Jf.).— Flooring,  or  paths,  made  of  this  are 
not  injurious  to  fowls. 

Intentions  {A  Cottager).— k\\  your  purposes  are  most  excellent,  and 
ought  to  succeed,  but  we  do  not  see  how  we  can  advise  you.  We  are 
ready  to  answer  any  specific  question. 


London:  Printed  by  Haret  Wooldkidge,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Pariah  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar ;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMERViLLE  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  OflBce,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  Loudon.— March  2nd,  1854, 


THE    COTTAGE    GAKDENEK— ADVERTTSE'MENTS. 


REIMDLE'S    PRICE    CURRESSST.  I 

Opinion   of  Gconje    TJ'.   Johnson,    Esq.,    the   Editor   of    the 
*^  Cottaije  Gardener": — 
"  Your  Price  Current,  so  well  got  up,  is  excellent,  and  full  of  useful 
information." __^^_ 

""REiSiDLE'S    PRBCE    CURREWT. 

opinion    of  Mr.    Gcortje    Glenny,   the  Editor  of  mani/  of  the 
lendiui/  Horticultural  puliliratious  of  the  dai/ : — • 

"Tub  Tradk  Catalogue.— No  documents  are  more  interesting  to 
the  cardencr  than  the  catalofjuos  of  the  trade,  when  such  documents  are 
original.  Tliey  have  ceased  to  be  plain  lists  like  each  other,  and  already 
assume  more  important  forms. 

"  Uendle's  Price  Current  is  a  complete  work,  containing,  indepen- 
dently of  the  lists  and  prices  of  everything,  a  history  of  the  leading 
subjects,  with  directions  for  Culture,  a  general  Calendar  of  Operations 
for  the  Year,  and  a  mass  of  information  appertaining  to  the  garden.  The 
Seed  Catalogue  is  on  a  plan  of  selection,  giving  assortments  at  various  ; 
prices  for  large  and  small  establishments,  and  there  are  many  pages  of 
Advertisements.     It  is  a  creat  improvement  on  the  nne  last  vcar." 

RENDLE'S    PRICE    CURRENT.  i 

Opinion  oj  Mr.  Jenninys,   Hi-nd  Gardener  to  Earl  of  Dcrbi/,  ] 
Knoicslcji  Hull,  Prcscot : —  1 

"  Your  arrangement  of  the  Calendar  reflects  ereat  credit  on  you,   and  ; 
must  have  proved  a  heavy   task.       The  remarks  about  rotations,   pre-  i 
parers,  Sec,  will  lead  to  much  good.     You  really  deserve  the  best  v.-ishes  ] 
of  all    gardeners    for    the    task    you  have    performed    in    so    masterly   a 
manner."  _^ 

REWDLE'S    PRiCE    CURREPJT- 

opinion  if  Mr.  I).  Beaton,  Sarbilon,  Kim/stun,  Sarrei/,  one  of 
the  inust  popular  Horticultural  writers  (f  the  day  : — 
"  I  have  a  copy  of  Mr.  Rendle's   Price  Current  for  this  year,  and  I  | 
can  tell  you  at  once  that  it  is  the  most  useful  Catalogue  and  Calendar 
that  was  ever  sent  out  from  any  house  of  business  in  our  line,  and  I  do  j 
not  see   what  more  you  could  add  to  it  by  way  of  usefulness.     How  ■ 
different  from  the  bare-bone  lists  to  which  you  and  I  had  access  when  i 
we  first  took  to  the  spade  on  our  own  account  !  " 

REBSIDLE'S      PRIcE     CURREI^JT    has    been  j 

already  favourahl  11  noticed  by  the  fullou-iuy  Ncasjmpcrs  and 
Maqazinea  : — 
"Mark- Lane  Express,"  "The  Lady's  Nev.spaper  and  Pictorial  Times," 
"  The  Florist,  Fruitist,  and  Garden  Rliscellany,"  "The  Gardener's  and 
Farmer's  .Tournal,"  "  The  Agricultural  Magazine,"  "The  Plough," 
"  Lloyd's  Weekly  Newspaper,"  "  Plymouth  Herald."  "  Kxeter  Gazette," 
"  Bristol  IMercury,"  "  M'cstern  Luminary,"  "  Somerset  County  Herald," 
"  The  Clerical  Journal,"  *'  Cornish  Telegraph,"  "  Plymouth  ]\Iail," 
"  Dcvonport  Telegraph,"  "Somerset  Gazette,"  "Western  Courier," 
"Teignmouth  Gazette,"  "  West  Briton,"  "  Portsmouth  Times,"  "Naval 
Gazette,"  "  Southern  Florist,"  "  Midland  Florist."  "  Stockport  Adver- 
tiser," "  Liverpool  Advertiser,"  and  several  other  Newspapers  and 
Matrazines.  

RENDLE'S  PRICE  CURRENT. 

Opinion  of  Mr.  Hamilton ,  the  nwll-lniou-u-  Author  of  the 
'■'' Hainiltonian  System  of  Piac  Culture,"  &c. : — 
"Your  descriptive  remarks  in  Rendle's  Price  Current,  together  with 
the  mode  of  handling  the  subject,  eclipses  everything  of  the  kind  ever 
published  to  the  gardening  world  in  that  form.  It  will  be  invaluable 
to  the  young  gardener  and  the  amateur,  and  every  practical  gardener 
should  have  it  as  a  reference.  My  opinion  is  that  it  will  be  esceedingly 
useful  to  seedsmen,  and  I  believe  that  when  it  is  known,  almost  every 
seedsman  in  the  kingdom  will  purchase  it."  ^ 

RENDLE'S  PRICE  CURRESSST. 

Opinion  of  the  Editor  of  the  "  Florist"  for  February,  1804  : — 
•'Rendle's  Price  Current  and  Garden  Directory  for  1854  contains 
elaborate  descriptive  lists  of  vegetable  and  flower  seeds,  in  addition  to 
much  other  useful  matter,  not  the  least  of  which  is  a  Calendar  of  Opera- 
tions by  Mr.  Errinpton.  We  can  only  hope  the  information  Mr.  Rendle 
puts  before  his  customers  may  meet  with  a  hearty  response." 


RESSSDLE'S    PRICE    CURRENT. 

Opinion  of  Mr,  W.  Tillery,  Gardener  to  His  Grace  the 
Duke  of  Portland,    M'elbeck  : — 

"  My  dear  Sir, — I  beg  to  return  many  thanks  for  the  copy  of  Rendle's 
Price  Current  and  Garden  Directory  for  1S54.  As  far  as  my  experience 
goes,  I  think  your  Calendar  of  Operations  excellently  planned,  and  the 
Directions  are  judicious  and  quite  up  to  the  mark  for  the  present  pro- 
■gressive  jieriod.  The  remarks  on  the  systematic  rotation  of  vegetable 
cropping  are  likewise  excellent,  and  will  do  much  good  if  carefully  put 
EUto  force. — Yours  truly, 

"  To  Mr.  Errinirton.  "  W.  Tillrry." 

REWDLE'S    price""current. 

Opinion  of  the  Editor  of  the  *'  Eadies'  Nen  spaper  and 
Pictorial  Times": — 
"Rendle's  Price  Current  for  1951. — This  is  one  of  those 
publications  which,  from  their  practical  utility,  are  sure  to  recommend 
themselves  among  the  large  class  to  which  they  appeal.  Their  usefulness 
is  their  great  recommendation,  and  no  one  connected  with  gardening  or 
horticultural  operations  can  do  without  such  works.  The  proprietors  of 
Rendle's  Price  Current  have  received  so  much  encouragement  from  the 
great  success  of  their  publication  in  former  years,  that  it  has  stimulated 
them  to  make  the  present  in  every  way  worthy  of  the  distinguished 
patronage  enjoyed,  as  well  as  to  support  the  high  position  they  have 
gained  in  connection  with  it.  Rlessrs.  Rendle  not  only  give  a  comijlete 
catalogue  of  prices  of  the  various  seeds,  but  much  useful  and  practical 
information  connected  with  gardening.  Generally,  and  in  practice  also, 
we  may  refer  to  the  operations  of  the  month  ;  the  present  one  ;Januan,') 
we  extract  in  another  portion  of  our  paper,  as  a  sample  of  the  useful 
matter  contained  in  the  work,  which  is  heartily  recommended  to  all  our 
fair  readers  who  take  a  pleasure  in  the  pursuits  of  gardening." 

reemdle's  price  current. 

Opinion  of  the  Editor  oJ  the  "  Midland  Florist  and  Suburban 
Horticulturist : " — 
"  We  had  last  year  to  praise  the  very  excellent  Descriptive  Catalogue 
of  Seeds  issued  by  Messrs.  W.  E.  Rendle  &  Co.,  of  Plymouth.  We 
have  had  the  one  for  the  present  year  just  sent  us.  It  certainly  is  the 
best  of  the  kind  which  has  ever  come  under  our  notice,  and  to  proprietors 
of  gardens,  whether  large  or  small,  must  prove  eminently  useful.  Under 
the  head  of  each  Vegetable  are  enumerated  the  best  varieties,  with  its 
native  country,  proper  mode  of  cultivation,  &c.,  combining  the  most 
improved  systems  up  to  the  present  time;  added  to  which  are  Lists  of 
Flower  Seeds,  proper  modes  and  hints  on  sowing,  with  a  very  complete 
Calendar  of  Operations  by  BIr.  Robert  Erringfon,  gardener  to  Sir  P. 
Egerton,  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  its  excellence." 

RENDLE'S    PRICE    CURRENT. 

Opinion   of   Mr.  James  Barnes,   the   well-known    Gardener   to 
the  Eifjht  Honourable  Lady  Bolle,  Bicton  : — 
"  Dear  Sir, — Your  Price  Current  has  just  come  safe  to  hand,  and  I 
beg  to  return  my  best  thanks  for  the  same.     It  contains  a  great  deal  of 
useful  information  for  all  classes,  more  particularly  for  the  Amateur  and 
those  who  cultivate  their  own  Gardens  and  Allotments. — Yours,  &c. 
I  "  .Tames  Barnes." 

R'EWDLE'S    PRiCE~CURREIMT\ 

opinion  of  the  Editor  of  the -^  Southern  Florist,"  Feb.,  185-4. 
,       "This  work  or  pamphlet,  as  the  title  indicates,  constitutes  a  Descrip- 
j   five  Catalogue  of  Vegetable  and   Flower  Seeds  offered  by  the  firm   of 
Rendle  &  Co.,  of  Plymouth  ;  but  while  it  contains  all  the  useful  mat- 
I   ter  found  in  a  Catalogue,   copious   descriptions  of  the  newest  and  most 
I  approved  Seeds  are  given,  together  with  amass  of  sound  and  useful  in- 
I  formation,  which  cannot  but  he  valuable  to  the  Amateur  as  well  as  the 
I   practical  Gardener.     It  contains  an  Almanack  for  the  year,  a  copious 
I   Calendar  of  Operations  for  each  month,  directions  for  Rotation,  Cropping, 
Ike.  &c.,  and  is  stamped  to  go  post  free  to  any  part  of  the  United  King- 
dom— forming  a  complete  newspaper  of  over  50  pages  of  useful  matter." 


THE     ROSE     GARDEIJ, 

By  WILLIAM  PAUL,  of  the  Nurseries,  Cheshunt,  Herts. 
*'  Infinitely  the  best  work  ever  written  on  the  Culture  of  the  Rose," — 
Botanic  Garden. 

By  the  same  Author,  price  Is, 

AN    HOUR    WITH    THE    HOLLYHOCK. 

London:  Piper  Brothers  ^  Co.,   23,   Paternoster  Row;  and  all 

Booksellers. 

New  Edition,  Price  8d  ;  or  by  Post,  of  the  Author,  Kelsale,  Saxmundham, 

Suffolk,  Is. 


HEAD'S      GARDEN     ENGINES,      SYRINGES, 

ETC.  —  When  an  article  of  real  utility  attracts  public  attention, 
IMITATORS  Btart  into  the  field  to  snatch  from  the  inventor  the  just 
reward  of  Ids  labours.  It  has  now  become  a  daily  practice  to  exhibit  in 
the  windows  of  ironmongers  and  others,  Syringes  of  the  vei'y  commonest 
description,  with  the  words 

"READ'S   PATENT," 
as  an  inducement  to  purchascra.    This,  as  an  eminent  writer  on  Horti- 
culture has  recently  remarked  on  the  subject,  is  indeed  *'  living  upon 
another  man's  fame." 

READ'S    Instruments  have  the  Royal  Arms,  with   the   address,  35, 
REGENT-CIRCUS,  LONDON.    Description  sent  post  free. 


RENDLE'S  PRICE  CURRENT. 

opinion  of  the  Editor  <f  the  "  i\f  ark  Lane  Express:" — 
"An  annual  ]iublication  or  Trade  Catalogue  of  Horticultural  Seeds, 
with  lists  and  prices  of  sorted  collections  proper  for  larire.  moderate-sized, 
and  small  gardens  ;  containing  also  various  excellent  hints  and  practical 
observations  on  the  best  modes  to  be  pursued  in  the  proper  cultivation 
of  general  garden  productions." 

SUTTON'S   FINE   LAWN   GEASS  SEEDS,  FOR 

improving  Old,  or  making  New  Lawns.  Price,  Is  3d  per  pound,  3s  per 
gallon,  or  21s  per  b\ishel.  Two-and-a-half  bushels  (or  forty  pounds)  is 
the  quantity  required  per  acre,  for  forming  a  new  Lawn. 

The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  received  from  Dr.  Lindley,  the 
greatest  Horticultural  authority  of  the  present  day  : — 

Messrs.  Sutton, — ^Ve  have  atreadi/  made  trial  of  i/oitr  Lmvn  Grass 
Seeds,  and  it  is  but  justice  to  sni/  they  have  proved  the  best  ive  have  snwn 
for  many  years.  (S(gned)  JOHN  LINDLEY. 

Horticultural  Society,  Regent  Street,  London,  Nov.  9,  1853. 

We  are  almost  daily  receiving  similar  letters  to  the  above,  and  have 
great  confidence  in  stating  that  the  sorts  of  Grass  Seed  we  sell  in  our 
'*  Fine  Law?}  Mi.rture,"  are  the  fines^t  and  purest  in  cultivation. 

Quantities  of  20s  value  and  upwards  are  sent  carriage  free. 
JOHN  SUTTON  and  SONS.  Seed  Growers,  Reading,  Berks. 


WILLIAM    NICHOLSON  stiU  continues  to  send 

out  very  strong  well-rooted  Plants  of  his  four  new  and  distinct  varieties 
of  STRAWBERRIES,  vix.,  AJAX,  Dessert  Fruit;  RUBY,  ditto; 
CAPTAIN  COOK,  Market  Fruit;  FILL-BASKET,  ditto,  at  15s  per 
Hundred,  or  Twenty. five  each  of  any  two  aorts  for  lOa,  box  included. 
Post-office  orders  payable  at  Yarin,  Yorkshire.  For  a  full  description, 
see  Advertisement,  Gardeners'  Chronicle,  Jan.  28,  1854. 
Egglcscliffc,  near  Yarm,  Yorkshire. 


Maroii  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAUDKNER. 


433 


WEEKLY  CALEMDAt?. 


ir 

]) 

D 

W 

0 

Tn 

10 

P 

u 

3 

12 

Sun 

13 

M 

14 

To 

IS 

W 

Weather  nbar  London  in  1853. 

MARCH  9—15,   185J. 

Barometer. 

Thermo.  Wind. 

i 

Uain  in 
Indies. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun 
Sets. 

Moon 
K.  &  S. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Cloclt 
hf.  fjun. 

Day  of 
Year. 

Car!\bus  catpnulatug. 

30.158— 30.U1 

66—36 ;   S. 



30  a  0 

51  as 

4     24 

10 

10 

■17 

08 

Carabus  noiiioralis ;  garden. 

30. lOl— 30.151 

5.1—37    S.W. 

— 

28 

53 

5       6 

11 

10 

3-? 

60 

Mebria  brcvicollis. 

30.173—30.083 

56—35  1     E. 

— 

26 

55 

5     38 

12 

10 

16 

70 

2  Sunday  in  Lent. 

30.030—29.906 

56—28        E. 

— 

23 

57 

6       3 

13 

0 

59 

71 

Elapbrus  rijiariiu. 

29.S23— 29.622       01—37          S. 

36 

21 

68 

0     24 

14 

O 

4  3 

72 

Hembidiuni  llavipes. 

29.627—29.515       50-25      S.W. 

18 

19 

VI 

rises. 

© 

9 

26 

73 

Bembidium  puncticoUe. 

29.615—29.525       52—32     S.W. 

— 

17 

2 

7a   3 

10 

9 

9 

74 

Mrtc  OHO  LOGY  OF  THE  Week.— At  Chiflvvick,  from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  the  average  hig:hest  and  lowenttem- 
ppratures  nf  theae  dayt  are  50  6°  nnd  33.6°  resi^ectively.  The  greatest  heat,  63°,  occurred  on  theOthin  1826  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  7°,  on  tho 
10th  in  1847-  inuring  the  period  114  days  were  fine,  and  od  75  rain  fell. 


BRITISH   WILD  FLOWERS. 
{Continued  from  2^age  353.) 

CAKDAinNE. lady's     SMOCK. 


Genebio  Chaeactee. — Calyx  a  little  unequal  at  the  base; 
leaves   oblong-egg-sliaped,    blunt,   slightly   spreading,    de- 


ciduous, two  of  them  protuberant,  in  some  degree,  below 
their  insertion.  Petals  veversed-egg-shaped,  rather  upright, 
undivided,  tapering  at  the  base  into  short  claws.  Filaments 
awl-shnped,  simple,  the  two  shortest  with  a  gland  at  the 
base,  next  the  calyx.  Anthers  small,  oblong-heart-shaped, 
acute,  curved  back.  Germen.  line-like,  slender.  Style  scarcely 
any.  Sliyma  blunt,  entire.  Pod  stalkless,  erect,  line-like, 
compressed  laterally ;  valves  flat,  without  ribs,  scarcely 
narrower  tlian  the  bordered  partition,  bursting  elastically 
from  the  base,  and  mostly  curling  back.  Seeds  egg-shaped, 
not  bordered,  inserted  alternately  in  a  single  row;  their 
stalks  simple,  short  and  slender ;  cotyledons  acoumbent. 

Cakdamine  bellidifolia  ;  Daisy-leaved  Lady's  Smock  ; 
Daisy-leaved  Cress ;  Alpine  Cress. 

Description. — It  is  a  perennial.  Boot  lathev  woody,  divided 
at  the  crown,  ^cri  two  or  three  inches  high,  unbrancbed, 
erect,  bright  green,  smooth.  Leaves  simple,  egg-shaped 
dark  green,  entire ;  tho  root  ones  much  shorter  than  their 
footstalks,  sometimes  a  little  wavy  or  angular,  the  upper- 
most nearly  stalkless.  F/ou'cr.!  few,  flat-bunched,  terminal. 
Calyx  purplish.  Petals  white,  erect.  Style  short  and  conical. 
Ports  hardly  an  inch  long,  crowned  with  the  round-headed 
stiyma,  onashortthicks'^/f,  strap-shaped,  blunt,  and  smooth. 

Time  of  flowering. — August. 

Places  where  found. — Many  errors  have  occurred  about 
this  plant,  Turritis  hirsuta  being  mistaken  for  it,  but  Mr. 
Milne  found  species  of  it  wild  in  Scotland,  and  Dr.  Wither- 
ing, jun.,  says — "  Of  these  being  genuine  there  can  be  no 
doubt."  As  it  is  found  in  Lapland,  and  near  the  summits 
of  the  highest  Alps,  it  should  be  sought  for  far  north  in  the 
British  islands. 

History. — -The  first  mention  of  it  as  a  British  plant  is  by 
Ray  {Hist.  Plant. i.QV7).  who,  writing  in  1666,  says — "It  has 
been  lately  found  on  St.  Vincent's  Hocks,  near  Bristol,  by  Mr. 
James  Newton."  That  botanist,  liowever,  must  have  taken 
some  other  plant  for  it,  as  it  has  never  been  seen  there  since. 
By  the  old  writers  on  plants,  it  was  variously  called  a  Nas- 
turtium, a  Sinapis,  and  a  Cardamine,  but  almost  always  with 
a  specific  name,  referring  to  its  Daisy  like  leaves. — {Smith. 
Withering,     Martyii.     Say.) 


The  greatest  surgeon  who  ever  lived  was  accustomed 
to  declare  that  he  never  approached  the  operation  table 
without  a  feeling  of  humiliation,  for  he  was  convinced 
that  the  real  triumph  of  his  art  lay  not  at  all  in  per- 
forming operations,  but  in  preventing  the  necessity  for 
them  altogether.  Hunter's  ablest  follower,  Ahernethy, 
founded  himself,  as  one  may  say,  on  this  single  axiom ; 
and  it  was  a  perpetual  theme  of  discourse  with  Macartney, 
another  of  the  sons  of  the  giant.  We  have  recently 
met  with  the  following  highly  suggestive  remarks  hy 
Dr.  Latham : — 

"  Prior  to  diseases ;  to  their  diagnosis ;  their  history, 
and  their  treatment ;  prior  to  them,  and  beyond  them, 
there  lies  a  large  field  for  medical  observation.  It  is 
not  enough  to  begin  with  their  beginning.     There  are 


things  earlier  than  their  beginning  which  deserve  to 
be  known.  The  habits,  the  necessities,  the  misfortunes, 
the  vices  of  men  in  society,  contain  materials  for  the 
inquiry,  and  for  the  statistical  systematisiug  study  of 
physicians,  fuller,  far  fuller,  of  promise  for  the  good  of 
mankind  than  pathology  itself" 

The  general  aim,  then,  of  this  series  of  papers  is  not 
so  very  much  out  of  the  way — not  so  very  unpractical 
as  might  at  first  appear.  It  must  he  remembered  that 
all  attempts  whatever  at  writing  popular  medicine  have 
failed  It  remains  to  he  of  the  public  to  cease  to  try 
to  do  that  which  the  proverb  "  heal  thyself,"  hints  that 
the  physician  can  hardly  accomplish  in  his  own  case. 
But  a  philosophical  and  religious  inquiry  into  the 
remoter  causes  of  disease  offers  promise  of  more  general 


No.  CCLXXXIV.,  Vol.  XI. 


434 


THE    COTTAGK    GARDKNER, 


ilARCH  9. 


usefulness;  and  in  the  way  of  iireventiou.anJ  deprecat- 
ing tlie  judicial  jnuiisbment  of  many  sins  of  omission 
and  commission  against  the  natural  laws  of  Providence, 
every  man  has  it  most  in  his  power  (under  Providence) 
to  become  his  own  physician. 

Now  the  following  popular  directions  for  the  ma- 
nagement of  sudden  cases  of  incipient  cholera,  or  choleraic 
diarrhosa,  are,  beyond  comparison,  tlie  plainest  of  any 
yet  put  forward  for  general  use,  by  authority.  Yet  to 
us  every  sentence  breathes  a  protest  against  the  necessity 
which  required  tlie  promulgation  of  any  such  document 
at  all.  In  truth,  the  true  science  of  medicine  is  ex- 
hausted when  once  the  cholera  has  been  allowed  to 
establish  itself  Timely  warnings  have  been  unheeded; 
disastrous  courses  have  been  recklessly  continued ;  and 
when  the  crash  comes,  as  surely  it  will  come,  the  busi- 
ness is  just  like  that  of  winding  up  a  bankrupt  estate, 
and  deprecating  the  just  wrath  of  the  creditor  and  tlie 
judge.  The  same  is  the  case,  to  a  less  extent,  no  doubt, 
in  the  incipient  stage.  It  has  been  found  tliat  timely 
removal  to  a  higher,  drier,  purer  air,  aided  by  good 
plain  food  and  clothing,  is  the  only  eflfcctive  way  to 
stop  an  epidemic  of  diarrhoea,  and  to  prevent  its  be- 
coming cholera.  It  may  be  kept  down  by  incessant 
attention  and  physicking,  and  daily  visiting  from  house 
to  house  among  the  poor,  debauched,  ill-fed  inhabitants 
of  low,  damp,  dirty,  crowded  places.  So,  with  all  hands 
to  the  pump,  a  leaky  vessel  may  be  brought  into  ])ort 
with  ever  so  many  feet  of  water  in  the  hold ;  but  is  it 
not  far  better,  when  there  is  a  chance,  to  lighten  the 
cargo  and  put  the  passengers  on  a  sound  bottom?    J.J. 

"  DIEECTIONS  OF  THE  mlSH  COLLEGE  OP  PUySICIANS  FOR  THE 
TEE.4-TMENT  OF  CHOLERAIC  DLVKEHaiA  AND  COJIMENCING 
CHOLEEA. 

"  As  the  malignant  cholera  is,  in  the  majority  of  cases, 
quite  amenable  to  treatment  in  its  earliest  period,  or  tliat 
of  premonitory  diarrhiBa;  and,  as  this  being  free  from  jjaiu 
is  apt  to  be  disregarded,  all  cases  of  this  kind  should  be 
diligently  sought  for  and  promptly  treated.  A  judicious 
system  of  houseto-liouse  visitation  should  be  organised  in 
the  poorer  distincts  in  every  large  town  threatened  with  the 
epidemic.  The  medical  visitors  entrusted  with  the  care  of 
tile  poor  should  carry  with  them  appropriate  remedies  to  be 
administered  at  once  on  discovering  any  case  of  premonitory 
diaiThcea. 

"  In   addition   to   this   system — by  which  the  committee 

hope  to  check  the  spread  of  the  disease  at  its  first  approach 

— it  wdl  be  necessary  to  provide  means    of  relief  should 

cholera  become  epidemic.     In  that  case,  the  city  should  be 

!    divided  into  a  number  of  districts,  at  some  convenient  point 

of  which  a  medical  depot  for  each  should  he  established, 

I    with  a  sufficient  number  of  medical  attendants  to  liave  one 

j    always   on   the  spnt,  both  by  day  and  niglit,  to  administer 

;    medical  relief,  on  application,  without  any  recommendatory 

j   ticket,  or  other  formality.     Notices  should  be  posted,  urging 

'    all  parties  affected  with  dian-hoea  to  apply  at  once  for  relief ; 

and  each  district,  in  the  lirst  instance,  should  be  subjected 

to  careful  house-to  bouse  visitation.    In  cases  of  destitution, 

there  should  also  be  given  relief  in  the  shape  of  nutritious 

food,    as   well-boiled   rice   and  milk.     The   most   destitute 

should  be  removed  to  hospitals. 

'■  The  services  of  physicians  who  have  liad  experience  of 
cholera  sliould  be  obtained,  and  a  staff  of  senior  medical 
students  organised  to  assist.  Means  of  conveying  patients 
safely  to  tlio  hospital  should  be  provided,  available  on  the 
shortest  notice.  The  patient  should  be  conveyed  in  the 
recumbent  posture,  and  vehicles  on  springs,  with  beds,  and 
sides  padded,  with  proper  means  of  warming  and  ventilating, 
will  be  required. 


"  It  cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed  upon  the  xiublic, 
that  in  the  great  niajorily  of  cases  of  cholera  there  are  two 
distinct  stages,  and  that  precautions  should  be  taken  to  deal 
with  each  of  tliem  as  it  presents  itself.  The  diarrhrral  stage 
is,  in  most  instances,  manageable  if  treated  properly. 

"  The  moment  an  individual  is  alfected  with  diarrlima, 
when  cholera  is  prevalent,  let  him  get  into  bed,  and  take 
every  precaution  to  maintain  the  temperature  of  the  surface 
of  liis  body  and  extremities  by  the  application  of  warm 
blankets  or  other  covering ;  bottles  of  hot  water,  or  heated 
bricks,  to  his  feet  and  hands;  warm  Jiannel  swathes  to  the 
abdomen ;  and  take  a  small  quantity  of  whatever  domestic 
stimulant  may  be  at  hand,  such  as  puuch,  made  with 
brandy  or  whiskey,  warm  negus,  or  mulled  port  wine ;  and 
let  him  send  at  once  for  medical  aid.  As  a  large  proportion 
of  cases  occur  at  night,  to  avoid  delay,  we  should  advise 
all  families  to  be  prorided  with  medicine  to  meet  the 
diarrha^al  stage  of  the  disease;  and  as  such  a  medicine 
should  bo  one  which  will  not  injure  by  keeping  it  should  be 
prepared  and  kept  in  a  dry  foi'm.  The  committee  advise 
the  following,  to  be  kept  in  every  house,  to  check  looseness 
of  the  bowels  /;;  ^Vtyjit  cnsc^ : — 

"  No.  1  llecipe. — Pulveris  cretaj  opiati,  drachm  ij.;  Divide 
in  choi'tulas  duodeciin. 

"  Sigua.  No.  1. — Twelve  astringent  powders.  One  of  the 
powders  mixed  with  a  little  milk  to  bo  taken  by  an  adult 
(full  grown  man  or  woman),  after  every  liquid  evacuation, 
until  the  arrival  of  medical  assistance. 

"  If  the  purging  be  sudden  and  violent,  let  one  of  the  fol- 
lowing pills  be  taken  every  half-hour  instead  of  the 
powders : — 

"  No.  '2  Kecipe. — Acotatis  plumbi,  gr.  xxiv.;  Opii,  gr.  iij.; 
Ft.  massa  et  divide  in  pilulas  duodecim. 

'■  Signa.  No.  3. — Twelve  astringent  pills.  One  to  be  taken 
every  half-hour.  In  cases  of  sudden  prostration,  or  sinking, 
a  dessert  spoonfirl  of  whi3key,or  brandy,  and  a  table  spoonful 
of  water,  may  be  taken  every  fifteen  minutes  until  Iho  arrival 
of  the  physician.  In  cases  of  sickness  of  stomach,  let  a 
largo  mustard  poultice  be  applied  over  the  pit  of  the 
stoninch  until  it  produces  decided  irritation.  liiee  milk  or 
beef  tea,  with  or  without  well-boUed  rice,  may  be  taken  in 
small  quantity  in  the  diarrhceal  stage. 

"  It  is  not  an  uncommon,  and  occasionally  fatal,  error  for 
persons  attacked  with  premonitory  diarrhfoa  to  take  castor 
oil,  or  saline,  and  other  aperients  :  this  must  be  strictly 
avoided. 

"  When  diaiTlioea  occurs  in  young  people,  the  dose  of  the 
astringent  powder.  No.  1,  must  be  gradually  diminished, 
reilucing  the  quantity  one-half  for  a  child  ten  years  of  age. 

"  For  diari  luca  in  children  under  ten  years  of  age,  the 
committee  recommend  for  a  child  a  year  old  the  fcdlowing 
powder  after  every  liquid  evacuation,  taking  care  not  to 
repeat  the  dose  oftener  than  every  hour. 

"  No.  3  Eecipe. — Pulveris  crcta?  coniposit:  gr.  ij.  Pnlveris 
creta>  opiati,  gr.  i. 

"  Misca  et  Signa.  No.  3. — Astringent  powders  for  child- 
ren. Two  of  these  powders  may  he  given  combined  to  a 
child  from  one  to  Ihrve  years  old ;  threi;  to  a  cliild  from  three 
to  five  yeai-s  of  age.  In  a  child  iiomfive  to  ten,  this  quantity 
might,  in  urgent  cases,  be  repeated  eveiy  half-hour  until 
medical  assistance  is  obtained.  These  should  be  given  in 
a  little  milk.  Where  there  is  urgent  thirst,  pure  milk,  niilk- 
and-ivater.  or  rice  milk-and-water,  may  be  freely  given  to 
drink.  If  cold  water  appears  to  produce  chill,  a  small  pro- 
portiim  of  brandy  may  be  mixed  with  it. 

"Although  desirous  to  supply  information  irhieh  minj  he 
rettilUij  orni/able  I);/  iinprojessioiial  persomi,  the  cimimiltce  do 
not  deem  it  expedient  to  cnibarrnss  the  public  mind  wilh 
detailed  directions  for  treatment  wlien  the  disease  is  deve- 
loped, or  in  the  secondary  state;  being  fully  convinced  that 
in  these  stages  prompt  aud  experienced  medical  assistance 
is  alone  to  be  depended  on  as  otfering  any  chance  of  reco- 
very.  They  shall,  therefore,  only  at  present  observe,  that, 
in  some  cases,  the  disease  commences  suddenly,  with  symp- 
toms of  great  intensity,  such  as  sbiverings,  coldness  of  the 
surface,  great  prostration  of  strength,  cramps,  with  jnirging 
or  voniitiug,  or  both.  In  such  circumstances,  while  medical 
aid  is  sought  for,  let  the  patient  he  immediately  put  to  bed, 
in  a  well  heated  apartniL'iit ;  heat  a]qilied  to  the  extremities 
by   bottles  ol  hot-water,  heated   bricks,  i-c,  wliile  a  large 


March  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


4S2 


mustard-iioultice,  or  a  piece  of  warm  flannel  moistened  with 
oil  of  txxrpentine,  is  applied  o\or  tlio  abdomen.  At  tlie  same 
time  the  limbs,  botli  upper  and  lower,  slioulil  be  diligently 
rubbed,  under  the  bedclothes,  mth  the  naked  hand  or  with 
flannel.  In  the  meantime,  any  convenient  stimulant,  such 
as  punch  made  with  brandy,  whiskey,  or  gin,  in  moderate 
quantities,  or  mulled  port  wine  may  be  taken.  The  following 
raixtm-e  is  recommended  as  a  cordial,  that  may  he  used  under 
the  circumstances. 

"  No.  4  Recipe. — Tincturte  Cardamom  compositse,  f.  3 
ounces;  Spiritus  Ammoniaa  aromatici,  f.  3  drachms ;  Syrupi 
Zingiberis,  f.  1  ounce ;  misce. 

"  Signa.  No.  i. — Stimulant  mixture.  Two  teaspoonfuls, 
mixed  with  five  teaspoonfuls  of  water,  to  be  taken  every 
half-hour.     The  patient  should  not  sit  or  stand  up. 

"  The  committee  do  not  intend  to  dictate  a  specific  Une 
of  b-eatmeut  for  the  fully  developed  disease ;  yet,  as  these 
directions  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  persons  in  remote  parts 
of  the  country,  who  may,  while  the  medical  attendant  is 
coming  from  a  distance,  be  obhged,  by  the  attack  assuming 
the  alarming  character  just  described,  to  adopt  more  ener- 
getic treatment ; — the  committee  recommend,  in  addition 
to  the  measures  directed  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  that  one 
of  the  following  stimulant  pills  be  given  every  half-hour  : — 

"  No.  5  Eecipe. — Camphorre,  gr.  xii. ;  Siriritus  vini  recti- 
ficati  min,  iv.  In  probe  conterendo  nixtis,  adde,  Calomelanos, 
gr.  xij.;  Opii,  gr.  ij. ;  Capsici,  gr.  iij. ;  Gonfectionis  aromatic, 
gr.  V. ;  Mucilaginis  gimiani  acacias,  q.  s.  Fiat  massa  et  divide 
in  pilulas  duodecim, 

"  Signa.  No.  H. — Stimulant  pills.  One  pill  to  be  taken 
every  half-hom'." 

Continuing  our  notes  upon  the  varieties  of  the  garden 

Pea,  we  come  next  to  the 

Paradise   Pea. 

This  is  a  novelty  of  last  year's  introduction,  which  fully 
maintains  the  high  character  with 
which  it  was  brought  out.  It  is,  as  yet, 
very  little  known,  having  appeared  at 
a  time  when  the  public  were  some- 
what awakened  to  the  necessity  of 
caution  with  which  new  varieties 
ought  to  be  received.  As  regards 
this,  however,  there  need  not  be  the 
slightest  misgiving,  as  I  have  found 
it  to  be  one  of  those  which  must 
ultimately  become  one  of  the  stan- 
dard sorts  if  preserved  in  its  present 
true  character.  As  will  be  seen  from 
the  accompanying  figure,  the  pod  is 
of  very  large  size,  remarkably  well 
filled  with  a  deliciously -flavoured 
Marrow  Pea,  and  is  fit  to  be  gathered 
as  soon,  or  at  most  within  a  day  of 
the  Ringwood  Marrow.  With  such 
properties,  therefore,  every  one  will 
allow  it  is  a  variety  well  worthy  of 
general  cultivation. 

The  plant  is  of  a  strong  and 
vigorous  habit  of  growth,  with  a 
stem  from  five  to  sis  feet  high,  which 
is  branching  towards  the  top.  The 
pods  are  generally  single,  but 
frequently  in  pairs,  about  four 
inches  long,  nearly  three-quarters- 
of-an-inch  wide,  remarkably  well  and 
closely  filled  with  from  seven  to  nine 
large  Peas,  and  when  they  begin  to 


ripen,  they  are  thick-backed,  succulent,  and  fleshy.   The 
ripe  seed  is  white,  round,  a;nd  smooth. 

It  was  sown  on  the  5th  of  April,  and  came  into 
bloom  on  the  15th  of  Juno;  on  the  20th  tl)o  blooms 
fell  and  the  slats  appeared.,  and  on  the  Uth  of  July  the 
pods  were  quite  filled  and  fit  to  be  gathered.  From 
this  it  will  be  seen  that  it  does  its  work  very  quickly,  at 
least  much  more  so  than  some  others,  for  although  it 
came  into  bloom  five  days  later  than  the  Ringwood,  it 
was  not,  even  at  the  utmost,  more  than  two  days  behind 
it  in  podding.  It  is  far  superior  to  Shilling's  Orotto, 
being  longer  in  the  pod,  better  and  more  equally  filled, 
and  comes  in  much  earlier.  The  Paradise  Pea  was  in- 
troduced by  Messrs.  Steward  and  Mein,  of  Kelso, 
N.  B.  R.  H. 

{To  be  C07ilmue:d .) 


A  LESS  suitable  period  for  a  Poultry  Show  than  the 
middle  of  A2ml  could  hardly  he  suggested,  since  a 
large  majority  of  hens  will  be  at  that  time  occupied 
either  with  their  young  chickens  or  in  the  work  of  in- 
cubation. Even  with  respect  to  tlie  non-sitting  breeds, 
eggs  are  then  so  valuable  for  hat(3hing  that  the  owners 
of  good  specimens  of  this  class  will  surely  be  loath 
then  to  send  them  on  their  travels:.  With  much  surprise, 
therefore,  we  learn  the  determination  of  the  Newcastle, 
Northumberland,  and  Durham  Society,  to  hold  their 
next  exhibition  on  the  19th  and  20th  of  that  month. 
But  it  is  not  merely  with  regard  to  the  time  proposed 
for  this  meeting  that  we  must  express  our  dissent,  for 
the  prize-list,  also,  is  so  arranged  that  little  encourage- 
ment is  there  held  forth  for  the  exhibition  of  some  of 
the  most  valuable  of  our  fowls. 

A  summary  of  the  amount  of  premiums  to  be 
awarded  to  the  different  breeds  will  best  explain  our 
meaning. 

J?     s.  d. 

Shanghaes  or  Cochin-Chinas  10     2  0 

Hamburghs  9  15  0 

Polish    7    2  6 

Dorkings  4  17  C  !  !  ! 

Bantams    3  15  0 

Spanish 3     7  0  !  !  ! 

Game  Fowls 2     5  0 

Malay    1  10  0 

Any  Society  offering  its  prizes  for  the  avowed  pur- 
pose of  improving  of  domestic  poultry  will  justly  be 
required  to  regard  their  economical  value  as  one  of  the 
most  important  properties,  and,  therefore,  such  fowls  as 
rather  come  under  tlie  head  of  "  birds  of  feather,"  must 
necessarily  occupy  a  place  of  secondary  importance. 
We  cannot,  then,  see  the  propriety  of  devoting 
ilG  17s.  6d.  to  Hamburghs  and  Polish,  while  Spanish 
and  Dorkings  have  between  them  only  ^£8  5s. ;  Spanish, 
moreover,  are  even  placed  below  Bantams,  to  which 
£S  las.  is  allotted,  the  amount  for  Spanish  being 
^3  7s.  6d. 

Every  distinct  variety  of  the  different  families  should, 
if  possible,  have  a  separate  position  on  the  prize  list, 
but  the  aggregate  amount  of  each  family  should  bear 
a  proper  relation  to  their  acknowledged  value.     This 


43G 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Mauch  9. 


principle,  we  think,  is  ineuui'bcnt  ou  any  Society  that 
proposes  us  its  object  the  gdueral  improvement  of  our 
poultry-yards,  although,  where  Bantams,  Polish,  and 
Hamburghs  are  specially  acknowledged  as  the  main 
objects  of  attention  and  regard,  no  one  would  have  a 
right  to  complain  of  such  a  dishibutiou  as  we  have 
now  alluded  to. 

Besides  the  class  for  "  any  other  distinct  breed  named." 
we  find  one  (Xo.  38),  for  "  the  best  and  second  best  code 
and/our  hens  of  any  of  the  above  breeds,"  involving  the 
difBcult,  and,  under  every  condition,  the  unsatisfactory, 
task  of  the  judges  being  called  upon  to  decide  between 
fowls  of  totally  distinot  form,  feather,  and  properties; 
and  this  in  addition  to  the  unprecedented  number  of 
hens  reijuired  at  a  S6  ason  the  most  unlikely  to  have 
them  in  readiness  for  their  appearance. 

But  Oeese,  as  they  stand  on  this  prize  list,  claim  a 
word  at  our  hands,  since  j£l  2s.  6d.  is  all  that  the 
Newcastle  Society  is  disposed  to  offer  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  this  most  useful  and  valuable  bird,  while 
Ducks  have  ,£■'3  f)s.  between  them. 

Ganders  only,  we  observe,  are  invited,  and  this,  doubt- 
less, on  account  of  the  duties  in  which  tlieir  spouses 
■will  be  then  engaged  ;  but  by  parity  of  reasoning,  we 
might  expect  to  find  cocks,  drakes,  and  male  Turkeys,  as 
the  only  representatives  of  their  different  races. 

Class  47  is  for  "extra  stock"  but  it  is  not  stated 
whether  fowls  are  here  admissable,  or  whether  Pheasants 
and  other  birds  are  thus  designated.  The  former,  we 
think,  should  always  be  limited  to  their  regular  classes, 
especially  where  a  provision  is  made  by  "any  other" 
class  for  their  proper  representation. 

The  Cottager  "  who  exhibits  the  best  lot  in  any  of 
the  above  classes,"  has  three  prizes  for  his  encourage- 
ment, but  "  710  entrance  is  required  for  this  class !  "  The 
meaning,  probably,  is,  that  no  entrauoe/«e  is  to  be  paid; 
but  surely,  it  would  be  difficult  to  refuse  admission  on 
the  morning  of  the  show  to  any  such  pei-sons  bringing 
their  baskets  without  any  previous  notice  or  entry,  for 
the  rule  would  fairly  bear  that  interpretation,  and  how 
would  the  Secretaries  be  prepared  with  accommodation 
for  an  indefinite  number  of  pens  ? 

In  Pigeons  we  have  a  most  arbitrary  selection. 
Runts,  in  their  different  varieties,  a  most  valuable  bird 
even  for  domestic  purposes,  while  their  estimation,  in 
some  instances,  stands  so  high  with  the  most  critical 
fanciers,  are  unnoticed.  The  Bearded,  Bald-pate,  and 
self-coloured  Tumblers  the  same.  And  although  Nuns, 
Turbits,  Pouters,  Jacobins,  and  other  fancy  birds,  are 
admitted.  Owls  and  Archangels  are  summarily  banished. 
The  class  for  "  any  other  variety  of  Pigeons,"  lately  pro- 
ductive of  many  beautiful  specimens,  is  not  in  this  list 
to  be  found. 

How  are  the  best  eggs  to  bo  determined  on  ?  Is  size 
alone  to  carry  the  day,  or  are  the  judges  to  test  their 
quality  at  breakfast  ?  at  which  time  the  merits  of  the 
''butter"  (of  which  the  connexion  with  the  objects  of  a 
"  Poidtry"  Society  is  not  quite  apparenl)  will  also,  wo 
presume,  be  submitted  to  thoir  judgment. 

Tlieso  remarks,    wo   need  hardly   observe,   have   no 


origin  in  any  desire  to  depreciate  the  efforts,  or  prejudice 
the  success  of  the  Society  in  question ;  but  at  this  early 
season  of  the  year,  when  numerous  otlier  prize-lists  arc 
in  course  of  preparation,  it  is  but  just  to  our  readers  to 
call  their  attention  to  any  such  arrangements  as  may 
appear  inconsistent  with  the  judicious  management  of 
such  Associations. 


CAMELLIAS. 

I  AM  not  about  to  attempt  a  monograph  of  the 
Camellia,  our  space  will  not  admit  of  it;  although  I 
must  confess  I  have  never  seen  the  Camellia  done 
justice  to  as  yet  in  "gude  black  print",  as  the  Scotch 
poet  said.  I  wish  merely  to  impress  on  the  minds  of 
cultivators  a  few  important  facts  or  features  in  its 
culture ;  and  I  am  encouraged  to  do  so,  from  having 
(people  say)  the  finest  bloom  of  these  noble  winter 
flowers  that  can  be  imagined  at  an  early  period  ;  for  my 
bouse  has  been  in  full  blossom  constantly  since  the 
beginning  of  December,  and  will  continue  so  until  the 
early  part  of  April,  A  lady  of  distinction,  who  was 
here  the  other  day,  paid  us  a  rich  compliment  about 
them.  She  said,  "  Mr.  E.,  your  Camellias  are  beyond 
beautiful!"  and  I  do  think  she  was  right,  for  they  are 
noble  as  well.  I  have  paid  much  attention  to  their 
culture  for  many  yeai'S,  with  a  desire  to  ascertain  how 
far  appliances  could  he  carried,  in  order  to  obtain  the 
greatest  profusion  of  flowers  of  the  largest  size  with 
the  thickest  and  darkest  foliage;  and  I  believe  I  can 
now  scarcely  push  the  effort  any  further. 

These  Camellias  are  all  in  pots,  and  are  shifted,  or 
repotted,  about  once  in  two  or  three  years.  Ou  the 
repotting,  which  I  never  allow  any  one  to  do  for  me,  I 
lay  the  utmost  stress.  I  use,  perhaps,  more  liquid- 
manure  than  most  other  cultivators,  and  I  have  long 
discovered  that  the  man  who  thus  practices  must  use 
composts  and  modes  of  potting  specially  adapted  to  that 
practice.  Here  lies  one  of  the  chief  points  in  the 
general  and  systematic  use  of  liquid-manures.  My 
mode  of  draining  the  pots  would,  by  many,  be  thought 
pushed  to  an  unreasonable  extreme  ;  I  do  not  find  it  so, 
but  the  reverse.  About  one-fourth  of  the  depth  of  the 
pot,  of  whatever  size,  is  occupied  with  drainage  mate- 
rials ;  but,  be  it  observed,  not  entirely  of  non-absorbent 
or  imperishable  materials  :  one-half  of  these  is  turf. 

As  on  the  mode  of  preparing  this  turf  in  part  depends 
the  benelicial  efforts  sought  to  be  produced,  I  may 
here  state  my  practice.  I  procure  what  is  termed  strong 
or  sound  loam,  as  gardeners  call  it ;  that  is  to  say.  a 
loam  slightly  adhesive,  such  as  gardeners  love  for 
fruit-trees — Melons,  Pine  Apples,  &c.  This,  from  an 
old  pasture,  which  has  lain  for  many  years  untouched 
by  the  plough,  and  ou  which  there  is  a  sward  or  turf,  as 
thick  and  as  closely  woven  as  the  best  blanket,  is  the 
material,  as  far  as  loam  is  concerned,  and  the  turfy 
portion  for  this  drainage  affair  is  pared  about  two 
inches  thick,  the  rough  grass,  &c.,  being  first  mowed-olf. 
This,  then,  is  cut  into  small  lumps  of  various  sizes,  from 
that  of  a  walnut  to  that  of  a  potato,  and  then  charred,  or 
rather  steamed,  by  putting  out  the  hrc  frouj  a  furnace,  and 
introducing  the  lumps  on  an  iron  plate ;  at  the  same 
time  stopping  up  the  lire-liolo  and  ashpit-doors,  and 
throwing  an  old  wet  sack  or  mat  on  tho  chimney-top. 
This  is  concentration  with  a  vengeance.  Jf  matters 
have  been  well  carried  out  one  cooking  may  do  ;  if 
not,  why,  I  give  it  a  second  ordeal ;  sometimes  mu'sing 
some  siuml.cring  embers  in  tlic  ash-hole  to  keep  tho 
game  agoing.  These  lumps,  when  withdrawn,  aro 
almost  singed,  and  jiosscss  such  a  pyroligneous  scent  as 
to  bo  annoying  to  delicate  nasal  organs.     In  this  state 


March  0. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENEB. 


4.37 


tliey  become  very  mellow,  especially  if  they  were  as  they 
should  be — tolerably  dry  when  introduced  ;  and  liere 
they  are  well  shook  and  squeezed  in  a  riddle,  or  sieve, 
until  at  least  half  of  the  mere  soil  tumbles  out.  After 
this,  they  are,  what  I  consider,  a  precious  article,  and 
applicable  in  other  cases  besides  CameUias;  but  of  this, 
more  another  day. 

Now,  before  proceeding  further,  let  me  fairly  assure 
the  gardening  world  that  I  by  no  means  suppose  that 
this  is  the  only  good  practice  in  Camellia  culture.  1 
utterly  disclaim  all  such  conceit ;  not  out  of  fear  of 
angry  critics  (who  must  live,  as  well  as  other  folk), 
but  because  I  neither  can,  would,  nor  ought  to  attempt, 
to  repudiate  the  practice  of  other  men  of  experience. 
There  is,  indeed,  no  monopoly  in  gardening  know- 
ledge. My  object  is  simply  to  show  forth  my  own 
praotioe.  I  well  know,  that  the  Belgian  nurseryman, 
who  propagates  his  tens  of  thousands,  as  a  trade  afi'air, 
will  laugh  at  it.  The  fact  is,  that  in  growing  Camellias 
as  trees,  and  to  attract  the  notice  of  good  judges,  and 
those  high  in  station,  and  to  pi-opagate  up  to  selling- 
point,  with  a  keen  commercial  eye,  are  two  matters  so 
widely  dift'ering  (albeit  the  subject  be  the  same)  as  to 
call  forth  differing  practice.  But  I  need  say  no  more 
this  way.  Our  exhibition-men  can  attest  to  the  truth  of 
these  things.  Tliese  turfy  lumps,  then,  may  be  pre- 
sumed to  constitute  half  the  drainage  system ;  and  I  thus 
handle  them  in  the  case  of  good-si/.ed  shifts.  Large  and 
curved  crooks  ai-e  first  so  placed  over  the  hole,  and  so 
overlapping  each  other,  as  that  three  good  outlets  at 
least  are  provided  for  the  escape  of  water;  a  very  few 
smaller  crocks  fall  amongst  these,  but  not  entirely  cover 
them;  and  now  a  layer  of  these  turfy  lumps  is  placed 
over,  but  not  so  closely  but  that  what  are  termed 
pounded  crocks  may  be  strewn  over,  so  as  to  fall  into 
every  crevice :  thus  dividing  every  two  lumps  of  turf, 
but  not  covering  them  overhead;  this  done,  the  whole 
is  pressed  down  close  with  abroad-ended  stick,  and  now 
a  layer  of  smaller  lumps  are  strewed  over:  on  the  latter 
is  placed  the  ball. 

I  have,  in  repotting,  had,  of  course,  annual  opportu- 
nities of  watching  the  "  wear  and  tear"  of  this  drainage, 
and  I  can  assure  our  readers  that  I  have  found  it  nearly 
as  fresh  after  two  years  as  when  first  inserted;  and  that 
there  is  no  doubt  that  it  will  work  in  the  most  efficient 
manner  for  half  a-score  years  or  more,  if  requisite  care 
be  taken  that  no  extraneous  matter  gets  jammed  in 
when  they  are  set  out-of-doors,  and  that  the  manure- 
water  be  nearly  as  clear  as  good  ale. 

As  to  the  compost,  it  is  chiefly  composed  of  the  same 
turfy  material,  but  chopped  tolerably  fine  by  a  sharp 
spade  when  in  a  dry  or  mellow  state.  Three-fourths  of 
the  loam,  and  one-fourth  of  chopped,  sandy,  turfy,  heath 
soil,  well  blended,  makes  a  capital  compost  of  the  most 
enduring  character ;  for,  bo  it  understood,  it  is  this 
power  of  «H(Z«rance,  or,  in  other  words,  of  retaininr/  its 
organic  texture  a  long  while,  on  which  I  taks  my  stand 
as  to  growing  noble  Camellias  ;  in  this  respect  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  gardener's  object  differs  from  the 
nurseryman,  who  merely  wants  to  make  a  smart  saleable 
plant  in  little  time.  If  the  loam  is  very  sound,  very 
fine  sand  may  be  added  to  ensure  porosity,  or  even 
pounded  charcoal,  but  the  Camellia  seems  to  feel  quite 
at  home  in  loamy  organic  matter  if  possessing  enough 
sand  to  prevent  what  is  termed  souring  in  the  soil. 

In  potting,  I  continue  cramming  in  turfy  lumps  as 
opportunities  occur,  taking  care  to  shake  a  finer  compost 
amongst  them,  and  in  all  cases  to  secure  about  a  couple 
of  inches  of  this  finer  compost  over  the  lumps  to  finish 
with  ;  the  latter  proceeding  I  consider  necessary,  as  it 
serves  to  divide  the  water  equally  in  its  passage,  and, 
indeed,  renders  the  surface  less  susceptible  of  sudden 
atmospheric  changes,  and  provides  against  sudden 
droughts. 


Now,  as  to  this  liquid-manure  which  I  think  of  first- 
rate  importance  for  the  production  of  fine  blossoms 
with  a  dark  shining  foliage.  For  my  part,  I  care  little 
about  nice  blossoms,  unless  accompanied  by  that  deep, 
rich,  and  glossy  tint,  for  which  the  Camellia-leaf  under 
first-rate  culture  is  so  famous.  I  have  used  various  liquid- 
manures,  both  singly  and  in  combination,  but  I  think 
"  Gibbs'  Peruvian,"  is  not  only  complete  in  itself,  but 
the  most  efl'ective.  But  it  must  be  observed,  that  a  little 
suffices,  and  indeed  so  it  ought,  for  it  is  somewhat  costly 
in  these  times.  I  water  my  Camellias  myself  at  all 
times.  I  like  not  to  trust  any  hobnail  fellow  with  this 
matter,  and  I  therefore  know  full  well  bow  little  will 
suffice  if  almost  constantly  administered.  I  certainly 
do  not  weigh  it  out ;  I  have  no  occasion  in  this  matter. 
I  can  tell  instantly  by  the  frothing  of  the  water  in  the 
water-pot  how  the  quality  stands.  But  I  will  venture 
to  afflrm  that  I  do  not  use  an  ounce  to  a  gallon.  But  I 
use  it  almost  constantly,  from  the  period  when  the 
blossom  buds  are  three-parts  grown,  until  they  have 
nearly  ceased  to  make  their  young  wood,  when  I  not 
only  cease  manurial-waters,  but  apply  a  very  limited 
amount  of  ordinary  water. 

The  guano  is  stirred  up  in  a  vessel  for  the  purpose, 
and  a  little  quick  lime  added ;  this  soon  clarifies  it.  It 
is,  however,  necessary  to  rack  it  off  two  or  three  times, 
and,  if  any  difficulty  arise  in  getting  it  clear,  we 
simply  add  more  water,  and  rack  it  off  again;  clear, 
however,  it  must  be.  I  may  here  observe,  in  order  to 
dispel  any  fallacious  ideas  that  may  arise  as  to  the  use 
of  Guano  water,  that  in  its  application  to  Camellias,  in 
pots  or  tubs — I  had  almost  said  to  pot  plants  in  general 
— there  can  be  no  question  that  especial  mode  of  potting 
must  be  resorted  to.  After  all  the  clarifying  we  can 
!  practice,  all  liquid-manures  have  a  tendency  to  clog  the 
[  soil ;  that  is  to  say,  to  prevent  that  free  ingress  of  the 
I  atmosphere  which  is  so  necessary  to  the  welfare  of  the 
roots,  and  to  prevent  that  free  percolation,  or  egress  of 
moisture,  which  creates,  as  it  were,  a  demand  for  atmos- 
pheric action  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  ill  effects  on  the 
very  texture  and  organism  of  the  fibres,  produced  by 
surplus  moisture  too  long  retained,  and,  by  consequence, 
become  stagnant  and  corrupt. 

I  may  here  observe,  that  I  this  day  measured  blossoms 
of  the  Camellia  Rossii  at  least  fifteen  inches  in  circum- 
ference, and  some  of  the  C.  elegans,  about  the  same 
size.  In  spite  of  all  the  fine,  new  kinds,  what  a  fine 
thing  is  eZcf/flJiS  .?  A  model  for  a  first-rate  Hollyhock.  It 
is  well  named  elegans,  and  the  original  raiser  ought  to 
be  proud  of  it.  G.  imhricata,  too,  is  still  a  fine  thing; 
and  as  for  C.  trinmphans,  with  its  peach-coloui'ed  blos- 
soms, what  a  bouncing  affair  !  We  have  one  called 
Alcmene,  a  fine  peach-coloured  thing,  raised  by  the  late 
Dean  of  Manchester;  that  talented  gentleman,  so  often 
named  by  my  friend  Beaton,  in  connection  with  Bulbs 
and  hybridisation  ;  this  is  little  known.  We  had  it  from 
Spofforth  some  years  since,  and  it  is  very  often  a  most 
beautiful  and  symmetrical  thing. 

E.  Erbington. 


MEETING  OF  THE  LONDON  HOKTICULTUP.AL 
SOCIETY.— 21sT  February,  185-i. 

In  my  account  of  the  last  meeting,  I  told  our  readers 
that  there  would  be  a  grand  sight  seen  here  to-day — 
specimens  and  drawings  of  the  Duke's  Tree — WelUng- 
tonia  gigantea;  and  the  Society  announced  another 
grand  sight  which  would  come  off  at  the  same  time 
and  place — specimens  to  show  the  "  relative  quality 
of  Deodar  and  Cedar  of  Lebanon  timber,  by  speci- 
mens from  India  and  from  Lebanon  itself"  All 
young  gardeners  and  governesses  ought  to  gather 
"  specimens"  of  all  plants  which  come  in  their  way,  in 


438 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  9. 


flower,  in  ovdev  to  learn  aud  mind  the  names  ol'  tliem, 
and  10  bo  able  to  tell  such  names  to  the  rising  genera- 
tions :  not  such  specimens,  liowever,  as  the  Society  had 
on  view  Irom  India,  as  we  shall  see  presently. 

Wliether  it  was  from  a  desire  to  have  a  sight  of  even 
a  dried  branch  and  a  picture  of  that  gigantic  tree 
which  is  to  commemorate  the  great  Duke,  or  to  hear  of 
the  great  national  advantages  of  jilanting  all  the  knolls 
in  England,  and  all  the  hills  in  Wales,  in  Ireland,  and 
in  Scotland,  with  the  Deodar,  I  cannot  tell,  but  [  think 
they  could  not  have  brought  together  a  more  high  or 
more  respectable  company  if  they  had  advertised  that 
the  Emperor  of  Uussia  and  Omar  Pacha  were  to  play  a 
game  at  cribbage  in  the  Egyptian  11  all.  I  never  saw 
such  an  in-door  assemblage  of  hortioultiu'als  before.  1 
was  glad  to  sec  Mr.  Appleby  look  so  well,  and  so  busy 
noting  down  from  the  Eecture  on  the  merits  of  the 
Deodar,  for  his  Essays  on  Eorest-plautiug,  no  doubt ;  be 
also  booked  a  new  Orchid  that  was  there,  but  he  passed 
over  an  extreme  novelty  in  the  haU'-hardy  bulb  way, 
with  a  nod,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  do  not  you  wish  you  could 
tell  the  name  of  it?"  and  he  turned  to  a  collection  of 
most  beautiful  Cyclamens,  all  crosses,  and  all  of  them 
all  but  quite  new  to  gardens.  One  pot  of  a  new  Cycla- 
men had  254  blooms  wide  open,  besides  buds,  and  those 
that  were  going  to  seed. 

Then,  as  to  Fruits  ;  Her  Majesty  sent  such  as  nobody 
ever  sent  before  to  that  room,  two  splendid  Pine  Apples 
of  exactly  the  same  size,  the  same  looks,  and  tbe  very 
same  weight  to  the  split  of  a  hair,  that  is,  a  match  pair, 
each  weighing  H  lb.  4  oz. ;  and  the  two  crowns  could 
not  weigh  4  oz.  between  them.  It  was  remarked  of 
them,  that  if  they  had  been  made  in  a  mould  they 
could  not  come  out  more  alike  ;  add  to  this,  that  they 
were  the  very  best  kind  of  Pine  known  to  us — the 
Smooth-leaved  Cayenne — and  that  the  plants  which 
produced  them  were  only  suckers  this  time  last  year, but 
chips  of  the  old  stools,  no  doubt,  rather  than  ordinary 
suckers ;  yet  who  could  do  so  much  with  the  best  Black 
Jamaica,  or  the  second-best,  or  worst  Monlserrai  Pines, 
seeing  that  Envillcs  and  Providence  Pines  are  out  of 
date.  After  these,  there  were  fane  specimens  of  the  best 
of  all  Black  Grapes,  the  Barharossa,  and  as  fine  dessert 
Pears  as  we  ever  had  at  this  season,  notwithstanding  the 
bad  season  for  all  sorts  of  keeping  fruit. 

But  let  us  begin  with  the  Flowers  to  describe  the 
whole  in  the  order  in  which  they  stood  on  the  tables. 
First  of  all,  there  was  a  large  specimen  of  a  new  Orchid 
from  Assam,  sent  by  Mr.  Veitch — this  was  a  Gypripedium, 
in  the  way  of  the  old  plain-leaved  one  called  Jnsigne, 
but  as  large  again  in  the  flowers,  which  are  of  a  brigliter 
colour;  the  habit  of  the  plant  is  also  much  stronger  ; 
there  were  seven  large  flowers  open  on  this  plant  and 
others  coming.  Mr.  Jackson,  of  Kingston,  sent  another 
Orchid,  as  good  as  new,  being  the  lovely  Barheria 
eleyans,  at  last;  the  flowers  are  about  the  size  of  those  of 
Barlceria  speelahiUs,  or  about  those  of  Dcndrohimn 
nubile,  a  better-known  plant ;  the  colour  of  the  sepals 
and  petals  deep  lilac  on  the  back,  and  lighter  on  the 
inside  ;  all  over  something  of  that  delicate  tint  which  is 
seen  in  the  lilacy  portion  of  a  Dendrohimn  nohile ;  the 
lip  is  large  a,nd  French-white,  with  a  broad  blotch  of 
ititense  purple  about  the  middle  of  it ;  the  column  lies 
flat  on  this  lip,  advancing  just  to  the  margin  of  the 
blotch,  and  ending  like  the  head  of  a  fish — say  a  small 
pike,  with  two  dark  spots  just  where  the  eyes  ought  to 
be,  and  a  third  dark  spot  to  represent  the  mouth.  You 
could  not  look  the  llower  in  the  front  without  imagining 
something  of  this  sort ;  all  the  colour  is  like  pure 
ivory,  with  these  markings,  and  a  little  streaked  with 
liglit  purplo  along  the  back— of  the  little  iish — altogether, 
it  is  an  exrpiisite  gem,  worth,  perhaps,  about  a  guinea 
the  inch.  'J'bero  was  a  small  plant  of  Barlicria  Shimierl 
major,  also  from  Kingston.    Tliis  I  have  seen  in  flower 


since  last  November,  aud.  as  I  said  before,  they  find  no 
sort  of  dilBculty  in  growing  aud  flowering  these  tiny 
Orchids,  but  they  keep  them  much  cooler  than  most 
growers,  and  they  grow  on  nothing  so  well  as  on  bare 
chips  of  wood  quite  close  to  the  glass,  on  a  north  aspect ;  ' 
it  would  pinch  one's  fingers  to  hold  them  so  near  the 
glass  this  cold  winter,  yet  a  score  or  more  of  these 
Barkcrias  were  in  bloom  there  all  the  time  ;  but  the 
great  demand  for  them  has  thinned  the  roof  sadly. 

The  same  firm  sent  an  African  bulb,  which  they 
bought  as  a  now  plant,  but  by  some  mistake  it  turns 
out  to  be  what  1  believe  is  i'ehhcniiin  viridifoUii,  and 
which  comes  very  near  Eucuinia  puiictatn.  1  have 
grown  the  two  in  a  front  border,  and  found  them  nearly 
hardy;  at  least,]  could  always  keep  them  with  coal- 
ashes  and  an  empty  pot  turned  over  the  bidbs  in  winter. 

Some  of  oui'  readers  may  recollect  about  the  new 
seedlings  of  Cyclamens,  which  I  described  atone  of  these 
meetings  this  time  two  years;  the  plants  have  never 
been  touched  since,  and  now  it  is  luirdly  possible  to 
conceive  bow  pretty  two  specimen  pots  of  them  looked 
to-day,  at  this  meeting,  just  such  things  as  a  Duchess 
would  like  to  see  on  her  work  table,  where  they  would 
be  just  at  liome  and  in  keeping  with  all  around.  One  pot 
had  2bi  flowers  open  in  a  diameter  of  twelve  inches,  and 
every  one  of  them  stood  upright  on  a  rigid  stalk,  and  there 
was  not  the  eighth-of-au-incb  of  dift'ercuce  in  the  height 
of  all  that  mass  of  bloom,  so  that  a  house-fly  might 
walk  all  round  on  the  top  of  them,  stepping  from  flower 
to  flower,  without  ever  using  his  wings  at  all.  The  tops 
of  the  flowers  could  hardly  bo  five  inches  from  the  rim 
of  the  pot,  and  the  leaves  are  numerous,  but  small 
accordingly.  'J'he  colour  is  a  delicate  F'rench-white, 
getting  a  little  deeper  at  the  eye ;  then,  it  stands  as 
clear  as  anything  that  this  is  an  entirely  new  Cycla- 
men; and  so  it  is,  aud  a  real  cross,  too,  between  eoum 
or  vernum  and  persictiiit,  and  the  name  is  Athinsonii, 
after  Mr.  Jauies  Atkinson,  of  Painswick,  near  Gloucester, 
who  made  the  cross,  and  got  this,  and  many  other  fine 
varieties  of  the  same  family,  some  of  which,  if  not  all, 
are  now  on  sale  in  London.  But  1  must  describe  how 
Jlr.  Atkinson  managed  his  plants,  for  1  was  lucky 
enough  to  get  introduced  to  him,  and  once  the  ice  is 
broken,  there  is  no  more  ceremony  about  flowers  aud 
their  possessors  from  her  Majesty  downwards. 

First  of  all,  Mr.  Atkinson  is  s.  practical  amateur,  who 
has  retired  from  the  busy  scene  and  enjoys  himself — as 
all  practical  men  ought  to  do  as  soon  as  they  are  able — 
in  his  own  way.  He  has  travelled  abroad,  and  seen  how 
the  Cyclamens  do  in  a  state  of  Nature  ;  aud  ho  told  me 
that  he  often  foimd  them  growing  most  liuxuriantly 
among  broken  limestone  and  other  rock  fragments, 
where  all  the  earth  they  could  reach  was  from  decayed 
leaves,  drifted  in  among  the  stones  from  the  neighbour- 
ing forests  on  the  Swiss  and  Italian  Alps;  that  these 
accumulations  of  rotten  leaves  formed  a  kind  of  cement, 
to  fill  up  the  fissures  among  tho  stones  and  broken 
rooks  ;  that  the  bulbs,  so  to  call  them,  might  appear,  in 
the  hot  season,  to  be  roasting  among  the  hot  stones ; 
but,  that  from  the  nature  of  tho  situations,  the  dead 
leaves  and  stones  among  which  the  roots  penetrated, 
tho  latter  were  never  dry,  winter  or  summer;  and, 
moreover,  that  in  the  wettest  season,  no  more  water 
could  lodge  among  these  roots  than  if  they  were  hung 
up  in  a  sieve.  Mis  practical  eye  saw  at  once  how  all 
this  could  be  imitated  at  home,  so  far  as  to  improve 
on  Nature  in  tho  wilderness.  He  had  pots  made  on 
purpose  for  them.  These  are  eight  inches  dee)!,  twelve 
inches  across  tho  top,  and  eight  inches  across  tho 
bottom.  The  first  two  inches  of  the  bottom  he  filled 
with  small  pieces  of  soft  stones,  with  a  few  clean  loaves 
mixed  auuing  tho  stones;  tlieu,  nearly  throe  inches  of 
light,  rich  compost  of  rotten  leaves  and  good  loam ; 
then,  four  btdbs,  at  equal  distances,  in  each  jiot ;   mid, 


March  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


439 


last  of  all,  the  spaces  between  tlio  bulbs  are  lilled  up 
with  the  same  compdst,  the  tops  of  the  bulbs  being  just 
covered  and  uo  move.  Perhaps  it  will  be  ten  years 
before  they  want  anything  more  doing  to  them,  except  a 
fresh  surface,  now  and  then,  for  the  look's  sake.  He 
keeps  thera  in  a  cool  frame  ;  and  last  December,  the  two 
pots  he  showed  to-day  wore  so  hard  with  frost,  that  he 
could  not  break  the  surface  with  his  finger;  but  they 
received  uo  hurt. 

Each  pot,  when  exhibited,  was  plunged  in  a  fancy 
willow  basket,  made  to  suit,  and  with  two  handles;  the 
whole  surface  of  the  baskets  and  pots  were  covered  with 
gi-een  moss,  the  loaves  and  flowers  coming  through  as 
from  a  sward,  a  nice  hint  for  how  to  place  such  plants 
on  a  lady's  fancy  table,  or  anywhere  through  the  rooms, 
but  for  the  wicker  basket  use  glass  or  china,  vases  iiinde 
to  suit  the  pots,  not  as  one-half  of  the  great  folks  do  now- 
a-days,  first  buy  their  ornamental  vases  of  all  earthly 
and  unearthly  shapes,  and  then  tease  out  tlie  gardener's 
life  about  getting  pots  to  suit  their  most  foolish  whimsies, 
just  as  balf-crazy  people  shape  their  flower-beds  first, 
and  then  think  about  the  kinds  of  flowers,  or  as  we  iu 
the  country  sometimes  do,  put  the  cart  before  the  horse. 

Mr.  Henderson,  of  the  Wellington  Road,  sent  a  col- 
lection of  seedling  Cyclamens,  consisting  of  thirteen 
pots,  and  every  one  of  the  varieties  seemed  to  me  to  be 
really  good,  new  flowers;  besides  the  varieties,  there 
were  the  old  Persicum,  and  tho  sweet-scented  Persicum, 
sent  probably  as  a  ground  for  comparison.  The  whitest 
of  the  seedlings  is  called  Persicum  album,  a  very  large 
flower,  pure  white  all  over  Pallidum,  the  next  whitest, 
is  nearly  white,  with  a  pale  purple  eye.  A  very  singular 
one  is  doubled  in  tho  divisions  of  the  flower,  there  being 
seven  divisions'in  each  flower.  Another,  called  Striatum, 
has  a  white  ground  and  purple  eye,  like  Persicum,  and 
streaked  all  over  with  lines  and  blotches,  like  the  mark- 
ings on  the  new  white  Japan  Lilies.  The  next  is 
Carneum,  a  large  flower  with  a  blush  flesh-colom-  all 
over,  and  a  deep  purple  eye.  After  that  shade  comes  a 
deep  rose-coloured  one  called  Roseum;  and  deepest  of 
all  is  Rubrum,  a  large,  deep  blood-coloured  flower,  par- 
ticularly rich.  I  think  there  was  one,  if  not  two,  of  the 
dwarf  French-white  Atkiusonii  among  them.  The  ladies 
so  crowded  round  this  beautifid  gi'oup  after  the  meeting 
that  I  could  not  catch  all  the  names,  but  I  am  quite 
sure  of  all  I  have  named. 

Besides  these,  there  was  a  pretty  good  specimen  of 
the  old  Ci/clamen  persicum  in  a  •32-pot,  with  sixty  flowers 
open  on  it,  and  the  bulb  was  entirely  out  of  the  soil, 
and  the  top  of  it  was  higher  than  the  rim  of  the  pot. 
I  am  not  quite  certain  that  I  am  right  in  believing  that 
all  Cyclamens  ought  to  have  a  bulb  just  covered  in  the 
soil,  but  I  think  they  ought,  and  this  specimen  plant 
did  not  alter  my  old  opinion.  The  reason  for  keeping 
up  such  bulbs,  and  all  true  bulbs  above  tlie  soil,  is  to 
make  more  room  for  the  roots,  but  what  is  gained  one 
way  for  the  roots  is  more  tlian  lost  by  the  exposure  of 
the  bulbs.  This  I  have  always  maintained,  and  Mr. 
Atkinson's  pots  came  in  to  confirm  my  preference. 

Thjirsacanthus  rutilans  was  here  again  from  the 
garden  of  the  Society,  the  same  plant  that  was  at  the 
last  meeting,  and  in  still  better  feather.  It  is  a  valuable 
thing  for  country  gardeners.  They  also  sent  two  of 
Fortune's  Azaleas  from  China,  squamata,  a  deep  peach- 
blossomed  kind,  which,  like  the  Peach,  flowers  before  the 
young  growtli  begins,  a  very  useful  tint,  shape  and 
habit  to  break  a  new  strain  in  tlie  old  Chinese  kinds, 
which  run  so  much  into  one  strain.  I  read  of  this  plant 
as  of  no  great  account,  but  I  never  saw  it  in  bloom  till 
now,  and  I  must  say  that  som.e  writers  have  too  many 
eyes,  or  no  eyes  at  all.  There  is  a  true  foundation  for  a 
distinct  race  of  garden  crosses;  a  far  better  pollen  parent 
than  either  Mirabilis,  Exquisita,  or  Optima,  and  yet  it 


nuist  be  passed  over  because  it  wants  tho  trouble  or 
pleasure  of  the  cross-breeder. 

Azalea  ohlusii,  another  of  tlie  new  ones  sent  homo  by 
Mr.  Fortune,  with  a  small  crimson  flower,  will  please 
many  sooner  than  squamata;  but  it  is  of  much  less 
value,  as  we  cannot  effect  much  improvement  by  it, 
either  as  father  or  mother. 

We  import  silk  and  cotton,  Saxony  and  Spanish 
wools,  in  woolly  bales  of  no  inviting  aspects  ;  but  see 
what  beautiful  dresses  we  get  out  of  them  !  and  it  is 
just  the  same  with  wild  flowers — so  much  raw  material; 
we  ouly  want  the  nranufacturers  to  make  what  kind  of 
flowers  we  want,  and,  happily,  they  are  becoming  more 
numerous  every  season. 

There  were  also  nice  plants  of  Begonia  manicata,  and 
a  cross  seedling  from  it,  from  the  garden  of  the  Society, 
together  with  Epacris  onosmijlora,  Pohjgala  Dalmatiana, 
Acacia  lineata,  Cenlradenia  rosea  aud  Jioribunda;  the 
latter  much  the  best;  Echeoeria  reliisa,  Corrcca  Ooodii, 
and  a  few  others  of  those  useful  late  winter-flowering, 
or  early  spring-flowering  plants,  which  deserve  a  |dace 
in  every  collection,  for  the  time  of  their  flowering  is 
when  flowers  are  scarce. 

Who  would  think  that  a  Crocus  in  a  pot  could  make  a 
sensation  in  the  heart  of  London'?  But  so  it  was,  and 
that,  too,  among  ladies  from  the  coimtry,  come  up  for  the 
"  season."  I  could  not  get  near  it  for  a  long  time.  It 
is  called  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  is  the  largest  Crocus  you 
ever  saw  or  heard  of — a  pure  white  ground,  and  full  of 
light  violet  bands  all  over.  A  bed  of  it  would  beat  a 
bed  of  Tulips,  if  they  could  be  seen  at  the  same  time. 
From  the  name,  I  should  take  this  Crocus  to  be  a  garden 
seedling;  but,  as  this  Society  does  not  pretend  to  be 
florists,  they  must  have  had  it  from  some  one  in  that 
line ;  and,  let  alone  their  giving  prizes  to  aspiring 
florists,  it  is  a  good  sign  to  see  them  sending  florists' 
flowers  of  the  first  class  from  our  oion  garden.  Patience 
does  wonders  everywhere  ■ — •  patience  turned  the  very 
Austrians  to  join  with  the  "  maritime  powers"  in  a  just 
cause.  I  only  wish  I  had  sufficient  patience  to  be  a 
florist,  and  1  would  join  the  best  of  them,  hand  and 
glove,  to  bring  about  what  I  can  see,  even  on  the  surface 
of  things. 

Wellimjtonia  Oiijantea — As  was  promised  at  the  last 
meeting,  there  were  drawings  of  this  splendid  tree, 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Veitch,  as  well  as  dried  specimens  of 
the  branches  from  young  and  old  trees,  with  fruit  cones, 
a  piece  of  the  bark,  and  a  sample  of  the  wood,  all  of 
which  were  gazed  on  with  wonder  after  the  lecture  on 
it  was  over.  Just  think  of  a  tree  29  feet  in  diameter, 
and  multiply  that  by  three  to  find  the  circumference, 
as  we  used  to  say  at  school,  and  you  would  all  wonder. 
The  drawing  of  this  tree  iu  the  "  illustrated  London 
News,"  and  even  the  one  hero  to-day  does  not  give  one 
any  idea  of  the  beauty  of  the  form  of  growth.  It  is 
from  the  dried  specimens  of  the  branches  only  that  any 
of  us  can  form  an  idea  of  this  vegetable  wonder.  I 
fingered  these  specimens  over  and  over,  and  the  nearest 
idea  I  can  give  of  it,  is  to  say,  that  the  leafy  growth  on 
branches  of  old  trees  is  very  irear  that  growth  in 
Cupressus  Jlacida,  and  on  the  young  wood,  more  like  the 
growth  or  leaves  on  Cupressus  Jiliformis,  that  is,  with 
sharp  prickles  to  the  minute  leaves  in  the  young 
growth,  and  that  style  of  foliage  on  au  old  plant  of 
Cri/ptomeria  japonica. 

Deodar.- — It  was,  [irobably,  from  the  announcement 
respecting  tho  Deodar  that  so  many  of  the  country 
gentlemen  assembled  at  this  meeting.  Our  own  Editor 
has  shown  lately  that  this  was  the  Cedar  with  which 
Solomon  built  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  those  who 
understand  the  difTerences  of  different  woods,  who  had 
seen  the  Deodar  in  Indian  temples,  bridges,  and  all 
sorts  of  buildings,  have  told  us,  long  since,  that  there  is 
no  wood  so  good  and  durable  as  that  of  the  Deodar;  but 


410 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Map.ch  0. 


some  great  people  would  not  believe  this,  and  tlirew 
dust  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  did.  But  if  seeing  is 
lielieving,  any  respectable  person  may  now  see  what 
kind  of  wood  this  Indian  (Jedar  is,  by  calling  at  the 
rooms  of  the  Society  in  Regent  Street.  We  had 
a  plank  of  it  in  the  room,  cut  from  a  young  tree  in 
India,  it  was  eighteen  feet  long,  four  feet  six  inches 
wide,  and  four  iuches  tliiek,  without  a  knot,  and  hardly 
any  sap  wood  ;  it  smells  deligluruily  wlieu  tlicy  burn  it, 
and  even  wlien  it  is  worked  by  the  carpenters  it  per- 
finiies  the  wliole  place.  We  had  a  series  of  Indian 
drawings  showing  the  range  of  tlio  Himalayas,  the 
Deodar  ibrests,  with  temples  and  all  sorts  of  buildings 
made  of  lliis  wood  in  the  foreground.  Tliose  wlio  did 
not  know  it  before,  or  who  did  not  learn  it  from  Dr. 
Royle's  illustrations  of  llie  botany  of  this  range,  may  be 
told,  that  the  climate  where  the  Deodar  grows  to"  the 
greatest  perfection  is  very  much  like  the  climate  of  the 
Morven  range,  in  Argyleshire,  in  the  west  of  Scotland, 
only  tluit  the  warm  season  begins  two  months  earlier  on 
the  Indian  range ;  but  as  to  wet  and  dry,  cold  and  dreary, 
snow,  sleet,  rain,  and  hail,  thunder,  lightning,  and  all, 
there  is  no  difl'ereuce  between  the  Scotch  liills  and 
Indian  mountains,  only  that  the  thunder  is  louder  in 
India,  so  that  wherever  the  Larch  will  grow  and  thrive, 
the  Deodar  will  do  the  same,  and  is  a  much  faster 
timber-making  tree,  and  the  wood  is  superior  in  every 
respect  to  that  of  Larch  ;  hut  Mr.  Appleby  has  booked 
all  that  part  of  the  subject,  and  we  must  wait  his  turn. 

D.  Beaton. 


GOSSIP    ABOUT     VARIOUS      MATTERS. 


DEYING-UP   THE   FOLIAGE    OF  PLANTS. 

"I  HAD  a  few  nice  plants, Geraniums,  best  kinds;  Cine- 
rarias, ditto ;  a  few  Epaerises,  Chorazemas,  &c.,  and  being 
anxious  to  grow  them  well,  I  spared  no  pains  on  them. 
In  the  late  frosty  weather  the  temperature  ranged  at 
night  from  45°  to  55°,  and  during  sunny  days  1  gave 
an-  as  freely  as  kept  down  the  house  to  not  more  than 
5°  higher.  In  fact,  I  do  not  see  how  you  could  have 
managed  them  better,  and  yet  I  am  so  annoyed,  the 
hard-wooded  plants  look  sickly  and  as  if  they  were 
scorched  with  the  hot  air  of  a  furnace,  and  many  of  the 
best  and  youngest  leaves  of  the  Geraniums  have  been 
scalded,  as  if  the  steam  of  a  boiling  tea-kettle  had 
jiassed  over  them.  I  watered  from  a  cisteru  in  the 
liouse;  and  to  my  surprise,  though  some  authorities 
said,  "  Vv'^ater  once  or  twice  a-week,"  I  found  my  plants 
dry  every  morning.  I  think  there  is  some  Utile  thing 
wrong;  do  explain  what  it  is;  and  then  I  shall  not 
mind  my  present  disappointments." 

Most  willingly.      No    doubt,  you  tried   to   do   well, 
and  there  is  always  hope  in  the  men  or  women  who 
"  will  not  give  up."     Bruce  learned  perseverance  from  a 
spider  forming  its  web.     Mungo  Park  gained  self-reli- 
ance, and  a  lirmer  trust  in   Providence,  by  the  sight  of 
the  tiny  green  moss  in  tlie  desert.     Lile  is  an  aggregate 
of  Littles  ;  not  the  great  striking  episodes  of  existence, 
but  these  next-toimperceptible  Littles  alike  form  and 
demonstrate  human  chavacter.      The  keener  the  obser- 
vation, the  more  will   this  truth  be  apparent.     Look  at 
that  boy  !     Mark  with  what  new  fledged  zeal  he  attends 
these  pretty  window  ])lants,  watering  the  roots,  spong- 
ing the  foliage,  giving  them  air  and  sunshine  according 
to  their  needs.     But  a  fresh   attraction  presents  itself; 
the  plants  are  comparatively  forgotten  ;  they  meet,  un- 
protected, the  mercies  of  a  frosty  niglit;   the  wreck  is 
1   huddled  into  a  coruer;  gardening  is  abjured  for  an  age, 
I   lis  other  once  favourite  pursuits  have  been  ;  and  if  you 
';   loUow  that  youth  into  the  world,  you  will  find,  that  un- 
j  less    influenced  by  other  minds,  ho  will  be  a  thing  of 


fits  and  starts  for  life.  But  glance  over  the  way,  at 
that  lad,  the  owner  and  regulator  of  that  sweet  window 
balcony,  that  passers-by  pay  homage  to  as  a  geni_  of 
taste  and  beauty.  He  could  tell  you  of  the  tricks  of  Mr. 
Frost ;  of  disappointments  he  has  Icnown  ;  of  failures  he 
has  experienced  ;  of  bright  hopes  of  bloom  aud  flowers, 
not  merely  deferred,  but  scathed  and  blasted  ;  but,  in-  • 
stead  of  souring  his  mind  into  a  sort  of  contemptuous 
passiveucss,  they  whetted  his  spirit  to  increased  intel- 
ligent eflbrt  ami  persevering  exertion.  "  The  boy  will 
be  father  to  the  man."  He  may  never  be  distinguished 
for  wealth  ;  his  name  may  never  be  whispered  amid  the 
exclusive  casteshijis  of  society  ;  for,  even  in  a  golden 
age,  ho  may  place  no  absorbing  value  on  either;  but, 
uuUss  greatly  changed  by  deteriorating  influences,  men 
will  place  the  fullest  reliance  in  his  indomitable  spirit 
aud  unswerving  perseverance.  No  stick-in-the  mud  will 
he  be.  No  mole-hill  dilficulties  will  ever  swell  out  into 
impassable  mountain  barriers  with  him. 

Two  little  things  would  help  to  produce  the  result 
complained  about.  General  rules  are  excellent  things 
in  their  way ;  hut  tliey  are  chieHy  valuable  when  an 
intelligent  judgment  brings  them  to  bear  on  varied  cir- 
cumstances. I'he  temperature  relerred  to  was  quite 
proper  for  a  warm  greenhouse,  and  with  an  outside 
temperature  ranging  from  30°  to  40°,  no  harm  would 
have  resulted  from  an  average  temperature  of  50". 
Even  the  plants  would  not  have  suffered  much  at  that 
temperature  in  a  sharpish  frost,  if  by  covering  the  house 
you  so  far  checked  the  radiation  of  heat,  and  the  evapo- 
ration and  the  loss  of  moisture.  But  as  you  do  not 
speak  of  any  protection,  and  whether  you  use  flues  or 
pipes,  do  not  say  anything  of  evaporating  pans  upon 
them,  I  can  easily  imagine  why  you  found  it  necessary 
to  resort  to  the  water-pnil  often,  with  an  inside  tempera- 
ture of  65°,  aud  an  outside  temperature  of  from  20°  to 
10°.  By  an  inordinate  use  of  fuel,  you  not  only  dried 
the  moisture  out  of  the  soil  of  the  pots,  but  dried  the 
air  in  the  house,  which  thus  sucked  moisture  out  of  the 
stems  and  foliage,  and  then  that  air — lighter  from  heat, 
and  lighter  from  holding  moisture  as  vapour — ascended 
to  the  roof,  where  the  moisture  was  either  condensed 
into  ice,  or  trickled  down  the  sash-bar,  or  the  air  thus 
moistened  found  its  way  out  by  the  laps,  and  other  air, 
cold  and  dry,  found  entrance.  This  process  alone,  kept 
up  for  any  length  of  time,  would  not  only  demand  fre- 
quent waterings  and  syringings,  hut,  even  with  these 
would  exercise  a  debilitating  influence  on  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  plants. 

But  this  would  be  greatly  increased  when  the  second 
little  error  in  the  circumstances  was  committed,  (and 
committed  very  frequently  by  those  who  should  know 
and  practice  better),  namely,  giving  so  much  air  after 
such  a  cold  night,  merely  because  the  sun  shone  bright, 
though  it  might  be  freezing  sharp  all  the  time  in  the 
shade.  You  thus  introduce  a  cold  air,  parched  enough 
to  chap  and  roughen  your  own  hands  and  cheeks, 
among  your  nice  plants  that  were  receiving  a  moderate 
roasting  the  previous  night.  But  what  is  to  be  done? 
The  health  of  the  plants,  economy  in  labour,  and 
economy  as  respects  the  fuel  heap,  point  to  one  pructicc. 
Those  who  read  what  has  been  said  about  protection 
will  see  one  remedy.  Failing  that,  the  plants,  in  severe 
weather,  would  be  more  comfortablo  for  short  periods  at 
38°  than  at  48°,  let  alouc  58°.  Even  at  that  temperature 
some  evaporating  pans  on  the  heating  medium  would 
be  useful  when  there  was  an  average  of  from  20°  and 
onwards  between  the  internal  and  external  atmos]ihero. 
At  this  temperature  there  will  be  little  drain  on  the 
juices  of  the  plant.  Besides,  at  this  comparatively  low 
temperature  at  night,  the  ]daiits  will  stand  an  amount 
of  sun  heat  without  much  or  any  air,  v.Iiicb  they  could 
not  do  if  the  heating  medium  was  hot.  The  less  air 
admitted  during  such   dry,  iVosty   weather  the  better, 


Maboh  9. 


tHe  cottage  gardeneb. 


441 


unless  care  is  taken  to  have  it  heated  and  moistened 
before  coniin.f,'  in  contact  witli  tender  plants.  Very 
little  fire  sbould,  therefore,  be  put  on  such  Iionses  in  a 
morning  nntil  you  satisfy  yourself  that  there  is  no  lil^e- 
lilioodof  the  sun  shining;  ever  keeping  in  view,  that  the 
sun-heat  is  the  best  as  well  as  the  cheapest.  With  cool 
pipes  or  Hues,  little  air  would  be  required  in  very  cold, 
frosty  weather  during  the  two  last  and  the  two  first 
montlis  of  the  year.  If  the  sun  should  come  strong, 
when,  unawares,  the  pipes  or  flues  are  hot,  instead  of 
letting  in  great  blasts  of  air,  it  is  much  preferable  to 
draw  the  fires  out.  Syringe  the  house,  paths,  &o.,  and, 
if  necessary,  shade  tbo  house,  or  even  tln'ow  water  over 
it  with  tlio  syringe,  [f  the  sun  is  likely  to  continue,  the 
water  may  be  slightly  tinged  with  whiting.  The  worst 
of  the  latter  plan  would  be,  that  as  dull  weatlier  might 
soon  succeed,  the  house  would  be  darkened,  and 
would  require  a  little  laboiu',  or  a  good  shower  to 
clear  it  all  away.  With  a  night  temperature  of  40°, 
or,  if  higher,  with  means  secured  for  giving  moisture 
to  the  air,  otherwise  than  from  the  soil  and  stems 
of  the  plants,  the  house  may  rise  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  degrees  from  sun-beat,  for  a  few  hours, 
and  the  plants,  in  a  keen,  iVosty  air,  would  be  better 
without  opening  the  sashes  than  with  it.  But,  if  that 
must  bo  done,  and  there  is  no  way  of  ameliorating  the 
air  before  admitting  it,  give  but  a  small  quantity  at  the 
highest  part  of  the  roof;  and  though  there  the  air  that 
escapes  will  be  the  moistest  as  well  as  the  hottest,  the 
air  admitted  will  also  be  somewhat  moistened  and  heated 
before  reaching  the  plants,  and  all  such  scalding  and 
burning  will  be  avoided.  Much  of  all  the  anxiety  will 
bs  guarded  against,  so  far  as  all  greenhouses  are  con- 
cerned, by  never  allowing  a  strong  fire-heat  and  a  power- 
ful sun-heat  to  act  together.  When  seeing  plants  ex- 
posed to  great  and  sudden  extremes,  and  knowing  the 
consequences  that  are  sure  to  result,  though  some  mani- 
fest it  sooner  than  others,  I  have  thought  a  good  lesson 
would  be  given  if  the  perpetrators  were  snatched  out  of 
their  warm  bed  some  keen  night,  and  kept  in  the  open 
air  for  an  hour  without  the  luxury  of  clothing. 

PRUNING  AND  POTTING  EPACEISES. 

"I  have  some  nice  plants  (impressa),  that  have  just 
finished  blooming.  Should  I  prune  off  the  long  shoots 
now,  or  wait  until  I  pot  them  ?  I  have  nothing  but  a 
greenhouse.  My  Epacrises  are  not  looking  healthy.  The 
flowers  have  opened  moderately.  I  think  the  soil  is  in 
bad  order.  I  could  give  the  plants  a  little  heat  in  a  pit. 
Shall  I  prune  and  fresh  pot,  and  get  them  to  grow 
freely?"  The  answer  to  both  must  be  based  on  tbo 
same  principle — never  to  give  a  check  to  roots  and 
branches  at  once,  if  it  can  be  avoided.  Kecollect,  there 
is  a  constant  reciprocal  action  going  on,  and,  therefore, 
when  a  check  or  mutilation  takes  place  in  one  part, 
there  will  be  an  effort  made  by  the  other  part  to  replace 
or  repair  the  injury.  Here  are  two  Thorn  plants;  you 
take  up  one,  pnineit  down,  and  plant  it  again;  the  other 
you  leave  in  the  ground,  after  pruning  it  back  in  a  simi- 
lar manner.  Have  you  any  doubt  which  of  these  would 
grow  the  most  vigorously  the  first  season?  Here  are 
two  nice  Geraniums,  in  August  or  September,  that  must 
be  cut  in  and  repotted  for  the  following  year.  Cut  down 
one,  and  repot,  by  partly  disrooting,  and  thus  give  the 
whole  plant  a  sudden  check :  prune  in  the  other;  leave 
the  strength  in  stems  and  roots  full  opportunity  to  exert 
itself  in  forming  new  branches ;  and  when  these  are 
about  an  inch  in  length,  shake  the  old  soil  from  tlie 
roots,  prune  them  a  little,  if  necessary,  and  bring  these 
healthy  young  shoots  to  react,  in  turn,  upon  the 
forming  of  fresh  and  vigorous  roots.  Will  the  result 
ever  leave  you  in  doubt  which  system  to  adopt  in  future  ? 
Just  so  with  these  Epacrises.  In  a  greenhouse,  themonth 
of  March  or  April  will  be  soon  enough  to  prune  the 


young  shoots  freely  back  to  within  a  bud  or  two  of 
whence  they  come.  Then  they  should  be  kept  in  the 
warmest  and  closest  place ;  and  when  the  young  shoots 
are  growing  away  freely,  and  when  from  an  incli  and  on- 
wards in  length,  then  is  the  time  to  repot  them,  merely 
picking  out  a  little  of  the  most  exhausted  soil,  and 
doing  as  little  injury  to  the  roots  as  possible  ;  keeping 
the  plants  a  little  shaded  ibr  some  time  afterwards, 
giving  them  what  incentives  to  growth  you  can  after- 
wards— for  the  plant  possesses  a  higli  temperature  and 
a  clear  sun  in  Australia — and  taking  care  to  have  the 
wood  well  ripened  in  September  and  October. 

Thelastinquiry  I  would  give  much  the  same  answer  to. 
Evon  although  the  soil  was  a  little  sodden,  and  a  worm 
had  got  into  it,  I  would  prefer  gettingthe  slimy  fellow  out, 
by  sending  a  small  bit  of  wire  through  the  ball,  and  re- 
arranging the  drainage,  and  then  cutting  down,  and 
having  fresh  shoots  started  before  repotting.  If,  bow- 
ever,  the  soil  was  in  a  very  bad  state  indeed,  I  would 
repot  at  once,  very  likely  in  a  smaller,  clean  pot :  but 
then  I  would  do  little  to  tlic  top  until  the  roots  were 
working  freely  in  the  fresh  soil,  and  then  the  pruning 
back  would  be  efl'ected.  During  the  whole  of  this 
process,  a  little  shade,  and  an  increase  of  temperature, 
would  be  desirable.  By  this  latter  simple  mode  many 
a  very  sickly  plant  has  been  restored.  By  potting  and 
pruning  at  once  many  such  plant  lias  at  once  gone  to 
its  final  resting  place.  During  the  st;ramer,  whilst 
growing,  the  whole  tribe  likes  beat  and  moisture.  Hence, 
when  there  is  no  other  house — such  as  a  vinery,  peachery, 
or  even  the  cool  end  of  a  pine-stove — a  cold  pit,  kept 
warm  and  moist  after  May,  by  giving,  comparatively,  a 
small  supply  of  air,  will  suit  them  better  than  a  green- 
house. Wherever  grown  they  must  be  fully  exposed  to 
sun,  and  be  saved  from  drenching  rains  in  September, 
and  be  housed  in  October.  Need  I  add,  that  fibry  peat 
should  form  the  constituent  of  the  soil,  with  an  addition 
of  silver  sand,  broken  pots,  and  charcoal,  to  keep  it  open. 

LARGE   GERANIUM   PLANTS   DYING. 

"  What  can  be  the  reason?"  I  cannot  say,  except  it 
be  the  common  result  of  all  organised  existence  that  do, 
or  are  made  to  live  fast.  I,  myself,  sent  some  queries 
respecting  such  misfortunes,  but  no  answer  came.  My 
impression,  then,  is,  that  when  we  grow  large  specimens, 
in  a  short  time  they  as  prematurely  decay.  I  found  this 
to  be  the  case  when  coaxing  extra  rapid  growth  by 
adopting  the  one  or  large  shift  system.  I  have  lost 
some  large  Geraniums  for  several  years.  Several  Fancies 
went  at  the  collar,  with  heads  from  three  to  four-aud-a- 
half-feet  in  diameter,  and  they  could  not  liave  been 
more  than  four  years  old  from  the  cutting.  The  Fancies 
seem  more  liable  to  this  than  the  more  succulent  kinds. 
We  must  just  be  content,  I  suppose,  with  smaller  and 
younger  plants. 

LOSING  PLANTS. 
"Do  you  never  lose  any  plants  that  you  have  resolved 
upon  keeping?    We  should  not  feel  so  disheartened  by 
our  losses,  did  we  know  that  you  and  your  coadjutors 
experienced  at  times  a  similar  misfortune  ?  "    Well,  be 
encouraged,  by  all  means.    I,  even  if  I  did  not  venture 
to  say  toe,  could  give  you  many  a  chapter  on  failures. 
The  fact  is,  that  there  are  few  advices  I  could  tender 
but  have  been  dunned  into  my  own  brain  by  a  fair 
spice  of  disappointment,  from  which  I  would  willingly 
relieve  you.     Even  this  last  winter  I  have  not  been  free 
from  tbom,  especially  in  two  instances.     The  first  had 
reference   to  Calceolaria  amplexioaiilis,   a  favourite   of 
mine,   because   of  its  soft  lemon   colour,   and   a  free 
bloomer  when  rightly  treated.    I  lately  described  how   i 
my  Calceolarias  stood  on  a  north  border,  uncovered  for   , 
ever   so   many   weeks,  but  none   suffered  except  this  ' 
amplexicaulis,  and  of  that  I  have  not  got  one  healthy 


U-2 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


March  9. 


plant,  and  fear  I  must  abjure  it  for  a  season.  I  knew 
very  well  it  was  tender,  but  did  not  l;now  tbat  it  was  so 
much  more  tender  than  others,  most  of  whioli  never 
looked  better.  My  second  misfortune  was  with  a  lot 
of  beautiful  jilants  of  Hnmea  eleffaiis,  that  stood  in  a 
cold  pit  well  protected.  Everything  else  escaped,  but 
they  were  destroyed.  This  mishap  was  worse  than  the 
other,  as  I  had  a  place  for  every  one  of  them,  and  the 
whole  course  of  planting  must  be  changed  for  the  waut 
of  them.  1  had  previously  kept  them  in  cold  pits,  but 
the  ])l:L:its  had  been  better  hardcned-oIF,  less  luxuriant 
than  they  wore  this  season,  and  tlie  frost  had  been  less 
continuous  and  severe.  Now,  this  will  teach  me  the 
importance  of  getting  such  plants,  if  possible,  in  another 
year,  by  tlie  middle  of  Novjuioer,  into  some  receptacle 
where  they  can  be  kept  airy  and  cool,  and  have  a  little 
fire-heat  in  severe  weather.  This  is  just  what  I  intended 
doing  this  winter,  but  the  i'rost  came  so  severe  and 
sudden  that  I  thought  moving  tlie  plants  would  be 
more  injurious  than  allowing  them  to  remain  well- 
covered  where  they  wore.  Tliis  double  loss  may  be  a 
warning  to  others,  and,  tliereforo,  worth  mentioning. 

R.  i'lsH. 


THE   ANTIRRHINUM. 
{Continued  from  pcujc  424.) 

Propaijation :  by  Cuttings. — In  last  week's  Cottage 
Gardhner  I  gave  pretty  full  directions  how  to  raise 
new  and  improved  varieties  of  this  charming  flower. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  whoever  either  raises  a  superior 
variety  from  seed,  or  purcbases  from  a  florist  either  now 
or  established  good  varieties,  is  naturally  anxious  to 
increase  such.  They  may,  to  a  limited  extent,  be  in- 
creased by  division,  but  that  mode  is  slow  and  uncertain  ; 
whereas,  cuttings  strike  so  easily  that  tlie  grower  need 
not  resort  to  any  other  method  than  that  by  cuttings. 

There  are  two  ways  by  which  cuttings  may  bo  rooted  ; 
first,  in  pots,  placed  in  beat ;  and  second,  under  a  hand- 
light  in  a  shady  border.  The  first  may  be  resorted  to 
where  the  proprietor  bas  the  convenience  of  a  liotbed 
with  a  frame  set  on  it,  or  a  regular  propagating  house. 
With  cither  of  these  conveniences  the  way  to  proceed  is 
as  foOows : — 

Prepare  a  euttiug-pot  (four  or  five-inch  diameter)  by 
well  draining  it,  that  is,  place  a  large  crock,  or  an  oyster- 
shell  over  the  bole  at  the  bottom  of  the  pot,  tlien  place  a 
few  lesser  potsherds  over  that,  and  upon  them  at  least 
an  inch  of  still  smaller,  covering  the  whole  with  a  thin 
layer  of  moss  to  prevent  the  soil  froui  choking  up  the 
drainage ;  the  whole  to  occupy  fully  one-half  of  the 
depth  of  the  pot.  Upon  this  good  drain  place  as  much 
roughly-sifted  light  compost,  formed  with  equal  portions 
of  loam,  leaf-mould,  and  sandy-peat,  as  will  fill  the  pot 
to  within  halfau-inch  of  the  rim,  give  it  a  gentle  shake 
down,  but  do  not  press  it  bard  ;  then  fill  up  tlie  re- 
maining space  level  with  the  rim,  with  rather  moist,  fine 
white  sand,  stroking  it  olf  level  with  a  straight  edged 
stick ;  then  proceed  to  choose  the  cuttings.  The  best 
are  the  short  side-shoots  produced  below  tlie  spike  of 
flowers,  or  weak  shoots  growing  from  the  sides  of  the 
plants.  Avoid  strong,  coarse  shoots,  these  are  apt  to 
damp  off  on  account  of  holding  so  much  sap.  Prepare 
the  cuttings  by  dressing  ofl'  all  the  lower  leaves,  leaving 
only  three  or  four  if  they  are  small,  then  give  a  clear 
horizontal  cut  at  the  joint.  It  is  advisable  always  to 
make  the  cuttings  very  short ;  indeed,  this  remark 
applies  to  all  cuttings  of  soft-wooded  plants.  1,  this 
spring,  lost  the  greater  part  of  a  crop  of  Verbena 
cuttings,  by  my  man  putting  them  in  too  long,  with  a 
piece  of  old  wood  at  the  bottom  of  each.  The  few  that 
struck  made  roots  from  the  upper  part  of  the  cutting. 
Let  my  mishap  be  a  warning  to  the  propagator.     There 


is  nothing  gained  by  large  cuttings,  for  if  they  do  strike 
tliey  are  much  longer  in  doing  their  work.  If  cuttings 
arc  plentiful,  then  fill  a  pot  with  one  kind  only,  jilaciug 
the  label  in  the  centre,  and  the  cuttings  close  round  the 
side  of  the  pot,  just  allowing  room  enough  for  the  leaves 
of  each  cutting  to  have  elbow  room.  As  a  general  rule, 
I  have  found  for  such  small  cuttings  half-au-inch  between 
each  is  ample  space.  My  good  friend,  Jlr.  Beaton,  in  his 
excellent  paper  on  striking  cuttings,  mentions  tbat  he 
accidentally  found  out  tbat  cuttings  do  better  if  put  in 
before  the  sand  is  wetted.  I  agree  with  him  on  that 
point,  having  practised  it  for  some  time,  tliat  is,  for  soft- 
wooded  plants  only.  Such  things  as  plealhs  and 
lilpaeris  reijuire  the  sand  made  fine,  by  watering,  before 
inserting  the  cuttings  of  such  hard-wooded  plants. 

To  return  to  the  Antirrhinum  cuttings.  When  cuttings 
are  scarce,  and  not  sufficient  to  fill  the  pot,  then  insert  a 
label  between  the  varieties,  so  as  to  distinguish 
them  at  the  time  of  potting  them  off.  Proceed  till  all 
intended  to  be  propagated  are  put  in,  and  then  give 
them  a  good  watering,  and  as  soon  as  the  leaves  are  dry 
place  them  in  the  frame,  or  in  the  propagating-house. 
Shade  diligently  and  effectually  from  the  sun,  and  keep 
the  sand  moderately  moist.  They  will  soon  bear  the 
sun's  rays  for  an  hour  or  two  in  the  morning  and  after- 
noon, and  with  this  care  and  attention  every  cutting 
ought  be  rooted  in  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks.  The 
season  for  putting  in  these  cuttings  may  bo  extended 
from  Ajiril  to  August,  but  the  best  time  is  about  the 
middle  of  July,  because  then  the  plants  will  give  a  good 
supply  of  cuttings,  and  they  will  have  time  to  get  well 
established  before  the  winter. 

Immediately  they  have  emitted  roots  tliey  should  be 
potted  ofl'  singly  into  three-inch  pots,  in  the  same 
compost.  Nip  olf  the  tops  as  soon  as  they  are  potted, 
to  cause  them  to  make  bushy  plants.  Place  them,  when 
potted,  in  a  cold  frame,  shading  them  from  the  sun  till 
fresh  roots  are  made  ;  then  give  air  moderately  at  first, 
and  more  freely  as  they  can  boar  it ;  they  will  then  be 
ready  to  plant  out  in  the  blooming-bed,  or,  if  very  much 
valued,  they  may  be  kept  in  the  pots  in  a  cold  pit  till 
spring.  'The  method  of  striking  them  under  hand-lights 
is  simple  and  easy  : — Prepare  tho  border  for  them  (be- 
hind a  low  north  wall)  in  the  same  manner  as  described 
for  the  pots,  with  the  exception  of  the  drainage,  unless 
the  border  is  wet,  then  it  will  be  advisable  to  drain  it 
also.  Raise  the  border  two  or  three  inches  above  the 
ordinary  level;  make  the  sand  smooth,  and  place  the 
hand-lights  upon  it,  to  make  a  mark  to  show  where  the 
cuttings  are  to  be  planted;  mako  the  cuttings  exactly  in 
the  same  way  as  described  above  for  those  in  jiot ;  then, 
with  a  small  stick,  insert  the  cuttings  in  rows,  within 
the  space  marked  by  the  edges  of  the  hand-liglit,  and 
when  all  are  jilanted.  give  a  gentle  watering,  leaving  the 
hand-lights  ofl'  till  the  leaves  are  dry  ;  then  place  them 
over  the  cuttings,  and  they  will  need  no  more  care  till 
evident  signs  of  growth  take  place,  when  the  hand- 
lights  should  bo  lifted  ofl'  for  two  or  three  hours  every 
morning,  and,  finally,  remove  them  altogether,  when 
tho  cuttiugs  no  longer  flag  with  the  exjiosure.  In  a 
montli's  time  they  may  be  ti-ansplautcd  carefully  whore 
they  are  to  flower.  This  hand-light  method  should  be 
put  in  operation  as  soon  as  over  sulhcient  cuttings  can 
be  oblaiued,  because  they  do  not  root  so  quickly,  though 
surely,  as  those  in  pots  in  heat.  'i'.  Appleuy. 

(To  bt  conlinucil.) 


STOVE  FERNS. 

{Conlinned  from  liotie  404.J 

Geniophleiiiom  sepultum  (Covered). — A  very  re- 
markable South  American  Fern,  of  great  beauty,  and 
very  rare.     'The  fronds  arc  lance-shaped  and  piuuatc, 


Makcii  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


u;i 


iiLid,  whoa  well  grown,  a  foot  or  more  iu  lenfftb.  This 
deserves  its  designation  of  a  very  remarkable  Fern,  from 
the  fact  that  the  pinna;,  or  leaves,  arc  covered  thickly 
with  narrow,  fringed  scales,  of  a  light,  hoary  colour. 
These  feathery  scales  give  the  plant  a  very  distinct  and 
beautiful  appearance,  so  mnch  so  that  1,  or  anybody 
else,  may  distinguish  it  amongst  a  numerous  collection 
many  yards  off.  I  fortunately  possess  two  plants  of  it, 
and  1  find  it  will  bear  a  lower  temperature  than  most 
other  Stove  Ferns.  The  AdiarUiim  maorophyllum  was 
,  quite  killed  in  the  same  house  iu  which  this  same  Oonio- 
\2Mehium  is  quite  healthy  and  uninjured.  This  is  a  re- 
markable fact,  that  some  plants  from  hot  regions  bear 
more  cold  than  others.  I  remember  the  day  when  the 
hardy  Aucuba,  because  itcame  from  Japan,  wasthoughtto 
require  the  protection  of  the  greenhouse,  and  now  it  is 
found,  in  suitable  soil,  to  be  hardier  than  our  common 
Laurel;  and  so,  I  have  no  doubt,  many  Ferns  from 
warm  climates  have  a  constitution  more  liardy  than  we 
are  aware  of  This  Fern  I  have  increased,  though  slowly, 
by  dividing  the  white  slow-creeping  root-stock. 

GONIOPTEEIS. 

This  is  a  well-defined  genus,  formed  out  of  Polypodi- 
um,  by  Mr.  Prest.  The  name  alludes  to  the  lesser  veins 
rnnning  in  angles,  (gonia)  and  pteris,  a  Fern,  or,  in 
simple  English,  the  Angular  Fern.  The  species  of  this 
genus  are  not  numerous,  and  grow  only  to  a  medium  size, 
never  exceeding  three  feet,  and  generally  not  more  than 
one  foot  in  height.     The  most  interesting  are 

GoNioPTEBis  FRAxiNiFOLiA  (Asb-lcaved). — A  Brazilian 
Fern,  with  fronds  two  feet  long ;  they  are  pinnate,  and 
the  pinnse  (wings,  or  side  leaves),  are  smooth,  shin- 
ing, and  of  a  dark  green.  Many  of  these  pinna)  form 
little  buds  at  the  end,  which,  in  a  damp  stove,  soon  put 
out  roots  ;  and,  if  these  are  carefully  cut  off  and  planted 
shallow  in  a  pot,  under  a  bell-glass,  they  soon  make  good 
plants. 

G.  PENNiGEKA  (Feathered). — Though  this  elegant 
Fern  is  a  native  of  New  Zealand,  it  requires  the  stove  to 
grow  it  to  its  greatest  beauty.  The  fronds  are  of  two 
kinds,  barren  and  fertile ;  the  barren  fronds  grow  one- 
and-a-half  feet  long,  are  spread  open,  are  pinnate,  and 
the  pinnte  are  covered  thinly  with  short  hairs,  and  are 
of  a  long,  narrow  shape,  like  feathers  ;  tlie  fertile  fronds 
are  curled  up,  and  grow  more  erect  than  the  others. 
The  seed  vessels  are  placed  in  the  middle,  between  the 
main  rib,  on  the  angle  of  the  smaller  veins.  Increased 
by  dividing  the  creeping  rhizoma.  A  very  beautiful  me- 
dium-sized Fern,  worthy  of  general  cultivation. 

GYMNOGEAMMA. 

This  genus  has  some  of  the  most  interesting  and  most 
beautiful  Ferns  in  cultivation,  containing  the  elegant 
Gold  and  Silver  Ferns.  The  name  is  derived  from  gym- 
nos,  naked,  and  gramma,  writing,  because  the  seed-ves- 
sels have  no  cover.  With  a.  moderate  magnifier,  the 
seeds  may  be  seen  in  the  cases  without  any  covering. 
All  growers  of  Ferns  ought  to  have  a  tolerable  good  mi- 
croscope to  observe  their  wonderful  conformation. 
Without  such  an  instrument  the  greatest  beauties  of 
tribe  are  lost  to  the  naked  unassisted  eye. 

Gymnoohamjia  chrysophylla  (Golden-leaved). — Em- 
phatically said  to  be  "  one  of  the  most  beautiful  exotics  in 
cultivation."  Grows  plentifully  in  the  West  Indies  and 
South  America,  on  stumps  of  trees  and  in  crevices  of 
shaded  rocks.  The  fronds  seldom  exceed  a  foot  in  height, 
excepting  under  high  cultivation,  in  a  moist,  high  tem- 
perature. They  are  bi-pinnate,  or  twice  divided,  and 
the  pinnaj  are  of  an  oval  shape,  slightly  cut  at  the  edges. 
The  great  beauty  of  this  Fern  consists  iu  the  under-side 
being  covered  with  a  bright,  golden-coloui'ed  powder. 
Many  a  time  have  I  been  delighted,  on  showing  this 
Fern  to  visitors  who  had  nev6r  seen  it  before,  with  the 


glowing  pleasure  depicted  on  their  countenances  on 
seeing  the  bright  yellow  colour  on  tho  under  side  of  the 
leaves.  The  upper  surface  being  tho  usual  colour, 
green,  had  nothing  remarkable  about  it,  but,  on  turning 
the  plant  upside-down,  the  glorious  golden  yellow  al- 
ways drew  forth  exclamations  of  wonder  and  delight. 
Its  culture  is  easy  ;  the  only  point  that  must  not  be  neg- 
lected is  water.  This  element  must  ho  regularly  sup- 
plied. It  seeds  freely,  and,  in  favourable  circumstances, 
the  seed  vegetates  as  freely.  These  circumstances  are, 
a  constantly  moist  atmosphere,  with  a  high  temperature. 
I  have  had  them  come  up,  as  it  were,  spontaneously,  in 
tho  shady  parts  of  tho  Orchid-house ;  but  the  more  sure 
way  is  to  scatter  the  seeds  on  some  sand-stones,  laid  on 
a  bed  of  moss,  kept  moist,  and  covered  with  a  hand- 
light,  or  large  bell-glass.  The  second  seed-leaves  of 
great  numbers  of  Gymnograrama  are  beautifully  cut  into 
linear  strips,  and  form  almost  a  circle.  By  tlieso  they 
may  be  known  from  weedy,  common  Ferns.  When  they 
have  made  the  third  leaf  they  should  be  transplanted 
into  very  small  pots,  replaced  under  the  glass,  and  re- 
main there  till  fresh  roots  are  emitted.  After  that, 
place  them  in  a  shady  place,  and  treat  them  like  their 
congeners. 

G.  Tartabea  (Infernal). — So  named,  I  suppose,  be- 
cause the  stems  are  black  as  ink.  As  a  contrast  to  the 
deep  blackness  of  the  stems,  the  under  side  of  the  leaves 
is  densely  covered  with  a  white  powder,  hence  it  has 
been  called  tlie  Silver  Fern.  The  fronds  are  broader 
at  the  base  than  the  former  species,  often  tri-pinnate ; 
and  the  leaves,  or  pinuaj,  are  oval,  the  lowest  one  di- 
vided into  lobes.  The  grand,  distinguishing  mark, 
however,  is  the  white  powder.  Its  culture  is  the  same 
as  for  the  preceding.  These  are  the  two  species  most  re- 
markable in  the  genus,  and  the  remainder  I  give  the 
names  of  only  as  my  space  is  limited. 

O.  ealomelanas,  beautiful  black;  a  Silver  Fern;  O. 
leptophylla  (Slender-leaved) ;  O.  Merlensii  (Mer- 
len's) ;   G.  rufa  (Red  Haired) ;    O.  tomentosa  (Hairy). 

There  are  some  others,  but  not  particularly  interest- 
ing ;  Q.  ochracea  is   quite  a  weed  iu  the  Orchid-house, 
and  has  some  little  of  the  golden  powder  on  the  stems. 
It  is  often  sold  for  tlie  true  Gold  Fern.      T.  Appleby. 
CTo  be  continued.) 


NOTES  ON   THE   ONION. 

This  useful  bulb,  on  which  I  purpose  making  some 
remarks,  has  not  always  received  the  attention  it  deserves, 
neither  in  its  cultivation,  nor  in  the  many  uses  to  whicli 
it  may  be  applied.  The  latter  subject,  doubtless,  belongs 
to  the  department  of  some  one  else  ;  but  I  cannot  help 
thinking  that  a  sort  of  morbid  fastidiousness  prevents 
its  more  general  adoption  at  the  tables  of  the  affluent; 
the  poor,  less  fettered  by  the  trammels  of  society,  per 
haps,  derive  more  benefit  from  it ;  and,  assiu-edly,  there 
is  no  vegetable  grown  more  really  wholesome;  and  when 
it  is  known  that  the  produce,  on  good  ground,  amounts 
to  something  like  the  same  measure  as  a  good  crop  of 
Potatoes  will  turn  up,  it  becomes  a  matter  of  economy 
to  enquire  how  far  it  may  be  made  a  substitute  for  that 
uncertain  tuber ;  and  as  the  seed  required  for  a  given 
space  is  a  much  less  expensive  article  than  the  roots 
wanted  in  the  other,  and  the  crop  being  sooner  cleared 
off"  the  ground,  giving  time  for  another  one  the  same 
season,  it  follows  that  a  good  breadth  of  Onions,  in  a 
poor  man's  garden,  is  not  altogether  such  a  bad  substi- 
tute for  the  Potato.  The  cooking,  &c.  of  these,  I  would 
rather  leave  to  more  experienced  hands,  only  I  feel  cer- 
tain, were  Onions  more  generally  adopted,  the  unpleasant- 
ness (real  or  imaginary)  arising  from  them  would  be  less 
noticed,  and  a  healthy,  nutritious  article  of  food  (long 
kept  in  the  back-ground)  restored  to  its  proper  place. 


444 


THE  COTTAGE  OARDENEK. 


Maech  9. 


In  regard  to  tlie  cultivation  of  this  bulb,  the  late 
Mr.  Kuigbt  held  the  ojiiaion,  that  the  Knglisli  summer 
was  not  long  enough  to  perfect  this  production,  and  that 
to  do  so  the  crop  ought  to  be  forwarded  a  little,  by  being 
sown  late  in  the  preceding  season,  and  preserved  in 
some  way  during  the  winter.  This  doctrine  is,  to  a  cer. 
tain  extent,  true  ;  but  the  inconveniences  of  the  remedy 
proposed  renders  that  almost  as  olijectionablo  as  the 
evil  to  be  overcome  ;  besides  which,  it  does  not  always 
accomplisli  tliat,  and  Onions,  tlie  produce  of  two  sea- 
sons growth,  seldom  keep  well — I  might  say  they  never 
do.  Mr.  Knight's  theory,  however,  was  not  by  any 
moans  a  vp^gue  or  useless  one,  for  Onions,  forwarded  by 
hot-beds,  &o.,  and  planted  out  in  a  favourable  situation, 
in  a  nortliern  or  other  bleak  district,  are  much  improved 
and  their  size  much  increased  ;  while,  in  such  places,  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  obtain  large,  good  bulbs,  without 
some  such  aid,  or  adojiling  the  biennial  growth  in  some 
■way  or  other;  the  most  common  being  to  sow  a  good 
breadth  about  the  beginning  of  August,  and  by  preserv- 
ing them,  by  covering  in  some  way  until  spring,  to  plant 
them  out  on  Cresli,  well-prepared  ground,  taking  care  to 
nip  out  tlie  seed-stem  as  soon  as  it  appears,  and  to  give 
them  every  advantage,  in  the  shape  of  hand-hocing,  Ac, 
wliich  can  be  commanded.  Another  plan,  resembling 
tlie  last,  is  to  select  some  small  bulbs,  not  larger  than 
Crocusses,  from  the  stores  of  the  previous  year,  and  to 
plant  them  in  the  same  wayas  the  last;  theproduce will 
be  a  large,  though  not  a  solid  description  of  bulbs  : 
still,  for  use  early  in  the  season  they  are  valuable. 

Though  the  above  methods  may  be  advantageously 
adopted  in  many  cases,  and  Onions  sown  under  glass  in 
January,  and  grown  there  till  April,  and  then  planted 
out,  may  also  be  applicable  in  other  circumstances,  yet 
the  great  bulk  of  the  Onion  crop  is,  and  must  be,  sown 
when  it  is  to  be  produced  the  same  year,  and,  conse- 
quently, under  sucli  circumstances,  ought  to  be  accom- 
modated with  everything  necessary  to  forward  it,  as  good 
ground,  well-manured,  and  open  yet  not  bleak  situation, 
and  that  good  after-culture  which  tends  as  much  to  per- 
fect this  as  any  other  crop  we  know  of.  However,  we 
will  suppose  that  the  careful  manager  has  long  ago  pre- 
pared the  ground  his  Onion  crop  is  to  occupy,  and  that 
it  has  been  lying  exposed  to  the  frosts  and  other  changes 
of  weather  which  benefit  ground  so  much,  and  it  be  suf- 
ficiently dry,  in  the  early  part  of  March,  to  allow  of  its 
being  trod  upon  without  unduly  pressing  it;  the  seed 
must  be  sown  forthwith,  and  the  most  usual  way  is  to 
draw  shallow  drills,  one  foot  apart,  and  to  sow  the  seed 
very  thin  in  those  drills,  covering  them  over  after  with 
the  rake,  sowing,  perhaps,  a  few  lladishes  at  random  over 
the  ground  as  well  to  draw  while  young. 

Now,  this  is  the  best  jiractice  when  the  ground  is  not  too 
stiff  nor  wet  to  prevent  its  being  done  at  the  proper  time 
in  that  way  ;  but  when  that  cannot  be  accomplished,  then 
let  the  ground  be  marked  into  beds,  and  the  seed  sown 
broadcast,  and  covered  with  soil  cast  out  of  the  alloys ; 
the  result  will  be  scarcely  less  abundant  than  by  the 
other  way,  only,  when  they  are  sown  in  beds,  they  rarely 
are  thinned  sufficiently  to  ensure  them  swelling  to  the 
size  that  denotes  perfection;  but  that  duty  must  bo  in- 
sisted on,  and  the  Onions,  instead  of  being  cramped  to- 
gether like  the  blades  of  glass  in  a  well-bottomed  piece 
of  turf,  onglit  to  stand  perfectly  clear  from  each  other, 
and  when  full  grown  they  ought  notto  be  touching  each 
other  in  any  way. 

It  may  be  worth  while  to  remark,  that  in  common 
with  almost  everything  else,  the  number  of  varieties  of 
the  Onion  have  increased,  or  said  to  have  increased,  yet 
not  to  the  extent  of  other  things  ;  I'or  the  good  points 
of  an  Onion  have  not  so  mitch  attracted  attention  as  the 
earliuess,  flavour,  or  productiveness  of  Peas  and  similar 
vegetables,  for  the  improvement  of  which  so  much  has 
boon  said,  if  not  done.   Neither  are  our  Onions  diftnifled 


with  the  title  of  anyone's  name  ;  doubtless,  for  the  rea- 
son that  they  do  not  like  to  condescend  to  patronize  an 
article  so  opposed  to  the  ideas  of  poetry  or  politeness  ; 
be  that  as  it  may,  there  are  sufficient  varieties  to  select 
from ;  and  the  inexperienced  would  do  well  to  confine 
himself  to  one  or  two  sorts,  of  which  he  has  reason  to 
believe  the  seed  to  be  good.  The  Olohe  is  an  excellent 
Onion,  and  so  is  the  M'hite  Spanish,  but  the  Strashuryh 
is  said  to  keep  better  than  citlier  ;  it  is,  however,  smaller. 
The  Dejitford  is  also  good;  in  fact,  if  the  seed  be  sus- 
pected, it  is  better  to  get  a  quantity  of  each,  and  mix 
them  together,  and  then  sow  the  mixture.  The  white 
kinds  are  so  much  alike  that  no  particular  difference  is 
perceptible  to  ordinary  observers  ;  certainly,  such  kinds 
as  the  Blood,  J'rqioli,  Welch.,  and  Silver  Skinned  differ 
entirely  from  the  general  stock,  and  ought  not  to  be  sown 
with  them,  but  the  others  may  be  sown  as  inclination 
directs.  The  Silver  Shinned,  being  mostly  used  for 
]iickling,  ought  to  be  sown  tliick,  on  some  piece  of  poor 
land,  and  not  so  soon  as  the  general  crop. 

J.    EOBSON. 


The  Spanish  fowls,  part  of  the  stock  of  Mrs.  Lydia 
Stowe,  sold  for  very  good  prices,  at  Mr.  Stevens's,  on 
the  28th  of  February.  Lot  151,  a  very  superior 
Cockerel,  fetched  £,\l  10s.  The  highest  sum  for  a 
Pullet,  was  £'j  .lOs.  The  thirty  lots  averaged  about 
£2  17s.  each. 


WEIGHTS   OF  PEAR  FRUIT. 

The  difTerent  liorticultm-al  periodicals  of  the  day  fre- 
quently attract  their  readers'  attention  to  the  accounts  they 
give  of  the  weights  of  Pear  fruit  exhibited  at  the  different 
exhibitions,  but  never  liaving  met  with  any  accounts  either 
corresponding  or  approaching  to  the  following,  I  have  trans- 
cribed them,  under  the  impression  they  may  he  interesting  to 
many  of  the  liorticulturists  and  fruit  growers  included  in 
the  number  of  the  readers  of  The  Cottage  CrAitDEXEK. 

In  the  month  of  October,  18:U,  tlie  Board  of  SlanaKement 
of  the  Royal  Jersey  Agricultural  and  Horticultm-al  Society, 
resolved  on  sending  for  his  late  gracious  Majesty's  accep- 
tance, a  collection  of  Jersey-grown  fruit,  and  the  follov.ing 
is  a  list  (with  weights  attached)  of  part  of  the  fruit  sent — 

10.!  Chaumontelle  Pears,  88  lbs.  3  ozs. 
10  Duchess  d'Angouleme  Pears,  23  lbs. 
35  Beurre  d'Areraherg,  27  lbs.  10  ozs. 
3(i  Crassanne,  20  lbs.  3  ozs. 
2  Belle  de  Jersey,  or  Vvedah's  St.  Germain  Pears,  6  lbs., 
and  12  Passe  Colmar,  not  specified. 

There  were,  also,  some  remailcable  fine  Apples  sent,  of 
the  Golden  Pippin,  Nonpareil,  Pigeonnet,  and  Court  of 
"Wick  varieties.  The  two  remarkable  fruit  of  Belle  de  Jersey 
Pear,  were  grown  and  presented  to  the  Society,  for  repre- 
sentation, by  John  Le  Coutem-,  Esq.,  of  Belle  Vue,  Jersey ; 
the  remainder  of  the  fruits  being  contributed  by  ditferent 
gentlemen,  members  of  the  Society,  feeling  interested  in  its 
proceedings. 

And  in  1841,  another  collection  of  Jersey-grown  Pears 
were  respectfully  forwarded  for  her  present  gracious 
Majesty's  acceptance,  including 

2  Duchesse  d'Angouleme,  3  lbs.  5  ozs.,  or  1  lb.  lOJ  ozs. 
each. 

12  „  ,,  selected,  17  lbs.  0  ozs. 

1  Chaumontelle,  1  lb.  0  ozs. 

12  ,,  selected,  13  lbs.  7  J  ozs. 

1  Crassanne,  lib.  1^  oz. 

12  „        selected,  10  lbs.  4  ozs. 

1  Beurre  d'Aremberg,  14  ozs. 

12         „  „  selected,  0  lbs.  6  ozs. 

Here,  again,  the  two  monster  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  fruit 
were  again  contributed  by  Jolin  Lo  Contour,  P^sq.,  of  Belle 
Vuc.  and  the  largest  Chaumantelle  and  Ciassanne,  by  Jiimos 
Hammond,  Esq.,  of  Fantaisie,  Jersey,  and  the  remainder  in 


Makcii  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


445 


the  same  maimer  as  the  preceding  collection,  the  wciglits  of 
the  fi-uit.s  beinj;,  in  both  cases,  attested  anj.  guaranteed  hy 
tlie  honorary  secretaiios'  signatures  in  the  reports  of  the 
season. 

The  following  remarks  wore  also  included  in  the  Honorary 
Secretary's  Report  for  the  season  of  1841 : — "  The  un-- 
usually  moist  season  has  affected  fruit  in  difi'erent  ways. 
The  stone  fruits,  especially  Apricots,  were  shrivelled, 
cracked,  and  flavourless.  Peaches  were  few  andill-Havoured. 
Pears  were  fine,  and  of  excellent  quality  or  flavour  (espe- 
cially the  Crassanne  and  Beuvre  d'Aremherg  varieties — a 
fruit,  referring  to  the  last,  which  cannot  be  too  highly  prized) , 
.lud  tlieir  keeping  properties  seem  to  have  been  much  im- 
paired by  tlie  humidity  of  the  season.  Tlie  Crassannes, 
Passe  Colmars,  Chaumontelles,  and  Bcrgamotts  de  la 
Pentecote  (or  Easter  Beurre),  having  mostly  ripened  before 
the  fifteenth  of  Decemlier." 

Here  I  should  remark,  that  the  variety  of  Pear  recog- 
nised as  the  ]5eurre  d'Aremherg  is  the  Glout  Morceau, 
under  which  name  it  is  cultivated  in  Jersey.  There  is  no 
resemblance  between  tlie  two  varieties  but  in  the  te.-cture  of 
the  fruit's  skin.  The  Glout  Morceau,  which  is  much  the 
finer  of  the  two,  is  easily  recognised  by  the  vigour  of  the 
tree's  growth  ;  the  wood  is  also  much  darker  and  thorny, 
and  the  fruits  are  (when  fine)  quintagonally  divided,  and 
elongated  at  both  ends,  with  a  beautiful,  smooth,  pale  green 
skin ;  keeping  from  November  to  January,  according  to 
seasons.  The  Beurre  d'.Vremberg  is  sniootli  in  the  wood, 
paler  in  colour  of  the  bark;  smaller  in  the  size  of  the 
fruit,  being  round  at  the  end ;  at  times  a  Uttle  russety,  and 
ripening  at  the  same  season. 

Hence,  from  the  foregoing  remarks  of  the  Honorary 
Secretary,  we  have  the  gratification  of  learning,  that  the 
ripening  season  of  Pear  fruit  is  in  a  great  measure  depen- 
dent on  the  moistness  of  the  season.  An  useful,  though  an 
antecedent  corroboration  of  our  present  ideas  and  ex- 
perience on  the  subject.  We  shall  learn  more  about  it,  by- 
and-by ;  patience  and  perseverance  will  heal  many  of  the  ills 
arising  from  the  confliction  of  opinions  on  this  and  other 
useful  subjects. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  Pears  included  in  these  two 
short  lists  were  grown  on  trees  budded  on  CJuiuce  stocks, 
in  moist,  friable  soils  ;  a  plan  more  profitable  and  pre- 
ferable to  any  other  I  am  as  yet  acquainted  with. — C.  B. 
Saunders,  Coisareaii  Nursery f  Jersey, 


THE   MANCHESTER  POULTRY  SHOW. 

Youn  notice  of  the  Manchester  Poultry  Exhibition  induces 
me  to  trouble  you  with  a  few  remarks,  which,  perhaps,  may 
be  found  worthy  of  a  place  in  The  Cottage  Gaedenee,  as 
well  as  useful  to  those  in  other  localities  who  may  be  medi- 
tating a  "  first  poultry  exhibition."  There  are  only  about 
six  or  eight  amateurs  here  ivho  have  paid  any  attention  to 
Poultry,  and  being  desirous  of  encouraging  and  promoting, 
as  far  as  their  endeavours  could,  a  taste  in  this  neighbour- 
hood for  "  the  fancy,"  conceived  the  idea  of  an  exhibition. 
These  few  amateurs  set  to  work,  raised  a  guarantee  fund, 
which  was  most  liberally  responded  to  by  the  "  merchant 
princes "  here,  and  in  a  very  few  days  over  i'oOO  was 
guaranteed  by  sums  of  £o  each.  "That  the  first  Manchester 
Poultry  Show  should  be  worthy  of  their  city,  they  deter- 
mined to  give  prizes  equal  to  those  given  at  other  large 
exhibitions,  in  order  to  induce  the  first  breeders  in  the 
country  to  send  their  birds.  I  think  they  wisely  resolved 
not  to  restrict  an  exhibitor  to  one  pen  of  any  particular 
class,  thereby  giving  the  amateur  the  chance  of  taking  all 
the  prizes,  if  he  could,  in  any  particular  class.  One  regula- 
tion, I  would  suggest,  shoitld  be  altered  in  future  shows  ;  it 
was  "  no  person  (with  the  exception  of  cottagers)  could 
exhibit  without  being  a  subscriber  of  10s."  This  gave  him 
the  privilege  of  showing  four  pens  of  birds  and  having  two 
admission  tickets.  The  reason  is  ob^dous  :  a  subscriber  of 
10s.,  having  four  pens,  sent  inferior  specimens  to  fill  up 
his  allowance.  There  should  always  be  a  fixed  charge  per 
pen  as  well  as  per  ticket.  Had  this  been  the  case  here,  I 
believe  tlie  committee  would  have  found  themselves  better 
off  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  vie^y.  The  committee  are-  de- 
serving of  the  highest  praise  for  their  courtesy  and  un- 


wearied exertions.  I  know  many  of  them  were  in  the  Free 
Trade  Hall,  each  day,  from  the  opening  to  the  closing  of  ' 
the  exhibition,  and  sufi'ered  severely  in  consequence  of  the  j 
fatigue.  The  Amateur  I'rize  of  iiO,  for  the  best  cock  of  five 
difl'erent  breeds,  afforded  a  fine  opportiurity  to  breeders  of 
purchasing  first-class  stud  birds,  and  I  think  is  worthy  of 
being  copied  at  other  exhibitions.  The  fine  specimens 
exhibited  here  showed  how  exhibitors  appreciated  this 
prize.  I  think  tlie  liberality  of  Mr.  Jolm  S.  Henry,  of 
Woodlands,  Crimjisall,  a  member  of  the  committee,  ought 
to  be  made  known  :  it  was  he  who  so  handsomely  pre- 
sented this  prize.  Altliough  I  find  he  was  an  exhibitor 
amongst  the  Cochins,  I  regret  that  his  liberality  was  not 
rewarded  by  a  prize  ;  but  I  doubt  not  that  in  a  future  occa- 
sion he  will  be  more  successful,  as  he  has  since  purchased 
some  of  the  best  blood  in  the  country.  Your  correspondent's 
rcmarlis  about  the  Cochins  exliibitcd  are  very  true ;  they 
were,  indeed,  with  few  exceptions,  "  a  bad  lot."  Many  of 
them  were  sold,  the  day  .after  the  exhibition,  at  auction,  for 
the  most  ridiculously  high  prices  for  such  specimens;  and 
why?  because  they  were  puffed  off  as  remarkably  short- 
legged  birds,  and  the  produce  of  poultry  belonging  to  our 
first  breeders.  One  black  cock,  who,  amongst  a  lot  of  very 
poor  ones,  had  a  prize  here,  was  sold,  after  much  compe- 
tition, for  £3  10s.  But  there  is  nothing  like  a  good 
pufl'  for  selling  fowls,  as  everything  else.  Iteally,  Messrs. 
Sturgeon  and  Punchard's  yards  have  been  very  much  drawn 
upon  for  fine  specimens  and  pedigrees.  These  gentlemen 
have  much  to  complain  of.  If  you  think  this  worthy  of 
notice,  I  shall  be  glad  to  inform  you  how  "  Manchester 
Poultry  "  progress. — J.  E. 

[We  concur  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer  of  the  above,  that 
"pen-money"  is  likely  to  serve  a  good  purpose  in  future 
Poulti-y  Exhibitions,  not  merely  as  adding  to  their  receipts, 
but  as  aflbrding  a  useful  check  against  too  many  entries 
on  the  part  of  a  single  individual.  A  graduated  scale,  after 
the  manner  of  the  assessed  taxes  on  carriages  or  horses, 
might  aid  such  a  plan.  The  regulations  at  present  in  force, 
where  this  restriction  is  exercised,  are  notoriously  evaded, 
the  names  of  wives,  relations,  friends,  and  servants,  who 
have  no  bond  fide  ownership  in  the  birds,  being  continually 
employed  to  secure  the  admission  of  the  extra  number.  A 
rule  that  is  thus  infringed  with  impunity  becomes  one  of 
those  things  that  are  more  honoured  in  the  breach  than  the 
observance.  We  must  congratulate  Manchester  on  its  late 
debut  in  the  poultry  arena,  and  have  sanguine  anticipations 
for  its  second  season.] 


HARDY  BORDER  PLANTS. 
EEICA   CAENEA. 

This  Heath  of  "  flesh-coloured  "  flowers  is  often  called 
E.  hcrhacca,  the  Herbaceous,  or  the  Early-flowering  Heath. 

It  is  a  little  shrubby,  or  under-shrubby,  evergreen  plant ; 
is  of  procumbent  habit,  and  still  forms  one  of  the  snuggest 
little  bunches  that  can  be  introduced  into  our  flower  borders, 
whether  as  a  marginal  plant  to  shrub  plantations,  a  bunch- 
bed  to  itself,  or  as  a  mixed  plant  with  other  hardy 
herbaceous  plants.  Wherever  planted,  it  should  always  be 
a  front  plant  in  the  beds  from  its  dwarfness,  its  height 
being  from  six  to  nine  inches. 

It  will  thrive  in  almost  any  good  garden  soil,  and  in  any 
situation  ;  so  that  it  might  be  "  every  one's  plant;  "  but  the 
soil  most  suitable  to  it  is  a  niixtm"e  of  one-half  peat,  well 
worked  in  with  one-half  common  garden  soil,  and  if  with  a 
spadeful  or  two  of  leaf-mould,  all  the  better.  This  mixture 
should  be  used  as  a  top  dressing  round  about  and  in  among 
the  stems  of  such  plants. 

Though  it  will  root  from  cuttings,  liko  all  the  rest  of  its 
long  family — the  Heaths — yet,  where  the  old-established 
bunches  are  kindly  attended  to  once  a-year,  keeping  their 
stems  well  top-dressed,  as  before  said,  all  its  stems  that 
come  in  contact  ^Yith  the  earth  beneath  or  about  them  will 
put  out  abundance  of  roots,  which  enables  the  plant  to  be 
readily  increased  hy  rooted  slips.  Occasionally,  an  old  plant 
taken  up  affords  an  abundant  increase  by  division,  like  other 
common  herbaceous  plants. 

Although  this  plant  is  a  native  of  the  Alps  and  mountainous 
parts  of  Germany,  I  have  always  found  it  to  flourish  best  in 


4t6 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Mauch  9. 


a  cool  soil,  or  in   situations  where  it  never  seemed  to  want 
for  moisture  at  tlie  root. 

It  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  hardy  of  all  plants,  and  one 
of  tlie  prettiest,  too.  Let  the  weather  come  as  it  may, 
dui'inj  its  tlowering  season,  storm  or  sunshine  never  hurts  it. 
Its  time  of  flowering  much  depends  upon  the  season  and 
situation,  hut  from  the  middle  of  January  to  the  end  of  March 
is  its  usual  time. 

Its  flowers  are  produced  in  wreath-hke,  one-sided  spikes. 
Its  ohlong  hlossoms  all  lapping  over  each  other  in  a 
pendulous  form,  and  from  the  axils  of  its  leaves,  which  are 
generally  in  fours  up  its  numerous  stems.  The  flowers  are 
deep  flesh-coloured,  with  hlack  anthers  extending  a  little 
longer  than  the  mouth  of  the  corolla ;  tlien  the  white  pointal 
or  stigma  extends  a  little  longer  still,  like  a  tiny  heak 
through  the  hlack  anthers,  rendei-ing  the  hlossom  altogether 
about  haJf-an-inch  in  length.  The  leaves  ai'e  line-like, 
smooth,  half-an-incli  in  length,  and  of  a  dark  gi'een  colour. 
The  plant  at  all  seasons  looks  neat  in  the  borders,  and  at  this 
time  of  the  year  is  one  of  the  most  viseful  for  those  who 
require  nosegays,  for  it  is  the  prettiest  hardy  out-door  plant 
we  have  in  bloom  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

This  plant  also  seems  just  in  its  element  when  planted 
upon  the  rockery.  Indeed,  it  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  any  part 
of  a  garden,  whether  as  an  out-door,  or  in-door  pot-plant. 

It  appeal's  to  have  been  introduced  to  this  country  in  the 
year  17fl:3,  and  is  a  native  of  Germany. 

As  this  plant  is  apt  to  be  plucked  or  trimmed  very  much 
in  its  flowering  season,  it  rarely  requires  much  cutting-in  to 
keep  it  within  a  proper  sized  bunch  to  suit  tlie  sjiot  it  may  be 
growing  in,  but  should  such  be  the  case,  this  should  be  done 
as  soon  as  the  plant  is  out  of  bloom,  and  if  not  done  before, 
when  the  borders  where  dressed  off,  a  spadefid  or  two  of 
peat-eai-th  or  leaf-mould,  or  both  mixed  together,  added  as 
a  top-dressing.  Thus  kindly  treated,  snug  little  bunches 
may  be  seen  in  the  same  spots  for  very  many  years. 

T.  W. 


ceive,  the  very  best  possible  evidence  that  tlieir  superiority 
is  NOT  llic  IDEAL  ulTulr  some  wniilrl  suppose.  JMy  friend  merely 
kept  them    "to  see   the  difference,  if  there  was  any,"   and 


ECONQMIC    DIFFERENCES  IN  THE   BREEDS 
OF   SHANGHAES. 

As  I  myself  am  well  aware  of  the  truthfulness  of  a  yrcrit 
pnrlinn  of  the  enclosed  statement,  and  also  feci  every  con- 
fidence in  the  veracity  of  my  informant,  I  think  the  results 
of  the  trial  of  two  different  "  strains  "  of  Cochins  may  he 
perused  with  interest  by,  at  least,  some  of  your  readers, 
more  especially  as  I  inysclf  could  not  have  acrrctliird  thr 
result,  had  I  not  known  it,  and  that  a  regular  weekly  account 
has  been  kept  by  their  owner  of  the  produce. 

My  fiiend's  "run"  embraces  three-parts-of-an-acre  of 
very  dry  pasture  land,  aliouuding  with  clover ;  at  one  end  is  a 
stable,  divided  c<iualli/  with  wirc-worh  ouli/,  as  is,  also,  the 
whole  of  the  ground  to  which  the  two  sets  of  birds  have 
access ;  and  most  certainly  neither  lot  of  fowls  could  by  any 
possibility  intrude  on.  the  possessions  of  the  others.  Each 
set  have  nests  in  their  o\vn  apportioned  part  of  tlie  stable, 
to  which  no  one  has  access  except  the  owner,  being  kept 
constantly  locked;  and  as  they  are  fed  ahke,  their  advan- 
tages are,  of  course,  precisely  similar ;  and,  I  think,  perhaps, 
no  two  sets  of  poultry  ever  were  so  fairly  tried  (without  any 
prejudice)  "  on  their  simple  utiUty."  The  first  day  in 
October  last,  a  cock  and  eight  hens  of  very  short-legged 
and  well-built  Cochins  were  placed  in  (uio  division.  These 
are  as  good  in  charnctcr,  though  a  little  out  in  colour,  as 
could  well  be  met  with,  even  among  the  prize  pens  at  most 
of  our  princijial  shows.  In  the  other  department,  the  same 
number  of  coarse,  long-legged,  and  spare  stilty  birds  (called 
Cochins,  and  lately  too  generally  shown  as  such)  received  the 
same  attention.  The  owner  alone  fed  those  fowls,  thrico 
daily,  viz.,  before  leaving  for  business,  at  dinner-time,  and  in 
the  evening  ;  the  corn  being  actually  "  ineasufcd  in  a  bowl 
to  each  lot."  1  have  been  thus  pai'ticular,  to  preclude  the 
idea  of  favouritism.  I  will,  therefore,  now  content  myself 
by  saying,  all  were  birds  about  the  same  age  to  a  week  or  so, 
supposed  never  to  have  laid,  being  chickens  of  1853.  It 
will  be  seen  how  exceedingly  different  the  return  of  eggs, 
and  how  much  more  the  tall,  spare  birds  seemed  ajlectcd  hy 
the  severe  winter  than  their  more  compact  fellows  ;  wliilst  the 
very  great  regularity  of  laying  of  the  latter,  proves,  I  con- 


October         1  to 

„  s  to  lo 

„  ill  to  •-':! 

„  vil  to  :)1 

November     I   to     8 

„  !)  to  It) 

IT  to  24, 
„  -'b  to 

December     •!  to  10  . 
11  to  17 
„  IfS  to  -J-J  , 

„  20  to  2  Jan., 
January        •»  to  It)  . 
„  11  to  18 

1!J  to  20 
27  to  31 
1  to     7 
S  to  If)  , 
10  to  25  . 


February 


Well  -  built 
and    short- 
legged  birds. 

Spare  and 
stilty   birds. 

fl 

r> 

.... 

II 

0 

.> 

0 

. , .. 

7 

11 

10 

IS 

•  .  •  • 

Oil 

24 

.... 

38 

20 

Dec. 

34 

25 

30 

22 

.... 

35 

27 

•  .  *  . 

38 

24 

I.S54 

30 

21 

>  •  .  . 

30 

16 

38 

7 

.... 

34 

'2 

36 

5 

38 

,s 

•      31 

0 

.... 

33 

0 

.524 

253 

I  am  fiiUy  aware  there  is  an  inaccuracy  as  to  the  division 
of  the  weeks,  but  as  this  did  not  interfere  any  way  mth  the 
returns,  I  have  faithfully  made  copy  of  the  manuscript,  as 
lent  me  by  the  owner.  The  result  determines  their  owner 
to  use  the  least  valuable  lot  for  the  table,  and  he  promises 
me  the  result  of  a  similar  trial  with  some  pretty  good 
Spanish  fowls,  tested  the  same  way,  on  the  same  walk,  and 
from  May-day  to  May-day  following.  If  spared  to  see  this 
result,  I  consider  it  will  bo  very  interesting,  as  my  friend 
will  not  allow  his  fowls  to  sit,  "  only  wishiny  faiely  to  test 
their  Eaa-produciny  (piatities,"  and  having  a  better  oppor- 
tunity of  so  doing  than  any  other  amateur  I  am  acquainted 
with,  I  feel  it  certain  the  returns  will  he  faithfully  rendered. 

I  fear  the  above  will  be  tedious,  but  it  has  been  so  fairly 
conducted,  I  think  it  conveys  really  useful  information,  for 
which  reason  I  have  forwarded  it. — Edward  Hewitt,  SparU- 
hrook,  near  BirminyUam. 


BEE-KEEPING  FOR  COTTAGERS. 

{Continued  from  page  380.) 

Section  3. — Calendar  of  Operations. 

Introductory. — We  will  commence  our  Calendar  with 
March,  as  then  the  bees  first  begin  to  rouse  themselves  from 
then-  winter's  rest.  We  will  assume  that  tlie  first  section  of 
these  papers  has  been  carefully  considered,  and  that  some- 
thing is  known  of  the  habits  of  bees :  that  it  is  intended  to 
commence  a  new  system;  that  some  portion  of  the  necessary 
apparatus  is  in  a  forward  state ;  and  that  you  iu'e  burning 
with  a  desu'e  to  give  your  neighboin-s  awrirU<le  or  two  before 
long.  Instead  of  writing  at  length  the  times  in  tlie  month 
when  the  various  operations  ai'e  to  be  perfonued,  ( /' )  placed 
before  a  direction,  will  moan  that  it  is  to  be  attended  to  in 
the  beginning;  (m)  in  the  middle;  and  (<■)  at  the  end  of  the 
montli :  where  no  letter  is  prefixed,  the  direction  must  be 
•attended  to  all  through  the  month.  Tlio  times  mentioned 
are  generally  correct:  in  cold  and  wet  seasons,  however,  the 
operations  should  be  performed  a  week  or  ton  days  later 
than  is  du'ected;  a  little  reflection  on  this  point  will  be  the 
safest  guide.  We  should  also  state,  that  we  are  writing  in  a 
garden  county,  wdiere  food  is  plentitiil,  considerably  earlier 
than  in  mountainous  and  grass  counties.  AcconUiig  to  our 
original  plan,  the  method  of  jierfomiing  the  vai'ious  opera- 
tions will  be  detailed  in  Section  4. 

March,  /). — The  Queen  has  now  been  laying  for  some 
time  iu  strong  hives,  the  hives  should,  therefore,  Ik'  Ivepf, 
warm  ;  to  do  this,  remove  pots  aud  glasses  from  the  tops, 


March  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


447 


ami  covov  tlie  holes  with  pieces  of  stout  wood,  largo  enougli 
to  overlap  the  holes  on  all  sides  ;  warmth  assists  tlie  coining 
J'orward  of  the  brood, 

b.  Weigh  your  hives;  if  the  net  weiglit  (that  is.  the 
weight  after  allowing  for  the  weight  of  the  hives  and  door- 
hoards,)  bo  less  than  Vl  lbs.,  feed  a  little. 

b.  Change  yoiu'  floor-boards  at  this  weighing ;  they  will, 
by  this  time,  have  very  likely  become  damp  and  dirty, 
particularly  where  condensing  lias  not  been  attended  to.  In 
changuig  floor-boards,  always  carefully  look  for  and  destroy 
the  small  grubs  which  fix  themselves  at  the  junction  of  the 
Iiives  and  floor-boards. 

b.  If  no  water  is  near,  supply  some ;  the  bees  require  it  to 
moisten  the  pollen  wherewith  they  feed  the  brood. 

As  the  weather  wamis,  and  the  bees  begin  to  crowd  in 
coming  out,  the  entrances  must  be  widened ;  should  the 
weather  change  and  set  in  cold  they  should  be  again 
contracted. 

Look  out  for  and  destroy  queen  wasps  ;  all  wasps  now 
about  (or  rather,  that  will  be  about  before  long),  are  queens, 
and  tlie  would-be  mothers  of  thousands  ;  kill  them  all,  for 
wasps  .we  amongst  the  worst  enemies  of  bees. 

Keep  everything  about  the  hives  trim  and  clean,  rout  up 
ants  nests,  brash  away  spiders,  watch  for,  catch,  and  kill,  all 
moths,  slugs,  and  other  vermin  ;  these  directions  should  be 
attended  to   all  the  year  round. 

Aprii,. — The  dii-ections  given  for  last  month  apply  equally 
to  this,  except  as  to  the  floor-boards,  which  need  not  again 
be  changed. 

The  chief  danger  to  be  feared  now  is  want  of  food  ;  the 
supply  obtained  by  the  bees  is  still  scanty,  whilst  the 
consumption  day  by  day  increases,  and  many  hives  that  have 
lived  through  the  winter  perish  now  for  the  want  of  a  little 
attention ;  if  the  bees  in  one  hive  be  idle,  whilst  those  in 
others  are  all  busy,  feeding  should  be  at  once  attended  to ; 
idleness,  and  hanging  about  the  entrance,  are  frequently 
attributable  to  weakness  from  scai-city  of  food. 

e.  Send  hives  to  the  bee-keepers  from  whom  you  are 
about  to  buy,  or  otherwise  obtain,  fresh  swarms,  that  all  may 
ready.  Before  doing  so,  singe  off  all  rough  straws  from  the 
inside ;  they  only  hinder  the  bees  in  theu"  work. 

Stock-hives  may  be  bought  as  late  as  the  end  of  the  month, 
provided  they  be  moved  from  a  distance  of  three  or  four 
miles.  This  is,  perhaps,  the  safest  time  to  buy  stocks,  as  all 
fear  of  their  perishing  is  now  at  an  end.  Care  should  be 
taken,  in  buying  stocks,  to  select  prime  swarms  of  the  last 
summer  :  they  may  be  known  by  the  combs  being  Hghter  in 
colom-  than  older  stocks.  It  will  be  prudent  (unless  you 
can  trust  the  man  from  whom  you  are  about  to  buy)  to 
seek  the  advice  of  some  experienced  friend  in  making  a 
purchase. 

(To  be  continued,) 


SEA   WEEDS. 
(^Continued  from  page  38C.J 
4.  GRACILLARIA.     Grev. 

FnoND  filiform  or  rarely  flat,  fleshy-cartilaginous,  con- 
tinuous ;  cellular,  the  central  cells  large,  empty,  or  full  of 
granular  matter  ;  those  of  the  sm-face  minute,  forming 
densely  packed  horizontal  filaments.  Fructification  1.  con- 
vex tubercles  (coccidia),  having  a  thick  pericarp  composed 
of  radiating  filaments,  containing  a  mass  of  minute  spores; 
3.  tetraspores  imbedded  in  the  cells  of  the  surface.  Name 
signifying  slender. — Harvey. 

1.  Geacillabia  iiBLTLPAnTiTA  (Much-di^ded) — A  rare 
and  handsome  weed,  found  on  om-  southern  shores,  very 
like  some  of  the  Rhodymenia  in  appearance.  From  four 
to  twelve  inches  high.  Colour  a  rather  deep  dull  puce  or 
purple. 

3.  G.  coMPEBssA  (Flattened). — "Very  rare,  and  .thrown 
up  from  deep  water  ;"  sometimes  growing  on  coral.  It  has 
been  found  by  Mrs.  Grifliths,  at  Sidmouth ;  Mrs.  Gulson,  at 
Exmouth;  and  Miss  Turner,  in  Jersey.  When  fresh  the 
substance  is  very  tender,  but  becomes  tough  in  drying. 
Colour  dull  red.     Frond  from  six  to  twelve  inches  long. 

3.  G.  coNFEEVoiDES  (Conferva-Uke). — Not  uncommon  ; 
growing  on  rocks  in  the  sea.    More  than  a  foot  and  a  half 


in  length.  Colour  deep  red,  and  substaiice  cartilaginous ; 
and  it  does  not  adhere  to  paper  on  drying.  The  plant  may 
be  distinguished  by  its  tubercles,  which  are  large. 

4.  G.  EEEOTA  (Upright). — On  sandy  rocks  near  low  water; 
bearing  fruit  in  winter.  Fronds  numerous ;  one  or  two 
inches  high;  of  a  red  colour.     Very  rare. 

ORDER  13.— CRYPTONEMIACEiE. 

"  Purplish  or  rose-red  sea-weeds,  with  a  filiform  or  ( rarely) 
expanded,  gelatinous  or  cartilaginous  frond,  composed, 
wholly  or  in  part,  of  cylindrical  cells  connected  together 
into  filaments.  Axis  formed  of  vertical,  peripheiy  of  hori- 
zontally radiating  filaments.  Fructification  1.  conceptades 
(favelhdia)  globose  masses  of  spores  immersed  in  the 
frond  or  in  sweUings  of  the  branches.  3.  tetraspores  vari- 
ously dispersed." — Harvey. 

GeNEEA  or  THE  CEVriONEHIACEiE. 


12.  Ginuunia. 

13.  Kalymenia. 

14.  Trida^a. 
1!3.  Catenella. 
10.  Cruoria. 

17.  Naccaria. 

18.  Gloiosiphonia. 

19.  Nemaleon. 

20.  Dudresnaia. 

21.  Crouauia. 


1.  Grateloupia. 
3.  Gelidium. 

3.  Gigai'tina. 

4.  Chondrus. 

5.  Phyllophora. 

6.  Peyssoueha. 

7.  Gymnogongrus. 

8.  Polyides. 

9.  Fmxellaria. 

10.  Dumontia. 

11.  Halymenia.  ' 

1.  GRATELOUPIA. 

Name  in  honour  of  Dr.  Grateloup,  a  French  algologist. 
"  Frond  flat,  pinnate  solid,  and  dense  in  structure." 

1.  G.  rmioiNA  (Thread-like). — Very  rare;  growing  on 
rocks  and  stones  in  the  sea.  Colour  dull  puiTple,  sometimes 
greenish.  Fronds  of  British  plants  seldom  more  than  two 
inches  high.     In  appearance  veiy  hke  Gelidium  coruceum. 

2.  GELIDIUM. 

"  Frond,  between  cartilaginous  and  corneous,  piano-com- 
pressed, distichously  branched,  branches  pinnate  or  bi-pin- 
nate,  pinna:  spreading  or  horizontal,  obtuse  capsules  spheri- 
cal, immersed  in  the  extremities  of  the  ramuli." — Greville. 

1.  Gelidiuji  coeaceum  (Horny). — In  rocky  pools,  and  on 
rocks  in  the  sea ;  very  common.  A  most  variable  plant,  so 
that  Dr.  Greville,  in  his  "Alga;  Britanicoa,"  enumerates 
twelve  varieties. 

3.  G.  cvetilagineum  (Gristle-like). — "A  very  doubtful 
native." 

3.  GIGARTINA.— ianiocer. 

Frond  cartilaginous,  filiforum  (irregularly  divided) 
purple,  or  deep  red ;  fructification  of  two  kinds  :  1,  exter- 
nal tubercles ;  3,  tetraspores  scattered  through  the  sm-- 
face  of  the  frond." 

1.  GiG.iETiNA  pisTir,LATA  (PistiUcd). — Gi'owing  on  rocks 
near  low  water  mark ;  veiy  rare ;  "  coast  of  Cornwall  and 
Jersey."  Dr.  Landsborough,  in  his  "  British  Sea  Weeds," 
says,  "  It  is  a  remarkable  plant ;  the  tubercles  are  large ; 
generally  near  the  point  of  the  branch,  which  projects  hke 
a  horn,  the  colour  is  a  dull  purplish  or  brownish-red;  it 
does  not  adhere  to  paper." 

2.  G.  AcicuLAEis  (Needle-like). — Rather  like  the  pro- 
ceeding, but  not  so  stout ;  of  a  dull  purj)le,  becoming  pink 
in  fresh  water ;  rare  in  the  south  of  England.  I  have  had 
specimens  from  Jaffa. 

5.  G.  Teedh  (Teed's). — " Frond  membranaceous,  flaccid 
(horny  when  dry),  flat,  linear,  repeatedly  pinnated  with 
slender,  horizontal,  distichous,  subulate  ramuli;  capsides 
globose,  on  the  ramuli." — Greville.  On  rocks ;  very  rai'e  ; 
fronds  from  two  to  five  inches  high. 

4.  G.  MAMiLLOsus  (Nippled). — On  rocks  in  the  sea  near 
low- water  mark ;  common  fronds  from  three  to  six  inches 
long,  cartilaginous ;  the  capsules  on  little  stalks,  scattered 
all  over  the  frond  ;  colour  dark  purple.  Sometimes  used  in 
the  same  way  as  the  Canigeen  or  Irish  Moss. 

4.  CHONDRUS. 
Frond  cartilaginous,  dilating  upwards  into  a  flat,  nerve- 


418 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


!M.AncH  0. 


less,  clichotomously-dividetl  fronj,  of  a  purplish  or  livid-red 
colour. — -Grev.     Named  from  a  word  signifying  cartilage. 

1.  CnoNDEUS  crjspus  (Curled). — Very  common,  and  of  a 
very  variable  form.  "  Turner  figures  ten,  and  I.amom'ous 
thirty-five  varieties."  "At  one  time  it  was  much  in  repute 
for  furnishing  gelatine,  a  light,  easily-digested  food  for  in- 
valids ;  and  as  the  chief  supply  at  first  came  from  Carrigeen, 
in  Ireland,  it  v.-as  called  Irish  Moss,  or  Carriffeen.  The 
marl;et-price,  at  one  time,  was  as  high  as  2s.  Od.  per  pound ; 
had  it  continued  at  that  rate,  it  would  have  yielded  more  to 
the  industi-ious  inhabitants  of  the  sea-shore  than  even  a 
crop  of  their  favourite  potatoes.  The  fashion,  however,  has 
gone  out,  and  the  price  has  fallen ;  but  the  food  prepared 
from  it  is  as  good  as  ever,  and  they  who  have  tasted  it  will 
need  no  coaxing  to  partake  of  it  a  second  time." — Bev.  Dr. 
Londshoroufjh. 

3.  C.  NoEVEGicus  (Norwegian). — A  rather  rare  and  pretty 
plant,  chiefly  found  in  the  south  of  England  and  Ireland  ; 
fronds  from  two  to  three  inches  high ;  "  colour  a  deep, 
rather  dull,  blood  red." 

Though  so  early  in  the  year  (Februaryj,  marine  plants 
have  already  begun  to  grow;  and  I  have  had  a  specimen 
of  Ddesseria  saiigiilneum  sent  to  me  with  lovely  pink  fronds, 
more  than  an  inch  long,  and  also  a  specimen  of  the  pretty 
Ulva  lactiica,  of  the  most  bright  and  delicate  shades  of 
green,  together  with  Porpliyra  hicctisnla,  glossy  as  a  satin 
ribbon,  bright  and  beautiful,  and  full  of  promise  of  what  is 
to  come.  Like  tlie  Turtle  and  the  Swallow,  these  plants, 
hidden  as  they  are  frour  our  sight  by  the  waves  of  the 
ocean,  know  their  appointed  time,  and  once  more  appear  to 
gladden  the  eye  with  their  exceeding  beauty.  How  won- 
derful is  the  diversity  of  the  works  of  God,  the  endless 
variety,  and  the  provision  that  is  made  for  every  one  !  How 
the  land  plants  require  fresh  water  for  their  support,  and 
the  sea  plants  sail  water  for  theirs  ;  so  that  what  is  refresh- 
ing to  the  one,  would  be  death  to  the  other,  and  the  reverse. 
The  more  we  study  the  works  of  God,  the  more  shall  we  be 
inclined  to  declare  that  His  wisdom  is  infinite,  and  His 
power  almighty  !  And  surely  His  loving-kinduess  is  also 
great,  thus  to  refresh  us  with  so  many  beautiful  objects,  and 
to  giva  us  some  faint  glimpses  of  Himself  in  His  works. 
Both  the  earth  and  tlie  sea  are  full  of  them  I  S.  B. 

{To  hi'  conliiuicd.) 


POULTRY-YARD  REPORT. 

SP.iNISH   V.    SHANGHAES. 

I  PUitPOSE,  during  the  present  year,  instituting  a  com- 
parison between  the  Shanghae  and  Spanish  races.  Mine, 
of  the  latter,  are  Minorca,  a  breed  which  has  received  at  the 
hairds  of  the  great  Spanish  breeder  merited  praise,  and 
from  what  he  says,  I  presume  we  may  calculate  the  laying 
powers  of  the  Jlinorca  as  equal  to  those  of  their  now  aris- 
tocratic relations. 

Subjoined  is  the  report  for  the  mouth  of  January. 


Stock  Shanghaes,   0  pnl- '      Stock  Minohcas, 3  old  hens, 
lets  of  1803.  Of  these  two  laid   4  pullets  of  ls.'53.     Of  these 


in  December,  and  then  be 
came  broody.  One  laid  in 
January,  and  is  now  sitting  ; 
one  is  very  ill;  only  three 
laying. 

Eggs  during  the  month  30 

lbs.  oz.  dms. 

Weight  of  eggs. .  3     13     2 
Highest  weight  of 

single   egg     . .   0       2     0 

I  calculate  the  eating  powers  to  he  about  equal,  and  I 
cannot  say  that  I  have  found  tlie  Shanghaes  so  voracious  as 
some  give  them  credit. 

I  may  state  that  the  house  is  the  same,  the  partition 
being  of  lattice-work  ;  it  is  warmed  by  a  stove ;  the  Minorcas 
have  the  warmer  position. — H.  13.  S.,  Hloiiminillislnrc. 


only  one  of  the  old  hens  has 
laid,  and  that  only  during 
tlie  last  few  days  of  tlie 
month. 

Eggs  dtiring  the  month    4 

oz.  drs. 

Weight  of  eggs B     C 

Highest      weight      of 
single  egg 2     3 


NEW   BULB. 

The  Messrs.  Lee,  of  Hammersmith,  seut  a  most 
lieaiitiful  now  hall-luird)-  bulb,  in  full  bloom,  to  tlio  Inst 
nicetiiig  of  the  Horticultural  Society,  wliich  bulb  was 
"  sent  out"  by  Mr.  Backhouse,  of  York,  who  introduced 
it  from  Caflraria.  It  was  labelled.  Imatojjlii/Uiim  .sp.; 
but  Dr.  Liudley  has  named  \i,  proiisionalJij,  as  i'alloUi 
minhtta.  I  told  Mr.  Lee  it  was  a  1'allota  the  moment 
I  saw  it ;  but  I  asked  him,  particularly,  to  save  me  one 
or  two  of  the  seed-pods,  as  it  is  only  by  the  seed  and 
pod  that  most  of  the  plants  in  this  section  of  Amaryllids 
can  be  made  out  from  one  another.  TaUotu,  itself,  is  a 
true  Cijrtantnus,  or  the  latter  is  a  true  Valloia,  with 
curved  flowers,  as  I  have  myself  proved  by  crossing. 
There  is  not  the  least  dependence,  for  generic  distino- 
tious,  to  be  placed  on  the  length,  shape,  size,  and 
directions  of  the  style  and  filaments,  or  on  tlie  way  the 
filaments  are  attached  to  the  parts.  In  some  of  the 
Cyrtanths,  the  filaments,  or  stamens,  are  joined  nearly 
their  whole  length  to  the  inside  of  the  tube.  In  the  old 
ViiUola  they  are  only  joined  one-third  of  their  length, 
and  there  is  hardly  a  tube  at  all  to  the  flower.  In  this 
new  species  the  filaments  are  wholly  free,  and  the  si.K 
divisions  of  the  flower  are  free  of  each  other  also, 
throughout  their  length,  wdiich  is  more  curious.  The 
plant,  without  the  flower,  would  pass  for  a  Cliviii.;  and 
the  flowers,  without  the  plant,  would  suggest  Vallota. 

There  is  another  turn  to  the  question.  If  the  scape 
is  hollow  it  cannot  be  a  GUvia;  if  it  is  solid,  the  plant 
is  not  only  not  a  J'aUota,  but  does  not  come  into  the 
same  section  as  Valhta.  I  very  much  doubt  if  it  is  a 
true  bulb  at  all,  but  only  a  strong,  flesliy-rooted  plant, 
like  Ayapnntlms  or  C'livia.  Yet  1  know  that  Mr.  Back- 
bouse  sold  a  dry  bulb  to  Mr.  Jackson,  near  me,  which 
we  supposed  would  turn  out  to  bo  the  same  as  !Mr. 
Lee's  plant;  but  that  bulb  is  a  true  VeUheimia.  All 
this,  however,  belongs  to  the  true  naming  of  the  plant, 
and  has  nothing  to  do  with  its  value  as  a  most  desirable 
addition  to  our  bulbs. 

Here  is  my  home  descrijitiou  of  it.  A  strong,  fleshy- 
leaved  bulb ;  the  leaves  embrace  each  other  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  form  a  column;  the  largest  leaves  are  fifteen 
to  eighteen  inches  long,  curving  out  a  little  from  each 
side  of  the  centre  of  the  column  ;  they  are  longer,  more 
smooth,  and  less  blunt  at  the  points  than  those  of 
Clitia  nohilis,  but  in  that  style ;  and  there  are  six-  of 
them  on  each  side,  or  twelve  leaves  to  the  v.-hole  plant, 
and  some  more  coming  up  in  the  centre.  The  flower- 
scape  is  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  liigb,  flattened  on 
two  sides-  The  flower- heads,  or  uiubel,  holds  twelve 
flowers,  which  spread  out  all  round  on  peduncles,  or 
flower-stalks  nearly  two  inches  long;  seven  flowers  were 
open  and  five  in  bud;  the  opening  of  the  flower  is  two 
inches  across ;  the  six  divisions  stand  free  of  each  other 
all  the  way  from  the  bottom  ;  the  three  which  corres- 
pond to  a  calyx  (sepaline  segments),  are  a  little  shorter 
and  more  narrow  than  the  other  thin  or  potaline  divi- 
sions; the  colour  is  soft  orange -scarlet,  or  vermillioii, 
getting  lighter  into  a  lemon-yellow  down  in  the  neck  of 
the  flower — the  stamens  are  inserted  at  the  very  bottom, 
and  are  otherwise  free,  they  are  not  quite  so  long  as 
the  flower;  the  anthers  are  attached  below  the  middh', 
and  arc  full  of  good  pollen  ;  the  stylo  or  stigma  is 
slightly  three-cleft. 

As  a  warning  to  the  owners  of  this  valuable  plant,  I  may 
remark,  thatit  is  very  possible  the  seeds  will  be  ripo  long 
before  tlio  pod  has  turned  colour,  and  if  so,  tliey  will 
assuredly  sjirout  before  the  )iod  bursts,  and  they  aro 
tlieu  as  good  as  lost;  if  wo  are  right  in  tlio  name,  the 
pod  will  burst  open  near  the  bottom — not  across  the  top 
as  is  more  usual.  Some  of  my  crosses  in  C'ljrlanthiis, 
and  the  pollen  of  Val.lotii  will  come  very  near  to  this 
plant,  liut  the  Mowers  will  bo  almost  sessile,  as  that  part 
may  take  after  the  mother.  1).  HuAroN. 


Makch  9. 


THE  COTTAGE  QARDENEE. 


449 


BRAHMA  POOTRA  FOWLS. 

As  thcro  lias  been  consiclernble  controversy  of  late  as  to 
the  Brahraa  Pootra  fowls  which  have  been  imported  from 
America  being  a  genuine  breed,  I  thought  it  might  not  be 
uninteresting  for  your  readers  to  know  that  I  have  just 
received  a  very  fine  Brahma  cock  dirtct  from  China ;  a  pair 
were  taken  on  board  the  vessel,  but  unfortunately  the  hen 
died  on  the  voyage.  The  bird  I  have  received  is  a  noble 
fellow,  with  a  beautiful  arched  neck,  and  a  bold  round  cliest, 
compact  body,  and  very  broad  behind,  tail  short,  and  slightly 
inclined,  well-feathered,  short  yellow  legs.  His  head  is  very 
perfect,  he  has  a  good,  upright  single  comb,  with  short 
yellow  beak,  and  a  good  sized  regular  wattle.  The  colom' 
of  the  bird  is  much  darker  than  the  American  Brahmas ; 
his  neck  and  back  hackle  are  of  a  lightish  grey  pencilled 
with  black,  the  whole  of  the  body,  with  the  exception  of  wings 
and  tail,  is  a  light  grey  barred  with  black,  each  bar  shaded 
with  green  ;  wings  black  and  grey  shaded  with  green ;  tail 
black,  and  shaded  in  a  similar  manner. 

I  am  partly  induced  to  trouble  you  with  this,  by  way  of 
proving  to  the  author  of  "  The  Poultry  Pentalogue  "  that  all 
Brahmas  are  not  manufactured-  in  America.  I  am  not 
sui'prised  that  that  gentleman  should  express  such  an 
opinion,  when  I  know,  that  by  reason  of  the  scarcity  of  these 
birds  in  this  country,  that  they  have  been  crossed  with  all 
colours  of  Shanghaes.  How  frequently  have  we  seen  of  late  a 
pen  of  Brahmas,  at  an  Exhibition  of  Poultry,  having  almost 
as  many  buff  feathers  in  their  plumage  as  a  pure-bred  buff 
Shanghae,  and  some  very  much  like  a  Partridge.  Such 
birds  are,  undoubtedly,  the  result  of  a  cross  with  Shanghae 
fowls,  and  are  not  by  any  means  entitled  to  be  called  Brahma 
Pootras.  Last  summer,  I  crossed  a  Brahina  Pootra  cock 
with  a  huff  Shanghae,  the  result  was,  that  the  young  birds 
plumage  turned  out  a  mixture  of  brown,  grey,  and  black,  and 
not  one  of  them  came  like  the  old  Brahmas.  By  breeding 
in  the  right  strain,  in  every  instance  the  young  birds  came 
exactly  like  their  parents  to  a  feather ;  this  is  a  good  proof 
of  the  breed  being  genuine.  I  consider  the  pure  bred 
Brahmas  to  be  decidedly  the  most  handsome  fowls  that  have 
been  imported.— J.  S.  Beand. 

P.S.  A  friend  of  mine,  who  has  been  trading  between 
Shanghae  and  Hong  Kong  for  the  last  ten  years,  assures  me 
that  he  has  taken  a  great  many  Brahma  Pootras  from  the 
former  to  the  latter  j)lace. 

[The  controversy  respecting  "Brahma  Pootras  "  or  "  Grey 
Shanijliaes"  we  apprehend,  stands  thus,  "Are  any  specimens 
of  the  birds  thus  designated  a  distinct  original  breed  ? " 
Now,  the  mere  fact  of  importation,  on  which  so  much  stress 
is  often  laid,  of  itself  proves  nothing  with  regard  to  this 
proposition,  but  leaves  it  still  an  open  cxuestion  as  to  whether 
these  are  only  a  variety  of  the  Shanghaes,  or  the  result  of  a 
cross,  either  of  which  conditions  may  be  j)erfectly  compatible 
with  their  importation.  The  P.S.  to  Mr.  Brand's  communi- 
cation would  even  strengthen  the  former  supposition,  since 
Shanghae  is  there  referred  to  as  one  of  their  habitats,  a 
locality,  be  it  remembered,  far  away  from  the  districts  watered 
by  the  river  Brahmapootra,  whence  the  distinctive  name  has 
been  assumed.  "What  we  require  as  proof  of  the  distinctness 
of  any  breed  of  fowls,  would  comprise  permanent  points  of 
distinction  in  form,  habits,  or  character,  for  colour  alone, 
granting  that  that  feature  could  be  here  established,  would 
only  place  them  in  the  Shanghae  list,  and  the  former 
position,  we  imagine,  has  not  as  yet  been  made  out  for 
them.— W,] 


"ON  A  NEW  METHOD   OF  PROPAGATINa 
PLANTS." 

BY  E.  J.  LOWE,  ESQ.,  F.R.A.S,,  F.G.S.  &C. 

"  The  author  states  that  the  experiment  of  a  new  method 
of  propagating  plants  has  been  so  successful,  that  he  has 
taken  the  liberty  of  forwarding  to  the  Eoyal  Society  this 
short  paper  upon  the  subject,  for  the  guidance  of  those  who 
are  interested  in  the  advance  of  horticulture. 

"  It  had  occurred  to  him,  that  if  a  cutting  of  a  plant  were 
sealed  at  the  base,  so  as  to  exclude  the  moisture  of  the  soil 


from  ascending  the  stem  in  injurious  quantities,  the  method 
of  striking  cuttings  of  most  species  of  plants  would  not  be 
so  precarious  a  process  as  at  present ;  and  accordingly  some 
collodion  was  obtained  in  order  to  make  the  experiment. 

"  With  respect  to  tliis  new  process,  he  states,  that  imme- 
diately upon  the  cutting  being  severed  from  the  parent  stem, 
the  collodion  was  applied  to  the  wound,  and  then  left  a  few 
seconds  to  dry,  after  which  the  cuttings  were  potted  in  the 
ordinary  manner. 

"  To  test  the  value  of  this  new  process  more  effectually, 
duplicates  of  all  the  species  experimented  upon  were  at  the 
same  time  similarly  planted,  without  the  collodion  being  ap- 
plied to  them. 

"  Experiments  were  carried  on  in  two  diffei-ent  ways  ;  one 
batch  of  cuttings  being  placed  on  a  hotbed,  whilst  a  second 
batch  was  planted  in  the  open  ground,  without  even  the  pro- 
tection of  glass. 

^^  First  Batch. — All  of  which  were  placed  on  a  hotbed  on 
the  1st  of  September,  and  examined  on  the  1st  of  October : — 

Stove  Plants. 


Number 

Number  of 

of 

Number  of 

cuttings 

Number  of 

cuttirigs 

Name  of  Plant. 

cuttings 

without  the 

cuttings 

with 

which  toolt 

application 

which  took 

collodion. 

root. 

applied. 

(lion. 

1 

Isora  coccinea    .... 

1 

1 

0 

1 

Tacsouia  raanicata . . 

1 

1 

1 

3 

FrancisceaHopeana  . 

8 

y 

0 

u 

Franciscea  Pohliana. 

3 

3 

0 

2 

Gloxinia    Maria  van 
Houtte 

0 

•i 

1 

o 

Begonia  incarnata  . . 

0 

0 

1 

8 

Achimenes  patens  . . 

7 

8 

c 

3 

Hoya  bella    

0 

2 

1 

2 

Rondeletiaspeciosa. . 

2 

2 

1 

2 

AUamanda  nerifolia  . 

0 

0 

1 

Greenhouse  Plants. 

Boronia  serrulata 
Polygala  dahnaisiana 
Polygala  grandidora 

Verbena  luna   

Chorozema  cordata 
Epacris  pallida    .... 
Leschenaultia       for- 

mosa      

Swainsonia  astragali- 
folia  

Swainsonia       galegi- 

folia  

Abeha  rupestris  .... 

Plectrantbus        con 

color,    picta  


5 

G 

1 

3 

3 

6 

6 

0 

1 

1 

0 

1 

o 

2 

1 

1 

0 

1 

a 

2 

4 

"  Second  Batch. — Planted  in  the  open  ground  on  the  1st 
of  September,  and  examined  on  the  1st  of  October  ; — 


Hardy  Plants. 


Number 

of 

Number  of 

cuttings 
with 

Name  of  Plant. 

cuttings 
which  took 

collodion 

root. 

applied. 

12 

Garrya  elliptica   

0 

13 

Erica  vagans    

7 

18 

Bupleurum     longifo- 

6 
10 

13 

Laurus  fcetens 

0 

Rose,  Souvenir  de  la 

Malraaison 

4 

13 

Taxus  baccata,  golden 

leaved  var 

8 

Number  of 

cuttings 

Number  of 

without  the 

cuttings 

application 

which  took 

of  collo- 

root. 

dion. 

12 

1 

1-3 

4 

18 

0 

I'-J 

7 

C 

•J 

12 

4 

450 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  9. 


First  batch 
Second 
batch 


Total  number 
of  cuttings  to 
which  coUo 
dion  was  ap- 
plied. 


;j!) 


Number   of 

cutting^s 

which  took 

root. 


40 


Total  number 
of  cuttings 
without  tlic 

ap])lication  of 
collodion. 


59 


Number  of 

cuttings 

which   took 

root. 


19 


"  The  experiment,  the  author  considers,  speaks  for  itself. 
Notwithstanding  the  season  being  too  far  advanced  for  the 
full  benefit  of  the  process  to  be  thoroughly  observed,  still 
twice  as  many  cuttings  took  root  treated  by  the  new  method 
as  had  rooted  by  the  old.  The  mortality  in  the  open  ground 
was  increased  by  slugs  having  eaten  oS  above  the  soil  some 
of  the  cuttings ;  those  thus  damaged  were  examined  after 
they  had  been  in  the  ground  a  month,  and  it  was  found  that 
the  coUodion  was  quite  as  sound  as  wlien  tu-st  applied.  It 
would  therefore  appear  that  the  collodion  seals  the  wound 
of  the  cutting,  and  protects  it  from  the  fatal  effects  of  damp, 
until  roots  are  prepared  to  force  through  the  covering  of 
gun-cotton.  It  is  further  stated,  that  the  application  of  this 
solution  has  been  found  to  be  exceedingly  beneficial  in  the 
pruning  of  such  plants  as  Euphorbia  speciosa,  Impatiem  lati 
fnUn,  Impatiens  lali/ulia-alba,  Hoya  bella,  Hoya  imperiaUs, 
ttc,  the  cut  branches  being  prevented  from  bleeding. 

"  It  is  the  author's  intention  next  spring  to  follow  out  this 
experiment,  in  budding  and  grafting,  as  he  considers  that  it 
will  also  be  useful  in  this  branch  of  horticulture. 

"  Crutta-percha,  dissolved  in  aether,  was  in  some  instances 
substituted  to  heal  the  wounds  caused  by  i)runing;  yet 
owing  to  this  solution  not  diying  as  rapicUy  as  collodion,  the 
first,  and  sometimes  the  second  application  was  not  suffi- 
cient. 

"  The  efi'ect  of  these  solutions  upon  cut  flowers  was  very 
marked.  Two  branches  were  gathered  as  neai'ly  alike  as 
possible  ;  to  the  flower-stalks  of  the  one,  collodion  was  ap- 
plied. Those  iiowers  were  placed  in  vases  filled  with  water ; 
those  coated  over  with  coUodion  began  to  fade  in  thirty-six 
hours,  and  many  were  quite  dead  in  three  days  ;  whilst  the 
flowers  merely  placed  in  water  in  the  ordinary  manner  re 
raained  fresh  and  healthy.  Those  that  faded  soonest  were 
Reaeda  odorata  and  Trop<cuhim  mttjus^  and  those  which  were 
least  affected  were  Tiiyetes  erecia  and  Senecio  crubesceiHi." 


"  ON     THE     ACIDITY,     SWEETNESS,     AND 
STRENGTH  OF  WINE,  BEER,  AND  SPIRITS." 

BY  H.  BENOE  JONES,  M.D.,  F.R.S. 

(1)  "The  acidity  of  the  different  liquids  was  determined 
by  means  of  a  standard  solution  of  caustic  soda.  The  quan- 
tity of  liquid  neutralized  was  always  equal  in  \m\k  to  1000 
grs.  of  water  at  00"  F. 

"  Tlie  acidity  in  different — 

Slicrries  varied  from  l-llo  grs.  to  3-85  grs.  of  caustic  soda. 


Madeira 

2-70      ' 

'      3-(!0 

Port 

2-10      "      2-.M 

Claret 

3-.')5 

'      3-45 

Burgundy 

3-55      ' 

'      4-0.'^i 

Champagne 

2-40      ■ 

'      3-1. 'i 

Rhine  wine 

3-15      ' 

'      3-(J0 

Moselle 

2-8.'J      ' 

'      4-50 

Brandy 

o-ir,     ■ 

'       0-00 

Hum 

0-lJ      ' 

'      0-30 

Geneva 

0-07 

Whisky 

0-07 

Bitter  .Me 

0-90      "       ]  -05 

Porter 

1-KO      "      2-10 

Stout 

l-.'iO      "      2-35 

Cider 

i-m     ' 

'      3-90 

"  Hence  the  order  in  which  these  wines  may  be  ai'raiiged, 
beginning  with  the  least  acid,  is  Sherry,  Port,  Champagne, 
Claret,  Madeira,  Burgvmdy,  Rhine,  MoseUe. 

"  (3.)  The  sugar  was  determined  by  means  of  Soleil's  sac- 


cliarometcr,  which   at  least  gives  the  lowest  limit  to  the 
amount  of  sugar. 

"  The  sweetness  in  diflVrent — 

Sherries  varied  from  4  grs.  to  18  grs.  in  the  ounce. 
Madeira 
Chanipagae 
Port 

Malmsy  ' 

Tokay 

Samos  ' 

Paxarette        ' 
"  Claret,  Burgundy,  Rhine,  and  MoseUe   contained  no 
sugar. 

"  Hence  the  order  in  which  these  wines  may  be  arranged, 
beginning  with  the  driest,  is— 


(i    ' 

'       20 

f!       ' 

28 

Ki      ' 

U4 

.")C      ' 

CO 

74 

88 

94 

Claret 

Champagne 

Burgundy 

Port 

Rhine 

Malmsy 

Moselle 

Tokay 

Shen-y 

Saraos 

Madeira 

Paxarette. 

"  In  a  dietetic 

view,  assuming  that  the  sugar  becomes  acid) 

then  the  mean  results  as 

to  the  acidity  of  the  difl'erent  fluids 

examined,  beginning  with  the  least  acid,  is — 

Geneva 

Champagne 

Whisky 

Cider 

Rum 

Port 

Brandy 

Porter 

Clai-et 

Stout 

Burgundy 

Malmsy 

Rhine  wine 

Madeira 

MoseUe 

Ale 

Sherry 

Tokay 

Madeu-a 

"(3.)   The  alcohol  was 

determined  by  means  of  the  alco- 

holometer  of  M. 

Geislor 

of  Bonn 

"  The  strength  of  dift'erent  samples  of — 

Port  varied  from 

20'7  pe 

■  cent,  to  33-2  per  cent,  by  measui-e. 

Sherry 

10-4 

24-7 

Madeu-a        " 

190 

"             19-7                     " 

Marsala        " 

19-9 

21-1 

Claret          " 

9-1 

111 

Burgundy     " 

10-1 

13-3                      " 

Rhine  wine  " 

9-f) 

13-0                      " 

MoseUe        " 

8-7 

"               9'4                    " 

Champagne" 

14-1 

"              14-8                      " 

Brandy         " 

50-4 

"              53-8                      " 

Rum             " 

72-0 

"             77'1                      « 

Geneva        " 

49-4 

(( 

Whisky.       " 

50-3 

tt 

Cider           « 

rri 

7.5 

Bitter  ale     " 

c-c 

"              12-3                      " 

Porter           " 

0-.5 

"                7-0                      " 

Stout            " 

e-rj 

n 

7-9 

"  The  Burgundy  and  Claret  have  less  alcohol  tlian  was 
found  by  Mr.  Brande  forty  years  ago  in  the  wines  he  exa- 
mined. Tlie  Slierry  is  now  sti'onger,  the  Port  is  not  so  strong, 
the  Marsiila  is  weaker,  the  Rhine  wine  is  the  same  strength, 
the  Brandy  is  as  strong  as  formerly ;  the  Rum  is  neiu'ly  half 
as  strong  again ;  the  Porter  is  sU'onger,  and  the  Stout  i-ather 
stronger  tlian  formerly. 

"  Lastly,  the  specific  gravity  of  each  liquid  was  taken.  As 
tliis  however  cliiefly  depends  on  the  amount  of  alcolud  and 
sugar  present,  and  as  these  were  directly  detenniued,  the 
specific  gravity  may  be  taken  as  a  distant  control  on  the 
amount  of  sugar  present. 

"  Thus,  in  those  wines  in  which  the  amount  of  alcohol 
was  the  same,  tlie  specific  gravity  was  found  to  vary  TN-ith  the 
amount  of  sugar  found  by  tlie  saccliarometor." 

[Proceedings  of  Royal  Society,  VI.  No.  101. J 


RICE    MEAL  AS   PIG   FOOD.— COST   OF 

POULTRY    FEEDING. 

One  of  your  Correspondents,  who  signs  himself  T.  I.,  asks 
for  information  respecting  rice  meal  as  food  for  pigs.  At  tho 


March  9. 


THE  COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


451 


latter  end  of  last  yoar  I  purcliased  some  rice  in  the  groin 
(sliglitly  damaged),  and  wliicli,  with  the  addition  of  a  little 
indiiin  meal  all  boiled  together,  I  fed  a  pig  for  home  use, 
and  I  must  say  I  never  saw  one  tluive  better ;  for  in  about 
seven  weeks  he  increased  in  weight  from  about  KJDlbs.  to 
285lijs.  With  regard  to  the  quality  of  the  bacon,  I  must 
state,  that  I  do  not  think  it  equal  to  some  which  I  had  pre- 
viously from  pigs  fed  upon  oatmeal.  It  is,  however,  sweet, 
and  of  good  colour,  but  rather  overdone  with  fat. 

You  have  occasionally  requested  Correspondents  to  furnish 
information  respecting  the  keep,  &c.,  of  Poultry;  and  as  I 
have  taken  some  iiains  to  ascertain  the  cost  of  mine,  I  must 
state,  tlnit  I  think  young  poultry,  especially  cockerels,  eat 
more  than  full-grown  birds;  whilst  of  the  latter,  laying  hens 
eat  considerably  more  than  either  cocks  or  hens  wliicli  are 
not  at  the  time  producing  eggs. 

I  have,  at  present,  twenty-one  hens  and  pullets  (Shang- 
haes)  with  the  exception  of  two  black  Spanish  andtwoShang- 
hae  cockerels,  and  theii*  consumption  weekly  is  as  nearly  as 
possible —  s.   d. 

81hs.  of  Barley  Meal,  at  l|-d.  per  lb 0  10 

41bs.  of  13ran,  at  id.  per  lb 0     2 

ITlbs.  of  Grain*,  at  Id.  per  lb 1     Ti 

2     5 
Averaged,  l:^d.  per  week  each. 

They  have,  also,  the  peelings  of  Potatoes  boiled  and  mixed 
with  the  meal,"  They  are  kept  in  a  yard  about  fourteen 
yards  by  eight,  and  have  also  the  run  of  a  grass  plot.  They 
are  in  good  condition  (in  fact,  I  lost  two  hens  a  couple  of 
months  ago  from  over-feoding,  and  was  obliged  to  lesson 
the  amount  of  food  given  them),  and  I  have  had  from  forty 
to  fifty  eggs  weekly  since  the  beginning  of  the  year,  although 
some  of  my  pullets  have  not  yet  commenced  laying.  I 
quite  agree  with  the  remarks  you  made  a  short  time  ago,  as 
to  the  superiority  of  Shanghaes,  on  the  w^hole,  over  our 
other  kinds  of  fowls. 

I  last  year  had  Game,  Dorking,  Black  Spanish,  and 
Shanghaes.  The  two  former  I  have  given  up,  as  the  Game 
1  found  to  be  poor  layers,  and  there  was  no  keeping  the 
Dorking  within  moderate  bounds.  My  Black  Spanish 
lay  large  eggs,  and  about  five  in  a  week  each,  but  for  about 
two  months  during  moulting  time  I  liad  not  a  single  egg 
from  them,  whilst  some  of  my  Shanghaes  were  laying  when 
they  were  almost  destitute  of  feathers. — T.  S. 

*  Consisting  of  Indian  Corn,  Barley,  Oats,  and  Wheat  sweepings. 


TO    CORRESPONDEWTS, 

***  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  tlie  departmental  writers  of 
The  Cottage  Gardener.  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  .ind 
expense.  All  communications  should  be  addressed  ^' To  the  Editor  of 
The  Cottage  Gavdenar,  2,  Ame?i  Corner,  Paternoster  Roiv,  London.'* 

The  Pip  in  Poultry  (H.  il/.)-— As  I  have  stated  elsewhere,  there  is 
no  such  disease  as  Pip  in  fowls ;  the  dry  scaly  tongue  is  always  caused 
by  febrile  disturbance,  arising  from  over-feeding,  stimulating  food,  or 
some  other  cause.  It  constantly  occurs  in  any  inflammatory  disease  of 
the  respiratory  organs,  as  the  irritation  caused  by  the  worms  in  gapes, 
in  catai'rh,  roup,  &c.  ;  it  should  always  be  regarded  as  a  symptom,  never 
as  the  disease  itself;  the  dry  tongue  occurring  in  human  patients  is 
precisely  similar.  If  the  scale  of  membrane  is  loose,  it  should  be  removed, 
and  a  little  borax  may  be  dissolved  and  poured  into  the  mouth.  Should 
there  be  no  evident  cause,  a  dose  of  alterative  medicine  may  be  given,  as 
a  teaspoonful  of  castor  oil,  or  one  grain  of  grey  powder. — W.  IJ.  Teget- 
M  E 1 R  R,  Willesdeji . 

Pig-Fatting  {T.  L,). — The  best  mode  of  fattening  pigs  is  to  combine 
roots,  meal,  and  any  milk  slops  attainable.  We  think  the  value  of  the 
roots,  comparatively,  stand  thus  : — 1st,  Parsnips;  2nd,  Mangold;  3rd, 
Swedes  ;  4th,  Carrots.  Tlie  comparative  value  of  the  meals,  thus:  — 1st, 
Barley ;  2nd,  Oats  ;  3rd,  Indian  Corn  j  in  addition,  the  various  dressings 
from  Wheat,  such  as  Pollard,  &c.  Some  use  damaged  Rice.  As  a 
general  principle,  it  is  well  to  mix  these  things.  The  roots  boiled, 
mixed  up  with  meal,  and  given  warm.  Feed  three  times  a  day,  give  as 
much  as  they  can  eat. 

iNniAN  Game  Fowl  (J,  T.,  Cirencester). — The  Indian  Game  Fowl 
is  a  bird  of  greater  weight  and  more  compact  figure  than  our  English 
breed,  but  inferior  in  symmetry  and  carriage.  They  vary  in  respect  of 
colour.  The  Golden  Spangled  Hamburgh  Cock  must  have  a  full  but 
firm  rose  comb,  tapering  back  to  a  point,  which  is  slightly  curved 
upwards. — W. 

Weeping  Thorns  (Excelsior). — You  can  obtain  them  of  any  nursery- 
man who  advertises  in  our  columns.  Filberts  the  same,  and  you  may 
plant  them  now,  if  they  are  moved  carefully,  but  this  should  have  been 


done  in  November.  If  you  refer  to  previous  volumes  you  will  find 
several  essays  on  their  culture.  It  is  (luite  impossible  to  give  such  essays 
in  answers  to  questions. 

Cuttings  {Easton  Court). — You  will  have  seen  that  we  have  adopted 
your  suggestion.     We  are  always  obliged  by  any  hints. 

Cucumbers  (^W.  WJ). — The  bed  on  the  tlue  will  be  a  failure;  it  will 
bake  the  soil,  and  scald  the  roots  of  the  plants. 

Heracleum  giganteum  {W.  £.).— Messrs.  Hardy  and  Son,  Florists, 
RIaldon,  Essex,  always  keep  a  stock  of  this  plant;  but  we  should  think 
you  might  obtain  it  of  any  extensive  florist. 

Hamilton's  Catalogue  {E{fie).—Yo\x  will  be  as  sure  of  getting 
good  Balsinn  Seed  from  Mr.  Hamilton,  Rlargaret  Street,  as  you  wouhl 
from  any  other  equally  respectable  seedsman.  As  far  as  we  have  noticed, 
his  arrangement  of  the  Hoses,  both  as  to  colours  and  classes,  is  quite 
correct,  and  the  selection  very  good. 

A  Hill  and  its  Base  (A  Reader). — The  hill  is  of  this  shape— 


and  you  ask,  if  "this  hill  of  one  acre  in  surface  will  grow  more  than  if 
the  land  under  it  in  a  horizontal  line  were  sown  ?  The  soil  in  both  cases 
being  equally  fertile."  Of  trees,  or  <rorn,  which  can  only  grow  perpen- 
dicularly, the  horizontal  line  forming  the  base  of  the  hill  would  grow  as 
much  as  the  semi-circular  outline  ;  but  of  grass,  or  other  plants  that  creep 
over  the  surface,  the  senii-circuler  would  benr  the  largest  quantity. 

Introduction  to  Botany  (IK.  Johnston). ~\Vc  prefer  Henfrey's 
Rudiments  of  Botany  to  any  other  to  begin  with.      It  is  very  cheap. 

SiiKLL-LESS  Eggs  {Penelope).  —  Do  not  feed  your  hen  so  stirau- 
latingly.  Leave  otf  the  meat  entirely  ;  mix  bran  with  tlie  ground  corn, 
half-and-half,  and  give  her,  at  intervals  of  two  days,  three  pills,  each 
pill  containing  one  grain  of  calomel,  and  one-twelfth  of  a  grain  of  tartar 
emetic.  Give  her  Cabbage-leaves,  and  any  other  green  food  you  can 
obtain. 

William  Adams  (C). — The  ten  shillings  has  been  gratefully  re- 
ceived. 

RiCE-MEAL  FOR  POULTRY  {A  Regular  Subscriber) . — It  is  very  good 
given  alternately  with  corn  or  other  more  stimulpting  food.  We  should 
mix  it  half-and-half  with  barley-meal.  M'e  know  of  no  mode  whereby 
broody  hens  can  be  prevented  going  into  nests  where  they  are  not 
welcome,  except  the  effective  mode  of  shutting  them  up  in  a  place  by 
themselves. 

Golden-pencilled  Hamburgh  Eggs  {W.  D^e)').~Some  such  as 
you  require  have  recently  been  advertised  in  our  columns. 

Gourd  (G.  P.  H.). — This  shedding  its  fruit,  is  either  grown  in  an 
unsuitable  soil,  or  is  a  tender  variety,  and  is  not  grown  in  sufficient  heat. 
We  cannot  say  more  without  further  particulars. 

White  on  Cochin  Cock's  Comb  {A  Constant  Reader). — This  is 
called  "  the  White  Comb."  It  is  easily  removeil  by  rubbing  it  with  an 
ointment  of  cocoa-nut  oil,  with  a  little  turmeric  powder  added.  If  you 
cannot  get  cocoa-nut  oil,  use  citrine  ointment,  rendered  very  soft  by 
adding  a  little  sweet  oil,  and  then  mixing  a  little  turmeric  powder.  Two 
or  three  applications  will  effect  a  cure. 

Autumn  Brocoli  {E.  Faux). — Sow  Early  Purple  Cape,  Walrhereriy 
and  Green  Cape,  the  first  week  in  April,  The  plants  will  not  require  a 
hotbed.     Sow  on  a  warm  border,  and  keep  them  well  watered. 

Pears  {Omieron). — Both  the  Jersey  Gladioli  and  the  Jenn  de  Witte 
will  do  well  in  the  situation  you  refer  to.  Van  Hlon's  Leon  It  Clerc  is  a 
Pear  in  use  during  November  and  December. — H. 

Androsace  lanuginosa  (il/.  C,  Dublin). — It  is  very  pretty;  a 
native  of  the  Himalaya;  grow  it  in  a  pot;  soil,  peat  and  sandy  loam ; 
water  it  carefully ;  and  keep  it  in  a  cold  frame  during  the  winter.  For  a 
Pencilled  Hamburgh  Cock,  a.pp]y  for  particulars  to  some  of  the  adver- 
tisers in  our  columns.  List  of  Verbenas  next  week.  Silver  Pencilled 
Hamlmrghs  and  Bolton  Greys  are  the  same  race  of  Poultry. 
Sparrows  {S.  S.  S.), — Traps  and  a  gun  are  your  best  remedies. 
Grapes  {Snoivdrop).  —  We  should  prefer  the  Barbarossa  to  the 
Charleaworth  Tokay  for  your  late  vinery.  They  arc  both  excellent 
grapes.  Your  *'  flowering  Gooseberry  "  is  one  of  the  ornamentsil  Rides, 
))ut,  unless  we  saw  a  cutting  of  it  we  could  not  tell  its  specific  name. 

Swollen  Face  of  a  Fowl. — "il.  H.  E.  has  in  her  possession  ablacic 
Spanish  hen,  which  has  not  laid  for  some  time  ;  she  hns  an  enormous 
swelling  on  one  side  of  her  face,  and  the  eye  on  that  side  has  been  water- 
ing, and  is  still  partially  closed  ;  otherwise  she  appears  perfectly  well,  is 
lively,  and  eats  and  drinks  as  usual.  Her  face  has  been  frequently 
fomented  with  warm  milk  and  water,  and  warm  cainomile-tea.  She  has 
been  given  one  Plummer's  pills,  and  pills  of  Cayenne  pepper,  ginger, 
barley-meal  and  flour,  and  plenty  of  warm,  nourishing  food;  the  swell- 
ing has  been  twice  opened,  without  improvement." — The  swelling,  in 
this  case,  probably  arises  from  an  accumulation  of  solid  secretion  in  the 
cavity  of  the  nose  on  the  affected  side,  I  have  seen  it  occur  in  Spanish 
fowls  more  than  once.  If  this  view  of  the  case  is  correct,  the  only 
remedy  is  a  free  opening  below  the  eye,  and  the  extraction  of  the  secre- 
tion ;  but  to  accomplish  this  successfully  requires  some  knowledge  of  the 
anatomy  of  the  parts. — W.  B.  Tegetmeier. 


London:  Printed  by  Haeey  Wooldridge,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Pariah  of  Saint  Mary  Kalcndar;  and  Published  by  William 
Somerville  Orr,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  OflSce,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
March,  City  of  London.— March  9th,  1854. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER— ADVERTISEMENTS. 


EDWAKD   GEOS.GE    HEMDERSOH   AHD    SON    FLOV/EHS  of  aU  HUES.-JosepliHeniyEKIGHT, 


hep  to  inform  their  patrons  an  J  tlie  puUIic,  that  their  CATALOG  U  I",  of 
SEEDS  for  1851  is  now  ready,  and  will  be  forwarded,  "  post-free,'*  on   i 
application. 

E.  G.  H.  and    Son  take  this  ojiportunity  of  informing  their  patrons, 
that  none  but  the  most  popular  and  improved  kinil    of  Vegetable  Seeds    1 
appear  in  their  list;    and  amnnt;   the   i-'lower  Seeds,  only  thoze  v.hose    i 
beauty  and   merit  is  universally  ackn'twlcdg;ed  ;    tofrctlter  with  a  careful    I 
selected  stock  of  the  principal  New  VariL'tiea.  { 

E.  G.  H.  and  Son  beg  respectfully  to  call  particular  attention  to  the 
followinc;  Choice  Seeds  of  Florist  Flowers,  which  they  can  confidently 
recommend  as  being  selected  from  a  Choice  Collection  of  Named  Flowers 
of  extra  merit;  and  also  the  annexed  Nmv  Annuals : — 
CHOICE    FLORIST    FLOWERS. 


Antirrhinum,  fine  mixed,  4d 
Balsam,  Camellia  flowered,  6d 
Calceolaria,  extra  fine,  '2s  6d  Sc  5s 
Cineraria,  ditto,  Is  6d  &  23  6d 
Carnation,  fine,  U  6d 
Dahlia,  Is 

NEW     AND     OTHER 


PER    PACKKT. 


i  6d    &    5S 


Abronia  umbellata,  IsGd 
Anagallia  azurea  grauditiora,  Is 

,,         rubra  ,,  Is 

Arctotis  breviacapa,  extra  fine,  tJd 
Aster,  new  dwarf  German  Pyra- 
midal, in  collections,  (is 
Aster,  new  French  Peony  flowered, 
Pyramidal,  in  collections,  3s  (id 
Balsam,  new  double  pale  yellow,  Is 

,,         ,,     aurora,  l3 
CoUinsia    bicolor    atrorubcns 

(new),  6d 
Collinaia  B  arts  ice  folia,  4d 
Clintonia  pulchelta,  6d 

alba,  6d 
,,  ,,  atropurpurca 

(new).  Is 
Eucnide  Bartonioides,  Sd 
Erysimum  Arkansanum  ('new).  Is 
Grammanthes  Gentianoides,  6d 
,,  ,,  lutea,  fid 

,,  ,,        varicgata,  Gd 

Humea  elegans.  fid 
Leptosiphon  lutcum  (new).  1*  6d 
Linum  grandiflorumrubrum(newJ, 

Is  fid 
Lobelia  ramosa,  large  blue,  4d 

,,  „  alba  (new),  fid 

Maurandya  elegans.  superb,  6d 
■Mignonette,  new  large  flowering, 3d 
,,  tree,  Ik 

Febninr?/.   IS34. 
WELLINGTON     NURSERY, 


Geranium,  fancy  vars 
Hollyhock,  Is 
Pansey,  Is  fid 
Petunia,  Is 
Pink,  Ufid 

Mimulus,  fine  spotted  varieties,  fid 
CHOICE     FLOWERS. 

PER    PACKCT. 

Nyctcrinea    capensis,     splendid 

(new).  Is 
Nycterinea  selaginoides,  Id 

,,  villusa,  id 

Noliuia  grandiflora  alba,  ■id 
(Ennthera      prostrata,      bedding 

plant,  'id 
Portulucca.    new    orange     (not 

aurea),  (id 
Portulucca.  new  rose,  fid 
Primula   sinensis    fimbriata   alba, 

i!3  6d 

Priiunla  sinensis  fimbriata  rubra, 

2h  fid 
rLliodanthe  Blanglesii,  fid 
Schizauthiis      Grahanii     carnea 

(ucwj .  fid 
Schizanthus  retusa,  4d 

,,  ,,         alba,  4d 

Stock,  Scarlet  Intermediate,  fid 
Stock,     Pyramidal     Wallflower- 
leaved,  fid 
Stock,  new  large-flowered  German, 
extra  fine  (in  collections),  2s  Gd 
Tropceoium  Trioniphe  dc  Gand,  fid 
Digitalis,   very   fine    new  spotted 

varieties,  fid 
Phlox  Drummondii  alba  oculata,  1  s 
,,  J,  coecinea,  Is 

,,  ,,  T>eopoldiana,  6d 

,,  ,,  alba,  fid 


■edsman  and  Florist,  UaLtle,  Su-sscx,  liCfis  to  ca'.I  the  attention  of  llii 
readers  of  '1'iie  Cottage  Gaudener  to  the  following  Seeds,  which  he 
is  now  sending  out,  post  free,  in  sealed  packets  ;  and  being  saved  with 
the  greatest  care  from  none  but  the  best  kinds,  he  confidf'nily  recom- 
mends them  to  all  who  wish  for  rcril  g'-uinne  Seeds  of  siipcriu)'  tjualitj/, 

FLOWIIII  SEEDS. 

ANTIRIUIINUHr,  from  70  kmds,  iucluiling  every  shade  of  colour, 
striped,  spotted,  and  mottled,  fid. 

ASTER  GER1\IAN,  12varietics  separate;  many  have  been  ^rown  five 
inches  over— Is  6d  the  collection. 

PANSEV,  from  1.10  kinds,  including  the  newest  sorts,  Is, 

SWEET  WILLIAM,  from  50  kinds,  fid. 

HOLLYHOCK,  from  the  best  double  Ibnvers,  (id. 

VERBENA,  from  70  kinds,  including  the  newest.  0d. 

CARNATION,  PICOTEE,  PINK,  und  CALCEOLARIA,  from  the 
best  show  kinds.  Is  each. 

CHOICE  ANNUAL  SEEDS,  in  collections,  including  the  most  popu- 
lar kinds,  with  descriptions  on  each  packet,  post  free,  at  the  fnllowing 
])rices  :  —  lUO  papers,  for  large  Establishment!.  \0'a  6d  ;  so  ditto,  ditto,  tis  ; 
30  ditto,  ditto,  3s  (Jd.  100  papers,  for  amallrr  Establishments,  /s ;  50 
ditto,  ditto,  4s ;  30  ditto,  ditto,  23  Gd  ;   12  ditto,  ditto,  Is  2d. 

IMPOKTED  GEHMAN  SEEDS. 
ASTERS,  24  varieties,  2s  Gd. 

,.  18  varieties,  2i. 

STOCKS,  2i  varieties,  autumnal-flowe.-ing,  33.  fid. 

,,  18  varieties,  2s.  Gd. 

,.  12  varieties,  23. 

LARKSPUR,  12  varieties,  dwarf,  double,  23. 
ZINNEA   ELEGaNS,  12  varieties.  2^. 
DOUBLE  GERMAN  WALLFLOWER,  6  varieties,  la. 

SELECT  VEGETASLE  SEEDS.-Post  Eres. 

IIMPROVEl)  RIDGE  CUCUMBER,  particularly  hardy,  prolific,  and 
of  trreat  lengtli,  fid.  pei-  packet. 

CAULIFLOWER,  summer,  very  fine,  fid.  per  packet. 

BROCOLI,  in  six  superior  sorts,  warranted  true  to  name,  and  to  give 
succession  for  nine  months  in  the  year,  3s.  the  collection. 

SELECT  PLANTS. 
J.  H.  K.   having  a  considerable   portion  oi   ground   which   mr.st  be 
cleared   liy  the  1st  of  April,   is  induced  to  otfer  them  at  the  annexed 
exceedinir  low  jjriccs. 

PANSIES,  extra  choice  show  kinds,  named,  24  varieties,  lOs.  ;  13 
ditto,  fis. 

PINKS,  12  extra  choice  show  kinds,  43. 
PICOTEES,  ditto,  fis. 

The  above  can  he  sent  post  free  where  desired. 

HAHDY  HEEBACEOUS  PLANTS, 

50  fine-named  kinds,  7s  6d ;  25  ditto,  fis.     Carriage  free  to  London. 

Post  Office  Orders  pnyable  at  Battle,  in  Sussex. 


ST.   .TOHN'S    WOOD,     LONDON. 


SUTTON'S   CtEASS  seeds. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Dr.  I^indley  : — 

*'  Messhs.  Sutton, — We  hnve  nlremhi  vindc  trial  of  iiour  Lawn  Grass 
Seeds,  and  it  is  but  justice  to  say  they  have  proved  the  best  we  hat<e  sown 
for  many  years.  (Siffried)  JOHN  LINDLEV. 

Horticultural  Society,  Resxeytt  Street,  London,  Noik  Q,  1853." 

Messrs.  Sutton  are  continually  receiving  similar  letters  of  commenda- 
tion of  their  Lawn  Grass  Seeds.  Price  of  Seed,  Is  3d  per  pound,  3s  per 
pallon,  or  21s  per  bushel.  Carriage  Free,  except  very  small 
quantities.  The  quantity  required  is  40lbs  per  acre,  for  forming  new 
LAWNS,  or  from  10  to  2Ii  lbs  per  acre  for  improving  old   lawks. 

Sutton's  Grass  Seeds  for  forming  permanent  pasture, 
243  to  303  per  acre.  Sutton's  Renovating  Mixture  for  improving 
old  pastures.  Is  per  lb. 

.lOHN  SUTTON  and  SONS.  Seed  Growers.  Reading.  Berks. 

CITY  OF  LONDON  TENANTS'   mVESTMENT 

and  FREEHOLD  LAND  SOCIETY,— Office,  70,  King  "William-street, 

London-bridge. 

patrons. 
Alderman  Sir  James  Duke,  Bart.,  M.P. 
The  Right  Hon,  S.  Lushington,  D.C.L. 
The  Directors  have,  with  much   consideration   for   the  benefit  of  its 

members,  purchased  a  splendid  and  unusually  eligible  estate  at  Dulwich, 

Surrey. 

It  looks  upon   the  Crystal  Palace,  Sydenham,  from  which  it  is  only 

half-a-milc  distant,  has  good  aspect,  and  peculiar  advantages,  from  a 
'  superior  neighbourhood,  high  roadii  for  the  termination  of  those  on  the 
I    Society's  estates,  good  frontages,  building  soil,  excellent  drainage,  and 

abundant  water  of  trood  quality. 
I        No  plot  will  be  of  less  dimensions  than  ISfcet  frontage  to  the  road  by 
[    100  feet  in  depth. 

I        The  Estate  presents  peculiar  opportunities  for  obtaining  really  service- 
1    able  plots  of  freehold  ground,  cither  for  building  or  investment. 
j        Persons  desirous  of  becoming  shareholders  in  Streatham  and  its  neigh- 
I    bourhood    may    do    so    on    application  to   Mr.    HENRV   SEYMOUR, 
j    Streatham  Common,  Surrey. 

1        Plans  of  the  Estate  are  now  ready  for  distribution,  price  3d,  either  on 
I    application  to  the  Society's  architect  and  surveyor,  E.  Habershon,  Esq., 
\    38,  Bloomebury-square,  London  ;  or  to  tlie  Secretary 
I  WILLIAM  BAYNER, 

1        Feb.  2,  1854.  Secretary  and  Managing  Director. 

I        N.B.  Deposits  of  ^10  and  upwards  received,  and  interest  at  the  rate 
i    of  :£5  per  cent,  per  annum  paid  thereon,  quarterly  or  half-yearly. 


WELLINCtTONIA  G-IGANTEA.-Scautifiil  Litho- 

graphed  Plates  (from  a  drawing  taken  in  California^  of  tliis  wonderful 
.  Tree  may  be  hud.  at  7s  6  d  each,  of  Messrs.  VEITCH  ii;  SON,  Exeter; 
I  and  i\Ir.  JAMES  VEITCH,  Jun.,  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea. 

The  Bark,  Wood,  Cones,  and  Foliage,  which  were  exhibited  on  Tues- 
day last,  at  21,  Regent  Street,  may  be  seen  at  the  Exotic  Nurserv, 
Chelsea.— Feb.  25. ' 

"  WELLISTGTOi^IA  GIGAITTEA." 

Messrs.  VEITCH,  of  Exeter  and  Chelsea,  have  much  pleasure  in  stating 
that  their  Seeds  of  the  above  magnificent  Tree  are  vepet.iting  satis- 
factorily. They  therefore  hope  to  be  able  to  send  out  well-established 
seedling  plants  during  the  ensuing  summer  and  autumn.  They  are  now 
taking  orders  for  them  at  the  following  prices  :  — 

For  a^Single  Plant 2  guineas,  j  For  8  Plants 10  guineas. 

For  4  Plants 6  guineas,  j  For  12  Plants 12  guincis. 

And  all  orders  will  l)e  executed  strictly  in  the  rotation  in  which  they 
are  received. —  F.^h.  2.'i.    

CHOICE    SEEDS. -BASS    &    BROWN'S    NEW 

SEED  AND  PLANT  LIST  ia  now  complete,  supplied  free  for  three 
penny  stampB. 

FINE  NEW  PEAS  of  the  last  and  present  pearls  introduction. 

s.   d. 

Waite's  Daniel  O'Rourke,  very  early        3    6  per  quart 

Fairbeard's   Nonpareil,    earlier  than   the   Champion   of 

England,  rich  flavour      . .  5     0        ,, 

Sangster's  No.  1,  2^  feet,  very  early,  prolific,  and  fine  ..20        ,, 
Stuart's  Paradise,  4  feet,  a  very  line,  large,  long-podded 
marrow,  three  weeks  before  Thurston'a  Ueliancc,  or 
other  Peas  of  the  same  character         ..         ..         ..3    0        „ 

Hairs' Defiance,  4  feet.  line,  new  fl'rinkled  marrow       ..2     0        „ 

The  three  last-mentioned  were  frrow/i  last  seaso7i  by  ourselces,  and 
we  ran  recommend  each  of  thern  as  an  arqaisition.  Sanqstcr^s  No.  1 
and  Stuart's  Paradise  are  included  in  the  coUcrtion  betnw. 

BASS  AND  BROWN'S  ASSOUTEU  COLLECTIONS    OF  VEGE- 
TABLE SEEDS.— The  following  comprise  the  bc.it  in  cultivation,  in- 
cluding several  new  sorts  of  firbt-ratc  quality : — 
No.  I. — Collection  for  a  large  g.arden,  containing  20  quarts  of 

Peas,  in  20  beat  sorts,  and  all  other  Vegetable  Seeds  in    £  s.    d. 

proportion,  sufficient  for  one  year's  supply 3    0    0 

No.  2. — Collection  in  smaller  proportion 2    0    0 

No.  3.— Collection  ditto  15    0 

No.  4. — CuUcciion  of  choice  kinds  for  a  fmall  garden  ..         ,.      0  15    0 

If  any  sorts  of  Vegetables  are  not  wished  for,  enlarged  quantities  of 

others  will  be  sent  to  make  up  the  amount.     Goods  Carriage   Frek 

(not  under  20s)  to  all  the  London  Termini. 

Seed  and  Horticultdbal  Estaslibiiment,  Sudbvrt,  Suffolk. 


March  1G. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


453 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 

HI        D 
D        W 

1 

MARCH  IG— 22,    1854. 

Weather  near  London  in  1853. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun 
Sets. 

Moon 
R.&S. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Clock 
bf.  Sun. 

Day  of 
Year. 

Barometer. 

Thermo.:wind.'  "^^ 

IB 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
23 

Th 
P 

s 

Sdn 
SI 
To 
W 

Bembidium  crucigerum. 

St.  Patrick. 

Princess  Louisa  born,  1848, 

3  Sunday  in  Lent. 

Harpalus  obscurus. 

Sun's  dcclinat.,  0°  13'  N. 

Anchomenus  prasinus. 

29.631-29.594 
29.890— 29.829 

30.101—29.928 

30.150—30.132 
30.116—29.916 
29.826—29.764 
29.887—29.859 

41-31     N.E. 
33—22      N.E. 
31—20  ,     E. 
40-20  1     N. 
44—22      W. 
42-23        8. 
42—24         N. 

01 

14  ae 
12 
10 

8 
6 
3 

1 

4  a6 
5 
7 
9 

10 

12 

14 

8  23 

9  44 
11       8 
morn. 

0  33 

1  64 
3      6 

17 
18 
19 
20 
21 

€ 

23 

9    51 

8     34 
8     IG 
7     68 
7     40 
7     22 
7       4 

75 
76 
77 
78 
79 
80 

81 

Mkteoeoloov  of  the  Week.— At  Chiawick.from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tern- 
peratures  of  these  days  are  51  2" and  34.6°  respectively.    The  greatest  heat,  69°,  occurred  on  the  19th  in  1S36  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  16°,  on  the 
17th  in  1845.  During  the  period  126  days  were  fine,  and  on  63  rain  fell.                                                                                                                                1 

BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS. 

(Ooiitimied  from  page  iSS.) 

Cahdamine    ihpatiens  :    Impatient,  or   Irritable  Lady's 
Smock ;  Noli-me-tangere ;  Quick  or  Impatient  Creas. 


Description. — It  is  an  annual.  Eoot  small,  tapering.  Herb 


erect,  slender,  pale  green,  smooth  in  every  part,  except  the 
stipiilas.  Stem  one-and-a-half  or  two  feet  high,  generally  a 
little  branched,  leafy,  angular,  hollow,  often  zig-zag.  Leaves 
of  numerous  opposite  lance-headed  leaflets,  with  an  odd  one  ; 
all  equal,  more  or  less  notched,  rarely  entire  ;  pale  beneath. 
Stipiilas  lance-headed,  acute,  bent  down,  clasping  the  stem, 
all  finely  fringed,  and  evidently  stipiilas.  Flowers  numerous, 
in  erect  spikes,  extremely  small.  •  Petals  white,  but  very 
transitory,  and  occasionally  not  present.  Pods  erect, 
very  slendej,  composing  long  clusters,  and  discharging  their 
seeds  with  a  crackling  noise,  and  great  force,  on  the  shghtcst 
touch  or  concussion,  by  means  of  the  valves  rolling  back 
suddenly.  The  whole  plant  is  disagreeably  bitterish  and 
pungent. 

Time  of  floweriny. — May  to  June. 

Places  where  found. — Mountain  pastures  by  the  sides  of 
rivulets,  on  moist,  rocky,  or  stony  places,  in  the  north  of 
England. 

History. — Johnson,  in  his  edition  of  Oerarde's  Herbal, 
speaks  of  this  species  under  the  title  of  Sium  minus  im- 
patiens,  and  says  that  it  was  "  kept  in  divers  of  our  London 
gardens,  and  was  first  brought  hither  by  that  great  treasurer 
of  nature's  rarities,  Mr.  John  Tradescant.  The  nature  of 
this  plant  is  such  that  if  you  touch  but  the  pods  when  the 
seed  is  ripe,  though  you  do  it  never  so  gently,  yet  will  the 
seed  fly  all  abroad  with  violence,  as  disdaining  to  be  touched, 
whence  they  usually  called  it  Noli-me-tangere,  as  they,  for 
the  Uke  (luality,  name  the  Persicaria  siliquosa."  Soon  after 
Johnson  wrote  it  was  discovered  to  be  a  native  of  England, 
for  Parkinson  says  it  was  found  "  in  our  own  land."  Ray, 
but  a  few  years  later,  says  it  is  to  be  observed  "  among  the 
stones  under  the  scars  near  Wherf,  a  village  some  three 
miles  distant  from  Settle,  in  Yorkshire."  He  also  states,  in 
his  "  Historia  Plantarium,"  that  he  found  it  near  Halsted, 
in  the  spring  of  1685,  in  a  ditch  by  the  road  leading  to 
London. — {Smith.  Withering.  Martyn.  Ray,  Johnson's 
Gerarde.) 


The  prize-list  list  for  the  sixth  great  Annual  Poultry 
Contest  at  Birmingham  announces  Tuesday,  the  13th  of 
December,  and  the  three  following  days,  as  appointed 
for  that  Exhibition. 

The  Committee  of  Management,  we  doubt  not,  have 
given  the  fullest  consideration  to  the  expressed  wishes 
of  those  numerous  exliibitors  who  desired  some  curtail- 
ment in  the  protracted  period  of  their  fowls'  confinement 
in  Bingley  Hall;  and  if  that  body  now  find  themselves 
unable  to  grant  all  that  has  been  asked,  the  enormous 
exponces  attending  an  exhibition  of  this  magnitude 
must  be  accepted  as  their  sole  motive  in  declining  to 
comply  with  the  suggestion.  We  are  not,  however, 
without  hope  that  it  may  be  found  compatible  with 
tlieir  arrangements  to  close  at  an  earlier  hour  on  the 
Friday,  so  that  the  birds  farthest  from  home  may  be 
sent  oiT  on  that  evening.    This  would,  undoubtedly. 


be  a  great  boon,  many  pens  having  often  previously 
suffered  from  the  intervention  of  Sunday,  and  the 
more  limited  means  of  railway  transit  on  that 
day.  Additional  confidence  may  also  be  felt  by  ex- 
hibitors from  the  care  bestowed  on  the  birds  at  the  last 
Birmingham  meeting,  with  regard  to  the  feeding,  and 
management  generally.  The  supervision  of  the  former 
department  having  been  confided  to  Mr.  E.  Hewitt,  his 
well-known  experience  and  constant  attention  prevented 
the  usual  proportion  of  invalids,  and  very  few,  if, 
indeed,  any  birds,  that  arrived  in  health,  left  the  worse 
for  their  abode  under  his  charge.  At  the  same  time, 
there  are  many  instances  before  us  of  "four  days 
exhibitions,"  where  these  essential  precautions  were  sadly 
neglected ;  and  there  are,  moreover,  few,  if  indeed  any, 
cases  where  an  equally  liberal  expenditure  with  that  of 
Bingley  Hall  calls  for  the  same  indulgence. 


No.  CCLXXXV.,  Vol.  XI. 


404 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  1G. 


The  general  nrraugeraent  of  tlie  classes  varies  from 
;  that  of  previous  years,  the  Hamhurghs  now  commencing 
the  list.  Convenience  in  assigning  the  birds  to  the 
situation  best  suited  to  the  different  classes  has  pro- 
bably induced  this  alteration,  since  there  is  no  appear- 
ance of  an  alphabetical,  or  other  systematic  classifi- 
cation. 

The  jirizes  for  "  the  best  cock  and  one  pullet,"  formerly 
allotted  to  Dorkings  and  Spanish,  are  now  withdrawn. 
But  we  are  glad  to  notice  a  fourth  class  "for  any  otlier 
variety  of  the  Polish  fowl,"  thus  doing  away  witb  the 
inconsistency  of  compelling  the  entries  of  birds  of  un- 
doubted Polish  blood  among  the  miscellaneous  fowls. 

Spanish  come  next;  then  DorMitgs,  coloured  and 
white ;  after  these,  SUanghaes  or  Cochin-China,  in  their 
four  varieties;  and  these  are  again  followed  by  Brahma 
Pootra  fowls  ;  so  here  the  oft-disputed,  and  still  far  from 
settled,  question  of  the  distinctness  of  breed  in  these 
birds  from  the  Shanghae  appears  to  be  sanctioned.  We 
do  not,  however,  think  that  fault  should  be  found  with 
this  resolution  of  the  Birmingham  committee,  though, 
in  our  opinion,  a  class  as  Grey  Shanghaes  would  have 
better  suited  them,  at  any  rate  until  an  enumeration  of 
proved  specific  distinctions  had  taken  the  place  of  mere 
vague  assertion. 

Oame  fowls  are  as  before,  as  also  Malays,  and  the 
class  for  any  other  distinct  breed,  and  Bantams.  In 
respect  of  the  latter,  we  would  have  suggested,  for  the 
guidance  of  exhibitors,  some  notification  with  respect  to 
the  admissibility  oi  "  hooted  and  tnfted"  specimens,  to 
the  White  and  Black  classes,  a  recent  decision  at  an 
important  meeting  rendering  this  desirable.  Geese  still 
stand  as  a  single  class,  though  we  thiuk  they  might 
have  been  divided  as  "Erabden,"  "Toulouse,"  and 
"  Pied."  Turlceys  have  premiums  for  both  old  and 
young  birds.  Ducks  have  undergone  no  change,  but 
Guinea  Fou-ls  ai-e  passed  over  unnoticed. 

Pigeons  are  admirably  arranged,  the  fancier  of  these 
birds  having  every  inducement  to  exhibit  without  the 
complicated  sub-divisions  that  oftentimes  confuse  this 
class. 

The  amount  of  the  several  prizes  has  been  increased 
throughout— first  ])rizes  for  fowls  standing  uniformly  at 
i'3;  second  at  £'\!  ;  and  the  third  at  £\.  But  might 
not  those  of  tlie  more  important  breeds,  such  as  Spanish, 
comprised  in  a  single  variety,  and  Dorkings  in  two  only, 
have  had  some  increase  above  the  Hambnrghs  and 
Polish,  to  each  of  which,  in  their  four  varieties,  no  less 
a  sum  than  ,£48  is  assigned,  vihWe  Dorkings  have  only 
half  this,  and  Spanish  but  one  quarter ;  oven  less  than 
Bantams  ?  No  one  could  have  fairly  objected,  if  in  the 
instance  of  Polish  and  Hamburghs  the  prizes  had  been 
reduced  a  pound,  and  the  saving  carried  to  increase  the 
premiums  of  such  birds  as  claim  greater  encouragement 
on  account  of  their  higher  character,  as  not  merely 
ornamental,  but  likewise  economical  poultry. 

The  Pigeon  prizes  are  increased  from  lOs.  and  •''js.  re- 
spectively, to  1.5s.  and  10s. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  notice  the  points  in  which 
the  regulations  liave   been  altered  from  those  of   last 


year.  And  here  we  find  that  cottagers  will  now  compete 
separately,  and  gratuitously,  with  the  promise  of 
"  liberal  j>remimns  to  deserving  specimens."  This  is 
assuredly  well  done,  for  it  cannot  be  doubted,  from 
the  peculiar  character  of  this  great  exhibition,  such 
persons  had  the  odds  greatly  against  success  under  the 
former  principle  of  common  competition. 

The  clauses  of  two  months  bond  fuh  ownership,  of 
the  selling  price  to  be  affixed,  are  both  retained,  but  the 
following  is  a  wise  addition,  not  merely  saving  time  to 
the  officials,  but  checking  any  tendency  to  act  upon  in- 
formation obtained  after  the  entries  are  closed.  "  No 
alteration  whatever  can  he  made  in  the  certificates  after 
they  are  received  by  the  Secretary." 

The  rate  of  subscription  is  raised  to  .£  1  for  ex- 
hibitors ;  but  the  number  of  their  pens  is  now  limited 
to  four,  of  which  there  may  not  be  more  than  two  in 
the  same  class;  but  " e.rhibitors  of  Pigeons  'only'" 
may  enter  six  pens,  but  of  these  not  more  than  two  to 
be  of  the  same  variety.  The  rules  by  which  the  restric- 
tions of  the  number  of  pens  has  liitherto  been  enforced 
has  been  so  constantly  evaded  by  the  entrance  of  birds 
in  the  names  of  persons  having  no  real  bond  fide  owner- 
ship in  them,  that  we  sliall  bo  carious  to  observe  how 
such  infractions  of  tlie  regulations  will  be  guarded 
against  now  that  the  limitation  has  become  still  more 
stringent.  A  fine  of  three  shillings  will  follow  the 
omission  of  not  sending  bij'ds  that  have  been  duly  en- 
tered ;  had  this  been  of  even  larger  amount,  such  a 
penalty  could  not  be  objected  to,  on  account  of  the 
great  inconvenience  that  carelessness  in  tliis  respect 
entails  upon  those  who  are  entrusted  with  the  manage- 
ment. 

A  strict  rule  also  provides  for  the  exclusion  of  all 
persons  from  Bingley  Hall  before  the  opening  of  the 
Exhibition  on  the  Tuesday  morning,  those  only  being 
excepted  wlio  may  be  actually  engaged  on  official  business 
within  the  building. 

Tlie  points  have  now  been  mentioned  on  which  the 
classification  of  the  birds,  the  amount  of  premiums,  and 
the  regulations  of  the  present  year,  have  undergone  an 
alteration  from  those  of  18.5.'?.  The  notification,  how- 
over,  that  "  seven  silver  vases,  of  the  value  of  six  gui- 
neas each,  will  be  awarded,  instead  of  money  prizes,  for 
the  best  pen  of  Pencilled  Hamburgh,  Spangled  Ham- 
burgh, Polish,  Spanish,  Dorking,  Cochin-China,  and 
Game  fowls,"  betokens  a  degree  of  liberality  on  the  part 
of  the  committee  that  will  bo  generally  appreciated. 
The  competition  for  these  vases  will  bo  open  to  bolh  the 
adult  and  the  chicken  classes  in  each  of  the  above 
breeds. 

Had  space  been  at  command  for  a  class  of  single  cock  I 
birds  of  the  diflcrcnt  families  of  any  age,  one  great 
object  of  Poultry  Societies,  the  attainment  of  stud  birds 
of  the  highest  excellence,  would  have  been  still  more 
readily  attained ;  but,  while  saying  this,  wn  are  not 
forgetful  of  the  reasons  that  probably  forbade  its  insti- 
tution, for  every  inch  of  even  the  extensive  area  of 
Bingley  Hall  has,  doubtless,  many  claimants  for  its 
occupation. 


March  10. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER, 


455 


Though  in  some  few  particulars  now  alluded  to  pos- 
eible  improvements  in  this  prize-list  have  occurred  to  us, 
we  most  gladly  reoogniso  its  general  escollenco,  and  the 
obligations  of  the  poultry-keeping  community  to  those 
gentlemen  who  have  carried  the  Birmingham  Society 
through  the  many  difficulties  of  its  earlier  years  to  its 
present  unexampled  prosperity  and  influence. 


Next  iii  our  list  of  Peas  comes 

Fairekard's  Surprise. 
Synonymes. — Surprise,  Early  Surprise. 

This  variety,  and  the  Champion  of  England,  were 
raised  from  two  peas  found  in  the  same  pod ;  the  former 
being  round,  and  the  latter  wrinkled. 
They  were  selected  by  Mr.  William 
Fairbeai-d,  of  Green-street,  near  Sit- 
tingbom'ne,  from  a  crop  of  Dwarf 
White  Knight's  Marrows,  a  plant  of 
which  having  exhibited  a  more  than 
usual  early  character. 

The  Surprise  is  a  very  excellent 
early  Marrow  Pea,  somewhat  earlier 
than  Champion  of  England,  but  not 
more  so  than  a  day  or  two,  at  most. 
The  plant  is  of  a  free  but  not  robust 
habit  of  growth,  and  always  with  a 
simple  stem,  which  is  about  five  feet 
high.  The  pods  are  produced  at 
every  joint,  beginning  at  about  three 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  number 
from  eight  to  ten  on  each  plant. 
They  are  generally  single,  but  some- 
times in  pairs  from  three-aud-a- 
quarter  to  three-and-a-half  inches 
long,  and  three-quarters-of-an-inch 
broad,  slightly  curved,  but  not  quite 
so  much  so  as  Champion  of  England, 
and  Champion  of  Paris.  They  con- 
tain from  seven  to  eight  peas  in  each, 
which  are  of  a  good  size,  but  not 
60  sweet  as  those  of  Champion  of 
England.  The  ripe  seed  is  some- 
what oval,  and  of  a  pale  olive-green  colour.  The  seed 
was  sown  on  the  5th  of  April,  and  the  plants  bloomed 
on  the  15th  of  June.  On  the  31st  the  blooms  dropped, 
and  the  slats  appeared,  and  on  the  9th  of  July  the  pods 
were  quite  filled.  At  first  the  pods  are  so  flat  as  to  give 
the  idea  that  the  peas  are  not  sufficiently  grown,  but 
notwithstanding  this  appearance  they  are  quite  fit  to  be 
gathered. 

Though  an  excellent  Pea  the  Surprise  is  one  which 
rnay  easily  bo  dispensed  with.  If  there  was  no  Cltam- 
pion  of  England,  then  we  might  retain  the  Surprise; 
but  I  give  the  preference  to  the  former. 

Pairbeard's  Champion  of  England. 
When  I  first  saw  the  Champion  of  England  Pea,  the 


whole  stock  consisted  of  a  few  rows  in   the  nursery 
^  ground  of  Mr.  Fairbeard.     It  was 

on  the  second  day  of  June,  about 
eleven  years  ago,  and  I  well  re- 
member the  interest  with  which  I 
viewed  a  wrinkled  Marrow  Pea  ready 
to  gatheiVso'early  in  the  season.  As 
I  have  stated  already,  this  and  the 
Surprise  both  came  fi-om  the  same 
pod,  the  produce  of  a  plant  found  in 
a  crop  of  the  Dwarf  White  Knight's 
Marrows.  The  best  indication  of 
the  superiority  of  this  variety  is  the 
rapid  progress  of  its  popularity,  and 
the  universality  of  its  cultivation. 
It  belongs  to  the  class  called 
"Knight's"  or  Wrinkled  Marrows, 
and  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the 
most  valuable  acquisitions  which 
have  been  obtained  for  many  years. 
The  plant  is  of  a  strong  and 
luxuriant  habit  of  growth,  with  a 
stem  from  six  to  seven  feet  high, 
which  is  often  simple,  but  also  very 
frequently  branching;  the  laterals 
are  produced  within  about  eighteen 
inches  of  the  ground,  and  sometimes 
assume  as  vigorous  a  growth,  and 
attain  as  great  a  height  as  the  main 
stem.  They  produce  pods  at  the 
first  joint  above  the  lateral,  and  are 
continued  at  every  succeeding  joint  to' the  greatest  ex- 
tremity of  the  plant,  amounting  in  all  to  from  twelve  to 
nineteen  pods.  The  pods  are  generally  single,  but  very 
frequently  in  pairs,  ii'om  three-inches-and-a-quarter  to 
three-inches-and-tliree-quarters  long,  three-quarters-ot- 
an-inch  broad,  shghtly  curved,  and  terminated  abruptly 
at  the  point.  When  they  begin  to  fill  they  are  rather 
flat,  but  soon  become  more  narrow  and  round ;  the 
surface  is  quite  smooth,  and  the  colour  light  green,  till 
they  begin  to  ripen  off,  and  then  they  become  paler  and 
shrivelled.  They  contain  from  seven  to  nine  very  large 
peas,  which  are  very  closely  packed  and  compressed, 
over  half-an-inch  long,  nine-twentieths  broad,  and  seven- 
twentieths  thick.  The  ripe  seed  is  wrinkled,  [and  of  a 
pale  olive-green  colour.  The  seed  was  sown  on  the  5th 
of  April,  and  the  plants  were  in  bloom  on  the  14th  of 
June.  On  the  20th  the  blooms  began  to  fall,  and  on 
the  10th  of  July  the  crop  was  fit  to  be  gathered.     It  is 

very  prolific.  R.  H. 

{To  he  continued.) 


SEASONABLE  NOTES. 
Let  me  again  remind  our  readers  of  the  importance 
of  retarding  the  blossoms  of  Fruit-trees.  I  am  quite 
aware  that  it  is  too  late  to  talk  of  this  as  to  some  kinds, 
but  not  as  to  all.  The  fact  is,  such  a  host  of  important 
matters  press  at  this  season  on  the  mind  of  those  who 
undertake  to  teach  the  unknowing  in  gardening  matters, 
that  they  are  puzzled  to  know  what  to  select.     Our 


4DG 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  10. 


readers,  however,  need  never  be  at  a  loss,  for  a  reference 
to  back  volumes  will  soon  sot  them  right,  bo  the  case 
what  it  may.  'Clie  basis  of  this  retardation  principle, 
wliich  I  was  the  earliest  to  get  recognised  by  some  of 
our  first-rate  men,  stands  thus  : — every  week  we  advance 
into  the  Spring  as  to  the  unfolding  of  the  blossoms,  the 
air  becomes  progressively  milder,  and  any  recurrence  to 
frost  of  necessity  assumes  a  moderated  or  qualified 
character,  through  the  warmth  of  tlie  soil,  walls,  or, 
indeed,  any  contiguous  body.  I  urge  this  as  certain  on 
general  principles  ;  it  is  of  no  use  telling  me  of  e.xcep- 
tions.  Many  people  allow  themselves  so  to  be  terrified 
by  these  that  they  never  carry  out  anything  by  system, 
but  squander  away  their  time  in  indecision.  Verily,  the 
world  at  large  must  appear  a  chaos  to  such  characters. 

The  foregoing  is  not  all  as  to  the  setting  of  the  blos- 
soms ;  the  ground  warmth  at  the  roots  is  a  most  import- 
ant consideration.  I  hope,  that  by  this  time  most  of 
our  readers  recognise  the  propriety  of  endeavouring  to 
enlist  the  action  of  the  root  whilst  the  development  of 
the  foliage  is  taking  place  ;  and  are  aware  that  all  our 
best  forcing  gardeners  instantly  aim  at  this  as  the  fun- 
damental principle  in  forcing.  Indeed,  common  sense 
alono  will  point  to  the  propriety  of  sustaining,  as  far  as 
possible,  a  reciprocal  action  between  root  and  branch  ; 
and  it  must  be  remembered,  as  to  our  fruit-trees  from 
warmer  climes,  that  in  all  probability  the  soU  in  many 
of  those  climates  never  becomes  so  low,  in  relation  to 
atmospheric  warmth,  as  in  Britain ;  in  the  ordinary 
phraseology  of  gai'deners, — those  climates  possess  more 
"  bottom  heat." 

Such  being  admitted,  it  will  also  be  readily  conceded, 
that  if  by  any  kind  of  handy-work  we  can  arrest  the 
development  of  the  blossoms  and  foliage,  whilst  the  soil 
where  the  roots  are  situated  is  advancing  several  degrees 
in  temperature,  through  the  steadily  advancing  character 
of  spring  temperature,  we  are  gaining  the  point  most 
favourable  both  to  a  hearty  and  unchecked  development 
of  the  foliage,  as  well  as  increasing  the  chances  for  a 
crop  of  fruit. 

I  will  now  take  it  for  granted  that  these  doctrines  are 
sufficiently  sound  to  recommend  themselves  to  our  read- 
ers ;  and  1  may  just  point  to  a  practical  application  of  tlie 
principle,  or,  at  least,  show  forth  my  own  practice  in  this 
respect.  It  is  very  simple  where  canvass  can  be  applied  ; 
it  consists  merely  in  reversing  the  protective  principles, 
viz.,  in  warding  off  all  sudden  excitement  through  sun- 
shine during  the  day,  and  in  exposing  the  trees  to  the 
night  air,  to  cold  winds,  &c.  One  caution  alone  is 
necessary  hei'e — when  the  trees  actually  begin  to  imfold 
their  buds  tlie  retardation  principle  must  gradually 
merge  into  the  protecting  principle,  and  this  will  consist 
in  avoiding  severe  night  frosts  and  cutting  winds. 
Where,  however,  people  are  obliged  to  use  fir,  or 
other  boughs,  for  protection  or  retardation,  the  case 
diflers  considei-ably.  Here  they  are  not  capable  of 
adaptation  to  emergencies,  but  once  stuck  in  they  must 
remain  for  weal  or  woe ;  any  attempt  to  cover  and  un- 
cover through  these  things  would  seriously  aflect  the 
latter  question,  which,  indeed,  is  likely  to  become  the 
most  serious  question  of  the  day. 

Next,  let  me  remind  our  readers  of  the  propriety  of 
looking  sharp  after  the  eggs  of  that  pest  of  the  Apricot, 
the  Bed-har  Moth.  I  may  again  state  that  the  eggs 
adhere  to  the  principal  branchesas  though  pasted  on,  and 
arc  of  an  oval  character,  like  a  largo  ])arsnip  seed  dotted 
over.  These  will  begin  to  batch  by  the  time  the  foliage 
is  unfolded,  and  their  ravages  soon  become  manifest,  for 
each  little  roguo  of  a  caterpillar  selects  a  group  of 
leaves  connected  with  the  spurs  of  the  future  year,  and 
making  up  his  mind  to  have  comfortable  quarters  for 
many  weeks,  he  rolls  them  instinctively  round  his 
person,  and  tints  provided  with  a  canopy  which  bids 
defiance  to  rains,  &c.,  he  sallies  forth  at  the  command 


of  his  voracious  appetite  on  marauding  expeditions.  In 
no  case  is  the  old  adage,  "  a  stitch  in  time,"  better  verified 
than  in  the  destruction  of  these  eggs ;  it  needs  but  a 
sharp  eye  and  a  good  thumb  nail,  and  they  are  anni- 
hilated ;  the  gelatinous  issue  from  their  ruins  will  pretty 
obviously  attest  to  the  amount  of  vitality  in  this  appa- 
rent patch  of  dry  paste. 

Come  we  next,  in  this  wandering  paper,  to  the  Peach- 
trees,  now,  of  course,  pruned  and  trained,  and  I  hope 
my  presumption  may  be  pardoned  if  1  turn  catechist 
for  a  moment.  Have  you  dressed  your  wall  or  your 
trees,  I  would  ask  ?  Again  let  me  repeat  that  such  a 
course  is  indispensable.  The  best  time,  as  I  think,  to 
perform  this,  is  the  moment  the  trees  are  nailed  or 
trained ;  and  I  find  it  the  simplest  and  most  certain 
course  to  apply  the  mixture  with  a  half-sized  painter's 
"  dusting  brush."  The  following  is  my  favourite  mix- 
ture, but,  doubtless,  other  practical  gardeners  have 
recipes,  differing,  of  course,  it  may  be,  but,  perhaps,  as 
efficient :  this  is,  to  repeat  the  matter, — soft  soap,  four 
oimccs  to  a  gallon;  sulphur,  si.x  handfuls;  and  as  much 
thick  clay  water  as  will  make  the  whole  into  a  regular 
paint ;  this  apphed  between  every  two  branches,  in 
fact,  to  every  naked  portion  of  the  wall.  With  this 
application  the  red  spider  has  never  proved  of  any 
particular  moment  to  me,  although  I  have  occasionally 
been  honoured  with  visits  from  him.  I  prefer  this 
before  any  other  doctoring,  for,  indeed,  as  the  summer 
advances,  we  generally  find  enough  to  do  in  disbudding, 
stopping,  and  the  other  minutife,  which  ought  to  be 
had  recourse  to. 

I  may  here  advert  to  a  novel  mode  of  protecting  bush- 
friiit  from  the  attacks  of  birds.  It  is  well-known  by 
Gooseberry-growers  that  the  Finch  family.  Tomtits,  and 
others,  are  particularly  partial  to  the  buds  of  Gooseberries, 
Cherries,  &c.,  when  in  the  act  of  germination,  or  in 
what,  perhaps,  may  be  termed  a  malting  condition.  So 
great  are  their  ravages  at  times,  that  I  have  known 
most  of  the  hushes  in  a  given  garden  three-pai'ts  de- 
stroyed by  them, — for  it  is  not  only  the  loss  of  the 
season's  crop  that  we  have  to  lament,  this  severe  dis- 
budding process  breaksup  the  very  constitution  of  the 
tree;  and  all  that  is  needed  to  complete  its  utter 
destruction  is  a  visitation  from  the  caterpillar's  and 
red  spider  subsequently.  Some  people  hang  strings  or 
threads  over  their  bushes  ;  some  suspend  fragments  of 
glass,  in  pairs,  to  tinkle  with  every  puff  of  wmd,  like  an 
iEolian  harp ;  others  run  the  string  through  potatoes 
at  given  distances,  and  stick  feathers  in  the  potatoes  to 
represent  hobgoblin  birds,  &o.  It  is  pretty-woU  known 
that  they  do  not  care  a  fig  for  either  after  the  novelty 
has  passed,  which  is  in  about  three  days,  for  they  may 
be  seen  to  alight  on  the  very  strings ;  and  as  for  the 
music,  I  am  not  sure  but  it  soon  proves  attractive. 

After  a  very  hard  winter  these  birds  are  most  voracious , 
I  suppose,  in  consequence  of  the  gi'eat  destruction  wliich 
ensues  amongst  other  kinds  of  food  to  which  they  are 
attached ;  and  the  Gooseberry-grower  may  always  look 
sharp  out  in  the  beginning  of  February. 

It  has  often  occurred  to  me  that  much  might  bo  done 
in  preventing  tlie  ravages  of  insects,  birds,  &o.,  by 
using  some  application  that  would  render  the  taste  of 
the  object  to  be  protected  nauseous  to  tho  marauder's 
palate ;  and  that  such,  if  in  a  fluid  state,  might  bo 
most  economically  applied — as  to  labour — by  the  syringe. 
With  this  view,  as  soon  as  I  found  war  was  declared  by 
the  birds  against  tho  Gooseberry  buds,  I  cleared  out  a 
reservoir  holding  nearly  an  hundred  gallons,  and  com- 
menced brewing,  although  neither  March  nor  October. 
The  materials  and  proportions  were  about  as  follows: — 
Soft  soap,  two  ounces  to  a  gallon  of  warm  water,  well 
beat;  two  quarts  of  soot,  added  to  tho  above,  with 
three  handfuls  of  flower  of  sulphur,  and  as  much 
clay  mud,  well  strained,  as  would  make  tho  whole  into 


March  1G. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


407 


as  thick  a  mixture  as  couW  be  delivered  by  tlie  syringe 
witliout  clogging  it.  Tlio  whole  being  kept  stirred,  one 
man  took  a  couple  of  pots  full,  and  tlie  syringe,  and  a 
second  took  a  vessel  full  of  fine  fresh  slacked  lime,  quite 
cooled  down.  The  syriuge-man  having  well  battered  his 
tree,  the  lime-man  powdered  heavily  on  the  heels  of  it, 
until  the  whole  was  as  white  as  lime  could  make  it.  And 
now,  I  may  at  once  say,  that  out  of  a  hundred  bushes 
done  this  way,  not  a  bud  has  been  taken  since,  as  far  as 
we  can  discover;  and  I  consider  the  invention  ought  to 
be  placed  on  a  par  with  the  famous  recipe  of  the  famous 
I'orsytli,  and  to  be  a  iitting  matter  for  the  consideration 
of  our  Parliament ;  who,  however,  I  much  fear  are  too 
busy  to  think  about  Gooseberries. 

But  jesting  apart,  let  me  advise  cottagers  and  others 
to  try  it  in  another  year;  for  my  part,  I  think  I  shall 
always  do  it  before  a  bud  is  taken.  Let  me  here  remind 
our  friends  of  the  propriety  of  our  annual  top  or  surface- 
dressing,  to  Gooseberries  and  Black  Currants  especially, 
be  it  ever  so  little.  By  these  means,  surl'aoe  fibres  are 
constantly  added,  and  the  injurious  effects  of  drought  pre- 
vented ;  old  thatch,  rotting  litter,  leaves  and  a  little 
manure  blended,  will  accomplish  the  thing.  We  have 
proved  the  practice  for  many  years.       R.  Ebeingion. 


WHAT  SHOULD  AND  SHOULD  NOT  BE 
DONE  IN  THE  SPRING. 

If  I  were  to  say  that  we  should  take  sufficient  time 
to  do  everything  iu  the  right  way,  and  that  we  should 
not  hurry  over  anything  we  did  in  the  spring,  it  would 
justily  this  beading  of  my  letter;  but  I  must  go  farther, 
although  I  cannot  name  one-tenth  of  the  jobs  that  press 
for  immediate  attention,  nor  restrain  the  fast  doers,  who 
care  not  how  the  world  goes  round,  provided  they  get 
every  job  through  hand  as  fast  as  anything,  no  matter 
how  scamping  the  work  is  got  over,  if  you  can  put  a 
plain  surface  on  it  for  the  time. 

I  was  coming  down  the  road,  one  day  last  week,  and 
met  a  gentleman, — a  great  gardener,  not  far  off, — and  he 
asked  my  opinion  on  pruning  some  Hybrid  Perpetual 
Roses  that  were  planted  last  January,  and  also  aboiit 
some  Rhododendrons  which  were  planted  five  years 
since.  These  were  old  plants  when  he  had  them,  and 
they  were  very  bare  at  the  time ;  but  he  was  told  they 
would  soon  take  on  in  his  new  garden.  New  gardens, 
new  brooms,  and  new  dresses,  do  wonders,  now  and 
then,  but  not  always !  at  least,  all  the  time  this  garden 
was  new  these  Rhododendrons  took  on  nothing  but 
barefacedness.  After  seeing  there  were  no  flower-buds 
of  any  account  on  these  plants,  I  advised  to  have  them 
cut  down  about  the  end  of  April ;  there  are  lots  of 
suoker-like  shoots,  young  enough  and  healthy  enough, 
at  the  bottom  of  all  the  bushes,  and  that  is  a  sign  that 
the  bare  branches  got  too  dry  and  hard  to  let  up  the 
sap,  rather  than  any  unhealthiness  iu  the  roots  to 
hinder  their  part,  and  on  that  account  I  ordered  all  the 
branches,  young  and  old,  to  be  cut  down  to  near  the 
bottom  suoker-like  shoots,  which  are  only  from  six  to 
ten  inches  long,  and  I  mention  this  to  show  a 
reason  for  an  opposite  course,  which  is  given  to-day  in 
the  part  for  the  private  correspondence,  and  also  to  let 
a  cat  out  of  the  bag,  where  the  poor  thing  has  been 
for  a  long  time. 

If  there  were  no  shoots  coming  from  the  collar  of 
these  bare  Pihododendrons,  and  that  the  tops  looked 
green  and  healthy  enough,  one  would  conclude  the 
bai'cness  was  caused  by  the  plants  being  too  close 
together  at  a  former  period,  that  the  roots  were  all  right, 
and  that  the  bare  part  of  the  branches  did  not  get  into 
that  hind-bound  state  which  nothing  cures  so  soon  as 
cutting  right  down   to  the  bottom ;   then   thc^e  is  no 


fault  in  any  of  the  parts,  and  it  seems  a  pity  that  a 
plant  without  any  fault  at  all  should  bo  cut  down  to 
the  ground  ;  no  gardener  of  any  note  would  do  such  a 
tiling  till  he  tried  and  failed  with  all  the  plans  he  could 
think  of — so  the  healthy,  but  bare.  Rhododendrons 
were  ordered  to  be  cut  down  to  different  heights, 
from  five  feet  to  within  eighteen  inches  of  the  ground, 
they  standing  just  now  full  seven  feet  high.  But  the 
puzzle  is,  why  do  they  advise  to  have  all  the  small 
shoots  cut-in  so  many  inches  about  the  beginning  of 
April,  while  the  large  branches  are  not  to  be  touched  till 
the  second  week  in  May,  or  to  a  later  period,  if  they  are 
worth  keeping  till  they  are  getting  out  of  bloom  ?  The 
puzzle  is  no  puzzle  to  gardeners,  however ;  at  least,  not 
to  some  of  them,  for  it  is  on  the  right  application  of  the 
rule,  or  principle,  which  concerns  this  puzzle,  or  no 
puzzle,  that  one  gardener  excels  another  who  has  more 
advantages  ;  and  the  rule  runs  through  every  branch  of 
gardening  in  which  plants  are  concerned,  and  yet  no 
one  writes  about  it ;  but  the  best  way  to  break  the  ice 
about  it  is  first  to  mention  an  opposite  rule. 

Early  next  June,  if  all  is  well,  Mr  Errington  will  put 
us  all  in  mind  of  stopping  the  breastwood  on  wall- 
trees  at  such  and  such  lengths  ;  and,  to  do  that 
as  it  ought  to  be  done,  he  will  be  very  particular  iu 
advising  to  have  the  top  part  of  the  trees,  and  all  the 
"robbers"  in  any  part  of  the  trees,  stopped  first;  in 
nine  or  ten  days  after  that,  he  would  have  us  go  over 
the  trees  again,  and  stop  the  next  strongest  shoots, 
leaving  the  small  ft'y  and  those  about  the  bottom  for 
some  ten  days  longer;  and  the  reason  he  gives  is  as 
good  as  the  rule,  that  the  small  shoots  may  receive 
extra  help  from  the  supply  which  has  been  stopped 
higher  up.  Before  his  own  vigorous  growth  stopped — I 
mean  the  growth  of  his  body  and  limbs — they  used  to 
summer-prune  all  parts  of  a  wall-tree  the  same  day ; 
but  that  made  bad  worse,  the  strongest  shoots  would 
push  stronger  than  before,  and  the  little  ones  got 
weaker  and  weaker  every  season,  and  when  they  came 
to  the  worst,  people  began  to  improve  their  ways, 
by  stopping  the  supplies  gradually,  and  what  the  strong 
lost  the  weak  gained,  and  the  more  they  gained,  the 
fewer  you  could  see  of  the  very  strong.  Thousands  of 
plants,  besides  fruit-trees,  go  through  this  style,  or  rule, 
of  pruning  every  season ;  every  strong  shoot  which  is 
stopped  during  a  summer's  growth  comes  under  the 
rule ;  and  here,  the  rule  of  thumb  is  right  after  all — the 
finger-and-thumb-pruning  during  a  growth  being  of 
the  very  best  kind. 

Now,  what  would  half  the  world  say  if  one  were  to 
recommend  exactly  the  o^jposite  way  of  pruning  ?  To 
begin  first  to  cut  the  smallest  twigs  on  a  tree,  or  bush ; 
next,  the  intermediate  ones ;  and,  last  of  all,  the  very 
strongest?  Why,  withoutgivingit  a  thought,  they  might 
reasonably  say,  that  would  be  worse  than  no  pruning  at 
all ;  but  just  think  over  it  awhile,  and,  if  I  mistake  not, 
I  shall  prove  to  you,  and  all  the  rest  of  them,  that  this 
side  of  the  question  is  the  right  one,  nevertheless ;  and 
showing  the  opposite  rule,  in  the  case  of  fruit-trees, 
will  enable  me  now  to  make  you  understand  my  mean- 
ing. I  do  not  say  that  two  rules  can  both  be 
best;  but  each  rule,  though  the  very  opposite  to  the 
other,  is  best  in  its  own  season ;  the  first  rule  is  the 
best  in  all  summer-pruning  with  all  plants;  and  the 
second  is  just  as  good,  and  fully  as  much  called  for  in 
winter-pruning ;  yet  we  seldom  think  on  this,  and  never 
write  aljout  it ;  therefore  it  was  necessary  that  some  one 
should  make  a  direct  experiment,  to  prove  this  winter 
rule,  before  the  whole  body  should  be  asked  to  put  faith 
in  it  on  the  authority  of  any  one,  and  having  little  else  to 
do,  I  thought  I  might  try  the  experiment  first.  I  have 
done  so,  and  it  is  as  clear  as  anything,  and  of  universal 
application. 

Against   the   west  end   of  a  retired  cottage,  on  the 


.158 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Maecii  10. 


banks  of  tlie  Thames,  ^-ows  a  beautiful  plant  of  the 
Rose  Blairil,  No.  3.  It  was  planted  in  ISU,  or  1«4'2, 
and  now  reaches  fifteen  feet  high,  and  spreads  accord- 
ingly. I  received  full  permission  to  do  with  that  Rose, 
and  other  strong  climbers,  Just  as  I  chose.  Well,  in 
November,  I  pruned  all  the  young  small  wood  along  the 
bottom  of  this  Rose  to  one  inch,  and  I  saw,  that  if  I 
pruned  the  rest  that  day  not  one  out  of  ten  of  these 
hard  one-inch  pieces  would  ever  push  again.  1  should 
have  the  old  story  of  Blairii  and  bare  bottom  over 
again,  and  of  that  there  was  enough  already.  I  went 
home,  and  never  saw  that  Rose  again  till  the  middle  of 
I'ebruary,  when  1  made  a  second  turn  at  pruning,  by 
cutting  the  second  sized  shoots  all  over  the  plant; 
tliese  were  cut  to  different  lengths,  of  from  six  inches 
to  two  feet,  and  a  few  a  little  longer,  where  there  were 
open  places  on  the  wall  to  cover:  by  this  time,  most 
of  the  top  shoots,  and  the  strongest,  were  nearly 
opening  the  top  buds,  and  the  little  inch  spurs  I  left 
in  November  as  bard  as  an  old  bone  had  buds  on 
them  tliat  I  could  just  perceive,  and  no  more,  so  I 
went  off  again  without  cutting  any  of  the  strong 
shoots.  I  left  them  to  tlie  first  week  iu  April,  when 
everyone  of  them  was  more  or  less  in  leaf;  tlie  buds 
on  the  inch  pieces  had  made  some  progress  also  in 
the  meantime,  and  the  buds  on  the  shoots  which 
were  pruned  in  February  were  getting  full  also;  now 
was  the  turn  for  shortening  the  strong  shoots,  and 
you  would  be  surprised  to  see  bow  few  of  the  buds 
below  half  their  lengths  were  swollen.  All,  except  the 
last  six  or  seven  buds  near  the  top  of  each  shoot, 
seemed  not  to  feel  the  iniluence  of  the  season  yet,  and 
when  1  cut  them  to  ditlerent  lengths,  taking  away  all 
the  forward  buds,  what  buds  I  left  on  those  strong, 
luxuriant  shoots  were  not  then  nearly  so  foiward  as 
tliose  on  the  little  spurs  at  the  bottom  of  the  wall,  and 
some  of  the  buds  on  the  intermediate  shoots  were 
actually  in  leaf  some  days  before  the  very  top  buds  on 
the  plant. 

If  you  understand  the  force  and  value  of  having  the 
buds  on  the  weak  lower  branches  as  forward  iu  the 
spring  as  those  at  the  top  of  the  tree,  be  it  Rose,  or 
Apple,  Pomegranate,  or  Pob/carims,  if  there  is  such  a 
tree,  you  will  .igree  with  me  what  shoots  of  a  tree  ought 
to  be  pruned  in  tlie  spring,  and  which  ought  not  to  be 
pruned  in  the  spring  ;  also  what  trees  and  bushes  ought 
to  be  ])runed-in  just  now,  and  what  bushes,  and  trees, 
and  plants  ought  never  to  be  left  unpruucd  till  the 
spring.  A  weak,  scurfy,  scrofulous,  or  puny  scrub  of  a 
tree,  whether  a  Rose,  Ribes,  or  Rosemary,  whether  for 
fruit,  flower,  or  fume,  shoidd  never  bo  left  unpruned 
after  the  middle  of  November  iu  each  year  of  its  sickly 
life,  and  if  pruned  six  weeks  earlier  than  tliat  the  sick- 
ness is  the  more  likely  to  vanish.  A  young,  healthy, 
vigorous-growing  tree  or  bush,  ditto,  ditto;  or  an  old  one 
which  threatens  to  run  out  of  bounds,  ought  not,  on  any 
account,  to  be  pruned  till  late  in  the  spring;  never  in 
the  autumn ;  and  as  almost  all  trees  exhibit  parts  that 
are  neither  strong,  vigorous,  or  thriving,  as  did  that 
very  strong  Blairii,  No.  2,  it  follows  as  naturally  as  day 
follows  the  night,  that  there  are  very  few  trees  indeed, 
within  the  garden,  which  ought  to  be  pruned  all  over 
the  same  day,  or  the  same  week  or  month.  In  short, 
to  keep  iu  keeping  with  my  text,  I  hold  it  to  bo  sound 
philosophy  to  prune  parts  of  a  tree  in  the  spring ;  and  I 
affirm  it  as  bad  practice  to  leave  the  weak  parts  of  a 
tree  unpruned  till  the  spring;  and  this  rule  or  law  holds 
good  through  the  whole  kingdom  of  trees  and  bushes, 
and  through  many  of  the  smaller  states  lower  in  the 
scale ;  as,  for  instance,  take  a  good  specimen  of  a 
Scarlet  Geranium,  from  which  you  wish  to  make  cuttings 
just  now,  and  if  you  undeistaud  the  drift  of  my  argu- 
ment, does  it  stand  to  reason  tliat  you  can  improve  it 
in  shape,  or  equalise  the  strength,  by  taking  off  all  the 


tops,  weak  and  strong,  the  same  day  or  the  same  week. 
All  the  shoots  are  on  tlie  move  now,  and  the  strong  ones 
will  burst  into  new  growth  after  cutting  much  sooner 
than  the  little  shoots,  and  so  sure  as  they  do,  the  little 
ones  will  have  a  still  less  share  of  the  rising  sap,  and 
besides  being  little,  as  they  are,  they  will  get  crippled 
into  the  bargain,  and  die  at  last,  if  you  do  not  cut  them 
oil'  by  way  of  saving  appearances. 

It  was  only  the  other  week  that  we  had  a  now  Gera- 
nium with  two  weak  shoots  and  a  sti'ong  one ;  this  strong 
one  flowered,  and  cuttings  were  made  from  the  other 
two  till  we  bad  them  stumped  nearly  to  the  quick,  six 
weeks  before  the  strong  one  was  out  of  flower,  and  cut 
down  in  its  turn.  Now  nobody  could  tell,  next  August, 
if  the  whole  three  were  not  cut  the  same  morning. 
You  may  very  naturally  inquire  now,  if  that  be  so, 
how  is  it  that  they  do  not  cut  the  large  Geraniums 
which  we  see  at  the  shows  on  the  same  plan,  which 
they  never  do.  Tliere  is  no  trouble  in  telling  tliat. 
Nothing  is  so  plain  as  ilinr  reason.  Their  plants,  and 
all  plants,  never  have  all  the  shoots  of  the  same  size 
or  strength — this  is  bow  they  do  it;  they  cut  the 
smallest  shoots  much  lower  down  than  the  strong 
cues,  and  they  allow  of  only  one,  or,  at  most,  two 
new  branches  to  come  from  the  bottom  of  the  little  ones, 
the  rest  are  riibbed  off;  but  on  the  bottom  of  the  big 
shoots  they  allow  five  or  six  new  shoots  to  come;  then 
it  is  just  like  all  the  world  over — a  strong  man  will  find 
as  ranch  difficulty  in  fighting  against  five  ordinary  men, 
or  in  providing  for  their  keep,  as  a  little  man  with 
narrow  shoulders  would  find  iu  pushing  against,  or  iu 
favour  ol',  one  or  two  ;  so  it  comes  to  the  same  thing,  at 
last,  with  many  trees  and  flowers,  but  never  with  Roses 
and  most  trees  which  require  much  looking  after. 

ROSE-CUTTINGS   IN   THE    OPEN   AIR. 

The  A  E  c  of  striking  Rose-cuttings  in  the  spring  is  to 
get  forward  little  shoots,  or,  at  least,  short  ones  iu  a 
ibrward  state  of  bud,  and  even  if  the  top  bud  is  in  leaf 
it  is  all  the  better;  this  soft  top  is  cut  ott' very  carefully, 
but  not  to  the  old  wood;  the  rest  of  the  swollen  buds  are 
broken  otiT  also,  and  what  is  left  round  the  bottom  of  the 
broken  buds  may  not  be  seen,  but,  rest  assured,  there  are 
many  little  buds  round  most  of  them,  and  they  will 
come  in  their  turn.  1  could  not  see  a  single  bud  on  the 
little  spurs  I  lel't  on  Blairii  when  I  pruned  in  Novem- 
ber; but  I  could  more  tliau  see  them  in  February — I 
could  then  feel  them  ;  then  you  see,  that  by  pruning  oft' 
swollen  buds  of  Roses  iu  the  sjn'ing  you  put  the  cuttings 
back,  as  it  were,  to  November  ;  .ind  yet  they  are  full  of 
spring  sap,  and  this  sap  must  go  somewhere,  up  or 
down;  part  of  it  will  go  down  and  make  roots  if  the 
cutting  is  in  a  right  way,  and  part  will  go  to  push  the 
invisible  buds  iuto  daylight.  The  cuttings  are  put  into 
small  pots,  and  close  round  tho  side  in  a  firm  compost 
of  half  sand  and  any  light  earth  that  comes  in  the  way; 
the  pots  are  plunged  to  keep  them  moist,  for  that  is  all 
that  Rose-cuttings  require  in  the  spring.  If  they  were  put 
into  sand,  or  soil,  without  pots,  they  would  be  either  loo 
wet  or  too  dry,  and  when  a  Rose-cutting  is  full  of  spring 
sap,  the  least  dampness  will  kill  it  in  three  days;  if  it  is 
too  dry  it  soon  shrivels,  so  that  there  is  a  good  deal 
of  nicety  about  the  thing,  and  may  fail  with  them  for 
awhile,  till  they  get  into  the  right  way.  Rut  is  it  not 
the  same  in  everything  else  ?  Who  could  make  hooks- 
and-eycs  for  a  dress  at  the  first  start?  And  tho  man 
who  makes  tho  needles  could  no  more  hem  a  silk  hand- 
kerchief than  I  could,  on  the  first  or  second  trial.  It  is 
so  with  cuttings,  and  particularly  so  with  cuttings  of 
Roses  in  the  open  air  at  this  season  ;  but  that  they  can 
be  done  is  beyond  all  question.  They  must  not  have 
too  much  rain,  even  in  pots,  or  too  much  sun,  or  too 
much  easterly  winds.  When  they  are  well-rooted  by 
the  end  of  May,  they  must  be  tin-ned  out  of  the  pots 


Mabcii  1G. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


459 


I  for  the  season,  without  distui'bing  tlie  balls,  into  little 
j  holes  in  the  bordci',  which  must  be  filled  all  rouud  with 
j  Rs  I'icb  and  light  compost  as  one  can  make,  and  in 
I  October  they  are  fit  to  bo  taken  up  and  done  anything 
with. 

COTONEASTEll   MICROPHYLLA. 

^VlIAT  a  pity  tliat  nobody  takes  tliis  plant  in  hand  to 
grow  it  in  the  riglit  way  ;  oi',  at  any  rate,  to  train  it  in  a 
way  that  it  would  tell  so  iiuich  better  than  trailing  along 
on  the  ground.  It  will  come  from  cuttings  of  one-year 
wood  if  they  are  put  in  any  week  in  the  year,  and  one 
can  always  take  them  with  iieels.  This  month  and  to 
the  1st  of  May  is  a  very  good  time  to  pat  thou  in. 
They  will  root  in  any  light  garden  soil,  which  ouglit  to 
bo  pressed  liard  round  them.  Tt  does  not  matter  much 
whether  the  bottom  leaves  are  rubbed  otf  or  not,  but,  as 
it  does  not  look  workman-like  to  put  leaves  in  the  ground 
with  any  sort  of  cutting,  we  had  better  say,  rub  oft'  the 
bottom  leaves  for  a  couple  of  inches,  and  press  tlie  earth 
hard  to  them.  Cuttings  of  any  length  will  do,  and  three 
inches  is  the  right  depth  to  put  them  in  the  ground,  and 
other  three  inches  out  of  tlic  ground  is  the  right  length 
above.  Then,  if  your  cuttings  are  just  si.\  inches  long, 
you  are  right,  and,  if  longer,  cut  tlio  tops  to  that  length. 
If  you  can  can  get  a  shady  place  for  tliem  they  will 
hardly  ever  want  water.  Next  winter  or  spring  they 
will  be  rooted  enough  for  moving  anywhere.  They 
make  a  beautiful  hedge  in  a  geometric  garden,  planted 
six  or  nine  inches  apart  in  this  young  state,  or  a  foot 
from  plant  to  plant  if  they  are  bigger  ;  and  the  way  to 
train  is  to  put  a  row  of  pegs  in  the  ground,  along  the 
line,  about  ten  or  twelve  inches  apart,  and  a  foot  high 
out  of  the  ground  :  the  branches  are  then  trained  or 
wattled  in  and  out  between  the  sticks,  as  close  as  if  you 
were  making  a  hamper — this  is  to  get  a  body  lor  the 
hedge.  Every  other  year  you  must  put  in  longer  and 
longer  sticks,  to  got  up  to  what  height  you  want  the 
hedge  to  be,  and  each  season  you  wattle  the  shoots  as 
before,  and  also  cut-in  the  side-shoots  from  tlie  bottom, 
on  both  sides.  The  hedge  should  be  about  a  foot  thick, 
and  square  on  the  top,  or  it  may  be  sharp,  like  the  ridge 
of  a  house.  Nothing  makes  a  neater  or  more  architec- 
tural looking  hedge  than  this  plant;  and  with  its  red 
berries  in  winter,  it  looks  as  gay  as  a  bed  of  Skiinmia 
japoniea. 

Another  most  ornamental  way  of  using  this  jilant  is, 
to  make  choice  of  an  old  plant,  which  has  stood  many 
years  in  the  border,  or  rocli-work,  and  to  cut  this  plant 
down  to  the  ground  about  the  middle  of  April,  not 
leaving  one  morsel  of  it  above  the  ground.  The  strong 
roots  will  soon  throw  up  a  bunch  of  shoots,  like  a  stool 
of  Raspberries,  and  quite  in  a  dilferent  way  to  the  old 
plant — more  like  a  young  Oak  or  pollard  Willow  cut  down 
in  the  spring.  Choose  iive  or  six  of  the  strongest  of 
these,  and  cut  back  the  rest,  put  in  a  stake,  five  feet  long, 
and  train  np  the  shoots  to  it,  just  like  a  pillar  Rose,  and 
you  never  saw  such  a  pretty  pillar-plant  in  your  life.  I 
know  one  which  is  fifteen  feet  high,  or  might  be,  but 
the  pole  is  only  ten  feet,  and  the  shoots  liang  down 
from  the  top  most  gracel'uUy.  Tho  sides  of  the  pillar 
should  not  be  pruned  in  too  close,  the  more  feathery  it 
is  the  more  graceful,  and  tlie  more  berries;  but  out  back 
all  suckers  for  a  good  handsome  pillar. 

It  is  also  a  good  wall  plant  if  you  once  got  it  to  run 
up ;  atid  by  pruning  it  so  as  to  have  horizontal  side 
branches,  like  a  Pear-tree,  it  looks  uncommonly  well. 

D.  Beaton. 

COMPARING  NOTES. 
SMALL   GREENHOUSES   ATTACHED   TO 
DWELLINa-HOUSES. 
It  is  now  getting  on  for  two  years  since  I  had  the  last 


gossip  with  Mr.  Beaton.  At  that  period  he  had  been 
enclosing  part,  at  least,  of  the  back  yards  of  some  new 
houses  with  a  roof  of  sheet  glass,  so  as  to  give  the 
tenants  the  convenience  of  shelter,  and  the  luxury  of  a 
conservatory  at  command,  a  very  fair  per  contage  of 
additional  rent  being  expected  for  tho  outlay.  In 
suburban  districts,  and  small  country  towns,  tlie  system, 
if  more  generally  adopted,  would,  1  believe,  be  profitable 
to  landlords,  and  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  tenants, 
and  few,  if  any,  could  better  than  our  friend  give  the 
subject  such  an  importance  and  notice  as  to  command 
attention.  Atthatporiod  he  had  also  been  visiting  some 
sawing  establishment  at  Brentford,  where  sasii-bars,  &c., 
wore  prepared  with  something  like  lightning  rapidity. 
As  a  vast  number  of  questions  respecting  the  cost  of 
small  houses  are  eo'utiuually  put,  which  these,  like 
myself,  living  in  the  country  are  unable  suitably  to 
answer,  locality  and  circumstances,  as  to  materials  and 
carriage  making  such  a  dift'erence,  ill  might  be  in- 
teresting to  know  for  what  good  greenhouses,  lean-to's, 
and  detached,  of  various  small  sizes,  could  be  built  for, 
using  the  best  material  of  all  kinds,  and  evorj'thing 
well  finished ;  and  what  the  difforencc  would  be  with 
inferior  glass,  &e.  Many  have  quite  scouted  the  idea  of 
a  five  pound  greenhouse,  an  account  of  which  appeared 
in  The  Cottage  Gakdener  some  time  ago,  but  they 
forget  that  the  whole  materials  wore  of  the  commonest 
description,  and  the  most  of  the  work  superintended,  if 
not  done,  by  the  owner.  If  it  would  be  desirable  to  give 
more  definite  information  on  this  subject,  our  meti-opo- 
litan  coadjutors  would  bo  the  most  suitable  persons  to 
supply  it. 

The  other  day  I  was  in  one  of  a  whole  row  of  minia- 
ture greenhouses  which  interested  me  very  much.  A 
few  weeks  previously,  when  coming  out  of  a  merchant's 
house,  in  the  same  market-town,  I  was  accosted  by  a 
young  lawyer,  who  wanted  to  know  a  great  deal  about 
the  treatment  of  an  Orange-plant.  Questions  on  his 
side  were  so  met  by  the  activity  of  the  inquisitive  bump 
on  mine,  as  to  the  position  and  the  circumstances  of  this 
Orange-plant,  until  the  discovery  was  made  that  it  be- 
longed to  a  young  lady,  who  prized  it  highly,  and  that 
she  kept  it  in  her  greenhouse.  On  one  thing  he  was 
wholly  deficient  in  information- — he  knew  nothing  of  the 
heating  of  the  house,  and  yet  he  knew  that  the  severe 
frost  had  hurt  none  of  the  plants.  I  was  just  at  the 
point  of  passing  a  joke  about  the  consultation  fee,  when 
the  thought  that  there  might  be  a  hidden  mystery  about 
orange-hlossoms  kept  me  silent.  The  knowledge  of  an 
additional  plant-house,  however  small,  was  to  me  inter- 
esting, as  I  thought  I  pretty  well  knew  something  of  all 
the  plant-houses  in  the  town.  But  in  this  I  had  reached 
conclusions  without  a  due  knowledge  of  the  facts  and 
premises. 

A  great  deal  of  building  has  lately  been  going  on,  and 
the  house  in  which  I  was  the  other  day  was  one  of  a 
considerable  number  facing  a  continuation  of  a  new 
street,  built  by  and  belonging  to  one  landlord,  and  all 
uniform.  The  houses  are  small,  and,  iu  every  sense,  self- 
contained  ;  the  yards  or  gardens  being  all  distinct  and 
divided  from  each  other ;  they  are  two  stories  in  height, 
I  forget  whether  with  or  without  attics.  On  entering 
the  street-door,  the  passage  takes  you  past  the  doors  of 
of  the  front  and  back  parlour,  and  rounding  the  stair- 
case into  the  kitchen  ;  this  is  a  separate  building,  joined 
to,  and  about  half  the  width  of,  the  main  house ;  but 
the  gable  end,  containing  the  fire-place  and  chimney, 
standing  at  right  angles  with  it.  Keeping  this  in  view, 
it  will  at  once  be  seen,  that  between  the  kitchen  of  one 
house  and  the  kitchen-wall  of  the  ne.xt  a  space  opposite 
the  window  of  the  back  parlour  would  be  left  of  some- 
thing like  eight  feet  by  fourteen.  This  window  has 
been  changed  into  folding  glass  doors,  the  space  is 
roofed  with  glass,  and  a  glass  door  and  end  lets  you  out 


460 


THE  COTTAOE  GAllDENEE. 


Maiich  10. 


into  the  neat  little  garden.  Tliore  ia  a  door,  of  course, 
iu  the  kitchen  for  the  eame  purpose. 

In  the  smuU  house  in  wliich  I  was  the  other  day 
(March  C),  tliere  was  a  narrow  walk  from  the  parlour, 
down  its  centre,  to  the  door  in  the  end,  with  a  neat 
border  on  each  side.  Mignonette  liad  been  growing 
in  these  borders  all  the  winter,  and  was  nice  and  green, 
but  did  not  flower  very  well,  owing,  as  I  suggested,  to  a 
uunt  of  air,  and  to  beiug  such  a  distance  in  the  dark 
months  from  the  glass  roof.  Several  strong  Geraniums, 
of  the  Oiant  Scarlet,  were  growing  vigorously  against 
the  wall.  Fuchsias,  and  variegated  Geraniums,  were 
quite  healthy  in  the  borders  ;  a  l'assion-fi(Jwer  was  green 
and  flourishing,  and  growing  vigorously  against  the 
wall;  and  two  Vines  were  just  bursting  their  buds. 
The  intelligent  owner  said,  they  never  thought  about 
the  frost,  though  he  regarded  all  with  that  zest  which 
the  enthusiasm  of  tending  plauts  and  flowers  with  our 
own  hands  alone  can  inspire.  The  situation  of  the 
kitchen  chimney,  in  the  centre  of  one  of  the  boundary 
walls  of  this  jniuiature  house,  had  kept  the  frost 
entirely  out  during  the  late  cold  weather.  In  hot 
weather  there  are  |)lenty  of  means  for  admitting  air,  by 
sliding  one  or  both  of  the  sashes,  as  far  as  I  understood, 
and  opening  the  end  door.  I  found  out  that  the  owner 
of  the  Orange-plant  referred  to  lived  in  one  of  these 
houses.  I  have  been  thus  minute  in  the  description  of 
this  block  of  houses,  as  these  miniature  greenhouses 
would  cost  but  a  small  sum  in  making,  or  keeping,  and 
would  be  mucli  coveted  by  all  who  could  spare  a  few 
hours  from  the  hurry  and  bustle  of  business. 

A  few  hints  and  remarks  may  be  added  iu  conclusion. 

1.  From  adopting  such  a  plan  for  small  houses,  all 
the  bother  of  heating  is  avoided;  if  the  houses  were 
wider,  it  is  questionable  if  the  chimney  from  the  kitchen 
would  be  sufiicient.  Even  in  cold  nights,  when  a  little 
clear  fire  was  kept  in  the  grate  on  retiring  for  the  night, 
a  damper  placed  in  the  chimney  so  as  to  allow  a  small 
opening,  to  prevent  the  air  of  the  room  being  contami- 
nated, would  prevent  the  heat  freely  escaping  at  the  top. 

2.  The  house  having  light  admitted  merely  at  the 
roof  and  the  end,  low  plauts  on  the  border  will  not 
thrive  nearly  so  well  as  those  more  elevated  to  within 
three  feet  or  so  of  the  glass,  either  by  means  of  small 
stages,  baskets,  or  vases , 

3.  Tall  standards  of  such  things  as  Tea  Roses, 
Fuchsias,  Scarlet  Geraniums,  Salvia  splendens,  &c.,  would 
make  an  interesting  appearance,  allowiug  their  heads  to 
occupy  the  most  of  the  space  above  the  head-room  ne.xt 
the  parlour  door. 

■i.  Vines  would  require  to  be  taken  up  the  wall,  and 
then  trained,  either  longitudinally  or  cross-wise,  about 
fifteen  inches  from  the  glass,  but  if  allowed  to  monopo- 
lise the  roof  the  room  would  be  made  too  dark.  Blue 
and  purple  Passion-flowers,  suspended  in  festoons  from 
arches,  would  also  have  a  very  pleasing  appearance. 

0.  Camellias  and  Oranges  would  also  do  well,  either 
as  tall  plants,  or  as  trained  over  and  covering  the  walls. 
The  greatest  part  of  the  Cactus  tribo  would  also  answer 
well.  How  nice,  for  instance,  would  Speciosa  Jenldii- 
sonii,  &c.,  do  on  one  wall,  and  Spcciossissima  and  its 
varieties  on  another;  while  strong  shoots  at  the  top 
could  be  grafted  with  Mallesonii,  Jiagelliformis,  &c.,  and 
look  nice  dangling  from  the  roof 

0.  One  thing  necessary  to  success  would  bo  the  as^iect. 
North  should  be  entirely  avoided :  it  would  only  bo 
fitted  for  Mosses,  Ferns,  and  keeping  plants,  bought  iu 
bloom  from  a  nurseryman.  The  South,  south-east,  and 
south-west  would  be  the  best,  but  we  would  not  throw 
cold  water  altogether  on  either  east  or  west. 

7.  The  modes  of  planting  and  managing  such  places 
would  be  endless,  and  the  greater  the  variety  not  in  one 
jilace,  but  each  different,  the  better.  The  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances of  large  cities,  in  which  a  man  knows  no 


more  of  his  next-door  neighbour  than  if  lie  lived  in  the 
wilds  of  Australia,  has  not  yet  thoroughly  penetrated  our 
country  market-towus,  though  there  be  a  tendoucy  iu 
this  direction  from  every  great  increase  of  houses  and 
inhabitants.  Tliere  is  still  a  considerable  spice  of 
neighbourly  feeling,  and  a  desire  to  cultivate  the  social 
virtues.  Any  apparent  want  of  this  proceeds  not  so 
much  from  any  inherent  feeling  of  e.xclusivcncss  as  the 
want  of  a  good  excuse  for  breakingin  upon  the  privacy 
of  our  neighbours.  Now,  what  a  fine  opportunity  do 
these  miniature  greenhouses,  furnished  difierently, 
afford  for  breakingin  upon  the  icy  coldness  of  a  genteel, 
stilted  reserve.  1,  myself,  have  often  got  into  kind,  sym- 
pathetic speaking  terms,  by  going  to  see  and  expressing 
admiration  of  a  plant  in  a  window.  Well,  on  my  word, 
tliere  goes  Mrs.  Prudence,  having  summoned-up  courage 
to  knock  at  the  door  of  Mrs.  Thrifty!!  A  distant  uod 
was  all  their  previous  recoguitious  !  "I  have  ventured 
to  ask  the  favour  to  see  your  beautiful  Camellias."  "  0, 
most  welcome;  most  welcome;"  and  away  the  ladies  go, 
talking  about  flowers,  as  only  ladies  can  talk,  feeling 
a  stronger  and  stronger  mesmeric  sympathy  getting 
hold  of  them  reciprocally ;  and  if  the  interview  does  not 
actually  end  in  sipping  together  the  "cheering  cup  that 
not  inebriates,"  Mrs.  Thrifty  has  received  and  promised 
to  act  on  the  invitation,  by-and-by,  to  see  the  splendid 
Fuchsias  of  Mrs.  Prudence,  and  so  the  kindly,  social 
feeling,  based  on  intelligent  perceptions  of  the  beautiful 
in  vegetable  nature,  spreads  from  one  house  to  another. 
I  know  nothing  of  the  builder  or  owner  of  the  block  of 
houses  referred  to;  but  I  believe  the  idea  will  be  suc- 
cessful, whether  viewed  in  its  remunerative,  ameliora- 
tive, or  pleasure-imparting  aspects.  E.  Fish. 


THE   ANTIRRHINUM. 

(Continued  from   page   442.) 

Cuttings  in  Pots. — As  I  have  said  that  Antirrhinums 
should  be  exhibited  in  pots,  it  is  but  right  that  I  should 
describe  the  way  they  ought  to  be  grown  so  as  to  show 
them  off  to  the  best  advantage. 

Soil. — The  first  thing  to  provide  is  the  soil.  Whoever 
grows  florists'  flowers  will  be  always  on  the  look-out  for 
good  loam,  and  I  need  scarcely  maintain  that  the  best 
is  the  turf  from  an  upland  pasture,  taken  off'  about  two 
or  three  inches  thick,  carted  home,  and  laid  up  on  a  heap 
for  a  year,  to  cause  the  grass  roots  to  decay  and  mellow 
the  soil.  If  this  heap  is  chopped  and  turned  over  four 
or  five  times  during  the  year,  it  will  be  sweeter,  and 
better  pulverised,  and  iu  finer  condition  for  use.  Of 
this  loam  take  three  parts,  and  of  well-decomposed  leaf- 
mould  one  part,  and  sand3'-peat  ono  part.  If  the  gi'ower 
has  no  leaf-mould  he  may  use  the  same  quantity  of 
hotbed  manure,  but  in  that  case  it  must  be  exceedingly 
well  decomposed,  in  fact,  reduced  to  a  fine  black  mould. 
Taking  into  consideration  that  the  Antirrhinum  grows 
well  on  old  brick-walls,  a  small  portion  of  old  lime 
rubbish,  slightly  sifted,  will  bo  of  service  to  the  plants 
mixed  amongst  the  compost.  All  these  matters  being 
duly  prepared  in  sufficient  quantity,  let  them  be  brought 
under  shelter  to  dry  some  time  before  the  potting  season. 

Pots. — The  second  article  to  provide  is  the  right  sized 
pots.  I  have  grown  and  bloomed  them  very  tolerably  in 
what  aro  called  large  4«'s,  which  are  5-1 -inches  diameter; 
but  for  exhibition  purposes,  or  to  grow  them  finely  for 
private  pleasure,  they  ought  to  bo  jilautcd  in  n-iuch 
pots ;  and  as  these  plants  have  strong  roots  that  run 
deep  into  the  earth,  the  pots  should  be  of  the  deepest 
size  made. 

Potting. — The  ]iroper  lime  for  this  operation  is  early 
in  March.  The  jilauts  should  be  then  just  beginning 
to  push  up  three  or  four  strong  shoots  from  the  base  of 


MAncn  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  QARDENEE. 


401 


the  plants.  These  must  he  taken  great  cave  of,  for  thoy 
are  to  produce  the  flower  spikes.  Drain  a  pot  well,  and 
place  a  little  moss  upon  the  drainage  to  prevent  the  soil 
from  choking  it  up,  then  fill  the  pot  high  enough  for  the 
ball  of  the  plarit  to  be  nearly  level  with  the  rim  of  the 
pot.  Turn  the  plant  out  of  its  present  pot,  and  remove 
the  old  drainage  carefully  out  from  amongst  the  roots. 
Open  these  out  without  breaking  them,  and  work  the 
fresh  soil  amongst  them.  I'ill  the  soil  up  round  the 
ball  level  with  the  rim,  covering  the  ball  about  a-quarter- 
of-an-iach,  then  shake  the  soil  down  by  striking  the  pot 
smartly  on  the  bench,  and  the  potting  of  one  is  finished. 
Proceed  thus  with  all  the  rest,  and  when  all  are  finished 
give  a  good  watering,  and  place  them  in  a  cool  pit 
or  frame.  Protect  them  from  severe  frosts  by  a  cover- 
ing of  mats  or  some  other  material  that  will  keep  it 
oft',  but  open  the  fraoies  every  day,  as  early  as  the 
weather  will  permit  to  keep  them  cool.  This  is 
a  grand  jioint ;  for  if  they  are  drawn  ujj  into  weak 
growth  tliero  will  be  no  fine  bloom.  Should  any 
of  the  plants  produce  one  or  two  strong  shoots,  these 
ought  to  be  stopped,  to  cause  them  to  produce  more 
shoots.  Every  plant  should  have  at  least  five  shoots 
for  bloom.  When  these  strong  shoots  have  made  some 
progress,  and  have  a  fair  proportion  of  leaves,  then  all 
the  small,  weak  shoots  should  be  cut  clean  off.  They 
make  the  very  best  cuttings. 

After-culture. — As  the  plants  grow  they  must  bo  well 
supplied  with  water,  and  vvlien  the  pots  are  filled  with 
roots  a  weak  solution  of  dung-water  will  be  serviceable. 
The  great  thing  to  aim  at,  is  to  produce  a  strong,  healthy, 
bushy  plant  before  the  flower-spikes  appear.  It  may 
be  necessary,  where  the  shoots  of  any  variety  are  weak, 
to  place  small  green  sticks  to  support  them,  or  prevent 
the  wind  from  breaking  them;  though  I  abominate 
sticks,  and  would  never  use  them,  except  in  cases  of 
necessity.  It  might  happen  that  some  varieties  cluster 
their  shoots  together,  and,  in  such  a  case,  sticks  must 
be  used  in  an  early  stage— place  a  stick  to  each  shoot 
to  spread  them  out,  leaving  the  tallest  in  the  centre. 

As  the  season  advances  the  plants  should  be  placed 
in  the  open  air,  on  a  bed  of  coal  ashes,  in  a  situation 
sheltered  from  the  wind.  Just  before  the  blooms  begin 
to  open  cover  the  plants  with  an  awning  of  canvass  to 
shelter  them  from  the  sun  and  heavy  rains.  To  produce 
a  number  of  fine  blossoms  at  once,  nip  off  the  very  tip 
of  each  spike  wliilst  they  are  growing.  This  will  en- 
courage the  blooms  greatly,  and  bring  out  a  greater 
number  of  fine  blooms  at  once,  and  thereby  ensure  a 
finer  exhibition. 

No  flower  vfill  travel  better,  when  in  bloom,  than  the 
Antirrhinum,  5'et,  when  the  distance  they  have  to  be 
conveyed  is  considerable,  it  will  be  safer  to  place  a  stick 
to  each  spike,  placing  them  at  such  a  distance  that  the 
blooms  will  not  rub  against  or  touch  each  other.  They 
should  be  packed  in  a  box,  and  each  pot  secured  so  that 
it  cannot  move,  space  being  allowed  between  each  so 
that  the  plants  do  not  touch  each  other.  The  front  of 
the  box  should  open,  and  the  plants  then  can  be  taken 
out  easily  and  safely.  Any  country  carpenter  may  make 
such  a  box  easily.  When  the  plants  reach  the  place  of 
exhibition,  take  them  carefully  out  of  the  box,  remove 
all  unnecessary  sticks,  and  trim  off  any  bruised  leaves 
or  flowers,  and,  if  necessary,  give  them  a  little  water  to 
Iveep  them  fresh  through  the  time  of  the  exhibition. 
They  must  then  be  left  to  receive  the  adjudgment  of  the 
censors.  I  can  confidently  predict,  that  whoever  will 
bestow  all  tho  above-described  attention  will  bo  agree- 
ably surprized  with  the  fine  appearance  tho  Antirrhinums 
will  make. 

T.  Appleby. 
(To  he  contimtcd.) 


SCRAPS  EliOM  MY  NOTE   BOOK. 

Heaton  Paek  is  near  Manchester,  and  the  seat  of 
Earl  Wilton.  This  place,  though  within  tho  reach  of 
tho  smoke  of  the  great  cotton  factories  of  that  town, 
always  exhibits  marks  of  good  gardening.  I  visited  it 
during  the  great  suow  storm  in  January,  and  found  due 
preparations  for  producing  early  crops  of  forced  fruits. 
T'iie  Cherries,  esjiecially,  were  promisiug,  being  full  of 
blossom-buds;  and  to  prevent,  or  rather  destroy,  tho 
red  spider  and  the  black  aphides,  Mi'.  Shuter  had 
painted  all  his  Cherry-trees  with  lime-wash,  and  said  ho 
always  made  that  a  practice,  with  complete  success.  In 
the  Pj»«-pits  I  observed  several  fine  fruit  of  the 
variety  Black  Prince.  This  was  raised,  I  believe,  by  J. 
Entwistle,  Esq.,  at  his  place  near  Rochdale.  It  is  a 
noble  fruit,  and  worthy  of  general  cultivation,  though 
some  say  that  it  ripens  unequally. 

The  excellent  method  of  liaving  double  fronts  to  the 
Vineries  is  here  practised  to  a  great  extent.  By  thus 
isolating  the  Vines  the  houses  can  be  made  use  of  for 
plants  requiring  heat,  such  as  Pines  and  stove  plants. 
The  outside  front  windows  are  so  contrived  that  they 
can  be  opened  to  keep  the  Vines  cool  and  at  rest ;  the 
inner  windows  ai-e  kept  close,  to  prevent  tho  heat  from 
reaching  the  Vines.  This  is  much  superior  to  the  old 
method  of  twisting  the  Vines  out  of  the  front  windows 
and  exposing  them  to  the  cold  and  wet  of  the  winter. 
When  I  was  gardener  at  Horsforth  HaU,  for  the  Rev. 
James  Armitnge  Rhodes,  we  had  to  turn  out  the  Vines 
through  the  front  windows,  and  often  had  the  misfor- 
tune, yearly,  to  twist  one  or  two  ofl'  just  where  the  roots 
commenced.  The  hothouses  here  wore  formerly  heated 
witli  rows  of  very  small  iron  pipes,  on  the  principle 
invented  and  patented  by  the  late  Mr.  Perkins.  The 
great  fault  of  this  system  is  the  great  attention  it 
requires,  and  the  danger  of  the  pipes  bursting.  It  is 
now  pulled  down,  and  the  ordinary  four-inch  pipes 
substituted,  which  are  found  to  answer  much  better, 
requiring  less  care,  and  giving  a  more  equal  tempera- 
ture. 

There  is  a  very  fair  collection  of  my  favoui'ite 
plants  the  Orchidacece.  There  is  not  only  a  goodly  lot, 
but  they  are  in  good  vigorous  health.  The  following 
were  in  flower : — Lycaste  Skinnerii,  a  good  variety ; 
Leptotes  hieolor,  with  its  pretty  spotted  llowers;  Onci- 
dium  ornithorhynchmn,  several  spikes  of  sweet-scented 
flowers ;  O.  Bauerii,  many  spikes ;  O.  pubes ;  Phaius 
grandifiorus,  strong,  with  many  spikes ;  and  several 
plants  of  that  useful  winter-blooming  plant,  the  Steno- 
rijnchus  speciosus. 

Penrhvn  Castle. — This  is  near  Bangor,  North  Wales, 
and  is  the  residence  of  Colonel  Pennant.  The  gardens 
here  have  been  greatly  improved  within  the  last  seven 
years,  and  are  still  making  progress.  In  early  crops, 
my  Note-book  says — Grapes,  very  forward ;  some  in 
pots,  were  so  far  advanced  (Jan.  6th.)  as  to  have  been 
once  thinned.  In  one  house,  tho  Vines  on  the  rafters 
were  just  coming  into  bloom,  and  showed  plenty  of 
bunches.  I  was  much  struck  with  tlie  rich  dark  green 
colour  of  the  leaves ;  I  never  saw  a  finer  colour  at  any 
season  of  the  year.  I  ascribed  the  colour  to  the  clear 
glass  and  the  narrow  ribs  between  it.  Tliere  were 
some  excellent  Pines,  and  some  large  fruiting  plants,  in 
excellent  health.  They  are  grown  in  low  houses,  and 
arc  planted  out  in  the  Hamiltonian  method. 

But  the  point  in  gardening  that  pleases  me  most  liere 
are  the  Espaliers  coveied  with  Pears.  They  are  simply 
formed  with  iron  upriglits,  and  five  or  six  iron  rods 
stretched  through  lioles  in  tho  iron  posts.  The  trees 
are  trained  horizoiitally,  every  shoot  as  regular  as 
possibly  can  be  conceived,  and  furnished  with  blossom 
buds  throughout.  In  all  my  travels,  I  never  saw  any- 
thing like  them,  so  oven,  perfect,  Hud  vpjnlnr. 


462 


THE  COTTAGE  OARDENEE. 


Mauch  10. 


lu  the  Pine-stoves,  on  the  curb-stoues  I  noticed  several 
plants  in  i'liU  flower  ol'  that  iiure  white  blossom,  the  Bal- 
samiua  latifoUa  alba,  a  plant  of  great  beauty  at  this  season 
of  tlie  year.  It  is  a  good  addition  to  our  winter-blooming 
plants,  but  requires  plenty  of  beat  and  moisture  to  keep 
it  in  health  and  bloom 

In  a  cool  Pcach-housc  I  noticed  a  great  quantity  of 
bedding-out  Scarlet  Geraniums.  These,  Mr.  Burn,  the 
gardener,  informed  me,  had  been  propagated  in  a  very 
simple  manner.  The  cuttings  were  taken  off  in  August, 
stuck  thickly  in  pots,  and  set  on  a  gravel  walk,  behind 
the  espaliers  alluded  to  above.  They  were  never  watered, 
but  just  took  what  fell  from  the  clouds,  and  every  cutting 
grew,  and  those  that  i  saw  were  the  stock  thus,  I  might 
almost  say,  carelessly  stuclc  in. 

EdI'Foed  Hall,  near  Ollertou,  Notts,  the  seat  of  the 
Earl  of  Scarborough  ;  a  fine  old  place,  with  a  good 
garden.  The  wall  trees  arc  uncommonly  well  managed. 
The  Seymour  system  of  training  the  Peach  consists  in 
not  allowing  any  shoots  on  the  under  side  of  the  main 
strong  branches.  It  is  a  beautiful  regular  mode  of 
training,  and  is  much  practised  iu  various  places  in 
Yorkshire ;  but  ]\Ir.  Cliapman,  the  gardener  at  Rufford 
Hall,  has  adopted  the  singular  mode  of  not  allowing 
any  young  shoots  to  remain  on  the  upper  side  of  the 
main  branches ;  and  he  assured  me,  he  found  the  sap 
more  regularly  distributed,  and  the  young  shoots  more 
equal  in  strength,  than  by  Seymour's  method.  The  fruit 
was  regular  and  ripened  equally  throughout  the  tree. 
Peach-growers  may  try  this,  and  thus  prove  whether 
there  is  any  advantage  in  it.  T.  Appleby. 


OAllROTS  AND  THEIR  CULTURE. 

There  are  few  things  more  precarious,  as  a  garden 
crop,  than  the  Carrot,  as,  from  a  variety  of  causes,  a 
good  crop  cannot  always  be  commanded  on  ground  that 
seems  capable  of  producing  most  other  things  in  great 
abundance,  for  though  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
the  parent  of  the  cultivated  variety  is  indigenous  with 
us,  yet  the  high  state  of  cultivation  to  which  it  has  been 
brought,  by  breeding  in  aud  in,  lias  so  far  diminished  its 
hardihood,  or  made  it  less  accommodating  in  its  habits, 
that  we  often  see  it  refuse  to  grow  on  ground  that  other 
crops  flourish  upon.     This  state  of  things  is  certainly, 
in  a  measure,  owing  to  the  improvement  effected  on  i 
certain  parts  of  it  wliich   require  a  certain  amount  of  i 
food  of  just  such  a  kind  as  all  land  docs  not  possess  in 
the  requisite  quantity,  and  though  there  be  a  super- 
abundance of  a  contrary  kind,  still  the  habits  of  the 
plant,  or  rather  its  constitution,  refuses  to  benefit  by  it. 
Another  reason  of  the  failure  of  the  Carrot  crop  arises, 
not  unfrequently,  from  the  attacks  of   enemies  against 
which   it  is  not  always  sufficiently   robust   to  protect 
itself;     this    occurs    more   ol'ten    in   old    gardens,    or 
grounds   rich   in  manure   and  other   compounds  of  a 
like   nature,  but  it  may  be  seen   in   newly  broken  iqi 
grounds  as  well.     However,  wo  occasionally  see  good 
crops  in  circumstances  similar  to  both  the  last  named  ; 
and  it  is  not  always  that  the  eye  of  the  experienced 
can  pronounce  whether  a  soil  pointed  out  to  him  is  a 
good  Carrot-bearing  one  or  not,  for  it  often  happens 
that  the  most  uni)roraisiug  tio   well,  while  the  better- 
looking  one  falls  oil'  sadly.      Nevertheless,  if  we  look  to 
the  best  districts  where  Carrots  are  produced  in  quan- 
tities, we  shall  glean  a  little  of  the  reason  "  why  they 
do  so." 

I  believe  I  am  right  iu  saying,  that  a  great  bulk  of 
the  Carrots  used  in  the  great  Metropolis  are  grown  on 
the  southern  part  of  Bedfordshire  and  its  adjoining 
county,  Herts.  These  roots  are  grown  on  land,  which,  at 
all  seasons,  does  not  present  such  a  fine,  mellow  surface 


as  other  lands  elsewhere,  which  are  not  favourable  to 
tliis  crop,  the  soil  being  a  light  hazel  loam,  rather  than 
that  sandy  or  gravelly  soil  with  which  we  arc  too  often 
wont  to  associate  the  name  of  Carrot.  Nevertlielcss,  a 
certain  amount  of  good  working  and  good  management 
is  requisite  in  all  cases  wliere  good  crops  are  expected. 
Now,  as  every  garden  does  not  possess  a  soil  so  nicely 
balanced  to  the  growth  of  the  Carrot  as  that  of  which 
1  speak,  it  may  be  well  to  mention  a  few  of  tlic 
"  points  "  which  tend  to  secure  a  crop,  noticing,  at  the 
same  time,  some  of  the  causes  of  failure. 

In  the  first  place,  we  shall  suppose  the  only  eligible 
site  for  a  Carrot-bed  is  in  an  old  garden,  whicli  has 
been  under  crops  of  various  kinds  for  many  years,  and 
received  a  liberal  allowance  of  manure  in  the  ordinary 
way.  This  soil,  rich  in  humus,  which,  doubtless,  grew 
excellent  Cabbage,  I,cttuee,  and  similar  crops,  is  not 
exactly  the  one  for  Carrots,  it  being  too  rich,  and  most 
likely  abounds  iu  the  enemies  so  much  to  be  dreaded  in. 
the  Carrot  crop.  Now,  the  only  way  to  manage  this 
well,  is  to  consider  some  time  before-hand  where  the 
Carrot-bed  is  to  be,  and  have  the  ground  trenched  in 
the  autumn,  burying  a  considerable  part  of  the  top  soil 
at  the  bottom,  and  mixing  some  of  the  bottom  with 
what  remains  at  the  top ;  this  is  done,  of  course,  only 
in  such  places  where  a  sufficient  depth  of  soil  is  to  be 
found,  aud  must  not  be  cai'ried  out  too  far,  neither  must 
it  be  delayed  until  just  before  sowing  time,  otherwise 
there  will  not  bo  time  for  the  earth  to  get  thoroughly 
pulverised  by  the  action  of  the  air,  as  well  as  rendered 
sweet,  and  capable  of  germinating  and  supporting 
delicate  seeds  like  the  Carrot.  Now,  in  addition  to  the 
trenching  just  spoken  of,  it  would  be  prudent  to  take 
advantage  of  two  or  three  favourable  occasions  when 
the  top  of  the  ground  was  dry,  during  the  winter,  and 
dig  it  all  over,  one  spit  deep  ;  the  last  digging  might 
only  be  a  sort  of  stirring,  the  top  side  remaining  as  top 
side  again.  This  movement  of  the  soil  is  best  done 
when  a  slight  frost  allows  the  ground  to  be  trod  upon 
without  jiressing  it,  while  the  tool  of  the  operator  is  still 
able  to  work.  It  is  almost  needless  to  say,  that  at  the 
last  the  ground  ought  to  be  made  very  fine,  and  ad- 
vantage taken  of  a  fine  day  to  sow  the  seed;  the  crop 
may  be  fairly  expected  to  he  good,  the  season  being 
favourable,  aud  all  vermin  kept  at  bay.  But  it  would 
bo  wrong  to  say  tliat  it  would  assuredly  be  good,  for 
old  gardens  are  not  always  the  best  places  for  Carrots.  I 
ought,  also,  to  mention,  that  it  would  be  well  (where  a 
choice  can  he  made)  to  have  the  Carrot  ibllowiug  some 
other  crop  than  one  of  the  Cabbage  family,  lor  they 
generally  leave  behind  them  a  train  o&  enemies  which 
prove  fatal  to  the  Car-rot.  Nevertheless,  there  may  be 
instances  where  this  may  be  necessary ;  in  such  cases, 
more  energy  in  preparing  the  ground,  so  as  to  fi'ee  it 
from  such  impurities,  accompanied  by  a  favourable 
season,  will  generally  effect  a  cure ;  lime,  of  course, 
being  also  an  ingredient  not  to  be  dispensed  with. 

The  Ear/i/  Uont  variety  of  the  Carrot  is  sujiposed  to 
contain  the  best  table  qualification,  but  it  is  smaller 
than  tlie  other;  the  Orange  is,  perhaps,  the  next  best, 
the  Altrinyham  having,  of  late  years,  appeared  so  hard 
and  uupalalable  ;  hut  much  depends  on  the  season,  the 
kind  of  soil  it  is  grown  ujion,  and  other  conditions,  that 
I  have  no  doubt  the  Altringham  may  bo  a  favourite 
when  the  other  kinds  arc  condemned.  In  one  respect  it 
dill'ers  from  many  others — there  is  a  much  larger  portion 
of  it  out  of  the  ground  than  there  is  of  the  others. 

In  summing  up  this  subject,  it  is  proper  to  observe, 
that  when  all  means  of  securing  a  good  crop  of  Carrots 
from  wire-worm,  &c.,  have  failed,  a  partial  one  nuiy  be 
found  by  sowing  this  root  with  a  crop  obnoxious  to  the 
vermin  s])okeu  of;  as  I  can  well  remember,  in  my  younger 
days,  seeing  C'n>'J0(s  aud />(Y7ts  sown  iu  alternate  rows; 
the  latter  produce,  being   oti'ensivc  to   the   wire-worm, 


March  16. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


463 


formed  a  sort  of  protection  to  the  Carrot,  whicli  grows 
pretty  well  under  such  treatment.  A  similar  plan  was 
in  ]iructicc,  about  the  same  time,  of  mi.\ing  Carrots  and 
Onions  together  ;  but  the  latter  wore  speedily  overgrown 
if  the  latter  did  anything  like  well.  Still,  it  was  remark- 
able to  notice  the  fine,  hcaltliy  Carrots  on  an  Onion-bed, 
while  scarce  one  was  to  be  seen  on  tlic  jilot  allotted  to 
themselves  alone  ;  but  it  is  needless  to  say,  tliat  wliou 
sown  in  an  Onion-bed  they  greatly  mar  that  crop,  and 
not  nnfrequently  all  but  destroy  it. 

It  would  bo  as  well  here  to  caution  the  inexperienced 
against  allowing  his  Carrot-bed  to  remain  too  long 
unthinned,  for  the  roots  penetrating  deeply  leave  long 
conical  holes  in  the  earth,  which  tiie  enemies  to  the 
crop  find  a  convenient  lurking  place ;  in  addition  to 
which,  allowing  a  superfluous  plant  to  remain  beside  the 
permanent  one,  depriving  or  robbing  it  of  much  of  that 
food  so  necessary  to  its  existence,  cannot  be  otliorwise 
than  hurtful ;  and  we  all  know  that  vegetation  of  all 
kinds  has  a  much  greater  dislike  to  Jbllow  in  the  imme- 
diate footsteps  of  itself,  or  its  next  of  kin,  than  to  that 
of  a  stranger.  It  is,  therefore,  imperative  on  the  cul- 
tivator to  have  the  crop  freed  from  all  incumbrance  as 
early  in  the  season  as  possible,  and  thougli  they  need 
not  at  first  be  thinned-out  to  the  full  e.Ktont,  they  ought 
never  to  remain  so  thick  as  to  elongate  their  leafstalks  in 
such  a  way  as  to  cause  them  to  fall  down  when  the 
thinning  day  does  come.  I  may  add,  that  for  garden 
purposes,  drills,  fifteen  inches  apart,  will  do  for  the 
Early  Horn,  but  the  larger  kinds  may  bo  a  little  wider, 
if  necessary.  Weeding,  surface  earth-stirring,  and  the 
like,  I  regard  as  such  generally  well-known  maxims, 
that  I  do  not  repeat  them  in  every  instance,  but  in  this, 
as  weU  as  in  all  others,  it  is  an  imperative  duty  where  a 
successful  result  is  anticipated.  J.  Robson. 


ECONOMY  OF  THE  FARM- YARD, 
(Continued from pai/e  i3G.) 

Whiist  I  am  treating  of  the  appropriation  of  old 
Farm-buildings,  and  their  better  adaptation  to  improved 
management  of  the  manure,  &c.,  the  accommodation 
for  Farm-Horses  must  not  be  overlooked.  Even  at  the 
present  day,  iu  different  parts  of  the  country,  may  be 
seen  the  cart-hoi'se  stables  so  cousti'uoted  .that  the  urine 
which  flows  from  the  stalls  passes  away  into  the  open 
yard,  and  only  contributes  in  a  slight  degree  towards 
the  valuo  of  tho  manure  therein.  To  uemedy  this  waste, 
I  propose  that  a  tank  be  sunk  at  one  end  of  the  stable, 
tho  dimension  of  which  should  be  four  feet  wide,  four 
feet  deep,  and  eight  feet  long;  this  will  be  sufficient  for 
a  stable  of  six  to  eight  horses,  and  may  be  made  with 
bricks  faced  with  cement,  and  with  lifting  coverlids, 
and  the  drain  from  the  stalls  should  be  constructed  with 
fall  sufficient  to  take  the  urine  away  quickly.  The  tank 
should  be  occasionally  supplied  with  ashes,  or  other 
loose  earthy  materials,  which,  as  fast  as  they  become 
saturated,  may  be  removed,  and  held  in  reserve  as 
manure  for  ordinary  purposes,  or,  in  case  it  is  desired, 
the  contents  of  the  tank  may  be  used  as  liquid-manure 
for  grass  and  meadow  land. 

There  is  yet  another  mode  of  accommodation  for 
Farm-Horses,  which  I  have  adopted  in  my  own  stables 
for  several  years,  and  which  I  continue  up  to  this  time, 
finding,  as  I  do,  that  it  answers  well,  both  in  securing 
manure,  and  preserving  the  health  of  the  Horses.  When 


I  commenced  the  experiment,  I  had  the  old  stone  floors 
of  the  stalls  taken  up  and  relaid  at  a  depth  of  fourteen 
inclies  below  the  level  of  the  passage  behind  tlie  stalls; 
the  depth  of  fourteen  inches  across  the  stalls  being  ■ 
gradually  diminished  until  it  met  the  old  level  of  the  ! 
floor  in  front,  but  the  depth  being  continued,  with  little  | 
diminution,  until  it  reached  the  footway  behind  the  i 
stalls.  I  then  filled  tho  stalls  up  to  the  level  of  the 
passage  with  loose  loamy  earth,  and  kept  it  well  covered 
with  straw,  which  was  removed  daily,  and  fresh  litter 
supplied  as  cleanliness  required,  in  the  same  manner 
as  is  usual  in  stalls  with  pitched  floors.  The  earth  is 
allowed  to  remain  until  it  becomes  saturated  with  urine, 
and  begins  to  throw  off  the  ammoniaeal  vapour.  In 
the  summer  months,  when  the  Horses  eat  green  food, 
the  earth  requires  to  be  changed  about  every  six  weeks, 
but  in  the  winter,  when  the  animals  live  on  dry  food,  it 
may  remain  from  eight  to  ten  weeks.  The  advantages 
of  this  plan  are,  that  the  most  valuable  and  volatile 
portion  of  the  urine  is  completely  absorbed  and  deo- 
dorised by  the  earth,  and  preserved  for  the  purpose  of 
manure;  and  this,  at  the  same  time,  greatly  purifies 
the  atmosphere  of  the  stables,  and  efi'eotually  removes 
the  obnoxious  vapours  always  existing,  in  a  greater  or 
less  degi'oe,  in  stables  having  pitched  or  paved  floors, 
and  which  is  found  so  prejudicial  to  the  health  of  the 
animals.  The  out-door  portion  of  the  pens  for  Cattle, 
Pigs,  &c.,  alluded  to  previously,  should  be  made  to 
incline  towards  the  centre,  or  that  part  of  the  yard 
where  the  manure  is  kept,  as  it  were,  in  store,  in  order 
that  the  drainage  may  circulate  amongst  and  improve 
the  general  mass.  When  the  manure  is  removed  to 
the  field,  either  from  the  yard  or  from  the  heap,  it  is 
desirable  that  the  earth  should  be  equally  mixed  with 
the  straw  portion  of  the  dung,  in  order  that  the  effect 
upon  crops  shoidd  be  equal  throughout  the  field:  for 
I  hold  the  opinion  that  a  cart-load  of  earth  which  has 
been  saturated  during  the  accumulation  of  dung  upon 
it  in  the  cattle  pens,  will  be  found  to  contain  more  than 
double  the  amount  of  ammonia  than  the  like  quantity 
of  straw-made  dung. 

The  whole  of  the  foregoing  part  of  this  paper  has 
relation  entirely  to  the  making  of  old  and  ill-shaped 
yards  and  buildings  as  advantageous  as  possible,  in 
cases  where  circumstances  preclude  any  rearrangement, 
which  would  incur  a  considerable  expenditure  of  money. 
I  now  propose  to  consider  the  comparative  advantages 
of  some  of  the  most  modern  and  best  constructed  Farm- 
steadings.  Within  the  past  seven  or  eight  years  a  great 
number  of  modern  homesteads  have  been  erected  in 
different  parts  of  the  country,  and  although  most  of 
them  differ  in  design  and  arrangement  of  buildings,  &c., 
yet  one  great  feature  prevails  in  all,  and  that  is  the  desire 
to  adapt  the  buildings,  yard,  &c.  to  the  requirements  con- 
sequent upon  the  general  improvement  in  farm  practice, 
in  relation  to  the  feeding  of  animals,  preserving  and 
preparing  corn,  and  the  manufacture  of  manure.  The 
immense  improvement  exhibited  by  some  of  these  recent 
structures  over  the  old  farm  buildings  is  very  striking, 
and  one  of  the  chief  and  most  advantageous  arrange- 


4Ci 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Mauch  1G. 


nients  connected  with  tliem,  is  the  facilities  for  box 
feeding,  wliich  is  adojjted  in  the  feeding  apartments  for 
Cattle,  Pigs,  &o.  In  some  of  them  I  have  noticed  a 
mixed  system  of  management,  some  animals  heing 
stalled,  others  kept  in  yards  with  shed  attached,  and  in 
all  oases  whore  stalling  is  practiced  tanks  are  used  to 
receive  the  liquid  drainage. 

The  use,  however,  of  the  liquid-manure  after  it  is 
ohtaiued,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  should  be  applied 
to  the  land,  has  been  for  some  years  a  matter  of  much 
dispute  between  some  of  the  most  enlightened  agricul- 
turists of  the  period.  My  own  opinion  on  this  subject 
is,  that  whilst  we  can  purchase  guano,  bones,  &c.,  at  the 
present  prices,  it  does  not  pay  for  the  labour  to  mix 
ashes,  and  other  dry  materials  with  the  liquid,  for  the 
purpose  of  converting  it  into  a  drillable  state,  nor  do 
I  think  it  answers  to  apply  it  to  grass  land  in  a 
liquid  state,  unless  it  is  highly-diluted,  in  which  case, 
the  quantity  being  so  much  increased  makes  it  de- 
sirable to  use  it  near  the  Farm-stead,  where  but  little 
cost  is  incurred  for  carriage ;  it  may,  however,  be  used 
with  advantage  in  this  diluted  state  with  the  liquid 
drill.  The  mode  of  littering  the  boxes  is  important, 
both  for  the  health  of  the  animals,  as  well  as  making 
manure.  The  plan  of  cutting  the  straw  has  been  tried, 
and  found  not  to  answer,  unless  cut  into  unusually  long 
lengths,  either  for  Pigs  or  Cattle ;  the  former  rout  it  up, 
and  the  latter,  from  their  weight,  sink  into  it  in  the  act 
ol  moving  about,  both  these  causes  being  sufBoient  so  to 
disturb  the  manure  as  to  keep  it  in  a  fermenting  state, 
which  taints  the  atmosphere  of  the  boxes,  and  proves 
prejudicial  to  the  health  of  the  animals,  at  the  same 
time  setting  free  the  ammonia,  the  most  volatile,  yet  the 
most  valuable,  portion  of  the  manure.  These  disad- 
vantages are  completely  avoided  when  the  boxes  are 
kept  supplied  with  a  moderate  quantity  of  straw  in  the 
ordinary  state.  The  method  of  feeding  animals,  and 
allowing  them  to  lie  on  boards,  or  grating,  whereby  the 
manure  is  dropped  on  ashes,  &o.,  has  not  met  anything 
like  general  approval,  yet  the  idea,  I  think,  should  not 
be  entirely  discarded,  for  in  pasture  districts,  where  little 
or  no  bedding  can  be  procured,  large  quantities  of  good 
manure  may  be  obtained,  and  the  accommodation 
thereby  furnished  is  certainly  preferable  to  the  old 
method  of  stalling,  whereby  nearly  all  the  manure  was 
lost,  and  the  animals  allowed  to  lie  down  in  their  own 
excrement. 

The  best  mode  of  management  of  the  manure  when 
moved  from  the  stalls,  boxes,  or  sties,  has  been  variously 
advocated  even  by  scientific  men,  and  by  those  who 
have  designed  modern  farm-yards,  &c. ;  some  deem  it 

'  best  to  keep  it  in  the  dry  by  a  covered  pit,  into  which 

j   llie  liquid-manure  is  allowed  to  run  from  the  stalls,  &o. ; 

i  others  advocate  the  open  and  uncovered  pit;  but  I  on- 
tcrtniu  the  opinion  that  it  should  be  carted  to  the  heap, 

[  and  tlio  horses  and  cart  allowed  to  pass  over  tlie  mass 
with  each  successive  load,  it  will  tlion  bo  firmly  pressed, 
fcrmcnlation  will  be  diminished,  and  it  may  be  covered 
with  earth  when  the  heap  is  comjileted. 

JosKi'i-i  Blundell. 
(To  be  conliinu'd.) 


THE    CONTRAST. 

By  the  Authoress  of  "My  Flowers." 

"  EEMEjmER  tliy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  while 
the  evil  days  come  not,"  is  a  solemn  charge  to  the  sons  of 
men.  Terrible  is  it  to  see  the  hoary  liead,  when  it  is  not 
"  I'ound  in  the  way  of  righteousness  ; "  and  beautiful,  glorious 
is  it  to  see  the  youth  giving  his  eai'Uest  and  best  ways,  the 
first  fruits  of  life  and  strengtli,  to  the  service  of  Him,  who 
has  so  emphatically  said,  "My  son,  give  me  thine  heart." 
The  following  sketch  is  from  the  pen  of  om-  kind  friend  who 
has  so  often  )ielped  us  to  pleasm-e  and  profit. 

'■  There  now  reside,  in  a  Uourisliing  town  in  the  midland 
'districts,  two  mercantile  men,  whose  progress  in  Ufe  has 
been  very  similar,  inasmuch  as  they  have  botli  risen  from 
smaU  beginnings  to  he  men  of  large  worldly  substance. 
One,  however,  is  a  very  aged  man,  and  the  oilier  in  the  prime 
of  his  days,  who,  thougli  healthy,  is  not  neai-ly  so  rich  as 
the  elder.  The  rise  of  the  younger,  whom  we  will  call  Mr. 
Smith,  has  been  most  remai-kable.  His  grandfather  was 
well  known  in  tlie  town  as  a  vendor  of  refreshments,  whicli 
he  carried  in  a  basket  on  his  arm  among  the  nim-ket  people 
on  a  S.ituvday  night ;  and  his  peculiar  cry,  by  which  he 
attracted  tlie  attention  of  his  customers,  is  well  remembered 
by  many  to  this  day.  By  the  lielp  of  some  friends,  his 
grandson  obtained  admission  into  a  local  charity  school, 
Vi-here  lie  received  an  education  sufficiently  Uberal  to  enable 
him  to  be  fitted  for  an  apprenticeship  to  merchants  in  the 
same  place,  at,  1  believe,  a  small  weekly  salary.  Being  a 
steady,  industrious  youtli,  he  gained  the  confidence  of  his 
employers,  and  was  engaged  by  tlicm,  at  the  expiration  of 
his  apprenticeship,  as  an  assistant,  in  whicli  situation  he 
saved  money  enough  to  enable  him  at  last  to  commence 
business  on  his  own  account. 

"  Mr.  Smith  was  a  God-fearing  man,  and  felt,  as  all  real 
Christians  must  feel,  that  roimey  is  a. talent  which  will  have 
to  be  accounted  for  at  the  judgment  day.  Instead,  therefore, 
of  wasting  his  gains,  he  spends  them  to  the  glory  of  God, 
and  the  good  of  his  fellow-creatures.  I  have  now  lying 
before  me  the  prospectus  of  a  plan  for  the  execution  of 
the  biulding  of  an  establishment,  which  he  has  already,  for 
some  years  past,  supported  on  a  humbler  scale,  at  the  cost  of 
several  huncheds  per  annum.  The  prospectus  referred  to  is 
headed  by  this  benevolent  individual  with  a  subscription  of 
ifilOOO.  This  is  only  a  single  instance  of  his  many  pubhc 
benefactions ;  his  private  charities  to  the  poor,  and  for  reli- 
gious purposes,  are  upon  the  same  liberal  scale.  He  is,  indeed, 
a  pattern  of  Christian  philanthropy,  and  has  gained  the 
veneration  and  esteem  of  rich  and  poor :  "  When  the  ear 
heard  him,  then  it  blessed  him  :  and  when  the  eye  saw  him, 
it  gave  witness  to  him.  Because  he  delivered  the  poor  that 
cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and  him  that  had  none  to  help 
him.  The  blessing  of  him  tliat  was  ready  to  perish  came 
upon  him,  and  he  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  .joy." 

"  How  painful  is  the  contrast  exhibited  by  old  Mr.  Evans, 
the  other  mercliant  referred  to  !  a  man  of  treble  the  wealth 
of  Mr.  Smith.  Alas!  where  is  the  poor  man  benefited  by /lis 
benevolence?  or  the  public  charity  enriched  by  his  contribu- 
tions? Echo  must  indeed  answer,  where  ?  His  residence  is 
situated  about  a  mile-and-a-half  from  his  place  of  business, 
in  themidst  of  apretty  rural  village.  The  house  itself  is  large, 
and  would  be  handsome,  if  there  was  not  a  bleak,  cold  look 
about  it,  indicative  of  the  man  who  dwells  within.  The 
garden  is  only  halt  cultivated  ;  the  gates  and  fences  are  in  a 
broken  and  tottering  state  ;  iron  paUsades  have  their 
heads  twisted  off;  hinges  have  given  way,  and  gates 
swing  and  bang  about  at  the  mercy  of  the  wintry  blast. 
All  this  is  a  matter  of  little  importance  to  old  BIr.  Evans, 
for  his  eye  only  rests  occasionally  upon  them,  and  then  only 
on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  or  very  early  on  a  summer's  morning, 
or  very  late  on  a  summer's  day.  Business  is  all  he  cares 
about;  can  he  but  get  gold,  he  cares  for  nothing  else.  It  is 
true  he  sleeps  at  home,  but  that  is  all ;  ho  invariably  leaves 
it  at  a  very  early  hour,  both  in  summer  and  winter,  without 
seeing  any  of  his  family,  except  the  servant  who  prepares  his 
breakfast ;  and  returns  at  night  after  all  arc  gone  to  rest, 
except  the  same  domestic  who  sits  up  to  let  him  in.  For 
weeks  together,  his  daughters  {he  is  a  widower)  have  only 
seen  liim  on  a  Sunday,  and  alas  I  then  only  on  a  jmrt  of  the 
day;    for   as  one  sin  leads  to  another,  as  a  uatund  con- 


MAnori  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEE. 


405 


sequence,  so  lias  covetousness,  in  bis  case,  led  to  sabbatb- 
lireakinp;.  On  tlie  early  morning  of  tliat  lioly  day,  old 
Mr.  Evans  may  be  seen  wending  liis  way  to  town,  generally 
along  a  bye-patb,  for  be  seems  somewliat  ashamed  to 
meet  tbe  gaze  of  tlie  cburcb-going  inbabitauts.  His  letters 
have  to  be  read,  and  bis  ledger,  very  probably,  examined, 
before  he  feels  at  liberty  to  inhale  the  fresli  breeze  of  his 
country  residence,  or  to  bend  tbe  Icnee  at  the  Tbrono  of 
Grace.  So  pass  his  days,  morning,  noon,  and  night,  coveting 
alter  gold  ;  and  having  gained  it,  holding  it  with  a  clutching 
grasp  which  nothing  can  loosen ;  no  other  matter  seems 
to  engage  a  moment  of  his  thoughts. 

"  Penurious  in  the  extreme,  he  has  gained  a  nickname, 
significant  of  his  character,  by  which  he  is  universally 
known.  As  he  passes  along  the  street,  clad  in  an  old 
Macintosh,  which  has  apparently  borne  the  brunt  of  weather 
for  an  indefinite  number  of  years,  as  be  never  on  any 
occasion  indulges  in  the  extravagance  of  a  carriage,  whether 
chaise  or  cab,  the  mother  tm-ns  round  and  points  him  out 
to  her  child  as  miserly  Mr.  Evans ;  and  the  young  man 
throws  out  a  jeer  and  a  joke  to  his  companions  at  his 
expense. 

"In  a  few  months — years  it  can  scarcely  be — days,  it  may, 
indeed,  be,  and  Mr.  Evans  will  be  gathered  to  his  fathers  ; 
sii;hed  over  by  the  thoughtful,  sneered  at  by  the  scofi'er,  and 
lamented  by  none.  Where  then  will  be  his  riches,  and  what 
his  answer  to  an  offended  God  ? " 

Where,  and  what,  indeed  !  Eeaders,  a  solemn  and  in- 
structive lesson  is  laid  before  you.  Here  is  the  man  who 
heapeth  up  riches  ;  who  layeth  up  bags  of  gold ;  who  hastes 
to  rise  up  early  and  late  takes  rest ;  who  pulls  down  his 
barns  to  build  up  greater  ones  ;  who  shuts  up  his  bowels  of 
compassion  to  his  "  poor  brother,"  whom  the  Lord  has  given 
into  his  charge ;  who  makes  "  gold  his  hope,"  and  says  "  to 
the  fine  gold.  Thou  art  my  confidence."  Even  in  this  world 
ho  has  no  reward  ;  his  riches  profit  Mm  nothing;  he  lias  the 
curse  and  not  the  blessing  of  the  stranger  and  the  fatherless  ; 
even  men  do  not  speak  well  of  him.  But  what  shall  the  end 
be?  "Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required  of 
thee  !"  Consider  the  end  of  him  whom  the  Lord  himself 
calls  a  "  fool."  Consider  the  fate  of  him  to  whom  the  Lord 
himself  says,  "Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these  ye  did  it  not  to  me.'"  What  labour  it  is  for 
the  meat  that  perisheth !  If  we  laboui-ed  thus  for  that 
"  which  enduretli  unto  eternal  life, " — think  of  tbe  peace  and 
joy  we  should  have  imw/  think  of  the  rest  and  security  we 
should  have,  even  while  on  earth,  and  "  the  end.  everlasting 
life!" 

Let  the  contrast  between  the  two  merchants  satisfy  us 
which  is  the  path  of  pleasantness  and  peace,  as  well  as 
safety.  Godliness  has  "  the  promise  of  the  life  which  now 
is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come."  Godliness,  springing  from 
faith  in  Christ,  as  a  blossoming  branch  from  "  the  root  and 
offspring  of  David."  Think  of  tbe  one  scattering,  yet 
increasing ;  think  of  the  other,  "  witholding  more  than  is 
meet,"  yet  poor,  and  unblest,  and  solitary !  Eemember, 
works  cannot  save  us  l"  They  cannot  buy  etenial  life ; 
nothing  but  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  did  that,  or  can  insure 
our  everlasting  safety ;  but  they  follow  «s,  and  rend  us  in 
pieces,  when  we  are  not  clothed  in  the  wedding  garment, 
which  saves  us  from  every  accusing  adversary.  Eeaders  ! 
may  we  be  found  in  the  way  of  holiness,  for  that  only  is  the 
way  of  peace.  "He  that  trusteth  in  his  riches  shall  fall; 
but  the  righteous  shall  flourish  as  a  branch." 


THE  GARDEN  PEA  AND  ITS  CULTURE. 

I  FEEL  so  much  deUglited  with  those  excellent,  useful, 

and  interesting  papers  by  Mr.  H.,  on  the  merits  and  deme- 

rils  of  the  Pea,  that  I  hope  he  will  not  stop  v/hen  be  gets 

I   to  the  end  of  its  varieties,  but  continue  onward,  as  oppor- 

1    tnnities  may  offer,  through  all  our  culinary  varieties  of  vego- 

taijles.    It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  us  pracdcals  to 

j   have  such  really  trustworthy  information  placed  before  our 

eyes  at  such  a  cheap  rate  as  The  Cottage  Gabdener  does  it. 

I  admire  the  plan  of  Mr.  H.  in  giving  us  the  synonymes 

of  these  various  varieties,  and,  of  course,  we  know,  and  duly 

appreciate,  that  it   gives    the    writer    much    pains-taking 

troulile,  and  that  it  saves  the  reader  much  of  disappoint- 


ment and  trouble.  To  show  the  value  of  synonymes  being 
published,  lot  us  remember  the  old  blue  aprons  knew  an 
evergreen  as  the  Ciqiressus  dislkha,  for  so  it  used  to  be 
called  in  the  books ;  then  some  other  author  christened  it 
Srhubertia  dixlicha,  and  the  plant  was  dispersed  about  by 
this  name,  and  by  tbe  time  it  became  familiar  to  us  it  was 
changed  again  into  Taxodimn  distichum,  and  the  young  gar- 
dener knows  it  by  this  name,  but  never,  perhaps,  heard  of 
the  other  designations.  On  the  other  hand,  the  old  gar- 
dener knew  it  by  one  of  the  other  names,  but  never  heard 
of  its  being  changed  into  a  Taxodhim!  Then,  no  wonder  at 
the  old  gardeners  and  the  young  beginners  being  heard  so 
often  contending  as  to  winch  is  right  about  the  names  of 
plants.  Both,  of  course,  are  right  and  both  wrong,  for  the 
want  of  knowing  more. 

Now  Mr.  H.  saves  all  this  trouble,  as  far  as  the  Pea  is 
concerned,  by  giving  us  all  the  names  that  each  variety  has 
been  popularly  known  by,  and  very  nicely  describes  its 
merits  and  demerits. 

I  quite  agree  with  him  with  respect  to  tbe  value  of  the 
Ebujwood  Marrow.  This  pea  I  have  grown  for  many  years, 
and  have  taken  many  a  first  prize  for  it  at  our  horticultural 
shows  When  I  first  grew  it,  I  used  to  save  my  own  seed 
of  it,  fearing  I  might  not  be  able  to  depend  upon  getting  it 
tiue  in  our  seed  shops  ;  but  now,  finding  I  can  do  so,  I  have 
discontinued  this  practice  of  saving  seed. 

Seed-Sowing.  I  always  sow  two,  three,  or  even  four  kinds 
of  Peas  at  my  first  sowing,  but  for  years  have  placed  the 
greatest  confidence  in  the  Eingwood  Marrow,  but  also  I  sow 
a  few  of  the  Early  Eviperor.  Tliis  year  I  have  sown  the 
foUomng  kinds : — Eingwood  Marrow,  one  quart ;  Bellamy's 
Green  Marrow,  one  quart;  the  Emperor,  one  pint ;  having 
two  other  kinds  recommended  to  me,  caused  me  not  to  sow 
so  many  of  the  Emperor,  namely,  Daniel  O'Eoiirke  one  pint, 
and  Dane  Croft  Eival  one  pint.  These  two  were  promised 
to  excel  the  Eviperor.  The  Bellamy's  Green  Marrotu  I  have 
seen  growing,  but  have  never  grown  it  before  this  year. 

Of  course,  Mr.  H.  has  already  satisfied  me  as  to  tbe  merits 
of  tbe  Dane  Croft  Eival,  and  had  I  seen  his  statement 
before  I  had  sown  it,  I  should  not  have  given  it  even  a  trial. 

Of  coiu'se,  tbe  before-mentioned  kinds  are  intended  to  form 
the  first  crops  ;  were  all  sown  at  the  same  time.  It  is  true, 
I  never  have  taken  notice  how  many  days  difference  there 
were  at  the  picking  season  of  the  different  kinds  I  might 
have  sown  with  the  Bingwoods,  but  this  I  remember,  being 
obliged  to  leave  the  Eviperor  in  its  prime  to  pluck  from  the 
Eingwoods,  as  being  so  very  much  a  better  pea. 

The  time  of  sowing  the  earliest  crops,  for  the  last  twelve  or 
fourteen  yeai's,  has  been,  as  nearly  as  possible,  about  tbe  last 
day  in  December,  or  the  first  of  January,  as  tbe  weather 
would  permit.  We,  like  others,  have  had,  in  bygone  days, 
fine  rows  of  peas  up  at  the  above-mentioned  time  to  show 
our  friends ;  and  what  could  often  be  said  about  them  by 
the  end  of  February  or  by  the  middle  of  March  !  A  few 
March  mnds,  tbe  violent  changes  from  mild  to  cold  weather, 
the  birds,  slugs,  and  mice,  left  but  a  few  ragged  bits  of  rows, 
which  tbe  gardener  was  ashamed  to  be  seen  sticking,  yet 
must  not  pull  them  up,  for  fear  of  losing  an  early  dish  of 
peas.  As  I  said  before,  we  always  sow  our  eaidiest  crops  in 
the  open  quarters  (which  may  be  a  little  screened  from  the 
north  winds  by  trees  in  the  back  ground)  as  near  as  pos- 
sible to  the  first  of  January,  having  the  soil  up  in  good  con- 
dition, and  sown  all  in  the  same  day. 

Tbe  rows  are  measured  out  as  wide  apart  as  the  pea  grows 
in  height.  The  peas  are  sown  not  sparing  the  seed  at  this 
season.  A  slight  covering  of  sifted  coal-ashes  sown  along 
each  drill,  which  is  somewhat  disagreeable  to  the  slug,  itc, 
then  the  rows  are  nicely  covered  up  with  a  spade  or  shovel, 
in  tbe  tidiest  and  neatest  manner,  no  labour  is  spared,  and 
if  any  doubt  exists  about  the  presence  of  mice,  traps  are  set 
immediately,  never  waiting  for  them  to  begin  tbe  rows  of 
peas  first,  but  we  are  on  the  alert  for  them  in  time.  As  soon 
as  the  pea  begins  to  make  its  first  appearance  through  the 
soil,  a  string  of  worsted  is  strained  from  end  to  end  of  each 
row,  the  worsted  being  strained  about  six  inches  above  tbe 
pea;  this  is  a  protection  from  tbe  birds. 

When  the  peas  are  all  fairly  up,  advantage  of  a  fine  day 
is  frequently  taken  to  stir  the  earth  well  up,  and  among  the 
peas  in  the  rows,  and  a  dusting  of  quick-lime  is  frequently 
applied  of  a  fine  evening  or  morning,  as  a  donation  to  the 


466 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


March  16. 


slugs ;  and  on  the  appearance  of  severe  frost  setting  in,  if 
the  peas  ai-e  a  little  above  grounJ,  a  top-dressing  of  char- 
coal dust  is  sown  over  the  rows.  If  we  have  not  suflicient 
of  this  article,  a  barrowful  of  leaf  mould,  or  the  like,  is  run 
through  a  coarse  sieve,  and  sown  over  tlie  rows.  This  is 
done  in  a  tidy,  workman-like  manner,  being  strewed  along 
with  the  hand  from  a  basket.  This  is  not  confined  to  one 
dose  ;  hut  these  sort  of  dressings,  lime-dustings,  earth-stir- 
rings, bu-d's-frightenings,  and  looliing-out  for  the  mice  in 
time  ;  this,  mixed-up  with  thoughtfulness,  watchfulness,  and 
feeling  a  little  dehghted  and'  determined  to  iiavc  whole 
rows  of  early  peas  for  sticldng,  and  although  the  sticks 
form  a  little  protection  to  the  pea,  as  well  as  supporting 
them,  we  always  defer  this  as  long  as  we  can,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  being  the  better  able  to  keep  the  eartli  frequently 
opened,  and  attending  to  the  lime-dusting  to  destroy  the 
slug.  Previously  to  sticldng,  tlie  earth  i's  well  forked-up 
between  the  rows,  and  then,  witli  a  spade  or  shovel,  they 
are  nicely  and  neatly  basined-up,  without  bringing  the  earth 
too  close  up  to  tlie  stems. 

Since  we  have  adopted  the  early  spring  sowing,  and 
determined  to  sow  om-  first  crop  of  peas  about  the  1st  of 
•Tanuary  into  the  best  prepared  soil,  and  the  after-attention, 
I  do  not  remember  a  single  instance  of  disappointment ; 
but  we  have  always  had  the  best  of  crops,  and,  for  ought  I 
know,  r|uite  as  early  as  any  of  our  neighbours. 

T.  Wkavee. 


THE   SPANISH   FOWL,   AS  RECENTLY 
EXHIBITED. 

The  coasts  of  the  Mediterranean  sea  imve  long  been 
noted  for  the  quantity  of  fowls  kept  by  the  inhabitants  of 
those  countries;  and  the  traveller,  whose  observant  eye  has 
not  disdained  to  notice  their  pccuhaiities,  has  readily  dis- 
tinguished certain  connecting  links  between  them,  leading 
to  an  inference  of  their  common  origin,  however  manifestly 
illegitimate  might  have  been  their  immediate  parentage. 

These  points  of  resemblance  may  be  concisely  stated  as 
a  full  development  of  comb  and  wattles,  in  both  sexes,  with 
a  large  white  eai--lobe,  of  which  colom-  the  face  of  the  bird 
is  seen  in  a  more  or  less  perfect  state.  Now,  the  modern 
fancier  lias  rightly  considered  that  this  latter  feature,  the 
white  face,  is  not  merely  highly  characteristic  of  the 
Spanish  breed,  hut  likewise  presents  the  most  eflfective 
combination  of  colour.  It  is  required,  therefore,  that  a 
good  specimen  should  have  the  whole  face,  including  the 
ear-lobe,  formed  of  a  carunculated  pure  wliite  skin  ;  to  this 
is  added  an  uniform  plumage  of  glossy  black,  with  a  comb 
rivalUng  the  brightest  coral.  But,  who  lias  over  attempted 
to  breed  the  Spanish  fowl,  as  described  above,  without  being 
speedily  convinced  of  the  extreme  difficulty  of  retaining  the 
entire  white  face  free  from  any  tinge  of  red?  The  most 
convincing  answer  to  this  question  would  be  a  reference  to 
the  Spanish  pens  at  an  exhibition,  whore,  as  a  general  rule, 
the  prizes  are  awarded  to  those  which  are  least  deficient, 
rather  tlian  to  those  which  ai'e  most  perfect  in  this  respect. 
The  exceptional  cases  would  he  limited  to  the  produce, 
comparatively  speaking,  of  a  very  few  yards;  and  where 
triumphs  have  been  most  frequently  achieved,  the  number 
to  be  selected  from  has  been  an  equal  element  of  success 
with  the  inherent  excellence  of  tlie  strain. 

A  larger  proportion  of  first-rate  chickens  might  be  ex- 
tracted from  any  other  race  of  fowls  than  we  should  hope  to 
see  from  Spanish.  We  must  not,  however,  bo  misunder- 
stood as  to  the  purport  of  these  observations.  No  dis- 
couragement is  designed  to  those  with  whom  these  beautiful 
birds  have  so  justly  gained  favour;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
if  then-  past  ellorts  have  not  hitherto  been  so  entirely 
satisfactory  as  they  would  have  desired,  perseverance,  based 
on  tlie  recognition  of  the  cUfficulties,  should  instigate  to 
further  exertions. 

But  what  is  the  character  of  the  majority  of  the  birds 
exhibited  as  Spanish?  The  face  (and  this  is  the  point  we 
are  now  concerned  with),  and  even  the  pendent  eai-.lobo,  is 
commonly  stained  more  or  less  with  red,  so  that  tlie  fowls 
are  frequently  not  to  be  distinguished  from  good  specimens 
of  what  are  called  "  .Uinorcm,"  which  have  tlie  ear-lobe, 
and  sometimes  even  a  considerable  portion  of  the  face,  of  a 


good  cleai'  white.  Hence  the  question  so  often  put  in  these 
columns  as  to  the  dilference  between  the  Minorca  and  the 
Spanish. 

The  comb  and  wattles  of  the  former  are  as  fully  de- 
veloped, their  plumage  of  as  rich  and  refulgent  a  black,  and 
their  form,  wlierc  attention  has  been  bestowed,  is  as  good; 
altliough,  perhaps,  as  tlieir  general  character,  of  a  somewhat 
shorter  and  more  compact  description,  liut  insufficient  in 
itself  to  authorise  a  distinction.  Thus,  when  Minorcas  are 
shown  in  the  class  for  "unij  other  ilhlhict  breed,  nut  iis 
sfedfied  nhoi'e,"  tlieir  position  is  not  justified  by  the  facts  of 
the  case.  Close  relationship  plainly  exists,  eridenced, 
moreover,  by  several  other  common  properties.  Adherence, 
however,  to  our  present  system  seems  to  require  tlic 
definition  of  the  Spanish  fowl,  after  the  enumeration  of  the 
other  needful  points,  as  having  the  skin  of  tlie  face,  as  well 
as  tlie  eai'-lobe,  of  pure,  unstained  wliite. 

The  Minorcas  are  not  the  only  fowls  that  exhibit  traces 
of  family  connection  witli  the  aristocratic  Spanish,  properly 
so  called ;  altliough,  from  tlie  similarity  of  feather,  they  are 
those  mainly  concerned  in  the  matter  we  have  just  referred 
to.  The  pied  and  sjiocklcd  birds  known  in  tlie  Western 
districts  of  England  as  Aneoiias,  and  the  blue  AiitlnhiaiajtSy 
are  manifestly  offshoots  of  the  same  stock,  and  being  pos- 
sessed of  economical  properties  fully  eqiuil  to  their  white- 
faced  black  cousins,  deserve,  in  om*  opinion,  some  recognised 
position  on  the  poultry-list.  Competition  witli  these  latter 
is  out  of  the  <iuestion,  lacking,  as  they  all  do,  more  or  less, 
the  peculiar  characteristic  of  excellence  in  the  bird  to  whicli 
this  name  Spanish  is  now,  "  par  excellence,''  applied.  But 
since,  as  they  are  really  valuable  fowls,  might  it  not  be 
possible  to  give  them  the  eucouragemeut  of  a  class  for 
"  Spnnish  fowls  of  an;/  other  vnrieli/,"  entitling  the  former  as 
"  White-fnced  Block  Spanish.'"  There  would  be  no  sub- 
traction from  tlie  acknowledged  merits  of  the  present 
exclusive  holders  of  the  designation,  that  would,  indeed,  of 
right,  be  shared  by  any  other  fowls  of  Spanish  origin,  and 
that  the  Minorca  and  Andalusian  families  would  thus 
claim  admission,  will  not  be  contested.  We  have  no  desire 
whatever  to  place  Blinorcas,  Anconas,  or  Andalusians,  in 
competition  with  the  white-faced  Spaniard,  for  they  would 
assuredly  suffer  by  the  comparison ;  but  the  legitimacy  of 
tlie  latter  does  not  nccessaiily  infer  the  niongrelisni  of  the 
former.  The  quality  of  the  face  of  the  Spanish  fowl  being 
all-iniportant  in  the  eye  of  the  judge,  other  points  are  not 
to  lie  less  strictly  scrutinised ;  and  prize  pens  have 
frequently  appeared  with  this  feature  alone  meritorious, 
while  figure  and  condition  have  been  viewed  in  too  favour- 
able a  liglit.  Let  us  have  the  white-face,  by  all  means;  hut 
this  must  not  be  regarded  as  compensation  for  the  presence 
of  any  manifest  defect  elsewhere. 

Although  the  principal  honours  of  the  Spanish  pens  of 
]S.'>S  fell  to  a  previous  victor,  yet  it  will,  we  think,  he  ad- 
mitted, that  the  quality  of  the  liu'ds  has  generally  improved; 
tliere  were  fewer  decidedly  liad  pons,  and  the  Judges' 
labours,  tlierefore,  were  not  so  rcailily  performed.  Many 
of  tlie  best  birds,  however,  moulted  late,  and  it  required 
every  exertion  to  get  those  that  were  intended  for  Birming- 
ham in  proper  form  before  the  appointed  day  for  their  debut 
in  Bingley  Hall.  Some  specimens  imported  from  Spain 
were  there  shown,  \'eril'ying  the  general  opinion  that  not  a 
single  bird  of  really  high  merit  has  recently  been  obtiiined 
from  that  country.  Holland  and  Belgium,  too,  have  been 
rausaclitd  for  Spanish  ;  but  however  cai'eful  the  selection, 
they  still  failed  in  placing  their  owner's  names  at  the  head 
of  the  awards. 

But  the  terms  of  commendation  that  are  so  justly  due 
to  the  birds  of  this  class  that  have  usually  taken  prizes 
at  the  more  important  exhibitions,  must  not  lie  extended 
to  many  of  the  provincial  mcclings,  where  a  most  meagre 
collection  of  Spanish  has  usually  been  present.  Judges, 
it  is  clear,  have  again  and  again  been  of  lliis  opinion, 
where  we  read,  "  first  prize  withlield ;  no  sulficient 
merit."  And  when  birds  are  manifestly  deficient  in  any 
one  important  point,  we  rejoice  to  see  such  righteous  sen- 
tences lioldly  pronounced,  nothing  being  more  injurious 
tlian  aflixing  a  false  value  to  really  bad  bmls,  by  assigning 
them  a  prize  simply  from  the  fact  of  no  competitor  of 
higher  merit  having  then  and  there  entered  the  lists.  The 
injustice  of  oomplaints  on  such  grounds    has   only  been 


March  IC. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


4G7 


equalled  by  the  absniility  of  the  arguments  by  which  these 
murmurs,  loud  and  deep,  also,  have  been  supported.  An 
unfortunate  bystander  is  forcibly  carried  ofl'  to  some  scarlet- 
visaged  pen,  and  told  bow  unfair  the  decision  that  refused 

them  a  prize — "Hred  from  's   best  birds,  I  assure 

you ;    cost ;  therefore,  is  it  not  clear  that  I  ought  to 

have  won  with  them?"  If  the  conclusion  is  not  always  so 
plainly  uttered,  nine  times  out  of  ten  it  is  uppermost  in  the 
mind.  Talk  to  tbem  of  an  imperfect  face,  bad  condition, 
foul  feathers,  malformation  of  the  comb,  or  any  other 
blemish,  however  appai'ent,  the  fact  of  their  descent  alone 
is  still  regarded  as  tlie  one  important  point  for  considera- 
tion. If  twelve  eggs  are  purchased,  it  seems  to  be  thought 
a  most  unluckly  mischance  if  twelve  first-rate  chickens  are 
not  produced  aud  reared.  What  has  been  already  said  as 
to  the  patience  requisite  for  the  production  of  prize  Spanish, 
would  assuredly  save  much  disappointment  in  this  respect. 

There  has  been  more  than  one  instance,  of  late,  where 
Nature  is  thought  to  have  done  her  work  so  imperfectly 
that  art  is  called  in  to  complete  it.  AVe  allude,  especially, 
to  such  Spanish  birds  as  have  a  good  face,  but  the  line  of 
feather  above  the  eye  is  tliick  and  continuous.  Tliis  defect 
has  suggested  various  operations  by  the  tweezers,  and  even 
the  razor  would  seem  to  have  been  thus  employed.  Such 
practices,  we  need  hai'dly  say,  are  readily  detected,  and  are 
most  justly  punished  by  the  immediate  disqualification  of 
the  birds  thus  tampered  with.  If  the  face  has  become  any- 
ways dirty,  washing  with  cold  water  is  all  that  is  needed, 
and  anything  beyond  this  is  far  more  Ukely  to  do  harm  than 
good. 

A  dark,  heavy  line  of  feather  between  the  eye  and  the 
base  of  the  comb  certainly  mars  the  effect  of  a  good  face, 
and  the  breeder  should  seek  to  get  rid  of  it,  though  by 
means  less  objectionable  than  those  just  referred  to.  Many 
a  bird  otherwise  good  in  face  is  thus  disfigured;  for  we 
know  not  if  we  could  lay  our  hand  on  a  single  specimen 
without  one  feather  on  this  part.  But  with  the  example 
before  us  of  what  has  already  been  effected  by  Spanish 
breeders  within  the  last  few  years,  we  are  certainly  justified 
in  looking  forward  to  improvement  in  this  particular. 

The  Spanish  chicken  classes  frequently  require  more 
careful  treatment  at  the  judge's  hands  than  their  seniors  ; 
the  latter,  in  a  mature  state,  stand  or  fall  according  to  their 
present  form  ;  while  the  fonner,  pullets  more  particularly, 
would  petition  for  some  prospective  consideration.  And 
this,  stern  advocates  as  we  have  ever  been  for  judging  all 
birds  "  as  they  are,"  we  think  them  entitled  to.  The  difli- 
culty  is  to  read  their  present  looks  aright. 

Poultry  books  abound  with  recommendations  of  the 
Spanish  fowls  to  the  inhabitants  of  cities  aud  large  towns, 
alleging  theii-  sable  plumage  as  an  imperceptible  recipient 
of  dirt  and  smoke.  From  the  condition  of  many  pens,  we 
must  suppose  that  this  advice  has  been  very  extensively 
acted  on,  and  that  they  had  thus  supplanted  the  very  porker 
in  the  possession  of  his  sty.  But  the  refulgent  character  of 
the  bird's  plumage  soon  vanished  under  such  unfair  treat- 
ment, and  no  denizen  of  oirr  yard  does  greater  credit  to  the 
enjoyment  of  a  good  healthy  run. 

A  pen  or  two  of  WMIl'  Spanish  are  occasionally  exhibited, 
but,  like  the  parsnip  that  was  described  as  a  "  sick  carrot," 
they  are  poor,  meagre-looking  birds,  destitute  of  all  the 
charms  that  commend  the  black  Spaniard  to  our  notice. 
Many  of  these  are,  probably,  "  albinos,"  like  the  white  birds 
bred  by  black  Polands,  and,  consequently,  of  the  same  con- 
stitutional weakness.  But  others  that  now  present  them- 
selves in  a  white  garb  may  have  once  been  differently 
clothed,  for  a  strong  family  link  between  th  e  various  fowls 
that  have  been  spoken  of  as  of  Spanish  origin  is  the  ex- 
tensive metamorphosis  that  they  are  apt  to  undergo  during 
the  process  of  moulting.  Spanish,  Minorcas,  and  Anconas, 
have  continually  come  to  our  notice  under  such  circum- 
stances, and  the  Andalusian,  we  are  told,  is  no  exception  to 
the  rule.  The  black  becomes  a  mottled,  and,  sometimes, 
though  rarely,  even  a  perfectly  white  bird,  and  subsequent 
moults  have,  at  times,  restored  the  bird  to  its  former  garb, 
while  in  other  instances  the  change  has  been  permanent. 

There  is  every  reason  for  believing  that  the  Spanish 
classes  for  the  coming  season  will  bring  out  numerous 
competitors,  and  thus,  wherever  the  honours  may  fall,  the 
victory  will  be  proportionately  more  glorious.    As  to  the 


adult  classes,  the  exhibitions  even  past  will  afford  a 
toleraljly  clear  indication  of  the  names  that  are  likely  to 
appear  as  winners,  saving  always  the  case  of  newly-imported 
birds.  The  chickens,  however,  from  the  immense  numbers 
of  eggs  aud  birds  that  have  now  been  distributed,  forbid 
any  such  anticipations,  but  in  both  one  and  the  other  we 
are  sanguine  as  to  the  breed  retaining  its  present  high 
position. 


SUGGESTIONS     FROM    THE     GARDEN     AND 

THE   FIELD. 

By  Cuthherl  W.  Juhnson,  Esq.,  F.E.S. 

ORGANIC    CHEMISTRY,   AS   ILLUSTRATING   THE    WISDOM    AND 
BENEFICENCE    OF    THE    CREATOR. 

There  are  certain  trains  of  thought  into  which  we  are  all 
pretty  sure  to  be  led  by  the  scenes  in  wliich  we  are  placed. 
Our  curiosity  is  excited,  our  attention  directed  to  the  pheno- 
mena ai'ound  us.  We  naturally  become  desirous  of  informa- 
tion, and  are  insensibly  led  towai'ds  that  point  at  which  our 
knowledge  ceases.  No  iierson  sees  more  of  such  inviting 
objects  of  inquiry  than  the  farmer  and  the  gardener.  They 
daily  witness  mysteries  upon  mysteries,  all  full  of  interest, 
which  the  chemist  aids  them  to  only  partially  understand. 
Let  us  accompany  an  intelligent  cultivator  around  Ms  fields, 
and  when  we  are  partaldng  of  his  pleasures  in  the  inquiry 
after  knowledge,  let  us  store  with  him  a  few  of  the  whole- 
some reflections  which  may  present  themselves  during  our 
wallc. 

A  very  eai-ly  impression  will  suggest  itself  as  we  com- 
mence our  observations,  that  from  the  moment  that  God 
ordained  that  man  should  bo  formed  in  his  own  image, 
should  have  breathed  into  him  the  breath  of  life,  from  that 
moment  commenced,  in  his  case,  a  series  of  chemical  phe- 
nomena, all  made  subservient  to  his  comfort  and  to  his  hap- 
piness ;  in  which  the  wisdom  of  the  design  is  only  equalled 
by  the  beneficence  with  which  it  is  realized.  In  furtherance 
of  the  object  of  this  essay,  let  us  merely  glance  at  these 
mighty  arrangements.  In  a  single  great  instance  or  two, 
let  us  consider  only  some  small  portion  of  the  chemistry 
displayed  in  the  foi-mation  of  our  bodies,  our  breathing,  and 
our  food ;  and  in  so  doing,  let  us  not  attempt  to  exhaust  the 
subject  by  closeness  of  analysis  foreign  to  the  objects  of 
this  little  sketch,  but  rather  let  us  adhere  to  those  more 
prominent,  and  easily  understood,  facts,  which  every 
jilainly  educated  person  most  readily  understands. 

The  creation  of  animal  life  was  preceded  by  certain  jjre- 
paratory  events,  which  laid,  as  it  were,  the  great  foundation 
for  those  which  so  speedily  followed  in  their  train.  The 
pasture  was  first  prepared — the  banquet  was  already  spread 
on  the  earth's  surface — food  was  created  for  other  organised 
beuigs  before  animal  life  first  tenanted  the  globe — the  wants 
of  animals  were  foreseen,  their  comforts  attended  to  by  the 
omniscience  of  Omnipotence  in  a  manner  which  demon- 
strated, at  the  very  commencement,  His  care  for  their 
future  welfare.  His  regard  for  their  happiness. 

Vegetables  were  the  first  created  of  all  organic  substances 
{Gen.i.  11) ;  the  creation  of  plants  jjreceded  that  of  animal 
life,  and  ae  it  would  seem  almost  of  necessity,  since  they 
were  destined  to  be  the  food  on  which  the  animal  tribes 
were  alone  to  subsist.  The  sacred  historian,  therefore,  as 
soon  as  he  has  described,  in  his  sublime  language,  the  crea- 
tion of  heaven  and  the  earth,  and  of  light,  and  the  separa- 
tion of  the  earth  from  the  water,  next  tells  us  that  God 
ordained  that  the  earth  should  bring  forth  tender  grass,  the 
herb  yielding  seed,  and  the  frait-tree  yielding  fruit.  This 
was  the  first  grand  step  towards  the  creation  of  animal  life ; 
it  was  the  preparation  of  the  pastm'e  in  which  a  still  more 
perfect  class  of  organized  beings  were  to  dwell ;  and  these, 
too,  under  every  imaginable  form  and  variety,  and  in  count- 
less profusion.  Every  leaf  was  intended  to  contain  its  ani- 
malcula;,  every  blade  of  grass  its  tenants.  On  these  leaves, 
and  on  these  grasses,  tlie  superior  classes  of  animals  were 
to  feed,  to  rest  when  weary,  and  to  seek  in  ill  health  for  the 
cure  of  their  diseases. 

It  was  necessai-y,  therefore,  to  adapt  the  chemical  com- 
position of  these  grasses  to  the  digestive  powers  of  the 
animals,  which  were  immediately  afterwards   created,  and 


4G8 


THE   COTTAGE   GAEDENER. 


Mauch  If). 


■wliicli  were  to  subsist  upon  them.  It  is  evident,  that  if  tlicy 
hail  been  fonncd  devoid  of  tlio  sugar,  the  oil,  the  fat,  the 
starch,  tlie  vegetable  albumen,  and  other  nuta-itious  matters 
in  which  they_  all  abound;  if,  for  instance,  they  had  been 
composed  entirely  of  earths  or  metals,  that  then  these  could 
not  have  served  as  the  food  of  animals.  This  is  not  entirely 
an  imaginary  case  ;  only  consider  those  plants  in  which  the 
earth  SiUca  in  unusual  proportions  abounds,  and  note  how 
nearly  devoid  of  nutrition  they  are.  Take  the  straw  of 
Wheat  for  an  example,  in  which  it  is  found  iu  considerable 
proportions  (while  it  is  absent  entirely  from  the  seed);  or 
the  Dutch  Paish,  in  which  it  exists  in  still  greater  abun- 
dance. In  these,  it  is  true,  the  Silica  is  fulfilling  a  very  use- 
ful purpose,  by  imparting  to  the  stems  the  requisite  degree 
of  hardness  and  strength  to  support  the  seeds ;  but  how 
nearly  devoid  of  nourishment  they  are,  every  poor  beast  win- 
tering in  a  straw-yard  by  his  very  appearance  indicates. 

The  marvellous  difference  between  the  chemical  composi- 
tion of  the  seed  of  the  Wheat,  and  the  straw  which  supports 
it,  can  only  be  explained  in  one  way — by  the  contrivance 
and  the  beneficence  of  the  Deity.  It  is  idle  to  say  that  it  is 
all  the  ofispring  of  chance ;  chance  never  yet  accomplished 
anything  so  remarkable  as  even  the  formation  of  a  common 
piece  of  mechanism.  No  one  ever  regards  the  possibility  of 
the  chance  formation  of  a  water-mill,  or  a  steam-engine, 
even  if  eternity  is  imagined  as  allotted  for  the  operation  ; 
and  yet  the  contrivance  and  the  wisdom  displayed  iu  the 
construction  of  these  machines  is  just  nothing  when  com- 
pared with  the  operations  going  on  in  a  vegetating  plant  of 
Wheat. 

The  chemist  detects  many  of  these,  even  to  him,  mystic 
operations,  by  the  examination  of  vegetable  chemistry.  He 
finds  in  the  flour  of  the  Wheat  only  three  or  four  substances, 
such  as  carbon,  hydrogen,  oxygen,  and  nitrogen,  so  that 
there  is  little  reason  to  complain  of  the  number  of  the  in- 
gredients ;  but  how  these  three  or  four  substances  are 
united  together,  so  as  to  form  vegetable  substances,  he  can- 
not, by  any  chemical  reasoning,  explain.  He  sees  that  the 
union  is  accomplished,  that  the  gluten  and  the  starch  of  the 
Wheat  are  produced  with  unvaried  regularity,  but  it  is  a 
process  far  beyond  his  powers  of  imitation.  It  is  true,  he 
can  readily  decompose  them,  and  separate  the  elements  of 
which  they  are  formed,  but  it  is  in  vain  that  he  attempts  to 
recombine  those  elements,  so  as  to  foi'm  the  animal  or  vege- 
table substance  in  which  they  previously  existed.  Those 
marvellous  combinations  are  the  works  of  a  Divine  Author, 
and  of  Him  alone. 

{To  I/e  conliinieil.) 


DORKINGS,  AS  RECENTLY  EXHIBITED. 

The  writer  of  the  article  in  your  last  number,  under  the 
above  heading,  is  so  conversant  with  his  subject,  and  the 
whole  article  is  so  well  written,  it  is  the  more  necessary  that 
some  stricture  should  be  placed  on  points  in  which  he  ap- 
pears to  be  in  error.  The  observations  on  comb  and  colour 
are  so  correct,  and  well  stated,  they  cannot  fail  to  produce 
benefit,  and  will,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  have  an  effect  beyond 
their  apparent  intention  of  giving  a  helping  hand  to  the 
judges  in  their  decisions  ;  aiding  their  well  known  desire  to 
cast  to  the  winds  all  priority  arising  from  these  accidental 
appendages.  If  the  great  object  we  have  in  view  be  the 
improvement  of  the  various  breeds  "  of  domestic  poultry," 
it  should  cleai-ly  bo  our  desue  (especially  in  this  class  of  the 
"  Farmers"  Fowl)  to  induce  overy  exhibitor  to  bring  before 
the  public,  as  "  Models,"  the  best  birds  in  his  possession. 
But  under  the  present  system  of  pnicticaUi/  requiring,  in  the 
same  pen,  hens  and  pullets  of  the  same  comb  and  colour, 
(good  matches  as  the  phrase  goes),  I  appeal  to  the  expe- 
rience of  every  exhibitor  of  any  note,  Avhetlier  for  the  sake 
of  this  object  he  does  not  frequently  leave  at  home,  not 
merely  his  second  best,  but  frquently  sends  his  sixth,  or,  it 
may  be,  his  tenth  best  bird  for  the  sake  of  effecting  the 
"  match."  Nor  does  the  evil  rest  here.  Young  Amateurs 
are  constantly  applying  to  eminent  breeders  to  supply  them 
with  fowls,  and  either  fail  in  their  object  altogether,  or 
obtain  a  disparity  in  quality,  because,  following  the  error  of 
the   exhibitions,  they   are  content  only  to    secure  "  good 


matches  !  "  Now,  as  sisters  of  the  same  clutch  frequently 
vie  with  each  other  in  all  points  of  excellence,  and  differ 
only  in  those  of  comb  and  colour  (a  fact  acknowledged  by 
good  breeders),  I  ask,  whether  it  is  not  desirable  to  discard 
these  contingent  and  imaginary  qualifications? 

With  respect  to  weights,  also,  the  writer  coirectly  obseiTcs, 
that  vast  improvement  has  been  made  in  the  last  year  v.ith- 
out  the  sacrifice  of  symmetry.  But  he  must  peraiit  me  to 
consider  him  greatly  iu  error,  and  unwittingly  misleading 
the  pubhc,  iu  stating  that  "  ten  pound  cockerels,  and  eight 
pound  pullets  have  been  no  uncommon  productions  in  the 
exhibitions  of  the  last  year."  That  such  Dorkings  have  been 
exhibited,  I  can  myself  testify ;  but  it  is  far  from  the  fact 
that  they  have  been  common.  And  there  is  this  important  con- 
sideration attached  to  the  error,  that  Tyros  applying  to  prize 
winners  for  fowls,  feel  disappointed,  and,  perhaps,  something 
more,  in  finding  the  birds  sent  fall  fai'  short  of  the  standard 
stated  to  be  "  common,"  on  such  good  authority.  Let  any 
one  doubting  the  above  appeal  to  that  best  of  judges,  Jlr. 
Baily,  and  the  writer  will  readily  succumb  to  his  decision. 

There  is  one  other  mistake  to  which  I  must  also  alludo 
in  reference  the  Reigate  Show.  That  the  limitation  of  this 
Exiiibition  to  the  three  adjoining  counties  was  an  error,  is 
admitted  by  the  gentlemen  who  took  the  active  part  in  its 
formation  and  management,  and  will  be  rectified  for  the 
future.  But  how  far  the  "  limitation  tarnished  tlie  laurels 
that  teere  there  u-on,"  may  be  decided  by  the  following  facts. 
ylll  the  first  prizes  in  the  Dorking  class  were  taken  by  a 
clergyman  in  Kent;  and  the  same  fowls,  in  the  same  month, 
took  all  the  first  prizes  at  Hitchin,  where  one  pen  of 
chickens  was  claimed  for  fifty  guineas;  and  the  same  fowls 
were  exhibited  at  the  Metropolitan,  in  January,  and  there 
again  eai'ued  the  first  three  prizes.  In  classes  five  and 
eight,  by  the  Eev.  J.  Boys,  the  exhibitor  on  the  two  former 
occasions;  in  class  six,  by  Mr.  Smith,  the  gentleman  who 
claimed  these  birds  at  Hitchin.  As  these  are  the  only 
occasions  in  which  these  fowls  have  been  exhibited,  I 
confidently  appeal  to  the  candoirr  of  the  writei-  of  the  ai-ticle 
in  your  last  number,  whether  they  have  not  amply  redeemed 
the  laurels  which  the  limitation  is  said  to  have  tarnished." 

[In  reference  to  the  above  remarks  we  readily  admit, 
that  it  the  expression  of  an  opinion  that  "  cockerels  of 
10  lbs.,  and  pullets  of  8  lbs.,  have  been  no  uncommon  ]iro- 
duotions,"  could  be  construed  as  equivalent  to  an  assertion 
that  such  specimens  were  common  objects  of  every  day  ex- 
perience, the  statement  would  be  inaccurate.  The  sentence 
in  question,  however,  merely  implies  that  birds  of  these 
weights  have  been  shown  on  several  occasions,  and,  conse- 
quently, that  they  may  justly  be  held  forth  as  models  for 
the  breeder's  imitation,  although  a  degree  of  skill  and  judg- 
ment beyond  that  of  the  novice  wiU  certainly  he  found  re- 
quisite for  the  attainment  of  this  result. 

The  allusion  to  laurels  won  at  Keigate  being  tarnished  by 
the  limitation  of  exhibitors  at  that  show  to  inhabitants  of 
the  adjoining  counties,  refers  simply  to  the  credit  of  the 
prizes  there  gained.  No  disparagement  whatever  of  the 
birds  themselves  was  thereby  designed,  nor  any  inference 
conveyed  as  to  their  appearance,  favourable  or  otherwise,  at 
any  other  exhibition.  It  will  hai-dly  be  questioned  but  that 
a  premium,  even  with  unrestricted  competition,  reflects 
higher  honoiu's  than  the  championship  of  a  single  dis- 
trict.— Ed.] 


VEGETABLES  AND  FRUIT  OBTAINABLE 
IN   MARCH. 

Theee  is  so  littlo  to  be  got  in  addition  to  those  mentioned 
for  last  month  (p.  MOO),  that  it  seems  a  waste  of  time  and 
space  to  repeat  them.  Many  things,  such  as  Cucumbers, 
Beans,  Strawberries,  &«.,  will  just  be  getting  more  plentiful. 
I  hope  the  sanguine  will  keep  the  preliminary  remarks  in 
that  page  in  mind.  I  shall  mention  ono  or  two  matters  to 
which  my  attention  has  been  directed. 

1.  Blanched  Tuknip  Tops. — I  have  had  these  in  use 
for  a  number  of  years.  I  did  not,  however,  invent  the  dish, 
but  saw  it  mentioned  as  a  good  one,  if  I  mistake  not,  in  an 
almanack  published  by  the  proprietors  of  the  "  Illuslraled 
News."  Most  people  relish  turnip  tops  when  in  a  grcrn 
state  after  they  begin  to  grow  in  spring,  and  that  is  just  the 


March  10. 


THE  COTTAGE  -GAKDENEB,. 


4f;o 


time  when  it  would  be  uscloss  to  attempt  to  blanch  them, 
as  the  top  would  rise  too  quickly,  be  apt  to  be  stringy,  and 
on  tho  whole  not  so  good  as  the  greengroiviiig  top  out-of- 
doors.  In  winter  they  are  preferred  by  many  even  to  Sea- 
kale.  Darkness,  and  a  beat  from  00"  to  .55°,  produce 
them  in  great  perfection,  such  as  in  a  slight  dark  hotbed,  a 
mushroom-house,  &-b.  Nothing  more  is  requh-ed  than  to 
.  get  the  turnips  from  the  field,  with  the  top  uncut,  and  when 
stuck  among  soil  or  litter  the  head  will  soon  push,  and 
should  be  cut  when  about  six  inches  long.  A  second  or 
third  crop  maybe  taken,  but  the  first  is  always  the  strongest 
and  best.  Besides,  if  long  cut,  the  turnips  are  robbed  of 
their  nourishment,  but  if  cut  only  once,  the  turnip  is  little 
more  uijured  than  it  would  be  in  the  field  by  the  end  of 
March  or  the  beginning  of  April.  I  have  tried  various 
kinds,  but  all  others  are  either  bitter  or  insipid,  except 
Swedes.  Their  blanched  tops,  as  a  winter  dish,  are  really 
delicious. 

3.  Black  Pkinoe  STEA^VI)EEllY. — I  mentioned,  in  an  article, 
last  autumn,  how  well  this  did  for  a  late  crop  out-of-doors ; 
how  scarce  I  was  of  it  for  an  early  crop ;  and  how  I  shifted 
some,  potted  them,  plunged  them  in  a  little  heat,  keeping 
the  tops  cool,  hoping  that  thus  time  might  be  gained,  and 
that  these  plants  might  be  induced  to  bear  an  early  crop.  In 
this  I  have,  to  a  certain  extent,  been  disappointed.  My  Keen's 
Seedling,  potted  early  in  small  48'3,  have  beat  them  hollow. 
I  intend,  therefore,  to  give  them  a  fairer  chance  next 
season,  by  early  potting,  as  that  I  have  long  found  to  be 
the  great  essential,  along  with  early  maturing  of  the  bud, 
for  early  forcing.  Besides  being  less  fruitful  with  me  than 
Keen's  Seedlincf,  they  seemed  more  tender,  and  more  liable 
to  insects.  All  this  I  mostly  attribute  to  their  late  potting, 
and  mean  to  give  it  another  limited  trial,  as  some  of  my 
friends  have  had  good  crops  since  the  new  year.  I  mention 
this  chiefly  to  show  that  no  doctoring  of  the  plants  in 
autumn  will  compensate  for  the  want  of  early  potting  and 
early  maturation  of  the  buds.  At  this  season,  and  onwards, 
plants  will  do  pretty  well  when  lifted  and  potted,  and  put 
with  or  without  pots  into  moderate  hotbeds.  The  extra 
heat,  in  these  cases,  should,  for  the  first  ten  days,  teU 
chiefly  on  the  roots,  by  allowing  a  stream  of  air  to  pass  over 
the  tops.  On  the  whole,  though  I  value  the  Prince,  unless 
for  an  early  crop,  I  would  never  think  of  substituting  it  for 
Keen's  Seedlintj, 

3.  Tobacco.  —  Thanks  to  sulphur  fumigations,  these 
Strawberries  are  the  chief  thing  on  which  an  insect  pre- 
sented itself.  I  sent  for  some  strong  shag,  and  they  sent 
me  what  I  believe  they  call  bird's  eye,  and  it  seems  to  be 
pretty  well  "  all  in  my  eye,"  as  far  as  the  fat  flies  are  con- 
cerned, as  they  look  just  about  as  stupidly  comfortable  next 
day  as  a  man  who  has  half  smoked  himself  blind.  Now, 
if  two  smokings,  at  most,  will  not  make  them  all  tumble 
from  their  perch,  a  person  would  extirpate  them  cheaper  by 
using  his  fingers  and  soot  and  lime-water  from  a  syringe. 
I  cannot  say  I  have  been  thoroughly  satisfied  with  any 
substitutes  for  tobacco.  The  question,  however,  is  well 
worth  a  friendly  ventilation ;  first,  as  to  the  materials  that 
have  been  successfully  used  as  substitutes ;  and,  secondly, 
as  to  the  best  and  cheapest  tobacco  for  the  purpose,  and 
where  that  is  to  be  conveniently  obtained ;  a  hint  not  un- 
worthy the  tobacco  manufacturer,  as  an  article  that  would 
quickly  destroy  insects,  and  not  hurt  the  plants,  would  meet 
a  most  extended  sale ;  what  is  sold  as  shag  in  the  grocer's 
or  tobacconist's  retail  shops  being  so  different  in  its  quality. 
All  beginners  should  use  it  rather  weak  at  first. 

CAnLiPLoWEE. — This  was  mentioned  last  month,  but  it  and 
Snow's  Brocoli  mil  now  be  getting  on  the  wane.  The  latter 
is  one  of  the  best  helps  the  gardener  ever  had.  Sown  in 
March  and  April  it  will  produce  beautiful,  white,  firm  heads 
from  the  end  of  October.  The  frost  came  upon  me  sooner 
than  I  expected,  and  I  covered  it  up  where  growing  with 
litter  and  refuse  hay,  and  I  have  had  a  good  supply  to  the 
present  time. 

0.  Ehubaed  and  Sea-kale. — Where  there  are  no  means  of 
forcing  these  out-of-doors  they  may  easily  be  forwarded  by 
taking  the  roots  up  and  placing  them  in  soil  in  any  dark 
place,  with  a  temperature  ranging  from  50"  to  CO" ;  and 
these  roots,  cut  to  pieces  and  planted  out  in  April  or  May, 
will  be  fit  to  force  again  in  the  second  season.      E.  Fish. 


AGRICULTURAL  AND   HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY  OF   INDIA.-Dec.  1853. 

The  following  donations  were  announced : — 

1.  Seeds  of  the  '  Cabbage  oil,'  and  blue  dye  plants  of  the 
•Chinese,  and  seeds  of  four  -varieties  of  Melons.  Presented 
by  Mr.  R.  Fortune. 

The  following  is  extract  of  Mr.  Fortune's  letter  respecting 
the  above  seeds ; — 

"  The  Cahbnge  oil  plant  forms  one  of  the  staple  productions 
in  the  Provinces  of  Chekiang  and  Keang  Soo  during  the 
■winter  and  spring  months,  and  is  highly  valued  by  the 
Chinese.  I  believe  the  Chinese  kind  is  considered  more 
;productive  than  any  of  our  European  varieties,  and  it  is  pos- 
sible it  may  be  better  than  'those  at  present  cultivated  in 
Jndia.  At  all  events,  I  send  it  round  for  trial,  and  venture  to 
suggest  its  being  sent  to  a  district  where  oil  of  this  kind  is 
;produced.  The  "  Tein  Ching"  {Isaiis  indigotica)  is  the  plant 
Tvhich  produces  the  Shaughae  liquid  Indigo,  a  substance 
lai'gely  used  in  this  p;irt  of  China,  where  blue  cotton  cloth 
is  in  great  demand  am.csngst  the  masses  of  the  people.  The 
four  varieties  of  melon  «Te  also  sent  for  experiment.  They 
are  valuable  in  China,  not  so  much  on  account  of  their 
flavom-  as  their  produeitiveness,  and  they  grow  luxuriantly 
ivithout  that  care  wbijh  it  is  necessary  to  bestow  upon 
English  melons  inti-odluced  to  this  country.  In  the  summer 
months  the  markets  are  abundantly  supplied  with  these 
.-fruits,  which  are,  in  fact,  ihe  apples  of  the  couutiy,  and  are 
oaten  by  the  natives  much  in  the  same  way  as  we  see  apples 
in  country  towns  at  home." 

The  following  communications  are  also  submitted. — 

I.  From  W.  G.  Young,  Esq.,  Under  Secretary  to  tho 
Government  of  Bengal,  furnishing  extract  of  a  letter  from 
Mr.  E.  Fortune,  dated  18th  July,  seeking  more  precise  in- 
formation regarding  the  Chinese  green  vegetable  dye,  to 
-which  the  attention  of  the  Society  was  called  by  Mr.  Henley, 
3n  March  last. 

a.  From  E.  Fortune,  Esq.,  dated  Chusan,  I8th  July,  on 
•the  subject  of  obtaining  seeds,  plants,  (fee,  for  the  Society. 

With  reference  to  the  above  two  communications,  it  was 
agreed,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Council,  that  a  copy 
of  M.  Person's  Memoir,  published  in  '  Les  Comptes  Eendus,' 
sitting  of  the  8th  October,  1852— on  the  green  vegetable 
dye  of  the  Chinese,  be  forwarded  to  the  Government  of  Ben- 
gal for  Mr.  Fortune's  information.  Further,  that  the  sum 
of  ^50  be  placed  at  Mr.  Fortune's  disposal,  to  enable  him  to 
meet  all  expences,  export  freight,  connected  with  the  Socie- 
ty's requisitionsfor  plants,  seeds,  &c.,  and  that  the  P  and  0 
Company  be  solicited,  as  a  special  case,  to  forward  such  boxes 
of  plants  as  Mr.  Fortune  may  send  from  Shanghae  free  of 
freight  to  the  Society. 


DOMESTIC  ECONOMY. 

Theee  is  a  great  want,  at  the  present  time,  of  good  publi- 
cations relative  to  "  common  things."  Lord  Ashburton  and 
others  are  most  -wisely  making  an  effort  to  have  a  know- 
ledge generally  diffiised  of  those  "  things,"  for  they  include 
all  that  is  useful  in  our  every-day  life.  That  effort  is  much 
impeded  by  the  want  of  appropriate  publications,  and  we, 
therefore,  are  glad  to  meet  with  one  which  is  quite  suitable 
to  the  purpose.  It  is  wi-itten  by  Mr.  Tegetmeier,  so 
favourably  knowni  by  his  communications  to  our  columns, 
and  is  entitled  A  Manual  of  Domestic  Bconomg  :  with  Hints 
on  Domestic  Medicine  and  Surgery.  It  is  very  small,  -very 
cheap,  and  very  sensibly  written ;  indeed,  it  may  be  fairly 
characterised  a.s  being  common  sense  applied  to  comnion 
things.  The  folloiving  extract  from  it  is  a  fair  specimen, 
and  is  especially  deserving  of  general  circulation  at  this 
time  of  deamess : 

"  Wheat  and  its  Pkepakations. — The  variety  of  wheat 
chiefly  cultivated  in  Great  Britain  is  that  termed  Lammas 
or  winter  -wheat,  being  usually  sown  in  September  or 
October.  Spring  wheat,  so  named  because  it  is  sown  at 
that  season,  is  less  productive. 

"  Wheat  ia  one  of  the  most  nutritious  of  the  corn  plants ; 
before  being  ground,  the  grain  contains  from  twenty  to 
thirty  per  cent,  of  nutritive  substances,  chiefly  gluten. 
When  ground  into  fine  flour,  it  is  not  so  nutritious,  as  a 


470 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  10. 


large  proportiou  of  the  most  nomisliing  substances  resules 
in,  and  is  removeil  with,  the  hran,  iioUarcl,  and  middlings. 

"  Coarse  tlour  contains  all  the  most  important  snbstanccs 
required  to  support  life,  namely,  nuti'itive  food  in  the  gluten, 
warmth-giving  in  the  stai'ch,  an  abnnJanco  of  fat  and  oil, 
and  a  high  proportion  of  bone-mal;iDg  and  nutiitive 
materials,  in  the  pollard  and  bran;  it  follows,  therefore, 
that  brown  bread,  which  contains  a  proportion  of  bran,  &c., 
is  a  much  more  valuable  food  than  tliat  made  from  the 
finer  Horn',  from  which  these  substances  have  been  entirely 
exti'acted. 

"  Bread. — Good  bread  should  be  made  of  wheaten  meal, 
or  flom-,  water,  salt,  yeast,  and  a  small  quantity  of  potatoes. 
Baker's  bread  frequently  contains  also  a  quantity  of  alum  ; 
this  is  added  for  the  purpose  of  enabUng  inferior  flour  to  be 
used ;  it  renders  the  bread  whiter,  firmer,  and  less  crumbly 
when  cut.  Tlie  employment  of  this  powerful  astringent, 
however,  is  decidedly  injurious,  and  aperient  metUcines  are 
often  requisite  to  counteract,  in  some  degree,  its  evil  effects. 
"  Flour,  when  mixed  with  water  and  yeast,  and  allowed  to 
stand,  undergoes  a  process  called  fermentation,  and  a 
portion  of  gas  is  thus  generated.  This  gas,  owing  to  the 
lough  glutinous  character  of  the  dough  is  not  able  to  escape, 
and  it  causes  the  latter  to  swell,  and  assume  a  spongy 
character,  which  greatly  contributes  to  the  digestibility  and 
excellence  of  the  bread. 

"In  preparing  home-made  bread,  tlie  usual  plan  is  to  mix 
the  materials  together,  and  allow  the  fermentation  to  proceed 
for  about  foiu'  hours  before  putting  the  dough  in  the  oven. 
Bakers,  however,  adopt  a  very  different  course ;  they  mix  a 
small  portion  of  the  flour  with  yeast,  and  set  it  to  ferment 
for  some  hours  previous  to  making  the  mass  of  dough ; 
this  they  term  "  setting  the  sponge,"  and  it  is  doubtless  the 
best  plan  when  a  large  quantity  of  bread  is  required.  Good 
bread  is  of  so  much  importance  in  a  family,  that  the  writer 
lias  taken  some  pains  to  procure  the  best  receipt,  and  ho 
has  to  express  his  obligations  to  Mr.  Duer,  of  Bond-street, 
for  the  following  dh'ections,  which,  when  strictly  followed, 
he  can  state  from  experience,  furnish  bread  greatly  superior 
to  that  ordinarily  made  in  private  families. 

"  To  mnke  a  Half-peck  Loaf. — Take  three-quarters-of-a- 
pound  of  well-boiled  mealy  potatoes,  and  mash  them 
through  a  fine  cullender  or  coarse  sieve,  add  to  them  one- 
eighth-of-a-pint  of  yeast  (about  two  table-spoonfuls),  and 
one  pint  and  three-quarters  of  lukewai-m  water  (88°  F), 
together  with  about  aquarter-of-a-pound  of  flom',  to  render 
the  mixture  the  consistence. of  a  thin  batter;  this  mixture 
should  be  set  aside  in  a  warm  place  for  six  or  eight  hours 
in  order  to  ferment,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  it  will  be 
found  (if  it  has  been  warmly  and  closely  covered  over,)  to 
have  risen  considerably,  and  to  resemble  yeast  in  appear- 
ance, except  in  colour.  The  sponge  so  made  is  then  to  be 
mixed  with  one  pint  of  water  nearly  blood-warm  (viz., 
O'J"  F.),  and  poured  into  the  half-peck  of  flour,  which  has 
previously  had  one  ounce- and-a-quarter  of  salt  mixed  with 
it,  and  kneaded  into  dough,  which  should  be  allowed  to  liso 
in  a  warm  place  for  three  or  four  hours  before  baking.  After 
the  dough  has  risen,  it  should  be  handled  as  little  and 
lightly  as  possible  whilst  it  is  made  up  into  loaves. 

"  In  some  cases  it  will  be  fumid  convenient  to  set  the 
sponge  over-night,  and  make  tlie  dough  very  early  ui  the 
morning ;  or  the  sponge  may  be  set  very  early,  and  by 
keeping  it  and  the  dougli  rather  warm,  the  loaves  will  be 
ready  for  baking  in  the  afternoon. 

"  In  the  writer's  family,  bread  made  according  to  these 
directions  is  found  to  bake  admirably  in  '  The  Cottager's 
Stove':  the  only  caution  requh'ed  is  to  turn  the  loaves 
upside  down  when  nearly  done,  to  brown  the  under  crust. 

''  Bread  should  never  be  eaten  until  it  is  twenty-four  hom's 
old.  "Wlien  taken  sooner  it  cannot  be  masticated  properly ; 
it  is  therefore  swallowed  in  doughy  masses,  extremely 
difficult  of  digestion. 

"  Some  few  years  since,  unfermented  bread,  in  which  the 
place  of  yeast  was  supplied  by  carbonate  of  soda  and 
muriatic  acid,  was  extensively  tried,  but  the  nicety  of  mani- 
pulation required,  and  the  great  attention  necessary  in 
weighing  and  measming,  renders  the  plan  unfitted  for 
general  use  ;  ivith  care,  however,  it  is  capable  of  fm-nishing 
an  exceedingly  palatable  and  wholesome  bread.  At  the 
present  time,  various  bread  powders  and  patent  floiu's  ai'O 


sold,  capable  of  making  light  bread  by  the  adiUtion  of 
w.xter  only;  they  contain,  however,  chemical  substances 
which  remain  in  the  bread,  and  impart  to  it  medicinal,  or  in 
some  cases  even  injurious,  properties. 

"  The  only  chemical  substance  capable  of  being  used 
without  any  injmious  effect  in  mailing  bread  is  the  cai'- 
bonato  of  ammonia.  This  is  largely  employed  in  light 
biscuits,  ttc.  It  is  converted  into  vapoui'  by  the  heat  em- 
ployed in  baking,  and  renders  the  biscuits:  very  light,  whilst 
it  is  itself  entirely  carried  off  during  the  pi'ocess. 

"  AU  cakes  which  contain,  in  addition  to  the  ingredients 
used  for  bread,  fatty  materials,  as  butter,  lai'd,  or  diipping, 
are  most  indigestible,  and  unfit  for  chUdreoi  or  persons  with 
weak  digestion.  It  should  always  be  remembered  that  fat, 
when  heated  with  flour,  forms  a  compound  which  is  acted 
upon  by  the  digestive  fluid  slowly  and  mth  difficulty ;  hence 
most  lands  of  pasti'y,  as  pies  and  ordinary  puddings  made 
with  flour  and  suet,  ai'e  not  suited  to  children  or  invalids. 
Biscuits  containing  butter  are  open  also  to  the  same 
objection. 

"  The  following  directions  for  making  a  perfectly  unob- 
jectionable pudding  for  persons  recovering  from  illness  ai-e 
extracted  from  Dr.  A.  'Thomson's  "  Domestic  Management 
oftlioSick  Eoom,"  a  valuable  work  for  all  whose  duties 
call  them  to  the  care  of  invalids : — 

"  Grate  half-a-pound  of  stale  bread,  pour  over  it  a  pint  of 
hot  miUv,  and  leave  the  mixture  to  soak  for  an  hour  in  a 
covered  basin,  just  large  enough  to  hold  it,  tie  it  over  with  a 
cloth,  and  boil  it  for  half-an-hour."  Sugar,  and  a  little  thin 
paring  of  lemon  peel,  may  be  added  to  give  a  pleasant 
flavour." 


AMERICAN  NOTES. 

It  appears,  from  the  following  statement  taken  from  the 
Zanesville  Gazette,  that  the  wheat  crop  of  Ohio  is  annually 
diminishing.    The  yield  was 

Bushels. 

Wheat  crop  of  1850 .35,000,000 

Wheat  crop  of  1801 2.5,000,000 

Wheat  crop  of  18.5'2 25,000,000 

Wheat  crop  of  1853 22,000,000 

Four  years'  crop 107,000,000 

Average  crop  of  four  years 20,750,000 

At  the  New  Hampshire  State  Fair,  Gen.  Riddle,  of  Bed- 
ford, exhibited  two  horses,  one  20  and  the  other  28  year's 
old.  The  old  fellows  plowed  their  eighth-of-an-acre  in  nine- 
teen minutes,  without  rider,  line,  or  whip.  They  have  been 
kept  for  several  years  on  a  daily  allowance  to  each  of  three 
pounds  of  cut  hay  mixed  with  three  quarts  of  Indian  meal 
and  moistened. 

Tlie  Short  horn  Bull,  Fourth  Duke  of  York;  purchased  a 
few  months  ago  at  the  Earl  of  Duoie's  sale,  by  Gen.  Gadwal- 
lader,  of  Diiladelphia  and  Geo.  VaU,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  for  five 
hundred  i/uineas,  clied  on  board  the  Ship.  Queen  of  England, 
on  the  passage  between  Liveqiool  and  New  York. 

The  friends  of  Dr.  AVai'der,  of  Cincinnati,  and.  indeed, 
all  the  friends  of  Horticultm'al  science,  will  be  pleased  to 
learn  that  he  has  so  far  recovered  his  health  as  to  be  able 
to  resume  his  labours  as  the  principal  editor  of  the  JReview. — 
He  will  be  assisted  by  Mr.  Ward,  and  the  Beview  will  doubt- 
less deserve,  as  it  has  heretofore  done,  the  support  of  every 
friend  of  Western  Horticulture  and  rural  arts. 

One  of  our  exchanges  thus  describes  a  com  stock  hai'- 
vester  recently  invented  : — "  Between  two  wheels  there  is  an 
axle,  to  each  end  of  which  is  attached  a  knife  for  cutting 
each  row  of  corn.  To  the  axle  is  also  attached  shafts  for 
the  horse  which  puUs  the  machine. — The  horse  wallis  be- 
tween the  rows  of  corn,  and  the  knife  just  insido  of  each 
wheel  cuts  the  corn,  which  falls  on  a  bed  to  catch  it,  in  a 
manner  resembling  the  operations  of  a  wheat  reaper.  The 
lied  which  catches  the  corn,  opens  to  the  centre  at  the  plea- 
sure of  the  operator  to  discharge  the  corn  in  bundles.  We 
are  infonned,  th at  with  one  man  and  a  horse  the  machine 
will  cut  20  acres  of  com  per  day.  It  is  the  invention  of  a 
citizen  of  Illinois." 

Mr.  C.  A.  Cliapman,  in  giving  an  account  in  the  Mkhiijait 


March  1G. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


471 


Famer,  of  tlie productions  and  profit  of  Broom  corn  says: — 
"  I  raised  this  year  a  piece  on  forty-eight  rods  of  ground. 
After  cleaning  off  the  seed,  I  had  so  largo  a  pile  I  thought  I 
would  measure  it. —  I.  had  twenty-flve  bushels  rounding 
measure;  a  little  over  a  half-bushel  to  the  square  rod,  or 
about  eighty-five  bushels  to  the  acre.  I  need  not  say  the 
land  was  rich  to  produce  such  a  crop ;  but  it  was  not  culti- 
vated as  it  should  have  been.  It  was  planted  in  drills,  and 
the  cultivator  passed  through  it  once,  .and  then  I  went 
through  with  a  hoe  and  thinned  it  out,  but  it  was  left  too 
thick,  so  that  there  were  many  small  heads.  The  seed  is 
excellent  to  feed  sheep  and  lambs,  and  poultry,  whole  ;  but 
for  all  otlier  feeding  it  should  be  ground.  It  is  heavier 
than  oats,  and  I  think  worth  more  per  bushel  when  ground." 
— luwaFurmer  and  HorllculturisI, 


THE    SFIANGHAE    FOWL. 

It  is  unjust  to  deny  that  they  possess  individual  points  of 
great  beauty,  even  if  the  "  lout  cnsenihle  "  be  not  so  sym- 
metrical or  so  attractive  as  that  presented  by  the  Game  fowl. 
Their  most  inveterate  opponents  must  admit  that  llm  liead 
of  a  good  Cochin  fowl  is  handsome — that  in  the  face-expres- 
sion of  the  pullet,  especially,  there  is  much  beauty,  and  also 
a  lov'iny  tenderness  and  an  intelligence  not  observed  in  other 
poultry,  which  make  them  especial  pets  with  those  who  rear 
them.  There  were  grace,  symmetry,  and  majesty,  in  the 
birds  belonging  to  Mr.  Harrison,  of  Snelston,wlnch  took  the 
first  prize  at  Derby,  and  which,  indeed,  made  them  appear  to 
belong  to  a  difterent  race  of  birds  from  those  long-legged, 
bony,  shapeless,  distorted,  things  which  generally  pass 
under  the  name  of  Cochin-China  fowls.  Not  every  cow 
with  short  horns  can  be  fairly  considered  as  a  type  of  those 
beautiful  and  useful  animals  which,  emanating  from  the 
meadows  and  byres  of  Charles  CoUings,  in  Durham,  have 
spread  themselves  over  the  kingdom  under  the  appellation 
of  "  short  hoi-ns  ;"  nor  should  every  mongrel  fowl  with  long 
legs,  short  tails,  and  ugly  bodies,  be  considered  as  the  re- 
presentatives of  the  Shanghae  fowls  of  Sturgeon,  Punchard, 
Herbert,  and  Fairlie.  Honored  jiames  these !  who  have 
kept  the  field  against  all  comers,  for  buif,  partridge,  white, 
and  black  Cochin's  respectively.  Not  but  that  in  some  stray 
combat  they  have  been  beaten,  as  Staunton  in  a  solitary 
game  of  chess,  or  Pilch  in  a  single  inning  at  cricket,  but  in 
a  season's  campaign  they  are  ever  victorious,  and  public  ac- 
claim awards  to  them  a  place  in  Poultry  annals  as  high  and 
as  honored  as  those  occupied  in  the  "  Herd  Book"  by  Col- 
lings,  Bates,  and  Ducie.  But  to  return  from  the  breeders 
to  the  breed.  Let  the  best  specimens  of  each  variety  be 
considered  in  a  review  of  their  respective  merits,  audit  will 
be  found  that  they  are  not  destitute  of  beauty.  The  "  buffs," 
perhaps,  are  more  adapted  to  the  quiet,  sober  taste  of 
English  people,  to  that  peculiar  sense  of  tlie  beautiful  which 
regards  an  entii-e  suit  of  black  as  the  appropriate  and  grace- 
ful dress  of  a  gentleman,  and  denounces  variety  or  colour  in 
costume  as  vulgar  and  "unbecoming."  Hence  the  jiopu- 
larity  of  these  said  "  buffs"  or  Sturgeonite  Cochins;  but  the 
Partridge  ones,  in  perfection,  are  not  to  be  despised.  The 
white  vai-iety  (if  variety  be  strictly  applicable  to  birds  which 
cannot  be  depended  upon  for  continuing  their  characteristics 
in  their  offspring)  is  very  handsoine,  when  obtained  of  good 
form  and  colour-,  like  the  fowls  from  Mrs.  Herbert's,  of 
Powick.  They  possess  deep  red  combs  and  wattles ;  and 
with  these,  beaks  and  legs  which  rival  the  golden  splendour 
of  those  of  the  Blackbird.  These  red  combs  and  golden 
legs  contrast  beautifully  with  their  milk-white  plumage. 
Upon  a  grass  lawn,  stretching  out  in  front  of  some  old  man- 
sion, like  Haddon,  or  Hardwicke,  they  look  very  attractive, 
and  with  Peacocks,  and  golden-pencilled  Hamburghs,forma 
group  fit  for  the  inspection  of  Majesty,  and  would  have 
fascinated  the  pencil  and  the  brush  of  that  immortal  poul- 
try painter  with  the  hard  name,  Hondekceter. 

However,  utility  should  precede  beauty ;  and  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  British  Farmer,  "  handsome  is  that  handsome 
does;"  and  here  the  Shanghae  fowl  will  not  be  found 
wanting.  As  I  have  said  before,  they  are  excellent  layers, 
and  arrive  at  maturity  earlier  than  any  other  large-sized  fowl. 
By  the  term  "  maturity,"  I  mean  the  age  at  which  a  bird 


will  commence  laying  egga,  and  thus  pei-petuate  its  race. 
They  will,  moreover,  prove  hardier  than  any  other  fowl, 
except  the  Game  breed ;  at  least  my  e-Kperience  supports  this 
assertion.  In  a  very  elevated  position,  with  the  thermometer 
for  many  days  at  I'i  or  14  degrees  below  the  ireezing  point, 
and  during  the  night  of  January  the  .'h-d,  three  degrees  below 
zero,  six  Cochin  fowls,  five  Spanish,  eight  Dorkings,  and 
four  Golden-pencilled  Hamburghs,  had  to  brave  the  cold, 
with  no  further  protection  than  that  afforded  by  a  common 
poultry  shed,  without  artificial  wai'mth.  Upon  the  llrst,  the 
cold  left  no  appreciable  mai-k ;  the  Spanish  were  sadly 
"mauled,"  the  combs  of  all  of  them  shrinking  into  small 
dimensions,  and  becoming  as  black  as  a  choked  colibler  ; 
the  Dorkings  also  suffered  sliglitly  (with  one  exception)  •, 
the  only  parties  escaping  scatheless  being  the  Cochins  and 
the  Hamburgh  fowls.  Of  these  two,  tlie  birds  from  the 
Celestial  Empire  had  tlie  advantage,  for  they  laid  eggs 
almost  daily,  while  their  pretty  companions  postponed  this 
duty  until  the  mercurial  tube  of  the  thermometer  should 
attain  a  more  respectable  position  in  society.  When  this 
has  been  achieved,  they  will,  doubtless,  again  resume  their 
cackle,  or,  to  use  the  fine  language  of  our  apothecary,  they 
■'  will  express  themselves  in  tho  natural  language  of  philo- 
progenitiveness." 

And  now,  what  are  the  jmints  which  a  good  Cochin- 
China  cock  should  possess?  It  should  bo  of  large 
size — an  adult  bird  of  two  years  old  ought  to  weigh  at 
least  ten  poimds — it  should  have  a  round  head,  short,  thick 
neck,  a  broad  back,  and  strong  shanks,  wide  apart — the 
shanks  and  legs  and  outward  toe  should  be  well-covered 
with  feathers,  and  the  toes  should  be  four  in  number,  the  mid- 
dle one  being  much  longer  than  all  others.  The  eye  should 
be  large,  reddish  in  coloiu',  and  expressive.  His  feathers 
should  be  abundant — the  saddle  feathers  large,  and  flowing 
gracefully  downwards  to  the  ostrich-like  tail.  The  comb 
should  be  upright, indented,  and  projecting  backwards;  the 
hinder  parts  of  the  birds  should  have  a  square  appearance 
from  a  mass  of  soft  "  fluffy  feathers."  The  faults  to  be 
guarded  against  are  those  which  approximate  the  fowl  to 
the  Malay,  that  is,  a  long  face,  long,  clear  shanks,  and  close- 
fitting  feathers ;  or  to  the  Dorking,  by  afij'lh  too  destitute  of 
feathers.  The  early-imported  birds  were  many  of  them 
crossed  by  these  fowls,  and  the  stain  will  frequently  show 
itself  even  in  the  third  generation.  The  Amateur  demands 
a  uniform  colour  in  the  Buff,  free  from  white  or  mealy 
spots,  and  similar  unity  in  the  black  and  white  varieties. 
Practical  farmers  can  afford  to  smile  at  these  niceties — and 
look  to  form,  quality,  and  substance  as  preferable  things. 
If  a  fowl,  like  a  Dutchman's  tulip,  were  a  thing  merely  to 
looli  at,  these  fancies  might  be  very  well;  but  so  long  as  the 
essential  characteristics  of  this  breed  l:ie  guaranteed  by  shape 
and  size,  it  will  suit  both  the  farmer's  pocket  and  !iis  future 
success  to  wink  at  a  "  dark  hackle,"  or  a  "  mealy  wing." — 
Verhiim  sat  sapientibus — which  our  clergyman  tells  me  is 
the  Latin  for  the  wise  saying,  that  a  nod  is  as  good  as  a 
wink  to  a  blind  man. — (A  DEEEYSiiiitE  Yeohan,  in  the  Derby 
Reporter.) 


GREAT   MORTALITY   AMONG   BEES. 

I  STATED,  in  my  communication  to  you,  last  summer,  that 
the  honey  season  ceased  on  the  18th  of  June  in  this 
district ;  I  will  now  inform  other  apiarians  of  my  fate.  My 
stock,  last  year,  consisted  of  eighteen  hives,  four  of  which 
swarmed,  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  season  I  had  twenty-two 
hives.  Three  out  of  the  four  swarms  died  early  in  the 
autumn,  and  to-day  I  have  discovered  that  fourteen  more 
are  dead,  in  many  of  which  there  is  plenty  of  honey,  but 
only  a  few  dead  bees.  The  continued  damp  and  foggy 
weather,  in  November  and  December,  succeeded  by  intense 
frost,  seems  to  have  acted  most  injuriously,  for  many  of  the 
combs  were  covered  with  mould.  Some  of  the  hives  were 
in  bee-houses  open  to  the  south,  others  on  stanils  facing 
east,  and  all  protected  by  beepots,  mth  a  quantity  of  tow 
under  them,  to  keep  the  hives  warm.  Perhaps  some  of 
your  apiarian  correspondents  who  may,  or  may  not,  be 
similarly  situated,  can  give  me  some  information,  why  and 
wherefore  the  great  mortality.  —  A  Codntey  Keotor, 
Tadcaster. 


72 


THE  COTTAGE  GAEDENER. 


Matich  1 0. 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS, 


*,♦  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  to  the  departmental  writers  of 
The  Cottage  Gardenek,  It  gives  them  unjustifiable  trouble  and 
expense.  All  coraraunicationa  should  be  addressed  "  To  the  Editor  of 
The  Cottage  Gardener,  2,  Amen  Corner,  Paternoster  Row,  London." 

KooT-CROPS  ON  Heavy  Soil  (A  Subscriber  from  the  Be^nning).— 
Your  strong  land,  if  it  has  been  fallowed,  and  submiltcd  to  the  effect  of 
frost  'during  the  past  winter,  should  not  now  be  ploughed  any  more  this 
season  for  root-erops,  but  worked  with  the  scarifier  as  often  as  the  weeds 
make  their  appearance  ;  by  this  culture  you  will  retain  the  kind,  mellow 
surface  which  the  frost  has  given  you.  All  the  root-crops  on  this  soil 
will  do  best  drilled  upon  the  flat,  with  artificial  manures  applied;  and  in 
case  you  have  a  quantity  of  charcoal  saturated  with  liquid-manure,  or 
night-soil  and  ashes,  or  soot,  or,  indeed,  any  of  these  useful  fertilizers, 
let  them  be  used  with,  and  in  addition  to,  the  usual  quantities  or  kinds 
of  artificial  manures  now  in  use.  Mangold  Wurtzel  of  the  Orange  Globe 
variety  is  the  best  for  your  soil ;  and  the  manure  to  be  applied  by  the 
drill  should  be  two  cwt,  of  superphosphate,  with  an  admixture  of  a 
liberal  quantity  of  any  of  the  above-named  fertilizers  ;  but  before  drilling 
these,  harrow  in  and  sow  broadcast  two  or  three  cwt.  of  Peruvian  guano 
per  acre,  according  to  the  state  and  condition  of  the  land ;  also,  at  any 
after-period,  if  the  plants  do  not  look  prosperous,  sow  over  them  two 
cwt.  of  guano  just  before  rain  may  be  expected,  using  the  hand  or  horse- 
hoes  to  connect  it  with  the  soil.  Upon  your  land  sow  Skirving's  Im- 
proved Swedes,  drill  upon  the  fiat,  and  manure  with  two  cwt.  of  super- 
phosphate, three  cwt.  of  bone-dust  per  acre,  and  also  a  good  allowance  of 
the  before-named  fertilizers.  Guano  will  not  answer  for  this  crop  upon 
your  soil,  because  the  roots  would  be  liable  to  decay  in  the  winter 
months.  If  the  Common  Turnips  required  are  for  early  feeding,  you 
cannot  do  better  than  use  the  seed  of  the  While  or  Ited  Tankard  variety, 
to  be  manured  and  managed  in  the  same  manner  as  recommended  for 
the  Swedish  Turnip.  These  remarks  are  made  at  the  request  of  "  A  Sub- 
scriber from  the  Beginning ;"  but  all  these  subjects  will  be  found  treated 
of  in  detail  in  different  back  numbers  of  Tue  Cottage  Gardener,  at 
[their  respective  seasons  or  periods  ;  we  must,  therefore,  for  further  and 
full  information  upon  this  subject,  refer  to  the  articles  in  question,  which 
have  appeared  in  due  course  of  the  year  1853. — J.  B. 

RnoDODENDRON-BED  (J.  O.  TF.).— Abed  of  them  seven  feet  high, 
and  five  feet  of  that  "  like  walking-sticks,"  may  as  well  be  left  as  it  is 
till  the  top  flowers  ;  at  all  events,  the  second  week  in  May  is  about  the 
best  time  to  cut  such  Rhododendrons.  Six  weeks  before  that,  or  say  by  the 
first  of  April,  all  the  smaller  shoots,  below  five  feet,  ought  to  be  cut  to 
four,  five,  and  sis  inches  from  the  older  stems.  The  buds  on  these  short 
stumps  will  be  getting  so  forward  that  they  will  start  with  buds  on  the 
stronger  branches  on  equal  terms.  See  this  more  explained  to-day  in 
another  page.  In  May,  cut  the  strong  branches  at  different  lengths,  from 
five  feet  to  eighteen  inches. 

Budding  Roses  (Ibid).— AW  the  Perpetuals  ought  to  be  budded  in 
the  last  fortnight  in  June,  in  order  to  grow  and  make  some  progress 
before  frost.  All  the  summer  Roses  will  do  from  the  middle  of  July  to 
the  end  of  August.  Htjbrid  Perpetuals  should  never  be  budded  betiveen 
the  lOth  of  July  and  the  HOth  of  August,  but  they  are  safe  enough  as 
soon  before  that  and  as  late  after  that  as  buds  can  be  had  and  the  bark 
moves  freely.  The  wild  shoots  should  not  be  shortened  at  the  time 
of  budding,  nor  until  September,  and  even  then  it  depends  on  the  sorts 
and  the  forwardness  of  the  buds.  Shoots  budded  in  June  should  be 
stopped  to  half  their  length  in  about  a  month. 

Vines  in  a  Greenhouse  (Ibid).  —  As  they  have  been  so  long 
under  greenhouse  treatment,  you  may  begin  to  force  them  now  by 
closing  the  house  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  as  long  as  the  glass  keeps 
above  45°.  You  need  not  use  fire-heat  till  the  last  day  in  March. 
All  through  April  keep  the  fire-heat  from  hO°  to  6o°.  Next  year  you 
may  begin  forcing  by  the  last  week  in  February,  and  after  that  at  the 
heginning  of  the  new  year.  If  you  find  the  least  diiBculty  in  forcing  the 
Grapes,  the  middle  of"  January  will  be  your  best  time  to  begin,  and  then 
not  to  use  fire-heat  above  50°,  for  the  first  six  weeks,  nor  let  the  house 
cool  below  45^^,  unless  the  weather  is  very  cold  indeed,  when  about  40^, 
early  in  the  morning,  before  the  leaves  come,  would  not  be  too  cold. 
There  is  always  more  danger  from  too  much  than  too  little  heat  in  first 
forcing  of  Vines  and  all  fruit-trees. 

Coating  for  Hot-water  Tank  (/.  HI.). — You  have  a  hot-water 
wooden  tank,  and  have  used  pitch  and  coal-ash  to  coat  the  inside,  but 
find  the  hot-water  melts  it.  You  w^ish  to  know  what  material  will  cause 
the  tank  to  be  water  tight.  We  know  of  none,  excepting  you  try  Roman 
cement,  and  if  that  does  not  answer,  then  coat  it  with  zinc  ;  or,  perhaps, 
it  will  be  the  cheapest  and  best  to  adopt  the  latter  material  at  once. 

Golden-spangled  Cock  (A  Subscriber),— "Mr.  Tegetmeier's  paper 
on  the  2nd  of  February  does  not  at  all  refer  to  "  Hen-feathered  Golden- 
spangled  Cocks,"  but  to  a  well-known  phenomenon  of  pullets  of  any 
breed  that  are  barren  assuming  the  gait,  crow,  &c.,  of  the  cock. 

l\IiMULUSEs  and  Petunias  (Ibid). — Your  best  Mimuluses  are  No.  1, 
.1,  7,  and  Q.  You  should  procure  Rubini,  and  Beauty  of  Scarbro' .  Your 
licst  Petunias  are  your  No.  2,  6,  6,  9,  12,  15,  and  IJ.  Beauty  Supreme, 
is  a  light  lilac  ;  Benute  de  Hloulins,  rose  ;  Incomparable,  dark  ;  Prince 
Arthur,  purple;  Lady  Cullum  and  Triumph,  striped.  The  rest  are  un- 
known. The  best  Calceolarias  to  grow  near  London,  are  your  No.  1,  3,  5, 
and  /.  Your  Stuvantii  we  do  not  know.  By  Peiargoniuyns  you  mean,  we 
suppose,  the  flowers  known  as  Florists'  Geraniums.  You  wish  to  know 
the  names  of  a  dozen  or  more  suitable  for  a  new  beginner,  and  you  add, 
"  not  too  tender."  You  are,  indeed,  a  new  beginner,  or  you  would  know 
that  all  Pelargoniums  are  tender,  and  that  there  is  very  little  difference 
in  their  constitution.  Procure  the  following,  they  will  please  you: — 
Optimum,  Astrea,  Lagonia  Kulla,  Conspieuum,  Cliieftain,  Enchantress 
(Foster's),  Governor,  Incomparable,  Lord  Mayor,  Magnificent,  Magnet, 
Mochanna,  Purple  Standard,  Pearl,  and  Virgin  Queen.  If  you  do  not 
mind  expense,  add  Regalia  and  Virgtnint 


Verrenas  for  cut  Trusses  (M.  C,  7>«i/trtl.— The  following  Ver- 
benas truss  well,  and  are  good  for  exhibition: — White,  Smith's  Alba 
I\Iagna;  Blue,  Caie's  Blue  Bonnet;  Crimson,  Barker's  Conspicua ; 
Pink,  Tur\'ell'3  Ariel ;  Scarlet,  Smith's  Monsieur  Julicn  ;  and  Purple, 
Monsieur  Paquin. 

Mdsk  Ducks  (J.  D.  K.). — You  can  obtain  their  eggs  from  any  dealer, 
or  specimens  of  the  birds  themselves.    Those  entirely  white  are  said  to    I 
be  the  best. 

Cleaning  Rose  Leaves  (i4n  ^n^wirer).— Nothing  more  is  required 
than  tepid  water  and  a  sponge.  It  will  remove  all  the  soot  and  duat. 
The  oftener  it  is  applied  the  better  the  Roses  will  thrive. 

Direction  {A.  A,). — Mr.  Turner  is  a  very  respectable  man  ;  his  direc- 
tion is  "  Parkwood  Springs,  Neepsend,  Sheffield." 

Vegetable  Marrow  {Adolphus  Yates). — Sow  the  seed  in  small  pots, 
and  plunge  in  a  gentle  hotbed  early  in  April,  and  turn  out  the  plants 
into  a  warm,  rich,  sheltered  border,  giving  at  first  a  little  shelter  during 
May.  They  require  no  culture  but  to  have  the  branches  trained  regu- 
larly over  the  ground. 

Roup  Advertisement  (P'eeiis). — Not  knowing  anything  about  the 
advertiser  we  cannot  give  an  opinion. 

White  Mulberries  (A  Subscriber), — Write  to  Mr.  G.  Balchin, 
Spring  Place,  Godalming,  Surrey. 

Error — p.  427,  col.  2,  line  40  from  the  bottom,  For  *'  Pencilled  Gams 
Fowl,"  read  *'  Tasselled  Game  Fowl.'* 

American  Poultry  Book  (F.  L.). — We  cannot  give  any  infonnation 
about  it.     It  is  quite  worthless. 

Advertisement  {Harriett). — It  would  be  .*ls  fid. 

Cochin  Pollet  {A  Young  Beginner]. — Never  mind  the  rattling  in 
the  throat,  as  the  pullet  is  quite  well. 

Sand  for  Cuttings  (G.  A.  G.).— Silver  sand  is  the  best  for  striking 
cuttings. 

Dwarf  Peas  (T.  Burgess). — We  know  of  no  good  Peas  only  one  or 
two  feet  high.  The  shortest  which  we  know  that  are  really  good  are  the 
Scimitar,  Spanish  Dwarf,  Imperial  Blue,  and  Dwarf  Green  MaiTOw, 

Influence  or  the  Male  Parent. — H.  T.,  of  Birmingham,  asks — 
"  If  I  take  away  from  my  Cochin  hens  a  cock  that  has  been  with  them 
since  Christmas  last,  and  substitute  another,  how  soon  shall  I  get  genuine 
eggs  by  the  last  cock  ?  "  Another  correspondent  asks  the  same  question 
as  to  Gaine  Fowls.  \Vc  can  only  reply,  that  as  a  hen  of  any  breed  will 
continue  to  lay  fertile  eggs  for  about  three  weeks  after  being  entirely 
removed  from  a  male  bird,  it  cannot  be  safe  to  depend  upon  a  fresh  croaa 
until  after  the  lapse  of  that  period.  The  subject,  however,  does  not  rest 
there,  for  there  are  evidences  to  show  that  characteristics  of  the  first  male 
will  appear  in  the  progeny  occasionally  for  the  remainder  of  the  female's 
life.  It  is  a  mysterious  subject  strongly  illustrative  of  the  text—"  These 
two  shall  become  one  flesh." 

Black  Malays  (ill.  T.  G.).— We  do  not  know  this  variety,  but  will 
give  you  a  fuller  answer  next  week.  We  should  have  thought  them  to 
be  "  Pheasanted  flialays,"  only  you  say  they  are  "  perfectly  black,"  and 
have  "yellow  legs." 

Knowledge  v.  Ignorance  (S.  Amcy), — We  are  obliged  by  your 
paper;  but  why  combat  a  phantom  ?  Mr.  Stansbury  means  as  you  do, 
"a  little  learning  is  a  dangerous  thing." 

Aloe  [A  Constant  Reader,  Co.  Dublin). — We  presume  you  mean  the 
Agave  Americana ;  and  if  so,  the  late  winter  was  not  only  cold  enough 
to  kill  it,  but  has  done  so  according  to  your  description  of  its  appearance. 

Value  of  Land  in  Australia  (F.). — The  following  will  give  you 
an  answer :— "  Value  of  Landed  Property  in  Brisbane. — An 
allotment  containing  33^  perches,  at  the  corner  of  Queen  and  George- 
streets,  North  Brisbane,  has  this  week  changed  hands  for  ^6620.  The 
allotment  has  nothing  on  it  but  a  fence  ;  but  it  is  an  excellent  situation, 
and  has  three  frontages;  3  acres,  1  rood,  and  21  perches  at  Kangaroo 
Point,  the  cost  of  which,  when  purchased  some  few  years  ago,  was  ^50, 
has  recently  been  sold  for  ^£'400.  A  small  brick  cottage,  and  the  allot- 
ment on  part  of  which  it  stands,  in  Queen-street,  was  purchased  less  than 
six  months  ago  for  ^400,  and  has  this  week  been  sold  again  for  ^1000. 
These  sales  have  been  effected  by  private  contract. "—JUorefonBa^Cowner. 
"  Land  Sale. — The  most  important  sale  of  land  ever  held  in  Brisbane, 
whether  we  consider  the  quantity  of  land  offered  for  sale,  or  the  high 
figure  at  which  most  of  the  allotments  were  purchased,  took  place  at  the 
Court  House,  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday  last.  There  was  present  the 
largest  assemblage  of  bidders  we  ever  witnessed,  and  the  biddings  were 
very  spirited,  parties  appearing  determined  to  secure  their  favourite  al- 
lotments atanyprice.  The  mostcxtravagantrate  given  was  forallotment 
6  of  section  28,  purchased  by  Mr.  Gibbon  for  Jt21i),  being  at  the  rate  of 
^6'  1000  per  acre.  The  extraordinary  high  rates  given  for  allotments  at  the 
intended  village  of  Sandgate  struck  every  one  with  astonishment,  and  led 
the  more  thinking  portion  of  the  community  to  believe  that  a  mania  had 
seized  the  purchasers.  However,  the  result  of  the  sale,  which  realized 
.■£■15,000,  sufficiently  evince  the  improved  prospects  of  the  town  and  dis- 
trict, and  the  increasing  demand  for  land.  Only  three  country  lota  re- 
mained unsold  at  the  close  of  the  sale,  and  these  were  afterwards  taken 
at  the  upset  price,  whilst  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  vory  few  of 
the  deposits  will  be  forfeited."— JI/o re/on  Bay  Free  Press. 


London:  Printed  by  Harby  Wooldeidoe,  Winchester  High-street, 
in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar;  and  Published  by  William 
Somervillk  Oer,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Esses,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Parish  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— March  l6th,  1854. 


MauCH   Ho. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK 


473 


' 

WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 

M.\UCII23— 29,    1851. 

Wratiirh  near  Lonoon  in  IRTtS. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun        Moon 
Sets.      R..'<iS. 

Moon's 
Age. 

Clock 
bf.  Sun. 

Bay  of 
Year. 

D 

W 

Barometer.      Thermo.  Wind,  f^^^^^" 

23 
24 
25 
26 

27 

1  28 

29 

Th 
F 

S 
Sni« 

HI 

To 
W 

Platysma  nicrritum. 

Chla-nius  festivu:). 

l.AnY  Day. 

4Tn,  or  MlDLKNT  Sonday. 

CalatUus  mclariocephalus 

Stomis  pumieatus. 

Clivina  fossor. 

29655— 29.3-29 

29.8 13 -29.8111 
29.91f>— 29-847 
311.025— -itl-QOl) 
30.(J63— 29.9!I9 
30.15(1—30.129 
30.141—29.995 

411—23     N.E. 
41  —  17  :     N. 

41—18    N.I-:. 

41—17     N.R. 
50—27  :    W. 
48—21   1     E. 
48— 2G  '     E. 

01 

OQ 

67  a  a 
50 
54 
51 
49 
47 
45 

15  a  0 
17 
19 
20 
22 
34 
25 

4      2 

4  45 

5  15 
5     38 
5     55 
sets. 
7a25 

21 
25 
20 
27 
28 

® 
1 

C    45 

«    2'" 
fi      9 
5     50 
5     32 
5      13 
4     55 

82 
83 
84 
85 
80 
87 
88 

Meteorology  of  the  Week. — At  Chiswick,  from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-sever 
pcr:itures  of  tlieae  dayi  are  52.2°  and  33.8°  respectively.    The  greatest  lieat,  75°,  occurred  on  the  S 
25th  in  1850.  During  the  period  1 18  days  were  fine,  and  on  71  rain  fell. 

years,  the  average  highest  and  lowest  tern- 
;th  in  1830  i  and  the  lowest  cold,  14°,  on  the 

BRITISH   WILD  FLOWERS. 

(Cniitiniied  from  page  iO.j.) 

Cakb.imike  hiksuta  :  Hairy  Lady's  Smock  ;  Lesser  Haiiy 
Cuckoo  Flower. 


Descnplion. — It  is  an  annual.    Root  of  many  white  fibres. 


Herl)  variable  in  size  and  luxurifince,  deep  green,  more  or 
less  hairy,  rarely  quite  smooth.  SIcms  from  three  to  twelve 
inches,  or  more,  in  lieiglit,  usually  several,  erect,  usually 
furuislied  with  lateral  branches  of  various  lengths,  leafy, 
angular,  often  zigzag,  hollow  in  the  centre,  clothed  with  flue, 
prominent,  scattered  hau's.  Leaves  alternate,  all  pinnate 
(lealleted).  Stem  on  short  stallcs,  without  stipiilas ;  leaflets 
stalked,  sometimes  alternate,  all  ior  the  most  part  somewhat 
hairy;  those  of  the  runl.-leaves  roundish,  or  heart-shaped, 
coarsely  notched,  numerous,  and  forming  a  circle  on  the 
ground;  those  of  the  lower  or  middle  part  of  the  stem 
more  oblong ;  the  upper  ones  narrow-reversed-egg-shaped, 
or  (juite  line-like,  blunt,  generally  entire,  but  in  this  respect, 
as  well  as  in  length,  they  vary.  Flowers  small,  in  a  flat, 
upright  cluster.  Petals  wliite.  Two  shorter  stamens  often 
wanting.  Pods  in  long  clusters,  erect,  slender,  smooth,  or 
occasionally  hairy,  their  valves  undulated  by  the  projection 
of  the  seeds  ;  stiijina  almost  stalkless. 

Time  of  flowering. — March  to  June. 

Places  where  found. — -It  grows  on  dry,  gravelly  banks 
sometimes,  but  occurs  most  frequently  in  moist  sliady  places . 
Not  uncommon. 

Uistorij. — Some  botanists  have  considered  this  to  be 
merely  a  variety  of  the  Cardamine  parviflora  of  Linnseus,  a 
species  not  native  of  England,  but  the  short  pods,  bushy 
stem,  and  dift'erently-shaped  leaflets  show  that  parviflora  is 
anotlier  species.  The  present  species,  0.  Idrsuta,  has  a 
stronger  flavour  than  C.  impaliens,  and  in  Ray's  time  many 
persons  used  it  as  a  salad  herb.  —  (^iSmith.  Witherint/. 
■Bay.) 


The  word  Ehaheth  is  used  in  the  Old  Testament  to 
describe  both  a  wood  and  the  tree  from  which  it  was 
obtained.  In  the  first  case  it  is  translated  in  our 
version  Aloes,  and  in  the  second  case  as  Lign  Aloes. 

Wherever  the  wood,  or  its  produce,  is  mentioned,  it  is 
in  connection  with  two  aromatios — Myrrh  and  Cassia 
{Psalm  xlv.  8  ;  Prov.  vii.  17),  and  with  some  others  by- 
Solomon,  who  says,  in  Canticles  iv.  13.  14 — "  Thy  plants 
are  an  orchard  of  Pomegranates,  witli  pleasant  fruits ; 
Camphire  and  Spikenard,  Spikenard  and  Saffron ; 
Calamus  and  Cinnamon,  with  trees  of  Frankincense; 
Myrrh  and  Aloes,  with  all  the  chief  spices." 

The  mi.x.ture  of  aromatics  last  mentioned  appears  to 
have  been  in  high  esteem,  and  to  have  been  that 
especially  preferred  by  the  Jews  for  embalming  purposes 
Thus  we  are  told  that  "  Nicodemus,  which  at  the  first 
came  to  Jesus  by  night,  brought  a  mixture  of  ISIyrrh 
and  Aloes,  about  an  hundred  pounds  weight.  Then 
took  they  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  wound  it  in  linen 
clothes  with  the  spices,  as  the  manner  of  the  Jews  is  to 
bury."     (John  sis.  39,  40.) 

The  quantity  thus  employed  has  been  objected  to  as 


excessive,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  quantity  of  spices 
and  fragrant  gums  either  burnt,  or  applied  to  the  body 
upon  such  occasions,  was  always  proportioned  to  the 
honour  intended  to  be  paid  to  tlie  deceased.  Thus  at 
the  funeral  of  Herod  there  were  five  hundred  spice 
bearers ;  and  at  that  of  Gamaliel  eighty  pounds  of  Opo- 
balsamum  alone  were  used,  to  say  nothing  of  other 
aromatios.  [Joseph  Antiq.  1.  xvii.  c.  10.  Talmud,  Mess- 
acliotli  Semach.  8.) 

The  Ehaloeth  was  used,  however,  for  other  pui-poses, 
and  amongst  these  the  perfuming  of  bedding  and 
dresses  are  specified  in  the  texts  which  we  have  quoted. 
For  such  purposes  resins  would  not  be  suitable,  and 
this  seems  a  testimony  that  the  wood  itself  imparted 
the  perfume.  This  is  corroborated  by  some  of  our  best 
Hebraists  who  agree  that  the  word  employed  in  the  Old 
Testament  uniformly  denotes  a  kind  of  wood  or  tree. 

This  suggests  the  question,  by  what  name  is  that  tree 
now  known  ?  Dioscorides,  and  some  modern  Arabians, 
with  a  few  intermediate  writers,  have  called  this  wood 
Agallochon  or  Xylaloe,  which  is  a  compound  word, 
meaning  "  The  Wood  of  Aloe."    Why  they  should  so 


No.  CCLXXXVI .  Vol.  XI. 


474 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  23. 


call  it,  though  the  interpreters  of  our  Bible  adopted  the 
name,  is  difficult  to  explaia.  Aloe,  however,  \vc  may 
observe,  is  the  Hebrew  name  deprived  of  its  initial  and 
final  letters. 

We  find  that  the  Tradesoants,  those  "  treasurers  of 
Nature's  rarities,"  had  "  AyaUochum"  among  the  woods 
(Ligna)  enumerated  in  their  Catalogue  of  the  Musceum 
Tmdescantianum  (p.  31).  Of  this  very  specimen  we 
have  the  following  narrative  by  Parkinson,  under  the 
title  of  "  Agallochum  or  Lignum  Aloes."  "  I  have 
seen  with  Master  Tradescant,  the  elder,  before  he  died, 
a  great  piece  of  true  Lignum  Aloes,  and  of  the  best 
sort,  as  big  and  as  long  as  a  man's  leg,  without  any 
knot  therein,  which,  as  he  said,  our  King  Charles  gave 
him  with  his  own  hands,  but  was  here  kept  before,  and 
accounted  by  many  as  a  great  religious  relic,  even  to  be 
a  piece  of  the  wood  of  that  Cross  whereon  our  Saviour 
was  crucified,  and  therefore  was  fetched  away  again 
from  his  son  (Tradescant  junior)  to  be  kept  as  a  monu- 
ment or  relic  still."     (Theatrum  Botanicum.  l.')6.''),) 

This  Agallochum,  we  are  of  opinion,  was  the  wood  of 
one  or  other  of  the  two  trees  now  called  by  botanists 
Aquilaria  agatlocha  and  Aloexylnn  agalloclium.  The 
first  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of  Terebinths,  or 
Turpentines,  and  the  second  to  the  Legumes,  or  Pod- 
baarers.  They  are  both  of  the  Linnasan  class  and  order 
Dtcandria  Monogynia.  The  following  note  by  Jlr.  Don 
is  applicable  to  each  of  these  trees: — 1'he  wood  is  white, 
and  has  long  been  used  as  a  perfume.  Aloes  wood  is 
held  in  liigli  estimation  in  the  East  on  account  of  its 
fragrant  odour,  and  as  a  perfume  is  applied  to  clothes 
and  apartments,  as  well  as  a  cordial  medicine  in  fainting 
fits,  and  in  cases  of  paralytic  affection.  By  the  Chinese 
and  other  heathens  it  was  used  as  incense  at  their 
sacrifices.--  In  the  East  Indies  it  was  formerly  deemed 
of  greater  value  than  gold,  and  various  fables  have  been 
invented  as  to  the  origin  of  the  tree  that  yields  it.  Some 
have  feigned  that  it  grew  in  Paradise,  and  that  it  was 
conveyed  from  thence  by  the  rivers  overflowing  their 
banks  and  sweeping  away  the  trees.  (Dons  Dichltimy- 
deons  Plants,  ii.  4ti4.) 

A  perfume  so  ])recious,  and  of  such  imagined  origin, 
may  well  have  found  praise  in  the  verses  of  the  Hebrew 
Poet ;  may  well  have  been  selected  by  the  prophet  as  a 
simile  for  the  tents  of  Israel ;  and  may  well  have  been 
selected  as  appropriate  for  embalming  the  body  of 
our  Lord. 

It  is  no  valid  objection  that  the  trees  we  have  named 
are  natives  of  the  East  Indies,  for  we  have  abundant 
proof  that  for  such  costly  products  of  the  East  the 
merchants  of  Tyre  visited  and  trafficked  with  the  inha- 
bitants of  India.  We  have  had  occasion  to  notice  this 
traflac  in  our  notes  upon  the  Ahnug,  and  shall  have  to 
notice  it  further  when  remarking  upon  the  Oahtmus. 

It  is  an  erroneous  induction  tliat  by  Aloes  some 
native  tree  of  the  Holy  Land  must  have  been  intended, 
otherwise  Balaam,  in  his  prophetic  simile,  would  not 

♦  Ray,  in  his  tUsloria  Plantarum,  ii.  1808,  saya.  It  is  very  cohtly,  and 
on_  that  account  was  strewed  on  the  funeral  pile  of  the  Princes  and 
Priests  uf  India. 


have  compared  to  such  trees  the  tents  of  Israel.  So  far 
is  this  from  being  the  case,  that  we  find  in  these  highly 
poetized  utterances  the  most  costly  products  are  referred 
to  without  any  restriction  as  to  the  place  of  their  birth. 
Thus  Solomon,  when  narrating  the  plants  of  his  ideal 
gardens,  brings  together  witli  Pomegranates  and  other 
products  of  the  temperate  zone,  Calamus  and  Cinnamon, 
which  live  only  beneath  a  tropical  sun.  (Canticles  iv. 
13,  &o.) 

Balaam,  in  the  simile  alluded  to,  said  that  the 
Israelitish  tents  were  "  as  the  trees  of  the  Lign  Aloes 
which  the  Lord  had  planted."  That  is,  which  giew 
vigorously  and  naturally.  Thus  in  another  place  it  is 
said,  "  The  trees  of  the  Lord  are  full  of  sap,  the  Cedars 
of  Lebanon,  which  he  hath  planted"  (Psalm  civ.  IC). 
Under  the  term  sap  is  included  all  the  liquid  products 
of  a  plant ;  and  it  may  be  noticed  that  the  value  of  the 
wood  of  the  Aijuilaria  and  of  the  Aloe.vylon  are  just  in 
proportion  to  their  size,  or  vigorous  growth,  and  the 
resinous  secretions  which  they  contain. 


Our  country  friends,  who  drink  each  out  of  his  own 
well  and  his  own  cistern,  have  a  great  advantage  over 
the  inhabitants  of  large  towns — an  advantage  increasing 
in  proportion  to  their  nearness  to  the  natural  sources  of 
rivers,  and  consequent  remoteness  from  river  mouths- 
Good  water  is  confessedly  only  one  of  a  hundred  indica- 
tions (natural,  moral,  social,  and,  we  may  safely  add, 
political  and  religious*)  which  we  are  bound  to  follow 
out  and  adopt,  if  we  hope  materially  to  improve  our 
sanitary  condition :  and  its  influence  is  much  more  in- 
direct than  has  been  taken  for  granted ;  yet  no  readier 
test  suggests  itself  to  us  of  the  advancement  of  a  refined 
and  intelligent  civilisation  than  the  care  bestowed  on 
an  artificial  water  supply ;  a  subject  which  we  hope  to 
resume  in  a  future  paper. 

Dr.  Kidd  says,  in  his  "  Treatise  on  the  Adaptation  of 
E.Kternal  Nature  to  the  Physical  Condition  of  Man,'' 
"Although  there  is  scarcely  any  substance  which  water 
is  not  capable  of  dissolving  to  a  certain  extent,  and, 
consequently,  no  natural  form  of  water  is  pure,  yet,  in 
almost  every  instance,  the  natural  forms  of  water  are 
not  only  innocuous  but  salutary."  And  Dr.  Smith,  in 
a  paper  read  at  Edinburgh,  before  the  British  Associa- 
tion, has  proved  that  well  water  is  ordinarily  ticed  from 
accidental  pollutions  in  the  process  of  filtering  through 
the  earth.  When,  unfortunately,  from  long  occupation, 
or  neglect,  or  other  causes,  the  whole  subsoil  where  we 
inhabit  has  become  so  charged  with  animal  and  vege- 
table refuse  and  corrui)tion  that  the  very  water  of  our 
wells  is  tainted,  it  is  obvious  that  the  purest  water 
brought  from  a  distance  can  be  no  more  than  a  jiaUia- 

*  The  following  is  from  that  portion  of  the  Report  of  the  College  of 
Physicians  contri)>uted  hy  Dr.  Gull.  "  The  immunity  of  the  .lews  in  this 
metropolis  was  hcttcr  ascertained,  and,  according  to  good  authority, 
depended  upon  their  attention  to  hygiene  (or  rather  to  their  sacred  law.) 
Their  houses  are  cleansed  annually,  and  are  not  overcrowded.  They  are, 
as  a  class,  soliur,  and  in  their  diet,  scrupulous.  There  is  no  extreme 
destitution  among  them,  their  wealthy  classes  relieving  those  in  distress. 
Their  Sahliath  is  rigidly  ohswrved  as  a  day  of  rest. — Page  iGo,  Rtpurts 
mi  Kpittrmit-  C/iolt^ru  to  the  Rotiul  College  a/  F/iffsiciuns,  by  Dt\  Baley 
and  Ur.  OiiU. 


Mabch  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


tive.  The  ueoessity  for  a  large  adventitious  water  sup- 
ply, then,  argues  a  sanitary  condition  not  altogether 
natural — not  to  he  compared  with  thy  ha])py  lot,  gentle 
reader,  whoso  waters  are  thine  own,  and  not  strangers' 
with  thee.     Thy  fountains  are  blessed. 

In  a  former  paper  (in  October  last)  we  ventured  to 
assure  the  readers  of  this  Journal,  that  if  the  water  which 
they  use  be  uot  offensive  at  all  to  their  senses,  it  will 
rarely  prove  unwholesome ;  and  that  it  is  rather  in  the 
form  of  vapour  diffused  through  the  atmosphere,  than 
in  a  fluid  state  in  our  drink,  that  water  is  likely  to  prove 
the  means  of  spreading  cholera  and  other  plagues.  This 
point  is  beginning  to  excite  considerable  attention ; 
and,  at  the  risk  of  appearing  paradoxical,  we  must  beg 
to  enter  into  some  details  for  the  edification  of  our 
country  friends. 

The  thick-and-thin  advosates  of  a  water  in  no  case 
beyond  four-and-a-half  degrees  of  hardness  by  Clark's 
test,  along  with  water-closets  inside  the  house,  and 
water-tight  sewer  pipes  four  inches  in  diameter,  have 
invariably  adduced  a  certain  pleasant  little  country  town 
in  the  Lake  district  as  their  chosen  standard  of  health 
and  longevity.  Reckoning  the  cost  of  the  above  neces- 
saries of  existence  at  about  ^£10  or  ^l-'i  per  house  for 
any  given  town,  and  then,  as  a  set  off,  comparing  the 
value  of  life  in  the  town  proposed  to  be  improved  with 
the  value  of  life  in  the  town  of  Ulverstone,  taken  as  a 
standard,  it  has  always  been  proved  that  these  really 
valuable  improvements  cost  nothing  at  all ;  the  money 
laid  out  upon  them  forming  a  most  desirable  investment 
of  capital.  But  about  two  years  ago,  the  gentlemen  of 
Ulverstone  bethought  themselves  that  they  would  have 
a  water  company  ;  and  the  fact  was  then  established 
that  this  very  healthy  town  had  a  water  not  at  all  an- 
swering to  Clark's  test,  with  very  primitive  arrange- 
ments, indeed,  in  the  way  of  water-closets  and  house 
drainage. 

Conversely — in  a  small  manufacturing  town  at  the 
other  end  of  the  same  county,  contrasting  vmfavourably 
with  Ulverstone  in  everything  relating  to  health,  an 
abundant  supply  of  water  of  four-and-a-half  degTees, 
Clark's  test,  has  been  introduced  within  the  last  few 
years.  One  half  of  the  people  now  use  this  excellent 
water,  but  the  mortality  is  in  no  way  diminished.  An 
improved  water  supply  lias  been  provided  for  a  large 
country  town  much  nearer  Loudon,  with  a  similarly 
indecisive  result  on  the  health  of  the  place. 

Our  friend.  Dr.  Popham,  relates,  that  at  Cork,  some 
years  ago,  a  very  bad  form  of  dysentery  was  attributed 
to  the  water  of  the  place.  A  very  pure  spring  was 
brought  in  ft'om  a  distance,  and  the  disease  disappeared 
for  a  long  time,  but  with  the  famine  it  reappeared,  and 
continued  defying  the  water  supply. 

A  short  time  ago,  a  whole  family  died,  near  London, 
of  malignant  fever,  after  drinking  some  water  out  of  a 
ditch  bottom.  This  last,  in  strict  agreement  with  certain 
established  principles,  was  set  down  as  the  cause  of 
death.  On  analysis  it  was  found  full  of  vegetable,  &c., 
remains,  and  was  pronounced  unfit  to  drink  unless 
iilterec) ;  but  some  arsenic  which  had  been  swallowed  iu 


the  food  was  suggested  as  a  supplementary  cause,  at 
least,  of  the  illness  of  the  family. 

The  Tyne,  under  new  and  enlightened  arrangements 
of  liquid  sewerage,  receives  the  drainage  of  Newcastle, 
where  the  cholera  was  most  prevalent  within  the  atmo- 
spheric influences  of  the  vapour  from  the  river.  The 
town  has  been  lately  supplied  with  Tyne  water,  to  a 
certain  extent,  taken  from  a  higher  source;  a  question- 
able proceeding,  no  doubt;  but  a  house  to  house  visi- 
tation failed  in  proving  either  that  the  districts  supplied 
from  this  dubious  source  suffered  most  from  cholera,  or 
that  those  drinking  the  purest  water  suffered  the  least. 
Something  more,  then,  than  bad  water  is  required  to 
cause  death ;  and  something  more  than  pure  water  to 
prolong  life. 

This  point  has  received  the  fullest  examination  by  the 
Committee  of  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians,  whose 
report  on  cholera  is  now  before  us.  A  report  which  we 
must  beg  to  refer  to,  once  and  again,  as  a  mine  of  facts 
and  illustrations  of  the  whole  of  the  very  difficult  subject 
which  we  have  in  hand. 

"  This  theory,  then,  as  a  whole,  is  untenable.  It  has, 
however,  directed  attention  to  circumstances  which  may 
be  hereafter  shown  to  bear  a  part  in  the  production  or 
increase  of  this  as  well  as  other  epidemics ;  and  the 
enquiries  it  suggests  must  not  be  neglected,  when  the 
causes  and  mode  of  propagation  of  such  diseases  are 
again  made  the  subject  of  investigation.  It  is  not 
probable  that  in  the  case  of  cholera  the  influence 
of  water  will  ever  be  shown  to  consist  in  its  serving 
as  a  vehicle  for  a  poison  generated  in  the  bodies  of 
those  who  had  suffered  from  the  disease.  But  it  may 
be  proved  that  the  poisonous  matters  which  produce 
cholera,  as  well  as  other  epidemic  diseases,  are  capable 
of  increasing  in  foul  water  as  well  as  in  foul  air.  At 
all  events,  it  is  scarcely  probable  that  water  containing 
putrid  matters  in  a  state  of  solution  or  suspension  can 
be  habitually  swallowed  without,  at  least,  the  risk  of 
injury  to  the  health.  This  subject  needs,  and  is  likely, 
henceforth,  to  receive  more  systematic  investigation. 
Already,  indeed,  since  the  last  epidemic  of  cholera  in 
London,  one  mode,  in  which  a  large  surface  of  water 
contaminated  with  the  foul  outpourings  of  sewers  may 
largely  contribute  to  the  unhealthiness  of  a  city,  has 
been  sot  forth  with  scientific  precision  by  Mr.  Farr. 
With  the  aid  of  calculations  made  by  Mr.  Glaisher,  he 
has  shown  that  in  the  summer  season  as  much,  pro- 
habhj,  as  four  million  gallons  of  water  rises  daily  in  the 
form  of  vapour  from  the  surface  of  the  Thames,  at 
London,  can-ying  with  it  into  the  atmosphere  some 
portion  of  the  putrid  contents  of  the  river." — (Dr.  Baley's 
Report,  p.  213,  214.)  J.  J. 


"  The  Bath  and  West  of  England  Society  for  the 
Encouragement  of  Agriculture,  Arts,  Manufactures, 
and  Commerce,"  imder  whose  auspices  so  successful  a 
Poultry  Sliow  was  held  at  Plymouth,  in  June,  1853, 
propose  to  hold  their  exhibition  for  the  present  year  at 
Bath,  on  the  seventh  and  two   following  days  of  the 


476 


THE  COTTAGE  OABDENEE. 


Mauch  23. 


same  month  next  eusiiing.  Cliiokens,  we  obscrvo,  avc 
specially  required,  in  addition  to  adult  birds  in  the 
Spanish,  Dorking,  and  Slianghae,  varieties,  the  remaining 
classes  being  open  to  birds  of  all  ages.  The  prize-list 
stands  much  iu  the  usual  form,  but  we  must  confess 
ourselves  surprised  to  find  that  the  premiinns  for  Geese, 
Ducks,  and  Turkeys,  of  such  limited  amount  in  com- 
parison witli  those  ofTcred  for  fowls;  for,  while  many 
of  the  latter  have  i'o,  £\  10s,  and  l.'Js  for  the  first, 
second,  and  third,  respectively,  none  of  these  "  farmer's" 
birds  obtained  more  than  £1  for  a  first,  and  LOs  for  a 
second  prize.  At  a  meeting  of  so  strictly  an  agricultural 
character,  the  contrary  policy,  we  should  have  imagined, 
would  have  been  preferable. 

The  rules  are  clear  and  precise,  and  under  the  same 
able  management  of  the  director,  Mr.  Gray,  by  whom 
the  arrangements  of  the  Plymouth  Show  were  so" ad- 
mirably conducted,  we  venture  to  anticipate  equal 
success  for  the  Bath  meeting. 


The  meeting  of  the  Entomological  Society  ior  March 
was  held  on  the  6th  inst,,  and  was  fully  attended,  with 
the  President,  E.  Xewman,  Esq.,  E.L.S.,  in  the  chair. 

The  Secretary  announced,  with  a  view  of  obviating 
some  of  the  inconveniences  which  had  been  experienced 
in  former  years,  that  the  Council  had  resolved  tlius 
early  to  announce  the  days  for  the  two  annual  excur- 
sions, namely,  on  the  10th  of  June  to  Pembrey,  near 
Tunbridge,  Kent,  and  on  the  8th  of  July  to  Mickleham, 
both  excellent  grounds  for  collecting,  and  of  easy  access 
by  railroad.  Tickets,  taken  before  t"ne  2nd  of  ilay,  are 
to  be  charged  half-a-crown  ;  after  which  time  the  price 
will  be  raised. 

Mr.  Westwood  called  attention  to  a  periodical  work, 
the  publication  of  which  had  been  recently  commenced, 
and  which,  from  an  examination  which  he  had  made  of 
it,  appeared  to  be  a  clumsy  compilation  from  "  Stephens's 
Manual ; "  the  figures  were  also  worthless. 

Mr.  Curtis  exhibited  a  series  of  larvfe  of  various 
insects  recently  captured  by  himself  ou  the  continent, 
including  those  of  a  supposed  species  of  Oplwnus,  one 
of  the  gi'ound-beetles,  and  of  Stenolopims  vaporariorum, 
another  of  the  same  tribe;  those  of  Cistela  atra  and 
Prosiomis  mancUhulari^,  the  latter  a  curious  beetle,  the 
larvos  bearing  a  strong  resemblance  to  that  o( Pyrocliroa, 
and  found  under  the  bark  of  decaying  Chesnut-trees ; 
the  larvae  of  a  supposed  llehiitorus,  a  clavicorn  water- 
beetle,  and  that  of  a  Pyralis,  which  is  very  destructive 
in  boxes  of  preserved  insects,  spinning  its  web  over  the 
specimens,  which  it  gnaws  to  i)ioces.  Mr.  Curtis  also 
caUed  attention  to  the  curious  fact,  that  many  of  the 
rare  varieties  of  butterflies  exhibited  at  previous  meet- 
ings of  the  Society  had  been  taken  iu  the  neiglibour- 
liood  of  Ipswich  and  Colchester ;  he  likewise  mentioned 
several  other  similar  instances  in  which  the  same 
locality  had  produced  otlicr  varieties  ;  and  INIr.  Samuel 
Stevens  exlnliited  a  fine  variety  of  the  White  Admiral 
butterlly,  Limcnitis  sihiJcn,  also  from  tlie  neighbourljood 
of  Colchester,  'i'lie  latter  gontlcmun  also  exhibited  speci- 


mens of  a  species  of  7»'«)'««ii'lio</(,  recently  captured  for  the 
first  time  in  (Jalway  by  Mr.  Milner.  It  is  \\\e  Anthro- 
cera  minos,  and  is  distinguished  by  the  large  patch  of 
crimson  on  the  fore  wings,  not  broken  up  into  smaller 
spots.  Likewise  a  number  of  beautiful  Lepidoptera, 
from  the  north  of  China,  recently  sent  home  by  Mr. 
fortune,  who  is  again  engaged  in  Xatural  History  and 
botanical  imrsuits  in  Ihojloicery  empire.  (We  take  this 
opportunity  to  mention,  that  since  the  Meeting,  wo 
have  received,  from  St.  Petersburgh,  a  memoir  on  the 
Lejndoptera  of  the  neighbourhood  of  Pekin,  sent  homo 
from  the  Puissian  Mission,  which  has  been  established 
for  several  years  past  in  that  city.) 

Mr.  J.  Stevens  also  exhibited  a  number  of  beautiful 
butterflies  and  moths,  collected  at  Port  Natal  by  Dr. 
Guenzius;  and  also  a  specimen  of  the  magnificent  Mor- 
pJio  Oypris,  belonging  to  the  Society  (forwarded  from 
Bogota  by  Mr.  Stephens),  which,  having  become  satu- 
rated with  grease,  had  been  entrusted  to  him  to  be 
cleaned.  He  had  accordingly  immersed  it  for  three  days 
in  caraphine,  and  had  then  covered  it  with  pounded 
magnesia,  and  it  had  by  this  means  become  perfectly 
restored  to  its  former  splendour,  being,  iu  fact,  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  hitherto  known  butterflies. 

Mr.  Frederick  Morre  exhibited  a  quantity  of  cells  of 
clay,  manufactured  by  some  Indian  species  of  !Mason 
Bee  or  wasp,  collected  at  Dacca ;  the  greater  number 
contained  a  pupa  case,  and  in  one  of  the  cases  a  beau" 
tiful  parasitic  Chrysis  had  been  found;  whilst,  in  another, 
which  did  not  contain  a  case,  was  found  the  pupa  of  a 
species  of  I'espida,  tlie  parent  of  which  had  probably 
taken  possession  of  the  cell  already  built  by  the  real 
architect. 

Mr.  Desvignes  exhibited  a  beautiful  variety  of  Melilaa 
Dictynna ;  and  Mr.  Foxcroft  a  quantity  of  whalebone 
shavings,  infested  to  a  considerable  extent  by  the  larvte 
of  one  of  the  Tincida,  which  reside  in  portable  cases, 
probably  Tinea  pellionella  ;  as  well  as  the  larva;  and 
perfect  insects  of  Boletophagus  crenatus,  a  small  beetle 
found  in  the  Boleti.  growing  upon  beech  trees  iu  Perth- 
shire, where  it  had  been  first  discovered  by  Jlr.  Fox- 
oroft,  two  years  ago. 

j\lr.  Dale  forwarded  a  notice  of  the  capture  of  Hemer- 
ohius  dipteriis,  a  new  British  species,  at  Langport,  in 
Dorsetshire.  Tliis  species  had  been  previously  described 
by  Dr.  Burmeister,  iu  his  Handbuch,  ii.,  p.  '.I7;i. 

'I'lie  President  read  a  notice  from  iNIr.  llawnslcy,  of 
Morelon  Bay,  New  Holland,  in  which  he  expressed  his 
willingness  to  collect  objects  of  Natural  History  and 
Botany  upon  reasonable  terms.  This  is  an  excellent 
opportunity,  of  whioli  we  trust  our  botanical  as  well  as 
entomological  friends  will  avail  themselves.  A  similar 
statement  was  made  from  Dr.  lleichnrdt,  the  curator  of 
the  Geological  department  of  the  Royal  Musoum  at 
Copenhagen,  who  is  about  to  proceed  to  Miuas  Geraes, 
and  other  parts  of  Central  America,  and  who  offers  to 
collect  insects,  &o.,  on  remarkably  low  terms.  Parlies 
subscrihing  I'or  tlu'co  years,  at  .tl2  per  annum,  are  to 
I'cceivo  a  large  amount  of  objects  in  return. 

A  jiapir  was  also  read  I'lom  Dr.  lleichardt  (a  transla- 


March  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


477 


tlon  of  whicli,  by  Dr.  Wallich,  was  commenced  by  Mr. 
Spenee),  on  a  Imidnous  larva,  found  at  Lagoa  Santa,  in 
Soutli  America,  where  it  has  been  found  creeping  from 
beneath  the  timber  flooring  of  houses.  Each  segment 
of  the  body  emits  two  patclies  of  greenish  light  on  the 
upper  surface,  whilst  the  head  shines  with  aruddy  ligliti 
like.a  burning  coal.  It  was  supposed  to  be  nearly  allied 
to  the  Glowworms,  and  to  the  Luminous  Paraguay  Worm 
of  D'Azura.  A  notice  was  also  read  of  the  introduction 
to  Malta,  from  Assam,  of  the  Indian  Eria  Silk  JMoth 
{Bomlnjx  Cynthia).  This  insect  is  of  very  large  size, 
and  feeds  upon  the  Castor  Oil  plant.  Its  silk  is  very 
strong.  The  notice  had  been  published,  with  details,  in 
the  Journal  of  the  Society  of  Arts  of  the  ^rd  of  March. 
A  long  paper  by  Mr.  Newport  was  read,  afBrming  the 
priority  of  the  discovery  by  himself  of  the  larva)  of 
Monodontomerus  nitidus,  a  parasite  on  Anthophora 
return,  one  of  the  Mason  Bees. 


Collections  of  dried  British  Ferns  and  their  allied 
plants  may  now  be  had  complete  of  Mr.  F.  Y.  Brocas, 
who  pursues  the  occupation  of  a  British  Katuralist,  at 
his  residence,  10,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden.  He 
will  readily  assist  in  the  purchase  or  exchange  of  any 
specimens  connected  with  the  zoology  or  botany  of  the 
British  Islands. 

It  is  a  general  remark  that  Oranges  were  never  before 
so  stained  in  the  rind  as  they  are  this  year.  The  brown, 
rough  stain  complained  of  seems  to  be  the  result  of  the 
attack  of  some  minute  Fungus  like  that  which  attacked 
the  Grape. 

Some  months  ago  the  formation  of  a  Poinological 
Society  was  advocated  in  these  pages,  and  steps  are  now 
taking  to  carry  out  the  suggestion.  We  shall  shortly 
give  more  particulars. 


TRAINING  PEARS. 


I  jinsT  now  offer  a  few  further  remarks  on  Pears,  and 
in  so  doing  will  take  a  glance  at  the  various  modes  of 
training.  At  Oulton,  we  have  chiefly  table  trellisses, 
umbrella  training,  horizontal-radiate,  and  a  kind  of 
hollow  form,  and  on  the  walls,  curved-parallel  training, 
and  a  few  on  the  old  fan  form.  There  are  many  other 
modes  practised,  according  to .  the  varying  fancies  of 
persons,  for,  after  all,  there  is  less  importance  in  the 
mode  of  training  than  some  people  imagine.  Any 
mode  of  training  which  will  best  allow  the  sun's  rays  to 
act  on  the  foliage  in  general,  tend  best  to  equalise  the 
sap,  and  provide  for  the  most  warmth,  is,  in  my  opinion, 
the  best;  and  in  this  respect  two  or  three  forms  may 
claim  almost  equal  merit. 

For  my  part,  I  have  found  the  table  trellisses  the  best, 
although  it  must  be  admitted  that  some  kinds  do  not 
succeed  so  well  on  thera  as  on  others  ;  indeed,  the  same 
may  be  said  of  any  form.  The  table  trellisses  are  four 
feet  six  inches  wide,  and  ai'e  about  a  foot  to  fifteen 
inches  above  the  ground  level.  The  main  branches,  on 
which  are  tied  down  tlie  young  spray,  arc  about  one 
foot  apart  in  parallel  lines,  running  north  and  south. 
The  trees  were  planted  about  eighteen  years  since,  and 
my  intention  was  to  have  a  metallic"  table  of  strong, 
well-stretched  rods,  over  which  I  would  have  placed  a 


metallic  rail  along  tlie  two  sides  longitudinally,  running 
east  ami  west;  this  rail  about  a  foot  above  the  table ; 
and  ou  this  I  would  have  worked  a  roller  covered  with 
canvass,  something  after  tlie  manner  of  carriages  on  a 
railway ;  tlie  canvass  rolled  along  every  afternoon 
through  September,  and  until  the  fruit  was  gathered, 
and  again  tln-ough  the  spring,  to  retard  frost,  and  then 
to  protect.  This  plan  was,  however,  thought  too  ex- 
pensive, and  fell  through,  and  I  was  obliged  to  have 
recourse  to  bobs  driven  in — rough  stakes  in  the  form  of 
the  letter  'Jf  &c., — and  thus  things  proceeded,  the  sticks, 
of  course,  requiring  almost  annual  renewal. 

This  mode,  or  something  close  to  it,  I  fairly 
broached  in  "  Loudon's  Magazine,"  and  strongly  ad- 
vised some  of  our  market  gardeners  to  lay  down  an  acre 
or  more  at  once,  on  a  similar  principle  ;  had  they  done 
so  in  those  days,  they  would,  I  am  persuaded,  have 
found  it  a  profitable  investment,  and  we  should  scarcely 
have  heard  of  Orchard-liouses.  I  wish  I  could  even 
now  cause  my  voice  to  be  heard  on  this  subject,  for 
assuredly  oiir  Pear  culture,  in  the  main,  is  quite  un- 
worthy the  age  we  live  in. 

I  had,  about  twenty-two  years  ago,  planted  a  border 
240  feet  in  length,  somewhat  in  accordance  with  those 
principles  connected  with  root-and-branch  culture, 
which  had  long  been  lurking  in  my  mind,  and  which  I 
have  continually  (ray  opponents  may  say,  pertinaciously) 
adhered  to  up  to  the  present  moment. 

These  were  a  sort  of  "wood  note  wild,"  a  sort  of  off- 
hand guess,  but  quite  excusable  in  the  position  of  affairs 
at  that  period,  at  which  the  complaints  about  barren 
wall-fruit-trees,  espaliers,  and,  indeed,  all  but  those  of 
our  good  old  orchards  (which  had  escaped  a  coddling 
system),  were  to  be  beard  on  all  sides.  This  line  of 
Pears,  however,  though  a  first  attempt,  has  turned  out 
very  well,  on  the  whole;  quite  sufficient,  I  am  told,  to 
justify  the  adoption  of  a  dwarfing  system— albeit,  a 
coarse  beginning. 

I  must  here  observe,  that  I  have  coined  a  term  or  two 
expressive  of  the  modes  of  training  adopted;  a  course 
which  no  man  is  more  unwilling  to  pursue  than  myself, 
but,  nevertheless,  a  necessity,  inasmuch  as  we  have  no 
existing  mode  of  expressing  the  practice. 

The  umbrella  mode  will  be  readily  conceived  by  those 
who  have  not  seen  it  in  practice  ;  in  form,  and  even  size, 
the  trees  may  be  aptly  enough  compared  to  the  skeleton 
of  a  huge  gig  umbrella,  but  even  a  little  larger  still. 
Thestems  (or  umbrella-handles, shall  we  call  them?)  being 
about  four  feet  high,  and  the  leading  branches  touching 
the  ground  within  nine  inches.  These,  for  lack  of 
proper  frame-work  of  rods,  are  supported  by  the  Y 
stakes  before  described.  It  may  here,  however,  be  ob- 
served, that  these  trees,  having  been  about  a  score 
years  under  training,  are  so  sturdy,  that  the  boughs,  in 
the  main,  carry  their  own  weight  readily.  I  have 
umbrella-trees  here,  no  bigger  than  a  gig  umbrella, 
which  measure  inches  around  the  trunk;  they  are 

singular-looking  things,  and  look  as  if  it  would -require 
no  small  amount  of  power  to  topple  tliem  over. 

The  mode  for  which  I  have  coined  the  term 
horizontal-radiate,  was  the  first  experiment  in  the  hori- 
zontal way  with  me.  A  border,  five  i'eet  wide,  being  set 
out,  the  trees  were  planted  down  the  centre  at  about 
fourteen  feet  apart,  and  the  main  branches  were  then 
trained  in  a  radiate  way  from  the  centre,  and  horizon- 
tally at  about  a  foot  above  the  ground-level ;  it  will  be 
here  seen  that  there  is  an  identity  of  principle  between 
this  plan  and  the  table  trellis  before  described;  indeed, 
this  may  be  better  termed  radialiny  table-training,  the 
ot\\cx,  parallel  table-training,  AxiA  50  ^io\\h.  Our  ingenuous 
readers  will,  doubtless,  jiardon  me  for  being  a  little 
"fussy"  over  the  affair,  for  I  must  needs  be  explicit; 
tl'iis  being  the  last  time,  in  all  probability,  in  which  it 
win  bercquisite  to  bo  so  special  in  detail,  although  I  dare 


478 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Mabch  23. 


scarcely  say,  as  our  histrionic  gentlemen  sometimes  do — 
"  The  last  time  ot  perlbrraanco  iu  this  character,  &c." 
If  any  one  is  to  hlanic,  it  is  my  very  clever  and  worthy 
coadjutor,  Mr.  l''ish,  who  fairly  challanged  uie  to  an  ex- 
[ilaiiatiou  of  tlie  wliereabouts  iu  I'ear  culture. 

The  halloon  form,  as  some  have  termed  it,  is  not  well 
characterised  by  that  term  ;  it  is  neither  more  nor  less 
than  two  or  three  stories  high  of  umbrellas,  one  above 
the  other,  and  each,  of  course,  having,  as  all  good 
umbrellas  should  have,  a  proper  length  of  handle.  I 
do  not  commend  these  gim-cracks  or  horticultural 
vagaries,  neither  do  I  condemn  them,  for  I  have  had  a 
tolerable  share  of  success  witli  such  whimsies ;  they  are 
the  mere  offsprings  of  a  sort  of  inventive  mania  enter- 
tained nuiuy  years  since.  However,  it  becomes  a 
duty,  now  that  1  have  fairly  broken  the  ice,  to  point  to 
the  merits  and  demerits  of  all  that  I  am  acquainted 
witli.  I  may  observe,  that  1  have  a  Marie  Louise  tree 
iu  this  character,  and  it  has  been  a  marvel  to  all  who 
have  seen  it;  three  stories  higli,  and  laden  with  those 
fine  .J  argonelle  -  looking  lellows,  like  the  ornaments 
dangling  around  a  Cliinese  Pagoda.  This  Marie  Louise 
lias  three  of  these  imibrellas,  each  gradually  diminishing 
in  size  upwards,  so  that  it  might  almost  be  termed  a 
creeping  pyramid ;  it  has,  altogether,  a  very  handsome 
appearance. 

I'lie  eurved-parand  mode  on  the  walls  has  only  one 
advantage  over  ordinary  fan  training,  as  far  as  I  am 
aware,  and  that  is,  light  is  admitted  more  equally  to  all 
portions  of  the  tree.  In  this  respect,  ordinary  fan  train- 
ing lias  ever  a  slight  defect.  The  main  shoots,  iu  this 
curved-parallel  mode,  start  from  a  common  centre,  as  in 
fan  training,  that  centre  about  a  foot  or  little  more 
above  the  mere  collar.  They  are  forced  into  a  curvature 
at  about  half  a  yard  I'rom  the  point  of  radiation,  and 
then  fall  in  with  the  courses  of  brick-work,  observing 
horizontal  lines  at  the  distance  of  three  courses  apart. 

A  mode  of  training  adopted  at  the  Royal  Gardens, 
Frogmore,  is  worthy  of  notice  here.  Many  of  the  Pears, 
when  I  was  last  there,  were  trained  over  metallic  arches 
of  about  four  or  five  feet  high,  and,  perhaps,  five  feet 
diameter  at  the  base ;  as,  however,  I  speak  from  memory, 
I  may  be  slightly  in  error  as  to  measurements,  hut  that 
will  not  interfere  with  the  principle.  These  are,  I  think, 
of  an  elliptic  rather  than  a  circular  form,  and  are  com- 
posed of  parallel  wires  stretched,  I  believe,  horizontally. 
Now.  these  I  should  have  no  objection  to  if  running 
north  and  south  ;  but  as  to  their  running  east  and  west, 
I  slioidd,  most  decidedly,  object  to  them,  for  they  must, 
iu  that  case,  have  a  north  or  shady  side,  and  it  really 
will  not  do  to  advocate  shade  to  forcing  Pears ;  if  so, 
there  should  be  an  end  of  all  talk  about  tenderness.  If 
I  were  establishing  a  new  garden,  I  think  I  should  use 
this  form  along  the  north  and  south  lines,  and  the  table 
trellis  along  the  east  and  west  lines  ;  this  would  be  a 
very  interesting  and  useful  arrangement. 

Arcades  of  Pears  along  garden  walks  have  been  re- 
commended, and,  no  doubt,  look  very  agreeable  when 
full  of  fruit,  but  they  can  scarcely  be  recommended,  on 
the  score  of  principle,  for  our  tender  kinds.  ]3ut  there 
are  many  kinds  for  which  this  mode  would  be  suitable 
enough,  and  those  intending  to  adopt  it  sliould  be  very 
careful  how  they  make  their  selection. 

As  i'or  pyramidal  trees,  everybody  knows  that  they  are 
very  handsome,  and,  in  the  main,  succeed  very  well ;  but 
iu  my  opinion  the  table  trellis  will  be  found  much  superior 
as  to  warmth ;  the  branches  being  all  within  a  foot  of  the 
soil  must  be  admitted  to  be  in  a  warmer  jiosition  than 
those  liigher  up,  especially  if  the  ground  beneath  were 
covered  with  slates,  and  the  shoots  so  trained  as  to 
]iermit  the  solar  rays  to  heat  the  slates. 

Uesides,  I  think  it  will  be  found,  that  by  some  such 
plan  as  I  have  suggested,  the  table  troUis  may  be 
covered  and  uncovered  with  greater  facility  than  most 


other  forms;   and  this  of  itself  is  no    mean    recom- 
mendation. 

In  due  time,  I  will  pi'oceed  to  examine  other  portions 
of  this  interesting,  though  somewhat  perplexing,  subject. 

R.  Erhinoton. 


MEETING   OF   THE    HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY.— March  7,  ISoi. 

The  newest  plant,  and  one  of  the  prettiest  green-- 
house  plants  that  lias  been  introduced  for  a  long  time, 
was  exhibited  here  to-day  by  two  nurserymen,  in  two 
forms,  diametrically  opposed  to  each  other ;  the  one, 
the  most  miserable,  scrubby,  three-parts-starved-looking 
thing  you  ever  saw  ;  and  the  other,  the  most  healthy- 
looking  plant  that  has  been  publicly  shown  in  England 
these  ten  years  past.  When  one  has  an  entirely  new 
plant,  it  is  right  and  lawful  to  exhibit  it,  even  if  it  were 
half-dead  at  the  time,  for  practical  men  know,  full  weU, 
that  it  is  not  always  tlie  healthiest  and  best-looking 
plant  among  a  lot  of  new  seedlings  that  is  the  likeliest 
of  them  to  liower.  so  we  make  allowance  for  the  looks 
at  the  first  start;  but  no  such  allowance  was  needed  on 
this  occasion,  as  the  two  growers  are,  by  common 
consent,  allowed  to  be  the  most  successful  growers,  of 
their  line,  in  all  I'Jnglaud,  namely,  the  Messrs.  Veitch, 
of  Exeter  and  Chelsea,  and  Messsrs.  Henderson,  of  the 
Pine-Apple  Nursery,  where  Mr.  Appleby  used  to  tend 
the  Orchids.  1  once  had  the  ugliest  and  worst-grown 
plant  but  one  iu  England,  but  it  was  never  shown 
before,  and  I  beat  Mrs.  Lawrence  with  it  out-and-out  on 
the  very  same  table,  and  got  a  Knightian  Medal  for  it. 
The  plant  was  Taeedia  cccrulea,  and  the  new  plant  to- 
day is  called  Acacia  Drmnmondi,  a  New  Holland  plant, 
and  the  very  best  of  the  race,  far  superior  to  grandis,  or 
any  of  the  "  new  Acacias"  we  have  heard  of  for  years. 
Now,  as  this  plant  must  soon  get  into  all  parts  of 
England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland,  to  the  Continent,  and 
to  North  America,  as  the  best  pot  dwarf  Acacia,  on  the 
authority  of  The  Cottage  Gardener,  I  must  describe 
it,  as  I  am  convinced,  in  my  own  mind,  that  it  is  con- 
stitutionally a  better  seedling  to  grow  than  its  fellow 
shown  as  above.  Indeed,  I  tried  to  convince  the  best 
botanist  in  England  that  the  two  are  two  distinct 
species,  but  he  would  not  have  them  so.  The  leaves, 
shoots,  and  style  of  growth  of  this  Acacia,  are  just  as 
if  it  were  a  cross  seedling  between  Coronilla  glauca  and 
Cytisus  ramosus,  and  that  the  Cytisiis  changed  the  hue 
and  reduced  the  leaves  of  the  Coronilla.  The  flowers 
are  on  cylinders,  or  cylindrical,  and  the  footstalk  of 
each  cylinder  is  an  inch  or  more  in  length,  making  it 
the  more  graceful.  It  was  sent  by  Rli',  Veitch,  who  had 
a  good  prize  for  it,  and  who  also  sent  a  new,  or  newish. 
Boron  ia,  called  Drmnmondi,  a  delicate-looking  plant, 
with  large,  bright  pink  flowers;  also  Sarracenia  pur- 
purea, in  good  order.  Mr.  Hume,  not  the  M.P.,  but 
the  gardener  to  R.  Hanbury,  Esq.,  of  the  Polos,  near 
Ware,  sent  a  very  beautiful,  and  very  scarce,  I  believe, 
Cymbidiiim,  called  ehurneum,  with  large,  white,  waxy 
flowers,  and  two  on  a  scape.  It  seemed  an  excellent 
plant  to  grow,  so  that  an  amateur  might  try  it  without 
tear.  The  Messrs.  Rollinsou,  of  Tooting,  sent  a  now 
fiycaste,  a  droll-looking  flower,  the  sepals  rolling  hack, 
showing  a  greenish  tinge,  blotched,  and  shaded  with 
brown,  and  the  petals  whitish,  and  blotched  and  shaded 
like  tlie  others,  but  with  purple  instead  of  brown.  This 
Lycaste  was  just  beginning  to  grow,  so  that  it  may, 
probably,  be  had  in  flower  from  February  to  May,  or, 
perhaps,  in  the  autumn,  for  it  is  worth  while  bearing 
in  mind  that  a  great  number  of  bulbs, — llippuasters, 
for  instance, — and  a  gi'eat  many  (Jrchids,  Jlouer  shortly 
after  a  long  rest,  and,  therefore,  that  many  such  can  bo 
had  in  flower  any  month  of  the  twelve,  by  first  arrang- 


March  23. 


THE  COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


479 


ing  the  times  of  growth  and  of  rest.  Tlie  Messrs.  Hon- 
rlerson  sent  a  good  plant  of  B rachysema  acuminata,  with 
the  flowers  all  ready  to  open,  when  they  arc  of  a  rich 
crimson -scarlet.  This  is  really  a  good  greenhouse 
plant,  that  seems  easy  to  grow  and  look  well ;  they  also 
sent  Bilherrjia  iridiflora,  one  of  those  young  I'ino-apple- 
looking  plants  which  are  so  conspicuous  from  the 
bright  scarlet  bracts  which  accompany  the  flowers;  and 
a  very  healthy  young  plant  of  Franciscea  confertijlora, 
in  good  bloom,  together  witli  the  Acacia  Drummondi, 
whicli,  I  helicve,  is  quite  a  different  thing  from  the  one 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Vcitch.  Also,  a  very  large  j>lant  that 
would  come  in  well  to  fill  up  a  corner  of  a  room  when 
I  company,  or  a  ball,  or  wedding,  was  expected:  this  is 
I  called  Coiwclinium  ianthemmn;  it  was  tlu'ee  feet  high, 
and  four  feet  in  diameter;  the  flowers  are  in  large  heads 
on  the  tops  of  the  branches,  looking  as  if  they  were  a 
cross  between  the  blue  Ar/eratum  and  a  purplish  Colts- 
foot (Tussilnjjo),  or  bluish,  with  a  tinge  of  purple  ;  most 
of  the  branches  were  cut-in  last  year  to  eighteen  inches, 
their  bottoms  are  now  quite  hard  wood,  and  the  new 
top  parts'  are  soft-wooded,  and  looking  as  if  all  the 
plant  ought  to  be  as  soft  as  they.  ]?y  a  system  of 
growing  this  plant  as  they  do  young  Hydrangeas,  for 
one  largo  head  to  a  pot,  it  can  be  had  in  bloom  in  a 
three-inch  pot,  and,  I  believe,  a  little  plant,  with  a  big 
head  in  this  way,  whicli  I  saw  on  the  table,  was  I'rom 
tlie  garden  of  tlie  Society.  At  any  rate,  there  it  was  to 
prove  the  fact,  which  is  well  worth  keeping  in  mind,  as 
any  flower  you  can  stick  in  a  little  vase  on  the  corner  of 
the  mantelpiece,  when  friends  come  in  for  the  evening 
in  winter,  is  as  good  as  a  prize  plant  in  May  or  June. 
For  the  same  reason,  people  ought  now  to  push  on 
duplicate  plants  of  as  many  of  the  dwarf  Acacias  as 
they  can  get  room  for ;  get  them  through  with  their 
flowering  as  quickly  as  possible;  then  prune  them  in  as 
close  as  a  Cabbage  Rose ;  force  them  to  make  a  quick 
growth,  by  keeping  them  close  and  a  little  warmer  than 
a  greenhouse  till  the  middle  or  end  of  ^lay  ;  put  them 
out-of-doors  after  the  turn  of  Midsummer,  and  in  the 
full  sun,  if  they  can  stand  it,  or  as  soon  as  tliey  can  ; 
not  to  leave  them  out  too  long  in  September,  and  they 
will  be  in  bloom  for  the  rooms,  or  conservatory,  early  in 
the  new  year  ;  and  by  going  through  the  same  process 
in  18.55,  but  two  months  sooner,  they  would  be  ready 
for  a  gentle  forcing  early  in  November,  to  come  in  with 
the  first  Camellias  and  Chinese  Azaleas,  and  in  the  very 
middle  of  the  Chi-ysanthemums  in  their  season.  I  never 
saw  this  class  better  done  in  this  style  than  by  ray 
successor  at  Shrubland  Park,  last  autumn,  the  pots 
standing  on  a  bed  of  white  sand,  but  not  plunged,  which 
was  in  favour  of  their  ripening  so  well,  and  of  their 
being  so  abundantly  in  bloom-bud.  The  Azalea  xqua- 
niaUi  I  mentioned  the  other  day,  would  freely  yield  to 
this  treatment  and  make  a  change  of  tint  among  the 
usual  flowers  which  come  in  before  Christmas. 

It  is  a  great  misfortune  that  most  of  the  old  Acacias 
from  the  Cape  get  so  soon  to  be  such  trees  and  bushes 
that  few  can  find  room  for  them,  as  they  could  be 
brought  in  just  the  same  as  the  new  race  from  New  Hol- 
land, and  they  are  more  varied  in  their  leaves  and  style 
of  growth ;  that  is  what  I  was  thinking  of  on  seeing 
two  very  nice  plants  of  the  old  Acacia  longifolia  from 
the  collection  of  the  Society.  I  think  they  were  only  in 
No.  2t  pots,  but  they  were  six  or  seven  feet  high,  wide 
in  proportion,  and  clothed  down  to  the  pot ;  they  were 
also  in  such  profusion  of  bloom,  that  if  I  could  but  add 
iww  to  them,  I  would  run  them  up  higher  than  even 
Drummondi.  All  we  can  do  with  these  Cape  Acacias 
is  to  keep  a  succession  of  young  plants  of  them,  and 
cramp  them  at  the  roots  in  small  pots,  and  keep  stop- 
ping them  from  May  to  September.  When  they  get 
too  big  for  us,  let  them  be  jflanted  out-of-doors  in  May, 
and    take  their  chance.      They   often  escape  in  mild 


winters ;  but,  what  is  better  than  all,  everybody  can  grow 
them.  Among  the  high  nobility.  Acacias  have  become 
very  fashionable  within  the  last  ten  years  ;  but  as  they 
come  in  when  few  people  are  about  visiting  large  places, 
the  great  bulk  of  our  plant  jieople  think  they  are  too 
common  for  them  to  grow ;  so  there  is  a  fashion  in 
flowers  as  in  bonnets  and  dresses. 

A  fine,  large  plant  of  the  now  Cijtisus  ramosus  was 
shown  by  the  Society  under  the  first  name  by  which  it 
was  known,  Genista  rhodopncca,  and  their  old  Tnjnudium 
odoratissinmm  is  now,  probably,  the  best  plant  of  it  in 
Europe.  It  may  be  about  live  feet  liigh,  trained  to  a 
circular  trellis,  and  not  hard  pruned,  which  is  the  great 
secret  of  its  health  and  profuse  flowering.  Then,  how  is 
a  plant,  which  grows  and  flowers  exactly  like  Ceonathus 
azureus,  made  to  bloom  without  being  cut-in  very  close 
every  year  after  flowering?  Just  as  they  manage  that 
same  Oeanothus  at  Shrubland  Park  ;  when  it  reached 
the  top  of  the  wall  they  merely  thin  out  the  old  branches, 
and  train  down  the  young  wood  over  the  old  parts,  cut- 
ting ofl'  the  points,  here  and  there,  when  they  are  not 
thoroughly  ripened. 

The  crimson-flowered  Azalea  ohtusa  was  in  this  col- 
lection ;  also  Epacris  lineata,  a  light  pink ;  Epaeris  ar- 
dentissima,  a.  Hae  crimson ;  a  very  fine  hybrid  Begonia, 
a  seedling  from  hijdrocolgUfolia,  stronger  in  all  the  parts 
than  that  species ;  I  forget  the  otlicr  parent,  but  it  is  not 
manicata,  as  was  first  given  out.  Some  one  had  made 
a  mistake  in  that  cross;  a  large  plant  o{  Diebjtra  spec- 
tahilis,  with  better  coloured  flowers  than  is  usually  seen 
in  forced  plants  of  it ;  this  is  now,  beyond  a  doubt,  per- 
fectly hardy,  but  no  flower  suffers  so  much  from  the  least 
over-heating.  Azalea  ramentacea,  another  of  Mr.  For- 
tune's new  China  ones,  a  very  dwarf,  white-flowering 
kind,  with  thicker  leaves  tlian  any  of  the  old  breed,  and 
in  that  respect  would  improve  the  leaves  of  any  of  our 
white  seedlings,  and  would  also  give  them  a  more  com- 
pact mode  of  growth.  A  magnificent  cut  plant  of 
Acacia  lineata,  which  lias  a  close  way  of  growth,  with 
PuUenea  retusa.  full  of  jiea-flowers,  which  are  mostly 
yellow,  and  the  best  varieties  of  the  Chinese  Primrose, 
in  sections  of  double  flowers,  with  plain  and  fringed 
sorts.  Also  a  largo  plant  of  the  beautiful  evergreen, 
hardy  Berberis  Darieinii,  from  a  cold  frame.  It  was  a 
yard  high,  in  a  No.  Ki  pot,  and  very  gay  it  was;  and 
last  of  all,  EcJieveria  ohtusa,  which  deserves  to  be  a 
window  plant,  and  is  all  but  hardy. 

Of  Fruits,  we  had  only  three  fine  bunches  of  the  Mus- 
cat of  Alexandria  Grapes,  turning  into  raisins,  as  they 
mostly  do  at  this  late  season,  but  otherwise  in  good  con- 
dition for  table ;  with  some  pots  of  Cuthill's  Black 
Prince  Strawberry,  in  4S-sized  pots,  but  not  done  well ; 
and  Mr.  Solomons  spoiled  a  dish  of  Strawberries,  which 
he  sent  from  Covent  Garden,  by  mixing  Keen's  Seed- 
lings with  the  Blach  Prince  in  the  same  dish. 

Thomas  Good  and  Co.,  of  South  Audley-street,  sent 
several  rich-looking ^oif^*-  vases  for  rooms,  stair-cases, 
&c.,  with  stands,  of  different  colours,  forms,  and  work- 
manship, some  of  which  were  highly  rich  in  colours — 
all  had  a  good  allowance  for  drainage.  This  class  of 
vases  is  used  by  the  great  for  holding  plants  in  pots, 
whicli  are  changed  as  often  as  they  get  out  of  flower,  or 
single  specimens  in  pots.  When  there  are  more  than 
one  pot,  some  kind  of  stand  is  necessary  to  get  up  the 
rims  of  the  pots  to  nearly  the  rims  of  each  vase,  and 
then  to  cover  all  the  pots  with  green  moss.  One  great 
error  I  have  seen  in  this  arrangement  was  to  put  a 
larger  pot  inside  the  vase  than  could  be  hid,  giving  one 
the  idea  that  the  pot  was  too  big  lor  the  size  of  the  vase, 
and  if  you  pushed  it  farther  down  you  must  split  the 
vase  to  pieces. 

Of  the  most  profitable  timber,  and  of  fancy  timber, 
there  were  lots  this  time ;  and  the  subject  seems  to  take 
uncommonly  well  among  the  lords  of  the  soil,  but  ladies 


4?0 


THE  COnWOE  GAUDKNER. 


Mafxii 


are  more  cautious,  and  will  not  take  to  a  tliiuf;.  liowever 
■new,  mitil  it  liecomes  fusliionaMe.  Tiie  laryo  jilank  oC 
Deodar  was  lioniz.ed.  S|jeciinen  jiliiuts  oC  llie  Ui-dar  of 
Lebanon,  which  were  planted  at  lligliclere  in  llli],  were 
sent  bjf  the  Secretary  of  tlie  Society,  .1.  Jl.  Ooweii,  Esq. 
A  iiue  sample  of  the  ])onf.'las  fir  (Ahies  Douyhisii),  from 
Oregon.  This  wood  is  the  l.e.-st  of  all  the  Sprnce  Fir 
tribe,  and  is  hardly  second  to  that  of  the  Deodar  itselt. 
A  block  of  Phnis  iiisigitis  showed  that  it  is  ol'  no  use,  or 
likely  to  be  here,  e.xcept  as  a  nurse  plant,  to  keep  up 
bettor  trees  of  a  slower  growth.  AVheu  it  comes  to  be 
as  plentiful  and  cheap  as  the  common  Spruce  it  will 
make  a  far  better  nnrse,  and  it  has  begun  already  to 
boar  cones  in  this  country.  Tliis  wood  was  sent  by  T. 
May  Harding,  Esq.,  of  Ll]icott,  near  Barnstable.  This 
Society  wonlil  be  pleased  to  receive  more  kinds  of  woods, 
specimens  of  ]Jritisli  growth,  as  the  Fellows  have  taken 
such  interest  in  the  question  of  profitable  jilanting;  and 
after  a  season  such  specimens  could  be  returned!  The 
tact  is,  this  agitation  about  the  misniauageraent  of  tlic 
national  forests  has  opened  the  eyes  of  a  new  generation 
of  planters,  and  the  cud  v,  ill  be,  that  every  new  tree,  and 
every  untried  timber  of  home  gi'owth,  w"ill  be  scanned 
and  criticised  till  the  pounds,  shillings,  and  pence  value 
of  each  is  as  well  understood  as  tlie  jilanling  of  the 
seedlings.  We  bad,  also,  good  speciuiens  of  the  Amerieun 
Larch,  or  Hackmatack-tree,  wliicb  does  no  good  here. 
Also  of  the  Corsican  Pine  [Pimis  Laricio)  ;  but  a  spe- 
cimen before  us  of  the  great  Alerce  wood  of  the  old 
Spaniards,  if  not  of  the  Moors,  is,  probably,  the  very 
best  wood  among  all  the  Conifers.  No  one  could  make 
out  what  tree  produced  the  Alerce  for  ages,  or  where  it 
grew.  The  Moors  introduced  it,  and,  probably,  had 
forests  of  it  in  Spain,  although  the  latter  is  doubtful, 
from  no  mention  being  of  it  in  a  book  written  by  a 
Moor  in  the  twelfth  century.  'J'his  old  Moor  was  no 
fool  of  a  gardener,  for  he  treats  of  all  the  trees  and 
shrubs  in  Spain,  and  also  how  to  trans]ilant  large  trees 
as  well  as  Hai'ry  Moor  at  this  present  day,  but  he  makes 
no  mention  of  Alerce-trees.  Surely,  such' a  good  forester, 
however,  would  know  the  tree  and  wood  most  prized  by 
his  conntrymeu,  and  of  which  they  roofed  their  temples, 
which  we  know  to  have  resisted  all  weathers,  during 
nine  centuries,  without  a  bit  of  jiaint.  It  was  ooly 
nearly  twenty  years  ago  that  we  found  out,  through 
this  Society,  what  the  Alerce  really  is.  Mr.  Dmmmond, 
our  Consul  at  Tangier,  traced  out  the  origin  of  Alerce 
wood  to  be  a  tree  which  is  very  common  in  iJarbary 
and  the  Atlas  range.  It  is  of  the  Arbor  Vitfe  kind,  and 
is  now  called  CaUitris  qnadrivalvis,  alias  Thtija  arti- 
culala,  or  the  Samlarach  of  Mouut  Atlas,  lie  sent 
some  of  them  to  the  Society,  and  we  bad  it  for  examina- 
tion and  comparison  to-day.  Unfortunately,  it  will  not 
do  for  foresting  in  this  country,  being  too  tender  for 
the  climate;  yet,  if  we  may  put  faith  in  the  Spaniards, 
who  went  over  and  conquered  Peru  and  the  countries  to 
the  south  of  it,  we  have  just  as  good  Alerce  wood  as 
that  of  Barbary  in  the  Alerce  of  Chili,  either  Liboccdrus 
tetrayona  and  Liboccdrus  Chilcnsh,  or  both,  and  both 
are  as  hardy  as  the  Common  Larch,  and  grow  to  a  much 
larger  timber.  Then  it  follows,  like  A.'B,  C,  that  the 
Chillian  Alerce  is  a  powerful  rival  to  the  Indian  Deodar 
and  to  the  Oregon  Fir  of  Douglas,  if  not  superior  to 
both,  and  tljat  both  are  suiierior  to  the  Larch,  particu- 
larly the  Douglas  Fir,  which  will  not  warp  or  shrink 
under  the  most  severe  trials.  At  all  events,  that  .is 
about  the  marrow  of  the  lectuj-c,  as  far  as  my  memory 
carries  me,  for  the  room  was  so  liill  that  I  could  not 
use  my  pencil  where  I  sat.  D.  Beaton. 


KEEPING,  PROPAGATING,  AND   BEDDING 
DAHLIAS. 

A  Ni'MBEU  of  complaints  have  reached  me  this  spring, 
that  the  Dahlias,  though  secured  from  frost,  have  kept 
very  badly.  It  is  too  late  to  resort  to  ]U'evenlive  mea- 
sures now  for  this  season,  and  yet  it  may  be  a  gratifica- 
tion for  those  who  have  been  disappointed  to  know 
some  of  the  causes  of  failure,  that  they  may  be  guarded 
against  in  future  years.  One  complains,  that  after  se- 
curing them  as  carefully  as  Potatoes  in  a  ]ilace  not 
over  dry,  that  many  of  the  roots  are  completely  decom- 
posed ;  another  linds  that  the  roots  have  no  substance, 
but  are  regularly  mummy-dried  ;  and  a  third  fiuds,  that 
though  the  bulk  of  the  tubers  are  seemingly  sound 
enough,  the  collar  of  the  jilaut  is  so  far  gone  that  no 
coaxings  of  beat  oi-  moisture  can  iuduce  a  bud  to  break; 
while  a  fourth  says,  that  though  all  his  ]dants  seem 
sound,  no  young  shoots  seem  inclined  to  come.  The 
first  and  second  of  these  evils  are  generally  attributable 
to  unsuitable  treatment  of  the  tubers  before  storing; 
the  third  is  generally  the  i-esult  of  frost  getting  at  the 
collar  of  the  plant  before  it  is  taken  oni  of  the  .ground  ; 
and  the  fourth,  when  it  does  occur,  is  often  due  to  a 
certain  mode  of  pro])agatiug,  which  may  be  guarded 
against  now,  and  which,  though  detiimental  to  some 
sorts,  exerts  no  prejudicial  influence  on  others,  but 
which  it  is  well  to  guard  against  in  all. 

The  three  first  causes  of  failure  may  be  guarded 
against  by  a  very  simple  process,  namely,  .going  round 
the  Dahlias  as  soon  as  frost  is  anticipated,  and  ])iling 
old  tan,  litter,  or  even  the  earth  of  the  bed,  which  I 
generally  use,  round  the  stems  of  the  jdants,  in  little 
mounds,  from  six  to  twelve  inches  in  height.  This 
secures  the  collar  of  the  plant  from  being  injured  by 
frost.  After  this,  I  prefer  that  the  plants  should  stand 
in  the  ground  until  the  tojis  are  quite  blackened  by 
frost.  The  stems  are  then  cut  off  about  fifteen  inches 
from  the  ground,  and  if  more  fi'ost  is  at  all  apprehended, 
the  top  of  the  plant  is  laid  over  the  roots,  the  part  of  the 
stem  left  being  bent  so  as  to  prevent  water  entering 
and  lodging  there.  If  the  plants  are  extra  luxuriant, 
and  the  frost  long  in  coming,  previously  to  placing  the 
mounds  over  the  tubers  a  spade  is  inserted  round  the 
plant  so  as  to  cut  many  of  the  fibres,  and  thus  check 
the  rampant  luxuriance.  I  prefer  letting  the  tops  stand 
until  destroyed  by  frost  to  cutting  them  wlien  at 
all  green,  because  the  cold  nights,  and  the  slight  frosts 
that  generally  precede  a  cutting-down  one,  will  have 
gradually  checked  luxuriance,  and  thrown  more  of  u 
ripening  intiuence  into  the  tubers.  In  either  of  these 
cases,  protected  as  I  have  mentioned,  I  would  wish  the 
roots  to  receive  a  farther  ripening  by  their  remaining  in 
the  ground  eight  days  or  a  fortnight  after  being  cut 
down.  If  the  irost,  however,  came  too  severe  for  the 
roots  to  remain  in  the  ground  with  safety,  and  any 
covering  with  litter  was  deemed  nnadvisable,  I  would 
give  the  roots  a  similar  advantage  by  lifting  tliem  with 
as  many  fibres  as  possible,  and  with  wliat  earth  would 
adhere  to  them,  and  allow  tliem  thus  to  remain  in  a 
shed,  the  floor  of  a  house,  &c.,  where  they  would  not 
dry  too  quickly,  and  thus  the  roots  would  be  more 
gradually  and  thoroughly  matured,  and  nothing  of  the 
sudden  change  experienced  as  would  be  realised  by 
cutting  down  the  green  stems  and  storing  the  roots 
away  at  once.  Whenever  the  loots  are  brought 
in-doors  they  should  first  be  turned  topsy-turvy,  that 
every  particle  of  moisture  in  the  old  stmis  left  may  be 
turned  out.  When  thus  left  for  a  week  or  a  fortnight, 
the  old  stems  may  be  cm,  close,  a  part  of  the  earth 
removed  from  the  roots,  and  the  tubers  ])l!iced  in  any 
position,  neither  wot  nor  dry,  and  where  frost  will  be 
thoroughly  excluded.     Snudl  copper  wire  is  about  the 


Marcr  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  &ARDENER. 


481 


best  material  for  securing  tallies  to  tlie  roots  when  tlie 
latter  are  placed  in  dry  eartli,  sand,  &c. 

A  few  examples  iVequently  give  a  better  lesson  tlinn 
tlie  most  valuable  directions.  I  know  an  amateur,  wliu 
told  me,  every  summer,  for  some  years,  that  lie  must 
send  his  best  Dahlias  lor  me  to  winter  I'or  him  ;  but, 
somehosv  or  other,  they  never  came;  and  I  know  that  for 
a  number  of  years  he  had  to  get  every  plant  from  his 
nurseryman.  I  recollect,  when  pitting  Dahlias,  as  used 
to  be  done  with  Potatoes,  was  all  the  rage,  and  no  bad 
plan  it  is,  that  one  gardener  did  not  lose  a  single  root, 
while  another  had  scarcely  a  live  tuber  in  his  collection, 
though  both  had  been  equally  secured  against  frost.  In 
the  latter  case,  the  plants  had  been  cut  down  when  the 
tops  were  merely  a  little  frosted,  the  tubers  taken  up, 
beautil'iil  and  fresh  they  looked,  well  cleaned  from  earth, 
properly  named,  and  packed  into  their  winter  quarters 
at  once,  receiving  a  covering  of  straw  and  earth  suffi- 
cient to  secure  them  from  frost.  Of  com-se,  the  roots 
were  full  of  watery  juices;  there  was  little  chance  for 
these  escaping,  and  fermentation  and  rottenness  ensued. 
The  first-named  were  treated  as  advised  above,  and 
afterwards  stood  for  the  best  part  of  a  month  in  a  shed, 
exposed  during  fine  days,  and  with  a  little  protection  in 
cold  nights,  before  being  pitted,  and  nothing  could  have 
answered  liotter. 

An  amateur  friend,  who  will  not  be  at  all  offended 
when  he  sees  this,  some  years  ago  obtained,  at  great 
expense,  a  collection  of  the  clioicest  and  newest  Dali- 
lias,  and,  no  doubt  for  the  double  purpose  of  serving 
himself  and  testifying  his  respect  for  me,  he  proposed 
that  I  should  get  the  tubers  in  winter  or  spring,  start 
them  into  growth,  get  one  or  two  plants  of  a  sort  for 
him,  and  plant  the  others  remaining  as  I  deemed  proper. 
1  saw  nothing  of  the  tubers  until,  I  think,  towards 
the  end  of  Februai-y,  and  what  a  sight !  They  were 
worse  than  mummies,  nothing  but  the  skin  being  left. 
I  had  them  wrapped  in  moss  slightly  damp,  gave  increase 
of  temperature  by  degrees,  did  everything  I  could  to  swell 
the  dried  up  tuber  by  degrees,  but,  after  all,  only  two  or 
three  sickly  plants  could  be  obtained  out  of  what  the 
previous  year  cost  the  best  part  of  a  ten  pound  note.  I 
knew  whenever  I  saw  them  how  they  had  been  managed. 
My  friend  told  me  that  he  went  out  and  found  the 
foliage  one  night  as  stiff  as  a  poker  with  frost.  He  was 
anxious  to  save  his  favourites,  forthwith  summoned  his 
trusty  man  Friday,  cut  down  the  stems  level  with  the 
surface,  hoisted,  with  the  help  of  a  fork  and  the  light  of 
a  lanthorn,  as  far  as  I  remember,  all  the  tubers  out  of 
the  ground,  and  transferred  them  at  once  to  the  Hoor  of 
his  greenhouse,  that  floor  being  paved,  and  to  a  position 
on  it  near  the  flue,  where  they  had  remained  until 
packed  and  brought  to  me.  Here  the  treatment  was 
different,  to  a  very  extreme,  as  contrasted  with  the  case 
of  pitting  at  once ;  but  the  two  extremes  met  in  pro- 
ducing a  common  disappointment,  though  varied  in  its 
appearance;  the  watery  juices,  in  the  one  case,  producing 
putrefaction  and  rottenness;  and  the  too  free  e.xhalation 
of  them,  in  the  other,  leaving  nothing  but  a  mummy 
skin  behind.  If  the  plants  of  our  friend  had  remained 
longer  in  the  ground,  or  if,  when  taken  up  thus  sud- 
denly, the  roots,  carefully  moved,  had  been  packed  in 
dryish  earth  (not  dusty  dry)  on  the  floor  of  the  house, 
and  at  a  distance  from  the  flue,  the  disaster  would  not 
have  been  so  likely  to  happen. 

One  case  more.  Two  years  ago,  reports  reached  me, 
from  various  quarters,  of  the  splendid  effect  produced 
by  the  dwarf  Dahlia  Zelinda,  when  grown  in  rows 
and  beds  ;  and  I  was  promised,  in  several  cases,  a  good 
supply,  if  I  would  only  go  for  them,  i  had  known 
the  Dahlia  years  before  and  thought  but  little  of  it, 
having  only  seen  it  with  others,  and  in  solitary  speci- 
mens in  borders.  I  saw  the  first  rows  of  it  a  twelve- 
month   past,    last    autumn.       The    able    gardener   in 


that  princely  establishment  whence  my  supply  was 
promised,  on  the  principle,  that  "  a  bird  in  the 
hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush,"  otfered  mo  and  my 
companion  some  plants  each,  as  he  would  soon  be 
taking  them  up,  the  frost  having  just  touched  a  few  of 
the  upper  leaves  that  morning,  and,  without  more  ado, 
turned  out  a-half-a  dozen  of  roots  for  us.  1  carried  them 
carefully  home,  potted  them  the  next  day,  kept  them 
neither  umist  nor  dry,  and  in  a  temperature  of  irora 
iif  to  4-")°  during  the  winter,  placed  them  in  a  liigher 
temperature  in  the  middle  of  Lebruary,  and  kept  won- 
dering and  wondering  how  no  vegetation  was  appearing, 
and  on  turning  them  out  of  the  pot,  I  found  the  skin 
dying,  and  the  interior  of  tlie  tuber  either  wholly  dried 
up,  or  like  a  mass  of  light  rotten  wood.  I  was  rather 
chagrined,  after  all  my  labour,  to  have  only  this  return; 
but  I  did  not  feel  justilied  in  attributing  it  altogether  to 
the  imiiiiUunlij  of  the  tubers,  until,  on  writing  to  the 
friend  that  accompanied  me,  I  learned  that  his  roots 
had  served  him  in  the  same  way. 

I'rom  these  facts,  it  may  he  inferred  that  a  sudden 
check  to  the  roots,  by  cutting  away  the  top  when  yet 
green  and  flourishing,  is  injurious  to  the  keeping  pro- 
perties of  the  root;  and  that  even  when  cut  down  with 
fro.st,  it  is  advisable  to  allow  the  root  to  remain  some- 
what longer  in  the  soil,  in  order  that  it  may  be  more 
matured;  and  that  this  liapjieus  in  the  circumstances, 
is  so  far  evident  that  roots  so  prepared  seldom  go  wrong 
afterwards,  if  secured  Iroiu  frost,  and  if  packed,  or  un- 
packed, in  any  other  material,  such  as  earth,  sand,  or 
moss,  &c.,  are  not  exposed  to  the  extremes  of  great 
dryness  or  much  moisture. 

After  what  has  been  said  lately  on  itropd'jnting,  I 
need  not  here  enter  upon  the  pi'opagation  of  desirable 
kinds  of  Dahlias.  The  tubers  are  generally  placed  in  a 
sweet  hotbed,  not  over  warm;  and  when  the  young  shouts 
are  from  three  to  four  inches  long  they  are  slipped  oft' 
with  a  heel  from  the  tuber,  or  the  shoot  is  cut  at  a  joint 
when  it  is  desirable  to  get  as  many  jjlants  as  possible, 
as  the  joints  left  below  the  cutting  removed  may  be 
expected  to  yield  each  one  or  two  cuttings.  These  cut- 
tings are  placed  in  light  sandy  soil,  and  inserted  in  the 
hotbed,  when,  if  ail  goes  well,  they  will  soon  strike  root. 
Now,  the  peculiar  mode  of  propagating  to  which  I 
referred,  is  the  not  only  cutting  across  at  a  joint,  and 
removing  the  leaves  there,  but  slipping  down  the  knife 
on  each  side  when  doing  so,  and  thus  reviving  not  only 
the  leaves  but  the  buds  in  their  axils ;  and  in  some 
sorts  it  has  been  found,  that  when  this  is  done  you  may 
have  a  large,  fine  tuber  in  autumn,  but  no  buds  and 
shoots  from  it  in  spring.  It  is  preferable,  therefore,  to 
have  one  or  both  of  these  buds  at  the  base  of  the  cut- 
ting when  it  is  thus  cut  through  at  a  joint.  So  tho- 
roughly are  first-rate  Dahlia  growers  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  this,  that  when  they  purchase  a  desirable  and 
expensive  novelty  they  do  not  like  to  depend  upon  that 
plant  for  stock  the  following  year ;  but  as  soon  as  the 
plant  begins  to  grow  freely  they  slip  ofl'  a  few  of  the 
first  side-shoots,  when  yet  hard  and  stubby,  before  they 
have  acquired  much  succulence;  they  make  these  into 
cuttings,  leaving  the  bottom  buds,  and  striking  them, 
and  growing  them  ;  and  though  they  do  not  bloom  that 
season,  they  furnish  a  stock  of  fine,  healthy,  small 
tubers  for  the  ensuing  year. 

0{  Bedding-out  Dahlias,  I  have  seen  several  tried,  and 
others  recommended,  that  have  answered  with  more  or 
less  success.  The  Scarlet  Zelinda  is  a  very  fair  thing, 
but  the  Purple  Zelinda,  though  a  poor  thing,  individu- 
ally, in  a  florist's  eyes,  makes  a  splendid  appearance 
either  in  a  bed  or  row.  b'oiled  as  respects  those  I  liad 
carried  home  from  such  a  tlistauce,  I  applied  to,  and  re- 
ceived a  few  from,  Mr.  Gardener  last  spring.  1  am 
almost  afraid  to  speak  of  the  temperature  to  which  they 
were  subjected,  an.l  the  railroad  pace  at  which  they  were 


483 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Mahch  23. 


made  to  aftbrd  cuttings,  and  then  got  into  rattling,  robust 
plants  before  tbc  end  of  May.  I  ratlicr  tbink  wo  ex- 
ceeded tlie  livjh  tomperaturo  mentioned  by  Mr.  Beaton, 
the  other  week,  for  propagating  soft-wooded  plants  in 
spring.  At  any  rate,  1  had  a  row  and  some  beds  that 
were  the  admiration  of  everyone.  The  jilants,  on  an 
average,  ranged  from  lifteen  to  eighteen  inches  in 
height,  were  planted  from  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet 
apart,  and  were  a  dense  mass  of  purple  colour.  So  close 
and  level  were  the  flowers,  for  about  ten  weeks  there  was 
scarcely  an  opening  left  in  which  you  could  insert  a  couple 
of  fingers.  Many,  on  seeing  them  at  a  little  distance, 
exclaimed,  "  wboL^  beds  of  Cockscombs."  They  were, 
unquestionably,  the  finest  feature  in  the  gai'dens  here, 
either  in  beds  contrasted  with  yellow,  or  Hanked  with 
yellow  in  the  row.  I  give  tliem  this  prominent  notice 
for  three  reasons:  l-'irst. — It  is  a  general  idea  that 
Dahlias,  when  extra  stimulated  for  iiropagatiug,  and 
being  often  and  often  cut  in,  do  not  do  much  good  for 
that  season.  Be  this  as  it  may,  these  Aviwcf  Zelindas 
were  over  stimulated,  and  no  mistake,  and  every  plant 
was  smothered  with  bloom.  Mr.  Gardener  would  not 
believe  scarcely  that  what  he  saw  were  the  produce  of 
what  be  sent.  There  is  no  difficxdty  in  getting  into  a 
stock,  therefore.  Secondly — Many  applications  have  been 
made  for  roots,  which  I  have,  so  far,  satisfied  ;  but  there 
are  many  more  which,  with  a  due  regard  to  a  home 
supply,  I  have  been  unable  to  meet;  and  several  in- 
quiries have  been  made  by  nurserymen  and  ladies  as  to 
where  it  is  to  be  obtained  for  sale ;  and  as  I  know  it  was 
mentioned  in  The  Cottage  G.^rdener  yeai-s  ago,  I 
thought  some  of  tlie  readers  might  have  a  stock  to  dis- 
pose of.  And  thirdly — To  draw  attention  to  dwarf  early- 
flowering  Dahlias,  as  a  new  feature  for  masses  in  the 
flower-gardeu. 

No  doubt,  just  as  in  the  case  of  the  Zclincla,  there  are 
many  that  have  been  neglected,  because  they  were  never 
tried  as  a  mass.  In  addition  to  the  Scarlet  Zelinda,  there 
is  a  nice  dwarf.  Orange- variegated  variety.  Miss  Weyland, 
from  two  to  two-and-a-half  feet  in  height,  and  in  rather 
poor  soil,  was  not  above  twenty  inches  last  year,  that 
would  make  no  bad  neighbour  for  the  Bed  and  Purple 
Zelindas,  but  with  me  it  has  been  rather  a  mitfy  thing, 
and  seems  the  only  desirable,  this  season,  in  the  Dahlia 
way,  that  will  move  the  wrong  way.  Wo  had  a  small 
flowering  variety,  nearly  of  the  same  colour,  last  season, 
{Mrs.  Labouchere),  which  might  do  for  a  taller  bed.  Our 
plant  was  from  two-and-a-half  to  three  feet  high,  and 
smothered  with  small  flowers.  I  have  mentioned  that 
the  flower  of  the  Zelinda  is  such  that  a  florist  would 
never  look  at,  but  the  habit  might  be  retained,  and  the 
form  be  improved.  I  tried  a  little  hybridising  last  summer, 
but  did  not  succeed  in  getting  a  single  seed.  So  compact 
and  stubby  were  tlie  plants,  that  they  were  almost  the 
only  plants  in  the  garden  that  had  neither  pegging  or 
supporting  of  any  kind.  B.  Eisii. 


THE   CEDllUS  DEODORA   versus  THE 
CEDRUS   LEBANL 

A  coNsinEHAiiLi:   amount  of  botanical   acumen  has 

been  used  pro  and  con  to  find  out  whether  these  two 

remarkable  trees  a;'e  or  are  not  tlie  same  species  ;  some 

asserting  that  tbc  Deodar  is  only  a  variety  of  the,  in 

I   this  country,  more  anciently  known  Cedar  of  Ijebanon. 

1   I  shall  not  enter  into  tlie  merits  or   demerits  of  tlie 

i   arguments  that  have  been  advanced  by  tlie  advocates 

of  cither  opinion,  luiBcicnt  for  mo,  and,  I  opine,  for  all 

I   the  readers  of  T UK  Cottage  Gardener,  is  the  fact  that 

,   no  one,  even  the  most  superficial  observer,  will  ever 

j   mistake  the  one  for  the  other :    and   another  no   less 

1  weighty  fact  is,  thut  seedlings  of  each  tree  always  come 


true,  wlicreas,  if  the  Deodar  was  only  a  variety  of  the 
Cedar  of  Lebanon,  seedlings  of  the  ibrmcr  would  some- 
times revert  to  a  likeness  of  the  original — -a  circumstance 
that  I  never  could  Icain  has  even  in  the  slightest  degree 
been  observed. 

It  is  not,  however,  of  such  great  importance,  e.\- 
ccpting  in  a  botanical  point  of  view,  whether  the  one  is 
a  variety  of  the  other  or  not.  The  grand  points  to  be 
considered  are,  does  the  wood  or  timber  of  the  Deodar 
last  long? — Js  it  adapted  for  use,  and  is  the  tree  hardy 
enough  to  bear  the  coldest  of  our  winters? — and,  lastly, 
will  the  wood  be  of  as  good  quality  grown  here  as  it  is 
said  to  be  in  its  native  countiy? 

As  the  Commissioners  of  Woods  and  Forests  are 
about  to  jilant  several  thousands  of  the  Deodar  in  our 
national  forests,  these  questions  arc  of  great  interest 
and  importance  to  the  people  of  Great  Britain. 

At  the  recent  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting  in 
Regent-street,  both  the  Chairman  (Dr.  Royle),  who 
resided  for  several  years  in  India,  and  Dr.  Lindley, 
spoko  for  a  considerable  time  on  this  very  subject,  and 
as  our  readers  are  aware,  thanks  to  my  good  friend,  Mr. 
Beaton,  that  I  was  there,  and  ho  said  "  taking  notes,"  I 
will  try  to  give  the  substance  of  what  fell  from  these 
two  learned  and  scientific  gentlemen,  first  stating,  that 
most  writers  that  have  travelled  in  the  parts  of  the 
Himalaya  Mountains  where  the  Deodars  form  extensive 
woods  say  that  the  timber  is  more  highly  valued  than 
that  of  any  otlier  tree,  and  that  well  authenticated  facts 
jirove  that  timber  from  this  tree  has  been  used  for  the 
construction  of  temples  built  several  hundred  years  and 
still  remains  good,  and  that  the  grain  of  the  timber  is 
close,  compact,  and  easily  worked,  and  is  capable  of  a 
very  high  polish. 

My  second  question — Is  the  tree  hardy?  is  easily 
answered  satisfactorily.  We  here  have  had  it  in  culti- 
vation more  than  twenty  years  in  various  situations, 
and  it  has  passed  through  the  ordeal  almost  unscathed. 

The  last  question  is  more  difficult,  because  it  is  a 
question  of  time,  and  can  only  be  proved  by  analogy. 
Dr.  Royle  stated  to  the  meeting  that  "  the  Deodar  grows 
in  regions  from  5000  to  12,000  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  in  which  regions  the  weather  is  often  very  cold 
and  varied,"  just  such  a  climate  as  the  hills  of  Derby- 
shire or  the  highlands  of  Scotland.  Now,  if  the  timber 
in  the  Himalayas  in  such  a  climate  is  excellent,  why 
should  it  not  be  so  in  a  similar  climate  in  this  country  ? 
The  learned  doctor  gave  it  as  his  decided  opinion  that 
it  would,  and  his  opinion,  he  said,  was  confirmed  in  a 
letter  he  read  from  Jlr.  Wilson  Saunders,  of  Lloyds, 
who  stated  tliat  the  wood  of  the  Deodar  was  superior  to 
the  American  Larch.  The  Doctor  farther  stated,  that  it 
liad  been  argued  that  because  tho  wood  of  the  Cedar  of 
Lebanon,  grown  in  this  country,  is  not  so  good  as 
that  grown  in  Palestine,  that,  therefore,  the  wood  of 
the  Deodar  would  also  be  inferior.  Tliis  argument  he 
considered  to  be  erroneous,  because  ancient  descriptions 
of  the  excellence  of  the  timber  of  the  Cedar  of  that 
country  did  not  necessarily  refer  to  it,  but  might  refer 
to  other  cone-bearing  timber  trees. 

Dr.  Lindley  judiciously  ibllowed  up  the  remarks 
of  the  Chairman,  and  showed  cxam])lcs  of  the  Cedar  of 
Lebanon  grown  in  this  country,  and  pointed  out  some 
diU'crences  in  tho  wood  to  prove  the  two  trees  were  of  a 
difi'crent  species.  The  wood  of  the  Lebanon  Cedar  is 
inodorous,  whilst  the  wood  of  the  Deodar  is  highly 
fragrant;  a  fact  that  any  one  in  the  room  might  easily 
]irovo  by  smelling  at  the  two  woods,  for  there  was  in 
the  room  a  splendid  sjiecimen  of  the  Deodar  timber,  a 
plank  or  board  imported  by  the  East  India  Company, 
which  measured  four  feet  six  inches  across,  and  eighteen 
feet  long,  and  very  nearly  five  inches  thick.  I  could 
smell  tho  odour  of  this  wood  very  perceptibly,  and  the 


March  38 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


483 


Doctor  said,  wlien  it  was  being  planed  the  sceut  was 
very  powerful  indeed. 

After  all  tliis  evidence,  I  think  tlie  tliree  ([uestions  I 
proposed  to  discuss  are  answered  satisfactorily  to  every 
Tinprejudicod  mind,  and  tbongh  I  am  now  in  years,  I 
hope  yet  to  live  to  see  the  day  when  many  of  our  hills 
will  ho  covered  with  this  elegant,  and,  1  may  now  add, 
useful  timber  tree. 

There  is  a  great  similarity  in  this  tree  to  our  common 
Larch;  so  much  so,  that  when  it  was  first  introduced 
many  nurserymen  propagated  it  by  grafting  on  the 
Larch,  but  I  have  not  seen  any  fine  trees  so  treated. 
Seed  is  now  imported  largely,  and,  tlierefore,  any  other 
mode  of  propagating  it,  e.xcept  by  seed,  is  futile. 

It  is,  however,  like  tlie  Larch  in  one  point,  it  will 
grow  and  tluivo  in  exactly  similar  soil  and  situation 
suitable  for  tliat  useful  tree,  and  has  the  advantage  of 
being  evergreen,  and  thus  far  no  insects  have  preyed 
upon  it  as  they  do  on  the  Larch. 

T.  Afpleby. 


THE   ANTIRRHINUM. 
(Continued  from  page  461.) 

General  Management  in  the  Border. — -Tliis  paper  will 
be  the  concluding  one  on  the  culture  of  this  favourite 
flower — a  flower  more  worthy  of  cultivation  generally 
than  many  are  aware  of.  I  think,  if  any  of  our  readers 
would  pay  as  much  attention  to  its  culture,  and  the 
improvement  of  the  varieties  wo  already  possess,  as  has 
been  paid  to  the  Auricula,  Carnation,  or  Hollyhock,  the 
cai'6  bestowed  would  be  well  rewarded. 

As  I  said  before,  it  has  the  advantage  of  being  per- 
fectly hardy,  and  will,  in  dry  soils,  live  several  years,  if 
not  allowed  to  bloom  too  long,  or  produce  a  full  crop  of 
seed.  I  have,  in  former  papers,  described  pretty  fully 
how  to  improve  the  varieties  by  seed ;  how  to  propagate 
them  by  cuttings  ;  and,  lastly,  the  best  method  to  grow 
and  exhibit  them  in  pots ;  and  now  it  only  remains  for 
me  to  describe  its  culture  in  the  bed  or  border.  There 
would  be  no  objection  to  exhibit  cut  blooms  in  collec- 
tions of  eight  or  twelve  dissimalar  blooms,  and  three 
spikes  of  each  variety  would  make  a  better  show  than 
only  one.  Growing  in  a  weU-prepared  bed,  these  spikes 
of  flowers  would  be  finer  than  those  in  pots,  at  least,  in 
length  of  spike,  and  most  probably  in  the  size  of  tlie 
individual  flowers.  Of  com'se,  there  should  be  prizes 
ofl'ered  for  seedlings,  and  these  should  be  shown  sepa- 
rately, like  all  other  seedlings. 

To  grow  them  well  in  the  border,  it  should  be  duly 
prepared  to  receive  the  jilants  early  in  the  autumn. 
Choose  an  open  situation,  but,  if  possible,  sheltered  at 
a  distance  from  the  north  and  west  winds.  Mark  out 
the  bed  three  feet  wide,  and  if  the  situation  be  low  and 
wet  let  it  be  well  drained.  Throw  out  the  soil  on  each 
side  of  the  bed,  and  place  a  layer  of  brick  rubble  at  the 
bottom,  three  or  four  inches  thick;  upon  that  place  a 
covering  of  the  most  convenient  material  on  hand ; 
thin  turf,  the  grassy  side  downwards,  is  the  best,  but 
old  thatch,  or  strawy  litter,  or  oven  small  twigs  of  trees 
would  answer  the  purpose,  which  is  to  prevent  the 
soil  choking  up  the  drainage.  Then  mix  the  soil,  if 
tolerably  good,  with  some  well-decomposed  manure,  or 
vegetable  mould,  and  some  road  scrapings,  and  sifted 
lime  rubbish;  tlie  materials  to  be  added  amounting 
altogether  to  about  one-eighth  of  the  soil.  If  the  latter 
is  bad,  remove  it  altogether,  and  bring  in  some  sound 
fresh  loam.  When  the  materials  are  duly  mixed  with 
the  soil,  then  cast  it  into  the  bed,  using  as  much  as  will 
raise  it  six  inches  above  the  surrounding  level. 

If  the  cultivator  has  any  kind  of  edgings  the  bed  will 
look  neater,  and  the  soil  will  be  kept  quite  distinct  from 
the   walk.     Mr.  Hogg's  edgings   answer  this  purpose, 


porluips,  the  best  of  any,  hut  slate,  or  even  boards, 
nailed  at  intervals  to  short  posts,  will  form  neat  tem- 
porary edgings.  Avoid  Box,  or  any  kind  of  living 
edgings,  they  are  the  receptacle  or  hiding  ]ilace  for 
slugs,  &c,,  besides  impoverishing  the  soil.  The  bed 
being  thus  prepared  and  formed,  let  it  remain  in  a 
rough  state  for  a  month  or  six  weeks  to  settle. 

Tlie  host  time  for  planting  is  tlie  beginning  of  October. 
I  consider  this  season  the  best  for  several  reasons  ;  first, 
because  the  plants  are  so  hardy  that  no  frost  will  destroy 
them  in  such  a  dry,  well-prepared  bed  ;  secondly,  the 
plants,  if  kept  in  pots  through  the  winter,  have  the 
roots  so  cramped  thatthoy  cannot  spread  out  sulficiently 
when  planted  in  the  spring  ;  and  lastly,  tliere  are  so 
many  things  requiring  protection  through  the  winter, 
that  space  can  be  ill  afforded  to  any  plants  that  do  not 
need  such  shelter. 

Choose  a  dry  day  for  the  operation  of  planting,  and 
take  care  to  have  the  plants  tolerably  strong  at  the 
time  ;  then  place  them  on  the  bed  in  their  separate 
sorts;  that  is,  if  tlie  cultivator  has  three  or  four  of  each 
vai'iety,  plant  them  altogether,  to  prevent  confusion, 
allowing  six  inches  square  to  each  plant.  Have  some 
kind  of  labels  to  each  sort,  cither  legibly  named  in  full, 
or  numbered,  commencing  with  No.  I,  and  so  on,  till  the 
bed  is  full,  the  numbers  corresjionding  with  the  num- 
bers and  names  in  the  garden  book.  When  all  are 
planted,  level  the  bed  between  the  plants,  and  they  will 
require  no  further  care  till  the  spring.  As  soon  as  the 
winter  is  passed,  examine  the  plants,  and  press  any 
down  that  the  frost  may  have  lifted  up  ;  clear  away  all 
weeds,  and  stir  up  the  surface  of  the  soil  with  a  small 
fork.  This  will  encourage  the  plants  greatly  by  allowing 
the  spring  rains  to  penetrate  the  soU,  as  well  as  ad- 
mitting the  warm  spring  atmosphere  to  enter  the  soil 
more  freely.  As  the  plants  advance  in  growth,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  thin  the  shoots  when  they  are  too 
numerous.  This  thinning  must  be  regulated  in  propor- 
tion to  the  strength  of  each  individual  plant;  weak 
plants  should  only  have  two  or  three  flowering  shoots 
left,  but  strong  ones  may  have  four  or  five.  Just  before 
the  blooms  expand  each  spike  should  have  a  stick 
placed  and  tied  to  it  to  prevent  the  winds  from  breaking 
it  off.  When  in  full  bloom,  a  covering  of  hoops  and 
canvass,  if  handy,  would  greatly  prolong  the  bloom, 
besides  sheltering  it  from  the  sun  and  heavy  splashing 
rains. 

If  it  is  desired  to  have  a  long  season  of  bloom,  cut 
down  the  first  flowering  spikes  before  seed  is  formed, 
then  fresh  flower-spikes  will  push  forth  from  the  base 
of  each  plant,  and  there  will  be  a  succession  of  bloom. 

The  finest  flowers  will  always  be  produced  on  young 
plants;  therefore,  whoever  wishes  to  excel  in  blooms 
should  renew  his  bed  and  plants  annually. 

T.  Appleby. 


PEAS  FOR  FIRST  AND   SECOND   CROPS. 

Of  late  a  great  outcry  has  been  raised  against  White 
Peas  of  all  kinds,  unless  it  be  some  of  the  very  large 
ones;  this  denunciation  on  the  part  of  those  whose 
province  it  is  to  direct  public  opinion,  is,  doubtless,  in 
many  instances  right,  but  I  do  not  think  it  is  so  in 
every  one,  for  the  anxiety  to  procure  Peas  at  the  earliest 
possible  day  ensures  them  a  hearty  welcome,  whetlier 
they  belong  to  the  White  or  Green  section  to  which  the 
family  is  divided.  Neither  do  I  think,  at  this  early 
period,  when  they  are  gathered  without  the  possibility  of 
an  old  one  being  amongst  them,  that  they  are  so  much 
inferior  to  their  "  coloured  brethren ;"  but  supposing 
they  are,  do  they  not  possess  a  greater  amount  of  hardi- 
hood and  the  other  properties  which  enhance  their 
value  as  "  a  winter  standing  crop?"  This,  I  believe,  will 
not  be  denied ;  but  the  next  view  which  I  take  of  their 


-i84 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  23. 


respective  merits  may.perliaps, lie  questioned  ;  itis  this — 
supposing  tlie  green  or  blue  section  possess  greater  table 
attractions  llian  tlie  white,  is  the  policy  a  had  one  which 
reserves  the  hest  one  until  a  beginning  has  been  made? 
as  it  is  well  known  the  tirst  are  welcomed  iu  with  that 
hearty  good-will  that  those  line  points  of  distinction 
which  characterise  one  variety  IVom  another  are  not 
regarded  willi  such  scrutinising  nicety  as  they  will  he 
alter  a  while  ;  and  the  taste  is  sometimes  so  fastidious, 
that  a  great  honelit  is  derived  by  having  a  road  open  to 
improvement,  which  could  not  he  the  casu  if  the  best 
was  served  lirst;  hut  as  1  have  all  along  advised  the 
sowing  of  one  or  other  of  the  best  white  kinds,  of  which 
tlie  GhiirUon,  Kent,  or  I'Uirlij  Frame  is  the  parent,  for 
the  first  crop,  hut  that  the  more  esteemed  ones  at  table 
might  succeed  them,  it  is  needless  saying  any  more  on 
the  subject  than  what  is  necessary  to  meet  the  indi- 
vidual cases  of  cultivators. 

Peas,  as  an  article  for  marl;et,  are  largely  grown  in 
Kent  and  some  other  counties  borderiug  the  Metropolis. 
The  plan  there  adopted  is  to  sow  them  in  drills,  about 
two  feet  apart,  iu  November,  and  about  the  end  of  April 
an  intervening  row  of  Swede  Turnips  is  not  unfre- 
quentlysown;  this  secondary  cro]i  is,  of  course,  much 
trampled  on  by  the  picking  and  other  work  necessary 
with  the  first  croji ;  slill,  it  often  struggles  through,  and 
a  good  ])roduce  is  the  result,  hut  the  Peas  are,  as  might 
he  cs-pected,  roughly  handled  ;  sticks,  and  other  a|i[ili- 
ances  common  in  gardens,  are  here  disrega.rded,  and  the 
crop  lying  on  its  side  is  often  roughly  turned  over  to 
give  up  its  treasure  concealed  beneath;  this  manner  of 
doing  it  renders  the  latest  kinds  of  little  value  for  this 
purpose ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  the  very  dwarf  ones  are 
as  seldom  grown  either.  The  most  productive  ones 
are  those  which  are  about  the  size  of  the  Early 
Frame  aud  its  compeers,  but  the  kinds  most  grown  are 
the  Rents  and  the  Scimitar.  This  latter  is  not  much 
inferior  to  many  of  tliose  with  more  pretensions  ;  in  fact, 
it  may  be  called  the  parent  of  many  of  them  ;  aud  how 
many  "  valuable  kinds,  with  high  astounding  names,"  a 
bag  of  Scimitars  may  have  furnished,  is  only  known  to 
those  who  have  the  mysteries  of  the  trade  at  their  finger 
ends.  One  thing  is  certain,  the  Scimitar,  to  this  day,  is  a 
useful,  good  Pea;  and  though  some  have  a  better-filled 
pod,  itis  not  to  be  despised  for  its  accommodating  quali- 
ties ;  but  the  amateur,  who  has  but  a  limited  space  to  dis- 
pose of  for  his  Pea  crop,  and  wants  to  make  as  much  as 
he  can  of  the  ground  it  occupies,  would  do  well  to  grow 
only  the  large  or  tall  kinds,  and  by  sowing  them  in 
rows  of  six.  or  eight  feet  apart,  Procoli,  or  some  other 
winter  crop,  might  be  planted  between  them,  in  July,  in 
such  a  way  as  to  occupy  the  whole  space  when  the  Peas 
are  cleared  away;  aud  though  the  Brocoli plants  may  be 
much  bruised  and  hurt  by  the  trampling  the  ground 
receives,  yet  the  season  generally  allows  them  time  to 
recover  themselves  again,  and  good  Brocoh,  &c  ,  is 
frequently  obtained  from  ground  that  the  preceding 
summer  fin-nished  abundance  of  Peas.  This  mi.xed- 
cropping-systera  is.  however,  not  advisable  in  all  cases  ; 
neither  must  the  last  sown  ones  be  hampered  by  any 
intervening  crop,  for  they  will  not  be  removed  in  time 
to  allow  the  other  an  opportunity  to  rally  and  grow 
before  winter  sets  in.  Other  crops,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  Cabbage  tribe,  are  often  planted  in  such  places, 
many  having  their  Celery  shrouded  by  their  Peas  iu 
summer;  but  this,  as  well  as  many  other  crops,  is  re- 
gulated by  the  circumstance  of  the  case  immediately 
in  hand. 

As  it  would  not  bo  just  to  close  this  subject  without 
naming  one  or  two  varieties,  which,  in  a  usual  way, 
may  he  depended  on  as  good,  T  may  say,  that  I  liavo 
for  some  years  depended  on  ]\'<trner's  EarJij  hhiipcror 
for  the  first  crop,  and  the  Champion  uf  Eiajland  aud 
British  Queen  for  the  after  ones,  and  though  I  have 


generally  grown  others  as  well,  these  three  are  the  kinds 
1  depend  upon  for  a  supply,  and  it  is  generally 
forthcoming.  Observe,  they  are  all  sticked  at  the  proper 
time,  and  are,  therefore,  in  a  condition  to  bear  to  the  lull 
extent  of  their  capabilities.  The  ground  they  are  sown 
on  being  deeply  tilled,  the  roots  have  access  to  a  greater 
depth  than  the  droughts  of  summer  is  likely  to  pene- 
trate, and  thus  one  great  cause  of  mildew  is  removed,  that 
bane  to  the  autumn  Pea  crop  in  the  south  of  England,  from 
which  our  brethren  in  the  north  are,  in  a  measure, 
exempt.  Tlie  I'ea  also  likes  a  generous  soil,  and 
though  fresh  and  green  manures  may  create  a  grossness 
of  habit  when  it  is  accompanied  by  a  showery,  gi'owing 
season  as  well,  still,  a  considerable  amount  of  enriching 
matter  may  he  added  prior  to  sowing  the  crop,  and  as 
much  in  a  liquid  state  after  as  the  place  will  allow  of, 
hearing  in  mind,  tliat  where  much  produce  is  expected, 
much  manure  ought  to  be  given;  and  there  are  few 
things  more  deserving  of  attention,  for  none  are  more 
generally  esteemed  at  table,  than  a  dish  of  nice  Green 
Peas,  so  that  nothing  must  be  denied  them  calculated  to 
ensure  their  well-being. 

It  will  have  been  noticed,  by  all  parties  wdio  had  Peas 
sown  in  the  usual  way  lust  autumn,  how  much  laterthey 
were  this  year  than  last ;  mine,  sown  in  the  middle  of 
November,  were  scarcely  through  the  ground  at  the  end 
of  .lanuary;  while,  last  year,  they  were  nearly  a  foot  high 
at  that  time;  but  then  they  were  entirely  destroyed  by 
the  frost  and  snow  we  liaa  at  tlie  end  of  February,  so 
that  the  second  sowing,  made  about  Christmas,  came  in 
first ;  but  the  present  winter  is  widely  diflerent  from  the 
last,  the  early  part  of  it  being  very  severe;  while,  since 
the  second  week  in  January  it  has  been  all  that  could 
be  desired  for  benefiting  the  ground,  which  certainly 
works  better  than  at  any  similar  period  for  some  years. 
However,  we  may  have  a  trying  spring  yet,  so  that  it 
behoves  us  all  to  he  on  the  alert,  and  leave  nothing 
undone  now  that  can  be  done,  for  the  time  is  fast  ap- 
proaching when  a  variety  of  duties  are  equally  pressing 
on  the  cultivator,  that  every  thing  which  can  expedite 
future  operations  ought  to  be  brought  into  bearing  now. 

J.    KoiiSON. 


ECONOMY  OP  THE   rARM-YARD. 

{Coiicludftt  from  pcige  4(14.) 

In  the  foregoing  observations  upon  this  subject,  re- 
ference has  been  made  to  the  best  method  of  managing 
the  Farm-yards,  as  formerly  constructed,  both  as  regards 
the  making  manure,  and  the  shelter  for  cattle ;  it  has 
also  been  stated  what  the  advantages  are  which  have 
been  secured  by  some  of  those  most  recently  constructed 
upon  improved  principles.  Put  it  has  only  had  re- 
ference to_  those  yards  and  steadings  wdiere  partial 
covering  has  been  attempted,  namely,  when  sheds  or 
boxes  have  been  recommended  iu  connection  with  open 
courts  or  byres,  as  well  as  open  pits  or  receptacles  for 
manure,  &c. 

It  is  now  my  intention  to  allude  to  the  most  recent, 
as  well  as  the  most  approved,  style  of  Farm-steadings, 
and  which,  in  my  opinion,  will  bo  found  in  every  respect 
the  most  desirable  and  the  most  economical.  I  refer  to 
covered  Farm-steadings,  that  is  to  say,  buildings  so 
arranged  aud  covered  that  every  animal  usually  fed  at 
the  farmery  may  be  kept  under  cover,  aud  all  the 
manure  made  under  cover  also.  Now,  this  now  prin- 
ciple of  building,  as  1  shall  cull  it,  possesses  several  of 
the   most    important  features  iu  the  economy  of    the 


Maucii  20. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEll. 


485 


Farm-yard,  for  it  enables  llio  caUle  to  l)c  led  and  accom- 
modated, dnriug  liolh  snininer  and  winter,  under  cover, 
tliiTR  enjoying  tiie  advantages  of  an  eqmiljln  and  proper 
temperature,    and   at   tlie   same   time  a  perfectly  pure 
atmosphere,  quite  unknown  to  auj'  of.Iier  style  of  l''arm- 
biiildiue;s.     'J'lic  manure  also  manufaeted  by  the  cattle, 
when  thus  fed  and  lodged,  must  be  of  first-rate  quality, 
there  being  no   dilution   by    rain-water,  nor  any  eva- 
poration by  exposure  to  the  sun  and  wind.     The  most 
appropriate  plans  which  I  have  seen,  for  the  erection  of 
buildings  of  this  description,  are  those  set  forth  in  the 
twenty-third  number  of  the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Agri- 
cultural Society  of  England,  by  Mr.  Fisher  -Hobbs,  and 
by  liOrd  Kinuaird  ;  and  it  would  appear,  from  their  state- 
ments upon  the  subject,  that  a  saving  of  ten  per  cent, 
in  the   cost  of  erection   is  effected,  as  compared  witli 
former  erections  upon  other  principles ;  and  this  may 
be   easily   conceived,   when   it   is   considered   that  the 
roofing  and  outer  boundary  of  the  buildings  are  the 
most  expensive  part  of  tlie  affair,  the  internal  fittings 
being  very  simple  and  cheap,   although   very   durable 
and   effective;  and  it   is  iu   these  internal  barriers  ov 
divisions  between  the  boxes,  stalls,  or  cattle   poimds, 
where   the   economy   is   obtained,  for  in  buildings  of 
another  principle,   the  boundary  walls  or  division  of 
almost  eveiy    compartment  of  the  steadings  involves 
the  necessity  of  a  wall,  or  fence,  of  a  description  ne- 
cessary to  afford  warmth  or  shelter  to  the  animals.     I 
am  not,   however,   wedded  to   the   opinions   of   other 
parties  in  this  matter ;  for  I  believe  that  the  practice,  as 
set  forth  in  connection  with  the  buildings  above  referred 
to  may  he  much  improved,  jiarticnlarly  in  the  manage- 
ment  of  the   manure;  for  instance,  it  is  stated  that 
drains  are  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  off 
the  liquid-manure  from  the  stalls,  boxes,  or  cattle  courts  ; 
but  iu  case  the  principle  of  box  accommodation  was 
carried  out  entirely  through  the  whole  concern,  there 
would  be  no  liquid  to  drain  away,  it  would  be  all  ab- 
sorbed by  the  earth  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  boxes, 
sties,  &o. 

Now  this  brings  me  to  an  important  point; — if  box- 
feeding,  wherein  the  manure  is  allowed  to  accumulate 
under  the  animals,  is  the  best  and  most  economical 
I  system,  why  not  carry  it  out  iu  all  its  entirety  ;  for 
in  a  covered  home-stall  there  is  no  lack  of  room,  nor  is 
there  an  opposing  obstacle  of  any  kind.  At  any  rate,  I 
contend,  that  every  animal  ought  to  be  accommodated 
in  such  a  manner  that  no  liquid-manure  could  escape  or 
require  drainage,  and  that  the  cattle,  whether  fatting 
beast,  or  dairy  Cows,  as  well  as  Pigs,  are  best  provided 
with  boxes  which  have  eai'th  at  the  bottom,  and  littered 
with  straw  as  required.  In  the  case  of  Sheep,  when 
house-fed  they  may  be  kept  upon  spars,  or  open 
boarded  floors,  or,  otherwise,  in  littered-yards.  The 
Horses,  also,  may  be  allowed  boxes  upon  the  above- 
named  principle;  but  in  case  these  are  objected  to,  as 
they  are  by  some,  although,  I  believe,  without  good 
grounds,  they  may  be  treated  as  described  in  the 
former  part  of  this  paper,  by  earth-floors  to  the  stalls- 
which    will   absorb    and    render    quite   innoxious   the 


liquid-manure.  The  system  will  then  be  carried  out, 
and  thus  enable  the  whole  of  the  animals  upon  the 
farm  to  be  fed  in  a  covered  homestead,  if  required, 
with  the  full  advantage  of  securing  health  and  well- 
doing for  the  stock,  or  breeding  and  working  animals, 
and  the  further  gain  of  obtaining  the  largest  amount  of 
meat  in  return  for  the  food  consumed  ;  and  at  the  same 
time  securing  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  manure 
of  the  best  quality,  without  detriment  or  risk  to  the 
health  of  the  animals. 

I  cannot  leave  this  subject  without  alluding  to  the 
superior  crops,  botli  of  roots  and  gi-ain,  w.hich  have 
been  obtained  by  the  application  of  dung  made  in 
covered  home-stalls,  as  compared  with  those  I'aised  from 
manure  made  in  an  ordinary  Farm-yard.  This  result, 
however,  might  liave  been  anticipated  and  expected 
apart  from  actual  experiment. 

In  concluding  this  article,  I  beg  to  state,  that  I  have 
adopted  for  several  years  the  system  of  using  earth  at 
the  bottom  of  the  yards,  cow-stalls,  pig-sties,  &c.,  and 
wherever  manure  has  accumulated;  and  I  have  been 
often  met  with  the  ipiestion,  "Where  do  you  obtain 
sufficient  earth  for  the  purpose  ?  "  my  answer  is,  that 
it  is  part  of  my  farm  economy  to  provide  it  at  all 
seasonable  times,  and  take  it  from  all  parts  of  the  farm 
where  objectionable  accumulations  have   occurred. 

I  have  seldom  seen  a  farm  where  loose  earth  could  not 
be  readily  obtained,  the  only  exception  which  I  know  of 
is  upon  high  chalk  or  stone-brash  soils,  and  even  in  these 
cases,  considerable  quantities  of  earth  will  accumulate 
upon  the  borders  of  fields,  the  removal  of  which  would 
improve  the  fences. 

Upon  farms  in  general,  particularly  in  enclosed 
districts,  large  quantities  of  earthy  materials  are  con- 
stantly collecting  imder  the  hedges,  and  instead  of 
being  burntinto  ashes,  as  is  a  common  practice,  they  bad 
far  better  be  removed,  at  leisure  oppoi'tunities,  to  a  heap 
where  they  would  rot  and  become  mellow,  for  the  uses 
before-mentioned.  I  must  further  observe,  that  it  is 
only  necessary  to  make  the  use  of  this  earth  a  part  of 
our  system  of  management,  and  we  shall  neither  want 
materials  or  time  to  collect  it.        Joseph  Blukdell. 


HAMBURGH    FOWLS,    AS 
EXHIBITED. 


RECENTLY 


The  comb,  ear-lobe,  and  colour  of  the  legs,  being  the 
main  common  properties  connecting  the  Pencilled  and 
Spangled  Hnmburghs,  ivhile  m  several  important  points  a 
marked  distinction  exists  between  thera,  it  has  occurred  to 
us  that  these  varieties  would  be  better  arranged  if  their 
"  markiiii/s  "  ratlier  than  their  "  colours  "  always  determined 
then-  classification.  By  such  a  system  we  should  have 
Golden-pencilled  and  Silver-pencilled  following  each  other, 
and  then  the  Spangled  of  those  colours  in  their  relative 
positions. 

That  any  relationslnp  can  be  traced  between  the  Spangled 
and  Pencilled  varieties  will  hardly,  we  think,  be  asserted, 
and  it  is  certainly  contradicted  by  the  produce  of  these 
birds  when  crossed  with  each  other  failing  to  present  any 
resemblance  to  the  plumage  of  either  parent,  a  bird  of 
dingy  indistinct  colours  being  the  usual  result  of  such  an 
alliance.  The  common  properties  already  alluded  to,  and  a 
desire  to  avoid   the   confusion   of    a   host   of    synomjms, 


486 


THE   COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


March  23. 


evidence  their  position  under  the  general  head  of  "  Ham- 
burghs,"  but  there  is  even  less  reason  to  argue  for  any 
connexion  between  tliom  from  the  ciroumsLancos  Ivnown  to 
us  of  tlieir  orginal  habitat,  than  from  phimage  or  other 
characteristics.  The  Spangled  birds,  indeed,  are  empiia- 
tically  English,  while  tlie  I'encilled,  althougii  extensively 
kept  in  this  country,  are  imported  from  Holland  and 
Belgium  in  lai-ge  numbers,  among  whicli,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  one  of  oiu'  most  extensive  dealers,  not  a  single 
Spangled  specimen  has  passed  into  his  liands.  For  these 
reasons,  therefore,  we  sliunld  prefer  the  classilication  of 
these  fowls  as  "Pencilled"  and  "Spangled,"  and  to  let 
tlie  colours  of  each  of  those  breeds  form  their  respective 
sub-divisions.  As  they  now  stand  in  many  prize-lists,  after 
viewing  tlie  Ciolden-pencilled  pens,  we  pass  to  the  Golden- 
spnngled  specimens  of  a  totally  diftcrent  character,  then 
rolnrn  to  the  f(tv-.^imilcs  of  the  first-named  birds,  colour  alone 
excepted,  concluding  with  a  repetition  of  No.  3,  with  the 
same  excepted  point. 

In  the  Gohleii-jn'iicillfd  class,  tlie  result  of  tlie  past  year 
can  hardly  he  termed  satisfactory  on  a  general  review ;  a 
few  pens  of  great  merit,  such  as  appeai'ed  at  Leeds,  and  one 
or  two  elsewhere,  would  be  the  only  exceptions  to  this 
criticism.  In  respect  of  the  Silvcr-prucilleil,  our  opinion  of 
those  shown  in  ISj.'i  is  to  the  same  efiect. 

The  Spangled  birds,  however,  deserve  more  honourable 
mention,  and  here  it  may  be  fairly  said  that  a  step  in  ad- 
vance has  certainly  been  gained.  At  Birmingham,  for 
instance,  there  were  several  excellent  pens  of  Gohl-spniuiled 
birds,  and  the  same  at  Doncaster  and  Leeds ;  these,  how- 
ever, are  the  districts  where  we  should  most  expect  to  lind 
them.  But  in  the  south  of  England  there  still  remains  a 
wide  interval  between  the  specimens  usually  exhibited  and 
the  models  we  would  hold  out  for  their  breeder's  imitation. 
The  perfect  character  of  the  spangle  in  the  male  birds  of 
this  variety  is  of  difficult  attainment,  .and  many  a  pen  has, 
doubtless,  been  disqualihed  on  account  of  the  dark  streaky- 
breasted  cocks  that  have  been  shown  with  good  hens. 
Among  other  means  to  scciu'e  the  distinct  development  of 
the  spangle  on  a  clear  ground-colour,  an  infusion  of  Gold- 
laced  Bantam  blood  seems  to  have  been  liad  recom'se  to. 
But  not  to  dwell  on  the  loss  of  size  consequent  on  such  a 
cross,  the  characteristic  Hamburgh-tail  has,  of  course, 
sufl'ered,  and  hence  the  objections  justly  entertained  by 
many  against  the  square  hen-tailed  bkds  that  have  lately 
appeared.  The  absence  or  deterioration  of  an  acknowledged 
chavactoristio  in  any  family  of  fowls  cannot  thus  be  com- 
pensated, and  a  hen-tailed  Hamburgh,  therefore,  has  no 
charms  in  our  eyes.  Let  the  spangle,  by  all  means,  be 
perfect ;  but  however  good,  we  cannot  accept  it  in  lieu  of 
the  full  sickled-tail  that  so  well  suits  the  erect  carriage  of  a 
good  Hamburgh,  whether  Spangled  or  Pencilled. 

In  the  Silvcr-spanijlcd  Hamburghs  our  expression  of  com- 
mendation must  go  further.  The  Northern  and  ftlidland 
Exhibitions  were  remarkably  good  in  this  respect,  and  left 
little  to  be  derived  in  pomt  of  form,  feather,  or  condition. 

IJainburghs,  as  a  family,  have  certain  precise  rules  of 
arbitration  on  their  several  merits,  which,  comparatively 
speaking,  have  been  only  lately  applied  to  many  of  our  other 
fowls.  The  decision  of  judges,  therefore,  have,  in  this  in- 
stance, perhaps,  been  as  severely  scrutinized  as  usually  hap- 
pens in  any  department  of  their  labours.  One  judge  is 
charged  with  an  undue  affection  for  a  well-bronzed  tail ; 
another  is  thought  to  cherish  an  unfair  regard  for  the  mark- 
ings only ;  comb,  ear-lobe,  and  figure  also  are  said  to  be 
severally  reckoned  as  the  most  essential  points  in  the  eyes 
of  others ;  and,  consoiiuently,  more  cavilling  frequently  fol- 
lows their  decision  in  this  class  than  elsewhere.  Wo  do  not 
think,  however,  that  such  charges  liave  been  generally 
founded  in  fact,  .ludges,  we  believe,  have  endeavoured  to 
balance  all  competing  points  ;  .and  it  is  rather  in  the  con- 
flicting pre-judgment  of  individuals  on  favourite  properties 
that  such  remarks  have  originated.  The  former,  inileed, 
might  allege  on  their  liehalf  that  nowhere,  commonly  speak- 
ing, does  less  care  appear  to  have  been  taken  in  making  up 
and  matching  the  several  pens.  On  more  than  one  occa- 
sion, indeed,  have  three  exceUont  specimens  ui  a  pen  been 
deprived  of  their  chance  by  the  presence  of  a  faulty  com- 
panion, and  the  selection  of  a  more  even  pen  is  then  incor- 
rectly regarded  as  a  preference  of  all  the  individual  birds. 


In  a  class  of  fowls  so  widely  distributed  throughout  some 
parts  of  Engl.and,  it  may  fairly  be  required  that  there  should 
be  higli  merit  in  every  single  specimen  in  a  i>cn  to  which 
the  honours  of  a  prize  are  to  be  assigned;  and  such  faults 
as  a  bad  ear-lobe,  lopping  comb,  imperfect  marking,  tail  un- 
silvered  in  the  male  birds  of  the  one,  and  imbronzed  in 
those  of  the  other  I'encilled  variety,  legs  of  any  colour  but 
blue,  and  the  presence  of  a  fifth  claw,  are  most  properly 
held  to  disqualify  the  whole  lot,  although  present  in  a  single 
member  only.  And  yet,  strange  to  say,  sucli  disqualification, 
on  sucli  grounds,  nay,  even  occasionally  where  more  than 
one  of  tliese  defects  has  been  apparent,  has  been  considered 
just  cause  of  grievance  by  a  disappointed  exhibitor. 

Hamburghs  have,  perhaps,  been  thrown  somewhat  in  the 
shade  of  late  by  the  greater  popularity  i>f  fowls,  either  of 
recent  introduction,  or  of  sneli  as   Dorkings  or   Spanish, 
which,  although  of  common  occurrence,  have  received  such   i 
great  improvements  at  the  hands  of  experienced  breeders. 
Hamburghs,  howevei-,  possess  such  unquestioned  merits,  in 
an  economical  point  of  view,  and  .are,  moreover,  suited  to 
so  many  circumstances  where  the  latter  would  be  ineligible, 
that  tliere  can  be  no  cause  to  apprehend  such  remissness   I 
on  the  part  of  the  poultry-keeping   community  as   would   ! 
forbid  the  speedy  alteration  of  the  points  in  which  many  of   \ 
them  have  of  late  appeared  delicient.     The   Birniiiighara 
Committee,  indeed,  have  allotted  no  less   a  sum  than  X-t8 
for  their  encouragement  in  Bingley  Hall  in  December  next, 
and  we  are  much  mistaken  if  such  a  recognition  of  their 
value,  and  the  free  expression  of  what  has  hitherto  been 
unsatisfactory  in  their  appearance  at  Exhibiticms,  will  not 
render  their  reviewer's  task  another  season  not  only  more 
agreeable  to  himself,  but  also  more  laudatory  to  his  subject. 


GAUNTLET  PELARGONIUM. 

This  is  the  first  in,  and  the  last  out,  in  the  market  for  cut 
flowers,  and  is  also  one  of  the  best  bedders  for  eai'ly  sum- 
mer, or  late  autumn,  but  whether  it  is  as  good  for  the 
height  of  summer,  I  cannot  say ;  probably  it  is,  if  it  does  not 
rest  awhile  after  the  first  bloom  is  over,  as  most  of  that  sec- 
tion do.  The  Queen  of  Hoses  is  a  strong  bedder,  and  as  full  of 
flowers  as  can  be,  but  there  is  only  one  way,  that  I  know  of, 
to  cause  it  to  flower  without  interruption  the  whole  summer, 
.and  down  till  the  frost  comes,  and  tliat  way  is  very  likely  to 
do  for  the  Gntintlel,  and  some  others  of  the  old  greenlionso 
kinds,  which  is  the  reason  why  I  intrude  on  the  Editor  to 
get  this  inserted  just  at  the  proper  moment.  Any  one  who 
has  a  stock  of  young  Gaiiuthls,  or  Queen  of  Moses,  or  of 
Priori/  Queen,  or  of  any  other  Pelargonium  which  is  known 
to  flower  pretty  freely  in  the  autumn,  has  only  to  forego  the 
chance  of  aft  early  bloonr  to  secure  a  constant  succession  of 
bloom,  as  bedders,  for  the  rest  of  the  season.  This  is 
managed  by  having  the  plants  stopped  between  the  •-iOth 
and  the  end  of  March,  and  after  that  to  keep  them  as  cool 
as  possible  till  the  middle  of  Slay,  when  they  are  fit  to  turn 
out  into  the  beds  or  borders  along  the  watts. 

Young  plants,  sU'uck  last  autumn,  are  the  best,  and  the 
only  ones  by  which  I  hit  on  this  plan,  after  a  great  many 
trials  with  different  sorts.  If  they  are  stopped  before  the 
Sllth  of  March,  and  are  kejit  in  a  good  greenhouse,  they 
come  into  flower  in  the  middle  of  .tune,  and  rest  a  montli ; 
but  if  you  can  so  manage  as  to  keep  them  from  coniing  into 
flower  till  the  very  end  of  .June,  or  the  first  week  in  .'uly, 
they  will  flower  continuously  after  that  to  the  end  of  tlie 
season,  and  very  likely  old  plants  wotild  do  the  same.  I 
have  stopped  several  old  sorts  every  fortnight,  from  the 
middle  of  .Tanunry  to  the  end  of  April,  several  years  in 
succession,  and  kept  a  register  of  the  whole,  and  those  that 
I  stopped  about  the  last  week  in  March  did  the  best.  That 
was  my  period  tu  stop,  for  the  last  time,  all  the  plants  I 
needed  for  two  beds  of  the  Qneeu  i//'  Soxes,  wliieli  I  wanted 
to  fill  early  in  July,  after  a  crop  of  ,\iinuals,  and  that  is  the 
best  time  to  stop  Griunllct,  on  the  supposition  that  it  rests  a 
while  after  the  first  flowering.  It  will  make  a  bed  as  gay  as 
any  Pelargonium  1  know  of  that  class  ;  the  colour  is  between 
rose  and  scarlet.  I).  Beaton. 


Makch  33. 


THE  COTTAGE*  GAKDENEB. 


487 


POLAND  FOWLS. 


Wir.r,  you  kindly  allow  me  to  make  a  few  remarks  on  your 
article  in  Thf.  Cottage  Garpener,  entitled  "  Poland 
Fowls  as  recently  exhibited."  Your  arguments,  at  the  com- 
mencement, having  reference  to  the  classification  under  one 
head  of  what  were  formerly  known  as  Tufted  Hamhurglis 
and  those  birds  known  as  true  Polands,  are,  to  my  mind, 
so  satisfactory  as  to  need  no  comment ;  as  also  your  caution 
to  exhibitors  who  are  so  fond  of  improviiiy  ujjon  nature  in 
the  combs  and  crests  of  their  Poland  Fowls ;  and  for  their 
own  credit's  sake,  it  is  to  be  sincerely  hoped  they  will  profit 
by  the  advice  given  them. 

Tlje  observations  I  intend  to  make  (with  your  jier- 
mission),  apply  to  that  portion  of  the  article  relative  to 
the  want  of  hardihood  and  profitless  character  of  the  Poland 
Fowl.  Before  going  any  farther,  I  must  inform  you  tliat 
my  experience  of  them  1ms  hitherto  been  confined  to  the 
Silver  vaiiety,  and  a  reference  to  the  pi-ize  lists  of  the  prin- 
cipal shows  in  the  kingdom,  I'rom  last  .June  to  January, 
will  sliow  that  uiy  birds  are  no  mongrels,  they  having 
attracted  the  favourable  notice  of  the  Judges,  and  were 
successful  no  less  than  ten  times  in  that  interval.  I  call 
attention  to  this  fact,  merely  to  show  that  they  may  be  taken 
as  a  fair  sample  of  their  class ;  and  I  can  safely  say,  that 
as  exhibition  birds  they  are  equal  in  point  of  endurance  to 
any  that  were  ever  in  a  pen,  having  stood  the  wear  and  tear, 
the  long  fastings,  and  feasting  to  repletion — this  day  food  of 
the  most  stimulating  chai'acter,  and  the  next  day  nothing — 
in  addition  to  being  confined,  in  some  instances,  forty-eight 
hours  in  the  travelling  hamper ;  and  sometimes,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Surrey  and  Birmingham  Shows,  packed-up  and 
sent  from  one  place  to  the  other  without  seeing  home,  yet 
my  adult  birds  have  never  shown  the  slightest  trace  of 
indisposition  or  loss  of  appetite,  in  fact,  were  never  one  wit 
the  worse  for  it.  I  cannot  say  the  same  of  Dorkings  or 
Cochins,  whicli  have  both  suffered  more  or  less  in  going 
through  the  same  ordeal  from  which  the  Polands  came 
scatheless ;  the  only  other  birds  which  I  found  stood  it  as 
well  were  the  Brahmas,  which  I  believe  to  be  a  mucli 
hardier  race  of  birds  than  the  Bufl:'  Cochins ;  both  the  latter 
and  the  Dorkings  were  usually  scoured  for  two  or  three 
days  after  coming  home  :  the  Polands  never  so. 

As  to  feeding,  run,  and  general  treatment,  I  feai'lessly 
assert,  that  with  me  there  has  been  less  illness  (and  cer- 
tainly not  one  jot  more  care  taken  of  them)  thfin  among 
my  other  fowls  ;  they  are  fed  the  same,  roost  the  same,  are 
quite  as  much  exposed  as  the  rest,  and,  as  I  have  before 
stated,  with  the  best  results.  With  reference  to  their  cha- 
racter as  profitable  fowl — in  this,  I  think,  they  will  also  bear 
a  more  favourable  comparison  with  many  of  their  rivals 
than  you  are  inclined  to  accord  to  them.  As  egg  producers, 
in  my  opinion,  they  may  fairly  vie  with  their  more  favoured 
compeers  the  Spanish.  I  did  not  register  the  number  of 
eggs  produced  from  a  given  number  of  hens  last  season, 
but  am  doing  so  now,  and,  should  you  deem  it  worth  your 
acceptance,  will  give  you  facts,  which  will,  I  fear  not,  bear 
me  out  in  the  opinion  here  expressed;  their  eggs  are 
remarkably  fine,  and  I  will  also  weigh  soiue  of  them,  and 
when  I  send  the  number  will  also  send  the  averaije  weight, 
because,  although  an  egg  is  an  egg,  yet,  if  ten  Poland  eggs 
weigh  as  much  as  twelve  Cochins,  which  I  think  they  will, 
they  would,  in  a  great  measm'e,  make  up  for  the  extra 
number  that  the  latter  produce. 

My  Polands,  last  season,  laid  up  to  October,  and  some 
of  them  commenced  again  the  first  week  in  February,  and 
it  must  be  remembered,  that  they  continue  to  lay  without 
intermission  throughout  the  season,  never  becoming  broody ; 
this  may,  by  some  persons,  be  put  down  against  them,  but 
now  tliat  we  have  the  Cochins,  who  will  sit  as  many  times 
in  the  season  as  you  like  to  let  them,  it  will  only  be  neces- 
sary to  keep  three  or  four  Cochin  hens  to  have  a  constant 
succession  of  Poland  chickens  the  year  through. 

As  a  table  fowl  (and  here  I  only  speak  from  information), 
I  am  told  that  the  liesh  is  more  delicious  than  that  of  the 
Game  Fowl.  I  will  gi'ant  the  chickens  are  somewhat 
ditiicult  to  rear,  and  that  they  are  not  of  such  vigorous 
and  rapid  growth  as  Cochins,  but  the  advantages  I  have 
already  enumerated — their  great  beauty  in  plumage,  sjth- 
metry,  and  carnage — shall  surely  be  allowed  as  some  set- 


off against  that  one  argument  in  their  disfavo\n%  and  which 
I  hold  to  be  the  only  bad  fiualily  they  possess,  from  the 
size  of  the  crests  (in  good  birds)  tho  ramje  of  vision 
is  necessarily  very  narrow,  consequently,  I  find  no  diffi- 
culty in  confining  them  within  tho  most  circumscribed 
limits,  in  fact,  the  partition  wliich  divides  them  from 
Brahmas  and  Cochins  in  my  yard,  is,  in  some  places,  little 
more  than  two  feet  high,  but  they  never  attempt  to  lly  over. 
I  am  not  sure  that  the  difllcuUy  in  rearing  the  chickens 
does  not  lie  with  the  breeder;  it  is  not  improbable  that  they 
require  some  mode  of  treatment  as  yet  undiscovered ;  but, 
by  practice  and  perseverance,  I  think  we  shall  be  able,  in 
time,  to  rear  Poland  chickens  as  easily  as  any  of  their  more 
fortunate  brethren ;  at  any  rate,  I  mean  to  try.  I  am  in- 
duced to  say  this,  from  the  fact  that  all  my  Poland  chickens 
were  as  vigorous,  as  hearty,  as  good  feeders,  and  got  on  as 
«■(■//,  as  any  birds  could  be  desired  to  do  till  two  months  old 
(at  which  age  we  usually  think  the  danger  past)  ;  about 
that  period,  and  in  many  cases  older  birds,  I  had  the  morti- 
fication of  seeing  the  most  beautiful  chickens,  day  after  day, 
di'ooping  their  wings,  .and  in  -a  short  time  making  their 
exit  from  the  world  of  chickendom  ;  however,  I  i^ersevered, 
tried  various  schemes  and  modes  of  treatment,  and  at  last, 
with  some  \"ery  late  chickens,  was  tolerably  successfirl, 
rearing  six  out  of  eight  hatched,  now  all  alive  and  well.  1 
will  let  you  know  what  success  I  have  this  season,  and  also 
my  mode  of  treatment,  whether  beneficial  or  otherwise,  and 
should  be  glad  if  some  other  Poland  breeder  would  do  the 
same,  my  object  being  the  attainment  of  truth  and  mutual 
benefit. 

In  the  same  paper,  in  answer  to  a  correspondent,  you  say 
that  Polands  are  much  addicted  to  the  habit  of  plucking 
and  eating  each  other's  feathers ;  to  my  sorrow,  some  of  my 
best  birds  have  sutTered  from  this  species  of  cannibalism, 
hut  in  no  one  case  has  the  perpetrator  of  the  mischief  been 
one  of  their  own  kind,  but  it  always  has  been  the  work  of  a 
Cochin  or  Dorking.  I  do  not,  for  one  moment,  mean  to 
doubt  what  you  say  on  the  subject,  believing  you  have  good 
grounds  for  your  opinion,  or  you  would  not  have  given  it, 
but  only  intend  to  show,  that  in  my  experience,  the  Polands 
are  the  victims  and  not  the  perpetrators  of  the  mischief. — 
P.  Jones. 

[Your  promised  communications  will  he  most  acceptable. 
Any  one  who  will  favour  us  with  facts  confers  a  boon  ujjon 
us  and  our  readers. — Ed.  C.  G.] 


SUGGESTIONS  FKOM  THE  GARDEN  AND 

THE  FIELD. 

Bu  Ciithhert  W.  Johnson,  Esq.,  F.R.S. 

[Confinned  from  page  404.) 

THE    CHIEF    SUSTAINEKS    OF  LIFE. 

The  way  in  which  the  gases  of  the  atmosphere  are  made 
subservient  to  the  demands  of  animal  and  vegetable  life 
betrays  the  same  benificence,  and  the  same  wisdom,  that  is 
apparent  in  the  other  works  of  the  Creator.  Composed 
of  only  three  gases,  one  (the  carbonic  acid  gas)  incessantly 
absorbing  by  plants,  who  as  regularly  emit  another  (oxygen 
gas),  it  is  evident  that  the  proportion  of  these  in  the  atmo- 
sphere, would,  without  some  countervailing  mode  of  supply, 
be  sxieedily  and  materially  altered,  but  this  is  prevented  by 
all  breathing  animals  absorbing  the  very  gas  which  plants 
emit,  and  emitting  the  very  gas  which  plants  absorb. 

The  delightful  freshness  and  sense  of  pleasure  ex- 
perienced by  breathing  pure  air  is  known  to  every  one ;  yet 
breathing,  being  an  involuntary  action,  is  one  of  those  of 
which  we  rarely  ]pause  to  consider  its  advantages  and  its 
pleasures.  It  is  only  a  person  in  a  confined  room,  of  which 
the  atmosphere  is  contaminated  with  unwholesome  emana- 
tions, that  is  really  sensible  of  the  advantages  and  pleasures  of 
freely  inlialing  a  pure  atmosphere  of  the  same  unvarying 
composition  as  created  and  regulated  by  tlie  wisdom  and 
beneficence  of  its  Divine  Author. 

That  this  happy  uniformity  in  the  chemical  composition 
of  the  atmosphere  is  preserved  in  all  jilaces,  and  in  all 
seasons,  has  been  ascertained  by  many  comparative  chemical 
examinations.  Atmospheric  air,  in  fact,  has  been  analysed, 
as  obtained  from  various  parts  of   the   earth,  from  the 


•18S 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


Makch  23. 


summits  of  mountains,  in  jiopulous  cities,  anil  from  the 
surface  of  the  ocean,  far  away  from  land — hut  its  composition 
was  always  found  to  he  the  same.  The  supply  of  its  gases, 
therefore,  is  always  equal  to  the  demand  made  upon  them 
by  the  animals  and  vegetahles  which  tenant  the  earth.* 

Let  us,  however,  proceed  in  our  examination  of  some  of 
the  chemical  phenomena  which  attend  the  sustenance  of 
animal  Ufe  from  its  first  existence,  and  in  its  progress  to 
maturity.  Let  us  see  how  the  elements  ai'e  made  subser- 
vient to  our  comforts  and  our  enjoyment. 

Follow  a  youuK  animal  from  the  period  when  it  first 
inliales  the  breath  of  life — when  the  atmospheric  air  lirst 
rnslies  into  its  lungs.  Witnessthe  wonderful  adaptation  of 
those  lungs  to  tlie  separation  of  the  vital  portion  of  the  air 
from  tliat  which  is  to  he  rejected — -tlie  nitrogen,  whicli 
dilutes  and  modifies  the  action  of  the  oxygen  gas  ;  a  gas 
the  action  of  whicli  upon  the  lungs  would  otherwise  be  too 
powerful.  JIark  the  chemical  composition  of  the  muscles,  the 
blood,  and  the  other  fluids  of  that  body,  all  intended,  and,  by 
tlieir  peculiar  chemical  composition,  adapted  to  the  nourish- 
ment of  the  animal.  Notice  the  bones,  placed  in  the  midst  of 
those  muscles,  lubricated  by  vrnious  fluids,  whicli  if  tlrose 
bones  ^vere  composed  of  soluble  substances  would  infallibly 
dissolve  them.  Notice,  I  say,  the  chemistry  of  those  bones — 
how  the  phosphate  of  lime,  and  tliL'  carbonate  of  lime,  two 
salts  which,  wlien  united  with  the  cartilage  of  bones,  are 
totally  insoluble  in  the  fluids  of  animal  bodies.  See  how 
wretched  is  the  pliglit  of  those  ricketly  children  from  whose 
bones  these  salts  are  withdrawn ;  and  yet,  how  rare  is  it  to 
find  these  earthy  salts  removed  from  the  bones,  even  by  the 
effects  of  disease  ;  sucli  a  withdrawal  is  ever  an  exception  to 
the  rule,  wliich  we  notice  for  its  singularity.  Is  not  this 
constitution  of  bones  evidence  of  tho  most  exalted  wisdom, 
and  the  most  Fatherly  benevolence  ? 

Examine  still  further  the  progress  of  the  young  animal's 
life  ;  the  power  imparted  to  it  of  enjoying  the  light  of  heaven  ; 
the  sweet  llov/er-scented  air ;  the  pleasures  of  warmth  ;  of 
satisfying  its  hunger ;  all  of  which  might  have  been  received, 
had  God  so  ordained,  without  the  least  pleasurable  sen- 
sation. Eeflect  on  the  plight  of  those  who  have  been  by 
accident  or  by  disease  deprived  of  their  palates.  They 
still  eat,  it  is  true ;  hunger  occurs  as  usual,  but  the  pleasure 
of  eating  is  gone  with  the  power  of  taste.  On  tlie  contrary, 
the  atmosphere  might  have  caused  irritation  and  pain  when 
breathed;  a  very  slight  diflerence  in  the  proportion  of  the 
gases  which  constitute  the  atmospheric  air  miglit  produce  a 
mixture  strangely  diflering  in  its  action  on  the  lungs.  In 
fact,  by  consideraldy  increasing  tlie  proportion  in  wliich  tho 
oxygen  of  the  atmosphere  is  united  with  its  nitrogen,  a 
corrosive  acid,  tlic  nitric,  or  aquafortis,  is  tlie  result.  The 
very  proportions  of  the  ingredients,  therefore,  were  regarded 
so  as  to  constitute  that  precise  mixture  the  best  adapted  to 
the  wants  and  tlie  pleasures  of  animal  life. 

As  soon  as  the  young  animal  begins  to  digest  its  food,  so 
soon  does  it  begin  to  increase  in  size,  its  muscles  enlarge, 
its  bones  extend.  Tlie  chemistry  of  these  enlargements,  as 
far  as  we  are  capable  of  understanding  them,  is  full  of 
interest.  Tlie  muscles  are  composed  of  only  four  substances, 
carbon,  oxygen,  hydrogen,  and  nitrogen  ;  the  food  given  to 
the  babe,  in  its  mill;  or  its  bread,  contains  all  these.  They 
are  digested  and  assimilated  with  almost  unerring  regularity, 
in  a  way  we  can  neither  imitate  nor  comprehend. 

The  presence  of  the  totally  insoluble  salt,  the  phosphate 
of  lime,  or  bone  earth,  both  in  tjie  milk  of  animals,  and  in 
tlie  flour  of  "Wheat,  is  most  remarkable.  It  is  certain  that 
its  presence  is  essential  to  the  growth  of  the  young  animal, 
to  supply  the  solid  matter  rei|uirpd  for  tlie  enlargement  of 
its  bones,  and  it  is  equally  true  that  Ciod  has  provided  Uiat 
supply  in  its  mother's  milk,  and  in  the  bread  it  eats;  but 
liow  the  phosphate  of  lime  is  absorbed  from  the  soil  by  the 
green  plant  of  the  Wlieat,  how  held  in  solution  by  the  milk, 
are  facts  which  can  only  be  classed  with  the  many  other 
,   unexplained  phenomena  of  organic  chemistry. 

The  moment  that  organised  behigs  existed  on  tho  earth, 

*  Tills  fact  may  be  used  as  another  corrobov.il.ion  of  the  truth  of  the 
sacred  historian's  Htatenient,  that  vegetables  and  animals  were  created 
about  the  same  period  ;  for  otherwise  the  consumption  of  carbonic  acid 
gas  by  plants,  without  the  presence  of  animals  to  restore  it,  would 
Mpecdily  have  exhausted  the  air  of  this  gas— a  gas  so  cascntittl  to  their 
vei^etnlion. 


it  became  necessary  to  combine  with  their  substances  a 
certaui  portion  of  heat.  Animals,  in  fact,  had  to  be  fnrnishod 
with  the  power  of  generating,  or,  at  least,  developing  a 
certain  portion  of  heat,  for  without  that  supply  the  in- 
sensible vapour  of  the  atmosphere,  so  essential  to  the 
existence  of  vegetables  and  animals,  could  no  longer  exist. 
Life  would  be  immediately  extinct;  the  fluids  of  vegetables 
and  animals  become  soUd;  the  earth,  in  fact,  tenantless; 
the  ocean  a  quarry  of  ice.  To  place  a  Hving  body  in  a 
temperature  and  in  a  medium  in  which  he  could  continue 
to  exist,  required  a  foresight  and  an  Omniscience  of  vvhich_ 
we,  who  only  reason  from  the  results  of  experience  or  com- 
parison, can  form  little  idea;  and  we  are,  indeed,  not  in  the 
least  degree  aided  in  our  endeavours  to  grasp  the  difficulties 
of  the  case  by  concluiUng,  with  some  very  few  credulous 
persons,  that  all  this  extraordinary  arrangement  of  organised 
life  originated  from  a  miraculous  accumulation  of  chances. 

But  iieat  is  not  the  only  imponderable  which  betrays  the 
wisdom  and  foreknowledge  of  the  Deity.  Light,  too,  operates 
in  an  essential  degree  upon  organised  beings.  In  its  absence, 
plants  lose  their  green  colour,  tlieu-  fluids  become  more 
watery,  they  no  longer  contain  their  usual  proportion  of 
nutritious  ingredients,  they  cease  to  absorb  the  carbonic 
acid  gas  of  tlie  atmosphere.  Plants,  therefore,  were  evi- 
dently created  witli  a  designed  reference  to  the  medium  in 
wliich  tliey  \vere  to  vegetate;  their  health,  their  green  colour, 
their  nourishing  properties,  as  regards  animal.s,  were  all 
made  with  a  reference  to  the  medium  in  which  they  were 
destined  to  dwell.  As  relates  to  animals,  the  construction 
of  tlieir  bodies  bears  evident  testimony  to  the  enjoyment 
they  were  intended  to  derive  from  the  presence  of  light. 
The  yellow,  sickly  appearance  of  tlio.-,e  persons  who  dwell 
in  the  deep  hack-woods  of  America,  or  in  other  places  where 
light  is  only  present  in  very  diminished  jiroportion,  is 
generally  known.  That  light  also  efi'eets  tho  healthy  tone 
of  the  human  body,  is  well  understood  ;  the  gloom  of  dai'k- 
ness,  the  clieerfnlness  and  exhihration  produced  by  the 
glorious  light  of  f-Ieaven  are  almost  household  proverbs. 

That  light  was  intended  for  the  use  of  animals,  in  its 
mechanical  properties,  tlie  existence  of  the  eyes  of  all 
animals  proves  ;  for  without  light,  in  what  would  consist  the 
use  of  eyes  ?  A  thought  will  readily  suggest  itself  to  the 
mind  of  the  intelligent,  when  dwelling  upon  the  phenomena 
of  light,  wdiat  a  chaotic  world  om's  would  be  without  its 
vivifying  presence.  Its  importance  is  not  conlined  to  its 
most  obvious  properties,  tlie  assistance  of  vision.  Without 
light,  many  otlier  chemical  changes,  besides  those  to  which 
I  have  already  alluded,  would  not  lake  place  at  all;  "the 
blythe  blink  "  of  our  firesides  would  be  unknown ;  almost 
all  vegetation  would  expire,  and  man  would  be  as  ignorant, 
as  degraded,  and  less  powerful  than  the  brutes  around  him. 
There  is  no  doubt  but  that  light  acts  upon  all  living 
creatures  as  a  gentle,  but  enduring  stimulus.  Who  does 
not  feel  more  active  in  body,  more  vigorous  in  mind,  amidst 
the  brightness  of  summer  than  in  the  dai'ker  seasons  of 
the  year'? 

A  dismal  climate,  a  dark  November  and  melancholy,  are 
associated  in  our  language;  while  widely  ditferent  scenes  rise 
to  the  imagination  with  the  name  of  bright  summer  skies. 
Mr.  Stuart,  the  celebrated  pcdesU'ian  tourist,  has  recorded, 
that  he  never  was  so  healthful,  or  in  such  spirits,  as  when 
in  a  higli  northern  latitude  at  that  period  when  tho  sun 
sinks  not  below  the  horizon  for  successive  months.  Yet  the 
importance,  the  necessity,  tho  blessedness  of  light,  its  adap- 
tation to  the  physical  welfare  of  the  whole  creation,  is 
seldom  reflected  upon,  notwitlistiindiiig  that  this  seems,  as 
it  were,  lield  up  to  our  attention  by  the  sublime  command 
which  preceded  the  creation  of  any  organised  being. 
"  Let  there  ho  light,  and  there  was  light,  and  Clod  saw  that 
it  was  good." 

(To  be  continued.) 


CANKER   TN   PIGEONS. 

I  ifAVK  frequently  had  I'igeons  atlnckecl  wiOi  canker  in 
the  mouth  and  tliroat,  and  liavc  lubqid-d  various  motlmds 
to  cure  it,  but  with  httlo  success,  until  I  tried  the  following. 

If  the  I'igeon  has  it  very  severely,  the  canker  is  loose, 
and  a  portion  of  it  may  bo  rcmoveit,  which  is  advisable  as 


March  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


480 


much  as  possible,  and  then  to  apply  Gipsijacum,  which  may 
be  had  of  any  Chemist.*  It  should  be  used  by  a  leather 
being  dipped  in  it,  and  then  well  rubbed  inside  the  mouth 
and  throat,  and  repeated  tirice  u  ilay,  until  a  cure  is  ob- 
tained; wliich,  with  care,  may  soon  be  etfected.  Great  care 
should  be  taken  to  remove  all  birds  affected  with  it,  as  it  is 
highly  contugious. 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending  the  above,  as  I 
have  frequently  tried  it,  and  always  with  success. 

Your  Correspondent,  C.  H.  E.,  at  page  l:iO,  No.  208,  states 
that  he  has  kept  fancy  Pigeons  for  years,  and  never  but  on 
one  occasion  knew  them  to  eat  green  food,  which,  I  should 
suppose,  was  caused  by  their  not  having  the  chance  to  get  at 
it.  I  have  kept  them  for  many  years,  and  always  found 
them  to  be  very  fond  of  Cabbage  leaves,  and  of  almost  any 
sort  of  garden  stuff. 

If  my  bhds  have  been  confined  to  the  c(oiuri/  for  a  few 
days,  through  higli  winds,  or  other  cause,  I  have  noticed 
them,  on  being  released,  lly  straight  to  the  garden,  and 
seem  to  enjoy  themselves  wonderfully  with  a  little  cabbage. 
I  should  recommend  all  fanciers  wlio  do  not  allow  their 
Pigeons  their  liberty  to  supply  them  with  green  food,  for 
I  consider  it  conduces  greatly  to  their  health. 

I  know  that  many  persons  keep  open  pans  of  water  in 
their  aviaries  for  the  Pigeons  to  wash,  which  I  strongly  object 
to.  I  frequently  allow  my  Pigeons  to  have  a  bath  about 
once  in  a  fortnight,  for  a  few  hours,  but  on  no  account 
would  I  let  them  have  it  regularly,  as  I  consider  that  it 
causes  many  discascx  in  the  birds,  owing  to  their  drinking 
the  water  they  wash  in. — Oklx. 


SPANGLED  HAMBURGH  FOWLS. 


HARDY  BORDER  PLANTS. 

{^Continued  from  page  -l-tC.J 
OMPHALODES  VEENA. 

VENUS'S    NAVELWOET. 

This  pretty  little  early-ilowering  plant  belongs  to  the  na- 
tural family  of  Borageworts,  and  its  little  light  blue  blos- 
soms look  so  much  like  the  true  Forget  me-not  {Myosotis 
palustris),  which  grows  so  plentifully  by  the  sides  of  om- 
river  banks,  that  this  plant  is  often  called  by  the  same  re- 
membrance-asking name.  It  is  true,  both  plants  belong  to 
the  same  Natural  order,  and  the  blossoms  of  each  ai"e  ex- 
tremely beautiful,  but  the  0.  veriia,  of  course,  is  a  very  dif- 
ferent plant  to  the  other,  and  delights  to  be  grown  in  the 
warm  sunny  borders,  or  upon  a  rockery,  where  it  seems 
just  in  its  element.  It  is  of  rather  a  wandering  or  stolo- 
niferous  habit;  therefore,  when  grown  as  a  bunch  plant  in 
the  neatly  kept  Hower-horders,  that  is,  where  the  plants  are 
kept  as  medium  sized  bunches,  at  proper  distances  from 
each  other,  then  this  is  a  plant  that  will  often  require  to  be 
taken  up,  or  carefully  sepai'ated,  leaving  the  best  portion  of 
the  bunch  to  form  the  future  plant. 

This  is  one  of  those  plants  that  should  not  be  chopped 
round  for  the  pui-pose  of  leaving  just  the  centre  part  to  re- 
main, for  in  this,  that  happens  to  be  just  the  worst  part  of 
the  plant  and  being  thus  chopped  all  round  is  placing 
the  plant,  in  so  much  the  poorer  condition,  besides 
taking  away  just  all  the  best  flowering  parts,  which  are  the 
points  of  its  stoloniferous  crowns. 

When  these  plants  appear  to  us  to  be  too  large,  we  take 
up  the  whole  plant,  well  work  up  the  soil,  either  change  it, 
or  add  a  little  fresh,  and  divide  the  plani,,  taking  care  to 
plant  again  one  of  the  best  side  pieces.  This  we  do  in  the 
spring  months,  at  the  time  we  may  be  dressing  the  bor- 
ders, and  whether  it  is  in  bloom  or  not. 

This  delightful  little  dwarf  plant  is  a  native  of  South 
Europe,  and  was  introduced  to  tliis  country  in  the  year  1C3S. 
The  whole  herbage  of  the  plant  is  of  a  pale  green  colour ; 
its  leaves  stalked  and  egg-shaped ;  and  the  light  blue 
flower  produced  in  little  clusters  from  the  latter  end  of 
Februaiy  to  the  end  of  April.  Being  so  dwarf  it  is  a  front 
row  plant  in  the  borders.  T.  W. 

*  Our  correspondent  must  mean  JEgitptiacum.  It  is  an  old  remedy 
for  ulcerations  in  the  mouth  or  throat  of  animals.  It  is  thus  prepared. 
Powdered  verdet^ris,  half  an  ounce;  honey,  two  ounces;  vinegar,  cit;ht 
ounces.  Boil  thcui  together  slowly  in  an  earthen  piplcm  for  ten 
minutes. 


-\s  an  old  breeder  of  the  Spangled  Hamburghs,  I  was 
glad  to  see  we  were  beginning  to  have  a  little  discussion 
upon  the  points  of  excellence  of  this  much-admired  and 
justly  popular  breed.  As  a  frequent  exhibitor  of  the  Ham- 
bm-ghs,  I  feel  the  same  anxiety  your  correspondent  does 
(who  designates  himself  an  admirer  of  the  saddle-featliers), 
that  some  definite  rule  ought  to  be  agreed  upon  by  tlie 
managers  of  the  various  societies,  and  that  after  coming  to 
a  decision  as  to  whether  we  are  to  have  hen-featliered  cocks, 
or  those  with  the  long  saddle-feathers,  that  it  would  be  well 
to  insert  in  the  rules,  that  in  such  a  class  the  judges  would 
be  requested  to  award  the  prizes  only  to  hen-feathered,  or 
saddle-feathered,  as  the  case  may  be  decided  upon  ;  by  that 
means  exhibitors  would  then  know  what  to  show  ;  and,  as 
wo  .are  rarely  in  possession  of  information  as  t®  who  the 
judges  are  to  be,  and,  perhaps,  oven  then  not  knowing  which 
they  prefer,  we  are  at  a  loss  to  know  wh  at  to  exhibit. 

Your  correspondent  is  misinformed  in  saying,  that  in 
Yorkshire  none  but  those  having  the  saddle-feathers  would 
be  considered  pure.  I  can  say,  that  nine  out  of  ten  prizes 
awiirded  to  the  Golden  Spangles,  in  Yorkshire,  are  given  to 
the  hen-feathered.  The  hen-feathered  Silver  Spangles  are 
more  uncommon,  and  have  as  yet  been  liut  voi-y  little  exhi- 
bited in  Yorkshire.  A  first  prize  in  Silver  Spangled  chickens 
of  1853  was  awarded  to  a  pen  with  a  hen-feathered  cock  at 
the  late  Manchester  show ;  and  although  an  unsuccessful 
exhibitor  in  the  chicken  class,  I  must  confess  a  better  pen 
of  birds  I  never  saw. 

As  a  breeder,  I  decidedly  prefer  the  hen-feathered,  the 
cock  being  spangled  all  over  the  body,  similar  to  the  hen, 
but  the  colours  much  more  brilliant.  Some  of  your  coiTes- 
pondents  think  tlie  eggs  from  the  hen-feathered  not  so 
prolific  as  from  the  saddle-feathered.  I  do  not  find  that  to 
be  the  case  from  my  experience.  I  am  aware  good  hen- 
feathered  cocks  are  much  more  diflJcult  to  breed  than  the 
saddle-feathered  ones,  but  I  do  not  think  that  is  a  reason 
why  we  ought  to  discard  them.  The  very  high  price  that 
some  of  the  hen-feathered  cocks  have  been  sold  for  proves 
the  estimation  they  are  held  in  by  the  fanciers  of  this  breed, 
and  I  think  we  need  no  further  proof  of  their  popularity 
than  that.  Much  has  been  said  about  which  breed  is  the 
most  profitable.  I  am  inclined  to  think  none  are  more  so 
than  the  Golden  and  Silver  Spangled.  The  quantity  of  eggs 
laid  by  them  in  a  season  is  unequalled  by  any  other  breed, 
and  I  luave  no  doubt  we  shall  long  see  them  cultivated,  when 
many  of   the  new  and  worthless  varieties  are  extinct. 

JA3IES  Dixon,  Bradford,  Yorhsliire. 


THE  AUSTRALASIAN  BOTANIC  AND    HORTL 
CULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

Intending  emigrants  will  be  pleased  to  see  that  Australia 
has  institutions  similar  to  those  of  "  the  old  country,"  and 
in  the  list  of  Eoses  exhibited  upon  the  occasion  we  now  re- 
port, they  will  see  none  but  those  with  which  they  are,  or 
may  be,  acquainted  in  our  own  Eose  Gai'dens.  The  meet- 
ing was  at  Sydney,  on  the  3rd  of  last  November,  which  is 
tlie  height  of  summer  there. 

"We  were  delighted  to  be  present  at  an  attempted  resusci- 
tation of  the  monthly  meetings  of  this  Society,  which  were 
originally  intended  for  the  display  of  specimens,  for  dis- 
cussion on  the  subject  and  the  specimens  brought 
forward,  and  for  the  receipt  and  reading  of  papers  forwai'ded 
to  the  secretary.  A  vigorous  attempt  is  now  being  made  to 
carry  out  these  good  and  judicious  intentions  of  the  founders 
of  the  Society,  and  the  meeting  of  yesterday,  though  but 
thinly  attended,  from  a  want  of  knowledge  of  the  attractions 
it  presented,  is  an  auspicious  omen  of  future  success. 

"The  secretaryship  of  this  Society  has  at  length  fallen  into 
hands  which  will  be  responsible  for  neglect  and  maladmi- 
nistration of  its  duties,  and  in  congratulating  Mr.  Catlett 
upon  his  appointment,  we  can  only  say,  that  sliould  ho  suc- 
ceed in  working  up  the  Society  to  the  position  it  originally 
aimed  at,  and  which  it  ought  to  hold,  he  will  have  done 
good  service  to  the  citizens  of  Sydney,  and  to  the  colony  at 
large. 


400 


THE    COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


Mabch  23. 


"The  meeting  was  prudLnitly,  perhaps  necessarily, 
confined  to  tlie  exhibition  of  flowers  and  the  awarding 
of  certificates ;  hut  we  hope  tliat  succeeding  meetings, 
though  adorned  by  these  pleasant  illustrations,  will  take  a 
larger  scope.  Wliat  florists  and  botanists  want  hero  is  not 
only  the  result,  but  the  process  by  which  that  result  is  ar- 
rived at. 

"  Written  documents,  carefully  got  up  by  cultivators,  would, 
perhaps,  be  more  useful  than  oral  discriptions — at  all  events, 
they  would  provoke  more  exact  enquiry  and  more  minute 
discussion. 

"  Tlie  monthly  meetings  will  be  the  true  tests  of  the  per- 
fection to  which  the  cultivation  of  flowers  in  then-  respective 
seasons  has  arrived,  and  we  hope,  in  future  shows  a  some- 
what more  discriminating  spirit  will  be  e™iced  in  the 
awarding  of  testimonials.  "Where  .all  is  good  it  is  difficult 
and  unpalatable,  no  doubt,  to  draw  distinctions;  but  where- 
ever  excellence  prev.ails,  let  it  have  its  due. 

"  The  main  feature  of  the  meeting  of  yesterday  was  the 
exhibition  of  Uoses — and  certainly  our  flower  shows  hitherto 
have  aft'orded  but  faint  indication  of  oui-  capabilities  in  this 
line.  A  grander  collection  of  the  different  varieties  of  this 
beautfnl  iiower  could  hardly  be  presented  in  any  part  of  the 
world  than  that  which  met  us  yesterday.  The  extreme  wet- 
ness of  the  season  prevented  some  of  the  more  showy  speci- 
mens being  brought  out  in  first  rate  order ;  but  careful  cultiva- 
tion was  evident  in  each  collection. 

"  The  largest  collection  was  from  the  garden  of  Thomas 
WooUey,  Escx.  (Creswick,  gardener),  and  consisted  of  fifty- 
two  varieties,  viz.,  Letitia,  Victorie  des  Hybrids,  Cloth  of  Gold, 
Virgil.  Multiflora  elegans.  Queen,  Dark  marbled,  Viola; 
odora,  Zendre,  Amie  Vibert,  Allonianna,  Lucida  duplex, 
Gloire  de  Kosame,  Louise  Philippe,  Indica  alba,  Provence, 
Emile  Courtier,  Boule  de  Nanteuil  (particularly  beautiful), 
Delphiue,  Glory  of  the  West,  Annie  Bluze,  Dupetit 
Thouars,  Sully,  La  Tortarelle,  Psyche,  Henri  Plantier,  For- 
tune's yellow,  Particolored  China  rose,  Fulgens,  Angeliquo 
Tmoss),  Columella,  Shepherd's  incomparable.  Yellow 
Eanksia,  A'ictoria  modesta,  Wax,  Koi  de  Cramoise,  Kate, 
AUce,  Atouinas,  Alexina,  Superba,  Green's  musk,  York  and 
Lancaster,  Madame  Deprez,  Shepherd's  Ne  plus  ultra,  Indica 
Lutea,  Taglioui,  Due  de  Guiche,  Cai-nation,  Duohesse  de 
Bern,  Ferox,  Nonpareil  Multiflora. 

"  There  were  five  other  collections  exhibited. 

"  The  specimens  apai-t  from  the  Roses  were  few.  There 
was  a  beautiful  Gladiolus  spUiiiUns,  and  Gladiolus  Morlii, 
from  Jlr.  Blort's  garden ;  the  latter  very  beautiful ;  also  a 
beautiful  flower  not  often  exhibited,  Epidcndrum  maa-ochi- 
luin^ 

"Ml-.  Guilfoyle  had  twenty-four  splendid  specimens  of 
Gladiolus,  which  did  credit  to  his  skill  as  a  cultivator — tlioy 
were  all  Hybrids.  There  was  also  a  beautiful  specimen  of 
Amaranthus  .Tohnsonius.  Some  very  beautiful  Gloxinias,  from 
the  Government  Gardens,  together  with  a  specimen,  in 
flower,  of  the  Gardenia  Staithjaiia,  (the  first  time  of  its  flower- 
ing here) ;  and  a  very  elegant  Echilis. 

"  Medals  were  awarded  to  each  of  the  collections  of  Roses, 
and  certificates  to  Mr.  Mort,  for  his  Gladiolus  Morlii,  and 
his  Epidcndrum  macrochilum,  and  to  Mr.  Guilfoyle  for  his 
collection  of  Gladioli." — (Syduei/  Herald.) 


NEW  BRUNSWICK,  NEW  JERSEY. 

Extract  from  a  Letter,  dated  Feb.  16. 
"TnE  price  of  prorisions  here  is  much  greater  than  usual. 
Corn  is  now  selling  at  05  cents  a  bushel  of  .""lO  pounds.  Po- 
tatoes at  1  dollar  2.5  cents  ;  flour  at  5^  cents  a  pound ; 
butter  25  cents  a  pound.  All  these  articles  have  sold  within 
a  year  or  two  for  half  the  amount  quoted  above.  Beef, 
mutton,  and  pork  at  1.')  cents  to  is  cents  a  pound.  The 
wages  of  labour  have  increased  nearly  25  per  cent,  -i  good 
horse  cannot  be  had  for  less  tlian  21)0  dollars  ;  and  a  good 
cow  for  5O0  dollars.  We  have  had  rather  a  mild  winter  thus 
far ;  some  quite  cold  days ;  thermometer  2  degrees  below 
zero,  and  many  slight  falls  of  snow.  Our  river  and  canal 
have  been  twice  frozen  over  to  the  thickness  of  H  or  10 
inches,  whicl;  has  enabled  tlie  people  to  fill  all  their  ice- 
houses, and  all  are  well  supplied.    We  have  had  some  very 


good  sleighing,  but  the  roads  at  present  are  almost  impass- 
able. This  month  has  been  very  mild  and  wet,  and  we  con- 
sider our  winter  neai'ly  at  an  end.  1  visitrd  tlie  great  exhi- 
bition of  poultry  in  New  York,  yesterday,  with  Jlr. and 

some  friends.  The  papers  state  there  were  4,000  head,  but 
I  cannot  believe  it,  though  I  never  saw  such  a  number  of 
all  soils,  from  a  Bantam  as  small  as  a  meadow  Lark  to  a 
Shangh.ae  as  big  as  a  Turkey.  Every  species  of  fowl  was  there, 
and  all  in  fine  condition." 


POLMAISE  HEATING. 

Being  a  constant  reader  of  your  valuable  .Touraal,  I  ob- 
served in  the  two  last  monthly  numbers  a  rerival  of  the 
much-abused  system  of  the  Polmaise  method  of  heating 
pits,  greenhouses,  itc.  &c. 

Not  being  a  practical  gardener,  but  merely  a  devoted 
student,  and  fond  of  every  improvement  in  floricultm-e,  1 
have  bestowed  a  good  deal  of  attention  on  the  difl'erent 
modes  of  heating  structures  for  horticultural  purposes;  in 
fact,  I  have  the  three  dilTerent  methods  commonly  used  at 
work  on  my  own  premises.  The  old  biick  flue  system  was 
good  till  superseded  by  the  hot-water  system  ;  and  that  was 
reckoned  the  ne  plus  ultra  till  the  application  of  heated  air 
was  introduced ;  then  came  the  wai'  of  words.  Air  versus 
Water.  The  late  Mr.  Meek,  though  not  the  inventor  of  the 
system,  was  the  first  who  applied  science  and  brought  it  to 
perfection.  I  had  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  his  acquamtance, 
and  he  was  the  only  man  I  have  met  who  thoroughly  under- 
stood the  whole  system.  When  Mr.  Meek  first  introduced 
his  system,  I  made  a  point  of  visiting  every  establishment 
round  London  that  erected  a  Polmaise  stove,  and  I  never 
found  one  that  thoroughly  carried  out  the  laws  of  science  ; 
one  erected  one  thing,  and  another  had  another  plan,  and 
called  it  Pohnaise,  and  every  one  was  a  total  failm'e ;  hence 
the  whole  system  got  completely  condemned ;  hut,  having 
erected  my  own  upon  pm-ely  scientific  principles,  I  have  now 
had  six  years  trial  of  mine,  and  1  find  it  answer  better  than 
either  the  flue  or  hot-water;  and  my  gardener,  who  has  had 
considerable  experience,  prefers  it  to  either.  Tour  corre- 
spondent, Mr.  Craddock,  gives  a  very  excellent  account  of 
the  working  of  the  system,  when  done  in  confoi-mity  to  the 
laws  of  science.  Mr.  G.  is  in  error  when  he  attributes  the 
discovery  to  the  late  Mr.  Meek  ;  he  brought  it  from  the  wet 
blanket  of  the  discoverer  to  what  it  now  is — the  most  perfect 
and  natural  sytem  that  can  be  invented. 

My  only  object  in  addressing  you  is  to  create  or  renew  a 
temperate  discussion  of  the  merits  of  the  hot-air  stove  to 
the  other  methods  of  heating.  During  the  heat  of  the  last 
discussion  the  hot-water  gentlemen  were  anything  hut  cool 
upon  the  subject.  F.  H.  S. 


BEE-KEEPING  FOR  COTTAGERS. 

(Continued  from  page  -147.) 

May. — Breeding  for  the  next  tliree  mouths  will  proceed 
rapidly  ;  continue,  therefore,  to  supply  water,  if  the  weather 
be  dry.     The  bees  will  by  this  time  be  fully  at  work. 

h.  Hives  four  years  old  and  upwards  should  he  allowed 
to  swarm  ;  keep  the  centre  holes  in  these  hives  covered  up. 
In  hives  less  than  four  years  old  it  is  desirable  to  prevent 
swarming;  keep  such  hives  shaded  fronr  the  sun,  and  give 
the  bees  in  them  more  room  by  putting  on  small  hives  and 
boxes  :'  a  piece  of  perforated  zinc  laid  over  the  hole  in  the 
centre  of  the  hive  (or  of  the  super  if  there  be  one  upon  it), 
by  allowing  a  current  of  air  to  pass  through  the  hive,  assists 
in  keeping  it  cool :  the  zinc  must  be  removed  and  clcaiunl 
as  the  bees  stop  up  the  holes  in  it. 

m.  Drones  begin  to  appear,  and,  where  swai-ming  is 
about  to  take  place,  young  queens  .are  rapidly  coming 
forward. 

m.  It  is  not  always  possilile  to  prevent  swarming,  neither 
is  it  possible  to  ascertain  with  certainty  when  first  swarms 
will  rise  ;  the  hives  must,  therefore,  be  watched  from  ten 
o'clock  till  four  from  the  middle  of  tliis  month  to  the  end  of 
.Tune.  Swarms  should  be  hived  as  soon  as  they  settle,  and 
should  be  set  up  on  the  pedestal  next  to  its  parent  hive  as 


March  23. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


4!U 


soon  as  hived ;  if  allowed  to  continue  where  tliey  alight, 
even  till  night,  many  hees  will  return  thither  the  next  day 
and  will  be  lost. 

Second  swarms  will  most  likely  come  ofT  between  the 
ninth  and  fourteenth  days  from  the  rising  of  the  first 
swarms ;  tho  moans  of  ascertaining  the  exact  lime  is 
indicated  in  Section  1,  under  the  head,  "  third  swarms  :"  if 
second  swarms  rise  before  the  end  of  this  month,  or  even 
the  beginning  of  next,  and  are  lai'ge,  they  may  he  set  up  ; 
if  not,  they,  as  also  third  swarms  (which  do  not  very  often 
come  olT),  should  be  either  returned  to  the  jjarent  hive  or 
joined  to  some  other  second  swarm  that  lins  been  set  up,  or 
to  some  weak  stock;  second  swarms,  if  set  up,  may  be 
placed  on  a  pedestal  to  be  fixed  next  to  the  parent  hive  in 
the  space  dii-ected  in  the  second  Section  to  be  left  between 
each  set  of  two  pedestals.  Should  tlie  weather  be  bad 
directly  after  swarming  feed  a  little,  otherwise  the  bees 
mil  most  likely  perish.  Any  sweet  syrup  given  in  a 
saucer,  with  some  bits  of  wood  floating  in  it,  will  do  for 
feeding  with  at  this  season.  Do  not  fix  down  the  hives  witli 
clay  or  mortar  ;  the  bees  will  do  this  themselves,  far  better 
than  it  can  be  done  for  them,  with  tho  propolis  or  gnmmy 
substance  which  they  collect  from  the  horse  chesnut  and 
other  trees. 

JoNE. — All  the  directions  for  last  month  apply  to  this, 
except  as  regard  setting  up  second  swarms :  the  directions 
already  given  relating  to  these  must  be  attended  to:  the 
bees  in  them  will  do  more  good  to  the  bee-keeper  now,  if 
joined  to  other  hives,  than  if  set  up  in  separate  stocks. 

Keep  all  plants  round  about  the  entrances  below  the 
level  of  the  floorboards. 

e.  In  good  seasons,  small  hives  and  boxes  wUl  be  nearly 
if  not  quit*  full;  if  full  they  should  be  taken  away.  When, 
however,  the  supers  are  about  three-quai'ters  full,  more 
room  should  be  given,  or  a  swann  may  rise  from  the  stock. 
A  super  is  full  when  all  the  cells  are  ceiled  over :  where 
there  are  small  glass  windows  in  the  supers  it  can  be  easily 
seen  whether  they  are  full  or  not :  where  there  are  not 
windows,  discretion  must  be  exercised :  as  a  rule,  when  tlie 
bees  begin  to  cluster  at  the  mouth  of  the  hives,  the  extra 
room  should  be  given,  and  about  a  fortnight  after  this  (if 
the  weather  has  in  the  mean  time  been  fine),  tlie  full 
supers  may  pretty  safely  be  removed. 
(_To  he  continued.) 


TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

Iris  pavonia  (A.  B.). — We  are  much  obliged  for  the  additional 
reference,  to  which  we  have  access,  but  not  just  now.  We  shall  consult 
all  such  authorities  very  shortly,  and  give  the  fruit  of  our  harvest ; 
meantime,  we  may  remark,  that  no  British  author,  now  gone  to  hia  rest, 
is  worth  consulting  on  the  practical  question  of  bulb  culture,  except 
Sweet  and  Herbert ;  and  that  what  Andrews  said  of  this  Iris,  long,  long 
ago,  miglit  be  said  of  Disa  gi-nndifioru  down  to  1850  ;  and  jet  both  are 
as  easy  to  keep  and  to  flower  as  any  other  Cape  bull). 

Dahlias  (Poor  Rifhtird). — If  you  have  the  needful,  and  the  courage 
to  go  to  work  ill  earnest,  you  may  excel  all  the  florists  of  the  age  with 
Daliliaa,  without  an  inch  of  glass,  talk,  or  canvass,  or  with  no  more  heat 
and  light  than  reach  you  through  these  pages.  "Do"  them  exactly  as 
they  do  potatoes — plant  out  all  your  roots  forthwith,  and  cover  them  one 
inch.  In  a  few  weeks  the  roots  will  have  sprouted,  and  you  can  then 
increase  them  by  "  sets,"  like  potatoes,  keeping  one  or  more  eyes  to  each 
set ;  and  every  set  is  then  fit  for  planting  anywhere. 

Aeciied  Climbers  {Inquisitor), — It  is  too  late  now  to  get  in  these 
climbers,  unless  you  had  them  all  on  the  spot,  and  the  ground  ready  for 
fhem.  The  best  kinds  of  deciduous  ones  are.  Clematis  viontana,  C. 
Jlitmula,  C.  Hendersonii,  and  Aristolochiu  sipho  for  the  large  leaves. 
The  common,  trumpet,  and  Japan  Honeysuckles;  Virginian  creeper ; 
and  a  choice  from  running  Roses,  with  a  few  of  the  strongest  hybrid 
China  Hoses,  or  say  Ruga,  to  represent  the  Ayrshires.  Of  crimson 
Boursaults,  as  the  best  of  that  section,  Laura  Davoust;  of  the  Riusk 
cluster,  Felii.-ite  Perpetiiel,  Garland,  Blairii,  Fntgens,  Clitnedote, 
Charles  Diiuat,  Great  \Vester7i,  Paid  Perras,  and  Coup  dUiehe.  But 
you  might  try  Wistaria  sinensis,  Passion  flower ;  Cloth  of  Gold,  and 
Sol/aterre  Rosea,  and  such  like,  if  you  are  in  the  south  of  Ireland  or  of 
England. 

Pear  Border  {Ibid). — For  pyramids,  as  you  propose,  from  six  to 
eight  feet  wide  will  be  necessary;  but  three  feet  would  be  enough  to 
begin  with. 

Indian  Seeds  (C  M.). — We  can  make  out  every  one  of  them,  and 
they  are  the  best  selection  we  have  seen  for  many  a  day.  These  long 
lists — whieii  are  of  no  use  or  interest  to  any  one  but  the  possessor — we 
would  advise  to  be  sent,  for  the  future,  with  a  stamped  envelope,  and 
with  the  address  of  the  party,  leaving  us  space  of  clean  paper  to  give  our 
opinion.  A  cold  frame  will  do  to  get  up  the  following,  if  sown  at  the 
eodof  April— 1,  6,  7,  8,  9,  12,  H,  15,  22,  24,29,  30,  31,  and  39;  and  G,  7, 


8,  9  fconifers),  should  be  in  friable  loam,  and  have  little  water.  Try  11, 
tlie  Gigantic  Jjily,  in  a  cold  frame  aUo ;  no  one  succeeded  with  it  in  heat. 
A  warm  frame,  or  gentle  hotbed,  will  be  necessary  for  2,  3,  4,  5,  10,  13. 
lO,  17,  IS,  19,  20,  21,  23,  27,  28.  Send  2fi  to  the  Crystal  Palace,  as  one 
of  the  best  Indian  climbers  (a.  Bau/iinia).  Give  32,  33,  and  34,  to  the 
poultry — such  melons  and  water  squashes  arc  of  no  use  here.  35  is 
probably  a  kind  we  sent  tlierc  in  1845,  the  best  Suffolk  cucumber.  40  is 
J'haseolu.i  something,  but  of  not  the  slightest  use  here,  though  it  would 
be  useful  at  Natal  or  Melbourne.  We  would  try  one-half  of  30  (Balsams 
of  all  colours)  in  the  open  air,  also  3ti  and  37, 

Bravoa  GEaiMiNiFLORA. — Mr.  Bcatou  says,— "When  I  saw  your 
picture  of  this  pretty  bulb,  at  page  3T3,  I  thought  your  engraver  was  not 
much  of  a  botanist,  for  he  altered  one  of  the  chief  points  of  its  specific 
character  by  lengthening  the  style,  or  female  organ,  too  much  beyond  tlie 
tube  ;  and,  as  you  said  that  I  wrote  something  on  this  plant  in  my  scries 
on  half-hardy  bulbs,  I  felt  that  I  was  booked  with  your  artist,  as  birds  of 
a  feather.  So,  to  right  myself,  I  looked  into  'The  Botanical  fliagazine,' 
whence  you  took  your  figure  ;  and  now  I  can  tell  you,  that  I  never  wrote 
a  word  about  the  plant  in  the  Magazine  at  all.  The  plant  which  is 
figured  from  the  collection  at  Kew  is  quite  a  different  thing  from  the 
one  called  Bravoa  gennimiijior  a  in  my  series;  but  it  maybe  the  true 
gernminijiora  for  all  that,  and  mine  another  species.  I  have  no  access 
to  the  original  descriptions  in  the  foreign  works  to  refer  to.  My  authority 
stands  thus: — In  1837 or  1838  I  had  my  Bravoa  roots  direct  from  Mexico. 
They  were  gathered  by  Galeotti,  and  Dr.  Herbert  was  with  me  when  I 
unpacked  them.  He  was  puzzled  with  these  roots;  but  he  could  tell  all 
the  rest  of  the  bulbs  in  the  dry  state.  I  flowered  several  of  the  roots  out- 
of-doors,  in  a  narrow  border  in  front  of  a  hothouse,  and  I  immediately 
recognised  them  from  the  coloured  figure  of  the  species  in  the 
"  Amari/llidcE."  Dr.  Herbert  saw  these  in  flower  with  me  several  times, 
and  said  they  were  gemminiflora.  The  one  represented  in  'The 
Botanical  Magazine,'  if  it  is  not  flattered,  is  a  much  brighter  flower 
than  mine,  and  no  two  species  need  be  more  different  in  the  style  of 
growth.  The  one  at  Kew  is  shown  with  short,  stiff,  upright  leaves  ;  but 
my  bulbs  or  tubers  were  long-leaved  after  the  manner  of  Ixia  viridifiora, 
but  not  so  stiff,  and  they  bent  over  like  the  tail-feather  of  a  Spanish 
cock.  Wine  flowered  from  the  latter  part  of  June  to  the  end  of  August, 
but  did  not  ripen  seeds.'* 

Cucumbers  and  Melon  Pits  {F.  E.  fl.). — Yours  are  heated  by 
flues,  in  chambers,  and,  with  a  pan  of  galvanised  iron  above,  for  retaining 
moisture.  We  do  not  think  there  is  anything  decidedly  new  in  the  idea, 
but  it  is  a  good  one,  and  we  must  have  a  little  time  to  ponder  over  it,  and 
make  a  few  remarks,  and  perhaps  accompany  them  with  the  section  you 
have  sent. 

Tobacco  Seed  (If.  Z.). — You  wish  for  the  quanti+yfor  a  piece  of 
ground  G  yards  by  4.  We  presume  that  you  could  get  it  from  the  nearest 
nurseryman,  and,  at  any  rate,  from  any  Metropolitan  seedsman.  A  very 
small  jiacket  would  be  suflicient,  such  as  a  quarter  of  an  ounce.  In  fact, 
a  single  pod  would  yield  far  more  than  you  would  want.  A  few  pence 
would  be  the  price.  A  few  years  ago  we  had  enough  for  a  farm,  but  have 
got  out  of  it.  Ask  for  the  Virginian  large  Tobacco.  The  cucumber 
■  frame  would  be  the  best  for  raising  the  plants,  pricking  them  out  in  pans 
there,  and  hardening  off  in  the  greenhouse  before  planting.  If  you  have 
no  frame  use  the  greenhouse,  but  keep  the  seeds  covered  with  a  glass; 
put  a  piece  of  paper  over  it  at  night  to  keep  in  the  heat ;  and  when  the 
seedlings  are  pricked  out,  give  them  what  excitement  you  can  from  a  high 
temperature  and  a  moist  atmosphere.  Mnch  may  be  done  this  way  with 
a  little  contrivance.  The  stronger  and  healthier  your  plants  by  the  end 
of  May,  the  heavier  will  be  the  yield  of  leaves. 

Penstemon  Seed  (I>.  (E.).— Sow  this  in  any  light,  sandy  soil;  pre- 
pare the  pots  as  you  would  see  advised  for  seed  pans  generally,  when 
treating  lately  on  Pelargonium  seed;  cover  with  about  the  thickness  of 
the  sixteenth  part  of  an  inch,  or  a  little  less  ;  and  if  lou  can  place  the 
seed-pot  in  a  nice  bottom-heat,  and  the  soil  be  moist  and  not  wet,  the 
plants  will  be  ready  to  handle  in  a  few  weeks — sooner  or  later,  according 
to  the  age  of  the  seed  and  its  goodness ;  and  then  dibbed  out  into  an 
intermediate  bed,  or  into  other  pots,  and  planted  out-of-doors  towards 
the  end  of  May.  The  plants  will  bloom  early  in  autumn.  If  you  can- 
not give  the  seed  these  advantages  the  plants  will  blow  late,  or  not  at  all 
this  season,  reserving  their  beauties  until  another  year. 

Verbena  Seed  {Ibid.). — Treat  this  in  the  same  way,  only  add  a  little 
leaf-mould  and  peat,  if  you  have  got  it,  to  the  sandy  loam,  and  a  little 
white  silver  sand.  They  will  want  hardening  oft'  rather  more  early  than 
the  Penlslemon,  or  the  green-fly  will  trouble  them.  It  is  generally  best 
to  plant  them  out  in  rows,  in  order  to  prove  the  kinds.  Tlie  seed  is  often 
sell-sown  ;  and  the  plants  are  often  very  vigorous  from  such  seeds  left  in 
the  ground  all  the  winter. 

White  Fuchsias  tinged  with  Colour  (.T.  71/.).— We  fear  we 
cannot  assist  you.  Are  the  flowers  which  you  mention  (Acantha,  Diadem 
of  Flora,  Male's  Bride,  One-in-the-Ring,  Pearl  of  England,  Purity,  &C,,) 
much  more  coloured  than  your  neighbours?  Of  course,  you  merely 
mean  the  white  calyx,  for  all  these  have  the  corolla  more  or  less  coloured. 
Even  the  calyx  is  but  seldom  a  very  pure  white.  There  are  two  white 
ones  we  would  recommend— Prince  A  fUiurnnd  DncJiess  of  Lancaster ; 
but  we  question  if  even  the  white  of  these  would  be  pure  enough  to 
satisfy  you.  You  shade  quite  enough  to  keep  your  plants  in  high  health. 
If  you  gave  more  shade  and  less  air,  we  believe  that  the  colour  would  be 
paler ;  but  we  should  not  like  to  say  much  for  the  health  and  vigour  of 
your  plants.  We  are  more  inclined  to  think  that  the  colour,  if  more 
perceptible  than  general,  may  be  owinpf  to  the  gross  feeding,  or  too  much 
manure-water. 

Greenness  ON  the  outside  of  Vots  (Ibid). — Washing  with  warm 
water  holding  soda  in  solution  will  prevent  the  greenness  to  a  certain 
extent ;  but  too  much  soda  imbibed  by  the  pot  would  hurt  some  plants. 
The  best  plan  is  to  wash  them  clean,  and  then  make  sandstone  pots  of 
them,  by  painting  them  outside,  and  throwing  on  as  much  silver  sand  as 
the  paint  would  take  up.  The  most  stylish  remedy  would  be  to  set  your 
common  pots  out  of  sight,  inside  of  little  vases,  of  any  shape  or  form, 
that  would  suit  pots,  and  of  such  a  material  as  would  not  allow  crypto- 
gamic  plants  to  encrust  its  sides. 


!    49-^ 


THE  COTTAr«M  GARDKNR?.. 


March  5:). 


DiPLAnF-MA  cnASSiNOD.v  (Mouhh. — We  lia%'e  a  perfect  reroUectinn 
of  receiving' your  HIS.,  Imt  cannut  find  it  anywhere.  Please  to  let  us 
have  another  copy.  Why  not  let  us  have  your  direction?  for  we  often 
wish  to  communicate  with  our  corrcspoodeuta.  We  shuuhl  write  to  you 
now  if  wc  knew  how  to  address  you. 

BiaMiNGiiAsi  Poultry  Show  {E.  Lister). — We  sympathise  with 
you  most  heartily,  for  we,  at  other  shows,  have  suffered  from  similar 
mistakes.  At  the  same  time,  we  know  that  the  committee  last  year  used 
every  effort  to  avoid  such  errors,  and  to  Ret  off  the  fowls  to  their  owners 
without  delay.  We  also  know,  from  personal  experiencej  the  difficulties 
attending  such  efforts,  and  when  losses,  notwithstanding:,  have  occurred, 
we  have  always  replied  to  claimantsfor compensation. — "  No  one  regrets 
more  than  we  do  the  loss  you  have  sustained,  but  we  did  our  best  to 
avoid  it,  and  you  must  remember  the  exhibition  was  for  your  advantage  ; 
we  derive  not  a  fraction  of  benefit."  If  the  Committees  of  Poultry  Exhi- 
Iiitions  were  to  be  held  responsible  fur  all  losses  we  do  not  know  who 
would  be  induced  to  accept  office. 

Garden  Mice  (Goddess). — We  have  always  found  coal-ashes  sifted 
very  fine  and  put  an  inch  thick,  and  four  inches  wide,  over  the  rows  of 
Peas  and  IJeans,  an  effectual  barrier  against  these  marauders.  We  think 
the  application  would  be  equally  conservative  of  Crocuses. 

ViNE-snooTS    Bleeding    (Amutcnr). — As  they  arc  small,  try  what  ' 
twisting  a  piece  of  strong  wire  round  the  end  will   do,  continuing  the 
twisting  until  the  sides  of  the  sap-vessels  are  crushed  together.     As  the  I 
bleeding  is  "not  very  great,"  you  need  not  be  fearful  of  injury  to  the  : 
Vine's  fruitfulness.     You  need  not  be  surprised  that  Collodion,  Roman   i 
Cement,  and  Resin,  all  failed  to  stop  the  bleeding;  for  the  force  with 
which  the    sap  of  the  Vine  rises  has  been  proved  to  be  equal  to  support- 
ing a  column  of  water  thirty-six  feet  high,   "which  force  i»  nearly  five 
times  greater  than  the  force  of  the  blood  in  the  great  crural   artery  of  a 
horse." — Hale's  Stuticks,  i.,  114. 

Capt.  Snell's  Suangiiaes.— "  I  have  been  informed  an  impression 
is  abroad  that  I  was  an  unsuccessful  exhibitor  at  the  late  flictropolitan 
Poultry  Show,  and  that  my  Buff  Shanghaes  were  there  beaten.     Allow 
me  to  correct  this  error  through   the  columns  of  your  paper.     My  birds 
were  not  sent  to  the  show  in  question,  save  one  pen,  forwarded  for  sale,   [ 
AFTER  the  Judges  had  made   their  awards.     Instead  of  sending  to  the 
London  Show  (it  lasted  much  too  long),  I  sent  my  Ijirds  to  Torquay,    , 
where  they  took  the  first  prize,  as  they  had  (except  second  prizes  on  two  ; 
occasions)  previously  done  at  every  show  in  England  at  which  they  had   ; 
been  exhibited— W.  H.  Ssell,  St.  Switfiin^s  Lane,  London,''' 

Melon  and  Cucumber  Beds  {A  Constant  Render). — Saw-dust  at 
the  back  and  front  of  the  Melon -frame  will  do  no  harm  to  the  plants, 
neither  will  watering  stable  dung  with  manure-water  previously  to 
building  a  hotbed  with  it ;  but  clear  water  would  do  as  well  for  moisten- 
in"- the  dung,  and  the  manure-water  would  benefit  your  Cabbages  and 
Roses. 

Black  Malays  {M.  F.  O.), — Vour  description  seems  to  apply  to  the 
relative  sexes  of  the  Black  variety  of  the  Malay  Fowl ;  the  properties  of 
which  birds  are  in  every  respect  identical  with  that  of  the  species.  The 
powers  of  flight,  however,  indicated  by  the  readiness  with  which  they 
surmount  a  nine-foot  fence,  are  certainly  in  excess  of  what  is  usually 
seen  in  these  birds.  But  without  personal  inspection  we  could  not  take 
upon  ourselves  to  pronounce,  in  this  instance,  on  the  probability  or 
otherwise  of  the  existence  of  any  cross  with  other  breeds.— W. 

Suell-less  and  Impervect  F'ggs  (C  J.  S.). — No  wonder  that  your 
Shanghaes  lay  such  eggs  ;  but  it  is  a  wonder  that  half  nf  the  hens  have 
not  died  of  paralysis.  Wc  never  heard  of  such  a  poultry  diet  before  : 
"  Being  the  proprietor  of  a  boarding  school,  you  have  so  many  broken 
pieces  that  your  fowls  have  scarcely  any  other  food,  such  as  rice,  broken 
pieces  of  meat,  &c., — perhaps  more  bread  than  anything  else."  Do  not 
give  the  hens  any  physic,  but  discontinue  all  meat,  and  let  them  have 
nothing  but  the  potatoes,  vice,  and  bits  of  bread,  mixed  with  an  equal 
quantity  of  fine  pollard.  The  best  and  cheapest  work  on  Gardening  is 
The  Cottage  Gardener's  Dictionary. 

Spanish  Fowl  (T.  F.). — You  must  not  keep  more  than  four  hens 
and  a  cock  in  your  very  confined  space.  Your  mode  of  dividing  it  will 
be  useful. 

White  Dorking  Hen  (Moira). — It  is  impossible  to  advise  you  upon 
such  scanty  information.  Your  other  communication  will  be  noticed 
fully  next  week. 

Spanish  Hen  (W.  Cnrtis). — A  slight  stain  of  blood  upon  the  egg 
need   cause  no  alarm.     To  prevent   an   increase,   hnuxver.  give  her,  at 


Ti:\ie  for  SiTTiNfi  {Amrriis  Oulli). — We  consider  l^Iarch.  April,  and 
early  May,  the  best  periods  for  sitting  all  kinds  of  poultry.  The  chickens 
then  have  the  warmest  period  of  the  year  to  grow  in.  Your  other  ques- 
tions will  be  answered  next  week. 

Na:\ies  of  Plants  {Sophia). — No.  i  is  Pteris  serrulata,  or 'N'arioua- 
leaved  Brake.     No.  2,  Lycopodium  helvetivnm,  or  Swiss  Club  Moss. 

London:   Printed  by  Harry  WooLDRincK,  Winchester  nigh-dtreet, 

in  the  Parish  of  Saint  Mary  Kalendar  ;  and  Published  by  William 
SoMKRViLLK  Oer,  of  Churcli  [lill,  \\'aUhamNtow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  '.i.  Amen  Corner,  in  tlie  PariBh  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.  — March  23rd,  lfi.'.4. 


iH^bcvti^nucntd. 


MR.   WILKINS,    residing    at  Bedford  Cottage, 

Walmer,  Kent,  within  a  short  walk  of  the  beach,  receives  a  few  little 
boys  from  seven  to  twelve  years  of  age.  to  prepare  for  the  public  schools. 
Terms,  Seventy  to  One  Hundred  Guineas. 

Ueferenee  permitted  to  The  Kcv.  I^ord  Wriothesley  Rutsell,  Cheniea, 
Rickmanswortli,  and  The  Hon.  and  Rev.  Douglas  Gordon,  the  Rectory, 
Stanmiire,  Middlcsci:. 


HOETICULTURAL   BTJILDING   and  HEATING 

BY    HOT    WATER. 


EDWARD  and  A.  WEEKS,  Park  CuLtage,  King's  Road,  Chelsea, 
are  now  in  a  position  to  execute  any  of  the  above  work  in  the  very 
best  manner,  and  at  a  reduced  price.  Materials  and  workmanship 
warranted  of  the  best  ()UaUty.  Plans  and  estimates  forwarded  on 
application  for  tlie  Building  and  Heating  of  all  kinds  of  Horticultural 
Buildings;  as  also  fur  the  warming  of  Halls,  Churches,  Mansions, 
Public  Buildings,  Offices,  die. 

EinVARl)  und  A.  WEEKS,  PARK  COTTAGE,  CHELSEA. 

SHRUBS,  FRTJIt7  &  FOREST  TREES,'SEEDS, 

SiC. — Sycamore.  Chestnut,  and  Walnut  Trees,  five  feet  high,  3d  each  ; 
Laurels,  2d  each;  Privet,  Id  each,  four  feet  high;  Red.  White,  and 
Black  Currants,  three  feet  hipli.  4d  each;  Ilex  Oak,  English  Yew, 
Cypress,  variegated  Holly,  Gold  and  Silver  leaf  Euonymus,  Arborvitie, 
Honeysuckles,  Clematis,  Virginian  Creepers,  Laburnum,  Lilacs,  Moss, 
and  Running  Roses,  Berberis,  Double-blossomed  Furze,  Cotoneastcr,  in 
pots  at  fid  each;  Escallonia  macrantha,  Is  each;  Standard  Roses,  Is 
each  ;  Cedrus  deodara.  Is  to  2s  each  ;  Ancuba  japonica.  Is  c.ich  ;  Flower- 
ing Almond,  2s  fid  each ;  Tulip  Trees,  2s  each;  Cryptumeria  japonica, 
3s  each  ;  Box-edging,  4d  per  yard,  Evcrv  other  shrub,  flower,  or  tree, 
at  equally  low  prices.  At  W.  CULLINGFORD'S,  1,  Edmund  Terrace, 
Ball's-pond-road,  Islington,  London. 

Flower  and  Vf.getaele  Seeds  or  evert  kind. 


BEAUTIFUL  FL0WERS.-50  Varieties  of  Flower 


an  interval  of  two  days,  Uvo  pills,  each  containing  one  grain  of  calomel  ,   ^^^.^      ^j,  „„„„^     30  varieties   of    licautiful   sorts,    1 


and  one-twelfth  of  a  grain  of  tartar  emetic.  Keep  her  upon  soft  food 
also  for  a  week. 

Camellias  from  Cuttings  (T.  P.). — The  double  Camellias  will 
not  bloom  well  upon  their  own  roots.  They  are  grafted  on  stocks  of  the 
single  Camellia.  These  stocks  are  raised  from  cuttings  of  the  nearly 
ripe  new  shoots,  near  the  end  of  June.  They  readily  strike  in  well- 
drained  pots  filled  with  sandy  loam  plunged  in  a  cold  frame. 

Travelled  Eggs  (A  Jlcf^ular  Subscriber). — Eggs  maybe  sent  hun- 
dreds of  miles  and  produce  chickens  afterwards.  Wc  know  of  thirteen 
eggs  which,  after  journeying  300  miles  (from  Winchester  to  IKendal), 
produced  last  month  nine  chickens.  They  were  in  a  strong  box,  two 
inches  of  bran  at  the  bottom,  then  an  incli  layer  of  oats,  on  this  the  eggs 
were  laid  on  their  sides,  covered  an  inch  deep  with  oats,  and  then  two 
inches  deep  of  bran. 

Inducing  Rooks  to  Build. — A  Subscriber -viQMXdk  be  glad  to  know 
if  there  is  any  mode  of  inducing  Rooks  to  build  and  settle  in  old  trees. 
Putting  old  rooks*  nests  in  them  has  been  vainly  tried  ;  the  rooks  came  to 
them,  but  only  to  steal  the  sticks  of  which  they  were  formed. 

Braii:\ia  Pootras  (Linda).- — They  arc  nothing  more,  at  the  best,  than 
Grey  Shanghaes.  Their  eggs  are  not  better,  nor  do  they  lay  any  more 
than  other  varieties  of  the  Shanghaes  (Cochin-China).  The  Buffs  are 
certainly  as  good  as  any.  The  early  imlleta  will  begin  laying  in  October, 
and  continue  to  do  so  throughout  the  winter. 

Shanghaes  rdnning  with  Bantams.  (Sebright). — Physical  in- 
ability, from  the  extreme  disproportion  of  aizei  is  your  only  safeguard. 


s  per  ounce. 
50  varieties  in  half-quarter  ounce  packets,  4s  per  ounce.  30  varieties  in 
packets,  3s  ])er  ounce. 

Any  kind,  in  Id  and  2d  packets  sent  free  by  post  upon  receipt  of  a 
stamped  directed  envelope.  Vegetable  Seeds  of  all  kind*,  Shrubs, 
Flowers,  &.C.,  at  Mr.  CULLINGFORD'S,  1,  Edmund  Terrace,  Ball's- 
pond-road,  Islington,  Ijondon. 

GIDNEY^S  PRUSSIAN  HOE.-WoLadyor  Gentle- 

man  having  a  Rnrdcn  ought  to  be  without  one  of  these   useful  garden 

tools.  Price  Is  fid,  handled.  To  be  had  of  all  Ironmongers  and  Seedsmen. 

Manufactured  only  by  GIDNEY  .'<;  SON.  East  Dcicham,  Nortb^k.^^ 

BUDDING'S     LAWN  -  MOWING     MACHINES, 

WITH    REGISTLRED    1  M  P  BOVK  IM  ENTS. 

MAPPLEBECK  &    LOWE,  MACHINISTS  &  MANUFACTURERS, 
HIKMINGHAM. 


TANNED  GARDEN    NETTING,   for  protecting 

fruit-trees  from  frost,  blight,  and  birds,  or  as  a  fence  for  fowls,  pigeons, 
tulips,  and  seed-beds,  can  be  had  in  anv  quantity,  from  JOHN  KING 
FARLOW'S  Fishing  Tackle  and  Net  Manufactory,  4  and  5,  Crooked- 
lane,  London-bridge,  at  l^d  per  yard  one  yard,  3d  two  yards,  or  Od  four 
yards  wide.  Carriage  free  on  all  orders  over  20s,  accompanied  by  post- 
olHcc  order  or  London  reference.  Rabbit,  sheep,  and  fishing  nets,  of 
every  description,  in  stock,  or  made  to  order. 


March  ;10. 


TFTE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


WEEKLY  CALENDAR. 


493 


"t " 

" 

• 

Weather  near  London  in  1R53. 

Sun 
Rises. 

Sun 
Sets. 

Moon 
R.&S. 

Pay  of 
Year. 

D 

W 

.MARCH  30-APRIL  5,  1854. 

Barometer, 

Thermo. 

Wind. 

Kain  in 
Inches. 

Age. 

bf.  Sun. 

30 

Th 

Abas  striola. 

29.831—29.691 

58—29 

E. 



42  a  5 

27  a  6 

8    39 

2 

4    36 

89 

!t\ 

P 

Abax  angustior. 

29.701-29.422 

67—40 

s. 

19 

40 

29 

9    65 

3 

4     18 

90 

1 

s 

Tetratrnatha  extensa. 

29.479-29.354 

67-36 

S.W. 

07 

38 

31 

11  a  8 

4 

4       0 

91 

9. 

Son 

5  SoNDAY  IN  Lent. 

29.782—29.644 

58-36 

w. 

—     ^ 

36 

32 

morn. 

.5 

3     42 

92 

3 

M 

Gammasus  coleopfratorum. 

29.705—29.510 

51—42 

S. 

12 

33 

34 

0    17 

6 

3     24 

93 

4 

To 

Oribita  geniculata. 

29.760—29.662 

62—50 

S.W. 

14 

31 

35 

1    22 

7 

3       8 

94 

5 

W 

Notaspis  humeralis. 

29.976-29.775 

Gl-43       W. 

02 

29 

37 

2     13 

3 

2     43 

95 

Meteorology  op  the  Week. — At  Chiswick, from  observations  during  the  last  twenty-eeven 

years, th 

e  averaare  highest  and  lowest  tem- 

peratures  of  these  davs  are  55.2° and  35.6°  re 

pectively.    The  greatest  heat,  78°,  occurre 

i  on  the  3rd  in  1848  ;  and  the  lowest  cold,  24° 

on  the 

5th  in  1845,  During  the  period  113  daye  were  fine,  and  ou  76  rain  fell. 

NEW  PLANTS. 

GoLDFussiA   GLOMEnATA    v(ir.    sPECiosA    (Clustered    Gold- 
fussia,  variety  Showyjloivcred). 


This  was  originally  inlrodneed  ns  EncHla  i/lomerata,  and 
came  from  the  Botaniu  Garden  at  the  Island  of  Mauritius. 
The  species,  however,  is  now  added  to  Gold/ussia,  and  the 
above  is  a  variety  of  it  with  bright  purple  flowers,  rendering 
the  plant  more  showy,  as  it  is  also  by  the  numerous  reddish, 
hau's  upon  its  bright  green  leaves.  It  is  a  stove  plant,  about 
eighteen  inches  high,  and  flowers  in  November.  It  belongs 
to  the  Natural  Order  of  Acanthads,  and  to  Didynmnia 
Anc/iospermia  of  Linnaeus. — (BolaiUail  Mitgaz'me,  t.  -1767.) 


Epidendum  Stajifordianuh  {Mr.  Stamford's  Epidciidrum)- 
The  flowers  of  tliis  Orchid  are  in  racemes,  greenish- 
yellow,  spotted  with  red,  and  fragrant.  It  blooms  in  our 
stoves  from  February  to  May.  It  was  found  at  Guatemala, 
by  Mr.  Skinner,  and  at  Santa  Blarta,  by  Mr.  Purdife. — 
(Botaiiicat  Magazine^  t.  4750.) 

Dichorisandka    picta    {Pahilcd-leavcd  Dichorisnndra). 

This  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  of  Spiderworts,  and  to 
the  Hexnndria  Mniinijipiia  of  Linnaeus.  It  has  been  known 
ever  since  the  year  ItS.jO,  but  is  now  for  the  first  time,  we 
believe,  depicted.  It  is  a  native  of  Brazil,  and  has  been  for 
some  years  cultivated  in  the  Kow  stoves.  "  The  spotted 
glossy  foliage,  and  tho  purple  and  white  somewhat  fra- 
grant flowers,"  render  it  attractive.  The  plant  is  rather 
more  than  a  foot  high. — {Botanical  Magazine,  t,  4700). 

Angp-jecuh  ebueneum  (Ivory  Angriecum). 

This  Orchid  is  about  two  feet  high,  and  is  thus  men- 
tioned by  Sir  W.  Hooker.  "  It  is  not  possible  to  render 
justice  to  this  noble  plant  on  a  quarto  page.  All  we  can  do 
is  to  give  a  reduced  figure  of  the  entire  plant,  and  a  portion 
of  a  leaf  and  of  the  spike  of  flowers  of  the  natural  size,  as 
they  appeared  on  our  specimens  at  Kew,  which  we  derived 
from  the  collection  of  the  late  Mr.  Clowes.  The  species  is 
a  native  of  Madagascar  and  Bourbon,  and  is  yet  very  rare, 
we  believe,  in  our  stoves.  The  first  plant  was  imported  by 
the  Horticultural  Society  from  the  former  island,  through 
their  collector,  Blr.  Forbes.  The  flowers,  unfortunately, 
have  neither  colour  nor  fragrance." — (Botanical  Magazine, 
t,  4761,)   - 

Allosokus   flexuosus  (Zig-zag  Allossrus). 

This  Fern  is  to  be  found  mentioned  in  various  botanical 
works  under  the  different  names  of  Pteris,  Pellaia,  and 
Platyloma  Jlexuosa,  and  Pteris  cordata.  Under  the  last 
name  it  has  been  known  as  long  since  as  1820.  It  reaches 
to  the  height  of  four  or  five  feet,  and  requires  support, 
being  a  climlier,  by  the  aid  of  the  angles  of  its  branchlets. 
It  flourishes  in.  a  temperate  Fern-house,  It  is  a  native  of 
Peru  and  Mexico, — (Botanical  Magazine,  t.  4762.) 


Proieoting  materials  have  been  ofteu  noticed  in  these 
pages,  and  yet  the  gardening  world  is  pretty  well  divided 
as  to  the  policy  and  impolicy  of  using  screens  for  fruit- 
trees.  No  one  who  rightly  esamines  the  subject  can 
fail,  in  some  measure,  to  join  with  INIr.  Errington,  as  to 
the  propriety  of  retarding  the  blossom  of  fruit-trees 
until  the  ground  temperature  permits  of  a  reciprocal 
action  between  roots  and  branches.  Taking  this  for 
granted,  the  importance  of  being  able  to  use  one  and 
the  same  material  for  retarding  blossom,  and  then  pro- 
tecting it  from  cold  when  opened,  becomes  at  once 
apparent.  The  chief  difficulty  has  been  to  find  a  ma- 
terial economical  in  its  cost,  easy  in  its  management, 
not  likely  to  get  out  of  order,  and  which,  during  the 


bustle  of  the  spring  months,  would  not  monopolise  too 
much  time  for  attendance. 

Nothing  could  answer  better  for  retarding  than  thick 
canvass  cloth,  let  up  and  down  by  pulleys,  Eew  things 
equally  economical  would  prove  such  a  protection 
against  sudden  and  severe  frosts,  because,  in  addition 
to  other  properties,  the  blossom  would  be  kept  com- 
paratively dry,  and,  therefore,  not  exposed  to  the  sudden 
chills  of  a  rapid  evaporation  before  the  frost  wrapt  them 
in  his  folds.  But  if  you  allow  such  a  covering  to 
remain  on  during  coldish,  dull  days,  and  either  cold  or 
warm  nights,  then  your  buds,  when  you  wish  to  retard 
them,  will  become  weak  and  drawn ;  the  very  opposite  of 
robust  and  sturdy.     On  the  other  hand,  when  using  the 


No.  CCLXXXVII.,  Vol.  XI. 


494 


THE   COTTAGE    GARDENER. 


SIarch  80. 


covering  at  night,  when  the  plants  are  in  bloom,  equal 
judgment  is  required  during  the  day ;  if  at  all  mikl, 
though  dull,  it  should  he  whoUy  drawn  up ;  if  mode- 
rately sunny,  the  same  ;  hut  if  a  very  bright  sun  comes 
with  a  keen,  searching  air,  the  difficulty  is  whether  to 
remove  it  ornot,  the  thick  shade  weakening  the  blooms, 
and  preventing  the  due  dispersion  of  the  fertilising 
farina  of  the  stamens ;  while  an  unshaded  sun,  especially 
after  a  few  shaded  days,  parches  the  buds  and  young 
shoots,  and  though  the  effect  is  not  quite  so  perceptible, 
exercises  a  similar  influence  to  what  the  sun's  rays  do 
on  a  cutting  or  a  plant  just  beginning  to  pusli  its  roots. 

These,  and  similar  considerations,  and  the  time  in- 
volved, have  led  many  of  our  best  gardeners  out  of  the 
dangers  of  extra  covering  and  no  covering,  to  choose 
the  least  troublesome,  and  though  not  always  the  case, 
yet  many  instances  are  known  in  which  the  seemingly 
careless,  trusting-in-chance  men,  were  rewarded  with 
better  crops  than  their  neighbours,  who  had  attended 
to  the  whole  routine  of  covering,  not  forgetting  even 
the  minutiae.  It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that  all  who 
can  are  raising  up  Orchard-houses,  in  which  plants 
have  air,  heat,  light,  and  shade,  easily  regulated  according 
to  their  circumstances.  Every  one  who  has  had  to  do 
with  early  fruit  of  the  stone  kind  knows, — such  as  in 
the  case  of  a  Chen-y-house, — that  a  slight  shade  in  a 
hot  sunny  day,  when  the  trees  are  in  bloom,  is  one 
security  for  obtaining  a  good  setting,  and  the  same  of 
Peaches ;  but,  though  very  thin  netting  or  bunting 
would  be  valuable  for  this  purpose,  a  thick  canvass 
applied  for  any  length  of  time  would  make  the  remedy 
as  bad  as  the  evil. 

When  employing  strong  sheeting  for  fruit-walls,  we 
have  often  wished,  in  such  circumstances,  for  a  thinner 
blind,  not  to  obscure,  but  merely  to  blunt  the  force  of, 
the  sun's  rays  ;  but  where  can  we  expect  to  get  the 
come-at-ables  for  double  covering,  to  be  used  in  this 
manner  as  circumstances  require?  Or  who  is  there, 
that  with  an  eye  to  economy,  not  as  respects  one 
season,  but  for  a  period  of  a  dozen  or  twenty  years, 
would  not  enquire  whether  the  money  and  the  time 
spent  upon  covering  might  not  get  up  a  good  Orchard- 
house  at  once  ? 

It  will  at  once  be  seen  that  the  objections  thus  made 
to  a  thick,  moveable  covering  apply  with  greater  force 
to  an  opaque  fixed  protection  of  any  kind,  as  the  trees 
are  apt  to  be  kept  too  warm  at  one  time,  when  we  should 
like  them  to  be  cool,  and  too  dark  at  another,  when  we 
should  wish  them  to  have  light.  Nevertheless,  after 
many  trials  and  experiments,  we  are  of  opinion  that  any 
modes,  however  simple,  of  retarding  and  protecting,  are 
better  than  none ;  and  that  all  things  considered,  when 
time  and  attention  are  given,  and  proper  simple  ma- 
chinery for  quickly  elevating  and  lowering  used,  a 
stout  canvass  is  the  best,  though  it  will  prove  a  little  ex- 
pensive ;  as  we  are  not  aware  that  any  article  has  yet 
been  manufactured  peculiarly  for  the  purpose.  We 
have  witnessed  several  instances  of  fine  crops,  where 
these  screens  were  carefully  used,  and  next  to  a  com- 
plete failure  when  they  were  discontinued  ;  but,   as  we 


mentioned  at  first,  wehave,  also,  seen  failures  with  their 
use,  and  great  success,  a  short  distance  ofl',  where  no 
protection  at  all  was  given. 

Granting,  then,  that  protection  and  retardation,  com- 
bined, ai-e  advantages,  the  possibility  of  uniting  the  two, 
in  any  degree,  by  s.  fixed  medium,  which  will  alike  keep 
out  heat  and  cold,  though  in  a  limited  degree  allowing 
as  much  light  and  air  as  will  prevent  weakening  the 
blossom,  and  not  so  much  as  to  parch  them  in  early 
spring,  and,  withal,  extremely  cheap,  must  be  desirable 
for  amateurs,  who  cannot  give  the  attendance  that  a 
strong  canvass  would  require,  and  also  for  gardeners, 
who  either  cannot  give  that  attention,  or  who  have  some 
doubts  of  the  propriety  of  using  it.  Such  a  material 
we  have  now  had  in  use  for  several  years.  It  is  Not- 
tincjliam  Thread  Net,  rather  fine  but  tough  ;  the  hexagon 
openings  being  about  the  eighth-ofan-ineb,  of  course 
smaller  one  way,  when  there  is  a  strain  upon  it.  A 
new  piece  attracted  one  of  our  best  gardeners  the  other 
day,  and  he  jnouounced  it  to  be,  all  things  considered, 
a  most  desirable  article,  ^s  saving  all  bother,  admitting 
enough  of  light,  and  keeping  out  a  certain  amount  of 
cold.  It  was  procured,  by  post-office  order,  from  iMessrs. 
Boden  and  Co.,  of  Nottingham.  They  state  that  such 
coarse  nets  are  made  in  pieces  158  inches  and  HIS  inches 
wide.  One  of  these  narrowest  pieces,  with  a  supply  of 
tape  or  list,  top  and  bottom  and  ends,  to  fasten  by, 
covers,  comfortably,  a  wall  about  twelve  feet  in  height, 
for  fully  forty-five  yards  in  length,  and  the  appearance 
is  very  neat. 

Of  course,  this  would  neither  retard  nor  protect  like 
canvass,  hut  it  will  do  a  little  iu  the  way  of  both,  and, 
therefore,  be  not  without  its  use.  One  thing  against  it 
is,  that  it  will  not  keep  out  rain,  but  the  drops  are 
broken  and  dispersed  considerably  before  reaching  the 
wall,  especially  if  there  is  a  wide  coping,  and  the  cover- 
ing is  two  or  tlu'ee  feet  from  the  wall  at  bottom.  On 
the  morning  of  the  '.JOth  of  March,  we  had  from  four  to 
five  degrees  of  frost,  but  it  did  not  reach  the  wall,  and 
from  rain  having  fallen  freely  the  day  before,  the  ground 
was  frozen  liard  outside  the  shade  of  the  covering, — it 
had  not  gone  beyond  an  inch  inside,  the  ground  there 
being  quite  soft.  A  few  Peas  had  been  planted  out  two 
days  before,  protection  being  given  with  boughs, — some 
against  the  wall,  some  on  the  border ;  those  on  the 
border,  though  not  injiu'ed,  were  stiff  and  flat  upon  the 
ground  in  the  morning;  those  at  the  side  of  the  wall 
were  soft  and  erect.  Be  it  also  remembered,  that  on 
the  day  after  their  being  planted  out,  we  had  only  a  few 
gleams  of  sunshine,  and,  therefore,  that  the  tcmjieratiu'e 
maiutained  was  not  greatly  owing  to  the  heat  of 
the  wall. 

Such  netting  is  not  only  valuable  thus  for  protecting 
blossom,  but  also  for  protecting,  and  saving,  and  retard- 
ing fruit,  and  for  shading  purposes.  It  will  require  a 
very  fine-winged  insect  to  find  its  way  through  it. 
Gooseberries  of  the  Warriiiijton  kind  were  had  tlio  best 
part  of  two  montlis  last  year,  after  they  were  gone  in 
the  open  garden,  from  using  this  netting.  The  plants 
wore  on  a  noi-th  border ;  the  netting  was  fastened  by 


March  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


495 


one  side  to  the  wall ;  and  as  it  was  not  long  onoiigli  to 
reach  the  ground,  a  slight  rail  was  put  up  to  fasten  it 
to  on  the  other  side,  and  then,  from  thence  to  the 
ground,  mats  and  netting  were  fixed  lengthwise. — R. 


In  a  former  paper  we  suggested  some  analogies  hetween 
j  the  facts  connected  with  the  propagation  and  dissemi- 
\  nation  of  cholera,  and  those  laws  under  which  certain 
minute  organised  growths,  as  funguses,  hlights,  and  the 
like,  are  admitted  to  exist  and  spread.  We  have  ventured 
to  refer,  also,  to  the  old  Jewish  ordinances  respecting 
the  leprosy,  which,  according  to  the  authorities  cited  hy 
ns,  were  not  opposed  to  our  present  impressions  on  the 
suhject  of  contagion  generally. 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  tho  whole  of  our 
present  knowledge  upon  this  suhject,  carefully  collated 
from  the  report  of  Baly  and  Gull,  to  which  we  have 
already  referred.  AVe  are  not  without  hopes  that  our 
readers  will  now,  at  least,  be  able  to  form  for  themselves 
a  sufficiently  accurate  notion  of  the  matter  to  guide 
them  in  all  things  which  pertain  to  their  own  conduct ; 
and,  indeed,  much  more  accurate  than  many  impressions 
upon  which  they  are  continually  obliged  to  act  in  their 
daily  concerns. 

The  foregoing  enquiry  has  been  directed  to  the  dis- 
covery of  the  relation  borne  by  the  atmosphere  to  the 
spread  of  cholera.  The  results  arrived  at  lend  much 
support  to  that  theory  of  the  cause  of  Cholera  which 
regards  it  as  a  morbific  matter  or  poison  reproduced  in 
the  air,  and  diffused  in  part,  at  least,  by  atmospheric 
currents.  Suoli  a  poison  brought  by  the  atmosphere  to 
this  country  might  soon  be  dispersed  over  many  parts 
of  it,  and  would  meet  with  a  suitable  nidus  for  its  re- 
production in  the  lower  districts  near  the  mouths  of 
rivers,  while  in  parts  where  the  atmosphere  from  its 
dryness  and  purity  failed  to  afford  the  necessary  con- 
ditions for  its  increase  or  maintenance  it  would  perish. 
The  unequal  distribution  of  the  disease  in  the  winter 
of  1848-9,  would,  therefore,  be  quite  intelligible.  Its 
absence,  in  some  parts,  where  tho  conditions  of  un- 
liealthiness  abounded  in  towns  and  other  inhabited 
places,  would  be  accounted  for;  since  the  supposed 
poison,  if  it  did  not  perish  before  it  reached  these  inland 
or  more  elevated  districts,  would  find  then  a  [general] 
atmosphere  unfit  to  preserve  its  active  properties,  and 
to  communicate  it  to  the  [particular]  spots  in  which  it 
could  increase  and  produce  its  effect  on  the  inhabi- 
tants. The  comparative  intensity  over  other  parts,  for 
short  periods,  in  the  same  season,  would  also  be  in- 
telligible ;  likewise,  the  lingering  of  the  disease  in  the 
spring  of  1849  in  certain  spots  distinguished  for  the 
most  part  by  the  local  conditions  productive  of  a  damp 
and  impure  air. 

The  renewed  rise  of  the  epidemic  in  the  summer 
might  be  reasonably  referred  to  the  increase  of  impurity 
and  moisture  in  the  air  under  the  influence  of  a  rising 
temperature,  and,  perhaps,  other  meteorological  con- 
ditions ;  to  the  consequent  increase  of  the  poison  in 
localities  where  it  already  existed ;  to  its  distribution  by 


the  air  from  these  foci  to  other  jdaces  more  or  less 
distant;  to  its  increase  in  these  again,  if  they  afforded 
the  necessary  conditions;  and  its  further  dilfusion.  Thus 
the  extent  of  the  disease  over  the  country,  and  its  in- 
tensity in  each  large  town,  would  continue  to  increase 
together,  and  the  climax  would  bo  reached  everywhere 
nearly  at  the  same  time.  Lastly,  when  with  the  fall  of 
temperature  the  atmosphere  had  begun  to  lose  the  pro- 
perties favourable  to  the  transmission  of  the  poison, 
comparatively  few  fresh  places  would  become  aflfocted, 
and  the  epidemic  would  gradually  subside. 

At  tho  beginning  of  summer  the  poison  would  find 
the  means  for  its  dissemination,  and  increase  soonest 
where  the  sources  of  damp  and  impurity  most  abound. 
Towns  in  such  parts  would  soonest  become  foci  (whence 
it  would  spread  to  towns  in  the  more  elevated  and 
more  inland  regions),  and  in  the  autumn  and  begin- 
ning of  winter  woidd  likewise  continue  longest,  to 
afford  an  atmosphere  fitted  to  transmit  the  poison  from 
spot  to  spot,  and,  inasmuch  as  the  epidemic  is  main- 
tained in  each  town  by  successive  outbreaks  in  different 
localities,  it  would  be  expected  to  survive  to  the  latest 
period  where  the  conditions  for  the  transference  of  the 
poison  from  one  place  to  another  existed  longest.  The 
exceptions  to  the  order  of  attack,  both  of  tracts  of 
country  and  of  towns,  are  equally  in  accordance  with 
the  theory  ;  the  purer  atmosphere  of  elevated  tracts  of 
country  rendering  it  difficult  for  the  poison  to  reach  the 
damp  and  foul  localities  in  which  it  might  increase  and 
produce  effects  on  the  inhabitants.  The  late  appearance 
of  the  epidemic  in  some  coast  districts  scarcely  offers 
greater  difficulty ;  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  vai-ying 
in  different  parts  of  the  coast  at  the  same  time,  and  in 
the  same  part  at  diffierent  times;  the  morbific  matter, 
while  spreading  rapidly  over  one  such  district,  might  be 
excluded  by  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  from  another 
not  far  distant  one. 

The  character  of  having  the  properties  not  of  a 
gaseous  substance,  but  of  a  matter  in  the  form  of  solid 
or  liquid  particles,  has  already  been  assigned  to  the 
cholera  poison.  Such  a  poison  being  distributed  only 
partially  through  the  air,  and  carried  hither  and  thither 
by  atmospheric  currents,  might  for  a  long  time  fail  to 
reach  a  spot  which  was  itself  even  well  fitted  to  afford  it 
the  means  of  increase. 

The  climax  of  the  epidemic  was  more  nearly  simul- 
taneous in  the  different  localities  at  the  season  and  in  the 
area  most  remarkable  for  impurity  of  atmosphere.  Por 
in  an  atmosphere  uniformly  or  very  generally  impure 
the  poison  would  find,  in  all  parts  of  a  given  area,  an 
equal  medium  of  transmission  from  spot  to  spot,  and, 
consequently,  would  increase  everywhere  equally,  and 
reach  the  climax  in  all  at  or  about  the  same  time ;  as  in 
the  case  of  the  registration  districts  of  London  (see 
pages  93,  94  of  Report).  But  in  the  air  not  generally  so 
impure,  the  transmission  of  the  poison  would  be  de. 
pendent  on  and  more  interfered  with  by  accidental 
circumstances.  Lastly,  the  fact,  that  around  the  more 
considerable  foci  slighter  outbreaks  occurred  in  places 
which  from  natural  site  or  sanitary  conditions  had  no 


400 


THE  COTTAGE  GAUDENEE. 


JMarch  30. 


special  fitness  inviting  tlie  attack,  is  consonant  with  tlie 
idea  of  a  morbific  poison,  whioli,  wliile  it  increases  in 
certain  foci,  is  capable  of  being  scattered  aronud  them 
by  means  of  atmosphei'io  currents.  {Br.  Baly's  Report, 
pages  99  to  103.) 

Conclusions — I.  The  theory  that  the  cause  of  the  dis- 
ease is  a  general  state  of  the  atmosphere,  or  general 
atmospheric  influence,  or  epidemic  constitution,  has  been 
found  untenable. 

II.  The  persistence  of  the  epidemic  for  a  certain 
time,  even  in  localities  of  small  e.Ktent,  and  its  very 
partial  distribution  in  a  country,  a  town,  or  even  parts 
of  towns,  are  two  facts  which  at  once  suggest  that  the 
cause  of  the  disease  is  a  material  substance  only  par- 
tially distributed.  Many  spots  within  a  limited  area 
have  remained  free  from  it  which  exactly  resembled 
localities  attacked,  in  respect  of  the  supposed  localizing 
conditions.  However,  cholera  is  so  far  connected  with 
the  characters  of  low  site  and  defective  sanitary  condi- 
tions that  it  is  never  very  rife  except  where  they  arc 
present  in  a  marked  degree.  The  natural  inference  is, 
that  the  matter  which  is  the  cause  of  cholera  increases 
and  finds  the  conditions  of  its  action  under  tlie  influence 
of  foul,  damp  air,  with  the  aid  of  some  degree  of  warmth. 
This  being  premised,  other  facts  become  intelligible, 
namely,  the  persistence  of  the  disease  in  winter  in  the 
interior  of  large  establishments  where  there  is  warmth, 
together  with  impurity  of  air  produced  by  the  accumu- 
lation of  many  human  beings  within  a  limited  space;  . 
the  preference  manifested  throughout  for  low,  densely- 
populated  districts  about  the  mouths  of  rivers ;  for  ' 
crowded  and  dirty  ill-ventilated  towns  and  places  ;  and, 
likewise,  its  appearing  generally  first  in  places  of  the  ! 
character  described. 

III.  A  large  body  of  evidence  renders  it  certain  that 
human  intercourse  has,  at  least,  a  share  in  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  disease ;    and  that  under  certain  circum-  '. 
stances  it  is  the  most  important  if  not  the  sole  means 
of  effecting  its  diffusion.     Thus,  the  epidemic  has  pro- 
gressively advanced  along  great  linos  of  human  traffic, 
at  a  rate  varying  according  to  the  activity  and  means 
of  human  intercourse  in  difl'erent  countries,  but  never 
surpassing  the  rate  at  which  men  travel.   In  India,  it  lias 
travelled  for  hundreds  of  miles,  and  for  months  iu  the 
teeth  of  the  monsoon,  and  among  bodies  of  troops  march- 
ing through  countries  till   then  healthy,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  prevail  in  ships  for  many  weeks  after  they  have 
left  infected  parts,  appearing  first  at  the  seaports  of  any 
island  or  continent  which  it  is  newly  invading :  in   a 
large  proportion  of  eases  its  first  appearance   having 
been   preceded   by  the  arrival   of  ships  from  infected 
ports,  and  of  ships  actually  bringing  persons  already 
affected  with   cholera.     In   several  instances,  the  first 
patients  attacked  had  had  communication  more  or  less 
immediate   with   sick  persons    brought   in    the   ships. 
The  facts,  however,  by  no   means  sanction  the  belief 
that  cholera  is  always  propagated  ivr  this  way;  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  certain  that  the  extension  of  the  disease 
over  largo  towns,   if  not  over  larger  areas,  may  take 
place  independently  of  communication  between  the  sick 


and  the  hcaltliy.  Where  human  intercourse  cannot 
have  been  the  means  of  dilfusiug  cholera,  the  agent 
most  likely  to  have  conveyed  the  poison  is  the  wind. 

IV.  The  propagation  of  the  disease  by  human  inter- 
course does  not  prove  its  contagious  nature.  If  the 
poison  of  cholera  increases  in  damp  and  impure  air, 
and  is  likewise  capable  of  attaching  itself  to  the  surfaces 
of  bodies,  to  the  walls  of  rooms,  and  to  furniture,  it  will 
also  be  collected  by  the  clothes  of  persons  living  in 
infected  dwellings ;  and  wherever  it  meets  with  the 
conditions  favourable  to  its  increase  and  action  will 
produce  fresh  outbreaks.  Some  facts  which  constitute 
presumptive  evidence  in  favour  of  the  dependence  of 
the  epidemic  on  contagion,  have  been  found  susceptible 
of  explanation  in  other  ways,  though  the  explanations 
offered  have,  in  some  instances,  been  necessarily  of  a 
conjectural  nature.  The  evidence  respecting  the  espe- 
cial liability  of  nurses  and  others  attending  the  sick, 
though  conflicting,  is,  in  some  instances,  of  such  a 
character  as  to  preclude  the  absolute  rejection  of  the 
view  that  the  disease  has  a  contagious  property,  oven 
though  it  does  not  usually  spread  by  contagion. 

V.  The  question  whether  the  cholera  poison  enters 
the  body  through  the  lungs,  or  through  the  alimentary 
canal,  has  not  been  conclusively  solved ;  but  no  suffi- 
cient reasons  have  been  foiuid  for  adopting  the  theory 
that  the  poison  is  swallowed  by  the  food  or  drink  ;  and 
if  the  character  of  the  water  drunk  is  not  altogether 
destitute  of  influence  with  reference  to  the  diff'usion  of 
cholera,  at  least  its  powers  and  effects  are  very  incon- 
siderable in  comparison  with  those  of  other  conditions. 
That  theory,  then,  alone  is  supported  by  a  large  amount 
of  evidence  which  regards  the  cause  of  cholera  as  a 
matter  increasing  by  some  process,  whether  chemical  or 
organic,  in  impure  and  damp  air,  and  assumes  that 
although,  of  course  diffused  with  the  air,  it  is  also  dis- 
tributed and  diffused  hy  means  of  human  intercourse. 
This  theory  explains  much  that  would  otherwise  seem 
capricious  in  the  course  of  cholera,  and  elucidates  the 
relations  subsisting  between  cholera  and  other  epide- 
mics. The  similarity  of  the  local  conditions  favouring 
cholera  and  epidemic  diseases  generally,  together  with 
other  facts,  agree  best  with  the  view  that  these  several 
diseases  are  caused  by  different  poisons,  all  of  which 
find  their  means  of  increase  in  similar  states  of  atmo- 
sphere, though  these,   probably,   are   modifications   of 

1  atmospheric  conditions  more  essential  to  some  of  these 
diseases  than  to   others.     In  the   statement  that  the 

!  theory  above  indicated  is  the  only  one  supported  by  a 
large  amount  of  evidence,  it  is  not  implied  that  lliis 
theory  is  adopted  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others.  {Dr. 
Baly's  Report,  p.  ill  to  2U).  ,1.  J. 


A  FEW  WORDS  ABOUT  HAND-GLASSES. 

For  many  years  past  a  notion  has  existed  with  my- 
self that  a  revolution,  or  rather  a  reconsideriitiou,  is 
necessary  iu  the  matter  of  garden-tools,  glasses,  and 
other  a]ipliances  so  necessary  to  good  gardening.  I 
am,  indeed,  astonished — seeing  what  a  chance  (ill'ercd, 


Maboh  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


407 


that  no  persou,  as  fav  as  I  am  aware,  has  evav  gone  into 
the  question  in  earnest. 

The  whole  ganlening  world  knows  that  their  attention 
was  strongly  invited  to  what  the  French  call  "  Cloches," 
about  a  j'ear  or  two  since.  As  I  do  not  like  to  be 
in  the  reai'  of  any  question  of  importance,  I  set  to  work 
anew  as  to  tho  hand-glass  subject,  to  see  if  (unfettered 
by  the  idea  of  wliat  had  been  done)  I  could  by  any 
means  suggest  progress.  1  certainly  have  nothing  very 
new  to  ofl'er;  but  my  examination  of  that  subject  has  not 
been,  I  trust,  without  some  use. 

Knowing  that  the  Messrs.  Pilkington,  of  those  enor- 
mous glass-works  situate  at  St.  Helen's,  Lancashire, 
were  of  that  class  of  dealers  who  earnestly  desire  pro- 
gress, not  only  on  accoirat  of  profit,  but  an  emulous 
desire  to  "  go  ahead,"  I  wrote  to  the  firm,  respect- 
fidly  drawing  their  attention  to  this  affair  about  the 
"  Cloches."  1  must  here  confess,  that  not  knowing  any 
of  them,  I  took  the  credit  assigned  to  their  estab- 
lishment "  on  tick;"  or,  in  other  words,  I  was  prepared 
to  believe  they  were  'first-rate  tradesmen ;  and  I  have 
never  met  with  any  reason  to  doubt  it. 

One  of  the  principals,  who  signs  himself  "  M.  Pilk- 
ington," very  kindly  answered  all  my  inquiries,  and, 
moreover,  forwarded  me  three  or  four  specimen  glasses, 
in  order  to  see  if  any  real  advance  worthy  of  the  year 
IS-J:!  could  be  made.  I  must  now  first  state  my  objects 
in  dipping  thus  into  this  question. 

In  common  with  many  other  gardeners,  I  had  long 
lamented  the  great  cost  of  our  ordinary  hand-glasses; 
for  a  few  years  since  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  give 
twelve  to  fifteen  shillings  each  for  them,  and  in  the 
rage  after  novelty  tliey  had,  in  many  cases,  so  altered 
their  original  character',  as  to  make  them  tedious  to 
work,  and,  of  course,  exceedingly  liable  to  breakage. 
It  was  obvious,  too,  that  any  mode  by  which  their 
make  and  cost  would  be  simplified  and  reduced  would 
tend  much  to  their  extension  ;  and,  indeed,  in  the  latter 
respect,  I  have  no  doubt  that  before  many  years  have 
passed  these  things  will  be  so  cheapened  and  simplified, 
as  that  acres  will  be  covered  where  only  poles  are  now. 
And  what  will  then  be  tho  necessary  consequence? 
Why,  that  a  host  of  delicate  vegetables,  now  esteemed 
dainties,  and  many  of  which  are  hourly  imported  from 
other  climes,  will  be  within  reach  of  thousands. 

Now,  the  faults  attributable  to  the  old  hand-glasses 
were  not  faults  of  cost  alone  :  in  many  oases  they  were 
so  constructed  as  to  bo  by  far  too  liable  to  breakage; 
wei-e  too  heavy  and  clumsy ;  or  did  not  present  the  proper 
facilities  for  giving  air  or  ventilation.  As  to  breakages, 
everybody  knows  what  an  expensive  item  the  frequent 
mending  of  glasses  used  to  be  in  the  glazier's  account. 
This  was  particularly  the  case  with  the  old  lead  glasses, 
which  were,  in  general,  most  expensive,  as.  well  as  un- 
wieldy things.  As  for  breakage,  as  soon  as  they  were 
half  worn  they  became,  in  general,  so  crazy  that  they 
could  be  moved  but  with  difficulty ;  and  it  was  no  un- 
common thing  for  those  who  had  the  temerity  to  do  so, 
to  crack  two  or  three  panes  in  the  transit.  The  weight 
of  such  glasses,  too,  was  much  against  them.  It  was 
not  a  mere  case  of  trouble  in  removal,  but  that 
very  property  had  a  tendency  at  every  move  to  de- 
range the  panes,  as  also  the  very  fabric  of  the  glasses. 
But  one  most  important  consideration,  and  one  which 
should  ever  bias,  in  some  degree,  the  hand-glass  question, 
is  the  mode  of  ventilation  and  air-giving.  Now,  ventila- 
tion and  air-giving,  although  constantly  confounded, 
are  not  precisely  the  same  thing,  and  it  is  necessary 
here  to  distinguish  carefully;  although  some  of  our 
friends  may  consider  it  mere  "  spectacle  work,"  To 
ventilate,  in  the  proper  acceptation  of  the  term, — as  I 
hold  it — is  to  invite  and  encourage  a  circulation ;  to  give 
air  is  to  let  a  superfluous  heat  to  escape ;    although 


the  latter  must,  of  course,  end  in  promoting  a  circulation, 
or  even  a  slight  degree  of  motion. 

Now,  it  is  well  known,  that  in  tho  old-fashioned  glasses 
these  proceedings  were  mostly  accomplished  by  "  tilting" 
them   up  at  the  bottom  by  a  brick,  or  otherwise ;  and 
that  tills  was  a  rather  tedious  proceeding  if  it  happened 
to  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  dawdling  fellow,  and  many  a  pane   \ 
has  been  shaken  out  or  cracked  by  such  incomplete 
macliinery,  when  a  daily  performance.     In  considering 
this  hand-glass  question,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
take  into  consideration  tho  fact,  that  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  such  is  the  character  of  tho  oi'dinary  hob-nail  or 
wooden-clog  labourer  in  country  gardens — persons  who 
perform  such  duties — are  apt  to  be  neglectful;  and  it  is 
really  necessary,  in  all  ordinary  gardening,  so  to  plan 
such  things  as  to  put  it  out  of  the  power  of  awkward 
or  neglectful  workmen  to  do  mischief     To  return,  then, 
to  the  brick  tilting.     I,  for  one,  must  protest  against  the 
daily  jiractice,  believing  tliat  much  better  plans  can  be 
devised.     As  to    letting  tlie  lieat  escape,  the  tilt-up  at 
bottom  is  by  no  means  an  efficient  j^lan ;  it  is  a  most 
unphilosophical  procedure,  and  in  practice  it  has  been 
frequently  found  that  plants  beneath  a  glass  thus  treated 
may   be  both   burned  and  starved  at  the  same  time. 
Who  has  not  seen  an  illustration  of  this  in  one  of  those 
March  days,  in  which,  with  a  bright  and  burning  sun- 
shine, we  experience  one  of  those  cutting  and  drying 
"  north-easters,"  which  havo  been   likened  to  a   Har- 
mattan?     Here  the  unfortunate  gardener,  if  compelled 
to  tilt  his  glass  to  prevent  burning,  is  obliged  to  let  in 
a  foe  of  an  equally  formidable  character ;  and  if  his 
occupants  of  the  hand-glass  have  been  previously  petted 
with  a  fortnight's  muggy  weather',  the  chances  are  that 
they  will  speedily  look  like  withered  parchment. 

1  have  hitherto  considered  this  question  almost  as  an 
ordinary  hand-glass  question;  I  do  not,  however,  wish 
to  confine  it  within  such  narrow  limits  ;  the  principles 
at  issue,  more  or  less,  concern  almost  every  glazed 
implement  or  structure  connected  with  horticulture. 

About  twenty  years  since,  I  obtained  some  twenty- 
two-inch  hand-glasses,  from  Birmingham,  from  the  firm 
of  Clark  and  Co.,  who  were  then  building  a  range  of 
metallic  houses  here.  'J'hese  glasses  were  to  be  every- 
thing a  gardener  could  desire — framework  copper,  to 
avoid  rust  and  expansion,  moveable  roofs,  &c.  They 
certainly  were  not  bad  glasses,  but,  in  order  to  give 
them  the  appearance  of  much  finish,  &c.,  the  very  inge- 
nious inventor  had  made  them  octagonal,  which,  of 
course,  carried  much  higher  pretensions  than  the  old, 
vulgar,  square  ones  could  pretend  to ;  and,  moreover, 
on  every  side  of  tho  octagon  where  the  moveable  lid 
rested,  a  point  or  pivot  was  fi.xed,  with  a  corresponding 
hole  in  the  roof-piece  ;  and  every  evening  it  became  a 
most  ceremonious  procedure,  requiring,  of  course,  a 
superior  workman  to  nicely  fit  these  roofs  on  the  base- 
ment portion  of  the  glass.  However,  they  looked  so 
fine  that  we  tolerated  this  nicety  in  operation  for  three 
or  four  years,  when  I  thought  it  expedient  to  file  off 
these  gimcracks.  I  found,  too,  that  in  departing  fronr 
the  plain  rectangular  or  the  circular  form  little  could  be 
gained,  but  much  lost ;  and  I  got  a  country  mechanic 
to  make  a  plain  square  frame,  metallic,  the  roof  move- 
able, and  having  a  flauge  on  the  exterior  edge  at  its 
base; — this  flange  to  prevent  blowing-off  in  storms,  &c. 
The  flange,  when  the  roof-piece  is  put  on,  overlaps  the 
base  of  the  glass,  and,  of  course,  keeps  out  all  drip,  &o. 
Scarcely  any  ordinary  hand-glass  can  excel  this  thing ; 
it  is  nearly  all  that  is  wanted.  I  am  not  assured  that  it 
would  be  amended  if  a  cooler  current  could  be  admitted 
at  a  low  level  in  the  base  by  some  aperture  capable  of 
graduation ;  this  might  be  well  for  a  few  things,  and, 
indeed,  is  almost  the  only  principle  deserving  of  farther 
consideration. 

To  discuss  the  whole  question  in  a  single  paper,  such 


498 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  30. 


'  as  this,  is  impossible ;  aud  I  wish  now  to  draw  attention 
to  the  "Cloches"  of  our  l-'reuoh  neighbours,  and  to 
point  to  a  step  in  advance, — one,  at  least,  illustrative  of 
the  business  in  hand,— made  by  the  Messrs.  Pilkington, 
of  the  St.  Helen's  Glass  Works,  in  Lancashire,  at  my 
suggestion.  Mr.  Pilkiugton,  it  would  appear,  holds  a 
commercial  garden  of  his  own,  being  fond  of  carrying 
out  gardening  matters  with  a  high  hand,  or  connected 
with  the  glass  ijuestion :  his  garden,  however,  I  have 
never  seen.  Such  being  the  case,  it  struck  me  that  he 
was  in  a  position  to  appreciate  the  wants  of  gardeners. 
I  suggested  to  IMr.  Pilkington  such  arguments  as  I  have 
used  on  this  occasion,  and  begged  of  him  to  try  his 
hand  at  a  circular  "  Cloche,"  or  what,  when  I  was  young, 
was  called  a  "bell-glass,"  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
London,  but  to  make  it  with  a  moveable  lid,  something 
like  a  Sea-kale  blauching-pot.  Mr.  Pilkington  kindly 
sent  me  a  specimen,  which  is,  most  certainly,  a  good 
thing,  and  points  in  the  most  unmistakable  way  to  the 
possibility  of  future  progress.  If  these  hints  should 
meet  that  gentleman's  eye,  I  hope  this  will  induce  him 
to  renew  the  race  ;  and  if  any  one  wishes  to  go  a-head 
in  this  matter,  I  would  strongly  advise  him  to  put  him- 
self in  communication  with  this  firm,  for  I  am  told 
that  their  works  are  pre-eminent,  both  in  character 
and  extent. 

By  the  by,  speaking  of  "  Cloches,"  or  bell-glasses,  I 
was  reared  and  spent  the  first  sixteen  years  of  my  life 
in  the  oldest  nursery  in  England,  but  one  or  two,  and 
we  had  lumber  i-ooms  all  hung  with  spider  tapestry,  in 
which  might   be  seen  scores  of  these  bell-glasses,  or 
cloches,  of  a  green,  thick  glass,  full  of  "  bulls-eyes,"  &c. 
They  were  rarely  used,  being  said  to  be   quite  out  of 
date  long  before  the  year  1810.     We  lads  used  to  handle 
them  very  unceremoniously,  but  it  was  seldom  we  could 
persuade  them  to  break.     Before  concluding  this  glass 
question,  whicli  1  have  brought  forward  with  the  idea 
of  putting  other  heads  to  work,  I  may  observe,  that  the 
metallic   hand-glasses   (which  I  before  observed   were 
made  very  complete  by  a  country  workman)  are  square,  ■ 
and    the    lids    moveable   down    to   the    perpendicular  | 
portion  of  the  glass,  where  they  overlap  with  a  flange. 
In  giving  air,  ventilating,  &c.,  we  simply  take  hold  of  j 
the   handle   and   turn  them   slightly  round,  by  which  \ 
means    an    aperture    is    instantly   produced    at   each  I 
angle,   and  this,  of  course,  capable  of  any  amount  of  ' 
graduation.     Here,  then,  the  heat  escapes  at  a  sort  of  i 
half-height  level,  which  will  be  formed,  I  think,  just 
about  the  proper  point  to  promote  a  speedy  interchange 
of  warm  and  cold  air,  or,  in  other  words,  air-giving  and 
ventilation  combined. 

Messrs.  Pilkington's  model  Cloche  is  about  fifteen 
inches  diameter  (but  may  be  had  of  any  size);  it  has 
an  aperture,  in  a  sort  of  neck  at  top,  about  three  inches 
diameter,  and  a  little  bell-cap  inverted  is  placed  over 
the  aperture.     The  Cloche  is  circular. 

T.  Errinoton. 


FLOWER-GARDENS. 

If  "  all  the  world  is  a  stage,"  England  must  represent 
the  right  part  for  a  flower-garden,  whether  the  j^Ian  be 
right  or  not;  aud  the  last  half  of  March,  with  the  early 
part  of  April,  the  busiest  time  for  that  part  of  the  stage, 
so  there  is  no  time  now  for  beating  about  the  bush, 
which,  if  it  is  not  pruned  now,  is  not  worth  the  time  it 
would  take  to  prune  it  at  this  busy  season  ;  cuttings, 
old  plants,  scarce  plants  and  new  plants,  with  seeds 
and  seedlings,  spring  bulbs  and  flowers,  and  the  summer 
crops  which  follow  them,  and  the  mode  of  succession, 
are  the  present  and  most  urgent  questions,  and  into 
them  let  us  all  divo  at  once,  without  preliminaries. 


Since  I  loft  off  gardening,  I  have  learned  more  about 
the  great  bulk  of  flower-gardens  than  most  people 
would  beheve.  In  large  places,  the  g.ardeners  have  left 
off  growing  many  annuals,  because  they  have  hothouses, 
and  all  that,  to  keep  plants  over  the  winter,  and  they 
find  it  less  trouble  to  plant  a  bed  or  border  once  for 
all.  at  bedding-out  time,  than  to  fight  and  strive  with 
seeds  and  slugs  through  the  whole  season.  Go  to  the 
seed  shoj3S,  however,  and  there  you  will  learn  that  more 
than  half  the  people  grow  annuals,  aud  a  great  number 
of  perennial  plants,  from  seeds  every  year;  and  that 
the  rage  for  this  economy  is  getting  more  and  more 
into  the  fashion  every  year.  The  advertisements  about 
all  sorts  of  seeds  tell  the  same  tale.  Now,  after  all  that 
has  been  said  and  written  about  seeds  for  the  last  twenty 
years,  there  is  no  bettor  plan  yet  than  the  old  one  for 
filling  honlers ;  and  this  is  how  I  learned  that  part 
thirty  years  since.  We  went  to  the  compost-yard  and 
sifted  four  barrow  loads  of  rich  light  mixture,  a  part 
from  lieaps  of  loam,  leaf-mould,  peat,  rotten  duug,  and 
theold  rnbbishheap:  we  sifted  very  fine;  thenonemau 
went  before — a  kind  of  officer  in  high  trot ;  he  fi.xed  on 
the  places  where  seeds  should  be  sown,  and  with  a 
light  spade  he  made  a  hole  in  every  such  place,  and 
spread  the  soil  from  the  hole  among  the  plants  already 
in  the  border  with  great  care  :  the  holes  might  be  from 
six  to  nine  inches  wide,  and  not  more  than  four  to  six 
inches  deep,  along  the  walk  and  the  centre  of  the  border, 
but  the  back  row  of  holes  were  deeper.  I  followed  him 
with  the  barrowful  of  sifted  compost,  and  filled  up 
every  hole  he  made ;  and  the  master  came  behind  us 
with  a  whole  basketful  of  seed-packets,  bags,  and  papere, 
and  lots  of  little  sticks  to  mark  the  places  or  patches 
where  he  sowed  the  difterent  seeds.  I  had  the  worst 
part ;  for  if  I  stepped  on  a  flower,  or  made  a  mess  on 
the  border,  I  stood  between  two  fires.  Some  seeds  he 
sowed  in  a  ring  round  the  patch,  and  others  he  put  in 
broadcast  over  the  whole  surface,  then  put  a  little  stick 
in  the  middle,  and  with  his  finger  made  a  circle  outside 
the  patch  to  mark  how  far  the  seeds  went;  heavy  seed, 
as  Lupins,  Sun-flowers,  Sweet  Peas,  and  such  like,  he 
would  bury  nearly  an  inch  deep,  but  the  smaller  seeds 
he  put  in  very  lightly  indeed ;  and  he  had  a  sign  put  to 
some  of  these,  which  his  foreman  understood  to  mean 
that  a  flower-pot  was  to  be  turned  over  on  that  patch, 
or  those  patches  so  marked,  and  the  pots  were  put  on 
the  next  day. 

The  empty  pot  over  a  patch  of  seeds  has  a  good  deal 
of  meaning  in  it;  seeds  of  Lobelias  or  Ctdceol arias  are 
perfectly  safe  under  a  pot;  the  rain  will  not  splash 
them  about,  the  sun  will  not  burn,  or  dry  up  the  surface 
and  cause  them  to  fail,  or  be  long  in  coming ;  cold 
winds,  ditto;  and  the  heat  of  the  sun  against  the  pot 
keeps  the  air  warm  imder  it  day  and  night ;  the  damp 
from  below  cannot  pass,  and  the  place  is  therefore  moist 
enough  for  seeds  without  watering.  As  soon  as  the 
seeds  are  up  the  pot  is  tilted  on  the  side  the  sun  shiucs  to 
give  air  and  light ;  it  is  let  down  again  at  night  if  it  is 
cold,  but  as  soon  as  the  seedlings  aro  beyond  danger 
the  pots  are  gathered  up  in  a  barrow,  and  taken  away 
for  the  season.  Now,  although  one  would  hardly  recom- 
mend pots  to  bo  stuck  here  or  there,  in  face  of  the 
windows,  the  plan  is  so  sure  and  good,  that  it  may  be 
very  useful  to  some  who  have  no  glass,  or  better  moans 
than  the  open  air  to  raise  some  valued  seeds.  Anybody 
may  get  up  seedlings  after  the  middle  of  April  of  such 
delicate  things  as  the  small  blue  Lobelias,  the  Portulac- 
cas,  and  the  Mcsembrijanthemum  tricolor,  Salpigloasis, 
Petunias,  Calceolarias,  and  even  Ehododenilroiis,  and 
other  American  plants,  by  the  use  of  pots  put  over  the 
patches  just  in  tlie  same  way,  and  although  they  would 
be  much  later  than  if  they  were  in  a  hotbed,  they  will  bo 
all  the  safer,  and  make  more  hardy  plants,  wliioh  would 
grow  with  less  trouble. 


March  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEK. 


499 


ANTIRRHINUMS. 


The  aotli  of  April  is  the  right  time  to  sow  Antirrhinmn 
seeds  in  the  open  air,  so  as  to  have  the  seedlings  coining 
into  flower,  to  succeed  annuals,  which  are  sown  at  the 
same  time,  or  a  little  earlier.  Mr.  Appleby  has  referred 
to  me  for  the  value  of  thi.s  flower  for  beds,  and  that  is 
the  way  I  brought  it  in ;  but  I  never  missed  it  for  years, 
althougli  I  used  it  only  as  one  of  the  auxiliary  plants. 
If  you  sow  a  bed  of  Carnalion  Poppies,  or  any  fancy 
Poppy,  or  a  bed  of  Olarkia,  or  mixed  Clarlcia,  or  of 
Candytuft,  ov  Navdwort,  or  Leptosiphoii,  or,  indeed,  of 
any  annual  of  the  month  or  six  weeks  flowerers,  between 
the  first  and  middle  of  April,  and  sow  the  Antirrhinum 
as  above  directed,  it  will  be  ready  in  bloom  to  make 
your  bed  quite  full  of  bloom  ne.\.t  day  or  the  selfsame 
day  as  you  pull  up  the  annuals,  and  you  may  discard 
them  any  day  they  look  seedy,  or  going  ofl'.  Another 
thing  is  in  their  favour  ; — seedlings  of  the  Antirrhinmn 
flower  in  a  few  weeks  after  tliey  come  up,  and 
they  will  transplant  all  through  tbe  season ;  so  that 
you  can  have  a  bod  of  them  of  one  colour,  or  of 
many  colours ;  and  by  keeping  each  colovu'  in  a 
row  or  ring  by  itself,  a  bed  of  them  makes  a  decent 
appearance ;  or  the  planting  may  be  all  in  regular  mix- 
ture of  colours  ;  but  that  is  easier  done  from  first  seeing 
the  plants  in  flower,  when  any  colour  or  shade  that 
does  not  please  you  may  go  to  the  common  shrubbery,  or 
out-of-doovs  altogether.  In  October,  a  bed  of  Antirrhi- 
nums comes  in  as  useful  as  Wallflowers,  to  plant  out  for 
the  winter,  merely  for  covering  the  ground. 

Saponaria  calahrica,  the  low-spreading  annual  which 
makes  the  pink-lace  bed  to  the  end  of  the  season,  will' 
do  so  just  as  efleotually  from  seeds  sown  in  the  open  air 
as  from  those  in  a  hotbed;  and  the  first  week  in  April 
is  the  best  time  to  sow,  them.  A  pot,  or  a  hand-glass, 
ought  to  be  laid  over  them  at  first,  and  they  need  not 
be  transplanted  out  for  beds,  or  patches,  till  the  latter 
part  of  June.  Then  a  bed  of  Nemophila,  or  of  Eucaridium 
grandijiora,  or  any  other  low,  early  annual,  may  occupy 
and  flower  in  the  space  intended  for  the  lace-plant,  or 
if  it  is  only  to  be  used  in  patches.  It  may  be  sown  any 
time  in  April,  when  it  will  flower.  Some  of  my  neigh- 
bours here  have  used  it  both  ways,  and  it  answered  as 
well  as  it  ever  did  with  me  with  all  my  force  and  hot- 
beds ;  so  that  it  is  a  perfectly  hardy  annual  after  all. 

CHINA  ASTERS. 

We  cannot  get  them  very  early  without  a  slight  hot- 
bed to  get  them  over  the  first  stage,  and  now  is  a  good 
time  to  sow  some  seeds  for  that  purpose.  It  is  as. 
auxiliary  plants  that  they  are  so  useful  for  the  flower- 
garden,  as  they  can  be  moved  from  the  reserve  ground 
to  the  flower-bed,  in  full  bloom,  about  the  beginning  of 
August,  or  a  little  later,  when  the  great  bulk  of  the 
annuals  which  were  sown  in  April  are  past.  The  end 
of  April  is  time  enough  to  sow  them  in  the  open  ground 
for  this  purpose.  I  used  to  sow  them  about  the  10th 
of  May,  but  that  was  to  suit  the  time  I  allowed  for  the 
other  annuals,  which  I  used  to  sow  a  fortnight  later 
than  most  people,  to  suit  the  return  of  the  family  to 
the  country. 

ABEONIA   UMBELLATA. 

This  is  a  new  annual,  and  one  that  will  flower  from 
June  to  the  end  of  the  season,  and  requires  to  be  treated 
in  the  spring  like  the  blue  Lobelias;  that  is,  a  slight 
hotbed  to  get  it  up,  and  an  airy,  cool  place  after  tiiat, 
till  the  weather  is  warm  enough  to  plant  it  out  for  tbe 
season.  It  might  do  to  sow  it  at  the  end  of  April,  in 
the  open  air.  It  is  a  nice  creeping  plant,  like  the 
Verbena,  and  with  flower-heads  in  the  same  style.  The 
colour  is  a  light  lilac,  or  violet,  and  the  flowers  are  very 
sweet,  particularly  towards  the  evening.     It  was  found 


by  Hartweg,  growing  in  sand  on  the  sea-shore  near 
Montery,  in  California ;  and  now  I  see  it  in  the  seed 
lists.  Also,  the  very  dwarf  Coreopsis,  which  I  mentioned 
from  Claremont  last  summer.  This  is  a  wonder;  the 
species  being  from  three  to  four  feet  liigh,  and  this  form 
of  it  hardly  six  inches,  but  very  close  and  bushy,  and 
full  of  flowers,  which  aVe  as  large  as  those  on  the  old 
species.  Some  people  spenk  well  of  the  new  annual 
Calceolaria  chelidonioides,  but  from  what  I  saw  of  it  in 
IS'f.l  and  1853, 1  would  not  prize  it  much.  I  think  it  is 
more  suited  for  damp,  shady  places,  where  the  sun  gets 
little  hold  of  it. 

TAGETES   SltiNATA,  j 

though  so  called  in  some  lists,  is  the  same  as  I  often  ; 
spoke  of  as  tenuifolia.  It  does  best  on  poor,  dry  soil,  j 
and  is  the  last  annual  to  yield  to  the  frost;  it  will  also  | 
transplant  from  a  seed-bed  m  the  open  ground  as  late  as  i 
the  middle  of  July,  when  it  is  coming  into  flower;  and  in  j 
September  it  is  the  most  tioweiy  of  the  annuals. 

The  beautiful  Sphenogijne  speciores  does  well  only 
from  the  end  of  May  to  the  end  of  July  to  he  in  flower; 
and  from  the  first  to  the  end  of  April  is  the  only  time  to 
sow  it.  The  American  Oroundsel  is  only  good  from 
cuttings ;  although  they  offer  seeds  of  it,  they  are  not 
worth  having  for  a  gift ;  they  come  in  like  single  Daises, 
and  have  little  colour. 

SALPIGLOSSIS   COCCINEA, 

as  it  was  called,  makes  a  very  fine  bed  in  a  dry  season; 
but  the  colour  is  a  reddish-yellow,  and  it  gi'ows  up  a 
yard  high,  or  more,  and  looks  remarkably  well  in  a  mass. 
The  beginning  of  April  is  the  time  to  sow  it  on  a  slight 
hotbed,  and  to  get  more  air  as  soon  as  it  has  four  leaves. 
The  very  same  treatment  would  do  for  the  different 
varieties  of  Thunhergia  alata ;  or  they  might  be  sown 
across  a  very  slight  temporary  hotbed,  and  the  glass  to 
be  taken  off  all  day  as  soon  as  they  are  up.  This  is  the 
easiest  way  I  know  of  to  get  up  half-hardy  seeds ;  and 
any  one,  who  ever  saw  early  radishes  grown  on  a  hot- 
bed, could  manage  a  seed-bed  in  the  same  way — or 
rather  in  two  ways — one,  by  making  a  common  dung- 
bed,  and  the  other  by  making  a  hole  in  a  spare  piece  of 
ground,  a  little  longer  and  wider  than  the  frame,  and  i 
eighteen  inches  deep,  and  filling  it  up  with  hot  dung  till  i 
it  was  higher,  by  six  inches,  than  the  regular  ground,  i 
then  to  bank  up  earth  all  round  it  after  putting  on  the 
frame,  then  a  few  inches  of  fine-sifted  soil,  and  to  sow 
the  seeds  in  rows  or  circles  in  this  top  soil,  then  a 
slight  watering,  and  on  with  the  glass ;  and  little  more 
is  needed  but  to  watch  for  the  coming  of  the  seedlings. 
This  is  the  easiest  way  in  the  world  to  get  up  lots  of  seed- 
lings with  very  little  attendance,  only  a  slight  watering 
now  and  then,  and  to  mind  to  give  the  bed  plenty  of 
air  as  soon  as  the  seedlings  appear  above  ground,  and 
when  they  are  all  up  to  take  off  the  glass  every  fine 
day,  after  breakfast,  and  to  put  it  on  at  night  till  all 
danger  of  frost  is  over.  Now,  about  the  Thunbergias ; 
what  I  was  going  to  say,  is,  how  well  they  do  out-of- 
doors,  in  sheltered  places,  treated  like  Sweet  Peas,  as  I 
saw  them,  in  1853,  at  Claremont,  where  they  ripened 
seeds  as  freely  as  Sweet  Peas,  along  in  front  of  one  of 
the  plant-houses.  The  gi'and  secret  is,  to  get  them  up 
early  in  April;  not  to  coddle  them,  but  to  bring  them  up 
hardy,  and  to  plant  them  out  of  nursing  pots  about 
the  end  of  May,  or  as  soon  after  as  the  weather  pro- 
mise to  hold  on  fine  and  steady. 

CENTAUEEA  CYANEA. 
A  pinch  of  this  blue  Corn-flower  ought  to  be  sown  in 
every  garden  in  the  kingdom,  if  only  for  cut  flowers 
for  the  mantlepiece ;  it  is  next  to  the  ]\Iignonette  for 
long  standing ;  and  there  is  a  white  variety  of  it, 
also  a  grey  one,  and  a  dull  pink,  with  other  shades, 


ROO 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


JlATiCII  "(1. 


and  of  all  plants,  these  are  the  most  easy  to  learn  how 
to  make  proper  nosegays  with :  i'or  we  nnist  ho  told, 
now  and  then,  that  we  are  as  Red  Indians  in  this 
branch  compared  with  the  French.  There  is  not  one 
out  of  fifty,  in  all  England,  who  can  put  five  diflereut 
flowers  together  without  lumping  them.  We  are  the 
best  gi'owers  of  all  the  nations  ;  but  the  taste  for  making 
beautiful  nosegays  for  the  liand,  or  in  ari-anging  flowers 
in  the  rooms,  is  only  on  the  threshold  in  England  at 
the  present  day. 

It  was  mentioned  once,  in  The  Cott.\ge  G.\p,denek, 
that  Martynla  frarirans,  which  is  so  difficult  to  get  up, 
lias  been  found  to  vegetate  out  in  the  open  air  much 
better  than  in  pots ;  and  some  one  told  me  lately,  that 
by  filing  off  or  cutting  the  hard  shell  of  the  seed  with 
a  sharp  knife,  so  as  to  see  the  kernel,  was  a  good  plan 
to  get  it  up  in  pots  like  other  seeds.  It  is  certainly  a 
plant  well  worth  growing  for  cut  flowers,  and  as  a  single 
plant  against  a  y\a.\\,  or  in  a  mixed  border.  Viscaria 
ovulata  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  annuals  ;  but  except 
in  large  places,  I  do  not  find  it  anywliere,  and  few  know 
it  except  regular  gardeners,  which  surprises  me,  as  if 
you  only  cast  the  seeds  in  the  open  border  you  have  it 
up  in  abundance,  and  no  trouble. 

One  of  the  most  useful  annuals  we  have  is  the 
Brussel's  /S^iroiJts,  and  the  last  Saturday  in  March  is 
the  best  time  in  the  year  to  sow  it,  for  those  who,  like 
nie,  want  to  cut  and  come  again;  but,  as  they  do  not 
want  it  for  flowers,  it  is  out  of  place  in  my  list  of  odds 
and  ends. 

DELPHINIUM  SINENSE. 
This  Chinese  Larkspur  is  the  most  useful  kind  of  all 
the  Larkspurs,  yet  no  one  advertises  it  or  even  mentions 
it  in  lists.  We  have"  splendid"  this,  "  splendid"  that,  and 
splendid  everything  you  can  think  of,  and  "  splendid" 
puzzles  to  the  bargain,  and  wo  shall  probably,  in  a  year 
or  two,  have  splendissima  in  Larkspurs,  and  yet  there  is 
not  a  seedsman  in  England,  or  in  Europe,  who  can  fur- 
nish you  with  a  packet  of  true  blue  annual  Larkspur ; 
and  what  is  more  splendid  in  a  Larkspur  than  true  blue, 
if  you  could  have  it.  Tliis  Chinese  Larkspur  is  true 
blue  when  it  comes  true  to  itself,  which  it  seldom  does 
without  great  care  ;  then  it  is  a  hardy  perennial  plant, 
which  any  cottager  can  keep  in  sand  over  the  winter, 
like  carrots  ;  it  is  also  the  best  blue  flower  for  a  whole 
bed  of  all  the  blue  plants  in  England,  and  it  flowers 
from  June  to  November,  and  is  no  more  than  18  inches 
high;  and  yet,  if  one  of  our  readers  want  to  have  it,  he 
must  write  to  the  Editor,  as  if  the  Editor  of  a  journal 
like  thiscould  find  time  to  attend  to  a  seed-shop.  I  may 
here,  once  for  all,  say,  in  plain  English,  that  none  of  ns 
who  are  connected  with  The  Cott.vge  G.^kdeker  can 
possibly  give  any  information  about  where  any  particu- 
lar plant  or  seed  can  be  had,  except  jNlr.  Appleby,  who 
is  now  on  his  own  account  in  the  trade  ;  as  for  the  rest 
of  us,  you  may  just  as  well  write  to  Sir  Charles  Napier 
lor  a  Larkspur,  or  Blue-bottle,  or  anything  in  the  trade  ; 
and  what  is  worse  than  all  that,  when  we,  the  said 
writers,  see  such  questions,  we  arc  but  too  apt  to  slight 
the  other  questions  in  tlie  same  letters;  and  if  one  of 
us  wi-ote  to  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  about  this 
income  tax,  and,  in  the  next  sentence,  asked  him  if  he 
knew  where  we  could  buy  such  and  such  gloves,  we 
could  only  expect  to  be  paid  in  our  coin— to  be  slighted 
in  our  turn. 

THE  LAST  "WINTER. 
There  is  one  very  particular  question  which  we  all 
wish  to  have  answered  as  fully  as  can  be  befoi'e  the 
spring  is  out,  and  that  is,  a  full  and  particular  aocoimt 
of  all  tlie  trees,  sliruhs,  and  hushes,  that  hare  been  killed  or 
half-h-illi'd  litis  histirinter.  Also,  what  bulbs  stood  it  with 
such  and  such  protection  ;  and  here  is  an  answer  for 
two  plants  of  doubtful  hardiness  from  my  own  garden. 


I  bought  a  good-sized  plant,  from  Jlr.  .lackson,  of  the 
Stauntonia  latifolia,  from  India,  and  I  divided  the  roots, 
so  as  to  make  three  plants  from  the  one  ;  this  took  some 
time  in  nursing,  and  it  was  the  end  of  last  .lune  before 
1  could  get  them  planted  out,  so  that  they  did  not  grow 
more  than  a  few  feet  before  tlie  end  of  the  season.  I 
gave  them  no  protection  whatever,  and  they  are  not  the 
least  hurt ;  they  lost  a  few  inches  of  the  turning  tops 
and  that  was  all. 

The  next  plant  which  I  am  desirous  to  see  more  cul- 
tivated is  the  •'  Tree  Potatoe,"  or  Solunum  jasminoides. 
This  climber  I  planted  in  l^j'2,  and  the  winter  before 
last  it  had  no  covering,  but  this  winter  I  had  tlie  first 
six  feet  of  it  well  protected  with  straw  and  a  double  mat. 
All  theyoinig  wood  it  made  since  last  August  is  killed, 
but  the  main  branches  are  quite  safe  up  to  ten  or 
twelve  feet,  so  that  it  is,  practically,  quite  liardy — more 
so  than  the  common  Passion  Floner — and  no  plant 
better  deserves  a  wall. 

Cobtni,  Lophosjierinum,  JMciurandijas.  and  Kceremocfir- 
pus,  I  could  not  keep  with  a  good  coveriu.g,  and  yet  I 
l;now  a  plant  of  Eccrenioearpus  that  was  only  covered 
the  length  of  one  mat,  and  the  branches  which  were 
quite  exiiosed  above  the  mat  were  in  leaf  before  tlie 
middle  of  last  February,  but  it  is  in  a  very  slieltcrcil 
corner,  near  a  stack  of  cliimnies,  and  no  doubt  llie 
warmth  of  the  bricks  saved  it.  Vihurnmn  macrocepha- 
lum  I  lost  altogether ;  but  it  had  no  covering,  and  it  was 
never  a  healthy  plant.  The  tubers  of  TrojUTolum  tu- 
berosum died  in  the  ground,  and  rather  deep.  All  my 
Fuchsias  stood  well,  with  a  single  net  over  them ;  ar.d 
none  of  my  half-hardy  bulbs  are  hurt. 

D.  Beaton. 


CAULIFLOWERS. 

Wheee  due  precaution  was  not  taken,  the  severities  of 

an  early  winter  have  decimated  the  Cauliflower  plants 

not  sufficiently  protected ;    where   such  has   been  the 

ease,  those  remaining  will  be  doubly  valuable   in  con- 

]  sequence  of  the  scarcity.    Now,  it  notunfrequcntly  liap- 

)  pens,  that  in  addition  to  destroying  a  great  number, 
severe  ■weather  also  injures,  to  a  serious  extent,  tiiose 
which  may  be  left  alive.     This,  however,  ought  not  to 

!  have  been  the  case  this  season;  for  the  early  tokens  we 
had  of  its  being  so,  hardened  and  prepared  plants  to  en- 
dure it.  This  preparatory  state  of  things  is  one  of  the 
many    beautiful    jirovisions   of    Nature,    whereby   she 

'  sweetens  the  bitterness  of  her  wrath  ;  and  although,  at 
the  end  of  a  very  severe  winter,  or.  it  may- he,  the  cou- 

'clusion  of  a  frost  of  tniusual  hardness,  we  may  have  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  many  of  our  favourites  in  the  flower- 
ing plant  way,  those  of  a  substantial  kind  arc  equally 
amenable  to  the  same  dire  laws  and  sufl'er  accordingly, 
'i'hough  the  month  of  December  and  the  early  part  of 
January  "\^•ere  more  severe  than  they  usually  are,  yet  we 
have  all  seen  a  great  deal  of  injury  done  by  a  very  mo- 
derate frost  in  March  alter  an  unusuiiUy  mild  winter ; 
added  to  wdiich,  it  often  happens  that  mild  weather  is 
often  moist,  and  that  healthy  pulverization  of  the  soil 
cannot  take  place  without  the  aid  of  frost,  or  those  dry, 
mellowing  winds  we  sometimes  have  in  Marcli  ;  so  that 
as  far  as  cullivation  is  concerned,  and,  certainly,  nil  that 
is  connected  with  an  annual  or  hardy  perennial  growth, 
a  sharp  winter  is  useful  rather  than  otherwise. 

The  severities  of  the  winter  have,  also,  I  believe,  in- 
jured, if  not  annihilated,  the  great  bulk  of  the  llrocoli  and 
other  greens  cultivated  in  many  of  the  midland  counties, 
which  it  seems  to  have  visited  with  more  virulence  than 
the  more  southern  ;  and  amongst  the  general  wreck  of 
things,  the  Ciuiliflower  plants  have  not  come  off  scaith- 
less:  but  some  have  csca]ied,  and  some  careful  hands 
have  preserved  the  whole,  or  nearly  so,  of  their  stock,  and 
what  to  do  with  them  seems  to  bo  the  question  now 


March  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


501 


aiBked.  Tlie  deinaud  for  tliem  from  iioislibours  and 
others  far  e.xoeeds  tlie  supply  :  nevcrLbeless,  soinetliing 
must  lie  done;  and  as  the  weather,  since  tlie  snow  left  us 
early  iu  January,  has  been  all  that  could  bo  wlslied  for, 
Iq  the  way  of  pulverizing  aud  sweeteniug  the  ground, 
there  is  a  fair  prospect  of  the  latter  being  iu  better  order  to 
receive  plants  and  seeds  this  spring  than  was  the  case  last 
year  and  several  years  beforeit;  consequently,  the  artifi- 
cial means  sometimes  adopted  to  mai;e  it  suitable  to  the 
well-being  of  plants  are  the  less  necessary  ;  but  supjios- 
ing  a  quantity  of  Cauliflower  plants,  in  hand  lights, 
(having  moveable  tops)  to  have  been  saved,  and 
jiresent  a  i'air  proportion  alive  and  healthy,  no  time 
must  be  lost  in  thinning  them  out  so  as  to  hasten  them 
on.  This  is,  to  all  'appearance,  an  easy  undertaking ; 
and  so  far  as  the  manual  labour  is  concerned  the  opera- 
tion is,  quickly  performed;  but,  then,  is  it  always  well 
done?  Numerous  instances  attest  the  contrary;  for  it 
does  not  always  happen  that  sufficient  care  has  been 
taken  to  inure  them  to  bear  the  parching  inlluence  of  an 
east  wind  or  frosty  night,  consequently,  they  are  in  a 
poor  plight  a  day  or  two  after  being  turned  out ;  for 
often  eight  or  ten  plants  stand  huddled  together  all  the 
winter  iu  a  common  hand-light,  not  more  than  twenty 
inches  square,  or  so,  and  the  latter  part  of  the  time  they 
make  some  growth,  so  as  often  to  iiU  the  space  in  a 
crowded  manner  with  their  foliage.  Then  the  too  anxious 
cultivator,  wishing  to  have  a  few  tit  for  use  at  the  ear- 
liest possible  day,  is  as  careful  in  seeing  them  covered 
up  at  night,  at  this  advanced  season,  as  he  was  in  mid- 
winter;  this  state  of  things,  so  widely  at  variance  with 
tlie  nicely-balanced  course  of  Nature's  operations,  induces 
a  degree  of  delicacy  into  their  habit  or  constitution, 
whereby  they  are  ill-prepared  to  meet  the  cold,  chilly 
currents  of  air  they  must  endure  when  planted  out 
singly.  This  evil  is,  of  course,  much  increased  when 
sufficient  care  has  not  been  taken  iu  removing  them  ; 
but  it  is  at  all  times  attended  with  a  check. 

The  best  way  to  obviate  the  evil  above  noticed  is  to 
have  the  whole  of  the  plants  uncovered  some  days  be- 
fore planting-out  time,  and  the  covering  left  oft' at  nights  } 
too,  unless  on  special  occasions  of  severe  frosts  or  other 
reasons,  and  the  ground  being  ready  to  receive  the  new 
crop,  they  must  be  taken  up  with  as  large  balls  as  they 
can  be  moved  with,  aud  carried  at  once  to  their  new 
abode,  and  then  planted  carefully  ;  and  if  it  be  a  bright, 
sunny  day,  a  flower-pot  might  be  inverted  over  each,  or 
some  other  protection  iu  that  way.  Observe,  that  in 
planting,  due  care  must  be  taken  that  nothing  but  the 
best  and  finest  earth  comes  in  contact  with  the  root — 
the  fine,  mellow  portion  found  at  the  top,  after  the  ground 
has  lain  awhile  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  elements,  is 
certainly  the  best. 

In  addition  to  this,  great  care  must  be  taken  to  get 
the  plants  up  with  as  large  an  amount  of  earth  as  pos- 
sible— a  spadeful  to  each,  when  they  are  only  to  be  re- 
moved a  few  yards,  is  not  too  much — the  hole  being 
made  to  receive  them  beforehand ;  aud  if  the  hand- 
lights  have  been  standing  on  ground  where  it  is  expected 
a  portion  of  them  will  remain  for  good,  it  is  necessary, 
iu  the  first  place,  to  select  some  of  the  best  to  stand  in 
each  hill.  This  must  be  regulated  by  the  size  the  band- 
lights  are,  the  distance  they  are  apart,  and  other  consi- 
derations; but,  iu  a  usual  way,  about  three  is  as  many 
as  can  with  propriety  be  left,  aud  much  oftener  only  two 
remain  ;  but  so  many  objects  regulate  this  that  it  must 
be  guided  by  the  wants  of  each  case.  Commonly, 
lirivate  families  do  not  care  so  much  for  a  large  Cauli- 
flower, preferring  a  small  or  medium-sized  one  instead, 
consequently,  the  plants  may  stand  somewhat  closer; 
but  in  whichever  way  the  operation  is  performed,  it  is 
advisable,  when  the  thinning  is  completed,  or  when  part 
of  it  is  done,  to  dig  aud  dress  the  ground  around  those 
remaining,  and  to  replace  the  hand-lights  again  for  a 


time,  if  they  bu  not  wanted  elsewhere.  This  will  enable 
the  plants  to  push  on,  aud  prevent  them  receiving  that 
check  which  the  withdrawal  of  their  companions  would 
effect. 

^Vhen  Cauliflower  plants  have  become  too  far  forward 
early  in  winter,  they  very  often  start  u]!  into  a  prema- 
ture head,  or  what  by  gardeners  is  called,  "  buttoning." 
This  is  caused  by  the  seed  being  sown  too  early;  for 
then  the  plants,  endeavouring  to  keep  pace  with  other 
of  their  brethren  in  the  "Spring  Brocoli"  way,  rush  up 
into  flower  at  the  end  of  j\farch,  or  soon  after,  present- 
ing heads,  as  the  term  implies,  not  much  larger  than  a 
button  ;  this  cannot  well  be  prevented  ;  a  good  thinning, 
and  culture  in  the  way  of  encouraging  a  sturdy  growth, 
will  partly  prevent  it;  but  it  is  difficult  to  stop  Cauli- 
flowers from  "bolting,"  in  the  south  of  England, 
which  are  the  produce  of  seed  sown  before  the  last 
week  in  August;  while  most  people  wait  until  the  first 
of  September.  Whichever  way  it  is,  the  last  sown  ones 
are  generally  most  to  be  depended  on ;  and  a  second 
crop  that  may  be  standing  iu  a  fi-arae  in  some  sunny 
place  will  often  contain  more  good  jilants  than  the  ear- 
liest batch  which  have  been  more  attended  to  during 
winter ;  and  this  second  crop  must  have  all  the  attention 
paid  them  now  their  worth  deserves,  and  they  will,  doubt- 
less, repay  it ;  for  we  bear  of  heavy  losses  in  that  way 
the  past  winter ;  and  the  autumn  was  anything  but  a 
good  one  for  raising  seedling  plants,  &c.  The  lieavy 
aud  continuous  rains  had  so  cooled  and  soddened  the 
earth  that  but  really  little  warmth  remained  in  it.  How- 
ever, as  the  spring,  so  far,  has  been  exactly  the  reverse, 
it  behoves  the  careful  cultivator  to  turn  such  a  change 
to  good  account,  and  a  few  early  sown  Cauliflowers, 
sheltered  and  forwarded  by  glass,  or  other  protection,  are 
doubtless  going  on  iu  such  a  way  as  to  give  just  reason 
to  expect  that  the  regular  succession  and  production  of 
nice  heads  is  not  likely  to  be  interrupted  for  some  time 
yet ;  and  as  Cauliflowers,  and  their  almost  synonymous 
White  Brocolis,  form  important  features  in  the  general 
bill  of  fare  for  the  year,  the  propriety  of  neglecting 
nothing  that  is  calculated  to  command  these  necessaries 
need  not  be  urged.  J.  Robson. 


CUCUMBER   AND    MELON   PIT   HEATED    BY 
FLUES. 

"  As  I  wish  to  erect  a  small  pit  for  growing  Cucumbers 
and  Melons  without  the  annoyance  of  huge  piles  of 
dung,  perhaps  you  will  be  good  enough  to  inform  me 
whether  I  may  expect  any  success  with  a  structure  such 
as  I  have  sketched  on  the  sheet  annexed? — E.  E.  R., 
Oxon." 

I  THINK  the  plan,  of  which  a  drawing  is  on  the  next 
page,  is  worthy  of  prominent  notice,  not  only  as  keeping 
us  in  mind  of  the  old  flues,  but  because  the  consideration 
of  the  subject  may  enable  us  to  give  a  suitable  reply  to 
many  enquirer-s,  who,  out  of  various  modes  described, 
may  thus  be  enabled  to  pick  out  what  will  suit  their  cir- 
cumstances best. 

1.  I  believe  that  the  above  plan  would  answer  if  the 
pit  were  suitably  built,  and  the  plants  afterwards  well- 
manured.  I  observe  no  striking  error  in  the  whole 
arrangement,  though,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  the  only 
novelty  connected  with  it  is  the  large  pan  of  galvanised 
iron  set  upon  the  top  of  the  flues.  I  have  had  no  ex- 
perience how  long  such  a  pan,  from  four  to  five  inches 
deep,  would  last  in  the  circumstances,  but  my  impression 
is,  that  when  finished,  the  whole  affair  would  be  more 
costly  thau  a  tank  or  hot-water  pipes.  There  can  be  no 
question  that  such  a  pan  would  yield  a  requisite  amount 
of  vapour. 

2.  There  is  nothing  very  pleasing  in  the  huge  mounds 
of  dung,   unless   at   Celery    and   Cauliflower  platjting 


503 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


Makch  30. 


time  ;  but  yet,  in  country  iilaces,  tbese  liotbcds  often  I  flowcr-gavcleu,  and,-  therefore,  the  produce  costs_  little 
give  just  the  suitable  preparation  for  the  kitchen  and  |  but  tlie  labour;  but  let  all  heaters  of  pits  by  fire  re- 
member, that  to  keep  a  temperature  of  from 
0.j°  to  70°  in  cold  weather  costs  no  little 
amount  of  fuel,  tbougli  I  readily  grant,  that 
ibr  a  place  of  the  size  detailed  above,  there 
is  less  real  waste  of  fuel  by  sucli  an  applica- 
tion of  flues  as  could  be  seciu-cd  by  any  mode 
of  hot-water  without  flues.  Any  one  who  is 
doubtful  of  this  has  only  to  put  liis  baud  on 
the  chimney  whore  a  hot-water  apparatus  is 
at  work  in  a  cold  day,  and  to  do  the  same 
where  a  similar  heat  is  maintained  by  a  Hue 
of  some  fifty  feet  in  length. 

o.  The  only  tlilHeulty  I  ever  experienced 
in  growing  Cucumbers  and  Melons  hy  flues, 
with  nothing  like  such  a  nice  eviiporating-pan 
as  the  above,  arose  from  deleterious  gases 
finding  their  way  through  the  joints  of  the 
flue,  especially  when  all  sorts  of  rubbish  were 
used  for  fuel.  1  have  bad  boxes  of  Cucumbers 
in  full  bearing  in  jNIarcb,  and  looking  splendid 
at  ten  o'cloclvat  night,  that  in  the  morning 
had  nothing  green  about  them  but  the  fruit. 
The  flues  were  rather  old  and  ricketty,  and 
an  explosion  had  done  all  the  mischief, 
though  there  was  scarcely  the  smallest  crack 
perceptible.  To  guard  against  such  a  con- 
tingency, I  would  strongly  advise  twelve  feet 
of  the  flue  nearest  the  furnace — as  much  more 
as  miglit  be  resolved  upon — to  be  built  with 
brick  on  bed,  instead  of  brick  on  edge.  It 
is  true,  that  such  a  flue  would  not  be  so 
easily  heated,  and,  therefore,  would  not  be 
suitable  for  a  greenhouse,  where,  in  general, 
sudden  heats  are  chiefly  wanted  to  meet  sudden 
i'rosts,  but  strong  continuous  heats  are  wanted 
for  such  plants  as  the  Cucumber  if  forced  at  all  early, 

and,  therefore,  though   the  thick  flue  does  not  beat  so 

quickly,  it   retains   the   heat   longer,  and   iiothing    is, 

therefore,  eventually   lost,  while  a  more  uniform  tem- 
perature is  maintained,  and  danger  from  explosion  of 

gases  reduced  to  a  minimum. 

4.  Supposing,  then,  that  it  is  resolved  upon  to  have 

such  a  pit,  is  the  one  indicated  suitable  in  size  ?  Taking 

it  at  five  feet  in  the  clear,  I  presume  tlie  front-wall  is 

intended  to  be  about  three  feet  nine  inches,  and  the 

back-wall  close  upon  five-and-a-balf  feet.  Now,  allowing 

fifteen  inches  of  soil,  thougli  Melons  would  enjoy  three 

more,   and  fifteen  inches  I'rom  the  soil  to  the  rafters, 

which  would  make,  with  six  inclies  more  for  slate  and 

rubble  drainage,  three  feet  in  all,  there  would  be  re- 
quired at  least  two  feet  more  for  cliamber,  so  that,  at  the 

least,  the  front-wall  would  r0(]uire  to  be  ibur  feet  nine 

inches,  or  five   feet,   and  the   back-wall   six-and-a-half 

I'eet  in  height,  or  six  feet  would  do,  if  Cucumbers  were 

wanted   only   towards  the   end   of  April,  and    Melons 

in  -lune    and   'fuly.     If  we  did    not   go  even   higher 

than    six-and-a  half     feet,   the    reason     would    chiefly 

be  for   the  saving  of  brick.     Tlie  chamber  could  not 

well    be    less   than    two   feet   in    depth,    and    if    per- 
fection  was   de.iired,   one-and-a  half    feet   more    would 

be    better    still,    as    then    the    heat    would    be    more 

softened,  and  ]  laded  with  vapour  before  entering   the 

house.     I  once  liad  to  do  with  a  splendid,  most  expen- 
sively-built Cucumber-house ;    the  produce  of  which  I 

have  never  seen  surpassed — but  more  than  double  the 

width  of  the  one  under  consideration.     It  was  heated 

chiefly  by  flues  in  a  chamber,   and  others  that  gave 

surface-heat.     The  chief  peculiarities  were  two.     I'irst, 

tlie  chamber  was  so  large  tliat  a  person    could  walk 

along  it  stoopin;;.      The  second  was,  that  a  boiler  was 

placed  over  the  furnace  always  supplied  from  a  cistern 
and  ball-cock.     This  boiler  had  a  pipe  attached  to  its 


A.  hot  air  chamber  covered  in  by  a  layer  of  slates,  then 
"  crocks,"  &c.,  n.,  and,  lastly,  soil  i. 

B.  and  c.  flues,  "  flow  and  return." 

D.  pan  of  galvanised  iron  full  of  water. 

E.  opening  for  cold  air  near  the  ground,  wliicli  after  being 
heated  and  moistened  passes  into  tlie  pit  aliove  the  soil, 
by  a  series  of  drain-pipes,  p.,  then  up,  and  tinally  out  at 
tilted  sash  o. 

K.  series  of  drain  tiles  to  admit  cold  outer  ail'  on  favom'able 

occasions. 
I'it  to  be  five  feet  wide  in  the  clear  ;  length  twculy-fom'  feet; 

flues  and  pan  running  the  whole  length.     What  will  be  the 

most  desirable  height  and  dimensions  of  hot-air  chamber? 

and  pit? 

top,  tliree  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  some  four  feet 
in  length,  from  which,  in  proportion  to  the  heat  of  the 
fire,  steam  was  discharged  into  the  chamber,  and  then 
there  were  plug-holes  for  lelting  this  mild  vapour  into 
the  atmosphere  of  the  house  at  will.  1  know  of  several 
imitations,  but  in  no  case  was  the  success  so  uniform, 
and  that  chiefly  owing  to  I'alse  economy  in  having  a 
chamber  not  the  third  of  tlie  depth,  and,  therefore,  the 
heat  and  the  steam  were  apt  to  burn  and  scald  tender 
plants.  There  would  not  he  quite  so  much  danger  in 
the  present  case  owing  to  the  pan  of  water;  but  a 
moderate  depth  of  chamber  would  admit  of  the  flues 
being  examined  without  interfering  with  the  covering. 
In  fact,  without  this  jian  of  water,  the  slate  covering 
would  have  rccpiired  to  be  some  twelve  or  eighteen 
inches,  at  least,  from  the  flues,  to  prevent  the  risk  of 
its  cracking  and  breaking.  1'he  moisture  would  greatly 
prevent  that.  If  covered  with  Ibig-stone,  there  would 
not  be  the  same  danger  if  placed  near  the  Hue. 

f).  The  mode  of  giving  air  at  e  is  much  to  be  ap- 
proved of;  also  at  f,  though  of  less  importance  there, 
as,  when  the  weather  is  lino  enough  to  demand  abund- 
ance, the  sashes  could  be  tilted  there  without  any 
disadvantage.  The  advantage  of  the  openings  at  e  is, 
that  the  air  of  the  house  may  bo  renovated  without 
greatly  cooling  it.  Openings,  similar  to  i-,  should  be 
placed  close  to  the  back  wall  opposite,  and  then,  though 
the  opening  at  y.  were  stopped,  the  air  in  the  house, 
after  getting  cooled,  would  jiass  more  easily  through  tho 
chamber  again  to  be  heated  and  moistened.  I'lugs 
should  be  furnished  for  K,  as,  if  the  jilacc  is  to  bo 
heated  economically  the  openings  must  nottbe  liberally 
used  in  severe  weather.  The  o])cnings  i",  front  and 
back,  should  bo  in  tho  centre  of  eacli  light;  and  these, 
too,  should  be  furnished  with  plugs  to  shut  in  the  heal 
in  the  chamber  when  desirable.  I'or  instance,  if  you  iind 
the  heat  of  the  soil  not  quite  so  warm  as  you  would 


March  30, 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


503 


wish — a  sunny  day  gives  you  ))lenty  of  atuiospherio 
heat — put  in  the  plugs,  and  the  heat  of  the  chamber  is 
thrown  into  the  shite  and  soih 

(i.  Walls. — I  suspect  there  is  an  intention  to  have 
nine-inch  walls  as  far  as  the  flooring,  and  five-inch 
walls  above  that;  but  this  economy  in  bricks  will  be 
attended  with  no  economy  in  fuel.  I  should  prefer,  for 
an  early  pit,  a  nine-inch  wall  throughout;  bettor  still, 
a  niiic-iuoh  hollow  wall ;  and  best  of  all,  a  fourtoen-inch 
hollow  wall.  I  need  not  now  repeat  what  was  said  of 
confined  air  as  a  non-conducting  medium.  I  have  a 
pit  used  for  similar  purposes  with  a  nine-inch  solid  wall, 
four  feet  si.\  inches  at  back,  and  above  the  ground  level, 
and  one  foot  eight  inches  in  front.  Notwithstanding 
protecting  the  glass  with  straw  covers,  the  loss  of  heat, 
by  the  back  walls  especially,  was  a  serious  afJiiir,  whore 
the  carriage  of  coals  adds  from  a  full  third  to  a  fourth 
of  that  for  wliich  coals  may  be  had  by  tliose  near  a  rail- 
way or  wharf  depot.  I  covered  that  wall  with  a  couple 
of  inches  of  wheat-straw  tied  firmly  and  neatly  on ; 
and  if  any  one  wishes  to  know  how  much  heat  is  thus 
saved,  he  has  only  to  insert  his  cold  fingers  beneath  the 
straw,  in  a  cold  day,  and  the  warmth  of  the  wall  will 
give  him  an  idea  of  the  loss  that  would  otherwise  liave 
escaped  by  radiation.     That  loss  would  be  greatly  ob- 

8.  Some  years  ago,  I  had  several  pits  heated  by 
fermenting  matter,  inside  and  out.  I  hardly  know 
how  deep  the  walls  were,  for  never  having  enough 
of  matter  to  fill  them  they  were  never  thoroughly 
emptied.  The  banks  of  manure,  in  the  shape  of 
linings,  kept  me  ever  on  the  move  for  fermenting 
material.  An  idea  of  the  unsightliness  of  these 
mounds,  coupled,  very  likely,  with  the  intention 
of  shutting  me  out  from  access  to  fermenting 
matter,  led  to  these  pits  being  heated  by  hot- 
water,  and  as  they  were  also  increased,  I  had  no 
reason  to  grumble,  though  visions  of  poverty- 
struck  vegetables  began  to  flit  before  my  mind's 
eye  even  then.  AVcll,  the  pit  I  have  already 
referred  to,  foui'-and  a-half  feet  at  back,  and 
twenty  inches  in  front,  above  the  ground  level, 
is  the  highest  of  three  ranges,  each  rather  more 
than  fifty  feet  in  length,  heated  by  one  furnace, 
and  to  which  three  ranges,  I  hope  some  day  to 
have  a  fourth,  with  a  pipe  to  keep  out  frost.  The 
])it,  originally,  was  even  flatter  than  the  one  of 
oiu'  Correspondents ;  but,  as  a  new  wall-plate  and 
new  sashes  were  needed,  we  gradually  lowered 
the  front  wall,  so  that  everything  inside  is  very 
easily  examined,  and  a  fair  amount  of  sunshine 
is  thrown  in.  Now,  I  would  have  wished  to  have 
sunk  the  pit  considerably  back  as  well  as  front, 
but  it  so  happens,  that  though  we  have  a  deep 
well  in  the  chalk,  we  are  liable  to  be  flooded-up  in 
thunder  rains ;  and  as  I  knew  that  every  foot  I 
sunk  the  pipes  for  bottom-heat,  I  must  also  sink 
the  stock-hole,  I  did  what  I  considered  the  best  in 
the  circumstances,  and  fixed  the  floor.  No.  1,  so 
high  as  would  enable  me  to  grow  Cucumbers,  &c., 
and  fair-sized  pot  plants  of  anything.  The  pit, 
therefore,  was  fiUed-up  with  clay  and  any  earth  handy, 
well-rammed,  and  then  covered  with  two  or  three  inches  of 
concrete,  well-smoothed  on  the  surface,  and  then  covered 
with  a  little  fresh  lime  and  sharp  sand,  so  that  when 
dry  it  was  quite  hard  and  smooth,  and,  as  I  expected, 
nest  to  thoroughly  impassable  by  water.  This  was 
fixed  a  couple  of  inches  or  so  below  the  pipes  ;  and  as 
the  stones,  brick-bats,  &c.,  are  placed  as  open  as  pos- 
sible, and  then  terminated  by  finer  gravel  at  the  top, 
the  pouring-in  of  water  at  the  front  of  the  pit,  either 
through  a  funnel,  or  else  to  the  wall,  inundates  this 
floor,  and  supplies,  at  will,  a  moist  bottom-heat.  Fine 
evaporating  pans  are  placed  on  the  front  pipes  for  top- 
heat.     I  used  a  trellis  for  this  pit  last  season.     For  the 


viatod  in  the  case  of  our  Correspondent,  and  tho  pit  in 
every  way,  bo  more  manageable  if  instead  of  standing 
above  the  groiuid-level,  fully  one-half,  at  least,  of  the 
walls  were  sunk  in  the  ground.  Trie  only  difliculty  in 
this  case  would  arise  from  water,  as  the  bottom  of  the 
stock-hole  would  require  to  be  at  least  two  feet  deeper 
than  the  bottom  of  the  flue.  The  air  openings  at  e 
might  just  he  the  same,  a  pipe  being  brought  up  above 
the  surface-level. 

7.  Now,  though  the  flue  system  will  secure,  perhaps, 
the  most  of  the  heat  from  the  fuel,  still,  it  can  neither 
be  so  equally  nor  so  safely  difl'usod  as  by  hot-water, 
either  in  pipes  or  tanks.  13y  either  of  these  modes. 
Melons  and  Cucumbers  may  be  grown  in  pits  some 
three  feet  deep  in  front.  A  great  deiith  of  walls,  and 
consequent  brickwork  to  secure  a  chamber,  would  thus 
be  avoided.  And,  therefore,  though  I  have  ofl'cred  the 
above  remarks  on  the  plan  of  our  Correspondent,  yet, 
knowing  that  nothing  suflers  so  much  from  the  escape 
of  gas  from  a  flue  as  Cucumbers  and  Melons,  I  would 
strongly  advise,  before  budding  such  a  pit,  to  compare 
the  expense  of  flue  and  iron  pans,  with  extra  brickwalls 
and  the  hot-water  system.  To  enable  him  to  do  so,  I 
will  mention  some  modes  adopted  here,  and  what  has 
been  done  elsewhere. 


A.  bottom  of  bed,  consisting  of  concreting,  laid  firmly  on 

rammed  clay,  f. 
E.  three-inch  water-pipes  for  bottom-heat,  surroiiuded  by 

clinkers,  old  brickbats,  &c.,  with  fine  clean  gravel  on 
0.  soil  for  Cucumbers  and  Melons. 

D.  trellis. 

E.  three-inch  pipes  for  top-heat,  with  zinc    evaporating- 
pans. 

second  pit,  as  the  walls  are  not  so  high,  the  Vines  were 
generally  trained  ou  the  ground;  but  Cucumbers  or 
Melons  are  only  one  or  two  of  the  numberless  purposes 
to  which  these  pits  are  applied.  It  will,  at  once,  be  seen 
that  there  would  be  no  occasion  to  have  a  wall  any 
deeper  than  the  clay  or  conci'ete  bottom,  and  fully  half 
of  that  might  be  sunk.  The  pit  is  almost  six  feet  in 
the  clear. 

9.  No.  2,  is  the  same  pit  which  I  modified  this  last 
winter.  I  used  to  grow  winter  Cucumbers  in  the  Pine- 
stove,  and  when,  some  time  ago.  Pines  were  discon- 
tinued, it  was  desirable  to  have  Cucumbers  in  a  lesser 
place,  so  as  not  to  use  much  fire  in  winter.  I  grew 
them,  therefore,  in  No.  1,  but  I  found  that  they  often 


noi 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  30. 


wanted  a  little  attention,  when,  owing  to  the  weatlicr, 
it  was  impossible  to  give  it  to  tliem  ;  and  there  being 


G.  path-way  cut  out  at  back,  to  enable  all  woil;  to  be  done 

inside  in  wet  and  cold  weather. 
H.  Strawberry  shelf. 

Here  (JIarcli  1-1)  Cucumbers  and   Strawberries  are  alike 
fruitfol  and  luxuriant. 

the  centre.  The  trellis  consists  merely  of  a  few  rough 
spars  of  wood,  nailed  together,  the  size  of  a  light,  and 
crossed  with  string  and  wire.  The  only  ohjectiou  I  have 
Iieard  urged  to  this  arrangement  is,  that  wlien  it  is  de- 
sirable to  use  such  places  for  plant  repositories,  the 
space  occupied  by  the  path  would  be  next  to  lost ;  but  1 
do  not  see  tlie  force  of  the  objection,  as  tall  plants  might 
he  placed  there,  and  if  not  wanted  for  that  purpose, 
boards  on  a  stage  could  be  thrown  across  for  settiug 
smaller  plants  on.  Again,  for  early  work  I  could  not 
hardly  improve  on  the  present  arrangement ;  but  if  Cu- 
cumbers were  not  wanted  before  the  approach  of  May, 
two  lour  inch  jjipes,  surrouudtid  with  rubble,  with  open- 
ings back  and  front  to  let  tlie  heat  up,  would  be  siilli- 
cient  I'or  both  bottom  and  top-heat  in  a  five-feet  pit. 

10  If  a  tank  should  be  considered  ])reierablo,  one 
.four  inches  deep,  of  iron,  brick  and  cement,  or  wood, 
would  obviate  tlie  necessity  of  high  walls,  unless  a  jiath- 
way  was  desirable,  as  in  No.  i.  I  do  not  think  that  the 
cement  for  a  tank  in  such  a  pit  as  our  Correspondent's 
would  cost  a  great  deal,  and  the  bricks  required  for 
line  and  cliamber  would  be  more  than  sufKcient  to 
build  it.  Any  person,  who  has  ever  made  a  brewer's 
cooling-tank,  could  say  for  what  a  wooden  one  could  be 
obtained  for,  and  that  three,  four,  or  five  feet  wide,  four 
inches  deep,  divided  in  the  middle,  and  covered  with 
slate,  would  give  as  much  heat  as  he  would  know  what 
to  do  with,  provided  there  were  si.N.  inches  of  open 
rubble  over  the  slate,  aud  openings  round,  for  the 
double  purpose  of  pouring  water  in  to  command  a 
moist  beat,  and  to  let  that  heat  into  the  atmosphere. 
r  see,  the  other  week,  enquiries  as  to  patching  and 
scouring  such  a  wooden-tank  to  make  it  hold  water,  but 
if  properly  made,  and  well  beat  at  the  joints,  and  red- 
loaded  at  the  joints,  there  will  be  no  difficidty  in  this 
matter,  and  no  need  of  any  covering  or  coating  what- 
ever; as  when  once  filled,  and  kept  full,  the  continual 
swelling  will  prevent  everything  like  leakage.  I  do  not 
know  bow  long  such  a  wood- tank  would  last,  but  I 
know  of  some  that  have  been  in  use  fully  ten  years, 


little  op])ortnnity  for  working  the  syringe  on  the  under 
side  nf  the  leaves,  they  were  kept  clean  with  more 
difficulty.  I  resolved,  therefore,  to  change  No.  1 
into  a  small  bouse.  No.  ;i,  by  digging  out  a  patli 
fifteen  inches  wide  at  the  back,  increased  to  some 
twenty  inches  for  elbow  room,  having  a  small 
eigbteen-inch  door  on  the  ground  level  in  the 
back  wall,  I'or  popping  in,  and  nothing  could 
answer  better.  They  who  liave  grown  line  Cu- 
cumbers in  pots  will  at  once  perceive  that  even 
by  this  narrowing  of  the  soil  space  there  is  ample 
room  left.  The  sinking  of  the  path  cost  only  the 
abour  of  removing  the  soil  and  building  a  fonr- 
nch  wall,  as  far  as  the  top  of  the  soil,  as  the  back 
wall  was  existing  previously.  In  making  Such  a 
pit,  though  a  back  wall  some  seven-and-a-half  feet 
would  be  wanted,  there  would  be  no  occasion  for 
sinking  the  front  wall  lower  than  the  flooring. 

Nearly  one  half  of  this  was  used  for  early 
Cucumbers,  the  other  part  had  Strawberries,  and 
oilier  things  on  a  rough  stage  thrown  ai-ross  the 
]dt.  It  is  Tiiiw  planted  altogether  with  Cucumbers; 
and  tboiigli  there  are  Strawberries  in  good  con- 
dition on  the  back  shelf,  they  are  brought  there 
to  swell  and  ripen  merely.  Before  the  Cucumbers 
were  planted  in  the  second  division,  though  the 
same  pipes  heated  the  part  appropriated  to 
Str,awberries,  &e.,  t.hey  were  kept  cool  enough 
when  flowering  and  settiug  by  giving  plenty  of 
air.  A  glance  at  the  section  will  give  an  idea 
to  every  gardener  to  how  many  purposes  of  pro- 
jiagation,  &c.,  the  part  next  the  curb  wall  may 
be  applied  in  early  spring,  after  the  Cucumbers 
have  been  placed  in  their  mound  of  earth  in 
and  are  now  as  good  aud  sound  as  ever ;  and  that  I 
partly  attribute  to  banishing  every  painting  and 
smearing  substance  from  them. 

U.  T  would  strongly  advise  every  amateur,  before 
commencing  to  build  this  season — as  economy  with  him 
must  over  be  a  principal  motive — to  turn  back  to  the 
section  .given,  page  3.i7,  in  No.  "i-J,  the  last  number  of 
the  second  volume,  in  which  it  is  shown  how  a  com- 
pound of  pit,  forcing-house  and  greenhouse,  are  all 
lieated  by  a  small  wooden-tank,  heated  by  a  small 
boiler,  with  two  iron  flanges,  the  communication  with 
the  tank  being  ke])t  up  by  two  leaden  pipes.  I  do  not 
think  I  ever  saw  such  an  ecouomical  arrangement.  I 
pop]iod  my  head  in  this  house  about  a  month  ago,  and 
the  sight  was  a  very  tempting  one.  I  wished  particularly 
to  notice — the  state  of  the  one-and-a-half-inch  thick 
boards,  composing  the  sides  of  the  boxes,  acting  as  pits; 
and,  thanks  to  the  arrangement  of  not  allowing  the 
earth  to  touch  them,  and  to  their  being  merely  planed, 
and  not  painted  or  smeared,  they,  as  well  as  the  tank, 
seemed  as  fresh  as  the  day  they  were  put  up. 

So  far  as  1  recollect,  there  was  something  very  sug- 
gestive in  the  wdiole  progress  of  this  house.  I  believe 
a  pit  was  to  be  heated  with  this  tank  with  tlie  assist- 
ance of  dung-linings  outside.  The  heating  power  was 
found  so  great  that  the  linings  were  not  merely  dis- 
pensed with,  but  the  walls  of  the  pit  were  removed,  and 
the  boundary-walls  of  the  linings  being  raised  were 
made  the  walls  of  a  small  house,  with  a  narrow  path 
round  the  tank.  Still,  there  was  plenty  of  heat  and  to 
spare.  The  back  wall  was  therefore  lowered,  glass 
sliding-sashes  substituted,  and  a  nice  little  greenhouse 
placed  at  the  back,  so  that  the  roof  of  both  places  has 
one  uniform  slope.  In  very  cold  weather  the  green- 
house has  at  once  the  necessary  temperature  by  sliding 
a  few  of  tlie  sashes. 

l;i.  Neither  in  the  houses  lieated  by  tho  above  wooden 
tank,  nor  in  the  ]iits  No.  1  or  No.  '.',  have  I  described 
any  mode  Ibr  heating  the  air  before  admitting  it  into 
tho   house,  as  so   properly  alluded  to   by  our  Corres- 


March  30. 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


005 


pondeut.  Tlie  fact  is,  I  give  but  little  oil-  in  coU 
weatlier;  and  when  very  cold,  b  small  quantity  keeps  up 
a  licaltliy  oirculHtion.  Were  1  close  to  a  coal  ])it,  I  woidd 
use  means  lor  carryiug-oiit  onr  CoiTcspondciirs  idea  on 
tliis  suhject  us  far  as  possible.  "VVitli  a  I'atber  low  tem- 
perature at  iiigbt,  there  is  less  danger  from  a  liigli  tern-, 
peratin-e  during  tbe  day.  Circumstances  must,  there- 
ibre,  otten  regulate  our  practice,  i'or  instance;  Ibave 
seen  splendid  Pines.tliat  were  grown  >inA  eapeemny  sv/eUed 
witli  a  minimum  of  air,  baving  a  liigli  temperature  in  sunny 
days,  and  witb  but  Httle  heat  in  pipes  or  flues.  I  have 
seen  as  fine  fruit  on  st'.ibbierplauts,  where  air  was  given 
in  abundance,  though  to  give  tliat,  tbe  heating  apparatus 
was  hardly  ever  out  of  use,  even  in  summer.  This 
abundance  of  air  yielded  more  returns  from  the  stubby 
luibit, in  a  certain  uuiuberof  feet;  but,  of  course,  against 
lliis  was  to  be  set  a  considerable  extra  amount  for  fuel, 
a  matter  of  less  moment  where  that  necessary  of  forcing 
or  growing  tropical  vegetation  is  plentiful  and  near  at 
hand,  but  a  matter  of  great  importance,  where,  owing  to 
civciunstancos,  tlic  fuel  bill  is  a  heavy  item  for  gardening 
expenses.  R.  Fish. 


ALLOTMENT   FARMING.— April. 

As  our  old  almanacks  had  it — "witli  tbe  farmer  and  the 
gardener  this  is  the  busiest  month  in  tbe  year;"  and, 
indeed,  it  is  equally  true  now  as  a  hundred  years  since ; 
liut  we  may  add,  that  since  those  days,  although  April 
occupies  tbe  same  position  still,  tbe  otlier  months  do  not ; 
they  are  every  one  much  busier  months  than  their  pre- 
decessors, owing  to  improved  practices,  together  with  an 
extension  of  objects. 

It  may  fairly  be  averred  that  the  chief  foundation  of  a 
sjicccs^fiil  ganii;ninff  year  muat  he  laid  in  Ajjvil.  Any  dawd- 
ling or  neglect  in  this  mouth  is  perfectly  irremedial.  There- 
fore, let  us  beg  of  our  readers  to  spare  no  pains  whatever, 
to  permit  no  excuses  to  come  between  them  and  their  plans. 
In  the  language  of  that  Book  of  books,  the  Bible—"  AVbat- 
soever  thine  band  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy  might." 
Surely,  tlie  past  long  and  necessitous  winter  will  have  taught 
tliousands  the  immense  importance  of  a  previous  summer's 
perseverance.  Those  industrious  workmen  who  plod  with  all 
their  might  in  their  allotment  or  garden,  and  who  live  near 
to  the  sluggard,  will  liave  had  ample  proof's  this  winter  of 
the  vast  beueflts  accrvting  to  a  family  through  tbe  industry 
of  a  good  father.  They  would,  in  the  darkest  and  coldest 
night,  amid  the  howling  of  the  wind,  and  tbe  battering  of 
the  tempest  against  their  windows,  look  back  witli  a  secret 
pride  and  joy  on  tbe  labours  of  the  past  summer — plainly 
attested  by  tbe  snug  fire,  with  its  kettle  of  useful  roots 
steaming  away  for  soup  or  other  compound.  Again,  then,  let 
me  challenge  every  reailer  to  screw  bis  courage  up,  and  remind 
him  that  his  own  family,  as  well  as  bis  country,  expect  that 
he  \vifl  do  his  duty. 

Now  let  us  see  what  are  the  chief  things  for  consider- 
ation at  the  beginning  of  April.  Mangold,  Swedes,  and 
Carrots,  must  be  first  thought  of,  and  I  suppose  I  may  add 
Potatoes.  Hoot-crops,  as  winter  stores,  are  always  with  me 
a  first  consideration.  Next  in  order  comes  the  providing 
plenty  of  Greens,  and  the  various  Cabbageworts  to  be  intro- 
duced, chiefly  in  mixed  cropping  for  autumn  and  winter  use, 
or  for  sale.  These  two  points  secured,  the  rest  is  composed 
of  smaller  matters  which  cannot  be  easily  grouped,  and  j 
which  we  will  simply  point  to. 

I  spoke,  in  Slarch,  of  the  prepai-ation  of  the  ground  for 
these  root-crops,  and  may  fairly  suppose,  that  with  the  ex- 
cellent spring  weather  which  the  kingdom  in  general  has 
experienced  for  several  weeks,  that  little  work  of  this  kind 
is  in  arrears.  Nothing  but  sickness  can  excuse  an  allot- 
ment holder  for  such  neglect.  To  those  who  are  behind, 
we  say,  if  the  ground  is  tolerably  dry  lose  not  an  hour  in 
getting  root  ground  ready ;  and  if  very  stubborn,  and  in  a 
neglected  state,  you  had  best  ridge  it  for  three  weeks,  and 
then,  seining  a  dry  time  after  this  small  fallow,  break  it  well 
down  with  the  fork. 


I  should  say,  that  as  a  general  maxim  I'or  allotment  hold-  '• 
ing,  the  gardening  of  cottagers,  &c.,  from  the  loth  to  the  ;i5th 
of  April  is  tbe  best  TI/rt/if/oW-soH'/jij  period  ;  aud  for  Swedes 
III  (jroir  where  Ihcijare  soini,  from  tbt'  1st  of  l\lay  to  the '-iOth. 
However,  these  periods, in  which  considerable  latitude  is  given, 
must  be  ruled,  in  some  degree,  by  the  condition  and  character 
of  the  soil  and  by  tbeweatbtv  ;  for  admitting,  for  argument's 
sake,  that  Swedes  or  anything  else  should  be  sown  on  tbe 
20th  of  May,  wiser  would  he  he  who  sowed  on  the  yoth, 
with  bis  soil  in  good  trim,  than  lie  who  sowed  on  the  20th, 
on  an  ill-worked  soil,  and  in  bad  weather.  This  argument 
applies  to  nearly  every  crop  v/e  have  to  deal  with. 

Siivdes,  to  transplant  after  Potatoes  or  other  croj)s, 
must  be  sown  according  to  the  period  in  which  they  are 
wanted,  although,  it  may  be  observed,  that  if  they  can  be 
grown  very  thin  in  the  seed-hed,  they  can  scarcely  be  too  soon 
sown,  as  they  transplant  well  wlien  they  have  bulbs  as  large 
as  a  duck's  egg.  They  should,  therefore,  be  sown  in  drills 
for  ti'ansplantiug,  and  thinned  in  the  drill ;  they  will  thus 
be  capital  plants,  and  jvith  good  management  may  equal 
those  sown  to  remain,  and  thus  an  exti'a  crop  be  obtained  the 
same  season. 

Care  must  be  taken  to  avoid  mildew,  to  which  this  crop 
is  so  liable ;  and  in  order  to  guide  om-  readers  as  to  a  pre- 
ventive, I  must  advise  them,  that  whatever  tends  to  check 
the  plant  whilst  in  the  middle  of  its  growth,  say  during 
.Tidy  and  August,  has  a  tendency  to  produce  mildew ;  there- 
fore, badly-worked  soil  is  one  of  the  chief  predisposing 
causes ;  such  soils  are  more  liable  to  be  affected  by  droughts, 
and,  moreover,  ofier  nuich  impediment  to  a  free  extension 
of  the  fibres.  Deep,  well-worked,  and  well-manured  soil, 
therefore,  for  the  Swede. 

Carrots. — The  larger  kinds  should  be  sown  at  the  end  of 
the  month,  if  the  ground  is  in  fine  order,  otherwise  they 
may  be  got  in  any  time  before  the  third  week  in  April. 
Blany  of  our  good  growers  are  partial  to  late  sowing;  they 
say  the  chances  of  the  grub  are  lessened ;  and  I  do  think 
there  is  truth  in  it.  In  addition,  the  Carrot,  when  young,  is 
a  most  tender  thing,  and  means  ought  to  be  taken  to  ensure 
as  rapid  a  growth  as  possible  when  above  ground.  It  is 
slightly  impatient  of  frost,  and  ought  not  to  be  above  ground 
before  the  second  week  in  May,  by  ordinary  culture. 
Here,  while  speaking  of  rapid  growth,  let  me  again  refer  to 
the  comjwst  so  often  pointed  to  before.  I  am  usiug  it  to 
almost  every  croji.  My  mixture  is  as  follows  :• — Peruvian 
ijaano  one  part ;  hm'ut  or  charred  ashes  three  parts  ;  soot  four 
jiarts  ;  and  old  rich  manare,  like  black  mould,  four  parts. 
This  is  all  thomift/h/if  mixed ;  much  pains  is  taken  in  this 
proceeding,  and  it  is  applied  liberally  by  hand.  All  my 
root-crops  have  alittle  manure  dug  rather  deeply  in,  and  tbe 
dressing  with  this  compost  applied  with  the  seed;  and  my 
object  is  twofold,  viz.,  to  establish  the  young  plant  quickly, 
and  to  provide  a  rich  and  moist  medium  at  a  level  beyond 
the  reach  of  droughts,  when  the  plants  should  be  enlarging 
much  in  bulk,  say  after  Midsummer. 

Potatoes,  if  not  planted,  must,  of  course,  he  got  in  im- 
mediately, and  what  little  manure  is  used,  let  it  he  old  and 
mellow.  Onr  readers  may  refer  to  other  advice  in  the 
number  for  March. 

Winter  Greens. — Nearly  all  that  class  of  vegetables  called 
Cabbageworts,  must,  as  far  as  concerns  the  allotment  bolder 
or  cottager,  be  sown  during  April.  Tbe  following  I  re- 
commend, and  their  importance  is  indicated  hy  the  order 
in  which  they  are  placed: — Green  Kale,  Brussels  Sprouts, 
Savoys,  new  Oabhaging  Kale,  Sproutinfj  Brocoli.  I  have  left 
out  GauUjhnoers  and  the  ordinary  Brocolis,  as  they  are  more 
of  a  luxury  than  profit,  unless  grown  for  market  purposes. 
CabhiKje,  too,  forms  an  exception;  those  of  a  dwarf,  compact 
kind,  should  be  sown  monthly,  beginning  in  March  and 
ending  in  August.  Two  general  sowings,  then,  should  be 
made  in  allotment  gardens  of  these  usefuls — one  in  the 
end  of  March,  or  beginning  of  April ;  the  other  about  the 
•-Jith  of  April ;  these  two  will,  in  general,  serve  to  meet 
every  reasonable  demand.  Those  who  wish  to  have  very 
larf/e  Savoys,  Kale,  &c.,  may  sow  in  the  second  week  of 
March,  hut  they  must  lay  their  account  with  having  to 
"  prick  them  out,"  as  gardeners  term  it.  I,  however,  think 
that  much  of  the  time  employed  in  these  extras  (which  just 
serve  to  astonish  for  a  moment,  or  cut  a  dash  at  our  ex- 
♦hibition-table),  would  be  far  better  employed,  in  these  needy 


50G 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  30. 


times,  in  deep  delving,  and  other  sncli  processes  as  serve 

I   to  liring  mucb  profit  without  extruortliuary  display. 

j        About  Lfjtliiccx,   Sphidrh,  KUiwij  Bcr(ns,  a  Cnrumhrr-hvd, 

I    Ac,  1  think  I  need  sny  little ;  oiir  readers  do  not  require 

amplification  on  those  nick-nackeries  every  day.     I  would 

t    rather  address  myself  to  the  question  of  prajil,  for  although 

it  has  been  the  fashion  to  cry — "  a  good  time  coming,  boys  ;  " 

a  cry  engendered  by  the  high  amount  of  commercial  jiros- 

perity  which  has  talcen  place  through  the  blessings  of  peace ; 

yet,  I  should  now  urge  that  this  cuckoo  cry  he  laid  aside  for 

awhile,  and  say,  there  is  a  serious  time  coming,  boys.  Leave 

off  ih'eams  and  visions  about  luck  ;  and  fall  back  on  that 

kind  of  moderation  in  desires,  perseverance,  industry,  and 

simple   and  single-minded  trust  in   Almighty  God,  which 

liave  characterised  the  ti'uly  great  and  good  in  all  ages. 

High  culture  must  now  he  the  aim  of  all  who  would  have 
a  good  garden ;  the  fork,  the  hoe,  and  the  spade,  must  he 
kept  a-going,  and  a  judicious  forethought  exercised  in  carry- 
ing out  such  operations,  always  having  regard  to  the  weather. 
A  prudent  and  dihgent  manager  of  a  plot  of  ground  wdl 
escape  much  of  his  ueiglihour's  extra  labours,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  attain  a  greater  degree  of  success,  by  joining  a 
good  head  to  a  sound  pair  of  hands  and  heels. 

Let  mo  here  repeat  advice  about  tlie  miimire-hcnp.  This 
is  no  trilling  aflfair  \vith  any  cidtivator  of  the  soil;  certainly 
not  with  the  cottager.  Sly  advice  is  this :  never  let  your 
manm-e-heap  get  hot — wai'ui  but  not  hot — say  about  the 
heat  of  new  milk.  Never  let  rain  enter  and  pass  through 
it  like  a  colander,  or  steep  it.  I  remember,  when  a  lad, 
hearing  a  lark  of  some  sailors,  who,  in  the  days  when  tea 
was  beginning  to  be  used  in  England,  took  a  fancy  to  try 
this  outlandish  thing.  They  boiled  it,  strained  it,  and  after 
pouring  away  the  liipior  dished  up  the  tea-leaves  with 
pepper  and  salt.  They  thought  it  poor  diet,  as  well  they 
might.  I  much  fear  that  many  use  tlieir  muck-heaps  little 
better.  K.  Ebeington. 

APIARIANS   CALENDAR.— April. 


By  J.  H,   Pai/iic,  Esq.,   Author  of 
Guide,"  itc. 


'  Till!  Bee-Keeper's 


With  the  present  month  the  apiarian's  anxiety  for  tlie 
preservation  of  his  bees  will,  in  a  great  measure,  cease,  for 
where  any  are  alive  and  in  health,  it  must  have  been  by  the 
most  careful  attention  in  feeding,  &c.  The  mortality  has, 
indeed,  been  very  great  this  winter ;  many  persons  of  my 
acquaintance  have  lost  nil.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  have 
not  been  so  unfortunate,  for  I  have  at  present  three  out  of 
fourteen  alive  ;  but,  perhaps,  the  most  trying  time  is  now 
approacliing,  for  tlie  hoes  are  aroused  into  activity,  and  tlie 
population  is  rapidly  upon  the  increase,  that  should  a  week 
or  two  of  cold  wet  weather  set  in,  the  few  that  arc  left  will 
he  in  great  danger,  unless  well-supplied  with  food  ;  and  at 
this  time  I  would  say  that  barley-sugar  is  the  best. 

Pollen.. — ^The  whole  tribe  of  Crowfoots  are  now  making 
their  appearance,  all  of  which  are  eagerly  sought  after  by  the 
bees,  hut  more  especially  the  Tile-wort  (Eanuiiculiis Jiinria), 
which  affords  them  sucli  an  abundance  of  pollen  during  tlie 
months  of  March  and  April,  and  which  abounds  in  meadows, 
pastures,  and  hedge-banks.  Seeing  ftn  abundance  of  it 
carried  into  a  hive  is  a  sm'e  proof  that  the  stock  is  in  a 
liealthy  and  tliriving  state  ;  but,  let  it  he  remembered,  tliat 
pollen  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  supplying  the  bees 
with  food,  for  they  will  die  from  starvation  with  the  combs 
filled  with  pollen,  for  it  is  only  in  the  larva  or  grub  state  that 
they  cat  it;  therefore,  if  the  stocks  have  not  astore  of  honey, 
go  on  to  give  barley-sugar. 

Hives. — It  is  now  time  to  have  a  supply  of  new  hives  for 
the  summer's  use,  for  by  no  means  put  a  swarm  into  an  old 
hive  except  it  should  be  one  of  last  year's  already  tilled  with 
clean  new  comb ;  this,  as  I  have  before  said,  will  bo  a  great 
help  to  the  bees. 

Wasps. — (Juccn  wasps  appear  to  be  more  numerous  this 
spring  than  usual ;  suffer  not  one  to  escape.  I  have  been 
fortunate  enough  to  kill  all  that  I  have  seen — a  good  syringe 
is  a  most  useful  instrument  for  the  purpose. 

AVater. — -Let  water  be  placed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  apiary; 
at  this  season  it  is  very  important ;  the  bees  must  liave  it, 
and  if  not  supplied  to  them,  they  will  go  to  brooks  or  ponds 
for  it,  where  many  of  them  will  be  drowned.  ' 


GAME  EOWLS,  AS  RECENTLY  EXHIBITED. 

PoTJiyriiY  Societies  had  been  for  some  time  established 
before  any  high  degree  of  excellence  was  manifested  in 
then'  Game  classes.  AMiafever  the  cause  of  this  falling 
short  in  a  race  of  fowls  possessing  so  many  good  properties, 
and  so  generally  kept,  whether  they  were  regai'ded,  from 
their  contentious  disposition,  as  unsuited  to  the  exhibition 
pen,  or,  from  motives  of  a  prudential  cbai'actcr  on  the  part 
of  their  owners,  were  kept  back  from  pubUc  notice,  it  will 
probably  be  admitted,  that  until  the  last  year  or  so  they 
have  not  on  such  occasions  been  worthily  represented. 

Eu-niingham,  however,  in  iSO^i,  amply  redeemed  any  past 
deficiencies,  and  the  stiiiing  improvement  in  their  classes 
then  efl'ected  was  also  in  a  greater  or  a  less  degree  shared 
by  many  of  the  other  exhibitions  of  that  year. 

In  numbers,  the  reds  have  usually  preponderated,  and 
of  these,  again,  the  "black-breasted"  seem  to  have  had  the 
preference.  The  plumage  of  the  latter,  indeed,  presents 
the  most  agreeable  combuiation  of  colour,  and  this  especially 
in  the  hens.  But  too  many  exhibitors,  and  sometimes  even 
those  wlio  ought  to  have  passed  their  noviciate,  have  much 
still  to  learn  in  matching  their  birds.  In  this  observation, 
we  do  not  merely  allude  to  birds  of  the  same  variety  with 
differently  coloured  legs,  or  unmatched  in  respect  of 
feather,  but  to  the  strange,  indiscriminate  jumbUng 
together  of  tlie  black-breasted,  and  the  oUier  reds.  Surely, 
in  neither  sex  of  these  several  varieties  is  there  any 
absence  of  characteristic  distinction  that  would  account  for 
such  confusion.  The  dusky  tints  of  the  hens  of  the  sti'caky- 
breasted  birds  and  the  gingers,  are  in  the  strongest  possible 
contrast  to  the  clear  light  hues  and  delicate  maiking  of  the 
black-breasted  hens,  and  in  the  cocks  the  veriest  tyro  can 
hardly  err.  Yet  hardly  an  exhibition  occurs  without  an 
instance  of  such  carelessness. 

The  Game  fowl  has  the  widest  licence  with  regard  to  the 
colom'  of  its  legs.  "White,  jellow,  slate  and  olive,  ar-e  liere 
all  admissible ;  the  preference  existing  solely  in  the  eye  of 
the  different  breeders.  Our  own  selection  of  the  white- 
legged  birds  may  have  been  influenced  by  the  merits  of  the 
celebrated  "Derby"  strain,  of  which  the  w'hite  leg  was 
considered  an  important  characteristic.  White,  or  yellow, 
however,  to  oiu'  own  eye,  have  a  decided  preference  over  the 
other  colours.  Fault  was  found  at  Leeds  with  a  decision 
that  gave  a  prize  to  a  pen  of  black-breasted  reds,  in  which 
the  cock  had  a  portion  of  the  sickle  feathers  of  his  tail 
white,  an  appearance  which  has  been  commonly,  Init  oiTone- 
ously,  thought  to  indicate  the  infusion  of  baser  blood.  But 
for  many  generations  this  peculiarity  has  been  frequently 
noticed  in  the  Derby  strain,  but  without  the  slightest 
evidence  of  either  deteriorated  courage,  or  of  delicency  in 
any  of  the  other  properties  of  the  Game  fowl.  We  should 
certainly  prefer  not  to  see  it ;  but  at  the  same  time,  we  would 
not  dwell  on  it  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  bii'd. 

The  white  and  pile  birds  have  also  boon  remarkably  good  ; 
but  for  such  perfection  of  feather  as  may  gain  a  prize  they 
would  seem  to  require  the  indulgence  of  a  good  country 
run,  an  advantage  that  many  of  their  present  exhibitors 
would  appear  to  be  destitute  of.  All  our  enquiries  have 
failed  to  connect  the  white  specimens  to  which  the  designa- 
tion "  Wliite  Indian  Game"  has  so  often  been  apphed,  with 
any  oriental  derivation.  So  far  from  it,  indeed,  that  they 
present  a  marked  opposition  in  point  of  figure  to  all  game 
fowls  of  really  Indian  origin  that  we  have  ever  met  with  ; 
for  tlie  heavy,  thick-set  proportions  of  the  latter  are  as 
widely  removed  from  the  peculiai-ly  graceful  symmetry  of  the 
common  white  Game  fowl  as  wo  could  expect  to  find  in  any 
sub-varieties  of  the  same  family.  These  white  birds  are,  in 
fact,  identical  with  the  "  Smocks"  of  om-  Midland  Counties. 
The  mention  of  Inchau  Game  fowls  induces  a  remark  that 
specimens  of  this  breed  arc  far  from  uncommon  in  the 
south  of  England,  and  around  I'lyniouth,  especially,  they 
have  many  adraii'ers,  in  whose  ranks,  liowever,  we  cannot 
consent  to  he  reckoned.  The  fine  clean  head,  the  graceful 
yet  powerful  neck,  witli  tlu^  extraordinary  muscular,  but  yet 
symmetrical  proportions  of  the  leg  of  the  English  bird  are 
all  absent;  and  although  we  m.<iy  gain  heavier  weights, 
these  Ijut  ill  compensate  for  an  ungainly  figure  and  coiU'so 
frame.  We  are  spealdng  of  the  Indian  Game  fowl,  properly 
so  called ;  for  in  more  than  one  importation  from  those  coun- 


March  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


507 


tries  we  have  seen  specimens  with  every  evidence  of  un- 
stained Kngland  blood,  the  descendants,  doubtless,  of  some 
of  those  birds  of  which  our  East  Indiaman,  in  days  of  old, 
had  largo  consignments. 

In  the  Uack  and  hmssij-u-Ui'jcd  classes  we  have  lately  liad 
many  birds  possessing  excellent  points,  in  respect  of  size, 
no  less  than  shape ;  they  appear,  however,  to  find  favour, 
comparatively  speaking,  in  the  eyes  of  few.  The  beautiful 
"  Furness  "  birds  of  former  days,  now  of  rare  occurrence, 
would  prove  acquisitions  to  any  show. 

Our  partiality  for  the  black-breasted  reds  has  been  ac- 
knowledged, but  we  should  be  sorely  put  to  it  for  reasons  to 
confirm  our  choice,  when  a  really  good  pen  of  Duckwings 
made  their  appearance,  prodded  always  that  they  .are  white- 
legged  birds,  a  condition  that  hai'monizes  best  with  the  ge- 
neral tone  of  their  colom-ing.  The  perfection  of  form  at- 
tained by  hens  of  Game  blood,  is,  probably,  as  frequently 
shown  in  good  specimens  of  Duckwing  hens  as  in  any 
other  variety;  the  delicate  oharacterof  their  plumage,  doubt- 
less, adding  materially  to  the  general  effect. 

Of  ijnys  and  bines  we  have  had  a  fair  proportion,  but 
not  in  such  form,  it  strikes  us,  as  would  bring  them  into 
competition  with  the  varieties  already  mentioned.  As  to 
the  Cuckoo,  the  blue  clean  fowl,  and  some  other  eccentrici- 
ties claiming  a  Game  pedigree,  the  mere  mention  of  them 
will  suffice  for  even  if  their  lineage  be  pure,  they  are  far  be- 
hind in  jjoint  of  feather. 

On  a  general  retrospect  of  the  Game  fowls  exhibited  in 
LSoo,  terms  of  high  commendation  must  certainly  be  em- 
ployed, and  a  manifest  advance  on  the  pens  of  the  previous 
year  mil  readily,  we  believe,  be  conceded.  But  still,  here, 
as  elsewhere,  there  are  numerous  instances  where  poultry 
associations  shoidd  direct  improvement  to  obvious  faults  in 
birds  shown  in  these  classes.  More  especially,  indeed, 
should  attention  be  drami  to  the  ob-vdous  infusion  of  Malay 
blood  that  has  so  often  disfigured  pens  pui-porting  to  con- 
tain Game  fowls.  On  more  than  one  occasion,  indeed,  full 
half  the  pens  were  summarily,  but  most  justly,  disqualified 
on  this  account ;  for  a  single  glance  is  sufficient  for  passing 
sentence  on  the  coarse-headed,  awkwardly-formed  fowls 
whose  parentage  is  attributable  to  such  a  cross.  The  evils 
of  mongrelism  are  seldom  more  conspicuous  than  in  birds 
thus  descended ;  and  there  is  such  an  entu'e  absence  of  any 
single  property,  or  characteristic  (unless  mere  weight  be 
so  considered)  benefited  by  the  misalUance,  that  we  are 
utterly  at  a  loss  to  imagine  the  notions  that  have  induced  so 
many  breeders  to  bestow  their  care  on  them. 

Pedigree  has  most  properly  been  stated  as  an  essential 
point  in  the  selection  of  the  breeding-stock  of  our  fowls 
generally ;  but  nowhere  should  we  be  more  cautious  against 
any  omission  of  this  security  for  the  exceUenee  of  the 
progeny  than  where  Game  fowls  are  concerned.  The  results, 
indeed,  of  crosses  with  other  strains  of  the  same  general 
family,  but  varying  in  point  of  colour,  seem  very  vmcertain, 
both  as  regards  the  duration  of  their  effect,  and  their  actual 
extent  and  application  to  the  progeny.  To  illustrate  the 
first  case  :  pile  chickens  are  asserted  to  have  been  thro\ni 
from  black-breasted  red  birds,  carefully  watched  and  guarded 
against  any  stain  for  upwards  of  ten  years ;  while  in  some 
experiments  of  our  own  during  the  last  yeai-,  Duckwings, 
perfect  to  a  feather,  were  bred  from  a  cinnamon  hen-tailed 
cock  and  a  Duckwing  hen ;  and  a  friend's  Duckwing  cock, 
again,  with  a  black-breasted  red  hen,  gave  as  good  a  black- 
breasted  red  ptdlet  as  could  have  been  desired.  But,  alas ! 
for  the  unfortunate  breeder,  who,  ignorant  of  them  origin 
and  pedigree,  had  taken  either  of  their  productions  for 
stock,  perfect  as  they  appeared  to  the  most  critical  eye. 
Hence,  however,  the  manifest  explanation  of  the  pile 
chickens  thrown  after  the  lapse  of  so  many  years  from  a 
black-breasted  strain  which  could  have  had  no  mtermixture 
in-  the  interval;  although,  in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a 
hundred  tlie  disastrous  consequences  would  have  been  far 
more  quickly  brought  to  light. 

Let  pedigree,  therefore,  be  enquired  into  with  the  utmost 
diligence  where  Game  fowls  of  pure  race  are  looked  for- 
ward to  as  the  tenants  of  our  yard  ;  and  this  rule  may,  also, 
profitably  be  extended  to  every  other  variety  of  our  domestic 
poultry,  though  recorded  instances  may  seem  to  require  it 
more  especially  in  the  birds  that  have  been  the  subjects  of 
this  present  paper. 


THE   TANK  SYSTEM   OF  HEATING. 

I  ittVE  just  seen  your  impression  of  the  lllth  inst.,  and 
find  that  one  of  your  cori"espondents  wishes  to  know  the 
best  material  for  preventing  the  leak  in  wooilen  tanks. 
Now,  as  I  was  the  first  to  recommend  the  tank  system, — ■ 
and  my  first  experiment  was  with  a  wooden  one, — I  think 
that  I  may  claim  to  know  the  best  modes,  having  had  a 
great  deal  of  experience.  I  should,  therefore,  recommend 
your  correspondent  (.7.  71/.)  to  have  the  joints  ploughed 
and  tongued,  with  shps  running  through  the  plough,  im- 
bedded in  ir/iilt:  lead.  No  water  will  then  run  through  the. 
white  lead,  and  then  four  good  coats  of  paint  over  the  entire 
surface  will  preserve  the  wood  for  many  years.  I  see 
that  you  recommend  Roman  cement,  but  that  will  not 
answer  at  all,  as  it  will  not  adhere  to  the  wood.  White  lead 
is  the  only  material  that  will  do ;  and,  with  proper  attention, 
a  wooden  tank,  well  made  with  good  seasoned  material,  the 
joints  well  put  together  with  white  lead,  and  well  painted 
every  three  years,  will  last  for  a  very  long  period,  and  is  by 
far  the  cheapest  of  all  tanks.  I  write  this  from  experience ; 
and  if  your  correspondent  requires  any  further  information, 
I  shall  be  glad  to  afford  it. — William  E.  Eendle,  Jiuyal 
Niiracries,  Ptymotilh. 


PULMONARY  DISEASE  IN  POULTRY. 
In  February,  185.3,  I  purchased  a  well-bred  Shanghae 
pullet  of  Mr.  Sturgeon's  breed.  She  did  not  appear  then 
of  strong  constitution ;  and  in  April  last,  in  consequence  of 
roosting  in  a  cold  house,  she  showed  symptoms  of  disease, 
exhibited  in  shortness  of  breathing  and  wasting  of  flesh. 
She  has  throughout  laid  well,  and  had  a  brood  of  chickens 
about  five  weeks  ago,  but  has  never  since  Aprd  been  able 
to  eat  dry  food  without  a  coiii/h.  On  Wednesday  last,  the 
21st,  she  appeared  to  labour  for  breath  exceedingly;  I  gave 
two  teaspoonfuls  of  castor  oil,  and  the  next  day  she  was  much 
easier.  The  following  day  she  again  grew  worse,  could  not 
eat  at  all  except  the  food  was  placed  in  her  mouth,  when 
she  swallowed  freely;  the  fourth  day  she  died  suddenly. 
On  the  'idih  of  September  I  had  her  opened ;  the  "  post 
mortem"  exhibited  sound  liver  and  all  other  parts,  except 
the  lungs,  which  were  totalti/  decayed,  indeed,  I  may  say,  in 
almost  3.  fluid  state,  and  on  the  left  side  of  the  lungs  there 
was  a  bag  of  solid  hard  pus  as  large  as  the  egg  of  a  bantam. 
I  could  not  have  supposed  that  within  four  days  of  death 
any  creature  could  have  walked  about  and  eaten  well,  as  she 
did  (moist  food),  with  such  a  disease  existing  in  the  lungs. 
It  is  well  to  observe  that  her  produce  has  been  fine,  but 
all  of  them  exhibit  a  delicacy  of  constitution,  and  several  a 
tendency  to  the  same  disease. — A  WxtTSHiBE  Incumbent. 


SUGGESTIONS   FROM  THE   GARDEN  AND 
THE  FIELD. 

By   Cuthiert    W.  Johnson,  Esq.,  F.R.S. 
(Continued  from  page  488.) 

EARTH    AND    WATER. 

Some  of  the  uses  of  the  metals  and  earths  of  which  the 
solid  portion  of  the  globe  is  composed  are  evident  to  every 
one.  They  are  necessary  as  a  resting  place — a  habitation 
for  our  very  existence.  The  same  remark  applies  to  veget- 
ables. The  Greek  philosopher,  in  fact,  considered  that  in 
these  consisted  all  the  uses  of  the  earth  to  organised  beings.' 
Chemistry,  however,  has  enabled  us  to  find  out  that  the 
use  of  the  earths  of  which  the  globe  is  chiefly  formed  is 
not  confined  to  their  mechanical  properties,  but  that  they 
enter  into  tlie  composition  of  both  animals  and  vegetables, 
as  essential  portions  of  their  composition.  There  are  only 
about  three  earths  which  chiefly  constitute  all  cultivated 
soils,  all  of  which  are  found  in  vegetable  substances.  Lime, 
united  with  either»the  phosphoric  acid  or  the  carbonic  acid, 
is  found  in  almost  all  vegetables,  and  these  substances,  when 
consumed  by  animals,  fm'nish  the  very  materials  of  which 
bones  are  composed. 

Equally  common  in  vegetables  is  the  presence  of  the 


508 


THE  COTTAGE   GARDENER. 


March  SO. 


earth  silica  (flint).  It  aliouncls,  for  instance,  in  the  Grasses, 
in  the  straw  of  Wheat ;  it  exhibits  itself  in  such  large  pro- 
portions in  the  Dutch  Eush  that  the  tinners  use  it  to  polish 
the  hard  woods,  ivory,  and  even  brass. 

The  earth's  aliunina  and  magnesia  (or  clay)  are  idso 
found  in  plants,  but  in  less  proportions  then  either  lime  or 
silica. 

One  great  use  of  these  earths  in  the  composition  of 
vegetable  substances  appears  to  be  to  impart  the  neccssaiy 
degree  of  hardness  and  strength  to  enable  them  to  support 
themselves. 

The  chemical  examination  of  the  earth,  is,  indeed,  full  of 
wonders.  The  mixture  of  different  soils,  for  instance,  so 
essential  to  the  production  of  vegetation,  and  so  universal 
on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  betrays  the  wisdom  of  the  ] 
Creator.  Three  earths — lime,  alumina  (clay),  silica  (tlint), 
constitute,  we  have  already  seen,  the  great  mass  of  the 
earth  we  inhabit,  are  present  in  all  soils  ;  two  of  them  exist 
as  necessary  ingredients  in  all  vegetables.  These  earths,  had 
chance  formed  them,  or  accident  thrown  them  together, 
would  have  been  found  on  the  earth's  surface  in  great  and 
distinct  masses.  Slountains  of  pure  alumina  would,  at 
least,  occasionally  have  been  found  by  the  side  of  or  piled 
upon  masses  of  pure  silex.  Sli'ata  of  pure  earths  would 
have  been  occasionally  distinct ;  the  di\"isions  separate  and 
defined ;  but  this  is  never  the  case  on  our  globe.  'J'he 
eartlis  are  invariably  found  mixed  together,  or  if  a  specimen 
of  a  pure  earth  is  disco\'ered,  its  rarity  speedily  entitles  it  to 
a  place  in  the  museum  of  the  mineralogist. 

Yet,  amid  all  these  endless  mechanical  mixtures  of  the 
earths  iu  all  soils,  the  chemist's  investigations  clearly 
inform  us,  that  without  this  mixture  no  plants  could  have 
existed.  No  vegetable,  for  instance,  will  grow  in  either  pure 
lime,  pure  almniua,  or  pure  tlint;  nay,  if  either  earth  con- 
stitute only  nineteen  parts  out  of  twenty  of  any-soil,  such 
land  is  worthless  for  all  the  piurposes  of  cultivation.  The 
mixture,  therefore,  must  have  been  made  from  the  creation, 
otherwise  no  vegetable  substance  could  have  flourished  ;  no 
plant  would  have  ripened  its  seeds. 

The  advantages  of  water  to  all  animals  and  vegetables  no 
one  will  doubt;  the  use  is  universal;  the  advantages  un- 
disputed. It  being,  then,  acknowledged  that  the  presence 
of  a  fluid  is  necessary  for  our  health,  and  for  our  very 
existence,  the  value  of  that  abounding  fluid  next  engages 
our  attention.  The  insipidity  of  water,  its  utter  tastelessness, 
lias  often  been  remarked  upon ;  had  it  been  formed  bitter,  or 
sweet,  or  acid,  how  nauseating  by  its  incessant  recuiTence 
would  it  have  become. 

It  differs,  too,  from  all  other  fluids,  in  being  operated 
upon  by  the  withdrawal  of  its  heat  in  a  manner  totally 
different  from  all  other  fluids  ;  other  liquids,  other  solids, 
are  contracted  by  the  withdrawal  of  their  heat;  they  become 
solid,  they  still  contract,  if  their  heat  is  still  further  with- 
drawn, but  this  is  not  so  with  water.  This  all-pervading 
fluid  contracts  by  the  loss  of  its  heat  only  to  a  certain 
point,  till  it  becomes  of  a  temperature  equal  to  about  40° 
Farenheit ;  itT:hen  ceases  to  contract,  and  as  its  temperature 
is  still  farther  lowered,  it  begins  gradually  to  expand.  Ice  is 
of  much  less  specific  gravity  than  the  water  of  which  it  is 
composed.  Ice,  therefore,  which  is  always  of  tlie  tempe- 
rature at  or  below  .'52'  of  Fai'enheit,  is  hence  made  to  float 
on  the  surface  of  the  water,  instead  of  sinking  and  re- 
maining undissolved  at  the  bottom  of  the  water,  which  it 
would  have  certainly  done,  had  not  the  Creator,  in  this 
case,  as  in  many  others,  made  provision  for  the  foreseen 
contingency,  by  making  a  deviation  from  the  laws  by  which 
all  other  fluids  are  governed. 

{To  he  ciintlniied.) 


CHEAP  GAITIES  FOR  A  GREENHOUSE. 

Being  forced  to  be  economical  iu  my  gardening  pursuits, 
I  have  been  trying  to  keep  a  cool  greenhouse  gay  with 
common  plants,  by  making  them  flower  sft  unusual  season^;, 
and  as  many  of  yom'  readers  may  be  in  the  same  position, 
I  may  give  them  the  result  of  two  experiments  I  made 
lust  year. 

I  took  a  L'jbr/ia  eriinfn  just  about  to  bloom,  in  July  last, 


and  cut  it  over  to  within  an  inch  of  the  soil.  It  started 
freely,  and  in  November  was  a  mass  of  blue,  in  which  it 
remained  till  the  middle  of  February, — a  most  valuable 
acquisition  in  these  dull  months. 

I  had  a  small  plant  (a  spring  cutting)  of  Salvin  fidijens, 
which  I  kept  back  with  the  hope  of  making  it  bloom  in 
winter,  but,  owing  to  the  want  of  sun,  probably,  the  flowers 
were  abortive,  so  I  gave  it  little  water  just  to  keep  it  sta- 
tionary till  the  end  of  .Januaiy,  when  I  gave  a  shift  into  a 
1'.' inch  pot,  and  now  it  is  two-anda-half  feet  high,  and 
covered  with  buds,  a  few  of  wliich  are  iu  bloom  to-day.  It 
will  be  gorgeous  before  this  is  in  type. 

I  do  not  think  the  Sah-'m  splcndcns  is  cultivated  as  it 
should  be.  It  is  very  valuable,  blooming,  as  it  does,  in 
winter.  Perhaps  you  or  others  might  recommend  other 
plants  suitable  for  similar  treatment.  My  greeidiousc  is  a 
"  lean-to ; "  the  thermometer  during  winter  1)5"  to  40"  in 
fi'ost. — G. 

[We  shall  be  glad  of  such  suggestions  from  any  of  our 
readers. — Fd.  C.  G.] 


WASPS'  NESTS. 


Queen  Wasps  are  about  appearing,  and  then  wUl  be  found 
the  nests  they  establish ;  and  I  think  it  will  be  of  service  to 
inform  the  readers  of  The  Cottage  Gakeexee  how  they 
may  talie  them  (no  matter  how  strong  in  number,  or  big  iu 
size  they  may  be )  without  ever  being  severely  stung. 

The  hot-water  system  is  by  no  means  a  safe  one ;  and  far 
less  a  sure  one.  It  may  do  occasionally,  wiiere  a  nest  is  so 
situated  that  an  abundant  supply  of  boiling  water  is  at  hand  ; 
but  let  several  nests  be  situated  half  a  mile  ofl'.  then  it  be- 
comes a  little  more  than  a  joke  to  get  boiling  water  that 
distanee,  aud  often  when  appUed  it  harmlessly  runs  down 
large  cracks  in  the  ground  as  fast  as  it  can  be  pom-ed  in. 
Another  plan,  equally  objectionable,  is  to  take  a  bundle  of 
straw,  a  pitch-fork,  a  mattock,  candle  and  lantern,  with  six 
or  eight  in  party,  and  so  proceed  to  the  place  of  conflict, 
when  a  portion  of  straw  is  lighted  and  placed  over  the  nest, 
aird  more  is  continually  added  to  keep  up  the  flame  ;  others 
are  labouring  at  the  same  time,  cndeavoming  to  exhume 
the  nest,  which  they  succeed  in  doing  sometimes,  and  some- 
times nol,  but  it  generally  terminates  with  a  severe  stinging, 
of  which,  in  bygone  years,  I  have  had  an  ample  share  ;  but 
this  mode  of  proceeding  is  not  at  all  applicalile  where  nesls 
are  situated  near  a  wooden  or  a  thatched  building;  but 
many  a  wounded  hedge-row,  for  years  after,  could  tell  the 
stroller,  as  he  passes,  that  hero  the  law  of  warfare  had  been 
carried  into  effect — that  is,  to  kill,  burn,  and  destroy. 

The  plan  I  have  to  propose  is  simply  this  :  melt  any 
quantity  of  brimstone  in  a  flower-saucer  ;  have  any  kind  of 
rags,  such  as  bits  of  worsted  stocking,  flannel,  or  carpel, 
fom'  or  five  inches  iu  length,  and  two  inches  wide,  and  dip 
them  well  in  the  melted  brimstone.  iUake  enough  of  these 
matches,  for  they  will  keep  any  length  of  time. 

The  next  tiling  is  to  find  the  nest,  or  nests,  which  may 
be  unfailingly  done  as  follows  ;  Suppose  the  fruit  they  are 
attacking  should  be  situated  in  a  confined  place  between 
buildings,  then  take  a  portion  of  the  fruit  and  place  it  in  a 
convenient  open  space  whore  you  can  command  a  clear 
\iew  ;  they  will  soon  find  it  out;  take  your  stand  close  by, 
and  w^ait  till  several  cargoes  have  been  taken,  cai'efidly 
marking  their  line  of  flight,  and  if  they  do  not  all  go  in  one 
direction,  know  for  certainty  there  is  more  than  one  nesl ; 
then,  to  find  them,  go  iu  a  straight  line  according  to  their 
line  of  flight,  and,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  I  believe  il 
is  an  unerring  rule  to  find  them.  I  can  now,  on  some  occa 
sions,  pretty  well  determine  the  distance  of  a  nest  in  this 
way:  first,  suppose  the  gmund  inclines  downward  in  their 
line  of  flight,  and  from  their  starting  point  they  piu'take  of 
this  inclination,  you  may  conclude  the  nest  is  lietween  you 
and  the  next  rising  ground.  Secondly;  if  their  inclination 
is  the  reverse  of  this,  rest  assured  the  nest  is  beyond  the 
valley  i}ing  between  you  and  the  rising  ground  beyond. 
Having  found  the  nest,  take  one  of  the  ju'epared  briniston'' 
matches,  a  lighted  lucifer,  and  spade,  and,  above  all,  the 
house  bellows.  Then,  within  a  short  distance  of  the  nest, 
light  the  match  at  one  end,  wait  a  little  till  it  is  well  lighted, 
then  place  the  lighted  end  at  the  hole,  and  directly  apply 


March  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENEB. 


000 


the  bellows,  blowing  the  burninf;  brimstone  steadily  into  the 
nest,  jjusliing  the  match  forward  towards  the  hole  as  fast  as 
it  is  being  eousuuied,  till  the  whole  is  blown  into  the  nest. 

At  the  commencement  of  this  operation  a  dismal  luiin- 
ming  noise  is  heard,  but  only  for  a  few  seconds,  when  all  is 
hushed  in  deatli.  No  matter  how  strong  the  nests  are,  so 
much  may  all  be  accomplished  in  two  minutes.  This  being 
done,  dig  out  the  nest,  and,  if  not  wanted  for  any  pm'pose, 
smash  it  with  the  back  of  tlie  spade,  and  the  work  is  com- 
plete without  a  sting ;  for  not  one  will  escape  to  tell  the 
tale. 

I  hai'dly  need  say,  this  business  had  better  be  attended 
to  after  dark.  If  the  nests  are  not  dug  out  tlio  embryo 
young  are  not  destroyed  by  the  brimstone  fumes,  and  in  a 
few  days  they  become  numerous  enough  to  attend  to  tlie 
wants  of  the  colony.  I  have  sometimes  taken  a  nest 
home,  and  kept  it  to  watcli  the  young  come  out  of  their 
cells.  When  the  nest  is  large  a  very  considerable  number 
hatch  daily.  For  many  years  piast,  people  tinding  a  wasp's 
nest  tell  me,  as  a  matter  of  course  ;  and  I,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  go  and  talce  tliem.  We  have  had  scarcely  any  liere 
(Hendon)  for  these  two  years.  Some  years  they  are  very 
numerous.  Tlie  most  in  number  I  ever  took  in  one  evening 
were  eight  nests.  The  above  method  does  ei^ually  well  for 
hornets. — W.  Bubgess,  Hendon,  Middlesex. 


BEEKEEPING  FOR  COTTAGERS. 

{Continued  j'rovi  pa(jo  491.) 

July.  —  Not  much  can  be  done  this  month  except 
keeping  the  hives  shaded  and  ventilated,  removing  supers 
as  they  fill,  and  watching  for  and  destroying  vermin. 
I'resh  supers  sliould  not  be  given  after  the  second  week  in 
this  month,  or  the  hives  will  want  a  great  deal  of  feeding  in 
October  :  this  chiefly  applies  to  garden  counties ;  in  heather 
counties  the  season  (as  already  oliserved)  both  begins  and 
ends  much  later. 

As  supers  are  removed,  the  piece  of  wood,  or  straw,  or,  if 
tlie  weather  be  liot,  the  piece  of  perforated  zinc,  should  be 
replaced  over  the  centre  hole  in  the  slock :  in  a  good  season, 
between  twenty  and  thirty  pounds  of  pure  honey  may  be 
taken  by  means  of  supers  :  this  honey  is  much  better  than 
that  from  the  stocks,  both  in  quantity  and  colour,  and 
fetches  a  better  price  in  the  market.  Karly  swarms  some- 
times themselves  throw  off  swarms;  these  are  called  virgin 
swarms,  and  the  honey  from  them  virgin  honey ;  they 
should  always  be  returned  to  the  parent  hive,  or  joined  to 
a  weak  stock. 

August. — The  directions  for  last  month  must  be  attended 
to. 

m.  As  the  services  of  the  di'ones  are  now  no  longer 
required,  and  as  their  consumption  of  food  is  considerable, 
the  bees  proceed  to  eject  them  from  the  hives ;  once  out, 
they  soon  perish :  the  numbers  lying  about  frequently 
alarm  the  inexperienced  beekeeper,  who  fancies  tliat  a 
sudden  destruction  has  come  upon  his  hives. 

c.  Begin  to  prepare  for  taking  up  extra  liives  :  ascertain 
which  of  the  hives  are  strongest  and  healthiest,  for  these 
only  should  be  ];ept.  Activity'  in  cai-rying  in  poUen, 
vigorous  blowing  at  the  entrance,  irritability  on  tapping  at 
the  hive,  a  sweet  and  luscious  odour  issuing  from  the 
entrance,  resentment  of  the  attacks  of  strange  insects, 
are  all  signs  of  health  and  strength.  Where  such  signs  do 
not  exist,  most  likely  tlie  stock  is  weak,  or  the  queen  has 
died  without  leaving  a  successor ;  such  hives  should  not  be 
kept,  but  joined  to  better  hives. 

Septemdek,  J). — Except  in  Iieather  counties  the  honey 
season  will  now  be  over,  and  the  bees  will  scarcely  get 
enough  to  keep  themselves  :  all  the  hives  in  the  Apiary 
should  be  weighed,  tlie  hght  ones  should  be  joined  on  the 
heavy  ones  next  to  tliem,  and  those  taken  up  should  be 
safely  stowed  away  or  the  bees  would  scent  them  ont  and 
deprive  them  of  their  contents. 

The  jjosition  of  the  pedestals  has  already  been  spoken 
of.  Where  they  are  placed  in  two's,  and  the  space  for  the 
third  has  been  filled  up,  and  you  have  a  stock,  first  swarm, 
and  second  swarm  together,  the  two  swarms  may  be  joined 
to  the  stock,  unless  the  stock  be  four  years  old,  wdien  it 


ought  to  be  taken  up  :  in  this  case,  the  stock  and  second 
swarm  should  be  joined  to  the  first  swarm  :  but  as  to  this, 
see  Section  0. 

If  tlie  depriving  system  has  been  properly  managed, 
very  little  will  have  to  be  done  in  joining,  except  with  tlie 
stocks  wlucli  have  been  allowed  to  swarm  prior  to  being 
taken  up  tliemseh  es. 

The  honey  from  these  old  stocks,  though  dark,  and  some- 
times very  much  mixed  up  with  brood-bread,  is  excellent  in 
flavour ;  the  best  way  of  dealing  witli  an  old  hive  will  be 
detailed  in  Section  (!. 

m.  and  e.  As  the  bees  become  less  active,  the  entrances 
should  be  gradually  contracted. 

{To  he  coniimied.) 


TO    CORRESPONDEWTS. 

***  We  request  that  no  one  \vill  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  Cotiage  Gardener,  2,  Aine7t  Corner,  Pafi-r/ioster  Ruw,  London." 

SpREKF.LiA  FORMosissiuA  (C.  IF.).— This  rorrcspondcnt  potted  a 
dozen  ol"  the  old  Jacoba^a  Lily,  and  set  them  in  the  warmest  end  of  a. 
greenhouse  Lit  the  beginning  of  last  November,  and  is  surprised  that 
they  have  not  grown,  and  asks  why  this  happens?  It  was  ordained  at 
the  beginning  that  this  bulb  should  rest  aU  the  whiter,  and  that  Tulips 
and  Hyacinths  should  rest  all  the  summer;  and  none  of  us  can  show 
that  either  section  has  ever  been  forced  to  violate  the  criginiil  liut. 
They  are  now  beginning  to  move,  aud  will  grow  on  till  stopped  by  the 
frost. 

OiiNAMENTAL  GRASSES  [R.  BI.). — All  Grasscs  are  highly  ornamental, 
according  to  some  ;  grasses  are  among  the  most  useful  of  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  cry  others;  and,  grasses  are  the  most  troublesome  of  weeds, 
according  to  a  third  creed.  In  short,  grasses  are  anything  one  likes  or 
dislikes — a  vexed  question,  which  Mr.  Wheeler,  of  Gloucester,  or  iMr. 
Sutton,  of  Reading,  and  the  rest  of  the  Grass  dealers,  are  the  proper 
jiartics  to  decide.  Except  Briza  viiijor  and  viinvr,  we  have  no  grass  in 
the  flower-borders,  except  here  and  there  a  patch  of  Pampas  gruss,  and, 
in  old  gardens,  the  Kibbon  grass  (Arundo  vemicotor). 

Kerleris  A'siatius  {Ibid),— 'We  do  not  know  where  plants  of  it  are 
on  sale.  Some  one  should  advertise  them,  or  for  them.  The  seeds  ripen 
in  abundance  every  year. 

FLO'WER-GAnDEN  Plan  [Moirii). — The  plan  and  the  planting  arc 
both  good,  and  will  look  much  better  on  the  ground  than  on  paper. 
Wc  liave  made  several  such  alterations  on  the  oT'ginal,  which  looked 
well,  but  are  not  so  sure  of  tlie  etfect  of  a  duplicate  with  a  leading  walk 
between,  but  it  will  be  very  gay.  The  original  was  at  Dropmore,  and 
was  published  iu  ISii/.  The  two  centre  figures  fur  Hydrangeas  and 
white  Fuchsias  are  not  at  all  improvements  on  the  original,  and  the  plants 
for  tliem  are  not  in  keeping  with  that  style— they  are  too  high. 

Hydrangeas  (Ibid). — They  will  grow  in  any  good  garden  soil,  if  it 
is  not  chalky,  or  in  peat,  or  in  a  mixture  of  both,  and  they  like  very 
rotten  dung.  Dentzia  gracilis  is,  and  Veronica  Lindleyana  is  not, 
hardy.  American  Groundsel  will  flower  the  first  year  from  seeds  ;  but  a 
bushel  of  this  seed  is  not  worth  three  farthings,  and  it  is  disgracetul  to 
the  trade  to  offer  such  seeds  at  all,  as  not  one  seed  out  of  five  thousand 
will  produce  a  double  flower  worth  looking  at. — D.  B. 

Stopping  the  Leader  ov  Firs  of  Spruce  (Ibid). — Stopping  the 
leaders  at  any  height  will  never  cause  one  of  them  to  get  bushy  where 
they  are  now  hare  ;  but  it  is  a  good  plan  to  keep  them  down,  and  to 
make  them  spread  on  all  sides. 

Cuttings  (Carig  Cathol). — Two  unsuccessful  applications  were  made 
on  your  behalf. 

Bees  {A  Surrey  Farmer). — The  plan  you  propose  of  having  your  first 
swarms  in  "  Improved  Cottage  Hives,"  and  to  work  these  with  supers 
and  glasses  on  the  depriving  system,  is  very  good,  only  that  your  hives, 
134 in,  by  11  in.,  are  a  very  bad,  and  to  the  bees  an  inconvenient  size. 
Payne''s  Hioes,  which  are  Win.  wide,  and  /-^in.  deep,  inside  measure, 
are  far  better,  and  are,  indeed,  the  best-shaped  straw  hive  of  the 
present  time. 

Bees— UNITING  Swarms  (W.  G.  H.). — It  is  quite  unnecessary  to 
destroy  either  of  the  queens  when  you  unite  two  stocks,  or  two  swarms, 
or  a  stock  and  a  swarm.  The  bees  themselves  will  decide  which  of  the 
two  had  better  die  for  the  public  good. 

Stephanotis  florib'jnda  Seed  (Campbell).— The  seed-pod  is  of 
no  use,  and  it  may  be  a  deadly  poison.  It  is  not  very  usual  for  seeds  to 
ripen  here,  and  some  botanist  might  wish  a  ripe  pod  for  examination. 
We  are  not  sure  of  the  time  required  to  ripen  it. 

Garden  Plan  (John  o'  Groat),— We  d®  not  recollect  the  plan  alluded 
to-  Your  iitrutvberries  were  not  nearly  ripe  at  the  end  of  the  autumn. 
"  The  worst  ones  seem  to  do  best,"  is  an  index  to  your  complaint;  the 
riper  ones  are  not  so  green  and  flourishing  as  the  unripe,  and  they 
do  better. 

Lantana  Sellowii  (A.  B.). — If  any  seedman  sent  us  seeds  in  the 
pod,  or  berry,  we  would  return  it  instantly,  and  at  his  expense.  Of  course 
you  must  rub  the  clusters  of  berry-like  pods  before  you  sow.  The  seeds 
are  small,  but  the  chances  are  that  you  have  no  seeds  at  all,  only  the 
seed-pods. 

Verdena-red  against  a  "Wall  (H.  G.). — Plant  I2(ibi7ison*s  Defi- 
ance at  the  back  for  training  against  the  wall,  and  let  the  rest  of  the  bed 
be  mixed.  But  why  refer  to  anybody  in  a  matter  of  pure  and  simple 
fancy  ? 


010 


THE  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 


March  30. 


Bedd!NG-out  Geraniums  in  Pots  (C.  A'.).— There  is  no  rule  for 
the  size  of  pots  so  used.  Small  plants  in  small  pots,  say  No.  43  ;  good- 
sized  plants  in  No.  32  pots;  and  larger  plants  in  pots  proportionably 
large.  Pots  which  would  do  for  the  plants  ia  the  greenhouse  will  do  for 
them  in  the  beds. 

Planting  two  Beds  where  Bdlbs  are  (Soloti). — Yes;  Mimuhts 
and  Heartsease  may  be  planted  between  the  Tulips  and  Narcissus.  It 
is  no  bad  idea.  To  the  second  query  :  Ko.  How  could  you  be  so  cruel 
as  to  kill  such  beautiful  Hepaticas  by  cuttinfj-off  their  leaves  to  make 
room  for  seeds.  Touch  not  a  leaf  of  them.  We  never  saw  a  really  blue 
Polyanthus  ;  a  grey  violet  colour  is  not  uncommon  amon?  them,  but  we 
never  Heard  of  a  true  blue.     Such  a  self  is  worth  something. 

White  Fe-^trers  in  Buff  Shanghaes  and  Black  Polands 
{Amicus  GaUi).—A  small  portion  of  the  primary  wing-feathers  of  the 
iwjf  and  cinnamon  Shanghaes  is  occasionally  marked  with  white;  but 
from  the  position  in  which  the  wing  is  carried,  such  markings  rarely 
meet  the  eye,  unless  the  bird  is  handled  for  the  examination.  As  a  gene- 
ral rule,  any  white  feathers  visible  on  a  buff,  cinnamon,  nr  partridge- 
coloured  ijhanghae  are  highly  objectionable.  The  white-crested  Btaik 
Poland  should  not  have  a  single  white  feather,  the  top-knot  alone  ex- 
cepted. In  giving  this  opinion,  however,  we  are  fully  aware  that  the 
presence  of  white  on  the-tail  has  not  always  been  held  to  disqualifv,  but 
there  appears  no  reason  why  the  presence  of  other  colours  should  be  any 
more  tolerable  in  this  instance  than  in  Spanish,  Black  Shanghaes,  or 
Black  Bantams.  As  to  the  top-knot  itself,  we  have  never  yet  seen  an 
"untrimmed"  bird  without  black  feathers  at  the  base  above  the  nostrils. 

March  as  a  Hatcuing-time  {Ibid). — Rlarch  is  a  good  month  for 
hatching  any  variety  of  fowls,  though,  wherever  exliibition  at  the  summer 
shows  is  contemplated,  an  earlier  period  is  chosen.  An  April-hatched 
bird,  however,  will  probably,  by  November,  be  fully  equal,  in  all  points, 
to  those  that  have  preceded  it  in  the  same  year. 

Mother  for  Silver-  spangled  Hamburghs  {Ibid), — A  large 
Shanghae  hen  would  be  too  heavy  a  mother  for  Silver-spangled  Ham- 
burgh cliifkciiB,  nnel  the  latter,  being  less  sturdy  and  independent  in  their 
chickenhood  than  the  former  race,  would  require  longer  maternal  super- 
intendence than  the  Shanghae  dame  wcmhl  probably  deign  to  afford 
them.— W, 

Writing  on  Zinc  Labels  ( ). — Scrub  them  bright  with  coarse 

sand-paper,  and  write  on  them  immediately,  by  the  aid  of  a  quill  pen, 
with  the  following  ink  : — 1  drachm  of  powdered  verdigris  (acetate  of 
copper) ;  I  drachm  of  powdered  sal  ammoniac  (muriate  of  ammonia) ; 
^  drachm  of  lamp  back  ;  10  drachms  of  water.  Mix  them  together  in  a 
two-ounce  phial,  and  shake  it  every  time  before  using.  It  is  ready  for 
use  as  soon  as  the  verdigris  and  sal  ammoniac  are  dissolved. 

Webs  on  Rose-shoots  (H.  Heli/ar).-^These  webs,  which  draw 
together  the  leaves  and  buds  of  Roses,  are  formed  by  the  caterpillar  of  a 
very  small  moth,  called  Tortrix  Bergmnmiiana  and  Argyrotoza  Berg- 
manniana  by  different  entomologists.  No  mode  of  destroying  the  cater- 
pillars has  been  found  out,  except  the  tedious  one  of  hand-picking.  Try 
what  dipping  and  stirring  the  shoots  in  white  Hellebore  powder  will  do. 
We  kaow  of  no  precautions  for  preventing  the  eggs  being  laid  upon  the 
bushes  by  the  moths. 

Feathers  falling  off  {J.  Brothers).-— The  feathers  falling  off  as 
described,  we  think  is  only  the  usual  spring  moult.  Keep  the  fowls  liber- 
ally and  give  them  also  plenty  of  green  food,  and  the  feathers  will  return, 
in  all  probability,  with  the  warm  weather.  We  do  not  understand  from 
your  note  that  there  are  any  wounds  or  ulcers  about  your  fowls. 

Silver  Hamburgh  Fowls  (Co/d  Brafield).— The  Spangled  are 
larger  and  rather  hardier  than  the  Pencilled.  In  other  respects,  we  con- 
sider them  of  equal  merit.  You  will  see  their  eggs  advertized  in  our 
columns. 

Food  for  young  Chickens  (B.  P.  T.)'~\Vc  have  recently  given 
directions  for  this  at  p.  431. 

Broodt  Hen  {J.  G.  B.  L.)— It  is  cruel  and  ineffectual  dipping  a 
hen  into  cold  water  to  cure  her  of  wishing  to  sit.  She  requires  a  ces- 
sation from  egg-producing,  and  ought  to  have  it.  If  we  do  not  wish 
such  a  hen  to  have  chickens,  we  let  her  remain  on  her  nest  for  ten  days, 
and  then  shut  her  up  for  about  the  same  time  in  an  outhouse,  without 
straw.     This  generally  is  sufficient  for  her. 

Glass  for  Greenhouse  {W.  0.  D.).—\Ve  should  use  the  ribbed 
glass.  The  Cottage  Gardener's  Dictionary  will  give  you  the  guidance 
you  require. 

Sea  Weeds  {Bessie). — Dr.  Harvey's  work  is  an  admirable  one;  the 
price  about  seven  guineas.  The  figures  arc  all  coloured.  Dr.  Lands- 
borough's  "Popular  History  of  British  Sea  Weeds  "  might  suit  you. 
Its  price  is  half  a  guinea.  The  Cottage  Gardoier^s  Dictionary  is  one  of 
the  most  useful  books  we  know.     Its  price,  8s.  6d. 

Ferns  [A.  C.  Close), — "Can  you  oblige  many  of  your  subscribers  by 
inviting  cultivators  of  Ferns  to  advertise  lists  of  such  plants  in  your 
columns.  One  knows  not  where  to  apply."  This  is  from  a  clerical 
correspondent,  and  we  know  that  to  advertise  Ferns  and  their  prices  is 
very  desirable  for  all  parties.    There  is  a  growing  taste  for  them. 

Black  I\Ialavs. — \V.  Lort,  Esq.,  Great  Heath,  near  Tenbury,  would 
be  glad  to  hear  from  M.  F.  G.  relative  to  those  birds.  Other  queries 
next  week. 

Hardy  Border  Plants  {W.  Itobertson). — Your  clever  countryman 
will  continue  his  essays  on  Evergreens  and  other  hardy  border  plants. 

Eggs  joined  together  [A,  Watts). — Whenever  a  hen*s  egg  system 
becomes  diseased  the  phenomena  are  very  various.  We  never  heard 
before  of  two  soft  eggs  united  together  being  laid,  but  we  have  seen  one 
egg  pinched  into  lengths  like  links  of  sausages.  Give  her  a  pill  of  one 
grain  calomel  and  one-twelfth  grain  tartar  emetic  every  second  day  for  a 
week;  and  give  her  nothing  but  soft  food,  and  i)lenty  of  green  meat. 
Keep  her  in  a  cool  dry  place. 
Name  of  Plant  {Rev,  R.  M.  B.).— The  Holly-leaved  Berberry,  Ber- 
.    beria  aqui/olin,  the  Mahonia  aquifolia,  as  it  was  called  at  one  time. 


Lameness  in  SnANcnAF.s  (G.S.B.).— It  is  probable  that  the  lameness 
in  this  case  arises  from  an  abscess  under  the  dense  fibrous  structures  of 
the  toe.  In  this  case,  a  free  longitudinal  incision  would  afford  great  and 
immediate  relief,  and  would  rcodily  heal  in  the  course  of  a  few  days.  It 
is  important  that  the  incision  should  not  be  made  acruas  the  toe,  as  the 
tendons  might,  in  that  case,  be  cut  across.— W.  B.  T. 


CALENDAPv    EOR    APRIL. 


ORCHARD  AND  FRUIT  GARDEN. 

Apples,  cleanse  from  blight;  protect  blossoms.  Apricots,  protect 
with  care.  Cherries,  finish  training.  Currants,  finish  dressing. 
Damsons  may  yet  be  planted;  thin  out  the  crowded  spray  in  the  in- 
terior. Figs,  remove  all  covering;  prune  at  the  end.  Grafting,  see 
that  the  clay  is  safe,  and  rub  off  wild  spray  betimes.  Gooseberries, 
beware  of  the  Caterpillar.  Insects,  check  vigorously  early.  Mul- 
berries may  he  planted.  Nectarines,  see  Peaches.  Plums,  finish 
pruning  those  which  blossom  on  the  young  wood.  Peaks,  as  P/u?;**; 
protect  blossoms.  Peaches,  use  the  cleansing  mixture  named  in  former 
calendars;  still  protect,  and  dishud  at  the  end.  Pruning  of  all  fruit- 
trees  may  still  be  done,  if  neglected  at  proper  time.  Raspberries,  pet 
tied  if  not  done;  top-dress.  Strawiierkies,  spring-dress  if  delayed. 
Staking,  attend  to.  Training,  complete  in  all  fruits.  Walnuts 
may  yet  be  planted.  Vines,  train  and  plant.  Phtnting  of  all  kinds 
may  yet  be  done,  implying,  of  course,  neglect  or  omission  at  the  best 
period.    But  every  winter  arrcar  must  be  brought  to  a  close  forthwith. 

R.  Krrington. 


FRUIT-FORCING. 

AiR-GiviNG,  attend  regularly  to,  avoiding  cold  draughts.  Bottom- 
warmths  renew  ;  "S'^toSO'^  are  safe  points.  Cucujibers,  attend  closely  ; 
stop  often ;  use  liquid-manure,  and  sustain  a  warm  and  moist  air — ~GP  to 
8fi^.  Cnii.iES  and  the  Capsicums,  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  top  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; 
every  thing  examined,  R.  Ebrikgton, 


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  .as  jlSschiDumthiis,  Avhimenes,  Hoi/a  bella,  Agahni/la  staminea,  and 
any  other  drooping  freely-flowering  plants.  Blocks,  syringe  daily. 
Dendrobioms,  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.  75'^  to  90^  by  &^y.  ^5°  to  70*^  by 
night;  the  Mexican  house  should  be  10°  lower.  Insects  will  now 
multiply  rapidly ;  use  every  means  to  extirpate  them,  and  prevent  their 
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  the  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  platforma,  walks,  and  walls  daily,  to  keep  up  a  large  amount  of 
atmospheric  moisture.  T.  Appleby. 

PLANT  STOVE. 
Acuimenes,  re-pot  and  divide,  if  required,  the  first  potted  hatch; 
■pecimens  may  now  be  made,  by  placing  several  plants  in  a  large  shallow 
pot  in  leaf  mould,  chopped  sphagnum,  and  turfy  loam.  ^^Cschynan- 
Tuns,  pot  and  train  to  a  globular  trellis  ;  these  make  fine  showy  plants. 
Air,  give  freely  on  all  favourable  occasions.  A:maryllises,  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  particles  that 
pass  through  the  sieve,  keeping  the  rough  in  the  jiit.andadiling  suflicicnt 
fresh  bark  to  raise  it  a  little  higher  than  the  level ;  do  not  plunge  the 
plants  till  the  heat  is  moderated.  Climbers,  dress,  tic.  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  as  to  form 
dense  handsome  bushes.  I\Ioistuee,  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.  Reii  Spider,  and  all 
other  insects,  diligently  destroy;  wash  the  flues  or  pipes  with  water  and 
sulphur  mixed  together;  lay  it  on  with  a  whitewash  brush.    Water, 


Makch  30. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAKDENER. 


Oil 


give  abundance  of  to  growing  plants ;  keep  every  part  clean  and  swpet, 
all  decaying  leaves  remove,  and  sifyiiigi;  the  leaves  of  the  plants  daily, 
especially  as  a  day's  briglit  sunshine.  T.  Acplebv. 


FLORISTS'    FLOWERS. 

AuRicoi.As  and  Polyanthuses  will  now  be  advancing  fast  into 
bloom  ;  shade  from  briglit  sun,  and  shelter  from  heavy  rains.  Carna- 
tions 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  floveer  remove  into  the  greenhouse ;  young  plants  re-pot ; 
smoke  frequently  to  destroy  green-fly.  Calceolarias  advance  a  stage 
byre-potting;  smoke  these  also  ;  frequently  the  green-fly  is  their  grand 
enemy.  Dahlias,  pot  off  cuttings  ;  some  that  arc  scarce  may  yet  have 
cuttings  put  in;  give  plenty  of  air  to  growing  plants;  old  roots  plant 
in  borders  towards  the  end  of  the  month.  Fuschias,  continue  to  in- 
crease by  cuttings,  if  required;  specimens  of  forms  by  repotting  twice 
during  the  month  ;  re-pot  old  plants  ;  shake  off  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.  Mimulusfs,  divide,  and 
re-pot  in  light  rich  compost.  ,Pansies  may  yet  be  planted  in  beds  ; 
stir  the  smface  of  the  soil  of  the  beds  planted  last  month.  Pinks,  cover 
bed  with  a  thin  mulching  of  very  rotten  dung,  stirring  the  soil  previously  ; 
sow  seed  of  either  in  the  open  border,  or  in  shallow  pans.  Ranun- 
culuses; if  the  soil  on  the  surface  has  become  hard,  st,ir  it  gently, 
breaking  the  clods  with  the  fingers;  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,  but 
expose  them  to  all  the  favourable  influences  of  mild  rain,  and  the  warm 
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  IVIarch  into 
a  hotbed  ;  water  gently  but  often  ;  sow  in  hotbed  ;  f  Hardy)  may  be  sown 
in  borders,  Slc,  to  remain  ;  thin  those  advancing.  Auriculas  in  bloom, 
shelter.  (Sec  Hyacinths.)  Supply  with  water  often;  those  for  seed, 
plunge  pots  in  a  sheltered  border,  where  they  can  have  sun  until  11 
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,  and  re- 
planted;  clip  Box  edgings.  Biennials,  finish  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,  1).  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  roll  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;  roU  after  rainy  weather  often. 
Hoeing  and  Raking  walks  give  up,  and  lay  them  down  in  concrete. 
Hyacinths,  shelter  from  sun  by  an  awning  of  matting  over  the  beds, 
from  nine  to  four ;  give  the  same  shelter  in  bad  weather  day  and 
night;  cut  flowcr-stallcs  as  they  cease  blooming,  and  take  special  care  of 
leaves.  Insects,  destroy  with  tobacco  smoke,  or  hellebore  powder,  or 
dusting  of  Scotch  snuff.  I\Iignonette,  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  e.irth 
to,  if  not  done  last  month  ;  shift  into  larger  ;  water  freely.  Perennials, 
those  sown  last  spring  may  still  be  planted,  and  propagated  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-  I 
ing.  Ranunculuses,  water  freely,  and  press  the  earth  very  hard 
between  the  rows.  Roses,  thin  buds  where  very  abundant :  watoh  for 
grubs  in  the  buds,  and  crush  them  ;  make  cuttings  of  Gloire  de  RosamtJie  I 
to  bed  next  year.  Tobacco  Water,  use  to  destroy  tlie  aphides,  by 
dipping  the  shoots  in  it  where  the  insects  are.  Prepare  for  a  large  stock 
of  common  Capsicums  to  supersede  tobacco  for  kilHng  insects.  Take  i 
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 


the  impressa  ;  hpacinthiflora  ha»  much  larger  flowers,  but  the  colour  is 
duller;  do  not  be  afraid  to  cut  back  such  planis  freely;  and  if  you  cnn 
give  them  a  closer  atmosphere,  and  10'^'  higher  temperature  than  the 
greenhouse,  it  will  cause  them  to  break  better.  FuscuiAs,  water  the 
forward  ones  freely;  finnignii:  with  toliacro  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  Achimenes,  and  most  plants  with  scaly 
and  bulbous  tubers.  Those  who  have  pits  and  frames,  and  no  grecn- 
Iiouse,  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  Ho'^ea  and  Chomzema  tribes  will  require  similar 
care,  and  then,  with  good  drainage  and  plenty  of  water,  there  will  be  no 
danger.  Prepare  for  general  potting  by  getting  soil,  pots,  ike,  in 
good  order,  but  do  not  let  a  plant  wait  for  a  time  when  it  wants  atten- 
tion. Propagate  by  seed,  roots,  cuttings,  inarching,  and  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  jiot; 
for  these,  as  well  as  striking  cuttings  of  tender  plants,  inarching,  and 
graffing,  a  sweet  hotiied  would  not  be  desirable.  Seedlings,  remove 
as  soon  as  possible  from  the  seed-pans,  and  prick  them  out  singly,  espe- 
cially if  thick.  Sow  Balsams,  Cockscombs,  Thunbergias,  &c.  Pot  the 
vRriniis  Achimenes,  and  introduce  tubers  for  a  succession.  Remove  de- 
cayed Leaves.  SUr  and  loosen  the  suface  noil.  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  wdiere  vigorous 
growth  is  required  in  pots,  and  in  all  cases  of  plants  Tor  vases,  beds,  &c., 
where  it  is  desirable,  they  should  be  as  large  as  possible  by  the  middle  of 
May.  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 
during  the  day,  the  fruit  may  be  obtained  a  month  earlier  than  in  the 
open  air;  keep  the  plants  rather  dry  until  the  flower  trusses  show  them- 
selves boldly,  then  water  freely.  R.  Fisii. 


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 
syriripe  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  I 
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  cncourai^e  prowth,  and  shortly  afterwards  re-pot  I 
if  necessary.     Calceolarias,  Cinerarias,  Prui  roses,  Cytisus,  &r.,  . 
assist  witli  manure-water,  weak,  but  given  often.     Cactus,  thelatekinds  { 
water  at  the  roots,  after  swelling  the  stems  by  syringing.     Conserva- 
.  TivE-WALL  Plants  prune,  train,  and  protect,  more  to  keep  off  the  sun  i 
at  first  than   the  cold.      Cuttings,  insert;    place  in  hotbed  or  shady 
place  according  to  kinds.  Climbers,  regulate.  Epacrises  and  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,  kfeep  in  the  airiest  part. 
For  winter  blooming  of  the  reddish-tinted  kinds  of  Epacris,  none  excels 


KITCHEN    GARDEN. 

Let  the  head  and  the  hands  work  together;  be  on  the  alert  to  any 
sowings  that  ought  to  have  been  performed  last  month.     Alexanders, 
sow,  b.      Angelica,  sow,  or  (ilant  out  autumn  sown.     Artichokes, 
plant  and  dress  off.    Asparagus,  sow  or  plant ;  dress  off  beds,  b.;  attend 
that  in  forcing,  water  with  liquid-manure-water  once  a  week.      Balm, 
plant.     Basil,  sow  main  crop  on  gentle  hotbed.     Beans,  plant  in  suc- 
cession ;  attend  to  earth-stirring  the  growing  crops.     Beet,  of  cither 
kind,  sow,  m.     Borecoles,  sow,  and   leave   for  seed.     Brocoli,  sow 
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  Boakings  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  sttend 
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,  or 
I   plant  out  old  roots.     .Terusalem  Artichokes,  plant  without  delay. 
j    Kalk  (Sea),  sow,  or  plant,  b. ;  carefullj-  fork  ovw  old  beds.     Kidney 
I    Beans  (Dwarf),  sow,  b.,  where  hand-glasses  are  at  command;  if  not, 
sow,  e.;  and  Scarlet  Run7iers,  e.     Lavender,  plant.     Leeks,  sow,  b. 
Lettuces,  sow  in  succession  once  a  fortnight,  and  plant  out;  earth- 
stir  among  often.      Marigold,  sow.      ]\Iarjoram  (Sweet),  sow  main 
I  crop  on  gentle  hotbed;  {Commtni  Garden),  \i\iix\t.     ]\Ielons,  sowin  suc- 
j  cession;  pot  off;  ridge  out ;  attend  to  topping  and  thinning-out,  weekly, 
I  the  early  crops.     BIustard  and  Cress,  sow  in  succession,  where  re- 
i  quired.     BIushroom-beds,  make,  and  attend  to.     Nasturtiums,  sow. 
I   Onions,  sow  main  crop,  b.,  if  not  done  before.     Underground  or 
I   Potato  Onion,  plant  without  delay,  also  the  Tree  Onion.     Parsley, 
j  sow  of  either  kind;   leave  for  seed.      Parsnips,  sow  without  delay. 
Peas,  sow  in  succession;    attend   to   sticking,  &c. ;    let  them  be  well 
I  basined  up  before  sticking  on  light  soils  to  aid  the  watering.     Penny 
;   Royal,  plant  in  a  cool   situation.      Potatoes   in  frames,   attend   to. 
j   Radishes,  sow  in  succession;  attend  to  thinning  young  crops.     Rape, 
I  sow.     Rhubarb,  sow  or  plant;  bring  forward  by  inverted  pots  or  tubs 
over   old  crowns.      Rue,  plant.     Savoys,  sow.      Salsafy,  sow  main 
crop,  e.      ScoRzoNERA    and    Skierets,    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  Saint  Mary  Kalendar;  and  Published  by  William 
Somervillk  Ore,  of  Church  Hill,  Walthamstow,  in  the  County  of 
Essex,  at  the  Office,  No.  2,  Amen  Corner,  in  the  Pariah  of  Christ 
Church,  City  of  London.— March  30th,  1854. 


THE  COTTAGE  GAllDRNER.— ADVKKTrSEMENTS. 


THE  BRITISH  ECONOMICAL  MANUEE  COM- 

PANV  supplies  in  any  quantity  THK  "  KCONOflllCAL  MANURE," 
a  complete  and  liy  far  the  clicappst  suljstitutc  for  Guano. 

I5  to  li  cwt.  per^ere  of  this  powerful  I\hmurc  costing  15s.  tn  I8s.,  is 
ample  (more  must  not  be  used],  and  equals  3  cwt.  f»f  the  best  Peruvian 
Guano,  thus  saving  at  least  sn  per  cent.,  besides  carriage,  &c. 

The  agricultural  world  is  respectfully  ur^cd  to  read  the  hundreds  of 
Testimonials  from  all  parts  of  Esgla.mj,  Scotland,  and  Walks, 
FHA^■CE,  Belgium,  and  Spain,  to  be  convinced  that  this  Manure 
warrants  especial  and  immediate  attention.  They  prove  that  it  gave  most 
wonderful  results  last  year  on  everv  soil  and  crop,  far  surpassing  the  cx- 

I    pectations  of  the  purchasers,  the  dampness  of  this  climate  and  the  cold- 

I    nesa  of  the  soil  peculiarly  favouring  its  action  on  the  vegetation. 

No  one  reading  the  Company's  pamphlet  can  doubt  its  being  by  far 

1  the  cheapest  of  all  Manures.  In  fair  comparative  triids  on  every  kind  of 
soil  and  crop  with  guano,  dung,  and  other  long  recoi^iniscd  fertilizers,  it 

I  will  be  seen  the  "Economical"  was  superior,  that  it  proved  most 
valuable  for  fruit-trees,  sbrub-;,  and  garden  purposes,  and  [iroduccd  the 
most  astonishing  ctl'ccts  ui>on  nv.uiurc-heaps,  applied  in  solution,  de- 
composing in  liltecn  days  all  vegetaljle  matter,  peat  included,  and  that  it 
is  a  perfect  deodoriser  for  liquid  manure,  besides  enhancing  its  fertilizing 
properties. 

It  is  the  result  of  many  years  labour  of  an  eminent  Foreign  Agricul- 

^    turist,  the  Director  of  the  Government  Schools  of  Agriculture  in  bis  own 

j    country,  and  of  high  reputation  as  a  chemist.     It  is  patented,  and  is  one 

'    of  the  most  useful  and  greatest  discoveries  of  tbo  day. 

1        Pjv'ce  rj.s-.  7J/'r  oH'i.,  packages  included,  and  delivered  free  on  rail   or 

i    wharf  in  London. 

•  The  Company's  iJ:imphlet  containing  the  Testimonials,  directions  fur 
use,  and  all  particulars,  also  samples,  to  be  had  at  the  Offices,  No.  JO, 
Mark  Lane,  Lane,  London,  or  sent  on  u])plving  to 

BENJAMIN  COVENET,  Mau.i-er. 
Good  Ap;ents  wanted.     An  allowance  to  the  trade. 


V/AITTSD  IMMEDIATELY,  the  Address  of  any 

Gardener,  or  his  Emplover.  wishing  t.i  have  'free  l)y  pn«r)  Piittenis,  wi:- 
prices  and  particulars,  of  HAVTHORN'S  HEXAGON  GAltUEN  NET 
patronised  by  the  Nobility,  Clergy,  Gentry,  and  all  the  principal  Gar^ 
deners.  The  best  and  cheapest  article  for  the  protection  of  bloom,  fruit, 
and  ilowcrs.  from  frosts,  birds,  wasps,  flies,  children,  aud  servants;  and 
also  for  placing  on  Hothouses. 

Letters  and  orders  to  be  directed  to  J.  \Y.  HAVTHORN,  Notting- 
ham. Parcels— Carriage  paid  to  London,  Liverpool,  Leeds,  Bristol 
Hull,  &c. 


Manuers. — At  a  time  when  one  *>f  the  farmer's  greatest  needs  is  a 
want  of  Manure,  we  think  we  shall  be  doing  nothing  more  than  our  duty 
in  calling  his  attention  to  where  he  may  look  for  a  supply.  It  would  be  a 
step  in  the  right  direction  to  make  himself  more  or  less  independent  of 
those  who  appear  so  little  inclined  to  aci:omnit)date  him.  Willi  this  view 
he  might  surely  test  the  wares  of  olbers  more  anxious  to  have  bis  support. 
In  another  column  will  be  found  the  prospectus  of  the  British  Economi- 
cal Manure  Company  ;  an  undertaking  that  appears  already  to  have  ob- 
tained some  position,  and  that  has  the  names  of  many  well-known 
.agriculturists  ready  to  speak  to  the  merits  of  the  article  it  supplies. — 
Mark  Lane  ICrpreas, — inth  Fehrunvi). 

ATKIMSOH   &   BAEKER'S  EOYAiTI^FaStS 

PRESEHVATIVE.—  MOTHEIIS,  call  at  your  Druggist's,  or  our  Agents, 
aud  purchase  a  bottle  of  the  above.     It  is  the  Best  Medicine   in 

THE  WORLD  rOK  INFANTS  AND  YOUNG  CHILDREN  for  the  prevention 
and  cure  of  those  D1S0HDER5  incident  to  infants;  affording  instant 
RELIEF  IN  Convulsions,  Flatulency,  Affection?,  of  the  Bowels,  Diffi- 
cult Teething,  &o.,  &c.,  and  may  be  given  with  safety  immediately 
after  bir(,h.  It  is  no  nnsuomer  Cordial  ! — no  stupefactive  deadly  nar- 
cotic!  but  a  veritable  preservative  of  Infants  I  Mothers  would  act 
wisely  in  alwuva  keeping  it  in  the  nursery. 

Prepared  onlv  by  ROBERT  BARKER,  Bowdon,  near  Manchester 
fCniiMisT  TO  Her  RFosT  Gracious  1\Iajesty  Queen  Victoria),  in 
Bottles  at  Is  lAd,  lis  i)d,  aud  4s  6d  carh. 

Caution  !  — Observe  the  names  of  "ATKINSON  it  BARKER"  on 
the  Government,  stamp. — Established  in  the  Year  l/f):*. 

FEUIT  TEEES,   POULTEY,   EABBIT,    SHEEP^ 

AND  CAT  FENCING.— Worsted  Netting  to  protect  the  Bloom  of 
P^aeh,  Nectarine,  and  other  Trees,  Flower,  or  Seed  Beds,  from  Frost, 
Blight,  and  Birds.  2  yards  wide,  5d  per  yard.  NEW  TWINE  NET- 
TING, {Tanned  if  required).  One  yard  wide,  \^A.  per  yard;  Two  yards 
wide,  3d  per  yard;  four  yards  wide,  (id  ;  Half-inch  Mesh  ditto  2  yards 
wide  6d  per  yard.  TANNED  NETTING,  two  or  three  yards  wide,  l.^d 
per  yard;  Four  or  six  yards  wide,  3d  per  yard,  or  5s  per  100  yards,  one 
vard;  10R])crlO0  vards.  two  vards  ;  and  2lis  per  100  yards,  four  yards 
Wide.  ELASTIC 'HKXLA.GON  GARDEN  NET,  or  Scrim  Canvass, -l^d 
per  square  yard.  COCOA  NUT  FIBER,  or  Hemp  Sheepfolding  Net, 
of  superior  quality,  four  feet  high,  4fl.  to  Gd.  per  yard.  Rabbit  Net, 
fuur  feet  wide,  l^d;  six  feet  wide,  2id;  eight  feet,  3d  per  yard.  Each 
Edge  Corded,  Id  per  yard  e.\:tra,  suitable  for  Poultry  Fencing.  Square 
Mesh  Cricketing  Net,  fix  its  full  width  and  length,  made  of  stout  cord, 
3d  in  4d  per  square  yard ;  this  is  the  best  article  made  for  fencing, 
against  fowls,  cats,  i<jc.. 

At  W.  CULLINGFORD'S,  1,  Edmund  Terrace,  Balls  Pond  Road, 
Islington,  London.  Orders  by  Post,  with  Post  Office  Order  or  Town 
reference,  punctually  attended  to.  The  Trade  supplied.  Fishing  Nets 
of  all  kinds  in  stock.  Nets  made  to  order.  Tents,  I\Iarquccs,  Rick 
Cloths,  Tarpaulin,  Lines,  Rope,  Twine,  S:c.  made  to  order. 


SCYTHES. -BOYD'S    PATENT    SELF-ADJUST- 

ING  SCVTHE  will  last  out  three  of  the  ordinary  sort,  and  is  always 
ready  for  use.  "  We  have  seen  this  scythe  at  work,  and  can  strongly  re- 
commend It."— See  Mark-lane  E.\prcsB,  May  l6,  1853.  To  bo  had  of 
every  IronmonRcr  and  Nurseryman  in  the  kingdom,  and  wholesale  and 
retail  of  WM.  DKAY  and  Co.,  Agricultural  Implement  Makers,  Swan- 
lane,  London. 


IIOETICiJLTUEAL  BUILDING  AIJB  HEATING 

BY  HOT  WATER.  Wairanted  best  Materials  and  Workmanship,  at 
the  lowest  possible  prices. 

J.  WEEKS  A' Co.,  King's  Road,  Chelsea,  Horticultural  Architects, 
Hothouse  Builders,  and  Hot-water  Apparatus  Manufacturers.  The 
Nobility  and  Gentry  aboutto  erect  Horticultural  Buildln'.is,  or  the 
Hot-water  Apparatvts,  will  find  at  our  Hothouse  ^\'orks,  Kios's  Road, 
Ch'-Iscu,  an  extensive  variety  oi'  Hothoubcs,  Grecnhuuaes,  Conserva- 
tories, Pits,  &c.,  erected,  and  in  full  operation,  corrbining  all  modern 
irapr;.vc!uents,  so  that  a  lady  or  gentleman  can  select  the  iletcription  of 
House  bcht  adapted  for  every  required  purpose.  The  Hot-water  Ajipa- 
ratuses  (v/hich  are  edicient  and  economical),  arc  particularly  wortliy 
of  attention,  and  are  erected  in  all  the  Houses,  Pits,  Kc,,  for  both  Tup 
and  Bottom  Heat,  and  in  constant  operation  in  the  Stoves.  The 
splendid  collection  of  Stove  and  Greenhouse  Plants  are  in  tlic  hi|;liest 
state  of  cultivatifin,  aud  for  sale  at  very  low  prices.  Also,  a  fine  col- 
lection of  strong  Grape  Vines  in  pots  from  eyes,  all  tlic  lu-st  sorts. 
Plans,  Models,  and  Estimates  of  Horticultural  Buildings;  also.  Cata- 
logues of  Plants,  Vines,  rieeds,  &c..  forwarded  on  application. 
.1.  WEEKS  fi  Co..    King's   Road  r.helse:i.    London. 

ALLSOPFS    PALE    or"EITTEE  ALE.-Messrs. 

S.  ALLSOPPand  SONShcg  to  inform  the  THAUE  iha(  ihey  ;tre  now 
registering  orders  for  the  March  Brcwintrs  of  thoir  PALIO  v\LI-'.  in  Ca-iks 
of  IS  Gallons  and  upwards,  at  the  BREWERV,  Bur(on-on- Trent ;  and 
at  the  under-tnentioned  Branch  Establishments:  — 

LONDON,  at  61,  King  William-street,  Citv  ; 

LIVERPOOL,  at  Cook-street ; 

MANCHESTER,  at  Ducie-place ; 

DUDLEY,  at  the  Burnt  Tree  ; 

GLASGOW,  at  115.  St.  Vinccnt-street 

DUBLIN,  at  I.  Crampton-quay  ; 

BIRMINGHAM,  at  Market  Hall; 

SOUTH  WALES,  at  13  King-street,  Bristol. 
l\ressrK.  ALLSOPP  and  SONS  take  the  opjiortunifv  of  announcing  to 
PRIVATE  FAMILIES  that  their  ALES,  so  strongly  recommcnried  by 
thft  medical  profession,  raav  he  procured  in  I>'IAUGHT  and  UO'lTLKS 
GENUINE  from  all  the  most  RESPECTABLE  LICENSED  VIC- 
TUALLERS, on  *'  ALLSOPP'S  PALE  ALE"  being  specially  asked  for. 
When  in  bottle,  the  genuineness  of  the  label  can  be  ascertained  by  it 
having  *'  ALLSOPP  and  SONS"  written  across  it. 

BAKEr¥pOTJLTEY  RESTORATIVK^A  Certain 

Cure  for  all  Diseases  of  Poultry,  Pheasants,  SiC,  and  most  n.-spccially 
valuable  as  a  Preventative,  for  imparting  vigour  and  high  condition. 

MESSRS,  B.  recommend  it  with  great  confidence,  as  they  have 
themselves  used  it  for  many  years  with  the  greatest  success.  The 
Restorative  is  in  a  Liquid  and  in  Pills,  and  one  aniongst  its  numerous 
advantages  is  the  simple  manner  in  which  it  is  administered,  and  will  be 
found  invaluable  to  all  breeders  and  keepers  of  Poultry. 

The  Pills  and  Bottles  2s  6d  each,  with  full  directions. 
S.  C.  &  C.  N.  BAKER.  Halt-Moon  Passage,  Gracechurch  Street. 

GLENEIELD"  PATENT   STAEGKr  used  in  Ihe 

Royal  Laundry;  Wotherspoon's  Machine-made  Lozenges  and  Comfits, 
packed  in  neat  4  oz,,  Soz.,  iti  oz.,  and  7  lb.  Boxes,  free  from  cohmring 
matter,  which  is  so  much  objected  to  ;  Scotch  Marmalade,  .lams  and 
Jellies,  now  so  universally  known  for  fine  (|uality,  prepared  by  Steam 
Power,  for  Home  use  and  Exportation.     Sold  bv  all  Shopkeepers. 

London—WOTHERSPOON,  MACKAY,  &'Co.,  (56,  Queen  Street, 
■  Chcapside. 

Glasgow— ROBERT  WOTHERSPOON  and  Co..  4li.  Dunlop  Street. 

FOOi)    EOE   PIGS.— Eice  Meal  is  now  acknow- 

ledgcd  to  be  the  best  and  cheapest  Food  lor  Pigs.  It  is  now  being 
extensively  used  by  the  largest  Pig-fecder«  in  the  kingdom,  to  whom 
reference  can  be  given,  as  also  to  several  who  won  prizcn  at  the  last 
Smithficld  Cattle  Show.  In  order  that  small  consumers  may  te*t  its 
merits,  4  cwt.  will  be  sent  for  Post  Office  (.>rdcr  of  J^'2  2s,  including  sacks. 
Rice  Meal,  .£9  per  ton. 
JAMES  MAY  and  CO.,  Finsbury  Wharf,  City  Road  Basbi,  London. 
Delivered  in  London  Free. 

T h"e~~e ose   gaeden' 

By  WILLIAM  PAUL,  of  the  Nurseries,  Cheshunt,  Herts. 
'*  Infinitely  the  best  work  ever  written  on  the  Culture  of  the  Rose." — 
Botanic  Garden. 

Bv  the  same  .\uthor,  price  la. 

AN    HOUR    WITH    THE    HOLLYHOCK. 

London:  Piper  BuoTiiEns  ^  Co..  'Si,  Paternoster  How;  and  all 

Booksellers. 

New  Edition,  Price  8d  ;  or  by  Post,  of  the  Author,  Kclsale,  Saxmundham, 

Suffolk,  18. 


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