FOREIGN NOTICES. 



195 



10 each peach. In the bottom of each of these was 

 placed the two incheb of rowan liay, pressed close, 

 and shaped in a concave manner, so as to form a 

 nest for the peach to descend into. Some squares 

 of silver paper and cap paper were now provided ; 

 and first taking a square of cap paper in the left 

 hand, another of silver was placed in it ; the riirht 

 hand then quietly placed the peach on tiie centre 

 of the paper in the palm of the left hand, and now 

 the right hand was employed to gently twist the 

 four corners together. Thus imbedded the peach 

 was lowered into its cell, and so on with the 

 whole. The next proceeding was to take a long 

 bladed knife — one of tho ordinary dinner knives — 

 and with this to tuck in the soft hay in a wedge-like 

 character, until each sell was full, close, but not 

 hard. Of course the top of the box received the 

 two inches of rowan ; and the box lid was obliged to 

 be slightly compressed in nailing down, the hay 

 being applied rather liberally. 



Now, we do not mean to say that these are the 

 only rules for fruit packing — fruit of a tender char- 

 acier we mean ; but we do mean to say that they 

 travelled well by these modes ; and a hope may 

 perhaps be indulged in, that our detail of the pro- 

 ceedings may assist in furnishing useful ideas on 

 the subject of fruit packing amongst the uninitiat- 

 ed, for whom, in a great degree, it is our duty to 

 write. It may be observed, in conclusion, that 

 sucii things are not always confined to single lay- 

 ers ; many of our country gentlemen or noblemen 

 who have extensive gardens and forcing establisli- 

 ments have tin cases adapted to the reception of 

 several layers ; of course the packing of each lay- 

 er is comported to the same system — each layer 

 is complete in itself. 



As opportunities occur, we shall feel it a duty 

 to return to the subject, and must then descend Ko 

 easy modes of packing our common fruits. Cot. 

 Gardener. .... 



Poultry. — Brood after brood succeed each 

 other with great rapidity uutil the yard appears 

 alive, so numerous are its inhabitants. By far 

 the safest plan when chickens are hatched is to 

 keep the hen under coop for the first three weeks : 

 this prevents her dragging her young brood over 

 the wet grass, which occasions cramp and many 

 other diseases to which young poultry of all sorts 

 are liable. Rearing poultry requires a good deal 

 of patience and attention, at least, to be a success- 

 ful rearer of it ; and what can be more disheart- 

 ening, "in a small way," than to find the young 

 things dying ofT! which is always the case unless 

 trouble is taken with them. "If a thing is worth 

 doing at all, it is worth doing well," is certainly 

 true concerning poultry rearing. The great se- 

 cret is to feed them ften, and a little at a time. 

 The old nurse's saying of "children and chickens 



are always picking," is a very true one as regards 

 at least, the latter ; for if you carefully watch a 

 brood of young chickens you will observe that 

 they are always scratching about and picking up 

 something — it may be a seed, or an insect, or a 

 wurm. Thus, nature points out the proper man- 

 agement ; for, of course, if the hen is under a 

 coop she cannot obtain food for them, and there- 

 fore it must be placed within their reach at Vari- 

 ous times during the day. 



Ducks I have always found more difficult to 

 rear than chickens ; for they are Very greedy, 

 and often eat so much that they become sutt'oca" 

 ted. They stray along ways from their mother 

 (if she be confined) in search of their favorite food, 

 which is slugs ; they are therefore very desirable 

 assistants to the gardener, and as they do not 

 scratch up the earth they are most useful, partic- 

 ularly in a flower garden. In moderation nature's 

 food must be beneficial to them, but then they 

 should not be fed to the same extent as when un- 

 able to cater for themselves. Boiled potates, 

 damaged rice, and barley meal are all equally 

 good for young |)oultry of all sorts. Ducks are 

 particularly calculated for the poor man to keep, 

 if he lives near a pond or ditch ; for they require 

 very little feeding, and are contented with the re- 

 fuse of any vegetables. Cabbage boiled, chopped 

 up, and mixed with the skins of potatoes, they 

 will cat greedily ; young nettles also, if boiled 

 and mashed up, they like much. lb. 



Creosote a Preserver or Wood from Sea- 

 worms. — Some time ago one of your corresjiond- 

 ents requested information as to the means of pre- 

 serving wood from the ravages of sea- worms. It 

 is not generally known that some experiments 

 made last century in Plymouth Sound [loinled out 

 that timber when paid with cheap oils remained 

 intact, though other pieces of it sunk in the same 

 place were much worm-eaten. Oil of tar was, 40 

 years ago, recommended for paving timber in- 

 tended for a work in the same Sound, and latterly 

 creosote, or oil of tar, has become of very general 

 use for the protection and preservation of wood in 

 bridges, railsva}' sleepers, &c. Creosote is the 

 cheapest of all oils, but for some purposes its ap- 

 plication is objectionable, since it renders wood 

 so highly inflammable that insurance offices refuse 

 to insure any works impregnated with it, and its 

 noisome and long-enduring smell render its use 

 improper in Various instances, such as in struc- 

 tures for horticultural purposes, for example. 

 Where the latter disadvantage may be considered 

 as prohibiting the use of creosote, cheap oils free 

 from smell, as whale oil, would probably be 

 equally etfectual in preserving wood from sea- 

 worms. Gard. Chronicle. 



