June 12, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



477 



diameter of the seetl. Water gently, place in a frame, and keep close, moist, 

 and shaded until tlie plants appear, then let them have air and light. When 

 lar!,'e enough to haadle prick-out an iuch apart iu pans, return them to the 

 frame, and keep them close and shaded until they are growing freely, then 

 admit abundance of air. Thoy may be planted out iu rows G inches apart, 

 allowing 3 inches between the plants iu the rows. A sheltered position and 

 sandy soil should be chosen. They will 8ucceed better if potted-off singly 

 in small pots, and wintered in a frame, with abundance of air, but protection 

 from frost. Wo do not know where you could secure a salo for Watercrosses. 

 Consult a gi-eengrocer. 



Italian Rve Grass neah the Sea (E. li. P.).-— lb would answer very 

 ■well if sown where it is to remain in September, but we have no experience of 

 plantiug it. We should sow two buBbels of Pacey'a Perenniarand one bushel 

 of Italian per acre. 



Pots for Pise Suckers and Soil {Id/^m). — The plants having good roots 

 will need i)-inch pots. Three parts fibrous loam oad one pai-t old manure wiU 

 grow them well. 



Caterpillaes on Gooseberry Trees (.7. A. V. C). — Dust them with 

 white liellebore powder. Syringe the trees afterwards, and repeat the treat- 

 ment if necessary. These green caterpillars are the offspring of the Goose- 

 berry t?aw Fly, Nematus Ribesii. If by " ribhled oats " you mean crushed 

 oats, they will not do the same as gi'ound oats for poultry. Ground oata are 

 a powder to mis with water. 



Names of Plants (Stockbridgc). — Collinsia bicolor. (F. W. H.). — An- 

 chusa italica, Italian Bugloss. (G. S.). — Phlomis fruticosa, Jerusalem Sage. 

 {T. P.). — 1, Amygdalus; 2, Spiraea sp.,but these are too imperfect for naming; 



3, Asperula odorata; 4, Geranium Robei-tianum. (Alphui. — Specimens in- 

 sufficient for determination. 1, Vitis sp. ; 2, Probably Skimmia japonica; 



4, Perhaps Onoelea sensibilis. The rest we can make nothing of. [A. M.).— 

 1 and 3, Selaginella ; 3, Allosorua c-ispus ; 4, Polystichum augulare; 6, A 

 variety of Saxifraga hypnoides. All but the last very imperfect, t^^- C.). — We 

 do not undertake to name more than six specimens at a time. 1, A Pelar- 

 gonium, near P. incrassatum, but not that species. Specimen hardly sutlicient. 

 Rest next week. {R. S.).— 1, Asphodelus luteus ; 2, Louicera puuicea; 

 3, Veronica geutianoides. {Lee Rogers). — 1, Viburnum pubescens; 2, Prunus 

 virginiana, or a near ally. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHROMOLE. 



DOUBLE-CHICKED EGG. 



Philip Crowley, Esq., Croydon, showed us a Golden-spangled 

 Hamburgh's egg which had not hatched, but which upon its end 

 being oj^ened showed the heads of two chicks. We had never 

 seen so unmistakeable an instance of twin chickens, and we 

 submitted the egg, without disturbing the chicks, to a good 

 authority. He w^rites to us as follows : — 



" It is many days since I met with any case so interesting as 

 that of this egg. Many years ago it was a disputed point whether 

 that which was called a double egg was good for anything. 

 Sitting was not dreamed of ; it was held to* be a monster ou the 

 breakfast table, and was transferred to the kitchen, where it wag 

 broken and carefully examined by smelling before it was used. 

 I believe if a fault had been found with an omelette in which 

 one had entered, ' that nasty double egg ' would have furnished 

 the excuse. Then one day many years ago, the poultry world 

 ■was stunned by a letter from a scientific man, stating he had 

 hatched two chickens from one egg. Everybody sought for an 

 explanation that would allow him to disbelieve the assertion 

 without casting doubt ou the author. Our best men smiled be- 

 niguantly, and shook their heads gravely. Those who believed 

 were reminded when they said thirteen chickens came from 

 twelve eggs, that sometimes the broody hen laid an egg after 

 she was down ; that it was possible another hen had stepped on 

 the nest and laid in it while the sitter was off. Then I heard 

 of another case and another. Still they were few, and hardly 

 anyone had seen an authenticated case. I have never seen oue 

 so good and clear as that of this Hamburgh egg. I have pre- 

 served it. The two chickens are perfectly formed and well- 

 feathered. They are quite distinct one from the other, adhering 

 to the remainder of the yolk by separate vessels. I can see 

 nothing to have prevented their hatching." 



DAEK BKAHMAS. 



Much has been said lately about this useful and popular breed 

 of fowl. My opinion is that there is not a more thoroughly use- 

 ful fowl in existence. As a proof of what I state aUow me to 

 make a few remarks. 



A friend of mine who is well known as a Brahma breeder has 

 this year reared sixty-one chickens. The first brood consisted 

 of eleven from eleven eggs, turning out to be six cockerels and 

 five pullets ; this lot of chicks were sixteen weeks old on May 31st, 

 and on that day a pair (cockerel and pullet) weighed exactly 

 11 lbs. Three of the five pullets commenced laying at fifteen 

 weeks old, and laid nine eggs during thel ast week. These two 

 facts are quite sufficient to prove the qualities of the Brahma, 

 not only as a rapidly growing bird but also as a good layer. 

 Some of your readers perhaps may say, "Ah ! but this is only a 

 solitary instance." In answer to that I state the following : — The 

 same breeder's birds in 1871 commenced laying at seventeen 

 ■weeks old. In 1872 the pullets commenced laying at sixteen 

 ■weeks, and this year they are a week in advance. The gentle- 



man to whom I allude is Mr. W. Mansfield, of Cambridge, and 1 

 liave no doubt that the forward condition of his birds is simply 

 due to the high feeding and good attention which they receive 

 at his hands. 



A few more remarks and I have done. No man can breed 

 good fowls without care and trouble, but to be really successful 

 he must have a knowledge of the habits and w ants of the variety 

 he cultivates, which takes a long time to acquire. I have bred 

 different varieties, but have found the Brahma equal, if not 

 superior to all. — F. W. Metcalfe, Cavibridge. 



BLACK COCHINS. 



I HA"VE received promises of subscriptions for a cup for Black 

 Cochins at the next Great London Show, as follows : — viz., 

 Martin Smith, Esq., £1 Is. ; A. A. Vander Meersch, Esq., JlIIs.; 

 Col. Hassard, i-l Is.; Alfred Darbv, Esq., £1 Is.; H. A. Bur- 

 nell, Esq., 10s. CtZ. ; B. Taaffe, Esq. (if the value of the cup be in- 

 creased to £i), £1. C. Marshall Hole, Esq., has also promised a 

 subscription, and I hear from Mr. Wragg that a gentleman at 

 Ipswich will give a £5 cup on certain conditions, which he will 

 arrange with the Secretary. 



I wish publicly to thank all concerned for their great support in 

 the matter, and I think it would be well if they would communi- 

 cate their wishes as to the disposal of the funds, either for adults, 

 chickens, cockerels, or pullets, or allow the funds to be sent to 

 the Secretary for his apportionment. — F. C. Hassard, Shecrness^ 



THE BATH AND WEST OP ENGLAND SOCIETY'S 

 POULTRY EXHIBITION. 



A GREAT amount of interest is always excited among poultry 

 amateurs respecting this Show, as being not only the beginning 

 of the season for poultry exhibitions, but also because for a long 

 succession of years this division of the Bath and West of England 

 Agricultural Society's Meeting obtains every possible attention 

 and support from the managers of that long-established Society, 

 The efforts of the Local Committee at Plymouth to give out-of- 

 door interest to this year's meeting were unusually successful. 

 Along all the principal streets leading through Plymouth to the 

 show ground the decorations were ample. Venetian poles ■were 

 placed near the Jcurbstones at intervals of about 4U feet ; and 

 from them, garlands of laurels and flowers were stretched from 

 one side to the other, the top of each pole having a gilt spear- 

 head, and each bearing a large wreath of artificial flowers, also a 

 parti-coloured streamer enriched with heraldic devices. These 

 two continuous lines along the sides of the street, coupled with 

 hundreds of the gayest bunting flags from the windows, and 

 numerous very well-constructed triumphal arches, gave such a 

 holiday expression to Plymouth as it has not exhibited for 

 many years. 



On entering the showyard the first object that attracted the 

 eye of the visitor was an immense tent to the left hand, in 

 which all the poultry and Pigeons ■n-ere exhibited in single tier. 

 The light was exceedingly good, and the attention of the poultry 

 Stewards, Messrs. Biish and Edwards, merited the highest corn- 

 mendation. These two gentlemen, long known as most experi- 

 enced amateurs, left nothing undone to provide for the comfort 

 of every bird on view ; and here we must not fail to speak most 

 approvingly ot an item in the management that every com- 

 mittee might do well to copy. A very long waterproof tent was 

 erected for the especial preservation from wet of all the ernpty 

 baskets ; it insured iu these cases preservation from all injury 

 that might have ensued from repacking in baskets exposed for 

 days to the uncertainty of the weather. The Sjia n ish were very firs 

 classes, and for June no Spanish fowls were ever shown in better 

 condition. The Grey Dorl-lng cock class was very meagre, and 

 the second prize was withheld. The hens were infiuitely better, 

 however, a pen of rosy-combed ones being the cuptakers. The 

 Buff Cochins were the strongest classes seen for years as to 

 general good quality, and the Dark Brahmas were similarly good. 

 Mr. Ansdell was the ■winner of the Brahma cup, with the cock 

 recently claimed at i£30, he being stiU in the highest condition. 

 Light Brahmas were not so good. The White Cochins, how- 

 ever, were excellent. Among the Game fowls many were sadly 

 wanting in condition, and also fast lapsing into moult ; still, a 

 grand Duck^wing shown by Mr. Brown, of Cornwall, was in th» 

 highest show trim, and obtained the Game cup. It is rarely 

 even in Lancashire or Yorkshire that so thoroughly good Ham- 

 burghs are shown, every class being good, and almost every bird 

 in these classes was unusually near perfection. A splendid 

 Golden-pencilled cock that was in the highest plumage took the 

 cup. Strange to say, in large entries of Folands the Blacks 

 were the best of any. The French classes were excellent, but 

 many of these varieties were exhibited with the diseased feet 

 of late so unfortunately prevalent ; some were so far gone as to 

 be unable to stand many minutes together. 



There was a first-class entry of Bucks, Geese, and Turkeys, 

 but not a single Turkey hen was on the groimd, as from the time 



