March 18, 1666. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



209 



a single break — not even one limb is gone. Next we tnm into 

 the large and new conservatory, a fine structure, wliich. when 

 the iron pUlars become clothed with creepers, will be fairy-like. 

 Through it we reach the fern-house, and oh ! the beautiful 

 ferns, from the palm-like tree ferns to the little wee ones at 

 my feet, every gradation of size and form. What a charming 

 grot to sit and read in ! But I must say no more about it, I 

 am not a " Filix-f<£min-a," I neither have her knowledge nor 

 hold her pen. Greenhouses, vineries after vineries, garden 

 after garden came nest, until we stroll along the terrace, then 

 plunge into the mazy walks among the shrubs. It is worthy 

 of remark, that the choicest shrubs grow very vigorously at 

 Linton, soon joining each other, growing across paths, so that 

 I found many new walks planned, simply because the others 

 were not passable. Lord Holmesdale seemed to be keenly alive 

 to the pleasures of his garden, and knew each tree and flower as 

 well as loved them — perhaps loves because he understands 

 them, for love is the child of knowledge. His lordship took me 

 to Mr. Robson's cottage, the bfau ideal of what a head-gardener's 

 house should be, but he was not at home. We found him, 

 however, soon afterwards, among his men superintending the 

 restoration of the paths, the materials of which had been 

 literally washed down the hill by that most drenching shower. 

 (Oh ! that Dorking cock ! ) There is no gravel in this part of 

 Kent, so the walks are coated with broken shells from a river's 

 bed near. We next, leaving the paths to be righted, walk on 

 to the newly-laid-out garden between the mansion and the 

 church, which in summer wOl look grandly, having such a 

 ribbon-border so wide and long. 



I pause now and then to feed upon the view lit up by a bright 

 watery sunshine, and admire nearer at hand the shrubs, with 

 the yellow sunlight upon their still wet leaves. But I must be 

 away in order to catch the train at Maidstone. I would fain 

 have lingered, but — that train, and to jog memory there stands 

 the carriage at the door. So I am off, and presently the park 

 is left and we break out into the high road. Hop poles on all 

 sides far as the eye can reach. Oh, ye teetotallers ! never one 

 of ye retire to live in Kent, you would not have a single^happy 

 hoiu'. Marks of old inhabitancy meet one at every few hundred 

 yards. I see Kent bathed in yellow sunhght, that peculiar 

 light which comes after a very heavy shower. I am one who 

 beUeve that a merciful compensation runs through all things. 

 The heavy unpleasant rain, then the brilliant sky. and the 

 more golden sunlight. Wordsworth describes in two lines 

 what I saw — 



" The rain came heavily and fell in floods. 

 But now the sun ie shining calm and bright." 



He might have added all the brighter for the past rain. Sun- 

 set is fast coming on. I reach Maidstone just in time, jump 

 into a carriage, and am all to myself — just what I like at the 

 end of a day's pleasure, then I can ruminate uninterruptedly 

 npon the past. Soon the stars came out one by one, and 

 nothing caught my eye save the flaring gaslamps of the 

 stations, then came the lights of the houses, then of the 

 streets, and I am again in busy, bustling, thronged London. 



A few conchiding words upon my day at Linton Park. " I 

 saw poultry to perfection," and beautiful gardens as well, and 

 I spent a day, one of the few I should like to live over again — 

 but that is a heathen wish, so I recall it. for it is our part to 

 press on to a better world. I was most kindly received, and 

 my noble host has the happy and enviable gift of making a 

 stranger feel at once at home. England has an aristocracy 

 fulfilling its duties as a class (and I do not speak without 

 some knowledge), as thoroughly well as any other class in the 

 community. They may now-a-days invite comparison with any 

 class. They build the comfortable cottage, making the poor 

 man happy, and they have, where they are known, the respect 

 of the middle and richer classes. They give time as well as 

 money to help others, and in urging forward what is good, and 

 they fulfil their part of the world's work manfully and well. I 

 hope, therefore, never to see our dear old England Yankee- 

 fied, but that its nobility will always have their just and pro- 

 per influence. Blatant levelling demagogues (I have come 

 across several), are seldom men who fulfil their own duties, 

 vyhile they rail at others, and they are never in taste or feel- 

 ings gentlemen — from such, and their pernicious doctrines, 

 may we be long preserved. — Wilishiek Rectoe. 



in January, 6.5 ; and in February, 130 : therefore I do not think 

 the weather should be blamed because the fowls of others do not 

 lay. I attribute my success to their having a clean, comfortable 

 roosting-plaee. I had six eggs yesterday, and seven to-day, 

 and the weather is very frosty. — W. H. S. (A Sclioolboij). 



[A clean roosting-place is very conducive to health ; but pro- 

 per feeding must also characterise your management. We 

 have eggs in abundance now.] 



DEFICIENCY OF EGGS. 

 I HAVE noticed your remarks on this subject. I am inclined 

 to think that breed has more to do with it than the weather. 

 I keep AVhite Dorkings, having come to the conclusion that 

 they are the best of aU fowls for general purposes. I have 

 twenty-eight hens, the oldest is ten years old ; of course she 

 must not be counted, as she has not laid for two years ; the 

 others vary in age from seven years to seven months. Except 

 for a fortnight in November last I have not been without eggs 

 for three years ; to-day eleven were laid. I have had several 

 broody hens that I turned off on account of changing my resi- 

 dence, so that I only set my first hen last week. We have so 

 good a supply of eggs that we cannot use all. I feed once a-day 

 on barley, and once on potato-parings boiled and mixed with 

 sharps, and the fowls have a good run. I am a great advocate 

 for white plumage, it keeps the birds warm in winter and cool 

 in summer ; and it I could induce others to try White Dorkings 

 I feel sure they would like them, but they must not have puny 

 birds. — B. P. Ekent. 



GAME BANTAMS. 



Egg Babvest. — I began keeping fowls in December, and 

 fiom three hens and five pullets I had in December 45 eggs ; 



With every respect for the opinion of " Wiltshibe Rector,'" 

 I must decline to accept " the great Yorkshire breeder's " letter 

 as setting the question between us at rest. First, I must say 

 that I do not think "Wiltshire Rector" is quite candid, he 

 now rather backs out of his averment that Game Bantams are 

 easy to breed {good), for I appeal to every reader of his answer 

 to "G.ALLUS," at page 9t;, whether that is not what they un- 

 derstand him to mean by what he there says ; nay, I will ask 

 " Wiltshire Rector " himself to read that reply again, and 

 then to say whether that was not what he really did then 

 intend to have your readers infer. Well, I replied, and I gave 

 instances that " Wiltshire Rector " was altogether mistaken, 

 and I again aver, "the great Yorkshh-e breeder" notwith- 

 standing, that Black Bed Game Bantams are as a rule exceed- 

 ingly difficult to breed first-class ; and I will say fmther, and 

 echo the words of a very noted breeder of Game fowls who 

 recently wrote me, that " not half a dozen Al Game Bantams " 

 are produced in a season out of the thousands that are hatched. 

 I have had correspondence with, or know personally, many, 

 indeed I may say all, of the Game Bantam breeders of note, 

 and I am perfectly satisfied that, with the exception of Mr. 

 Crossland, they would endorse all that I have said on this 

 subject. 



Mr. Crossland, I dare say, bred an unusually large number of 

 good birds last season, but that the majority of these were first- 

 class I utterly disbelieve. In fact, I saw his Birmingham prize 

 birds, for he sent them to me when we were some little time 

 since negotiating for an exchange on approval. Now, though 

 I suppose these were not the worst Mr. Crossland bred, they 

 certainly were not first-class. The pullets had silvery deaf-ears ; 

 and the cock was, in my opinion, too dark, and did not carry 

 his tail close or low enough for a first-class bird. Mr. Cross- 

 land must excuse my criticising his birds ; he has brought them 

 forward himself, or I should not have done so. I believe, how- 

 ever, that he has shown two of the best pullets of the season ; 

 they now, I think, belong to Sir St. George Gore ; but I am in- 

 clined to think that with the exception of Mr. Hawkesley's cele- 

 brated bird (for which, by-the-by, I hear he has refused £20), I 

 have shown the best two cockerels. In fact, Mr. Crossland, in 

 a letter now before me, assured me that his strain of birds and 

 mine are the best two out, and in proof that he believes so, he 

 wished for a cock and two pullets which I showed at Man- 

 chester, to cross with his own two birds, though, as a rule, he 

 evidently objects to crossing. I merely mention these facts to 

 show " Wiltshire Rector " that 1 am not quite a novice, that 

 I do not write altogether at random — in short, that I know 

 something at least about the subject I am writing on. 



But to retui-n to Mr. Crossland's statement. I contend that if 



