Account of a remarkable Cockscomb. 1 01 



Art. XIII. An Account of a remarkable Cockscomb {Celbsia 

 cristdta\ gromi by a Wheelxsoright at Appleton, near Oxford. 

 By William Stowe, Esq., Surgeon, Buckingham. 



Sir, 



I SEND you some account of a remarkably large specimen 

 of the cockscomb (Celosia cristata), which I had an opportu- 

 nity of seeing in the possession of a friend, at Oxford, last 

 summer. It was raised by a person who follows the business 

 of a wheelwright, at Appleton, near Oxford, but who, like 

 many other artisans, prefers spending the little leisure he can 

 spare from daily labour in the delightful recreation of garden- 

 ing, rather than in muddifymg his senses and degrading his 

 nature by tippling in a pot-house. He prides himself so much in 

 excelling all ordinary cultivators of this flower, that he cannot 

 be induced by any promises or entreaties to communicate the 

 secret of management; a selfishness which I cannot justify, 

 and should wish, for the honour of the science, not to see 

 imitated. All I could learn was, that he had about twenty 

 flowers nearly as large as the one I allude to, and that they 

 were under glass, in a sort of rustic green-house, in large 

 pots, immersed either in moist manure or tan. 



The dimensions were as follow : — From the surface of the 

 mould to the top of the blossom was 3 ft, 6 in. ; the crest of 

 the flower, measuring lengthwise, was 23 in., and its breadth 

 about 6 in. The convolutions were compact, and of a beau- 

 tiful crimson colour ; it was exhibited in full perfection, for 

 several weeks, at a window in one of the principal streets in 

 Oxford ; and was admired, 1 believe, by thousands. I have 

 taken a good deal of pains to raise large specimens of this 

 flower, by using the compost recommended by the President 

 of the Horticultural Society [Hort. Trans, vol. iv. ; Encyc. of 

 Gard., § 6483.), and acting upon the principle of retarding 

 the flowering, by frequently shifting the plant into larger 

 pots, and taking off" the side branches. I have grown them of 

 a considerable size, though not equal to the one described by 

 Mr. Knight, of which a drawing was made by order of the 

 Society, and which has now been surpassed, in size at least, by 

 the humble cultivator at Appleton. Perhaps some of. your 

 numerous correspondents will be so good as to communicate 

 the result of their experience in the management of the 

 cockscomb, which, from the brilliancy and richness of its 

 colour, has many admirers besides myself. 



I enclose you a few of the seeds which I was permitted to 

 gather, which you may dispose of as you please ; and allow 

 me to ask what, botanically speaking, the part called the 



H 3 



