126 


KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

liable to wear out. There are many kitchen 
apples formerly common, that are now rare—the 
codlin, for instance, some years ago the cheapest 
apple, and the most esteemed summer one for 
puddings and tarts. The codlin was formerly a 
most abundant and certain bearer, its fruit ex- 
cellent at different stages of its growth. Gathered 
young, it was used as green apricots now are; and 
by thinning the crop, the remaining fruit swelled 
to a large size. It was thought indispensable for 
dumplings, and for “‘ codlins and cream ;” no other 
variety of apple having the same agreeable acidity 
and flavor. To the codlin succeeded the Lemon 
Pippin; also now wearing out, and for winter use 
the russeting, at present scarce and a bad bearer. 
These three fruits used to be common in cottage 
gardens, some trees of them still remain in such 
a garden near Canterbury ; but they have ceased 
to bear abundantly there as elsewhere. ‘The 
recent acquisition of valuable varieties of pears 
may have caused neglect of old sorts, many of 
them inferior to the new ones; yet some of the 
old varieties were excellent—the bergamot, for 
instance, formerly abundant and cheap, but rarely 
brought to market now. The jargonelle still keeps 
its ground, though always a dear fruit. About 
sixty years ago, a fruiterer in Bridge Street pur- 
chased choice specimens of the jargonelle, at six 
shillings a dozen; when, at the same time, the 
finest Windsor pears were sold for four shillings a 
bushel. Probably varieties of stone fruits are 
moré durable than those of pears and apples, for 
some of the peaches and nectarines recommended 
in an early edition of ‘‘ Miller’s Dictionary” con- 
tinue in successful cultivation. The old Morello 
cherry still flourishes as formerly—so does the 
May Duke. Some varieties of cherries are, how- 
ever, disappearing ; a very rich large black cherry, 
for example, though formerly common, is now 
rarely seen ; and in Kent, it is said that the old 
Kentish cherry is becoming a shy bearer.—B. 

Voice of the Tench.—The tenacity of life in 
some fresh water fish is surprising. In none is it 
more surprising than in the Tench. Dr. Shirley 
Palmer records the fact, of his having received in 
the spring a brace of Tench, just taken from the 
water. They were deposited, by the cook, ina 
dish, and placed upon a very high shelf in the 
larder—a room situated between the dining parlor 
and cooking kitchen. On the following midnight, 
whilst writing in the dining room, to which he had 
removed in consequence of the extinction of the 
fire in the library, his attention was suddenly ex- 
cited by a deep, hollow, protracted groan, such as 
might be supposed to proceed from a. large animal 
in extreme distress. It was twice or thrice re- 
peated; and all his efforts to discover the source 
of the alarming sound were ineffectual. At length 
his ear was startled by a loud splash, succeeded 
by a groan more deep and long-continued than 
those which he had previously heard, and evidently 
proceeding from the larder. Inspection of that 
room quickly explained the mystery. One of the 
fishes had sprung down from the shelf, on the stone 
floor, and there lay, with mouth open, and pectoral 
and vestral fins extended, and uttering the sounds 
by which his midnight labors had been so unex- 
pectedly interrupted. Next day, both fishes were 
cooked for dinner; and, such ig the tenacity of life 

in the tench, that, although thirty hours had then 
elapsed since their removal from their native ele= 
ment, both fishes, after having undergone the pro- 
cess of scaling and evisceration, sprang vigorously 
from the pot of hot water when consigned to it by 
the cook.—Puss. 
[Carp and Tench, if packed in wet grass, will 
travel safely from one end of England to the other 
—and they will recover their wonted liveliness on 
being placed in a tank of water.] } 

Affection of Fishes.—It has been asserted by 
some naturalists, that no fishes are known to take 
any care of their offspring. This statement, how- 
ever, is erroneous; for two species of Hassar found 
in Africa, make a regular nest, in which they lay 
their eggs in a flattened cluster, and cover them 
over most carefully. Their care does not end here ; 
they remain by the nest till the spawn is hatched, 
with as much solicitude as a hen guards her eggs ; 
both the male and female steadily watching the 
spawn, and courageously attacking any assailant. 
Hence the negroes frequently take them by putting 
their hands into the water, close to the nest; on 
agitating which, the male hassar springs furiously 
at them and is thus captured:—Rosa B. 
[If you will turn, Rosa, to Vol. II. of our 
JouRNAL, p. 390, you will there find a most graphic 
account given of the affection of the Tirtnmpar 
for its young. The article will amply repay a 
perusal. The facts are quite startling] 

Culture of the Chinese Primrose.—I generally 
sow my seeds about this time, or a little earlier. 
[ use shallow pans, light sandy soil, and no manure. 
They are sown thinly, and pressed down on the 
surface, so as just to be covered with the soil. 
After a gentle watering, the pans containing the 
seed are removed to a hot-bed ; there they remain 
until the young plants are about an inch in height. 
At this stage they are pricked out into the same 
sort of pans, an inch apart; adding this time one- 
third leaf-mould to the soil. The plants are put 
into the hotbed again, until they have attained the 
height of two inches ; when they are taken out of 
the pans, and shifted into five-inch pots that have 
been well drained. The compost for this and their 
final shift, consists of equal quantities of cow-dung 
two years old, leaf-mould, peat earth, and sandy 
soil. After potting, the plants are removed into a 
cold frame, with an eastern aspect. The lights are 
kept close for afew days, and the plants are shaded 
from the midday sun until they commence growing. 
Air is then admitted; gradually at first, but ag 
soon as I perceive the plants to be fairly in a 
pushing state, I ventilate freely. The sashes are, 
however, always put on whenitrains ; for nothing 
is 80 injurious to Primulas as water overhead, at 
any stage of their growth. As they begin to fill 
their pots with roots, I give them liquid manure 
once a week, made from pigeons’ dung. I permit 
the first flower stem to rise, but only for the purpose 
of judging of the merits of the flower. As soon 
as that is decided, the good flowers are picked out; 
and when the pots are filled with roots, the plants 
are finally shifted into eight or twelve-inch pots, 
and treated in precisely the same way as at the 
former shifting, and with the same situation and 
aspect. ‘They remain in the cold frame until the 
middle of October. After that, they are brought 

