474 The Spangled Hamburgh Fowl. 
and in some cases necessary; we have sown on old stocked lands 
where there had been no recent manurings with a good effect. 
But a light dressing of manure before the application of plaster is 
probably in all cases advisable, where it can be given, and in 
such applications the quantity less manure and less plaster will 
be found necessary than where either are applied alone. In the 
application of plaster to meadows we have found a benefit in di- 
viding the yearly allowance, sowing one half in the spring and 
the other half immediately after taking the grass off in summer. 
The rationale of the latter process is this: the earth has partially 
exhausted its energies in bringing forth the crop, and the roots 
have in a measure expended theirs in giving it perfection. They 
are like a hungry man, when the labor of the day is over, needing 
food for nourishment before th^ go to rest. Plaster furnishes 
this, and enables them to weave a blanket for their protection 
from the cold of winter and enable them to shoot far in new and 
rich luxuriance at the earliest touches of spring. 
Plaster upon meadows is beneficial in eradicating foul and 
noxious weeds. Johnswort, wild wormwood, and even the tena- 
cious strawberry, so prone to spread itself caressingly over vast 
tracts of exhausted meadows shrink from its application and quit 
their firm hold at its bidding. Even the white daisy which has 
shown itself so universal a pest the season past and given large 
territories the appearance of specious flower gardens, in the dis- 
tance, may be fairly ousted on a few applications, and had the use 
of plaster been liberal on lands infested with this weed last spring, 
many farmers would probably have joined in hearty response to 
the exclamation, " my ton has made five tons." 
THE SPANGLED HAMBURGH FOWL. 
In " The American Poulterer's Companion," we have given 
descriptions of the Golden and Silver Top Knot or crested fowl, 
which if not identical, is nearly allied to the above, which is 
figured and described in a recent European publication. We are 
indebted to the Editors of the American Agriculturist for the 
illustrations. 
" I do not," says the author, " follow blindly the descriptions 
furnished by my predecessors, however highly I may conceive 
their writings are, in many respects, to be esteemed. I am this 
moment writing ray description of the Hamburgh fowl from two 
beautiful specimens as they stand before me on the table in the 
house of their owner, my very kind friend Mr. Nolan, of Dublin." 
The Spangled Hamburgh fowl are divided into two varieties, 
the distinctive characteristics being slight, and nearly altogether 
