502 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t June w , i 888 . 
be dressed like Berlin wool, which is the product of Merino sheep reared in 
Saxony, and esentially different in texture from the wool of English animals. 
Peaches and Nectarines (East of Berwickshire). — Your letter implies 
that you have not had much if any experience in growing these fruits under 
glass, and under these circumstances planting the trees in the border and train¬ 
ing them to a trellis would probably be the safest plan to adopt. By growing 
trees in pots you could have a greater variety, but much care and some skilled 
attention are requisite for preventing a failure occurring by some cause or at 
some time or other, and such failures are not infrequent. Whether to grow 
Peaches or Nectarines is a question of taste. A useful Peach not difficult to 
manage is the Royal George; a good Nectarine, Lord Napier. If you can 
arrange the trellis over the border so that it does not shade the back wall, you 
might have two trees on the wall also, and these may be Victoria Nectarine and 
Early Grosse Mignonne Peach. A narrow path 2 feet wide between the wall 
and trellis would suffice for attending to the trees. 
Orchids for a Stove (O. S.).— The following would succeed in the tem¬ 
perature you name if the supply of water is carefully regulated, excess in the 
dull season or insufficient in hot weather being equally injurious :—Aerides 
odoratum, Calanthe Veitchi, C. vestita rubra and nivalis, Cymbidium eburneum, 
Cypripedium insigne, C. barbatum, Dendrobium crassinode, D. densiflorum, 
D. lituiflorum, D. nobile, D. Pierardi, D. Wardianum, Lycaste Skinneri, Pleione 
humilis, Sobralia macrantha, Stanhopea Martiana, and S. tigrina, Thunia alba, 
T. Bensonite, Vanilla aromatica, Vanda ceerulea, Zygopetalum Mackayi, and 
Z. maxillare. 
Barkeria Lindleyana (M. Brievley). —Very few Orchids are adapted for 
culture in ordinary greenhouses with other plants, and the Barkeria would not 
succeed in such a position, though it will thrive in a moderately cool tempera¬ 
ture. The minimum should be 60°, and it may rise to 70“ in the daytime, or 
even higher at this season with liberal ventilation. Established plants are 
rather dear, from a guinea and a half upwards according to the size and con¬ 
dition of the plant. 
Measuring Land (An Apprentice). —You have no need to apologise under 
the circumstances you describe, and it is creditable to you to endeavour to learn 
now what you had no facilities for learning before. It is undoubtedly desirable 
that you should be able to measure land, but we can scarcely hope to enable 
you to become proficient from an answer in this column. One lesson we can 
give you, it is from the writings of the late Mr. R. Fish, addressed to young 
gardeners, and by making yourself master of the principles it embodies you 
will find that measuring an “ awkward field ” is not half so difficult as it 
appears to you now. “ Measuring the contents of a garden or a field is as 
simple as measuring the top of the table on which you take your breakfast. Of 
all oblongs or squares, length and breadth multiplied together give the area. 
In triangles, right-angled, the base and half the perpendicular multiplied to¬ 
gether give the area. In irregular gardens or fields, with no two sides and no 
two ends alike, and yet not 
a vast difference between 
them, we take the average 
of the ends and of the sides, 
and multiply them together. 
Thus A, B, C, D, is an irre¬ 
gular field of four sides, A 10, 
B 16, C 18, D 20. Add A and 
B together, which would be 
20, the half or average of 
which is 13. Then add C 
and D together, which 
makes 33, half of which is 
19, multiply 19 and 13 to¬ 
gether, and you have 247 
for the area. A truer me¬ 
thod, if there is much dif¬ 
ference in the opposite 
sides, and one which often 
involves less trouble, as it 
saves going round all the 
sides, is to take the diagonal line across, E 26, and then the two perpendiculars, 
F and a, 11 and 8 respectively, which added together make 19, the half of which 
is 9J, which multiplied by 26 gives the same sum of 247 as the area or measure¬ 
ment of the surface enclosed by the four outside lines. Did the field or park 
have a boundary, as that marked by H II H H, it is most likely we would use 
one of the two modes referred to for measuring the bulk or centre, and we 
would throw the outsides into triangles, squares, or oblongs, regular or irre¬ 
gular, and add their contents to the centre. Straight-lined gardens and fields 
will ever have an advantage as respects utility, though they be less picturesque 
in consequence.” 
Names of Fruits (TF. Y. E .).—Your Apple is the Winter Greening, the 
fruits of which are in firm and sound condition. It is a very useful kind for 
late use. 
Names of Plants (D. II. Myers). —We should have been glad to have had 
some particulars of the habit of the plant and the conditions under 'which it is 
grown. We can only say the flower appears to be an imperfect example of 
Tropaeolum speciosum, but it is very early for this species to flower. You will 
find a figure of this beautiful Tropteolum on page 521 of our issue of December 
8th, 1881. (J. S .).—1, Stapelia variegata; 2, Abutilou Boule de Neige ; 3, A small 
form of Begonia nitida; 4, B. Weltoniensis. (II. P.). —Dendrobium Dalhousianum. 
(R. F. S.). —1, Diplacus glutinosus ; 2, Azalea indica variegata; 3, Kalosanthes 
coccinea. (K. L.. Cheshire). —1, Ornithogalum exscapum; 2, Sedum azoideum 
variegatum ; 3, Nepeta Mussini. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.—JUNE 4TH. 
The late dull weather has considerably affected the quality of the outdoor 
Strawberries reaching us the last day or two. The early part of the week showed 
signs of a good supply, but they are now at a standstill. All classes of outdoor 
fruit are plentiful and prices lower. 
FRUIT. 
8. 
d. 
s. d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
A. 
Apples. 
J sieve 
0 
OtoO 
0 
Grapes . 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Apricots. 
box 
o 
0 
2 
6 
Lemons. 
15 
0 
20 
o 
Ditto . 
i 
0 
2 
0 
Melons. 
3 
0 
5 
0 
Cherries. 
ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines.. 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Chestnuts. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
.... 10ft 
4 
o 
Currants, Black.. 
3 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches .... 
0 
20 
0 
„ lied.... 
3 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears,kitchen .. dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs. 
6 
0 
8 
0 
0 
o 
o 
Filberts. 
ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples, 
English ft. 
8 
0 
4 
0 
Cobs. 
100 ft. 45 
0 
50 
0 
Strawberries 
lb. 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Gooseberries .... 
3 sieve 
3 
0 
0 
0 
Walnuts ... 
7 
0 
8 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
Artichokes. 
dozen 
s. d. s. d. 
2 0to4 0 
Asparagus. 
bundle 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Beans,Kidney.... 
100 
1 
8 
1 
6 
Beet,Red. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
i 
6 
Brussels Sprouts.. 
3 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cabbage . 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Capsicums. 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Carrots, new. 
Cauliflowers, new 
bunch 
1 
0 
i 
3 
dozen 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Celery . 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Cucumbers. 
each 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Endive. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Fennel. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Garlic . 
ft. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Herbs. 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Leeks. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
S. d. 8. d. 
Mushrooms .punnet 1 Otol 6 
Mustard* Cress .. punnet 0 2 0 3 
Onions. bushel 3 6 0 0 
pickling. quart 0 0 * 5 
Parsley. doz.bunches 3 0 4 0 
Parsnips. dozen 10 2 0 
Potatoes. bushel 2 6 3 6 
Kidney. bushel 3 0 3 0 
Potatoes, new .... per lb. 0 1 0 2 
Radishes.... doz .bunches 10 0 6 
Rhubarb. bundle 0 4 0 6 
Salsafy. bundle 1 o 0 0 
Scorzonera . bundle 16 0 0 
Seakale . basket 0 0 0 0 
Shallots. lb. o 3 0 0 
Spinach . bushel 3 0 0 0 
Tomatoes . lb. 1 0 0 0 
Turnips, new. bunch 0 6 0 0 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
THE SHORTHORNED BREED OF CATTLE. 
The rise and progress of this remarkable breed of cattle cannot 
fail to be interesting, instructive, and important to the home 
farmer, because many excellent lessons are taught by their history 
and origin. They were derived originally from rather meagre 
sources in their parentage, but were raised into at once the most 
useful and the most profitable cattle the world ever saw. But 
when we consider the intelligence and practical enthusiasm dis¬ 
played by the originators of the breed, and the large sums of 
money which have been expended in connection with shorthorned 
breeding, we must admit that it is right that the names and 
doings of the most prominent men should be remembered as 
examples worthy of being followed by the present and future 
generations of cattle breeders. 
One fact to be considered in connection with raising improved 
Shorthorns is that the soil and climate of those counties and 
districts, such as Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, and Lin¬ 
colnshire, were in every way suitable for such a race of cattle ; 
and we must assume that long before our history commences 
these districts possessed valuable animals, as the natural result of 
the favourable climate and fertile pastures. This is strongly 
corroborated by the record which we have of the origin of the 
“Duchess” tribe of Shorthorns. The original Duchess, bought by 
Mr. Charles Colling in the Darlington cattle market in March, 
1784, was bought by him of Mr. Appleby of Stanwick, who bred 
her. This statement is derived from an American source—the 
columns of the “ Kentucky Live Stock Record,” which further 
states—“ Stanwick is a small village and parish near Stanwick 
Park, and Mr. Appleby was a tenant of the Aldborough estate, 
but his farm was in the parish of Stanwick. He had owned this 
tribe of cattle himself for thirty years, and it had been in his 
family’s possession in all quite fifty years, his father having bred 
the female ancestors, and Mr. Appleby deriving them from him. 
Here we have the true history of the origin of the ‘ Duchess ’ tribe. 
It is therefore clear that a plain tenant farmer bred the original 
cow of the tribe which came into Mr. Charles Colling’s possession, 
and who bred from the tribe for twenty-six years. Now this 
statement is confirmed by a letter from Mr. Charles Colling dated 
from his farm at Ketton, December 30th, 1810, to Mr. Thomas 
Bates, setting forth the pedigree of ‘Young Duchess,’ which was 
purchased at his sale in the same year.” This sale seems to have 
been the starting point of the general distribution of the best 
shorthorned blood at that time in existence throughout the 
kingdom. 
Some farmers are disposed to assert the want of improvement 
