52 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
mens of this game stock, twenty-five years ago. They 
were mostly white, but in general characters corres¬ 
ponded to the figure and description above given, ex¬ 
cept that they were less in size, and were much more 
active. In courage they were unflinching; and the 
young would sometimes pick out each others’ eyes, and 
tear their heads bare to the skull, before they were 
old enough to crow. 
A breed was established in England about seventy 
years ago, by the Duke of Leeds, called the u Shake- 
bag ” breed, which obtained great celebrity, for the 
strength and prowess of the cocks. Martin observes 
that “ this breed was probably formed by a cross with 
the Galius giganteus ; the male frequently exceeded 
ten pounds in weight, and to his great strength is ad¬ 
ded spirit and determination.” This breed is thought 
to be now extinct. It was sometimes called by authors 
the “ shack-back,” or “ shag-back” breed; but Mar¬ 
tin suggests that as it was formerly the practice in 
cock-fighting to challenge all comers with the cock 
concealed in a bag, 11 the tremendous power and size 
of the Duke of Leeds’ fowl, proved so superior to those 
of all competitors, and usually securing conquest, it 
eventually obtained the name par excellence, of Shake- 
bag, which was corrupted to the other terms.” 
®l)c horticultural department 
CONDUCTED BY J. J. THOMAS. 
Raising Fruit Trees—Inquiries Answered. 
A correspondent in Virginia, makes the following in¬ 
quiries :— 
Will apple, pear, and quince seeds lose their vitality 
by being kept dry in boxes six or twelve months ? 
[They would probably be more or less injured, and 
perhaps in some cases wholly spoiled. Pear seeds have 
been kept dry a few months, and after exposure to 
moisture and frost, have vegetated finely. In other ca¬ 
ses, apple and pear seeds, so treated, have nearly failed. 
Security would direct that the seeds be kept moderate¬ 
ly moist from the time that they are taken from the 
fruit. After having become much dried, moisture and 
frost operate in softening and splitting the horny cover- 
mg.] 
Should peach stones be planted immediately after the 
fruit is taken from them, and will they come up well 
when taken from under the trees and planted at this 
season of the year [late autumn,] where they have 
been lying since they fell from the tree; and will the 
stones which have been kept dry in boxes the same 
length of time, come up as well as if planted fresh ? 
[In all cases, the seeds of fruit trees are best if as 
fresh as possible; but peach stones may be kept some 
months dry with small injury. Some nurserymen plant 
them after the lapse of a year, but they do not often 
succeed so well. Under the tree, shaded from the sun, 
and in contact with the moist earth, they might dry but 
little; and again, if in hot sunshine and on dusty ground, 
they might suffer severely. They should always be 
cracked before planting, in which case freezing is not 
necessary, but only facilitates the splitting of the stone. 
Too much moisture spoils them.] 
Which are twenty of the best peaches, and twenty of 
the best plums? 
[ Peaches —Early York (serrated,) Early Tillotson, 
Cole’s Early Red, Cooledge’s Favorite, White Imperial, 
George IV, Grosse Mignonne, Bergen’s Yellow, Large 
Early Vork, Large Red Rareripe, Bellegarde, Early 
Newington, Nivette, Morris’ White, Old Mixon Free, 
Crawford’s Early, President,Noblesse, Crawford’s Late, 
Druid Hill. 
Feb. 
Plums —Primordian, Imperial Ottoman, Lawrence 
Gage, Early Orleans, Purple Gage (genuine,) Red 
Diaper, Purple Favorite, Red Gage, Jefferson, Impe¬ 
rial Gage, Lombard or Bleecker’s Scarlet, Washington, 
Green Gage, Bleecker’s Gage, Huling’s Superb, Coe’s 
Golden Drop, Frost Gage, Blue Imperatrice.] 
The seed of what plum trees are best to raise stocks 
from ? 
[ On strong soils, where the plum flourishes well, any 
thrifty growing healthy sort maybe taken, as the horse 
plum. On soils less favorable, those sorts least liable to- 
cast their leaves prematurely will usually be found best. 
Some of the most vigorous varieties of the wild plum 
are well adapted to light or sandy soils.] 
Which are the ten finest Raspberries,, and which the 1 
ten best Gooseberries? 
[Fine varieties of the Raspberry are not numerous. 
The Red and the Yellow Antwerps are the old stand¬ 
ards. For a hardy variety in the northern states and 
on strong or heavy soils, probably none exceeds the 
genuine Red Antwerp. The Franconia and Fastolfi're¬ 
semble it, and are both fine. The Red Cretan has pro¬ 
ved ~sery productive on light soils. The common Red 
Garden Raspberry, is a good early sort. The Ameri¬ 
can White, and American Black r are distinguished for 
their high flavor, though rather small in size. 
Out of the hundreds of English Gooseberries, very 
few have been so widely cultivated in this country as t© 
enable one to pronounce upon their general adaptation 
and excellence. Among these, the Roaring Lion,. 
Crown Bob, Whitesmith, Waterloo, and Champaigne,. 
are fine, and have perhaps succeeded as well as any.], 
What is the form, size, color, &c., of tk® Chines© 
Flat Peach? 
[It is so flat 
©r compressed 
on its base and 
apex, as near¬ 
ly to resemble- 
a wheel, the 
transverse dia¬ 
meter being 
nearly 3 in¬ 
ches, while the- 
distance from 
the stem to the- 
crown is only 
about | of an 
inch, a mere 
skin covering 
the stone at 
each end, (fig. 
17.) It is pale- 
yellow, red¬ 
dened in the 
sun, and is said 
to be a good 
meltingpeaeh. 
It has not frui¬ 
ted in this 
17 —FLAT PEACH OF CHINA. COUntry.}l 
The Ikmble Brwgmansia* 
Among house-plants, one of the most magnificent is 
the Brugmansia. The old Brugmansia suaveolens , 
formerly known as the Datura arbor ea, has been long 
in cultivation, and is remarkable for its large, pure 
white, bell-shaped or trumpet-shaped pendant flowers. 
Loudon states, in his Suburban Gardener, that “ in the 
garden of- Durant, Esq., at Putney Hill, Brug- 
mansias have grown and flowered to a degree oi per¬ 
fection which would hardly be credited by those who 
have not seen the plants. Some of them are nearly six 
