THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 1. 
| 210 
very firmly down, when the lids were nailed on, allowing no 
possible room to shake about. When they reached Edin¬ 
burgh, December, 1834, the seeds and soil were sown over 
the surface of shallow pans and boxes. During the follow¬ 
ing spring they grew freely, while of those brought home in 
the paper and cloth bags, comparatively few of the varieties 
grew, the Acorns being without an exception perforated with 
insects. The kinds which grew were from four to five weeks 
later of vegetating than those brought home in soil. Acorns 
brought home in a box of sphagnum moss, after the super¬ 
fluous moisture had been wrung from it, were equally 
successful with those in soil. 
“ During the summer of 1851, Mr. M‘Nab induced his 
brother, Dr. M'Nab, of Kingston, Jamaica, to send a box of 
West Indian fruits and seeds, to be put up as described, and 
which he dispatched during the month of August, con¬ 
taining seeds of the following:—Granadilla, Gourds, For¬ 
bidden fruit, Shaddocks, Sweet sop, Sour sop. Cherimoyer, 
Sapota, Guava, Lignum vita?, Papaw, Alligator Pear, Mango, 
Ochra, Fustic, &c. The box reached Edinburgh last 
October; shortly afterwards, the seeds and soil were sown 
over the surface of boxes prepared with drainage and soil 
for the purpose. Duiing the month of January the sur¬ 
face of the boxes became covered with innumerable speci¬ 
mens of cucurbitaceous and other herbaceous plants; when 
about three inches high they were removed, and again the 
surface became covered with ochra, Papaw trees, etc.; and 
now the different species of Anona, Citrus, Lignum-vitfe, 
besides several of the stronger hard-wooded sorts are making 
their appearance. It would be very desirable, in all cases 
where seeds are transmitted in soil, to have small portions 
of each named and sent in pajrnr; many of the seeds could 
thus be picked from the soil, and identified before sowing. 
This, however, is only applicable to the larger fruits and 
seeds, while with the smaller ones, dried specimens would 
be the only way to identify them.” 
Two of the boxes were exhibited to the meeting, and 
the luxuriant growth of seedling plants which they contained 
bore unmistakeable evidence of the success of the mode 
recommended by Mr. M‘Nab. 
The following was contained in a letter we lately 
received from Boughton Ivingdon, Esq., of Exeter, and 
contains unmistakeable evidence of the high value of 
pure and superior Cochin China fowls :— 
“I see that in The Cottage Gardener (page 173) you 
insert a notice from a correspondent relative to the sale of j 
Cochin China fowls, and, perhaps, the following fads will [ 
interest him and others. Within the last few weeks, a gen- 
tleman, near London, has sold a pair for 30 guineas, and 
another pair for 32 guineas. He has been offered £20 for 
a single hen; has sold numerous eggs at one guinea each, 
and has been paid down for chickens j ust hatched, 12 guineas 
the half dozen, to be delivered at a month old. One amateur 
alone has paid upwards of £100 for stock birds. These 
are facts which quite throw your correspondent’s into the j 
shade.” 
Information such as this gives us very great pleasure, ! 
not because of the high prices, but because it shows 
the energy with which poultry are being cultivated—an 
energy which must result in the improvement of what 
ought to be part of the stock of every householder who 
has a few square yards of ground attached to his 
residence, either in town or country. 
With much regret we have to announce the death of 
William Gardiner, the Dundee Botanist, in whose 
behalf we made an appeal some weeks since. He died 
on the 21st of June. We hope soon to see the 4th 
edition of the first series of his Mosses, and we trust 
that it will sell largely, for the benefit of his little orphan 
boy. 
shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us ad¬ 
ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se¬ 
cretaries. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
Allendale, Sept. 11th. {Secs., G. Dickinson and G. J. 
French.) 
Barton-upon-Humber. First show 14th July (Sec. C. 
Bah.) 
Bath, July 29tli, Sept. 10th. (Sec. H. T. St. John 
Maule, Esq.) 
Bridgewater, Sept. 22. (Secs., Mr. J. Leaker and Mr. | 
J. Hayward.) 
Brigg, July 7th, Sept. 15tli. (Sec. Mr. D. Nainby, Jun.) 
Bury St. Edmunds, July 30 (Picotees); Sept. 10 (Abbey) ; 
Nov. 26 (Chrysanthemums). (Sec. G. P. Clay, Esq ) 
Caledonian (Inverleith Ilow), Edinburgh, Aug. 7, Sept. 2, 
Dec. 2. 
Cheltenham, Aug. 26. 
Chiswick, July 10. 
Clapham, July 8, Sept. 11. 
Colchester and East Essex, Sept. 8, at the Rev. T. 
Round’s grounds, Holly Trees, All Saints. 
Derby, Aug. 4. 
Durham, Sept. 8. 
Forfarshire (Eastern), July 21 (Brechin) ; Sept. 15 
(Arbroath). 
Hampshire, July 1 (Winchester), Sept. 9 (Southampton), 
Nov. 18 (Winchester). (Sec. Rev. F. Wickham, Win¬ 
chester.) 
Hampton Wick, July 1. (Sec. Mr. B. Regester.) 
Hexham, Sept. 15, 10. 
Hull, Aug. 4, Sept. 10. 
Kirkcaldy (Fifeshirel, Sept. 9. 
Lewes Grand National, July 14 and 15. 
Lincoln, July 27, Sept. 14. 
Liverpool, Sept. 2 (Botanic Garden). 
London Floricultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), July 13+, 
27, Aug. 10+, 24, Sept. 14+, 28, Oct. 12+, Nov. 9+, 23, 
Dec. 14+. 
Maidstone. In-door Show. Sept. 8. (Sec. Mr. J. G. 
Smith, Week-street.) 
Mid Calder (Parish school-room), July 9, Sept. 10. 
Newbury, Sept. 3. 
North London, Sept. 14; Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. 
Northampton, July 27, Carnation; Sept. 27, Dahliu. 
Oxfordshire (Royal), July29 ; Sept. 23. (Secs., C.Tawney, 
and W. Undershell, Esqrs.) 
rEEBLESHiRE, July 13th, Sept. 14th. (Sec., J. Stirling.) 
Ponteland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), July 14; Sept. 8. 
( Sec. Rev. j. M. St. Clere Raymond.) 
South Devon Botanical and Horticultural, July 13; 
Sept. 7. (Sec. J. Cree Hancock, Esq., Stonehouse.) 
South London (Royal), July 15+, 21, Aug. 19+, Sept. 
2+, 8, Oct. 14), Nov. 11+, Dee. 9+, 10. 
Shacklewell, Sept. 1. 
Surrey Amateur (George Canning, Grove Lane, Camber¬ 
well), Sept. 15, Dahlia. 
Trowbridge (Grand Exhibition), Aug. 25. 
Turriff, Aug. 6, Sept. 17. 
Whitehaven, July 9, Pinks ; Sept. 17, Dahlias. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Agricultural Society (Royal), Lewes, July 12. 
Birmingham and Midland Counties, 14th, 15th, 10th, 
and 17th December. 
Bury and Radcliffe (Lancashire), Sept. 3 (Radcliffe). 1 
Cornwall (Penzance), about a week after the Binning- j 
ham. (Secs. Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, 
and E. H. Rodd, Esq.) 
f For seedlings only. 
PRUNING VINES. 
(Continued from page 125.) 
The Spur System. —It will be remembered, that we 
carried the young vines through the first season’s cul¬ 
ture, up to the rest period, at which point we resume the 
subject. We will assume that the rafters are required 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and 
Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We 
