Jdi-y 22. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
253 
white Muscovy ducks, 30s.; white swans, ogs.; Shanghae cock, 
5 gs. ; pair Guinea fowls, 1 g. ; pair swan pheasants, 5 gs. ; 
Cochin-China cock and two liens, £15 ; buff China cock, 1 g. ; 
basket white doves, 1 g. per pair ; cream doves, 7s. (id. per 
pair; Virginian owl, 5 gs. ; cock and three hens Cochin-China 
fowls, £20 ; cock and two hens bearded ditto, 7 gs. ; ditto 
white bantams, 2 gs. ; couple dark Muscovy ducks, 1 g. ; cock 
and hen Malay fowls, 2 gs. ; cock and hen Chinese silk fowls, 
2 gs.; cock and hen white face black Spanish, 2 gs. ; cock 
and two hens bearded China, 4 gs. ; cock and hen Cochin- 
China, 2 gs. ; cock and four hens Creoles, £3 10s. ; silver- 
laced bantam, 5 gs. ; cock Chinese silk fowl, 1 g. ; pair of teal 
(ducks), 1 g. ; Malay fowls, £5; couple decoy ducks, 1 g. ; 
white-crested black Poland fowls, 2 gs. ; cock and two hens 
black bantams, 2 gs. ; silver-laced ditto, 2 gs. ; five pens China 
fowl chickens, from 30s. to 3 gs. ; ditto bearded, 30s. ; pair 
gold bantams, 1 g. ; pair silver bantams, 1 g. ; ditto, 1 g. ; 
Jacobin pigeons, 7s. Od. ; Virginian horned owl, 5 gs ; a pair 
of hare rabbits, 1 g. ; pah Spanish ditto, 1 g. ; fine buck 
Spanish rabbit, 1 g.; and a quantity of Guinea pigs, 5s. 
per pair. 
At this season for budding we readily insert the 
following communication from Mr. Foulstone, of Shef¬ 
field, and having tried his little budding facilitator, 
which in its case is easily carried in the waistcoat 
pocket, we can recommend it strongly to our readers. 
“ I beg to submit to your notice a 
budding instrument, which I think is 
well adapted for preparing and insert¬ 
ing buds. For several years I have 
been fond of budding roses, but I have 
been frequently disappointed in my 
buds not growing, although, to all ap¬ 
pearance, they have taken well, but have 
made no shoots. I attribute the failure 
to the heart of the bud having been 
removed in cleaning out the wood. To 
avoid this, I have contrived this in¬ 
strument, which I use as follows :— 
When I have taken off the bud, I take 
the instrument in my right hand, hold¬ 
ing it by putting my fore-finger through 
I the ring, and my thumb upon the hollow at the bottom of 
' the long gauge. I hold the bud in my left hand betwixt 
j my thumb and fingers; I then clean out the wood by 
passing the instrument betwixt it and the bark, thus scoop¬ 
ing it out sooner than with the point of a knife, and it is 
i not so liable to tear out the bud. After I have made the 
cut I raise the bark at the top with the point of my knife, 
in order to admit the point of the instrument; I then press 
it down the cut, and in this way the bark is raised much 
better than by an ivory budder, and it is less liable to get 
bruised. While the instrument is thus inserted, I have my 
bud prepared, and slide it down the groove ; the instrument 
may then be taken out, and the bud will be fixed. Whilst 
tying in the bud, the instrument may be held in the left 
hand, by putting the little finger through the ring, and 
allowing the small gauge to be outside, while the large one 
| will be across the bottom of the fingers, and will not be at 
I all inconvenient. In this way the operation may be per- 
■ formed much quicker than by the ordinary method, and I 
! think with much more certainty of the buds growing. 
“ The instrument being made of nickel silver, I think 
much superior to steel, as it is not liable to corrode, and 
therefore will not require so much care in keeping clean.” 
This last-mentioned fact is of more importance than 
j we usually consider. Either the Tannin or Gallic acid 
, contained in all barks invariably strikes a black colour— 
j that is, forms a salt of iron—with the blade of a steel 
budding instrument; and the greater the amount of the 
blackness, or salt formed, the greater is the danger that 
! the operation will fail. 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and 
Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We 
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.) 
Bath, July 29th, Sept. 10th. (Sec, H. T. St. John 
Maule, Esq.) 
Bridgewater, Sept. 22. (Secs., Mr. J. Leaker and Mr. 
J. Hayward.) 
Brigg, Sept. 15th. (Sec. Mr. D. Nainby, Jun.) 
Bristol Agriculturyl, December 7th, 8th, and 9th. 
(Sec. James Marmont.) 
Bury St. Edmunds, July 30 (Picotees); Sept. 10 (Abbey) ; 
Nov. 26 (Chrysanthemums). (Sec. G. P. Clay, Esq,) 
Caledonian (Inverleith Bow), Edinburgh, Aug. 7, Sept. 2, 
Dec. 2. 
Cheltenham, Aug. 26. 
Clapham, Sept. 11. 
Colchester and East Essex, Sept. 8, at the Rev. T. 
Bound’s grounds, Holly Trees, All Saints. 
Derby, Aug. 4. 
Durham, Sept. 8. 
Forfarshire (Eastern), Sept. 15 (Arbroath). 
Hampshire, Sept. 9 (Southampton), Nov. 18 (Winches¬ 
ter). (Sec. Rev. F. Wickham, Winchester.) 
Hexham, Sept. 15, 16. 
Hull, Aug. 4, Sept. 16. 
Kirkcaldy (Fifeshire), Sept. 9. 
Lincoln, July 27, Sept. 14. 
Liverpool, Sept. 2 (Botanic Garden). 
London Floricultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), July 
27, Aug. 10t, 24, Sept. 14+, 28, Oct. 12+, Nov. 0+, 23, 
Dec. 14+. 
Maidstone. In-door Show. Sept. 8. (Sec. Mr. J. G. 
Smith, Week-street.) 
Mid Calder (Parish school-room), Sept. 10. 
Newbury, Sept. 3. 
North London, Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. 
Northampton, July 27, Carnation; Sopt. 27, Dahlia. 
Oxfordshire (Royal), July29 ; Sept. 23. (5ecs.,C.Tawney 
and W. Undershell, Esqrs.) 
Peebleshlre, Sept. 14th. (Sec., J. Stirling.) 
Ponteland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), Sept. 8. (Sec. Rev. 
J. M. St. Clere Raymond.) 
South Devon Botanical and Horticultural, Sept. 7. 
(Sec. J. Cree Hancock, Esq., Stonehouse.) 
South London (Royal), Aug. 19t, Sept. 2t, 8, Oct. 14+, 
Nov. 11+, Dec. 9+, 16. 
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, Sept. 17, Dahlias. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Birmingham and Midland Counties, 14tli, 15tli, 16th, 
and 17tli December. 
Bury and Radcliffe (Lancashire), Sept. 3 (Radcliffe). 
Cornwall (Penzance), about a week after the Birming¬ 
ham. (Secs. Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, 
and E. H, Rodd, Esq.) 
t For seedlings only. 
LATE MELONS. 
So numerous are the subjects requiring, at least, a 
passing notice, which present themselves to a writer on 
gardening at the present period, that, seeing a whole 
book may not be written, it is difficult to know what to 
leave untouched. One important item in this gardening 
olio is the subject of the present paper. 
There are those who, although they cannot carry out 
successfully the forcing of very early melons, can manage 
very well to produce a late crop, their frames or pits 
