360 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 2. 
John F-sits comfortably in his kitchen, although it is 
in loneliness; but he has kind and respectable neighbours, 
and he does not, therefore, feel his solitude oppressive. I 
! said to him a day or two ago, “ You feel now the comfort of 
| your club, John." “ I do, indeed, ma'am,” he replied. 
“ What do you receive weekly ? ” “ Seven shillings, ma’am. 
A sick member receives full pay for six months, and half¬ 
pay afterwards." “ Well,” I said, “ but suppose now that 
you are unable to work for the rest of your life, how long 
would your half-pay continue? ” “As long as I live, or as 
1 long as the funds hold out, ma’am.” “And what do you 
pay in monthly ? ” “ Fifteen-pence.” “ And what would 
you have done, supposing you did not belong to a club ? ” 
“ Gone to the union, ma’am; there’s nothing else for it." 
; “ I wish every man in the parish belonged to a club,” I 
■ remarked; “they are the only things to do him good.” “It’s 
a pity they are not better supported,” John replied. “ None 
of the gentlefolks helps ours, so there’s nothing more than 
we pay ourselves. But,” he added, “ if I was a rich man, if 
I had as many bank-notes as I could carry in my great 
basket, I would not give one shilling to support a club that 
wastes money upon no good. Here, one club gives four 
pounds at Whitsuntide for music, and eating and drinking. 
One dinner is all very well the day the club meets, but then 
they are at it again next day, and it all costs money. Let 
the money for the band and the second dinner be put by in 
the fund, it all helps ; and nobody’s a bit better or wiser for 
the music and the beer afterwards.” 
John’s view of the matter is a sensible one; but many 
men, we know, have many minds ; and unless there is some 
wise and weighty person to form and enforce rules, evils 
will mix with the good. 
There is a club of young men in the parish also, lately 
established by a clergyman resident in it, but not the incum¬ 
bent. This little brotherhood is conducted very differently. 
The promoter superintends it himself, presides at the meet¬ 
ing, which is not held at a public-house, and by his presence 
and care prevents the excesses too often arising from the 
undisciplined clubs. 
It appears to me, that if the poor men in a parish were 
enabled to join a life club by their richer neighbours’ assist¬ 
ance, that would be scarcely felt by a gentleman or a farmer, 
which would support a fellow-creature in sickness and old 
age. Some poor labourers, with large families, might be 
unable to meet the monthly demand, in which case, a trifling 
sum per month, from the master for whom he works, would 
insure him comforts which perhaps no master could supply 
when sickness or old age arrives; and, therefore, effect an 
amount of good that can only be seen and felt when the 
time of trial comes. 
The blessing of the Lord is never withheld from earnest 
and active endeavours to do good, when they are undertaken 
with a single eye to His glory, and the benefit of the poor 
and needy. Let us not think of our own pockets, except 
in so far as how to do most with that which we have to 
give; but let us think of the British labourer, and how best 
to promote his real good. To provide for his old age, is a 
j duty incumbent upon all who have this world’s goods, and 
a sacred duty too. It should also be carried out spiritually ; 
and this may be largely effected by means of these clubs. 
A man of God, presiding over his flock, needs not a feeble 
pen to tell him what to do, or how to do it. He has his 
Master’s work at heart, and his Master's rules to go by, and 
from them he will frame his little building, and order his 
household. If the foundation is Jesus Christ, however 
small and feeble the super-structure be, waves and storms 
shall not prevail against it. That is the Rock; and whether 
we frame churches, or constitutions, or kingdoms, or house¬ 
holds, or only humble Benefit Clubs, let us see that we are 
on “the Rock;" for “the fire shall try every man’s work of 
what sort it is,” and no blessing can or will be found where 
Jesus Christ is not made “the precious corner-stone” and 
the “ sure foundation.” 
t The circulation of The Cottage Gardener is so exten¬ 
sive, that I feel I am addressing these remarks to the 
British public. May they be the means of promoting the 
good of our poorer brethren. 
I 
COCHIN-CHINAS v. SPANISH FOWLS. 
I have been much interested in the remarks of “ Gallus,” 
on the paper on poultry that appeared with my name 
attached to it in The Cottage Gardener of July 29th. If 
I ask you to give insertion to my present communication, it 
is no less with a view that, together with your readers in 
general, I may profit by the observations of one who is so 
evidently master of his subject, as that I may also avail 
myself of the opportunity to add a few words to what I have 
already urged in favour of the Cochin-China race. 
Two candidates, I find, for pre-eminence in our poultry 
courts, have opposed my own nomination—and formidable 
ones I at once confess them to be, in many respects ; the 
more so, indeed, as my own knowledge of one of them, 
Dorkings, is by no means so perfect as I should wish, and 
still hope it may be. 
Together with Dorkings, Spanish fowls are mentioned by 
“ Gallus ” as more likely to be kept with profit by the 
farmer and cottager than any other race. Now, your readers 
will remember that I first expressed a difficulty as to Spanish, 
from their cost. “ Gallus ” says, in reply, that it certainly is so 
at present, but that another year their price will be much re¬ 
duced. Now, first-rate Spanish, as dealers tell me, are more 
difficult to obtain than any other variety of fowls, not even 
excepting Cochin-Chinas ; but the latter, for the last two or 
three years, have even increased in price, and glad as I 
should most certainly be to see Spanish birds more easily 
attainable, I hardly venture to expect that their fall in 
value can be so immediate. 
“ Gallus ” seems to have, indeed, prospered with his 
chickens of this race, and, with great good fortune, to have 
avoided the Scylla and Cliarybdis of bad eggs and dead 
chickens, that have during the present year disheartened so 
many of my Cornish neighbours; wisely, therefore, will 
they avail themselves of his stock. 
Spanish “and" Dorkings, I see, would, in his opinion, 
both take precedence of Cochin-Chinas, with those “ whose 
object is good returns;” and few, I believe, in these days, 
will be indifferent to this great recommendation in the 
occupants of their poultry yards. 
But here I must observe, that but few persons, in the 
position of farmers or cottagers, have the means of keeping 
two distinct breeds of fowls, so that we must make the 
selection of one or the other, as best suited to their require¬ 
ments. It must be, therefore, either Spanish or Dorkings, 
not Spanish and Dorkings, as “ Gallus ” intimates in The 
Cottage Gardener of the 5tli inst. 'When poultry-keepers 
are so fortunate as to have more than one walk, they can 
safely indulge their taste for variety; but the cottager 
always, and the farmer generally, is limited in this respect. 
Nor must we here omit an earnest caution, to avoid all risk 
of crossing our birds with other races; for no matter how 
meritorious the first results, a very few generations will be 
sufficient to satisfy their owners that a pure stock would 
have been better policy, and this for reasons which need not 
be referred to here. Now, as regards the conflicting claims 
of Spanish and the Cochin-Chinas, let us see what can be 
said by their respective advocates. 
First, as regards them as layers. The Spanish hens in 
the possession of “ Gallus ” have laid, according to his 
statement in The Cottage Gardener, “ six eggs per week, 
since February last; ” but great productiveness as this most 
assuredly is, we still find that his Cochin-Chinas “ laid even 
more eggs than his Spanish.” Now, as to the relative market 
value of eggs, I have not found, on ordinary occasions, that 
any higher price is given for the larger eggs, excepting, of 
course, such as Bantams; while, on the other hand, a pre¬ 
ference is certainly given for those of the rich brown tint, 
which distinguishes the Cochin-China, and is supposed to 
indicate its superior quality. We must remember, too, that 
Thomas’s kind employers gave him his fowls for the special 
purpose of supplying him with eggs, which Thomas’s fair 
bride would probably, in due course, convey to market. 
Now, although his master’s Cochin-Chinas had, hitherto, 
laid more eggs than the Spanish, Thomas’s choice was, un¬ 
doubtedly, a wise one, for his special purpose; and had I 
been the fortunate one to whom the option was given, my 
selection would have been the same; for I have always 
thought, that wherever eggs were chiefly regarded, Spanish 
would have the preference; while, for the general purpose of 
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