362 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 2. 
Charles Smith, Caistor, Lincoln. First prize not awarded for want of 
merit. (3 entries.) 
Best cock and two hens, black, white, or any other variety of Ban¬ 
tams, £\, awarded to G. E. Taylor, Oatlands, Leeds ; second ditto, 10s., 
to James Dixon, Westbrook-place, Bradford. (12 entries.) 
Best Gander and one Goose , awarded to T. T. Barker, Sutton 
Grange, St. Helens, and Fergus Ferguson, Walkington, Beverley; 
second ditto, 10s., to T. T. Parker, Sutton Grange, St. Helens. [Double 
first prize on account of extra merit.] (2 entries.) 
Best drake and two Ducks, j 6T, awarded to Robert J. Bentley, East¬ 
wood-house, Rotherham; second ditto, 10s., to Samuel Watkins, 
Worksop, Notts, and two second prizes to James Dixon, Bradford. 
[Treble second prize on account of extra merit.] (17 entries.) 
Best Turkey cock and hen, £\, awarded to B. H. Brooksbank, Tick- 
hill, Rotherham ; second ditto, 10s., to ditto. (2 entries.) 
PIGEONS. 
Best pair of Blue Carrier , 5s., awarded to Godfrey Wentworth, 
Woolley Park. (1 entry.) 
Best pair of Yellow Horseman , 5s., awarded to John Clark, Sowcrby, 
Thirsk. (I entry.) 
Best pair of Brown-speckled Jacobins , 5s., awarded to Godfrey Went¬ 
worth, Woolley Park. (1 entry.) 
Best pair of Bunts , 5s., awarded to Robert Miller, Worksop. (1 
entry.) 
SPECIMENS OF PLANTS AND FLORISTS’ 
FLOWERS. 
All these must in future be directed to The Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, at Mr. If. Wooldridge's, Printer, 
Winchester. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Many Questions have to remain unanswered until next week, owing 
to the Editor’s unavoidable absence. 
Cochin-China Cockerels (E . A. S.). —We recommend you, and 
any one else who requires first-class pale buff-coloured Cochin-China 
cockerels, to apply to Capt. W. W. Hornby, R.N., Knowsley Cottage, 
Prescot, Lancashire. 
Carrier Pigeons ( Amateur Subscriber). —The pigeons used in 
matches are the Antwerp Carriers, or, as they are more commonly 
called, “ the Antwerps.” They resemble the common Tumbler more 
than any other pigeon, but are of larger size. They have no wattle 
round the eye, and very little upon the beak, less than a Cropper. 
Their colours are various, as blues, See., and the price varies from 3s. to 
8s. per pair. They may be obtained from almost every dealer in pigeons, 
but we have obtained some from Mr. S. Mason, King’s Cottage, Fulham, 
near London. If well fed, they do little injury to a garden. 
Old Promises (E . S. J .). —You are the only one, out of forty 
thousand, who has expressed a wish to have the promise of March the 
25th fulfilled, therefore, the subject cannot be of much interest. Some 
of our promises are like straws, cast off to see liow the wind blows. Your 
mode of punishment will be very agreeable if you come to inflict it. 
Lobelia ccelestis (. Verax). —It is only a hardy “ herbaceous plant,” 
not a bedding Lobelia. Lobelia ramosa is a half-hardy annual, to be 
sown only from February to the end of May. It is not suited for sowing 
in the autumn, and those who call it a hardy perennial do not read The 
Cottage Gardener. 
Verbena venosa (Ibid). —What we call the roots of this plant are 
only underground creeping shoots, having regular joints and buds, but 
no leaves. It is the same with the couch grass ; a morsel of such roots 
will grow if a joint happens to form part of it. The tops will make 
cuttings, and grow as fast as any other Verbena, and now is a good time. 
“ A bright violet-blue Verbena, brilliant, and of spready habit, not 
straggling,” would be worth twenty guineas to any raiser. There is not 
a blue verbena yet worth planting for bedding. 
Vine Pruning (Rhydy Gors). —We rejoice to find that The Cottage 
Gardener’s advice has set you right with your vines. Your young 
shoots, an inch-and-a-half round, must produce a crop, by all means; 
but pray be rather moderate the first year. We have no idea of the 
length and thickness of the main stems, or we could have advised you 
both fully arid safely. If you will give such data, we shall feel a pleasure 
in completing the answer. One thing we advise—suffer your vines to 
ramble freely for some time yet, and you will have a border nearly filled 
with roots. Close stopping next year. You will see another article on 
pruning, &c., shortly. 
Guernsey Prong (Rev. T. P.). —We cannot find any maker who has 
this implement, described at page 250 of our Cth volume; but any black¬ 
smith seeing the drawing, and reading the description, could make one. 
Gold Fish. —T. M. W. wishes to know the proper management and 
feeding of these. We have known them kept for years in a glass vase, 
with no other food than was afforded by fresh river water frequently 
changed, and a little growing moss kept at the bottom by a stone 
upon it. 
Chinese Pigs. —If J . B. II. writes to the Rev. W. Fox, Delamere 
Rectory, Chester, he may obtain what he requires. 
Greenhouse ( J . S. L.). —You must have some mode of keeping a 
freezing temperature away from your plants in severe weather. You may 
grow vines on ten-feet rafters. You will find abundance of hints, as to 
fitting up a greenhouse, in our back volumes. 
Pannell’s Heating Apparatus. —We find that the proper direction 
to the maker is Mr. J. Pannell, Renishaw Iron Works, Chesterfield, 
Derbyshire. 
Rabbits (Amicus). —When a rabbit has the liver-complaint, we have 
always heard authorities say “ the only cure is to kill it.” If any of our 
readers know the cause, or a remedy for the disease, our correspondent 
would be obliged by its being communicated. Wbat are the symptoms 
of liver-complaint in the rabbit ? 
Trotter’s Pamphlet (A Constant Subscriber ).—See an advertise¬ 
ment inserted this day. 
Greenhouse (S. O. L.). —With every wish to assist you, we cannot 
possibly do so without having a plan of your Elizabethan house, and a 
fuller statement of what kind of plants you prefer. 
Wheat (S. R. U.). —The Golden Drop variety is the best we know, 
and any large dealer in agricultural seeds could procure it for you. 
Ribes sanguineum, &c. (Maddox). —The leaves turn brown soon 
after the flowers go off, probably because the soil is too dry. Cnlla, or 
as it is now called, llichardia aithiopica , should be allowed to die down 
in the autumn, and the roots be kept dry. Wc cannot tell from your 
description what ailed your chicken. 
Cream (H .).—To obtain the greatest quantity in the shortest time, 
put the milk into very broad shallow pans, and keep it at a temperature 
of 75°. If you require a little book full of instruction upon dairying, buy 
The Cow , by Mr. Milburn, in the shilling series “ Richardson’s Rural 
Handbooks.” 
Glass (S.). —Use Hartley’s rough glass for the south sideof the ridged 
roof of your greenhouse. 
Stable Manure Drainage (Ibid). —If you have an overplus of this 
in the winter, you may put it on to your flower-borders, especially where 
roses arc grown. It is, however, most advantageously applied to plants 
when growing. In the winter, as it will only be adding a store of ferti¬ 
lizing matter to the soil ready for spring use, you had better apply it 
unmixed with water. Your other question next week. 
Hens Laying Two Eggs in a Day.— Mr. F. W. Rust, of Stow- 
market, Suffolk, says:—“ I observed in The Cottage Gardener, in 
an extract from Mr. Trotter’s Essay on the Rearing of Poultry, that he 
never knew a Cochin-China hen to lay two eggs in one day. I have a hen 
that has done this on two occasions; the first time on the l6th of April, 
within three hours, and the last time on the 12th of June, within the 
hour. This I can positively assert as a fact having come under my own 
observation, and that from the last two eggs I have now two chickens 
alive.” We have the following from the Rev. W. W. Wingfield, bearing 
testimony to the same fact. He says :—“A remarkable instance of the 
merits of Cochin-Chinas as layers has just come before me. A young 
Punchard hen was brought home on the 24th of last December. She 
laid on the 25th, and continued to do so, till in 96 days 95 eggs were 
laid; 10 more eggs were then laid in 20 days, making, in all, 105 eggs in 
116 days ; she then sat and reared a brood. I have no doubt as to the 
correctness of this statement, having had a very well-kept poultry-book 
produced. Enquiries having also been made as to the fact of Cochin- 
Chinas laying more than one egg in the day, I can speak positively as to 
this having happened once in ray own poultry-yard. A Cochin-China 
hen, and an American, which latter laid a totally different egg, were kept 
by themselves in one enclosure (loclced-up); at 9 o’clock one morning 1 
found their two eggs, none having been there the night before, and the 
Cochin-China had laid early the previous day; at 11, a.m., the same 
morning, the Cochin-China was on her nest, and on examination I found 
another perfect egg beneath her.” 
Alamanda not Blooming (Philanthes). —This must have plenty of 
beat, moisture, light, and anything to encourage vigour during summer, 
and then you will have no scarcity of flowers. 
Crinum amadile (Ibid).— il Will a strong plant bloom this season ? ” 
We can hardly tell without seeing it, and perhaps not then. Plenty of 
light, and a little shortness of water, might hasten the flowering; buc, if 
after two or three weeks there are no signs of this, you must give w'atcr 
again, keeping it rather drv in winter, and the increase of temperature, 
light, and sunshine in May and June, will likely give you a fine display, 
or, if it does not bloom this season, it may bloom early in spring or 
summer. 
Chili alstrcemerias (Ibid). —The tenderest of these may be kept 
over the winter, either plunged, or planted out rather deeply in a cold 
pit, in sandy peat soil, and protected from wet and severe frost by 
glass sashes, or any other moisture rcpellant. 
Bulbs in Pots (Ibid). — Jxias, Sprckelias, Gladioli, and Amaryllis, 
now in pots, can be retained in the same mould and pots during the 
winter, and will bloom well next year, provided the drainage is right, and 
, manure-water is given when growth is fully proceeding. Thej r will often 
thus do well for several seasons. We prefer, however, to repot Ixias and 
Gladioli, when in a state of rest, and then the roots lay hold of the fresh 
soil. The Amaryllis tribe, generally, we prefer repotting after they have 
done blooming, and the leaves are growing freely ; putting them into 
fresh soil, and placing the plants in a close, warm pit, shading and 
sprinkling for a few days to prevent evaporation. Then give them every 
advantage for growing until the leaves become of a yellowish tinge, and 
the plants will bloom splendidly in the same soil as the bulbs are rested 
in. For climbers in conservatory, see Mr. Fish’s communication to-day. 
Ranunculuses in Pots (Novice). —The Turban Ranunculus’ arc 
sometimes grown in pots, but the roots deteriorate, and will not flower 
till the following season, and in the third year most of them would dis¬ 
appear entirely. This is the reason why they are not grown in pots. 
Perhaps there is no florists’ flower so difficult, under the best management, 
to cultivate as the Ranunculus. 
1 Wine Making.— E. Y. says—“Having made several different wines 
1 this season, and wishing to make some more by a receipt which you 
give in TnE Cottage Gardener, vol. vii., page 138, I find in that 
! receipt you direct me where to start from, but you do not direct me when 
to stop.” In answer to this, pray read this paragraph in the same pages 
of the volume you quote:—“The final gravity of the wine, before 
bottling, should be about 35, or, if intended as a dry wine, even as low 
as 20. In the former case (as the wine will be effervescent) it should be 
bottled in, or before, March, and in champagne bottles; in the latter 
case, two years in the cask will greatly improve and mellow the wine.” 
Mr. Livett says, “ I can give no more explicit directions than the above. 
As a general rule, this may be considered applicable to all wines.” 
Stock or Bedding Plants (T. B.). —Your communication shall be 
inserted next week; pray send the continuation. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—September 2nd, 1862, 
