THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
December 22. 
Pouters, or Croppers.— 222 . First prize, Mr. Joshua Hopkins, 39 , 
Dale End, Birmingham. 218. Second prize, Miss Fanny Hill Curtis, 
High-street, West Bromwich. 
Barbf.s. —242. First prize, Mr. W. H. Goddard, Hagley Road, Edg- 
baston, Birmingham. 244. Second prize, The Hon. Rowland C. Hill, 
Hawkstone, Shropshire. 
Runts. —247. First prize, Mrs. Simons, Speedwell Road, Birmingham. 
249. Second prize, Mr. J. B. Winder, Birmingham. 
Dragoons. —265. First prize, Mr. Samuel Ridley, jun., Clayton, 
Sussex. 266. Second prize, Mr. Edward Barber, Monkspath. 
Any otiier new or distinct variety.— 269 . First prize, Mr. John 
Child, Sherbourne Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham. (Porcelain.) 271 . 
Second prize, Mr. George Lowe, Greet, Sparkbrook, near Birmingham. 
(Black Kite.) 274. Extra prize, Mrs. Vivian, Singleton, Swansea. 
(Hyacinth.) 272 . Extra prize, Mr.Thomas James Cottle, Pulteney Villa, 
Cheltenham. (Scagliola.) 
HARDY BORDER PLANTS. 
(Continued from page 186.) 
ACANTHUS MOLLIS, OR BEAR'S BREECH. 
This species is more appropriately called “ The Corinth¬ 
ian Plant,” from its being supposed to have been the 
plant the ilowers of which furnished the ancients with that 
style of architecture. It is called Acanthus, from acanthos, 
a spine, because, in some of the species, the leaves are very 
spiny or prickly round their irregularly-cut margins. This 
is a noble and most desirable plant, either as a margin 
plant in the plantations, or as a single bunch plant upon 
the lawn. It nourishes in any good garden soil, and is 
readily increased by root-division. After being once well- 
planted it might remain for any number of years, forming 
a very pleasing and interesting group, year after year, 
without any trouble. It dies quite down every winter. 
Its roots are of along, fleshy, branching character, spread¬ 
ing out wide, and this is often the cause of its loss. Spread¬ 
ing-rooted plants are apt to be destroyed, because the 
forgetful, or else the inexperienced, or careless, assistant 
makes too free with the spade round about them. By the 
bunch system of growing the spade never need be used here at 
all; for should the plant appear to intrude too far on either 
side it is readily cut away, or any portion of its crowns 
removed with a three-grained fork, when it puts up in the 
spring, which is much better than the spade to be used 
among most plants; and at the close of the season, of 
course all unsightly decayed leaves and flower-stalks 
should be removed as they die away, and its little bed made 
tidy, and a spadeful or two of nice soil, such as leaf-mould, 
or the like, from the frame-ground, or compost-yard, put 
neatly over its crowns, and the bed is then dressed for the 
whole year. 
Its flower-stems rise to from one-and-a-lialf to three feet 
high, with a beautiful long spike of spiny calyxes, and large 
blossoms, so curious and handsome, that every visitor to 
the garden would be inquiring what plant it could be. All 
its leaves put up from the ground from a foot to eighteen 
inches long, and stalked; their margins are cut, or irregularly 
' scolloped, and a little spiny. Its time of flowering is from 
July to September. 
It was introduced to this country in the year 1548, from 
its native place, Italy. 
When planted in the margins of shrubberies, and in such¬ 
like places, the spade should always be kept from near its 
roots, and that part where this plant is be rendered tidy 
with a little top-dressing. By so dealing with it, we have ! 
had this plant flower beautifully in the most gloomy corner, 
as well as in the most open, sunny situation, for the last 
twenty years, in the same spots, and how long before we 
cannot say. 
Acanthus spinosus and A. spinosissimus. —These, too, 
are curious and interesting plants, which should be dealt 
with in the same way. Their leaves are very much more 
cut and spiny. 
Of course, such plants as these are some years before 
they become noble specimens, after which, under the above 
treatment, it would be difficult to number their days in the 
same spots. T. W. 
THE CARRIER PIGEON. 
With regard to the Carrier (formerly styled King of 
Pigeons); it is possible to make ev.ery tame pigeon a 
Carrier, to a certain extent, according to the sagacity of the 
different breeds. Beards have been known to do Dover to 
London. Almonds and Short faced Tumblers, by practising 
them, would do miles; and if a message is neatly wound 
round the leg, and properly secured, and not fastened to 
their feet like kite’s tail (which would frighten the bird and 
prevent its finding its home), it would carry the message to 
its home, and consequently would be a Carrier. As a proof of 
it, at the Derby, at Epsom, after the Derby is over, I am 
more pleased at the sight of the pigeons tossed to convey 
the news of the winning horse than seeing the race. On 
one occasion, a pigeon was thrown up from a carriage 
window, with a message and a long string tied to its feet, as 
I presume; it was with the utmost difficulty the bird could 
reach the Grand Stand, when a person at the corner of the 
stand put out his hand and caught the bird, whether by the 
string or not I cannot tell. From what I saw, the bird made 
a great effort to reach the stand to rest; now, if the gentle¬ 
man who tossed the pigeon from the carriage window had 
instructed it to convey the message to the gentlemen of the 
Grand Stand, it was, to all intents and purposes, the most 
sagacious Carrier ever heard of. I think the more proper 
name for our sharp and sagacious flying birds would be to 
call them Homers or Homebirds, so great is their love for 
home. 
Suppose a gentleman bought a pair of these sharp-flying 
birds, for their sagacity, of a poor chimney-sweeper, and 
afterwards took them fifty miles into the country, placed 
them in the most comfortable aviary that ever was built, kept 
them in for twelve months, pampered them with every kind 
of grain or seed, beautiful waters to drink and wash in; now, 
after being kept one year in this lofty and spacious aviary, with 
all these apparent comforts, after giving them their liberty, 
will they stop ? Certainly not; they will again go home. It 
appears to me their motto is “There is no place like home,” 
however homely. Although it may be they were fed upon 
barley, dirty water to drink, and roosted upon soot-bags, yet 
as soon as they obtain their liberty they mount the skies, and 
will not take rest till they reach their home; by what means 
is mysterious and unknown; you might as well try to stay a 
Wood Pigeon. 
The Pigeons now made use of as Carriers or Messengers, 
are Antwerp birds, and by some are called Antwerp Carriers. 
These are the birds to do the utmost work as Messengers. 
A thorough-bred Antwerp is an ugly looking bird, while a 
half-bred looks pleasant. The Carrier, or Stout Bird, so 
called and admired by fanciers, is too valuable to risk in 
fly> n g> for fear of being lost, particularly as some of the | 
owners would not take twenty guineas for each bird. The 
special object the fanciers now have in keeping these valuable 
birds, arises from the great admiration of their beautiful 
properties, viz.: 1st., The Beak; 2nd., The Wattle; 3rd., 
The Head; 4th., The Eye; 5th., The length and thinness | 
of neck, and length of body, which is shape or carriage. 
Was it ever yet placed on the pens of the Carriers at the ! 
poultry shows what distance the birds had accomplished? 
This would open the door to lying, for the man who would 
lie the most would be awarded the prize, if tested by such a 
standard, besides being a queer point. If at a society of 
Carrier fanciers, and some extraordinary Carriers were 
shown, a gentleman, a visitor, was to ask the question—the 
utmost distance they had performed—the fanciers would i 
know then he was no fancier. 
It is a mistaken notion, although not laid down, that a I 
good fancier overlooks feather in awarding a prize, although 1 
the standard judiciously laid down takes cognizance of five 1 
properties. Good feather has its influence, and the eye is 
gratified by witnessing Carriers of superior plumage. There 
are good and bad colours in the Carriers, viz., good blacks 
and bad blacks, good and bad coloured dun, good and bad 
coloured blue, and in all the colours, which is not lost sight 
of in good fanciers. 
With regard to the wattle, or orbit of unnatural size, or 1 
bloated amplification, no good fancier ever attempted to get 1 
into their birds bad properties. A crowded wattle is bad. ! 
The standard laid down for the wattle is thus; it ought to 
