January 19. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
309 
Dung, or other manure, must be added in winter, and 
great care taken not to dig too deep. This practice is 
really more hurtful to fruit plantations than the digging will 
compensate for. Even the Black Currant, which is, as we 
say, planted deep, requires to he carefully dealt with at 
digging-time, for many useful roots will be found within 
four inches of the surface, and it is needless here observing 
that these ought not to be disturbed. It is not uncommon 
for some growers to heap the earth up in a mound around 
the collar of each plant, which materially steadies it against 
the wind and other casualties ; and when the ground is 
light it may be of service, but in a general way it may be dis¬ 
pensed with, and the ground cultivated plain, observing that in 
all winter primings to preserve a few young shoots from the 
centre of the plant, so as to keep up the succession, and not 
allow it to become too tall, and “ run away,” as it is called ; 
otherwise, with the exception of these shoots coming forward, 
the tree ought not, by any means, to he too thick, so that 
when it has got to what may be called “ full size,” a con¬ 
siderable quantity of shoots may be cut away every year; 
cutting away, first, all those which disfigure the tree by their 
improper length or awkward growth ; afterwards, il it be 
necessary, a few that may be wanted to relieve the tree ot 
its superfluity. However, as all depends on the eye and 
taste of the operator, it is needless saying more than again 
pointing out that the summer shoots of the past year ought 
never to be shortened, but that in all other respects he may 
cut the tree in any manner with impunity, for it will endure 
a great deal of iil-usage before it finally gives in. But as 
a nice plantation of healthy young trees, vigorous, well¬ 
shaped, and uniform, is always a pleasing object, I advise the 
youthful cultivator not to rest satisfied with anything short 
of excellence in this respect; and though the Black Currant 
is often thrust into any out-of-the-way comer, yet it is only 
when they are well grown and orderly-looking trees that 
they approach the point which it is desirable to attain in an 
amateur garden; for even in this utilitarian age, the appear¬ 
ance of a tree is not altogether unimportant, especially 
when planted in a position where it is seen daily, or nearly 
so. All these points must, therefore, be attended to, and 
the Black Currant, when grown as it ought to be, will form 
as useful a fruit as any which grace our tables. 
In conclusion, I may observe, that the old variety is still 
mostly grown ; for though the larger one, called the Black 
Naples, has been tried by some of the more spiiited growers, 
it has not become so much a favourite as it was expected to 
be, for it appears the ripened berries drop off even more 
tban the old kind with the least wind or rain. If this 
drawback could be overcome by some improved variety of 
equal size, a desideratum would be attained useful to all, 
and we have no doubt but attention skilfully directed that 
way would accomplish this; the same as many other 
wayward propensities in fruits and vegetables have been 
overcome. But while the energies of our fruit-growers are 
all directed to the improved culture or perfection of some 
more fashionable fruits, this may bo neglected; yet there 
is none more worthy the attention of the enterprising 
improver, and we have no doubt but a really better variety 
than those now in existence would meet the reward due to 
it, as much as if it were a like improvement on Black 
Hambro’ Grapes, or tbe latest fashionable Strawberry.— 
H. B. 
SHANGHAE FOWLS. 
In your last number's notices to correspondents, I per¬ 
ceived you say, that you are “ at a loss to see what im¬ 
provement is conferred by the Falcon Hock” (in reference, 
I presume, to Shanghae fowls). 
As “ a curve is a line of beauty,” an artist would, pro¬ 
bably, on seeing specimens, one possessing, and the other 
wanting, this property, decide that the soft, curved feathers 
curling round and concealing the angularity of the hock 
was an evident improvement. Whether this is a sufficient 
reason for the “fashion” setting so distinctly in this 
direction, is not for me to say; nor is “ fashion ” much 
governed by reason ; but it is well known to such of your 
readers as have opportunities of attending poultry sales, 
that the public taste is so decided in this point, that birds 
possessing it have realised considerable sums, which, other- | 
wise, were so inferior, that they would infallibly have been i 
consigned to your “ class for dead poultry;” and I have no 
doubt that in another season it will be considered essential 
for prize birds to possess this property. In another page, 
you also express a hope that you may not again hear of 
such large sums, as have, in a few instances, been given for 
fowls. I should imagine, that so long as it is difficult to 
produce them combining all the required points of ex¬ 
cellence, such as do come up to that standard will com¬ 
mand as high prices, relatively to their intrinsic value, as 
choice specimens of any other description of stock (useful 
or ornamental) are known to do ; and the withholding the 
first prize for Buff Shanghaes, at the late Birmingham 
Show, affords pretty good evidence, that in that variety first 
class birds are not yet very numerous, and that the owners 
of such are not likely to be tempted to part with them at j 
I an ordinary price.—H. W. Collinson, 47, Castle-street, 
I Southwark. 
[The gentleman who wrote the comment upon the Falcon 
I hock is a good judge, but probably meant no more, than 
1 that such circumstances are of minor consideration. How- 
! ever, it is a matter of taste only. With regard to our hope 
! that we shall hear no more of enormously large sums being 
i given for a single bird, we only intended to convey the ex- ; 
1 pression of our sincere wish that good birds may so abound j 
1 as to preclude such high prices being obtainable. In other I 
i words, that the supply of excellence will more than equal j 
1 the demand.—E d. C. G.] 
SEA WEEDS. 
(Continued from page 288.) 
Some of my readers may not have seen an account of 
the gathering of Sea Weeds for manure, coal, and fire-wood, 
in a History of the Channel Islands, by Inglis; and to 
them it can scarcely fail to be interesting, as it is peculiar 
to those islands. 
“This Sea Weed is called in French varech, and in Jersey 
dialect ‘ vraic ;’ and a busy time is the vraicking season in 
Jersey. This season is fixed by the. island legislature, and 
is named twice a year, commencing generally about the 
10th of March and the 20th of July, and continuing each 
time about ten days. I have spoken of the beds of rocks 
that surround the island; and it is chiefly from these rocks 
and islets that the vraic is gathered. 
“When the vraicking season begins, those whose families 
are not numerous enough to collect the needful supply assist 
each other; and the vraicking parties, consisting of eight, 
ten, or twelve persons, sally forth betimes, from all parts of 
the island, to their necessary, laborious, but apparently 
cheerful work. Although a time of labour, it is also a 
season of merriment; ‘ vraicking cakes,’ made of flour, 
milk, and sugar, are plentifully partaken of, and on the 
cart which accompanies the party to the sea-beach is gene¬ 
rally slung a little cask of something to drink, and a suit¬ 
able supply of eatables. Every individual is provided with 
a small scythe, to cut the weed from the rocks, and with 
strong leg and foot gear. The carts proceed as far as the i 
tide will allow them, and boats, containing four or six 
persons, carry the vraickers to those more distant rocks 
which are unapproachable in any other way. It is truly a 
busy and a curious scene. During this season, at half-tide 
or low-water, multitudes of carts and horses, boats and 
vraickers, cover the beach, the rocks, and the water; and so 
anxious are the people to make the most of their limited 
time, that I have often seen horses swimming, and carts 
floating, so unwilling are the vraickers to be driven from 
their spoil by the inexorable tide. But this Sea Weed is 
not employed solely as manure, it is also used as fuel, 
and for this purpose it is collected at other times than 
at the regular vraicking seasons — not from the rocks, 
indeed, but from the sea-beach. The collection of this 
Sea Weed is a constant employment with those who live 
near the sea shore, and the produce of their labour is 
either used for fuel, or is sold to those who want it. At 
almost all times, men, women, and children, but chiefly the 
two latter, are to be seen at this employment, gathering or 
