416 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 9. 
a cool soil, or in situations where it never seemed to want 
for moisture at the root. 
It is certainly one of the most hardy of all plants, and one 
of the prettiest, too. Let the weather come as it may, 
during its flowering season, storm or sunshine never hurts it. 
Its time of flowering much depends upon the season and 
situation, but from the middle of January to the end of March 
is its usual time. 
Its flowers are produced in wreath-like, one-sided spikes. 
Its oblong blossoms all lapping over each other in a 
pendulous form, and from the axils of its leaves, which are 
generally in fours up its numerous stems. The flowers are 
deep flesh-coloured, with black anthers extending a little 
longer than the mouth of the corolla ; then the white pointal 
or stigma extends a little longer still, like a tiny beak 
through the black anthers, rendering the blossom altogether 
about half-an-inch in length. The leaves are line-like, 
smooth, half-an-inch in length, and of a dark green colour. 
The plant at all seasons looks neat in the borders, and at this 
time of the year is one of the most useful for those who 
require nosegays, for it is the prettiest hardy out-door plant 
we have in bloom at this season of the year. 
This plant also seems just in its element when planted 
upon the rockery. Indeed, it is worthy of a place in any part 
of a garden, whether as an out-door, or in-door pot-plant. 
It appears to have been introduced to this country in the 
year 1763, and is a native of Germany. 
As this plant is apt to be plucked or trimmed very much ! 
in its flowering season, it rarely requires much cutting-in to 
keep it within a proper sized bunch to suit the spot it may be • 
growing in, but should such be the case, this should be done 
as soon as the plant is out of bloom, and if not done before, 
when the borders where dressed off, a spadeful or two of 
peat-earth or leaf-mould, or both mixed together, added as 
a top-dressing. Thus kindly treated, snug little bunches 
may be seen in the same spots for very many years. 
T. W. 
ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES IN THE BREEDS 
OF SHANGHAES. 
As I myself am well aware of the truthfulness of a great 
portion of the enclosed statement, and also feel every con¬ 
fidence in the veracity of my informant, I think the results 
of the trial of two different “ strains ” of Cochins may be 
perused with interest by, at least, some of your readers, 
more especially as I myself could not have accredited the 
result, , had I not known it, and that a regular weekly account 
has been kept by their owner of the produce. 
My friend’s “ ruu ” embraces three-parts-of-anacre of 
very dry pasture land, abounding with clover ; at one end is a 
stable, divided equally with wire-work only, as is, also, the 
whole of the ground to which the two sets of birds have 
access ; and most certainly neither lot of fowls could by any 
possibility intrude on the possessions of the others. Each 
set have nests in their own apportioned part of the stable, 
to which no one has access except the owner, being kept 
constantly locked; and as they are fed alike, their advan¬ 
tages are, of course, precisely similar; and, I think, perhaps, 
no two sets of poultry ever were so fairly tried (without any 
prejudice) “ on their simple utility.” The first day in 
October last, a cock and eight hens of very short-legged 
and well-built Cochins were placed in one division. These 
are as good in character, though a little out in colour, as 
could well be met with, even among the prize pens at most 
of our principal shows. In the other department, the same 
number of coarse, long-legged, and spare stilty birds (called 
Cochins, and lately too generally shown as such) received the 
same attention. The owner alone fed these fowls, thrice 
daily, viz., before leaving for business, at dinner-time, and in 
the evening ; the corn being actually “ measufed in a bowl 
to each lot.” 1 have been thus particular, to preclude the 
idea of favouritism. I will, therefore, now content myself 
by saying, all were birds about the same age to a week or so, 
supposed never to have laid, being chickens of 1853. It 
will be seen how exceedingly different the return of eggs, 
and how much more the tall, spare birds seemed affected by 
the severe winter than their more compact fellows ; whilst the 
very great regularity of laying of the latter, proves, I con¬ 
ceive, the very best possible evidence that their superiority 
is not the ideal affair some would suppose. My friend merely 
kept them “ to see the difference, if there was any,” and 
never would sell either fowls or eggs. 
1 Well - built 
1 and short- 
i legged birds. 
Spare and 
stilty birds. 
October 
1 
to 
/ 
o 
0 
8 
to 
15 
• • . • 
0 
0 
16 
to 
23 
• • . . 
2 
5 
24 
to 
31 
.... 
7 
11 
November 
1 
to 
8 
.... 
16 
18 
9 
to 
16 
.... 
30 
24 
5> 
17 
to 
24 
.... 
38 
26 
25 
to 
2 
Dec. 
34 
25 
December 
3 
to 
10 
36 
22 
11 
to 
17 
35 
27 
5> 
18 
to 
25 
«... 
38 
24 
„ 26 to 2 
Jan., 
1854 
39 
21 
January 
3 
to 
10 
. . . , 
39 
16 
11 
to 
18 
.... 
38 
7 
19 
to 
26 
.... 
34 
2 
27 
to 
31 
. . . . 
36 
5 
February 
1 
to 
7 
38 
8 
8 
to 
15 
31 
6 
16 
to 
25 
.... 
33 
5 
524 
252 
I am fully aware there is an inaccuracy as to the division 
of the weeks, but as this did not interfere any way with the 
returns, I have faithfully made copy of the manuscript, as 
lent me by the owner. The result determines their owner 
to use the least valuable lot for the table, and he promises 
me the result of a similar trial with some pretty good 
Spanish fowls, tested the same way, on the same walk, and 
from May-day to May-day following. If spared to see this 
result, I consider it will be very interesting, as my friend 
will not allow his fowls to sit, “ only wishing fairly to test 
their EGG-producing qualities,” and having a better oppor¬ 
tunity of so doing than any other amateur I am acquainted 
with, I feel it certain the returns will be faithfully rendered. 
I fear the above will be tedious, but it has been so fairly 
conducted, I think it conveys really useful information, for 
which reason I have forwarded it.—E dward Hewitt, Spark- 
brook, near Birmingham. 
BEE-KEEPING FOR COTTAGERS. 
{Continued from page 389.) 
Section 3.—Calendar of Operations. 
Introductory. —We will commence our Calendar with 
March, as then the bees first begin to rouse themselves from 
their winter’s rest. We will assume that the first section of 
these papers has been carefully considered, and that some¬ 
thing is known of the habits of bees: that it is intended to 
commence a new system; that some portion of the necessary 
apparatus is in a forward state; and that you are burning 
with a desire to give your neighbours a wrinkle or two before 
long. Instead of writing at length the times in the month 
when the various operations are to be performed, (b) placed 
before a direction, will mean that it is to be attended to in 
the beginning; (m) in the middle; and (c) at the end of the 
month: where no letter is prefixed, the direction must be 
attended to all through the month. The times mentioned 
are generally correct: in cold and wet seasons, however, the 
operations should be performed a week or ten days later 
than is directed; a little reflection on this point will be the 
safest guide. We should also state, that we are writing in a 
garden county, where food is plentiful, considerably earlier 
than in mountainous and grass counties. According to our 
original plan, the method of performing the various opera¬ 
tions will be detailed in Section 4. 
March, b .—The Queen has now been laying for some 
time in strong hives, the hives should, therefore, be kept 
warm ; to do this, remove pots and glasses from the tops, 
