March 16 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
407 
equalled by tlie absurdity of the arguments by which these 
murmurs, loud and deep, also, have been supported. An 
unfortunate bystander is forcibly carried off to some scarlet- 
visaged pen, and told how unfair the decision that refused 
them a prize—“ Bred from -’s best birds, I assure 
you; cost-; therefore, is it not clear that I ought to 
have won with them ? ” If the conclusion is not always so 
plainly uttered, nine times out of ten it is uppermost in the 
mind. Talk to them of an imperfect face, bad condition, 
foul feathers, malformation of the comb, or any other 
blemish, however apparent, the fact of their descent alone 
is still regarded as the one important point for considera¬ 
tion. If twelve eggs are purchased, it seems to be thought 
a most unluckly mischance if twelve first-rate chickens are 
not produced and reared. What has been already said as 
to the patience requisite for the production of prize Spanish, 
would assuredly save much disappointment in this respect. 
There has been more than one instance, of late, where 
Nature is thought to have done her work so imperfectly 
that art is called in to complete it. We allude, especially, 
to such Spanish birds as have a good face, but the line of 
feather above the eye is thick and continuous. This defect 
has suggested various operations by the tweezers, and even 
the razor would seem to have been thus employed. Such 
practices, we need hardly say, are readily detected, and are 
most justly punished by the immediate disqualification of 
the birds thus tampered with. If the face has become any¬ 
ways dirty, washing with cold water is all that is needed, 
and anything beyond this is far more likely to do harm than 
good. 
A dark, heavy line of feather between the eye and the 
base of the comb certainly mars the effect of a good face, 
and the breeder should seek to get rid of it, though by 
means less objectionable than those just refereed to. Many 
a bird otherwise good in face is thus disfigured; for we 
know not if we could lay our hand on a single specimen 
without one feather on this part. But with the example 
before us of what has already been effected by Spanish 
breeders within the last few years, we are certainly justified 
in looking forward to improvement in this particular. 
The Spanish chicken classes frequently require more 
careful treatment at the judge’s hands than their seniors ; 
the latter, in a mature state, stand or fall according to their 
present form ; while the former, pullets more particularly, 
would petition for some prospective consideration. And 
this, stern advocates as we have ever been for judging all 
birds “ as they are,’’ we think them entitled to. The diffi¬ 
culty is to read their present looks aright. 
l’oultry books abound with recommendations of the 
Spanish fowls to the inhabitants of cities and large towns, 
alleging their sable plumage as an imperceptible recipient 
of dirt and smoke. From the condition of many pens, we 
must suppose that this advice has been very extensively 
acted on, and that they had thus supplanted the very porker 
in the possession of his sty. But the refulgent character of 
the bird’s plumage soon vanished under such unfair treat¬ 
ment, and no denizen of our yard does greater credit to the 
enjoyment of a good healthy run. 
A pen or two of White Spanish are occasionally exhibited, 
but, like the parsnip that was described as a “ sick carrot," 
they are poor, meagre-looking birds, destitute of all the 
charms that commend the black Spaniard to our notice. 
Many of these are, probably, “ albinos,’’ like the white birds 
bred by black Polands, and, consequently, of the same con¬ 
stitutional weakness. But others that now present them¬ 
selves in a white garb may have once been differently 
clothed, for a strong family link between the various fowls 
that have been spoken of as of Spanish origin is the ex¬ 
tensive metamorphosis that they are apt to undergo during 
the process of moulting. Spanish, Minorcas, and Anconas, 
have continually come to our notice under such circum¬ 
stances, and the Andalusian, we are told, is no exception to 
the rule. The black becomes a mottled, and, sometimes, 
! though rarely, even a perfectly white bird, and subsequent 
: moults have, at times, restored the bird to its former garb, 
while in other instances the change has been jiermanent. 
There is every reason for believing that the Spanish 
classes for the coming season will bring out numerous 
competitors, and thus, wherever the honours may fall, the 
victory will be proportionately more glorious. As to the 
adult classes, the exhibitions even past will afford a 
tolerably clear indication of the names that are likely to 
appear as winners, saving always the case of newly-imported 
birds. The chickens, however, from the immense numbers 
of eggs and birds that have now been distributed, forbid 
any such anticipations, but in both one and the other we ' 
are sanguine as to the breed retaining its present high 
position. 
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE GARDEN AND i 
THE FIELD. 
By Cuthhert W. Johnson, Esq., F.B.S. 
OROANIC CHEMISTRY, AS ILLUSTRATING THE WISDOM AND 
BENEFICENCE OF THE CREATOR. 
There are certain trains of thought into which we are all 
pretty sure to be led by the scenes in which we are placed. 
Our curiosity is excited, our attention directed to the pheno¬ 
mena around us. We naturally become desirous of informa¬ 
tion, and are insensibly led towards that point at which our 
knowledge ceases. No person sees more of such inviting 
objects of inquiry than the farmer and the gardener. They 
daily witness mysteries upon mysteries, all full of interest, 
which the chemist aids them to only partially understand. 
Let us accompany an intelligent cultivator around his fields, 
and when we are partaking of his pleasures in the inquiry 
after knowledge, let us store with him a few of the whole¬ 
some reflections which may present themselves duriDg our 
walk. 
A very early impression will suggest itself as we com¬ 
mence our observations, that from the moment that God 
ordained that man should be formed in his own image, 
should have breathed into him the breath of life, from that 
moment commenced, in his case, a series of chemical phe¬ 
nomena, all made subservient to his comfort and to his hap¬ 
piness ; in which the wisdom of the design is only equalled 
by the beneficence with which it is realized. In furtherance 
of the object of this essay, let us merely glance at these 
mighty arrangements. In a single great instance or two, 
let us consider only some small portion of the chemistry 
displayed in the formation of our bodies, our breathing, and 
our food; and in so doing, let us not attempt to exhaust the 
subject by closeness of analysis foreign to the objects of 
this little sketch, but rather let us adhere to those more 
prominent, and easily understood, facts, which every 
plainly educated person most readily understands. 
The creation of animal life was preceded by certain pre¬ 
paratory events, which laid, as it were, the great foundation 
for those which so speedily followed in their train. The 
pasture was first prepared—the banquet was already spread 
on the earth’s surface—food was created for other organised 
beings before animal life first tenanted the globe—the wants 
of animals were foreseen, their comforts attended to by the 
omniscience of Omnipotence in a manner which demon¬ 
strated, at the very commencement, His care for their 
future welfare, His regard for their happiness. 
Vegetables were the first created of all organic substances 
(Gen. i. 11) ; the creation of plants preceded that of animal 
life, and as it would seem almost of necessity, since they 
were destined to be the food on which the animal tribes 
were alone to subsist. The sacred historian, therefore, as 
soon as he has described, in his sublime language, the crea¬ 
tion of heaven and the earth, and of light, and the separa- ! 
tion of the earth from the water, next tells us that God 
ordained that the earth should bring forth tender grass, the 
herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit. This 
was the first grand step towards the creation of animal life; 
it was the preparation of the pasture in which a still more 
perfect class of organized beings were to dwell; and these, 
too, under every imaginable form and variety, and in count¬ 
less profusion. Every leaf was intended to contain its ani¬ 
malcule, every blade of grass its tenants. On these leaves, 
and on these grasses, the superior classes of animals were 
to feed, to rest when weary, and to seek in ill health for the 
cure of their diseases. 
It was necessary, therefore, to adapt the chemical com¬ 
position of these grasses to the digestive powers of the 
animals, which were immediately afterwards created, and 
