March 30. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
507 
tries we have seen specimens with every evidence of un¬ 
stained England blood, the descendants, doubtless, ot some 
of those birds of which our East Indiaman, in days of old, 
had large consignments. 
In the black and brassy-winged classes we have lately had 
many birds possessing excellent, points, in respect ot si/e, 
no less than shape; they appear, however, to find favour, 
comparatively speaking, in the eyes of few-. The beautiful 
“ Furness ” birds of former days, now of rare occurrence, 
would prove acquisitions to any show. 
Our partiality for the black-breasted reds has been ac¬ 
knowledged, but we should be sorely put to it for reasons to 
confirm our choice, when a really good pen of Duckwings 
made their appearance, provided always that they are white¬ 
legged birds, a condition that harmonizes best with the ge- 
| neral tone of their colouring. The perfection of form at- 
j tained by hens of Game blood, is, probably, as frequently 
i shown in good specimens of Duckwing hens as in any 
other variety; the delicate character of their plumage, doubt¬ 
less, adding materially to the general effect. 
Of greys and bines we have had a fair proportion, but 
j not in such form, it strikes us, as would bring them into 
competition with the varieties already mentioned. As to 
the Cuckoo, the blue clean fowl, and some other. eccentrici¬ 
ties claiming a Game pedigree, the mere mention of them 
will suffice for even if their lineage he pure, they are far be¬ 
hind in point of feather. 
On a general retrospect of the Game fow ls exhibited in 
1853, terms of high commendation must certainly be em¬ 
ployed, and a manifest advance on the pens of the previous 
year will readily, we believe, be conceded. But still, here, 
as elsewhere, there are numerous instances where poultry 
associations should direct improvement to obvious faults in 
birds shown in these classes. More especially, indeed, 
should attention be drawn to the obvious infusion of Malay 
blood that has so often disfigured pens purporting to con¬ 
tain Game fowls. On more than one occasion, indeed, full 
half the pens were summarily, but most justly, disqualified 
on this account; for a single glance is sufficient for passing 
sentence on the coarse-headed, awkwardly-formed fowls 
whose parentage is attributable to such a cross. The evils 
of mongrelism" are seldom more conspicuous than in birds 
thus descended; and there is such an entire absence of any 
single property, or characteristic (unless mere weight be 
so considered) benefited by the misalliance, that we are 
utterly at a loss to imagine the notions that have induced so 
many breeders to bestow their care on them. 
Pedigree has most properly been stated as an essential 
point in the selection of the breeding-stock of our fowls 
generally ; but nowhere should we be more cautious against 
any omission of this security for the excellence of the 
progeny than where Game fowls are concerned. The results, 
indeed, of crosses with other strains of the same general 
family, but varying in point of colour, seem very uncertain, 
both as regards the duration of their effect, and their actual 
extent and application to the progeny. To illustrate the 
I first case : pile chickens are asserted to have been thrown 
! from black-breasted red birds, carefully watched and guarded 
i against any stain for upwards of ten years; while in some 
j experiments of our own during the last year, Duckwings, 
perfect to a feather, were bred from a cinnamon hen-tailed 
1 cock and a Duckwing hen; and a friend’s Duckwing cock, 
again, with a black-breasted red hen, gave as good a black- 
i breasted red pullet as could have been desired. But, alas ! 
for the unfortunate breeder, who, ignorant of their origin 
and pedigree, had taken either of their productions for 
stock, perfect as they appeared to the most critical eye. 
Hence, however, the manifest explanation of the pile 
chickens thrown after the lapse of so many years from a 
black-breasted strain which could have had no intermixture 
in the interval; although, in ninety-nine cases out of a 
hundred the disastrous consequences would have been far 
more quickly brought to light. 
Let pedigree, therefore, be enquired into with the utmost 
diligence where Game fowls of pure race are looked for¬ 
ward to ns the tenants of our yard ; and this rule may, also, 
profitably be extended to every other variety of our domestic 
i poultry, though recorded instances may seem to require it 
more especially in the birds that have been the subjects of 
! this present paper. 
THE TANK SYSTEM OF HEATING. 
I have just seen your impression of the 10th inst., and 
find that one of your correspondents wishes to know the 
best material for preventing the leak in wooden tanks, j 
Now, as I was the first to recommend the tank system,— 
and my first experiment was with a wooden one,—I think 
that I may claim to know the best modes, having had a 
great deal of experience. I should, therefore, recommend 
your correspondent (./. M.) to have the joints ploughed 
and tongued, with slips running through the plough, im- 
bedded in white lead. No water will then run through the 
white lead, and then four good coats of paint over the entire 
surface will preserve the wood for many years. 1 see 
that you recommend Roman cement, but that will not 
answer at all. as it will not adhere to the wood. White lead 
is the only material that will do; and, with proper attention, 
a wooden tank, well made with good seasoned material, the 
joints well put together with white lead, and well painted 
every three years, will last for a very long period, and is by 
far the cheapest of all tanks. I write this from experience; j 
and if your correspondent requires any further information, , 
I shall be glad to afford it.— William E. Rendi.e, Royal 
Nurseries, Plymouth. 
PULMONARY DISEASE IN POULTRY. 
In February, 1853, I purchased a well-bred Shaughae 
pullet of Mr. Sturgeon’s breed. She did not appear then 
of strong constitution; and in April last, in consequence of 
roosting in a cold house, she showed symptoms ot disease, 
exhibited in shortness of breathing and wasting of flesh, j 
| She lias throughout laid well, and had a brood ol chickens 
about five weeks ago, but has never since April been able J 
to eat dry food without n. cough. On Wednesday last, the j 
21st, she appeared to labour for breath exceedingly; I gave 
two teaspoonfuls of castor oil, and the next day she was much 
easier. The following day she again grew worse, could not 
eat at all except the food was placed in her mouth, when 
( she swallowed freely; the fourth day she died suddenly. 
On the 2Cth of September I had her opened; the “post 
mortem ” exhibited sound liver and all other parts, except 
the lungs, which were totally decayed, indeed, I may say, in 
almost & fluid stale, and on the left side of the lungs there 
was a bag of solid hard pus as large as the egg of a bantam. 
I could not have supposed that within four days of death 
any creature could have walked about and eaten well, as she 
did (moist food), with such a disease existing in the lungs. 
It is well to observe that her produce has been fine, but 
all of them exhibit a delicacy of constitution, and several a 
tendency to the same disease.—A Wiltshire Incumbent. 
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE GARDEN AND 
THE FIELD. 
By Ciithbert TT. Johnson, Esq., F.R.S. 
(Continued from page 188.) 
EARTH and water. 
Some of the uses of the metals and earths of which the j 
solid portion of the globe is composed are evident to every 
one. They are necessary as a resting place—a habitation 
for our very existence. The same remark applies to veget¬ 
ables. The Greek philosopher, in fact, considered that in 
! these consisted all the uses of the earth to organised beings. 
| Chemistry, however, has enabled us to find out that the 
j use of the earths of which the globe is chiefly formed is 
! not confined to their mechanical properties, but that they 
1 enter into the composition of both animals and vegetables, 
as essential portions of their composition. There are only 
about three earths which chiefly constitute all cultivated 
soils, all of which are found in vegetable substances. . Lime, 
united with either the phosphoric acid or the carbonic acid, j 
is found in almost all vegetables, and these substances, when j 
consumed by animals, furnish the very materials of which I 
bones are composed. j 
Equally common in vegetables is the presence of the ; 
