THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— Jxjxy 23, 1850. 
SOI 
At one end the pipes almost touch the trees, and there I 
get the spider, which spreads rapidly over a part of the trellis 
every year, when for the sake of flavour, as the fruit is get¬ 
ting nearly ripe, more air is given, moisture discontinued, 
and fires are left off about the end of May, unless in very 
cold weather. There being then no fires, there are no 
sulphuretted fumes, and even syringing with common 
water is not much resorted to, except just to prevent the 
vermin getting a-head. Stronger washes would be apt to 
discolour such tender fruit as Noblesses. Whenever the 
fruit is gathered, there is little difficulty in effecting a clear¬ 
ance. The house is kept rather close, aud the trees are 
syringed several times a d ay with sulphur and lime-water, m ade 
by boiling a pound of quick lime and a pound of sulphur in a 
gallon of water for a quarter of an hour, allowing it to settle, 
and pouring off the clear into a bottle, and then putting 
about a quartern, or a little more, but not more than half a 
pint, into a common sized watering-pot full of water, and 
syringing the trees well over, above and under the leaves. 
The mixture will be more effectual, but not so cleanly if a 
little size and soft soap are added. The above is one of the 
most economical ways of getting the properties of sulphur 
at once to bear upon the insects. In extreme cases, and 
where syringing could not well be done, a pair of nimble hands, 
with a small sponge, would soon wash every leaf on a tree, 
and remove every insect on it. Where cleanliness was an 
especial object, the sulphuretted lime-water should merely 
have the size in it. About a quarter of a pound dissolved 
in a garden-pot, holding about four gallons of water, 
will not be too much. I have found it injurious to no 
plant to which I have applied it in such limited quan¬ 
tities ; and when enough is in the water to make 
the stickiness just perceived, when a thumb and 
finger being wetted are placed together firmly, it will case 
up the vital powers of every little insect to which it is 
applied. Even when the glue or size was used rather 
strong, the film formed on the leaf broke and fell off in 
pieces when dry. I have no doubt but that the use of size 
in a thus greatly reduced form will be of much advantage. 
As to the effects of fumes of sulphur, the experience of 
our correspondent and my own are quite opposed to each 
other, though, like him, I have found that such fumes from 
pipes could do little good in summer, as the house could 
not be kept close enough, with the application of such heat, 
without injuring the fruit and trees. The longer the spider 
has had time to establish itself the worse it is to eradicate, 
as an old black-skinned gentleman will require several 
doses, when the younger ones would be settled by one or 
two applications.—R. Fish.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
To Establish a Rookery.— If P. P., page 201, can manage to keep 
his tame rooks until spring, allowing them to hop about on low trees 
near the intended rookery, on which there should be placed some old 
rooks* nests, to encourage them to take possession of in spring, and when 
once the young ones are reared the object is obtained. A few old nests 
fixed on the top of the higher trees may not only encourage both old and 
young to stop, but bring other strange rooks to the place. In short, we 
have known rookeries commenced by this simple plan.—J. W. 
Muddy Water in a New Pond (A Subscriber from No. 1). —If the 
sides of your pond are perpendicular, the falling in of the earth will 
make the water muddy. In such a case, slope down the sides, and 
cover them and the bottom of the pond with some clean gravel. 
Bees leaving their Hive (A Constant Subscriber ).—The very 
fact that another swarm, put into a similar hive at the same time, 
remained and filled it with comb, shows the hive is not at fault. Bees 
are capricious ; another swarm will probably remain in the hive. 
Calceolarias (Z. Z.).—Your seedling Calceolarias are very excellent, 
and as you say they are half-shrubby, that is a greater recommendation 
to them. Such flowers, with a more durable constitution than the 
herbaceous varieties, will be a grhat accession to florists. 
Seedling Scarlet Geranium (G. A .).—Your seedling seems a very 
fine kind—a deeply-marked Horse-shoe Scarlet, with sixty-ciglit flowers 
in the truss ; but the specimen will not yield us a single open flower, to 
judge of the face and brilliancy of the truss, so difficult is it to get these 
Scarlets to travel; but we shall root the cutting, and depend on it, the 
plant will be as safe in the Experimental as with yourself. In future, 
however, be not so liberal, and do not send a cutting of a valuable seed¬ 
ling to all the judges. 
Various (B. Johnson ).—Want of light is probably the cause of the 
failure of your Scarlet Runners against the back wall of your green¬ 
house. Kidney Beans require to be grown close to the glass. Water 
from a brook does not require the same exposure to the air as well- 
water does before being used for watering purposes. Rain-water does 
not become foul and filmy, unless kept in wooden or other reservoirs, 
that give out decomposing extracts. 
THE POULTRY OHRODflOLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Anerley. July 20tli, 30th, 31st, and August 1st. Sec., C. Lawson, 
Esq., Anerley. Entries close July Qth. 
Bridlington. August 2/th. Sec. Mr. T. Cape, Bridlington. 
Essex. At Colchester, 8th, 9th, and 10th of January, 1857* Secs. 
G. E. Attwood, and W. A. Warwick. 
Gloucestershire. Nov. 26th and 27th. Sec., E. Trinder, Esq., 
Cirencester. Entries close Nov. 1st. 
Leominster. Thursday, October 16. 
Manchester and Liverpool Agricultural Society. At Wigan, 
Thursday, August 7th. Secs, for poultry, J. H. Peck, and J. S, 
Marshall, Esqrs. Entries close July 24th. 
Nottinghamshire. At Southwell, December 17th and 18th, 1856. 
Sec., ltichard Hawksley, jun. Entries close November 19th. 
Nottingham Central Poultry Association. January 14th 
and 15tli, 1857* Sec., John Spencer, Nottingham. 
Yorkshire Agricultural Society. At Rotherham, Wednesday 
and Thursday, August 6th and 7th. Sec., J. Hannam, Esq., Kirk 
Deighton, Wetherby. 
N.B .—Secretaries vrill oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
ESTIMATE OF VARIETIES. 
Apart from anything in the poultry pursuit that may be 
denominated fancy, which has been defined as that which 
has no real utility, it is a curious study to note how the 
most useful breeds have made their way, and vindicated the 
opinions of those who were their advocates. Another point 
worthy of notice is the knowledge of the merits of the 
different breeds, which has been acquired principally by 
intercourse between amateurs, and which has been begun 
atj Exhibitions. Soils and situations have also been carefully 
studied, with a view of locating on them the breeds most 
suited to their properties or capabilities. 
Thus the man living in a town has found Cochins his 
most profitable breed, and some of the best birds ever bred, 
and the most successful, the pioneers of those that made 
large prices, were bred in a town, in a small stable-yard. 
Spanish, again, are found to bear confinement well. Both 
these breeds are excellent layers, hut the Cochin will carry 
the palm as the best layer in the winter. It is no small 
pleasure for the wearied aud harassed citizen to cultivate 
and partake of the produce of his own poultry-yard. In¬ 
significant as it is, it is a break in the monotony of his 
business life ; and it foreshadows the time when, if liis day¬ 
dreams are realised, he will eat his home-grown vegetables 
and fruit before the natural season, and, it may be, feed his 
own mutton. 
Polands, which were formerly considered mere playthings, 
or, as the Pigeon breeders term certain breeds, “ Toys,” are 
now found to he excellent layers, and many of them very 
hardy birds. Hamburglis of all sorts are known and 
appreciated as giving a large return, in the shape of eggs, 
for the small amount of food they consume. 
Iu whatever breed it may he, a bird of unusual merit is 
sure to make a price as much above the ordinary as can be 
justified by its excellence. 
Almost universal consent has awarded the title of 
farmer’s fowl to the Dorking, aud Nature seems to have 
intended it, as it requires the space and mode of living 
which belong to the farm, but is difficult and expensive for 
any one else to give. Agricultural Societies and patrons are 
not slow to encourage the truth. The Itoyal Agricultural 
Society places them at the head of the list, and we are 
pleased to hear a Silver Cup, of the value of ten guineas, 
open to all England, will be given at the Dorchester Show, 
by II. Sturt, Esq., for the best pen of these birds. 
TO EXHIBITORS AT THE LAST SHREYVSBLRY 
POULTRY SHOW. 
Brother Victibis, what are we to do to those honourable 
gentlemen, the Shrewsbury committee ? Can anything ex¬ 
ceed the effrontery with which they li ave carried out their seem - 
ing scheme? They advertised a liberal prize-list, obtained 
