4*23 THIS COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. —September 9, 1850. 
4 Brama Filters,’ 4 Brama Poutras,* and at last 4 Brahma 
Pootras.’ In the mean time, they were advertised to he ex¬ 
hibited at various fairs in different parts of the country 
under the above changes of title, varied in certain instances 
as follows : 4 Burma Porters,’ 4 Bahama Paduas,’ 4 Bohemia 
Prudas,’ ‘ Bahama Puclras.’ And, for these three last 
named, prizes were actually ottered at a Maryland fair, 
in 1851 ! 
“ Peter Snooks, Esq. (a correspondent of this journal), it 
appears, had the honour to he the fortunate possessor of this 
invaluable variety of fancy poultry, in its unadulterated purity 
of blood. He furnished from his own yard samples of this 
rare and desirable stock for His Royal Highness Prince 
Albeit, and also sent samples to several other noted po¬ 
tentates, whose taste was acknowledged to he unquestionable, 
including the King of Roratonga, the Rajah of Gabble- 
squash, His Majesty of the Cannibal Islands, and the 
Mosquito King. Peter supplies the annexed description of 
the superior properties of this variety of fowls:— 
“ 4 The Bother''em Pootrums are generally hatched from 
eggs. The original pair were not; they were sent from 
India, by way of Nantucket, in a whale-ship. 
44 4 They are a singularly pictiir squee fowl from the very 
shell. Imagine a crate-full of lean, plucked chickens, 
taking leg-bail for their liberty, and persevering around 
Faneuil Hall at the rate of live miles an hour, and you have 
an idea of their extremely ornamental appearance. 
“ 4 They are remarkable for producing bone, and as re¬ 
markable for producing offal. I have bad oue analyzed 
lately hy a celebrated chemist, with the following result:— 
Feathers and ofl’al 
. 39.00 
Bony substances 
. . 50.00 
Very tough muscle and sinew 
. 09.00 
Miscellaneous residuum . 
. . 03.00 
100.00’ 
44 A peculiarly well-developed faculty in this extraordinary 
fine breed of domestic fowls is that of eating. 4 A tolerably 
well-fed Bother’em will dispose of as much corn as a common 
horse, 1 insists Mr. S-. This goes beyond me; for I have 
found that they could be kept on the allowance, ordinarily, 
that I appropriated daily to the same number of good-sized 
store hogs. As to affording them all they would eat, 1 never 
did that. 0, no ! I am pretty well off, pecuniarily, but not 
rich enough to attempt any such fool-liardy experiment as 
that! 
“ But Snooks is correct about one thing. They are not 
fastidious or 4 particular about what they eat.’ Whatever is 
portable to them is adapted to their taste for devouring. 
Old hats, India-rubbers, boots and shoes, or stray socks, are 
not out-of-the-way fare with them. They are amazingly 
fond of com, especially a good deal of it. They will eat 
wbeateu bread rather than want.” 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Mortality among Chickens (Maria). —With the exception of one 
brood hatched in June, I have lost nearly half of five successive broods. 
A few have died of the gapes, some have become blind, and others have 
died without any apparent cause. They go on well for about three weeks or 
a month, and then begin to droop their wings—a sure sign that death 
is not far distant. I varied their food from corn to rice, from rice to 
potatoes, and then, again, barley alone. Nothing seems to succeed. 
[Many chickens this year have died from the long drought. Many 
have been saved by water being thrown on the grass in their haunts. 
Your feeding is not good enough, unless the birds have access to some¬ 
thing else. Whole corn is not good food ; potatoes are worse ; and rice is 
useless. In very dry weather, you may use your chickens of a month 
old as you do your flowers, ?.<?., water them with a watering-pot every 
other day. Feed them twice every day with meal, or with a little whole corn 
to amuse them, and see that they have plenty of green food, if grass is 
not accessible to them. They are fond of Lettuces, and they are good 
for them.] 
Good Points in Fowls (Ignoramus).—' The season is now arrived 
when I wish to distinguish my best chickens from the commoner ones, did 
I but know the rules to guide me, for there appear to be such changes 
every year in the judging of birds at the shows, that I shall feel parti¬ 
cularly obliged to you to inform me, before setting aside any of my 
birds for the table, what will be the fashionable colour this year for 
Dorking hens. Also, if it is imperative for Silver-spangled Humhurghs 
to have white ear-lobes ? or, if those with blush or red ears should be 
finer birds, and better spangled on their bodies and tails, which would be 
the best to keep ? and whether the hens of that breed should have white 
or grey neck hackles, with good spangled bodies? Is it necessary for 
4 II the p.olm\d classes to l;aye v/hite deaf ears ? I have one Silver- 
spangled Poland hen, whose chickens have all got five toes; is this any 
detriment to them? if so, will it be of any use my keeping her on 
another year, as she comes from a very good strain ? or will the chickens 
probably be the same again ? I have a Poland cockerel, long on the 
legs, and very weak: what is a good thing to give him ? I am trying 
five grains of citrate of iron pills. How long must I give them to 
him ? 
[We believe there is but little variation in the decisions of our best 
judges ; no more, in fact, than maybe accounted for by the altered condition 
of fowls. The rules seem the same to us. We do not hold with fashion¬ 
able colours for Dorkings, but we may safely infer the Greys, Lord 
Hill’s colour, and those approaching it, will be most popular. It is im¬ 
perative that all Humhurghs should have white deaf ears, but where such 
are not to be found in a class, then birds with a blush will have the 
prize, but it would, we think, require a great amount of merit in other 
points for a blushing ear-lobe to beat a white one. White hackles in the 
hens are as bad as red ears ; they should be well striped. Polunds need 
not have such deaf ears as Hamburghs, and five claws are very ob¬ 
jectionable. Give your cockerel bread and milk, and chopped egg.] 
Warming Ciiicken-housks (A Subscriber , Putney). —It is a very 
bad practice to warm chicken-houses in winter. They should be dry and 
substantially built, and facing the south. Attached to them should be 
an open dry shed, with a flooring of sand and coal-ashes, where they will 
be secure of a basking place even in wet weather. 
Poultry Trespassing.— “ My grounds are quite covered with my 
neighbour’s poultry. I have remonstrated with them, but they take no 
notice whatever. They shut them up while the crops (hay) were on the 
ground, but even now they do harm, by scratching the sides of walks, 
&c. Can you or any of your correspondents tell me what I can do in 
the matter so as to get rid of the nuisance? Can I shoot them ? I feel 
quite certain that many of your readers will be glad to see this matter 
noticed.—W m. Armstrong.” 
[You would not be justified in shooting the trespassing poultry. Give 
your neighbours notice that their poultry do trespass, and that if the 
poultry are not kept at home you will sue their owners. After that you 
have your easy remedy iu the County Court.] 
LONDON MARKETS.— September 8 th. 
COVENT GAEDEN. 
The supply of Fruit and Vegetables continues sufficient for the demand. 
Peas are over; Apricots nearly over; but there are large arrivals of 
Green Gages and other Plums from the Continent. Home-grown fruit 
is now beginning to come in plentifully, and we have observed good 
samples of Goliath and Denyer’s Victoria Plums. Grapes and Melons 
are plentiful, but Pines short. 
FRUIT. 
Apples, kitchen, per 
bushel. 8s. to 12s. 
,, dessert .. .. 12s. ,, 20s. 
Pears, per dozen .... Is. ,, 3s. 
Peaches, per doz. 6s. ,, 12s. 
Nectarines, do. 4s. ,, 10s. 
Pine-apples, perlb... 4s. ,, 6s. 
HothouseGrapes, per lb. 3s. ,, 6s. 
Strawberries, per lb. Od. ,, Os. 
Foreign Melons, each Is. ,, 3s. 
English Melons. Is. ,, 4s. 
Morello Cherries, per lb. Is. ,, 2s. 
Cherries, per lb. od. ,, Os. 
Oranges, per 100 .... 10s. ,, 20s. 
Seville Oranges, do... 0s. ,, 0 s. 
Lemons. los. ,, 15s. 
Almonds, per lb. 9d. ,, Is. 
Nuts, Filberts, per lb. 9d. ,, Is. 
,, Cobs, ditto.. 0s. ,, 0s. 
,, Barcelona,per 
bushel. 20s. ,, 22s. 
Nuts, Brazil, ditto.. 12s. ,, 14s. 
Walnuts, per 1000 .. 9s. ,, 12s. 
Chestnuts, per bushel 0s. ,, 0s. 
VEGETABLES. 
Cabbages, per doz. Is. to Is. 6d. 
,, Red,perdoz. 2s. to 4s. 
Caulifloivers, each.... 2d. ,, 4d. 
Brocoli, per bdle. 0d. ,, Od. 
Savoys. 0s. ,, 0s. 
Greens, per doz. bnch. 2s. ,, 4s. 
Spinach, per sieve .. — ,, 4s. 
French Peas, perbshl. 0s. ,, 0s. 
French Beans, per hlf. sv. Is. 6d. 
Carrots, per bunch .. 4d. to 6d. 
Parsnips, per doz. 6d. to pd. 
Beet, per doz. Is. to Is 6d. 
Potatoes, per cut. .. 3s. to 6s. 
,, Frame, per lb. Od. ,, Od. 
,, New, per lb .. Od. ,, 0d. 
Onions, Y’ng,per b’nch. 4d. ,, 6d. 
,, Old, per bushel Os. ,, 0s. 
Turnips, per bunch.. pd. ,, Is. 
Leeks, per bunch .... 2d. ,, 3d. 
Garlic, per lb. 6d. ,, 8d. 
Horseradish, per 
bundle. Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. 
Shallots, per lb. 6d. to Is. 
Lettuce, Cos, per score Is. ,, 2s. 
,, Cabbageperdoz. Od. ,, 3d. 
Endive, per score .. 0s. Od. ,, 0a. 
Celery, per bunch.... 9d. to ls.6d. 
Radishes,Turnip, per . 
dozen bunches .... 
— to 6d. 
Water Cresses, ditto.. 
6d. ,, 
9d. 
Small Salad, per 
punnet. 
ad.„ 
3d. 
Artichokes, per lb. 
2d. 
Asparagus, per bdl. 
08. „ 
0 s. 
Sea-kale,per punnet.. 
- 
— 
Rhubarb, per bundle 
3d. ,, 
6d. 
Cucumbers, each. 
4rt. „ 
6d. 
Mushrooms, per pot Is. 6d. ,, 
, 2s. 
HERBS. 
Basil, per bunch .... 
4(1.to 6d. 
Marjoram, per bunch 
•id. „ 
6d. 
Fennel, per bunch .. 
2d. „ 
3d. 
Savory, per bunch .. 
2d. „ 
3d. 
Thyme, per bunch .. 
2d. „ 
3d. 
Parsley, per bunch .. 
2d. ,, 
3d. 
Mint, per bunch .... 
2d. ,. 
4d. 
Green Mint . 
6d. „ 
8d. 
POULTRY. 
• There is a good supply of poultry at market, with small demand for 
it. Partridges are plentiful, but many of the young birds are very 
small and backward. 
LargeFowls 4s. Od. to 5s. Od. each 
Smaller do 3s. 6 d. to 4s. Od. ,, 
Chickens.. 2s. Od. to 2s. pd. ,, 
Grouse .... 3s. 6 d, to 4s. Od. ,, 
Partridges.. 0s. 9d. to 2 s. od. ,, 
Wild ditto. 
Hares .... 3s. Od. to 0s. Od. each 
Ducks.... 3s. 0d. to 3s. 3d. ,, 
Geese. 6 s. Od. to 6 s* 6 d. ,, 
Pigeons .Sd. to 9d. ,, 
Rabbits.... Is. 5d. to Is. 6 d. ,, 
lOd. to Is. each. 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay*, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar ; and Published for the Proprietors 
at Thk Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row', in 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.—September 9> 1856. 
