26 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
April 13. 
branches which the plant makes when growing vigorously. 
This plant has an aversion to hard-pruning, and the want 
of judgment in practitioners on this score has been the 
cause of its condemnation in many places. By its side 
stands a magnificent specimen of Cornea alba, hiding many 
superficial feet of the rock’s surface with its sandy foliage 
and pretty little white flowers, and as it flowers at this 
early season of the year (March) it is really pretty; with 
Osmunda reyalis, or the “ King of the Ferns,” which was 
found in all its natural elegance and perfect beauty indige¬ 
nously growing at the bottom of a secluded valley, about 
lialf-a-mile distant from “ La Chaise,” and here brought and 
planted to thrive equally well; whilst the red, crimson, and 
purple Rhododendrons, growing in different parts of the 
grounds, the whole extent of which are about one-and-a-lialf 
English acres, are truly beautiful; the plants being large, 
eiglit to ten feet in height and diameter, aud covered with 
bloom. The favourite Kalmia lali/olin, or Broad-leaved 
Kalmia, grows and flowers here in all its porcelain-like 
elegauce ; whilst the other varieties, with Ledums, Andro- 
mcedas, and Daphnes, of different varieties, are endeavouring 
to excel one another in successful vegetation. Very many 
beautiful Epacriscs, Ericas, Acacias, Mahonias, Forluncii, 
Eutaxiu myrlifplia, Bauera ruhioides; and one pretty specimen 
of Phyllocladus rhomboid alls several feet high. This pretty 
Van Diemen’s Laud conifer, with foliage of peculiar coppery 
hue, is growing under the shade of two or three old Oak 
pollards, where it seems to enjoy itself; aud the Vaccinium 
\ arcloslaphyllns, or Madeira Whortleberry, is doing very well ; 
here, showing but little injury from tho late severe weather. 
The worthy proprietor informed me, during my last visit, that ! 
he had gathered from three to four quarts of really excellent ■ 
fruit from some of this last-named plant, which, though j 
rather acid for dessert, w'as excellent for making tarts i 
and preserves. He also expressed a hope “ that he 
| should live to see it as common as Black Currants in 
our market, offered for sale, at per quart.” The only 
! sympathy I could offer him for his good wishes towards this 
pretty Sea-girt Isle was, “ that he might not hope in vain;’’ 
but I could not help thinking that I should live to a good 
old age if my hair did not turn grey, as a preliminary, until 
then ; the affected sagacity of the inhabitants precluding 
all possibility of introducing any novelty amongst them. 
The apathy and aversion they feel to any new introduction 
having been fully developed in the following instance :— 
The proprietor of these premises being informed that 
the committee of the Agricultural Society was to dine with 
one of the society’s officers, last autumn, prepared a jar of 
the fruit, and sent it to that gentleman’s house, where the 
worthy host introduced it amongst condiments and other 
! good things in the shape of dessert after the repast. Some 
few members tasted it on the host's recommendation, but 
reserved their opinions; whilst the greater portion of the i 
guests were noticed to taste and look on as if impressed 
with an idea that “there might be poison in the jar.” With 
such want of perspicacity and determined opiniativeness, 
there is but little probability of rendering the soil and 
climate of any locality as productive, or that produce as use¬ 
ful and beautiful as it might otherwise be. However, it is a 
straight lane that there is no turning in, and the tide of ' 
events may bring about sweeping changes. 
Bound and near the summit of the hill, there is a row of 
the “ Cedrus deodara," or the Himalayan Pine, which pro¬ 
mise, at some future day, to make beautiful trees; beautiful 
they are, even in their present state, but they are wanting 
in one essential having reference more particularly to gran- ! 
deur than quality, I mean “ Size." And on the north east- j 
ern side, near the top, from whence the beautiful view al- : 
luded to in the beginning of the article maybe seen, a small 
“ Cedar of Lebanon" is planted, in the hope that the birds 
will, at some future time, come and build their nests in its ' 
branches ; but, it must be sometime before this will be rea¬ 
lized de faclo, us the wind is particularly cutting 
here when it blows from that quarter, so much so 1 
that from this point it is pleasant to descend the hill in 
windy weather, and, turning to the right, fall in with a i 
splendid collection of Mesemhryanlhcmums, and other thick- 
leaved plants, which, when dowering and seen in fine sun¬ 
shiny weather, of almost every hue and colour (excepting 
blue), arc gorgeous and grand. They bang down from the 
crevices and excavations made in the walls among the rough 
stones and on the banks of the terraces, and are amongst 
the prettiest objects that can be seen, under favourable 
circumstances. The locality in which they are planted 
is so sheltered that they do not seem to have suffered 
much, although the cold has been so intense during the 
past winter, at intervals, that these and all their kin have 
been killed in less favoured places. A little lower down 
there is a fine plant of Sullya heterophylla growing and 
dowering every season most luxuriantly; also a great variety 
of other plants, generally considered and treated as Inmates 
of the greenhouse and conservatory, but here growing and 
thriving in the open air. 
A collection of the varieties of Rhododendron, lately intro¬ 
duced by Hr. Hooker from the Sikh Mountains, has also 
found its way here, with fifty or sixty varieties of Ferns, the 
whole of which it is to be hoped may do well; whilst in one 
crevice there is a fine plant of Echinocaclns multiplex, with 
its numerous progeny surrounding it, which does not seem 
to be at all affected by the past cold; and now the equinoctial 
gale is past, and the fine weather is fairly set in for the 
season, there is no need for alarm respecting it, or any of 
the rest. 
Lpon the wdiole, “La Chaise” is a beautiful place, 
either to ramble about or live in; aud your readers 
must not be surprised at finding 1 finish this sketch of 
“La Chaise” by telling them, that many good-humoured 
visitors have told the proprietor they would like to turn him 
out, and come and live there themselves; to which proposi¬ 
tion his usual reply is, “ a good-natured wink,” as much as 
to say, “Would you?”—C B. S., Jersey. 
SHANGHAES, AS RECENTLY EXHIBITED. 
In tho remarks that have recently been made in these 
pages on the appearance of the different breeds of fowls 
at the exhibitions of the past year, terms of commendation 
have usually been employed in comparing them with their 
predecessors on like occasions. With Shanghes, however, 
the verdict, we fear, must be adverse; in common estimation, 
indeed, they would, probably, be reckoned as having receded, 
rather than advanced, during tho period in question. 
Our own view of their case, indeed, will not admit of their 
improvement, though we should be unwilling to give our 
assent to the notion of any serious retrograde movement. 
The causes that must have led to such a result will naturally 
become interesting matters of enquiry; and we venture to 
believe, that several sufficient reasons may be found to 
account for their present position, without any real drawback 
to the character and pretensions of the breed, or, if the 
term may here be permitted us, species. 
in the first place, the adult classes are those mainly 
concerned in this charge. The condemnatory declaration 
on the part of the judges, “ none of sufficient merit," has 
more than once, within a few months from this date, 
accounted for the withholding of first and second prizes, 
and popular assent was readily accorded to the justice of 
such decisions. So general, indeed, was the opinion of the 
justice of this severity, that we need alledge no reasons in 
support of it, but may pass on at once to the circumstances 
that might have led to it. 
The Shanghae, we well know, is remarkable for early 
maturity, and this character is evidenced not merely by a 
rapid acquisition of weight, but even more especially by a 
remarkably early production of eggs. The consequence 
necessarily follows, that these combined influences induce 
corresponding rapidity in the decay of constitutional strength 
manifested in both form and feather. A three-year old 
Shanghae, indeed; is rarely fit for competition where oppo¬ 
nents above mediocricy may be expected. The plumage 
at this age becomes rough, ragged, and devoid of the bloom 
that indicates condition, and both male and female share 
this disadvantage alike. Form becomes gaunt and ungainly, 
the head loses its neat character, and the comb is then too 
often coarse and discoloured. These manifold disadvantages 
are surely sufficient for the mishaps that have of late 
attended the senior Shanghae classes. These circumstances, 
we apprehend, have lowered the honours of the adult Shaug- 
I 
