102 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 11. 
be reckoned as of the past alone. We need hardly say 
that this would be matter of sincere regret to us, for poultry 
literature, indeed, has hitherto failed to throw any very 
satisfactory light on the natural history of its subjects, and 
the loss of one of its distinct varieties, we are tempted to 
say, “species,” could therefore but ill be spared. There is 
little or no medium between a good and a bad Malay 
specimen; the naturally scraggy figure of the bird requiring 
all the advantages of colour, size, and condition, to impress 
us in its favour. The closeness of the bird’s feather, and 
the peculiar shortness of the lower part of the hackle, 
disconnecting as it were the neck and shoulder, gives a still 
more gaunt appearance than mere height alone would have 
conveyed. Its powerful frame and assured carriage, an eye 
bent on mischief, and a spur well able to execute it, has 
procured them the range of many a stable-yard or town 
alley, where exhibitions are unthought of, and where 
“might is right." We must not be here understood as 
undervaluing the Malay fowl in an economical point of 
view, though we hold him to occupy a place of secondary 
importance in this respect. The quality of the young 
bird’s flesh is good; but the cook finds objections in the 
extreme yellowness of the skin, which unfits them for the 
saucepan, however meritorious for the spit. 
The greater number of these birds exhibited during ,the 
past year have been of the usual red variety, or rather, we 
should say, of the combination of orange scarlet, maroon, 
chesnut, and brown, which produces so gorgeous an effect j 
in a well-conditioned specimen. White, grey, and black i 
birds, have also appeared at intervals ; the latter being 
among the most attractive of their race, but they are by no ^ 
means common. Many, too, are now bred similarly to the J 
pile Game fowls. 
The above are the forms in which the Malay pens have 
been legitimately occupied; but a voice of remonstrance ; 
must make itself heard against their unauthorized intro ( 
duction into other classes. Among the Game fowls, for 
instance, we have had constant cause to complain of 
specimens so slightly removed from the Malay that a 
skilled eye alone could detect the presence of any sign 
indicating a Game origin. We are willing to suppose, that 
the fact of the Malay being constantly used as a combatant 
in its own country may have led to this error ; but such a 
combination ruins both breeds, and causes the summary 
rejection of the specimens thus produced. The Grey ' 
Malays, again, have, probably, been instrumental in the J 
Brahma Pootra manufacture ; in some instances, the 
character of the head, eye, and comh especially, have 
evidently betokened this alliance. i 
On another occasion we shall have to speak of the | 
“ miscellaneous class,” where the Malay element present in ' 
many of the breeds, for which a distinct character has been 
asserted, is manifested; but of this hereafter. 
THE SALE OF PLANTS AT EALING PARK. 
This fine collection of Stove and Greenhouse Plants was 
sold by auction, by Mr. J. C. Stevens, of King street, Covent 
Garden, on the 27th and two following days of April, in 
consequence of the ill health of Mrs. Lawrence. Every 
visitor to the Great Metropolitan Exhibitions will hear of 
this event with regret, for no exhibition seemed full and 
complete without the plants from Ealing Park. There is no 
doubt that Mrs. Lawrence has, for many years, given an 
impetus to the cultivation of plants, and has, by untiring | 
perseverance, successfully shown to what perfection in form, 
in bloom, and in magnificent size, plants may be brought 
by cultivation. Now, full of well - deserved honours, she 
retires from the field of competition, and our sincere hope 
is that she may long be spared to continue her garden 
pursuits, now freed from the excitement inseparable from 
such a contest as she waged yearly. 
The principal purchasers were—1\. Upton, Esq., of Forest 
Hill; H. Colycr, Esq,, of Hartford; Mr. Aiton, gardener to 
the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, at Enville Hall; 
The Crystal Palace Company; Messrs. Fraser, of Lea 
Bridge ; Mr. James Veitch, of Chelsea; and Mr. Turner, of 
Slough. The plants, upon the whole, realised fair prices, 
especially the Azaleas, some Heaths and Epacrises. Stove 
plants did not sell well, partly, perhaps, in consequence of 
their immense size and the cold weather. 
The following is a list of the best plants, and the pnces 
they fetched:— 
Azalea variegata 
„ Lawrenceana .. 
„ exquisita 
„ rubra plena 
„ magnifiora 
„ coronata 
„ Gledstanisia 
„ Apollo 
„ lateritia 
„ optima 
„ Broughtonii 
„ Perryana 
„ prestantissima .. 
,, Grenvillii .. 
„ decora 
Erica Aitonia turgida 
„ Hartnelli virens 
„ metulteflora bicolor 
„ Cavendishii 
Eriostemou neriifolium 
„ buxifolium 
„ intermedium 
Epacris grandiflora 
„ miniata grandiflora 
Dillwynia rudis sanguinea 
Chorozema varium nana 
Coleonema rubra 
Pimelsea spectabilis 
ditto ditto 
Polygala accuminata .. 
Boronia serrulata 
Adenandra fragrans 
Height 
. Width. 
Feet. 
Feet. 
£ 
s. 
d. 
. 5 
by 
5 
.. 15 
15 
0 
. 4 
by 
6 
.. 24 
3 
0 
0 
by 
6 
.. 17 
17 
0 
. 6 
by 
4 
.. 8 
(i 
0 
. 5 
by 
5 
. . 7 
Id 
0 
. 4 
by 
0 
.. 8 
(1 
0 
. 3 
by 
5 
.. 10 
10 
0 
. 5 
by 
4 
.. 8 
10 
0 
. 5 
by 
5 
.. 10 
10 
0 
. 5 
by 
* ft 
.. 7 
10 
0 
. 3^ 
by 
34 
.. 5 
5 
0 
. 4 
by 
4 
.. 8 
10 
0 
. 3i by 
H 
.. 0 
10 
0 
. 4 
by 
4£ 
.. 7 
7 
0 
. 5 
by 
4 
.. 8 
0 
0 
• !* 
by 
n 
.. 3 
10 
0 
. 2 
by 
01 
~ 2 
.. 4 
15 
0 
. 3 
by 
H 
2 
10 
0 
. 4 
by 
4 
.. 5 
10 
0 
. 4 
by 
4 
.. 5 
10 
0 
. 34 by 
5 
.. 3 
10 
0 
. 3 
by 
3 
.. 7 
16 
0 
. 6 
by 
6 
.. 12 
10 
0 
. 3 
by 
3 
.. 5 
15 
0 
. 2 
by 
2 
.. 5 
5 
0 
. 2 
by 
2 
.. (3 
15 
0 
. 6 
by 
6 
.. 7 
5 
0 
. 4 
by 
a 
.. 11 
0 
0 
. 5 
by 
0 
.. 6 
15 
0 
. 4 
by 
5 
.. 10 
15 
0 
0 
by 
21 
.. 5 
15 
0 
1 3 
by 
4 
.. 0 
0 
0 
STOVE PI 
AXIS. 
Ixora coccinea 
„ Javanica 
„ alba 
„ crocata 
Hoya imperialis 
Dipladenia crassinoda . 
,, splendens . 
Clerodendron splendens 
2 
by 
21 . 
7 
0 
0 
4 
by 
3 . 
6 
5 
0 
31 
by 
° 2 * 
7 
0 
0 
3 
by 
2 
5 
15 
0 
very large . 
0 
0 
0 
4 
by 
3 . 
0 
15 
0 
4 
by 
2 
2 
2 
0 
3 
by 
o 
2 
12 
0 
The Orchids were not offered for sale. It w 
as reported 
tllP.V 
rlicnrujtnl nf hv rfrivrttp. r.rmtrfl.c.t, to t.liP, (Vvxtal 
Palace Company. 
Other plants varied from 8s to £5, the latter price was 
given for lesser specimens of such plants as the Azaleas and 
l’imelseas. There were five Plant-houses also disposed of 
for abouut £300 ; but they were old, and, consequently, did 
not realise large prices. The largest, sixty-five feet by 
fifty-five feet, with two boilers, pipes, and other fittings 
complete, sold for £105. There were 471 lots of plants, 
and they sold for rather more than £1050. 
The above prices, to our country readers, may appear 
high, but it must be borne in mind that many of the pur¬ 
chasers are exhibitors, and most likely desired the plants for 
that purpose. These prices ought to spur our nurserymen, 
even for their own interest, to support exhibitions. It may 
be relied upon, that if there were no exhibitions the de- 
| mand for plants would be much less than it is. Y. S. 
SITTING HENS’ EGGS CHILLED. 
“As you are in want of some information respecting 
| sitting hens’ eggs that have been chilled, I beg to say, that 
last year I set a hen on Spanish eggs ; she sat very well for 
five days, and then left. I kept them two days in a room 
where there was no fire. I then bought another hen, and 
put the eggs under her, and she brought out a large brood 
j exactly twenty-one days from the time they were first set. 
I had another hen, which left her eggs after sitting four 
days, with which I did the same; she also brought out in 
I twenty-one days from the time she was first set; and those 
i 
i 
