12G 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 18. 
difficulty is entirely removed, lie being spangled precisely the 
same as the female. He also states, that in Yorkshire and 
Staffordshire, a hen-feathered Silver-spangled Hamburgh 
cock would be disqualified, because it would be said that he 
was crossed with the Golden-spangled Hamburgh cock, in 
which, I think, he is misinformed; because, to breed a cock 
with white feathers tipped with black, from one with red 
leathers tipped with black, is a thing, I think, impossible, as 
there are lien-feathered cocks in three out of four of the 
Hamburgh varieties, namely, the Golden - spangled, the 
Silver-spangled, and lastly, the Silver-pencilled, from Ham¬ 
burgh. And as to hen-feathered cocks competing with a 
long saddle-feathered cock, I quite agree with Mr. Dixon, 
that in nine cases out of ten the lien-feathered has the pre¬ 
ference in Lancashire and Yorkshire. I find them to breed 
much finer, much better mooned, and quite as well; in fact, 
consider them far superior and far handsomer than the 
long liackle-feathered cocks. 
I think we cannot do better than follow the plans lately 
given by Mr. Dixon, whom you know to be one of our oldest 
and most successful breeders of the Hamburgh fowls.— 
Matthew Hwiley, H'ujher Broughton, Manchester. ■ 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF HYACINTHS IN 
GLASSES. 
BY THE HEV. W. B. HAWKINS, F.II.S. 
The cultivation of Hyacinths in glasses is so universally 
practised, and affords so much amusement and gratification 
to persons who do not otherwise engage in floricultural 
pursuits, that perhaps a few remarks on a more easy and 
successful method of producing these very beautiful flowers 
may not be without interest to the Society. 
I have, for. several years past, raised these flowers in 
water-glasses in the manner usually adopted, namely, oc¬ 
casionally changing the temperature by removing the glasses 
from a cold room ; when the weather became more severe, 
to an apartment with a fire ; and at a more advanced period 
oi growth, keeping the plants entirely in a warm room 
until the flowers fully develop themselves. I found, how¬ 
ever, as many persons, I believe, experience, great difficulty 
in preventing the stem and the leaves from growing too 
high, and thus diminishing the size of the flower by 
diverting its proper nutriment, and also in preserving the 
stem of the plant in an upright position. 
I determined, therefore, to try a different plan this last 
season, and, accordingly, after keeping the bulbs in water- 
glasses from the middle of October until the latter part of 
November in a darkened room, in order that they might pro¬ 
duce strong roots, after that period I retained them altogether 
in an apartment in which no fire was ever lighted, placed on 
a table close to a window. In this situation they remained 
without any other protection from the external air, even 
during the night, than the window, as the shutters were 
never closed, and a linen blind only was drawn down at 
night to mitigate the extreme cold. On four or five nights 
only, during the very severe weather of the past winter, 
when the snow was on the ground, were they removed from 
this situation, and then only to another table placed between 
the windows of the room, and at a distance of not more 
than three or four feet from either window. Notwithstand¬ 
ing, however, this very low temperature to which they were 
constantly exposed, each bulb produced a remarkably fine 
flower of considerable size, much larger, indeed, than those 
grown in what are usually considered the most favourable 
situations, and equalling in size many of those Hyacinths 
grown in pots which have been exhibited at different times 
in the rooms of the Society. The stems and foliage also 
displayed a particularly healthy and vigorous appearance. 
I lie bulbs which I selected for this experiment were 
some of the choicest sorts, which are more difficult to raise, 
and more capricious in their mode of flowering. When the 
great and unusual severity of the weather during the past 
winter is recollected, I think this experiment may be con¬ 
sidered as affording a good proof that the Hyacinth is a 
much more hardy flower than is usually imagined, and that 
it does not want the species of hothouse culture and high 
temperature which are generally given to it. 
What these flowers appear to require, is, as much light as 
possible, a tolerably pure atmosphere, occasional change of 
the water in the glasses, which should be effected not by 
merely filling up the glass, but by pouring off the whole of 
the water in each, and filling it up entirely' with that which 
is fresh. A frequent change of position also is wanted, so 
that each part of the plant may be brought in turn to the 
light, which will not only render it more strong but more 
upright as well.— {Journal London Hort. Society.) 
HARDIHOOD OF SHANGHAE CHICKENS. 
On one of the intensely cold and frosty nights, a week 
since (the end of April), one of my little brood by some 
unfortunate circumstance got shut out from the rest, and 
had to encounter the severity of the night without the least 
protection. This chicken was then about four days old, and 
to my sorrow, when I went to let them out in the morning, 
I found it cold and stiff, and to all appearance dead. I 
carried the little unfortunate in-doors to be mourned over, 
and then prepared a grave for its remains in the chicken 
cemetery, which being speedily accomplished, I proceeded to 
carry out the duty, when my little girl cried out—“Look! 
oh! look, papa! I am sure it opened its mouth! ” Her 
perception was quicker than my own, for on further ex¬ 
amination, and the application of a little fire heat, by 
degrees the muscles of the legs began to quiver, and to our 
great astonishment and pleasure, in two hours time the 
little thing was so far recovered as to be able to return to 
its mother, and is now the strongest and most healthy of 
the brood. This circumstance is to me a great proof of the 
hardiness of the race, and I am doubtful if it could be 
equalled by any other description of poultry.—G. A. Smith. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
PAWLONIA IMPERIALIS—LILY OF THE VALLEY. 
“ Can you give me any information regarding the Paw¬ 
lonia imperialis ? I wish to know if there is any reasonable 
hope of its flowering with me, my garden being a sloping 
bank in a sheltered valley on the Cheshire borders of 
Wales. Several people have told me they cannot get it to 
flower ; so any hints regarding it would be very acceptable. 
My Lilies of the Valley have flowered very badly ; a profusion 
of leaves, and flowers small and very few—What can be done 
for them?—M. E. G.” 
[Your bed of Lilies of the J'alley seems to be overgrown, 
and without a new bed your flowers will be less, and the 
leaves more, in number year by year ; but this is the wrong 
time of the year to set about improved culture or change; 
at the end of next September we intend to open and discuss 
the question. 
We cannot give you the smallest hopes that that fine tree, 
Pawlonia imperialis, will flower in your favourable garden 
during the lifetime of any one who is now fit for a soldier; 
but we are of a strong opinion that some of the soldiers’ 
children, who are now being provided for, may live to see 
the Pawlonia imperialis flower as freely as the old Gatalpa; 
therefore, no one should give it up because it is not likely 
to bloom during his or her lifetime, that is, in a locality so 
far north as the borders of Cheshire. The best judges 
believe that when this tree becomes old and stunted, and 
the annual growth is not more than two or three inches, 
it will flower in good seasons as freely as the Horse Cliesnut, 
and just in that way, but with large flowers of a light bluish 
tint, and of the Foxglove shape ; it is called “ the Foxglove 
tree.”] 6 
ROSES UNDER CANVASS. 
“ Can Roses be grown for exhibition as well under calico 
as under glass ? Will their colours and bloom generally be 
so perfect ?—X. Y. Z.” 
[Certainly not; and it is very questionable whether Roses 
