August 29. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
427 
of the liquor, put 3Jibs, of pood loaf sugar; barrel it, and 
to every live gallons add a bottle of white brandy. Hang a 
piece of isinglass in the cask, suspended by a string, and 
stop it up close. In six months, if the sweetness is off 
sufficiently, bottle it for use, otherwise let it stand in the 
cask a little longer. The above receipt has been tried with 
great success, the wine being almost equal to champagne.— 
H. W.” 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Poultry Snows and Judges (P. G., A Subscriber ).—We cannot 
insert general charges. If you have evidence substantiating your state¬ 
ments—if you can show that a party sold birds, to which he, acting as 
judge, awarded a first prize a week or two subsequently—you will find us 
quite ready to publish the fact, and names, be they of whom they may. 
Moving Evergreens ( A Constant Reader). —As they are in your 
own garden, and you can, therefore, move them without the roots becom¬ 
ing dry, or having the earth much shaken from them, the last half of 
September will be a good time for moving the evergreens. 
Roup in Fowls {An Inquirer after Truth). —We wish as heartily as 
you do that we could furnish you with a cure for roup. After inquiring 
of every authority, we can hear of none; and any reader having such a 
valuable remedy may command any page of Tub Cottage Gardener 
for its insertion. You justly mourn over your losses, and add in conclu¬ 
sion, surely there must be some mode of rearing fancy fowls in health.” 
You are quite right in such conclusion; but as we neither know your 
locality, nor your mode of treatment, nor where you keep them, nor even 
the varieties, neither we, nor any one else, can venture to advise you. 
Emigration (A Subscriber , Worcester ).—We never advise any one 
upon this subject. If you only have “ a little practical knowledge of 
gardening,” you can in no part of the world be more than an assistant. 
Advice t F. J. K.). —Much obliged, and will consider over what you 
i say. 
Festoons of Roses (IV. H .).—Eight feet will give you the most 
perfect festoon, but seven feet might do in a pinch ; anything closer will 
only give dumpy folds, instead of free-flowing festoons. Whatever num¬ 
ber of plants you use for each pillar, they should be of one sort, and the 
reason for using more than one is to get the pillars and the festoons 
between them covered as soon as possible. For the first pillar, take 
Felicite perpetuelle ; for the second, Myrianthus ; for the third, Crimson 
Boursuult and Ruga, crimson and white; the fourth, Princess Louise ; 
and for the fifth, take The Garland. 
Dielytra spectabilis (A. R .).—We have received your packet of 
seeds of this plant, for which we arc very much obliged. 
Garden Plan ( Clericus ).—Question No. 1.—The two-feet border in 
front of the shrubbery should be planted with herbaceous plants, at the 
distances you propose, with spring bulbs between them. Of all modes 
of planting, none we think so objectionable as that of dividing a narrow 
border, or, indeed, any straight border, into certain lengths, and then to 
plant each length, or division, with one kind of plant. Such a border, 
; one hundred feet long, divided into five or ten divisions, and each divi- 
j sion to be planted with the best plant of its kind, would just look, for all 
i the world, an experimental ground for trying the strength of so many 
i kinds of chemical manures, and nothing more. No. 2.—The piece of 
ground C will never do for the least pretension of rock-work; for this 
reason, that such rocks can only be seen from a higher ground. In 
j nature,.you can never look down on a rock without risking destruction by 
overbalancing over a prccipiecc—a principle as firm as a granite rock. 
| There ought to be a screen of evergreens along the bottom and up one 
j end of this piece, the rest open turf, and specimens of rare and choice 
j trees and shrubs; it would make just a sanction sanctorum , if well 
managed. No. 3. —The triangular piece of ground hy the side of the walk 
I to the kitchen-garden ought to he planted so as to look like the fore¬ 
ground of what is beyond it, looking from the gate. Here is where a 
stranger to the place would he, more likely than not, in the wrong alto- 
i gether. Suppose we advised you to plant so and so in that triangle, just 
1 to please you for the moment, and suppose some man of taste called 
j there after a time, and was shocked to see how the place was disfigured 
in that way; and then, suppose the remarks reached your ear, would it 
not stand to reason that you would exclaim, ‘‘A bother on Tiie Cottage 
Gardener for leading me astray.” Now the Cottage Gardener 
cannot escape from these things like the man who dyed Timothy Tit- 
j marsh's hair, who, when he saw the hair green, recommended another 
bottle to turn it to purple, then another to get it out of the “ interme- 
I diate stages,” and al ter that, so many more bottles to get the hair as black 
J as anything. 
Minasi's Improved Artificial Incubators.— Mr. Carlo Minasi, 
■ of London, has recently applied himself to the study of the processes of 
artificial hatching, and has constructed an apparatus, the success of 
j which is exciting considerable interest among those persons who concern 
themselves with this exceedingly interesting and important subject. 
Every onctwho is familiar with the expedients adopted by M. Bonne- 
main, of Paris, during the last century, and the processes practised by 
M. D’Arcet, at the hot mineral springs; and, indeed, everyone possessed 
of a knowledge of the circumstances under which the natural hatching of 
eggs is effected, will be aware that a steady heat of a suitable tempera¬ 
ture, maintained for a certain number of days, and a sufficient quantity 
of fluid to supply the place of the aqueous exhalations which pass off 
from the egg during incubation, are necessary to the success of any 
attempt to produce the chick from the egg, in a healthy and natural 
condition. In order to supply these, Mr. Minasi constructs a watertight 
case or tray of zinc, of about one inch in depth, and fills it with water, 
which is maintained at such a temperature that a layer of fine sand placed 
on the upper surface of the case is constantly kept by it at about 107 ° 
Fahr. Upon this layer the eggs to be hatched are placed, and covered 
with a sheet of glass or other suitable substance. In order to furnish the 
vapour necessary to compensate for the aqueous evaporation from the 
egg, which, if allowed to proceed to a great extent without any counter¬ 
acting action, would lead to the destruction of the chick in ovo, the in¬ 
ventor arranges in the incubator a number of short tubes, extending 
from the under side of it to the upper, and reaching above the layer be¬ 
fore mentioned, so that atmospheric or other moisture may pass up from 
beneath and distribute itself over the whole of the surfaces of the eggs. 
The lamp employed is fitted with certain improvements, also effected by 
Mr. Minasi, by which naptha is burned, without the use of a wick, so as 
to keep up a constant temperature for several weeks without any atten¬ 
tion. And in order to economize the heat obtained from the lamp, the i 
former is made to traverse a spiral flue, to the sides of which a portion of 
it is continually transferred, p, minimum quantity passing off through a 
pipe opening into the atmosphere. The heat transferred to the flue, as 
just described, is communicated to the water; and by the simple ex¬ 
pedient of raising one end of the incubator, a continual circulation of the 
heated water is kept up throughout it. The under side of the zinc case 
is corrugated, in order that the chicks which are reared in a chamber, of 
which it forms the upper part, may the better nestle against it. We 
have seen about 150 chicks, hatched and reared by this apparatus, from 
two hours to ten weeks old, which were in an exceedingly good condition. 
At the first experiment made with the incubator, Mr. Appleyard, of 
Harrow, marked forty-eight of the eggs placed in it, and from this 
number, thirty chicks were hatched and reared. When this fact is added 
to the further one that while the cost of other far less successful incu¬ 
bators is about twenty guineas to every hundred eggs they are capable of 
hatching simultaneously, Mr. Minasi’s will not exceed five guineas, we 
think there is but little doubt that that gentleman has effected great im¬ 
provements in a process which will probably become very extensively 
and profitably practised. We shall probably publish engravings of the 
apparatus in a future number. 
Names of Plants (//. A'.).—Your Ferns are as follow: —1. Asple- 
nium adiantum nigrum. 2. Polystichum angulare. 3. Blechnum boreale, 
(the barren frond of). 4. Appears to be the Lastrea filex-mas, in a young 
state. 5. Polystichum aculeatum. 6 . Scolopendrium vulgarc. 7 . 
Doodia caudata. a pretty greenhouse species. 8 . Asplenium trichomanes. 
9 . Lastrea oreopteris. 10. Cassebeera liastata, a pretty greenhouse 
species. They are all British except 7 and 10. ( Lnncustriensis ).—Your 
plants are Aloe verrucosa , or Warted Aloe, and Cineraria maritima. • 
(Thomas ).—Your plant found near Stamford Court, we think is Stachys 
germnnina, or Downy Woundwort. We could have been certain if you 
had sent a flower. 
CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Air, gi\e freely in all houses. Air-moisture, reduce the amount 
gradually. Bottom-heat must gradually decline; say at least one 
degree weekly until November. Cucumbers, for winter work, must be 
got forward with similar attention as in spring. Cherries for forcing 
may be potted or shifted. Cleaning: let all glass be thoroughly cleaned 
this month ; all painting, lime-washing, done also. Figs, water late 
crops. Forcing (Early), prepare for by getting things to rest. Flues, 
clean. Grapes, watch ripe berries, use the scissors, remove laterals from. 
Insects, of allkinds subdue. Linings, attend to. Melons, late, give 
spring culture to ; beware of damps. Nectarines, see Peaches. Pines. 
continue forward culture ; water late swellers ; repot last successions; and 
harden oft* the latter class in snug pits. Peaches, remove late laterals; 
stop remaining leaders ; syringe freely ; and water at root moderately. 
Painting, carry out. Repairs, complete. Red Spider, subdue. 
Strawberries, in pots, give high culture to; keep tlum plunged above 
ground level. Ventilation, attend well to. Vines; progressively 
remove laterals from late crops; apply fire-heat daily in all dull weather. 
Vermin, destroy. Wasps, destroy nests. It. Errington. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
Apples, gather as they are ready. Apricots, stop all growing wood* 
and remove all spray which shades the buds. Berberries, gather* 
Budding, slacken bandages. Currants, cover to preserve. Cherries* 
late, beware of birds and wasps. Cranberries, collect. Damsons, 
gather. Figs, stop all shoots, and thin out spray. Gooseberries, 
destroy caterpillars, and retard late kinds. Insects, subdue. Mul¬ 
berries, gather. Nuts, gather and store. Nectarines, set Peaches. 
Plums, protect from wasps. Pears, stop all shoots, reduce coarse breast 
wood. Peaches, stop all shoots, remove foliage from ripening fruit. 
Strawberries, plant; destroy runners. Tomatoes, stop growing. 
Vines, stop every shoot and reduce laterals. Vermin, destroy. 
It. Errington. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
Aconite (Winter), plant e. Anemones, plant best, e. ; sow b. 
Annuals (Hardy), sow, b. Auriculas not shifted in August now re¬ 
move ; water anil shade ; prepare awning to protect in autumn and 
winter; sow, b. Bun perpetual Roses to the end of the month. Bulbous- 
roots, plant for early blooming, e. Carnation layers remove, b. 
Chrysanthemums, plant cuttings &c., b. Cut round the roots 
of large specimens intended to be taken up next month, b. Cut in large 
specimens of Geraniums &c., in the beds to be potted, as soon as they 
break, to make specimens of, b. Cuttings of evergreens, put in, b. 
Dahlias, number and make list of, while in perfection, describing their 
colour, height, See. Dress borders assiduously. Edgings, trim, plant. 
Evergreens, plant, b. ; make layers. Fibrous-rooted perennials, 
propagate by slips, parting roots, &c. Grass, jnow and roll; sow, b. 
Gravel, weed and roll. Guernsey Lilies, pot. Heartsease, plant 
cuttings ; trim old. Hedges, clip, e; it is the best time. Mignonette, 
sow in pots, to shelter in frames. Rooted Pipings of Pinks, &c., 
plant out for blooming. Planting Evergreens, generally, commence, 
e. Polyanthuses, plant. Ranunculuses, plant, best, e.; sow, b. 
Double Rockets, divide and transplant. Roses, cut down, which must 
be removed at Michaelmas, ten days before taking up. Seedlings, plant 
