THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 12. 
46G 
Stirling Castle, an Anne Boleyn Pink, from a friend, and an 
old Clove from a cottage, the sweetest of all the race. We 
keep the plants ever so long. It is all a mistake to believe 
that these plants want renewing every two or three years— 
nothing of the kind; if our Pinks and Picotees do not 
last twenty years it mil be our own fault. The way we do 
them may he of uso to you, and as you will “ esteem it a 
favour,” we cannot hold back. As soon as the bloom is over, 
we cut in one-half of the herbage to very near the ground, 
that half looks then like an.old, worn-out heather scrub¬ 
bing-brush, but your grass soon appears, and when that 
is half-an-inch long, we cut back the other half of the 
bush, for bushes they are. In the spring, we thin out 
the grass, and when the flower-spikes show, wo select so 
many of the strongest and best placed, and cut off the rest; 
just before the flower-buds begin to open, we water the 
plants abundantly several times, and every other year we 
transplant them with a little earth about the roots, to a 
piece of the border that was trenched in the winter, we 
would not allow a particle of manure to touch them for 
the world, and when we move them, we dock the roots a 
good deal. Our flowers are first-rate, and reached excellence 
by this plan. 
The Shrubland Scarlet , alias Smiths’ Emperor, and lialf-a 
legion aliases besides, is the very best Geranium for a 
standard or pillar; But the whole of tliepi are very difficult 
to manage as standards if the stem is above a foot or 
eighteen inches; they are more suited for pillars. For a 
dwarf specimen, there is none better than Tom Thumb ; but 
there are half-a-dozen as good.] 
INARCHING CAMELLIAS. 
“I have an old single Camellia, the plant is in good 
health , and a large specimen. I wish to inarch different 
Camellias of the freest blooming kinds on it. Is it prac¬ 
ticable to inarch six different varieties on one plant ? Which 
varieties do you recommend ? I have to buy them, and wish 
for a good contrast in colour, of good double varieties, such 
as flower freely every season. What is the best time for in¬ 
arching, where one has every convenience for doing it?— 
L. P.” 
[It is quite practicable to have a dozen sorts of Camellias 
inarched into one plant, if it were desirable. The old 
double white, and the Fimbriata, are the two best white 
Camellias in the world. Lady Hume, when well done, is the 
best blush among all Camellias. Albertus is one of the 
best variegated ; and Tricolor is the next best variegated, but, 
being a slender grower, it ought to be at the top. There is 
not a better rose Camellia than Eleyans, nor a better crimson 
than Imbricata rubra, and, perhaps, Carolina; but there are 
numberless kinds in the crimsons and scarlets; and, what 
goes a great way in these days, most of them are new, that 
is, new as compared with the best of the old kinds as above. 
Look at the indexes of our two last volumes, and you will 
see the best of those new ones reported on. You will please 
to inarch the kinds according to your own notions of contrast 
and conformity. Some nurserymen inarch Camellias late 
in the autumn, to save time in the spring ; but the spring 
is the right and best time, just before they begin to grow. 
Those Camellias that are inarched after this time in Sep¬ 
tember cannot be separated with safety before those that 
shall he inarched next March and April. So you see there 
must be a good deal of bother in having the inarching on 
hand all through the winter.] 
POULTRY. 
| METROPOLITAN POULTRY SHOWS.—SHANGHAES. 
“ Will you be so kind as to inform me if the Winter 
Metropolitan Poultry Show will be held as last time ? Also, 
if the Surrey Zoological will have one ? From there being 
j no summer shows, I am fearful these shows are given up ; 
; and this belief is strengthened from Mr. Fox having pur¬ 
chased all the wire-fronts, &c., belonging to the former. 
“ I hopo I may be mistaken in my supposition; for their 
being abandoned will cause much regret to many. 
“ It seems to mo, now next to almost useless to continue 
rearing the once highly-favoured Shanghaes; they seem so 
! little cared for, that even choice birds as to colour, &c., meet 
j with no purchasers, even at a small price. Do you think the 
great merit of their laying eggs throughout the -winter season 
is likely to bring them again into fashion ?—A Constant 
Subscriber.” 
[We shall be glad to be informed by Mr. Fox, or by any 
other authority, whether a Poultry Show, either in or near 
the Metropolis, is purposed to be held this winter. It is 
quite certain that last year the returns fell so far below the 
expenses, or, in other words, that the committee of manage¬ 
ment suffered so heavy a loss, that none but those who 
either can “ hope against hope,” or who are willing to suffer 
in pocket, will venture again upon such an undertaking, 
except upon a better self-supporting system. We believe, 
that if the committee of the Smithfield Club would manage 
ono they would obtain a protective support. 
Neither Shanghaes, nor any other variety of poultry, will 
ever be sold, in our days, at such enormous prices as they 
were sold at during 1852-3 ; but good specimens will always 
fetch good prices so long as the praise-worthy taste for breed¬ 
ing and exhibiting superior birds prevails. It will, probably, 
prevail long, and revive with more vigour when the present 
reaction has ceased. Excessive indulgence in any taste is 
always followed by exhaustion; but the taste as invariably 
revives, and is then better regulated. Poultry shows, con¬ 
cluding from these premises, will be fewer in number and 
better supported next year than they are in this year.] 
SMALL YOLK-LESS EGGS. 
“ I have a Cochin-China Hen which left her chickens 
about three weeks ago, and commenced laying; but the 
eggs are not bigger than Spanish nuts—perfectly shelled, 
but without a yolk. She has layed sixteen of them. You 
will oblige if you can tell me how to cure her. She was, 
previous to her sitting, an excellent layer.— Donovernum.” 
[In this case there is evidently an undue action of the egg 
passage, without a corresponding action of the ovary, in 
which the yolk is formed. 
As a means of cure, I should suggest that the present 
irregular mode of laying be stopped, in the expectation that 
when the hen resumes laying it may be in a natural manner. 
This may be done by giving her one grain of calomel, 
one-twelfth of a grain of tartar emetic, with low diet for a 
few days. I should be glad to hear the result.—W. B. 
Tegetmetee.] 
DISEASED PULLET. 
“ We have a grey Dorking Pullet, which, for a month or 
six weeks, has appeared in a delicate state of health. It 
eats heartily, but derives, apparently, no benefit from its food. 
It was hatched lute in March. When it eats it mostly 
lies down ; and when it stands its legs tremble. It is a hand¬ 
some bird, and we would save it if we could. It seems not 
to get better or worse : though it lives well, it is only skin 
and bone. 
“ Can you suggest its disease, and, what is more to the 
purpose, a cure ?—0. W. W. T.” 
[The symptoms, as far ns described, evidently indicate 
some disease of one or other of the digestive organs, but 
are not sufficiently detailed to enable a satisfactory opinion 
to be pronounced. In the absence of further information, 
I would suggest one grain of calomel as an alterative, and 
then a teaspoonful of cod liver oil daily afterwards.—W.B.T.] 
INTERNAL HEMORRHAGE, OR BLEEDING. 
“ About a month ago, I lost a Shanghae hen suddenly; 
she had chicken round her at the time. I had seen her not 
three hours before in apparent health. I did not open her ; 
but, in about a week, one hen was found dead on their 
perches. I was prevented, by a variety of engagements, from 
opening her. She was hung up for the flies, and when taken 
down, quantities of blood came out of her. I mention this, 
as it bears on the subsequent cases. A fortnight does not 
elapse before another hen is found similarly placed. I 
opened this hen, and found the cavity of the body full of 
darkish blood. It was evident that a vessel had given way 
somewhere, but whereabouts, I could not determine. The 
liver had a few tubercles scattered through it. Sunday 
morning, to my dismay, I found my best hen—(she had 
chicken round her)—dead on the floor of the house. I had 
weighed her the night before, remarked her good condition, 
