504 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 20. 
before the public, the wonder is, Why was it not thought of 
before ? In the course of my wandering, I called at Himley, 
a small village between Wolverhampton and Enville. Whilst 
stopping there, I was introduced to a person who has in¬ 
vented and patented a brick that will, I think, be of great 
use for garden-walls. 
The invention consists in letting in, dove-tail fashion, a 
piece of sound wood, about one inch wide, and the length 
of each brick, and one-and-a-half-incli deep. The back of 
this slip of wood is nearly half-an-inch wider than the face 
of it; hence, it cannot slip or move out. The mould for 
each brick has, of course, a projection, that forms the cavity 
to receive the wood. Into this piece of wood the nails can 
be driven to hold the shreds which retain the branches of 
the trees, or climbing shrubs. This will do away with 
nailing into the mortar, and so that mil be preserved intact. 
It will also be useful for the walls of dwelling-houses, to 
nail the skirting-boards to, also for nailing door jambs to. 
It has been seen and highly approved of by several eminent 
builders in the neighbourhood. The inventor has, by this 
time, laid it before Sir Wm. Cubitt and Sir Joseph Paxton, 
and will, no doubt, soon make it known to the public by 
advertisement.—T. Appleby. 
COVENT GARDEN. —September 18tti. 
There is a great demand for Grapes at the following 
prices, and new Oranges have juSt made appearance :— 
fruit. 
Pine Apples, 2s 6d to 4s p. lb. 
Grapes, Hamburgh, 2s Cd to 
Os per lb. 
Wall Grapes, 3s to 8s per 
doz. lbs. 
Peaches, 3s to 8s per dozen 
Nectarines, 3s to 8s per doz. 
Figs, Is to 2s per punnet 
Dessert Apples, 7s per bushel 
Apples, Kitchen, 5s per bush. 
Pears, 3s Od per half sieve 
Brocoli, 4s per doz. bunches 
Carrots, 3s Od to 4s p. doz. b. 
Turnips, Is Od to 2s 3d per 
dozen bunches 
Leeks, Is Od per doz. bunch. 
Onions, 3s Od per doz. bunch. 
Cauliflower, Is Od to 2s Od 
per dozen 
Brussels Sprouts, Is Od per 
half sieve 
Tomatoes, 4s per half sieve 
Artichokes, 2s Od to 5s p. doz. 
Gerkins, 2s per hundred 
Peas, 3s Od per bushel 
Kidney Beans, Is 3d to Is Od 
per half sieve 
Scarlet Runners, 2s Od per s. 
Filberts, Os per doz. lbs. 
Plums, 5s per sieve 
Damsons, 4s Gdper half sieve 
Oranges, Os per dozen 
Lemons, 22s per hundred 
Melons, Is to 3s each 
Almonds, Os per peck 
Kiln-dried Walnuts, 4s p. pck 
Brazilian Nuts, 5s Od per pk. 
Barcelonas, 5s per peck 
Cob Nuts, 3s per peck 
VEGETABLES. 
Celery, Is to Is Od per bunch 
Cabbages, 8d per dozen 
Red Cabbages, 1 s Od per doz. 
Radishes, Is per doz. bunch. 
Mushrooms, 12s per doz. pot. 
Chillies, Is Od per hundred 
Beet, Od per bunch 
Vegetable Marrow, 8d p. doz. 
Small Salad, 2d per punnet 
Chervil, 2d per punnet 
Cucumbers, Is to 3s per doz. 
Garlic and Shallots, 8d p. lb. 
Spanish Onions, 14s to 10s 
per hundred 
Potatoes, 5s per cwt. 
Lettuces, Is per score 
Endive, Od to Is per score 
HERBS. 
Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Basil, Mint, &c., Id to 3d per bunch. 
Cot Flowers. —Dahlias, Pelargoniums, Verbenas, China 
Asters, Pansies, Mignonette, from 2d to Is per bunch. 
Bouquets, from Is to 2s Od each. Violets, Is per dozen 
bunches. 
DETERIORATION OF SHANGIIAES. 
A short time since, in an article on the deterioration of 
Shanghae fowls, you advanced, as a probable cause of such 
deterioration, the change of climate. In watching one of 
my broods of chicken, I have been struck with the difference, 
both in substance and size, of some birds, as compared with 
others, and it has made me incline to the idea, that there 
is a disadvantage in breeding from birds of one year old. 
The brood I allude to are from eggs laid by three first- 
class buff hens of last year, which were running with a good 
cock of two years old, and another very good bird of 1853. 
I noticed that two chicken (a cockerel and a pullet) feathered 
very rapidly, the others much more slowly, and one of them 
is not much more than halt-feathered yet, although above 
five months old. I believe it is stated, either in “ The Poultry 
Book,” or in one of your numbers, that chicken bred from 
old birds feather much sooner than those bred from young 
ones ; if so, the two first birds in the table of weights, &c., 
below, will, probably, represent the progeny of the 1852 
cock, and the three last these of the younger bird. 
Hatched 4th of April and weighed. 
Thickness 
of the 
Shank 
Bone. 
30th 
June. 
4th Aug. 
8th 
Sept. 
Pullet dark buff .. 
Inches. 
lb. 
oz. 
lb. 
lb. 
2 i 
2 
0 
3 
7 
4 
14 
Cockerel dark buff 
Ol 
2 
15 
4 
12 
7 
2 
Cockerel light buff 
2| 
2 
12 
3 
12 
0 
2 
Cockerel light buff 
21 
2 
7 
3 
13 
5 
15 
Cockerel light buff 
21- 
2 
11 
4 
2 
0 
0 
If some of your other correspondents would give the 
result of their experience in breeding from both old and 
young birds, it would probably prove a valuable guide for 
the future.—S. 
P.S.—I will just mention that I have a Shanghae hen 
hatched on the 22nd of June, 1853, that yesterday ( Sept. 141 
laid her 213th egg.—S. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
HAMBRO’ WITH TOKAY AND BARBAROSSA 
VINES. 
“ In a Vinery and Plant House twenty-eight by fifteen, 
span-roof, to be heated by a four-inch flow and return pipe, 
turned on only occasionally from an adjoining Melon hot- 
water tank to exclude frost, it is proposed to plant, five feet 
apart (on each side?), Black Hambro’ Vines to be trained 
rod-fashion. 
A V hite Tokay and a Black Barbarossa, having been 
given to me, it is proposed to add these; but for the former I 
fear there will not be sufficient heat, as I do not intend to 
loice before March. Will you kindly advise on these 
points?—A Novice.” 
[Your original plan of Hambro’s, in regard of the practice 
to be pursued, and the amount of artificial heat available, is 
good enough. And you have a Tokay and a Barbarossa 
given you, and would fain work them into your plan. 
Tempting enough, indeed ; but please to remember that the 
Tokay section will not endure low temperatures, and the 
Barbarossa scarcely can be made to rank with the old 
Hambro’s in regard of temperature. We do not say it is 
impossible; but you must not make sure of success. If you 
will be tempted, pray put the Tokay at the hottest part, the 
Borbarossa next. It is, however, an experiment which 
requires a little pluck and some judgment.] 
LANTANAS AND MESEMBRYANTHEMUMS IN 
BEDS. 
“ W ill any one of the correspondents of The Cottage 
Gardener bestow a few cautions on a regular Subscriber, 
respecting the management of Lantanas as a bedding plant? 
A. I’, has some old plants, which, have grown very rampant, 
and which now are showing a disposition to bloom. How 
may they be kept dwarf, and induced to bloom earlier? 
In May, A. P. planted a bed of Mescmbryanlhe mums, 
which have grown well, and, in another fortnight, should 
the weather continue warm, would be a mass of bloom. By 
that time, however, we may expect frosty nights. What 
can she do another year to secure them flowering earlier 
in the season ?” 
[Cuttings of Lantanas, made in August, in each year, and 
kept rather warmer than Verbenas through the winter, are 
