92 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER, 
November 4. 
Spanish, and Bantams, told me he thought the latter ate as 
much as the former. I am inclined to differ from him. I 
enclose you an extract from an amateur, who, perhaps, 
knows more of Dorkings than anybody in England. 
I shall not be able to send you yet an exact account of 
what my Dorkings eat. My opinion is threepence a week, 
and I am almost sure you cannot do them for less. They 
mcni be kept alive for less, but not in conchtion. I find, on 
comparing my account for January, February, March, and 
April, that my twenty-one fowls (having tlie advantage of a 
good run, so far as herbage and casual food are concerned) 
cost me regularly Jll for four weelcs all this time." So 
much for a penny a week 1 I have liberated my fowls now, 
as I consider my experiments conclusive; but if your readers 
are not of this opinion, only let them follow my advice of 
weighing out a pound of wlieat or barley, and seeing how 
long a Cochin-China hen will be in gobbling it up. But if 
1 can be taught how to feed my fowls tvell (for I am sure, 
not to feed them realty well is no economy), I am poor 
enough to gladly save some money, and young enough to 
bo willing to learn. 
In taking leave, as an author, of the pages of The Cot- 
TA(jn Gardener, I can conscientiously atflrm tliat (having 
no object to gain) I have only stated what I believe to be 
strictly true, the result of my own experience, and that of 
others ; and in thanking you for the coiutesy and attention 
I have received from you.—G aij.us. 
Time of Experiment — Oct. 11 to Oct. 18. 
Lots ! 
Description 
Age 
5"^ 
CO 
pd »-* 
M . 
Quantity 
of food 
Cost 
>> « 
33 bc 
O oi 
. tL 
O bfj 
V) 
to 
^ bo 
% « 
bo 
bo 
consumed 
> > 
I? rt 
Lp '4-« 
o 
Ib.oz. 
d. 
d. 
oz. 
Cochin-China Cock 
1851 
Meal 3 1 
1 
(Cochin-China Hen 
1851 
% 
Dran 0 15 
6D 
“* 'S 
& 
to 
Corn 3 14 
33 
4? 
7 14 
Si 
Cochin-China Cock 
1851 
■tS 
Meal 3 12 
4i 
Cochin-China Hen 
1851 
0) 
Bran 1 
h 
3i 
8 
Cochin-China Hen 
1831 
^ be 
'S 
Corn 6 0 
6 
& 
lu 12 
11 
Cochin-ChinaCock- 
1852 
ibs.oz. 
Ibs.oz. 
s. d. 
April 
June 
8 4 
8 13 
0 5 
Ditto ditto 
8 8 
8 12 
Corn 14 0 
1 2 
3 
Ditto ditto 
June 
7 9 
7 10 
Pota- 
41 
Ditto ditto 
June 
7 9 
7 12 
toes 5 0 
0 2 
Ditto ditto 
June 
5 12 
6 0 
— 
23 0 
1 9 
Time of Experhnent^Oct. 14 to Oct. 21, 
4 
Spanish Cock 
Spanish Hen 
Spanish Hen. 
Spanish Hen 
Spanish Hen 
Spanish Hen 
Spanish Cockerel 
Spanish Cockerel 
Spanish Cockerel 
Spanish Pullet 
Spanish Pullet 
Spanish Pullet 
Spanish Pullet 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1852 
1852 
1852 
1852 
1852 
1852 
1852 
ts 
Meal 
5 0 
0 01 
Corn 
19 0 
1 7 
Bran 
3 0 
0 li 
27 0 
2 2iJ 
the pots on one side. This prevents the worms from in¬ 
truding, and hkewise keeps the pots from getting too wet, 
which would start them into unnatural growth, and so 
weaken the system of the plant. To do them justice, you 
should have two sets of plants, one for early-liowering, and 
the other for late-flowering, so by that means you may 
secure their blooming from May till November. In the 
spring, I usually take cuttings at the time I start my plants 
into growth; taking care to strike these in a nice, moist, 
dung-bed. By taking cuttings early, and keeping them 
potted, they will rejiny the cultivator for all the labour 
bestowed on them. The compost that I generally use is 
composed of one-and-a-half maiden loam, one-quai’ter leaf 
mould, and one-and a-quarter what is termed yellow loam, 
from Waustead. In this they not only grow vigorously, but 
retain that glossy foliage which imparts to them that con¬ 
trast of flower and leaf which is so characteristic. When the 
idants are in a fast-growing condition, it is a great assist¬ 
ance to water them, say twice in the week, with a liquid- 
manure of sheep’s dung. This makes a great addition to 
the size of the flowers. 
In my rambles to-day I came across that much-noised- 
about Fuchsia, Batten's Pagoda. There is something novel 
in the colour of the flower, but as for showing puiqmses it 
is quite worthless ; the tube is something in the shape of 
Goliah ; the sepals not reflexing, and the corolla something 
in the shape of a soda-water bottle, never expanding at all; 
still, for its colour, it might have a place in collection ; but 
I should adnse the amateur, before he buys, to see it in 
flower, and judge for himself. If ho goes to the show¬ 
rooms, on the show days, he will be able to pick for himself. 
We are getting three distinct classes of Fuchsias. First 
is crimson with violet. Second, white with scarlet. Third, 
white with violet purple. The latter we have been wanting 
much. The following is a list of specimens of the three 
classes that I think w'ould not discourage the buyer, nor 
disgrace the seller. 
1. — Alpha; tube and vessels red, reflexes well, corolla rosy- 
purple. 
Clapton Hero ; tube and vessels glossy crimson, corolla 
pui-ple. 
Dr. Smith ; bright crimson, with violet corolla. 
Kossuth ; bright crimson, violet corolla. 
Resplcndcns; crimson-red. 
Nil Desperandum; waxy bright scarlet, corolla violet- 
purple. 
Don Giovanni; crimson tube, and sepals rosy, puiqile 
corolla. 
2. — Princess ; white, vith scarlet corolla. 
Bride ; white, with Vermillion corolla. 
Elizaheth ; blush tube, corolla rosy-purple. 
Expansion ; white, corolla bright rose. 
Joan o f Arc; white, corolla rosy-scarlet. 
Conspicna ; white, with veiTiiilhon corolla. 
Pearl of England; blush-white, corolla scarlet. 
3. — Sidonia ; blush-white, with violet-purple corolla. 
Sidonia superha ; white, violet-purple corolla. 
Delicata ; white, with bright purple corolla. 
E. W^EATIIERUX. 
! 
I 
I 
CEANOTHUS AZUREUS. 
FUCHSIAS. 
I FEEL disgusted at Fachsia spectahilis being classed with its 
more handsome neighbours, for there is no beauty in it or of 
it. A friend of mine has had one for this three years, and 
it has got to the heighth of nine feet, without gratifying the 
cultivator with one of its flowers. Fulgens mulliflora is far 
in advance of it. Many advise that the jvlants which 
flowered in autumn should be allowed to grow all winter; 
but that would not do for the cottager, or even for our prac¬ 
tical men, for all the nursing that you can give them, the 
season of rest will not pass over without some defect on the 
plant’s system, for nature will not be robbed of the rest. 
My plants, which have done flowering, and which I mean to 
flower next May and June, I have placed in their winter 
quarters, under the greenhouse shelves, taking care to lay 
Seeing this beautiful climbing shrub mentioned in your 
notice to correspondents this week, and not remembering i 
to have seen the culture of it in The Cottage Gardener, | 
I am induced to send you a few lines upon it. First, as to j 
soil. I find it likes a light garden soil, not too rich, with i 
a little peat to start it. Secondly, as to .situation. A wall ; 
facing the south ; and, thirdly, as to its propagation. It can 
be raised from seeds, which it produces very freely. Sow j 
them in shallow pans, in three parts peat, one part loam, 
and one part of well-rottened turf, with a little silver sand 
to keep it open. Let the pans be well drained, and placed 
in a cold frame or pit. Sow at the end of Februarj', or the 
beginning of March. It may also be struck from cuttings 
in the same frame or pit, using the same soil. To effect 
this, take off some nice short cuttings about Midsummer, 
with a little of the old bark at the base of the cuttings. 
Use the same sod, with a little sand on the top, and place a j 
