THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
; 1 ;’.s 
i 
I sert varieties. The otliers are Olont Morcetm, Duehesse 
iTAngoidane, and Passe Colmar. Beurre Biel lias also 
appeared during the veelc. 01' most of these we shall 
speak on future occasions. 
The Cot Elowers consist of Heliotropes, Roses, Chrg- 
santhemums. Scarlet Geraniums, Cinerarias, Camellias, 
Boulde Blue Violets, Chinese Primroses, single and 
double; there were also some rare specimens in this 
way, consisting of Eup)liorhium jacquiniflora, Oncidium 
lanceanum, Passiflora ccerulea racemosa, Dendrohium 
spectabile, and some other rare stove plants. H. 
GOSSIP. 
The exhibition days at the Chiswick Gardens of the 
Horticultural Society will be, in 185!!, on the 14th of 
May, llth of June, and 0th of July. 
At page 144 of our fifth volume, when giving an 
account of the Stanwick Nectarine, we thus expressed 
ourselves:—“ The Duke of Northumberland having 
munificently given buds from this Nectarine to raise 
trees for sale, the proceeds to be given to the Gardeners’ 
Benevolent Institution; and Mr. Piivers, in a similar 
good spirit, having raised these trees without charge 
for their propagation, we have thought it right to place 
these particulars before our readers; but we do no 
more. Without expressing our opinion upon the merits 
of the Nectarine, we sincerely hope that both the Insti¬ 
tution and the purchasers of the trees may be one and 
all benefited.” Eor expressing ourselves so guardedly 
we wore blamed at the time, but we were immoveable in 
our resolution not to recommend the Nectarine imtil 
its value in our climate was proved by successful cul¬ 
tivation ; and those who blamed us must now “ eat 
humble pie.” We are sorry to read the following, 
whilst we congratulate ourselves that w’e did not aid 
in ministering to the disappointment. Mr. Ingram, 
the Queen’s gardener, says, “ The Stanwick Nectarine 
is unfit for planting on the open walls of the kitchen- 
garden ; ” and another authority says that, even when 
under glass, it requires fire-heat, and that in flavour 
it is not superior to the Elruge. 
It is very well known that as long since as the time 
of the Roman emperors, some transparent stone (Specu- 
laris laqns) was split into thin panes, and used as a 
shelter for Cucumbers, &c. There can be no doubt, 
from the description given of it by Pliny in his Natural 
History (Book JO, Chapter 2J), that this stone was the 
same as our T(dc. It has been customary to think that 
this has been quite superseded for gardening purposes. 
Such, however, is not the case; and since rough glass 
has been found superior for plants to that which is 
perfectly transparent, there is reason to believe that 
talc for similar purposes may be employed. At all 
I events, it is worthy of a trial, for our contemporary, 
I 'The Builder, says, that it may bo supplied considerably 
clieaper than glass, it is much less liable to breakage, 
and that being lighter, the frames of houses and pits 
may be less stout. It is added, “ Talc has been tried in 
several places, and found to answer.” If any of our 
November 2"). | 
j readers have tried it, they will much oblige us by stating 
the results of their experience. 1 
We have been asked by a correspondent (NortrieJi) - 
whether “ soil and temperature ” have any influence in ; 
rendering one English county less capable of producing : 
Cheese than another county more celebrated? and we 
have no hesitation in saying, that in such cases we ' 
believe that soil and temperature have nothing to do 
with the result. We are quite aware of the old satirical \ 
story of the rats eating the millstones and leaving the I 
Suffolk cheeses, yet we are quite of opinion that, with | 
equal dairy skill, and equal richness of pasture, as good I 
cheeses could be made in tbe east as in the west of 
England. In confirmation of our opinion, we quote 
the following from the Preston Guardian :— 
“ So many exaggerated statements have appeared in the 
papers, respecting the Oift-Hall Cheese Dairy, that we have 
been induced to procure a true statement of the facts, 
which Ave have obtained from J. AVilson Patten, Esq., M.P., 
himself the owner. Gift-hall is a farm in AVinmarleigh, 
North Lancashire, Avhich the proprietor has in his own 
hand. Cheese-making is a prominent part of farming 
upon his estate in that district; the dairies of some of his 
tenants are celebrated, and obtain good prices, wdiile others 
are sold at inferior rates. Mr. Patten, residing near the 
borders of Cheshire, and hearing of certain Cheshire 
farmers getting high prices for the London market, felt 
desirous to solve the problem, whether the quality of cheese 
depended on the land or on the maker, and if on the latter, 
whether as good cheese might not he made in Lancashire 
as Cheshire. He iiroceeded rvith the experiment in every 
way so as to give a fair and unbiassed result. He pur¬ 
chased fifty-three cows; and having to buy them off hand, 
of various breeds, they cannot be considered so select a 
stock as if he had been farming two or three years. Some 
calved in Januai'y, some in February, some in March, and 
others later. The first cheese Avas made on the 18th of 
April, and up to the 20th of October there Avere J20 cheeses 
made. These have not been Aveighed ; but Mr. Patten has 
no doubt but they Avill fully average .lOlb. each. There are 
some that Aveigh as much as 701bs.; but Avhen they are 
Aveighed Ave wiU give the exact weight. Of course, in esti¬ 
mating the weiglit of the wdiole dairy, Ave shall have the 
‘ later makes ’ to add to them. At the estimate of -AO lbs. i 
each, the quantity up to the above date will be 0 tons, IJ 
CAvt., 1 quarter and lOlbs., calculating 120 lbs. to the CAvt. 
No cream Avas taken off to make butter; but the ‘Avhey but¬ 
ter ’ has all been kept, and of this there are either six or 
seven mugs, supposed to average about (iOlb. each. AVe Avill 
hereafter give the exact Aveight of this, and the lArice it sells 
for. This celebrated dairy was sold this week to a respectable 
factor residing at AVarrington, and who has a connexion with 
the London market, and the dahy is intended to be forwarded 
to London. The price is (iJs., taking aU together, including 
the spring cheese, which are never so good as the others, 
but not including the ‘back ends,’ which, of course, are also 
inferior and not ready. The celebrity of this dairy is OAving 
entirely to the dairymaid, Mrs. Hutton, who formerly lived 
with Mr. Hixle.y, of Cheshire. Being always noted for 
making a choice dairy, Mr. I’atten engaged her to come to 
Gift-hall, on i)uiq)ose to conduct the experiment. The 
cheese-factor at AA'arrington had formerly bought IMr. Hix- 
ley’s dairy when Airs. Hutton made it, which probably led 
to the lu’csent purchase at Gift-hall. The above ai-e the ! 
facts of the case; and Ave shall be glad to hear of the other I 
farmers on Mr. Patten’s estate, or in other parts of Lan- ^ 
cashire, being able to equal this cxperiiAient. But to prevent ; 
disappointment, and to present the matter in a true light, I 
Ave think a I'cav Avords of explanation may be useful. And, 
first, there are certain dairies both in Cheshire and Lan¬ 
cashire that acquire a value by mere fame, Avhilst many 
others, equally good, cannot command near the same price. 
Second, the London market, for Avhat is considered a first- 
rate ai'ticle, reijuires a pecidiar make, which is not easy to 
secure; hut Avhen a dairy happens to be exactly the thing. 
