178 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
Deceimber 9. 
It is the opinion of good judges tliat there will not he 
enough to last out the season. 
Cut Feowkus consist of ChrysanthemimK, Camellias, 
Chinese Primroses, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, Heaths, Roses, 
Yellou' Calceolarias, Mignonette, and Blue Violets. —H. 
GOSSIP. 
In a recent number, p. 91, of the present volume, an 
inquiry is made after Dixon anil Kerfs Ornamental and 
Domestic Poultry Book. We have reason for suspecting 
that Mr. Kerr is an American, who wrote some time 
since to the Rev. Mr. Dixon, and that the work referred 
to is merely a reprint of Mr. Dixon’s well-known work 
which we noticed last week, and we warn our readers 
from it accordingly; for it would be unjust to the 
original author to purchase what is pirated, if our 
suspicion be correct. 
Even the little island of Mauritius has its Royal 
Society of Arts and Sciences, and we are glad to see that 
gardening receives no small portion of its attention. 
At a recent meeting, over which the Governor presided, 
it w'as there stated that grafting had been successfully 
introduced by the society’s means, and that two hun¬ 
dred scions had succeeded admirably. Twelve new 
vai’ietics of the Pine-apjtle were introduced. Sugar, 
however, as might be expected, w-as tbe principal 
object, and we must quote on this subject from the 
Hon. Mr. Rawson, Treasurer-General of the island. 
He said:— 
“ A specimen of that which makes the wealth of the 
colony (^pointin.o; to a magnificent cane on tbe table sent by 
Mr. Couvois of black Hiver), of a size such as no gentleman 
here ever before witnessed, lies before you. It measures 
eighteen French feet, and contains fifty-two knots.—There 
is (said the speaker proudly) the material of our wealth 
and prosperity. Here is, your Excellency, an evidence of 
the height to which we have attained, a height to which I 
hope all planters in this colony are aspiring, and which, if 
most of them are successful in reachi)ig, will certainly place 
Its at the head of the sugar-growing colonies. Sir, and 
gentlemen, the medal which I hold in my hand was given 
to Messrs. AVebb and Co. for a sample of the best sugar 
presented at the Great I'l.xhibition in London. I think I 
am correct in saying that they are very, very near getting 
tbe Council medal for their production, which, had tljey 
obtained, would have been evidence of our sugar being the 
finest that was exhibited on that celebrated occasion. How¬ 
ever, they were second, if not entitled to he the first. Here, 
your Excellency, is the beautiful medal (handing it to the 
Governor) which was awarded to them, a medal which ought 
to he an object of pride not only to Messrs. AVebb and Co., 
but to all the planters, and to every man in the community 
who takes an interest in the welfare and prosperity of the 
colony. (Applause).” 
But the Mauritians, we observe, also have their 
Poultry Shows, and here is an extract from a report of 
what was exhibited, and with this extract we will 
conclude:— 
“ In Poultry, also, there was great competition, and very 
superior specimens of Oreole-brcd were exhibited; we par¬ 
ticularly noticed those of Mr. Douglas (prize), Mr. Pdehard- 
Kon, and INIr. IMarie. There %vere also some fancy fowls of 
great beauty, and some magnificent capons, which, howorer, 
were unrewarded by any prize. AVe must not pass over Mr. 
Eohinson’s superior breed of Ruhbits, which well deserved 
the prize awarded; nor Mr. Oliver’s Capo (rcesc; nor the 
monster Turkey, weighing, we learnt, twenty-five pounds! 
AVhat a mine of truffles it would- but we abstain from 
depicting ‘ a siglit to dream of not to see,’ and adjourn the 
subject till the December show, which, we hope, will abrur- 
dantly surpass utl its predecessors.” 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poultry 
Shows of which we are at present aware. We shall be 
obliged by any of our readers sending us additions to the 
list, and giving the address of the Secretaries. 
HORTICULTDEAL SHOWS. 
London Eloricultueal (Exeter Hall, Strand), Dec. 14+. 
South London (PvOyal), Dec. 10. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
BlEjnNGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES, 14th, l.^tll, Ifitll, 
and 17th December. 
Cornwall (Penzance), January lOth, and 11th. {Secs. 
Eev. AA''. AV. AATngfield, Gulval ATcarage, and E. H. 
Rodd, Esq.) 
Honiton, January 12th. {Sec. H. K. Venn.) 
Salisbury and AVesteen Counties, December 19. {Sec. 
T. Pain, Esq.) 
t For seedlings only. 
RENOVATION OF FRUIT-TREES. 
AA'’'hen we cast our eyes around, and when we call to 
mind what a vast number of fruit-trees we have met 
with, or heard of, which disease or unfruitfulness ren¬ 
der unworthy of preservation if incurable, it seems 
astonishing that, after all the books that have been 
written, all the tales told, and all the fruitist’s lore made 
public, as well as the practical observations of a very 
many years brought to bear on the subject, such should 
still be the case. But so it is; and we think some ser¬ 
vice may be done by dealing out another blow or two at 
prevailing errors, and jDointing to great facts committed 
with the root itself; to the due culture of which all 
pruning and training must ever hold a secondary 
position. 
Let no one suppose that we wish to decry in sweeping 
terms the genuine primer’s labours; this time-honoured 
craft must still bold a place in the annals of horticulture; 
and we look back with a sort of instinctive veneration 
on some genuine “ early Yorks ” whom we knew in our 
’prentice days, and who used to sally in the “ rest- 
season,” knife in band, with an expression of counte¬ 
nance fully exhibiting an inward consciousness of tlieir 
dexterity, and of the great importance of their mission. 
These were amongst tlie most patient of men. Y'ears 
rolled past, and still they pruned on with the utmost 
precision; “ spurring back” with all the exactitude of a 
walking-stick manufacturer. Indeed, w'e knew of two of 
these worthies who were first-raters at walking-sticks, and 
no marvel either. And fruit might occasionally be seen on 
such trees, which was strange enough; the Fears would 
occasionally take their stand in bunches at the extremi¬ 
ties like tassels; and it was noted, as an odd phenomenon, 
that the Fears generally commenced where the pruner 
left off! But our present business is not with wall-trees 
or Fears alone, but to point to root-culture, for the im¬ 
provement of unsatisfactory fruit-trees in general; and 
in order to know what we are about, we must attempt a 
classification of the evils proposed to be remedied. 
As this subject will not be disposed of in one paper, 
we are in duty bound to prepare the interested reader 
for it; and the following classification of evils will at 
once show tbe breadth of the subject:— 
1st. Aged trees. 
2ud. Trees weakened by bearing. 
3rd. Diseased trees. 
