February JO. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
373 
wounding the intestines ; tlien let all the contents be drawn 
out with the fingers, if a large bird, or a pair of forceps, if a 
small one. Let some of the antiputrescent nii.xture be 
put in, and a layer of wool, cotton, or any proper substance, 
be stufi'ed upon it, and tlien another layer of the mixture, 
and so on till full, and rather ramming them in tlrnn other¬ 
wise : which done, continue the opening, already mado, up 
the breast quite to the throat, and, stripping the skin back 
on each side, cut off the ilesh entirely from the breast bone. 
Then take a needle ami thread, and, by small stitches, unite, 
the opening you last made almost to the place you began it, 
and putting in some of the mixture as above, with any soft 
stuffing to fill out the breast to its usual size, or rather 
more, continue then the stitches to the vent, and replace 
the feathers, and this part is finished, the which, if carefully 
done, it will not be known that the bird has been opened at 
all. Open then the eye lids, and introducing a strong 
needle within the upper lid, on the outside of the globe of 
the eye, ])ush it into the back part as far as you can, and, 
carrying the point upwards, let it come out through the 
pupil. You may, with the needlo in this situation, pull u]) 
the whole globe from the socket, if you hold the lids with 
your fingers to prevent their bursting open. When they arc 
thus emptied they may be filled from withoid with cotton and 
some of the antiseptic mixture ; or, what is belter, by making 
a hole within the bill upwards on the outside of the upper 
beak to communicate with the orbit (which in small birds, 
especially, will be found the best way), through which the 
stuffing may be introduced. The eye then is to be put in 
upon this stuffing, for which purpose half of a common 
black bead (it being split) is to be placed in the socket on 
the stuffing, and covered with the eye-lids as in a natural 
eye. If a coloured iris is wanting, it is to be painted with 
water-colour or oil,* and afterwards varnished, which will 
give it a very good lustre, perhaps not quite so well as 
enamel, but a very good substitute. Some of the mixture 
ought also to be thrust down the throat, but this with very 
little, or rather no stuffing. An opening is next to be made 
I in the mouth, through the palate upwards into the brain, 
! and some mixture and cotton thrust into that cavity as well 
I as the rest. If the bird has exceeding fleshy thighs, the 
I skin on them may be opened as in the breast, and the flesh 
taken off, to be sewed up again and stuffed as before ; though 
this is scarce ever necessary in small or middle-sized birds, 
as the mixture will sufficiently penetrate the Ilesh without 
that trouble. Nothing now remains but to put the bird in a 
suitable position to dry; for which purpose let a piece of 
board of a proper height be placed upright upon the edge of j 
another placed horizontally, and a porch placed in the up- , 
right one if the bird is to stand so. Then run a stiff- ! 
pointed wire down the throat into the body,+ letting it come 
out at the side under tiie wing of the bird, which is to be 
placed from the eye; this part to be bent and stuck into 
the side board at the height necessary, whether the bird 
is placed on the perch or the ground. A sufficient length 
is to be left for the length of the neck, the end of which is 
to be thrust upwards into the skull, by means of which wire 
the neck may have any direction given to it. Wires also 
are to be put through the wings to support them, and other 
parts, as may be necessary. The bird thus supported is to 
I be set by for some weeks in order to grow stitf, and the 
! mixture to penetrate when it is done. 
The mixture is pepper (i oz., camphor 1 oz., alum 'i scrup., 
common salt 2 scrup.; powder separate, and mix. J 
covers it, and cut oft' all the flesh from it also ; in general there will not 
want any stuffing to fill up its place, but it may be done if thought neces¬ 
sary,-as also some of the antiputrescent mixture added. 
* I have left off oil colour, for I find it stands well enough if the colour 
is laid on with gum-water and well varnished, as the oil is so long drying. 
t I find it best to place the wire before I put in the stufting, as it is 
difficult to thrust a wire, however pointed, through the stulfing without 
bending. 
t I now add brimstone powdered, or flowers of brimstone, equal 
I weights of that and the mixture if the bird is to be dried in the oven, or 
, if not, only one-third. 
! {To he couthuied.) 
STONES ON LIGHT SOILS CONDUCE TO 
FERTILITY^ 
It is a common practice with tlio farmers in my neigh¬ 
bourhood to employ women to pick stones off their light and 
gravelly soils. The plan is one of doubtful utility. Stones 
intercept tlie force of the sun’s rays, check evaporation, give 
fixity to the soil, and retain muoli moisture under them. A 
stone will often nourish four or five blades of corn, in con¬ 
sequence of its shade and moisture, and the spot round it is 
brighter and greener than where stones are absent. An 
intelligent friend of mine, who cultivates about 1000 acres, 
has carted stones on to some of his lightest soils with excel¬ 
lent effect.—S. r. Rdshhere. 
TO PRESERVE EGGS FOR SETTING. 
Peace a box in a dry place in your kitchen, not too near 
the fire ; partition the box, so as to liold separately the dif¬ 
ferent eggs of the various sorts; let bran he well dried in 
the oven, and put into the partitions, and cover the eggs 
with the bran us they are placed in ; and this should be 
done soon after they are laid. In this manner tliey will lie 
prolific from • a fortnight to throe weeks in the winter. 
Always mind to place the thin end of tho egg downwards, so 
as to stand upright. While your liens are laying, feed them 
well twice a week with jiork-hutchers greaves ; 1 mean those 
that cut like collared brawn; not tallow-chandlers’greaves, 
for these are worthless for poultry. Your chickens must lie 
fed occasionally with hemp and canary seed, and some meat 
cut very fine, but not too nnicli, or you will lose them. 'They 
are apt to get the cramp in their legs in the montli.s of 
March and April, especially the Spanish chickens. Nothing 
but good feeding and warmth vdll bring them round. Set 
your hens in a dry, warm place at this season, or yon will 
find your mistake out when you look for chickens.—J. 
AmI'HI.ET, Wulstill. 
CALIFORNIAN AGRICULTURE AND 
HORTICULTURE. 
After bearing so much about the golden liarvests of 
California, it is refreshing to find that the more pennanently 
productive “ diggings ” are not less promising. The follow¬ 
ing, written by an Ainei ican, is dated Sun Francisco, No¬ 
vember 30tb, 1852 
The opinion is quite prevalent in the States that the 
resources of California consist almost entirely in lier 
mineral wealtli, and that but a small portion of the State 
is adapted to cultivation. There is no greater error than 
this. So far from the soil being as barren and sterile as it 
has been represented to he, nearly the whole State possesses 
a wonderful fertility and adaptation to easy cultivation. To 
be sure, much of the country in tlie latter part of the dry 
season appears to be incapable of producing anything, yet 
this very same soil, if sowed with wheat or barley soon after 
the rains set in, yields the most wonderful crojis. However, 
a few facts, showing what has been produced here already, 
although tills branch of industry is still in its infancy, 
will give a much better idea of the Agricultural capacity of 
California than any mere description could give. 
Through the enteiprisiiig and the most indefatigable 
industry of Colonel Wan-en and Co., of Sacramento, an 
Agricultural Exhibition was held last month in that city, 
at which some most astonishing productions of the soil 
were exhibited. The following are the weight and dimen¬ 
sions of some of them. 
Squashes weighing 108 lbs., and six feet eight inches in 
circumference. ' 
Pumpkins weighing 110 lbs., and seven feet in circum- ! 
ference. I 
Watermelons weighing from 3(i to 41 lbs., and from 21 feet j 
to .’H feet in circumference. i 
lleets weighing from 30 to 40 lbs., and 40 inches in cir- ' 
curaferenoe, and one beet 71 feet long. ' 
Cabbage weighing 35 lbs., and 45 inches in circumfer 
ence. 
