March 10. 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
451 
service was at a farm Iiouse, where I was drawn apprentice, 
and where I remained two years. This was no place for 
learning anything but hard work. I have often thought 
what a shame it is that poor farm servants never have one 
minute’s time to call their own. Well may they he such an 
ignorant class of people as they are in some parts, hut I 
hope they will not be angry with me for saying this, because 
I do not mean to say that all fai’m labourers are ignorant, 
because I have been in company with farming men that 
could talk with as much sense as any other men, and some¬ 
times rather more. What I mean to say is, that they had 
no need to thank their masters for what time they allowed 
them to learn in when they were servants ; at least, I found 
it so at this first lilace of mine, and at every farm house that 
I have lived at. 
This sort of work would not do for me; I must be learn¬ 
ing something. I accordingly left and went to live at a 
place where there were only a few cows kept and one horse. 
Now at this place I knew wlien my work was done, and my 
mistress also (for I had never a master) knew very well 
where to find me if I was wanted for any little job. She 
used to say, “ You will bo sure to find him down in the 
stable writing,” Yes, and as sure as a gun there I was 
writing away as if I had had some law-suit under hand. 
Did my mistress grumble at me being there? No, for I 
always took care that my work was done first; and if I had 
anything to do extra, some times she used to treat me with 
a new copy-book as a reward. I had no one to instruct me, 
but I had an old book that had writing copies in it, and I 
one day met with an old baker that set me a few copies, 
and showed me how to begin some of the letters, and that 
was all the teaching I ever had. 1 
My next place was a farm-house again, where there was 
neither time to read nor write, but I was determined to win. 
So I purchased a pound of candles, and wrote in my bed¬ 
room at nights, wlien I should have been asleep. So .you i 
see, where there is a will, there is sure to be a way. 
My next place was to be under game-keeper, where I re¬ 
mained three years. T had then saved a little money, 
wherewith I put myself apprentice to a butcher, and when 
my time was out ray master wanted to engage me for 
journeyman. I told him that I was about taking a wife ; ‘ 
but if we could agree for wages, I had no objection, so we 
agreed that I should serve him for eight shillings per week, 
and my board, with several little privileges besides, which 
I reckoned to myself to be worth three or four shillings per 
week more. I now thought myself one of the most happy 
men upon earth, and so got married without delay ; but to 
my sad misfortune, before I had entered according to my 
new agreement, my faster failed, and was sold up. 
Now, this was a dreadful blow to me. I had just married , 
a wife, and I had now no means of supporting her. The 
highest w.ages that 1 could get at my trade was five 
shillings p)er week and my board. I knew very well tliat 
this would not do, and then as to my setting up myself that 
was no use of my thinking about, for I had no money. I 
had paid T15 to learn my trade, and that was all the money 
that I was worth, and my relations began to say that we 
should soon be in tlie workhouse, for I had nothing now to 
depend upon but hard work, and it was not likely that I 
could tie myself to that after being a gentleman so long ! 
This rather cut me to the quick; but I was not the 
man to be cast down, though my money was gone, and my 
trade of no use. I was both able and willing to work, 
neither was I ashamed of going to see where it was to be 
done ; and in a short time a gentleman took me into his 
employ, where I have remained to this day, though not in 
the same employment, for when I first went, it was to work 
on the farm, but it grieved me to think that I had paid £i5 
to learn a trade, and after all was nothing but a farm 
labourer. 
Now, I hope all young men that read these few lines, and 
are about making clioice of a trade, will think of me, and 
consider well whether they shall be able to set themselves 
up in the trade they are about making choice of. If I had 
done this, you see f should have saved £'15 by it; but it is 
no use of talking about shed milk; all that I had to do now 
was to consider whether there was any trade that I could 
learn now, that I could set up in without money. This was 
rather a difficult task ; and that was not the worst of it, for 
it must be learnt without money, or not at all. But I was 
not the man to be daunted, and I soon hit upon one, and 
what do you think it was ? fVhy a gardener, to be sure. 
Though I could set up to bo a gardener without money, 
the difficulty was to learn gardening without it. It was 
not likely that any gentleman's gardener was going to 
teach me for nothing, which 1 knew he must, if he did do it; 
and I had no relation that knew anything about gardening. 
However, hesitating was all of no use, I was determined to 
win if possible; so as there were horticultural shows in our 
neighbourhood, and prizes given for the neatest and best 
stocked labourer’s garden, I thought to myself, if I could do 
something in this w'ay, to get myself noticed, I may, 
perhaps, get to work in the garden. Sol bought a gardening 
book, and went to work to see what could be done, and 
accordingly the first year I was so lucky as to get the first 
prize for the neatest and best stocked labourer’s gai-den in 
three parishes, with several prizes for vegetables and 
flowers besides, and have ever since been one of the 
luckiest men in the three parishes for obtaining prizes. 
This soon had the desired effect, and I was taken into the 
garden to work where I have now been for five years; so in 
a short time I hope I shall be be able to say that I am a 
gardener. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*«♦ We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage GARnENEE. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
the Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London." 
Bulb Leaves (J. B. W.). —The three leaves, marked I, 2 , and 
belong to one kind of bulb, the true Rettadnna; they are from pot- 
plants, and are six weeks in advance of those growing in the border for 
years. The three bulbs might look different, according to their age, or 
the kind of soil they were growing in, but there is no doubt of the kind. 
The bulb with the broad recumbent leaves, ciliated edges, and promi¬ 
nent veins, does not belong to any known Brunsrigia, B. murginata, 
which is probably a Nerine, is not at all marked that way. There are 
only two bulbs from the Cape known to have the fringe like your 
plant, and they are Hieynnnthuaes; but the way your bulb is said to 
flower, candelabra-like, cuts it off from all that family. Keep your 
bulb cool and well aired, and allow it abundance of water for the next 
two months j and when the leaves turn yellow ne.xt May, jiray send us 
one of them, and let us know if any dark stripes or blotches appear on 
the bottom of it next April, when it is full grown. You had better plant 
the Belladonas out in front of a south wall next .lune, when they are at 
rest. 
Cactus (Ibid), —The name of your Cactus is Ackermanii, as near as 
we can make out from your description. The blight on the Rose-leaves 
is mildew, which is very prevalent this spring. As the sulphur has not 
checked it, the next and only remedy is to have the blighted parts cut 
off, which seems very hard, but there is no help for it. We shall inquire 
further into all your questions, and tell you the result next week. 
Grittv Pears tPi/rinn signinum).—Pears may prove gritty for seve¬ 
ral reasons, but the most common cause is, perhaps, a lean and over-dry 
soil. Next to this as a cause, we should be inclined to say a cold 
situation. 
Climbing Roses (A Cockney Amnteur).~‘‘T\vo or three good climb¬ 
ing evergreen Roses,” and one to be ” rose-colonr if possible.” Take 
Rosa indica major for the rose-coloured ; Felicite perpetuelle as the beat 
of the breed of evergreens ; and for the third, ask for MyrUinthes, or 
Princess Maria, or Princess Louisa, or Rampant; but the first three 
will suit your north aspect better. When you write again, come to the 
point at once ; short letters and quick returns form the grand secret of 
getting useful information. 
Influencing the Sex of Chickens—White Comb. — . 7 . H . 
Payne, Esq., says :—“In your paper of this week, in The Cottage 
GaYdeneb, on “ Influencing the sex of chickens,” you ask for the 
result of breeding from parents in their first year. I did so last year, 
from a cock and four hens. I reared about sixty chickens, upwards of 
forty of which were cockerels. Mine are Cochin-China. I am sadly 
teased with cotnis amongst them; in some cases it spreads down 
the neck and breast, stripping off the feathers entirely, and leaving a 
white scurfy appearance of the skin. I have used cocoa-nut oil and turmeric, 
but with little effect. I .am now trying alteratives, sulphur and nitre, as 
recemmended by Richardson ; and with others, nitrate of mercury, with 
lard, externally. With me, young fowls (that is fowls in their first year) 
are only affected in this way. In this neighbourhood I find it is very 
general. I find, also, that it is communicated from one to the other very 
quickly. If you can suggest a remedy, it will confer a great favour on 
many lovers of poultry in this locality (Bury St. Edmunds).” [I am 
much obliged to Mr Payne for forwarding his experience, as to the in¬ 
fluence of the age of the parents on the sex of the chicken. I have 
already received several remarkable results, and if our readers will kindly 
forward those facts that come under their notice, as suggested at page 
412, 1 have no doubt but that a very interesting and useful table may be 
drawn up. With regard to the white comb, I can only direct his attention 
