I 
I 
March 17. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
4C5 
As to pauiici'isnijit is estimated that not less than two thirds 
ol our paupers are tlie direct, or indirect victims of the 
same fatal vice.” “ The immense power in the liands of tlie 
workingmen to promote their own social comfort and inde¬ 
pendence, is proved by the fact, tliat they are spending //'/ly- 
suven millions a tjenr in ardcnl spirits, beer, ami tobacco! 
equal to an income of sixteen shillings a week to nearly 
one million four hundred thousand people! Surely, if 
so much can be spared for the indulgence of bad habits, 
a tenth ot it could be easily diverted to the cultivation of 
good ones.” 
Now, my dear Readers, I beg and pray you to read and 
think these things deeply and seriously over. Perhaps you 
have never considered what money you have wasted, and 
more than wasted in drinking and smoking! Think of 
God's gifts abused! the means he has given you for food 
and clothing turned into soul destroying sin—the abomi¬ 
nable thing that the Lord hateth ! Oh ! do think of these 
things, and that when you murmur against “ the times,” 
the masters you work for, the rulers who govern you, and 
sometimes the gracious God who has made you, and re¬ 
deemed you, you have far, far more cause to condemn 
yourselves, your evil ways, and your love of beer, gin, and 
tobacco! 
A very loud cry goes up to heaven for this one thing—the 
sin of drunkenness. It brings on hundreds of other sins, 
and sinks unnumbered souls in hopeless perdition. Oh ! be 
assured that the crime carries its own curse to body and 
soul, and that sin forsaken because it is sin, and hateful to 
the God of our salvation, will bring abounding blessings 
into your bosom. 
Do not leave off drink because you are starving, but 
because you are sinnimj, and your soul going down into 
hell. Do not leave off drink because you want to grow 
lich, and have a shop, or a country house, or a carnage, but 
because you want to proto holy, and gain an inheritance that 
fadeth not away. IVorldly soberness will secime, probably, 
“ the life that now is,” but it is only godly soberness that 
will secure “ that which is to come,” and then only for the 
sake of One who has covenanted with the Rather to bear 
the sins of many, and “to save unto the uttermost those 
who come unto God by him.” Readers, high and low! think 
of these things! 
EEATHERS. 
(^Continued from paye 4-01.) 
THE LACED FEATHER. 
A MORE appropriate name for this, we think, would have 
, been the “ fringed feather,” as the name alludes to the 
i narrow edging around it, but the name of “ laced ” has been 
long-established, and that would bo a conclusive reason 
against any change, oven if it were not suliicieiilly correct. 
Tliero aro two varieties, “ the gohlon-laoed,” and “ the 
silver-laced,” and in cither tlie body colour of tho feather, 
whether yellow or white, should bo perfectly free from 
“ splashing; ” that is, without any other colour upon it, 
except its edging or lacing. The more regular that lacing 
is in width, and in colour, the more clearly defined its 
edge, and the more completely it encircles the feather, the 
more perfect it is to character. At the top, and near the 
base, it is usually rather wider. 
'The Gold and Silver Rautams are the birds with whom 
lacing becomes the main characteristic of their plumage, 
for when found in other varieties it is only partially de¬ 
veloped. Thus the greater wing coverts, and some other 
feathers, of the Gold and Silver i’olauds, are often laced ; 
but a Poland “ laced Ihrouyhonl ” we have never yet seen. 
Combinations of the lacing with the spangle often occur, 
to the detriment, as we think, of the effect of both. 
■ ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF 
ENGLAND. 
A WeeivLy Council was held at the Society's House in 
Hanover-square, on Wednesday, tho Kith of Februaiy. 
Experiments in Potato Cultivation. —Dr. John Mai- 
fatti, of Kueniglberg, near Hietzing, in Austria, transmitted 
to the Council the follotving communication, dated the ;f()th 
of November last:— 
“ According to our views, the cause of this disease, though 
accounted problematical, lies in the decay and degeneracy 
of this plant in respect to its double sex, the twofold stock 
from whence it springs. During tlie growth of the Potato, 
a remarkable and instructive observation offers itself to us 
at once, between the two most distinct acts of the double 
sex of the plant. The first of these acts is that of its 
internal principle of self-propagation, and predominates 
particulai'ly during the period of its development. The 
second act, on the contrary, is a consequence of the first, 
and consists in an external reproduction, and conduces to 
the preservation of the original stock. WhRst now the first 
act always takes place regularly, and, indeed, under advoi'se 
circumstances, knows of no disease, we perceive the disease 
in the second act, on the contrary, suddenly break out, as 
if the double sex of the plant rapiilly became weakness 
itself, and instead of being followed by reproduction, were 
followed by degeneracy and destruction. It has long been 
hoped that the disease in question would tm'u out an acci 
dental and temporary one. But alas! the contrary has 
proved to be the case ; and there is no doubt but its propa¬ 
gation solely proceeds from a sexual cause, whereby it 
assumes the distinct character of a disease of race. Though 
we have come to this melancholy conclusion—a conclusion 
as painful in respect to the present as it is menacing for 
the future—Nature, that benificent mother, comes to our 
relief with a sovereign remedy—a remedy which she has i 
raised indeed to the rank of a law—namely, that remedy I 
which she has provided both as a cure and a preservative, j 
by means of the sexual crossing of races, and that, indeed, I 
as well in the vegetable as in the entire animal kingdom. \ 
This provision of nature is manifestly so excellent, that j 
human art has endeavoured to employ it in both kingdoms, 
and has done so with the greatest advantage. Taking this 
point for granted, I endeavoured, as inoculation was a thing 
out of question, to remove this disease by crossing the 
I’otato with other plants, and, indeed, as it were, by means 
of a sort of matrimony. The three first Potatoes on which 
I tried this experiment I paired and enclosed severally with 
tho Helianlhus tnberosus, the Dahlia variabilis, and the 
Cyclamen curopenm. For a fourth matrimonial alliance I 
was indebted to chance; and although this was with the 
Carduus hispanica, which does not belong to the genus of 
bulbous plants, it was attended, notwithstanding, with the ; 
most interesting results. The means thus employed ter- \ 
miuated in results which, in a most surprising manner, . 
confirmed the truth of the principle which we first laid 
down. The longing of the Potato for union with some plant 
of a kindred sort, manifested itself in the most distinct 
