472 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
]\rAHCH 17. 
Schotia speciosa; a strong shrub, with l)right red pea-flowers ; it comes 
in all collections of Cape seeds, and often takes four or five years to 
i flower it; but once at a flowering age it goes on every year to flower, 
' and it is a bardy greenhouse plant, and dislikes the stove very much.) 
ArMus. All my shrubs flower, but will not mature the fruit. How is 
that ? (The trees are yet too young, or the climate too severe.) Lauris- 
iimtses bud, but are nipped in the first frost. Should this be ? ” (No, 
not in Jlritain.) 
The Poultry-Book (Cochin). —It has been delayed solely on account 
of the coloured plates; its publication will positively begin this month. 
We shall probably republish the Feathers ” in it. Sometimes, but not 
usually, Spanish fowls lay as many eggs as Shanghaes do; neither are 
they such good layers in the winter, but their eggs are much larger. ^ 
I Sudden Death of Shanghaes (G. W. D.). — If fed high they are 
liable to death by appoplexy. Mr. Tegetmeier has shown this in our 
pages, by reporting that he found a ruptured blood-vessel of the brain in 
cases of the sudden death of these fowls. * 
SiiANGiiAE Eggs (J. Y.). — We cannot give you the information you 
seek, but we know where a few from selected Sturgeon and Moody birds 
may be had for 2ns. per dozen, including package. ‘ 
Lucia rosea Geranium (2\ i?.).—The leaves are very much mil- ' 
dewed. It has been kept probably in air too cold and too damp. 
Hybrid betw’een the Pheasant and Fowl.— Mr. J. Patterson, of ^ 
Thame Park Gardens, says: —“ I confidently assert that I have seen five 
mules resulting from a cross between the cock pheasant and the common j 
doniestic fowl, which were reared by my father, gardener at Balluml)ie, 
Forfarshire, N.B., and I dare say many living witnesses can he found in 
that neighbourhood who can testify to these facts. In appearance they 
neither resembled the domestic fowl nor the pheasant, and their call was 
likewise different, it sounded something like Pea, pea, poup. I may 
likewise state that the pheasants hail common hens as foster parents, and 
from them we got the mules, and there was not a common or domestic 
cock within half-a-mile of the hens.” 
Diseased Fish (A Lndi/ Constant Subscriber) .—Fish in a pond like 
yours, where the water is seldom changed, will bring disease to the fish 
its inhabitants. The slime upon them is a parasite to which they are 
especially liable in such a situation; w'e know of no remedy but a frequent 
change of water. 
Orcharding (A. C ).—We have received a communication from a 
correspondent signing himself A. C'., Chelmsford, remonstrating with us 
on the statements we made in our papers on orcharding, respecting the 
prices of Apples in 1850, and our general remarks as to the profitableness 
of orchards as a branch of rural economy. He says—“ In 1850, you 
state the price at Covent Garden was .Ss. 6d., and in that year I was a 
grower, but I find, on reference to my books, that I did not realise an 
average price of 2s., f^^r which the expense of gathering should also be 
deducted.” Now, it is impossible for us to say what price growers have 
returned to them by their salesmen, and what drawbacks there niay be 
on the sales. All our data, as regards remuneration, are taken from the 
statements of the growers themselves, and the averages we quoted arc 
from the published returns of each year, which show the weekly prices 
realised in the markets. From these returns we find that the average 
from August, 1850, to August, 1851, was 5s. fid.; but, taking kitchen and 
dessert Apples together, it was 6s. -l^d. In the evidence taken before the 
committee of the House of Commons, we find a grower stating that the 
i average price of 4s. in the London markets, including the cost of pro¬ 
duction, would remunerate him. If, then, 4s. be a remunerating price, 
and the average price in the market is 5s. fid., it is clear the grower is 
realising a profit even in the face of an importation of 467,6ii9 bushels of 
foreign fruit. We cannot, of course, account for the low average of 
2 s. which our correspondent had returned to him; hut, for his satisfac¬ 
tion, we can state, that from the beginning of August to the beginning 
of November, in that year, the prices were from Is. fid. to 8s. ; from 
November to January, Ss. fid. to 8s.; and from January to May, 5s. to 
lOs. It may be that he pushed his produce to a bad market when the 
supplies were great, and the prices in consequence low ; but these are 
matters we cannot speculate upon. All we can do is to deal with facts, 
and upon such facts we base our arguments. But, apart from such facts 
and figures, we have other evidence that the orchardists have been agree¬ 
ably disappointed by the removal of the duty ; for we know one who was 
a witness before the committee, and who declared he had already dis- 
jdanted eight or ten acres in anticipation of the removal, but has within 
these seven or eight years replanted between 2000 and 3000 trees. The 
prices which are quoted weekly are those at which dealers are supplied, 
and have nothing to do with consumers.—H. 
Pomological and Horticultural Association (TF. H. 0.). — 
This association will obtain florists* flowers, or anything else connected 
with gardening that you may require. 
Capt. Hornby’s Spanish Fowls, —“Mr. Timothy hlason writes to 
me, to complain of my letter in The Cottage Gardener, which he 
1 says is likely to damage his character for truth in the poultry world, \ 
[ and to injure him. He rests his vindication for the statement, ‘that 
I Mr. Poole was the breeder of Captain Hornby’s best birds,’ on two 
points, on both of w’hich, however, he has been misled. 1st. That I 
] possess a cock bred by Mr. Poole, which has won forme all my prizes; 
i which took the first prize at the Metropolitan, and is the father of my 
j best chickens. 2ndly. That I possess a hen which I bought from Mr. 
I Gilbert, ‘ as an imported hen,’ but which (he says) was bred by Mr. 
I Poole. As regards the cock, my reply is, that I never showed him, 
except once (at Birmingham). That I never bred from him. That he 
was not at the Ikletropolitan, and that the bird died after Birmingham. 
For the truth of this I pledge my word. As regards the hen—I bought 
her from Mr. Gilbert as ‘an imported hen ;’ and that gentleman, in a 
letter this morning, assures me that such is the case, and that she was 
not bred by Mr. Poole. I should be very sorry to injure Mr. Mason, 
; who has been misled; but I really believe not wilfully so. He seems 
I to have mistaken the cock I showed at the Metropolitan for l^Ir. Poole’s, 
and to have mixed up my hen with some other, which Mr. Gilbert may 
have purchased from Mr. Poole, the excellence of whose Spanish fowls 
I readily acknowledge. My statement was, ‘that I have not in my 
yard one of Mr. Poole’s breed,’ which I believe to be strictly true. I 
could not allow an assertion, ‘ that Mr. Poole w'as the breeder of my best i 
birds,’ to remain uncontradicted ; but in justice to Timothy Mason, I 
wUh to state my impression, that he has not wilfully been mistaken.— j 
Windham Hornby.” | 
Various Queries (C. W. F.). —Apply to Messrs. Rendle, Union- | 
road Nursery, Plymouth; Hamilton's Treatise, too, from Mr. Hamilton, ‘ 
by post: address to him at Bank Hall, near Stockport. “ Is there any i 
other work on heating houses, pits, &c. ?” McIntosh’s “ Book on the : 
Garden ” enters largely into the subject; there are some others, but such 
has been the frequency of the changes in these things that it is well to 
consult later publications. We are ignorant ao to how “the trade” 
stands with regard to the Cayenne Pine; we have seen none advertised. 
It is not yet to be aflirmed that the Hamiltonian system “ answers only 
for the Black Jamaica;” this kind has been well-proved, and some of t 
the best Queens—so says Hamilton. The Jamaica is a Pine possessing 
peculiar hahits; what otlier kinds may be brought to suit is not 
thoroughly concluded. ' 
Camellia-flowering and Balsams (Sz/bscriber, Reading). —Sec an ; 
article last week. To have the individual flowers fine, the flower-buds 
will require thinning, in addition to the treatment necessary to keep the 
plants stubby and healthy. 
Alpinia nut.vns not Flow’ering (A Yoimg Gardener). —This should 
have plenty of room either in a tub or border; be grown in rich soil, in 
which loam forms a constituent part; and have, during the first periods 
of its growth, a high temperature, not below 70 °, and from 80® to yo® 
with sun, and an atmosphere at saturation point, with full exposure to 
light, and more air as the stems approach maturity. Where room arid 
other essentials can be given this plant is well worth the necessary 
labour. 
Dressing Vines (Ibid). —By taking bark off Vines, and dressing 
their stems with a mixture of soft-soap, sulphur, and tobacco-water, you 
j have done right. 'Phe loose bark of Vines is better removed, but the 
firm and inner bark should not be touched. Tlie loose matter only har¬ 
bours insects. We think your mixture will answer, provided you put it 
on cold, and you did not have too much soft-soap. The boiling of such 
mixtures often greatly incre.ases their strength : witness the mode of 
boiling sulphur and lime together, as detailed ust year in these pages. 
We arc a little shy of using many mixtures, from liaving seen, ten years 
ago, a range of houses, Vines and Peaches, almost entirely destroyed; 
and, from the gardener’s account, there was litrle difference in the mix- 
. ture from yours, with the exception of having nux vomica and black 
sulphur. We never saw such a sight before, though we have been used 
to dressings for many years. We have, however, long preferred simple 
matters, sulphur and clay. The thickness of paint, or even clay itself, 
; is just as good as any other,—the object being to imprison all eggs ot 
ins:;cts, and thus destroy their vitality. 
! Vines still Unpruned (E)Hmu). —Prune without delay. If you 
have given greenhouse treatment they will not yet be started. If pruned 
to a spur before, do the same again ; if on no particular system, have 
plenty of young shoots, with the most prominent buds for a crop, and 
during summer arrange for a future systematic course. You will find 
I previous instructions to suit you, but, us you are your own man, if you 
I give us another list of queries we shall give all minutia 2 . 
Lemon Trees (Ibid). —You say the leaves are shrivelled and drooping, 
' and the roots in rotten tubs. Get fresh tubs, or pots, and after removing 
' a portion ot the old soil, and securing good drainage, pack the roots 
firmly in fibry sandy loam. If you could give them a little dung heat 
they would thank you for it; if not. keep the plants in the warmest 
part of the greenhouse ; use tepid water, ^^ith a sponge or syringe over 
the stems frequently ; and do not water much at the roots until you see 
fresh growth taking place. Then you may cover the surface of the soil | 
with a mulching of rotten dung. 
Cactus showing Bloom (Ibid). —Syringe the stems frequently first, 
before you saturate the roots. You will hardly have enough of heat yet 
to open the flowers nicelv, and. therefore, it would be advisable not to 
soak the soil until the middle of April, at least. Do not let it, however, 
be dust dry. 
Striking Roots of Sw'eet Pea (/^irf).—You say you have done this 
under a hand-light, on the dunghill. Glad you have succeeded—a vast ! 
store of pleasure is before you. We suspect, however, that your Pea was I 
a perennial, or everlasting one. No greater error exists than the ima¬ 
gining that nothing can be done by very simplicities. \ 
Hen Laying Soft F.gg% (Chickeii-hearted). —As she is well supplied 
with calcareous matter, it is probable that she is too fat, and is suffering ; 
from an inflamed state of the egg-passage. Feed her less, give her green ' 
food, and one grain of calomel formed into a pill, with one-twelfth of a 
grain of tartar emetic ; repeat this dose at the end of the second day. 
Rabbits (T. K. A .).—We shall be glad to have some communications 
relative to their management, and hoped before now to have arranged 
with some competent person to detail the results of his own experience. 
Can any of our readers say where setting-boards for setting Moths and 
Butterflies can be purchased? Why not make them of flat pieces of 
cork, which you can buy of any currier? ' 
Covers for The Cottage Gardener (P. P -, Penge). —You 
may obtain covers for any of the back volumes by applying to our oftice ; 
or you may send the numbers there to be bound. Pitmaslon is in 
Worcestershire. 
Draining (A'.).—It is quite impossible to state the charge for drain¬ 
ing four or five acres of land, so much depends upon soil, situation, 
depth of drains, &c. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—March 17th> 1853. 
