403 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
Maroii 24. 
pared with another fence of the same kind, but not covered ? Also, what 
is the oldest wooden fence you know that is covered with Ivy, or with 
tar, or with both, or not covered at all with any paint or plant ? 
Keeping Breeds Distinct (Fiat). — There is no plan by which 
poultry of various breeds can be kept distinct if allowed to run together ; 
and no previous acquaintance would avoid subsequent general intercourse. 
As to poultry thriving in that depends on the extent and 
arrangement of their yards, as also on their management. If a run on 
alternate daj’s is permitted them, they will do well; but if constantly 
confined, their enclosures should be large, containing both grass and 
gravel, otherwise we doubt their being projilably kept. We never ate a 
really good Musk Duck ; their flavour and fiesh are both coarse. Chinese 
Geese Ijave long been domesticated ; their average weight is from ten to 
twelve pounds. Tub Poultry Book, of which the first number will 
be published by Messrs. Orr, of Paternoster Row, on the 31st instant, 
will, we trust, meet your requirements.—W. 
White Bantams (A Beffinjier).—A white Bantam we should wish to 
see with white legs ; but the mere fact of its having blue legs would not 
be sufficient to constitute a distinct Oreed.^W* 
Profits of Poultry-Keeping (C. L. T.).—Your statements are all 
theoretical. Great extent will be required to keep a he.adof 140 breeding- 
stock, comprising, as you suggest, so large a proportion of turkeys and 
geese. Without constant change for these, ana their supposed progeny, 
1800 in number, the ground would soon become tainted, and disease of 
every kind would probably ensue, so that your present sanguine calcula¬ 
tions would be sadly disappointed. We say nothing of the difficulty of 
keeping five males of each variety, without various casualties from their 
mutual jealousies and conflicting interests ; nor do you seem to be aware 
of the number of bad eggs resulting from the access of more than one 
male to the hen, and that the quality^ no less than the quantity, of the 
stock so produced suffers great deterioration ; hence our constant advice 
to farmers to select, j-’early, their best five or six hens, and place them 
with a fresh cock, apart from the other poultry, and hatch from them 
alone. When more eggs are required for this purpose than these would 
supply, another lot should he set aside in the same way, and we have no 
doubt but that the result would be sullicicntly satisfactory, even in the 
first year, to ensure the continuance of the practice. We must question 
the accuracy of your premises when you state, tliat a quarter-of-a-pint of 
hard corn will afford nood feeding'^ to your flock collectively; fora 
full-grown hen would certainly not be in danger of repletion from such 
an allowance, and we are quite sure that turkeys and geese could not be 
kept on it with any chance of profit. *' Food procured abroad** must of 
course be limited to worms, insects, and any wild fruit or berries that 
may fall in their way; but any run of a rickyard, or incursions into 
neighbouring corn-fields, at once invalidates your calculations. We 
doubt, again, the arrival at maturity of 450 young birds from each division 
of thirty hens, geese, turkeys, and ducks; nor have you borne in mind 
the chance of losses in your old birds before, or during, the breeding 
season, so that, to make up your full number of 450, you would require 
each mother to bring to maturity at least seventeen or eighteen young 
ones every season—success, we fear, hardly to be attained with thirty hen 
turkeys or geese ! Your prices, too, have a greater leaning to the retail 
than the wholesale average ; and you must excuse us if we doubt the fact 
of your obtaining 58. per couple for fowls whose dietary throughout life 
has not exceeded Is. each. The same observations apply to your other 
items ; goslings, for instance, that are to realize 6s. each, are scarcely to 
be reared for Is., so that the profit should be (as you jilace it) no less 
than 5s. per bird. You reckon ^200 as the probable amount of capital 
expended in buildings : wc do not understand how your numbers can be 
accommodated for this sum. A labourer at AilO a-year cannot mean an 
able-bodied one, and we much question whether even an able-bodied one 
would be sufficient; besides, there are many offices connected with 
poultry in w’hich the henwife becomes almost essential. Wc see no esti¬ 
mate for rent of land, hut at least ten acres of grass would be re<juired 
for the run of your stock. Your average of eggs, at Is. per dozen, is far 
too high for England generally. If we differ so entirely from your too- 
sanguine anticipations of the profits to lie realized by poultry-keeping, 
our motives should be well understood, and we have here given free 
expression to some of those reasons which have now led us to express 
opinions so diametrically opposite to your own. ^^'^e say jowie, for your 
line of reasoning is open to other objections Ijeyond those we have alluded 
to in this notice. But it strikes us that one cause of your arrival 
at these incorrect conclusions may be thus accounted for:—The most 
favourable balance-sheet of poultry-keeping will usually be found to refer 
to a very limited number of birds, some half-dozen hens, perhaps, and a 
cock, enjoying, probably, many advantages in irregular additions to their 
bill of fare, and probably, too, sharing a portion of their owner’s dwelling- 
house. Food actually purchased for such birds may be within the sum 
you mention, ljut the moment you proceed to reason from these circum¬ 
stances to the gigantic poultry-yard referred to in your estimate, your 
argument fails. We are the more inclined to this opinion from your line 
of allusion to your having kept poultry some years ago, and, apparently, 
not on a scale anyways approaching towards that on which your present 
calculations arc based. At a time when, as you justly observe, such 
“ general attention has been drawn to that wide field of emulation, the 
successful management of domestic poultry,” it becomes the stern duty 
of any periodical professing to treat on that subject, to discourage what¬ 
ever may appear to encourage great expectations of profit, when the 
reasoning on which it is formed may appear defective; you will, therefore, 
pardon this explicit declaration of our opinion, however at variance with 
your own.—W. 
Prize for Garden Plans (T. H. IK.).—You will find the par¬ 
ticulars at page 379 of our Number 229, published on the 17 th of last 
month. 
Protecting Material (A. M.). —Either of the specimens of can- 
vats you furwarded to us would answer well for sheltering fruit-trees; 
out thirteen or fifteen pence per yard would be an objection. 
Greenhouse Climbers (J. Kirkite).~Yo\i will find a list, with 
colours of their flowers, at page 72 of our No. 213. 
Green Wattle (IK. H. C.), —W’^e cannot tell you where you can 
obtain either seeds or cuttings. The Horticultural and Fomological 
Association would hunt it out for you, if you were a member. 
Grafting Azalea Indica (1001).—We cannot write private letters 
on such subjects. Read the paragraph again, it is clear enough, and you 
entirely misquote it in your letter. 
Silk Worms’ Eggs.—T. K. A. wishes to know where these can be 
obtained. 
Hybrids between the Pheasant and Fowl.— We have instances 
from G. D., and a dozen others. The fact we considered established. 
Two Eggs per Day (A. Hornrastle). —This is not uncommon with 
a Shanghae hen; nor is it a novelty for one egg to be found within 
another. 
Book on Poultry (J. S. Itobhison). —No work hitherto published 
contains so much information relative to Shanghae fowls as will The 
RooA*, which will commence publishing on the 31st instant. If 
you require a cheap manual for immediate use, buy Richardson’s “The 
Domestic Fowl.” 
Soft Eggs (J. F., Reigate). — We think that you feed the fowls too 
well- Give them food less in quantity and less fattening. We are con¬ 
firmed in our opinion by the fact, that when you send your hens else¬ 
where they cease to lay soft eggs. 
Shanghae Cockerel (J. M.). —You fear he is dying, and ask advice, 
but do net mention a single symptom. Editors do not possess c/aiV- 
voyance, 
CouvE Tronchuda—Cypripedium Soil (IK. H. Turner). — The 
leaves and stalks are the parts of Couve Tronchuda that are cooked. 
These are peeled and then cooked like Sea Kale. For the soil for 
Cypripedium procure some sandy peat, leaf mould half rotten, and turfy 
loam, mix these together without sifting, and this compost will grow 
them well. They are found in hot swamps, hence they should have 
plenty of water during summer, but more moderately in winter. They 
should never go to rest, like the epiphytal orchids. 
SPANI.SH Fowls (T. F.). —A pure-bred Spanish fowl is required to 
have the white face and ear-lobe so characteristic of its race, while the 
plumage should be entirely of a glossy black. This we regard as the 
true type and liest form of the Spanish bird ; but they are often imported 
from Spain, and elsewhere, of every possible degree of mongrelisiu, and 
deviation from the present standard of excellence. Pip is distinct from 
roup. —W. 
IjYCopods (A Constant Reader). —Mr. Appleby will give the remainder 
of the paper on Lycopods shortly. We will inquire about Moore*s labels 
for Ferns, and let you know where they are to be procured. 
Pansky Grower (K. Z,.).—The address is, Mr. Thomson, Florist, 
Iver, Bucks. 
Grafts for Exchange.-.^. B., 7 , Charles-street, St. .lames, has a 
few grafts ot the best apples and pears which he wishes to exchange for 
good hardy herbaceous plants. Your query will be answered next week. 
Azaleas ( A . C7).—No one from such specimens can tell their names. 
Ihc varieties are numerous, and the distinctions sliuht. 
LiauiD Manure for Turnips (A Subscriber frojn 1st Number).— 
An article upon the subject of manuring for turnips will appear shortly 
m which the subject of liquid applications will be alluded to in detail’ 
and particularly us relates to the use of pigeon and fowl’s dung.—J.B. ’ 
Thrashing Flax (/. S. B.).—To thrash flax, use an ordinary flail 
with a larger and shorter swinglc-stick than is used for thrashing wheat 
and other gram ; lay the flax thickly on a smooth wood floor, and turn 
the haulm often until all the seed be removed, then tie tlie stalks into 
small bundles. In this way the fibre will not be damaged.—J.B. 
Entrance to Taylor’s Hive (H. Hood).—We have had a set of 
Taylor’s shallow bee hives in use for the last two summers, and no in¬ 
convenience whatever has arisen from the entrance being in the centre' 
indeed the box is so broad th.at the bees can escape any draft from 
the entrance. The plan proposed of a double floor-board is o’bjectionahle 
first, affording an imperfect ventilation, and next making it very diflicult 
for the bees to bring out dead and imperfectly formed brood, sufficient 
sometimes to endanger the health, and even life of the stock. You 
must have put too much water to your sugar; one quarter of a pint to 
one pound of sugar, and one teaspoonful of vinegar; twenty minutes* 
boiling makes it crisp.—P. 
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 Pariih of 
Christ Church, City of London.—March 24th, 1853. 
