I 42 TliE COTTAGE GARDENER. Octobek 10. 
' should be clothed with flowering creepers. Now, by 
placing a circular stage around each pillar, the centre 
of which might be a circular box, to bold soil for the 
, creepers, two objects were attained ; first, soil for the 
creepers; and, secondly, a fitting place for the stages. 
The stages were accordingly there j)laced. The general 
figure of each is a circle ; but the outside is as it wore 
j cronated, or vandyked. The stages are rather more than 
six feet diameter at the lowest range. There are four 
ranges of shelves to each stage, elevated at such a 
distance from each other that the plants of the lowest 
stage conceal the pots on the second, and the second 
the third, &c. By this arrangement each stage presented, 
when furnished, a complete pyramid of flowers. In 
order that each stage might be as dissimilar as possible, 
and yet possess variety, one stage was furnished with 
New Holland jdants, another with Cinerarias, a third 
with Geraniums, and the fourth with Heaths. This 
was much more in good taste, and presented a greater 
variety than if the whole stages were furnished with 
the same plants indiscriminately mixed. It was, in 
fact, on the principle of massing plants, as is now 
practiced in the beds of the modern flower-garden. 
Then the first set of plants would bo succeeded by 
others arranged as much as possible, on the same 
principle. I understand, that at this time the stages 
are furnished with Fuchsias, Lilies, and Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, together with autumn-blooming Heaths. 
These circular stages allow plenty of room around 
them to view the plants. As the house is square, there 
are large spaces in the corners; these are formed into 
triangular beds, and in those some of the best Perpetual 
and Tree-scented Roses were planted, and some such 
plants as the Oalla ccthiopica, Brugmansia siiaveolens, 
an Orange and Lemon tree. These formed again a 
pleasing variety to the masses on the stages. In the 
large centre, between the four stages, a single unique, 
drooping plant, with small foliage, was placed; and in 
the space near the garden entrance is a very unique 
fountain, furnished with jets, supplied with water from a 
^ cistern on the roof of the house. 
In order that nothing might be wanting to render this 
house complete, there were two rows of suspended 
baskets, with plants in them drooping down, and, as it 
were, to meet their fellow flowers on the stages, 
j Tlie floor is a composition of binding material, 
which is warranted never to break up, unless violence is 
used to break it. It is coloured variously, in the form of 
flower-beds, as may bo seen on the ground plan. This 
concludes my brief, and, I consider, feeble description 
of this beautiful building. I shall add a few words 
about its size. I consider it is the happy medium 
between tbe extravagantly large and the ridiculously 
I small, and is, therefore, suitable for any moderate villa, 
I or even mansion residence. It is conveniently placed, 
easy of access from the garden as well as the dwelling- 
house. A more enjoyable plant-house I never met with. 
I may also just add a few lines on the heating. The 
boiler is saddle-shaped, and made so as to expose a 
great surface to the fire and yet not to hold much water. 
The pipes are concealed under the floor, and are five 
I inches diameter. The heat rises through gratings in 
the open parts of the floor; I mean where no plants are 
placed, the draught of the fire being so that it can bo re¬ 
gulated any way, from the least possible to a perfect roar. 
■ My description applies to the time when 1 saw it last 
March. With the help of my description, and the 
beautiful drawings, I think a tolerably correct idea may 
be formed of this place and the conservatory. Whoever 
would wish to more fully realize its beauties should 
visit the place and see it in its real character. I will 
I venture to say, that they will be then far more delighted 
I than any description, or oven the drawing, can afford 
I the reader. T. Appleby. 
CANARY BIRD BREEDING. 
“ R. B., Ratcliffe-on-Trent,” being desirous of some inform¬ 
ation as to how he should proceed to obtain success in 
Canary breeding, and having myself been a breeder of 
Canaries and Mules for twelve years, I am happy to impart, 
for his and others information, a few remarks drawn from 
my, in many cases, dear-bought experience, should you 
consider the subject suited to the pages of The Cottage 
Gardener. 
The time to put up the birds for breeding is in spring; 
most fanciers commence about St. Valentine’s Day, but I 
consider that rather too early for such seasons as we have 
had of late years; and I think the first or second week in 
March quite soon enough; nor were my birds arranged this 
year until nearly the end of April, and the first eggs, ac¬ 
cording to my register, were laid on the 17th of May, and, 
notwithstanding the lateness of the season, I have been 
tolerably successful with the broods, and have had better 
success with breeding and rearing Mules than ever I remem¬ 
ber before. But before tbe birds are introduced to their 
breeding quarters, it will be necessary to put the place in 
order; after it is found secure, and made clean, it will be 
of the greatest importance to see every corner and crevice 
properly secured or tinned over, to guard against the inroads 
of mice, who are naturally attracted by the seed, and if once 
they gain admittance will soon destroy both eggs and young 
birds, and sometimes even the old ones. A few boughs 
should be nailed up as perches for the birds, both where 
they can enjoy the sun by day and shelter at night. If a 
room is used, I remove the window-sash (which should face 
the south, but must be so placed that the sun can shine in 
some part of the day), an cl place in its stead a projecting 
wired frame; the sicles of the room are to be fitted with 
slips, or long thin pieces of wood, nailed to the walls in two 
or three tiers, and projecting about an inch, behind which 
the boughs or bushes are inserted so as to form a thick 
hedge or bush for them to build in. I generally use Gorse 
or Furze, but prefer Cedar boughs when procurable. Bech- 
stein recommends “ Bine boughs cut in February, which do 
not therefore shed their leaves; ” the floor should be 
covered with coarse sand, or fine gravel, and a few lumps of 
old mortar, mixed with a little salt, placed where they can 
pick it; hoppers of good, clean, and uumixed Canary seed, 
and a fountain of clean water arc, of course, indispensable ; 
as also an occasional bath. I strongly advise only one male 
in each breeding-place, unless very large—one male is suffi¬ 
cient for four females ; and by attending to this rule, more 
young ones will be obtained, and fewer quarrels ensue than 
if two are allowed. 
As soon as the birds are turned in, commence feeding as 
follows. In addition to the good, sound Canary seed and clean 
water, they should have daily, an egg, boiled hard, chopped 
up fine, shell and all, mixed with crumbled bread, about 
a dessert-spoonful of moist sugar, and a handful of seed, 
either hemp, rape, or mawseed, or, indeed, any seed that is 
slightly oily, and not of an injurious nature. Gold of Plea¬ 
sure seed I have used with much success. This soft food 
should be given fresh every day, from the time the birds are 
first put up, till the last broods can do without it. Green- 
meat should be supplied in abundance, fresh every day, such 
as seedy Chickweed, Groundsel, Shepherd’s Purse, Dande¬ 
lion-tops, and in autumn, ripe Plantains. The best materials 
for the nests are fine root fibres, broken in short lengths 
tElm-roots are the most easily ijrocured), clean moss, 
and, above all, a kind of white moss, of which I do not know 
the name, a sort of Lichen, or Liverwort—the powder from 
which assists in keeping the nests clear from mites, which 
otherwise destroy many broods;* as a lining,rabbits’ down, 
and lamp-cotton cut in short lengths, are, I consider, the 
best; when, however, the ends of the cottons of candles 
can be had, the little grease on them seems to be almost a 
specific against those most troublesome of pests, the red 
mites ; but too much gi’ease would disfigure the old bii-ds, 
and perhaps spoil the eggs. 
It is not often that the birds will require much interfer¬ 
ence with them ; but as they are not in a natural state, it 
will be advisable to supply the lining material cautiously, 
♦ This Moss is the Cemmyce rangi/erina, or Rein-deer Moss,—En. 
