23:2 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Decemuku 25. 
(East Lothian), pOs. to O.ls. ; ditto (Red Slould), lOOs. toOs.; ditto 
(1’i‘rlh and Eife), Hjs. to 95s.; ditto (North Country), 85s to pOs. ; 
Dahlias and Uaillers, EOs.: ]!lnP', pOs. ; Orkney Keds ( East Lot hian), 
pos.; ditto ditto (Hed Slould.) P5s. tolUos.; Scotch Cups (Perth and 
Eife), 85s. to Os. ; ditto (North Country), SOs. to 85s.; Irish Kemps 
and Clusters, SOs. to 85s. ; ditto White Hocks, SOs. to 858.; ditto com¬ 
mon Whites, 75s. to SOs. per ton. 
MEAT. 
Beef, inferior, per Mutton,middling . 8 s. lod. to 4s. 4d. 
811)5 . 3s. 4d. to 3s. 8 d. Do. prime ....4s. 6 d. to 4s. lod. 
Do. middling. 3s. lOd. to 4s. Veal . 3s. lOd. to 4 s. lod' 
Do. prime .... 4s. 3il. to 4s. 4d. Pork, large. 4s. 8 d. to 5s. 
Mutton, inferior 3s. 4d. to 3s. 8 d. i Ditto, small.... 4 s. 4d, to 5s, 4 d. 
POTJLTEY. 
Rather more than the usual detail is ret|uisite in giving the account of 
the Christmas markets. Some prices may seem very high, but it must 
be borne in mind this is the time when things of unusual size make large 
prices. Senders must also recollect that there is an e.\citement and 
recklessness about this market which belongs to itself, and the prices 
will not be maintained. The supply was moderate throughout, and tirst 
class goods were scarce. 
Cock Tiirkies .. pis. to 263 . each. 
Hen Ditto .... (is. Od. to lls. 
Capons.7s. fid. to Ps. 
Large Fowls.5s. to fis. 
Smaller ilo. .. '.is. fid. to 4s. 
Chickens.. 2 s. 3d. to 2 s. pd. 
Geese .7s. t>s. to ps. 
Pheasants 3s. (id. to 4s. 3d. 
Partridges 2s. 3d. to 2 s. fid. each. 
Hares.3s. to Bs. fid. ,, 
Wild Duck.... 2 s. to 28 . 3d. ,, 
Teal .pd. to lOd. ,. 
Woodcock 3s. fid. to 38. pd. ,, 
Snipe .... Is. 3d. to Is. fid. ,, 
Rabbits .. Is. 4d. to Is. 5d. ,, 
Wild do.pd. to lid. ,, 
PKOVISIONS. 
BUTTER. 
—Cwt. 
CHEESE, 
.—Cwt, 
Dorset, fine . 
lUls. to 
I08s. 
Cheshire, fine ... 
Do. middling. 
96 s. 
Gloucestershire, dble. 66 s. ,, 7 fis. 
Fresh, per doz. lbs. 
, 12 s. ,, 
13i. 
Ditto, single. 
... 74s. „ 90s. 
Friesland . 
104s. ,, 
112 s. 
Somerset. 
Kiel. 
94S. „ 
98 s. 
Wilts, loaf. 
Carlow . 
102 s. ,, 
lOfis. 
Ditto, double. 
Waterford. 
PSs. ,, 
1 028 . 
Ditto, thin. 
Cork. 
98 s. ,, 
lO'ds. 
Ditto, pines . 
... 72 s. ,, — 
Limerick. 
100 s. ,, 
102 s. 
Berkeley, thin ... 
Sligo . 
Pis. „ 
10-2S. 
HAMS.- 
—Cwt. 
BACON.- 
-Cwt. 
York, new. 
Wiltshire, dried .. 
SOs, to 
848, 
Westmoreland ... 
Waterford ... 
598. ,, 
62 s. 
Irish. 
BREAD. 
The price of Bread in the City and at the West End is still maintained 
at lOd. to 11 ^d, the 4lb.Ioaf, but in other places the bakers are selling 
the best bread at P^d. while in the cheap neighbourhoods they profess 
to sell at 8 ^d. 
WOOL. 
Down Tegs .... 
Ditto Tegs and 
Ewes . Is. 
Half-bred Hog¬ 
gets . Is. 3d. to Is. 3^d. 
Do. Wethers. Is. to la. 2 d. 
Is. 2s. to Is. 3d. 
Id. to Is. 2 d. 
Kent fleeces .. Is. Id. ,, Is. 2 d 
Leicester fleeces.... Is. ,, Is. lid' 
Long, heavy do. lid. to Is' 
Combing skins .. lOid. to Is. Id' 
Flannel wool.. Is. Id. to ls. 2 id' 
Blanket wool. fid. to lid 
BARK. 
English Bark, per load of 45 cwt., U/. lOs. to lOf. ; Mimosa, OL to 
OL Os.; and Valunia, 12f. 10a. to 171. lOs.perton. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Spanish Fowls at Birmingham Show. — ‘I find that there is an 
impression amongst several amateurs, that the prize Black Spanish fowls 
exhibited by me at Birmingham were obtained from Capt. Hornby. Iii 
justice to other fortunate breeders from whom I have obtained fowls, I 
wish to contradict tliis, as only one of the hens came from Capt. Hornby, 
nor have I any others of the celebrated Knowsley breed. The other two 
hens and the cock are tputc a distinct breed.— .Iohn S. Henry.” 
Tail op Serbigiit Bantam (A Suftserif/er').—It is hard to define 
what a Gold-spangled Bantam is. If a Sebright is meant, it should be 
laced; and, therefore, if spangled, would, for that reason, he disqualified ; 
hut a black tail would be fatal to success if all the other parts of the 
bird were perfect. As there is no class for Spangled Bantams, it belongs 
to ‘‘ any other variety ; ” and as such may be of any colour. A black tail 
would not in any way interfere with such a bird, as it becomes a fancy 
breed. 
Wk.vkness IN Cock’s Legs (An Old iai.srWi4e)').—The Cochin 
cockerels walking on their hocks arises from muscular debility wlien 
compared with their weight. Three grains of citrate of iron given daily, 
in meal, will rapidly restore them to condition.—W, B. T. 
1 RENCiiING (.•!« DM .S«4st')')4«)').—Your man is quite right. AVhen 
the clay has been broken down by Irost, let it be forked into the sandy 
loam. 
Books (E. 71., Guildford). — .Tohnston’s Physical Geography, Henfrev’s 
Rudiments of Botany, and Samouelle’s Introduction to Entoinologv, will 
meet your wishes. 
I lot ok Land (Hockuej/ Hood ),—Cultivate it as directed in the 
series of papers we have published under the title of ” Gardening for 
the Many.” ° 
Names ok Pears (.4.).—No. 11. Cliaumontcl. No. 12. Passe Colmar. 
Apples {A Suh.icri/ter to The Cottoge Gardener).—Emperor Aleoi- 
ander is very large and handsome, but best for kitclien u»e. Tree a 
liardy, vigorous grower. In use irom .September to December. There 
are two Kin^ Apples, 'Warner’s and Eewnrk. Which is yours? The 
latter is of American origin, a dessert .\pple of moderate quality ; good 
from November until February. Warner's King is a first-rate kitclicii 
Apple, in use from November to March. Tree hardv and vigorous. 
Tliere are also two Lord Kelsons, Itaekhouse’s and Kirke’s. Yours, 
probably, is the latter; and if so, is neither good for dessert or kitchen 
use. Its season is from November to February, it is a very inferior 
variety. 
Gourds {Rector, Lineoln). —You may give tliem safely to cattle ; but 
there is very litlle nourishment in them. There is less of either muscle 
or fat forming constituents in Pumpkins than in almost any other 
vegetable. The name of the French Gourd was given the other day in 
“ Notes from I’aris.” If you send us your address we may in some 
degree help you. 
Taunto.n .and Somerset Poultry Exiiirition —” Only two of the 
pieces of plate (special prizes) went to gentlemen in the locality; viz., 
Messrs. Marshall and Hodson. The “plate” for Maloi/s went to Mr. 
Leighton, of Cheltenham; that for Polands to Mr. Breavington, of 
Hounslow; ])orkings to Blr. Popham, of Heading; Bantams to Mr. 
Leno, of Hurpenden, Herts; Game to Mr. Rodbard, of Langford, near 
liristnl. —One of the Committee.” 
Size (Semper vino). —It is used by plaisterers, and can be obtained 
either from them, or from a dealer in oils and colours. 
Mc’Intosii’s Boiler (.1 Heoder).— Kot having seen or used one of 
Mc’Intosh’s portable boilers, we are unable to say anything about their 
merits. Mr. Mc’Iiilosh hiinsplt would best answer such a C|uestion. 
We would here observe, however, that the idea is good ; and, in case of 
a “ break down,” or any emergency, we think, that if it could be so 
arranged, persons having niucli to do with in-doors gardening would do 
well in jilanning their matters to prepare for .such a thing. Tlie best 
small and inexpensive boiler is sucli as the smallest of tlie series of Bur- 
hidge and Healy, Fleet Street, with Sylvester doors to it; hut these are 
not inexpensive times to live in. We have no experience in your novel 
mixture lor fruit-trees ; you had better beware. The best Raspberry at 
present, for general purposes, is the Eastolff. 
Names ok Apples (Town Close, Nonvich).—'We only reeognize the 
following:—1. Gloria Mundi. 3. Kentish Fill-Basket. 4. Broadenil. 
6. Ganges. 7 . Keswick Codlin. 8. London Pippin, p. Marmalade 
Pippin. 10. Normanton Wonder. 11. Belle Grideline. 20. Summer 
Broadend. 29 . Belle et Bonne. 33. Margil. The greater part of the 
others appear to he nondescripts. 
Rockvvork Plants (Wilderreess). —We cannot think you are in 
earnest about the 700 rock plants. If you are in earnest, how did you 
get such an extraordinary idea into your head? Not from reading The 
Cottage Gardener, certainly. There is not one-quarter of that • 
number of plants fit for your rockwork to be had in Europe. Without 
going to Paris for them, however, you may buy twice 700 hardy plants in 
London, or Edinburgh, or Dublin, by merely sending an order on your 
banker to any one of the leading nurserymen there. We have seen very 
good lists of dwarf plants ollered at from 42s. to SOs. a hundred ; and a 
very long list of rock plants is given in one of our volumes. 
Name op Plant (D. Vivian) —Your wild shrub is Euonymus eu- 
rojnvus, or Common Spindle Tree. 
Mr. Lodf.r’s Dorkings. —“I was informed, during my lute visit to 
Birmingham, that tlie pullets in my pen were, by certain parties, sus¬ 
pected and accused of being liciis. I am not the least surprised or 
ofl'euded at this, as the more I exhibit, the more I feel assured there are 
very few who know a good Dorking fowl when they see it. I am pleased 
and proud to be in a position to say that I bred these said pullets; 
that they weighed, 8lbs. l2oz., 81hs, loz., and 7lbs. Poz., each, when 
they left home; that I marked them myself, with a private mark, a day 
or two after they were hatched; that I have tlie exact day of their 
hatching entered in writing ; and that I have not lost sight of them 
for more than about a fortnight together (and that only once during the 
shooting season of September), since the time they were hatched. There 
can, therefore, lie no niisLuke, and this statement will he quite satisfacorly 
to my friends (if they ever doubted)! But tlierc are otlicrs who do 
not know me, and to them I now address myself:—I cannot, do not, 
and will not complain, however; lor after the many gross and palpable 
impositions tliat have been practised, public confidence in exhibitions has 
been shaken (and I think most justly), and I shall be not a liitle pleased 
if I can do anything to re-establish it; and to this end, I will deem 
it a great favour if anybody, having the slightest doubt as to tlie 
correctness of my entry at Birmingham, will send me a line to that effect, 
or pay me a visit at the High Beeches, and if I fail to prove that the 
pullets were correctly entered, and were all hatched since the Ist of 
April, 1855, I will forfeit .i’51). Can, I do more? I think it right and 
just to add, that Mr. Bailey having heard that persons doubted the ages 
of my birds, ojie.nly and decidedly declared, that “ if he knew a Dorking, 
they were chickens of tliis year.” I heg, now, publicly to thank Mr. 
Bailey for his manly candour and timely assistance ; his opinion, under 
the circumstances, and at such a time, was most valuable.— Roueut 
Lo ER, The Rceehes,” 
Names OK Fekns (.T. Hidgwell) —I. Doodia caud.ata. 2. Cassebeera 
liastata. 3. .\splcMium llaccidum. 4. Scolopcndrium vulgare, vor. 
multifidum. 5. Lastriea dccompositum. fi. Asplenium species, un¬ 
certain which one. 
I 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in j 
the Parish of Saint fliary Kalendar ; and Published for the Proprietors j 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20 , Paternoster Row, in ; 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.—December 25, 1955. 
