-134 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 11. 
lime-water; then add 1 gallon of prepared fish oil; prepared residue of 
fish oil, 15 pints ; and linseed oil, 15 pints. 
M'atkr for Plants (T. G.).—Unless' we know the saline ingredients 
in your well, at Richmond Hill, it is impossible for us to say what will 
improve it for watering purposes. It the water is very “ hard,” as it is 
termed, and the hardness arises from the salts of lime dissolved in it, the 
best preparation will be to dissolve the eighth-part of an ounce in each 
five gallons of water, and let the water remain exposed to the air in the 
greenhouse for a few hours before giving it to the plants. 
German P.aste for Cage Biros (A Sulisrri/ier).—One pound of 
wheat-tlour, or of peas-meal; two ounces of fresh butter; four ounces of 
brown sugar; three eggs boiled hard and chopped very small. Put the 
flour or meal, with the butter, chopped eggs, and sugar, into a wide 
saucepan over a slow fire, and keep stirring it to prevent its burning; 
when it becomes dry, continue stirring it until it becomes crumbly. 
When crumbly, put a pint of cracked heinpseed into the mixture, and 
mix well togetlier. If burnt it is injurious to the birds. It will be good 
for months if kept in a dry, cool place. 
Lycopodium {A. L. W.). — Youth is Lycopudiurn selago. To grow it 
successfully imitate Nature as much as possible. A good portion of the 
natural soil containing the plant is one very essential point in establish- | 
ing these curious and raiffy plants; and a free use of peat, with a little 
loam to make up for the deficiency of the natural soil in a moist or cool 
situation, with shade, but not under the drip of trees. Can any one 
I inform our correspondent of a remedy for asthma in a bullfinch ? 
Wintering Ger.yniums.— It will be time enough to jog Sir. Beaton’s 
■ memory next October, and he will tlipn tell us, probably, his experience 
during the past winter. 
White Haricot Beans (IT. B. T.).—Early While and Dwarf 
White sans part hemin w ill do in our climate, and their ripe seeds are 
good when cooked. 
Ceterach OFFiciNARiuxi (J. G). —Wc caiiiiot tell you whereat Bury 
this Pern is found. You will find it stated to be found there, and, we 
think, by Mr. Woodward, in ” Withering’s British Plants,” Seventh i 
edition, Vol. iii. 9 S 7 . 
Flower-garden Pl.an (Corviis). —Your second figure is as well 
planted, or arranged for planting as your first one was; but the beds 
are not nearly so good. The four points of the diamond bed in the | 
centre, if drawn to a true scale, can never be filled w itli flowers; and the J 
same objection falls 011 the two sets of beds accouipanyiiig the end cuts. ; 
Unless you have proved the Sajioiiariu on your soil, do not trust the 
centre bed with it. A variegated Geranium, or a collection of varic- , 
gated Geraniums, would be in just the right place there, and the 
Eschsrhotlzia Catifuruica will do in ti and It. Sow it in the first week 
in April, and keep it a foot from the edge. The rest of the plants will 
match as they stand. Your ribbon is too much of the chan Tartan-w ay ; 1 
but your ow 11 borders arc well planted in contrast. ‘ 
Ceterach officinariuxi in Scotland. —‘‘Allow me to tell you that 
I have found not a few specimens of Ceterach ojjiinnarium growing upon 
the wall of the flower-gardens at Urumlanrig Castle, Dumfrieshire. I 
believe it is also found on the hill of Kinoul, above the Perth nurseries. 
[Mr. Beaton believes the same.] Nut the warmest locality in Scotland, 
by-thc-by.— Corvus.” 
Slugs {A Subscriber ).—Mr. Beaton says he w ishes he was near you, 
and he would undertake to keep you free of slugs and snails for twenty 
years for the half of the .A 10 you are willing to pay. There is no enemy in 
the whole garden, he says, mpre easy to conquer than the slug. He had 
them thick a.s locusts, within the last few years, in a new garden, where 
everything had been favourable for their increase during a period of forty 
years, but he got rid of them in one season, and seldom sees one now. 
Knticing them by green food, shade, and shelter, catching and killing, ' 
was all he did ; but he believes brewers’ grains are the best bait, placed 
in little patches all over the garden. You can then to go round and catch 
them at night, and also after every shower all through the summer. 
Maiiogany-tree—BIatcii for Salvia patens (IF.).—The Ma¬ 
hogany is a lofty timber tree, with a spreading head and shining pinnated ' 
leaves, very like the leaves of some kinds of Ash-tree, only bigger in all \ 
the parts. If you imagine a head between that of the common Ash and 
the American Hiccory, you have the exact image of the Mahogany-tree. 
1 Tiie flowers arc small, reddish, and in pannicles from the footstalks of 
I the leaves near the top ; also, terminal. The fruit is a capsule, as large 
as a Nutmeg, or larger, “with the valves separable from the thick 
axis;” the seeds are flat and winged, like the Ash seeds. Swietenia 
viahagani is the name in the natural order Ccdrelads or Ccdrclacea;, and • 
in a section of it, which is remarkable for the filaments being united into 
a tube which is toothed, and in form like the tube in Narcissian plants ; 
while the filaments in other Cedrclads are free, as in the Orange, which 
borders the Cedrclads on one side as Mcliads do on the other side. The 
best iMahogany timber is from rocky soils, where the growth is less rapid. 1 
The Satin Wood of India (Chloro.vylon) and the Yellow Wood of New , 
South Wales (Oxleya) belong to this order.—There is not another plant, 
of any class, to match Salvia patens, or to substitute for it- Good 
varieties of Delphinium sinense come the nearest to what you want; but 
the roots must be saved as carefully as those of the blue Salvia, as they 
arc not quite hardy on most soils. ! 
Asclepias tuuerosa.—Cuttings of Persian Yellow Rose (A 
Lover of Blowers),—Asetepias tuherosa is a treacherous plant in some 
years and in some places. It stands out, without the least harm from 
damp and frost, at one place, and not far off it perhaps dies, or dwindles 
away, alter the first winter. It stands best under a west wall in a dry, 
light border, or on rockwork. To make sure of it, a young plant or two 
sliould be kept in pots in a cold frame, to be turned out at the end of 
April; and where it does well it is worth that trouble.—The Persian 
Yellow Rose will not grow from cuttings w ith you ; but, in the meantime, | 
you may increase it by budding like most other Roses. Your Pinks are, 1 
probably, eaten by slugs during the night. 
j Heating a Frame (X. Y. Z.).—Two four-inch pipes ought almost to 
be sufficient, if there are means to let part of that heat into the at¬ 
mosphere of the pit, as it is only four feet wide. The pipes for surface 
heat will make the matter more sure ; and we would prefer pipes of one, 
or even two inches in diameter, to one of three-quarters-of-an-inch; but 
any would do better than none. We quite approve and admire your turf 
frames. The frames make all clean and dry, and the turves keep out 
more cold in winter, and more heat in summer, than a brick pit. We 
find turf-pits themselves, without frames, exceedingly useful; but then, 
yours will look much nicer and cleaner. Your mode of heating, staging, 
&c., are excellent. We presume that the boiler is used for some general 
purpose—would you say for what?—as it often vexes us to see heat lost 
that might be eraploj'ed for horticultural purposes. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Anerley. July 15th, l 6 th, iTth, and I 8 th. 
Bristol. June 25th and 26 th. A’ec. Robert Hillhouse Bush, Litfield j 
House, Clifton, Bristol. Entries close 26 th of May. ! 
Essex. At Colchester, 8 th, gth, and 10th of January, 1857- Secs, j 
G. E. Attwood, and W. A. Warwick. ' 
Newcastle, Northumberland, and Durham. At Newcastle, 
Blarcli 26 th and 27 th. Sec. Mr. W. Trotter, South Accomb, near ^ 
Newcastle. ' 
Norwich. June 20 th. (Norfolk Agricultural, for Subscribers only.) 
Sec. Mr. E. C. Bailey, Little 0.\ford Street, Norwich. Entries close 
May 31st. 
WiiARFDALE. April 18th, at Otlcy. Sec. Mr. T. Metcalfe, Otley. 
Windsor Poultry Exhibition. At Windsor, 4lh, 5th, and 6 th of i 
June. Secs. Thos. Chamberlain, and Henry Thompson. Entries 
will close May 10th. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
THE POULTRY CONGRESS. 
{Continued from innje 41(i.) 
On tlie part of Russia, tlie Polish fowl; on the part of 
Englanti, the Dorhimj and Black-lrenstcd lied Uume; on 
tlie part of France, the Creve-ewnr; on the part of Turkey, 
the Serai ia ook; on the part of Austria, a mixed-breed 
fowl; and on the part of Sardinia, a Game Bantam; met 
by common consent to arrange divers weighty matters. 
The Polonder, before they proceeded to the business 
before them, wished to deliver a protest from the Prussian 
Eagle, complaining of his exclusion. He demanded that it 
he read. 
TJte Burking objected ; he said the I'iagle had never made 
one in competition, lie liad kept aloof when there was 
danger, and he should not be admitted now. 
T'iie Polander considered the last sjieech as arrogant, 
and augured badly for negolialion, if such a style were per¬ 
severed in. 
Tlie Game cock said, he would abate nothing of his pre¬ 
tensions, and if the worst came to the worst, why, they 
were ready to tight. 
The Austrian said, he hoped all would hear in mind they 
were met fur peace. 
The Crcve-c(cur said, all desired that equally, but it mus 1 
be a safe, honourable, and lasting peace. They wished to 
place all classes on a footing which should not he disturbed. 
'J'he vS'cnii /a-ou/.-said he must not be admitted; and the 
Game Bantam observed, that any arrangement to he durable 
must he ngrecahlo to all parties, he would, however, add, 
that if any one had a right to assume a little, it was the 
conqueror. He also said, that altlmugh he did not object 
to peace, he would observe, that he had not asked for it. ] 
The Black-hreasted Game here crowed so loudly, that the i 
members all started, and some were disposed to be angry, j 
The Creue-civar, liowever, interposed, and all resumed their 
equanimity. 
Our peculiar facility for gaining intelligence has enabled 
ns to give the opening scenes almost verbatim. The : 
Creve rwitr began by saying, that the object of their assemh- ! 
ling was to arrange diliiculties, to allay animosities, and to 
put their mutual interests in a position wliich should he 
satisfactory to all who were concerned. It would be 
necessary to review the past, in order to come to a right 
understanding. They had little to do with past centuries, 
but it was notorious, of late, the Polanders were become 
too powerful for the Serai-ta-ooks. They were neigh- 
