THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
| 204 
the propriety of bearing an abundant crop every season.” I 
Of “varieties of Apples," having “no truck” with the 
! American blight. Of “Strawberries which can cultivate 
' themselves.” Of the “ Quatre d lalivre” Cherry being a 
i reality ; and of “ Gooseberries ” which try to grow each fruit 
“ four ounces in weight." How very absurd it would be to 
pay any attention to such ridiculous nonsense ! and I think 
the sooner the introduction of such absurdity is stayed, and 
the individuals who have played the part of Cicerones to it 
j are obliged to relinquish it ( whether it be done for gratifl- 
; cation or for gain), the better. I would recommend their 
i customers to wait, and see their pretensions corroborated, 
and that the objects of them do really possess some claim 
upon their attention. Plants-do not possess any knowledge 
j or power of discrimination. They are objects controlled by 
the circumstances and influences which surround them, and 
j of which we cannot be positive of anything in relation to, 
! without having the positive evidence of “ocular proof" 
l before us. AVe can calculate, from experience, on the 
probable results of our associations, but we are no more 
certain of them than wo are of “ life ” itself. Sowing a seed 
may produce a plant; grafting a scion may produce a tree; 
pruning and training may, and often does, improve trees, 
both as to growth and produce. There is a probable 
certainty that all these operations, carefully and scientifically 
performed, being productive of the desired results; but 
asserting that “ a Vino does not know how to shank ” is an 
| absurdity. A Vine knows nothing any more than any other 
!| inanimate object. There is nothing tends to prove the 
I supremacy of man over the rest of the creation more than 
■ trees and plants ; and man, being the possessor of so boun¬ 
teous a gift as that supremacy, should use it with reason, 
| nnd not abuse it, or woe betide him if I come across his 
' path. Unshackled by any desire for pomp or glory; unbound 
j by any ties of personal interest; sincerely loving the truth, 
: and that truth expressed in the plainest language reason 
' and intelligence can dictate; I am prepared to subjugate 
prejudice, to overturn error, and to capsize all .the frivolous 
humbug, and the paraphernalia which attends pragmatical 
pretension, without regard to individuals, when and where- 
ever I may have an opportunity of so doing, without self¬ 
compromise.—C. B. S. Jersey. 
A NEW KIND OF DOMESTIC FOWL. 
“ In October last, I saw, in Falmouth, a fowl, which was 
brought about three weeks before from Bessarabia, and is 
now in possession of Mr. Olive, a watchmaker in that town. 
As I do not see anything like it described in any works on 
poultry, I take the liberty of sending the accompanying 
sketch and description. 
“ The size of the male bird was about equal to that of the 
Hamburgh ; colour, silver-spangled. The base of the upper 
mandible is covered by a cere, there is no comb, but from 
the crown of the head spring two horns about three inches 
long; the hackles of the neck are very long and silky, 
having the webs for about two-thirds of their length dis¬ 
connected ; the legs, short, rough, but not feathered. 
January 2 - > 
“ The female which accompanies it has no horns, but a 
topknot, and small double comb, is of a cinereous colour, 
and feathered tarsi. 
“ The horns are of the colour and consistence of spurs, 
attached to the scalp only; cere, bells, and crown of head 
blood red ; cheek whitish ; iris yellow. 
“ The captain who imported them says that they arc not 
uncommon, though scarce enough to fetch a fancy price in 
the country.— Francis AYright, Vicarage, Penar Awortliel." 
ANOTHER EXAMPLE FOR YOUNG 
GARDENERS. 
I know of no weekly visitor I receive with so much 
pleasure as you, Cottagb Gardener. I look for the time of 
its arrival with great anxiety, and never have been so much 
amused and edified as I have been lately, in reading the 
Autobiography of Mr. Beaton, and his well-timed remarks 
on the climate in the Crimea, which eveiy Englishman is 
now looking to with anxiety. 
The valuable instruction your Cottage Gardener con¬ 
tains, I think, cannot be found in any other publication 
of the day. I have shown it to many of my friends who 
had never seen it before; they have been so well pleased 
with it as to become subscribers. The valuable advice given 
by Mr. Appleby to young gardeners will be appreciated by 
all who take any interest in gardening. 
It has been my lot not only to look after a garden, but to 
superintend woodlands and plantations ; also a small farm, 
with a quantity of poultry; and such is the valuable aid 
I have derived from the able conductors of The Cottage 
Gardener, I can no longer withhold my pen from paper in 
returning thanks for its valuable information. I was much 
pleased with Mr. Bencroffs remarks last week. I think we 
must be of somewhat kindred spirits ; for it so happens, I 
take in the same works he speaks of, and have acted on the 
same principles he does, and find, after fifteen years 
teetotalism, I have been able to purchase a good library of 
my own, with every other comfort. I am often grieved to 
see some of my own age, who set out in life with much 
brighter prospects than myself, a disgrace to themselves, 
and useless to society, through the effects of intemperance. 
I was highly gratified to find, in Mr. Beaton’s account of 
Mr. Sinclair, that even the Crimea had a teetotaler; and 
well would it be for many young gardeners if they had a 
little more self-denial; for they would then be able to get 
books of instruction according to their wants, without 
finding their purse anything'thc lighter.— Edwd. Cornelius, 
Kelly. 
HEATING FIVE HOUSES BY ONE BOILER, 
Seeing a question put by J. S. L., in your number for 
November 21st, respecting the heating of a horticultural 
structure, consisting of five houses, to be all heated together 
with top and bottom-heat, or separately with bottom-heat 
alone; and having learned that a gentleman at Rotherham 
had a range, of a similar description, heated in a most 
effectual manner, induced me to go down to see it, and, I 
think, I may safely say, that I saw there a master-piece of 
heating. 
There are five houses, and, as far as I could judge, nearly 
as long as those described by J. S. L., and they can be all 
heated together with top and bottom-heat, or with bottom- 
heat alone, and each house can be heated separately with 
or without top-heat. 
Mr. Gibbs, the gardener, very politely shewed me through 
the whole range; the first I went into was heated with top 
and bottom-heat, and most congenial it was; there were 
Cucumbers growing in the greatest luxuriance ; the second 
was cold, and full of plants and flowers, Geraniums, 
Chrysanthemums, &c.; the third, ditto ; the fourth, heated 
with top and bottom-lieat, with a bed of succession Pines 
in a most flourishing condition; the fifth was heated tho 
same, with a bed of fruiting Pines looking equally well; tho 
whole range is heated by two of Panuel’s apparatuses, both 
connected, so that when the season advances it can all be 
