January 9. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
291 
! 
' tho rieli breeding and fattening districts of Norfolk and 
Essex, bring up the largest share. Many of the little black 
I cattle, that tourists see in Scotland climbing the hills like 
cats, come directly from these counties, having, some months 
before, been sent thither, from their native north, to clothe 
their bones with English substance, By the same line we 
receive a fair portion of that great foreign contribution to 
our larders, the mere shadow of which so frightened our 
graziers some years ago, principally Danish stock, which 
finds its way from Tonning to LowestoiF, a route newly 
opened up by the North of Europe Steam-ship Company. 
The North-Western is next in rank as a carrier of live stock. 
This line takes in the contributions from the midland 
counties, and, by way of Liverpool, abundance of Irish and 
Scotch cattle. The Great Northern is perhaps destined io 
surpass both in the quantities of food it will eventually pour 
into London, running as it does through the northern 
breeding districts, and receiving at its extremity the herds 
which come from Aberdeen and its neighbourhood. — 
(Quarterly Review .) 
(To be continued.) 
A FEW WORDS MORE ABOUT BRAHMA 
BOOTH AS. 
Some short time ago you did me the honour to transcribe 
an article on these birds, fiom the second edition of my 
work on “ Profitable Poultry ; ” since that article was written, 
I have reared several broods, from various strains, and now 
offer my extended experience respecting them. The views 
there laid down, namely, that Brahmas are either Gx - ey 
Cochins, or cross-bred birds, I have not seen the slightest 
reason to modify in the least, but, on the contrary, every 
circumstance leads to convince me of the correctness of 
those views. 
Into several additional anatomical reasons for regarding 
them as one race, I will not enter here, as they would be 
more interesting to comparative anatomists than to general 
readers. The true Grey Cochin Brahma I have found 
breed true to comb and colour; but the cross-bred birds 
are subject to throw all varieties of colour in the chicken. 
I could instance one well-known and most successful 
breeder, who reared a number of fine buffs from imported 
greys; and I also know, positively, that in a pen that has 
been tnking prizes at several shows, is a hen that was bred 
from one of Mr. Stainton’s repudiated top-knotted grey 
Cochin cocks (that were in this country before the name of 
Brahma was ever heard,) and a buff hen ; and the best part 
of the joke is, that the prizes were awarded by an “ eminent” 
judge, who is a strong advocate for the view that Brahmas 
aro a perfectly distinct breed. 
Into the cause of the discrepant and vacillating judgments 
(of the same judges) respecting them, I will not enter here ; 
but the fact, that, in the beginning of the season, nothing 
was looked at but light birds with dark hackle and tail, and 
at the end none stood any chance of a prize, except the 
very dark greys, has given great annoyance to many breeders, 
who, in the early part of the year, got rid of all their dark 
chicken, ns worthless, at a nominal price; and at the end, 
find the judges turn round and award prizes to these very 
repudiated birds. 
Let it not be imagined that I am prejudiced against 
Brahmas; I have kept them for two seasons, and still mean 
to keep them. I find them docile, hardy in the extreme, 
being quite equal to the buffs in this respect, good layers 
and good nurses. As a proof of their hardihood, I may 
mention, that one clutch, for which I am indebted to 
Dr. Gvvynne, were hatched and reared in a barrel placed in 
an open shrubbery, and were neverin ahouse until December, 
yet not the slightest ailment ever affected one of these birds. 
As another proof, I may state, that I sent two of the 
cockerels out to a run, in charge of a man who was suddenly 
called into the country; on going to look after my birds, a 
fortnight after his departure, I found the yard, fowl-liouse, 
<fec., in the most filthy state, and the birds starving from 
neglect; all his birds were ill, some roupy, some dead ; but 
the two greys were in the most robust health, although, as 
may be imagined, not over fat. 
Another favourable point, is the enormous weight they 
attain. One of the hens in Mr. Allison’s first-prize pen, at 
Birmingham, weighed upwards of eleven pounds-and a- 
half, and this without being fed on soft food, or in any way 
fatted up for the show. In fact, the good parts of theso 
birds are the same as those of the ordinary Buff Cochins, \ 
and their demerits are likewise similar: one being, that they i 
will never rate as a first-class table-fowl for the market; and 
another, that their buff eggs are not esteemed by the Lon¬ 
doners as equal to white; and, consequently, they do not 
) realise the same price as the new-laid eggs of other varie- 
J ties. I his may be regarded, and doubtless is, an undue 
prejudice on tho part of inhabitants of the monster city, 
| but it is not tho less a fact. —W. B. Teoetmeier. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Wardian Case ( W. L. T.). —We never recommend tradesmen. Mr. j 
Appleby, Victoria Nursery, Uxbridge, can give you the information you 
require. 
Cochins not Laying (Idem). —Your birds are, probably, two or 
three years old, and if so, they are not such good winter egg-producers 
as pullets. Yours is a very confined place, and in such no fowls lay so 
abundantly as they do when they have a wider range. 
Climber in Balcony (A. Close).—Vie cannot recognise this plant of 
which the only description is, that it has “ golden fruit shaped like the 
Egg Plum.” 
Dorkings not Laying (T. V. IF).^Your hens of this breed will not 
lay so freely as when they were pullets. 
Levelling Turk (13.). —Nothing will render your turf finer or more 
level than constant mowing and rolling, to which we should add a 
dressing of fine coal ashes, and a little common salt. Of the latter at 
the rate of five bushels per acre, applied in April. We hope soon to 
give a series ef papers upon measuring land. We would readily publish 
a general Index if we could get a thousand subscribers at sixpence cavil. 
Imperishable Size.— It. N. T. will be obliged by a receipt for 
making this. It is used for various purposes by painters. 
Frill-backed Pigeons (T. (?.).—The exhibitor of these at Birming¬ 
ham was Mr. Henry Wardle, of Burton-upon-Trcnt. 
Heating by Hot-water Pipes (A Correspondent). AVe certainly do 
not understand you, and have some small doubts whether you really meant 
us so to do; as instead of useless apologies, you would have written with 
something more legible than a soft pencil. So far as we can understand, 
your error consists in this, that the chamber, in which you expect to / 
obtain bottom-heat, is warmed by pipes, lower than the position of your | 
boiler, and, consequently, prevented having direct circulation with it. 
Your cistern of supply is all right enough. It matters not the distance 
between the flow and return-pipe that heats the atmosphere of the 
house, and the flow and return-pipe that gives you bottom-heat, pro¬ 
vided, in such a case, both flows proceed from a reservoir higher than 
either, and both returns join, or go separately to the boiler; the lowest 
point of the lowest return-pipe being almost as high, if a littile higher 
the better, than the top of the boiler. Even when this is done, there is 
sometimes a little difficulty in getting top and bottoin-heat equally strong 
but a little care of the plugs will soon make that all right. 
Various. —For summer-blooming greenhouse plants, that will do for 
exhibition if required. Azalea, llanielsiana, variegata, &c. Aphelexis, 
humilis, spectabilis, macrantha rosea, macrantha purpurea. Boroniu, 
scrrulata, pinnata, microphylla. Crowca, saligna. Erica, Bergiana, 
Cavendishii, tricolor, ventricosa. Epacris, miniata, grandiflora. Kalo- 
santhes, coccinea, miniata, versicolor. Leschenaultia, Baxterii, biloba, 
formosa. Fhcenocoma, prolifera. Pimelca, linifolia, Hendersonii. 
Polygala, oppositifolia. Statice, Holfordii, and others. Tctruthecu t 
verticillata, erici folia. Other parts of your letter will meet attention. 
You will find an instalment in Mr. Fish’s article of to-day. 
London : Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Ore, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ¬ 
church, City of London.—January 9, 1855. 
