March 0. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
437 
saturated with filth, consequently, the air becomes vitiated, 
and every particle of food that they pick off the ground is 
contaminated; the inevitable result is impaired constitutional 
power, and disease in all its varied forms. 
Those who have watched closely the habits of fowls must 
have observed, when feeding them, that unless almost 
starving, they invariably refuse to eat any corn which has 
fallen in contact with fowl dung; but when they are over¬ 
crowded in a confused space, the whole surface becomes 
saturated with ,the excrements of the birds, and it is 
impossible that they can feed without swallowing impurity; 
the result is evident. I may remark, in conclusion, that 
where fowls are kept confined, and are unable to obtain 
their natural variety of food, both fresh vegetables and a 
small occasional supply of animal food should be given ; the 
first may be given in the form of a bunch of Turnip-greens, 
or a Cabbage, or Lettuce tied up, so that they can readily tear I 
it to peices, or some Cabbage-leaves may be cut up small; 
and to supply animal food, a few bones from the table may 
be thrown down to them to pick, or an ounce or two of 
shred fresh meat; but as for the tallow-chandlers greaves, 
so liberally advertised as giving fresh eggs all the year 
round, avoid them as you would so much poison; bearing in 
mind the fact, that they are the refuse of the putrefying 
hoards of the same store-shop. With extreme care, there is 
no uncertainty about keeping a few fowls in a small space ; 
but unless they are attended to by the owner, I have never 
seen very confined poultry-yards successful; they must be 
reared as pets, to be reared to profit.—W. B. Tegetmeier. 
ACACIA DRUMMONDII. 
The writer of this saw several dozens, if not hundreds, 
of this Acacia, sold at a public sale last autumn. He was 
told the merit of introducing it is due rather to Mr. Low, of 
Clapton. He (the writer) was told by a florist, who lives by 
Covent Garden sales, that he, the said florist, intended to 
have 10,000 plants of this Acacia struck from cuttings this 
spring, to supply Covent Garden with it by the thousand. 
Therefore, Air. Appleby is right in his estimate of it at 
page 375, but not as to its rarity.— Selim. 
ON BEDDING-PLANTS AND COLOUR. 
May I, as an old subscriber and constant reader of your 
interesting Magazine, be allowed a corner in your pages for 
a few remarks on bedding plants, and the effects of colours ? 
The present day has seen brought to perfection the art of 
parterre gardening, and this is the most interesting kind to 
all lovers of horticulture, for the smallest spot, well laid out, 
has equal charms with the largest and most varied. 
To people with moderate means at command, the chief 
means of obtaining success in effect is to stick to tried 
bedding-plants; and I would divide my remarks into two 
heads. Firstly, those I have tried and found never-failing ; 
and, secondly, those which I have seen elsewhere, and about 
which I should be thankful for more information. 
The strength of a small garden must depend on Gera¬ 
niums, Verbenas, and Calceolarias, as from them we can 
obtain similarity of habit, and the best shades of colour. 
For colour is the chief object, and I hold to bright con¬ 
trasts, and not shading with neutral tints ; but this is matter 
of opinion, and I know many hold it to be wrong. Yellow 
and bright yellow ought to be tlie ground-work of every 
plan. At Sydenham it is prodigally used. 
The bedding-plants, which are never-failing, may be com¬ 
prised iu a small number. First, for utility, I place the 
Alyssum maritimum, either used as a whole bed, for contrast, 
or as centres, or borders to other flowers. Being so hardy, 
so easily propagated, and of so low and close a habit of 
growth, it beats every other plant of a light neutral tint. 
Of Geraniums, nothing can equal Flower of the Day, 
when planted with old plants in the centre and young ones 
to the outsides of the bed. Judy, with its cherry-red, 
makes a charming opposite bed to Punch or Tom Thumb ; 
and for a large centre bed nothing can equal Tom Thumb 
and the Froslic Calceolaria planted thickly together. At 
Goodwood House they use this profusely, and the effect is 
superb. Opposite to Flower of the Day , Mangle's Silver 
Bedding is good, but it wants enlivening with a bright and 
fancy centre ; some of the Oak-leaved Geranium, or Touch¬ 
stone. 
Verbenas next claim our attention. So various are they, 
that it is impossible to select the very best. But for 
contrasts and good growers, Brillant de False, Defiance , 
Mountain of Snow, and Mrs. Mills, or Madame Millar, as a 
Blue. Napoleon for a deep crimson. Brillant de False 
is far the finest Verbena I have seen. It is a better colour 
than St. Maryaret, which is saying a good deal, and its 
truss is good. We want a good blue much. The King of 
the Purples, shown last year at the Regent’s Park show, was 
capital for colour and habit, apparently. The Mellendris 
Verbenas make good edgings, but will not do for beds. 
Calceolarias, as I said before, should form the ground¬ 
work of every parterre. I think they can hardly be grown 
too much. The brown one ( Sultan) is a good grower, and 
capital colour. Amplexicaulis I do not like, though the tint 
is beautiful. 
Petunias, iu general, are bad, especially in a moderate- 
sized garden. In wet weather they are so shabby. The best 
to stand weather, and for general appearance, is the •Crimson 
Kiny. 
Blue is the most difficult colour to obtain satisfactorily, 
and I know only the Lobelias that can really lie trusted. 
Salvias in a long row do very well, but from the scantiness 
of bloom they are quite inadmissible in the square or geo¬ 
metrical garden. The blue of the Salvia is the blue we 
want. 
To sum up, then, a garden on a moderate scale cannot 
well fail with the following beds :— 
Verbenas. — Brillant de Vaise, Defiance, Mountain of 
Snow, Mrs. Mills, Napoleon, St. Margaret or Madame Millar, 
and a mixed bed of the same habit. 
Geraniums. —Flower of the Day, Judy, Tom Thumb, 
Mangle’s with a varied centre, and a centre or centres of 
Scarlet Geraniums and Yellow Calceolarias. 
Calceolaria. — Beds of Sultan, Frostic, with Alyssum 
ad libitum. 
Petunia. —Crimson King. 
Lobelia.—E rinus compacts. 
Group those rightly, and I think they will be very suc¬ 
cessful. 
Now for a plant or two, secondly, that I have seen and 
not tried. If any of your readers can say a word about 
them, it will be so much the better. 
There is a brown annual called Perilla, which groups well 
with any annual, as its leaves intermingle, and it has no 
flower, but I think it is not generally grown. 
A beautiful combination is used at Trentham, of the 
Forget-me-not ( Myosolis paluslris), and the Musk plant. 
They are grown in alternate patches, as borders to large 
beds. In small beds they are not admissible, as the tints 
arc not bright enough. Can you enlighten me on the best 
mode of growing and propagating them ? and what soil 
suits them best? 
Another plant, not half enough used, is the Humam 
elegant. In vases, every one knows it is most elegant and 
effective, but also as the centre of beds it has a remarkably 
good appearance. 
The Golden Chain Geranium, at Trentham, is also used 
much and well, as the lowest tier in colour of their beau¬ 
tiful flower-walks—if one may use such an expression. 
Nothing can equal the beauty of these gradations of colour 
as they are there used along the straight walks in the fruit- 
garden. 
Hoping that the tiifles I have descanted on may be 
worthy of a notice in your pages, I must conclude my 
remarks as —A Spectator. 
MISTLETOE EATEN BY ANIMALS. 
I recollect, one hard winter, having set four men with 
ladder, saws, chissels, and mallets, to clean off enormous 
Mistletoe bushes from an Apple-orchard. They were nearly 
three weeks clearing it off, but it was like love’s labour lost; 
for Mistletoe cannot be eradicated, if once itgets the mastery, 
