438 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 6. 
without cutting off the limbs on which it grows. It is like 
Horseradish, the smallest bit of its roots will sprout. We 
had some cartloads of Mistletoe which we mixed in faggots; 
but cows, horses, and sheep partook of it largely without 
any harm; hut, then, they were “ Herefords,” and anything 
connected with an orchard will never kill a true Hereford, 
either man or beast.—D. Beaton. 
THE LAUGHING ARABIAN PIGEON. 
From some notice which appeared in your columns I am 
induced to address you. I have some Laughing Pigeons, and 
besides the novel cry they make, they possess merits of great 
importance, for, as breeders, they surpass all other kinds ever 
kept, and may be called the Hamburgh or Everlasting- 
layers among Pigeons. As a friend of mine remarked, he 
never saw any birds like them for laying, and they are the 
best of nurses. They will sit on three eggs, hatch, and 
rear them. Four young ones, I lind, are too many for two 
pigeons to rear, and what surprises sundry friends is, that 
during all this cold weather they have been breeding, and 
have reared their young, as I have now a pair all feathered, 
and another pair next to just commencing being feathered. 
This, I think, is something in their favour, and I am sure 
that your readers who are pigeon fanciers, would, like me, 
if they only knew them, be glad to keep them. 
I also find that as soon as they see any light they im¬ 
mediately begin to cry, thus making them as good as a dog. 
Considering these few lines would interest many of your 
readers, I deemed it well to place them at your service.— 
An Old Subscriber. 
[We have some of these Pigeons, and they have bred 
through the winter, notwithstanding its unusual severity.— 
Ed. C. G.] 
MR. WILD’S CHINESE PRIMROSES. 
Having been connected with the fruit, flower, vegetable, 
and seed trades upwards of thirty years, in this my native 
town, I did not expect to be spoken of by Mr. Beaton, in his 
report of the show on the (ith of February, as “ a Mr. Wild,” 
who had made improper use of his name, which, if allowed 
to go unexplained, would lead the readers of The Cottage 
Gardener to suppose that I had been puffing off an inferior 
article with Mr. Beaton’s name. Now, the fact is, I pur¬ 
chased the original stock of Primulas, in plants and seeds, 
of Mr. Latter, who, at the same time, gave me the testi¬ 
monial in question, without which I should not, perhaps, 
have come to terms; but having done so, I considered the 
testimonial as much my property as the seeds and plants, 
and at perfect liberty to xise as I thought proper. 
After this explanation, together with my friend Latter’s 
handsome and tradesman-like certificate, I hope that Mr. 
Beaton will have no further cause to complain of “ a Mr. 
Wild,” of Ipswich, who holds in grateful remembrance the 
many acts of kindness received from him during his residence 
at Shrubland, in valuable advice and assistance on a variety 
of matters connected witli horticulture, more especially the 
building and heating a hothouse, and the establishment of 
a Cucumber Society ; for all his kindness and hospitality I 
thus publicly tender my best thanks. 
In conclusion, I would just add, that I met a party of 
“ frozen out gardeners,” yesterday, and many were the jokes 
passed upon me, as to the mud at Balaklava, one of my 
friends requesting me to write to Mr. B., begging of him 
not to send mo there till the weather breaks.— Thomas 
Wild, Ipswich. 
[This explanation is satisfactory. Mr. Beaton, of course, 
knew nothing of Mr. Latter having parted with his stock of 
Primroses to Mr. Wild ; but are we quite sure that a testi¬ 
monial to the former is transferable,—so much depending 
upon the cultivation ? ] 
ARRANGEMENT OF CEMETRIES. 
As the formation of Ccmetries, or Burial grounds, in con¬ 
nection with large towns, is now becoming general, I beg 
permission, through your Journal, to offer a few remarks 
upon the order, neatness, and regularity necessary to be ob¬ 
served in them. 
I do not mean to enter further into the stylo or manner 
of laying-out Cemeteries, than to say that they ought to be 
tastefully arranged and ornamentally planted. I allude, in 
general, to the disposition of tombs and riiounded graves, 
but especially to the management of mounded graves, which 
too commonly present a slovenly and careless appearance. 
In cases where I have been consulted, 1 have recommended 
the tombs and ornaments to be disposed in regular order 
along the sides of the roads and walks, as well as in the 
vicinity, of the chapels, and in all convenient places, so that 
they may readily be seen by the visitor as he passes along ; 
and the mounded graves to be arranged in regular lines 
within the enclosure formed by the tombs. This, of course, 
ought to be done before any interment is allowed, and 
nothing is more simple, nor more easy, when once properly 
understood. 
The spaces or widths for graves ought to be lined out in 
correct order, and edged on each side with stone, appearing 
four inches above the ground, and one-and-a-half, or two 
inches in thickness; or, when stone is thought too expen¬ 
sive, turf may be used instead, placed edgewise, or perpen¬ 
dicularly, and of the same height as that recommended for 
stone, but whether stone or sod is used, the top sod, which 
is employed to cover the grave, must start from each edging, 
so as to form a low and neat curve. When this is done, 
relations and friends may be allowed to pay their last 
tribute of respect by planting a few patches of some favourite 
flower here and there ; such as the Lily of the Valley, 
Violets, Heartsease, and Forget-me-not. But the intro¬ 
duction of trees and shrubs ought not to be allowed, as they, 
in time, create confusion, and ultimately destroy the effect 
the designer had in view.— Joshua Major, Knosthorpe, near 
Leeds. 
PRUNING OVER-LUXURIANT POTATO-STEMS. 
Last season I planted some Scotch Bed Potatoes, and 
they came up and grew very strong indeed, until the disease 
showed itself in the plants. As soon as I saw evidence of 
its occurrence, I cut the haulm to within ten inches of the 
ground, and as Vines are generally pruned to a bud or eye; 
they again broke laterally very strongly, and then the 
disease manifested itself as before. I again applied the 
knife, and kept on the same pruning until the frost cut 
them down in November. I then dug them up, and had a 
first-rate crop of sound Potatoes; not one bad tuber amongst 
them, which my neighbours can testify, if necessary. 
All the Potatoes that were growing around were severely 
injured by the disease, and many of them were bad in my 
own garden that were not treated as the above.— Edmd. 
Fricker, Beckini/lon. 
STOPPING THE CRACKS IN A GREENHOUSE 
FLUE. 
Seeing you advise a correspondent to cover a smoky 
flue with cement, I have used “fire-clay" for near the fire, 
and good, sound mortar for the other part. I find the clay 
retains the heat, and does not crack. It will get “ rod hot,” 
and never let out gas or smoke. I had some cement over 
my Hue, and found it cracked when it got hot, although it 
was well made, and sand put into it as you recommend. I 
also painted it over with liquid “ fire-clay,” to fill up any 
cracks that might want filling up, where I could not get the 
thick part. It is to be mixed in the same way as cement, 
and it will set in lialf-an-hour, and you can put fire to it as 
soon as you like.—C. Arthur Booty. 
