April 28 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
57 
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1 
shire, who discovered its seeds in a oargo of Dantzic wheat. 
In 18:15, Mr. Smith, at Ayr, brought the Siberian cow- 
parsnip under the notice of the Highland and Agricultural 
Society of Scotland, as a productive and early spring iood 
for cattle. The blackisli-headed fox-tail-grass was first re¬ 
commended m 1839, by a writer in Loudon’s ‘ Gardener’s 
Magazine; ’ and in 1840, the wood-millet, or pheasant- 
grass (a species seemingly destined, when its merits become 
more generally known, and its culture better understood, to 
form an important feature in woodlands), was introduced to 
cultivation by. Mr. A. Gorrie. 
“ In 1843, the Tussack-grass of the Falkland Islands 
attracted considerable attention. This gigantic product of 
these ungenial regions was especially recommended for trial 
on the northern and western coasts and islands of Scotland 
and Ireland. It was observed, in 1842, growing luxuriantly, 
on peaty, seaward exposures, by the botanist to the Antartic 
Expedition, Dr. J. L>. Hooker (son of Sir William Hooker, 
Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew), to whom 
is due the merit of its introduction to Europe. 
“ In 1848, we procured from Mr. Cunningham, Comely 
Rank, some plants of the l'ampas grass, described by Hum¬ 
boldt in the ‘ Nova Genera et Species Plantarum.’ It is a 
strong coarse grass, growing in large tufts or tussocks, with 
leaves from eight to ten feet in length. As a feeding plant 
it is of no value, but as a fixer of loose sand-banks, or on 
the margins of rivers, it will probably prove useful; while 
its quick growth and hardy nature point it out as an ex¬ 
cellent cover for game. 
“Numerous additional species of grasses and other 
herbage plants have been brought into cultivation within 
the last twenty or thirty years, which are not included in the 
preceding enumeration, from the dates not having been 
ascertained. Of these may be mentioned wood meadow- 
grass, nerved-seeded meadow-grass, various-leaved and 
-darnel-spiked fescue-grasses, fioat-fescue or floating sweet- 
grass, hill-mustard, Moliner's clover, &c. 
“ The repeated saving of rye-grass seeds from first crops 
by the earlier growers, resulted, towards the end of the last 
century, in the prevalence of a short-lived variety, after¬ 
wards termed Annual Rye-grass, and unfit, in many cases, 
for the laying down of land to two or more years’ pasture ; 
which naturally directed attention to the selection of a more 
lasting variety. Accordingly, we find that this desideratum 
was then supplied by Mr. Pacey, of North Leach, Wiltshire, 
whose perennial rye-grass, as it is still called, soon became 
known throughout both Scotland and England. Mr. I’acey’s 
example was followed by many other cultivators, each of 
whom discovered, or fancied he had discovered, a variety 
possessing new or additional merits, so that, prior to the 
publication of the ‘ Hortus Gramineus Woburnensis ’ in 
1824, Dickson’s, Ruck’s, Russel’s, Stickney’s, Whitworth’s, 
Ac., had been introduced. Since that period, names of 
many other particular growers have been added to the list; 
so that it now requires no little discrimination to fix on 
what are really the most deserving of cultivation. About 
1830, Mr. T. Bishop, at Methven Castle, Perthshire, brought 
out an evergreen variety of the wood meadow-grass, and a 
long-leaved, deep rooted variety of the hard fescue, both of 
which he selected, in 1820, from observing the peculiar 
manner in which they withstood the severe drought of that 
summer; and the same cultivator has since brought into 
notice three other varieties of the hard fescue, viz., an 
early, a large purplish, and a large saw-leaved sort. In 
1833, we introduced from France the double yielding 
sainfoin, a very luxuriant growing variety. In 1834, Mr. 
Gorrie, at Annat, discovered a fertile-seeded variety of the 
tall fescue-grass, which he has since continued to propagate; 
and in 1840, we brought from Hamburgh a tall-growing or 
gigantic variety of the same plant. The tree clover from 
Bokhara, a tall variety of white melilot, which attains a 
height of from ten to sixteen feet, created a little sensation 
in 1830, when first brought to this country, and still con¬ 
tinues to be an object of attraction. In the following year, 
a very early but rather dwarf-growing variety of lucern from 
Afghanistan, was received through the East India Com¬ 
pany ; and in 1841, we introduced from Hamburgh two 
strong-growing grasses, the one a variety of cocksfoot, and 
the other of the wood meadow-grass. In the same year, 
we received from the Botanic Gardens of Berlin, seeds of a 
very succulent and rapid-growing grass, under the name of 
Bromus Scliraderi, which, on first trial, seemed to be 
possessed of highly important qualities, but was found too 
tender for the severe winter of 1844-45. In 1844, the 
bulbous barley-grass was noticed in the ‘Bon Jardinier ’ as 
being naturally well adapted for chalky and other dry cal¬ 
careous soils, and has since been found to succeed on such 
•in the south of England; for which localities the villous 
wheat-grass was also recommended about the same time; 
but being of diminutive growth, and only of biennial 
duration, its culture has not been attended with equal 
success.” 
It is not often that a Chancellor of the Exchequers 
l Budget contains subjects for quotation in our pages, 
but there are some remissions of duties in that just laid 
before the House that deserve a prominent notice, and for 
; this purpose we may as well quote the paragraph entire. 
“ We have been desirous of lowering the duties that press 
on foreign articles of food, which enter largely, if not into 
the necessaries of life, at any rate into the solace and 
comfort of the people. Therefore, first, as to articles of 
food, we propose to lower the duty on a number of articles, 
of which the principal are as follows:— Apples, from 2s. a 
bushel to 3d.; Cheese, from 5s. to 2s. fid. per cwt.; Nuts, 
from 2s. to Is. per bushel; Eggs, from lOd. to 4d. per 120; 
Oranges and Lemons, to 8d per bushel; Butter, from 10s. 
to 5s. per cwt. Chicory, to (Id. per lb.; Onions, Id. per 
bushel; Pears, 3d. per bushel; Walnuts, Is. per bushel, 
! and all other Fruit, not otherwise enumerated, 2d. per 
bushel.” 
The prices of Poultry are rising rather than decreasing; 
and the increase extends to all the varieties. At the 
' periodical sale at Mr. Stevens’s on the 19th, the only 
feature worth notice was Lot 41. This was a pen of 
six Slianghae chickens, hatched in January, and these 
youngsters sold for Til. The demand for these is great, 
on account of the very early sittings having proved 
very unfortunate; indeed, so great is it, that we have 
sold sixteen Slianghae chickens six weeks old for TIC. 
At the sale of Mr. Fox’s supernumary stock, by Mr. 
Strafford, on the 14tli instant, the prices were quite as 
large as heretofore. Of SJumghaes, 135 lots realised 
T040 17s. Cd., of which we can particularise only a 
few. Lot 27, silver cinnamon hen, sister to Mr. George’s 
prize hen at the Great Metropolitan Exhibition, T15 15s. 
Lot 38, lemon lieu, T13 10s. Lot 40, cock, pure lemon- 
j colour, bred by Mr. Andrews, took second prize at the 
Great Metropolitan Exhibition, T27. Lot 48, imported 
hen, taken many prizes, being Mr. Andrews’ celebrated 
bird, T19 19s.; and Lot 45, buff cock “Nelson,” 
weighed lately 131bs., shown by Mr. Fotts, taking four 
prizes at Bristol, Metropolitan, Torquay, and lleigate 
Shows, as well as the champion cup at Torquay, T43. 
This bird has passed into the hands of Mr. Sturgeon, and 
we know that a nobleman lias since offered T50 for him. 
The Spanish were good, but not first-class birds. There 
were twenty-four, and they sold for T105 13s. Lot 139, 
a hen, took a prize at the Metropolitan Show, Til. 
Lot 153, a cock, T12. Of Polands, fifteen were sold 
for T17. Lot 100, silver-spangled cock, with ruff and 
beard, took first prize at the Metropolitan, Tl 10s. 
Lot 100, silver-spangled hen, with ruff and beard, 
T2 5s. Eight Dorkings sold for T8 12s. Altogether 182 
lots were sold, and the gross prices amounted toT774 11s. 
