April 28 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
injured; you lay more, in fact, on the carcase than the legs 
can carry, hence ricketty joints, and a host of other ma¬ 
ladies, which, hardy as may be the Shanghae race, proves 
at last too much even for them. Many a bird has thus 
suffered during the past year, and many more seem likely 
to be stuffed and crammed by over-anxious owners during 
the present season. 
Let those, however, who are disposed to practise this 
forcing system hear what Captain Hornby says in regard to 
it—“ I believe,” lie writes to me, “ that flesh ought never to 
be given when fowls can have the run of grass in open 
weather. Mine were busily employed this fine morning, 
after two days’ wet, with the worms and grubs in the field. 
Thomas remarked—‘ Ah ! they will eat very much less corn 
now, and the sack will hold out four or five days longer.’ ” 
Now, because the most ordinary observer cannot fail to 
notice nature’s provision of animal food for fowls, and other 
birds, many jump at the conclusion that any animal food is 
sufficient, totally forgetting that there is as much difference 
between the succulent and tender worm, or grub, and the 
indigestible hunk of liver, as there is between Naples maca¬ 
roni and an Australian damper. In the former case, indeed, 
the comparison is much stronger, since, from the con¬ 
struction of fowls’ stomachs, the hardest corn presents no 
difficulty, while the wad of flesh chokes and deranges the 
whole internal economy of the bird. The delicacy of the 
gold fields, therefore, would be far more innocuous to the 
human race than such rations of flesh to that portion of 
the gallinaceous tribe whose care I have been considering. 
One probable cause only of that mortality, to which the 
statements before mentioned have referred, has been noticed 
in this hasty communication ; but whether paralysis and 
apoplexy have not contributed to these casualties may be 
well deserving of further enquiry. The absence of all pre¬ 
monitory symptoms, in several of these cases, suggests the 
question to unprofessional minds, how mere indigestion, 
supposing that to be the cause, and the consequent dis¬ 
organisation of the system, leads to such sudden disso¬ 
lution, unaccompanied, as has certainly occurred in several 
instances, with any previous indication of disease whatever. 
But, no matter the actual cause of death, enough is, at 
any rate, before us to prove the hazard of a flesh diet for 
our fowls, and to limit its use to those special occasions for 
which its reservation has been so constantly advised.—W. W. 
Wingfield. 
ALLOT ME NT FAR MIN G—M A Y. 
This is the most important month in the whole year to 
the allotment holder, and the utmost vigilance is demanded 
of him ; for he will find that almost every article under 
culture will require some kind of attention; and no after¬ 
care can atone for neglect. 
In the first place, weeds will spring abundantly in all 
directions, and the man who suffers weeds to run to seed 
now, may calculate on a double amount of labour during 
June, July, and August. But it is not in seeding alone that 
damage ensues ; a rising crop of weeds so injures a young 
crop of any kind, by depriving them of strength of con¬ 
stitution and hardihood, that neither good soil, nor assiduous 
after-culture, can possibly repair the mischief. Few are 
sufficiently aware of the injurious effects of the shade, and 
with it the impure air, in cases where the rising crop is 
becoming crowded with gross weeds fattening on the food 
intended for the young crop. It is a common, but very 
erroneous, impression, that when they are cleared away all 1 
will be right again ; those who judge thus are sadly mistaken, j 
I have seen scores of cases in which the young crop never 
thoroughly recovered the effects. Persons who do not 
nicely observe things, may rest satisfied with evils they ! 
have not taken the trouble to examine; but they may be ; 
assured, that where one man pursues clean culture, and 
another permits the foregoing evils, the former will be the j 
gainer considerably at the year’s end. Besides, what allot- : 
ment holder will feel a pride in showing his plot to dis¬ 
cerning persons in such a condition ? 
I must now beg to refer specially to certain crops which 
demand particular attention. 
Potatoes.—T hose who have early kinds above ground 
must be wary of late frosts until nearly the middle of 
I the month. I think it will be found, at least in. the north, 
. that in two years out of three we have frost during the first 
week sufficient to injure Potato haulm ; and the least injury 
at this period will reduce the crop one-half, if it does not 
entirely . destroy it. As I have before urged in these 
papers, it is not he who can get his Potatoes first above 
ground that produces the best paying crop. I am here 
supposing the grower as cultivating his choice Walnut- 
leaved kidneys fov sale. Many persons of small holdings 
make a good deal of money of superior Walnut-leaf kidneys, if 
they can be obtained only a week or so before ordinary early 
crops, a practice to be recommended to the cottager espe¬ 
cially, whose garden in general lying at his back door, his 
wife can keep them covered and uncovered; for such pro¬ 
cesses become necessary. A few poles over a slope, with 
any old rags or a little straw, will be as efficient as the 
I ceremonious matting up of my lord’s gardener, and cost 
i nothing but trouble, or, should I say, pleasure ? Those who 
have a cold and apathetic heart, and dislike activity, call it 
by the former title; the warm, active, and ingenious, by the 
latter'. Of course, a little 6oil will be carefully drawn to the 
plants to prevent their greening, for however good the crop, 
this spoils all as to eating properties, and the Walnut-leaved 
kidney is peculiarly liable to it. 
The later crops will soon be rising through the soil, and 
will require rather different treatment. It is well known 
that, from the circumstance of the very early kinds coming 
so speedily to use, added to the fact that they are mostly 
planted in highly-wrought and mellow soils, they do not 
require much cultural assistance; but with the main crops 
much may be done both by the hoe and the fork, especially 
the latter, if the soil is stubborn. These ©perations, how¬ 
ever, must all be completed before the strings or fibres 
extend, or the crop will be weakened. Above all, keep 
down weeds ; Potatoes require all the light and air possible. 
Carrots. —As soon as the crop is up let them be care¬ 
fully attended to as to weeds, and beware of slugs and 
snails. Thin them out at two or three times, for fear of 
accidents, and let the small hoe be drawn through them 
betimes, repeating the process at the final thinning. It 
must be understood that these remarks apply to the large 
kinds of Carrots; the small, such as the Early Horn, will 
only need careful thinning and weeding. Small kinds will 
crop at two to three inches apart; the larger at about six 
inches. The Carrot grub must be watched for, and pre 
ventive measures taken, if possible. Lime, soot, and other 
things, have been strongly recommended. We have tried 
lime, and also soapsuds, but cannot boast of complete 
success. Our Scotch neighbours have been very successful 
with soot, it would appear—applications about once a week 
by the hand being said to drive the fly when about to lay 
its eggs. This seems feasible enough ; and I, for one, will 
give it a thorough trial this season. It is very probable, 
that driving the fly away, by using applications of a nauseous 
character, may be a good mode of proceeding; but, at 
present, the best safeguard is to trench deep in autumn, 
working in what manure may be requisite at that period. 
This grub is the produce of an egg laid by an insect called 
Psihi ros<c, and much resembles the Anthomyia ceparum, or 
Onion fly. 
Onions. —These, by the early part of the month, will be 
a good plant, and will require a little thinning, another 
being given about five weeks afterwards. Some sow them 
in drills, others broadcast; by the latter mode they may be 
thinned first to two inches, and lastly to about three or four. 
Thinning, however, must be regulated by the strength of 
the soil, as in all other crops—the stronger and richer the 
soil, the farther the plants must be apart. Most cultivators 
hoe through them liberally; we do not. I do not, however, 
condemn the plan, but merely observe, that I have had far 
superior crops since I rolled firm, and gave up the hoe, 
than previously. I had observed, repeatedly, better Onions 
in the hard-trod alleys than on the soft beds. As to tlio 
fly, or grub, spirits of tar, mixed with sand, and strewed i 
over the beds, has been much talked of. I have tried this, 
but without success. If the soot applications, as in the 
Carrot, should answer, it is very probable it may succeed 
with the Onion. 
Swedes. —The beginning of the month is a good time to 
get in these; they are more apt to mildew if sown much 
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