130 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 19. 
The addition to every prize list of a summary of cha¬ 
racteristics and points of excellence of the different families 
and varieties of fowls, would not only he inconvenient, but, 
we may surely add, unnecessary in all well-regulated poultry 
societies.—W.] 
TRAINING PELARGONIUMS. 
good. The just symmetry of a plant is that most natural 
to its habit of growth, which, by timely disbudding, stop¬ 
ping, and judicious pruning, becomes perfected independent 
of visible subterfuge. But if plants are made to assume 
an artistic shape for fancy, allow me also to recommend I 
the globe and pyrimidal forms, with the smallest amount of 
perceptible extraneous aid possible to accomplish the object. 
UrWAEDS AND OnWAEHS. 
Me. Pish says, “ he believes it is a very common thing 
for the same idea to strike different individuals at the same 
time yes : and for human nature, it would be well if, like 
him, people could thus happily acknowledge it. It is, also, 
sometimes felicitous, and not uninstructive, 1 think, to 
record the train which led to the embodiment of an idea; 
how the arrival of one thought showed on the way for 
another, till the whole was grasped and arranged. 
As an illustration, and not unseasonable, I am induced 
to forward you a contrivance I tried last year for the pur¬ 
pose of training Pelari/ouiums. I had, previously to it, 
used copper wire, first formed to a number of equi-distant 
loops or eyes, and then secured around the pots: a very 
good plan, as the eyes form a ready convenience whereby 
to attach either string, or zinc wire, as a means to bear 
down and secure the young, growing shoots of the plant in 
I their desired positions. They were, however, not entirely 
satisfactory. Now, it happened that I had all the honours 
of uncle thrust upon me some months previous to a visit I 
paid to the place of my nativity, about this time last year; 
suspended around the neck of my infant niece, I found four 
jingling bells, situated at right angles, and attached to what 
they would have me imagine a piece of coral: at all events, 
the substance was red and hard enough. When 1 became 
sufficiently enlightened upon the matter of “ teething,” and 
was further led to consider it an instrument congenial to 
this process, the result on my part produced pity for my 
poor little niece’s gums. Quito contrary to the inventor’s 
intention, the bells were given a decided preference to 
on the part of the child, for this purpose: and when the 
“ coral ” end came uppermost, it generally was intro¬ 
duced to the eye! the sudden and repeated proximity to 
which, coupled with the violent and, luckily, ineffectual 
struggles of the child to introduce the four bells at once 
into its mouth, induced me recommend for so dangerous a 
toy the severe and ancient Hindoo rite of widowhood. 
More particularly in London, one’s vision becomes keen 
for observation. I have often thought it would be no very 
difficult matter to read the man and mind of any great or 
little unknown, by noting the shops or objects which most 
claimed his attention. For my own part, one of my predi¬ 
lections this way is given to gutta percha and India rubber, 
the utility and marvellous appliances of which appear to 
have no bounds. As I was narrowly scrutinizing a shop 
containing these articles in Bond Street, the very thing 
presented itself to my view : vulcanized India-rubber rings, 
for the use of infants when cutting their teeth, one of which 
was speedily transferred to an envelope, and on its way to 
Suffolk. The ring was of bad odour, but the smell soon 
disappears : good reports were told me of it by “ mamma.” 
Side by side with the vulcanized rings lay some o4‘ common 
India-rubber, of equal diameter, though much less in sub¬ 
stance. Now, they were the suggesters of my Pelargonium 
trainer. Those rings would do capitally distended around 
and just under the rims of my flower-pots; answering better, 
and could be adjusted with greater alacrity, I thought, than 
the copper wire, so I bought a dozen at a venture. 
On my return home, a few days after, I could scarcely 
allow myself time ere one was put in requisition, Avlien lo! 
fated disappointment, the rings should have been flat-sided, 
and they were round. I had no sooner placed one in its 
intended position, than down it methodically slipped—a 
failure! Not quite so, however; the plan of adjusting with 
zinc wire strained over the face of the soil was resorted to, 
and thus retained in their places, the rings answer excel¬ 
lently. To this ring the branches can be tied down in any 
desired position. 
To do away with a “ forest of stakes ” in training a flower 
is a great desideratum. If, for the furtherance of this pro¬ 
ject, there is anything new, or which you may think publicly 
recommendable in this India-rubber business, T send it for 
ESTIMATE OF POULTRY. 
In one of your contemporaries a letter appears, signed 
“ E. /S'., Enfield,” in which, after several very superficial obser¬ 
vations on the properties possessed, and prices obtained for 
the variety of fowl known as “the Cochin-China,” the writer j 
expresses a hope that the nation will soon be restored to its J 
reason, and the good old barn-door cock to his pre-eminence. 
Now neither of these views do I wish to quarrel with, but shall j 
be content to leave the crusade in “ E. S.’s ” hands, that he | 
may obtain the desired objects as speedily as lie may find 
possible; but when he goes further, and describes the j 
Cochin-China fowl as representing an ostrich in height, and ; 
a jackass in voice, I cannot but think lie must have but a 
very limited and imperfect notion of what Cochin-China 
fowls—those of pure breed—should be; and I would suggest, 
that before “ E. S. ” again writes on the subject, he should 
take a tour, and pay a visit to some of the successful breeders 
and rearers of those valuable birds, to dispossess himself 
of the erroneous impression he is labouring under respect¬ 
ing them. 
In the first place, “E. S.” pays but a poor compliment to 
those eminent persons who thought the Cochin-China fowl 
a fit present to be sent to our Most Gracious Queen; and 
also to the taste of Her Majesty, in allowing such monstro¬ 
sities to have a place in the royal aviary. 
As to the sums of money those birds realise, I cannot see 
why any one should object to their obtaining prices as 
relatively high as even horses, to which “E.S.” alludes; the 
real value of animals consists in their usefulness, and if it 
can bo shown (which was the aim and object of the import¬ 
ers of those birds,) that they possess all the qualifications 
for producing more food in a shorter time than the other 
varieties, there is no reason whatever why they should not 
fetch a relatively high price; this, of course, apart from 
either fancy or taste, which no one will deny of its own 
capriciousness will sometimes startle the world by its ex¬ 
ceptions. 
The endeavour to exclude from our shores a breed of 
fowl which has already proved itself to be as useful as orna¬ 
mental, and to substitute in its stead a greater importation 
of that which our ancestors would have considered a debili¬ 
tating beverage called “ T,” which “ E. S.” directs attention 
more especially to, is what no one but himself will be likely 
to sympathise with. 
Being a lover of the Cochin fowl, and no very great friend 
to “ T,” perhaps may account for the observations I have 
here intruded on you.—W. V. 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF 
ENGLAND 
A Monthly Council was held at the Society’s house, in ' 
Hanover Square, on Wednesday, the 4th of May. 
Finances. —Mr. Raymond Barker presented to the Council 
the monthly report of the Finance Committee, and the ! 
usual quarterly statements of the accounts of the Society, j 
from which it appeared that the general current cash-balance 
in the hands of the bankers was .£3300. This balance in¬ 
cluded the Gloucester subscription, and £800 as the special 
balance on account of life-compositions. The Council 
adopted the recommendation of the committee that this j 
special balance should be invested as permanent capital in 
the purchase of stock in the public funds. The Council i 
also adopted the recommendation of the committee, that the ' 
directors of the county of Gloucester bank should be re- ' 
quested to act as the local bankers of the Society during the 
period of its ensuing country meeting. 
