June 2. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
100 
but their simplest concerns, and proposes all things against 
the time of need. 
In the evening of this day, after afternoon service, a 
rumbling noise in Betty’s chimney began to be heard. Iler 
cottage is one of two, which form the same tenement, and 
the chimneys are back to back. Betty, with characteristic 
caution, always keeps her chimney clean, but her neighbours 
are careless people, and it was soon discovered that their 
chimney was on fire. The bricklayer, who was on the spot, 
assured Betty all was right for her, and she need fear 
nothing; so she quietly sat down to her tea; but in one 
moment sucli a volume of burning soot fell down her chimney 
and into her kitchen, that the place seemed altogether on 
fire. Boor Betty rushed through it to the door, scarcely 
knowing where she went, and-fell heavily into the street. 
She managed to get up, and then fell again quite helplessly. 
Neighbours raised her, and carried her into a cottage, where 
she lay insensible for some time, during which period the 
fire was put out; but the wind blew so violently against the 
front door, that it could not be opened to get water from the 
well, because it increased the flame of the burning soot. 
Now was seen the providential care of the Lord! The tubs 
and pans Betty had filled in the morning at the back door 
were the means of preserving both little cottages. That extra¬ 
ordinary and ready supply of water was enough to extinguish 
the fire. But for that, both cottages must have been 
destroyed. The public-house, a thatched building, stood 
close to the spot, and the burning flakes fell so thick upon 
it, that had not the rain in the morning fallen in the torrents 
it did, nothing could have prevented its taking fire. Thus, 
while men were busy with other things, and other thoughts, 
the Lord was preparing all things to work His will. He 
prepared the rain, and the full vessels to quench the fire. 
He chose, in His infinite wisdom, to send the danger, and 
the deliverance; to prove to the children of men, that all 
things arise from His bidding; and that if rve will but fear¬ 
lessly and believingly trust in Him, nothing can harm us. | 
A cottage chimney on fire is a trifling thing. The rich man 
may drive by and disregard it as beneath his notice; but it 
is not beneath the notice of the King who sittetli on an 
everlasting throne. He can make even it show forth His 
goodness ; and He deigns to prepare the simplest occurences 
connected with it. 
But poor Betty! Betty recovered her senses, but she was 
very weak and poorly for some days, and could not sleep 
without starting up in alarm of fire. She was much hurt 
in her side, and complained for some weeks of a settled 
pain there, which made us fear internal injury; but she is 
a very remarkable woman, and fights through illnesses 
that many younger persons would sink under. She has a 
powerful constitution; but, she has an arm thrown round 
her which shields her from every harm. 
One morning, Betty waked early with a sort of cough, and 
was terrified at perceiving herself covered, as she fancied, 
with blood. It was so indeed; she had coughed up a 1 
great quantity, but from that moment the pain in her side 
was gone, and she is now perfectly well and as cheerful as 
ever. Upwards of ninety, as she is, this shock was very 
likely to prove fatal to her; but she still “ muddles about,” 
and looks as well as she did before. She is fully sensible of 
the source from “ whom all blessings flow,” of the Spirit that 
led her to prepare for the approaching danger, and of the 
arm that lias sustained her from her youth even until now. 
Ah ! if we could all feel this ! The same God, “ even our 
own God,” watches over us, prepares our smallest, simplest 
I circumstances, and overrules all for our good! “ Oh that 
men would therefore praise the Lord for. his goodness ; and 
declare the wonders that lie doetlifor the children of men !” 
I Readers! are there any among you who profess to see 
! God in great things, but cannot perceive Him in little ones ? 
Remember, “ not a sparrow falleth to the ground without 
your Father; ” and that every hair on your thoughtless heads j 
is “ numbered.” See the Lord in every Iking, no matter how ' 
trifling. You cannot turn up one lane or down another ■ 
without Him. You cannot tell what dangers are warded off 
by His hand, or see “the horses and chariots of fire” that 
are round about you; but be assured of this: that “the 
angel of the Lord encampcth round about them that fear 
Him, and delivereth them.” Remember “ there is no king 
saved by the multitude of an host; a mighty man is not 
delivered by much strength;” but the same Lord who 
watches over the lowly steps of the “ Widow Indeed,” must 
keep the high and mighty too, or they will fall to the ground. 
Readers! fear the Lord, and trust in Him ; and then you 
will be ready to meet every danger. “ Enter into your 
closets” daily, “and shut the door;” there you will always 
find enriching showers to fill your buckets. 
POULTRY-YARD REPORT. 
Having seen in the columns of your paper a report on a I 
poultry-yard, I now forward you mine, which, I think, will ! 
prove as satisfactory as the one from your correspondent j 
S. P. My stock, at the present time, consists of eight hens 
and two cocks, all of which are true bred Cochin-China, 
which were hatched last March (1852), and commenced to 
lay in October, since which period 1 have not been short of 
eggs. In January and February I had ten hens, as the 
scale drawn out below will show. 
Having spoken of my stock, I will now say what they are 
fed on. There is a hox filled with a mixture of the follow¬ 
ing ingredients: — viz., barley, oats, wheat, buck-wheat, 
hemp-seed, maize, and peas, which is always at their com¬ 
mand. How I came to know of this, is having seen it 
advertised in your columns, by a man named Smith, of the 
Old Kent Road, as a capital mixture for poultry, which it is 
without an}’ mistake. 
1853. 
Number of 
Hens. 
Number of 
Eggs. 
Chickens 
T3 ! 
St "O 
o .2 
tc 
The Quantity of Corn 
consumed per Month. 
The cost 
per 
Month. 
January .. 
10 
110 
30 
27 
2 bushels, at 4s. 
£ s. 
0 8 
d. 
0 
February . 
10 
139 
15 
16 
1.) bush., at 4s., 7 lbs. of grits 
o 7 
4 
March.. .. 
8 
109 
27 
12 
2i bush., at 4s., 3^ lbs. of grits 
0 10 
8 
April .... 
8 
111 
14 
0 
2 bush., at 4s., 3J lbs. of grits 
0 8 
8 
Total.. 
469 
86 
55 
8 bushs. corn and 14 lbs. grits ^6 J 1 14 
8 
I have two hens now laying, after having brought up two 
broods of chickens this year, and two now setting for the 
second time.—A. Z. 
[We wish that many of our readers, who keep a record of 
their poultry proceedings, would send us similar reports.— 
Ed. C. G.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER’S PONY. 
(Continued from page 50 .) 
I have been greatly edified by Abdel-Kader’s letter on the 
management of Arabian horses, which appeared lately in 
the “ Household Words.” In all essential points I think he 
corroborates what I have advanced: the Oriental white 
barley nearly answers to our oats. 
“ During the great heats the Arabs give their horses drink 
only every other day. In the summer, the autumn, and the 
winter they give an armful of straw (in spring, he had 
already observed, they get grass), but the groundwork of 
their diet is barley.” The Arabs say “ If we had not. seen 
that horses are foaled by horses, we should have said barley 
\ produces litem." They say, “ Look for a large one, and buy 
him : barley will make him go." They say, “ Give barley , 
and overwork." 
Again, “ Know that the master of a horse gives but little 
barley, successively increasing his ration by small quan¬ 
tities ; and then diminishing it a trifle, if he leaves any, and 
continuing to supply it at that rate. The best time to give 
barley is in the evening.” 
Abdcl-Kader is a very Wilderspin among young horses. 
“ In his first year they begin to bridle him and tie him up ; 
in his second year they ride him a mile; then two; then a 
league. When he is turned eighteen months, they are not 
afraid of fatiguing him. When he enters his third year, 
they cease to ride him, and allow him to develop himself, 
and to rest, and get fat. Then, if he does not suit you, sell him." 
But Abdel-Kader has no cottage-garden, or allotment farm; 
