June 2. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
171 
made,when a quartof blackliquid (smelling most offensively) 
immediately poured out, and a few kernels of barley ; the 
hen did not appear to suffer, and made no resistance. The 
I crop, being thoroughly cleaned out, was carefully sown up, 
and on being offered a little toast and ale she eat it greedily. 
I hoped I had effected a cure; but the next morning my 
surprise was great to find her crop as large as ever; it was 
again opened, and with the same result, excepting the 
barley, which, as she had had none, of course did not 
appear; in fact, she had had but one tablespoonful of toast 
and ale, and no water. She continued in this state till last 
Monday, when I was advised to give her water with rue in 
it, and leave it before her; this I did; she drank a great 
quantity, and the next morning I found her dead. 
[This case would have been an interesting case for exa¬ 
mination. I should imagine that there was an obstruction 
in some part of the digestive canal, most probably between 
the crop and the gizzard, but, in the absence of a post 
mortem , it is impossible to'speak decidedly. Hens often lay 
one or two days after becoming ill, those eggs being laid of 
which the yolks were matured before the attack. The 
malady is not likely to recur among the other fowls.— 
W. B. Tegetmelr, Tottenham.'] 
Seeing your courteous answers to the many who apply for 
information, induces me to offer my slight experience on 
the often-mooted question as to “ which breed of fowls are 
the best layers ? ” I have, for the last three years, kept seven 
different breeds, which are—1, Cochin-China ; 2, Spanish ; 
3, Dorkings; 4, Silver-Pencilled Hamburghs ; 5, Gold- 
Laced Sebright Bantams ; 0, White Bantams ; and, 7, 
some half-bred Dorkings Some of these I have not had 
quite so long, but quite time enough to judge fairly of them, 
having had none less than eighteen months, and I have no 
hesitation in saying, that the Spanish lay both the finest 
and the greatest number of eggs, and a glance at my 
1 poultry book, which I shall be happy to show, will prove it. 
The fowls have all different walks, and, as nearly as possible, 
the same advantages, all having daily liberty; if any, the 
Cochin-China and Sebright Bantams are the most favoured, 
as they are close to the house.—S. H. 
SEA WEEDS.—No. 1. 
The study of the Marine A lyre, or, as they are commonly 
called, Sea Weeds, is so full of interest, that those who enjoy 
it themselves can scarcely refrain from endeavouring to 
spread the pleasure which they feel by imparting it to 
others. It is delightful to be at the sea-side, to watch wave 
after wave rushing in upon the shore, or breaking, in showers 
of spray, on some time-worn rock or pebbly beach. It is 
equally enjoyable, on a calm and sunny day, to feel that the 
tide is stealing in upon you almost imperceptibly, while the 
blue sky is reflected in the mighty mirror. But how is the 
pleasure increased, and the interest deepened, to those who 
are searching for the beautiful Ocean plants ! How do they 
watch each coming wave to see what treasures it may cast 
at their feet, or look, with earnest gaze, into the little clear, 
rocky pools, fringed all round with delicate Algae, the little 
I crabs lurking in their shade; the curious star-fish spreading 
! out their numerous feelers; or the red sea-anemone studding 
the stones and expanding in the sunshine, or suddenly 
closing up as something touches it. And then, too, the 
limpets, glued as it were to the rocks, and the perriwinkles, 
1 and the sudden dart of a shrimp, or the elegant movements 
of a company of the delicate little sand-eels. Oh ! even as 
I write, how I long for the sea-shore. 
Many and many an hour have I passed upon it, looking 
I so earnestly for weeds that time and weariness were almost 
! forgotten ; and on one occasion I found, on looking up, that 
I was completely surrounded, and had to walk through the 
: water, to the delight of an old sea-captain, who, having a 
scarcity of occupation, used to edify himself, or rather in¬ 
dulge liis curiosity, by watching other people’s proceedings 
through a telescope. I was very glad to be on the dry sand 
once more, though I was afraid I should have had to go 
: back again ; for a little white poodle had followed me from 
I my lodgings, and at first seemed too timid to follow me 
i through the water, but at last she ventured, and poor little 
Fan and her friend were quite safe. 
There is much of disappointment, as well as of pleasure, 
in searching for Algte. Marine pleasures, as well as earthly 
ones, are subject to vicissitudes. The wind, perhaps, is not 
favourable; or the season may not be a good one; or the 
weed-gatherer may not be there at the right time. Like all 
other things, it requires patience and perseverance. But 
then, these, generally speaking, bring their reward with 
them ; and great is the pleasure when a weed, never seen 
before, is found, and the prize is carried home to bo lloated 
and dried, to be placed in the herbarium at some future 
time, while duplicate pieces are carefully wrapped up in 
oiled-silk, or gutta percha cloth, to delight some inland 
friend, through the medium of the post; or to refresh some 
invalid naturalist, whose languid eye lights*up with pleasure 
as he sui'veys weed after weed, and feels that he owes them 
to the kindness of a friend who has not forgotten to share 
his pleasures with one who is unable to procure them for 
himself. Oh ! who but those that have felt it, can tell how 
refreshing it is to be thus kindly remembered. It is as re¬ 
freshing to the spirit as sunshine to the body. The law of 
kindness, is, indeed, a pleasant thing—a cordial to the sink¬ 
ing spirits, a cup of consolation to the weary. Are we prac¬ 
tising it ? 
Dr. Harvey says, that the name Algae is now limited by 
botanists to that large group or natural class of Cryptogamia, 
or fiowerless plants, which form the principal and cha¬ 
racteristic vegetation of the waters. The sea, in no climate, 
from the polar circle to the equator, is altogether free from 
Algae, though they abound on some shores much more than 
on others. “ Some arc so minute as to be wholly invisible, 
except in masses, to the naked eye, and require the highest 
powers of our microscopes to ascertain their form or struc¬ 
ture. Others, growing in the depths of the great Pacific 
Ocean, have stems which exceed in length (though not in 
diameter) the trunks of the tallest forest trees; and others 
have leaves that rival in expansion those of the Palm.” 
Of the “ constant colours ” of Sea Weeds, I shall speak 
in another paper; merely warning the young botanist not to 
depend too much on colour alone, as from circumstances it 
may vary. Again I borrow from Dr. Harvey—“ Laurencia 
pinnatijida is particularly variable in this respect. When 
this species grows near low-water mark it is of a fine, deep, 
purple-red, a little higher up it is dull purple-brown, higher 
still, a pale brownish-red, and at last, near high-water mark, 
it is often yellowish or greenish. Chondrus crispvs , too, 
when found in shallow water, exposed to strong sunlight, is 
often of a bright herbaceous green; and Ceramium rubrum 
passes through every shade of red and yellow, and at last 
degenerates into a dirty white before it ceases to grow.” 
Many SeaWeeds change colour very much after being taken 
out of water, especially some of the Sporochnns tribe, which 
are bright olive when first taken from the sea, but soon be¬ 
come soft, and change to a verdigris-green, spoiling the 
colour of other delicate Algte with which they may be mixed. 
I hope that my readers will become interested in Sea 
Weeds, if they have not already done so, and that the ex¬ 
amination of those wonderful works of God will be found 
elevating to the mind, and lead to the contemplation of Him 
who created the sea and the things that are therein.—“ This 
great and wide sea ! ”—S. B. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
Thf. Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.” 
Calceolarias and Mimulus (W . A. L.).~ The seedling Calceo¬ 
larias, now (20th May) in the fourth leaf, will not flower in time to make 
any show this season ; but Mimulus seedlings, in the same state of for¬ 
wardness, will be in bloom by the middle of July, with good manage¬ 
ment, and be very useful through the autumn. 
Pruning Banksian Roses (M. If.).— They are pruned as soon as 
they are out of flower, and not at any other time, unless they are young 
or too strong, and make long, watery shoots towards the end of the 
summer, when all such ought to be stopped or cut out entirely, accord¬ 
ing to the room for training them. 
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