234 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
June 80. 
If we turn to the mere children of a household, where 
can be found a more untiring source of pleasure than 
the few square yards which can he dug and exhibited 
as “My Garden?” In manufactories it is the same— 
the boys and girls there linger for such leisure-hour 
employment as much as our stabled animals linger for 
green pasturage in the spring. Very recently, we pub¬ 
lished the statement of Mr. Wilson, at Price’s Candle 
Manufactory, that “ almost all the boys set to work 
most eagerly at the gardens;” and we have testimony 
equally strong from the north and west of England, 
that, “ wherever encouraged, good gardening prevails 
among the youths employed in the factories.” 
This brings us to conclude with a recommendation 
that gardening be rendered more generally a branch of 
education. We know, from evidence admitting of no 
dispute, the great benefits arising from such a course' of 
proceeding. We have had the Industrial Schools at 
Redhill and Sydenham inspected, and find there testi¬ 
mony which we shall, ere long, publish. The proprie¬ 
tors of this Journal have annually offered a small prize 
to be awarded to the cultivator of the best kept garden 
at the Winchester Diocesan Training School, and it is 
always difficult to determine which of its pupils best 
merits the award. This year the judge reports seven to 
be equally deserving. Even in the Ragged Schools, 
employment in gardening has been found most bene¬ 
ficial, and we need quote no other authority on this 
point than the son of Dr. Guthrie, the philanthropic pro¬ 
moter of these schools in Scotland. The following is an 
extract from his letter:—• 
“ You ask about our newly-projected addition to the 
Ragged School machinery. I am really sorry that I cannot 
give you any detailed or proper account farther than that 
the Directors, encouraged by the attempts which had been 
made in the same direction at Perth, &c., in this country, 
hut especially at Mcttray, in France (if you could lay hold 
of any little account of Mettray, you would be exceedingly 
interested), wish to try and establish something in the 
shape of a small farm, or market garden, of fifty acres or so, 
within a few miles from Edinburgh, where the boys of the 
Ragged School should be taught the use of the spade, &c., 
and, in fact, work the farm, under the charge and direction 
of a properly-qualified superintendent or superintendents. 
The produce would be sold ; and it is expected that, besides 
the great advantages attending such a plan, with respect to 
the health, occupation, and useful instruction of the poor 
j children (which, of course, is the end in view), the sale of 
j the produce would ultimately not only support the farm, 
| hut be profitable to the Institution itself. It is expected that 
an outlay of no less than F‘3000 will be requisite for the 
purchase of the ground, the stocking of the farm, and 
setting the whole in working order’. This looks a large 
sum, hut my father has sanguine hopes they will reach it. 
Already they have got several hundreds of pounds, in the 
way of private subscriptions; but they are depending chiefly 
on the success of a fancy sale, which is proposed to be held 
in the Music Hall of Edinburgh, next Christmas, for the 
benefit of this scheme of an industrial farm in connection 
with our Ragged Schools. Arrangements are being made 
with a view to this; and I earnestly trust, and really think 
(from the popularity of the object) that it will be successful. 
The Directors have procured the names of a great many 
ladies of distinction as patronesses of the bazaar ; so long a 
list, indeed, that it is more like a modified peerage roll than 
anything else. And, what is not always the case in such 
matters, many of these ladies give not only their names, 
but promise actively to exert themselves in procuring work 
and subscriptions for the cause.” , 
Such testimony justifies us in urging the affording 
greater facilities in obtaining gardens, and the adoption 
of instruction in gardening as a more general depart¬ 
ment of school instruction. Such gardens, and such 
education, should be part and parcel of every Workhouse 
Union throughout the land. 
In the prize-list of the Amateur Poultry Society of 
Dublin for their Exhibition, to be held on the 6th, 
7th, and 8th of December next, we notice several 
deviations from the usual classification on such occa¬ 
sions. Fowls are there divided generally into two 
classes—those with combs, and those with crests; the 
latter section, we presume, including all those varieties 
which, in England, have been shown as Polish. From 
the mention of the Black-crested White I owl, we ima¬ 
gine that Irish fanciers have been more successful in 
their attempts to reproduce that great desideratum ot 
the poultry-yard—a Polish fowl, with a really good 
black top-knot—than we have been in this country. 
It does not, however, seem quite clear as to what is 
meant by “ the White-crested Red bowl; the Golden 
Poland, which would come nearest to this description, 
rarely, if ever, possessing a perfectly white crest. The 
arrangement of Shanghaes, as “ dark colours, com¬ 
prehending black, grouse, or partridge; “light colours, 
lemon, buff, and cinnamon, with a separate class ioi 
the white birds, seems better designed for the fair 
exhibition of this family than any previous system, 
since, although the black birds, from their more than 
questionable position as distinct varieties, are not, in 
our opinion, deserving of a class to themselves, they 
should not be altogether excluded from competition. 
“Persian,” otherwise “Tail-less,” and the “Irizzled, 
have each their prizes; but might not these, with the 
Silk and Negro fowls, with some few other similar 
families, curious, no doubt, but, without pretensions to 
be regarded in an economical point of view, have been 
done full justice to in a single class, such as has been 
assigned them at Birmingham and elsewhere? 
Practical utility should always be the aim of all asso¬ 
ciations for the improvement of our breeds ol poultry ; 
and however form and colour may be required in the 
Shanghaes, Dorkings, Hamburgh?, and Polish, they 
are only in addition to the strictly economical merits 
of those several races. 
Feathered Bantams are on the list; and Class 18 
is for the “Cuckoo” fowl, with single comb. This 
distinctive term having reference, in England, to plum¬ 
age only, a Cuckoo Dorking, a Cuckoo Game fowl, or 
a Cuckoo Barn-door fowl, might all enter the lists ; we 
think, therefore, that it should have been clearly stated 
what particular race was thus invited to compete, for 
hardly, we should suppose, are they all to appear as 
candidates for this prize. In Ireland, however, the 
term “Cuckoo” may possibly be so defined as to obviate 
this apparent difficulty, and may refer to some one 
distinct breed of fowls, with other characteristics beyond 
mere plumage. 
