August 11 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
371 
hens ; and with regard to my own birds, although, when as 
pullets they commenced laying, their eggs were certainly 
somewhat larger than the average of Shanghae pullet’s eggs, 
they did not, owing, probably, to incessant laying from the 
time they commenced, increase in size, as is often the case 
with other varieties; and they were never in so marked a 
degree larger than the usual run of my other eggs as to 
entitle the birds to the marked distinction claimed for the 
breed, on this score, by Mr. Nolan and some American 
dealers; indeed, I have had exceptional birds of the black, 
and more particularly of the white, varieties, which have 
habitually laid larger eggs. There is a large, lazy fowl, of a 
nondescript character, and, I believe, of mixed origin, well 
known in America as the Gray Chittagong. This fowl, 
though an indifferent layer, is said to lay unusually large 
eggs. May not Mr. Nolan’s birds be of this genus? Such a 
circumstance is not very unlikely, as, from all I hear, some 
of the United States poultry fanciers are not behind others 
of their countrymen in doing “ smart ” things by unwary 
purchasers, and particularly in foisting as genuine birds that 
are not; and the demand for Brahmas and Gray Shanghaes 
being very great, it may not be always convenient to supply 
specimens of the strains most in estimation. I suggest the 
possibility of this in Mr. Nolan’s case, simply from the 
alleged size of the eggs laid by his birds being so much 
larger than those of the most approved Brahma fowls, as I 
shall be happy to convince him by sending him a few, both 
from the Queen’s birds and my own, which have proved 
failures in the hatching. At any rate, and without any 
uncharitable wish either to impugn Mr. Nolan’s veracity, or 
to prejudice his birds, I am quite of opinion, that the large 
size, and striking beauty of the plumage of the best strains 
of these novel members of the Shanghae family, will, with 
the other good qualities common to them and all good 
varieties of the same family, sufficiently recommend them 
to the notice of amateurs, without resorting to the very 
questionable expedient of courting for them an unreal 
celebrity, by assigning to them qualities which they do not 
possess.—W. C. G. 
I enclose my full name; in case Mr. Nolan should request 
to be informed of it. 
POTATO CULTURE. 
As your journal contains all the most useful and econo¬ 
mical hints to cottagers and others in the cultivation of 
their produce, I venture to send you the result of an ex¬ 
periment (although, pei'haps, already known and employed) 
with regard to early potatoes. I dug the walnut-leaved, and 
an early round potato, somewhat like “ Foxes,” the be¬ 
ginning of this month (-July), grown in the open but shel¬ 
tered ground, and instead of throwing away the haulms I 
replanted them, i. e., those which had even the most minute 
tuber, say the size of a pea, left upon them. I simply laid 
them in the trench formed between the two adjoining rows 
of potatoes, and threw the earth over them; they remained 
about three weeks, when, on taking them up, I found a very 
fair crop of tubers had been reproduced, many fully equal in 
size to the largest taken on the first digging. 
I am not prepared to say that in a very dry season this 
result would have been attained, but this year I have un¬ 
doubtedly had a most successful harvest from the replanted 
haulms. Your cottage friends who sell, perhaps, their 
earliest sorts of potatoes, would find it worth the trial, as 
they could keep up, by this means, a second supply for 
their own table. 
By laying the haulms in the trenches, and covering with 
earth from the ridge, the ground is levelled, and there is no 
reason why cabbages should notbe planted where the ridges 
first existed, at the same time deriving the benefit of the 
manure left by the potatoes. 
P.S.—Some of the haulms had tubers left on them pur¬ 
posely, say as large as a musket ball.— Brynadda. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The 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 .” 
Greenhouse Vinery (Co. Cork ).—In reference to previous direc¬ 
tions, page 172 , we add, in reply to your last note, that scantling for 
rafters should be five inches by three inches. Scantling for front uprights, 
three inches by two inches; for sash bars, three-quarters-of-an-inch by 
two inches, tapered off to a quarter-of-an-inch in width, inside the house ; 
but the nearest carpenter will tell you all about it. The cheapest mode 
is to have all the wood prepared by machinery. The top lights had 
better open, unless you have ventilators, either to slide or move in pivot 
hinges. The wood for the frames may be two-and-a-half inches, by one- 
and-a-half inches, and stronger if you like. The pipes should go all 
found. If there is a difficulty, owing to the doors at the ends, have the 
heating apparatus at one end ; have a letter T flow and return pipe from 
the boder, which would bring the pipes above ground at the sides of the 
first door-way, and then, traversing the space under the shelf, it could go 
as far as the other door, and then return. If even this was not suitable, 
you might place your heating power under the central platform. But 
hot-water fitters, who know what they are doing, would have no difficulty 
in either case. If the central platform of four feet is too narrow, add one , 
foot to it, by making the shelves eighteen inches round the front. This 
is all a mere matter of taste, and to be regulated by the size of the plants 
you wish to grow. 
Moles Burrowing (An Old Subscriber ).—They are fond of going 
often and often through the same runs, and one run is almost as good as 
another for setting a trap in. One traversed, this season, some hundreds 
of feet under a wall, got underneath large flag stones, and underneath 
foundations, and at last luxuriated in a Peach-house, where, at length, he 
was snugly caught. We know of no other mode. 
Red Currants on South Wall (Ibid ).—These are affected by 
honey dew. Any other aspect would have been better. A thorough and 
forcible application of the syringe, or garden engine, would have been the 
remedy. 
Old Neglected Garden (R. H. G. M .).—Never give us the trouble 
to refer to indexes if you can help it; always state the page. It requires 
a great amount of time to answer queries, even when correspondents 
state their views and wants so as to give as little trouble as possible. 
The Peach, Plum, and Pear-trees, will want root-pruning in October. 
Raspberries, give now some soakings of manure-water to, and a good 
mulching of rotten dung, which will give you strong canes and good fruit 
next season. This season we have lost many canes by spring frosts. 
Strawberries, in a deep, rich soil, give plenty of watering in summer, 
and thin enough to have the buds ripened in autumn. Gooseberries 
and Currants seem also to be in want of more genial nourishment; very 
likely the bushes are too thick, or not sufficiently taken with the ground. 
If you want fine, large kinds, see the advertisements of the Lancashire 
kinds, which seem to bid defiance to every one else. For ourselves, we use 
chiefly the Early Sulphur, the Champagne, the Keen’s Seedling, and 
the Warrington, for Gooseberries ; and the White Dutch, and the Dutch 
Red, and Grape Red, Currants. The Raby Castle is also a good one. The 
Pear-trees on the trellis will be all right by-and-by. We have little 
notion of making stations of stiff yellow clay and stones, but would 
choose the latter rather. As to the arrangement of the ground, instead 
of having the fruit scattered, as now, we would collect it in the depart¬ 
ment nearest the entrance from the flower-garden ; and at the south side, 
near the pigstye, we would have all our Sea-kale, Asparagus, Rhubarb, 
Artichokes, Horseradish, Herbs, &c. This could be separated from the 
rest by a row of low standards, or a trellis, where now you have the 
dotted line 1. You could then carry on the walk from the stable-yard, 
right across, and then, from near the middle, marked n, take another 
walk to the south side, or take a walk round the piece, leaving a border 
all round against your neighbour’s wall, and against the hedge on the 
opposite side. Had you not made some of the walks, from what we see 
of the place, we would have taken a main walk right across from the 
entrance from the flower-garden, and then another, letter T fashion, 
down the middle of the longer, but narrower part; and then we would 
have had small walks for the side borders, on the walk from the stable- 
yard, and the one leading at right angles from it. Y'ou could increase 
your espalier room with good effect, and if you arched these walks over 
with apple and pear-trees, they would look well, and thrive well. 
Snails and Slugs (1001).— These are not “plagues,” but natural 
enemies to Larkspurs, and all other green things on the face of the 
earth ; and you might just as well have written to Lord Hardinge, as to 
any gardener or editor, for information about how to deal with such. To 
keep up the national defences of soot and lime, all round the coast, in 
such a season as this, would require a man, or rather two men, one for 
the nights, and one for the days, going round and round, and laying 
down the powders as required, for as soon as the next shower was over, 
the effect of every train would be over likewise. Mr. Barnes had given 
sufficient instructions for the destruction of all the snails and slugs in 
Europe, in our previous volumes. We, ourselves, have proved his plans 
this very season, and after killing many thousands of these quiet, harm¬ 
less-looking creatures, all those that infected the gardens on each side of 
us ran in to take their places, and their leave of this world, almost at 
the same time; and if more come they must go the same road, for in our 
warfare we give “ no quarter,” and that is the only sure and certain way 
of getting rid of snails and slugs. 
Hybridising Geraniums (Ibid ).—Here we can be of service to you. 
We had hoped that The Cottage Gardener had put down the 
pedantry and mischief of the camel-hair brush doctors for ever; but 
