July 3. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
245 I 
[The seed of Curled Kale which you enclosed to us is 
attacked by what all seeds of the Cabbage tribe are subject 
to when kept in sacks, boxes, or drawers, and is what is 
termed by the trade “mity.” It is not caused by any injury 
at the time of ripening, and the usual way of preventing it is 
to sift and clean the seed two or three times a year, if you 
require to keep it so long. The little beetle causing the 
mischief is a species of Bruchus, and we believe it is 
Bruchus granarius. Exposing the seed to a temperature of 
150° for two or three hours it is said will destroy the insect, 
its larvae, and its eggs, without injuring the vegetating 
power of the seed.] 
MANAGEMENT OF GOLD FISH. 
“ Some information regarding the habits and mode of j 
keeping Gold Fish will very much oblige. 
“I have lately obtained four pair, -which are to inhabit the ] 
basin of a fountain about twenty feet in diameter. This i 
basin is supplied with water from a spring about 150 ; 
yards distant, and which is conveyed through a leaden tube. 
The water can be changed wholly, or in part, at pleasure. 
I want to know how often this should be done ? Whether 
the coldness of that fresh from the well will make it de¬ 
sirable to renew but a portion daily (the basin is not more 
than twenty inches deep, and the water is, of course, warmed 
and softened by the sun and the air), and if so, to what ex¬ 
tent? There is a basket sunk in the basin, which contains, 
growing in it, an Egyptian Lily and some “ Forget-me not.” 
Will it be injurious to the fish to let these remain ? and, 
finally, am Lto believe what some people tell me, “that it is 
destruction to give them bread-crumbs, or food of any sort; 
that they must be left to feed solely on the animalcule) 
which they find in the water? ” 
“ Recollect, that this water passes through a very small 
pipe for a considerable distance, and not likely to convey 
anything having life, and the water, so far as perceptible 
to the naked eye, is cleawand tmteuanted. Such large fish 
would, I think, require more tangible food than they will 
find in it. They are now in it nearly a week, and seem 
brisk and healthy.— Carrig Cathol.” 
[We shall be much obliged by information in reply to 
these queiies, from any one who has kept Gold Fish success¬ 
fully. Those which lived longest, within our own know¬ 
ledge, were supplied with water from a fish-pond. Water- 
plants were allowed to grow at the bottom of the glass vase. 
The water was changed two or three times weekly, and a 
little cooked meat, chopped very fine, was given them every 
second day. Bread is injurious to them.] 
SOWING SEEDS OF GOOSEBERRIES, CURRANTS, 
AND STRAWBERRIES. 
“ Two years since I saved seed of Gooseberries, Currants, 
and Strawberries, with a view to emigrating. I have them, 
now; they were carefully washed, dried, placed in dried 
sifted earth, and well corked up in phial bottles. I also 
saved Blum and Apple seed. Will they vegetate now in 
England? If so, is this the time to sow them; and can they 
be sown in the open ground ?—J. W. C. W.” 
[You ought to have sown them three months or more ago ; 
but you can try them still. If they will grow at all, they 
will have a better chance now than by waiting till next 
spring; and if the wood should not ripen before winter, 
you can keep the young plants under shelter. Sow them 
in seed-pans, or boxes, so as you may move them in the 
autumn, without disturbing the roots.] 
CUCUMBERS FOR TABLE USE NEED NOT BE 
FERTILIZED. 
“ In the last number of The Cottage Gardener, at p. 
20!), “ J. P. S.” says, he finds his Melon and Cucumber plants 
to thrive and blossom well, and go into fruit, having, of 
course, innoculated them. You say this is not necessary. 
Now, I want to know, will Cucumbers and Melons swell 
without being innoculated; that is, without the pollen of the 
male flower being dusted on to the female flower ? If they j 
do not require this being done, what office was the so- 
called male flower intended to perform ?—J. II. D.” 
[If Cucumbers are grown only for show or for table use, 
the fruit is handsomest if not fertilized. We believe the 
same of Melons. That impregnation is absolutely re¬ 
quired, where seed is to be obtained, no one disputes. Mr. 
W. P. Ayres says, that so far as the production of fruit is 
concerned, impregnation is “neither good nor harm,” and 
cites, in proof of this, a brace of fruit, which he cut on the 
8th of February, 1840, each nineteen inches long, which had 
never been impregnated ; for, at the time the female flowers 
expanded, there was not a male blossom on the premises, 
and consequently no impregnation could talce place. Since 
that time he has cut hundreds of fruit, the flowers of which 
never expanded, and the same has been done by several 
of his acquaintances. In fact, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Spivey, 
Mr. Judd, and the Messrs. Ayres, will undertake to procure 
at the May fete of the Horticultural Society, from ten to 
twenty brace of fruit, as good as can be obtained by impreg¬ 
nation, the flowers of which shall be removed from the 
fruit before there is any chance of their being impregnated. 
Where long fruit is desired, Mr. Ayres thinks impregnation 
positively injurious, because if seed is the result of impreg¬ 
nation, the energy of the plant will be expended in perfect¬ 
ing the seed, instead of in the production of fruit, as every 
practical man knows that the production of one seed from 
it will weaken the plant more than a dozen fruit fit for table. 
There are instances in nature of plants perfecting their 
fruit without impregnation, as in the different varieties of 
Figs; and why not the Cucumber do the same? Another 
practical gardener, Mr. Kyle, says, some years ago, as lie 
was pegging down some plants, he broke the flower off the 
fruit, at least four or five days before it would have expanded. 
He left it, however, and, to his agreeable surprise, it swelled 
oft’ as handsome a fruit as any he had during that season. 
From that time he has never taken the least trouble respect¬ 
ing impregnation, unless when wanting to save seed. Mr. 
W. Charlton gives similar testimony, for he says, some of 
the finest fruit he ever grew never opened a blossom. In 
one instance, he broke off the unexpanded corolla, and the 
end of the fruit, notwithstanding which the fruit swelled, 
and was eaten at table (Card. Cliron.). Such testimony as 
this is unimpeachable, as far as it can possibly be carried; 
which is no more than this, Cucumbers unimpregnated have 
been known to attain a good size and perfection. But it by 
no means refutes the opinion, that to be most certain of a 
fruit not falling immaturely, one condition is that it should 
be impregnated.] 
LONDON MARKETS. —COVENT GARDEN. 
The market is abundantly supplied with Vegetables and 
Flowers. The latter give the market the appearance of an 
immense flower-garden. The flowers in pots consist of 
large quantities of Mignonette, luxuriant and fragrant; Gera¬ 
niums, Verbenas, Roses, Gladiolus, and Pinks. The cut- 
flowers of the common kinds, are Geraniums, Ranunculus, 
Iris, Gladiolus, Roses, Centaurea, and Pinks. Fruit is be¬ 
coming more plentiful. Cherries from France have been 
remarkably fine, particularly a large Bigarreau - -looking 
variety, which, when unripe, is pale, and deeply mottled with 
red, but as it ripens it becomes jet black. We could not 
ascertain its name. Peaches and Nectarines are very fine, and 
well coloured. Strawberries, hitherto sold by the ounce, are 
coming in by the pottle, and if the hot weather continues 
we shall have them very soon hawked about the streets. 
FRUIT. 
Apples, kitchen, 
per bushel.... 7s. to 12s. 
„ dessert, doz. Gd. „ 2s. 
Pears.— „ — 
Apricots, per doz. — „ — 
Peaches, per doz. 15s. „ 24s. 
Nectarines, doz. 15s. „ 24s. 
Cherries, lb.3s. „ 6s. 
Plums . — „ — 
Pine-apples, lb... Gs. „ 10s. 
Grapes, lb. 5s. „ 10s. 
Melons, each.... 3s. „ 8s. 
Figs . — j, — 
Gooseberries, per 
half sieve .... — „ — 
Currants . — „ — 
Raspberries .... — „ — 
Strawberries, per 
pottle.. Is. „ 2s. 
Oranges, per 100 4s. „ 10s. 
Lemons, doz... Is. to Is. Gd. 
Almonds,per 11).. 2s. „ —■ 
Nuts, Filberts, lb. — „ — 
„ Cobs, lb. .. — „ — 
„ Barcelona, 
per bushel.... 20s. „ 22s. 
„ Brazil, per 
bushel .12s. ,, 14s. 
Chestnuts . — „ — 
