204 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July .10. 
hold of one of the scales, and if it separates easily they are 
done enough. Before sending them to table, open the scales 
carefully, and remove the choke, and serve them up with 
melted butter. 
To Fry Artichokes. —For this purpose select those that 
are young and tender; cut them in quarters, and remove 
the choke and the scales ; wash them well, and let them lie 
an hour in cold water, after which, put them in boiling water, 
and let them boil till they are quite tender. Prepare a 
batter, made in the proportion of the yolk of one egg, a large 
tablespoonful of milk, and a teaspoonful of flour; beat 
the eggs well before mixing with the milk, and add Hour a 
spoonful at a time; season well with nutmeg, pepper, and 
salt. Have ready over the fire some fresh butter, or lard, in 
a frying-pan, and when it has boiled hard, take the artichokes, 
which should previously be well drained, and dip each piece 
twice into the batter; put them in the frying-pan till they 
are browned, then drain them and send them to table hot. 
To Stew Artichokes. —Strip off the scales, remove the j 
choke, and soak them in warm water for two or three hours, 
changing the water every hour; then put them into a stew- 
pan, with a piece of butter, rolled in Cayenne pepper and 
flour; a tea cupful of gravy, and a spoonful or two of catsup, 
or other sauce; let all stew together till the artichokes are 
quite tender, and, if necessary, thicken the sauce with a little 
more butter. Add a spoonful of vinegar, or one of lemon 
juice, before serving. 
Artichoke Salad. —Take very small and tender arti¬ 
chokes, and, after soaking them, cut them in quarters, and 
remove the choke. Serve them up in a dish with a little 
cold water, like radishes; and use them with a dressing of 
oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt. They have the flavour of nuts, 
and are very nice. 
To Fickle Artichokes. —Boil artichokes till you can pull 
off all the scales, and thoroughly clear the bottoms, but leave 
on the choke. When cool, put them into salt and water for 
an hour, then take them out and put them on a cloth to 
drain. Put them into wide-mouthed bottles, and pour over 
them vinegar, in which salt, pepper, mace, and sliced nutmeg 
have been boiled, but not before it has cooled. Tie bladder 
over the bottles. 
To Dry Artichokes. —Boil the artichokes as for eating; 
remove the scales and the choke; dry the bottoms upon 
dishes in an oven, and put them into paper bags, where they 
will keep all the winter. When they are to be dressed, they 
are to be laid in warm water for two or three hours; then 
plain boiled, and eaten with melted butter, or stewed in 
gravy, with a little mushroom catsup, pepper, and salt; then 
serve with a little butter rolled in flour. They are a 
great improvement to all made dishes and meat pies.— 
Roger Asiirole. 
WINDSOR POULTRY SHOW. 
! Some of the decisions were so remarkable, that they gave 
I rise to a great amount of criticism. The third prize in the 
Silver Spangled Hamburghs was given to one of the worst 
cock-birds in the Class—the ear-lobe was bright scarlet, 
without a suspicion of white ; and the wings, instead of 
j being barred, were mottled; but possibly some allowance 
i should be made for the peculiar views of Mr. Baily, one of 
the judges, respecting this variety, as having published his 
opinion that Spangled Hamburghs are “ good mothers,” 
, the prize might have been awarded to the pen in that capa- 
j city. The most remarkable decision in the Cochins was in 
i accordance with the peculiar views held by Mr. Baily, that 
i Partridge cocks must have black breasts; the result was, 
that the third prize was awarded to a leggy, upright, gawky 
cock, whilst the next pen (1 (13 ) contained one of the very 
best birds in the show — a broad, compact, short legged, 
magnificent cock, that was not even commended. Both pens 
came from the same yard, that of T. Bridges, Esq., Croydon. 
It is to be much regretted if there is even a possibility of 
the Partridge Cochins being sacrificed to any whims about 
colour, as the bulls were by breeding, solely for the clear 
hackle. In fact, these black-breasted cocks are not always 
pure Partridge, but may be bred at any time from a black 
hen and a Partridge cock. Among the curiosities shown in 
the Extra Class was a very common looking Cochin hen, 
and several of her eggs, weighing from five-and-a-quarter to 
seven ounces each. The owner, Mr. Morgan, of the “ Rose 
and Crown,” Wandsworth, stated that she laid every other 
day ; that none of her eggs were under five ounces, and that 
they were all single-yolked. As a drawback to their value, 
it must be stated that they were misshapen and deformed— 
the extreme size evidently depending on an abnormally 
enlarged condition of that part of the oviduct which secretes 
the white membrane and shell. 
On the whole, the Show may be stated to have been a 
very good one, and I believe successful, in a pecuniary 
point of view; the birds were well looked after and kept 
clean, and one commendable innovation was the publish¬ 
ing the catalogue at Gd., which I should think would be 
found as remunerative as if published at a higher price.— 
W. B. Tegetmeier, Wood Green, Tottenham, 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
We have now before us Catalogues from two of the 
eminent Nurserymen; the first is entitled, 
Catalogue oe Plants, Shrubs, Ac., offered for Sale 
by Hugh Low and Co., Clapton Nursery, London, 18b5. 
In this pamphlet, which occupies fifty pages of closely- 
printed matter, we find an enumeration of a very extensive 
collection of Exotic Plants, for which the Clapton Nursery 
has been so long celebrated, and to which Mr. Low 
still applies his numerous resources to extend and main¬ 
tain. It embraces Stove, Greenhouse, Orchidaceous, 
Herbaceous, and Alpine Plants, Florists’ Flowers, Orna¬ 
mental and Fruit Trees; and these again are subdi¬ 
vided into Ferns, Azaleas, Camellias, Ericas, Chrysanthe¬ 
mums,* Geraniums, Phloxes, Fuchsias, Cinerareas, and 
Hollyhocks, together with a very complete collection of 
Conifer®. Every article has a price attached to it, so that 
any one intending to become a purchaser can count the 
cost before giving an order. 
The catalogue is stamped to go free by post, and will, no 
doubt, be forwarded on application being made. 
The second to which we have referred is also one of 
much interest, it is, 
A Catalogue of New and Choice Ornamental Plants 
(mostly hardy) selected from the General Stock of 
Messrs. Standisii and Noble, Bagshot, Surrey, 1850. 
It was to this nursery that Mr. Fortune sent home the 
greater part of his discoveries in China, and when we have 
said this much, it may be inferred that the contents of the 
catalogue are both select and valuable. Besides the enu¬ 
meration of the plants and their prices, the catalogue is 
interspersed with copious remarks on the most important 
genera and species, and of the Sikkim Rhododendrons, 
particularly, there is a very full description of each. Of the 
varieties of Pteonia Montan , or as they are sometimes 
called “ Fortune’s Pieonias,” we find the following:— 
“ Of the many remarkable plants imported by us from 
China, these, if- judged by the size and beauty of their 
flowers, are among the most attractive. In the magnitude 
of their individual blossoms, in the diversity and richness 
of their colours, as well as in the profusion in which they 
are produced, nothing remains to be desired. The following 
sketch wdll afford an idea of their general characters. First, 
of colour: of white there are examples unsurpassed in inten¬ 
sity and clearness by any' other flower, not excepting even 
the old double white Camellia. Of rose-colour there are 
many shades, as well as of purple, and one rivalling the 
richness of the Tuscan Rose. Then there is pale blush, 
light red, deep red, salmon colour, primrose, peach colour, 
and crimson; with various other tints and combinations of 
those already mentioned. Some of the light coloured ones 
have the basis of their petals deeply stained with red or 
purple; others are delicately shaded. Most of the flowers 
are very double ; some are, however, only semi-double, the 
latter generally have the petals stained as described. In 
shape, many are finely cupped; some resemble the finest 
Rose, and others have Anemone flowers. Of the last-named, 
a white and a deep red are fine examples. In size, too, 
they arc remarkable; some of the flowers produoed last 
season, and from small plants, measured eight, ten, and 
twelve inches across.” 
