September 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
growth, and as nearest to the old varieties in appear¬ 
ance.—E d. C. G.] 
Tobacco-water for the Aphis.—A writer in The 
Cottage Gardener recommends a quantity of to¬ 
bacco tea, as he calls it, to be kept in corked bottles 
ready for use, and, on the first appearance of the 
aphis, or green fly, to damp the parts affected by 
means of a piece of sjionge dipped in the liquor, but 
a soft brush or a feather will answer as well, and 
may be more handy in some cases. We would 
strongly urge on all our plant growers to keep some 
of this liquor by them for instant use, because, if the 
bottle or jar is well corked, this useful and cheap 
application will keep good enough for a whole sea¬ 
son. It is as easily made as a cup of tea, and much 
in the same way, by pouring boiling water at the 
rate of a quart to an ounce of best tobacco, and 
covering over the vessel till the liquor is cold. A 
tea-spoonful of soot may also be added before the 
water is put on. The ammoniacal smell from this 
is very disagreeable to insects, ants, and slugs. 
Draw off the liquor quite clean, in order that no 
disfigurement may ensue to the leaves by its appli¬ 
cation.— Senilis. 
Winter Planting Potatoes. —According to your 
advice I planted potatoes in winter. I just contrast 
the results:—1810, planted in April, three-fourths 
diseased; 1817, ditto, one-half ditto ; 1848, ditto, all 
diseased; 1819, end of December, not one diseased, 
and the crop about one-fourth more than any of the 
previous. Part of the ground was the very same as 
tbe bad potatoes grew on, because I occupy more 
ground for potatoes than all other vegetables.—H. B., 
Sheffield. 
Poultry. —I am happy in being able to give an 
answer to tbe query (J. II. S.. p. 259), respecting the 
two descriptions of hens he names. I have seen 
something of the Chittaprats, but decidedly prefer 
the Golden pheasants, having tried them for two years. 
They are not sitters, which the former are, but the 
eggs of the latter are very superior. Mine com¬ 
menced laying early in January, but, counting from 
February down to the end of July, they laid 1000 
eggs. I should have said my stock was 20 hens, and 
two cocks; and for the last two months 16 was the 
number. This includes eggs sat upon by four hens 
of another breed, producing 36 chickens. Thirteen 
eggs were put to each hen. The greater part of the 
year they have been fed upon rice boiled, with an 
occasional help of barley. The rice cost me 13s per 
cwt., carriage included, at the rate of 10s Od rice, 
2s 6d carriage. I have not made up my accounts, 
to see what they have actually cost me, but think 
I may be somewhat on the wrong side, although 
I have killed 33 chickens in the six months, which 
chickens had been kept upon the same materials. 
They are confined to a good sized yard, with no grass 
to feed on, but occasionally cabbage leaves from the 
garden. Under these circumstances of confinement 
they require more feeding than if they had the run 
of a field, where they find much to exist on ; but tbe 
former being dry, it favours tbe rearing of chicks, of 
which I have lost comparatively few, that is four or 
five last year and two this. Ducks also form a por¬ 
tion of my stock, in the rearing of which I have not 
been so fortunate, having allowed them to sit, instead 
of placing hens on their eggs. Those hens I have 
allowed to sit are a kind of Top-knot Malay, I think, 
which I have crossed with the pheasant, and hope to 
find some of them will sit. They make good layers. 
—Robert Haynes, Danesfonl. 
345 
| The Intermediate Stock.— The way I grow it is . 
| to sow the seed the first week in August. By the 
first week in September the plants are ready to prick 
out in pots. I put three in a six-inch, or 32-pot; 
growing them in very poor soil, and keeping them 
all the winter in a cold, frame. They show flower 
very early, and I plant them out the last week in 
April with their flowers just colouring. I am so very 
fond of them that I grow as many as I can of them ; 
some are still blooming (September 4th). I am sure 
they do better without manure; they come nearly all 
double.—J. C., Holloivay. 
[You liave hit upon the best mode of growing the 
intermediate stock. We are always glad to receive 
particulars concerning any of our readers’ modes of 
cultivation. Such particulars may appear simple to 
themselves, but they are original and valuable to 
many.—E d. C. G.] 
Rylott’s Flour-ball Potato. —A correspondent 
asked a few weeks since, “ Has Rylott’s Flour-ball 
potatoes pink eyes ?” As no one has replied, I write 
to say that they have not. I wish to say a few words 
in favour of this potato. In the first place it is a most 
prolific bearer. I am not aware of one kind which 
bears better than the “ Flour-ball.” A friend of 
mine, from whom I obtained my seed, informed me 
(and I have no reason to distrust his veracity) that 
a neighbour of his planted half a peck (10 lbs.), and 
bad the enormous produce of 13 pecks, or 200 lbs.; 
but this was in a good locality for potato culture; 
however, with me they bear extremely well. Se¬ 
condly, the flavour is first-rate. I do not remember 
having tasted any of a better flavour. It is true 
they do not grow large, but of a nice moderate size, 
and their appearance is good wlien boiled. They 
are then very white, and really worthy of the name 
they bear—“Flour-ball.” I consider that they are 
a second early. I wish every cottage gardener had 
one peck to plant next season: my impression is 
they would not regret having made the experiment 
in planting such an excellent variety.—J. Turner, 
Nurseryman , Neepsend, Sheffield. 
Fumigation of Bees. —Some of your correspond¬ 
ents appear to be at a loss for the proper material for 
the fuming of bees. No work on the subject, that I am 
aware of, gives more ample information than Taylor’s 
“ Bee-keeper’s Manual,” wherein is described a new 
kind of most effective fungus, which may be procured 
in any quantity. Very probably it can be had of 
Neighbour, Higli Holborn, London. I have tried 
various modes of uniting families of bees in autumn, 
including that of Gelieu, as given by Mr. Payne, but 
prefer, as the most simple, the method detailed in 
the above-named publication. (My copy is tbe third 
edition.) As to chloroform, no one can doubt its 
effect on any form of animal existence; but is it wise 
to introduce among servants or cottagers an agent 
at once highly dangerous in improper hands, expen¬ 
sive, and of troublesome application, when a bit of 
fungus or mild tobacco, scarcely to be valued at a 
penny, will answer every object ?— An Old Bee- 
master. 
[We think you are right. Where the fungus can 
be had, and tobacco can be had anywhere, there is 
every reason against using so dangerous a compound 
as chloroform.—E d. C. G.] 
Hyacinths, Narcissus, &c. —Bulbs of these, and 
all other hardy bulbs, that are intended to bloom 
about or before Christmas, will force better and easier 
the earlier they are potted this month, because the 
pots will get full of roots before they are brought 
into heat; but for spring flowering they will be soon 
