340 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 5, 1861. 
prefer that neither Strawberries nor Vines should he too dry or too damp 
as respects the atmosphere when in bloom. We have dewed Strawberries 
at such times with good effect. However, we would have Strawberries in 
a drier atmosphere than Vines in the same position. In Vines, when the 
air is greatly saturated the pollen clogs ; if the air is very dry, the little 
cap that covers the anthers is fixed there over them ; a little more moisture 
causes the cap to fly off, and set the anther-boxes at liberty. The middle 
path is, therefore, the best. We agree with you as to gardeners’ houses. 
In late volumes you will find that Mr. Fish corroborates strongly Mr. 
Appleby’s ideas on the subject, and both speak front experience and 
personal observation. 
Mildew on Greenhouse Plants (/. B .).—Dust with flowers of sulphur 
your mildewed Geraniums, Ferns, &c., and ventilate freely night and day 
when temperature not too low. Your flue-heated miniature greenhouse 
w ill preserve plants through the winter, if you take care that the tempera¬ 
ture never falls below 35° at night. Much might easily be done by covering 
such a small house. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
TAMED WILD EOWL. 
There is nothing more contagious than the love of natural 
history, nor clo we believe there is anything more deeply im¬ 
planted in the human mind than the love of animals. We are 
not now going into the question why or how this exists, but we 
wish to remove a difficulty. Many people would like to keep 
•some tame wild fowl, but they think it impossible—they imagine 
such luxuries form part of the privileges of those who have 
“ Thirty large domains, 
Forty grand chateaux, 
Fifty fertile plains, 
Sixty suits of clothes, 
Lots of gold and silver,” &c. 
No such thing. We lately saw a pair of Mandarin and a pair 
■of Carolina Ducks revelling in luxury. They were tenants of a 
washing-tub sunk in the ground. Nothing can give an idea of 
the facility with which things can be kept so easily as the 
description of places where they have been successfully domes¬ 
ticated and reared. Thus, almost the only man who bred both 
Grouse and Black Game in confinement was an artist living in 
the suburbs of London, and having a small, long strip of garden 
which he devoted to them. We have no hesitation in saying 
there is hardly any place where wild fowl cannot he kept; but 
as in nine out of ten there are advantages that only require to 
be made use of, we shall endeavour to describe such a place 
as may he within reach of all who have a garden and water. 
We do not advise too small a pond. Few people are content 
with only one pair, although the pond is made for that number 
only. A round pond 4 feet in diameter is quite large enough 
for one or two pairs of any kind of wild fowl. After the remark 
we have just made, we need hardly add we advise you, if you 
can, to make it larger. It need not be more than 2 feet deep in 
any part. It may he that depth everywhere, except at two 
places, which will serve for landing-places for the birds and 
scours on which they may be fed. These will bo cut through 
tlie bank, so that the Ducks can swim out. When they are 
tired they cannot always climb up a bank, and they drown. 
The enclosure around the pond must depend on the space that 
is available ; but for one or two pairs, or three, 3 feet clear from 
the pond all round will be enough, but if there is more so much 
*the better. It should be greensward ; and we will mention 
here a point that escaped us before—the scours or landing-places 
should be pitched or floored with large gravel stones well rammed 
down. If this is not done it is a dirty, muddy place ; and, as 
the food will always he thrown here, it is economical. The 
birds can see and find every grain ; whereas, if it is thrown in 
mud, much of it will be lost. Ducks do not require a shady 
place, but they like one, and, in common with nearly all others, 
they like a shelter from heat and from wind. If, then, some 
low-branching shrubs can be enclosed so much the better. 
Some contrivance should be adopted to enable the pond to he 
emptied and refilled, that the water may be clean. It is very 
amusing to wat-cli divers in clear water, when they dive after 
every grain that is thrown to them. The fence that surrounds 
the pond should he 3 feet high, not less—a properly pinioned 
bird cannot get over this. An inexpensive and safe fence is a 
wattled hurdle hedge all round. If looked after it will last for 
years. The grass in the enclosure soon forms a covert enough 
to hide any Duck. The Carolina and Mandarin are the hand¬ 
somest of all we have in England ; both have their admirers. 
We have written the foregoing partly in answer to a query, 
and will continue the subject next week. 
TAUNTON AND SOMERSET POULTRY 
ASSOCIATION. 
Tiie patronage under which this Association purpose holding 
their Exhibition in June next, and the promises of support 
forwarded to the Secretary, Mr. Charles Ballance, warrant the 
expectation that it will he very successful. The prizes are not 
high, hut they are well classified; and we sec that, instead of the 
first prizes of £1, pieces of plate will be awarded valued two ' 
guineas each, we suppose at the option of the winners. There is 
also this assurance in the t£ Regulations,” “all the prizes « 
awarded will be paid by the Honorary Secretary the week after 
the Exhibition.” 
We also notice that little more than half the entrance-fee paid 
for the large varieties of poultry is charged for Bantams, 
Pigeons, and Chickens of 1861. 
The Bristol and Exeter Railway have consented to convey the 
poultry to and from the Show for a single fare, and it is hoped 1 
that the Great Western will do likewise. 
IMPORTATION OF EGOS. 
It is a marvel and a just cause of reproach that wo cannot 
produce eggs sufficient for our own consumption; so far, 
indeed, from producing a sufficient number that every year we 
have to import from the Continent an additional number of , 
millions. The country residents in the British islands who do 
not keep poultry ought to blush as they peruse the following 
table:— 
EGGS IMPORTED IN THE YEARS SPECIFIED. 
1857 . 127,039,600 
1858 . 134,684,800 
1859 . 148,631,000 
1860 . 167,605,200 
So that the number of eggs imported during the last four years 
has averaged more than one hundred and forty-four millions ’ 
yearly! 
SILVER GREY DORKINGS. 
We breeders of Silver Grey Dorkings are really puzzled to 
know what points the judges require in a cock of that breed. 
After the Birmingham Show we were told there must be no 
white feathers in tlie tail, &c. ; and at the Liverpool Show they 
give the first prize to a pen, the cock in which had the roots of 
his sickle-feathers white, from 4 inches to 6 inches up ; and in 
your remarks upon the Show, you state the pen was perfect in 
feather. Really, Mr. Editor, it is too bad to blow hot and cold 
in this way : after such decisions and such comments with the 
previous hints given, how do we know what birds to breed and ' 
select ? 
Now, I will give you what points, in my opinion, a Silver 
Grey cock should have. 1st, his breast should be black ; 2nd, 
his tail should he black—I would on no account give a prize to 
a bird with white in his tail; 3rd, his hackle should be light— 
many of the birds shown have too dai’k hackles ; 4th, his comb 
should he perfectly upright—at Birmingham many of the prize 
birds had drooping combs ; 5th, he may have reddish-brown 
feathers on his wing, as not one true Silver Grey Dorking is ■ 
without them—in fact, not one in a hundred. Those that have 
no reddish-brown feathers are not pure Silver Greys, but crossed 
with the Grey, and they invariably have dark hackles, while a 
true-bred Silver Grey has always (though it may be covered by 
his hackle), a few brown feathers on his saddle; and the hen 
from the same hatch is pure in feather, with no stain on her 
wings. I have enlarged on this head, as it is foolish to insist on ' 
a point being an imperfection which is a characteristic of the 
breed. Every breeder of Silver Greys knows that it is so, and < 
that if he must breed to avoid it, he immediately gets his hens ' 
imperfect in feather, his cocks with dark hackles, white tails, &c. 
—A Breeder oe Silver Greys. 
[We have watched this class narrowly, taking much interest 
in it, and having advocated its formation. We think our eor- 
j respondent is in error. We looked closely at the prize birds at 
Liverpool—-there was no white in the tail. Wo thought it one 
of the best-coloured pens we had seen. We saw nothing to I 
complain of at Birmingham. Some of the combs dropped a little, 
which was a defect. We think the best answer we can give is, 
Breed such birds as tlie first-prize pens at Birmingham, Liver¬ 
pool, and Worcester. Lordnill bred them for years; they were 
