THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND C.OUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, April 21, 1857. 4a 
ahead faster, or at least as fast as they can multiply 
their roots, and when that is the case with them, or with 
most plants, the filoom is not what it should bo, nor 
anything approaching to ; it: 
What a bed, thus—one gigantic Lily in the centre; 
five more of it round that one; then a close row of 
Campanula pyrantklalis, with the first centre fiower-stalk 
broken off at eighteen inches high, and each plant carry¬ 
ing five strong flower-stalks in place of one ; then three 
rows of prepared scarlet Lobelias in front of that; and 
the last row of young Ayapanthus untbellatus, or blue 
African Lily—why, it would be a good “ fortune ” for a 
princess of the royal blood ! There is no more garden¬ 
ing difficulty about the plan than there is about putting 
the Horticultural Society on its legs again. Money, and 
go the right way to work, “ that is the thing.” Kill 
three birds with one throw, or grow three plants, as here 
set forth, in one bed, and you will be a fit and proper 
person to put up as a* candidate for the F.H.S. and the 
ivory ticket, which, by-tbe-by, is as good a ticket for 
saving a penny as any three letters in the alphabet. 
I). Beaton. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Flower-garden Plan (J, J. B.). —Your flower gardenia particularly 
well-planned. Your corner beds are the best we have seen for years. 
They are very much more to our taste than the corner beds on the 
terrace of the Crystal Palace garden ; but Loudon had a better style 
than yours for the outline of the inner side of the cornqj beds. We 
never plant gardens for others, but if yours were ours we would plant it 
for our own eye thus: —1, yellow Calceolaria , and 4 ditto—that is cross- 
corner planting; then 2 and 3 wkfl scarlet Geraniums. The reason 
for 1 being yellow instead of 2 is, that yellow is easier to look at against 
the sun than scarlet. The drawing-room window is the place to arrange 
the colours from. 5, 6, 7, 8 to be of no distinct or strong colour—white, 
blue, Jikic, variegated, or mixed kinds ; and 6, 7, 8 may be of taller 
plants than those in the corner beds, but 5 should be a low bed. 9 the 
best purple Petunia, and 10 Petunia Shrub/and Hose, or whichever is 
the best of its type. Countesjs of Ellesmere is not so good for a bed in 
many places, or rather, soils ; and we have not seen a bed yet of 
Marrquis de la Ferte : until we do we must hold the Shrubland Rose as 
the best bedding rose Petunia. 15, Salvia patens in the centre, 
and three vows of variegated Geraniums round it; and 11, 12, 13, 14 as 
you like them, in Verbenas—two or four distinct kinds or mixed—or any 
other kinds of low benders. 
Lilittki giganteum (J. H.). —See what Mr. Beaton says to-day about 
growing this “Giant Lily of India.” 
Making an Asparagus Bed. (A Young Beginner). —Trench the 
ground three feet deqp, mixing well-rotted stable dung throughout; make 
the bed three feet and a half wide, and have only two rows of plants, 
eighteen inches apart, and consequently one foot from the side of the 
bed. In the row let the plants be one foot apart. Plant now, and 
use three-year-old plants. Seaweed will be a good manure for the bed. 
Sea sand may be mixed with the soil when making the bed if the soil 
is heavy. Either London Market or Atkinson’s Matchless is a good 
Cabbage for present sowing. Buy “ Kitchen Gardening for the Many.” 
It will save you more than its cogt of fourpence. 
Magnolia not Blooming (L. J.). —See what “ Upwards and 
Onwards ” says to-day about the Magnolias at Mount Edgecumbe, 
Name of Fern (A Constant Reader). —Your Fern, found “on an 
cast wall ten miles from London,” is Asplenium viride, rft>t a common 
Fern, and not often found so far south. 
Names of Orchids. (IF. C.). — We have very often warned our 
correspondents that in sending plants, or parts of plants, to be named 
they ought to pack fchem in damp, not wet, moss, in a tin case, so that 
they (the specimens) may come fresh, and uninjured by the stamping- 
iron of the post office. Your flowers arrived in the worst possible 
condition, so that even with your description we are not able with any 
certainty to name them. However, we have done our best for you. 
1. Is Lycaste aromatica. 2. You say you have-for an Epidendvum. 
We never before heard of an Epidendrum with leaves fifteen inches long, 
and three ’inches broad. As far as we could make it out it appears to 
be a species of Tricopelia. When it flowers again we should be obliged 
by a perfect flower and leaf. It appears to be a handsome species- 
3. Is Epidendrum lividum, not worth cultivation except for botanical 
purposes. 
Green Fly (H. S.). —Flowers of sulphur dusted on these insects will 
not kill them. Very dry Scotch snufF might be applied by Epps’s sul- 
phurator without injuring the instrument. 
Rampions (An Old Subscriber). —It is a very bad practice sowing this 
vegetable in pans, and then transplanting the seedlings. Trench a rich 
piece of ground immediately, turning in a little rotten stable manure 
with the bottom spit. A rich, shady border is best. Sow iu drills six 
inches apart. Thin the seedlings to the same distance in the rows. 
Give frequent waterings, for they require much moisture. 
Writing on Zinc Labels (A Zealous Subscriber). —Scrub them 
bright with coarse sand-paper, and write on them immediately, by the 
aid of a quill pei), with the following ink :—I drachm of powdered ver¬ 
digris (acetate of copper); 1 drachm of potwdered sal ammoniac (muriate 
of ammonia); £ drachm of lamp black; 10 drachms of water. Mix 
them together in a two-ounce phial, and shake it every time before using. 
It is ready for use as soon as the verdigris and sal ammoniac are dissolved. 
Capsicum Pods e-or Destroying Green Fly (Nicotiana ).—You 
cannot use too much of them ; their kimes are harmless to the plants. 
Roll up a little tobacco in the paper with them. Tobacco paper is of 
very uncertain strength. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
June 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Bath and West of England. Sec., Mr. 
John Kingsbury, 10, Hammet Street, Taunton. Entries close the 1st 
of May. 
July 8th, 9th, and 10th, 1857* Leamington. Sec., Thomas Grove. 
Jvly 9th. Prescot. Sec., J. F. Ollard. 
August 8th, !0th, 11th, and 12th. Crystal Palace. Sec., W. 
Houghton, 
September 2nd. Dewsbury. Sec., Harrison Brooke, Esq. 
October 1st and 2nd. Worcester. 
December loth and 17th. Nottinghamshire. Entries close No¬ 
vember 18th. Hon.Sec., Mr. R. Hawksley, jun., Southwell. 
January 9th, 11th, 12th, apd 13th, 1858. Crystal Palace. 
January 19 th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd, 1858. Nottingham Central. 
Sec., Mr. Etherington, jun., Notintone Place, Sneinton, near Notting¬ 
ham. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
SINGULAR RESULTS OF A CROSS BETWEEN 
GOLDEN-PENCILLED & GOLDEN-SPANGLED 
HAMBURGHS. 
Although from my earliest recollection passionately fond 
of poultry, continuing tbe pursuit long before “ fashion ” 
made poultry breeding popular, and testing the varied 
advantages not only of purely-bred fowls, but likewise 
numerous crosses of all the general varieties, I never met 
with so singular a flock of fowls as the other day at the 
house of an old friend and acquaintance. My chief, indeed, 
my only reason for now writing, however, is because the 
result of the present experiment is diametrically opposed 
to my own previous attempts, both as regards the general 
appearances of the birds themselves, and also the habits of 
either variety of the parent fowls. The whole stock con¬ 
sists of some two or three hatches, produced about last 
Midsummer, numbering nearly a score specimens. The 
originals were very superior birds of tlieir respective varieties, 
and, judging from the stocks from which hotli kinds were 
descended, I truly believe were as unstained by admixture 
with other descriptions of poultry as could he desired. I 
may as well say, although myself consulted in the purchases 
of the brood-stock, not the slightest hint ever escaped my 
friend’s lips as to the trial he intended. The male bird was 
i a perfectly white ear-lobed, well bronzed-tailed, Golden- 
i pencilled Hamburgh; the four hens were very superior 
! Golden-spangled Hamburghs (Mooneys), also possessing as 
| faultless ground colour and white ears as could he desired, 
j The four pullets had never been running with any male fowl 
whatever until mated by my friend. They were reconciled, 
almost immediately, and laid somewhat profusely; hut of 
course, as “ non-sitters,” foster-mothers were procured for the 
incubation of the eggs. The chickens produced were unusually 
strong ones, and “ were easily reared,” and, being now per- 
| fectly adult, are evidence of such an unlooked-for peculiarity, 
j that I am anxious to know whether any other amateur has 
! ever tested them with the same result, an attempt of my own, 
| many years past, ending quite to the contrary of the present 
trial, combined with extreme irregularity of plumage. All the 
pullets of last summer cross-breds are now either laying, 
sitting, or carefully attending young broods; nay, to my 
astonishment, they seem unusually attentive to their progeny. 
The owner jocosely remarked to mo, “ Two negatives make 
an affirmative; so I thought I should like to try whether 
two non-sitting varieties might not produce me steady 
hatching machines." However incredible, still certain it is 
he has effected this result, whether anticipated on his part 
or otherwise. I do not wish to see hens more steady to 
their nests than they are. 
Next, as to plumage and character generally, any poultry 
breeder could not be mistaken as to their being Hamburghs— 
