28 
TEE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 12, 1859. 
Polyanthus Seedling (ir V. it -, York ).—It is Tcry inferior to 
many in cultivation. 
Netting fob Fruit Trees.— “ 1 notice in your number for March 29th, 
pome excellent, remarks respecting the superiority of netting as a blossom 
protector. I concur in all that your correspondent says on the subject, 
except the lecommendation to lmy old netting, and use two or three thick¬ 
nesses. Old netting will be more or less broken ; and if used as recom¬ 
mended, will cost more than new net, where one thickness otitis requited.” 
—T. A. T. 
men, boili as amateurs and medical practitioners,'do not hesitate 
to say it is not contagious. From experience and experiment 
we say—we dreaded it once, we now think lightly of it, 
BRAHMA BOOT R A CHAR ACTERISTICS - 
DEFINITION OF COMBS. 
Aquariums (TF. Armstrong).—We shall have sonic further information 
shortly. 
Dioscoht:a Batatas (A .).— There is no need to start them in heat. 
Large sets planted in ground trenched three feet deep, with some decayed 
dung turned in at the bottom, and the soil light hut moist, will grow this | 
vegetable admirably. "We plant at the end of March. 
Names of Plants (I/. Westcott ).—Yonr plant is the Andromeda port¬ 
folio, the Folium-leaved Andromeda, the Marsh Andromeda, the Wild 
Rosemary, the Poly Mountain, the Marsh Cistus, the Moon wort, or the I 
Marsh Holy Rose. It is found wild in many counties in England—in 
Somersetshire, not far from the beginning of the Meudip Hills, near Bath. 
(IF. Clarke ).—Yours is Daphne Dauphinii, one of the best of the hardy 
kinds. It does well against a wall. (Andrew Robertson ).—The plant you 
are told is a Saxifrage, is so. It is the Saxifraga crassifolia, the Thick- | 
leaved Saxifrage. A very pretty, hardy, border plant. Sometimes its ! 
flowers get injured by late frost in the spring, unless protected in some 
way. The other pretty flower with blotched leaves, is the Dog’s-tooth 
Yiolet, Erytlvronturn Dens-canis. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
May 25th and 26th. Beverley. Sec., Francis Calvert, Surgeon, &c. 
Entries close May 3rd. 
Junf. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1859. Bath and West of England. At Barnstaple, 
Devon. Director, S. Pitman, Esq., Rumwell Lodge, Taunton. Entries | 
close May 10th. 
June Cth, 7th, and 8th, 1859. Glasgow. See., Robert M'Cowan, 17, Gordon 
Street, Glasgow. 
July 1st, 2nd, 4tli, and 5th. Sheffielu. Wilson Overcnd, Chairman. 
Entries close the 15th of June. 
N.E .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
RARITY OP ROUP. 
There is one advantage resulting from the poultry movement 
which is not sufliciently noted. We allude to the improved 
health and constitution of fowls. Those who were conversant 
with Shows at their commencement can recollect, with pain, pen 
after pen of birds disqualified, and afterwards removed, because 
they were roupy. Eyes closed, tails drooping, wings down, and 
hard breathing, varied every now and then by the “ ghost of a 
caw.” It was common for winners to he missing the second day 
of the Show. They were represented by a ticket, on which was 
written, in pome instances, “removed,” “diseased.” In others, 
“ ronpy.” Secretaries can tell how they were tormented by 
owners for permission to remove suffering birds ; by exhibitors 
who demanded that their sound ones should not he exposed 
to the contagion of diseased neighbours. Pencilled Hamburghs 
enjoyed an unenviable notoriety in this particular. Some pre¬ 
tended that roup was their natural state; and it seemed true, 
t ill Mr. Archer took them in hand. Mr. Coleridge bred sound 
Polands. Cochins and Spanish enjoyed immunity from sickness, 
as they always have done. Tho pluck of the Game was proof 
against disease, or, at least, like a dandy with a pinching boot, or 
a young lady too tightly laced—pluck would not let them show it. 
Dorkings were often removed. 
Nothing of the sort is seen at Shows in the present day. Wo have ! 
constantly gone round Birmingham or the Crystal Palace, without 
seeing a roupy fowl. Now, admitting that many exhibitors under- 
stand the management of tlieir birds better, and that the arrange¬ 
ments at the Shows arc more favourable to the health of the com¬ 
petitors than they were formerly, still that would not sufficiently 
account for the difference. The truth is, the attention that lias 
been paid to the subject has borne its fruit, and the birds liavo 
improved. At every Show there are those who exhibit for the 
first time; and their birds arc sound and hearty, because they 
have the opportunity of buying such—not from the, experience 
of tho owners. 
This is a great result, and we confidently look forward to the 
day when roup will he a mere matter of history. Dirt and bad 
feeding caused sickness. It was latent while combated and kept 
down by fresli air and liberty ; but the confinement of a Show 
developed the seeds of disease that lurked in the system. At one 
time one roupy bird immediately infected a yard. Now, clever 
“Give me a full description of what Prize Bralmias ought to 
he. Light and dark-pencilled respectively. 
“ A glossary of the technical terms would be useful to novices, 
such as ‘ Rose Comb,’ ‘ Pea Comb,’ &e.” —W. H. Anslow. 
[The shape and points of Brahma Pootras are now so thoroughly 
understood, that any description that is required can only he as 
to colour and comb. 
Light Brahma Pootras should have a white plumage, with 
black flights and tails; and the hens should have black-striped 
hackles. In good specimens the under plumage should be dark. 
The cocks are not marked exactly in the same way. There is 
not the same distinctness of colour : the hackle, saddle, and tail 
are clouded ; and the breast often somewhat spotted—this latter 
is not desirable. The dark hens should be pencilled all over the 
body with distinct grey markings, closer, hut like those on the 
feather of the Silver cock pheasant. The cocks should have dark 
tails, breasts, and thighs, light liackle and saddle; the breast 
should he spotted with white. In both colours (lie legs should 
be yellow and well feathered to tlie toes. They may have single 
combs, barely medium sizo, and well serrated, or pea combs. 
These latter are like three compressed into one ; that in the centre 
being higher than the others. The serrations of each should be 
plainly seen. 
A few words on combs may not be out of place now that they 
have been so much cultivated and encouraged. The great falling 
single combs of DorHngs— (lie rose combs of Hambro's, closing 
the nostrils, almost hiding the beaks, and threatening to shut out 
light from the eyes—the thin, flabby, roll combs of Malays are 
all caricatures. A single comb, save in some Dorking, and all 
Spanish hens, should be upright, firm, and well serrated. A 
rose comb should be full of points, well over, hut not on the beak 
sufficiently to lose shape; turned upwards behind, and sitting 
jauntily on the head. It should have no hollow on the centre; 
and it should sit firmly, inclining to neither side. A Malay comb 
is sui generis. It should he hard, flattened on the head, and have 
a rough skin. It should neither project nor rise like others.] 
SCRAPS OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
A correspondent writes—“ A French Partridge came astray 
a few months since. It lives in the dining-room, feeds out of my 
hand, and lies with my dogs before the fire. It is amusing to see 
it walk over them.” 
Another says—“ I am very glad to see you have begun to 
notice little things in natural history. Many of your readers 
will be pleased to contribute, and still more to peruse them. 
Some years since, I built an outhouse in my yard, which was a 
receptacle for gardener’s tools and odds and ends. A pair of 
Swallows built in one corner of it. Soon afterwards, my servant 
put up a knifeboard in it, and cleaned the knives and shoes there. 
It is not a lofty building, and the nest was just over his head. 
I gave him strict orders not to interfere with the birds; and they 
have built there four years in succession.” 
A third writes—“ 1 have often heard it said, that, it is impos¬ 
sible to keep a tame Hare. I have one live years old. It was 
caught when very small, and reared by means of a tobacco-pipe. 
The small end was put in its mouth, and milk poured info tlie 
bowl. It sucked it readily; and many an unfortunate, cut out 
by the mowers, might be saved in the same way.” 
LONDON MARKETS.— April 11. 
POULTRY. 
There is an unsual dearth of really good young fowls. Out of dozens, it 
is difficult to select a few faultless. The unusually mild winter has caused 
the late to get out of season before the early are ready. 
Each— s . 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Large Fowls... 
0 
to 
7 
0 
Smaller ditto 
. 4 
0 
5 
6 
Chickens . 
. 3 
0 
4 
G 
Cock Turkeys 
0 
10 
0 
Goslings. 
0 
>? 
7 
G 
Each— s. d. s. d. 
Ducklings. 3 C to 4 0 
Guinea Fowls . 3 0,, 3 3 
Pigeons. 0 9 „ 0 10 
Rabbits . 1 4 „ 1 5 
Wild ditto. 0 8 „ 0 9 
