57 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 20, 1859. 
occasionally at the missionaries’ tables. When, hot, it was not un¬ 
palatable, and is, probably, the same as the ‘ fine puddings ’ which 
Mr. Hamilton says they brought otf to the ‘ Pandora.’ The III, or 
Tahitian Chestnut, growing on a large tree, with deep buttresses, 
is also often eaten; and sweet Oranges have been lately intro¬ 
duced from other islands. They thrive very well, but are as yet 
conGned to the missionaries’ gardens; and Limes and Citrons 
are plentiful.” 
What wilt, a Glass op Water Hold?— It is generally 
thought that when a vessel is full of water, any solid substance 
immersed in it will cause it to overflow, and such will be the case 
if the substance is not soluble in the water; but the philosophic 
truth, that in dissolving a body you do not increase the volume 
of the solvent, may be proved by a simple and interesting experi¬ 
ment. Saturate a certain quantity of water, at a moderate heat, 
with three ounces of sugar; and when it will no longer receive 
that, there is room in it lor two ounces of salt of tartar, and after 
that for an ounce and a dram of green vitriol, nearly six drams of 
nitre, tlie same quantity of sal ammoniac or smelling salts, two 
drams and a scruple of alum, and a dram and a half of borax— 
when all these are dissolved in in, it will not have increased in 
volume ..—-(Scientific American.) 
Kino. —Two thousand trees of the Ivino tree (Fteroearpus \ 
Mamupium), were seen along the roads through 1 lie Wynad 
notched, for the extraction of Kino, which is taken to the coast, j 
where it meets with a ready market, and is exported in wooden 
boxes to Bombay.— (Dr. Cleghorn). 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Burns in Pots ( I. F ).—The leaf is that of a Narcissus; hut the drawing 
is of some Fritillaria, and Unit of the small bulb with spreading, narrow 
leaves, looks like an Allium,- -probably the Allium Caspium, But bulbs 
are so much of a family likeness, that they cannot be made out by leaves 
oi drawings; and in nine eases out of ten, there is not a man alive who call 
tell the name without the lmlb is in flower before him. The bulbs of the 
Crimea are few, as for as they have been, described, and there is nothing 
among them that is at alt rare or scarce, or very handsome. They are not 
at all difficult to grow ; but it would he much easier to grow them in the 
open border, in front of a house 01 wall. Any common, light garden soil 
would do for them The pot culture of bulbs, in general, is not well under¬ 
stood in Britain, and there is not a book worth reading on the subject. As 
your bulbs are in good health, there is no fear that they will not soon flower. 
Mince they were brought from the Crimea, in October, 185b, they had only 
two growths ; and no introduced bulbs from the wilds could recover much 
sooner. We have a bulb in high cultivation since 1818, without flowering 
yet; and we never could flower an African bulb under five years, if it did 
not bloom the first year after potting. We have seen bulbs from the 
Crimea in bloom, in London, six months after they were digged up ; hut 
then an officer in the army, who understands their culture, lifted them. 
The small Iris from the Crimea is one of the varieties of Iris pumila. 
There are two move very pretty Kinds of pumila in the south-east of the I 
Crimea, and the Alliums, Ornithogalums, Asphodels, Galantliuses, and 
Narcissian bulbs of that region, are quite as hardy as these early Irises. 
Propauating Yioi.kts (A Subscriber — It. It .).—Violets will do either by- 
dividing one or two-year old plants in “bunches,” or by runners like 
Strawberries. We prefer the latter mode. 
Weigri.a rosea (Novice). — The frost would not harm your Weigela \ 
rosen. It is a hardy shrub for the borders. It blooms on the young wood ; 
and you prevented it doing so when you pruned away the last year’s 
wood. At a little distance tlie plant in flower looks like some Crab—say 
Pj/rns spcctabilis; but, of course, the nature is very different. Plant it 
out next May, and it will be in bloom this time next year, or nearly so, if 
you have the right plant, which seems doubtful. 
Cucumber Leaves Turning Brown (A True Friend of the “ P. G.").— 
If you have not the plants scorched in a bright sunny day, after some dull 
days, without giving air lime enough, we should expect your plants have 
some Cucumber disease ; and for getting rid of it,' w e should recommend 
more air; a lower temperature — say, 00° at night, 7.5° bottom heat, and 
as much of the old soil picked out as possible, and fresh sandy loam added. I 
Various (1lose). — When your Jasminum revolutum in the house has 
finished blooming, cut it in freely, and thin it as you wish. If done early, 
the young shoots will probably bloom again in summer and autumn. Azalea 
Indicas prune back when done flowering; but old plants donut like much i 
severe cutting. Place the plants in a close heat to encourage growth, then 
get that growth hardened and ripened by exposure to sun and air, and the 
plants will bloom next season. Without fresh growth and ripening they 
will not do so. Roses may yet he layered, hut it would have been better 
done in autumn. We have had no experience of the Spergula pilifera. 
Pbopagati xo -house or Pit (G.A. 7 V .).— We would gladly assist you, 
but do not think we can add anything to w hat has appeared, of late, on the 
subject. A flue would do, but a liot-water pipe would do belter. A house 
would be better than a pit, because you could get inside of it. We would 
combine the two, by sinking the house a little below- the ground level. Our 
having a lean-to or a span-roof would depend on whether we could place 
one house against a wall already built for us. If not, then we would have 
two side and end walls about three feet nine inches in height, half below 
the ground level, and have a span-roof some seven feet or more to the 
ridgp roof fixed. House ten feet wide, with path in the centre, and plat¬ 
form on each side. Bottom heat supplied by tank or pipes. Say the house 
was twenty-four feet long, a small retort "boiler would heat it admirably, 
and about 100 feet of three-inch pipe would secure enough of top and 
bottom heat, A flue going round the house would be the cheapest. 
Gaudhx Plan (T. If'- -, litigate).— In your flower garden 3 i. wrongly 
placed, or 4 is not the right colour. The colours and the style of growth 
must be the same in these two ; else you have a pig with one ear, or like 
having one sleeve yellow and the other sleeve white. When you dress up 
a geometric garden, just think on your own boots, stockings, and the rest 
of the garments. A white vest will do with a brown coat and plush tights; 
but if you counter colour the parts that should be the same matches, you 
make a complete Morryandrcw of the dress. 2 and 5 are capital; (i, 7, and 
8 very well; !) and 111 Merryandrew again. Let 9 be in herbaceous plants. 
10, 11, and 12 middling. 12 should be changed to a distinct-coloured Ver¬ 
bena. All the rest not amiss. The Grapes had too great adore of the 
sulphur. The rust on the berries w ill follow them to" the table and spoil 
their looks; but the flesh and flavour maybe good. Never attempt again 
to get up steam from hot pipes as long as there is any nasty composition on 
them. 
Errata. —At p. 34, “ This Rose grew with tolerable strength, but bore 
no flowers when the house was glazed in March.” But a full stop after 
“flowers,” and then read—“When the house was glazed in March, I 
budded it,” iSre., striking out the full stop after “March.” Also, “The 
length and sides of the cover” should have been “length and size.” 
“ Diffuse the heat equally ” should have been “ equably.” 
Names or Plants ( Clianthus ). —Your plant is tlie Arabis alpina, or 
the Alpine Wall-cress, hut most times called by the name While Andris. 
The accent in Dielytra is on tlie y, which is pronounced like i. (C. 11.). 
--Your Ferns are, 1. Asplenium• trichomanes, the common Spleenwort ; 
2. Asplenium udiuntum nigrum, the black Spleenwort. We cannot tell 
wliat plants the leaves 3 and 4 were taken from. Send us specimens of 
them when in flower, saying what you know about them yourself. Such 
information is often useful. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
May 11th and 12th. Sjcifton (Yorkshire). Sec., Thomas Robinson. 
May 2. r ith and 20th. Beverley. Sec., Francis Calvert, Surgeon, &c. 
Entries close May 3rd. 
June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1859. Batit and West of England. At Barnstaple, 
Devon. Director, S. Pitman, Esq., Rumwell Lodge, Taunton. Entries 
close May 1st. 
June 6tli, 7tli, and 8th, 1859. Glasgow. Sec., Robert M'Cowan, 17, Gordon 
Street, Glasgow. 
July 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5tli. Sheffield. Wilson Overend, Chairman. 
Entries close the 15th of Juno. 
Octorer 11th, 12tli, and 13th. Worcf.stersiiire. Sec., Geo. Griffiths, 
7, St. Swithin Street, Worcester. 
N.B.— Secretaries trill oblige vs by sending early copies of their lists. 
SITTING HENS. 
As we are anxious to give all possible information to our 
readers, we must expose ourselves to tlie accusation from some 
of telling them flint which they know as well as we do, in order 
that we may enlighten others who stand in need of it. Those 
who do not intend to exhibit at early Shows, very wisely avoid 
(he trouble of early chickens. Many breeds—such as Spanish, 
Polands, and Ilamburghs—produce better birds in May than any 
other month; and, we need scarcely say, the chickens are then 
much easier to rear, as it is a natural time. From experience, 
we have no objection to June chickens, and we always hatch as 
long as liens are broody. The London market is only supplied 
by people who hatch all the year round. As queries wo have 
received prove to us that there are yet some who, in spite of 
books and The Cottage Gardener, are in doubt as to the proper 
course for sitting and rearing, we will give a few plain directions. 
You may now put hens on thirteen, or even fifteen eggs. Unless 
the hen is very large, the former number is sufficient. The nest 
should be on the ground—this is most important. It should be 
made of a good sod of grass, cut thick and laid on the ground. This 
should be covered with a little soft straw, and the eggs placed on 
it. Before you risk the sitting, be sure the lien is really broody. 
This may be done by allowing her one or two worthless eggs for 
a day or two. A broody hen will sometimes sit for a time suffi¬ 
cient to 1 urn the eggs, then desert for eight or ten hours,and then sit 
steadily. None of these eggs will hatch. There should be food and 
water within reach of the sitting hen ; and dust in which she may 
roll herself in the short time she allows herself to leave her nest. 
This thorough dusting prevents her from being tormented by 
vermin, and enables her (o it closely, and in comfort on her eggs. 
As it is unlikely site will go on wet grass, and by wetting her 
breast moisten the eggs as much as it is necessary, it will be 
essential, during the last ten or twelve days, to sprinkle them 
daily. They do not want to be soused in water; but while the 
hen is ofi“, they should be sprinkled, by the hand being dipped in 
cold water, and then wrung, or shaken, over them, till it is scat¬ 
tered on each egg. It is the neglect of this precaution that 
causes the numerous complaints we have of eggs not hatching, 
although there are chickens in them all. The egg is burned up 
