08 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 17, 1859. 
Ferns, have named it Cibotium Barometz , and C. glaucescens. The 
following extract from Dr. Martyn gives most of the truth and 
fable which have been written about this Fern :—“ Some, among 
whom is Kirclier, have given a figure of it, much resembling a 
lamb, as the fruit of some plant on the top of the stalk. It is 
well known, however, to be the root, which, from the variety of 
its form, is easily made by art to take the form of a lamb, which 
the Tartars call Borametz, or rather that of a rufous dog, which 
the common names in China, and Cochin China imply—viz., 
Cau-lich and Ivew-tfie. The root rises above the ground in an 
oblong form, covered all over with hairs ; towards one end it 
frequently becomes narrower, and then thicker, so as to give 
somewhat of the shape of a head and neck, and it has sometimes 
two pendulous hairy excrescences resembling ears ; at the other 
end a short shoot extends out into a tail; four fronds are chosen 
in a suitable position, and are cut off to a proper length, to re¬ 
present the legs ; and thus a vegetable lamb, or dog, is produced, 
which at a due distance it may be easy to mistake for a real 
animal. It is scarcely necessary to contradict the fables that have 
been related of this singular root of a Fern; such as that no grass 
will grow near it, as if the Scythian Lamb had fed it bare. 
Loureiro, who had an opportimity of examining it in a living 
stato in its native place of growth, affirms that the root when 
fresh cut yields a tenacious juice, very like the blood of animals 
in colour and substance ; but that all the other wonderful stories 
that are told about it arc fabulous. He says, that the root is 
astringent, and will stop bleeding ; and that it is of service in the 
gonorrhoea and fluor albus. In the account of the Tartarian Lamb 
in our “ Philosophical Transactions,” it is said that the down of the 
root is commonly used for spitting of blood, about six grains 
going to a dose, and three doses pretended to cure such licemor- 
rhage; and that in China this down is used for stopping of blood 
in fresh wounds, as cobwebs are with us; that they have it in so 
great esteem there, that few houses are without it. This down is 
of a dark yellowish-snuff colour, shining like silk, some of it a 
quarter of an inch long. The account says that the root seemed 
to have been shaped by art, the climbing parts being made to 
resemble the body, and the extant foot-stalks the legs ; that it was 
more than a foot long, as big as one’s wrist, having several pro¬ 
tuberances, and towards the end some stalks three or four inches 
long, exactly like foot-stalks of Ferns, both within and without. 
Bell, in his journey to Ispahan, informs us that he walked many 
a weary mile accompanied by Tartars in search of this wonder- 
ful plant, but from his imperfect description it docs not appear 
that he saw the true plant. Darwin thus characterises the Tar¬ 
tarian Lamb, adopting, with poetic license, the fable related con¬ 
cerning it: — 
‘ Cradled in snow, and fann’d by arctic air, 
Shines, gentle Barometz, thy golden hair. 
Hooted in earth, each cloven hoof descends, 
And round and round her flexile neck she bends; 
Crops the grey coral Moss and hoary Thyme, 
Or laps with rosy tongue the. melting rime ; 
Eyes with mute tenderness her distant dam, 
Or seems to bleat— a vegetable lamb.’ ”] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Old Golden Putin ( W. Brent).—We know of six or seven young trees 
of this variety in one garden, all perfectly healthy, and bearing annually. 
There is no symptom of canker or decay in any one of them. They were 
bought of Mr. Adams, Brentford Nursery. 
Stock for an Aquarium (E. S. N., St. Bees). —Apply to Mr. Kennedy, 
florist, &c., Covent Garden. 
Weedy Grass Plot [A Subscriber, J. if.).—There is no wholesale mode 
of destroying the weeds without the grass sharing the same fate. Your 
only remedy is having the weeds cut out. It is not an expensive mode, 
and is the most effective if well done. 
Ants (if. D. Gough).— Strewing guano about their haunts drives them 
away. If they harbour in a wall, syringing it with a strong solution of 
guano would probably have the same effect. 
Gold and Silver Fisn.— A Subscriber from the Commencement of The 
Cottage Gardener has long hoped to have seen in its useful paragraphs 
directions for the care of gold and silver fish in ponds and rockeries; 
having one so situated, about twelve feet long and five feet wide, cemented 
at the bottom, with a small fountain, constantly playing, of spring water 
in the centre, surrounded by rock plants and stones. It is desirable to 
know why the supply of gold and silver fish is constantly diminishing 
and never replaced by any increase. Yet the few that remain seem lively 
and healthy. Is it possible that toads or frogs can destroy them ? Being 
in a rockery, and near a clear running stream, some of those kinds have 
been found destroyed by the gardener; but dead fish have rarely been 
discovered. They have not been fed, and are in an airy and open situation, 
but not cold.—It. A. L. 
[Wc shall be obliged by any practice-founded information on this 
subject.—E ds.] 
Tulip Seeds (J. F.).—We are not aware that you can buy Tulip seeds 
at all; and if you could, we would strongly advise you rather to spend 
your Tulip-seed money on other objects. In the first place, suppose you 
lived long enough—say seven, eight, or ten years—to see the first Tulip 
bloom, you would be shocked at the dirty little fry. /And in the second 
place, suppose you did not much mind the disappointment, in another 
twenty or five-and-twenty years, you might count on obtaining a few 
border Tulips for yourself, but not good enough to give away. You are 
now too late to do'any good with them this year; but, if you go on your 
own account, let us hear from you next October; and we shall give you 
the whole mystery of crossing them. Find out in the meantime the best 
breeders—that is, if you can; and at the end of seven years we shall take a 
dozen of your strongest seedling bulbs to see if we can bloom them sooner 
than yourself. But what Tulips do you like—bedders or prize ones? 
Sowing Delphinium formosum, &c. (A Subscriber ).—Sow Delphinium at 
once in the open air, and transplant the seedlings next February or March 
into the flower-beds. Dianthus, Laxton’s hybrid, will be in good time if 
sown at the end of July, and to keep some under cover in winter in case of 
accident or harm in tile open air. The best time to sow Indian Pinks in 
the open air for flowering next year is the first ten days of April, 1860. 
No other way is even one half so good. With very good frame convenience 
Indian Pinks might be sown as early as February. We have tried them in 
every conceivable way, and April sowing was the best ten seasons out of 
twelve. 
Flowf.rs on Vine-borders. (E. 21 .).—It is a bad practice to sow any 
crop on Vine-borders. The Saponaria will hurt it as little as_ anything. 
But the Saponaria is not at all a good edging plant; it needs thirty inches 
wide at least, and it rises in the centre, and falls to both sides. Then the 
colour will not come in with blue, yellow, or any shade of red, purple, or 
scarlet, without a band of something white between. Indeed, there is not 
a flower in the garden with which this Saponaria agrees : it should have 
a bed to itself, or a single row. The nearest we can suggest is a white 
band of the white Virginian Stock, one yard wide, behind the Saponaria ; 
the rest with the red kind of Virginian Stock. They would sow themselves 
in the autumn, and be a blaze next March and April. All the kinds of 
Fortulaccas, mixed and sown broad-cast over a Vine-border at the begin¬ 
ning of May, would be one sheet of even beauty in the autumn ; sow them¬ 
selves then, and he ten times better looking the following summer. We 
have seen them thus at Claremont, under Mr. Mallison’s able management. 
No frost ever hurts one tithe of the seeds people believe to be too tender 
for self-sowing. 
Garden Plan (D. J. It .).—We would plant no trees to hide the workshop, 
but cover the w r alls with ivy. Trees would ruin the rest of the garden 
before they were half high enough to hide the building. Black Italian 
Poplar is the fastest-growing tree for summer screen. Good shrubs and 
flowers are altogether out of the question under trees planted thick 
enough for screens; but common Laurel, Box, Holly, and Y'ew will be the 
best for a green bottom. The centre bed may be planted with scarlet 
Geraniums and a row of some light-leaved or white-flowering plant all 
round it. The other four beds with Calceolarias and Verbenas, Petunias 
and Lobelias, or any flowers that way which you like best. 
Clary (F. C. U.). —This is a species of the Sage genus (Salvia sclarca). 
The sowing must be annual in March or April. Thin the plants to two feet 
apart. The plants taken up may be planted out: this should be done in 
showery weather. We never heard before of its being put into the water 
drank by poultry and pigeons. It is sometimes used in soups and old- 
fashioned medicines. 
Names of Plants (55).— Your plants are Bodccatheon media, variety 
c/egans. The small white flower is the Saxifraga granulata, variety plena. 
Waterhouse’s Conqueror of Europe Auricula is one of the grey-edge class, 
and also one of the best in its class; and, without any doubt, yours is 
correct to its name. (A Subscriber ).—Your orchid is Oncidium luridum. 
[It. P.). —Your plant is Lunaria annua. It is called Honesty and Money¬ 
wort; the latter from the resemblance of the seed-pods to money. It is a 
native of Germany. We never heard it called Penny, or Money-seed, 
before. {A Constant Header ).—As near as one can judge from small bits, 
1, Lycopodium Martinsii; 2, L. Helvcticum ; 3, Adiantum formosum ; I, 
Davallia pyxidata; 5, _Z). canariense; 6, Asplenium bulbiferum. (F. S,, 
Salisbury). —1, Spiraea hypericifoUa; 2, Putmonaria virginica; 3, Con- 
vallaria multiflora; 4, Cheiranthus ochrolcucus Marsliallianus. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
May 25th and 26th. Beverley. Sec., Francis Calvert, Surgeon, &c. 
Entries close May 10th. 
June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1859. Bath and West of England. At Barnstaple, 
Devon. Director, S. Pitman, Esq., Rumwell Lodge, Taunton. Entries 
close May 1st. 
June 6th, 7th, and 8th, 1859. Glasgow. Sec., (Robert M'Cowan, 17, Gordon 
Street, Glasgow. 
June llith. Essex. Sec., Robert Ernson, Halstead, Essex. Entries close 
June 1st. 
July 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th. Sheffield. Sec., Wm. H. Dawson, Sheffield. 
Entries close the 15th of June. 
July 21st. Prescot. Sec., Mr. James Beeslcy, Prcscot. 
August 27th. Halifax. Sec., William Irvine, Holmfield, Ovcnden, near 
Halifax. ’ 
September 22nd. Bridgnorth. Sec., Richard Taylor, Bridgnorth. 
October 11th, 12th, and 13th. Worcestershire. Sec., Geo. Griffiths, 
7, St. Swithin Street, Worcester. 
N.B .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
FATTENING CHICKENS. 
Having some time since advised that all faulty chickens 
should now he drafted from the yard to the market, or the 
