217 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 3, i860. 
inside. The box would thou be sufficient protection. You do not give 
us the size of your house; but if your preferred them inside, a space 
two feet deep, and three or four feet wide, would suit them ; only you must 
be sure to afford diainage, that the water you give may not stand on the 
soil and make it a swamp. A little of such material as you mention, with 
lime rubbish, and some bones, along with fresh brown loam, will form 
your best compost; and if in a narrow border inside the house, you can 
give luxuriance by top dressings, and manure waterings. If you put too 
much of your kiln material, you may have fine-flavoured Grapes at the 
expense of size. Rich loam will give size of berry ; but if there is little or 
no calcareous matter, wc always think there is a deficiency in saccharine 
flavour. Place the Muscats at the warmest end. In fact, if not experienced, 
we would advise substituting Royal Muscadine for the Muscat. The 
Muscadine is as hardy as the Hamburgh, only requires more heat in setting. 
Onoci.ea Sf.nsibii.is ( Inquisitive ).—Its specific name is thus accounted 
for by Morison,—“The fronds are so very tender, that, on being touched 
or ever so little compressed, they wither and perish.” 
Names and Number of Plants to Bloom in a Conservatory (A 
Friend). —Your conservatory is middle-sized. You wish for flowers all 
the year round. This information has been given in previous volumes, 
and we would be glad to repeat it to please our friends, and are only 
waiting to receive certain information as to their circumstances anil 
wishes to make such an article or articles interesting. For instance : 
What idea can we form of a middle-sized conservatory ? What are its 
dimensions ? and what number of plants would fill it 1 The same as to the 
good-sized house. How is it heated 1 Will it bring forward tropical as 
well as greenhouse plants? Will it force as well as grow ? Our friends 
will not be offended ; but some of them write for information just as if we 
knew as much about their circumstances as they themselves, and, there¬ 
fore, we are often obliged to guess, and guess wrongly, and not do the 
good we wish to do. We will take up the matter ere long. 
Saxifraga hypnoides.— Mr. C. Jayne may send his address to Mr, IX 
M'Carthy Mahon, Tivoli, Cork. 
Moss on Young Fruit Trees [A Constant Subscriber). —When you say 
your soil is poor, and its subsoil chalk, you at once state the cause of the 
Moss. We have seen a plantation of young Larches overwhelmed with 
Moss in a similar situation. Y'ou have but one remedy—improving the 
fertility of the soil, and mulching over the roots of the young trees in 
summer. Give them liquid manure in summer once or twice a-week. 
Soapsuds ( Amy Flower). —Soapsuds do not promote the breeding of 
worms, any more than do other enrichers of the soil. Worms always 
abound most in the place which is richest in decomposing animal or 
vegetable substances. Lime and salt would be good additions to your peaty 
soil. Apply them in the spring, sowing them over the surface and 
digging them in. If you have a trench between each two rows of Cabbage- 
worts, and pour house sewage into it twice a-week, you will, probably, get 
rid of club-rooting. Your soil for permanent improvement of its staple 
probably needs a heavy dressing of clay, or clayey marl. 
Names of Plants ( TV. S,, Guildford). — 1. Veronica salicifolia. 
2. Polygala oppositifolia major. 3. A species of CalHstachys, uncertain 
which species. 4. Agathosma imbricatum. 5 Clwrozema varia. (F. 
Catt). —It is Asplenium septentrionalc. Where was it found? {S. E .).— 
Your conifer is Juniperus sinensis. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
January 2nd and 3rd, 1860. Paisley. See., Blr. Wm. Houston, 14, Barr 
Street. Entries close December 26th. 
January 4th and 5th, 1860. Preston and North Lancashire, Sec., Mr. 
Henry B. Watson, Old Cock Yard, Preston. Entries close December 
17th, 1859. 
January 7th, 1860. Bradford. (Single Cock Show.) Secs., Mr. Hardy, 
Prince of Wales Inn, Bowling Old Lane, and Blr. E. Blackbrough, 
Black Bull Inn, Ive Gate, Bradford. 
January llth, I860. Devizes and North Wilts. See,, Mr. G. Saunders 
Sainsburv, Rowde, Devizes. Entries close December 24th. 
January 18, 19, 20. Liverpool. Secs., Blcssrs. G. W. BIoss and W. C. 
Worrall. 
January 31st and February 1st and 2nd. Chesterfield and Scarsdai.e. 
lion. Secs., Blr. .1. Charleswortb, and Mr. T. P. Wood, jttn. Entries 
close January llth. 
February llth to 15th, 1860. Crystal Palace (Poultry and Pigeons). 
Sec., Blr. W. Houghton. Entriescloso Jan. llth. 
February 29th, and BlARcn 1st, 1860. Ulverstone. Sec., Blr. T. Robson. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
SUPPLY AND DEMAND. 
There is a lull in Poultry Shows about Christmas time, and 
our minds have leisure to think of others ; but a periodical 
knows no satiety: its mouth is ever open, and its cry is always, 
“ Give, give.” We played at having a holiday, and did our parts 
in the office, with the shutters up in the front. We were un¬ 
interrupted, and felt lazy, and dreamily cogitated on poultry. 
Then we got a little abstruse, and thought of supply and de¬ 
mand—on trade, on our circulation, and of everything connected 
with The Poultry Chronicle. Just as the cobbler says, 
“ there is nothing like leather,” so we, living among poultry, 
think few tilings are more important. We almost think we 
nodded. We caught ourselves muttering, “Supply and demand, 
to be sure. Dorkings and Aylesburys.” Wide awake, we 
laughed at the association; but after all it was not so risible. 
These birds have obeyed the inevitable law—Dorkings made 
large prices a few years since. There was demand, this created 
supply ; supply reduced the price, hut in revenge caused ten 
times as many to be sold. Aylesbury Ducks were very cheap a 
few years since; they were little known, but an acquaintance 
with their merits has caused a demand—they are dearer. We 
do not speak of the two or three exceptional pens of either that 
make fancy prices, but of the mass of both. Dorkings were 
too dear; they have become cheaper. Aylesbury Ducks were 
too cheap ; they have become dearer. This latter fact will cause 
an increase in the supply; then they will be worth less, but 
will settle down like the Dorkings at a fair value—accessible to 
purchasers, and remunerative to breeders. We are disposed to 
conclude Irom this, first, that the valuable properties of the 
different breeds are becoming better understood ; and next, that 
there is a good sale for such. 
There must of necessity be two classes of breeders: one has 
nearly disappeared, the other has not yet made the progress we 
expected. The former caught eagerly at every new breed, pro¬ 
duced numbers of it as rapidly as* possible, and instituted the 
sales which were so notorious a few years since. They were very 
profitable; but as soon as they ceased to realise enormous prices 
they were given up. It is worthy of remark these sales were 
never attempted with any but Cochins. Nothing hut the fact 
that poultry knowledge was in its infancy can explain them. 
The Cochin was declared and believed by its admirers to be the 
ne plus ultra of fowls; it was the “Phoenix,” the “Elack 
Swan,” the rara avis of poultry. We have never disputed the 
good qualities of this breed; on the contrary, we have con¬ 
tinually urged them; but the supply of poultry and of eggs 
must be kept up by the instrumentality of many breeds ; and it 
is the study of this point that has led to the changes in price that 
we noted at the outset—Dorkings have established their claim to 
be the breed that makes the largest return in the shape of meat 
for the food they consume. Aylesbury Ducks stand in the same 
position. Both fatten easily: hence the demand for them. 
\\ e have had to note the increase of Spanish at the agricultural 
meetings. Their laying properties are now admitted, and the 
size of their eggg gives them the call of the market. 
These are important facts. It was a complaint some years 
ago that although pens of unusual merit found a ready sale at 
large prices, yet that middling birds were worthless; but we 
think the owners of such may now be certain of finding a market 
at fair prices. The best sale for such is at any large Show, or 
by way of advertisement. Then there remains the sale of birds 
at any local market in the shape of table poultry. It is true, 
though not generally believed, that a supply will create a market. 
Who does not know that in many parts of the country miser¬ 
able antiquated fowls have been bought, and dignified with the 
name of chickens till buyers were weary of disappointment in sit¬ 
ting down to uneatable fowls ? For this cause they are no longer 
asked for; but if it were once known that good fowls were to be 
had, there would be no laok of purchasers. One of the symptoms 
of progress in the poultry pursuit should be, that good fowls 
should be attainable at all times and everywhere. This can be ac¬ 
complished by those who often complain they have no market for 
their surplus stock, and they will find it pleasant and profitable. 
CROSS-BREEDING 
BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK SPANISH FOWLS AND COCHIN 
CHINAS. 
I have been a breeder of White Spanish for some years, and 
I find them better layers than the Black. Even in winter they 
continue laying. Mine have begun to lay again since they 
have moulted, 
Four or five years ago I put a White Spanish hen with a 
Black Spanish cock, hut the result was very different from Mr. 
Hartley’s, for I had no blue chickens. I had two white chickens, 
and all the oLhers were perfectly black. 
This year I put a white hen with a black cock, and the 
chickens were all black. I also put a black hen with a white 
cock, and the chickens were all perfectly black. 
Now I am writing, I will give the results I have had with other 
crossing. Three years ago I put a Buff Cochin-China cock 
with a common four-clawed white hen, and the chickens were 
all of them like the cock, Buff Cochins. 
Last year I put the same hen with a Grey Dorking cock, and 
the chickens were all white, some of them with four claws, and 
some with five.—II. Hutson. 
