172 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 0, 1856. 
! upon them ; and, at the general pruning in November, let 
the secondaries, with those branches which bore the fruit 
attached to them, be cut entirely away; and those others 
trained nine inches above them during the summer, and 
now to be called the secondaries, must be borne down care¬ 
fully into their places. Cut all the branches quite away to 
the main stems that spread above the height of twelve feet 
on the wall, and so on year after year. 
I have lately expelled an Apricot-tree, which leaves me 
room for another Vine, and I intend to procure the Muscat 
St. Laurent Grape, spoken of at page 287 of this volume; 
and the four Grapes for successional fruiting I would 
| recommend for out door culture are, the Muscat St. Laurent, 
the White Sweet Water, the White Muscadine, and the Black 
Esperionc. 
Such, Mr. Editor, is the six years’ practical history and 
features of my Vines — the evidence of things seen — facts, 
small and unimportant though they may appear, yet daily 
before me as examples of profit and of pleasure.— Upwards 
and Onwards. 
[We can testify that the Grapes were exceedingly well- 
ripened, and in good condition for table as late as the 
middle of November.— Ed. C. G.] 
SCILLA SIBIRICA AS A SPRING FLOWER. 
Being a reader of your valuable journal, and seeing spring 
flowers inquired about, I beg to recommend to the notice ot 
your readers the Scilla Sibirica, which, for planting in 
masses, or mixing with the Snowdrop, Crocus, Denscanis, 
itc., is one of the most valuable of spring flowers I possess. 
It is perfectly hardy and easy of culture, requiring no more 
care than other hardy bulbs. I have a bed containing 
about a thousand bulbs of it, and from the middle of March 
to the middle of May it is a complete mass of most beautiful 
blue, contrasting well with its surrounding companions and 
the pure snow-flakes, which often form its bed in the early 
spring. How seldom do we see this beautiful harbinger of 
spring cultivated!—G. T. F. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
rROPA GATING TEA-SCENTED ROSES.—DARK 
POMPONES. 
“ Will you oblige me with the best time and method for 
striking Tea-scented Roses ? I have two frames, one with 
bottom-beat in the spring for Cucumbers, and one for flowers 
without heat. 
I also wish to know which you consider the most showy 
half-dozen dark Pompone Chrysanthemums for pot-cul¬ 
ture.— Thos. Brown.” 
[Tea-scented Roses strike most readily in a warm bed. 
They would do very well with ten degrees less heat than 
Cucumbers ; but Cucumber-heat is not too much for them. 
The best dark-coloured Pompone is either Bob or 
Rcquiqui ; the third best is Brilliant; the fourth best is 
Daphne; but for the fifth and sixth best there are many 
to compete. Lais and Atropos are as good as any, though 
not our choice; but, if you must have six really dark 
| ones, we know not how you can pass them. Watch what 
I Mr. Beaton will have to say about them shortly. We 
I expected to have heard from him on the subject this week.] 
I _ 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Plants for a Gold Fish Globe (A. S. C.). — The plants which we 
have tound to succeed best in a globe with Gold Fish are Hydrnchuris 
morsus ranee. Ranunculus aquatilis, Myriophyllum spicatum, and Ana- 
chan's nlsinastrum. You may also introduce a small quantity of fresh¬ 
water Conferva:. All of these you can get in the ponds and ditches of 
i this country. 
Ten-week Stocks (A Subscriber, Cheshire).— If there were any 
stamens left in your double flowers, they might fertilise the single ones 
i in their neighbourhood. It is a matter of accident, and no one can raise 
double flowers from seed with unfailing success. 
Name of Fern (S. Appleby). —We believe your specimen is a variety 
of Lustrani dilatata, and considered by some botanists a species, to 
which they have given the name of L. collina. 
Campanula pyramidalis (.4 Country Amateur).— Mr. Fish de¬ 
tailed its culture not long since. Your smaller leaf is from Campanula 
fragilis, and the larger, we think, is from C. liar panic a; hut it is unwise 
to send a single leaf. It only increases our trouble. A sprig should be 
sent, and a flower. 
Various ( J. S. L.).— We cannot explain why Wasps, but not Bees, 
prefer the blossoms of Cuphea plutycentra to the fruit of Peaches. The 
Cuphea flowers, we suppose, must secrete something peculiarly agreeable 
to the waspish palate. The garden infested with slugs must be damper 
or worse cultivated than the neighbouring garden not so infested. We 
fear you cannot grow Vines in your conservatory borders as bushes 
without much root-pruning, and great trouble in other ways. Why not 
grow them in pots ? We know of no synonyme for the Bess Pool Apple; 
for Best Pool is only a corruption. Your plant, we think, is a T eucrium; 
but we cannot be certain without seeing a sprig of it bearing blossoms. 
Heating a Window Greeniiouse (S. H. S.).—Employ a small 
ornamental gas-stove, with tube to carry off the fumes. Ycu can com¬ 
mand any heat you like according to the size of the burners. We can¬ 
not tell anything about the cost. Ask any gas-fitter. 
Diseased Rabbits (Y. X.).—We could not give any information 
without seeing them. 
Names of Plants ( Generally Useful).—Lobelia splendens. (T. H. hi.) 
—We must see a specimen in bloom before we can tell its name. Your 
Lotus Jacobaius damps off because you do not give it a freely-circulating 
air. ( V. P. T,) — Your evergreen Honeysuckle is Caprifolium hirsutum . 
THE POULTRY CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Crewe. January 29 th and 30th, 1857. Secs. S. Sheppard and D. 
Margelts, Esqs. Entries close January 15th. 
Crystal Palace. January JOth, )2th, 13th, and 14th. Grand Ex¬ 
hibition of Poultry, Pigeons, and Rabbits. Secretary to the Poultry 
Exhibition, William Houghton, Esq., Crystal Palace. Entries 
close December 13th. 
Essex. At Colchester, December 31st, 1856, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of 
January, 1857 . Secs., G. E. Attwood and W. A. Warwick. Entries 
close December 17 th. 
Nottinghamshire. At Southwell, December 17 th and 18th, 1856. 
Sec., Richard Hawksley, jun. Entries close November 19th. 
Nottingham Central Poultry Association. January 13, 14, and 
15. Hon. Sec. Frank Bottom. Secretary to the Canary Department, 
Jno. Hetherington, jun., Sneinton. 
Preston and North Lancashire. January 21st and 22nd, 1857. 
Sec., Ralph Leigh, Esq., 125, Church Street, Preston. Entries close 
December 13th. 
N.B.— Secrctariesviill oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
WATTLED PIGEONS. 
Class No. 1, Variety 5.—THE MAHOMET. 
The breed of Pigeons formerly known as Mahomets 
seems now to be lost in this country. The writer of the ex¬ 
cellent “Treatise on Pigeons,” published by C. Barry, 1765, 
describes it as “ nearly of a cream colour, with bars across 
the wings as black as ebony, the feathers very particular, 
being of two colours : the upper part or surface of them 
appearing of a cream, and underneath a kind of sooty 
colour, nearly approaching to black, as are, likewise, the flue 
feathers, and even the skin, which I never observed in any 
other Tigeons hut these ; its size much like that of a Turbit, 
with a fine gullet, and in lieu of a frill the feathers appear 
like a seam; the head is short, and inclined to he thick, 
hath an orange eye, and a small, naked circle of black flesh 
round the same, and a beak something resembling a bull¬ 
finch’s, with a small black wattle on it.” 
Such a Pigeon, with black skin, cere, and wattle, I do not 
remember ever having seen. Mr. Moore, 1785, calls a white 
Barb the Mahomet, and accounts for ils being so named, 
because he thinks it was the variety trained by Mahomet to 
peck in his ear, by which he induced his followers to believe 
the Holy Ghost was whispering to him. 
The Germans breed a variety between the Turkish and 
Scandaroon, and Dr. Bechstein says, “When it is of a par¬ 
ticular black mottled it is called a Mahomet Pigeon, and is 
highly esteemed.” 
In France, too, I have seen a variety, evidently a cross 
between the Scandaroon and Barb, of a dun colour, and 
there called a Mahomet. Pigeons are held sacred by the 
Mahometans, because a Pigeon or Dove once saved the 
Prophet when pursued, by remaining on her nest, where he 
was concealed. The Russians, too, according to J. G. Kohl, 
consider it a sacrilege to harm the bird in whose form the 
Holy Ghost was made manifest.—B. P. Brent, 
