78 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 4, 1858. 
I 
advertised for sale in The Cottahe GtAKDENEE, and applicants 
were directed to apply to me; and amongst others who did so 
was a Mr. C. W. Cottrell, grocer and general store dealer, of 
Alma Road, Wandsworth, who sent his card, and, after one 
or two communications, ordered a pen of three at the price 
agreed on. The ducks were sent to him early in November, 
and he acknowledged the receipt of them, and intimated that, 
in all probability, lie would want more. I accordingly waited 
some time, thinking all was right; but not hearing any more 
from Mr. C., I wrote again and again, without receiving any 
reply, and a gentleman of the legal profession wrote to him, 
threatening proceedings ; and subsequently a friend of mine 
called at his shop, but not knowing Mr. C., of course, the 
shopman in attendance said he was not at home. But we got 
to know that he had been victimising other parties in the 
same way, it was, consequently, determined to take the matter 
up; and, as the case was one which just kept clear of the 
criminal law, the only course was to sue him through the 
County Court for the debt. This process, coupled, perhaps, with 
others of a similar kind, rendered Mr. C.’s abode at Wands¬ 
worth uncomfortable; but the delay and difficulty of obtain¬ 
ing a judgment against him, gave him the opportunity of 
changing his name, as well as place of abode. But the 
Judge eventually decided against him, and a large item of 
costs was added to the original debt. It is proper here to 
add, that, though Mr. C. never replied to any letters, either 
conciliatory or threatening, he did write once, when he found , 
that legal proceedings were entered against him in earnest, 
begging them to be stopped, and he woidd pay at some future 
time. But the account given of him by those in the neigh¬ 
bourhood where he lived, and the fact of his locking up his 
shop, thereby preventing even his landlord entering, carried 
with it that stamp of fraud which cannot well be forgiven. 
His mode of business was said to be much varied ; but ad¬ 
vertising, and answering advertisements, seemed to have been 
the most profitable part of it, as by that means other things, 
as well as poultry, Avere obtained at a cheap rate. However, 
it is well for society that such characters should be exposed 
at times; and though Mr. C., under some other alias , may 
still be able to impose on the public, the facts of this case 
will impress on all dealers of poultry the necessity of always 
being pre-paid for what they offer for sale, ere they send it off. 
This rule ought to be made absolute ; for though it offers a 
sort of temptation for sharpers obtaining the money, who 
have nothing to sell, yet the great mass of advertisers are 
known by their position in their respective neighbourhoods, 
and by having figured at some Poultry Show. The great 
metropolis, with its multitudinous wares, has few eggs, or 
poidtry of the fancy breeds, for sale ; and there is less likeli¬ 
hood of sharpers doing so well in the rural districts. One 
thing, however, every one must agree in, “ that full exposure 
of all fraudulent transactions ought to be made,” in order to 
guard the public, as far as possible, against a repetition of 
them. It is, therefore, with this view that I now furnish you 
with the above details ; and if it should meet the eye of any 
who have been victimised by the offending party, they will see 
that he has not been allowed to impose on every one with 
impunity.—J. Robson. 
A LAY FROM MY POULTRY YARD. 
I had a flock of chickens, 
The sweetest little things, 
"With tiny coat of creamy clown, 
And little hints of wings ; 
And hills like finest ivory 
From Indian jungles brought; 
And slender, polished legs, that seemed 
Cornelian finely wrought. 
How pretty their bright heady eyes, 
And cunning sidelong peep, 
As ’neath their clucking mother’s wings 
They nestled down to sleep ! 
How sweet their chirping twitter, 
As they clustered at her side, 
How nimbly on her slippery hack 
They hopped up for a ride! 
How daintily they seemed to pick 
The crumbs I loved to scatter ! 
IIow prettily they used to sip 
The water from the platter ! 
Ah ! it would take the graphic pen 
Of Thackeray or Dickens, 
To picture half the beauties 
Of my charming little chickens. 
I fixed for them a cozy coop, 
To shield them from the storm, 
And made a nest of softest hay 
To keep them snug and warm. 
But “ ever thus from childhood’s hour 
Our fondest hopes decay; ” 
I would there were as much of truth 
In half the poets say! 
Oh ! vain was all my tender care ! 
Wild March, with stormy breath 
Breathed on my little nurslings— 
Three slept the sleep of death. 
And three of those stern March had spared, 
In one sad baleful hour, 
A wicked, cruel, murderous cat 
Did ruthlessly devour. 
More earnestly, the rest I strove 
To shield from hurt or harm, 
And fortune seemed to favour me— 
The air grew soft and warm: 
I deemed them safe—when, one by one, 
To crown the sad mishaps, 
The remnant of my little flock 
Fell victims to the “ gaps. ” 
Alas! alas ! all words seem vain 
To picture my dismay; 
And vainer still poor mother hen, 
Thy sorrow to portray. 
A voiceless, tearless Niobe, 
By fate’s fell arrows stricken— 
Thou standest by the empty coop, 
Bereft of every chicken ! 
No need for me at morn, or eve, 
The dainty crumbs to bring; 
No need for thee, poor lonely hen, 
To spread thy sheltering wing. 
I gaze around, and o’er my eye 
A dewy dimness thickens, 
And with a wailing voice I cry, 
My chickens ! oh, my chickens ! 
—Ohio Farmer. 
REARING THE NIGHTINGALE AND 
THRUSH. 
To find the Nightingale’s nest we must search in May, in 
the banks, or hedge-rows, about three feet from the ground, 
for the neat structure she makes to contain her brownish- 
green eggs, generally five in number. The young buds should 
be taken when a fortnight old, and put into a roomy cage, in 
their own nest, while some straw is on the bottom of the cage. 
They should be fed every hour in the day on a paste made of 
a little grated carrot, white bread soaked in water, and then 
squeezed , and a little wheat meal, all mixed together. Feed 
the young birds with a quill, giving about three beaksful to 
each; also a mealworm to each now and then. At night, shut 
them up in a pitch dark place, that they may sleep the whole 
night, and so not feel hunger. When full grown, give each 
bird a full-sized square cage, with linen stretched at the top, 
that he may not injure his head. Feed him (giving him plenty 
of water for drinking and bathing) on the paste I have men¬ 
tioned, with a little scraped beef added, and five or six meal¬ 
worms per diem. The food must be made fresh every day. 
Nightingales are delicate birds, and should especially be petted 
and well fed in the spring, when their instinct teaches them to 
endeavour to escape to pair. Being at that time captives, they 
often pine and die. 
Thrushes should have roomy cages, and plenty of water. 
Nestlings should be fed on the same food as nestling Nightin¬ 
gales ; but, when full grown, on grated bread and meat. They 
are common birds, and sing chiefly at morn and even.— 
“ Rums Amator.” 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Rearing Guinea Fowls (A Subscriber ).—Let them hatch their own 
eggs. You wiil find all needful directions for rearing them by sending 
seven stamps to our office, and your direction, ordering “ The Poultry I 
Book for the Many” to he sent to you. Its price is sixpence. Y r our 
other queries will he answered next week. 
