THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 1, 1858. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Distorted Potato (George Brown, Camberwell ).—Your letter is 
not authenticated, else we should publish it; but the boy ought to be 
well caned. There is no credit due for deceiving any one, and we 
cannot believe him through you, because he has deceived a more know¬ 
ing person, viz., Dr. PincUey, into publishing a falsehood about a 
Potato two feet long. There was nothing strange in the long Potato 
figured by a contemporary, from a false drawing of a Potato six or 
seven inches long. It was a common case of morphology, and, whether 
it was two inches or two feet long, made not the slightest difference 
in explaining the sport. We can conceive a case, in accordance with 
this freak of morphology, in which a Potato may grow to five or six 
feet long, like a shoot of bramble running underground. But we 
cannot conceive the use of raising young sprigs into heros, for playing 
pranks at deception. . 
Sickly Geraniums (C. J. -S'.).—We cannot perceive any insect on the 
leaves. We think it probable that the sickly appearance arose from 
the cold and unfavourable state of the roots, from having been kept 
too wet, owing to imperfect drainage, and in some unfavourable 
situation. . . . 
Birds Eggs (A. B.).— We believe that the insects infest the isinglass 
glue which you employed. Copal varnish used instead ot glue does 
not harbour acari or mites. 
Grafting on old Willows (C C. If.).— You may graft upon the 
branches which have issued from them; but as you do not mention 
what you wish to use for scions, we, of course, give no opinion upon 
that point, nor upon the proper time for performing the operation. 
Apple Beetle (A Gardener).— The beetle, or weevil, called locally 
“thechovey,” which cats your young Apples, is, probably, Curculio 
bacchus. There is no remedy hut spreading a sheet beneath the tree, 
and shaking the branches. The insects falling into the sheet are easily 
collected and destroyed. 
Mildew on Boses (A Subscriber, Liverpool). —We do not feel certain 
that your Boses suffer from the true mildew—parasitical fungi. Try 
mulching the roots, and watering with liquid manure. 
Vines in Pots (A Subscriber). — Young Vines, when the fruit is 
swelling, require considerable nourishment, and the leaves are apt to 
cup if it is withheld. We incline to think that you had allowed them 
to get too dry. Syringe, shade a little in bright sun, and give warm 
manure waterings. 
Names oe Plants [I. If. B .).—Yours is one of the Brvnsfelsias of 
the Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary, which is often called Franciscea. 
The smali specimen sent is like Franciscea acuminata. They are all 
stove evergreen shrubs. By keeping them growing in plenty of heat 
and moisture, with proper attention to potting in rich, lumpy, fibry 
soil, with a little silver sand mixed up with it, they are, more or less, 
in bloom all the year. The Torenia Asiatica delights in plenty of heat 
and moisture during the season of growth. ( C -, Munster). —The 
plant inclosed is the Bibos aurea , or Golden-fiowered Currant. The 
Calla JEthiopica, is called, in the Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary, and 
other modern works, Bichardia JEthiopica. (M. 1). B.). —Your plant 
is the old Sophora tetraptera, or Wingecl-podded Sophora, but now 
called Edwardsia graiidiflora, a singularly beautiful plant, suitable to 
the conservatory wall. (7 V. Watson). — Your plant is the Asarum 
Europomm, the common Asarabacca, a rare native plant. (Z. A.). — 
Your plant is, we believe, one of Mitellas, but uncertain what species, 
unless it be M. trifida. [J. P -, Borovghbridge) .—Your plant is 
the Vaccinium Myrtiltus, or Bilberry ; frequent in stony woods and 
heaths. (W. K. Bridgman). —It is quite impossible to assist you in 
naming your Yuccas, from mere diminutive sketches, and single leaves. 
We know most of them when we see them, and without seeing 
them we cannot help you. ( JIanie ).—The Geranium seedling is the 
Pelargonium tomentosum, or Pennyroyal Crancs-bill. The seedling 
Verbena appears to be of good substance, but, as near as we can judge, 
nothing very striking in its colours. (./. A'.).—We answered you last 
week. Yours is the Snowdrop Tree, Italesia tetraptera. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Bath and West of England. Sec., Mr. 
John Kingsbury, Ilammet Street, Taunton. 
June 9th and 10th. Beverley and East Biding of Yorkshire. 
Sec., W. W. Boulton, Beverley, Yorkshire. Entries close on the 1st 
of June. 
June 28th, 29th, and 30th, and July 1st. Sheffield. See., Wm. Henry 
Dawson, Sheffield. 
July 8th. Prescot. Sec,, Mr. James Beesley. 
August 7th, 9th, 10th, and 11th. Crystal Palace (Summer Show). 
Entries close July lOtli. Sec., W. Houghton. 
August 18tli. Airedale. Hon. Secs., J. Wilkinson and T. Booth, 
Shipley. 
October 7th and 8tli. Worcestershire. Sec., Mr. G. Griffiths, 7, 
St. Swithin’s Lane, Worcester. Entries close September 23. 
November 29th and 30th, December 1st and 2nd. Birmingham. Sec., 
Mr. J. Morgan, Entries close November 1st. 
December 17th and 18th. Halifax Fancy Pigeon Show. Sec., Mr. 
H. Holdswortli, Woolshops, Halifax. 
January 8tli, 10th, 11th, and 12th, 1859. Crystal Palace (Winter 
Show). Sec., W. Houghton. 
GOLDEN MOONIES. 
“ Well, well, well, Mrs. Thingumbob, we do not pretend 
to be always instructive; but we endeavour to amuse.” 
“ Don’t tell me. With all your nonsense about the hippo¬ 
potamus, and such stuff. I don’t believe it. We never 
heard of them when I was a young woman; and then your 
Mrs. Harris and Sairey Gamp. I don’t believe there ever 
were any such people ; and it’s no better than telling lies to 
invent any such nonsense.” 
“Well; but- 
“ There you go again. But I tell you it is not well.” 
“ But, my dear Madam, you will, I hope, allow, that in¬ 
struction may be conveyed through the medium of light read¬ 
ing, and many ridiculous and antiquated ideas may be attacked 
more successfully in that way than by serious argument. 
Take, for instance, the preposterous notion, that it is unlucky 
to put an even number of eggs under a sitting hen.” 
“ Preposterous notion, indeed! I should like to see the 
person who ever had any luck with an even number! Now, 
let me tell vou something about it. It was—let me see—in 
the year—well, never mind the year—it was just before—no, 
I don’t think it was—yet, it wasn’t after—well, it was about 
that time, then ; the date is not important, and yet it is, that 
I may know whether you call it antiquated; well, it was 
either in the reign of George the Third, or George the Fourth 
—and yet I am not sure it was not the beginning of William 
the Fourth—that I had some fowls. They were—let me see, 
what were they ?—they were not Spanish, for they weren’t 
black; they were not Dorkings, for they hadn’t five claws; 
they were not Game, for they had double combs; they 
were not Polands, for they had no top-knots ; they were 
not Cochins, for they were not known; they were not 
Brahmas-.” 
“ Well, what were they ? ” 
We listened with somewhat anxiety for the description 
of the birds. Our companion was one for whom we have the 
highest respect. We do not know her age, we guess it at 
seventy. She is still tall and upright, reads the paper without 
the aid of glasses, and walks briskly about her garden and 
poultry-yard. She has a bright eye still, and a faultless, 
aquiline nose. She is thin and active, and when cheered by 
her favourite topic of poultry, and other accessories of a rural 
residence, she might disclaim a score of the summers that 
have passed over her. Her weak point, is a belief that every¬ 
thing has degenerated since the days of her youth ; and, from 
being told she is a wonderful woman, she at times almost 
imagines she is twice as old as she is in reality. She is accused 
of using the least possible notion of rouge, and she takes two 
pinches of highly scented snuff, from a tortoiseshell and silver 
box, after dinner and after supper. Her relations were all sport¬ 
ing men, and being rather of a masculine turn (this may 
account for her remaining single), she gained much knowledge 
that is often considered “ irregular ” for a lady. She ad¬ 
mits having witnessed a cock fight, but it was many years 
ago, when she was the “ toast ” of her part of the county. 
She has been called a witch, but it was a “ Lancashire 
Witch.” 
“ Well,” she said, “ I recollect, the fowls were Golden 
Moonies .” 
“ Can you describe them ? ” asked we. “ Oh! yes. I can 
see them now. I particularly recollect one pen; it was given 
me by—but never mind who by, I had particular reasons for 
liking that pen of birds. The cock was not a large, but he was 
a beautifully-shaped creature. He was well-proportioned, and 
everything about him w r as symmetry. His head was round, 
his face a bright red. His comb, ample and full of points, 
sat firmly but lightly on his head, and the pike behind turned 
upwards, just as if it were to complete the independent, not to 
say the saucy, character of the bird; his wings barred and 
laced correctly; not only when viewed as a whole, but every 
feather would bear inspection and criticism ; his tail ample 
and flowing, his tail-coverts brilliant in colour; Iris saddle 
rich and dark ; his breast spangled all over ; his hackle of a 
rich deeply-shaded colour; his body round and full, breast 
slightly protuberant; and his pretty deaf-ear of frosted silver.” 
“ You do not then,” said we, “ approve of hen-tails ? Bul¬ 
let me ask, also, do you approve of most of the combs you see 
in the present day ?” 
“ Tut, tut—no,” said the old lady ; “ nothing is so good 
now as it was when I was young. Hens’ tails have no busi¬ 
ness on cocks’ bodies ; and they are monsters. Combs were 
not made to stop the breath, or close the eyes, or cause the 
death of cocks : and yet you young men of the present day 
