88 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 8, 1860. 
“ Cottagers’ Prizes ” tliey ought to be called “ Labourers’ 
Prizes,” for the prizes are intended for that class exclusively. 
Shopkeepers in a country village should exhibit for the “ Ama¬ 
teurs’ Prizes.” If a labourer is so fond of gardening as to have 
devoted part of his savings to erecting a greenhouse, so much 
the more does he deserve to be encouraged by having the prizes. 
He has set an example to his fellows which many will follow, and 
which deserves to be encouraged.] 
PROPAGATING BED GM AN SI A KNIGHTII AND 
LUTEA, AND ACACIA GRANDIS. 
EAISING VINES PBOM EYES. 
I shall be much obliged to be informed the best time to 
propagate by cuttings these two kinds of Brugmansias. Also, 
if I may expect them to flower in my greenhouse. 
Having had cuttings of a hardy White Grape sent me, I cut 
the single eyes, and planted them round the sides of the pots, 
and plunged them in a moderate hotbed. They have begun to 
grow, and I shall be obliged for information how to treat them 
when the roots appear through the bottom of the pot.—M. F. 
[The best time to propagate the Brugmansias is in spring. 
Little side-pieces from two to three inches long strike freely 
in a little heat. But similar pieces will strike freely at any 
time. Both kinds will bloom freely in your greenhouse, if the 
wood were at all well ripened last autumn. But the plants will 
bloom more freely in rich soil out of doors, if turned out about 
the end of May. Knightii will produce its huge double flowers 
all the summer ; lutea its yellow tubes towards autumn. Raise 
and house both before frost. If you keep them in the greenhouse, 
give them all the air possible, plenty of rich soil in the pot, and 
manure waterings, and syringe every evening to keep the red spider 
and other insects at a distance. The spider dearly likes them 
both, and will soon make the finest plants unsightly. 
Acacia grandis is easiest struck from young side-shoots from 
two to three inches long,—a little firm at the base, or slipped off 
with a heel, close to the older wood. Insert these, after removing 
a few of the lower leaves, in a pot well drained and covered with 
sand on the top, and covered with a bell-glass, leaving a little air 
on at night. You will find such cuttings most readily after the 
plant has about finished flowering for the season. 
As soon as the Vine eyes root, before they show through the 
bottom of the pot, transfer them singly to four-inch pots, in 
light loamy soil. Shift again as soon as the roots get to the side 
of the pot, and repeat the operation until you get the plants 
into twelve-inch or fifteen-inch pots.] 
THE CANARY AND THE BRITISH FINCHES. 
(Continued from gage 73.) 
VARIETIES. 
Having described the origin of the species, it now remains to 
say a few words respecting the varieties under domestication. 
There can be no doubt but that all the wild Canaries of the 
Canary Islands, thirteen in number, as also of Madeira, are 
descended, ages back, from one source, hence their specific 
identity. Yet, as these islands are separated by intervening sea, 
it is reasonable to suppose that the birds on each having but 
little communication with those of the others, and in the more 
distant, as, for instance, Madeira, which, I believe, is somewhere 
about 250 miles from the Canaries, intermixture must be very 
rare, if, indeed, it ever takes place. Thus these isolated breeds 
become in time diatinct breeds or families, and, doubtlessly, very 
slightly. 
It is generally believed by naturalists, that domestication aud 
crossing with allied species, or geographical varieties, has been 
the exciting cause of the changes under domestication. It will, 
therefore, be easily imagined, that the crossing of these various 
isolated families has given the first impetus to sporting aud 
variation. Some writers have expressed their opinion that allied 
species, as the Citril and Serin Finches, have also crossed with 
the Canary, aud thus tended to swell the amount of variability 
of the offspring; but if these birds are really so closely allied to 
the Canary, as to breed offsprings capable of reproduction, has 
not, so far as I am ablo to leam, been satisfactorily proved, 
though I am not prepared to deny the possibility. But a much 
more powerful agent in variation, I should attribute to the 
manner of treatment which many of these little birds receive, 
either from deficient feeding, or, what is far more prevalent, the 
pampering of them with unnatural and exciting food which, in 
the end, produces weakness in the parents. A derangement in 
their reproductive systems, to which may be attributed albinism 
and sports in the descendants. The fancier, struck with the 
curiosity of the new production, or pleased with the novelty, 
I reserves the slightest variations, and by continually selecting and 
breeding (by almost imperceptible degrees), in time establishes a 
different variety. Colour and size seem to be the first alterations. 
Some accident or disease producing weakness in the parent, pro- 
j during an albino or higher-coloured offspring ; these being care¬ 
fully preserved and perpetuated, crossed and selected for many 
generations, produce many and varied shades and markings, which 
in time become recognised as the peculiarities of certain fancy 
breeds. A want of proper food, or negligent parents, may pro¬ 
duce a stunted offspring; and in-and-in breeding has also a ten¬ 
dency to reduce the size as well as to induce degeneracy and disease. 
On the other hand, a bountiful supply of nourishing food, 
judicious crossing, and vigorous health, have a tendency to increase 
the development, and to these causes may be attributed the 
variations in size. 
Other variations, at first slight or accidental, may have attracted 
the notice of the fancier or breeder, which by selection and care¬ 
ful breeding in time are augmented till they form a characteristic 
of the breed, or add a property to the variety. 
From these causes I believe arises the diversity of the breeds and 
fancy varieties of most of our domesticated animals, and without 
their aids it would be difficult to account for the great number 
of varieties which the Canary now presents. 
In a little work on Canary birds, by M. Hervieux, translated 
and published in London, 1718, a list of the varieties then 
known, twenty-seven in number, is given. It appears they are 
those that were then cultivated in Paris, and seem to be nearly 
all varieties of colour. As the list is curious and may be interest¬ 
ing to the modern fancier, I will give it in full for their persual. 
“ The names commonly given to the Canary birds, according 
to their several colours, to the end that every one may know what 
class, or rather of what degree of beauty the birds are he has, or 
designs to buy ; and, therefore, 1 shall name them in order, 
beginning with the most common sorts, and concluding with the 
most beautiful. 
“ Common Grey Canary birds. 
“ Grey Canary birds, rough-footed and the feet white, called of 
the Copple-crown breed. 
“ Grey Canary birds, with white tails, of the Copple-erown 
breed. 
“ Common Ash-colour Canary birds. 
“ Ash-colour Canary birds with red eyes. 
“ Ash-colour Canary birds with a cast of gold colour. 
“ Rough-footed Ash-colour Canary birds of the Copple-crown 
breed. 
“ Ash-colour Canary birds, with white tails, of the Copple- 
crown breed. 
“ Common Lemon-coloui* Canary birds. 
“ Rough-footed Lemon-colour Canary birds of the Copple- 
i crown breed. 
“ Lemon-colour Canary birds with white tails, of the Copple- 
crown breed. 
“ Common Mottle Canary birds. 
“ Mottle Canary birds with red eyes. 
“ Mottle Canary birds with white tails, of the Copple-crown 
breed. 
“ Common Buff-colour Canary birds. 
“ Buff-colour Canary birds with red eyes. 
“ Buff-colour Canary birds with a cast of gold colour. 
“ Buff-colour Canary birds, rough-footed, of the Copple-crown 
breed. 
“ Buff-colour Canary birds with white tails, of the Copple- 
crown breed. 
“ White Canary birds with red eyes. 
“ Common Copple-crown Canary birds. 
“ Copple-crown Canary birds with red eyes. 
“ Canary birds with Ash-colour Copple-crowns. 
“ Canary birds with Ash-colour Copple-crowns and red eyes. 
“ Canary birds with Black Copple-crowns. 
“ Canary birds with Black and Lemon Copple-crowns and red 
eyes. 
“ Canary birds with regular Black and Lemon-colou r Copple- 
crowns. 
