THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 15, 1880. 
107 
A Catalogue of Ferns, JExotio and Indigenous, offered for Sale 
bg Robert Kennedy, Covent Garden, is a very creditable pro¬ 
duction, beautifully got up, and illustrated by faithfully executed 
engravings of the principal genera. This is quite a new and 
attractive feature in trade catalogues. 
Supplement to Carter's Vade Meeum, being a Complete List 
of Bedding Plants, Spc., by James Carter and Co., Holborn. —In 
this pamphlet wc have copious lists of all the best varieties of 1 
Geraniums, Verbenas, Petunias, Fuchsias, Calceolarias, Dahlias, j 
Chrysanthemums, Achimenes, Begonias, and a host of other 
things, for particulars of which we must refer our readers to the 
catalogue itself. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Peach and Pear Trees Blighted ( G . TP. Bell). — The roots have 
evidently penetrated to the clay subsoil. By taking off the surface soil 
down to the first roots, and putting over these an inch or two in depth of rich 
soil, you may do the trees some good ; but you can adopt no permanent 
remedy until October. We recommend you then to unnail the trees, to 
take them up with the least injury possible to the roots; to cut away all 
deeply penetrating roots; to have tiles and brickbats rammed hard as a 
flooring beneath each tree; to plant them with the roots six inches from 
the surface ; to keep that surface mulched in summer, and never to have 
it cropped or dug. The shoots of the Deodars will sprout again if the 
points only are frosted. 
Golden Pippin Pips ( IV. S. B.)— It was a remarkable coincidence the 
five Convolvuluses coming up in the places where you inserted the five 
pips of the Golden Pippin, but most certainly there was no transmutation. 
We see reasons for believing that cultivation may induce one form of grass 
to pass into another form of grass, as an rEgilops into a Triticum ; but 
there is no foundation for such an opinion as that cultivation can change 
a Fyrus into a Convolvulus. We knew an instance of three Orange pips 
being sown, and three Kidney Beans coming tip in their places. Great was 
the wonderment thus occasioned; but it ultimately was confessed, by a 
provokingly jocular friend, that she had taken up the pips and substituted 
the Beans! 
Gynf.rium* argenteum (J. 31.), —It succeeds well in a shaded place, and • 
with an abundant supply of water. Mulch over its roots in summer. Wc 
cannot make out what catalogue you mean—is it Donn’s ILortus Canta- 
brir/iensis 1 If so, it is purchasable second-hand very cheaply. 
Names of Plants (A. C. S .).—Yours is Orobus vernus. ( IV. IT'.).—This, 
also, is Orobus vernus. It is perfectly hardy, and is somewhat altered in 
habit by being grown in a greenhouse. ( Carig Cuthol). —Your shrub is 
Ribespetraium or Rock Currant. The parasitic fungus on the Juniper we 
cannot identify. {Evesham.) —Your plant is Aletris Capensis, the waved¬ 
leaved Aletris, called also Veltheimia viridifolia. It is a native of the 
Cape of Good Hope. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
May 23d and 24th. Beverley and East Riding of Yorkshire. Sec., I 
Mr. Fras. Calvert, Surgeon, &c. Entries close May 17th. 
June 6 tli, 7th, and Sth. Bath and West of England. At Dorchester. 
See., J. Kingsbury, Esq., Hammet Street, Taunton. Entries close May 7. 
June 12th. Essex (Saffron Walden). See., Mr. Robert Emson, Slough 
House, Halstead, Essex. Entries close June 1st. 
June 29th. Driffield. Sec., Mr. R. Davison. Entries close June 23rd. 
June 29th and 30th, July 2nd and 3rd. Sheffield. Chairman, Mr, Wil¬ 
son Overend, Sheffield. Entries close June 14tli. 
July 18th and 19th. Merthyr Tydvil. Sec., Mr. W. II. Harris, 142, 
High Street, Merthyr. 
September 25th. Bridgnorth. Sec., Mr. Richard Taylor, Bridgnorth. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us bg sending early copies of their lists. 
PROFITS FROM EXHIBITING. 
Showing opens other sources of profit than the sale of birds 
during the exhibition. Every fresh success is followed by scores I 
of letters asking the price of one of the pens, or of some of the j 
same breed, and if au amateur reluctantly declares he cannot 
afford the sum asked, he makes the best of it, and still looking j 
for success, inquires the price of eggs. Few things are more 
profitable than the sale of eggs from a prize stock, and yet few ; 
will undertake the trouble, or expose themselves to the annoy¬ 
ance of the pursuit. There is no position in life without its trials, 
and egg-selling is one. 
“ Sold nine Spanish eggs to Mrs. S., March 1st.” 
“ Charming woman, so fond of her children. Noticed that 
poultry amateurs are very nice people. Said she would inform 
me of the result.” 
Replied I should be delighted. 
Copy of letter received March 27th :— 
“ Mrs. S. presents her compliments to Mr. P. is sorry to say 
only six of the eggs hatched. She will leave it to Mr. P. to send 
eggs for those that failed, or to return the money. Mrs. S. is 
very much disappointed at the result.” 
Write to say nothing to complain of. Purposely worded the 
letter in the most civil language. 
Answer :— 
“ Thorn Lodge, Briars Lane, Bramble Heath. 
“ Mrs. S. has no wish to correspond with Mr. P. She con¬ 
fesses she thinks she has a right to complain at having paid 
2s. 6d. each for rotten eggs. It may give Mr. P. pleasure to 
know all the chickens are dead, although they were well fed, and 
no expense spared.” 
Inquiry proved the poor chickens were playthings for the 
childen, and were taken up to bed with them. 
“ Sold eleven Dorking eggs, March 4th.” 
Received letter March 18th :— 
“ All the eggs you sold were addled.” 
“ Time enough has not elapsed to prove it.” 
“ Hen deserted eleventh day. Broke all the eggs. No sign of 
chicken in either. Don’t care for the money, but do object to be 
taken advantage of.” 
“ Sold nine Spanish eggs February 21st.” 
Letter received April 29th :— 
“ Sir,—I had my doubts, I am now certain, the chickens 
from your eggs are not pure. They all have white feathers, and 
you promised to sell me black Spanish. I am sorry I paid before¬ 
hand, but unless compensation be made, will at all events 
expose you.” 
Wrote to say Spanish chickens commonly, indeed mostly, had 
white feathers. 
Heard in return I should be exposed in The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener next week. 
“ Mr. Trevelyan Courtenay, late B.C.S., is very desirous to 
possess some of Mr. A.’s celebrated Spanish fowls. He encloses 
postage stamps, and begs Mr. A. will send him four eggs. Mr. 
Trevelyan Courtenay, late B.C.S., wishes them to be selected 
with a view to the production of a cock and three pullets.” 
“The Bungalow, NagporeTerrace, S.E. 
“ Miss Short wishes to know what allowance is made by 
Mr. A. if nine eggs are bought; also, whether he packs and 
delivers them gratuitously at the London station. 
“Miss Short is reminded by her mother to ask, What gua¬ 
rantee Mr. A. gives with his eggs ? ” 
“ Mr. Frowne finds Mr. A. has been corresponding with his 
son about the sale of eggs and fowls. Mr. Frowne desires to 
inform Mr. A. his son is a boy, home from Eton for his holidays. 
He has no means of paying for any purchases of the sort.” 
“Lincoln’s Inn. 
“ Messrs. Cox, Haines, & Phese are instructed to inform 
Mr. A. that Sir II. McGregor, who has ordered expensive poultry 
eggs of Mr. A., is a lunatic, and the place whence his letters are 
dated is an asylum. If Mr. A. has already sent any, he will be 
good enough to fetch them away without delay.” 
“ Mr. Skemur has received Mr. A.’s application for the money 
for the eggs Mr. S. bought of Mr. A. last year. Mr. A. says it 
should have been paid before. He will allow Mr. S. to be the 
best judge of the proper time for discharging his accounts. 
Mr. A.’s account is 16s. The eggs hatched well. Mr. S. has 
two fine cocks to spare ; he observes Mr. A. supplies such at £1 
each. As Mr. S. wishes all tradespeople with whom he deals to 
have a liberal profit, he will allow these two birds at 12s. each 
to Mr. A. 
“ On receipt of his account receipted, and P.O. order for 8s., 
he will forward them to Mr. A. As they arc from two of Mr. 
A.’s eggs, of course they arc first-rate birds. 1 
GANDERS SOLD BY MISTAKE AS GEESE. 
At the Crystal Palace Summer Exhibition, I entered as a 
Gander and two Geese, Goslings aged sixteen weeks (when at that 
age it is quite impossible for any one to tell what they are). The 
pen was sold, and the purchaser, a month since, has informed 
me they have turned out three Ganders, and he now expects me 
to make him very large compensation. Am I legally bound to 
make him any ? and if so, what do you think would bo a fair 
amount P The purchase money was £3 os. A Subscriber. 
[When you entered them as a Gander and two Geosc, you were 
aware that you could not be certain as to their sexes; but without 
