October 27, 1863. ] 



JOTJKNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



339 



OsMU.NDA KEOALis. — This magnificent Fern, once rery abundant in 

 Chevington Wood, is now extinct in Northumberland, from destroying this 

 natural forest and drainins. A poor amateur would feel obliged by any of 

 your readers, who may find this plant in their locality, sending a frond 

 bearing seed. Addre^s, " Mr. Froud, Post OfBoe, Morpeth." 



Wintering Gkraniims in a Cellar l,De Foix).— Strip erery leaf off 

 from the Geraniums, and then tie them together in bunches by the roots, 

 three or four plants in a bunch, and bang them up m your cellar. Keep 

 the cellar as free from damp as posi-ible by occasional Tentilation. The 

 temperature in which Geraniums keep best in such situations is about 40'. 

 Yott may also try some of tiiem with their roots put into dry earth in 

 boxes. But in either ca-e strip them of all their leaves and let ihera be 

 housed before their points are touched with frost. Looli over them at in- 

 tervals through the winter, and remove all signs of damping or decaying 

 shoots, and dust the wounds over with hut lime. 



Names op Fruit (ff. M. C, IIatJielil}.—Yom Apple is the French Crab. 

 {W. Armstrmiri]. — \, Autumn Colmar ; 2, Bcurvi5 d'Ateraberg; 3, Mane 

 Louise; 4, Maiie Louise; 5, not linown; 6, Napoleon; 7, Winter Nelis; 

 8, Beurrc^ Bosc. (O ■ F. cj- i". iT.).— Your Fear is Figue de Naples. (T.G.K.). 

 — 1, Old English Codlin, of which we shimld like to have a few gratis; 

 2, Golden Noble; 3. not known. {E. C. M'.).— Pears.-1, Beurre de Uance ; 

 2, not known; 3, Passe Colmar ; 4, not known ; 5. Downton; 6, Tnomphe 

 de Jodoigne; 7, Ducliesse d'AngouIeine ; S, Beurre Diel; 9, White 

 Doyenne ; 10, Thompson's; 11, Swan's Ejjg. apples.— 1, Blenheim 

 Pippin ; 2, La Fameuse ; 3, Scarlet Nonpareil. 



Names of Plants. — Some of our correspondents are in the habit of 

 sending small Iragments of plants for us to name. This requires from us 

 such a great expenditure of time that we are compelled to say that we 

 cannot attempt to name any plant unless the specimen is perfect in leaves 

 and flowers. ( ir. TV.).— I, Escallonia nibia ; '2. Lonicera flexuosa ; 3, some 

 Hakea or Isopogon apparently. Brown's " Forester," last edition, will give 

 you full instructions for managing woods and plantations. ( (K. H.). — \our 

 Passion-Flower seems to be Hassitiota liguLiria. Your seedling Geranium, as 

 a flower, is Inferior to many ; of couiso we cannot say anything about its 

 merits for bedding, as that depends upon its habit. (J/. i>.).— A Solidago. 

 and apparently S. procera. (.B. 2'.).— Cystopteris alpina. {A Four-years 

 *i(isc;i6«-).— Isolepia gracilis. {JJ. P. A., Wi/fifiiiiiri/).— Thunbergia or 

 Hexacentriscoccinea. The Kern isl'olvstichumaculeatumlobatum. (X. X). 

 —1, Adiantum lonnosum ; 2, Cyrtommm falcatum ; 3, Asplenium Veitch- 

 ianum; 4, Pteris liastala ; 5, Pteria orelica albo-lineata. [Rusticiis). — Your 

 Orchid is one of the Odontoglos&ums, but we do not recognise which. 

 (.E. Ske]>stoii).—\\h-^l is ca'led in gardens Pteris crispa, a plant of con- 

 tinental origin. ( n'. jV.).— Itudbcckia Neumanni. (i\'ur/o/A;).—Y'our plant 

 is Euphorbia lathyiis. The fruits you want are Late Admirable Peach, 

 Ked Kom.iu Nectaiine,! Coe' Golden Drop or Rsine Claude de Eavay Plum, 

 and Florence or Belle Agathe Cherry, 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHEOKICLE, 



EELATI^'E E^^TEIES AT POULTEY SHOWS. 



YouE correspondent from Yorksliire completely bears out 

 my letter to you after the Islington Show, as regards 

 Brahmas in the north. Indeed, there can be no question 

 that many of om- "established'' breeds do not enter nearly 

 as weU as the " cross-bred mongrels," as the Brahmas have 

 been frequently styled. When I entered on my calculations 

 as regards the Islington Show, I did not fancy I covdd have 

 made out so good a case for them, and I am now going to 

 test the patience, perhaps, of a few of yom- readers, w hils t I 

 analyse the entries of the late Sydenham Show. 



At the close of the mnter show last year I wrote to the 

 Secretai-y, urging them, in future, to give greater encourage- 

 ment to Brahmas, aUuding then only to the addition of a 

 third prize. Meantime, the Agricultural HaU Company issue 

 their liberal prize list, in which Brahmas were most liberally 

 treated, and it cannot be denied that they responded weU to 

 the invitation. The Sydenham authorities, however, have 

 determined to remain " as they were ; " no third prize, no 

 fi'esh classes. Let me, however, first prove my case by 

 figiu-es, which, in this place, prove only the truth. I alter 

 the order in which the various breeds are arranged in the 

 Crystal Palace Sehedide, and place them in the order that 

 they have proved most profitable to the Crystal Palace 

 Company. 



able to the exchequer, and evidently does not get its due 

 allowance of prize money. The Brahmas, the only other 

 breed that nearly approaches a repayment of the prize 

 money, have, however, only ^8 offered them in two classes, 

 whilst the former breed has nearly three times the amount, 

 and has four classes. 



There are breeds long established, weU encouraged, the 

 Polish and Malay for instance, which very miserably repay 

 the exchequer. The latter deserve, and must expect, unless 

 then- admit-ers come forward more thoroughly, to be sent 

 back to the cold shades of the "Any other variety" class, 

 from which Umbo the Black Hambiu-gh ought as certainly to 

 be rescued. At Sydenham five competitors showed five 

 pens, a greater number of entries, than in classes 18, 26, 27, 

 and 30, and equal to Class 32, in all which classes £3 was 

 offered, and in some a larger amount as prizes. Birming- 

 ham has this year set aside a class for them, but though 

 apparently alive to the demands of this breed, it offers no 

 greater inducements to Brahma-breeders than heretofore — no 

 ti-esh class, no third prize, whilst the opening regulation in 

 a spu-it of self-laudation, considers " any departure from the 

 extended prize list unnecessary." 



It is impossible to say how the entries may tell there, but 

 it is certain that as far as the Sydenham Show is concerned, 

 justice is not meted to the Brahma, and I feel convinced 

 that any impartial observer will bear out my judgment, if 

 he study the catalogue. I have not taken the single cock 

 classes separately, but there Brahmas follow the Dorking, 

 although in the case of Cochins and Game, the prizes 

 offered are larger. In my remarks I do not desu-e to detract 

 from the merits of other breeds. Indeed, I am very interested, 

 and showed in classes which I have here shown to be weai, 

 numerically, both at Islington and the Palace. To see them 

 docked of some of their offered prizes would be rather a 

 tender spot with me, yet it would be but justice to the 

 breeds that enter numerically stronger. 



Our two large metropolitan Shows distinctly prove that 

 the Brahmas are No. 2 as payers, whilst the experience of 

 most who have kept them is, that in utility they are Al, 

 being hardy, easily restrained by fences, rapid-flesh pro- 

 ducer;, early layers, and, to my eyes, but I may be partial, 

 very handsome. 



In conclusion, may I venture to say, that m your hmts 

 about selecting birds for show, you have urged points of 

 feather, which I was sorry to see ? Making large birds as the 

 Dorking and Cochin, budsof feather, has in past years, done 

 much injury to those breeds, and I would willingly save my 

 pets from such a fate. I consider shape, size, and colour, 

 to be the order of merit. — ^Y. B. A. Z. 



Here, the Dorking is undoubtedly much the most profit- 



JUDGES SHOULD BE ALOIS'E. 



I WAS given to understand that the public, and particularly 

 exhibitors, are not admitted at poultry shows while the 

 Judges are making their awards. Yet I noticed at the 

 Poultry Show held at Crewe in connection nith the Cheshire 

 Agricultural Society on the 30th of September last, that 

 whilst the Judge was making the awards an exhibitor 

 entered the tent with catalogue in hand and went round 

 the different pens with the Judge. When the public were 

 admitted that exhibitor met the owner of a prize pen, and 

 the following conversation took place : — 



" Well Mr. has got the first prize, and we have given 



you the second, and all the rest have got 'highly com- 

 mended ' or ' commended,' so you must consider it an 

 honour." Now I think if he had omitted the word honour 

 and substituted iavour he would be nearer the mark. I do 

 not doubt the Judge, but I do not think that he can penorm 

 his duty with satisfaction to aU pai-ties durmg the presence 

 of any exhibitor.— A Lovee, of Fair Plat. 



MANCHESTEE POULTEY SHOW. 



"I have received a very good list of prizes to be given at 

 Manchester, but there is one very gi-eat drtxwbaek, the 

 Show is exactly at Christmas, and the fowls wiU have to be 

 there dru-ing Christmas-day-a very objectionable arrange- 

 ment, which! I should fancy, would deter many from sendmg 



