460 



JOTJENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. [ December 8, isc3. 



Bnor Plaijt Case (An Old Subscriber).— Tlxe maker is Mr. K. Stocks, 

 14, Archer Street. Kensington Park, London, W. A letter will obtain full 

 particulars in reply. 



Names op Fruit (S. C.).— Your Apple, of Tvhich you sent three speci- 

 mens, is the Kingston Black. IJ. Wells).— I, Van Mons Leon le Clerc (?) ; 

 2, Knipbt's Monarch ; 3, Passe Colmar ; 4, Beurri:' d'Aren bers ; 't, Beurri'' 

 Bosc, does not appear to do well with vou; G. Red Doyenn(:' ; 7, Vicar of 

 Winifield ; 3, Not known. Apples.— \, Feiirn's Pippin ; 2. Huntbouse. 



Namks of Plants {Conifertv).— \, Abies orientalis ; 2 and 3, varied 

 forms of Abies excelsa ; 4, Piuus strobus. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



PRIZES AWARDED TO GAME FOWLS AT 

 THE BIRMINGHAM SHOW. 



In our list of the prizes awao-ded at the Birmingham 

 Povdtry Show (p. 441), will be found the name of J. H. 

 WiUiams, Esq., Spring Bank, near Welshpool, as first for 

 Black-breasted Eed Game fowls ; as second in the Single 

 Cock class for White Piles, Duckwings, and other yarieties ; 

 and also second in Black -breasted Eeds. Our list was copied 

 firom the official record ; but we have since received infor- 

 mation that those three awards were cancelled, and that 

 the pens to which they were awarded were disqualified. 



The disqualification, we are informed, was decided because 

 the birds, although exhibited in the name of Mr. Williams, 

 really belonged to J. Hindson, Esq., Barton House, Everton, 

 Liverpool, one of the Judges of the Game classes. 



No severe remarks are needed from us to intensify the 

 feeling of reprehension generally felt upon this occurrence. 

 Neither Mr. Hindson. who awarded prizes to his own birds, 

 nor Mr. Williams, who .allowed the birds to be falsely shown 

 in his name, can be upon a bed of roses. 



BREAKING THE RULES AT THE 

 BIRMINGHAM SHOW. 



It is commonly believed that the rules and regulations of 

 the Birminghiim Poidtry Show are so carefuUy and wisely 

 compiled as to form a fit basis to guide all other societies 

 of similar character throughout the kingdom. Exhibitors, 

 therefore, naturally expect the Directors of the Bingley Hall 

 Show to duly provide for the faithful and rigid observance 

 of their own rules and regulations. 



This year we find it announced that by a new rule the 

 " privileged few," who can afford it, and choose to pay the 

 high admission fee of 10s. on Saturday, November the 28th, 

 will be peiinitted to view the awarding of the prizes to the 

 cattle, sheep, pigs, &c, but adds expressly, " the poultry, 

 however, will not be exhibited till Monday." So far so good ; 

 but such being the tenor of the ride, I indignantly ask. 

 How the astounding fact arose that Captain Heaton, to 

 whom both the Silver Buff Cochin cups were awarded on 

 the Saturday, and his fi'iend, Mr. Kelleway, the breeder of 

 the greater portion of the Cochin fowls the Captain then 

 exhibited, were permitted to view the Poultry Show on the 

 Saturday, in flagrant violation of such arrangements ? 



Was it, as now pleaded, " a pure accident," or does it not 

 rather appear as a turning of the golden key to the upper 

 ten — in short, a very gaudy Ulustratiou in support of the old 

 adage, that " kissing always goes by favour ? " Until this 

 direct anomaly of rules and practice is properly explained 

 away, myself and many other annual subscribers to the Bir- 

 mingham Poultry Show, certainly intend to erase our names 

 from the annual subscription list ; as evidently " big fish 

 break the net," whilst the little ones are the only sufferers. 

 If not accounted for, most certainly for the liiture we 

 purpose remaining among the imtrapped. — Small Fet. 



BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. 



It is fit that as we grow older we should have some 

 compensation for the loss of youth, and all the charms that 

 are its companions — corn-age, confidence, elasticity, fresh- 

 ness, strength, and hope. Not the least of these compensa- 

 tions is success. When a man can look back on foui'teen or 

 fifteen years of chequered life to find them crowned with 

 success at the end, there is a feeling of satisfaction and 

 rest which is an indescribable solace. It is the fruition of 

 hope, the reality of expectation, .and in many instances is a 



full eqtiivalent. There have been the bud and the blossom, 



.and the fruit is in store. Sidney Smith realised this fact 

 when, at the end of his famous receipt for a salad, he says : — 



•' And then, though turtle's de.ir and venison tough, 

 .\nd ham and turkey are not done enough ; 

 Securely full, the epicure may say, 

 • Fate cannot harm me, I have dined to-day.' " 



It is with societies as with individuals, success is the result 

 of exertion, and is never so appreciated as when it has been 

 striven for and attained with difficulty. But the feeling ot 

 rest we hsive described is of two kinds. There is that rest 

 which, having attained a certain object, has nothing more to 

 do — the purpose is accomplished. There is another which, 

 having succeeded, has to maintain its position by constant 

 care and exertion. 



The originators and the present managers of the great 

 Bu-mingham Show have had to realise all we have described. 

 They have had their small beg-inning, their times of depres- 

 sion, theii' difficulties and doubts, dark clouds, so dark that 

 their silver linings could not be seen; but they have persevej'ed 

 and have had success beyond anything they anticipated at 

 the outset. It is, however, the success that requires con- 

 stant exertion to maintain. Before one exhibition has 

 closed it is necessary to begin to think of the next year. 

 The Council are men of energy. They have added new 

 classes. Implements, roots, and corn have all been intro- 

 duced into competition. While these have been provided 

 for there has been no dim inution of the original prize list. 

 We congratulate the public-spirited men who conduct this 

 undertaking on the progressive success they so deservedly 

 meet with. It is truly a great Show ; and those who walk 

 round Bingley Hall, admire the aiTangemeuts, and enjoy 

 the sight, have little idea of the vastness of the under- 

 taking, or of the constant labour and supervision that are 

 necessary. The gTe.atest novelty of the present year is a 

 new gallery running the whole length of the building, 

 parallel with the poultry bay. Another such must be 

 erected on the opposite side and the effect will be very 

 good ; but space will still be wanted. 



The popularity of this great Exhibition is progressive, 

 and it would be hard to assign any limit to it. It has 

 passed from the bare exhibition of stock, and has assumed 

 a more attractive appearance. The taste with which the 

 seedsmen's stalls in the gallery are decorated would do 

 credit to an artist. Trophies appear in different shapes. 

 Eoots of almost fabulous size appear — mirabile dictu — as 

 the product of one of the mOlions of minute seeds that fill 

 a small bag. Beautiful steam engines, and implements of 

 every kind, chronicle the progress of agricultiu'al mechanism. 

 We trust we shall be pardoned the digression. We wiU 

 return to oiu- poultry ; but we could not forbear the mention 

 of these accessories to the coup d'wil of Bingley Hall during 

 exhibition time — a sight which may, without aft'ectation, be 

 deemed unique. The constant progress of the Society, and 

 the increasing popularity of the Show, are a well-merited 

 rewai'd to the originators. Nothing could be more unselfish 

 than their enterprise, and Birmingham owes them a deep 

 debt of gratitude. The crowded streets, the constantly 

 driving trains, the overflowing hotels, and the busy shops, 

 all contribute to form their ovation. 



We have ah-eady stated in our columns that there was a 

 considerable increase in the entries, and we are now enabled 

 to say that it was not made up of inferior pens, but of 

 excellent specimens. It will be our task to review them. 



Dorkings stood first. The prize list published last week 

 wm have given the names of the successful. We will, there- 

 fore, review .ill the classes of the Coloui-ed birds of this 

 breed, giving .as one proof of their excellence that fifty-four 

 pens were mentioned in the list of awards. All the well- 

 known names were there. Captain Hornby took first in 

 both the classes for cock and two hens or pullets ; Ladies 

 Holmesdale and Des Vobux, Mrs. F. Blair, Messrs. Pott, 

 Hewson, Drewry, and Dolby cannot be passed in silence. 

 It was an exploit to take even a fifth prize, and those who 

 were of necessity content with high and simple commen- 

 dations may urge as a proof that they have excellent birds, 

 that they figured among the awards at Bingley Hall in 1863, 

 The classes for Dorking Hens and PuUets were no exceptions, 

 and they maintained the reputation of the breed. The con- 

 dition and evident strength of constitution of these birds 



