JOUKNAIj op HORXICUIiTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



373 



EED-SKiN?fED Flourbajll Potato (West Coast).~~OnT experience of this 

 kiod coincides with yours, bat we are bound to admit that in some soUa, 

 especially light, its quality as a late kind is good. 



Large versus Small Seed {I(Um). — The largest and plumpest eeed is 

 stronger in vegetative power, and usually affords the healthier plants, than 

 small seed. 



Planting-out Obasges and Camellias {Citron). — Unless yon are pre" 

 pared to make a proper border for the plants we should not advise their being 

 planted-out, though both would succeed admirably were the soil taken oui 

 2 feet 9 inches deep, and 9 inches of rubble put npon the bottom for drainage, 

 the beds or borders having a drain with proper outlet to carry off supertlaous 

 water. We should use pure loam, the top 2 or 3 inches of a pasture with its 

 torf for the Orange, preferring hght to heavy soil, aod if poor add a fourth 

 part of fresh horse droppings, chopping the loam up rath*r small. For the 

 Camellia employ fresh loam with its turf about 1^ inch thick, and to this add 

 a third part (.f sandy peat. The soil in both caa-s Bhould be raised 9 inches 

 higher than the intended level to allow for settling, and be employed mode- 

 rately dry, making it rather firm. 



Carnations Injured by Sltjgs {L. L.).— First carefully examine yonr 

 plants and pick out any slugs that may be lurking amongst them ; then 

 stir the gronnd well, and sprinkle over it and around the stems a mixture of 

 soot, Ume, and guano. If you lay Cabbage leaves near the plants they will 

 probably attract many of the slug^, when you can then easily destroy them. 

 Slugs are generally more numerous and destructive where the surface of the 

 ground is seldom disturbed than when it is moved frequently. 



Double Stocks {J. 5., Sutton). — Perfectly double flowers cannot produce 

 aeed either in England or Germany. The seed is saved from single flowers. 

 Flowera having more than four petals are said to produce seed which gives 

 the greatest per-centage of doable flowers. 



Holy Ghost Plant (A. H.). — The botanical name of this plant in 

 Peristeria elatn. It is an Orchidaceous planf, a native of Panama, and is 

 known there by the appellation of El Spirito Santo. In England its popular 

 name is the Dove Flower, from the column of its flower bearing a strikiug re- 

 semblance to ft dove. It requires to be grown in a compost of fibrous loam, 

 leaf poil, and turfy peat in equal proportions, misint! therewith broken char- 

 coal freely, and filling the pots quite one-third with drainage. Place in a 

 stove and water very carefully until growth commeoces, afterwards more 

 copiously. Yonr other quesstion will be answered neit week. 



Names of Plants (HoUon). — Amelanchier Botryapium. (17. Parry). — 

 Achillea umbellata. (F. T.).— 1, Stachys lanata; 2, Duvaua latifolia; 3, Eu- 

 phorbia Peplis. { T. P.). — 1, Lamium album ; 2, LamJum purpureom ; 3, Stel- 

 loria Holostea. 



POULTEY, BEE, ATO PIGEON OHEOinOLE. 



THE LONDON POULTRY SHOWS. 



The caterers for poaltry fanciers seem to imagine that in the 

 neighboarhood of London the old proverb that "enough is as 

 good as a feast " does not hold good, for they have arranged to 

 hold exhibitions at the Aqaarinm, Agricultural Hall, Alexandra 

 Palace, and the Crystal Palace. Whether all are to be under 

 the same management as they have been heretofore we do not 

 know, but we confess we regret that, as there are fifty-two weeks 

 in the year, all these four meetings have been arranged to be 

 held within the short space of seven of them. The dates do not 

 clash, and that is all that can be said; and it would be no bad 

 plan for any distant exhibitor who has a good stud of birds to 

 pitch his tent in the metropolis for a little while, and make a 

 tour with his birds from show to show instead of incurring the 

 exnense of sending them home. As all shows, however, are got 

 up with the intention of making them a success and not a losing 

 transaction, we should imagine that the promoters of these 

 exhibitions vould do wisely to consult together and see whether 

 some one or even two of them cannot be postponed for a more 

 advantageous date. 



Taking briefly into consideratiou the ages and specialities of 

 the four exhibitions, we should undoubtedly say that the two 

 Palace shows are those which deserve most patronage and should 

 be the least allowed to 8u5er. Of the Sydenham meeting, how- 

 ever, we have no fear. We believe many people who look 

 npon their poaltry merely as a hfalthy recreation and pleasure 

 would prefer a high commendation at the Crystal Palace to a 

 prize at another show. It is now an old-established meeting, 

 and for some years has been held about the same date, and 

 is undoubtedly the great meeting of the year. For the other 

 three shows, then, Sydenham must not suffer; uor will it, we 

 feel certain. The next in order of age comes the Alexandra 

 Palace, which on the last occasion was for chickens of the year, 

 and a capital show it was, admirably conducted and prompt in 

 its armngement't. This show is annotmced to be held on October 

 16th, 17th, and 19th, and will, we hope, once more be for chickens 

 of the year as different to the sister Palace, where classes are 

 for birds of all ages. For the welfare of itself and that of the 

 annual show in the university city we should have been glad to 

 see the dales a week earlier in the month. For Oxford, however, 

 we have no fear. Well managed, well patronised, very popular 

 as this show has been, so will it be doubtless on this occasion ; 

 for it would indeed be shabby of any loyal fancier to abandon 

 a love which has been so long constant and true for one, com- 

 paratively speaking, of mushroom growth. 



The other two yet to mention are the Aquarium at Westminster 

 and the Agricultoral Hall at laliugtou. It has been proposed 



that the latter should give way, as being the younger, but this 

 we cannot see, for surely, though both are infants, the Dairy 

 Show was held some months before the Aquarium meeting. We 

 could spare them both, and if the ono was pestponed to Decem- 

 ber and the other to January we believe it would be better for 

 both. We cannot think either could have been a great success 

 last time ; in fact, we know the Westminster meeting was 

 attended with much loss of money. We should suppose that 

 the managers will be responsible for all claims, and so after 

 all it is for them to see what can be best done. We were, 

 however, rather surprised to hear that a sum of money is 

 being collected to partially, or as far as possible, recoup the 

 Aquarium losses. We say surprised, because we understood the 

 show was quite a private undertaking, and had the balance been 

 to the good instead of to the bad we doubt if we should have 

 heard much about it. Both the two last-named ehows have yet 

 to learn many things about their proper management, for we 

 know of a most peculiar mistake which took place at the Agri- 

 cultural Hall over a lady's Buff Cochins, while at the Aquarium 

 the blunders and confusion were so many that it would be im- 

 possible to tell of them. The managers, however, were pushed 

 by the narrow limit of time afforded for their preparations, and 

 we hope if they again hold their meeting that they will see to 

 this point, so that things may be in better train when the visitors 

 arrive. From this meeting the others may learn a good lesson. 

 We allude to publishing the names of the judges who are to 

 award the prizes in the various classes ; and though from the 

 death of one of their number they were unable to adhere to their 

 list, it was a good plan and a system we hope will become gene- 

 rally prevalent. 



Whether all the four shows are held on the dates named or not, 

 we hope that those who do keep their engagements as they are 

 now advertised will, in drawing up their schedules, bear in mind 

 that the entry fees are often in many classes wholly dispropor- 

 tionate to the prize money given ; that double baskets generally 

 produce double entries — a privilege all shows should grant; 

 that the names of the judges and their classes should always be 

 given ; that the awards should be placed on the pens as soon aa 

 tlie judges have handed in their nlips ; and that many amateurs 

 clever in their own breeds would assist in judging, and would 

 be able to give time and knowledge to many classes which have 

 hitherto been but indifferently judged. 



Thus much for the metropolitan shows. We personally wish 

 them all much success, and trust we may be present at the 

 meetings to judge for ourselves. We have mentioned the sub- 

 ject to-day as it has caused, &ud is causing, much talk among 

 fanciers, who when they come up from far-distant homes to see 

 a London show want and expect to see an exhibition worthy of 

 England's capital, and not a show-room indifferently filled be- 

 cause of the dates of the various meetings so closely clashing. 

 -W. 



whabpedale poultby, &c., show. 



The seventy-ninth Show of the Wharfedale Society was held 

 at Otley on the 12th inst. The entries were very good in all 

 sections, and the pens were arranged in the open air. The day 

 being fine and not cold the birds so exposed took no harm ; bat 

 it is rather singular that while a large marquee was provided for 

 the dogs, valuable birds should have been placed at the mercy 

 of spring weather. 



Game headed the list, but the entries in this section were not 

 so numerous as we have seen them here, the cup going to a 

 handsome weU-shown pen of Brown Reds. Spanish were very 

 good ; the Epworth cup pen again attaining similar honours. 

 In Cochins the winners were all Buffs. In Dark Brahmas we 

 had the impression that a mistake bad been made in the two 

 first pens, but on close examination we found little difference 

 in the quality of each ; the third was also a capital pen. Polish 

 were very good ; Silvers first and third, and Gold second. Hain- 

 burghs as a rule were very even classes and the entries good, 

 some of the pens being as near perfection as is ever seen ; the 

 cup going to a grand pen of Gold-spangles. Bantams were not 

 very good as a lot; but there were some very good pens of Black 

 and Brown Reds, the two winning pens a close run for cup. 

 Blacks good in style and plumage, but poor in comb. In Ban- 

 tams, variety, first were Gold and second Silver Sebrights, and 

 third Whites. Of Ducks the Variety class was the best and 

 most interesting. 



Pii/eons were, as is usual here, a capital entry. In Pouters 

 the first was a Red. Carriers good ; the first and second Duns, 

 and third Black, and correctly placed. In Barbs the winners 

 were all Blacks; the first good, but second and third rather 

 spouty. In Jacobins the winners were all Reds. The third was 

 by far the best, being very close in hood and chain and correctly 

 marked; the second was rightly placed; and the first was coarse, 

 loose in feather, and Baldpate-cut under the beak. We should 

 have placed the White third. Dragoons were not a grand lot; 

 the first was a Grizzle, a grand bird, rather heavy in wattle; the 

 second and third Blues were quite different in style of head, 

 being flat square-headed birds. In Short-faced Tumblers the 



