JOUBNAL DP HORTiqULTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



I Joly 23, 1868. 



Pol^wn <BUck White T-ipknot). — First and Seooad, W. L. Trewin. 

 " BAaNDoOB. — First and Fonrtb, H. Francis. Seeoad, C. Rodd. Third, 

 R Pranois. Fifth, T. Barrett. 



Extra Prizes.— First, W. Scown. Second, Mrs. Thynne. 



Any BReKD—<7ocfe.— First, W. L. Trewin. Second, Capt. Freeman. 



Bantams (VVhite) — Prize. .1. Francis. 



Bantams fBHclt\— Second, .T. He9l. 



Gdi^ka Fowls — First and Second, W. M. Lancaster. 



Ducks f.\yle.thnrv). — First, W. Bines. Second, Rev. T. S. Camsew. 

 Third. Miss Radcliffe. 7>ufffc?in/T«.— Prize, Rev. T. S. Camgew. 



DncKS (Common). — First, J. Heal. Second, T. Picliard. Ducklings.— 

 I First, S. Brown, Second, T. Medland. Third. H. Francis. 



DOOKS (Ronen).— First and Second, Rev. R. R. Wright. 

 I Geese.— First and Second, J. TTcil. Third, H. Francis. 



Tdekets.— First nnd Second. .T. Heal. Third. G. Risdon. 

 [ PiGEONB.— First. Miss RsdcUffe. Second. W. Medlend. Third, T. IT. 

 1 Uedland. Fantail:, Jacobins, TrumpetBra, Tumblers, Nuns. — Prize, liev. J. 

 I E. Whyte. 



Rabbits (Tjop-eared).— Prize. Master R. Ti-eleven. CiymmQn. — First — 

 [ Uaster J. Edffecnmbe. Second, Master H. Sannders. 

 I Judges.— Rev. G. F. Hodson, North Petherton, Bridgewater ; Mr. 

 ' H. Leeworthj, Barnstaple. 



LoNS Sdtton Pooltrv Show. — We have received a prize 



sehedntfl of this, and considering the serious drawback of last 



year's Show, as to receipts at the entrance gates, owing to its 



raining inoessantly all the time the Exhibition was open to the 



public, the present prize list must be admitted to be a liberal 



one. The Show takes place on the 14th and 1.5th of October 



next. The prizes offered are £1 and 10.s., in the general classes 



for ponltry, with an addition of six silver cnns of the valne of 



five gnineis each. The prizes for Pigeons are £1 and 10.5. in 



each class, with two five-guinea cups in this portion of the 



Show. The local prizes offered are not less liberal, and the 



well-known name of Mr. George Clarke, the Hon. Secretary, is 



an nndoabted guarantee that evervthing calculated to benefit 



the birds will receive the most direct personal attention. The 



n»mes of thn three Judges Beleoted are given in full on the 



prize schedule. 



Pigeon-plying Match. — One day last week twenty-four 

 Pigeon fanciers of Southwark flew a match from Dover for a 

 stake of one sovereign eioh. A bird of the Skinnum tribe won, 

 eccoiBplighing the journey in seventy-eight minutes. 



MY DOGS. 



BoDTHEY somewhere sta'es as his opinion " that a house is 

 never perfect unless it has in it a child rising txvo years and a 

 kitten rising six months." I do not like to dispute so great an 

 authority, but as to the child rising two years, I think the 

 time might be extended to several years above the two ; for 

 instance, what makes a house more perfect than having in it a 

 daughter rising eighteen? As to the kitten, well, tastes differ. 

 Soutbey's love of cats was remarkuble in a man. But not to 

 be too particular. Grant the child and grant the kitten : why 

 did not S juthey mention a dog ? surely as superior to a cat as a 

 lion is to a tiger — though modern travellers will make out that 

 & tiger thrashes a lion in combat, so sonietimes a cat beats a 

 dog. But rightly, so I deem it, does that Landseer of literature, 

 who has done for dogs with bis pen what Sir Edwin has done 

 for them with his i>ru3h — rightly does Dr. John Brown eay, 

 "A dog in a house is a perpetual baby." And pardon the 

 digression " gentle reader " — and why are readers in old books 

 always called "gentle?" I am sure that any cat loving reader, 

 of this article, for instance, is jii^t now by no means a gentle 

 reader, but ready to scratch me for speaking slightingly of her 

 (a her, of oourse), beloved animals. But yet again to come 

 back, gentle or uogeutle reader, if you have never read Dr. 

 John Brown's " Rib and His Friends," the best bit of dog 

 literature ever written, go out and get a copy ; it will only cost 

 you sixpence, and yon will thank " Wiltshire Rector " with 

 eyes running over with happy tears (especially if you know 

 " bonuie Scotlapd " and "EJinbro' town"), for introducing 

 yon to that wonderful " bookie," and for giving you an hour's 

 intense pleasure, to be renewed as often as you read it. 



Well, Dr. John Brown, as I said before, tells us, " A dog in 

 a house is a perpetual baby." Think of that, ye whose hearts 

 are yearning to love Sfomething ; think of that, ye now not 

 young fathers and mothers, who remember the joy in the house 

 that baby No. 1 j^ave you fmrn the first hour of its baby life 

 antil baby No. 2 took its throne and reigned in its stead. Bat 

 to liave a perpetual baby — a toy — a plaything — a something 

 knowing much, jet not judged accountable, and so a large 



margin given to do as it likes, and all it does gives yon plea- 

 sure ! A perpetual baby — that is, a dear good dog, who loobe 

 at you with intense loving eyes, all affection in their clear 

 hazel, brown, or black depths — a being who obeys you im- 

 plicitly, waits for the hour at the door of the house at which 

 you call — a being who loves you just the same whether you ane 

 rich one year and very poor the next ; who into the bargaip 

 takes upon him to defend yonr house, your home, your castle ; 

 and if you have no home he does not leave you — no, he all the 

 more defends you, yourself, as much as to say, " Cheer up, my 

 poor unfortunate master. You have got no home for me to 

 take care of ; never mind, I will concentrate my attention, I 

 will watch and take care of you." Yes, a good affectionate dog, 

 to whom you are everything, who loves you with his great 

 affectionate heart. Of such a one the old proverb ought to be 

 strictly kept true, " Love me. love ray dog." 



Dog and man, how suited they are to each other ! Notice a 

 dog without a master, how very wretched he is. He looks a 

 miserable outcast. How he follows each likely-looking person 

 in whose face he thinks he diiiCovers the leatt trace of dog love. 

 And how he tries to ingratiate himself with such a one ! He 

 Wftfjs his tail, and looks as much as to say, " Do let me be 

 your dog, I will be such a good dog 1 " And then with a more 

 beguiling wag and look which s.iys, " Now do, you dear good 

 man, now ffo." Poor masterless dog ! This baa to go on many 

 days, until to his joy he finds a master — a boy, perhaps, etiD 

 a master. Then he has to curry favour no more ; he has no( 

 to wander about tail between legs — for why ? he has got 9 

 master. 



Then how dog and man contribute to each other's happiness ! 

 as in a happy marriage, each party is made the happier. Man 

 has not domesticated or reclaimed any animal so perfectly af 

 he has the dog, for the dog does not even wish for liberty. 

 His feelings are won over. He is no longer, as naturally, a 

 gregarious animal. He passes by other dogs with a brief " How 

 do you do ? " but he knows better than to forsake man and 

 herd with his species — unlike the horse, who kicks up his heel? 

 in the pasture and fain would not again be stabled. But th^ 

 dog does not even wish to be free. Man has raised him in t^ 

 scale of existence. He is more sensible, intelligent, and saga- 

 cious than his wild ancestors (half wolves, perhaps). His 

 heart has been won, and his heart is better since it was won ; 

 BO he no longer wishes — even wishes to be free. 



Now as to my dogs. 1 have not had many, for I do not 

 readily transfer affection from one dog to another. The first 

 dog I loved was scarcely mine, for I was rather his property, 

 for certainly I was much his inferior. My childhood's home 

 was one which for many years never lacked an infant within itf) 

 walls ; and each little one was duly presented to old " Keeper," 

 for that was his name, who sniffed, and sniffed, and licked th,© 

 tiny thing's face, and 1 loked as if he knew all about it ; hia ol^ 

 brown eyes saying, " Ah ! I understand. That child belong». 

 to the house, and I'll take care of it — all right." And he did. 

 Down on the lawn the youngster was by-and-by put, and old 

 Keeper romped with it, kept it happy and out of mischief, save 

 mischief with him, such as putting its tiny hand into his 

 month and poking straws up his nostrils, both deeds permitted 

 with good-hnmoured patience. 



But I have not yet given to you, gentle reader of our gentle 

 Journal, a picture of old Keeper. He was a bull terrier, very 

 much bull, in colour white. He had been a noted fighting dog. 

 He had fought many battles (those were bull-baiting, badger- 

 drawing, cock-fighting, dog-fighting days — things hav* happily. 

 improved since). Old Keeper was humanely bought and made 

 a gentleman's dog of, so that he might retire with dignity into 

 private life. There was the old spirit in him ; but " No, 

 Keeper, no ! " brought him to a peaceful disposition ; but " At 

 him. Keeper, at him!" would, I fear, have pleased him far 

 better. His face was wonderfully scarred — marks won in fair 

 fight. He looked made for combat, as I suppose Garibaldi 

 looks, even when at Caprera. His dear old scarred face and 

 stout limbs are perpetuated ; for there is a portrait of him in 

 the old house at home, done in oils by the clever scene-painter 

 of a moving company of theatricals. There he is rigid as in 

 life, the attitude obtained by putting a rabbit in a basket, which 

 made the old fellow cock his ears and tail, and look animated 

 as in his youthful days. Poor scene-painter ! Born for better 

 things, as that picture shows, you were a poor ne'er-do-well, 

 who had not even a dog for a friend. 



Many years, considering he was a dog, did Keeper live 

 honoured. Very faithful was he, very true to his master. The 

 horse, a great friend of his— they shared the stable together— 



