November 12, 1808. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICUIiTUKB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



369 



Oi;u)ioLi Planting— Varieties (D. H. S.).— Tho best time to plant is 

 from tho be^,'iunin« to the middle of March ftccordinj< to tho weather. 

 They may bo plaiit^tl in April, but thoso plauted early produce the birt^t-st 

 aud finest spiked and Ilowera. A low Holoct and not very expennivo 

 varioties are— Caleudulacous, Noptime, Uobocca, Lo PouHriiu, MaoMabou, 

 Ophir, ArchimodoH, Tho Colonel, Oracle, Miidamo Bassoville, Madamo 

 do Vatry, Dixie, Edulia, Dr. Liadley, Stepheuaou, Princosso Clothildo, 

 Goliath, John Wateror, Tippo Sahib, Berouico, Mnrie. I'lara, Bronchley- 

 onsiB, Agliio, Dr. Audry, Mrs. Lombard, Ziie, and Mrs. Sidilon'i, all strong 

 ffrowcrs. Of lessor growth — AdouJs, Fuuuy Iloujiet, Mars, Plutuu, Junon, 

 Do Caudolle, Liulin, Uoiuo Victoria, Lemonade, Walter Scott (Standish), 

 Madame Duval, JJiane, Isolino, Charles Dickeusi, Peter Lawsou, Mario 

 Dumortior, Stuart Low, Lady Morgan, Mndnmo Domago, Achille, 

 Eng^nio Vordier, Napoleon III,, Cardinal, Rembrandt, Flore, Samuel 

 Weymouth, and Cerea. 



AoAPANTHus UHHELLATca CtJLTURE (Tdem).—lt fluccoeds in ft compost 

 of two pxrts turfy loam aud one part leaf mould. Tho beat time to repot 

 is immediately after flowering:, or(wben inactive growth. The plants may 

 Le placed out of doors in May, and should have au abundant supply of 



water ; and if tho pots or tuba are not plunged, they may bo placed in sancerfl 

 flUed with water. Tho plants should be boused before severe weather 

 sots in, and merely protoctod from frost, and no more water should bo 

 given than will Ueop the foliage fresh. A light and airy situation should 

 bo given. They flower best when under rather than over potted. 



Artificial MANnnKs (/<Zf m).— We tried " Paxton's Horticultural " and 

 *' Carter's Fertiliser," and consider them benehciul to i>lants. 



Names of Fruits (A. D. .4.).— Tho box sent by sarapla post was charged 

 4i9., so wo declined receiving it. (J. B. J)., liu'lc).~-\'<>nT Apple is tho 

 Scarlet Poarmain. ( Ccntiirion).- -AU that wo can identify are : 5, Siberian 

 Harvey; Hand lU, Calville lilanche ; and 11, Coe's Golden Drop. There 

 is no Apple named " French Pippin ;" 'J is not *' Warwickshire Pippin." 

 (Lavibert, Dublin), — 1, Due do Nemours; 2, Louise d'Orleans. The Apple 

 wo do not recognise. (C. T. Jf , ])ornri).~l, Beurre de Ranco ; 2, Benrre 

 Diel; 4, Alfriston ; G, Wheeler's Kussut; 7, Russet Nonpareil. 



Names of Plants (iVfimo).— We cannot identify plants from leaves 

 only, we require flowers. {W. L.).— Liquidambar styraciflua, or Sweet 

 Guiu Tree. (Di: Br y ant). —Coccoloha platycladon. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending November 10th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



VULTURE-HOCKED BRAHMA POOTRAS 

 TRIMISIED, .VND THE NO-APPEAL RULE. 



The hock question has during the past sea,son reached a stage 

 which seems to me imperatively to demand that a stand be 

 made against practices which are beginning openly to prevail, 

 and which must have a tendency to drive honourable people out 

 of the fancy. I have been appealed to on several occasions to 

 take the matter up ; and now that the large shows are fast ap- 

 proaching, I hope attention may be drawn to the matter with 

 some chance of succses. 



On two occasions dm'ing the past season Mr. Hewitt has given 

 the first prize to a Brahma cock, wliich when " in a state of 

 nature," or " undressed," or whatever be the most delicate term 

 to express being untampered with, I know to be hocked almost 

 to the ground. Now, I mention Mr. Hewitt's name out of 

 several instances kuo\vn to me, not to cast the shadow of sus- 

 picion on the best judge we have, but for the e-xpress reason that 

 the question may be regarded as apart from all errors or faults 

 of judging at all. Nay, I may add that the same bird had pre- 

 viously deceived Sir. Teebay, and would very likely have de- 

 ceived me also had I only seen him in the pen ; but having 

 happened to see him in his own yard I was perforce made aware 

 of the deception. 



Having thus expressly exonerated Mr. Hewitt, I will mention 

 one more case in a pair of pullets which won many prizes last 

 senaon, and were in like manner shamefully trimmed. "When I 

 first saw them I hod no time to examine ; and so artfully was 

 the operation performed, that, when a friend expressed his 

 opinion that the birds must be hocked on account of their heavy 

 feather, I replied, '"Nonsense!" for the exhibitor stood very 

 high in the poultry world. But meeting the same birds again 

 I found they wi're hocked, the apertures being distinctly visible 

 from which the feathers had been puUcd ! 



Now, I admire heavy feather and a well-covered hock, and I 

 dislike vulture hock ; but this question has nothing to do with 

 such points at all. It is a simple matter of honesty and fair 

 dealing. The exhibitor of the pullets I refer to has sold many 

 eggs, and all of which I have any knowledge have produced 

 chicks hocked to the masthead. I even know two instances 

 in which birds were purchased of him, and developed the hock 

 after changing owners. Now, in the face of such practices I 

 desire to ask your editorial opinion on the following questions, 

 and if Mr. Hewitt would add the weight of his opinion also, 

 those concerned would be still more grateful. 



1, No judge can be expected always to detect such swindles ; 



but if, after the prizes are awarded, I or any other individual 

 can prove, either by ocular demonstration or unimpeachable evi- 

 dence, that hocks have been pulled in a pr ize biid, ought not 

 such bird to be by such fact disqual ified, the name exposed, and 

 the other mentioned birds below promoted one stage each in 

 consequence, without troublmg the judge about the matter ? I 

 think so. 



2, But if this be decided in the negative, are we to conclude 

 that all may trim, so that all may compete on the same level, 

 and honest men have some chance against thieves .' I hate the 

 practice, as destructive of all security in breeding, but this would 

 be at least fair and open. 



These are questions I should like answered. I do not wish to 

 put the responsibility on the judges, or to open disputes over a 

 prize; but any one who has kept Brahmas and been his own 

 poultiyman, as I have, can in most cases from the "set" of 

 the feathers on the thighs tell a hocked bii-d, and inspection wUl 

 confirm the suspicion if just. There will be plenty of evidence. 

 And I submit that to disqualify absolutely in every case of this 

 character need by no means open the door to general wrangling, 

 while it is the only way to save our "fancy" from a fast-in- 

 creasing knavery, which is akin to the boiled-egg business we 

 heard so much of a while ago. 



Will you kindly give your own and, if possible, Mr. Hewitt's 

 opinion on this matter r and by so doing oblige many besides — 

 Nemo. 



[No honest mind can have a doubt upon the subject. Ah. 



TRIStMING, EXCEPT DUBBING GaME FOWLS AND GaME EaNTAMS, 



IS FRAUDULENT ; when detected to the satisfaction of the com- 

 mittee the birds trimmed should be disqualified, the name of the 

 exhibitor published, and the prize awarded to the trimmed 

 birds either forfeited or given to the next most meritorious pen. 

 Holding this opinion, we need not express any opinion on the 

 second question. — Eds.] 



frauds at poultry shows. 



Knowing the strong feeling of disapprobation which you 

 entertain with regard to imderhaud practices in the prepara- 

 tion of poultry for exliibition, I venture to address jou on this 

 subject. 



It appears to me that all exhibitors who are determined, cost 

 what it may, to adhere rigidly to upright dealing, should unite, 

 and endeavour to put down practices which otherwise must 

 eventually drive honourable competitors from the field. I 

 allude more e.-^pecially to those trimmings of combs (not Game), 

 dyeing of feathers, extraction of faulty plumage, &c., which 

 from their exceeding cleverness might easily escape the de- 

 tection of the most scrupulous jnuge, especially amiJtt the 

 multitude of birds in very large shows. It would Le really 



