34 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AKD COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Jaouary 9, ISfiS. 



BhotiU be to Ret rid of all unprofitiiblo mouths. We will leave 

 this part of our subjict, and should not have gone so much at 

 length into it, had it not Bcemed to us that -ne were pro- 

 paring a sort of fuvoiurable report for next year. We have a 

 great satisfaction both in retrospect and antici|>ation. We be- 

 lieve we are chatting with friends. For man) years wc have ex- 

 changed our good wishes with "all whom they may concern." 

 Wo have no feud on hand, no latent ill will to gratify ; and we 

 believe if there were any sign or shibboleth by which those 

 connected with " The .louraal ■' could recognise each other, the 

 contact would bo preceded by an open countenance and a 

 hearty shake of the hand. We are speaking only of our be- 

 lief; our deserts must of necessity be rncted by others, but we 

 are so sure of our motives that we would not hesitate to leave 

 judgment in the hands of those who differ from us. Enough 

 of ourselves. 



Dorkings have advanced during the last twelve months, not 

 BO much in separate pens as in the breed taken collectively. 

 The awards of prizes show it is a wise discretion that mingles 

 colour. Silver-Cireys took prizes, competing against all comers. 

 Competition should seek to raise all to the highest, and not to 

 satisfy hailing ambition by lower reward. \Vliite Dorlcings in- 

 crease very much in size and quality. We cimnot note im- 

 provement in Spanish. We believe the amateurs of this beau- 

 tiful breed will have again to get the foreign birds for the sake 

 of fresh blood, and to breed out afterwards the points in which 

 they are inferior to ours. Cocliin-Chinas are still rising in 

 popularity, and are good, but they require careful breeding. 

 Drooping combs and vnilture hocks have disfigured, and, it may 

 be, disqualitied, miiny nn otherwise goodly pen. We are glad 

 to see our in-otigi-s, the Drahmas, keeping on. We do not 

 hesitate to say that they are destined to form a very large 

 class, and they desciTC all the honours they receive. JIalays 

 are still good, but it seems to be their province to be alwaj'S m 

 the position of the aborigines of an antipodean colony after 

 the advent of the white man — they retain their characteristics, 

 but their numbers decrease. The Creve Cccur class is already a 

 success, and the breed is becoming popular. Black Ham- 

 burghs are increasing ; but sufficient care is not taken to con- 

 ceal their origin or their helpers. The white face shows too 

 often. It reminds us of the helps that forty demands when it 

 would appear twenty. Golden and Silver-pencilled Hamburghs 

 have been beautiful as ever, and, we doubt not, have been as 

 free layers. We can speak in unquaUfied praise of the 

 Spangled ; the Golden being almost perfect, the Silver very 

 beautiful. The next class is one of our difficiUties. What 

 means can be adopted to increase the entries in the Poland 

 classes ? The quality of the birds shown is excellent, but the 

 numbers are small — too small. The Distinct Varieties have 

 flourished, find another French breed has made good its claims 

 — " The La Fli'cLe," facetiously called " The French Dorking; " 

 an excellent fowl, we know, but we must draw a line some- 

 where. Just fancy anj-fhing as good as "ourDorldng" — the 

 fowl of fowls : capital breeder, no wet nurse required, and 

 the best of food. The Game, as usual, are perfect. They 

 cannot improve. We must beUeve the amateurs of this breed 

 are imbued with its propensities, and must ask for a division 

 of classes — one to be judged on its merits as a fighting com- 

 munity ; the other would feed on a milk diet, destroy their 

 "horrible propensities," lud have them judged as capable 

 of fighting, but detesting the vci-y idea of such barbarity. 

 Failing such division, the exhibitors will be in the position of 

 those who, when we were at school, viewed the chameleon, only 

 they will eat each other, and not the birds. Bantams have 

 held their own. Game, Blacks and Whites, have far out-num- 

 bered the Sebrights. The latter have failed nothing in beauty, 

 but the Silvers are getting Golden. The weights of Geese and 

 Ducks have spread all over the land, and told their story. 

 They may be vulgar, but they are right English food ; and 

 called on to plead as to ha\-ing barboiu'ed a wish for Duck 

 and early peas, or Goose, apple sauce, and French beans, we 

 should have no resource but to plead guilty, and to throw our- 

 selves on the mercy of the court. And the Turkeys — twenty 

 pounds of good meat ! \M3en we look at them we fancy the 

 white, succulent, flat side cut off the breast (no one who can 

 carve a Turkey cuts from point of breast to crop), bounded by 

 the green stuffing, and relieved by the shoe of chen-y ham, 

 and we think well of those who increase such meat. May 

 their shadows never be less. 



We have reached the end of our tether. Every subject is 

 exhausted, except that of our good wishes for all. It is said. 

 That which is disagreeable is put off to the last, but we beUeve 



that which is pleasant is also deferred. Is it that anticipation 

 is before reality ? We bcUeve not. The man who feels what 

 he is about to say is seldom eloquent. " Abu.se me," said a 

 first-rate s)icaker to an audience, " and I don't care a snap of 

 the finger for you all ; use me kindly, as you have done, and I 

 am dumb." So arc we. 



Friends, Contributors, Subscribers, we bid you God speed 

 for the new year. We thank you for the past'. Wo hope for 

 the future. We wish you every good ; we v.ish you happiness 

 and prosperity; and that, without distinction " of any kind, 

 ISGG may be — 



A Hirrv New Yeaij. 



FIRST NATIONjVL SHOW OF THE POUI-TRY 



CLUB. 



This, which is to be held at Rochdale on the '2nd. 3rd, and 

 5th of Februaiy next, promises to bo very successful. Why 

 Rochdale wa.s selected we do not know ; but even if less acces- 

 sible than might be desired, the prizes are sufiicicntly liberal, 

 and the entrance fees sufficiently moderate to secure a large 

 nimiber of exhibitors, and, we hope, a numerous attendance. 

 There are no less than fom'teen silver cups, and the ])rizes vary 

 in each class from £3 for the first, to 10.s. for the last. Entries 

 close January 20th. 



FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BINGLEY H.VLI.. 



"First impressions arc everything." This is one of the 

 canons of ladies" criticism. The fair sex believe in it tho- 

 roughly, but especially in regard to themselves. Thus, for ex- 

 ample : A lady, a good wife, and a good housekeeper into the 

 bargain — (AVill our modern fast young ladies make the last- 

 named ? I doubt it) — was anxious to receive a guest with all 

 honour, and to make a good first impression upon him, parti- 

 cularly as to the appointments and finish of her house, for her 

 husband had frequently told her that this gentleman's home 

 was perfect in every fitting up, and that the furniture was 

 faultless in its arrangement. Her anxiety, then, what good 

 wife can doubt ? Just before dressing for dinner she had been 

 very busy, and time had flown, she thought, faster than usual. 

 She glanced round her drawing-room. Was it quite in order? 

 Were the anti-macassars all right? — the covers off all the 

 chairs, and that ottoman glorious with worsted work ? Yes, the 

 cover was off that. The whole looked perfect — nothing stiff and 

 formal, but all in a negligent-elegant yet orderly way, just as 

 only an F.nglish gentleman's room can look when he has a good 

 wife, when lo ! looking upwards the lady espied some dust 

 on the cliandelier. Quick as thought she mounts the table, 

 and begins to remove the obnoxious palpable powder ; when 

 oh ! alas ! horrible to relate, that dreaded g^iest was annoimccd 

 — a terrible, over-pimctiial man, fond of quoting Lord Nelson's 

 half-an-hour-before-time story. To be caught standing on a 

 round table dusting a chandelier ! worse, to have to make the 

 humiliating descent duster in hand, and thus welcome the 

 gentleman ! " To make such a first impression," instead of 

 advancing from her chair by the fire, extending an aU-graoefnl 

 jewelled hand, with the daintiest of pocket-handkerchiefs in 

 the other — "t was too bad, it spoilt tlie whole evening ; and 

 when she entered half an hour afterwards all right for the 

 party she felt embarrassed, troubled, awkward. " What a first 

 imprcs'sion to have made ! " 



" First impressions arc everything." How many of ns 

 married men must with a shrug own the truth of this ladies' 

 canon. 



" First impressions are everything," reads aloud to her hus- 

 band one of our mai-ried lady admirers. He has been grumpy, 

 but hearing these words he looks up, and she is gazing at lum 

 with that tjrst-impression look of her's. " ' Wiltsiiike Rector ' 

 is right there, my pet," he says as he turns, gnuupy now no 

 longer, a kind smile on the reader. " First impressions are 

 everything." " Tell me not that, I knew it too well before ! " 

 raves some love-sick youth. " I saw her — I see her stiU — 

 standing on the doorstep of her father's house. She was going 

 out to play croquet. Her parasol hung on her right-hand little 

 finger. She was buttoning her left-hand glove, and glancing 

 down with her eyelashes— happy eyelashes I — kissing her fair 

 cheeks. Ah ! slie knew I was looking at her ! Oh, it was 

 maddening!" Poor simpleton! She, knew nothing of the 

 kind ; she was only looking down on her glove and thinking. 



