June 19; 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDRE AND COTTAGE GABBENEB. 



463 



Fedia olitorift. (Gf. B. B.).— Claytonia perfolinta. (Lachfnalia). — 1, Ila- 

 leBia tetraptem ; 9, Lonicera tatarica ; 3, Pnlmnnarin nfficiiialiB ; 4, .'Vjiigii 

 reptans ; 6, Goranlnm sangnineum. (If. Tajior).— Pyrnsaria. (IK. L.).— 



1, Halesia diptera ; 2, Viburnum cotlnifoliom ; 8« Cratlegus Bubfax««. 

 ( IT. ir.).— 1, Vibumnm opulus ; 2, PhiladelpbuB coronanua ; 8, Cntngia 

 sanguinoa. (2i. T. tf/iMter).— aalvaatrom oapenso. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending Juno Ifith. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



FIVE HOURS AT SALISBURY. 

 Thursday morning, June 7th, found me most unexpectedly 

 on my way to Salisbury. I went thither by excursion train, 

 the first I ever stepped into. I imagined all such must be 

 crowded, noisy, disagreeable modes of conveyance, imcertain 

 as to time of starting, and more uncertain as to time of arrival ; 

 but not so this one proved : all was quiet and orderly — no 

 hurry, no confusion, and we started and arrived to a minute. 

 Still, ever since I read Punch's epitaph on an old railway 

 engine I have the more shunned excursion trains. 



" Grown old and rusted, 

 His boiler busted, 

 He smashed the excursion train," 



1 kept repeating. No, I did not want to repeat it ; but that 

 line would ring in my ear yesterday,— 



" He smashed the escursiou train." 

 Bat our engine was better-behaved — he did not smash the ex- 

 cursion train. 



On and on towards Salisbury. Grass crops light everywhere. 

 Now at Wilton, that Utile suburb of Salisbury — a mere village ; 

 its entire population 1930, and of that number upwards of 

 1000 females. Connected with Wilton are the name and deeds 

 of that truly great statesman Sidney Herbert ; its wonderful 

 Byzantine church (I don't like it for an English church, though), 

 seems now dedicated tt> bis memory. Sidney Herbert — the 

 one whom Lord I'almerston looked to as his successor — high- 

 bred, courteous, manly, kindly, a fit successor to Pahnerston ; 

 but it was not to be ! 



Here we are at Salisbury, omnibuses charging double of 

 course. A mile to the show-yard. No change given there, for 

 it is the shUUng day, and no time to lose. I am within the 

 show-yard, high, dry, and healthy; no fear of wet, for did I 

 not leave my glass rising at Hilltop Rectory ? My glass is my 

 priest — a kind of better Pope, for I know it is infallible. Cata- 

 logue in hand, I now prepare to explore the Show. I open 

 the map, always the best plan, and by studying it become 

 master of the situation of every tent. 



The cattle are, poor things, " conspicuous by their absence." 

 " The machines in motion " are most conspicuous by their 

 presence. Never did 1 see such a long row of puffing steam- 

 engines — they made one hot to look at them. Implements 

 vastly abundant. Said ft farmer, " The expense of showing 

 them comes out of our pockets ;" but that was not the best 

 thing I heard from an agrieultural mouth. Sitting near the 

 band, close to a good old-fashioned-looking farmer, wide in 

 waistcoat and double in chin, he looked up at the motto of the 

 Bath and West of England Society floating above us on d. flag 

 — "Work and Learn." "Aye," said he, "work and lam is 

 it? Work at whoam, and tbfn come and lam here, and then 

 go whoam and work better, that's it." And a good explana- 

 tion, too, of the use of an agricultural meeting. Implements ! 

 implements ! I have no time for you. Picture-gallery — well, 

 " very pretty." That's a safe criticism ; it used to be that of 

 Samuel Rogers. But why will water-colour artists make their 

 ladies' faces so high-coloured ? for rouge is not mnch used 

 now-a-days. "Art-manufacture" tent, full of the fruils of 

 man's ingenuity. Now I am at the " Horticulture " tent. 

 What a blaze of Geraniums and Azaleas ! but the colour toned 



down by the graceful Ferns. This is right : too much colour, 

 or colour only, makes the eye ache. Nature has plenty of 

 green always, even in the Tropics. Beautiful flowers ! Charm- 

 ing Roses ! I see my old friends Cloth of Gold and Lamarque 

 among them. 



Next come the dogs — a first attempt at a show, and a credit- 

 able one ; a late thought, and so not a large ."ihow. The first- 

 prize greyhound was greatly admired, and Wilts is a first-rate 

 coursing county. Many of our readers are doubtless famiUar 

 through the engi-aving with Landseer's " Uncle Tom and His 

 Wife," — I think I am right in the title — two buUdogs, wonder- 

 ful as dogs, but not less wonderful in their likeness to niggers. 

 Now, there was one bulldog at Salisbury, only one, and it was 

 black, and its likeness to a negro was wonderful. It wanted 

 but a queer hat or red handkerchief to be complete, so nigger- 

 like yet canine, canine yet nigger-like. Horses next, but not 

 a very satisfactory lot ; but there were " darling ponies," as 

 the ladies called them. 



WeH, there is the poultry tent at last, crowned by some 

 dozen flags. Other tents have but one flag, but the poultry 

 tent many, which is quite right — a goodly loug tent, 300 feet 

 by 40. A tall policeman graciously, almost gracefully, waves 

 his hand, and bids me enter to the left, which is quite correct, 

 for there before me stands Pen 1 of Class I. — viz., Spanish. 

 Concerning the poultry generally, which my county paper 

 most properly said " was one of the most attractive features of 

 the meeting," there were upwards of three hundred entries, 

 being about ninety more than last year. The Spanish class 

 was a very good one. Lady Holmesdale was first with birds 

 which cannot be shown again for some time, as they had nearly 

 plucked themselves or plucked each other bare. Mr. .Jones, of 

 Bristol, was second. Wiltshire was well represented in Mr. 

 A. Heath's four pens, one of which was highly commended. 

 Class '2, Dorkings, was the largest class of all. Lady Holmes- 

 dale was first and second, her Eose-comhed being the latter. 

 Only a few AVTiite Dorkings were shown, but the first-prize pen 

 was very good. Of Cochins, Cinnamon and Buff, there was 

 but a smaU entry — very small ; and the prizes went to Man- 

 chester and Birmingham, save the third to Miss Milward. 

 Other Cochins were not numerous. The Brabmas were very 

 good indeed, the Dark on the whole being the best. In Game, 

 as usual, the Black-breasted and other Beds exceeded the other 

 colours in number. It is not a good time of the year for Game. 

 The prize Black Game looked, however, wonderfully well. The 

 Hamburghs were all good. As a proof that they are not yet 

 very general in the south and west of England I heard many 

 humble folks ('twas the shilling day), pause, and ask, and 

 blunder about their names. Mr. Beldon beat Lady Holmes- 

 dale in Silver-pencilled, which was something to he able todo. 

 Out of all the Hamburghs only one pen belonged to Wiltshire : 

 this should not be. Then I mourned over there be;ng but two 

 pens of Black Polish. Good indeed they were, hut why not 

 more ? Golden Polands but three pens. Silver but two ! Again 

 I ask some one to go vigorously into this variety of fowl. 

 Malays, six pens— well, they may be handsome. Minoroas, 

 Creve Creur, and Any other distinct variety— I am surprised 

 that GO many appeared, but they make up a show. Among 

 the single cocks were many good birds, the Cochins being least 

 excellent. But one pen of Golden-laced Sebrights good-yery 

 good, but only one ; Silver-laced four. But oh ! my httie 

 Black friends, you are looking up— six pens of you to one 

 White and nine Game! Ducks abundant, and many from 



