Aagust 6, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTCTBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Ill 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending August .3rd. 



GSHB&Ui BeHABKS* 



Rain ; heavy ehowers ; clear and fine at night. 

 Foggy ; cloudy, but fine ; densely clouded. 

 Densely overcast ; fine ; clear and fine. 

 Overcast ; fine, slightly overcast ; densely overcast. 

 Fine bnt cloudy ; heavy cloads ; showery at night. 

 Cloudy ; fine ; clear and fine, starlight. 

 Rain ; heavy sbowera ; densely overcast. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



THE POULTERS' COMPANY. 



(Crmcluded from page 90.) 

 I DID not shout as Pickle's friend did, bat when I put the 

 first mouthful of Swan into my mouth I was disposed to cry 

 out, " This bird has eaten nothing but sprats." It had an un- 

 deniable flavour of fish beyond any wild fowl I ever tasted. I 

 beUeve the Corporation of Norwich is bound by charter to con- 

 sume a certain quantity of corn in fattening Swans, and then 

 they have to be got rid of. If it were a necessity that they 

 shotUd be properly cooked, then the gift of a Swan in England 

 would be like that of a white elephant in India. I beUeve it 

 should be picked quite clean, and trussed with the feet on. It 

 should be stuffed full of rumpsteak cut in dice, and of fresh 

 butter rolled in small balls, sundry herbs, and a suspicion of 

 garlic or shallot. The entire animal should be wrapped in 

 thin slices of fat bacon, and basted with butter during the 

 hours of roasting. Sauce of spice, port wine, and jelly. Then 

 friends must be asked to partake, and something must be pro- 

 vided in case the Swan should be bad — a costly present. 

 Small marvel that the recipient of one gave it away, and re- 

 ceived it again within ten days. There is only one comfort, 

 the victims are generally the Prime Minister, the Commander- 

 in-Chief, or the Foreign Secretary. Some of us are, therefore, 

 likely to be exempt from the gift of a fattened Swan. 



The description given of the poulters' arms is incomplete. 

 The crest is a Pelican tearing her breast in order to feed her 

 brood, that are ravenously swallowing her blood ; the sup- 

 porters are also Fehcans ; and the motto is "Remember Your 

 Oath." 



The bequests of the Company date back to the early part of 

 the seventeenth century. It is among those which supplied 

 King James with money, and thereby gained an interest in the 

 Irish estate. Bishops, knights, and aldermen have figured 

 among their liverymen, even of recent date. I do not know 

 whether it be the same man, but the Campbells are descended 

 from a Norman Campo Bello who married a Scotch heiress. 

 There are still tenures by which estates are held, which consist 

 in the necessity of keeping a large dovecote, stocked with a 

 certain number of Pigeons. One I have been told was left by 

 John of Gaunt on such condition. 



Poultry plays a far more important part in feeding a people 

 than is imagined by those who do not study the subject, and it 

 becomes annually larger. 



The Company has suffered, like others of the city of London, 

 from the alteration in the times. Its ranks and funds were 

 both recruited by the members and fees contributed by appren- 

 tices. The youth was impressed by the oath-taking before 

 master, wardens, clerk, and court of assistants. He learned 

 the " art and mystery " in exchange for his seven years' ser- 

 vices, and at the expiration of the term became free of the 

 Company by "servitude." This tied him to it, and he gene- 

 rally persevered till he became Uveryman, assistant, and eventu- 

 ally master. Many old members of the Company were bene- 

 factors, some to a large amount, at their decease. It is many 

 years since there was an apprentice bound to the Company, 

 and there appears no probabiUty there will be. I believe the 

 Company is flourishing, and it has the reputation of being one 

 of the best managed in the city. It has no hall. As the 

 lawyer's lady, in "Jack Hioton," said that "but for Ohver 

 CromweU and the Danes at the battle of the Boyne, she might 

 hava been a queen in her own right," even so, we are told there 



are poulters who beUeve that but for the fire of London, 

 Leadenhall would still belong to the Company.— B. 



HASLINGDEN POULTRY SHOW. 



This was a success, the arrangements being far more complete than 

 at the generality of shows, and the only improvement the most critical 

 observer could suggest, would be to pbice the pens a little higher from 

 the ground for general inspection. The Buff Cochin chickens were 

 very meritorious, and mostly composed of very early-hatched chickens. 

 The Spanish classes were even more praiseworthy, although many of 

 the adults of this breed were fast falling into moult. The Hamburghs 

 were remarkably good, and the Game Bantams were of excellent 

 quality, and in great numbers. Cochin Bantams were the recipients 

 of the first prize for any variety of Bantams, and Blacks second. 



The class for any variety of DucJcs was a great feature of the Show. 

 During the forepart of the day (July 29th), the weather was most 

 favourable, but towards the closing time it rained heavily. 



The liiihhits appeared in goodly numbers considering the small 

 inducement offered, there being only one class. This was a great 

 mistake, when within a dozen miles of the show ground some of the 

 best^ Babbits in the country are kept, and perhaps more prizes are 

 received within that area than any other of equal eitent. One rabbitry 

 we know can generally number from one to two hundred, consisting of 

 every known variety, and in each variety many prize-winners ; so that 

 the Haslingden Committee need not fear Rabbits not being forthcom- 

 ing, if they will wisely invite their exhibition by proper and numerous 

 classes. 'Ten entries appeared in the catalogue, but only nine pairs 

 presented themselves — viz., Lop-eared, Himalayan, Angora, and some 

 not perhaps considered of the pure " fancy " variety. 



We rather think the Judge leaned to the old favourites the " Lops," 

 as is generally the case when an unfortunate mixture of three or four 

 varieties is found from want of proper classes, and so the more recent 

 and less known, but equally beautiful, varieties appear to possess less 

 merit in his eyes. Mr. Beldon, of Bingley, Yorkshire, was the Judge, 

 and made no doubt as much as possible out of the mixed material at 

 his disposal, bnt it is to be hoped the Committee will feel justified for 

 the future in offering at least four classes (five are better), and they 

 need not be afraid of the result. The specimens sent were well cared 

 for, but the pens were rather too near the ground for the Rabbits to 

 be seen to advantage. 



Cochin-China (Buffer Cinnamon).— 1, W. A. Taylor, Manchester (Buff) 

 2, C. W. Erierley, Middloton. he, W. A. Taylor; J. Sichel ; J. Robinson, 

 Garstang. Chickem.—l and Cup, T. Sharpies, Forest Bank, near Raw- 

 tenstall. 2 and he, C. Sidgwick. c, W. A. Taylor ; A. Bamford, Tonge, 

 near Middleton (Sufi'). 



Cochin-China (Any other variety).— 1, T. Stretch (Partridge). 2, C. W. 

 Brierley. :Chicken»—\, T. Stretch (Partridge). 2, C. Sidgwick (Partridge). 

 Beahmas (Dark).- CJiicicTM.— 1, T. Sharpies. 2, T. Pomfret, Hoghton 

 Lane, Preston, lie, C. Layland. 



Bbabmas (Light).— C/iic.'.cn5. — 1, H. M. Maynard, Holmewood, Ryde, 

 Isle of Wight. 2, H. Dowsett. Pleshey. fie, H. Lacy, Hebden Bridge. 



DoEKiNGB.— 1, J. White, Wsrlaby. 2, J. Stott, Healey, Rochdale. 

 Chickens. — 1, J. Robinson, Garstang. 2, J. White, Warlaby. he, H. 

 Yardlev. Birmingham ; J. Stott, Healey. c,C. Chaloner, Whit well, near 

 Chesterfield. 



Spanish (Black).— 1 and Cup, N. Cook, Chowhent. 2, H. Beldon, Goit- 

 stock, Bingley. he.H. Beldon; Birch ft Boulter, Sheffield, e, F. & C. 

 Haworth, Newfield. Haslingden. C')iic4ens.— 1, F. & C. Haworth, Hasling- 

 den. 2, W. 4 F. Pickard. Thomer, near Leeds, he, T. & E. Comber, 

 Warrington ; Birch 4 Boulter, Sheffield. 



Game.— 1, C. W. Brierley. 2, H. M. Julian. CMekena.—l, J. Carlisle, 

 Earby, near Skipton (Brown Red). 2, C. Chaloner. he, E. Maun, Stand. 

 Game Cock.— 1 and Cup, C. W. Brierley. 2, C. Chaloner. he, W. Lomax, 

 Stoneclough ; H. M. Julian, Hull. 



Game Cock (Within six miles of Haslingden).— 1, N. Storey, Hasling- 

 den. 2, F. 4 C. Haworth. Newfleld. he, A. Sutherland. 



Hambubghs (Golden-peociUed). — 1, S. Smith, Northowram, Halifax. 

 2, H. Pickles, Earby, near Skipton. c, H. Beldon. Chickrm.—l, W. Parr, 

 Patricroft. 2, S. Smith, he, T. Wrigley, jun., Tonge Hall, near Miudle- 

 ton ; W. J. Harker, Allerton, near Bradford. 



Hambubghs (Silver-pencilled).— 1 and he, H. Beldon. 2. Dake of 

 .'Sutherland, Trentham. Ckicke7is.—l, J. Walker, Knaresborough. 2, H. 

 Beldon. he, H. Pickles. 

 Hambdbohs (Golden-spangled).— 1, Duke of Sutherland, 2, H, Pickles, 



