October 26, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



373 



in the house. For the present fumigate and afterwards syringe, and then 

 when the leaves fall from the Vines give the thorough cleansing as advised. 



Hyacinths after Flowering ( Idem). — As soon as the flowers fade remove 

 the spikes and place the plants in a frame and attend to them by watering, so 

 as to perfect healthy foliage, and when this shows signs of ripening withhold 

 water. When the foliage has died down the bulbs may be removed from the 

 soil and preserved in a cool place until September, when they may be planted 

 in the garden or potted. They will not produce spikes equal to those from 

 imported bulbs, yet will be attractive and useful. The great point to aim at 

 is to keep the foliage fresh as long as possible after the Hyacinths have 

 ceased flowering. 

 Names of Fruits (J. Woodliffe). — 2, Nelson's Glory; 4, Minchall Crab; 

 the others not recognised. (J. Beck). — 1, Alfriston; 2, Bedfordshire Found- 

 ling; 8, Claygate Pearmain; 4, London Pippin. Pears: 1, Marie Louise; 

 2, Bergamotte Cadette; 3, Triomphe do Jodoigne. 

 Names of Plants (J. 8, W.). — "We cannot recognise plants from leaves 



only. ( ). — Anemone vitifolia and Anemone alba are not the same. 



Anemone Fooorine Jobert is the same as Anemone japonica alba. It is 

 one of the finest of all hardy autumn-flowering herbaceous plants. ( W. D. H.). 

 —The glaucous-leaved plant is Sedum Sieboldii, a hardy evergreen, native of 

 Japan. No one could name a Rose from such a specimen. 



POULTKY, BEE, AND PIGEOK 0KR0NI0LE. 



THE BLOT ON THE CBTSTAL PALACE PEIZE 

 LIST. 



We have purposely waited until the Crystal Palace entries 

 have been closed a week' before referring to the Bubject of what 

 appears to us a repeated mistake. By thus haviDg waited we 

 can in no way be said to damage the class in question by 

 anything we are going to Bay, still we feel we cannot let the 

 Bubject pass without one word of remonstrance. 



We allude to the class for untrimmed birds at the coming 

 Crystal Palace Show. After the tumult and warfare connected 

 with the subject in bygone months, we did hope that on this 

 occasion, in mere justioe to the main body of exhibitors, the 

 title of the class would have been differently worded. This 

 year, however, as last year, the title runs, " Any other variety 

 (not Game) not trimmed or plucked in any way." Last year, how- 

 ever, we found on the top of the class in the catalogue the words, 

 " Vulture-hocked birds are eligible in this class." We considered 

 this amusing, and could not help wondering for whose edifica- 

 tion the words were printed. Not for the Judge, as he, we con- 

 clude, would not have the catalogue while adjudicating; not 

 for the exhibitors, as they wanted to know that interesting 

 piece of information before they entered, and not afterwards. 

 So it must have been for the critical public ; but surely they 

 would have had sense enough to see that a vulture-hocked bird 

 was eligible as much as any other bird shown honestly with 

 any peculiar failing of its own. The class filled well last year, 

 and made ^10 10s. in entry fees, which, considering the first 

 prize was a gift, placed a handsome balance to the good. If this 

 was the reason of the repetition, very well, it is but natural that 

 the promoterB should look to their returns, and we can well 

 understand their doing so in most cases ; but here we do think it 

 a somewhat different case. Let anyone look at it in every possible 

 way, and we fail to see how they can come to a different con- 

 clusion to our own — namely, if an exhibitor shows in that class 

 and in others, he affirmB that his birds in the latter section are 

 not honestly shown, while those in the untrimmed class are. 

 We can understand it in no other way, and we hope that our 

 ohief exhibitors have this year avoided the class which we call 

 the blot on the otherwise brilliant escutcheon of the Crystal 

 Palace Show. 



We have been told that the Committee kept to this class under 

 its old name in mere bravado, because the class Bucceeded last 

 year in spite of opposition ; but this we will not believe, and we 

 think even now the managing powers must have some under- 

 lying reason which is not so far apparent to us. Now, all know 

 the value of hocked birds in Brahmas and Cochins for breeding 

 purposes ; had the clasB consequently been for " vulture-hocked 

 Asiatics " we would have welcomed it warmly, though these 

 are frequently ugly birds, which, invaluable as they are for some 

 purposes, are best kept at home. Still, the class would have 

 been more definite, and would have been well patronised we 

 feel sure. We would not on any account wish to be misunder- 

 stood. We have had no conversation on the subject with any- 

 one, and simply write in the interests, as we consider them, of 

 all poultry exhibitors. It would delight ub very much to hear 

 that even now the class was to be confined to vulture-hocked 

 birds, and perhaps to Spanish, and with a very little corre- 

 spondence with those who have already entered this might still 

 be done. We know how the subject was talked over last year, 

 and how visitors criticised the " perfectly natural " birds, and 

 wondered how so many scores and scores of other specimens 

 were allowed to be exhibited in any way different to the Btate 

 nature had given them. We think it is a pity that this should 

 be so ; and for this reason, and this only, do we take the subjeot 

 up to-day, to touch upon it afterwards no more. Perhaps, 

 however, we feel this nomenclature the more because there 



is another grievance which is not remedied this year. Wo 

 allude to the system of wanting all pens to come in single 

 baskets ; but we will not say much of this to-day, as all our 

 readers know our feelings in this matter ; and since such a mass 

 of well-conducted shows now permit the use of the double baskets, 

 which tend to so greatly increase their entries, proof of no other 

 sort is needed to point out the wishes and feelings of the great 

 body of exhibitors. The enormous entries at Oxford this week 

 bqow ub that chickens abound, and many of them of good quality ; 

 so in spite of the one foul quartering on this national coat of 

 poultry arms, we once more hope to see the catalogue with 

 four thousand entries and over. — W. 



OUR DUTY TO OUR FOUR-FOOTED AND 

 FEATHERED NEIGHBOURS.— No. 2. 



" He that doth the Ravens feed, 

 Yea, providentially caters for the Sparrow." 



Shakspeare's " As You Like It." 



Before leaving the subject of the fens and birds that were 

 there, let me notice how a name of a great king who reigned in 

 this country, and over Denmark and Norway as well, is preserved 

 by a little bird. I allude to one of the Sandpipers, the " Tring& 

 Canutus." This bird is called commonly the Knot. It was a 

 favourite dish of Canute, King of England ; he who reproved 

 his courtiers on the seashore. The bird was first called the 

 Knute, then the Knout, and in process of time the Knot. Canute 

 was a man of great ability and vast power, but all has passed 

 away ; his name preserved by an anecdote, and kept up by a 

 little bird ! A just process of reasoning may trace the bird to- 

 the king, and prove that there was such a king and so named. 

 He little thought when feaBting on his favourite dish of ash- 

 coloured Sandpipers, that this insignifioant long-legged slender 

 bird before him would preserve his name. Such is fame, and so 

 preserved. London arabs whisper to each other at the sight of 

 a policeman, " Here's a bobby coming." O, shade of the great 

 Sir-Kobert Peel ! that nickname makes your name known to thi& 

 generation. Who scarcely, but for it, would remember you? for 

 the statesman's name, like the actor's, is in all men's mouths 

 when alive, but is little remembered when dead. Another, and 

 yet another actor comes on either Btage, and " he too plays his 

 part " and vanishes. 



I have now come thus far in my reasoning. Birds and beasts at 

 first abounded or rather super- abounded; man killed them for 

 food, and to prevent their eating up his food. Presently it came 

 to pass that man's weapons became weapons of precision, and 

 were terribly fatal to the life of beaBt and bird. No longer the 

 blundering oft-failing bow and arrow, but the deadly gun came 

 into use against bird and beast life. Then, in addition there is 

 that love of destruction — of taking life, strongly developed in, 

 some men. Such cannot see a number of Books sailing in the 

 air but long for a gun to kill some of them. These destructive 

 men were when boys great robbers of nests ; they could not see 

 a bird on a bough but they must stoop and pick up a stone to 

 kill it with. The prettiest Chaffinch whistling its May-day song 

 was not the whit more secure than a chirping Sparrow. " Kill, 

 kill," is the cry of such. A little later the boy becomes the 

 hedge-popper; not a Finch, not a Linnet is safe. One moment 

 it is a thing of beauty — bright-plumaged and happy as its little 

 full heart can contain, all its fulness, love, and life, and enjoy- 

 ment ; the next a little mangled heap of misery — wing-broken,, 

 blood-soiled, legs smashed. Oh ! for very pity rush up and wring 

 its neck. 



The French sarcasm has some point, I fear, even yet. " Happy 

 Englishman ! — it's a fine day, go out and kill something." Does a 

 rare or curious bird appear it is sure to be killed, be it Bustard, 

 or white Swallow, or cream-coloured Blackbird. There are 

 plenty of imitators of Charles IX. of France, who cry out " kill, 

 kill," and join in the killing. Nor are the other sex wholly free 

 from blame in this matter of the threatened extermination of 

 small birds. In the last century there was a fashion for feather 

 work, and the bright blue feathers of the Jay's wing were 

 specially prized. The poor birds would have been unknown to 

 us now-a-days save by pictures, only the fashion changed. 

 Fashion ! oh, Fashion ! Sidney Smith called the three per 

 cents, the greatest fools on earth, from, I suppose, their change- 

 ableneBB at any breath of rumour. He might have instanced 

 the more fickle goddees called Fashion, now dressing her votaries, 

 in balloon-like petticoats, and then a few years after, as now, in 

 such Bkimpy garments that going up a flight of stairs is an im- 

 possibility. But these fashions only regard the inconvenience, 

 of the wearers and punish their devotees. But there is another 

 fashion, that of ladies wearing stuffed specimens of small birds, 

 even English birds, iatheirhats — birds such as Goldfinohes, Chaf- 

 finches, and the like; yea, I have even beheld a Bobin there. If 

 this fashion continue it will lead to something like an extermi- 

 nation of some of onr prettiest and most innocent songsters. 

 Its effect upon Goldfinches is such that a bird-dealer now gives 

 2s. 6d. to any boy who brings him one, whereas 6d. used to be 

 the regular price. 



