September 28, 1871. ] 



JOUBNAL 0? HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



217 



to the bitter and deleterious C. prophetarum, all characterised by strong 

 rngoaities or prickles on the surface of their fruits. Should it be really 

 the C. Anguria, then our warning as to the suspicious nature of the sap 

 of these fruits will not apply in this instance. We should have been 

 able to have spoken with far greater certainty had we been favoured with 

 a leaf as well, which in C. Anguria i^ very deeply lobed. {Lady Emily 

 Tunwurt. — Your plant is Eugenia TJgni, a kind* of Myrtle, a native of 

 Chili. The fruits are not only eatable, but are much esteemed by some. 

 Two or three years ago a very fine specimen is said to have yielded " sis 

 quarts of delicious fruit.'' It grew in South Devon. {Tamar Cottage). — 

 The climber is Lophospermum scandens, a native of Mexico, whilst the 

 weed is the poisonous Enchanter's Nightshade, Circisea lutetiana. (IF. 

 Nock) — The common Agrimony, Agrimonia Eupatoria, and the Eirdsfoot 

 Trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, both common wildlmgs. (C. J. Bromhcad''. — 

 Adiantnm deltoideum of Swartz, a genuine West Indian species. (Julia]. 

 — Arabis albida, native of the Caucasus and Crimea, commonly used fur 

 spring bedding. (X<mo).— Cystopteris fragilis, the Brittle Fern, a British 

 species, having a very wide geographical distribution. (D.). — 1, Nephro- 

 dium decompositum, and 2, N. Thelypteris, both commonly known as 

 Lastreas. The latter is also sometimes known as A^pidium 'Thelypteris. 

 its English name being the Marsh Fern. {A. B. F. C.).— The name of 

 ynur shrub is Leycesteria formosa, native of the Himalayas. Remove it 

 at once, or within the next month. The dessert Pear we should recom- 

 mend would be Louise Bonne of Jersey or Marie Lomse. As to the 

 pyramid, let it be lifted and root. pruned— that is to say, let all the very 

 strong thick roots be shortened, so as to check the undue vigour you 

 speak of. (E. J. Oargrave).—1he Fungi sent are specimens of Sclero- 

 derma vulgare, not edible. As you have the " Edible Funguses of Great 

 Britain," the best book you can get, incluiing the poisonous species, is 

 " Mushrooms and Toadstools," with fifty-three coloured figures. Price 65. 

 Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly, W.C. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



BANTAMS VERSUS GAEDENS. 



Like some of your correspondents, I, too, got an attack of 

 "Bantam fever" on reading " Wiltshike Eectok's" article 

 in the Journal of Jane 1st. I " worked it out" by purchasing 

 a cock and three hens, Black-breasted Beds. I have a small 

 garden, my chief source of recreation. Confiding in the Eector'a 

 recommendations, I gave my Bantams the run of this. Now, 

 either " Wiltshike Eectok " or I have a new race of Bantams. 

 His delight in slugs ; mine refuse these, even when gathered 

 ■for them. His do no harm ; mine show a remarkable liking 

 ■for young plants of cauliflowers and Brussels sprouts, and find 

 evident pleasure in " burrowing," so to speak, among the roots 

 of my miniature pear trees. To-day I expected a good harvest 

 of seed from some fine French pansies, as I had remarked the 

 seed vessels grow daily larger. To my surprise not a seed 

 vessel was left. I concluded they had been eaten by the slugs 

 that should have been devoured by the Bantams. While still 

 searching, lest they might have fallen to the ground, one of 

 -the hens came in amid the pansies, and began to eat the young 

 seed vessels. These I examined, and found the seed yet quite 

 soft and almost transparent. 



Now let me not be misunderstood. I do not write this to 

 find fault with the good-natured Eector, for, fortunately, I can 

 beep my Bantams elsewhere than in the garden ; but I wish to 

 warn those who may have no other place to keep them that 

 they consider well before they risk spoiling their gardens. If 

 my birds should be exceptions to the rule laid down by our 

 Ssctor, and the beginning of a new race of Bantama (!), 1 

 intend to call them Come-outers !— H. C, Galway. 



LIGHT BRAHMAS. 



It appears to me that Light Brahmas are never to take a 

 respectable position in poultry exhibitions. Here we are verg- 

 ■jng on the winter season of 1871, and with the exception of 

 special prizes oft'ered by the supporters of the variety, there is 

 literally no chance for us, who admire the Lights, to carry off 

 a single cup, or in many cases the first prize. The fact that 

 the vast majority of committees give but one class for Brahmas 

 is lamentable, and to hope to be first under such circumstances 

 is to hope in vain ; for upon reference to back numbers of the 

 Journal I find that I am compelled to give up the voyage of 

 discovery as a bad job. Still, however, the fact is thereby 

 rendered apparent that out of the past thirteen exhibitions 

 laying claim to some degree of importance, only two gave Light 

 Brahmas separate classes, the whole of the remaining eleven 

 first prizes and cups being carried off by the Dark variety. In 

 the face of such a fact it is easily imderstood why there are so 

 few exhibitors of Lights. For my own part I have been content 

 to exhibit " few and far between." It is quite refreshing to 

 examine such prize lists as Southampton and the Crystal 

 Palace, and there is every reason to believe that such exhibi- 

 tions of Light Brahmas as have never been seen will be dis- 



played at these shows. Chepstow appears to have been the 

 opening of their season ; the thirty-three pens of chickens brought 

 together were of the highest merit, the whole of the eighteen 

 pens of pullets being highly commended. Ipswich, too, evidently 

 believes in the preference exhibited by our judges, and for the 

 cups has pitched Dark Brahmas against Cochins, and Light 

 Brahmas against Dorkings. What will our fanciers say to this ? 

 Doubtless the awards will be anticipated. Enpassant I must say 

 that the schedule of the Crystal Palace Committee is beyond 

 all praise, but as much might have been expected from the 

 high character of the committee and secretaries. 



Now, I ask, why do our judges persist in discouraging Light 

 Brahmas '? The fact of their inferiority in size to their Dark 

 brethren stands alone ; but it is not " size " that wins, for I 

 have invariably noticed Dark specimens winning which were 

 both bad in shape and colour, whereas their Light opponents 

 possessed these qualifications, although inferior in bulk. So 

 far the chickens of the present season of both colours are pretty 

 equal, but competition will doubtless make disparities. It has 

 been noticed in a contemporary that not only have Darks won 

 throughout the summer, but that the majority of first prizes 

 have been won by one exhibitor. This redounds to his credit 

 (if he bred the birds), but it is nevertheless discouraging. In 

 conclusion I would beg of one of those gentlemen in whose 

 hands are placed for award " the cups that cheer but not 

 inebriate" to tell us what our favourites fall short in, and how 

 we can match them upon even terms with Darks. If the answer 

 is, " Increase the size," the matter is at an end, for it cannot 

 be done, and any judge imposing this as a winning necessity 

 must feel that he is acting partially, and I may almost say 

 unjustly. — James Long. 



CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY SHOW. 



" No more Crystal Palace for me. No, my pets, you sha'n't go 

 there starving in the cold in the middle of November. Our losses 

 last year were a White Fantail, a Golden Pheasant, and a pair of 

 Jacobins." Such were my thoughts on going the rounds of my 

 fowl houses, the postman having just given me the catalogue of 

 the coming Show. There is something very curious about this 

 Show. On referring to 1869 I find eight of those having the 

 management took thirty-four prizes ; and in 1870 I find seven of 

 the managing parties took fifty prizes amongst them. Now the 

 thought suggests itself to my mind. Would it not be more satis- 

 factory if these parties refrained from showing at all, particularly 

 as some amongst them are, I am informed, dealers in poultry, 

 Pigeons, &c. ? As I said before, it is very curious that a party 

 being on the Committee should be so very fortunate as to show 

 fourteen pens of birds, and except for two, get prizes for them 

 all. My own case was very different. Feeling most anxious to 

 give the Crystal Palace Show a lift, I sent sixteen lots, but 

 never took a prize. I had the honour of seeing my name in 

 print as taking first prize for a pair of Jacobins ; this I was told 

 was a mistake. It might have been, but one thing is quite 

 certain, the birds never came into my possession again ; they 

 were stolen and another pair substituted for them, so this year 

 I mean to keep my birds at home. — James Elgae, Ormanthorpe 

 Hall, Newark. 



CHEPSTOW POULTRY SHOW. 



This was held on the 13th inst., in connection with a horticultaral 

 show, and the success was such that it is proposed to continue the 

 Show annually. Light Brahmas were remarkably fine, and were 

 exHhited by several well-known prizewinners. The Pigeons were 

 very good. 



ERAHiiA PooTRA (Light). — Cocfcereb.— Cup, Eev. J. D. Hoysted, Bradenstoke, 

 Chippenham. 2, L. H. Ricketts, Banwell, Somerset. 3 and he. .1. Pares, Post- 

 ford, Guildford. 4, T. A. Dean, iVTarden, Hereford, vhc, H. M. Maynard. Eyde, 

 Isle of Wisht. Pullets.— I. H. M. Maynard. 2, Rev. C. H. P. Abbott, Withing- 

 ton, Hereford. S. J. Bloodworth, Cheltenham. Extra, H. M. Maynard; T. A. 

 Dean. (Whole class highly commended.) 



Bbahma Pootea (Dark).— 1, Lieut.-Col. Tickell, Cheltenham. 2, T. A. Dean. 

 Chickens.— 1, G. F. Parrott, Henbury, Bristol. 2, W. Sims, Stroud, c, D. Lane, 

 Gloucester. 



Cochin'-Chima (Anvvarietv).— 1, T. A. Dean. 2, C. Bloodworth. Clnckens.- 

 1, C. Bloodworth. 2,"J. Bloodworth. fic. J. Long. Plymouth: T. A. Dean. 



Dorkings (Any variety).— C/ticfcen5.—l and 2, J. McConnell, Ewens Harold, 

 Hereford. 



Gaue (Any variety).— CMctens.—l, T. Jones, Swansea. 2 and he, H. T. 

 Jarvis. Chepstow. 



Hambubghs.- GoMen-penciiicd and Spangled.— 1, C Plimley, Wolverhamp- 

 ton. 2. F. Perrin, Ashley Vale, Bristol. SilvcMiencilled and Spangled.— 1, J. 

 Carr, Hafod, Swansea (Spangled). 2, J. McConnell (Pencilled). 



Spanish (Any variety).—!, C. Taylor, Gloucester. 2, J. McConnell. c, K. 

 Barrett, Stroud. 



BANTAils.— 1, G. Ashtord, Newport. 2, T. Moore, Cardiff. 3, lieut.-Col. 

 Tickell. he, P. A. C. Cooper, Ampney Crucis. 



Ant other Vaeiett.— 1. J. Hinton, Warminster (Silver Poland). 2, Eev. N. 

 J. Ridley, Newbury (La Fleobe). he, L. Dean, St. Aryans, Chepstow ( Light 

 Brahma), c, A. G.La-nrence, Chepstow (Hondans). 



