3S4 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUKB AKD COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ November 16, 1871. 



4, N. acuta; 5. Lomaria lanceolata; 6, Polypodium aurenm; 7, Selapi- 

 nella Marteasii ; 8, Pteris quadriaurita ; 9, P. cretica albo-lineata ; 10, 

 Platyloma rotuodifoUa ; 11, Aspleninm flaccidnm ; 1'2, Polvpodium tuI- 

 gare ; 13, Adiantum iethiopicam ; 14, A. cuneatum ; 15, Polypodium cam- 

 bricum ; 16, Begonia Dregii (B. parviflora) ; 17, B. insignis (B. incarnata) ; 

 18, B. coccinea. {Goodness').— Cosmos diversifolius var. atro-sanguineus, 

 native ol Mexico. (Mrs. B.). — 1, Polypodium aureum ; 2, Aaplenium 

 nitidum. (jSu.t/i}.— Cyclamen neapolitanicum, Ten., native of Italy. 

 (C. M. Major). — Your Orchid is Calanthe vestita var. rubro-oculata. Masil- 

 laria aromatica, otherwise Lycaste aromatica. ia about as distinct from 

 this as any two plants need be. (Donna Serafijia). — 1, Polypodium 

 aureum ; 2, Cyrtomium falcatum ; 3, Asplenium lucidum ; 4, Pellaea 

 adiantifolia ; 5. Leycesteria f^rmosa; 6, Solanum pyracauthos. Alter- 

 nantheras require the temperature of a warm greenhouse during winter, 

 should be potted in a light soil, and be kept moderately dry. Begonias 

 require stove treatment, and to be supplied with no more water than is 

 necessary; many kinds will, however, be in bloom this season. For 

 general cultural directions on all sorts of plants we cannot do better than 

 recommend the *' Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary,"' in which brief instruc- 

 tions are given under every individual genus. Price 128. 6d., to be ob- 

 at our office. (Curiousf. — 1, Selaginella Erauniana (S. pubescens) ; 

 2, Nerine pulchella ; 3, Selaginella Martensii ; 4, Corydalis lutea. 



POITLTRY, BEE. AND PIGEON CHRONICLE, 



CRYSTAL PALACE POULTEY SHOW. 



"We expected a first-class show of poultry at the Crystal Palace ; but 

 we confess, remembering the earlier date fixed on this occasion, we 

 were surprised at the magnitude and quality of the collection brought 

 together. Nearly fifteen hundred pens of poultry and over nine hun- 

 dred of Pigeons testify to the popularity of this new Show, and the con- 

 fidence felt in its Committee of Management by the fancy at large ; 

 and such a number of entries is indeed treading very close on the heels 

 of Birmingham. 



Last year, as is well rememhered, there were many faults to be 

 found with the details of arrangement. On this occasion it gratifies 

 E,s to be able to testify to the excellent manner in which the birds were 

 shown. The open wire backs of the pens, which before worked so 

 much evil, were now covered with calico ; and the long rows of pens 

 being placed in the nave, in fall light, so long as daylight lasted the 

 Judges had every facility for performing their really arduous duties. 

 This leads us, in fact, to the greatest defect in the arrangements — the 

 Judges' work was too arduous. They worked with a will, and without 

 intermission ; but we cannot consider three Judges sufficient for fifteen 

 hundred pens of fowls, and the consequence was that many awards had 

 "to be made in failing light and under other disadvantages ; and the 

 Tj-hole with greater dispatch than is advisable, and at a Show of this 

 class in particular. 



DOEKIXGS. 



Classes 1 to 3. — The cups for old birds were secured by the grand 

 Eose-combs of Mr. Martin, who still keeps up the credit of the Holmes- 

 dale strain. The other prizes were only middling, and the Dorkings 

 generally awakened in us very unfavourable anticipations, which we were 

 pleased not to find realised by the rest of the Show. The cup cockerel 

 was a very large and dark bird, with uncommonly good legs and feet. 

 The nest two prizes went also to birds dark in colour, and this is evi- 

 dently preferred by the Judges, and should therefore be studied by Dork- 

 ing-breeders. We should have been ourselves inclined to award the third 

 prize to pen 24 or 25, both of which were very good. The winning 

 pullets, too, were Dark, ana in size far beyond the rest, which were 

 most of them hardly ready to show by the middle of November. The 

 second and third were well placed, bat later on several of the highly 

 commended pens will usurp their places. 



4 to S. — All the Silver-G-rey hens in Class 4 were larger than usnal. 

 The cup pen were both birds genuine Dorkings, and the cock of a re- 

 markably good colour ; none of the others free from white on the 

 breast. The first-prize cockerel was small, but very handsome ; second 

 much larger, but far from equal in colour and carriage. This breed 

 is not progressing. Several of the pullets were not pure in colour, 

 showing a nasty red tinge through the silver ; but the first were very 

 good. A special class for Cuckoo Dorkings brought a small but very 

 good collection, and the cup pen was truly fine, bat in both the others 

 the cocks were too light in marking to match the hens. The "Whites 

 showed some improvement, in our judgment, both in colour and size ; 

 and several prize pens besides the winners were really good. 

 COCHINS. 



9 to 12. — The old Buffs also were in pairs. First-prize a well- 

 shaped deep-coloured cock with a medium-shade Buff hen, the cock 

 having grand legs and feather, as, indeed, was the second-prize, the 

 cock in which was lighter, being a gold tint ; third-prize also a very 

 dark, almost Cinnamon cock, very large and fine, but with a hen far 

 too light to be a good match. But for this, second and third would 

 probably have changed places. The cup cockerel was one of the finest 

 birds we ever saw — certainly the best shown for four seasons, having 

 finer development than of late in fluff and saddle, with a beautiful sound 

 colour for breeding, and grandly-feathered legs. Second good in 

 colour and fine, but far from equal to cup in shape. Third very large, 

 and an even gold colour over the top ; tail too long, but honestly left 

 all in. The same exhibitor showed an unnoticed cockerel (pen 145), 

 which when he has got some hackle on will probably be heard of. The 

 pullets were much better and more numerous than last year, but still 



show much to desire as regards fluff and cushion before they are equal 

 to the birds of years ago in these cardinal points of a Cochin. The 

 cup pen had one grand bird, though with a bad comb ; the other much 

 smaller. Second fair in shape, a good match, and remarkably fina 

 heads and combs. Mr. Taylor's third-prize birds were very similar, and 

 the second and third prizes must have been hard to decide. The class 

 for Silver Buff's contained only one entry of very poor quality, but the 

 cup was awarded, we think, very injudiciously for the sake of *' a dis- 

 cerning public." 



13 to 15. — The cup pen of old Partridges contained a grand hen, but 

 the cock hardly through the moult, which did not set him off well ; he 

 struck us as heavy and clumsy, but had beautiful legs and feet. Se- 

 cond a handsome but small hen, and cock a deal of brown in his 

 thighs. It is quite plain that the Judges do not now consider this 

 latter ought to disqualify a good bird, and the fact should be noted. 

 Third a fine cock, but hen not in condition, otherwise we believe this 

 pen would have been probably first. The best hen was in pen 177, but 

 the cock was poor. The cup and second cockerels were as fine in 

 plumage as could be wished, besides being of excellent shape ; the 

 metallic rich gloss they showed has been rare lately. Third was a mere 

 raw chicken, though very promising. Many of the birds were far too 

 poor in feather. First-prize pallets good, but not a match, and one had 

 far too much tail. Second was a decided mistake, one bird being 

 quite wanting in breast-pencilliag, and we should ourselves have put 

 the third-prize first, fijst-prize second, and given Mr. Tudman's 202 

 third. This class was not so good as some we have seen, and good 

 matches were rare, which made placing the pens a doubtful matter. 

 L We have since heard that none of Mr. Tudman's birds arrived in time.] 



16 to IS. — All the prize old TVhites were good Cochins in shape, 

 and well feathered, but not one of the cocks was entirely free from 

 yellow, which seems becoming more and more prevalent. The cock- 

 erels were better in colour, but still not that pure pearly white so desir- 

 able. First-prize an extra weU-developed bird, good in nearly all 

 points. Second and third rather narrower, and third rather poorly 

 feathered. In pullets, the second-prize must assuredly have been cup 

 but for a comparative want of feather, being best in shape, size, and 

 colour ; but all were good, and this was the best of the White c!Usses. 

 BRAHMAS. 



19 to 22. — The cup old Dark cock was a truly grand bird and well 

 worth his place ; colour, shape, feather, size — all good. The other 

 two prizes were much criticised, and the third was in our opinion better 

 than second, which we think might have made way for at least three 

 others, being coarse in head, clumsy, and no saddle to speak of. The 

 hens were remarkable for the three prize uens being every one first- 

 class, while all the others were comparatively worthless. The cup for 

 cockerels was rightly won by the Middleton cup bird, which has changed 

 hands, and whose development is such as is rarely seen ; but he was 

 by no means in condition. Second was good in shape and feather, but 

 hardly the bird we expected ; and third had a slipped wing. This 

 class rather disappointed us on the whole for one of forty entries- 

 The pullets numbered forty-four, and was about the best on the whole 

 which we remember for three seasons. Cup pen splendidly pencilled, 

 both dark and yet clear, but narrow in shape. Second far better in 

 shape, but not quite equal, though still first-rate in marking. Third 

 very clearly and purely pencilled, but poorly feathered, and with same 

 fault as the first. The pencilling in this class was the best seen for a 

 long while, and we did not envy the Judges. "We would only say that 

 the cup should, we think, have gone to the hens, which were nearly 

 perfect in shape as well as colour. 



23 to 26. — Old Light cocks were very poor, nearly all being of a 

 dirty straw colour. The best bird in all but size was the highly com- 

 mended pen 363, which, if we mistake not, was winner last year, but 

 was very small. The third-prize we did not like in any way. The cup 

 for hens we were glad to see given to a decidedly hocked but heavy- 

 feathered and beautifully coloured pair of very good shape and size. 

 Second very large but bad colour, being a deep creamy tint. Third 

 good colour and fair in shape, but very poor in feather. The cup 

 cockerel a well-developed large bird, but with no rise in the saddle, 

 which we think a great fault ; hackle lightly but distinctly striped. 

 Second good shape, size, and colour, and but for a slipped wing we 

 would have selected him for the place of honour. This bird, however, 

 showed strongly the tendency, now happily nearly stamped out of 

 Darks, to grow white feathers in the tail. Third best in shape and 

 colour of the class, but far too small. Pen 414 was a special example 

 of the yellow tinge which is so offensive. Still this class showed some 

 real advance on last year. The pullets also were better, the cup pen 

 being a nice pair, really well feathered, and good clear colour, though 

 the hackle should be darker. Second much the same. Third, on the 

 contrary, good in hackle, but creamy. "We are not sure we should not 

 have selected for the cup one of the pens " left out in the cold ;" and 

 for the guidance of amateurs we would point to one of the birds in 

 pen 463 as the best single neck and head in the class. The Light 

 pullets numbered forty-seven pens, beating the Dark by three ! 

 SPANISH. 



27 to 30. — In the old cocks the cup and third were very good birds, 

 but the second had one of the ugliest heads ever seen, and we have a 

 strong suspicion the award was meant for 504 next door; bat in any 

 case we should have given either second or third to pen 50S. The cup 

 hens were very fine, but none of the rest were nearly in condition, and 

 we would not speculate on their value. The cup cockerel had a 



