December 21, 1871. 1 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



495 



irrandifloram, odoratum, roseam, roseum coccineum, rubrum grandi- 

 florum, rubram coccineum, striatum, margiDatum, pulcherrimum, and 

 Fairy are all good and suitable for pot culture in tbe greenbouse. Seeds 

 of tbe best strains of C. persicam may be bad of most of tbe principal 

 seedsmen, and a packet will produce upwards of half a hundred plants, 

 and more than a dozen varieties, some with beautifully marbled foliage. 

 Seed sown early in spring and forwarded in heat will flower tioely in the 

 iollowing winter. Mr. Atkins is perhaps tbe beat cultivator of the genus. 

 Phcenix dactylifeha {A Constant Subscriber).— Apply to any of the 

 principal nurserymeH who advertise in our columns, and stats what you 

 jaeed. 



Select Chrysanthemums, Fuchsias, and Stote Plants [M.H.B. L.). 

 — Large-Jioweriiig Chrysanthemums. — Ondine, Miss Hope, Beauty of Stoke, 

 Meyerbeer, Princess Louise, and White Eve. Pompo»s.— James Forsvtb, 

 iiadge Wildfire, The Little Gem, White Trevenna, Fairest of the Fair, 

 and Lizzie Holmes. Anevionc-flowercd. — Emperor, Marguerite de York, 

 King of Anemones, Princess Thyra, Miss Margaret, and Marguerite 

 d'AnJQU. Fuchsias. — Avalanche, Blue Boy, Striata Perfecta, Formosa, 

 "Sultan, and Catherine Parr. Stove PZa?!^^.— .E^chynanthus splendens, 

 Allamanda grandiflora, A. nobilis ; Alocaaia metallica, A. macrorhiza 

 variegata; Ananassa sativa variegata, Anthurium Scberzerianum, Aphe- 

 Jandra aurantiaca, RoezUi, Ardisia crispa elegans, Areca Verschatfelti, 

 Bougainvlllea glabra, Burchellia capensis, Clerodendron Balfourii, Cissus 

 discolor, Cocbliostema Jacobianum ; Croton variegatum longifiorum, 

 C irregulare, C. pictum ; Dalechampia Roezliana rosea, Diefi'Qnbachia 

 Pearcei, Dipladenia amabilis ; Draciena stricta, D. ferrea, D. regina ; 

 Eranthemumpulcbellum, Eucharis amazonica, Eupborbii jacquiniieflora, 

 Franciscea confertifiora ; Gardenia citriodora, G. radicans mijor; Ges- 

 nera exoniensis, Gymnoatacbyum Pearcei, Hoya bella, Imantophyllum 

 miniatum ; Ixora acuminata, I. javanica floribnnda ; Lasiandra mucrautha 

 floribunda ; Maranta illuatris, M. roseo-picta ; Medinilla magriitica, Pau- 

 danus elegantissimus, Pentas carnea, Poinsettia pulcherrima, Rondeletia 

 speciosa major, Stephanotis floribunda, Thyrsacantbus rutilaus, Til- 

 landeia splendens, Torenia pulcherrima, and Vinca alba. We have named 

 a few of both flowering and variegated, or fine-foliaged, plants. See them 

 at the nursery, and select such as you like best. 



Worms in Cricket Field (Hon. Sec.).— Worms may be destroyed by 

 ■watering with lime water, mixing 25 lbs. of fresh lime in seventy gallons 

 of water. Stir well up, and allow tbe liquid to stand two days and then 

 water with the clear lime water, which will bring tbe worms to the sur- 

 'face, when they may be swept ofl". Roll the ground a day previous to 

 the application. We question tbe propriety of destroying the worms. 

 Worms assist the passage of rain through tbe soil by their holes, and to 

 liave a wet surface in a cricket field is worse by far than wormcasts. 

 What is wanted is a dry surface, firm, and clothed with short herbage. 

 Draining is the means of securing tbe first, rolling tbe second, and dress- 

 ing with bone dust the third. Another essential is grazing by sheep. 



Names of Plants (H. C.).— Cotoneaster nummularia. (Colney Hatch) 

 — Callistemon lanceolatus, native of Australia ; a frequent greenbouse 

 plant. (Qucrciis).—!, Pernettya mucronata ; a, Gaultheria antipoda ; 

 3, Garrya elliptica. (J. TV. L.)-— Has been answered already. His plants 

 are— 1, Nerine pulchella ; 3, Leucopogon Richei; 7 (or 4), Santoliua pec- 

 iinata. No. 2 is utterly unintelligible in its present condition, and pre- 

 sents no character to define even the natural order to which it belongs. 

 In aspect it almost imitates a Tamarisk. No. 1 is a Cape bulb, succeed- 

 ing in a greenhouse if planted in loamy soil. 8 Is an Australian sbrub, 

 also succeeding in a greenhouse ; soil, chiefly peat and silver sand with a 

 little loam or leaf mould. 4, A hardy border plant. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



■WILTS COUNTY POULTRY AND PIGEON SHOW. 



Some moaths since a few spirited fanciers met at Devizes, and de- 

 termined to endeavour to get up a county show. Nine years ago there 

 was a 'show of ponltry at Devizes, also one the year before that date 

 (Pigeons had not then become, a rule, exhibition birds) ; but though 

 the shows were both good, yet, being limited to one town, they faded 

 away. Some of those who tried then were determined to try yet again, 

 and it was wisely judged to call it a connty show. In the north of Eng- 

 land towns, where every third man is a fancier, town shows do well, 

 but in the south and west it is not so ; hence it is wise to extend the 

 ai'ea. Besides, county sounds superior to town. The connty member 

 considers himself a much grander man than the borough member, and 

 the county magistrate than the borough magistrate. So, taking human 

 nature as it is, it was well to try a county show, and, as somebody 

 says, " there's a deal of human nature in all of us." Everything 

 county goes down better than town. " Grweat bore this cock-a-doodle 

 bIiow ; hut I must go, you see, for it's a county affair," says Mr. Mag- 

 nificent Swell. Then, again, there are those who will give if it in 

 some degree comes home to them, and a Wilts county show comes 

 home to every Wiltshire man, for it seems in some way to belong to 

 him. Make a show co-extensive with a shire, and yon get more sub- 

 scriptions and more company. Givers and workers set a thing going 

 and carry it on. One says " I can give ;" another, "I can but give 

 little, but I can work." By rights county shows ought to be like 

 gypsies — wanderers — this year at one town, that at another; but then 

 in all towns you cannot find men understanding shows and willing and 

 able to work. 



I hoped for open weather, and to be able to drive to Devizes ; hut 

 frost — frost — frost. " Can't drive ! " " Horrid bad weather for Devizes 

 Show!" I kept muttering ; all the ladies skating with, or looking on 

 at, gentlemen skating. That feminine skating is becoming almost 

 aniversal. Well, I remember when it wasn't thought the thing. How- 

 ever, these are the days of strong-minded women, so making them 

 strong ankle-women may be a proper counter-attraction, and the world 

 will get on better. But enough. Still it is odd to see old ladies have 



the face to begin, to learn to skate — yes, bewigged old ladies. {N.B. — 

 If any such read this, I beg to say I am not a bewigged old gentleman.) 

 Monday, thaw, but the glass firm, and the ladies skating inch deep in 

 water, such their perseverance. Tuesday, regular thaw, no skating at 

 all for anybody, and so for a change people are likely to go to the 

 Show. Tuesday noon, I stood in the fine open market-place of our 

 fine old county town. Not a bad day for the time of the year. In a 

 few minutes I was inside the Corn Exchange, where it so chanced I 

 had never been, before. I find a long well-proportioned building 

 lighted from the top, and the light admirable — better inside than out, 

 as there was within no mist. Mr. Billett's well-known pens were 

 ranged as usual, and now that the open-wire backs have canvas drawn 

 tightly along they are in every way excellent. 



Before speaking of each class separately I will give in a general way 

 an idea of the excellency or the reverse of the classes. The Coloured 

 Dorkings were good; the White Cochins very good; Buff Cochins 

 good ; but the Hamburghs of all varieties were, though numerous, 

 very indi£fereut — indeed they were a disappointment, as if it had been 

 thought by great Hamburgh breeders, "Anything will do so far south 

 as Wiltshire." Among the Game class, which contained some very 

 excellent birds, there were shown many with a strong tendency to 

 " duckfootedness." The Houdans were very good and numerous. 

 The Game Bantams had many of them been overshowu. The Se- 

 brights were an agreeable surprise in numbers and excellence ; clearly 

 they must not be talked of as " things of the past." The Geese and 

 Turkeys were good ; but the pride of the whole Show were tbe Black 

 Ducks, of which there were sixteen peas, and on many of the birds 

 was a bloom very rarely seen. The order at Birmingham was reversed. 

 Mr. Pettis's Ducks, there first, were here third ; and Mr. Sainsbury's, 

 there second, were here first. Bat the winning birds were all wonder- 

 fully excellent ; the distance of the journey made probably the dif- 

 ference. 



In regard to the Pigeons, Committees have to learn that cups, how- 

 ever sparingly offered alone (of course I mean any plate-prize), bring 

 numbers and excellence. Even dividing the classes into cocks and 

 hens is not suflB.cient. Thus, in the Coloured Pouter classes only four 

 birds appeared. Well-off fanciers like a piece of plate, he it cup, or, 

 better still, some useful or ornamental bit of plate to keep and show. 

 Towards the golden sovereign they seem to feel with Bassanio in the 

 " Merchant of Venice " — 



" Thou gaudy gold. 

 Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee." 



Ancl towards the ten-shillings they likewise feel with the same gen- 

 tleman — 



" Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge 

 'Tween man and man." 



A cup or other plate-prize for the best pen of Pigeons, or for the most 

 points in birds shown by one exhibitor, would have brought together 

 many more excellent birds. As it was, the Carrier class was very 

 good, and the White Pouters generally good. 



Now to take the classes in order. 



Dorkings (Coloured), eight entries, and five good enough to be 

 noticed. Mr. Martin was first of course, and second too. The Silver- 

 Greys, good, old-fashioned, beautifully coloured birds, showed four 

 pens only ; would there were more ! The White were equal in number 

 to the Coloured, and were so good that six out of the eight pens were 

 noticed. 



Sj'a^iish — Devizes is near enough to Bristol to be sure to have a 

 good show of these, bo there were thirteen pens ; yet Bristol did not 

 come in first nor yet second, but a Worcestershire lady, Mrs. Allsopp, 

 took the first prize, and a Somerset lady the second. I hope and 

 expect to see better birds at the Bristol Show. 



Cochins. — How seldom one sees these birds save at shows ! A dozen 

 pens of Cinnamon and Buff, and nearly all good, as one test will show — 

 Miss Milward's birds were there and not noticed, although seven were 

 noticed. Mrs. AUsop's second-prize deserves a special word of praise. 

 The five pens of Partridge Cochins were up to the average, while the 

 White Cochins were much above the average. Mr. Sichel's first and 

 second-prize birds were extremely good, and shown in perfect condition. 

 His labour met a just reward. 



Brahmas. — I have said how rarely one sees Cochins except at a 

 show, yet Brahmas or crosses are in almost every farm and inn-yard. 

 This may make their old staunch friends rejoice. Here were seven- 

 teen pens of Dark, and fifteen of Light, the latter being the better 

 class. Yet many of the Light showed two faults— one a largeness and 

 looseness of comb and the want of size, evidently not having been bred 

 early enough in the year. Another fault must be noticed, a sandy 

 tinge over the plumage. All these faults must be corrected. The first- 

 prize Light were not so clean as they might have been. 



6^a7?ze.— Black-breasted Reds were headed by Mr. Stagg's first pen. 

 One of the Judges remarked to me that he could have stood for hours 

 admiring the cock bird. There was shown in him a properly-made tail, 

 sickle feathers narrow, not broad, and the tail close and rather droop- 

 ing ; his true of some of the others. Strange only one pen of Brown- 

 breasted Reds, Mr. Matthew's. The Duckwings were more numerous. 

 I specially admired Mr. G. S. Sainsbury's second-prize pen. The 

 Game cock class had good birds in it. 



Hamhurglis. — All the four varieties, numbering thirty pens, a sad 

 disappointment. A pen in the Selling class was as good or better than 

 any of the thirty. 



