172 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 1,1870. 



especially sold in wholesale quantities by weight. The great railway 

 Potato market is at King's Cross. 



Strawberries Losing their Colour (E. C, Oakham).—- We cannot 

 tell how the Strawberries, after being planted two or three years, lose 

 their colour— become whitish, though well flavoured. Probably in your 

 shaly soil a good annual dressing of rich manure and a little soot would 

 prevent it. If not, you must plant oftsner. The varieties we prefer are 

 British Queen, Empress Eugenie, Dr. Hogg, and Keens* Seedling; but 

 tastes differ, and so do varieties in different soils and climates. 



Burning Sulphur in a Vinery {Dilemma). — We cannot understand 

 how anyone having a knowledge of plants could venture even to " burn a 

 pinch of sulphur" in a vinery. The sulphurous acid formed by such 

 burning is death to any part of a leaf that inhales it. The Vines, the 

 leaves of which you have thus iujured, will have their present crop 

 deteriorated, and next year's crop lessened probably. Keep the air of the 

 vinery moist, and do not remove any leaf that has a particle of green 

 surface left ; such leaves and new ones which will be formed probably 

 may mature the crop. 



Ailanthus glandulosa {F. D.). — It is now very common. If you state 

 what you wish to exchange, and what you require in return, we will 

 insert your wishes in the exchange column if you. enclose twelve postage 

 stamps. 



Names of Fruits (A. M. E.).— Plums.— 1, Orleans ; 2, Lucombe's None- 

 such ; 3, Goliath; 4, No wood sent. Apples. — 2, Margil : 3, Nonesuch. 

 Pears.— 1, Williams's Bon Chretien; 2, Gansel's Bergambt; S, Nouveau 

 Poiteau ; 4, Passe Colmar ; 5, Striped Virgouleuse. Many of the Pears 

 are too immature. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



A TRIP INTO GLOUCESTERSHIRE AFTER 

 POULTRY.— No. 2. ' 



As I began to enter Stroud, it was easy to be seen that its 

 inhabitants had determined to make their picturesquely situ- 

 ated town as gay-looking as possible. There was such a dis- 

 play of bunting that I began to think whether that was not its 

 staple manufacture, until a motto over an arch recalled to my 

 mind the truth, for its words were, " Success to our staple 

 trade, superfine cloth." There were flags everywhere, and 

 wreaths of evergreens, and garlands and festoons, which all 

 told of the long and successful labour of many hands. Thank- 

 ful am I to say that we were spared the almost inevitable fir 

 trees in the streets, the only benefit of which is, that they are 

 decorations whioh cost no trouble, while, on the contrary, the 

 good Stroud people evidently had spared themselves no trouble. 

 I rode under numerous arches, reading and commenting upon 

 their various mottos — mottos religious and secular, mottos 

 agricultural and commercial, and I said back what one said to 

 me, " Happy to see you." A motto over a very telling arch, 

 but somewhat hidden by its surroundings, puzzled me awhile. 

 At first I read it as, " Success to the Gas," but could not con- 

 clude that gas was a recent introduction in the go-a-head 

 borough of Stroud. Then I read it " Success to the Gals," 

 and I thought, however right the feeling expressed, yet Stroud 

 men might have been more gallant, and should have written 

 "■ Success to the Ladies." I then noticed a little comma, and 

 the puzzling word was no word at all, but " G. A'l. S.," which 

 I presume meant "Gloucestershire Agricultural Society." 

 Bight through the town we go, and I always notice that in 

 prosperous towns the respectable outlying part, the verge, the 

 fringe so to speak, whatever be the scenery, is very pleasing to 

 an eye that loves the subjects dilated on in " our Journal," for 

 it is in this part that the inhabitants build villas, and make 

 their homes beautiful with tree, shrub, and flower ; and on tho 

 bright paths or green grass, or swinging on the gates, I see 

 pretty little children with bright blue eyes, and bright locks, 

 some very " golden fleeces," blowing in the breeze, their fathers 

 So many happy Jasons, and cheeks, as on this day, a-glow with 

 excitement, and eyes watching with delight the holiday-makers 

 as they drive past. Truly there is no prettier sight in the 

 world than a well-built, well-gardened English villa. A mansion 

 often looks cold and desolate, a palace not unfrequently looks 

 gloomy though grand, but an English villa looks a bright, 

 happy, liveable place. 



Having driven past several such villas, we reach Stratford 

 Park, where the Show is held. " Bath and West of England, 

 but smaller," is my exclamation as I enter. The Gloucester- 

 shire Agricultural Society held its first show in 185S, that was 

 at Gloucester. Since 1862 it has been peripatetic, and now for 

 the first time wandered to Stroud, and, I am told, is larger than 

 it ever was before. There is also this year another improve- 

 ment, particularly interesting to us of this Journal — a Poultry 

 and Pigeon Show has been added. I understand that this de- 

 cision was arrived at very late, but energy brought success. 



There was energy and liberality in the Committee, for they 

 gave a silver cup, and seven other cups came from various 

 liberal persons or classes. Thus from all I saw and heard at 

 Stroud, there seems to have been but one spirit pervading its 

 worthy inhabitants and their neighbours, that of putting their 

 shoulders to the wheel, and doing all they could, and doing it 

 for the most part well. 



The placards, " To the Show-yaid," contained a pleasing 

 deception, for instead of a yard, it was a goodly portion of a 

 goodly park, and the shelter of its elms was as welcome as the 

 trees were ornamental ; among which, indeed, the white tents, 

 large, middle-sized, and small, glimmered in their whiteness. 

 There was a long row of horse-boxes — extempore stables, and 

 the horse-riug with the keen-eyed judges in the centre, and 

 there were implements of course, though not many, and cattle 

 and sheep, and unsavoury pigs, to become savoury after death. 



I watched the horse-ring until a poultry catalogue was to be 

 had, and then entered the tents, whose inhabitants crowed, 

 cackled, and cooed. The Dorkings, as was their due at an 

 agricultural show — for they are the farmer's and cook's fowls — 

 stood first, and formed a very good class, a considerable num- 

 ber of pens being occupied by prizetaking birds, so that a loser 

 of a prize here was not necessarily a bad pen ; indeed the 

 Dorkings were good, excellent, and most excellent. Dark 

 Brahmas next, followed by their Light brethren. The first 

 prize in the latter class went actually to chickens ! The Cochins 

 were good. The Spanish class was both large and good, and 

 the cup pen in most excellent feather. Of the Game, the Duck- 

 wings were a better class than the Black Beds. The Ham- 

 burghs were jumbled together; this a mistake. Polish were 

 fairly numerous, and the " Any variety class" showed a very 

 good pen of Black Hamburghs. Of the Game Bantams, I can 

 only, as a true chronicler, say of them as a friend of mine said 

 to a discharged servant upon her asking whether ha could give 

 her a character. He replied, " Oh ! yes, I can give you a cha- 

 racter, certainly, but not a character that will do you any 

 good." The single cock class contained, besides the prize 

 birds, an excellent Dorking cockerel belonging to the Bev. 

 A. K. Cornwall, which extorted praise, but was, strangely 

 enough, not even commended. Among the quacking, hissing, 

 gobble, gobble birds, a curious circumstance occurred. Mr. 

 Fowler's pen of Geese won the blue riband of the Show by " a 

 fluke" — viz., the Stroud Licensed Victuallers' silver cup for 

 the best pen of poultry in the Show. The Committee added a 

 proviso that the same pen should not be eligible to take two 

 cups. Mr. Fowler must indeed have been surprised, and I 

 hope he will drink the health of his beautiful pen, and spare 

 them from ever being eaten, they having won silver. 



Aud now I come to the Pigeons. The Carriers were most 

 excellent and numerous ; Pouters few but good ; and Mr. Ful- 

 ton's Blues, which took the cup, were very good. The Tum- 

 blers, too, were good, as we should infer from the names of 

 their exhibitors. Of the Bunts I was pleased to see as many 

 as five pairs. Fantails followed, and then a large and pretty 

 " Any other variety class ; " but among them I noticed only 

 one pair of Nuns, those old and strikingly pretty Toys. 



But home I must drive ; so taking a loving stroll through the 

 flower tents, and sitting listening to the Fusiliers' band, whose 

 music made me forget time's flight, but kept me in a pleasing, 

 dreamy, lotus-eater condition, while the groups of fair ladies, 

 mothers and daughters, passed before my eyes like figures in a 

 vision, at length I drew myself reluctantly away at the very 

 most enjoyable time, the cool evening hour. Not soon shall I 

 forget Stroud Show and the beautiful scenery around it. Oi 

 course there were a few amusing incidents, there always are at 

 all shows. Thus there was the red- faced man who declared his 

 pen of Ducks was the best in England, in truth it was the 

 worst in the show. Then there was the non-poultry friend 

 gently chaffing his poultry friend by saving, " Is it true that 

 you send your fowls to the shows simply to save three days' 

 keep ?" I trust that a poultry show will always be attached to 

 " G. A'l. S.," and be as good a one as this was at Stroud. 

 Back we went through the same lovely scenery until darkness 

 dropped its curtain around us, and I sat and thought all over, 

 and tried to fix the beauty of all on my recollection. — Wiltshire 

 Bectoe. 



ROO STING-PLACE FOR CHICKENS. 

 We begin now to perceive the approach of mid-autumD, and 

 winter treads on its heels. Hitherto we have allowed our 

 chickens to roost where they would, but it is time to think of 



