354 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 31, 1872. 



Sea-kale roots after forcing should be stored in moist but not very wet sand 

 in a place safe from frost, and be planted in the open ground the first mild 

 weather in February, or early in March ; or you may plant out the roots after 

 forcing, covering the crowns with litter so as to protect them from frost. 

 Besides Potatoes in the unheated part of the house, you can have Cauliflowers 

 taken up with small close heads; Broccoli that will head sooner than that in 

 the open ground, and be safe from frost ; also Peas and Radishes, with 

 Lettuce, Endive, &c, for salads. Asparagus would also do well covered-up 

 with leaves. For the plants to do well we should not have the Vines nearer 

 than they are ; but if you act solely for profit, plants being secondary, then we 

 should put in another Vine between each, and so make the distance 4 feet. 



Najtes of Fruits (A. D.). — It is not the Golden Hamburgh, but we 

 cannot tell its name from a fragment of a bunch, there are so many of the 

 same kind. 



Names of Plants (B. G., South Devon,).— Not a GaiUardia, it is Chry- 

 santhemum segetum, Corn Marigold. A portrait of it is in our "British 

 "Wild Flowers." (T. Tomlimon). — Veronica Andersonii. (IF. B. HanUy). — 

 A species of Dioscorea. (Qucrcus Montana). — 2, Begonia cinnabarina, Hook. 

 Bot. Mag., t. 4483; 4, B. sp. near B, monoptera, Hook. 6, Spigelia peduncu- 

 lata. The remainder were leaves or florists' varieties. {Chester). — Gongora 

 atropurpurea, Hook. Bot. Mag., t. 3220. [Coventry). — AthyriumFiUz-fcemina. 

 (Leatherhead).—J$8jxie illegible. 1, Polystichum Lonchitis. Asplenium vivi- 

 parum, the finely divided frond; A. trapezrforme. The Begonia we cannot 

 name from a mere leaf. (J. Woodlijfe). — Adhatoda Vasica, Nees; Justiica 

 Adhatoda, b, Bot. Mag., t. 861. 



I have at times been applied to for birds as a loan ; I have 

 always steadily refused, although on one occasion the asker was 

 one of my most intimate friends. I shall always do the same, 

 for nothing that can be written will ever make me see it to be 

 right. For a very small exhibitor I have had more, perhaps, 

 than my share of success both in cups and money prizes, and I 

 believe that far more entries would be made if the-prizes were 

 much smaller in amount, whilst more in number. Perhaps 

 with such arrangements there might be less inducement for 

 borrowing birds and the many other objectionable performances 

 which Mr. Hewitt has noticed in his valuable remarks. To 

 those remarks I would add, that all catalogues should have 

 "Arrived too late," or "Not sent," against every pen so circum- 

 stanced. It is well for those who cannot attend the show to 

 have as much information about it as possible. — T. B. A. Z. 



POULTKY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHE0NI0LE, 



MISBEIES OF POULTRY LIFE. 

 Of all seasons of the year this particular portion seems to be the 

 most unhappy, alike for the poultry-keeper and the poultry. A 

 general gloom pervades botli man and birds ; and oh ! what a 

 f alling-off is there ! Chickens that have failed to reach the desired 

 perfection fall — if their owner be wise — into the pot and the pie ; 

 eggs fall off ; a whole train of luxuries, for the principal in- 

 gredients of which we are indebted to our feathered friends, 

 wonderfully diminish. Feathers fall off, the personal appear- 

 ance of our said friends being, to say the least, very unsatis- 

 factory. Veteran " heroes " of a hundred (show) fights, who 

 are getting into the " yellow leaf " stage, fall off, or rather 

 " shuffle off," and are no more seen about this time. ' Some 

 having made for themselves a reputation and a name are spoken 

 of with admiration and respect, and their portraits cherished in 

 the drawing-room scrap-book — in memoriam. The cock falls off 

 in his gallantry, and appropriates for his own nourishment all 

 the discovered dainties that in times past he would have laid 

 before his hens for their gracious acceptance, with a disinterested 

 manner most refreshing to behold. Poor fellow ! he hasn't a very 

 pleasant time of it just now; most of his gay plumage is to be 

 found on the floor of the roosting house, or being blown about 

 the yard; and, though I am no advocate for fashionable extremes, 

 yet we must all admit that an elegaut exterior carries with it a 

 wonderful influence; and I can readily imagine the sultan of 

 the poultry run wincing under the contemptuous glances of the 

 ladies of his harem, and shedding a tear of regret as he parts 

 with the last feather of his once magnificent tail, sighs forth, 

 Sic transit gloria m-undi. Then jealousy, that dreadful monster, 

 plagues him sadly ; the junior members of his large family 

 become unpleasantly precocious, and aspire to dignities and 

 privileges he himself has enjoyed hitherto uninterruptedly. 

 Fancy that poor fellow's feelings when a cockerel (his own son 

 too) persisted in crowing under his very "bill." The juvenile 

 offender has a nasty place on his head — the result of his youthful 

 indiscretion. 



Moral. — Never dispute your father's authority till you've got a 

 head as hard and as thick as his. — I. K. L. 



I must ask you to allow me, as one of the Committee of the 

 Devizes Show, to put the facts of the case plainly before you? 

 readers. As many of them well know, our Show last year was 

 held on the 12th and 13th of December — as favourable a time of 

 the year for Pigeons as could be. I think no one will say our 

 classification was bad, and our prizes were £1 and 10s. in each 

 class, yet our total number of Pigeon entries amounted to but 

 126 in eighteen classes. Nor was this all, for with few exceptions 

 the quality of the birds exhibited was of a very inferior descrip- 

 tion — a poor compensation for the loss the Pigeon classes entailed 

 upon the Committee — so when we met to arrange the schedule for 

 the forthcoming Show, it became a question whether we should 

 again offer prizes for Pigeons. The meeting, however, was ad- 

 journed, and in the meantime we communicated with a few 

 fanciers and others, and in consequence of the replies we received 

 we decided to again offer prizes for Pigeons, also a cup, in the 

 hope that this would induce exhibitors to support us who last year 

 refused to do so, as we afterwards discovered, in consequence of 

 our not offering any plate prizes ; but to do this it must be re- 

 membered we did not reduce the scale of money prizes, so that 

 the amateur who shows only one or two pens still has the chance 

 of winning the same amount he did last year, whilst the larger 

 exhibitor has the advantage of competing for a five-guinea piece 

 of plate. All that we, the Committee, wish is to offer such a list 

 of prizes for both poultry and Pigeons as will insure a good entry 

 both as regards numbers and quality. To please all we do not 

 expect, however anxious we maybe to do so, but we can promise 

 those who support our Show in either department that every care 

 will be taken of their birds during the time they are under oui- 

 charge ; and as to the general management, we can with con- 

 fidence refer to those exhibitors and others who paid a visit to 

 Devizes Show in December, 1871. — One of the Committee. 



The Edinburgh Christmas Club prize list for poultry is 

 good. Three prizes are given in each class, and in addition 

 there are ten cups, besides medals, and a valuable tea service. 



The Manchester Poultry and Pigeon Show prizes are 

 most liberal, being three nearly in all the classes, and £3, 30s., 

 and 20s. respectively. There are seventy classes, and thirty 

 classes for Pigeons. 



CUPS FOE MAJORITY OF POINTS. 



I cannot but think that many exhibitors will feel surprised at 

 Mr. J. Ford's letter on this subject. I, for one, unhesitatingly 

 say, that if e x hibiting borrowed birds is the result of offering 

 such cups, the sooner such a practice is put an end to the better. 

 Mr. J. Ford may have infringed no positive written rule of the 

 show, but I apprehend all right-thinking persons must feel that 

 he has grossly infringed the rules of common justice. 



I venture to submit another position. There may not be in 

 the regulations governing any show a positive rule as to the 

 ownership of the birds, and that they must belong to the ex- 

 hibitor (I apprehend after Mr. Ford's letter it will always be 

 added) ; but there is certainly an implied rule that the exhibitor 

 must be the owner. Every exhibition has this rule, "Ex- 

 hibitors will be requested to state the breed and age of their 

 specimens." The birds cannot be theirs if they are borrowed 

 specimens. Suppose I borrow a pen of poultry and take a 

 cup at Birmingham or the Crystal Palace, has not my stock ac- 

 quired a value which no way belongs to them ? and if I dispose 

 of them to others, am I not selling the birds and obtaining money 

 under false pretences ? Personally, I have no objection to 

 dealers exhibiting, only let all exhibitors show their own birds 

 and no others. Do not let us degrade our pleasure. 



THE MIDDLESBOROUGH ORNITHOLOGICAL 



ASSOCIATION'S SHOW. 

 This annual Exhibition of Canaries, Mules, and British Cage 

 Birds, and also Stuffed British Birds, was held in the Cleveland 

 Hall, Middlesborough, on the 25th and 26th inst. The Hall 

 being spacious and well lighted, the birds were seen to great 

 advantage. Mr. Jobbing, Fleece Inn, Middlesborough, lent the 

 Committee several cases of butterflies, stuffed birds, and small 

 animals, which were much admired. The profits derived from 

 this Exhibition will be handed over to the North Biding In- 

 firmary. The entries numbered 313. 



The Belgian Canaries were of fair quality, though better have 

 been exhibited at these shows. The Norwich classes were well 

 represented with birds of good quality. The prize birds were of 

 high merit, the Evenly-marked birds well marked, and of high 

 quality. Crested Norwich were good, and the prize-winners 

 notably so. Coppy Crests were good as a whole. Lizards were 

 well represented, and were of extra quality, and the prize-w inn ers 

 are sure to be heard of at future shows. Cinnamons were ex- 

 cellent. The Jonque and Buff prize birds were rich in colour 

 and in good feather. Yorkshire birds were a show of themselves, 

 numbering nearly ninety birds in five classes ; better birds 

 of their class have never been shown here, and they gave the 

 Judge some trouble to adjudicate on. Green Canaries (not the 

 Bronze) were good, all but one being noticed by the Judge. 

 Evenly-marked Mules were well represented, and the prize- 

 takers deserving. Dark Mules were also well shown. The first- 

 prize Jonque was large, well furnished, and rich in colour. 

 Linnet Mules were excellent, every bird being noticed. The 

 first-prize bird was fine in quality, and almost clear ; with health, 



