18 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 5, 1864. 



face of the " rural " who was looking on. I was wondering 

 whether he ever bought anything, when the question was 

 solved for me by two men who were in attendance on their 

 master at an implement stand. "The guv'nor did not 

 make a customer of him, Jim." " No, I should think not ; 

 them civil fellows that say Thank ye, and admire everything, 

 never buy." 



Next, there was another class equally ubiquitous, young, 

 well dressed, tolerably well informed, and rather fast; ec- 

 centric in his choice of neck-tie, and his jewellery. He was 

 standing near the first-prize pen of very fat Pigs; some 

 young ladies were opposite, and a very stout man was look- 

 ing complacently at the swine. " The owner, I presume," 

 said the young man. " Yes," said the farmer. " Things 

 do well in your part." " Yes, not much the matter." He 

 glanced across at the young ladies, and went on. 



There was the important gent smoking a cigar placed in 

 a case that was composed of two kittens playing with a 

 small ball, which had a hollow in it to receive the end of the 

 cigar. He had a neck-tie remarkable from appearing to have 

 every shade and colour that could be got together, and 

 fastened with a most elaborate ring. His conversation was 

 that this Show was very well for a small thing, but they 

 should see the Show at "Porsey," in Prance. He always went. 



Then the ladies' man, wearing a straw hat surrounded by 

 a dainty ribband, his open throat spanned by a diminutive 

 collar, held in its place by a narrow blue tie, which was 

 passed through a ring. "Ever and anon" he removed his 

 hat to pass his fingers through his rather long and curling 

 hair, and to show how accurately it was parted down the 

 middle. He was surrounded by ladies who seemed much 

 pleased with his answers to their many questions about 

 stock. He wished he might never be smiled upon again 

 if he knew anything about the animals ; but he thought 

 those things in the square dwellings formed of hurdles were 

 baa lambs, and that great thing with horns was a moo cow, 

 and so on. 



We got tired of him and dropped on a man who was sure 

 of nothing ; the only answer to be had from him was, it 

 might or it might not be. We asked him a question, which 

 he answered in the affirmative, and then sent a friend on 

 purpose, to whom he said, No, because the question leaned 

 to that answer. He was delighted with the whole Show, 

 which he declared to be marvellous. 



Then the Lord-Burleigh man, who joins every party that 

 is looking at anything in particular, and when appealed to 

 or spoken to, either nods his head, or sapiently rolls it from 

 side to side, and then passes on. 



These all give way to the man who either follows his 

 c a lling by being at the Show, or gleans the knowledge ne- 

 cessary to enable him to indulge a hobby, with the satis- 

 faction of knowing he was doing good while he was indulg- 

 ing his fancy. I have always thought shows were most 

 excellent things, and I have met with more common-sense 

 men and conversation in a showyard, than I often have at 

 an exhibition during the London season. Lately, I have 

 seen your columns open to contributions that only bear on 

 the pursuit : therefore, if you think fit, you can find a 

 corner for one who sometimes thinks with — Pen and Ink. 



JUDGES AT THE INTENDED POULTRY SHOW 



AT THE AGRICULTURAL HALL. 



Observing it stated in your last, that Mr. Hewitt is to be 

 one of the Judges at the forthcoming Poultry Show at the 

 Agricultural Hall, I beg to state that no such appointment 

 has yet taken place, consequently your article and remarks 

 are premature. — Edwd. Ttjusian, an Hon. Sec. to Poultry 

 CM. 



[We saw a letter from Mr. Tudman to Mr. Hewitt, dated 

 June 20th, asking him to be " a Judge for the Club," and 

 ending with this — " I know full well your determination of 

 being free and unfettered, and, therefore, do not press upon 

 you rules or anything of the kind for your guidance. All I now 

 simply ask is, Will you act as a Judge for us ? A large Show 

 is about to take place under the management of the ' Poultry 

 Club,' and we trust you will give us the benefit of your ac- 

 knowledged ability, with another member or two of our 



Club." To that Mr. Hewitt replied — "I can only assure 

 you it will give me equal pleasure to officiate for the * Poultry 

 Club,' as for any other Committee of Management, the re- 

 strictions (as now, by you proposed), being withdrawn." 



The above offer of a judgeship from the Club's Secretary 

 and Mi'. Hewitt's acceptance of the offer we considered con- 

 clusive.] 



JOTTINGS ON DURDHAM DOWN. 



" 'Tis first the true and then the beautiful, 

 Not first Ihe beautiful and then the true," 



Said I to myself while wending my way through," or 

 rather past, busy Bristol to beautiful Clifton. Plenty of the 

 true in black, narrow- streeted, St.-Mary-Sedcliife-shadowed 

 Bristol, and still beautiful as ever stand out the town rocks 

 of St. Vincent — there they are before me this bright shining 

 Monday, June 13th. Now, I did not trust my reverend 

 person to the jostlings sure to be met with on a busy day at 

 the Bristol Station, but slipped out quietly at Keynsham, 

 evidently to the wonder of the whole train. " Strange gen- 

 tleman that not to be going to the Show ! " The one porter 

 at the little station was with difficulty prevailed upon to 

 accept my ticket. The monstrous train at length rolled 

 slowly on, and left me to go my own way. On, skirting 

 pleasantly as I neared it, the great black city, missing all 

 its horrors, and chuckling at my own escape and comparative 



1 freedom from trouble. Temple Street Station, well I know 

 it on a busy day. Bristol roughs in a ring round ; cabs run- 

 ning into omnibuses ; omnibuses threatening cabs ; wheels 

 caught into wheels ; your neighbour's cab horse putting his 



I head into your cab and giving you a moist kiss (suggestive 



' of glanders) on your right cheek, and you not at all inclined 

 to offer him the other also. Then the narrow streets, with 

 black artizans, and worn-looking, lack-lustre-eyed women 

 gazing listlessly at one from every alley. Oh ! this jolting 

 Bristol may produce the best of floor-cloth, but it is not 

 pleasant to be in danger of being floored. Oh ! inodorous, 



( dangerous, horrible streets, I have missed you all, and here 

 I am on Durdhani Down, raising my hat from my aching 



i brow. I took three services yesterday, to enjoy the beautiful, 

 ever beautiful Clifton ah-, which, like the water of the Nile, 

 no one tastes and forgets, for taste the air you verily do. 



Two years ago I was present at the meeting of the Society 

 at Wells ; so, well remembering it, I determined to compare 

 the two all through. At Wells the Exhibition ground was 

 good enough, and there was a capital view from it of the 

 fine Cathedral, and the finer Glastonbury Tor; but to 

 Clifton must be given the palm. There was a wide carriage- 

 approach, and the Down turf and soil made wet feet im- 

 possible. Straight to the poultry show. Now, at Wells 

 there was but one over-crowded tent, with the poor Pigeons 

 put above the fowls (surely the latter should have had the 

 cockloft). Here the Pigeons were as well seen as the fowls. 

 As I was staying in the neighbourhood for a few days, and 

 attended the Show both on Monday and Wednesday, "doing 

 it" fully, I am prepared to give a more decided opinion 

 upon some points than I could have done had I been 

 present only one day. Was, then, the poultry tent a chief or 

 secondary object of attraction ? On Monday with some 7000 

 people present at this Show, it was pleasantly full; on 

 Wednesday, with 1S,000 present, the poultry tents were full 

 all day, one regular stream of people ; and on Thursday, when 

 50,000 people were present in the grounds, thousands I am 

 told never did, or could, see one pen of fowls. At all times 

 the poultry tent was quite as crowded as the horticultural, 

 and more crowded than the fine arts tent. And why ? 

 Because God's works are more loved than man's, and living 

 creatures with their ever-changing posture and attitudes 

 bring out fresh beauties, and people, therefore, love to go 

 and see them again and again. Oh ! ye expellers of the 

 Crystal Palace, Clifton Show condemns you. There I saw 

 prim quaker ladies, fast-going ladies, invalid ladies on wheel 

 chairs, enjoying to the full a show of — cocks and hens. I 

 saw there church dignitaries, one chaplain to the Queen 

 at least, I ran my elbow into a magistrate's 



" Fair round belly with good capon lined." 



I trod upon the toes of a bishop's nephew, and all these well- 

 bred people had come to see — cocks and hens, which none 



