562 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. r December u. im. 
simply an instance of the evils almost certain to result from the 
close of a show on Saturday night. 
3, One more condition of a well-managed show is that it should 
be carefully and scrupulously guarded while open to the public, 
and that before and after opening none should have access to it 
but those responsible for its management. It is easy enough to 
keep out intruders before the judges have begun their work or while 
they are engaged upon it—a policeman and a locked door suffice. 
Experience, however, has shown us that it is by no means so 
easy to keep a show absolutely closed during a Sunday when it 
has already been open on other days, and more than this, that 
practically shows are never so kept. This or that fancier who 
“ has no time in the week ” craves special permission from his 
friend, a committeeman, just to look round on the Sunday after¬ 
noon ; another acquaintance edges himself in at the same time ; 
by degrees there is a regular assembly, hence not unfrequently 
scandal if not mischief. Some years ago we were exhibitors 
at a show advertised to close on Saturday night and to be rigo¬ 
rously guarded through Sunday. We stayed in the town at 
an hotel facing the show hall. It never occurred to us to ask 
even the favour of seeing that our birds were safe and well on 
the Sunday in the face of so apparently rigid a rule. During 
the afternoon, however, we saw divers people going in and out. 
The town is a garrison one, and the troops seemed much attracted 
by the crowing ; they wandered about harmlessly, would that all 
the visitors had done the same ! At last we too followed, to find 
that some dastardly individual had changed some of our birds, 
mutilated others, and turned an almost priceless cock loose to 
fight up and down the rows. We have exhibited now a long 
while and many birds, and are pleased to say that this is the only 
occasion on which we have ever for certain known any wilful 
and malicious damage done to our birds ; but then with few ex¬ 
ceptions we have not exhibited at shows extending over Sunday. 
The fact of its being difficult to keep a show room strictly and 
absolutely closed is to our mind a very strong argument against 
any show being protracted over a Sunday. There may, as we 
have said, be exceptions to this as to all rules. If one is to be 
made we should certainly make it rather in favour of a show 
which begins with a Sunday than one which ends with it. The 
Crystal Palace and Birmingham are exceptional shows—excep¬ 
tional in the number of visitors that attend them, and in the 
time that it takes to go well through them ; they are exceptional, 
too, in the distance that exhibits are sent to them. For these 
reasons there is much to be said in favour of their duration, and 
of their closing on Thursday evening, and consequently beginning 
before one Sunday, to enable all birds to reach their homes, how¬ 
ever distant, before another Sunday. We have never, therefore, 
hesitated to show at them, though we have often wished that 
Birmingham could be shortened by one day. To the committees 
of smaller shows who have not these valid excuses we commend 
for consideration our objections to Sunday shows before the 
opening of another year.—C. 
NOVELTIES. 
Amongst recent inventions we note some of special interest to 
poultry-keepers. 
The Thermostatic Incubator. —This has been recently intro¬ 
duced by Messrs. Christy. It is a continuous heating incubator 
with a regulator, and is thus an entirely new departure for this 
firm, which has hitherto depended on hydro-incubators pure and 
simple, and similar incubators with outside circulating boilers, only 
requiring heat for an hour or two daily. The new incubator claims 
to require a minimum of attention. The regulator consists of a 
band made of two metals, which expand at different temperatures, 
and is said to be thoroughly reliable. Upon the metal which 
expands at the lower heat being affected, the metal band changes 
from a straight line to a curve; one end being fixed the other 
necessarily moves, and thus operates upon a rod connected with 
an air valve opening from the egg-drawer, and by increasing or 
diminishing the amount of ventilation keeps the temperature even. 
The entire bottom of the egg-drawer is perforated and exposed to 
the air, while the ventilating shaft rises from the centre of the top 
of the drawer. The bottom of the water tank is slightly domed 
so as to allow an even flow of air trom all parts of the drawer. 
The lamp is a small one, and the expense of working the machine 
is thus kept low. _ 
While speaking of incubators we may mention a novelty in the 
way of a reason for parting with an incubator. The machine was 
that known as the “ Fancier,” which was first described in our 
columns by the designer, Mr. Comyns. An extensive breeder of 
Game Bantams had purchased one of these machines. We heard 
that he was anxious to dispose of it, and upon meeting him at the 
Dairy Show we asked his reasons, whereupon he declared it was 
simply “ because it hatched so many chicks he did not know what 
to do with them.” We have heard many reasons for parting with 
an incubator, but this is certainly the first time we have heard this 
particular one advanced. 
The Ovifeu. —This novelty, introduced by the Ovifer Company, 
280, High Holbom, is, as its 
name indicates, an egg-carrier. 
Its principle will be readily 
understood from the accom¬ 
panying illustration. It con¬ 
sists of three wire springs 
securely fastened to a metal 
plate. The egg is inserted 
between the springs, and is 
there lightly but securely held 
during transit. The ovifers 
are made in sets ranging from 
one to five dozen, and are 
constructed to fit in boxes and 
baskets of various sizes, so 
that any desired number of eggs may be packed. We can recom¬ 
mend them as a convenient and safe method of packing eggs. 
The Egg-Protector. —This, which was brought out towards 
the close of last season by Messrs. Christy, we have now fully tried. 
It consists of a perforated metal egg-shaped box, rather larger in 
size than an egg. It is intended to be used for protecting eggs 
which are being hatched out from being crushed by the hen, while 
at the same time allowing sufficient space for the chicken to emerge 
from the shell. We saved the lives of a good many chickens with 
half a dozen of these egg-protectors during the latter part of last 
season. It is to be noted, however, that some few hens (about one 
in twenty was our average) will eject the egg-protector from the 
nest. A little care in this respect is therefore necessary. 
Sales at Birmingham Show. — Messrs. Smyths’ second-prize 
Coloured Dorking hen was claimed at catalogue price, £25, the largest 
price we have yet heard of for a Dorking hen. The pair of Scotch- 
Grey fowls belonging to Mrs. Muir, which we noted as being first in 
the Variety class, were also claimed at the catalogue price—viz., eight 
guineas. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Buckwheat (A. B. C .).—We have no doubt you will be able to grow a good 
crop of Buckwheat, as the land is in fair condition. This crop does not require 
very rich land, or it is apt to throw too much haulm for yield of seed, but in 
case it is required to be used whilst green as a fodder crop the ground cannot be 
too rich. You speak of weeds on the land ; if they are not couch grass they 
may be ploughed under with the skim coulter and injure nothing unless gone to 
seed. If the land is foul with couch, and Buckwheat is grown, it should be 
drilled in lines 12 inches apart, and hoed between. The seed required will be 
2 bushels per acre. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40” N.; Long. 0° 8 ' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1882. 
s3_, 
Hygrome- 
G . 
emp. of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
d 
ter. 
perature. 
Temperature. 
*5 
December. 
In 
On 
M a 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5 o 
fH 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Sun. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
8 
29.564 
42.2 
41.8 
S.W. 
38.7 
50 8 
27.4 
51.2 
29.4 
0.056 
Mon. 
4 
29.097 
40.9 
39.2 
N.W. 
41.0 
51.4 
40.0 
68.8 
36.2 
Tues. 
5 
29.064 
34.9 
32.8 
N.W. 
40.6 
40.4 
34.3 
46 8 
31.2 
_ 
Wed. 
6 
29.232 
34.3 
33.4 
W. 
33 9 
38.7 
83.8 
38.6 
34.2 
_ 
Thurs. 
7 
29.185 
31.5 
31.5 
N. 
39.3 
34.0 
26.9 
30.0 
26.5 
0.513 
Friday 
8 
29.294 
3.5.0 
34.5 
N.W. 
38.0 
89.8 
31.0 
56.3 
30.4 
Satur. 
9 
29.679 
84.4 
33.7 
N.W. 
37.7 
38.4 
30.9 
59.1 
30.3 
— 
29.302 
36.2 
35.3 
39.3 
41 9 
32.0 
51.0 
31.2 
0.5C9 
REMARKS. 
3rd.—Gloomy day ; rain in evening. 
4th.—Fine and bright. 
5th.—Dull and cold ; slight snow at intervals. 
6 th.—Cloudy ; slight snow. 
7 th.—Fair, frosty morning. Snow commenced about noon, and continued rest of 
the day, lying about 2 inches at night, all the remainder having melted. 
8 th.—Bright morning ; gradual thaw ; snow still on ground. 
9th.—Fine throughout; sunshine at intervals ; slight fog in evening. 
Temperature still below the average, considerably so on the 7th, on which 
day a rather heavy fall of snow occurred; in and near London much of it 
melted ; had it not done so, it would have been nearly 6 inches deep.—G. J. 
SYMONS. 
