JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 14, 1880. ] 
361 
for Wheat after the autumn rains have commenced; in fact, upon 
any dry soil the weather scarcely ever hinders this work on lea 
ground, even at the latest period for sowing winter Wheat. The 
selection of seed Wheat is now, as ever, a matter of primary import¬ 
ance, not only of the varieties to be sown but the quantity of seed 
per acre. The latter, however, is not so much a vexed question as it 
was some years ago, as it has now resolved itself into a question 
dependant upon the time of sowing. The earlier Wheat is sown the 
less seed may be sown : the state of the land and nature of the soil 
will have its effect. In ordinai-y cases the quantity may be said to 
vary from 2 bushels to 3 bushels of seed per acre, the latter quantity 
to be used after the middle of November. 
The vai-ieties of Wheat raised and cultivated for the purpose of 
being sold for seed are more numerous, and much more pains and 
trouble are used in their cultivation and selection than at any pre¬ 
vious period ; for we have excellent varieties as pedigree corn offered 
us by Major Hallett, and these are well worth attention, especially as 
it is now the fashion to drill at 10 or 12 inches between the rows. All 
the superior selected sorts will bring larger ears, and consequently 
yield better at a wider distance or fewer plants to the rod. We have 
also a capital collection of varieties offered by Mr. E. Y. Oakshot, 
seed merchant of Reading, Berks, and also fine varieties offered by 
Messrs. Webb. The former of these seedsmen are selling capital 
samples of their Champion white Wheat, also the long-eared and 
square-eared rough chaff white Wheat. We have seen this year 
14 sacks and upwards of the latter grown upon thin light land ; in 
fact, the home farmer should obtain a catalogue of seed corn from 
the vendors, and he will soon see from the testimonials the varieties 
which are most likely to suit the soil he has under his care. Although 
these well-selected varieties are sold much above the ordinary market 
price of millers’ corn, yet by sowing a sack or a quarter only the 
increase will put him in possession of a considerable quantity of seed 
Wheat another year. This has been our practice, and we recommend 
it. There are various specifics now for cleansing seed Wheat from 
smut, and also deterring birds and insect enemies from attacking the 
young plant, worth attention, and should not be omitted in preparing 
the Wheat for seed. 
Hand Labour. —This will now be required in assisting the taking up 
and storing Potatoes and also Mangold. The Potatoes are more or less 
tinged with the disease, therefore on taking them up they should be 
assorted, those affected to be used immediately for feeding milch cows 
and store pigs. The size just under the best market tubers may be 
saved for seed ; but these and the marketable tubers should be stored 
away in a heap and covered with straw in readiness to be examined 
again at the end of four or five weeks, before being finally heaped and 
covered securely for the winter. Seaweed, border grass, short straw, 
&c., is best to place next the tubers before being thatched and earthed 
over. Some farmers advocate the earth being put next the short 
straw or seaweed and the thatch on the outside of all the materials 
used for covering the store heaps. In the light work of sorting and 
moving Potatoes the women ought to take part, for we have always 
found that willing hands will do more than the men at this kind of 
labour. The Mangolds should now be taken up and stored daily, for 
we have always found them keep best in heap when put away as fast 
as they are taken up. The leaves are a valuable green fodder, and 
analysis proves them more nutritious than the outside leaves of 
Cabbages. Shepherds in the northern and midland counties will find 
the ewes of all the long-woolled tribes offering freely to the rams, and 
it is well to number and stamp the ewes every week—No. 1 and 2 
representing the first and second week—as fast as they are seasoned 
during first, second, and third week, and so on, in order that at lamb¬ 
ing time the animals may be specially cared for and separated for 
special care in accordance with the time of lambing. The horned 
Dorset and Somerset ewes are just now ready to lamb, many of them 
being due in a few days. These will require special attention, as 
they yean so many twins, some of which are freqirently weak whilst 
young. Dairy cows with young calves should now be bought for 
yielding a supply of milk in the winter months. Patting oxen in the 
boxes and stalls must now live at full head, receiving a liberal allow¬ 
ance of cake, bean meal, ffc. These should always be given in the 
meal state and mixed with cut roots, Cabbage and Carrots being ripe 
first for use. Fatting pigs should now be pushed on, and the cheapest 
and most profitable way we have found to be by pulping the roots, 
and mixing the barley meal, maize meal, &c., with the roots (using 
no water), Cabbage, Carrots, and Mangolds in succession, gradually 
reducing the roots and increasing the proportion of meal as the 
animals approach nearer to maturity. 
FORTHCOA1ING POULTRY SHOWS. 
Neveb a week passes without some of our readers and poultry 
correspondents writing to ask our advice about where they can 
show their birds to advantage. We are always pleased to explain 
to novices the special attractions which particular schedules offer 
for their special favourites. For instance, a breeder of some 
rather rare variety wishes to know where they can best be intro¬ 
duced to public notice. We at once explain that a schedule must 
be sought where the residuum for the variety class is necessarily 
small, and where Malays, Leghorns, Black Hamburghs, Silkies, 
and other well-cultivated kinds do not all come into it. Such 
information is absolutely needed by the uninitiated. More than 
this it is not our province to give, and we frequently now decline 
to recommend shows. Where we see specially good arrangements 
we always commend them, and where carelessness and confusion 
we always fearlessly expose it. To do more than this is not the 
work of a newspaper. We will, however, attempt to give a short 
summary of the schedules of the many forthcoming shows by 
which exhibitors may be helped in making their selection. We 
do trust that none will from over-ambitious desire of prizes 
attempt to show the same birds at even half the places where 
tempting schedules are put forth. It is most impolitic to wear 
out the constitutions of good birds with much showing ; but 
worse than this, it is cruel. 
From now till Christmas there is at least one large and well- 
known exhibition fixed for every week. As our pages are pre¬ 
paring for the press well-classified exhibitions are being held at 
Merthyr-Tydvil and Stratford-on-Avon. We do hope that no 
other committee will follow the strange arrangement of the latter 
Show, where all the exhibits had to be delivered by noon on 
Monday. Some similar arrangement, but not on Monday, was 
once tried at Oxford, caused much inconvenience and delay to 
the Judges, and failed. That such a plan should be attempted, 
not in a central and accessible town, but in an out-of-the-way 
place on a cross-line of rail, seems to us most unwise. On Satur¬ 
day in this week and on Monday in next comes off the Burton-on- 
Trent Show for Pigeons and cage birds, with good classes and 
eight prizes in each. We pity the Judges ! On the 21st and 
22nd will take place a splendid show of Pigeons, Bantams, and 
cage birds in the Southport Pavilion. We say a splendid show 
without knowing anything about the number of entries in each 
class, but a show where the classification is so good cannot fail to 
be fine. So many subvarieties of Pigeons are commonly mixed 
together in a single class that young fanciers are quite puzzled ; 
but where no less than nine classes are offered for Carriers, the 
same number for Barbs, nineteen for Owls, ten for Jacobins, three 
for oriental frilled Pigeons, nine for Tumblers, ten for Dragoons, 
and thirteen for Antwerps, a beginner may gain more practical 
Pigeon lore in a day than by much reading. Other shows that 
are pending will be referred to in a future issue.—C. 
THE ROSS POULTRY AND PIGEON SHOW. 
This Show was held on Tuesday in last week in the Town Hall, a 
building admirably adapted to the purpose. The exhibition of 
Pigeons was extremely good, that of poultry by no means such as 
could have been wished. We think that in the case of poultry the 
Committee made a mistake in offering four small prizes instead of 
two of larger amount. The cost of carriage is heavy, and exhibitors 
like other people must think of £ s. d. Pigeons pack closely, and are 
light, and so many entries are often found even when the prizes are 
quite nominal. Brahmas had but one entry in each class, Cochins a 
few more ; the first Buff hen was a handsome bird and would win in 
better competition. Dorking hens were better than the cocks ; we ad¬ 
mired the first dark bird, and the second Silver-Grey was large though 
poor in colour. Game were better; the first and second cockerels 
Black Reds ; the first pullet of the same variety was a stylish bird ; 
second and third, too, very fair Brown Reds. Spanish there were none, 
but a good pair of Black Minorcas did duty for them and took second 
prize. Hamburghs were few ; the Duke of Sutherland’s Silver-pencils 
were by far the best pair, the cockerel very clear in colour and neat 
in all points. Fair Houdans were first and second in the French class. 
In the Any other variety classes cocks were conspicuous by their 
absence, but some good Silver Poland hens won. The chicken classes 
were much better, and better filled; Mr. Bloodworth’s two Buff 
Cochin pullets being beauties. The first Brown-Red Game cockerel, 
too, was a bird worth looking at. Bantams seem the special fancy of 
the district. There were no less than thirty-one Game Bantams 
entered, and some of the winners were very handsome birds, though 
the failing of the present time seems size ; many of the best. Game 
Bantams we see as to form are immense, doubtless from having no 
remote relationship to large Game fowls. The Black Bantams were 
of course good at Ross, Mr. Phelps’ birds taking first and second ; 
the cock in the second pen was a most diminutive real Bantam, but 
the beauty of the first cock’s tail won the pair their position. The 
class for Bantams of Any other variety brought a beautiful collection. 
First were Cookoos, as perfect in colour as we have ever seen any ; 
second, nice Black Booted. There were some fair Sebrights in the 
class, but far too large. Two magnificent Bronze Turkey cocks were 
very even, the first slightly the most massive bird. 
Geese were represented by one pair of Grey Chinese, which are 
certainly a very pretty variety. Why people commonly call them 
Spanish we do not know. Ducks were a good class ; Rouens first and 
Aylesburys second. As usual now a large array of Pekins appeared. 
Pigeons made a very different show. There were nearly three 
hundred birds, and the quality was as good as is seen at any but the 
very best shows. Carriers. —As usual Mr. Baker won first with a 
Black, second with a Dun, both very good birds ; the form of the 
