324 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
summer-fallow all day in middle of No. 14, with 
Mike and John and brindlc oxen. They use 
Wire’s plow and go 7 inches deep. 
At noon father hired Win. Johnson for two 
months, through haying and harvesting, lie is 
to begin 5th day of July, and receive $19 a 
month with board and washing; is to receive 
$12 on August 1st, and $2G, Sept. 5th. This P. 
M.father went to L-, and bought of Moseley a 
horse-rake for $9 cash, and purchased on ac¬ 
count at Thompson’s, 6 gallons molasses at 3s., 
$2 25; 18 lbs. of sugar, $2; 1 lb. tea, 75c., and 2 
pitchforks 5s. and 6s., $1 37; in all $0 37. I 
spent the afternoon in putting some teeth in 
hand-rakes, and in fixing up hay mow in car¬ 
riage-barn. In house they made one cheese, 
about 20 lbs. Weather has been line all day, a 
little cloudy in P. M. 
The above is a fair sample of each days’ re¬ 
cord, and gives about the average length. There 
is a lack of system in'such a journal which 
makes it difficult to refer to any particular 
transaction, yet even with this defect it is better 
than no record. Let those who cannot at first 
follow a more systematic course, adopt such a 
plan as this, and they will find it a source of 
pleasure and profit, and they will soon be able 
to write down their experience for an agricul¬ 
tural paper. We remember many instances 
where our journal furnished the means of set¬ 
tling doubts as to agreements, exact ages of an¬ 
imals, &c. 
BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. 
Tins great show came off early in December, 
and seems to have been the largest, most at¬ 
tractive, and most successful of anj r yet held. 
We subjoin descriptions from two sources. It 
will be seen that among the large breed, the 
Brama Pootras and Grey Shanghais, bred by 
Messrs. Burnham & Bennett, of Boston, Massa¬ 
chusetts, were considered the best and most 
magnificent at the show. This is quite a feather 
in the American cap. A pair of Mr. Burnham’s 
breeding sold for the enormous price of $500! 
We hope these gentlemen will exhibit at the 
forthcoming show to be opened in this city, on 
the 13th of February. 
This great Exhibition was held during Wed¬ 
nesday, Thursday, and Friday in the week, and 
the enormous number of two thousand two 
hundred and seventy cages of birds, were en¬ 
tered for competition for the numerous prizes. 
In consequence of this unequalled number of 
entries, the whole space hitherto allotted to the 
Poultry Department at Bingley Hall, was dense¬ 
ly occupied with the pens, and also the new 
bay which was added to the structure during 
the past season—making this by far the most 
extensive show, of its kind, ever yet seen in this 
country. 
Our people here seem to have gone poultry 
mad! The contributors to this exhibition 
numbered many of the nobility, and the amount 
of money received at the Hall (independently of 
subscription tickets) reached over £2000 ster¬ 
ling. The sales of fowls reported from the 
Secretary’s office, summed up £1707 10s. The 
number of birds duly entered was over seven 
thousand , of all varieties and classes. 
Special trains of all the principal railways 
towards Birmingham were run for three days, 
and the Society dinner came off in superb style 
on the 13th inst. The show of game birds was 
extraordinarily fine, and very large in number. 
The Crested fowls (especially the lately intro¬ 
duced Gold and Silver Polands) were beautiful, 
and the minor varieties were well represented, 
Among the Chinese varieties, the long-esteemed 
Cochin Chinas of Messrs. Punchard, Sturgeon, 
Fairlie, and others, took the palm and the 
prizes. 
- , . , ,i ..........■i. - , — 
But an attractive feature, to very many fan¬ 
ciers, were the beautiful Silver Grey Shanghae, 
or Brama Pootra fowls, lately introduced among 
us by Mr. Burnham, of Boston, and Mr. Ben¬ 
nett, of Great Falls. Pens of these magnificent 
samples of domestic poultry were contributed 
by His Royal Highness Prince Albert, (bred 
from the stock sent to the Queen by G. P. Burn¬ 
ham, Esq.,) and other beautiful specimens were 
exhibited from Mr. B.’s stock, by the Bakers 
and Mr. Baily, of London. Such was the high 
quality of the birds shown by the above-named 
contributors (in this class,) that the Judges 
could not give a decision favoring either, and no 
first prize was awarded in this department. A 
second prize was only adjudged. A single pair 
of these Grey Shanghacs, sent to Mr. Baily, of 
Mount street, London, by Mr. Burnham, of 
Boston, were sold at this Exhibition for one 
hundred guineas ($500,) to Mr. Taylor, of Shep¬ 
ard’s Bush—portraits of which appear in the 
Field newspaper, of the present week. 
That journal, in ailusion to this show, re¬ 
marks that “these most useful and popular 
meetings, of which the present is the fifth, are, 
from the central situation of the locality in 
which they are held, from their magnitude, 
efficiency of their organization, and their gen¬ 
eral influence upon the several branches of 
agriculture and rural economy which they em¬ 
brace, justly regarded as of national importance. 
But excellent and attractive as they have proved 
in former years, this will greatly surpass the 
best of the gatherings which have preceded it, 
and presents such a display of objects, the value 
and beauty of which all of us can understand 
and appreciate, as, taken altogether, has certain¬ 
ly never before been any where witnessed.” 
Upwards of twelve thousand persons visited 
Bingley Hall, where this exhibition was held, on 
the second day after the opening! Very high 
prices were paid for the best samples shown, 
and the mania appears to be on the increase as 
the Great Metropolitan Exhibition approaches, 
next month. So far as the merits of the Chi¬ 
nese fowls are concerned, it is admitted, on all 
sides, that the stock sent to Her Majesty by 
Mr. Burnham, as well as that shown by the 
Messrs. Bakers and Baily, from the same source, 
is decidedly the finest in England. Where will 
the fever terminate?—E. B. L., in Spirit of the 
Times. 
In treating of the fifth exhibition of fat cattle, 
pigs, and poultry, in Bingley Hall, Birmingham, 
we have only to repeat an admitted fact, that 
proper and well-directed exertion must meet 
with success; and also, that where the arrange¬ 
ments are such as to deserve the support and 
confidence of exhibitors, that it is difficult to fix 
any limit or boundary to it. The original space 
enclosed was an acre and a quarter of land, and 
since the Exhibition of 1852 a further portion, 
above a quarter of an acre, has heen added to 
the building. When the immense value of land 
in the heart of Birmingham is considered, some 
idea may be formed of the enterprise of those 
who originated and carried out this society. 
The public has responded to their call, and the 
success of which we are about to speak has been 
the result. Persons who have not seen it can¬ 
not imagine the effect of nearly two acres of 
land covered with a light glass and slate roof, 
and filled with all that the United Kingdom can 
produce in fat cattle, pigs, and poultry, of the 
choicest character. The loftiness and scientific 
ventilation of the place carry off any dust that 
may arise, and even the crowing of 2000 cocks 
is partially lost in the vast space over-head. 
Nothing is here neglected that can minister 
either to the comfort of the visitors or the well¬ 
doing of the birds and animals; and a most 
important feature in the arrangements of the 
Bingley Hall exhibition, is, that gentlemen of 
known practical ability, and of reputed judg¬ 
ment, undertake the offices of stewards' and 
superintend the feeding of the stock. The up¬ 
rightness and straight-forward dealing of the 
committee, and the liberality of their arrange¬ 
ments, have met a rich reward, not only in the 
complete success of their undertaking, but in 
the great and continuous increase of their 
entries. Thus last year the number of com¬ 
peting pens was 1223, whereas this year they 
are increased to 2278; and this, exclusive of 
more than 600 pens entered too late, and con¬ 
sequently rejected. Had all been in time, the 
number w r ould have reached the unparalleled 
amount of 3000. If the committee had not 
adopted the salutary rule of restricting exhibit¬ 
ors to six pens each, it is difficult to imagine the 
space required for all the poultry that would be 
sent, as at many local shows a quarter of -the 
pens are often found to belong to two or at 
most four exhibitors. 
The practical results are immense, and it also 
belongs to this committee to claim for itself the 
merit of having been the pioneer of the many 
shows now in progress, of having originated a 
new and lucrative calling, and of having afforded 
to professional men and tradesmen a delightful 
recreation, and at the same time that novelty a 
self-supporting and, more than that, a remune¬ 
rating hobby. 
We will here conclude our introductory re¬ 
marks, and at once go to the consideration of 
this most beautiful and interesting show. Wc 
will however add, that the amount of money 
circulated by the purchase of pens, and the 
increased value of a yard which produces prize 
birds, has been in some cases a welcome assist¬ 
ance, and in others a justifiable cause of pride. 
Agricultural Gazette. 
- • - 
APPEARANCE OF TREES IN WINTER. 
Our attention is not often directed to the 
forms of trees as they appear when divested of 
their foliage. But when wc consider that for 
the space of six months all the deciduous tribes 
are leafless, we cannot regard their appearance, 
during-this period, as a matter of trifling im¬ 
portance. When trees are in leaf, their qualities 
of beauty or deformity, except those of their 
foliage and general outlines, are not very appa¬ 
rent. In winter, when every part is exposed to 
sight, the forms and arrangements of their 
branches are their most important features. In 
the selection of trees for ornamental purposes, 
therefore, a great point would be gained, if we 
should plant those kinds which are beautiful in 
winter, on account of the fine shapes and pro¬ 
portions of their limbs, no less than in summer, 
on account of the character of their foliage and 
their general outlines. 
In considering the forms and beauty of trees, 
four points are to be regarded:—First, their 
general shape and seemliness; second, their 
sub-divisions, and the arrangements ot their 
branches in relation to the main stem; third, 
the character of their spray * or the forms and 
direction of their minute and terminal branches; 
fourth, the style and quality of their foliage. I 
have already treated of their foliage and of that 
beauty which consists in their general outlines. 
In the present essay, I shall treat particularly 
of the comparative beauty of trees, as seen in 
the winter, and shall endeavor to point out the 
peculiarities that distinguish the common species 
in our woods and enclosures. 
The qualities most conspicuous in the oaks, 
are strength and sturdiness. Their branches 
are seldom straight, and usually make a slight 
bend at every sub-division. They have, like¬ 
wise, a habit of forming protuberances at the 
joints of their limbs, and along the course of the 
main stem. Hence the expression, “ the knotted 
and gnarled oak.” The white oak seems to 
possess more of the characteristics of the genus 
than any other of the American oaks. The 
form of outline assumed by these trees, when 
growing singly on a plain from their first plant¬ 
ing, is that of a hemisphere. They are inclined 
to extend horizonially about as much as they 
* Spray .—'This word, in tlie dictionaries, is defined a 
small branch, also the ejected water of a fountain. I have' 
used it with an extended signification, so as to include all 
the smaller and terminal branches of the tree, to which, in a 
figurative sense, according to the second definition, it might 
be applied, without any abuse of etymology. 
