February 2. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
335 
“ gingers,” ami “ streaky-breasted” among others ? Surely 
they should stand with their black-breasted relatives on 
every account, the position, in fact, which invariably 
they occupy where the Game Fowls receive the greatest 
care in the sub division of the various members of their 
family. If it be said that the heading of Class 8 should 
have been “ Black-breasted, and other reds, and Buck- 
wings',' and that the meaning is apparent, all we reply 
is, that Secretaries should be more accurate in the cor¬ 
rection of their published prize-lists, if they wish to 
j avoid the inconvenience, and confusion of which we 
| have very recently had occasion to complain. 
The high rato of pen-money, four shillings for each, 
as also the unusual charge of 10 per cent, on all sales, 
; lead us to imagine that this Exhibition is designed to 
j be self-supporting; and since this is undoubtedly the 
; footing on which the permanent stability of all such 
! institutions should bo founded, we shall gladly hear of 
' its success in the present case; and if the number of 
pens prove somewhat more limited, the counter-balanc¬ 
ing effect of the exclusion of much rubbish must be 
taken into favourable consideration. 
In one respect the decision of the Malvern Com¬ 
mittee may bo followed profitably by those with whom 
may rest the arrangements for other Poultry Societies 
during the ensuing season. Two days are wisely fixed 
for the duration of the Show, a private view being given 
on the afternoon of the judging-day. The hour, also, 
j for closing on the second day being G p.m., a majority 
1 of their birds may be on their homeward journey that 
j same evening. Under certain circumstances, where 
more than ordinary expeirse is unavoidable, the exten¬ 
sion to a third day, as we have often said, may be 
reasonable; but, beyond this, wo reiterate our convic¬ 
tion, that uo further period of confinement tor the fowls 
should be permitted. Dead, dying, and sickly speci¬ 
mens, but which had been placed in their several pens 
in perfect condition and health, have but too often 
appeared on the opening of the returned baskets, and 
such must inevitably continue the result of these unduly 
protracted exhibitions. 
The absence of the name of a gentleman (whose 
triumphs in the Dorking and Spanish classes may be 
almost termed uninterrupted for the last two seasons) 
from the list of awards at the late Metropolitan Exhi¬ 
bition is thus to be accounted for. Captain Hornby, 
indeed, has suffered too severely from the evils wo have 
now spoken of to subject his birds to the eight or nine 
day’s confinement that their appearance at Baker Street 
must have entailed, and he is, moreover, far from 
standing alone in this determination, so that a fourth 
day, wo hope and trust, will rarely again mar the 
pleasure and satisfaction of any Poultry Show whatever. 
CULTURE OF TOMATOES. 
It happens of necessity that tho departmental writers 
in The Cottage Gardener occasionally cross each 
other’s tracks; this I take to be more contributary to 
the cause of truth, and the well-cloaring-up of questions, 
than if each were to observe a most rigid line of demar¬ 
cation, which would merely produce and spread one set 
of opinions, in which the unknowing are but too apt to 
build up a set of cut-and-dry rules, which, however right 
in themselves, cannot with sufficient pliancy adapt 
themselves to awkward circumstances. This it is which 
renders the gardeners of the present day so immea¬ 
surably superior to their predecessors; they are com¬ 
pelled to carryout about double tho amount of business 
with the same number of hands, or, ns I know in many 
cases, with a less number, and this cannot, like the vast 
impetus given to commercial matters in later years, be 
attributed to tho introduction of steam power. 
The Tomato is an instance of what I urged at the 
commencement of these remarks; its culture has been 
written over and over again; but, indeed, of what branch 
of the gardening art, or of what individual thing within 
its precincts, may not the same be said ? This singular 
plant is a puzzle, in our fitful climate, in more ways 
than one. Except in more favoured southern counties, 
it requires tho aid of a wall, and one, too, with a 
southern aspect; but since the growing increase of our 
tender Pears, and tho still-existing demands for sites 
on such Aspects for our good old fruits of proved cha¬ 
racter, gardeners find it most difficult,—shall I not say 
impossible?—to suit all these customers. What, then, 
may give way? Here is the rub! Who will give up 
bis Moorpark Apricots; his Royal George, Noblesse, 
and Galande Peaches; his Elruge, Newington, and 
other Nectarines; to say nothing of Neilis Pears, or 
the D’Arembergs, Passe Colmars, &c , with a very early 
Duke Cherry, and several others I could name? 
I well remember, that many years since Mr. Loudon 
quoted some Tomato culture in his Magazine, which, at 
the time, appeared singular, because uncommon. The 
gist of the plan was tho keeping the plants, from year 
to year, as perennials, or rather, in the language of 
botanists, as suffruticose shrubs. This, of course, im¬ 
plies that they were kept in a heat congenial to their 
habits, and they were, indeed, preserved in hot stoves. 
Fruit was, of course, in use through the whole winter, 
and, indeed, nearly all the year; and 1 advert to this 
fact, merely to show those of our readers, who are not 
very knowing in horticultural matters, what tho real 
habits of the plant are, and in so doing, lead them to 
approach as near those conditions as expedients within 
reach will permit. 
The ordinary practice in this country is to treat it as 
a half-hardy annual; few can afford house room for it, 
except during the nursing season in a young state, and 
then its treatment, as to temperature, light, Ac., may be 
lumped with such things as the Capsicums, Chilies, 
and, if you will, the ridge Cucumbers. But there are a 
few special matters to which I would point, and these 
deserving of consideration by those who are desirous of 
enjoying the luxury of good Tomato sauce; and to those 
who' are as yet unacquainted with this powerful and 
peculiar zest, to say nothing of Boyer’s fancy Tomato 
dishes, I would say, just try a little really good with a 
first-rate rump steak when the appetite is thoroughly 
whetted with several hours’ keen exercise. 
The first thing I would name, then, is, that those who 
cannot afford all the necessary appliances of heat, Ac., 
place their plants in such a condition at the beginning 
of summer as to be ripe for action, that is to say, be so 
mature in habit as to possess a tendency to blossom 
rather than a profusion of leaves. To accomplish this, 
the best plan 1 am acquainted with is to sow in October. 
Strange advice, some of our country oousius will say ; 
and so it is; but let us show why it is expedient. Of 
course, tiiis pre-supposes tho having a house or pit arti¬ 
ficially heated to ily to: without that J urge nothing. 
Sow in October, then, in a plain, loamy soil—mauurial 
matters unknown. The reasons tor this strange course 
