4*6 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 23. 
evidence their position under the general head of “ Ham- 
burghs,” but there is even less reason to argue for any 
connexion between them from the circumstances known to 
us of their orginal habitat, than from plumage or other 
characteristics. The Spangled birds, indeed, are empha¬ 
tically English, while the Pencilled, although extensively 
kept in this counti'y, are imported from Holland and 
Belgium in large numbers, among which, according to the 
testimony of one of our most extensive dealers, not a single 
Spangled specimen has passed into his hands. For these 
reasons, therefore, we should prefer the classification of 
these fowls as “Pencilled” and “Spangled,” and to let 
the colours of each of those breeds form their respective 
sub-divisions. As they now stand in many prize-lists, after 
viewing the Golden-pencilled pens, we pass to the Golden - 
spangled specimens of a totally different character, then 
return to the facsimiles of the first-named birds, colour alone 
excepted, concluding with a repetition of No. 2, with the 
same excepted point. 
In the Golden-pencilled class, the result of the past year 
can hardly be termed satisfactory on a general review ; a 
few pens of great merit, such as appeared at Leeds, and one 
or . elsewhere, would be the only exceptions to this 
criticism. In respect of the Silver-pencilled, our opinion of 
those shown in 1853 is to the same effect. 
The Spangled birds, however, deserve more honourable 
mention, and here it may be fairly said that a step in ad¬ 
vance has certainly been gained. At Birmingham, for 
instance, there were several excellent pens of Gold-spangled 
birds, and the same at Doncaster and Leeds; these, how¬ 
ever, arc the districts where we should most expect to find 
them. But in the south of England there still remains a 
wide interval between the specimens usually exhibited and 
the models we would hold out for their breeder’s imitation. 
The perfect character of the spangle in the male birds of 
this variety is of difficult attainment, and many a pen has, 
doubtless, been disqualified on account of the dark streaky- 
breasted cocks that have been shown with good hens. 
Among other means to secure the distinct development of 
the spangle on a clear ground-colour, an infusion of Gold- 
laced Bantam blood seems to have been had recourse to. 
But not to dwell on the loss of size consequent on such a 
cross, the characteristic Hamburgh-tail has, of course, 
suffered, and hence the objections justly entertained by 
many against the square hen-tailed birds that have lately 
appeared. The absence or deterioration of an acknowledged 
characteristic in any family of fowls cannot thus be com¬ 
pensated, and a hen-tailed Hamburgh, therefore, has no 
charms in our eyes. Let the spangle, by all means, be 
perfect; but however good, we cannot accept it in lieu of 
the full sickled-tail - that so well suits the erect carriage of a 
good Hamburgh, whether Spangled or Pencilled. 
In the Silver-spangled Hamburghs our expression of com¬ 
mendation must go further. The Northern and Midland 
Exhibitions vSlre remarkably good in this respect, and left 
little to be derived in point of form, feather, or condition. 
Hamburghs, as a family, have certain precise rules of 
arbitration on their several merits, which, comparatively 
speaking, have been only lately applied to many of our other 
fowls. The decision of judges, therefore, have, in this in¬ 
stance, perhaps, been as severely scrutinized as usually hap¬ 
pens in any department of their labours. One judge is 
charged with an undue affection for a well-bronzed tail; 
another is thought to cherish an unfair regard for the mark¬ 
ings only; comb, ear-lobe, and figure also are said to be 
severally reckoned as the most essential points in the eyes 
of others; and, consequently, more cavilling frequently fol¬ 
lows their decision in this class than elsewhere. We do not 
think, however, that such charges have been generally 
founded in fact, .fudges, we believe, have endeavoured to 
balance all competing points ; and it is rather in the con¬ 
flicting pre-judgment of individuals on favourite properties 
that such remarks have originated. The former, indeed, 
might allege on their behalf that nowhere, commonly speak¬ 
ing, does less care appear to have been taken in making up 
and matching the several pens. On more than one occa¬ 
sion, indeed, have three excellent specimens in a pen been 
deprived of then- chance by the presence of a faulty com¬ 
panion, and the selection of a more even pen is then incor¬ 
rectly regarded as a preference of all the individual birds. 
In a class of fowls so widely distributed throughout some 
parts of England, it may fairly be required that there should 
be high merit in every single specimen in a pen to which 
the honours of a prize are to be assigned; and such faults 
as a bad ear-lobe, lopping comb, imperfect marking, tail un¬ 
silvered in the male birds of the one, and unbronzed in 
those of the other Pencilled variety, legs of any colour but 
blue, and the presence of a fifth claw, are most properly 
held to disqualify the whole lot, although present in a single 
member only. And yet, strange to say, such disqualification, 
on such grounds, nay, even occasionally where more than 
one of these defects has been apparent, lias been considered 
just cause of grievance by a disappointed exhibitor. 
Hamburghs have, perhaps, been thrown somewhat in the 
shade of late by the greater popularity of fowls, either of 
recent introduction, or of such as Dorkings or Spanish, 
which, although of common occurrence, have received such 
great improvements at the hands of experienced breeders. 
Hamburghs, however, possess such unquestioned merits, in 
an economical point of view, and are, moreover, suited to 
so many circumstances where the latter would be ineligible, 
that there can be no cause to apprehend such remissness 
on the part of the poultry-keeping community as would 
forbid the speedy alteration of the points in which many of 
them have of late appeared deficient. The Birmingham 
Committee, indeed, have allotted no less a sum than .£48 
for their encouragement in Bingley Hall in December next, 
and we are much mistaken if such a recognition of their 
value, and the free expression of what has hitherto been 
unsatisfactory in their appearance at Exhibitions, will not 
render their reviewer’s task another season not only more 
agreeable to himself, but also more laudatory to his subject. 
GAUNTLET PELARGONIUM. 
This is the first in, and the last out, in the market for cut 
flowers, and is also one of the best bedders for early sum¬ 
mer, or late autumn, but whether it is as good for the 
height of summer, I cannot say; probably it is, if it does not 
rest awhile after the first bloom is over, as most of that sec¬ 
tion do. The Queen of Boses is a strong bedder, and as full of 
flowers as can be, but there is only one way, that I know of, 
to cause it to flower without interruption the whole summer, 
and down till the frost comes, and that way is very likely to 
do for the Gauntlet, and some others of the old greenhouse 
kinds, which is the reason why I intrude on the Editor to 
get this inserted just at the proper moment. Any one who 
has a stock of young Gauntlets, or Queen of Boses, or of 
Prinry Queen, or of any other Pelargonium which is known 
to flower pretty freely in the autumn, has only to forego the 
chance of an early bloom to secure a constant succession of 
bloom, as bedders, for the rest of the season. This is 
managed by having the plants stopped between the 20th 
and the end of March, and after that to keep them as cool 
as possiide till the middle of May, when they are fit to turn 
out into the beds or borders along the walks. 
Young plants, struck last autumn, are the best, and the 
only ones by which I hit on this plan, after a great many 
trials with different sorts. If they are stopped before the 
20th of March, and are kept in a good greenhouse, they 
come into flower in the middle of June, and rest a month ; 
but if you can so manage as to keep them from coming into 
flower till the very end of June, or the first week in July, 
they will flower continuously after that, to the end of the 
season, and very likely old plants would do the same. 1 
have stopped several old sorts every fortnight, from the 
middle of January to the end of April, several years in 
succession, and kept a register of the whole, and those that 
I stopped about the last week in March did the best. That 
was my period to stop, for the last time, all the plants I 
needed for two beds of the Queen of Boses, which I wanted 
to fill early in July, after a crop of Annuals, and that is the 
best time to stop Gauntlet, on the supposition that it rests a 
while after the first flowering. It will make a bed as gay as 
any Pelargonium I know of that class ; the colour is between 
rose and scarlet. D. Beaton. 
