August 8. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. 
358 
examination is frequently deceptive, and we should have 
no fears of obtaining the ready acquiescence of a very 
large portion of competent judges in the expression of 
our opinion, that no point comprised in the poultry 
judge’s labours involves greater difficulty than his 
decision on the sex of Geese under six months old, as 
submitted to him in their pens. 
The above are the only facts (if we append to the 
latter an assertion, that at the recent Cheltenham Show, 
a sentence of disqualification was pronounced on a pen 
of fowls on account of its consisting, in the estimation 
of the judges, of two cocks and one hen, while their 
owner was positive that the proportion of the sexes was 
the reverse, on which the “ lottery character" of the 
awards of amateur judges is grounded. We cannot but 
deem this as insufficient evidence in proof of so grave a 
charge, and with every desire fully to appreciate the ex¬ 
perience and integrity of (faster judges, we would still 
venture to affirm, that among the list of those gentle¬ 
men who are in the habit of officiating on such occa¬ 
sions, amateurs have exhibited as great “ experience, 
shill, and judgment” as have been evinced by the class 
from which alone the “Derbyshire Yeoman” would 
select the arbitrators. If “ mischievous blunders" have 
been perpetrated, although we believe them to have been 
in small, yes, in very small, proportion to what takes 
id ace at exhibitions of other live stock, they will be 
found, on enquiry, to have proceeded fully as often from 
one class as from the other of those gentlemen who have 
been invested with this thankless office. 
Apart from erroneous judgments, by which term we 
would specify such cases as are contended to evince 
ignorance to the comparative merits of the competing 
pens, dissatisfaction is often expressed at the circum¬ 
stances of the judges exercising their power of with¬ 
holding prizes from pens successful on other occasions. 
We fully believe that a large proportion of dissatisfied 
competitors ground their complaints on occurrences 
] of this nature. A very limited amount of poultry 
lore, however, should be sufficient to explain this, as, 
independently of any more serious charge, the con¬ 
dition of the birds themselves varying from day to day, 
would fully account for such decisions. 
The only counties this summer from which we have 
received a report of the Murrain being severely upon 
the Potato, are Cornwall and Devon. From Cheshire, 
, Kent, Sussex, Middlesex, Essex, and Hampshire, the 
I uniform information is,—“ The early-ripening sorts are 
1 being stored, and scarcely a diseased tuber has been 
turned up by the fork.” In low-lying, wet soils, there 
are some exceptions; but the following report from a 
high-lying garden, sent to us by Messrs. Hardy and 
Son, seed-growers, Maldon, Essex, applies to all similarly 
elevated, well-drained soils. They say:— 
“We are happy to state, that up to this time, July 
22nd, after nine years’ unsuccessful cultivation of the 
Potato, we have no reason to pronounce a recurrence of 
disease in this, the crop of 1854. About a fortnight 
ago, during the time of a remarkable humid, lurid, and 
sunless atmosphere, we heard of the actual presence of 
spotted leaves, and here and there a diseased tuber; and 
some unmistakably infected leaves have been sent us 
in letters from distajit parts for ocular demonstration. 
By this time, we hope and trust that this fungus on 
such specimens is now starving or absorbing, and is 
overcome by the present and welcome hot sunny weather, 
and that the tubers are mostly thus preserved. In short, 
in this district (Essex), where most people have availed 
themselves, by our advice, of the opportunity of pro¬ 
curing early dwarf kinds, they are now fast ripening, 
with a healthy, yellow hue, and bidding defiance to 
disease; and none are iu danger here except late 
varieties, which we are not so mad now either to culti¬ 
vate or recommend. We have no doubt that, by future 
adherence to dwarf early varieties, and early planting, 
we shall then be able, as we are now, to say, ‘ Good 
bye to Potato disease.’ Of about teu selected early 
varieties we cultivate all are at this time, July 22nd, 
fast maturing, and are free from disease. We are also 
equally successful, this season, in raising sound, lily- 
white, and fresh early varieties from our selected seed 
(not tubers), which have hitherto baffled our efforts by 
sharing the same fate as others. It is a most remark¬ 
able fact, that this year, such crops as are most suscep¬ 
tible of blight, louse, and numerous other insects, are, 
with the exception of the Bean, and Hop, and a few 
others, comparatively free from those pests which are 
uow so prevalent. Instance the Potato, the Pea, and 
the Cabbage, with some others.” 
THE QUESTION OF STOCKS FOR FRUITS. 
Having, in a preceding paper, approached the confines 
of the Stock question, 1 must beg to proceed; first pre¬ 
mising, that what I have to say is merely suggestive, and 
more matter of opinion, perhaps, than of established 
principle. We have been recently chatting over the 
propriety of aiming at new fruits; and why not new 
stocks occasionally ? Not, certainly, in the latter case, 
for mere novelty’s sake, but in order that some advance 
may take place here also; for who is there that supposes 
we have reached perfection in this affair? Shall it be said 
that everything else is in its nature progressive but 
the Stock question? This would be, indeed, a most 
erroneous conclusion;—in Horticulture, at least, there 
is no such thing as finality. There are, at least, two dis¬ 
tinct phases under which to view this subject; the oue, 
how, with any chance, may a superior class ot Stocks 
be originated? the other—can we do anything with 
the Stocks we already possess to render the fruits graited 
or budded thereon more satisfactory and profitable ? 
I have before, a long while since, offered suggestions 
in this work, which is considered of such practical utility 
in these parts, that a gentleman who called on mo the 
other day from Frodsham, in this county, and who is 
going to establish first-class gardens, assured me, 
that no less than three copies were taken in on his 
grounds alone. This, certainly, is no confirmation of 
the scurrilous and envious remarks occasionally of 
writers who would fain arrogate to themselves the 
power to regulate the mental or moral palate of the 
public. However, such characters arc tolerably unim- 
