August 22. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
To gain general assent for a common standard of ex¬ 
cellence in so numerous a list as the poultry-yard now 
affords, cannot, indeed, be regarded as an easy task. But, 
viewed in its most difficult aspect, there is surely nothing to 
deter from the attempt; and so general is this impression, 
that, before long, tabular statements of this character must 
be adopted at all meetings of importance. The judge, that 
often-times most-unjustly-reviled individual, will thus be 
enabled to discharge his duties with far greater confidence 
and consequent accuracy, than when trusting solely to his 
own individual opinion; and his decisions, by parity of 
reasoning, must, also, in the same degree, prove not merely 
more satisfactory to the Society and its exhibitors, but far 
better calculated for the guidance and instruction of the 
public. 
Judges, their number and selection, and the system on 
which these adjudications should be made, are the subjects 
that at present may be considered as most imperatively 
requiring the consideration of all who are interested in the 
well-doing of Poultry Societies. Suggestions, therefore, on 
such topics, will always meet with our immediate attention. 
PROTRUSION OF THE EGG-PASSAGE. 
In a recent number of The Cottage Gardener, I see a 
case in the Poultry department mentioned by Mr. Teget- 
meier, of which case he states, that he had not seen a 
parallel; therefore I put mine on record. 
In the early part of July one of my Minorca hens, in 
laying, protruded the egg-passage, containing the egg. In 
her violent efforts to rid herself of her load the membrane 
ruptured whilst protruded, and immediately the egg passed 
through the slit. The poor creature presented a most pitia¬ 
ble appearance; head drooping; wings almost reaching the 
ground; and she was in such an exhausted condition, that I 
scarcely hoped she could exist. I immediately gave her a 
dose of tartar-emetic and calomel, as recommended by Mr. 
Tegetmeier, and repeated it every two hours, for three or 
four doses, with marked good results; indeed, the next 
morning she was down from her roost, and ready to eat with 
the others. I separated her, and gave her soft food, <fcc., 
and occasionally a dose of antimony. On the third day she 
appeared to be quite well again. At this time, the same 
absence which made me break off my Poultry-yard Report 
kept me from home for a few days. On my return, almost 
the first feathers that caught my eye were those on her dead 
body; and on inquiry, I found that she had been discovered 
on her nest, perfectly dead. 
In this case, there is little doubt that the attempt to lay 
again was too speedy. Had she been watched carefully, I 
do not think that she would have died.—H. B. S., Mon¬ 
mouthshire. 
Another case is as follows—Seeing in The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, for 27th, an article on the Diseases of Poultry, and 
having a case of a somewhat similar character under my 
own observation, I have herewith enclosed it. Having returned 
home, after an absence of about four hours, I noticed a 
Golden-Spangled Bantam pullet standing on her nest, and ap¬ 
pearing to strain herself in a very unnatural manner. I went 
up to her to discover her ailment, and found the egg pas¬ 
sage protruding, very much distended, as well as very much 
inflamed, the blood having assumed a dark purple colour. A 
very small portion of the egg only appearing, I perceived that 
there was not the slightest possibility of the egg coming 
away in a natural manner. I felt puzzled for the moment, 
and feeling pretty sure that if the egg was not very shortly 
removed the bird would soon cease to exist, it having been 
seen on the nest before I went out, I procured a very 
fine-pointed instrument, and made a hole in the shell, and I 
took it away piecemeal. I then took a feather and anointed 
the part with olive oil, which appeared to soften it and give 
immediate ease. I kept the pullet the remainder of the day 
without any food, and she has now perfectly recovered. The i 
above was her first egg, she still continues to lay without 
auy trouble. If you think the insertion of the above in your 
periodical will he of use to any of your readers it is at 
your service.—G. IV. K. 
401 
FLOWER GARDENING AT THE CRYSTAL 
PALACE. 
Having read, with much interest, the remarks which your 
various contributors have made on the garden and other 
features of the many noblemen’s and gentlemen’s seats 
they had visited, I felt some little anxiety to hear what 
some one or other of them might say of a place which has 
assumed somewhat of a national or public character,—I 
mean the Crystal Palace; but beyond the introductory 
remark in a leading article, some weeks back, nothing 
beyond a slight allusion, now and then, has been made to an 
object which, from its magnitude, was expected to attract 
j universal attention; however, I trust to hear of more being 
I said about it, not only by your departmental writers, but by 
I others also; and, by way of leading the van of the latter 
class, I herewith send you a few crude notes I made on a 
visit, or rather two visits, to that far-famed undertaking. 
In the first place, I may observe, that, like many others, I 
never had an opportunity to visit the Sydenham undertaking 
until it was opened to the public, nor, in fact, until more 
than a month after it had been opened, consequently, I 
could not form much idea of its general appearance from 
the reports of the press, which were generally confined to 
the interior of the building, or to the structure itself; but, 
as I went solely to inspect the outside department, and was 
favoured with very fine days on both occasions, I had a good 
chance to examine some objects in detail which might 
escape the observation of the cursory looker on; and in the 
first place, I may say, that the first sight I got of the 
grounds was less striking than I expected; and as first 
sights (like the “ first blows ’’ of homely proverbs,) not 
unfrequently prove difficult to overcome, I confess I walked 
some distance in before I could shake off the feeling of 
disappointment. 
I remember experiencing a similar feeling when I first 
visited the great Metropolis. Being at the time young, and ! 
acquainted with some country towns of importance, I [ 
confess to having felt some disappointment at not seeing | 
anything in London, at first sight, that seemed any better 
than I had seen before, but a more intimate acquaintance 
with that great place inspired feelings of another kind. 
Now, a something like the same impression occurred to me 
on entering the grounds at the Crystal Palace, from the 
Railway Station; for, making due allowance for the works in 
an unfinished state, there is nothing seen from them that 
strikes the imagination as “ grand ” or remarkable. The 
so-called “ Temple of Roses,” is an architectural affair, to 
which the name of Roses is by no means yet applicable, and 
which, though novel, and, perhaps, striking, when seen from 
other places, is not exactly to my mind, as seen from the 
Railway entrance. The Palace itself is, however, more so; 
but remembering quite well what the Palace of 1851 was, I 
was prepared to conceive what it must be when planted on 
a hill, and considerably heightened and otherwise improved 
in other respects. But as visitors are expected to move on, 
a walk over the lower and unfinished part, and finally land¬ 
ing in succession on the terraces, with a careful survey of 
both, and the other objects as seen from them, very much 
improved my opinion of the place, taken as a whole; while 
I was not less inclined to admire much of the work in 
detail. 
To lovers of gardening in the distance, who have no 
immediate chance of visiting this fashionable place, I may 
observe, that the building itself is placed on the crown of a 
I hill, or rising ground, which slopes gently on all sides. 
| The garden side, which has, doubtless, experienced a good 
i deal of wheel-barrow and cart work, is cut into a first and 
second terrace. The upper, or top one, being a wide gravel 
walk, or promenade, about eight feet or so below the base of 
the building, a sloping bank of turf with a narrow flat or 
landing of the same shutting off immediate contact with 
the structure by the mass of pedestrians which throng the 
thoroughfares. I might further add, that the main floor of 
the building is also several feet above that turf basement, 
the under floor, or cellar, of the building, not being yet 
fully occupied; while, of course, the building is elevated 
some sixteen or twenty feet, in consequence. 
In continuation of my narrative. An open balustrade 
runs along this terrace, broken in certain places by recesses, 
