THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
February 3. 
,‘i48 
Mr. Baily, of acknowledged experience and skill, is of the 
I greatest value, as his judgment must he generally very 
I aoeurato connected with this matter. It has not been 
without pain, that your readers have observed your ad¬ 
mission into your paper of many (jueries, itc., from “ Q-in- 
a-Corner,” and others, who, from their utter inability to 
prove one tittle of what they insinuate, only show the sore¬ 
ness under wliicli, from some cause or other, they labour. 
[Onr correspondent is quite right in supposing that we 
do not intend to maintain so monstrous a position, as that 
either a dealer, or any one else, could influence two or three 
gentlemen so far as to induce them to do an act of flagrant 
wrong; but our correspondent forgets that no such point is 
in dispute. The simple question is—-Is not a dealer in 
poultry more liable to bo biassed than any other man a.s 
a judge at a poultry show ? Cases must arise iii which 
there is a division of opinion; and if one of the pens of 
birds in suspense have been sold by himself, is not that 
likely to influence his judgment rather towards them ? We 
own that tve think it would. We know that such, too, 
is the public opinion; and wo know that at no other 
exhibition would a dealer bo appointed who had sold 
any of the competing stock to the competitors, any more 
than Mr. Clarke would bo continued as judge at New¬ 
market if ever he became a dealer in horses over whose 
success he had to sit in judgment. We agree, without the 
slightest reserve, in what is stated as to Mr. Baily’s skill 
and experience ; but we also know that tliere are many 
amateurs competent to decide on the merits of poultry, and, 
therefore, we do not think it a wise coiu'se to weaken the 
contidence of exhibitors by needlessly retaining him as a 
judge. Thus to express our opinion has been, and is, 
highly painful. From Mr. Baily we have received many 
courtesies; we have not the slightest unkind feeling towards 
him; and we know of no man to whom we would sooner 
apply for aid and advice in any mercantile transaction con¬ 
nected with poidtry; but this must not turn us aside from 
advocating what we know to be sound in principle. With 
regard to the questions of ‘‘ Q in a-Corner,” the insinu¬ 
ations they contain must fall to the ground, because he 
declines to have Ids name revealed. We do not blame him 
for this, because no man can find pleasure in a paper war; 
and we take some blame to ourselves for having inserted 
the questions, even after “ ti" had assented to our sugges¬ 
tion, that mere insinuations ought nut to appear.] 
T now turn to the other subject I proposed. And here I 
would remark, that if you could only give your readers a less 
perfect i)rize list of the Metropolitan Show than was given 
by the Times and other papers last Tuesdaij monthly week, it 
is a pity you troubled yourself to do so at all. Although 
the prize list had been published a week, your list varies 
from it in the first si.xteen classes in more than a dozen 
particulars, of name, place, &c.; and you have, omitted all 
the commendations throughout, and also all report of 
prizes in classes -17, 4H, 4!), bn. In another part of your 
paper, you tell the public that IMr. Sturgeon, Mr. J’un- 
chard, and Mr. Beck, were missed; and, perhaps, on this 
account it is that the public miss all particular mention 
of any of the specimens in class 11, 14, Id, 14, 1.0, and yet 
I have hoard, from competent judges, that some of the 
specimens in class lo equalled or exceeded anything ever 
shown at Birmingham. The public will believe, say what 
you will, that the person who wrote the article in that 
week’s number has had some influence over him, for a style 
of criticism differing from that iu every other English 
newspaper on the same subject. 
[All these charges and inuendos admit of a ready an¬ 
swer. We did not publish the prize list as it appeared iu 
the daily ytaiiers, because we were told they were incorrect. 
The list we did publish was furnished to us direct from the 
Committee of the Metropolitan Show. If there was any 
omission, the Idamo does not attach to ourselves. We 
Jiever, intentionally, pulilish notices of the “ commenda¬ 
tions” at any of the Shows; our object being only to notice 
where tlic best birds are to be found. We hope, notwith¬ 
standing our correspondent’s contrary conviction, that the 
public will believe us wlien we state, that we selected the 
gentleman who obliged us with the report on the Metropo¬ 
litan Sliow, not only because he perfectly understands the 
subject, but because he has always been the advocate of 
Mr. Baily, and is no extreme admirer of Shanghaes. We 
think, on cool consideration, that our correspondent will nert. 
dissent from our opinion, that such bii'ds as Mr. Beck’s, IMr. 
Bunchard’s, and Mr. Sturgeon’s, must be desirable at any 
Exhibition.] 
On another point, also, 1 think the public will diflin- with 
you, viz., as to the sale by auction. 'What rational objection 
can there be to this '! If 1 do not wish to sell my specimens 
at all, I have only to put on a really prohibitory price, and 
my object is gained. If, however, I am willing to sell, if 1 
can get what 1 conceive would make it worth my while to 
part with any specimens, I have only to affix that price, and 
the public will decide whether they will buy or not. Surely 
this is far better than the miserable trickery and squabbling 
that has heretofore disgraced the Birmingham exhilution, 
as to the claiming of pens. It is equally fair for all; the 
other system was not.— One oe your Subscribers. 
[That there is any trickery at Birmingham in selling the 
poultry we were not before awai'e; and we are quite sure 
that the public ought to be warned against it if there is. 
The objections to the sale by auction appear to be, that so 
far as the public arc concerned, they ought to bo allowed to 
buy at such pi’ice as the vendor is willing to sell for ; and it 
is a new feature to make such exhibitions a means of mak¬ 
ing purchasers pay the highest obtainable price. Then, as 
regards the vettdurs ; it is satisfactory to them if they obtain 
a higher sum than they originally named; but it must be 
very injurious to them, when, instead of their own prices in 
pounds, they could scarcely obtain an offer of as many 
shillings, as, we lU'e told, was the case at the sale alluded to.] 
BRITISH FUNGI. 
In the foregoing papers on that most extensive order of 
plants, the Fungi, it has been my aim, as far as space would 
allow me in these columns, to give a rather popular view 
of tlie interest, and also the practical advantage, to be derived 
by a more close and attentive study of this too much dis- 
pised and neglected branch of the vegetable kingdom. In 
doing this, I have not brought one point in connection with 
their good qualities forward with overpowering colours, 
while the less favourable have been left almost invisilfle in 
tlie background; nor have I allowed theory to bring forward 
statements which cannot be carried out in practice. My 
object has been rather to explain as simply, and plainly as 
possible, the interest that might be derived by amateurs, as 
well as by botanists and others, by devoting a portion of their 
time to the study of these plants. 1 have also endeavoured 
to point out those which may be looked upon as man’s 
greatest enemies, as parasites and poisons, and also those of 
most value to him as an article of diet, and serviceable in 
the arts and in medicine, hoping, that in so doing, I may 
liave provided a temporary guide to those who may have 
more time and opportunity for more perseveringly and rigidly 
pursuing their investigations of the subject. That Fungi are 
objects of interest generally, I find all who have studied 
them most willing to confess ; while, of course, those who 
have not studied them cannot be considered competent 
judges. They are more interesting, because they flourish 
at a period when our flowering plants are departing to their 
grave; and they are found in localities the most sullen and 
dreary; many producing their brilliant colours and phos- i 
phorescent light in dai'k and unhealthy regions, where but 
little besides them could support existence. 
I shall here mention one species, previously omitted, 
but which I consider worthy of especial notice, it is 
Peziza-coccinca, and, in beauty of form and richness of 
colour, scarcely to be rivalled. It is cup-shaped; the 
inteiior surface is of the purest carmine, and the outer 
surface white and downy. This Fungus is not uncommon 
in spring, growing on dead sticks, and generally surrounded 
by green moss, which adds to its striking appearance. It is 
found in woods and hedges, and if collected carefully with 
the sticks on which it grows, it may bo kept in a Fernery, 
or Wardian case, where it will thrive and have a beautiful 
elfect, if the temperature is not too great. I have found it 
abundant about Basingstoke. 
