January 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
245 
I colours bordering closely on black. In short, all the diffi- 
[ eulty arises in forming a proper number of classes, 
i “ I have purposed addressing you for some time respecting 
1 class showing in Dahlias, which I am glad to learn is coming 
j into general use, and is supported by Mr. Glenny in his 
excellent almanack and other publications. It is the only 
way to test good flowers, and to give satisfaction to those 
who take pleasure in seeing the best flowers alone standing 
among those that win. In this town we have shown Dahlias 
for many years in classes, and as I think our arrangement 
of the classes, founded upon many years experience, may in 
some respects appear to improve that of Mr. Glenny, or at 
least lead him to give us his reasons for preferring his own 
list, I shall state to you briefly how I would alter his list, 
or rather how it differs from that which we usually adopt. 
The dark-, or maroon, as we call it, is the same with that of 
Mr. G., except that R. Cobden is placed in the purple class, 
j Our next class we call lilac purple, in which are shown 
I Mr. Seldon, Frederick Jerome , Marquis of Aylesbury, etc., 
and I think it is a great improvement upon the mere purple 
class, besides giving a distinct variety in class showing, 
which is of importance. In the purple class are shown 
Purple Standard, Standard of Perfection, and several others, 
which are quite distinct from Beeswing, Sir F. Bathurst, 
and others, which are shown in the crimson class. The rose 
and lilac make separate classes, though it is rather difficult 
always to say in which class flowers ought to be placed. 
I have often thought that the rose class should be confined 
entirely to flowers of the colour of Felix, which is a real 
rose, and quite distinct from the Queen of Boses and others 
now placed in that class. (I should like to know what Mr. 
Glenny thinks on this point). In other respects our list 
entirely agrees with that of Mr. G. I send you these 
observations, and you may submit them to Mr. Glenny, or 
publish them in The Cottage Gardener, as you please. 
Should you wish for any further information on the subject, 
I shall be glad to supply it.”— An Amateur. 
So far as we are concerned we are by no means preju¬ 
diced, and we should like a few who are interested to give 
us, like the writer of the above, their notions of classification. 
We confess that the classes mentioned by us are not ori¬ 
ginal, but founded on what we have seen exhibited, and not 
on any serious considerations of our own. Ladies, who have 
a name for every tint, might render us a most essential 
service by defining the classes. All that is necessary is to 
preserve in each class a general similarity. It will always 
be difficult to decide where the light rose leaves off, and the 
dark rose begins; then, again, there is always a difficulty in 
the line which separates the shades of lilac from what they 
call rose, and the colours given by the vendors help to 
puzzle us. For example, silvery lilac, rosy lilac, rosy purple, 
purply crimson. Now, when ladies describe silks, they have 
a name for every colour. They talk of lavender, violet, 
plum, puce, salmon, silver-grey, cream, primrose, sulphur, 
and so on, and never seem at a loss to define and to under¬ 
stand. All we require in classifying Dahlias is to have as 
many classes as there are distinct series of colours. A pur¬ 
ple, strictly speaking, is a colour formed of blue and red; 
| but we seem all abroad when we come to those flowers which 
1 seem to be made of brown and red. However, we shall be 
| very glad if the writer of the foregoing letter will use our 
classes as far as they are good, and add his own, to which 
we shall be most happy to subscribe, and let it be published 
i in The Cottage Gardener for the benefit of many 
societies who are now about taking up the subject. 
Dahlia showing is upon the eve of many changes, and if 
we are to take our cue from several very earnest discussions 
among those who take a warm interest in the matter, there 
seems a strong feeling against the condemnation of eleven 
good flowers for one bad one. It is seriously considered by 
many that a new system of judging should be adopted, and 
that the stands should be placed according to the number of 
good flowers therein. Thus, if a stand has eighteen good 
flowers and half-a-dozen good-for-nothing, and there is no 
I other that has more than seventeen so good, the former 
j should win, whereas, according to the present system, 
twenty-four worse flowers, but none bad, would be put first. 
There is a good deal to be said for and against the novel 
system, because, if the prize be for twenty-four flowers, the 
presumption is that they must be perfeot flowers; therefore, 
if with twenty-three perfect and fine, there were one that 
showed an eye, or that was dead, or with eaten or mutilated 
petals, it would not be considered a flower at all, and there 
would be only twenty-three on the stand, which would be 
deemed disqualified. There is plenty of time between this 
and August to discuss these points further. G. Glenny. 
BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES 
EXHIBITION. 
LIST ON POULTRY PRIZES. 
(Continued from page 233.) 
Class XVIIt.— Game Fowl. — [Cock and One Hen.) —Prize, 10 . 5 ., Mr. 
George Graham, Yardley, Worcestershire ; 52/. 10s. Second Prize, os., 
Mr. Edward Lowe, Comberford Mill, near Tamworth ; ll. 5s. (Polesworth 
Pile). Extra Prize, 10s., Mr. Edwin N. Bullock, Hawthorn House, 
Handsworth. Prize, 10s., Mr. Thomas Smith, Cheapside, Birmingham. 
Class XIX.— Golden Pencilled Hamburgh. —( Cock and Three 
Hens.) —First Prize, 1/. Is., or large Silver Medal, Mr. Edward Lowe, 
Comberford Mill, near Tamworth; 3/. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. James 
Oldham, Nether Whitacre; 21. Third Prize, 5s., Mr. John Whiting 
Ward, liepton; 21. 
Class XX.— Golden Pencilled Hamburgh. — [Penof Six Chickens.) 
—First Prize, 15s., or small Silver Medal, Mr. Edward Lowe, Comberford 
Mill, near Tamworth; 21. 2s. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. John Whiting 
Ward, Repton ; 21. 2s. 
Class XXI.— Golden Pencilled Hamburgh. — [Cock and one Hen.) 
—Prize, 10s., Mr. Edward Lowe, Comberford Mill, near Tamworth ; 1/. 5s. 
Class XXII.— Golden Spangled Hamburgh. — [Cock and Three 
Hens.) —First Prize, 1/. Is., or large Silver Medal, Mr. Henry Clapham, 
Aireworth, near Keighley, Yorkshire; 8/. 8s. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. 
Joseph Silk, junior, Beehive Inn, Handsworth; 31. Third Prize, 5s., 
Mr. Charles John Mold, Makeney House, Belper; 41. 4s. 
Class XXIII. — Golden Spangled Hamburgh. — ( Pen of Six 
Chickens.) —First Prize, 15s., or small Silver Medal, Mr. James Black- 
ham, Thornhill Farm, Handsworth; 3/. 3s. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. 
William Banister, Handsworth ; 31. 
Class XXIV.— Golden Spangled Hamburgh. — [Cock and One 
Hen.) —Prize, 10s., Mr. William Dawson, Handsworth ; 2/. 
Class XXV.— Silver Pencilled Hamburgh. — [Cock and Three 
Hens.) —First Prize, 1/. Is., or large Silver Medal, Mr. Thomas Lowe, 
Whateley, near Fazeley; 1/. 10s. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. Thomas 
Lowe, Whateley, near Fazeley; 1/. 10s. Third Prize, 5s., Mr. William 
Hazeldine, Austin, Norton, Shilfnall, Shropshire; 11. 10s. (Chittepratt’s). 
Class XXVI. — Silver Pencilled Hamburgh. — [Pen of Six 
Chickens.) —First Prize, 15s., or small Silver Medal, Mr. Thomas Lowe, 
Whateley, near Fazeley; 21. 2s. Second Prize, lus., the Right Hon. 
Viscount Hill, Hawkstone, Salop; 61. 6s. 
Class XXVII.— Silver Pencilled Hamburch. — [Cock and One 
Hen.) —Prize, 10s., Mr. Thomas Lowe, Whateley, near Fazeley; 15s. 
Class XXVIII.— Silver Spangled Hamburgh. — [Cock and Three 
Hens.) —First Prize, 1/. Is., or large Silver Medal, Mr. William Ludlam, 
Bradford, Yorkshire; 21. (Silver Pheasant). Second Prize, 10s., Mr. i 
Timothy Town, Keighley, Yorkshire; Gs. each (Silver Pheasant). Third 
Prize, 5s., Mr. John Harlow, Moseley, near Birmingham ; 41. 
Class XXIX. — Silver Spangled Hamburgh. — [Pen of Six 
Chickens.) —First Prize, 15s., or small Silver Medal, Mr. Joseph Rinder, 
Elmwood Grove, Leeds; 31. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. James Whilock, 
High Street, Birmingham; 21. 10s. 
Class XXX.— Silver Spangled Hamburgh. —[Cock and One Hen.) 
—Prize, 10s., Chai.co Robert Colville, Esq., Stretton Hall, near Ather- 
stone ; 21. 2s. 
Class XXXI.— Poland Fowl. — [Black, with White Crests.)—[Cock 
and Three Hens.)— First Prize, 1 /. Is., or large Silver Medal, Mr. Ed¬ 
ward Hewitt, Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, near Birmingham; 51. 5s. 
Second Prize, 10s., Mr. George H. Smith, Villa Road, Handsworth ; 31. 
Third Prize, 5s., Mr. Edward Simons, Dale End, Birmingham; 51. 5s. 
Class XXXII.— Poland Fowl. — [Black, with White Crests .)— [Pen 
of Six Chickens.)—No prize awarded. 
Class XXXIII. — Poland Fowl. — [Black, with White Crests.) — [Cock 
and One Hen.)— Second Prize, 5s., Mr. John Charles Mold, Makeney 
House, Belper; 3/. 
Class XXXIV.— Poland Fowl. — [Golden.)—[Cock and Three Hens.) 
—First Prize, 11. Is., or large Silver Medal, YV. G. Vivian, Esq., Single- 
ton, Glamorganshire; 12/. Second Prize, 10s., Mrs. Hosier Williams, 
Eaton Mascott, near Shrewsbury; 21. 2s. 
Class XXXV.— Poland Fowl. — [Golden.)—[Pen of Six Chickens .)— 
Prize, 10s., W. G. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorganshire ; 21. each. 
Class XXXVI. — Poland Fowl. — [Golden.) — [Cock and One Hen.)— 
Prize, 10s., Mr. T. B. Wright, Great Barr, Staffordshire; 1/. 10s. 
Class XXXVII.— Poland Fowl. — [Silver.)—[Cock and Three Hens.) 
—First Prize, 1/. Is., or large Silver Medal, Mrs. Hosier Williams, Eaton 
Mascott, near Shrewsbury ; 51. 5s. Second Prize, 10s., Mr. Theodore 
Bullock, Hawthorne House, Handsworth ; 31. 3s. Third Prize, 5s., Mr. 
Benjamin Dain, Hunton Hill, Erdington; 21. 2s. 
Class XXXVIII. — Poland Fowl, — [Silver.) — [Pen of Six Chickens.) 
—First Prize, 15s., or small Silver Medal, Mr. John Whiting Ward, 
Repton ; 1/. 10s, per pair (Spangled), 
Class XXXIX. — Poland Fowl. — [Silver.) — [Cock and One Hen.) — 
Prize, 10s., Mr. James Bissell, Birmingham; 3/, (Spangled). 
Class XL.— For any other Distinct Breed.— Prize, 10s., his 
Royal Highness Prince Albert; 3/. 3s. (Scotch). Prize, his Grace the 
Duke of Sutherland, Trentham Hall, Staffordshire; 5/. (Siberian or 
Russian). 
Cuckoo. —First Prize, 15s., or small Silver Medal, Mrs. Hosier 
Williams, Eaton Mascott, near Shrewsbury ; 3/. 3s. Second Prize, 
10s., the Right Hon, Viscountess Guernsey, the Bury, near Learning* 
ton ) 3/. 3s, 
