13t 
TlJIi: COTTAGE GAllDENER. 
Novkmker 20. 
:Jrdly, Ileqnirecl, the names of a few Tompoue Chrysaii- 
thenuuns—the eurliesi, and ecpial to Sncrainciito. —J. E.” 
[Your’s is a liopeless task, trying to winter young'l’elar- 
goniiuns in a greenhouse where tlie sun never shines for 
forty days in winter. Sucli a house is not suited for soft 
plants of any kind; in winter only for Oranges, Myrtles, 
and other hardy plants of the woody kinds. Tlie roots of 
your young relargoniums perish with cold and damp, and 
the stems go black in consequence. 00-pots are the w'orst 
kind you could use in this house—32 or 24-pots, and twelve 
plants in one pot, on the store principle, would or ought 
to do better—as with them, one watering a month wmuld 
keep the plants alive in winter, and the end of February would 
be time enough to single pot them. We are obliged to water 
the 00 pots so often that Salvias or Lobelias w'ould suffer 
from it sooner or later. 
A short, tine grass, that would grow or keep green in 
winter where the sun never reached it, and which would not 
require to be often cut in summer, is—like the evergreen 
climbing Rose, to bloom all the season, witli a highly-scented 
and high coloxired dow'er—yet to be discovered, or made on 
purpose ; but a garden that wmuld grow everything but 
weeds is a still greater want in these hard times. 
Y''ou are too extravagant by one-half. Where do you 
suppose it possible to manufacture Pompoues to be as early 
and as good as Sacramento i which is the best yellow Porn- 
pone, but not the best for all purposes, for all that. Lower 
your desires, and we shall delight you on this subject very 
shortly.] 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Birminguam. nth to 14th of December. Sec., .T. Morgan, jun,. Esq. 
Entries close November 10th. 
Durham and North Yorkshire, at Darlington, 6th and 7th of De¬ 
cember. Sec,, J. Hodgson, Esq. Entries close November igth. 
Nottinghamshire, at Souchw’ell, igth and 20th of December. Sec 
R. Hawksley, jun.. Esq., Southwell. Entries close November 20th. 
South Durham and North Riding or Yorkshire. At Darlington, 
December 6th and 7th. Sec. .Tno. Hodgson. 
Taunton and Somerset. Nov. 23rd and 24th. Sec. VYm. Buncombe, 
Esq., Taunton. Entries close November 3rd. 
Vale of Aylesbury. January 2nd and 3rd. Secs. J. D. Muddiraan, 
and Jas. Allen. Entries close December 20th. 
N.B .—Secretaries unit ublij'e us by sending early copies of their lists. 
CHANCES AGAINST IVINNING. 
As I looked out of my wdndow, during tlie heavy rain on 
Thursday last, I saw a child, a girl, about eiglit years of age, 
glorying in the pelting shower, because she carried over her 
head that which had once been a parasol, but wqis now the 
wreck of one. I then saw a man go past clad in India- 
rubber vestments, wearing overshoes, and carrying a riglit 
good umbrella, yet his countenance spoke nought Imt dis¬ 
content; and 1 said to myself—An illustration of exhibitors 
at Birmingham. A poor man wdll show a pen of fowls that 
has cost him labour, and the sweat of his brow—that has 
been in his thoughts early and late, and a simple com¬ 
mendation will be to him the yiarasol of the child. Another 
will show' birds, about which he know'S little, save that tliey 
are his own, and although he may get a second, perhaps a 
first, prize, yet, because he misses the cup, he wdll bo dis¬ 
contented. The loss of the cup to him wdll be the rain. 
It is said that soldiers go into action with a firm belief 
that they will come out untouched, because only three per 
cent, are killed, and only seven yier cent, wounded on an 
average, and they take it for granted they will not be of 
the number. Citizens remain in a city where there is the 
plague, on the same calculation. 
AMw, I think it will save much anxiety to many, if they 
wdll make a calculation about the numbers of exhibitors in 
each class at Birmingham. It is not uncommon to have 
nearly two hundred entries in a class. There are but three 
prizes. Let each exhibitor make up his mind he will not be 
one ot the three, and if he is defeated ho will not be vexed; 
and if successful he will be the more pleased. Let all 
recollect how closely a pen must be scanned to be success¬ 
ful among so many, and it may be balm to a wounded spirit, 
in some instances.— Senex. 
BEDFOIID ANNUAL POULTRY EXHIBITION, j 
On "Wednesday and Thursday, the 7th and 8th of No- I 
vember, this exhibition of Poultry Avas held in the Corn ' 
Exchange, High-street, Bedford. The building is, un¬ 
doubtedly, very suitable for the purpose, being both Avell 
ventilated, and enjoying a perfect distribution of light j 
throughout the Avhole. The exhibition coops here used | 
Avere the newly-invented and “ Registered Poultry Pen ” of 
Mr. .Joseph Cooke, of Colchester. They appear very Avell 
designed for showing the poultry distinctly, and not a single 
inch of room is Avasted; therefore, in a confined space, 
they possess many advantages over those Ave are accustomed 
to meet Aidth. They are “hired out” by the inventor at 
half-a-crowm each. 
The Bedford entries very considerably exceeded four 
hundred pens, the fowls being the property of most of our 
reputed breeders, and, had it not been from a misunder¬ 
standing betAveen the exhibitors and managing committee, 
there Avould have been few show's of this season more truly 
promising of success. It appears, that at the first notice of 
holding this year’s show, an announcement Avas jninted, 
stating all the fowls must be at the show the day before the 
exhibition opened to the public; afterAvards, it Avas notified, 
on the “ entry papers,” that all foAvls must arrive on the 5th 
of November, being the Monday. This left Tuesday for 
the awarding of the premiums, and the shoAV opened to the 
public (as originally announced) on the "Wednesday. 
HoAvever this may be, as the sequel proves, the discre¬ 
pancy caused a great multiplicity of “ too late ” arrivals ; and, 
by singular misfortune, most of these Avere from breeders 
Avhose repute in the leading varieties is everyAvhere notorious 
among our poultry amateurs. Among the paidies Avhose 
foAvls were thus excluded from competition altogether, and, 
therefore, from even the most remote chance of prize¬ 
taking, Ave especially noticed the names of Messrs. Plum¬ 
mer, Botham, Fellowes, Potter, and Buncombe. No doubt, 
others equally deserving Avere similarly situated, though un- 
knoAvn to our reporter. Suffice it, then, to say, more than, 
eiplity 2^ens were thus excluded of foAvls that have, on most 
occasions, rarely failed to fulfil the hopes of their OAvners. 
It appears that Mr. Edivard Hewitt, of Spai’k Brook, near 
Birmingham, Avho officiated as sole judge, Avas in w’aiting at 
half-past seven on the morning of the 6th iust., to com¬ 
mence his onerous duties. About this time the misunder¬ 
standing Avas discovered, and, therefore, from a desire to 
meet the Avishes of the committee, and afford every possible 
chance for the arrival of iioultry, that gentleman kindly 
consented to delay his adjudications until after the arrival 
of the tAvo post meridian trains. From this cause, the con¬ 
clusion of this thankless labour Ava.s not arrived at until a 
late hour; Ave had almost said an early one. 
'^Ve, ourselves, very deeply regret that anything so likely 
to produce ill-feeling should have arisen; and the vexation 
Avas much heightened, in many instances, by the obvious 
superiority of numerous pens bearing the ill-fated card, ' 
“ too late,” over those closely adjoining, Avhicb, by the mis- I 
chance thus offered, gloried in the honours of the day. | 
It is certainly the interest of all Poultry ShoAv Committees 
to pay especial regard that their printed rules are not open ! 
to any possible misconccjjiion, and Ave unfeignedly hope, the . 
dilemma of the Bedford committee Avill act as a direct and 
sufficient Avarning to projectors of such iniblic exhibitions i 
to carefully avoid any repetition elseAvhcre. 
For the reasons above hinted, our folloAving remarks are 
intended to apply, acneraUy, to both the successful and dis¬ 
qualified pens; for it Avould be unjust to mark, individually, 
Avith undue praise, pens of poultry Avhose success rested 
entirely on the disqualifications arising from the delay of 
arrival only of their opponents. Throughout the Avholo , 
collection there Avas scarcely an indifferent pen to be met 
Avith; many of the adults Avere naturally deep in the i 
autumnal moult, so general at this season ; but not a few of . 
