Novf.jibkr 27 . 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
153 
“ I conclude l>y saying, that unless we can persuade 
our employers to make some alteration for us in the riglit 
road, where is the use of being a gardener? If you think 
tliis Avorthy of publication you are at liberty to use it.— 
W. d., Sinihunj.” 
[Your letter is written all in a wrong spirit. That thero 
are places where sufficient help is not allowed, is too true. 
That there are places where the gardener has to fulfil various 
offices, is also true ; hut what have such idaces to do udth 
the art of gardening, and the conduct of gardeners ? dYe are 
truly the friends of gardeners; and all that thoroughly 
understand their business, and are good, steady, moral men, 
we are alway ready to assist, as far as lies in our power, in 
getting good places. IVe think you quite out in your calcu¬ 
lation, that for two gardeners that obtain good places there 
are eight that are disappointed. If a young man, such as 
Mr. Appleby has been advising, will be foolish, get married 
too young, have a family, and, in consequence, is obliged to 
take an inferior position, such as you describe, whose fault 
is it ? Many gentlemen of limited income require such 
men, and give them as good wages as they can afford, and 
as there are alwaj^s two to every bargain, the seller and the 
buyer, the seller of his labour and skill has no right to find 
fault with the buyer of it, if he, the seller, agrees to the 
bargain. We never met with a really clever, good gardener, 
in a place where he had to manage a garden, milk a cow, and 
render all the attentions which seem to offend you so much. 
If a gentleman Avere to engage a clever, talented man, Avith- 
out informing him that he Avould have to do other work 
than gardening, then the gardener Avould have a just right 
to complain, and every one would sympathize with him. 
The advertisement you refer fo is perfectly open and fair. 
No man that applied for it has any right to complain if he 
accepted it. The duties he had to perform are clearly 
stated, and a good, clever gardener, if a sensible man, would 
not apply for such a place, unless necessity compelled him, 
and then his good sense AA'ould teach him that he hacl 
undertaken certain duties to jAerfoA-m, and it was clearly his 
duty, and interest, too, to discharge the duties faithfully and 
well. Finally, Ave dismiss this unpleasant subject, by advising, 
as Mr. Appleby has done, all young gardeners to Avait j 
patiently, increase their knowledge, and secure a good 
character for steadiness and integrity; and Ave pledge our¬ 
selves, that, sooner or later, such men Avill obtain comfortable, 
if not first-rate, situations.] 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Birmingham, nth to Hth of December. Sec., J. Morgan, jun.. Esq. 
Entries closed November 10th. 
Durham and North Yorkshire, at Darlington, 6th and 7th of De¬ 
cember. Sec., J. Hodgson, Esq. Entries closed. 
Gloucestershire Agricultural. At Cirencester, Dec. 6th. Sec. 
E. Trinder, Esq., Cirencester. 
Nottinghamshire, at Southwell, 19 th and 20th of December. Sec. 
R. Hawksley, jun.. Esq., Southwell. Entries closed November 20th. 
Vale OF Aylesbury. January 2nd and 3rd. Secs. J. D. Muddiman, 
and Jas. Allen. Entries close December 20th. 
N.B .—Secretaries v’ill oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
It is part of the usefulness of a periodical devoted to 
any particular subject, that the complaints, wishes, and 
advice of all who are interested in it, come, as it were, 
to a focus in its office; and it is our duty, as Avell as our 
inclination, to make such use of such communications 
as shall conduce most to the welfare of the pursuit of 
which they treat.. We confess to much respect for the 
wislies and advice, but it is always with pain we receive 
complaints. In all things where thero is, and must be, 
a certain latitude allowed, there Avill continually be 
cases where both parties appear in the right. Not im- 
frequently we read one side, and enter deeply into the 
spirit of the remonstrance. The answer comes, and we 
alter our opinion; then remonstrance the second, so 
strong, that, like the plaintiff avIio heard the counsel 
detailing his grievances, Ave had no idea before hoAV 
great the injury, and how bad tbe treatment; and so Ave 
become, even to ourselves, a shuttlecock, continually 
driven from one to the other. 
But we have now a communication from a AA'oiking 
man, written in such an excellent spirit, and giving 
such good reasons, that we are disposed to make it the 
ground of these remarks. 
Our correspondent is from the North, and, therefore, 
begins with a sound calculation of £. s. d. “ Why,” 
he asks, “ at the Darlington ShoAV, should all pens be 
charged alike at 2s. (id. for entry, while the prizes are 
different? Spanish, Dorkings, Cochins, &c., prizes of 
and lOs., while Bantams have but 10s. and 5s.” We 
believe we speak the opinions of many committees, when 
we say, that the greatest encouragement must be given 
to those breeds which bring the largest number of pens, 
and they, certainly, are not Bantams. We believe, for 
many years they AA'ere not justly treated ; they had the 
worst pens, and the lowest prizes; but the cup given at 
Anerley, and the increased prize lists for them every- 
Avhere, is fast putting them in a better position, and 
giving them the importance they deserve. But, 
like Moonies in Lancashire, Dorkings in Sussex and 
Surrey, and other birds in other districts, it may be 
these little, gallinaceae are the pets of some district. 
M^e w'ill, therefore, let our correspondent speak. 
“ These spirited little pets are often kept and ex¬ 
hibited by the poor man, and great care and trouble 
tbere is in breeding these tiny little beauties, in conse¬ 
quence of the late period they have to be hatched to 
have them small. They also much deserve encourage¬ 
ment, as an instrument of softening and bringing into 
play the kinder sentiments of our nature among our 
pitmen. Bantams are, also, to the larger class of Poultry, 
what the Fell Black-faced sheep are to the Teviots(?). 
They Avill subsist and do well upon a situation affording 
a contracted supply of food, and so have their proper 
allotted place. These are often very profitable; for 
although the eggs are wee ones, yet these Bantams will, 
upon comparison to the food given, contest with any 
class the prize as profitable layers. Their eggs are rich- 
flavoured, and they, themselves, when upon the table, 
surpass CA'en the Dorking for amount of flesh, plump¬ 
ness on the breast, with delicateness and fineness of the 
whole.” 
Some assertions of our worthy correspondent may 
be doubted by those who prefer other breeds, and may, 
perhaps, be accounted for by the enthusiasm of a Ban¬ 
tam fancier ; but no one will doubt that there is much 
truth in two of them. First, that Bantams have been 
ill-treated; next, that they exercise a humanizing in¬ 
fluence. We will say a few words on each. 
Although poultry has become a general pursuit, and 
shoAvs must exist—because man wants excitement, and 
having once had it, will not give it up; also, because 
they afford an innocent and cheerful pursuit to many, 
whose opinions or tastes forbid others that have hitherto 
existed—yet it is too much to expect, that in the short 
time they have been in vogue they should have become 
perfect. Many that have been held have been bare 
experiments; straws thrown up, to shoAV the way of the 
wind. Their projectors, under these circumstances, 
have been obliged to Aveigh their responsibility and 
liabilities most scrupulously; but when these exhibitions 
are fixed to take jAlace annually, and fliave, as they will 
have, a balance in hand, then they will feel themselves 
justified in oflering larger prizes. We question much 
whether it Avill ever be advisable to lower the amount 
for each pen. Every one should pay a clear profit to 
the undertaking; but we think Bantams are now 
sufficiently valuable to claim good prizes as a right. 
Good pens of Sebright easily make from four to eight 
