^fAUCU t. 
COUNl’KY GEN'L’LKMAN’S COMl’ANION. 
I 
I 
liiuatirtiis, or ocrupying liiiUHelt’ witli political questioiiH, tlic 
horticulturist passes Itis days (piietly iu growing liis plants 
and flowers, or ripening Ids fruit. He meditates on the 
hidden mysteries of Nature ; ho jnissos a (piict and contem- 
])hitive life, and liopcfully trusts to Heaven for a Messing on 
his laltours. His i)assions, if I may use the ter])i, mu;;( ho 
ealm ; and, in short, to exiu-ess the idea which I entertain, it 
seems to nie that horticulturists tnust he good and studious, 
Inning a gentle, easy temper. Jf 1 am mistaken, gentlemen, 
you will he good enough to correct me. 
“And now I must thank the lady patronesses of the Society, 
for their counsel and ])atronagc are very agreeahle, hesides 
heing exceedingly useful. 1 beg that these good othces may j 
he always continued. This 1 ask as a favour; but 1 may, | 
perhai»s, be permitted to tell them, that for a woman to | 
patronise and [irotcct flowers is almost a duty.” j 
After this address the Minister announced that by a 
decree of the Emperor, 31.M. Morel, Amlry, Jamin, and , 
Lepi're, had been nannal Chevaliers of the Legion of 
Honour. 'J’hese gentlemen were then decorated by the ! 
3Iinister and Count IMorny. After the Secretary had read 
the list of awards, eight .silver medals were distributed to 
workmen who had distinguished themselves by long and 
honourable service.—K. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Aneri.ey. July IStli, Itith, I/lh, and I8lh. 
IJri.stol. .1line 25tli and 26th. tsec. Robert Hillhouse Busli, Litlield 
House, Clifton, Bristol. Kntries close 1st of .lune. 
Essex. At Colchester, 8th, nth, and 1 0th of January, 1857. Secs. 
G. E. Attwood, and W. A. Warwick. 
Norwich. June 20th. (Norfolk Agricultural, for Subscribers only.) 
Src. Mr. E. C. Bailey, Little O.xford Street, Norwich. Entries close 
May 3Ist. 
Wharfdale. April 18th, at Otley. Sec. Mr. T. Metc.ilfc, Olley. 
Windsor Poultry Exhibition. At Windsor, 4lh, 5lh, and 6th of 
June. Secs. Thos. Chaniberhun, and Henry Thompson. Entries 
will close May lOth. 
N.B .—Secretaries vnll oblige us by sending curly copies of their lists. 
THE rOULTllY CONGRESS. 
I DOUBT whether tlie wars of tlie Erogs and the 31 ice have 
not found as many readers as the histories of the great 
struggle iu the I’eninsula some years since. Antagonism, iu 
some sltape or other, is the hi.story of man, and that implies 
contests; they, again, involve success and defeats. W lien 
men get tired of a protracted warfare they seek some moans 
of withdrawal. TJie favourite method is a Congress, where 
the mnnlier of members shall conceal or swamp the triumph 
of the victor, or tlie mortification of tlio defeated, and whore 
there is hope, that as the successful are few in numbers, the 
defeated and the make-weights may gain, by importunity and 
worry, that which tlu'y could not aecomplisii by force. 
It is generally after some great action, or during a season 
wlien active warfare is impo.'.sihle, that these tilings are 
thought of. It is an iiuluhitahle proof tliat one paity is dis¬ 
posed to cry, “ Hold, enough.’’ 
So much for generalities. In the “ I'ciiUry Gozdlc,” we 
read the announcement of a Congress; and, as in duly 
lionnd, we sent a reporter to attend on the spot. 3Ve purpose 
publishing reports as they arrive. We jnnst he content, 
sometimes, to retail “mi (lit.-:,” as we need not say the dis¬ 
cussions are lield with closed doors. 
Fehruanj IB, ]l)-;!l).—The Itussian minister has arrived. 
Seeing that llnssia Eroper has not yet produced a great fowl, 
you will not he suriirised to Itear site is reriresented by one I 
of the I'olisk breed. There is a report, tliat a Conrlauder j 
will shortly come to as.sist. 1 liave just seen him; he is a 
proud-carriaged bird, hut has such a covering to his head, it 
is almost impossible to say wJiat he is like. 
lO l.b.—The l^lriglish envoy is come. He is a right noble, 
stately, old Dorhhxj, looking like a man with a good balance 
at iiis liankers, and able to lake care of it. Ho did not slip 
in like tlie Jtussian, but walked leisurely along, bearing un- 
riinchingly tlie gaze of the crowd. His assistant, a Bluck- 
hrcitslcd Red Game, seemed disposed to resent everything, 
and seriously injured one wlio got in his way. 
ILL—The representative of Eiance has just called to 
welcome the new comers:—a gallant C'/ccc-cicin', dignitied, 
without impudoiice, and just enough of the petit muitre to be 
piipiaiil.” His easy carriage showed his courage, and his 
sinirs warned those who would take liberties that he was 
able to resent them. | 
IB.—'The Turkish plenipotentiary lias just made his ap- 1 
pearanee. He is one of the new school, a iS'eivi'i l<i ook, ' 
educated in Europe, and acipiaiiited with all its habits and 
customs. He eutered his liolel willi perfect coolness, and 
while his appearance is by no means wanting in dignity, 
there is still a little of the old Slahomedan listlessness about 
him. He is aeconinaiiied by a native of Wallachia, the 
G li.(ioro(>()k. 
He was closely fullowed Iiy tlie Austrian, and although we 
tried closely to discover his breed, wo could not;—lie had a | 
little of -the English J)nrkiu(j, something of the Erench ' 
Urcvc-ca’ur, and yet, at other times, he looked exactly like i 
the Jiussian Tolander. He was, moreover,, more selfiin- j 
portaiit and noisy than any of his jB'edeecssors. ’ i 
Sardinia was represented by a beautiful Game Bantam, ' 
and wo have seldom seen a more gallant little bird. He ’ 
made way for some of liis more powerful colleagues with 1 
such true modesty, and yet with such a graceful bearing, that j 
all were ]irepossessed in Ids favour. | 
3Ve holieve the Congress is now complete, so far as its i 
^ actual niemhdrs are concerned. I 
! Fehntanj 10. — The labours have not yet commenced. | 
, There has been interruption, owing to the attempt of a tame ' 
, I'russian Eagle to get admission. He appears a strange, ' 
^ sleepy bird, and talks incoherently at times. It is said he j 
; was formerly a noldo creature, and some of his breed are so ■ 
still. He was accompanied by a host of little fry, who have, , 
at some time or other, figured as “ Cocks-of-the-Walk ” in 
the “ various ” class. They have, however, been lumped; j 
I and nine or ten have been made subservient to one, who ' 
then assumes the lead. 3Iany, even of these, cannot muster ' 
I entries enough to make them of any sort of importance, ■ 
, except in their own eyes,—and, driven into insignificance, ; 
they have joined a society, or hand, and assume to dictate, i 
[ When told they were not competitors, they admitted the . 
fact, hut said they had observed a strict neutrality, interfer¬ 
ing with no ])arty. The I'lagle also observed that, though 
not a competitor, he liad always been a subscriber; and that 
' he had thrown all his intincnce in the scale for the success 
of the movement;—that he had softened asperities, Ac., Ac. 
i Towards the conclusion of his appeal lie was ijuite over-, 
come, hut lie was well supported by his hackers. 
Fchntari/ 17.—It is saiil Hie Eagle will he admitted. 
Fchraari/ IH.—Itis said lie will not. The argument used | 
is, that those only who compete should have a voice. His ; 
answer is, that he snhscrihed, and that entitles him to a vote. 
Nothing is talked of here hut a reported quiuTel between 
the Austrian Cock and the Eagle. It began by the latter 
having upbraided the former with voting fur his exclusion, 
i wliilo he was Ijimself in the same position, i.c., a non- 
! exhibitor. Tlie Anstiiini evidently felt the leniark, hut 
replied that the Ihigle’s assumption was a lalse one; it was 
i true, he (the Austrian) had not ('.\.hihiled, hut he had made 
' his entries, and, if tlie show was eontiinied another year, he 
meant to eompete. This is Imt an “mi dil hut it is ' 
I generally believed. A fowl, who was present, tells us he 
I (louhls the truth of it, for he saw the E.agle at supper after- j 
' wards, find lie seemed (piilo happy. 
All soils of rumours. It is now said there is a eoolness | 
between the Austrian and the (Janie I’antam. 'J’he former 
, reproached the latter with liaving been beaten by him some i 
lime since. He retorts by sajing, he was then alone in his 
class, hut now it would he more dilticnit to snatch the prize i 
from him. He also says, and the jmhlie side with him, that 
his hreeil is better known now Ilian it was then. 
You will not 1)0 surprised that in my auxiely to keep you 
“ an canranl dc Ionics Ic.s affaires," I quote from the “mi dils” | 
of the day, and the current rumours. 
It is said, that the Tolander will propose to the Rcra'i ta j 
aok that a class be set aside for them, and that it be closed 
against all otlier exhibitors, and that each shall exhibit the 
same number of pens. This was mooted in the “ Reunions,” 
